I grew up in a generic non-religious home. I have two very early memories. The first was when I was around 4. I remember being at a church (probably in a nursery/Sunday school) the door opened and my Mom was there. Another from when I was around five--bedtime prayers--

Now I lay me down to sleep,
Bless the Lord My Soul to Keep,
If I die before I wake,
Pray the Lord My Soul to Take

(That was the easy one)

Then, the Lord's Prayer
(Much longer and harder)

One last memory, my "Catholic" Dad telling me we don't eat meat on Good Friday.

What are your earliest memories?

My earliest church memories were from the early 1950's in the old Lethbridge Stake Centre (which was ironically torched by a mentally deranged Mormon) and then meeting in a school basement when Lethbridge 3rd and 4th wards were created in 1954. I am still waiting for my first religious based spiritual moment.

It'll happen over our first beer, Bro! -- "Holy shit, Boner, I knew you were bad, but you are bad beyond comprehension!"

My earliest memories from religion --- I'd have to say attending the Christmas Pageant at my local church. My older siblings (all except the oldest) were in the cast, heavily costumed and made up. I saw all of the actors, but didn't recognize the family members. I thought for quite a while afterward that what I had seen was the actual birth of Jesus and the visitations of shepherds and angels and wisemen. I distinctly remember actual camels, too, but have been told that no live animals took part (aside from humans). The baby was real, though. But possibly not Jesus.

I remember the junior sunday school being held in the basketball court and the owner of a nearby small grocery store was one of the old guys who did the sacrament.

We met in a rented building in Roseville, California. It was square and white adobe on a corner next to a park. My mother would drop me off for Primary on Tuesday afternoons. Then she drove back home. And the thing was, I was supposed to be in a meeting when my parents were both skating. They weren't there. So I would sneak out to the park and skip my class. Jesus has nothing on a park slide shaped like a rocket.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/2017 04:41AM by donbagley.

:) thanks, Don!

Our family's combination family prayer/blessing of dinner. We'd kneel at our chairs while a parent or older sibling muttered what I later learned were stock Mormon prayer phrases.

And there was Junior Sunday School in the basement of our meetinghouse.

And fidgeting in Sacrament Meeting, sitting with Mom, because Dad was in the bishopric and my siblings sat with their friends.

My earliest religious/spiritual memory is when I was three years old (and I may have been closer to four at that time).

I was staying overnight with my Aunt Tomi, in her apartment on Crescent Heights, and she brought this little red figure on a wooden base from her bedroom, over to where I was, in her living room. She told me that the figure was Quan Yin, and if I prayed to Quan Yin, my prayer would be granted.

I don't think I had ever prayed before (I certainly don't remember ever having prayed until that evening), and I didn't know what to do (or what was, actually, going on).

Aunt Tomi put the Quan Yin figure in my hands, and told me to ask for what I most wanted, and then to thank Quan Yin for granting my wish.

I tried really hard to follow my aunt's directions, but I truly didn't know what to do except to say: "Please give me a set of doll's dishes" (because this is what I REALLY wanted right then), and then I said "Thank you."

And my aunt just EXPLODED in anger. She started shouting at me and telling me I was selfish and horrible, because with all of the things going wrong all over the world (wars, food shortages, etc.), how could I POSSIBLY ask for a set of doll's dishes???

I didn't understand what I had done wrong, because I didn't know anything about wars (etc.), and I DID want a set of doll's dishes!!! And I HAD thanked Quan Yin for the doll's dishes, too!!!

I never forgot that tiny statue of Quan Yin, and when my aunt died, it was one of the things that went to me (no one else in the family wanted it; no one else had any memories with it).

I never did get the doll's dishes (which I accepted, since I obviously, by my reasoning at that time, had asked all wrong), and by the next gift occasion (which was probably Christmas), I was asking for books.

And this is my earliest religious/spiritual memory.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/2017 01:20AM by Tevai.

Oh, Tevai, I'm so sorry! That's brutal. (((Hugs))))

BYU Boner Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Oh, Tevai, I'm so sorry! That's brutal.
> (((Hugs))))

Thank you, Boner.

:) :) :)

My earliest religious memories are from a Methodist Church that we attended before converting over to Mormonism. I remember the congregation singing Onward Christian Soldiers and I remember really liking it. This church also had a huge toy room which I really liked playing in.

Up until the day I got baptized, I don't remember all that much. My dad didn't baptize me, and not because he wasn't "worthy." Another guy did. I think last name was Lundgren. I was afraid to go under the water. After going under, I thought it wasn't all that bad. Then the confirmation. I hated walking up to that chair. I have always HATED being the center of attention. All those mens' heavy hands on my head. I opened my eyes. I do remember that. Glad it was over. I probably lived in panic over it for months in advance.

Another not so spiritual. My good friend in elementary school and another girl we had in school class, too, my friend put her scripture bag on her head, so we did, too. They sent us to the nursery. My friend's parents were not active mormon. My mother just laughed. I was really worried, though.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/2017 10:10AM by cl2.

I recall the "important" duty of carrying hay to the creche at the front of the Episcopal Church as a 3- or 4-year old, my role in the Christmas pageant.

I also recall being lifted up by my father to pull the red velvety bell cord (a real belfry with real bells!) in the church vestibule...I loved hearing the result.

Today there is no religion in my life and I'm just fine with that.

Singing "Five Pennies make a nickle, two nickles make a dime... blah, blah, blah" while we marched up and put our pennies in the cardboard bank that looked like the Primary Children's Hospital."

Yes, I'm old.

It was when I was playing with my cousin at age 4 and we were digging in the dirt, I commented on the white residue formed when our shovels scraped against moist earth.

My cousin stopped and solemnly informed me that it was 'Mormon ground powder' and that it would kill anyone who touched it who was not a Mormon.

I distinctly remember it was at that moment when I first began to doubt things that I was told about Mormonism.