My ex-husband (who is somewhat Mormon, but never can live up to all the requirements and flakes on going regularly) started taking our 10-year-old daughter to the LDS Church. She has been participating in the youth activities here and there.

I am a non-denominational Protestant Christian (who was briefly Mormon) who believes the Mormon Church to be fraudulent and potentially damaging.

My daughter attends a Catholic school. So there are three major religions influencing her life.

Thankfully the divorce decree states that our daughter will not be baptized into any church while a minor.

I have taught my daughter the basics of why I do not believe Joseph Smith to be a prophet. I've explained that he married lots of women, was a scamming treasure-hunter, etc. I felt a bit bad when she said that yesterday, while she was in primary class, she just kept reminding herself that it wasn't true (what they were saying). I guess they are playing the Joseph Smith card pretty hard, as I know they do to indoctrinate the youth. It sounds like it is confusing for her to reconcile what they say and what I say.

Am I doing the right thing by being honest about Joseph Smith's character? I figure that if the church is going to try to push that bullshit, I'll be honest with her about what a scoundrel he was.

I've told her to watch out for things like everyone saying the same line "I know this church is true. I know Joseph Smith was a prophet of God . . ." and to see how they whisper in little kids' ears what to say. I'm teaching her about indoctrination.

I want her to be well aware of what's really going on.

Remind her that she once believed Santa Claus was real, and more than likely had the same fervent testimony of Santa Claus that the mormon kids in Primary have of Joseph Smith, only she now knows both of them may have actually existed, they did not assume the powers the legends now give them.

Maybe you can arm her with the defensive phrase, "Yeah, I believe in both Joseph Smith and Santa Claus..." That and a big smile should shut down any further conversation. And if it doesn't, it's the mormons who are going to end up with the the very, very short end of the stick.

I think she might still believe in Santa! :) But I can use this once she doesn't.

rubi123 Wrote:
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>
> Am I doing the right thing by being honest about
> Joseph Smith's character? I figure that if the
> church is going to try to push that bullshit, I'll
> be honest with her about what a scoundrel he was.
>

Absolutely you are doing the right thing.

My daughter went back to the lds church at age 20 or 21. Oh my! She used to be anti. I wasn't quite out yet when she would attend church with her friends. I "let" her take seminary because I still kind of believed and I wanted her and my son to make their own choices. I never knew what I was in for.

I believe you are doing the right thing. I like elderolddog's reply with using Santa Claus as an example.

As long as he doesn't sign her up for baptism?

If so, that's what you'll have to live with and it sounds like you're making the best of a less than perfect situation.

I'm glad you're talking to her about all of this. I hope she'll be able to withstand the mormon indoctrination. Many of us were totally dominated by TBM families and church influences and still left at the earliest age possible. I hope for that with your daughter.

My ex can't sign our daughter up for baptism due to the decree. She has to wait until she's 18 to get baptized into any church. By that time I hope that she's done enough research on her own to know it's not a good idea.

And she's aware that she's not to be baptized. So if he tried to slip this past me I'd know before it got too far along.

But the indoctrination is incredibly effective and that's what is so scary.

I think you're doing a great job. Keep it up!

Instead of focusing on the many women he married, focus on the fact that he forced 14 year old girls to marry him. I think that is more likely to give her a clear idea of what was going on. He abused his position to prey on people (girls and women for sex and everyone else for money). Praise to the man.

as the topic has already been brought up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Joseph_Smith%27s_wives

This is a nice chart and easy to understand. You can easily see age and their current marital status when he was sealed to them. Also note, you will NOT find his wife Emma on this chart. They were not sealed until 28 May 1843 when he slipped her in between teenagers.

Also, teach critical thinking skills. Look for logic games, books that make you think. Over time, this will be a great protection for her against the mormon church.

mormonessays.com

Read to your daughter straight from these essays and she will be fine. (more than likely)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/2017 11:16AM by AmIDarkNow?.

Besides reading the essays mentioned above, read to her (or give her to read) the posts from so many former Mormons which tell about how the Mormon church members used to constantly claim that much of the info in the essays was antiMormon lies. Now they admit that what they said was lies is really the truth. But they only tell part of the truth,still. Show how what the Mormons teach is built on lies and half-truths that are twisted to make truth seem false and lies seem true.

Also, be sure that she gets lots of fun time with nonMormon kids. Peer pressure and wanting to belong to a group, any group, is hugely successful at getting lonely kids to join the Mormon church.

As is the idea that through the Mormon church, she could someday reunite her family forever. Teach her how Mormons use that to lure people into joining so that they can have a whole family again. Mormons present the idea of forever families as being uniquely Mormon. Whereas other religions simply believe that a loving God will reunite people with their loved ones as a matter of course. No special hoops to jump through, no requirement for eternally producing babies alongside her husband's multiple wives.

And show her how "spiritual witness" as Mormons do it is done by people in all religions, each one claiming that their beliefs are the one true belief. Anyone can have a Mormon-style spiritual experience about any belief or in completely non- religious situations. Facts validate ideas. Not beliefs or subjective feelings. Once she learns that she should be much safer.

Thank you for all of the helpful thoughts and suggestions. Much appreciated! :)