My kids and I haven't attended church since Dec of last year when we fully realized it was all a scam and b.s. However, today the neighbor girl came over and convinced my 10 yr old to go to church. I didn't stop him and let him go if he wanted to and he chose to go. No big deal to me, my kids are smart and know the truth. After church he comes home to tell me he is going next week too because if he brings a BoM he will get a treat and if he brings someone who hasn't come to church in a while they will have a pizza party! He was smart enough to realize the reason the neighbor brought him was for this very reason... a free pizza party! He pointed out that this girl didn't care about him going to church... she just wanted the pizza party! (I love my smart kids) but really... ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? TSCC is so fake and ridiculous. Anyone that has to bribe ppl to come is wrong.

This is all so clear to me now! More than ever! How they bribe and brainwash! How they care about numbers! Etc! Why can't more people see it?

My son continued to tell me that he saw someone tell their kid what to say in regards to "their testimony" and then the kid went up and verbatim bore the testimony their parent had whispered in their ear. I'm kinda glad he went so he could (and did) see how phony this religion is.

He said they are still singing all the same songs... duh! They have to pound this stuff into your head! He said they really think this stuff is true and so I asked him how he knew it wasn't. I didn't want him to be a victim of just believing (or not believing) because I (mom) said I know its not true. He said, "I know its not bcuz JS has been proven to be a liar about everything and God wouldn't chose a liar or someone like him to be a prophet."
Good enough answer for me! :-)

Good for him, but I would keep him away from the possibility of brainwashing.

The church blackmails children - telling them they must attend or or else they will never be with their family when they die. Don't give them power over your children.

For with Mormon pizza, comes brainwashing.

do not have the brain development to make them capable of logical thought or to fully understand cause and effect behavior.

I would think long and hard before I let him go back unless you want a TBM 15-year-old son.

A free pizza party isn't the only thing he's getting while he's there. And he isn't yet capable of identifying the subtle messages they're indoctrinating him with.

CateS makes a great point.

You were a smart mom to let him go to help his friend get a pizza party--once.

It's another thing to allow oneself to be "used." This might be a great opportunity to teach him about the importance of having one's actions reflect one's beliefs. If he continues to go to the Mormon church, he violates his own integrity. His actions are not in keeping with his belief.

Raising a child who understands about character and integrity is so important so that he can see through the charade himself and then MOST IMPORTANT --refuse to allow himself to be used as a tool for "harvesting the faithful."

I can promise you that once he is used to get a pizza party, they will be asking him to bring a friend or family member for a trip to the waterslide park and ...it never ends.

Speaking your truth with love is what you have done so far, a wise mother indeed. Don't miss the best part of this lesson for your child.

"Actions speak louder than words."

Anagrammy

I agree with Cate! No matter how intelligent and savvy your sweet son is, there are experts in brainwashing always present at tscc. A pizza party sounds so innocent, does it not? Yep, that's tscc for you- love people in through the door (or love them back through it), then the cycle begins again. Why subject such a nice kid to such crap? BTW...I stopped going right around the same time you did! It feels great, doesn't it?!

It's ALL about the #'s and the $$$.

And the part about not being with your loved ones in the hereafter is a bunch of *^%^*! Just another scare tactic.

Smart kid. And if he is arounfd them again, do ask him to tell you everything a grown up says to him. They do guilt them and cause them to worry.A young child often says they don't believe what they were told, but then they worry later. So call up the adult and tell them what you think if he tells you anything.I agree with CateS that it is the suble messages he hears that can be harmful.

Can you imagine this?

Your child telling all the Mormon kids they'll get a pizza party if they come to his house on Sunday instead of going to church?

Nobody would show up, and the parents would be in an uproar.

True! And you wouldn't even be asking for ten percent of their pocket money!