I haven't set foot in a church since 2005 (only to go once with my Grandmother) and haven't been active since 2002. Obviously things have changed. I spent the weekend with my TBM mother and she was lamenting the fact that after sacrament meeting starts, all of the exit doors to the building are locked except for the main entrance. She thinks this is horrible. I'm on the fence about it...on one hand, with so many children running around without supervision, I think its good that someone can't get in and snatch a child (or that someone on the inside can't run out a back door with a child) But on the other hand it seems like a huge fire danger to me. I imagine all the carpet on the walls burns pretty quickly. This is in Colorado. Is this happening anywhere else? She also complained about the classroom doors having to have windows in them now...I think its great (and common sense)! She thinks its terrible that the church would do that...of course all those men aren't molesting kids because they're righteous priesthood holders and the bishop's spider sense would tell him if it was a bad person...

The other thing she told me, which really disturbs me, is about a girl (who I've known since the day she was born) that just returned from a mission to Texas. She's a tall gorgeous blonde, and the mission president made her dye her hair dark on her mission. He said it was because he didn't want her getting any marriage proposals when she was supposed to be teaching the gospel. Seems odd to me. She's still a gorgeous sweet girl no matter what her hair color is. Any explanations on this one?

Thank god I'm out! I've had my fill of church drama for the year and I didn't even set foot in a church!

1) The locked doors is unique to that one building I think. I suspect your guess is right that they have had problems with younger children "escaping".

2) Ironically I suspect the reason for the windows is fire code. I know in my city there are strict regulations about rooms requiring windows. (Ironic since issue #1 is a problem with fire cord.)

I misread this one. Yeah, this is all about reducing liability of sexual abuse.

3) That's insane! However it does fit in with Mormon's over emphasis on appearance.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/13/2012 12:24PM by bc.

The door thing doesn't bother me, because the doors are up to code, and open easily from the inside via "crash bars." The policy is very similar to that of schools, and I think rightly so.

The hair dying episode disturbs me, though. It's just an autocratic attitude by a mission president.

The Mormon Church expects you to be obedient to leaders, and the mission experience is an intense case of this.. Missions are really an indoctrination for the missionary as well as for proselyting. It really is the boot camp of Mormonism, where obedience is pounded in.

They were locking the doors at my sisters church. Somehow the fire marshall heard about it. He came in during church, and made them unlock the doors.

It's a huge no no to lock people into a building.

I have heard of the push to put windows in the doors, I think that is a country wide thing.

You might want to report the mostly locked building to the local fire code inspector/department/someone who cares...


And wow, how shallow. Blond is the one true attractive haircolor, better hide that! Come to think of it, while I've never seen many sister mishies, the ones I have seen have all been dark haired. Sampling bias, obviously...

I thought the only sisters that served missions were those that weren't getting marriage proposals? My wife's great fear was that if we didn't get married soon, she might have to serve a mission. In her mind that would have put her firmly on the track to old maidhood. She was all of 20!

I can't believe I'm going to sound like I'm defending a mormon, but a few of them do wait long enough to serve a mission in order to see the world in a church sanctioned way, and realize they might be more mature a few years on.
What a horrible disappointment it must be to get stuck serving at temple square if you'd wanted to see the world.

Not all of them are bubble heads.

I think it says a lot about what gets HIM aroused.

I've heard many mormons say if hf wanted holes in my ears he would have put them there. Same with tatoos. Wouldn't hair color apply to that theory too? And contacts? And plastic surgery? And makeup?

I know a woman who was on a mission at which a GA visited. She wore her hair long and the GA noticed it and ordered it cut much shorter "because she is spending too much time with her hair and not enough in missionary work."

She dutifully cut it shorter and it frizzed something horrible. The punch line was that she had to spend a LOT more time fussing with her hair than before.

Ah the inspiration!

I can only think that my long hair was not in conformity with some man-maid standard. Perhaps the brethren wanted all of us to look alike? Btw, the BP at the time was Donald Hallstrom, now a GA.

.... to quell his desires to make a Joe Smith style marriage proposal to that sister!

Mormons might as well have closed doors to go with their minds.

I don't think the doors to our chapel can be locked from the inside.

Locking the doors in 2012, then the kool-Aid in 2013.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/13/2012 09:45PM by Joe Laban.

Please do the people in that community a favor and notify the local fire marshall. The situation doesn't sound safe at all to me. BTW I've seen doors with crash bars that are also padlocked. I've seen it used to keep people out, not children in. Either way, it's a fire hazard.

Baura, I have to wonder if people nowadays know about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. You know how the old saying goes -- those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

As for the gorgeous blonde mishie being ordered to dye her hair, that's nuts. I can't imagine the degree of indoctrination it would take to think that would be a reasonable action.

Is this near colorado springs where the crazy shot up some church? I don't think you can lock people in. Those door handles can be open from inside even when they are locked to the outside.

I wonder if the young woman was in an area where the mission prez wasn't comfortable for her own safety if she stood out too much.

Or he thought she would go over better with the local ethnic groups if she looked more like them.

That is just weird. At least hair reverts to nature. They probably did more permanent damage to her soul.

On the subject of hair; Religions, sects and governments have wanted to control hair for eons. I, being a man, prefer to let my hair grow as long as it will. This is not current fashion. It is definitely a problem for Mormon leaders, except for "cultural accomodations." A "Lamanite" brother around here wears it clear down his back. The bishop wisely has kept his own councel and not bothered me about it. I have told nosy ward people the following regarding my choice.

"Even though I'm a caucasian US citizen, I'm claiming the cultural exception. I have learned that I am descended from Vikings. In that society, only slaves cut their hair."

Also, anyone who does such horrific things to children would not likey be concerned about snatching the child and popping out a window insert or breaking a lock in the getaway.

It's illegal to lock people in a building just because they show up for a church service. I hope someone prosecutes.

This might be the most dangerous and foolish practice I've ever read or heard about from RfM posters! Good grief!!!!

The hair color thing, the first thing that strikes me is racism. Why? She went on a mission to Texas. There is a popular racist notion that latinos loose all control around blondes. I've lived around this notion in far too many places.

The locking of doors most likely represents a citeable offense.

A woman's hair color is of no concern to this ex-mo.

I've always been an a** man!

Timothy

Each week they could demostrate how to kick out the windows on locked outer doors and how to smash locks to escape from fire or child molesters caught inside the building and threatening innocent victims.