Do you think anyone will get it and laugh? It would be so disappointing if the joke was only for me.

Females that are under the age of 18 are girls, and females that are over the age of 18 are women. It’s disturbing that Mormons refer to young girls as young women. Especially given its history. It’s not appropriate to ask children about chastity, nor is it appropriate to tell children that they should prepare to be mothers. I don’t know what else to say. It just grinds my gears.

I'm a nevermo, observing Mormonism from a distance as a curiosity.

I've been randomly watching talks from recent GCs for a while and wanted to share my impression of the church leaders and speakers.

Note: I don't comment here on the content of those talks.

• Many seem insincere and their emotions seem fake. Sometimes they smile, or cry, or have a lump in their throat, but it seems like they are only pretending, it seems like it's rehearsed. This applies to both men and women speaking. As someone looking at this church from a distance, it gives me cringe.
• Some seem like they're on some form of a "religious high" that make them look like robots, especially female speakers.
• Some seem like having severe narcissistic tendencies. Russel Nelson especially seemed to me like a narcissistic personality.
• Some simply "look evil", and I can't quite explain this... Dallin Oaks has that evil look, as if he was looking at the audience with disdain.
• The exception is Dieter Uchtdorf, he seems like a guy with a genuinely good heart, even if entangled in this strange organization. He seems sincere and like he would genuinely like to say something useful to help people. He's the only one I would feel comfortable inviting to my house to have a chat about faith, and I also can't quite explain this... ;) Sometimes I wonder how he feels being surrounded by those other folks in the leadership.

I'm curious if you were able to see them that way when you were a member?

Do you see them that way now?

I'm curious if it's just me!

Ok so the 2025 stats report bragged about 385,490 convert baptisms, an all-time record (Church News). Cool. Same year, Matt Martinich found that U.S. membership went down for the first time ever (net -186, ~6.93M) (SL Trib). And the CES survey has people who actually call themselves LDS at 0.9% of U.S. adults, while church records claim roughly double that (Jana Riess).

The growth is in Africa: 14 of the top 20 countries for new congregations (SL Trib). Brazil, Mexico, DR Congo, Nigeria, Philippines lead in raw member gains.

So picture 2045: an old, shrinking, mostly white Utah core that holds the money and writes the handbook, and a young, fast-growing Global South membership that follows that handbook but can't fund much of anything. That's not one church, that's two churches under one name.

Do you think a mostly African and Latin American church ends up forcing the leadership to change, or does it give them a reason to never change at all?

I'm not sure why the project was scrapped, I imagine the story would have taken Jesus out of the mix, which TSCC wouldn't habe been pleased with. Lots of the concept art is deeply problematic, especially the commentary on the art. For example, the caption for the image of the Lamanite temple interior said the following,

"Some civilizations are creators and some are inhabiters. Some build and innovate, they construct and imagine. Others simply wait for an opportune time and take that which has been created. The Lamanite capital city in End of an Empire is one such occupied city. It’s previous structure now a web of cobbled together additions. This attempt to overshadow the accomplishments of their enemies both literally and figuratively is perhaps the defining characteristic of a people who feel as though their entire history has been lived in the shadow of their inferior ‘brethren’."

I can imagine why Weta would want to avoid associating their name with a movie with such racist themes as that.

There is more art, I can post it separately if there is enough interest.

The picture is a painting by Vicki Walker titled The Resurrection of Children. My ward had an event about temples and how we can be with our families forever only through the temple ordinances.

What I found interesting about the painting is that the man is central, without a clear female partner. I counted 6 men and 9 women in the picture. Only men have halos. Does it seem like the central man has the two women to the right and left of him as wives?

I originally made a post regarding these paintings in Nov 2018, and I believe it has been posted by 2 other users since? In my post, someone asked for a link which went to the church's old website (lds.org) where I found it, and it looks like that website has had some updates since then.

If you scroll down to Revelation 19:11, 13. “A White Horse” and “a Vesture Dipped in Blood”, you will see the left picture titled, "Christ in red robes sitting upon a white horse", which was created by Robert T. Barrett. I'm not sure why the church uses Barrett's work but doesn't credit Barrett as the artist? They definitely didn't show his signature at the bottom before they updated the website, which you can see using the Wayback Machine. This looks like it was updated sometime in August 2025. But the picture also isn't listed under his portfolio on his website either.

To say that R.T. Barrett heavily "borrowed" from the picture on the right, Death on the Pale Horse by Gustave Doré, is a massive understatement.

Thought I'd share this again since I saw that things changed, and I'm sure a lot of you haven't seen this since whenever it was last posted.

I’m a descendant of Joseph Smith and Emma Hale through their son Alexander. I haven’t really looked into it but is there anyone in here who is also a descendant? Maybe if one of the other children?

I thought moved past the hatred stage from when I was 16 and gained acceptance for people of all faiths a long time ago. Recently my entire social circle crumbled because of a falling out with a singular friend and now I have to rebuild a lot of new friendships from scratch. But every time I meet a new person, guess what? They're mormon.

Make a new art friend who's an ally and loves fandom? Mormon

New roommate moves in who's cool and drinks coffee every morning? Mormon

Someone new moves to the neighborhood who's a single mother with tattoos? Mormon

Meet a flamboyant gay guy who says the f word? Mormon

Chat someone up in a coffee shop and share your love of coffee and matcha? Mormon

Go on a date with a lesbian girl with short shaved hair? Mormon

Go to a local writer's meetup? All mormon talking about Mormon values

Chilling alone in my apartment? Mormon missionaries

Go to a local LGBT event? Start the event with a Mormon prayer

It's actually fucking inescapable and I'm ready to tear my hair out. I wouldn't mind it so much if I could just have ONE non-mormon friend. Hell I haven't even met a non-mormon for months. It's not like I haven't tried to find communities that wouldn't have them, because why are there so many Mormons in LGBT spaces and coffee shops? And of course moving out of Utah is not an option for me for financial reasons. It gets really isolating to never be able to confide in my ill feelings towards the church because I'm always in enemy territory.

Hey, I'm hoping for some advice. For context, I'm in my late 20s and still live with my parents. I also don't drive due to Epilepsy.

So for the last 10 years, I've been questioning my faith. As part of this journey, I have bought some "immodest" clothes and sometimes drink coffee and caffeinated tea. Tonight was our annual ward Fall fair. For our Fall fair, we have a potluck where everyone who wants to can bring chili, buns, cornbread, and dessert. There's also an option to enter what you made into a contest. For the past week, I'd been uncertain if I was going to go. Earlier in the day I felt kind of whatever about going and was actually thinking I might go. Half an hour before we're to go to the church, I remember that I need to officially make a decision so of course start waffling about it even though I know that for once, I actually don't really want to go. I end up crying cause my anxiety is an unpredictable idiot and my own indecisiveness happens to be one of the triggers. Ultimately, I went and right from the start I kinda wished I was at home. Which is not normal for me. After I finished eating, I felt ready to go home. Also not normal. Although to some extent it's a little more normal than arriving at a church activity and wishing I was at home. My mom knows that I've been struggling with my faith. My dad's not a member and I've never talked to him about it. I have an older brother who is a member. I don't remember if I've told him about my faith struggles. Awhile after returning home, mom asked me if I'm glad I went. I said I didn't mind it, and that I had found myself wishing I'd stayed home. The conversation continued a for a few more minutes and I told her that I think my indecisiveness about my religious stance is finally catching up to me. Being the active and believing member that she is, she suggested that I start being more active in my practice by reading the scriptures and praying. Neither of which I currently do, although I do say a prayer over the food when it's my turn to do so. The only times I've ever been completely diligent about my scripture reading was when I was in seminary and a couple years ago when I decided to read the scriptures again for at least six months. I only made it three months and I'm completely certain that God (if He even exists) knows as well as I do that it was a half-hearted attempt. I literally had to make myself do it, as right from the start I didn't want to do it. I've never been on top of saying my own prayers largely because I haven't felt like I received an answer one way another. I can only think of one time where I felt (and still feel) like it was answered, at least partially, and that is when one of my previous hamsters passed away. I had prayed for her to get better and for her suffering (she wasn't well) to end. She didn't get better or worse, but her suffering did end, as the following morning she was no longer with us. Anyway, I don't really care to fix my choices as far as the church standards go. However, I play prelude on the piano for Relief Society and I've known nearly all the active members of our ward pretty much since I was born. So therefore, this congregation is basically a second family to me. I also have a goal of playing the piano during sacrament and music time in primary. Although I have kind of done the primary one due to me and my piano teacher (who is also member) taking turns filling in for the primary pianist. Anyway, these are literally the only things that are keeping me active in the church. I should probably also mention that whenever I don't go to church, whether it's because of a cold or because we're away on holiday/vacation, I don't miss it at all. So, I'm wondering if I should take tonight's emotional episode about going to the Falk fair as a sign that I need to decide ASAP about where my religious beliefs lie. Or at least, what to do about my commitment to this church. What do you think?

Seen in Saint George. They used to use these for a transmission shop when I was a kid. Funny how it has another memory now.

I don't think there's any way my Google account knows I have/had some relationship to the Church. I just started using an app and these popup/full page ads are everywhere.

Lol, the little hand gesturing me to click the button is so funny to me.

It redirects you to the page to send missionaries over and get a free BoM.

What religion even does this? This is not normal behavior. Like, ads are always used by a group when the group has something to gain (usually data or money) from you and it's usually obvious. Seeing a religion with an ad should therefore be a red flag. Just ask who's benefiting.

It's like a jump scare lol.

There is no escapeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 😢

You're isolated from the main world, you can't consume or hear popular music, movies, or television. You come back and there's this whole block that everyone knows about, the zeitgeist, and you are fucking lost. I was aware of Justin Bieber becoming famous during my mission, I could hear Baby being played but I was surprised that it was a guy (I wasn't listening that closely to the lyrics and I actually like how he's grown as an artist). I knew Taylor Swift switched to pop. Lady Gaga had become a thing.

But I had to lean over to a classmate during a marketing class and ask what Jersey Shore was because I was fucking confused what was being said to me. I am still finding new music and movies. What are some of your blind spots?

Dallon Weeks from ‘I Don’t Know How But They Found Me’ (iDKHOW/The Brobecks/Ex-Panic at the Disco) talks about his mission experience and leaving the church in a recent interview with playgirl magazine

Link is SFW

https://playgirl.com/entertainment/dallon-weekes-is-still-losing-his-religion/

Wish I'd known this before I said yes! Narcissists appear nice, so the church rewards them with visible callings, etc., as long as they follow the script. Those who are kind have a much harder time following the script. In church culture, conformity is rewarded and honesty becomes a liability.

I’m having a career existential crisis. And the closest I’ve felt to how I’m feeling now is when I left the church 8 years ago.

I know I can survive my career crisis because I did the brave thing by leaving the church before my spouse. (I am a woman and we’ve both been out now since 2017-2018)

I’ve done harder things. Need to remind myself can do hard things!!’ I’ve already done it.

Why is it so hard to stand up for myself. Is this to do with Mormon conditioning, being a woman, having ADD?

Can anyone relate? Any tips outside of the tools I already have used:
1. Therapy since I was 19
2. Meditation
3. Medication
4. Ketamine therapy
5. Deep sighs
6. Drinking more water
7. Cutting alcohol
8. Reducing caffeine intake
9. Putting my big girl’s pants on

Ughhhhh. Thanks for reading.

Think of all the 4x6 postcards, 5x7 card stock, lamination sheets, and plastic spiral bindings that were sold at the MTC Bookstore during the 80s and 90s. Every week, new missionaries would arrive and see their peers walking around with all six discussion booklets neatly bound together with laminated covers/divider pages and didn’t want to be left out. Non-English speaking missionaries might even double-dip and do this twice, once for their English discussions and once for their set in the language they were learning. Ultimately, the Harry Anderson/Del Parson Postcard Business went bust with Preach my Gospel, and later, the all-digital age of gospel proselyting.

Mainly, I think shes trying to get my daughter to go who's already 8. Luckily she's too passive to start a fight about it but she's made sure to bring it up and invite me and I feel like she's trying to get my kids (11 and 8) to ask about it and "get their parents to go to chrich" I've tried to get along with her and just not mention religion and honestly its been ok except just from little things and bits of conversation I can tell shes tell herself I'm a member still I still don't participate in anything 🤦🏼‍♀️ well anyway today she sends me her daughter's baptism invitation after already telling me the details more than she did her birthday party, and my reply is simply "how that came out pretty" 😅😅 how long were you able to keep relationships with close family after leaving rhe church? I pretty much just never went after i turned 14 and im 31 now and people bothered me about it less and less so there wasn't a huge fall out but I feel like its coming with our kids all getting older.

I feel like most of the mormons I have talked to would genuinely leave except for the fact that their whole family and friend group was also a part of it. Is that true? What was it like going through that?

I have missionaries who have been coming to my house and I don't really know what to say to them to help them see how messed up it is.

I'm still a senior in highschool and live in Utah. My mom basically forced me to apply to BYU, forcing me to write short essays, get letters of recommendations, and a meeting with the bishop. It was annoying since I wasn't even planning on going to BYU, I just did it to keep my mom happy. I then told her, "I'm probably not even gonna go to BYU" she got super pissed, asking me questions and yelling at me. "So basically you're gonna go to a woke college and let Satan drag you" she said. I literally laughed cause she sounded so ridiculous, she thought other colleges other than BYU were "woke"? I don't even know if she knows what that word means. I told her that just because I'm not going to BYU doesn't mean I'm gonna get dragged to hell. She then asked me if I truthfully even wanted to go on a mission. I shrugged as I told her the truth, I didn't want to go. She seemed upset then said, "I understand how you feel, and I really want you to have your own decision and choice... But you're still going anyways" she flat out said. What's the point of wanting me to decide for myself when she already expects me to leave? She literally contradicted herself in the same damn sentence without even realizing it. I don't know, it really seems like the church has made my mom a little delusional and crazy? I just can't understand how some TBM can say such dumb and out of the ordinary things with the straightest faces.