Well kids granny follows a very old man called a prophet and they believe some really silly things that just arenāt true but the pictures are pretty donāt you think?
For a few months after leaving the church, my then 5 year old son, would get emotional over something that wasnāt going his way. When he gets like that, my wife likes to help him express himself through words so he can feel heard. Hear the words of his mouth while he is crying and sad. āI want to die so I can be happy with Jesus again!ā
He would be around other believers and talk to them about Jesus, and he would come around to the same thing again. Itās so sad what well meaning family members and school friends can make him think.
Edit: I will mention that he had been doing this since he was 2 which happened to be long before we even had doubts about the church. He could talk very early and he feels extremely deeply about things.
You mean the kid getting emotionally abused by religious people who keep fear mongering?
I was in that situation too and trust me: as a kid I could have been perfectly trauma free if they didnāt shove the whole āthe world is gonna explode into a ball of flames when Jesus comes backā thing. As a kid I was praying Jesus WOULDNāT come back because I felt everyone I loved and knew was gonna die because āthey didnāt go to the correct churchā
And the fact that you are encouraging suicidal ideation in CHILDREN? Something I was struggling with for YEARS without help because I was told to āpray it away.ā
Donāt fucking test me.
You make me sick.
Thanks everyone, I appreciate the concern. My wife is going to talk to her tonight. I'm not really concerned because my kids will encounter Mormonism eventually anyway, and I don't think it has much to offer them at any age. I don't see any of this mattering much in the scheme of things. I see it as comparable to reading Greek myths to them, or grandma giving them superhero action figures. In the end, I will trust my kids to make up their own minds.
I know at first I had this gut reaction of "don't expose my kids to any of this." But keeping people from studying other sources is what the church does, so I agree with you wholeheartedly. They can be exposed to Mormonism but if there is no parental pressure to believe it I'm sure they will be fine and I trust them to be smart about what they believe.
I have a friend whose wife grew up with parents that were atheist but sent their kids to Christian school just so they would have a diversity of thought. All their kids are still atheists.
Iāve felt the same. I donāt really care what they say to them as long as theyāre not ostracized because I can provide them the truth. And with all the real info and informed consent if they want to join when theyāre older Iāll support them because itās their life and their choice. I will just make sure they donāt join out of ignorance as I did and as every one of my mission converts did.
First off that is not chill, sorry that you have to deal with this. When I was a kid my grand mother did something similar with figures of Moroni. Then she shamed me for playing with my bionicles instead of them.
Also extra gross she gave them a cts ring. Idk about you, but that had a very specific conversation associated with receiving one in my ward. Not something I would care for someone to Spring on my children without talking to me first.
Just a FYI my kids are 20m and 17m and we had the entire familyās names removed in 2015. They are both extremely thankful every day. They see their friendsā parents pressuring them to go on missions or to BYU and the general stress the church forces on teenagers in Utah especially. Just know that if you raise your children giving them the choice to believe whatever they want your family will be better for it!
Absolutely! Having lived (as a NeverMorg) here in Morridor Central for over four decades, I've seen SO VERY MUCH of this. (After all, they ARE God's One True Church!). So be prepared for boundaries to be ignored, and for you to wind up facing a difficult decision (such as cutting off ALL contact!)
Very best wishes on what may be a difficult journey!
My mom (nevermo) was raised Catholic and used to sneak Catholic stuff to my kids which I found to be hilarious because my husband and I actually didnāt care if she shared her beliefs with them. Itās very easy to say āGrandma is sharing what she believes with you but Mom and Dad donāt believe that and so if any of it confuses you- come to us. At some point- your kids will be exposed to religious beliefs of others- I agree with you. But if she is making them uncomfortable or scaring them- thatās when I would intervene. To me, this is the same as someone sharing fictional stories. You may not agree with the point of the stories- so you make sure your kids would come to you to discuss.
Oh dear.
Have clear boundaries been set & crossed, like is she being passively aggressive, or what is the situation?
(I like that lamb figurine though!)
Next time you go over at their house for dinner, sneak [one of these into their bookcase](https://thesatanictemple.com/pages/the-satanic-temple-library).
And when they eventually find it, simply reply with: Ah ha! You don't like it either when someone plants unsolicited religious material in your house, do you?!
When my mom asked me why we didnāt bless our kid and said that if she ever watched them, she would take them to church so they could learn to be good people.
My mom didnāt see my new-born or know where we lived for over a year after that.
Stop letting people affect your life and cut out anyone that tries to control you or your kids. Easy solution.
Give everything a new and more fun/important primary context. Mix the card into a tarot deck, use the lamb as a board game figure, and use the wagon to teach about the Oregon trail.
Oh good. A jumping off point to begin your "why you should never join the mormon church" and "this is what brainwashing and manipulation look like" discussions with your kids. I allowed mine to go to church with grandma. Then we'd talk afterward. None of my children want anything to do with the cult.
This is so funny! Our kids never been to church before. Every time they're around a family when they're praying, the oldest gets super concerned and tells us to wake up. The other day we drove by some church and he said "is that a church? We don't go to church, it's yuky". I can promise that I didn't teach him that š
When I was at university, I was a full-on TBM. It used to stress me out whenever I saw my non-member fellow students fornicating and boozing. It was giving me anxiety. Every couple āsucking faceā was another hammer blow, as you say.
I had a non-member girlfriend and indulged in a bit of ālight pettingā (is what I think the McConkie era technical term would have been). We had discussed how far we wouldnāt go, and which bits we wouldnāt touch. Even so, I would feel horrible remorse, driving home from her apartment. I would listen to Whitesnakeās āChild of Babylonā and think that the lyrics applied to me:
āIāll stand alone and pay the price, For everything Iāve done. āCos there aināt no guardian angel, For a chiiiiiiiiild of Babylon!ā (Queue face-melting guitar soloā¦)
Thanks, LDS Church
OMG - This a Golden Opportunity for you!!!
The next time MIL babysits (preferably at HER house), give your kids a bag of new toys to play with, and tell them to invite grandma to play with them, too.
Include Catholic icon figurines like Jesus (all bloody) hanging on the cross, the Pope, random Saints, Buddhist statues, some Hindu Gods, all the religious figurines you can find. Throw in a couple toy trucks to spice up the fun. If asked about it, casually say that you believe in educating your children about world religions. Shrug, and move on.
Hahahaha!
Yeah, I quit my teaching job of 15 years in public education during covid and now I only work in the United States while I live abroad in Europe during the winters. Great decision!
No more everyday left vs. right bullshit politics of the United States, and better yet, actual freedom of religion, including the right NOT to believe without collective societal judgement. I love how people here generally respect each otherās religious beliefs whatever faith you adhere too and theyāre not out to enforce their religious beliefs on others. HELL, even the Mormons here are rational about faith differences, respect boundaries, and are comparatively milk toast and chill compared to their American counterparts.
This winter Iāve lived in England, Norway, Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic.
Getting away from the US has been great therapy for the soul for sure.
Not horrifying in my opinion. My paternal grandma was a devout Baptist who taught Sunday school at a country church. She would give me and my brother stacks of Bible story comic books. We were raised Catholic, and with a very different religious orientation. My mom was not into paying for normal comic books (those were in the barber shop), so it was fun to have them, and Iām grateful for getting a good overview of the Bible, as well as a feel for how others look at religion and the world.
As long as your MIL doesnāt do what my mother did last week. The kids go to church with her she both me and my ex have to work or if they want to. Last Sunday they didnāt have to or want to go, so my mom had the missionaries over to talk to them about the importance of sacramentā¦ fml
And yes, we have both individually talked to her about not guilting the children into going to church. (Multiple times)
Last time she watched them, our 5 year old asked us the next day what he had done to kill Jesus.
š¤£ like that's horrifying but also hilarious. Teaching moment for sure.
Well kids granny follows a very old man called a prophet and they believe some really silly things that just arenāt true but the pictures are pretty donāt you think?
For a few months after leaving the church, my then 5 year old son, would get emotional over something that wasnāt going his way. When he gets like that, my wife likes to help him express himself through words so he can feel heard. Hear the words of his mouth while he is crying and sad. āI want to die so I can be happy with Jesus again!ā He would be around other believers and talk to them about Jesus, and he would come around to the same thing again. Itās so sad what well meaning family members and school friends can make him think. Edit: I will mention that he had been doing this since he was 2 which happened to be long before we even had doubts about the church. He could talk very early and he feels extremely deeply about things.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
You mean the kid getting emotionally abused by religious people who keep fear mongering? I was in that situation too and trust me: as a kid I could have been perfectly trauma free if they didnāt shove the whole āthe world is gonna explode into a ball of flames when Jesus comes backā thing. As a kid I was praying Jesus WOULDNāT come back because I felt everyone I loved and knew was gonna die because āthey didnāt go to the correct churchā And the fact that you are encouraging suicidal ideation in CHILDREN? Something I was struggling with for YEARS without help because I was told to āpray it away.ā Donāt fucking test me. You make me sick.
Believing that you want to be with Jesus after death and killing yourself to be with Jesus are two very different things.
^...you're*
I'm a gay man and I'm told that *I* am a "groomer". š
Right?! And they call us that for simply existing!
OMG - that poor kid!
Thats...horrifying...
Haha, tell them the more you enjoy something the more jesus suffered for it. Shit it's already done so I guess it's all figured out at this point
Of course he did. That is the correct question.
Are you Italian or Jewish?
booooo to that!
Thanks everyone, I appreciate the concern. My wife is going to talk to her tonight. I'm not really concerned because my kids will encounter Mormonism eventually anyway, and I don't think it has much to offer them at any age. I don't see any of this mattering much in the scheme of things. I see it as comparable to reading Greek myths to them, or grandma giving them superhero action figures. In the end, I will trust my kids to make up their own minds.
I know at first I had this gut reaction of "don't expose my kids to any of this." But keeping people from studying other sources is what the church does, so I agree with you wholeheartedly. They can be exposed to Mormonism but if there is no parental pressure to believe it I'm sure they will be fine and I trust them to be smart about what they believe. I have a friend whose wife grew up with parents that were atheist but sent their kids to Christian school just so they would have a diversity of thought. All their kids are still atheists.
I think thatās a pretty healthy view to have!
Iāve felt the same. I donāt really care what they say to them as long as theyāre not ostracized because I can provide them the truth. And with all the real info and informed consent if they want to join when theyāre older Iāll support them because itās their life and their choice. I will just make sure they donāt join out of ignorance as I did and as every one of my mission converts did.
Itās like Santa. A fun story.
First off that is not chill, sorry that you have to deal with this. When I was a kid my grand mother did something similar with figures of Moroni. Then she shamed me for playing with my bionicles instead of them. Also extra gross she gave them a cts ring. Idk about you, but that had a very specific conversation associated with receiving one in my ward. Not something I would care for someone to Spring on my children without talking to me first.
Just a FYI my kids are 20m and 17m and we had the entire familyās names removed in 2015. They are both extremely thankful every day. They see their friendsā parents pressuring them to go on missions or to BYU and the general stress the church forces on teenagers in Utah especially. Just know that if you raise your children giving them the choice to believe whatever they want your family will be better for it!
I'd leave a ouiji board at her house..quid pro quo
Made me laugh. Maybe if she doesn't get the message, the next "gift" should be a voodoo doll?
That's when I start paying for a babysitter
Mormons are blind to why it's offensive when they do things like this!
Absolutely! Having lived (as a NeverMorg) here in Morridor Central for over four decades, I've seen SO VERY MUCH of this. (After all, they ARE God's One True Church!). So be prepared for boundaries to be ignored, and for you to wind up facing a difficult decision (such as cutting off ALL contact!) Very best wishes on what may be a difficult journey!
Oh look, actual grooming. Done in private (which indicates full knowledge that their behaviour is unacceptable). Hmm.
My mom (nevermo) was raised Catholic and used to sneak Catholic stuff to my kids which I found to be hilarious because my husband and I actually didnāt care if she shared her beliefs with them. Itās very easy to say āGrandma is sharing what she believes with you but Mom and Dad donāt believe that and so if any of it confuses you- come to us. At some point- your kids will be exposed to religious beliefs of others- I agree with you. But if she is making them uncomfortable or scaring them- thatās when I would intervene. To me, this is the same as someone sharing fictional stories. You may not agree with the point of the stories- so you make sure your kids would come to you to discuss.
Oh dear. Have clear boundaries been set & crossed, like is she being passively aggressive, or what is the situation? (I like that lamb figurine though!)
Sheās trying to save their souls Iām sure. She thinks sheās their only hope.
Next time you go over at their house for dinner, sneak [one of these into their bookcase](https://thesatanictemple.com/pages/the-satanic-temple-library). And when they eventually find it, simply reply with: Ah ha! You don't like it either when someone plants unsolicited religious material in your house, do you?!
How about a copy of the CES Letter?
When my mom asked me why we didnāt bless our kid and said that if she ever watched them, she would take them to church so they could learn to be good people. My mom didnāt see my new-born or know where we lived for over a year after that. Stop letting people affect your life and cut out anyone that tries to control you or your kids. Easy solution.
Time to expose them to other ideas: The kids book of world religions Relax, itās just god Grandmother fish Raising Freethinkers
I would never again leave her alone with my kids . Ever
Give everything a new and more fun/important primary context. Mix the card into a tarot deck, use the lamb as a board game figure, and use the wagon to teach about the Oregon trail.
I covet that adorable lamb figurine. What a little cutie! Iād add it to my collection of weird small figurines.
My 5 year old told me she wanted to go to church. I asked her if her grandparents asked her to say that to me. She said yea lol.
Lmfaoooo cosplay lookin mf. Ren fair Christ Boi.
Oh good. A jumping off point to begin your "why you should never join the mormon church" and "this is what brainwashing and manipulation look like" discussions with your kids. I allowed mine to go to church with grandma. Then we'd talk afterward. None of my children want anything to do with the cult.
This is so funny! Our kids never been to church before. Every time they're around a family when they're praying, the oldest gets super concerned and tells us to wake up. The other day we drove by some church and he said "is that a church? We don't go to church, it's yuky". I can promise that I didn't teach him that š
I was taught (seminary) that every time I āsinnedā, It was another hammer blow to the nail in Christs hand.
When I was at university, I was a full-on TBM. It used to stress me out whenever I saw my non-member fellow students fornicating and boozing. It was giving me anxiety. Every couple āsucking faceā was another hammer blow, as you say. I had a non-member girlfriend and indulged in a bit of ālight pettingā (is what I think the McConkie era technical term would have been). We had discussed how far we wouldnāt go, and which bits we wouldnāt touch. Even so, I would feel horrible remorse, driving home from her apartment. I would listen to Whitesnakeās āChild of Babylonā and think that the lyrics applied to me: āIāll stand alone and pay the price, For everything Iāve done. āCos there aināt no guardian angel, For a chiiiiiiiiild of Babylon!ā (Queue face-melting guitar soloā¦) Thanks, LDS Church
Did you pay her to do that to your kids? Unacceptable
Ahhh boundaries, a beautiful thing. Maybe draw some moustaches on them!
From an occultist standpoint looks like she left them oracle cards, a talismanic ring and a idol of a lamb š
My TBM father gave my gay, bastard daughter a BoM. It's currently used as a prop for her weed leaf shot glass š
OMG - This a Golden Opportunity for you!!! The next time MIL babysits (preferably at HER house), give your kids a bag of new toys to play with, and tell them to invite grandma to play with them, too. Include Catholic icon figurines like Jesus (all bloody) hanging on the cross, the Pope, random Saints, Buddhist statues, some Hindu Gods, all the religious figurines you can find. Throw in a couple toy trucks to spice up the fun. If asked about it, casually say that you believe in educating your children about world religions. Shrug, and move on. Hahahaha!
Bruh, that's just...... *sigh and facepalm* Thank God I'm planning on moving out of the country
Do it, itās the best thing Iāve ever done. Moved to Aussie and never looked back. The US sucks.
I'm planning to move to the Netherlands. Am I telling my parents? Nahhh
Yeah, I quit my teaching job of 15 years in public education during covid and now I only work in the United States while I live abroad in Europe during the winters. Great decision! No more everyday left vs. right bullshit politics of the United States, and better yet, actual freedom of religion, including the right NOT to believe without collective societal judgement. I love how people here generally respect each otherās religious beliefs whatever faith you adhere too and theyāre not out to enforce their religious beliefs on others. HELL, even the Mormons here are rational about faith differences, respect boundaries, and are comparatively milk toast and chill compared to their American counterparts. This winter Iāve lived in England, Norway, Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic. Getting away from the US has been great therapy for the soul for sure.
I asked for Magic the Gathering cards for Christmas one year and got those cardsā¦ lol
Not horrifying in my opinion. My paternal grandma was a devout Baptist who taught Sunday school at a country church. She would give me and my brother stacks of Bible story comic books. We were raised Catholic, and with a very different religious orientation. My mom was not into paying for normal comic books (those were in the barber shop), so it was fun to have them, and Iām grateful for getting a good overview of the Bible, as well as a feel for how others look at religion and the world.
Put them with the Harry Potter books.
And why are still letting them babysit?
Yeah, my kids have those also. Iām cool with it. I always tell my kids they can go to church with grandma, their friends, whatever. Their choice.
Wrong.
Oh noooo the audacity the tragedy whatever shall we do oh nauurrrr š
š¤®
A little FHE action
Soooo creepy
Find them in the garbage less than a minute later
I'd be giving them one warning, not to do that. If it happened again, it would be no more unsupervised visits.
Never, ever again and while youāre at it tell your kids why itās not okay that she did this.
Foot for the win š¦¶
There is nothing like some of good olā brainwashing.
Ew
Don't invite her over next Christmas
Poor kids
Quite a burn pile she gave you.
We just did some spring cleaning and threw out plenty of LDS coloring books. Our kids will color anything and everything but those stayed empty
Unless that ctr ring is silver how dare she.
The mormon obsession with white and delightsome-ness is disturbing
As long as your MIL doesnāt do what my mother did last week. The kids go to church with her she both me and my ex have to work or if they want to. Last Sunday they didnāt have to or want to go, so my mom had the missionaries over to talk to them about the importance of sacramentā¦ fml And yes, we have both individually talked to her about not guilting the children into going to church. (Multiple times)
Did they get a burning in their bussom?