I lived in a very Mormon community, owned a business there, so I decided to see what it was all about. In my opinion, Joseph Smith thought he was a modern day Moses, ten comandment tablets, vesus the golden plates... read with two oddly named seer stones, give me a break.

Ok, only Moses or Smith knew of these, and all the fol-de-rol that goes with it. no one else saw god or the angel Maroni. And later finds, translated by Smith, were reviewed and debunked.

OK, I have been a Freemason for many of years I can see where Smith got his rituals, shall we say shamlessly plaigerized?

So what were Smith and Moses about, control of a comminity they saw as immoral and out of control, so we are going to set down rules. Good for Smith on smoking, but coffee and alcohol? I always love it when the Mormons have communion! Or when thay argue wine had almost no alcohol content in the "biblical" times.

And where does all that money go? Yes, they build magnificent buldings, but some folks in the upper eschelons have to be paid, but I am told that Apostles may earn something between $300,000 and $800,000 a year, if not much more in the higher echelon (i.e. First Presidency and Senior Apostles). And the chuch is a huge tax exempt business,

Not bad for what many believe to be a cult.

A few years ago I considered becominga mormon. I started to read book of mormon even thought of joining the church. However, they insisted on 10 % of income tieth. That was a deal breaker for me. I'm glad I'm not a member of that colt. I recently through away the book of mormon. It felt great doing it. I wish I would have become an atheist shorltly after bs experience.

I grew up initially as a Jehova's Witness so I have a notion as to growing up in a cult. I started breaking away from it and looking into other religions when I was 12.. Eventually I noticed no faith was my faith and its wokred out pretty well for me since then.

When I lived in Wyoming near the Utah border, I had numerous Mormon leaders trying to convert me one way or another: literature, pointing out favorable movies, display at a museum of the handcart fiasco, etc. They thought I was a gentile from the midwest. I had gone through conversion as a you;ng man. It didn't stick. I noticed that they were enthusiastic for converts but extremely harsh to anyone who was falling away or had fallen away. Questioning the revisionist history that they spouted was not acceptable.
I can imagine some of the ostracism that you will endure. Depending on where you live, it could be almost unbearable at times. Arm yourself with facts and the knowledge that you are strong enough to withstand the onslaught of guilt-slinging which you will face. One more thing, there is a website, exmormon.org, to help along the way.

I myself am a 'recovering catholic'...as for "coping mechanisms they have used when dealing with the judgment of still-active [membership]" I have stated to many family members....."if your guide book states that St. Peter hold The Book of my life, then let him judge me on judgement day as you have no authority of ME today. Amen!

I was not raised in the Mormon church, but I became Mormon for a few years in my early 20's. I live close to Utah so the population of Mormon is very high. Since I know a lot about the church it does give me an in with the general population. I still have a couple of close friends who are Mormon, but most of my Mormon friends do not associate with me anymore.