As the title really, got some Mormon staying for a few days, after watching some cartoon on YouTube about them I am slightly unnerved…. so what's the score with them? 🙄

how did that come about?

Had some good talks with the Mormons, hell of a roundabout way to get a free trip to Utah.

What Augustus said +1

I have a couple of Mormon friends in the US (I met them in NY State, but they're UT natives and now back in SLC).
Funnily enough, they're just like people (Shock, Horror, Gasp!)
They don't drink alkyhol, caffeinated drinks or smoke tobacco. They don't tend to curse. They are family focussed. Frankly, there's a lot to like; despite my being an ardent atheist!

Early on, Jared and I had a conversation which established that I had no problem with him being Mormon, and he had no issue with my being not!

Sorted from then on.

EDIT. Meant to mention the obvious; they don't practice polygamy; it's been denounced by the mainstream Mormon church for a considerable time. About as relevant to most Mormon's today as slavery is.

Thanks Chris. I am open minded and not religious, evidently I just happened to land on propaganda when looking it up.

One of my best mates is a practising Mormon, and tbh, they're all pretty cool, they're like the polar opposite of the witnesses, very accepting and chilled, whereas the witnesses hate other religions, and have this whole "the end is nigh" thing going on that's all rather scary.

You may want to provide somthing other than tea, they don't
drink it (its the caffeine).

They're people and usually very nice.

Annoying **** who don't seem to understand "I'm not interested" one of them also became quite aggressive.

Yeah have.noted their specific s graham, was more worried about unwittingly offending them through a lack of knowledge, all good.

jehova's witnesses have nicer boobies

(sample of 1, when I was at school)

We're all (mostly) normal. But then what would you expect from the people who "invented" Moab. 😆

Jared?!

They don't drink alkyhol, caffeinated drinks or smoke tobacco.

On that basis I could be a Mormon most of the time. I do sometimes like an alcoholic drink, but could happily go without for a week or a month. Might struggle a bit more with the cursing! If that's the only criteria (and it doesn't sound like they'll have a problem with you having a cup of tea) I don't see the problem – I quite happily have something else to drink or nothing at all when others are drinking tea.

Two very nice lads used to come round my place the whole time to try and 'convert' me n the missus. One was obviously in charge and always steered the conversation back towards ' relgious' matters, t'other lad was younger and although a twin wasn't alowd to keep in touch with his brother (who was doing 'missionary ' work in France). They appeared out of nowhere one misty night as I was trying to solo a huge old couch out of the front door and onto the trailer, very useful timing. It became a bit of sport for us to keep the older dude 'off message' and get the younger guy stoked up about mtb and rock climbing and all that stuff, and just learning about the states etc. It was quite good craic. Eventually they seemed to give up, but we got more furniture shifted and some wall papering out of them. I think it was a bit of respite from the 'missionary work' certainly for the younger dude. We called them 'Smith and Jones', I met Smith with a new Jones about 6months later; he joked that the younger dude had run away then copped himself on and got his usuall serious back.

OK, Mormons (or, as they'd probabl;y describe themselves, members of the Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints), have their views based on the Bible (of course) and also on specific texts, including the Book of Mormon.

Two very nice lads used to come round my place the whole time to try and 'convert' me n the missus

So, when they're around 18, the apply to "central office" in Salt Lake City, and are assigned a place to go in the world (could be in the next city, or in another continent where you don't speak the language). You are paired up with a stranger, and you have to live with them on a tiny amount of money – if you spend it all on the first day of the month, you starve for the remainder).

The idea is that this missionary work (they are required to go out and try to engage people) allows people to grow up in the big wide world. It's tough – you get to make two phonecalls a year, and you don't go home.

The polygamy thing apparently had a history in times when communities were persecuted, and the men killed. So, a remaining man would take responsibility for widows and their children. This was trhen skewed by people who wanted several wives. It is frowned upon by the mainstream Church.

They don't drink alkyhol, caffeinated drinks or smoke tobacco.

Mormons don't drink or smoke, that's correct. Some are very observant of the non-caffeine consumption, but the reason they don't drink tea and coffee is not the caffeine content, but because the "health rules" forbid them from consuming hot drinks. So, no hot chocolate, fruit tea or whatever.

We're all (mostly) normal. But then what would you expect from the people who "invented" Moab.

How am I doing Spamf? I gleaned much of this info from a chap I shared an office with at work, though it's been a while and I'm sure it's littered with errors.

He was the life and soul of every party, and the father of six sons (all with Old Testament names – though I never could convince him to name any of the last three after Methusela…).

I have to say that he was, like so many people with strong religious convictions, outwardly perfectly normal. I can't say I can agree with all of his beliefs, and I dare say he didn't agree with mine (agnostic, living in sin, etc.). But we got on just fine.

I went to school with a Mormon. He was a decent chap. Never tried to mormanise us. He was big into Tears for Fears though.
We had a cleaner in our office who befreinded me, a few years back. She used to leave me copies of the Watchtower on my desk. She stopped after a colleague jokingly drew a devil star thing & 666 on a post-it-note.
She was harmless enough.
There was a really fit young Mormon girl at my door the other week. I was doing tea so had to shoo her away. Shame.

Pretty acturate Ourmaninthenorth. I worked for two years in Canada as a church rep or missionary. Made some great friends and saw some great places. The "rules" do allow for quite a bit of contact. The two phone calls were Christmas and Mothers Day, but you could call other times if needed. I wrote (and received) letters every week. Now its weekly emails.
One day off a week (although Sunday was pretty relaxed too). On Preparation Day (P-Day) all the missionaries would get together and play sports; basketball mostly. Me and my mate used to go climbing down at the University (either Calgary or Edmonton).

Its not quite stadard proceedure, but we would have P-Day Eve parties, where we would study together until midnight, at which point we would go out to 7-11 for junk food and play Risk or Monopoly all night, then play sports all day, then when we were back on at 6pm we would usually put on a video in someones home and sleep through it! 😀

Good fun and happy memories.
The advatages of national service, but without the shouting!

They're people and usually very nice.

Probably as much tendency to be nice as any other person, irrespective of their chosen religion.

We are friends with a Mormon couple and they are quite nice – well he is a laugh, she is a little too posh for my liking, but still can have a good laugh with them both most of the time.

To be honest, had they not told me they were Mormon I doubt I would ever have known. And frankly I don't know WHY they told us they are. I don't know of any other friends that have announced their religion.

He was big into Tears for Fears though.

Just as long as he didn't try to 'Tears for Fears-ise' you…

polygamy; it's been denounced by the mainstream Mormon church for a considerable time

I seem to recall reading that the USA forced them to drop it as a condition of admission of the Utah territory (founded as a Mormon territory) to the Union.. against their will I think.

To be fair, pretty much every religion around has some bit of the scripture that says "be a nice chap". There's generally also a bit that says "be a vengeful git". It just depends which slant the person takes on the book as far as I can tell. Fortunately most seem to go down the be a nice chap route.

By the way, is the Mormon thing an offshoot of Christianity or a whole new thing? I seem to remember the founder came across some stone tablets?

I have come across tablets that make me stoned. Am I religious?

The founder (Joseph Smith) claimed to have met with an angel and showed him these gold tablets with the religious teachings on it.. only he'd not show anyone the tablets, saying only that they'd have to believe him.

I think it is a Christian sect though.

watch the southpark episode on the Mormons.

I am a Mormon. Although not practising. I have a lot of time for a Mormons. When have you ever heard of Mormon's causing strife etc? Its not secretive either- they welcome all however the religious-aspect is driven abit too hard.

hora you mispelt MORON again 🙄

Don't you have a picket line to enforce? 🙄

takisawa2 – Member
.. She used to leave me copies of the Watchtower on my desk

She would have been a Jehova's Witness then …

She would have been a Jehova's Witness then …

I was just about to say that! 🙂

I spent a year in SW Idaho, which is about as Mormon (or more so even) than Utah. Some of my best friends out there were Mormons, they're fine – their main way of converting you is "love-bombing", being continually nice to you until you give in and go to their church. Which is not exactly a major problem, all things considered.

They did have problems with the non-Mormon locals, mainly because they were far more organised, which means they had more local political power.

Every so often (every bloody week) Im stopped by missionaries. I look like an old drunk, so why they always approach me and not the respectable missus is beyond me. I'd agree with the Love-bombing, why do missionaries in particular have to be soo over the top and intense?