I hate to break it to all the people who think vampires are sexy and hot but: 90% of all vampires are Mormon.

All Mormon chapels say “Visitors Welcome” to get around the invitation rule.

We don’t use crosses or holy water.

All those plastic surgery places in Utah are just fronts to get blood. Also, most dirty soda places will put a few pumps of the red stuff if you know how to order off the menu.

We call them “Stake Centers” as a joke.

Sorry you had to find out this way.

as problematic and flawed as Mormonism is, in doctrine, practice, AND culture, I appreciate that we are not a significant contributor to the "I hate my wife" jokes. If a man made jokes about hating his wife, the entire ward would give him the side-eye. The bishop would start counseling him on how to rekindle the love in his marriage, and would advise him especially to do so through service, i.e. contributing more to housework and childcare. Like, "Don't like your wife? Wash the dishes, get her a manicure, and send her on vacation without the kids and then see how you feel. I bet you'll like her better. If you don't, you probably need therapy and intensive prayer, because your wife is an angel and we won't hear this slander"

Five years ago, President Nelson recommended we start referring to our church by it’s full name, de-emphasizing the use of ‘Mormon’ as a nickname. This struck a number of members as incongruous. The full name of the church is quite a mouthful (Pres. Nelson recommends “Church of Jesus Christ” as an alternative). Also, we were just coming off the famous ‘Meet the Mormons’ movie and a whole series of ‘I’m a Mormon’ videos. These media efforts helped to showcase real members and our diversity and humanness as part of breaking down harmful stereotypes (exacerbated by the new Book of Mormon musical’s parody/highlighting of our cultural problems). So people were a bit taken aback and naturally confused, and some began using compliance with this directive as a measuring stick to determine if their neighbor was really, truly ‘following the prophet’ (because, hey, we do have our cultural problems with focusing on what actually matters).

I used to be in the ‘Mormon describes me and my culture and I’m used to it and will keep using it’ camp. But I think I am changing my tune, and here’s why: Almost everything I dislike about my church is culture-based. The actual doctrine is pretty awesome, very world-class, and I will hold it up against anything.

And maybe it isn’t a bad idea for church leaders and church members to keep repeating the name of Jesus Christ on a regular basis as a gentle reminder for us to keep moving away from the outward culture to the inward gospel and the change of heart we all need as disciples of Christ.

Adult: I think you should pray on that

7yo me: but that only makes you feel better about not knowing, it doesn’t actually answer the questions

Adult:

HGDDGGSFGDSGHDFFFF

"The Crayon Song Gets Ruined" is the LDS church's only good contribution to society

My first TikTok. Captions on the original. I talk with my hands 😅

something something growing up mormon means you wonder if you'll ever fit in anywhere because you were so sheltered you can't integrate into any group you're technically a part of

Yo, Tumblrstake, y’all think this Twitter poll is accurate?

I've been holding a General Conference watch party for the queer mormon club at my institute, and a couple of them came, but mostly I've just been gaining missionaries slowly throughout the day as they realized that a private, more fun, watch party with food and activities was happening in the building

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is Very Gendered (TM). In fact, we are sometimes Super Gendered (TM) (/negative).

We are so deep in this that we actually have cultural names for some hypothetical Gender Ideal (TM). And if you think that’s a little too much (TM)i, then you should try living the reality! Consider:

Molly Mormon, and Peter Priesthood are terms we apply to the ‘perfect’ female and male individuals who fit a quintessential cultural paradigm.

Think about that! We actively, as a culture, push the idea that it isn’t enough to be a Man or Woman, you also must fit some impossible ideal of your gender that carries connotations of advanced obedience to particular interpretations of a hyper-specific religious culture (as opposed to the actual requirements of Christ’s gospel).

Guess how many people fit that paradigm? If you guessed a number approaching zero, then you’re on the right track.

(It’s a non-zero number and I want to emphasize that it’s ok to be a Molly or a Peter! Even admirable!)

But if those aren’t the shoes that fit you, if you want to be a Man who wears long hair and a non-white shirt to church and maybe not even a tie or a little bit of jewelry, that is also ok! And if you are a Woman who has a career and puts a little color in her shorter-than-average-hair or maybe has a tattoo and wears pants to church, you are valid and amazing!

From a religious perspective, what matters is that you are seeking the light and sharing it with those around you. That you are engaged in the wrestle. That you are loving God, your neighbor and yourself.

Personal opinion:

Almost no one in the world can identify with these gender stereotypes. The risk in maintaining them is that we are giving the adversary of our souls an opening. When individuals feel measured or judged by their performance relative to a cultural mandate (worse yet, one with an imprimatur of divine endorsement), we make it easier to believe harmful things.

'See? You don't really belong. You will never be one of the good ones.'

And we risk leading some to confuse cultural conformity with being righteous or being loved by our Heavenly Parents.

Supplanting gospel standards with cultural standards hurts children and families.

Always having to be the bigger person because my dad has the emotional range of a teaspoon and is the “head of the house”

When you see a show like Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, and you recognize the landscape, but more importantly, you recognize some of the people. If anyone wonders why I hate the place I live (20 minutes from one of the compounds) and why I'm not a fan of Mormonism, you can just watch the same show. You'll get it