Why is it that when a TBM first finds out that you no longer believe in everything “Mormon” that their first reaction is that you just can’t live the righteous life… meaning that you have problems with the word of wisdom or you’re having an affair or you don’t like your church calling so your rebelling.

I understand why… because I used to be the same way. Back then I couldn’t fathom why someone would “know” the truth and decide not to live it. The thing that bothers me about this now is that I haven’t changed anything in my life other than the fact that I don’t think the same as I used to.

I’ve never touched alcohol. I’ve never smoked. I’ve never touched drugs. I had a very sheltered life, and still do, growing up in Utah and still living in Utah. All of my friends growing up were TBM and were good influences on me. I went on a mission and arrived home with marriage plans already set. I asked her to marry me within two weeks of my return and we were married in the temple a couple of months later.

I’ve had a squeaky clean existence up until now, and nothing is going to change. So why do TMB’s automatically assume your the newly ordained prodigal son?

My honest feeling is that its a sense of self righteousness. TBM’s have a tendency to think that they are the most righteous on earth, being a member of Gods one and only true church, and anyone who thinks differently are just plain wrong. TBM’s see those who have turned from the “truth” as a very special sub-species of humans. In most cases, they know your going to hell and would rather not be tarnished by even knowing you.

I might be exaggerating because I haven’t told anyone about myself, but I have witnessed it with others. I have several family members who didn’t exactly leave the church, but they did go off the deep end; drinking and drugging and stuff like that.

All of them eventually “came back” and I know that it wore greatly on my mother and father due to trying to get them back. I don’t want to put them through that with me.