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I was baptized when I was nine. Up until then I had never heard of the church and could care less about religion. We moved close to a town that did have a small branch (more like a twig) and the missionaries got my mother active and unfortunately she dragged me along to church and finally my dad. I had no desire to go to church and listening to all the crap they were trying to brainwash me with just didn’t take. At the ripe old age of nine, I was an agnostic and at 69 I still am. My mother basically forced me into going on a mission, I had no desire to go, no testimony. I returned and after a bunch of failed relationships I ended up meeting a girl in a church young adults group. I finally said screw it and asked her to marry me, I found out that when I met her she was 15 (she basically snuck into the group by hanging with her sisters). She was 17 when we got married and she started pumping out kids. She wanted to leave home and I was the best option…not the best reasons to get married. We were married in the SLC temple and attended church for a while but soon dropped out. After 18 years I could take it no longer and got a divorce. I did a lot of things legal and illegal after that. Became a 1% Biker and finally in 2000 I got out of things and ended up in Las Vegas. I kept getting letters from various bishops but I managed to stay hidden up until 2010. In 2008 I met a lady online and we moved in together and finally we bought a house together. Unfortunately it is hard to hide out when you own a house. The missionaries stopped by and got us to attend church. We went a couple of times and were not impressed. We got married in a civil ceremony and a year later another set of missionaries found us. My wife got to know them real well, they used to come over and play “Exploding Kittens” with us. They talked my wife (she is legally blind) to attend church, I was her driver so got stuck going. The missionaries talked her into reading the book of mormon (she listened to it) and get baptized. I was perfectly willing to let one of the missionaries baptize her but for some reason the Bishop decided I should baptize her. During the interview I made sure I skipped a lot of my past and so I baptized her. Now they want us to go to the Temple. My wife loves going to church and has met a lot of friends there. I am glad that if anything happens to me she will have people who will help her. She is not interested in going to the temple since she saw a video about garments. She refuses to stop wearing shorts, short skirts and tank tops. Anyway that is me and my introduction.
Welcome to the forum. Sounds like you have had many interesting life experiences. And it sounds like your wife loves the church but you don’t necessarily. Kind of hard to go to the temple and not wear garments – unless you don’t intend to go back. I would expect the local leaders to keep hounding you about getting sealed because that’s a checkbox and stat report for them. Yes they are bound and determined to get me to the temple. At least I have an excuse, I don’t pay tithing so that gives me an out. I hate feeling like I am being forced. I spent my whole childhood from the age of 9 on being forced to go to church and then go on a mission… I figure if the CHurch wants me sealed to my wife, they can do it after I am dead. Welcome Gomez, The church has been good for my family as we raise our children. I feel like I need the church less personally and think that I may stop attending as an empty nester. Then I wonder if I (and/or my wife) might get lonely and need more social connectedness as an older retired person.
I am glad that you are here. We support one another in our individual journeys.
Roy
What a fascinating introduction. Welcome. I am glad you found us.
My short response: Do whatever you feel is right – but make sure that continues to include supporting your wife. It sounds like the Church has been and is good for her.
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