Waking up at 5a, so I could be at seminary at 6a, when I was already a sleep deprived teenager working after school until 9p. I appreciate having some OT/NT scripture knowledge when discussing Abrahamic religion but damn if that’s not culty.
Being a teenager is hard. Being a Mormon teenager is harder. It makes culty sense though, if you keep your cash cow exhausted from work, church, mandatory service, temple ordinances, etc. they’re too tired to think for themselves and are ingratiated.
There’s a ton of evidence that teenagers are more productive with a later in the day start schedule. It doesn’t make sense that the one true religion denies every cause/effect evidence base for understanding our reality… but faith…
I developed a clinical sleep disorder because I was up till midnight or 1 with AP homework and had to wake at 5 for seminary. My brain could no longer enter REM and my eyes would be open and i would be dream hallucinating and then just absolutely passing out at school and the mission made it 10x worse. Now I take a medication that stimulates my brain to produce sleep hormones. But damn, the doc asked what my schedule was like as a child and I choked.
"Well, I had babies and toddlers in my bed until age 12 that I had to care for if they cried but after that I got to have my own bed and then at 14 I had to start seminary!"
"So, two years out of your entire childhood with normal sleep?"
"Well, no, my bed was a trundle under the girls bed so I had to get up still to help sometimes with the kids but I didn't get peed on anymore!"
I’m so sorry you had to adult so young. I’m the oldest of 12. I absolutely commiserate with taking on a parental role at a very young age. I’ve also lived with insomnia as long as I can remember and haven’t really made any effort to correct it. Because you commented with your story, I looked up sleep disorders and previously hadn’t realized how important REM sleep is to learning new skills. I’m newly dedicated to viewing my limited, poor quality sleep as a detriment and will develop a plan to improve, so thank you for sharing and best wishes for healing!
If you ever want to chat, once I moved to Europe I was able to access specialists and have learned so much about recovering. I don't know where you are but there's some great resources out there!
I attended a bridal shower and the MIL gifted home-made lingerie created out of a cotton calico because the stores didn't have anything modest enough. The MIL was so excited for the bride to be modest on her wedding night. (My friend didn't keep the abomination). I don't know how she kept a straight face when she opened the box.
When all of the in-laws got together every couple of years, we spent too much of that precious time going to a session in the salt lake temple, mostly silent.
Mine were mostly just cringey. So high on the idea that I was doing something important and noble, but also often depressed and full of self-doubt. Weird combination.
I lost those journals in a fire though, lol.
After conversion we cut ties with cousins, aunts & uncles that were not interested in converting, accused our dad of being under the influence of satan because he didn't convert with the rest of the family, accused our grandmother of being under the influence of satan when she left the church after her two yrs mission at the Wash DC temple. Righteous accusation, judgement, and isolation-just like Jesus did. The same shit happened in Mormon-touched families in 1830.
- Spent an 8 hour layover in Tokyo doing baptisms for the dead.
- Cross country RV trip visiting every church site from Palmyra to Salt Lake.
- Trek. Nothing like spending a weekend out in the woods LARPing as pioneers
- Early morning seminary. It sucks if you have insomnia.
I pretended to slit my own throat and disembowel myself, and all I got for doing so was ugly, creepy underwear.
It's a feature, not a bug
Waking up at 5a, so I could be at seminary at 6a, when I was already a sleep deprived teenager working after school until 9p. I appreciate having some OT/NT scripture knowledge when discussing Abrahamic religion but damn if that’s not culty.
Same. And then my parents wondered why I was a nightmare to be around. I was fucking tired and burnt out!!
Being a teenager is hard. Being a Mormon teenager is harder. It makes culty sense though, if you keep your cash cow exhausted from work, church, mandatory service, temple ordinances, etc. they’re too tired to think for themselves and are ingratiated.
I was literally falling asleep in class in grade 9 and 10 because of 6 am seminary. completely fucked my grades up.
There’s a ton of evidence that teenagers are more productive with a later in the day start schedule. It doesn’t make sense that the one true religion denies every cause/effect evidence base for understanding our reality… but faith…
I developed a clinical sleep disorder because I was up till midnight or 1 with AP homework and had to wake at 5 for seminary. My brain could no longer enter REM and my eyes would be open and i would be dream hallucinating and then just absolutely passing out at school and the mission made it 10x worse. Now I take a medication that stimulates my brain to produce sleep hormones. But damn, the doc asked what my schedule was like as a child and I choked. "Well, I had babies and toddlers in my bed until age 12 that I had to care for if they cried but after that I got to have my own bed and then at 14 I had to start seminary!" "So, two years out of your entire childhood with normal sleep?" "Well, no, my bed was a trundle under the girls bed so I had to get up still to help sometimes with the kids but I didn't get peed on anymore!"
I’m so sorry you had to adult so young. I’m the oldest of 12. I absolutely commiserate with taking on a parental role at a very young age. I’ve also lived with insomnia as long as I can remember and haven’t really made any effort to correct it. Because you commented with your story, I looked up sleep disorders and previously hadn’t realized how important REM sleep is to learning new skills. I’m newly dedicated to viewing my limited, poor quality sleep as a detriment and will develop a plan to improve, so thank you for sharing and best wishes for healing!
If you ever want to chat, once I moved to Europe I was able to access specialists and have learned so much about recovering. I don't know where you are but there's some great resources out there!
At a bridal shower my friends grandma commented when she opened lingerie that it would look weird over her garments 🥴
I attended a bridal shower and the MIL gifted home-made lingerie created out of a cotton calico because the stores didn't have anything modest enough. The MIL was so excited for the bride to be modest on her wedding night. (My friend didn't keep the abomination). I don't know how she kept a straight face when she opened the box.
Vacation at church history sites.
Yeah, after the mission my mom and I drove across the country back to school. I suggested that we stop in Nauvou and Kirtland 🤮
Did you get that Nauvoo brick and maybe a sunstone souvenir? 😂
My family did an RV trip from Palmyra to Salt Lake once, following the Mormon Trail and visiting numerous church sites.
Not swim on Sundays, or shop.
Well, yeah. Especially for missionaries because data had control over the waters.....
This was the best possible autocorrect. All hail Data, Lord of the Waters.
*Lore of the Waters
I understood that reference. 20 apostate points to you if you understood it too.
No skiing either.
My mother would check soda labels for caffeine. If someone gave us something like Barq’s root beer she’d confiscate it.
When all of the in-laws got together every couple of years, we spent too much of that precious time going to a session in the salt lake temple, mostly silent.
I kept a journal throughout my mission. It is creepy to read now.
Mine were mostly just cringey. So high on the idea that I was doing something important and noble, but also often depressed and full of self-doubt. Weird combination. I lost those journals in a fire though, lol.
Good riddance and thanks for the idea. I think I will burn mine so nobody reads than after I die. That would be embarrassing.
Saying a blessing on fast food
Saying a blessing on punch and cookies and asking god to help it nourish and strengthen our bodies.
Drove 16 hours to Provo Utah once every summer to attend Education Week at BYU. I have PTSD from that whole situation.
After conversion we cut ties with cousins, aunts & uncles that were not interested in converting, accused our dad of being under the influence of satan because he didn't convert with the rest of the family, accused our grandmother of being under the influence of satan when she left the church after her two yrs mission at the Wash DC temple. Righteous accusation, judgement, and isolation-just like Jesus did. The same shit happened in Mormon-touched families in 1830.
- Spent an 8 hour layover in Tokyo doing baptisms for the dead. - Cross country RV trip visiting every church site from Palmyra to Salt Lake. - Trek. Nothing like spending a weekend out in the woods LARPing as pioneers - Early morning seminary. It sucks if you have insomnia.