Hello from an Ex-Mormon

Hello fellow apostates,

I'm an ex-mormon and post a lot over on that sub, but I decided I needed a break so I thought I'd come say hello to some people who I unknowingly probably have a lot in common with. Maybe we can learn some stuff from each other!

I grew up a Mormon in Salt Lake City and started hating church at around 16. I quite going as much. My family, friends, neighbors all saw me as lost. It really wrecked my life. I quit high school, I didn't go on a "mission" like most 19 year olds, I had no confidence. I partied, got drunk, had casual sex, did all those things I was told were sins. One morning at around 5am I was driving home from a party and saw all the successful people leaving for work. I decided I wanted to be like that, so I got my GED, enrolled in college and went back to Mormon church. Five years later I graduated, met a nice Mormon woman, got married and then went to the Mormon "temple." This is where I really lost my faith. The Mormon temple is screwed up. I researched history of the church and discovered the "Book of Mormon" was all basically made up by Joseph Smith and then the organization was taken by Brigham Young, after Joseph died, bastardized, and over time has become what it is now. My world fell down again, but being older (28 now) I've been able to cope better and still maintain my life in a good place. I still have my job (where I pretend to be Mormon because everyone here is) and I still have my wife, who struggles with my ex-mormonism, but accepts me. I'm not sure what I believe anymore. I pretend I'm Christian, but the reality is I think

So.. tell me about you. Tell me about JWs and their beliefs. Here are some questions I have:

• I think I heard somewhere that you believe that "Satan" moved to Earth in 1914 or something and is the leader of the NWO (not the wrestlers ;) )? So like... do JWs hate progressive movements as much Mormons? Do things like civil rights and gay rights get hated on because "Satan influences them"?


• What are JW missions/proselytizing like? You can go at any age, right? Not just 19-25 like Mormons.


• What is your "Governing Body" like? Do they get personal gain from being on it or is it purely volunteer?


• What's the whole 144,000 thing all about? Do only 144k people get to be resurrected? You believe that evil non-believers just cease to exist right? Is there a crap-ton of pressure to be one of the 144k?


• Also, no offense on this one, but I've read that typically JWs have very low post-secondary education attainment and lower salaries. Is this something cultural? Are you taught that worldly pleasures or luxuries are useless? What do most JWs do for work?


• Do most JWs leave Christianity after leaving their church?


• What other strange things to JWs believe or do that most typical people do not?


• Who made up your religion? How did it come to exist?


• Also, and maybe most importantly, what made you decide it wasn't for you? What made you decide it was all made up?

Anyway, thanks for listening to me ramble and then shotgun a bunch of questions at you. I'd be happy to answer any questions about Mormonism, and how screwed up it is, that you may have. I hope you're all well and best of luck in your transitory stage. I hope you find happiness and what you're looking for and feel welcome to message me if you ever need a stranger/friend to chat with! Us ex-cult members (no offense) have to stick together, right? :-P