ExMormon Reacts to South Park's "All About Mormons"

[@alyssadgrenfell]

A note, the clips I included are short to comply with fair use laws! I suggest watching the whole South Park Episode FIRST (linked below) and then coming back here to see the reaction :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/sGXFdZqNhL6piKMsi=erWV8K2AId2QATdK

[@elsal.2965]

Hi Alyssa! When will the part two episode on Joseph smith be out? I love your content.

[@alyssadgrenfell]

Hello! Coming soon! It’s a lot of reading and research bc there are so many sources, but it is coming 😌😌

[@snakesandsticks]

Don’t need to see watch it. Have probably seen it a dozen times. One of my favorite episodes!

[@JackMarcuson]

Adam Rothenberg thanks you with shekels and algorythm, keep on making more videos. Shalom.

[@streitrat]

Heh. It's behind a pay wall now!

[@Fmanzo10]

If you pay attention a running gag from the beginning of South Park has been that only the Mormons go to heaven. It’s the funniest thing and always cracks me up.

[@NickelCitySaint]

Wait, I'm in hell, but I was a presbyterian.... I was a Lutheran.... No... No.... The correct answer was Mormon.... Yes Mormon.

[@Mewted]

that's not totally accurate.. the take is that ________ religion are the only people going to heaven. because that's what all the christian religions say. all of the faiths preach that only their members are going full on heaven. the rest aren't going to hell exactly, but they can be saved. baptists are probably the most dogmatic about it though. sp covered them all.

[@Mitsoxfan]

I've learned about the Mormons from 3 places. South Park, Big Love and this video. Thank you, TV and the internet!

[@over-educated-sp]

Yep!

[@matthewkreps3352]

Meanwhile God is a Buddhist Palatepus.

[@peopleofonefire9643]

I will never forget visiting the Mormon Museum in Salt Lake City. At one end of a long hallway of exhibits was a blue-eyed blond manikin portraying Jesus at age 12. At the other end of the hall was the SAME blue-eyed, blond manikin, portraying Joseph Smith at age 12. I am Native American. When I realized what the exhibits were really saying, the only word that came to my mind was "Blasphemy."

[@anthonydelfino6171]

PLEASE tell me this is still up. I find myself in Utah often but have never been into the museum, and I would love to get pics of this.

[@SteveSmith-os5bs]

My children's KJV Bible shows Jesus as a blonde haired, blue-eyed white guy. Even his beard is blonde. Most Christian churches in Europe and the USA have always portrayed Jesus as being white.

[@peopleofonefire9643]

@@anthonydelfino6171 I don't know. This was in the summer of 1976, when Mormons still believed that Native Americans were cursed. That alone really left a bad impression on me.

[@anthonydelfino6171]

@@peopleofonefire9643 it's been 20+ years since I left the mormons... but I can say that at least as recently as 2002 they believed that. it's such a weird juxtaposition of beliefs too, like they believe they're god's special chosen people because they're descended from the ancient hebrews, but also that they're cursed by god they used to tell us all the time when I was a kid that we had a special obligation to convert our latino friends in school because of that connection and used to use real slimy tactics like "don't you want to know your people's REAL history?" which feels especially gross today knowing europeans destroyed so much of that history and now europeans are manipulating these people who had that stolen from them and telling them lies about who their ancestors were

[@kalpic11]

That’s weird bc he was most likely not white but even when he is he’s depicted as white he’s brunette lol. and of course they put Joseph Smith at the same level.

[@kevley26]

Ok I find it absolutely hilarious how your high school classmate would sing "dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb" whenever you would start talking about Mormonism 😂

[@MattGarZero]

That is 100% something I would have done as a teen, especially if she never caught on to the joke.

[@nataliethomas444]

I teased my Mormon classmates relentlessly in high school. For example I didn’t like their homophobia so I started calling them “mormos” as a play on one of the homophobic slurs. A couple of them got pretty worked up about it.

[@luchirimoya]

​@@nataliethomas444 lolol good

[@SeattlePioneer]

Would you find it equally entertaining if a high school classmate ridiculed someone who was a homosexual?

[@SeattlePioneer]

@@nataliethomas444 Personally, I don't see any difference between their ridicule of a high school classmate and your ridicule of a high school classmate. BOTH are obnoxious behavior.

[@adinamoore]

I really appreciate that you kept the moment when you said “we” and then corrected yourself to “members” in. It really shows how active unlearning and deconstruction is. Really love your content ❤️ Keep it up

[@kyleb8117]

The Mormon girl: "You have it delivered directly to your door for free." Drug dealers: "First one's free."

[@straymusic]

I wish all my drug dealer friends gave out free 1st time samples. I was paying since transaction #1

[@kyleb8117]

@@straymusic Sounds like a bad deal [badum-tiss]

[@klausbrinck2137]

@@straymusic Yeah, sounds like those stories from school-teachers, to keep us away from drugs: They give you marihuana, and one day, they tell you "sorry, I have right now no marihuana left, but take for free this dosis of heroine, it´s much better, and have a bit patience, next time I´ll have marihuana...!!!", next, the same with cocaine, and so on... For my part, I guess, after the cocaine is gone, they give you money, and later, their house-keys, for free, sure... That´s exactly how drug-dealers make money, by giving stuff out for free...

[@andrewjensen7413]

Here your Crack oh I mean Book.🤣

[@kyleb8117]

@andrewjensen7413 "I'm fresh out of Book Of Mormon this week. You want some magic rocks?"

[@vamuse]

My best friend growing up was raised Mormon. By the time we were 14 or 15 when this episode came out, he had all but completely rejected the church. He would often complain about the stuff he "had" to do for the church or bemoaned the beliefs of Mormonism as he wasnt really a believer. But he never really shared what those beliefs were - perhaps he didnt want to talk about it. Then this episode came out and I asked "dude this cant be what they actually believe is it?" He goes "yeah pretty much..." and I finally understood what he was going through....

[@Aaron.Thomas]

You probably still didn't understand what he was going through... but you had a better idea.

[@Werewolf.with.Internet.Access]

HFS, you might have met ME lol this was exactly my high school experience. It’s so weird to be not a member in an EXTREMELY member family. I felt like an alien in my own home.

[@Mel.H_]

That's literally what my ex-mo boyfriend (at the time) said when I asked him that question😂

[@tlcsondi]

I grew up Mormon and raised a family in the church. When my daughter came out as gay, she was shunned and I was judged as a horrible mother by church members. I and my family have since left the church and I’ve never been happier. None of my Mormon “friends” want anything to do with me. dumb dumb dumb

[@cassidybrewer]

Good for you for taking your daughter’s side ❤

[@janethodek4960]

It shows you how “Christian “ they really are. Good for you to wise up.

[@tlcsondi]

@@cassidybrewer ❤️ I wasn’t going to stop the judgement by disowning my daughter like many Mormon parents do - I love her too much!!!

[@TheJimspong]

Same story but it was a boy after his mission but I had a happy ending I never judged my brothers and sisters in the church I kept focused in the saviour and I have never been happier

[@becca1147]

Aw that's is beautiful 💗

[@Oasis888]

You talking about Mormons being friendly to get you into the church hits hard. My mom had a lot of trouble making friends (we're a family of introverts) and my brother's friend from Boy Scouts, Stephen, had a family as big as ours, so she and Stephen's mom hit it off. This woman was her best friend. My brother, his twin sister, and I were invited over all of the time to hang out with their family, invited to their LDS church for activities/Christmas Service....where I discovered how my mom knew where to find a piano teacher for me...Mormon Elders helped us move. Best friends. Then one day, Stephen's family was moving out to Utah and Stephen's mom asked my mom if we were converting. When that didn't happen, we did not hear from them again. There's an unhappy update to this story that I'll leave off (no one died, but it's sad), but we never really heard from that family again and my mom never recovered from losing that friendship. Now that I'm the age she was when this happened, it feels even worse.

[@itsmebeter3538]

i'm sorry that happened to your mom

[@ElectronicsPeddler]

This is why I'm an atheist and why my closest friends are atheists. There was never an ulterior motive to establish a connection or a to invite someone to a gathering with the intent to "convert" them. I've never tried to "convert" anyone to atheism or convince them that their religion was false. We don't need a religion to guide us on treating fellow humans with dignity and respect. What happened to you and your mother is horrifying. The feeling of betrayal and disappointment must have been devastating to you and your family. It makes me wonder if they ever felt anything and if they did, are now looking back and realizing how horribly they treated people. Or perhaps their religion allows them to justify their actions and rationalize this as a failed indoctrination.

[@d.jparer5184]

Tell us the unhappy part.

[@d.jparer5184]

​@@ElectronicsPeddler you are so naive. I used to be an atheist and I am now a protestant. Atheists are by far more motivated to try and convert you or to mock others beliefs.

[@kirillchernov6092]

Your mom never recovered from losing a friend? That's just silly

[@EvanToler]

I wish you would have mentioned how any time lucy harris speaks in that episode the "dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb" turns to "smart smart smart smart smart" lmao

[@johncheshirsky8822]

And on even more hilarious note, the Mormon girl whose reaction she watches seems to either not notice or keeps ignoring the "dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb" EVEN THEN! 😂

[@lilren2021]

@@johncheshirsky8822 right. It’s the only time I caught on to that they’re singing “dumb dumb dumb dumb” when Lucy is referred to as “smart”

[@jovetj]

*schmart schmart schmart schmart schmart

[@ChristalMoon9]

Must be why they hate women

[@roqua]

@@johncheshirsky8822 I wanted to find someone else's take on this fact, and given how there are at least two chorus changes to "Lucy Harris smart, smart, smart, smart" - one immediately followed by a single "Martin Harris dumb".... it is impossible the Mormon woman reacting was doing anything but ignoring.

[@4bibimimi]

My favorite line in angels in America is when the wife asks her husband "if the Angel is called Moroni why aren't we called morons?"

[@HollenbergR]

I am introducing my exmo husband to that movie and we just watched that scene tonight. It's actually the wife asking her mother-in-law. 😘

[@lujlp]

First it would be pronounced mo-row-ans Second because it's the book of mormons

[@michaelkottler]

Exactly.

[@SandwichGlitch]

​@@lujlpso why isn't it the book of moron

[@Thanos1908]

@@lujlp it can be argued that its also the book of morons.

[@ttintagel]

We weren't Mormon, but I was raised Evangelical-adjacent Protestant, and the pressure to CONSTANTLY appear ridiculously happy as a form of evangelism is 100% accurate. As a child with clinical depression, Oscar the Grouch was my favorite Muppet because he never had to pretend to be happy when he wasn't.

[@spadinnerxylaphone2622]

I was evangelical and I always hated being told how to emote. Luckily my parents stuck up for me.

[@thecreatedvoid117]

I’m sorry this happened to you. I grew up non denominational and there was never this strange, false pressure to appear happy and perfect. But I know this is not uncommon by any means. My MIL is a preacher’s daughter and this is exactly what it was like for her and her siblings. My heart goes out to you. ♥️

[@caroberton]

Same experience! Negative feelings were expressed by gossip, cheap shots, a sense of superiority, and at the same time, denying that they have any feelings other than the fruits of the Spirit.

[@johnlumsden9102]

I grew up evangelical but I think we forgot the happy part in our backwater town.

[@Cindybin46]

I'm a convert to the LDS church, having joined over 40 years ago as a young mother. I never felt any pressure to "appear happy" or anything like that. Either as a Mormon or in my old church (Episcopalian).

[@keevan]

Hello cousin! Exjw here. "If it works for me, what's the problem" is something that I couldn't put into words but you've expressed it perfectly. I've encountered many (even family members) who had the same perspective and it's such a unloving and unkind position to be in, let alone for them to be proud of being in.

[@charlesvandenburgh5295]

A friend of my mine who grew up Momon and whose father was a history professor at BYU said that every summer he would go on archaeology trips to search for evidence to support the stories in the Book of Mormon. He was never successful and near the end of his life wrote a manuscript about his failed effort. She said he called her into his study and showed her the manuscript and told her he was now convinced the Book of Mormon was a false history. She said her father soon passed away and officials from the church were invited by her mom to remove the manuscript and it was never seen or heard from again. She is now a ex-Mormon.

[@AmbyJeans]

That’s tragic

[@shanejensen8484]

Name?

[@michaelmarsh8802]

Heresay!

[@corey2232]

@@shanejensen8484 What would the name matter? Not like you'd be able to see the manuscript or be able to drop in on the conversation with his daughter where he stated his beliefs about Mormonism being a false history. The OP could just Google any former BYU professor who has passed away, give you the name, and then what? Not much left beyond that.

[@RWSProductions55]

@@corey2232I see your point, except for he probably had some colleagues he worked with that might have a copy.

[@gordons-alive4940]

I love how the big three witnesses were later excommunicated - because they witnessed some things Smith didn't want them talking about.

[@anthonycampbell4534]

Somethings you witness, Somethings "shouldn't" be witnessed.

[@Jamo12]

Yet they never denied the Book of Mormon, even when it would have benefited them… weird thing to do.

[@anthonydelfino6171]

Went and read up on this, and seems all three got excommunicated after criticizing how Smith was handling the church's money....

[@gordons-alive4940]

@@anthonydelfino6171 That's not the only thing. Cowdry was talking about Smith's affair with Fanny Alger, for example.

[@gordons-alive4940]

@@Jamo12 Gullible. Maybe someone convinced them that fraud and polygamy with married women were somehow justified in Smith's case.

[@cultmecca]

Joseph Smith may have not been a prophet, but if he were alive today I feel like he’d be a damn good Dungeon Master lol

[@b_s_productions4405]

Mormons do write great fiction.

[@KthulhuXxx]

I dunno, he needed 10 years of prep.

[@RaphaelAmbrosiusCosteau51]

Lmao fr

[@BitcoinMotorist]

Would he though? I think he just copied stuff from the Bible and Masonic rituals

[@childofcascadia]

@BitcoinMotorist Some of it, yes. But he also threw a lot of stuff that came nowhere but his own imagination, like adam-ondi-ahman (and the fact that he stated that all his made up words are the language God spoke to Adam), the stuff about the Indigenous Americans being lost tribes of Israel, the Book of Abraham that he supposedly bought from a mummy exhibition on papyrus and translatex amd a whole boatload of other stuff. And it *is* imaginative, I'll give him that. But me and my friends have been playing tabletop fantasy rpgs for like 25 years. In those 25 years, weve created our own "alternate Earth" fantasy setting - with fleshed out alt history, peoples, cultures and even some partial conlangs that the various peoples speak. But we're doing it for fun, not saying that we're prophets and this stuff is real.

[@kelvinharriot3826]

I love the part about "If it makes me happy it's good" literally the same mindselt of every drug addict ever

[@Juanpasaenz]

Drugs dont make you happy. The lows always end up being lower than the highs.

[@dirtrider88]

yea except even the person doing the drugs knows its not good for them.

[@ianhendriks2090]

The drugs hurt you and the people around you and usually ends up killing you.

[@hkoxnw]

I love your video. "Imagine if one of those kids was gay" hits hard because I've met mormon families with gay kids who are ostracized, closeted, and just plain sad. They do not feel the warm and rosy happy family portrayed in the episode.

[@danielburt7849]

Yah, the episode is monolithic. Happy, but YOU know differently?

[@MohammedAli-hl4mr]

@@danielburt7849 what is the point you're making?

[@janericks1877]

I am that child. I was raised Mormon and when I was about 12 I came out as bisexual and when I was 14 I came out as non-binary. My family has never been like the one depicted but when I came out things got much worse for me. I’ve cried so many times just wanting my family to love me and who I am. It’s hard and I agree I really wish they would’ve put in a ostracized child as well.

[@Lovethisguy-kf1ku]

Dangerous to make assumption based on an individual’s speech and mannerisms. It could get you cancelled.

[@susannairisastarte5192]

You can choose a family who will love you and support you as you are . Hang in there. ❤​@@janericks1877

[@SavvyMuhon]

I was friends with a girl whose family were active LDS members back in junior high. I always loved going to their house because they seemed so loving and she invited me to a girl’s summer camp where I went. Turns out it was a Mormon’s girls camp. I still enjoyed it and would even go to church and Bible studies with her. But when you brought up the black sheep, she DEFINITELY had one of those in her family! Her 16 year-old brother almost never left his room, and there was obvious tension that he was dating a girl who wasn’t a member.

[@Gnarkkotik]

Yeah lol you got pulled into scout camp(that’s what it was called for the boys) all the boys slept outside and the girls had cabins when I would go. It was cool cause they had LOTS of different things but some of the leaders were crazy egotistical so we got them back by we had this thing that every day or 2 a new troop(we were troop 113) would get the “spirit stick” and had to decorate it with stuff that resembled “us” we were second to last and the rude troop no one liked was last and I convinced my troop to get a straight up log that was like 8 ft tall and 3 ft wide and tie it to the stick and they had to take the “spirit stick” home and we said it was cause “the camp has so much life and spirit to it that a stick couldn’t show how much it had”. In all reality it was because we all had a huge disdain for them. I was the “black sheep” as well. I was forced to go for almost 20 years of my life and I was the “emo” kid/teen/young adult that listened to heavy metal/deathcore(still do) and boy oh boy was I passive aggressively mocked. I just made friends with the black sheep ones lol.

[@advocatusdiaboli9971]

I have never before seen the church of the latter day saints shortened to LDS. So, I had to read the beginning of your comment thrice, wondering what the hack an LSD member might be, before I noticed my mistake xD A bit sad though, being an LSD member sounds way more fun!

[@MaxRoth-mc6nb]

@@advocatusdiaboli9971 yes, LSD members are way more interesting ... 😜

[@frenchkissinthechaos]

That just sounds like a way to torture the "black sheep". Horrible

[@SeattlePioneer]

> It would not be at all surprising if the girl was under similar family pressure for dating a Mormon. Imagine if the parents were Progressives! There is nothing new about such things of course. It's the basis for "Romeo and Juliet" among many other similar plot lines. This Thanksgiving Day Progressives are promoting the idea of refusing to associate with family members who might be Trump supporters, and feminists are promoting the idea of "4B" --- rejecting dating, sex, marriage and family because OTHER PEOPLE elected Trump to be President. That sounds FAR more radical than some family disapproval over dating!

[@HENJAM48]

In Brisbane Australia, my band was practicing when 2 missionaries knocked at our door. They had walked up a steep 150 metre driveway on a hot day. We told them we weren't interested but offered them a cold drink. 6 months later we were playing in Townsville, 1100 klms away, and the same 2 guys came in and sat at the bar. We had a nice chat, and discovered they really shouldn't have come into a nightclub, but they recognised our poster and wanted to say hi. I can't speak ill of them ever. Just their nutty beliefs.

[@legoqueen2445]

Im a single mum and had an old beat up sofa that I need moved from the side of my house to the nature strip as the council was running free hard rubbish pick up. These two young Mormon missionaries came to my door and gave their spiel. I said I wasn't intetested but could they please move the couch for me. And they did! It was so sweet of them! They asked if there was anything else I needed help with and I said no, and they went on their way! Lovely guys!

[@CabinFever52]

The two missionary elders that came to visit me in college to convert me, seemed much more interested in just hanging out. We'd go golfing often, they showed me how to make donuts from store-bought pizza dough, all kinds of things. Really nice guys, but the religion was just beyond belief. Come to think of it, I think that way about any that consider a deity to rule over them.

[@TheRealNameless1]

Mormons are generally nice people, quirky but nice.

[@tomz5704]

Just be white

[@skipads5141]

Religion yup.

[@RazorRevenge]

I remember seeing a commercial for The Book of Mormon on tv when I was like 8. They said “it’s a sequel to the Bible” so I told my strict Christian grandmother I would get it for her for Christmas (you know, thinking she’d enjoying a sequel to her favorite book). Yeah I got the worst beating of my life for that.

[@Whoelsetherealone]

I am so sorry to read that. This was such an innocents and sweet though. And of all the choice that could have been done there, the worst was chosen.

[@ifionlyhadaboat]

We WERE playing apples to apples at college parties... We were just playing it drunk

[@alyssadgrenfell]

Tbh that sounds INFINITELY more silly and fun to me 😂😂

[@freelancecat]

The only way to play😂😂

[@ellefromm]

apples to apples is just g-rated cards against humanity

[@KendraAndTheLaw]

@@alyssadgrenfell Just don't drink too much

[@chlyri]

​@@ellefromm lol, tbf I think it's the other way around.

[@ebonyangel951]

One of my friends in 4th grade was Mormon, he would hang out with my friend Nick and I. One day riding bikes in Summer, he invited Nick over to his house to get something to drink. When asked about if I could come, he said "my Grandma won't let you come over cause she says Black people are sinful." So even in the 90s, Mormon racism still lingered.

[@mpazinambao2938]

😦

[@brookejon3695]

Man in the 2020s it's still lingering like a ripe fart in a room with no windows

[@questionalways628]

That is so effed up. I'm sorry for you and your friend.

[@johnharris7353]

Sorry brother...that must have hurt.

[@cocobutter3175]

How do they justify the fact that black people are born black? Were you committing adultery in the womb? How is a baby a sinner? And if they give me that "Everyone is born a sinner" crap, then how come all babies aren't born black? I just want to hear what goofy reasons they come up with to possibly explain this.

[@DelphineDenton]

The ending seems to point out something very important. It's not the kid's fault. He's not hurting anyone or doing anything bad and he doesn't have a choice. So torturing him over it isn't going to fix the church or do anything useful. That's why we were so nice to the JW kid at my school and included him as much as possible without breaking the rules of his religion. We knew it wasn't his fault and we felt bad for him.

[@cloudsn]

As a former JW, thank you. I'm grateful I was allowed to go to public school and have friends outside the congregation. I knew kids who were homeschooled and never experienced anything outside of the religion.

[@GOFLuvr]

Well said. I once had jury duty with a JW. The man seemed nice and did the most fact checking before reaching a guilty verdict.

[@sophieamandaleitontoomey9343]

Well also that even if he believes in this stuff, it still didn’t give Stan the right to be such a dick to him. Because he’s right. Regardless of their difference in beliefs, the kid was nothing but nice to him and wanted nothing except to be his friend. And all Stan did in return was mock and belittle him and his family.

[@paddington1670]

the JW at my school was a con artist, I often wonder if he learned it somewhere.

[@jacemankins]

Being kind to kids in these cults is the best way to get them out of the cult before they’re too far deep

[@kaysee2428]

Fun fact: at 12:44 the native person in the art work is holding an Aztec club with peices of extremely sharp obsidian put in the sides called a Macuahuitl. The obsidian blades were sharp enough to cut off body parts with ease. They were often beautiful and ornate, often with carvings of deities, gods, skulls and animals on the clubbed part and the handle.ki da crazy that the painting looks like a Roman fighting an Aztec without the proper Aztec clothing.

[@RobertCampsall]

I had both Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormon's stop by in the months following my mom's passing. I was friendly to both groups for a while, but at one point the JW's suggested I sign some paperwork gifting my home (which I inherited from my mom) to their church. I would be allowed to live in it for the rest of my life (or as long as I wanted) but it wouldn't be mine anymore. They really must have seen a "mark" in me - I had no social life as I was still recovering from having a brain tunour removed a few years before and I was living with my mom when she passed. I stopped accepting their visits after that, thank you very much.

[@AnnoyingNewsletters]

Reverse mortgage for the afterlife? Yikes 😬

[@homofloridensis]

Amazing!

[@fuzzy36og]

Should of signed it and sue every time something broke

[@D64nz]

That's so disgusting and predatory 😮

[@sdw2is]

They are carnivores.

[@KelsaRavenlock]

I went to a Summer camp one year and on skit night we did a Joseph Smith and Rocky and Bullwinkle mash up. "Hey Rocky watch me pull a rabbit out of this hat" "Again?" "Nothing up my sleeve" "Oh Joseph that trick never works" "And Presto" After which a peice of paper with made up symbols painted gold was pulled out with the "I got to get a new hat" as the finish. Turns out the owner of the camp was Mormon and attended skit nights. He was not amused with our mixing the seer stone story with a cartoon gag We were banned from 3 camps that they owned. Rocky and Bullwinkle was the best.

[@legoqueen2445]

My brother Dave and I used to do that Rocky and Bullwinkle skit at random times. He passed away 3 years ago. I really miss him and all the little in jokes we had. But thx for sharing and reminding me of something I'd forgotten. ❤

[@Mel.H_]

😂

[@lizbrown6943]

I'm a Black woman who has built armour to racial slurs. Only time I felt racism is when a friend at our Baptist school told me I could not visit her Mormon church because I was Black. The only time I was really aware of my skin color and it represents sin.

[@choosetolivefree]

I'm living in Utah. There aren't a lot of black people here, but it is increasing slowly. Funny enough, the last woman I dated here in Utah was black, she was a conservative trump supporter and a Mormon. We agreed our differences in religious beliefs (or my lack thereof) would not be a problem. But that went out the window pretty quick. Soon shed start saying she didn't want to go to church alone on Sundays. I'm like, well, then ya picked the wrong person. Anyway. I really liked her and I still have feelings for her and think of her. But the Mormon thing, they really are only motivated by converting non members. It's clear in jind sight that's what she was about. Fast forward a year, a young black girl moves into my dad's apartments, which I help him maintain. She became my very close friend. She's here with me now talking about this video. She has an interesting story. She was born in New Jersey, but her biological mom was going to abort her. Her adoptive mom, a white Mormon lady from Utah, caught wind of this, and moved to adopt the baby before she was aborted. And that's how she came to be in a huge Mormon family (19 kids, mostly adopted, almost half of them black) in Utah. She has had numerous stories about being black in Mormon church. Yikes. This girl is totally unphased by verbal racism. Like, I get defensive over her, but she tells me not to. She's only concerned about physical assault. There was actually a young black Mormon missionary here in my small Utah town who was beat to death by some random white rednecks. There's a lot of them in Utah. Racism is definitely still alive and well, and more common than white people even know. I know this only because of my experience with two black women here in Utah

[@patron8597]

I didn't know much about Mormons growing up, since I'm not American but learning about the racism part of the religion was pretty shocking. Yeah, one can say that not everyone sees it that way these days, but it's still part of their founding myth and religious morals.

[@gnosticmind]

@@choosetolivefreeA black Mormon trump supporter… do you always date self loathing people?

[@Plethorality]

​@@choosetolivefreethat is so horrible. Thank you for sharing. Your new friend sounds lovely. I hope she stays safe.

[@Plethorality]

How dark skin can represent sin sounds so ridiculous to me!! It represents great beauty, as far as i am concerned. (And i am very pale).

[@Tropicana07]

I actually LOVE the addition to the episode that you made. A little child shunned in the upstairs wouldn’t take away from the episode but would add a dark and humorous fact to the over all story. I would love if the re edited that ep to include just a snippet of what you said

[@stargrrrlsworld]

Ex-Mormon here! I am THEE black sheep of my family, when you started talking about little John up in his room that struck a serious chord with me. My parents would often have other Mormon friends over for parties or dinners with missionaries. I love my family very deeply however the church has always made me SUPER uncomfortable! I grew up doubting and questioning the church so it made sense when I left when I was 16 even though it was very difficult and made my home environment very tense at times. Anyways I’d always hide in my room during Mormony events in my house. My room in high school (in my opinion) was very cool I’m very artistic and creative so I liked to express such behaviors in my bedroom. My family, my mom especially, thought my room was very cool so she would bring her Mormon friends upstairs to my bedroom to almost show it off. When I look back at that now it feels like my mom was trying to say even though my daughter had left the church she is still a valuable member of our family and will contribute to society in other ways besides pumping out babies. I appreciate my mom for sticking with me and empowering me however it doesn’t stop the behavior of others in the church or the look on the faces I’d see as full grown adults would come into my room and see the full extent of my “black sheepness”

[@thorwaldjohanson2526]

Stargrrrrl's mom lovers her daughter * smart smart smart * ❤

[@AdamBlack-h9r]

There are 2 types of TBM. #1 - Straight up liars that don't really believe the whack-a-doodle crud and #2 - Crazy people.

[@thomgizziz]

Oh yeah honey, you are super special and smart and creative... so special that you can't handle interacting with people that you might disagree with... holy hell pull your head out and stop huffing your own farts.

[@alexandrebelair4360]

I

[@aag2139]

glad ur mom tried to support you, always nice to see

[@rhia_code]

my best friend since we were 11 is Mormon, and my mother always taught us that when in another's home, you play by their rules. I would go to church when staying with them out if respect despite never having faith (I tried learning about many different religions since I was young and always found I had more questions than could be answered). whenever they would pray before eating, I'd silently sit and wait. They knew my standing with religion (and that im queer), but one night, while reading scripture before bed, her mother asked if I'd like to read the next paragraph. I politely declined and said, "I can physically read the words but if you're looking to get something out of them, I don't think I'm the person who can do that for you." she nodded and motioned for my best friend to continue on. I love them for the same reasons they love me. we only want to be kind, loyal, and honest. they've always treated me like a biological child and still do to this day. I recognize organized religion can be dangerous and hypocritical, but I know there are genuinely good people in them too.

[@Dave-zo7ks]

Growing up around a LOT of Mormons (Mesa, AZ) it was clear from a very early age that as a group, image was THE most important thing. Projecting that too-good-to-be-true front works for a time, but eventually like Alyssa said, you'll notice the problem kids would just kind of disappear sometimes. If they came back, they usually had a big attitude adjustment. Very Stepford-like. Best way to encapsulate it was with the joke "Why do you always take two Mormons fishing with you? If you only take one, he'll drink all your beer."

[@flyingpigfarm1]

Not gonna lie - coffee came outta my nose…

[@Skyhawk98]

That joke is amazing 😆

[@morticiaaddams7866]

I'm dying! 😅

[@shanejensen8484]

pretty condescending, but that’s how it goes. Double standard is cool when it doesn’t apply to you.

[@psyience3213]

They share a lot with narcissists

[@BooRWC]

You are the most refreshing ex- lds i’ve come across. So simple, so relaxed, honest and still pure. The cults worst nigh. Carry on! X

[@ZoeyTG]

My wife and I are a lesbian married couple. Several years ago we moved to a more rural area for work. We live in this charming small neighborhood where kids play outside, its quiet and lovely. Our neighbor is mormon and we see the mormon missionaries biking around and visiting houses all the time. I always wondered why they never tried to stop at our house. You can't tell looking that we're a same-sex married couple just looking at our house. We're both veterans and just have an American flag outside. We are friendly with our mormon neighbors. We exchange baked goods all the time. After listening to you talk about the "black-sheep" in mormon families it makes sense why they never stop at our house. They wouldn't get very far, I grew up very fundamentalist evangelical Christian and know how the game is played. But I wouldn't be surprised if where on a do not visit list somewhere.

[@waynepolo6193]

I mean… if you’re the only two people coming and going from that house the majority of the time… yeah, people probably know.

[@Zudovader]

I have lived in a neighborhood with a Mormon church. They had a thing in their church that they were not allowed to go to anyone's house in the immediate neighborhood. I was very glad to hear that when we moved in

[@solairedude7119]

Do yall have blue hair? That's a big indicator

[@ZoeyTG]

@@solairedude7119 Nope normal hair.

[@dedclownsRfunny]

@@solairedude7119while that’s funny, I do hope you’re not being serious? Lol

[@childofcascadia]

This episode cracked me up so bad. I was in my 20s when it came out. I asked my non-mormon non-christian but has studied a ton about world religions dad if it was true. Hes like "yep, at least the base stuff about how the religion came to be". Im like...and people believed it? Its obviously a con. He just goes "people want to believe in something. Its inborn in humanity. And its very seductive to believe you are part of 'the special group' that knows 'the special secret'."

[@400_billion_suns]

Your dad is a smart and wise fellow. Edit: just wanted to add, this is also why conspiracy theories appeal so much to some people. Special groups with special secrets that they believe in with fierce conviction.

[@JackMarcuson]

@@400_billion_suns she worships Taylor Swift like a god, her father failed in raising her.

[@tcarvalho27]

Dad ain't silly! He was on to it!

[@thorwaldjohanson2526]

I have come to th. Same conclusions as your dad. Grew up Christian, but turned atheist and very anti religion at age 14-15 or so, after my confirmation. But later on I could also see the positive aspects of religion. One doesn't need religion to be a good person, but building your own morals, ethics and convictions is definitely not as easy. Having a community and shared believes can be quite powerful and simplify life, which is already way too complex. Another great thing about religion is prayer. Putting you feelings, worries, fear, sorrows, joy etc. Into words can really help to process them. I think writing a journal or talking to someone is very similar, but a lot of atheists don't do that and are missing out on that. In the end it comes down to whether your faith makes your life and the life of people around you better. Religion can be good, bad, and a mix of the two.

[@Big_Bag_of_Pus]

@@400_billion_suns It's *part* of why conspiracy theories appeal to so much to some people. There's also the fact that the world is very chaotic, and can be scary; and conspiracy theories give the convert a framework for why the world is so hard to understand.

[@RomulessI]

Love what you said about faith. My favorite about faith is this one. "Without faith how do you know your wife loves you?" If I needed faith to believe someone loves me that means there is no evidence, which means they almost certainly do not love me.

[@CardGameAcolyte]

Love that quote!

[@ButterflyRebekah]

I disagree with this 100% As someone who used to be married to a man with legitimate insanity and paranoia, you need to know that no matter how faithful and loving you are - some people will refuse to believe that their spouse loves them no matter how much evidence is actually there. You cannot benefit from love if you do not believe that the person actually loves you and it’s not an act.

[@RomulessI]

@ “if I needed faith to believe someone loves me, that means there’s no evidence, which means they almost certainly do not love me” Love without evidence is not love.

[@TheGoudaGoblin]

This is so well done. Love the way that the episode and the Mormon’s reaction to it are integrated by topic rather than just going sequentially. Even aside from the topic, this is a perfect example of the right way to do a “reaction” vid on YT

[@infidelcastro5129]

“The most remarkable thing about Joseph Smith is that people believed him.” ❤😂

[@__-tp4tm]

He's basically me fr, just more succesful ngl

[@Tabacish]

TBF, that comment is valid about all the holy books...

[@CARPETMAN6666]

The temple ceremony is an exact rip-off of the Freemason ceremony. How Mormons don't know this is beyond me.

[@clintonbuss2247]

​@@Tabacish except the fact that historic documents and archeologists have made discovery after discovery confirming the Bible. Creation is real, the global flood happened and Jesus walked the earth and died for our sins. Go actually read the Bible, dive into it with a open mind because those who seek shall find truth and the truth shall set you free

[@Tabacish]

@@clintonbuss2247 Lol! I bet some lazy grifters sold that BS to the zombie carpenten fanboiz, but adults and everyone with an IQ over 70 just smiles and says "right..."

[@poorlymade1]

I grew up Mormon and when I was about 12, we had a bunch of elders and such over to do a "laying on of hands" for my youngest brother who had some inner ear issues. You know, so God or whatever could heal him. So like 7 people come over and put my 2-year-old brother on a stool in our living room with the rest of the family all around them and do their Mormon thing. Afterward, my mom is crying and talking about what an amazing, spiritually powerful experience it was and she says something to the effect of "I could feel God's presence, didn't you feel how warm the room got?" I, being the black sheep mentioned in the video, pointed out that the "warmth of god's love" or whatever was probably just the room getting warm because there were like 12 of us in there in close proximity and, ya know, body heat. My mother indignantly sent me to my room for the rest of the evening and at some point my father had a chat with me about being respectful.

[@phone01wanjau30]

How is your brother doing. Did his inner ear issues eventually get resolved?

[@Alfred-Neuman]

Because all these things I've never been a big fan of Morons... I mean Mormons! Hum...😮

[@RKC-1234]

A coworker of mine (fellow RN) tried to convince me reiki was effective by having me hold my hands close but not touching, “visualize” the energy forming between them. “Don’t you feel the energy?!” “You mean my body heat? Sure?” And she gave up. 😂

[@kingofallworlds]

​@@phone01wanjau30most otitis media fixes itself within a week, sometimes 2. Antibiotics fixes it in a couple to few days (though should finish entire course of antibiotics). I would guess In cases where it doesn't fix itself and there was a "laying of hands", I would guess they would say God wills that the person become deaf (among other consequences)

[@poorlymade1]

@@phone01wanjau30 Yeah he's fine. He was 2 at the time and is now almost 30 lol

[@BoraHorzaGobuchul]

I studied translation and interpretation at the University and hereby confirm that we used a hat with stones for all our translation work. It is also little known but Google translate and other online translation tools work that way. There's big "hat farms" where your queries are automatically printed out, and there's lots of hats for different languages with language-specific stones in them, the results are scanned, run through ocr, and sent back to your computer.

[@SeattlePioneer]

Heh, heh! Best comment inh the thread!

[@SeattlePioneer]

@@afwalker1921 I just checked ---- Mine aren't working either!

[@SeattlePioneer]

@@afwalker1921

[@mikecrooks8085]

I guess the stones are comin too fast for her now 7M3

[@philipp1717]

26:28 I really like that you didnt cut this moment, great video all over

[@armus550b]

My mother dragged my family into the religion when I was young. I have several scars. One of my biggest was how missionaries use to borrow my books to play games. That wasn't a big deal really but then one day I needed help. Truly a tragic situation: I was in the church scout troop. We came back from a camping weekend early and there was no one to pick me up from the church. Everyone went home including the scout master, leaving me alone at the church. This was in 1987 so no cell phone and I was 12 years old. They just didn't care. Eventually the missionaries stopped by and agreed to take me home but they weren't happy to do it. It was like a chore or something for them. I had to ride in the back of their S10 truck with all their stuff (they were moving). On top of that, while going down the road their mattress flew off. I was able to grab it. Doing 50mph, one hand holding a mattress, the other banging the window for them to stop. It was a nightmare. I think they blamed me for it even. Ultimately I got home but it left me with the same feeling you mentioned: fake sincerity. That was my first real taste of religious hypocrisy. I've had many more since which has lead me to not believe any organized religion.

[@danielburt7849]

OHMYHell, how have you survived these life-enders? Again, believing your own lies is a money-maker at South Park

[@HelicopterShark]

Trauma is trauma. The amygdala doesn't see anything to compare a situation to, if it goes into stress it can leave it as a traumatic event. Any child will be scared when left alone, a child raised in a community that praises itself on community but has the unspoken "we don't talk to or speak about so and so any more" even more so. Kids often have a feeling of not wanting to be a burden, try to imagine that culture shock for a moman kid. Many different traumatic events have one thing in common. The feeling of isolation. To that scared little kid I hope you have healed as much as you can, and know you are not alone, thanks for sharing. I hate the fakeness of these religions because you should not need a religion to tell you how to be a decent person. Most religions aren't this severe, these types are more social cults where it's all just clout chasing. There's that in the real world too don't get me wrong, but it's a special kind of sadistic to do it to those closest to you.

[@thomgizziz]

"One of my biggest was how missionaries use to borrow my books to play games." Right... 20 year old men are going to "borrow your books to play games"... do you understand how nonsensical that is? Or have you said the nonsense so much that you believe it yourself. Second missions don't buy trucks they eat gas it would have been a small car, they rarely move in pairs and their stuff fits in a couple suitcases (they aren't moving their whole house and if they were they wouldn't be doing it themselves). This seems to be your first taste of making up crap to fit a bias you already had. How did you convince yourself that any of this was true? Oh that's right you don't know anything about missionaries and people that you talk to don't either so you were able to get away with making up anything that you wanted.

[@thomgizziz]

@@HelicopterShark He is lying. His story doesn't make any sense if you know about how mormon missions work. He made up a story that fit his bias and he was able to lie to people around him because they don't know about mormon missions either so they would just take his word for it.

[@demsandlibsareswinecancer4667]

So you're going to judge an entire way of existing based on the morons and idiots you've come across in your life? How pathetic.

[@spadinnerxylaphone2622]

In a "broken clock" sorta way; I love the idea of "family home evening". Whatever your religion or lack of, spending a night a week playing board games or just talking with your family sounds like a great idea for bonding.

[@kilomillensimus9379]

Some of my best memories with my family are playing board games or putting a meal together, it's too bad we always did that when there was a blackout or a big occasion or something. We could have just hung out, lol

[@Cheepchipsable]

It's not exclusive to Mormons.

[@daveeyes]

We played a lot of Risk! I can still recall my sister in law cheating at it, too!

[@liarwithagun]

There is a lot of value to religion and its practices even if it isn't true. If only someone could invent something that had all the good practices but didn't include the made-up stuff. I guess the problem with that though is that the made-up stuff are what grants the legitimacy to enforce the good behaviors. A catch 22. Cause if we invented the perfect 'rules and traditions for living the best possible life' few people would follow it because they could just say 'How can you know better than me? We are both just humans.'

[@Art-y2k]

As someone who has engaged with Mormons regularly I've heard that that one South Park episode has taken more Mormons out of the church than any other pamphlet book ect has. I'm happy that you've found your place in the world and your content is so genuinely heartfelt and honest as someone who left the church.

[@tr4sh.doll_]

wow really ? that's so funny, good for them!

[@mysteriiis]

Same thing they did to Scientology. Pretty much everything exposed in that episode was 'secret knowledge'. Scientologists had been told that learning it would literally kill you; if you weren't high enough level to read it. When that didn't happen to anyone; the cult's credibility was severely blown.

[@metal_nick]

​@@mysteriiis Scientology never recovered from the beating South Park and Anonymous gave it.

[@yourlifeisagreatstory]

Parker, Stone, and their writing staff were geniuses for just sticking to the story. They didn’t need to bend anything, just left the context as is. These are some of the best episodes of South Park.

[@anikejulien7273]

​@@yourlifeisagreatstoryDo you know of any others? I haven't really seen the show. Just bits and pieces.

[@danielarizmendy5399]

My high school choir flew to Hawaii, with a layover in SLC, and we had a choir clinic at BYU in Hawaii. My very Christian Director made sure to usher us out as soon as it was over, before any missionary work. There was a stack of “books” by the door they were ready to hand out.

[@Gasterchild]

Thank you so much for the “Happy Mormon Family Fact-check”, Miss Alyssa! As I grew into a teen and, eventually, an adult, my parents reacted to their loss of control over me with emotional and mental abuse, calling me an “ungrateful, manipulative, abusive jerk” and claiming I was disturbing the Spirit of the home. It didn’t help that I began to question my sexuality. I’m out of their home now, and exploring new faith, whereas I was having dark thoughts pretty much daily for the last two or three months of living with them. Tomorrow’s going to be my one-month anniversary of getting out, and I’m so grateful for all the friends who helped me escape. I feel a lot happier now, and I’m starting to heal despite the somewhat toxic mindset my parents and former religion gave me. Seeing this video helps give me hope; I’d love to be able to talk about the “Church” as lightheartedly as you do one day.

[@Ryroe]

I'm happy for you. Thanks for sharing and keep being you ❤

[@82566]

Your story is so similar to mine lol I wish you nothing but the best 😊

[@gomamon8439]

What's funny is in high school 99% of my friend group were mormons. I was an openly gay Jewish kid and they never preached, lectured, or discriminate against me. However I was accused of corrupting some of them because I'd let them borrow my BL (boys love) manga.

[@noodlelynoodle.]

Aw yiss corrupting the Mormons with yaoi

[@gomamon8439]

@SRL_05 Like I'm still friends with a few of them and it's been 10 years 🤣

[@fij715]

Openly gay and jewish 😂😂😂😂😂

[@bonesandhearts5683]

😂😂😂 that’s the gay agenda right there. We should all bike door to door to with our book of gay manga

[@mojoman2001]

What is a "BL (boys love) manga"?

[@TheShpilyaOfigela]

This Mormon girl smiling and saying that angels guided Joseph Smith to find golden plates was the the most ✨delulu✨ shit I’ve ever heard

[@ArguAngels]

Well, if you've been taught from a young age that this is true, then, it feels like it's true. It's very sad :(

[@TheShpilyaOfigela]

@@ArguAngels yeah it truly is

[@Skank_and_Gutterboy]

Now that we know what Egyptian hieroglyphics say, it's funny to hear them explain away the gibberish on the golden plates.

[@Skank_and_Gutterboy]

@@ArguAngels That's no excuse. I knew at age 6 that it was a bunch of crap rife with logical problems and I was never happier than when my parents told me at age 8, "We're not doing that anymore." I've got no credence for people who choose not to think.

[@rafaella9700]

​@@ArguAngels I go by Ella AND your user bane just felt like a sign to change my life

[@btxica4416]

I just discovered your channel and i find it very pleasant how understanding and sweet you are. Our environment growing up doesnt define as we grow older. Beautiful

[@ralfsstuff]

This and the "Tom Cruise" episode are some of my favourites in the entire show. Also huge respect to the creators for actually portraying what the religions teach without being condescending, just letting the absurdity of it all speak for itself.

[@mdfilmguy]

There's an LDS church in DC with a sign with a picture of a donut and the text: "Want friends? Wednesday 7 pm." It is effective advertising.

[@aiocafea]

i imagine people just trying to find the local quaker community being really confused

[@nickyn1083]

@@aiocafeacan you imagine a Quaker accidentally ending up in a Mormon meeting 😳😭

[@XthegreatwhyX]

LSD Church? Sign me up, Scotty!

[@TheJbhmetal]

LDS on LSD

[@steveneardley7541]

As you approached the Connecticut Avenue exit on the D.C. beltway, you turned a corner and saw the giant Mormon temple--looking like the Disneyland castle. On the overpass at that point someone spraypainted "Surrender Dorothy." It kept getting erased, and kept being put back up. The original was best because it was in script writing.

[@callen1904]

The best irony to me is that if you go to Joseph smiths house in Navue and listen to the story there, The reason behind the no tobacco, alcahole, or caffine rule is that after a meeting at his house his wife complained about the clean up. He didnt want to deal with the complaining and told the guys at the next meeting no smoking drinking ect. In his house. They took that to mean his church and ran with it ever since.

[@ethansloan]

Oh my God. Someone needs to make a farce all about Joe Smith. Like he's working hard to create this religion, and even he's getting frustrated with how dumb his followers are.

[@niccard3101]

Alcahole? 😂 American education at its finest.

[@gneepgnarp]

@@niccard3101 assuming everyone on the internet is an american and fluent in english has to be the most american thing ever.

[@kragcomedy]

The high school boy singing "dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb" to you made me laugh like a bastard.

[@bagel_bitez1]

In junior high (probably 2004 or 2005), my best friend invited me to a stake dance and it was soooo awkward and weird. A boy asked me to dance and I said no thanks and walked away. Apparently the girls weren't supposed to turn down a boy if he asked you to dance. My friend told me that and I was like "oh well, he will have to get over it". The guy was looking at my friend with an almost angry, dumbfounded look. She ended up dancing with him in my place. I feel like it was kind of to appease him. I always thought that was really messed up. It still bothers me today.

[@onionbubs386]

Oh that makes me feel sick. They're grooming their women to never say no to men's desires. This cult is so dangerous.

[@Seigensi]

@@onionbubs386 all religions are cults, and are dangerous only because they disguise and legalise stupidity altering reality.

[@Alex420DT]

@@onionbubs386 LMFAO really? You got that from that? Do you have blue hair by chance?

[@onionbubs386]

@@Alex420DT sorry I don't speak inbred

[@onionbubs386]

@@Alex420DT sorry, I only speak to people whose family tree has more than two branches

[@steveneardley7541]

The greatest gift my Norwegian grandmother gave our family was divorcing my ultra-Mormon grandfather, leaving Salt Lake with my father in tow, and moving to Hollywood, California. She used to joke that she left the church because she couldn't give up her cigarettes, but it was really the way they treated women that made her leave. Because my father wasn't raised Mormon I didn't have that burden to grow up with.

[@kwesmichalak9742]

Your granmama is badassz!

[@SeattlePioneer]

So she was free to leave the Mormon Church, her husband, and Salt Lake City, taking her child away from his father. This was after she married voluntarily, I presume. What's to complain about? She married her husband and eventually left her husband with the child they had had together.. WHY did she marry him in the first place, I would want to know?

[@allzeenamesaretaken]

I remember the moment I realized South Park was more accurate to church history than I was taught my whole life growing up. It’s a huge punch to the gut honestly.

[@franimal86]

It helps that they did so much research - the kind of research which the church would prohibit a regular member from doing

[@Mio_kakit]

The Scientology episode was also hilarious

[@Cindybin46]

Oh brother. What is it with all you people who believe a CARTOON? I'm a convert to the Church, having joined in the early 80s when I was a young mother. I can't imagine being a member of any other church!

[@talloncusack]

@@franimal86I think one of the creators was Mormon growing up so that’s why he knows about mormonism

[@jmholiday]

Oh please. This is so dishonest. The Church history is usually what most people get their facts from. The seer stone, for example, came from the Church. So goofy.

[@animetimber]

Thank you for this! I have always wondered what a mormon take on South Park was!

[@eppielicious]

I grew up Catholic and knew nothing about Mormonism as a kid. The Catholic church was very diverse, and had a very large hispanic population. I had a friend at school I learned was Mormon and one day I went to stay at her house. Her mom was suprised by me and eventually told her daughter not to hang out with me anymore. She said I was a "bad influence." I was at the top of my class, in all AP classes, and never got in trouble. I had no idea what she was talking about. I read her text messages with her mom and she said she thought I was "sinful." When my friend asked why, she said "I can tell by her face." I always figured it was a race thing, but after watching your vid I understand the context a lot more.

[@chendaforest]

That is terrible.

[@x37v1990]

So i'm from germany and last year a friend somehow saw an ad for a free copy of the book of mormon. He decided to order one for all the guys in the friend group, not knowing that two mormons will show up, delivering them and trying to talk to us. All of us were really confused, until the friend confessed that it was his doing

[@lefuglyduck]

That is an awesome prank! Thanks for the idea.

[@lifesajoke6965]

😆

[@CabinFever52]

Cute story :)

[@DeathMetal_Student]

Worst prank ever 😂

[@aliciah6279]

Thank you so much for being straight forward about the founding of the church being racist. Everyone likes to glaze over that 😵‍💫

[@freemagicfun]

Smith was probably as racist as most white people were, but he allowed black men in the priesthood. Brigham Young was a raging racist and had a "revelation" to fix that...

[@NA-vz9ko]

True. Mormons glaze over that detail harder than they glaze Joseph Smith.

[@drtaverner]

It's funny that Joe Smith's history as a con-man turned prophet is seen as a redemption story and not just a successful con. His wife's family _disowned_ her because she married a con artist.

[@headingley72]

A con artist, and a convicted Grave Robber and rapist, I believe they call is Statutory Rape. Yea what a religious man he was lol.

[@matthewkreps3352]

Okay, someone has to ask this joke. Might as well be me. His wife? Which one?

[@hieronymusesquireiii380]

@@matthewkreps3352😂😂

[@jesarablack1661]

And his most documented early con, was claiming he could divine secrets from magic stones...

[@TurtleDoveKM]

@@matthewkreps3352beat me to it!

[@RX-12]

For South Park that episode was pretty fair. It makes fun of them but also admits there are positive aspects of their faith.

[@logikx1325]

There has to be a candy coating otherwise no one would bite into the turd sandwich

[@RaveN_EDM]

Out of all the groups south park makes fun of, they got it light. They didn't go into the fact that Mormon is basically a religion that operates like a mega corporation like they did scientology which they basically said was a straight up scam.

[@nicholast8217]

South Park is usually fair, harsh, but fair.

[@shadow0711sp]

That’s what I love about South Park. It’s on no one’s side but it manages to show both the good and the bad of something so well

[@Somnivore7]

I always took from their stance that Mormon people: salt of the earth. Mormon faith: fucking insane nonsense lmao.

[@Yeahwhateverdog]

the craziest part about this is realizing this episode came out in 2003! my god how time flies.

[@rpekin90]

I’m not a body language expert but I am a licensed psychotherapist. Alyssa, you are strong. Even with your journey away from what ailed you and putting your heart and soul into an incredibly meaningful book…It’s evident in how you look down, maybe swallow and how your affect notably changes at the start of playing some episode clips that it’s not easy for you to do what you do. I believe you do this for the hope of wellbeing for others that you don’t even know. Bravery is not in the absence of discomfort. You are a fierce warrior in support of freedom and love. You are a gift. Thank you 🩵

[@FlyingTigress]

As an outsider, it appears almost like a 19th Century version of Scientology - and Smith being like L. Ron Hubbard.

[@pintolerance785]

That's because it is.

[@msmdare]

OMG! I love this comment! Made me laugh! Scientology another man made religion!

[@msmdare]

You are still so sweet! It seems to never leave those who have strived to be ‘Worthy’, is that so bad?

[@Indecisionn]

@@msmdare All religions are man made...

[@mepatton]

Not even remotely close. The Church is no less a Christian faith than Roman Catholicism.

[@TheMotlias]

Theres an irish expression my nan always said "too sweet to be savoury" or "too sweet to be wholesome", In the uk Ive only met 2 or 3 mormons but they always made me think of that expression

[@franimal86]

Do bad things, but pretend everything you do is good. Delusional

[@peglor]

Politics and religion (Which basically boil down to following a charismatic leader and using the 'for the greater good' argument to justify supporting them despite every terrible thing they do) are the best ways to get good people to do bad things while still being confident they're the good guys.

[@soupstoreclothing]

​@@peglorthis is why we need communism, literally unironically. the only times we've tried communism, they haven't actually been communism. communism as a concept has no hierarchical structure and is ruled by the people. this is why marx said "a dictatorship of the proletariat." i hope one day we can actually realize a society without any leaders.

[@foreverprime6255]

I had a friend who was Mormon. They treated him like crap when he came out. He moved away to get away from them. I miss him. He was cool. Last I heard, he met a nice guy, but now lives four states away.

[@customsongmaker]

Did he ever get pregnant?

[@cobwebkid]

@@customsongmakerwtf is wrong with you?

[@customsongmaker]

@@cobwebkid Why, because I know where babies come from?

[@rexruggers8638]

​@@customsongmaker You came from a lab because you're a test tube baby 😂😂😂

[@customsongmaker]

@@rexruggers8638 Test tube babies still need an egg from a woman

[@Zharlbarl]

This is a FASCINATING reaction video. I really enjoyed when you were giving south park pointers on how to better lambast Mormonism. Amazing.

[@patriciogonzalez8297]

The black sheep idea is genius, ahahaha. I'm from Chile and I discovered your channel this week; it's the best. I come from a Mormon family, although I never believed in the church. My father was really strict, so I was raised as a Mormon. I remember watching this episode when I was 16, and it was so funny to me that the 'funny things' in the episode are actually correct.

[@ItsJustValHere]

WTF? Pensé que los mormones en Chile eran un mito. Había escuchado que habían o algo así (mi abuelo cuenta que una vez vinieron a peregrinar, se formó un grupo relativamente "grande" y que se desarmó cuando se fueron los peregrinos y cuando cacharon que una de las reglas era pagar parte del sueldo xd), pero pensé que de verdad no habían mormones estrictos. Pregunta, aprovechando que encontré un compatriota mormón: esos wnes en la calle que se ponen con un cartelito y con papelitos son mormones? Evangélicos? Testigos de Jehová?

[@patriciogonzalez8297]

@@ItsJustValHere Hola! Eres de chile? es bien grande la iglesia Mormona en chile. de hecho tienen 2 templos y muchas capillas en casi todas las regiones que he visitado. Los que describes no son mormones, son testigos de jehova.

[@Mymloch]

When I was a teenager in the 90's, I saw the LDS commercials... and they said they'd send you a free copy of the Book of Mormon. I was open-minded and curious, so I ordered one. It showed up and I perused it... and decided it wasn't for me. But then, I started getting phone calls.... LDS reps wanted to come by and see me and such. I think because I was only 12 or 13, they backed off. But free didn't really mean free.... you can have a free copy, but it comes with you going on a list of potential converts. They never brought brownies though.

[@Cindybin46]

Just because people called you doesn't mean the Church isn't true. I'm a convert to the Church.

[@cristonsloan]

@@Cindybin46 Don't worry, we'll pray for you. Maybe there's still hope that basic logical sense can still prevail.

[@geekcollage]

​@@Cindybin46 neither does calling you signify the Mormon Church is true. It does prove that the harassment is annoying though.

[@heatherward1807]

@@Cindybin46it shows they are using business marketing techniques (of the time), though. Can’t drink coffee, but marketing and cold calling just like a business is fine. “Hello, this is Jesus, I got your number when you shared your address and I looked up the publicly available personal information stored on you - are you interested in hearing more about my church?”

[@jerrygriffiths6454]

Freedom isn't free takes on another meaning nowadays

[@dalemitchell6478]

I left the church 51 yrs ago at the age of 17 and never looked back ! Thx for ur videos !!

[@Seigensi]

so you just left that many stupid people alone inside reality while insane? That's not helpful.

[@monsterglacier]

​@@Seigensi its not his job to save everyone. It's his job to take care of himself and he did just that

[@cristhianmlr]

*your

[@thomgizziz]

And? You seem to think that is praiseworthy. I left school 15 years ago and never looked back! Who cares. God people are such attention seekers.

[@-MeatsOfEvil-]

​@@thomgizzizHe got your attention 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 Here you are whining about it 😏

[@jesternario]

L. Ron Hubbard was noted as saying "if you want to make money, don't write books. Start a religion."

[@TheMechanicalHound]

I can’t believe the church handed out pamphlets announcing your parents divorce. That’s so wild and awful!

[@crazychase98]

That wasn't a church thing that was people being terrible

[@edprado30305]

It really is something that's no one's business...

[@lunamoth6]

@@crazychase98yeah… the church being terrible?

[@LiberPater777]

​@@crazychase98So churches are people-less. Got it. 👍

[@Nikolai508]

A lot of cults practice public humiliation as a way to exercise control over not only the victims of this but as a warning to others.

[@Lukas_476]

After leaving, I went from watching this disapprovingly to laughing out loud. Even with the slight goof ups, its still a blast to go back to every now and then. Love your content!

[@alyssadgrenfell]

So crazy how trained I was to completely avoid content like this. Now I see why 🧐

[@DemonPrinceGrazzt]

I lived at the University of Utah when this episode came out. We watched this episode in our house, a large communal space with coaches and giant tv. As we were watching it and having a blast we left the front door open and got a couple of stray Mormon girls knock and tell us we were going to hell and that we were hateful haters for watching this. One of my buddies tried to get one their numbers and here's the kicker, she gave it to him! They dated on and off, and eventually married. It was a joke for years with us that the met because of this episode. Unfortunately they both died a few years later in a bad car accident. Thanks for making me remember! Good times!

[@anthonydelfino6171]

That's hilarious since from my own history being an ex mormon, there was nothing about this episode that was wrong. At the time I thought the bit about his sticking his head in a hat with some rocks was made up... but now I know that's just a bit they stopped teaching us, and it was, in fact, accurate.

[@saaranghaae]

I was not expecting that ending 😦😦😦

[@Tarnishedpilgrimage]

Wtf i just read. Edit: this story has more twistes than m shamaleyimh I dunno how to spell his name

[@lonelytweaker]

Did he convert? Or did she stop being LDS?

[@Podzhagitel]

@@lonelytweaker they converted from being breathing to nonbreathing

[@tarbucktransom]

40:08 "If there was definitive proof that God exists, wouldn't everyone believe it?" The optimism is through the roof. Buddy, we can't get people to consensus that the earth is round. I appreciate the point you're making, but the bar is on the floor and people are excited to dig under it.

[@go-away-5555]

The earth is obviously round, but there is not definitive evidence for the average person, you have to trust NASA or pilots or groups of scientists on different parts of the globe. If God were real he could easily prove himself to everyone.

[@go-away-5555]

He could just summon a pencil and paper and write "I am God and I am real"

[@go-away-5555]

But he hasn't. If he is even real, he doesn't want people to get into heaven. He just wants to send people to eternal suffering.

[@tarbucktransom]

@go-away-5555 The church's "hell of eternal suffering" isn't a biblical concept. After final judgement if you get the thumbs-down you just get deleted, it's called second death. It's the most commonly believed lie about the text.

[@marshalityfontenot9860]

@@go-away-5555He came to us proclaiming He was God, with documented miracles and healings. He was put on a cross when He did

[@Glowblue1]

🎶 Alyssa Grenfell reacts to South Park Fun fun fun fun fun! 🎵

[@alyssadgrenfell]

😎

[@JuriAmari]

I actually sang that in my head! 😂

[@AnalyticalMenace]

@@JuriAmari Same, fam. Same.👊

[@gordongipson2538]

@@alyssadgrenfell would love you to take a look at, -Accusations of Mormon Counterfeiting- in -The Numismatist- July 2023

[@johnspinelli9396]

😂😂

[@kdavidson1386]

As an ex-member who also was raised in Utah I love how you can’t stand the “fakeness” of still active members. My wife was raised Catholic and was shunned growing up by Mormons. But I had to explain to her that it pales in comparison to the way the treat their own that don’t follow the prescribed plan of the church. Not only are you ostracized here, they’ll make you feel like it’ll extend eternal

[@WeWereTheStorm]

I had a strange experience as a Catholic with Mormons. Mormons claim to be Christian correct? Yes. But when my family and I went to SLC we were not allowed inside the Temple there. No other Christian denominations shuns others from visiting (as long as the visited is respectful.)

[@kdavidson1386]

@@WeWereTheStorm I agree it’s weird, but as she pointed out in the video, you get barred from temple activities as a Mormon if you’re not paying your tithing every month. It’s one reason out of many that I left the church.

[@jamesstrickland517]

So true when I was a member moved to a new area after the service and was working daily labor because of not having a full time job could not afford a suit so wore my best levi's, polished cowboy boots and flannel shirt and was totally ignored so left and never went back.

[@thomgizziz]

If you grew up in Utah did you shun the non-members? Oh you didn't it was just all the other bad mormons that did that. It is weird that everybody has these stories and all these feelings. I have heard from catholics before that their whole church just turned against them for no reason at all... one side of the story is all we need and even if I belong to the "bad group" im always one of the good ones. Cut the crap... everybody gets their feelings hurt and starts telling stories that have little to do with reality and everything to do with how they feel.

[@thomgizziz]

@@WeWereTheStorm You were allowed to go to their churches. In the bible there were religious areas spoken of that nonbelievers weren't allowed in, there were places that believers weren't allowed in. I guess the whole old testament is a lie and blaspheme by your reckoning.

[@400_billion_suns]

I grew up in smalltown Idaho, and most of my friends were Mormon. The funniest thing about this episode when it came out was that it didn’t misrepresent anything. It was simultaneously funny to non-members and matter-of-fact to members. It was an interesting social commentary that revealed in real life the same thing it depicted in the episode.

[@thomgizziz]

"It was simultaneously funny to non-members and matter-of-fact to members" I don't think so. That video she had of the mormon girl if you watch the whole thing she wasn't taking it as matter of fact. And as far as I know the south park episode wasn't factual to the religion. What kind of bs are you trying to sell?

[@400_billion_suns]

@@thomgizziz To the most devout, you’re right, they would’ve taken issue with it because they aren’t taught the truth of their church and they actively avoid sources of that info. However, I heard from several of my slightly rebellious Mormon friends at the time that the episode was correct. I was surprised because I knew nothing of the Joseph Smith story back then, and it seemed so absurd. Also, yes, the South Park episode is very accurate to the real Mormon history. Watching that episode provides a great summary of how the religion began.

[@y2washere]

Thanks for sharing your perspective!

[@SongbirdsInTheEast]

For a pop-culture reference to Mormonism, there's a small joke in a Rick and Morty episode where summer says "The only pictures I have on my phone are of me and my friends." and upon everyone in the family giving her a weird look, she says "What teenage girl has pictures of her family? It's not like we're Mormon or dying!" and it had me giggling for a few minutes.

[@nickharmon2157]

Also in the recent episode where unity takes over Virginia, Rick refers to Scientology as “space Mormonism.”

[@JohnGrigg-gz9gm]

I somehow missed that, and I am both Mormon and a huge Rick & Morty fan!

[@GoldenLight22]

It’s the niceness and kindness that pulls you in. It’s true. It feels really good at first

[@I.Am.L]

Dude i love your youtube profile background 😂 "I gave up eternal life for coffee". That is just.. Badass.

[@habowtat]

This was so much fun! I learned a lot, got to watch south park, and enjoy your experience. What a video! This is what KZbin was made for I tell you whaaat!

[@corvusclones]

Regarding the children who aren’t loved and accepted, it’s not just “a girl who has sex with her boyfriend once” it’s also victims of sexual assault, they are blamed for having been abused and the church often supports and protects the abuser

[@SeattlePioneer]

Easy to SAY. But proving rape is often a difficult thing to do. It seems more likely that the evidence to support such a claim is just not there. The idea that accusations by women should just be BELIEVED without convincing evidence is, of course, OBNOXIOUS.

[@blahtothemfblah4932]

​@@SeattlePioneer this comment is disgusting and carries a lot of apathy and lack of thought. EDIT: KZbin removed some of my later replies to this guy because of the subject matter and won't let me post new ones here. I did not just stop replying but it looks like he's a lost cause anyways, and by the way he copy and pastes past replies to reference them I suspect he probably spends all his free time arguing his bad takes on the Internet as a hobby.

[@blahtothemfblah4932]

​@@SeattlePioneer "oh someone forced me to do something physical I didn't want to do aggressively, let me just pull out a phone and record being attacked I'm sure that my attacker will let that happen."

[@SeattlePioneer]

@@blahtothemfblah4932 My comment: Your comment is too vague to have any real meaning. Why don't you try again ----and be specific as to your objections? It's not at all clear just what your objection is. Are you claiming that anytime a woman claims "RAPE!" it MUST be true and the man accused is guilty? THAT is certainly foolish. And my comment that rape is an easy charge to make but often hard to prove is one of the truisms of the criminal justice system. ,,

[@blahtothemfblah4932]

@@SeattlePioneer the point is "convincing proof" is something you rarely get in the case of things like SA, or DV, or things a long those lines, and that there are more people telling the truth about being abused then there are people lying about it, so greeting the idea of accusations against someone as a whole with your mentality is apathetic and wholly ignorant.

[@codevii9063]

I knew a Mormon girl a few decades back. I asked her out for coffee, and she told me she was forbidden to drink it. A few weeks later I caught her drinking a monster and was like wtf. She told me the story of how coffee and cigarettes got banned. In a nutshell, this is what she said "Joseph Smith's wife was mad because all the men kept smoking and drinking coffee during church. She complained to her husband that the smoking and coffee was disruptive to the church gathering, and he needed to do something about it... So he went to pray.. and God told him in a vision that coffee and tobacco were now forbidden to his followers." I was like, "you heard what you just said right? Like, God conveniently told him the thing that would placate his wife? And yet somehow, even though monster is basically modern day coffee, you follow the letter rather than the spirit of the law and think that that makes sense?" She said, "yeah I know it's far fetched but it's what we believe."

[@stevenvegh7964]

I watched a documentary about lying called (Dish)honesty. It explains how and why we lie, and what effects cause us to be more or less likely to do so. It also describes how we often lie to ourselves first to justify our dishonesty. The most striking scene in the entire film is a clip from an interview with a gentleman describing an incident from his childhood. One of his childhood friends was declaring to a group of their peers that he had some unlikely item at his house (like a jet pack or something as unlikely), and when the all the kids didn’t believe these claims, the friend turned to him and said “you’ve been to my house! Tell them it’s true, you saw it!” In the moment, he lies and tells everyone that he indeed did see it. As an adult in this interview he remarked that he can’t understand exactly why he lied in the moment to support his friend’s erroneous claims. For me, this was a perfect anecdote of how human nature create situations where you can have a plethora of witnesses all declaring a blatantly false thing to be true.

[@ogolthorp]

Humans are social creatures. Social cohesion is often times more important than the truth.

[@overbeb]

There have been experiments done on this subject. One real test subject is placed into a room with many people in on the experiment who are told to all get the answer wrong. I don't remember the specifics but the question/test is very easy and the test subjects definitely know the right answer. Regardless, they almost always answer the question wrong to fit in with all the other wrong answers.

[@stevenvegh7964]

@@overbeb I won’t do it, which is suppose it’s one of the reasons I’ve occasionally struggled to fit in lol.

[@akechi1068]

@@overbebThis was the Asch experiment from the 50s! It's one of the principal experiments you learn in psychology courses, and for good reason - it explains a whole lot about how our culture operates on conformity and social acceptance.

[@ElixirPresents]

Great video. So good at not only reacting to the content of the south park episode, but also explaining and teaching the history of Mormonism and making it interesting.

[@wisper2me]

I have been watching your videos, just subscribed today.... you said something that totally hit home, my mother was a single parent raising her twin daughters when the missionaries got lost and knocked on her door, I was 7 years old. Several visits later we attended the church and I could not wait to turn 8 and be baptised. This was in the 70s, back when the church taught that dark skin was the mark of Cain. There is so much to unpack here... Women were not allowed on missions back then even though as children we ALL sung "I want to be a missionary" and I wanted that too but was told that women do not go on missions. The church had boy scouts and even a private camp for them but they did not have girl scouts, I was told by the bishop that is because they want to protect the girls and selling cookies and things could be dangerous. I couldn't wait to turn 14 and go to a stake dance, the song Still by the Commodores to this day brings up memories of how no one would dance with me until the very last dance and it was so uncomfortable for me knowing that the guy dancing with me was pressured into it by a friend of mine. I remember how the boys walked around looking at us like cattle at an auction. The crazy part is that I was so very active in youth group, I even went to seminary classes before school and I was involved in a fund raiser for the Seattle Temple and attended the corner stone laying. My single parent mother was active in temple work until she was later denied a temple recommend for not paying a full 10% of her Gross pay when she was paying 10% of her Net, keep in mind she was a single parent struggling to make ends meet. I realize I have practically written a novela at this point so I will end it here. Thank you for speaking up with your personal experiences.

[@surreallane9730]

My single mother was also converted on hard times and she was extremely lonely and didn't get along her her family. She had to commute an hour away to work graveyard and struggled finding someone to watch me and my little sister. That was when she met another mother, and neighbor, while picking me up from school and they offered to watch me for free. They were Mormon of course, and I practically lived with them and slept on a bed in their office and they took me to first grade. I was used to being watched by different people but I remember having a really hard time with them especially. They took me to church with them and I remember just feeling so bored and the 3 hours of being their was just too much for me, and I never liked family home evening and despised how I was forced to do scripture study with them, and they didn't really do games. I was especially disappointed with how I couldn't watch movies when I had nothing to do and if I did they had to be "worthy," so I had to kiss my favorite movies goodbye cause "Nightmare Before Christmas" was too dark for children. This went on for a year and I hardly saw my mother except for breakfast before going to school, and was growing incredibly lonely and the stale traditions and rules of their house started to stifle me. I remember day dreaming a lot that I could be a witch and fly away on their broomstick from the pantry and go to my own family or anywhere else. Ironically, to me, the "worthy" movies I was allowed to watch were "The Secret Garden" and "A Little Princess" whose main characters had a similar conflict with adults as I did and they became my comfort movies. My mother converted during the recession and we were on and off depending on my mother's loneliness meter, but now she is married in the temple but doesn't go to church anymore because she hates the members, but still identifies as Mormon.

[@ktg3811]

​@@surreallane9730dum dum dum dum dum

[@IZA_Grey]

I'm black and I'm from New York. It's interesting how some Mormons can be creepy but they're all still nice. There's something fascinating yet off-putting about the Mormon church

[@eduardo0939]

Fascinating? 😅bro they're completely nuts 😅

[@erstoev]

They don't believe black people go to heaven

[@erstoev]

They tried to recruit my mom and she rejected them when they reached that part.

[@napoleondynamite6993]

Their book is racist. Literally the more you sin in the Mormon faith the darker your skin is. That’s super wild to say the least.

[@Langwidere903]

Have you ever played Cards Against Humanity? That’s Apples to Apples for apostates…

[@skootchk1253]

and degenerates....

[@Kimberly-xg9eq]

Best endorsement you can give about the game xD

[@electric_crickets]

Made by small hats

[@jamesheartney9546]

A siamese cat plays Cards Against Humanity: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rIjclYZuhcZ_e9E

[@raysravens52]

​@@jamesheartney9546 I love that cat when it shows up on my tiktok feed

[@jayvangundy6238]

I read a post on Facebook that said missionary work is more about the rejection than the conversion. The missionaries comforting each other after having a door slammed in their face reaffirms them that they are on the "right track".

[@thomas-tv7ev]

former black Mormon. My mind is getting blown right now, I never stopped to think about it but "coffee is bad because it's black", its literally just based on the color of the drink, holy crap. We went to a mostly black Branch they almost never brought up the black skin stuff. I remember they kept using the word "stained" skin instated of "darkened ", like it was dirt that could be washed off. and that was only time that I remember them bringing it up

[@Lovethisguy-kf1ku]

Former black, but still Mormon… that’s what you’re saying, right?

[@franimal86]

@Lovethisguy-kf1ku You dumb or just a act like it?

[@thomas-tv7ev]

@@Lovethisguy-kf1ku is this a joke ? YOU can't be formerly black , you're black at birth and you die black. former Mormon that's black.

[@lisedale6767]

Interesting also to think of chad daybells light/dark scale in relation to this. Whew.

[@maryamonur1160]

@@Lovethisguy-kf1ku NO he is saying he was a former Mormon who is black. So he WAS a black mormon.

[@poorthinsss]

i am from turkey and this south park episode was the thing that made me learn and search about mormons :))))) one day one of my teacher's friend from the usa came to our school to speak english with us as a speaking practice. he told us he is from utah and i immediately told him like are you a mormon :D he was shocked that i know about mormons and utah :D he wasnt mormon btw

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

"The Book of Mormon" stage musical is great too. As you say, they tell it like it is without embellishment and it still sounds silly. They do the same thing with Scientology. It actually says at the bottom of the screen during the exposé "This is what Scientologists actually believe" to let people know that South Park is not making it up!

[@colin1818]

There is a clip in the Scientology episode where they describe the alien spaceships as "looking like DC-10s" (which is a type of airplane). Made me laugh as it seemed like a ridiculous detail that South Park created. Then I heard an actual clip of L. Ron Hubbard saying exactly that. It wasn't a South Park thing. They just took his exact words.

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

@@colin1818 Same! I too thought this can't possibly be true but then saw that same clip of L Ron Hubbard "explaining" it. And, I found out that many of the tenets of Scientology closely match stories that L Ron had written as a pulp science fiction writer. Totally just a coincidence I'm sure...

[@nooneofnote8453]

I always call Mormonism the Scientology of the 19th century (although imo Scientology is slightly less awful on account of being less misogynist)

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

@@nooneofnote8453 Although in many other ways Scientology is a lot more awful, such as in the ways it puts people in the poor house with extremely expensive "auditing" ($100,000 or more is not uncommon) and its stalking and harassment practices for members who even attempt to leave the "church".

[@Carewolf]

Well, most people in Scientology hasn't yet reached the stage where they are allowed to the see the material South Park is making fun of :D

[@jesseh.5223]

I can't take my eyes off your hair when I'm watching your videos, the way it moves when you talk is hypnotic!

[@angelamitchinson8439]

What a creepy comment

[@dementorsfirstkiss7289]

Oh! I can’t unsee it now

[@kimmcsharry4256]

My family was Mormon. I left the church at a young age after my parents divorced. But my sister continued to believe. She ended up leaving the church when her child came out as non-binary and queer. She couldn't be a part of a group that would think that her child is unnatural and that her child should be shunned. I'm so proud of my sister for refusing to let her religion judge how she treated her children.

[@maya6562]

Good on your sister for prioritizing her child. That must have been so difficult

[@_cloudface_]

​@@maya6562it'll be slightly easier because her other family have left the church. It's ridiculously tough for people who leave religious sects that shun apostates and those deemed bad influences etc that have extended family entrenched in the religious views.

[@stevengreenstock6095]

Wtf? So the child isn't allowed to decide its own beliefs? You decide?

[@maya6562]

@@stevengreenstock6095 why are you referring to a child as “it”

[@prestonthebeston1735]

@@stevengreenstock6095do you honestly think the child would want to be in a religion where they are isolated and shunned? Come on. Critical thinking please. They can choose another religion/spiritual belief and also, it’s none of our business. Not mine, not yours.

[@cthularthpurgatory2730]

4 gold plates to make a book that thick, great compression ratio.

[@IstasPumaNevada]

The white native americans also pioneered microfiche.

[@rustyshackelford3371]

​@@IstasPumaNevadaI heard that the Mormon church has spent millions of dollars on archeological digs to try to prove the wacko things the Book of Mormon says.

[@mehwhyausername1]

see, you're not looking at it in a many dimensional way, since you're relying solely on your physical sense, you have to see the tablets with your _spiritual_ eyes to know the truth beyond the surface-level teachings reformed Egyptian is also very efficient in its storytelling. it is a hypermorpheme-centric language which optimizes for space efficiency and resources, that way we have more time to praise the lord, play clue, and eat chocolate fudge.

[@itsmebeter3538]

FLAC YEAH YEAH YEAH!!!

[@swagleo7414]

As an adult now I know the consistent “bearing our testimony” sessions was to cement our belief into something we weren’t even 100% truthfully educated on. Great video and thanks for sharing!

[@Wax_Lavish]

Religious trauma is such a terrifying experience, and the older I get the more I realize how many of us experienced or continue to experience it. You seem pretty at ease with it outwardly, so I hope that is the case internally, but if it isn't, know you're not alone and sharing our stories helps us all heal. Thank you for sharing with us. ❤