Always good, want to be bad

[MollyMormon]

3 hours ago, zil said:

I agree with @anatess2 .  So, if you want to rebel, rebel against Satan!   Rebel against boring or routine or "I've always done it this way".  That doesn't require sin or "naughty".  Take a class, start a new hobby, meet some new people.  If what you want is expensive, start making real plans for how to get to the point where you can do whatever it is.

Think outside the box on how to magnify your calling (including VTing), then take your thoughts to the Lord to ensure you are still acting within the bounds he has set for your calling.  You can use your imagination, talents, and the Gift of the Holy Ghost to come up with your own way that is still accomplishing the calling / purpose, but that does it in a way that's uniquely you.  The same can be said for your scripture study - people often stick with what they were taught as youth, which is often to start at the beginning and read - you don't have to do that.  What you do today doesn't have to follow the same pattern as what you do tomorrow - you can study a topic this week, and then spend a couple weeks reading all the stories of women in the scriptures, and then journal your thoughts about specific verses - whatever you want.

Also, consider whether there's something you used to love doing (like reading, or taking walks, or whatever) that you've stopped doing because you felt there wasn't time for it.  If you can find such a thing, look for a way to start doing it again.  Giving up the (good) things we love to do, because there are more necessary things which we think must be done, can be soul-crushing.  Even an hour a week of something you love can make a huge difference.

 

Thank you for your wonderful suggestions! You have me a lot to think about!

[MollyMormon]

3 hours ago, NeedleinA said:

You may find that having lived an "ultimate" Molly Mormon life that what you perceive as being "a little naughty" really only moves you from "ultimate" to "normal" Molly Mormon.
"Normal" Molly Mormon is still Mormon, it just may not be as extreme as the ultimate version.

Long story short, what you classify as "naughty" might be what 90% of other Mormons consider normal Mormon life. Just a thought.
If you feel inclined, you might consider sharing what "naughty" is and you might be surprised by the responses that follow. Many of us have tried caffeinated beverages before, eaten after midnight and have had sexual relations (in marriage) without the sole purpose to procreate.

You made me laugh, so thank you for that! I enjoy sexual relations without procreating, I have eaten after midnight, although I don't drink caffeine. ;-) Things that have been tempting to me lately would be trying alcohol or gambling, watching a bad movie, etc.

[MollyMormon]

3 hours ago, DoctorLemon said:

There are people who don't eat after midnight on religious grounds?

That's just weird.

(By the way, I drink three caffeinated Diet Cokes a day, listen to extreme heavy metal, play first person shooter video games, believe in evolution, and have a beard.  What is key is I don't consider any of these "rebellious" activities to actually be sinning, I consider them to be frowned upon sometimes as cultural matters, and questions as to whether they are right or wrong are inevitably personal opinion rather than Church doctrine.  My best advice to you is, whatever you do, just don't get into (or get close to) any actual sinning).

Yeah, that's the problem...the desire is to actually do things that are sins.

[MollyMormon]

3 hours ago, Midwest LDS said:

First of all congrats on avoiding major sins. That's a really awesome accomplishment that you shouldn't sell yourself short on. I agree with @zil and @anatess2 and I think you should follow their suggestions, but speaking as someone who had to repent of a major sin don't! It isn't fun, it isn't pretty, and you can cause lifelong consequences to yourself even after you repent. When Alma tells his son Corianton that wickedness never was happiness in Alma 41:14 he is deadly serious. Imagine carrying around a crushing weight of guilt and pain every single second of the day, breaking your families' hearts, and struggling daily for the rest of your life not to fall back into your previous choices. That is what being guilty of major sin feels like. So take it from a brother who knows what that feels like sister and the next time you feel that strong urging to be bad, tell Satan to go back to Hell and leave you alone because that's where that thoughts coming from.

Thank you for your kind words, and thank you so much for sharing your experience! I definitely needed to hear this!

[MollyMormon]

3 hours ago, NeuroTypical said:

Hi from the other side of the tracks MollyMormon,

Funny thing about rebelling - it can be pretty cool at the time, but it comes at a cost.  From the age of ten through my early 20's I did some pretty bad horrible things.  More than two decades later, I still bear scars and the burdens.  The consequences of those actions have negatively impacted lives of more than just the people around me in those years, but also my wife's life, our marriage, and our children who weren't even born back then.   Although I've fully repented and been through all the hard stuff, even though I walk clean and free of the stain of my past, I still often find it hard to be on the same planet with all the decent people of the world.  The painful, arduous journey back to church activity, the hard-won blessings that only came through spiritual surgery and tears, I wouldn't wish such experiences on my worst enemy. 

I totally get the desire to see what the rest of the world has to offer.  I think you can probably get what you need, without sinning.  There are plenty of non-sacred things you can rebel against - like cultural norms.  Consider stuff like the following:

- Get a radical change in hairstyle and take your husband to learn the tango.
- If you live in Utah, volunteer at a Haunted House a few evenings a week in October.
- For that matter, volunteer wherever you find sinners - rape crisis centers, drug rehab places, work release programs, halfway houses, etc.

You can bring your good LDS self to these places, and you will encounter thrills and be challenged in ways you can't even imagine. No sinning or rebellion against the Lord necessary.

Congratulations on repenting and making the necessary changes! That's very admirable. Thanks so much for sharing your experience and insight. It was very eye opening!

[MollyMormon]

3 hours ago, DoctorLemon said:

I think we should be careful in a way - the problem with rebellion in some ways is it is a slippery slope that not everyone may be able to handle, too, and you can start down that path and wind up in sin.

I think I can handle listening to extreme metal music with clean lyrics (e.g., Korpiklaani) without falling into sin.  However, perhaps some teenagers could start there, move into rap metal, then rap music, and wind up a drug dealer in a street gang?  (extreme example I know, my bishop loves his rap music apparently).  Not to mention, when you actually sin, you hurt Jesus, which is never, ever OK.

So there is some danger there.

On the other hand, I do admit I like being just a bit of a pirate around the edges.  What is key, though, is to have red lines that are well short of sinning that one should not cross.

Thank you for your reference to hurting Jesus! That definitely needs to be my focus!

[MollyMormon]

3 hours ago, LiterateParakeet said:

I think you've been given great advice so far.  My thoughts when reading your post were different. Only you can figure out which really applies to you.

My thought is that if you have a desire to be rebellious, you're not obeying for the right reasons. I don't mean that in anyway as a criticism. Likely its a step we all go through. 

Here is my suggestion. Learn about the Atonement. I know you are married with kids. When the Spirit told me to learn about the Atonement, I was a return missionary, married in the temple with kids. I thought I knew about the Atonement. But....I put in the time. I studied the scriptures that mentioned it, all the talks from LDS.org about it, I read a book about it. After all that, I didnt feel like I had learned anything new. So I went to Heavenly Father and asked, "What was it I was supposed to learn about the Atonement?"  I got my answer and  it was life changing.

I believe you can get the answer you need this way a well. But you can't simply ask. First you need to study it out in your mind and then ask. You won't regret it. 

Thank you for your thoughts. I'm sure you're absolutely right about obeying for the wrong reasons. I don't know. I will definitely look into studying the Atonement, though. Great suggestion!

[zil]

6 hours ago, MollyMormon said:

Thank you for your reference to hurting Jesus! That definitely needs to be my focus!

At some point, I cannot remember when, someone said something which brought this thought to my mind: "Every sin you don't commit is a sin Jesus did not have to suffer for."  I later added to it: "Every joy you experience, is one Christ gets to share with you."  Choose the joy.

(These days, I tend to think the first part of that is a bit too mechanical / mathematical, but the general idea is still valid - God, Christ, those beyond the veil who love us, all suffer when we suffer.)

Edited October 14, 2017 by zil

[NeedleinA]

13 minutes ago, MollyMormon said:

Yeah, that's the problem...the desire is to actually do things that are sins.

At least in our effort to help out, we know what level of "naughty" we are talking about. WofW, gambling etc, would drop any of us out of the Molly & Peter category. All joking aside... none of it (sin) is worth it. Enjoy your life as it is and find adventure in sky diving, snake breeding, etc. but forget those pastimes classified as sin.

Edited October 13, 2017 by NeedleinA

[MollyMormon]

3 hours ago, zil said:

I agree - eventually, a great many of us hit the point where our previous reasons for obedience aren't good enough - that is, obedience is too hard to be worth it for the previous reasons; we need better reasons to make it worth it.  It can be a very difficult, and even painful, transition from the old reasons for obedience to new reasons for obedience.

It's possible that we could phrase this as "our previous understanding wasn't good enough, and now we need new understanding".

This can be daunting.  We might think, "Man, that would be a lot of work. I don't have time for that."  Give yourself permission to take months, or years, if that's what you need.  It's OK.  Just do it, no matter how long it takes.  If necessary, give yourself permission to work up to it - so long as you're actually working on it.

Thank you! I love everything you said! And I agree...I think my reasons for obeying aren't good enough. Now I just need to take the journey of figuring out what reasons are good enough.

[MollyMormon]

3 hours ago, JohnsonJones said:

What do you mean by being naughty?

And why would you want to ditch the Molly Mormon identity?

You might not see this, but Molly Mormons are actually rather unique and special.  Outside of the LDS church, those who are "naughty" are a dime a dozen...in fact, more like a thousand a penny.

Is it a desire to be just like everyone else that is miserable in the US and the rest of the world today?

Remember, the grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence, but normally, it's either the same grass or worse (normally, in farmland bordering wilderness, the grass on the otherside of the fence may actually be worse or even harmful).

There are some in the church that do not realize how unique being good really is, or how being righteous actually makes someone truly stand out and is a very special quality in relation to what the world is like now.  So many think that they are all alike if they are good, but that is not true, something they find out many times to their great sorry. 

More times than not, it's more that they say they are similar to others, but in reality just want to be like the rest of the world, that thousand per penny individuals that are "naughty" and disobey the commands of the lord flagrantly.

that said

How naughty are you talking about?

Playing games and stuff on the Sabbath?

Watching bad movies?

Drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes, or that like?

Breaking the law of chastity?

Robbing a bank?

Going on a murdering spree?

Some are far worse than others.  Most of them lead to deep sorrow later, and disappointment that they wanted to follow the world rather than what they knew was right.  A few may not, but many of those bring a sense of being part of the world, but then guilt and sadness for multiple reasons.  They realize just how special and unique they were previously, and they destroyed that.  They realize that what they thought would be fun, actually may have seemed fun at the time, but destroyed a lot of long lasting happiness and in some cases, even lost some freedom they took for granted.

When you say naughty...what exactly do you mean by that and why do you think you are feeling that way?

 

 

You made some really good points. Thank you. By naughty I mean things like trying alcohol or gambling or watching bad movies, etc. I'm not sure why I'm feeling that way, other than I'm like the most boring person ever...never drank, tried any drugs, gambled, had sex before marriage, dated before I was 16, said a bad word since I was in 5th grade, watched a rated R movie (I actually don't even watch PG-13 movies), don't drink caffeine, etc. I'm about as straight laced as they come. I am feeling like I somehow missed out a little on the more typical "rebellion years" of young single adulthood, since i got married and had kids so young. I never got to spread my wings and experiment, and now I'm wishing I had, I guess. 

[a mustard seed]

10 minutes ago, MollyMormon said:

You made me laugh, so thank you for that! I enjoy sexual relations without procreating, I have eaten after midnight, although I don't drink caffeine. ;-) Things that have been tempting to me lately would be trying alcohol or gambling, watching a bad movie, etc.

My grandma is very strong in the church and occasionally buys scratchers. And bad movies aren't worth the time, unless you mean "bad" movies. Then...well, I slipped recently and watched a couple of movies that I've been craving seeing when I've been trying to keep my entertainment clean since my return to church. I watched A Cure for Wellness, Get Out, Ozark, and the last season of Salem because I was watching the show prior to my return to church. All incredibly disappointing. Salem's last season jumped the shark, several times, a complete waste of time rather than the closure I was hoping for. Get Out was not as interesting as I was led to believe and more overly dramatic; I didn't relate. And a Cure for Wellness was "creepy" but the mystery was very convoluted and full of holes, unanswered questions; very commercial, in my opinion. Ozark was like Breaking Bad but without any sort of morality tale. Jason Bateman's character is the "anti-hero" of the tale, supposedly cunning and good with money, we're supposed to root for his clever solutions when all it is is jumping from mud hole to mud hole, with no real standard of morals, no descent from goodness, no fall or lessons learned. Just bad people finding ways to survive and get away with the awful crap they do. And all four had levels of depravity that made me wonder what the inclusion really did for the plot or anything; just sickness and taint for the sake of shock or simple glorification. I did not feel uplifted by my experience watching R rated or "M" rated shows and movies again and I wish I hadn't. And although I feel again the temptation to give in for the new It movie...I think I'll pass, personally. Now, that's been my personal experience but I truly do believe that the standards of society have been made so low, I can safely say, after months of watching things on the level of Pride and Prejudice, Disney films, and Studio C, you're not missing much. Especially when you "get" the privilege of guilt free scripture reading right after watching those cleaner entertainments.

I'd also posit that alcohol is not worth the time either. There is a culture of social drinking that you need to be familiar with in order to enjoy it. I was never able to relate during my time away. Drinking cocktails by yourself, at home, while watching movies? Not particularly fun, especially if you drink enough to "feel" it and then end up having to pull back your own hair over the toilet bowl. Not worth it because a sip of anything tasty gives you the deceptive impression of harmlessness(it's not, omg, it's NOT) and everything else tastes like garbage. So, unless you want to associate with others who do not have the spirit with them while they are drunk, sit around for hours doing nothing but talking about nothing meaningful, that you may or may not remember, it's not worth the "try." Besides, as much fun as everyone makes it seem, drinking and the resulting feeling associated with it is your body reacting to being poisoned, your brain reacting to abuse and holes being gnawed into it. And that says nothing of where the Spirit goes when you try it...

[MollyMormon]

2 hours ago, DoctorLemon said:

I get the sense the OP is probably talking more about not looking and acting like she is on the Donna Reed Show all the time than actually sinning.  And I can totally sympathize.

Maybe I'm not even sure what I actually mean...ha ha! Just always the good girl that's kinda tired of being the good girl, I guess. I don't know. 

[zil]

Just now, MollyMormon said:

gambling

Lies, lies, and more lies.  I don't mean you - I mean the people who run gambling establishments.  Seriously, they are thieves, they know it, and they pride themselves on it.  Unless you are going to waste full-time-employment hours learning to count cards (you'll get banned), or out-bluff poker players who are putting in just as many hours or more, you would literally be throwing your money down the drain.  Better to go empty your bank account and literally give it to the poor.

A programmer friend of mine was considering going to work for the folks who program some of the gaming machines used in Vegas.  He learned enough to understand how those machines work, determined that no one with integrity could do that work, because it was indeed theft and lies, and walked away.  So go buy yourself some plain and peanut M&Ms, invite your girl-friends over while the kids are in school, and play "poker" to your heart's content.  But don't do it for money - you'll lose in oh so many ways (not just $, but the Spirit).  (PS: I once visited Reno with my husband-to-be.  The one and only thing which stood out about the experience was that it felt dead, as in, the Spirit was nowhere to be found there.  Everything looked flat, 2-dimensional without actually being 2-dimensional, colorless without actually lacking in colors, lifeless despite the living humans walking about.)

I could tell you stories related to alcohol (as an observer in various situations), but I'm not sure that would help.  Some things, you need your own experiences / reasons to dislike them.  The Word of Wisdom is actually the secondary reason why I avoid alcohol and caffeine and perhaps tobacco.  Knowledge and observation are the first reason.  If hearing other people's experiences is the kind of thing that motivates you, let me know and I'll tell.  If not, well, actively look for your own reasons - whether it's love of God, health statistics, love for your husband and children (who could only be harmed by these things), or whatever.

Perhaps more important is to create a knee-jerk reaction in yourself so that when these thoughts come, they are immediately rejected and replaced with something else - habit-forming works for good as well as evil.

[MollyMormon]

2 hours ago, MormonGator said:

My thoughts totally. Sometimes people who have lived a certain type of life can "regret" not being rebellious in their younger days.  In many other cultures it's sort of expected that young people rebel and go a little crazy before they get older and settle down. 

YES! This exactly!

[MollyMormon]

2 hours ago, DoctorLemon said:

Even when you are older, you don't have to be some kind of Stepford Wife (or husband, for that matter) to be a good Mormon.  You just have to try where it counts (avoiding sin, trying to do good deeds, trying to take care of your neighbors, etc.)

I understand that, but I guess being anything but a "stepford wife" is so foreign and unknown to me that I don't know how not to be without sinning.

[MollyMormon]

2 hours ago, NeuroTypical said:

I'm honestly having a hard time understanding why "ditching a Molly Mormon identity" would be "wrong".  You do realize that we already know you're a fallen sinner, in need of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, just like the rest of us, right?  

So learn to let your hair down in ways that ditch the Molly Mormon image, without sinning.  It can be done.  

 

Right...I in no way want anyone to think I'm saying I'm perfect, as that is far from the truth! It's just that I've always taken the rule follower route to the extreme. I guess I just don't know how to let my hair down without sinning because I've kept myself in a bubble my whole life and obeyed above and beyond what I think is normal. I feel like I "missed out" on spreading my wings and experimenting a little. It sounds dumb, I know.

[Jane_Doe]

5 minutes ago, MollyMormon said:

I understand that, but I guess being anything but a "stepford wife" is so foreign and unknown to me that I don't know how not to be without sinning.

From what i'm reading here, it sounds like what you're feeling defined and trapped by the "Stepford Wife" bubble you're stuck in.  You're looking for a way to change it, but don't know how to go about that change.

Is that correct?

[MollyMormon]

1 hour ago, Vort said:

@MollyMormon, I can understand what you're saying, and I can sympathize. The Dark Side® can look so attractive, especially to those who haven't walked it. But honestly, we have all walked along a path we should not have. Has it ever come to good? Do we ever say, "Yeah, you know, shoplifting that sweater was soooooo worth it! I'd do it again!" Or do we say to ourselves, "Seriously? I sold out my integrity before God -- for a SWEATER? What was I thinking?"

When you have thoughts like you describe, I suggest you consciously make the effort to think instead: "I have this constant pull to cut off my fingers. I haven't really cut any of my fingers off, but for some reason I can't get the desire out of my head. I kinda want to ditch the identity as the good little ten-fingered girl and live on the wild side for once."

You will immediately recognize such talk as nonsense, of course. Which is the point. Choosing sin and rebelliousness is choosing death. It's choosing to be spiritually maimed over being spiritually whole. So as Joseph Smith said to Parley P. Pratt when Pratt complained about some unfair censure he received from W. W. Phelps: "Walk such things under your feet." Don't let your fascination with the forbidden -- a manifestation of your very own "natural man" -- deter you from your path of duty and joy.

Thank you! The cutting off fingers analogy was a good way for me to look at it. I appreciate it! 

[zil]

2 hours ago, MollyMormon said:

You made some really good points. Thank you. By naughty I mean things like trying alcohol or gambling or watching bad movies, etc. I'm not sure why I'm feeling that way, other than I'm like the most boring person ever...never drank, tried any drugs, gambled, had sex before marriage, dated before I was 16, said a bad word since I was in 5th grade, watched a rated R movie (I actually don't even watch PG-13 movies), don't drink caffeine, etc. I'm about as straight laced as they come. I am feeling like I somehow missed out a little on the more typical "rebellion years" of young single adulthood, since i got married and had kids so young. I never got to spread my wings and experiment, and now I'm wishing I had, I guess. 

These things could be said about a lot of people, not just members.

2 hours ago, MollyMormon said:

Maybe I'm not even sure what I actually mean...ha ha! Just always the good girl that's kinda tired of being the good girl, I guess. I don't know. 

Satan has found a chink in your armor, and is feeding you lies about it.  He's telling you that you're tired of being the good girl, when what you're really tired of is routine, lack of new experiences and learning.  You are an intelligent, divine being meant to progress to the point where you comprehend eternity.  Such a being cannot be satisfied for long with same-old-same-old.  You need new, different, challenging, interesting.  Satan is telling you those only come through sin.  Satan is very, very good at keeping us convinced that it's the opposite extreme that we need - anything to distract us from the real problem and real solutions.

You don't need to sin to alleviate the boredom; you just need to find things which are actually interesting (neither gambling nor alcohol are interesting - at least, not to a sober observer), and do those.  Get Sharpies and Zentangle the livingroom wall - that's pretty rebellious, and relaxing at the same time.

Seriously, before the end of today, I think you need to find and do something you don't normally do - something very simple.  Anything that represents breaking of your routine.  Then tomorrow, break it again in some little way.

Edited October 13, 2017 by zil

[MollyMormon]

34 minutes ago, zil said:

At some point, I cannot remember when, someone said something with brought this thought to my mind: "Every sin you don't commit is a sin Jesus did not have to suffer for."  I later added to it: "Every joy you experience, is one Christ gets to share with you."  Choose the joy.

(These days, I tend to think the first part of that is a bit too mechanical / mathematical, but the general idea is still valid - God, Christ, those beyond the veil who love us, all suffer when we suffer.)

Beautiful. Thank you.

[MollyMormon]

36 minutes ago, NeedleinA said:

At least in our effort to help out, we know what level of "naughty" we are talking about. WofW, gambling etc, would drop any of us out of the Molly & Peter category. All joking aside... none of it (sin) is worth it. Enjoy your life as it is and find adventure in sky diving, snake breeding, etc. but forget those pastimes classified as sin.

I guess it's just hard for me to know it's not worth it, since I've never tried. ;-) But I appreciate your suggestions...yes, maybe skydiving would cure it! Ha ha!

[Jane_Doe]

2 minutes ago, MollyMormon said:

Right...I in no way want anyone to think I'm saying I'm perfect, as that is far from the truth! It's just that I've always taken the rule follower route to the extreme. I guess I just don't know how to let my hair down without sinning because I've kept myself in a bubble my whole life and obeyed above and beyond what I think is normal. I feel like I "missed out" on spreading my wings and experimenting a little. It sounds dumb, I know.

It sounds like what you're really wanting to get to know yourself better and explore.   That's not dumb at all!  Rather it's part of getting to know yourself and that's a good Christ-like thing. That's also very extremely different from going about sinning for the sake of sinning (which is a dumb idea).  

Now things to break out of this bubble... well, ok I don't know you so I can't tell you where exactly your bubble is, so I'll ramble about my bubble---

I've had the same rag-muffle hair style for the last quarter century (think Merida from "Brave").  It's sounds silly... but that hairdo has just come to be a part of me.   If I were to cut my hair, let alone die it... that would be a huge change for me.  Like.... I don't know- some business woman hairdo, that would be totally different. 

Naturally I'm shy and mild mannered (rather Molly Mormon that way).  In undergrad I wanted something different so I signed up for martial arts-- let's go beat people up!!  (Ok, not really).  But still, it was one of the best decisions I've ever made: I loved it, got great exercise, filled me out as a person, and really helped my emotional/mental state. 

Stuff like that....

[zil]

Just now, MollyMormon said:

I guess it's just hard for me to know it's not worth it, since I've never tried.

I'm curious to know: (a) What about these things seems appealing?  (b) Have you observed these behaviors first hand?  (c) Are there things you have never tried which hold absolutely no appeal whatsoever?  (d) Why don't those things also appeal?

You don't have to answer me, but answering these for yourself might help clarify matters.  Though at this point I'm going with my latest answer - you just need to break some routines and expand your soul in good ways - the divine in you is hungry for expansion - feed that and let Satan and his minions starve.  Having a hard time thinking of something new?  Draw that - your soul expanding and Satan and his minions starving - stick figures are OK.

[MollyMormon]

29 minutes ago, a mustard seed said:

My grandma is very strong in the church and occasionally buys scratchers. And bad movies aren't worth the time, unless you mean "bad" movies. Then...well, I slipped recently and watched a couple of movies that I've been craving seeing when I've been trying to keep my entertainment clean since my return to church. I watched A Cure for Wellness, Get Out, Ozark, and the last season of Salem because I was watching the show prior to my return to church. All incredibly disappointing. Salem's last season jumped the shark, several times, a complete waste of time rather than the closure I was hoping for. Get Out was not as interesting as I was led to believe and more overly dramatic; I didn't relate. And a Cure for Wellness was "creepy" but the mystery was very convoluted and full of holes, unanswered questions; very commercial, in my opinion. Ozark was like Breaking Bad but without any sort of morality tale. Jason Bateman's character is the "anti-hero" of the tale, supposedly cunning and good with money, we're supposed to root for his clever solutions when all it is is jumping from mud hole to mud hole, with no real standard of morals, no descent from goodness, no fall or lessons learned. Just bad people finding ways to survive and get away with the awful crap they do. And all four had levels of depravity that made me wonder what the inclusion really did for the plot or anything; just sickness and taint for the sake of shock or simple glorification. I did not feel uplifted by my experience watching R rated or "M" rated shows and movies again and I wish I hadn't. And although I feel again the temptation to give in for the new It movie...I think I'll pass, personally. Now, that's been my personal experience but I truly do believe that the standards of society have been made so low, I can safely say, after months of watching things on the level of Pride and Prejudice, Disney films, and Studio C, you're not missing much. Especially when you "get" the privilege of guilt free scripture reading right after watching those cleaner entertainments.

I'd also posit that alcohol is not worth the time either. There is a culture of social drinking that you need to be familiar with in order to enjoy it. I was never able to relate during my time away. Drinking cocktails by yourself, at home, while watching movies? Not particularly fun, especially if you drink enough to "feel" it and then end up having to pull back your own hair over the toilet bowl. Not worth it because a sip of anything tasty gives you the deceptive impression of harmlessness(it's not, omg, it's NOT) and everything else tastes like garbage. So, unless you want to associate with others who do not have the spirit with them while they are drunk, sit around for hours doing nothing but talking about nothing meaningful, that you may or may not remember, it's not worth the "try." Besides, as much fun as everyone makes it seem, drinking and the resulting feeling associated with it is your body reacting to being poisoned, your brain reacting to abuse and holes being gnawed into it. And that says nothing of where the Spirit goes when you try it...

Wow! Thanks for your insight! I really appreciate what you had to say. It helped me put things into perspective a little more.