Don't Fit the Latter-day Saint Mold? Welcome to the Club

Ever feel like you don’t fit the “Latter-day Saint mold”?

Worse, do you feel like members of your ward or branch are passing judgment upon you because you are somehow lacking or not living up to the high cultural standards that have been set?

Welcome to the club.

My guess is, most members of your ward feel the same way. While your situation may be unique in some fashion to you, others have their own circumstances they feel are unique to them. They, too, feel like they don’t quite measure up.

Don’t believe me? Then, take an inventory of everything you know about the families in your congregation. If any of the following has happened or might reasonably happen to them in the future, then they most likely feel like they don’t fit in, either.

This is by no means a comprehensive list, but an opportunity to get you thinking about all the reasons why others around you might feel they don’t fit in. Feel free to come up with your own reasons.

THE LIST

Marital status:

Widowed
Divorced
Remarried
Married to a non-member spouse
Single but over the “normal” married age
Married, but don’t have children
Married, but only have one child
Married, but not in the temple
Married, but one or both spouses are less active
Single parent

Activity status:

Inactive
Less active
Goes to church, but doesn’t have a calling
Goes to church, but doesn’t go to class
Goes to church, but doesn’t participate in class discussions
Active, but rarely goes to activities
Active, but has never been to Relief Society because of Primary or Young Women callings
Active, but has never been to Elders Quorum because of Primary or Young Men callings
Attending church, but currently in some stage of Church discipline

Economic/Education: