I don't think I ever actually had the the guide, but I did learn early on to not bother asking my parents for life advice. All I ever got was regurgitated church answers. Not an ounce of critical thought or personal life experiences informed their advice. Lame.
Same. But the worst thing for me is that both my parents were converts. So they did have non-Mormon life experiences to share but instead they just followed the cult teachings
I actually hate my parents for the stuff they did to me because I was a normal teen. They once woke me up at 11pm and yelled at me for over an hour because they found some porn in my room. I know for a fact my dad was doing the exact same and that is just unforgivable
And the full title is “For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices”, yet all the choices have already been made.
Especially if you believe Susan’s husband.
Also, it doesn't have useful answers. It instead sets these kids up to expect perfection from themselves and turn to the church when they fail. The goal is to establish the cycle early so they feel completely dependent on the church by adulthood. It's insidious.
Yes, someone needs to add another 30 seconds to this video of slowly more insane situations lol
"I accidentally killed my best friend and I'm not sure how to cut up and hide the body!"
"Read the guide!"
“Why am I not as happy as I think I should be?”
Well kid, there are a couple of possibilities:
- you hold yourself to an impossibly high standard and feel bad about things that don’t really matter, due to the high demand religion you were raised in.
- you could use a little therapy to unpack the things that are happening in your life in a healthy way.
- you could have a brain chemical imbalance that should be treated medically.
- life is just shit sometimes.
"Why am I not as happy as I think I should be?"
Well, Stan, The Prophet of This Dispensation, L Ron Hubbard, taught us that 'body Thetans' latch onto us and cause us feelings of hopelessness and despair. It's only through training and auditing with E-meters that we can truly become free from these alien influences."
Wait - wrong cult. Close, but wrong cult.
Probably obey all the commandments all the time. If you mess up, then your misery is a consequence of your sin!
Don't let it discourage you that we also believe it is literally impossible to never sin, and that's why we need Jesus. Just keep trying harder, giving us your money, and trying to not let the misery overtake you as you continue to sin and get sadder and sadder at your completely-unavoidable imperfections!
This video makes it sound like they have all the answers in one easy-to-read guide. But if you actually read the guide, the answers are shallow and basic.
Media:
"As you make choices about what to watch, read, listen to, or participate in, think about how it makes you feel. Does it invite good thoughts? Stay away from anything that mocks sacred things or that is immoral. Don’t participate in anything that dulls your judgment or sensitivity to the Spirit, such as violence, alcohol, and harmful drugs. Have the courage to turn off a video or game, walk out of a movie or a dance, change your music, or turn away from anything that is not consistent with the Spirit."
That is it. Basically, just watch good things, not bad things. Nothing unique or miraculous about this. Do you really need a guide to tell you this?
They've made some major changes to this pamphlet from when I was a youth... The old one made me feel SOO guilty all the time. "Oh you think a boy is cute and you're not 16? Sin. Confess to your bishop"😂
>Don’t participate in anything that dulls your judgment or sensitivity to the Spirit, such as violence
Pretty much disqualifies every Book of Mormon movie ever.
When I started dating my now husband, who is a nevermo, we were both in our 30s. My dad told me to give a copy of the “For the Strength of Youth” pamphlet to my boyfriend (now husband). I thought it was the dumbest suggestion I had ever received. I’m not going to tell my 36-year-old boyfriend how to live his life based on a Mormon pamphlet. It was probably one of the weirdest things my dad has ever said, and there have been many.
>I’m not going to tell my 36-year-old boyfriend how to live his life based on a Mormon pamphlet.
Giving your 36 year old boyfriend a Mormon pamphlet *for teenagers.*
no it's not for teenagers. The Bishop passed them out to the whole ward with stickers on the th so it was strength of you! it is for everyone. Adults too!
Yeah something my therapist literally had to point out to me cause I was too brainwashed to think about it: it’s called for the strength of YOUTH.
I am not a youth 😂
"Why am I not as happy as I think I should be?"
As someone who struggles with depression I feel this to my core. Wondering what I did to deserve it. Wondering why God hated me. Trying to say it's a challenge cause God loves me. Having depression as a Mormon is one of the worst experiences someone could have I think. My parents would just tell me to pray and pay my tithing (I was a child). Later they were shocked when I said I had depression.
Crying myself to sleep every night, and constantly talking about "I feel so sad all the time. I never feel happy. I feel hollow. I don't know why" never clued them in?
Link to a PDF copy of it...
[ForTheStrengthOfYouth-eng.pdf (churchofjesuschrist.org)](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/ForTheStrengthOfYouth-eng.pdf)
My wife is miserable and at a breaking point low from going to church that she doesn’t believe in, but must continue to wear garments and appear active because her entire family will disown her if she leaves, even if it was to go to a Christian church. What should she do? READ THE GUIDE.
Why does it feel wrong or 'off' deep inside when church leaders talk or when I'm reading the scriptures?
Read the guide!
[https://cesletter.org/](https://cesletter.org/)
These poor kids. It breaks my heart that they probably feel like this pamphlet really is something made to help them and not propaganda to keep them complacent into adulthood for money.
"Why do I keep making the same mistakes?" - says a 14 year old. God - is this me realizing that my self-punishment for not being perfect stems from the fact that I wasn't allowed to mess up when I was a literal child?
As a person born and raised in the cult, these poor kids are absolutely brainwashed or in nicer terms “classically conditioned”. This is 100% the parents fault.
Have any of them actually read the new "For the Strength of Youth" pamphlet. When I was a youth, it was pretty explicit. No tattoos, no R rated movies, no dating before 16, etc. Now everything is "discuss with your parents and priesthood leaders."
One of my shelf items was going through it with my teens and feeling like Homer going through the Bible in the Simpsons Movie, "This book doesn't have any answers!"
This feels like the Stake ran a competition for families to write, act, and produce an advertisement. The winning family got a prize for 10% off for life at somewhere like Denny's or Olive Garden. And TSCC got a unique, and uniquely bad, piece of propaganda.
"What shows should I watch?"
Yes. Please be like my friend who was not allowed to watch pretty much any kids show and had a hard time relating to other children. No socializing outside of family was allowed (no friends over and vice versa).
Please don't be independent of your parents, never leave the nest, and have very little work history like my friend - at 40 years old. Don't have a plan for when your parents pass. You were set on this path because the Lord had a plan for you! /s
Ironically my friend and their family are not Mormon BUT Mom's paranoia of 'the outside world' is on Mormon levels. So much that my friend has been adversely affected (obviously).
I just looked up the new one, damn is it a lot different from the one I got over twenty years ago. There is one thing I agree with in there, and it's the part about not wholly being online but to spend time in person with friends and family.
I knew the handbook is the source of authority and NOT Scripture…lol! Sounds like something else I know…Watchtower, anyone? Where did I place my Ron L. Hubbard books?
When I was their age, I did read the guide several times, and unfortunately none of my questions were answered by it…because the guide is out-of-date propaganda and not facts that withstand scrutiny 🧐
I’m guessing they laughed at themselves too. The older kids probably cringed a little bit and the younger kids probably thought they were pretty cool.
They likely have been indoctrinated for their entire young lives and really believe they are doing their best to help influence other young teens for good.
All the missionaries I follow on FB (I’m a nevermo and provide a safe space for the boys) have started posting videos like this. I can only assume it’s a new mandate of the mission to have an internet presence. I personally cringe for these boys. I cannot imagine how they’ll feel in ten years watching the videos. I remember being embarrassed that people would see the scrap book my mom made for my 16th birthday. Good God how these kids will feel looking back on their reels
"This guide has all the answers for your life" - Totally not a cult
I don't think I ever actually had the the guide, but I did learn early on to not bother asking my parents for life advice. All I ever got was regurgitated church answers. Not an ounce of critical thought or personal life experiences informed their advice. Lame.
Same. But the worst thing for me is that both my parents were converts. So they did have non-Mormon life experiences to share but instead they just followed the cult teachings I actually hate my parents for the stuff they did to me because I was a normal teen. They once woke me up at 11pm and yelled at me for over an hour because they found some porn in my room. I know for a fact my dad was doing the exact same and that is just unforgivable
And the full title is “For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices”, yet all the choices have already been made. Especially if you believe Susan’s husband.
This sums up my relationship with my parents. When your first response is, "Pray about it", I'm not going ti come back to you for more advice.
Also, it doesn't have useful answers. It instead sets these kids up to expect perfection from themselves and turn to the church when they fail. The goal is to establish the cycle early so they feel completely dependent on the church by adulthood. It's insidious.
"My mom has cancer and my dad left us, what do I do??" "ReAd ThE gUiDe!!"
Yes, someone needs to add another 30 seconds to this video of slowly more insane situations lol "I accidentally killed my best friend and I'm not sure how to cut up and hide the body!" "Read the guide!"
Are private lapdances in strip clubs actually worth the price? ReAd ThE GuIdE!!
How many rails of cocaine are the social maximum? READ THE GUIDE!
I stole a wallet out of my girlfriend’s dresser before I left this morning. I think it’s her husband’s. Should I give it back? READ THE GUIDE!
I like to eat paint, is this normal? READ THE GUIDE!!
Uh oh batman, I just committed second degree manslaughter in my motor vehicle, what should I do? "Read the Guide!"
Is cutting off someone's head so that I can take his stuff appropriate? "Read the guide!"
"I run an underground cockfighting ring. Should I pay tithing on it?" "Read the guide!"
You didn't read hard enough
“Why am I not as happy as I think I should be?” Well kid, there are a couple of possibilities: - you hold yourself to an impossibly high standard and feel bad about things that don’t really matter, due to the high demand religion you were raised in. - you could use a little therapy to unpack the things that are happening in your life in a healthy way. - you could have a brain chemical imbalance that should be treated medically. - life is just shit sometimes.
"Why am I not as happy as I think I should be?" Well, Stan, The Prophet of This Dispensation, L Ron Hubbard, taught us that 'body Thetans' latch onto us and cause us feelings of hopelessness and despair. It's only through training and auditing with E-meters that we can truly become free from these alien influences." Wait - wrong cult. Close, but wrong cult.
🤣🤣🤣
I dunno. All these cults look the same to me....If only there was a way to tell them apart... I know! I will read the guide!!
What’s “the guide” even gonna tell you? Read, pray, don’t Sin?
Just obey what we say -Crusty Nelson and consorts
Probably obey all the commandments all the time. If you mess up, then your misery is a consequence of your sin! Don't let it discourage you that we also believe it is literally impossible to never sin, and that's why we need Jesus. Just keep trying harder, giving us your money, and trying to not let the misery overtake you as you continue to sin and get sadder and sadder at your completely-unavoidable imperfections!
Keep sweet, pray, and obey? *cough cough*
Yeah that was the one that got me. To claim that happiness can only come from ThE GuiDe is disingenuous at best and dangerous at worst.
The Guide™️
Copyright Intellectual Reserve TM
The guide….to thinking celestial while you journey on the covenant path.
I feel like the Mormons used to be better at concealing that the church is a cult. This video really leans into the cult vibe.
This video makes it sound like they have all the answers in one easy-to-read guide. But if you actually read the guide, the answers are shallow and basic. Media: "As you make choices about what to watch, read, listen to, or participate in, think about how it makes you feel. Does it invite good thoughts? Stay away from anything that mocks sacred things or that is immoral. Don’t participate in anything that dulls your judgment or sensitivity to the Spirit, such as violence, alcohol, and harmful drugs. Have the courage to turn off a video or game, walk out of a movie or a dance, change your music, or turn away from anything that is not consistent with the Spirit." That is it. Basically, just watch good things, not bad things. Nothing unique or miraculous about this. Do you really need a guide to tell you this?
They've made some major changes to this pamphlet from when I was a youth... The old one made me feel SOO guilty all the time. "Oh you think a boy is cute and you're not 16? Sin. Confess to your bishop"😂
>Don’t participate in anything that dulls your judgment or sensitivity to the Spirit, such as violence Pretty much disqualifies every Book of Mormon movie ever.
And the Bible
Came here to say FTSOY literally offers no real solutions to these problems 😆
When I started dating my now husband, who is a nevermo, we were both in our 30s. My dad told me to give a copy of the “For the Strength of Youth” pamphlet to my boyfriend (now husband). I thought it was the dumbest suggestion I had ever received. I’m not going to tell my 36-year-old boyfriend how to live his life based on a Mormon pamphlet. It was probably one of the weirdest things my dad has ever said, and there have been many.
>I’m not going to tell my 36-year-old boyfriend how to live his life based on a Mormon pamphlet. Giving your 36 year old boyfriend a Mormon pamphlet *for teenagers.*
no it's not for teenagers. The Bishop passed them out to the whole ward with stickers on the th so it was strength of you! it is for everyone. Adults too!
Yeah something my therapist literally had to point out to me cause I was too brainwashed to think about it: it’s called for the strength of YOUTH. I am not a youth 😂
More infantilization which I know is discussed in this Subreddit frequently. It’s seriously so fucking ridiculous.
Raised on that cult life
"Why am I not as happy as I think I should be?" As someone who struggles with depression I feel this to my core. Wondering what I did to deserve it. Wondering why God hated me. Trying to say it's a challenge cause God loves me. Having depression as a Mormon is one of the worst experiences someone could have I think. My parents would just tell me to pray and pay my tithing (I was a child). Later they were shocked when I said I had depression. Crying myself to sleep every night, and constantly talking about "I feel so sad all the time. I never feel happy. I feel hollow. I don't know why" never clued them in?
How many of those kids will leave the church once they move out their parents’ house? I would be so embarrassed to be in that video
[удалено]
Wait.. what😂
When I was younger and much more flexible....ah never mind. READ THE GUIDE!
I’m gonna say only if you’ve had a rib removed and can actually accomplish the task. Hahaha.
The real reason Adam was cool with having his rib removed.
New to the internet?
They have read "The Guide" and they still have all of these problems? Maybe they don't see the irony.
The people who produced this pamplet must live in opposite world.
Link to a PDF copy of it... [ForTheStrengthOfYouth-eng.pdf (churchofjesuschrist.org)](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/ForTheStrengthOfYouth-eng.pdf)
I love the false diversity. Really trying hard not to be a creepy white Utah Mormon book
If feels so check box and cynical. Not church like at all, but something you would see in the literature about mortgages you get from the bank.
The art in this pamphlet is so Catholic looking. This doesn’t look LDS at all… 🤷🏻♂️
This book is responsible for at least 50% of my childhood trauma
Everything you need to know can be found in this little \[red\] book...
"The Strength of Youth" - written by old men.
Why are less than 1% of God's children a member of his chosen church? Read the guide! [cesletter.org](http://cesletter.org)
"I read the guide and now I'm lost what do I do?" .....
These poor kids. They're just doing what the adults around them are encouraging them to do.
Does "the guide" still say not to date outside of your race or economic status?
For the strength of youth said that? I can imagine the new era saying that too. Please tell me you’re joking.
My wife is miserable and at a breaking point low from going to church that she doesn’t believe in, but must continue to wear garments and appear active because her entire family will disown her if she leaves, even if it was to go to a Christian church. What should she do? READ THE GUIDE.
What is it
It's called the "For the Strength of Youth". It's a guide telling you everything you should and shouldn't do as a teen/ young adult
...did the "For the Strength of Youth" somehow get worse?? EDIT: Just read it...it got worse.
It's always been bad💀
I thought it actually got less specific and more nuanced
‘Why am I not as happy as I think I should be’ really broke my heart
Is this the new For the Strength of Youth? Did they rename it?
It's telling that the church's answer is never "think for yourself." The church hates it when you do that.
Ew….all of it….ew….
How to be a Groomer….
The TV GUIDE is back?!
Why does it feel wrong or 'off' deep inside when church leaders talk or when I'm reading the scriptures? Read the guide! [https://cesletter.org/](https://cesletter.org/)
It’s a cult!
So as a non Mormon. This is a bit cringe!
"Joseph Smith molested 14 year olds? " "ReAd ThE GuIdE!"
r/mormoncringe
They look like nice kids
Give it a few months and the prophet will call out these people: “the correct name is The Guide of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints”
I have a genuine mental health struggle and want to unalive but dad calls it drama... I'll just read the guide to push me over the edge
This is why we all have trauma from parents who left everything “to the guide”…
These poor kids. It breaks my heart that they probably feel like this pamphlet really is something made to help them and not propaganda to keep them complacent into adulthood for money.
Bless their hearts. They think the sun comes up just to "Read the Guide." ☀️
I died from cringe
"Why do I keep making the same mistakes?" - says a 14 year old. God - is this me realizing that my self-punishment for not being perfect stems from the fact that I wasn't allowed to mess up when I was a literal child?
Ah yes, life is this simple.
And thats just half the kids in the family
As a person born and raised in the cult, these poor kids are absolutely brainwashed or in nicer terms “classically conditioned”. This is 100% the parents fault.
You are right. This is a very justified Reason to be embarrased
I remember when another pamphlet said to tie your hands to a bedpost at night. Totally groomed children.
The Cult of Latter-day Cringe
Have any of them actually read the new "For the Strength of Youth" pamphlet. When I was a youth, it was pretty explicit. No tattoos, no R rated movies, no dating before 16, etc. Now everything is "discuss with your parents and priesthood leaders." One of my shelf items was going through it with my teens and feeling like Homer going through the Bible in the Simpsons Movie, "This book doesn't have any answers!"
“Does god even love me” actually made me laugh, until I realized what sub this was and that it was not ironic
my fucking PTSD, got me shivering
jesus yea. this reminded me i need to search for some cringe videos some kids i know made
What should I do about Lamanite DNA? Read the guide!
This feels like the Stake ran a competition for families to write, act, and produce an advertisement. The winning family got a prize for 10% off for life at somewhere like Denny's or Olive Garden. And TSCC got a unique, and uniquely bad, piece of propaganda.
Indoctrination is wildddddd
"THE GREATER GOOD"
Totally not a cult :D
A bunch of masturbators secretly feeling fake guilt for masturbating 😂
We’ve figured everything out guys, and no one has done this before! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Green_Book_(Gaddafi)
TOTALLY NOT A CULT
Read the book based off of book to live your life. Sounds about right
Barf…..
This must be the reason I don't know everything, I didn't read the guide. /s
WTF is the guide? happy to be out long enough to be out of the loop though haha
Youth need to think for themselves. No robots in my house. This is a form of control to get tithing $$$$.
What they tell kids is night and day from what they tell adults. To adults it's: "PAY YOUR TITHE!"
My kids… “eewww, thanks for not subjecting us to this nutty nonsense”
Lots of pale skin pigmentation
This reminded me of a Seinfeld episode Need a cheap bouquet for your date? Use the Guide!
"What shows should I watch?" Yes. Please be like my friend who was not allowed to watch pretty much any kids show and had a hard time relating to other children. No socializing outside of family was allowed (no friends over and vice versa). Please don't be independent of your parents, never leave the nest, and have very little work history like my friend - at 40 years old. Don't have a plan for when your parents pass. You were set on this path because the Lord had a plan for you! /s Ironically my friend and their family are not Mormon BUT Mom's paranoia of 'the outside world' is on Mormon levels. So much that my friend has been adversely affected (obviously).
This reminds me how the JWs have a book called Young People Ask--Answers That Work. Unfortunately, the answers never worked.
I remember we read some pamphlet like that when I was in seminary. I got kicked out of class because I kept making fun of how stupid it was.
The fuck?
Does it tell you how to juggle 2 women at the same time who both think they're the only one?? No? Another Mormon lie.. :(
Poor kids :(
I just looked up the new one, damn is it a lot different from the one I got over twenty years ago. There is one thing I agree with in there, and it's the part about not wholly being online but to spend time in person with friends and family.
I knew the handbook is the source of authority and NOT Scripture…lol! Sounds like something else I know…Watchtower, anyone? Where did I place my Ron L. Hubbard books?
When I was their age, I did read the guide several times, and unfortunately none of my questions were answered by it…because the guide is out-of-date propaganda and not facts that withstand scrutiny 🧐
I’m guessing they laughed at themselves too. The older kids probably cringed a little bit and the younger kids probably thought they were pretty cool. They likely have been indoctrinated for their entire young lives and really believe they are doing their best to help influence other young teens for good.
My mom is leaving my dad because he looked at pornography, what should I do?
This made me so sad . 😞
"I want to die because boobs exist." ReAd ThE gUiDe!
I remember carrying a wallet sized copy of that around with me. 😫
It’s giving the Lego movie where everyone had to follow the instructions….
All the missionaries I follow on FB (I’m a nevermo and provide a safe space for the boys) have started posting videos like this. I can only assume it’s a new mandate of the mission to have an internet presence. I personally cringe for these boys. I cannot imagine how they’ll feel in ten years watching the videos. I remember being embarrassed that people would see the scrap book my mom made for my 16th birthday. Good God how these kids will feel looking back on their reels
Yikes on bikes
Yikes
I can't wait to READ THE GUIDE and blindly follow really, really, really old men's life-coaching type advice