I think it has to do with stigma more than anything else.
What is stigma?
A mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person.
Mormons are high, high, high performers. As such, they're typically VERY concerned about avoiding being stigmatized.
Samson Society is a gang of merry Christian men who celebrate (have a great time doing) recovery. In so many ways, we're paradoxical due to our approach (attitude). It's as if we embrace (laugh-off) the stigma wholeheartedly, having come to understand that being stigmatized isn't at all in line with healthy recovery.
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Weekend before last, I met a new(comer) Samson guy within my go-to, virtual Samson Society meeting. During the after-meeting, he asked me to be his Silas. I replied by thanking him before requesting that he think / pray about choosing Rob for one week. He did so, and now I'm his Silas.
Firstly, I asked him for his story. I had that within 24 hours.
It wasn't long before he divulged (he recorded the majority of his story within an audio file) that he's a lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (two-year mission, BYU alum).
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The first Mormon I ever met was an associate architecture professor at Mississippi State University (the year was 1994). The attribute I recall mostly about his man was his work ethic. It was unbelievable (compared to his professor peers). The other attribute that stood out was his humility / meekness / kindness.
How I knew he was Mormon, I don't remember, but I'm assuming it was whispered around not long after classes started my fourth year. As such, I always did feel sorry for this man from the standpoint of being such the (fervent) religious anomaly within small-town Mississippi.
Nonetheless, he was just as much of a hard ass as the other professors (if not harder). He came - this close - to failing me relative to my final fourth year project due to it being "incomplete" (his words).
What I have continued to admire about this professor is he's stayed the course at MSU's School of Architecture. Year after year, he's continued to teach / lead, and I believe he's still going strong.
That's persistence within a less-than-ideal (for him) environment.
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I'm excited to be this Mormon's Silas. I've always wanted to befriend a Mormon, but have never had the opportunity. (We've never even had any Mormon missionaries come to our door.)
And now, one just approached me - out of the blue - during the Samson Society "Brain Changers" meeting. Wow. I feel immensely blessed.
Please pray for me as I walk with my new friend as his Silas. I'm looking forward. (Samson Society truly is a very big pond.)
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