One of the hard things about living in Utah and being inactive/post-Mormon and also being non-confrontational, is you’re often put in awkward situations. I have a lovely neighbor whom I adore. She brings treats over and we reciprocate. She’s done small favors for me and

vice versa. Our kids played together pre-Covid. We’ve been over for dinner. You get the idea. She’s also invited us to church before. It’s not often, but it keeps coming up. She’s given me church cd’s, invited us on Easter, etc. I always just say “Thanks! But I don’t think we’ll

make it.” It’s happened enough times now that you’d think it was apparent that we are not interested. I honestly don’t want the fact that we are ex-members to come up because that is so much more threatening to so many members than seeing us as a missionary opportunity. We are

the people that are warned against at church, not the missionary opportunity never-been-baptized people. I just don’t want my kids to be labeled because of decisions my husband and I have made. I don’t want our relationship to change with our neighbors. I hate that I have to

have this conversation when I’ve politely declined many times before. I dislike the the idea of being seen as a “project” and not simply as a neighbor. Today, she sent over a link to a podcast. Responding with, “Thanks!” guarantees another invitation in a few months. “Thanks for

sending this, but I’m not interested.” may or may not change how we are perceived by her/our neighbors, perhaps even if our kids are invited to certain houses. I hate that I feel like the bad guy in all this, and just wish me being a kind neighbor could be enough without

religion having to come up every few months.