My experience was a bit like yours, Kate Wild. I was 20, but in a totally bad place in my life, everything was going to hell, and a young beautiful pioneer sister began calling on me.
I wanted to be like her. She was so put together, so happy (she really was! She was one of those super-pioneers whose whole life was the truth), and her life was all sparkly and wonderful... There finally seemed to be a beautiful purpose to life... a wonderful loving God to serve (I became totally indoctrinated very quickly!), a whole association of brothers and sisters worldwide... and a paradise earth!
I bought it, hook, line, and sinker, and wouldn't escape for close to 30 years as I slowly began to wake up again.
...
"May God, or the universe, or airborne spaghetti, or energies or wavelengths or frequencies, or quantum particles that somehow attract things to us, or telepathic manipulation by aliens -- bless you. And may you have peace and a good day. And if you are not having a good day, may you find at least a moment of something good in your day."
- Muddy