Interesting moment attempting to communicate with my 20-year old son, soon to leave on a mission:

I mentioned that I'd been reading about the WoW at the LDS friendly site, Wheatandtares: http://www.wheatandtares.org/8141/if-i-were-in-charge-revisit-the-word-of-wisdom-including-obedience-and-obesity/.

Discussing this post with him and the attendant thread, I noted, merely observed, mind you, that LDS people were disagreeing about what the first law of heaven was (obedience or love?) and about the details of the WoW: "mild [as opposed to "strong"] drinks":

"And, behold, this should be wine, yea, apure wine of the grape of the vine, of your own make."

And

"barley for all useful animals, and for mild drinks, as also other grain."

I pointed out to him that LDS friendly people were interpreting these passages independently, to include beer and wine. Dehlin drinks decaf coffee--something my former hardcore Bishop would see as absolute disobedience to God.

Actually, the mental gymnastics that confronted me from my son took me aback: Other people reading through the WoW? "They were being Pharisees, following the letter of the law and not its spirit"!? Turning the tables like that just screamed to me that he was being mind controlled. Basically, church leaders could tell him that the Word of Wisdom was about training cats, and he'd obediently follow that as the "spirit" of truth.

And that brings up the first law of heaven as obdience or love. I tried, very gently, to get him to acknowledge that Jesus said love was first, but he refused to make a distinction--if you "love" God, then you'll be obedient to whatever he says. The two go together, so isn't it silly to worry about priority?

:O

How many church leaders have said that the first law of heaven is obedience? And the NT says, "36 'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?'

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22: 36-40)

I had to drop the subject. He was getting very defensive just from me observing that these things were being discussed at a Mormon friendly (but not absolutely TBM) site. I didn't want to push it. He's so thoroughly mind controlled, it'll take a major crisis to wake him up.



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 11/06/2013 09:18PM by derrida.

if he gets on his mission and discovers that he is expected to become worse than the pharisees. Let him know that if he changes his mind he can come back home and be loved by his family and real friends.

First off, refuse to pay for said mission.

If the morg wants to send out reps, let them foot the bill themselves.

Offer to pay for college instead.

I did that. There's no way in hell I'd pay for my son to go on a two-year brainwashing sales trip for the LDS church.

And BG--yeah, I've been very clear about that. I view his going as his leaving for the military--I want him to be safe, to know that we are here for him if he needs anything.

Amazing how weak and misguided one's dad is when one is 18-22, but then how smart old dad can turn out to be when one is, let's say, 28-plus. (YMMV)

topper

The really sad part is he may feel more pressure to be a good example to you in hopes that you will change your mind about TSCC. I hate to admit it, but I was one of those idiot morons who thought every time an inactive's son went on a mission, somehow everything would change. The inactive would magically snap back into activity because of the righteous example of their missionary son...GAG! Can't think of a single example where it worked out that way - that's a good thing.

I remember thinking the same thing. A missionary was like some sort silver bullet that would make inactives see the light and get into gear.

We're hoping the fact that we left TSCC while DS is on his mission will cause some dissonance. Having one's parents "apostatize" certainly is the opposite of the "blessings" the mission is supposed to bring. He is still TBM at 16 months out :(

Let him learn the hard way through experience. He will come to know how much TSCC is a cult on the mission. The more you push, the more he will probably dig in because this has become the cause celeb for him.

Just keep planting those seeds. Eventually, he will have more clarity and see it for what it really is.

I thought adding to the law was just as Pharisean as taking away? I thought Jesus main complaint was that they both added and took away from the law ignoring the spirit of the law.
So let me get this straight.
The "spirit" of the WoW is that you practically shouldnt read it because if you FOLLOW it anything LIKE its written youll basically be a "granola". Youll eat little meat only in winter and famine, youll eat a wheat-based diet with lots of "herbs", and youll make youre own beer and possibly wine if you include the sacrament verses somewhere else in the DC. This would obviously be heathful and heck...it forces me to admit Smith got that kinda right...
...but mormons dont follow the letter or the spirit.
I know alot of teatotalling mormons that are quite unhealthful soley BECAUSE of overeating.
OK so Im being judgmental...let me try and see it their way. Declining tea and coffee, and beer...made me stand out. People occasionally asked me, are you mormon? Why yes... (and a testimony is made). Not only that...I dont like boiling hot tea or coffee and to this day I can only tolerate it cooled, creamed, and sweetened to...mormon standards. 600 calories.

Yeah, amos2. *chuckle* It's mind-boggling.