Priesthood for me is always entertaining...we are assured every week that there will at least one controversial thing said. As I always say, it is worth the price of admission (one of these weeks I'm actually going to bring popcorn for all).

This week...

The lesson was going along in a pretty ho-hum manner for 3/4 of the time. I actually thought I was going to have nothing to report to my wife (and this forum).

Then voila!...out of the clear blue sky come this comment from the instructor...

"Why are there so many "rock stars" in the Church?" People were going "Huh?". He then told everybody that he was sure he'd offend a few, but here goes anyhow. He explained that the "rock stars" were the Apostles and GAs. He went on to give an example about him heading up a blood drive at the Stake Center and Elder Bednar showed up to give some class at the SC. There were tons of people waiting outside anxious to see Elder Bednar, touch him and/or have him sign books, etc. Bednar did everything to duck the crowd. Security had to do their job in restraining the crowd.

The instructor's point is that if Christ is at the head of the Church, why do we need "rock stars"? Christ should be the only "rock star" in the equation.

Let's drive Bednar somewhere. Anywhere. Lemme see... say, to Yankee Stadium. We'll set up sound towers and we'll put out ads and flyers and sell tickets through proper ticket brokers, and see how many people for a two-hour solo show featuring only Bednar doing any kind of antic he'd like to try out, short of abusing another little boy in public. We'll see how many show up.

So now being a GA is the same as a rock star!!?? Who do the GA's think they are?? Someone like Madonna!!??

No, silly, Madonna is just Christ's mother.

The GA's are his hang out buds.


Kathleen Waters

GA's have always been celebrities in Mo circles.
And the lemmings stand in line to shake hands with a fellow masturbator. (You can't tell me the GA's don't spank their monkeys)

That's always bothered me as well. I was with my sil last year, walking out of the Lion House, when Oaks passed us. She freaked out with excitement. She wanted to run after him to get a picture but I held her back. Keep in mind my SIL is a 50 year old woman. The biggest problem in my eyes, is the GAs do nothing to stop the idol worship. I think they love it.

Crazy, eh?!?! I do know that the Apostles get primo service at the local supermarket...I've seen it in action on multiple occasions

My boss knew I was mormon. She was on a plane flying into SLC. All these people, especially tennage girls were all in a buzz about someone in first class - they were going to the front of the plane, getting autographs and whatnot. She figures it must be someone from the Utah Jazz with all those girls so excited. It turned out to be GBH. She was like "What the hell is up with that?" Asking me who the old dude was and why were all the girls so excited about him. I of course earnestly tried to explain it - but I remember listening to myself and thinking "This just sounds creepy!"

those teenage girls were excited because Mick Jagger was sitting next to him.

+1 :)

I saw this at the BYU / UTAH game last year.. I was in my red.. at cougar staduim... GO UTES... and on the field.. Urdorf walks out.. and everyone is screaming with excitement.. I turned to my husband and commented how that just seemed so wrong for them to do to a GA. Wow.. it surprised me.

It really is an odd thing.

The old saying is "The Catholics say the Pope is infallible, but they don't really believe it. The Mormons say the Prophet isn't infallible, but they don't really believe it either."

On the one hand we get stuff about how the prophet is just another calling, as are all the GA positions, and yet people start with the personality worship.

The funny thing is watching those who can't quite reconcile things, like the bishop in my ward. He refers to himself in the third person, like "please let the bishop know". It's like he has the habits of treating a leader like something special, but knows that he himself isn't all that, so he can't connect himself with the office he's been called to.

Rock Spider more like it

That guy in your class is totally right. It is like that, and it's weird. Mormons seem to worship the prophet, and even people lower than him. It seems like at Mission President level is when you start getting worshipped a bit.

According to mormon doctrine, Jesus is the only perfect man, yet mormons act like their leaders are perfect. Very strange, and something needs to be done to stop that behavior.

Someone in my ward was gushing because she met the son of an apostle. Not the apostle himself, his son. She was so excited when she heard who his father is that she insisted that she get her picture taken with him.

Don't the GAs require everyone to stand when they enter the room? They make me sick. However, I've told the truth about these clowns to several family members who brush it aside and are happy to have their $$$, children, and free will stolen from them, AND they continue to worship the thieves for their trouble! W-T-F?! Puke.

I take the point…idolatry of GAs is not good. It reminds me of the Christmas my Ensign came and I was looking forward to the Christmas theme to the articles…and there plastered all over the front and half the pages inside was a celebration of Joseph Smiths ?nth birthday! or something like that…and I thought…ahem! whose church is this Josephs or Jesus's?

When GBH died, I received a text with the news, and I promptly sent outgoing ones to my TBM friends spreading the news.
After I did, it I had a "why the hell did I just do that!" moment. I treated his death, as the post says, as a "rock star." Gross.

I was really embarrassed, and did a little bit of thinking after that.

Turtles! Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When GBH died, I received a text with the news,
> and I promptly sent outgoing ones to my TBM
> friends spreading the news.
> After I did, it I had a "why the hell did I just
> do that!" moment. I treated his death, as the post
> says, as a "rock star." Gross.
>
> I was really embarrassed, and did a little bit of
> thinking after that.

The death of someone important is a big deal, so this story's not that bad. It is news and people text each other news stories. E.g., people were probably texting each other about the flight that got lost--because it's an interesting story, not because any "rock stars" are involved. It's the stories of people gushing over being the presence of a GA where it goes overboard.

It was my promptness to spread the news that made me embarrassed. I spread it like a bad school rumor. I did it without thinking, and I was also young enough to were I shouldn't have cared about such things, let alone spread the news to my friends of the same age or younger.
To me, my actions idolatrize GBH, not spread an interesting story.
Though I agree, my story wasn't as good as the others. Just wanted to share my own past mindset when I elevated one of these men more than they ever should be.

I was on a plane once when the prophet and his handlers were flying first class. Passengers noticed as he boarded and he came and stood at the front of the coach section and waved and, I kid you not, most everyone stood and sang what else but "We Thank Thee Oh God for a Prophet"

Many tears were shed, and many of us felt extra safe on the plane that day.

This was a frick'n AIRPLANE, not a chapel or BYU auditorium. (hand slapping forehead).




SG

I'm reading the rock-stardom of the GAs in the above posts. And you wonder why the big 15 don't expose the fraud when they know it? Of course, they like the attention - being a rock star without having to play an instrument, sing or dance. All they have to do is walk into a restroom and piss in a urinal for it to become their BM moment (bow to me).

I think we can trace the rock star mentality back to that rousing hymn "Praise to the Man". It was always a "Who do we worship?" headscratcher to me. But what can I say, JS did more for mankind than anyone, save JC or so I've heard!

We've been told they can put Mick Jagger in his place.

The guy was definitely onto something in my opinion regarding the impropriety of rock star status for GAs, but I can't help wondering if he'll be told by the bishop to stick to the lesson manual.(Do they use manuals from PH quorum lessons? I don't even remember.) Mormons like to murmur, and word gets around.

scmd Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The guy was definitely onto something in my
> opinion regarding the impropriety of rock star
> status for GAs, but I can't help wondering if
> he'll be told by the bishop to stick to the lesson
> manual.(Do they use manuals from PH quorum
> lessons? I don't even remember.)

They supposedly use the Teachings of the Presidents Manual. But this year's President is Joseph Fielding Smith and none of the teachers in my EQ know anything about him, so they've been mainly teaching other topics. When the manual was about Joseph Smith, they always taught from the manual.

My priesthood group never uses the manual...that's why I actually enjoy going...one lesson was completely done from Milton's "Paradise Lost"

The adoration of all things Mormon rises to ridiculousness. The last time I went to the Provo July 4th parade, the military vets got barely a clap from the onlookers. But the punk missionaries got a standing ovation as they paraded by.

Yep, what that Instructor said is true.

Do Rock Stars hear sheep clothing (suits) from Mr. Mac's?!!!!

They wanted to "touch" Bednar? Wow. I wouldn't have wanted to. I'd have avoided him.