I know this has been discussed, but OMG. I finally got on and listened.

Ally Isom sounded like the political/corporate spokesperson that she is. (And the fact that her last job was a governor's deputy chief of staff, and her college major was polticial science is very revealing.) She is anything but an ecclesiastic leader: She is a paid shill promoting an agenda of "We've got to get out ahead of this story."

If the LDS church were truly prepared to defend its stance, it would not be sending a hireling with talking points. It would instead be sending its clerical leaders to discuss it. They won't though, because they want plausible deniability.

Unlike typical guests, she refused to take phone calls, she was pushing talking points at every turn, and she stumbled horribly trying to answer "Where does it say in Mormon doctrine that women can't hold the priesthood?"

Also, her answer on Blacks and the priesthood was sad, as was the doublespeak in her response about whether or not the COB influenced the disciplinary process.

For others who are interested in listening:

http://radiowest.kuer.org/post/latter-day-saints-and-excommunication-part-ii

Unleasing a PR machine to do damage control seems like it could have little affect to preconceived notions.

-TBMs will agree fully with her responses.

-Mormons on the fringe it will probably rub the wrong way or possibly create more doubt about the validity it all.

-ExMormons will see her answers as trite and contrived, if not downright decptive.

-And to the few who listen that aren't all that exposed to Mormonism, I'd have to guess would see her answers would seem extremely calculated and inauthentic.

It was hilarious how obvious it was that "Sister" Isom doesn't know her own scriptures. Her political skills came out, in full bloom, when she was asked where it says only men can hold the priesthood.

Just could not get past the start the other day. Dull news lady. What others have said. What a joke. Bad spokesperson. Quit job to be with family, er "church".