Where would you have drawn the line when you were a TBM?
For instance I asked my friend if he would allow the present day prophet to take his wife if he was commanded to do so like others before him were in the days of JS. He hesitated a little, and brushed it off but then said if it really came down to it he would obey. He said he wouldn't like it but he would be obedient.
I really am convinced that there really isn't a line for alot of TBMs. I was raised in it, and I remember thinking I think I would have drawn the line at you are commanded to take someone's life, like Nephi supposedly did. I just would never go there. Another common one for most LDS women is they would draw the line at sharing their husband in the eternities (something many mormon women don't like to discuss or think about) yet they know at some point is likely going down.
Did any of you ever think about this, and when you really believed in Mormonism was there ever any line for you that you wouldn't personally cross if it came from the prophet?
...(though I was a very good one) was my inability to let leaders go unquestioned. That "failing" got worse the older I got and the closer I saw leaders in action. My line in the sand? When things failed to make sense, didn't seem fair, or were against doctrine.
...(here on earth), that I would decline to participate. I also had predetermined that if the church ever carried out an animal sacrifice in the temple (as prophesied by Joseph Smith, and as related by Bruce R. McConkie in "Mormon Doctrine") that would also be a line too far for me.
I basically drew the line against sending the missionaries to my family or turning over the genealogical records my Catholic grandma collected for temple work. I was also one of those who wouldn't accept polygamy if it were suddenly allowed, nor would I kill on the orders from leaders.
I would have sacrificed A LOT for the church had the church leaders, especially the prophet, asked me to. However, those things would have to have made sense. If they asked me to consecrate all of my property to the church so that we could live the law of consecration, I probably would have done it. I could see the reason behind that (helping the poor, building up of the kingdom,etc). However, I would have drawn the line at something that didn't seem right. It would also have "tested my faith" and I believe I would have failed that test of faith on something like murder or giving up my wife. Those things would have made me question whether the church leaders really were inspired men of God.
It was the same thing with the research of Mormon history I conducted which led me out of the church. I learned about all the crazy s**t that went down like polygamy, blood atonement, Adam-God, etc and it made me no longer believe in Mormonism.
I'm sure there are a few wackos that would blindly do anything the prophet would tell them. But I also wonder if a lot TBM's just say they would do anything for the prophet because to say otherwise would make them look "weak" in their faith. I remember being active in the church and I would stalwartly defend it to the believers and unbelievers even when I deep down was questioning things. People have a lot of pride too and to question their prophet would be akin to questioning their faith. They want to show you how devoted and believing they really are and to do otherwise might be an acknowledgement that you could be right on things.
I also think its easier to go along with crazy s**t that happened a long time ago. Religious people can believe in and not even flinch at the crazy s**t that happened in the Bible. For some reason it seems like it would be harder to swallow if these things were practiced now.