Runtu, an old timer (seems weird to say), has a great blog called Runtu's Rincon, (a nod to his missionary days in Bolivia).

In his latest blog, he offers some insightful observations of Holland's rants.

https://runtu.wordpress.com/

Holland is asbolutely terrified he may be incorrect.

And Runtu is a smart, educated, compassionate guy. Who is not terrified he isn't correct.

I really enjoy reading his blog. Not as much as I enjoyed chatting to him face to face over dinner. If only he didn't move away, so that doesn't happen any more.

Thank you for the compliment, whoever you are. I've met a lot of really nice exmos in Texas and Utah and here in Virginia/DC. If you're ever in DC, let me know.

Houston

Drinking too much

Vomit in bathroom

You know who this is. ;o)

Yes, I do. I hope life is going well for you. You deserve all the happiness life can give you.

runtu Wrote:
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> Yes, I do. I hope life is going well for you. You
> deserve all the happiness life can give you.


Yep, life is good.

Just spending a little more time on RfM recently, and other factual LD$ sites, since my kids are getting to the age where they need more information than the sanitized correlated crap.

Just trying to balance the information they are getting so they can make a choice for their future with both sides.

I don't, but I wanna party with you cowboy.

ASteve Wrote:
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> I don't, but I wanna party with you cowboy.

Come to Houston. We'll party all right.

We'll even open with a prayer if that is your thing. ;o)

Is it really true that Holland's wife bought coffee in a supermarket? I suppose they would've had their calling and election made sure, so they can drink coffee all they want and go to Heaven, but I'm still surprised if that was true.

Coffee ice cream. Haagen Dazs, as I recall.

few weeks that have been great. I've watched to see if he posted them here.

LOVED his book.

Thank you. I appreciate that.

I would recommend the book to anyone! Mormon, ex-Mormon, never been Mormon.

http://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Up-Here-John-Williams/dp/1105296946

This one is funny.

I loved your take on Holland, runtu! It is interesting to read from the perspective of someone who thought highly of the man in the past but now sees a change.

I only know of Holland as an apostle and I have never been impressed. His rants of late leave me with zero compassion for the man. To me, he has made a choice. Those of us who have left the church because of facts we discovered that proved to any rational person that it cannot be "true," were presented with the same choice. Our decision would not be as significant in the mormon community as Holland's, but when faced with the inescapable truth we decided we must be honest with ourselves and others.

There was a point in this man's life where he realized the same thing we have, this church is not god's one true church. This organization must lie to continue. Holland has chosen to continue to uphold the organization he now knows is false and harmful. His rants make this all too clear. When faced with the truth he could not admit that he, the highly educated non-dodo, had been wrong.

He did and still does not have the courage to stand up and tell the truth. He has chosen to lie and mislead the vulnerable. This is obviously causing him distress. To be certain, honesty on his part would cost him lots of money, respect and veneration. However, he could replace all of that if he only had the courage to "choose the right." He does not and has chosen to be a lying manipulator, full of hate and anger.

Now Dan Peterson is on the blog saying that the penalties in the temple weren't penalties!!

Skeptical Wrote:
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> Now Dan Peterson is on the blog saying that the
> penalties in the temple weren't penalties!!

I get the impression that Peterson doesn't believe anymore, but he just enjoys being a contrarian. He gets more emotionally out of being the character he plays on the interwebs, than he gets out of the church.

I mean the guy isn't stupid, he has to know that his excuses and justifications just don't add up. I really think he just likes debate and offering alternative view points. I can be like that too, which I why I see it in him.

If I recall correctly, they were called penalties in the temple ceremony.

I just happened to be in the kitchen and remember well when Holland's BofM rant came on TV during General Conference back in 09 (has it been 6 years now?). I remember my very first thought was, "Wow. How a dog growls and barks when it's cornered". From then on with every one of his talks, I'm looking for signs of doubt in his demeanor. His last rant was a good one. I honestly believe this mighty oak might fall.

Love your blog,Runtu!

Thank you!

Ever since Holland's BoM rant in GC, I've pictured him as an overheated steam boiler about to start popping rivets. His latest rant is just confirmation that he is still in psychic pain.

Even with all the adoration GAs get, his life sounds terribly unpleasant. He's talked to some of the best and brightest, and tried mightily to convince them to stay, and failed. Deep down, he has to know it is a house of cards. You don't lie and mislead to hide things when you are confident of your position. He knows.

Don't forget also the recent 'Evening with a GA' talked about here where Holland looks tired and angry and seem to get a bit angry again.

https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/watch/evening-with-a-general-authority/2015/02?lang=eng&vid=4037636726001



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/19/2015 06:18PM by Zeezromp.

Holland has a history with me of being a bully.

"Makes me want to throw up."

Edited from the historical record.

http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1381157,1381306#msg-1381306

And this manipulation.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=bWWNxQf7yW8&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DbWWNxQf7yW8%26feature%3Dyoutu.be


I really don't buy in on the he is a TBM. I think he is smart enough to know better and all-in on the compromise.

His entire professional life has been Mormonism. CES, BYU, Apostle. His food comes from Mormonism and he has eaten well.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 02/19/2015 07:06PM by gentlestrength.

"It is getting harder and harder to teach the doctrine of the Church without offending students who have become overly tolerant of the world’s view. How do we stay true to the doctrine without offending our students?"

You think a person who went to a pretty good school, who has read some books, and, you know, someone who is not a dodo, would get that this trend is the canary in the coal mine for Mormonism's current positions."Students who have become overly tolerant of the world’s view" is a not all that subtle of way of saying young LDS are gravitating more towards what the 'world' is offering and less towards archaic and offensive Mormon tropes.

Holland and the Bros. can claim they alone have the truths everyone needs but fewer and fewer are buying it

+1

The Dodo is the poster child for "he doth protest too much".

Seriously, that's a great opinion piece, runtu. I watched him wave the Book of Mormon in conference and rant, and I didn't know what to make of it. Your perspective helps a lot.

I liked it too. Holland seems to have changed into a senior apostle from a junior one. Now is the great day of his power.