John Dehlin posted two things that on the surface sounded sweet, nice, empathetic, full of love, very harmonious, etc...

first he titled a post to a link: "Wise Words for Today": It was to this link--http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/2687499-155/op-ed-be-gentle-bishops-when-you

Okay a TBM member has to tell corporation followers to watch out for the letter from the CoB may cause suicide attempts, apostasy, loss of investigators and conversions. What kind of church prepares it's members for possible Suicide Attempts and Apostasy because of a letter???

Second, along that same vain. He (and others) praised a Stake and the Stake Presidency for sending out a "We Love You All" letter prior to the CoB letter. The COB letter will justify and bless continued hatred and bigotry as long as it's in Jesus' name. https://www.facebook.com/baltimorestakeservice/posts/866798713415108

Aren't the Stake Presidency members in fact preaching, teaching against the Q15 teachings???

This is still going on, because about half of the wards/branches have decided to wait until 7/12 to read the letters.

Someone explain to me, have we ever had to prepare members for future announcements? Blacks in the priesthood? End of Polygamy?

Back in 1978, I had no clue they were thinking of giving blacks the priesthood. I was about 20 years old and at work the day the announcement was made on the news. My nonmo boyfriend who I met at work told me about it and asked me how I felt. I was thrilled. Some people took out a page ad in the SLTribune and said they were leaving the church over the blacks receiving the priesthood.

I've always had a tough time with those who decided to stay in the lds church and still say they support gay marriage, love gays, etc., because basically they are condoning the abuse.But then I still stayed in when blacks couldn't get the priesthood. I had to experience the abuse gays and anyone associated with them get before I really questioned my beliefs.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/2015 10:31AM by cl2.

For so many years the GA's could do no wrong. They could say or do anything and still end up smelling like a rose, at least to their followers. But the Information Age changed all that. It's not Satan anymore who is their nemesis. It's Google, and the news and common sense, and big hearts that are their adversary now.

What the Gerontocracy can't realize is that man created God and not vice versa. And man continues to reinvent god as man reinvents himself. Men want their god to be at least as kind as a progressive society, and at least as relevant. So, God of Thunder, Zeus, Jupiter, Venus, Horus, Allah, Buddha, The Great White Spirit,Biame, . . . How much longer does Elohim have before we finally get to Brad?

The free reign is over. The GA's are not considered infallible anymore as is illustrated by SP's who feel the need to temper the GA's message. Also illustrated by the fact that essays go out unsigned. To test the water, perhaps? To see what the reaction is before they can be officially released as from the GA's. Also illustrated by conference talks being magically reworked before being published. These old guys are their own worst enemies. They know deep in themselves that they do not hold up to scrutiny and so they are becoming more manipulative.

Inspired? I think not.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/2015 11:03AM by blueorchid.

Several posters to my Facebook are sending rainbow signs, happy notes about the SC decision, etc.

Yet they are still ACTIVE, ENTHUSIASTIC members of the church.

How do they do it?

I don't know. My nephew just got engaged to his boyfriend over the weekend. Although most of my immediate family has left; There are still TBM family members congratulating him and have "rainbowed" their profile pictures, etc...

I really don't get it either; but why?

Why do TBMs, who are open minded, have to write Op-Eds to say how much they love our gay and lesbian brothers/sisters but then have to sit and listen to hate-filled, fear mongering letters from their leaders?

So many people are really wonderful human beings underneath the Mormon crust. I think some of them aren't Mormon anymore but just haven't realized it. I don't mean anything to do with the conflicting doctrines, I mean in their hearts. Does that make any sense?

Perfect sense. Although most TBMs are apathetic and/or complacent on GLBT issues (since they don't know any). Try to find out their feelings on Polygamy and Polyandry. Belief on what the Book of Abraham really is (actual translation or have they switched to "inspired fiction"?).

They are good people who may have read the BoM back when they were teens in seminary, but most haven't read any other books, scripture or G.C. talks.

They have "Proclamation on the Family" framed and hanging in their houses; they just don't realize that it was written by a bunch of lawyers so that Mormons had something to add (Other than D&C 132) to the amicus briefs when fighting SSM in Hawaii and CA. That piece of twaddle and hate is nothing but a lawyers statement and not what the church believes or practices.

Yes. Such an important point about proclamation of the family. My TBM mother will definitely be the last one standing in the Mormon church. And yet I recently had several conversation with here that demonstrated she knows absolutely nothing about the BoM or her church. She just knows it's true and that's all she needs to know.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/2015 11:35AM by blueorchid.

Reply to dimmesdale.

You can fool all the people some of the time and
You CAN fool some of the people ALL the time.....

Look at all those people who still follow discredited ministers (Popoff etc) especially in the U.S.

Apparently, it seems to be a fact of life that some people are super-gullible.

The article stated that the letter will be read to Canadian members specifically, along with members of US wards. Why do they have to read the letter to Canadians, a country where SSM has been legal for a long time now? Is it some requirement that Canadian members fuss and bother themselves with the laws and politics of a country they don’t even live in? If Canadian members where going to panic about SSM being legalized, they would have panicked a decade ago when it was legalized across their own country, not when it becomes legal in some other country that they don’t even live or vote in. How stupid, Canadians are not Americans. Or does the church believe they are? (Rhetorical question there, I don’t really care if the church is confused about Canada being a sovereign country that legalized SSM marriage a long, long time ago, I’m just pointing out the ridiculousness of reading the letter to Canadian wards.)