Posted by:
Rusty Nelson M.D. (ret.)
(
)
Date: November 05, 2018 11:48PM
For about 12 years I've been writing to the 15 (actually, to only about 9 of the 15 now, the rest are dead). Directly to their homes, because I know their secretaries would never let any of my letters dirty their desks. How many letters? Perhaps a dozen or so. I've been offering suggestions to them all this time. The "2-hour block" was one of them. NOT saying they took my advice, but, yes, I really have suggested that, for a long time.
I don't write them in the verbiage of an angry spiteful Ex-Mormon (even though I am angry and spiteful). I wrote to them like a son writes to a father, pleading with the father to change this or that, for the good of all. I figured, they "may" listen to that. They would NOT listen to an angry/spiteful ex-Mormon. By the way, I resigned from the Church. Was not exed.
Anyway, yes, I suggested to them in most of those letters, that they change the 3-hour block. Now, since I don't attend Church on Sunday, WHY would I do that? Well, there are two types of people in the World:
1) Those that keep the "Law of Self-Interest". Most people.
2) Those that keep the "Law of Universal Brotherhood". Some people.
Most Mormons, like most people, keep the Law of Self-Interest i.e. if it doesn't help me and those I am personally bonded with, I don't give a _______.
Well, I'm not like that. I was a convert to the Church. Treated very badly most of the time. Very, VERY negative experiences. I could write a book. But, I know other converts like me, a naive Idealist, will join the Church, and run out SCREAMING a few years or decades later. I want to make the Church "easier" for them. I want to make it a more pleasant experience for Idealists like me. Really, I do. YES, I think the Church "can" do a lot of good in the world, and a lot of good for people "IF" the Brethren only followed my suggestions!
No, I don't think the Church will "fold" in a few years thanks to Google. I think it will grow much slower, and even shrink in some areas, like western Europe, the U.K., among whites in North America. But, its gonna keep growing among black Africans, American Hispanics, poor Latin Americans, Southeast Asians, and yes, eventually, the Chinese. Like it or not, the Church is going to continue: leaner and meaner than it was before, bit it will continue. Why not make it more of a fun ride for all those poor saps like me?
Anyway, yes, in most of my letters, I suggested the 2-hour block, and gave "reasons". The REAL reason is that Priesthood is boring as Hell, super-repetitive, and a waste of time (generally). Only "good" thing about Priesthood Meeting is when they talk about girls, or some of the men will tell us "The Stupid Thing My Wife Said Last Week" or something fun like that. Or, when they say "We need volunteers to help poor Sister Jones fix her roof" or something practical like that. Otherwise, its more boring than a funeral for someone you don't know, and you just go because your friend asked you to go.
But, I didn't tell the Brethren that. The "reasons" for the 2-hour block, I told them:
*People in Latin America with lots of kids have to travel on buses, and the 3-hour block is too much for many of them.
*Hispanic converts in the U.S. are raised to spend maybe 30 to 60 minutes in Mass, they are not used to 3-hours.
I gave them those reasons, NOT the real reason. Anyway, they finally did.
Here are some other suggestions that I gave them over the years (FYI):
*Put all Discussions into a one volume called "The Book for Investigators" and put a Question and Answer Section in the back, so when Investigators ask about blacks and the priesthood, homosexuality, gay rights, etc., the missionaries are holding the "bag" having to answer such things but they can just tell the Inv. "go to the Question and Answer Index". Also, the missionaries don't need to "teach" all the Discussions/Presentations, but are there to ask the Inv. to "read" a chapter, and then "testify" to it afterwards.
*Publish a Plain English Edition of the BOM, in large print, without footnotes, with lots of new artwork (NO Arnold Freiberg paintings), give it a gold cover, and make it the Inv. version.
*Start Saturday Wards and Branches. Best use of Meetinghouses.
*Change the Temple Clothing into something that resembles what Muslims wear, only all white (i.e. "X-nay" the ridiculous Italian Baker Clothing, but I didn't say that).
*Have the Temple Workers dressed in white robes like Catholic Bishops wear (but white). If I ever see a Good Humor suit again, I'm gonna scream and pound sand.
*For every Ward and Branch call a good mature Relief Society sister as a "Matron". The Matron will give all "worthiness interviews" with the sisters, and then report to the Bishop. If the Bishop then follows up and "interviews" a girl/woman with morality issues, the Matron has to be there in the room with the Bishop and girl/woman.
*Reduce all English-speaking missions to one year (yeah!), and for those who must learn a foreign language, give them "special tuition rates" at BYU, special housing consideration, etc.
*Don't call fornicating young men on proselyting missions, but send them on Welfare Missions.
*Do not baptize INV. until they have read the entire Book for Investigators, and the missionaries know they have by asking "questions" that reveal they have or have not.
*Tell the young women to NOT refer their boyfriends to the missionaries, unless they are engaged to be married (this prevents 3-"D"-ing (Date 'em, Dunk 'em, Dump 'em).
*On the 5th Sunday of every month, have the Sacrament Meeting plus the Feast (pot luck).
*Do not have little children give their testimonies in Fast and Testimony, saying they have a testimony of things they can't possibly have or understand.
*Issue a First Presidency Statement saying that the Church does not hold an official position on evolution or creation, and that the story of Adam and Eve may be viewed as literal or "figurative" by the Members.
*Issue a statement saying that Members should not "shun" their gay children, nor shun their family members who leave the Church, and that the parents of gay children should support them financially until one year past college or apprenticeship.
*Issue a statement against the "Gospel of Gain" (i.e. if we are active Members then God will send us wealth and health and protection from accident and disease).
*Make films to be shown in Sacrament meeting, based upon the life of Jesus and His parables (i.e. Sacrament talks are mostly boring as HELL and stupid, but I didn't say that).
*Restructure the Priesthood quorums, so that every Stake has exactly 12 high priests, 48 priests, 24 teachers, 12 deacons, who are all given the title of "Elders" (this is a way to do this, but that's too long).
*Stop ordaining boys to the Priesthood, and having 15 year old "teachers" who don't teach anything to anybody.
*Cease Home Teaching (waste of time and effort).
*Cease re-activation attempts (waste of time and effort).
*Establish more Welfare Missions that actually "Help" people.
*Establish the "Mormon Legion" based upon the Salvation Army model, and open soup kitchens and shelters for battered women and their children.
*Spend 2% of tithing, instead of 1% of tithing, on welfare issues.
*Reduce "tithing" for the poor (such as those in Latin America) from 10% of income to 10% of surplus (monthly savings).
*Establish "uniforms" for male and female members.
*Call retired men as bishops and TRAIN THEM on how to recognize mental illness (bishops today usually see mental illness as "masturbation" or "not living the gospel").
*Train a "Pastor" for every Stake (one per Stake) who has a degree in Counseling, to offer free counseling for those who need it. Pay these men like you do Seminary or Institute teachers. Train bishops to refer members with mental illness or "serious" personal issues to these men (and women). "Pastor" is like a Seminary Teacher, not just open to males. (bishops today tell people with serious mental or emotional issues "just read the Scriptures and pray more" and/or "stop masturbating").
*Make the Temple Films culturally sensitive (i.e. black actors for black African countries, Asian for Asian countries, etc.)
*Put all the Church's "relief" efforts under the control of "The Relief Society".
*Let Sisters have supervisory positions over other sisters in the mission field.
*STOP having male bishops asking females "Do you masturbate?" and "Did it feel good?" and "How exactly did you do that?" and "Did you have an orgasm?" (which too many Bishops have done in the past).
*Build "Mormon Centers" in major European cities so single Mormons can all live in one place, hold dances, social events, open call centers for part-time employment.
*Open "Mormon Schools" in Latin America where poor Mormon children can go to school (all Latin American countries have "universal education" as long as the parents can afford clean school uniforms and books which many of the very poor cannot afford).
*Open "Deseret English Schools" throughout Latin American and other nations, and train missionaries to be teachers of English.
*Open orphanages in poor countries, and call Senior Couples and Sisters as volunteers to man them, baptizing the children at 8, and raising them LDS, providing high school and, for the more intelligent ones, college prep, and pay for the males who are worthy to serve missions at age 18.
Some other suggestions.
Sorry, no, I did not suggest to the Brethren that they "announce" that being gay was OK by God, or anything like that.
Well, from what I can tell, it looks like "two" of my suggestions became reality (i.e. 2-hour block and sisters supervising others sisters in mission). I ____do not know___ if the Brethren took my advice, or they came up with this themselves, or they took the advice of others. I don't think Jesus spread the clouds and appeared to them announcing these things. But, really, I hope in the future the Church does more good in the world, and that Idealists like me will find it a better suited environment for Idealists like me.