Posted by:
beyondashadow
(
)
Date: April 05, 2015 05:55PM
I detect plenty of negative bias in RfM postings about General Conference. I understand the good reasons for negative bias, but it's bias nonetheless.
For some reason, I have watched more GC this time than ever before ... since I stopped attending in 1980. Why? I wanted to understand at a deeper level what TBMs are ingesting and what kinds of effects the GC messaging might have on their psyches.
I watched both of TSM's talks so far. He looks years older than I recall from previous conferences, but his brain was operating just fine and his delivery was sharp and normally paced. I thought he did pretty good for a man of his age.
I noted that the talks I listened to (not all of them) were very well written and quite effective at accomplishing the following:
1. Remind TBMs that the Gospel is perfect, and if you are not fully overflowing with joyfulness about being Mormon, then it's your fault. You're not praying hard or often enough, not attending the temple enough, not studying scriptures enough, not appreciating hearing the same thing over and over in meetings enough, etc. The consistent message is that unless your life feels wonderful as described from the GC pulpit, it is YOUR fault.
2. For members who are truly living the Gospel, Priesthood blessings result in demonstrable healings, and incredible miracles happen in their lives. If your Priesthood blessings have no effect, and if nothing miraculous happens in YOUR life, it's YOUR fault for not being righteous enough or dedicated enough each and every day to living the principles of the Gospel as described by GC speakers.
3. Contrary to some comments, there was a lot of acknowledgment of Easter and of Jesus Christ and the Atonement. Dodo taught that a literal belief in Adam and Eve and the Garden if Eden is required to enjoy the blessings of the Atonement. Why these dinosaurs can't appreciate the Garden of Eden story as an allegory belies their status as alleged spiritual leaders and advertises their naivete' and immaturity.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1457283/fable-parable-and-allegory"Allegory and myth
The fate of allegory, in all its many variations, is tied to the development of myth and mythology. Every culture embodies its basic assumptions in stories whose mythic structures reflect the society’s prevailing attitudes toward life. If the attitudes are disengaged from the structure, then the allegorical meaning implicit in the structure is revealed. The systematic discipline of interpreting the real meaning of a text (called the hermeneutic process) plays a major role in the teaching and defense of sacred wisdom, since religions have traditionally preserved and handed down the old beliefs by telling exemplary stories; these sometimes appear to conflict with a system of morality that has in the meantime developed, and so their “correct” meaning can only be something other than the literal narration of events...."
TBMs are obliged to once again endure the gross insulting of their latent intelligence as they ingest yet another installment of "no matter how good you are, you'll never be good enough." Your only hope is to pay, pray and obey until you are dead.