Haha. Sort of humorous. Sort of pathetic. It's almost like the Mormons are worshiping the Apostle or something like that . . .
Nice word, "deference." It's important to know the concept if you wish to be put on that Mormon woman pedestal. Can't reach that "height" without it. Nobody is going to give you a veil for your face unless you know your place.
Notice the arrogance of that piece of work Bednar sitting and taking his time before standing and chatting with the woman next to him. His wife expected him to stand up immediately, which would be the normal thing to do. The more I see of him, the further down the into the pit he goes, in my opinion!
Look at the first row (towards the end of the clip). It looks like the row is empty due to name plates attached to the backing of the pew. Maybe they were expecting God to show up, but as usual he missed church again. <grin>
So hilarious. And sad. After Mrs. Asshat Apostle realizes her uppity mistake, and sits back down to wait for Mr. Asshat Apostle to get up, most of the people in the rows behind them do the same thing -- glance nervously at Mr. Asshat Apostle, up on the edges of their seats, waiting for him to majestically rise and give the okey-dokey for them to get up, too.
I too noticed that bednar just sat there on his skinny apostolic donkey soaking in all the attention of people watching him and waiting for him to stand.
When I was a recent convert I attended some kind of fireside or talk and some general authority was the speaker. In those days I didn't know all the Mormon vocabulary. I also did not know the names or faces of the general authorities.
So, we are all sitting in the auditorium chatting while waiting for this head honcho to arrive. Then he walks out onto the stage from where he was supposed to give his talk. We don't recognize him, and nobody except a couple of Utah Mormons stand-up. We are all a bunch of clueless converts who just sit there waiting for him to go to his place and start his talk. Nobody is standing to honor this guy. The few Utah Mormons in the crowd are standing and waving wildly at us to stand-up and we don't know what the fuss is all about. A few puzzled people stand-up but they don't know why. I stayed seated because I didn't even know who the guy was. After all, he wasn't exactly a rock star. Now I'd kind of like to go to some event like that and not only NOT stand-up but turn my back to the guy and carry on a conversation with someone in the crowd. And at the end, I'd love to stand-up before the G.A. does and see what he does.
I've met the Bednars and all three of their sons. The sons are such sweet guys that it's hard to believe David is their father. I know Susan wanted to marry an ambitious, successful husband but she got more than she bargained for with His Highness, The Exalted David. She wanted financial success. I don't think either of them planned on the religious exaltation. Yet, I think David always thought he was something super special and always demanded priesthood honors at home. Everything in their home revolves around him. And calling him David is strictly forbidden except for his wife. And I think the sons can call him Dad. He demands that all members address him as Elder or Apostle or whatever his highest title is. He wouldn't even let you call him president when he was at BYU-I. He was some kind of area authority there and Elder was a higher title than president so you had to use it.
Susan was charming and beautiful, well liked and dated a guy from the local "rock band" among others. I was too chicken to ask her out myself, though I did date her cousin for a time.
To me, after all these years with Bednar, she has that overworked and unhappy look...stressed out. And I do feel sorry for her. She deserves better than that kind of treatment. Even a dog gets more respect from its loved ones.
Look at the white haired man at the end of the row. He almost stood as well when he saw Bednar's wife getting out of her seat. Then he saw the error and sat back down. How sad that the obviously older man had to show deference to the younger, conceited Bednar.
Can you imagine the reaction of this piece of crap if you crossed him as his son by not attending church?
Get over here and sit in front of me while I tell you the consequences of your evil action. It will only take two hours because you must understand how you, a Bednar son, have weakened the chain and I cannot have this. One day I will be President of this church and members will tell stories about my family and these stories will be uplifting. Now, shut your face, bow your head, and listen.
Bednar reminds me of my TBM ex-stepfather. My mom would slave away preparing our Sunday meal, and we'd all be gathered around the table, waiting to eat. TBM step-father would be upstairs, enjoying his patriarchal priesthood authority, knowing that we couldn't eat till he said the blessing. We'd all be sitting at the table while the food got cold, waiting for him... He'd finally descend the staircase with an authoritarian look on his face, stand at the table for a moment, glance around the table looking at all of us, and then proceeded with a super long prayer, all about the restored gospel, blah, blah, blah..., thanking God for the food but not mentioning my mom who slaved over a hot stove. He did that every Sunday till my mom finally divorced his sorry ass. He's now on TBM wife number four.
My dad, never a Mormon, was raised believing that Sunday was a day of rest. He was never fanatical about it but he insisted my mother take Sundays off. Mom was a fantastic cook! Mom would make a coffee cake on Saturday so on Sunday morning we simply sat down and dug into that delicious cake. Mom and Dad both drank coffee. Mom told us that the Word of Wisdom was a suggestion and not a commandment from God so she drank coffee even after becoming Mormon).
Then we would all go to church. When we became Mormon, Dad stayed home and made hot, open faced sandwiches for all of us when we got home from church.
In the evening we would watch Sunday night T.V. shows and Dad would make a big bowl of popcorn that we would munch on all evening. Then, as we wanted, we could get up and make sandwiches, snacks, or salads for ourselves in the kitchen and come back to watch T.V. with the rest of the family. This was better than any Family Home Evening I ever heard about in the Mormon church. It's why, as a convert, I laughed the first time I heard about FHE. You mean you had to actually WORK at spending time with your family? Geesh.
When I grew up and learned that Mormon families had big Sunday dinners after church, I asked my mom why we never did. She told me it was because Dad insisted Mom should have the day off.
Not all men are clueless sods. But, of course, my dad was never a Mormon.
So, what would happen if a whole bunch of us picked a stake conference or something that Bednar would be presiding at a few months out, showed up en masse (in proper Mormon attire, of course) and scattered ourselves throughout the congregation. Then, at the end of the meeting, we all deliberately stand up while Bednar is still basking in his "power." Think he would shoot out of his chair so as not to appear to be preempted?
I was actually having similar thoughts. I want to help people break free of this control and show them not to fear "apostles" and that they are only men not gods. If there is enough of us it would make more of an impact i think.
I've heard, I believe more than once from people on this forum, that Bednar has "rebuked" ( with imagined priesthood Authority or whatever) people in the audience of the devotionals or conferences or groups of members he has presided over for various imagined offenses, like being too loud in the chapel or maybe even standing before he stood, I have no idea. That's why this behavior is not that surprising to me, nor his insistence that there are no gay members of the church. I guess he's been living all these years with his head up his ass.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/17/2017 05:22AM by midwestanon.
Me neither...the only time I ever stood for a GA was when the President of the Church delivered the opening devotional at BYU. We never stood for anyone else.
I think I recall standing for GAs at the EMpTyC. I missed any of the 12 that came through while there so these faint memories are for 70's types. I think some Japanese guy toured the mission and we may have stood as well. And maybe when doing the hoseana shout at a video linked temple dedication.
I've seen the visiting authority or presider make efforts to shake the hand of the person who says the closing prayer. He makes eye contact with her or at least let's her walk by looking in her direction and nothing. He takes those seconds to make everyone bow to him.
It would have been great if the guy on the end stood up then extended his hand to help Susan up. That's the other thing. His Pseudo-Majesty ignores Susan. It is super uncomfortable to see her realize her "mistake" and try to see her play it off by leaning into Pickle Man and join into the conversation he is trying to start with the young "fresh faced" lady next to him.
Truly this David Bernard is an Aposshole of the Most Highest Order, and is deserving of his place in the Quorum of the 12 Mormon Apossholes.
I could have a bit of respect for Bednar if he were a gentleman and treated his wife with even a little bit of fake respect. But he can't even seem to do the fake stuff. How refreshing it would be to see a GA show himself a gentleman towards his wife.
After watching the Devotional video with Bednar, I saw a movie where the exact same behavior was exhibited for a king. It seems that one could be thrown in the tower or executed for standing when the king is seated. Subjects are also required to bow so that the king's head is always higher than the subject's.
This is the reason the founding fathers of the USA created our country without a king. "All men are created equal". Seems Mormonism wants to put an amendment to the Constitution and make Mormon GA's into kings.
As a patriotic citizen of the USA, I will NEVER bow to anyone in my own, free country!!!!
Let me cut him some slack. Maybe he wasn't aware. Maybe he really just wanted to say a few things left and right or scribble a word or two on his page before getting up. Maybe the other people in the room felt ok waiting for him. Maybe they were all zen about it. Maybe he didn't feel the power he has over them, even if he knows he has it. Maybe the whole meeting had been going at a very leisurely pace from the first. Maybe...
Watch it again. He knew EXACTLY what he was doing. He waited till the woman who gave the closing prayer walked back to her seat and sat down before he stood up - no way would he stand if a woman was already standing; EVERYONE had to be seated and waiting for his royal majesty to stand. He also quickly glanced at his wife and was aware that she had started to stand up. Knowing that everyone was waiting for him to stand, he chatted with the cute chick next to him. And look at the little smirk on his face and the way he arrogantly sucks in his lower lip when he finally stands. He's one arrogant power hungry dude.
I remember giving the closing prayer in Sacrament meeting. Just after I finished and started to head back to my seat, the organ music would start, signaling that the meeting was over. No one waited till I was in my seat before standing. When I said amen it was everyone's cue to stand up and leave. Amen = the end, everyone go home.
After seeing more of the devotional... I think that this was more of a staged production and not just a devotional that happened to be broadcast. I didn't see a sacrament table on either side of the stage. On the left of the screen there is not a rail or ramp that goes up to the area where the chori folks are. There is a piano and an organ, however it seems cramped and perhaps more for looks. There is a projector screen on the far right that might be sitting on a sacrament table and you get a view through a door and maybe a window. I cannot help but shake the feeling that this is more of a stage than an actual meeting house. I could be wrong, but I'm thinking that somehow it was communicated to remain sitting to the masses. Also, there is not a view past several rows at the end. That does not change the fact old David is an asshole, but I don't think it was as bad as it appears ONLY because it is a produced and staged thing. I have no burning testimony of this though, I came to this after ponderizing on the subject of His Sphincterness.
BYU, late 1970's...weekly visits from GA's at the devotional. We stood for the pres of the Church...and possibly for pres of the Q12 (?). But I don't recall standing for anyone else.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2017 06:14AM by gordongrant.