Was how one bishop categorized his authority over our congregation back in the day ... and his own family.

The buck doesn't stop there because he answers to the stake president, the SP answers to someone else higher up the chain of command, all the way to the General Authorities at the top of the ladder.

It isn't really a question of whether they see themselves as the one and only "true" theocracy on the face of the earth. According to their religious creed they do.

Whatever they say, think, feel, pray or contemplate on becomes solidified as gospel truth - as they tell LDS from the bully pulpit what to eat, how to dress, speak, think, and behave. Nothing is off limits to them regarding the private lives of members. Their money, time and talents are usurped to line and heavily pad the pockets of the business CEO's who call themselves prophets and seers.

The more you know about their outright lies and deceit, the more it's difficult to contain the outrage at how they manage to dupe the simple and devout followers of TSCC. Whether by conversion or BIC, these poor souls are the ones to pity. It's a case of the blind leading the blind. Once you shine a light on the darkness, how could anyone return to that?

Is not really so much benevolent as pulling the wool over the eyes, ie, a commission of pious fraud on unsuspecting members.

So how could Mormonism be anything else?

Would the end of worthiness interviews solve the problem? Without worthiness interviews how would Mormons choose their leaders? I don't think they are willing to contemplate a general paid ministry which could solve a lot of its problems. Would background checks be enough to qualify people to work with young people? That's what most churches do these days.

Your post hit home with me.

I believed as a convert the leaders were God's Spoke Person(s).

End of story.

I would do anything because my leaders were without question, Godly people, near perfect and chosen.

"Unsuspecting" and gullible best describe myself and so many others who believed everything we were told.

However, I was 17 yrs. old when I joined.

Young & dumb.

The young people are much smarter and wiser now and they read the church history on-line. Thank God.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/2018 12:52PM by frackenmess.

I wanted to see, witness or observe some sort of oversight that we keep the leaders on track. And I was always disappointed because I felt that many of them ruled in a dastardly fashion. Too many of them were making their own rules as they went along.

Fitting example from a Saturday Youth Temple Trip from both the YM-YW presidents of my ward.

"Now we are going to remain silent for the next two and half hours while each of us solemnly reflects on the grand temple work you have participated." (This was done in a separate waiting room that was in a stand alone building on the temple grounds. We sat there while the adult chaperones went in and made death signs and tokens during their endowment ceremony). "At the end of the reflection, each one of you will stand and bear your testimony."