In reading this post it occurred to me that a Mormon prophet doesn't use his revelatory power to address anything more than basic exploitation of people's ignorance.

Take for instance how the success happens. It is obvious to anyone who understands Mormonism who the next in charge old guy will be.

But The Mormons take advantage of the gap their revelatory claims give them. They don't have to have a conclave but they want people to think that there is something extra specially spiritual about their choosing methods when the reverse is their truth. It is always known beforehand who it will be.

https://www.exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,2233102,2233943#msg-2233943

And this exploitation of the obvious as something serendipitously spiritual that one just needs membership to understand their obvious "spiritually" is extremely irritating and rightly compared to cultish.

For starters many people unfamiliar with Mormonism have no clue what a prophet is to Mormons. Some actually believe that The Book of Mormon's Golden Plates exist in Utah. They think of the leader of Mormonism is a quaint old man who guides his people with a grandfatherly bit of biblical and golden biblical proverbial guidance that people could like a pope ignore.

When they hear of an excommunication they think that the people in question probably did something heinous and get confused when I tell them of their crimes.

Mormonism is therefor cloaked in "mists of darkness" surrounding their great and spacious church office building. Their tree of life is actually a genealogy of people endowed with delusion alive or dead.

And these mists cover all sort of Mormon things.

For instance...

Sustaining vote - a vote obviously with nothing but public exposure of their disenfranchised.

Their Word of Wisdom - a health code with no other purpose than to justify teetotalling of both alcohol and the highly caffeinated beverages.

Baptism - child conversion that has no additional benefits by being 8 years from birth.

Baby Blessing - an excuse to get the name of a person on their records as early as possible.

And there are more. Mormonism's claim to revelatory powers are found in all of the above. It is taught that revelation either scriptural or personal comes into play in almost ever aspect of Mormonism but like their succession it isn't revelatory. The outcome is known before their application of "the spirit." You can see this in the eyes of the Mormons. They expect all they do with their religion to be imbued with the same patina that the succession of their prophet carries even when they have preconceived notions of what should happen. It is basically calling revelation what is spiritual confirmation which is so not the same thing. And as such it is fairly obvious that this is simple exploitation of people's willful ignorance.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/17/2019 12:25PM by Elder Berry.

"Revelation" gives whatever comes to their minds weight and authority -- especially when what they say seems wrong.

Most Mormons are authoritarian followers. They believe it's good to have a single authority figure in charge. It comforts them. It promises certainty and lack of confusion. Follow the prophet, obey leaders, don't trust yourself. God said such and such? Can't get a higher authority than that, right?

olderelder Wrote:
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> God
> said such and such? Can't get a higher authority
> than that, right?

But they don't say God said. It is implied.

Just think, if the prophet ordered them to kill you, a lot of them probably would. Pretty good premise for a slasher movie, no?

Right? Belief is only as good as what it absolves from and gives license to while maintain social acceptability.

I think Mormonism relies more on feeling than thinking. It isn't so much a case of working something out as listening to your feelings, and if you have the wrong feelings, then apparently there's something wrong with you.

Well, their personal revelation claims involve a disembodied god talking to you and possibly having direct access to your emotions if you are worthy.

No Mormon I know would find it weird to say The Holy Ghost spoke to them or made them feel something.

I don't know if this is willful ignorance. I don't think so. It is simply confirmation bias when applied to their leader's revelatory claims designed to exploit their willful ignorance of lacking "higher" revelatory power.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/17/2019 01:35PM by Elder Berry.

They’re not Mormons, Rusty said so. It’s not just ignorance. It’s self delusion. It’s amazing how members of super-long-name-church really think saying “Mormon” is kind of satanic, for example. They say they’re not a cult. If the majority of members go along with any stupid sh*t that comes out of the “prophet’s” mouth, it’s a cult.

shit coming out of his mouth recently. So God spoke and said to call mormons mormon is of satan. ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

The revelation about children of gays all of a sudden is no longer a revelation, but no explaining was done. No "we were wrong and we were stupid."

The things people could really use revelation about, silence. . . cure cancer? Stop 9-11. Accept gays as they are. I mean the list goes on and on. Besides giving blacks the priesthood, what great "revelation" (I know it wasn't a revelation) has happened in our day?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/17/2019 01:40PM by cl2.

They call themselves 'faithful';

we call them gullible / impressionable / delusional / indoctrinated.

Same thing.

Maybe because I'm only working on my second cup of coffee, but I'm not sure I follow exactly. However, if I am, I think of JS having self-serving revelations like "Build me a house" and "Take a bunch wives"...

And people believed him??

Chicken N. Backpacks Wrote:
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> And people believed him??

Well, Joe was different. He claimed revelatory powers designed to exploit ignorance much less willful.

I believe we have to give historical Mormons more benefits of doubt. They were given "build me a house" , "marry you some women" "revelations." They could never be pulled off today.

I would love to read the City Creek Revelation, whoops, there isn't one.

My point was today all that power of revelation amounts to a believe that it is possible that someone other than the President of The Quorum of The Twelve Apostles will become their fearless leader upon the death of him.

That my friend, is so weak as to make the ignorance of Mormons today so willful that one of their leaders was able to advise them to doubt their doubts. Here's your sign.

Instead of 'build me a house' it's lately "I'll live in the penthouse at the Hotel Utah"


how about Russ? gated community? normal residential home?

(not that it matters, ha ha)

And be driven around in a bulletproof Audi. They know that neither their garments nor their God will stop bullets.