Based on a couple of other interesting posts here, (and in the past, stuff about current “prophet” and wife), I decided to watch the latest conference/talk by Nelson and Wendy. I’m sure I must have heard Nelson speak back in the day but nothing that stands out. I haven’t watched anything from the mormon church, except a few clips, in the past 13 years...and I’ve never seen him speak as the “prophet”.
I decided to watch with an open mind and just make notes of any thoughts as it progressed. Obviously I knew this wasn’t going to be fun, but after such a long period of time, I was completely detached and just interested to see. So here were my thoughts.

Easy to find on YouTube mormon channel - it’s the latest talk. First off, it’s 2 hours long so I almost closed the page until I realised the first hour is just singing. An HOUR of non-stop choir singing? Why? Bizarre. Obviously I fast forwarded it.

Uchdorf comes on. Whoever made the comment here that he looks high on something was right. He’s all smiley but doesn’t say anything. The audience laughs. I don’t get it. He is very tanned. And shiny. Does he live in Florida, or Hawaii? He does a weird intro that goes over my head because I’m distracted by his tan.

The choirs sings the Deseret hymn but with the congregation. They sound nice and I’m looking at them for the first time and wondering whether this is a YSA conference or a youth (young men and young women) conference. The young woman conducting has a smile plastered on. Everything looks perfect. I see fear, or at least that’s how I remember feeling when I used to conduct the hymns; I’m having a flashback to that and it isn’t pleasant. This all feels so empty, or contrived; or maybe that’s how I felt back then.

The opening prayer is very short. The guy giving the prayer isn’t a young man, it’s a boy. So this is a conference for teens... I’m not sure... So the choirs sings AGAIN. Hymn about Israel calling. I’m looking more closely and yeah, I’m pretty sure this is a teen thing. Everyone looks perfect. The guys are in dark suits, the girls are all wearing pastel knitwear. It’s disturbing to remember how much I used to love hymns because I remember they were comforting. The camera zooms in on youth at the front of the choir doing sign language; virtue signalling much? The singing is good, but everyone looks like plastic. These youngsters are not well rounded individuals preparing to live in the actual world. But now I’m being judgmental.

With 50 minutes left, Wendy starts her talk. She isn’t an attractive woman but now I’m trying not to judge anyone on looks, so I will listen. She starts by saying “We wish we could take you all home with us”. Insincere.
Here’s the title of the talk: “One question that will change your life”. Instead of just saying what the question is, she gives 4 minutes of exposition on how important this question is, why this will change your life, lists multiple blessings that basically amount to having superpowers. Eventually we get there: “What would a HOLY young adult do?”

So at this point I am now pissed off. Already with the build-up and the manipulation. This way of talking isn’t tolerated in other arenas. Why did I think it would be anything else? Luckily I’m distracted by her references to their “peers”, including married ones, so now I’m confused about the age thing again. These young people look like children and I don’t think I’m being nasty. I feel...confused/concerned. Whatever; it’s probably for all young people and I’m getting old.

What follows is a long list of how life is wonderful when everything is done with the goal of being holy. This is basically a process of constant self monitoring in everything you think, say, and do. I won’t go into it because my anger is triggered. More Superpowers are listed. The message is: You are special. That’s one hell of a mind-f***ing manipulation. How had I forgotten this? I feel sick. This explains a lot in terms of mormon behaviour if they think like this. Luckily the talk ends. I’m thinking disparaging things about her appearance now; her countenance isn’t kind. I don’t like this woman.

As Nelson and Wendy pass on the pulpit or whatever, they share a weird kiss.

Nelson appears at microphone. Well f*** me, he does look evil. As he’s talking though I’m not getting that vibe. It seems there’s some normality, some humanity there(?). Talk is about aaronic priesthood, first vision, photo of him and Wendy in the sacred grove (looking holy!) Oh, okay, this is on the restoration. But the youth/young adults/whatever surely know about that? Why that topic? Let’s see...

Talks about his life experiences (message: he’s old and wise). Mentions 2 of his daughters died of cancer; that’s awful and he looks genuinely sad (of course - but why is he mentioning it?-I didn’t figure that out). His first wife died too, the mother of his 10 children (nasty thought: did she die of exhaustion?). Then to Wendy his second wife, who he married because “it’s not good for man to be alone”. Hmm; there was also a fleeting expression. Yeah, he doesn’t love her in quite the same way.

What follows is a very long talk, which if you take out the manipulation and OTT fear-mongering, is basically this: the meaning of this life is to prepare for the next life. If you don’t make good choices, everything will suck; if you make wise choices you will go to heaven and have “glory forever” (those words were actually used).

My one thought as an outsider: Why would anyone care?

This leads on to the second half of his talk which was basically about identity. They are children of god, therefore other labels don’t matter. All that matters is the truth of who you are. The truth of who you are is holiness and glory with god; (anything else, I suppose, is unimportant/ a lie. The implications are conveniently widespread but obvious). “The glory of god is intelligence” (so not following god means stupidity and missing out on glory?).

Blah blah blah. I was really pissed off by now.

There was still 20 minutes to go but I couldn’t watch any more.
Some observations:
-Mormons have a lame, simplistic sense of humour. No wonder my jokes fall flat because I am really twisted. Jokes told were about: men doing housework, buying bananas, and FOMO (cleverly linked to the celestial kingdom - so cool!).
-When Nelson got to the part of listing universal “truths”, he brought his fist down on the pulpit and his countenance changed. I was reminded of Palpatine.
-I think she only spoke for about 10 minutes; so he went on for nearly 40 minutes.
-Mormons are brainwashed into being up their own arses.
-Nothing new is ever taught, it’s just the same stuff told in different ways. Repetition + Manipulation = brainwashing. The objective of this event was just that. Keep everyone in line using fear. And it must be fear, because I don’t see any other motivating factor for any of this empty nonsense unless you actually want to be/feel superior to everyone else.

Grateful to be free from this bullshit.

Thanks for your take on it. It's interesting to see how other exmos see it from the outside.

I'm still not sure what people are supposed to make of kids trying to be "holy." Is that the new word for righteous?
The "no labels" thing smacks of "don't say gay" to me.

Yes. This conference made me so mad. And I went into it detached. I also hate indirect communication. Manipulation. An honest, direct talk would have said: “You are awful people unless you do everything we say. We know everything including who you are. You don’t know who you are. You will be cut off from god forever if you come out as gay” That’s what they were actually saying.

These evil f***ing abusive people.

Nelson has never been funny.

He doesn't have a sense of humor, you can tell that he has always been a Grouchy smurf.

Yet members have come to expect that God's Global Faith Leader- haha is supposed to have a witty sense of humor.

After being endowed thru the temple, I was supposed to be a changed person. I was blind sighted into making an oath to forgo my loud laughter and lightmindedness.

So one morning I was sharing some spontaneous laughter about something silly in the meetinghouse foyer and Brother Sourpuss came over to rebuke me for not remembering my temple covenants. That there was no need for levity at church and I need to set a better example. I really wanted to push him off a cliff and that's when I was a believing member.

The grouchy Smurf (i love it) himself rebuked you for laughing?
I’d forgotten about the loud laughter and light mindedness thing from the temple. Of course. That explains a lot. I often try to share comedy with family; British humour can be especially outrageous and I love it. They are not impressed. It’s frustrating because humour is often a shared cultural thing that brings people together. The church loves to stamp out every last bit of joy and individuality. I’m recalling how tense it used to feel living these “covenants”, an experience that in retrospect felt like brain damage. I suppose being “holy” means being serious; they don’t realise it’s just one more level of control. It’s an awful way to live.

"What would a Holy young adult do?" WTF? What happened to "What would Jesus do?" Is Wendy just putting her spin on it?

Holy people aren't necessarily good and don't always make good decisions. Look at all the holy church leaders who abuse children. Wendy is f'd up.

I also don't like the overuse of the word "special" in the Mormon church. Tell everyone they are special and then give them an impossible task, like being perfect or constantly asking themselves what a holy young adult would do. Set them up for failure. The Mormon church is an emotional roller coaster of feeling special one moment and unworthy the next.

Mormonism has mastered making people feel special in failure to meet their standards of conformity. The people who matter their conformity and climb get anointed to succeed no matter what they fail.

>Mormonism has mastered making people feel special in failure to meet their standards of conformity.

Nailed it.

Well said… You've reminded me that this rollercoaster matches the classic cycle of abuse: Love bomb & idealise - fail to meet perfection - devalue and emotional abuse - discard or start all over again.

It is the cycle of my home and community deep in the heart of happy valley.

I could never watch one of their conferences but you have added much entertainment value to the whole mess. You made me laugh out loud twice.

Like everything else hollow in this world--semantics becomes EVERYTHING, cuz, that's all they got. So, like messygoop suggests, I guess Holy is the new Righteous just like ministering is the new home teaching.

Wendy makes my skin crawl. Her kid's book is disgusting. And, you hit it with the countenance thing. There isn't enough hair dye and make up in the world to hide hers. Her words are nothing but an attempt to appear superior to all. When she says "we wish we could take you all home with us" she is really saying, "We are the most loving benevolent people on the planet, especially me. You must be in awe of us!"

:-) I don’t think I would be able to watch another one! It’s scary to me that these people have so much influence over young people, and children too - a book?! Oh no…

The book. Oh no is right.

"The Not Even Once Club" by Wendy Watson Nelson.

"... tells the story of a little boy who wants to join a club of which the other kids in his Mormon ward are members. The club provides many “benefits” (like candy and games), but the only way to become part of the fun is to pledge that he will never “break the Word of Wisdom, lie, cheat, steal, do drugs, bully, dress immodestly, or break the law of chastity. Not. Even. Once.” As long as the children keep their promises, they get to be part of the club and receive “jars of pretzels and popcorn and candy” from their Primary teacher. But any instance of a child breaking his or her covenant results in expulsion from the club (and a loss of all of its benefits).



I mean . . . can you get any more Mormon than that? Or, any uglier?

Yet another version of 'you are chewed gum and no one wants already chewed gum'. I remember Elizabeth Smart saying that these teachings were part of the reason she remained with her kidnappers. Being raped made her chewed gum and who would ever want her?

LOL, now I wanna see Wendy. I am sure I must have seen a pic at some point but I don't remember. How do you find the YT channel? Didn't work to use mormon lol.

I think I found it using the “official” name. I can’t quite bring myself to post a link to the lds channel here…!

Oh lol, now I will have to try to remember what it is. When I see it all I see is blah blah blah blah mormon :)

Only for those who can stomach it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvS5wDoKoBk&ab_channel=TheChurchofJesusChristofLatter-daySaints

I watched snippets which pissed me off. He manages to throw in all his past professional labels and then claims they are "down on the list" then lectures everyone about not identifying politically or with their chosen labels because it offends our maker (eye roll). Your labels are supposed to be the church ones we give you FIRST, so there. He sure doesn't seem to value the Prophet label very loudly. He goes on and on to let everyone know what God does and thinks which always pushes my buttons. He doesn't know any more about God than my dog.

Honestly he seems like something out of the Munsters family. Wendy seems like a Tammy Faye and Cruella mix comic character.

Word of Wisdom follower
Full Tithing Donor
Active Priesthood Holder
Dutiful Minister of families

Aren't these bleeping titles important in the church?

You betcha!

I finally tuned in to see it.

I couldn't make it all the way through, especially listening to him. I find Nelson utterly annoying.

I am not a young adult, but I found her tone to be condescending and rude. I felt that she was intentionally demeaning when addressing the audience. Nobody likes to be talked down to, especially since they kept bragging that this was a special message from young adults.

Now for my baggage and bias/prejudice. I have worked for a near clone of a boss who looks and speaks just like Wendy. Horribly chilling when you're required to show up for morning meetings and endure her wretchedness. My boss was never satisfied with the work performed by me or my colleagues. Never mind that we held a 85% satisfaction or retention rate- She demanded more. She worried about those who left. She harped on those we could never please. Sorry for my divergence.

Here's five lies that came from her botoxed lips.

1. Church can destress your life.

-I never heard thank you for the time you spent doing XXXX at XXXX. Nope! It was always you need to do better. The lord expects perfection. Pretty stressful in my book.

2. Her list of what I learned so I can meet your needs came from listening to a group of young adults- a perfect 30 sample size.

-I think married and single will have different needs. Also, by gender. Those who have a family will have different ones who just returned from a mission or starting college.

3. She suggested young people need to indulge in more uplifting music, conference talks and church podcasts.

-GC talks are nothing more than flashes in the pan. Even as a member, nobody wanted to hear about an "exciting" talk from 1985 in 1988. GC is intended to be forgettable. You are expected to regurgitate last conference barf until the next conference barf arrives. Typical brainwashing.

4. She implored the youth to dump time wasting social media apps. I wonder if she meant tik tok because the church has been aggressively ex-ing social media influencers who have a lot to say about why the church is unhealthy- a fraud.

-I told Bishop Steel (my ultimate nemesis as a young man) that seminary was a waste of time. He threatened me that I would never serve a mission. A new bishop after Steel moved on submitted my papers and the church gladly accepted my limited knowledge of church history (much to my dismay) to serve a mission.

5. Use the Holy Ghost to study and prepare for exams/tests. And study the scriptures before taking vital assessments.

-I was at the church institute. A group of students wanted to prove their faith. They chose not to study, but rely on Helaman (snort- I'm still laughing). So they were crying in the foyer of the Institute with a director trying to tell them that THEY should have studied their notes. I earned respectable grades by learning the content through study vs praying about it.

Very horrible advice from a former college professor!

Have to laugh. The way the institute director framed it, those who study hard will do well but the Holy Ghost still gets the credit. If you want the credit for your own hard work, best to skip prayer apparently and sin just enough to keep H.G. at bay.

Church can destress your life. hahahahahaha hahahah