I always find garbage which has been tucked into my wallet. Here's an actual church related business card from my youth. It was most likely shoved in my face during one of my endless personal worthiness interviews. I am going to surmise that this was from 1986 or 1987.

The card reads, "I counsel you...to make reading the Book of Mormon a few minutes every day a life-long practice. I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the BoM prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children:

1. The spirit of the BoM will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein...
2 The spirit of reverence will increase
3. Mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow
4. The Spirit of contention will depart
5. Parents will counsel their children in greater love & wisdom
6. Children will be more responsive & submissive to that counsel
7. Righteousness will increase
8. Faith, Hope Charity will abound in our homes & lives
9. Bringing peace, joy and happiness

-ETB
President


Here's two thoughts. First, this was a total failure as a church program otherwise the succeeding church presidents would be echoing the same "I love the BoM" program. Secondly, if you were to memorize these 9 points and make this your testimony, you would likely be counseled by church leaders for not sustaining the current prophet and for not mentioning Jesus in your testimony.

IT DESERVES A NAME, but I can't think of a Good One...

First of all, for gawd's sake, clean out the crap from your wallet once a decade. LOL!

I wonder if ETB would still be pushing the BoM, playing down the word Mormon, or apologizing for the racism now.

dagny Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I wonder if ETB would still be pushing the BoM,
> playing down the word Mormon, or apologizing for
> the racism now.

Apologizing? I vote no, he would not. It would be hard to backtrack on such a major doctrine and maintain any credibility at all.

True. I think their credibility at this point mostly comes from their financial portfolio.

Maybe too they count on people not asking questions plus accepting that whole ongoing revelation thing that can be used to cover a multitude of sins, literally.

And consistency doesn't seem to be a strong suit for many people. Likely some don't even notice when things change. Or it's seen as revelation so it's a consistent feedback loop, no questions asked. Certainly none answered.

I went down that list and as I thought upon it and knew it pretty well summed up my youth when it came to Mormonism, then this memory popped into my mind.

1984 Apple Macintosh Commercial.

People marching in single file in drab grey clothing, emotionless. In a big room emotionless people in grey, all looking the same, sitting on wooden benches watching a screen projecting their leader as he prattles on with his inspired wisdom.

That was us, a perfect rendition of what Mormonism really is, and at some point someone or some instance freed us by the thrown hammer of new knowledge. I cannot think of a better representation as to what I once was, when I allowed things like that card to dictate my future.

I did not make it very far into the BoM, finding it to be a terrific sleep-inducer. Perhaps I should keep it by my bedside for those occasional sleepless nights.

ET was going to be the VP running mate of Uber Racist former Alabama Governor George Wallace when Wallace was going to run for President of the US.

David O. McKay told him no and ET decided being an Apostle was his choice instead of VP.

E T Benson was also recruited by the Birch Society in 1968 to run for the nomination for president with Strom Thurmond as VP. Thurmond was also a racist like Wallace, but not as famous for it as Wallace. McKay OKed the Benson-Thurmond candidacy, but it never made it through the nominating process.

https://www.reddit.com/r/mormon/comments/q72seb/in_1968_the_john_birch_society_made_an_effort_to/

When I was trying to find answers to the life situation I found myself in, I read the scriptures all the time. ZILCH. I got blessings from the bishop and I fasted constantly. ZILCH.

What they say and have said is ridiculous. Someone on fb posted a lady speaking at some conference and she said something about if you drink coffee not only you won't make it, but your whole family won't make it.

Hey dad! My dad became much more concerned about death when he was not far away from it. When he found out I left the church, he was really worried. Now I find out that since he drank coffee, then I already was damned.

What a bunch of bullshit. They are so ridiculous.

I was told at age 9 during Primary class time that my family was doomed. It was ward knowledge at the time that my older siblings had stopped attending church. The primary teacher told me that my family would not be together forever. That was very troubling for me. I would tear up when being forced to sing Together Forever (that was the newest primary song 40 years ago).

And I heard that would I was forever damned so why did I bother to continue to go to church, serve a mission and get married in the temple?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/2024 03:45PM by messygoop.

Even if you believe something like that due to your crappy religion, why would you ever say something like that to a child? To me that's a great example of the Mormon lack of boundaries.

Brigham Young should have followed the Book of Mormon because it says to avoid polygamy and polygamy just about destroyed the church and haunts it to this day.

Funny. Most the crazy stuff the church now bases itself on like the whole temple thing is not covered at all in the Book of Mormon.