As I was drinking my morning coffee out and about this morning a few things came to mind.

My disposable 7-11 cup is the same whether you get hot chocolate or a cappuccino. I of course was drinking the latter, but a TBM could get away with the former. That's where the "appearance of evil" comes in.

TBMs have a warped sense of "evil".

Evil is (just to name a few) - protecting child molesters, murder, cheating, stealing, lying, etc.

Evil is NOT a cup of coffee, bare shoulders, playing outside on a Sunday, hanging out with apostates, reading both sides of church history.

Jesus did not avoid the appearance of evil when he scourged the money lenders in the temple or when he sought out publicans, or I guess when he made wine. I suppose his supposedly long hair in more modern representations of him would not be avoiding the Mormon concept of the appearance of evil. Be like the savior Mormons. Lulz.

Funny how Joseph Smith, some sort of emblematic Mormon, certainly did not avoid the appearance of evil.

Con-artist 101--Don't look evil while doing evil acts

That's why the instructions to membership, it's important for members to play their rolls well, to look the part, because they're an important part of the con.

In my apostate condition , I was the "APPEARANCE OF EVIL" that everyone was told to avoid. (Actually the Stake president stood up and announced that).

When a person is at the same level as every other member of the stake ,, there is nothing to avoid ..However when someone has read the majority of early church history books , like the Journal of Discourses, Times and Seasons, The Seer,etc. then I became the source of everything *EVIL* to the TBMs in the surrounding areas.

JB

My response to that comment is "Judging other people by appearances IS evil. Why should I try to avoid appearing evil in order to impress people who actually ARE evil?" I've only gotten to use it once but the TBM who I told it to actually thought is was a good comeback.

I'm totally using that comeback next time I hear that out of a TBM! Thanks!

Off topic CA girl, but where in Cali are you from (if you don't mind answering)? I'm originally from the Riverside area, but left at 18 to go to BYU and have only went back to visit family.

I grew up in Northern California - it's a pretty small town so I won't mention the name but in more recent years I lived in the Sacramento area. That's my favorite part of the state because absolutely everything I love to do is a day trip away - skiing in the Sierras, San Francisco, Malibu, shopping in So. Cal, places to sail, camping on the coast, Oregon, decent produce and seafood... well, you get the idea.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/31/2011 05:32PM by CA girl.

And lol, I hate it down there. Too hot and dry for me. Maybe that is from growing up in Utah. LOVED living in No. Cal and no matter where I live I will always be a 49er/Raiders fan!