That’s funny. Apparently you have to just seize power when you can.
Forum: Recovery Board

Thanks for your comments and links. I’m still looking for that one about the blessing, but it may take a while. I think it’s so odd that anyone be excluded from the circle. A blessing isn’t even a saving ordinance. Why not the whole family, including siblings? That would be beautiful.
Forum: Recovery Board

I’ve searched extensively and I can’t find it: It’s a fictional account from the POV of a Mormon man on the day his baby is being blessed, but in his account, the women hold the priesthood, and run the church. His POV is very consistent with the way Mormon women are content to be disempowered and left out of these important rituals. And that’s what makes the story so jarring.
Forum: Recovery Board

Just spent a while at his website. Very interesting story about his own dna, and surprising results that point to undisclosed relationships in his family history. Simon Southerton was very influential in my life. His story (used to be story #125) was the first thing I ever read that was critical of Mormon beliefs. I read it on the first night I expressed doubts to my husband. He had already pr
Forum: Recovery Board

Probably "The Demon-Haunted World" by Carl Sagan. I had just started to seriously question the church. His discussion of the scientific process, and of testing a hypothesis with reproducible results hit me hard. I had read the B of M at least 18 times, with various combinations of fasting and prayer, and didn't get an answer even one time. I realized that not getting an answer to
Forum: Recovery Board

Screen Name Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Please answer this honestly. This plea is interesting. Why do you care what I honestly think? Are you looking for ideas? Guidance? Because I don't know what happens after death. I think this whole concept of heaven is something you actually need to ask of yourself. > > If you learned that in heaven, a
Forum: Recovery Board

n/t
Forum: Recovery Board

Prayer is an act of submission. Just bothering to pray about it is giving it a chance, one it doesn't deserve, and in my opinion it's shutting down your brain's BS detector, a BS detector that already knows the B of M is boring as hell and that it fails as a history, as a novel, AND as a spiritual book. Guess what? Asking someone to read and pray is the first step in their little mind game. I
Forum: Recovery Board

Tell them to stop telling you how you supposedly feel. What they are probably doing is projecting their own feelings onto you, because they can't admit their own feelings. But it won't do any good to say that to them. Since this probably won't be the last time this happens, figure out what you can say back to them that will 1) call them on their BS, and 2) set a boundary against further intrus
Forum: Recovery Board

Well. . . I found this out by accident . . . let them know that you don't buy into the whole idea of authority. I opened the door this one time and they tried to give me a spiel about how the big problem with society these days is people lack respect for authority. I countered that I thought there was a much worse problem with people listening to authority instead of thinking for themselves a
Forum: Recovery Board

This makes me happy. Your son is lucky to have such loving parents.
Forum: Recovery Board

So . . . the Mormon God knows everything, including what's in your heart, but if you don't ask the right question in the right way, you are on your own. He's playing a game that requires you to figure out how to ask just right, or He just won't answer. What a charming guy. I tried praying for answers, sincerely from my teen years until I left the church in my 30s. I even tried starving (fasti
Forum: Recovery Board

I haven't. My husband went to see it with some guys and hated it. He walked out, and regrets he didn't leave sooner. Needless to say, I don't plan on seeing it now. We both hate action movies where the fight scenes are ridiculous and go on forever. (Compare to Tranformers II, III, etc where it's just frenetic action for 30 min.). The wobble cam made him sick and he didn't feel well for t
Forum: Recovery Board

I haven't read the book, but I subscribe to his blog. And I read his blogpost by that name. I really liked it. However, I HAVE read another book called "F*** It: The Ultimate Spiritual Way". And I got it on audio as well, because I was too late to get the book in time a for book club. The author's voice was charming and and cheerful. When spoken with a British accent, even the F wo
Forum: Recovery Board

I remember your story. It's good to hear that there is hope. I've always believed that the truth will always eventually come out. But sometimes people are blinded by the brainwashing they've received, whether at the hands of the church, or some other negative influence in their lives. Even if they don't form a deep bond, this is at least better than it was.
Forum: Recovery Board

Wait . . WHAT? Mormons are sensitive to criticism?
Forum: Recovery Board

Uggh, heard about them on Bill Mayer. I didn't click the link. I don't want to validate them. Maybe if they weren't creeps women might like them.
Forum: Recovery Board

and your previous one. Apparently the self-deprecating sarcasm of the first post was too subtle for those of superior intellect to notice. I think it was misunderstood as an invitation ascend to the podium. ;-)
Forum: Recovery Board

Hmmm . . . I still have reservations about philosophical discussion of how the mind works. Right now, I'm more interested in facts, mechanics, imaging (what lights up when you do this or that), etc. But back to the original topic. It's nice to know somebody liked "How the Mind Works". I might check it out on Amazon and see if it covers what I'm interested in. I personally don't thi
Forum: Recovery Board

Thanks. That sounds interesting. I don't know what half of those terms mean, although I could probably guess to some extent (neo-Darwinism, etc) so I guess I have my work cut out for me. I'd be interested in reading the Pinker book AND the rebuttal (BTW, great snarky title: "The Mind Doesn't Work that Way". LOL. Hopefully the substance is there, unlike Hugh Nibley's rebuttal to "No
Forum: Recovery Board

I was thinking about buying "How the Mind Works", but I already had too many books in my basket (literally and figuratively). When you said his books have been thoroughly debunked, I'm wondering how you reached that conclusion. If you have a thorough critical review, or some other and better sources you'd recommend on the subject, I'd be interested. I've been a teacher for over
Forum: Recovery Board

Ugghhh. That was painful. I NEVER liked that kind of 'art'. Clearly trying to pander to the believers, and profit from it.
Forum: Recovery Board

I haven't read the book. My husband is reading it, as part of an exmo, liberal leaning book group. He likes it. I look forward to reading it when I finish the 3 or 4 books I'm working on now. I freely acknowledge the liberal bias in my house. So I'm a little perflexed about the label about Pinker being a darling of the alt-right. Perhaps it's better to discuss the ideas than try to pigeon
Forum: Recovery Board

It was perfectly reasonable for you to say no. But it still bothered you a lot that he asked and you had to say no in an awkward interaction. The question is, WHY did it bother you, when saying no WAS the reasonable answer? It WOULD bother almost any normal person who just got off of work to be met at their car window with a request from a stranger to dig post holes right that minute, even if a p
Forum: Recovery Board

Geez. It'll be just a matter of time until they disband that Bible group. I'm surprised they allowed it in the first place. When I was at BYU decades ago, they disbanded private gospel study groups. They were worried that discussions would go off track and they wouldn't be in control of the message. Around the same time, I believe that there actually WERE some problems with polygamist off
Forum: Recovery Board

I was recently at a game night with a bunch of exmo women. I was shocked when one of them recounted how their priesthood leaders banned playing BUNCO in their ward. I think they even threatened temple recommends. Everyone chipping in $10 for prizes was apparently just like gambling (even though it's basically the same as entering a raffle, and it wouldn't lead to compulsive betting). AND
Forum: Recovery Board

I agree. Parents have a responsibility to educate and protect their children. If a parent knows their minor child is being manipulated to behave in a way that threatens their mental and emotional health, while being trained to give their time and money for the rest of their lives, they need to step in and do something about it. It's not giving that child 'free choice' to allow someon
Forum: Recovery Board

I strongly disbelieve in God and Jesus. But I also recognize that I'm not in a position to declare with absolute certainty that there is no God. What I do know is that can't believe in the God presented in the Bible/B of M. As far as telling other people that they need to study more if they don't reach the same conclusion as you . . . why do they need to come to the same conclusion as you? It
Forum: Recovery Board

So, if you want some peace, you have to move to a different parking lot where this person won't be aware of what you are doing, so they can't react to it or try to manipulate you to believe that you are responsible when they fall apart. If you are dealing with a true narcissist, the only way to find peace is to disconnect from them, or at least give them as little information about your life a
Forum: Recovery Board

I don't think it is. There's more value to doing art than being good at it. I think it can be therapeutic. But I also believe that art is just a skill that can be learned. I recently went to a beginning art class where the teacher led us step by step through creating a forest scene. Every one of the beginning painters in that class had a beautiful painting when they were done, and they w
Forum: Recovery Board