39 replies to this topic

[Bernard Gui]

Has anyone seen the Current TV exposé on the Church, "The Mormon Candidate?"

If you are ex-Mormon, have you been followed by ex-CIA/FBI Mormons who work for the Strengthening Members Committee"?

If you have left the Church and then returned, we're you handed a dossier with all the documentation of your excommunication and personal activities while out of the Church?

[Libs]

Huh?

[KevinG]

I see black helicopters when I enter restaurants with bars.

[Somebodyz]

Is Decker writing again.

[Deborah]

The scary thing is some people will believe this.

[Tacenda]

Are you talking about this BBC documentary on youtube...



where it features Mitt Romney's cousin who is ex-mormon, saying he was being followed?  Also, they ask the PR for the church, I believe his last name is Purdy, about the Strengthening Members Committee and he at first denies it is still around and then admits it is in the church.  I think there are 6 parts to this youtube series.

I believe they got alot of things wrong in the documentary.

Edited by Tacenda, 19 August 2012 - 09:12 AM.

[thesometimesaint]

Pure rubbish.

Heck if this hit piece can't even get the name of the church right. How on Gods' green earth does anyone expect anything else about it to be right?

[zerinus]

Tacenda, on 19 August 2012 - 09:07 AM, said:

Are you talking about this BBC documentary on youtube...



where it features Mitt Romney's cousin who is ex-mormon, saying he was being followed?  Also, they ask the PR for the church, I believe his last name is Purdy, about the Strengthening Members Committee and he at first denies it is still around and then admits it is in the church.  I think there are 6 parts to this youtube series.

I believe they got alot of things wrong in the documentary.

This is old news. This documentary came out months ago, and has already been discussed. Maybe it is being shown on US TV only now; but it was shown in the UK ages ago.

[KevinG]

The strengthening the members committee is straight out of the Priesthood handbook.  In our quorums we assign people to work on tasks associated with three of the church missions:  Missionary, Temple work and Strengthening the members.  

The Strengthening the Members committee usually looks at stuff like service projects and socials.  

The hilarious thing is those committees are notorious for meeting once a month and failing to get anything scheduled.  The idea that they are modern day danites or secret police is laughable.

Unfortunately some people are going to believe the kooks and be afraid of the Mormons because of these stories.

[Bernard Gui]

Tacenda, on 19 August 2012 - 09:07 AM, said:

Are you talking about this BBC documentary on youtube...



where it features Mitt Romney's cousin who is ex-mormon, saying he was being followed?  Also, they ask the PR for the church, I believe his last name is Purdy, about the Strengthening Members Committee and he at first denies it is still around and then admits it is in the church.  I think there are 6 parts to this youtube series.

I believe they got alot of things wrong in the documentary.

That is indeed the one. Also interviews with Elder Holland...

[Bernard Gui]

zerinus, on 19 August 2012 - 09:36 AM, said:

This is old news. This documentary came out months ago, and has already been discussed. Maybe it is being shown on US TV only now; but it was shown in the UK ages ago.

May be old news so some, but it is being aired now and it is full of misinformation.

[harfad]

Bernard%20Gui, on 19 August 2012 - 04:31 PM, said:

May be old news so some, but it is being aired now and it is full of misinformation.

That is typical of most UK produced stuff of this kind.

[KevinG]

harfad, on 19 August 2012 - 05:15 PM, said:

That is typical of most UK produced stuff of this kind.

Yes.  The Brits are very good at science fiction and comedy.

[wayfarer]

KevinG, on 19 August 2012 - 09:37 AM, said:

The strengthening the members committee is straight out of the Priesthood handbook.  In our quorums we assign people to work on tasks associated with three of the church missions:  Missionary, Temple work and Strengthening the members.  

The Strengthening the Members committee usually looks at stuff like service projects and socials.  

The hilarious thing is those committees are notorious for meeting once a month and failing to get anything scheduled.  The idea that they are modern day danites or secret police is laughable.

uhhh...  SCMC is not your local elders quorum, sorry.  It is a formal, employed organization that monitors what apostates are saying about the church in order to assist local leaders in identifying potential threats.  There are also internet volunteers who go out to various sites to participate and defend the church.  If I were leading the church, I'd probably do as much as well.  Being aware of what your enemies are saying is important for any organization to know.

When I was involved in mormon internet usenet in the 90s, if I recall correctly, there were many stealth polygamists in the Church, trying to continue to use Temples at the time.  The church REALLY didn't want this practice to continue, and I sensed they were on our boards monitoring, for some action was taken then that surprised me.  I had no issue with it.

Elder Holland acknowledged that it exists today.  I do not think, at all, that this is a spying thing, but rather, an organization doing internet awareness of members who may be working against the church.  Cases are referred to Stake Presidents who may themselves interview the person, or have the Bishop do it.  Most of the time, nothing happens.  I know of at least three recent cases.

I seriously doubt, however, that ex-CIA agents are materially involved, any more than internet experts and knowledge management people.  Certainly, the church has better things to do than follow Mitt's nephew around.  And there is no enforcement -- it's simply a referral to local leaders.

Edited by wayfarer, 19 August 2012 - 07:59 PM.

[volgadon]

wayfarer, on 19 August 2012 - 07:56 PM, said:

uhhh...  SCMC is not your local elders quorum, sorry.  It is a formal, employed organization that monitors what apostates are saying about the church in order to assist local leaders in identifying potential threats.  There are also internet volunteers who go out to various sites to participate and defend the church.  If I were leading the church, I'd probably do as much as well.  Being aware of what your enemies are saying is important for any organization to know.

When I was involved in mormon internet usenet in the 90s, if I recall correctly, there were many stealth polygamists in the Church, trying to continue to use Temples at the time.  The church REALLY didn't want this practice to continue, and I sensed they were on our boards monitoring, for some action was taken then that surprised me.  I had no issue with it.

Elder Holland acknowledged that it exists today.  I do not think, at all, that this is a spying thing, but rather, an organization doing internet awareness of members who may be working against the church.  Cases are referred to Stake Presidents who may themselves interview the person, or have the Bishop do it.  Most of the time, nothing happens.  I know of at least three recent cases.

I seriously doubt, however, that ex-CIA agents are materially involved, any more than internet experts and knowledge management people.  Certainly, the church has better things to do than follow Mitt's nephew around.  And there is no enforcement -- it's simply a referral to local leaders.

Also, in many places, it doesn't exist at all. I've served in branch presidencies in two countries, without so much as hearing of the SCMC.

[wayfarer]

volgadon, on 19 August 2012 - 09:23 PM, said:

Also, in many places, it doesn't exist at all. I've served in branch presidencies in two countries, without so much as hearing of the SCMC.

it's really alive and well in "morcor" - mormon corridor, and in washington DC.  I never saw anything in india or china, but then again, I wasn't really looking.

It's really nothing to worry about.  I actually believe the church has the right to look at what members are saying in public.  If someone is publicly opposing the church, as Holland has said, then 'we're going to have a little chat...'

There is a very deep and important principle in Confucianism, what Confucius said was the single thread that went throughout his teachings: 忠恕 - zhong shu.  zhong, the 中 centered 心 heart, meaning initially "loyalty", but much more -- an abiding and centered faithfulness to one another, and shu, 如 listening, or like/as the  心 heart operates -- meaning reciprocity, but more: the golden rule -- we do not do to others what we don't want done to ourselves.  This is the essence of Confucius' middle way, although he speaks of the equanimity of emotions as well.

The point being, I have come to realize that loyalty to the church -- not blind obedience, but a caring for the church as my own tribe and family, which it is, coupled with the willingness to forgive some things that may have happened that I don't agree with...  This needs to govern my relationship here.  That loyalty extends to the idea of defending the church when someone speaks incorrectly or tries to harm members of the church, and the SCMC seems like an appropriate thing to do in this case.

[volgadon]

I really don't mind the idea either, it is just that I've never seen it, even when as a counsellor I would have known had it existed in our district. I don't doubt that it exists in some places.

[Bernard Gui]

volgadon, on 19 August 2012 - 09:46 PM, said:

I really don't mind the idea either, it is just that I've never seen it, even when as a counsellor I would have known had it existed in our district. I don't doubt that it exists in some places.

To the critics, it's the current version of the Danites.

[cursor]

Gotta love this empty quote from Gov. Mitt Romney:

"I believe in an America

where millions of Americans

believe in an America

that's the America

millions of Americans believe in.

That's the America I love."

January 2012

Hey, "God bless America."

_____

edit: oops ... looks like I mistook the title of the thread to mean something else ...

Edited by cursor, 28 August 2012 - 09:05 AM.

[The Nehor]

cursor, on 27 August 2012 - 07:19 PM, said:

Gotta love this empty quote from Gov. Mitt Romney:

"I believe in an America

where millions of Americans

believe in an America

that's the America

millions of Americans believe in.

That's the America I love."

January 2012

Hey, "God bless America."