jkwilliams

It is a little concerning that you were never given any training about sexual abuse issues. “Just call the hotline” seems too little and too late, as it happens after the report of abuse. Seems like a terrible disservice to bishops and abuse victims alike. Here’s hoping the situation is better now.

Fwiw, here’s what the SEC had to say about Elder Ballard in 1963. https://www.sec.gov/news/digest/1963/dig071063.pdf

Yeah, networks of powerful folks are common in large institutions. The mixture of the political here is a little troubling, and it beats me why Elder Andersen is hanging out with a loon like Beck.

Great to see you, Chris. I hope all is well with you. Give my best to your lovely wife.

Yes, but you and I both did spend a lot of time defending the faith before we went over to the dark side. My interest in Mormonism waxes and wanes, but every so often something interesting pops up.

My impression from talking to my sister is that they are trying to keep the peace between settlers and Palestinians. Definitely there is a lot of potential for danger.

It seems every time there’s any violence in the Middle East, someone says it’s a fulfillment of prophecy. They said this in 1991 and 2003 when the US invaded Iraq, for example. I suppose one of these days they’ll be correct. Or not. In case anyone is curious, my nephew is in a rapid-response team protecting villages in the West Bank. Not as dangerous as Gaza, but not exactly safe.

Yes, very much. At first I thought it was way too detailed, but you definitely get an understanding of who he was.

In the middle of the second volume of Michael Burlingame’s “Abraham Lincoln: A Life.”

Thanks for the kindness and support. I just needed to vent a little. I went back and forth and finally decided to watch the funeral stream. I’m glad I did because they acknowledged he was a troubled soul, but it reminded me that there was a lot of good in him. It’s ok to have mixed emotions. It was also good to see my mission president, who spoke. My nephew Josh is headed to Israel this morning. Please keep him in your prayers.

Tomorrow is the funeral of my former mission companion and roommate. We really connected during the six months we were companions. We were so close that the other missionaries in our house said we were like brothers. And we really were. After our missions, we roomed together at BYU. I should have seen the signs, but I didn’t. I was very naive. But one night I woke up in the middle of the night, and he was in my bed sexually assaulting me. I was shocked and hurt, but I just kept it to myself, especially after he said he was meeting with the bishop. I suppose I felt I had to be the better person and forgive. I felt sorry for him, and twice I went way out of my way to help him get a new job. It wasn’t until 20 years later that I confronted him and told him how much he had hurt me and how he had affected my ability to trust anyone. He’s had a hard life, and he dealt with the disconnects in his life by drinking a lot, and that eventually killed him. I long ago forgave him, but this last week all the hurt and anger are back, especially since all my mission friends are saying he was a great man, an “angel,” and a “spiritual giant.” I just have kept my feelings to myself. But I keep wondering how to deal with these bad and stressful feelings. Thinking about finding a therapist here in Ohio. I don’t know that I’m asking for advice, just trying to figure out what to do.

I don’t think leaving the church has affected my sex life with my wife, but I do drink more coffee and the occasional beer.

Of course it’s a moral issue. Why do you think people like Teancum and me left the church?

It literally said they could be coming for us next. 🤷‍♂️

Things just hit very close to home for me. My nephew, who is in law school in California, previously served 18 months in the IDF. He has decided to leave school and return to Israel to serve at this time. I don’t blame him, but it certainly makes our family very worried. Prayers and good thoughts would be welcome. His name is Josh, and he’s a wonderful young man.

I did that for many years. I suppose the can refused to get bigger when it became a matter of things that hurt my conscience. But point taken.

Lived experience is always subjective. Hope you’re doing well, too.

Yeah, there’s something to that. I’ve often thought that, even if I could re-shelve the glaring problems with Mormonism, I would not ever want to feel about myself like I did when I was a believer.

You are correct. I am quite sure that other religions offer the same kind of community that Mormonism does and that the negative aspects are not unique to Mormonism. And for the record, I did not, and never would, say that reliance on spiritual experience is a “weakness.” Smac’s response seems to have missed every point I made. 🤷‍♂️

I can’t speak for anyone else, and I don’t fit neatly into the pleasant/unpleasant dichotomy. I don’t find it unlikely that other religious groups have the same or even better sense of community. Nor do I think other religions necessarily have the same negative aspects as Mormonism (though many do). I tried finding another religious home, but I never felt like anything other than an outsider. But the main reason I gave up on religious seeking is that I lost the ability to trust in spiritual experiences. How do you recognize the spirit when prior religious experiences confirmed things that turned out not to be true?

I think it’s one of those unwritten rules, though maybe it’s in the general handbook

I’ve met and worked with a number of general authorities. With few exceptions, they have been good, competent, humble men. A few appeared to have a sense of entitlement and demanded deference. And the way they are treated by members varied wildly. Definitely some members treat them like royalty, but most don’t A very close relative of mine is a general authority, and a better man you’ll never meet. At my father’s funeral, he had to sit on the stand as the “presiding authority,” and his wife told me that still makes him feel weird, as he considers himself a typical church member. In short, it depends on the person how they are treated, in my experience.

Again, I have no idea what you’re getting at. I’ll bow out.

Why would you expect his (largely) academic discussions of the Biblical text to align with his expressions of personal faith? Are you suggesting he should censor the former to avoid any possible harm to others’ faith. I honestly don’t know what you are saying.

My favorite part of this is the “Joder” tattoo above his crotch. Classy