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Maxine Hanks Rejoins The Flock


Calm

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Her story kind of gives one hope for a renewed faith in the church. I definitely haven't left the church and still want to participate and I think that the church is welcoming people everywhere even if they might not all think alike. I think there might be room for people that don't know exactly what they believe in yet. As long as they don't try and sway others to their style of belief or non belief.

It says in the article that Maxine Hanks will be speaking next week at the Friday evening session on the U of U campus. I'd love to go, I've never been to any Sunstone symposiums. I'm thinking I'm a little hooked on all things mormon now. I may even end up at a fairlds conference one day.

http://www.sltrib.co...html.csp?page=1

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"Nobody asked me to disavow my book or stop writing," Hanks said. "All they asked me about was my relationship to Jesus Christ."

It's interesting that the Church used to care about her writings so much that they excommunicated her for it. Now they don't seem to care at all. Is this evidence that the church is becoming more "big tent?"

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This definitely news to rejoice to.

I like what she says here:

"Excommunication opened the door to a larger cosmos, inside and outside myself."

Perhaps it is too presumptuous for us to simply deem all excommunications as bad whereas in this case and the case of Don Bradley's 'self excommunication' that they are necessary for us to come full circle within our own theologies and not just "full circle back to the church".

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It's interesting that the Church used to care about her writings so much that they excommunicated her for it. Now they don't seem to care at all. Is this evidence that the church is becoming more "big tent?"

Perhaps. However, it is possible that her attitude toward the church may have been a factor.

"Given who I was, there was no place to go but out," Hanks said in 2003, on the 10th anniversary of the excommunications. "Mormonism was limiting to me, so I needed to test the limits — to see who I and the church really might be. … Excommunication opened the door to a larger cosmos, inside and outside myself." [emphasis added]

She seems to be saying that, at the time, she was determined to keep pushing the limits until she was excommunicated.

In any case, the reason an individual is excommunicated is probably more nuanced than what is reported in a newspaper -- especially in cases of apostasy.

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Perhaps. However, it is possible that her attitude toward the church may have been a factor.

She seems to be saying that, at the time, she was determined to keep pushing the limits until she was excommunicated.

In any case, the reason an individual is excommunicated is probably more nuanced than what is reported in a newspaper -- especially in cases of apostasy.

You forgot to bold this portion

to see who I and the church really might be

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This definitely news to rejoice to.

I like what she says here:

"Excommunication opened the door to a larger cosmos, inside and outside myself."

Perhaps it is too presumptuous for us to simply deem all excommunications as bad whereas in this case and the case of Don Bradley's 'self excommunication' that they are necessary for us to come full circle within our own theologies and not just "full circle back to the church".

They aren't always bad. The Lord moves in mysterious ways, to use the tired old phrase. Not that I encourage trigger-happy excommunications.

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"Nobody asked me to disavow my book or stop writing," Hanks said. "All they asked me about was my relationship to Jesus Christ."
It's interesting that the Church used to care about her writings so much that they excommunicated her for it. Now they don't seem to care at all. Is this evidence that the church is becoming more "big tent?"

No. Apostate views then are still the same apostate views now and one still gets called into the Bishop's office when one strays publically far from doctrine, especially when it has to do with the divine validity of the Church and it's leaders or the nature of God and the Priesthood.

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That's really nice. I think it must take a lot of humility to come back from an excommunication.

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It's interesting that the Church used to care about her writings so much that they excommunicated her for it.

It's interesting why we should consider youself or the SL Trib as authorative sources on why she was excommunicated.

The Trib is an unreliable source for all things Mormon, and it's interesting that the local leaders excommunicated her, not Elder Packer. It can only be done when they instigate the proceedings, and only with their consent.

Of course the rag. Trib has no knowledge of such things. When she was rebaptized, no mention was made about her writings. But, of course, this was because of a "change" in the tolerance of the current leaders. Not that their theory on why she was excommunicated was wrong in the first place.

Are we really so silly that we depend on the Trib and Sunstone for insight on the inner workings of the church.

Finally, I wish her all the best in her new life, but I hope her return to the church is not a gambit to launch new attempts to change the church "from within". She rushes off to Sunstone to tell her story, and they give it their own spin.

And that is my view.

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Having spoken to Maxine today, I know that she would have preferred they not quote what she'd said a decade ago. It doesn't capture how she sees things now.

Maxine is reluctant about the publicity this presentation is inviting, which is why her baptism months ago was an entirely private event, known to only a small handful of people. I had to talk her into doing "Pillars" with me. But as the event gets closer, she and I are both excited to tell our return stories and do some good. Maxine's return in particular will be a very healing thing for a lot of people. It certainly has been a healing, beautiful, and profoundly spiritual experience for her.

I hope people will come and hear for themselves.

Don

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I welcome the news with a full heart and open arms (Figuratively as I cant really hug people i dont personally know over the internet).

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is all about the reconcilation of the wanderer with God and their fellow man. Excommunication and other Church discipline isnt so much a punishment as a way to help the person back to the door of repentence.

I imagine Joseph, Hyrum and the other early saints felt the same way when W W Phelps returned to the Church:

“You may in some measure realize what my feelings, as well as Elder Rigdon’s and Brother Hyrum’s were, when we read your letter—truly our hearts were melted into tenderness and compassion when we ascertained your resolves, etc. I can assure you I feel a disposition to act on your case in a manner that will meet the approbation of Jehovah, (whose servant I am), and agreeable to the principles of truth and righteousness which have been revealed; and inasmuch as long-suffering, patience, and mercy have ever characterized the dealings of our heavenly Father towards the humble and penitent, I feel disposed to copy the example, cherish the same principles, and by so doing be a savior of my fellow men.

“It is true, that we have suffered much in consequence of your behavior—the cup of gall, already full enough for mortals to drink, was indeed filled to overflowing when you turned against us, one with whom we had oft taken sweet counsel together, and enjoyed many refreshing seasons from the Lord—‘had it been an enemy, we could have borne it.’ [see Psalm 55:12–14.] ‘In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day when strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon [Far West], even thou wast as one of them; but thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother, in the day that he became a stranger, neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress.’ [see Obadiah 1:11–12.]

“However, the cup has been drunk, the will of our Father has been done, and we are yet alive, for which we thank the Lord. And having been delivered from the hands of wicked men by the mercy of our God, we say it is your privilege to be delivered from the powers of the adversary, be brought into the liberty of God’s dear children, and again take your stand among the Saints of the Most High, and by diligence, humility, and love unfeigned, commend yourself to our God, and your God, and to the Church of Jesus Christ.

“Believing your confession to be real, and your repentance genuine, I shall be happy once again to give you the right hand of fellowship, and rejoice over the returning prodigal.

“Your letter was read to the Saints last Sunday, and an expression of their feeling was taken, when it was unanimously resolved, that W. W. Phelps should be received into fellowship.

“‘Come on, dear brother, since the war is past,

For friends at first, are friends again at last.’”

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They aren't always bad. The Lord moves in mysterious ways, to use the tired old phrase. Not that I encourage trigger-happy excommunications.

I disagree with excommunications of academics if the content of the writings are NOT explicitly demonstrated by their authors as 'anti' work. Deeming works 'anti' should also be critically analyzed because of the biased 'rank and file' or 'believe and obey' position...albeit an ignorant position.

So Lavina published works on sanitized history? So what! Who cares?!?

So Maxine and Lynne advocated Mormon feminism and priesthood? Who cares?!? The church wasn't going to change its position on the subject.

So Janice Allred reflected and published work on her OWN perceptions of the Heavenly Mother (in which she never claimed as LDS DOCTRINE...only the ignoramuses such as her SP and others saw it as such)? Who cares?!? It was reflective and not published by Intellectual Reserve.

These cases are ridiculous.

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They would seem ridiculous if we accept certain people's spin on the subject. However, we don't have the full story and so it would be unwise to make judgments on it.

You show YOUR bias by assuming there is a 'spin on the subject'. The silence that the ecclesiastical leaders demand on such sensitive subjects is not always appropriate because it deceitfully leads people to believe that there is something to be hidden or that 'confidentiality' is necessary. In such cases, the inappropriate reaction would be 'well...we don't know".

From the times that I have read/heard members of the September Six speak about their excommunications there has never been reason to believe that they were lying about their experiences. To dismiss their side of the story because of the silence of the other side further shows the extent of bias...a bias that demonstrably shows poor character.

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