Meet the New Mormons Longreads Article

[Maidservant]

My Mozilla Firefox suggests articles for me, and this one popped up today.  I should also say that I absolutely love Longreads--I prefer the long article pulse on news and society rather than main stream news 3 minute segments.

I'm sharing it here in the name of noting how the "Mormonism" conversation is taking place in a larger context.

MEET THE NEW MORMONS

I'm ambivalent about the article itself.  I found it unsatisfying, but I'm still trying to put my finger on why.  I think in part that there are unsupported statements, that assume much from a supposed already-agreeing audience.  For example, she mentions twice about being people being called in to "discipline" for Facebook posts, but doesn't even give one example, much less showing an ongoing pattern.  Again--maybe readers should already know and be up on that, but I'm not, and I really don't think all readers will be, especially if the audience is mainly non-Mormon, as would be the case for Longreads.  Similarly there are statements like this: "But they [the Church] definitely don’t like everything that happens online. That’s why they excommunicated Kelly in 2014."  Again--wow--a lot that could benefit from unpacking there even if the conclusion remains the same.  She does not go through the Kelly case at all--just says only that.  So, again--an expectation that the reader already is following the entire matter and has background.

What I liked best about the article was her personal story and struggles (and her Mom's).  I also can hardly disagree with the hope that there can be a greater atmosphere of talking about tough things without fear.

Edited June 8, 2018 by Maidservant

[The Nehor]

The road to hell is broad enough to accept these middle way semicultural Mormons. Not sure what they are worried about.

[Amulek]

19 hours ago, Maidservant said:

I found it unsatisfying, but I'm still trying to put my finger on why. 

I gave up about a quarter of the way through it. I'm really not that interested in listing to someone who left the church at 18 opine about Mormonism. 

[juliann]

This alone condemns the article: "Dehlin decided he needed to study up, which he mostly did by burying himself in books."

[The Nehor]

11 hours ago, juliann said:

This alone condemns the article: "Dehlin decided he needed to study up, which he mostly did by burying himself in books."

He didn't bury himself deep enough. Ideally it would be deep enough that he could not get out.

[Calm]

1 hour ago, The Nehor said:

He didn't bury himself deep enough. Ideally it would be deep enough that he could not get out.

I used to do that all the time as a teen.  My father was not pleased when he had to come back to my room to pull me out.

[aussieguy55]

Well at least Dehlin made the effort to interview Michael Coe a long time commentator  on Mormons and their use of archaeology. Will they ever find a a nephite city under all that jungle?

[Stargazer]

9 hours ago, aussieguy55 said:

Well at least Dehlin made the effort to interview Michael Coe a long time commentator  on Mormons and their use of archaeology. Will they ever find a a nephite city under all that jungle?

They may already have found one, but how do you tell a Nephitr city from any other one in that region?