MormonStories in Financial Trouble

[Calm]

I sat through a four hour interview recently, but it was mostly reports on science and advice on how to apply it, some personal anecdotes, but all relevant to the subject. There is no way I can last 4 minutes with the way Dehlin talks about stuff. 

[Tacenda]

3 minutes ago, Calm said:

I sat through a four hour interview recently, but it was mostly reports on science and advice on how to apply it, some personal anecdotes, but all relevant to the subject. There is no way I can last 4 minutes with the way Dehlin talks about stuff. 

I feel the same way! But endure it, if it's someone relatable he's interviewing, or someone I'm interested in.

Edited December 4, 2023 by Tacenda

[blackstrap]

10 hours ago, Kenngo1969 said:

I went to school [yes, that would be, Cough-Cough-Cough, law school]

I also recently heard that Ben Shapiro's wife is a doctor . 😁

Edited December 4, 2023 by blackstrap

[InCognitus]

2 hours ago, Calm said:

I sat through a four hour interview recently, but it was mostly reports on science and advice on how to apply it, some personal anecdotes, but all relevant to the subject. There is no way I can last 4 minutes with the way Dehlin talks about stuff. 

And to make matters worse, Dehlin (and other people) take small snippets or edited portions of the four and five hour interviews and make them into Youtube "shorts" (like he did with his Dan McClellan interviews), which if you watch out of context can convey a much different understanding of what is being said by the person being interviewed.

Edited December 4, 2023 by InCognitus

[bluebell]

For some reason somebody did a documentary on that whole Ruby Franke situation even though it’s very much still in the beginning stages of what is known and she hasn’t even been to court yet or anything. What was really odd was that they had Dehlin on as an “expert,” though it does not appear that he actually knows anybody that’s involved.

His big contribution was to state that the Hildebrandt lady was the most heavily recommended therapist by bishops, though how he could possibly know that or how that would be measured is never shared. He really didn’t have anything of substance to add to the program and it was weird that he was on it at all.

Now, hearing about his financial troubles, I’m wondering if maybe he thought he was “arriving” in a way that was going to bring in more money (having gotten on the radar of filmmakers and such) and he hasn’t seen the fruits of that like he thought he would.

[MustardSeed]

9 hours ago, bluebell said:

For some reason somebody did a documentary on that whole Ruby Franke situation even though it’s very much still in the beginning stages of what is known and she hasn’t even been to court yet or anything. What was really odd was that they had Dehlin on as an “expert,” though it does not appear that he actually knows anybody that’s involved.

His big contribution was to state that the Hildebrandt lady was the most heavily recommended therapist by bishops, though how he could possibly know that or how that would be measured is never shared. He really didn’t have anything of substance to add to the program and it was weird that he was on it at all.

Now, hearing about his financial troubles, I’m wondering if maybe he thought he was “arriving” in a way that was going to bring in more money (having gotten on the radar of filmmakers and such) and he hasn’t seen the fruits of that like he thought he would.

Gossip:  My best friend had ward members who flocked to Hildebrandt for therapy, and my friend’s  assessment was that there were questionable practices there.  The reputation was that H recommended divorce all too often. 

[Tacenda]

14 hours ago, bluebell said:

For some reason somebody did a documentary on that whole Ruby Franke situation even though it’s very much still in the beginning stages of what is known and she hasn’t even been to court yet or anything. What was really odd was that they had Dehlin on as an “expert,” though it does not appear that he actually knows anybody that’s involved.

His big contribution was to state that the Hildebrandt lady was the most heavily recommended therapist by bishops, though how he could possibly know that or how that would be measured is never shared. He really didn’t have anything of substance to add to the program and it was weird that he was on it at all.

Now, hearing about his financial troubles, I’m wondering if maybe he thought he was “arriving” in a way that was going to bring in more money (having gotten on the radar of filmmakers and such) and he hasn’t seen the fruits of that like he thought he would.

bluebell, he's done several podcasts about Hildebrand and Franke. Two were interviews of the victims, a niece of Hildebrandt and a client that went to her for help, Adam Steed. I believe he's done his homework, but not sure how he gets his information but he does have some who are in the church but not of the church that give him info on the sly. 

The below c/p is from one of the several podcasts on his website. Not to be combative, just thought you might want to know. It's true Dehlin gets more people to watch, "like" or subscribe so he's going to go after these stories, not that it is his only motive, he does have a soul. I feel a lot of stories are needed and some aren't to me, not saying I know what others need. Maybe these were needed for most part about Hildebrandt, gotta weed out the evildoers whether they are so called faithful good members or not. 

C/P'ed the below: 

Mormon Stories Podcast has just received today a temporary restraining order requiring us to take down our interview of Adam Paul Steed – the courageous whistleblower to Mormon church Boy Scout sexual abuse in Idaho, and one of the many victims of 8 Passengers Therapist Jodi Hildebrandt. We are not at liberty to discuss publicly the details of the restraining order at this time.

For those who were not yet able to see Adam Steed’s interview, in it he focused on the following:

1) His story of courageously speaking up as a victim of Mormon-church backed child abuse in its Idaho Boy Scout program,
2) How he and his father fought to successful change the statue of limitation laws for child sexual abuse victims in Idaho,
3) How he and his young family (while at BYU) were referred to therapist Jodi Hildebrandt by his Mormon bishop,
4) How (by Adam’s report) Jodi Hildebrandt destroyed both his reputation and his family, through various unethical therapy practices, including violating his confidentiality by reporting false and/or confidential information to the BYU Honor Code Office, leading to his suspension from BYU.
5) How he fought back against Jodi Hildebrandt by successfully getting Jodi Hildebrandt’s license suspended. And finally,
6) Adam’s firm belief that the Mormon church intentionally weaponized Jodi Hildebrandt and her tactics to destroy both his life and his family, in part as retaliation for his work as a Boy Scout abuse whistleblower within the Mormon church.

Because of the importance of Adam’s story, we are heartbroken to have to take it down (for now). Especially after hearing from thousands of Mormons, post-Mormons, and never-Mormons who found Adam’s story to be validating and/or healing.

Here’s the good news: this week we are actively working with a few major media outlets to: 1) Give voice to the victims of Jodi Hildebrandt, of other Mormon church-recommended “sex addiction” therapists like “Sons of Helaman,” “Fight the New Drug,” and Lifestar, as well as and from the Mormon church’s “Addiction and Recovery Program” targeting its members for “sex addiction.” And: 2) Hold both the Mormon church and these unethical therapists including Jodi Hildebrandt accountable for their unethical malpractice.

Here’s what we need from you: If you or someone you love has been harmed by either:

1. Jodi Hildebrandt,
2. a Mormon church-recommended “sex addiction” therapist (like Sons of Helaman or Lifestar), or
3.  from the Mormon church’s “Addiction and Recovery Program” (wherein healthy, normative behaviors were pathologized as “sex addiction”), please email your story as soon as possible to......

In your email, please include the following sections:

1. The date range that you worked with these people. We are particularly interested in patients recommended to Jodi Hildebrandt and others like her AFTER 2012.
2. The names of the therapist(s) or you worked with.
3. Any detail you can provide about who recommended you (especially if a Mormon church bishop or leader).
4. A description of the unethical therapy practices and how they harmed you. And
5. A confirmation of whether or not you are willing to speak with a journalist, either on the record or off the record.

Again, please email this information as soon as you are able. Finally, we promise you that at Mormon Stories Podcast, we will do everything we can to:

1. Restore Adam Paul Steed’s Mormon story,
2. Help you and other victims tell your stories about Jodi Hildebrandt and/or other unethical Mormon therapists, and practices, and
3.  Help both the Mormon church and its unethical therapists and programs be held accountable for the harm that they have caused so many individuals and families. Sincerely, John Dehlin and the Mormon Stories Podcast Team

[juliann]

On 11/28/2023 at 5:50 PM, smac97 said:

See here:

Hmm.  He has lots to say about how "phenomenal" the growth of MormonStories has been in 2023, but then says that "donations, weirdly, have flatlined, and even decreased in this same year where we've had phenomenal success."  He shows a donations chart that shows donations peaking at about 620K in 2021, then going going to slightly under $600K in 2022 and 2023.

"For some reason I can't understand exactly, we're losing donors as we double and triple our global impact."  He attributes this to

A) MS being "smeared, assaulted, attacked, defamed, that we think has dramatically impacted, has caused donors to cancel, and it's probably impacted new people willing to donate,"

B) MS not asking frequently enough for donations;

C) People lose interest and move on;

D) People fall on financial hard times;

Donations have decreased and cancellations have increased.

I suspect most of the decrease is attributable to (C) and (D).  Lots of inflation, so lots of people are having difficulty paying the bills.  Monthly donations to MS are, I think, likely to be a low priority.

Thanks,

-Smac

He has also thoroughly turned off the Bloggernacle types. As more "intellectuals" found the freedom to start speaking freely and engaging with church problems on a more intellectual basis, the Dehlin-skip-corners-rather-than-read style didn't compete well. As with us and evangelicals, his opponents changed....and he didn't. In the 20+ years I've been in this arena, little has stayed static because the issues stay the same. It eventually turns into too many reruns.

I would be as embarrased to donate to him as I would be to Tim Ballard, given Dehlin's track record with the treatment of women. 

 

[bluebell]

58 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

bluebell, he's done several podcasts about Hildebrand and Franke. Two were interviews of the victims, a niece of Hildebrandt and a client that went to her for help, Adam Steed. I believe he's done his homework, but not sure how he gets his information but he does have some who are in the church but not of the church that give him info on the sly. 

The below c/p is from one of the several podcasts on his website. Not to be combative, just thought you might want to know. It's true Dehlin gets more people to watch, "like" or subscribe so he's going to go after these stories, not that it is his only motive, he does have a soul. I feel a lot of stories are needed and some aren't to me, not saying I know what others need. Maybe these were needed for most part about Hildebrandt, gotta weed out the evildoers whether they are so called faithful good members or not. 

C/P'ed the below: 

Mormon Stories Podcast has just received today a temporary restraining order requiring us to take down our interview of Adam Paul Steed – the courageous whistleblower to Mormon church Boy Scout sexual abuse in Idaho, and one of the many victims of 8 Passengers Therapist Jodi Hildebrandt. We are not at liberty to discuss publicly the details of the restraining order at this time.

For those who were not yet able to see Adam Steed’s interview, in it he focused on the following:

1) His story of courageously speaking up as a victim of Mormon-church backed child abuse in its Idaho Boy Scout program,
2) How he and his father fought to successful change the statue of limitation laws for child sexual abuse victims in Idaho,
3) How he and his young family (while at BYU) were referred to therapist Jodi Hildebrandt by his Mormon bishop,
4) How (by Adam’s report) Jodi Hildebrandt destroyed both his reputation and his family, through various unethical therapy practices, including violating his confidentiality by reporting false and/or confidential information to the BYU Honor Code Office, leading to his suspension from BYU.
5) How he fought back against Jodi Hildebrandt by successfully getting Jodi Hildebrandt’s license suspended. And finally,
6) Adam’s firm belief that the Mormon church intentionally weaponized Jodi Hildebrandt and her tactics to destroy both his life and his family, in part as retaliation for his work as a Boy Scout abuse whistleblower within the Mormon church.

Because of the importance of Adam’s story, we are heartbroken to have to take it down (for now). Especially after hearing from thousands of Mormons, post-Mormons, and never-Mormons who found Adam’s story to be validating and/or healing.

Here’s the good news: this week we are actively working with a few major media outlets to: 1) Give voice to the victims of Jodi Hildebrandt, of other Mormon church-recommended “sex addiction” therapists like “Sons of Helaman,” “Fight the New Drug,” and Lifestar, as well as and from the Mormon church’s “Addiction and Recovery Program” targeting its members for “sex addiction.” And: 2) Hold both the Mormon church and these unethical therapists including Jodi Hildebrandt accountable for their unethical malpractice.

Here’s what we need from you: If you or someone you love has been harmed by either:

1. Jodi Hildebrandt,
2. a Mormon church-recommended “sex addiction” therapist (like Sons of Helaman or Lifestar), or
3.  from the Mormon church’s “Addiction and Recovery Program” (wherein healthy, normative behaviors were pathologized as “sex addiction”), please email your story as soon as possible to......

In your email, please include the following sections:

1. The date range that you worked with these people. We are particularly interested in patients recommended to Jodi Hildebrandt and others like her AFTER 2012.
2. The names of the therapist(s) or you worked with.
3. Any detail you can provide about who recommended you (especially if a Mormon church bishop or leader).
4. A description of the unethical therapy practices and how they harmed you. And
5. A confirmation of whether or not you are willing to speak with a journalist, either on the record or off the record.

Again, please email this information as soon as you are able. Finally, we promise you that at Mormon Stories Podcast, we will do everything we can to:

1. Restore Adam Paul Steed’s Mormon story,
2. Help you and other victims tell your stories about Jodi Hildebrandt and/or other unethical Mormon therapists, and practices, and
3.  Help both the Mormon church and its unethical therapists and programs be held accountable for the harm that they have caused so many individuals and families. Sincerely, John Dehlin and the Mormon Stories Podcast Team

I have no doubt he's interviewed some people and read up about the story, but to me that doesn't mean that it's valid for him to insert himself into it and make claims he can't back up. 

I'm guessing the documentary people picked him because he was the only and obvious option to be the "counter" to the church (even though the church doesn't really have anything to do with the whole mess).  I don't blame him for jumping at the chance to get more visibility to his brand.  I just thought his presence on that show was ill-fitting and might be an example of why he's not doing as good financially as he used to be.

His relevance might be waning and if his options for regaining are more stuff like that series, it's not looking good.

[juliann]

Just now, bluebell said:

I have no doubt he's interviewed some people and read up about the story, but to me that doesn't mean that it's valid for him to insert himself into it and make claims he can't back up. 

I'm guessing the documentary people picked him because he was the only and obvious option to be the "counter" to the church (even though the church doesn't really have anything to do with the whole mess).  I don't blame him for jumping at the chance to get more visibility to his brand.  I just thought his presence on that show was ill-fitting and might be an example of why he's not doing as good financially as he used to be.

His relevance might be waning and if his options for regaining are more stuff like that series, it's not looking good.

There was a time in the heyday of his approach,  where he must have been on reporters' speed dial. But now, they likely go more to Patrick Mason types. 

[smac97]

1 hour ago, juliann said:

He has also thoroughly turned off the Bloggernacle types. As more "intellectuals" found the freedom to start speaking freely and engaging with church problems on a more intellectual basis, the Dehlin-skip-corners-rather-than-read style didn't compete well.

Not unlike how Ed Decker and the Tanners were left behind years ago.  They lacked the intellectual chops to keep up.

1 hour ago, juliann said:

As with us and evangelicals, his opponents changed....and he didn't. In the 20+ years I've been in this arena, little has stayed static because the issues stay the same. It eventually turns into too many reruns.

Ain't that the truth.  There are only so many times the Average Joe will be interested in yet another "Why I Left" narrative, particularly when Dehlin's interviews are are hours and hours long.  And there are only so many "Average Joes" who are interested in such narratives in the first place.

1 hour ago, juliann said:

I would be as embarrased to donate to him as I would be to Tim Ballard, given Dehlin's track record with the treatment of women. 

And Tim Ballard's public fall as been fairly recent, whereas Dehlin's odious behaviors stretches back many years.

Thanks,

-Smac

[Tacenda]

1 hour ago, juliann said:

There was a time in the heyday of his approach,  where he must have been on reporters' speed dial. But now, they likely go more to Patrick Mason types. 

I like Patrick! 

[LoudmouthMormon]

Nobody seems to care enough to be updating the Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_Stories_Podcast

Quote

In 2016, the Open Stories foundation reported Dehlin's 2017 salary and bonus was $82,500 and $27,000 respectively. Dehlin's compensation rose to over $226,000 in 2018, and $236,000 in 2019.

 

I wish I could make $200 grand a year to talk about all the arguments I win here on MormonDialogue!     (Seriously though, no I don't.  And I also can't remember offhand a single argument I've ever won here.)

[mfbukowski]

5 hours ago, juliann said:

He has also thoroughly turned off the Bloggernacle types. As more "intellectuals" found the freedom to start speaking freely and engaging with church problems on a more intellectual basis, the Dehlin-skip-corners-rather-than-read style didn't compete well. As with us and evangelicals, his opponents changed....and he didn't. In the 20+ years I've been in this arena, little has stayed static because the issues stay the same. It eventually turns into too many reruns.

I would be as embarrased to donate to him as I would be to Tim Ballard, given Dehlin's track record with the treatment of women. 

 

I'm really interested in this post, and your pov, but I am having trouble with the jargon.  Could you please translate for me...?

1. "Bloggernacle types = conservatives?

2. ..."little has stayed static because the issues stay the same. It eventually turns into too many reruns."

3. Dehlin is tough on women?

Sorry to be so out of it. 🥺

[Calm]

41 minutes ago, mfbukowski said:

3. Dehlin is tough on women?

He has a history of being sexually inappropriate with female employees (jokes made on the podcasts as well as claimed to happen in the workplace, an admitted affair with one who then got terminated); is known when volunteers or supporters question at all what he is doing to kick them to the curb (for example, his Kate Kelly relationship—a mutual meltdown iirc—as well as when he took over an online Mormonstories community by locking moderators out of their accounts without any warning so they couldn’t share contact info with longtime friends after these women had given hundreds of hours of volunteer service and had never even gotten a free ticket to an event); I am pretty sure he admitted to firing the employee he had an affair with after it stopped because he didn’t want her around; there were claims iirc that he took away podcasts and projects from women employees and volunteers and gave them to himself and his wife once it looked like they would make money; claims that he told volunteers they would be reimbursed for time and resources and then didn’t do so as well as agreeing to employ people and then changed it to subcontracting after they were committed; claims that women podcasters were paid less even when money was donated to go directly to their podcast and not generally, that the female podcasters weren’t promoted as much….not a reliable boss, iow, according to various claims…

Edited December 5, 2023 by Calm

[Calm]

42 minutes ago, mfbukowski said:

I'm really interested in this post, and your pov, but I am having trouble with the jargon.  Could you please translate for me...?

1. "Bloggernacle types = conservatives?

2. ..."little has stayed static because the issues stay the same. It eventually turns into too many reruns."

3. Dehlin is tough on women?

Sorry to be so out of it. 🥺

I was going to wait and let Juliann answer the other two just in case I misinterpreted her, but need to type for distraction and don’t want to play a game…

Bloggernacle types….I am guessing she means these are generally inclined to like those who do what Dehlin does as in criticism of the Church, but his personality, style, and behaviour has bugged them enough even they are rejecting him.  My memory is the Bloggernacle has a lot of more liberal types, groups pushing for women’s ordination, transparency in church finances, etc.

For 2….since the topics/controversies have remained mostly the same over the years, in order to have new material to attract attention, it is style that has had to change.  Podcasters are becoming more sophisticated, better performers or more educated in the topic so better to provide commentary.  Since Dehlin is not adapting much, he is losing his audience to those who are.  Same thing happened to Ordain Women, though they did try a few new things that just did not gain an audience it seemed (let’s imagine pictures, for example)

Edited December 5, 2023 by Calm

[mfbukowski]

15 hours ago, Calm said:

Bloggernacle types….I am guessing she means these are generally inclined to like those who do what Dehlin does as in criticism of the Church, but his personality, style, and behaviour has bugged them enough even they are rejecting him.  My memory is the Bloggernacle has a lot of more liberal types, groups pushing for women’s ordination, transparency in church finances, etc.

Thanks for your comments.  I guess I missed hanging out at the cool kids lunch table! 😉  I tend to be among both the most liberal AND the most conservative at the same time, since I see virtually everything differently than most of the board!

I thought " bloggernacle types" were more literalist and conservative because of the ..." nacle" portion of the word - as  in, " Don't steady the tabernacle" ! 

[Calm]

2 hours ago, mfbukowski said:

guess I missed hanging out at the cool kids lunch table!

Not all blogs of the Bloggernacle are pleasant places, imo.

Quote

thought " bloggernacle types" were more literalist and conservative because of the ..." nacle" portion of the word - as  in, " Don't steady the tabernacle" ! 

As I understand it, it was just a clever name for the online community that got picked up by many.  I remember websites that consisted of lists of a ton of sites categorizing what they dealt with. The only one I personally remember is the Mormon Archipelago.

It even merits a wiki article…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_blogosphere#:~:text=The term "Bloggernacle" was coined,to be part of it.

Quote

On November 23, 2002, the Mormon blogging community became a distinct entity with the founding of the blog Metaphysical Elders.[2] Some component blogs from the Mormon blogosphere's first two years were short lived, however one of its first bloggers, Dave Banack, began his longstanding Mormon Inquiry blog on August 19, 2003.[3] On January 1, 2003, a multi-author blog Mormon Momma launched – a spin-off from the original "Circle of Sisters" column from Meridian Magazine. By the next two years, many multi-author blogswere launched, including Times and Seasons, By Common Consent, Feminist Mormon Housewives, and Millennial Star.[4] On March 23, 2004, due to an article in The Revealer,[5] the writer Kaimi Wenger at the LDS blog Times and Seasons noticed that the Jewish and Catholic blogging communities had adopted names for themselves. In a blog post titled "The Nameless Mormon Blogosphere",[6] Wenger sought to remedy this situation and asked for suggestions for a name. Christopher Bradford posting under the name "Grasshopper" suggested "Bloggernacle Choir", the shortened version of which gained wide approval. "Bloggernacle" is a term that has been used commonly by LDS bloggers.

The Latter-day Saint apologetic organization FairMormon features a website and blog; Jeff Lindsay began a Latter-day Saint apologetic blog entitled Mormanity in 2004. A Mormon "litblog" named A Motley Vision was founded in 2004 by William Morris.[7] During 2005, several LDS-themed podcasts entered the Bloggernacle to augment Latter-day Saint blogging with audio programming; these included podcasts produced by church affiliated sources and an independent series, Mormon Stories Podcast, produced by John Dehlin (who also founded the blog Stay LDS[8] and the group blog Mormon Matters).[9]

 

Edited December 5, 2023 by Calm

[mfbukowski]

51 minutes ago, Calm said:

Not all blogs of the Bloggernacle are pleasant places, imo.

As I understand it, it was just a clever name for the online community that got picked up by many.  I remember websites that consisted of lists of a ton of sites categorizing what they dealt with. The only one I personally remember is the Mormon Archipelago.

It even merits a wiki article…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_blogosphere#:~:text=The term "Bloggernacle" was coined,to be part of it.

 

 

51 minutes ago, Calm said:

Not all blogs of the Bloggernacle are pleasant places, imo.

As I understand it, it was just a clever name for the online community that got picked up by many.  I remember websites that consisted of lists of a ton of sites categorizing what they dealt with. The only one I personally remember is the Mormon Archipelago.

It even merits a wiki article…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_blogosphere#:~:text=The term "Bloggernacle" was coined,to be part of it.

 

Thanks!

Wasn't Doc P. more involved in one than the others before the firing debacle which then kind of morphed into Interpreter?

I got involved a bit before that happened- 2008 I think.

Edited December 5, 2023 by mfbukowski

[Calm]

47 minutes ago, mfbukowski said:

 

Thanks!

Wasn't Doc P. more involved in one than the others before the firing debacle which then kind of morphed into Interpreter?

I got involved a bit before that happened- 2008 I think.

Besides hanging out on this and a couple of other message boards and his blog, Sic et Non, I am not aware of any consistent public online presence (outside of FARMS and FAIR) before Interpreter. I know he posted on a couple of academically oriented invite only elists, but I kept pretty much to the boards so as to keep my addiction in check. 

Edited December 5, 2023 by Calm

[mfbukowski]

38 minutes ago, Calm said:

Besides hanging out on this and a couple of other message boards and his blog, Sic et Non, I am not aware of any consistent public online presence (outside of FARMS and FAIR) before Interpreter. I know he posted on a couple of academically oriented invite only elists, but I kept pretty much to the boards so as to keep my addiction in check. 

Agree.  This is an interesting article about the Maxwell Institute  - but it's Wikipedia so take with caution-  here is a portion:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxwell_Institute

History[edit]

Quote

 

The Maxwell Institute was established in 2006 as an umbrella organization for several of BYU's academic initiatives, including: the Middle Eastern Texts Initiative (METI), the Center for the Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts (CPART), the Laura F. Willes Center for Book of Mormon Studies, and the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS).^[2] By 2013, FARMS had become fully absorbed into the institute's Willes Center.

In 2012, a debate was sparked when the Maxwell Institute's former director Gerald Bradford removed Daniel C. Peterson from a long-time editorship of the FARMS Review, shortly after it had been renamed the Mormon Studies Review.^[3] Peterson retained his position as editor of the Middle Eastern Texts Initiative (METI) until resigning in September 2013.^[4]

Under new leadership following Bradford's retirement in 2015, the Maxwell Institute underwent a series of internal and external reviews to determine its future direction.^[5] J. Spencer Fluhman was appointed director in 2016, and the Maxwell Institute began restructuring.^[6] Together with BYU administration and a new advisory board, Fluhman announced a new mission statement in March 2018.^[7]

As part of this restructuring, METI was transferred to the international publisher Brill.^[8] CPART completed its final project in 2017.^[9] The institute also published the Mormon Studies Review from 2013 through 2018, when complete ownership was transferred to the University of Illinois Press.^[10]

In November 2018, BYU announced plans to move the Maxwell Institute into the south wing of BYU's West View Building, taking place in 2020.^[11][12][13]

 

 

[mfbukowski]

On 12/3/2023 at 7:35 PM, bluebell said:

His big contribution was to state that the Hildebrandt lady was the most heavily recommended therapist by bishops, though how he could possibly know that or how that would be measured is never shared. He really didn’t have anything of substance to add to the program and it was weird that he was on it at all.

Agree- first of all, that would be a very local affair- which incidentally I don't find very relevant and tend to avoid on this board.   I mean really-does anyone in Utah care about church gossip in the LA area,  including allegations that church funds might have been used improperly in a non-English speaking ward, resulting into a Stake President walking into a sacrament meeting and actually dismissing a bishop on the spot ?  I have heard such stories which I find ridiculous, but nevertheless, if that was going around in Utah......   it would have been different.   Discussions about racism here etc. would have "broken the internet" 😲

There are dozens of similar stories.

 

[mfbukowski]

1 hour ago, Calm said:

Besides hanging out on this and a couple of other message boards and his blog, Sic et Non, I am not aware of any consistent public online presence (outside of FARMS and FAIR) before Interpreter. I know he posted on a couple of academically oriented invite only elists, but I kept pretty much to the boards so as to keep my addiction in check. 

I don' think that Sic et Non (Latin for "Yes and No) was "his" blog- I think he was just asked to present an LDS pov. on an originally Catholic blog- but I could be wrong about the Catholic part- it may have always been just a general religious blog.

[juliann]

On 12/4/2023 at 6:50 PM, mfbukowski said:

I'm really interested in this post, and your pov, but I am having trouble with the jargon.  Could you please translate for me...?

1. "Bloggernacle types = conservatives?

2. ..."little has stayed static because the issues stay the same. It eventually turns into too many reruns."

3. Dehlin is tough on women?

Sorry to be so out of it. 🥺

Cal answered 2 and 3. The Bloggernacle was the name for liberal LDS blogs, such as Times and Seasons. They were Mormon centered but walked the line, often going over into criticism. They saw themselves as intellectuals (and many were, the discussions could be sophisticated.)  Their participation/influence has decreased just as message boards have. From what I have observed, liberal onliners who stay with the church have thoroughly rejected Dehlin and hls antics, and particularly his problems with racism and misogyny. I think it fair to say that "intellectuals," i.e., those who put in the time to read and analyze,  are repelled by the anti-intellectual sloppiness of unstudied critics even though they are often critical of the church themselves. 

Edited December 7, 2023 by juliann

[mfbukowski]

1 hour ago, juliann said:

Cal answered 2 and 3. The Bloggernacle was the name for liberal LDS blogs, such as Times and Seasons. They were Mormon centered but walked the line, often going over into criticism. They saw themselves as intellectuals (and many were, the discussions could be sophisticated.)  Their participation/influence has decreased just as message boards have. From what I have observed, liberal onliners who stay with the church have thoroughly rejected Dehlin and hls antics, and particularly his problems with racism and misogyny. I think it fair to say that "intellectuals," i.e., those who put in the time to read and analyze,  are repelled by the anti-intellectual sloppiness of unstudied critics even though they are often critical of the church themselves. 

Well said, thanks. I had believed that "Bloggernacle" would be the conservatives, creating for themselves a connection with the choir, "singing" out boldly the figurative "hymns" of the one true church, as they saw them.

 

Edited December 7, 2023 by mfbukowski