2014 April General Conference Thread

[MarkGrace]

Indeed. Not sure Grace even attends SS, so I think we are safe.

I think being the ward's most popular primary teacher is keeping me safe!

[Northwestcoug]

I think being the ward's most popular primary teacher is keeping me safe!

I don't know. Seems like the 'most popular (fill in the blank)' has a positive correlation with subsequent apostasy. Be careful!

[snowcat]

any video of this? Which session? I was unable to watch this weekend and IIRC they don't include the musical numbers in the streaming online.

Watch the hearing impaired videos. In the past these included the hymns.

[snowcat]

I wonder if that part will be edited out of Elder Bednar's talk.

When I heard him say that my thought was ooops...

[Blueintheface]

You godless apostates keep your filthy mitts off of Gracie! He is ours.

Grace has made it clear that there's little chance of that. I still like the 20:1 though.

[MarkGrace]

Grace has made it clear that there's little chance of that. I still like the 20:1 though.

Odds of you coming back are better than me leaving. I am the greatest internet HTer that has ever existed, so your resistance is futile.

[Blueintheface]

Odds of you coming back are better than me leaving. I am the greatest internet HTer that has ever existed, so your resistance is futile.

I'll keep working on you too.

The Masters is this week and it's not the same watching it on the DVR. Everybody's watching it live. You should too.

[Donuthole]

I'll keep working on you too.

The Masters is this week and it's not the same watching it on the DVR. Everybody's watching it live. You should too.

lol. Grace hates watching golf. This is the stuff you'd know if you were a better home teacher.

[MarkGrace]

lol. Grace hates watching golf. This is the stuff you'd know if you were a better home teacher.

I feel like he owes me cookies now.

[Blueintheface]

lol. Grace hates watching golf. This is the stuff you'd know if you were a better home teacher.

Like any good host I never let my home teachers talk about themselves. It's about me and my family lest pride sets in. If you were a good home teacher you'd know this stuff.

[RC Vikings]

#1 - Monson (Sun Morning) - Spoke about how the two great commandments are inseparable and how loving our neighbor is the way to love God. I liked this mostly because it broke away from the typical correlated message that the way to love God is to keep his commandments (tithing, WoW, etc.). Very cool to see an emphasis on love, especially in the cyber-ran world we live in today.

I'm happy to hear that TSM went this direction. As I was sitting in the Priesthood session it just seemed to be the same thing over and over again, if your life is not in order clean it up and do what is right. No talks about Christ, his life, his love for us. I have a former riding buddy and professor at BYU-I who recently left the church and on his wife's FB page someone asked her what was going on, she said that they had left and were in a happier place because they were now attending a church where they really felt God's love and caring. People want to be inspired to do well and lifted up. Maybe the church can find a Tony Robbins type to fire up the membership a little.

[Stick]

any video of this? Which session? I was unable to watch this weekend and IIRC they don't include the musical numbers in the streaming online.

You may have already found this, but I am pretty sure this is it:

[Jeff Lebowski]

You have have already found this, but I am pretty sure this is it:

I missed that. Very nice.

[pellegrino]

You may have already found this, but I am pretty sure this is it:

I had not. Thank you very much.

[Green Monstah]

This doesn't have a direct nexus to GC-4/2014, but it's an interesting snippet from Dehlin's FB page. During Oaks' p'hood talk, my mind was swirling a bit as I thought of the people I know who would be hurt by it, but after thinking it through, it started to make sense. If the OW/Progmo/NOM crowd are simply a whiny minority, then why alienate your faithful base who may interpret conciliatory actions as concessions (e.g. those who are taking issue with the website's explanation of the p'hood prohibition)?

Here's the quote:

Edited/enhanced from original version, based on interactions with Brad Kramer and Julie Smith).

A friend of mine has spent some time speaking with LDS General Authorities about liberal and/or disaffected LDS church members...and this is what he's communicated to me about how they (many of the brethren) currently see folks like me/us. I share this just for your information/edification:

"....[some GAs] have divided the church [membership] up into [three groups] based on their engagement with historicity issues with the church. The first group hasn't heard of anything and doesn't have the inclination to even probe. The second has heard of some stuff through family/relatives but doesn't really study or know much about it and doesn't care to. The third group is the group who actually cares about the church's truth claims and wants to have their issues discussed/addressed. Anyway, the gist of the discussion is that the church leadership has discovered--to their delight--that this third group is actually the smallest. They've further accepted that this third group is irredeemable and the church would be better off without them."

Not sure if this is true...but it seems feasible...given my experiences and direct interactions over the past few years.

It. Feels. Like. They. Really. Don't. Want. Us.

I could be wrong, but this is how it feels to me....at least right now.

Elder Jensen told me directly once that the church had concluded that most of those who study the history in depth and lose their testimonies never come back to traditional belief/orthodoxy. That's what I believe is meant by "irredeemable." I believe that as a body, the brethren want to see us: 1) paying tithing, 2) fulfilling callings, 3) being active, 4) going to the temple, etc. And when "irredeemable" is used, I believe that it is being used in that context.

So if we're not doing those things, I believe that organizationally....as administrators...we are likely not of much interest to them (at least programatically). Theoretically I am sure that they love and care about everyone...but from a practical/business standpoint....I am starting to believe that they have decided that we are expendable or not worth making much effort towards. I really do believe that organizationally, they value protecting the 99 over going after the one. Their actions tell me this.

To be honest, if I led an organization, I would feel the same way. I'm not saying they are bad/evil/careless people...only that they have likely made a pragmatic business decision that folks like us aren't worth the effort. To me, their words at General Conference (with the possible exception of Dieter F Uchtdorf), the way they reacted to Ordain Women this past conference, the way the speak about and fight against the rights of LGBT individuals to this day--still....all point to this conclusion.

In my view, the very positive changes they have made (e.g., Joseph Smith Papers project, giving women more visibility, mormonsandgays.org, etc.) are to protect the 99...not to reach out to the 1. I'm making assumptions here...but sometimes we have to do that when there aren't more data. From the messages they send during general conference....and from the treatment I've experienced over the past year at the local level.....this seems likely true to me. It's at least the only way I can explain what I see (though I'm open to new perspectives and/or data).

It seems like they only want us if we defer to their authority -- which is highly suspect right now, given their behavior towards those who are in need.

I respect you, of course, if you see things differently. And if you have more data, I'd love you to share it with me.