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I looked up the words “Ann Pfeffer’s statement about John Dehlin” and this is all I found: https://www.tiktok.com/discover/Anne-peffer-john-dehlin . She complained that John is practicing marriage and family therapy without a license. He has a degree but not a license.Roy, thanks for the reference to the website. Haha. I can go to the site, but I thought you would be able to click on everything and gets some actual information. It just looks like pictures. Old-Timer, I agree. The Gospels are interesting that way. Some leave in certain details of Jesus Christ and His apostles, while others leave those out and add in new ones. Thanks, Nibbler, for sharing your perspective. I try to give people the benefit and not judge them harshly or condemn them. At the same time, the Lord says we all need to use discernment, although that’s different discussion entirely. I think I understand what you’re saying. I agree what saying. I agree that there’s some wiggle room with being honest and being open, especially when it comes to defense lawyers and people that do undercover work for the government, the military, and law enforcement, even though being deep undercover for long periods can be incredibly stressful for those people involved. I apologize if I seemed like I trying to say that honesty means that you’re always an open book to all people at all times. I really wasn’t trying to say that at all. I also agree that history is a condensed version of past events. You’re right. Nobody who writes or tells history will want or will be able to write or tell every single little detail. I’ve tried when I’ve written in my journal before. Hahah. It’s not even possible.
I just believe the telling of certain events could have been handled a little bit better, but, then again, as the saying goes, it is what it is.
Perhaps there are specific examples that have been made by Elder Oaks that you might want to examine more closely.Well, one of the statements Nemo was referring to is where (I know this a sensitive issue, as Staylds has stated several time before) Oaks claimed he didn’t about conversion therapy going on at BYU when he was the school’s president, but ends up saying later on that he knew about it. Which is it, President Oaks? With a different apostle, Elder Ballard, he claims in one video that the church hasn’t hid the true church history from its members, but then in another video he claims the opposite.
I really don’t want this to become an argument. I’m just expressing what I understand in the best way I know how.
Sorry, I meant serious corruption in the system that needs to be addressed. I typed “arrested” by mistake. Sorry about that. Haha. What I mean by that is when the brethren, General Authorities individually, and local leaders are guilty of being regularly dishonest or other bad behavior. It just seems in many Mormon Stories episodes the way these things are dealt with are just either not take very seriously or even in Nemo The Mormon’s (He’s a young English member of the church that’s been on Mormon Stories and has his own YouTube channel) case when he chose not the First Presidency because of Oaks’ several dishonest statements. He even wrote Oaks mails back and forth regarding the statements and Oaks kept referring him to a Fair article about the statements he was talking about, instead of actually addressing. Now, I realize everyone, even truly honest people, have been of and will be guilty of some form of dishonesty, a little or huge. But, being regularly dishonest with others is a cause for concern.
So, I was really meaning that I wish there were better ways in the church with dealing with that type of corruption. I wasn’t talking about if the gospel wasn’t taught in it’s pure form. I agree with you there that you’re better off keeping quite.
Thank you, everyone, for the comments. It just gets hard for me after awhile to be bombarded almost constantly with hearing stories from Mormon Stories about people resigning from the church or being excommunicated from it and hearing Bill Reel picking apart so much of church doctrine just to prove Mormonism isn’t true. Roy, I agree completely. The church and questioners both have been burned pretty badly. Leadership roulette from the top to bottom either makes these things better or worse when it comes to this. More often than not, it seems to make it worse. I just wish we better ways within the church system to makes better. I know there’s sustaining and not sustaining people in the church, but in too many cases not sustaining is take seriously when it comes to not sustaining the brethren. Especially cases where there might some serious corruption in the system that needs to be arrested.
Well, through a lot of this, prayer and practicing meditation daily has helped me and is continuing to help me be patient and find peace through all this.
🙂 Sorry it took a bit a long to respond, but I didn’t easily distracted with other things. That’s why I didn’t say anything sooner. Roy and Old-Timer, thank you very much for your comments. I agree with you, Roy. Momentum is such an important thing when doing anything, especially with moving the work forward in the church. However, speaking of momentum, both of our sister missionaries got transferred out of the ward. That means we don’t have any full-time in the ward just hopefully until the next transfer. My ward mission leader and elders quorum first counselor don’t know why we don’t have any new missionaries yet.
But, other than that, I’ve been doing okay getting back into activity in the ward.
🙂 I just want to let you know things are going lately. Lately, I’ve been more active in church and serving in my calling as a ward missionary. I originally thought it be harder for me than what it has been so far after having a faith transition in regards to the church. Part of me doesn’t really care if people get converted and baptized into the church or if inactive members of the church get reactivated. What I generally care more about is if people are to grow spiritually, have spiritual relationships with God, and find purpose in their lives. If that means activity in the church, following the church’s standards, and performing ordinances, then I think that’s great. Even though I don’t agree with all the standards and teachings in the church, I feel God has led me back to activity in the church. I do meditation with my prayer and scripture study. Meditation helps me so much to quiet my mind. I am trying to read some other spiritual sources other than the standard works. Right now, I have a calling as a ward missionary. The ward mission leader is a good friend of mine, and I really like that. After having my faith shift in the church, fulfilling my calling isn’t as hard as I thought it would be. The ward has sister missionaries, so I don’t have to worry about being asked to go on splits to testify of any teachings I don’t agree with. (Splits aren’t allowed anymore, period, I believe) Yeah, I know there was a General Authority that said once that the gaining of a testimony is in the bearing of it, but that can be really difficult if you have had a major faith shift, since so much stock is put in the church.
Trying to get through some of the lessons in priesthood meetings based off General Conference talks can be a bit hard, depending on the talk. On the other hand, I really don’t mind Sunday School, Gospel Doctrine class. I feel I have more leeway in how I study and interpret the standard works, even if we’ve only had the same standard works for years.
Anyway, I just wanted to keep everyone posted on how I’m doing. Feel free to post any comments, questions, or advice you have.
That’s great, Roy. I’m glad you were able to ordain your son. I agree with you. As you mentioned, leadership roulette has a lot to do with that. I don’t think your overthinking it, AmyJ. It looks like you got a great plan there. I don’t have any kids at the moment, so I know I don’t have the things you’re talking about. However, if I had them, I don’t know if I would be able to function like you mentioned with her kids. It might be a little too stressful for me. Anyway, I hope and pray it’ll work out for you and your family. Keep us all posted here. Thanks, AmyJ. It makes a little more sense what you’re talking about this time. Hahah. I liked what you shared about how you feel about Charlie Brown Christmas now. I still enjoy it from time to time, though. One old animated I like to this day is Rudolph The Rednosed Reindeer. It’s interesting how progressive that movie seems to me. Traditions also change. Probably sometime after we die and kids and grandkids are still alive, some many new traditions will exist in the church that we probably existed when we were alive. Haha. 😆 Roy, thank you for the comments. I agree. Last week, I joined a writing group in my small college town that writes and critiques short stories and poetry. I’m good friends with the woman that runs the group, and it was great to get back into a writing group to take part of its activities. Our next meeting isn’t until next month, so I’ve got some writing to look over from the members of the group and to work on my short story until then. AmyJ, thanks for what you said about infirmity, even if some of it’s a little over my head. Haha. It’s okay, though. I think I get what you were trying to say. Yes, many people, especially communities, don’t like momentum breakers. There are times when I’ve had a great momentum going on when doing certain things and something would happen that would break that momentum. More often than not, I just get annoyed. And you offered some good questions on that: “But what if you refuse to see your deviation from what is expected as “being infirm”? What if you don’t want to be “healed”?” Those are some things to think about.
