Search found 175 matches

by sparky
Tue Sep 20, 2022 6:16 am
Forum: Support
Topic: Mormon Stories Question
Replies: 4
Views: 632

Re: Mormon Stories Question

Oh I see, didn't realize your question was prompted by that episode itself. In that case I don't have any more insight than anyone else. Hopefully it was a mutual decision.
by sparky
Tue Sep 20, 2022 4:28 am
Forum: Support
Topic: Mormon Stories Question
Replies: 4
Views: 632

Re: Mormon Stories Question

John did a "transparency update" episode a week or two ago where he talked about the reasons. You can find it on YouTube. He didn't mention employees specifically or the reasons they aren't there anymore, but basically he said Mormon Stories was doing too much, he and others were getting burned out,...
by sparky
Sat Sep 10, 2022 10:31 am
Forum: Support
Topic: Help declining a sacrament meeting talk
Replies: 26
Views: 2840

Re: Help declining a sacrament meeting talk

Regarding the comments on Trump, vaccinations, etc. One thing I feel fortunate about is that my ward/area is not full of extremists and politics rarely gets brought up. I can only imagine how frustrating that would be based on so many others' experiences I hear about. Then again, it probably would h...
by sparky
Fri Sep 09, 2022 12:34 pm
Forum: Support
Topic: Help declining a sacrament meeting talk
Replies: 26
Views: 2840

Re: Help declining a sacrament meeting talk

But it is high pressure, objectifying, and patronizing. They don't know what works for you, and the way they sent this "assignment" shows that they clearly don't care. Exactly! I know we're all supposed to be good cookie cutter robot Mormons who think and believe the same things, so it doesn't matt...
by sparky
Fri Sep 09, 2022 4:04 am
Forum: Support
Topic: Help declining a sacrament meeting talk
Replies: 26
Views: 2840

Re: Help declining a sacrament meeting talk

Thanks everyone! I was definitely overthinking it as I often do. I ended up just going with a simple, "At this time I'm not able to accept the invitation, but I will let you know if that changes in the future." Thanks for the heads up about over explaining leading to MORE questions, not less. Also I...
by sparky
Thu Sep 08, 2022 9:12 am
Forum: Support
Topic: Help declining a sacrament meeting talk
Replies: 26
Views: 2840

Re: Help declining a sacrament meeting talk

Often when they ask a couple to give a talk, the wife being asked to talk is conditional on her husband talking also. You didn’t say if she was asked to speak also, but if she was, it might help to clarify that she is willing to give a talk and please don’t dis-invite her because the holy priesthoo...
by sparky
Thu Sep 08, 2022 8:44 am
Forum: Support
Topic: Help declining a sacrament meeting talk
Replies: 26
Views: 2840

Re: Help declining a sacrament meeting talk

That looks respectful to me. I'm working through some personal things lately That might open you up to being subject to someone trying to resolve your concerns. If you do end up using that language be prepared for someone trying to figure out why you're declining the invite so they can fix whatever...
by sparky
Thu Sep 08, 2022 7:02 am
Forum: Support
Topic: Help declining a sacrament meeting talk
Replies: 26
Views: 2840

Help declining a sacrament meeting talk

I've been cordially invited to give a sacrament meeting talk, er, I mean regurgitate conference talks in an upcoming sacrament meeting. Now, there may be a (very) few topics that I might be willing to speak about. The assigned topic is not one of them, so I will decline. This is the first time I've ...
by sparky
Wed Sep 07, 2022 5:32 pm
Forum: Support
Topic: How do you stay sane and grounded?
Replies: 12
Views: 1534

Re: How do you stay sane and grounded?

In general, I find that whenever I start feeling off in life, with mounting anxiety and loss of perspective, returning to the Stoics is a pretty reliable way to reground myself. Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius had a lot of shit figured out nearly 2000 years ago.
by sparky
Thu Sep 01, 2022 9:46 am
Forum: Mixed Faith Relationships
Topic: The hits keep coming
Replies: 12
Views: 97706

Re: The hits keep coming

Small update to what I'm sure is an edge-of-your-seat saga. We talked to the BP member in charge of this task, told him we'd discussed it and that twice a month would be too much for us but we'd be willing to try once a month. He said he'd talk to the men up the hierarchy and see if that'd work out....
by sparky
Wed Aug 24, 2022 6:34 am
Forum: Mixed Faith Relationships
Topic: Happy Story
Replies: 3
Views: 13382

Re: Happy Story

That sounds like a beautiful moment! These family connections and parent-child bonds are very human and natural and wonderful. It's horrible how the church hijacks them and claims sole proprietorship over family ties. It's great that your mom is seeing past the Mormon lens to what is actually there ...
by sparky
Tue Aug 23, 2022 12:51 pm
Forum: Mixed Faith Relationships
Topic: The hits keep coming
Replies: 12
Views: 97706

Re: The hits keep coming

I think the once a month thing is great, any pushback you guys give against doing whatever you are told is a step in the right direction. Have you considered accepting together, and then you never teach? You are doing the calling together, you go to support her, but since this is her thing you just...
by sparky
Tue Aug 23, 2022 6:41 am
Forum: Mixed Faith Relationships
Topic: The hits keep coming
Replies: 12
Views: 97706

The hits keep coming

Not sure if I'm asking for advice or just need a place to collect my thoughts with people who understand. My wife and I have been released from our primary teaching calling. For a few glorious seconds, I was free of any obligation to the church. But they can't let anyone not feel obligated for too l...
by sparky
Fri Aug 12, 2022 6:41 am
Forum: Support
Topic: Backfire effect vs Reactance
Replies: 2
Views: 741

Backfire effect vs Reactance

I was listening to the latest episode of the You Are Not So Smart podcast, episode 237 on the psychological phenomenon called "reactance." The host, David McRaney, describes the effect starting at ~7:20 to ~12 minutes in the podcast, but here's his basic definition: An innate bodily, automatic visce...
by sparky
Thu Aug 11, 2022 12:29 pm
Forum: Support
Topic: No more “tithing settlement…”
Replies: 23
Views: 3188

Re: No more “tithing settlement…”

Sometimes I think The Brethren are using 1984 as a manual rather than a cautionary tale.

But in seriousness, it's nice to give the bishops more time for the holidays, and that's the only thing this changes, so it's a good step in my book. At least they avoided calling it "historic" or "revelation"
by sparky
Fri Aug 05, 2022 12:09 pm
Forum: Support
Topic: Church Statement on AP article - training of those who work with children?
Replies: 12
Views: 1574

Re: Church Statement on AP article - training of those who work with children?

..but it's something the church can point to and say, "look, we do stuff!" Which is the only reason they even did this...like so much in LDS culture it is all about the appearance over the substance. -lost Yes, and I should also note that the timing was clearly a response to the Prophet Sam Young's...
by sparky
Fri Aug 05, 2022 11:22 am
Forum: Support
Topic: Church Statement on AP article - training of those who work with children?
Replies: 12
Views: 1574

Re: Church Statement on AP article - training of those who work with children?

I had to do the training once when I started a primary teaching calling three years ago, and I think it had only recently started then. I don't know what they mean by "every few years," I'm still in the same calling and haven't had to do it again. It's really inadequate for the magnitude of the prob...
by sparky
Wed Aug 03, 2022 7:24 am
Forum: Mixed Faith Relationships
Topic: Baby steps: First time missing church for no "good" reason
Replies: 8
Views: 14544

Re: Baby steps: First time missing church for no "good" reason

I was pretty lucky, at the end of 2019 the primary president sent a text asking if I would like to keep teaching the following year. I responded that I did not, and was released pretty quickly. I discussed it with DW before responding, and by that time she had had enough time to expect that this wo...
by sparky
Fri Jul 29, 2022 8:13 am
Forum: Support
Topic: Renlund story makes me mad
Replies: 18
Views: 2557

Re: Renlund story makes me mad

The first paragraph is classic Mormon ethnocentrism and arrogance: In the Lord’s Church today, experienced priesthood holders work with those with less experience. I had a wonderful service opportunity that demonstrated why the Lord uses this pattern to establish the Church. Oh you mean the same "pa...
by sparky
Wed Jul 20, 2022 1:37 pm
Forum: Support
Topic: Thoughts after visiting Utah
Replies: 14
Views: 2248

Re: Thoughts after visiting Utah

wtfluff wrote:
Wed Jul 20, 2022 11:04 am

And I've also heard/read that there actually are Soda Shops outside of Utah, so ya'll need to quit with the loud laughter and speaking evil of the Lard's Theocracy. :ugeek:
You reminded me of this NY Times article from last December. Soda Shops have hit the big time!