Whatever happened to Julie Rowe and the end of the world?

[Spicy McHaggis]

I haven't heard of any bold end-time prophecies lately. Has she finally come to the conclusion that she's full of it? It is because the religious party is back in the White House?

[MalcolmVillager]

The latest Mormon Stories Podcast about the bubble chart mentioned that she may be in Missouri working in the general Christian end of the world movement.

I have a close friend who convinced me to read one of those wacky books. He bought it all hook line and sinker. He was in a bishopric at the time. He never left, but hung out with that crowd quite a bit. I told him that the white tent sale would come soon, a sure enough it did. There is always a financial angle in the end.

[Corsair]

Occasionally I will venture over in to the LDS Freedom Forum. It uses similar forum software but the discussion content is radically different. I do not post on that forum because trolling the credulous is not particularly ethical nor entertaining to me.

My feeling is that Julie Rowe, and other visionary types, show up and generate interest within discussion groups like LDSFF for a while. A lot of discussion on these new ideas will be in place until Julie stops posting and the discussion will simmer down. She stops talking and the group simply stops discussing her ideas quite as actively. It never really goes away, but it never gets resolved either.

My own mother has been following her at a low level for some time and I don't feel a need to emotionally burden her with the years of failed prophecies that apocalyptic prophets have reported. As long as Mom simply stops talking about some issue on her own accord I simply have better things to do rather that conduct a well deserved post mortem.

Here is one example. I attended my stake pioneer trek in 2004 as an adult leader. I actually enjoyed my experience as the event was well organized and I was still a strong believer. We did use handcarts and my mother showed some interest in these sturdy conveyances. She asked if I could buy one for my own use because we would need one soon. I kindly ignored the matter. The last 13 years has seen plenty of political silliness, but nothing that resulted in needing a ridiculous handcart. I'm simply glad that my mother stopped talking about it.

For apocalyptic prophets in general, the only way that a final, definitive pronouncement will occur, would be when Jesus Christ Himself returns and sets everyone in order. LDSFF is quite confident that this will be "soon enough". I think most of NOM is planning for "never". Until that happens, the discussion will continue and the latest apocalyptic prophets will continue to aggressively rise then passively disappear.

[oliver_denom]

What's happened to Sister Rowe is the same thing that happens to all dooms day prophets. Their predictions fail, followers leave, but those who stay invent ways to keep believing and become even more convinced. These movements are not based in realism, they are based in fanaticism. Predictions about the future are nothing more than a tool for ramping up enthusiasm and the euphoria of being a part of something important. Once one prediction fails, its off to the next, because it's about the experience not the outcome.

[Rob4Hope]

Had a friend who got into Rowe,...and I read her book and even attended a "fireside" she did up in the Brigham Tabernacle (whatever that is called). It had about 200 people in attendance, and was nothing new that wasn't already out there in the BloggerNacle.

For a while I also was on the LDSAVOW site (as I was looking for a home). Got myself blasted out there, told I was an apostate, basically going to hell, and the whole 9 yards. It was fascinating that the 14 Points was used directly against what I was saying, even tough I backed up what I was saying pretty darn good.

It was at that point my understanding of "faith and reality" began to crystallize -- there are groups of people who will invent anything they can to hold onto something that is sensational, even when failure after failure happens. And then there are a group of people (myself included now) who look at those people with puzzled understanding--a group of people who will prepare, spend, fret, and plan, all based on failed predictions that happen over and over.

Julie made some pretty big predictions. And the AVOWERS also had a time when they were convinced, last year, there would be a massive earthquake along the wasatch front, that the "point of the mountain" was going to slide off, and there would be massive flooding. There were multiple people who had "dreams" about this,...but didn't happen.

For a while there I was honestly tempted to take on another psudo-name and get into the site, while manufacturing a "dream" myself...and see just how gullible those folks were. I decided against it, because I already knew the answer. I mean,...look at what L. Ron Hubbard has accomplished?

WOW...there is a new succor born every day...(and sorry to sound harsh...but this is reality to me). My only defense with my involvement with the TBM group was that during my time, I didn't know there was alternate information available. Once I found that out and read it...IMMEDIATELY I began to suspect I'd been duped--and the deception performed on me was that the information I had access to was controlled.

Church can't control the info any more...but they can use fear and wrath threats to control. The "dooms-dayers" seem to thrive on the latest Chicken Little scenario.

[Hagoth]

We did use handcarts and my mother showed some interest in these sturdy conveyances. She asked if I could buy one for my own use because we would need one soon.

They're becoming popular with preppers, sometimes under the name "bug-out wheels"

[Corsair]

We did use handcarts and my mother showed some interest in these sturdy conveyances. She asked if I could buy one for my own use because we would need one soon.

They're becoming popular with preppers, sometimes under the name "bug-out wheels"

I don't want to disparage basic civil preparedness. While a year supply might not be realistic, having a good 72 hour kit really is a good idea, especially if you live in a place with any chance of war, earthquake, flood, or fire. Refugees could certifiably use a cart like this in many cases. However, I am inclined to think that a handcart would be the last item to acquire in disaster prep. Being healthy and in shape would be a better goal as well as having bank savings. Having experience as a camper and backpacker would be arguably a better plan. Once all those are in place then maybe a utility cart might be a final line of defense.

[Rob4Hope]

If this "dooms-day" stuff ever really happened, I think a colt 45 and 100 rounds of ammo would be my first pic.

AND THAT my friend, is a whole different level of "prepping"...that gets outta hand IMHO.

[HighMaintenance]

We did use handcarts and my mother showed some interest in these sturdy conveyances. She asked if I could buy one for my own use because we would need one soon.

They're becoming popular with preppers, sometimes under the name "bug-out wheels"

This would come in handy during hunting season if you shot an elk in a spot that you legally can't drive your vehicle into the forest to retrieve.

[Korihor]

If this "dooms-day" stuff ever really happened, I think a colt 45 and 100 rounds of ammo would be my first pic.

I guess I'm ready for several "dooms-days"