Real or really hopeful?

[Brent]

http://www.confessionofanapostle.org

New to me.

[jfro18]

No chance this is real - these old white dudes aren't going to launch as a website to announce they're leaving the Q12.

"The jig is up, my Brothers and Sisters." -- No chance.

Where did you come across it?

[Brent]

Fever dream. Somebody put some hours into it. The segue into "the church isn't true" is really awkward.

[Corsair]

I truly have no faith that this is real. It would be an absolute bombshell and would be a delightfully strange part of general conference for this mystery apostle to not speak in conference or even give an amazing final talk. Conference is in a week and surely this would be an appropriate venue for proving the identity of this apostle. As Carl Sagan wisely said:

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence

Among the things in which I hold faith, this apostolic apostasy is surely not one of them.

[jfro18]

I would run up and down the streets naked if this happened - that's how sure I am that it's not real.

Look... if an apostle is ever going to leave the church, they would never completely torch it like this. Could you imagine?

Maybe a bishop... maybe even a stake pres... but a GA?

No chance. And they certainly wouldn't tease it like that and link to a ton of Mormon Stories, RFM, Bill Reel, CES Letter type material in the process.

[wtfluff]

"Signed"

Anonymous - for now

I for one, welcome our new Elder Anonymous...

Wait...

On second thought: I for one, join the others in this thread with being extremely skeptical.

Whoever registered the domain was at least smart enough to use one of those "Privacy" registrars to protect their identity from geeks like me who will at least dedicate 10 seconds of research time.


Dear "Anonymous" Apostle: Step it up, and tell the truth to the world, like the apostles of old supposedly did. (Otherwise, this is just wishful thinking by someone who has too much time on their hands. Is Jonathan Streeter up to shenanigans again?)

[jfro18]

The *only* reason i think this could be true is that it looks so obviously fake that I can't believe someone would spend that much time creating a website that will ultimately go nowhere.

I would say the odds of this being true are about the odds that Joseph Smith actually got the Book of Abraham right, but prove me wrong I guess.

[FiveFingerMnemonic]

Streeter! Is that you again? Didn't you learn your lesson about the fake apology letter?

[Kishkumen]

No chance this is real - these old white dudes aren't going to launch as a website to announce they're leaving the Q12.

"The jig is up, my Brothers and Sisters." -- No chance.

Where did you come across it?

Dido

[Hagoth]

If this was an apostle finally coming clean, unburdening himself, and coming to terms with his previous deceptions would he do it anonymously, knowing that it would immediately be written off as a fake by both believers and nonbelievers?

Besides, I could not detect any German grammar in it.

[Just This Guy]

I would say this is most likely in the same vein as the Church's 'Apology for the Priesthood Ban'.

[moksha]

I would say this is most likely in the same vein as the Church's 'Apology for the Priesthood Ban'.

Perhaps from the same guy. I doubt anyone who makes it to that cushy level is going to blow a gig that gives them an unlimited credit card just to pursue an interest in truth.

[Just This Guy]

I would say this is most likely in the same vein as the Church's 'Apology for the Priesthood Ban'.

Perhaps from the same guy. I doubt anyone who makes it to that cushy level is going to blow a gig that gives them an unlimited credit card just to pursue an interest in truth.

Isn't part of what happens when someone is called as a Q12 is that they have to sign over the property rights for their house to the church? I thought I read that somewhere.

If that is true, while I'm sure there is some logical tax reason for doing so, there is a rather insidious control mechanism that goes along with that. If a Q12 were to leave the church and go apostate, then the church could literally kick them out of their house and put them out onto the street in addition to loosing their cushy pension. The church has pretty powerful control over their financial lives if they do choose to leave. Anyone who ever tries would have to do major work to be able to financially survive.

That's not even touching whatever sort of NDA they have to sign.

[RubinHighlander]

I'm guessing TSCC would go beyond Kirton and McConkie on action against a COB15 going rogue, we are talking covert Porter Rockwell provides an untimely death. Perdition clauses probably abound and are very up front at the 15 level. It would not just be social suicide, it would be the end of life financially and probably mortally. Based on Grant Palmer's disclosure of a 70 who confided in him, there's just one way out...death.

[jfro18]

Even if an apostle realized the church was a lie, they wouldn't do it this way. Their entire family is likely wrapped up in the church and they've spent their entire lives making friends with (most of) these people to get to where they are.

If an apostle truly lost faith... they would go out with a whimper and not with a bang. Beyond the legal reasons, it would take balls of steel to not just walk away but to set it on fire.

I would love it... there would not be enough popcorn in Kolob for me... but there's just no possible way this is legit.

PROVE ME WRONG, UNIVERSE.

[FiveFingerMnemonic]

I would say this is most likely in the same vein as the Church's 'Apology for the Priesthood Ban'.

Perhaps from the same guy. I doubt anyone who makes it to that cushy level is going to blow a gig that gives them an unlimited credit card just to pursue an interest in truth.

Yes Jonathan Streeter from Thoughts on Things and Stuff blog for sure. At least the same style as his prior letter. He got a lot of pushback from offended black members on that one.

[wtfluff]

Besides, I could not detect any German grammar in it.

Nor flying references?

(I just skimmed over it, and likely will do no more than that.)

[Brent]

I find the lack of the pronoun "we" odd.

[2bizE]

Love it. Wish it were real, but would like to use this myself someday.
One thing I noticed is that it says the Q12 are Special Witnesses of Christ. They actually are Special witnesses of the Name of Christ.

[moksha]

Isn't part of what happens when someone is called as a Q12 is that they have to sign over the property rights for their house to the church? I thought I read that somewhere.

If that is true, while I'm sure there is some logical tax reason for doing so, there is a rather insidious control mechanism that goes along with that.

When some of the past salaries for the Q12 were revealed on Mormon Leaks, there was a mysterious parsonage allotment. Perhaps that was part of a tax scheme that allowed an extra or deductible payment for the Brethren.