NOM

Dr. Shades wrote: ↑

Thu May 12, 2022 10:58 pm

"POX" = ?

The Policy of Exclusion. It was from the revelation that the children of same-sex marriages could not be members of the Church unless they reached the age of eighteen, formally renounced their parents, and obtained special permission from the Quorum of the Twelve.

The title was a bit confusing since it started as a policy, but Elder Russell Nelson was giving a youth talk in Hawaii and wanted to embellish what he was saying, so he told the audience that the policy was a revelation from God to President Thomas S. Monson. Elder Nelson knew that both a revelation from God and surviving a fiery commercial flight could hold an audience's rapt attention.

The policy was due to the white-hot hatred the Brethren felt when the Obergefell v. Hodges decision was announced by the Supreme Court. It was the Brethren's way of lashing out at those Gays and their children. Knowing how bad the PR optics were for this policy, the apologetics immediately went into action with the explanation that being excluded from membership would spare the children all the ugly and uncouth things the Mormons would say about their parents and themselves.

Four years later, the Church reversed the policy with no mention that it had been elevated to a revelation from God. I suspect they wanted everyone to forget about President Nelson's tall tale embellishment.

The chickensh*ts said they got revelation to change it.

alas wrote: ↑

Sat May 14, 2022 6:58 pm

The chickensh*ts said they got revelation to change it.

And IIRC they claimed to have instigated the revelation to change it because of their great compassion. Don't be so mean you bad old HF. Çue the eye rolls and barf bags.

DPRoberts wrote: ↑

Sat May 14, 2022 10:44 pm

alas wrote: ↑

Sat May 14, 2022 6:58 pm

The chickensh*ts said they got revelation to change it.

And IIRC they claimed to have instigated the revelation to change it because of their great compassion. Don't be so mean you bad old HF. Çue the eye rolls and barf bags.

Yeah, I avoided the disgusting reasons and throwing God under the buss. Sometimes I just don’t want to get started on how disgusting church leader can be. If I get started,you will find me screaming on my soap box, then bursting into frustrated tears.

alas wrote: ↑

Sun May 15, 2022 1:42 pm

Yeah, I avoided the disgusting reasons and throwing God under the buss. Sometimes I just don’t want to get started on how disgusting church leader can be. If I get started,you will find me screaming on my soap box, then bursting into frustrated tears.

Not trying to egg you on. I will say that what disgusted me, even more than throwing God under the bus, was how they blamed the members for not being loving enough so the POX had to be lifted. There were good people just trying to follow their leaders who permanently destroyed relationships. I can't let the good people totally off the hook. They could have done better, but the leadership set up a loyalty test that was ugly in my opinion.

alas wrote: ↑

Sat May 14, 2022 6:58 pm

The chickensh*ts said they got revelation to change it.

And both revelations were for the same reason. To protect the children. What good is prophecy if it can't see 4 years down the road?

moksha wrote: ↑

Sat May 14, 2022 12:36 am

Four years later, the Church reversed the policy with no mention that it had been elevated to a revelation from God.

If I remember correctly, they acted as if they had reversed it, but merely dumped the responsibility on local leaders so the cowardly High Sheriffs can skirt the blame and look like the good guys to members on both sides of the issues. Blame always goes to underlings and faithful followers.

Don't let TSCC fool you, most of the POX is still in play. It has just been rebranded, reworded, and softened a bit, but several core principles are still on the books.

Someone in a same-sex marriage is still considered a sin against god and may be subject to disciplinary councils and may be ex-ed. They did change it from a policy of someone must be ex-ed for being in a same-sex marriage. It is still in the HOI. Now it is a matter of leadership roulette. The practical upshot is that the upper leadership can wash their hands of it and lay all the blame on the local leaders.

The POX was one of the most (if not THE most) disgusting and cruel episodes perpetrated by the Q15 hierarchy in my LDS journey. I turned in my TR when it came out and it pushed me further away. Absolutely horrid. Imagine, targeting little children for the alleged "sins" of the parents. And DENYING them BAPTISM AND CONFIRMATION no less!!! Don't get me started. It basically nullified our second article of faith not to mention that we are punishing LITTLE CHILDREN. Not to mention any sort of semblance of Jesus' teachings? Cruel. And then this whiplash "revelation"? Are you serious? They just look like complete fools and anti-Christs. And as usual--blame everyone and anyone (including God) but themselves because we certainly do not want to show any vulnerability or humility lest the precious testimony of the prophets, seers, and revelators is challenged. I'm so glad I'm done with these men and that my wife is close to being done with them. What a mess!