Conference Report and Analysis

[Red Ryder]

Poor TSM.

I don't know. I'm really liking the short talks. Too bad they weren't all that short.

[moksha]

That talk of "training on covenant-keeping for a sinless generation" bordered on the weird. Seemed like shew as getting ready to say, "groom them so they might obey".

[MoPag]

If only she could talk about raising stain resistant children... Think of the laundry savings!

Now that would be a heavenly message!!

[MoPag]

That talk of "training on covenant-keeping for a sinless generation" bordered on the weird. Seemed like shew as getting ready to say, "groom them so they might obey".

Yep it was weird. And the message to keep covenants because you said you would...? Shouldn't you understand what you are covenanting and keep it out of a desire to do so? It's like she's saying "don't think, just do."

[redjay]

Since the title of this thread includes "Analysis", I have an observation. Thanks to Meilingkie I think we have the subtext for Uchdorf's priesthood talk. He would naturally be more attuned to and concerned about changes in Europe. The fact that hundreds of units will be dissolved/merged means that there will be hundreds fewer branch presidents, bishops, relief society, elders quorum, young men, young women, and all manner of presidents and presidencies. I had to ask myself why something so thoroughly ingrained in a lifelong member such as myself, the notion of never aspiring to "callings" and considering all service equal in the eyes of god, required such a belabored treatment. Thanks to NOM I have better insight into what may be driving some of the messages.

Interesting observation. Talking of seeking for station: current bishop here was brought up with his mum talking about his future 'church career' his dad is an ex-bishop and his brother is a bishop. When I heard the term 'church career' it was almost unfathomable to me: went against everything I have ever been taught or thought. Anyway we won't be shutting down soon, still get about 60 out (halved I reckon in a decade) and the only other ward in our town is on prime real estate - so I reckon they would go first, but they have the stake centre so maybe I am wrong.

[Rob4Hope]

Every time I see a pic of the GAs...it looks like a staged photo-op. I see plastic smiles worn like masks covering what lies beneath.

I am reminded of the pic of the Horrah Jester. I can't NOT see that when I look at these guys pics...and to be honest, it freaks me out BAD!

[The Beast]

Even though I am fully out to parents and immediate family, I figured I'd tune in (on the evil internet) for a few minutes this morning in case my well-meaning mom asks if I listened to any of conference. Stan has apparently taken over the Comcast internet because my feed is the sheeites. All the stuttering and glitching is making conference like a bad auto-tuned song of some sort. I'm out (again).

[MoPag]

Wow Rasband has really grown. He usually gushes about the other GAs but now he has moved on to gushing about himself giving apostolic blessings and chastising missionaries.

Also Rasband, why didn't YOU get up and talk to that golden family?

[cpy911]

Listened to Rasbands talk. I feel it can be dangerous to simplying annoying to attribute first feelings as the spirit and take action on them. We need to use our intellect before acting on impulses. It makes Mormons come off as acting strangely to outsiders. So strange.

[GoodBoy]

I guess the underlying thing that just makes me crazy while watching snippets of conference is that they are all so smugly confident is something that just isn't right.

I wish we could require all members to also listen to other religious leaders from 5-6 very different religions while they are similarly preaching exactly opposing doctrines with similar self-confidence.

I wish all members were required to go spend a religious holiday with a humble and devout Muslim family, or a Hindu family, and listen to them bear their own testimonies of the truthfulness of Islam and Hinduism and how they pitied all of those who weren't similarly enlightened like they were, or blessed to be born into a family and culture that taught them the truth.

[SIWL]

But one thing I was struck by at this conference is the contradictions of big tent mormonism - on the one hand, you have Holland calling for more compassion, and even used the (gasp ) GAY word in conference, but then IN THE SAME TALK, warned people not to be too individualistic. Then Renlund and of course Dieter decrying ladder climbers and those who don't care for the poor, even Monson's two minute talk was about charity, yet still have authoritarian talks from Anderson and some of the seventies, like that one guy who said the brethren speak for Jesus.

I think this has always been the case more or less. Members are encouraged to pray, attend the temple if possible, and ponder things that we want answers to before the weekend conference. Amazingly, those answers will come at some point during the conference - but maybe not so amazing when you see how often so many angles are covered in one way or another. Self fullfilling prophecy at it's finest. Just like preparing a talk or lesson. Just think about what point you want to make and sure enough - you can find quotes from GA's that will back your point.

[FiveFingerMnemonic]

Uctdorf on church sleep. The reason people sleep is because we're only fed correlated baby food doctrine and history. The church wants us in a zombie like trance state so we don't find new discovery exciting. It took an existential crisis to motivate me to even crack open a book like Rough Stone Rolling.

[w2mz]

I guess the underlying thing that just makes me crazy while watching snippets of conference is that they are all so smugly confident is something that just isn't right.

I wish we could require all members to also listen to other religious leaders from 5-6 very different religions while they are similarly preaching exactly opposing doctrines with similar self-confidence.

I wish all members were required to go spend a religious holiday with a humble and devout Muslim family, or a Hindu family, and listen to them bear their own testimonies of the truthfulness of Islam and Hinduism and how they pitied all of those who weren't similarly enlightened like they were, or blessed to be born into a family and culture that taught them the truth.

^^Totally this. What a cool idea. And what is to fear if the church is really true?

I've been watching my TBM DW writing pages of notes and I wonder really what she is writing that she hasn't already heard or written a thousand times before. GC is just a masturbatory meeting where the old white men, and a token foreigner and a woman or two, quote each other over and over with pablum to keep the chapel mormons in line, paying their tithing and obeying without question.

When DHO said that we don't believe in the trinitarian view of the godhead, I said to my wife, "At first we did". She scowled at me so I shut my mouth like a good husband.

This sucks.

[Not Buying It]

Wow Rasband has really grown. He usually gushes about the other GAs but now he has moved on to gushing about himself giving apostolic blessings and chastising missionaries.

Also Rasband, why didn't YOU get up and talk to that golden family?

He's so full of himself. The vibe you get from him is he 100% feels he deserves to be an apostle. "Yep, I'm rockin' this apostle thing, that's how I roll baby. Give a few apostolic blessings here, make a few missionaries feel like crap there, I'm the man! You wish you were as special as me!"

[Anon70]

That talk of "training on covenant-keeping for a sinless generation" bordered on the weird. Seemed like shew as getting ready to say, "groom them so they might obey".

Doesn't this negate the need for a savior and the atonement? I hate these kinds of comments. It's impossible to be sinless. Especially by their definitions of sins. Just creates more anxiety and guilt.

[redjay]

[/quote]

GC is just a masturbatory meeting where the old white men, and a token foreigner and a woman or two, quote each other over and over with pablum to keep the chapel mormons in line, paying their tithing and obeying without question.


[/quote]

I was listening earlier and at one point felt quite inspired - i then remembered my day to day experience over the last 25 years and came to my senses.

[MoPag]

Random 12 "Hey Random 70, Will you give the closing prayer for Sunday morning GC?"

Random 70: "You mean a talk within a prayer? Sure I can do that!"

[FiveFingerMnemonic]

Well it's raining in Utah today. Everybody knows that's just God trying to get people to watch his servants in GC.

[MoPag]

Christopherson GURL, you are a mess.

[nibbler]

Had anyone else noticed the trend in the Mormon leaks documents where the authorities advocate for leaders to take a slow approach to discipline and then say "the members may resign their membership?" I have read that in several of the documents. It's almost as if they just hope the problem will go away on its own if they ignore it for long enough.

My inner cynic says that it's bad PR if you excommunicate gay people and others that are deemed undesirables but if they resign it makes for better optics.