NOM

Gospel Doctrine report

Last week I was at a ward activity, and I started talking to the GD Teacher. I told her I was reading up on the lesson, and found some particularly interesting background on Thomas Marsh and Symonds Ryder. So she asked me if I would like to take 5-10 min of class and share what I learned. While she would probably not just ask just anybody to do this, I have a good relationship with her, as she was my RS pres while I was bishop. I gave her A LOT of autonomy while RS President, and she really appreciated it as she shared that with me when I was released and a new bishop was put in who she served with.

Anyway, back to class today. I used John Hammer’s 2009 By Common Consent post as the bases of my presentation, and also Ganeshji Cherian’s post at KiwiMormon.

I started out quoting Pres Uchtdorf’s 2013 talk about why people leave, with emphasis on the “It is not that simple” part of his talk. I then went over the typical milk story, then filled in the background on what really happened. I finished with this statement: “While it is true that Marsh left the church in 1838, and while Milk Stippings may have played a small part in it, the main reason was he was not able to reconcile the Mormon mobs and their looting with the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

I then took up Ryder, and said again it was not his misspelled name that caused him to leave the church, but that it was the coming of the United Order, and his fear of losing his land to the church. I then said it is easy to judge him now for being weak in his testimony, but how many in this class today would freely give all your property to the bishop if he asked for it. I then quoted Uchtdorf again and said “It is not that simple”

I closed by saying that in 35 years of leadership callings in the church, and meeting with literally hundreds of inactive people, and people that have left the church, I did not meet one person that left because they were offended. I said I’ve known people that have left because of the church’s stand on gay marriage, and about honesty issues with church history, but never because they were offended.
I got several comments from the people after class thanking me for giving the whole story. And the teacher asked me to sub for her next month!

Wow super awesome job! I wish you could come sub in my ward. I really enjoyed Mark Staker's writings on Ryder where he points out all the various places where his name is misspelled in other church records including his involvment in other movements. None of those instances offended him and caused him to leave.

Wow, this is excellent. I was nervous about this lesson, but luckily I had a migraine, today. Yes, I'd rather have an extremely painful headache than sit through this lesson. I'm glad it went so well. I'm glad you said you've never met anyone who left because they were offended.

My ward could try to argue that, but I think there's a huge difference between people not liking my haircut, for instance, and a church leaders giving an abusive man the green light to bless the sacrament and participate in the administering of it with the sons he abused. All this from a church that says it doesn't tolerate abuse in any form. Anyway, I don't call it offended. I call it moral outrage, but that's me.

It sounds like you did a really terrific job! I hope we get good reports from others, as well.

Wow. I would love to attend your lesson next month.

Wow-I honestly don't think that would have happened in my ward! I opted not to go today-- all the comments leading up to the GD lesson had me mad about how it might go so I decided to play sick. Thanks for sharing-I loved the way you presented the material. Maybe you should just teach GD here virtually each week

This was a very tough lesson to sit through. I usually have my DW with me, but she was ill and the kids wanted to go to church.

the teacher is the PTA president at the school i work at, so I did not make any waves. Overall, I just saw lots of head nods from the older folks that make up the majority of my ward. I did make the comment that people who leave the church usually have more than just one issue, that could just be the last straw or the only reason we know about.

What really did me in today was staying for EQ (it has been months). It was about Priesthood. Lots of talk about how this church has the Authority and the legitimacy in regards to ordinances because "we know" where the power came from, it came from resurrected beings who walked with Jesus. I only made the comment that we should make sure to include women when we talk about the priesthood and call the RS President by the title President, not sister. I also recommended men only activities, perhaps meet for a wings and watch a game.

I think I am going to take a few weeks off. Perhaps now is the time to walk to a few other churches up the street and see what is going on inside. This one ate me up.

I read something this morning that really gave me comfort about this. Chuang Tze (Taoist philosopher) told a story of the mythical peng bird that was flying very high. The smaller birds saw the peng bird and how high it was flying, didn't understand and started criticizing the peng bird.

A peng bird has been described as a phoenix or a dragon. The type of small bird wasn't explained. The peng bird understood the small bird's perspective, because it had been at that level. In order to get the small birds to understand, the peng bird would have to cease flying, come down to the small birds' level and explain. They would never understand until they undertook a flight of their own. It's best for the peng bird to continue on with it's own flight.

I'm sure there are COB lurkers who consider this story ironic and it could be told in reverse except for the part where they have never been in our position. So, this is a NOM story, not a TBM one. I hope this helps in granting some peace. It's helping me. I realize many of you are married to staunch TBMs, but I know one thing I've heard helps is you know their perspective. They don't know yours. You can better empathize with them.

I'd say more, but work awaits.

My Gospel Doctrine class did get the milk strippings story. I tried to steer it back to the Mormon raid on Gallatin, Missouri but milk strippings kept coming back up. I don't think the milk strippings story will be leaving LDS culture for a long time.