An interesting training

[Meilingkie]

Our stake held a training for teacher yesterday.
So all teachers were there and the stake SsPrez gave a talk about losing his testimony.
About becoming a NOM and how and why he's still in Church.
1. He has a testimony of Christ
2. His life is totally about the Church and He didn't want to risk losing it
He mentioned the realisation he was lied to by the brethren devastated him and his DW.
However the thought of his Children being in, and him being out was unsufferable.
So He sucked it up for 3 years and regained a new testimony, one of Christ.
No longer one of the Church and the Prophets.
It bowled over many people attending.
Here was a TR carrying leader, former bishop and counselor of a SP telling this in the open.
A man of very considerable means, convert and Raised in an orphanage.

Then the word was given to our emeritus professor Anthropology, a former Stakepresident to boot, who as SP and later published in Dialogue.
Who said the Church is now dying because of the bad teachings and manuals.
The Stake is hemorraging members now, from the bottom as usual due to bad retention.
However it's also losing members from the top in leadershippositions.
Bishops, high Councillors, Stakepresidents and even Authorities.
The crisis is real and deeper than many realise.
He called for us to rise up, and teach truth.
Because people don't care for the facts, but do care for truth.
Facts never hurt anyone, lies however do.
Telling lies or telling a varnished wateren down version of the facts is Lying.
And the coming generations won't stand for it.
If the Church continued this way Holland Will be reduced to just 1 stake in 2030 He Warner"d
Then He preceded to give a lecture on the various accounts of the first vision.
He then mentioned: if this makes your head spin, well when you know the rest........

And the counselor in the stakepresidency grew white and whiter till He resembled a sheet of paper.

My best buddy regaled all of this, He called me almost at midnight and said: 2 years ago I was in the stakepresidency, I never ever thought this was possible.
The Church in Holland is done for:

[Korihor]

please keep us posted as this develops.

[fh451]

Wow! Who woulda thought? But really, there aren't many options left. Good on him!!

fh451

[No Tof]

This is so cool.

I wonder if this will ever happen where I live?

[Zack Tacorin Dos]

Meilingkie,

Thank you for filling us in on the goings on there. I'm shocked by this report, but favorably impressed. It takes courage to admit what has been admitted in the meeting you reported on.

I hope the LDS Church in general goes this direction sooner, rather than later. But, it's tough for the general leaders to even consider this. They have a history of denying and ignoring the truth relative to Church history, Church claims vs. science, and internal inconsistencies. Add to this the example of what happened to the Community of Christ Church (formerly Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or RLDS) as it took less literal, legalistic, and traditional interpretations of doctrine and scripture, and the general leaders of the Salt Lake City branch of the restoration are in a tight spot.

In spite of the likely fallout for admitting the truth, admitting the truth is just the right thing to do. It would empower the average member to practice what is beneficial to them. It would provide better information for members and prospective members to make choices about the Church. I think it would put a benevolent Christ back into the focus of the teachings and practices of the Church.

I don't see this happening in my life time, but I hope I'm wrong on that.

Please do keep us posted as things develop there--so interesting.

Thanks,
Zack

[Meilingkie]

It´s very interesting indeed, especially since the SP is a hardliner, and he wasn+t there.
This might have serious repercussions.

[hmb]

This brings back some of the sadness I felt when first battling with dissent. Though I am happier now and feel free to live life, it is still hard to take. Weird because beyond some anger and sadness, walking away was pretty easy. Maybe it's just a soft spot for those who are so entrenched. Sometimes I just want the LDS people to GET IT, but I don't wish the following, inner conflict on anyone.

[Ghost]

Wow, I have not seen any evidence of this sort of thinking in my area, but I like to imagine what it would be like to have another local NOM around to talk with.

[Mormorrisey]

Man, I'm not sure what to think now. Apparently Elder Ballard spoke to the Northern Europe area, and things are just peachy, and he congratulated the area for how great they're doing. Surely he wouldn't exaggerate?

https://wheatandtares.org/2017/03/09/no ... cast-2017/

What I find interesting is that he says all these great things about your area, and then talks about the dangers in people thinking bad things about prophets and the kind of thinking THAT YOUR TRAINING TURNED INTO!! Amazing. Either he's a prophet, or things aren't as rosy as they want to portray. Good thing we have people on the ground saying what's REALLY going on. Thanks for the report!

[FiveFingerMnemonic]

This is effing amazing. It won't happen in my area for 50 years if ever though.

[redjay]

IF the church has a future in Europe in 10 -20 years: this is it. Complete honesty, acceptance and freedom of belief and interpretation, while keeping an association within mormonism. I fear that if I was to be as open as this I would find myself marginalised pretty darn quick. Oh, and hello - first post.

[sparky]

Wow, this is really amazing. I would be shocked and encouraged if something like this happened in my area, where we just had stake and ward conference with nary a whisper of anything about members leaving. Except for a brief rant against the internet by the area authority.

Thanks for keeping us updated!

[2bizE]

I find this very enlightening. This is where the church needs to go. For members to feel comfortable enough to share their NOM testimony to a group at church. A testimony of Christ and not of 15 earthly men...

[Meilingkie]

Man, I'm not sure what to think now. Apparently Elder Ballard spoke to the Northern Europe area, and things are just peachy, and he congratulated the area for how great they're doing. Surely he wouldn't exaggerate?

Northern Europe: Sweden, Norway, FInland and Denmark.
Remember the Swedish Rescue, Ballard is glossing over a great many things.

[redjay]

Northern Europe also includes the UK - we watched the Northern European broadcast last week with Ballard.

[Meilingkie]

UK included in Northern Europe, sorry I wasn´t aware of that.
But seems he never heard of Halstan for example, and the bishop they used to have.