Discussions toward a better understanding of LDS doctrine, history, and culture. Discussion of Christianity, religion, and faith in general is welcome.
It took my wife a while to finally see the church for what it truly is. Today she sent me the church announcement that Henry J. Eyring would be the new president of BYU Idaho.
She included the question:
"Why, with the world full of millions of Mormons is it all really just nepotism?"
It took a few years but it's so nice that we're both on the same page now.
"There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily."
"Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains to bring it to light."
You will note that he has an undergrad decree from BYU and a joint MBA and JD from BYU and then taught there. Name another Univ president who revived ALL of his undergrad and grad education from from the same university ,then taught at that university and then becomes president of a branch of the same university. My wife has the same issue with her undergrad , MA and PhD all from the same university. The general rule is that such people never can get a job at the same institution. Unless you are the son of a GA apparently and the school is BYU.It is as J. Golden Kimball said " this church runs on relation not revelation. If my name wasn't Kimball I never would have amounted to a hill of beans in this church" He said that almost 100 years ago nad so far as I can tell nothing has changed
asa wrote: ↑Fri May 26, 2017 11:06 pm
You will note that he has an undergrad decree from BYU and a joint MBA and JD from BYU and then taught there. Name another Univ president who revived ALL of his undergrad and grad education from from the same university ,then taught at that university and then becomes president of a branch of the same university. My wife has the same issue with her undergrad , MA and PhD all from the same university. The general rule is that such people never can get a job at the same institution. Unless you are the son of a GA apparently and the school is BYU.It is as J. Golden Kimball said " this church runs on relation not revelation. If my name wasn't Kimball I never would have amounted to a hill of beans in this church" He said that almost 100 years ago nad so far as I can tell nothing has changed
Gawd I miss JGK stories and quotes. If we're going to dig up history, let's dig up those. Make church fun, again.
At 70 years-old, my older self would tell my younger self to use the words, "f*ck off" much more frequently. --Helen Mirren
asa wrote: ↑Fri May 26, 2017 11:06 pm
It is as J. Golden Kimball said " this church runs on relation, not revelation. If my name wasn't Kimball I never would have amounted to a hill of beans in this church".
J. Golden would never have made it as a Church apologist, but I guess he didn't need to since he was a Kimball. That family got a free pass to the Celestial Kingdom for all descendants in exchange for letting Joseph Smith have young Helen Mar Kimball. That is quite the bargain if you are a TBM.
Even Albert Einstein would agree that it is all relative.
Name another Univ president who revived ALL of his undergrad and grad education from the same university, then taught at that university and then becomes president of a branch of the same university.
That is an easy one to answer: Inbred University at Dogpatch. All others seek to avoid that kind of thing.
Good faith does not require evidence, but it also does not turn a blind eye to that evidence. Otherwise, it becomes misplaced faith.
-- Moksha
I can't blame them. I don't like it or agree, but it is the best strategy. The main focus is not education, that is only a positive byproduct and a front. The main focus is raising up faithful, tithing paying people who can continue the tradition. This is what gets emphasized in staff and faculty meetings. So it stands to reason that the best strategy is to install someone who is so steeped in the tradition and culture that they will not step out of the box.
Emower wrote: ↑Sat May 27, 2017 7:35 am
The main focus is not education, that is only a positive byproduct and a front. The main focus is raising up faithful, tithing paying people who can continue the tradition.
this. I totally agree that the while the education quality at BYU may be (mostly) high, its main purpose is to propagate the church. It makes it easier to find a committed spouse, and living in the culture bubble protects and grows their testimonies and devotion to the church.
An important aspect of college is the expanding of your world view, the challenging of the assumptions and positions you've held all your life, to shake up your paradigm a bit. Sadly this is mostly sacrificed at BYU because of the bland homogeneousness of the pervasive church culture. But damn if it isn't the best value around. Thats why it's maddening to me! My daughter is going there and I have to keep telling myself, wow it's so cheap!!!
I remember when President Hinkley's son was ordained into the First Quorum. Pres. Hinkley was beaming with pride when he spoke about it in Priesthood session, especially since, he assured us, it had NOTHING to do with the fact that his father was the prophet. The UofU's seismographs recorded that the Conference Center shifted several inches to one side due to the inertia of all of the simultaneous eye rolls.
“The easy confidence with which I know another man's religion is folly teaches me to suspect that my own is also.” -Mark Twain
Jesus: "The Kingdom of God is within you." The Buddha: "Be your own light."
Tangent wrote: ↑Sat May 27, 2017 8:06 am
Thats why it's maddening to me! My daughter is going there and I have to keep telling myself, wow it's so cheap!!!
That's why I attended. And I got through school with no debt. That is worth a lot. I don't regret it, but I wasn't thinking the church through at the time Either.
When I was in college, we were told that we could not get all three degrees at the same university. We would have go to another school for our masters or for our doctorate. This prevents intellectual inbreeding and expands the educational experience. Maybe this was just a policy at my school, though, and not universal. I can't help but think getting all three degrees at BYU and then working there would lead to a myopic view.
Palerider wrote: ↑Fri May 26, 2017 10:19 pm
It took my wife a while to finally see the church for what it truly is. Today she sent me the church announcement that Henry J. Eyring would be the new president of BYU Idaho.
She included the question:
"Why, with the world full of millions of Mormons is it all really just nepotism?"
The carnal man is all about "me and mine."
Anthropologists say that both genetically & in terms of learning & progress, people do better when they intermix and worse when they interbreed.
Alive and well in many parts of society but hilariously just as bad, if not worse in the LDS church/church positions.
You would think that if we were really able to get the revelation that Heavenly Father wanted us to, callings and positions would be spread out to all kinds of people in order to serve his children better.
NOMinally Mormon wrote: ↑Sun May 28, 2017 1:03 pm
I can't help but think getting all three degrees at BYU and then working there would lead to a myopic view.
This wouldn't stop US News and World Report from giving BYU a top ranking. They favor any school that is private, it is part of their social philosophy.
Good faith does not require evidence, but it also does not turn a blind eye to that evidence. Otherwise, it becomes misplaced faith.
-- Moksha