Sheri Dew byui devotional

[Palerider]

I don't usually watch these devotionals, but on occasion I do as a barometer as to what the current challenges are that the church is concerned with.

Obviously from her talk, the church is still carrying on the fight with losing young members to doubt.

Something I thought/hoped the church was past was blaming the victim and telling stories of the disasters that come from leaving the faith. But Sheri told of a young unmarried woman, a student who had become pregnant because after doubting the church she didn't feel the need to obey the commandents any longer.

To quote Sheri, this young woman "used her questions to justify her immoral behavior."

So that's it. She really just wanted to sin and didn't really want to make the effort to keep her testimony and was now on a "perilous spiritual path."

I would never condone pregnancy out of wedlock. I feel compassion for anyone who chooses that path and only hope the best for them.

But the story of this young girl was used as the melodramatic "boogie man" of what happens to those who leave the church for understandable reasons. Does everyone who leaves the church fall under the curse of God or the power of Satan? I don't think so.

Sheri also reinforced the "ask only inspired questions" and they have to be asked "in faith" (meaning you already know that whatever the answer is it will be in the affirmative for the church) and ask your questions ONLY from those who SPEAK ONLY TRUTH. Only an authorized truth speaker can give you the correct answer.

She quoted Eyring, stating that logic and reason aren't enough. Only faith and revelation will get you where you need to go.

I halfway agree with Eyring here. But isn't that how leadership teaches that Satan decieves us; with half-truths? Reason and logic are God given attributes for a purpose. Propositions especially religious ones, are expected to, at the very least reach a certain amount of empirical adequacy.

Credulity shouldn't be strained on every level. Joseph's story is SO full of holes, even Swiss cheese is embarrassed by it.

By the way, Sheri confesses that she's still looking for a husband; wondering who and where he is.....
Really? Really? I'm probably way out of line here and will probably get some blowback from this but in her particular case, one begins to wonder what the height of the criterion must be that she, at age 65 couldn't find SOMEONE who would love her enough to qualify.

[nibbler]

I know of an orthodox, believing member that got pregnant out of wedlock. The only logical conclusion I can arrive at is that believing is used to justify "immoral" behavior.

[Kalikala]

I’ve started noticing this in the church much more since my husband disaffected. It’s caught me off guard how often people judge others that don’t live the way they do. I knew it happened, but I’d never noticed before how often it appears in lessons, hymns, and writings.

[didyoumythme]

All this language about asking only the right questions in the right way, being wary of certain sources, and questions leading to sin is a huge red waving flag that says CULT! The obvious fear of information is enough of a sign to me that says they don’t have the truth. Isn’t the big claim of church that people can study and pray to know the truth? It’s so sad that members don’t see the issue with this language. Instead they turn these quotes into memes and post on Facebook.

[Not Buying It]

Bogey man stories don’t work as well on youth as they used to. A lot of them can see right through them, because they know too many people who left the Church without becoming pregnant, or junkies, or hookers, or even liberals. Scare tactics only work on the ones too clueless to see what is going on around them.

[Corsair]

I know of an orthodox, believing member that got pregnant out of wedlock. The only logical conclusion I can arrive at is that believing is used to justify "immoral" behavior.

We have far too many stories of believing, LDS men that got multiple women pregnant in and out of wedlock. After the scandalous news of the past month, it seems that even modern priesthood holders are having far too many problems with unauthorized attempts at out of wedlock pregnancies.

Sheri Dew is heavily missing the point in all this. They don't have answers so they simply want to prevent the questions.