Apostle Fireside

[azflyer]

Hello everyone, it's been a while since I've posted here. I posted more on the old board. I'd like some feedback from all of you.

My stake is going to be hosting two apostles this coming Friday (1/27). It is supposed to have something to do with raising children in this day and age and it is supposed to be interactive (i.e. we can ask questions).

I'm curious if anyone would have suggestions about questions to ask.

I was thinking of something along the lines of...

"I have many friends and family members that have left the church, or gone inactive because of concerns they have regarding material they have learned about church history. I have had conversations with many of these people and they describe to me that they feel betrayed by the church because they feel the church has not been completely honest with them as they have grown up about many of these topics. We now live in the information age where it is nearly impossible to keep information contained. The endowment ceremony is on youtube. Detailed records of Joseph Smith practing polygamy are available via the church's family search website. The church has released gospel topic essays discussing many of these topics, but many church members are not aware of them. In fact, I routinely hear members state information in Sunday School classes that directly contradicts information that is clearly stated in many of the gospel topic essays.

What can we as parents do, and what can our local church leaders do, to help our children be prepared for these types of challenges? Also, what can we all do to be better educated on the topics brought up in the gospel topics essays?"

[Korihor]

"Elder Holland, what exactly do you buy using your $120+k?

[Korihor]

I knew 2 apostles were coming to PHX, but I don't realize it would be in your stake!

Can you get me on the RSVP list? I might have a few things I'd like to get off my chest.

[Not Buying It]

Bring along a friend in a wheelchair. Ask the apostles if they are apostles in the same way as Peter, James, and John, and if so will they heal your friend like Peter, James, and John healed the blind, deaf, and lame in the New Testament. If they refuse, ask them why Peter, James, and John did it and they don't. Don't accept "having the faith to not be healed" as a response.

[Korihor]

Ask Elder Ballard if he ever secretly wished that the bush Eve was hiding behind would instantly disappear.

[Red Ryder]

Ask Elder Ballard if he ever secretly wished that the bush Eve was hiding behind would instantly disappear.

And show another bush?

Are you sure it's a real life visit and not a broadcast?

[Silver Girl]

Hello everyone, it's been a while since I've posted here. I posted more on the old board. I'd like some feedback from all of you.

My stake is going to be hosting two apostles this coming Friday (1/27). It is supposed to have something to do with raising children in this day and age and it is supposed to be interactive (i.e. we can ask questions).

I'm curious if anyone would have suggestions about questions to ask.

I was thinking of something along the lines of...

"I have many friends and family members that have left the church, or gone inactive because of concerns they have regarding material they have learned about church history. I have had conversations with many of these people and they describe to me that they feel betrayed by the church because they feel the church has not been completely honest with them as they have grown up about many of these topics. We now live in the information age where it is nearly impossible to keep information contained. The endowment ceremony is on youtube. Detailed records of Joseph Smith practing polygamy are available via the church's family search website. The church has released gospel topic essays discussing many of these topics, but many church members are not aware of them. In fact, I routinely hear members state information in Sunday School classes that directly contradicts information that is clearly stated in many of the gospel topic essays.

What can we as parents do, and what can our local church leaders do, to help our children be prepared for these types of challenges? Also, what can we all do to be better educated on the topics brought up in the gospel topics essays?"

I think these are important questions. I'd suggest editing them down to the nuggets of the questions that matter and avoid as much prefacing dialogue as possible. Also, avoid mentioning the Internet, YouTube or anything else they can use to avoid addressing the real question. If you mention that everything is on the church website (which is true), they'll run with their dialogue that they're being transparent & it's all out there. Cut the paragraph above down to the most salient question or issue in it (which, to me, seems like the betrayal and misinformation in the past?).

Don't give them a long leash - make them squirm.

[azflyer]

Are you sure it's a real life visit and not a broadcast?

Yes, they are going to physically be in our Stake Center, and it will be broadcast to about 50 other Stake Centers.

[RubinHighlander]

I like the idea of pairing it down and keeping it to the essays themselves. Maybe something like: The essays contain very important information to help TBMs keep to church sourced materials for information on accurate church history. However, the essays are not part of any curriculum and rarely discussed in GD, seminary or other church educational settings. Yet, member's lack of study into church history or the artists interpretation of church historical events have been blamed for the shocking reaction to the information in the essays. Should GD teachers and seminary instructors be regularly using the essays in their lessons this year?

And show another bush?

A bush for a bush! LOL!

[Korihor]

Are you sure it's a real life visit and not a broadcast?

Yes, they are going to physically be in our Stake Center, and it will be broadcast to about 50 other Stake Centers.

It will be broadcast live to my stake center via CCTV. I'm tempted to Join AZFlyer in person.

[azflyer]

I like the idea of pairing it down and keeping it to the essays themselves. Maybe something like: The essays contain very important information to help TBMs keep to church sourced materials for information on accurate church history. However, the essays are not part of any curriculum and rarely discussed in GD, seminary or other church educational settings. Yet, member's lack of study into church history or the artists interpretation of church historical events have been blamed for the shocking reaction to the information in the essays. Should GD teachers and seminary instructors be regularly using the essays in their lessons this year?

I probably should consider streamlining it a bit. It is pretty wordy now.

Don't give them a long leash - make them squirm.

My intent it not to make anyone squirm. My goal is to try and start a dialogue. To some extent I want the question to be supportive of a dialogue, and I don't want to come across as an adversary (and frankly I don't want to be an adversary). If the question is perceived as adversarial, then everyone in the room will immediately shut down. The question will be as much for everyone else that is in attendance as it is for the leadership that will be there.

[FiveFingerMnemonic]

Please ask about the recent leak of financial information and if the church will ever be fully financially transparent with donations. Simple, easy question.

[Corsair]

"I have many friends and family members that have left the church, or gone inactive because of concerns they have regarding material they have learned about church history. I have had conversations with many of these people and they describe to me that they feel betrayed by the church because they feel the church has not been completely honest with them as they have grown up about many of these topics. We now live in the information age where it is nearly impossible to keep information contained. The endowment ceremony is on youtube. Detailed records of Joseph Smith practing polygamy are available via the church's family search website. The church has released gospel topic essays discussing many of these topics, but many church members are not aware of them. In fact, I routinely hear members state information in Sunday School classes that directly contradicts information that is clearly stated in many of the gospel topic essays.

What can we as parents do, and what can our local church leaders do, to help our children be prepared for these types of challenges? Also, what can we all do to be better educated on the topics brought up in the gospel topics essays?"

This is a good question. Will the format be structured so that you just "raise your hand" and ask your question? Or will it need to be written down first and the apostles will go through them as time allows?

I highly recommend that you record the meeting. Just put a voice recorder app on your phone and record the whole thing. These recordings might not be great, but they are surprisingly usable.

[Red Ryder]

There's no way in outer darkness that they are going to have a hot mic for a question and answer session!

We've seen this before with the Bednar fireside and all the other faux Q & A sessions. I'm going to assume they have pre vetted lame questions that don't mean shit.

[2bizE]

I would recommend asking the questions using a tone that indicates you are an.active, faithful member with a few questions.

[azflyer]

I would recommend asking the questions using a tone that indicates you are an.active, faithful member with a few questions.

That should be easy to do.

I am an active member that wants to stay in church.

And yes, you are absolutely right. I definitely do not want to have an adversarial tone. I figure there could be upwards of 25k people tuning in as this will be broadcast to 50 different stake centers. If the question comes across as adversarial, they'll all shut down and stop listening. The question has to be worded in such a way that it is thought provoking, yet still comes from a faithful point of view.

Do you think the question in proposed does that? Do you have any suggestions on how I could make it better?

[Not Buying It]

Well, yeah, tone is important, and it is true any hint of Anti-Mormonism will cause many in the audience to stop listening. And yet - these things are orchestrated so that the apostles can maintain their creampuff nerfy jellyfish existence without ever having to deal with hard questions.

I say make them squirm. They've gotten away with getting only softball questions for far too long. No one ever challenges them, and they really need to be challenged. Make them earn their $89,000 a year. Maybe that's not your style, but they need to be getting way more pushback from the membership than they do.

Or you can just do what they want you to do, give them a carefully worded thought-provoking-but-safe question, and they will answer the question they want to answer instead of the question you asked. You can't get them to answer anything, you won't get any answers out of them, you might as well make it as uncomfortable for them as you can. But that's just my opinion.

[2bizE]

If Bednar or Oaks is there and you ask a hard question, they will answer it by saying "the question you should have asked is xyZ". And then proceed to answer their own question.

[dispirited]

Ask, "What is it like to see and talk directly to Christ?"

[Linked]

Ask, "What is it like to see and talk directly to Christ?"

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