NOM

I found an old book called Mormonism by John Hyde Jun. It's a very old one and I got an e-pub copy.

Oh My H#LL!!!

Alarm bells going off all over the place, and all I read was some of the accounts about Brigham Young!

Have a hypothetical story to share. I know a family...OK...a hypothetical family. They have a dirty little secret that perplexed one of the family members for years. There was a member of this family that had an explosive temper--horrible in nature and frightening. That member never apologized for outbursts, and everyone in that family "insulated" that member from things that would set him/her off. No one EVER talked about that problem either: it was the "dirty little family secret" that was the elephant in the room.

That perplexed family member wondered for years WHY this individual never said they were sorry, nor showed any real remorse. It wasn't until years later that ideas like Co-Dependency, shame-based family structures, or narcissistic personality disorder became known to this person and it started to make sense. Dysfunction is dysfunction, and it can and often does happen, not just at the family level, but the institutional level as well.

In this hypothetical family, another member married into a General Authority family of some renown. In that GA family, a member remarked: "I never heard my father say he was sorry."

DING DING DING....Alarm BELL going off.... Not saying they are sorry? Not showing remorse? Being a bully to get your way? Others deferring and groveling to "insulate" the individual who demands? There's a pattern here folks....not only in the original hypothetical family, but also in that GA family of renown.

====

So, I am reading this book that is talking about Brigham Young and how "insulated" he was, how he micro-managed everything and to everyone he spoke it was God's word, etc. And it is coming FULL CIRCLE!

My H#LL, what a repeating pattern!...

The problem with the church is it's institutionalized the "dirty family secret"! And it's been institutionalized at the macro level since the beginning, and leaders institutionalize it at the micro family level as well. It's like a parasite that feeds off the flesh of its victims at every level possible!

Rob, when was this book written/published? Any particular quotes you care to share?

Fascinating, reading now, thanks for the mention! What you describe in that GA family also sounds a bit like bipolar disorder also, FWIW.

Here is the link I am reading:

https://ia902604.us.archive.org/12/item ... degoog.pdf

The PDF shows the title page with a publish date of 1857.

Polygamy alone is enough of an elephant in the room to create this. But add in all the other lying for the Lord, private sex interviews with children, on and on. Our handbooks set policy to protect all leadership from accountability, from ever being questioned, and prevent personal autonomy.

I have never heard of this guy. Thanks Rob, for the reference. It's fascinating.

This reminds me of that line from John Wayne in the movie "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon".

"Never apologize, never explain...it's a sign of weakness."

I actually think this type of thinking was a hold over from the Victorian era. And it's just SO MUCH horse crap. My Dad was the same way. Apologizing was something nearly beyond his mental capacity to perform. And it really stinks. For men in particular it saves them the problem of having to face their own fallibility and imperfection. It's a way to live in their own little fantasy world about how manly and studly they are and that they need grovel to no one, especially women and children.

The down side is that it keeps vital information hidden that would help others not to make the same mistakes that the offending person just made, plus it demonstrates that communication, exercising emotional control and maturity really isn't necessary if you're a big enough bully.

I don't have any quotes to share yet since I just dug enough to have my stomach start to churn. And I think the date was 1857 or something like that, as mentioned above.

OK...so it amazes me that the idea of "meekness" (which to me means kindness and slow to anger in trying circumstances) is taught as a virtue, yet those with the loudest mouths, most BOLD (bully?) type of declarations, etc, are the ones exonerated and held in such esteem.

I'm thinking JFS, BRM, BKP, DHO, and others. My mind immediately jumped to BRM and stories I've heard about him DEMANDING and YELLING at people with what he would consider righteous indignation. In reality, the guy was a total a$$hole!

Anyway,...there are more old books out there. I'm aware of Bill Hickman's book, and also the 19th wife. I've read both of them. And, all of the sudden there are more--and they are saying the SAME THINGS FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES...Contemporary angles.

MY H#LL!!!.....I'm blown away. This institutional denial of dysfunction is ASTONISHING! Brigham Young was a bully, and the entire church exonerated him. This is what abusive parents do--they beat and hurt their children, tell their children its "for their own good", and because everyone is scared to do anything about it, they ignore it until it becomes institutionalized.

I read somewhere that it was speculated that Brigham Young died from poisoning. Anyone know anything about that?

=====================
PS. Found something here....
http://www.lostmormonism.com/brigham-young-poisoned/

You know, the church CAN'T look at this and see if there is any truth to it. No forensic checking will be allowed, if it was ever possible. If they dig up the body and find bones, well...Brigham hasn't been resurrected yet, so that says something about his being next to God and ready for his progression; if they find bones, someone will have to defined the first and say "those aren't the bones of Brigham"; if poison is somehow found on his person, that can't be allowed because drinking poison is not supposed to hurt a "man of God"....

Can you imagine the apologetic FREAKOUT that would happen if something like this were attempted?!!!!!!!!


PSS. This is an old guy but this is pretty dang interesting as well...

https://www.sunstonemagazine.com/who-do ... moments-2/

Let the record show that looking into Mormon history is EXCITING!....Its like a freaking mystery novel of "who done it!"

I am continually entertained with things I had never suspected, uncovering new things every time I turn around!

You know, if these guys didn't lie their a$$es off for years, how would I now be entertained learning what SOBs they really WERE!

Rob4Hope wrote: ↑Mon Dec 11, 2017 4:24 pm Let the record show that looking into Mormon history is EXCITING!....Its like a freaking mystery novel of "who done it!"ally WERE!

Real Mormon history can be fascinating. Lots of interesting things. Real humans and real human situations.

The pablum fed to members in Church -- not so much.

Rob4Hope wrote: ↑Mon Dec 11, 2017 4:24 pm Let the record show that looking into Mormon history is EXCITING!....Its like a freaking mystery novel of "who done it!"

I am continually entertained with things I had never suspected, uncovering new things every time I turn around!

You know, if these guys didn't lie their a$$es off for years, how would I now be entertained learning what SOBs they really WERE!

Your are right, the REAL history is fascinating. It has so much depth and nuance, and surprising twists are around every corner. It reminds me of Shakespeare’s plays.

This is a pretty fascinating view into early Salt Lake City. The descriptions of the mud walls around a six square mile area and the author's opinion that it was done to give people something to do was really interesting.