NOM

Linked wrote: ↑Fri Dec 21, 2018 12:38 pm How can anyone trust the church leadership to tell them the truth when they misrepresent key details of an event they heavily publicize? If most TBMs saw a similar representation of an event by an organization they weren't so tied to they would immediately recognize the dishonesty and not trust that organization.

Linked wrote: ↑Fri Dec 21, 2018 12:38 pm (Disclaimer: My shelf broke due to efforts to be honest with myself and evaluate my life, including religious beliefs, from an outside perspective. This introspection led to me determining that I don't think it likely that the claims of the mormon church are true based on what they do and what they claim today, so I am not as studied as many of you in church history.)

Today I realized that the destruction of William Law's printing press for the Nauvoo Expositor, and the subsequent declaration of martial law, were what landed Joseph Smith in jail for treason against the state of Illinois, a capital offense. Being on sites like NOM I have heard most of the details not shared in Sunday School, but I had never put together the direct link between the Nauvoo Expositor and Carthage Jail.

I spent 30 years as a TBM, I visited the Carthage jail multiple times, I visited Nauvoo multiple times, I attended and paid attention to 4 years of seminary, I took 14 credit hours of religion classes at BYU, I testified of the divinity of Joseph Smith's calling as a prophet while I was an unpaid volunteer, and I had no idea about key parts of the founding prophet's martyrdom. All I was taught was that Joseph was unjustly accused and imprisoned, again, and the deceitful governor promised Joseph's protection but instead placed a militia who were antagonistic to mormons in charge of guarding him. The militia was so bad that some actually joined the mob who came to kill Joseph. Willard Richards was spared because he wore his garments (no details as to why the others weren't). And Joseph's dying words were his final testimony, "Oh Lord, my God".

They left out some incredibly important details. Joseph had ordered the destruction of a newspaper which would have exposed his polygamy (Joseph's polygamy was slimy so I understand why it would be hidden, but the church now admits Joseph did practice polygamy, and thus Joseph was suppressing the truth). He commanded a militia to protect him from the rule of law. He fled justice. He drank alcohol in the jail. He fired shots into the mob.

How can anyone trust the church leadership to tell them the truth when they misrepresent key details of an event they heavily publicize? If most TBMs saw a similar representation of an event by an organization they weren't so tied to they would immediately recognize the dishonesty and not trust that organization.

MalcolmVillager wrote: ↑Fri Dec 21, 2018 9:50 pm Just this week my #2 DD was telling me about what she is learning in seminary. How JS translated the BOM. At least they had me tikned the Seer Stone. I told her more of the story (folk magic, money digging, no plates used, etc...).

I am not sure if I am inoculating or just pre-cracking shelves but either way I will not allow them to go through young Mormon life with a partial story.

Reuben wrote: ↑Sat Dec 22, 2018 2:52 am

MalcolmVillager wrote: ↑Fri Dec 21, 2018 9:50 pm Just this week my #2 DD was telling me about what she is learning in seminary. How JS translated the BOM. At least they had me tikned the Seer Stone. I told her more of the story (folk magic, money digging, no plates used, etc...).

I am not sure if I am inoculating or just pre-cracking shelves but either way I will not allow them to go through young Mormon life with a partial story.

For me, it's about preserving relationships and agency.

The Mormon bubble is a semipermeable membrane that allows only positive ideas about the church to pass inside. Members are taught how to surround themselves with this bubble at all times. They are thus shielded from anything that might lead them to conclude anything contrary to the church's claims.

The end result is a people who can't stomach negative ideas about their church, and can't understand how someone could honestly conclude that the church isn't what it claims to be. But because they're surrounded by negative ideas that press in from all sides, their certainty in the church's claims is coupled with fear, and their pride in the church is coupled with gnawing shame.

Problem #1: It would be hard for my kids to have a good relationship with me if they're afraid of me and think I'm broken, sick or sinful. I've experienced this with my oldest already.

Problem #2: One of the most effective ways to restrict someone's freedom is to filter the information they get. The Mormon bubble removes choice.

I don't care if they remain Mormon, but I intend to solve these problems. This requires working against the action of the bubble.

MalcolmVillager wrote: ↑Sat Dec 22, 2018 10:57 pm We see the good of having black and white stories for young children. We know that by adulthood we want free thinkers. The middle ground of teenage years is the debate. How to you allow for nuance and independent thought with BS like church history and exclusive truth claims while trying to make alcohol, drugs, and sex firm rules.

How do you do all this in the MorCor? What a mess.