NOM

With general Konference just around the corner, I thought I would start a thread for our predictions.
I need to put more thought into this, but I predict either Oaks or Bednar will talk about how our religion liberties are being taken away...
What are your predictions?

I expect a big push on attending church. Fawning over the blessings of meeting together with the saints and scare stories of what happens if you start taking attendance lightly. They will allow some space for virtual attendance due to the ongoing pandemic, but it will be painted as a second class option that should only be used in an emergency.

Otherwise, a very very boring weekend.

I got nothing.

I wonder if they have plans to give Oaks a nice guy makeover?

I’m interested in hearing the convert stats.

I’d like to see an emphasis on hope and kindness. Something that brings light and joy to the world.

Could you imagine if they all gave talks that uplifted rather then fear, doom, and pleas for tithing?

I expect one or more talks about how minor events should be redifined as miracles, a la Elder Bednar.
And speaking of miracles, wouldn't that be the definition of a General Conference where Jesus Christ is cited more than human prophets?

Linked wrote: ↑Wed Mar 03, 2021 11:00 am I expect a big push on attending church. Fawning over the blessings of meeting together with the saints and scare stories of what happens if you start taking attendance lightly. They will allow some space for virtual attendance due to the ongoing pandemic, but it will be painted as a second class option that should only be used in an emergency.

Otherwise, a very very boring weekend.

That's my prediction as well. I don't think they'll take it as far as painting virtual attendance as the second class option in direct language, it would be a bad look, but I could see them using language that strongly implies it.

Maybe a talk on political divisiveness that straddles the fence so well that both would-be-insurrectionist and anti-fascist members walk away feeling they have the full backing of church leaders.

Maybe a talk that focuses on getting everyone to pay attention to a ward key indicator that's sagging across the board; something similar to Rasband's talk on how crucial it is to have an active TR even when all temples are closed. Maybe a "you aren't doing a good enough job of baptizing your children during the pandemic" talk. I dunno.

Maybe a talk from Nelson tooting the church's horn for donations it gave for covid relief.

Will they use the dumpster-fire backdrops/props again?

Fluffy predictions In no particular order:

• Dishonesty
• Platitudes
• Persecution Complex
• Veiled, if not outright bigotry
• Thanks to an invisible/absentee deity and mini hunger-strikes for a pandemic that's receding?
• Basic ignorance of reality
• Something else rebranded by Mr. "Global Faith Leader"
• Emphasis on "attendance" especially having a Golden Ticket to the Polygamy Palace (In other words: TITHING.)
• More useless/empty Polygamy Palaces

I'll probably think of more to add to the list.

As usual, I will do everything in my power to avoid the every-six-monthly "Global" Indoctrination Conference of the Corporation of the President of the CoJCoL-dS™

More important question is “Will MoPag be running her bi-annual NOMmentary?”

Red Ryder wrote: ↑Wed Mar 03, 2021 1:54 pm More important question is “Will MoPag be running her bi-annual NOMmentary?”

I hope to God this question doesn't end up being more than rhetorical.

2 things they won't mention at all:
1. The essays
2. Mark Hofmann

Yobispo wrote: ↑Wed Mar 03, 2021 2:34 pm 2 things they won't mention at all:
1. The essays
2. Mark Hofmann

Something that also would be cool but won’t happen is to have a unfiltered Twitter feed alongside the GC speaker....

Laziness. There will be not-so-subtle references to people letting things slide over the past year and now it's time to get to work. TBMs are going to leave Conference feeling like they've failed in how they used their time during the pandemic. Those of us married to them, brace for a double down...

TestimonyLost2 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 04, 2021 7:54 am Laziness. There will be not-so-subtle references to people letting things slide over the past year and now it's time to get to work. TBMs are going to leave Conference feeling like they've failed in how they used their time during the pandemic. Those of us married to them, brace for a double down...

This is right on. I will bet that we will hear more accusations of being offended, being myopic, wanting to sin, etc. on the part of those who don't come back. There might be some attempts to guilt the ones that stay for not being good enough to keep those around them active.

ETA: I hope that MoPag runs the usual threads. They are great.

TestimonyLost2 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 04, 2021 7:54 am Laziness. There will be not-so-subtle references to people letting things slide over the past year and now it's time to get to work. TBMs are going to leave Conference feeling like they've failed in how they used their time during the pandemic. Those of us married to them, brace for a double down...

Good point. And it's gonna be really annoying. I bet we will get at least one story of Sister Jones magnifying her calling in spite of the limitations of the pandemic by writing more letters and making more phone calls with the implication that if you didn't do that you did it wrong.

TestimonyLost2 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 04, 2021 7:54 am Laziness. There will be not-so-subtle references to people letting things slide over the past year and now it's time to get to work. TBMs are going to leave Conference feeling like they've failed in how they used their time during the pandemic. Those of us married to them, brace for a double down...

I'm afraid you're correct. I've already heard a few "some people chose to be lazy during the pandemic" talks at the local level.

Laziness talks will push me over the edge.

Substitute laziness for busyness. The church keeps its members in a perpetual cycle of busyness. The pandemic has exposed that.

Church before pandemic:
................................
................................
................................

Church during pandemic:
.

Why active Mormons can’s see the this is beyond me. You’ve experienced a significant decline in busyness and you still want to go back?

I predict several Texas sharpshooter fallacy bullseyes. Anything the Church did before the pandemic that **just happened to be beneficial** during the pandemic will be **proof** of our leaders' inspiration. I already heard one of these whoppers in a temple workers fireside. I'm sure there will be more.

DPRoberts wrote: ↑Thu Mar 04, 2021 2:29 pm I predict several Texas sharpshooter fallacy bullseyes. Anything the Church did before the pandemic that **just happened to be beneficial** during the pandemic will be **proof** of our leaders' inspiration. I already heard one of these whoppers in a temple workers fireside. I'm sure there will be more.

This is what i would expect.

There was the recent talk by Bednar(?) that talked about the miraculous temple work before it had to close due to COVID, and RFM and Bill Reel went through it a few weeks ago to show just how ordinary the story way... but they have gotten really good at framing the mundane as miraculous.

DPRoberts wrote: ↑Thu Mar 04, 2021 2:29 pm I predict several Texas sharpshooter fallacy bullseyes. Anything the Church did before the pandemic that **just happened to be beneficial** during the pandemic will be **proof** of our leaders' inspiration. I already heard one of these whoppers in a temple workers fireside. I'm sure there will be more.

Yes, the miracles during the pandemic. Did you listen to the Mormonism Live broadcast about the recent miracles from Bednar. The bar for a miracle has been lowered to basically daily activities...

Yobispo wrote: ↑Wed Mar 03, 2021 2:34 pm 2 things they won't mention at all:
1. The essays
2. Mark Hofmann

I wonder if there will be any mention of current events and problems facing the world? Will they condemn the people of Erda for throwing a monkey wrench into their multi-million dollar real estate deal? Will the Brethren deal with the issue of members worshipping Trump? Seems like that could be an eternal damnation concern.

moksha wrote: ↑Thu Mar 04, 2021 11:40 pm

Yobispo wrote: ↑Wed Mar 03, 2021 2:34 pm 2 things they won't mention at all:
1. The essays
2. Mark Hofmann

I wonder if there will be any mention of current events and problems facing the world? Will they condemn the people of Erda for throwing a monkey wrench into their multi-million dollar real estate deal? Will the Brethren deal with the issue of members worshipping Trump? Seems like that could be an eternal damnation concern.

I think addressing Trumpism would have to be muted, due to (at least) two concerns:

1. If they address Trumpism too much, they stand to lose a lot of Trump followers. I'm sure they've figured this out, given the reactions from the far right to President Nelson getting the vaccine.

2. There's probably a large enough minority of Trump followers in upper church leadership to have some influence.