Let me reassure you I am not resigning as a result of sin, or weakness or being offended by anyone. I loved the gospel and the Church, and loved serving you as your bishop.
This guy obviously resigned because of sin, or weakness, or because he let himself get offended. So not only is he an apostate, but he's also a liar.
"We have taken up arms in defense of our liberty, our property, our wives, and our children; we are determined to preserve them, or die." - Captain Moroni - 'Address to the Inhabitants of Canada' 1775
Oh for shame, how the mortals put the blame on us gods, for they say evils come from us, but it is they, rather, who by their own recklessness win sorrow beyond what is given... Zeus (1178 BC)
What I find most interesting about the whole story is that his superordinates in the Church "ordered" him not to disclose his doubts or discuss them with others.
Other folks have had similar experiences when disclosing doubts to Church leaders. A fairly typical response from a Bishop or SP, especially when the doubting member is a prominent member of the Ward, is - "Have you told any others about this (and if so, who)?"
Last edited by Guest on Wed Dec 21, 2011 10:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
David Hume: "---Mistakes in philosophy are merely ridiculous, those in religion are dangerous."
DrW: "Mistakes in science are learning opportunities and are eventually corrected."
DrW wrote:What I find most interesting about the whole story is that his superordinates in the Church "ordered" him not to disclose his doubts or discuss them with others.
Other folks have has similar experiences when disclosing doubts to Church leaders. A fairly typical response from a Bishop or SP, especially when the doubting member is a prominent member of the Ward, is - "Have you told any others about this (and if so, who)?"
That should have gone in my "creepy" list.
Parley P. Pratt wrote:We must lie to support brother Joseph, it is our duty to do so.
the ex-Bishop wrote:My testimony of the Church has been found wanting. What hurt most was discovering that I had gained a testimony of things as they were made to appear, rather than the truth. I was hurt by discovering that prophets in times past were “economical with the truth”, at best, in order to protect the Church and this practice continues to this day. (emphasis added by me)
In the grand scheme of things, the LDS leaders' strategy of whitewashing the truth seems successful at protecting a great many testimonies, for as long as people remain unaware that they've been, essentially, lied to. This comes at the expense of the anger, hurt, and departure of many of those who find out. I have to wonder if the Internet is changing the calculus of this decision.
Mormonism ceased being a compelling topic for me when I finally came to terms with its transformation from a personality cult into a combination of a real estate company, a SuperPac, and Westboro Baptist Church. - Kishkumen
Yeah it is disturbing when the leaders are more concerned with knowing who you told rather than trying to understand your issues and try to find explanations for them.
DrW wrote: A fairly typical response from a Bishop or SP, especially when the doubting member is a prominent member of the Ward, is - "Have you told any others about this (and if so, who)?"
In this case he can reply, "I only told the Internet."
"We have taken up arms in defense of our liberty, our property, our wives, and our children; we are determined to preserve them, or die." - Captain Moroni - 'Address to the Inhabitants of Canada' 1775
~Those who benefit from the status quo always attribute inequities to the choices of the underdog.~Ann Crittenden ~The Goddess is not separate from the world-She is the world and all things in it.~
This guy resigned in January 2011. I remember that it was discussed then. Now he posted the letter again. The poor guy really wants attention. I kinda feel sorry for him. Why repost the letter? Anyway, it is still getting him attention.
I intend to lay a foundation that will revolutionize the whole world. Joseph Smith We are “to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to provide for the widow, to dry up the tear of the orphan, to comfort the afflicted, whether in this church, or in any other, or in no church at all…” Joseph Smith