Mormon Family on Dr. Phil

[_Roger Morrison]

Mon. Apr. 23, anybody see it? Pitiful example of family dysfunction in Mormonism...

[_Yoda]

They have another dysfunctional Mormon family?

This won't be the first.

No, I haven't seen it. I'm at work during Dr Phil. Maybe I'll have a look at his website.

Care to give us a synopsis?

[_Lucretia MacEvil]

They have another dysfunctional Mormon family?

This won't be the first.

No, I haven't seen it. I'm at work during Dr Phil. Maybe I'll have a look at his website.

Care to give us a synopsis?

I found this:

Monday - April 23, 2007

Family Drama
No matter how much we try to avoid it, conflict is a part of life. But what happens when an entire family points the finger at one person as the source of the chaos? Carrie’s family calls her a drama queen who tries to destroy their relationships. Her sister, Miranda, says Carrie called their mother trash and wants their father to divorce her. Her brother, Meikle, says Carrie is upset because she didn’t approve of his fiancée and now refuses to attend his wedding. Carrie admits that she can be attracted to conflict, but says she feels isolated by her family. Then, Carrie’s parents, LaRon and Susan, confront her about trying to break up their marriage. Carrie hasn’t spoken to her mom in over a month, and they face off onstage. Plus, Carrie reveals a shocking secret that she’s kept from her family for years.

I've seen the show a couple of times this week because I was home with bronchitis, but I missed this one. Dang.

(LaRon! teeheehee)

[_beastie]

I only saw the last few minutes, but the scapegoat happens to be the only family member who doesn't believe in the Mormon church.

What a shock. What a shock. Of course she is to blame for everything.

Phil made it clear, though, that the rest of the family was also to blame, and they were scapegoating the apostate daughter. (no, he didn't use that term and probably didn't realize the implications of her lack of belief)

Phil really ripped on how dysfunctional they were, made it sound like one of the worst cases he'd ever seen. Bet it made many Mormons watching wish they'd kept their religion a secret.

At the end, he suggested they go get counseling, and suggested trying through their church. I doubt he realized what a bad idea that would be, given how LDS counseling is so geared to upholding the faith. They'll probably scapegoat the apostate, too.

[_Mister Scratch]

I recall seeing an episode of Dr. Phil some time ago in which a Mormon family was featured. (Well, the mom and daughter were LDS; I am not sure about the dad.) It turns out that the mother was a bit imbalanced, and had been guilty of cheating on her former husband(s), etc. (I cannot remember if she was on her second or third, or perhaps even fourth, marriage, or what.) Another moment that stood out to me was seeing the teenaged daughter crying---and I mean really sobbing---over the fact that she had inadvertently consumed a bit of pie which contained tequila. "I will never be able to undo this!" she wailed. It just goes to show how heavy the Church can lay it on with the unnecessary guilt.

[_moksha]

What was the secret she was going to reveal?

[_Mercury]

Another moment that stood out to me was seeing the teenaged daughter crying---and I mean really sobbing---over the fact that she had inadvertently consumed a bit of pie which contained tequila. "I will never be able to undo this!" she wailed. It just goes to show how heavy the Church can lay it on with the unnecessary guilt.

My wife did this after I used wine in a dish I prepared. I felt trapped in bad food for the rest of my life. This is REALLY dammaging and goes to show what happens to someone after trivial stupid insignificant things happen.

It shows specifically the level of control the church has over its slaves.

[_Roger Morrison]

They have another dysfunctional Mormon family?

This won't be the first.

No, I haven't seen it. I'm at work during Dr Phil. Maybe I'll have a look at his website.

Care to give us a synopsis?

Son recently home from a mission...meets fiancee...introduces her to family of 7...inactive sister doesn't 'approve' of her and says won't attend wedding--(MAYBE this means CAN'T?)...other family members jump on sis as dramatic-spoiler of ALL family...Dr. questions why anyone's "approval" would matter??...IA sis has secret shared with Dad: she is bulimic...(gives her special status with dad?)... Weepy Mom claims she's nobody--and looks it...

When the family came on stage, my first thought was, "...this is a LDS family"... Looks, demeanor, attitude, etc everything about them sadly reeked Mormon. Not until the very end of the show, when Dr. P said he would try to have some of the cousellors church approved, was Mormonism mentioned.

Maybe my post there might shed light more light--at least mine, eh :-)

A most interesting & revealing show! It could have been scripted by the demon, "Anti-Mormon"... Oh that it was... Unfortunately, it is all too real in many LDS 'homes-of-hell'.


A far cry from "Love At Home" and "I Am A Child Of God" sentimentalism the Mormon church uses to entice the unwary into a sham that is a numbers game; a body count between Missions & Missionaries of how many bagged between Reporting Dates, &/or Steward-ship meetings. Honest Mormons will know what i'm referring to...


Ironically, the son had just returned from HIS "Mission" of spreading Mormon "truth"... Wonder how he described HIS Mormon-family? Honestly, in denial or in oblivian of the Mormon-mess he is a part of???


Is the Mormon church all bad? Of course not! They provide a community in which many are happy. So be it. Every one is deserving of their comfort place of choice. But as someone has previously said--denied by another apologist--Mormon indocrtrination, when it works, can be most debilitating.


To deviate from Mormon Doctrine is to be disallowed entry into "THE TEMPLE," the only place where one can really be close to "God". The "great-outdoors" is for 'gentiles'... The "Temple" is for "God's" chosen people.


This family represents two generations (maybe several) exposed to Mormon homilies, Ordinances, Rituals, Sacraments, Home/Visiting Teachers, Services, Classes for kids/youth/adults--the Full-Mormon-Monty... To what end???


In the conditioned Mormon-mind there is hardly any choice. I hope readers will understand how powerful that indocrination CAN be to some. To others it becomes obvious LDSism is simply another Church with a unique "Plan of Salvation".


A "Plan" it is. "Salvation" it isn't. Fore warned is fore armed...


When one encounters nice Mormons, and there are lots of them, consider their niceness might be attributed to the good-family they come from, more than to the church they belong to...

This was really a sad public display of dysfunctionalism without profanity and drug abuse, generally associated with spiritual break down. Maybe the latter more common is easier to break from than that induced by religious toxitity?

Can hope that Dr Phil's counselling will help... But he's up against a formidable influence... Warm regards, Roger

[_wenglund]

There is a wonderful thread underway about "Judgementalism" on this board. I have found some of the functional principles espoused therein to be useful in considering the topic of this thread and some of the responses to it. I am wondering if others could benefit from it as well.

I value that Dr. Phil has focused his attention on personal behaviors and attitudes, and has not gotten dysfunctionally sidetracked into the irrelevancies of the family member's beliefs or disbelief in the LDS faith, and that his intent has been to correct the dysfunction, improve people's lives, and draw family members closer together, rather than divisively bashing LDS or those who have left the Church. This I trust he would do whether the family were atheist, agnostic, or any one of a variety of religious faiths. From what I have observed of Dr. Phil, his methodology works (in fact, the approach I intimated a few months back echoes much of his)--though I am convinced it wouldn't work were he to engage in the kinds of judgemental sentiments and focus some have engaged in on this thread.

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

[_Roger Morrison]

There is a wonderful thread underway about "Judgementalism" on this board. I have found some of the functional principles espoused therein to be useful in considering the topic of this thread and some of the responses to it. I am wondering if others could benefit from it as well.

I value that Dr. Phil has focused his attention on personal behaviors and attitudes, and has not gotten dysfunctionally sidetracked into the irrelevancies of the family member's beliefs or disbelief in the LDS faith, and that his intent has been to correct the dysfunction, improve people's lives, and draw family members closer together, rather than divisively bashing LDS or those who have left the Church. This I trust he would do whether the family were atheist, agnostic, or any one of a variety of religious faiths. From what I have observed of Dr. Phil, his methodology works (in fact, the approach I intimated a few months back echoes much of his)--though I am convinced it wouldn't work were he to engage in the kinds of judgemental sentiments and focus some have engaged in on this thread.

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

Hi Wade, yes, Dr. Phil is one of THE best humanitarian evangelicals of our times. I'm sure (?) Dr. Phil's professionalism, and his personal sense of ethics bridles his own thoughts on religion & politic on commercial air-waves, very wise. His intent, and his approach is most exemplary of a person void of prejudice and mean spiritedness... I truly respect the guy, oh that he was a GA ;-) Do you consider my last comment Mormon bashing???

Going to check the "Judmental thread"... Warm regards, Roger

Checked it out. I was the last 'poster' on page 5... Actually, it was addressed to You, Wade... IF you're interested in 'my' opin of "Judgementalism"... by the way, You had some good thoughts on the topic... RM