zzyzx wrote:Rockhead, ...
I deserve that, and apologize, your post hit a raw nerve, and I posted hastily, here is what I would really like to say to you about your post.
A man named Wayne Phelps (the great-great-great grandson of WW) lived in my ward. Wayne was a hermit. He lived in an old beater Mormon church that was put out of commission many years before. He drove an old beater car. He always worn a suite which appeared to have been purchased in the 1940's. He was a brilliant thinker and a much studied Mormon mystic. Wayne was not liked, well not liked is strong ... just not accepted and definitely unknown to the members. Like mentioned Wayne appeared to be a poor hermit. I spent a lot of time with Wayne in the relief society room of that old beater church where he lived. He invited me to go with him to a basketball game one night (turns out he is an honored member of the Benson Institute if that means anything to anyone ... but that's a whole other story).
The last church meeting I ever attended was a High Priest group meeting where Wayne made a comment on a simple scripture. He said something like "It just so happens I spent 10 hours yesterday pondering this exact scripture ... he then proceeded to give an incredible interpretation of the scripture.
The quorum burst out in laughter. The high priest group leader went to the board and drew a bulls eye, and explained ... if you confine your study to what is in the instruction manual you are right here (pointing at the center of the bulls eye). If you speculate on what has been written in the manual then you are right here (pointing at the next outer ring), and if you speculate on material outside of the manual, like Wayne has done then you are way out here (pointing way off target). Ironic thing was, Wayne's "outside material" was the scripture.
I could no longer take it, I stood up, waked out and have never returned.
At this period of time, I had no concept of what CogDis was, and I could not understand the defensive, almost violent responses to others when one was trying to share with them what one had learned, even with the best of intentions (like my friend Wayne).
Over the years, I learned about CogDis and with a history of long bitter fights with my wife, I came to understand just how powerful it is. Bringing someone's CogDis to the forefront of their mind is always going to result in a bad experience for them and you.
My wife and I have found a good balance, She is never going to not believe the church is 100% correct, if approached with the contrary things are going to get ugly. So don't go there! She, on the other hand has also realized, He's never coming back (at least in this mortal life time), so she never uses guilt/pressure to get me to come back. It's a good balance, I respect her, she respects me. I believe I should also respect those that do go weekly.
for what it's worth ... right or wrong, the church instruction IS NOT OPEN for interpretation (i.e. WP story above) They do not want to hear anything different than what they have heard (over and over and over again for YEARS). Presenting them with anything that will irritate their CogDis is only going to make for hard feelings .. and you are not going to persuade them.
Depending on what level you may persist in this, you well might find yourself excommunicated for false teachings (I not sure they even x so much anymore for sexual sin ... but they will surely tag you out for this).
The fruitlessness of the effort is so FRUSTRATING, but just not worth the pain involved on all sides. Live and let live.
So, once again, I apologize for my sharp response.