Last year it seemed like there was a new LDS-related scandal or news item almost every week, but it looks like “the Mormon Moment” is starting to fizzle. It seems the CoJCoL-dS can’t compete with the level of irrational/wacky/terrifying that’s coming out of the White House these days! But this past week, the CoJCoL-dS managed to swim up to the surface of the swamp with a handful of news items!
Thanks to MormonLeaks we got a view of the church leaders’ thoughts in the form of a powerpoint including an infographic on why people leave the CoJCoL-dS! Since it mentioned John Dehlin by name, he did a podcast explaining the whole thing in gory detail, in case you’re curious:
The most amusing part for me was when Dave resurrected his Mormon Inquiry blog to make the following remark:
That’s actually a pretty good list. While the graphic has prompted the usual griping from online LDS commentators, it is actually reassuring to know that LDS leaders are at least aware of the broad spectrum of challenges presently facing the Church and its membership. I wish there were a second graphic displaying a realistic action plan for each subcategory.
A realistic action plan for each subcategory?! Lolz. The plan for every subcategory is the same as it has always been: just tell the complainers/leavers that they’re unfaithful since (as far as the CoJCoL-dS is concerned) it’s a priori impossible that the members might have legitimate criticisms that the organization should listen to.
And there was this other kerfluffle in which a former Young Women’s general president gave a fireside with some questionable remarks about the women’s march:
“We were in a cab, and as I watched those women marching and yelling, and should I say, behaving anything but ladylike and using language that was very unbefitting of daughters of God,” Sister Dalton said. “As I watched all of that take place, my heart just sunk and I thought to myself, ‘What would happen if all those women were marching and calling to the world for a return to virtue?’”
Michelle Obama stood up for virtue. Beck stood up for sexual assault. So did Robert C. Oaks, a former member of the quorum of the Seventy who was a speaker at the rally. But as far as we know, Dalton didn’t have a problem with Julie Beck. Perhaps because she was ladylike as she supported violence against women?
And:
That she was offended by the language they were using, as if that were more important than their vocal refusal to countenance a president who has clearly engaged in other behaviors that I’m sure Sister Dalton would censure, like boasting that he could “grab” any woman he wanted “by the pussy.”
Somehow, it’s unfeminine and wrong for women to protest that, in fact, their pussies are not Trump’s for the grabbing. And to match his profanity in getting their message across.
Then there was anther mini-story Utah decided to further protect minors from seeing alcohol by adding the new “Zion moat” to its existing “Zion curtain” laws.
In personal stories, a gay dude unfortunately felt pressured to find a wife:
As soon as the door shut I started running to my car. As I ran I said to myself out loud, “What have I done? What have I done? What have I done?” I sat in my car and felt like garbage. I felt like I had just lied to her. That I had expressed something that I didn’t really feel. When I got home I told my roommates I had kissed her and they were all excited and I feigned excitement as well. The next day I was back at Emma’s house talking to her roommates before she got home. They told me that they had heard all about the kiss and how magical it was from Emma. They were so giddy about it, but the thought that kept running through my brain was, “She and I did not experience the same thing.”
In fun, I found a new Mormon satire site you might want to check out — here’s a sample: Newly Engaged Couple Feels Need to Teach Remaining YSAs About Marriage. Also Knotty posted some fun stuff about mishies and trolls.
And let’s close with some lovely pictures of the historic Cottonwood Paper Mill. Here’s to surviving another week!