Things have perhaps calmed down a bit, but the fallout from the disastrous policy isn’t over yet. The CoJCoL-dS has hit the national news again with this error — with lots of coverage of the people quitting the church. (But should you resign or make them kick you out instead? Or try something new?) Also, lots of personal stories about gay Mormon families are rolling in, as well as sadder tales.
Another PR masterpiece was how the CoCJoL-dS reminded everyone about Mormonism’s favorite closet-skeleton: polygamy. How similar are the two situations? Let us analyze the parallel at length and remind everyone that polygamy is alive and well in Mormon theology:
This is significant because polygyny lives on in LDS temple sealing protocol, vivified by the doctrine that unbreakable temple sealings bind families in heaven according to ordinances performed to create families on Earth. The 19th-century gender discrepancy continues unabated: living men can be sealed to multiple women at a time, living or dead; living women can only be sealed to one man at a time, living or dead. Indeed, Elders Dallin H. Oaks and Russell M. Nelson, second and third in line for the Church presidency, are both sealed to two women.
If you’re curious as to the arguments for the policy, please watch this video (and maybe compare to this or this).
Let’s discuss the theology of being cursed for the actions of an ancestor, which scriptures really matter (looks like the family proclamation has been canonized), criticism as an act of love, and motives for the policy.
In podcasts, Mormon Bridges are falling down and the Infants interviewed the guy who interviewed people at the mass resignation. Other podcasters have moved on to new subjects like oral sex and Mormon royalty leaving the church — plus an intro for the new Zelph-on-the-Shelf podcast!!
Outside the Mormon bubble, there has naturally been a lot of continuing discussion about the Paris attacks and the fate of the Syrian refugees. Plus reports of ordinary racism.
The Exponent has been doing a book review series, and it looks like I will too! I posted one this past week, and I have three more scheduled! I’m really looking forward to this year’s Brodie Awards!!
Have a great week!