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"The Disillusioned Latter-day Saint"
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Mike Michaels
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Joined: 15 Nov 2007
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 2:04 pm    Post subject: "The Disillusioned Latter-day Saint" Reply with quote

Bushman appears to be the kindler and gentler Church spokesman these days.

http://lifeongoldplates.blogspot.com/2008/08/bushmans-introduction-to-joseph-smith.html
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Dathon
Militant Agnostic: I don't know


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PostPosted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 2:23 pm    Post subject: Re: "The Disillusioned Latter-day Saint" Reply with quote

Mike Michaels wrote:
Bushman appears to be the kindler and gentler Church spokesman these days.

http://lifeongoldplates.blogspot.com/2008/08/bushmans-introduction-to-joseph-smith.html


The church can use a kindlier and more gentle spokesperson.

I've heard that there are some more conservative members and GA's who wish Bushman had never published RSR or agreed to talk about church history. OTOH Br. Bushman has impeccable credentials and comes across as affable and sincere.
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Shadow of Doubt
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Joined: 18 Feb 2008
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 2:32 pm    Post subject: Re: "The Disillusioned Latter-day Saint" Reply with quote

Dathon wrote:
OTOH Br. Bushman has impeccable credentials and comes across as affable and sincere.


Very true.
This was a good read, and Bushman does indeed approach the subject with kindness.

However when all is said and done this is the message I get from it.
--in my own words "Church history is crazy, complex, and disheartening. We don't have answer, but only urge people to express love, have faith, and teach those who do not have faith."

Somehow that just doesn't work for me. It's not that we don't have faith, but have realized that to some extent our faith was misplaced...
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Kurskorahn
I want to live before I die


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PostPosted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 3:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That was great! I'm totally posting it on my blog.
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marek
laughter=pain+time


Joined: 09 Jun 2008
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 3:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

EXCELLENT! Thanks for posting that. I am bolding that which really rang true for me. Bushman is the only man in the current generation who gives me some real hope.

We know that airing criticisms troubles many Latter-day Saints. Like most Church teachers, the members of the seminar do not want to draw attention to questions that will only unsettle faithful members. But we also feel that silence is not the answer. The absence of instruction troubles questioners more than anything. They feel they have been betrayed because they came through their Church classes ignorant of the devastating information now a few clicks away on the internet. The gaps in their education leave them disillusioned and angry.

To counteract this lack of preparation, the seminar members have taken as our motto the scripture that begins: “As all have not faith, teach one another” (D&C 88:118). We are encouraged by the scriptural recognition that not all have faith, and by the appealing remedy, “teach one another.” For many questioners, loneliness is the heart of the problems. No one seems to understand.We are enjoined by this scripture to find these seekers and bring them into a fellowship of inquiry. We hope that our papers will help Church teachers create safe havens where questions may be asked and answers explored--where we can teach one another.

Realize here is NOM with authority, so to speak, who is teaching other NOMs who when they get an opportunity to teach in church how they can help others...or budding NOM's, not to feel so alone.

Heard that Rough Stone Rolling, is being read by LOTS and LOTS of BYU students right now....the church and it's members need to get real and educated and SOON, instead of alienating us NOM's with accusations of impending apostasy, which far from the truth is not, at least with me. I remain committed to Christ and so how can that be thought of as apostasy.
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Dathon
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 3:27 pm    Post subject: Blog? What is its URL? Reply with quote

Kurskorahn wrote:
That was great! I'm totally posting it on my blog.


Where's the missing link?
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Kurskorahn
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 5:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ha ha, what you mean my blog? It's going in my sig right now Very Happy
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myheadhurts



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PostPosted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 10:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

i can not thank you enough for posting this! i emailed it to my DH and we had a talk about church stuff (FINALLY) turns out he's more of NOM than i gave him credit for. i don't think he'll be joining the forum or anything, but i feel like we're on the same page again. he's still a believer, but says he can see where i'm coming from and that (this is the most important part) he doesn't want to divorce me over church stuff (currently no other issues to divorce me over currently either)...YAY. my life just got so much better. this article just articulated what i was feeling, but i just didn't know how to explain it so well. wonderful. thank you thank you!
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amusick



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PostPosted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 6:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Like all apologists Bushman articulates the problem extremely well - and I was totally into it until he got to the solution.

Then I had that same sad, letdown feeling I get everytime I read FAIR and FARMS - like - no answers here.

He talks about those who have come to a more mature faith - without ever really saying how you get there or what you actually have left that you can believe in.

Overall, more disappointment for me.
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marek
laughter=pain+time


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 10:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://mormon-chronicles.blogspot.com/2008/08/joseph-smith-and-his-critics-seminar.html

According to this blog, this was one of the many presentations in the seminar that were given at BYU and by the CES ... I find this very validating as the issues are FINALLY being addressed. There is some progress being made!
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ZEBA



Joined: 13 Nov 2007
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 12:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

amusick wrote:
Like all apologists Bushman articulates the problem extremely well - and I was totally into it until he got to the solution.

Then I had that same sad, letdown feeling I get everytime I read FAIR and FARMS - like - no answers here.

He talks about those who have come to a more mature faith - without ever really saying how you get there or what you actually have left that you can believe in.

Overall, more disappointment for me.


Yeah, good points. IMO, the solution is that you look past, or ignore the warts. You embrace the good things... The church was beautiful, and perfect... until you learned that the taught history was a fraud. Rolling Eyes Much easier said than done.

But yeah, Bushman describes the problem well, and I agree that we are still left without a very good solution.
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marek
laughter=pain+time


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 1:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I know what you are guys are saying, an anonymous poster to the blog I put a link to in my last reply really hit it on the nail as well. Maybe it was one of us NOM's.

Quote:
This conference at BYU is definitely heartening for those of us desiring more truth and less "faithful" history, etc. However, until "the church" changes the curriculum, and their overbearing control of it, at the local level so that the truth of our history, etc. can be taught and discussed broadly, then its steps are not sufficient.

Try giving a talk in sacrament meeting that elucidates your fellow saints even a little bit on one of the history issues presented at this conference!
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Mike Michaels
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 5:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ZEBA wrote:
amusick wrote:
Like all apologists Bushman articulates the problem extremely well - and I was totally into it until he got to the solution.

Then I had that same sad, letdown feeling I get everytime I read FAIR and FARMS - like - no answers here.

He talks about those who have come to a more mature faith - without ever really saying how you get there or what you actually have left that you can believe in.

Overall, more disappointment for me.


Yeah, good points. IMO, the solution is that you look past, or ignore the warts. You embrace the good things... The church was beautiful, and perfect... until you learned that the taught history was a fraud. Rolling Eyes Much easier said than done.

But yeah, Bushman describes the problem well, and I agree that we are still left without a very good solution.


Does anyone question why someone with more influence and rank in Church leadership isn't making Bushman's points?
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Enginerd



Joined: 16 Nov 2007
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 5:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mike Michaels wrote:
Does anyone question why someone with more influence and rank in Church leadership isn't making Bushman's points?


Plausible deniability I presume..
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Dathon
Militant Agnostic: I don't know


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 6:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Enginerd wrote:
Mike Michaels wrote:
Does anyone question why someone with more influence and rank in Church leadership isn't making Bushman's points?


Plausible deniability I presume..


That's my working hypothesis also.
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