“We can cherish the best of our individual earthly cultures and be full participants in the eternal culture that comes from the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Elder William K. Jackson,October 2020 General Conference The most backhanded compliment-insult combos start out with a Big But. And in this talk called The Culture of Christ (delivered at …
Category: LDS General Conference
How To Shirk Responsibility: A Lesson from an LDS Apostle
With the April 2018 General Conference, many hoped LDS Leadership would address the most recent abuse scandals that have rocked the foundations of trust for members of the Church. Many of us have been aware of systemic abuse and cover-ups under the roof of God’s house for a long time, yet recently, two of those …
Consolidated Analyses of LDS Manipulation
I’ve created a number of blog posts and videos analyzing line-by-line the mind control and manipulation in LDS General Conference Talks and articles. Here you can find links to all of them in one place. It first may help to have an idea of the named manipulation techniques used by cults and high-demand groups. They …
Elder Uchtdorf’s Spiritual Abuse: “Be Not Afraid, Just Tune Out All Opposing Signals”
When I first heard Elder Uchtdorf’s Saturday morning talk during the October 2015 General Conference, I had high hopes it signaled a movement toward a kinder, gentler LDS Church. I hoped that some combination of pressures from public critical voices, the mass exodus of fleeing member, and Uchtdorf’s sincerely held Christlike outlook on the Mormon …
Elder Pearson Asks Mormons To Stay By The Tree, No Matter What!
Pearson is a relative newbie who wasn’t a General Authority when I was still a member. He is charismatic, animated, and funny. While I liked his delivery style, the core of his message centered on thought reform. This message is, “Keep on believing no matter what.” Don’t let any trials, doubts, and questions steer you …
General Conference: Scrambling to Close the Floodgates of Apostasy
April 2015 LDS General Conference seemed to have one major theme: Apostasy. The majority of talks were about bolstering personal faith in the face of doubt and dealing with wayward loved ones. This session seemed as reactionary as last fall’s. Then, in the context of legalized marriage equality, leadership emphasized family values. This conference, in …