Mitt Romney said No to an Apostle

[honorentheos]

Isn't that the mission of some secret committee or other + the Elder Maxwell mandate behind FARMS / Mormon apologetics? Both of which were at work on the problems Romney notes when folks still believed Mormonism was on the ascent?

Sort of. FARMS’s mandate was to “defend the Church”—specifically, “No uncontested slam-dunks,” with the basic understanding being that the apologists’ charge was to go after and attack critics.

I don’t see this request of Romney as being quite the same. It seems far more defensive in nature: “Please! Help to stop us from being defamed!” The Brethren would never ask the Mopologists to do this because that ship has sailed. The FARMS Mopologists did irreparable damage to the Church’s reputation and in fact, I think that is part of what Romney was alluding to.

Back when FARMS was falling to pieces, I had an “insider” who was sending me information, and part of the rationale behind putting an end to classic FARMS had to do with how odious DCP and the Mopologists had become, and how they were getting in the way of Romney’s White House bid.

Sorry, I wasn't very clear in my comment. It struck me that what Romney suggested was needed was, in theory anyway, what mopologists were supposed to be doing. Handling thorny historical issues, encouraging folks to stay in the boat, etc., etc. But I think you and your source share my opinion that their methods had the opposite effect. So in a sense the cure was worse than the disease when it comes to past attempts at what Romney rightly sees as the central challenges for the Church today. That, and the fund kinda making the hypocrisy of it all pretty darn apparent, too.

[Philo Sofee]

Sort of. FARMS’s mandate was to “defend the Church”—specifically, “No uncontested slam-dunks,” with the basic understanding being that the apologists’ charge was to go after and attack critics.

I don’t see this request of Romney as being quite the same. It seems far more defensive in nature: “Please! Help to stop us from being defamed!” The Brethren would never ask the Mopologists to do this because that ship has sailed. The FARMS Mopologists did irreparable damage to the Church’s reputation and in fact, I think that is part of what Romney was alluding to.

Back when FARMS was falling to pieces, I had an “insider” who was sending me information, and part of the rationale behind putting an end to classic FARMS had to do with how odious DCP and the Mopologists had become, and how they were getting in the way of Romney’s White House bid.

I have been wrong many times in my life. I despised Romney when he ran for president. I couldn't fathom a Mormon president. But I was completely mislead by my own bias. The recent interview with him on CBS confirms the fact I was the one misinformed. He is what president's should aspire to be. I kick myself in the ass for that.

eta...but the cardboard cutout of his wife was freaky as hell.

EXACTLY, PRECISELY what I thought. But before Trump he would have SUCKED being a Mormon President. Now, now that we know where the problems lie, Romney appears to be credible. I still cringe at him being Mormon holding that kind of power though, but he is intelligent NOT to run this time.

[Moksha]

Back when FARMS was falling to pieces, I had an “insider” who was sending me information, and part of the rationale behind putting an end to classic FARMS had to do with how odious DCP and the Mopologists had become, and how they were getting in the way of Romney’s White House bid.

Did Romney question whether the Church could ultimately be defended without resorting to the odiousness of FARMS and its apologists?

[Moksha]

I still cringe at him being Mormon holding that kind of power though, but he is intelligent NOT to run this time.

How could any remaining Republican take on the evil mutant powers of Trump who is able to corrupt weak-minded Republicans into fascist thinking and behavior?

Mitt and Liz Cheney still have a moral duty to try and snap Republicans out of the trance-like state binding them to the cult of Trump.

Mormon apostles will stay silent on this great evil.

[Rivendale]

I have been wrong many times in my life. I despised Romney when he ran for president. I couldn't fathom a Mormon president. But I was completely mislead by my own bias. The recent interview with him on CBS confirms the fact I was the one misinformed. He is what president's should aspire to be. I kick myself in the ass for that.

eta...but the cardboard cutout of his wife was freaky as hell.

EXACTLY, PRECISELY what I thought. But before Trump he would have SUCKED being a Mormon President. Now, now that we know where the problems lie, Romney appears to be credible. I still cringe at him being Mormon holding that kind of power though, but he is intelligent NOT to run this time.

He understands it is pointless to continue. He praised the Reagen years. I wonder if he knew about him taking advice from his wife who consulted a psychic? However the integrity aspect appeared to be real with that generation of Republicans at least for the larger part of their administration.

[Rivendale]

I still cringe at him being Mormon holding that kind of power though, but he is intelligent NOT to run this time.

How could any remaining Republican take on the evil mutant powers of Trump who is able to corrupt weak-minded Republicans into fascist thinking and behavior?

Mitt and Liz Cheney still have a moral duty to try and snap Republicans out of the trance-like state binding them to the cult of Trump.

Mormon apostles will stay silent on this great evil.

You mean like they did in Nazi Germany?

[Dr. Sunstoned]

As Romney saw it, Coppins writes, the most pressing challenges in the global church of 17 million members came not from without, but from within — namely in “retaining young people, promoting faith in a secular world, and addressing prickly issues in the church’s history.”

“In other words,” Romney would later reflect, “we have met the enemy and it was us.”

Romney got this one right. The enemy is not at the gates. The enemy is in the courtyard among us. M. Russell Ballard and his buddies need to stop blaming others and look within at the failed polices and reversed revelations. Case in point, when you send the best you have on a Nordic rescue mission and it turns into a epic fail, you know you have problems.

The church needs to implement an emeritus policy and clean house of all the men who came of age in the 1930-1940's. It's past time for a leadership body who is somewhat in touch with modern reality.

[Everybody Wang Chung]

Case in point, when you send the best you have on a Nordic rescue mission and it turns into an epic fail, you know you have problems.

Well, in all fairness to the Church, there is a briefcase out there with all of the answers. It might be in L. Tom Perry’s old office somewhere, or in Mara-a-Lago.

[malkie]

Case in point, when you send the best you have on a Nordic rescue mission and it turns into an epic fail, you know you have problems.

Well, in all fairness to the Church, there is a briefcase out there with all of the answers. It might be in L. Tom Perry’s old office somewhere, or in Mara-a-Lago.

You may be right, Everybody Wang Chung, but I think that it's likely in a box containing the packed-up papers etc. from the old FARMS offices.

[MG 2.0]

An anecdote from Romney which provides further evidence that the Brethren are out of touch with reality, and are maybe in denial about the real issues facing the church.

After being asked by senior apostle M. Russell Ballard to form a Latter-day Saint version of the Jewish Anti-Defamation League, apparently to counter wrongs slung at the Salt Lake City-based faith by outsiders, the Utah Republican, then weighing his Senate run, ultimately declined.

As Romney saw it, Coppins writes, the most pressing challenges in the global church of 17 million members came not from without, but from within — namely in “retaining young people, promoting faith in a secular world, and addressing prickly issues in the church’s history.”

“In other words,” Romney would later reflect, “we have met the enemy and it was us.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/White House ... r-AA1iCkuq

I think the anecdote also spotlights how Apostles seek to get others to do their dirty work so that they, the Apostles, can retain plausible deniability.

He’s a wise man. I just ordered his new book hot off the press:

Romney
A Reckoning

I think he shows his smarts by recognizing some of the other concerns the church has to deal with besides the three major ‘thorns’ BKP foresaw years ago.

Regards,
MG