TSM seems in good mental faculties

[_Ceeboo]

To learn that President Monson seems to be in better mental health than some suggeted, is very good to hear!



Peace,
Ceeboo

[_Sethbag]

I don't know.

Watch the announcement on missionary age again. He looks utterly lifeless as he speaks, he slurs some words, and appears to be concentrating mightily just to read the announcment off the teleprompter. The cadence of his speech is also not that of a man speaking confidently and continuously, but that of a man reading words someone else has written, and which he hasn't necessarily strung together in his own mind into a complete sentence.

See the words "will have the opportunity" at the 16 second mark. He swallows it halfway through the word.

As an example of something seen throughout the video, at around the 34 second mark look at how his brow is furrowed but his eyes are utterly deadened and he's speaking mechanically.

At second 37 he looks off to his right for some inexplicable reason. Not sure what to make of it.

Check out from around the 105 second mark as he reaffirms that missionary work is a priesthood duty. He speaks disjointedly, lifelessly, and without the kind of emotion or enthusiasm that should accompany the words he's speaking. He's admonishing the boys, but without any hint of admonition in his voice - just the words he's reading off the teleprompter.

From the 1:13 mark he mentions the sisters being allowed to serve and whatnot, and especially around the 1:15 to 1:18 mark actually looks a little confused.

More slurred words at around 1:23 "we assure the sisters of the church".

Right at 1:35 or so he looks up and around and says, almost looking startled himself, "and we welcome their service".

I didn't watch any of his other performances this weekend, because I had much better things to do with my time than watch Conference, but just watching this video, I'm not 100% convinced that his mind is just fine.

Has he got Alzheimers? I have no idea. I don't really know what that looks like. Is he 100% in the mental faculty department? I doubt it. His speaking is a ghostly shell of his confident, fluid speech in the past. He was one of the best speakers in the church for many years, but this video clip shows a halting, sometimes slurring, sometimes almost confused guy running on auto-pilot as he concentrates mightily just to read words that someone else has prepared and brought up on a teleprompter.

[_Harold Lee]

Come on man, don't be so hard on the guy.

He is 85 and just because you slur your speech doesn't mean your mind is almost gone. I don't doubt there's a lot of mental deterioration that comes with age, but no faster than has been for the last 20 years. Honestly he's repeated the same stories about widows forever now. I always find it odd that he tended to value his time with widows as a part of his nature more than any stories about his family, comradery in the military or business career, or anything else. But maybe he's just a charitable guy.

There's a lot of things to be critical of him about but claiming rapid mental deterioration is probably not very justifiable.

[_Morley]

Looked like his hip or right leg was hurting, though he did look a little nervous.

Seemed like claiming he had Alzheimer's or dementia and he'd be emeritus or have a counselor step in (as he drooled on the side lol) was grasping at straws. If there's been rumors spreading that far off about the central figure for months, it's not very good for credibility. The whole hysteria that lit up the boards about it must be kind of funny to TBM's. As much as we get on TBM's case for assuming and jumping to conclusions night and day, ex-mos and disaffected Mormons will still too often do the same thing in the opposite direction. Any TBM that saw those claims flying around now definitely has no reason to believe any other unverifiable claim we make.

Granted those were teleprompters and anyone can read, but still he looked pretty good for an 85-year old, much less 65. Until we get video or audio evidence that everyone can see instead of passed down hearsay, it'd be better to avoid spreading assumptions like this.

It's okay to speculate on the physical, emotional, or mental health of others.

I hope my friends and family care enough to wonder about my health. If a total stranger ponders whether or not I have a bum knee, male pattern baldness, or dementia, I'm fine with that, too.

[_Sethbag]

I'm not being hard on the guy.

It was rumored prior to conference that Pres. Monson might be suffering from dementia. This was supported by various bits of hearsay and anecdotes from some public appearances and whatnot.

Then, in this thread, people were saying that he looked fine, and that rumors of his mind's deterioration were contradicted by his performance at Conference.

All I'm saying is that I don't find his performance in this video clip nearly as convincing as others do that he's just fine. It's not just that he slurred a word or two. It's that he slurred a word or two and looked as if he were concentrating hard just to read words off a teleprompter, words which he didn't seem to be connecting in his mind into a coherent whole, and which came out practically lifelessly and mechanically. He also showed signs, a couple of times, of confusion. The last few seconds of the clip shows this particularly.

Just compare this clip from Saturday morning with some past Monson talks from a few years ago and you'll see what I mean. It's entirely possible all is well in the cranium of Thomas S. Monson. But I don't think one would get that from watching this particular clip.

[_Morley]

I'm not being hard on the guy.

It was rumored prior to conference that Pres. Monson might be suffering from dementia. This was supported by various bits of hearsay and anecdotes from some public appearances and whatnot.

Then, in this thread, people were saying that he looked fine, and that rumors of his mind's deterioration were contradicted by his performance at Conference.

All I'm saying is that I don't find his performance in this video clip nearly as convincing as others do that he's just fine. It's not just that he slurred a word or two. It's that he slurred a word or two and looked as if he were concentrating hard just to read words off a teleprompter, words which he didn't seem to be connecting in his mind into a coherent whole, and which came out practically lifelessly and mechanically. He also showed signs, a couple of times, of confusion. The last few seconds of the clip shows this particularly.

Just compare this clip from Saturday morning with some past Monson talks from a few years ago and you'll see what I mean. It's entirely possible all is well in the cranium of Thomas S. Monson. But I don't think one would get that from watching this particular clip.

You may be right. My father has dementia. He would've been able to read that same speech from a teleprompter or notes. And it would have looked similar.

[_Bob Loblaw]

If he does have dementia--and I couldn't say one way or the other--he would have good days and bad days, somewhat tempered by medication. I watched an elderly neighbor who started with mostly lucid, good days, with occasional episodes of pretty serious mental confusion and disorientation. But as time went on, the bad days became more frequent until he was mostly having bad days, and then suddenly he'd have a day or a couple of hours or even just a few minutes of being his old self.

Whatever he is dealing with, I sympathize with him and his family if there is any truth to the rumors. To deal with progressive dementia is bad enough, but to do it in public is heartbreaking.

[_Harold Lee]

It's okay to speculate on the physical, emotional, or mental health of others.

I hope my friends and family care enough to wonder about my health. If a total stranger ponders whether or not I have a bum knee, male pattern baldness, or dementia, I'm fine with that, too.

If someone claims that only they can receive revelation for mankind from God, it's the last days and the world is most wicked it's ever been, and he rarely goes out in public or says anything unless he's reading it, coupled with having gone through a president with debilitating mental illness before, there's more to the equation than just randomly speculating someone's medical conditions.

You do realize if the president of the US did the same things there'd be curiosity about it as well. That doesn't make it immoral, there should be dialogue about it. The real crime here is gullability in my opinion. Someone's "inside source" confirmed it on boards that are frankly a little crazy.

[_sansfoy]

The best part of the clip was the cut to the audience. "Oh my gosh! They announced something! We thank thee, oh God, for a prophet!"

The expectations are low with this group.

[_Morley]

Whatever he is dealing with, I sympathize with him and his family if there is any truth to the rumors. To deal with progressive dementia is bad enough, but to do it in public is heartbreaking.

Yep.