Leaked videos of meetings with the Q15

[_Res Ipsa]

I was stunned by the video of the retired senator. I wonder what his constituents would think of his flat out loyalty to the church first and them second. This video makes a devastating case against any Mormon running for public office.

Before seeing the video, I would not have viewed a candidate's membership in the church as a reason not to vote for him or her. I can't say that anymore.

[Jersey Girl]

Atm a "hot potatoe" is the video where a member of the US senate (Gordon Smith) reveals himself in front of the camera while briefing the apostles.

Even more liberal lying!!! Look, he was simply adjusting his zipper and had a wardrobe malfunction.

Interesting that the videos reveal only 30% young single adult activity in the US and 20% in the rest of the world. The percentage of Temple marriage for members outside the Church is 7%.

The Church reveals that it is very pro-Republican and view Democrats as "miscreants" in the Gordon Smith video and regards Abraham Lincoln as a Democrat. At least the part of Lincoln actually being a Democrat rings true. The meeting's contention that Evangelical leaders practice "priestcraft" is somewhat controversial.

[_I have a question]

Church and Islam

Date: Feb. 15, 2012

Summary: Leaders discuss a working group that will focus on preparing to spread the Mormon message to the Islamic world.

Quote: "I don't think [Muslim converts] have a problem being assimilated," apostle M. Russell Ballard says, except "maybe in Utah."

Science and morality

Date: June 11, 2008

Summary: LDS leaders are briefed on emerging scientific advances and their possible effect on moral questions:

Quote: "The question of students choosing performance-enhancing drugs to concentrate during tests after studying all night is already here," says Gerrit W. Gong of the Seventy. "Do any such drugs contradict the Word of Wisdom?"

Date: Feb. 21, 2007

Summary: Mormon leaders are reassured that marriage — despite earlier media reports — remains a desire of the vast majority of adults, but are warned that Latter-day Saints, like the general populace, are delaying nuptials and having fewer children.

Quote: "Separating marriage myth and fact," says Gerrit W. Gong of the Seventy, "may help our young LDS adults maintain the faith and hope they need as they seek and commit to marriage today."

Church's young single adults

Date: Nov. 12, 2008

Summary: LDS leaders hear about the difficulty keeping young single adults committed to the faith. The activity rate in North America at the time was 30 percent; internationally it was 20 percent.

Quote: "Young single adults are among the church's most underutilized resources," says Bruce C. Hafen of the Seventy. "They have enormous potential, but face high risks in today's world."

Piracy

Date: Dec. 3, 2008

Summary: LDS leaders are briefed about the increasing threat of piracy on the high seas and view a short clip from Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean."

Quote: "I show [this clip]," says Gerrit W. Gong of the Seventy, "because, though meant in fun, Captain Jack [Sparrow] makes pirating appear good and traditional authority appear silly."

http://www.sltrib.com/news/LDS/4424105- ... fullpage=1

Oh. My. God.

I now understand why the Church makes so many leadership errors.

[_Lemmie]

I was stunned by the video of the retired senator. I wonder what his constituents would think of his flat out loyalty to the church first and them second. This video makes a devastating case against any Mormon running for public office.

Before seeing the video, I would not have viewed a candidate's membership in the church as a reason not to vote for him or her. I can't say that anymore.

Absolutely. When Romney was running, a couple of friends asked me about him and I told them that in my opinion, he had underlying loyalties to his religion that would interfere with performing the duties required by his office.

Now I don't have to express an opinion, I will simply give them the facts. That partial list of his statements was devastating. If I were his constituent at the time, I would feel very betrayed. If it's not criminal enough for charges, at the very least I feel like if it had been known at the time what he said, Congress would have censured him and his constituents would have impeached him.

[_Lemmie]

The percentage of Temple marriage for members outside the Church is 7%.

You're going to have to explain that one a bit more, Moksha!

[_Analytics]

The percentage of Temple marriage for members outside the Church is 7%.

You're going to have to explain that one a bit more, Moksha!

He meant for members outside of the U.S.

It's a stat from the fretting about young single adult video, where they talk about how 70(?) percent of Mormons outside the US go inactive before they are 20 and that those who don't are mostly female and that the relatively few males that don't go inactive tend to be less accomplished than the females, so even though there are basically two girls for every boy, usually neither of the girls is interested in the boy. The few that do get married get married later in life and have fewer kids. Thus, they concluded that the church outside of the US isn't self sustaining and would implode without new converts.

[_Lemmie]

The percentage of Temple marriage for members outside the Church is 7%.

You're going to have to explain that one a bit more, Moksha!

He meant for members outside of the U.S.

It's a stat from the fretting about young single adult video, where they talk about how 70(?) percent of Mormons outside the US go inactive before they are 20 and that those who don't are mostly female and that the relatively few males that don't go inactive tend to be less accomplished than the females, so even though there are basically two girls for every boy, usually neither of the girls is interested in the boy. The few that do get married get married later in life and have fewer kids. Thus, they concluded that the church outside of the US isn't self sustaining and would implode without new converts.

Ah, that makes more sense, thank you, Analytics.

Interesting stats. Very roughly then, let's say a para-baptism cohort of 100 children results in 20 females and 10 males still active at age 20; of those 3 or 4 marriages result, even with 2 kids per family, that only leads 8 replacement baptisms; a decrease of more than 90%. Yes, I'd call that an implosion.

[_Lemmie]

Oh my. This are incredibly significant. Not that'll happen, but this should be sufficient for the Church to lose its tax exempt status.

Did they endorse a candidate? the IRS won't give s*** unless they endorse a candidate.

I know that is F*** up, but that is the system.

Endorse a candidate? How does the IRS feel about a tax-exempt body controlling the political decisions of a candidate elected to office, by that candidate's own admission?

Or is that covered under a section titled Fraud and Criminal Activity?

[_Analytics]

Very roughly then, let's say a para-baptism cohort of 100 children results in 20 females and 10 males still active at age 20; of those 3 or 4 marriages result, even with 2 kids per family, that only leads 8 replacement baptisms; a decrease of more than 90%. Yes, I'd call that an implosion.

Yes, roughly. I was in a hotel lounge last night when started watching these videos, and I couldn't pull myself away. I was on my 4th or 5th beer when I got to this video, so I'm a little foggy with the exact numbers (both number of replacement baptisms and number of beers), but that's basically it.

Ironically, one of the guys giving the lecture--a recently returned mission president I believe--was repeatedly talking about how it was an obvious fail on the part of the church that there weren't more singles' wards--he went on and on about how this was an obvious problem with an obvious solution. I really, really, wish I could have seen President Packer's face while he was talking about this. That's because 25 years ago when I was a recently returned missionary and living with my parents in Sandy, a group of us young single adults were talking with the stake president about how nice it would be if we had a singles' ward, and pointed out that we had enough young single adults to justify one. The stake president said he had a ton of sympathy for what we were saying, but went on to say that Boyd K. Packer was philosophically against the concept of singles' wards, and as long as Elder Packer lived in his stake, he simply would not create a singles' ward.

The guy in the video promoting singles'wards wouldn't have been talking that way if he knew the President of the Twelve was against Singles' Wards in principle. So was he putting his foot in his mouth? Or had Packer changed his opinion on the issue since 1991?

[_candygal]

I was stunned by the video of the retired senator. I wonder what his constituents would think of his flat out loyalty to the church first and them second. This video makes a devastating case against any Mormon running for public office.

Before seeing the video, I would not have viewed a candidate's membership in the church as a reason not to vote for him or her. I can't say that anymore.

I have family in Oregon...but I can only see them feeling a wonderful spirit as this Senator was putting faith before his care of the state. I am sure they would vote for him again should he desire. As for me..the stomach turns and I fear for non LDS and outsiders of the religion in the state of Utah. I had always known that the church ran the state..but to face it up close..and as a nation..this makes me ill.