Bizarre YouTube Video: LDS Man at Temple Square

[_EAllusion]

I can't picture that guy times ten. He's at a ten.

I don't think you understand where I was going there. We don't even know if he's a "drama queen" in the crude sense above. First, attention seeking behavior is just one possible symptom of HPD. We didn't see any shallow swinging emotions, emotionally exaggerated speaking style that seems insincere, profound self-centeredness, flirtatiousness, sensitivity to personal criticism, affinity for exciting conflict, etc. And we don't even know if his oddball ways technically are attention seeking. It's hard to say. Heck, histrionics tend to dress well, if flamboyantly. Their concern with physical appearance has an appreciation for what others think about it. This is a bit beyond that. Odd dress styles can be a symptom of any number of mental disorders or none at all. Take schizotypal personality, for instance. That fits the bill better here, but I wouldn't recommend any armchair diagnoses. He could fit any number of mental illnesses or none at all.

[_karl61]

I'll defer to your history on this board of good logic and sound thinking.

[_MMAFighter7]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INCdWypQ ... annel_page

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg8ccS0UBEs

Do I think this man is mental? Absolutely not.

Do I feel as if he may think that he let his parents down because they didn't hug him enough as a child.

Probably so. Those people that he named, with the exception of Christ stumbbled into greatness.

[_Roger]

I tend to agree with Black Moclips who stated:

So how do we judge between real spiritual weirdness and someone suffering from a mental condition? And I'm not trying to be funny here. I imagine some thought the same about Joseph Smith and all the "crazy" things he was saying, yet, we are encouraged to believe it was all legitamate. Visitations from resurrected dead people and translating gold plates using magical rocks is at least as weird (if not more) from merely standing on a street corner dressed in white.

This is what drives me crazy when conversing with TBMs. LOAP immediately wants to condemn the person doing the interview for allegedly exploiting a Mormon who claims to be doing exactly what God allegedly told him to do and verified it through the Mormon system of truth verification. How is that not (LOAP) attempting to have it both ways? Did this guy legitimately hear from God when God told him the Book of Mormon is true, but now does not hear from God when he allegedly tells him to go stand on the corner looking like a mime? How is it that LOAP is so quick to conclude a mental disorder is behind this on the one hand but not the other?

I think this illustrates the point made in the video... measuring truth by feelings yields poor results.

[_Gadianton Plumber]

I disagree. It seemed like a great interview.

Are you a fan of the Jerry Springer show too? Do you think you would feel the same way if Nick was your own mentally ill son being interviewed?

Not a fan of manufactured drama. What I saw was a guy in a ponytail that allowed Nick a space to talk. He didn't ask him mean questions, he didn't blindside him with anything, he didn't make fun of him. Nick seemed happy, Ponytail seemed happy. I was interested in what Nick had to say.

I would not have problem with my own son in a similar situation.

Did we watch the same interview?

[_MMAFighter7]

Not a fan of manufactured drama. What I saw was a guy in a ponytail that allowed Nick a space to talk. He didn't ask him mean questions, he didn't blindside him with anything, he didn't make fun of him. Nick seemed happy, Ponytail seemed happy. I was interested in what Nick had to say.

I would not have problem with my own son in a similar situation.

Did we watch the same interview?

Agreed. I'm heading up to try to talk to Nick in about 30 minutes.

[_RockSlider]

Not a fan of manufactured drama. What I saw was a guy in a ponytail that allowed Nick a space to talk. He didn't ask him mean questions, he didn't blindside him with anything, he didn't make fun of him. Nick seemed happy, Ponytail seemed happy. I was interested in what Nick had to say.
I would not have problem with my own son in a similar situation.
Did we watch the same interview?

I agree ... I was impressed with the interviewer, he was very respectful to Nick, and seemed genuine in allowing Nick the “space to talk”. I sure he had his agenda (show his followers how nutty LDS can go/be), but none the less handle the interview very well.

Obviously no one was twisting Nick’s arm to be there. Nick seemed very sincere and coherent (not mentally bazaar). The conversation (a little less extreme) could be expected in most any LDS church lobby.

When I was a TBM, I had respect for those who had enough balls to put action behind their faith/beliefs. When basic example stories like Abraham sacrificing his son are held in front of us as an example of “real faith/obedience”. How could any TBM criticize Nick? Seems to me he is a hero of faith/obedience to his beliefs.

What’s painful (gaping wound to the soul painful) is when one has tried to exercise such faith and then come to discover the power/promise behind it is hollow.

[_Gazelam]

A poster on the MAD board named RockWaterman has an excellent post regarding Nick. He has some really good comments in regards to the way people are treating him.

Pure Mormonism: Nick the White Mormon

A part that perked my interest was the response from Church leaders:

One family member hoped Nick's bishop might be able to assist in the situation, but when contacted was only warned to "tell him if he tries to come around here, we'll have him removed."

A call to the church office building garnered no sympathy, either. When a family member called there to ask if there was anything they could do together to resolve the situation, the response was a curt statement that the church was going to sue Nick.

I have to wonder how much his Bishop has already dealt with, and what past discussions church offices have had with him. It seems like an odd response. I'm guessing theres much more to the story in regards to Church leaders dealing with him.

[_neworder]

Update on Nick from PostMormon.org

Nick is now in jail, arrested on some charge from his past that has nothing to do with his standing outside wearing temple clothes. His wife preferred not to tell me what he was arrested for, other than to tell me that he has done some bad, bad things in the past. She is relieved that things may start moving in a positive direction to get Nick some help.

I wouldn't be surprised if local authorities had gotten together to dig something up just to get him off the street, but hopefully from this point he'll get the psychiatric help he deserves. Nick has gotten more extreme in his dress, from donning TWO temple robes to carrying a white cane, white cross, and donning a white wig and white fake beard.

He has covered every inch of his apartment with white, laying strips of white toilet paper all over the floor and wrapping white toilet paper around bannisters, etc.

According to my amateur diagnosis, methinks all this may be an attempt to purify himself from his past sins. He's past due for some help. Let's pray he gets it.