DiscussMormonism.com

One central practice of Scientology is an activity known as auditing (listening) which seeks to elevate an adherent to a State of Clear, one of freedom from the influences of the reactive mind. The practice is one wherein a counselor called an auditor addresses a series of questions to a preclear, observes and records the preclear's responses, and acknowledges them. An important element in all forms of auditing is to not suggest answers to the preclear or invalidate or degrade what the preclear says in response. It is of utmost importance the auditor create a truly safe and distraction free environment for the session.

"Auditing" is sometimes seen as controversial, because auditing sessions are permanently recorded and stored within what are called Preclear Folders.

"Auditors" are required to become proficient with the use of their E-meters. A typical exercise in auditor training is to be able to determine the number a silent person is thinking of. A training simulator able to recreate all manner of E-meter reactions is used to assist in Auditor training.[citation needed] E-meters include circuitry for course training supervisors to communicate with an auditor who is in session.[original research?] Auditors do not receive final certification until they have successfully completed an internship, and have demonstrated a proven ability in the skills they have been trained in.[original research?] Auditors often practice their auditing with each other, as well as friends or family. Church members pair up often to get their training, doing the same course at the same time, so that they can audit each other up through the various Scientology levels.

Patriarchal Blessings

Patriarchal blessings are given to worthy members of the Church by ordained patriarchs. Patriarchal blessings include a declaration of a person's lineage in the house of Israel and contain personal counsel from the Lord. As a person studies his or her patriarchal blessing and follows the counsel it contains, it will provide guidance, comfort, and protection.


Additional Information

Declaration of Lineage

A patriarchal blessing includes a declaration of lineage, stating that the person is of the house of Israel—a descendant of Abraham, belonging to a specific tribe of Jacob. Many Latter-day Saints are of the tribe of Ephraim, the tribe given the primary responsibility to lead the latter-day work of the Lord.

Because each of us has many bloodlines running in us, two members of the same family may be declared as being of different tribes in Israel.

It does not matter if a person's lineage in the house of Israel is through bloodlines or by adoption. Church members are counted as a descendant of Abraham and an heir to all the promises and blessings contained in the Abrahamic covenant (see Abrahamic Covenant).

Learning from a Patriarchal Blessing

Those who have received a patriarchal blessing should read it humbly, prayerfully, and frequently. It contains personal revelation and instructions from Heavenly Father, who knows our strengths, weaknesses, and eternal potential. Patriarchal blessings may contain promises, admonitions, and warnings.

Those who follow the counsel in their patriarchal blessing will be less likely to go astray or be misled. Only by following the counsel in a patriarchal blessing can one receive the blessings contained therein.

While a patriarchal blessing contains inspired counsel and promises, it should not be expected to answer all of the recipient's questions or to detail all that will happen in his or her life. If the blessing does not mention an important event, such as a full-time mission or marriage, the person should not assume that he or she will not receive that opportunity.

Similarly, the recipient of the blessing should not assume that everything mentioned in it will be fulfilled in this life. A patriarchal blessing is eternal, and its promises may extend into the eternities. If one is worthy, all promises will be fulfilled in the Lord's due time. Those promises and blessings that are not realized in this life will be fulfilled in the next.

Patriarchal blessings are sacred and personal. They may be shared with immediate family members, but should not be read aloud in public or read or interpreted by others. Not even the patriarch or bishop or branch president should interpret it.

Those who have received a patriarchal blessing should treasure its words, ponder them, and live to be worthy to receive the promised blessings in this life and in the life to come.

Buffalo wrote:From the Drastic Measures thread, I posted:

"Of course, God's powers of discernment don't seem to have fared any better with other, more sincere practitioners of the faith. Think of all the patriarchal blessings where people were promised they would see the second coming.

"In my blessing, the one and only part of it that was specific enough to apply to me and not just a sort of generic thing was a part mentioning my specific talents. The patriarch (a nice man) asked me what they were ahead of time so he could include them in the blessing. So the blessing was a combination of cold and hot reading.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_reading
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_reading

"Apparently God is unable to read our thoughts, and must use the same techniques as fortune tellers and other scam artists to give blessings."

Any thoughts on this? Your own experiences?

DrW wrote:A few of the parallels between Scientology and Mormonism:

1. Both were founded by authors of fictional stories who decided that religion could be more lucrative than their current profession (L. Ron Hubbard was a science fiction author and Joseph Smith Jr. was a glass looker and con man).

2. Foundational narratives for both religions involve a bizarre alternative and scientifically unsupportable cosmologies.

3. The foundational truth claims of both religions are demonstrably false.

4. Both claim to have special knowledge held as sacred, said knowledge being revealed or made available only to those who are willing to join the Church, go through initial indoctrination, and pay a portion of their income to the Church.

5. Leaders of both organizations downplay or publicly deny the more bizarre teachings of their respective Churches.

6. Both organizations tend to ostracize, or count as less valuable, those who express doubt regarding the truthfulness of the foundational truth claims.

7. Both organizations have a corporate component that invests in and manages for profit businesses originally purchased with contributions from members.

8. Neither organization allows public disclosure of its finances.

Samantabhadra wrote:Mormonism has much more in common with Scientology than it has ever had (or will ever have) in common with Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, or in general with what I will call "real" religions. I'm very ecumenical when it comes to the truth of various spiritual traditions but LDS is an organization at odds with reality that forces its members to believe in Joseph Smith's hoaxes against the evidence of their own lying eyes, on pain of social and/or financial ruin. That's not a church, that's a cult.

DrW wrote:Perhaps we should confine our interaction to this thread, where we find ourselves in fulll agreement.