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That’s right, I got to brush up next to Mormon Royalty while I was in the D. C. airport. While waiting for my flight back to SLC, I was passing the time reading in the boarding area when I noticed two very well dressed men approaching. I could tell they were VIPs because they had not been waiting in the boarding area. They walked in as soon as first class boarding was called and went directly to the counter where they were checked in. It was then that I recognized one of them a David Bednar. I don’t know who the other man was. Both were wearing black suits, white shirts and ties. They were immaculately dressed. I’m a business man, and not a stranger to suits, but these guys suits were the best I had ever seen. The cut was conservative, and they were tailored and fitted well. The material was quality, and did not show any wrinkles. These were high dollar suits, and not some Mr. Mac off the rack crap that I had somehow come to associate with GA’s.
One middle aged lady who had been sitting a couple rows back from me jumped up and ran over to them and started talking. Actually, she was gushing and was all giggly. I almost puked. It reminded me of some kind of rock star seen. She had someone take a picture with her and Bednar. Apparently, the other guy didn’t rate.
I thought it was interesting that they didn’t appear to be traveling with luggage. They boarded, and of course were in first class. When we landed, they disembarked before me, but did catch up to them in the main terminal. By then, they were surrounded by server assistants, and one burly guy who looked like he might have been security. I don’t know how, but they now had luggage. I’m guessing they were traveling with an assistant who had carried it on for them, because the plane hadn’t unloaded the stored luggage yet. They went directly to the covered short term parking.
This little experience brought home the fact to me that TSCC is not really a church. It is a very successful for Profit Company. The corporation of the first presidency. And the GA’s, (corporate officers) are treated as heads of state. They have people taking care of them at every turn. The rank and file treats them a rock stars. I’m sure this is a heady experience. They are also very well insulated from the environment that most of us live in. I think this helps explain some of the out of touch stuff you hear that goes out over the pulpit in General Conference.


Ok, I did snap a picture with my phone, so kill me. He is a GA after all

Hi sunstoned,

I too had a close encounter with Elder Bednar in an airport. It happened last year, and I too started a thread about it. You might be struck by how many of the same details we both noticed. You can read it at:

My close encounter with Elder Bednar

I remember your comments rather vividly, Shades. The dressing up of GA's is just a way they try to impress people. It's the clothes that makes the man. What's in the clothes is just a body.

Paul O

I have had more than one close encounter with Mormon GAs. Sitting in President Joseph Fielding Smith's apartment, it was clear that he did not know what day of the week it was. Ezra Taft Benson was so pumped up with himself he thought everything he did was worthy of a photograph and at least 10 column inches of copy. Boyd Packer assumed his voice on the phone was sufficient identity and that whoever he was talking to should jump immediately to it because he was so important. None of the three showed an ounce of Christian humility or presence.

I met Shawn Bradley in the Jordan River temple about 20 years ago. He can definitely reach the Celestial Kingdom.

bcspace wrote:I met Shawn Bradley in the Jordan River temple about 20 years ago. He can definitely reach the Celestial Kingdom.

What does that mean, exactly?

Bednar is a glorious example of how well cults pay the top brass.

Alma 4:6-10 wrote:6 And it came to pass in the eighth year of the reign of the judges, that the people of the church began to wax proud, because of their exceeding riches, and their fine silks, and their fine-twined linen, and because of their many flocks and herds, and their gold and their silver, and all manner of precious things, which they had obtained by their industry; and in all these things were they lifted up in the pride of their eyes, for they began to wear very costly apparel.

7 Now this was the cause of much affliction to Alma, yea, and to many of the people whom Alma had consecrated to be teachers, and priests, and elders over the church; yea, many of them were sorely grieved for the wickedness which they saw had begun to be among their people.

8 For they saw and beheld with great sorrow that the people of the church began to be lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and to set their hearts upon riches and upon the vain things of the world, that they began to be scornful, one towards another, and they began to persecute those that did not believe according to their own will and pleasure.

9 And thus, in this eighth year of the reign of the judges, there began to be great contentions among the people of the church; yea, there were envyings, and strife, and malice, and persecutions, and pride, even to exceed the pride of those who did not belong to the church of God.

10 And thus ended the eighth year of the reign of the judges; and the wickedness of the church was a great stumbling-block to those who did not belong to the church; and thus the church began to fail in its progress.

I wonder what crosses Bednar's mind when he reads these verses. I wonder if his heart is pricked, even a little.

Equality wrote:

Alma 4:6-10 wrote:6 And it came to pass in the eighth year of the reign of the judges, that the people of the church began to wax proud, because of their exceeding riches, and their fine silks, and their fine-twined linen, and because of their many flocks and herds, and their gold and their silver, and all manner of precious things, which they had obtained by their industry; and in all these things were they lifted up in the pride of their eyes, for they began to wear very costly apparel.

7 Now this was the cause of much affliction to Alma, yea, and to many of the people whom Alma had consecrated to be teachers, and priests, and elders over the church; yea, many of them were sorely grieved for the wickedness which they saw had begun to be among their people.

8 For they saw and beheld with great sorrow that the people of the church began to be lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and to set their hearts upon riches and upon the vain things of the world, that they began to be scornful, one towards another, and they began to persecute those that did not believe according to their own will and pleasure.

9 And thus, in this eighth year of the reign of the judges, there began to be great contentions among the people of the church; yea, there were envyings, and strife, and malice, and persecutions, and pride, even to exceed the pride of those who did not belong to the church of God.

10 And thus ended the eighth year of the reign of the judges; and the wickedness of the church was a great stumbling-block to those who did not belong to the church; and thus the church began to fail in its progress.

I wonder what crosses Bednar's mind when he reads these verses. I wonder if his heart is pricked, even a little.

No. I don't think that crosses his mind at all. They are so full of themselves that don't understand why everybody isn't bowing and scraping in from of them.

Bednar knows what he's doing just like the Queen of England or a vogue performer knows what they're doing. Bednar has a Ph.D. in managment. And management isn't just about being touchy/feelly with the underlings.

It's dress.
It's posture.
It's attitude.
It's telling people how to treat you.
It's contolling how others come in contact with you.

On another board, it was posted that instructions are sent out prior to Elder Bednar's Stake Conferences appearances stating that everyone is to be seated before he arrives and are then to stand when he appears. He's reasoning is that thus the Spirit will help his message to more effectively received. I don't think that's it, but it does help create his power.

Check out his power posture when they do the individual shot of him during GC, legs spread, hands on each arm of the chair, looking directly into the camara, he knows how to look like an emperor and my guess he thinks that is part of his job just like the Queen thinks it's part of her job.

Roman liturgical dress is based largely on the dress of the highest of the Roman Empire. Mormon public liturgical dress is based largely on the dress of the highest of the American Empire.

Checkout this chasuble. Bednar is doing the same with the finest American business dress.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/sli ... d-13479413

It's been said that a white shirt and tie is the uniform of the Mormon priesthood. I agree that that is what it has become.

And I would not expect the Pope to be seen in cut-offs and t-shirts. Nor the Queen either. Nor Elder Bednar.

On some level, Bednar knows this and knows the advantages of taking it as far as he can.

Clothes that say "The Queen"
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/03/fashi ... wanted=all

There's a voguing walk where the performer wears the best business attire. That's what Bednar is doing.

In Gay circles we'd say of Bednar, the girl knows how to work it.