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I received word recently from an anonymous "informant" who notified me that Tyler Livingston--once a mainstay of FAIR apologetics--has left the LDS Church. Livingston seemed for a time to be a key figure in the Mopologetic movement. He was active at Book of Mormon Central and if I'm not mistaken, his work was cited by Dr. Peterson. Livingston even directed the apologetic Book of Abraham film, A Most Remarkable Book: Evidence for the Divine Authenticity of the Book of Abraham, which is currently on sale at the FAIR website for the bargain price of $9.99, in case you need a stocking stuffer this holiday season.

In any case, Livingston joins an ever-growing number of ex-Mopologists who have left the Church after being highly active in FAIR and its sister organizations. I hope he finds his way to this board, as I bet he's got some interesting stories that would be worth sharing.

The hottest stars burn through their fuel the fastest.

It seems that there is an undeniable correlation in some Mopologists between their level of zeal and the speed of their burnout.

DCP is an anomaly. But, in his case, it may have to do with an attachment to his relative fame, the livelihoods generated from the cottage industries he's helped develop, and his aversion to admitting he is wrong on any topic.

Yeah, baby!

Yawn...tell me when he stops believing in Jebus altogether. Hah...jk. That's interesting. Hope he's well.

Being an apologist is one of the most spiritually perilous avocations one can follow, it appears. The road through Terra Mopologiana is strewn with dead testimonies and letters of resignation. Surely this says something about the defective condition of Mopologetics. I would caution anyone who wants to stay in the church to steer clear of critics AND, even more, Mopologists. Of course, if you view truth and credibility through a tribal lens and thirst to see pesky critics insulted, then, by all means, hang out in Terra Mopologiana. You may ultimately lose your testimony, but your thirst for anger and revenge will regularly be slaked.

Kishkumen wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 21, 2022 10:15 pm

Being an apologist is one of the most spiritually perilous avocations one can follow, it appears. The road through Terra Mopologiana is strewn with dead testimonies and letters of resignation. Surely this says something about the defective condition of Mopologetics. I would caution anyone who wants to stay in the church to steer of critics AND, even more, Mopologists. Of course, if you view truth and credibility through a tribal lens and thirst to see pesky critics insulted, then, by all means, hang out in Terra Mopologiana. You may ultimately lose your testimony, but your thirst for anger and revenge will regularly be slaked.

Mopologetics is an attempt to rationalize fundamentalism. It's a fool's errand that invariably fails. Only people who have seriously deluded or enriched themselves can remain in it after seeing all the issues.

Here’s the citation on Dan’s blog:

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/danpeters ... rains.html

Here is a post from the old board in which Doctor Scratch refers to Livingston as "Defender of the Year" in a review of one of Kerry Shirts' old FAIR Conference films.

viewtopic.php?p=1763910#p1763910

A bit later, "Defender of the Year" Tyler Livingston approaches the camera with a revelation: "I don't know if you heard, but they got cookies o'er there." It appears for a moment as if he's sporting a bit of a shiner around his left eye. Then, in a self-reflexive moment, Shirts violates the Fourth Wall and turns the camera on himself. With the lens smudge concealing his lip movements, he says, rather cryptically, "We've been stealing cookies for the last half-hour." Off screen, Brother Livingston plangently observes, "That's why we're so fat." Perhaps without thinking, Shirts immediately zooms in on Steve Smoot, who is shoveling an ice cream sandwich into his twitchy maw.

Kishkumen wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 21, 2022 11:02 pm

Here is a post from the old board in which Doctor Scratch refers to Livingston as "Defender of the Year" in a review of one of Kerry Shirts' old FAIR Conference films.

viewtopic.php?p=1763910#p1763910

A bit later, "Defender of the Year" Tyler Livingston approaches the camera with a revelation: "I don't know if you heard, but they got cookies o'er there." It appears for a moment as if he's sporting a bit of a shiner around his left eye. Then, in a self-reflexive moment, Shirts violates the Fourth Wall and turns the camera on himself. With the lens smudge concealing his lip movements, he says, rather cryptically, "We've been stealing cookies for the last half-hour." Off screen, Brother Livingston plangently observes, "That's why we're so fat." Perhaps without thinking, Shirts immediately zooms in on Steve Smoot, who is shoveling an ice cream sandwich into his twitchy maw.

Yes, I was just going to mention that he was awarded the 2008 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award.

I hope RFM or BYP get this guy as a guest on an upcoming show.