DiscussMormonism.com

A well known Mormon apologist publicly shared this letter to his family members who recently lost their parent:

You three children are now the patriarchs and the matriarch of your families, at least in this line. The generation that raised you is gone, or is going. And you, too, will eventually recede into the past—as will I (probably much sooner). With this in mind, we should try to leave a positive legacy, not just of material things but, beyond those basic needs, of stories and experiences and eternal family ties. (The Restored Gospel is so precious at times like this!)

It’s unknown if the recipients of the letter were still actively attending church. But as a former Mormon, it sounds so shrill to me.

The line “the Restored gospel is so precious at times like this” implies that the regular plain old Gospel isn’t sufficient. Well - for billions of Christians it is. No dunking for the dead and tying families together with polygamy is necessary.

Secondly, billions of non Christians don’t need any gospel at all to have a feeling that they lived a meaningful life on Earth.

Mormons have such an unhealthy obsession with the idea that their own personal lives and worldly relationships must last forever. Across trillions upon trillions of years.

Once you leave the bubble of Mormon dogma, it just seems so strange.

I’m actually living a pretty fantastic life myself. A new opportunity presented itself recently, and we’re making a jump into something new and wonderful. How sad would it be if I couldn’t appreciate the beauty of a life well lived because I don’t believe in a pay-to-play-Kolobian-frontier-sex-cult-turned-pseudo-Evangelical-religion to tell me I’ll exist afterward cleaning eternal toilets for a celestial MLM? I’ve made peace with the recursive nature of the universe, life and death and death and life. It’s its own kind of miracle with no need to quibble over the details.

- Doc

Congrats on the jump into something new and wonderful, Doc. Sounds fun.

I live my life. I can't worry about whether it's happy or not. I'm happy as hell, for the most part. But misery certainly hits. I don't think it's good or useful for anyone to pretend a better world, whatever they think that might be, or seek for some eternal glory. It sounds far too self-involved, or self-deceptive (or both) to me. That people think its necessary to invoke that mindset to find meaning in their lives? yeah...sounds tough, as I see it. But, whatever floats their boats, I guess.

I have thought a lot about this for the last few years. After a 30 year fulfilling career and raising a family absolutely devoid of Mormon participation I have zero regrets. My childhood was fantastic. I have had a great marriage. I have fantastic kids. And as has been said previously, I have come to terms with returning to the state I was in years before my birth. My counterfeit life has been fantastic.

I just read what the proprietor of a largely pseudoscientific and the paranormal blog wrote.

The proprietor made it all about himself. Incredible.

I realize that people grieve in different ways, but this was really quite tacky on the apologist’s part. Posting it to the blog cheapens the seriousness of it. Plus, in the same breath that he posts it, he’s busy insulting gemli and writing mocking responses to Shaquille O’atmeal.

I don't want to denigrate what I'm sure was a heartfelt letter from him to his family. But yes, I had the same questions while reading it.

Which is why I wonder if perhaps some he was writing to no longer believe in the Restored Gospel. It's becoming a fairly common generational divide as more young people leave.

drumdude wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 23, 2023 8:36 pm

I don't want to denigrate what I'm sure was a heartfelt letter from him to his family. But yes, I had the same questions while reading it.

Which is why I wonder if perhaps some he was writing to no longer believe in the Restored Gospel. It's becoming a fairly common generational divide as more young people leave.

People get a little irritated at attitudes like this in the comment section. And they wonder why the Pew Poll put them at the bottom.

It really is true that only the Latter-day Saints really understand what we will be doing after we die,

Rivendale wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 23, 2023 8:42 pm

drumdude wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 23, 2023 8:36 pm

I don't want to denigrate what I'm sure was a heartfelt letter from him to his family. But yes, I had the same questions while reading it.

Which is why I wonder if perhaps some he was writing to no longer believe in the Restored Gospel. It's becoming a fairly common generational divide as more young people leave.

People get a little irritated at attitudes like this in the comment section. And they wonder why the Pew Poll put them at the bottom.

It really is true that only the Latter-day Saints really understand what we will be doing after we die,

So humble, aren't they?

Doctor Scratch wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 23, 2023 8:21 pm

I realize that people grieve in different ways, but this was really quite tacky on the apologist’s part. Posting it to the blog cheapens the seriousness of it. Plus, in the same breath that he posts it, he’s busy insulting gemli and writing mocking responses to Shaquille O’atmeal.

Fact. Dr. O’atmeal gives a legitimate restaurant recommendation, and the proprietor mocks him with juvenile ChatGPT nonsense.