Praise to the Man

[yellowstone123]

Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah...

It was my second high counsel court in a few months. All agreed with the Stake President that excommunication was what was need for my heart, mind and soul. All but one who adamantly disagreed.

Like Henry Fonda in 12 Angry Men, juror # 8 was able to persuade the others to his point of view, but this took time. High Counsel Courts in my youth started about seven or seven-thirty P.M. And if it was 9:40 P.M the 12 men in the Stake High Council of the Mormon Church would become jumpy, and I'm sure frequently glance at their watch. I'm sure they said to themselves, come on, let's get this over as I need to get home, get some sleep, and get up for work.

In fairness I do remember in my youth reading about members of some church court who were sent home with no call by the Stake Presidency but during the week the message appeared in writers mind that excommunication was the call which brought a feeling of peace.

One out of thousands were sent home to think about the evidence the court heard.

I just wanted to say thank you to that one man in the High Council who communed with Jehovah and who adamantly disagreed with the 11 other High Councilors and Stake Presidency. The jurors in 12 Angry Men had the gift of time, and for some reason that gift was not afforded to me or my defender who changed his mind likely because others were getting upset and I was called back into the High Council room to hear the consequences of my decision I made after coming home early from my mission. Snapshots frozen in time were presented as evidence. Snapshots that I presented and that I provided. Nine snapshots out of 10 million. The call by the Stake President was excommunication.

Months later my Stake President would receive a letter from Church Headquarters in Salt Lake City. Bonus points to President Kimball.

[drumdude]

It sometimes boggles the mind that so much time, money, energy, and emotional labor are spent in the service of a fantasy that a 19th century con man came up with to make a few bucks and sleep with other men’s wives.

The immense weight those men must have felt. Truly believing they were making decisions that had eternal consequences. The capacity for man to delude himself really is infinite. He could believe the earth was flat, the sky was green, and water was dry, if everyone around him told him it was. And he would even subject himself to a disciplinary council for having doubts to the contrary.

It doesn’t even seem weird until you’re finally on the outside looking in.

[yellowstone123]

Thanks drumdude. I tend to agree. There's a great book out with a blue cover by Roger Thompson called Do The Next Right Thing. He cautions about taking a few snapshots of a person and then saying this is what he is like. A big fan of Simon Peter, Thompson points out his flaws but noted that Jesus always had an eye on him and if there was something special, he wanted Simon Peter to be there in his company because he knew the guy who would most likely screw things up as a plebe would be the rock and leader of his church.

[BeNotDeceived]

You'd be hard-pressed to find a more disgusting and disturbing hymn in any religion on earth than TSCC's 'Praise to the Man'.

[Moksha]

If only they have the Stake President sprinkle you with holy water (or EVOO) and left that barbaric stuff to the Spanish Inquisition.

[yellowstone123]

You'd be hard-pressed to find a more disgusting and disturbing hymn in any religion on earth than TSCC's 'Praise to the Man'.

Thank you BeNotDeceived for your response about the hymn. I thought about the John D, Mormon Stories episode with Amy McPhie Allebest. It's one of my top five and have listened to it a few times. In the interview she discloses when going through the temple the first time so she could serve a mission and hearing men being subject to God and women being subject to their husbands. That did not go over well with her, and the issues with Patriarchy began to sink in. Later as a graduate student at Stanford University she wrote "Dear Mormon Man, Tell Me What You Would do."

https://www.dearmormonman.com

In the interview she also relates that when at church, Praise To The Man, was chosen as a song to sing and she reminded her daughters that the family did not sing that song.

[Imwashingmypirate]

Guess what hymn I have now got stuck in my head because my brain processed seeing the title of this thread without me noticing?

[Marcus]

You'd be hard-pressed to find a more disgusting and disturbing hymn in any religion on earth than TSCC's 'Praise to the Man'.

Thank you BeNotDeceived for your response about the hymn. I thought about the John D, Mormon Stories episode with Amy McPhie Allebest. It's one of my top five and have listened to it a few times. In the interview she discloses when going through the temple the first time so she could serve a mission and hearing men being subject to God and women being subject to their husbands. That did not go over well with her, and the issues with Patriarchy began to sink in. Later as a graduate student at Stanford University she wrote "Dear Mormon Man, Tell Me What You Would do."

https://www.dearmormonman.com

In the interview she also relates that when at church, Praise To The Man, was chosen as a song to sing and she reminded her daughters that the family did not sing that song.

That was a very powerful essay she wrote, I still remember when I first read it and the impact it had on me. Very well done.

[Philo Sofee]

Guess what hymn I have now got stuck in my head because my brain processed seeing the title of this thread without me noticing?

"Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam"?

[Imwashingmypirate]

Guess what hymn I have now got stuck in my head because my brain processed seeing the title of this thread without me noticing?

"Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam"?

Lol. I'm trying to be like Jesus. JK