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Folks, you really can't script this level of absurdity. Will Schryver posted about a mopologist visiting him a few days ago, waxing nostalgic over the years of mentorship and friendship, only to immediately declare the mopologist "quite frail" and "not long for this world." Schryver then rounded out the touching tribute by calling the mopologist "misinformed," "thoroughly propagandized," and "living in an empire of lies," all because the mopologist dared to suggest Putin might be a demon.

With dear old friends like this to comfort you in your final days, who on earth needs enemies? True friendship, much like honesty, is a rare commodity among Mopologists.

https://x.com/imetatronink/status/20956 ... gr%5Etweet

Schryver wrote:He tutored me in the tools and arts of textual criticism for about five years (2008-2013).

After reading the post and a subsequent comment, I’m fairly certain that Mister Schryver is trashing Professor Skousen. I wonder if their friendship will continue once Professor Skousen sees the post. I hope that the Afore, who is good friends with both men, can bring about a truce.

ETA: below is the text of Mister Schryver’s post:

Life in the Empire of Lies

Spent most of the day with a dear old friend I had not seen in several years. He is 15 years my senior, quite frail, and likely not long for this world - a retired professor of linguistics, highly regarded for his works of textual criticism.

He tutored me in the tools and arts of textual criticism for about five years (2008-2013). I learned a lot from him.

He and I and our wives together attended many great plays at the first-class Utah Shakespeare Festival here in Cedar City.

Anyway ... I was chagrined when, in response to my playing for him my piano piece linked below (On the Fields of Ukraine), this old friend replied, "Putin is a demon; a blood-thirsty killer."

After a pregnant pause, I said, in measured tones, "Well, I have long been convinced Americans, in general, when it comes to a knowledge of peoples of the earth, their rulers, and the perplexities of the nations ... well, in my considered opinion, Americans are quite arguably the most misinformed and thoroughly propagandized people in human history. We live in an empire of lies."

I then deftly changed the topic of conversation to something I knew he wanted to talk about, and our visit continued very agreeably.

vimeo.com/1099503984

6:30 PM 9/3/26

Tom wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 08, 2026 7:51 pm

Schryver wrote:He tutored me in the tools and arts of textual criticism for about five years (2008-2013).

After reading the post and a subsequent comment, I’m fairly certain that Mister Schryver is trashing Professor Skousen. I wonder if their friendship will continue once Professor Skousen sees the post. I hope that the Afore, who is good friends with both men, can bring about a truce.

Thanks, Tom. I’ve incorporated the edits. And if Royal is involved, I sincerely pray the Proprietor can step in and mediate this most unfortunate incident.

I see Tom beat me to the punch here--I was going to say that it sounded more like Skousen. And I could be wrong, but I have been under the impression that Schryver is no longer friends with the Afore. Over the years, it seems like the Afore has tossed aside quite a few people that were once supposedly his "friends."

Thanks, Everybody Wang Chung. To clarify, I noted this reply from Mister Schryver to a fellow intellectual’s trenchant observation:

Schryver wrote:

Machiavellicus wrote:How can someone be a professor of linguistics and expert on textual criticism be so biased? That is when we realize that we are too harsh on the normal folks to be extremely gullible.

Well ... there is a complicating factor. His wife was Finnish, and he lived in Finland for a couple years. Some Finns have very strong feelings when it comes to Russia.

Doctor Scratch wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 08, 2026 8:25 pm

I see Tom beat me to the punch here--I was going to say that it sounded more like Skousen. And I could be wrong, but I have been under the impression that Schryver is no longer friends with the Afore. Over the years, it seems like the Afore has tossed aside quite a few people that were once supposedly his "friends."

Yes, I fear that I have spoken out of turn. I cannot say whether Mister Schryver and the Afore remain good friends.

What a trip down memory lane! Mr. Scryver is like some other apologists I know. He's a hopeless contrarian. I mean, it's pretty damn funny for him to call Americans inhabitants of an "Empire of Lies." Not because it is not true. Of course it is. The humor comes in his failure to recognize that Russians do, too. As for being misinformed, well, yes, again, they are. But Russians have been more brazenly misinformed for a longer time.

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!

But, here's where the difference is: we may have a sliver of hope of getting rid of the fools who thought MAGA and invading Iran were good ideas. Russians must wait for a coup or the death of Putin. And, when that coup happens, they have to hope that the associated violence is limited. It very well may not be.

I am concerned because I think that we are closer to being Russia than ever before. We will never be Russia precisely, but the Republican Party has certainly salivated at the prospect of turning us into a country run by a dictator at the head of a cadre of oligarchs. I prefer the subtler style, personally. I prefer some connection to reality and some actual voting power. It may result in the choice between Tweedledum and Tweedledummer, but I will take that over Russia any day. Most of us prefer our own brand of misery, I suppose.

But I account Will's affinity for Russia to his talent, aggrieved and unrecognized, united with his hopeless contrarianism, his fragile ego, and his inveterate orneriness.

And I have to wonder: Who is it that Will is aligning with? Certainly not the Russian people. They seem to be tired of the Ukraine misadventure. Putin has to empty the prisons to fill out the ranks of his army. My guess is that many Russians would be glad to see Putin leave. So Will is a fan of Putin personally, then? I just don't get it. Did he look into Putin's eyes and see a good man, à la W?

I wasn't sure what the Stake President meant by "insult" but I think I get it now. That song he wrote and played was an insult to his long-time friend because of how bad it sucked as a piece of music. Professor Skousen could have instead jumped onto Suno for two minutes and vibe-coded his own piano piece that would have been much better than the two-chord special Will forced upon him.

aggrieved and unrecognized, united with his hopeless contrarianism, his fragile ego, and his inveterate orneriness

This is dead on. This has nothing to do with Russia. This has to do with somebody who desires more than anything to be recognized, famous even, and realizes that by the standard of fame and importance, that one has failed in life. Becoming friends with scholars never earned him a Phd.

While it would never happen in a million years, let's just say hypothetically, that his song were to go viral and his music channel exploded and he became in demand for studio releases and performances. I predict that his obsession with Russia would fade near instantaneously.

Gadianton wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 10, 2026 12:54 pm

This is dead on. This has nothing to do with Russia. This has to do with somebody who desires more than anything to be recognized, famous even, and realizes that by the standard of fame and importance, that one has failed in life. Becoming friends with scholars never earned him a Phd.

While it would never happen in a million years, let's just say hypothetically, that his song were to go viral and his music channel exploded and he became in demand for studio releases and performances. I predict that his obsession with Russia would fade near instantaneously.

I agree. I am reminded of the difference between melancholy and grief. Melancholy allows one to pine fruitlessly for a false object, while grief helps a person to move past a real loss. One wallows in melancholy as a self-defeating strategy of avoidance. It just feels too sweet to nurse these negative, empty fantasies. Real grief moves things forward and facilitates a healthy break with the past. Russia is the false object for Will.

I’m stunned that Mister Schryver is treating his mentor so poorly. Professor Skousen made Mister Schryver’s watershed KEP paper possible. As Doctor Smith wrote:

Schryver has, I think, pretty much killed, buried, and nailed the coffin shut on the idea the KEP are the “translation documents” of the Book of Abraham, and then thrown the coffin into Mount Doom, before dropping Mt. Doom under the continental plates.

That's a fascinating contrast, Reverend, I'd never heard that before.