For some light reading: Russell, the Victim of Vitriolic Vengeance, Remains Victorious!

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Gabriel
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For some light reading: Russell, the Victim of Vitriolic Vengeance, Remains Victorious!

Post by Gabriel »

File this under Common Mormon Dramatic Situation #37: Drink This [insert random adult beverage here] Or Else!

From Hope in Our Hearts, 2009, Russell M. Nelson, pp. 152-153
Russell M. Nelson wrote: Years ago while I served as a young intern in a large medical center, I attended a Christmas party. The host was the chief of surgery. I had made a major commitment to work for and be loyal to him and his world-famous institution, which had produced many of the great surgeons, scholars, and researchers of our generation. At the party, the chief's head resident offered alcoholic beverages to Sister Nelson and me. Of course, we politely declined.

Minutes later he returned with a more persuasive pitch: "Take a drink," he said, "or the chief will be offended." Again we declined. Our refusal infuriated the head resident. Red-faced and indignant, he said, "Nelson, you take this drink or I will make life around here mighty miserable for you!"

I simply replied, "You do what you must, doctor, but I will do what I must." I fulfilled my promise, and he fulfilled his.

He saw to it that I had no vacation that year. His responsibility to prepare the schedule of assignments and on-call duty bore the stamp of his vitriolic vengeance against me. But now as I reflect on this matter forty years later, I would not trade places with him today or ever.
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Re: For some light reading: Russell, the Victim of Vitriolic Vengeance, Remains Victorious!

Post by dastardly stem »

I swear that guy has nothing but disrespect for people around him. These made-up stories are only growing, added to a list of others. Why would any chief of surgery get pissed if someone declined to drink? Even doctors realize there are recovering alcoholics among us, at the very least.
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Re: For some light reading: Russell, the Victim of Vitriolic Vengeance, Remains Victorious!

Post by Dr Moore »

Everyone it seems is an enemy or a fellow battalion soldier.
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Re: For some light reading: Russell, the Victim of Vitriolic Vengeance, Remains Victorious!

Post by Doctor CamNC4Me »

Not once in my life has anything like this happened, and I was enlisted in the Army for 20 years. “Hey, man. Here’s a beer.” “No thanks, I’m good.” “Do you want something else?” “Got a soda or some water?” “Sure, it’s over there. Good to see you again.” “Yeah, you too.”

But, in deference to RI or Honor calling us foolish for not believing this tale could be based in some form of reality, I’ll amend my statement above that this conversation probably took place on a Concord party plane flying from SLC to Boise.

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Hugh Nibley claimed he bumped into Adolf Hitler, Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill, Gertrude Stein, and the Grand Duke Vladimir Romanoff. Dishonesty is baked into Mormonism.
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Re: For some light reading: Russell, the Victim of Vitriolic Vengeance, Remains Victorious!

Post by Lem »

Gabriel wrote:
Thu Apr 29, 2021 8:30 pm
File this under Common Mormon Dramatic Situation #37: Drink This [insert random adult beverage here] Or Else!

From Hope in Our Hearts, 2009, Russell M. Nelson, pp. 152-153
Russell M. Nelson wrote: Years ago while I served as a young intern in a large medical center, I attended a Christmas party. The host was the chief of surgery. I had made a major commitment to work for and be loyal to him and his world-famous institution, which had produced many of the great surgeons, scholars, and researchers of our generation. At the party, the chief's head resident offered alcoholic beverages to Sister Nelson and me. Of course, we politely declined.

Minutes later he returned with a more persuasive pitch: "Take a drink," he said, "or the chief will be offended." Again we declined. Our refusal infuriated the head resident. Red-faced and indignant, he said, "Nelson, you take this drink or I will make life around here mighty miserable for you!"

I simply replied, "You do what you must, doctor, but I will do what I must." I fulfilled my promise, and he fulfilled his.

He saw to it that I had no vacation that year. His responsibility to prepare the schedule of assignments and on-call duty bore the stamp of his vitriolic vengeance against me. But now as I reflect on this matter forty years later, I would not trade places with him today or ever.
This story has ZERO credibility. All it does is reinforce the 'us vs. them' storyline that is so damaging.
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Re: For some light reading: Russell, the Victim of Vitriolic Vengeance, Remains Victorious!

Post by Tom »

This story didn't make the cut for his 2003 biography (I checked).
“But if you are told by your leader to do a thing, do it. None of your business whether it is right or wrong.” Heber C. Kimball, 8 Nov. 1857
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Re: For some light reading: Russell, the Victim of Vitriolic Vengeance, Remains Victorious!

Post by Gadianton »

So it was a brutal residency, big deal. Unless things were way different back then, vacations and free time are out the window. Work 12 hours and be on call for the next 12 hours. sleep at the hospital. Just the way it is. By all accounts, Russ was a gifted student, and I wonder if he assumed favoritism would be sent his way as he assumed he was far enough ahead of the curve to deserve it. So he's in the middle of his toughest residency, and looking for an explanation as to why they aren't letting up on him. He reads things into that Christmas party a while back, and comes up with his story. Maybe the head resident did give him a hard time about drinking -- busting his chops. I get the feeling ole "white water" isn't an fun tease, and really doesn't care for anything aimed at his weird "Mormon" lifestyle.

Even if the HR really did get threatening about it, which is doubtful, it was a drinking party, and people say all kinds of crazy stuff when they drink, and then shrug it off the next day, if they even remember it in the first place. Maybe Russ did a great job, and it was a back-handed compliment. This Mormon guy is a creep, but he's the most dedicated person on the job so why not take advantage of it?
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Re: For some light reading: Russell, the Victim of Vitriolic Vengeance, Remains Victorious!

Post by Philo Sofee »

Minutes later he returned with a more persuasive pitch: "Take a drink," he said, "or the chief will be offended." Again we declined. Our refusal infuriated the head resident. Red-faced and indignant, he said, "Nelson, you take this drink or I will make life around here mighty miserable for you!"
:roll:
IHAQ
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Re: For some light reading: Russell, the Victim of Vitriolic Vengeance, Remains Victorious!

Post by IHAQ »

Gabriel wrote:
Thu Apr 29, 2021 8:30 pm
File this under Common Mormon Dramatic Situation #37: Drink This [insert random adult beverage here] Or Else!

From Hope in Our Hearts, 2009, Russell M. Nelson, pp. 152-153
Russell M. Nelson wrote: Years ago while I served as a young intern in a large medical center, I attended a Christmas party. The host was the chief of surgery. I had made a major commitment to work for and be loyal to him and his world-famous institution, which had produced many of the great surgeons, scholars, and researchers of our generation. At the party, the chief's head resident offered alcoholic beverages to Sister Nelson and me. Of course, we politely declined.

Minutes later he returned with a more persuasive pitch: "Take a drink," he said, "or the chief will be offended." Again we declined. Our refusal infuriated the head resident. Red-faced and indignant, he said, "Nelson, you take this drink or I will make life around here mighty miserable for you!"

I simply replied, "You do what you must, doctor, but I will do what I must." I fulfilled my promise, and he fulfilled his.

He saw to it that I had no vacation that year. His responsibility to prepare the schedule of assignments and on-call duty bore the stamp of his vitriolic vengeance against me. But now as I reflect on this matter forty years later, I would not trade places with him today or ever.
That gives us a starting point. Is the anecdote dated? Or is he referencing 2009 as the time frame “40 years later”?
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Gabriel
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Re: For some light reading: Russell, the Victim of Vitriolic Vengeance, Remains Victorious!

Post by Gabriel »

IHAQ wrote:
Fri Apr 30, 2021 7:55 am
That gives us a starting point. Is the anecdote dated? Or is he referencing 2009 as the time frame “40 years later”?

There were no dates nor footnotes to this particular anecdote.
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