CES employee resigns

[_Aristotle Smith]

I finished the podcast last night. I really don't know what our local idiots were listening to, the McLays are good people and they went out of their way to clear up any suspicions about adultery.

If I have a critique, it's the same one I had with the Brant Gardner interview, that the interviewer should have exercised better judgment here. Dehlin should have waited a little longer to interview them. While part of the charm of the interview was the McLays openness and vulnerability, I think some of that comes from their emotions and reactions still being a bit raw from the newness of it all. I think Dehlin should have told them, "Hey guys, you have a great story, but let's wait another six months before we do this." I give props to John Larsen who as a general rule seems to prefer interviewing ex-Mos who have been out at least a year.

[_MrStakhanovite]

I don’t know, I kinda like the rawness of it, it’s part of the trauma people go through as they exit the Church, it’s never a clean break it seems. I think to skip over that would be doing some violence to their overall narrative.

[_Aristotle Smith]

I don’t know, I kinda like the rawness of it, it’s part of the trauma people go through as they exit the Church, it’s never a clean break it seems. I think to skip over that would be doing some violence to their overall narrative.

I agree that the rawness of it was part of the charm. Given that, waiting a year would probably have resulted in a less compelling podcast, I'll concede that. In that sense it was a very Mormon interview, where raw emotions and strong feeling are generally preferred over reason and reflection. I've just come to prefer the latter, even though it's usually more boring.

[_Buffalo]

Finally finished. It was a great interview. I didn't see what they looked like, and I kept picturing this plain-Jane, uber TBM couple I used to know, but then I went back to MS and they're both really attractive people. I can see why they were kind of a rockstar couple in CES/EFYand why the church would want to bend over backwards to try to let them back in so quickly.

Anyway, great interview. The whining from WhyMe and Yahoo Bot is typical of them. Thanks for contributing, guys!

[_Jason Bourne]

Well with all the differing take aways from this I can hardly wait to listen so I can form my own opinion.

[_MrStakhanovite]

I agree that the rawness of it was part of the charm. Given that, waiting a year would probably have resulted in a less compelling podcast, I'll concede that. In that sense it was a very Mormon interview, where raw emotions and strong feeling are generally preferred over reason and reflection. I've just come to prefer the latter, even though it's usually more boring.

I know what you mean, when people lower their guard and expose the full monty, it just leaves them open to attack from Mormon Apologists who lack any semblance of an ethical code (Bot), or some creepy drifter whom is wanted in three states (why me).

[_Rollo Tomasi]

Has anyone listened to this podcast?

http://mormonstories.org/?p=2322

Dear Wife and I are eating chips and salsa with this tonight. Although, Downton Abbey is on at 9 so we are a little conflicted. What to do?

I just finished listening to the whole thing (although, at times, I didn't pay close attention, especially when John Dehlin basically forced them to bear their testimonies -- yuck!). For the most part I found myself mesmerized. It sounds as if the guy quit CES before he had found a new job (now that takes guts!) because he just couldn't continue to fake it. I admire their courage and wish them only the best.

[_why me]

Anyway, great interview. The whining from WhyMe and Yahoo Bot is typical of them. Thanks for contributing, guys!

Dad should have been left out of the interview. John did egg them on at times during the interview. They both wanted to go back and even met with a GA who treated them well. The stake president also treated them well. And just as they were about to go back they change their minds because the bishop mentioned the god of the old testament and being baptized again.

The wife still attends church at times and considers herself Mormon. But wants to discover the mystery of life. A lot of talk about modesty and how the church got it wrong. etc.

Here is my take: at times the wife has regrets about leaving and shores up her decision by reading sites that are critical of Mormonism. Thus, her comment about the Mormon god and the church position on homosexuality. Some of their comments were taken off of exmormon websites.

Finally, they are in trouble and the iceberg is just ahead of them. Hopefully, they will miss it and continue to be afloat.

[_Buffalo]

Anyway, great interview. The whining from WhyMe and Yahoo Bot is typical of them. Thanks for contributing, guys!

Dad should have been left out of the interview. John did egg them on at times during the interview. They both wanted to go back and even met with a GA who treated them well. The stake president also treated them well. And just as they were about to go back they change their minds because the bishop mentioned the god of the old testament and being baptized again.

They wanted to go back for all the wrong reasons - the intense social pressure from friends and family. Not because they believed. Yes, the apostle was nice to them. Too bad he didn't have any answers either.

[_ldsfaqs]

I listed to all of it today, whilst laying in agony on the couch. I enjoyed it, and I was amused at all the stuff that surprised them (Smith’s polyandry and such) while being active employees for the CES for years, putting the lie to the tired mopologist rant about how apostates never researched their faith.

CES employees teach the "Gospel"..... They don't teach every nuance of history.
It is upon every CES employee to study and prepare their subjects themselves.
Thus, it's not the Churches fault that these particular CES employees didn't know certain things of history, it's their own faults.