New Intel: The Decline of Pres. Monson

[_KevinSim]

If Monson has Alzheimer's then the Church is currently keeping it a secret. One has to ask why?

One does not have "to ask why"; long before asking why, one has to ask, who is the doctor who has diagnosed Monson, and what was his diagnosis?

I might as easily point at memory problems my own father currently has, and say if my dad has Alzheimer's then he is keeping it a secret, and then make the ridiculous statement you just made; one "has to ask why" my dad is keeping it a secret. Or maybe it's a conspiracy among my oldest brother and my two sisters, who live near him, to keep the three brothers living way east from knowing about my dad's condition. A lot of speculation there that means nothing until we can conclude that my dad actually does have Alzheimer's (which I seriously doubt).

[_KevinSim]

Because that's always the Brethren's first response: keep it secret. The members are on a Need To Know basis and guess what... we don't need to know anything about anything. They treat us like children and we react by allowing them to get away with it.

About a year ago I came up with the kernel of an idea for a spy novel, where the spy is actually recruited by God to take care of whatever God wants taken care of. Since this person is a spy, s/he knows better than to let anybody else know what s/he is doing, so yes, the secret is kept. Nobody gets told about it. There's a code of silence there just as strong as it is in the CIA or the British MI5.

Harmony, I personally allow "them to get away with it," because I believe that God is directing them to do what they do. I think it's totally possible that God wants them to function on "a Need to Know basis."

[_SteelHead]

Because that's always the Brethren's first response: keep it secret. The members are on a Need To Know basis and guess what... we don't need to know anything about anything. They treat us like children and we react by allowing them to get away with it.

About a year ago I came up with the kernel of an idea for a spy novel, where the spy is actually recruited by God to take care of whatever God wants taken care of. Since this person is a spy, s/he knows better than to let anybody else know what s/he is doing, so yes, the secret is kept. Nobody gets told about it. There's a code of silence there just as strong as it is in the CIA or the British MI5.

Harmony, I personally allow "them to get away with it," because I believe that God is directing them to do what they do. I think it's totally possible that God wants them to function on "a Need to Know basis."

Why does an omniscient, omnipotent god need with a human spy? He has angels with flaming swords....... James Bond can't touch that, but who gets more play Bond or Joseph Smith?

[_Nightlion]

Because the prophet can never lead the church astray. A prophet suffering dementia or some other form of brain illness that affects cognitive or decision making ability seems to contradict that.

Why do you think so? That's the reason for presidencies in the LDS Church, so that if one man is incapacitated his counselors can shoulder the burden of the job. When God calls someone, He does so knowing what might happen to that someone, including the chance the someone will contract Alzheimer's, and if God chooses someone who has a high likelihood of getting Alzheimer's, then that means God knows ahead of time that contracting that disease won't significantly affect the message that presidency will get out to the general membership.

Acknowledging the problem might raise questions in some people's minds about who is leading the church that a prophet with brain cancer wouldn't.

1981 to 1985 it was abundantly clear that Gordon Hinckley and Gordon Hinckley alone was who was running the Church. Nobody had a big problem with that. Why should the First Presidency have any problem announcing that Thomas Monson was incapacitated due to Alzheimer's (assuming he actually was incapacitated by that disease), and that therefore Eyring and Uchtdorf were going to run the church for the rest of Monson's life?

I had a problem with that. And a problem with all of Hinckley's secret abominations that kept him in power. I guess we ought to be glad nobody is pushing to take over. So this time it is just happening and not made to happen purposefully with evil intent and seated in the darkest smear of what 3 Nephi 16 is talking about.

It's all moot anyways these days.

[_harmony]

Harmony, I personally allow "them to get away with it," because I believe that God is directing them to do what they do. I think it's totally possible that God wants them to function on "a Need to Know basis."

While I think God wants transparency. Guess we differ on that.

[_lulu]

Who cares what a non-existant god wants. If a corporation wants the advantages of non-profit, tax-exempt status, it should make it's books public.

[_harmony]

Who cares what a non-existant god wants. If a corporation wants the advantages of non-profit, tax-exempt status, it should make it's books public.

That too.

[_Cylon]

If Monson has Alzheimer's then the Church is currently keeping it a secret. One has to ask why?

One does not have "to ask why"; long before asking why, one has to ask, who is the doctor who has diagnosed Monson, and what was his diagnosis?

I might as easily point at memory problems my own father currently has, and say if my dad has Alzheimer's then he is keeping it a secret, and then make the ridiculous statement you just made; one "has to ask why" my dad is keeping it a secret. Or maybe it's a conspiracy among my oldest brother and my two sisters, who live near him, to keep the three brothers living way east from knowing about my dad's condition. A lot of speculation there that means nothing until we can conclude that my dad actually does have Alzheimer's (which I seriously doubt).

That's a good point. One thing we do know is that he's an 85 year old man, and that is sufficient explanation for quite a few things.

[_son of Ishmael]

I had a problem with that. And a problem with all of Hinckley's secret abominations that kept him in power. I guess we ought to be glad nobody is pushing to take over. So this time it is just happening and not made to happen purposefully with evil intent and seated in the darkest smear of what 3 Nephi 16 is talking about.

It's all moot anyways these days.

OK I'll bite. What are Hinckley's "secret abominations"?

[_Darth J]

Harmony, I personally allow "them to get away with it," because I believe that God is directing them to do what they do. I think it's totally possible that God wants them to function on "a Need to Know basis."

That's the wonderful magic of the LDS Church. Somehow, surrendering your adulthood and unquestioningly doing as you're told will result in you becoming a god.

Now if you will all excuse me, I am off to lay on the couch all day and eat a couple jars of Cheez Whiz for my exercise routine.