How to explain TSM to the sheep

[_kairos]

As general conference approaches, the church newroom needs to advice on how to cover for TSM debilitating dementia. So what scenarios do you propose on the best way to explain this to the sheep. Here are a couple of possibilities:

Late this week the church will announce TSM is ill, possibly hospitalized and will not participate in GC.

As GC begins TSM is absent and the first words from Eyring are the whole truth- TSM has lost his mind, mildly spoken and with emotion as only Henry can do it.

As GC begins TSM is present but Eyring explains that TSM is presiding but has lost his voice and will not be able to speak in any session.

As Eyring begins to tell the sheep that TSM is in the above conditon, the PSR rises from his chair and begins to disrobe.


As Eyring begins to tell the sheep what's going on, TSM bolts from his chair ,and speaks over Eyring's shoulder and without a teleprompter shouts "HI, 1,2,3 let's have conference "

and your entry /comment is??

just sayin k

[_sethpayne]

Hi Kairos,

In this context I object to your use of the term "sheep" to describe members of the Church. I assume you are not employing it theologically, but rather as a pejorative meant to state that LDS people are mindless, non-thinking idiots. Your assertion is patently absurd.

I had dinner with my family a month or so back and I mentioned that President Monson did not look well and there were rumors he may be sick. We talked about it for a moment and compared notes on whether or not we had noticed anything a bit off about President Monson's talks recently. It was a fascinating discussion. In the end, my very-believing family members concluded that they would keep pray for President Monson and expressed gratitude for the leadership of Presidents Uchtdorf and Eyering.

If President Monson is actually ill I hope that the FP handle it much differently than did the FP in the early 1990's. in my opinion, the "sheep" of the Church will be fine. Yeah, some people will have a hard time figuring it out but I wouldn't expect any grans schisms or anything drastic.

Seth

[_kairos]

Jesus said - i am the good shepherd , i know my sheep and my sheep know me.

if tsm has severe enough dementia, like my alzhemier tormented brother, he probably can't recognize his sheep or his fellow shepherds. the healthy shepherds have responsibilty
to care for the sheep and not treat them as mindless idiots for which there may be some who say that is exactly how the ewes are treated. i hope too they will tell it exactly as it is regarding TSM's health.

just sayin

by the way my tbm son was at the gila az temple dedication and tsm lost it -telling a story and them rambling for bit them telling the exact same story 10 minutes later- many heads were turning.

just sayin again

[_Madison54]

by the way my tbm son was at the gila az temple dedication and tsm lost it -telling a story and them rambling for bit them telling the exact same story 10 minutes later- many heads were turning.

I've heard similar accounts from others regarding Monson and it just makes me sad. I feel it would be more kind and respectful for his handlers to just have him excused from GC rather than to risk this type of embarrassment for all involved. They could just announce that he wasn't feeling well enough to attend.

I remember having messages read by a counselor for the president of the church when he couldn't attend conference....that would be a much better choice in my opinion.

I guess we'll know soon enough if he'll attend and speak or not.

[_Sethbag]

This is one of those things that's just so frustrating about the church. He's an 85 year old man who may well be suffering from alzheimers (or something). Why can't he just be treated like every other 85 year old man suffering in this way? Why does he have to be trotted out to temple dedications, general conference, etc. as if nothing is going on? Would any of us do this to our own grandparents (or parents)?

I really hope the church announces a new policy of emeritus status for apostles and even the President of the church. I think they'd really be on to something if they announced an automatic retirement age of 70, or maybe 75 or whatever. There's no particularly good reason these guys have to be on the hook to "serve" the church literally until the day they die. Monson's been the church's man for many decades. Give him a frigging break, and perhaps set him up with good health care, comfortable accomodations, and try to enable him to enjoy his family and what life remains to him.