The Irrelevance of LDS Leaders, Part 2

[_cwald]

So you agree that it is okay to pick and choose which counsels from the prophets to obey? As long as it doesn't effect one's temple recommend status?

There are many shades of TBM's. For example, you can:
Keep the Sabbath Day holy.
Keep the Sabbath Day holy, and not watch sports.
Keep the Sabbath Day holy, and only study church related material.
Keep the Sabbath Day holy, only study church related materal, and stay in your Sunday clothes all day!

While the above example is not as black and white as choosing to never see a rated R movie, it turns out that members of God's one true church can be rationalizing hypocrites just like everyone else.

Maybe some Mormons see it this way: Is there a difference between getting into the Celestial Kingdom with a C, which is still a passing grade, or do you need an A+?

So that is a "yes?"

[_Tobin]

I can't think of anything less pleasant than having lunch with Tobin.

I can think of a few things like spoon feeding you your jello must be worse.

[_souldier]

I can't think of anything less pleasant than having lunch with Tobin.

I don't know, maybe aliens will visit him again while you're having lunch together.

[_malkie]

If you're here in Utah I'll take you out to lunch.

Regards,
MG

Hey MG, my wife and I expect to be taking I-15 N through Utah on the way from Las Vegas, via St George & SLC, to Seattle.

If you like, I'd be happy if we had the opportunity to get together for a little while - the boards are OK, but I think I'd like to meet some people in real life.

What did you teach?

[_sock puppet]

For 10 bonus points, name the person in this thread who responded to the substance of a statement with, "always the lawyer."

Back from church and from a LONG walk with a buddy that used to be in my ward and we're kindred spirits. We like to go hiking and/or walking and stretch our minds outside of the box of traditional/orthodox thinking which seems to be par for the course in our church attendance. It's fun to bounce ideas off of others that have retained a sense of faith and/or possibilities within the Mormon faith paradigm. Survival strategies and such.

Anyway, can I play too? I would guess you're referring to me.

I spent my career (now retired) in the teaching profession. I don't think like a lawyer. You are a lawyer. You do think like one...I would assume. What that really means is simply that we come from two different places in the way we think, reason, rationalize, and what have you. Your approach to Mormonism seems, at least to me, to be rather legalistic, rigid, and tight. I tend to be rather NOT like that. I'm open to many and varied ways of approach to solving problems and getting answers. Kind of a holdover from being in the classroom for many years. So I'm not criticizing you as much as I'm saying we sort of live in different worlds and our worlds collide now and then. I actually don't see you as a "Korihor" as much as I see you as a very dogmatic, legalistic, by the book, black/white, strictly logical/definitional sort of fellow. And we need those sort of folks. Here on this board it's good to have your POV because it keeps us centered on what Mormon orthodoxy and practice has been at one time or another and how those "worlds" collide at times. And I find that interesting.

If I've said something that personally offends you I'm sorry. I'm sure you're a nice guy. If you're here in Utah I'll take you out to lunch.

Regards,
MG

So am I to take from this that a teacher's perspective does not expect people to be taken at face value, for what they say, as Darth J has pointed out that the LDS seems to ignore and be dismissive of what LDS leaders tell them. I must confess, as a lawyer, I too find it strange that people should not be expected to mean what they say. I guess it's my tunnel vision from being trained to think like a lawyer. Please do inform us of the broader, more enlightened perspectives from the field of education that frees one to do whatever while giving lip service to following the injunctives from specific people, like LDS leaders and what they teach about R rated movies.

[_Tobin]

I don't know, maybe aliens will visit him again while you're having lunch together.

Anything is possible, though I'd like to see God take you out with an orbital strike.

[_Gunnar]

I don't know, maybe aliens will visit him again while you're having lunch together.

Anything is possible, though I'd like to see God take you out with an orbital strike.

Wow! How charitable of you!

[_grindael]

The first R rated movie I saw was when I was invited to see "48 Hours" by a girl at BYU. I told her I didn't go to R rated movies. She asked me why and I really didn't have a good answer except it wasn't recommended by Church Authorities. She laughed. I went. She was so damn cute. I guess the road to hell is paved with pretty faces.

[_sock puppet]

The first R rated movie I saw was when I was invited to see "48 Hours" by a girl at BYU. I told her I didn't go to R rated movies. She asked me why and I really didn't have a good answer except it wasn't recommended by Church Authorities. She laughed. I went. She was so damn cute. I guess the road to hell is paved with pretty faces.

Were others in the Provo theater laughing? The reason I ask, a roommate and I went to Peter Sellers' Being There. Not only were we the only two in a packed theatre laughing, but we were asked several times by those around us and even an usher to please be quiet. I couldn't contain myself when Shirley Maclaine got herself off with Chauncey the Gardner in the room not knowing what she was doing. I understand why the Provo audience may in their prudishness have been silent during that scene, but not the rest of the movie?

[_Gunnar]

One of the most moving, inspirational and uplifting movies I ever saw was Schindler's List, which was rated R. It would have been far less so and less effective, IMHO, if they had toned it down down by sanitizing and making less graphic some of the atrocities depicted in order to avoid getting a R rating. On the other hand, some of the least enlightening and excruciatingly boring movies I have ever seen were rated G. In fact, most G rated movies I have seen have had weak, insipid and childish plots with little entertainment or instructive value. The rating a particular movie has little to do with how good or bad it is. Good and bad movies can be found with any rating, though I doubt there are very many, if any, X rated movies that honestly merit a good rating. In my movie watching experience, though, my favorites have usually been rated PG or PG-13, and G rated movies are usually too bland and predictable.