Botched Rescue in Boise

[_Kishkumen]

I have long found it a stretch to consider the LDS Church a "victim" in the Hofmann affair.

Really?!? That seems like a rather unreasonable position to take. Isn't it a well-known fact that at least some of Hofmann's forgeries targeted the LDS Church?

I think the problem is partly that the Church's motives for getting involved with Hofmann were questionable in the first place. They made an easy mark because of their desperation to control the narrative. So, yes, they are victims, but they are also understandably less than completely sympathetic ones.

[_Tobin]

Really?!? That seems like a rather unreasonable position to take. Isn't it a well-known fact that at least some of Hofmann's forgeries targeted the LDS Church?

I think the problem is partly that the Church's motives for getting involved with Hofmann were questionable in the first place. They made an easy mark because of their desperation to control the narrative. So, yes, they are victims, but they are also understandably less than completely sympathetic ones.

Then are you saying we shouldn't sympathize with old, senile people that are taken advantage of by con-artists because they are easy marks? Personally, I don't see much of a difference between that and Hofmann taking advantage of the LDS Church. In fact, in many ways they are very much the same kind of thing.

[_Kishkumen]

Then are you saying we shouldn't sympathize with old, senile people that are taken advantage of by con-artists because they are easy marks? Personally, I don't see much of a difference between that and Hofmann taking advantage of the LDS Church. In fact, in many ways they are very much the same kind of thing.

No, if you actually think about what I wrote, you will hopefully realize that I most definitely did not say that.

[_Tobin]

Then are you saying we shouldn't sympathize with old, senile people that are taken advantage of by con-artists because they are easy marks? Personally, I don't see much of a difference between that and Hofmann taking advantage of the LDS Church. In fact, in many ways they are very much the same kind of thing.

No, if you actually think about what I wrote, you will hopefully realize that I most definitely did not say that.

Oh goodie, but I did enjoy pointing that out.

[_Kishkumen]

Oh goodie, but I did enjoy pointing that out.

Pointing out what?

[_Mayan Elephant]

I feel like there is something to say about Mormon chiropractors and their level of cray....

seriously, they always seem like they are on the parallel track to Mormon MLM schemes.

[_Maksutov]

I feel like there is something to say about Mormon chiropractors and their level of cray....

seriously, they always seem like they are on the parallel track to Mormon MLM schemes.

Goes back at least to the Anti-Banking Society. Creativity and inspiration extended to the temporal realms. A moneydigger doesn't change his spots.

[_Mayan Elephant]

We naturally want to make things complex and convoluted to the point that we then have a difficult time coming to terms with what we see.

Regards,
MG

quite possibly, the dumbest comment ever. ironically, this is also the foundation of the Boise Rescue, the so-called essays, and the current marketing strategy of the church.

[_Mayan Elephant]

all this talk about scripture support to support their story is really quite comical. it is like using the Lord of the Rings as the factual support for A Song of Ice and Fire.

the church is not at a crossroads because it is off the rails with regard to scriptures passed down from the jews or the romans. it is not at a crossroads or off the rails regarding scriptures passed down from some horny frontier sex-cult of the 19th century. it is at a crossroads because of something much more basic than that - the product sucks, and the price is too high for a crappy product.

the church can attempt to rescue everyone all it wants. but lets put that in perspective. when blockbuster was at a crossroads, saddled with a ton of stores and labor costs it was not because their model never worked for one generation or a few decades. it was because netflix and the ability to get movies at home without leaving your house was a better option. blockbuster, with a lot of capital behind them made a strategic decision - stay the course, tell people this way is the right way, and - are you ready for this - they added posters and theater-sized candy assortments to their inventory. i am not making that crap up. they added huge boxes of junior mints and red vines to the aisles leading up to the register. and told people, including investors, that this was going to save blockbuster. it did not save them.

the church is at EXACTLY that moment. it is at a crossroads where their product is inferior to current options for past, present and future consumers. this has NOTHING to do with whether their product was good or useful years ago or according to some past model. these JD corporate pitchmen that are attempting to rescue these consumers are, actually, attempting to sell their product to two groups - consumers and investors.

the essays are boxed up costco sized candy servings (like theater portion junior mints.) the twisted logic in their rescue is nothing more than a powerpoint presentation to investors to convince them that consumers will do what they did before, with this new candy feature added to the aisles.

rescues happen all the time. it happened to Zales (the jewelry store) after they added junk jewelry to their inventory (hello kitty jewelry.) they gave up and later partnered with Vera Wang instead and went from near certain bankruptcy to thriving. Rescues have happened to near bankrupt slot machine manufacturers that changed from 7 7 7 to putting the wheel of fortune on their machines.

unless and until the church changes its tune and become not just tolerant of gays, but embraces them. until they give half the wealth to women, at least. until they stop subjecting youth to boot camp of the mind missions, and switch to service and trades. until they redistribute the wealth by making volunteering in the church a fair trade for the consumer. and until they make their frontier past and history an element of our ancestry and not a ball and chain to their greed - there will be no rescue.

[_Mayan Elephant]

Goes back at least to the Anti-Banking Society. Creativity and inspiration extended to the temporal realms. A moneydigger doesn't change his spots.

i believe that. not sure if you meant to speak in jest, but i really believe it. i think the culture of the church nurtures this in the snakeoil pitchmen and the consumers.