On Testimony, Confirmation Bias, and Belief

[Fence Sitter]

The irony of pointing to secular conferences, journals, and authors such as Dialogue, Sunstone, and figures like Brodie and Metcalf as the place to find the “meat” of Mormonism is striking on multiple levels. If that is where a believing member thinks the meat is then the milk was already curdled and spoiled from the start.

And this raises an obvious question: what, exactly, is a supposed prophet of God doing if, when believers are asked where a member can turn for deeper understanding, the best answer is to point them to Fawn Brodie?

[Limnor]

The irony of pointing to secular conferences, journals, and authors such as Dialogue, Sunstone, and figures like Brodie and Metcalf as the place to find the “meat” of Mormonism is striking on multiple levels. If that is where a believing member thinks the meat is then the milk was already curdled and spoiled from the start.

And this raises an obvious question: what, exactly, is a supposed prophet of God doing if, when believers are asked where a member can turn for deeper understanding, the best answer is to point them to Fawn Brodie?

Yes, “line upon line” apparently leads right to the critics.

Doctor Scratch, on another thread, wrote: If the people in the COB wind up thinking that this is going to create a problematic "milk before meat" scenario where more people are going to leave due to feeling like they were deceived, then maybe he would order up a tightening up of the rules.

Reading the comment about tightening rules to avoid a “milk before meat” problem made me wonder, for those who were once in believing or institutional roles, such as a missionary or bishop, did you ever feel you were helping sustain a story that you suspected—at least privately—was incomplete or misleading, in order to attract people to the faith or prevent people from leaving?

What would now-you say to then-you about what you were doing? What advice would you give to people who get a knock on the door and open it to see the missionaries? Do they know they are providing less than the whole picture?

[malkie]

The irony of pointing to secular conferences, journals, and authors such as Dialogue, Sunstone, and figures like Brodie and Metcalf as the place to find the “meat” of Mormonism is striking on multiple levels. If that is where a believing member thinks the meat is then the milk was already curdled and spoiled from the start.

And this raises an obvious question: what, exactly, is a supposed prophet of God doing if, when believers are asked where a member can turn for deeper understanding, the best answer is to point them to Fawn Brodie?

Yes, “line upon line” apparently leads right to the critics.

Doctor Scratch, on another thread, wrote: If the people in the COB wind up thinking that this is going to create a problematic "milk before meat" scenario where more people are going to leave due to feeling like they were deceived, then maybe he would order up a tightening up of the rules.

Reading the comment about tightening rules to avoid a “milk before meat” problem made me wonder, for those who were once in believing or institutional roles, such as a missionary or bishop, did you ever feel you were helping sustain a story that you suspected—at least privately—was incomplete or misleading, in order to attract people to the faith or prevent people from leaving?

What would now-you say to then-you about what you were doing? What advice would you give to people who get a knock on the door and open it to see the missionaries? Do they know they are providing less than the whole picture?

I, for one, didn't find out till much later that I was unwittingly sustaining a fairy tale, and I'm inclined to think that the missionaries in general are likewise oblivious.

[Limnor]

I, for one, didn't find out till much later that I was unwittingly sustaining a fairy tale, and I'm inclined to think that the missionaries in general are likewise oblivious.

Thank you malkie—I realize it’s a very personal question but I’m thinking through the best approach to missionaries or coworkers. Or attendance at F&T meetings.

[malkie]

I, for one, didn't find out till much later that I was unwittingly sustaining a fairy tale, and I'm inclined to think that the missionaries in general are likewise oblivious.

Thank you malkie—I realize it’s a very personal question but I’m thinking through the best approach to missionaries or coworkers. Or attendance at F&T meetings.

I think you will find the missionaries to be fully authentic. It's possible that some may have doubts, but I don't expect them to try to deceive you in any way. I'm sure that even the missionary who eventually persuaded me to be baptized was not intentionally deceptive - she just thought she had found a novel approach for hard headed folks like me.