The Reverend's quote comes from page 3 of the "Losing Sleep Over a Friend's Latte" thread, and perhaps unsurprisingly, the Afore does not provide a link nor offer up any kind of context. But there are some things worth delving into here in a bit more detail, I think. Is it really "warped and dyspeptic and bizarre" to assume that there might be any kind of "snooping" or "spying" being done by a "committed and faithful Latter-day Saint"? Has he ever heard of the SCMC? Did he not once work as an "agent" for said Committee? ("Agent" was *his* own word, by the way.) And what about "snooping" or "spying" on somebody's Facebook page, as was done to John Dehlin and others? (In fact, doing so led to the writing of the infamous "hit piece" and, by extension, to classic-FARMS getting jettisoned from the Maxwell Institute.) And what about the BYU spying incidents, during Wilkinson's reign?I happened across a comment the other day from an intelligent but deeply disaffected and now completely non-communicant Latter-day Saint that included this (to me rather astonishing) passage, in which he summarizes the Church’s program of ministering brothers and sisters (formerly known as “home teachers”):
I have to admit that his remark is so utterly foreign to my understanding of home teachers and “ministers” (I’m not overly fond of the latter terminology) that, even days later, I find myself marveling at how . . . well, frankly, at how warped and dyspeptic and bizarre it seems to me. I can’t recall ever feeling that the ward teachers or home teachers or visiting teachers or ministering brothers and sisters were there to snoop or to spy on me. Nor, when fulfilling my own assignments in visiting members of my wards over the years, have I ever viewed snooping or spying as any part of my role. Not a primary part nor a secondary part nor a tertiary part. Nor have I ever, ever, viewed the lifestyle of a committed and faithful Latter-day Saint as that of “a joyless prig.” Wow. If his words, cited above, really describe the view that he held while still active in the Church, and possibly even the disdain and contempt with which he came to view his fellow Latter-day Saints, I’m not at all surprised that he’s left it.The Reverend wrote:you are expected to invite “ministers” into your home to snoop and make sure you aren’t breaking their made-up rules for how to live your life like a joyless prig.
No thanks.
Regardless, the Kish-bashing continues in the comments:
While reading about the disdain the former ‘active’ member of the Church now proclaims, I see the fulfillment of President Nelson’s declaration. I paraphrase: in coming days it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the companionship of the Holy Ghost. Previous modern prophets have made similar declarations and President Oaks has quoted President Nelson’s counsel.
You have to wonder what the Afore was up to with this post.Disaffected Latter-day Saint: “You are expected to invite “ministers” into your home to snoop and make sure you aren’t breaking their made-up rules for how to live your life like a joyless prig.
No thanks.”
Solomon: “The wicked flee when no man pursueth.”
