Rumor about Quinn

[Guest]

No Danites needed. In modern society, a little bit of gossip here, a whole lot of fear generation, plenty of intrusive monitoring and social isolation, discriminatory social services, and a pinch of this and a pinch of that. Thus the enemy is disarmed, with (usually) no body.

[_zeezrom]

I never suspected this rumor was true but was hoping someone had the correct background story so I could show it to my friend and set her on the correct path.

Now, let's talk about the LDS hit squad. Do I think that is a possibility? Sure, why not? Ever since Uncle Dale told me what might happen if I call COB asking for the Book of the Law of the Lord, I have been scared to follow through.

[_MCB]

LDS culture promotes harrassment while prohibiting outright murder. However, that does not eliminate the possibility of mentally unbalanced radical adherents from reverting to the previous crude techniques.

[_Yahoo Bot]

And then, I've repeatedly in the past cited to his Sunstone presentation where he says that the Church has treated him fairly and has nothing to do with his career difficulties.

[_lostindc]

My FIL is quite convince that the Church has a squad. I am not sure I believe Quinn stated such things and I believe Blixa and Dr. Scratch are correct.

[_Baker]

And then, I've repeatedly in the past cited to his Sunstone presentation where he says that the Church has treated him fairly and has nothing to do with his career difficulties.

Both can be true. His early concerns may have proven to be unjustified.

[_Buffalo]

The Danites are no more.

[Anonymous]

Blixa's right, Zeez. The rumor you heard is a garbled version of the story that Lavina Anderson tells in her essay "DNA Mormon: D. Michael Quinn."

Ah, thanks! I was too tired last night to think of this citation. The book Lavina's essay is in is Differing Visions: Dissenters in Mormon History, by Roger D. Launius, Linda Thatcher. If your wife's friend was reading that book and misunderstood the essay that badly, I don't know what to say.

The book is fascinating by the way, Zeez, and I highly recommend it.

edited to add: I misinformed Zeez originally. The book in question is Mormon Mavericks: Essays on Dissenters by
John Sillito (Editor), Susan Staker.

Apologies.

[_zeezrom]

Ah, thanks! I was too tired last night to think of this citation. The book Lavina's essay is in is Differing Visions: Dissenters in Mormon History, by Roger D. Launius, Linda Thatcher. If your wife's friend was reading that book and misunderstood the essay that badly, I don't know what to say.

The book is fascinating by the way, Zeez, and I highly recommend it.

That's the book! Thank you very much!

Time to go set this apologist friend straight!

by the way - This friend has another interesting bit of apologia: The reason Joseph Smith got involved in so many shenanigans: He was crazy.

So, she is able to maintain a belief in the church by putting Joseph Smith in the mentally insane category. This definitely takes the responsibility off the shoulders of the man with the mantle.

[_Blixa]

Ah, thanks! I was too tired last night to think of this citation. The book Lavina's essay is in is Differing Visions: Dissenters in Mormon History, by Roger D. Launius, Linda Thatcher. If your wife's friend was reading that book and misunderstood the essay that badly, I don't know what to say.

The book is fascinating by the way, Zeez, and I highly recommend it.

That's the book! Thank you very much!

Time to go set this apologist friend straight!

by the way - This friend has another interesting bit of apologia: The reason Joseph Smith got involved in so many shenanigans: He was crazy.

So, she is able to maintain a belief in the church by putting Joseph Smith in the mentally insane category. This definitely takes the responsibility off the shoulders of the man with the mantle.

I'm sorry Zeez, I gave you the wrong citation. The book is actually Mormon Mavericks: Essays on Dissenters by John Sillito, Susan Staker.

Sorry for my confusion.

Both books are extremely worthwhile and cover a history of dissent beginning, of course, with people like John Whitmer. I originally planned to post on both books when I read them a few months ago around the time of Brig Madsen's death, but school, post-semester school issues, and general board hoo ha, have kept me from honoring my pledges. Right now I have one call for papers deadline to meet and then I need to fulfill the promise I made to various board members about sending some of my teaching materials to them. After that?