NYT Article on disaffected Swedish Area Authority

One thing I might well add to my quotes library is this:

Eric Hawkins, a church spokesman, said that “every church faces this challenge,” adding, “The answer is not to try to silence critics, but to provide as much information and as much support as possible to those who may be affected.”

Note how Church Spokesman Eric Hawkins posits that the response to critics is to provide information. However, there is nothing about listening and understanding the concerns. Elder Mattson’s concern with the Apostles who tried to minimize his concerns wasn’t the information provided, but the lack of ability or willingness to address his concerns.

Eric Hawkins, a church spokesman, said that “every church faces this challenge,” adding, “The answer is not to try to silence critics, but to provide as much information and as much support as possible to those who may be affected.”

I can see providing the information but then what? People want more than information when they get in this situation, they want explanations. Some will be fine with apologetics like FAIR or FARMS but not everyone. You can’t teach the troubled parts of the history in GD or in to the youth and not put some sort of positive spin on it. With the restrictions on use of outside material now it’s not going to happen and I guess I don’t see correlation authorizing new lessons because, honestly, there are no good explanations. For most that stay and know about this stuff it’s because they just decide to set it aside and hang on for other reasons that don’t have to do with truth or the possibility of exaltation.

One thing I might well add to my quotes library is this:

Eric Hawkins, a church spokesman, said that “every church faces this challenge,” adding, “The answer is not to try to silence critics, but to provide as much information and as much support as possible to those who may be affected.”

Note how Church Spokesman Eric Hawkins posits that the response to critics is to provide information. However, there is nothing about listening and understanding the concerns. Elder Mattson’s concern with the Apostles who tried to minimize his concerns wasn’t the information provided, but the lack of ability or willingness to address his concerns.

I completely agree. I just meant that for some people on here who might be getting a hard time from local leaders, they could share that quote with them. It probably would make no difference.

Little John put this on face book last night.

Very interesting, and I it’s another piece of the puzzle…we knew something was going on in Europe.

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And for so long too.

I found the comparisons to Catholicism interesting. The suggestions that all religions have historical issues and dubious origens – but that being founded in an age before paper and other reliable forms of documentation cloud these things in mystery. Perhaps the LDS church in selectively crafting its own message is doing the same thing that other religions have done for millenia. There are so many Catholics out there that aren’t especially religious but still identify as Catholics. Perhaps it is the times that have changed and the LDS church was just born during a difficult time – a time of increasing science, secularism, and transparency.

Would this man have lived and died firm in the faith of his fathers if it was 1913 and not 2013?

I served a mission in Sweden and live in the neighbouring country. Sad to see a man finding stuff out after so many years. I don’t know the man personally but I have heard of him and know his twin brother and the family a bit. Luckily I stumbled across “stuff” in my late teens and later on after my mission so I kind of got used to the thought that everything isn’t textbook perfect, over a long period where I was forming my religious identity anyway. (Not that you can only do that in your youth, but I think it might be easier). He comes from a very active church family with his twin brother being the stake pres. The last couple of years A LOT of members in Sweden went inactive in the church because of historical stuff. And I mean A LOT!

Very Recently one of the members of the former stake presidency in an area in Denmark (where I live) went inactive because of the same issues.

I don’t know if that will start a wave here in Denmark as well. My own father and father in law are inactive now because of the same stuff and there are not a lot of members in Europe already.

It makes me so sad and angry everytime I hear of yet another person leaving. I want the info to come out from the top as soon as possible because it is causing so much grief and sorrow in people’s lives. Much more than the average active person can understand.

I even wrote the current stake president telling him about my faith crisis and how I come out on the other side with MUCH more stronger relationship to God (and a much more open view of what church is and what it should do for people). I plan on writing an email to the inactive former member of the stake pres as well, pointing him to this site among other things and the various podcasts. And most of all I just think people need to feel that what they are going through is totally ok and justified – but it doesn’t mean that they have to throw the baby(their religion) out with the bathwater.

Aaaarggghhh – it makes me so sad. There is a (middle)way to stay in church but many times people don’t even know that there is. And not necessarily a middle way, just a new view which personnaly freeed me from all the folklore and “evil traditions” that crept into the church. Now I see the gospel as the center thing and the church as the next important thing….. It’s hard to explain..using an iPhone to pour out my heart here:)

sorry – just had to vent.

“Are you in or are you out? All in or all out.” Your concerns be damned…

Words that I heard so many times within a few month span in 2011′..will never forget how the “church” treated me.

I feel for this brother.

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