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This article is a couple weeks old, but I just read it (yes, I was bored). https://kutv.com/news/local/controversial-lds-author-tells-followers-to-peace-out-following-lunar-eclipse-end-time ” class=”bbcode_url”> https://kutv.com/news/local/controversial-lds-author-tells-followers-to-peace-out-following-lunar-eclipse-end-time For those who don’t know, Sr. Rowe is an author who told of her near-death experience and other things. She does fireside-like “events” around the Mormon Corridor and other places. Last month she predicted a major cataclysmic event of some sort that didn’t materialize, apparently, and could have been associated with the “blood moon.” Emergency prep stores in Utah saw business increase. Meanwhile the church added her book to the list of materials seminary and other teachers shouldn’t reference in lessons and made an unusual statement regarding the Sept. lunar eclipse.
The above article seems to be related to the fact that nothing happened. Since Sr. Rowe seems to believe she received personal revelation that might affect others (although she does say to listen to church leaders and not her) and it appears the revelation didn’t come true for this event (it is possible she misunderstood), do you think she is in a faith crisis and that’s what the “peace out” is really saying? I’ll say in my case the realization that what I thought was true might not be is what drove me into crisis.
There are a few people in my stake way out here that follow Sr. Rowe and believe her prophecies, some of whom are “doomsday preppers.” There are other doomsday preppers who don’t necessarily follow Sr. Rowe’s teachings but nevertheless believe as those on the TV show do. (A number of those profiled on the show are members.) We discussed that trend recently in a leadership meeting. What’s your take on the movement as a whole?
I can’t say one way or another about her, but the apocalyptic profiteering aspect of millennial prophecies has bothered me for as long as I have known about it. I hope she is able to work through the complications of being wrong so publicly. I feel for her.
It also highlights one of the reasons I believe the Church embraced correlation years ago. This sort of stuff was quite common back in the day, and it was being taught at the local level as if it was church-approved. I’m aware of the issues brought on by correlation, but it’s important to recognize and acknowledge the causes and benefits, as well.
I predict the end of significant prophets (Freudian misspelling there) of the emergency prep stores. At least for a short while. 
I can just say I am happy I don’t live in the Mormon corridor (but I did have Jello for lunch yesterday)
I read about her peace out decision a couple of weeks ago. I hadn’t really followed her but my husband found the hoop-la interesting, so he sent me her final post/article. My first thought was sorrow for her. I hadn’t thought faith crisis, though if I had been sure I had received a revelation and then had it not come to pass so obviously, I too would be spinning out of control. My sorrow was for the public-ness of the experience. From what I understand she was packing them in at firesides and preppers meetings held at the church. Any wipe out is hard, but the bigger the crowd the more it hurts.
My second thought was, where are all the people who invited her to be the guest speaker? Doesn’t half the hoopla responsibility fall on them? She shouldn’t have to take this alone.
My third thought (which DJ did allude to) is – wasn’t she sort of playing the false prophet role? Yes she has said listen to the church leaders and she isn’t one, but that didn’t slow her or anyone in the area from buying into the product/suggestion/inference. So a group of ladies can boldly push for ordination, with history as their backing, and they get a hard push back. A lady who has a personal revelation can write a book, do church meeting house book tours, sell supportive merchandise, gin up end of days conspiracy and it just ends.
I don’t wish her excommunicated, she has enough pain to swallow, but it just has lots of Hmmmms, surrounding it.
DarkJedi wrote:What’s your take on the movement as a whole?
I’m active in my ward, but don’t hear a lot of scuttlebut. I only knew she was a thing from all the talk about it online.Was anyone else a little embarrassed by the church’s statement?
I feel bad for her, too. She’s not the first to have such an issue, but she may well be the only modern latter-day saint to have faced it. Picking a date for catastrophe/apocalypse seems to always end badly. Good point about correlation, Ray. I actually think it applies to the whole doomsday thing, whatever it is, in the church and I think it’s why Sr. Rowe’s material has been added to the list of “spurious” works.
I had thought about her role as a profiteering prophetess as well. I had wondered shy she was not facing any discipline for what she was doing seeing as how she was gaining a following as well as profiting. It is my understanding that meeting houses weren’t allowed to be used for her gatherings anymore, but that could be more for a worry about tax exempt status by the church than anything else (and I may be misinformed about the reality of whether or not she was permitted to use meeting houses). The only thing I came up with was that while gaining a following, she was not directly attacking the Brethren or saying they were teaching falsehoods or the like – she appears to support church leadership and not fully fit the description of “apostasy” (which I believe is still vague). I don’t wish her ex’ed, either, but perhaps a little “are you sure you should be doing this?” might have been in order and might have saved her from the current embarrassment.
There’s nobody in my ward either, Ann, but there is a somewhat prominent and vocal member from a neighboring ward who has spread the word about her liberally. I first heard about Julie Rowe from my wife who heard from this other member and it was just the NDE thing at first (my wife is interested in NDE and I think some of it is legit). I am aware that the stake presidency is concerned about a small group of members in another ward, but I’m not sure it’s all about Julie Rowe with them. They did have to step in and nix a fireside speaker there once because they feared the guy was way overboard on the prepper thing and teaching things that were not consistent with the church’s preparedness stuff – like buying radios to communicate (he is not LDS).
I’m usually pretty good at keeping up with church statements and church news, but I admit I missed the one about the super moon eclipse until today. I won’t say I was embarrassed, but I do think it odd that they addressed it like that or more directly that they said anything at all.
I do hope Sr. Rowe can find peace.
LookingHard wrote:I predict the end of significant prophets (Freudian misspelling there) of the emergency prep stores. At least for a short while.
I can just say I am happy I don’t live in the Mormon corridor (but I did have Jello for lunch yesterday)
Did you stay at a Holiday Inn Express, too?
I think the run on the prep stores in Utah might subside (or have subsided) but I don’t think they’re going out of business any time soon. They advertise on BYUTV and during the Doomsday Preppers show. I really don’t have a problem with them by themselves, it makes more sense to me to have that sort of food than a ton of wheat (literally) that you don’t know how to use other than by pounding into flour with a stone – and man cannot live by bread alone. I do wonder how people who only have the dehydrated stuff will survive if there isn’t enough potable water, though.
Quote:it makes more sense to me to have that sort of food than a ton of wheat (literally) that you don’t know how to use other than by pounding into flour with a stone – and man cannot live by bread alone
My parents have a garage full of wheat. My dad refuses to part with it. My mom and I joke about what I will find when we bust open a can after dad dies. I also make jokes about using it for the funeral meal after the service. The stuff is 40 years old. Scares the daylights out of me. Talk about a sacred cow.
One of my daughter’s of-another-faith friends was getting on her about food storage. “What does that have to do with religion?” But I told her to stick up for it. Nothin’ wrong with being prepared; not that long ago or far away it was a way of life for everyone. I like having 72-hour kits and whatnot…within reason, I guess. I say all that, but I don’t really know what the current “preppers” are like.
Ann – one of those weird life testimonies I have is about preparedness. I have lived through a devastating earthquake, and know how vital any kind of 72 hour kit or even just some stock of food in the cupboards can be. I also know more than one family who have been unemployed for extended periods and home storage really stretched the dollars. I just am really scared of my dad’s 40 year old wheat that he refuses to part with. Has it sprouted? Does it ferment? I don’t suspect creatures because it’s in square metal cans, but beyond that? But yeah, a balanced preparedness is good. On a religious sense, I always fall back on Joseph in Egypt. The 7 fat years and 7 lean years.
I’m all for preparedness, too. We live in an area prone to flooding (not our house but our town). Last flood we were without power for over a week, and were asked to evacuate in the beginning of the flood. A 72 hour kit(s) and having food and the ability to prepare it is pretty important. The government actually comes here and does preparedness workshops which are close to the same things the church teaches, and they even provide small 72 hour kits for attendees. I have wondered in the past what it has to do with the gospel as well, but the church community isn’t just about religion. I have noted that it has been a very long time since we’ve heard anything in conference about it, though, and you have to hunt for the stuff on the church website. I also like that when you do find it they emphasize things like three months of food that you actually eat. I think perhaps people who have joined the church in the past few years might not know anything about a teaching of food storage.
I listened to Julie and have a personal friend who is much closer to her. He mentioned that Julie never stipulated a date for what she said, and that she is being targeted. When I heard her talk, I recall her saying to follow the prophet and everything I heard her say I could find in other LDS type sources–so it wasn’t all that new, at least that specific talk. I don’t like the prophetic nature of some things she has said, but they are interesting regardless.
My friend said her books are still selling just fine. So, even though she is getting some interesting publicity, it apparently isn’t hurting her sales.
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Before coming to this site, I spent a small stint on a prepper site that hosts a lot of what she says and many other NDE/prophetic dreamers. I found myself marveling at the site because I did, trying to make a point in a place I thought was appropriate, bring up there were some errors made by prophets in the past. I was blasted,..and I mean told in not so subtle ways that there was a place for me in hell. What astonished me was talks like ETB 14 Fundamentals was used to discredit what I said,..and in the same threads Julie and her “prophecy” was defended; everyone was waiting for the “callout from President Monson”, because after all, Julie was sent from God.
This all was very strange to me. How a group of people would use talks like 14 Fundamentals to blast me, and in the same vein defend someone who was having prophetic dreams outside of the standard channels.
Rob4Hope wrote:This all was very strange to me. How a group of people would use talks like 14 Fundamentals to blast me, and in the same vein defend someone who was having prophetic dreams outside of the standard channels.
I think I know the site you’re talking about Rob, and I’m not surprised. Like you, I find it interesting they can use things like the 14 Fs in their defense while seemingly doing things not in accordance with them.
I’m also not saying I don’t believe Jule Rowe, because I do. I fully understand that people can have spiritual experiences that I don’t have, just as Joseph Smith did. Who am I to question an individuals testimony of such an experience when I have no way of discerning whether or not it could or couldn’t have happened? It just struck me that perhaps she is questioning her own experience and I think those of us here know how painful that can be.
DarkJedi wrote:I think I know the site you’re talking about Rob, and I’m not surprised.
Its a freaky weird site IMHO….
🙄 Anyway,..I don’t know much of Julie other than I heard her talk once on the radio and once in person. I hope she works through it all. She certainly has been good for some of the emergency food source folks.
Hey, they need to advertise to.
🙂 Thanks Rob for the extra insight. I didn’t know the larger story, my info was fully based on the scuttlebutt that was filtering through others. Good personal reminder for me. Thanks.
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