User: "Videre faciem Dei"

[Anonymous]

Keep an eye on this new user if they post. Might be nothing and all is good. Their justification text:

Quote:

I am an active, faithful member of the Church. I have several family

members who use this site for support and I want to participate in the

discussions to help them believe again.

If they can’t help them believe again in real life (which to me implies wanting them to believe a certain way maybe — their way), how are they going to do it on an anonymous internet forum?

I’d recommend they pick up the phone or go over for Sunday dinner and chat more often.

Actually, I think I will send them a PM explaining how things work here (a nice and diplomatic one).

[Anonymous]

Sounds like it might be cwald’s brother. Just a guess, but, if it is, that could get toxic in a hurry.

I like the PM approach.

[Anonymous]

BTW, their email is southbluffward@comcast.net, which gives me the impression they are in a leadership position. I did a quick Google search, and it appears that is a ward in Davis County, Utah. I hope it isn’t Cwald’s family 😯

email I sent to the user:

---

Hi,

I just wanted to touch base with you really quick about participation in the StayLDS.com forums. You mentioned in your user registration that you “have several family members who use this site for support and … want to participate in the discussions to help them believe again.”

We try to be welcoming to fellow members with traditional beliefs and views, but keep in mind that our primary audience for support is geared towards brothers and sisters who have experienced faith crisis — people on the very edge of walking away, or who have already left the church. We’re focused on helping people make it work on a practical level, and not so focused on directly convincing people to believe specific ideas. It’s a fine line. We try to steer discussions away from debates over truth claims, and instead move them in the direction of finding ways to resolve conflicts so they can maintain a peaceful and productive connection to Mormonism and their loved ones.

Please make sure to thoroughly review our mission statement and rules of etiquette:

http://forum.staylds.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=20

http://forum.staylds.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=21

Also, on a personal level, I would appreciate it if you make sure your fellow family members or friends know who you are so they are not caught off guard. We don’t give out information from registrations. I don’t know who they are, or even if they are regular posters to the forum.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. My user name in the forums is my real name: Brian Johnston. You can PM me there, or email me here.

Thanks,

-Brian, Site Admin

[Anonymous]

Sounds like they may be coming here on a mission, not coming to be open to new ideas or discussions or other thoughts.

If they think this site is a hindrance to their family member, it will go sour quickly if they start preaching to this choir. If they want to participate in the discussions hoping to add new ideas that nudge things in a more faithful way…it might be ok.

But that was a good PM, Brian. We’ll have to keep an eye on it as we see how it unfolds and what they do.

[Anonymous]

I contacted Cwald. It isn’t his relatives. (phew! thank goodness.)

[Author]

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