This episode was recorded as part of the January 2012 Mormon Stories regional conference held in Houston, Texas dedicated to the topic of “Maintaining Positive Relationships Through Empathy and Dialogue.” This is the “Story Sharing” portion of the conference.
3 Responses
The story starting about 28:00 was really powerful to me (the man who was told his same-sex attraction would be taken from him if he served an honorable mission). I think it drives home some really important truths, but mostly that truth-seeking is an incredibly individual matter. Priesthood leaders and general authorities can promise all they want, and faithful members can believe those promises with all their hearts and minds, but so often it seems the actual truth is something totally different, above and beyond, something even better than what our narrow minds conceive. Thanks John, as always, for making these available.
Too much like a testimony meeting for me. That said, I believe John’s work is vital to the mental well-being of many people with Mormonism in their lives.
Thank-you John Dehlin for the great work you have so unselfishly dedicated yourself to.
I am a 30 yr. member who was recently slammed to the floor upon finding out so many facts that I always was told and believed were just mean, anti lies meant to destroy the Church.
The enormous amount of hurt is beyond belief and I am still at the stage of trying so hard to find some sort of explanation that makes since so I can go on because I still believe the BOM is a spiritual powerhouse and it contains true principals, no matter how it came about.
I just cannot understand WHY all the efforts the Church has gone to over the years to make the historical facts look different. It certainly makes it look as though there were things to hide.
I 100% believe IF I had been told the whole truth BEFORE I was baptized and went on to make temple covenants…this would never be an issue. But all the teachings I have been bombarded with over the years such as “a prophet will be removed out of his place IF ever teaching anything contrary from the true gospel” just didn’t happen…they remained in that calling. And now our leaders are actually saying that what they said IS NOT doctrine even though they spoke it at conference and preached it over the pulpit. I have no idea HOW I am now supposed to figure out WHAT IS doctrine and what IS NOT….because I feel the Spirit has been knocked out of me due to all this and I cannot hear the still small voice.
My heart breaks for gays and blacks…and their hardships especially from the Church. I did feel the effort especially by Elder Utchdorf at conference, that positive steps are being made.
I can see in the near future if Romney gets the nomination, that each and every nasty fact is going to be brought to light more than ever and the Church is going to have to make some uncomfortable explanations.I believe Brigham Young’s blood atonement talks, the 3 different First Vision stories and etc. will be plastered all over every news TV channel. Well, we wanted to come out of obscurity…fasten your seat belts.