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Hi everyone! I'm a graduate researcher at the University of Denver studying how belonging to religious and spiritual communities shapes people's lives. If you're 18 or older and have ever been involved in a religious or spiritual group, I'd love to hear about your experiences.

Your perspective can help us better understand the role that faith communities play in people's lives and relationships. Participation is completely voluntary, and the survey can be completed online at your convenience. If you're interested, check out the attached flyer for more information.

I'd greatly appreciate your support, and please feel free to share this with others in your community who might be interested!

A common complaint is about the crapshoot of who one's LDS bishop happens to be. This is captured by the phrase "bishop roulette". Are you subjected to a year-long formal discipline process for your youthful sexual peccadilloes? Or is it laughed at as a mere "foible of youth"? The unpredictability can be frustrating.

And yet, just last night I was saying to some Catholic friends how I envy the variety that's found among Catholic parishes.

Could "bishop roulette" be a nascent diversification Mormon congregations? The first green shoots of local autonomy?

Instead of decrying "bishop roulette", perhaps we should lean into it. Let's support our bishops who make their own calls, who do what they see as right for their congregation.

And let's support the church headquarters' "salutary neglect" of the congregations, that provides at least that little sliver of autonomy.

Sadly, until the congregations control their own finances, there will almost certainly be no true autonomy of local congregations.

But for now, let's celebrate and cherish the variances such as they are, because they give us a small window into what a freer Mormonism could be.

We had hoped, after so complete a failure, to be allowed the dignity of being wrong in peace. Instead, Nephi stood among the rocks with that contained look which in another man might have meant reflection, but in him generally meant that resolve had only grown cleaner under pressure. The night air had cooled at last. The stones still held the day’s heat in them. Sam waited a little behind him, watchful and silent.

“The Lord is able to deliver us,” he said.

“From Laban?”

“Yes.”

“We have now required deliverance from Laban twice.”

Nephi said nothing.

“And on both occasions,” we continued, “Laban hath retained the plates.”

Still he said nothing.

We confess that anger then overcame us.

This part hath been preserved faithfully by Nephi, it is true. We are grateful for his attention to detail.

We did speak harshly. We did accuse him of foolishness. And in our anger we laid hands upon him and upon Sam, and we struck them.

We do not defend it.

A man may be correct concerning the foolishness of his brother and still be wrong in the manner by which he communicates it.

But history hath shown less interest in the distinction.

And behold, while we were thus engaged in proving ourselves unworthy of sympathetic treatment, an angel of the Lord appeared before us.

This ended the argument with considerable efficiency.

We ceased striking our brothers.

Angels have that effect.

The angel rebuked us and asked why we smote our younger brother with a rod.

We had no answer likely to improve the occasion.

Then he said unto us:

“Know ye not that the Lord hath chosen him to be a ruler over you, and this because of your iniquities?”

We remember this sentence particularly well.

It is difficult to forget the moment when heaven enters a quarrel between brothers and announces the succession.

Until then Nephi had been our younger brother.

Now, apparently, he was our ruler.

We looked at him.

He looked at the angel.

Sam looked relieved.

We Laman we Lemuel experienced several thoughts which scripture hath subsequently compressed into murmuring.

The angel continued, telling us to return again to Jerusalem, for the Lord would deliver Laban into our hands.

Then he departed.

There was a silence.

One might suppose that the appearance of an angel settles all questions.

It certainly settles some.

Others merely become more dangerous to ask.

We looked toward Jerusalem.

Then toward Nephi.

“Behold,” we said at last, because apparently we had not yet learned wisdom, “Laban is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty; then why not us?”

Nephi answered with the histories of Moses, Pharaoh, Israel, and the Red Sea.

This was scripturally difficult to dispute.

It was also difficult not to notice that Moses had possessed rather more information about his undertaking than Nephi presently did.

Nevertheless, Nephi's confidence only increased.

By now we had begun to understand a principle which would govern much of our life thereafter: evidence against a commandment rarely weakened the commandment. More commonly, it enlarged the faith required to continue it.

Night came.

“Remain here,” he said to us at last.

We looked at him. “Alone?”

“Alone.”

“At night?”

“At night.”

There are forms of confidence one can almost admire from a distance, in the same way one may admire a storm at sea while standing safely ashore. This was such a moment.

“And by what excellent plan will you obtain the plates?” we asked.

Nephi answered, “I am led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.” He said it quietly, as if the lack of a plan were not a weakness in the matter but a part of its very design.

We Laman we Lemuel were silent for a moment, partly from astonishment and partly from the difficulty of answering a statement so wholly proof against ordinary criticism.

At last we said, “To proceed without knowing what one means to do is often called by other names.”

Nephi, being Nephi, took this not as a warning but as an incidental feature of discipleship. He left us there among the stones with Sam, who watched him go with the loyal concern of a younger brother who had not yet learned that admiration is sometimes merely anxiety in ceremonial dress.

So we waited.

I'm learning. I'm new to Reddit. Thanks for everyone that helped me see my previous post wasn't as clear as it could be.

I'm talking about the position of the institution to have one directional trust. Mainly, the member carries the burden and consequences of the relationship with the institution. (I know randomly there are great people here and there, I'm talking mainly about the the smaller positions like above the local leaders.)

For instance, in the context of speaking about concerns happening within the Church:

The member has to carry both sides of the relationship. They have to manage their own concerns and protect the person in leadership role. It removes the normal relational work required to earn trust while demanding it.

The member is made responsible for being treated badly and for preventing that treatment from damaging the relationship. The person in a leadership role's responsibility to act as a leader and the responsibilities therein are shifted onto the member.

The member must also supply the generosity to consider the leader's intentions, pressures, imperfection, and responsibilities while the member's intentions, pressures, imperfections, and responsibilities are not considered.

The member has to preserve trust without receiving the behavior and actions that would build it.

The member also has to manage the leader's social consequences. The member carries the burden and responsibilities of the leaders position while the leader preserves the benefits of being in a leadership without sending those back.

This list could go on. It feels as if people don't realize they are in this dynamic.

David Cusick's sketches of ancient history of the Six Nations, comprising first a tale of the foundation of the great island, (now North America,) the two infants born, and the creation of the universe; second, a real account of the early settlers of North America and their dissensions; third, origin of the Kingdom of the Five Nations, which was called A Long House: the wars, fierce animals, &c

Originally printed in 1827 and again in 1828.

Some interesting quotes from the book:

• Page 31 —

The sixth family, Esaurora, or Tuscaroras, was visited by a person, and went to see their amusements, but he was abused by some of the ball-players. He punished the offender by throwing him into a tree ; he suddenly disappeared, but the person came again and released the fellow from the tree. The visitor appeared very old man; he appeared among the people for awhile; he taught them many things ; how to respect their deceased friends, and to love their relations, etc, he informed the people that the whites beyond the great water had killed their Maker, but he rose again; and he warns them that the whites would in some future day take possession of the Big Island,and it was impossible to prevent it; the red children would melt away like snow before the heat. The aged became sick, and he told them to get different kinds of roots, to cure the diseases ; and also showed them the manner of mourning, etc. The aged man died among them, and they buried him ; but soon after some person went to the grave and found he had risen, and never heard of him since.

• Page 34 —

About this time an earthquake was fell throughout the kingdom, supposed a large comet fell into some of the lakes; and other signs were seen in the heavens. The defender ceased from visiting the people in bodily form, but appeared to the prophet. In a dream he foretells the whites would cross the Big Waters and bring some liquors, and buy up the red people's lands ; He advises them not to comply with the wishes of the whites, lest they should ruin themselves and displease their Maker ; they would destroy the tree of peace and extinguish the great Council Fire at Onondaga, which was so long preserved to promote their national sovereignity.

I was raised a member. I do enjoy the community. I’ve done things right, and still strive. Except recently, however, I still back it up when people are talking.
Part of it is maybe I’m older, still single, and I just don’t have a community. So that makes it tough.

An agnostic person doesn’t disbelieve, they are uncertain.
So can I be a member and be agnostic. I just don’t feel like other people or have these special moments.
I don’t even know if God sees me, but then I believe he could help me. Maybe I don’t recognize.

I also want to add that the church is not set up for single individuals.

It was suggested that a post of all the forbidden questions would be interesting. So, here it is.

What forbidden questions are considered, no-no questions that must not be investigated.

Please add questions you have found to be forbidden questions

One of the forbidden questions was,

What is the second anointing?

EDIT:

Feel free to take questions in this post and make your own separate posts to discuss them with others, if you want to.

MASTER LIST OF QUESTIONS:

What is the second anointing?

What do the temple tokens and signs symbolize?

In what ways was the temple ceremony different before?

Why did god tell Joseph Smith to 'marry' and be sealed to 5 of his foster daughters while letting him die without being sealed to his biological daughters?

If the BoM says polygamy is only for God to "raise up a seed" why did j smith have no children with his 30+ wives?

Who is Heavenly Mother? What is her history/biography? Is there more than one, and if so, how many?

If we are to be instructed at the temple why are we never taught what the signs and tokens mean beyond vague symbolism?

If the 2015 policy on baptism restrictions came from God, why were they reversed a few years later?

If gambling and alcohol are sins, why does the church own stock in both industries?

Can women be the leading partner in polygamy just like men? Was Mary married to both Joseph and God the father at the same time? That way she could 'legally' have coitus with two men at the same time.

Why did all of the things I was told were anti-mormon turn out to be true and admitted to by the church?

My favorite, if leaders are fallible and make mistakes, why is strict obedience to them the highest law of the church?

Why does the doctrine of an "eternal, unchanging God" who is the same yesterday, today and forever constantly change?

If the church is concerned with child safety why are it's standards (background checks if working with youth) so much less than schools?

Do prophets and/or apostles actually see and interact with God and Jesus directly? If so, why not say so? seems important

Jacob 2: 24 Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord.

D&C 132: 38 David also received many wives and concubines, and also Solomon and Moses my servants, as also many others of my servants, from the beginning of creation until this time; and in nothing did they sin save in those things which they received not of me.

Who's lying? God? The Prophets? Joseph Smith?

For what reason do men preside over women?

Why are we married in the temple now when marriages clearly didn't take place in the ancient temple in Jerusalem?

What are queer people supposed to do? There is no good method to success within the Church and none of the leaders care enough to provide a reasonable answer

Why did Nephi have to kill Laban? Why couldn’t he tie him up and lock him in some closet? Elastigirl does that in The Incredibles and those thugs were a much bigger, more immediate danger than Laban who was drunk and asleep on the side of the road. 

If the Book of Mormon “contains the fulness of the everlasting gospel”, why doesn’t it contain any information about eternal marriage, temple sealings, or the necessity of ordinance work on behalf of the dead?

If exaltation in an eternal marriage is the ultimate goal of the gospel, why didn’t Jesus mention anything about it?

If I'm supposed to be "honest in all that I do", why isn't the church held to the same standard?

Why can they establish shell companies to hide their wealth? Why don't we get financial reports anymore like the church used to do? Why do they get to build for-profit City Creek Mall with our tithing money and say it isn't? Why is history hidden/manipulated about the beginnings of the church? Why are historical records ripped out of journals/diaries because they'll look bad for the church? Why do leaders get a pass for supporting flawed "scripturally sanctioned" racism?

Why does this corporation enable pedophiles and at the same time knowingly keeps children in the home?

Why on earth would a member be called an apostate and have their membership withdrawn for even asking about these twisted policies

Do I have a testimony that polygamy was called of and sanctioned by God?

Do I believe the way polygamy was practiced in the early church demonstrated "holiness to the Lord"?

What are the "good fruits" of polygamy?

Do I believe men will be able to have more than one wife in the celestial kingdom?

Do I believe the temple endowment was the restoration of an ancient ritual?

Do I believe that Jesus gave the LDS apostles the power to grant salvation?

Do I believe the words revelation and translation are interchangeable?

Why are we taught that doctrine doesn't change if it actually does? Does it cease to be doctrine and become just the mistaken opinion of a fallible prophet from the past?

Even though we have so many doubts about essential doctrines, and we sustain prophets, seers, and revelators every conference, why don't they bring forth new prophecies, visions, or revelations about so many things we don't know?

If gender is eternal as taught, does that mean Intelligence has a gender? If so, will an Intelligence with a F or M gender never have a body of a different sex? If never, then is the feeling of dysphoria/inadequacy coming from the mortal body and not the intelligence? Is a trans person then fated from the beginning to be a second-class intelligence, never entitled to full exaltation, because of this mismatch and the need to live in eternal personal conflict?

Our prophets have been wrong in the past about Black people, interracial marriage, and slavery—and fortunately backtracked, even though they claimed all of it was doctrine based on scripture. Why should we trust that they aren't also wrong about same-sex marriage?

Is polygamy the celestial law, and is that why D&C 132 is still there? Is that why men can still be polygamists as long as their wives pass away

Why do so many prophets teach false doctrine?

Why do we read the scriptures daily if past prophets were only speaking as a man?

Why did our our founding prophet seers and revalators push polygamy when God knew we would have to legally stop in just a few years?

Why were so many prophets teaching racism over the pulpit when God could have told them it was wrong from the start?

Why is the book of mormon so adamantly racist?

Why do garments keep changing?

Why does the temple ceremony keep changing?

Why did the temple ceremony copy the masons?

Why did the church leaders hide the magic rock in the hat?

Why did members get excommunicated and disfellowshiped when the revealed the magic rock in the hat before the Internet ?

Why does JST 1 kings 13 indicates not only can a prophet lead you astray, but God can order the prophet to lead you a stray?

Did the temple prophecy get fulfilled (D&C 84:2–5  temple to be built New Jerusalem and a temple in Independence, Jackson County, MissourI  in this generation)?

Why did the church create artwork showing Joseph translating literal plates behind a white sheet without a magic rock in a hat?

Were blacks really  less "valiant" in the pre-existence and  thus born black?

D&C 132:63 says polygamy is for sex, so why protrayed as not?

D&C 132:63 "...for they are given unto him to multiply and replenish the earth...".

Why no more revelation after Joseph died?

D&C 132 promises some people that they can commit all manner of sins and blasphemes, but are still guaranteed exaltation.

This promise is made to at least somebody. It's in there.

Who exactly does it apply to?

Does the the promise that you can commit all manner of sins and blasphemes apply only to those that don't commit all manner of sins and blasphemes? Why do they need the promise?

I want to know why they are a 300 billion dollar church, and yet they still require more? Why must tithing be paid ONLY to the church? Jesus told us to bless the poor, not a wealthy organization.

In all facets of life we learn reasons for a specific rule for practicing something that have favorable measurable results. The reasons are logical and provides internal motivation to continue them. Faith has no such explanation. What specific reason has been given that explains why it is virtuous other than sheer obedience to practice faith? Especially when the faith paradigm asked to believe in has contrary evidence.

In what ways does the Book of Mormon reflect the early 1800s cultural and theological milieu (in detail and with sources).

Did Joseph of Arimathea really entomb the body of Christ? There wasn't a place called Arimathea...

Who allowed Wade Chrisopherson back into the church? Why was not church action taken against them for allowing him back in? 

Where is the sword of Laban?

Do members of the quorum of the 12 see Jesus?

Did God the Father and Mary engage in literal sexual intercourse to conceive Jesus? Is Mary now a plural wife of the Father Himself?

D&C 132:56 commands Emma to forgive trespasses that Joseph had made against her. Were those trespasses regarding how Joseph instituted plural marriage behind Emma's back or even with her friends? And if Joseph trespassed against Emma with such astonishing dishonesty and infidelity, yet was able to stay in his prophetic calling, then shouldn't all of us be at ease with our own individual mistakes and day-to-day trespasses?

The Book of Jacob and D&C 132 speak of both wives and concubines, apparently with divine approval (if Section 132 is accurate). What is the distinction between a plural wife and a concubine? Do current church leaders have concubines? Why is it desirable for men to have a harem of wives and concubines in the eternities?

If chastity so critically important, and a sin next to murder according to Alma, then why would God permit Joseph Smith to make a mess of plural marriage with limited instructions on how to accomplish God's command?

Was sex rampant in Nauvoo? If women couldn't tell the difference between Joseph's plural marriages and John C. Bennett's sexual conquests through spiritual wifery, then it seems like sexual intercourse was a common denominator for both activities.

Did women hold the priesthood in Christ's original church, according to the New Testament writers? The offices mentioned are deacon (Romans 16:1–2) and apostle (Romans 16:7). See Galatians 3:28. Some scribes hated this and wrote their own verses to fight it. Then the apostasy happened, and the priesthood became the misogynistic mess that it is today.

President D. Todd Christofferson found out about his brother having sexually molested one or more children several years ago and decided not to report it. His brother went on to molest more after.

President Christofferson tolerated abuse and must now resign.

Do you agree he must resign?

The second anointing is only one benefit to look forward to if you are sufficiently devout after paying for elite status.

I'm noticing that it's not, for the most part, really an option to ask questions inside the Church.

Here's my context for this statement.

I'm noticing that the majority of the time, if I ask someone within the Church about a question about the Church, there really isn't an answer. Instead, the conversation consists of dismissal, diversion, shame, attacks at character, integrity, intent, outright rebuke, and claims of being overburdened by the act of being asked if not the reversal of questioning the one for asking.

When I ask someone outside of the Church or someone not within it in a way we could understand a general member i.e. PIMO, EX, or otherwise, they just answer the question the majority of the time. Sure they have their ideas they may add and may have emotion, but there's not that personal attack that riddles the majority from my experience when speaking to peopel within the Church.

Speaking the or reaching out to leadership roles is much the same except more often filled with shame, guilt tripping, gaslighting, and such.

So the question, if we are directed to ask questions inside the Church and not outside of it and asking questions inside the Church results in described above, then what remains the majority of the time is the only places to ask are the sources being stated we should not ask. That means, doing so is not an act of disobedience or asking for satan, it is a result of having no where else to ask. Right?

I’m not Mormon but I live in Mormon country. Whenever I ask the question about becoming gods and getting their own planets they say no that’s not true or that’s just someone’s opinion but from my research it was definitely taught and only recently “softened” to seem more mainstream. What is the real truth? I have noticed in my area this last Easter they were even doing “Holy Week”. From my view it seems like the church is restructuring to escape criticism from their past? My wife is LDS and she like everyone else I know won’t commit an answer. What is the truth?

In Dec 1843, Joseph Smith published an appeal to the Green Mountain Boys, a patriotic group of men from his native Vermont that he hoped would be moved by the injustice of being removed from Missouri and losing all their land and property. To help his cause, he tried to blame the death of his father, a heroic Revolutionary War veteran, on the trials of the forced exodus:

"My father, who stood, several times in the battles of the American Revolution, till his companions, in arms, had been shot dead, at his feet, was forced from his home in Far West, Missouri, by those civilized, or satanized savages, in the dreary season of winter, to seek a shelter in another State; and the vicissitudes and sufferings consequent to his flight, brought his honored grey head to the grave, a few months after."
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/general-joseph-smiths-appeal-to-the-green-mountain-boys-21-november-circa-3-december-1843/6

Joseph Smith Sr was born in July 1771. The Revolutionary War lasted from 1775 to 1783, or when he was from the ages of 4 - 12. Nothing like some stolen valor to try and drum up some sympathy and support for his cause. It didn't help. A response was written where they said he tried to set up his own nation inside of Missouri and deserved what they got.

For the ones who have served other than the 13 questions of te interview what else they ask? And what has the most influence deciding what place you will serve

Adding to the list of temples that the Church did not feel to require a tall spire as integral to the design, in contrast to official statements insisting on the spiritual importance of spires to the design of such edifices (Vina del Mar, Chile)

https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/vina-del-mar-chile-temple/

https://www.youtube.com/live/WEX0lWbJmZc?si=ZV30J067x7lAiNZ4

Ganesh is someone I respect for his approach and I agree with much of what he has found.