My uncle's website

[lynsie]

Recently made the wonderful discovery that my Uncle is a crazy apostate like myself. He let me in on his website. He said I could share it with any open-minded folks I knew. His current project is a verse by verse analysis of the Book of Mormon (he is much more patient than myself). Check it out and tell me what you think. Open it in Internet Explorer...it looks better. Just don't be too critical or I'll beat you up! Drop him an email if you like it (his address is on the site). Oh, and if you mention me, call me Christie (that's the pseudonym I use with family).

http://home.earthlink.net/~g57238/ (http://home.earthlink.net/~g57238)

[Jeff_Ricks]

Recently made the wonderful discovery that my Uncle is a crazy apostate like myself. He let me in on his website. He said I could share it with any open-minded folks I knew. His current project is a verse by verse analysis of the Book of Mormon (he is much more patient than myself). Check it out and tell me what you think. Open it in Internet Explorer...it looks better. Just don't be too critical or I'll beat you up! Drop him an email if you like it (his address is on the site). Oh, and if you mention me, call me Christie (that's the pseudonym I use with family).

http://home.earthlink.net/~g57238/ (http://home.earthlink.net/~g57238)Looks like a good website. Looks nice too. :) What a wonderful thing when you find a family member or friend who's also out. It's like discovering a long lost friend -- or like walking through the white fog out into a clearing and seeing them again in the Spirit World. :duck:

Seriously though, it's a wonderful thing to have happen.

Jeff

[free thinker]

I liked the site and just when you think you have read all the weirdness you could ever find from early mormon writings you find another! :confused:


Bro. Snow said I would live to see the time when brothers and sisters would marry each other in this church. All our horror at such an [sic] union was due entirely to prejudice. and the offspring of such union would be healthy and pure as any other. These were the decided views of Pres. Young when alive, for Bro. S. talked to him freely on this matter.'" Journal of Mormon History, 1992, p. 106


Oh well. :Puking


ft

[elder_nomo]

Recently made the wonderful discovery that my Uncle is a crazy apostate like myself. He let me in on his website. He said I could share it with any open-minded folks I knew. His current project is a verse by verse analysis of the Book of Mormon (he is much more patient than myself). Check it out and tell me what you think. Open it in Internet Explorer...it looks better. Just don't be too critical or I'll beat you up! Drop him an email if you like it (his address is on the site). Oh, and if you mention me, call me Christie (that's the pseudonym I use with family).

http://home.earthlink.net/~g57238/ (http://home.earthlink.net/~g57238)
Hey Lynsie - thanks for the link. I've only read a little bit so far, but already I'm finding that your uncle has hit on a couple of things that I find particularly interesting.

One is the concept of "stepping stone" religions.
Apparently some mormons are latching on to the idea that the spirit leads some people to other (non-mo) religions, to "prepare" them for the fullness of the mormon gospel.
GB Hinkley sort of alluded to it when he said converts just "add to" what they've already got when they join the mormon church.

This idea is relatively new to me.
Back in my mo days, we would have see this as being in direct violation to what God supposedly told JS - to join no other churches because they were all an "abomination."
Nobody seems to question it now!!

I guess this goes along with the novel concept that JS was into treasure hunting, etc. as "preparation" for being a prophet.

God sure moves in mysterious ways. :Crazy:

[lynsie]

I'm so glad you guys like it! You found things I hadn't seen before (like the bit about incest...eww). And you are so right Jeff about finding others who are out it's great, especially a family member. It's nice to know there is another logical rational person around who is trying to maintain relationships with the same wacky TBMs.

I had had an inkling for a while that my uncle was different. On the day of my wedding (five years ago) he pulled me aside and said "Your mom tells me you and I have a lot in common." I didn't really understand what he was getting at. Then he said "You think deeply and you think for yourself. I want to encourage you to always do that."

I was only 20 and on my way out of TSCC but hadn't fully come to terms with it yet (ie I chose to have my wedding at an LDS church, but not at the temple). But those words stuck with me.

As I became more separated from the church I often wanted to contact him and ask him exactly what he meant. But I was scared I would find out I had misinterpreted the situation. Maybe it was another attempt to open a dialogue with me to convince me back into the church (a lot of people tried. Using a lot of different angles).

Just this summer I went to visit him with my TBM mom (his sister). It was a strange visit because the whole time we were dying to talk privately. Finally, after everyone else went to bed we snuck into his basement and discussed our heretical ideas long into the night. It was great.:D

[peter_mary]

One is the concept of "stepping stone" religions.
Apparently some mormons are latching on to the idea that the spirit leads some people to other (non-mo) religions, to "prepare" them for the fullness of the mormon gospel.
GB Hinkley sort of alluded to it when he said converts just "add to" what they've already got when they join the mormon church.


I can't help but wonder how the church would feel about being a stepping stone themselves. I don't know about the rest of you, but my experience in the church has been invaluable in helping to prepare me for apostacy. ;)

[Born Free]

I can't help but wonder how the church would feel about being a stepping stone themselves. I don't know about the rest of you, but my experience in the church has been invaluable in helping to prepare me for apostacy. ;)
Springboard might be a better analogy than stepping stone!

They are just so generous in allowing that other faiths might be leading to them, but then they insist on a huge STOP sign at their exit door. Only the evil and misled pass out that door. :Crazy:

What? Egocentric, you suggest? Now why would that be?

Daryl