Windy Sydney

The new Mormon Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, gave a speech during the Spring conference in Salt Lake City asking people who have left the church to return. USA Today even wrote an article on the talk and you can find the link here.

"Come back," President Thomas S. Monson said in his first address since taking over The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in February.

Members are ready to welcome "the less active, the offended, the critical, the transgressor" into fellowship, he said.

The fact he begrudgingly-with backhanded labels brought this topic up in his first talk as profit is telling.

He knows the vast number of people walking away is a problem and felt he needed to throw a bone at the problem.

Unfortunately, the way he did it was insulting. Even if someone had a lobotomy and did decide to go back it is clear they still feel the need to demonize people who left.

------------------------------------------------------

"the less active, the offended, the critical, the transgressor"

They say this every year. When was the last time someone returned to the church based on this talk? It's really a way to pretend to reach out without doing anything to resolve the initial problems.

Welcome the critical?? Right, if you shut up and pretend that you were wrong.

"the transgressor"??? I'm sure he includes gays in that, but only if you go back in the closet, and again, SHUT UP!

The offended?? How many ppl actually leave because they were offended?? I was offended: by the bigotry, hypocrisy and lies the church told. They pretend like someone insulted my shoes so I left. I left because they called me vile and "selfish" for being gay. I left because JS made the whole damned thing up. That's why I'm offended!

Tommy, you seem like a nice boy, but you are either really naive or really stupid if you think one person will return to church because of this talk.

-----------------------------------------------------------

I'll come back to the church when...

1. My children and I can be sealed together WITHOUT a husband/father figure.

2. My non-member family can witness weddings in the temple.

3. All members are invited to take part in the Second Anointing ordinance.

4. My temple recommend is not renewed based on amount of tithing payments.

5. True history is discussed. Joseph Smith's life is open for analysis, as well as all other leaders of the church.

6. Prophets are no longer considered the great communicator and intercessor between us and God.

7. Bishops remove all "notes" from personal files.

8. Forgiveness is something between God and the individual, and no longer requires Courts of Love to process.

9. My sons can wear whatever damn color shirt they want to and no tie. And my daughters can wear flip flops and have their ears double-pierced without condemnation or judgment.

10. I can have a meaningful relationship with the members that is NOT based on how well I follow the crowd and conform to the Mormon standard, or whether or not my husband is an active member, or how many children I have, or what my particular calling is within the ward.

-------------------------------------------------------

If he was inviting former members to return, why was he addressing current members? That seems like a pretty ineffective strategy. I wouldn't even know that Mormon conference occurred this weekend if I didn't read this board. In fact, it's probably best for the Church's image that the general populace not hear that sort of talk, because it just confirms in people's minds that the Church is a cult. You can leave the Church, but the Church just can't leave you alone, you know?

Well, it gives them a chance to feel superior, I guess. Good luck with that. I went to Disneyworld with my son yesterday.

-------------------------------------------------------

...the talk is more for current members. Its a subtle way to say anyone who has left the church did so because they transgressed, are lazy, uncaring, hyper-critical, and easily offended. It reinforces to current members the belief that any other path outside the church is a dead end, and that those who have left are miserable wretches just waiting...hoping, one day, the prophet will let them back into the fold.

--------------------------------------------------------

Wow, they'll have quite an interesting crowd when all those easily offended whiners and sinners go back. ;-)

But he didn't invite the true NON-believers, people who found out the dirt on early history and JS made-up scriputures, the freethinkers OR the feminists.

Ah well . . . I didn't want to go back anyway.

-------------------------------------------------------

I heard that part of his speech, and it made my skin crawl.

He was sweelty standing there, accusing US for being the problem, and not the church.

We left because we learned the truth the church is not true, and there is no "authority" from God.

Monsoon let it be known on National television that he was soooo forgiving and accepting of the less active, offended, critical, transgressors, and we are "welcome back." AS IF we were just waiting outside, unhappy, alone, poor, wayward, addicted--too frightened and downcast, struggling in the outside world that Monson described as so awful--too far gone to realize we will be welcomed back into the fold.

Hello. The world is a pretty happy, friendly place out here. We're doing great now that we are free of the cult. Welcome? TSCC is still stalking and harrassing most of us, to regain control of our our money and time.

What a bunch of phony baloney.

-------------------------------------------------------

it's a nice way to discredit those who leave while appearing to be offering an olive branch.

-------------------------------------------------------

People leave the Church for three reasons:

(1) They want to sin

(2) They are lazy

(3) They were offended.

To be offended means that you knowingly throw away God's only True and Living Church on the face of the earth because of some petty social slight that some member did. This is an indication of how arrogant and self-centered you are.

The advantage to TBMs of this way of thinking is that, in the first place, they are superior to you. You have a big head and a thin skin and a terrible sense of priorities. In the second place it makes them think that once you've cooled off you will see the error of your ways and be dying to come back. All that is needed is for them to say "come on back, we want you" and you will gladly turn your whole being over to them.