Torn

Here are my thoughts torn. The first thing I would say is that overall it's pretty good book and there are a lot of aspects to what he says about people who feel disaffected that I can relate to. So he does do a good job of least admitting the feelings and thoughts of people that are no longer full true believing members whether or not they're still going to church or completely have left. I do think there are some issues with the research, namely in the sample size and that the people he are sampling are willing volunteers that were shown the survey and then went through the steps to do it. So it's not a complete sample of everyone that has left the church where I think the bird dominant group of people would probably be those who just stop believing for some reason and just don't want anything to do with the church and if drifted fallen away but aren't actively interested, so the people that would respond to these types of surveys are at least somewhat interested still in the dealings with the church. That being said, it does lend a voice and offer some insight, at least that I feel like I can relate to.

But the main issue I actually have with the book is the lack of awareness of any sort of admission of guilt or fault by the actual leadership, which is one example. Here's a screenshot from the book for my Kindle. We talks about the culture and says you know that that the gospel of Jesus Christ is very simple and we add on to it and there's this extra added culture. That's not really the church which is more interesting to me, especially this one aspect where it's very odd to me to say he seems to want to alleviate and absolve any of the leadership and chalk it down to the members forming their own culture as if they didn't get these ideas from the prophets. So one aspect and I will try to find some more. But I'm almost done with the book and want to make sure I included this at least one section where he says that you know some. He makes a climb that you know. Basically some leaders or some people you know doesn't explain who might be saying this or why and what sort of leadership capacity they even hold. But in one example that there are those in the church who would believe that their missionary sons would be better off coming home in a pine box than to lose any sort of virtue. Basically, that comes from a quote by Spencer w. Kimball just prior to him becoming the prophet so I believe he was at least the the head of the form of the 12. So he's the president of the 12 apostles when he wrote the book a minute of the miracle of forgiveness, right? And so he says in that book that he would rather his son's. You know, come home in a Time pine box then to come home without their virtue, which is basically implying. You know don't come home early for any sexual misconduct or really any type of sin at all. So you'd be better off dead and well that may be fine. The issue is that he passes this off as as if it was just some. Maybe not even like a rogue leader, but it was just oh. You know some guy's opinion you know, not the president of the quorum of the twelve apostles and it wasn't you know allowed in the missionary reading list for 30-40 years. I don't remember if I read it in the mission field. I think it was on the approved list in my mission but I think it may have been the one. There was a couple I didn't get and I think that was one of them. You know so it's more interesting. Is that even then in the next section right? He he uses a quote from then elder bednar who's also he's not a prophet. He's the leader of the 12 of mineer member of the quorum of the 12 who uses a quote to basically say that you know the people who believe this who preach these kinds of things are prideful and so this just seems very strange. Two on one hand you don't mention who is saying these things like where are the members getting this information well they're getting it from the leaders of the 12th and then another quote from the 12 that said, monishing you know these people in the pride without any acknowledgment and he openly will quote benar or other apostles for quotes that sued him and sort of allude to these facts that well. There are some leaders or not going to name names who also say some things but it's a very similar concept. I feel to what has always been done in the church. Namely, we cannot criticize the leaders and if you do, that's when you're excommunicated and removed. And so he writes this book to members that are believing. He's still very firmly sits in this camp of almost you know we can't criticize the real problem and we can't admit really that leaders and previous men. You know previous members of the cormans of the 12 apostles have said things that are bad. We can allude to it but be very vague and just chalk it up to culture and that was the culture of the church and it's in no way shape or form related to the gospel and so that is another aspect to it is that he will seemingly say you know the gospel of Jesus, very simple, it's love and I love the Lord your God and love your neighbor. Now that's the gospel which I could agree with and on this other stuff is just extra you know. But if that's really all it is then why have the profits? Why have the leadership cuz they have to preach other things and they give their opinions. They give their thoughts and until they're proven wrong that is gospel according to muymouth again, it's always been the case. Even in the enzyme this month, the back of it says we think the oh God for a prophet and has a picture from the solemn assembly at the April 2026 general conference with down h oaks there. And why are we thankful for a profit because they lead and guide us. They tell us what the truth is and yet when a prophet speaks in 20 years we have to ignore it and fix it.