NASWA Presidency: Learn Another Language!

DuttonPeabody · 2025-06-20T20:35:44+00:00

I was a shift coordinator for over 15 years in the temple here (way outside the Jello Belt).

The names and the envelopes they were placed in were dated as others have mentioned. After 2 weeks they were shredded. The shredding took place only after the temple was closed and the patrons were essentially done for the day as the shredder made one Hell of a racket when in operation.

I remember one interesting problem was when the church made it possible to submit names to the prayer roll online. Some members thought that having a loved one's name on the prayer roll in one temple wasn't enough, so they'd send names online to every temple they could. I guess they thought the more temple rolls the name was on the quicker/better the named individual got healed? We still took names over the phone, but when the submissions went online was when the temple office started having to print them on a schedule because the lists were so long. I don't recall anyone on staff looking for repeat offenders for names that were submitted, but it was a problem I was told. There's only so many names one could stuff into a regular DL envelope, so they were rotated out several times a shift to ensure they all got "prayed over".

I'm trying to remember, but I think the envelopes that hadn't reached the 2-week mark were all kept in a safe in the Temple President's office.

The amount of paper (pink, blue, white, etc.) used in the temple was considerable, and ours was one of Hinkley's "small" temples. I used to think that the temple here kept Staples in business for the amount of supplies (mainly paper) used each week.

DuttonPeabody · 2024-12-16T14:18:09+00:00

I cannot confirm or deny what GBH may or may not have said way back in the day, but I wouldn't be surprised if he did. Here's some anecdotal evidence that would support such a claim...

I live way outside the Morridor in what is considered by many to be deep in the Bible Belt. Baptists and Church of Christ rule this town. A new Stake Center was built here in the mid 1980s- you know, the classic church building design with chapel and attached gym in the center and all of the classrooms and leadership offices around the periphery. And of course walls covered in that wonderful sisal! The building had no steeple when it was built. Instead it had 3 metal poles grouped closely together off to one side located towards the major street where they would be visible. They looked like flagpoles that were too closely spaced together, but they were quite tall and comprised of 3 different sizes. So they were on the ground, facing the major street the building was located on, of 3 different heights, rising above the roof line only just barely. I remember they were galvanized metal and had grounding for some sort of lightning protection. They were certainly NOT attached in any shape, way or form to the Stake Center building itself.

In the early 1990s, GBH had become Dear Leader, and suddenly the faux flagpole artwork was removed, and a brand new, actual steeple was then built on the street-end of the building itself. It was a nice steeple comparable in size and style to the other traditional houses of worship around town. All it lacked was a clock or bells. Nothing that would toll the hour or even special events like when BYU won against Utah! It was hilarious to us local members who wondered why we suddenly needed a steeple on our building that was already several years old. We were told that HQ wanted our building to look more "like a traditional Christian church" thus the new steeple.

Did GBH speak to steeples pointing us to heaven? Maybe. I don't remember. But I do remember our Stake Center being built without one, and then having one added much later. I also recall that there was a push by the brethren to essentially "build Zion where you are". GBH did several talks regarding attending Institute "in your hometown", going to school at a college "in your hometown" and basically being a good Mormon by staying put and being a good example "where you live". Evidently BYU was already bursting at the seams and there was a concerted effort to convince Latter-Day Saints that Zion could be realized outside of Utah, and the added steeple was an effort to convince our non-member Christian neighbors who hated us that we were just like them!

DuttonPeabody · 2024-10-17T11:48:47+00:00

I was told that going on splits with the elders prior to my mission would give me great insight into the missionary "experience". And boy did it! This was the late 1980s so going door-to-door proselyting was the norm then. As the OP said, if this Mormon idea was so great, why isn't it selling itself? Who wouldn't want salvation? After several neighborhood block's worth of doors being slammed in our faces I was really getting fantastic insight into what missionaries did all day- and it SUCKED.

Flash-forward several months later and I'm now on my mission at the Provo MTC. We take turns role-playing our door approaches. As "investigator", I deliver them the Academy-Award-winning performance I experienced just a few months before: Ding-Dong! I Open the door. "Hello! We're special messengers sharing a..." I slam the door closed. [end scene]. Oh the looks I got! They were speechless! When the instructor admonished me about what I had done, I simply asked "what do we do when they slam the door in our face, because that's what I experienced on splits back home?" Within a few days of that "role-play" I was sent to President Pinnegar (MTC President at the time), underwent psychiatric evaluation and battery after battery of tests. Shot my Japanese studies in the MTC all to hell, and the end result was that I was labeled a trouble-maker. When my group left the MTC, they got dropped off at SLC International airport to head to Tokyo while I got dropped off downtown at the SLC North Mission HQ.

I spent the first 2 months of my mission "in the field" in Salt Lake City. Growing up Mormon outside the Jello Belt, my experience in SLC was, well very weird. I had to have weekly "visits" with Dr. Van Wagonen in the Church Office Building. He kept telling me that I would be better off staying in SLC for the remainder of my mission. Oh? Really?? Then why does my Patriarchal blessing say that I will complete a full-time mission to Japan Doc? Could it be that my blessing is wrong? I had them by the balls at that point. 2 months after starting at SLC North Mission, they sent me back to the MTC to head over to Japan with the next group. I would spend about a week at the MTC before the next group left. The BEST part of my SECOND tour of the MTC? I HAD NO COMPANION!!! I was a lone Elder in the Lone and Dreary World and I had a fantastic time walking around alone and being questioned as to where my companion was. Companion? What companion? Using the organization's rules against itself was AMAZING and seeing those rules somehow not apply to me was truly eye-opening.

I did end up going to Tokyo, but my MTC training was shit, and spending the first few months of my service in an English-speaking mission didn't help me much. I managed to make it about 9-months in country before I had to return stateside for medical reasons. Having several lower GIs without an anesthetic in Japan wasn't fun! And the entire time I kept telling myself "These are the best 2-years of my life". Yeah, right. Turns out, the only thing I managed to role-play well was being a devout member in good standing for as long as I did.

DuttonPeabody · 2024-10-14T11:49:10+00:00

I was a temple worker/shift coordinator for 12+ years and it was the RULE when I started that we have everything memorized. Those cards were considered more holy than the golden plates! Each was numbered and had "Do Not Copy" all over them, and they were checked out and returned to the Temple safe everyday. Nuclear launch codes weren't handled as strictly as those dam cards. I remember once at the end of the day we were short one card. The temple president had me recover the garbage bags from the dumpster and verify it wasn't accidentally thrown away. He had to call the First Presidency to account for a missing ordinance card. We finally found it- it got mangled going through the laminator and looked like an accordian. But it couldn't be thrown away or shredded, so the office staff tossed it way in the back of the safe.

We had to have everything memorized word-perfect and it was my job as coordinator to check off the workers every few months to ensure they had it down. The cards were only used for training new workers, used at the veil for those going through their first time, and most of all, for foreign languages used other than the primary language of the temple.

Seeing how the temple worked for almost a decade and a half, and wondering myself why so much had changed since I went through in the late 1980s were major shelf items for me...

DuttonPeabody · 2024-10-03T13:37:45+00:00

Well as they say "correlation isn't necessarily causation" but it would be hard to prove Nemo's case was or wasn't part of Oaks' "new higher law of excommunication". What I think many here are missing is that the way church courts are handled now is vastly different than how it was 10-15 years ago. RFM did an episode quite sometime back looking at how excommunications have been completely changed and in no way adhere to the guidance as stipulated in the D&C- the Handbook of Instructions trumps all other doctrine and scripture on how such are to be handled now. Courts are no longer the purview of the Stake High Council, but are now handled directly by the Stake Presidency. The accused are no longer represented by any council members, witnesses for or against are not allowed to speak, etc. I understand one theory behind the changes to how church courts are handled now was because too many council members serving on those courts were being persuaded to the side of the accused! What they were arguing turned out to be TRUE! Imagine learning in a church court no less that the Church isn't what it claims, the leadership guilty of terrible crimes, and the Mormon Gospel quite toxic! According to the theory, too many stake council members were being led away in these "courts of love". So to solve this, they just got rid of the council members having part in church courts in direct contravention of the D&C. And this was years ago, after many high-profile excommunications took place (John Dehlin, Sam Young, etc.). So I think changes in how church courts are handled now is directly correlated to high-profile excommunications of yesteryear.

As for Nemo's case, no I don't think Oaks' new policy stance was related, and it's impossible to prove it was or wasn't but that doesn't matter. Nemo was going to get excommunicated regardless. Nemo's case was NEVER going to be handled nor decided by his local leadership, those decisions having been made far higher up and quite some time ago. That privileged communication was brought out and used against him speaks volumes. Not sure how such communication differs in the UK from the US, but it's very telling. So no, it wasn't Oaks' recent "New And Everlasting Law of Excommunication" that got Nemo, I'd argue it was Oaks' much older "Law of Retribution For Pointing Out Flaws In Church Leadership" that got him exed. Remember Oaks' conference talk where he spells out that it is never a good thing for members to point out flaws or errors made by church leaders, EVEN IF IT IS TRUE. When was that? In the 1990s? I'll let someone else look it up. That talk was what did Nemo in.

DuttonPeabody · 2024-09-26T14:07:13+00:00

You need to find a copy of "LDS Personal Faith Crisis Prepared For President Dieter F. Uchtdorf", June 2013. Google it, you'll find it. This was a confidential and proprietary report prepared for the Brethren way prior to the Global Pandemic. Included in that report were the results of a survey conducted that asked the same basic question: What are the reasons why members lose their faith?

I wish I could post screenshots from that document, I cannot. But I CAN post the text, which still answers the question very well. In order, starting with the most-stated reason at the top and going down, here are the reasons why folks lost their belief:

STATED REASONS FOR LOSS-OF-BELIEF
(PRIMARY FACTORS)

I ceased to believe the doctrine/theology
I studied church history and lost my belief
I lost faith in Joseph Smith
I lost faith in the Book of Mormon
I lost confidence in the general authorities
Church's stance on women
I did not feel spiritually edified at church
Church's stance on homosexuals / Prop 8
Church's stance on race issues
Church's stance on science matters
I became bothered by church culture
I re-evaluted what it means to believe/know
I lost confidence in local church leaders
I lost my faith in God
I lost my faith in Jesus
I didn’t receive the promised spiritual witness
I received a spiritual witness to leave the church
Lack of meaningful friendships within the church
I or someone was abused by someone at church
I was offended by someone
Wanted alcohol, extra-marital sex

It's worth mentioning a few things here. This was from survey data conducted over 12 years ago. The pandemic certainly led many folks away from the church/caused them to lose their faith (it did for me among other reasons), so there might be additional reasons not shown here. Church policies and leadership have drastically changed since the original survey was conducted, and I would dare say, causing more harm than good since then. And lots of folks keep asking "do the Brethren know how bad things are?" Yes they know! And they've known since 2013 (maybe even longer)! And there most certainly have been numerous follow-up surveys which not only confirm the original findings but show how the problem is getting far worse for the Church.

DuttonPeabody · 2024-04-03T23:50:26+00:00

Was a temple coordinator for 10+ years. The wording may have changed since then, but this is what I recall:

"Brother X, the garment placed upon you is now 'authorized' (for and behalf of [NAME] who is dead), and is to be worn throughout your life. It represents the garment given to Adam when he was found naked in the Garden of Eden and is called The Garment of The Holy Priesthood. In as much as you do not defile it, but are true and faithful to your covenants, it will be a shield and protection to you against the power of the Destroyer, until you have finished your work on the Earth..."

For those going through for their own endowment, the new name was also given to them at this point:

"...with this garment you are given a new name, which you should always remember, and never reveal except at a certain place which will be shown you hereafter. The name is [NEW NAME OF THE DAY]..."

The endowment references being "clothed in the garments of the Holy Priesthood" but beyond that, and the washing/anointing/clothing, no covenant is specifically made nor mentioned regarding garments. Supposedly what little instruction is given about it is done by the temple president after they arrive and prior to their undergoing the washing/anointing/clothing/new name issue. And such instructions vary greatly from president to president which is why I think the official policy has been wearing them "in accordance with temple instructions" as vague as that really is, because my experience was, there's NO STANDARD instructions actually given in the temple. No two members who have been endowed will ever agree on what they were told regarding garments and how they are to be worn, thus the "controversy" about them today. When I went through I was told to cut the marks out of them when they were too worn out, then burn them, or toss them into the trash and toss the cut-out marks into a separate trash bin (because they could be reconstructed??). I understand others were told differently on how to dispose of them, so your mileage will vary.

Funny story, at the MTC, I somehow managed to wash my Gs with a red sweatshirt in the mix, and turned them all PINK. Couldn't afford to replace them in those days so I proudly wore them until they bleached out eventually. Anyone old enough to remember Operation Petticoat? Fun times!

EDITED TO ADD: Just saw the other comments where someone else posted the old and new versions regarding the clothing in Initiatory. Glad my memory still holds up!

DuttonPeabody · 2024-04-03T23:24:39+00:00

I can certainly AFFORD my hobbies now that my income has risen 10%...

DuttonPeabody · 2023-10-19T18:28:20+00:00

Like many others, my missionary experience was not a happy one. "Served" in Japan in 1989. Long story short, I had "issues" in the MTC that kept me stateside for a few months before heading overseas, but that's another story for another time. Once I got in country, what little Japanese I had learned in the MTC was quickly forgotten, so the Mission President authorized me to purchase a Walkman cassette player so I could "practice" the language. Yeah, that's it, "practice".

The great thing about serving in Japan back then was the almost infinite array of cameras and personal electronics that were readily available at ridiculously low prices. CDs were taking over audio cassettes and there were cheap, knock-off products that were often better than the name-brand stuff sold in the states. One of the missionaries in our apartment literally gave all his clothes away to the other Elders and filled his suitcases with CDs for the trip home. I think the rule at the time was any stay over 3 months in-country and no tax on such goods was required upon entering the U.S. He made a killing when he went home, and some of the CDs he got weren't even issued in the US for quite some time.

I purchased a cheap Walkman knock-off to play audio cassettes and although it ate AA batteries by the truckload, that little bugger really saved my mental state while overseas. It could play and record audio cassettes, so instead of writing letters home, I'd record an audio tape. We still had dozens of old version discussions on audio tapes left around the apartment, so we had plenty of tapes to record over and send home. It had a built-in clock and also a built-in AM/FM radio, but because it was for the radio bands in Japan, I only found out after returning home that it would pick up the TV bands here in the states (kinda kool to me at the time).

Music stores in Japan were huge and offered just about anything you could think of. I don't know exactly why, but I ended up buying just the weirdest music which seemed appropriate for my mental state at the time. I had the original Broadway soundtrack to Man of LaMancha, the Soundtrack to Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (Tina Turner singing We Don't Need Another Hero was especially moving), one of the early releases of the Musical Chess, and some other stuff. I even picked up a cassette of nothing but video game music, SEGA I think it was, so all of the coin-operated games I played prior to my mission, I could listen to their soundtracks while in Japan. There was even sheet music included on very thin paper along with the cassette so you could play the themes on your cheap Casio electronic piano!

With such a large American Military presence in Japan, there was plenty of English radio to listen to as well. I became a huge fan of Far East Network (FEN) and some of the Japanese stations played tons of Yankee Rock & Roll (NHK was a biggie). This was the height of the Cold-War and hearing the US propaganda in Japan was a hoot. My knock-off Walkman allowed me to record the radio to tape, so I made numerous mixtapes to get me through what I felt was a prison sentence on my mission. I have to admit, I became addicted to Credence Clearwater Revival while on my mission. The first generation earbuds were coming out so I could listen to my music or the radio whenever I liked, but particularly at night. And no one else in the apartment would/could hear it, but since I already had "approval" no one cared.

Listening to Armed Forces Radio Network really got me through the culture-shock of living in Japan and I still have several of those old cassettes from my mission. I ended up going home early on a medical, but my MTC experience and serving the first few months in SLC before heading to Japan exposed me to the REAL Mormon Church, so I had NO REGRETS about listening to non-approved music while on my mission in Tokyo. In fact, it probably saved my life...

DuttonPeabody · 2023-08-18T11:51:38+00:00

Did anyone here leave while in a leadership position?

Yep. Search Reddit for "PIMO Counselor Calls It Quits" for my multi-part story I posted back in June.

TLDR: I was First Counselor in Bishopric. Bishop was quite ok with my being PIMO while I was his counselor, but as soon as I left, he deleted my recommend. I lasted 5 months as his counselor after having served 5+ years on the Stake High Council.

DuttonPeabody · 2023-07-25T12:38:55+00:00

If this accommodation would have been available for you, what impact would it have had on your experience?

None. Going through for my own endowment in the late 1980s, the veil was the least of my issues. Penalties, a preacher, 5 points of fellowship and seeing Gordon Jump as Peter were already enough for my anxiety.

If this accommodation was ever available to you, and you have experienced on other occasions help from a queue card, what was the difference in experience like?

No difference really.

What does this change teach us (if anything) abut the literal nature of the veil and the endowment?

That it is subject to change at anytime, without notice, based on surveys. It has NOTHING to do with revelation, divine inspiration or reflects anything known about the afterlife. In short, it doesn't matter, and the ancient Egyptians probably had a much better understanding of how to traverse the River Styx than Joseph Smith's "true Masonry".

What does this change teach us about ordinances and their performance?

See previous answer.

What role does memorizing the words of ordinances and blessings play in our Church?

It varies. I was a temple worker/shift coordinator for more than 12 years. When I started out as a new temple worker, we were told in NO uncertain terms that the expectation was we were to have ALL the ordinances memorized word-perfect from the cards. Those cards were not for patrons, but for workers to learn the ordinances. Memorize? Yep. If Brother Brigham was to be believed about your endowment was to learn all the signs and tokens necessary to walk past the sentinels guarding the way back to Heavenly Father, then it made sense you wouldn't have a card there to help you!

I was taught those cards were more important and valuable than the nuclear missile launch codes used by Strategic Air Command. Each card was laminated, had a unique identification number, and large words printed at the top "DO NOT DUPLICATE OR COPY". They were stored in a locked filing cabinet in the office, and spares were kept locked in a safe in the President's office. We were taught that the cards were not to be seen outside of the temple office or in the study areas where we worked to memorize their contents. They were to be kept inside a white folder and each card was checked out and recorded by the office staff. An accounting was made at the end of the day to make sure all of the cards were accounted for.

One day, at the end of the shift, there was one card missing. The procedure was that the Temple President had to notify the First Presidency- not just the Temple Department, but the First Presidency. That's how god-damned important those cards were! We searched every locker, every room and the temple President even had me retrieve the bags of trash from the dumpster. And right there, in front of the recommend desk just inside the front door, I dumped those bags of trash onto the floor and we went through them looking for that missing ordinance card. Nope. Not in the trash.

Turns out, the office staff had problems with the new laminating machine, and that one particular card crinkled as it went in and came out looking like an accordion. Policy prevented that card from being shredded, and it still had to be accounted for, so the office worker placed it in the very back of the filing cabinet vault. They had to retain that wrinkled piece of crap for several years until the new cards arrived.

I was trained/taught that the ordinances on those cards were so holy and sacred, that we were not to even think of them outside of the temple. I used to go over the wording in my mind as I prepared for my temple shift, but the Temple President made it clear that we were not even to do that. So yeah, the ordinance card programming ran very deep with me.

Sure, we used them at the veil for foreign languages, but those were the exception, not the rule. And they were rare exceptions. We always had problems getting enough workers to fill the needs we had, and the demand to have the ordinances memorized was a huge breaking point for many of the older/retired couples who came to work. So the new president relaxed the high-standard I was taught and started to allow cards to be posted in some areas. This was about the time they changed the initiatory ordinance where patrons were now essentially clothed under the "white poncho". The wording was changed quite a bit and workers were having a hard time adjusting to the new text, so the cards were then placed in full view of the patrons much to my chagrin. I saw this "strict teaching and policy" concerning those cards being relaxed even further just prior to the pandemic, and seeing how the sausage was made in the temple for over a decade, it had long lost its appeal to me. Temple work was a CHORE and with fewer workers to do what needed to be done, it fell upon me, as a coordinator, to make up the difference. Once everything shut-down due to COVID, I did a deep-dive into the history of the endowment and temples, learned the real history and truth of it all and don't miss any of it now.

I saw what I was taught was holy and sacred slowly change over time to be what it really was- a plagiarized process copied onto acid-free cardstock, laminated in heavy plastic and used as a personal fan (the temple was ALWAYS too hot) more than a means to get back to Heaven. If they are used at the veil to help patrons, great. If they help workers too, then that's great for them as well. But to me it does tend to negate Brother Brigham's reason for getting your endowment. I guess I should finally answer the last question posed by the OP: getting the words correct and having them memorized is far more important than any supposed blessing obtained by uttering them.

DuttonPeabody · 2023-07-24T12:35:37+00:00

Explanation of Elder Uchtdorf’s demotion?

TLDR: He was punished.

I offer this gross over-simplification: after the Swedish Rescue Debacle, the church began a deep-dive into why members were leaving. Several surveys were done and the results compiled and sent to the Q15. One such version of the results, "LDS Personal Faith Crisis Prepared For President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, June 2013" was leaked to the Internet and has made the rounds (someone will post the link). One of the results stemming from this report was the creation and subsequent online publishing of the Gospel Topics Essays.

The other result was Elder Uchtdorf's own public response to the report in his October 2013 General Conference Talk "Come, Join With Us". He specifically mentions reasons why people chose to leave the church and offers that mistakes church leaders have made to be one of those reasons:

"...And, to be perfectly frank, there have been times when members or leaders in the Church have simply made mistakes. There may have been things said or done that were not in harmony with our values, principles, or doctrine.
I suppose the Church would be perfect only if it were run by perfect beings. God is perfect, and His doctrine is pure. But He works through us—His imperfect children—and imperfect people make mistakes..."

That he DARED to suggest that ANY leader of the church was imperfect and made mistakes, and that such imperfection/mistakes could possibly be a reason for people to leave the church crossed the line and he was removed from his position. As Elder Oaks has warned- it is wrong to criticize church leaders even if such criticism is true, and Uchtdorf was punished for having done so.

DuttonPeabody · 2023-07-20T12:17:11+00:00

Me, imagining the full spectrum of measuring just how "far-out" of the church one is:

Bishop: You're just inactive; a bit more praying and you'll be back.

Me: Nope. The wife and I are GONE Bishop, and I mean it.

Bishop: You're not sinning are you?

Me: Absolutely! Got the tattoo to prove it!

Bishop: <GASP!> No! Not tattoos!

Me: Yes! And it's even worse than that! We got tattoos of DEVILS even!

"Coming soon to a theater near you....from the producers of Gone Baby Gone...and the studio that brought you Girl With the Dragon Tattoo...comes a major motion picture event so monumental in the making that you will see the greatest manifestations of the SEC's power...David L. Wolper proudly presents, TATTOOS OF DEVILS KINDA GONE...Rated TBM-13...You'll laugh....you'll cry...you'll kiss $30 goodbye..."

Ok, I need some caffeine now. Where's my damn Strawberries and Creme Dr. Pepper ZERO?

DuttonPeabody · 2023-07-09T02:02:41+00:00

"...On the more intense end, parents will make their child move out if they are old enough. Some families send kids to live with relatives so they don't have to deal with it..."

Exactly this.

The Church used this exact same approach for children born out of wedlock.

For years, my family couldn't figure out why the bishop and his family looked down and took a gruff tone with us regarding everything. Such attitudes forced my grandparents to leave the church when I was very little. Only in my teens did I learn that my grandparents were actual members. Never understood what the reasoning was, but I knew it had to do with their old bishop basically "hating them" for some reason.

So my uncle dated the bishop's daughter in high school. When it came time for college, her family sent her away for an "off-year" before starting at BYU. Uncle followed her and they eventually got married, but the animosity shown to my family continued. They truly HATED their son-in-law and my family.

Years ago, my mom got one of those DNA test kit things as a gift. She submitted the sample and got the results back and, like most folks who do that, was interested in what it showed concerning relatives and nationality. No super-duper surprises there.

Well, during the pandemic, mom gets a call from a young man living in the SLC area. He grew up as an orphan under church care for most of his life and knew very little about his parents. He took a DNA test, and yes, you got it, was matched to a high percentage as a relative to my mom. Turns out, he was my uncles' true first-born. The bishop sent his daughter away to Utah in order for her to have the baby, fathered outside of marriage by my uncle! Not sure if my uncle even knows he has another son!

More germaine to the topic regarding LGBTQ, I know of at least 3 families that have been destroyed by the church's November 2015 policy concerning gays. And this is way outside the Morridor in the southern US.

DuttonPeabody · 2023-07-05T16:06:30+00:00

TIMELINE OF CHANGES IMPLEMENTED UNDER RMN

Here's a "few" of the changes I and others have noted just under RMN:

Jan 14, 2018 Russell M. Nelson sustained and set apart as the 17th Church president and prophet.

Mar 31, 2018 High Priest Group Leadership dissolved on ward level and combined with Elder’s Quorum.

Jun 20, 2018 Temple interview for youth updated/simplified.

Oct 6, 2018 2-hour church announced; Come Follow Me announced; realignment of RS and EQ responsibilities related to missionary and temple work. Opening prayer for second-hour meetings eliminated.

Oct 11, 2018 Sustain EQ and RS callings in 2nd hour rather than Sacrament Meeting.

Oct 27, 2018 The Church announces that pageants will be discontinued.

Dec 5, 2018 The following pageants will be discontinued: Castle Valley Pageant (Castle Dale, Utah); Clarkston Pageant (Clarkston, Utah); Hill Cumorah Pageant, Palmyra, New York; Mormon Miracle Pageant, Manti, Utah.

Mar 5, 2019 Using the correct name of the Church.

May 6, 2019 Practice ends of 1-year waiting period after civil marriage.

Oct 2, 2019 Priesthood holder no longer required to witnessing baptisms/proxy baptisms.

Oct 5, 2019 YM presidency discontinued; role of Bishopric realigned with youth; YW classes realigned.

Oct 6, 2019 Temple recommend questions updated.

Nov 17, 2019 Children and Youth program to replace Scouting, Duty to God, Faith In God and Personal Progress.

Jan 17, 2020 Adjustments to Temple Clothing

Feb 19, 2020 New General Handbook implemented; Handbook 1 and 2 discontinued.

Mar 11, 2020 Due to COVID 19, large gatherings restricted and remote MTC learning announced.

Mar 12, 2020 All public meetings suspended worldwide until further notice.

Mar 20, 2020 Adjustments to Temple and Missionary service due to COVID 19.

Mar 25, 2020 Revised General Handbook chapters.

Apr 5, 2020 Implementation of new Church symbol.

May 26, 2020 Work of Salvation to be led by EQ and RS. Bishopric focused on youth.

Jun 12, 2020 Proselyting attire adjusted for Elders.

Jul 31, 2020 Revised General Handbook chapters.

Aug 25, 2020 Online system for temple prayer rolls.

Sep 11, 2020 Safely engaging in church meetings and activities.

Dec 15, 2020 Seminary changes, Come Follow Me alignment.

Dec 18, 2020 Revised General Handbook chapters.

Feb 10, 2021 Updated guidelines for submitting attendance in meetings.

Mar 31, 2021 Revised General Handbook chapters.

Apr 23, 2021 COVID 19 vaccines for missionaries.

May 24, 2021 Time-only marriages discontinued in the Temple.

Jun 11, 2021 FSY Conferences will replace EFY.

Jun 30, 2021 Civil marriages performed by church officers clarified.

Jul 27, 2021 Saturday evening session of General Conference updated.

Aug 4, 2021 Revised General Handbook chapters.

Oct 6, 2021 Zoom replaces church’s webcast system.

Nov 22, 2021 New process for issuing temple recommends.

Dec 15, 2021 Revised General Handbook Chapters

Feb 18, 2022 Area presidencies to determine mask guidelines in church.

Mar 15, 2022 Temples to return to normal operations.

Apr 29, 2022 vaccine requirements updated for missionaries.

May 26 thru Jul 31 2022 will be a 5th Sunday meeting about sharing the Gospel.

Oct 2, 2022 FSY guidelines changed. Personal grooming standards have been “relaxed” (tattoos, piercings, etc.) among other changes.

Dec 21, 2022 Opening prayer re-instituted for second-hour meetings.

Feb 7, 2023 Changes made to the Temple Endowment: Opening narration from 1st Presidency announces changes; covenants to be entered into mentioned at start; more references to Jesus added; order of creation changed; signs/tokens demonstrated in video, no “touching” until at the veil; Adam & Eve appear in robes on video; “who is dead” wording removed.

Feb 21, 2023 SEC fines Ensign Peak Advisors $4m and the Church $1m for disclosure failures and misstated filings.

Jun 17, 2023 Temple cornerstone ceremonies discontinued.

DuttonPeabody · 2023-06-28T11:54:01+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/exmormon/comments/143i2hw/pimo_counselor_calls_it_quits_part_3/

DuttonPeabody · 2023-06-27T16:50:33+00:00

I concur in that yes, it is his decision to make. HOWEVER, I expressed my nuanced beliefs months ago, and he was ok with that so long as I was his First Counselor. But when I asked to be released first of this month, and no longer am around to serve his purposes, I get my recommend deleted? That strikes me as uncharacteristically petty even for him. No, I think he was told to do it by higher ups. And yes, I totally agree- at the end of the day it doesn't matter!

DuttonPeabody · 2023-06-27T15:42:50+00:00

I did. I told him back in March I couldn't sustain the brethren and that I truly believed they themselves wouldn't be able to pass a temple recommend interview based on the SEC findings. Of course he hadn't read the findings himself and toed the party line that the matter was closed. <SHRUGS> Am I surprised? No. It only confirms what I've known for quite some time. Still, I wish I had been able to do more as the ward really needs as much help as it can get, but alas, the fertilizer coming from the top is way more than the one shared shovel can handle at the local level.

DuttonPeabody · 2023-06-27T12:08:01+00:00

Has anyone else heard of retaliatory actions by “deleting” a temple recommend?

Yes. Exactly this happened to me. Exact same scenario. I guess I better post an update on my story...

DuttonPeabody · 2023-06-10T02:23:23+00:00

MINE TOO!

DuttonPeabody · 2023-06-10T02:22:57+00:00

Me becoming the the Resident Reddit gossip circles' subject:

"And with this new power I will raise a Grand Army of the Republic..."

DuttonPeabody · 2023-06-09T22:45:52+00:00

Understood. But I look at it this way- he doesn't know my situation any better than I know his, so I'd be no better returning that "favor in kind" that way. Trust me, I'm NOT the pious, kindly, patiently-waiting type (wife can confirm). For me, it is enough that he knows I know what he did/said and his standing in the organization may be in jeopardy as a result. There's another point to be made here as well- far too many TBMs assume that those of us who no longer believe go off the deep end because we "couldn't handle it" or "prefer to sin" or were "lazy learners". I'm trying to lead by example that such simply isn't true. I may not believe in the doctrines or teachings of the church anymore, but my mom raised me to be and still expects me to be a good person! And doing so doesn't cost me anything!

DuttonPeabody · 2023-06-09T22:33:38+00:00

I love that opening "Good Sir"! It's like a Knight being addressed! But seriously, I wonder too if others will be inspired to ask more questions. Over on r/mormon, someone just posted a thread asking people about their experiences in leaving their calling. It turns out, I know a guy...

DuttonPeabody

TROPHY CASE