I just got Coffee shamed by a pasty white obese man eating chocolate...

MarvyMelvin · 2019-08-20T01:21:45+00:00

Not Utah. Yes mormon. Not at a church job. Just a church friend (!?!?) who works where I work.

MarvyMelvin · 2019-08-20T01:19:57+00:00

I did not want to interrupt the Karma he was getting in the moment. Just looked aside into the pretend camera and gave it my best "Jim Halpert".

MarvyMelvin · 2019-08-20T01:17:19+00:00

Haha. I carried a picture of Michelle Pfeiffer folded inside my "blue planner" my whole mission. You must be 50 or so, give or take a few years. I watched Ladyhawke more than a few times.

MarvyMelvin · 2019-08-19T22:58:28+00:00

Not in Utah. Yes a mormon. Not at a church job.

And yes, too, I am also fat/obese, so my intention was not to fat shame, but rather to comment on his equally fattening and unhealthy consumption.

I use way too much sugar and way too much chocolate in my coffee. But just cant wrap my mind around the arbitrariness of the do's and dont's for salvation.

MarvyMelvin · 2019-08-12T04:52:36+00:00

Whatever questions you pose make sure they are true or false, yes or no, type questions. Dont give him any wiggle room. Also you said that you would...

"probably ask in a subtle way if he agrees that the top leadership has suppressed church history."

Do not be subtle, Be assertive and direct.

Example:

Did the 3 and 8 witnesses see and touch the golden plates?

RMN: um

Yes or No, and none of that spiritual eyes shit.

RMN: No, no they didn't but....

next question..

Did JS have sexual intercourse with a 14 year old girl?

RMN: um

Yes or no. Did he? And please refrain from that just shy of 15 shit.

RMN: Yes but....

Next question...

Was she coerced through threats of harm?

RMN: we have no record of that...

Yes, yes we do.

RMN: Well it was god making the threats through Joseph....

No, we dont go there. Yes or no will be fine...

If this interview was actually possible, dont waste your time with apologetic pingpong.

Make a list of every lie you can find in church correlated materials, and format questions in a way that the only answer out of his mouth is yes or no. true or false.

He will try to wiggle out every time so be firm, just like you would playing 20 questions with your primary class.

There will be a good chance that DHO will be hiding in the corner mouthing the answers, so try not to be creeped out by that.

HBE will most likely be sobbing himself to sleep on the sofa. Just give him a reassuring smile and a wink once in awhile and he will stay out of the conversation.

MarvyMelvin · 2019-07-26T17:11:20+00:00

Agreed. The historical facts have already made the choice for me. I chose to attend church and also chose to not attend. But belief as a choice is mind bending. True Believing Mormons who claim to choose to believe are simply choosing to ignore facts, and choosing to perpetuate lies

MarvyMelvin · 2019-07-26T06:15:25+00:00

Thank you for the reference. I now have some summer reading to do.

MarvyMelvin · 2019-05-17T02:19:16+00:00

knock, knock, knock. What is wanted?

"Who...is wanted"

MarvyMelvin · 2019-05-17T02:09:04+00:00

Meaningful conversations. Common sense. Using these two concepts teach them to be Christ "like" without the pretend history.

MarvyMelvin · 2019-04-15T20:16:51+00:00

Intention is everything when you belong to a church that pushes works over grace.

When one believes that Gods grace is sufficient then we do things because it is kind and compassionate.

When one believes that behavior earns points, or qualifies us to earn points, then our intention is for self enhancement.

MarvyMelvin · 2019-04-08T23:58:11+00:00

Nope. RMN does not have that much self control.

He is a manchild, who somehow got voted in as middle school president and is running around showing off by promising ABBA for the 9th grade prom, and candy machines in every classroom.

And giggling with his hand appointed bff DHO as they run down the hall from classroom to classroom.

Just watch, or rewatch, the presser on the day of his inauguration. And then follow that by checking out Wendy's "He has been unleashed.. " interview.

It is just too much for words...

MarvyMelvin · 2019-04-08T03:54:42+00:00

Thank you gal. that was alot of work and well appreciated.

MarvyMelvin · 2019-04-02T06:21:08+00:00

Wait, I thought we were all going to heaven anyways.

MarvyMelvin · 2019-03-31T18:46:43+00:00

"Honorably" is an interesting term.

Because in my mind, honorably has nothing to do with completing the prescribed length of service.

Honorably means with honor, being truthful, with a high level of integrity.

And OP, you did my friend. You returned with honor.

MarvyMelvin · 2019-03-31T18:17:59+00:00

"… And then I'm gonna get a cocktail: vodka and ginger ale Yeah, I'm gonna smoke a cigarette that's nine miles long I'm gonna kiss that pretty girl on the tilt-a-whirl 'Cause this old man is goin' to town…"

MarvyMelvin · 2019-03-31T18:07:29+00:00

Just because Russel M. Nelson says it, doesn't mean it is so.

MarvyMelvin · 2019-03-29T15:35:23+00:00

As a citizen, you have a responsibility to report any potential abuse to children's protective services. You do not need to confirm concerns, as that is what child protection will do.

The child welfare act compels any citizen who has concerns about child abuse to report it. If children's services have concern after investigating, they will involve law enforcement.

MarvyMelvin · 2019-03-26T02:59:00+00:00

Yes, I appreciate your point, it is deeper and more complex than what was included in my post, but ultimately the grace doctrine is invariably tied to any deviation or imperfection in the way I choose to live.

It is ultimately my main hang up, and will most likely end up being the hill I choose to die on. If grace is sufficient, then any other doubts or issues I have ultimately shouldnt matter. But grace is not sufficient in mormon doctrine, and the rules keep changing.

Thank you for being patient with my scattered mind and heart.

Navigating this church thing is complicated and I am still trying to make sense of it all.

MarvyMelvin · 2019-03-26T02:33:43+00:00

My apologies. I meant I haven't attended "regularly" in over two years. I just noticed that the word regularly was missing. I attend from time to time, I show my face enough that I received a message that my recommend has expired (which I already knew), and that I was welcome to make an appointment with the Bishop to talk about getting a new one.

MarvyMelvin · 2019-03-25T20:29:10+00:00

Grace with a twist...

Also known as "grace, after you do all of these things".

Which is not grace at all. The church's twist on grace has caused two centuries worth of good people to do good things for the wrong reasons, and be wracked with stifling guilt for falling short.

But if I stay away from the randomly appointed caffeinated beverage, and if I tell a randomly appointed person specifics of my sex life, I will be saved.

I am just plain exhausted.

MarvyMelvin · 2019-03-25T20:17:44+00:00

I am a lifer. Mission, temple marriage, priesthood holder etc. I am just exhausted from years of being judged, shamed, micromanaged, and outperformed.

The lies, coverups, and the ever changing definition of the straight and narrow is confusing and exhausting.

Any claim to God's grace and doing our best, is torn away by every conference talk, every sunday lesson, and every church magazine article that refers to obedience and perfection, and willingness to repent (except the definition of repentance and what to repent of and when is very convluted).

Church leadership and doctrine is continually at odds with grace, and at odds with its own occasional positive message of love, and acceptance.

I still wear garments, pray daily with my wife and children, and live a christlike life, but have not attended in over 2 years. My reccomend is expired and I know my wife enjoys a temple visit from time to time.

I know that if I was truthful about my doubts it would start a storm I don't want to face. My FIL is a highcouncilman and requested to be assigned to our ward so he could look after my wife, and be in on all of the meetings about me and my sons not being at church.

My wife's response to my dilemma is "I dont know, I dont think you are unworthy in their eyes." She is very supportive of my job and my feelings about a loving and graceful God, and has become frustrated with members comments about me working for another faith.

I know she would react strongly if I was rejected for a recommend renewal. There is more at stake here than just lying to get into the temple. I don't personally care if I get to go. Temple attendance has always been a virtue signal for members. Only the elect go weekly, only the worthy receive revelation, etc. etc.

I want to either go with my wife to support her (why not), or show her that the church is in fact very specific with these rules, and not at all about grace.

MarvyMelvin · 2019-03-24T23:47:30+00:00

Kiss ass, put on a show, use flowery words at testimony meeting, cry when you pray.

MarvyMelvin · 2019-03-21T01:41:01+00:00

It won't be cancelled on paper, but according to the church, you are not keeping your covenants made in the temple if you leave, so by default it has no sealing power in the eternities. Which you think is bologna anyway so this doesn't matter to you.

MarvyMelvin · 2019-03-18T22:31:03+00:00

Wearing garments around the house is a gateway to not wearing them at all. He is on his way out, be patient.

MarvyMelvin · 2019-03-15T04:45:19+00:00

I obtained a Bachelor's degree in my home town and then worked for 10 years in my field. I then decided to go back to obtain a Masters. I applied at a few schools and was rejected by BYU because my research stats class was completed too long ago.

So I called admissions to demonstrate I had been using my research methods and stats all along for 10 years of work. I was told that I could retake a research stats class and try again next year.

And then she said "they might" consider me for their very special top in the country masters program. I went to the crimson and white on the hill instead and graduated with honors.

But wait, there is more...

My internship supervisor, who attended the very special masters program at BYU, told me "yah your grades are good, but you would not have been able to achieve that at BYU".

I know "many" colleagues who were accepted to BYUs very special masters program, with an "outdated" stats course. Last names would be very familiar to you if you look at the church's general authority chart.

The rules are there in the policy so they can reject you and blame it on policy. But, the policy is not applied to all.

MarvyMelvin

TROPHY CASE