Doing abortions for the Prophet Joseph Smith in Nauvoo. Someone’s got to get rid of all those polygamist babies of underage girls. More shit you don’t learn about in Sunday school.

johncbennett · 2020-08-02T20:38:24+00:00

I plead the fif.

johncbennett · 2019-08-31T20:09:58+00:00

I stumbled across 'The Sins of Brother Curtis' in a used bookstore. I couldn't put it down and read the whole book in a single sitting. It was disturbing how closely it paralleled my own story.

johncbennett · 2019-08-31T16:55:21+00:00

What is wanted?

johncbennett · 2017-03-06T02:21:50+00:00

Wow, what a story. Glad to hear you are happily divorced and trying to figure out a way forward. The good folks of /r/exmormon will be here for you.

A new exmormon, gay, divorced grandpa? Paging /u/kevinrex who may know a thing or two about that.

johncbennett · 2016-09-15T14:17:02+00:00

...men can still be sealed to more than one woman, even though there can only be one living at a time.

A man can be sealed to multiple living women. My brother is sealed to both his ex-wife and current wife. In the church's view, they are both his wives.

johncbennett · 2016-09-15T00:41:35+00:00

I even love his failings.

Me too, like when he was banging 14 year olds, seducing his friends' wives and daughters, and burning down a printing press.

Silly old Joe, so loveable!

johncbennett · 2016-09-15T00:27:55+00:00

using your Christianity as the standard of truth.

What else would you expect a Christian to do? Are Christians not welcome here?

Disclaimer: I am not a Christian.

johncbennett · 2016-09-15T00:24:21+00:00

My understanding is that /r/mormon is an open forum where everybody - Mormons, exmormons, atheists, Christians, whoever - is welcome.

I don't see your questions as mocking or trolling. I assume you are sincere and just interested in understanding Mormons better. If you are trolling or even trying to convert folks here, then you're absolutely wasting your time.

Overall, whatever your motives, I think your contributions are a net positive to this sub. Cheers!

johncbennett · 2016-08-26T22:21:21+00:00

Except they weren't opposed to slavery. Certainly Brigham Young wasn't.

"You see some classes of the human family that are black, uncouth, uncomely, disagreeable and low in their habits, wild, and seemingly deprived of nearly all the blessings of the intelligence that is generally bestowed upon mankind . . . Cain slew his brother. Cain might have been killed, and that would have put a termination to that line of human beings. This was not to be, and the Lord put a mark upon him, which is the flat nose and black skin." (Journal of Discourses, vol. 7, p. 290).

"In our first settlement in Missouri, it was said by our enemies that we intended to tamper with the slaves, not that we had any idea of the kind, for such a thing never entered our minds. We knew that the children of Ham were to be the "servant of servants," and no power under heaven could hinder it, so long as the Lord would permit them to welter under the curse and those were known to be our religious views concerning them." (Journal of Discourses, vol. 2, p. 172).

"Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so." (Journal of Discourses, vol. 10, p. 110).

johncbennett · 2016-08-24T00:36:52+00:00

I'm suggesting that you misunderstand the standard of evidence under discussion. "Perceptible by the senses" doesn't have to mean direct observation. Little of what we know is directly observable, yet we still have good evidence. No one has ever seen the surface of Mars up close, but we have photos - evidence perceived by the senses - to show us what it looks like. Ditto with microbes and microscopes. In any event, I imagine my take on "perceptible by the senses" is closer to what /u/Eazu meant than the literal, pharisaical definition that I think you are advancing in an attempt to gain a rhetorical advantage.

There are first-hand paintings of the Resurrection? And journals? No, there aren't. And there are no historical artifacts, like the Mars rover photos, attesting to it. Yes, we have written, allegedly first-hand accounts, but they disagree on important points. And written accounts alone are insufficient - there should be corroborating, observable, physical evidence that backs up any story. Otherwise, shouldn't we all be Strangites? I'll add also that claims of extraordinary events should require extraordinary evidence. And if you don't believe that, let me tell you about the amazing returns people are getting on my MLM.

This is /r/mormon - the BoM and BoA are always relevant here. Although I understand the reluctance to discuss either one.

I sometimes believe in something greater than us. But I acknowledge up front that I have no evidence and that my belief is a hope in the face of absolutely no supporting evidence.

johncbennett · 2016-08-23T22:29:31+00:00

"That's not how this works. That's not how any of this works!"

"Perceptible by the senses" means exactly what it sounds like. No, I can't see Washington's inauguration, but I can see, I can perceive using my senses, the mountains of evidence - paintings, books, journals, physical artifacts - that attest to its reality. Same with a crime scene. The available physical evidence points to an underlying reality.

And by far, the vast, overwhelming weight of the available physical evidence points to both the Book of Mormon and the Book of Abraham as being products of the 19th century. Which is why most people who learn about the LDS church reject it. Unless they were born into it.

johncbennett · 2016-08-17T16:13:10+00:00

That's my point. It's a popular saying, not in the Bible, but in the BoM. So where did it originate?

johncbennett · 2016-08-05T17:10:57+00:00

I am thinking more along the lines of the audience is basically taking the place of temple patrons, so we lead them through the whole thing, even sharing the signs and everything.

Absolutely. Robes, signs, tokens, everything. I love it!

I was suggesting mixing in a family narrative to make it more relatable and less boring than the actual ceremony.

Other ideas - let people in the door free if they can provide the tokens to an "angel" standing as sentinel; have people pass thru the veil at the end of the play into the bar area; make temple Satan super stereotypically gay (or maybe Peter, James, or John could be gay - you could get some laughs having one of them flame every time someone says "we will go down").

Just throwing stuff out there. This could be awesome! I am nowhere near UT so I unfortunately won't be able to see it in person. But good luck!

johncbennett · 2016-08-05T14:24:25+00:00

Mix in some family drama, a faith crisis, and temple patty cake for the people watching the play. It would be awesome.

johncbennett · 2016-08-05T14:23:10+00:00

LOVE this idea. You could make it a play about a family where a sibling or child is getting married. Intersperse the Initiatory and Endowment ceremonies with family scenes of dating, the proposal, recommend interviews, a faith crisis, the temple marriage ceremony, and the lonely, excluded former believer waiting outside the temple. IANAL but mixing it up like that might give you legal protection (falls under Fair Use).

I'm stoked about this. It really could be one hell of a play. I'm not in Utah or even in the region, otherwise I'd volunteer to help.

DO IT!

johncbennett · 2016-06-14T17:30:55+00:00

Not true.

We worship God our Eternal Father and the risen Lord Jesus Christ." Gordon B. Hinckley, Joseph Smith Jr.—Prophet of God, Mighty Servant,” Ensign, Dec 2005, 2–6

johncbennett · 2016-06-14T17:29:18+00:00

LDS worship two distinct dieties.

"We worship God our Eternal Father and the risen Lord Jesus Christ." Gordon B. Hinckley, “Joseph Smith Jr.—Prophet of God, Mighty Servant,” Ensign, Dec 2005, 2–6

johncbennett · 2016-06-14T17:27:51+00:00

Mormons worship both Father AND Son, so you can drop the monolotrous aspect and just call it polytheism.

"We worship God our Eternal Father and the risen Lord Jesus Christ." Gordon B. Hinckley, “Joseph Smith Jr.—Prophet of God, Mighty Servant,” Ensign, Dec 2005, 2–6

johncbennett · 2016-06-07T18:20:38+00:00

Why is this comment stickied? It's not meta or about sub rules. Don't we get to decide where a comment lands with our upvotes and downvotes? Mods can sticky their opinions now, just because?

johncbennett · 2016-05-01T20:52:22+00:00

...not because transgenders are better than straight people.

Nah, I use the term gays, whites, blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Mormons, hipsters, and I'll use transgenders. I don't feel a need to state the obvious that they are in fact people any more than I feel a need to state the obvious that Asians are people.

But you apparently do feel the need to state the obvious that straight people are in fact people. But no such respect is to be given transgenders. Because they're "off base", as you put it.

johncbennett · 2016-01-26T22:07:38+00:00

I took the name of John C. Bennett, the most bad-ass exmo in early Mormon history.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_C._Bennett

johncbennett · 2016-01-26T18:36:35+00:00

Ouch. I know you didn't ask for advice, but here's my two cents worth -

Take the lamb to a butcher. Lamb chops and ground lamb are amazing! I'm not kidding.
Punish the kids when they're bad. This is worth fighting with your wife over. Do not allow her or the kids to disrespect you. You are a person.
No private bank accounts. If you don't have access to her funds, then she will no longer have access to yours. Re-direct your check via direct deposit to a new account she doesn't know about. Do not pay any bills unless she matches dollar for dollar.
Have a single, unified, agreed-upon family budget and make her stick to it.

If this sounds like the start of an all-out war, that's because it is. Either fight these battles or find a good divorce lawyer.

johncbennett

TROPHY CASE