quinn at uvsc

apparrently over at provopulse.com, if you post anything that goes contrary to its adminstrators view on absolute lds papal authority, then it will be censored. here is a post of some of my thoughts on the recent d. michael quinn speach at uvsc that provopulse deemed anti-mormon and subject to censorship to protect the little children of happy valley.

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perhaps this won't be posted (mason chose not to post my announcement of this event).

last night, d. michael quinn (the leading revisionist historian in mormon studies) gave the annual eugene englad memorial lecture at uvsc.

while many may ignorantly call him anti-mormon, i found his lecture to be a wonderful testimony of the gospel and the church.

here are some tidbits as provided by the daily herald.

"I accept ... that a person who was once an ardent believer has confronted doubts, sometimes too great for the good person to maintain former beliefs in a religious leader, or organization, or community. I also accept the claim of ardent believers who say they have never had serious doubts. But when struggling with doubts sufficient to contemplate abandoning their faith, other believers consider doubt's next step: 'To whom shall we go?' "

"Some regard disbelief as a passive experience which just 'happened' to them, while others affirm that they actively abandoned a faith they had actively discovered to be false."

" . . . sadness is a common denominator in all accounts I have encountered by former believers in Mormonism or in one of its prophets. They have lost confidence, enthusiasm, trust, happiness, and a sense of belonging that at one time seemed the center of their lives. Anger is the next most common emotion . . ."

"Once former believers have defined themselves as victimized by Mormonism, they regard believing Mormons as of only two types: either passive dupes or active participants in fraud."

"In 1896 Apostle Heber J. Grant was severely 'tested' by the death of his 7-year-old namesake. He could not understand the unfulfilled promises of healing in priesthood administrations to his son. Moreover, Elder Grant could not 'reconcile' the death of his last surviving son with his own patriarchal blessings to have sons to carry on his name."

"I propose no answer for this question: 'To whom shall we go?', but simply acknowledge its power in the lives of believers who confront serious doubts. I have given only a brief summary of its effects as I have observed them in past and present. If I argue or anything, it is that unshaken believers, lifelong skeptics and self-confident academics should all stop devaluating the anguish of people they do not understand."

From his question-and-answer session:

"What is unique to Mormonism is the deadly fear that parents have that they won't see their kids again in the next life -- non-Mormons don't experience that kind of pressure."

"Church leaders have as much experience with the church's past history as anyone who graduated from seminary, so they are not trying to conceal any concerns or a great secret or mystery, because they are not aware of them. If they haven't acquired a knowledge of church history before they become a General Authority, they don't have time to acquire it."

"I sometimes wish there was more fear and trembling and searching for course correction among the General Authorities."

"Historians are notably bad as prophets, but I feel the greatest engine of friction and change in the future church will be international Mormons."

"I have tried to speak with both the voice of faith and the voice of an academic and I don't believe they are inconsistent."

"I miss the temple. I was a temple worker, and I miss taking the sacrament, but there are so many policies the church has that I disagree with, and as a member I remained silent or muted my objections, but if anything those policies have accelerated and I could not come back and again be silent."

"The church is a divine institution staffed by humans and I'm not being satirical when I call it a divine institution, I'm not speaking out of both sides of my mouth, I'm not speaking in code. I am a believer."

i have read several of his writings, but this was the first time i heard him speak in person. i was touched by his love for the church and his testimony of it (even though he has to express it as an excommunicated member). it's unfortunate that a few have tried to paint him as an enemy.