The Largest Repository Of Ex-Mormon Material In The World
Containing 3,346 Articles Spanning 205 Topics
Online Since January 1, 2005
THE MORMON CURTAIN
|
|
2008 Exmormon Foundation Conference Oct. 17 - 19, 2008
|
The time is flying! And time to remind everyone again about the Exmormon Foundation coming up October
17-19, 2008.
Please join us for our annual weekend of education, enlightenment, personal stories, and mingling with a group of interesting and brave people who are exploring life after Mormonism.
Embassy Suites Hotel, Salt Lake City, UT Click here for details: http://www.exmormonfoundation.org/200....
Amazing line up of activities and speakers for 2008, including Steven Hassan - mental health counselor and expert on cults!
|
|
PLEASE NOTE:
If you have reached this page from an outside source such as an
Internet Search or forum referral, please note that this page
(the one you just landed on)
is an archive containing articles on
"DAVID A. BEDNAR".
This website,
The Mormon Curtain
- is a website that blogs the Ex-Mormon world. You can
read
The Mormon Curtain FAQ
to understand the purpose of this website.
→
CLICK HERE to visit the main page of The Mormon Curtain.
|
| |
DAVID A. BEDNAR
Total Articles:
10
Topics surrounding the newest Mormon Apostle, David A. Bednar.
|
|
Apostle Bednar : Women Who Wear More Than One Ear Ring Per Ear Should Not Be Dated
Article Archived: Wednesday, May 11, 2005, at 11:16 AM
Stored Under Topic: DAVID A. BEDNAR
Outside Link To Article: RIGHT CLICK - COPY LINK LOCATION
Original Author Of Article: Anonymous | TOP | |
At the BYU Devotional, God's own representative Elder Bednar (BKP wannabe?) tells students to "Observe" in story on how to choose eternal companion who can "promptly and quietly obey".
Complete article: http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,600132928,00.html
Excerpt:
Elder Bednar openly admitted one of his examples of discerning other people might spark controversy on campus. He told a story about a returned LDS missionary who observed, over a period of time, that the girlfriend he hoped to marry did not remove her additional earrings after LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley counseled women and girls in the church to wear only one earring in each ear.
"This was a valuable piece of information for this young man," Elder Bednar said, "and he felt unsettled about her nonresponsiveness to a prophet's pleading. For this and other reasons, he ultimately stopped dating the young woman because he was looking for an eternal companion who had the courage to promptly and quietly obey the counsel of the prophet in all things and at all times. The young man was 'quick to observe' that the young woman was not 'quick to observe.' "
Elder Bednar said he knew the illustration might lead to letters in BYU's campus newspaper, the Daily Universe, about the young man being too judgmental or about Elder Bednar focusing on a young woman's mistake instead of a young man's.-----
I guess we now know what to expect from this guy. This is really starting to get under my skin.
I hope the young RM in the story finally got the eternal companion he deserved. The young woman certainly dodged a bullet.
| An Excerpt From A Speech Given At A Byu Devotional By Elder David A. Bednar
Article Archived: Friday, May 13, 2005, at 11:31 AM
Stored Under Topic: DAVID A. BEDNAR
Outside Link To Article: RIGHT CLICK - COPY LINK LOCATION
Original Author Of Article: Anonymous | TOP | |
This goes back to the long examples the LDS Church has given concerning obediance. "When the Prophet has spoken, the thinking has been done." The LDS Church does not want you to think, or question or even ponder. It wants immediate obediance. It demands it. When the Prophet speaks you must obey.
An excerpt from a speech given at a BYU Devotional on May 10, 2005 by Elder David A. Bednar:
Sister Bednar and I are acquainted with a returned missionary who had dated a special young woman for a period of time. This young man cared for the young woman very much and he was desirous of making his relationship with her more serious. He was considering and hoping for engagement and marriage.
Now this relationship was developing during the precise time that President Hinckley counseled the Relief Society sisters and young women of the church to wear only one earring in each ear. The young man waited patiently over a period of time for the young woman to remove her extra earrings, but she did not take them out.
This was a valuable piece of information for this young man and he felt unsettled about her non-responsiveness to a Prophet's pleading. For this and other reasons, he ultimately stopped dating the young woman because he was looking for an eternal companion who had the courage to promptly and quietly obey the counsel of the Prophet in all thing and at all times. The young man was quick to observe that the young woman was not quick to observe. (quiet laughter from the audience)
Now, before I continue, I presume that some of you might have difficulty with my last example. In fact this particular illustration of the young man being quick to observe may even fan the flames of controversy on campus resulting in letters of disagreement and even outrage to the Daily Universe. (Loud laughter from the audience) You may believe that the young man was too judgmental, or that basing an eternally important decision even in part upon such a supposedly minor issue is silly or fanatical.
Perhaps you are bothered because the example focuses upon a young woman who failed to respond to prophetic counsel instead of a young man. (mild laughter from the audience) I simply invite you to consider and ponder the power of being quick to observe and what was actually observed in the case I just described. This issue was not earrings.
Elder David A. Bednar
BYU Devotional
May 10, 2005
| The Model Of Mormon Leadership For The New Millenium - Does David A. Bednar Scare Anybody Else Out There?
Article Archived: Monday, Mar 13, 2006, at 06:00 AM
Stored Under Topic: DAVID A. BEDNAR
Outside Link To Article: RIGHT CLICK - COPY LINK LOCATION
Original Author Of Article: Lucyfer | TOP | |
The calling of the newest apostle David A. Bednar is the beginning of what I see as a disturbing trend. This guy is intelligent, highly educated, sophisticated, socially adept, articulate, young, physically attractive, and perfectly accessorized by the ideal Mormon wife, children, and socio-economic status with accoutrements. He comes from two highly regarded fields – academia and business. He is the kind of guy that non-Mormons admire, respect and see as “normal”. He is able to “pass” among the gentiles and not ruffle any feathers or scare anybody with his religiosity. He is the perfect model of LDS leadership for the new millennium.
If you have been reading the church magazines and newspapers you may have noticed that Bednar is being featured more and more in the articles. I find the way he writes about church doctrine and issues chilling in the extreme. I have a distinct feeling he knows the whole thing is complete and utter nonsense, yet it serves his purposes to go along and spout the party mantra. He is an excellent communicator and skilled at using words to manipulate the thoughts and behavior of others. I suspect this man is a craven power-monger. I fully expect him to be president, prophet, seer and revelator before too much longer.
Bednar’s training and expertise is in communications and organizational behavior. He is the author of a book entitled "Organizational Behavior: Understanding and Managing People at Work". What a perfect background to prepare one to be dictator of the Mormon cult. I cannot image anyone being a better candidate for controlling the drones of the LDS corporate beehive, all the while appearing so appealing to the outside world. It’s funny, but in many ways, Bednar is not dissimilar from how the anti-Christ is often conceptualized and described. This man is the Mormon version of Damien from the Omen. Quite frankly, I find him frightening.
Bednar is a perfect choice for continuing some of the strategies started by Hinkley such as:
1.Gradual softening of the most peculiar aspects of Mormon doctrine to make it more palatable to younger members and less weird to the gentile majority.
2.Increased marketing, communications and PR spin to the non-Mormon majority to shape public opinion about LDS incorporated. The most important thing is to always look good to the outside world – no matter what that takes – no matter what doctrines have to be denied or flat out lied about.
3.More lying, prevarication, obstruction around the church’s true history to both members and gentiles.
4.Increased emphasis on tithing and on using church funds to invest in for-profit business ventures.
5.Increased participation in the fundamentalist political agenda pushed by the religious right.
I think this type of person is becoming more common and men like this are being aggressively recruited and promoted within the LDS power structure. Kim B. Clark, recent Harvard Dean and now ensconced as president of BYU Idaho (Bednar’s previous post) is yet another example. I would expect to see him named as an apostle before long as well. There will be more of this type coming through the ranks as well as many of the ancient GAs die off. Bednar represents the face of future church leadership. The day of the super slick Mormon opportunist is upon us.
Be afraid, be very afraid.
| 2:43pm Sunday Conf. Bednar is speaking - and just propagated one of the greatest lies in Mormonism about those who leave the church - WE HAVE BEEN OFFENDED.
Bull SHIT. He said that the reason "we" "who are probably not watching/attending conference" was because we had somehow been "offended".
Once again Mormon leaders propagate the greatest lie:
We didn't leave because we found out Joseph Smith had sex with 12 year old girls.
We didn't leave because Joseph Smith created a false bank and swindled its members out of over $30,000 dollars.
We didn't leave because we found out there were no less than 7 different version of the "First Vision".
We didn't leave because we found out the Book of Abraham is nothing what Joseph stated it was.
No no no - We left because we were "OFFENDED".
David Bednar, kiss-ass to the Hinkster once again re-affirms to the Mormon masses the stereo-typing of Ex-Mormons.
| From the other room I heard the beginning of a talk in which the word "offended" was used about 50 times in the first 2 minutes! I turns out Bednar was giving a talk aimed at those who have left the church. He stated over and over and over that people leave because of something insensitive that a member unknowingly said to them. Perhaps in the course of carrying out their church work, a member made a thoughtless comment that was overheard by the apostate. And the member "took offense". Well, as Bednar said, "The time to stop being offended is NOW."
Now, the church is tuned in enough to know why people are leaving, and 99% of them are not because of something someone said! So why trot the new guy out there to play the old saw about how members quit because they were offended?
It is a pretty brilliant deflection if you think about it. The apostate is guilty of "being offended" and the members are at fault for the lost souls and the church's loss of membership. The only blameless party in this equation is, you guessed it, the church.
Anything to avoid the real reason people are leaving.
Anyway, Bednar looked like a total fool that was just up there reading the required propaganda, paying his dues to climb the heirarchy ladder.
| I have never been offended by a member of the church until you. I AM offended that you suggest that the exclusive reason anyone one could possibly leave the church is because they are offended by another member.
Thanks, you finally got me to the point where I was offended.
Let me make this crystal clear for you and the other brethern, since it doesn't seem to sink in. I (and multitudes of others) have left the church not because of taking offense, but because we have learned that you actively lie and misrepresent the true origins and history of the church. Integrity is sadly lacking in the organization that claims eternal universal truth.
To be blunt, Brother Bednar, its the DNA. Its the total lack of any archaelogical, anthropoloigical or, lets face it, any scientific confirmation of the church's claims. Its finding out that Joseph Smith was a manwhore predator who used religion to have his way with young teenage girls and other mens wives. Its finding out that polygamy was a central theme of the early church. Its finding out that Brigham Young was a 19th century Stalin. Its finding out that the church asks me to be 100% honest with it and yet is unable to do the same to me. Its watching the church spend billions of dollars on downtown Salt Lake City real estate ventures instead of the poor and weak. Its finding out that the Book of Abraham is a sham. Its watching the church change its story around to accomodate the current political and social climate.
And its finding out that the church will spin, lie, cheat, deceive and do anything in its power to blot out its unseembly history.
These, Brother Bednar, are the reasons members leave the church. You better come to grips with this reality and fast.
I sure hope I didn't offend you.
| I was offended when my Seminary teacher threw a Book of Mormon at me because I sinfully dozed off at 7:00 in the morning. I was offended when I was caught in a small office with a middle-aged Bishop who asked me if I touched myself, if I’d ever felt my boyfriend’s hard-on through his pants and if I knew boys could cum in their pants and the Lord would hold me responsible for arousing him. I was offended when I was given a part in a roadshow and told it was a better part for the fat kids because the costume would cover me up. I was offended my first day at Ricks College (the first year women could wear pants) when I was told that I had to change because pants with front pockets made me look like a Lesbian. I was offended when I walked into the “Lord’s House” like I’d waited my whole life to do and the first thing I was told to do was to take off all my clothes and I was touched on my naked body by some old lady. I was offended when they started the consolidated meeting schedule when I was in a military ward overseas and I was told that working in the nursery was a good job for the wives of the lower enlisted men. I was offended when I was told that I had to attend my husband’s “court of love” so he wouldn’t lose his membership and then I had to answer in front of 17 men whether or not I felt like I had sexually satisfied my husband. I was offended when I became a single mother and the bishop refused to help me even once. Well, Mr. Bednar, I think you get the picture.
BUT what you don’t get is that through all those offenses, I DID NOT leave your so-called church. WHY???? Because I BELIEVED it! I “knew beyond a shadow of a doubt” that I was a member of God’s one and only true church on the face of the Earth and no offense could even possibly make me quit coming back for more offense.
Yes, many people who leave your church have been offended. Who hasn’t? Mormons on a whole are just offensive people. Mormon teachings, lay leadership, the temple, “power and authority,” priesthood interviews, and many other things just by nature lead to opportunities for offense. Anyone who has been a member more than about 2 weeks has probably been offended. If they all left, there would be no more Mormon church! But they don’t leave because they believe it’s part of the big test of their faith. And they have faith.
But when people quit believing, those offenses are just not worth taking anymore. And yes, when we apostates talk to each other, we bring up those offenses because we are beating ourselves up for taking it for so long and we need some support from other people who are trying to understand where their brains had been all those years. But we DID NOT leave because of those offenses. We left because we discovered the truth. We left because we let our brains kick into gear. If I’d left because I was offended, I would have left in elementary school!
This is a very simple concept. I’m sure even you could comprehend it if you would pull the rational part of your brain out of cold storage and use it for what God intended it to be used for!
| To quote from his talk:
"When we believe or say we have been offended, we usually mean we feel insulted, mistreated, snubbed, or disrespected. And certainly clumsy, embarrassing, unprincipled, and mean-spirited things do occur in our interactions with other people that would allow us to take offense. However, it ultimately is impossible for another person to offend you or to offend me. Indeed, believing that another person offended us is fundamentally false. To be offended is a choice we make; it is not a condition inflicted or imposed upon us by someone or something else."
Whether a rape victim or simply the business end of an offensive person, it is not the person making offense that is to blame but the person being offended or injured. Why would this philosophy be used?
People who are made into victims are created by veiled webs of manipulation and deception. This may stsart off as a pseudo positive relationship but the end result is to victimize and completely control the individual. The victimizer typically when knowingly doing this has the goal of gaining power or money. When we look at religious authorities this may definately come to play, especially when talking about the Mormon Church.
Victimization is a type of learning process. It links brain function (for example depression), the mind (for example learned helplessness), and cultural morays. Many facets are employed to turn a person into a victim. And all the while whatever is said of done is made to look like it is for the best.
I'm going to use Shamanite as an example. Being brought up ini the church he was taught that he must cow-tow to authority figures. He was probably also taught that he should listen to his mother. So he sees a set of pictures that break his heart. At this point he is a victim of someone producing a hoax. But still, the way it was presented it was a travesty in play. Amom reads his post and for whatever reason decides to lay the guilt trip on him. She takes the name Amom to take on some authority. She lambastes him and further victimizes him when she states "I cannot imagine what prompted you to take such pictures to work and show them around. Maybe it is because you have no children. I can tell you that as a mother of two children, the absolute last thing I would ever do is carry around pictures of a child getting hurt and showing them to another person, let alone look at them myself. Bear the pain from your mistake, acknowledge the punishment is just and learn from your mistake." This type of guilting puts Shamanite further into depression and by the way she says this she sets herself up as an authority figure -- The Mother. Now if this were a real life situation, Amom as the victimizer would then give solace to Shamianite to psychologically like him to herself so that she could further the dependency. Further actions would be forthcoming that would foster a depression - release type of interplay.
The church does the same thing. Think of the D&C admonition to reprove with sharpness and then show love afterwards. If one sets up a felationship where this seesaws back and forth a dependency on the part of the victim may be cemented.
Bishop Overzealous tells a youth that they are on the road to hell becuase they masterbate. The youth promises to stop. The bishop shows an abundance of attention to the youth only to "tell" the youth in a talk in church that anyone who sins will go to hell. The Bishop also notes that only by going to church, obeying the commandments and paying one's tithing will get the person to heaven. Etc etc. And there you have the start of the victimization process. The youth "must" continue to go to church and pay tithing or they will definately go to hell.
The Way the Mormon Church is set up with a top down authority system with no checks and balances makes it ripe for this type of thing to happen. It is way to easy in the mormon church for a leader to become a victimizer.
| I Knew Bednar Before He Was Called As An Apostle
Article Archived: Wednesday, Apr 25, 2007, at 08:07 AM
Stored Under Topic: DAVID A. BEDNAR
Outside Link To Article: RIGHT CLICK - COPY LINK LOCATION
Original Author Of Article: former Covey follower | TOP | |
He was my TA for Stephen R. Covey's Organizational Behavior class. (Or as my DH calls it: Organized Behavior) He was a very nice guy, as I am sure he still is. When I first heard his name about 10 years ago, as Ricks Pres. I kept saying to myself, "I know this man. I know him on a first name basis." Then when I saw his picture without his name, I said, "I knew this man before, on a first name basis." It was not until he became a member of the 12 and I read his biography did I realize how I knew him. I had already begun to question the authority of the 12 so it was actually a chilling experience when I realized how I knew him and WHAT he is.
This is a man who is so self disciplined it is scary. When he was at Ricks he was seen at 4 am jogging every morning (except I imagine Sundays). He has worked his way up the top, using the "Secret" for those who have watched that, which is the same as using the techniques he taught me at BYU. Yes, he was my TA and he with Covey, taught me how to get what I wanted with my mind and will. We did experiments to test it out. What I chose to do (it is so stupid I am too embarassed to admit it even anon) really was not affected by me, but he encouraged me and allowed me to believe I had influenced it.
I knew then that Bednar was Covey's protege. Bednar worshipped the ground Covey walked on and did whatever he told him to do. Bednar knew Covey could lead him wherever he wanted to go.
In his defense, he probably was genuine in his desire to serve God, as most of us were when we were TBMs. He was the kind of guy I wanted to marry as I saw him as one who would be a GA someday. [Of course now, I am soooo glad I did NOT marry someone like that because we left together and my DH has always refused to KA and has always detested it in others. Something I admire in him - for it takes courage - and for which he has paid a high price.]
The original post is gone now but when Bednar gave his first talk as a GA someone noted how he looked so disappointed, like he really believed he would see JC, like we have all been taught happens to the 12. He thought he would see Him and be able to testify of him as an eye witness. Now he knows the truth - he will never see Him. He is learning about the lies but he is caught. The only thing that makes it sweet for him is the 600K + perks income he (And his family) now enjoys, besides being a celebrity and having 4 million believers acutally believing he is perfect in every way and hanging on his every word.
He prepared himself for this day, never realizing the Emporer has no clothes. He will join in saying he has clothes because it feeds his overwhelming need to control people and be adored by them.
And my parting thought. I have learned in life that those who have that kind of discipline have zero tolerance for those that have any less than them. That is really scarry for those that stay. He will be, as has already been noted, the poster boy for creating guilt in the unsuspecting TBMs. Maybe the better way to see it or say it is that he is the perfect one to take over BKP's role as the guilt layer.
If Bednar really is genuine, then when he sees the Emperor has no clothes he will fall so hard we will all feel it IMHO.
| David A. Bednar; The Prophet Of The Pickle Speaks: On Persecution, Doublespeak And The Great "Shelf Of The Soul"
Article Archived: Tuesday, Jun 5, 2007, at 07:15 AM
Stored Under Topic: DAVID A. BEDNAR
Outside Link To Article: RIGHT CLICK - COPY LINK LOCATION
Original Author Of Article: Enigma | TOP | |
No, Enigma is not dead, nor did he get re-assimilated into the cult collective. The last two weeks have been quite hectic as I have returned to the beehive of the brain-washed: Yes, I am officially in Utah as of May 27th. I’m currently staying with DW’s parents (yes, the same that declared me a son of perdition in October) and so far, they have been respectful and gracious.
Of course since I am under their roof I attended the local cult compound yesterday for 3 hours of stultifying stupidity. This being fast Sunday I was especially looking forward to a nice long nap…
But what to my wondering eyes should appear?
Why, the pickle himself, David Bednar is here!
And so he sits there his faced pinched stone tight;
Atop the congregation; delightsome and white.
When lo near the end of the meeting he moved,
A word to the bishop who nods and approves.
He stands with his scriptures so firmly in hand.
And marches to the pulpit – a stern looking man…
The following are quotes that I was able to remember from his ‘impromptu’ testimony which was suspiciously delivered with the drone and meter of a scripted general conference address – well, he may just be a gifted public speaker so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt on this one.
“While my remarks are for everybody I direct them specifically to the youth…”
“We read in 1st Nephi chapter 8 about the dream of Lehi in which he sees the great and spacious building full of people dressed in fine apparel and pointing the finger of scorn (shakes his pointer finger for emphasis)…”
“There are still those that point the finger of scorn at the church…
“This church has always been persecuted… The accusations that were leveled against the church in Jesus’ time are identical to the accusations leveled against this church…” (Huh? I don’t remember Jesus being accused of being a money digger, having sex with little kids and other men’s wives – just to name a couple)
(pay careful attention to this next comment as he contradicts himself later)
“This church will never be accepted by the whole world…”
“Your peers will level accusations against the church. But remember; just because you don’t have the answer, does not mean the gospel is not true.”
(Pay attention to this one too as he contradicts himself again)
“It’s ok to have questions as long as you’re seeking answers. The Lord would not have you simply letting your questions left unanswered…”
“To use the language of the Prophet Joseph; “No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing… till it has penetrated every continent and sounded in every ear…” (Didn’t he just say that the world would never accept the church? Hmmm… which is it Davie boy?)
“It may be that you may have to set some of your questions on the ‘shelf of your soul’ and go forward in faith…” (Hold on! Didn’t you just tell us to not leave our questions unanswered? Make up your mind Davie!)
My impressions:
- David Bednar is a gifted impromptu speaker (or he has one helluva memory).
- The church is playing up the persecution card again to combat the obvious embarrassment that recent scrutiny has brought to its door.
- The church is actively encouraging its members to build a mental shelf to set their questions on… GREAT! We’ll see them all here when that shelf finally buckles!
- No warm fuzzies like I used to get… just a middle-aged man trying to shore up leaking damn with joint compound instead of steel and concrete. Pathetic.
To David Bednar: You sir, are in complete denial or worse, actively perpetuating what you know to be a fraud. I pity you in some sense and loath you in another. But keep giving me fodder for comic relief as I languish in the white and delightsome compound each Sunday
| |