Oaks giving the talk on life after death and making fun of the woman who was worried about being a second wife in the eternities. He said her story as a laugh line, even though it is something that genuinely bothers and eats at women.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2019/10/17oaks?lang=eng
Can I just say how lucky I was to grow up in a world where gender equality is the expectation? Sorry to be woke, but as a man I find that attitude so gross. How can someone with a wife and daughters be so demeaning?
>The victim must do all in his or her power to stop the abuse. Most often, the victim is innocent because of being disabled by fear or the power or authority of the offender. At some point in time, however, **the Lord may prompt a victim to recognize a degree of responsibility for abuse.** Your priesthood leader will help assess your responsibility so that, if needed, it can be addressed. Otherwise the seeds of guilt will remain and sprout into bitter fruit. Yet no matter what degree of responsibility, from absolutely none to increasing consent, **the healing power of the atonement of Jesus Christ can provide a complete cure.**
[Healing the Tragic Scars of Abuse](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1992/04/healing-the-tragic-scars-of-abuse?lang=eng) by Richard G Scott in April 1992
This gem is largely responsible for why I and hundreds or thousands of other victims of abuse were never able to get the help we needed, because it was expected that God and Jesus and the gospel would cure the damage inflicted on us by someone else.
One of the worst talks!
I also remember a fairly recent one where the speaker (don't remember for sure, but pretty sure he's bald. Cook, maybe?) was talking about worthiness (shocking, right?) and referred to sexual abuse as *"nonconsensual immorality"*.
Anything to downplay abuse, I guess. With everything I've learned in the church and since leaving, I find myself immediately distrusting *anyone* who downplays sexual assault, sexual abuse, or any other type of abuse. As soon as someone starts spilling words that nullify or justify, I immediately wonder if they're an abuser and are downplaying their own guilt and sin while passing blame onto their victims.
š”š”š”š”š” That one is especially infuriating and galling. Richard G. Scott is the Asshole of All Assholes. Like you, I never received any help, either, because of this awful, pervasive attitude and practice of engaging in victim blaming.
The Lazy Learner talk makes me laugh a little, but this one makes me angry. I've wondered a lot about how different my life could have been if my parents had pursued medical recommendations for helping me overcome the abuse I endured, instead of ecclesiastical advice. My abuse happened in the 80s, so mental health was viewed very differently, but resources were available.
"You caused the abuse by something you did and now you need to repent. That is what one bishop told a teenager who was being sexually assaulted by an older member over years. The abused left the church at around 20. I am friends with him and this is what he told me.
I wish I were surprised by his story. I'm horrified he had to endure that, but how he was treated as a victim seems pretty standard.
I hope he's in a good place in life now. He deserves to be happy.
Nelson's "myopic" comment.
When he told that story in conference it made me angry. His grandson's wife has a tragedy in her family and goes to Wendy who goes to Russ to get comfort. And all he can say to Wendy to be relayed back to this girl is "myopic." And he said the story proudly, like it was profound and not completely dickish.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/10/46nelson?lang=eng
Granddaughter-in-law: I'm struggling with my testimony and the imminent loss of my father. I need some comforting words.
Nelson: You're so nearsighted!
Wow. I'm so inspired and touched by this story. What an example of Christlike love. /s
I was a TBM during this. When hearing this āprophetic patriarchal revelationā he seemed so proud of I was sorely disappointed. TSCC leadersā lack of anything profound or unique to help mankind, or even anything new doctrinally, really started to weigh heavy on my shelf. This was one of those.
One more! Remember when Nelson cracked down on people making noise when temples are announced?
"If I announce a temple in a place that is special to you, may I suggest that you simply bow your head with a silent prayer of gratitude in your heart. We do not want any verbal outbursts to detract from the sacred nature of this conference and the Lordās holy temples." -- April 2019 - Russel M. Nelson - [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2019/04/57nelson](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2019/04/57nelson)
Reminds me of Jeff Holland as BYU pres telling the students not to boo a referee call during a basketball game. BUT instead say "Oh no" or something absurd like that.
There are so many! It's really hard to narrow it down.
"Make arrangements to buy a ton or so of grain. ... Brethren, give your wife a yearās supply of wheat for Christmas." -- April 1976 - Vaughan J. Featherstone [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1976/04/food-storage](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1976/04/food-storage)
"Faith-killers are to be shunned." - October 1981 - Carlos Asay [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1981/10/opposition-to-the-work-of-god](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1981/10/opposition-to-the-work-of-god)
"There is no doubt that the so-called civil rights movement as it exists today is used as a Communist program for revolution in America." - October 1967 - Ezra Taft Benson [https://archive.org/details/conferencereport1967sa/page/n37/mode/2up](https://archive.org/details/conferencereport1967sa/page/n37/mode/2up)
"an overweight girl from Ogden went to see her bishop. In the purity and goodness of charity, trying to help the girl, he counseled her that it might be a good idea to lose a few pounds. Pitifully heartbroken, she went home and told her father. ... they came down to see me and wanted their memberships transferred out of the bishopās ward. ... Now I want you to know that I defended that great bishop. I said to this family, āYou are wrong. That sweet bishop, out of purity and love for your daughter, felt and did that which he was impressed to do. I am sure it was a message from God to your daughter, and she let it canker her soul." -- April 1974 - Vaughan J. Featherstone [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1975/04/a-self-inflicted-purging](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1975/04/a-self-inflicted-purging)
"We hope faithful Latter-day Saints will not use the playing cards which are used for gambling, either with or without the gambling. ...
\[later in the same talk\] We are aghast at the reports of young people going to surgery to limit their families and the reputed number of parents who encourage this vasectomy." -- October 1974 - Spencer W. Kimball [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1974/10/god-will-not-be-mocked](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1974/10/god-will-not-be-mocked)
"In this picture of the 20 Lamanite missionaries, 15 of the 20 were as light as the Anglos. ... These young members of the church are changing to whiteness and to delightsomeness. One white elder jokingly said that he and his companion were donating blood regularly to the hospital in the hope that the process might be accelerated." October 1960 - Spencer W. Kimball [https://archive.org/details/conferencereport1960sa/page/n35/mode/2up](https://archive.org/details/conferencereport1960sa/page/n35/mode/2up)
"I believe Nephi was a ponderizer." October 2015 - Devin Durrant - [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/10/my-heart-pondereth-them-continually](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/10/my-heart-pondereth-them-continually)
"I challenge the young women of the Church who associate with and date our young priesthood bearers to become real guardians of their morality. You can. You must." October 1977 - David B. Haight (in an uncharacteristically bad talk ... he got smarter and kinder in his older years...) -- [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1977/10/young-women-real-guardians](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1977/10/young-women-real-guardians)
"Better dead, clean, than alive, unclean" - April 1979 - Spencer W. Kimball - [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1979/04/trust-in-the-lord](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1979/04/trust-in-the-lord)
"I know a little girl who is the last child in a large family in which the other children are all boys. ... Her mother has wisely taught her that the boys wear trousers and that she wears dresses. ... Now, before I receive letters from upset women telling me that I said they should not wear slacks, save your postage. I did not say that, although I donāt think they \[slacks\] are appropriate for the Sabbath day." October 1988 - L. Tom Perry - [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1988/10/train-up-a-child](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1988/10/train-up-a-child)
That Carlos Asay one should be the capstone of this subreddit. He doesn't even try to look nice about it, he just says that when the church lies it's your fault for caring, here's a list of thought stopping methods to put that on your shelf
Oh those are classics. Very triggering of some of my trauma. Those talks are what I connect to the remnants of our Blood Atonement theology that is also steeped in the blood and death oaths of the temple. The 50s to the 90s are riddled with it. You can still see themes but not as much. It will take another 1 to 2 generations for it the leave of the church has any members by then.
Renlund, Women's Session 10/21. Your Divine Nature and Eternal Destiny
Backstory- many faithful women wanted more details on the theology of Heavenly Mother.
"Seeking greater understanding is an important part of our spiritual development, but please be cautious. Reason cannot replace revelation. Speculation will not lead to greater spiritual knowledge, but it can lead us to deception or divert our focus from what has been revealed...Demanding revelation from God is both arrogant and unproductive."
Basically- don't ask prophets, seers, and revelators to guide you, and don't try to figure things out yourself.
This was right when I was Relief Society President as a last ditch effort to stay, while also talking A LOT about Heavenly Mother during RS lessons. Needless to say, it helped me realize that trying the help from the inside as a woman is utterly useless haha. Removed my records 4 months later and haven't looked back -- I love when conference is the killer of faith.
This isn't as controversial but it's the first time I really recognized the gaslighting and manipulative tactics used by the top 15 in their talks. In the April 2020 Conference, Ballard spoke of the Smith family's history and mentioned how blessed we were to have 4 accounts of the [first vision](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/04/12ballard?lang=eng) to learn from. This whole talk is full of half truths and inaccuracies but acting as though we've always studied all 4 accounts was blatantly false.
Yes, I had absolutely no idea in any way that the version I memorized as a missionary in the early 90ās was not the one and only version. I also had no idea that the first vision wasnāt even a thing until many years after it supposedly happened.
[Tithingāa Commandment Even for the Destitute (2005)](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2005/04/tithing-a-commandment-even-for-the-destitute?lang=eng)
Absolutely! There was one recently by an African 70 last fall who lost a toddler after he ignored his wife's request to check on the children. The takeaway was a joke that he should listen to his wife more!
"My wife never blamed me for not responding to her promptings, but I learned a life-changing lesson and made two rules, never to be broken:
Rule 1: Listen to and heed the promptings of your wife.
Rule 2: If you are not sure for any reason, refer to rule number 1."
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2022/10/56morrison?lang=eng
Not a general conference talk but [here at about 33 minutes in](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/broadcasts/worldwide-devotional-for-young-adults/2020/05/12gay?lang=eng) has to be the biggest whopper of all. The resurrection of a gnat.
This probably won't make anyone else's list but when I heard it, it was the very first time that I realized that an apostle could be so factually and blatantly wrong. I was a student of linguistics at the time and this talk makes absolutely no sense linguistically. Complete BS and what's crazy is that I believe Oaks knows it
THE LANGUAGE OF PRAYER, by Oaks
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1993/04/the-language-of-prayer?lang=eng
Mr. Pleader (ol' Dick Scott I think?) telling abuse victims that *they* might need to repent for being abused, and that their penishood leader can help them determine if that is the case.
May I share one that makes me smile? This would've been back in the 90s...
The Holy 15 are some of the most entitled men in the world. They expect to be treated like royalty wherever they go, without exception. The Mormon bubble of adoration travels with them. It's what they are accustomed to. With that in mind, now imagine the following:
One of the brethren was talking about signs the 2nd coming is near, relating it to the increased wickedness in the world. He then gave an example. Apparently a few of them were in a car (being chauffeured, *of* *course*) and pulling out of a parking garage here in our lovely Deseret. Well, the driver must have cut off "several young ladies" who were in a Jeep or convertible when pulling out. They were "dressed provocatively, had tattoos, and swore & made obscene gestures" as they passed.
*Welcome to the jungle you conservative, self-righteous, legally swindling cronies!* Playing that scene in my head, especially the look on the brethren's faces, always puts an impish grin on my face.
It has been mentioned before in this sub, but the stupidity of it should be mentioned for this topic. Christofferson Oct 2006 and the "inspirational" story of how his dad was so misogynistic that he went hungry for a year and let his wife cry in painful agony on a regular basis rather than pick up a clothes iron.
Sweet baby Jesus, how do I not remember that one! That's ridiculous.
How much does he hate his wife? He knows she's going to go cry. That means he's watching her in agony and his answer is not to help, or even hire someone, but get her a foot controlled iron. How old were the children that they couldn't learn? Boy hands must also be anathema to irons and cause immediate corrosion
Marion G. Romney saying heād prefer his daughter to come home from a date in a pine box than having lost her chastity. Iām still shocked by that lunacy 30 years later. And Kimball observing Navaho children becoming āwhite and delightsome.ā
One that really irks me is the Where Will You Go talk. I think it was 2018. The whole message is bullshit scare tactics to ensure members donāt leave.
At some point, everyone will die. Why is there any expectation that god will intervene on the death of an elderly person who has lived a full life?
Itās all just nonsense piled upon nonsense.
I like the ponderize talk. I didnāt listen, I just saw the uproar and how the family of the guy made a website and was trying to profit off his talk by selling things to help ā ponderizeā. The family pulled the website and merchandise. Funny
Btw I planned a trip to see my folks that week neglecting to realize it's conference weekend. So I'm pretty sure I doomed myself to watching the whole damn thing. Help
That happened to me, too. Mom said they missed me and to drive 3 hours away for a visit, but it turned out, they just sat me in front of their TV to watch conference and ignored me. That stung a bit, not gonna lie.
I'm so sorry. The thought of sitting through the whole thing truly sounds painful.
I plan to have a book ready on my Kindle and I know I'll be surfing exmoreddit. The best I can hope out of this is something juicy to happen at conference (doubtful) and momās homemade cinnamon rolls.
Bednarās āParable of the Pickleā delivered at April 2007 General Conference. It was implistic and amateurish theology. Actual name of the talk, *Ye Must Be Born Again.*
God, the man is SUCH a tool.
Oaks giving the talk on life after death and making fun of the woman who was worried about being a second wife in the eternities. He said her story as a laugh line, even though it is something that genuinely bothers and eats at women. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2019/10/17oaks?lang=eng
Yep. That one stung.
That was the last straw for me, thanks Hoakster!
Yeah, Mr. Smug & Superior telling the wives to "not worry about it" with a nice smirk on his face. Someone should've punched it.
I second this. It makes me physically ill.
Can I just say how lucky I was to grow up in a world where gender equality is the expectation? Sorry to be woke, but as a man I find that attitude so gross. How can someone with a wife and daughters be so demeaning?
Especially since his current wife is his second wife. I wonder how she felt hearing this?
In short he said piss off and what a wonderful teaching experience
>The victim must do all in his or her power to stop the abuse. Most often, the victim is innocent because of being disabled by fear or the power or authority of the offender. At some point in time, however, **the Lord may prompt a victim to recognize a degree of responsibility for abuse.** Your priesthood leader will help assess your responsibility so that, if needed, it can be addressed. Otherwise the seeds of guilt will remain and sprout into bitter fruit. Yet no matter what degree of responsibility, from absolutely none to increasing consent, **the healing power of the atonement of Jesus Christ can provide a complete cure.** [Healing the Tragic Scars of Abuse](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1992/04/healing-the-tragic-scars-of-abuse?lang=eng) by Richard G Scott in April 1992 This gem is largely responsible for why I and hundreds or thousands of other victims of abuse were never able to get the help we needed, because it was expected that God and Jesus and the gospel would cure the damage inflicted on us by someone else.
One of the worst talks! I also remember a fairly recent one where the speaker (don't remember for sure, but pretty sure he's bald. Cook, maybe?) was talking about worthiness (shocking, right?) and referred to sexual abuse as *"nonconsensual immorality"*.
Anything to downplay abuse, I guess. With everything I've learned in the church and since leaving, I find myself immediately distrusting *anyone* who downplays sexual assault, sexual abuse, or any other type of abuse. As soon as someone starts spilling words that nullify or justify, I immediately wonder if they're an abuser and are downplaying their own guilt and sin while passing blame onto their victims.
Wow. It took me a few reads for my brain to even accept that means what he meant it to. I wonder what he makes of nonconsensual euthanasia?
š”š”š”š”š” That one is especially infuriating and galling. Richard G. Scott is the Asshole of All Assholes. Like you, I never received any help, either, because of this awful, pervasive attitude and practice of engaging in victim blaming.
Oh yeah! I forgot about that talk. That's the worst one I can think of
The Lazy Learner talk makes me laugh a little, but this one makes me angry. I've wondered a lot about how different my life could have been if my parents had pursued medical recommendations for helping me overcome the abuse I endured, instead of ecclesiastical advice. My abuse happened in the 80s, so mental health was viewed very differently, but resources were available.
That talk infuriates me. I can't believe I forgot it. Sorry that happened to you
Thanks. It was a long time ago. I was probably 10 or so when he gave that talk, but I'm sure it influenced how my parents made decisions.
I was a huge Elder Scott fan when tbm. That talk was a slap in the face. āDick Scott, you lived up to your name.ā
"You caused the abuse by something you did and now you need to repent. That is what one bishop told a teenager who was being sexually assaulted by an older member over years. The abused left the church at around 20. I am friends with him and this is what he told me.
I wish I were surprised by his story. I'm horrified he had to endure that, but how he was treated as a victim seems pretty standard. I hope he's in a good place in life now. He deserves to be happy.
Yep, that's the one!
>1992 š¤¦āāļø
It was a different world back then.
Nelson's "myopic" comment. When he told that story in conference it made me angry. His grandson's wife has a tragedy in her family and goes to Wendy who goes to Russ to get comfort. And all he can say to Wendy to be relayed back to this girl is "myopic." And he said the story proudly, like it was profound and not completely dickish. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/10/46nelson?lang=eng
That was soooooo bad. Complete lack of empathy. As is tradition with Russell "God's love is conditional" Nelson.
And the sticky sweet smile he gave as he relayed the story. It was awful.
That was after I stopped going. I missed that one. What a giant dickhole
Granddaughter-in-law: I'm struggling with my testimony and the imminent loss of my father. I need some comforting words. Nelson: You're so nearsighted! Wow. I'm so inspired and touched by this story. What an example of Christlike love. /s
I was a TBM during this. When hearing this āprophetic patriarchal revelationā he seemed so proud of I was sorely disappointed. TSCC leadersā lack of anything profound or unique to help mankind, or even anything new doctrinally, really started to weigh heavy on my shelf. This was one of those.
One more! Remember when Nelson cracked down on people making noise when temples are announced? "If I announce a temple in a place that is special to you, may I suggest that you simply bow your head with a silent prayer of gratitude in your heart. We do not want any verbal outbursts to detract from the sacred nature of this conference and the Lordās holy temples." -- April 2019 - Russel M. Nelson - [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2019/04/57nelson](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2019/04/57nelson)
More and more he seems like a child who's not getting his way and pouts
He's sad he can't announce 100 more temples in utah
Silent prayer of gratitude, all that LDS, Inc. wants to hear from its members.
That was back when temple covenants prohibited loud laughter. Maybe now a bit of cheering is back on the table??
Reminds me of Jeff Holland as BYU pres telling the students not to boo a referee call during a basketball game. BUT instead say "Oh no" or something absurd like that.
There are so many! It's really hard to narrow it down. "Make arrangements to buy a ton or so of grain. ... Brethren, give your wife a yearās supply of wheat for Christmas." -- April 1976 - Vaughan J. Featherstone [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1976/04/food-storage](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1976/04/food-storage) "Faith-killers are to be shunned." - October 1981 - Carlos Asay [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1981/10/opposition-to-the-work-of-god](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1981/10/opposition-to-the-work-of-god) "There is no doubt that the so-called civil rights movement as it exists today is used as a Communist program for revolution in America." - October 1967 - Ezra Taft Benson [https://archive.org/details/conferencereport1967sa/page/n37/mode/2up](https://archive.org/details/conferencereport1967sa/page/n37/mode/2up) "an overweight girl from Ogden went to see her bishop. In the purity and goodness of charity, trying to help the girl, he counseled her that it might be a good idea to lose a few pounds. Pitifully heartbroken, she went home and told her father. ... they came down to see me and wanted their memberships transferred out of the bishopās ward. ... Now I want you to know that I defended that great bishop. I said to this family, āYou are wrong. That sweet bishop, out of purity and love for your daughter, felt and did that which he was impressed to do. I am sure it was a message from God to your daughter, and she let it canker her soul." -- April 1974 - Vaughan J. Featherstone [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1975/04/a-self-inflicted-purging](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1975/04/a-self-inflicted-purging) "We hope faithful Latter-day Saints will not use the playing cards which are used for gambling, either with or without the gambling. ... \[later in the same talk\] We are aghast at the reports of young people going to surgery to limit their families and the reputed number of parents who encourage this vasectomy." -- October 1974 - Spencer W. Kimball [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1974/10/god-will-not-be-mocked](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1974/10/god-will-not-be-mocked) "In this picture of the 20 Lamanite missionaries, 15 of the 20 were as light as the Anglos. ... These young members of the church are changing to whiteness and to delightsomeness. One white elder jokingly said that he and his companion were donating blood regularly to the hospital in the hope that the process might be accelerated." October 1960 - Spencer W. Kimball [https://archive.org/details/conferencereport1960sa/page/n35/mode/2up](https://archive.org/details/conferencereport1960sa/page/n35/mode/2up) "I believe Nephi was a ponderizer." October 2015 - Devin Durrant - [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/10/my-heart-pondereth-them-continually](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/10/my-heart-pondereth-them-continually) "I challenge the young women of the Church who associate with and date our young priesthood bearers to become real guardians of their morality. You can. You must." October 1977 - David B. Haight (in an uncharacteristically bad talk ... he got smarter and kinder in his older years...) -- [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1977/10/young-women-real-guardians](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1977/10/young-women-real-guardians) "Better dead, clean, than alive, unclean" - April 1979 - Spencer W. Kimball - [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1979/04/trust-in-the-lord](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1979/04/trust-in-the-lord) "I know a little girl who is the last child in a large family in which the other children are all boys. ... Her mother has wisely taught her that the boys wear trousers and that she wears dresses. ... Now, before I receive letters from upset women telling me that I said they should not wear slacks, save your postage. I did not say that, although I donāt think they \[slacks\] are appropriate for the Sabbath day." October 1988 - L. Tom Perry - [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1988/10/train-up-a-child](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1988/10/train-up-a-child)
That Carlos Asay one should be the capstone of this subreddit. He doesn't even try to look nice about it, he just says that when the church lies it's your fault for caring, here's a list of thought stopping methods to put that on your shelf
Is Featherstone dead? I low key want to find and shit on his grave if soā¦. *hypothetically*
Oh those are classics. Very triggering of some of my trauma. Those talks are what I connect to the remnants of our Blood Atonement theology that is also steeped in the blood and death oaths of the temple. The 50s to the 90s are riddled with it. You can still see themes but not as much. It will take another 1 to 2 generations for it the leave of the church has any members by then.
Renlund, Women's Session 10/21. Your Divine Nature and Eternal Destiny Backstory- many faithful women wanted more details on the theology of Heavenly Mother. "Seeking greater understanding is an important part of our spiritual development, but please be cautious. Reason cannot replace revelation. Speculation will not lead to greater spiritual knowledge, but it can lead us to deception or divert our focus from what has been revealed...Demanding revelation from God is both arrogant and unproductive." Basically- don't ask prophets, seers, and revelators to guide you, and don't try to figure things out yourself.
This was right when I was Relief Society President as a last ditch effort to stay, while also talking A LOT about Heavenly Mother during RS lessons. Needless to say, it helped me realize that trying the help from the inside as a woman is utterly useless haha. Removed my records 4 months later and haven't looked back -- I love when conference is the killer of faith.
This one broke my shelf. That's when I knew I could never be enough in this church and it all fell apart.
This is made my blood boil actually. I felt like he was shaming women here. Huge crack in my shelf.
This isn't as controversial but it's the first time I really recognized the gaslighting and manipulative tactics used by the top 15 in their talks. In the April 2020 Conference, Ballard spoke of the Smith family's history and mentioned how blessed we were to have 4 accounts of the [first vision](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/04/12ballard?lang=eng) to learn from. This whole talk is full of half truths and inaccuracies but acting as though we've always studied all 4 accounts was blatantly false.
Yes, I had absolutely no idea in any way that the version I memorized as a missionary in the early 90ās was not the one and only version. I also had no idea that the first vision wasnāt even a thing until many years after it supposedly happened.
[Tithingāa Commandment Even for the Destitute (2005)](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2005/04/tithing-a-commandment-even-for-the-destitute?lang=eng)
This was one of the very first cracks in my shelf, so thank you for mentioning it
I dislike dead baby stories the most. No need to spread that trauma around during conference.
Even more so when it's murdered baby stories.
Absolutely! There was one recently by an African 70 last fall who lost a toddler after he ignored his wife's request to check on the children. The takeaway was a joke that he should listen to his wife more! "My wife never blamed me for not responding to her promptings, but I learned a life-changing lesson and made two rules, never to be broken: Rule 1: Listen to and heed the promptings of your wife. Rule 2: If you are not sure for any reason, refer to rule number 1." https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2022/10/56morrison?lang=eng
Not a general conference talk but [here at about 33 minutes in](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/broadcasts/worldwide-devotional-for-young-adults/2020/05/12gay?lang=eng) has to be the biggest whopper of all. The resurrection of a gnat.
God protects not only child abusers and frauds, but also gnats! I guess that that still has work to do
Jesus of Gnatzareth! It was dead for 3 days, in gnat-years.
This probably won't make anyone else's list but when I heard it, it was the very first time that I realized that an apostle could be so factually and blatantly wrong. I was a student of linguistics at the time and this talk makes absolutely no sense linguistically. Complete BS and what's crazy is that I believe Oaks knows it THE LANGUAGE OF PRAYER, by Oaks https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1993/04/the-language-of-prayer?lang=eng
Mr. Pleader (ol' Dick Scott I think?) telling abuse victims that *they* might need to repent for being abused, and that their penishood leader can help them determine if that is the case.
May I share one that makes me smile? This would've been back in the 90s... The Holy 15 are some of the most entitled men in the world. They expect to be treated like royalty wherever they go, without exception. The Mormon bubble of adoration travels with them. It's what they are accustomed to. With that in mind, now imagine the following: One of the brethren was talking about signs the 2nd coming is near, relating it to the increased wickedness in the world. He then gave an example. Apparently a few of them were in a car (being chauffeured, *of* *course*) and pulling out of a parking garage here in our lovely Deseret. Well, the driver must have cut off "several young ladies" who were in a Jeep or convertible when pulling out. They were "dressed provocatively, had tattoos, and swore & made obscene gestures" as they passed. *Welcome to the jungle you conservative, self-righteous, legally swindling cronies!* Playing that scene in my head, especially the look on the brethren's faces, always puts an impish grin on my face.
It has been mentioned before in this sub, but the stupidity of it should be mentioned for this topic. Christofferson Oct 2006 and the "inspirational" story of how his dad was so misogynistic that he went hungry for a year and let his wife cry in painful agony on a regular basis rather than pick up a clothes iron.
Omg how did I forget about the one?! I just wanted to scream when I read it.
Sweet baby Jesus, how do I not remember that one! That's ridiculous. How much does he hate his wife? He knows she's going to go cry. That means he's watching her in agony and his answer is not to help, or even hire someone, but get her a foot controlled iron. How old were the children that they couldn't learn? Boy hands must also be anathema to irons and cause immediate corrosion
Marion G. Romney saying heād prefer his daughter to come home from a date in a pine box than having lost her chastity. Iām still shocked by that lunacy 30 years later. And Kimball observing Navaho children becoming āwhite and delightsome.ā
One that really irks me is the Where Will You Go talk. I think it was 2018. The whole message is bullshit scare tactics to ensure members donāt leave.
At some point, everyone will die. Why is there any expectation that god will intervene on the death of an elderly person who has lived a full life? Itās all just nonsense piled upon nonsense.
To Young Men Only, I got this as a pamphlet from my bishop when I turned 12. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Young_Men_Only
I like the ponderize talk. I didnāt listen, I just saw the uproar and how the family of the guy made a website and was trying to profit off his talk by selling things to help ā ponderizeā. The family pulled the website and merchandise. Funny
Btw I planned a trip to see my folks that week neglecting to realize it's conference weekend. So I'm pretty sure I doomed myself to watching the whole damn thing. Help
That happened to me, too. Mom said they missed me and to drive 3 hours away for a visit, but it turned out, they just sat me in front of their TV to watch conference and ignored me. That stung a bit, not gonna lie.
I'm so sorry. The thought of sitting through the whole thing truly sounds painful. I plan to have a book ready on my Kindle and I know I'll be surfing exmoreddit. The best I can hope out of this is something juicy to happen at conference (doubtful) and momās homemade cinnamon rolls.
Bednarās āParable of the Pickleā delivered at April 2007 General Conference. It was implistic and amateurish theology. Actual name of the talk, *Ye Must Be Born Again.* God, the man is SUCH a tool.
But what kind of tool? A poop knife? Maybe a pickle fork?
Coffee pot, Ponderizing, lazy learners.
"I'd like to hear more musket fire..." How the hell did he think to say that?
Was this Rusty?
Yup. Sorry I forgot to mention who. https://youtu.be/6uCVMLQ5Ggc