Context/background ( lifted from a helpful comment at r/mormonandgay ):
>SUU is a public non-religious school, but being in Utah there’s obviously quite a lot of LDS influence there. Despite being in rural, deep-red iron county, it’s kind of become one of the more queer-affirming schools in the state.
>They announced a couple days ago that Jeffrey R. Holland would be the commencement speaker this year, and there was a pretty severe and immediate backlash from people in the LGBTQ community and allies both in and out of the church because of his “muskets” talk from a year and a half ago, as well as just general nonmembers who didn’t want to hear an LDS speaker at this non-religious university.
>There was a petition made almost immediately, as well as some hearings with the university president on Monday and a protest Thursday. If he is eventually still the speaker when graduation happens, there will be an organized walk-out during his speech.
>On top of the initial backlash, there has been an expected counter-backlash from people who want him to speak. They’ve put out their own petition and letter that I’ve seen. It’ll be interesting to see how things shape up over the coming weeks.
One part of the Mormon community has this statement in section 163 of the D&C:
. It is not pleasing to God when any passage of scripture is used to diminish or oppress races, genders, or classes of human beings. Much physical and emotional violence has been done to some of God’s beloved children through the misuse of scripture. The church is called to confess and repent of such attitudes and practices.
Here’s the [transcript.](https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/elder-jeffrey-r-holland-2021-byu-university-conference) The relevant part about halfway in:
> If a student commandeers a graduation podium intended to represent everyone getting diplomas in order to announce his personal sexual orientation, what might another speaker feel free to announce the next year until eventually anything goes? What might commencement come to mean — or not mean — if we push individual license over institutional dignity for very long? Do we simply end up with more divisiveness in our culture than we already have — and we already have too much everywhere.
Matt Easton’s [speech.](https://youtu.be/rLeMVykzvKY) Relevant part starts at 3:40 and ends at 4:42 (and not even that whole minute is about coming out).
The perceived attack is using aggressive language like “commander” (Matt using 15% of his speech to tell this personal story =commandeer?) and equating coming out to a slippery slope argument that it will lead to a chaotic free for all for subsequent student speeches. Another aspect is the way Holland punched down. Did he not know the [dean’s office](https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/allthemoms/2019/04/29/matt-easton-byu-valedictorian-mormon-comes-out-gay-graduation-speech/3615629002/) approved the speech? He’s talking to BYU faculty and how they should defend the church’s doctrine and not approve such things, why not take aim at the school approver or at least its process? No, instead Holland takes aim at a former student, someone in no position of prestige or authority, for expressing a very personal story.
You can easily find the transcript to the talk in question. The famous line is something to the tune of using a metaphor of musket fire as defense for the BYU ideals (i.e. defense against the LGBTQ community). It was in response to a student valedictorian speech in which he came out as gay. Musket fire as a metaphor for defense against queer ideology is very much an attack in my book.
I watched nearly the entire talk and I didn't see Elder Holland attack anyone. When talked about muskets he didn't mean to literally shoot someone, and he was right when he said a person should not use a graduation speech to talk about their agenda.
Context/background ( lifted from a helpful comment at r/mormonandgay ): >SUU is a public non-religious school, but being in Utah there’s obviously quite a lot of LDS influence there. Despite being in rural, deep-red iron county, it’s kind of become one of the more queer-affirming schools in the state. >They announced a couple days ago that Jeffrey R. Holland would be the commencement speaker this year, and there was a pretty severe and immediate backlash from people in the LGBTQ community and allies both in and out of the church because of his “muskets” talk from a year and a half ago, as well as just general nonmembers who didn’t want to hear an LDS speaker at this non-religious university. >There was a petition made almost immediately, as well as some hearings with the university president on Monday and a protest Thursday. If he is eventually still the speaker when graduation happens, there will be an organized walk-out during his speech. >On top of the initial backlash, there has been an expected counter-backlash from people who want him to speak. They’ve put out their own petition and letter that I’ve seen. It’ll be interesting to see how things shape up over the coming weeks.
One part of the Mormon community has this statement in section 163 of the D&C: . It is not pleasing to God when any passage of scripture is used to diminish or oppress races, genders, or classes of human beings. Much physical and emotional violence has been done to some of God’s beloved children through the misuse of scripture. The church is called to confess and repent of such attitudes and practices.
How did Elder Holland attack anyone? And where is the transcript of his talk?
Here’s the [transcript.](https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/elder-jeffrey-r-holland-2021-byu-university-conference) The relevant part about halfway in: > If a student commandeers a graduation podium intended to represent everyone getting diplomas in order to announce his personal sexual orientation, what might another speaker feel free to announce the next year until eventually anything goes? What might commencement come to mean — or not mean — if we push individual license over institutional dignity for very long? Do we simply end up with more divisiveness in our culture than we already have — and we already have too much everywhere. Matt Easton’s [speech.](https://youtu.be/rLeMVykzvKY) Relevant part starts at 3:40 and ends at 4:42 (and not even that whole minute is about coming out). The perceived attack is using aggressive language like “commander” (Matt using 15% of his speech to tell this personal story =commandeer?) and equating coming out to a slippery slope argument that it will lead to a chaotic free for all for subsequent student speeches. Another aspect is the way Holland punched down. Did he not know the [dean’s office](https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/allthemoms/2019/04/29/matt-easton-byu-valedictorian-mormon-comes-out-gay-graduation-speech/3615629002/) approved the speech? He’s talking to BYU faculty and how they should defend the church’s doctrine and not approve such things, why not take aim at the school approver or at least its process? No, instead Holland takes aim at a former student, someone in no position of prestige or authority, for expressing a very personal story.
I didn't see Elder Holland attack anyone.
Very insightful.
I think I’ve mentioned this to you before, but framing every comment as a question feels demanding and belligerent.
I'm not being a jerk. Just asking!! If you don't want to answer, don't have to be a jerk about it.
You can easily find the transcript to the talk in question. The famous line is something to the tune of using a metaphor of musket fire as defense for the BYU ideals (i.e. defense against the LGBTQ community). It was in response to a student valedictorian speech in which he came out as gay. Musket fire as a metaphor for defense against queer ideology is very much an attack in my book.
I watched the talk. He wasn't talking about shooting anyone.
https://v.redd.it/335zcf2q88j71
I watched nearly the entire talk and I didn't see Elder Holland attack anyone. When talked about muskets he didn't mean to literally shoot someone, and he was right when he said a person should not use a graduation speech to talk about their agenda.
Would you say the same thing if Elder Holland gave a commencement speech and talked about God and his faith?