. . . gave me and my then-spouse a personally-autographed copy of his book, "Miracle of Forgiveness." Now, that's something for a good Mormon boy and girl to read on their wedding night in the Hotel Utah overlooking the spires on Temple Square.

I had tried plowing through it in my teens but couldn't finish the damn thing, even though back in those days I was about as guileless as a good Mormon boy could possibly be. (Like the old saying goes, I used to sneak out behind the barn--and do nothing). True Confessions: I couldn't stand the book. Trying to hack my way through its jungle of dysfunctional jargon, I got the feeling that I was reading a painfully- and artificially-forced screed against natural human sexuality coming from someone with his own suffocating, sexual (and perhaps homosexually-inclined) hang-ups. Even as a straight-arrow Mormon kid, he hit me as being a seriously-conflicted dude entangled in a case of deeply personal and severe sexual "sin" obsession. To me, the book came off as hollow, preachy and out-of-touch. I put it down and never finished it. I think Spence was not comfortable in his own skin.

Then, as a sequel, I end up getting it as a wedding present from SWK, a cloistered little old man who didn't have a clue about normal human sexual reality.

Good gawd, Spence. Even the tomatoes you handed me over the back fence were better:

http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1124816,1124816#msg-1124816



Edited 12 time(s). Last edit at 01/03/2014 12:01AM by steve benson.

I read that crap. I had the same impression and, given that you personally knew the guy, I feel validated.

That was enough, I guess, for me to get a good sense of his clinically-notable fixations. :)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2014 07:51PM by steve benson.

What did you get from the other bigtime brethren?

. . . for the occasion.

And which I have since lost.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2014 07:59PM by steve benson.

At least he put some thought into it.

. . . wedding-day festivities held in Brigham Young's Lion House. He had scrawled it out on a piece of paper. I'm actually sorry I can't find it. It was chuckly cute.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2014 08:21PM by steve benson.

Do you know if Hulda is still living?

Wow, I couldn't imagine a greater gift than that of guilting yourself to death.

I was terrified to read that book because I was told that it magnifies how unworthy we all are, or something. My worst sin I had ever committed was masturbating to some straight porn which I honestly believed was the most damning sin I could possibly commit next to murder. I also figured I was the only one doing it and that something was severely wrong with me. So I declined to read that book despite it being on my parents bookshelf ever since I can remember.

In MOF, SWK clearing states that masturbation as a teenager will lead to flaming homosexuality.

boyfriend/husband, I was told to keep track of his masturbation habits because if we could get him to quit masturbating, he would be able to change from being homosexual.

I, myself, didn't know what masturbation was. I learned about it from the bishop and my gay boyfriend. Imagine how wonderful it was to be assigned to keep tabs on my boyfriend's masturbation habits. (Yes, I was THAT naive.)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2014 11:48PM by cl2.

When I got married, I got a signed copy of Sacred Intimacy from Brent Yorgason, to help me and my husband on our "wonderful journey as husband and wife".

I nearly vomited, even as a TBM.

Hay, I also used the Hotel Utah on my wedding night. Maybe some mystic power thing or something. I heard some screaming and the headboard banging all night. Was that you??

. . . but didn't feel guilty about it.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/03/2014 01:46AM by steve benson.

but I will be Eternally grateful for meeting up with at least one when he was a young up and comer in 1968, ie.... Elder Gordo B Hinckster. I'll always cherish the memory of that day in his office when he turned me down for a mission call.

I eventually realized that as he threw me out of his office he was kindly throwing me a life-line out of the Morg.

Such fond memories I have of that raging old goat. Could be why he made profit coz he just knew I wasn't mishie grade fodder.

And boy how I do bless him for keeping my ass of that damn bicycle!

. . . I think it bears repeating, compliments of yourself on this board. :)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2014 08:57PM by steve benson.

Well, if you insist I'll spill.

Having repented my way up the authority chain for certain adolestent excesses in the back seat of a red Corvair, I ultimately landed in SLC for my final interview with a Twelvie.

Like the Bishop's Inquest times Twelve you could say.

As the grilling proceeded, it came to his attention that there had been more recent indisgressions with a few of the lord's little lambs at BYU. At that I saw his face turn red as he exploded with:

"Why do these stake presidents keep sending up all these un-worthies?"

I began sobbing like a kid at that point.

He made it clear I was in no way worthy to go today but he said it would depend on if I would clean up my life and come back in a year and he would reconsider.

A whole year? Yeah, right.

Then in one parting act of codgerly compassion, he showed me to a side door that allowed an exit without having to face all the young ladies at the front entry in my distraught condition. Heart of gold I tell ya.

It was freezing cold and blowing sleet as I stepped outside that bleak November day. Oh the pain. The shame.

But what a blessing it's been to me that I went with the truth instead of lieing through all those interviews. I mean God wouldda known anyway so what's the point of serving a mission?

Oh now I remember it's to make Mom happy.


Cheers.:o)

Yes, Shummie. Thank you.

Hinckster sounds like a vicious pig.

was doing it in the back seat of a Corvair. I owned one in high school, so I rembember those seats. That kind of activity requires a contortionist. Great job!

Guess I needed to unload all that. Truthfully I haven't thought about it in years yet it still feels good to relive it here.`


So solly Steve for hijacking your thread but you do me much honor by moving this outburst to a new thread:



http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1127178

http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1127178



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/03/2014 02:01AM by steve benson.