"Because you have to report back to your Primary teacher. • This is a thing now in a lot of LDS congregations — asking kids to take notes during conference so they can later discuss what was said. If you're too old for Primary, you are officially off the hook."

http://www.sltrib.com/lifestyle/faith/4360797-155/cannon-why-do-you-listen-to

What a miserable life, the Mormon one, if little kids are made to watch GC. That's child abuse, plain and simple.

Here's a better reason: "Because you want to see if it's time to head back to Missouri. • Historically, Mormons have believed that they would gather once again in Independence — hopefully with better results the second time around."

This one's really true: "Because you want to see if a policy has changed. • No doubt about it. The past few years have been difficult for certain populations inside and outside of the LDS Church because of its positions on a variety of social issues. Conference can either disappoint or not disappoint on this front."

The teary-eyed reason: "Because it gives you comfort and hope..." (Don't read beyond, because you'll probably hork on he carpet.)

Why Mayor Biskupski watches conference (Wait... What?): "...involves her professional responsibility to stay current on the church's counsel regarding sensitive issues and how that advice might shape public policy when the Legislature is in session."

I'm new here but I have been visiting often. I don't believe the mormon crap anymore and cringe when I hear words from the leaders. I will reveal more about me once I acclimate. I think I love this forum and hope to fit in like a glove.

I used to watch conference, well, not watch exactly, I had the TV on but did other stuff and listened. This time around I will most likely turn the TV on for a while but not for the whole time. One time I did actually make it to Salt Lake City and attended a live session. It was like a huge animal arena and everyone was herded around. I won't do that again. In answer to the question, I guess I watched because that was the thing to do and it never occurred to me to question that.

Thank you to whoever created this website, I am learning a lot that I had no idea existed.

Yeah, we rather like it here. There are other ex-Mormon sites, but this one is the most fun. It was Eric K. who created the website back in the 1990s. Thank him.

Welcome. The folks here are quite nice.

My primary objection to watching conference speeches is my objection to the medium itself rather than to the content.

A speech of any sort--from a Mormon leader, a political candidate, a professor--is a one-way stream of information couched in nonverbal cues like inflection, facial expression, and the like. It's propaganda of the highest sort. There's no time for an audience member to reflect, to mull over a sentence, to ask about something that causes confusion, to rebut something about which one disagrees. It just keeps coming, word after word after word after word. It's like a drug, infused into a vein and thence a brain, drop by drop.

For this reason I prefer to READ argumentation of any sorts. I don't watch broadcast news or listen to talk radio; I prefer to take argumentation one claim at a time--as it is WRITTEN--so I can say "Stop! Back up! What do you mean when you say 'the internet is full of misleading information' or 'the economy is worse than it's ever been' or 'Satan is behind your doubts' or ' there's not enough money in the budget to continue this program' or ..."

TSCC wants us to watch GC because it knows watching GC (as opposed to, say, critically analyzing a section of the BoM) makes it easier to manipulate us, to mesmerize us, to influence us, to lie to us.

Don't do it. Just say no to drugs.

I recall some primary teachers resorting to those tactics.

There was a primary autumn fair (activity) on a Saturday. I did not attend because my Grandma had driven to our house for a visit. We all went to church on Sunday with Grandma (never-mo) and the primary teacher made treats (popcorn balls). She asked every child one-by-one how they liked the primary activity. When she asked me, I told her that I didn't attend (couldn't really lie). So I was told, "You see little Goop, HF becomes so sad when you don't attend church meetings. So you will not get a treat today."

I was hurt, but the denial rewarded the other kids because it taught them how to shame others. A bunch of them went skipping up and down the hall singing "I got a treat and Goop didn't get one." That hurt me the most.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2016 12:40PM by messygoop.

messygoop Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I recall some primary teachers resorting to those
> tactics.
>
> There was a primary autumn fair (activity) on a
> Saturday. I did not attend because my Grandma had
> driven to our house for a visit. We all went to
> church on Sunday with Grandma (never-mo) and the
> primary teacher made treats (popcorn balls). She
> asked every child one-by-one how they liked the
> primary activity. When she asked me, I told her
> that I didn't attend (couldn't really lie). So I
> was told, "You see little Goop, HF becomes so sad
> when you don't attend church meetings. So you will
> not get a treat today."
>
> I was hurt, but the denial rewarded the other kids
> because it taught them how to shame others. A
> bunch of them went skipping up and down the hall
> singing "I got a treat and Goop didn't get one."
> That hurt me the most.

That makes me sick. They teach shaming at such a young age.

I've noticed that TBMs try and make watching GC 'fun' by having bingo games for them to play while watching...if you hear the word prophet, mark your square! If you win bingo you get treats!!! That type of manipulation and indoctrination scares me. It's so powerful, yet so subtle. And of course the little kids buy right into it. They are bribed with candy! It's sickening.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2016 01:51PM by bluebutterfly.

After getting my degree and working for a few years, I took a new job and relocated about 3 hours away from my TBM parents. Their first visit coincided with a Spring GC.

My TBM dad sat in front of the TV Saturday and Sunday watching all of GC while the rest of us and my not so TBM Mom played outside with my kids, having a great time on a sunny day's.

TBM dad took meticulous notes on every session. Those notes were so important that he had to ignore his family for two days....so important.....that he left them at my house when they left and never asked me for them.

Great story!

His salvation must be in great peril because he left his GC notes behind!

The times that I was dragged to the SC to hear that drabble, I went to the bathrooms for refuge and inspiration.

This is what conference is about for lots of people..appearance.

Look at me! Im totally righteous.
How much did you watch? I watched 4 hours!
I didn't leave the house room the whole day, 'cept for toilet.
I'm sure my family will see how pious I and feel shamed.

I took notes on every talk! Where are they? Oh I left them behind.. What did they say?... Umm..



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2016 08:17PM by blakballoon.

Seriously????!!!! Primary kids have to report back??? They're kids ferchrissake. They get a day OFF from boring sacrament meeting. Do like my parents did and make them either sit in front of the TV and be silent, or go in their rooms, find something quiet to do and stay there. My brothers and I could always find something else to do. Usually it would be them building with lincoln logs and telling me I couldn't play cause girls don't build things. I mean, if I were going to miss my weekly misogynogy lesson at Sunday School (before Primary was on Sunday), I might as well get it from my siblings, right?

Luckily, we only had to be quiet for the Sunday morning session. Back then it was the only one broadcast on any TV station besides KSL, so if you lived outside of Utah you might be able to get the Sunday session if you had a UHF antennae. But then it was pure vacation Sunday. No going back to church in the evening for Sacrament Meeting. LOVED those Sundays.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2016 07:01PM by NormaRae.

These stories make me want to hurl. I was keen on a woman i had met recently. She is TBM and I am inactive. I added her as a friend on facebook. Last conference, she became a conference nazi. Post after post on FB over the conference weekend, as she wrote pretty stencils and calligraphy of newly coined phrases or words from GC. Then she posted a photo showing how proud she was of her 10 year old boy who she required him to dress in Sunday best for the duration of the GC talks. After seeing all this nonsense, i decided i didn't have much interest in her anymore. Time to unfollow. And yet, there are hoards of other single LDS women out there, just like that. It makes me want to hurl. Oh, the indoctrination and brainwashing of the young kids is too much to stomach.