The funeral was for a lady who was a close friend of my family. Her husband died young and she had to struggle to raise 6 kids herself. One of her sons left the church years ago. He has lots of issues with his family and the church. While waiting for the funeral to start, Daniel (the son)came in the chapel singing a hymn with his booming voice. He was barefoot wearing shorts and a t-shirt and carrying a bottle of liquor. Daniel went up to his mothers casket and looked at his mother. He then turned to the people and said his mother worked 40 years in a factory and she didn't have a thing to show for it. She struggled financially to raise her children. He said the church didn't to a damn thing for her in all those years. His mother gave what little money she had to the church. In her old age, she had to to sell her trailer, her car and the one acre of land to pay for the nursing home. All she had now was a casket. He said the church came first in her life. She couldn't spend much time with her kids because she was busy working at the factory and volunteering to work for the church. Daniel then said the church ruined his family. They took her hard earned money when they needed food and clothes. They controlled everything she did. Even in death the church controlled her by dressing her up like a clown. Daniel pointed to the people and said the church was dangerous and you haven't the sense to know it. About that time the bishop came in and walked to the podium then the family came in. Everyone was floored and embarrassed. I don't know why no one tried to stop him but I think everyone was shocked. I spoke to Daniel after the service and didn't seemed to be too drunk. I didn't dare mention anything about his speech.

Mormons are not shy 'bearing their testimonies' they should be able to take someone else's.

I have been blunt to some Mormons on what I believe, but never that blunt.

One Mormon said he was 'shocked' but hey it comes with the territory.

When mormons hear the blunt all out truth, they freeze up. They can't say a word. They know what he said was all true. He shamed and embarrassed them. Nobody was willing to throw the first stone.

They'll gossip about this for decades, while they continue to let the same situation happen over and over with other families.

Good for Daniel. Hopefully his speech will give some of the attendees something to think about.

The church can go to hell. Oh wait, it's already there. Never mind.

Finally...honesty at a funeral...you've just been privileged to witness a truly rare occurrence "..any opposed...the note has been noted...he will just be written off as some poor loser to the demon rum though his words were as true as any profit the church has ever fielded...these are the tales that bark my ass...taking the widows mite then having the brass to buy a hunting retreat with the proceeds...smug arrogant $&@&$

Good for him! It takes courage and strong confidence to speak the truth and especially in front of a large group.

I am very happy for this Daniel that after all he had been robbed of from the Mormon church and having to watch his own mother be used and tossed aside, he had his say. That can be everything. If he said it the way you wrote it, it was brilliant.

Sounds like the end of an intense drama and worthy of any courtroom closing argument out there. I am a little jealous and in awe. Thank you for posting.

The last LDS funeral I attended--and one I'll never forget--was that of my BIL. The guys in the family had to put his temple baker's hat on before they closed the lid, and they struggled to do it, finally grabbing his corpse by the shoulders and sitting him up to put the damn hat on. I think it freaked out the kids.

"Daniel went up to his mothers casket and looked at his mother."

This happened in the chapel? And the casket was open?

This has never happened in any mormon funeral I've ever attended.

Probably either in the RS room, where all family members gather, or she was not in temple robes and in an open casket. However, rules aside, I have been to one Mormon funeral where the body was openly displayed in temple robes.

I have been to an LDS funeral where the deceased was openly displayed wearing temple clothes. I've never gone through the temple, so that was my first time seeing the garb. My parents always had their little suitcases tucked away in their closets that they would take to the temple. As a child I didn't think too much of their secret sneaky behavior. At this funeral I remeber thinking wtf....even though no one said it out loud, I somehow knew those were the temple clothes. It creeped me out. I was in my 20's.

My grandmother's funeral was in the chapel, and it was open casket. She was in full temple gear.

It was a funeral that went on and on and on. It didn't seem like it was ever going to end.

My 3 year old son was with me. At the grave dedication there was a moment when it was really quiet. My son piped up and said "Mom, when are they going to bury that old dead mother?"

Everyone burst out laughing. We needed that comic relief.

This is timely. My father may pass soon. I've been thinking about doing something similar. Actually have caught myself framing a talk and saying it out loud while doing yardwork. Hopefully I'm getting it out of my system...

Not to hijack the thread...
When my mother died I asked her TBM niece to give a prayer at the gravesite. My mother believed at the end and I respected her wishes. My niece said only men could give gravesite prayers. WTF, so I politely asked my former brother in law for a simple prayer but "don't get carried away". He told me, he can't control what god is channeling through him and sent me a link from the LDS site about prayers at funerals. Again, WTF, they have rules for this? Anyway, a TBM female friend of the family gave a short prayer.

For Mormons it isn't a prayer it is "dedication the grave" by a priesthood holder and these can go on as long a conference talks. It is best to have a book to read with you to get through it.

Quite an image you put in my head.

Mormon chapel.

Good for Daniel. Huge points for both courage, and style. It took guts to do what he did, especially while dealing with his own grief.

That story was awesome, anniegal. Thank you for sharing it.

Everything he said was true. I have always heard people in the church say "if it wasn't true then they would be evil controlling people, but it is true.". People devote their lives to what they believe is inspired by revelation from God. What a total waste.