Knowing that what there teaching is a big old fraud that's hurting so many people and ruining so many relationships and causing suicides. Especially the ones like Oaks bednar. I just don't even get how they can sleep at night! Are they just like phycopaths or what?

You know what's really weird?


Many of them believe it 100%.

It's more a narcissistic trait than anything else, although not all of them are full-blown narcissists. Bednar certainly is.

The specific narcissistic trait involved is an endless ability to blame others for one's own failures. I'm not saying that all the suicides and opiate abuse are their fault, but they aren't nearly as involved as they should be given their high positions of great responsibility. Too much involvement would shatter the illusion of divine power and undermine their ability to manage their own uncomfortable emotions. Better to remain pampered, serene, and above it all (except when challenged.)

Money is their god and it chose them to lead the corporation.

I was reading news, clicking links, happened onto this opinion piece, and immediately thought of your question.

It occurs to me that they are incapable of empathy, even sympathy, for their "troops." They demand enormous sacrifices, largely without ever having made those same sacrifices themselves. When they say to let your children go hungry to pay tithing, have they so "spiritually nurtured" their own children in this manner, or experienced any fear of needing to do so?

There are hundreds of examples of demanding that members behave in ways in situations that they themselves never (again?) expect to face. Becoming a Q is a release from most callings, a windfall of privilege, supported by an army - a "religious industrial complex."

They ask sacrifices with empty words of condemnation for those whom feel the pain of "failures" which are logistically impossible to overcome. They refuse to acknowledge that even even those who "lose the battle" contributed to the "war effort." They demand perfection in "winning," and ignore the sacrifices as real costs to real people. To the Q, there are only "winners or losers."

In short, if you are not a healthy white straight male* who "runs" your family with an iron fist, you are one of the "losers" in life, for whom they have no compassion.

It was the contrast between two presidents, neither of whom had my vote, that helped me to see the Q more clearly. I used to have fun making fun of Bush, who I've now learned "took a knee" in behalf of his fallen warrior, for the sake of that warrior's small child.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-trump-purple-heart-george-bush-perspec-20160803-story.html

I can't imagine either the Q or Trump taking a knee for anyone, other than themselves or their own, a group that obviously does not include their "fallen" fighters.

They are a "fake Q," who have no clue how to lead.


*In no way is this intended to disparage the group as a whole; it merely identifies the Q.

Empty barrels make the most noise...

I've often wondered this myself. I've heard, in church of course, many times about The Man in the Mirror. You can fool other people, but when you look at yourself in the mirror, you can't fool yourself. Or something along those lines. I imagine that these white privileged men look at themselves in the mirror and admire themselves just as they imagine that all of their underlings admire them. I can just see Bednar seeing his reflection and thinking, "Gawd I'm Awesome".

Also, some people crave attention so badly that they become blinded to reality. It's the fame, it's the power, and yes, it's the money. They are drunk with the power that they have and they love to flaunt it every chance that they get. Like any addiction, they have a "need" for that fix, and are willing to sell their soul to have it. Doesn't matter who they have to step on to get that fix, to have that ego stroked over and over. They have probably been like this their entire life and couldn't stand the thoughts of losing that elite self-centered attitude.

More like, "Bednar, I'm awesome!"

I compare the general authorities to leaders of other obvious fraudulent groups such as the Watchtower and Scientology. The leaders of the Watchtower have let many thousands die due to their belief in no blood transfusions. Jehovah's witnesses, from an old article, have a high suicide rate when they leave the organization in their 50's and 60's and realize they have wasted much of their lives devoted to that group. They could of been doctors, engineers, musicians etc. and instead took lowly janitorial or other jobs so they could have time to proselytize for the Watchtower. Now they are destitute and have few skills and fewer so-called friends and family if the family shuns them. It is horrific. Mormonism is not quite as soul destroying, but it comes close. The governing body of the Jehovah's Witnesses could not possibly care less about the destruction they create. The Mormon GA's are of a similar mindset.

There are none so blind as those that will not see. The leaders are chosen for this exact quality.

Ya you guys are right about the narcissistic traits thing I can totally see Bednar admirering himself in the mirror as well! Ya its just really too bad people care more about power fame and money than about peoples lives :( ya money really IS there God isn't it? K4CT ya the whole "pay your tithing before you feed your family" is truely disgusting! And its so much worse when you find out the whole thing is a fraud! Yes its very obnoxious how they demand those huge sacrifices without having made those sacrifices themselves! Ya tbms REALLY do worship them oh gosh if only they knew! I remember Monson came to our ward once and everyone like had tears in there eyes and were all SO eager to go up and talk to him and wers acting like they never wanted to wash there hand AGAIN after they shook his! Everyone was acting as if Jesus himself had come for a visit!

Ya the watchtower thing really is awful that's so sad about the high suicide rates when they find out! :( its so sad how there lives were so messed up by it! They have done all that just to find out its a fraud the whole time! Very sad :( The blood transfusion thing was AWFUL! :( and don't they also teach that only a very small number of people will make it to heaven I cant remember the exact number but it wasn't very large. I don't think I would want to go preach to people it would lower my chances of getting into heaven ya know? My mom actually had some kids who were jahovahs witnesses in her class when she taught school and theycouldnt participate in any of the Christmas activities ugh REALLY? :(

My guess, and it's only a guess, but I think there are those who believe and many more GAs who know it isn't true but still think it's a good way to live. How many of us, while leaving the church, came across the sentiment that "even if it isn't true, it's still a good way to live and to raise a family?" Mormons seriously see their way of life as superior: wholesome, clean-living, hard-working, God-fearing and full of high standards that lesser mortals aren't strong enough to attempt. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of GAs hold that same mindset. They don't see themselves as hurting anyone but as upholding a high standard of living that requires discipline and sacrifice.

I also think there are some GAs who know they have nowhere to go if they decamp. Their whole world is Mormonism - friends, family, work, culture. They don't know anything else and can't imagine anything else and would leave with less than nothing. So they stay and take the money and adoration and hopefully they are a little ashamed of themselves because they know it's all about covering their own you know whats.

What are you talking about guys they are on their way to godhood which means total neglect for all and talking like a dumbass and feeling no blame for any suicides or suffering. And living off of everybody else.

Wow if that's what godhood is all about then I dont want it Ya like I just seriously don't get how they could stand seeing suicides and suffering and not care just care more about being "the one true church" that just blows my mind! I wish we would have known about the fraud sooner would have saved my family SO much freaking money I feel blessed I never payed tithing that much bit my family did unfortuanately

IMO some know it is but pacify themselves believing it is harmless and they also fear coming out with the truth, the destruction it will do to those around them - just look at the Tom Phillips experience to see what coming clean did for Tom.

Yet i also think the rest believe, but believe on the basis of group reassurance. They doubt, but look at the others and rationalise that the others all believe so maybe it is just me, not aware they're all having issues - except maybe Bednar who i think is the kind of dangerous narcissistic person who really believes in his own divine mission.

It's an Enron scenario - things aren't right but even the auditors are looking at it believing they must be right and they're just not seeing why the numbers don't add up.

Possibly behind the scenes in church offices that is where the fixers' might reside. Those who know the truth but steer the ship because morally they're dead.

One last thought,

No matter how they look at it, believers or not, history will make sport of them for the few that care about this minor blip in American religious history.

Oaks could have gone on to be more successful in the courts, published more and died with a legacy. Now, he'll be written off as a kook that joined a cult and thus ends any claim he had to the betterment of society.

This is true for most of them. They'll go down as fools who thoughts they were Apostles. Made all the more ridiculous because they're grown men who actually tout this line.