By Common Consent Mormon Newsletter 0F the Mormon Alliance Alliance
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BY COMMON CONSENT MORMON NEWSLETTER 0F THE MORMON ALLIANCE ALLIANCE Volume 3, No. 2 April 1997 Speaking of Conference . Case Reports, Vol. 2, 1996 While LDS Church leaders the world to The 1996 volume of the Case Reports is listen to conference, the Alliance invitesyou to currently at the press and will be mailed on or talk about their messages at the semi-annual before May 15.This volume, 330 pages long, Conference Critique, Monday, April 7, third‑ is even heftier than the 1995 volume, and floor auditorium of the main library, 209 E. 500 focuses on a broader range of themes than South, Salt Lake City, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Volume 1, which was devoted to child sexual Moderator Janice Allred and her husband. abuse in the Mormon Church. David, are the parents of nine and the grand‑ The introduction explores some of the parents ot two. She meets in a weekly discus‑ healthyand unhealthydynamics of authoritari‑ sion group with other leaders of Utah County‘s anism in the Church. including an analysis of religious community. A volume of essays is Doctrine and Covenants 121 ("no power or forthcoming from Signature Books. influencecan or oughtto be maintained . .“), Harry Fox was born in Tokyo in 1921 to followed by four accounts: a collection of Church of Christ missionaries, lived in Japan anonymous reports of ecclesiastical abuse (a until age fourteen,and received his Master‘s of one-time departure from the Alliance's policy Religion from Pepperdine University. He and of not accepting unidentified reports), Devery his wife. Jeri, returnedto Japan in 1947,where S. Anderson's "The Kind of Experience That they helped establish the lbaraki Christian Changes You Forever" (describing a conflict College. Since moving to Orem in 1989, Harry with his stake president over whether he had has continued to seNeseveral congregations the right to meet his intellectual needs with a part-time. quarteriy study group). "Shrinking to Fit" by Deana M. Holmes, who holds a JD. from Phyllis Ford Rueckert (experiences as a the University of Houston Law Center, has woman in a ward where creativity was pun‑ practiced law, managed bookstores, and now ished), and "One Day You Finally Knew" by works for a Salt Lake‐area medical device Vivian D. Ellsworth (the exhaustion and manufacturer and is a foot soldier in the inter‑ erosion of her family’s faith under pressure net war with the Church of Scientology. After from their stake president not to seek and two and a half years in Utah, her membership follow inspiration). records have finally been forwarded from A second pair of articles discusses second‑ Texas. ary abuse‐«or the effects of ecclesiastical PaulTinker, a graduate of the University of abuse on those close to the victim. David G. Utah College of Law, has practiced law in Salt Face, in "McConkie and Dad: Memories, Lake City for over twenty years where he lives Dreams, and a Rejection.A Personal Essay," with his wife, Ann, and five children. He occa‑ describes the effect on him and his family of sionally teaches priesthood lessons. Elder Bruce R. McConkie’s public chastise‑ Linda Quinton-Jones, who practices family ment of his father. George Pace, a BYU law in Provo, recently became a single parent religion professor, in 1981-82.A secondessay after thirty-fouryears of marriage and fourteen provides context and analysis of Elder Mc‑ children. She occasionally expresses a wish Conkie's addresses. for a T-shirt that says "I did too much LDS in Four helpful books are reviewed: David the 60's, 70’s, and 80’s." Johnson and Jeff Van Vonderen‘s, The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse and Ronald M. En‑ mm, mm mum-nu”.rm Uncommon Dlmm Van-,mmmmwmumumw A Gun. M anrHum-fl:w an Min-1m mmmflmmw”; W).msmrmmnmm mum mumfiflw-Amw Wmtbymmu.mm), m m m1- anyh m m u Jmumflllummm-ymd numw‘mflsm m noun-t my. m an: m: w scum «2v . 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As a missionary public speaking and writing, a point of under President McKay in 1962-64, I view that conflicts with the position of taught that 'free agency' was a central Church leadership? Second, the heretical truth of the Church, guarded and protected teaching that I choose to advocate is by it. I was inspired by President McKay’s within the above question. Namely, Iteach intervention when Sterling McMurrin was that a Church member must be free from threatened by a Church court. the threat of excommunication, to speak Following President McKay's day came a and write publicly, a point of view that new emphasis on obedience. Combined disagrees with the teachings of the with the idea of infallibility, that call to Church leadership. Otherwise. I am not a conformity seemed to automatically con‑ free agent." demn some of my convictions without Finally, about 1983, all members of my public objection. For example, as a young immediate family agreed with my percep‑ married man, I found myself opposed to ion--that l indeedmay be excommunicated the position, articulated most trenchantly were I to publicly and vigorously advocate by J. Reuben Clark, that marital sexual the above freedom of speech. At last, my intercourse could occur only at the "haz‑ perception was acknowledged. No more ard' of pregnancy. Also, I believed the denial. Equal Rights Amendment was a simple, The threat is real and destructive as positive, clarifying statement that would demonstrated by the discipline of nine benefit my daughters. When teaching LDS men and women within the intellectu‑ elders’ quorum or Gospel Doctrine classes, al community. | now interpret such attacks I often felt the need to balance classroom on freedom of conscience and expression discussions by advocating the inherent as 'the Mormon way.‘ I learned that benefits of free agency above obedience. Church history contains many examples For example, I taught that freedom, love, from the time of Joseph Smith and Brig‘ spontaneity, and genuine delight without ham Young to the present that establish ulterior motive. are necessary to moral authoritarian values as the Mormon tradi‑ living.To obey is notenough. Slaves obey. tion. I believe that President McKay’s Purity of motive is essential. Motive is tolerance was an aberration. corrupted by fear, hope of reward, or a On the dome of the Jefferson Memorial burdensome sense of duty. Thus, the is inscribed: "l have sworn upon the altar principle of free agency takes precedence of God eternal hostility against every form over obedience; of tyranny over the mind of man.‘ Yes, the By the early 19805, I reached a point in Church uses excommunication or the my life where I concluded that the Church threat of it to dominate and control mem‑ was willfully domineering from the top. My bers. 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