LDS Author Robert Millet, Too vague, Too Silly

[_Philo Sofee]

LDS Scholar Robert L. Millet, Too Vague, Too Cozy, Too Silly

Not to give away too much about my Mormon upbringing, but Robert Millet was a favorite of my dad’s, and thus on his death, I inherited some of his (dad’s) library. Amongst the treasures is one of Millet’s books, “I Will Fear No Evil, How the Lord Sustains Us in Perilous Times,” Bookcraft, 2002.

Millet has been prolific in his LDS career, writing many popularized books of doctrine, sociality within Mormonism, history, and more fluff n stuff than many other LDS authors. He is truly a gullible faithist. He struck me, even as I was an apologist, as just too “Brethren crazy” about every little thing within Mormonism. He wouldn’t dare blink or sneeze without the Brethren’s say-so and nod of the head in approval. If the General Authorities had never said anything about atoms, he would literally doubt their very existence, scientists be damned, they ain’t inspired! Worrying more about what the Brethren would think, rather than thinking through things for himself, he wrote a fascinating chapter in this book called “Rooted, Grounded, Established,” (Chapter 11).

Millet shows precisely what is wrong with the church, and he can’t even see it, since he thinks he as defending it in this chapter! It’s amazing. So, let me recap from a simpleton’s point of view and see what comes of it. Bear with me, this is downright painful to see a grown intelligent man miss the overly obvious!

He discusses a book that was written a few years ago (he never actually names it, or gives any indication of having read it at all, except by saying he did, but there is literally no analysis) that took many Latter Day Saints by delightful surprise. It was written by a Latter Day Saint, and apparently he took his sweet time even getting the book, and then more sweet time before reading it (he says). There was so much talk in church about it, he finally caved in and read the thing. And before long he found some troubling things. “…the doctrinal messages, shallow and disguised as they were for those of other faiths, were off target.” (p. 109) He took notes and then filed them away.

A little later a General Authority calls him (no name, anymore than naming the book) and asks him about the book. He hem haws not knowing what the General Authority was driving at, and finally after being asked about more and more of it he admitted he didn’t like the “doctrinal flaws” in it (the ghost of McConkie especially haunts poor Millet who he quotes inordinately too much in many of his books still to this day, just look up Bruce R. McConkie in the index to this one and see).

And the GA pipes right up! “It never ceases to amaze me how gullible the Latter Day Saints can be when it comes to printed material like this. Our lack of doctrinal depth and gospel understanding in general makes many of us an easy prey to every passing craze.” (p. 110) He then goes on to say that the Mormon teachings are grounded in the Standard Works (the 4 books of scripture), and the prophets teachings, and Mormonism holds all men’s truth by that standard and rejects anything if it does not conform to what the scriptures teach and what has been revealed through prophets.

Then on the very next page he describes how one early morning a woman calls him and says she has been studying the book of Revelation and cannot quite fathom the horns of the beast in chapter 13. And she asks him “Do you have any recommendations?” (p. 112) His response is hilarious. “I recommend, ‘I began with some gusto,’ “that you burn the book of Revelation and read the Book of Mormon!” (p.112) This, of course, takes her completely by surprise, and there was a long awkward silence. She finally stammers “What was that again?” And he repeats, with the same gusto, what he said “I recommend you burn the book of Revelation and read the Book of Mormon!” She was incredulous, and he apologized and said it had been a hard week for him, and he really did love the Apocalypse, and that it held many good things to know for the last days, and that “we should confine ourselves to the grand, overarching messages and not trip over the symbolic detail that has not been explained by prophet leaders. “One more thing. It seems to me that such a study could really prove a major spiritual distraction to you.” She then responds limply, “You’re right Brother Millet, I need to get back on course.” (p. 113)

Never mind that the entire Revelation is supposed to be a literal vision/revelation from Jesus Christ to John, Christ obviously added all sorts of trivial nonsense and unimportant, redundant irrelevancies in his “truthful” vision to one of his….erm……prophets! But yes, studying any revelations from their God to their prophets probably would cause “a major spiritual distraction” to be sure! This is hilarious he takes this route. They don’t know what it means, so call it a “spiritual distraction” in order to stop too many difficult questions and exposing their own gross ignorance.

Notice how naïvely and limply the woman simply caves in and agrees with a “priesthood bearing brother”…. Yes, notice how shallow his response was. BURN THE DAMN THING and read the Book of Mormon! As if it explains anything about the Apocalypse.

When someone is stuck with the scriptures, and asks for help, the employees of those same leaders tell people to quit reading the hard stuff and stick with the Book of Mormon! And people automatically just follow along with the suggestion tra la la la la… dare I say “gullible” quoting the nameless General Authority? That might almost be a naughty thing to do….. silly me.

They lament the lack of depth, then turn around and absolutely demand it of everyone. Too funny for words. They have dumbed down things to the point that anyone with any kind of insight who prints it is automatically labeled as “doctrinally shallow” or “flawed” because it doesn’t simply repeat by rote what is already printed. And they can’t figure it out how to get people into better thinking mode, while at the same time making damn good and sure they kill that same thinking mode as much as possible! Too funny!

[_Maksutov]

Manipulative condescending jerk Mope.

[_Dr Exiled]

More evidence of why it just doesn't work when examined with any level of scrutiny.

[_deacon blues]

I’m guessing the unnamed book was “Mormon Doctrine.” by that McConkie fellow.

[_Stem]

damned messed up believer! where's my pitchfork?