John Dehlin interview with Roger Hendrix

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_Johannes
_Emeritus
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Re: John Dehlin interview with Roger Hendrix

Post by _Johannes »

I found it interesting because he is clearly a practical, hard-headed businessman who has thought intelligently about faith. He is willing to see the value in the LDS Church (and is more generous about Brother Joseph than many of us would be), but he is not prepared to buy into a pre-packaged Mormon or anti-Mormon narrative. He probably speaks for a lot more people in the ambit of LDS culture than either Prof. Daniel Peterson or New Name Noah.

I have a feeling that I would like to get on the outside of a bottle of Laphroaig with Elder Hendrix, if he was willing to take a non-literal view of the Word of Wisdom.
_Johannes
_Emeritus
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Re: John Dehlin interview with Roger Hendrix

Post by _Johannes »

Kishkumen wrote:By the way, Johannes, wonderful send up of MoSto! I enjoyed the read. Laughed heartily quite a few times.


Thanks, Kishkumen. One has to amuse omeself somehow....
_Tuna_Surprise
_Emeritus
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Re: John Dehlin interview with Roger Hendrix

Post by _Tuna_Surprise »

Johannes had a great take on Dehlin. One minor quibble - it needs to include a long, sincere speech by the interviewee followed by Dehlin saying "I love it!" in a way that conveys he wasn't listening to any of what was just said. Followed but a quick and loud sucking in of breath, then changing the subject entirely.
_DarkHelmet
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Re: John Dehlin interview with Roger Hendrix

Post by _DarkHelmet »

Johannes wrote:I'm part way through this now.... I've been unable to get the thought out of my head that someone needs to do a satire on Mormon Stories.

I need to get this out of my system.

=======

[Music: Mawkish Mormon hymn arranged to sound like 1980s elevator music. A voiceover appeals for donations.]

Dehlin: Hello, this is John Dehlin with the latest edition of Mormon Stories! Holy moly, have we got a great episode for you today! I'm super excited to introduce today's guest, who is a very special person indeed for all those of us whose self-identities include Latter Day Saint heritage - the Prophet Joseph Smith Junior. Wow!

Smith: Good day to you, Brother Dehlin.

Dehlin: It's great to have you with us, although for future reference, it's Doctor. Hey, let's get started. I've got a ton of questions. Let's start with your faith transition, which is an experience that we're very familiar with at the Open Stories Foundation. Talk about that.

Smith: Well, I was twelve years of age - or possibly eighteen, I forget. During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep and often poignant, still I kept myself aloof from all the churches, though I attended their several meetings as often as occasion would permit. The Presbyterians were most decided against the Baptists and Methodists, and used all the powers of both reason and sophistry to prove their errors. In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together?

Dehlin: Sure, cognitive dissonance. I studied that in Psychology. Did I mention that I have a Ph.D.?

Smith: At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must ask of God. So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, cl-

Dehlin: [Interrupting] Real quick. Did you have any members of the LGBTQI community with you? They are my special area of advocacy, you see.

Smith: No. Why would I be going into the woods with homosexuals? Do you not know anything about me?

Dehlin: Hey, if you're straight, that's cool too. I'm totally coming from a place of love and empathy for you.

Smith: all right, well, after I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God.

Dehlin: Real quick, talk about God.

Smith: What?

Dehlin: Talk about God.

Smith: Er, all right.... God did call on men, in the name of his Son, this being the plan of redemption which was laid, saying: If ye will repent, and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son....

Dehlin: Wow, that is real swell....

Smith: It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him. And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full. And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell.

Dehlin: Awesome. The questions are coming in fast from the internet. Real quick, the first question coming up on Facebook is from "salaam_donutfan", who asks: "I'm just off out to meet the Secretary of Defense and Vladimir Ashkenazy, but I would like to ask President Smith what the word 'horse' refers to in the Book of Mormon. Also, does he read my blog?"

Smith: Well, when I was translating the Book of Mormon from the gold plates, many a time there would appear in my mind's eye the spectacle of a curious looking beast of medium stature with a long, snout-like visage. Heavenly Father impressed me with the notion that these beasts dwelled among the Nephites. I did not know what they were, but they looked like horses, so I called them that.

Dehlin: Far out, man! Ok, next question is from a poster called "Rosebud", who asks: "Tell them what you did to Fanny Alger". That's funny, there are no more details. I wonder who this Alger chick is!

Smith: Er... er... If the lady has not said, we have no right to ask her for further details. It would be disempowering for her. She is probably just making a record.

Dehlin: Ok, Joe. Next question from "TheNibster1910"....

Smith: [Muttering] And anyway, it was just a few months before Fanny's fifteenth birthday.

Dehlin: ....He asks: "When I parachuted into Berlin as a commando in 1945 and captured Hitler single handed in his bunker, one of the things that I talked about with the Fuhrer was my theory that the Book of Abraham comes from a lost Demotic original of a Syriac text on Chaldean astronomy which was redacted by a scribe in Alexandria who used Abraham's name as an act of pseudepigraphy. Can you comment on this? Love your work by the way."

Smith: Why, I do not understand. What is this "Book of Abraham"?

Dehlin: Whoah, man, you don't know what the Book of Abraham is?? The story is that you bought some mummies from a travelling showman and....

Smith: Oh yes, and I got high on datura with Oliver, William and the boys, and we tried to decipher the documents. Damn it, it was a complete waste of time! We wrote some execrable gibberish. Don't tell me that people still read that nonsense?

Dehlin: Wow. Mind blown. Next question, this time from "LiberalLDS". "Is it acceptable to treat the Book of Mormon as a historically contingent work within the framework of a nuanced, post-post-structuralist model of inspiration? Signed, Blair Bradford." Real tough question. Can a progressive Mormon stay in the church with a nonliteral testimony? Is that all right?

Smith: Well, let us see. Does he pay his tithing?

Dehlin: Yes, I guess so.

Smith: Then that's all right.


Ok, someone else can finish this.


:lol: I agree with tuna_surprise about throwing in "I love it!" randomly. I enjoy mormonstories, but that's Dehlin's most annoying habit.
"We have taken up arms in defense of our liberty, our property, our wives, and our children; we are determined to preserve them, or die."
- Captain Moroni - 'Address to the Inhabitants of Canada' 1775
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