The Changing "god" of Russell M. Nelson

In November 2015 John Dehlin leaked that the Mormon Church had added a new policy in the LDS Handbook of Instructions (see link here) as a policy which essentially label the homosexual parents as "apostate" and then said that any children of that family could not be baptized.  When I informed a few of my friends at work that they had done that, my friends actually did not believe it - either that I was "mistaken" or that God "would not do that".  They were incredulous (as was I).

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NOVEMBER 2015 LDS CHURCH POLICY: Same-sex couples are labeled as “apostates” and are subject for church discipline and their children will be prevented from being baptized until they turn 18.

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Then when the Church came out publicly and admitted to it, many of my previously incredulous work mates, started singing a different tune...namely, that it must have been "inspired" or "revelation" of the Lord's will which prompted the Brethren to put such a policy in place.  

Interestingly enough, not four months after that publication (and the media backlash against the Church), President Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles doubled down and stated in a talk at BYU Hawaii that it was actually "revelation" that was received on the matter by the Lord's "prophet, seer, and revelator" President Thomas S. Monson - you know, the one who can never lead you astray... [LINK TO ARTICLE]


"These policy changes come after an extended period of counseling with our brethren in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and after fervent, united prayer to understand the will of the Lord on these matters".


"Each of us during that sacred moment felt a spiritual confirmation," Nelson, next in line for the Mormon presidency, told the faith's young adults in the first official explanation of the hotly debated policy's origins. "It was our privilege as apostles to sustain what had been revealed to President Monson." (emphasis my own)

That was just over 3 years ago...when Russell Nelson was "just" the President of the Quorum of the 12.  Now, according to his new wife, Wendy Nelson, "I have seen HIM changing in the last ten months...It is as though HE'S been unleashed. HE'S free to finally do what he came to earth to do. … And also, HE'S free to follow through with things HE's been concerned about but could never do. Now that HE's president of [the Church], HE can do those things.” (emphasis my own)

And he has certainly been busy "administratively" - unfortunately, I have not seen any "new" revealed light or knowledge here coming from someone who has supposedly been a "prophet, seer, and revelator" for the last 35 years...I do not mean to be pejorative, but seriously, what has he ever "seen, prophesied, or revelated" in any of that time? "Inspiration" does not count. "Feelings" don't count.  What "intelligence" has been communicated?  [Note: Changing church attendance times from 3 to 2 hours also doesn't count...although many think it does...LOL]

So what's changed? A bunch of administrative/policy things:  Changing the time of Church from 3 hours to 2 hours, getting rid of High Priests, getting rid of home/visiting teaching to "ministering", no longer allowing ourselves to be called "Mormons" - but change everything to the full name of TCOJCOLDS (sorry, too lazy to write it all out) - including MoTab to "The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square" (holy cow that's long...), sister missionaries can now wear pants (Yeah! What a slap in the face to those Ordain Women rebels!)...

I'm sure there is more I've missed, but Wendy Nelson was right - HE has been "unleashed"!  He is no longer the purring, tame, mild-mannered pussy cat he was before.  Now he is off-the-chain, roaring (administratively) as a LION!  Beware the roar of this man - he is flooding the earth with (administrative) light like never before!

Finally, just two days ago, the changing god of Russell Nelson (or was it just Russ himself?) changed his mind again (I mean, why stay the "same" yesterday, today or forever when it's so much more fun to just change things on a whim?! Right!?) and is now not labeling homosexual partners "apostate" and allowing their children to be baptized. [LINK TO ARTICLE]


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APRIL 2019 LDS CHURCH POLICY CHANGE:  Same-sex couples are no longer labeled “apostates” [just "serious transgressors"]  and will not be grounds for church discipline      [Q. Will "adulterers" now receive the same kind of non-discipline, discipline too?] and their children can now be baptized.

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President Dallin Oaks said: "Previously, our handbook characterized same-gender marriage by a member as apostasy. While we still consider such a marriage to be a serious transgression, it will not be treated as apostasy for purposes of Church discipline. Instead, the immoral conduct in heterosexual or homosexual relationships will be treated in the same way."

"These policy changes come after an extended period of counseling with our brethren in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and after fervent, united prayer to understand the will of the Lord on these matters."

Sounds almost exactly like what Nelson said 3 years ago (Wait! Hold on, in fact, IT IS!...someone in the Church PR department obviously didn't double-check to make sure that the language was even just a little bit different...LOL). 

So, "assuming" that one of these "revelations" are, in fact, the "will of the Lord", which one is it?  Apparently "the will of the Lord" has given way to political and social pressure to change His policies.  But since that has never happened before and will likely never happen again...Glad to know I can rest easier tonight knowing god's "will" has been done by this man...