Jerald Tanner dead

[Sleeping in EQ]

I've talked with Sandra a few times and saw Jerald once. Sandra would run the little store they had out of the front of their house on West Temple by the ball field.

The Tanners are interesting. They've strongly criticized Ed Decker, Walter Martin, and D.J. Nelson. They were very public in their criticisms of Walter Martin's efforts to revive the Spaulding Theory back in the early 80s, but they did so in part because it contradicted their pet theory--that Ethan Smith's "Views of the Hebrews" was source material for the BoM.

They proffered a more bookish brand of anti-Mormonism than most, but they sometimes weren't above silly rumor mongering and invective. During the Mark Hoffmann events, their were alot of Mormons walking into their store...

[fusnik11]

Originally Posted by Sleeping in EQ

During the Mark Hoffmann events, their were alot of Mormons walking into their store...

Did a lot of people leave the church because of the Mark Hoffman fiasco?

Interesting the pundits on cougarboard think that the church's recent investment is a can't miss because of prophetic vision, yet not that long ago this same prophetic vision couldn't see through an 'anti-Christ.'

This isn't a slam on the men that are in charge of our church, but a commentary on the lemmings that surround us in church every single Sunday.

[MikeWaters]

reading the McKay biog it is clear that the financial well-being of the church is relatively recent phenomenon. Last 30 to 40 years. Before that, not so good.

[Sleeping in EQ]

Originally Posted by fusnik11

Did a lot of people leave the church because of the Mark Hoffman fiasco?

Interesting the pundits on cougarboard think that the church's recent investment is a can't miss because of prophetic vision, yet not that long ago this same prophetic vision couldn't see through an 'anti-Christ.'

This isn't a slam on the men that are in charge of our church, but a commentary on the lemmings that surround us in church every single Sunday.

I don't have numbers on this, but my feel for the fallout on the Hoffman fiasco is that for some Mormons it facilitated the move from a simple testimony to one more nuanced and willing to accomodate leaders' fallibilities. My dad was one of those who stopped in at the Tanner's store.

It probably contributed to some people's inactivity and even apostasty as well, but my sense is that not a whole lot of that happened.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

reading the McKay biog it is clear that the financial well-being of the church is relatively recent phenomenon. Last 30 to 40 years. Before that, not so good.

Amen to that. I was amazed to learn how close the church was to bankruptcy in my lifetime.

[myboynoah]

Originally Posted by fusnik11

Interesting the pundits on cougarboard think that the church's recent investment is a can't miss because of prophetic vision, yet not that long ago this same prophetic vision couldn't see through an 'anti-Christ.'

This isn't a slam on the men that are in charge of our church, but a commentary on the lemmings that surround us in church every single Sunday.

Amen. If the history of The Church has taught us anything, it is that we can't count on divine inspiration to guide its financial/investment decisions (outside of the directive to stay out of debt, which I believe The Church learned through hard experience). My view is that The Lord let's temporal matters remain temporal.