Quote Originally Posted by LA Ute View Post
Yeah, I'm not very comfortable with his telling her to sit down. I'm just saying that perhaps making the guy out to be an uptight, overbearing Mormon leader is not fair. Perhaps.
As I understand it, the Bishop of this ward was not around and, had he been in attendance, knowing the family, the nuances, etc., probably would have let it go.

I can get behind the idea that the girl's intent was noble. I can even get behind the idea that the mother's intent was as well - though she had been out of the church for some time. Obviously, none of us knows what that conversation was like and what the lead up was, what she/they hoped to accomplish etc.

What I can't get behind is that because of the possibility that John Dehlin at least had some involvement in orchestrating this, I think it changes it completely (that has been rumored - and if it was another group, same thing). If he didn't, he has at a minimum completely exploited her and her family as another arrow in his quiver to go after the church, which again I find personally despicable, but that's just me.

I have a buddy in the Bishopric in my ward and he said that it has at least sparked some positive conversations among our ward leadership. If that is the case across the broader church, then hopefully some good will come out of it.