Michael Tew

[Michael Tew @OneMichaelTew]

@John_Stone_ @mormons_speak Exactly my experience

[Michael Tew @OneMichaelTew]

@surskitmaxxing It’s also notable that the justification for killing Laban is the same one used by the Sanhedrin to kill Jesus. “Better that one man perish…”

[Michael Tew @OneMichaelTew]

@DoBetter_ I grew up Mormon in Utah and definitely knew that Brigham Young and others practiced polygamy, but was never taught that Joseph Smith did.

[Michael Tew @OneMichaelTew]

@ZionsCampfire @BenBird53920553 I grew up in Utah as well, and Brigham Young’s and others’ polygamy was well known and discussed, but not Joseph Smith’s.

[Michael Tew @OneMichaelTew]

@BenBird53920553 @Law_Of_Chastity I grew up in the Mormon church and didn’t know either until I learned about it online as an adult. If other people knew about it I never heard it.

[Michael Tew @OneMichaelTew]

@ClintFiore Yes and they can get legitimately excited about giving you control of the business when you present them a growth plan that makes sense and won’t require them to execute it. “Boy, if I were 20 years younger…” is a very common reaction if you’re smart about it.

[Michael Tew @OneMichaelTew]

@VaclavzAmeriky We’ve also gotta come up with some norm for dealing with obvious use of AI to make an argument. It’s not interesting to engage with with someone using ChatGPT to make all their points.

[Michael Tew @OneMichaelTew]

@Cernovich And they carpooled

[Michael Tew @OneMichaelTew]

@trentoncrofts Your initial point was that you don’t understand the debate about whether LDS are Christians because it’s in the name of the church. But you seem to agree that this logic is fallacious.

[Michael Tew @OneMichaelTew]

@trentoncrofts Okay, so it sounds like you agree that a group giving itself a title doesn’t mean that the title reflects reality.

I’m not saying LDS are or are not Christian, just pointing out that a name doesn’t show anything.

[Michael Tew @OneMichaelTew]

@trentoncrofts I asked about the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Is it democratic? It’s actually in their name.

[Michael Tew @OneMichaelTew]

@trentoncrofts Do you see the point, though? Would you accept that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is democratic just because it’s in the name?

[Michael Tew @OneMichaelTew]

Also speaking personally, this is the most challenging and unsatisfying part of the LDS faith as I’ve reengaged with it.

What got me back into believing in Jesus was realizing He is the Divine Logos made incarnate. That is a mind-blowing and philosophically rich claim that, in my view, makes sense of everything about the world. It also leads to a depth of prayer and worship that I couldn’t have imagined.

Not trying to knock your faith, just saying that clarity on the fundamental theological questions is hugely important, in my view.

[Michael Tew @OneMichaelTew]

Thank you!

I have only recently reengaged with LDS folks on their theology after being away from it for 20 years and I do have to say that it’s striking how cautious prophets seem to be about making doctrinal clarifications. The infinite regress debate on this site is the most recent example. Do you ever wish that leadership would provide more clarity on these issues?

[Michael Tew @OneMichaelTew]

Why, though? If God used Joseph Smith to restore the church, along with the power of the Holy Ghost, the keys, prophecy, and revelation, wouldn’t you expect later prophets to have fleshed this out just as readily? Or did Smith have gifts of revelation that later prophets didn’t have?

[Michael Tew @OneMichaelTew]

@bing_TX @ThoughtfulSaint Amazing!

[Michael Tew @OneMichaelTew]

@bing_TX @ThoughtfulSaint Did God tell you this?

[Michael Tew @OneMichaelTew]

@ThoughtfulSaint Says who?

[Michael Tew @OneMichaelTew]

Oof, this is a deep question! I absolutely do believe that art reveals important truths. Frankly, though, I do not think the Book of Mormon is a good piece of art in this sense.

It is fascinating, to be sure. It also should not be discounted for the way it formed a movement and a people out of nothing. And being one of those people, I can’t help but be interested in it.

But I see it much more as a symbol of social cohesion than a genuinely good piece of art.