thread: 2007-02-13 : Exorcism
On 2007-02-14, Porter wrote:
Every time, a couple of months after we'd moved in, my parents would have some other family over. This'd be after the official visits and the assigned friends; this'd be my folks finding their own. Another family, young, educated, not super active in the ward, more politically left than most Mormons, more critical in their thinking, interested in the history of the church and the nuances of its theology.
I always enjoyed talking to your dad, Vincent—though I admit he never took me particularly seriously (if you think you were naive, wowza, what was/am I?!). There are, in fact, still points of Mormon doctrine my understanding of which I trace back to your father (Satan is unnecessary to God's plan because how could an omnipotent God come up with a plan where 1/3 of his children suffered in hell for eternity? Could He let it happen? I guess. Could He make it happen? No way, not and still be God).
I think you capture the naivete of being an 18 year old Mormon boy beautifully. In most adolescents (so my experience tells me) there is a sense of trying to be "grown up." I recall desperately wanting to be taken seriously (by Vince's dad and others). If I made a pretense to knowing anything either before of after my mission it was a product of the naivete Vince describes and the common (universal?) need for an adolescent to present his or herself as a full adult. I believe these two factors are directly responsible for down right odd ethos of BYU.
BTW, Vincent. Mormon boys use their priesthood to get Mormon girls into bed all the time... though the bedding is generally preceded by a trip down the aisle (generally, but not always of course).
