And that’s the point. With several million of us to please twice a year, it’s great that there are so many different approaches and styles. Pres. Hinckley may have been a bit unique with his almost universal appeal. The test for me now is to see how I react when a “non-favorite” is at the helm.

Just about the only thing I actually worry about is the further entrenchment and canonization of the cult that scouting has become within our culture. But that isn’t THAT much of a big deal. I’ll be a little less jazzed to listen to the last talk of Priesthood Session, but I can deal with that.

“You may now be inclined to say, ‘O, this is too simple and child-like, we wish to hear the mysteries of the kingdoms of the Gods who have existed from eternity and of all the kingdoms in which they will dwell; we desire to have these things portrayed to our understandings.’ Allow me to inform you that you are in the midst of it all now, that you are in just as good a kingdom as you will ever attain to, from now to all eternity, unless you make it yourselves by the grace of God, by the will of God, by the eternal Priesthood of God, which is a code of laws perfectly calculated to govern and control eternal matter. If you and I do not by this means make that better kingdom which we anticipate, we shall never enjoy it. We can only enjoy the kingdom we have labored to make.” (JD 3:336)

Terrific post. Thank you for the honesty and insight into Pt Monson whom I’ve never meat nor seen up close.

Great story about going to mow his grass in a business shirt; tops. Also liked what Dan Knudsen wrote.

Nick #4,

I also got fed up once with Pt Monson style until I started looking for the hidden message, the moral of the story, and then I started to appreciate them more and see more ‘revelations’ and ‘prophesy’ in them. Even this snake story (eg when nothing wrong is done still some things belong in their own homes and not in ours) have several different messages which each person interprets in a way that the spirit nudges us to.

I was devestated.

If Henry B Eyring ever made it to that office I’d be half tempted to rejoin. I have more respect for him and consequently his testimony than any other GA I’ve heard. Hearing his testimony makes me want to believe. Though that’s not enough, I do respect him for it.

Even knowing Monson can have (or at least has had) a nitpicking and demanding side I liked his story of his inaugural press conference about his favorite color yellow. As a publishing professional, I liked how he addressed the importance of yellow in how it is so vital to the liveliness of flesh tones and beauty in pictures. That said, yellow couldn’t sustain the life of press-printed images without the other 3 (or more) colors. Here’s to hoping that he works intentionally to bring more balance and improvement to the style of interface the church has with critics, media and its international believers.

#15–Equality: You forgot to add something else about God murdering innocent people–the billions of innocent young children who’ve died. God is in charge of everything, so He did that, too; if He were all-loving, and believed in Equality, they’d have been allowed to live a normal life span like we get to live. And, that’s not just the Mormon God doing that, as He was doing that long before Mormons were around. Have you ever been eliminated from something for which you were in line? How cruel that someone did that to you, or anyone else–but wasn’t it actually God who did it, since He didn’t prevent it?

The experience was fun and a chance to see someone held in unnaturally high esteem as approachable and human. He that has ears to hear let him hear…

A bit? Dude, he’s the king of ham. He is the guru of ham. <<

In 2006, Pres Monson spoke at a Utah County-wide area conference, two sessions in the BYU Marriott Center. In both sessions, he spent 15-20 minutes reading from some of the goofy letters that members (and children) send to the First Presidency. He’d read one, then pull a face and wait for the audience to laugh. It was like a comedian trying out new material, and his mugging was tedious and went on way too long. In the morning session, he never did seem to get to a sermon, just chatted aimlessly. In the afternoon session, he demonstrated his ability to wiggle his ears.

The experience was confusing. This is the next prophet of the Church?

Wow, and some people think it’s only the Old Testament God who is a ruthless murderer of innocents. Looks like the modern Mormon God is still following that pattern, eh?

Or are they moderated now?

Terrific post. Thank you for the honesty and insight into Pt Monson whom I’ve never meat nor seen up close.

Great story about going to mow his grass in a business shirt; tops. Also liked what Dan Knudsen wrote.

Nick #4,

I also got fed up once with Pt Monson style until I started looking for the hidden message, the moral of the story, and then I started to appreciate them more and see more ‘revelations’ and ‘prophesy’ in them. Even this snake story (eg when nothing wrong is done still some things belong in their own homes and not in ours) have several different messages which each person interprets in a way that the spirit nudges us to.

Aye, there’s the rub. Despite officially denying any doctrine of presidential infalliability, modern faithful LDS certainly tend to operate from such a viewpoint. A president of the LDS church simply can’t do anything “wrong,” because what he does is right by definition. His behavior defines what is good and right in faithful LDS culture, because of the degree of confidence (dare I say, in some cases, idolatrous worship?) they place in the person and office. To think otherwise causes cognitive dissonance. Ergo, whatever Monson does will be “just what the LDS church needed at this time.”

In fact, sometimes his style is a bit hammy.

A bit? Dude, he’s the king of ham. He is the guru of ham.

I’ve never met President Monson but I have met President Eyring. He spoke at our stake conference in 1994 before he became a General Authority. He brought the Spirit with him and it was on that day that I made my decision to go on my mission. In fact I felt so strong a confirmation from the Spirit that day that I needed to get going now! I thanked him briefly on his way out. And that was that.

What will Monson do as Prophet? Who knows? I rather suspect that he is still figuring this out. You will all note that, at least for those of us outside SLC area, things have been VERY quiet in terms of church news since Monson took on the Presidency. I have a feeling that he has been very busy getting plans together and trying to understand exactly what his role is to be in the coming years. I wonder if he has laid things out in full just yet…

August 15, 1964, he came to the Northern California Mission and spent the day with us at the Multi-Stake Center next to the Oakland Temple (which was being built then). He interviewed each missionary, and when my turn came, he asked how long I had left and I replied that I had a month; he said, “Then make it the best month of your mission!” The highlight of the day came during the question and answer period in the afternoon, when Elder McCann (from South Australia) asked him if an apostle had to have a personal witness of Christ to be an apostle; he answered that he didn’t have to, to be one, but that they were to live so that they could; then he smiled his big, wide smile, and he seemed to glow as he said, “Brethren, it’s true! We don’t talk about it because it’s sacred to us.” Then he added, “The Church is true,” which carried more power of the Spirit than that phrase normally does.

I sang in the Tab Choir from 1976-1996, and got to hear him talk many times; only once did he use the teleprompter, as the rest of his talks were memorized, which is quite a feat. His talk delivery style isn’t my favorite style, as I like longer phrases; but, so what? That’s his style.

President Monson had been friends with my mission president, and when he died, he came to speak at his funeral. When he came into the chapel and saw me on the stand, he came straight to me and said, “I see we’re going to have some good singing today!” which surprised me, as I didn’t know he’d remember me from the choir.

He’s been through the line of elimination for this position and is the man for the job and will do what is needed. I have no idea what he’ll do, or what he’ll change, but it’ll be what’s needed as long as he’s there. There is no need to worry about how we’ll get by without President Hinckley.

I think his assension to the Prophet was a bit overwhelming for him. I remember watching him before the start of President Hinckley’s funeral and thinking he looked like the weight of the entire world was upon his shoulders. But after he started to give his talk and at the cemetary, he was back to his old self.

I am anxious to see what happens in the near future.

I read a few comments following the leadership meeting that was held a few weeks ago that people were finding him very stuffy all of a sudden.

The shock of going from our beloved Pres Hinkley to Pres Monson is going to be very tough. I’ve talked about it several times with my Seminary class. There was a love for Pres Gordon that I don’t see Pres Thomas filling. One of my students actually had a comment of “Pres Thomas (is he up to the task) Monson”.

Time will tell.

Friends in my ward encountered him in the Salt Lake temple and they report that he has an incredible memory. He had visited their grandparents in Europe while they served as mission president there and Monson remembered when told their names, some of the specific plants and landscape details in the mission home’s backyard.

It’s my impression that he is at his best when speaking from the pulpit. He may be effective at business administration, but it may not make him a happy person. Helping people, and then speaking to us letting us know he has helped them, apparently does.

I will say he gave the same speech at the U of U’s commencement as he gave at General Conference (”look backward, reach outward, press forward”) and that Church security whisked him away as soon as he marched out of the processional, although folks like Orrin Hatch hung around to mill with the graduates.

He was very relaxed at a regional conference in Washington State and told all kinds of self-deprecating stories which made the audience roar with laughter. No gospel point was being made, but we all enjoyed ourselves.

The only time I’ve seen him was when I was driving by his home and saw him get in the back seat of his car while his security agent/driver got in the front. Apparently he was off to a dinner. He looked like a normal Joe living in a normal neighborhood, except for the security guy and the very well-maintained yard.

I must confess that even when I was a nearly-fanatical TBM, Monson’s repetitive stories irritated me to no end. He retold the same stories, in soothing pulpit-voice and passive voice, over and over again. I kept wishing the man would stand up in general conference, and say: “Story #7, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen” and sit down!

I remember the snake story. He shared it in a ces fireside, too.