Offense

Is leaving an organization because a person has been offended a logical, reasonable reason for leaving?

Is it a good enough reason to leave?  According to this article put out by the church, it is not:  http://lds.org/general-conference/2006/10/and-nothing-shall-offend-them?lang=eng

When I handed in my resignation, I was sent a pamphlet by the church, asking me to return if the reason I left was because I was offended. Well, I am offended by many things inside that organization. I am offended that women do not have equal access to money, power and privilege inside the mormon church. I am offended that women cannot hold a meeting on their own without a man being present.  I am offended that gays are committing suicide at high rates because they are not accepted as legitimate equals. I am offended that blacks could not hold the priesthood until 1976. Many things offend me, but I didn't leave because I was offended.

What happens, however, when the shoe is on the other foot?  I was asked to take down this very blog because some mormons find it offensive.  Are they *allowed* by Bednars own words, to take offense?  What about mormons who are confronted by what they term anti-mormon literature and are offended? Do they then have a right to be offended?  What about the people who protest outside the temple and at conference time? Do mormon's have the right to be offended?

According to Bednar's own words, they should not take offense.

What is the fact?

The entire time I was a mormon, the leaders would warn us to not listen to opponents of the church. They warned us that they were evil, they were sinners, they were tools of the devil.

We were warned that although people who opposed the church would say things such as, 'there are significant changes to the BoM' the leaders in the church would tell us that only minor spelling errors had been made.

You have to see this, then decide for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1foCKuxjTA&feature=share

How can you still believe in your leaders, who are not honest with you?

Is there good in divorce?

I have been divorced a number of years. I am over the pain and anger. When I read articles like the one I just read, I do not get angry, but I worry about people who believe it and decide to stay rather than find sanctuary in divorce, like I did.

Leaving an abusive marriage is the single best decision I made.  I would occasionally tell a friend how unhappy I was in my marriage. I would not tell everything, just enough to let it be known my marriage was failing.  Inevitably the advice I received back then was that I needed to submit more, love more, sacrifice more for my man.

I would take this advice to heart, only to be more miserable, more unhappy, more unfulfilled.  I would forgive, I would love, I would turn the other cheek. None of the common advice works when the spouse is determined to abuse. This I have learned by sad experience: often the best choice is to leave; sooner than later.

This is some of the worst advice EVER! Please, people before you give lame advice, make sure you know all the circumstances.  Make sure you know if the person is being abused. Please avoid judging and condemning.

Sometimes, it is better to leave than to stay.

Worst ever:  http://lds.org/general-conference/2007/04/divorce?lang=eng