Dan Reynolds on The Ellen Show about Mormonism

[BeccaKirstyn]

https://www.ellentube.com/video/imagine-dragons-dan-reynolds-on-his-guilt-as-a-unique-mormon-extended-cut.html

I have so many frustrated thoughts about this, and am extremely disappointed in this interview.  

So many false assumptions and statements. This does not represent the Church nor our beliefs. But what's sad is how many LDS friends I have who think this way and would agree with everything he said. 

I wish we could talk more about the LGBTQ youth who are members and address the real problems about identity within the Church, but this is not the way to go about it. Not while representing Mormon beliefs. 

Edited June 7, 2018 by BeccaKirstyn

[Overwatch]

I watched his interview and it seems like he is getting revenge in a weird way. He is angry for getting kicked out of BYU for fornicating with his girlfriend. He broke an Honor Code he was suppose to keep to be a student there.

https://policy.byu.edu/view/index.php?p=26

He feels spurned and it seems during his mental distress that he latched on to something to fight the LDS church on. He is not all the way gone but is walking in the middle. He is about to lose his marriage, so things are crumbling down for sure.

I am sure his parents are keeping him in their prayers. He will be okay, I hope he makes a turnaround soon though.

His recent picture shirtless and waving a rainbow flag is a bit disheartening. Him being a returned missionary and removing his Holy Garments.

It makes me think of this

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/121.37?lang=eng

 

 

[Anddenex]

The whole question to his mom about the train is really ignorant. It would be similar if he asked, "If a train were coming and you had the option to save me or one of my brothers who would you save"? Stupid questions do not get us anywhere.

As a father, I would ask, which one was I closer to? I am human and if I could only save one I would save the one I am most likely able to save (assuming the trains are the same distance from the children.

This is the type of mentality that created the hysteria that caused mobs to combine and assault, rape, and remove the pioneers from their homes of residence.

[seashmore]

I watched the second video about his divorce, and both of them made me sad for him. 

The guilt he felt was not from the Church, that was from God.  When he received his own endowment to serve a mission, and again when he entered BYU, he promised that he would live the Law of Chastity.  He broke that promise.  There are consequences.  One of those is feeling guilt, and one was getting kicked out of BYU.

With the train question, he was essentially asking his mom who she loved more: her God or her son?  Because I've faced times in my life where I felt I had to choose between participating in my religion and participating in my family, Matthew 10: 37 came to mind.  Now, I'm not a parent, I cannot say with 100% certainty how I would answer, but I can say that I have chosen God's wishes over my parent's before.  Namely, moving to Omaha (Reynold's mission, actually) instead of back home after college.

 

[SpiritDragon]

On 6/6/2018 at 10:08 PM, BeccaKirstyn said:

https://www.ellentube.com/video/imagine-dragons-dan-reynolds-on-his-guilt-as-a-unique-mormon-extended-cut.html

I have so many frustrated thoughts about this, and am extremely disappointed in this interview.  

So many false assumptions and statements. This does not represent the Church nor our beliefs. But what's sad is how many LDS friends I have who think this way and would agree with everything he said. 

I wish we could talk more about the LGBTQ youth who are members and address the real problems about identity within the Church, but this is not the way to go about it. Not while representing Mormon beliefs. 

So true. This interview was pure drivel and I couldn't stop rolling my eyes at the lies.

I'm not sure if any new data has come out to actually show that the increased suicides in Utah are driven by the LGBTQ community, but the last time I looked there really wasn't anything to go on.

https://www.fairmormon.org/blog/2017/10/11/gay-youth-suicides-utah

This post isn't that old, and shares some of my same concerns about assumptions being made.

I also found this interesting link while reading comments, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10654-016-0154-6 which is a look into suicide rates in Sweden where the LGBT lifestyle is supposedly very well accepted and yet three times the suicide rate remains among the male gay population. Why still triple the rate if it's not driven by bigotry? Perhaps same sex attraction issue needs to be reconsidered as a mental illness as it used to be because of the increased risk of self-harm. I'm not saying that the churches stance on chastity isn't a driver for suicide among teens and young adults, but I don't think it fair to blame the church for increased suicide rates either. Out of fifty states basically 25 are going to have above average suicide rates and 25 will have below average rates - okay well that would be assuming equal population distribution, but the point is that Utah doesn't even lead the nation in suicide deaths, but the church gets all of this blame on the issue.

Perhaps suicide being a leading cause of death in Utah teens is a result of less death from other risky behaviours or better recognition and reporting of suicide in the state - we just don't know.

[lostinwater]

i don't know.  i've lost LGBT friends to suicide who were members.

There's more than one kind of shame or guilt. There's the kind where people on the outside shake their finger at you.  Plenty of that floating around out there, but it's usually well masked.  

The most common, and far, far, far more damaging kind, is the guilt that you plant very early on in a person's life.  You feed it by pushing one ideal onto someone over, and over and over and over and over again.  Almost always with good intentions.  It usually sleeps as it grows, but once awakened, will rise up and strangle the life out of the person it lives in.  

People tell me often that this is the inner compass of the person.  Actually i think this is largely true.  But i've seen lots of very unsavory people that struggle with it a great deal, and lots of amazingly pure-hearted people who struggle with it very little.  Outside influences can turn a mildly unpleasant burning sensation into a raging fire.   i don't demand that people pretend to accept something they don't agree with - both because i don't think anyone has a right to do that and also because i know it's a fruitless pursuit that only increases bitterness in those who demand it, and those who refuse it.

But i find the idea that a religion (any religion) as central to a person's identity and sense of goodness as mormonism is plays no role in suicide of it's LGBT constituents a bit absurd.  That is one of the messages i take from that man's interview.  

Again, i don't agree that people should throw out their beliefs to avoid offending others, but when you lose a LGBT friend with a truly (really truly) pure heart to suicide, you really begin to realize that a lack of balance in a belief carries a horrific cost.  How important was the ideal?  Was it worth it?  All i can say is that you really ask questions like that at funerals.

[Guest MormonGator]

52 minutes ago, lostinwater said:

i don't know.  i've lost LGBT friends to suicide who were members.

There's more than one kind of shame or guilt. There's the kind where people on the outside shake their finger at you.  Plenty of that floating around out there, but it's usually well masked.  

The most common, and far, far, far more damaging kind, is the guilt that you plant very early on in a person's life.  You feed it by pushing one ideal onto someone over, and over and over and over and over again.  Almost always with good intentions.  It usually sleeps as it grows, but once awakened, will rise up and strangle the life out of the person it lives in.  

People tell me often that this is the inner compass of the person.  Actually i think this is largely true.  But i've seen lots of very unsavory people that struggle with it a great deal, and lots of amazingly pure-hearted people who struggle with it very little.  Outside influences can turn a mildly unpleasant burning sensation into a raging fire.   i don't demand that people pretend to accept something they don't agree with - both because i don't think anyone has a right to do that and also because i know it's a fruitless pursuit that only increases bitterness in those who demand it, and those who refuse it.

But i find the idea that a religion (any religion) as central to a person's identity and sense of goodness as mormonism is plays no role in suicide of it's LGBT constituents a bit absurd.  That is one of the messages i take from that man's interview.  

Again, i don't agree that people should throw out their beliefs to avoid offending others, but when you lose a LGBT friend with a truly (really truly) pure heart to suicide, you really begin to realize that a lack of balance in a belief carries a horrific cost.  How important was the ideal?  Was it worth it?  All i can say is that you really ask questions like that at funerals.

Beautiful post. So sorry about your friends  @lostinwater. My heart breaks for anyone who commits suicide for any reason.