LDS Church's New Managing Director for Church Communication

[old]

https://www.deseret.com/2024/1/9/24032002/latter-day-saint-leaders-hire-new-managing-director-for-church-communication#:~:text=Aaron Sherinian%2C a longtime global,Christ of Latter-day Saints&text=Aaron Sherinian is,Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I'm interested on the opinions of the choice of hire here.

[Carborendum]

25 minutes ago, old said:

I'm interested on the opinions of the choice of hire here.

I can only hope that this is about bringing the disaffected back into the fold.  But I have serious misgivings about this guy being in charge of what is published on the official Church Newsroom site.

[laronius]

A good communications director knows how to keep personal opinion out of how they represent their employer. Time will tell if he is good at his job. It sounds like he works pretty close to the brethren. If there were multiple levels of separation, personnel speaking, between he and them I would be more concerned. But regardless I doubt this was an uninspired decision so I'm not worried.

[mikbone]

“Sometimes when we see an article or listen to something in the media that we know is not right, we don’t have to immediately scream about it or go ballistic about something that we might have seen,” he said. “Sometimes it’s a matter of asking the question, either of the media outlet or of the person who shared it.”     Aaron Sherinian

I find myself agreeing with him.

[Vort]

Surely it can't be the same guy.

[Carborendum]

42 minutes ago, Vort said:

Surely it can't be the same guy.

It looks like the same guy.  

I'm assuming, of course, that Old is being forthright and has done due diligence on his screen captures and links.

[old]

2 minutes ago, Carborendum said:

It looks like the same guy.  

I'm assuming, of course, that Old is being forthright and has done due diligence on his screen captures and links.

I understand why there is apprehension; however I do my due diligence.

He has an instagram account.  Here is where one of them comes from directly; unless one claims the instagram account is really not him.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQMYYl5BLXT/?hl=en

[old]

4 minutes ago, Carborendum said:

It looks like the same guy.  

I'm assuming, of course, that Old is being forthright and has done due diligence on his screen captures and links.

One can very easily search for his account name and look for these posts if one has any doubts.

[mirkwood]

I searched and found the twitter posts.  I didn't search the instagram posts as I didn't see a way to narrow a search down.

[Carborendum]

5 minutes ago, old said:

I understand why there is apprehension; however I do my due diligence.

He has an instagram account.  Here is where one of them comes from directly; unless one claims the instagram account is really not him.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQMYYl5BLXT/?hl=en

No, I had no apprehension.  I trust you until I have reason to believe otherwise.

I was merely adding a disclaimer if any naysayer was going to comment.

[Carborendum]

7 minutes ago, old said:

One can very easily search for his account name and look for these posts if one has any doubts.

I can't really search as well as others since I'm not actively on social media.  I have a Facebook account. But I don't think I've actually logged in for several years.  I have no other accounts on Instagram, X, TikTok, or any of the myriad other stuff that's out there. 

This site is where I have my biggest digital footprint.

Edited January 12, 2024 by Carborendum

[zil2]

The cited instagram account links to a website that appears to be his, and here's the about me page, which confirms it's the guy from the Deseret News article.  Don't have an X account, so I can't see what's there.

[NeuroTypical]

Well, dude is certainly not hard to find.   

https://globalextrovert.com/about-me/

Quote

From 2018 to 2021, Aaron served as the Vice President for Global Communications Transformation at Philip Morris International, where he helped manage the company’s historic shift toward a smoke-free future. 
...
Aaron served as Global Communications Director for the Aga Khan Development Network, reporting to His Highness the Aga Khan.
...
Aaron’s career included more than a decade as Chief Communications and Marketing Officer for the United Nations Foundation. 
...
Aaron served as the Managing Director of Public Affairs for the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a U.S. Government development assistance agency, where he worked within both Republican and Democratic administration leadership to administer $7 billion in poverty reduction grants in 40 partner countries.

 

And yep, can confirm some of the screen shots from @old

 

[LDSGator]

This guy worked for Phillip Morris? A company you can say, without hyperbole, is accountable for millions of deaths. We all need to feed our families and they can say whatever they want now about anti smoking, but that’s repulsive. 

[CV75]

Maybe he repented 

Maybe it's a matter of "Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer.”  

Maybe the Church finds it useful to have someone expert in the communication of those who would reject and fight the Church for political reasons alone.

[NeuroTypical]

For me and my house, I've followed the guy on Twitter, and I'm trying not to act like a gossipy Pharisee.  I am withholding judgment, and reminding myself of the principles in this talk: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1999/08/judge-not-and-judging

Right now, I simply don't have enough information upon which to base a righteous judgment.   "There's potential cause for concern" is about as far as I'm going right now.

[mirkwood]

52 minutes ago, NeuroTypical said:

For me and my house, I've followed the guy on Twitter, and I'm trying not to act like a gossipy Pharisee.  I am withholding judgment, and reminding myself of the principles in this talk: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1999/08/judge-not-and-judging

Right now, I simply don't have enough information upon which to base a righteous judgment.   "There's potential cause for concern" is about as far as I'm going right now.

Yeah, but I'll be watching him.  I too am following him on twitter.

[askandanswer]

2 hours ago, LDSGator said:

This guy worked for Phillip Morris? A company you can say, without hyperbole, is accountable for millions of deaths. We all need to feed our families and they can say whatever they want now about anti smoking, but that’s repulsive. 

Like you, I was surprised to note that he worked for Phillip Morris. I guess that if there is any truth in the idea of karma, we would have to balance his work at Phillip Morris against his employment as the Managing Director of Public Affairs for the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a U.S. Government development assistance agency, where he worked within both Republican and Democratic administration leadership to administer $7 billion in poverty reduction grants in 40 partner countries. Maybe his contribution to ending lives is less than his contribution to saving lives. Who knows? 

[askandanswer]

8 hours ago, old said:

https://www.deseret.com/2024/1/9/24032002/latter-day-saint-leaders-hire-new-managing-director-for-church-communication#:~:text=Aaron Sherinian%2C a longtime global,Christ of Latter-day Saints&text=Aaron Sherinian is,Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I'm interested on the opinions of the choice of hire here.

Like @Carborendum, I have no social media accounts apart from here at thirdhour and this site is where I make my largest digital footprint. 

I find it odd that you are asking us to form an opinion on the basis of half a dozen media posts made over a period of two or three years, the most recent of which was more than 6 years ago. Surely a well-informed opinion would be based on an objective and even-handed analysis of all of his social media posts. Even that would be a totally inadequate basis on which to form a reliable opinion as it would only cover one aspect of his life. 

[LDSGator]

27 minutes ago, askandanswer said:

Like you, I was surprised to note that he worked for Phillip Morris. I guess that if there is any truth in the idea of karma, we would have to balance his work at Phillip Morris against his employment as the Managing Director of Public Affairs for the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a U.S. Government development assistance agency, where he worked within both Republican and Democratic administration leadership to administer $7 billion in poverty reduction grants in 40 partner countries. Maybe his contribution to ending lives is less than his contribution to saving lives. Who knows? 

We all have to make a living, and I don’t pay his bills or feed his family with my paycheck. Nor am I going to start doing so. I should probably be quiet.  
 

However, if he asked for my opinion I’d tell them to get another job. It’s dirty. Like working for an adult movie manufacturer.  

Edited January 12, 2024 by LDSGator

[The Folk Prophet]

2 hours ago, NeuroTypical said:

"There's potential cause for concern"

Why?

God still leads his church, doesn't he?

[LDSGator]

6 hours ago, The Folk Prophet said:

Why?

God still leads his church, doesn't he?

This will be the ultimate battle for the church members in the future. The near future. The Catholics have been dealing with the “liberalism” of Pope Francis, and now it’ll come to Salt Lake City. 
 

I have a ton of conservative Catholic friends, and they said “Shut up and obey the pope” when Benedict was in office. Now they squirm, wiggle and look uncomfortable because “Shut up and obey the pope.” doesn’t work when they disagree with the Pope. I’m almost certain the same kind of thing will happen shortly here.    
 

It’s a taste of their own medicine, and boy do they dislike it. 

Edited January 13, 2024 by LDSGator

[Carborendum]

57 minutes ago, The Folk Prophet said:

Why?

God still leads his church, doesn't he?

God led the Israel when Samuel was the Prophet.  Yet there was concern about his sons being Judges in Israel.

[The Folk Prophet]

4 minutes ago, Carborendum said:

God led the Israel when Samuel was the Prophet.  Yet there was concern about his sons being Judges in Israel.

I'm sure you have a point. I'm just not sure what it is. Care to elaborate?

[old]

5 hours ago, askandanswer said:

Like @Carborendum, I have no social media accounts apart from here at thirdhour and this site is where I make my largest digital footprint. 

I find it odd that you are asking us to form an opinion on the basis of half a dozen media posts made over a period of two or three years, the most recent of which was more than 6 years ago. Surely a well-informed opinion would be based on an objective and even-handed analysis of all of his social media posts. Even that would be a totally inadequate basis on which to form a reliable opinion as it would only cover one aspect of his life. 

I'm not asking you to form an opinion.  I am asking if you have one and if so what is it.  Several of the social media posts are 2-3 years old. I would say that there are some things that are so egregious that if that thing is posted it overshadows and outweighs anything else.  

In order to not offend the forum gods, I will not outline what some of those things are...however I am sure you can imagine things which if posted (even if only once) would instantly be a disqualifier for such a high-profile position as the Head of Church Communications regardless of anything else.