Saturday, August 23, 2008

Following the Prophet: How it works

We've discussed Spencer Kimball and his infamous advice on having children: Don't worry if you are in college, don't worry if you are not prepared...just live together as husband and wife and let the children come.

So this is how following the prophet works- if you do this and everything turns out okay, then it just proves that following the prophet brings blessings. But what if it does not work out. I found this post by a young woman who followed Kimball's advice:

I'm 23 years old, pregnant with our second. I married my husband at the age of 18, jumping into a relationship with him after a horribly abusive relationship with a different young man, one I stayed with because when I asked my BYU single's ward bishop for help, he said I "wasn't sorry enough yet" and needed to repent. With that response, I was sure no one would help me.

My husband is a very nice man, but we're just starting to get on our feet financially, after following the advice given to BYU students by a member of the twelve while we were there, and not waiting to start a family. We soon found, though, that it's easier said then done, especially if both your families can't afford to help you, you have massive health problems while pregnant, and your Wymount ward looks the other way, unless they're upset at you for missing church.

Interesting, too, that while the church is telling college kids to get married and have kids, Utah law meant that as full-time students, we were unable to get any real help from the government, something we tried as a last resort. In the end, we left with my husband barely graduating, us in debt, and me being forced to drop out of school, while sick and pregnant, and then go waitress at Dennys so we could survive.

Looks like old Kimball's "prophetic advice" was a bust here...right? WRONG!

In Mormonism, it's not the leaders who fail... you fail.


You did something wrong, you were not righteous enough, you didn't go to the temple enough, you were not humble, you failed to have Family Home Evening or didn't pay tithing or do your visiting teaching or you didn't ________ enough.



At any rate...if you follow the prophet and it does not work out for you just remember....it's your fault!