Mormons Should Be Ashamed of Themselves

I have been quiet for too long.

Mormons should be ashamed of themselves. In the “split” with the BSA, I have absolutely shook in actual anger as I have heard how excited Mormons are to leave the BSA. Let’s make it very clear for those reading – if the Church believes it is time to provide a program that they feel better prepares the youth of the Church to be better missionaries, spouses and people, I am all for it. What I am not for is trashing the program we are leaving in a final hooray or trashing the fact that we were participating in the BSA, for over 100 years I might add, under the same dang inspiration that brings the new program to us in 2020. If this new program truly was given and inspired of God, then guess what? So was using the BSA, no matter their membership changes. It was and is inspiration that we participated in the BSA. And now it is inspiration that we are leaving. We don’t trash the past just because we are making changes.

Some might say we are leaving because of the membership changes but I say the changes came because we told the BSA we were leaving.  They are looking to replace soon to be missing membership. Homosexuals were already in the BSA but closeted. Might I also remind my Mormons that homosexuals are in the Church as well and can participate fully, just like a heterosexual, if they follow the standards of the Church. They can hold callings and attend the Temple. They can pay tithing. The standards for both are the exact same. Plus the BSA allowed organizations to set their own standards of membership. So what is the big deal? And the addition of girls………are we seriously freaked out by girls especially when they were already involved in Scouting in Venturing Crews? They have been involved since the 1970s. I have heard so many times that boys and girls would be sleeping in the same tent yet that hasn’t happened in current Venturing Crews. Can I again remind my Mormons that on Trek, boys and girls camp together multiple days and somehow, some way girls don’t end up pregnant or sleeping with boys? You all look like idiots for even bringing this up.

A couple other things that have been bugging me.

1. The BSA has been called a breeding ground for pedophilia. I have been told because I am white, a man, I am older and because I am a Scout leader, I fit the profile of a pedophile. What in the HELL is going on that I am being judged because I am trying to help train and lead young men to be better people. Not only have I never been accused of anything but never done anything I shouldn’t have. It is very closed minded to think because a man wants to help, he is doing something wrong. We are killing the reputation of men in this world for having done nothing but being born a man but that is a post for another day. If you are worried about the BSA leaders you should be worried about every place your child goes and you should keep them at home in a bubble. I would also like to remind you that predators come in both sexes.
2. This opportunity of the LDS Church leaving the BSA should have been an awesome send-off. Something where we express how great the last 100 years have been together, how we wished them luck, how if they needed our help to let us know what we can do to help (you know, the Christ-like thing to do….), how much we will miss them and then a parting hug as we rode off to our next destination. Instead, some have attempted to burn bridges and trash the BSA. I won’t stand for it. I won’t stand for your assumptions on why we are leaving and the joy you feel when 90% of you haven’t bothered to do the right thing and get trained. This is not the right attitude for a missionary church. This is not the right attitude of the followers of Christ. This is not the right attitude of a soon to be ex-Scout (thought I might again argue that once a Scout, always a Scout). Just like I am ready for the Old School Scouters to be out of Scouting, I am also ready for Old School Mormons to be out of the Church or in a retirement home. Enough is enough. The Mormon’s worst enemy is themselves and this situation has proven that is true. Shut up, shake the BSA’s hand and move on if you are so dang excited.

As for training with the new program, bad leaders will still be bad leaders. It will be easy to fall back into a basketball program for the young men. I hope there is some kind of training program for adults and youth in the new youth program. I hope Bishops hold their Primary Presidents, their Young Women leaders and their Young Men leaders accountable for being trained. Training should not be on the job training. Training should not be assumed through “inspiration”. It can’t be. When callings are extended, they should be explained fully. Vision should be explained. Training should be expected. And by golly, when members don’t hit the mark they should be given the opportunity to fix their mistakes or given the opportunity to be released. These youth’s lives are depending on dang good leaders who realize a calling in the youth is not a one hour class on Sunday but an invitation to get involved in their lives for forever, to be a mentor for the rest of their life.

I am more afraid that this people have so much confidence in their leaders that they will not inquire for themselves of God whether they are led by Him. I am fearful they settle down in a state of blind self-security, trusting their eternal destiny in the hands of their leaders with a reckless confidence that in itself would thwart the purposes of God in their salvation, and weaken that influence they could give to their leaders, did they know for themselves, by the revelations of Jesus, that they are led in the right way. Let every man and woman know, by the whispering of the Spirit of God to themselves, whether their leaders are walking in the path the Lord dictates, or not. This has been my exhortation continually. Journal of Discourses, 9ː150 (January 12, 1862)

Between now and 2020, the BSA program better be used. You better work the dang program but I am pretty sure with the announcement you have already planned your very soon exit plan. On the other side, I know a Scoutmaster friend who is going to extra effort to make sure one of his Scouts has the opportunity to be Eagle. The Scout must just put in the effort if he wants it. Others are already looking at non-LDS units to put their kids – this is an idea I have pushed for a long time because most of the boys would have gotten a better program because Scout leaders outside of the Church actually get trained for the most part. They run the program as it is written instead of the “LDS version” of the program. And the BSA will not fail because we are not there. We, Mormons, are not that great and powerful. Get off your high horse.

To my non-Mormon friends in the BSA, some of us are staying. Some of us will continue to help because we understand a Scout is always a Scout and because you are our brothers and sisters and you need us as much as we need you. 


The Change Resources:

• https://mylifebygogogoff.com/2018/05/3-reasons-why-as-an-eagle-scout-i-fully-support-the-lds-church-leaving-the-bsa.html
• https://www.lds.org/youth/childrenandyouth