What You See Is What You Don't Get: Keeping The Faith/Losing His Religion + Abusing Women

Rob Porter intense

Not such a squeaky clean-cut  "perfect image" has emerged from the so-called security clearance full-blown scandals inside The House of Trump White House that at the same time heralded in the Mormon Senatorial Shuffle producing an announcement from Mitt Romney that he's running to fill the seat of Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, retiring after a long  term representing the State of Utah in The U.S. Senate.
Described as charismatic, intense and privileged, Rob Porter [seen in the image to the left] spent years building on his pedigree. He grew up Mormon in a family with close ties to the elite Mormon enclave of Belmont, Mass., collected degrees from Harvard and Oxford University and amassed prestigious job titles.
Married and divorced twice to Mormon women, he's been exposed as an abuser.
(See related content farther along in this post)
Do some Mormon men have a problem not only with women, but also a problem with their public image of "Manhood" where producing progeny is a bragging right in the church's eternal sealing of marriage as "a forever-thing"  at the same time dis-avowing same-sex relationships of any kind? Are there "closeted-gays" in the public pantheon of LDS figures who still continue to hide their secret sex lives from the public vision, just like the charismatic Rob Porter hid his domestic life from his public record? Time will tell . . .

Former governor of Massachusetts and one-time presidential candidate Romney announced 5 days ago
https://twitter.com/MittRomney/status/964489491682504704

LDS Golden Boys

Tally Zingher, a former classmate, described Mr. Porter as “an upstanding guy driven by morals.”

“My memory of him is ‘totally positive golden boy,’” Ms. Zingher added.

Melissa Langsam Braunstein, a former vice president of the Harvard Republican Club who overlapped with Mr. Porter there, said he had a picture-perfect image at Harvard.“It’s unsettling, shocking and surprising,” she said in an interview.

Porter has worked for Senators Rob Portman [Ohio] and Mike Lee [Utah].In March 2014, Porter began working for Senator Orrin Hatch. Porter was initially appointed Deputy Chief of Staff and was promoted to Chief of Staff in June of that year. Porter left the role in January 2017, to become White House Staff Secretary for President Donald Trump.

He was chief counsel for Senator Mike Lee, Republican of Utah, who also recently announced his retirement.

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RELATED CONTENT:

Rob Porter’s Charisma and Ambition Disguised Flare-ups of Anger

By KATIE ROGERS 19eb 2018

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/19.html 

 

Rob Porter’s case shows how the Mormon Church can fail abused women

Colbie Holderness and Jennifer Willoughby called out the church for not taking domestic abuse seriously enough.

By Tara Isabella Burton@NotoriousTIBtara.burton@vox.com Feb 16, 2018, 1:30pm

Rob Porter's case shows how the Mormon Church can fail abused ... - Vex

“ALL Are Alike Unto God” | No Revelation > Finding The Right Path?

Last year on March 19, 2017 Bryce Cook published a new comprehensive essay on the church’s stance toward LGBT members. Bryce Cook is a founding member of ALL (Arizona LDS LGBT) Friends & Family and a co-director of the annual “ALL Are Alike Unto God” Conference held every April in Mesa, Arizona.
He is married to Sara Spencer Cook and together they have six children, two of whom are gay. Since their oldest son came out publicly in 2012, Bryce and Sara have become public allies for LGBT people in and out of the church.
The essay is a long but fascinating read.
(Read so strong points taken from the article by Angela C below)
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"The longer this change is in coming, the more people we will lose – not just gay people, but increasingly their family members, their friends and other sympathetic members of the church, particularly younger people, who do not see same-sex marriage as a threat to society or a sin against God. And unlike black people who had the choice of not joining the church during the priesthood/temple ban, gay babies are born into the church every day and at increasing numbers as the church grows. Their departure – along with their families and those who care about them – ultimately harms us as a church more than it does them. It leaves a gaping wound in our church, the body of Christ. And sadly it is our doctrine, not their weak character or lack of spirituality, that is pushing them out.
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LGBT Questions: An Essay
https://bycommonconsent.com

History
The essay begins with an overview of the historical statements by various church leaders on the topic of homosexuality. It is easy to demonstrate that positions have changed dramatically as time has increased understanding of homosexuality. He demonstrates clear shifts in the following:

• Is it a choice?
• What causes homosexuality?
• Is it curable?
• Difference between being homosexual and ‘acting on it.’

Pew Surveys showed that Mormons were becoming more accepting of gay people, a 50% increase in acceptance of homosexuality (from 24% to 36% in 7 years), and at the same time, gay marriage was becoming legal. As a result, the church began to retrench on its positive positions toward homosexuality and our LGBT members. This retrenchment culminated in the Nov. 5 policy to exclude children of gay-married parents from ordinances and to consider any gay-married church members as “apostates” and adding to the psychological pressure faced by LGBT members.
Cook continues by enumerating other areas of change the church has embraced in contrast to earlier held positions . . .
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The rest of the essay pivots on two premises:
1. Being gay is not a choice
2. Homosexuals are just as capable as heterosexuals of forming committed, love-based relationships with a person they are naturally attracted to.
Cook asks that the reader who doesn’t personally know many gay people or hasn’t talked with them about their own experience suspend their ignorance long enough to read the remainder of the essay, which includes many first hand accounts from Mormons who are also gay. His focus is on those who are fully homosexual as opposed to bisexual or transgender
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DOCTRINE
The next section discusses the doctrinal origins of the church’s stance. There is very little in canonized scripture that refers to the modern love-based same-sex relationships developing in our day. Cook explains the context and beliefs behind existing scriptures that do prohibit homosexual behavior.
Modern day teachings on homosexuality are next reviewed, although they are more focused on describing heteronormative relationships, not on discussing those cases in which individuals are attracted to someone of the same sex. Because these documents don’t speak to the homosexual experience except implying it is not “normal” (or the heterosexual norm described), Cook asks if we are certain that we understand God’s will on this subject. Have we sought revelation from the perspective of a gay person or just from a set of assumptions as heterosexuals who believe heterosexual unions are the only way to protect society? He also talks about the oddity of prescribing celibacy, a requirement that the church has often decried in other churches.
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Speaking of the old adage from Proverbs 29:18 that “where there is no vision, the people perish,” Cook talks about the lack of vision for homosexuals that has contributed to suicides in the LGBT community.
Cook reviews the church’s main arguments against same-sex marriage:

• Procreation argument
• Complementarianism argument
• Families & Children Argument

Cook mentioned one other important callout, the claim made by E. Wickman in a 2006 interview that homosexuality did not exist in pre-earth life and will not exist after we die. While this may give straight people some comfort that the unfairness in this life doled out to homosexuals is temporary, it can foster suicidal thoughts in homosexuals who believe that they would be better if only their earthly trial would end. This is certainly not an outcome the church should be encouraging, even accidentally through feel-good speculation.
> Cook ends the discussion on doctrine with some valuable questions about how certain we are about God’s will:
Is our certainty so strong that we can accept the consequences of our statements on the gay community?
Or are we speculating on the basis of traditions and biases that we will later regret as we have with other issues?
Cook encourages all of us to follow Pres. Kimball’s example in questioning our own motives and biases in defending positions that harm LGBT church members.
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MORAL BASIS
Cook observes that many of the opponents of LGBT rights focus solely on the sexual aspects of their relationships, not on the loving aspects, and as he points out, it would be equally unfair to judge heterosexual relationships in this way, and yet we manage to avoid that.
He also cautions readers to avoid assuming their instincts and revulsion about homosexual sex are morally right. __________________________________________________________________________________
EMPIRICAL BASIS
This section talks about the fruits of our policies toward gay church members.
Cook goes on to describe his own experience with gay church members, having two sons who are gay, and helping to found an LDS LGBT support group with over 500 members. He also actively participates in Affirmation, the oldest and largest LDS LGBT organization. His oldest son came out 13 years ago, and he has met and knows personally hundreds of LGBT people.

Cook shares the observed fruits of the church’s stance for gay youth:

Early stages (acknowledging being gay/same-sex attracted)

• Extreme guilt and self-loathing (even when living church standards)
• Depression and despair with occasional suicidal thoughts
• Extreme religiosity and scrupulosity (perfectionism and unhealthy obsession with righteous living and rule keeping in hopes of changing or proving worthiness)

Later stages (realizing sexual orientation isn’t changing)

• Periods of depression and despair with suicidal thoughts, sometimes leading to suicide
• Social/emotional detachment, inability to form relationships with others
• Stagnation, apathy, hopelessness
• Overcompensation, perfectionism, overachievement
• Obsessive/compulsive behavior associated with pornography and masturbation made worse by feelings of shame, worthlessness and hopelessness
• Living in a perpetual cycle of shame trying to suppress innate sexuality and live according to the church’s standards but always falling short (periodic hookups, pornography, etc.)
• Loss of faith, anger and bitterness against the church and God
• Vast majority leave the church to preserve emotional and mental health

One of the most powerful aspects to the essay is what follows, a sharing of the personal stories of many LDS LGBT individuals. If you don’t know many gay Mormons yourself, reading these stories will help you to understand their experience in a more profound way.

 

Drivers of Opportunity: How Will Latinos Shape the Future of the American Dream?

Scheduled for Feb 21, 2018

 

In the coming decades, the success of the US economy will become increasingly tied to the success of Latino Americans. With 58 million Latinos in the US today and projections of population growth in the years to come, Latino workers, consumers, and business owners will shape the present and future of the US economy. How can we secure economic stability and mobility for Latino workers, families, and communities? What policies, practices, or strategies could help to improve job quality, increase skills and access to high-quality jobs, and expand business ownership opportunities? The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program (EOP) and the Latinos and Society Program (AILAS) invite you to join us for “Drivers of Opportunity: How Will Latinos Shape the Future of the American Dream?”

This event is presented as part of EOP’s Working in America event series and AILAS’s Latino Economic Advancement series. The Economic Opportunities Program is grateful to the Ford Foundation, the Prudential Foundation, and the Walmart Foundation for their support of this work. The Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program would like to thank the Ricardo Salinas Foundation, Target, the Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation, Comcast/NBCUniversal Telemundo, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Edison International, and Weingart Foundation for making this event and the work of the Latinos and Society Program possible.
Featured speakers include

Jose Corona (Office of Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf)

Marie Mora (University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley)

Maria Rios (Nation Waste, Inc.)

Carmen Rojas (The Workers Lab)

 

and moderator Kimberly Adams (Marketplace).

 

For more information,

> visit http://as.pn/latinosandwork.

 

> Join the conversation on Twitter by following

   @AspenWorkforce (http://twitter.com/AspenWorkforce)  

   @AspenLatinos (http://twitter.com/AspenLatinos) and tweeting with the hashtag #talkgoodjobs

Multi-Metro Event: Managing Risk in Global Business

Published on Feb 20, 2018

Views: 10

Our discussion is for exporters, importers and cross-border investors looking to be more successful in mitigating risks while expanding globally.
We're speaking with experts who will share tips on how to better deal with global risks and provide an insight on the most common uncertainty that can be found when doing business abroad.
What can your company do differently in new markets to better manage risks?

CEO Experience:
Anurag Kumar, [a focus on Mexico] from iTexico - What Risks Are We Facing?
Meredith Wilson, Emergent Risk International - Top Three Risks to Global Trade in 2018 (China, NK and NAFTA)
Mike Kelly, AHT Insurance - Protecting International Staff and Travelers
Trevor Jones, Lynx Global Intelligence - What in the World is A.I. for Global Risk?
Phyllis Riley, Tempus - Payment strategies to mitigate risk when going global
Leighton Weston, Creditsafe - Global Data & Compliance

Utah Values? Mormons on the Slopes - SNL

Published on Feb 15, 2018

Views: 327,302

An American skier (Amy Poehler) is vying for a gold medal in the Salt Lake Olympics when she met by two Mormons (Dan Aykroyd and Will Ferrell) who try to convert her as she skis. Perhaps the polygamy is a sticking point. [Season 27, 2002]

Supernova, Dark Side, US Weather Alert | S0 News Feb.21.2018

It's 5 a.m. in The New Valley of The Sun . . .

Published on Feb 21, 2018

Daily Sun, Earth and Space Science

http://www.Suspicious0bservers.org

Hyper-Local Promo For David Byrne @ MAC + A Familiar Loco Old Song

Your MesaZona blogger has been crazy and excited for far too many years going back to 1986's Loco de Amor in Jonathan Demme's film "Something Wild" seen at The Ziegfeld Theater in New York City. Now he's arriving on April 19, 2018 right here in Mesa!

David Byrne: American Utopia Tour

Presented by Mesa Arts Center in Partnership with Danny Zelisko Presents
 “We’ll be doing some new songs… and many others that will, I assume, be familiar. I’m excited. This is the most ambitious show I’ve done since the shows that were filmed for ‘Stop Making Sense,’ so fingers crossed.”
-David Byrne

Known as the force behind Talking Heads and later as creator of the highly-regarded record-label Luaka Bop, David Byrne also works as a photographer, film director, author, and solo artist; he has published and exhibited visual art for more than a decade.
YOU CAN PURCHASE TICKETS FROM THE MESA ARTS CENTER BOX OFFICE > Click HERE
April 19, 2018
7:30PM
$55 - $175
Every ticket purchased online for David Byrne includes a CD of the new album American Utopia, released on 3/9/18. You’ll receive instructions via email on how to redeem your album shortly after ticket purchase.
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Listen to the old familiar loco song Loco de Amor with Celia Cruz  if you want:

 

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From : Spin

David Byrne Announces American Utopia World Tour

Arielle Gordon // January 16, 2018

"After revealing that his new album will be called American Utopia and releasing its first single, “Everybody’s Coming to My House,” David Byrne has announced a list of tour dates for what he promises will be “the most ambitious show I’ve done since the shows that were filmed for Stop Making Sense.” To that end, the show will include a 12-piece band who will join Byrne on stage for a choreographed concert.
The tour is indeed ambitious in scope, with shows across North and South America and Europe. Byrne had previously released tickets for a small string of tour dates in March; all of his March U.S. dates have since sold out. With this new announcement, he has greatly expanded the list of cities on his tour roster, from 10 to over 75, including several festivals across the world. The tour kicks off with a sold out concert in Red Bank, N.J. on March 3, just a few days before the March 9 release of American Utopia, and runs well into August 2018. 
Browse the full list of tour dates at the opening link [more than 80 all over the world]