This is an interesting read, somewhat triggering, and quite insightful. I fear, however, that there may many stories like this that won't necessarily lead to the specific group that abused the Hamblin girls.
In my own story, I am realizing, that the adults coming in and out of my life, both family, and fellow ward and stake friends, were hyper-focused on warning us about the power of the Adversary, and in doing so, they actually provided a creepy environment with which he could enter in, thrive, and terrify a young child's mind. They loved to tell sensational stories to scare us from engaging in the activities that invited him, which actually invited him.
The Adversary will never lead us to a place of peace. As a child, I found few places of peace even though no one I knew was officially a member of any church but that of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Ironically, the most peaceful safe place I felt was that of the home of my fifth grade elementary school teacher who was a Christian of another faith. She lived a simple Christlike life.
This characteristic that I experienced in my childhood culture of focusing to warn of the dark power is not a characteristic that I have noticed anywhere else I have lived in the United States. I've been happily thriving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints finding what true peace feels like all over the mission field, in the Midwest, the Southeast, and the Northeast, but when I was living in Southern California, and Utah.....or was it just living there during the 80s and 90s.... different story.
I find that there are break-away groups continuing to form with card carrying recommend holders in the Intermountain West that are straying way off into a bizarre and dangerous path and Kresha can attest to that. These people do not represent true Latter-day Saints. They are either bored, confused, and/or money/power-seeking.
The Gospel is not that hard to live and not that bizarre. You get up, say your prayers, study the scriptures, work hard physically all day to improve your body, support yourself and your family, be present with those that God put in your path daily, serve a friend or a neighbor, and crash into bed at night.
An idle mind is a Devil's workshop and these sisters in this story, amazingly, had too much time in their Pioneer lives to be holding such an event. I wonder what else was being neglected? Certainly, the children. If they were tending to their children, they wouldn't have been so fitful and contortioned. Whatever they were dealing with could have been solved by a good walk in the Sunshine, or building of a snowman.
Those tender shoots that popped up during the Restoration have grown into full fledged tares. Thanks for the fascinating connection to our history.
This is an interesting read, somewhat triggering, and quite insightful. I fear, however, that there may many stories like this that won't necessarily lead to the specific group that abused the Hamblin girls.
In my own story, I am realizing, that the adults coming in and out of my life, both family, and fellow ward and stake friends, were hyper-focused on warning us about the power of the Adversary, and in doing so, they actually provided a creepy environment with which he could enter in, thrive, and terrify a young child's mind. They loved to tell sensational stories to scare us from engaging in the activities that invited him, which actually invited him.
The Adversary will never lead us to a place of peace. As a child, I found few places of peace even though no one I knew was officially a member of any church but that of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Ironically, the most peaceful safe place I felt was that of the home of my fifth grade elementary school teacher who was a Christian of another faith. She lived a simple Christlike life.
This characteristic that I experienced in my childhood culture of focusing to warn of the dark power is not a characteristic that I have noticed anywhere else I have lived in the United States. I've been happily thriving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints finding what true peace feels like all over the mission field, in the Midwest, the Southeast, and the Northeast, but when I was living in Southern California, and Utah.....or was it just living there during the 80s and 90s.... different story.
I find that there are break-away groups continuing to form with card carrying recommend holders in the Intermountain West that are straying way off into a bizarre and dangerous path and Kresha can attest to that. These people do not represent true Latter-day Saints. They are either bored, confused, and/or money/power-seeking.
The Gospel is not that hard to live and not that bizarre. You get up, say your prayers, study the scriptures, work hard physically all day to improve your body, support yourself and your family, be present with those that God put in your path daily, serve a friend or a neighbor, and crash into bed at night.
An idle mind is a Devil's workshop and these sisters in this story, amazingly, had too much time in their Pioneer lives to be holding such an event. I wonder what else was being neglected? Certainly, the children. If they were tending to their children, they wouldn't have been so fitful and contortioned. Whatever they were dealing with could have been solved by a good walk in the Sunshine, or building of a snowman.
Is the James Arrington you refer to in here the James Arrington who did Farley Family Reunion that passed away a few years ago?
Yes, one and the same. Son of LDS historian, Leonard J Arrington. However, I don't think he's dead. Do you have an obituary?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Arrington
You’re right - I was mistaken. Still living.