Fireworks From Dan Reynolds & Utah [The Mormon Newscast 028] 

The Reynolds family is a very good family. My kids know one of them through friendship and marriage, and they have been very kind to them. I am grateful to one of the kids that helped guide my son during a medical problem that needed lots of help to get diagnosed ❤️love this family!

A few years ago I saw Sister Missionaries posting on social media that they were looking to "help" people in our local area. I was terrified for them! We are not far out of the Los Angeles area and the volume of missing women, sex offenders and human trafficking is much higher than Utah. So I responded with a message of concern for their safety. I received what felt like a very condescending message from one of the Sisters about how they are "always safe". I wasn't sure if they meant they had a good safety plan or if they were leaving it up to god. Either way, I felt like they weren't being realistic about being in a rural area less than an hour from Los Angeles. Interestingly, after those sisters rotated home, I haven't seen any more posts from sister Missionaries on my area''s public social media.

I heard about Heretic just over a week ago, and I’m so excited!

I’ll add my experiences to the mix. I also had a shock wire in one of my mission apartments (Hungary). Weird how common that is… I personally was choked from behind by a stranger at a bus stop in public, punched in the teeth by a drunk, spit on, threatened with a pipe wrench (also by a drunk on a bus, but a very large/intimidating Hungarian came to our defense), chased around town by a Roma/“gypsy” with a kitchen knife, threatened by a group of Roma teens with hatchets, sprayed with a hose, 3 times was nearly robbed (only one of those times did the person brandish a weapon), and of course yelled at an untold number of times. While there I also experienced a period of political upheaval (2006 maybe early 07-ish) where there were mass riots across the country, buildings burned down, a tank was stolen and driven through the streets of Budapest, and I know Missionaries in Budapest who had tear gas leaking into their apartments from the riot control. I was convinced we were going to be evac’d from the country, but instead we were told to stay inside for a few days and we waited a week or so for things to “calm down” before we were back to work. As young 19 year old boys we *of course* did not listen, and we went out to see the riots (but we did elect to wear normal clothes and not wear our name tags). Legitimately insane safety-wise and insane that I thought nothing of it at the time other than that the riots were like living in a movie. I look at it with different eyes now and I was absolutely put in dangerous situations. Even tracting was dangerous in retrospect. The very normal, very “safe”, people weren’t the ones eager to let us in. However, I frequently was let in by people who were floridly mentally ill (not a comment on the severely mentally ill, they definitely deserve compassionate treatment). One time we were let in to a home with several young college aged looking women and experienced an encounter of mutual confusion about our intents. We thought we were going to teach a lesson. They thought we were there to buy sex. Being so naive it took me a couple minutes to realize we were in an apartment used for prostitution, but when I did we left a Book of Mormon and made an excuse as to why we had to leave. The whole system of raising and keeping Mormon kids in a “bubble” of naivety, then sending these same “kids”/early adults out into the world, without any skills to help them understand when they are doing something unsafe or in a situation that’s inherently dangerous, then essentially hoping that they’ll be fine because they have a white handbook and an equally naive companion with them is just so insane. I also very clearly remember being instructed in the MTC to NOT to let my family know about these experiences as they were happening because it wasn’t “fair to make your family worry”. I’m honestly shocked that more parents don’t see this as a huge problem, especially if they served a mission themselves.

My parents had all of those books! I threw them away when we moved them to assisted living in 2022.

RFM is a savage, and I love everything about it. 😆

I had a blackcat blow up right in my hand same as bill. Also had one of the whister rockets shoot right at us. Needless to say I am 32 and havent done them in almosr 10 years and have no desire to do them. Thank you all for your wonderful news stories. You fuys are great. Always so greatful to you for your highlights of the queer community. It makes me so happy that kids although it is still a battle don't have to grow up with the shame and self hatred I had to before leaving Religion. ❤

Mormon Doctrine was my introduction to guilt and shame at the young age of 9 or 10. I hate that book.

When RFM said "or two condoms!", I burst out laughing.

Horrible housing situations seem to be a constant theme of LDS missionaries. Living in the house of a hoarder, living in a basement, living at couples who fight with each other, etc.

I went to the very first Love Loud concert at the UVU baseball stadium. It was nuts and amazing and the line to get in the ONE entrance was 2 hours long!!!! Loved it!!

I still have my grandpa's old Mormon doctrine book. I almost threw it away but it has his handwriting in it - so I kept it.

Not a Mormon but it’s endlessly fascinating. I’m waiting for missionaries to.turn up. The last ones that came to the door was in about 1974. We’ve been in our current home for 47 years and haven’t had a visit. I’m in Australia so that might be indicative of their presence here. I’m only about 2 kms (1 1/2 miles) from the nearest chapel and about 10 kms from a temple.

‘ I love myself enough to follow my truth’ What does that even mean.

I LOVE Imagine Dragons and my kids do too. I’ve known about Dan Reynolds for years… I almost feel like this is a mándele effect moment… I’m not Mormon, but maybe the whole situation with BYU was what I perceived as his exit point. I am so proud of him either way. I love Imagine Dragons!!❤❤❤

What about Joseph Bishop the MTC president in the 80's?!

25:26 There have been a few reports that Hugh Grant in person is a real piece of work, not at all the charmer he often portrays.

Good lord, you had to subject Rebecca to this? After her Mom died? Shame.

I’ll add my experiences to the mix. I also had a shock wire in one of my mission apartments (Hungary). Weird how common that is… I personally was choked from behind by a stranger at a bus stop in public, punched in the teeth by a drunk, spit on, threatened with a pipe wrench (also by a drunk on a bus, but a very large/intimidating Hungarian came to our defense), chased around town by a Roma/“gypsy” with a kitchen knife, threatened by a group of Roma teens with hatchets, sprayed with a hose, 3 times was nearly robbed (only one of those times did the person brandish a weapon), and of course yelled at an untold number of times. While there I also experienced a period of political upheaval (2006 maybe early 07-ish) where there were mass riots across the country, buildings burned down, a tank was stolen and driven through the streets of Budapest, and I know Missionaries in Budapest who had tear gas leaking into their apartments from the riot control. I was convinced we were going to be evac’d from the country, but instead we were told to stay inside for a few days and we waited a week or so for things to “calm down” before we were back to work. As young 19 year old boys we *of course* did not listen, and we went out to see the riots (but we did elect to wear normal clothes and not wear our name tags). Legitimately insane safety-wise and insane that I thought nothing of it at the time other than that the riots were like living in a movie. I look at it with different eyes now and I was absolutely put in dangerous situations. Even tracting was dangerous in retrospect. The very normal, very “safe”, people weren’t the ones eager to let us in. However, I frequently was let in by people who were floridly mentally ill (not a comment on the severely mentally ill, they definitely deserve compassionate treatment). One time we were let in to a home with several young college aged looking women and experienced an encounter of mutual confusion about our intents. We thought we were going to teach a lesson. They thought we were there to buy sex. Being so naive it took me a couple minutes to realize we were in an apartment used for prostitution, but when I did we left a Book of Mormon and made an excuse as to why we had to leave. The whole system of raising and keeping Mormon kids in a “bubble” of naivety, then sending these same “kids”/early adults out into the world, without any skills to help them understand when they are doing something unsafe or in a situation that’s inherently dangerous, then essentially hoping that they’ll be fine because they have a white handbook and an equally naive companion with them is just so insane. I also very clearly remember being instructed in the MTC to NOT to let my family know about these experiences as they were happening because it wasn’t “fair to make your family worry”. I’m honestly shocked that more parents don’t see this as a huge problem, especially if they served a mission themselves.