I feel like this is a country-club scenario all over again. I rejoiced coming out of the LDS Church, realizing that God's favor did not depend on recognition by men, and now this same privileged insider structure seems to be re-emerging.

If someone said Jesus ministered to them, I would be fine with that, we're still on equal ground, but to get special responses, lunches, audiences and mentions from someone who refuses to even answer an email is hurtful to some and feeds the ego of others. 

The answers are the same as well, it's your problem, not ours.

It's very true, we are not one.

 

From another observer:

I agree on the anonymous conference.  I have asked several people and no one I know has any idea who was at this conference.  

If there is going to be a conference to set precedent among these fellowships, shouldn't the call to conference be as general as possible?  On the other hand, the Bride and Groom ought to have the majority say in their ceremony.  So I have no problem with them forming their own method, including what is on the post.  But is it really by common consent to take an anonymous conference that was basically unannounced and then set this as a precedent for everyone?

What constitutes jarring and contention?

I don't know what constitutes jarring and contention. Making a whip and driving people out of a temple then preaching a sermon against the leaders of that building seems pretty contentious to most people. I see in the scriptures many who stood up for truth who were blamed for stirring up trouble. Abinadi, Samuel the Lamanite, etc.  

I think at this point, I am more worried about those who shut down debate without an attempt to at least consider the opposing side.  I kind of live by a rule that if I can't make the opposing side's argument to their satisfaction, then I don't really understand the issue.  This means there are many things that I just have to wait on before deciding, because it takes a lot of work and study to get to that level of understanding.  To grok the issue." (DR)