How many devil's advocates are there on LDSFF?

[Seed Starter]

I mean how many members/browsers of LDSFF are paid employees of the church? I mean being here is part of their job description. I know the church has loyal followers and apologists but does the church send people here and to sites like reddit to argue against common sense or do reconnaissance? Of course we can't know and of course they won't out themselves. I think both are present here.

I can just imagine a whole team of intel agents sitting in an underground complex up Big Cottonwood canyon hitting refresh on SEC threads
Then I was thinking, does the church have a psyop department? Then I came to my senses. Is there any part of ldscorp that isn't part of a psyop?

What do you all think? Do they care what goes on here? Are sites like this good for the church because we act like an anode rod in a water cooler? As long as they have us pissing and moaning among each other in our little corner of the internet we won't damage the water heater (church).

[Fred]

I mean how many members/browsers of LDSFF are paid employees of the church? I mean being here is part of their job description. I know the church has loyal followers and apologists but does the church send people here and to sites like reddit to argue against common sense or do reconnaissance? Of course we can't know and of course they won't out themselves. I think both are present here.

I can just imagine a whole team of intel agents sitting in an underground complex up Big Cottonwood canyon hitting refresh on SEC threads
Then I was thinking, does the church have a psyop department? Then I came to my senses. Is there any part of ldscorp that isn't part of a psyop?

What do you all think? Do they care what goes on here? Are sites like this good for the church because we act like an anode rod in a water cooler? As long as they have us pissing and moaning among each other in our little corner of the internet we won't damage the water heater (church).

This site, among others, discusses truth. Truth is only a problem, when it is not the story you want told.
Truth has a way of getting out. Even idiots open their eyes sometimes.

There is no doubt that the church is aware of LDSFF and Reddit. LDSFF is a pretty tough crowd if you are going against the grain. Many "likely" paid spies have come and gone. Even the most TBM recognizes truth after a while.

[CaptainM]

shill | SHil | North American informal
noun

an accomplice of a hawker, gambler, or swindler who acts as an enthusiastic customer to entice or encourage others: I used to be a shill in a Reno gambling club | figurative : the agency is a shill for the nuclear power industry.

• a person who pretends to give an impartial endorsement of something in which they themselves have an interest: a megamillionaire who makes more money as a shill for corporate products than he does for playing basketball.

verb [no object]
act or work as a shill: your husband in the crowd could shill for you.

ORIGIN
early 20th century: probably from earlier shillaber, of unknown origin.

[Redpilled Mormon]

I really only suspect one guy, who goes by multiple usernames. But I haven't seen him around much lately.

But I could even be wrong about him. I have to remind myself that TBMs going through the biggest cognitive dissonance in their lives when they encounter irrefutable and very uncomfortable truths, will defend the ldscorp beyond all reason. And I try to have compassion for their viewpoints; after all I might have been in their shoes a few years ago. Waking up to how awful the ldscorp situation is, isn't easy or brief. They'll come around, if they're seekers of truth, but I don't expect it to happen quickly or easily. They'll be a lot of crazy-sounding denials and knee-jerk defenses for the indefensible, at first anyway. That's the programming the lds culture instilled in all of us growing up, after all.

[madvin]

I don't think they care much. I believe most will think it's a waste of time to argue/discuss. It really takes a desire to dig deeper and for whatever reason, a few may but most won't.

[lundbaek]

I hope the Church authorities at the 50 E. North Temple and 47 E. South Temple levels care about some of the matters/issues discussed here. It is my understanding (no proof, mind) that there is an increasing number of members "jumping ship". I am noticing it among adult members of all ages. Many times I have read here comments that I wish the Prophet & Co. would read and at least think about.

[Chip]

It's interesting that the trolls here seem to have faded away. They were really sticking around a while back, but I don't really see them here, anymore. Maybe, if they were paid trolls, it was deemed a futile endeavor to have them here. Or, if they were just people who liked to argue with conservatives, recent events have shown that they were completely wrong and their positions just cannot be defended, anymore. At any rate, liberals are taking over the church, so it's all for naught, as the future of the church goes.

[Seed Starter]

I really only suspect one guy, who goes by multiple usernames. But I haven't seen him around much lately.

But I could even be wrong about him. I have to remind myself that TBMs going through the biggest cognitive dissonance in their lives when they encounter irrefutable and very uncomfortable truths, will defend the ldscorp beyond all reason. And I try to have compassion for their viewpoints; after all I might have been in their shoes a few years ago. Waking up to how awful the ldscorp situation is, isn't easy or brief. They'll come around, if they're seekers of truth, but I don't expect it to happen quickly or easily. They'll be a lot of crazy-sounding denials and knee-jerk defenses for the indefensible, at first anyway. That's the programming the lds culture instilled in all of us growing up, after all.

Great perspective. I have seen several knee-jerk defenses in my short time here.

[Seed Starter]

I hope the Church authorities at the 50 E. North Temple and 47 E. South Temple levels care about some of the matters/issues discussed here. It is my understanding (no proof, mind) that there is an increasing number of members "jumping ship". I am noticing it among adult members of all ages. Many times I have read here comments that I wish the Prophet & Co. would read and at least think about.

I agree. I met an older gentleman tonight who is a statistics professor and lawyer specializing in whistleblower cases. He is in a stake leadership position. He absolutely refused the mask from the start. He is still active but very much awake to some things discussed here starting with covid. I could easily see him jumping. It was nice to have a conversation about the reactions he had to his views and behavior.

[Seed Starter]

It's interesting that the trolls here seem to have faded away. They were really sticking around a while back, but I don't really see them here, anymore. Maybe, if they were paid trolls, it was deemed a futile endeavor to have them here. Or, if they were just people who liked to argue with conservatives, recent events have shown that they were completely wrong and their positions just cannot be defended, anymore. At any rate, liberals are taking over the church, so it's all for naught, as the future of the church goes.

My Dad is going to have some serious CD going forward. All things woke, liberal set his hair on fire. They do with me as well but I think he thinks his church is immune and against the trash rather than embracing it. He's been pleading with me to think long and hard about leaving ldscorp. Perhaps members will wake up when the same-sex sealing fire alarm is pulled. Probably not.

[Niemand]

shill | SHil | North American informal
noun

an accomplice of a hawker, gambler, or swindler who acts as an enthusiastic customer to entice or encourage others: I used to be a shill in a Reno gambling club | figurative : the agency is a shill for the nuclear power industry.

• a person who pretends to give an impartial endorsement of something in which they themselves have an interest: a megamillionaire who makes more money as a shill for corporate products than he does for playing basketball.

verb [no object]
act or work as a shill: your husband in the crowd could shill for you.

ORIGIN
early 20th century: probably from earlier shillaber, of unknown origin.

It could just as easily be from "shilling", the old coin. There used to be an expression "to take the King's shilling", i.e. to go off and join the British army. The implication being that someone's loyalty had been bought. In Ireland, and to a lesser extent Scotland, the term has even less flattering implications historically (this Wikipedia article doesn't really go into that).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King's_shilling

[JandD6572]

I'm not sure the church would be willing to pay someone to come here and take a chance at losing that person when hearing all the things that are being testified against the church. that would shake their testimony and would have adverse effects than what the church was hoping to gain. but I could be wrong.

[Shawn Henry]

I really only suspect one guy, who goes by multiple usernames.

I misread that at first by substituting suspect with respect. I thought how sweet you were to compliment Atticus like that, then I saw suspect instead of respect.

[Shawn Henry]

Deleted-wrong thread.

[Redpilled Mormon]

I really only suspect one guy, who goes by multiple usernames.

I misread that at first by substituting suspect with respect. I thought how sweet you were to compliment Atticus like that, then I saw suspect instead of respect.

Made me burst out laughing

[Redpilled Mormon]

shill | SHil | North American informal
noun

an accomplice of a hawker, gambler, or swindler who acts as an enthusiastic customer to entice or encourage others: I used to be a shill in a Reno gambling club | figurative : the agency is a shill for the nuclear power industry.

• a person who pretends to give an impartial endorsement of something in which they themselves have an interest: a megamillionaire who makes more money as a shill for corporate products than he does for playing basketball.

verb [no object]
act or work as a shill: your husband in the crowd could shill for you.

ORIGIN
early 20th century: probably from earlier shillaber, of unknown origin.

It could just as easily be from "shilling", the old coin. There used to be an expression "to take the King's shilling", i.e. to go off and join the British army. The implication being that someone's loyalty had been bought. In Ireland, and to a lesser extent Scotland, the term has even less flattering implications historically (this Wikipedia article doesn't really go into that).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King's_shilling

I always learn the coolest stuff from you! Never even suspected that, but it makes perfect sense.

[BeNotDeceived]

Deleted-wrong thread.

Threads indeed were deleted.

Or disappeared.

[Niemand]

shill | SHil | North American informal
noun

an accomplice of a hawker, gambler, or swindler who acts as an enthusiastic customer to entice or encourage others: I used to be a shill in a Reno gambling club | figurative : the agency is a shill for the nuclear power industry.

• a person who pretends to give an impartial endorsement of something in which they themselves have an interest: a megamillionaire who makes more money as a shill for corporate products than he does for playing basketball.

verb [no object]
act or work as a shill: your husband in the crowd could shill for you.

ORIGIN
early 20th century: probably from earlier shillaber, of unknown origin.

It could just as easily be from "shilling", the old coin. There used to be an expression "to take the King's shilling", i.e. to go off and join the British army. The implication being that someone's loyalty had been bought. In Ireland, and to a lesser extent Scotland, the term has even less flattering implications historically (this Wikipedia article doesn't really go into that).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King's_shilling

I always learn the coolest stuff from you! Never even suspected that, but it makes perfect sense.

Thanks! "Shill" seems to be an American expression, but the idea of "taking the shilling" makes sense here, because a lot of stooges will get paid.

I'm not a fan of all Americanisms, but "shill" is definitely a word I like and find useful, and have tried to spread around here.

[Seed Starter]

I'm not sure the church would be willing to pay someone to come here and take a chance at losing that person when hearing all the things that are being testified against the church. that would shake their testimony and would have adverse effects than what the church was hoping to gain. but I could be wrong.

Can you imagine a week or two browsing here and then "I QUIT"