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*'''September 9, 2012: Twede posts the first entry on his blog''' | *'''September 9, 2012: Twede posts the first entry on his blog''' | ||
*'''September 10, 2012: "starlight012" returns to lds.net to post a link to Twede's blog'''—"starlight012" said, "I can't remember if this is the forum where I posted about the guy posing as an active member to run an anti-mormon site. Well, now he's attending church again. [Direct link deleted - Mods.] And writing about it. I understand we can't stop it, but, he's not being straight about his intent." {{ref|starlight1d}} | *'''September 10, 2012: "starlight012" returns to lds.net to post a link to Twede's blog'''—"starlight012" said, "I can't remember if this is the forum where I posted about the guy posing as an active member to run an anti-mormon site. Well, now he's attending church again. [Direct link deleted - Mods.] And writing about it. I understand we can't stop it, but, he's not being straight about his intent." {{ref|starlight1d}} | ||
*'''September 10-18, 2012: "starlight012" on lds.net sends private messages to FAIR regarding the "bad member"'''—"starlight012" said, "You're welcome. What will you be able to do about this except to report about it at FAIR? Can this man get reported to his bishop? If he's using his active membership to promote anti-mormonism, his bishop might not take kindly to it"....."I know him. That's why I posted the first time a few weeks ago. I know the photo on his profile at the mormonthink site and enough of his history (living in Ann Arbor, etc) that I am sure. His name is David Twede. I don't know what ward he's in, but he mentions Florida. Thanks!" Whoever "starlight012" is, they are portraying themselves as NOT | *'''September 10-18, 2012: "starlight012" on lds.net sends private messages to FAIR regarding the "bad member"'''—"starlight012" said, "You're welcome. What will you be able to do about this except to report about it at FAIR? Can this man get reported to his bishop? If he's using his active membership to promote anti-mormonism, his bishop might not take kindly to it"....."I know him. That's why I posted the first time a few weeks ago. I know the photo on his profile at the mormonthink site and enough of his history (living in Ann Arbor, etc) that I am sure. His name is David Twede. I don't know what ward he's in, but he mentions Florida. Thanks!" Whoever "starlight012" is, they are posting from Florida, and are portraying themselves as NOT being in Florida. | ||
*'''September 20, 2012: David Twede, under his real name, tells Postmormon.org of his attempt to post a message on lds.net was deleted'''—Twede states, "I have simultaneously posted to MormonDiscussions, RfM, StayLDS, Postmormon and LDS.NET forums, for completeness. However, LDSNET took it down immediately." {{ea}}{{ref|twede.postmo.1}} Twede did not provide the reason why his post was deleted from lds.net, and did not mention that the new account that he had created there was immediately banned. | *'''September 20, 2012: David Twede, under his real name, tells Postmormon.org of his attempt to post a message on lds.net was deleted'''—Twede states, "I have simultaneously posted to MormonDiscussions, RfM, StayLDS, Postmormon and LDS.NET forums, for completeness. However, LDSNET took it down immediately." {{ea}}{{ref|twede.postmo.1}} Twede did not provide the reason why his post was deleted from lds.net, and did not mention that the new account that he had created there was immediately banned. | ||
*'''September 21, 2012: Twede tells "The Daily Beast" that someone from FAIR contacted his local ecclesiastical authorities'''—According to Jamie Reno in "The Daily Beast,"Twede asked church leaders how they came up with his name so fast after posting the articles. They wouldn't tell him, but he says he’s since been told by a church insider that a contributor to the pro-Mormon Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, many of whose members are professors at Brigham Young University, alerted church officials in Salt Lake City, who apparently informed his local ecclesiastical leaders." {{ea}}{{ref|reno1}} In an interview with the ''New York Times'', FAIR President Scott Gordon was asked about this. Gordon responded, "I forwarded the links of that public blog to some of my friends. The New York Times reporter who called said my email was forwarded to Twede’s stake president. I have no way of knowing if that is true or not. I did not speak with any of his local leaders, nor did I send an email to them. I told the reporter it was more likely one of his local ward members had read his public blog and told the stake president, but she insisted I was the source as she heard that from David Twede himself."{{ref|gordon1}} | *'''September 21, 2012: Twede tells "The Daily Beast" that someone from FAIR contacted his local ecclesiastical authorities'''—According to Jamie Reno in "The Daily Beast,"Twede asked church leaders how they came up with his name so fast after posting the articles. They wouldn't tell him, but he says he’s since been told by a church insider that a contributor to the pro-Mormon Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, many of whose members are professors at Brigham Young University, alerted church officials in Salt Lake City, who apparently informed his local ecclesiastical leaders." {{ea}}{{ref|reno1}} In an interview with the ''New York Times'', FAIR President Scott Gordon was asked about this. Gordon responded, "I forwarded the links of that public blog to some of my friends. The New York Times reporter who called said my email was forwarded to Twede’s stake president. I have no way of knowing if that is true or not. I did not speak with any of his local leaders, nor did I send an email to them. I told the reporter it was more likely one of his local ward members had read his public blog and told the stake president, but she insisted I was the source as she heard that from David Twede himself."{{ref|gordon1}} | ||
*'''September 24, 2012: lds.net moderators ban Twede's accounts after identifying him as "starlight012"'''—A moderator at LDS.net posted, "The person who started this IS the person who writes the blog, whose deception here will tell you all you need to know about his sense of ethics." {{ref|eowyn1}} The reason for the ban was that it was discovered that the new account that Twede created under his own name at "lds.net" used the same IP address as the account created by "starlight012" - the person who originally reported that a "bad member" was running MormonThink. | *'''September 24, 2012: lds.net moderators ban Twede's accounts after identifying him as "starlight012"'''—A moderator at LDS.net posted, "The person who started this IS the person who writes the blog, whose deception here will tell you all you need to know about his sense of ethics." {{ref|eowyn1}} The reason for the ban was that it was discovered that the new account that Twede created under his own name at "lds.net" used the same IP address as the account created by "starlight012" - the person who originally reported that a "bad member" was running MormonThink. | ||
*'''October 3-4, 2012: Twede is asked on the MormonDiscussion message board whether or not he is "starlight012"'''—Twede responded, "No, these are silly accusations. But the information there is interesting. Either a family member outed me or they're making excuses." {{ref|twede.mdb.oct.3.2012}} Various posters responded with questions, but Twede never reappeared on the thread. On October 4, 2012, MormonThink's founding editor appeared to explain Twede's absence, " | *'''October 3-4, 2012: Twede is asked on the MormonDiscussion message board whether or not he is "starlight012"'''—Twede responded, "No, these are silly accusations. But the information there is interesting. Either a family member outed me or they're making excuses." {{ref|twede.mdb.oct.3.2012}} Various posters responded with questions, but Twede never reappeared on the thread. On October 4, 2012, MormonThink's founding editor appeared to explain Twede's absence, "You have no idea of the number of requests he continues to get bombarded with by those with questions, reporters who want to do follow-up stories, endless emails, etc....I doubt he has even looked at this thread since he last responded so you can't blame him or anyone else that has a busy life for not responding to every inquiry on every thread on every board where people ask him questions. {{ref|spongebob.nov1}} | ||
*'''October 20 and 23, 2012: Twede is asked by Postmormon.org moderator who "starlight012"'''—When a moderator at Postmormon.org asked Twede if he had addressed the claim that he might have "set the entire chain of events in motion himself through a sockpuppet at LDS, Inc.,"{{ref|brad1postmo}} Twede first responded by indicating that this was a "smear" tactic by FAIR President Scott Gordon. Twede stated, "I didn't know how to address something I didn't understand (at first). I have since (some of the understanding just came over the weekend) received nearly unequivocable evidence that a family member contacted Scott Gordon. Because they share the same last name and other things in common with me, that is likely the source of his confusion about it being me. The evidence is unfortunately is very personal, could get another family member in very hot water. A few people, some at the conference, have heard it directly. There are a few others I will share it with on a personal level if I can trust they never release it or give away the details that can create more problems for us. If Gordon insists on continuing his smear, but it protects family, I can live with that." {{ref|twedesmear1}} Twede deleted this post several hours after it appeared. Followup questions | *'''October 20 and 23, 2012: Twede is asked by Postmormon.org moderator who "starlight012"'''—When a moderator at Postmormon.org asked Twede if he had addressed the claim that he might have "set the entire chain of events in motion himself through a sockpuppet at LDS, Inc.,"{{ref|brad1postmo}} Twede first responded by indicating that this was a "smear" tactic by FAIR President Scott Gordon. Twede stated, "I didn't know how to address something I didn't understand (at first). I have since (some of the understanding just came over the weekend) received nearly unequivocable evidence that a family member contacted Scott Gordon. Because they share the same last name and other things in common with me, that is likely the source of his confusion about it being me. The evidence is unfortunately is very personal, could get another family member in very hot water. A few people, some at the conference, have heard it directly. There are a few others I will share it with on a personal level if I can trust they never release it or give away the details that can create more problems for us. If Gordon insists on continuing his smear, but it protects family, I can live with that." {{ref|twedesmear1}} Twede deleted this post several hours after it appeared. Followup questions regarding starlight012 and what exactly Scott Gordon was saying that constituted a "smear" caused Twede to threaten to withdraw MormonThink support for Postmormon.org, and specifically for the moderator who dared to ask him the questions. {{ref|twedewithdrawl1}} After withdrawing the threat, Twede's final response was, "Now...I will state again one last time: These are silly accusations. This is my last post." {{ref|twedewithdrawl2}} We refer anyone interested in any of the additional comments to the link to Postmormon.org contained in the endnote. {{ref|bradthorn}} | ||
=={{Endnotes label}}== | =={{Endnotes label}}== |
A FAIR Analysis of: MormonThink A work by author: David Twede
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Posing as a questioning member (which I am, just not active), I asked a question at FAIR's page. A Moap emailed me--someone who works with Danny Boy. This game is a bit different than the one you can play with the kindergarten missionaries at Mormon.org.....Posing as a fully active Mo is the only real gray area. I've resolved it for myself, but always wondered how Moaps handle it. Questioning allows me to see this....I felt that a little subterfuge would allow the experiment to run its course better than direct discussion as an exmo. Perhaps that is not appropriate, perhaps it is.
David Twede posting as "Jesus Smith" on Postmormon.org, February 1, 2012.
== Notes == NOTE: FAIR's normal policy is to not link directly to websites which are critical of the Church. In this instance, however, we have suspended that restriction. All of the links below are active, including those that link to ex-Mormon message forums Postmormon.org and MormonDiscussions.com.
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