Tara Westover (author of Educated) at the FYE® Conference 2019

Tara Westover, author of EDUCATED (Random House), speaks about her book at the First-Year Experience® (FYE) Conference in Las Vegas, NV.

[@mmsshh777]

Thank you so much for this! Such profound thoughts! Remarkable lady!

[@kristennicole218]

*Very* profound insights. So deep. She's gold as always

[@deborahbarker9173]

Had Mormonism not been presented to her, especially by her family, in such negative ways, Ms Westover might have been one of the great thinkers and writers among Church members. Much of her father’s teaching was false and the rest skewed to the extreme. Have heard one of her aunts say that they were unaware of how bad conditions were since they were mostly kept away from the children and the children taught to keep away from them. Ms Westover is a wonderful person in avoiding hate and anger. Not sure I could have done the same.

[@claudialu]

Deborah, you've echoed my thoughts, very insightful comment indeed.

[@NoCommonSense9]

I think that's a bit unfair. Tara went to a few different Mormon churches, talked with Mormons of all stripes she befriended and respected, and studied Mormon history and doctrine at university, even getting a PhD for her dissertation about partly Mormon doctrine. I'm sure she's well aware of what Mormonism entails beyond her father's view of it, and she has said that it does not resonate with her.

[@deborahbarker9173]

@@NoCommonSense9 I understand your ‘take’ on this. I grew up in the Church. Have heard unproven and just plain false doctrine taught in Church classes at various times/locations. Some of those teachings were from other denominations and even apostate groups. Ms Westover gives an account of being taught false doctrine, as a youth, in a Church class. Given my own experiences, do not doubt the accuracy of her account. When you hear such as a youth, it sticks. Thankfully, safeguards are now in place to greatly lessen the incidents of such. Okay, so now Ms Westover understands it’s false. But that teacher was called and supposedly being led by revelation. The Bishop was supposedly led by revelation to call this person, as was the person who called the Bishop. What went wrong? Does revelation work? Was it sought? Who does one trust? That can lead one to doubt not just locals, but the entire foundation of the Church and even God. Scripture teaches: Many called, few chosen. My opinion? ‘Some are called to bless us, others called to try our faith,’ is NOT a joke. I have met the latter and I attend Church somewhere other than my assigned Stake, because of one...or several such leaders. It’s difficult to know how far up the chain it goes. I stick with my opinion that it’s a blessing Ms Westover has not become an outspoken anti-Mormon. She’s heard/seen plenty to fuel the fire.

[@NoelleMar]

Jesus Christ this was powerful!