Some of you may have seen the tweet from the BYU football coach Mark Atuaia this weekend which read, “For those who oppose — go see your stake president then find me and oppose those beloved men in front of me and witness how I sin #realtalk.” What a great example of Christlike behavior. Yes, let’s go beat up people who disagree with the church.
This man leads a football team on our athletics program with the motto “tradition, spirit, honor,” and this is what he stands for? This is downright pathetic behavior. What’s worse is the number of people siding with this tweet, saying, “Yeah! Let’s do it! Let’s fight those dissenters in the streets for opposing the prophet!” Is that really the kind of thing members of the church should be doing? Violently silencing dissenters? Starts to sound a bit like some violent religious groups half a world away, doesn’t it?
If you were someone who saw this tweet or saw those who opposed at conference and thought about smacking them upside the head, take a real hard look at yourself. There is nothing evil about them opposing; it was not breaking any rules. They ask if “any are opposed” every conference, and oppositions have happened in the past. Yet despite opposition being perfectly OK to voice at that time, there are members who are calling for these people’s heads like they ran onto the stage and assaulted President Uchtdorf. Have members of the church become so blinded in their obedience that any questioning of any tiny thing in the church elicits reactions like Coach Atuaia’s? That is not healthy. Plain and simple. Questioning is not evil, and church members need to stop labeling people who raise issues as such.
Nothing will ever get resolved with that kind of attitude. These people brought before the entire audience awareness that “not all is well in Zion” in a totally acceptable way. The membership needs to accept that and move forward hopefully toward resolution of the issues that have been brought up. Going about it like this tweet from coach Atuaia, on the other hand, is totally unacceptable. Especially from someone in his position.
Erik Heathcote
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
