Reader comments
MormonSpeak: The Boy Behind the Moon

This story should make some people sit up and think about how they treat others. Adults can push young people into a tight corner that some, unlike the Boy Behind the Moon, may never get out of.

I loved this story! I had the best belly laugh! People can surprise you!

I loved the story! it was amusing, and entertaining! I loved the eclipse. Thanks! bye!

I needed a laugh today! What a great story. Sometimes good kids do stupid things and as adults we need to take every moment we have with our youth to help them learn and grow from their mistakes. With parents and teachers putting pressure on kids sometimes they need a leader or a parent that once in a while will sit down and let them know your a great kid! I now that there are some things I did as a teen that I don't necessarliy want my kids to know (like toilet papering the bishops house)but sometimes it helps them to understand that their parents made mistakes and hey we turned out just fine.

I'm sure I would have been mortified if this had been my son, but.... really, isn't it funny?? In my family, it would have been something we'd laugh about for years to come, once the moment had passed. Give the poor boy a break! It was a kid thing to do, and really not all that unusual for the age group. Jeesh!

Thanks for a fun story!

The thing missing from this story is the repentance of the moon boy. It tells a story of people tolerating misconduct and the guy turns out OK in the end. (pun intended)

What if he had used an obscenity instead? What if he had acted violently, bouncing the ball against a Relief Society sister's head? If another youngster reads this, the lesson he or she hears is that you can get away with offensive actions in your teenage years and still be OK, and people should tolerate such offensive stupidity--in a church!

Let's suppose that one of the ladies who was there was so offended that she stopped coming to church. Or that she was a non-Mormon who spread the story of how Mormons behave to her Methodist friends, persuading a family to stop seeing the LDS missionaries.

Sorry, this story gets a thumbs down from me. I want to see the kid straightening up and realizing he did something wrong. Too much irrational behavior in teen years--like getting drunk and dangerous driving--is high risk. People who survive might look back and think it humorous, but stupidity can also have tragic and unforgettable consequences.

I think those who are having trouble with this story should realize that kids are kids and are people too and have feelings. With the action may have been inappropriate, what harm was done? Some one was a bit miffed? And its not like the young man had no remorse...or was not given greif over the incident...

Get over yourselves if you were puritanical about this...remember about not being offended? An Ensign article not so long ago? Take the story in the context it was written. Oh and it was hardly like tolerating misconduct...

Oh, I remember those days as a kid trying to play ball. The Relief Society would take up one corner of then gym and wouldn't let us play. Why do they always do that? Why can't they just go to another room? It's as if they need the power to use the gym and not let boys play. If they just said, "yeah,we'll move to a different room," then there would never have been a mooning incident. It's the relief society's own fault for forcing the boys to get their energy out through mooning instead of through basketball.

Funny story. But what about the Relief Society leader. My first thought is, what is the big deal? Move the quilts to one end of the room. It is so hard to keep young men coming to the church. For whatever reason, let them come and support them. It was mutal night after all. The sisters handled the situation poorly, resulting in the boys prank. I think sometimes we get all bent out of shape for a harmless prank and the boy is probably a great kid, so lighten up Raymond.

"For Heavens Sakes"

Let's not compare a little "Moonshine" with "drinking" and "driving"

Are Teenagers little adults? Not Necessarily.

Can they be offensive in there behavior? Undoubtedly!

Do they need counsel and advice?
Most positively!

Can they grow up to be responcible adults and parents?
Most asuredly!

Do they need to be addressed positively and politely? Most naturally!

Do they respond more positiely when addressed politely RS Sisters? Mostly!

Can we laugh at their pranks afterward?
Sometimes!

Is ther really hurt by some of their actions?
Occasionally!

Do we need to love them?
Always!

Do we need to show tough love sometimes?
Yes of Course!

Will they respond to tough love?
Most of the time!

Are they a child of God?
All the time!

TREAT THEM LIKE THEY ARE!!!!!

raymond, get over yourself. I bet your own kids couldn't wait to get away from you.
Your a nutburger.
no wonder people think where nuts.

PS
And remember I'm not the only one who feels like a teenager once in a while and I'm 65+

Good story - good moral. I'm not LDS, but as a parent, I appreciate the stories of Learning and growing - if we don't allow our kids to fail and suffer consequences in smaller things.....
well done.

I was highly offended by this article. There are too many unsupervised youth who think they own the gyms of the church. Hooray for the RS sisters who stood their ground. The young men of the story need some good sound punishment for very inappropriate and offensive behavior.

These comments show some of the small divisions in outlook on the LDS faith between wanting to uphold high standards and wanting to be forgiving. I guess we need both, but I want more forgiveness and less harshness. I really do think Nancy and Raymond are being way too uptight. It is good to see that most people can get a laugh out of this and move on. I wonder, did people really call for this boy's excommunication? That would have been outrageous. What kind of saint is it that would permenantly destroy a teenager's reputation and opportunities in the Church over one silly impulsive act made by a hormone-messed-up kid? We almost never ex teenagers, no matter how drug-trashed and wild they be. We work with them, because teens aren't hardly real people yet, and the church is practical enough to regognize that . I worry that all of the "perfect " justice-mongers in this life will only find justice in the next.

Nancy - I sure hope you are a troll, cuz that's just goofy.

Fun story BTW.

Nancy and Raymond, people like you are what's wrong with the church. I certainly hope you don't hold leadership positions, and have nothing to do with the youth.

As for the comment about a moon free mission, I'm going to have to call shenanigans. I bet if you asked Travis, he mooned his share of companions.

Nancy - it's sisters like you that need a BBall bounced off their head! I remember putting a cream pie in the face of the Young Mens President when I was 16. It was meant as a loving joke. I really liked the guy. But the way he carried on and demanded "restitution" from my parents and myself.. I never went back to mutual.

Kids will always be kids. Live with it and enjoy the adventure. They will grow out it - I promise.

I was shocked by the behavior of this young man, however I am sure that his parents gave him a good lecture and most likely he was grounded for quite a while after that... I guess so because of the way he turned out today. The parents did their part, the church leaders did theirs, and this is the way it ought to be. To raise a child it is a community effort, it is not sufficient to point the fingers when things go wrong, but it is everyone's duty, withing this child's circlde to contribute to his emotional, spiritual, and mental welfare. Parents cannot do it alone. They never could and today it is even worst! We do not need anybody critisism when we raise children, we have enough sorrow when we them making mistakes. We need more understanding and more help andmore insight on how to. We need more allies rather than more ennemies.
What did Christ says when they wanted to cast stones to the prostitute?
He new she had sinned, he knew she was guilty. But he simply told them : he without sin cast the first stone. Then he sent her home, telling her to sin no more.
Can we do the same? be forgiving, and non-judjing? we do no have to like the sin. But we should love everyone. We need to be more Christlike if we want to make a difference.