March 13, 2022
I have decided that professionals are most qualified to do the redacting. Documents have been provided to the Truth and Transparency Foundation, the Salt Lake Tribune and others. I have given all parties my permission to release everything as long as all potentially vulnerable parties are protected through thorough redacting.
I consider my responsibility to the community to provide documents to be complete. John Dehlin is the Mormon community’s problem more than my problem at this point. I no longer spend time with Mormons or exMormons and do not feel that the Mormon communities are my communities or my problem anymore.
That said, I’ll find a great way to simply tell this incredibly interesting and complex story. It’s a story of financial and sexual exploitation of a woman — a Mormon tale as old as time.
Best,
RB
October 19, 2021
I am too busy with other things to want to spend time reading over John Dehlin documents. And I’m tired of this. That said, the Rosebud document collection still needs careful redacting so it can be released. I have many more documents than the few that were briefly released in May. There is a long chronology that ought to be made available to the public.
If you are interested in applying to help with redactions, please email me at mormonrosebud@gmail.com and tell me who you are and why you’re interested. Yes, I will need your IRL name and some information about you before bringing you on board. No, I can’t compensate anyone. It’s John who has the money — not me. That said, I will do my best to protect you from the retaliations that are par for the course of caring more about truth than politics.
Historians (and pseudo-historians) are encouraged to apply. But if you’re willing to work, you’re qualified.
I’d like this done, but it’s not going to happen without bigger group of volunteers. I’m working on other projects right now and will not be involved.
Best,
RB
May 11, 2021
It has come to my attention that some of the documents in this collection did not redact John’s wife and possibly other innocent parties. I have reverted the page that I first published around 10pm on May 9th to “draft” to allow time for more thorough redaction. I relied on volunteers do the redacting and it has never been my intention to harm others. The truth is that I don’t ever want to look at any of these documents again. I know what happened… I don’t need to look at them to confirm. I have stayed far away from the details of this release.
In addition, I have moved on from Mormonism and don’t intend to spend more energy on John Dehlin. Redacting requires energy. I wouldn’t have even put this much energy into this if Kwaku hadn’t provoked Dehlin, if Dehlin hadn’t sought his prize of Leah Remini, and if Dehlin hadn’t deceived the public and defamed me on Mormonism Live. It is not me or my needs driving this release, it is Dehlin’s theatre and the needs of Mormonism driving this release. Of course, since Mormonism Live I have also had the personal incentive of defending myself against John and the Open Stories Foundation’s defamation. Yet I remind people that it is Dehlin’s many blatant lies and his propensity for theatre that has gotten us here — not me or mine. I’ve spoken truthfully and have moved on.
As the documents need to be redacted more fully in order to better protect innocent parties, as I can’t stand to redact myself since I never want to look at them and don’t have any desire to spend time on Dehlin, timing of the more thorough redaction will be dependent upon volunteer work.
Ten years and getting outside of Mormonism has given me great perspective. To much of the outside world, my role in this is easily understandable and discernible. “A story as old as time,” as my oldest daughter puts it. I don’t feel I personally have anything to be ashamed of anymore and think the me of my past in these documents should be read as the me of my past. I am a different person now.
Finally, I would like to counteract the buzz I’ve heard that Dehlin destroyed my family. That is false. Rather, Dehlin took advantage of the fact that I wasn’t in what most would consider a real marriage. If anything, aside from financially, my family is far better off now than it was when Dehlin first discerned how bad my marriage was and how stuck in it I was, and used my consequent vulnerability to exploit me. I believe that is a more accurate way to interpret what happened here. The harm Dehlin did to me was emotional, financial, and defamatory. He did not destroy what wasn’t in good enough condition to be “destroyed.”
Please have patience with volunteers redacting. Documents are coming!
Best,
RB