What my point is was simply this:

Darron Smith is a really great guy. He's got a testimony of the church and even talked to my co-worker about its benefits. He acknowledged that there is probably need for a follow-up based on his article. Being of a minority he was likely grasping at an injustice he may have sensed.

I didn't agree with the article, however, I appreciate him more now that I learned his story and had an opportunity to break bread with him.

I'm fortunate to live in Wichita and have that opportunity. After I read the article I was upset about the claims he was making. However, I came away feeling better about the article having spent time with him. He bore testimony of the church, he expressed appreciation for his time at BYU. He acknowledged that his article may have done harm to the church, alluded to the fact he moved to quickly on the article and plans to do a follow-up piece.

Should any of you be in the Wichita area in the near future, I believe he would be happy to meet with you and have a civilized discussion.

I still don't like the article or believe the article, but I understand his purposes better. I thought CB would like to know some of these things. I'm not here to defend Darron Smith, simply to offer a different perspective on the man.