Protected by Lies

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August 6, 2022

12:16 pm

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LDS Church, LGBT Issues

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Mormons are being oppressed and mocked on TV.

Jana Riess

Riess calls out fives television shows or documentaries that she claims unfairly mocks Mormonism and casts them in a dark light. I have seen four of these.

The worst, she claims, is “Under the Banner of Heaven.” She writes that it is problematic because it claims that Mormonism “breeds violent men.”

Mormonism breeds violent men.

Porter Rockwell. Brigham Young. The Danites. Mountain Meadows Massacre. Fort Utah Massacre. The Utah War. The Laffertys. Mark Hoffman.

In this way, Mormonism is far from unique. Religion and fundamentalism of every sort seems to breed violent men.

Next, Ms. Riess claims that Keep Sweet depicts the terror of polygamy in the FLDS church.

And? Is she merely upset that it focuses on the repulsive behavior of Warren Jeffs and leaves out the repulsive polygamist behavior of the other founders of the Mormon faith? Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow, Joseph F. Smith, Heber J. Grant along with hundreds of other church leaders and founders?

In “Murder Among the Mormons,” it’s the 1985 bombings engineered by forger Mark Hofmann. As depicted in this documentary, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were among those taken in by Hofmann’s deceptions.

Mark Hoffman, N Eldon Tanner, Spencer Kimball, Marion Romney, Boyd Packer, Gordon Hinckley – Jed A Clark, May 3, 1980

How is this unfair? Is this not a photograph of Hoffman selling one of his many forgeries to the leaders of the church? Did the LDS Church not buy many of his forgeries? Were they not duped, as others were?

Even “Mormon No More,” likely the most emotionally sensitive of the bunch, still conveys the underlying message that it’s practically impossible for anyone to be loving, LGBTQ-affirming and true to themselves while remaining members of the church.

In any way that is meaningful, it is practically impossible for anyone to be loving, LGBTQ-affirming, and true to themselves whilst remaining members of the church. If you need references for this claim, please use your favorite search engine and search for “Spencer W Kimball homosexuality“, “Dalin H Oaks homosexuality” or “Boyd K Packer homosexuality” or “2015 lds exclusion policy.”


Leading The Flock Astray

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February 7, 2022

6:09 pm

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Christianity, LDS Church, Secularism, What The Fuck?!

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https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2022-02-03/keith-erekson-ensign-college-devotional-what-latter-day-saints-get-wrong-about-living-prophets-expectations-revelation-jesus-christ-241732

This new LDS Church hardly resembles the church of my 80’s youth.

I remember when every Prophet spoke directly to and for God and Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith to Gordon B Hinkley.

I remember the oft paraphrased quote of Wilford Woodruff, “The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as President of this Church to lead you astray.”

These Prophets, Seers, and Revelators met directly, in person, with God and Jesus – just as Joseph Smith did in The Sacred Grove.

I pictured in my mind an image of a beautiful “Holy of Holies” in which righteous men (always men) communed with our Heavenly Father to receive His word and wisdom.

If The Prophet gave a commandment, it was God talking through his servant. “When The Prophet Speaks, the thinking is done.” Period. End of debate.

Now, however, things are a bit less clear and straightforward. Now Prophets can make Gospel-wide and canonical mistakes.

“Sometimes revelation has come as dictated wording, but prophets also receive inspiration, feelings and impressions that they must put into words and actions. Sometimes they explore paths that don’t work out.”

How convenient. When it works out, great. If not, “whoops.”

What good is a Prophet that doesn’t prophesy correctly?

What good is a Seer who cannot see correctly?

What good is a Revelator who cannot reveal accurately?

How do we know that Moses didn’t just “explore paths” that didn’t work out?

How do we know that Paul wasn’t just exploring a path?

“We should also not expect that prophets do not get tricked.”

What. The. Actual. Fuck?

If there is no method to weigh the words of The Prophet against God’s mind and will – when even Lucifer can fool the head of this “global church” – what good is this nonsense hierarchy? A hierarchy and organization that simply takes from needy families whilst claiming – on special occasion, when the stars are aligned and The Prophet wasn’t extra gullible – to provide ultimate truth, purpose, and guidance?

This isn’t just about whether The Prophet makes a mistake when he stubs his toe and lets out a “shit!” This is The LDS Church admitting that their “mouthpiece for The Almighty” gets some of the most important questions and concerns wrong for the whole of The Church, can be tricked, and is, yet, somehow accountable to no one. I advise anyone reading this who still finds a need to follow a prophet – follow yourself. You are kinder, wiser, and far more honest and accountable than this corporate behemoth and its unaccountable, admittedly gullible mouthpieces.

The Smallest Act of Kindness

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September 1, 2021

2:13 pm

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Uncategorized

Walking through the grocery store the other day, I walked past Jesus, who wasn’t wearing a face covering.

“Jesus”, I asked, “Would you please put on a mask?”

“Why?”, He asked.

“Because it would make me feel safer.”

I don’t believe in a god or Jesus, but the character of the Jesus I grew up with was always purported to be the most kind, the most compassionate, and the most loving person who ever lived – and we were always taught that we should emulate Him.

There are people now who somehow feel that masks aren’t very effective against the COVID virus, despite the mountains of contradictory data. No amount of showing them the science, experts, etc. will change their minds.

Starting from a position of kindness and empathy, even if masks really weren’t that effective, or even if they didn’t work at all, wouldn’t it be “Christlike” and kind to make this simple gesture – to temporarily wear a piece of cloth over your face – even if it was only to make parents, children, and the vulnerable feel a little bit safer?

You cannot do kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Today’s Heretic

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April 5, 2019

10:13 am

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Uncategorized

In November of 2015, I resigned my membership in The LDS Church. Though an atheist for many years, their “policy” to excommunicate married LGBT members and prevent their children from being blessed, baptized, and ordained was filled with such wanton hate, I refused to be counted among their number, even if only on paper.

LDS Church leadership claimed that the policy was revelation from God, and not intended to punish LGBT members and their children, but rather to protect the children from teachings and information that may cause “rifts” between the children and their parents.

Yesterday, they reversed this policy. A mere 3.5 years since it was introduced. They claim that their reason is “continued revelation” and to “reduce hate.”

By their own reasoning, apparently they no longer need to protect children. In addition, it seems that that God’s revealed ‘policy’ sewed the very hate and contention they now wish to reduce.

These men claim to speak literally to God. They claim to “know his voice.” They claim that their actions are literally guided and commanded by God.

If there is a God, I can only see three explanations for this ridiculous nonsense:

1. God is hateful and contentious and his revelations to His prophets and His church are hateful and contentious.

or

2. God is not hateful nor contentious, but His prophets are hateful and contentious and enact hateful and contentious practices in His church.

or

3. God isn’t talking to these prophets.

I am glad they reversed this policy. It was harmful. It caused LGBT children to feel inferior, lesser, and, in some cases, so distraught that these beautiful, innocent beings felt it necessary to take their own lives. It is impossible for me not to see that this organization is clearly led by wrong-headed, bigoted, willfully ignorant, and unsympathetic men. “Men of their time.”

If we cannot distinguish when these so-called prophets speak as prophets or speak as hate-filled men, then there is no obligation to heed their words at all.

  • A member arguing against the Nov. 15th policy before yesterday an apostate.
  • A member arguing against the Black Priesthood Ban in 1977 was an apostate.
  • A member arguing against polygamy in 1890 was an apostate.

“Yesterday’s doctrine is today’s false doctrine.
Yesterday’s prophets are today’s heretics.”
– Jeremy Runnells

Count Your Blessings

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October 25, 2018

7:50 am

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Atheism, Christianity, LDS Church, Secularism

This past weekend, my mother had a severe health emergency when she was home alone with my child.  My child was able to call 911 and summon the help which likely saved my mother’s life.

At the hospital, she was treated aggressively by talented doctors and nurses, with remarkable medications, and is expected to make a full recovery.

Whilst at the hospital, my mother’s LDS Bishop came to visit with one of his counselors.  They lauded the blessing that my child who was there to help.  Also the blessings of the first-responders who arrived so quickly to assist.

I politely remained silent.

In my non-believing mind, however, I suggested that a real “blessing” would have been that my mother never had the condition which caused the emergency in the first place

If that isn’t an acceptable “blessing”, why couldn’t her condition be instantly healed after she received her priesthood blessing?  Rather than requiring the intervention of medical professionals and powerful, potentially dangerous medications?

I also wonder what The Bishop and his counselor would be saying to us if my mother had passed away alone at the home, or if the medications had not worked properly and she died at the hospital.

They would probably say something similar to what they said when my father passed away after a priesthood blessing assuring him that he would recover.  “Heavenly Father needed your father.  It was his time.”

How can we have it both ways?  If a believer recovers, it’s a blessing or a miracle.  If they don’t, it’s God’s will.  As I observed in a previous post:

“When I look out upon the cosmos, the universe seemingly behaves as I have described its godless version; chaotic and indifferent. Bad things happen to good people. Good things happen to bad people. Good things happen to good people. Bad things happen to bad people. We sometimes get what our hearts most desire, and more often we don’t. The physical laws of the universe act as indifferently as one might expect them to do. Hurricanes flood Christian homes. Earthquakes bury Buddhists. Tsunamis drown Hindus. Disease kills the young, the old, the innocent, and the evil alike. In short, the universe works almost precisely as if God isn’t there. Maybe He isn’t. Maybe He never was.”

Lest the reader think me ungrateful, I am exceptionally grateful that my mother has a community to help her, who quickly reacted to help their friend and neighbor.  Thank you to all.

Friendly Silence

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September 4, 2018

12:42 pm

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Human Rights, LDS Church, Scare Tactics

Last week, Bishop Sam Young was summoned to a “Court of Love” by his local Mormon Priesthood leaders.  This was after his hunger strike to try and convince the 15 apostles, prophets, seers, and revelators, who lead the church, that allowing a grown man to ask children about sexually explicit topics in a closed room during “Worthiness Interviews” is harmful and dangerous.

Yesterday, during the monthly Fast and Testimony meeting, when members are invited to stand up and bear their testimony of the gospel, one member was speaking in support of Bishop Young’s message to Protect LDS Children. Local authorities stopped the speaker and physically removed him from the building.

Another speaker, McKenna Denson, rose to address the local congregation of Joseph Bishop, the man who, allegedly (and admitted on tape), sexually assaulted her at the Mission Training Center, when the man was the MTC president.  She called for Mr. Bishop to be held accountable and for The Church to stop protecting sexual predators like Joseph Bishop.  She was also stopped and physically removed from the building.

To members of the church, I am sure this seems like an inappropriate method and time to share these thoughts.  To outsiders like myself, however, who follow these stories, it seems that Bishop Young and Ms. Denson have done their best to go through “approved” channels and have been rebuked with dismissal and silence at every turn.

To outsiders, that a man who admitted on tape to assaulting multiple women, Joseph Bishop, is allowed to keep his membership, his Priesthood, his covenants, and blessings while Sam Young is facing spiritual execution for doing everything he can to simply Protect LDS Children is grossly offensive.  That this man is allowed to sit peacefully as a member in good standing and take the sacrament is repugnant and repulsive hypocrisy.

That when someone stands to speak up for the victims, they are silenced and removed.

What do you have to fear?  Will you stand for the victims, or for their protectors?

“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Story and Legend

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February 6, 2018

12:43 pm

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Atheism, LDS Church, Secularism

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A couple of years ago, my daughter was staying with my LDS mother.  After the visit, my mother told me that, at dinner, my daughter asked to “do what [my cousin] does,” meaning to say the prayer.  My mother wasn’t sure what to do, so she simply helped/coached my daughter through saying a prayer.  I understood that my daughter just wanted to participate in and receive the attention given during the ceremony.  I appreciated my mother being honest with me about the occurrence and it opened up a discussion amongst our family about how to deal with my non-religious child.

We had never really mentioned religion to her, thinking she was maybe too young to understand it.  It was clearly time, however, to start introducing the fact that some people believe in the supernatural and don’t need science to support their beliefs.

The first thing we did was invent ‘Gratitudes’; a secular pre-dinner ceremony in which we say three things for which we’re grateful.  When my daughter was at grandmother’s house, one of her cousins could say the prayer and then she could say her ‘Gratitudes.’  We started the ceremony at home, and it seems to be working well when visiting family.

The second thing we did is order a children’s version of The Odyssey and introduce the concepts of mythology.  These stories were fun and introduced the concepts of gods and goddesses.  After that, we went to the library to seek out books about other cultural mythologies.  Egyptian.  Chinese.  Japanese.  Norse.  Indian.  Native American.  All that we could find.  We explained that all cultures developed rich, creative, fun, and different ways to explain life, death, natural disasters, etc.  We then carefully explained that some people still believe in different versions of mythology and that her grandmother believed in a different version of mythology from her ‘nana & pappa’.  She asked if we believed in mythology?  My wife and I answered truthfully that we once did, but that we found science a much better way to explain life, death, natural disasters, the solar system, biology, and more.

Introducing religion in this way seemed effective with our child and the process was smoother than I once feared.  She seems to have accepted and understood these different belief structures with much greater ease than I ever did.  I think it a useful method of introducing these difficult concepts without indoctrination.  We have no desire to teach our daughter what to think, rather how to think.

“I think that we need mythology. We need a bedrock of story and legend in order to live our lives coherently.” – Alan Moore

Trust Thyself

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November 29, 2017

8:54 am

2 Comments on Trust Thyself

Atheism, Satire, Secularism

‘In God We Trust.”

I hate that license plate.  Hate.  Hate.  Hate.

The reason?  Every time I see it, it causes me to have a little debate with an imaginary believer.

Me:  No you don’t.

Believer:  Yes I do.

Me:  Do you wear your seatbelt?

Believer:  Yes.

Me:  Then, no you don’t.  If you trusted in your god, you would trust that you only need your god to protect you from harm; not some strip of fabric invented by humans.

Believer: “God helps them who help themselves.”

Me: [quoting George Carlin] “If you did it yourself, you didn’t need help.”  No believers were injured or died in car accidents BEFORE the invention of the seat-belt?  Or safety glass?  Or anti-lock brakes?  Or air-bags?  God protected all of those who trusted in Him before the human invented safety devices?  No believer is struck by lightning?  Something from which they can only trust God to protect them?  Killed in earthquakes?  Or hurricanes?  Or tornados? Or any other natural disaster the god in which they trust so strongly should be able to provide protection?

I eagerly await a reasonable and logical response.

“Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Instituted In The Heavens

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October 30, 2017

10:23 am

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LDS Church, Secularism

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“Ordinances instituted in the heavens before the foundation of the world, in the priesthood, for the salvation of men, are not to be altered or changed.” – Joseph Smith

As a child, I was taught that The Gospel needed to be restored because it was corrupted over time.  That, like the game of telephone, the prophets and apostles accidentally distorted the message of Jesus after the resurrection and His ascent to heaven.  The point being, that without being written specifically down, the Gospel could change and be corrupted from the original version.

Where is The LDS Endowment ceremony written down? It’s not in the Book of Mormon.  It’s not in The Bible.  It’s not in The D&C.  It’s not in The Book of Abraham, or Moses.  And, in fact, it has changed many, many, many times – but never by scripture.  It merely changes in practice.  One day, you’re signing blood oaths and penalties as part of the temple ritual.  The next, you’re not.  One day, you’re being literally washed and anointed.  The next, you’re merely “symbolically” washed and anointed.  How are members of The LDS Church to know that their current prophets and apostles aren’t corrupting The Gospel in the same way as those prophets and apostles of old?

The Book of Mormon has had hundreds of changes made to it since it’s initial “translation.”  The Church leaders don’t announce these changes as being made due to divine revelation.  In fact, many members don’t even know that The Book of Mormon, Temple rituals, etc. routinely change.  If they did, shouldn’t they worry that, perhaps, The Gospel is once again being corrupted by worldly men and false prophets?

My guess is that the answer is “modern revelation”, but how are members to trust that these changes are what Heavenly Father wants, but the changes made by the prophets and apostles of old were not?

In fact, not only the Book and Mormon and Endowment Ceremony have changed.  Also, the very “revelations” received by Joseph Smith, supposedly directly from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and recorded in The Doctrine and Covenants have been massively modified.  Why would the direct words of a god need to be modified and updated?  If God Himself is telling the prophets and apostles to change these texts, why are these changes and revelations not announced from the pulpit during General Conference?

“Apostate Churches have changed many of the ordinances. For instance, they no longer baptize as Jesus was baptized when he went to John to be baptized of him.” – Apostle LeGrand Richards

“…there is vast evidence and history of an apostasy from the doctrine taught by Jesus and his Apostles, that the organization of the original Church became corrupted, and sacred ordinances were changed to suit the convenience of men.” – Apostle David B. Haight

“Inasmuch as this church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication, and polygamy: we declare that we believe, that one man should have one wife; and one woman, but one husband, except in case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again.” – Joseph Smith, The Book of Commandments