Jan. 2022: When the Church of Russell M. Nelson of Latter-day Saints became more emboldened in its worship: Four examples in one month alone.

January continues to be a month in which church members are celebrating the transcendence that is Russell M Nelson. Here are a few examples:

Following Pres. Nelson = increased discernment

In a Europe-area devotional earlier this month, Wendy Nelson asked,

"What would happen in only 30 days if you chose to follow the prophets with exactness?"

She then went on to say,

"Your love for your Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will grow, as will your desire to keep your covenants with them. Your ability to discern between what is true and what is not will increase." [1] 

Which is just the opposite of what Joseph Smith said:

"President Joseph Smith read the 14th chapter of Ezekiel [see, for example, verses 9-10: 'If the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing...the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him.']...said the Lord had declared by the Prophet [Ezekiel], that the people should each one stand for himself, and depend on no man or men in that state of corruption of the Jewish church -- that righteous persons could only deliver their own souls -- applied it to the present state [1842] of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- said if the people departed from the Lord, they must fall -- that they were depending on the Prophet, hence were darkened in their minds, in consequence of neglecting the duties devolving upon themselves..."  [2]

Whenever Elder Bednar hears President Nelson speak, he hears Jesus Christ.

During a Stake Youth Fireside at Fort Mill South Carolina Stake in 2022, newly called mission President Thaddeus Brown spoke about his family's meeting with Elder David Bednar, who set him and his wife apart for the calling. 

During that encounter, President Brown's 9 year-old son asked Bednar if he had ever seen Jesus. Elder Bednar responded by saying whenever he hears President Nelson speak, he hears the voice of the Savior.

"Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!" [3] 

Sister Rasband feels the power of God emanating from Pres. Nelson's finger.

At a January 9, 2022 Young Adult English Area Devotional, Melanie Rasband recounted an incident in which she was late to a church meeting where she was required to sit behind the podium. But as she was looking for a seat near the back, she caught the eye of President Nelson, who was seated on the stand.

"He smiled. I smiled back, despite my embarrassment for being late," Sister Rasband said. Then President Nelson held her gaze as he motioned with his finger for her to come take a seat on the front row. Not wanting to draw attention to her late arrival, Sister Rasband indicated that maybe instead she could stay and sit near the back. But President Nelson continued to smile and again beckoned, with his index finger, for her to come and take the front-row seat that had been reserved with her name on it.

"There was power in that pointing finger," Sister Rasband said.

"Come follow me," the mortal said.

The New Testament is filled with the Savior's invitations to follow him. Here are a few:

• "And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." [4] 
• "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." [5] 
• "come, take up the cross, and follow me." [6] 
• "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" [7] 
• "If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour." [8] 

Nowhere, in any of the scriptures, are we invited to follow a mortal. In fact, we are told quite the opposite: that those who follow mortals are destined for Telestial, not celestial, glory:

"And the glory of the telestial is one, even as the glory of the stars is one; for as one star differs from another star in glory, even so differs one from another in glory in the telestial world;

For these are they who are of Paul, and of Apollos, and of Cephas.

These are they who say they are some of one and some of another-some of Christ and some of John, and some of Moses, and some of Elias, and some of Esaias, and some of Isaiah, and some of Enoch;

But received not the gospel, neither the testimony of Jesus, neither the prophets, neither the everlasting covenant." [9] 

Yet, as often happens these days, there is an exception. Although it has not been canonized in the scriptures (yet), you will be blessed if you follow one and only one mortal: Russell Marion Nelson. Here is his wife again, from the same teleconference, telling us how we can follow President Nelson (Note that never once in her talk does she mention following the Savior. Not. Once.):

"And now how will your life be blessed as you choose to follow President Russell M. Nelson, THE prophet of god on the earth today, who for four years has led The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints under the direction of Jesus Christ himself. I'm grateful that my husband is the kind of man who many years before he was called to be an apostle said quote, 'I never ask myself when does the prophet speak as a prophet and when does he not. My interest has been how can I be more like him?' As his wife, may I offer you several examples of President Nelson's life that you may want to emulate."

Idol Worshippers. All of them.

As I wondered in my last post, why is it that the Church isn't mentioning God, his gifts, powers and promises, in any of their mentions regarding Covid? Now you know: We have "a prophet" (which, parenthetically, has not prophesied one thing that I'm aware of). A prophet whose words outrank those of Joseph Smith's. When he points, it's with power. When he speaks, it's as if you are hearing Jesus Christ. And as long as he lives, you should follow him, not God.

It's clear to me that President Nelson wants to be positioned to a status that's on-par with Jesus Christ. Otherwise, he would be condemning such exalted descriptions and examples of him. 

Here's what the Lord said about such people:

"For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." [10]  

And what about those who follow -- and encourage others to follow -- such man-made gods? Here's the Lord again:

"They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall." [11] 

And Nephi:

"Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost." [12] 

And Pres. Kimball:

"Whatever thing a man sets his heart and his trust in most is his god; and if his god doesn't also happen to be the true and living God of Israel, that man is laboring in idolatry." [13] 

Forget Nelson. Get to know the real Jesus Christ.

A friend recently asked me how I thought one could better know Jesus Christ (beyond prayer, scripture study and serving others).

I said that was a good question, because you first need to know what you're listening for in your prayers and dialogues with God, and if you don't, you're likely to miss what they're saying.

Author John Eldredge said,

"For to come to know Jesus intimately, as he is, as he wants to be known, is to release a redemptive landslide in your life. There will be no stopping the goodness. The first purpose of your existence will be resolved, and from there you are set to fulfill all of God's other purposes for you.

Consider this one piece of evidence: millions of people who have spent years attending church, and yet they don't know God. Their heads are filled with stuffing about Jesus, but they do not experience him.

The records of Christ are written so you can experience him as they [his disciples] did, this intimate connection with the Father and the Son. John says that you can enjoy the same friendship with Jesus that he knew. For this Jesus came.

So, if you do not know Jesus as a person, know his remarkable personality-playful, cunning, fierce, impatient with all that is religious, kind, creative, irreverent, funny-you have been cheated.

If you do not experience Jesus intimately, daily, in these very ways, if you do not know the comfort of his actual presence, do not hear his voice speaking to you personally-you have been robbed.

If you do not know the power of his indwelling life in you, shaping your personality, healing your brokenness, enabling you to live as he did-you have been plundered.

This is why we pray,

Jesus, show me who you really are. I pray for the true you. I want the real you. I ask you for you. Spirit of God, free me in every way to know Jesus as he really is. Open my eyes to see him. Deliver me from everything false about Jesus and bring me what is true."

The author of that quote -- John Eldredge -- wrote a beautiful book which is (in my opinion) the best book ever written about Jesus. Called "Beautiful Outlaw," its contents provide the best description of Jesus I've ever found. Go here to order it and see what others have said about the book (you can also watch the YouTubes of the book, found here at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmUK0-mwMsk)

The second thing you can do is to watch The Chosen. It's a powerful portrayal of Jesus and his original associates. The actor who plays Jesus, Jonathan Roumie, nails it. Here's the climax of Season 1, Episode 1:

Between those two resources, you should be off to a solid start in getting to know and develop a vibrant, thriving relationship with Jesus.

Because it's time to stop playing with the big kids who think they're cool, and start dialoguing with a God instead.

Sources

 1.   https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/president-nelson-europe-devotional-january-2022; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKzTucXZLk8&t=44s
 2.   Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith p. 237-38.
 3.   Ezekiel 13:3
 4.   Matthew 4:19
 5.   Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23
 6.   Mark 10:21
 7.   John 10:27
 8.   John 12:26
 9.   D&C 76:98-101
10.   Luke 14:11; D&C 101:42
11.   D&C 1:16; italics added
12.   2 Nephi 28:31-32; italics added
13.   "The False Gods We Worship", June 1976 Ensign, https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1976/06/the-false-gods-we-worship

VIDEO PROOF: "Salvation Comes ONLY through the Church" -- An Official Church Doctrine

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Since last August (when the First Presidency released its (in)famous message to the world about available "vaccines" having been "proven to be both safe and effective" and that we should "follow the wise and thoughtful recommendations of medical experts and government leaders"), [1] I've been wondering why the church has never once referenced the Savior, his power, his mercy and more in their public pronouncements regarding Covid. 

Despite ample scriptural justifications and examples, the church has never tied the ongoing pandemic to mankind's lack of repentance. Nor has it ever referenced in its messages the gifts of the Spirit nor the Word of Wisdom and its wonderful promises. 

So, I concluded in my last post that church leaders have instead chosen to deny God.  

This has, in turn, led me to ask God for answers. Why no Jesus? Why no Savior? Why no Master Healer? Why no Gift of Healing? Why no divine hope? 

Why is the church ignoring you? Why do they deny you? Why is it - when we need you the most - you're mentioned the least?

And then, the other day, in a social media post stray comment, someone led me to the answer:

The church doesn't need Jesus anymore.

In fact, if you want to be saved in the kingdom of God, you need look no further than the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That's because…

"Salvation is in the Church, and of the Church, and is obtained only through the Church."

Did you catch that last part - "only through the Church"? As one person who read that phrase said, "I have never heard or was taught this message. It would seem that what is being taught here is not correct. If salvation only comes through a church, then why have a savior? Why not only have a church??"

My thoughts exactly. Now here's the kicker:

This doctrine was pronounced over the pulpit by an apostle in General Conference, published in the Ensign magazine and is currently "Suggested Lesson Material" in a current Institute class ("The Restored Gospel and World Religions").

If you think I'm making this up, here's Elder Mark E. Petersen's April 1973 General Conference talk, "Salvation Comes through the Church":

To me, the main portion of the talk is right at the front:

"When the Savior established his church during his mortal ministry, and as it was further developed by the twelve apostles of that day, one important fact became conspicuously clear, which is: that salvation comes through the Church. It does not come through any separate organization or splinter group nor to any private party as an individual. It comes only through the Church itself as the Lord established it. It was the Church that was organized for the perfecting of the Saints. It was the Church that was given for the work of the ministry. It was the Church that was provided to edify the body of Christ, as Paul explained to the Ephesians. Therefore, it was made clearly manifest that salvation is in the Church, and of the Church, and is obtained only through the Church." (italics added). 

In the intervening 49 years since Petersen gave his talk, only one General Authority has dared expound upon the distinction between the church and the Kingdom of God. 

The Poelman Modifications Reinforce the Primacy of the Church

In the October 1984 general conference of the LDS Church, Elder Ronald E. Poelman [2] delivered a sermon entitled "The Gospel and the Church". Controversy ensued when the version of his sermon that was published in the November 1984 Ensign magazine differed from the sermon Poelman had delivered orally.

According to Poelman's brother, after Poelman had delivered his sermon, it had been pointed out to him by apostles that the text of his talk might support claims that people do not need the LDS Church. In response, Poelman revised the text of the sermon for publication in the Ensign [3] and re-delivered the edited sermon on film. A "cough track" was included in the re-taping to make it appear that the revised sermon was delivered in front of an audience. [4] 

Here are a few of the revisions Poelman "voluntarily" made to his talk:

As you can see, the revisions Poelman "voluntarily" made are so far removed from his original, that I cannot believe for a second that they were "voluntary" "clarifications". All of the revisions turned the "distinctions" between the gospel and church into "harmonies" - a 180-degree turn intended to create greater reliance upon, and fealty to, the church.

Here are more resources re: Poelman's talk:

Side-by-Side textual comparisons: 

• https://rationalfaiths.com/changing-the-word-of-god 
• http://web.archive.org/web/20071007024635/http://mormonmessenger.org/2002/the-gospel-and-the-churchelder-ronald-e-poelman-of-the-seventy 

Analysis

• https://sunstone.org/elder-poelmans-most-famous-speech 
• https://sunstone.org/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/079-50-53.pdf 
• http://puremormonism.blogspot.com/2010/02/best-conference-talk-you-never-read_13.html 
• http://infantsonthrones.com/a-tale-of-two-poelmans 

Oaks: Even your personal spiritual growth Is dependent upon the church

Most recently, Dallin H. Oaks not only reinforced the necessity of the church, but also its role in your personal, individual spiritual development. In his March 2020 Ensign article "The Lord Leads His Church through Prophets and Apostles", he stated:

"Only through an organization can the individual members of what the Apostle Paul called "the body of Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:27) receive the opportunities they need to achieve the spiritual growth that is the purpose of their creation. And only an organization with different talents and a variety of efforts can achieve what is necessary to accomplish the Lord's work." (italics added)

Did you catch that? Only organizations can accomplish the Lord's work. It's as if Oaks is saying, "[1] Your individual efforts are insufficient to the Lord. And [2] the Lord is incapable of unilaterally gathering people with different talents to accomplish his work. 'ONLY' an organization can do that."

Also, your ability to be sufficiently charitable and be an emissary of the gospel are also dependent upon the church:

"Things that can be accomplished only through organized groups of believers include major efforts to help the poor, to proclaim the gospel in all the world, and to build and maintain temples." (italics added)

Do you also need to be "reproved or chastened for sin and error"? That's right - "Only" a religious organization can pull that off (sorry, God - looks like you're not good enough at this job):

"Individual believers also need to experience religion through a religious organization because only in this way can we be authoritatively reproved or chastened for sin and error. That chastisement is essential for our spiritual growth (see Doctrine and Covenants 136:31; 101:4-5; see also Mosiah 23:21-22)." (italics added)

He went on to quote Neal A. Maxwell, who apparently 

"gave another reason for religious or spiritual persons to be organized: 'because random, individual goodness is not enough in the fight against evil.'"

(Hmmm, I thought that was one of the two purposes of mortality - to (individually) gain a body and to (individually) overcome sin).

To summarize: We have almost 50 years of unrelenting teachings, by general authorities, that say your salvation is dependent "only" upon the church.

Now it all makes sense: God isn't mentioned because God isn't needed.

God wasn't mentioned in the August, 2021 Covid message because he wasn't needed.

Repentance hasn't been mentioned in conjunction with Covid because God's forgiveness isn't needed either.

God's Word of Wisdom hasn't been mentioned regarding Covid because we have "the wise and thoughtful recommendations of medical experts and government leaders" instead.

The Gift of Healing isn't needed because we have "vaccines" which have been "proven to be both safe and effective.".

The Gift of Discernment isn't needed because we have "vax passports."

God's direct intervention isn't needed because we have real priesthood leaders with real keys (who are not known to have healed even one person during the Covid crisis).

This is all fascinating because (as we read in Oaks' talk),

"President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, has said: "In today's world, where 24 hours a day television and radio commentators spew forth conflicting opinions, where marketers compete for everything from your money to your vote, there is one clear, unpolluted, unbiased voice that you can always count on. And that is the voice of the living prophet and the apostles. Their only motive is 'the everlasting welfare of your souls' (2 Nephi 2:30)."

And Moroni also said, 

"by their works ye shall know them, for if their works be good, then they are good also." [5] 

When you combine these two concepts, we see that "the living prophet and the apostles" (the leaders of the aforementioned church upon which your salvation is dependent) ought to be displaying good "works" - especially the work of "the everlasting welfare of your souls."

How's that going?

As I mentioned in my last post, the church is facing some awfully big challenges these days. One of the biggest: a 0.6% growth rate - the worst in both the 20th AND 21st centuries: [6]

If these men can't even reverse a nose-diving growth rate, what makes you think that they have the wherewithal to help manage something as important as your eternal salvation?

If you're shaking your head like I am, then strap in your seatbelt and "eat your vitamin pills".

Coming up: An inside scoop (that is, something that's not been mentioned on the internet yet) into the church's plans to reverse equally declining membership attrition rates. 

Covid Updates "Available vaccines have proven to be both safe and effective." "We can win this war if everyone will follow the wise and thoughtful recommendations of medical experts and government leaders" "We know that protection from the diseases they cause can only be achieved by immunizing a very high percentage of the population." (First Presidency message of Thursday, August 12, 2021) "by their works ye shall know them, for if their works be good, then they are good also." (Moroni 7:5) "That which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually." (Moroni 7:13) "Whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil." (Moroni 7:17)

"Safe": Over 1000 scientific studies referencing injuries and deaths from Covid vaccines "Safe": A new online database - "How Bad is My Batch" - tracks jab batch numbers and associated deaths, disabilities and life threatening illnesses. "Safe": NY Times admits Covid "booster" shots damage immunity, leave body defenseless against virus "Effective": Israel has one of the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the world. Nearly half of its citizens have received three shots. It's now leading the world in new daily cases per capita.

Sources

1.   https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/first-presidency-message-covid-19-august-2021

2.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_E._Poelman

3.   Peggy Fletcher, "Poelman Revises Conference Speech" Sunstone, January 1985, p. 44

4.   Lavina Fielding Anderson, "The LDS Intellectual Community and Church Leadership: A Contemporary Chronology," Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, https://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V26N01_23.pdf

5.   Moroni 7:5

6.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints_membership_history#Table_for_recent_growth

Jan. 2022: When the Church Doubled Down on Advising Members to "Trust in the Arm of Flesh"

SUMMARY: 

• In the last two weeks, Elder Ballard and BYU-I President Henry Eyring both doubled down on the church's advocacy of following the "the wise and thoughtful recommendations of medical experts and government leaders" 
• Both leaders said we would win the "war" against Covid by following said recommendations, whereas there was no mention whatsoever of Jesus Christ, who has offered to win the war for us. 
•  Both leaders presented statements with significant errors which do not square with facts and could easily mislead others. 
• This has set up a situation where the church's leaders are clearly "Denying the Lord." 
• One could even say that by the actions and statements of the Brethren, a new church has formed at "the Altar of Covid," complete with saviors, gospel, temple recommends and more. 
• In turning to man instead of God for solutions, leaders have effectively become idolatrous, which always has and always will result in a cursing. 
• Contrary to popular belief that the Brethren are simply "urging" members to take the jab, they are allowing local-level leaders to coerce members to get the jab or not allowed to worship inside church buildings (video proof included in blog post).

(Note: Since my last post, I've been wanting to publish something other than the Church and its responses to the Covid issue. However, the situation is such that if I don't address this issue now, this post will lose its timeliness. Maybe we should pray that there's a brief respite in Covid so I can get on to some other juicy insights).

This last week, the church doubled down in encouraging members to trust in the arm of flesh.

First Up: Elder Ballard

In referencing the First Presidency's August 12, 2021 announcement to the world, [1] Ballard said on January 6th:

"Following the guidelines of the federal and state medical advisers has proven to be a wise thing for members of the Church to do. The Church invites its members to be wise and prudent and do the wise thing for their families."  [2]

(While it is true that church leaders "invite" members to get the jab, as we'll see below, it's doing more than inviting; it's constraining (forcing "by imposed stricture, restriction, or limitation") [3]  -- which is a synonym of compelling or compulsion (see D&C 121:37) - members to take the jab).

The rest of the article on Ballard raises more questions:

• Ballard tells readers to "Just keep smiling" and that "things will be OK." 
• How can he pronounce these reassurances when prophecies of the future found in 1 Nephi, 3 Nephi, Mormon, Moroni, Jeremiah, Daniel and Revelations paint a diametrically opposite (a very frightening and violent) picture of the future?
• "We've been dealing with it [the pandemic] wisely." 
• Is trusting in the arm of flesh - and encouraging members to do the same - a wise course of action? 
• Where in the scriptures do we read that it's OK to trust in the arm of flesh (which includes medical experts and government leaders)?
• Are those scriptures (which instruct us not to truth in the arm of flesh) now invalidated? If so, what else has been invalidated?
• "The Church has not stopped; the Church has gone forward. We've used wisdom and good judgment" and "The Restoration has not stopped. Missionary service has not stopped. The Church hasn't stopped. We're moving forward - all in preparation for the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ." 
• If the Church really has "gone forward" and is "moving forward", then why does the church's own 2020 statistical report [4] show that in April 2020, the convert baptismal rate was 0.6% -- the lowest in recorded recent history?

• If the Brethren truly have "keys" of the priesthood, then where are their fruits with respect to the church's first mission - "to proclaim the gospel"? [5] 
• How is this "moving forward"? 
• How does this decline in convert baptisms reflect "wisdom and good judgment"? 
• Is this what the Savior wants - nearly zero convert baptisms?
• "President Ballard pointed to state and national statistics that indicate vaccines are helping to quell the spread of the virus." How can this be said when:
• Hospital databases show a huge increase in "vaccine"-related injuries. [6] 
• The U.K. is reporting that 4x more "vaxxed" than "unvaxxed" people are dying. [7] 
• Fully "vaccinated" surpass "unvaccinated" in Australian hospitals. [8] 
• Australia now admits Covid "vaccines" are harming people, offers up to $600,000 in compensation for the seriously injured. [9] 
• "All of the Church's general authorities and their wives have chosen to be vaccinated, not only to protect themselves but to protect others."
• This establishes a dichotomy within the church's membership: The "vaxxed" (who "protect themselves" and "protect others") and the "unvaxxed" (who do not). This has been a prime source of frustration to many members, as evidenced in many social media groups. 

Ballard's statements may sound optimistic and encouraging, but with a miniscule amount of digging, they don't hold up in light of true facts. What kind of leader encourages others with statements based on outright lies?

Second Up: Pres. Eyring (the other one)

Five days later, BYU-Idaho President Henry J. Eyring doubled down on the "trust in the arm of flesh" rhetoric:

"COVID, it appears, is testing our resolve to follow the guidance of governmental and Church authorities. But, rather than seeing an unfair and perhaps even needless intrusion on our freedom, we can embrace the trials, tests and potential victories to be had." [10] 

He then quoted the First Presidency's August 2021 letter, which states:

"We know that protection from the diseases they cause can only be achieved by immunizing a very high percentage of the population ... We can win this war if everyone will follow the wise and thoughtful recommendations of medical experts and government leaders."

Three points regarding Eyring's address:

1. "the wise and thoughtful recommendations of medical experts and government leaders" - I have yet to see any recommendations which have been wise, because many of them have changed or been proven wrong during the Covid crisis. If they were truly thoughtful, they would not be unjustifiably shunning alternative treatments (which has led to many lawsuits and even more deaths). Instead, they would be emphasizing boosting the body's God-given natural immune system (which they have publicly neglected and rejected).
2. Church leaders have often equated battling the Covid pandemic with a war. Yet in Pres. Kimball's famous June, 1976 Ensign article, "The False Gods We Worship," he states,

"We forget that if we are righteous the Lord will either not suffer our enemies to come upon us-and this is the special promise to the inhabitants of the land of the Americas (see 2 Nephi 1:7)-or he will fight our battles for us (Exodus 14:14; D&C 98:37, to name only two references of many). This he is able to do, for as he said at the time of his betrayal, "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matthew 26:53.)

What are we to fear when the Lord is with us? Can we not take the Lord at his word and exercise a particle of faith in him?" 

3. Eyring quoted the First Presidency's announcement:

"We know that protection from the diseases they cause can only be achieved by immunizing a very high percentage of the population." 

"Immunization" is the "only" way? The same immunization that's proven ineffective even to those who have received the jab? The same immunization that's caused catastrophic adverse effects among those who received the jab?

The church has never mentioned Matthew 26:53 during the entirety of this pandemic. Nor has it mentioned the power of prayer, the Word of Wisdom and/or the role of faith in healing and preventing disease. In fact, Jesus has been found nowhere in the church's public pronouncements.

Instead, it is now proven that the Church is relying on the mistaken notion that "we can win this war" if "everyone" follows "the wise and thoughtful recommendations of medical experts and government leaders" (who themselves have never quoted the Lord in their public pronouncements. Ever.) and endorse turning only to what? "Immunizing."

This is called "Denying the Lord" (see the 2 Nephi 28 quote below).

"The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh." [11] 

"It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man." [12] 

In fact, not any ordinary men. According to the church, the wars that are to be won over Covid rely not only on mortal men, but men who (as is agreed upon by both sides of the political aisles, and as history amply demonstrates) are very likely prone to self-aggrandizement and corruption (hence the statement "evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days" in the Word of Wisdom). [13] 

Because of this wholesale (and now very deliberate) denial of the Lord, and because there is no mention by the Brethren whatsoever of the power of faith or in the scriptures, I'm concerned - as is Dr. Scott Bradley of freedomsrisingsun.com - of the following (found in the video below, at the 8:25 mark):

"I'm so worried about so many other things one is that central to everything that's happening nowadays is a new god. I'm sorry to say that it's an altar that people have come to worship at called "The Altar of Covid," and the saviors in this new religion have become the physicians, the scientists, the researchers, the politicians and the big pharma companies." 

Carried further, I would also add that in this new religion: 

• Fear has replaced faith.
• Youth suicides have replaced youth activities.
• Adverse reactions (like death) have replaced healings.
• Loyalty to men has replaced trust in God.
• Cover-ups and redacted public documents have replaced transparency.
• "Vaccine" stations could be considered this new religion's temple.
• "Vaccine" passports are the recommend cards.
• Booster shots the new sacrament.
• The guidance of the CDC as the new gospel and, 
• The new garment to prove your devotion? You guessed it: masks. 

The Church is Now Worshipping Idols

Pres. Kimball continues in his article, "The False Gods We Worship":

"in all ages when men have fallen under the power of Satan and lost the faith, they have put in its place a hope in the 'arm of flesh' and in 'gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know' (Dan. 5:23)-that is, in idols."

"Whatever thing a man sets his heart and his trust in most is his god; and if his god doesn't also happen to be the true and living God of Israel, that man is laboring in idolatry."

"In spite of our delight in defining ourselves as modern, and our tendency to think we possess a sophistication that no people in the past ever had-in spite of these things, we are, on the whole, an idolatrous people-a condition most repugnant to the Lord."

Pres. Kimball said that in 1976. Here we are 44 years later. Do you think that "we are, on the whole, an idolatrous people" statement still applies? In speaking of our time - right now -- the Lord said in D&C 1:16 (italics added):

"They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall."

The Result of all this Idolatry? Cursing.

There should be nothing safe nor reassuring about trusting in the arm of flesh to "win this war." Without the Lord of Hosts as the church's battle cry, a disastrous outcome is assured.

I find it interesting that the August 19, 2021 letter was only sent out by the First Presidency and not the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (which would have been even more powerful and convincing to church members). This may be because not all of the Twelve concur with the First Presidency's message. One of those may be Elder D. Todd Christofferson. Although I'm not a big fan of his October 2020 General Conference talk "Sustainable Societies", he did have this to say:

"I think it safe to say that when people turn from a sense of accountability to God and begin to trust instead in the 'arm of flesh,' disaster lurks. Trusting in the arm of flesh is to ignore the divine Author of human rights and human dignity and to give highest priority to riches, power, and the praise of the world (while often mocking and persecuting those who follow a different standard)."

Pres. Kimball also said,

"We must leave off the worship of modern-day idols and a reliance on the 'arm of flesh,' for the Lord has said to all the world in our day, 'I will not spare any that remain in Babylon.' (D&C 64:24.)"

Are they right? Without question. The scriptures contain a curse on those who follow man or put their trust in man's arm. In 2 Nephi 28, Nephi's final address warns the gentiles how vulnerable they are to this mistake, and how they will be cursed as a consequence. He offers hope, however, conditioned on repentance and return to following the Lord. 

"Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Wo be unto the Gentiles, saith the Lord God of Hosts! For notwithstanding I shall lengthen out mine arm unto them from day to day, they will deny me; nevertheless, I will be merciful unto them, saith the Lord God, if they will repent and come unto me; for mine arm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord God of Hosts." [14] 

"Oh Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yes, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm." [15] 

How this affects the local levels of the church

Pres. Ezra Taft Benson once said,

"Sometimes from behind the pulpit, in our classrooms, in our Council meetings and in our church publications, we hear, read or witness things that do not square with the truth. This is especially true where freedom is involved. Now do not let this serve as an excuse for your own wrong-doing. The Lord is letting the wheat and the tares mature before he fully purges the Church. He is also testing you to see if you will be misled. The devil is trying to deceive the very elect." [16] 

These days, what are we hearing or witnessing that does not square with the truth?

1. Members saying, "I know that taking the jab is wrong, but it's a 'Spiritual Obedience Test,' so I'll take it."
   
   Many members equate taking the jab with the Israelites' looking at the brass serpent on a pole. The serpent represented Jesus Christ -- the very same Jesus Christ who is never mentioned by medical experts, government leaders nor church brethren regarding Covid. Looking to Jesus should heal you. Instead, the jab has accumulated more adverse events than all other "vaccines" combined over the last 20 years, and many more who have taken it have still contracted Covid. Those aren't the same results as those who looked to the brass serpent and lived.

2. "Those who don't take the jab/wear a mask shouldn't attend church with those who have."

When Alma and Amulek visited the Zoramites, they observed that the people were not included in their services: 

"Therefore they were not permitted to enter into their synagogues to worship God, being esteemed as filthiness." [17] 

Later, Jesus instructed the Nephite disciples, 

"And behold, ye shall meet together oft; and ye shall not forbid any man from coming unto you when ye shall meet together, but suffer them that they may come unto you and forbid them not;" [18] 

And also warned his disciples, 

"They shall put you out of the synagogues" [19]  

In encouraging members to get the jab and wear masks, The First Presidency's usage of the word "urge" should not be considered as a simple recommendation or advice. Since the announcement's release, many wards and stakes have adopted it as an actual policy governing members' attendance to temples and local church meetings. I have received reports that non-adherence to these local policies has denied some members’ ability to worship alongside other church members. 

Because Church Headquarters has not clamped down on these restrictive actions, but has instead let them perpetuate, its silence and inactivity is a tacit approval of these local measures. Indeed, while the church's worldwide leaders hide behind the word "urge," many local leaders aren't. And the Brethren just let it continue.

One communication I have received was from a member who lives in a ward and stake whose leaders make it abundantly clear that people are not welcome at church if they don't mask up.

Other wards and stakes have taken things a step further.  Here is one church member's report:

"This is New Zealand, This is MY Stake .. Yes, we have mandates but other Stakes and Wards have found ways around it, so this segregation and exclusion doesn't happen,  for example; getting smaller groups of people in different parts of the chapel , holding meetings outdoors or even continue Zoom meetings for everyone until everyone can meet face to face. (It doesn't have to be this way) 

Yes, these are the NZ government mandates and rules but no the majority of people are accepting these, we have signed petitions, we have being protesting on the streets ( all religious and non religious denominations) but nobody is listening, the Main Stream Media ignore us.. nobody shows what is really happening. We are loosing our jobs (especially health workers and teachers) lots of businesses have been force to close and we are being excluded from services and some retail shops.

No, This is not the Church doings!! These are some local leaders who have chosen this way.  The Church has to abide by the law of the land. Some other leaders have chosen to find ways to abide by the law and still don't add or promote the segregation and discrimination. 

I thought to show this, so we don't "normalise" or accept this as a norm! I want to make this clear "This is not the Church" just some leaders."

Here's the video proof:

When church members feel they can no longer worship God at church/their "synagogue", and/or feel shamed into having to wear a mask or get the jab, then they will often choose to worship God at home. [20] 

"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life." [21] 

Sources

 1.   https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/first-presidency-message-covid-19-august-2021
 2.   https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2022-01-06/covid-19-pandemic-two-years-president-ballard-message-of-optimism-238887
 3.   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constrain
 4.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints_membership_history
 5.   https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1982/04/remember-the-mission-of-the-church
 6.   https://alexberenson.substack.com/p/internal-hospital-data-confirm-a
 7.   https://dailyexpose.uk/2021/11/17/covid-deaths-ratio-vaxxed-to-unvaxxed-41-corporate-media-should-be-censored-for-spreading-disinformation
 8.   https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_morningbrief/fully-vaccinated-australians-in-hospital-with-covid-19-surpass-unvaccinated_4207135.html
 9.   https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/human-body/pfizer-boss-says-two-doses-provides-limited-protection-if-any-against-omicron/news-story/9d76126d080e2010f05eb0b4ae5e0c45
10.   https://www.byui.edu/radio/interview-with-president-henry-j-eyring-and-kelly-c-eyring-about-their-devotional-address; https://www.rexburgstandardjournal.com/news/the-eyrings-welcome-byu-idaho-students-back-to-campus/article_6a2773f6-b598-526b-8060-07882394a0a4.html
11.   D&C 1:19.
12.   Psalm 118:8.
13.   D&C 89:4.
14.   2 Nephi 28:31-32; italics added.
15.   2 Nephi 4 :34; italics added.
16.   "Our Immediate Responsibility", BYU Speeches, October 25, 1966.
17.   Alma 32:3.
18.   3 Nephi 18:22.
19.   John 16:2.
20.   Alma 32:5-11; 1 Corinthians 3:16
21.   2 Nephi 31:20. Italics added.

Pres. Oaks' blasting of those "silly", "political" religious exemptions

[Below is a hypothetical letter to President Dallin H. Oaks. Had this been a real letter, it never would have been delivered to him in the first place].

President Oaks,

On November 12, 2021, you participated in a University of Virginia forum. When (supposedly) asked about the appropriateness of religious exemptions in light of the Covid shots, you said:

TRANSCRIPT: 

"On the question of religious exemptions from vaccination: I agree entirely with what he said. That's why I said I didn't see a legal issue this was positive. That for me it's simply an illustration of how bad things get when you mix medical questions with political issues. You've got a bad mix of political issues and medical issues and vaccinations. 

It's interesting to me as a person legally trained and reading these controversies from a distance, as I do, without the current personal knowledge and practice that Professor Lincoln has, I just think it's silly for anybody to think that any available, reliable medical evidence untainted by political considerations would give you a reason to seek a religious exemption."

It's clear to me that you are either apathetic, ignorant or in denial of objective, scientifically-validated facts regarding the jab which are free of political considerations.

Below, I will explain to you why people want a religious exemption from the jab (which the church refuses to endorse). [1] 

I will cite sources with zero - I repeat, zero - political agenda. I will stick to clinical and scientific facts, with a tiny smattering of news headlines which are also apolitical in nature. 

More proof that the jab is neither safe nor effective…courtesy of Pfizer

• According to a confidential Pfizer trial study report (here), between 12/1/20 and 2/28/21, Pfizer received reports of 42,086 adverse events ("case reports"). Subtracting the 32,686 with unknown outcomes, 13,104 had adverse reactions which either continued in some form after the initial reactions went away, were not recovered from at the time of the report, or were fatal. 13,104 / 42,086 = 31% of those with adverse effects either continued suffering or died. A 31% adverse harm rate is unprecedented for any vaccine in history.
• Of the 34 children under age 12 who were given the injection and had an adverse event, 24 experienced serious side effects. Of those 34, 13 (38%) cases were still unresolved at the date of the report (2/28/21). [2]
• There were 75 serious reports out of 270 cases involving pregnant women (27%). It may take years for us to understand the full extent of the long-term effects to these babies (even among those who showed no immediate adverse events).

Here's the analysis:

It is a proven fact that not only was the U.S. Government informed of this data, but it also did nothing about it. That is a non-partisan statement. Meanwhile, the Church's "prophets, seers and revelators" continued to promote it as "safe and effective," a "miracle," a "godsend" and even an obedience test. [3]  Again, that's apolitical.

"And Men's Hearts Shall Fail Them" [4]

Now that you know just how destructive and even lethal these jabs are, let's examine two specific adverse events. 

Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle. Pericarditis is an inflammation of the outer lining of the heart. In both cases, the body's immune system causes inflammation in response to an infection or some other trigger. [5]

In my November 20, 2021 post, I mentioned BYU basketball player Richard Harward, whose stint on the school's team was cut short soon after getting the jab. Since then, neither the school nor the church would comment on Harward's true condition.

His story is not unique:

And the death toll rises from there.

So, what do a bunch of fainting athletes have to do with the Covid shots?

Dr. Meryl Nass is a biological warfare epidemiologist. She investigated the world's largest anthrax episode in Zimbabwe and developed a model for analyzing epidemics to assess whether they are natural or man-made. In this presentation, she mentioned: 

• "Myocarditis almost always occurs within 4 days of a shot, and sometimes on the same day."
• "It's most common in teenagers ."

As you can see by this table, VAERS reports that out of over 2 million administered dozes, clinicians expected to see 0-4 cases of myocarditis or pericarditis among 12-17 year-old injected males. Instead, they saw 128 cases. They also expected to see 1-8 cases among 18-24 year-old jabbed males; instead, it was 219.

About 5 weeks ago, scientists in Hong Kong published an academic report which found myocarditis in 1 in every 2,700 post-jabbed 12-17 year-old boys (after their second shot) -- far greater than the 1 in 18,000 in the VAERS data. Subsequent tests of soldiers by Walter Reed Medical Center found the incidence to be 1 in 220. 1 in 30 soldiers displayed cardiac damage. [6]

"How does this happen," you ask? In this video, Dr. Sucharit Bhakdi -- a German professor and expert on Immunobiology and Immunopathogens -- describes how the virus shreds blood vessels and organs, especially the heart and lungs.

Next, how can you confirm if a person who has died did so because of a Covid shot? There's only one way to find out: Consult a pathologist. Shockingly, this has hardly been done in the world. But one who has done it is Prof. Arne Burkhardt, MD. One of Germany's most experienced pathologists, Burkhardt has 40 years of experience and has published over 150 articles in journals and as contributions to handbooks.

Burkhardt found T-lymphocytes and killer lymphocytes stimulated by the Covid shots had destroyed just about every organ of the body, especially the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys and brain. Microscope images showed these organs destroyed by what one could best describe as a shotgun blast of T-lymphocytes and killer lymphocytes -- a condition Dr. Burkhardt had never seen in his 40 years of pathology.

How much politics do you see in these clinical results? How can they not be taken seriously by you?

Let's see who's really putting our full-time missionaries in harm's way.

What do all these facts mean to you?

The church's full-time missionary force is right smack dab in the middle of those statistics. 

That means that in requiring those 18-24 year-old full-time male missionaries to get the jab prior to entering the MTC (which is required for all MTC entrants), you are potentially endangering their lives. [7]

Let's take a look at some of the unfortunate deaths among the church's full-time missionary force last year: [8] 

In January: 

• A 24-year-old elder serving in his home country of Haiti died after being admitted to a hospital with "health complications"
• A 19-year-old elder from Utah was killed in a car crash in Arkansas
• A 20-year-old Nigerian serving a mission in his homeland died after a "sudden health episode (unrelated to COVID-19)."

In March: 

• A 21-year-old missionary drowned in his homeland of El Salvador 
• A 48-year-old mission president in the Philippines died of an apparent heart attack.

In May: 

• An 18-year-old missionary from Utah and…
• His 20-year-old companion from Colorado were killed in a head-on collision in Denton, Texas.

In July: 

• A 20-year-old missionary from Utah and…
• His 20-year-old companion from Montana were killed in a head-on collision in New Mexico.
• A 60-year-old mission president from Argentina died of cardiac arrest after battling COVID-19 for two months. He had been overseeing the Bolivia Cochabamba Mission.

In December:

• A 24-year-old missionary serving in the Ivory Coast Abidjan East Mission, was found unresponsive by his companion shortly after waking. He was taken to a hospital, where he died. A church spokesman said the missionary's death "remains unknown at this time, but preliminary reports suggest it is the result of an undiagnosed medical condition."

All 10 of those deaths were males. Of those 10, 8 were in the 18-24 year-old demographic mentioned above. And of those 8, 3 explanations were vague and resembled those given of the young athletes' collapses and deaths. You can get away with vague "health complications" and "undiagnosed medical conditions" some of the time. But when they begin to be the norm rather than the rare exception (as we're seeing among athletes of the same demographic around the world), then yes, you have a credibility problem.

President Oaks, it's obvious that you're not seeing these apolitical news stories, apolitical clinical results and apolitical scientific analyses. However, I can assure you that the young people of the church, and their parents, are aware of these adverse events. And it's scaring the crap out of them. 

For these (and likely more) reasons, people are requesting exemptions to the shots based on their religious beliefs. Their concerns are not silly; they're (literally) deadly serious. In many cases, these members consider their bodies as temples. If the facts above are any indication (which they are), receiving the jab is a clear-cut case of defiling their temple. 

Have you always considered temple defilement "silly", or is this a recent development?

"know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you"? [9] 

In denying these people's religious exemptions (and even worse, if you consider such exemptions "silly"), you demean and debase their right to effectively protect the greatest of God's creations - their temples, their bodies - from defilement.

Who's really politicizing the jab in the church

Pres. Oaks, on August 12, 2021, you signed a news release stating that "Available vaccines have proven to be both safe and effective" and that "We can win this war if everyone will follow the wise and thoughtful recommendations of medical experts and government leaders." [10] 

The apolitical facts speak for themselves: The Covid shots are not "safe and effective", and the "wise and thoughtful recommendations of medical experts and government leaders" have proven to be unwise and thoughtless. 

Conversely, while my statements above are apolitical, your news release was a clear-cut recycling of statements by some of the most vicious political and partisan people in our country today: 

Which goes to show that maybe it's not the people seeking religious exemptions - and the facts they use to justify them - that's silly (in a deadly way).

Maybe it's you.

P.S. I caught your usage of the term "Mormon" at the 54 second mark here, stated on Tuesday, December 14, 2021 in Rome. As much as I know Rome holds a very sacred, solemn place in the hearts of the 15 brethren, please be careful. "Mormon" is a Satanic term used to give Satan victories. Using it aligns you with Satan.

In light of the church's refusal to grant religious exemptions, let people show that they take the sanctity of His holiest temples - their bodies - seriously. 

Because no servant of God - no matter how high-ranking they may be - would ever tell you to ingest a proven poison into your temple.

Sources

 1.   https://www.deseret.com/2021/9/23/22688511/churchbeat-newsletter-lds-mormon-church-latter-day-saints-vaccine-exemption

 2.   Pfizer trial study report, p. 13.

 3.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So9X_fDZYE8&t=9s&ab_channel=Alexander

 4.   D&C 45:26; D&C 88:91

 5.   https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/myocarditis.html

 6.   https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/cid/ciab989/6445179

 7.   https://www.sltrib.com/news/2021/12/30/covid-outbreak-reported

 8.   https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2021/12/23/latter-day-saint

 9.   1 Corinthians 6:19

10.  https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/first-presidency-message-covid-19-august-2021

The General Relief Society counselor who says she's single…but has a ring on her finger

Yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised by a story, written and posted by the Associated Press, about the expanding influence of women in the church. Entitled "Mormon women's influence expands despite priesthood ban," it highlights the progress women have made in the church since the first spark of the Restoration. Baby steps? Yes. But also very solid, inspiring ones.

Sharon Eubank: The Revolution within an Evolutionary Church

In my opinion, no one personifies this progress better than Sharon Eubank, who is shown atop the article in a photo of her sitting beneath portraits of past General Relief Society Presidents. Although she is not herself such a president, she is currently First Counselor in the General Relief Society, president of Latter-day Saint Charities (the church's humanitarian arm) and is the church's de facto Ambassador to the United Nations (go here and here to read my previous posts about her UN associations). 

In my opinion, you have to travel back in time to Emma Smith to find a woman as potentially influential in the church as Sharon Eubank. Just as Emma was instrumental in the early, formative steps of the church, Sharon is perhaps the point person in helping the church obtain respect and acceptance among world leaders, especially the United Nations, its non-governmental organizations and the Catholic church.

She is not only influential, but unique as well. As the AP story points out, Eubank "is neither married nor a mother but glad to embody a different image of womanhood as one of the top female leaders in the male-dominated faith widely known as the Mormon church." In a church and a (Utah-centric) society where temple marriage is equated with exaltation, her status as a single woman (confirmed by the church here)  - in such elevated levels of leadership - is striking.

The Ring of a Thousand Questions

Intrigued by the articles I've linked to above, I sat down today to watch a few of the General Conference addresses she's given. And it's there that I saw something which confused me:

Sharon Eubank is wearing a ring on her left-hand ring finger…in not one, but two Conference addresses and one international forum.

Click here to view her April 2019 General Conference address. She displays a ring, on her ring finger, at the 9:27 mark:

She again displays a (possibly different) ring on her ring finger in a photo taken of her interacting in a G20 Interfaith Forum on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020:

Finally, she's seen wearing a ring at the 3:12 mark during her October 2021 General Conference address:

It's my understanding that there are three commonly agreed-upon reasons why a woman would wear a ring on her ring finger:

1. She's engaged.
2. She's married.
3. She's widowed.

I wonder which one of these pertains to Sharon Eubank.

VIDEO PROOF – Apostle: “Following the prophet” now "supersedes" all other primary Christian doctrines

Let’s cut right to the chase: As of October 2, 2021, the LDS Church officially ceased being a Christian denomination. 

And all those non-LDS Christian churches who for years have accused the church of not being Christian? Turns out they were right all along. 

First, let’s take a trip back to November, then October, 2021, to better understand what we will now call…

The Rasband Declaration

On Tuesday, Nov. 16, Elder Ronald Rasband presided over a live Facebook broadcast spanning 32 countries across the Africa Central and Africa South areas. During the broadcast, Rasband and others fielded questions posed by members from those areas.

The event was part of a busy 11-day visit to Africa by Elder Rasband, who was recently assigned as the supervising apostle for the Africa Central and Africa South areas.

In his remarks, Elder Rasband said:

“In fact, if any of our audience (and I hope they did) listen to my conference talk just last October Conference, I gave things of my soul points one through seven, do you remember? OK, and my point seven was, follow God’s living prophet. 

And as I have met with youth and young single adults all over the world, if they cause me to narrow down to one thing of my soul that they would like me to comment, my one thing, kind of first and foremost in my mind, is follow God’s living prophet."

This mirrors what Elder Rasband said in his aforementioned October 2021 General Conference address, “The Things of My Soul":

“What are the most important things I should know?”

I answered with the things of my soul, the things that prepare me to hear promptings, that lift my sights beyond the ways of the world, that give purpose to my work in the gospel and to my very life.

May I share with you some of the things of my soul? These things apply to all who seek to be true disciples of Jesus Christ. Ten would be a good, round number. Today I am giving you seven with the hope that you will complete eight, nine, and ten from your own experiences.

First, love God the Father and Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Jesus decreed the first great commandment: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”

President Nelson declared his devotion to God, our Eternal Father, and to His Son, Jesus Christ, when he was called to lead the Lord’s Church, saying, “I know Them, love Them, and pledge to serve Them—and you—with every remaining breath of my life.”

So first, love the Father and the Son.

Second, “Love thy neighbour.”

That is not just a good idea; it’s the second great commandment. Your neighbors are your spouse and family, ward members, work colleagues, roommates, those not of our faith, those needing a helping hand, and, frankly, everyone. The essence of “love thy neighbour” is voiced in the hymn “Love One Another.”

President Nelson reminds us, “When we love God with all our hearts, He turns our hearts to the well-being of others.”

Third, love yourself.

This is where many struggle. Isn’t it curious that loving ourselves seems to come less easily than loving others? Yet the Lord has said, “Love thy neighbour as thyself.” He values the divinity within us, and so must we. When we are heavy laden with mistakes, heartaches, feelings of inadequacy, disappointment, anger, or sin, the power of the Savior’s Atonement is, by divine design, one of the things that lifts the soul.

Fourth, keep the commandments.

The Lord has made it clear: “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Strive each day to be and do a little better and to press forward in righteousness.

Fifth, always be worthy to attend the temple.

I call it being recommended to the Lord. Whether you have access to a temple or not, being worthy of a current temple recommend keeps you firmly focused on the things that matter, the covenant path.

Sixth, be joyful and cheerful.

“Be of good cheer, and do not fear,” the Lord has said. Why? How, when challenges face us at every turn? Because of the promise made by Jesus Christ: “I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you.”

President Nelson describes the restored gospel as “a message of joy!” And he explains, “The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.”

Seventh, follow God’s living prophet.

This may be seventh on my list of things, but it is at the top of my mind in terms of its importance today.

We have a prophet of God on the earth today! Never discount what that means for you. Remember the young woman I mentioned at the beginning. She wanted to know what things matter most. “Follow the living prophet,” I said then and I emphasize again today.

We are distinguished as a Church to be led by prophets, seers, and revelators called of God for this time. I promise that as you listen and follow their counsel, you will never be led astray. Never!”

Just so we’re straight on what’s most important to a prophet, seer and revelator – an apostle – of Jesus Christ, who has emphasized again and again to the world:

And to add further weight to this new doctrinal shift, neither Pres. Nelson, nor anyone in the First Presidency nor Quorum of the 12, have refuted Elder Rasband's claims. Nor have they demanded a public retraction of his comments. In Dutch, the phrase is Zwijgen is instemmen -- "Silence implies consent."

What kind of Christian church demotes loving the Father and the Son below glorifying a mortal?

What kind of Christian church demotes loving your neighbor and yourself below glorifying a mortal?

What kind of Christian church demotes keeping the commandments, joy and cheer below glorifying a mortal?

How can the church legitimately call itself Christian (which should worship Christ above all else)? The church is instead teaching its members to trust in the arm of flesh, to glorify Pres. Nelson, above all others, including and especially God. 

“Apostasy happened in part because
philosophies of men were given more
value than the teachings of Christ.”
(Elder Quentin L. Cook, Oct 2016 General Conference)

VIDEO PROOF: When a First Presidency member publicly told a bald-faced lie

In his address, "The Love and Laws of God," given at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, on September 17, 2019, Pres. Nelson said:

"We may not always tell people what they want to hear. Prophets are rarely popular. But we will always teach the truth!

My dear young friends, exaltation is not easy. Requirements include a focused and persistent effort to keep God’s laws, and rigorously repenting when we don’t. But the reward for doing so is far greater than anything we can imagine, because it brings us joy here, and 'never-ending happiness'  hereafter.

Thus, our commission as Apostles is to teach nothing but truth." [1]

OK, great: Apostles teach nothing but the truth. Got it. Now, with that in mind, let's stroll down a bit of Brigham Young University Memory Lane. It's important.

A Brief History of BYU Electroshock Aversion Therapies

Dallin H Oaks served as BYU's President from August 1971 – August 1980 [2]. During that time, Gerald J. Dye oversaw the University Standards Office (renamed the Honor Code Office in 1991). [3] Dye stated that during that decade part of the "set process" for homosexual BYU students referred to his office for "less serious" offenses was to require that they undergo some form of therapy to remain at BYU, and that in special cases, this included "electroshock and vomiting aversion therapies." [4].

Here is an excerpt from the Wikipedia article on BYU electroshock aversion therapies (all source citations are found in the article, here (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigham_Young_University_LGBT_history):

'In an independent BYU newspaper article two men describe their experience with the BYU Aversion therapy program during the early 1970s.[89]: 162  After confessing to homosexual feelings they were referred to the BYU Counseling Center where the electroshock aversion therapy took place using pornographic pictures of males and females. Jon, one of the individuals, implied that the treatment was completely ineffective.[90] The experiences match most reports which state that shock therapy was ineffective in changing sexual orientation.[91]

From 1975 to 1976 Max Ford McBride, a student at BYU, conducted electroshock aversion therapy on 17 men (with 14 completing the treatment) using a male arousal measuring device placed around the penis and electrodes on the bicep. He published a dissertation on the use of electrical aversive techniques to treat ego-dystonic homosexuality.[92] The thesis documents the use of "Electrical Aversion Therapy" on 14 homosexual men using a "phallometric" apparatus, "barely tolerable" shocks, and "nude male visual-cue stimuli."[93][94] Although it is not publicly published whether all top LDS Church leaders were aware of the electroshock aversion therapy program,[95] it is known that apostles Spencer W Kimball, Mark E. Peterson, and now apostle Dallin H. Oaks were,[2]: 379  and leaders involved in LDS Social Services thought the therapy was effective.[96][40]: 164–165  At the time, homosexuality was considered by the medical community as a psychiatric condition,[97] and aversion therapy was one of the more common methods used to try to change it.[98] In 1966, Martin Seligman had conducted a study at the University of Pennsylvania that demonstrated positive results, which led to "a great burst of enthusiasm about changing homosexuality [that] swept over the therapeutic community."[99] After flaws were demonstrated in Seligman's experiments, aversion therapy fell out of popularity, and in 1994 the American Medical Association issued a report that stated "aversion therapy is no longer recommended for gay men and lesbians."[100]

Participant in the 1975–76 BYU study Don Harryman wrote that he experienced "burns on [his] arms and ... emotional trauma."[101][102] Another participant, John Clarence Cameron, who wrote a play called "14" about his experiences, said "it didn’t change anything except increase my self-loathing. I didn’t know the ramifications of the experiment until years later."[103] Cameron stated that he "would like everyone to tell the truth, admit the mistakes that took place, and stop trying to act like it didn't happen"[104] Another one of the test subjects described his experiences, stating "No one wanted to change more than I did. I did everything within my power to change, and it didn't alter my homosexuality one whit. All I had learned to do was suppress much of my personality ... I was shutting down, turning off.... I was making my life miserable by a pervasive denial of who I am."[105]

Additionally, Connell O'Donovan describes the attempts by the University to 'cure' his homosexuality through vomit-inducing aversion therapy as well as electroshock aversion therapy. Val Mansfield and Drew Staffanson also describe undergoing aversion therapy and Raymond King describes his involvement as an intern with the BYU psychology department's electroshock aversion therapy program in the 1996 short documentary Legacies.[106] The documentary 8: The Mormon Proposition also contains an interview wherein Bruce Barton states that BYU coerced him into vomit aversion therapy, as well as electroshock therapy, which later precipitated his suicide attempt.[107] Jayce Cox also reported his experience with BYU shock therapy[108] and suicidal ideation in articles and an MTV documentary.[109][110][111] Scott Burton discusses the burn marks on his wrists he developed when undergoing electroshock therapy from ages 13 to 15 at the hands of a Mormon therapist by request from his Mormon parents.[112]

In 2011 BYU admitted to the past use of electroshock therapy but denies that it had ever used vomit-inducing therapy "in the BYU Counseling Center"[93] (which has been in the Wilkinson Student Center since 1964). However, the students that underwent the treatment have stated that the vomit therapy took place in the basement of the Psychology department's Joseph F. Smith Family Living Center (built in 1957, demolished in 2002).[106][113]"

Even BYU admitted that electroshock aversion therapy was conducted in the 1970s [5] by Max Ford McBride, then a Psychology Department graduate student. A copy of his August 1976 thesis paper, "Effect of Visual Stimuli in Electric Aversion Therapy," can be found here. August 1976 falls right in the middle of Oaks' tenure as BYU President.

Fast Forward to Today

On November 12, 2021, Oaks participated in a forum at the University of Virginia School of Law. [6] Here is a brief snippet of Oaks' remarks there:

Oaks is a former President of BYU (1971-1980) who oversaw the use of electroshock and vomiting aversion therapy on LGBTQAI+ students. When questioned about this at today’s event, he claimed that these practices ended before his tenure. This is demonstrably false. pic.twitter.com/C0mmwiqcwY

— Lambda Law Alliance at UVA (@lambdaatuva) November 12, 2021

Here is a transcript of his quote:

"Let me say about electric shock treatments at BYU. I became presdient at BYU, that had been discontinued earlier and never went on under my administration." [7]

You can add this one to the discussions about Pres Nelsons' "Flight of Death" and Elder Holland's talk about the missionary and his brother.

Nevertheless, "Oaks declined to comment on the discrepancy between his memory and the research, church spokesperson Doug Andersen said Monday." [8]

So we are left with two options: Either Oaks is suffering from memory loss or he lied. And the church's unwillingness to comment only deepens the suspicion.

Goodbye total / complete "transparency"

Given Oaks' reticence to apologize or comment on his statement -- as well as his position in the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve and his position as Nelson's heir-apparent -- it looks like now is the appropriate time for us to bid a fond adieu to the church's claim that "We’re as transparent as we know how to be."

Although some might say it's been like this for decades or even generations, we can now consider the following quotes to be invalid re: the LDS Church:

“We would have to say, as two apostles who have covered the world and know the history of the Church and know the integrity of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve from the beginning, there has been no attempt on the part of the Church leaders to try to hide anything from anybody.” [9]

“Just trust us, wherever you are in the world, and you share this message with anyone else who raises the question about the Church not being transparent. We’re as transparent as we know how to be in telling the truth. We have to do that; that’s the Lord’s way.” [9]

“My view is that being open about our history solves a whole lot more problems than it creates. We might not have all the answers, but if we are open (and we now have pretty remarkable transparency), then I think in the long run that will serve us well. I think in the past there was a tendency to keep a lot of the records closed or at least not give access to information. But the world has changed in the last generation — with the access to information on the Internet, we can’t continue that pattern; I think we need to continue to be more open.” [10]

“Well, we have nothing to hide. Our history is an open book. They may find what they are looking for, but the fact is the history of the church is clear and open and leads to faith and strength and virtues.” [11]

“I think in the past there was a tendency to keep a lot of the records closed or at least not give access to information.  But the world has changed in the last generation-with the access to information on the Internet, we can’t continue that pattern; I think we need to continue to be more open.” [12] 

It will be interesting to see if God ever calls this proven liar to be his "mouthpiece" to the world. 

"Wo unto the liar, for he shall be thrust down to hell." [13]

"Lying is sinful, as it has always been, and there is no exempt category for so-called lying for the Lord. Lying is simply outside the range of permitted or condoned conduct by Latter-day Saints members or leaders." (Dallin H. Oaks, Gospel Teachings About Lying, address to faculty, students, and alumni of BYU on September 12, 1993)

Questions

I have a few questions for Pres. Oaks:

1. Pres. Nelson says apostles "teach nothing but the truth." Is that still true?
2. Were you BYU President from August 1971 to August 1980?
3. Did you state at the University of Virginia School of Law forum held on November 12, 2021 that "I became president at BYU, that [electroshock aversion therapy] had been discontinued earlier and never went on under my administration."?
4. If so, then why is there such an abundance of evidence that contradicts your statement (even from BYU itself)?
5. Do you still believe that apostles "teach nothing but the truth"?
6. If this was a mistake, then why didn't you admit to it and apologize (as others would)? That's called being "open" and "honest" -- two of God's virtues. 
7. What makes you superior to others by not admitting mistakes, and how is that an example of humility?
8. Is your statement re: lying dated September 12, 1993 still truthful, or not?
9. Just to clarify: Are members expected to repent and be accountable for their actions, but the leaders have a “no apologies” policy? How is this not the height of hypocrisy?
10. What are members to think/do when one of their top leaders is not exactly being honest in their dealings with their fellow man? 

Sources

1 https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/president-nelson-byu-transcript-september-2019
2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallin_H._Oaks
3 "Brigham Young University. University Standards Office". BYU Library. BYU. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
4 O'Donovan, Rocky Connell; Corcoran, Brent (1994). "'The Abominable and Detestable Crime against Nature' A Brief History of Homosexuality and Mormonism, 1840–1980". Multiply and Replenish. Salt Lake City: Signature Books. ISBN 978-1560850502. Retrieved 13 August 2017, p 155
5 https://abcnews.go.com/Health/mormon-gay-cures-reparative-therapies-shock-today/story?id=13240700
6 https://www.law.virginia.edu/news/event/1411656
7 https://twitter.com/lambdaatuva/status/1459256897958260741?s=21
8      https://sltrib.pressreader.com/article/6788663979620408
9      M. Russell Ballard, 11/20/17, https://www.thechurchnews.com/archive/2017-11-20/personal-revelation-homosexuality-and-dating-among-topics-discussed-in-face-to-face-broadcast-46757
10    Steven Snow, former member of the First Quorum of the Seventy and former executive director of the Church History Department, 11/8/2013
11    Gordon B. Hinckley, The Associated Press interview, Dec. 25, 2005
12    Steven Snow, https://mi.byu.edu/truth-in-church-history-excerpts-from-the-religious-educators-qa-with-elder-steven-snow
13    2 Nephi 9:34