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

Why the Church befriended the Nazis, Exed a Nazi resistor and what it all means to you...NOW

When you think of Nazis, what words cross your mind? "Evil"? "Devils"? "Monsters"? "Criminals"? 

And probably worse. 

But what if someone, or something, just as bad came along? Well, naturally, the general public would say that they would never, ever allow another Adolph Hitler to come to power. And I'd agree; Any political leader who wrote a book calling for the genocide, the extermination, of an entire world race would be appalling to us. 

But what if another Hitler were to come along who had the same intentions, the same capabilities (if not more), than the original Hitler? Could we detect him then?

Could the church, which is helmed by "Prophets, seers and revelators" who say "You keep your eyes riveted on the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. We will not lead you astray" [1] ever detect an evil, devilish Hitler and his regime?

Let's see. 

"Keep Your Eyes Riveted"

In 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed German Chancellor. He called boycotting Jewish businesses, opened the Dachau concentration camp and established the Gestapo. In 1934, Hitler proclaimed himself Führer und Reichskanzler (Leader and Reich Chancellor). In 1936, Germans marched into the Rhineland (previously demilitarized by the Versailles Treaty) and opened the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. On July 15 1937, they opened the Buchenwald concentration camp. [2]

Now let's say you're the President of the Church at this time (and remember: you're a prophet, seer and revelator. You know stuff most of us don't). As the one who has a direct line to God, would you travel to Germany and hang out with a bunch of Nazis? Would you get photos taken with them, add to their credibility and seek to glorify them? Or would you stay at home, and perhaps even condemn the Nazis?

Well, if you chose to avoid the Nazis and condemn them, then you would be choosing the incorrect course of action. In all actuality, the Church President at the time - Heber J. Grant - chose to spend several weeks in Germany, praising the people and Nazis at every turn. He oversaw the church when it glorified Nazi actions (and even took credit for a few of them). And it was the church Grant led which excommunicated a church member who directly opposed the Hitler regime.

"Good Citizens"

In December 1933, the Deseret News published an article with glowing descriptions of the Nazi's adoption of "Fast Sunday," Hitler's personal physical superiority by adhering to a form of the Word of Wisdom, and the praise members had been receiving "for their patriotism": [3]

A little over two years later, Nazi basketball players participated in the 1936 Olympic Games, held in Berlin. They were trained by none other than LDS elders (on the left). [4]

In his Book "Moroni and the Swastika," author David Conley Nelson stated,

"Mormon missionaries played a small but significant role in the German national basketball team's 1936 Olympic efforts. It was not enough to help a hopelessly overmatched team win even a single game, but it helped Mormons win friends among government officials and assert that the American-based sect was no foe of National Socialism. Young elders introduced basketball fundamentals to some of the athletes who had been picked to play on the German team before a professional coach could be hired. Four missionaries kept the official score books for the first round of Olympic basketball play." 

Also in 1936, the Deseret News published a picture of the European Mission President, Joseph F. Merrill, speaking at a Berlin podium adorned with a large swastika. [5]

More than 700 people attended that soiree.

The next year, in the summer of 1937, President Heber J. Grant visited both German-speaking Switzerland and Nazi Germany. [6]

Below is a picture of Pres. Grant at a banquet with the Saints in Frankfurt, Germany on July 8, 1937 - a few days before the Buchenwald concentration camp (the third one to be constructed) opened. [7]

By this time, Nazi Germany had curtailed many freedoms, including religious freedoms. More than thirty different denominations had been prohibited from preaching there. [8]

And check out that Nazi flag in the background. To the Nazis, it was displayed as a requirement of the National Socialist Government. To us, we posted it because we LDS "believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law" - evil or not.

In other words, the Nazis had already shown a significant hatred for the Jews and had curtailed the religious freedoms of thousands of people. But we were OK with all that (after all, our missionaries were competing against fewer Christian denominations for converts), and to symbolize our okay-ness, the church president plopped himself directly in front of the Nazi flag.

It is reported that there were about 870 people present at this meeting -- one of the largest groups of saints that had ever assembled in Europe." [9]

All of these efforts above were synergistic in positioning the church, its leaders and members as non-threats to the Nazis. Nelson summarized:

"From the top to the bottom of the ecclesiastical chain, Mormons in prewar Nazi Germany cooperated to survive and prosper. Many happily believed that they were favored citizens in a police state. Some ordinary congregants convinced themselves that Hitler had read the Book of Mormon and was a secret church member. Mission President Roy Welker, whose wife rode with Hitler in the Führer's limousine, told a civic meeting in Salt Lake City in 1937 that "Jews are safer today in Germany than they are in many parts of the world." [10]

As BYU professor and historian Douglas F. Tobler summarized (regarding Arthur Zander, the Hamburg Branch President and a Nazi party member), 

"He wanted to show that latter-day saints were good Germans, and there was a tremendous amount of pressure that was put on by the government and the party to quickly separate those who are who are good Germans and those who aren't." [11]

Tobler also said,

"I believe Zander put that [a pro-Nazi sign] up there [in a church building] partly as an expression of his support for the regime and partly to communicate that latter-day saints were good citizens in the Third Reich and partly perhaps to protect his own flock." 

We are told that God will "inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God." [12]

Are praising, assisting, validating and glorifying Nazis "good" things? I'd say no.

Where was the power of discernment amongst the prophet and apostles? How could they not have had any clue that Hitler, that the LDS Church wrote many praising things about, was within a few years of becoming the most evil man in history?

(Kind of reminds me of that picture of the First Presidency meeting with Mark Hofmann just before he killed two people).

That being the case, is it possible that the Lord was telling the church, its leaders and members to avoid the Nazis, and to quit giving them credibility? If he didn't, then he abrogated his responsibilities of "Standing for Something". If he did, then it looks like the Jehovah's Witnesses got the message (see below). But why not the LDS Church? 

Let's see what happened to one member who did resist the Nazis, and went on to define what a real hero is made of.

The (Nazi) Traitor in the Midst of the Church

If you're not familiar with the name Helmuth Hübener, you need to be. Click here for the Wiki article about him. Or better yet, watch these YouTubes about him. It would be well worth your time to do so.

And of course, I can't recommend enough THE definitive work on this topic, David Coney Nelson's book, Moroni and the Swastika, available here.

To summarize:

"Helmuth Hübener, a 16-year-old Mormon youth living in Hitler's Germany, exhibited unprecedented moral courage in opposing the propaganda machine of the Nazi regime in the summer of 1941. 

By all accounts, Helmuth Hübener was a remarkable boy - a worthy role model for any teenager, male or female, then or now. Unlike his peers in 1941…Helmuth acted on his discomfort with the ever growing restrictions on civil rights and personal freedoms in the totalitarian dictatorship and specifically with the treatment of Jews. Following his conscience rather than his fears, he secretly tuned into illegal German-language BBC broadcasts and discovered the distortions and outright lies in the Nazi propaganda about the progress of the war effort, as compared to the details provided by the BBC. He discretely enlisted Rudolf "Rudi" Wobbe and Karl-Heinz Schnibbe, trusted Mormon friends from his St. Georg LDS branch in central Hamburg - the largest branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in its West German Mission with over 400 members at the time - (and later also his colleague Gehard Düwer) to help him distribute leaflets typed using the branch typewriter, which he kept at home as part of his work as Branch Secretary. As noted, his resolve was fatal.

For his trouble he was arrested on February 5, 1942 (less than a month after turning 17)." [13]

What is not commonly known is that when Hübener was arrested it put the whole branch in danger. The Gestapo scrutinized the branch even more intensely, with agents frequently attending meetings and taking notes. The Gestapo naturally believed that adults in the branch had influenced Hübener and his friends to act, which it did not.

Thus, 10 days after Hübener's arrest (15 February 1942), Hübener's branch president excommunicated the young man without consulting his church superiors or holding the church court normally prerequisite for excommunication or other discipline. [14] The reason: for "intercepting and spreading foreign broadcast transmissions." [15]

"In removing Helmuth's name from the church membership rolls, and simultaneously defrocking him from the universal Mormon male priesthood, Arthur Zander had decreed that Helmuth Hübener's soul could not enter the Celestial Kingdom, the Mormon concept of Heaven. That was a steep price to pay for defaming Adolf Hitler, but apparently the Nazi Party was pleased with Zander's actions and with the attitude of his congregants. On February 24, 1942, nine days after Zander's excommunication of Hübener, the Hamburg district leader for the Nazi Party wrote to the Gestapo: "This [St. Georg Mormon] church congregation is legally recognized and stands on a firm footing with the present government." [16]

What a place to have your congregation - "on a firm footing" with Nazis!

"[Hübener was] brutally interrogated and later tortured in Gestapo prisons in Hamburg and Berlin, and then finally beheaded by guillotine in the Gestapo's Berlin Plötzensee prison on October 27, 1942 as the youngest person (at age 17) to be sentenced by Hitler's special "People's Court" and executed for conspiracy to commit treason against the Nazi regime." [13]

Hübener died with a clean conscience. He was executed for engaging in acts of heroism against a truly evil totalitarian government. Here are the last words he said in mortality:

“Now I must die, even though I have committed no crime.

So now it's my turn, but your turn will come."

"Standing for Something"? Damn straight he did.

Amidst a church which had adopted - from top to bottom -- an enthusiastic attitude towards the Nazis, it's clear to me that Hübener acted as inspired by the Spirit and was morally right in warning others about the evil Nazis.

On January 24, 1948, Pres. George Albert Smith ordered the reversal of Hübener's excommunication. [17] Hübener was later ordained an Elder and endowed by proxy on June 8, 1948. [18] So, the church and its leaders abandoned Hübener when it actually meant something, then supported him after he'd been long dead and it's the popular opinion again. How brave! While some members may see this as a good thing, it's the most awful example of how fickle, cowardly and pathetic the church's leaders really are.

The church's Hitler policy was to display allegiance to the Nazis in hopes that the church would thrive. The Nazis had power, and the church's leaders needed power in order for the church to survive in Germany. So, they aligned themselves and promoted this powerful political entity. Conversely, Jehovah's Witnesses spoke out against the Third Reich. They were sent to Buchenwald concentration camp. They suffered dearly and many were murdered. I admire them speaking out against Hitler. 

(One might think, "Well, the LDS Church had to go along to get along, in order to maintain its membership base there," but that would be wrong. If membership numbers are any indication of inspiration, the Jehovah's Witnesses (who opposed the Nazi regime) still come out on top. The LDS Church currently has around 40,000 German members [19], whereas the Jehovah's Witnesses have four times that much, or 161,931 [20]).

Still, the story of the church's very public admiration and assistance of the Nazis and its excommunication of a Nazi resistor among its membership is proof enough that the church's leaders were not in tune with God.

"I don't know what we accomplish by dredging these things up and trying to sort them out."

In 1992, BYU produced a play, Hübener, which enjoyed sellout crowds and gained national acclaim and recognition. Yet because German Mormons in Utah and Europe (many of whom were former Nazi party members and military officers) feared the play would cast them in a bad light, church leaders (specifically Dallin Oaks, then the university's president) asked the play's producer not to make the play available again. [19]  

(Today, you can get the play -- and a lot of other cool stuff -- here).

Of the play's quiet suppression, then-apostle Thomas S. Monson stated, ''Who knows who was right or wrong. I don't know what we accomplish by dredging these things up and trying to sort them out." [21]

That's called "sweeping it under the rug" -- a classic action which demonstrates an unwillingness (or perhaps inability) to learn from the mistakes of the past.

Which takes us to today.

Have the church's leaders learned from their mistakes?

Because of our natural human predilection not to learn from the past -- and church leaders' ambivalence toward learning the lessons of Nazi sympathy and Hübener's excommunication -- neither the general church membership nor its leaders are in a prime position to ensure past mistakes are never repeated. 

And as we know, God's pretty fond of teaching us the same 'ol lessons until we get them.

Today, the church is dealing with a number of interesting situations:

• Its leaders publicly support and contribute to national pro-abortion candidates.
• It publicly promotes and assists an organization which promotes abortion. 
• It publicly promotes and assists an organization which is actively, publicly developing a man-made new world order with no mention whatsoever of God nor Jesus Christ.
• It encourages "everyone" to be "good citizens" by following "the wise and thoughtful recommendations of…government leaders."
• Because these recommendations involve partaking of something proven destructive to human immune systems and their bodies in general, they have the potential to obliterate an entire class of humans (those who have taken the jab) (see here, here, here and here).
• It has threatened - and followed through with - excommunicating those who oppose its jab policies. 

As I asked earlier, what if someone, or something, just as bad as Hitler and the Nazis came along? 

Will we have the necessary discernment to detect evil?

What this all means to you...NOW

We are told in Revelation 18:23, "And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived."

• "And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee"
• Is literally kai phOs luchnou ou mE phanE en soi eti, or "And light of lamp not no may be appearing in you." (source)
• This cross-references with Jeremiah 25:10: "I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle"
• "the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee"
• The bride (righteous, faithful mortals) and the bridegroom (the Lord) no longer resonate within them. See Jeremiah 7:34; Jeremiah 16:9.
• "for thy merchants were the great men of the earth"
• The Greek word for merchants is emporoi (plural of emporos) (source; source)
• They - the great and important of the earth - are selling something. What are they selling? Keep reading…
• "sorceries"
• Is pharmakeia (far-mak-i'-ah) - the root word for words we commonly use today, like pharmacist and pharmaceutical.
• It not only means "drugs," but also "poisoning" and/or "the use or administering of drugs" and/or an "enchantment" (source)
• "were all nations deceived"
• Is eplanEthEsan panta ta ethnE, or "all the nations were strayed/deceived" (source)

Because the faithful lack the light they need to detect these sorceries, Hosea 4:6 kicks in: 

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee … seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God. …"

Joseph Smith once explained how members develop darkness in their minds. He 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..." [22]

Or, as Brigham Young stated,

"What a pity it would be if we were led by one man to utter destruction! Are you afraid of this? I am more afraid that this people have so much confidence in their leaders that they will not inquire for themselves of God whether they are led by him. I am fearful they settle down in a state of blind self-security, trusting their eternal destiny in the hands of their leaders with a reckless confidence that in itself would thwart the purposes of God in their salvation, and weaken the influence they could give to their leaders, did they know for themselves, by the revelations of Jesus, that they are led in the right way. Let every man and woman know, themselves, whether their leaders are walking in the path the Lord dictates, or not. This has been my exhortation continually." [23]

Question: Would true "prophets of God" encourage you to put your trust in "medical experts and government leaders" [20] -- in other words, the arm of flesh -- or in God? [24]

They've aligned themselves with "government leaders" before, and with tragic consequences.

Seems to me since church leaders are reluctant to do it, it's time for us to not be found having a lack of knowledge. We need to learn the mistakes of the past, and ensure they are not repeated today…

…before it's too late.

"To sin by silence, when they should protest,

makes cowards of men." (Ella Wheeler Wilcox,

contained in "Poems of Problems", p. 154–55)

Sources

1.   M. Russell Ballard, "When Shall These Things Be?" BYU Devotional, March 12, 1996
2.   https://www.museumoftolerance.com/education/teacher-resources/holocaust-resources/timeline-of-the-holocaust.html
3.   Deseret News, Dec. 10, 1933.
4.   "Two Modern Methods: Sports, Radio," Deseret News, January 25, 1936
5.   "Germany holds M.I.A. 'Echo of Joy' Festival" Deseret News, July 18, 1936
6.   https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4088&context=byusq
7.   Hyrum J. Smith, "President Grant in Frankfurt, Germany," Deseret News, August 7, 1937
8.   Grant, in 108th Semi-Annual Conference of the Church, p. 4
9.   Bertis Lloyd Embry, Journal, July 5 and 8,1937, typescript, Missionary Journals November 1935-July 1938, Church Archives
10.   David Conley Nelson, "Moroni and the Swastika," p. 13.
11.   https://youtu.be/ICswA1YnvA8?t=401
12.   Moroni 7:13.
13.   https://bycommonconsent.com/2014/10/27/helmuth-hubener-on-the-day-of-his-execution
14.   Barbara Beuys, "Vergeßt uns nicht - Menschen im Widerstand 1933-1945", 1987. P. 488.
15.   "Abhören u. Verbreiten ausl. Rundfunksenden."
16.   District Leader to State Secret Police, in Holmes and Keele, "When Truth Was Treason," Document 17: 175.
17.   "Helmuth Hübener Membership Record," LDS Archives.
18.   Kunkel interview, LDS Archives, 21.
19.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints_in_Germany
20.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah%27s_Witnesses_by_country#Europe
21.   https://www.nytimes.com/1984/02/15/us/play-about-mormon-youth-s-war-on-hitler-stirs-conflict-in-church.html
22.  Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith pp. 237-38
23.  Brigham Young, JD 9:150
24.  https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/first-presidency-message-covid-19-august-2021

Satan's Plan of Compulsion Has a New Apostolic Friend

I'm going to assume you're pretty well-versed in the whole pre-existent Council in Heaven doctrine, in which plans from Lucifer and Jesus were presented to Father. 

"Lucifer, however, contended for an amendment to the plan whereby we would all be saved by compulsion." [1]  

"Satan's proposal of compulsion was rejected by the Father, and Lucifer "was angry, and kept not his first estate; and, … many followed after him. (Abraham 3:28)" [2]  

"Compulsion," or compelling/forcing one to do something, is "not compatible with the Lord's plan, but rather kindly persuasion through love and patience." [3]   These are concepts we've been taught since we were in Primary.

As we grow from childhood to adulthood, we become more familiar with human dynamics and politics. We learn that "Force and compulsion will never establish the ideal society. This can come only by a transformation within the individual soul-a life redeemed from sin and brought in harmony with the divine will." [4]  

As an adult, we become more familiar with the dynamics of Christ's gospel. We understand that "There is neither force nor compulsion in the gospel of Jesus Christ, only love, mercy, and opportunity." [5]   Over time, we arrive at one inescapable conclusion:

"We simply cannot force others to do the right thing. The scriptures make it clear that this is not God's way. Compulsion builds resentment. It conveys mistrust, and it makes people feel incompetent. Learning opportunities are lost when controlling persons pridefully assume they have all the right answers for others. The scriptures say that "it is the nature and disposition of almost all men" to engage in this "unrighteous dominion," [6] so we should be aware that it's an easy trap to fall into."  

Ultimately, we know two things:

• "That they [the principles of righteousness] may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man." [8]  
• "We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion." [9]  

In other words, compelling someone to do something -- compulsion -- isn't cool and doesn't align with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Follow me so far?

Setting the (American Heritage) Stage

On Tuesday, May 25, 2021, Pres. Dallin H. Oaks delivered the commencement address at the American Heritage School Commencement ceremonies. [10]  

American Heritage is a private, non-profit, non-church owned school with the motto of "Educating Hearts and Minds for Latter-day Families." It began 50 years ago with 30 students in grades K-6 and has grown to become an accredited school with over 600 students in grades K-12. The commencement ceremonies Pres. Oaks spoke at featured the school's first senior class.

It's serious education. "Many of the 23 seniors have received admission and scholarships to various colleges including Brigham Young University (Provo and Idaho), Purdue University, Southern Virginia University, University of California at Santa Barbara, Edmonds College, University of Utah and LDS Business College." [11]   

American Heritage already is one of the largest private schools in Utah. The school's campus in American Fork serves 1,100 K-12 students on 40 acres. 

And that's just for starters. American Heritage School plans to open a campus near downtown Salt Lake City in 2022. It will lease a building (currently a stake center) from the church, which will be repurposed as a K-8 school in a year, and will add high school students as soon as possible thereafter. [12]  

Drawing Compulsion with a Smiley Face

This is likely a lot of credibility (to the church) on the school's part, which makes Pres. Oaks' speaking at their first Senior Commencement even more plausible. 

We don't have a full copy of Pres. Oaks' address; he has reportedly asked that it not be released for a year. So, so much for the church's supposed commitment to being as transparent as it knows how to be. [18]

However, he has permitted a portion of it to be made public. You can read it here or below:

"Don’t limit your sources of information to media representing positions with which you agree. Be acquainted with what you can call “the other side.” And don’t limit your learning to what you can get in a few minutes on a hand-held device. Be a regular reader of newspapers and magazines.

Here is an example of the incomplete, fake, and distorted "niche-learning" I mentioned earlier. Any student of history knows that in order to associate in a community people must grant their public officials (government) the right to compel or forego some behavior detrimental to the public health, safety and welfare.

We can argue about what actions our governments should be allowed to compel or forego, but there is no doubt whatever that the whole idea of living in communities with others requires us to give up certain freedoms. It requires us to be subject to government authorities.

I am therefore discouraged when members of the Church write me letters saying that their God-given “free agency” has been impaired by government requirements they do not approve.

Please focus your efforts on what government laws and policies should be and who should make them and forego denouncing routine government action as an infringement on your free agency." [13]   

NOTE: A few have asked where I got the excerpt of Oaks' address. Well, it used to be online (https://courier.veracross.com/ahs/email/39244), but its since been taken down. Luckily, a member of the AHS staff sent the approved excerpt to a friend, who shared it with me. I have redacted the staff member's and my friend's email addresses for their confidentiality.

(Personally, I'm amazed (in a good way) that Pres. Oaks would encourage us to not limit our sources of information, and to "be acquainted with what you can call 'the other side.'" I'll remember that counsel the next time a church member encourages me to stick only with approved sources.)

But what really fascinates me is how gracious he is with the concept of governments compelling its citizenry to do something. In fact, we are supposed to grant our public officials, our government, with the right to compel some behavior detrimental to the public health, safety and welfare.

Pres. Oaks never specified what those behaviors might be, but he did say you should "forego denouncing routine government action as an infringement on your free agency." Just sit down, vote and shut up. And no complaining, k?

You just read quite a few quotes about Satan and his plan of compulsion. You also read D&C 121:39, where we read what happens when "almost all men" "get a little authority" - "they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion." Could this scripture also apply to national governments? It would be horribly naïve to think not.

Then, once a national government gets "a little authority" and begins to exercise unrighteous dominion, could D&C 121:37 kick into gear, allowing said government to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men?

According to Pres. Oaks, you are unjustified in complaining when your "God-given 'free agency' has been impaired by government requirements." You should "forego denouncing routine government action as an infringement on your free agency."

So, let's get this straight:

• It's perfectly natural and acceptable to grant public officials (government) with "the right to compel or forego some behavior detrimental to the public health, safety and welfare."
• You're required to give up certain freedoms (I invite Pres. Oaks to summarize all the times a government has handed back freedoms once they were "temporarily" taken away). 
• You're required to be subject to government authorities (which are taking away, or encouraging you, to give up said liberties)
• You should forego denouncing such actions. 

Ummm, hell no.

I have no idea what Captain Moroni would be saying about all this right now, but what I do know is that:

• "Moroni was angry with the [Nephite] government, because of their indifference concerning the freedom of their country." [14]   
• His "soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery." [15]  
• "if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men." [16]  

One of these years, Pres. Oaks may be the President of the Church. There is no doubt that he will (unapologetically, of course) continue to be an apologist for government overreach into individual liberties and a critic of those denouncing such government overreaches - a far cry from another man who was described as one who could shake the very powers of hell.

I have no doubt that if Pres. Oaks were given an opportunity to rebut my observations, I would get quite a schooling in what is legally permissible in the United States. But as we all know, just because something is legal doesn't mean it's right. Speaking some years ago to members of the legal profession, President James E. Faust cautioned: 

"There is a great risk in justifying what we do individually and professionally on the basis of what is 'legal' rather than what is 'right.' In so doing, we put our very souls at risk. The philosophy that what is legal is also right will rob us of what is highest and best in our nature. What conduct is actually legal is, in many instances, way below the standards of a civilized society and light years below the teachings of the Christ. If you accept what is legal as your standard of personal or professional conduct, you will deny yourself of that which is truly noble in your personal dignity and worth." [17]  

What a position to be in, as humanity prepares for the return of it's Lord, Savior and King.

I wonder what the very powers of hell are thinking now.

Sources

 1.   Joseph Anderson, October 1974 General Conference
 2.   Elder ElRay Christensen, October 1972 General Conference
 3.   Robert L Simpson, April 1954 General Conference
 4.   David O McKay, October 1962 General Conference
 5.   Theodore M Burton, April 1964 General Conference
 6.   D&C 121:39
 7.   Elder Larry Y Wilson, April 2012 General Conference
 8.   D&C 121:37
 9.   D&C 121:39
10.   https://american-heritage.org/2021-commencement
11.   https://www.ldsliving.com/SPONSORED-LDS-private-school-expands-to-accommodate-more-students/s/64952
12.   https://www.deseret.com/2021/7/20/22580364/american-heritage-school-to-open-campus-near-downtown-salt-lake-city-in-2022-lds-mormon
13.   Pres. Dallin H. Oaks, American Heritage School Commencement Address, May 25, 2021
14.   Alma 59:13
15.   Alma 48:11
16.   Alma 48:17
17.   "Be Healers," Clark Memorandum, Spring 2003, p. 3
18.  M. Russell Ballard, 11/20/17, https://www.thechurchnews.com/archives/2017-11-20/personal-revelation-homosexuality-and-dating-among-topics-discussed-in-face-to-face-broadcast-15199

In this post, we reveal who's really calling the shots in Church Administration...

I recently received some comments by an Anonymous reader which I thought might be better suited as a stand-alone post (I did the underlining). My compliments to whoever you are!

"In April 2020, President Nelson and the First Presidency made no recommendation of masking. If masks were critical to protecting and preserving the lives of latter-day saints, shouldn't God have revealed that knowledge to his prophets? Why would God wait to reveal such important information, and then first to secular officials, and only after such officials spent months teaching contrary information?

Only after masking became a political issue did church leaders form an opinion. They reacted to the situation by siding with the government officials.

In a number of US states and communities masking is not mandated and not the social norm. Does the First Presidency expect members and missionaries to follow the local norm or to mask up?

It sure appears actual church policy on masking is dictated by local politics and culture, and not on the health benefits claimed in its press release.

Data from around the world and the US shows the futility of masks to change the trajectory of Covid transmission. Expert analysis of the virus confirms it spreads as an aerosol which makes cloth masks useless at stopping spread.

And yet the First Presidency puts the name of the Church on a press release touting the importance of masks to winning the war with Covid.

Why?

It appears the position of the First Presidency is it will never embarrass government officials and call for their repentance. No matter how egregiously wrong such government officials act in their duty, no matter how much they trample human rights and the principles of the Constitution, the official position of the leaders of the Church is to be apologists for government hubris, deceit and failure.

I wish it were not so but everything I have seen transpire the last 18 months shows this to be the case. Our church leaders care too much about avoiding criticism from the Great & Spacious Building and if made to choose, they will stand with the Great & Spacious Building and not with faithful saints who discern lies and deceit for what they are."

"Up until a few years ago the quorum of 15 were pretty successful at keeping the corporate church separate from the lay church. But with this First Presidency the corporate veil has been shredded and it seems this is intentional - it is as if President Nelson wants members to know he is CEO of this great corporate machine and by his leadership the corporation is going to be bigger and better than ever.

How else to explain the abrupt changes that have disrupted the lives and traditions of so many members? No more pageants. Constantly changing church meeting schedules and church organization. Top down control to prevent members from exercising faith in a way that would disqualify them as "good global citizens". Speaking of the pandemic as an immovable force that dictates church decisions - when in reality what we have is church leaders ashamed to take any action that would draw criticism from the Liberal media and its activists.

A prophet like Ether or Abinadi or Samuel or Lehi could deliver the message of their day on Temple Square and it would be just as applicable now as it was when they originally went forth to prophecy.

"Abinadi said unto them: I know if ye keep the commandments of God ye shall be saved; yea, if ye keep the commandments which the Lord delivered unto Moses in the mount of Sinai, saying: I am the Lord thy God, who hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other God before me.""

Follow the Brethren? Great! You're now a U.N.-loving Pro-Choice Socialist!

Last July, after witnessing an alarming spike in coronavirus cases, Church leaders amped up their support for wearing masks by asking all Utah Church members "to be good citizens by wearing face coverings when in public." [1]  

This isn't the first time the Brethren have counseled us to "be good citizens." Pres. Monson said we should "be good citizens of the nations in which we live." [2]   So did Spencer W. Kimball [3] and Ezra Taft Benson. [4]   

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): New Church beliefs you probably haven't heard of. 

In 2015, all United Nations member states adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, [5]   which provides a "shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future." At its heart are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for mankind to achieve by 2030. Now, the annual High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development serves as the central UN platform for the follow-up and review of the SDGs. [6]  The Division for Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG) in the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) provides substantive support and capacity-building for the SDGs and their related thematic issues. [7]  

In other words, whatever country you live in, your country supports the 17 SDGs [8] which (admittedly) on the surface seem innocuous:

Remember: Because you're a good Latter-day Saint, you believe in being a "good citizen," which means you support these SDGs, too. Let's take a look at a few of them:

Guess what -- You're now Pro-Choice.

"3.7 By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes." [9]  

"5.6 Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences" [10]  

See that phrase "sexual and reproductive health"? Those are code words for abortion, taken from the International Planned Parenthood Federation's mission: [11]  

It's a well-known fact that the United Nations is pro-choice. The U.N.'s High Commissioner for Human Rights said, "denial of abortion services may constitute torture and / or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment." [12]    And at the U.N. Conference held in Salt Lake City in 2019, Conference organizers canceled a workshop which included pro-life representatives, saying it wasn't inclusive enough. [13]  

I've blogged before about abortion (here) and wondered why the Church doesn't do more to combat abortion. Now I see why not.

Guess what -- You're now Pro-Socialism.

Perhaps the single most striking feature of Agenda 2030 is the practically undisguised roadmap to global socialism and corporatism/fascism. Consider SDG 10, which calls on the UN, national governments, and every person on Earth to "reduce inequality within and among countries." [14]    To do that, the agreement continues, will "only be possible if wealth is shared and income inequality is addressed." [15]  

As the UN document also makes clear, national socialism to "combat inequality" domestically is not enough - international socialism is needed to battle inequality even "among" countries. 

"By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources." [16]   the document demands. In simpler terms, Western taxpayers should prepare to be fleeced so their wealth can be redistributed internationally. In other words, "Socialism."

Why the church loves these SDGs (and thinks you should, too)

I wouldn't think that being soft on abortion and socialism would be a priority of the Church, but its relationship with the U.N. takes a pre-eminent status. The U.N. and the Church have worked together in an official capacity since 2011, when the U.N. recognized Latter-day Saint Charities, the humanitarian arm of the Church, as an accredited nongovernmental organization.

As Sharon Eubank (head of LDS Charities and General Relief Society Presidency 1st Counselor) said, "It's important for the Church to have these relationships because we're a multilateral organization, we work in multiple countries, multiple political systems, multiple cultures, and the United Nations does as well. When multiple countries are involved, you have to work with the United Nations. So it's good for us and a sign of the maturity of the organization that Latter-day Saint Charities and the United Nations have this relationship." [17]  

OK, fine, so the church is arm-in-arm with the United Nations. But what about Agenda 2030 and all its SDGs? Here is Sharon Eubank again, speaking as a representative of the church:

"Part of the look forward is in recognizing the importance of mobilizing women of faith to work on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) issues and to acknowledge their faith not as a barrier but the key to progress and success. The 2030 agenda won't happen without religion, and religion won't happen without women. They are the movers.

The SDG goals on gender equality, peace, and justice are tackling how to change culture and behavior. Faith has a power greater than almost anything else to motivate people to act, to change minds, to alter behavior." (Sharon Eubank, G20 Interfaith Forum in Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 3, 2018) [18]  

In this statement, it's clear that Sharon Eubank wants Agenda 2030 to succeed:

"The way forward is to do just what this forum has as its goal. Invite and respect as many faith actors as possible, build understanding among them, and integrate them into every aspect of the 2030 SDG agenda. It will lead to the greatest success possible for equity, justice, and peace." [19]   

If that isn't enough, here is Elder Christofferson endorsing Agenda 2030 in the October 2020 General Conference:

[https://youtu.be/KS3iK9mr40M?t=10]

For context, here's Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying almost the same thing:

The Church is a big believer in being a good "Global Citizen" - enough so that it sponsors numerous United Nation functions and conferences. Top Church leaders -- including other apostles, seventy and mission presidents -- give keynote addresses at these events. 

And the organizations it supports, in turn, also support pro-abortion and pro-socialist agenda. 

What does God say about all this?

We are called to not be of the world:

"If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." [20]  

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." [21]  

Instead, we are commanded to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness:

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." [22]  

We do this by being a peculiar people…

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." [23]  

…which means we give the world zero place in our hearts.

"Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen? Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men." [24]  

The Book of Mormon warned about churches which will someday seek the world's acclimation:

"For the time speedily shall come that all churches which are built up to get gain, and all those who are built up to get power over the flesh, and those who are built up to become popular in the eyes of the world, and those who seek the lusts of the flesh and the things of the world, and to do all manner of iniquity; yea, in fine, all those who belong to the kingdom of the devil are they who need fear, and tremble, and quake; they are those who must be brought low in the dust; they are those who must be consumed as stubble; and this is according to the words of the prophet." [25]  

It's a concern that Joseph F Smith had almost 140 years ago…

"It is very evident that some of us are yet "of the world" [26]  

…and Boyd K Packer reiterated over 30 years ago:

"In recent years I have felt, and I think I am not alone, that we were losing the ability to correct the course of the Church. You can not appreciate how deeply I feel about the importance of this present opportunity unless you know the regard, the reverence, I have for the Book of Mormon and how seriously I have taken the warnings of the prophets, particularly Alma and Helaman. Both Alma and Helaman told of the church in their day. They warned about fast growth, the desire to be accepted by the world, to be popular, and particularly they warned about prosperity. Each time those conditions existed in combination, the Church drifted off course. All of those conditions are present in the Church today. Helaman repeatedly warned, I think four times he used these words, that the fatal drift of the church could occur 'in the space of not many years.' In one instance it took only six years (see Helaman 6:32, 7:6, 11:26)." [27]  

With the church's endorsement of SDGs which are soft on abortion and espouse socialism, tell me:

How is the church's status of being peculiar, of being in the world not of the world, doing?

How God wants a better world established

Brother Joseph said that:

"We ought to have the building up of Zion as our greatest object. … The time is soon coming, when no man will have any peace but in Zion and her stakes." [28]  

Zion is not to be established via the ideologies of man, but instead, the words of God:

"In regard to the building up of Zion, it has to be done by the counsel of Jehovah, by the revelations of heaven." [29]  

There is no indication that Jehovah has been behind the drafting, approval and implementation of SDGs. There is no mention of God in them whatsoever.

What would Joseph say about this state of affairs now?

"So long as unrighteous acts are suffered in the Church, it cannot be sanctified, neither can Zion be redeemed." [30]  

And what if the Church continues to embrace man's ideologies, not the counsel of Jehovah, in building a better world?

"If Zion will not purify herself, so as to be approved of in all things, in His sight, He will seek another people; for His work will go on until Israel is gathered, and they who will not hear His voice, must expect to feel His wrath. Let me say unto you, seek to purify yourselves, and also all the inhabitants of Zion, lest the Lord's anger be kindled to fierceness. Repent, repent, is the voice of God to Zion; and strange as it may appear, yet it is true, mankind will persist in self-justification until all their iniquity is exposed, and their character past being redeemed, and that which is treasured up in their hearts be exposed to the gaze of mankind." [31]  

Even though the Church is not intent to forward the work of God on God's terms, you still can:

"Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; for the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward." [32]  

Knowing that the building up of Zion should be "our greatest object," here is my question for you:

How does God want you to help build Zion?

Sources

 1.   https://www.deseret.com/faith/2020/7/10/21320807/mormon-covid-19-pandemic-masks-church-latter-day-saints-in-utah
 2.   "Until We Meet Again", October 2008 General Conference.
 3.   "We are on the Lord's Errand, April 1981 General Conference
 4.   "Advice to Youth," April 1959 General Conference
 5.   https://sdgs.un.org/goals
 6.   https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/hlpf
 7.   https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/about
 8.   https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sdgs-framework-for-covid-19-recovery/
 9.   https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/health/
10.   https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/gender-equality/
11.   https://www.ippf.org/sites/default/files/2016-11/SDG%20and%20FP2020.pdf
12.   https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Women/WG/AmicusBrazil.pdf
13.   https://staging-env.liveaction.org/news/united-nations-cancels-pro-life-workshop/
14.   https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/inequality/
15.   https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda
16.   https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/envision2030-goal1.html
17.   https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/alignment-of-church-and-un-goals-demonstrated-in-service-project-for-hungry-children?lang=eng
18.   https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/sister-eubank-addresses-global-interfaith-forum-says-religion-wont-happen-without-women
19.   Sharon Eubank, Remarks before the G20 Interfaith Forum in Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 1, 2018; https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2018-10-01/sister-eubank-speaks-about-protecting-empowering-women-at-global-religious-forum-8113
20.   John 15:19
21.   1 John 2:15
22.   Matthew 6:33
23.   1 Peter 2:9; also see Deuteronomy 14:2, 26:18; Titus 2:14
24.   D&C 121:34-35
25.   1 Nephi 22:23; also see 2 Nephi 9:30; Alma 4:8; Helaman 7:12; 3 Nephi 6:15; Mormon 8:28; emphasis mine.
26.   Joseph F Smith, April 1883 General Conference
27.   Elder Boyd K. Packer, "Let Them Govern Themselves", an address given at a Regional Representatives Seminar, March 30 1990
28.   Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 3:390-91
29.   Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 5:65
30.   Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 2:146
31.   Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 1:316
32.   D&C 58: 27-28

PROOF: Elder Uchtdorf Supports Policymakers Who Protect Baby Killers

The church is officially a politically neutral organization. It does not endorse or promote candidates or platforms. Additionally, in a First Presidency letter issued on June 16, 2011 and reiterated January 22, 2019, all full-time General Authorities, General Auxiliary Presidencies, mission presidents, and temple presidents are expected to limit their personal participation in all political party activities. [1]

"General Authorities and general officers of the Church and their spouses and other ecclesiastical leaders serving full-time should not personally participate in political campaigns, including promoting candidates, fundraising, speaking in behalf of or otherwise endorsing candidates, and making financial contributions." [1]

Enter Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, a full-time General Authority since April, 1996 (25 years), an apostle since October, 2004 (16 years) and a First Presidency member for 10 years. With all that leadership tenure, he undoubtedly knew this political non-participation policy. [2]

Yet on March 12, 2021, Uchtdorf issued a "clarification" regarding 10 federal democratic campaign donations he and his family made. [3]  Here are the donations: 

• Four contributions totaling $1,000 to President Joe Biden’s campaign.
• Three contributions — for $170, $125 and $83.33 — to Georgia Democrat Raphael Warnock’s campaign for a total of $378.33. 
• Two donations — for $125 and $83.34 —totaling $208.34 to Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff's campaign.
• One $250 contribution made on Nov. 15, 2020 to the DNC.

Source: http://www.politicalmoneyline.com/

As you can see, Elder Uchtdorf is listed as “self not employed,” “self-employed” or “retired” and living in North Salt Lake.

In a statement provided to the Deseret News, Uchtdorf admitted to the donations but denied any responsibility for them, “These donations were made by our family using an online account, which is shared by our family and associated with my name. I regret such an oversight on my part. I fully support the church’s policy related to political donations from church leaders.” [3]

Comparatively, Uchtdorf's contributions are pretty small. Yet in a realm where donations are legally equated, by the U.S. Supreme Court, with one's freedom of expression (McCutcheon vs the Federal Election Commission), the donations are illustrative of where his heart, mind and checking account lie. [4]

Abortion

Abortion is fundamentally in conflict with the plain reading of the Bible, which clearly teaches that human life is created by God beginning at conception. As Psalm 139 proclaims, “You knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am wonderfully and fearfully made.” By terminating an innocent unborn life in the womb, abortion directly violates the seventh commandment: “Thou shalt not kill.” God demands that every faithful Christian protect and uphold the sanctity of innocent human life, at every stage of life. Supporting abortion represents a serious abdication of and a transgression against that responsibility, just like the disrespect of the poor, the disabled, or the elderly.

Within weeks after the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling, the church issued a statement saying, "Abortion must be considered one of the most revolting and sinful practices in this day, when we are witnessing the frightening evidence of permissiveness leading to sexual immorality." [5]

"In his first sermon after he was sustained as President of the Church, a little more than a year after the U.S. Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade, President Spencer W. Kimball explicitly condemned abortion and encouraged members of the Church to be politically active in "their respective political parties and there exercise their influence." [6]

And in the "Proclamation on the Family" (issued September 23, 1995, and was approved by Uchtdorf) declares, "We affirm the sanctity of life" and "we call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society." [7]

Warnock

Yet per his political donations, Uchtdorf supported Warnock, who is a self-admitted pro-choice pastor [8] who has pledged to oppose new restrictions on abortion. He also vigorously lobbied against Georgia's so-called “heartbeat“ anti-abortion measure. [9] Warnock also refused to renounce Marxism and socialism. [10]

Ossoff

Uchtdorf also donated to Ossoff, who publicly endorsed defending [11] and upholding Roe v. Wade and "will only vote to confirm judges who commit to upholding Roe v. Wade.” [12]

Biden

Joe Biden -- another Uchtdorf donation recipient (many times over) -- "supports abortion rights and has said he would nominate federal judges who back the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision. He’s also said he’d support a federal statute legalizing abortion if the Supreme Court’s conservative majority strikes down Roe. Biden committed to rescinding Trump’s family planning rule, which prompted many clinics to leave the federal Title X program providing birth control and medical care for low-income women. In a personal reversal, Biden now supports repeal of the Hyde Amendment, opening the way for federal programs, including his prospective public option, to pay for abortions." [13]

“If we accept salvation on the terms it is offered to us, we have got to be honest in every thought, in our reflections, in our meditations, in our private circles, in our deals, in our declarations, and in every act of our lives.” (Brigham Young)

QUESTIONS

Based on the aforementioned facts, I have the following questions for Elder Uchtdorf:

• Do you believe in the sanctity of God's words as contained in the Standard Works?
• Do you believe the scriptures which reaffirm the sanctity of life?
• Do you believe abortion is a sin?
• Then why did you donate money to federal office candidates whose policy positions run contrary to God's words regarding abortion?
• As members, we are told that we can trust the Brethren  M. Russell Ballard 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 Ne. 2:30).” [14] How is supporting, endorsing and donating to politicians who espouse anti-Christian values and principles enhancing the everlasting welfare of our souls?  
• You could say that it was a family-based donation. But it has your name on it, doesn't it?
• It could be postulated that one donation to one pro-choice candidate is a fluke. But several donations implies a philosophical and political alignment with them. How do you explain that?
• Because you are “not employed,” “self-employed” or “retired,” is it accurate to say that you are performing your responsibilities as Chairman of the church's Missionary Executive Council, Chairman of the Correlation Executive Council, and being the primary contact for the church's Europe and Europe East areas [15, 16] without compensation?
• If you are still being compensated for your responsibilities, and are not in fact “not employed,” “self-employed” or “retired,” how does it feel to be publicly lying to a U.S. regulatory agency?
• What kind of example does this set for other members who look up to you as an example and role model?
 

SOURCES

1. https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/official-statement/political-neutrality
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieter_F._Uchtdorf
3. https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2021/03/12/family-dieter-uchtdorf/
4. https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/13pdf/12-536_e1pf.pdf
5. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1973/03/news-of-the-church/abortion-is-considered-revolting-sin-by-church?lang=eng
6. Pres. Spencer W. Kimball, "Guidelines to Carry Forth the Work of God in Cleanliness," Ensign, May 1974, p. 7, 9.
7. The First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles, "The Family: A Proclamation to the World," Ensign, November 1995, p. 102
8. https://twitter.com/ReverendWarnock/status/1329190179735826439?s=20
9. https://www.ajc.com/news/black-ministers-send-open-letter-to-warnock-asking-him-to-change-pro-choice-stance/LWFRQI5AEFHW3KNCNMJZMGF7TY/
10. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/warnock-not-condemning-socialism-georgia-senate-debate
11. https://twitter.com/ossoff/status/1211677548905664512
12. https://electjon.com/jon-ossoff-statement-on-supreme-court-ruling-upholding-womens-medical-privacy/
13. https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-climate-us-supreme-court-598d9adf4626a7faadffc73563fed360
14. M. Russell Ballard, in “Sustaining Our Prophets and Apostles,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org; see also “Here Am I, Send Me” (Brigham Young University devotional, Mar. 13, 2001), 5, speeches.byu.edu
15. "Assignments Announced for Elder Uchtdorf: Apostle oversees Europe, key Church departments", Newsroom, LDS Church, January 22, 2018.
16. "So what is Mormon apostle doing now? For now he is overseeing global LDS missionary efforts," David Noyce, sltrib.com. Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 27 March 2019.