"Choose your friends wisely. They will provide the foundation of spiritual strength that will enable you to make difficult, extremely important decisions correctly when they come in your life." [1]
“Choose your friends wisely, for you will tend to be like them.” [2]
"I have found that the right friends have a powerful influence on your life. Choose your friends wisely. Make certain they will help build within you the right standards with which to govern your life." [3]
"Choose good friends. Friends help to determine your future. You will tend to be like them and to be found where they choose to go. Remember, the path we follow in this life leads to the path we follow in the next." [4]
"Choose friends who have high ideals. Choose friends who will help you to be good." [5]
We Mormons have been fed a steady diet of “Choose your friends wisely" since we were kids. As adults, we realize its importance, as our children spread their wings and undertake their own social interactions.
Logically, we can and should conclude that the church is doing the same; that it, too, is "choosing its friends wisely."
In my past posts, I've highlighted some of the church's friends:
- "Government authorities" who may require "us to give up certain freedoms" [6]
- United Nations member states who develop and implement plans without even the remotest scintilla of thought regarding God. [7]
- The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. [7]
- "Medical experts and government leaders" like the Centers for Disease Control, who have developed plans to remove non-vaccinated family members from their own homes and indefinitely quarantine them in a government facility. [8]
- Pro-abortion, pro-socialist organizations. [9]
- Policymakers who protect baby killers. [10]
Now added to the list: The manufacturers of the Covid-19 injections.
In the First Presidency's August 12, 2021 letter [11] to members re: wearing masks and getting immunizations, church leaders told members, "We know that protection from the diseases they cause can only be achieved by immunizing a very high percentage of the population" and "To provide personal protection from such severe infections, we urge individuals to be vaccinated. Available vaccines have proven to be both safe and effective."
One of the church's official investment arms -- Ensign Peak Advisors (EPA) -- has added to the church’s list of "friends" (companies it trusts, and would refer 16 million others to) those who manufacture the Covid-19 injections. In the U.S., that would be AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer.
Tithing-Paid Investments in Covid-19 Injection Manufacturers
Not only has the church glowingly referred these business’ products (Covid-19 injections) to its members, but the Church has also invested OUR tithing money in those very same Covid-19 injection manufacturers in the form of stocks.
In his Sept 14, 2021 decision in James Huntsman v Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, federal judge Stephen Wilson legitimized James Huntsman's equating tithing to investments made by EPA. Quoting from his ruling:
"In 1991, the President of the Defendant's church, Gordon B. Hinckley, explained that Defendant would set aside a portion of the tithing funds paid to the Church as a rainy day fund."
"In 1997, Defendant [the church] incorporated Ensign Peak Advisors, Inc. ("EPA") to be the Defendant's primary investment vehicle for the Defendant's reserve tithing funds. The reserve tithing funds would be invested in stocks, bonds, and securities." [My emphasis]
"First, [David] Neilsen [a former Senior Portfolio Manager at EPA from 2010 to 2019] conflates tithing funds with earnings on invested tithing funds. Specifically, he states that "EPA's senior leadership and other EPA employees referred to and revered all funds of EPA as 'tithing' money, regardless of whether they were referring to principal or earnings on that principal." [34; my emphasis]
Here is how much the church (via EPA) has invested our tithing payments in these companies over the last couple of years:
| 2019-12-31 [12] | 2020-03-31 [13] | 2020-06-30 [14] | 2020-09-30 [15] | 2020-12-31 [16] | 2021-03-31 [17] | 2021-06-30 [18] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AstraZeneca | $2,834,000 | $1,044,000 | $1,044,000 | $8,747,000 | $8,188,000 | $9,866,000 | |
| Pfizer | $80,705,000 | $86,321,000 | $86,321,000 | $95,869,000 | $157,683,000 | $152,578,000 | $163,008,000 |
| Johnson & Johnson | $645,924,000 | $501,068,000 | $501,068,000 | $465,903,000 | $530,704,000 | $524,249,000 | $499,776,000 |
| Moderna | $5,355,000 | $3,504,000 | $3,707,000 | $3,399,000 | |||
| TOTAL | $729,463,000 | $588,433,000 | $588,433,000 | $567,127,000 | $700,638,000 | $688,722,000 | $676,049,000 |
Callings
In fact, the church called Richard Hutchings as an Area Seventy for the North America Northeast region in April, 2019. [19] Hutchings is Executive Director for pharmaceutical sciences for Pfizer, responsible for oncology and anti-viral development. [20]
Fines
On the surface, people might say, "OK, so what?"
Remember those quotes about choosing your friends wisely? That's where these relationships take a strange and (to be frank) dangerous turn:
Pfizer: Paid out $2.3 billion in 2019 for fraudulent marketing, then the largest health care fraud settlement and the largest criminal fine ever imposed in the United States. Pfizer pled guilty to misbranding the painkiller Bextra with "the intent to defraud or mislead". [21] Total pay outs over time for all drug-related fines: 71, totaling $4.6 billion. [22]
Johnson & Johnson: Agreed to pay a $2.2 billion fine to resolve criminal and civil allegations relating to the prescription drugs Risperdal, Invega and Natrecor. The government alleged that J&J promoted these drugs for uses not approved as safe and effective by the FDA, targeted elderly dementia patients in nursing homes, and paid kickbacks to physicians and to the nation's largest long-term care pharmacy provider. [23] Total pay outs over time for all drug-related fines: 58, totaling $4.2 billion. [24]
AstraZeneca: Was fined $520 million to resolve allegations that it illegally promoted the antipsychotic drug Seroquel. [25] Total pay outs over time for all drug-related fines: 21, totaling $1.14 billion. [26]
Moderna: Four fines totaling $311,972. [27]
All totaled, the church has not only made friends with, but has also invested in, four pharmaceutical manufacturers who have racked up combined fees of almost $10 billion.
And on top of it all, it's told its members -- and the world -- to trust these very same companies into which it has invested tithes for our "personal protection."
Some Serious Questions Arise
President Nelson gave a speech at BYU on April 23, 2009. It's title: “Neither Trust in the Arm of Flesh”. [30] There, he quoted two scriptures: “Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm” [31] and "neither trust in the arm of flesh.” [32]
What happened in between April 23, 2009 and the First Presidency's Covid letter of August 12, 2021 which made trusting in the arm of flesh a divinely-endorsed spiritual strategy?
Would church leaders be comfortable with you making such friends?
How does the church interpret this scripture, including giving "money be given to the exchangers"?
"And while they were yet laying the foundation thereof, they began to say among themselves: And what need hath my lord of this tower? And consulted for a long time, saying among themselves: What need hath my lord of this tower, seeing this is a time of peace? Might not this money be given to the exchangers? For there is no need of these things. And while they were at variance one with another they became very slothful, and they hearkened not unto the commandments of their lord. And the enemy came by night, and broke down the hedge; and the servants of the nobleman arose and were affrighted, and fled; and the enemy destroyed their works, and broke down the olive trees." (D&C 101:47-51)
Where are we told in the scriptures that it's actually fine with the Lord for the Quorum of the Twelve Businessmen to invest tithes in pharmaceutical manufacturers?
3 Nephi 13:19-20 (which I assume the Brethren still believe is divinely inspired) says, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal; But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal." How are pharmaceutical investments "treasures in heaven"?
Revelation 9:21 and Revelation 18:23 both mention the word “sorceries,” which in Greek is pharmakeiOn, or drugs or enchantments. Go here to read more about what God has to say about those who use and peddle pharmakeiOn. (Note they aren't my words, but God's).
We are also told to "Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven." (D&C 121:45)
(The definition of virtue is "behavior showing high moral standards"). [28]
How does the church show "high moral standards" when it invests in pharmakeiOn manufacturers which are convicted felons having paid billions in fines?
How does the church show "high moral standards" when it promotes to 16+ million members (and more) pharmakeiOn which has consistently displayed horrendous adverse events in those using it? [33]
A woman (who took the Pfizer jab a week before) experienced Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis, which doctors have attributed to the vaccine. She had "no previous medical history.” [29] How does the church explain its investment in, and promotion of, this injection which almost killed this woman?
Where is God in ANY of this?
Sources
1. Malcolm S Jeppsen, "Who is a True Friend," April 1990 General Conference
2. New Era, August, 2004
3. L Tom Perry, New Era, February 1993
4. Thomas S Monson, "In Harm's Way," April 1998 General Conference
5. Ezra Taft Benson, "To the Children of the Church," April 1989 General Conference
6. https://ldtruths.blogspot.com/2021/09/satans-plan-of-compulsion-has-new.html
7. https://ldtruths.blogspot.com/2021/08/proof-church-is-embarrassed-about-god.html
8. https://ldtruths.blogspot.com/2021/08/wise-and-thoughtful-recommendations-of.html
9. https://ldtruths.blogspot.com/2021/08/follow-brethren-great-youre-now-un.html
10. https://ldtruths.blogspot.com/2021/03/proof-elder-uchtdorf-supports.html
11. https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/first-presidency-message-covid-19-august-2021
12. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001454984/000145498420000005/xslForm13F_X01/ensignpeak191231.xml
13. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001454984/000145498420000008/xslForm13F_X01/ensignpeak200331.xml
14. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001454984/000145498420000009/xslForm13F_X01/ensignpeak200630.xml
15. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001454984/000145498420000010/xslForm13F_X01/ensignpeak200930.xml
16. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001454984/000145498421000003/xslForm13F_X01/ensignpeak201231.xml
17. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001454984/000145498421000004/xslForm13F_X01/ensignpeak210331.xml
18. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001454984/000145498421000005/xslForm13F_X01/ensignpeak210630.xml
19. https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2019-04-23/general-conference-april-2019-mormon-lds-area-seventies-2874
20. https://grandmapalspocket.blogspot.com/2020/07/1248-pfizer-head-of-anti-viral-has-good.html
21. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justicedepartment-announces-largest-health-care-fraud-settlement-its-history
22. https://violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org/prog.php?parent=pfizer
23. https://www.pandata.org/how-broad-is-covid-immunity
24. https://violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org/prog.php?parent=johnson-and-johnson
25. https://projects.propublica.org/graphics/bigpharma
26. https://violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org/prog.php?parent=astrazeneca
27. https://violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org/prog.php?parent=&major_industry_sum=&offense_group_sum=&primary_offense_sum=&agency_sum=&agency_sum_st=&hq_id_sum=&company_op=starts&company=Moderna&major_industry%5B%5D=&case_category=&offense_group=&all_offense%5B%5D=&penalty_op=%3E&penalty=&govt_level=&agency_code%5B%5D=&agency_code_st%5B%5D=&pen_year%5B%5D=&pres_term=&free_text=&case_type=&ownership%5B%5D=&hq_id=&naics%5B%5D=&state=&city=
28. https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/virtue
29. https://www.dailyveracity.com/2021/08/19/covid-vaccine-causes-womans-skin-to-rot-according-to-doctors
30. https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/russell-m-nelson/neither-trust-arm-flesh/
31. 2 Nephi 28:31
32. D&C 1:19
33. https://jabupdate.com/#adverse
34. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cacd.814559/gov.uscourts.cacd.814559.55.0_1.pdf
