Mormon Coffee

On Tuesday I was listening to the Michael Medved Show on conservative talk radio. Because the date was 6/6/06 Mr. Medved was discussing the biblical number 666.

One person who called in to the program identified himself as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The caller said he’d researched a particular type of numerology (A=6; B=12; C=18; etc.) and discovered around 25 words in the English language dictionary that equal 666. “The Adversary has infiltrated the American language,” he said, because all the English words that equal 666 are negative, evil or bad.

Perhaps anticipating a question from the show’s host, the caller explained that the numerology theory was not popular in his church; but because Mormons believe America is the Promised Land, they understand why the devil would pay special attention to America in choosing this language for his nefarious work.

I haven’t checked the math, but the caller provided a few examples of the evil 666 words. They include “computer,” “slaughter,” “disguiser,” and “genetics.” Mr. Medved asked, “What’s evil about genetics?” The caller responded with a reference to genetic engineering and said that more and more we humans are “acting godly.” I believe he meant to say that genetic engineering is “playing God,” but by using the term “acting godly” it got me to thinking.

Mormons are taught that worthy human beings will one day become Gods. The LDS Church Student Manual Achieving a Celestial Marriage says on page 130,

MEN ARE GODS IN EMBRYO

“Man is the child of God, formed in the divine image and endowed with divine attributes, and even as the infant son of our earthly father and mother is capable in due time of becoming a man, so the undeveloped offspring of celestial parentage is capable, by experience through ages of aeons, of evolving into a God.” (The First Presidency [Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder, Anthon H. Lund], “The Origin of Man,” Improvement Era, Nov. 1909, p. 81)

On the same page of the LDS Student Manual is this teaching from Joseph Smith:

“Here then is eternal life — to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves…”

Ensign Magazine, the official magazine of the LDS Church, contained the following teaching in the January 2005 issue:

“We are the children of God, and as His children there is no attribute we ascribe to Him that we do not possess, though they may be dormant or in embryo. The mission of the Gospel is to develop these powers and make us like our Heavenly Parent.” (quoting LDS President George Q. Cannon)

So in the context of the LDS worldview shaped by Mormon doctrine, why would “playing God” be a negative thing, as the caller to the Michael Medved Show indicated? For a Mormon whose earth life is to be used for developing his powers and attributes of Godhood–learning how to be a God–wouldn’t “playing God” be exactly what’s called for?

Perhaps the caller’s use of the phrase “acting godly” was what he meant to say after all.

Over the past week Mike S. Adams, author of Welcome to the Ivory Tower of Babel: Confessions of a Conservative College Professor has posted a series of online columns about Mormonism at Townhall.com. Dr. Adams’ insights are really very interesting, as are the many comments about this series left by readers. Today’s column, “Revelations of Joseph Smith,” is outstanding. I encourage you to take the time to read it, as well as the previous two columns in the series.

• Visions of Joseph Smith
• Charlatan’s angels
• Revelations of Joseph Smith

There are two things I’d like to draw your attention to today.

First is a story out of Massachusetts.

After a weeklong trial, [LDS member Kevin F.] Curlew, who acted as his own attorney, was convicted by a jury on charges that he sexually assaulted a then-9-year-old boy he befriended while volunteering at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Hill Street in Methuen [MA].

Mr. Curlew’s assault of the boy began two years ago, in July 2004.

The abuse continued on several occasions at the church, while the boy’s mother attended church meetings.

When questioned by Methuen police, Curlew confessed.

Saying Mr. Curlew is a “true danger to society,” the judge sentenced him to nine to ten years in state prison, followed by ten years probation.

What really got my attention in this story was the way the abuse came to light and was reported.

• The abused boy told his mother.
• The mother told an LDS Church staff member.
• The LDS Church staff member told the Bishop.
• The Bishop told an LDS Church councilor.
• Finally the LDS Church councilor notified the State Department of Social Services.

I wonder why the abuse was reported through so many levels of LDS Church hierarchy before being reported to legal authorities…

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The second thing worth noting is a story from the June 3rd LA Times. “Ex-Mormons Say Breaking Up Was Hard to Do” is a story about the Ex-Mormons for Jesus Information and Visitors Center in Orange, California.

Times staff writer David Haldane recently attended an Ex-Mormons for Jesus (EMFJ) monthly support meeting for those coming out of Mormonism. Reporting the stories of several former Mormons, Mr. Haldane also included information on the beliefs and purpose of the EMFJ Center and ministry, provided by the Center’s director, Charlotte Pardee.

EMFJ believes

• Mormons aren’t true Christians;
• Mormons follow false doctrines that preclude them from entering heaven;
• Leaving Mormonism is a profoundly difficult and isolating experience requiring the support of fellow ex-Mormons.

Not surprisingly, Tom Thorkelson, director of interfaith relations for the LDS Church’s Orange County Public Affairs Council, said none of that is true.

“First,” he said, “as a Latter-day Saint, I believe in and accept Jesus Christ as my savior. We are Christians, though we recognize that there are some theological differences.”

As for the alleged pressure on those who leave, Thorkelson said, it is no greater than that exerted by a member of any faith “who has deeply held convictions and finds somebody who shared those convictions leaving them and joining a counter group. I’ve seen lots of people whose families disowned them because they became members of the Mormon faith.”

I don’t think Mr. Thorkelson quite gets the point. The allegation that other faiths may be hard to leave does not bear on the truth or falsity of the EMFJ position: that leaving Mormonism is profoundly difficult.

“Our purpose,” said Pardee, who has never been a Mormon, “is to help Christians understand Mormonism and to give Mormons a place to come when they start doubting their faith. I’ve shed more tears over Mormon souls than I did over my husband’s, before he was saved.”

Mr. Haldane reported that the EMFJ meeting opened and ended with prayer. One person prayed for the Mormons and the LDS Church, that God would intervene and “turn the hearts of the Mormon elders…turn that church around, Lord.”

Clearly, the EMFJ ministry and the people involved care deeply about Mormons. Many have been hurt by the LDS Church, but rather than retaliate or seek vengeance they pray for those they believe are still lost.

Compare that attitude with the LDS spokesperson’s response. Rather than expressing sorrow for those he believes have gone astray, rather than tender concern for their painful experiences, Mr. Thorkelson is defensive on behalf of the LDS Church and mildly rebukes the ex-Mormons:

“I invite anybody to examine the lives of friends and neighbors who are practicing Latter-day Saints to see if they are striving to lead lives consistent with the teachings of Jesus Christ,” he said. “Rather than denigrate other faith traditions, we prefer to build relationships and let our lives speak for themselves.”

Well, in my opinion the stories, lives and prayers of former Mormons speak volumes and should not be ignored.

For anyone seeking help–those doubting or wanting to leave the LDS Church–the Ex-Mormons for Jesus web site can be found here.

Last Friday I blogged about the Mormon pioneer handcart companies of 1856 (The Mormon Handcart Experiment). I wrote:

The last two companies, the Willie and Martin companies, met with tremendous tragedy. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 222 people perished due to equipment failure and early snow storms. Brigham Young’s handcart plan was quickly abandoned.

I was wrong. The use of handcarts continued with five more LDS companies crossing the plains over the following four years. All of these crossings were successful. After this the handcart experiment was replaced by a sort of shuttle service. The LDS web site (“The story of the Handcart Pioneers”) explains,

In 1861 the Church replaced the handcart system with what is referred to as the “down and back” wagon trains. A continuation of the Church’s commitment to help the poor, these wagons traveled east, hauling supplies, then returned with immigrants.

“It was a Church-operated system of teams and wagons donated by the congregations,” says Glen M. Leonard, historian. “As the railroad was being built, immigrants would ride the trains as far as the trains went, then wagons would pick them up — like a shuttle service.”

This operation continued until the completion of the railroad.

I’m sorry for the error.

On June 11th LDS President Gordon B. Hinckley will speak at The Handcart Pioneer Commemoration Fireside in Iowa City, Iowa. The event is to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Mormon handcart pioneers.

In 1856 Brigham Young instituted a plan, an inexpensive way for Mormon emigrants from Europe to travel across the plains to Utah: pushing or pulling their belongings in handcarts while walking the entire 1,300 miles. Five companies of Mormon pioneers crossed America pulling handcarts. The last two companies, the Willie and Martin companies, met with tremendous tragedy. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 222 people perished due to equipment failure and early snow storms. Brigham Young’s handcart plan was quickly abandoned.

Because of the sesquicentennial, the handcart tragedy has been in the news lately. One of the more interesting articles was a Deseret News report on the recent 41st annual Mormon History Association conference held in Casper, Wyoming.

Contrary to common historical accounts among Latter-day Saints, a failure of leadership among top LDS Church officials was the catalyst for the tragedy that befell the Willie and Martin handcart companies in October 1856.

That’s according to a panel of researchers, who discussed culpability for the tragedy before a crowd of about 600… Scores of pioneer emigrants from Britain died of starvation and hypothermia on the high plains of Wyoming after their companies took a major risk in leaving Iowa City, Iowa, several weeks later than church leaders knew they should, panelists said.

Lyndia Carter, a trails historian from Springville who is writing a book on the tragedy, said [LDS Apostle] Franklin D. Richards–who was then serving as the church’s mission president in Britain–”was responsible, in my mind, for the late departure” because “he started the snowball down the slope” that eventually “added up to disaster.”…

“Faith blinded him to reason and zealousness replaced common sense.”

Indeed, in The Gathering of Zion by Wallace Stegner the story is told of Franklin D. Richards’ 1856 return from his mission in Great Britain. Sometime in August Mr. Richards’ group of returning missionaries overtook the Willie handcart company at North Bluff Fork. They camped with the pioneers for the night. The next morning Mr. Richards called a general meeting where he rebuked Levi Savage for his lack of faith; Mr. Savage had been the only Mormon pioneer to caution the Willie and Martin handcart companies against pushing trough to Utah so late in the season. As recorded by one of the handcart captains, John Chislett:

Richards gave us plenty of counsel to be faithful, prayerful, obedient to our leaders, etc., and wound up by prophesying in the name of Israel’s God that ‘though it might storm on our right hand and on our left, the Lord would keep open the way before us and we should get to Zion in safety.’ (The Gathering of Zion, page 243)

So certain was he of his prophecy, before continuing the journey in their swift carriages Mr. Richards’ group requested fresh meat from the pioneers. Captain Willie killed and gave the Apostle the fattest calf in the handcart company camp. Mr. Chislett later wrote, “I am ashamed for humanities sake to say [the group of returning missionaries] took it” for many pioneers would starve to death as they traveled the remaining 700 miles of trail toward Salt Lake City.

Apostle Richards’ prophecy failed miserably; hundreds of pioneers in those handcart companies did not get to Zion in safety. The Deseret News article reported:

[Howard Christy, professor emeritus at Brigham Young University, said,] “In my opinion, responsible leadership at the outset could have completely averted the disaster.” Several recorded comments by church agents that they supposed God would intervene to protect the emigrants “shows their knowledge of the dangers of starting late. They were throwing all sense to the wind that all would be well.”

As is often the case with Mormon history, the story of the Willie and Martin handcart companies has changed from one of failed prophecy and negligent leadership into a faith-promoting legacy.

Termed by some “the worst overland disaster in the history of the American West,” early Latter-day Saints tended to talk about it “in hushed tones, if at all,” according to William G. Hartley, associate professor of history at Brigham Young University, who moderated the [Mormon History Association] panel discussion.

“Over time, the emphasis of the story became the faith and endurance” of the emigrants, rather than the decisions that led to the disaster, he said, adding that for modern LDS youths who re-enact the handcart trek, the experience “has almost become a rite of passage.”

The deaths and hardship of the handcart pioneers were tragic; and the tragedy continues today. History’s attestation to failed prophecies and negligent leadership should cause people to seriously question the validity of the LDS Church and its “one true church” claims. Instead, the carefully constructed spin on the Willie and Martin story is used to appeal to peoples’ emotions and anchor them more firmly than ever to an organization proven to be led by false prophets.