LDS leader has been ensconced
Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2013 11:07 pm
Janice Gordon
I believe that the LDS church strayed from the path of religion a very long time ago. They have taken up the mantle of business corporation for the most part and have been increasing their wealth and influence from the pocketbooks of the general membership. As a youngster growing up in this faith, I was proud to join in the claim that our clergy was 100% volunteer lay clergy.
I never dreamed that so many in the hierarchy of the faith were salaried, nor how they were positioned to receive these salaries. I joined others in pride, every time the church announced new temples to be built because I believed as I was indoctrinated to believe that we were 'anxiously engaged in building God's kingdom on earth.'
And then I began to study the history and deeper doctrines of the faith. I refused to limit my sources for research and study to LDS resources. In fact...some of the most damning things I read were in the early volumes of The History of the Church. Decades of conditioning melted away.
I learned of how Joseph Smith had been ordaining black males to the priesthood. I learned of men like Elijah Abel, who along with his sons, served missions, married in the temple and served as temple workers. Until Joseph Smith died.
Then as I read of the bigotry of Brigham Young in the Journal of Discourses, I saw the contradiction of the D&C claiming that God did not vary from what He has said, nor did He alter his path from the right to the left.
And so...either Joseph was lying when he claimed that God commanded him to ordain blacks, or Brigham was lying when he claimed that God had instructed him that the Negro was the vile seed of Cain and would NEVER be worthy to hold the priesthood in this second estate.
It also disturbed me greatly to learn that J.S. was seducing married women away from their lawfully wedded husbands. It didn't bother me to think of him marrying plural wives...even though I was taught at Seminary that he only had one wife...Emma. And that Emma denied that her husband had married plural wives to the day she died. I was willing to overlook the contradictions until I learned about his child brides, and about what he did to women like Sarah Pratt.
But here's the clincher as I see it. IMPO...of course...the purity and simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ is exemplified in the parable of the sheep and the goats. I continue to see the LDS church announcing numerous multi million dollar temples every year. That was bad enough, in light of this economy and so many people losing their jobs and their homes...but when I learned that the LDS church via it's corporate entities had expended 6 BILLION DOLLARS to build the mega mall and high rise condo complex in SLC...I was dumbfounded.
I recently read a newspaper article regarding the homeless problem in SLC. Volunteers go searching through alleyways, and in parks, and in dumpsters looking for the homeless. They have found hundreds...and these are only the ones they could find. People living in the streets. Elderly. Medically fragile. Even veterans.
There aren't enough shelter facilities for them, and even if there were...many refuse to stay in these shelters because they are overcrowded, and they get sick whenever they have stayed in them.
And so...even though it is very dangerous to sleep in the street, or on a bus stop bench, or in a park...and even though many have been violently assaulted, and even suffered brain damage from these assaults they continue to prefer the streets to the shelters.
I read of one organization that has a building with about 128 tiny studio apartments which are used for temporary housing units. There is rarely if ever a vacancy. And then I consider the multi million dollar condo (tax exempt courtesy of the SLC Housing Authorities) in which the LDS leader has been ensconced. I think of his costly apparel, full staff of serving staff, chef, a chauffeur, numerous personal staff members and now personal 'handlers' as he is dealing with dementia.
I consider the fact that the One this church claims to follow, to base the foundation of their church on...didn't own a roof over his head, but slept where he could find shelter. That he didn't wear costly apparel, but robes of simple homespun and sandals on his feet. That he didn't have wherewithal to purchase food, or a room for the night...but depended upon the charity of strangers.
I consider that he didn't even own the tomb he was laid in...but it was donated by another. And I look at what this religious organization has become...and I am heartily saddened and disgusted.
The LDS church claims many charitable activities...but they are not transparent in their finances. I understand that what they actually donate amounts to about as much as one drop of spittle in a spittoon. When I think of what 6 BILLION DOLLARS could do to alleviate homelessness, hunger, fragile people exposed to the cold of winter...I am sickened when the LDS church continues to claim to be the only church on the face of the earth with the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In my estimation...the fullness of His gospel...is outlined in the parable of the sheep and the goats.
Here is the primary change I'd like to see occur in this religious organization. I would like to see them return to the status of a religion and drop the business corporation. I would like to see them actually practice what Yeshua (Jesus the Christ) preached, when he encountered the rich young ruler. When even one child goes hungry, lacks adequate shelter, and clothing...then the leader of a church claiming to have the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ should not be housed like a King.
Especially when everything he has comes courtesy of the general membership of the faith...including the poorest in third world countries.
I believe that the LDS church strayed from the path of religion a very long time ago. They have taken up the mantle of business corporation for the most part and have been increasing their wealth and influence from the pocketbooks of the general membership. As a youngster growing up in this faith, I was proud to join in the claim that our clergy was 100% volunteer lay clergy.
I never dreamed that so many in the hierarchy of the faith were salaried, nor how they were positioned to receive these salaries. I joined others in pride, every time the church announced new temples to be built because I believed as I was indoctrinated to believe that we were 'anxiously engaged in building God's kingdom on earth.'
And then I began to study the history and deeper doctrines of the faith. I refused to limit my sources for research and study to LDS resources. In fact...some of the most damning things I read were in the early volumes of The History of the Church. Decades of conditioning melted away.
I learned of how Joseph Smith had been ordaining black males to the priesthood. I learned of men like Elijah Abel, who along with his sons, served missions, married in the temple and served as temple workers. Until Joseph Smith died.
Then as I read of the bigotry of Brigham Young in the Journal of Discourses, I saw the contradiction of the D&C claiming that God did not vary from what He has said, nor did He alter his path from the right to the left.
And so...either Joseph was lying when he claimed that God commanded him to ordain blacks, or Brigham was lying when he claimed that God had instructed him that the Negro was the vile seed of Cain and would NEVER be worthy to hold the priesthood in this second estate.
It also disturbed me greatly to learn that J.S. was seducing married women away from their lawfully wedded husbands. It didn't bother me to think of him marrying plural wives...even though I was taught at Seminary that he only had one wife...Emma. And that Emma denied that her husband had married plural wives to the day she died. I was willing to overlook the contradictions until I learned about his child brides, and about what he did to women like Sarah Pratt.
But here's the clincher as I see it. IMPO...of course...the purity and simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ is exemplified in the parable of the sheep and the goats. I continue to see the LDS church announcing numerous multi million dollar temples every year. That was bad enough, in light of this economy and so many people losing their jobs and their homes...but when I learned that the LDS church via it's corporate entities had expended 6 BILLION DOLLARS to build the mega mall and high rise condo complex in SLC...I was dumbfounded.
I recently read a newspaper article regarding the homeless problem in SLC. Volunteers go searching through alleyways, and in parks, and in dumpsters looking for the homeless. They have found hundreds...and these are only the ones they could find. People living in the streets. Elderly. Medically fragile. Even veterans.
There aren't enough shelter facilities for them, and even if there were...many refuse to stay in these shelters because they are overcrowded, and they get sick whenever they have stayed in them.
And so...even though it is very dangerous to sleep in the street, or on a bus stop bench, or in a park...and even though many have been violently assaulted, and even suffered brain damage from these assaults they continue to prefer the streets to the shelters.
I read of one organization that has a building with about 128 tiny studio apartments which are used for temporary housing units. There is rarely if ever a vacancy. And then I consider the multi million dollar condo (tax exempt courtesy of the SLC Housing Authorities) in which the LDS leader has been ensconced. I think of his costly apparel, full staff of serving staff, chef, a chauffeur, numerous personal staff members and now personal 'handlers' as he is dealing with dementia.
I consider the fact that the One this church claims to follow, to base the foundation of their church on...didn't own a roof over his head, but slept where he could find shelter. That he didn't wear costly apparel, but robes of simple homespun and sandals on his feet. That he didn't have wherewithal to purchase food, or a room for the night...but depended upon the charity of strangers.
I consider that he didn't even own the tomb he was laid in...but it was donated by another. And I look at what this religious organization has become...and I am heartily saddened and disgusted.
The LDS church claims many charitable activities...but they are not transparent in their finances. I understand that what they actually donate amounts to about as much as one drop of spittle in a spittoon. When I think of what 6 BILLION DOLLARS could do to alleviate homelessness, hunger, fragile people exposed to the cold of winter...I am sickened when the LDS church continues to claim to be the only church on the face of the earth with the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In my estimation...the fullness of His gospel...is outlined in the parable of the sheep and the goats.
Here is the primary change I'd like to see occur in this religious organization. I would like to see them return to the status of a religion and drop the business corporation. I would like to see them actually practice what Yeshua (Jesus the Christ) preached, when he encountered the rich young ruler. When even one child goes hungry, lacks adequate shelter, and clothing...then the leader of a church claiming to have the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ should not be housed like a King.
Especially when everything he has comes courtesy of the general membership of the faith...including the poorest in third world countries.
