Mercury wrote:It is this free pass that is most troublesome about the CAEMS, at least to me. In this it is the ultimate vaccine against doubt, a vehicle for highly unethical behavior, etc. The practitioner goes from a state of constant worry of committing sin to being able to not worry at all concerning the consequences of his or her action. This sets the stage at the top of the Mormon power pyramid allowing an "ends justify the means" mentality.
The CAEMS is the most scary and, dare I say it Evil Mormon doctrine, possibly enabling the book cooking and MMM to name two.
Qualifying for a CAEMS is
progression in leadership based - show me the ward janitor with a CAEMS and I'll eat my hat. This club is exclusive to couples where their husbands have paid their dues within hierarchal leadership (ie. temple president, patriarch, various GA positions). Even most of them do not qualify.
The relatives I knew that got their CAEMS pretty much told everyone they (he and his wife)were getting it when they got their invitation from Spencer Kimball (later, my relative even approved of the letter being published in his biography). At the time he was a retired very successful businessman and he held a prestigious position of administrational leadership for the church. He and his wife had been close personal friends of the prophet for 50 years. As a youngster I will always remember that my relative threw the trash bag out the car window when it got full, and didn't stop to help people in car accidents (even though he would take a picture of them occasionally). I was with him one time when he flashed his temple recommend to a cop in a little Utah town when he got pulled over for speeding. Afterwards we detoured to the judge's house to "work out the misunderstanding".
Here is something to ponder:
According to the most correct of any book, when someone truly becomes a
Child of Christ, his heart is changed. He has no more desire to do evil, but to do good continually. And yet, even this person may never qualify himself for a CAEMS in this life.
11 And I would that ye should remember also, that this is the name [Child of Christ] that I said I should give unto you that never should be blotted out, except it be through transgression; therefore, take heed that ye do not transgress, that the name be not blotted out of your hearts.
12 I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts, that ye are not found on the left hand of God, but that ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be called, and also, the name by which he shall call you.
(Book of Mormon | Mosiah 5:11 - 12)
However, if you are a born again Christian, you have your
CAEMS ticket punched. Think about it.
(edited to clarify)
