Russell M. Nelson is Skull and Bones

Just something to file away, from his 1979 autobiography From Heart to Heart:

The Church Formerly Known As Mormon says it's not okay to be white

This is not news -- it's a press release from 2017, in response to whatever "racist" thing the media was outraged about at the time -- but it was recently brought to my attention in connection with my post "Racism is a fake sin." Strident condemnation of this fake sin is of course only to be expected from modern churches, but note how much further the Formerly Mormon Church has gone:

It has been called to our attention that there are some among the various pro-white and white supremacy communities who assert that the Church is neutral toward or in support of their views. Nothing could be further from the truth. In the New Testament, Jesus said: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (Matthew 22:37–39). The Book of Mormon teaches "all are alike unto God" (2 Nephi 26:33).

White supremacist attitudes are morally wrong and sinful, and we condemn them. Church members who promote or pursue a "white culture" or white supremacy agenda are not in harmony with the teachings of the Church.

White supremacy is defined by Cambridge Dictionary as the quasi-mythical "belief that people with pale skin are better than people with darker skin," and it is pretty universally agreed that that would be a foolish and perhaps (depending on what exactly is meant by "better") morally objectionable thing to believe.

Note the phrases I have bolded, though. The Church is not only condemning "white supremacy" but also anyone who is pro-white -- which simply means "supporting or approving of white people." The Church makes no secret of its "shared vision" with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, but they strongly denounce the idea that they could even be so much as neutral when it comes to anything pro-white. They are pretty unambiguously staking out the position that it is morally wrong to support or approve of white people. And -- weirdly, given that the vast majority of Church leaders are themselves white and live in white communities -- they cite "love thy neighbor" in support of this stance!

They go on to say that those "who promote or pursue a 'white culture'" -- that would be any and all cultures with European roots -- "are not in harmony with the teachings of the Church." No other culture is similarly condemned, so we take it that the cultures of the various white peoples (historically roughly coterminous with Christendom) are uniquely wicked.

Etymologically, the opposite of suprême is infime, so I think we could call the Church's stated position here white infimacy -- as Cambridge might define it, "the belief that people with pale skin are worse than people with darker skin." Since Mormonism is itself a product of white people living in a white culture, I think this leads to something very like the Cretan Liar Paradox.

Behold there are save two churches only

James Tissot, The Prophecy of the Destruction of the Temple

From the Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 14:9-12:

And it came to pass that [the angel] said unto me: Look, and behold that great and abominable church, which is the mother of abominations, whose founder is the devil.

And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.

And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the whore of all the earth, and she sat upon many waters; and she had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people.

And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw.

Two churches only. Here's one of them, represented by its president, Harold B. Lee, speaking in 1972:

I want to warn this great body of priesthood against that great sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, which has been labeled as a sin second only in seriousness to the sin of murder. I speak of the sin of adultery, which, as you know, was the name used by the Master as he referred to unlicensed sexual sins of fornication as well as adultery; and besides this, the equally grievous sin of homosexuality, which seems to be gaining momentum with social acceptance in the Babylon of the world, of which Church members must not be a part.

While we are in the world, we must not be of the world. Any attempts being made by the schools or places of entertainment to flaunt sexual perversions, which can do nothing but excite to experimentation, must find among the priesthood in this church a vigorous and unrelenting defense through every lawful means that can be employed.

The common judges of Israel, our bishops and stake presidents, must not stand by and fail to apply disciplinary measures within their jurisdiction, as set forth plainly in the laws of the Lord and procedures as set forth in plain and simple instructions that cannot be misunderstood. Never must we allow supposed mercy to the unrepentant sinner to rob the justice upon which true repentance from sinful practices is predicated.

And here, in the Current Year, is the other:

Here's their official statement:

The doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints related to marriage between a man and a woman is well known and will remain unchanged.

We are grateful for the continuing efforts of those who work to ensure the Respect for Marriage Act includes appropriate religious freedom protections while respecting the law and preserving the rights of our LGBTQ brothers and sisters.

We believe this approach is the way forward. As we work together to preserve the principles and practices of religious freedom together with the rights of LGBTQ individuals, much can be accomplished to heal relationships and foster greater understanding.

I guess I shouldn't be shocked. They already support the sexual mutilation of children; what's left to be shocked by? It still feels unreal, though. I never would have dreamed even a few years ago that this day would come, and it's hard to express the revulsion I feel. Whore really is the mot juste.

The mission of the used-to-be-Mormon church in a nutshell

The CJCLDS Newsroom reports that on May 26, Elder David A. Bednar "provided an overview of the mission and work of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" to the National Press Club.

Here are the section headings of the summary published by the Church:

• Humanitarian Aid and Welfare
• Education
• Race Relations
• The LGBTQ Community
• The Washington D.C. Temple

There you have it: an overview of the mission and work of the Nelson-era CJCLDS.

The CJCLDS goes full Satan, supports turning kids trans

In his recent General Conference address, "Following Jesus [sic]: Being a Peacemaker," Elder Neil L. Anderson, apostle of the Latter-day Society Against the Use of Nicknames and Abbreviations, reports:

In February, a headline in the Arizona Republic stated, "Bipartisan bill supported by Latter-day Saints would protect gay and transgender Arizonans."

We, as Latter-day Saints, are "pleased to be part of a coalition of faith, business, LGBTQ people and community leaders who have worked together in a spirit of trust and mutual respect."

This bill which enjoys the official support of the Church, HB 2802, is "bipartisan" in the classic sense of being both stupid and evil.

Much of it is about expanding "non-discrimination" laws to include "sexual orientation and gender identity," and to apply even to the very smallest businesses (previously, businesses with fewer than 15 employees were exempt). This means that if an LPGABBQ person applies for a job, you must either hire them or else be prepared to prove that they were rejected for some reason unrelated to sexual neurosis or ideology. (The CJCLDS supports it because there is an exception for religious organizations -- rules for thee but not for me.) This is bad but not shocking, as such tyrannical laws, applied to various other protected classes, are nothing new.

Here's the shocking part:

A. It is unprofessional conduct for a health provider to provide conversion therapy to a patient or client who is younger than eighteen years of age.

B. Subsection A of this section does not apply to [clergy, parents, or grandparents when acting as such, even if they also happen to be health providers].

C. The regulation of conversion therapy is of statewide concern and is not subject to further regulation by a county, city, town, or other political subdivision of this state.

D. For the purposes of this section:

1. "Conversion therapy":

(a) means any practice or treatment that seeks to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of a patient or client, including mental health therapy that seeks to change, eliminate or reduce behaviors, expressions, attractions or feelings related to the patient's or client's sexual orientation or gender identity.

(b) does not include a practice or treatment that does not seek to change the patient's or client's sexual orientation or gender identity, including mental health therapy and that meets the following:

(i) is neutral with respect to sexual orientation and gender identity.

(ii) provides assistance to a patient or client undergoing gender transition.

Got that? If it has been decided (by, perhaps, one of the trans teachers schools will be forced to hire) that your kid is trans, the only treatment it will be legal for health providers to offer is "assistance . . . undergoing gender transition."

The CJCLDS leadership supports this. They support it so much that they made an exception to their usual stance of political neutrality to make an official statement endorsing it.

They can burn in hell.

Ex-Mormon apostle honors Joe Lieberman

Remember former U.S. Senator and failed presidential and vice-presidential candidate Joe Lieberman? For those whose memory is a little hazy, this is how the far-left Wikipedia summarizes his position on killing children:

Overall Lieberman has a pro-choice voting record, and in 2007 he received a grade of 100 from the abortion rights organization NARAL Pro-Choice America. While running in the Democratic primaries in the 2004 presidential election, Lieberman said that as president he would "follow a policy that makes abortion safe, rare and legal." He voted against the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act.

And on killing adults:

According to a 2003 article in the Boston Globe, Lieberman "initially supported the Vietnam War, then changed his mind in late 1967, when he decided it was 'the wrong place to be.' He has firmly backed every military action since then: Grenada, Libya, Panama, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and both Gulf wars." Since that time, he has repeatedly urged new American attacks against Iran, Syria and, most recently, action in Yemen against terrorists.

He was also an early advocate of turning YouTube into the censorship platform it has become today. This was in 2008, so before-it-was-cool that even the far-left New York Times was against him.

Lieberman "demanded that YouTube take down hundreds of videos produced by Islamist terrorist organizations or their supporters. YouTube reviewed the videos to determine whether they violated its guidelines, which prohibit hate speech and graphic or gratuitous violence. It took down 80 videos, but left others up. Mr. Lieberman said that was 'not enough,' and demanded that more come down." The New York Times reported that Lieberman was "trying to pressure YouTube to pull down videos he does not like" and wrote that "[w]hile it is fortunate that Mr. Lieberman does not have the power to tell YouTube that it must remove videos, it is profoundly disturbing that an influential senator would even consider telling a media company to shut down constitutionally protected speech."

Imagine the Times saying anything remotely like that today! The senator was truly a man ahead of his time.

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And here's what Ex-Mormon Apostle Quentin L. Cook is up to these days.

You can tell from his face that this guy just loves being allowed to hang out with celebrities. Here he is last year with a Harvard "African American studies" professor and a handsy archbishop.

I give Elder Cook a hard time, but he really was a prophet, at least once in his career.

What happened since then? James sums it up pretty well.

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God (James 4:4).

Might I suggest "Member of the Church at Temple Square"?

Babylon Bee

I've been told "at Temple Square" is an acceptable substitute for references to The Prophet Who Must Not Be Named.

One of the most subtle forms of intimidation is the gradual normalization of aberration.

We first endure, then pity, then embrace.

Remember the Mormons? They walked the earth not so very long ago. Here is the late Elder Neal A. Maxwell, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in 1993. The title of his address is "Behold, the Enemy Is Combined."

[I]t is the engulfing effects of [the] deteriorating world on Church members which is the “clear and present danger.” . . . Yet we must not be intimidated or lose our composure even though the once morally unacceptable is becoming acceptable, as if frequency somehow conferred respectability!

One of the most subtle forms of intimidation is the gradual normalization of aberration. Alexander Pope so cautioned:

Vice is a monster of so frightful mien,
As, to be hated, needs but to be seen;
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace.

Every Mormon used to know and quote those lines from Pope's Essay on Man. They used to turn up in sermons like Ezra Taft Benson's "Satan's Thrust -- Youth," prefaced with "Tolerance is a word valuable in the service of Satan." They seem to have fallen out of favor in recent decades; the formerly-Mormon hierarchy has switched its allegiance to the other Pope and all he represents.

(Pope : the Pope :: science : The Science)

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Here's what Elder Maxwell's successors at The Church That Can't Be Called Mormon Anymore have chosen to put on the homepage of their official website -- which is no longer lds.org because they have renounced the label LDS.

The "LGBT" article is about 1,400 words long and never once mentions, even in passing, that disordered sexual behavior is sinful. Here is the article's one and only use of the word sin:

The Church distinguishes between same-sex attraction and homosexual behavior. . . . Identifying as gay, lesbian, or bisexual or experiencing same-sex attraction is not a sin and does not prohibit one from participating in the Church, holding callings, or attending the temple.

Notice how they conflate experiencing temptation (which is the common lot of man) with choosing to identify as a particular sort of temptation-experiencer, to embrace the temptation as central to who you are as a person. The latter absolutely was considered a sin not so long ago. In my day, the Church never even used words like gay  -- preferring "those who struggle with same-sex attraction" -- precisely because they wanted to avoid encouraging people to identify with their besetting sins.

To see the fundamental dishonesty and cowardice of this stance, imagine replacing the temptation to indulge in socially-promoted sexual perversions with any other, non-socially approved, temptation. Alcoholics, pedophiles, necrophiliacs, men with roving eyes, lazy people. While it may be technically true that a disordered passion is only a sin if you act on it, there would obviously be something deeply wrong with an organization that was constantly harping on the need to understand and welcome necrophiliacs, without bothering to mention that they don't actually condone the sexual abuse of corpses.

In this modern world, where everyone is under overwhelming social pressure not only to tolerate but to celebrate sexual perversion, where it takes great courage even to say publicly that sin is sin, the Church has decided that the message its members need the most is that they need to be more accepting -- only up to a point, of course! -- of this evil. This is an act of moral cowardice and a dereliction of duty. It is indistinguishable from Bergoglio's "who am I to judge" crap and will lead to the same end. The ex-Mormon hierarchy needs to return to Mormonism, stop hobnobbing with the Pope, and reread their Pope.

CJCLDS is down with the sickness

Can't shake the devil's hand and say you're only kidding.

-- They Might Be Giants

Some of my Mormon friends, those who are generally based but who still feel it their duty to trust the organization and its leaders, have tried to argue that the church's complicity in the ongoing crime against humanity is purely passive and pragmatic in nature -- that in its compliance with the masks, the pecks, and all the rest, the church is just trying to keep its head down, avoid political controversy, and focus on its spiritual mission. Even if that were true, it would be bad enough, but it is becoming increasingly obvious that it is not true, that the Latter-day Church of Thou Shalt Not Take the Name of Mormon in Vain is actively fighting on Satan's side in the spiritual war.

This is a transcript of the beginning of their October 2021 World Report (edited in the usual manner).

This is the World Report of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, October 2021.

Coming up: recreating the ancient while restoring the modern. Film and newly dedicated historic sites connect people to the past while inspiring in the present. Housing, job training, and life skills. The Church's Transitional Services Initiative gives people a second chance.

But first, from refrigeration to mobile pharmacies, the Church's continuing partnerships provide relief and equitable access to pecks around the world.

Since the start of the birdemic, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has joined with dozens of organizations to help quell the spread of the birdemic. In March, Latter-day Saint Charities, the humanitarian arm of the Church, donated $20 million to UNICEF USA toward UNICEF's role in the Access to Birdemic Tools Accelerator and the pecks arm called the COPECK facility, which aims to provide an equitable distribution of pecks to communities around the world. Pecks are rolled out in phases, prioritizing the most vulnerable: health care workers and persons 60 years and older, among others.

Over 100,000 doses of the birdemic peck have been delivered to Belize, but procuring the pecks is only part of the challenge. One of the key areas of concern for us as UNICEF in Belize has been in the health sector, especially the cold chain system. The cold chain includes refrigeration units and thermal boxes that keep the pecks at their needed temperature until they're ready to distribute. Doses are put into syringes and then into the arms of people, some of whom have been waiting for months.

I do appreciate it. I didn't expect it this soon.

From Belize to Sudan, from Kenya to Nepal, increasing the trust in peck effectiveness while dispelling misinformation has been critical to the global effort. After being informed of the process, Melissa Sanchez received her first peck.

If you are not pecked, it will limit what you can do.

This effort has been monumental. Its goal is to make nearly 1.5 billion doses of the birdemic peck available to at-risk populations in more than 180 countries and territories.

It's unprecedented in the history of the world where partners have come together to make this happen and to bring a peck which is going to be lifesaving to countries all over the world.

This is going to be a stain on the church's escutcheon, and an anti-Mormon talking point, for decades to come. Where, when the whole world was seduced by an evil lie, when cowardice and idiocy spread like a plague and veiled the whole earth in darkness, where then was the discernment of your so-called prophets? Where then the courage of your so-called saints?

Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.

Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower. Lord have mercy on thy people. Moroni son of Mormon pray for us. Joseph Smith pray for us.

No longer alone in their bodies

Das war also des Pudels Kern!

There's a bit of doggerel Mormons like to quote, without ever crediting it to any particular author. The earliest such quotation I can find is in M. Russell Ballard's 1989 talk "The Effects of Television."

All the water in the world

No matter how it tried

Could never sink the smallest ship

Unless it got inside.

All the evil of the world

And every kind of sin

Could never damn a human soul

Unless we let it in.

Mormon reader Ben Pratt left this comment on my post "Things come to a point in the CJCLDS." The letter he refers to is the one sent out by the CJCLDS First Presidency, urging the faithful to "follow the wise and thoughtful recommendations of medical experts and government leaders" and get the "safe and effective" peck. I've made my customary edits.

I have my found my pecked friends and family members to be uncharacteristically and extremely fearful and angry. Another line of evidence brought that into focus yesterday, and I now suspect that the pecked are no longer alone in their bodies.

I'm still exploring this idea, but it instantly felt right and offers insight on the aforementioned letter as well.

Yes, Brother Pratt is implying exactly what you think he is implying, and my intuition immediately told me it was true. (The First Presidency letter makes a lot more sense if you imagine it being read in the voice used for the Senators in this video.) It would also help explain the sense of extreme spiritual urgency I and others feel, that we absolutely must not be pecked, and that far more than the health of the body is at stake. 

Things come to a point in the CJCLDS

O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

-- Isaiah the Prophet

Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.

There are differences of opinion, there are delusions, and there are lies. I've bolded the lies.

 

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sent the following message on Thursday, August 12, 2021, to Church members around the world:

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

We find ourselves fighting a war against the ravages of COVID-19 and its variants, an unrelenting pandemic. We want to do all we can to limit the spread of these viruses. We know that protection from the diseases they cause can only be achieved by immunizing a very high percentage of the population.

To limit exposure to these viruses, we urge the use of face masks in public meetings whenever social distancing is not possible. To provide personal protection from such severe infections, we urge individuals to be vaccinated. Available vaccines have proven to be both safe and effective.

We can win this war if everyone will follow the wise and thoughtful recommendations of medical experts and government leaders. Please know of our sincere love and great concern for all of God’s children.

The First Presidency

Russell M. Nelson

Dallin H. Oaks

Henry B. Eyring

"We can win this war if everyone will follow the wise [sic] and thoughtful [sic] recommendations of medical experts and government leaders." That doesn't leave much room for doubt as to which side of the spiritual war they consider to be "their" side!

Mormons, the choice is clear: Do you follow these three men, who follow the wise and wonderful edicts of the secret society of Gadianton, which society and the works thereof they know to be good? Or are you desirous to follow the voice of the Good Shepherd, and to come out from the wicked, and be separate, and touch not the unclean thing?

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

Their utmost concern

The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

-- Isaiah 9:15

More than a year later, Russell M. Nelson, President of the Church of No We Don't Worship the Goddess Mormo, apparently still stands by his Satanic statement about his "utmost concern." If he had repented, he would never have allowed it to be quoted again on the official church website.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is following the lead of governments and healthcare professionals around the world as it considers a measured return to normal operating procedures disrupted by COVID-19.

The Church is moving forward in all areas of the world with ample caution, always strictly following the guidance of governments to prevent the spread of the pandemic. “Your safety and well-being will always be our utmost concern,” Church Prophet and President Russell M. Nelson said on May 6, 2020.

This guy is supposed to be a living prophet, with the same authority as Moses or Elijah. Good thing he's "following the lead of governments and healthcare professionals around the world." Imagine the chutzpah of calling yourself a prophet while advertising such a basic failure of spiritual discernment!

As for the damning sentence, "Your safety and well-being will always be our utmost concern" -- an explicit rejection of "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness" -- I'm sure I will be told that I'm blowing it out of proportion, that it's just a meaningless bit of manager-speak and was never meant to be taken literally.

This does nothing to absolve President Nelson, though, since such habits of speech come effortlessly only to those who have internalized the systematic dishonesty of the bureaucratic world.

Russell M. Nelson -- RMN. Say the initials out loud. Remind you of anything?

Great news! 90% of smokers have kicked the habit!

A July 5, 2021, Instagram post from Russell M. Nelson, President of the Church of Try to Be Less Mormon:

With the re-opening of the Kyiv Ukraine Temple today, every temple in the world has now reopened and resumed some level of operations! We may now serve and worship the Lord in these sacred edifices the world over and participate in precious ordinances. This is cause for celebration!

I will never forget the day near the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic when we had to make the excruciating decision to close the temples. The rapid spread of the virus made this decision inevitable, but it was a painful one. I couldn’t help but wonder how the Prophet Joseph Smith and all of my predecessors would feel about the action we were taking.

But now, with the temples open, our work for those on both sides of the veil can be resumed. To have all our temples reopened, at least to some degree, is a cause for rejoicing.

I am grateful for the many scientists, health care workers, and leaders who have stemmed the tide of this virus such that we can now safely gather in larger numbers. And I thank you, my dear brothers and sisters, for your patience and worthiness to serve.

May we cherish the blessings of the House of the Lord and attend the temple as often as our circumstances permit.

"Every temple in the world has now reopened and resumed some level of operations." Ah, the ambiguity of the present perfect! The naïve reader may take it to mean that every LDS temple in the world is currently open and operating at some level -- which I know for a fact is not true, because every house of worship in Taiwan, including the Taipei Temple, is currently closed by government diktat. What President Nelson actually means is that every temple has, after being shut down in early 2020, reopened at some point for some period of time, though several of them have since been shut down again. In other words, he is using the present perfect in the sense exemplified by the old joke:

A: I think you should give up smoking.

B: But I have -- lots of times!

To which A, if his name were Russell M. Nelson, would reply, "This is cause for celebration!"

The Church News article reporting on President Nelson's post adds this clarification:

Note: The Kyiv Ukraine Temple, which reopened today, July 5, is the last of the faith’s 160 operating temples to resume worship since all closed at the onset of the pandemic. Because COVID-19 conditions vary widely around the world, temple operations are adjusted weekly and temporarily paused when necessary. Worship in 10 temples is currently paused and will resume as soon as local conditions allow. Another eight temples are closed for renovation.

So 10 temples remain closed for the birdemic -- but, hey, at least each of them reopened for a while before being closed again! A cause for rejoicing!

In fact, even if 100% of the temples were currently open and operating again, that still wouldn't be cause for celebration, because they would be open only contingently, on the understanding that they could be shut down at any time, with or without government compulsion, in response to "the rapid spread of a virus" or whatever the next phantom menace happens to be. President Nelson's remarks make it clear that he has not repented, does not feel that his decision was wrong, and would do it again in similar circumstances. Although he makes a token reference to searching his soul and wondering what Joseph Smith would think, in the end he still maintains that the closure of all temples -- well in advance of any government compulsion -- was "inevitable." That's a pretty funny word to use for something that had never happened before in the history of the world!

Quentin L. Cook on why religious freedom is important

Quentin L. Cook, a Harvard "African-American Studies" prof, and an Archbishop

Historically Mormon Apostle Quentin L. Cook (previously featured on this blog for his 2012 sermon "Don't Wear Masks") spoke at an interfaith summit at Notre Dame University on Monday. CJCLDS Church News summarizes his remarks thus:

Elder Cook noted how religion has moved religious people, such as William Wilberforce (Great Britain) and the Quakers (early America) to abolish slavery. He also pointed to the animating force of faith in people such as Martin Luther King Jr., who promoted civil rights in the United States in the 1960s.

Elder Cook said some people claim that upholding the principles embedded in the U.S. Constitution (such as religious freedom) does not square with protecting the rights of minority groups. He pushed back, saying that support of the Constitution and advocacy for “strong, peaceful efforts to overcome racial and social injustice are not opposites. Eliminating racism at all levels needs to be accomplished. And, historically, religious conviction has been one of the great forces in accomplishing that goal.”

Helping the world better recognize the good that people of faith do must be a joint project, Elder Cook said.

“My plea today is that all religions work together to defend faith and religious freedom in a manner that protects people of diverse faith as well as those of no faith,” the Apostle said.

Christianity is one potentially effective means (among others, including atheism) to the end of fighting "racism."

I don't think that's what "one another" means

From the Church of Latter-day Definitely Not Mormons: First Presidency and NAACP Leaders Announce a Shared Vision to "Learn from and Serve One Another"

Now, as a certified expert on English grammar -- I think I'll start calling it the grammar -- I know all about reciprocal pronoun constructions such as "one another" and can attest that the "shared vision" referred to in the headline should involve the LDS First Presidency learning from and serving the NAACP leaders and the NAACP leaders learning from and serving the LDS First Presidency. Reading the article, let's see how this will work out in detail.

The Church of Not Mormon Anymore will:

• give $3 million of tithing money (donated by church members worldwide, about 98.5% of whom are not black Americans) to a college scholarship fund exclusively for "young black students in the United States"
• provide $250,000 (also from tithing) to pay for black American students to study abroad in Ghana and "learn more about their heritage"
• donate an additional $6 million of tithing funds to the NAACP to "bring relief to suffering souls in underprivileged [meaning black] areas of the United States"

In exchange for the CJCLDS's spending nearly $10 million on the Advancement of Colored People, the National Association for the same will present the Formerly Mormon Hierarchy with this:

(subject to revocation without notice)

Quite the bargain, don't you think?

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Note added: For some reason, this post, with its focus on "race," made me think of a book I read as a very young child. It was about a dragon with a (trigger warning!) speech impediment, who would try to scare off robbers by shouting, "Wace! Wun! Wobbers be done! The tewwible dwagon is here!" It even occurred to me that I should start tagging posts about "anti" racist idiocy with "Wace! Wun! Wobbers be done!"

Then, in a truly bizarre synchronicity, I checked Vox Day's blog and found that the latest post was called "Hunting wacists" -- obviously an allusion to Elmer Fudd, but then he took the "wacist" thing and wan with it.

The problem, of course, is wacism. If only white Americans would stop being so wacist, black men would not have to hunt them and shoot them.

So stop being wacist. Or else.

Oh, by the way, we are reliably informed by Ivy League academics that all whites are inherently wacist. So, you know, good luck with all that not-wacisting. 

PS: avoiding people who are hunting you is also wacist. Nice try.

 Well, now that the sync fairies have spoken I can't very well not use that tag.

What's the deal with Dallin H. Oaks?

Following some links on the Junior Ganymede led me into the world of Mormon Twitter. (I mean, I guess I knew some Mormons must be on Twitter, but I'd never really thought about it before.) I quickly discovered that Dallin H. Oaks is extremely popular with the #DezNat set and extremely unpopular with "progressive" Mormons. See, for example, these reactions to the news that the Saturday evening session of General Conference would be discontinued.

"OAKS MAN BAD" -- meaning that, apparently, progmos stereotypically hate Dallin H. Oaks in the same way that common-or-garden progressives hate Donald J. Trump. Conservative Mormons, on the other hand, dream of "an all Oaks session."

by Miss Briggie Youngz

So apparently President Oaks's current image is that of "the hardliner that progressives love to hate" -- filling a role left vacant with the death of Boyd K. Packer in 2015.

I find this strange because I had singled Oaks out as the most converged ("progressive") current leader in the CJCLDS. Search lds.org for global warming, and all you get is Dallin H. Oaks. Search it for George Floyd or black lives matter, and it's -- oops! -- all Dallin again. Try LGBT, and -- hey, what a coincidence! As documented in the linked post, President Oaks has dissed Trump, pushed climate alarmism, quoted the NAACP with approval, said "we must do better to help root out racism," and called BLM "an eternal truth all reasonable people should support."

So how is it that this same person somehow ended up being a progmo bugaboo and #DezNat's favorite apostle? Any insight from my Mormon and/or CJCLDS-affiliated readers?

Mormon recessional

Empty interior of the abandoned Kirtland Temple

A recessional is a closing hymn, marking the end of a church service. It is also the title of Rudyard Kipling's inspired poem of 1897, which -- although it is about the British Empire, written at its height and prescient of its end -- has long been part of the Mormon hymnal, under the title "God of Our Fathers, Known of Old."

In a post with the very appropriate title "The Singing Has Ended," John Mansfield of the Junior Ganymede writes:

What would a dwindling, a withdrawal of priesthood from the world and the church look like that is different from the ministry of Russell Nelson as president of the church? A sad, inglorious task to be given, but in sad, inglorious times some obedient son oversees the withdrawal of gifts.

Predictably, there is some obligatory looking-on-the-bright-side in the comments. One Michael Towns writes:

Of course, I recognize that we live in dark times. I acknowledge that. But I can’t agree with the idea that priesthood is being withdrawn from the world . . . . How many temples are being constructed right now? Seems to me the priesthood is advancing, not dwindling.

Mansfield, though, remains clear-eyed.

If, in a coming decade, it should be decided that since women perform many great roles (wife, mother, missionary, temple worker) without holding priesthood office, there is really no reason for most men to be ordained priests or elders, people will wonder then why I should care, and think my feelings of loss are nothing more than sentimental attachment to old-timey window dressing and scaffolding. I’m getting pretty used to that response.

The church age has ended. Institutional Christianity has done its work. The future, for the followers of Jesus, lies in a different direction. Is every church doomed to the grotesque cancer of full-scale convergence and apostasy, or will a select few be permitted to withdraw from the world stage with something resembling dignity? Have I been too flippant with my "Satan popping on the apricot tree" tag? Is Russell M. Nelson, for all his faults, fundamentally an "obedient son overseeing the withdrawal of gifts"?

How consciously and intentionally I cannot know, but President Nelson does seem to be paving the way for a post-church Mormonism. "Home church" was being promoted even before the birdemic. Where in the past members were cautioned not to go beyond the official (carefully edited) church study manuals, now the unabridged Joseph Smith papers are available for free online, courtesy of that same church. Perhaps most significantly, Nelson's "rectification of names" campaign has released the word Mormon into the public domain. Like Christian, it is no longer the exclusive property of any institution. I can now freely say, "I am a Mormon," with no need to clarify that I am not affiliated with President Nelson's organization.

One thinks of the prophet Jeremiah, preaching that Babylon would win, that Jerusalem would fall, that the Lord would not save his people, and that they should not resist. When the Babylonians took charge, they treated Jeremiah very well, and it must have seemed to many Israelites that he had been a fifth-columnist all along -- but he was a prophet of God. Where President Nelson falls on the continuum from Jeremiah to Nebuchadnezzar is not for me to know, but in their different ways both Jeremiah and Nebuchadnezzar were instruments in the hand of God.

I grew up in Joseph Smith's old stomping grounds -- "Thompson, Ohio, home of Doctrine and Covenants Section 51," I used to say when Utahns asked where I was from. Today I was moved to reread the revelation that was my little town's claim to fame.

And thus I grant unto this people a privilege of organizing themselves according to my laws. And I consecrate unto them this land for a little season, until I, the Lord, shall provide for them otherwise, and command them to go hence; . . . And whoso is found a faithful, a just, and a wise steward shall enter into the joy of his Lord, and shall inherit eternal life (D&C 51:15, 16, 19).

Look again at that picture of the Kirtland Temple, and think of when Joseph Smith himself used to stand at that pulpit while the congregation sang, "The Spirit of God Like a Fire Is Burning." Now it is a mere tourist attraction, owned by a completely converged once-Mormon organization that calls itself the Community of Christ, ordains women and performs same-sex "marriages," and operates out of a deliberately ugly "temple" that looks like a soft-serve ice-cream cone.

Kirtland was my backyard. Many a time have I walked those once-hallowed halls. Sometimes, when the mood is right, the ghosts of its glorious past make themselves manifest. One can see the Prophet and the cloven tongues of fire, feel the rushing mighty wind, hear the resounding chorus, "We'll sing and we'll shout with the armies of heaven, Hosanna, hosanna to God and the Lamb!"

But they are only ghosts. The singing has ended. Zion is fled.

What's a nice Mormon Elder like you doing in a place like this?

So the Vatican's doing this thing.

First the graphic: I'm sorry but, putting blasphemy concerns to one side, a coronaphobe version of the Creation of Adam is just a non-starter. "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life." How are you going to do a masked version of that?

But of course I'm here to document Mormon, not Catholic, apostasy.

The speakers include prominent and diverse names such as the CEOs of Pfizer and Moderna, the former of which produces abortion pills; the Director of the National Institute of Health (NIH) Francis Collins, who advocates using fetal tissue in research projects; the head of Google Health, David Feinberg; and Dr. Anthony Fauci from the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, whose advice to government officials played a major role in shutting down American churches last year.  

NIH director Francis Collins has a long history of anti-life policies, and has previously acclaimed the "scientific benefits" which come from fetal tissue research, claiming that such work could be conducted "with an ethical framework."

He is joined at the Vatican conference by Salesforce CEO, Marc Benioff, who has firmly aligned himself with the globalist, liberal elite, by banning emails from Republicans and the Trump campaign in the wake of the January 6 Capitol protests, as well as prohibiting all clients from even questioning the 2020 U.S. election. Benioff has a history of promoting LGBT issues, and is described by Time as "one of the most outspoken executives," for LGBT affairs. 

Also speaking at the conference will be United Nations representative and conservationist Jane Goodall, who supports population control; new age activist Deepak Chopra; rock guitarist Joe Perry; Mormon Elder William K. Jackson; executive chair of the British Board of Scholars and Imams, Shaykh Dr. Asim Yusuf; pro-abortion model Cindy Crawford; and disgraced ex-prefect of the Secretariat for Communication, Monsignor Dario Viganò. 

Numerous other medical professionals, representatives of U.S. federal agencies, university lecturers, high-ranking company officials, and musicians also form the number of speakers. There are only two Catholic clergy listed amongst the 114 speakers.

"Mormon Elder" William K. Jackson (sic; I'm sure he does not self-identify as a Mormon!) was promoted to the rank of General Authority Seventy in the April 2020 conference and gave his first General Conference talk in October. He spoke on diversity and equality.

But couldn't his presence at this Satanic conference be innocent? After all, even Christ mingled with publicans and sinners. Wait, there's more.

Perhaps as a sign of the Vatican’s recent declaration of financial difficulties, the conference is supported by numerous large organizations such as Sanford Health, Akkad Holdings, John Templeton Foundation, vaccine company Moderna, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

So the Church of We Don't Use the M-Word Anymore isn't just sending a delegation; it's helping to bankroll the event, presumably with the tithes of the Saints.

File under "Shocked but not surprised"

In case you can't recognize him under the muzzle he's wearing, this is Russell M. Nelson, president of the Church of the Really Long Name That Definitely Doesn't Include the Word Mormon -- and, according to the official pretense, the latter-day equivalent of Moses, Elijah, St. Peter, and Joseph Smith.

From the official news release:

In word and deed, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has supported vaccinations for generations. As a prominent component of our humanitarian efforts, the Church has funded, distributed and administered life-saving vaccines throughout the world. Vaccinations have helped curb or eliminate devastating communicable diseases, such as polio, diphtheria, tetanus, smallpox and measles. Vaccinations administered by competent medical professionals protect health and preserve life.

As this pandemic spread across the world, the Church immediately canceled meetings, closed temples, and restricted other activities because of our desire to be good global citizens and do our part to fight the pandemic.

Now, COVID-19 vaccines that many have worked, prayed, and fasted for are being developed, and some are being provided. Under the guidelines issued by local health officials, vaccinations were first offered to health care workers, first responders, and other high-priority recipients. Because of their age, Senior Church leaders over 70 now welcome the opportunity to be vaccinated.

As appropriate opportunities become available, the Church urges its members, employees and missionaries to be good global citizens and help quell the pandemic by safeguarding themselves and others through immunization. Individuals are responsible to make their own decisions about vaccination. In making that determination, we recommend that, where possible, they counsel with a competent medical professional about their personal circumstances and needs.

I like that "where possible" -- a tacit acknowledgement that competent and honest medical professionals are harder and harder to come by. About spiritual professionals it would be more charitable to remain silent.

You remember Moses, right? Good global citizen, that guy.

Satan doing what on a what?

I've been tagging some of my posts -- those documenting the ongoing convergence/apostasy of The Church Formerly Known As Prince -- with the label "Satan popping on the apricot tree." I feel this calls for some explanation, particularly (but not only!) for those of my readers who have never been Mormons.

"Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree," by one Georgia W. Bello, is a little ditty, known to every Mormon child, about how apricot blossoms (a common sight in the Mormon heartland) look like popcorn. It is sung with accompanying hand gestures of a rather straightforward sort.

When I was a missionary, there was a persistent rumor that there was an anti-Mormon video being circulated (most often attributed to Ed Decker, who stands out for his sensationalism even in this very sensationalistic genre) which showed a clip of children doing the "popcorn popping" gesture, slowed down and dubbed over with ominous music, and presented it as some sort of black magic ritual those nefarious Mormons teach their children. I have no idea whether or not such a video ever really existed -- it's not in either of Decker's The God Makers films -- but it was notorious regardless.

This inspired a mission friend and me to make our own (somewhat less) notorious recording: We sang "Popcorn Popping," but every time we came to the key word, we dropped down into our best Cookie-Monster death-metal growls and rasped out SATAN! instead.

I looked out the window, and what did I see?
SATAN! -- popping on the apricot tree
Spring had brought me such a nice surprise --
SATAN! -- popping right before my eyes

and so on. Our tape made the rounds of the mission, and thus it was that "Satan popping on the apricot tree" became local missionary slang for ridiculously over-the-top anti-Mormon claims -- something to which we very often had occasion to refer.

So what do I mean by applying this label to my own anti-anti-Mormon posts? In part, it's a self-deprecating acknowledgement that I am, after all, being a bit sensationalistic. I mean, I've been calling prominent church leaders servants of Satan for such minor infractions as talking about global warming, parroting fascist slogans (or is it antifascist? I always get those two confused), shutting down all churches and temples well in advance of any government compulsion, and -- uh, other trivial stuff like that.

Mostly, though, it's just a bit of gallows humor to keep my spirits up. It's just so very sad what's happening.

O Apricot Tree thou art sick!