The Church has a history of wanting to be seen as en vogue when it comes to popular political causes. The most recent example of this is Elder Dallin H. Oaks’s speech at BYU this week where he proclaims, “Black lives matter an eternal truth all reasonable people should support.”
Of course, Elder Oaks issues a few caveats that the Church doesn’t condone violence and the tearing down of statues, but to be sure that he is not just borrowing popular words to teach a different sermon, Oaks makes sure to include his disgust for the “shocking police-produceddeath of George Floyd in Minnesota.”
With such an extensive legal background, Elder Oaks should realize the dangers of making such bold statements, especially while the case against the police officers is still being adjudicated.
As tragic as was his death, Floyd has become a false hero in a false propaganda war intent on inciting the overthrow of our government. His death has been hijacked. His name is now being exploited for devilish purposes.
We’ve learned some things since the tragic death of Goerge Floyd that were not known at the time or withheld. None of this is intended to justify or exonerate anyone, but surely all of us should want the facts to come to light before making final judgments.
George Floyd had fatal, lethal levels of fentanyl in his system (one of the reasons he was unable to breathe).
Floyd said he couldn’t breathe way before he was on the ground.
Floyd, who was high on drugs, asked to be put on the ground, saying he couldn’t breathe and wanted to lie down on the street.
The police officers called the ambulance because they were concerned about Floyd’s mental and physical health.
Floyd had a long history of violence and crime and recent arrests.
The full video of the altercation with Floyd and other crucial facts to the case were intentionally kept from public view by the media.
Charges against the police officers involved are being dropped or lessened because of the evidence being examined.
For these reasons and many others, Elder Oaks and the Church are unwise to condemn men who still await their day in Court. Instead of throwing fuel on the fire, the Church should be calling for law and order and justice through the normal judicial processes.
Instead, they court the Black Lives Matter banner, which as we’ve already pointed out, represents a host of evil ideas, principles, and activities that they or any “reasonable person” should want to disassociate themselves from.
The Church could instead be taking the opportunity to fight against good words being used to now mean evil things rather than legitimizing the new, reckless definitions.
Why not pick up the banner of ALL LIVES mattering? Why not use their pulpit to make this a focus on baby lives mattering? It’s a great opportunity that counters the false narrative and shows good people that we still stand up for truth, even when it’s unpopular. Of course, black lives matter — everyone knows that and should believe it. But, Black Lives Matter doesn’t value black lives, that’s for sure. Not conservative ones. Not black police officers. Not black babies. Not black youth being killed in America’s cities largely by other blacks.
What if the same logic was being used for other misleading causes? “Being pro-choice is an eternal principle. All reasonable people should support being pro-choice.” An argument could certainly be made that members of the Church believe in the freedom to choose. But, does this send a mixed message? Might this confuse people into believing that the Church is pro-abortion? Or that choice has no consequences. Add to that, the marching in pro-choice parades by the likes of prominent Church members such as Mitt Romney and statements that seemed to take the side of the wrong team, and might that send a mixed message.
How about marriage equality? “Marriage equality is an eternal principle. All reasonable people should support marriage equality.” Sure sounds nice. But again, what message does that send? Marriage equality is code for gay marriage. Another example of nice words being twisted to mean something different.
Mormons building bridges? Is this also an eternal principle? Should we join in parades where sex toys and vagina hats are part and parcel? Is everything an eternal principle if you squint at it long enough? If we legalize it?
My vote is for the Church to counter the message of the world and stop trying to appeal to everyone. The gospel message is for everyone, true, but let’s not water down our message in order to appease people who frankly hate faith in God and want to destroy the nuclear family.
Follow Up Comment I received by email, which I think makes a great point:
Saw your recent post about BLM and President Oaks talk he gave at BYU this week. I wasn’t able to leave a comment on that post but leaving it here. One thing you didn’t mention in the post but which strikes me as bizarre was this phrase from President Oaks Talk: (the last sentence most specifically)
“The shocking police-produced death of George Floyd in Minnesota last May was surely the trigger for these nationwide protests, whose momentum was carried forward under the message of ‘Black Lives Matter,’” President Oaks added. “Of course, Black lives matter. That is an eternal truth all reasonable people should support. Unfortunately, that persuasive banner was sometimes used or understood to stand for other things that do not command universal support. Examples include abolishing the police or seriously reducing their effectiveness or changing our constitutional government. All these are appropriate subjects for advocacy, but not under what we hope to be the universally accepted message: Black lives matter.”
Ok so let me get this straight: 1. abolishing the police or seriously reducing their effectiveness 2. Changing our constitutional government.
All “these” are appropriate subjects for advocacy??? President Oaks is saying the only issue with them is that they were promoted under the banner of BLM? But if we don’t put them under that banner…. they are then appropriate subjects for advocacy? Changing our constitutional government? Really?
There seems to be confusion as to what love is, and what it’s not. Some would have you believe that true love is to remove all consequences so that no one is ever punished or “hurt” by their own choices.
“We should simply love those who commit crimes, not punish them. We should simply love those who commit sin. Love those who are gay or criminal or confused or addicted. We should get rid of laws–the police, prisons, Courthouses, and while we’re at it, churches too, since those things just seem to make people judgmental.” So they say.
Yet what’s interesting is that these same people who have attained to this highest, purest form of love a human can attain to in this life, it turns out, are intolerant, violent, angry, murderous, and lawless. They rejoice when people die, black or white. They mock and would kill a gay man or a black man if he happens to be of a different political persuasion than their own. They love the world’s “Karens” who pepper spray mask offenders and injure and patrol the non-compliant. They love their right to kill their children. If it was up to them, all American cities would look like Portland. Anarchy would rule. America would fall.
American politics was meant to be messy. Fools such as Jeff Flake and Mitt Romney (who should know better), seemingly forget that our system is always a choice between the lesser of evils. All worldly governments are inherently evil, because they are endowed with the power to control people. Hence the need for checks and balances and most importantly, the need for wisdom, virtue, morality, and religion. Our system only works when we are moral and virtuous.
“Liberty considers religion as the safeguard of morality, and morality as the best security of law and the surest pledge of the duration of freedom,” said Alexis de Tocqueville.
“The life of the nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful, and virtuous,” said Frederick Douglas.
“To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society,” said Theodore Roosevelt.
“History fails to record a single precedent in which nations subject to moral decay have not passed into political and economic decline. There has been either a spiritual awakening to overcome the moral lapse, or a progressive deterioration leading to ultimate national disaster,” said Douglas MacArthur.
Luckily we still have by and large a two-party system, where the majority of the people can choose their president. The voice of the people is important. Countries that allow for multiple candidates often elect presidents without this “voice of the people.” Without a majority. And so minority voices can take over a nation.
“Therefore, choose you by the voice of this people, judges, that ye may be judged according to the laws which have been given you by our fathers, which are correct and which were given them by the hand of the Lord. Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right, but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right. Therefore, this shall ye observe and make it your law: to do your business by the voice of the people.” Mosiah 13:6
When the voice of the people, or the majority, choose that which is not right, the die is cast for our destruction as a nation. We are defined as a nation by what the majority of us choose to be and to do.
And now we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God or they shall be swept off when the fullness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fullness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity. For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands. Wherefore, he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off, for it is the everlasting decree of God. And it is not until the fullness of iniquity among the children of the land that they are swept off. And this cometh unto you, O ye gentiles, that ye may know the decrees of God, that ye may repent and not continue in your iniquities until the fullness be come, that ye may not bring down the fullness of the wrath of God upon you as the inhabitants of the land hath hitherto done. Behold, this is a choice land; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under Heaven if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who has been manifested by the things which we have written. Eth. 1:7
An example of true love is the example of Moroni. He loved his nation and fought to preserve freedom. He wasn’t violent although he killed many. He wasn’t an angry man. Although he hated sin. He realized that letting immoral and evil people like BLM and Antifa get control of the powers of government would lead not just to death, but to millions of souls being swept off this continent. Moroni, filled with love, saw the bigger picture, and acted accordingly. He defended his nation and their freedoms with love and with violence.
And now it came to pass that when Moroni, who was the chief commander of the armies of the Nephites, had heard of these dissensions, he was angry with Amalickiah. And it came to pass that he rent his coat, and he took a piece thereof and wrote upon it: In memory of our God, our religion and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children. And he fastened it upon the end of a pole thereof. And he fastened on his headplate, and his breastplate, and his shields, and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the pole which had on the end thereof his rent coat, and he called it the Title of Liberty.And he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land. For thus were all the true believers of Christ who belonged to the church of God called, by those who did not belong to the church; and those who did belong to the church were faithful. Yea, all those who were true believers in Christ took upon them gladly the name of Christ — or Christians, as they were called — because of their belief in Christ who should come. And therefore at this time, Moroni prayed that the cause of the Christians and the freedom of the land might be favored. Alma 21:7
Let’s be crystal clear, a vote for Joe Biden in this year’s presidential election is a vote for Antifa and Black Lives Matter. You may think he is somehow a better man than Trump. More “moral”. Or you may think Trump is too offensive and is the reason so many are rioting and are angry. Either way, if you choose to vote for Joe Biden, you are, as a Christian, voting for a man who is being funded by these anti-Christian groups who seek to overthrow our nation.
A vote for Biden is also a vote for gay marriage and the advancement of the aggressive LGBTQIA+ agendas. And they are legend! Literally. In fact, there is now a push to decriminalize pedophilia in our country. LINKLINK This is the problem with the Queer agenda — IT NEVER IS CONTENT AND WILL NEVER BE SATISFIED. Vote for Joe and if he wins and your child’s Kindergarten teacher someday soon is a Transexual MAP (Minor Attracted Person), don’t be surprised. That slope, will slip quicker towards Hell than any other. A vote for Biden will lead to more abortions, more lawlessness. More control.
If you think otherwise, I invite you to ponder further and to reconsider. No reasonable person, in my opinion, can support a candidate that IS unwilling to renounce those who seek to overthrow our government, WHICH was at one point, approved of by God. It is not valiant in my opinion, to embrace, support, vote for, those who will “get us to the Second Coming sooner.” WE MUST choose more good over more evil. God will do His part when the time comes. HE does not need our votes for more wickedness to accomplish His works. HE will judge us based on our ability to discern and to choose, as it has always been.
I recently received an unexpected response for having sent a video presentation to some people I’m close to. This video makes a very compelling case that Joseph Smith didn’t teach or practice polygamy. I’ve included a link to it at the end of this post. I was taken aback by their various responses and was saddened by some of their comments, which seemed to dismiss the content of the video.
As I’ve pondered this experience, I’ve tried to see things from their current perspective. But, admittedly, this one is hard for me, perhaps because I have never liked the idea of Joseph being a polygamist. It’s always felt inconsistent with Joseph’s mission and message.
One person I sent this information to simply does not think that getting the history on polygamy right is important at all. Somehow Joseph’s character is inconsequential to him. All he knows is God commanded Joseph and Joseph obeyed. “The Church is true. Nothing else matters.”
It seems as though some people are more worried about their narrative staying “true” than they are about the truth itself. I do sympathize with the dilemma, but truth does matter and lies matter. Do we really believe the words to the song — “do what is right, let the consequences follow…?”
Black Lives Matter (#BLM) (since this is a current theme and because I’m using this thematic play on words) is a great example of why the truth matters. Simply look around and see what someone’s false beliefs can inspire them to do. Anyone looking at the title of the organization might be fooled into thinking that #BLM has something to do with caring about “lives.” Look a little more closely and you’ll quickly discover that the organization is a hate filled, Marxist, murderous, anti-family, racist, immoral, disgusting organization that seeks to overthrow our way of life. The content of their message and the effect their beliefs have on them and on society matters a great deal. To suggest otherwise is simply intellectually dishonest.
Let’s look at some other examples.
Many LDS people (myself included) believe that our nation was founded by inspired men. Men of character and honor who God brought together and upon whom His Spirit descended in order to fulfill prophecy in the birth of this great nation on this land of promise. Those who may not share this belief, love to rewrite history to fit their own narrative. False rumors against Thomas Jefferson, for example, were conveniently resurrected to defend Bill Clinton on the eve of Congress deciding whether to remove him from office or not. Revisionists and those who have an agenda want desperately to have it be “settled history” that Jefferson was sleeping with his slave Sally Hemings. This a) helps people like Clinton get away with the crime of adultery with an intern and b) undermines people’s faith in the idea that many of our Founder’s may have actually been honorable, moral, inspired men. Does the truth about Jefferson and our Founders matter? I say it does.
If I had sent a video that exonerated Jefferson of the charges of immortality and fornication, would I have received a different response? These people all generally like Jefferson and I think they’d say he was a man of God. Would they have been upset with me for sending them something that restored faith in him as a person and vindicated him of those false charges? And if that presentation happened to make John Adams, who many believe was complicit in sharing those false claims, look less honorable — would they still have responded so defensively?
If you love this country and love its Founders, aren’t you interested in knowing the truth about our history? And aren’t you especially interested when you find things that defend what you believe is true? Doesn’t it matter? If Adams or any president proves to be less honest than say Jefferson (hypothetically) and less inspired, it doesn’t necessarily make America untrue. But whitewashing history surely doesn’t make the such contradictions go away. Is your faith so fragile in our Founders that you only read books that echo your own current uninformed beliefs? If not, why do so in your study of Church history?
None of these things prove that the United States of America was never “true” or inspired. But I think a clear minded person recognizes that if Jefferson was an immoral man and so were ALL of our Founders, that it absolutely would undermine the integrity of the foundation our nation and thus it matters. This is precisely #BLM’s message. “America was never good because it was conceived by white, racists liars.” Do we not defend against such lies?
To take a modern example, does it matter who went to Jeffery Epstein’s Pedophile Island? Does it matter that Epstein was a pedophile? A sex addict? Does what you know of him cause you to make reasonable judgments? Would you have let him babysit your 12 year old daughter or support his causes? Does it bother you that he was murdered in prison and no one knows who did it? Does it matter that a Prince and at least one American president were regular visitors on the Island? Is the truth not important? Do we just NOT go down that road because we’re afraid of what we might find out?
Laman and Lemuel I think were sincere in their belief that they were tricked into leaving their homeland and were thus robbed of their land of inheritance and consequently their happiness. Their otherwise innocent version of the facts led to the annihilation of civilization. Laman and Lemuel’s beliefs/lies mattered. They led to millions of people dying horrifically, unnecessarily, and prematurely.
I guess we could sanitize everyone’s history and say none of it matters. “The Book of Mormon is true and so disregard the foolish teacher who says beware of false prophets and judge them by their fruits.“ Just because something is or was true does not guarantee it cannot become false when its leaders corrupt it. Wouldn’t you agree? The Constitution is “true” but it must be upheld and defended by virtuous people. It is the oldest Constitution in the world. Any nation is welcome to use it as their own. But could Putin succeed in establishing freedom in Russia by simply adopting and copying our Constitution? Of course not. No one can just copy it unless they are willing to do so upon the principles of righteousness. And the same is true for whether or not we can keep it “true.” This same principle applies to any institution, even a Church we “want” to never fall into apostasy.
Do you think it matters to an investigator of the LDS Church whether Joseph was a pedophile or not? Let’s be really clear — if the Church’s current history is true then:
Joseph was an adulterer. The Church says he took his first plural wife without Emma’s knowledge or consent AND 12 years before even he received the revelation on plural marriage.
Joseph was a polygamist and consummated those marriages sexually.
Joseph was a pedophile. He married underage women.
Joseph was a liar. He openly preached against polygamy and secretly practiced it.
Joseph was a hypocrite.
Of course, according to the Church, Joseph was commanded by God to do all these things.
But does the truth matter? If you have a child having a faith crisis because they’ve read the Church’s Essays, might these details matter to them?
If the presentation I sent to my friends is correct, then:
Joseph Smith was not an adulterer.
Joseph was not a polygamist.
Joseph was not a pedophile.
Joseph was not a liar.
Joseph was not a hypocrite.
If teaching your friend who is interested in learning more about the Restored Gospel, which set of facts would you rather have on your side? The first set that potentially undermines everything you may share? Or the second set, that is way more consistent with the beautiful message of the restored gospel? More importantly, do you want to share the truth or do you want to unwittingly spreads lies? WE have a duty to find out the truth on the matter OR we lead people astray. And lastly, do you care more about a “church” than you do about the Restoration?
Let’s look at the train wreck of polygamy. What did that teaching inspire? What did it yield? It did not produce more offspring. That’s a fact. Women had fewer children who were polygmaIst than the average non polygamist woman. There was no shortage of men — that’s completely false. Are we so comfortable lying for the Lord as Mormons that we don’t seek to correct the record when lies are shared? What other lies are we comfortable sharing? Unpaid ministry? The brethren seeing God as did Joseph? The Lord attending Thursday meetings? If those are lies, do we not want the truth? Do we really want to simply let the lies go uncorrected for the greater good? I can promise you one thing, if you lie to someone (even if by simply not correcting the record) it is likely to lead to a far more serious faith crisis at some point as a result.
Polygamy in the Church led to wife swapping, whoredoms, murder, adultery, wife stealing and abuse. Does it really not matter one iota to you that it may not have been started by Joseph Smith? And if it wasn’t do you not think it important to defend our dear brother Joseph at all costs? Regardless of whatever we think the implications may or may not be?
Here’s an example a little closer to home. Let’s say that someone starts a rumor about you at work that you are fooling around with your secretary. Do you care if no one comes to your defense, assuming there is no truth to the allegations? Do you think the rumors could lead to other adverse consequences if not corrected or addressed? Do you think the company could suffer as a result of the falsehood going uncorrected? Worse, imagine now that the rumor is that you secretly believe in polygamy and you are entering into secret marriage covenants with other men’s wives, with teenagers, all behind your wife’s back. Would these lies matter? Would they affect the way people treat you? Respond to you? Would people quit because of the rumors? Would the organization and its mission suffer? If this is you being accused, do you want the company when you’re gone to publish lies that confirm that the rumors were true? When they’re not? Do your kids want their father’s legacy to be those lies? Do you want your kids and grandkids to use those lies that they now believe to be truths to justify their own immoral actions? Again, does the truth matter?
A dear friend made an great point the other day. According to Brigham Young, anyone who rejects the teaching of polygamy and does not enter into it, cannot be saved in the highest degree of the Celestial KIngdom. As far as I know, those words have never been renounced. To the contrary, President Nelson and Elder Oaks and others are often cited as living that “higher law.” So, if polygamy was started by Joseph and it is the higher law and we must accept it and practice it at some point, then why isn’t the Church pushing for its legalization? It would be a brilliant legal move in my opinion and may have prevented gay marriage from becoming legal. But, now that gay marriage is legal, why not push for it if you believe in it? If it was true then, why is not true today? Better yet, IF it becomes legal, will the Church re-instate it? And why wouldn’t it? And more importantly, would you practice it? Now would you want to know for sure if Joseph really taught it? Would the truth matter to you now? Your bishop tells you you need to marry the 16 year old from the Sunday School class your’e teaching. You need to go home and break the news to your wife. Are the historical details meaningless to you now? Your wife may leave you. Your boss may fire you. Your kids may lose all confidence in you. Does whether the doctrine came from Joseph or Brigham matter now? If it was a lie promoted by Brigham, are you still comfortable proceeding? If it leads you to hell, and to whoredoms, do you really just want to trust your bishop rather than figuring this out for yourself?
I sent this video that I’m including here below to many of my friends and family because I think enough of them to share things I find persuasive, lovely, exonerating, and good. Because I love the truth and I love the Lord. And I love Joseph. I did not send it to them with some hidden agenda or with any grand scheme in mind. I sent it to all my kids as well and shared it with my wife. That’s how good I think it is. I do not know the producer of it. I don’t know his beliefs or his religion. All I know is I think he does an amazing job of shedding light on a really important topic. And it excited me. Certain people’s response was deflating and reminded me that people are afraid of truth. It threatens them and they fear what it may lead to. Surely Joseph was right when he said:
“I have tried for a number of years to get the minds of the Saints prepared to receive the things of God; but we frequently see some of them, after suffering all they have for the work of God, will fly to pieces like glass as soon as anything comes that is contrary to their traditions: they cannot stand the fire at all. How many will be able to abide a celestial law, and go through and receive their exaltation, I am unable to say, as many are called, but few are chosen [see D&C 121:40].
I truly believed this group of friends would respond normally and maturely (in fairness two of them did):
“Hey thanks for the recommendation! I’ll check it out! (After watching it…). “Wow, that was really interesting! Made me think! Not totally sure I agree with all the conclusions but will certainly study the topic further… Thanks for sharing! I’m so glad we share a mutual love for Joseph and Emma!”
This is how people might reply who are not threatened by someone who they know loves them and who is sharing something they are excited about. The way they chose to respond shuts down dialogue, makes people feel foolish, and frankly reminds me of how so many leaders in the Church treat people they disagree with. Testify louder! Rebuke. Correct. Stay true to the Brethren at all costs. Be intellectually dishonest. Don’t reason. Don’t ponder such things. Don’t pray over such things. Protect the flock by silencing ideas and by turning off the mic. In short, passive aggressive and fearful and controlling.
As I have learned the truth about Joseph and Emma, it has strengthened my faith in the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, Lectures on Faith, the JST Bible and in all the Teachings and mission of Joseph Smith. Surely he was a prophet of God! And as he proclaimed, he was surely guilty of sins, but NOT the ones he is charged with. And the truth on that subject matters. I invite you to watch this video and ask God which version of the history of polygamy is true.
People who hate our nation peddle the false narrative that America is “systemically” racist. When asked how it can be fixed, their response is a mish-mash of words that if put succinctly would read: “You can’t. America’s founders were white and so everything this nation is built on is broken, by virtue of their being white.”
These same people and those that sympathize with them, say that white privilege is also something that can’t be fixed. It’s not that white people necessarily have an advantage because they have more access to education or are born into wealth. They often don’t. White privilege, according to them, is merely a by-product of being white. Again, it can’t be fixed, it can only be protested and ideally, rioted against.
Is the murder of George Floyd evidence that we have a systemic racist problem in our country?
I know of NO HUMAN who condones the brutal murder of George Floyd. Was his death the result of racism? I suppose that’s possible. The officer who killed him very well may be racist. But even if that’s true, it’s the racism of ONE man, NOT an entire nation!
Who would feel any differently about the loss of ANY person’s life at the hands of anyone in this cruel and awful way? If it had been a black cop, an Asian cop, a Hispanic cop, and a white victim, an Asian victim or a Hispanic victim — it would ALL be the same. All lives matter. Although apparently you can’t say that anymore. Somehow that’s racist. Just ask Grant Napear who after 28 years as a Sacramento Kings TV broadcaster was fired for tweeting “ALL LIVES MATTER…EVERY SINGLE ONE!!!”
This is not the time to talk about racism. This is NOT about racism.
Letting this narrative be about racism when no normal person sympathizes with the disgusting actions of ONE person, plays into the hands of the anarchists who want to take down our nation. The same Gadiantons who want to foment violence, looting, robbery, and anarchy. “Racism” is just their latest excuse.
If there is racism to be condemned, it should also be directed at people (of any color) who on national TV are asked–while they riot, steal, and destroy–what they want to accomplish. Many of their answers include “We are going to take down your government and your buildings and kill all you white people” … “And then we’re coming to your neighborhoods to destroy your houses and kill all the white people there.” It’s a whole nother issue as to why it’s so hard to find these clips online… I watch them on live TV and then magically they are nearly impossible to find online.
Social Pressure to Acknowledge and “Condemn” Racism
I appreciate the idea that President Nelson is upset about “racism” and is telling people to “repent!” of it — and I assume he’s also talking about the racists who vow to come into Salt Lake City to loot and destroy… and to “kill white people.” But, I can’t help but wonder if he and many others feel like they have to say something. These anarchists want us to believe that “white silence” is the cause of their violence. They want us to bow the knee and “repent” of things we are not guilty of. They want us to be afraid. Afraid to speak. Afraid to be American. Afraid to support freedom and conservative values.
ANY sympathy for those who peddle the false narratives of white privilege and systemic racism, in my opinion, further emboldens those who have no interest in upholding our inspired Constitution or the pillars of virtue, morality, decency, and due process upon which this nation is founded and only fuels their violence.
I hope no Latter-day Saint takes President Nelson’s statements as a tacit endorsement of organizations such as Black Lives Matter.
I was troubled by an LDS friend’s recent comment that they wanted to go out and protest with the Black Lives Matter people at the Court House. I don’t care that my friend wants to exercise their God-given Constitutional right to protest in the name of free speech. But I am concerned that my LDS friend does not understand that Black Lives Matter has a much larger, evil agenda, and aligning with them only helps them promote their real cause.
Deseret News AP Photo Matt Dunham
Taken from their own website, Black Lives Matter (BLM) states that they are a “radical social intervention” and one of their “guiding principles” is to work to “dismantle cis-gender privilege and uplift Black trans folk.” (Cis-gender, by the way, is the term those of us are called, who are NOT gender-confused). BLM wants to undo the “privilege” of people who are NOT Transgender or at least make Transgender black women most specifically, privileged. In other words, they want their deviance to become normal and they want to re-write our laws and systems as the new Transgender Founders. Do those sound like the kind of values you can stand behind and support?
Here’s more:
“We are committed to fostering a queer-affirming network. When we gather, we do so with the intention of freeing ourselves from the tight grip of heteronormative thinking or, rather, the belief that all in the world are heterosexual unless s/he or they disclose otherwise.”
Closer to home for us who are LDS, conservative, Christian or just pro-traditional family:
“We are committed to disrupting the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and ‘villages’ that collectively care for one another, and especially ‘our’ children to the degree that mothers, parents and children are comfortable.” (Source)
These are the real reasons behind why BLM is looting, rioting, and protesting. It’s to take over our nation with their perverted ideologies. Why else would they not care for the life of David Dorn, the innocent black man they shot and killed over a TV while looting. Where are the David Dorn protests? How about the 17 people who have been killed in the protests?
They relish in murder. They don’t even really mourn the loss of George Floyd. They’re grateful that George Floyd was killed on camera so that they would have an excuse to advance their cause.
They set fire to homes, businesses, government buildings, cars. They don’t care if there are children in those homes. That’s collateral damage to them. They want their rebellion to catch on around the world. So far, “George Floyd” protests are taking place on 3 continents! That should tell you something.
Here’s what should make all of us feel uncomfortable…
I want to know where the protests are for the 3500 innocent children killed each year in Utah alone. Where is the First Presidency social media statement? Where are the LDS protestors? Where is the rioting from these people who say that “lives matter”? Do you think the sweet little child who “can’t breathe” when his or her neck is being cut with a huge pair of scissors doesn’t need or want our support? Our solidarity? Our voice? Our outrage?
For those who truly care about Black Lives, did you know? :
Abortion impacts African Americans at a higher rate than any other population group. In 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released an Abortion Surveillance Report. According to that report, black women make up 14 percent of the childbearing population. Yet, 36 percent of all abortions were obtained by black women. At a ratio of 474 abortions per 1,000 live births, black women have the highest ratio of any group in the country.
When you use those percentages, it indicates that of the over 44 million abortions since the 1973 Roe vs Wade Supreme Court ruling, 19 million black babies were aborted. African Americans are just under 13 percent of United States population.
White women are five times less likely to have an abortion than black women. Perhaps it is a matter of availability. A study by Protecting Black Lives, in 2012, found that 79 percent of Planned Parenthood’s surgical abortion facilities are located within walking distance of minority communities.
The impacts on our black communities are hard to fathom. According to the Guttmacher Institute, which generally supports abortion, in 2011 360,000 black babies were aborted. CDC statistics for 2011 show that 287,072 black deaths occurred from all other causes excluding abortion. By these numbers, abortion is the leading cause of death among blacks.
I cannot imagine that a loving Father in Heaven will not soon avenge His 44 million children that this world has slain.
As for the riots we now witness, I think they will be part of the new normal. We went from being arrested if we left our homes (in some places) just 2 weeks ago, to those same leaders ignoring their own rules to join in the protesting. Not only do they no longer arrest these violators of the CoVid Quarantine, but they march with them (and not while social distancing) and refuse to arrest people they witness rioting.
Only one thing seems certain, the day of the Gentile is coming to an end just as the angel told Joseph Smith in his first visit. And if we do not repent, the sword of His justice hangs over us and will fall upon us, even upon all the nations of the gentiles. (RE 3 Ne. 9:7)
Good is called evil and evil is called good. Men’s hearts are cold. The Spirit of the Lord is withdrawing from us in this land of promise. It is as the days of Noah and Sodom and our world is ripening for destruction.
For those of us who wish to escape, it is my humble opinion that we cannot be drawn into such schemes. Into the worldly wizardry of words. The philosophies of men.
Our task is great. We must repent nigh unto death if we are to be firm minded enough to enter into the Ark of Zion to be saved. We cannot assume we are ready for our Lord to return. We must have a sure witness. We must know Him and He must know us.