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?
Utah Senator Mike Lee compared President Donald Trump to Captain Moroni in a recent Trump-Pence campaign event in Arizona, which has a very large LDS population, and which has become a swing state. The Salt Lake Tribune covers the story, which I include below. Because Lee has received a lot of criticism for his comments from LDS and non-LDS people alike, I want to take a moment to weigh in.
Senator, thank you for your courage and for being willing to speak the truth. You realize, unlike some members of our Church, that President Trump, love him or hate him, is the last man standing between freedom and tyranny in this the United States of America. I wish Mitt Romney had 1/10 of your courage and humility.
Your humility is especially refreshing as most of us remember that you were a never-Trumper with Mitt 4 years ago. But, you, like many of us, have seen the results of this President, who has lowered taxes, reduced regulations, been unabashedly pro-life, nominated 3 conservative Justices to the Supreme Court, funded our military while bringing troops home, supported law enforcement, supported Israel, supported governors and states during times of crisis, and much more… And now, realize that this is a man who is doing all that he promised and more.
I fully support your leadership in our State and Nation and love your comparison between President Trump and Captain Moroni. Honest people know and appreciate the message being conveyed and I think it’s quite apt and timely. Thank you, Senator Lee!
Americans may have called President Donald Trump just about everything possible this year, good and bad. But standing by his side at an Arizona rally on Wednesday, Sen. Mike Lee called him something new to urge Latter-day Saints to vote for him: “Captain Moroni.”
“To my Mormon friends, my Latter-day Saint friends,” Lee, R-Utah, said as he pointed to Trump standing by his side, “think of him as Captain Moroni. He seeks not power, but to pull it down.”
Lee added, “He seeks not the praise of the world or the ‘fake news,’ but he seeks the well-being and the peace of the American people.”
He then asked a crowd with many cheering Latter-day Saints — which a video shows had many sitting close together without masks — “Are you willing to stand with me and millions and millions of others who want four more years?” A loud cheer followed.
Lee, an Arizona native, campaigned at numerous rallies in that swing state on Tuesday and Wednesday, including one sponsored by Latter-day Saints for Trump. The president’s campaign spokesperson Samantha Zager said earlier that was part of a “concerted effort with our outreach to the LDS community in Arizona and Nevada, seeking to expand President Trump’s base of support.”
Polling has showed former Vice President Joe Biden having a narrow lead over Trump in the swing state.
Lee comparing Trump and Captain Moroni — who is a different character than the prophet and later angel Moroni whose statue tops many of the faith’s temples — quickly brought attacks on social media and elsewhere.
“These are the moves of a desperate campaign, one that fails to understand that governing from the extreme right does not work for our United States,” Rob Taber, president of Latter-day Saints for Biden Harris, wrote in a news release.
Taber complained that it was another example of how “Latter-day Saints for Trump, who never signed Mormon Women for Ethical Government’s pledge, have time and again exploited our shared faith. They have willfully used sacred symbols, including the temple multiple times, in their propaganda.”
Social media also erupted over Lee’s comments, from humorous to condemning.
Sam Houston State historian Benjamin Park tweeted, “I didn’t think I’d have to say this, and I don’t feel like writing a whole op-ed about it, but let me be clear: Donald Trump is not a Captain Moroni.”
@hmdoppelganger tweeted, “@SenMikeLee you humiliate your state and your religion. And Captain Moroni.”
Instead of describing Trump as Captain Moroni, Barbara Jones Brown tweeted that Lee should have realized “King Noah is more like it.” He was an evil ruler in the Book of Mormon who overtaxed his people to support harlots, and who burned a prophet at the stake for criticizing him.
@reluctanteng tweeted, “@SenMikeLee, I knew Captain Moroni. Captain Moroni was a friend of mine. @realDonaldTrump, you’re no Captain Moroni.”
After the backlash, Lee posted a statement on Facebook to explain his remarks.
“Some people found that comparison upsetting, blasphemous, and otherwise wrong,” he noted. “I respect their right to feel that way, and realize that my impromptu comments may not have been the best forum for drawing a novel analogy from scripture.”
Lee went on to say that he never meant to suggest that Trump was a prophet or “should [b]e revered as a religious leader.”
Instead, Lee said he meant to convey that he sees Trump differently than he once did and illustrate parallels between Captain Moroni and Trump. Where Captain Moroni “s[ought] not for power, but to pull it down,” Trump has tried to “drain the swamp,” Lee said.
“In short,” Lee wrote about the comparison, “Donald Trump has far exceeded my expectations by sticking to his effort to reform the federal government even when it’s hard and unpopular.”
During that same rally Wednesday, Lee also sought to appeal to evangelicals and Protestants.
“To my Protestant and evangelical friends, we have to remember that it is by the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that we’ve had four years of prosperity and peace,” he said as he urged them to vote for Trump.
Reporter Paighten Harkins contributed to this article.
I love Israel. I love the nation, the land, the history, and generally the people. Sadly, many Jews have come to America and have strayed from their faith. But many have also returned home and found it again. Israel means “wrestles with God.” One thing is certain for me, God has a covenant with Israel and although it may seem impossible, He will honor that covenant.
I grew up in a city with many Jewish people. I also work with many in my current profession. Even my Jewish friends who are not religious at all, like me, seem to believe that Israel is special, that it has a unique and unparalleled place in history, and that there is a Spirit there that is palpable.
I can tell you from my own experience, that the Jews are a persecuted people. They are hated by many people and many nations. It was common for the mostly Jewish high school basketball team in my county, for example, to have bagels thrown at them while shooting free throws and at other times during the game, whether on their home court or on ours. And I mean 100s of them, all at once. Along with cream cheese containers, while screaming racial obscenities. It was the 80s of course, which meant it didn’t even make the news and no one ever got into trouble. We never had such issues erupt at our school when the visiting teams were all black. These amazing Jewish students never retaliated. They were accustomed to such treatment sadly. As for the Jewish kids in our own school, they too were incredibly gracious and forgiving during such occurrences. I’m amazed and ashamed in looking back, at the actions of our student body.
In the 90s I traveled to Lebanon. When I realized how close I was to Israel I decided to go into a travel agency and inquire about the best way to get there. When I inquired, the travel agent became immediately frazzled. She said, “We do not have service to that place.” I pressed, “But it’s so close, how do I get there?” She pushed a button behind the counter and several soldiers walked in with their fingers casually next to the triggers of their automatic weapons. When I told them I wanted to go to Israel, they nicely shushed me and said, “Please we do not speak of the neighbors to the South.” They must have liked me as they were very polite and I assume saw me as a young and naive American. “Can I just walk or take a bus there?” I asked. They chuckled and replied “no” not unless I wanted to get killed by Hezbollah.
I was so astonished that I was literally within a few miles of Israel and not only could I not get there, but I couldn’t even say the word Israel! And this was in a nation that seemed at the time, so incredibly civil, with a huge Christian population. Most of my Lebanese friends were Christian and even many of them naturally disliked Israel, even while “loving” Jesus. Lebanon was at the time a very Western nation (still is in many ways), boasted as the Switzerland of the Middle East because of its international banking and business, coupled with beautiful Mediterranean beaches and its incredible mountains close by.
Sadly I could not get into Israel on that trip. The next time I found myself in the Middle East I was more deliberate. I took a flight from UAE into Jordan (there were no direct flights at the time from UAE into Israel — that was against their laws) and traveled to the border in Amman. We stood in line with an American Christian missionary serving in Syria and he coached us on what to tell the Israeli border patrol. He told us to make sure to ask them nicely to NOT stamp our passports or we may not be able to return to other Middle Eastern nations. If Syria for example, sees that your passport has a stamp showing that you even once traveled to Israel, they will NOT let you in their country. The same for Lebanon and many other Middle Eastern countries.
Just as we were approaching the counter, the border agent quickly stamped the passport of our new Christian friend. The woman did not listen to him or hear him apparently as he asked her not to. The man broke down into tears. He had been serving a mission in Syria for some time and was scheduled to stay much longer and now he was stuck. He could not go back to Syria and would have to go through a lot of trouble in going back to the US, getting a new passport and a new Visa. I was extremely careful after watching what happened to him.
My LDS friend in UAE, whose father was Iraqi and also a converted member of the LDS Church, did not especially like Israel and dared not travel there.
The Book of Mormon warns us gentiles to not hate or curse the Jews:
O ye gentiles, have ye remembered the Jews, mine ancient covenant people? Nay, but ye have cursed them, and have hated them, and have not sought to recover them. But behold, I will return all these things upon your own heads, for I the Lord hath not forgotten my people.
Those who have and believe in the Book of Mormon, of all people, should not despise the Jews but should seek rather to recover them.
As I spent a couple of days in Israel, I was overcome with the spirit I felt there. The water in the River Jordan spoke to me. The garden of Gethsemane was overwhelming. The Via Dolorosa. The amazing Old City. The Dead Sea. Somehow in my heart, I knew that the most important history of the world had its foundations there. I felt a strangely deep connection as if I had been there before.
One night we followed a rush of people heading somewhere in the Old City. They seemed to be running late. I saw Orthodox Jews with their young sons. It seemed to be a men-only meeting they were hastening to. Curious, I followed. It led me through a metal detector and into a well lit open-air place. It was the famous Wailing Wall. Hundreds of men, brothers it seemed, gathered to commemorate the day Moses came down from the mountain with the Law. Being in awe and naive, I was filming the whole thing. Then a man approached me with a kind smile on his face who said, “Shalom my brother.” I replied, “Hello!” He then, with all the kindness and meekness in the world, informed me that they don’t generally allow filming or pictures. His gentle rebuke was in no way unkind or awkward. As I put my camera away, he was kind to visit with me and ask me where I was from. He also took the time to tell me why all these men (brothers) were gathered. I marveled as I looked at all these men fellowshipping together. The feeling was very reverential but also celebratory and excited. People seemed to be delighted to see each other and to visit with one another. I had never felt or seen such a brotherhood in my life. It spoke to me. There was a power there. As an active LDS person, I was very humbled by this experience. It was clear to me that these people had something I didn’t. Or at least, they too had something that was sacred and unique, which I had not before supposed possible.
The Times of Israel
As the day of the Lord approaches, I think we will see more Jews convert to Christianity. I hope we do. I’ve been enjoying listening to one of my favorite songs sung in Hebrew by a Messianic Jew named Joshua Aaron. It’s truly inspiring. I include it here and hope you love it as much as I do.
The words of this song are found in the Old Testament and are words that have been sung by faithful Israelites for hundreds of years.
May God bless Israel. May we be counted worthy to be counted among them. I worry that the Lord’s words will be fulfilled that all these things will be returned upon our own heads, for I the Lord hath not forgotten my people. What does that mean? Here’s a related scripture that is worth pondering.
Behold, I say unto you that the house of Israel was compared unto an olive tree by the spirit of the Lord which was in our father. And behold, are we not broken off from the house of Israel? And are we not a branch of the house of Israel? And now the thing which our father meaneth concerning the grafting in of the natural branches through the fullness of the gentiles is that in the latter days, when our seed shall have dwindled in unbelief — yea, for the space of many years and many generations after the Messiah shall be manifested in body unto the children of men — then shall the fullness of the gospel of the Messiah come unto the gentiles, and from the gentiles unto the remnant of our seed. And at that day shall the remnant of our seed know that they are of the house of Israel and that they are the covenant people of the Lord. And then shall they know and come to the knowledge of their forefathers, and also to the knowledge of the gospel of their Redeemer, which was ministered unto their fathers by him. Wherefore, they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer and the very points of his doctrine, that they may know how to come unto him and be saved. And then at that day, will they not rejoice and give praise unto their everlasting God, their rock, and their salvation? Yea, at that day, will they not receive strength and nourishment from the true vine? Yea, will they not come unto the true fold of God? Behold, I say unto you, yea, they shall be numbered again among the house of Israel; they shall be grafted in, being a natural branch of the olive tree, into the true olive tree; and this is what our father meaneth. And he meaneth that it will not come to pass until after they are scattered by the gentiles. And he meaneth that it shall come by way of the gentiles, that the Lord may shew his power unto the gentiles for the very cause that he shall be rejected of the Jews, or of the house of Israel. Wherefore, our father hath not spoken of our seed alone, but also of all the house of Israel, pointing to the covenant which should be fulfilled in the latter days, which covenant the Lord made to our father Abraham, saying, In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
What does it mean that “it shall come by way of the gentiles, that the Lord may shew his power unto the gentiles, for the very cause that he shall be rejected of the Jews?” Is it possible that it means that because we the gentiles (including if not directly referring to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and all Mormon denominations and all American and non-American Christian gentile people and nations) have rejected the Fulness of the Gospel (or are rejecting it), God will then show us by His power, that we, just like the Jews did, shall also stumble, look past the mark, and be cursed, for our unbelief? Thus having all these things returned upon our heads because we have forgotten God’s covenant with Israel and have mocked His people rather than seeking to recover them?
Can we say we have NOT rejected the Fulness of the Gospel? Can we say we are better than the Jews who have not yet come unto Christ? What is this fulness anyway?
Now, this, Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God,but they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence. Therefore, the Lord, in his wrath (for his anger was kindled against them) swore that they should not enter into his rest — which rest is the fullness of his glory — while in the wilderness. Therefore, he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also. And the lesser priesthood continued, which priesthood holds the key of the ministering of angels, and the preparatory gospel, which gospel is the gospel of repentance, and of baptism, and the remission of sins, and the law of carnal commandments, which the Lord in his wrath caused to continue with the house of Aaron, among the children of Israel, until John, whom God raised up, being filled with the holy ghost from his mother’s womb. For he was baptized while he was yet in his childhood, and was ordained by the angel of God at the time he was eight days old unto this power: to overthrow the kingdom of the Jews, and to make straight the way of the Lord before the face of his people, to prepare them for the coming of the Lord, in whose hand is given all power.
Could it not also be said that Joseph, like Moses, also sought to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God? Is it possible that the early saints hardened their hearts and thus could not endure His presence? Whatever one chooses to believe, the result of whatever the early Nauvoo saints received or did, was Joseph and Hyrum being taken from their midst.
The only way to demonstrate that we have received His Fullness and are thus redeemed by Him, is to do as the Lord proclaims in the Book of Ether:
And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord shewed himself unto him and said, Because thou knowest these things, ye are redeemed from the Fall.Therefore, ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I shew myself unto you. Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life; and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name. And they shall become my sons and my daughters. And to none of those now living whom I created have I appeared, for none have believed in me as thou hast. Seest thou that ye are created after mine own image? Yea, even all men were created in the beginning after mine own image. Behold, this body which ye now behold is the body of my spirit. And man have I created after the body of my spirit. And even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh.
We don’t speak much anymore of this kind of thing. In fact, sadly some of today’s Church leaders warn against teaching this doctrine of Calling and Election or “Redemption” calling it a trick of the devil. Yet, for Joseph, like for Moses, this teaching was the very purpose of the Gospel being restored:
“After a person has faith in Christ, repents of his sins, is baptized for the remission of his sins, and receives the Holy Ghost (by the laying on of hands), which is the first Comforter, then let him continue to humble himself before God, hungering and thirsting after righteousness and living by every word of God. The Lord will soon say unto him, ‘Son, thou shalt be exalted.’ When the Lord has thoroughly proved him and finds that the man is determined to serve him at all hazards, then the man will find his calling and election made sure, then it will be his privilege to receive the other Comforter, which the Lord hath promised the Saints, as is recorded in the testimony of St. John [KJV], in the 14th chapter, from the 12th to the 27th verses” (TPJS, 150; WJS, 5; seeJohn 9:7–9). “I’ve not said much about Calling and Election. I think focusing on that topic is a mistake. It will take care of itself if you can get the Second Comforter.”1 Joseph Smith said: “1st key: Knowledge is the power of salvation. 2nd key: Make your calling and election sure. 3rd key: It is one thing to be on the mount and hear the excellent voice, etc., and another to hear the voice declare to you, You have a part and lot in that kingdom.”2 Nephi speaks again with the Father’s words: Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life (2 Nephi 13:4). This is the purpose of receiving the Second Comforter. Christ’s objective, as a tutor, is to bring His followers to the Father. It is the voice of the Father which finally declares to His children they are assured Eternal life.3 When the Lord promises a blessing, it is always tied to faithfulness and obedience.4 Even when promises are unconditional, such as in having one’s calling and election made sure, years of faithfulness precede the promise. The promise is premised on the continuation of faithfulness. And no one is relieved of the necessity of enduring to the end, even when their calling and election is made sure.5 The highest form of acceptance and redemption is to have one’s calling and election made sure, to be washed and cleansed from sin every whit.6
I believe and I testify that we become Israel after we wrestle with God and work out our salvation through the merits of Christ. We will know we are His when He shows Himself unto us and says “Son (or daughter), thou shalt be exalted.” We then are redeemed from the Fall and have accepted the Fulness of His Gospel. Until then, we are damned and are stuck here in this Telestial Kingdom, worlds without number.
The miracle of the recent treaties between certain Middle Eastern countries and Israel is both unbelievable and a sign that God is moving His Hand upon Israel. He always keeps His Promises.
BYU American Heritage icon Frank Fox, spoke out recently against the President of the United States and made the bold claim that he would “bet his eternal salvation” that the Brethren were not quietly supporting President Trump, as Mike Pence is alleged to have said recently in Arizona.
Mr. Fox begins his letter by reminding readers of his bonafides and noting that he’s worked directly with the First Presidency on many important matters over the years. Fox sets the stage so as to say that “he would know,” if the Brethren were voting for and supporting President Trump or not. And he’s so confident that they’re not, that he’s willing to wager his soul on the question.
One final comment. It was recently reported that Vice President Pence, in visiting Arizona, intimated that the General Authorities of the LDS Church were quietly supporting the President. I will bet my eternal salvation against that. The values of patriotism, truthfulness, justice, honor, decency and respect for the law are deeply ingrained in LDS culture. Few church members in full possession of the facts would condone what I have described above. (My emphasis added)
IF this is true, the Brethren wouldn’t be the only prominent members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “unable and unwilling” to support Trump. Jeff Flake, former Senator of Arizona, is so anti-Trump, that he’s joined a coalition of like-minded Republicans, whose sole focus is to make sure Biden beats Trump this November. Flake also voted against Conservative Justice Kavanaugh and threatened other political tricks to show his disdain for the President as he was leaving his senatorial seat.
New York Times, Evan McMullin Anti-Trump, 44 yr single Mormon who endorses Biden
Evan McMullin, failed presidential candidate in 2016, whose sole purpose in running for president, was with the hopes that LDS people all over (especially in Utah) would vote their “consciences” as the Brethren were signaling, and thus create a brokered convention, where the Republican Party would choose a candidate other than Trump to run against Hillary, is another die hard LDS never Trumper. The posturing was all pointing to Mitt Romney to save the election just like he “saved the Olympics” — after all, he was leading the charge against Trump, “the phony, the fraud, the film flam man,” as Romney openly name called him. This was his and McMullin’s and maybe the Church’s plan to get Romney in instead of Trump. Now it would seem that Romney’s only goal in the Senate today is to “protect the world from Trump.“ He made history as the only Republican Senator to vote to impeach and remove Trump from the Office of President and yesterday announced proudly that he had voted in Utah and NOT for Trump. This, despite Trump’s many endorsements and support of Romney over the decades.
Are we, as members of the Church, to believe that this anti-Trump sentiment also exists among the 15 top leaders of the Church and that they too will NOT be voting for President Trump? The Brethren do not ever signal that they disagree with Mitt Romney, Jeff Flake, Evan McMullin, Frank Fox and other LDS public figures. They’ve not said otherwise. Is it possible that these LDS political voices are simply a reflection of private conversations with LDS Church leaders? I sure hope not.
Let me tell you why I believe the Brethren and every member of the Church SHOULD be voting for President Trump this November. (Assuming we believe Gospel principles matter).
First of all, let’s establish one important reality: NOT voting for Trump, IS a vote for Biden.And a vote for Biden IS a vote for a long list of things that should offend freedom loving religious people of all faiths.
Abortion
Gay marriage
Liberal Supreme Court Justices
The abolishment of the Electoral College
The continued advancement of Transgender “laws”
The advancement of pedophilia
The continued legalization of drugs
Higher taxes
More Federal regulations
Court-packing
Adding DC and Puerto Rico as States making it impossible for conservatives to win the Senate or the Presidency or the House.
Orwellian News Control (see Facebook and Twitter as 2 examples of many)
Using the IRS to punish conservatives (see what Obama did D’Souza and many others)
The end of Conservatism as we know it
Closed down economies for “pandemics”
Closing down Churches for our “public safety”
Mask shaming
Riots
#BLM
Antifa legitimized
Defunding police
Defunding the military
Green New Deal
The destruction of our economy
The punishment of anyone not complying or supporting
And much more…
Now, for any who believe my list is exaggerated, I would cite you to research each of the topics listed above. It’s all out there. From liberal media outlets such as Netflix who are in legal and criminal jeopardy for their movie “Cuties” that glamorizes child sexuality — to today’s news that Joe Biden will appoint a commission to “review the Supreme Court’s number of seats” — to Facebook and Twitter being subpoenaed for playing news gods. This list IS what today’s Liberal leftists are pushing for.
If the Brethren are in fact in favor of anyone but Trump, as Professor Fox suggests in his open letter, and are voting accordingly, then here is my open letter to them:
Dear Brethren,
You have spent your entire lives teaching us members of the Church to uphold and sustain righteousness and to discern between truth and error. You have preached against such evils as abortion and homosexuality and have spent millions of tithing dollars in the fight against gay marriage. And we finally have a President who is nominating conservative Supreme Court Justices and hundreds of other conservative Federal Judges across this nation, thus setting the stage to overturn Roe v. Wade, gay marriage, Obamacare, and who knows, maybe even Federal Income tax AND YOUR consciences won’t let you support the man responsible for all this? With all due respect, what on earth are you thinking?
You who call yourselves Prophets and Apostles should be able to see that good is coming from President Trump’s presidency.
Have you forgotten Israel? Has Israel ever had a better ally than President Trump? Look at the peace he and his administration are negotiating in the Middle East! Is this of no value? This is Biblically historic! Obama, Biden, Bushes, Clinton and Hillary did the opposite in the Middle East. They promoted war and desolation. Trump should be given a dozen Nobel Peace prizes for what he’s doing. Instead, he’s given no credit and he’s treated like a buffoon. Under Hillary and Biden and Obama, we got Benghazi. Which, once they unitedly decided to let a US Ambassador and several other American soldiers die, they then fabricated a lie that the attack on the US Embassy in Libya was caused by a video that offended Islam. They are liars and they are murderers. One of my best and dearest childhood friends was killed in Afghanistan. How many more souls will be lost fighting wars, that if they ever had a moral foundation, are immediately politicized by traitors and cowards — most often Democrat politicians and the liberal media. NO President has done more in the last 20 years than President Trump in bringing soldiers home from unending global wars. We should be praising God for that.
Has anyone done more than Trump to uphold the rule of law by nominating more than 200 Federal Judges? Numerous prominent people have argued that President Trump’s actions to appoint conservative Judges throughout the nation will positively impact and reshape our country in ways impossible until now for issues such as gun control, voting rights, abortion, immigration, the environment, etc. Do you no longer believe such issues are important?
Is it true, as it is for Romney and Flake and others that somehow Trump’s personality or his morality offends you too deeply and won’t let you vote for him?
And yet, let’s talk about morality. Senators Flake and Romney, who were so offended by the weak accusations of Christine Ford, against Justice Kavanaugh — 30 years ago — where she “thinks,” she “remembers” the said accused being at a party where bad things were happening. She “thinks” he was there. You holier than thou fools who joined the chorus of idiots screaming that “every woman should be believed!” Jeff, who I know from playing Church ball 30 years ago, you looked so concerned as those women accosted you in the elevator. Their voices invoked deep and solemn, contemplative emotion that YES, you needed to do something. So, you convicted a man, his family, his character — on the foundation of the hearsay testimony of a democratic activist that “thought” she may have seen Kavanaugh at a party 30 years ago!? Are you truly so self-righteous and so foolish? Brethren, did you support Senator Flake in his display of sanctimony? Did you call him to offer your support for his courage?
And yet now, Mr. Flake, you openly endorse Joe Biden, who is being accused by at least one very credible source, of being raped while she was an intern for him in D.C. Unlike, Dr. Ford’s testimony, her’s is corroborated by those she reported the incident to WHEN IT HAPPENED. And she told many witnesses. She wasn’t drunk at some party, Mr. Flake and Senator Romney (and the Brethren, if you agree with them), she was walking the halls of Congress as a sweet and naive young volunteer when she alleges that Joe Biden forced her against a wall, forced himself on her, and pinning her there, “fingered her” and said he wanted to “F— “ her. For a list of many other credible X rated accusations against Biden from other victims, you can read here.
It is worth noting that NONE of these victims are Trump supporters. They deserve to be believed and be heard and be given the same level of concern that you Jeff Flake and you Mitt Romney GAVE Dr. Ford. Not believing Tara Reed and others, after what you did to Justice Kavanaugh, is an utter disgrace.
Now Brethren, let’s talk about another issue that should offend your consciences. And I begin with a question: Did you support or instruct Senator Romney to vote to remove our President from Office? If so, shame on you. Especially given now that we have the facts.
Fact one, President Trump simply asked the new president of Ukraine to look into the many allegations of corruption related to American political figures such as Joe Biden, who admitted on video that he forced Ukraine to fire a prosecutor investigating his son Hunter Biden, or he would make sure Ukraine did not get 1 Billion Dollars in aid that had been promised. Fact two, the prosecutor WAS fired and their case against Hunter and other felons was dropped. Fact three, it turns out now we KNOW, that the “Big Guy” (aka Joe Biden) had reason to be concerned about this investigation because the money trail went up to him. Fact four, this is only the beginning. 30,000 or more pictures of crack pipes and child porn are on Hunter’s computer and witnesses are already testifying against Joe and Hunter for the damning evidence on the device confirming illegal activities including money laundering and who knows what else. Fact five, Joe Biden is a truly compromised man. He sold his office and President Obama’s Office to the highest bidders. Does this not offend you? What else will we discover Mitt, about Hunter and Joe? Are you concerned about your own son who also makes money in the Ukrainian Energy sector? Or your top adviser, Joseph Black, who served alongside Hunter Biden on the Board of Burisma? (See here)
It appears that Romney, Kerry, Biden, McCain, Pelosi, Clinton, Mueller and Schiff all have ties to Ukrainian firms. VP Biden bragged on camera that he was able to force the former Ukraine President to fire a prosecutor who was investigating his son, Hunter, by threatening to withhold $1 BILLION in US loans from Ukraine – all with approval from Obama!
It’s also alleged, “Ghislaine Maxwell’s father, Robert, a close friend of Jeffrey Epstein, helped Mitt Romney build his fortune at Bain…” (Source) This ought to give anyone concern given what we know about Maxwell and Epstein.
Mitt, is your disdain for Trump due to the fact that he has dirt on you too? Are you worried that Trump will uncover something in Ukraine that incriminates your family? Your relationship with Joe and Hunter Biden and Jeffrey Epstein?
Brethren, you of all people, should want darkness to come to light as it pertains to all these vital moral and ethical issues. And now, you know for a fact, that Senator Mitt Romney was wrong in his vote to remove our President from Office. Senator Romney should be apologizing right now for having cast his vote and should be repenting of his actions by asking President Trump for forgiveness and acknowledging his error and foolishness before the world. Instead, Romney is doubling down. Do you agree with him?
Do you quietly sustain Senator Romney? Are you secretly voting for Joe Biden or are you writing in some other candidate to assuage your consciences? If yes, I would sure like to know. Just in case your tenures in office have caused you to forget what real LDS conservatives think and feel, let me help you.
We LDS conservatives still revere leaders like President Ezra Taft Benson. He understood the threats we now see taking over our government. We love our country and recognize the current threat and reality that our nation and our freedoms are hanging in the balance. Benson, like Captain Moroni, would take Black Lives Matter at their word, that they are avowed and trained Marxists, and he sure AS HELL would NOT march with them as did Mitt Romney. Brethren, are you not concerned about the message that Church member Mitt Romney’s sympathy for a violent Marxist group sends? President Benson would NOT sustain Senator Romney and like the current Pope who disavows Joe Biden as a Catholic, I guarantee you that President Benson would disavow Romney as a member of the Church and call him an enemy of the State.
Brethren, are you comfortable with the recent statement from the Kremlin that endorses Joe Biden and the Democrat Party?
The Democratic Party, he said, is “traditionally closer to liberal values, it is close to the ideas of social democracy,” and these positions could help build contacts with Russia. Mr. Putin noted that he was for 18 years a member of the Soviet Communist Party. “Ever since, I have liked many of the leftist values,” he said.
Do you really not think it’s important to teach members in a way that makes it more clear as to what form of government we should sustain? You certainly made it clear how you felt about Prop 8. Why so silent today when the stakes are so high? Do you really think we will ever establish Zion if we abandon our love of freedom and knowledge of good government?
Would President Benson NOT vote for Trump, knowing the alternative is the continued road to Socialism and Communism? I think President Benson would be ashamed of Brother Romney and Brother Flake and Brother McMullin and anyone else who doesn’t vote for the obvious less evil candidate we have to choose from, including any of you Leaders of the Church.
Brethren, we conservative members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, join the rest of the country in seeing Mitt Romney as a self-righteous, pompous, snake. He epitomizes hypocrisy. He makes our Church look bad. Just like Harry Reed, Mitt Romney puts the Church in a very bad light. And as a friendly bit of advice, I think many members are starting to wonder if Flake, Romney, McMullin, and even Reed, may actually be an extension of you and your beliefs.
I personally know the daughter of a prominent general authority who most people know was a Democrat. This woman openly supports Black Lives Matter and is voting for Joe Biden, as an active and devout LDS member. She’s one of many LDS people I now see who think it’s “OK” to support such groups, who OPENLY teach things CONTRARY to what THE CHURCH SAYS IT BELIEVES.
I find it ironic that if I associate with a group that you see as a wrongful association, i.e. I choose to read a book that focuses on Christ (The Second Comforter), you threatened my Church membership, BUT you don’t seem to have any issue with members OPENLY supporting and AFFILIATING with Communist, Marxist, Transgenders inciting violence, murder, and mayhem.
And recently President Nelson, you made a statement in General Conference that I think reinforces my concern. You said,
“I grieve that our Black brothers and sisters the world over are enduring the pains of racism and prejudice. Today I call upon our members everywhere to lead out in abandoning attitudes and actions of prejudice. I plead with you to promote respect for all of God’s children.”
Such a statement may cause members to wonder if you too would have marched with Mitt Romney in a #BLM parade. At a minimum, this statement shows you, as the leader of our Church, adding credibility to the idea that there is systemic racism in our country. If we conservative LDS people are being honest, this feels very much like what the Church has done on all major political issues of late — i.e. jump on the bandwagon. If you truly believe that our nation suffers from systemic racism, then you, like Joe Biden, have perhaps been in office too long.
Most of us LOVE our country. We LOVE its people — of all colors! WE don’t think America is racist! And most of us conservative members LOVE President Trump! Despite any moral failings he has, HE has done more to uphold our Freedoms and our Constitution than any of you or any other President in the last 40 years. YOU should sustain him. YOU should be more supportive. And it should concern YOU that so many LDS people are supporting Biden… I think, following your examples.
Are we to believe that you also side with Lebron James? Stephen Colbert? Madonna? The cast of the West Wing? Oprah Winfrey and Ellen? The NBA and NFL players who last I checked are morally bankrupt? Are you joining hands with Hollywood? It sure feels like it. Google? Facebook? Twitter? Netflix? Amazon? Do you not see that these are the enemies of America and of Religion? As a side note — look at what #BLM is doing to professional sports. The LDS Church risks the same outcome by jumping on this bandwagon. The bandwagon of Babylon.
President Nelson, your words play into a false narrative that incites division and violence. Can you not see that? You apparently wanted to be on record siding with the progressives. The same progressives who are literally destroying our states and our cities.
The contrast and the choice are clear. That form of government leads to cities being overtaken by anarchists who kill and destroy. It leads to law enforcement being disregarded and/or assaulted and killed. It leads to racism ironically. Anger towards a white privilege that doesn’t exist. All these cities And states are run by Biden-supporting leaders. President Nelson, do you support this kind of leadership? Your words and your silence both seem to indicate it. Flake and Romney and Fox, do you also believe that the Democratic leadership that is now on display, aligns with LDS Gospel principles? No rule of law? Anarchy? Soft on crime? Two tiered justice? Ballot tampering and election fraud? Statues destroyed? Destruction of life and property? Allowing graffiti everywhere? Allowing cars to be set on fire? Businesses and homes to be burned down? Allowing (encouraging) murder? Homeless people everywhere? Defecating and doing drugs in the streets?
Honestly I cannot say it any other way and I’m not trying to be offensive, but, what in the hell is wrong with you Frank Fox?
How about JUST the issue of abortion alone! Biden and his Judges WILL lead to many many more abortions. They not only admit it — they celebrate it! Look at the liberal states in our country. They see the destruction of innocent human life as a civil rights issue, even partial birth abortion. Trump and Pence proudly fright against it. They support LIFE. They protect children. THE MOST VULNERABLE. That issue alone should NOT allow you to vote for Biden or any pro-abortion candidate. Your support of Biden, is a vote for the murder of children. Shame on you Frank Fox. May God damn your efforts to stop a candidate and his running mate from being elected. You expose yourself as a fraud and a fool. You are no conservative, that’s for sure.
I call on you Brethren, to OPENLY avow or disavow Professor Frank Fox’s statement that YOU do NOT support our President. He’s wagering his salvation on it. The least you can do is set the record straight. If it’s true, I want to know. If he’s right and you hate our President as much as he does and if you are quietly supporting Joe Biden over Donald Trump, I will resign from this Church today and will renounce you as blind fools and false prophets. That’s a promise.
