Tag Archives: Church cover ups

Safe and Effective? The Truth Matters

I’ve covered this topic previously in a November 10, 2021 post called Consequences of Compulsion as well as here and here. It’s a subject that I think merits some updated coverage.

From the beginning of the supposed pandemic, I’ve been skeptical of all the draconian measures, all so seemingly ready to implement, most specifically vaccination by force. It should go without saying that business and government have a legal and moral obligation to ensure that vaccines (or any product) are safe for public consumption and that people should then still be able to choose what they put into their own bodies — no matter the public health crisis — no matter the country — no matter the state.

Since my first post in 2021, many people I know and love have been coerced or inspired to get the untested CoVid19 vaccines. I do not judge anyone for doing so. I am truly sorry that so many people were put into impossible situations, however, and who had no real choice. For those who took the vaccine and have no regrets or negative side effects, I am grateful you are well and pray that continues.

Mostly because of my skepticism I think, my heart told me to go in a different direction. I concede that I was able to do so without fear of losing my job, which obviously made the decision easier, although it was still met with opposition at every turn it seemed. And still is to some degree.

Please do not read this post and assume I think less of you for doing what you felt was right. Your decisions for your health are your own. I do hope you can read this post with a willingness to consider that, perhaps, something terrible has been done to all of us and that not being able to see that now may only make things worse. Worse for our freedoms, our future, our health, the health of friends and loved ones, and especially worse for our ability to discern and choose truth over error. I love the RE Glossary definition for Truth:

Knowledge of things as they are and as they were and as they are to come (T&C 93:8). You can only know the truth by having it revealed to you from heaven itself (see T&C 69:29). “We must know the truth. The truth informs us how things are (now, today, in our current peril). The truth informs us of how things were (revealing exactly what happened, without mythical or political overlay, with its disappointments and tragedies candidly depicted). The truth informs us of the things to come (even if the prophecies and promises dash our hopes, crush our vanity and expose our foolishness). Without the truth it is impossible to repent. In order to take people captive, all that is required is for people to be content with their ignorance. The greatest threat to salvation does not come from teaching false doctrine but instead comes from ignoring doctrine altogether. Substituting platitudes and truisms for careful, ponderous and solemn investigation of the deep things of God is sufficient to keep people in the chains of captivity. It isn’t necessary for the devil to convince you of lies, only for him to make you content in your ignorance or fearful of the search for truth.” (My emphasis added)

I will place links to stories of real people throughout this post, beginning with this one:

12 Year Old Football Player Dies Suddenly At Practice

Background (From my vantage)

President Trump pushed for a “warp speed” response to Covid-19; a suspiciously timed “pandemic” purportedly created and released in Wuhan China, funded by US tax dollars.

Trump knew that the way the world was responding to this “virus” could single-handedly prevent him from winning a second term. He was damned if he did or didn’t do anything. If he shut down the economy as the rest the world was doing (minus Sweden), he threatened the very thing he could rightfully boast of — a great economy. If he followed Sweden’s example, he would surely be impeached and removed from office and prosecuted for “crimes against humanity” (such was the political climate at the time… maybe still is…). No herd immunity option for Trump (or the USA, more importantly) as much as logic would have informed and inspired him. Not right before the election if he or anyone else wanted him to win.

The planned pandemic that became the focus of the entire planet was indeed about accomplishing many things.

First and foremost, CoVid-19 was about getting rid of Trump. As an American Populist, and as the most polarizing and “popular” president of our lifetime, not likely yet completely owned by the establishment, he stood in the way of their Global UN 2030 goals.

As they were processing Trump out, they simultaneously pressed harder (and immediately) to impose 1984-like controls that would force compliance and destroy many freedoms overnight, thus ceding liberties to aspiring globalist sycophants anxious to reset the planet.

15 Year Old Star Soccer Player Dies Suddenly

CoVid-19 had given them cover for the election theft that was perpetrated on a level “never seen before in our country,” as Trump would say.

In hindsight, Trump was right about many things related to CoVid. Herd immunity, for example, would have been a better option, rather than closing down the entire world. He was right about masks and social distancing that didn’t do anything to curb the spread or save lives. Trump was right about Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine working as treatments and prophylaxes. And he was right that the bio weapon came from China.

But, along the way Trump made a terrible mistake.

Trump’s greatest misstep was to buy into the mRNA vaccines that had been in the works at least since 2012. In his desperation, Trump was dying to take credit for what he likely believed to be the only way to save our nation. “Warp speed. Miracle cure.” Surely if he could just get the cure out before the election and get the economy back open, he could stay in office and prevent the coup.

But alas, he walked right into their nefarious trap. They had the mRNA vaccines ready for him to put his name right on them and to give them legitimacy with an emergency use authorization order only a president can give, despite not going through the normal, rigorous approval processes to ensure their safeness and effectiveness. The fact that Trump was not politically aligned with the globalists made it even better.

To this day, when Trump mentions “miracle warp speed vaccines,” he gets booed by his most ardent supporters. Sadly, he can’t recognize his own hubris nor will he or can he now admit he was wrong. Not now and maybe not ever. He has too much blood on his hands, even if he was duped.

Pro Soccer player in Norway collapses suddenly, Cardiac Arrest

…And so does the LDS church.

The church did not have the same motives as Trump. The church, like most global entities, saw early on that it had very few options. Much like the realities the Wilford Woodruff era church was confronted with, it was very much a comply or die scenario. And comply they did. In fact, they did more than comply, choosing to become the poster boy for advocacy, they took up their bully pulpit and preached compliance with all the religious zeal they could muster.

LDS Church President Russell Nelson, a doctor who has used his medical credentials to promote the untested mRNA vaccine, has all but promised people in the name of the Lord that they are “safe and effective.” As a result, literally tens of millions of people who otherwise might not have taken the experimental jab, have.

When it came to religious exemptions, they offered none. Children and young people who were healthy and not at risk of death, were compelled (if not coerced) to comply. Even today, young, healthy, not at risk missionary and college age kids, are now vaccinating as a sign of obedience to the “living prophet” and in order to attend church schools and/or with the hopes of serving foreign missions. I received this terribly sad comment from one reader recently:

I have two daughters at university in Provo. One of my two daughters has a damaged heart from the COVID vaccine. I’m very disappointed in the response from the prophet. As things these days are looking like the vaccine is completely worthless and just injures people. I’m just wondering where their allegiance is. How can they so easily sacrifice my beautiful daughter. How were they duped to follow our corrupt government and politicians. How did the prophet make such a big mistake? We were always taught to follow the prophet and we won’t go astray. We were always taught to take care of our temples, our bodies. Never to use alcohol, coffee tea or drugs. How could the prophet be so deceived? For the last two and a half years, the media has lied to us and the church has lied to us as well! The prophet is a heart doctor, how ironic. It’s my understanding in the medical profession the number one rule is to do no harm. How many hearts has the prophet damaged? I’m sure I’m not the only one there must be hundreds or thousands like me.

My heart goes out to this parent and the many others like him.

Some people tried to stand their ground and many lost their jobs while the church told them they were not Christlike. Like the globalist propagandists, the church marginalized, shamed, and abandoned its own “rebellious” anti-vaxxers.

18 year old athlete on life support after suffering cardiac arrest in basketball game

The likes of Elder Rasband were caught on hot mics making condescending comments about those of us who sought to be free to choose. “Among MY Brethren,” he says, “we’re wondering what will happen when we ask you to do something really hard!” In other words, “Come on people, DO as you’re told! Be obedient to US, NO MATTER WHAT!” This is the test! …in their minds.

Meanwhile, and now two years into this science experiment, people are dying at alarming rates all around the world suddenly and unexpectedly and not from CoVid.

My friend who is a doctor and who has bought fully into the propaganda has stated, “Well we knew this was coming (referring to the spike in deaths) because of 18 months worth of skipped cancer screenings, etc.” How convenient (and preposterous). Another friend, when I asked him if he had noticed an increase in athletes dying flippantly said, “remember Len Bias? It’s called cocaine overdoses!” Really? All 20% of the increase in deaths (more like 400% in young healthy people) is from drug overdoses? Again, ridiculous. The effects of propaganda. Not supported by reality, the numbers, truth, or “science” for that matter. Yet, strangely, many otherwise intelligent people are unable to look at what’s happening all around us objectively.

There’s a reason, I think, for this kind of willful ambivalence. It’s because we all have loved ones, young and old, who have taken the vaccine, or we have taken it ourselves. No one wants to consider that they or their loved one has potentially been lied to and possibly poisoned. Or that their church leader or favorite politician has lied to them or was misled. Or that their child could collapse and die, suddenly.

And so what are we collectively doing as a world? Instead of confronting the issue, we choose to not be rational about it. We’re literally doing what many Germans knowingly did during Hitler’s reign of terror. Some call it Mass Formation Psychosis, where people refuse to see things happening right before their eyes. Is it fear? Denial? Pride? Naïveté? Politics? Religion? Whatever it is, it’s blinded many people on this planet to the truth that anyone even trying to squint at would normally see.

25 year old goalkeep dies suddenly after stopping penalty kick

Some are beginning to awaken, however. Last year the Princess of Thailand collapsed while jogging and is believed to be in a coma. Stories like hers can be found all over the news, if one is interested in seeing the truth. I’ve included below many links to those news stories I’ve bumped into in just the last month or two I’ve been working on this post. I highly recommend you take a look. Among those links are also recommendations for people worried their health may been compromised by the vaccines or from vaccine shedding or from CoVid19.

Trump once boasted he “could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and not lose a single voter.” On this issue, I think Trump is so “yugely” wrong. He has proudly boasted he saved 2.2 million lives (recently he said maybe 100 million!) by creating the vaccines and by all he did during the CoVid pandemic. Hindsight tells a different story… one that history may never tell correctly, sadly, but that you and I would do well to try to discern. Lives could depend on it still.

But How Could Prophets Be So Wrong?

The church and specifically the men who call themselves prophets, seers, and revelators, in their zeal to be good global citizens are now also responsible for the deaths of untold thousands of people. Maybe 100s of thousands. I know people in my own small town who have been injured or killed by the vaccines.

One young man was just graduating from high school. He was perfectly healthy and was extremely active. Some time after receiving the vaccine, he developed a cancer so rare that only two other people in the world were known to have ever had it. After several rounds of chemo and a full bone marrow transplant, he contracted another rare unknown cancer. Within 5 months of being vaccinated he was gone. His LDS family was and remains devastated and is still unwilling to consider, as far as I know, that their son’s death was related in any way whatsoever to the vaccine he received. How many others are like them?

Another friend of mine was only 50. He was a bishop with a young family and a successful business. He was a delightful person in every way. He, after being vaccinated, contracted a rare and aggressive brain cancer and was gone in just a few months time.

Another long time friend was vaccinated and shortly thereafter contracted lymphoma. She’s now fighting for her life.

Some dear friends of ours have a son whose former soccer coach died of a heart attack at age 35.

Many of you probably also have friends who have been adversely affected and have heard  stories from people you know.

Of course we also all have friends or know people who have died from CoVid19. Although the survival rate is 99.95% across the board, it is still such a great tragedy that this man-made virus has taken so many innocent people.

It should be acknowledged that young people are and never were at risk generally of dying from the virus, especially babies and toddlers. Is the “cure”now more deadly than the disease? How many innocent people have died as a result of our agency being taken away and for having been lied to?

The rate of increase in death among the vaccinated, that the whole world is completely ignoring, is unacceptably tragic and is a sign that the propagandist liars are winning.

23 year old University of Arizona swimmer dies suddenly 

One only now needs to look around to see that something is incredibly wrong. Children are dying on soccer fields. Healthy people are dying in races. On stage. On air. On flights. Collapsing in NFL football games and in high school and college basketball games. Thousands of people. Maybe hundreds of thousands. All cause mortality rates are off the charts all around the world. On any given year there will be an increase or a decline of 1%. Now it’s at a 20% increase! That’s a 2000% increase in deaths. Yet, no major news outlets and certainly no Church leader in Salt Lake is sounding the alarm.

Although Some Have Changed Their Tune, Most Have Not

Some people who have been vaccinated have now changed their tune and ARE sounding the alarm. Robert Kennedy. Dr. Malone. Scott Adams. Elon Musk. Joe Rogan. Dan Bongino. Many others. The latter of the aforementioned said recently that “taking the vaccine is the greatest regret of his life.”

But completely unrepentant and not backing off from their feckless positions are the Brethren and Donald J. Trump.

CoVid for the church is very much like polygamy. They complied because they saw that they might lose important things if they didn’t. The ability to have missionaries in the field, for example. They clearly are also fearful of being canceled as they were in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. To this day, ironically, they need polygamy to be true, even if it wasn’t or isn’t. Even if it didn’t come from Joseph Smith. They need it to come from him! Otherwise their authority claims are called into question and that cannot be allowed to happen. At the time, they complied and allowed it to be written in their scriptures that the polygamy commandment was being taken away even though Brigham and others prophesied that if the church ever abandoned polygamy it would be in apostasy. They didn’t want to lose their churches, their temples, their state, their money. So, even though Brigham Young said it would lead the church into apostasy, they complied with government to keep their things. And now today the church needs the vaccines to be safe and effective lest they be denounced as false prophets. Worse, accomplices to murder.

As for Trump, he would have done well to not have been so quick to put his name on something so untested. I don’t know what the effect would be on his presidential ambitions if he were to now come clean. It would be the right thing to do of course and some people are calling for it, suggesting they won’t support him if he doesn’t. I do know that what he’s already declared and done is unforgivable morally and politically and may prevent him from winning. If he says nothing further about his miracle vaccines, as his advisors are telling him to do, blame can always still be laid at his feet. He is once again damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t.

Many, many people have blood on their hands and they are displaying horrible arrogance in not admitting their error. So many have died at their hands. That’s the truth and it matters.

As for the Church, for far too long have the false ideas been preached and accepted that the Brethren cannot lead us astray. It began with Brigham not Joseph. It’s not in the scriptures. But, it’s become scripture for the LDS Church. (See “I am Scripture” — David Bednar) This is what Brigham said during his time as president:

I am here to give this people, called Latter-day Saints, counsel to direct them in the path of life. I am here to answer; I shall be on hand to answer when I am called upon, for all the counsel and for all the instruction that I have given to this people. If there is an Elder here, or any member of this Church, called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who can bring up the first idea, the first sentence that I have delivered to the people as counsel that is wrong, I really wish they would do it; but they cannot do it, for the simple reason that I have never given counsel that is wrong; this is the reason. This people, called Latter-day Saints, have been laboring now over forty years. Source

My brothers and sisters, friends, family and loved ones — the truth matters. Leaders we trusted have been very wrong. People are dying. If nothing else, those who have been hurt or lost should be honored, not ignored. And we can benefit now by embracing truth even if the implications are catastrophic.

One of the famous Thai boy cave survivors dies suddenly at age 17

12 Year Old Boy Collapses and Dies Suddenly At No Contact Football Practice

NYU Cardiologist Shocked That So Many Have Myocarditis

3 Primary School Teachers All Died Unexpectedly At Same School in NC

How to Treat and Prevent Vaccine Injuries 

Pilot of Small Plane Dies of Casrdiac Arrest Mid Flight

Forbes 30 Under 30 Honoree Dies After He Collapses at Arizona Marathon

12 Year Old Football Player Dies Suddenly At Practice

Idaho Introduces Legislation To Criminalize Vaccine Giver For Injury and Death

NBC News Finally Admits Natural Immunity Is Better Than Vaccines

FL Surgeon General Issues Major Health Warning Against MRNA CoVid Vaccines

Military Anthrax  Vaccine Deaths — History Repeating Itself On a Global Scale!

How to Repair Your Heart By Dr Robert Malone

Surfer Legend Kelly Slater Says Mother Suffered Adverse Reaction from Vaccine

Hot Mic – World Series Poker Player Says He’s Had Chest Pains Ever since Vax

Outrageous! Australian Mother Denied Life Saving Heart Surgery Because She was Unvaccinated

Dr Wolf Receives Apology from Dr Drew for being wrong about CoVid

Women and Fertility Issues Since CoVid Shots

Brazil Doubles Down! Forces Parents to Vaccinate Children to Keep Govt Benefits

17 Year Old Football Player Dies Suddenly: Cardiac Arrest

34 Year Old Border Patrol Agent Dies Suddenly

Inventor of MRNA Technology Says He Cannot Support Trump While He Stands By Vaccines

Diamond Says Something’s Not Right About Her Sister Silk’s Sudden and Unexpected Death: Age 51

Delbert, Scott Adams Tells Anti-Vaxxers He’s Sorry, They WERE RIGHT!

35 Year Old Middle School Teacher Drops Dead Teaching Class – Heart Attack

Heart Attacks Surge in Australia

GB News: Why Are Birth Rates Falling and Excess Deaths Rising?

Australian Rugby Player Dies Suddenly, Age 35

15 Year Old Star Football Player Dies Suddenly

Former NFL Player Almost Dies of Severe Stroke

Dr. Richard Fleming: Pfizer mRNA Shot Causes Blood Clots Under The Microscope

Nine Months Post Vax — Substantial Birth Rates Drop in 13 European Countries

Vaccines Don’t Stop Covid

Uk Data Shows 70% of all CoVid Deaths Are Fully Vaccinated

Elon Musk’s Young and Fit Cousin Has Serious Myocarditis

Robert Kennedy Jr — CIA ran 20+ Pandemic Simulations

The suppression of hydroxychloroquine and the amount of lives and people who died as a result of that Is the Biggest Scandal of CoVid19

Fact – Pfizer Lied About the MRNA Shots

Austrian PM collapses after saying ”mistrust of Vaccines are unfounded”

Brazilian anchor Rafael Silva, 36, collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest on live TV

Warning from God – Comedian collapses while joking she was double vaxxed — fractured skull

For every athlete that collapses there are thousands of others we don’t know of — 3 million more people are disabled in US in 2021, and rising

In Dec. 2021, Manchester United defender Victor Lindelöf, 28, struggled to breathe, pointed to his heart, and was taken off the field with apparent chest pain.

Oct. 2021, FC Barcelona star Sergio Aguero, 33, collapsed on the field due to chest pain and breathing issues that have since forced him to retire.

In Jan. 2022, Mali star Ousmane Coulibaly, 32, suffered a heart attack on the pitch and was given emergency medical attention as the match was abandoned.

The excess death rate of working-age people also increased in these European nations after mRNA vaccines were introduced

This increase in the death rate of working-age people also appears in the CDC’s Mortality database.

The Society of Actuaries Research Institute published its COVID-19 Mortality Survey Report.

Why are so many professional athletes and public figures collapsing live on television

Big tech, big government, & big media banned scientific criticism of Pfizer’s covid-19 vaccines even as children were paralyzed by them or worse, dead

The risk/reward calculation never made sense for children because the risk was virtually zero

@ScottGottliebMD worked with a Twitter lobbyist to censor an Israeli study that concluded natural immunity is 13x more effective than Pfizer’s mRNA shots.

In the Pfizer clinical trial, all cause illness and mortality were higher in the vaccinated group than the placebo

Pfizer has habitually engaged in illegal and corrupt marketing practices, bribed physicians, & suppressed adverse trial results.

Deseret News: Tik Tok Star Dies, 35, of Colon Cancer

Algerian Football Player drops dead during Nation’s Championship Game

College Basketball has Vaccine Injury during game

Wallstreet Journal Slams Vaccines and Boosters after seeing Troubling Data

Vaccines are a LIE, grounded in false advertising 

Pro Soccer player in Norway collapses suddenly, Cardiac Arrest

Young Female Service Member has heart attacks and stroke after forced Vaccination

Millenials in West see 70% Explosion in Strokes!

Renowned MIT Professor and Drug Safety Expert calls for immediate suspension of MRNA Vaccines

Healthy 32 Year Old Vet and Firefighter Dies Suddenly

High School Basketball Phenom Collapses on Court

Calls for suspension of CoVid Vax now coming from South Africa

Princess of Thailand Collapses Suddenly While Running — Some fear she is in a coma

Doctor working with Thailand to nullify Pfizer Vaccines

Proof MRNA Vaccines cause Heart and Vascular Damage

Florian Dagoury — the world’s top static breath-hold freediver who held his breath for 10:30 — was diagnosed with myocarditis after his Pfizer mRNA shot.

Joe Rogan: I know over 15 people that have had serious side effects from the vaccine; menstrual issues, strokes, neurological disorders…One of the girls in the clinical trials that was 13 is confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her

Dr. Bret Weinstein tells Joe Rogan that the mRNA shots “have cost more lives than they have saved.”The claims that the covid shots saved millions of lives are “utter nonsense” based on a model that “they fed garbage.”

17,000 doctors and scientists signed a treaty that declared: “Pfizer, Moderna, BioNTech, Janssen, AstraZeneca, and their enablers withheld and wilfully omitted safety and effectiveness information from patients and physicians, and should be immediately indicted for fraud.”

There was a 99.95% survival rate for people under 50 and a 99.998% survival rate for children under 18 – So why the Draconian Measures to force Vaccine Compliance

Now Doctors Say They Are Refusing CoVid Shots

Newsweek — It’s Time the Scientific Community Admit we were wrong and it cost lives.

2 Teen boys who died after Pfizer Shots have confirming autopsies

Dr. Robert Malone, Dr. Bret Weinstein, and Steve Kirsch discuss the Japanese Pfizer documents, which show lipid nanoparticles concentrating in women’s ovaries.

Pfizer Director Jordan Trishton Walker sharing his concern about women’s reproductive health after getting the Covid vaccine

Argentinian mother outraged after 8 year old daughter dies from CoVid shot

White House Ignores FDA Warning that getting CoVid shot and Flu Booster at same time may increase risk of stroke and heart attack

JV Basketball player suffers siezure and cardiac arrest during game

18 year old athlete on life support after suffering cardiac arrest in basketball game

Perfectly Healthy 6 year old, fully boosted and vaxxed, dies suddenly

Vaxxed MSNBC Host blames vaccine on myocarditis

23 year old University of Arizona swimmer dies suddenly 

Damar Hamlin dies twice on national television — won’t speak about cause of collapse

Former healthy NFL player almost dies of stroke

Dr Naomi Wolf says CoVid Vaccine is a BioWeapon intended to massively decrease population

Former NFL player, young and healthy, dies suddenly

Media and Governemnt lying that Vaccines have nothing to do with excess deaths

18 Year old freshman dies suddenly during a workout

American fashion model dead at age 27

Pilot suffered heart attack minutes after landing

Caddie collapses at Pebble Beach Pro Am

CoVid Jabs causing deaths

Georgia police officer dies suddenly on a foot chase

Brazilian senator proposes legislation making it a criminal offense to refuse vax

Japan accused of mass cover up of deaths and injuries from Vaccines

21 year old dies suddenly in sleep

Evidence CoVid Vaxx are causing terrible health side effects — possibly accelerated aging

Vaccine Deaths in the Netherlands

23 year old athlete, dancer, gamer, dies suddenly 

UFC Fighter reveals his brother dies suddenly after taking vax

32 year old tv production supervisor dies suddenly

Thailand will become the first country to make the contract null and void, meaning that Pfizer will become responsible for all vaccine injuries. The Royal Family have now been alerted to the fact that the princess has most likely been a victim of the

Stanford and most Universities Force Vaccinations Among the Healthiest 

31 year old former college tennis star dies suddenly 

GOP Congresswoman describes CoVid Jab Injuries

Ivermectin worked and they lied

There is a spike protein inside every single cancer cell

Athlete suffers cardiac arrest after shot

7 Students at NC State have died unexpectedly since school started

The more jabs the more deaths substack

CoVid Commission Called For

25 year old goalkeep dies suddenly after stopping penalty kick

Christmas Is For Cover Ups

Laura Seitz, Deseret News

More than one month ago, I reported on the vaccine injury of Richard Harward and I said that every day that goes by that the Church is not transparent is further evidence of their dishonesty and willingness to cover up the truth to protect themselves.

As of today, December 23, 2021, the Church-owned Deseret News, BYU, KSL, and the entire leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including, ironically heart surgeon and Church president Russell M. Nelson, are still complicit in a cover up that potentially affects the health and lives of millions of people just like Richard, who the Church and BYU coerced and apparently shamed into getting vaccinated.  Since Richard’s incident, the Church has doubled down on its position, calling vaccines a godsend from heaven to gather Israel on both sides of the veil, as it’s been reported by LDTruths.

The Deseret News decided to finally to publish something about Richard’s condition, which until December 14th, no Utah media outlet was reporting on.  They reported on knee injuries and other health updates of all of its players except for one.  Richard’s.  And now, they report that due to “a cardiovascular issue” Richard is stepping down from basketball.  Likely forever.  With NO mention of the vaccine whatsoever.   (Source)

The Citizen Free Press, an internationally respected conservative news outlet, is way ahead of any and all Utah news outlets in reporting the truth about this awful situation.

Vaccinated BYU Starting Center — I will miss the rest of season due to ‘heart damage’…

I was pleasantly surprised that CFP linked to my story as one of its sources.  But, that’s what real journalists do — they look under every rock and look at every possible source to try to get to the truth.

Where is the real journalism in Utah?  Where is the Free Press here?  Where is the Salt Lake Tribune?  KSL?  LDS Church News?  Deseret News?  The Daily Universe?  Where is heart surgeon Russell Nelson?  Where are the apologies?  Where is the newly appointed committee to investigate?  Where is the transparency?

Thousands of people have left and/or have lost faith in the church and its leaders because of the lack of transparency.  See Mountain Meadows, polygamy, electric shock therapy, child abuse, missionaries abused at the MTC, finances, and much more.  One would think that the Church would be trying harder, given the exodus of so many of its once faithful members, and given its current abysmal growth numbers that, for the first time in at least 40 years, it isn’t reporting to local news outlets and other officials.  (Another story for another day).

It would seem the Church is more interested in protecting its own interests than in telling the truth and protecting the injured and vulnerable.  I propose the Brethren give their combined Church salaries to this young man for the next 30 years along with millions of dollars in restitution (of their own funds) and it still won’t be enough.  Why not remove one of their own names from the many buildings at BYU and place his name on it in the meantime?  Do something.  Saying and doing nothing speaks volumes.

Elder Stevenson

I think it’s also important to shed light on other things the Church is now being strangely quiet about, namely LDS Apostle Gary Stevenson and his role in the company iFit.  The Salt Lake Tribune and other news outlets reported on this Apostle’s “special dispensation” granted to him by the Brethren which allowed him to, instead of go without purse or scrip, actually keep his purse, scrip, and 43 million shares as well as other income from his company iFit (aka Icon).

I have it from a credible source that iFit has struggled for decades with over $1+ billion in company debt.  Despite large annual revenues, its debt service costs have crippled the company and it’s been a problem it could not find anyone to help solve, for years and years.  During all those years, Gary and his business partner, insisted that no matter how much the company might lose in a given year, they would pay themselves millions a year each in salaries.  I assume this is why it was reported that “$53.2 million in loans to managers” would be forgiven as part of the IPO transaction.

I once met a woman who lived down the street from Stevenson for decades.  For 10+ years she worked for him at iFit.  She had 8 children and a deadbeat husband in prison.  She worked the graveyard shift on the assembly line in very poor working conditions, making $11 an hour.  The pay was so little that she was forced to also have a day job at Walmart.  This poor woman worked 80+ hours a week while trying to care for her children’s’ needs.  I’m told she explained her dilemma to her neighbor Gary, whose Logan home is reported to be more than 12,000 square feet, and asked him for a raise.  He told her he could not give her a raise because “it would set the wrong precedent.”

In line with this sad tale is the recent Herald Journal reporting that iFit just laid off an undisclosed number of employees right before the holidays:

Lindsey Lundholm worked as a software tester and was one of the employees terminated on Friday. She wrote about her experience on social media the following Monday — in a post that has garnered over 100 likes and more than 150 comments. “We were told so many times in meetings that the company was growing and doing so well and to refer our friends,” Lundholm said. “A few weeks later, Friday, I get asked to join a Zoom meeting. It was the testing supervisor and an HR representative. They proceeded to tell me that I was getting laid off, that I had until the end of the day.” Lundholm stated the representative and supervisor said they had to cut back on employees and that the department was hit hard. Soon after, she was locked out of company Wi-Fi and removed from a workplace chat app.  “I would guess at least half of my team was laid off that day,” Lundholm added.  “I just feel iFIT isn’t telling the truth,” he said. “They go off telling people how profitable their Black Friday was but then why are they experiencing so many layoffs? … It feels that iFit’s ethics are nonexistent.”  An employee in the home delivery department, who asked not to be identified, said she had no warning she would be let go. She said she was told during her termination that she would be put down for immediate rehire. “There is no such thing, as I found out later,” she said. “Then when I applied for unemployment, they put down that I was fired, which was not the case, and put misconduct and attendance as the reasoning.”  (Source)

It should be noted that IFit’s IPO is now on hold because it’s being sued by two different large corporations, Peleton and Hyperice, for alleged patent infringements, which could ruin its hopes for an IPO at all.

Last checked, Gary Stevenson has at least 3 very large homes, which I’ve been told are all over 10,000 square feet each.  Yet, his company lays off employees at Christmas time, carries a billion dollars in expensive debt, refuses to give a poor woman with 8 kids and no husband a raise and borrows millions in potentially phantom loans from the company for himself and partner.

It’s also concerning to many who have looked into this more than I have, whether Stevenson has used his position as presiding bishop and apostle to advance his personal business interests, which almost made him the first billionaire apostle.  Keep in mind that as presiding bishop, Stevenson was one of only 7 people on earth to know about and to oversee the Ensign Peak 100+ billion dollar fund.  Might there be conflicts of interest that arise while managing such funds and while being in need of funds for his own company?

One could also wonder if the Church has given special pricing for some of the ads we’ve seen from iFit (NordicTrack) in between General Conference sessions.  

I don’t mean to pick on Elder Stevenson nor do I wish him any ill will.  I’m sure he’s likely a very nice person.  But, when a person holds the sacred office of Apostle and maintains such public business interests, there needs to be public transparency and public scrutiny for there to be also integrity and public confidence.  Especially when he and his company decide to lay people off during Christmas and are being sued for stealing someone else’s patents.

It’s December 23rd

In contrast, Joseph Smith was petitioning for bankruptcy at the time of his death.  He could have been the first millionaire West of the Mississippi like Brigham Young, but instead Joseph gave any spare money he had to the poor and spent months in jail unjustly accused of things he didn’t do.  He was known as a poor businessman for giving away his store’s goods, giving away his horses, taking in other people’s children all while trying to care for his own family and was never paid a salary for his labors with the church.  Joseph was also falsely accused as he is today… by his own Church and lamented before his death that no one really knew him and that if his life was of no value to his friends it was of none to him.

Most sad of all for me today is that on this the 23rd day of December, the Church does not remember or honor this man’s birthday.  Not on their website.  Not on Church News or Deseret News.  It highlights Russell Nelson and #lighting the world and job training and CoVid and temples and missionary work in the DRC and interfaith concerts and temple square renovations and President Oaks in Rome…  But not a peep about today being the day Joseph Smith was born.

This was certainly not the case for Russell Nelson’s 95th and 96th and 97th birthdays…

Joseph died trying to expose darkness.  He fought against polygamy, called out impostors, stood against the mobs with boldness and went as a lamb to the slaughter in June of 1844… another day the Church no longer commemorates.  Joseph knew Christ and not only saw Him, but he lived and died by His words.  He was a true prophet and if he were here today, I think he would not be well received by today’s church.

Mormon Spotlight

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Meme borrowed from Bare Record

There’s been a lot of Bloggernacle discussion of late about the Church’s “accidental” news re-release, that touts itself as “the gold standard” when it comes to how the Church handles sexual and child abuse cases.  Apparently the Church had already published this article in 2010 and then republished it again last week as a current news release.  The Church claims there was a “glitch” in their system and that it did not intend to re-publish the article.

Some are suspicious, however, that this release was no accident at all and that the Church has some news agenda it’s trying to push or a news story it wants to get ahead of.  Utah has the highest rate of child sex abuse in the nation after all, as one blogger reminded us this weekIn my experience with how the Church PR machine operates, I can almost guarantee the Church is feeling vulnerable on this issue and wants to paint a different picture to the world than the awful reality.

On one occasion years ago I spoke with a Church PR representative by phone at Church Headquarters.  I was working on a research paper and was very surprised when this brother stated that the Church often intentionally leaks news stories in order to provide context for a message it wants to get out.  The leak is made to seem to be a mistake.  The Church then conveniently responds to the leaked story with its canned message and/or simply relishes that it got its story out when it wanted to.  I don’t know if this is a common practice throughout the PR industry, but as a young grad student not living in Utah and not from Utah, my initial reaction was how dishonest this seemed and I was surprised that the Church would employ such underhanded tactics.  I thought my church would be straight-forward and without guile.

Perhaps the Church’s most recent leak or re-release, as it’s been called, was in hopes to get ahead of this very troubling story that just came out about emeritus GA, Elder Lynn A. Mickelsen.  The video below is about 14 minutes long and if nothing else it demonstrates the influence the Church has on Utah lawyers, judges, law enforcement and LDS clergy.  The story is unnervingly credible.  I highly recommend you take the time to watch it.

As a bishop, I saw firsthand how the Church actually handles child and sexual abuse.  I was required to call the LDS Hotline on several occasions.  In one such instance I was transferred directly to Kirton & McConkie, the law firm that represents the Church.  The advice I received was actually outstanding — aligning with doctrine and scripture.  I was shocked, however, when the counsel that I was given was not followed by the Church.  It quickly became obvious to me in this instance that the Church was only looking to avoid embarrassment and cared nothing about helping victims or reforming perpetrators.

These types of experiences have helped me trust less in the arm of the flesh and have caused me to turn towards God and His Son for comfort.  May good people everywhere stand as witnesses of Their Names, especially in defense of those too weak and tender to defend themselves.