Dalin Oaks on how Hofman decieved church leaders:
October 1987 Ensign:
"Some have asked, how was Mark Hofmann able to deceive Church
leaders?
"As everyone now knows, Hofmann succeeded in deceiving many:
experienced Church historians, sophisticated collectors, businessmen-investors, national experts who administered a lie detector test to Hofmann, and professional document examiners, including the expert credited with breaking the Hitler diary forgery. But why, some still ask, were his deceits not detected by the several Church leaders with whom he met?
"In order to perform their personal ministries, Church leaders
cannot be suspicious and questioning of each of the hundreds of
people they meet each year. Ministers of the gospel function best in
an atmosphere of trust and love. In that kind of atmosphere, they
fail to detect a few deceivers, but that is the price they pay to
increase their effectiveness in counseling, comforting, and blessing
the hundreds of honest and sincere people they see. It is better for
a Church leader to be occasionally disappointed than to be
constantly suspicious."
The fact that Hofman was a good deciever does not get the SEER off
the hook. SEER could not see the deception even though he studied it
with a Magnifying Glass. Maybe he should have used a SEER Stone?
This also was no small thing 2 people were killed!
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
Why didn't they detect the forgeries and the dishonest character of
Hofmann?
Why is the church buying up old documents?
Why are they buying controversial historical documents and then
hiding them?
Why did they give such attention to the favorable doc's (full page
spread in Church news) while hiding the others?
Why are they lying -- even to other apostles -- about their
possession of these documents?
If they truly believed the account of the first vision, why did they
take these documents so seriously?
Why did they assume it was their job to "protect" testimonies by
hiding "the truth"? Is it the assumption of the church hierarchy
that members are all children, to be spoon-fed?
Why can't they admit the error and move on?
Why did Hofman not think the Prophet & SEER of God would be able to
detect & see thru his falsehoods?
Kevin Deegan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
October 1987 Ensign:
"Some have asked, how was Mark Hofmann able to deceive Church
leaders?
"As everyone now knows, Hofmann succeeded in deceiving many:
experienced Church historians, sophisticated collectors, businessmen-investors, national experts who administered a lie detector test to Hofmann, and professional document examiners, including the expert credited with breaking the Hitler diary forgery. But why, some still ask, were his deceits not detected by the several Church leaders with whom he met?
"In order to perform their personal ministries, Church leaders
cannot be suspicious and questioning of each of the hundreds of
people they meet each year. Ministers of the gospel function best in
an atmosphere of trust and love. In that kind of atmosphere, they
fail to detect a few deceivers, but that is the price they pay to
increase their effectiveness in counseling, comforting, and blessing
the hundreds of honest and sincere people they see. It is better for
a Church leader to be occasionally disappointed than to be
constantly suspicious."
The fact that Hofman was a good deciever does not get the SEER off
the hook. SEER could not see the deception even though he studied it
with a Magnifying Glass. Maybe he should have used a SEER Stone?
This also was no small thing 2 people were killed!
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
Why didn't they detect the forgeries and the dishonest character of
Hofmann?
Why is the church buying up old documents?
Why are they buying controversial historical documents and then
hiding them?
Why did they give such attention to the favorable doc's (full page
spread in Church news) while hiding the others?
Why are they lying -- even to other apostles -- about their
possession of these documents?
If they truly believed the account of the first vision, why did they
take these documents so seriously?
Why did they assume it was their job to "protect" testimonies by
hiding "the truth"? Is it the assumption of the church hierarchy
that members are all children, to be spoon-fed?
Why can't they admit the error and move on?
Why did Hofman not think the Prophet & SEER of God would be able to
detect & see thru his falsehoods?
"FOLLOW the Prophet he will RARELY lead you astray"
Kevin Deegan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
"Follow the Prophet he will NEVER lead you astray"These "MISTAKES" made by the 1st PRES. show the FALLACY of going beyond God's word, making claims, and promises you can't keep.
The MAXIM says NEVER this is untenable and unrealistic. FALSE Advertising!
The maxim should be changed to "he will RARELY Lead you astray"There is also supposed to be SAFETY when following the prophet (Teachings of the Living Prophets p 15) Mark Christenson followed the prophet in the Hofman affair and did the bidding of that prophet. Mark was the first victim blown up. Safety?"The Saints can AVOID the pitfalls, DECEPTIONS, and false philosophies of the world if they will simply look to the Lord's chosen leadersand follow the counsel which the Lord gives through them" (Teachings Living prophets p 43)
Now here it implies one can AVIOD DECEPTION. Again it is demonstratably FALSE since Mark Hofman DECIEVED the WHOLE FIRST Presidency SEER Spencer W Kimball and SEER to be Hinckley included!
Should this be changed to the saints can sometimes Avoid?"I say to Israel, the Lord will NEVER Permit me or any other man who stands as president of this Church to lead you astray. It is not in the Programme. It is not in the mind of God. If I were to attempt that the lord would remove me out of my place, and so He will any other man who attempts to lead the children of men astray from the oracles of God and from their duty." Wilford Woodruff general Conference Millenial Star 24 Nov 1890So the Lord must have removed Kimball & Hinckley for leading astray.
It is not allowed in God's programme, why did God PERMIT the misleading of his people?Now since the prophet said NEVER he speaking as the MOUTH of God at General Conference must have meant NEVER!
"Sometimes we get the notion that if it is written in a book, it makes it more True than if it is spoken in the last general Conference" Teachings Living Prophets p 19
The spoken words of GC are as binding as the STD Works. The people gave their common consent.
"What the President says is scripture" p 19
"thou shalt give heed to ALL his words" p 21
The prophet said it you have no authority to change it.
He said NEVER This makes him a false prophet."FOLLOW the Prophet he will RARELY lead you astray"
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