MIND CONTROL " When our leaders speak, the THINKING HAS BEEN DONE. When they propose a plan - it is God's plan. When they point the way, there is no other way that is safe. When they give direction, it should mark the end of controversy." Improvement Era, June 1945, p. 354
"...learn to DO AS YOU ARE TOLD,...if you are told by your leader to do a thing, do it, NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS WHETHER IT IS RIGHT or WRONG." Herber C. Kimball, 1st Counselor to Brigham Young. Journal of Discourses, v.2, p.106 "Have we not a RIGHT to make up our MINDS in relation to the things recorded in the word of God, and speak about them, whether the living oracles believe our views or not? We have not the right...God placed Joseph Smith at the head of this church; God has likewise placed Brigham Young at the head of this church; and he has required you and me, male and female, to sustain those authorities placed over us in all things, and receive their words as from the mouth of God..." - Orson Pratt, Apostle, Journal of Discourses 7:374-375, Sermon January 29, 1860 UNCOMPROMISING FAITH WHETHER IT IS TRUE OR NOT Apostle Dallin Oaks: "My duty as a member of the Council of the Twelve is to protect what is most unique about the LDS church, namely the authority of priesthood, testimony regarding the restoration of the gospel, and the divine mission of the Savior. Everything may be sacrificed in order to maintain the integrity of those essential facts. Thus, if Mormon Enigma reveals information that is detrimental to the reputation of Joseph Smith, then it is necessary to try to limit its influence and that of its authors." Apostle Dallin Oaks, footnote 28, Inside the Mind of Joseph Smith: Psychobiography and the Book of Mormon, Introduction p. xliii Apostle Boyd K. Packer: You seminary teachers and some of you institute and BYU men will be teaching the history of the Church this school year. This is an unparalleled opportunity in the lives of your students to increase their faith and testimony of the divinity of this work. Your objective should be that they will see the hand of the Lord in every hour and every moment of the Church from its beginning till now. Church history can be so interesting and so inspiring as to be a very powerful tool indeed for building faith. If not properly written or properly taught, it may be a faith destroyer. There is a temptation for the writer or the teacher of Church history to want to tell everything, whether it is worthy or faith promoting or not. Some things that are true are not very useful. That historian or scholar who delights in pointing out the weaknesses and frailties of present or past leaders destroys faith. A destroyer of faith particularly one within the Church, and more particularly one who is employed specifically to build faith places himself in great spiritual jeopardy. He is serving the wrong master, and unless he repents, he will not be among the faithful in the eternities. ... Do not spread disease germs!" Boyd K. Packer, "The Mantle is Far, Far Greater Than the Intellect", 1981, BYU Studies, Vol. 21, No. 3, pp. 259-271 Apostle Russel M. Nelson: "Indeed, in some instances, the merciful companion to truth is silence. Some truths are best left unsaid." "Any who are tempted to rake through the annals of history, to use truth unrighteously, or to dig up facts with the intent to defame or destroy, should hearken to this warning of scripture: The righteousness of God [is] revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness. (Rom. 1:17-18.) I repeat: The wrath of God is against all who hold the truth in unrighteousness. To anyone who, because of truth, may be tempted to become a dissenter against the Lord and his anointed, weigh carefully your action in light of this sacred scripture: These dissenters, having the same instruction and the same information yea, having been instructed in the same knowledge of the Lord, nevertheless, it is strange to relate, not long after their dissensions they became more hardened and impenitent, and wicked, entirely forgetting the Lord their God. (Alma 47:36.) "We must realize that we are at war. The war began before the world was and will continue. The forces of the adversary are extant upon the earth. All of our virtuous motives, if transmitted only by inertia and timidity, are no match for the resolute wickedness of those who oppose us." Russell M. Nelson, Truthand More, Ensign, Jan. 1986, page 69 NEVER CRITICIZE Past or Present Church Leaders - EVEN IF IT IS TRUE: "It is one thing to depreciate a person who exercises corporate power or even government power. It is quite another thing to criticize or depreciate a person for the performance of an office to which he or she has been called of God. It does not matter that the criticism is true. As Elder George F. Richards, President of the Council of the Twelve, said in a conference address in April 1947, 'when we say anything bad about the leaders of the Church, whether true or false, we tend to impair their influence and their usefulness and are thus working against the Lord and his cause.' ... The Holy Ghost will not guide or confirm criticism of the Lord's anointed, or of Church leaders, local or general. This reality should be part of the spiritual evaluation that LDS readers and viewers apply to those things written about our history and those who made it." Dallin H. Oaks, "Reading Church History," CES Doctrine and Covenants Symposium, Brigham Young University, 16 Aug. 1985, page 25. also see Dallin H. Oaks, "Elder Decries Criticism of LDS Leaders," quoted in The Salt Lake Tribune, Sunday August 18, 1985, p. 2B Apostle Dallin H. Oaks published a similar talk for the February 1987 Ensign Magazine. Again, Apostle Oaks declared that there is no place in the church for public criticism of church leaders, even if the criticism is true. He also said: "Truth surely exists as an absolute, but our use of truth should be disciplined by other values. ... When truth is constrained by other virtues, the outcome is not falsehood but silence for a season. As the scriptures say, there is a time to keep silence, and a time to speak. "Does the commandment to avoid faultfinding and evil speaking apply to Church members destructive personal criticism of Church leaders? Of course it does. It applies to criticism of all Church leaderslocal or general, male or female. In our relations with all of our Church leaders, we should follow the Apostle Pauls direction: Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father. (1 Tim. 5:1.)" "Government or corporate officials, who are elected directly or indirectly or appointed by majority vote, must expect that their performance will be subject to critical and public evaluations by their constituents. That is part of the process of informing those who have the right and power of selection or removal. The same is true of popularly elected officers in professional, community, and other private organizations." "A different principle applies in our Church, where the selection of leaders is based on revelation, subject to the sustaining vote of the membership. In our system of Church government, evil speaking and criticism of leaders by members is always negative. Whether the criticism is true or not, as Elder George F. Richards explained, it tends to impair the leaders influence and usefulness, thus working against the Lord and his cause." NO PUBLIC DEBATE "Public debatethe means of resolving differences in a democratic governmentis not appropriate in our Church government. We are all subject to the authority of the called and sustained servants of the Lord. They and we are all governed by the direction of the Spirit of the Lord, and that Spirit only functions in an atmosphere of unity. That is why personal differences about Church doctrine or procedure need to be worked out privately." Apostle Dallin H. Oaks, Criticism, Ensign, Feb. 1987, page 68 You may not like what comes from the authority of the Church. It may contradict your political views. It may contradict your social views. It may interfere with some of your social life. But if you listen to these things, as if from the mouth of the Lord himself, with patience and faith, the promise is that the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his names glory. (DC 21:6) Prophet Harold B. Lee, Conference Report, Oct. 1970, p. 152 Last year President Hinckley and Apostle Holland again put "uncompromising loyalty" to church leaders above all else: http://www.i4m.com/think/leaders/mormon_loyalty.htm --- Terry Clifton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > A Christian apostle told us Judas was a thief long before there were > any > Mormons. Gospel according to John. Don't pay too much attention to > Mormons or sociologists. Neither of them have a good grasp of > reality. > > Terry > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > Blainer: Aagg!! That makes me cringe, that God sets someone up to > > > fill a role that had to be filled. I think Judas had a clear > choice, > > and chose to be what he was, the same as all the other apostles. > He > > just made a wrong choice. His knowledge of the truth could have > armed > > him against such an act. There is a sociological theory which > > basically says, "politics loves a vacuum." This means if there is > a > > social role to fill, someone sooner or later will fill it. Judas > was > > the loser who chose to fill that role as the detractor and > betrayer. > > But it could have been anyone else. Satan did the same in the > > pre-existence. He chose to fill the role of the jealous rival. > > Perhaps jealousy had something to do with Judas, also. A Mormon > > apostle claims Judas was an unrepentant thief, which led him into > the > > final act. Just rambling, but lots of possibilities here. > > > > > > In a message dated 7/20/2005 5:00:04 P.M. Mountain Standard Time, > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > > > The potter has every right to use the clay as He chooses, > Blaine. > > Fortunately for us, the potter also is not only a loving > potter, > > but an omniscient one. In this case, the potter used a vessel > for > > dishonor that He knew far ahead of time was disposed to act in > a > > dishonorable manner. Put another way, God did not have to harm > a > > good guy. He had plenty of bad guys to choose from. > > > > Terry > > > ================================================================== > > > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > >> Blainer: Guess Kevin's busy today--either that or he's not > >> condescending to speak to this lowly Mormon-- LOL. But, > >> interesting scripture, Izzy. You chose the very passage I was > >> wondering about, but couldn't find. It seems to be saying > Judas > >> was pre-determined to be "the son of perdition." Do you > >> believe in pre-determinism? This seems to be similar to the > >> idea that only pre-selected individuals will go to heaven, and > >> all others need not even apply, does it not? > >> > >> > >> In a message dated 7/20/2005 9:28:59 A.M. Mountain Standard > Time, > >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > >> > >> **John 17:12 > >> > <http://bible.gospelcom.net/passage/?book_id=50&chapter=17&verse=12&version=49&context=verse>** > >> "While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name > which > >> You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them > >> perished but the son of perdition, *so that the Scripture > >> would be fulfilled.*** > >> > >> > >> > > > > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." 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