Despicable 'Freedom Defense Advocates' Letter

Mr. John Boyd, in his letter about Mitt Romney, Mormons, and government on the Freedom Defense Advocates website is a slap in the face to not only Mormons, but every faithful Christian and those of other faiths, not excluding atheists.

The nature and tone of his letter denote the degrading separation of church and state in this nation. Boyd, an "expert" on "cults" blurs the fundamental line between church and state. He claims in his letter, " Now, many think as long as a candidate holds to conservative values his religion shouldn’t matter. I’m writing to tell you why it does matter!...Tragically, many Christians believe a candidate’s religion shouldn’t matter as long as he holds to conservative values." As part of a political organization, Freedom Defense Advocates (though not registered with the Federal Elections Commission or the Internal Revenue Service (Link)), Boyd violates the spirit of Article Six of the U.S. Constitution which states,

"The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."

Boyd insists that the presidential candidates, especially Romney, must pass his religious test to be fit for the presidency of the U.S. Boyd claims the LDS church will destroy the Constitution but Boyd is destroying the Constitution himself!

Would Boyd, or has he, criticized JFK for believing that the wafers and wine at communion actually transform into Jesus' flesh, but changes back to wafers and wine before it reaches the stomach? Does he criticize Eisenhower for his Jehovah's Witness beliefs? What effect did Eisenhower's beliefs have on his career and presidency? Considering the JW don't believe in supporting a "worldly government" or enlisting in the military, it appears that his religion didn't affect his actions as General or President. Does he currently criticize Huckabee, Bill Clinton, or Jimmy Carter for their Baptist views? Huckabee says we need to "take this nation back for Christ" (ArkansasOnline, June 8, 1998). This coupled with his direct statements that his faith in Christ "defines" him as a candidate (CNN, Nov 27, 2007), and that he is the "Christian Leader" (Huckabee ad, Nov 25, 2007) really makes the issue Huckabee not Romney. Huckabee, by pandering to evangelicals, makes the issue religion. He wants the evangelicals' religious vote, not political vote.

Romney has shown and stated that he will not engage in a religious point-by-point debate because of its unconstitutionality. Romney stated in his "Faith in America" speech (MittRomney.com), "A person should not be elected because of his faith nor should he be rejected because of his faith." He later continued,

"What do I believe about Jesus Christ? I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of mankind. My church's beliefs about Christ may not all be the same as those of other faiths. Each religion has its own unique doctrines and history. These are not bases for criticism but rather a test of our tolerance. Religious tolerance would be a shallow principle indeed if it were reserved only for faiths with which
we agree.

"There are some who would have a presidential candidate describe and explain his church's distinctive doctrines. To do so would enable the very religious test the founders prohibited in the Constitution. No candidate should become the spokesman for his faith."

To quote JFK in his speech on his religion (link),
emphasis added,

"I believe in an America that is officially neither Catholic, Protestant nor Jewish; where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the Pope, the National Council of Churches or any other ecclesiastical source; where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace or the public acts of its officials; and where religious liberty is so indivisible that an act against one church is treated as an act against all…

"Finally, I believe in an America where religious intolerance will someday end; where all men and all churches are treated as equal; where every man has the same right to attend or not attend the church of his choice; where there is no Catholic vote, no anti-Catholic vote, no bloc voting of any kind; and where Catholics, Protestants and Jews, at both the lay and pastoral level, will refrain from those attitudes of disdain and division which have so often marred their works in the past, and promote instead the American ideal of brotherhood...

"And in fact ,this is the kind of America for which our forefathers died, when they fled here to escape religious test oaths that denied office to members of less favored churches; when they fought for the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom; and when they fought at the shrine I visited today, the Alamo. For side by side with Bowie and Crockett died McCafferty and Bailey and Carey. But no one knows whether they were Catholic or not, for there was no religious test at the Alamo."

Romney stated in his speech, "Some believe that such a confession of my faith will sink my candidacy. If they are right, so be it. But I think they underestimate the American people. Americans do not respect believers of convenience. Americans tire of those who would jettison their beliefs, even to gain the world."

These attacks (often bogus and full of incorrect and distored facts) are not what we are about as a country. Religious leaders may have the right to preach what they want over the pulpit about other religions, but when pastors, candidates, political activists start influencing the nation as to vote or not vote for a candidate based on his/her religion, we start down a path that will only tear the nation apart. If this trend continues, those religiously inclined, and those not, who decide to run for any office will be scrutinized on where they go to church, or not go, and what belief practices they prescribe to, or not. This issue is not the matter of one presidential
election, it will define us as a nation and all other political races in the future.

---

Below are selected quotes from the letter of Mr. Boyd and my personal responses and beliefs as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

"Has the Christian church fallen so low that we will accept any candidate –- even one who wears 'sacred underwear' inscribed with occultic symbols and believes he will one day be a god –- just because he espouses conservative values?"

I hate to think that one's underwear is a disqualification for president. Must he wear boxers or briefs…or a thong if the president is Hillary?

Has Romney ever said that he will "one day be a god"? Without evidence, how can this assertion be credited to Romney's personal beliefs?

"In fact, despite the charming photographs of Mitt Romney and his wife
of 38 years that are splashed across the press, he expects to be rewarded with
many wives when he arrives in the Mormon 'celestial glory.' This is something
you won’t hear him talk about on the campaign trail."

Source? There is no where in LDS scriptural doctrine where men are "rewarded with many wives when [they] arrive in [heaven]." Mr. Boyd is correct in one assertion, that Romney won't talk about this on the campaign trail, because it simply is not true! If you have questions about LDS doctrine on the family, see the Church's "The
Family: A Proclamation to the World."

"While most Americans are aware of the terrorist acts committed by Muslims in the name of their god -- such as the murders of 3,000 people on September 11, 2001 -- fewer know of the killings and massacres perpetrated by Mormons...Believe it or not, a Mormon war party led by one of their bishops acting under the authority of 'prophet' Brigham Young massacred well over 100 men, women, and children in southern Utah exactly 144 years -- to the day -- before the Twin Tower attacks!"

First, Mr. Boyd compares radical terrorist Islamists to Mormons by comparing the 9-11 attacks to the Mountain Meadows Massacre. By this reasoning we must contrast them with Gov. Lilburn Boggs' extermination order against the LDS in Missouri (source), the Catholic Crusades, conquest of the New World, and others.

Mr. Boyd states that the despicable attack from the local Mormons on the emigrants was done under the authority of Brigham Young. Historians admit there is no evidence that Young ordered anything of the kind. Evidence shows that the local LDS leaders took these actions upon themselves and were not under the direction of the prophet on the matter. Sources (Shirts 1994, LDS.org, PBS.org's
story on Mormons)

The simple truth is the Mormon Church’s history is filled with violence. . . and splinter groups that hold to the original teachings of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young continue to kill in the name of their god.

Have you read anything about these people still killing "in the name of their god"? Again, no evidence or citation of such incidents. I am an avid news watcher (local, national, and international) and have not seen one example of this.

There is a Mormon prophecy -- little known outside their church -- that in “the last days” the United States Constitution would “hang by a thread” and will be rescued by the Mormon elders. This 1843 prediction by LDS founder Joseph Smith is about to come true according to many Mormons...They see the fulfillment each time a Mormon runs for president, beginning with Joseph Smith’s candidacy in 1844 . . . and they see its fulfillment in Mitt Romney and that’s
why Mormons keep pouring millions of dollars into his campaign.

"They see the fulfillment" and "…according to many Mormons." Who exactly? Not by the members of the church's hierarchy. I would like names not blanket generalizations. This has not been declared by any governing body of the LDS Church.

The one time Mr. Boyd hints at a citation is here stating that the prediction was made in 1843. Unfortunately, the date is incorrect. From LDS church's June
1976 Ensign "The first known record of the prophecy dates to July 19, 1840, in Nauvoo, when the prophet spoke about the redemption of Zion. Using Doctrine & Covenants 101 as a text, he said, “Even this nation will be on the verge of crumbling to pieces and tumbling to the ground and when the Constitution is on the brink of ruin this people will be the staff upon which the nation shall lean and they shall bear the Constitution away from the very verge of destruction.” (Joseph Smith Papers, LDS Church Historical Archives, Box 1, March 10, 1844.)

To be frank, it was soon decided that the so-called “Kingdom of God” would succeed only when a Mormon prophet ruled over not only the church. . . but the civil government as well.

To be frank myself, what are Mr. Boyd's sources for all this allegation? This is news to me as a member of the LDS church.

The simple truth is the Mormon temple in Washington, D.C. -- our nation’s capitol -- has a large room on its upper floor that I believe was designed to house their theocratic government. From this room, Mitt Romney, along with the Mormon prophet and the council of elders plan to rule the United States of America...Yes, it sounds far-fetched.

I, myself, have heard some pretty ridiculous accusations about the LDS temples. I've heard that the Washington D.C. temple has a volcano underneath it where the LDS faithful sacrifice children by dropping them into the volcano. Another great one is there is an underground tunnel running from England to the Salt Lake Temple where missionaries could "seduce" women, take them through the tunnel, come up into the temple, get married, and jump off the temple's spires into the Great Salt Lake (mind you the temple is over ten miles from the edges of the Great Salt Lake).

Other's asked to me are, "Do you in Utah go out and round up the cattle every day?" The oft confusing Mormons with Amish, "Do you guys use electricity and have cars?"

"However a Mormon like Romney becomes President -- whether elected outright or ascending to the office from the Vice Presidency -- there is every reason to believe that he will immediately begin to gather around him increasing numbers of zealous Temple Mormons in strategic places at the highest levels of government. "

There is every reason to believe? Evidence? He must be referring to all those Mormons Gov. Romney, Harry Reid, Orrin Hatch, Rep. Matheson, and others have placed Mormons in "strategic places."

Maybe he's referring to a takeover by appointments of Mike Leavitt (current HHS secretary), Ezra T. Benson (Secretary of Agriculture under Pres. Eisenhower, then Apostle and later President of the LDS church), L. Stewart Udall, Reed Smoot, and Dallin Oaks (U.S. Supreme Court nominee by Reagan), and many others…wait, these were all appointed by NON-LDS leaders.

"Yet Mitt Romney -- a Temple Mormon and High Priest -- claims he will “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” while owing his supreme allegiance to the Mormon Church. ...Simply put, you must understand that these sworn oaths of obedience to the Mormon Church represent a clear conflict of interest for all Mormons who have also pledged their allegiance to the United States. Romney’s church oaths
supersede any civil oaths he will take… It even trumps the United States Constitution and his pledge to honor and defend it should he be elected President. "

This argument has come up in many places. See my blog entitled "Priority: LDS Beliefs or Oath to Constitution?"

"And when you return your reply form, please enclose your best possible gift to help me get this crucial warning out to millions of Christians all across the nation. This message is too important to let it be muzzled by the Mormon Church and Mitt Romney’s high-paid publicity team. Together, you and I must lay bare the hidden secret of the Mormon plan to turn America into
a 'Latter Day Saint' dictatorship. Time is of the essence!...And with your gift of $25 or more... For a $50 or more gift, you will receive…

Ahhh…well that explains it. He wants your money.

2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
(New Testament | 1 Peter 5:2 - 3)