Posted by
Phil E. on Saturday, November 24, 2007 12:33:17 AM
"X" marks the spotDeep in the heart of Mormon Country, Utah
I tripped across an
interesting editorial by
Suzanne Dean, the publisher of
The Sanpete Messenger, the local, small town, independent newspaper in Sanpete County, Utah.
Geographically speaking, Sanpete County is deep in the heart of Utah. Utah is virtually rectangularly shaped and if you draw bisecting lines from Utah's corners, as in the graphic above, Sanpete County is where the lines intersect. (Just about. Sanpete county
is just to the west of the intersecting lines.)
Spiritually speaking, Sanpete County is similarly deep in the heart of Mormonism. There's a Mormon temple in Manti, and the Sanpete Messenger treats
a LOT of church news as real "news" and routinely features stories and
letters to the editor about the Mormon church.
It's a surprising editorial, coming from someone trapped in the middle of Utah, surrounded by Mormons, whose livelihood depends on not offending the members. (Even if you're LDS yourself.)
The CULTure of hush"
Yes, that's really the headline to the editorial, although the emphasis on "cult" is mine. But I have to believe Miss Dean, a graduate of Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, chooses her words carefully.
As background, there have been a few peculiar problems in Sanpete County relating to Mormons and the Mormon church that go, shall we say, "under reported." There was the Mormon woman,
Wendy Hansen, the former city recorder and treasurer for the Sanpete County Landfill Co-op, who embezzled public funds. Somehow she only got a slap on the wrist (no jail time) after being charged with 44 felonies (!) and managed to avoid paying any restitution!
There was the matter of
a Mormon bishop, Mr. Michael Barclay, who got an unusual zoning variance for his commercial venture. After the city council gave it to him, some neighbors sued.
And it's hard to know if Manti City is taking a queue from Big Brother in Salt Lake by trying to do a land swap with the Mormon church to keep the Evangelical Christians from using what used to be public property adjacent the Mormon temple when they evangelize during the
Mormon Miracle Pageant. (As the Mormon church did
when it bought up a public street from Salt Lake City to keep Christians away.)
Here are excerpts from
her editorial.
So, hey, did you hear the one about the whistle-blower from Sanpete County?
No, you say?
Well, that's not surprising, since there is really not much of a bigger joke than the Cult -ure of hush that pervades Sanpete.
Unfortunately, the joke is not funny, especially in an area where the lifestyle places such importance on things like integrity and honesty; on things like "obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law."
This quote is a reference to the current Mormon
12th Article of Faith (they changed them once), which claims, "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law."
But see
my previous post about how Mormons in general, and Mitt Romney specifically, believe instead that they are above the law.
As this editorial shows, actions speak louder than words. (Remember that next time you're listening to Mitt Romney's assurances that he's now pro-life or that he won't
take orders from his church.
Peace and harmony are more desirable than not, to be sure. But we would prefer to see controversy caused by people trying to do the right thing than undisturbed contentment that comes from people's refusal or fear to speak out about something that is wrong.
This is particularly ironic because Mormons proudly wear these "
C.T.R." rings. "Choose The Right." But if you aren't worshiping the right God, if the right Father, Son and Holy Ghost aren't living in you, you can't really know what's right.
In the last few years, we have seen several very significant cases of fraud or embezzlement in this county. We are surprised not that they happened, but that they went on so long, and then afterward we discover that there were indications that may have been noticed by people who never came forward..
In addition to hindering the exposure of legal or ethical improprieties, the Cult -ure of hush—the reluctance to cause controversy, contention ["contention is a code word in Mormonism. Ask any Mormon where contention comes from] or anything but sweet accord—has been a thorn in the side of the principle of open government.
The Cult -ure of hush extinguishes interest and participation in government, promotes civic apathy, promotes opportunities for fraud and wrongdoing, and compromises our societal integrity.
Amen?
And what is the predominate Cult -ure in Utah? Yeah, you got it: Mormonism. Being a cult, Mormonism inherently suppresses free thought and individuality. Besides, if you get all your brothers and sisters angry at you, they just may not do business with you. The socio-economic pressures can be especially big in a small town. It's amazing to me that people can come out of Mormonism there to become Christians. But "
with God, all things are possible" and there are a few who have been saved, despite the worldly difficulties.
As an aside, she also said,
Open-government laws and freedom-of-information laws are collectively called "sunshine" laws based on the idea that the operation of government should be done in light, in the open, where everyone can see it.
She may have said this because there's been a pattern and practice of ignoring State open record laws there, especially in matters touching the Mormon church. I've told you about the
"Higher Law" in Mormonism.
No free speech
I've warned you before, and I'm warning you again, Mormonism isn't all it claims to be. When it comes to matters between the Mormon church and state, Mormons will most always go with the church. (Church leadership, that is.) They don't want you to have free speech, and in fact, when it comes to exposing evil themselves, they won't engage in free speech either.
Shoot the Messenger
But don't shoot me. Shoot the Messenger. The Sanpete Messenger, that is. Don't get angry at me on this one. I didn't say it. The editor of that paper deep in the heart of Mormon Utah said it.
But go ahead. Vote for Mitt Romney. He won't tell you about
that oath he's taken in the Mormon temple and he may continue that silence as he brings a CULT -ure of hush to the White House. He'll certainly surround himself with his brothers and you'll never know what they discuss when they go into the Mormon temple together, where even his
Secret Service agents will HAVE to be Mormon. Like "gentiles" attending their Mormon convert son or daughter's wedding, you'll be out in the cold wondering "
what's going on in there?"