Tag: Child Abuse

The Book of Mormon—Teaching Immorality

BurningReally?

In 2018, the topic of a priesthood lesson in my local congregation was ‘revelation.’  The instructor used a story found in Alma 14:7-15.  In this passage an evil community rounded up all the women and children who believed in the “word of God” and cast them into a pit to be burned alive.

A prophet of God, Alma, and his companion, Amulek were brought to the edge of the pit to witness the horrendous pains of the innocents being consumed by fire.  Amulek called out to the prophet to save the women and children.  The prophet informed his troubled companion that he could not.  God had revealed His will.  Even though they had the power, these ever obedient servants were not to intervene.  The women and children were to be consumed in flames.  Although they were innocent believers, they must die so that evil people could commit evil acts to reveal that they were really really evil.

Oh what twisted & vile logic is presented here as an example of how God’s revelation operates.  This is not an admirable god.  Immorality, plain and simple, is purported as righteousness.  What a horrendous scripture.  What a savage and rotten god.

After the instructor’s presentation of the story, a conversation ensued about how this revelation was transmitted to Alma.  The moral of the immoral story was that God communicated through the Holy Ghost and that we too can receive revelation in the same manner.

As the discussion continued, I reread the passage.  I stewed.  My uneasy mind rebelled.  Finally, I raised my hand and said, “If I had the power to save one child, I would completely disregard god’s command.  I’d jump into that pit and pull out as many women & children as I could.”  The deliberation promptly ended and we moved to the next example of revelation.  It was much less egregious.

If I were in that class today, here’s what I would add to my comments.  “If god fussed at me for my disobedience, I would say to him, “You were going to burn these innocent human beings alive to facilitate depraved people going to hell!!!  You’re an evil bastard and I want no part of you or your kingdom.”

Effect of Immoral Teachings

I have been asked,  Why do leaders and most members of the LDS Church turn a blind eye to all the abuse that occurs in the Church?  Why are pedophiles so often protected while victims are brushed aside?  Why did the presentation of thousands of horror stories behind bishop’s closed doors not incite appropriate policy changes?

Well guess what.  This attitude is taught and glorified in sacred Mormon scripture.  Alma and Amulek turned a blind eye to the cries of terror & pain as women and children were in the throes of a dreadful death.  These prophets are revered in Mormon culture.

Immorality at its worst.  If any story should be excised from the LDS canon, this is it.  Instead, they excommunicate those incapable of turning a blind eye.

May our society stop turning a blind eye to our children’s plight.  That’s up to us, you and me!!!

Answer

At the end of the scripture below, the screams of the women and children are finally silenced as their bodies are converted into smoldering embers.  The baddies then slap the prophets across the face and ask, “What say ye for yourselves?”

What a question!  Of course, they had no answer.  What they should have said?  “We have made a huge & tragic mistake.  We condoned evil to take place when we could have prevented it.  Our regret will dog us us the rest of our lives.  We beg for forgiveness.”

Alma 14:7-15

7 And it came to pass that he began to cry unto the people, saying: Behold, I am guilty, and these men are spotless before God. And he began to plead for them from that time forth; but they reviled him, saying: Art thou also possessed with the devil? And they spit upon him, and cast him out from among them, and also all those who believed in the words which had been spoken by Alma and Amulek; and they cast them out, and sent men to cast stones at them.

8 And they brought their wives and children together, and whosoever believed or had been taught to believe in the word of God they caused that they should be cast into the fire; and they also brought forth their records which contained the holy scriptures, and cast them into the fire also, that they might be burned and destroyed by fire.

9 And it came to pass that they took Alma and Amulek, and carried them forth to the place of martyrdom, that they might witness the destruction of those who were consumed by fire.

10 And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.

11 But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.

12 Now Amulek said unto Alma: Behold, perhaps they will burn us also.

13 And Alma said: Be it according to the will of the Lord. But, behold, our work is not finished; therefore they burn us not.

14 Now it came to pass that when the bodies of those who had been cast into the fire were consumed, and also the records which were cast in with them, the chief judge of the land came and stood before Alma and Amulek, as they were bound; and he smote them with his hand upon their cheeks, and said unto them: After what ye have seen, will ye preach again unto this people, that they shall be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone?

15 Behold, ye see that ye had not power to save those who had been cast into the fire; neither has God saved them because they were of thy faith. And the judge smote them again upon their cheeks, and asked: What say ye for yourselves?

Powerhouse Panel of Keynotes

Powerhouse Lineup

I am excited to announce the keynote speakers for the March to End Child Abuse on Oct 5th.

We will have the honor of marching with Jan Broberg, Tanya Brown and Matthew Sandusky.  In turn, they will have the honor of marching with thousands of you.

The members of our powerhouse panel are nationally recognized child advocates.  They are pursuing the very same goal as Protect Every Child:  A world free from child abuse.

Don’t miss this historic moment in history.  The very first national march to stand up for the human right of every child to grow up safe from abuse.   As of this moment 1,048 have registered, coming from 27 states and 9 countries.  This truly is a ‘national’ event that will be epic in the annals of protecting our children.   Please register HERE.

Matthew Sandusky

Watch Matthew’s worldwide TV exclusive on Oprah Prime.

Matthew Sandusky  was a victim of childhood sexual abuse from the age of 8 to 17 at the hands of his adopted father, Jerry Sandusky.  Matthew has turned his traumatic personal experience into a mechanism to prevent childhood sexual abuse and help other survivors heal.

Matthew raises awareness around child sexual abuse in local communities, supports the life-saving work of children’s advocacy and sexual assault treatment centers, and advocates for legislative changes.  Matthew also works with researchers, clinicians, the media, politicians, social workers and child protection professionals to raise awareness and improve the quality and availability of services to survivors nationwide.

In addition to his advocacy work, Matthew is committed to empowering and educating children to use their voices and help protect them against abuse.  He is working with other advocates to implement an in-school curriculum to empower children to use their voices as a first line of defense, along with parents and teachers.

Jan Broberg

Earlier this year, Jan Broberg became known as the subject of a movie chronicling her horrific kidnapping at the age of 12, and again at 14, by a trusted family friend.  The documentary film Abducted in Plain Sight was released by Netfix and is still available for viewing.  It recounts a jaw dropping tale of manipulation, brainwashing, kidnapping and child sex abuse.  All at the hands of a man who successfully groomed young Jan, her parents and the entire church community for his malevolent purposes.

Her triumph over those early, unspeakable events was instrumental in her speaking out to “end the abuse of every child on the planet. ”  She views this cause as a primary driving force in her life going forward.

Jan is an actress, singer and dancer who has appeared in more than two dozen feature films, numerous television series, and countless stage productions.

Tanya Brown

Tanya Brown is no stranger to adversity or trauma.  Her family name was seared into the national consciousness at the time of the O.J. Simpson trial for the murder of Tanya’s sister, Nicole Brown Simpson.  With the loss of Nicole, she has faced overwhelming life challenges but used these obstacles to ultimately improve the quality of her life.  Tanya became a domestic violence advocate, doing speaking engagements and training that would inform people about the horror of abuse at home.

Ten years after the loss of her sister, Tanya suffered a mental breakdown; and as a result, she has made a personal commitment to speak on the issues of how to overcome adversity and promote HEALTHY mental health for overall well-being.

 

High on a Mountain Top–Two Weeks to Go

 

Cindy Wells Hayes-TimpGreetings my FRIENDS!

Many adult survivors of child sexual abuse have written to Protect Every Child (PEC) expressing gratitude for all that you are doing through your activism, to help change the world.  You are lifting up the rocks and shining a bright light upon the darkness of child sexual abuse.

On their behalf, and on behalf of today and tomorrow’s children…THANK YOU!!!

A week ago we announced the Fall Color Tour of Protect Every Child banners, posters and signs. With the march now being only 14 days away, I would like that day to dawn BRIGHTLY.  I know it will.  The October 5th Children’s March will be triumphant in part because it was preceded by 9 months of climbing mountains, hills and driveways to save children.

A week ago, we requested that supporters invite a friend to unfurl a banner. Whether or not you go to your mountain together, on the same date, or separately, your participation and publication of your efforts will continue to help raise public awareness.

A week ago we expanded the definition of a mountain to include any institution that had the power to harm or to help a child, the power to hurt or to heal a child. The difference, of course, lies in the human element. What safety policies does the institution have, and are the people who run that institution following the policies?  The first place to start, of course, is with having proper institutional child safety policies for people to follow within every organization that deals directly with children. 

Months ago, Protect Every Child was perceived by some as a Utah movement.  Perhaps even a Texan movement because of where I am from.  Some perceived PEC as being a Mormon movement, because it was born out of the Protect LDS Children movement. The truth is that Protect Every Child is an ecumenical movement whose influence is felt across the country and around the world.

Protect Every Child is now a SIXTEEN-member coalition working to change things for our most vulnerable.  Our coalition partners are actively engaged in prevention, training, recovery, research, justice and legislation surrounding the issues of child abuse.  They all support the mission of PEC and the historic March to End Child Abuse.

So far in America, our banner has flown in the states of Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming , and Washington D.C. 

Across the world, our banner has been raised in the continents of Africa, Europe and North America. In Africa, our banner has been raised atop Mount Kilimanjaro.  In Europe, our banner has been raised in England, Norway, Scotland and Switzerland.  In the continent of North America, our banner has been raised in Belize, Mexico, Canada and the United States. 

The Spirit of Determination to Protect the Children is awakening around the world! On the same day that Protect Every Child will be marching in Salt Lake City, the Catholics will be staging a protest at the Vatican and ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses will be marching in multiple locations on multiple continents.

During the next two weeks, I would like to challenge PEC supporters to fly their banners and publish our message far and wide.  Let’s plant A Banner In Every U.S. State and A Banner On Every Continent and Fly it Among As Many People Of Different Faiths As Possible. We want the world to understand that child abuse has no boundaries, and that it’s rampant spread must be ended. That is our Mission Impossible. That is the Impossible Dream we dream.

Thank you for helping us spread the word through your participation in the Fall Color Tour to Protect Every Child.  We are excited with the momentum that is building as the date for The Children’s March draws ever nearer.  None of this could be possible without your help.  Like each of the beautiful autumn leaves on every tree, like each tree in every forest, our united one-by-one efforts are making a Mighty Unity of One Voice, roaring out to Protect The Children. We need each of you. We love and appreciate all of you. We thank every one of you.

Fly those banners high!  See you October 5th in Salt Lake City.

Resources

Video to share explaining Why We March

Register for the march HERE.

Supporting Organizations

Sign the Petition

P.S.  If we’ve missed your banner unfurling, let us know, and we’d be thrilled to add your story to our website.