The Wages Of Sin Is Death: How Amber Menezes' Adultery Contributed To Her Death And That Of An Innocent Person And Indirectly Affected Five Others

To the best of my knowledge, neither of the parties involved in this story are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but this story illustrates why the LDS Church takes such a dim view of adultery and will generally excommunicate adulterers and adulteresses almost without exception. In this case, the wages of sin were, quite literally, death.

According to the Daily Mail, Mark Anders Chalin of Mankato, MN, pleaded guilty to criminal vehicular homicide in October 2012 in exchange for a recommended four-year prison term, to which he was sentenced in December 2012. Prosecutors say Chalin smashed into a car being driven by Jonna Martin, a 35-year-old engaged mother of four on August 7th, 2011, while driving on County Road 90. Also killed was Chalin's passenger, 23-year-old Amber Menezes, who was married to Chris Menezes, although another report indicates the two were legally separated at the time of the crash.

But it is the reason for the crash that arouses concern. Witnesses told police that just before the collision, they saw Amber Menezes straddling Chalin in the driver's seat, blocking his view of the road. It was subsequently confirmed that Menezes was on Chalin's lap and it appeared they had been having sex before Chalin veered into Martin's lane. Somewhat shameful was the response of Menezes' mother, Michelle Scholl, who attended the hearing and didn't support the plea agreement. She said, "I will never have grandchildren from my daughter. She was somebody who did something with her life. He is a repeat offender"

Committing adultery is not something that one would be proud to brag about having done with her life. And it cost her mortality. And imagine the conflicting emotions buffeting Chris Menezes; while he may think his wife got her just desserts, he also undoubtedly misses her. On the other hand, Michelle Scholl may have a difficult time with the idea that her daughter preceded her in death, so sanitizing her daughter's life may be part of the grieving process.

Four additional people were also affected by Amber Menezes' adultery; Jonna Martin's four kids and her fiance, Roger Thompson. So because Mark Chalin and Amber Menezes couldn't control their lust for one another, two people are dead, one is in prison, and five others are without someone they loved. The wages of sin can be fearsome.

Now you know why the LDS Church takes such a hard line on adultery. It's not as if it's impossible to avoid. Since we believe that "as man is, God once was, and as God is, man may become", this means our Heavenly Father went though mortality. He understands human emotions first hand; He undoubtedly knows how it feels to look upon a woman and lust after her. But by virtue of His Godhood, it is obvious He resisted those impulses during His mortality.

When our Heavenly Father tells us "Thou shalt not commit adultery", He knows what He's talking about. He didn't give us that commandment to oppress us, but to liberate us from sin and the sometimes drastic and unforgiving consequences of it.

Excommunicated Mormon Warns Against The Loss Of The Holy Ghost, Says It's An Intense Physical Feeling Of Loss And Emptiness

Each year, a number of people sever membership with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for a variety of reasons and under different circumstances. Many decide they cannot reconcile themselves with alternative Church history or with unique practices such as temple ceremonies, and so they resign. But some are excommunicated, almost always for legitimate cause (although some devout Mormons have question the excommunication of Dr. Melvin Fish, who deflected one attempt but was nailed on the second attempt).

One such excommunicant has shared his testimony on the LDS Freedom Forum. Towards the end of the thread, he reveals he was excommunicated for adultery:

A Voice of Warning

Postby skmo » Mon Feb 11, 2013 5:45 pm
This is part of my testimony to you all, I hope none of you have to learn this same lesson I did.

As some of you may know, I was excommunicated in the Summer of 2012. My wife had left me at that time (we have since reconciled) and I had a High Council Court at which I was excommunicated. As I left the building I had the most intense feeling of loss. I had never known such a feeling of emptiness. I know first hand what the loss of the Gift of the Holy Ghost feels like, there is a physical feeling associated with it. a most terrible feeling. I pray none of you need to find this out firsthand, it is thoroughly horrible.

We know that the idea of a lake of fire and brimstone where people are eternally burning and yet never consumed is just a figurative device, but say with all candor that the idea that you all alone and without the companionship of the Holy Ghost is real. It is my most fervent prayer that you take heed from one who has walked the path of sin that you live in accordance with the principles we know to be true so that you may keep this wonderful gift.

I cannot tell any of you the way to choose right for yourselves, we all seem to have differing views on many points. I can, however, offer you my testimony that the Gift of the Holy Ghost should never be taken for granted. Do NOT make choices in your life that would cause you to lose this blessed gift.

In the LDS Church, adultery is considered the second most serious sin, next to capital or first-degree murder. Consequently, the penalty levied for adultery will almost always be excommunication rather than mere disfellowshipment or probation. Note that the man didn't just confess his sin to his wife and the Lord; he also confessed it to his bishop. In October 1955, Elder Marion G. Romney, then an Assistant to the Twelve, gave counsel as to what sins needed to be confessed to a priesthood leader, saying “Finally, where one’s transgressions are of such a nature as would, unrepented of, put in jeopardy his right to membership or fellowship in the Church of Jesus Christ, full and effective confession would, in my judgment, require confession by the repentant sinner to his bishop or other proper presiding Church officer”. This is backed up scripturally by Mosiah 26:29 and D&C 58:43. The bishop will then convene a disciplinary court for an offender who either holds the Aaronic Priesthood or no priesthood, or else forwards a recommendation for a disciplinary council to the stake president for a Melchizedek Priesthood holder.

The Disciplinary Council was once called a Church Court, then they went to the other extreme and gave it the Orwellian title of Court Of Love. Disciplinary councils do not approach their task joyously; they enter into it with a heavy heart. Tim Malone, the editor of Latter-day Commentary, has participated in a few dozen disciplinary councils and provides some insight into their workings (after the jump):

Married LDS Lawyer Steven Guynn Arrested In Connecticut For Allegedly Assaulting Purported Mistress Jeanette Schaefer, But Schaefer May Be A Disgruntled Scammer

Is high-powered Manhattan lawyer Steven Guynn an abusive, adulterous womanizer who has trampled his LDS covenants underfoot, or is he the victim of an embellished story made up by his alleged female paramour, Jeanette Schaefer, who's been exposed as a possible scammer?

The New York Post leans distinctly in the first direction. On March 23rd, 2012, the Post reported that Steven Guynn, who works for the King & Spalding law firm, had been arrested on March 16th over his role in a physical confrontation with Jeanette Schaefer that occurred on March 14th in Guynn's home in New Canaan, CT. Guynn allegedly slapped Schaefer four times in a punching manner to the right side of the head, leaving a bruise under her left eye, and also forcefully grabbed her left arm, leaving a bruise, according to the police report. The court papers also state that in a previous incident occurring in May 2011, Guynn allegedly assaulted Schaefer with approximately 30 hits to her stomach, face and upper body, and threatened her life. Guynn was arrested on March 16th after he confirmed to police during an interview in his home that he was involved in the March 14th altercation; the Stamford Advocate reports that he has been charged with third-degree assault and second-degree threatening. He has since been released on $30,000 bail; his next court appearance is scheduled for April 25th.

Stephen Guynn is identified as being married to Kristie Guynn, a writer and editor whose byline appears in some LDS Church publications such as the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation. So where was Kristie when this altercation occurred? Most likely not at home -- during the course of the alleged two-year affair between Stephen Guynn and Jeanette Schaefer, the two would see each other either at her apartment (also in New Canaan) or at his home when his wife was out of town. The Guynns are both graduates of Brigham Young University in Provo, where Steven was also a class valedictorian. The couple has two daughters who are also BYU grads.

But here is where the story starts to become more interesting. Steven Guynn not only allegedly showered Schaefer with gifts, money, and trips, but the two set up a business called Raw Flora, built around Schaefer’s interest in eco-travel and nutritional supplements. Corporate records list the company’s official address as Guynn’s home and say he and Schaefer are its only officers; the company's website states “All of our products, EcoTours and programs have been strategically developed to support community projects, educate participants on sustainability efforts, offset carbon emissions, and contribute to scientific research”. Typical corporate gobbledy-gook.

But just as the story is about to become REAL interesting, the Post gets cold feet. For the rest of the story, we turn to Wall Street Unplugged, edited by Teri Buhl (the use of her real name gives it more credibility). Buhl's account casts considerable doubt on the credibility of Jeannette Schaefer. The key excerpt (after the jump):

How Jesus Christ Exemplified The LDS Twelfth Article Of Faith In His Dealings With The Adulteress

The Twelfth Article of Faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reads, "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law".

But does this mean blind obedience? Does this mean we cannot rebel against a government which has become fully ripe in wickedness? Jesus Christ actually provided a noteworthy example on obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law in his dealing with the adulteress in the New Testament.

John 8:3-11 gives us the account:

3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Let's recap:

(1). The scribes and the Pharisees, who were the official secular authorities of the society, proposed to execute an adulteress by stoning in accordance with their official law.

(2). Jesus Christ did not render a judgment one way or another, but merely said "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her".

(3). The scribes and the Pharisees decided to voluntarily depart without exercising judgment, thus effectively vacating the charge against the adulteress.

(4). Jesus Christ then merely confirmed the dismissal of the charge, telling the adulteress that He also did not have an issue with her. He set her at liberty and counseled her not to re-offend.

Unlike the activist judges of our era who frequently overrule the expressed legislative will of the people, Jesus Christ did not overrule the authorities. Thus he obeyed, honored, and sustained the existing law. Through his power of persuasion, He was able to convince the secular authorities to vacate the charges. This effectively counters the false notion held by some that Jesus was some sort of revolutionary insurgent bent on overthrowing society and turn it upside down. Far from wanting to turn society upside down, Jesus Christ merely sought to change hearts, in keeping with his ultimate mission of serving as a Redeemer to mankind by first taking upon Himself the sins of the world at Gethsemane, and then offering up his life as a substitutionary atonement for those sins on Calvary. For these actions He was extended the privilege of resurrecting Himself three days later, thus breaking the bands of death and hell.

The Twelfth Article of Faith is further reinforced by Doctrine & Covenants 58:21-22:

21 Let no man break the laws of the land, for he that keepeth the laws of God hath no need to break the laws of the land.

22 Wherefore, be subject to the powers that be, until he reigns whose right it is to reign, and subdues all enemies under his feet.

In the Mormon Worker, Ron Madson poses the interesting question of whether or not civil disobedience is a breach of the Twelfth Article of Faith. He cites the example of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who refused a royal command from Nebuchadnezzar to worship a golden image of him. Another example cited is Ammon's qualified pledge of obedience to King Lamoni stated in Alma 18:17, where he said “...whatsoever thou desireth which is right, that will I do". From both these examples, we get the message that the Twelfth Article of Faith does not require us to violate our consciences, and that civil disobedience is in keeping with it if we subject ourselves to the consequences of such disobedience, as did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when they allowed the authorities to arrest them and throw them into a fiery furnace, from which they emerged unharmed.

Modesty Can Be Both Smart And Sexy: The Daily Mail Reports On The Proliferation Of Mormon Modesty Blogs

Several members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are attempting to demonstrate that modesty can be both smart and sexy. On October 14th, 2011, the Daily Mail reported on a proliferation of Mormon Modesty blogs designed to communicate this positive message.

In general, these Mormon Modesty bloggers believe that their bodies are temples and should be treated with respect. While LDS dress standards don't dictate personal style, LDS standards provide guidelines for what is considered appropriate and respectful. And this doesn't just include clothing; tattoos, heavy jewelry and body piercing are also discouraged by Church leaders, although not necessarily issues of temple worthiness. Modesty is actually much more than rules; modesty is actually about showing respect for our bodies because they are a sacred gift from God and should be treated accordingly.

So who are these modesty bloggers? Here's the list of those presented in the story:

-- Clothed Much: Edited by Elaine Hearn, a 23-year-old account coordinator. Also has a Facebook page.

-- North Meets South: Edited by Erica Ricks, an accountant based in New York City.

-- Wearing It On My Sleeves: Edited by Sarah Morales.

-- No More Mom Jeans: Edited by Jae Curtis, a 27-year old freelance writer.

-- Cats And Cardigans: Edited by Brandilyn Haynes.

-- Writing Rainbows: Edited by Ashley Nielson.

All six of these bloggers show that modesty can be both smart and sexy, effectively countering the sleazy propaganda put forth by both the fashion business and the entertainment industry.

This is a welcome development, because as a man, I find it more difficult to respect a woman who dresses suggestively than one who dresses modestly. Why is this? It's because of acculturation and opportunism. I actually get turned on more by a secretary wearing a short skirt in a typical office than by a woman wearing a bikini down at the beach. This is attributable to the fact that bikinis fit in with the beach and numerous women wear them, while a single woman wearing a short skirt in an office environment stands out and detracts from professionalism. Married women who dress suggestively may be more prone to illicit affairs than married women who dress modestly, although I know of no objective statistics to back this up.

Obviously, we men have the primary responsibility for being the guardians of our own virtue. But as Young Women President Elaine Dalton suggested during the General Young Women Meeting in April 2011, women have a secondary responsibility to be guardians of our virtue as well. This means women should avoid dressing and behaving in a manner which tempts us beyond our ability to bear it. The unspoken assumption is that we men also have a secondary responsibility to serve as guardians of women's virtue; we serve this purpose best by treating women like ladies even when they don't behave like ladies. This is the most effective antidote to feminism.

One supportive comment was posted on the Daily Mail website by a non-Mormon:

It's not just LDS who have modesty rules, many Conservative Baptists, Pentecostals, Assembly of God, Catholics and other Christian women try to dress modestly! I'm plain-old C of E [Church of England] but I would never wear a skirt that wasn't at least below my knees, or a t-shirt that was too tight or didn't cover the tops of my arms and exposed too much of my 'cleavage'. Basically, it's about self-respect, and also about 'not having everything on show' to the world. There are things I like to keep for my husband! I do the same with my children, they are brought up to respect themselves!

- Anna, Newcastle, 16/10/2011 13:45

Bristol Palin Exposes The Destructive Effects Of Adultery And How It Got A Friend's Mother Excommunicated From The LDS Church

Bristol Palin's first book, entitled "Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far", is due to be officially released on June 24th, 2011. The mainstream media has already fed us bits and pieces; namely, how Bristol referred to Levi Johnston as a "gnat", how Levi had fed her wine coolers and date-raped her in their first intimate experience (that incident did NOT result in pregnancy), and how Bristol was put off by the effete snobbery of Meghan McCain and the crass materialism of Cindy McCain. Bristol also reveals that her parents actually handled it well when she told them that she was pregnant. The book can be ordered online through Amazon.com.

But MSNBC Powerwall decided to release a number of additional more detailed excerpts. One of those excerpts details adultery by the mother of one of Bristol's friends, and how it destroyed her marriage and polarized an entire community when it became public. The adultery cost the woman her membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Here's the excerpt (the "Uncle Mike" is Alaska State Trooper Mike Wooten, who was the particular target of Sarah Palin's ire while she was governor, and not without some justification):

Bristol's Uncle Mike, a burly state trooper standing six foot four and weighing in at 250 pounds, was the cause of some early drama in her life. First, back in 2003, Bristol witnessed Uncle Mike shoot a Taser gun at her cousin, Payton. As Payton was recovering from the shock, Uncle Mike looked over at Bristol and said, “Bristol, you're next.” (Pg. 25) Bristol screams, and tells her mother about the incident. Later, it's revealed that there were a bunch of citizen complaints against Mike, ranging from boozing in his patrol car to people claiming they witnessed him illegally kill an animal on a hunting trip. Later on, Uncle Mike carries out a very public affair with Bristol's friend Jenna's mother. The affair results in Bristol's Aunt Molly divorcing Uncle Mike, Jenna's mom getting kicked out of the Mormon Church, and Bristol losing all her friends, as kids at school chose sides between Bristol's family and Jenna's, a la “Team Jolie or Team Aniston.” (Pg. 39) Bristol also thought, “It was the first time—but not the last—that I realized how someone's sexual sin could rock everyone around him or her.” (Pg. 40) Later, Mike confronts Bristol in the hallway of her high school—where he is an assistant coach—and calls her a “fucking bitch” under his breath. (Pg. 43)

Let's summarize the effects of the affair between Mike Wooten and Jenna's mother:

-- Caused the breakup of Wooten's marriage
-- Caused Jenna's mother to be excommunicated from the LDS Church
-- Bristol Palin lost all her friends
-- Kids at school took sides
-- Mike Wooten threatens retaliation against Bristol Palin

Now you understand why the LDS Church looks upon adultery as the third most serious sin, behind the shedding of innocent blood (capital murder) and sinning against the Holy Ghost. And now you should also understand why the LDS Church, almost without exception, will excommunicate a member who commits adultery, particularly if that member had a temple marriage and has also undergone the endowment ceremony. No probation, no disfellowshipment -- excommunication. It doesn't matter what the pop therapists and the "valuable intellectual properties" who infest academia say -- adultery is NOT a victimless crime.

LDS Doctrine: Are Sexual Sins Really Next To Murder In Severity?

On Things Of My Soul, Papa D takes issue with the popular notion accepted throughout the LDS community that sexual sin is next to murder in severity. Of course, the LDS Church defines murder in this case as the shedding of innocent blood, normally reflected in our criminal codes as capital murder or first-degree murder. Papa D agrees that sexual sins are serious, but, as a general all-encompassing category, does not accept the notion that they are next to murder as the third most serious sin possible to commit (the first is denying the Holy Ghost; read these posts for an explanation of this sin).

So where did people get this notion that all sexual sins are equally serious? Commonly cited are the following passages from Alma 39: 2-5,13:

2 For thou didst not give so much heed unto my words as did thy brother, among the people of the Zoramites. Now this is what I have against thee; thou didst go on unto boasting in thy strength and thy wisdom.
3 And this is not all, my son. Thou didst do that which was grievous unto me; for thou didst forsake the ministry, and did go over into the land of Siron among the borders of the Lamanites, after the harlot Isabel.
4 Yea, she did steal away the hearts of many; but this was no excuse for thee, my son. Thou shouldst have tended to the ministry wherewith thou wast entrusted.
5 Know ye not, my son, that these things are an abomination in the sight of the Lord; yea, most abominable above all sins save it be the shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost?
13 . . . that ye lead away the hearts of no more to do wickedly . . .

A discussion thread on LDS.net shows that Church leaders have also promoted this idea. In this post, a passage from Spencer W. Kimball's book "The Miracle of Forgiveness" is cited. At the beginning of Chapter 5, President Kimball wrote “There are also sins which approach the unforgivable ones in seriousness but seem to come in the category of the forgivable. These are the diabolical crimes of sexual impurity.”

Thus it's understandable why some Church members would believe that all sexual sins are next to murder in severity. But the LDS Church's procedures in dealing with sin differ according to the impact of the sin and sets a prescribed course of repentance according to the attitudes and capacities of the sinner. Cases in point:

-- A bishop is caught committing adultery with the spouse of another ward member. Such a bishop is almost guaranteed a disciplinary council and subsequent excommunication. The need for such a stern response is underscored by the fact that a bishop is not merely responsible for personal compliance, but also for enforcing compliance by others. Adultery by a bishop (or anyone else in a leadership position) compromises the stewardship.

-- A young Aaronic Priesthood holder confesses to occasional masturbation during a worthiness interview with his bishop. No disciplinary council or membership sanction will result, since it is a solitary sin. Most likely the Aaronic Priesthood member's temple privileges will be curtailed, or some other form of informal probation imposed.

Thus the LDS Church clearly varies its disciplinary response according to the impact and gravity of the sin; it does not use a "one size fits all" approach. Nevertheless, as another person on LDS.net makes amply clear, the tools of procreation are sacred in the eyes of our Heavenly Father, which means the misuse of those sacred tools and abilities in principle cannot be negotiated down to be less offensive in the eyes of the Father. While masturbation is far less serious than adultery, we don't want to send the message that it's OK to masturbate; it is not.

All sexual sin involves misuse of the powers of procreation, but not all sexual sin is equally serious.

Mormon Mom Christine Shreeve Hubbs Faces 67 Felony Counts Of Sex And Lewd Acts With Minors; Nicknamed "The Hummer Mom"

Update June 11th 2011: In February 2011, Hubbs pleaded guilty to four counts – unlawful sexual intercourse, oral copulation with a person under 16 and two counts of performing a lewd act upon a child. The other charges were dropped in exchange for her plea, and she was sentenced to five years in prison.

Update September 13th: Christine Hubbs appeared in court on September 3rd and pleaded not guilty to all charges. She is scheduled to return to Alameda County Superior Court in Pleasanton on October 14th for a pretrial hearing. She remains at Santa Rita Jail in lieu of $4.3 million bail.

Update August 26th: Christine Hubbs' next hearing has been continued until September 3rd. The 14-year-old boy she allegedly seduced is actually her daughter's boyfriend. Christine's husband is standing by her.

A Livermore, California woman accused of having sex with two teenage boys was arraigned on Monday August 9th, 2010 on 67 different felony counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and lewd acts on a child. Both the SFWeekly and HipHopWired identify the woman as being Mormon, but give no details as to her activity in the Church.

Christine Hubbs appeared before Judge Hugh Walker in Pleasanton to hear the charges against her. She did not enter a plea at that time. Hubbs, who is married to a dentist and has three kids of her own, was arrested on Thursday August 5th, a little more than a week after the mother of one of the boys reported possible illicit activity between her son and Hubbs. The mother found a nude photo of Hubbs on her son's cell phone on July 27th. The boy told police that he and Hubbs were involved in sexual activity from December 2008 to January 2010, beginning when the 15-year-old was 14. During that investigation, officers learned of a second boy who said he had a sexual relationship with Hubbs from December until July. The second boy was 14 at the time. Many of the encounters took place in the back seat of Hubbs' 2006 black Hummer, thus earning her the highly-Freudian nickname of "The Hummer Mom". Her husband of 20 years, Timothy, was in court for his wife's appearance, but didn't want to talk about the case.

According to a Livermore Police Department press release, the following sections of the Penal Code were breached:

-- Penal Code 261.5(d): Unlawful sexual intercourse with person under 18 years
-- Penal Code 288a(c)(1): Oral Copulation
-- Penal Code 288(c)(1): Lewd act on a child
-- Penal Code 288.2: Distribution or exhibition of lewd material to a minor
-- Penal Code 288.3: Contacting a minor for the purpose of engaging in lewd or lascivious behavior



According to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, friends of the Hubbs family say this goes against everything they know about the family. One friend of Christine said she was the ultimate team mom, shuttling her kids to various sporting events and volunteering to make a shopping trip or host a team barbecue. She didn't know how Christine could have possibly found the time to be catting around. But on the other hand, some of Christine's neighbors said that Christine frequently dressed and acted like a teenager.

In a separate case, Christine Hubbs also faces four misdemeanor counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and one misdemeanor count of discharge of a BB gun in a June 29th incident in which she is accused of driving her Hummer recklessly around Livermore while her young male passengers shot Airsoft pistols out the window, hitting a bicyclist. The boys in the car admitted to the shooting, but they said Hubbs did not try to stop them and that she had bought them the guns.

Hubbs' next court appearance is set for August 16th. She is being held in lieu of $4.3 million bail at Santa Rita jail in Dublin. As is normally the custom, the LDS Church won't take action against Christine Hubbs' membership unless or until she confesses or is convicted in court. Because of the lengthy and repetitive duration of the activity, excommunication would be the most likely alternative; mere disfellowshipment would not be considered sufficient.