A Modern-Day Samuel The Lamanite? LDS Stake President Matthew DeVisser Under Fire From Progressive Mormons For Giving "Political" Speech At Stake Conference

Stake President Matthew DeVisser -- a modern-day Samuel the Lamanite?

On February 3rd, 2013, during a stake conference, a priesthood leader did something that was routinely done by many more priesthood leaders back in the old days when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was more concerned with being a light and life unto the world rather than getting the world to like us. He actually sounded a voice of warning to the membership, and some progressive Mormons have their panties in a twist as a result.

President Matthew DeVisser of the Hidden Valley Stake in Sandy, Utah delivered the keynote address during the stake conference. Part of his speech was an assessment of key events taking place during 2012, and he warned that evil is corrupting the world. A three-page transcript of the speech was posted on Scribd. The entire document is embedded at the end of this post.

Although President DeVisser did not refer to either Barack Obama or Mitt Romney by name, here are the events he cited as justification for his concern:

- Gaza fired missiles on Jerusalem causing heightened unrest in the Middle East
- The Director of the CIA, a man considered to be of the highest moral integrity, resigned due to improprieties and adultery
- The UN Ambassador was instructed by the White House to cover up what happened in Libya, attempting to minimize the deaths of four Americans who were murdered
- There was an attempt to raise taxes during the worst economic times since the great depression- Hurricane Sandy, called the “perfect storm” hit the east coast causing great devastation
- Iran became closer to a nuclear weapon
- The use of marijuana was legalized in Washington and Colorado
- Some states legalized same sex marriage
- 23 states began a petition to secede from the nation
- Russia strengthened its coalitions with North Korea and Iran
- Forces aligned to stop school prayer, but allowed the handing out of birth control
- The government used tax dollars to fund abortions
- Examples of violence, gambling, drug misuse, and infidelity were more prevalent than ever
- Hollywood promoted parenthood without marriage
- Education scores of our youth plummeted to their lowest levels ever
- And finally, we were brought to the edge of the fiscal cliff

President Visser also noted that in 2012, the voice of the people spoke loudly and clearly, choosing socialism over capitalism, entitlements over free enterprise, and redistribution and regulation over self-reliance. He then cited a Book of Mormon passage to describe the current moral condition of our world and country; Helaman 5:2 states “For their laws and their governments were established by the voice of the people, and they who chose evil were more numerous than they who chose good, therefore they were ripening with destruction, for the laws had become corrupted.”

Immediately, progressive Mormons started sniping at President DeVisser. Crystal Young-Otterstrom, chairwoman of Utah’s LDS Dems Caucus, criticized DeVisser for using Republican Party buzzwords and denied that Obama and the Democratic Party are socialistic. Steve Olsen, vice chairman of the LDS Dems, said DeVisser’s speech was way out of line. And on Messenger and Advocate, Guy Murray accuses DeVisser of "going off the reservation" in a hyperbole-laced denunciation. Note that none of the critics could be bothered to rebut the substance of DeVisser's speech, however.

In contrast, the speech got vigorous approval on the LDS Freedom Forum in two separate threads. The primary discussion is contained in the thread entitled "Hidden Valley Stake Pres. De Visser talk". However, another thread entitled "LDSFF, BRIAN M. IN SL TRIBUNE STORY" discusses the Tribune's coverage of LDS Freedom Forum's primary discussion. Brian Mecham, LDS Freedom Forum administrator, said "It being a pro-freedom talk, with multiple statements in favor of free enterprise and self-reliance and against socialism, is something members of this forum are very interested in. They like to see that leaders of the church, at various levels, continue to sound the warning voice against those things that are destructive to freedom." Mildly disturbing was a report that DeVisser’s second counselor asked a member of the Freedom Forum to take down the speech, but to no avail since it had gone viral by that time.

Later, the LDS Church issued its official reaction. Church spokesman Scott Trotter issued a brief statement about DeVisser’s speech, saying: “Messages and statements from lay leaders are intended for the local congregations they oversee, and are not binding on the whole church.”

Analysis: President DeVisser's speech was in perfect keeping with the responsibility of a Priesthood leader to sound the voice of warning when society's going down the wrong track. He acted in the honorable tradition of Samuel the Lamanite. The LDS Church's policy on political neutrality simply states that the Church does not officially endorse, promote or oppose political parties, candidates or platforms or allow its church buildings, membership lists or other resources to be used for partisan political purposes. It does not prevent stake presidents or bishops from denouncing evil and calling people to repentance.

The full text of the speech appears after the jump:

"Godly Sorrow" New Testament Video Segment Portrays A Harsh Example Of The LDS Doctrine Of Repentance

On Pure Mormonism, Alan Rock Waterman alerts us to a DVD entitled "New Testament Video Presentations", produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and currently available at Deseret Books as well as other stores selling LDS material. This 11-part video recording teaches principles from the New Testament. It is used in Gospel Doctrine classes, and can also be used for individual and family study.

Part 8 is entitled "Godly Sorrow", and is intended to correlate with Lesson 35 in the New Testament Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual. One of the four objectives of Lesson 35 is to teach people about feeling Godly sorrow for one's sins. President Spencer W. Kimball explained: “If one is sorry only because someone found out about his sin, his repentance is not complete. Godly sorrow causes one to want to repent, even though he has not been caught by others, and makes him determined to do right no matter what happens. This kind of sorrow brings righteousness and will work toward forgiveness”.

However, Alan Rock Waterman characterized the video segment as the "worst church movie ever". After a short intro featuring President Gordon B. Hinckley, a young woman about to be married in a temple appears in her bishop's office. Most of the preliminaries have been accomplished; the wedding invitations have been sent. Undoubtedly the young woman views the interview as little more than a mere square-filling formality. But after an exchange of pleasantries, the bishop then asks THE QUESTION:

"Is there anything in your life, Kim, that hasn't been resolved with the proper priesthood authority?"

Uh-oh. You don't have to buy the DVD to find out what happened next; the segment's on the YouTube video embedded below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cdsWNkKIIE



The young woman confessed to certain unspecified indiscretions with a previous boyfriend. Although the time frame is not given, she's clearly been faithful to her fiance ever since she agreed to marry him. But this is insufficient for the bishop, who decides that her temple privileges must be suspended. The length of the suspension can be for as little as six months, but is generally for one year. But towards the end of the video, the woman characterizes the repentance process as positive, and expresses satisfaction that she confessed her indiscretion to the bishop. She acts much more mature.

So I would not agree that it was the worst church movie ever. But it still was a bit hard-nosed; the bishop could have reminded the woman that civil marriage was still an option, even if she had to wait on temple marriage. I understand that it is the Church's duty to promote temple marriage as the ultimate form of marriage, since it is marriage for time AND eternity, but it is still not the only form of marriage. What about all the guests who made plans to attend the original wedding and then had to change those plans after the original wedding was postponed? Where's the concern about the inconvenience imposed upon them?

On The Rains Came Down, Silver Rain notes that repentance isn't merely the ceasing of sin; it's also the process by which we bring our will into alignment with God's will. We don't repent only because we do something wrong, but also because in our mortal lives we have become separated from God. As we repent, we draw closer to Him. It's true that repentance includes purifying ourselves from sin, but it also includes drawing closer to Him, relying on Him, and getting to know Him personally. That's a much more expanded definition of repentance than I've previously seen, and it introduces a more positive outcome into the process. Repentance actually helps you become a better person than before.

The Miracle Of Forgiveness: Former Wyoming Murderer Mike Hickey Fully Repents, Restored To Membership In The LDS Church

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints maintains that individuals who commit murder, in particular the shedding of innocent blood, may become ineligible for exaltation, although they may still aspire to salvation. This means that, in general, a murderer cannot come forth in the first resurrection, when Jesus Christ returns, but must wait in the temporal hell for the second resurrection, and will only be eligible for telestial glory, the lowest of the three degrees of glory. This restriction is even more applicable for a murderer who was a member of the LDS Church; paragraph 6.7.3 of the Church Handbook of Instructions Vol. 1 states that murder is defined as the deliberate and unjustified taking of a human life, requiring excommunication.

However, the LDS Church does not impose a blanket ban on murderers ever becoming a member of the Church. Instead, paragraph 6.12.30 of the Church Handbook of Instructions Vol. 1 merely states that a murderer cannot be baptized without the express approval of the First Presidency. And the case of Mike Hickey in Lonetree, Wyoming shows that even a former member of the LDS Church can be restored to membership -- if repentance is sincere and there are mitigating circumstances. On May 1st, 2011, the Billings Gazette tells Hickey's story.

Summary: In 1977, Mike Hickey, then 23 years old, fell in with an individual who had a beef with local government. Mark Hopkinson fought with a local sewer board over roughly $12,000 in hookup fees that he refused to pay. In 1977, days before Hopkinson was scheduled to be deposed as part of the ensuing lawsuit, the home of an Evanston attorney involved in the litigation exploded in the middle of the night. The attorney, Vince Vehar, 67, died in the blast, as did his wife and their 15-year-old son. In addition, a fourth person, a 15-year-old girl named Kellie Wyckhuyse, went missing; while her body was never found, a third party eventually reported that she had been killed by Mike Hickey.

In any event, Hickey, a member of an old and prominent Bridger Valley family, ultimately confessed to murdering Wyckhuyse. He also said Hopkinson knew about the murder and promised him an alibi if he killed Vehar. For that and the offer of $2,000, Hickey drove to Evanston and threw 30 sticks of lit dynamite into Vehar’s home. Authorities offered Hickey a deal: In exchange for testifying against Hopkinson, he would get 20 years in prison under a different name to protect him from Hopkinson. Hickey's testimony led to Hopkinson being given a life sentence for each of the three Vehar deaths. Hopkinson eventually received the death penalty for another murder and was executed in 1992.

Because Mike Hickey was a member of the LDS Church at the time, he was excommunicated shortly after his plea deal. However, it appears our Heavenly Father is more merciful than we believe. He looks for the least sign of repentance on our part so He can send the Spirit to work in our lives and demonstrate His power. After paying his debt to society, Hickey was restored to LDS membership in 1999. From the Gazette:

Released from prison in 1999, he came back to Lonetree and began working on the family ranch. In the decade since, he’s married and has been allowed back into the Mormon church. This last part he speaks of with pride. He traveled to Salt Lake City and went before a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He says a church leader told him that if he had any pieces of history relating to what happened — newspaper clippings, books, court documents — to get rid of them.

So why was a convicted murderer like Hickey restored to membership? There are three essential elements to this case:

(1). He was young and immature, and he acted at the behest of an older, more evil individual.

(2). He voluntarily confessed to his crimes and actively helped authorities bring down Mark Hopkinson, the evil genius who inspired them.

(3). He convinced a member of the Quorum of the Twelve that his repentance was sincere and wholehearted, leading the First Presidency to reinstate him.

The Gazette did not report whether or not Hickey had received the full endowment during his first period of Church membership. It is considered more difficult to forgive an LDS murderer if he or she has actually received the full endowment in a temple. Five comments have been posted to the story so far; all are unfavorable to Hickey.

This case, of course, is entirely different than the case of King David in the Bible, who arranged for Uriah to be placed into the hottest part of the battle to be killed so that David could grab Uriah's wife Bathsheba after he had impregnated her (2 Samuel 11). While Mike Hickey was motivated by misguided ideology and misdirected rage, King David was motivated by gratuitous lust. Then King David attempted to cover for the crime, and did not confess until exposed by the prophet Nathan (2 Samuel 12). While King David repented, the only promise he obtained was that the Lord had put away his sin and that he would not die. But many Latter-day Saints interpret that verse to mean that King David not only must wait until the second resurrection to come forth, but that he can only aspire to telestial glory. President Joseph F. Smith wrote "The way I understand it, a person who sheds innocent blood 'shall not have forgiveness in this world, nor in the world to come' (D&C 42:18). The refusal of forgiveness referred to here means that the murderer can not repent and receive forgiveness through the atonement of Christ. They cannot be forgiven in the sense that celestial salvation [or exaltation] is made available to them. They will go to hell (spirit prison) to be punished for it. However, a person may eventually be able to receive another type of forgiveness which requires paying the price by suffering in hell for the murder. Then they may be able to be rescued from hell, as in the case of David, and still obtain some degree of glory(but not exaltation) after the final judgment, depending on how good they were during the rest of their life".

But the story of Mike Hickey shows that the Father's capacity for mercy is just as boundless as His desire for justice. Perhaps King David might eventually end up with a better fate after all. This may be one reason why the Savior Himself cautioned us to "Judge not, lest ye be judged". Instead of spending time trying to consign others to hell and perdition, we can use that time more productively by striving for heaven, and in particular, celestial glory with exaltation, where we can realize our full potential as heirs of the Father and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.