LDS Hall Of Fame Baseball Player Harmon Killebrew Begins His Toughest Battle - With Esophageal Cancer

Update May 13th 2011: Harmon Killebrew has chosen to end his fight against esophageal cancer, will enter hospice. Updated post HERE.

Hall of Fame baseball player Harmon Killebrew, one of the most feared power hitters of his time, begins what could be the toughest fight of his life. Killebrew has esophageal cancer and is being treated at the Mayo Clinic near his home in Arizona. Killebrew is also a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as shown on this website listing known members of the LDS Church who played in the major leagues (some others are listed HERE).

Harmon Killebrew issued the following statement through the Minnesota Twins:

"With my wife, Nita, by my side, I have begun preparing for what is perhaps the most difficult battle of my life. I am being treated by a team of medical professionals at the Mayo Clinic. While my condition is very serious, I have confidence in my doctors and the medical staff, and I anticipate a full recovery. The Mayo Clinic is one of the largest and most experienced medical centers treating esophageal cancer in the world. In the past decade, they have made tremendous advances in the treatment of this disease."

The Minnesota Twins issued the following statement in response:

"Harmon Killebrew is a great man. The collective heart of the Twins family goes out to him and Nita as they begin the battle against this cancer. Harmon is universally loved, and our thoughts and prayers are with him and Nita throughout this ordeal. We ask that everyone send prayers Harmon's way as he begins the road to recovery."

Esophageal cancer forms in tissues lining the esophagus (the muscular tube through which food passes from the throat to the stomach). Two types of esophageal cancer are squamous cell carcinoma (cancer that begins in flat cells lining the esophagus) and adenocarcinoma (cancer that begins in cells that make and release mucus and other fluids). See a graphic of the esophagus HERE. Esophageal tumors usually lead to dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), heartburn-like pain and other symptoms, and are diagnosed with biopsy. Small and localized tumors are treated surgically with curative intent. Larger tumors tend not to be operable and hence are treated with palliative care; their growth can still be delayed with chemotherapy, radiotherapy or a combination of the two. In some cases chemo- and radiotherapy can render these larger tumors operable. Prognosis depends on the extent of the disease and other medical problems, but is fairly poor, because most people diagnosed with esophageal cancer have late-stage disease.

The 74-year-old Killebrew, who spent 21 seasons with the Washington Senators, the Minnesota Twins, and the Kansas City Royals, currently ranks 11th on the all-time major league home run list with 573, and his eight seasons with 40 or more homers still is tied for second in league history with Babe Ruth. He was selected for the All-Star Game 11 times, and was the American League's Most Valuable Player in 1969. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984. You can find his career statistics on Baseball Reference, and an expanded account of his life on Wikipedia.

Harmon Killebrew converted to the LDS Church in 1966. Throughout the years, he reportedly became less active, but continued to attend services from time to time and continues to believe in the doctrine. But while membership in the LDS Church provides a strategy for coping with adversity, it does not immunize one against adversity, because adversity is one of the most necessary instructors in mortality. In 1987, after 34 years of marriage to his first wife Elaine, which produced five children, he got divorced. A year later, his house was foreclosed, and he ran up $700,000 in debt. Soon after, Killebrew's health failed. In May 1990, he was rushed to the hospital with a collapsed lung and damaged esophagus. Together with a subsequent abscess and staph infection, Killebrew endured three surgeries and nearly died. He used a wheelchair for some time post-surgery. But by December 1990, his health was improved and he was remarried.

Harmon Killebrew is also considered one of the most beloved players in Twins history because of his gentle and approachable nature off the field. "I tell everybody he's too nice to be a baseball player," former teammate Tony Oliva said Thursday. "He's a gentleman." Killebrew lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he established his current business of Professional Endorsement through which he conducts his daily business of appearances and endorsements.

The Susan Brock Meltdown Escalates In Arizona: Her Daughter, Rachel Brock, Now Arrested And Charged With Sex Crimes Against The Same Victim

Update April 7th, 2011: Having previously pleaded guilty, Susan Brock was sentenced to 13 years in prison, and after release, will be placed on lifetime probation and be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of her life. Updated post HERE.

One must wonder what's going through the mind of Maricopa County Supervisor Fulton Brock at this point. A devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by all accounts, he's undergoing what might be the most severe test of faith he's ever been faced with, watching his family melt down before his eyes. The apparent sexual misconduct of his wife Susan Brock already dealt him an emotional body blow. All previous posts on this case available HERE, with the most recent post appearing first.

And now it's been compounded by the report that on Wednesday December 29th, 2010, his 21-year-old daughter Rachel Katherine Brock, who is a professional photographer, has been accused of sexual misconduct -- with the same victim. Rachel was arrested on three counts of sexual conduct with a minor and one count of transmitting obscene material as part of the ongoing investigation surrounding her mother, 48-year-old Susan Brock. Rachel's already appeared in court, and the judge has ordered her held at the Maricopa County Jail without bond. Rachel Brock also has a Facebook page HERE.

Specifically, Rachel Brock is accused of committing numerous sex acts with the teenage boy between February 2007 and August 2008, and sending him nude photos and a video of herself masturbating; none of the acts involved intercourse. The boy was 14 at the time, and Rachel Brock was 18, classifying the crimes as dangerous crimes against children. However, there are indications that Susan and Rachel Brock didn't know about each other's relationship with the teen. Since this post, Rachel Brock was released on her own recognizance while the investigation proceeds; she could be re-arrested anytime.

A third party has already been caught up in this net. On December 28th, Christian Hart Weems, a friend of Susan Brock, was arrested for conspiracy to commit computer tampering or altering of data, computer tampering or altering of data, hindering prosecution, and tampering with physical evidence, all felonies; she is accused of destroying and altering evidence in the personal email account of the victim.

Fulton Brock has already reacted to this development, issuing the following statement:

Shocked and devastated are not words sufficient to describe the news this day or what has transpired over the past two months. In October, my wife of 28 years was arrested and charged with having an inappropriate relationship with a minor. Now, my daughter has been arrested, pending charges.

She is being accused of having a relationship with the same young man when she was 18. I have filed to divorce my wife. I cannot divorce my daughter. She is my blood. I will always be her Dad. And she needs one now more than ever.

All families are challenged. But no family should ever be challenged this way whether it be ours, or that of the victim and his family.

Justice demands answers and cooperation.

Nothing can ever make this situation right other than raising awareness so other families can avoid such sorrow. As a person of faith I ask for your continued prayers.

This statement implies that Fulton Brock believes his wife is the "heavy" in this case and sucked other people into it. Since Christian Weems never had any contact with the victim, one could make the case that she acted out of misguided loyalty, which doesn't make her any less accountable, but which implies she could be considered a secondary victim of Susan Brock.

The Phoenix New Times also publishes another story about it HERE; many heartless, cold-blooded people are expressing their joy over Fulton Brock's ordeal in the comments section.

Christian Hart Weems Arrested In Chandler, Arizona, Accused Of Destroying Evidence In The Susan Brock Case; Fulton Brock Seeking Divorce

Update August 24th, 2011: Christian Hart Weems reluctantly pleaded guilty to one count of computer tampering in the sex-abuse case Susan Brock; in exchange, a second count against her was dismissed. Weems faces a punishment of up to three years supervised probation when sentenced October 7th; she remains free on bond.

Update December 30th: One of Susan Brock's daughters, 21-year-old Rachel Katherine Brock, is now accused of sending dirty pictures and videos and having several sexual encounters with the same teenage boy her mother is accused of molesting. She is being charged with three counts of sexual conduct with a minor and one count of transmitting obscene material. All previous posts on this case available HERE, with the most recent post appearing first.


The case of Susan Brock, the now-estranged wife of Maricopa County Supervisor Fulton Brock, took another turn on December 28th, 2010 when a 37-year-old Chandler woman who was a friend of Brock's was arrested. Christian Hart Weems was arrested for conspiracy to commit computer tampering or altering of data, computer tampering or altering of data, hindering prosecution, and tampering with physical evidence, all felonies; she is accused of destroying and altering evidence in the personal email account of the boy Susan Brock has been charged with molesting over a three-year period. Although Weems was initially booked into the Maricopa County Jail in Phoenix, the Phoenix New Times reports that she has since been released on her own recognizance, and is due back in court on January 12th. It has now been confirmed that, like Susan Brock, Christian Weems is also a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The scheme: Court documents show that Brock and the boy communicated through the Yahoo email account. The boy would write in a draft the time she should pick him around the corner of his house. Brock, who had the boy's password, would log in and read the drafts. As a result, there was no record of messages being sent and the boy's parents would not find out. Not only did the boy's parents forbid Susan Brock to have contact with him, but the boy's high school principal also had warned Brock to stay off of school grounds.

The obstruction: During a jailhouse phone call on November 2nd, it is alleged that Weems coaxed Brock into revealing the password to the Yahoo email account. Once in there, Weems allegedly altered, damaged or destroyed potential evidence that would have incriminated Susan Brock.

A new story in the Arizona Republic gives more details about Christian Weems' background. Weems has a track record of being an outspoken Chandler activist who made eloquent public speeches about neighborhood issues, volunteered for municipal boards and campaigned for mayor and city council candidates. She is a land developer and former member of the Chandler Domestic Violence Commission and Chandler Solid Waste Citizens Advisory Committee. She has campaigned for Councilman Matt Orlando. She also campaigned for former Councilman Phill Westbrooks when he ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2006 and to restore elected official's pay for former Councilman Martin Sepulveda when he was called to active military duty.

As summarized in my October 27th post, Susan Brock is accused of picking the unidentified boy up from his home or school, and committing as many as 30 sexual acts in her car, her home, her mother's home and secluded areas of the city. The acts included masturbatory conduct and oral sex; in other instances, Brock allegedly used three vibrating massagers to stimulate the boy's penis to the point of ejaculation. No actual intercourse took place. However, Susan Brock now faces 15 different charges; according to case number S-0700-CR-2010157285 listed in the Arizona Judicial Branch records, they include:

-- Two counts Molestation of Child
-- Six counts Sexual Conduct with Minor
-- Two counts Sexual Exploitation of Minor
-- Three counts Obscene Material-Furnish to Minors
-- Two counts Public Sexual Indecency

Susan Brock has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Until the matter is resolved, her LDS Church membership will likely remain intact.

However, Brock's estranged husband apparently doubts her innocence. On November 11th, Fulton Brock announced he was seeking a divorce from Susan. He seeks sole custody of the couple's minor daughter, age 16. He lists as assets three homes with a combined value of more than $1 million and three cars. Brock had previously said, "I want so much to believe these allegations are not true, but if they are, I am appalled and crushed. I am a religious man. I ask all to pray for our family and those involved so that justice may best be served."

Susan Brock's indiscretions may even impact Fulton Brock's political career. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors will soon choose a new chairman, Fulton Brock is in line to succeed Supervisor Don Stapley in the leadership post. However, there are hints that misgivings by some supervisors about Brock’s recent family problems may threaten his ascension. If he can line up the votes, Brock would take over as chairman in January. But an informal poll of supervisors by The Arizona Republic indicates his election is still likely.

Since this post, Fulton Brock has decided to withdraw his name from consideration to become chairman.

Mormon Messages: Elder Dallin H. Oaks Speaks Out On Marriage And Divorce; Divorced Members Are Not "Second-Class Saints"

While searching for some other information, I found this video in which Elder Dallin H. Oaks discusses marriage and divorce. Posted on July 6th, 2009, it consists of excerpts from an article published in Ensign Magazine in May 2007. It is just as relevant today as it was then -- perhaps even more so:



You can read the full address HERE. The address was originally delivered during the Sunday morning session of the April 2007 General Conference.

Highlights: Elder Oaks notes that the concept that society has a strong interest in preserving marriages for the common good has been replaced for many by the idea that marriage is only a private relationship between consenting adults, terminable at the will of either. The weakening of the concept that marriages are permanent and precious has far-reaching consequences; many young people, influenced by their own parents’ divorce or by popular notions that marriage is oppressive, either avoid marriage altogether or cohabitate without commitment.

In regards to eternal marriage, performed in our temples, Elder Oaks had this to say:

The kind of marriage required for exaltation — eternal in duration and godlike in quality—does not contemplate divorce. In the temples of the Lord, couples are married for all eternity. But some marriages do not progress toward that ideal. Because “of the hardness of [our] hearts,” the Lord does not currently enforce the consequences of the celestial standard. He permits divorced persons to marry again without the stain of immorality specified in the higher law. Unless a divorced member has committed serious transgressions, he or she can become eligible for a temple recommend under the same worthiness standards that apply to other members.

Elder Oaks does recognize that some marriages become difficult. But rather than consider divorce the first resort, he wants us to consider it the last resort. Elder Oaks suggest that for most marriage problems, the remedy is not divorce but repentance. Often the cause is not incompatibility but selfishness. The first step is not separation but reformation. Divorce is not an all-purpose solution, and it often creates long-term heartache. Spouses who hope that divorce will resolve conflicts often find that it aggravates them, since the complexities that follow divorce—especially where there are children—generate new conflicts. A couple with serious marriage problems should see their bishop; if he can't help, he can steer couples towards those with greater expertise in counseling.

But Elder Oaks does recognize that some marriages do indeed become insoluble. When a marriage is dead and beyond hope of resuscitation, it is needful to have a means to end it. No one is expected to remain married to spouses who are chronically abusive or who persistently betray sacred covenants or abandon or refuse to perform marriage responsibilities for an extended period. And contrary to anti-Mormon propaganda, the LDS Church does not officially consider divorced members to be "second-class Saints", although an occasional overzealous or insensitive bishop or stake president may wrongfully infer so. Nearly any calling can be extended to a divorced member, except that of bishop or stake president.

In the final analysis, Elder Oaks suggests that the best way to avoid divorce from an unfaithful, abusive, or unsupportive spouse is to avoid marriage to such a person. If you wish to marry well, inquire well. Associations through hanging out or exchanging information on the Internet are not a sufficient basis for marriage. There should be dating, followed by careful and thoughtful and thorough courtship.

Spotlight On Nevada District 20 Assemblyman Crescent Hardy, An LDS Enterpreneur Who Believes In Smaller, More Efficient Government

On December 28th, 2010, the Las Vegas Review-Journal published a profile on Crescent Hardy, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who was just elected to represent the citizens of Nevada's Assembly District 20 on November 2nd, 2010. Hardy hails from Mesquite, NV, and traces his family history in America all the way back to the 1600s when Thomas Hardy arrived in what is now Essex, MA. Furthermore, Hardy says his grandfather was the first baby born in what is now Mesquite, where he was born, raised and now lives.

Hardy hasn't always been active in the Church. As a young adult, he drifted away to sample "the world"; consequently, he never filled a standard two-year proselyting mission. But marriage and fatherhood re-kindled his interest and activity. All four of his children are now grown up. To earn the seat, Hardy had to defeat Richard Stubbs, a school psychologist for the Clark County School District, in the Republican primary, and Democratic challenger Lynn Marie Goya in the general election.

To get a good perspective on Crescent Hardy's politics, one must visit his website, which is still up. District 20 encompasses an area extending from Boulder City to Mesquite to Laughlin and to Henderson, a mix of rural areas, small towns, and one large city. Hardy is a conservative who believes in small, efficient, and effective government that allows families and workers have the freedom to live their lives as they see fit as much as possible.

Hardy wants to keep bureaucracy and costs to a minimum to help restart Nevada’s business engine. He prefers to direct education dollars primarily to the classroom, where it belongs. He will fight for affordable, accessible health care with the primary care decisions to be made by patients and their doctors. He will support effective tort reform to keep health care more affordable. He acknowledges that government does have some role in social services, but that they should be primarily directed towards those with more limited capacities, such as the elderly, the infirm or disabled, and children from low-income families.

Above all, Crescent Hardy is a firm believer in personal responsibility and opportunity. He believes that the government that governs closest to the people is best, and is a firm supporter of the 10th Amendment of the US Constitution that gives power to the states.

One other advantage he brings to the table is that, unlike many who are elected to public office, he understands first hand the pressures of making a payroll. He's had the painful experience of severing good people from his payroll in order to stay in business. The recession took a major toll on Hardy's business, Legacy Construction Development, which shrank from a peak of about $45 million annually in gross receipts to less than $10 million. The number of employees dropped from 150 to fewer than 25.

We trust that he will be just as respectful of the public dollar as he has been of his own private dollars.