Follow the hashtag

The Mormon Church's latest PR campaign for youth is called "#embark", as in "embark in the service of God".

When I was a youth, Adidas and Nike were huge and jogging was the rage. (Think Forrest Gump!) The leaders of our stake's Mutual Improvement Association selected the "theme" for that particular year. At camp we wore yellow shirts emblazoned with "Run that ye may obtain." -- 1 Cor. 9:24". Those words left a memorable impression on me. Decades later I still ask myself: "Am I running that I may obtain?"

As my family studied the words of King Benjamin this morning -- resolving to help each other repent, keep God's commandments and forgive -- my children asked if they could not go to church today. They wanted to have sacrament meeting at home and strive to keep the sabbath day holy as a family.

"I used to love going to Church," one of them said. "But now that I know they're lying to me, it actually hurts to go. I can't stand it!"

What was I going to do? Make them go? I wouldn't. (But I did my best to persuade them to go.)

I told my wife what they said. "What lies?" she asked.

"I don't know," I said. But I went to find out.

"What lies are they telling you in Church?" I asked. I didn't think my daughter was sophisticated enough to give me a credible answer, but I got an unexpected ear full!

"They say we have to end each prayer and testimony saying 'in the name of Jesus Christ, amen'. That's not true!"

"Well, the scriptures do say 'see that ye do all things...in the name of Jesus Christ'," I reminded her.

"Yeah, but we don't have to say those exact words. Sis. _____ says we do!"

Clearly my daughter was oversimplifying things. Maybe misunderstanding. Still, I knew the phrase was grating to hear when I heard it used casually and carelessly many times at church. It has become a "vain repetition", the turning of a spiritual truth (Mormon 9:29) into a violation of the third commandment: "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." (Deuteronomy 5:11.)

"It's a tradition, not a commandment," I said. "It's not in the scriptures. No prophet said we had to say it. People just started doing it and it caught on. What else you got?" I challenged her.

"They say the prophet is the only one who can receive revelation; that the gospel is whatever he says it is; that he can change anything at any time. He can even change the scriptures and that's 'okay'...because he's the prophet."

Perhaps that, too, was an another oversimplification. But was it really that far from the truth? Is there anything (legal) the prophet can declare that "believers" will not fall for? Or fall in line with? Even changing the scriptures? Or the temple ceremony? Or the ordinances? Or the doctrine?

And if you don't "follow the prophet" -- or any other "leader" in the Mormon Church -- what happens to you then?

My children know very well what happens then.

"That is the last bastion of Mormonism, is it not? Follow the prophet and all that? He can never lead you astray," I said.

My daughter detected my sarcasm.

"And what's up with 'hashtag embark'?!" she said, rolling her eyes.

"Hashtag what? What's a hashtag?" I was showing my age.

"A hashtag is that # symbol," she said. "The Church employs lots of people to use '#embark' on all their social media, saying great things about it...hoping it will become popular and people will start 'following' it."

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"Oh, dad, isn't it obvious?"

"You mean it's a big PR campaign?"

"Yes! They even made a movie about it! We watched it at church. It shows people going off to Africa and serving people so you feel guilty if you don't."

I looked up "#embark" and watched the video after we spoke. I didn't see anybody going off to Africa or serving the poor. Instead I saw actors -- mostly youth, volunteers probably, but actors nonetheless -- pretending to serve others. Kids pretended to hide behind bushes while delivering baby supplies to a "new mother" who pretended to weep (on cue) at her good fortune, while they pretended to film themselves running away. Other kids pretended to film themselves making breakfast for mom or grandma, who pretended to be overjoyed. And kids raked leaves. And taught other kids how to skateboard. All while having fun. Some even sailed off into the California sunset! (Those were the rich Mormons, I imagine.)

Not to mention the atypical, future sister missionary.

It was all clearly choreographed and staged.

Was it meant to inspire? Do we do service now while videoing ourselves to be seen of men?

It was all very synthetic and make-believe. Contrived. Imagined. Pretended. Produced. Marketed.

It is a PR campaign.

And it isn't real. It's fake and phony and packaged. Very slick. Very professional. But to what end?

Literally, to be seen of men.

I saw another video along with the first. This one was about people in Africa, building a well. (Maybe that's the video my daughter referred to.) They described the well as a "miracle". (Really? A miracle? People have been digging wells for thousands of years. How "miraculous" can a hole in the ground be?)

Does the Mormon Church help poor people dig lots of wells nowadays? How much of the Church's vast resources are devoted to that purpose? I imagine it's an embarrassingly small fraction. But what they do spend makes for great PR, doesn't it? Appearances, after all, are everything in this age of mass media. (I see they're still wearing the bright yellow shirts, too!)

Last night a spirit of enmity filled my soul as I reflected (again) on the fact that another sabbath has come upon us as a family and our worship together is frustrated, torn asunder by those wicked men who lack either the character, compassion, courtesy, or conviction to visit our home and try to reclaim this soul they consider to be lost. My wife and children dutifully attend their meetings without me. And those "leaders" apparently think that's "acceptable" -- to divide me from my family, for honest reasons they will neither dare to name nor defend.

The Lord, through a real prophet, spoke thusly:

"[Reprove] betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then [show] forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy; That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death." (DC 121:43-44.)

It requires every ounce of sympathy and compassion in my soul not to despise and condemn these men. I am embarrassed for them. I ought to have pity on them. What will they say in the day of reckoning and retribution?

"Yea, Lord, we kicked him out of Your Church for Christ's sake! And for the good of Your people."

"For my sake? Heavens, why?"

"Because he would not do what we said."

"What did you tell him to do?"

"We told him to follow us! He said he should follow You! We told him that following us was the same thing as following You!"

"Why would you tell him that?"

"Because You gave us Your power -- Your priesthood, just like it says in 2 Nephi 28:5. He said we didn't have the fullness of Your priesthood."

"Why did he believe that?"

"Because You said in DC 124:28 (in 1841): "For there is not a place found on earth that [the Most High] may come to and restore again that which was lost unto you, or which he hath taken away, even the fulness of the priesthood."

"Why didn't you believe him then? What did you tell him?"

What will they say?

They have denied the scriptures, explained away their failure to receive the fullness of the priesthood, and now persecute those who call them on it. They have written me off completely. They have no intention of ever leaving the ninety and nine to minister to me or my family again. They have never once stepped foot in my home for a visit -- not in the ten months since my excommunication nor in the three years before that!

I admit, I no longer want them to. (I wanted them to. I wanted them to at least try. But they wouldn't even do that! That tells me more about them than I want to know.)

It's very sad.

Some in the church are making an effort to insure that my kids continue to feel connected and loved. My daughters are having lots of fun with one generous sister who has taken them to the movies, out for ice cream and to lunch. Soon they will be going to Disneyland. She has showered them with affection and support. Her selflessness has not gone unnoticed or unappreciated.

But I would prefer for a Church leader (preferably one of those who excommunicated me) to appear and give me an explanation as to why my belief in the truthfulness of DC 124:28 is grounds for excommunication. Why is living the gospel while exposing facts about Church history now cause for being cast out? How could they take my money (and time and service) for decades -- and build themselves spiffy chapels, temples and malls, while paying their own salaries -- and then justify jettisoning me because my "attitude" or inquiries became problematic for them? Whose church is this, anyway?

Clearly, it was never mine. And it is certainly not the Lord's. He doesn't work that way.

Maybe I'm just mad because I now realize we can't go on like this. I can't be the leader of my own home and family while sending my children to be "institutionalized" by an organization that teaches them that their father and husband is a heretic, a kook or a fraud. The LDS Church dishonors me. Why should I trust them with my family?

I did not want this "divorce". But they have forced it upon me.

It's very sad. I loved the LDS Church with all my heart.

***

This morning I consented to attend another church with my neighbor. My oldest son came along. I told him what to expect. He didn't believe me. Neither did my neighbor.

It looked and sounded like a rock concert. Very dark. People were jumping and clapping and singing. This "church" had a band with drums, an electric guitar, beautiful women singing on stage, two enormous projection screens, strobe lights, mood music, and holy smoke! I tried to discern the Holy Spirit amidst all that, but couldn't. Neither could my son.

After 38 minutes of singing (just one song!), 10 minutes of standing while the minister cajoled the crowd into contributing generous "tithes and offerings" to support their six pastors, paid music ministers, and auxiliary staff, plus an hour of being yelled at while the pastor proclaimed that all disease -- including cancer and every form of illness --had been cast out of that place in the name of Jesus, I was glad to get home.

Mormons are certainly more circumspect in their use of mood lighting, music, and miracles. Plus they eschew holy smoke.

I still don't like to smoke.