What the Christian Church can Learn from Under the Banner of Heaven

 

Hulu is streaming the drama series from this past spring, Under the Banner of Heaven and if you have ever rubbed shoulders with the Mormon Church, this is a must-see.

The movie, based on a book written by Jon Krakauer, depicts in excruciating detail the murder of Brenda Lafferty and her baby daughter in 1980 by her Mormon brothers-in-law. What makes this book so chilling is that Jon is also a former Mormon. He brings the depth and truth of what LDS customs and traditions look like.

Ron and Dan Lafferty claimed to have a vision from "Heavenly Father" that she and several other people were justifiedly on a heavenly-ordained murder list. 

This true story gave the world a sneak peek at the Latter-Day Saints Church (LDS) and its religion, which remains far from the Christian religion. 

While the two brothers and several of their fanatical conspirators were actively enslaving and raping women and children into polygamy, the rest of the Mormon Church essentially attempted a cover-up of the events.

The local police force worked the case, though the original members have been kept quiet from the public. The television series' lead detective, Jeb Pyre, is a fictional character, yet the spirit of what occurred in the murder investigation is not lost. Pyre, played by Dustin Lance Black, is also a former Mormon himself and really brings legitimacy to his character.

This is an excellent article and summary of the movie in the LA Times.

The 10-man police force in American Fork, Utah, eventually apprehended the two brothers in a strip joint in Las Vegas. Even in this state of affairs they still loudly proclaimed the delusion that they were prophets and were being persecuted.

Read the latest news story about the murders from last year here on the Salt Lake Tribune's website. 

While informational, this article does not fully explain the real story of what the Lafferty brothers planned and partially carried out.

The real story remains quite chilling.

Further, you can read Jon's book found on Amazon. 

So, while the Mormon church prefers not to be implicated in the case, those who hold fast to their religion cannot escape scrutiny. 

The Lafferty brothers created a list of people to murder both in their own families and in the hierarchy of the Mormon Church. The facts of the case speak for themselves.

Yet, my purpose in writing about this movie lies in the fact in as much as the Mormon Church wants to claim they are Christians, they simply are not. 

Some do not know the history of the church all the way back to Joseph Smith, but plenty of those who do accept the constant change of prophets and their visions. Yet, such visions simply do not line up with the Bible.

How the LDS religion is not Christianity

Many Christians struggle with this question, and why shouldn't they? The Mormon Church claims to be followers of Jesus Christ, yet they do not believe that Jesus is the real Messiah.

While I do not claim to be an expert, I speak as a researcher and writer. Further, my aunt was victimized by the Mormon Church and her now-deceased former husband. She has seven children from this man who were victimized by him as well.

While she did not share the Mormon religion with me, I put a few pieces together from this story and hers. 

Fact #1:

The Mormon Church began when Joseph Smith has a revelation that he felt improved the Bible. He called himself a prophet and continued to have "divine" revelations which included the murder of innocent people who disagreed with him and practiced pedophilia, and polygamy. 

According to Wikipedia, he had at least 49 wives, and at least two of them were 14 years old. Pedophilia is never listed as acceptable in the Bible.

Further, as seen in the Lafferty brothers and family, their wives and children were taught and told that they were to either follow the men's delusions or die. 

Fact #2:

Every "prophet" after Joseph Smith has a divine revelation that he is the prophet and the whole religion shifts its viewpoints so the world around them does not shut down their religion. 

Most know this is a cult with its manipulative abusers and of course, the vulnerable victims of their coercive methods. 

None of these men follow the God of the Bible, no matter what they say.

Fact #3:

While the Mormon Church claims to be practicing Christianity, the hallmark difference lies in the fact that they see Jesus as God's Son and a prophet. Yet, they do not call Him the Lamb of God.

Jesus quite specifically, in the Bible, was the Messiah and the final sacrifice for our sins. He shed his blood and died on the cross for our sins. 

Sure, He was a prophet of God, but He was also the One and only Savior of the world.

Fact #4:

Polygamy is not how God created us. yes, we all know the arguments around the founding fathers of the Jewish faith (and later ours), but note the events around the polygamous events of these people.

Abraham took another wife at the insistence of Sara because she did not believe the miracle God would bring her. King David suffered dearly for his adulteries, even with Bathsheba. And Solomon was known for his wisdom but not his purity. 

By the time the Bible winds itself into Malachi 2:10-16, the Lord stipulated a covenantal marriage with one man and woman. 

In short, we are to go back to the marital example of Adam and Eve, which is the true example laid out in the Bible. 

Having an LDS vision does not make it the Word of God. 

You can read more on this topic here on the Bible Study Tools website. 

Fact #5:

The Holy Spirit does not tell His people, the Body of Christ to do anything that does not align with the Bible, which is the Word of God to most Christians.

While yes, there do seem to be inconsistencies in the Bible, such as the polygamy issue, I do know that if you believe you hear the Holy Spirit telling you something it will line up with the Word. It definitely will not go against the Bible.

For example, if God tells you to commit adultery or kill someone, you need to seek mental health services, not twist what God expects from us as His people in some new sort of  "revelation." Or if someone says this to you, you might need to report them to law enforcement.

Fact #6:

The prophesies and purposes of God as laid out in the Bible, through Jesus Christ our Lord and His Holy Spirit are to be the center of our faith.

No other person is above or equal to God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. Not one Mormon "prophet" aligns with the Bible and the Lord's purposes. 

Ever-changing revelations by the Mormon Church do not make them the voice of prophets of God, the Father of all creation. Nor does it make them equal to Jesus Christ.

Mormons are loyal to their church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), not to the Lord God of the Bible. 

In short, the revelations and prophecies laid out in the Bible have yet to fully unfold, especially as told in the Book of Revelation. 

Yet, the Fundamentalists do not make up the whole LDS Church

This must be stated as truth. While there remains a debate about how much of this mindset exaggerated in the Lafferty brothers exists, it is true that murderous calculations to this extreme obviously do not usually exist.

Yet, even as evidenced in the case of Brenda Lafferty and the lack of full disclosure in the Tribune article listed above, they pressure and coerce the squelching of facts, which makes them highly suspicious. 

If none of the fundamentalists' claims are true, then why are they hiding it and then speaking another revelation? 

Yet, what they leave wide open is the fact that they insisted on a coverup of the real facts. And it simply brings to question why they would do this if they disagree so vehemently with the Fundamentalists.

The real religious beliefs of the LDS church are not at all Christian and the facts presented in this television series reveal this.

Further, more truths should be understood.

17 men have been prophets of the LDS Church

All told including Joseph Smith, when one prophet dies off, another one rises. This man oversees the functions and leadership of the church, building on the prophet before him. There must always be a prophet in leadership or the church will die.

This remains the primary reason why the LDS church misses the Christian mark. The Lord is not the center of their church or their hearts.

And if one gets out of line with the current agenda, they are pushed by local church leadership to confess before the church and promise their allegiance. 

Even though Jesus Christ remains in their name, the church remains about keeping Joseph Smith and the subsequent prophets alive in the hearts and minds of the people. 

The LDS Church operates like a cult.

Their outcries to the contrary don't match the bizarre ceremony of the temple endowment, which involves the washing of the body, assigning of a secret name, washing of the genitals, and hand signals (like the slicing of the neck) swearing to secrecy so that they become kings, queens, priests, and priestesses in the afterlife. The general point of this remains that the whole family will be reunited in the afterlife because of these rituals.

Many protested that this was no one's business, but I think the church made it everyone's business. This simply is not normal behavior and explains why the LDS church practices so much secrecy.

Further, some of the Mormon missionaries go through another ceremony where they are baptized for the dead.

While I admit to knowing something about this ceremony, the reality is much more bizarre. Further, when you read the Wikipedia article, the statistics about how often it occurs become sketchy. 

All of this falls right in line with the history of the Mormon Church and the necessity to keep it alive with death in the early church, or a new revelation throughout its history. Some claim that the parts of this ritual, such as the washing and the hand signal have been stopped. All I see is damage control.

Further, whoever does not speak the script of Mormon Church leadership apparently receives a "visit" to keep them on track.

And when you read protests by Mormons themselves online, it always includes making the church look better than it is. The accusations usually come out that we, the general public, are victimizing them by revealing their religious practices. 

All of these behaviors scream cult. 

The point here remains that if your church is so great, why are you covering up its practices? If you believe so strongly in the LDS religion, then there would be no need to cover any of it up.

There obviously lies much more below the surface of this behavior than what we see portrayed in Under the Banner of Heaven. 

Under the Banner of Heaven portrays LDS in striking clarity

Not since the days of historical deep dives has there been such a revelatory image of the true Mormon Church. 

Sure, the image we see is revealing possibly outdated practices, but former LDS members who are actors, writers, and law enforcement transitioned this story to the present-day reality that it is.

Further, what so many of us knew secondhand and thirdhand knowledge, proved to be exactly what we were told. Their rituals are quite cultic.

Strange customs and nonChristian ideas of practices and life on the other side of death put Swiss cheese-sized holes in the idea that Mormons are at all Christian. 

Speaking the name of Jesus Christ in your church's name does not make you a Christian or even a follower of Jesus. 

Practicing customs and traditions that reflect a cult and not what is laid out in the Bible, drive a roadblock in the idea that the LDS religion is Christian. 

No, what becomes strikingly clear is that this patriarchal culture does indeed breed violent men who wield their unbending authority over women and their children. Further, wives are to submit to their husbands as their "priesthood holders."  

While many claims that the LDS men are not generally violent and as extreme as the Lafferty family, there remains a profound history that insists on unyielding allegiance or death, all the way back to 1820.

Further, the excessive wives of polygamy and pedophilia fully suggest that Mormonism is an abusive cult that abuses women and children. 

Modern psychology reveals that abusers reflect exactly this sort of cycle found in Mormon history and their church. Further, the death of Brenda Lafferty and her baby daughter not only reflected a problem in the LDS church but also highlighted the general refusal to take women of any background seriously when they speak up against their abusers. 

To this day, local law enforcement, churches, and social workers do not take domestic abuse reports seriously and frequently listen to abusive men who lie and act like victims of their wives, which further endangers the lives of women and children everywhere. 

Supporting LDS women and children is our call

As keepers of the cross of Jesus Christ and followers of the Bible, God calls us to have compassion on those who are victims of such deranged men.

Keeping alive the name of Brenda Lafferty and her baby girl is a watchword to evil men who believe that they have a God-given authority to demand a woman's allegiance to keep her life. 

They are not gods, nor do they deserve anyone's allegiance, nor do they have the right to choose whether women or children live or die. 

This is not their God-given anything and in America, this is a criminal offense. 

Women who are abused have little to no say in their abusive circumstances. It is a lie of the enemy that they "choose" to go back. They are in danger and cannot fully escape his hold. And unfortunately, the culture around them emprisons them further.

These men will hunt them for as long as they can and until they are apprehended and put behind bars, they will not stop, especially if they are religious patriarchal militant zealots.

 Are you still a doubter?

Watch the Under the Banner of Heaven series today, and then leave me a comment. 

Facing The Giants of Prosperity

We watched the movie again, Facing the Giants.


If you have never watched this movie before, it is a story set at a Christian high school in Georgia, in which a young football coach learns that walking in faith with God will lead him to where he needs to go. 

He arrives at the bottom of his career, when he realizes that he has coached his team poorly, and is on the verge of losing his job. In desperation, he prays over a plan, in order to lead his team to the state playoffs.  As a result, he commits his job and his attitude to Christ and then delivers an inspirational sermon to his players.

Motivated by their coach’s faith, the team works hard, and stops a losing streak, winning their way all the way to the playoffs. Although the Lord did not seem to deliver everything the team wanted at first, the team and coaches found that as they all submitted their hearts and minds before Him, they found success. They won their way to the final game in the state playoffs. It is a reminder that we all have a part and can only fulfill it if we seek Him first. 

What about this prosperity stuff?

The story leads us to believe that submitting to God Almighty no matter what happens, brings us a bit of heaven, or as some call it, prosperity. In our family, we have watched this movie repeatedly, because on many levels it is a motivational Christian story. It reminds us all of placing Christ at the head of our problem-solving.

I think that sometimes we forget that prosperity is relative. You know, according to the book of Revelations, the Lord will save 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. That means we are all different, and many have some remarkable testimonies in which they have overcome difficult circumstances to reach the Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, if you have moved from homeless to a trailer park, you may have prosperity. When you move from a trailer park to a small modern home, you may have prosperity. When you have a decent car that runs, you may have prosperity. Or, when you have an older, modest car that you financially paid for, you may have prosperity. We may desire more in our hearts, but the point of the movie is that as a Christian, you may not get it when you ask, because your heart needs to be right before the Lord first.

It is not always that easy, though…

Although God wants to give us what we need, He does not necessarily give us what we want. He is after our hearts and not our accumulating more goods, status, and success at our jobs for the wrong reasons. The Lord God has a mission for building the spiritual Jerusalem, and it does not necessarily have anything to do with man’s idea of prosperity. We become content when we give it all to God! Then we find out what we really want.

However, the hard stuff hits.

You pray, and yet…

Your child receives yet another diagnosis.

You pray for a cure, and instead, your child gets sick.

Your child dies.

Your child regresses in a skill he or she already knows.

You have to add yet another specialist to the long list.

Your child requires hospitalization.

Your child’s behavior and emotional problems worsen.

Your family falls apart.

It seems like just when things are going along right, the devil strikes. You know, that unexpected attack that you did not see coming? As special needs parents, we are not immune to such events above, but that does not make it easier. We find ourselves praying our way through difficult circumstances, researching ideas, and contacting doctors. It may take a while to get things back on track and leave us feeling isolated…again.

I mean, really, Jesus, can you come yesterday?

The car keeps acting up. The kitchen sink requires fixing. The dogs need to go to the vet. Then there are the dentist and doctor’s appointments. We need to go to the hospital to get some tests done. There are general cleaning duties and responsibilities. In addition, our relationships need to be nurtured. We even have other, typical children that need our time and attention.

We are tired, and we dream of the easy life of “normal” parents. We want a break, and maybe even a vacation to a remote island with no distractions. Events occur, and we give up hope, forgetting that all of our troubles are temporary. The Lord does not call us to the frivolity of staying on the easy side of life.

Yet, seek and praise Him.

Rejoice! ~

We will have abundance and prosperity because we seek the Lord continually for our families and ourselves. He will bring us victory when we seek Him continually in His Word. We will resolve our problems, stand over our enemies, and have peace over our households. Yes, there may be temporary chaos, but it is only that---temporary.

The enemy will not rise against us a second time once we defeat him, unless He dares to go against the Lord God Almighty. If he does, he will come face to face with Yahweh; we will just stand firm in the Lord until we have victory.

Let us come before Him as the sentinels call us before the Lord God Almighty…

Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord, your labor is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58

Christmas in July and One Starry Night

Christmas in July.

My special needs son has the cutest rhyming Bible, that always summarizes the stories in an entertaining, rhyming way. We read a story every night before he goes to bed, and trust me, he won’t let me forget. 

One night, we read the story about the angels appearing to the shepherds in their fields. Here is an excerpt we read from The Rhyme Bible Storybook:

The Shepherds

Late one night,

One quiet night,

Some shepherds sat

By the flickering light

When all of a sudden…

They saw something BRIGHT!

“What is it?” they cried

As they tried to hide,

For it gave them such

A terrible fright!

But then they heard

An angel say,

“Don’t be afraid,

For on this day

A baby was born

On a bed of hay.

And even though

He is so small,

This baby is

The King of all!”

The shepherds heard

A wonderful sound---

Angels were singing

All around:

“Glory to God!”

They sang, and then,

“Peace on Earth,

Good will to men!”

Then angels suddenly

Went away,

And with them went

The light of day.

Once again

The night was still,

And moonlight shone

On every hill.

The shepherds quickly

Ran with joy

To find this very

Special boy!

At last they found

Where the baby lay---

Fast asleep

Upon the hay!

Talk about your full service church! Church brought to your doorstep is always nice…but, it isn’t usually possible. 

Years ago, there was a spoof video spreading over the Internet revealing the real reasons pastors are missing church. It included daily life issues like working or caring for a fussy baby, etc. 

Obviously, people cannot just make it to church for many reasons. Whether it is because of health, behavior, or a lack of accommodations for our children, it happens to all special needs parents.

But, does that mean we "fell from God?"

Obviously not. 

The REAL question is are we listening to the Spirit of God?

In the days before the Internet, we had to go to the building in order to have church, and connections to the Body of Christ. That is, unless they sought us out. Now we are in the modern age;) where electronic connections bring us ears to hear the Holy Spirit. 

 We can download Bible apps on our phones or programs on our computer. We can watch the Twitter stream, #Jesustweeters and observe the collective words of Christians come together in one message. 

You can even read blogs like this one, which I hope points you to the Lord. You find online support as you care for your child and your family, delivered right to your own home!

Although a little corny, it is a reminder that God is everywhere; the Spirit is our deposit. He speaks online and in person to each individual as the He chooses. 

We all have seasons and the Lord holds us up whether or not we actually, physically attend church. 

If you are there, don't sweat it! He's got this!

In His grip~ Kim

Originally published on 7/10/2011

The Spring on The Western Wall

In the Wailing Wall or Western Wall in Jerusalem, Israel, there are some plants that have grown for centuries in the cracks. 

Some refer to them as hyssop plants, and others know them to be Capparis spinosa, commonly known as the caper bush. I found this of interest because the Bible refers to hyssop, and it was frequently used in sacrifices:

“He would speak of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows in the wall; he would speak of animals, and birds, and reptiles, and fish. People came from all the nations to hear the wisdom of Solomon; they came from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.” Numbers 4:33-34

In other words, the telling of the hyssop is part of Solomon’s wisdom, given to him by God. This use of the word hyssop translates to ezob in this verse, and for many, there is no real conclusion as to which variety of the hyssop bush it refers to. 

However, there it is, among the other natural things of the earth in Israel.

Lost in translation.

When we search for the modern-day plant described in the Bible, we discover that the meaning of the word is ezob, or in Greek, it is hussopos.  Some Bibles translate this differently. However, given the fact that these bushes grow from the cracks in the Western Wall, and that they grow all over Israel, we can surmise that this plant is generally known as hyssop.  

As in confirmation, I also searched the Jewish Encyclopedia, which contains not only Biblical history but also the history of the Law. It, too, states that is generally agreed upon that the bushes in the wall are caper bushes. It is common knowledge in Israel because they grow all over the place. 

The caper bushes in the Wall are a symbol.

These bushes are not merely the leftover seeds of some long-ago weed that grows in the wall; they are holy.  If Jesus acknowledged that the foundation of our faith is Judaism, then shouldn’t we? As a child, He sat in the Temple reading God’s Word and sharing the wisdom He already had. He celebrated the many Jewish festivals, as well.  His foundation was YHWH, no question.

Jesus, Maschiah, was God's promise to Abraham.  He knew it, even if those around Him questioned his miracles and His Words.   He split the Temple curtain in two with His death, and the earth quaked. He poured out His body for our sins; He became the perfect Lamb of God.   The Western Wall and its caper bushes are a reminder of what Jesus did on the cross for us.

Why shouldn't our foundation be HIS foundation?

Actually, it should.

Although Herod helped in the building of the Temple; it was truly GOD'S from the start.  His wall is the last one standing.  His Word is the foundation that is the beginning and the end.  It is the very foundation of our faith in Jesus Christ, as the Son of God is built.

What do those bushes mean?

In Psalms, we read that the caper bush (hyssop) purges the body and soul. How appropriate that these bushes grow in the Wall.  According to one account, the Wall has a physical power of God that is still present. Some day I will journey there myself, but today I will find His power in the blood of Jesus Christ.  

So also Christ did not glorify Himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the One who said to Him, "You are my Son, today I have begotten you;" as He says also in another place, "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."  Hebrews 5:5-6, Psalms 2:7

Perhaps the true translation wasn't really lost...

In His grip~Kim

Originally published on 3/9/2011