Couraged Or Threatened
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signed by Saints protesting the apparently intended for Mormon NEWS excommunication of feminist historian D. Michael Quinn, who bonia Johnson. had also been excommunicated While sadness and pain were for apostasy in September, was DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS obvious, both meetings were no- received by a baby sitter at the table for their religious, worship- Bountiful home of Michael D. GENERATE MORE HEAT ful tone. Some inside Mormon Quinn, who is not related to the THE RESPONSE to the publicity the reconstructed Social Hall at observers speculated that these historian. A man told her to give about the disciplining of six Mor- Pioneer Trail State Park for a meetings may be the beginning of Quinn this message: "I'm tired of mon authors last September ("Six noon "Sunday Gathering" that an independent religious move- hearing him criticize the Church. Intellectuals Disciplined for was attended by around 200 peo- ment within Mormonism distinct He'd better start kc-. ' -gto him- Apostasy," SUNSTONE 16:6) ple. The event featured vigorous from the established academic self. If he doesn't, I have his slowed down during late Octo- singing of Mormon hymns led by and intellectual forums, such as phone number and I know ber and November, but two of Ardean Watts, sharing of spiri- the Mormon History Association where he lives. I'll come get him. the events prompted by the ex- tual journeys by Kent Frogley and Sunstone symposiums. He stinks." Then he hung up. communications may herald a and Marybeth Raynes, a time of The public nature of the The non-historian Quinn new Mormon tradition. open sharing similar to Mormon Church disciplines took a bizarre changed his telephone number On 2 November, the First testimony meetings, and a clos- turn when the Salt Lake Tiibune and went public with the threat Presidency sent to all Church ing blessing by Martha Bradley reported that a telephone threat LO let the caller know that he had leaders a letter reproducing the Degn told the gathering that "Statement Regarding Discipli- the event was not "against" any- nary Councils" that was issued thing, including the Church; it by the joint Council of the First was a time to celebrate the com- Presidency and the Quorum of mon spiritual heritage of Mor- For God hath not given us the the Twelve Apostles (see previous mons. She welcomed those who spirit offear, but ofpower and SUNSTONE for entire text). feel uncomfortable at regular LDS love, and of a sound mind. Il Timothy l:7 Among other things, the state- meetings, but have the spiritual I We, the undersigned, a;p- our deep regret at the FRESHrecent disciplinaryactiona take0 agPinst members of ment defended the responsibility need to worship with other like- The Church of leous c3hrist of hlterday Saints. of general and local leaders to minded Saints. At present, Degn We grieve that in the Chd *Responsible discussion and writing me preserve the Church's doctrinal plans to hold the Sunday Gather- discouraged or threatened. purity. Interestingly, the letter ing quarterly; the next one is 4 Judgmental attitudes and ecdaissticpl COURAGE sanctions pment useful discourse between was signed only by the two coun- scheduled for 13 February 1994. church leadm and members. 4 Conformihis valued above the search for truth. selors, Presidents Gordon B. The second meeting was O Intimidation is replacing perswsiou, and feP Hinckley and Thomas S. Mon- sponsored by the Olive Branch, replacing love We urge leadm and members ofthe Church to work son, and not by Church Presi- an ad hoc group organized by J. TAKE toward a spmt of tol~~and pepQ dent Ezra Taft Benson. D. Williams that solicited donors w--*hnr Speaking about the statement, and signers for a statement that **w -u*B= Paul Toscano, who was excom- ran in the Salt Lake Tribune on Tdd-.m all" WDAmd municated for apostasy in Sep- Sunday, 13 November, calling for 1-zzs&.= m Il-w- tember, told the Associated Press, reconciliation and announcing a 1- LAlhxUI Wmn-ll Wnd LD.llln* "It is essentially disinfonnation one-time meeting the following Z0.E . to put out a statement to say Sunday night, 5 December (see YnhLtn bnrrl I."W.nd. -0 'we have a policy,' when in fact the ad at right). WUI.LnnlWII mm 0-W Mn Cqw policy of spoken rules is under- That meeting also featured JWWwn- JwH. mined by a whole cluster of un- vigorous singing led by Ardean Rue*Ll- P-"4- DEVOTIONAL -emmu spoken rules. Once a [mem- Watts. Each of four speakers gave w-- Join with us to pray, sing hymns, --MCq- promote understandin&and shm hopes for courage end rrcondiation. ber] is targeted as a dissenter or powerful sermons on one aspect MTh.rmmI** Please bring hymn bwh critic and leaders are fed up with of 2 Timothy 1:7: "For God hath FNX2.d WU.hd Lb"UP." Sunday, Decunber 5,1993 the criticism, the rule is 'do what- not given us the Spirit of fear,but w8nr*.-Mhhr 6:W to 8:W p.m U&!m mmm Pine Arts Auditonurn, ever you have to do to silence the of power and love, and of a W&hlch.u Unidtyof Utah uraum* um6,I-m person.' . Any stated policies sound mind." Fred Voros YvtliDlMn nbUhrdWda dW are just subterfuge." preached on fear, Martha Pierce -uu. cral, Du* -*u Ann. c.mwb"d Two public meetings were or- on power, Vicky Stewart on the Id L Cudo. *nr DY1- LWDUu"" ganized in response to Septem- concept of a sound mind, and Tbrm,"W -1 MW hW.hW ber's events. Inspired by the Paul Toscano on love. *.wr P.oXm!", deeply moving and spiritual Williams told the group of S4dmbaUII ---t. I*r*.a prayer meeting on the eve of La- 250 gathered at the University of GdLan* vina Fielding Anderson's excom- Utah Fine Arts Auditorium that 22-La* Id,= v. *wc Y hkl OalW munication, and feeling that it the idea for the Olive Branch 1- U WILm needed to be reproduced on a came to him when he ran across regular basis, Louise Degn rented a 1979 full-page newspaper ad DECEMBER 1993 PAGE 67 sary to set the record straight on rent controversies over church some important matters omitted discipline. Though Steve Benson or obscured in this attack upon works for this paper, he did not my integrity. arrange this interview and was My dictionary defines lying as not included in it. being "deliberately untruthful" At about 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 6, and a "lie" as "a false statement I received a "personal and confi- made with deliberate intent to dential" letter from Steve Benson. deceive." I did not "lie" to the Relying on his personal notes of reporter and, contrary to the our confidential conversations, wire-service story printed in the he charged that I had "lied in October 16 Tribune, I did not public" in my interview with the "admit" to "falsely telling" the re- reporter and stated that unless I porter something that was un- "publicly set the record straight" true. by calling the reporter within 24 I withdrew one sentence I had hours, he would do so himself. spoken in a long interview, and I I immediately studied the the wrong Michael Quinn. toonist Steve Bensonk statements did so three days before the arti- lengthy transcript of the Oct. 1 Commenting on the episode, were reported about a conversa- cle was published because I real- interview (16 pages single- Quinn, the historian, told the tion he had had with Elder Oaks ized, when I saw the written tran- spaced), received the previous Tribune, "Threatening phone and Oaks's initial reply. One such script, that this single sentence day. I was distressed to find one calls are a new low in the current statement was Elder Oaks speak- was not "truthful" (meaning "ac- statement to the reporter I could atmosphere of repression in the ing about Elder Packer, "You curate" or "correct"). When a see was not accurate ("I have no LDS church. I hold Apostle can't stage manage a grizzly newspaper publishes something knowledge of whether he d~d").I [Dallin H.] Oaks personally re- bear," adding that "it was a mis- that it later realizes to have been am sure I did not speak that sen- sponsible for inciting such sick- take for Packer to meet with incorrect, does it apologize to its tence with the intent to deceive, minded Mormons. Apostle Oaks Heinz and a mistake for Heinz to readers for "lying" or does it just but whether it was an inadver- publicly stated that feminists and ask for the meeting." print a correction? My statement tence or a result of forgetfulness scholars excommunicated in In the same news section, to the reporter was corrected be- in the context of a long and far- September were actually wolves. some readers have interpreted fore it was published. reaching interview, 1 cannot be Utah sheepherders kill wolves imprecise passages in the SUN- The sequence and timing of sure. But the important thing was rather than allow them to wander STONE report to indicate various events is important. that I could recognize that this around and kill sheep. Elder that SUNSTONE believes Benson On Sept. 9, Elder Neal A. sentence was not correct. (Three Oaks has increased the paranoia is a promise-breaker. SUNSTONE Maxwell and I met with Steve other statements challenged by of Mormons toward differences makes no such determination and Marv Ann Benson for about Steve Benson required no correc- of opinion and dissent.