| Subject: | I provided the news tip to the Winnipeg Sun exposing that Mark Hacking was sent home early from his Mormon Mission. |
| Date: | Aug 06 18:13 |
| Author: | Adieu LDS |
| I provided the news tip to the Winnipeg Sun
exposing that Mark Hacking was sent home early from his Mormon Mission.
I live in Winnipeg and I saw the posting from anonymous source
making allegations concerning Mark Hacking's time as a missionary in
Winnipeg. I was a former Ward Mission Leader in Winnipeg (in one of
Hacking’s wards, but I never remember meeting him) and I thought this
would make interesting local news. I called both major newspapers in the
city and the Winnipeg Sun was quite interested. I provided the reporter
with the source of the website, and the website listing Hackings mission
presidents’ home phone number. I also explained to the reported the
inner workings of the Mormon Church and the reporting structure of
Mormon Inc. To my surprise the small article was quoted by several news
agencies including, The Guardian, ABC News, and the Chicago Tribune. The
reporter did confirm to me that indeed Mendenhall said ‘He served an
honourable mission and was honourably released after a period of two
years and he went back to Utah," I have no doubt that Mendenhall
was properly quoted because of the language and terms that he used. It is interesting that Mendenhall has since retracted his original claim that Hacking had not been sent home early from his mission. Background on Mark Hacking’s Abbreviated
Mission (It was first posted on the exmormon.org
bb and the media was alerted) |
| Subject: | Re: Mark Hacking's Mission President Retracts His Published Claim That Hacking Had Not Been Sent Home Early |
| Date: | Aug 06 18:06 |
| Author: | Glo |
|
My guess is ,some warning flags were there for Lori but she did not get
the full story. And she was young and idealistic like most Mormon girls,
willing to overlook a few flaws and trying to be the perfect,
supportive, celestial mate. She probably also looked at his nice Mormon family and believed she and Mark could have the same life. It wasn't her fault she came across the wrong guy. Nobody could have seen their way clear through that much deception. But oh how sad. |
| Subject: | Too in-house |
| Date: | Aug 06 18:08 |
| Author: | Nightingale |
| ... the fact that the MP
reversed his previous statement seems like a straightforward - and
exceptionally pertinent - fact that should be included in the story.
This is why I prefer more in-depth reporting, where there is time/space
to develop some background rather than going with sound-bite journalism. I see this with the polygamy issues - there are so many relevant, important aspects that rarely get covered, such as the power struggles between the plig leaders that have such an impact on the lives of their subjects. I've seen Debbie Palmer (rights activist) trying to explain it to reporters and audiences and their eyes glaze over. To non-mos, such details are too complicated and distant to be meaningful to them. For a nevermo audience in today's superficial sound bite media circus world, the nuances are overlooked. It would take too long to explain the insider stuff and it is too convoluted for people to grasp the points quickly. Besides that, mos/exmos care about aspects that others do not. But at least some of the major pieces of the stories are getting out there - so that's one step forward. |
| Subject: | Re: Mark Hacking's Mission President Retracts His Published Claim That Hacking Had Not Been Sent Home Early |
| Date: | Aug 06 18:09 |
| Author: | anonmo |
|
Someday it would be good to tackle the LDS family and marriage
counseling (in another thread) that betrays confidentiality by reporting
to church officials on the counselor's judgment of their client's
relationship to the church and its rules. The American Psychology
Association (I think that's the name) would go NUTS over licensing
issues. Anyhow, good for you, as always. Timing on getting a message out is perfect as the morbid fascination many of us have with LDS comes up again (like the repeat of the Flora program on tv was obviously intended to fill that opportunity), and with the vacancies for prophets or apostles, or whatever they are, there will be another opportunity for expression. And need we even mention the open hearing on Mr. Mitchell's sanity coming up? All this stuff will make newsies scramble for "fair and balanced" journalism. Best, Marilyn |
| Subject: | the weirdest thing about this whole scenario |
| Date: | Aug 06 18:15 |
| Author: | elee |
| is that KSL had verified this fact AND reported it
shortly after it was posted here by you. Of course, they haven't
mentioned it again that I'm aware of, but I still found it curiously
forthright. The point about your explanation of the situation as "too in-house" really, and sadly, sums of what most of the world thinks of mormonism, doesn't it? They want the sensationalistic stories, but have no interest in understanding the broader context. But I guess I should be happy about this, since it shows mormonism as being ultimately impotent and incapable of realizing its great scheme of world conversion...er...domination....bwa ha ha ha ha! :) |
| Subject: | HA! I knew it was just a matter of time before Mendenhall started to backpedal! |
| Date: | Aug 06 18:53 |
| Author: | Empowered |
| DAMN...I wonder if he wants a little Tabasco to help
that crow go down easier! (choke* gasp* wheeze*!) |
| Subject: | What gets me |
| Date: | Aug 06 21:53 |
| Author: | síóg |
| Either here or on another discussion board, I read
posts from TBMs saying, in essence, "Who are you going to believe,
the MP or the (unstated but implied) scumbag reporter?" Not that there aren't biases in the media, either in the reporting or the editorial side. Still, the idea that reporters make things up out of whole cloth -- particularly to smear a morgbot -- is silly, unless you're a TBM, I suppose. The news accounts reported what was being said. It turns out the rumors have been validated. But this "who are you going to believe?" defensiveness from the TBMs really reaffirms to me a sense that they have their hands clamped firmly over both eyes and ears. |
| Subject: | To clarify |
| Date: | Aug 06 22:26 |
| Author: | síóg |
| The post by the TBM came before Mendenhall retracted
his statement, as I understand it. As far as I'm concerned, the Mendenhall mendacity is merely SOP for this corrupt organization, a stupid and knee-jerk denial of something that was bound to come out anyway. He would have been better off to issue a "no comment." However, the sheeple have to be mis-led, I suppose is what it comes down to. Blame it on "anti-mormon" sentiment, and they will take up the cry: "I choose to believe the Brethren over the press." And now? |
| Subject: | Didn't Mendenhall state his original denial before the evidence began stacking against Hacking?..... |
| Date: | Aug 06 22:12 |
| Author: | Randy J. |
| I can't recall, but if that is the case, Mendenhall
may have believed that Hacking couldn't possibly be the murderer, so at
the time he made the statement, he may have thought he could get by with
a little 'white lie' to aid the character of his former
missionary---never dreaming that others would come forward to contradict
him mere days later. Another poster compared this case to the Hofmann case---remember, Hofmann's fellow church members couldn't believe that he was the bomber, until the evidence began piling up. Lying to protect fellow church members has been a part of Mormonism since its early days. The practice is rooted in Mormonism's Masonic-borrowed oaths of loyalty and obedience. |
| Subject: | Isn't it possible that Mark Hacking's MP just made a mistake? |
| Date: | Aug 07 16:04 |
| Author: | anon |
| After all, many years had passed and there were lots
of missionaries in his mission. Maybe the MP at first confused Mark with
someone else (who did serve an honorable mission) and only later
recalled which one was Mark. I don't think we should jump to the conclusion that the MP lied and then later owned up to the truth. For one thing, saying Mark got sent home early makes the church look better, not worse. So why should he lie about it? What does the MP himself say in this regard? Does he admit he at first didn't tell the truth about Mark or does he say he had Mark confused with someone else? |
| Subject: | I highly doubt it. Most of my former |
| Date: | Aug 07 16:06 |
| Author: | Anon |
| mission presidents remembered me and things about me
I'd forgotten. And my guess is they remember those they've sent home even more vividly than those who went through without making much trouble at all. |
| Subject: | It is possible he could have made a mistake, but if he did, he would have willingly made a correction |
| Date: | Aug 07 16:09 |
| Author: | SusieQ#1 |
| rather than back peddle when he feet were to the
fire in typical Mormon fashion! LDS Inc is not about to advertise that their missionaries are ever sent home for moral indiscretions. They are ministers of the only true gospel and they are not about to be put in the same basket with the rest of the fallen ministers of the world who make the news! They do their best to keep those things quiet! |
| Subject: | I agree! I wonder if there would be any circumstance that the MP would admit that |
| Date: | Aug 07 16:34 |
| Author: | SusieQ#1 |
| someone did not serve an honorable mission when
faced with this kind of international scrutiny. My observation is that the image of the Mormon Church must be protected at all costs. |
| Subject: | Sending Mark home early makes the Church look much better, not worse |
| Date: | Aug 07 16:54 |
| Author: | anon |
| The MP must have known that Mark might be guilty, in
which case, it would be much better PR to say the Church sent the bad
missionary home. Even better if Mark had also been excommunicated. I don't think it would be loyal to the church for Mendenhall to lie and say that someone he knew to be an immoral missionary was the opposite. Unless the MP is kinda dumb, surely he must know that the truth would most likely come out. There had to be several people who knew the details of Mark's mission; at the very least, the dates would be documented fact. When someone is sent home early for scandalous reasons, word gets around. Unless Mendenhall himself says otherwise, I still tend to think he just made a mistake. I just don't see any benefit to himself or the Church for lying, and the benefit to Mark would be insignificant, as it couldn't outweigh all the evidence against him. |
| Subject: | My guess is that the MP sent the boys home a little early on the condition |
| Date: | Aug 07 17:06 |
| Author: | SusieQ#1 |
| they see the bishop and go through the
"repentance process". That way they could say they served an "honorable" mission and take care of their transgressions privately with the local leaders. That way, everyone saves face. We know that the MP knew who MH was as he was invited to his temple marriage, right? |
| Subject: | How can you foget an entire GROUP of missionaries... |
| Date: | Aug 07 17:00 |
| Author: | Empowered |
| ...that were all sent home for improprieties? 4 in all! And one of them got the Branch President's daughter pregnant! This is HUGELY scandalous in the Mormon church, and not something that is easily/accidently forgotten! |
| Subject: | I see your point. Were any of these missionaries exed? |
| Date: | Aug 07 17:26 |
| Author: | anon |
| If Mark had oral sex and another elder impregnated the branch president's daughter (and 2 others also committed sexual violations), surely the Church did more than just slap their wrists? I'm just wondering what the Church does to missionaries like this. I'll bet lots of people in the world at large wonder the same thing. It would not look good for the missionary program to let bad missionaries off easy. |
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