I am no fan of correlation and the one size fits all. However, looking at some of the people in my ward and those around me gives me pause. Without correlation and lesson manuals guiding these people their Primary, Sunday School, Relief Society, Priesthood, and Sacrament Meeting topics would descend into lunacy.

On second thought that might actually be a good thing. It may provide the much needed opportunity for Mormonism to fragment into splinter groups with "birds of a feather." Even now there are several "churches" within TSCC. Correlation has done nothing to quell the runaway craziness with many TBMs.

For the new people, here are some of the topics for foyer discussions in my ward:

1. Vaccinations were developed as a government plot to kill off the young and the elderly.

2. The government is putting miniature transmitters in vaccinations so that they can track the movements of the population.

3. The government carefully selects the soldiers who are married to be sent into combat so that those who are having children can be killed thus controlling population growth.

4. Police officers have no delegation of authority to stop people for traffic violations and if you remind the officers of that fact they will let you go.

5. Income taxes are unconstitutional and you can successfully defend that case in court.

6. They received a prophecy that Bill Clinton would win a second term and that there would be riots in the streets following the election. Thousands would die. I am sure you all remember the election riots...oh...well...never mind....

7. Black people should not have received the priesthood until the end of Christ's millennial reign. Unrighteousness among the saints and the actions of the fallen prophet Spencer W. Kimball led to the blacks receiving the priesthood. If ETB had been the prophet at the time such an unrighteous action never would have happened.

8. Then there are the force fields emanating from a person's body. They have "practitioners" hold their hands over a person's body to determine where weakness lies in a person's body. This is done in a manner similar to dowsing rods.

9. They have people hold various foods, vitamins, and supplements in one hand and test their grip strength in the other. The changes in grip strength determine nutrient deficiencies.

10. There is the belief that the sun is not really running on hydrogen and helium but that it is receiving its light and power through some magical, priesthood, celestial conduit from god himself. Scientists with their theories of nuclear reactions are just sadly mistaken.

11. The shape of a food tells you what it will most benefit in the body. For example avocados are the same shape as a uterus so they are beneficial for women's reproductive health.

12. A bishop who thinks that mental illness is caused by wickedness and sometimes possession by evil spirits.

13. Enimas as the be all and end all. These TBMs use various teas, coffee, and juices as enimas.

14. The sun receives its light/energy directly from god. No nuclear reactions in their world just a direct spiritual connection to Kolob.

15. Black people are the result of Eve having sex with Satan.

16. All matter has free will and can choose how to behave. That is why some chemistry and physics experiments deviate from the norm...the matter decided to behave differently.

17. The earth has a spirit, was baptized in the universal deluge, and will receive the baptism of fire at Christs second coming.

18. The lost ten tribes are in the hollow earth or alternatively in a "kettle shaped cove" in the frozen north. They will return from the north pole or there abouts at Christ's return.

19. At Christ's second coming the continents will be brought back together. They believe that Pangea separated a mere 3000 years ago not 250 million. What problems the 6000 year old earth causes.

20. A lady teaching one of our Sunday School classes believed that scientists had discovered that the earth was breathing. It was supposedly expanding and contracting in a rhythmic fashion.

21. Native American prophecies warning about relying on the power that "comes from flicking the wrist when entering your house" or verbiage along those lines.

Wow, so much insanity, hard to wrap my head around.

I have heard of #5 before though. I don't know the particulars or how this is even possible, but about 15 - 20 years ago, I remember there was a guest on Howard Stern's show who was anti-taxes and was successful in a court case. Now, considering how long ago it was, my memory is a bit spotty and I could be misremembering.

#5 was one that would come up now and then in foyer talks. What I heard on that one was that 16th amendment was never legally ratified, which made it supposedly illegally to enforce.(whatever). #14 I heard a couple of times, and was told that the sun was actually the finger of god.(try wrapping your head around that one). Also number 4 and 18 I heard discussed a few times. #20 was popular also. I think parley pratt was behind that one, that everything was a living entity, at least that is what I was told. Yes, I completely agree, correlation is probably what has kept the crazy's in line. I am wondering, with the political climate the way it is, just how long this might explode into the open there by causing tscc major headaches. believe me, I have seen some of these discussions become very heated and argumentative. Just my observations only....