On August 4, 1997, Time magazine had an article about Mormons and words from Gordon B. Hinckley.

Q: Just another related question that comes up is the statements in the King Follet discourse by the Prophet.

A: Yeah

Q: ... about that, God the Father was once a man as we were. This is something that Christian writers are always addressing. Is this the teaching of the church today, that God the Father was once a man like we are?

A: I don’t know that we teach it. I don’t know that we emphasize it. I haven’t heard it discussed for a long time in public discourse. I don’t know. I don’t know all the circumstances under which that statement was made. I understand the philosophical background behind it. But I don’t know a lot about it and I don’t know that others know a lot about it.

How could the Hinckley say "I don't know"? It was and still is taught. You can read it in the LDS manual called "Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith"

http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=da135f74db46c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=dc48b00367c45110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=1&contentLocale=0

It is below the paragraph heading "When we comprehend the character of God, we comprehend ourselves and know how to approach Him."

“God Himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! That is the great secret. If the veil were rent today, and the great God who holds this world in its orbit, and who upholds all worlds and all things by His power, was to make Himself visible,—I say, if you were to see Him today, you would see Him like a man in form—like yourselves in all the person, image, and very form as a man; for Adam was created in the very fashion, image and likeness of God, and received instruction from, and walked, talked and conversed with Him, as one man talks and communes with another. … "

This manual is not an obsolete book. The lds website even says how to use the book.

http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=da135f74db46c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=213720596a845110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=1&contentLocale=0

"This book can be used to teach at home or at church."

The website formerly known as Mormon Defense League says that Mormons do not teach or excuse dishonesty.
http://mormonvoices.org/656/dishonesty

Aren't Mormons supposed to follow the prophet? What about Gordon B. Hinckley? He set a fine example. If Mormons want to appear to be honest, just say "I don't know that we teach it" and dishonesty will be excused.

He made a reference to his interview in a speech later in GC....and laughed about "not knowing". It is a snide and egotistical person that will intentionally lie and then laugh about it.

No thank you to being part of that. Just think of the example that he sets to all of the leaders under him.....be liars and decieve people.

Was it the October 1997 Saturday morning session?

http://lds.org/general-conference/1997/10/drawing-nearer-to-the-lord?lang=eng

"I personally have been much quoted, and in a few instances misquoted and misunderstood. I think that’s to be expected. None of you need worry because you read something that was incompletely reported. You need not worry that I do not understand some matters of doctrine. I think I understand them thoroughly, and it is unfortunate that the reporting may not make this clear. I hope you will never look to the public press as the authority on the doctrines of the Church."

It looks to me like he lied about the media misquoting him.

lie to protect the church image, (aka lying for the Lord, or milk before meat), and that mormon members shouldn't rely on things said to the non-mormon masses for real mormon doctrine.

Being a good liar is essential in PR work.
Lying for the Lord is essential in LDS, Inc.

One of my favorite quotes:

In a letter to President John Taylor in 1887, Charles W. Penrose expressed concern that "the endless subterfuges and prevarications which our present condition impose ... threaten to make our rising generation a race of deceivers." (Solemn Covenant, p. 368)

There was no misquote...He has lied in Time mag and on Larry King, if he was mis quoted or misunderstood, he had ample time to correct the errors, instead he just says "don't worry about it" and all the members obey. He could have clarified the situation, and you would think the leader of millions would want to...but instead. it's just "don't worry about it". Thanks Gordy, how prophetic of you.

FAIR tried to explain it too.

http://www.fairlds.org/Misc/Does_President_Hinckley_Understand_LDS_Doctrine.html

Scroll down to the second yellow box. "The answer is correct; we do not teach in our classes today that God was a man just like us."

FAIR does not seem honest in their answer. The book "Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith" was used as curriculum for 2008-2009
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teachings_of_Presidents_of_the_Church

So in 2008-2009 the church did teach “God Himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!"

Hinckley is a LIAR.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6mtf1_-rx4

I believe it was in the same interview. That upset some people in my family. Well, it upset them at me for showing them that Hinckley said it.

http://mormonhomeevening.blogspot.com/2008/02/mormon-prophet-hinckley-claims-that_04.html

The powers that be have no problem lying. They do it every day. How many times and ways have they lied to you?

It's what they do. It's their calling. Keeping the cash rolling in is the reason. It's as simple as that.

allowed me to give myself permission to start honestly looking at my long held doubts about the whole idea of the church. Up until I watched this interview and heard the prophet of my church say that he didn't know something I knew very well, I beat the feelings that were nagging at me into the ground. After this interview, I openly (in my mind) entertained the idea that maybe it wasn't all it was stated to be. It still took me years to finally admit, out loud, to another adult (my wife) that I simply didn't believe--but this is what put it all into gear.

That is why I love this interview--best thing the prophet ever said, as far as I'm concerned!

Every member of the Church is taught this doctrine. It is not ‘a couplet’, nor deep doctrine that no one knows much about. In the following quote President Hinckley himself taught this doctrine personally to the entire Church in general conference in 1994.

“On the other hand, the whole design of the gospel is to lead us onward and upward to greater achievement, even, eventually, to godhood. This great possibility was enunciated by the Prophet Joseph Smith in the King Follet sermon (see Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 342-62) and emphasized by President Lorenzo Snow. It is this grand and incomparable concept: As God now is, man may become! (See The Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, comp. Clyde J. Williams, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1984, p. 1) Our enemies have criticized us for believing in this. Our reply is that this lofty concept in no way diminishes God the Eternal Father. He is the Almighty. He is the Creator and Governor of the universe. He is the greatest of all and will always be so. But just as any earthly father wishes for his sons and daughters every success in life, so I believe our Father in Heaven wishes for his children that they might approach him in stature and stand beside him resplendent in godly strength and wisdom. (Conference Report, Oct. 1994)”

He blames the press for misquoting him despite the fact that he said basically the same thing, on three different occasions, and they were reported via three separate sources of the "public press".

I lost all respect for Hinckley when I learned the whole truth.

He lied, then he lied, then he lied again and then he lied again.

Not only is this common doctrine that we were all taught he himself taught this doctrine to the entire church and he quoted it's source.

He lied on purpose. He lied to protect non-mormon's perspectives of what the church actually teaches and we all know that lasts only long enough to ensnare and indoctrinate until emotional bonds are made and backing out is painful enough to keep the checks coming in and families held hostage to maintain belief and/or participation via the destruction of free agency via an emotional prison.

"Thou shalt not bare false witness" There are no caveats for protecting testimony!

Thanks. I did not realize he did that in 1994.

http://lds.org/general-conference/1994/10/don-t-drop-the-ball?lang=eng

October 1994 General Conference, Priesthood Session

“On the other hand, the whole design of the gospel is to lead us onward and upward to greater achievement, even, eventually, to godhood. This great possibility was enunciated by the Prophet Joseph Smith in the King Follet sermon..."

FAIR tries to answer it.
http://www.fairwiki.org/Mormonism_and_the_nature_of_God/Hinckley_downplaying_the_King_Follett_Discourse

"Note that President Hinckley is talking about how man may become like God. Note also that he makes no comment about God once being a man. He does not comment on the statements made by Joseph Smith or Lorenzo Snow that God was once a man, but he does emphasize what these two men said about man becoming like God. This is an important distinction, since the questions asked of President Hinckley by the media were with respect to the question of God once being a man. Critics claim that Gordon B. Hinckey "lied publicly" by saying that he didn't think it was doctrine and didn't know if it was taught. President Hinckley was answering the question asked, which is if "God the Father was once a man as we were." The concept was taught by early Church leaders, but President Hinckley noted that it is not emphasized today."

FAIR does not seem honest in their answer. The book "Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith" was used as curriculum for 2008-2009
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teachings_of_Presidents_of_the_Church

In 2008-2009, the church did teach “God Himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!"

And of course, the current Gospel Principles Manual, which they've been studying all this year has:-

Chapter 47, Page 279

Joseph Smith taught: "It is the first principle of the Gospel* to know for a certainty the Character of God.....He was once a man like us.....God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ himself did"


*Hate to pick nits but doesn't AoF 4 state that the first principle of the Gospel is "faith in the Lord Jesus Christ"?
or is it as per several talks we've all heard "obedience, obedience, and more OBEDIENCE"?

(What was that about nailing jello to the wall)

Thanks. FAIR's attempts to excuse Hinckley by claiming that he was right because it is not taught are roasted.

http://lds.org/manual/gospel-principles/chapter-47-exaltation?lang=eng

He was stuck. It was either lie or say what??

The Mormon Church is founded upon a lie. It can only be maintained by lies. To maintain a testimony of its 'truth' one must lie to one's self.

What could he have said?

1. Yes, we believe that God was once a man like us who progressed. (This answer is known as 'the truth').

Journalist frowns for a moment...

"So Gordon...in that case who do you believe God's dad is?"

*crickets*

The part 3 of God's word that Joseph Smith dug up from under the tree in the holy land of Rochester, New York is true because Joseph said it was no lie. Therefore you all should not worry about these silly press conferences. You should worry more about making sure you regularly send 10% of your gross income to the church on top of fast offerings, missionary fund donations, and Perpetual Education Fund donations. And don't forget to clean the toilets at the chapels and temples and fulfilling all other church assignments. Our lives are like those of Abraham who was willing to sacrifice all when he was fastened to an altar on top of those 4 evil canopy jars of the false gods of Egypt. Fortunately an angel of the Lord saved him as the scriptures teach us. You can read all about it yourself as Abraham used his own hand and wrote it all down on papyri and now its the oldest known writings on earth kept safely in church archives to prevent wicked people from trying to destroy this sacred record which proves that Joseph could translate Egyptian perfectly. Abraham wrote all this around the same time that the Jaredites came to the promised land where the Garden of Eden had been which had been swept clean after the flood and which would become completely depopulated except for the Jews who would be brought over around 600 BC until the coming of Christopher Columbus. I have no idea where you guys find time to criticize the church because if you are living the gospel you'd be 24/7 way too busy to think about such silly anti-church crap.

When Gord was asked when Polygamy started, He answered:
'When our people came west, they permitted it....'


R I G H T.

as if Polygamy wasn't a REQUIREMENT for attaining the CK...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/13/2011 09:28AM by guynoirprivateeye.

After looking at Hinckley, how does Joseph Smith compare? Here is a new article from an apologist.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700207011/Defending-the-Faith-Joseph-Smith-was-known-as-truthful.html

Joseph Smith was the original Mormon scammer. Of course, all Mormon scammers claim to be honest.

Only the Deseret News would print something so ridiculous.

Hinckley lied the most openly and yet was the most effective public face of Mormonism since David O. McKay.

What does that tell you?

The church never really disavowed the lies of Paul Dunn. Dishonesty has become a defining Mormon trait. I think that's coming through in the debate of Mitt Romney as well, even if the media isn't talking openly about it.