I understand that as people learn and come to the conclusion that the church is not what it claims to be, we find a new way to look at the GA's. But that doesn't mean we would go to the extreme as to hurt anybody.
I wonder if the GA's are afraid of something. If you have been at conference you may have noticed the bodyguards all over the place, they are easy to find. Also, in order to get into the Conference Center you must pass a metal detector.
In the other hand, I have seen GA's out in businesses, banks and a mall... always accompanied by two or three people.
Do you know of any events when they have been actually attacked or in danger of?

There was a BYU fireside in the 90s where Howard W. Hunter was threatened by a guy from the audience--he wanted to be made prophet.

We were watching from home and saw somebody approach, a look on Hunter's face like he was taken aback, and then the screen went blank. It was pretty crazy.

There are people who are upset with them. A few of those people are bound to be crazy.

In show bizness, without a posse you are nobody. It's all about the trappings.

Since they can't have a big pointy hat, red shoes, and gold embroidered robes---all the Big 15 have left to accessorize with is an entourage.

And don't forget, It' hard out there for a pimp!

They have more to fear from either their own people, or a madman --who would just as soon do the same to a grocery store cashier, because that's how out of touch with reality that kind of person would be to try either thing.

Do they need one person, or maybe two, or a kind of body man to get them thru big crowds? Maybe. Do they need a driver, if they are elderly and have poor vision and hearing and because they travel often in unfamiliar places? Probably.

Do they need a phalanx of bodyguards and an armored car while tootling around Utah and the intermountain West----and private jets, as well? Or 500k-1mil homes provided hybthe church, to live in? No they do not.

Do they have all this and more? Yes. Do they desire or enjoy it? Probably.

Remember, their own buddy described their perks by drawing parallels to a CEO of a fortune 500 type corporation, and they are themselves a corporation in legal terms, for tax purposes.

So it makes sense for leaders of the one true church to have all the trappings of a CEO including a big entourage.

Because surely, there's nothing else that could or needs to done to help others with that time, talent or money.

Right?

<snark snark>

Back in the 80's Hunter came to a regional conference. A bunch of us were assigned to onsite security.

Mostly that meant standing around watching the crowd and keeping our eyes open during the prayers.

One guy sat front row center and was supposed to jump up and take the bullet. I imagine that prompted some soul searching. LOL

If there was any church security, we weren't aware of it.

Are you serious, they really told a person to jump in front of a bullet???

There was a bishop in the stake I grew up in who was killed in his office after church by an angry ex-mo pretty recently. Crazy people are everywhere, and the bigger the celebrity, the bigger the target. Nobody can deny that the GA's are celebrities, and nobody can deny that there are a lot of people who despise them, some of which might be crazy.

Celebrities? GAs? Outside of UT, outside of the morridor, no one even knows who they are!

The morg are inconsequential to anyone but themselves...

Also helps accentuate the power status with TBMs.

Imagine if your whole life, your family life and everyone with whom you associated is centered on an organization for which you are now just called to the top leadership.

And you realize that all of it is untrue. You're embedded in deep and to call it out would destroy the lives of everyone around you, force you into financial trouble (because you have built your lifestyle for decades in the lower quorums on modest stipends and book deals, and have received forgivable loans on homes and for your children and their businesses). Your family's success depends on the reputation you have and their business associations are linked to the clout.

But you realize that there are some people out there (RfM) that are tuned into the real deal. And the church is still bilking millions out of thousands every year. You can't escape. You can at best downplay. Carry on in the business side.

Nagging in your mind is the thought that some ex members are probably VERY irate about the truth. And more members are learning it every year. Paranoia about that is natural. The feeling you need protection from the monster you're supporting is inevitable.

The security that maintain protection for you do not know the truth. They admire you and they have a lot of working plans to protect you. You shrug and let it go forward.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/14/2013 12:48PM by Jesus Smith.

Bilking thousands out of millions more like it...

Have you ever seen a mormon who had enough spine to actually stand up to authority?

To help him if he gets lost on his way to the restroom?

Why is a $900k Auid A8 security special needed ?
The year prior to this pic Monsoon rode on the back of a open air cadillac in the days of 47 parade.

http://www.ldschurchnews.com/media/photos/5642356.jpg


I know Dieter F. is probably an Audi guy..maybe he is in the know.

if TSM is afraid should we?


http://www.newsamen.com/10179/israeli-prime-minister-drives-900000-armored-audi-a8-l

LMAO, I almost had milk come out of my nose when I read this...
I read it as "Audi R8" instead

They need protection from the very monsters they create. This is a faith that teaches stories about young boys heading to a grove in the woods for a little alone time to spank their monkey suddenly being attacked by the devil then having god come down and tell them to start a new religion. This is a faith that teaches that if something appearing to be an angel tells you to cut off a mans head because he has something you want you should get right on that. A faith that teaches that apparitions may come and tell you to fornicate or be destroyed. Any mormon hearing voices in their head likely thinks its god....

Frankly they probably don't have enough security.

ROTFLMAO !!!!

I figured lil Joey had to go pull his pud... Then come up with a story to cover his tracks...

Oh wait, he didn't come up with the story for another umpteen years...

Proves he was masturbatin

Imagine you've made a career of exploiting anybody you can, including easily persuaded people who believe that if God tells you to kill someone, you do it.

Wouldn't you want a bodyguard?

Maybe they're just "entourages."

I think they also need protection from the good and faithful members who who would give their second born for a chance to touch one of the apostles and be in his presence. There's a section in handbook 2 about how members should not try and get GAs or other area authorities to sign their programs, hymnals, scriptures... you know there are some crazy people who fawn over the apostles.

You know old Tommy has some security in every conference he goes to that scouts out some delightsom widows to come back and receieve a very special apostolic "blessing".

Does this involve consecrated oil and the laying on of hands?

Why does the Pope ride under glass? Shouldn't he be happy to die for the church? How better to get sainted?

If God wants him to live, wouldn't he protect him? Isn't the use of bodyguards and armored glass just a tacit acknowledgement that God doesn't intervene on their behalf, and that they don't have enough faith to die for the cause of truth?

Makes them feel important, when they know they're not. Actually, Joseph Fielding Smith handled this just fine when he was the PS&R: His wife Jessie Evans leaned out the limousine window, yelled "Watch toesies!" and without looking further, drove straight on out of temple square. Saw it myself.

They are rock stars. The top directors of a very powerful organization; either they are idolized or hated. They provoke strong reactions in either corner. I do not envy their sheltered lives.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/14/2013 03:41PM by suckafoo.

. . . I had to pass by, not an angel with a flaming sword, but a guard station that had been built outside his apartment door. The door itself had been reinforced and we were buzzed in.

Forget God; hire a bodyguard squad.

Go ahead, steve b, call it a bodygod.

To keep the oxygen tubing unkinked and the foley catheters flowing freely.

They must be worried about an FLDS coup. Based on the Holland interview on "The Mormon Candidate" they've got the SMC built up to protect against the "predatory practices" of the FLDS. Must be worried they're going to storm the COB, take over the LDS church and restore fundamentalism to all mormons worldwide.

They should each pack a pepperbox pistol. Then they'd have nothing to worry about.

Frankly they don't have enough, a psyco with a rifle is all you need

Put a decent shot within 700 yards and he's a gonner

did David Koresh have bodyguards? just wondering.

Someone on this board suggested watching that show on BIO about Cults. I watched it the other day and those crazies had their own form of bodyguards. I think most of the time when people ask for bodyguards, they are trying to show off their status instead of really being in need of protection.

Hi, Thomas Monson!

It's status...

They can't be important, unless you know they're important...

It's a church that teaches that it's better for one man to
perish than for a nation to dwindle and perish in unbelief.

It's also a church that teaches that we all get personal
revelation directly from God. Those "promptings" we get are the
SPIRIT speaking to us in a "still small voice."

It's also a church that has, as part of its doctrine, the idea
that one "mighty and strong" will set the Church in order some
day.

Mix those all together and you get a crackpot cocktail.