The Council of Springville* has long been seeking to usurp the authority of Church leaders to declare doctrine. Now the council is outright telling Church members how to "understand and use" President Cowdery's historical essays in No-wise #453.
This no-wise is a sign that the M2C intellectuals feel threatened, like the Ephesian sellers of idols who tried to silence the Apostle Paul.
To write and publish a no-wise such as #453, the M2C intellectuals must be desperate.
_____
Years ago I allowed Book of Mormon Central to publish in their archive, for free, the first edition of my book, Letter VII: Oliver Cowdery Explains the Hill Cumorah. For a long time it was the most popular, or one of the most popular, items in their archive.
Lately, they removed it from their archive.
This is typical of the way the M2C citation cartel censors any information that contradicts the M2C dogma. The last thing they want is for members of the Church to be fully informed about what the prophets have taught. They can control BYU, CES and the Departments in the Church Office Building by keeping people ignorant.
Fortunately for the truth, in the age of the Internet, censorship backfires.
More and more people are reading and talking about Letter VII for the first time--including many Church leaders.
The trend is accelerating, too.
_____
Because of Letter VII, the stark contrast between the M2C intellectuals and the prophets is becoming clearer.
Once Church members understand what the M2C intellectuals are up to, most of them still choose the prophets over the intellectuals. But that's only when they realize the intellectuals have been misleading them for decades by suppressing the words of the prophets.
This no-wise #453 exposes the efforts of the M2C intellectuals to cast doubt on the teachings of the prophets.
The only thing I wish is that it had been #451, as in Fahrenheit 451.
(I blogged about that here: http://bookofmormonwars.blogspot.com/2017/08/fahrenheit-451.html)
_____
This no-wise #453 is a beauty. It's my all-time favorite because of the way it exposes, in their own words, the audacity of these intellectuals who are teaching our youth to disbelieve the prophets.
Look at the title:
How Are Oliver Cowdery’s Messenger and Advocate Letters to Be Understood and Used?
This title demonstrates the unrelenting arrogance of these intellectuals. They are not merely suggesting or proposing an interpretation; they declare how these letters "are... to be understood and used."
I never agreed to join a church run by intellectuals, but that's what these M2C "scholars" are attempting to establish. Sadly, they have a lot of converts. That's not a surprise because of the positions of responsibility they possess as employees of BYU, CES and COB.
Innocent, trusting students are diverted every day away from the prophets because of the teachings of these M2C intellectuals.
Ordinarily, faithful Church members look to the prophets for guidance on how to understand and use declarations made by the prophets. When Oliver Cowdery published these letters (letters III - VIII) he was Assistant President of the Church. As a member of the First Presidency, he was a prophet, seer and revelator, as are all the apostles. Subsequent prophets have shown us how to "understand and use" these letters by quoting from them and relying upon them, as we've seen many times on this blog.
No prophet has ever questioned the New York Cumorah, let alone repudiated it. To the contrary, many have specifically reaffirmed it, including members of the First Presidency speaking in General Conference.
Nevertheless, the Council of Springville and their adherents at BYU/CES.COB insist the prophets are wrong.
These intellectuals assert superior knowledge based on their academic credentials and their M2C citation cartel that reinforces their academic arrogance through a phony "peer-review" process that creates an illusion of academic rigor.
Now they purport to tell Church members how to "understand and use" the statements of members of the First Presidency.
_____
This no-wise demonstrates all the classic techniques of the M2C citation cartel, which they have adapted from George Orwell's book 1984. "Who controls the present controls the past, who controls the past controls the future.")
No-wise 453
- cites only other members of the citation cartel
- will be reprinted in Meridian Magazine, another charter member of the M2C citation cartel
- will be covered by the Deseret News, whose editors have decided to participate in the M2C citation cartel
- will be cited at FairMormon, another charter member of the M2C citation cartel
- will be promoted to LDS youth, especially missionary-age youth, as part of the ongoing effort to persuade the youth to believe the M2C intellectuals instead of the prophets
- will be cited by other disciples of the M2C intellectuals and taught throughout BYU, CES, and materials produced by employees at COB, especially the Church History and Correlation Departments.
One delightful attribute of the citation cartel is how effectively they collude to suppress contrary views (and facts). For example, my observations will not appear in any of the publications of the citation cartel.
Consequently, unwary members (and leaders) of the Church who trust these intellectuals but are themselves ignorant of the facts will accept what these M2C intellectuals are teaching.
_____
I post my comments about the No-wise articles on another blog, so you can read my detailed analysis there. http://www.bookofmormoncentralamerica.com/2018/07/no-wise-453-how-are-oliver-cowderys.html
But you don't have to read that analysis to see how arrogant the Council of Springville has become. Just read the title of No-wise #453.
_____
The influence of these M2C intellectuals is alarming.
I've had several people tell me that they side with the intellectuals against the prophets. Among them are senior missionary couples, Stake and local Church leaders, and of course many employees at BYU, CES, and the Church Office Building, especially those in the Church History and Correlation Departments.
When we realize that every new student at a BYU campus is taught that the prophets are wrong, we should also realize we have a problem.
When we realize that every high school student in Seminary is taught that the prophets are wrong, we should also realize we have a problem.
When we realize that every college student in Institute is taught that the prophets are wrong, we should also realize we have a problem.
When we realize our own visitors centers are teaching guests that the prophets are wrong, we should also realize we have a problem.
But really, these are only a few tips of the iceberg.
The real problem is not that these M2C intellectuals are lying to their students, like "the long smoothed faced hypocrites" Joseph Smith denounced.
The real problem is that so many members of the Church are willing and even eager to believe the intellectuals instead of the prophets.
I continue to hope that will change as more and more members and leaders become familiar with Letter VII. I don't think most readers of this no-wise are going to find it persuasive unless they have already chosen to follow the intellectuals instead of the prophets.
________________________________________
*The Council of Springville is Book of Mormon Central. Like the Nicean council, the intellectuals at Book of Mormon Central have assumed responsibility for telling Church members what to think. See the explanation here: http://www.bookofmormoncentralamerica.com/2016/08/the-council-of-springville.html. As I pointed out there, "It's reassuring to know that the current prophets, seers and revelators are bound by the limits imposed by the Council of Springville."
This is the same mentality behind the Interpreter, Dan Peterson's successor to FARMS, that also purports to tell people how to interpret the scriptures, Church history, etc. The title alone--the Interpreter--reflects the arrogance of these intellectuals.
In contrast to the Council of Springville and the Interpreter, we have an observation by a previous prophet in 2 Peter 1:20 "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of private interpretation."
The intellectuals will tell you that this epistle wasn't actually written by Peter, that it shouldn't have been included in the New Testament, etc.
But let's read the passage in context:
This no-wise is a sign that the M2C intellectuals feel threatened, like the Ephesian sellers of idols who tried to silence the Apostle Paul.
To write and publish a no-wise such as #453, the M2C intellectuals must be desperate.
_____
 |
| The book the M2C intellectuals don't want you to read |
Lately, they removed it from their archive.
This is typical of the way the M2C citation cartel censors any information that contradicts the M2C dogma. The last thing they want is for members of the Church to be fully informed about what the prophets have taught. They can control BYU, CES and the Departments in the Church Office Building by keeping people ignorant.
Fortunately for the truth, in the age of the Internet, censorship backfires.
More and more people are reading and talking about Letter VII for the first time--including many Church leaders.
The trend is accelerating, too.
_____
Because of Letter VII, the stark contrast between the M2C intellectuals and the prophets is becoming clearer.
Once Church members understand what the M2C intellectuals are up to, most of them still choose the prophets over the intellectuals. But that's only when they realize the intellectuals have been misleading them for decades by suppressing the words of the prophets.
This no-wise #453 exposes the efforts of the M2C intellectuals to cast doubt on the teachings of the prophets.
The only thing I wish is that it had been #451, as in Fahrenheit 451.
(I blogged about that here: http://bookofmormonwars.blogspot.com/2017/08/fahrenheit-451.html)
_____
This no-wise #453 is a beauty. It's my all-time favorite because of the way it exposes, in their own words, the audacity of these intellectuals who are teaching our youth to disbelieve the prophets.
Look at the title:
How Are Oliver Cowdery’s Messenger and Advocate Letters to Be Understood and Used?
This title demonstrates the unrelenting arrogance of these intellectuals. They are not merely suggesting or proposing an interpretation; they declare how these letters "are... to be understood and used."
I never agreed to join a church run by intellectuals, but that's what these M2C "scholars" are attempting to establish. Sadly, they have a lot of converts. That's not a surprise because of the positions of responsibility they possess as employees of BYU, CES and COB.
Innocent, trusting students are diverted every day away from the prophets because of the teachings of these M2C intellectuals.
Ordinarily, faithful Church members look to the prophets for guidance on how to understand and use declarations made by the prophets. When Oliver Cowdery published these letters (letters III - VIII) he was Assistant President of the Church. As a member of the First Presidency, he was a prophet, seer and revelator, as are all the apostles. Subsequent prophets have shown us how to "understand and use" these letters by quoting from them and relying upon them, as we've seen many times on this blog.
No prophet has ever questioned the New York Cumorah, let alone repudiated it. To the contrary, many have specifically reaffirmed it, including members of the First Presidency speaking in General Conference.
Nevertheless, the Council of Springville and their adherents at BYU/CES.COB insist the prophets are wrong.
These intellectuals assert superior knowledge based on their academic credentials and their M2C citation cartel that reinforces their academic arrogance through a phony "peer-review" process that creates an illusion of academic rigor.
Now they purport to tell Church members how to "understand and use" the statements of members of the First Presidency.
_____
This no-wise demonstrates all the classic techniques of the M2C citation cartel, which they have adapted from George Orwell's book 1984. "Who controls the present controls the past, who controls the past controls the future.")
No-wise 453
- cites only other members of the citation cartel
- will be reprinted in Meridian Magazine, another charter member of the M2C citation cartel
- will be covered by the Deseret News, whose editors have decided to participate in the M2C citation cartel
- will be cited at FairMormon, another charter member of the M2C citation cartel
- will be promoted to LDS youth, especially missionary-age youth, as part of the ongoing effort to persuade the youth to believe the M2C intellectuals instead of the prophets
- will be cited by other disciples of the M2C intellectuals and taught throughout BYU, CES, and materials produced by employees at COB, especially the Church History and Correlation Departments.
One delightful attribute of the citation cartel is how effectively they collude to suppress contrary views (and facts). For example, my observations will not appear in any of the publications of the citation cartel.
Consequently, unwary members (and leaders) of the Church who trust these intellectuals but are themselves ignorant of the facts will accept what these M2C intellectuals are teaching.
_____
I post my comments about the No-wise articles on another blog, so you can read my detailed analysis there. http://www.bookofmormoncentralamerica.com/2018/07/no-wise-453-how-are-oliver-cowderys.html
But you don't have to read that analysis to see how arrogant the Council of Springville has become. Just read the title of No-wise #453.
_____
The influence of these M2C intellectuals is alarming.
I've had several people tell me that they side with the intellectuals against the prophets. Among them are senior missionary couples, Stake and local Church leaders, and of course many employees at BYU, CES, and the Church Office Building, especially those in the Church History and Correlation Departments.
When we realize that every new student at a BYU campus is taught that the prophets are wrong, we should also realize we have a problem.
When we realize that every high school student in Seminary is taught that the prophets are wrong, we should also realize we have a problem.
When we realize that every college student in Institute is taught that the prophets are wrong, we should also realize we have a problem.
When we realize our own visitors centers are teaching guests that the prophets are wrong, we should also realize we have a problem.
But really, these are only a few tips of the iceberg.
The real problem is not that these M2C intellectuals are lying to their students, like "the long smoothed faced hypocrites" Joseph Smith denounced.
The real problem is that so many members of the Church are willing and even eager to believe the intellectuals instead of the prophets.
I continue to hope that will change as more and more members and leaders become familiar with Letter VII. I don't think most readers of this no-wise are going to find it persuasive unless they have already chosen to follow the intellectuals instead of the prophets.
________________________________________
*The Council of Springville is Book of Mormon Central. Like the Nicean council, the intellectuals at Book of Mormon Central have assumed responsibility for telling Church members what to think. See the explanation here: http://www.bookofmormoncentralamerica.com/2016/08/the-council-of-springville.html. As I pointed out there, "It's reassuring to know that the current prophets, seers and revelators are bound by the limits imposed by the Council of Springville."
This is the same mentality behind the Interpreter, Dan Peterson's successor to FARMS, that also purports to tell people how to interpret the scriptures, Church history, etc. The title alone--the Interpreter--reflects the arrogance of these intellectuals.
In contrast to the Council of Springville and the Interpreter, we have an observation by a previous prophet in 2 Peter 1:20 "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of private interpretation."
The intellectuals will tell you that this epistle wasn't actually written by Peter, that it shouldn't have been included in the New Testament, etc.
But let's read the passage in context:
19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Our M2C intellectuals want Church members to consider them as the light, as the day star. They say the words of the prophets are merely their opinions as men.
Faithful members of the Church know how many times the actual prophets have warned us against following the intellectuals, even if those intellectuals teach at BYU or CES.
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