Monday 31 May 2010

not-praying experiment

i havent personally prayed in about 3-4 weeks now because i want to experiment with a period of non-prayer. i have prayed some times with my children when they ask, but no personal prayers.

Sunday 30 May 2010

drømmeurt (calea zacatechichi) experience

20100611
my tongue has been itching and has little sores on it. it started maybe about a week ago. i wonder if it has anything to do with chewing on the cz leaves? i search for "itchy tongue" and the only explanation for touch itch listed is contact dermatitis. im going to try to rub some of the cz on my arm to see if i get a rash.

20100609
i still havent drunken any cz tea since june 3, but last night i was able to change my fate and stop somebody from killing me in my dream =) i was a witness in a court trial and the evil defence attorney (played by Frank Langella) didnt want anyone to attend the trial, but i showed up anyways and he got all angry at me and looked like he was going to kill me, but i remained calm and told him that if he touched me i would sue his ass of so he just got upset and went into a closet and yelled at the top of his lungs... =) i also remember snowboarding or skiing or sliding down a snowy mountain.

20100607
last night i dreamed that i could fly! i havent had any CZ since june 3 though, but it was a cool feeling to fly! then at then end of my dream i couldnt fly anymore for some reason. i tried, but it was like i wasnt psychically strong enough in my dream to do it. weird. i remember that C James was in my dream and her sister M. i also remember being inside a huge shopping mall and there was some construction on one side so i had to go out of the parking lot on another side and walk to my car a ways. i also remember being chased/hunted. i think i also was inside the lds church building in KWA where i used to go to church as a teenager.

20100604
was too tired to drink cz tea last night, dont remember anything from my dreams.

20100603
drank some fresh cz tea last night, dont remember anything from my dreams.

20100602
last night i tried reusing the cz leaves i used 2 nights ago while watching more of the shining (im still not done). when i was done drinking it i took the leaves out of the little ball and chewed on them and sucked whatever i could out of them, then threw them away. i can honestly not remember anything from my dream, but i have a feeling that i remember feeling like i had control of a particular situation in my dreams.

20100601
i fell asleep last night before i could drink some cz tea and i specifically remember in my dream where my brother in law had 2 girls all over him, rubbing his chest and giving him attention and i felt like that was unfair =) in other words, i didnt have control over that situation. there seems to be a connection here =)

20100531
had another cup of CZ last night while watching more of the shining. again, i felt like i was in control of some elements of my dreams, or i never felt out of control. interesting. still nothing else extraordinary though. i have been wondering if i should just chew the leaves. i tried chewing just a little piece of a leaf and it was super strong, so i actually doubt i would be able to put a little handful in my mouth and keep it there for very long... tonight i am going to try to recycle the leaves i used in my tea last night to see if that works or if i need to use new leaves every day.

20100530
last night i drank CZ tea while watching the shining. during my sleep i again experienced "control": a neighbor lady was chasing me trying to kill me and i successfully overpowered her and killed her. i smashed her into a little compartment of flesh just like this recycling commercial here in norway about a woman who does that to all her boyfriends.
i also was able to convince an unwilling fashion director to let me give her a full body sensual massage. i seriously cant remember ever really "getting what i want" in my dreams, at least when met with blatant opposition, where i then could turn the situation to my favor. i feel that maybe this CZ gives me that ability somehow. other than that, i have noticed no other effect. my dreams are not in any way more vivid so far.

20100529
last night i drank a cup of CZ tea. i filled up one half of a little metal-mesh ball and filled my cup up about 70% of the way. the tea is really bitter. before i went to bed i told myself several times that the next time i was going to be conscious that i would be able to control my dreams and that i would fly. what i did notice during my dream was that i actually got away from my chaser. i usually never get away, but this time i did. that seemed to be something different from the norm.

tonight i am drinking the tea again to see if the effect will get any stronger.

btw, i ordered the herbs from denmark and they got here to norway 2 days later without any trouble.

Friday 28 May 2010

miraculously saved during dangerous fall

my 1 and a half year old son was running by the top of the stairs and tripped and fell all the way down to the bottom. i heard him as i lay on the couch reading and jumped up, but for some reason i was pretty calm. he miraculously did not get hurt in any way, not even a bruise, even though the stairs are wooden with a super thin carpet layer in the middle of each individual step! he cried out of fear, but was completely fine 2 minutes later after i held him a little and went on as if nothing happened =) he even crawled down the steps a couple of minutes later =) thanks to who-/whatever protected him during the fall =)

rolling thunder healing for isaac bonewits

i did the rolling thunder healing here from norway last night. i was sitting on the couch with 2 minutes to 9 and all of the sudden i got an idea:
go ask your 2 sons if they want to help you with the ritual.
they were downstairs playing wii, so i was thinking "ok this will be interesting"
then i got another idea. i remember hearing/reading about how people "need" ritual, so i felt i should take with me 3 small tea-lights (candles) and light them with the boys; maybe that would help get their interest? =)
it proved to be true. they both broke away from the wii and we sat in a triangle on the floor and each of us lit our own candle and put it on the ground in front of us. before we started i explained that a very famous an important writer was very sick and we were going to do a remote healing ritual for him. we all held hands then i said that they were going to repeat with me the mantra:
isaacs tumors fade away, 30 more years with phae
and that we were going to say it 8 times. i had read earlier today about the number 8 and was quite impressed by what i read and it seemed totally appropriate being the ultimate sign of "longevity": eternity!
as we started saying the mantra we started out slow and then a THIRD idea came into my head: say it with a smile and be happy, it will help raise the energy =)
each time we repeated the mantra we did it faster and faster too (the fourth idea i got =)
when we were done we blew out the candles and i took them upstairs.
upstairs my wife and i have a little chest of drawers where we light candles usually every night. and i felt i should light the 3 candles we used in the ritual so i put them next to the candles already on the chest of drawers and counted them up. guess how many there were total? yep, 8 =)

quite the little experience. get well quickly isaac! =)

Tuesday 25 May 2010

led by the hand of christ a woman's journey to paradise-and back book review


disclaimer: i havent read the book led by the hand of christ, i have merely read its description, but the concept of the persons life after death experience is what i am reviewing.

i had a near-death experience when i was shot as a teenager and having been raised mormon i remember seeing god and jesus as 2 separate beings, talking about me from a distance. i am now in my 30's and have found out that the LDS church is not true and have left. the LDS church is one of the few (if not only, although i hate definitives like that) that teach that god and jesus are 2 separate physical beings. this leads me to believe that we see what we want to see when we die or nearly die. it has even been said that we are not "really" dead until after something like 5 or 6 hours after being pronounced clinically dead. so a "life after death" experience really might not be what we think it is after all. that which someone experiences before those 5-6 hours after "death" cannot really be taken as "proof" of the "real" post-mortem state.

update 20100531
heres a recent interesting article similar to what i propose:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1282598/Near-death-experiences-explained-Scientists-believe-gasp-dying-brain.html

Saturday 22 May 2010

the portable atheist book review


im currently reading the chapter "why there almost certainly is no god" and got an "aha" experience about the upside down map, with the south pole on top: north has no monopoly on "up"

pendulum dowsing for lottery numbers, 201005221550

i just dowsed for norsk tipping lotto numbers for tonights drawing and when i was done i realized that i had dowsed for the number series 1-48, which is for wednesday instead of today! so i did the last 3 numbers over again because the first 4 were between 1-24.

the wrong numbers (above 34) were: 40 45 48
the numbers within 1-34 that i got are: 12 15 19 22 29 32 34

update:
the results are: 2 7 8 10 11 18 29
extra numbers were: 13 22 27

Thursday 20 May 2010

sunrise and sunset times

this year, where i live, the longest days are june 18-24, with 18 hours and 48 minutes of sunlight.
the shortest days are december 18 and 22, with only 5 hours and 55 minutes of sunlight.

the latest the sun sets is at 2308 on june 21-25.
the earliest the sun sets is at 1636 on december 16.

the latest the sun rises is at 1044 on december 25-29.
the earliest the sun rises is at 0419 on june 17-20.

source: Sun or Moon Rise/Set Table for One Year

bim/bune evocation 2 experience

this time (20100519, i think i started around 0030 or 0100) i tried to do it a little more by the book than my first evocation of bim. this time i didnt address him as a duke of hell only as a duke.

i started out by going to the grocery store and getting some food and drinks i thought he might like (i was totally going on intuition though since it was a last minute idea i got while driving to my office to do the evocation), this is what i got:
banana (it was still a little green)
watermelon (green on the outside)
a melkesjokolade (the best norwegian chocolate, i got the biggest bar i could find)
a pack of my favorite brownies
a little bag of pistachio nuts (my favorite nuts, they are also green)
the best brand of juice (made by nora). i got the citrus and lime flavor (green)
an energy drink (energy for Bim) called Burn (in a can)
green paper plates
green plastic cups
green plastic forks and knives
flowery green napkins
long green candles

i couldnt get any nice alcoholic drink for Bim because it was after the cutoff time for sale of alcohol here so i improvised. but when i asked him during the evocation using my pendulum if he liked and accepted my offering i got a yes.

here are some pictures of my evocation setup.


this time i used a circle and chose 4 god names off the top of my head and wrote them down in the 4 quarters of the circle, but after doing the LBRP i realized, maybe i should have used the god names mentioned there? it would have at least been symbolically "tighter" (although next time ill just use what is in the goetia. can you believe i forgot to bring that text with me? =).

this time i took a special robe/shirt with me and washed my face, ears, nose, mouth and hands before i started the ritual.

i chalked 3 times around for my chalk circle (i need to get something better/nicer soon). the floor of my office is concrete and the ceiling is like a 4 meter high half-dome shape, so when im vibrating names it echoes like crazy and sounds really cool! =) my office is about 45 m2 and has kind of a dungeon feel to it =) i visualized a long time that i would get this office at a good price because the initial offer was way too high and i got the owner to go way down so i feel like magick was used to get the place and it felt good to do magick IN the place last night, for the first time =)


i had the book modern magick with me just in case i needed a reference for something. in there it mentioned the tools to have on my altar in the circle so for my dagger i had a sword, for the cup/water i had a green plastic cup filled with bitter lemon schweppes soda, for fire i used the hazel wand i ordered from jake and for earth i used the food (my portion of the offerings for bim. its supposed to be like a date right, like someone mentioned? i couldnt let Bim "eat" alone =) since watermelon and nuts and banana come from the earth. (i thought at least it was a clever improvisation =)

i had an audio recorder going the whole time (1 hour and 7 minutes) so it will be interesting to listen to that recording and see if it picked up anything interesting during the ritual...

this time i hung one of the sigils around my neck (the recommended one for bim) and put the other one on bims altar. i had to use my shoelace because i couldnt find any string. sometimes i feel like macgyver. jk. =)

the format of the ritual was this:
lbrp
evoke
use pendulum to communicate with bim
ask if he accepts and likes my offerings
ask if he is willing to help me with my particular task
ask specific questions about my task
eat the food and drink (while staring into the black mirror and sitting in my chair)
thank bim and give license to depart
lbrp

the wording was completely impromptu
when i was looking at the black mirror, the candles produced an interesting afterimage effect, it was completely white inside the black mirror circle. funny thing was that i had read earlier that day specifically about the afterimage effect, on wikipedia =)

the MOST interesting thing that happened, other than the sometimes-really-strong responses i got on my pendulum was when i started the actual evocation. right when i started speaking the words of the evocation lots of black smoke suddenly came out of the left candle and lasted for like 2-4 seconds. they had already been burning for probably 15-20 minutes and i hadnt noticed anything like that before or after. the timing seemed too good to be a coincidence. it was pretty cool =)

reflecting back on the ritual i think i should have used a little more time "courting" instead of going right to "business", so i think ill do that next time. also i have a couple of questions now that i wished i had asked during, so i think ill take some time to write out questions beforehand...next time.

update 20100520
results:
i dowsed (asked bim) for lottery numbers for the viking lotto and got these numbers:
4 6 9 12 19 22
with the lucky number being 19
the lucky number turned out to be 1
and the winning numbers were:
3 5 15 23 30 46
with extra numbers:
13 36

the difference between the numbers is thus:
1 1 6 7 11 14

the difference between the lucky numbers is:
18

the difference between the extra numbers and the closest numbers to them is:
1 (13-12) 14 (36-22)

Q. can i expect to get bim to be able to influence the pendulum or my subconscious when i sit inside a protective circle?

Wednesday 19 May 2010

pendulum dowsing for lottery numbers, 201005190845

i just asked what the lykketall (lucky number) will be for the viking lotto drawing here in norway tonight and i got a yes on the number 19.

i also asked how many winners there would be and i got 2.

update 2219
result: the lucky number was 1 and there was only 1 winner.

Sunday 16 May 2010

wax inspiration

my son wanted to a play his super mario brothers game on wii, but when i put it in it wouldnt read the disc. i took it out and looked at it, it was scratched up pretty good in one place. thinking hard about what i could do in that situation, i suddenly got an idea (i feel it came as inspiration) to melt some candle wax on the dvd and rub it in to fill the cracks. i went with it and polished away all the wax so it wouldnt ruin the laser reader inside the wii box, put it in and VOILA! the game worked =)
i love moments like that, it makes me feel "connected" if you know what i mean =)

and my son was so happy he jumped into my arms and gave me a big hug and was smiling and genuinely happy =)

Saturday 15 May 2010

my personal book library

you can find all the books i own on my goodreads books page. ive finally finished putting them all in! =)

Tuesday 11 May 2010

Monday 10 May 2010

native americans and the book of mormon

im trying to gather information where the lds church claims that native americans, south americans and peoples of the south pacific are descendants of israel. this is ongoing.

The Book of Mormon: A Sacred Ancient Record by Elder Ted E. Brewerton Emeritus Member of the Seventy
Many migratory groups came to the Americas, but none was as important as the three mentioned in the Book of Mormon. The blood of these people flows in the veins of the Blackfoot and the Blood Indians of Alberta, Canada; in the Navajo and the Apache of the American Southwest; the Inca of western South America; the Aztec of Mexico; the Maya of Guatemala; and in other native American groups in the Western Hemisphere and the Pacific islands.

These choice native people recognize the truth of the Book of Mormon, which was recorded for them by their own ancestors.
"recognize the truth of the Book of Mormon"
do they?

We Must Keep One Another by Ronald W. Walker
At first, President Young, like many Americans at the time, misunderstood the Native American people, whose culture was so different from their own. Yet the gospel eventually gave him a different view. It taught him, he believed, that Native Americans were descendants of the Book of Mormon people and therefore a “remnant” of the house of Israel. Indeed, the Book of Mormon had been written partly to show to the remnant of the house of Israel “what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever.” 2

Thus, President Young taught that the Native Americans were children of the Old Testament prophet Joseph—largely through his son Manasseh, but some through his son Ephraim. President Young believed this ancient heritage was the key to their eventual religious redemption and that a renewed belief in the gospel and right doing could make them again a “delightsome” people
brigham young teaches that the native americans descend from israelites


see also the other posts about lds claims that native americans descend from israel/jews

great moments in mormon history revised

im going to take the liberty to update the great moments in mormon history with links and information regarding the sources to all of these claims. i think this list is great, but it cant really be used/trusted until each of these events is documented, imo.

heres the list:
Subject: Explain the Prophets (Great Moments in Mormon History)
Date: Apr 16 01:15 2003
Author: Deconstructor
From the research of church historian Michael C. Quinn in The Mormon Hierarchy : Extensions of Power:

Jan 23,1852 - Brigham Young instructs Utah Legislature to legalize slavery because "we must believe in slavery."
speech by governor young in joint session of the legislature giving counsel on a bill in relation to african slavery, given at salt lake city, on friday, january 23rd, 1852. (reported by george d. watt; byp, hdc)
The Teachings of President Brigham Young Vol. 3 1852–1854 By Fred Collier

brigham young goes on to say in that same speech:
this colored race have been subjected to severe curses, which they have in their families and their classes and in their various capacities brought upon themselves. ... i am a firm believer in slavery.

Feb 5,1852 - Brigham Young announces policy of denying priesthood to all those black African ancestry, even "if there never was a prophet, or apostle of Jesus Christ spoke it before" because "negroes are the children of old Cain....any many having one drop of the seed of Cain in him cannot hold the priesthood." Contrary to Joseph Smith's example in authorizing the ordination of Elijah Abel, this is LDS policy for the next 126 years.
speech by governor young (expressing his views on slavery) given in joint session of the legislature, at salt lake city, utah territory, thursday, february 5, 1852. (reported by george d. watt / byp, hdc; wilford woodruff / wwj 4:97-99)
The Teachings of President Brigham Young Vol. 3 1852–1854 By Fred Collier

Jan 3,1854 - Brigham Young invites Elijah Ablel, free black and ordained Seventy, to party with 98 other men in Social Hall. Some of these parties are male-only dances.

Nov 22,1855 - Brigham Young secretly ordains his eleven year old son John W. an apostle in connection with receiving the endowment. Young later ordains three other sons apostles.

Mar 21,1858 - Brigham Young tells this special conference that Joseph Smith disobeyed revelation by returning to Nauvoo to stand trial, that the church's founding prophet lost Spirit of God the last days of his life, and died as unnecessary martyr. He published this talk as pamphlet.

Dec 15,1958 - Young readily grants divorce to unhappy plural wives but requires husbands to pay him $10 fee. Young issues 1,600 certificates of divorce for unhappy polygamous marriages. (this equals 16 thousand dollars)

Aug 20,1859 - Brigham Young regarding slavery: "We consider it of devine institution, and not to be abolished until the curse pronounced on Ham shall have been removed from his descendants.

Sep 7,1859 - Salt Lake City clerk records sale of twenty six year old "negro boy" for $800 to William H. Hooper. Until federal law ends slavery in U.S. Territories in 1862, some African-American slaves are paid as tithing, bought, sold and otherwise treated as chattel in Utah.

Nov 18,1861 - Abraham Lincoln checks out Book of Mormon from Library of Congress. He returns it on 29 July 1862, apparently first U.S. president to read Book of Mormon.

Dec 10,1862 - Deseret News reports that Church Historian's Office is displaying sample of tobacco crops grown in Provo during past summer.

Oct 6,1863 - Brigham Young prophesies to general conference: "Will the present struggle (of the U.S. Civil War) free the slaves? No..... and men will be called to judgement for the way they have treated the negroe." The 13th Ammendment legally ends slavery in the United States in 1865.

May 15,1864 - Brigham Young preaches, "I don't want Mormonism to become to popular... we would be overrun by the wicked."

Dec 9,1869 - ZCMI Drug Stores advertises that is has just opened on Main Street with "Liquors, Draught and by the case."

Jun 18,1870 - First Counselor George A Smith tells Salt Lake School of Prophets about "the evil of masterbation" among Utah Mormons. Apostle Lorenzo Snow says that "plural marriage would tend to diminish the evil of self pollution and the indulgence on the part of men was less in plural marriage than in monogamy."

Sep 1,1870 - Salt Lake City's 9th Ward reports that only thirty one of its 181 families attends Sunday Services regularly and 50% of families are perfectly indifferent.

Jun 3,1871 - Salt Lake Tabernacle service: "Pres D.H. Wells spoke 25 minutes following Pres Young's remarks. Not very good attention. Considerable moving about, passing out, and drowsiness."

Jan 4,1877 - Joseph Smith's last born child David is committed to Illinois Hospital for the Insane. Proclaimed by Brigham Young in 1866 as rightful heir of LDS presidency, he has served as counselor on RLDS presidency since 1873. He dies in asylum in 1904.

Aug 29,1877 - Brigham Young dies. His last words are "Joseph, Joseph, Joseph!"

June 4,1879 - John Taylor and apostles decline to allow Elijah Abel to receive temple endowment because his is Negroid, even though Abel received Melchizedek priesthood with Joseph Smith's authorization. This African American regularly attends his Seventy's quorum meetings and serves proselyting mission just before his death.

Dec 27,1879 - Apostle Wilford Woodruff tells stake conference in Snowflake, Arizona, "There will be no United States in the year 1890."

Jan 9,1880 - Apostle Orson Pratt writes his children that city of New Jerusalem will be constructed by April 1950.

Jan 7,1882 - Apostle Francis M Lyman's diary begins recording month-long nervous breakdown of Heber J Grant, his successor as Tooele Stake President. Physician diagnoses Grant's condition as "nervous convulsions" and warns that condition could lead to "softening of the brain," if Grant continues his stressful pace of activity. Grant becomes apostle ten months later and is first LDS leader with diagnosed history of emotional illness.

Mar 31,1882 - John Taylor closes Church Historian's Office to public.

Mar 22,1884 - James E Talmage begins using hashish at Johns Hopkins University as "my physiological experiment" of its effects. By April 6 he is using twenty grains, "and the effect was felt in a not very agreeable way." This is last reference in his diary. Four months later he becomes member of stake high council.

May 17,1888 - At dedication of Manti Temple, Wilford Woodruff says, " We are not going to stop the practice of plural marriage until the Coming of the Son of Man."

Feb 27,1889 - LDS political newspaper Salt Lake Herald: "In 1870 Utah had second highest rate of divorce and in 1880 the tenth highest for all states and territories."

Jun 8, 1889 - Apostle Lorenzo Snow says that "his sister, the late Eliza R. Snow Smith, was a firm believer in the principle of reincarnation and that she claimed to have received if from the Joseph the Prophet, her husband. He said he saw nothing unreasonable in it, and could believe it, it it came from the Lord or His oracle."

Dec 5, 1891 - Stake President relates "incident of the Prophet Joseph telling Dimick B Huntington.....that Noah built the Ark in the land where South Carolina is now.

Nov 29,1893 - Presidents Wilford Woodruff and George Q Cannon meet with three apostles and James E Talmage: "That there will also be daughters of Perdition there is no doubt in the minds of the brethren."

Dec 7,1893 - First Presidency and Twelve decide that garments worn under clothing should be white. This is first departure of Utah temple garment from contemporary "Union Suit" which comes in various colors and upon which Utah "street garment" is based.

Apr 5,1894 - At meeting of First Presidency and apostles, Wilford Woodruff announces revelation which ends practice of adopting men to LDS leaders.

Apr 9,1894 - Death of Thomas C Sharp, principal conspirator in murder of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. He has had a successful career as mayor, judge, school principal and newspaper editor.

Apr 15,1894 - Juvenile Instructor publishes hymn "Our Mother in Heaven," which is phrased as prayer to the goddess.

May 18,1894 - In Salt Lake Temple, "Jane Elizabeth Manning (a Negro woman) is sealed as a servitor for eternity to the Prophet Joseph Smith." Joseph F Smith acts as proxy.

Aug 26,1894 - "First time a woman has spoken n the Salt Lake Tabernacle on the Sabbath at the regular service- the people don't know what to make of it-it must bode good for women." The speaker is a non-Mormon.

Oct 24,1894 - Wilford Woodruff and his two counselors each give approval for Apostle Abraham H Cannon to marry plural wife. In all, ten general authorities marry post-Manifesto plural wives by permission of church president or his counselors during next ten years.

Mar 1,1895 - Some non-Mormons are given tour of dedicated Salt Lake Temple interior.

Apr 7,1895 - Wilford Woodruff tells conference: "Cease troubling yourselves about who God is; who Adam is, who Christ is, who Jehova is. For Heaven's sake, let these things alone.

Aug 22,1895 - First Presidency and apostles decide to deny temple endowments to "Black Jane" Manning (James) because of her "negro blood."

Mar 12,1896 - First Presidency gives James E Talmage "an instruction to smoke tobacco to relieve his persistent insomnia."

Aug 23,1896 - Sugar House Ward congregation votes against man proposed as Bishop of new ward to divided from the old. Salt Lake stake president Angus M Cannon furiously shouts, "Sit down! and shut your mouths, you have no right to speak!" When Cannon engages in shouting match with dissenting congregation, a ward member and policeman threaten to arrest stake president for disturbing the peace. Cannon more calmly repeats his attempt but is voted down "again several times." Secretary of the First Council in attendance writes: "I have been taught that the appointing power comes from the priesthood and the sustaining power from the people and that they have the right of sustaining or not sustaining appointees."

Aug 26,1896 - Apostle Moses Thatcher begins treatment with Keeley Institute for his addiction to opium and morphine. First Presidency and apostles tolerated Thatcher as a "morphine fiend" and "opium eater", but on 26 July his family and friends considered involuntary commitment to treatment. His is most prominent drug addict in Mormon history. Twelve drop Thatcher from quorum membership on 19 Nov because of four year conflict over his insubordination in political matters, but Thatcher's drug addiction aggravates that conflict.

Nov 5,1896 - Apostle Lorenzo Snow's youngest plural wife bears his last child in Canada. At age 82 he is the oldest General Authority to father a child.

Jan 15,1897 - Apostle Brigham Young, Jr. temporarily resigns as vice-president of Brigham Young Trust Company because first counselor George Q Cannon allows its property to become " a first class" brothel on Commercial Street (now Regent Street), Salt Lake City. Apostle Heber J Grant is invited to its opening reception and is stunned to discover himself inside "a regular whore-house." This situation begins in 1891, and for fifty years church controlled real estate companies lease houses of prostitution.

Oct 7,1898 - At general conference Apostle John W Taylor reports that in one rural area, 80% of LDS marriages involve premarital sex.

Feb 7,1901 - Apostle Brigham Young, Jr writes that proposal to provide Utah's school children with smallpox vaccinations is "Gentile doctors trying to force Babylon into the people and some of them are willing to disease the blood of our children if they can do so, and they think they are doing God's service.

Mar 3,1901 - Lorenzo Snow promises Salt Lake temple workers that "some of us would go back to Jackson County, Missouri.

July 11, 1901 - First Presidency and apostles agree that Danish beer is not harmful or in violation of Word of Wisdom.

Nov 7,1901 - First Presidency decides there is no "rule in the church forbidding cousins to intermarry" and that first cousins can have temple marriages if they present civil license.

Apr 3,1902 - First Presidency and apostles read letter that U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and Republican Part leader Mark Hanna guarantee they will arrange to defeat proposed constitutional amendment on polygamy and unlawful cohabitation. They expect Mormons to vote Republican in exchange.

Mar 26,1903 - Joseph F Smith tells apostles "there would be no daughters of perdition" in final judgement.

Oct 22,1903 - First Presidency and Twelve authorize purchase of twenty five acres of the original temple lot at Independency,Jackson County, Missouri Purchase is complete on 14 Apr 1904. These purchases continue throughout twentieth century.

Feb 20 1904 - First verified suicide of full time LDS missionary. He shoots himself as he is returning to Utah.

Mar 2,1904 - Before committee of U.S. Senate, Joseph F Smith testifies: "I have never pretended to nor do I profess to have received revelations. I never said that I had a revelation except so far as God has shown me that so-called Mormonism is God's devine truth, that is all."

Apr 14,1904 - First Presidency and apostles decide to resume sale of liquor at church resort of Saltair due to need for non-Mormon patronage.

Jan 10,1906 - First Council of Seventy instructs B.H.Roberts to go to Los Angeles for "recuperation from a weakness for liquor that had fastened itself upon him."

Oct 6, 1907 - At sustaining of church officers a man votes against Joseph F Smith because of his admitted violation of Utah's cohabitation law. Smith has him ejected from Salt Lake Tabernacle.

1904 - Church president instructs twelve apostles to walk through doorways in order of seniority.

1906 - Joseph F Smith pleads quilty to unlawful cohabitation for which he pays $300 fine.

1907 - General Conference votes to send twenty tons of flour to China for famine relief. This comes from Relief Society grain storgage program.

1909 - October at General Conference, Apostle George Albert Smith stops speaking after three minutes as he begins to "tremble and perspire." Apostle Reed Smoot referred two weeks earlier as Smith's "mental trouble." Since January Smith's diary has described symptoms of his eventual collapse. At age thirtynine he is first general authority whose debilitating mental problems cannot be attributed to senility. Hospitalized for ten weeks at Gray's Sanatarium in Salt Lake City, Smith does not recover from his emotional breakdown until 1913. Problem re-emerges in 1930's and in 1949-51.

1910 April - stake president writes of church members "complaining on account of so many Smiths being chosen." Recent conference sustained John Henry Smith as second counselor and President Smith's son, Joseph Fielding Smith, as new apostle. In addition to appointing his son Hyrum M. an apostle in 1901, Smith also appointed his son David A. Smith to Presiding Bishopric in 1907.

Oct 2,1910 - first anti-Mormon film, Victim of the Mormons ("Mormonens Offer"), opens in Copenhagen, Denmark. Film goes into international distribution, is publicly condemned by Apostle David O. McKay at next general conference. It is target of first censorship effort led by Utah governor (William Spry, LDS).

Jan 1913 - Deseret News favorably reviews One Hundred Years of Mormonism, first commercial film about Mormons made with cooperation of church officials. The 6 reel, 90 minute silent film features one of Brigham Young's grandsons in the role of his grandfather. During Joseph F. Smith presidency, Hollywood produces other silent features which portray Mormonism less favorably: A Trip to Salt Lake City (1905), The Mountain Meadow Massacre (1912), The Mormon (1912), Deadwood Dick Spoils Brigham Young(1915), Cecil B. DeMille's A Mormon Maid (1917), and The Rainbow Trail (1918).

Dec 17,1913 - death of Joseph Smith's last surviving plural wife, Mary E. Rollins Lightner. She helped save the still-unbound Book of Commandments from printing office set afire by mob in 1833. She witnessed adoption of 1835 D&C, which prohibited polygamy, and became secret plural wife of Joseph Smith at Nauvoo while still living with her non-Mormon husband.

Mar 22,1919 - "The Nigger" is the new production to be given at the Social Hall, proclaims Deseret News with explanation: "The Nigger" is distinctly Southern. It is a romance based on Southern ideals and the race problem.

Nov 11,1919 - Apostle James E Talmage attends Third Christian Citizenship Conference in Pittsburgh as delegate chosen by Utah's governor. Utah delegates are booed and hissed by 4,000 other delegates. Talmage hurriedly leaves after some delegates surround him and threaten to strip off his clothes in order to display his temple garments.

Jan 4,1922 - from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Brigham H Roberts presents detailed summary of textual and historical problems in Book of Mormon to combined meeting of First Presidency, apostles, and Seventy's presidents He recommends that these problems should be researched and publicly discussed.

May 17,1923 - May First Presidency and Twelve agree to alter temple undergarment worn outside temple:"buttons instead of strings; no collar;sleeves above the elbow and few inches below the knee adn a change in the crotch so as to cover the same." Mormons regard this as a dramatic change from endowment garment introduced by Joseph Smith.

Nov 26,1923 - Corporation of the President, successor of the Trustee-in -Trust as center of church financial operations.

Jan 21,1925 - Grand Lodge of Utah officially prophibits Mormons from membership in any of its Masonic lodges and provides for expulsion of any Mormons who are current members of any Utah lodge. Utah is only state with formal Masonic restricition against religious group or denomination. Some Mormons (primarily converts) affiliiate or preside in Masonic lodges outside Utah after 1925.

May 22,1925 - Deseret News editorializes in favor of new Utah law which leagalizes horse racing and pari-mutual betting. Legislature has appointed Brigham F. Grant as chair of Racing Commission. He is manager of Deseret News and brother of church president.

Feb 15,1927 - Apostle George F Richards notifies temples that it is decision of First Presidency and Quorum of Twelve to immediatley omit from prayer circles "all references to avenging the blood of the Prophets. Omit from the ordinance and lecture all reference to retribution." Letter also instructs to "omit the kissing" at the end of the proxy sealings.

Jan 19-20,1928 - Frederick M Smith, RLDS president, supervises disinterment of his martyred grandfather and granduncle, Joseph and Hyrum Smith, from coffinless burial place kept secret since 1844. They are reburied in coffins, one on each side of Emma Hale Smith Bidamon, next to Mansion House in Nauvoo.

Sept 24,1929 - Heber J Grant writes: "I am free to confess that I am disappointed with the Yosemite valley. It seems only about one-half as grand as the American Fork canyon of Utah.

Aug 16,1930 - Heber J Grant remarks that Apostle George Albert Smith "is getting very nervous. We don't want him to have another breakdown such as he had years ago, almost costing him his life." Apostle Smith doesn't begin describing his symptoms until Jan 1932, and year later writes,"My Nerves are nearly gone but am holding on the best I know how." Symptoms gradually subside and do not resume until he is church president.

April 2,1932 - Heber J Grant launches campaign against use of tobacco as part of his emphasis on observing Word of Wisdom by total abstinance from alcohol, tobacco, tea and coffee.

May 5,1932 - Apostle Stephen L Richards tells First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve that he will resign as apostle rather than apologize for his general conference talk which says church is putting too much emphasis on Word of Wisdom. He confesses his error to Heber J Grant on 26 may and retains his position.

July 29,1932 - death of George H Brimhall from self inflicted gunshot. He served as BYU President from 1904 to 1921 and is only BYU president to commit suicide.

Dec 9,1933 - Church Section article "Mormonism in The New Germany," enthusiatically emphasizes parallels "between the LDS Church and some of the ideas and policies of the National Socialists." First, Nazis have introduced "Fast Sunday." Second, "it is a very well known fact that Hitler observes a form of living which Mormons term the Word of Wisdom. Finally, due to the importance given to the racial question by Nazis and the almost necessity of proving that one's grandmother was not Jewess, there no longer is resistance against genealogical research b German Mormons who now have received letters of encouragment complimenting them for their patriotism.

Jan 25,1936 - Church Section photograph of LDS basketball team in Germany giving "Sieg Heil: salute of Nazi Party.

Oct 31,1936 - First Presidency publishes unsigned editorial in Deseret News, which argues against re-election of Democratic president Franklin D. Roosevelt. Editorial, written by J. Reuben Clark, accuses F.D.R. of unconstitutional and Communist activities. In response one thousand Mormons angrily cancel their subscriptions to the News. Three days later, 69.3 percent of Utah's voters help re-elect Roosevelt. Utah's electorate re-elects F.D.R. again (1940,1944), despite First Presidency's opposition.

Mar 29,1940 - First Presidency asks Apostle Joseph Fielding Smith to chair "Literature Censorship Committee authorized by Quorum of the Twelve last Thursday."

Mar 10,1941 - First Presidency orders Clayton Investment Company to get rid of its "whore-houses," no matter the financial loss, so that church affiliated company can merge with church owned Zion's Securities Corp. Ends fifty years of church's leases to brothels.

June 8,1941 - first counselor J Reuben Clark tells annual conference of youth and their leaders: "When I was a boy it was preached from the stand, and my father and mother repeated the principle to me time and time again. They said, 'Reuben, we had rather bury you than to have you become unchaste.' and that is the law of this Church."

June 1945 - Improvement Era states: "When our leaders speak, the thinking has been done." This is the ward teacher's message to all members for month. To inquiring Unitarian minister George Albert Smith writes that "not a few members of the Church have been upset in their feelings, and General Authorities have been embarrassed" by above statement. "Even to imply that members of the Church are not to do their own thinking is grossly to misrepresent the true ideal of the Church," he continues. However, church president's retraction reaches one non-Mormon, while original statement reaches entire LDS population without similar retraction.

Oct 6,1946 - public release of Joseph Fielding Smith (b. 1899) as Patriarch to Church due to "ill health" but actually due to discovery of his recent homosexual activity.
not to be confused with joseph f. smith (his grandfather) and joseph fielding smith (his uncle), both of whom were presidents of the lds church.


Oct 9,1946 - First Presidency and apostles decide to allow faithful African-American Mormons to receive patriarchal blessings, and Patriarch Eldred G Smith blesses black couple.

April 16,1948 - Apostle Mark E Petersen asks for permission to instruct local leaders to begin excommunication trials for persons he suspects of having disloyal attitudes towards LDS Church. First Counselor J Reuben Clark warns Petesen "to be careful about the insubordination or disloyalty question, because they ought to be permitted to think, you can't throw a man off for thinking."

Jan 20,1949 - President George Albert Smith begins week's stay in California Lutheran Hospital for his "tired nerves," which his diary first refers to at Oct 1948 general conference. He is first LDS president with history of severe emotional illness and hospitalization. He does not recover from this episode unitl mid May 1949, when able to be in First Presidency office at least half day. Smith is absent from church headquarters 12 Jan to 27 Feb 1950 to stay a Laguna Beach, California, "to rest my nerves." He returns there to recuperate again for ten days in March. Year later his nurse notes that church president is "very confused, very nervous." Ten days before his death, nurse adds that George Albert Smith is "irrational at times."

April 5,1949 - first counselor J Reuben Clark tells meeting of bishops: "I wish that we could get over being flattered into almost anything. If any stranger comes among us and tells us how wonderful we are, he pretty much nearly owns us."

Aug 17,1951 - First Presidency statement that church's restriction on negroid peoples receiving priesthood "is not a matter of the declaration of policy but of direct commandment from the Lord."

Oct 16,1951 - temple council of First Presidency, Quorum of Twelve Apostles and Patriarch to church decides to allow beer commercials on church owned KSL television station.

Nov 5,1951 - First Presidency learns of plans by Warner Brothers to make film about Mountain Meador Massacre, based on recent scholarly book by LDS Juanita Brooks. Within seven days First Presidency successfully persuades Hollywood studio to kill project.

Mar 3,1953 - First Presidency secretary answers Mormon's inquiry about receiving blood transfusions from African Americans:"The LDS Hospital here in Salt Lake City has a blood bank which does not contain any colored blood." This represents five year effort to keep LDS Hospital's blood bank separate from American Red Cross system in order "to protect the purity of the blood streams of the people of this Church"(Counselor J. Reuben Clark's phrase.)

March 30,1955 - Quorum of Twelve recommends establishment of separate unit or branch for African-american members in Salt Lake City.

April 10,1956 - non-LDS governor of Utah, J. Bracken Lee, speaks of his counsel to prominent non-Mormons: "I said to them you are never going to have any success in Utah unless you let the leaders of the Church give you some advice."

Dec 4,1959 - Budget Committee reports that church spent $8 million more than its revenues that year. As result church stops releasing annual reports of expenditures.

Jan 7-8,1960 - First Presidency decides that Bruce R. McConkie's Mormon Doctrine "must not be re-published, as it is full of errors and misstatements, and it is most unfortunate that it has received such wide circulation." They are exasperated that McConkie and his publisher released the book without pre-publication publicity or notifying First Presidency. Even his father-in-law, senior apostle, Joseph Fielding Smith, "did not know anything about it until it was published." This is McConkie's way to avoid repetition of Presidency's stopping his pre-announced Sound Doctrine three years earlier.

Committee of two apostles (Mark E Petersen and Marion G Romney) reports that McConkie's Mormon Doctrine contains 1,067 doctinal errors. For example, page 493 said: "Those who falsely and erroneously suppose that God is progressing in knowledge and gaining new truths cannot exercise sufficient faith in him to gain salvation until they divest themselves of their false beliefs." However, McConkie is affirming doctrine of omniscience officially condemned by previous First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1865. In announcing their decision to the Twelve on 28 Jan 1960, First Presidency says there should be no revised edition of Mormon Doctrine. Presidency reverses initial decision on 7 Jan. "that the book should be officially repudiated."

By 28 Jan Presidency decides against requiring McConkie to make public apology because "it might lessen his influence" as general authority.

In 1966 year after his father-in-law becomes assistant counselor to First Presidency, McConkie publishes second edition of Mormon Doctrine. It corrects only a few of first edition "errors" cited by First Presidency and apostles in 1960. Book becomes best seller among Latter-day Saints. McConkie becomes member of Quorum of Twelve Apostles to fill vacancy which his father-in-law's death creates in 1972.

Nov 10,1960 - Brigham Young University's president tells Executive Committee of BYU's trustees "about a colored boy on campus having been a candidate for the vice presidency of a class and receiving a very large vote." The three apostles present want to exclude all African Americans from BYU. "If a granddaughter of mine should ever go the BYU and become engaged to a colored boy," Apostle Harold B Lee fumes, "I would hold you responsible."

May 14,1961 - Apostle Joseph Fielding Smith announces to stake conference in Honolulu: "We will never get a man into space. This earth is man's sphere and it was never intended that he should get away from it." Smith, the Twelve's president and next in succession as LDS President, adds: "The moon is a superior planet to the earth and it was never intended that man should go there. You can write it down in your books that this will never happen." In May 1962, he privately instructs that this view be taught to "the boys and girls in the Seminary System." On 20 July 1969 U.S. Astronauts are first men to walk on moon. Six months later Joseph Fielding Smith becomes church president.

June 22,1961 - First Presidency supports plan to persuade U.S. Army to send its "colored contingents" to California rather than to Utah. At its same meeting Presidency agrees to allow baptism of Nigerians seeking membership in church.

Feb 3,1962 - Church News Headlines, "MIA Bans The Twist," popular dance among teenagers and young adults. This prohibition is widely ignored by youth and even by adult leaders in some wards and stakes, especially in Britian and Europe.

May 25,1962 - Boyd K Packer is first to earn regular doctorate while serving as general authority. He receives Ed.D. degree from Brigham Young University.

Sep 19,1962 - First Presidency rules that prominent Egyptian polygamist can be baptized because polygamy is legal in Egypt. This is in reference to "an earlier ruling in the matter of Indians who had married more than one wife and it was decided that they may be baptized, if they were legally married according to their tribal customs.

Oct 27,1962 - in midst of Cuban Missle Crisis, Apostle Ezra Taft Benson publicly endorses John Birch Society as "the most effective non-church organization in our fight against creeping socialism and godless communism," and his son Reed A Benson announces that he is Utah coordinator of the society.

Jan 1,1964 - "Home Teaching" replaces traditonal "ward teacing" program of monthly visits of priesthood men to church members. This begins new emphasis on family life which subtly (yet fundamentally) replaces previous priorities of God, Church and family with new ranking of family, church and God.

Feb 29,1964 - after forty one years teaching in Church Education System, George S. Tanner writes that " a large majority" of CES teachers are so narrow and ignorant that it is a shame to have them indoctinating our young people. I would much rather my sons and daughters go to other schools in the state than have them led by these religious fanatics."

Apri 15,1964 - Daryl Chase, Mormon president of Utah State University, confides that "the LDS church has a greater strangle hold on the people and institutions of the state now than they had in Brigham's time. Complete academic freedom is actually non-existent."

March 3,1965 - Apostle Harold B Lee is "protesting vigorously over our having given a scholarship at the BYU to a negro student from Africa. Brother Lee holds the traditional belief as revealed in the Old Testament that the races ought to be kept together and that there is danger in trying to integrate them on the BYU campus.

April 29,1965 - BYU President Ernest L Wilkinson makes first reference in his diary to receiving reports from student "spy ring" he has authorized and which becomes national scandal within ten months.

July 1967 - Priesthood Bulletin prohibits women from praying in sacrament meeting.

Nov 27,1967 - New York Metropolitan Museum of Art gives to LDS church the Egyptian papyri upon which Joseph Smith based "Book of Abraham" in Pearl of Great Price. Egyptologists, LDS and non-LDS, verify that these papyri are typical "Book of Breathings" in form and content.

June 33,1967 - BYU's president receives "confidential draft" by Terry Warner, professor of philosophy and religion, that "freedom of speech as it is known today is a secular concept and has no place of any kind at the BYU."

Nov 19,1967 - BYU's administration discuss possibility of taking legal action to close down off campus student newspaper.

Dec 19,1967 - BYU's Daily Universe publishes article in favor of recruiting African American athletes. BYU's president writes: "This agures all the more in favor of our making the student newspaper an agency of our Communications Department rather than a student publication." Universe ceases to be independent student paper on 18 Apr 1969, but "nothing would be announced about this new policy."

Sep 14,1971 - Apollo 15 astronauts present to President Joseph Fielding Smith a Utah state flag that has traveled with them to the moon.

May 13,1972 - May Presidency letter that "fluoridation of public water supplies to prevent tooth decay" is on of the "non-moral issues" that Mormons should vote on "according to their honest convictions." John Birch Society, which Apostle Ezra Taft Benson and many other Mormons support, is condemning fluoridation as Communist "plot."

April 6,1974 - April conference sustains Neal A Maxwell as Assistant to the Twelve, first general authority who previously worked for U.S. Government's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Maxwell becomes member of the twelve in 1981.

Aug 14,1976 - New York Times reports U.S. patent granted to Mormons G. Richard Jacobs, Cluff Peck, Dean G. Doderquist for "speaking mannequins" at LDS information centers.

Nov 1,1977 - Spencer W Kimball dedicates Osmond Family Studio in Orem, Utah.

Feb 15,1978 - First Presidency letter that Mohammed and Confucius "received a portion of God's light."

June 9,1978 - First Presidency announces "priesthood now available to all worthy male members." First Presidency secretary Francis M Gibbons writes that this change "seemed to relieve them of a subtle sense of guilt they had felt over the years."

June 17,1978 - Church News headline "Interracial Marriage Discouraged" in same issue which announces authorization of priesthood for those of black African descent. Sources at headquarters indicate that Apostle Mark E Petersen requires this emphasis.

Dec 29,1978 - First Presidency allows women to pray in sacrament meetings again.

August 1979 - church's Ensign magazine publishes first counselor N. Eldon Tanner's statement:"When the prophet speaks the debate is over," which echoes Improvement Era's message of June 1945.

Feb 7,1980 - Dallin H Oaks, president of BYU, is chair of board for television's Public Broadcasting Service. He continues as PBS Chair after his appointment to Twelve in April 1984.

March 2,1980 - introduction of "Consolidated Meeting Schedule" of three-hours on Sundays. This eliminates week-day meetings of auxiliaries, as well as traidtional twice daily Sunday meetings. This eases transportation and weekly scheduling but erodes fellowshipping opportunities and diminshes tightly knit social environment of LDS Wards. By 1996, tis has severely diminshed emotional ties of North American Mormon youth to LDS community, eroding what is called "Mormon ethnic identity." Most dramatic manifestation of this trend is fact that for first time in Mormon history, young women cease LDS participation at greater percentages than young men (according to general authority Jack H. Goaslind's statement in BYU Daily Universe, 31 Aug 1992). Likewise, despite absolute increase in missionary numbers, proportion of Mormon males who accept full time missions has decreased significantly in North America.

July 3,1981 - after nearly eleven years of losing advertising revenues, Deseret News begins publishing ads for R-rated movies.

August 22,1981 - Apostle Boyd K Packer instructs BYU religion faculty, all seminary and institute teachers, and administrators of Church Education System that Mormon history, "if not properly written or properly taught,may be a faith destroyer," and he affirms that Mormon historians are wrong in publicizing controversial elements of Mormon past. BYU Studies publishes this address in full. At request of students, BYU history professor gives his perspective on Elder Packer's talk and role of historical inquiry to meeting of BYU's history majors. Summarized within days by off-campus student newspaper Seventh East Press, this conflict between some apostles and some Mormon historians is subject of Feb 1982 Newsweek article which quotes BYU professor that "a history which makes LDS leaders flawless and benignly angelic would border on idolatry."

Oct 1,1981 - New York Times reports official announcement that new edition of Book of Mormon changes prophecy that Lamanites will "become white and delightsome." Instead of continuing original reference to skin color, new edition emphasizes inward spirituality: "become pure and delightsome."

Oct 31,1981 - Apostle Bruce R McConkie preaches to combined stakes of BYU that second coming of Jesus Christ will not be in his lifetime or in lifetime of his children or his grandchildren. This runs contrary to the common folk belief that Christ will come in year 2000 or shortly thereafter.

Jan 5,1982 - First Presidency repeats its 1978 instructions for "interviewing married persons" but adds: "The First Presidency has interpreted oral sex as constituting an unnatural, impure, or unholy practice."
Subject: EXPLAIN THE PROPHETS - PART II (1982-1996)
Date: Apr 17 08:56
Author: Deconstructor
Mail Address:
March 2,1982 - in televised sermon at BYU Apostle Bruce R McConkie denounces "spiritually immature: students and other Mormons who devote themselves to gaining a special personal relationship with Christ." He criticizes widely circulated book on that topic by popular religion professor George Pace who writes public letter of apology within days and is released as stake president shortly thereafter.

April 2,1982 - First Presidency announces service of male missionaries is reduced from 24 months to 18 months. "It is anticipated that this shortened term will make it possible for many to go who cannot go under present financial circumstances," counselor Gordon B Hinckley explains. "This will extend the opportunity for missionary service to an enlarged body of our young men." Instead annual number of new missioinaries level off. Annual convert baptisms decline more than 7 percent each year rather than increase by same proportion as before.

Jan 11,1983 - second counselor Gordon B. Hinckley pays document dealer Mark Hofmann $15,000 for alleged Joseph Smith letter about his treasure digging activities. He has Hofmann agree not to mention the transaction to anyone else and then he sequesters document in First Presidency's vault. First Presidency does not acknowledge its existence unitl Los Angeles Times is about to release story about document, which Hofmann later admits he forged.

April 15,1983 - University Post: The Unofficial Newspaper of Brigham Young University reports interview with director of Standards Department. He acknowledges that students suspected of cheating, illegal drug use, stealing, or homosexuality are expelled from BYU if they refuse to take polygraph examination. BYU Security has licensed polygraph examiner.

Oct 7,1984 - Ronald E Poelman gives general conference talk stressing need of central headquarte

Nov 26,1984 - First Presidency announces that as of 1 January mission service for young men will return to 24 months.

May 5,1985 - LDS Astronaut Don Lind administers sacrament in zero gravity Skylab 3.

June 9,1985 - Church headquarters telephones bishops in Utah, Idaho and Arizona with instructions to forbid discussion of Linda Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery's biography Mormon Enigma:Emma Hale Smith in Relief Society or other church meetings. Lasting for ten months, this ban is apparently what triples book's sales.

April 4,1987 - First Counselor Gordon B Hinckley tells priesthood session of conference that "marriage should not be viewed as a therapeutic step to solve problems such as homosexual inclinations of practices..." This reverses decades long policy formulated by Spencer W. Kimball.

Oct 2,1988 - Michaelene P Grassli, general Primary President, is first woman to speak in general conference in 133 years.

Oct 12,1989 - Deseret News reports that representative of Eli Lilly pharmaceutical company confirms that Utah has highest per-capita use in nation of anti-depressant Prozac.

April 1,1991 - student at BYU's commencement offers prayer to "Our Mother and Father in Heaven."

April 17,1991 - Chronicle of Higher Education reports that Utah "ranks last in proportion of students who are female" throughout the United States. This is result of Utah's "traditions that inhibit the educational progress of women."

Aug 9,1991 - Salt Lake Tribune article, "Of LDS Women, 58% Admit Premarital Sex."

April 4,1992 - Apostle Richard G Scott tells general conference that LDS women should avoid "morbid probing into details of past acts, long buried and mercifully forgotten," and that "the Lord may prompt a victim to recognize a degree of responsibility for abuse."

Among his concluding remarks: "Remember, false accusation is also a sin," and 'bury the past." Unspoken background to his remarks is that in recent years current stake presidents and temple workers have been accused of child abuse by their now adult children. Salt Lake Tribune reports that suicide prevention lines are swamped with telephone calls by women in days after Scott's remarks.

Aug 8,1992 - Salt Lake Tribune reports that First Presidency's spokesman has acknowledged existence of special "Strengthening the Members Committee" that keeps secret files on church members regarded as disloyal. Due to publicity on this matter, including New York Times, Presidency issues statement on 13 Aug. defending organization of this apostle-directed committee as consistent with God's commandment to Joseph Smith to gather documentation about non-Mormons who mob and persecute LDS Church. Presidency lists Apostles James E. Faust and Russell M. Nelson as leading the committee.

May 18,1993 - Apostle Boyd K Packer tells All-Church Coordinating Council that LDS church faces three major threats: "The dangers I speak of come from the gay-lesbian movement, the feminist movement (both of which are relatively new), and the ever-present challenge from the so-called scholars or intellectuals."

June 27,1993 - counselor Gordon B. Hinckley dedicates former Hotel Utah as new Joseph Smith Memorial Building to serve primarily as additional office space for LDS central bureaucracy. Its large theatres also begin showing devotional film, "Legacy" (about Mormon pioneers), scripted by Academy award-winner Keith Merrill according to Hinckley's instruction:"I want them to leave the theatre crying."

Nov 6,1994 - Apostle M. Russell Ballard tells 25,000 students at BYU that general authorities"will not lead you astray. We cannot." This claim of infallibility is officially published, and he repeats it to another BYU devotional meeting in March 1996.

May 3,1995 - agreement between LDS church and American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors "over the issue of posthumous baptisms of Jewish Holocaust victims." First Presidency agrees to "remove from next issue of International Genealogical Index [public-acess record only] names of all known posthumously baptized Jewish holocaust victims,"and "to discontinue any further baptisms of deceased Jews, including all lists of Jewish Holocaust victims who are know Jews, except if they were direct ancestors of living members of the Church."
Sept 1995 - Ensign magazine publishes First Presidency message by second counselor James E. Faust which denounces "the false belief of inborn homosexual orientation." Next month's Ensign contains what appears as one apostle's direct challenge to First Presidency's unequivocal statement. In his October article "Same-Gender Attraction," Dallin H. Oaks writes: "There are also theories and some evidence that inheritance is a factor in susceptibilities to various behavior-related disorders like aggression, alcoholism, and obesity. It is easy to hypothesize that inheritance plays a role in sexual orientation."
fausts talk: liahona november 1995
oaks: liahona march 1996

1996 Fall, Brigham Young University Studies publishes study by two sociologists who analyze 1,384 questionnaires submitted by LDS "householders," including discovery that LDS men are more likely to think they are going to heaven ("celestial kingdom") than women think of themselves. Men are less likely to attend church or pray privately than women.

when did masturbation become a sin in the mormon church?

masturbation is not once mentioned in any of the standard works and is not even mentioned in the corpus of LDS General Conference talks (1851-2010) until the 1960's:

http://corpus.byu.edu/gc/

search for "masturbat*" (without quotes)

It was Spencer W. Kimball who first made it into an issue.

The following is supposedly from D. Michael Quinn's book, 'The Mormon Hierarchy : Extensions of Power':
"
18 June, 1870 - First counselor George A. Smith tells Salt Lake School of the Prophets about "the evil of Masturbation" among Utah Mormons. Apostle Lorenzo Snow says that "Plural Marriage would tend to diminish this evil self-pollution," and he believes that "indulgence on the part of men was less in Plural marriage than in Monogamy."
"
great moments in mormon history

where did the book of mormon come from?

there are 2 different explanations:
1. stone in the hat story
2. translating gold plates

the lds church claims that it is a combination of these 2 although they only teach about the "translating of the golden plates". you will not find any mention of the stone in the hat story in any classroom manuals. the only way i found out about it was reading "anti-mormon" literature. i recently found that the stone in the hat story is only mentioned 2 times in general conference talks in the entire gospel library.

in a talk given by russell nelson called A Treasured Testament he even begins by saying:
The details of this miraculous method of translation are still not fully known.
!!! and even more interesting is that his first example of an account of translation isnt even a translation, but is about joseph smith looking at a stone inside of hat!:
Yet we do have a few precious insights. David Whitmer wrote:

“Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the darkness the spiritual light would shine. A piece of something resembling parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing. One character at a time would appear, and under it was the interpretation in English. Brother Joseph would read off the English to Oliver Cowdery, who was his principal scribe, and when it was written down and repeated to Brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it would disappear, and another character with the interpretation would appear. Thus the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, and not by any power of man.” (David Whitmer, An Address to All Believers in Christ, Richmond, Mo.: n.p., 1887, p. 12.)
i can only wonder what was going on in the minds of church members hearing this for the first time? note that this account was given almost 60 years after the supposed translation.

then nelson goes on to example number 2:
Emma Smith, who acted as an earlier scribe for Joseph, gave this account in 1856:

“When my husband was translating the Book of Mormon, I wrote a part of it, as he dictated each sentence, word for word, and when he came to proper names he could not pronounce, or long words, he spelled them out, and while I was writing them, if I made any mistake in spelling, he would stop me and correct my spelling although it was impossible for him to see how I was writing them down at the time. Even the word Sarah he could not pronounce at first, but had to spell it, and I would pronounce it for him.

“When he stopped for any purpose at any time he would, when he commenced again, begin where he left off without any hesitation, and one time while he was translating he stopped suddenly, pale as a sheet, and said, ‘Emma, did Jerusalem have walls around it?’ When I answered, ‘Yes,’ he replied, ‘Oh! [I didn’t know.] I was afraid I had been deceived.’ He had such a limited knowledge of history at that time that he did not even know that Jerusalem was surrounded by walls.” (Edmund C. Briggs, “A Visit to Nauvoo in 1856,” Journal of History, Jan. 1916, p. 454.)
here are 2 things to note:
* there is absolutely no mention of how joseph was translating. it just says that he was translating; emma smith does not say here: "as joseph read from the gold plates, i wrote a part of it"
* deceived? by who, god? did he think he had been deceived while "translating" by the "power of god"? this leads one to believe that joseph was using divination to create the book of mormon with the help of some unknown entity/spirit who he didnt know whether or not he could trust.

then nelson shares this example:
On another occasion, Emma Smith recorded:
“The plates often lay on the table without any attempt at concealment, wrapped in a small linen tablecloth, which I had given him to fold them in. I once felt of the plates as they thus lay on the table, tracing their outline and shape. They seemed to be pliable like thick paper, and would rustle with a metallic sound when the edges were moved by the thumb, as one does sometimes thumb the edges of a book.” (“Last Testimony of Sister Emma,” Saints’ Herald, 1 Oct. 1879, p. 290; spelling modernized.)
* "without any attempt at concealment" except for the fact that she says she felt something that felt like metal plates wrapped (concealed) inside a piece of cloth. note that this account, for some reason, came 50 years after the supposed translation took place. and again, here she does not say: "i saw gold metal plates with reformed egyptian hieroglyphics on them."

i find it odd that nelson doesnt mention the accounts of the 3 and 8 witnesses.

i think its funny how although none of the examples nelson gives here support a translation account of reading from gold plates, that the talk in the printed version includes a picture of joseph smith reading from gold plates (without a urim and thummim), separated by a sheet nonetheless, with oliver cowdery on the other side. i think the article should have also included a picture of joseph smith with his head buried in a hat.

and im surprised that this talk was even allowed to be given!: by the gift and power of god

additional recommended reading: translation or divination?

see if you can find a single picture of the version of translation where joseph reads from the stone in the hat in the gospel library media/artwork resource center in the scriptures section.
ill spare you the trouble, there isnt a picture of this account.

think positive

yesterday i planned to take my kids to the traveling carnival downtown. when we had driven all the way down there i had forgotten that i had loaned my card to my wife so we had to drive all the way back home to get it. my wife gave me my card and 100 kroner in cash cause i felt i should take some cash with me for some reason. we drove back to downtown and when i went to take out some cash i only had 122 on my card and the machine wouldnt let me take out any less than 200 so i was like "grrrr". i knew that it would cost more than 100 to get 3 tickets for the kids to go on at least 1 ride each, so as we were walking over to the carnival i decided to think positive and see what happens. i thought to myself "i might be able to pay with my card" although i wasnt sure. it turned out that they did have a card terminal, but they were closing in 10 minutes so for some reason they couldnt use it, so i looked the guy in the booth straight in the eyes and kindly asked "i have 3 kids here and i only have 100 kroner, im short 20, is there any way you could give me a deal?" and he said "well if i have 20 kroner in my pocket" and he reached into his pocket and to his and my surprise he had a 20 kroner coin and he put it on the table and gave us 3 tickets =) my oldest child really wanted to go on the roller coaster (it wasnt a big one, but for them it was big) so all 3 of them got on. i was a little worried about my youngest though and sure enough once it started to go he looked really uneasy and pretty soon started to yell for me and cried the whole way =) luckily it was only 3 rounds =) but when we got home he seemed proud of himself and told my wife about it and said "tør du det mamma?" (do you dare to do that mamma?) =)

the funny thing was that my wife was saying she didnt want to go to the carnival because she thought the men looked like criminals, but the guy at the booth was at least really nice and actually gave us money =)

Friday 7 May 2010

separation of church and state? mormon prophets doing freemason handshakes with US leaders

i found an interesting picture of president monson and george w bush doing the masonic/patriarchal grip handshake.
(this was taken originally from a salt lake tribune article which has since been removed...)

and heres one of dick cheney and gordon b hinckley doing the same handshake.

ezra taft benson related to co-founder of skull and bones alphonso taft

heres the taft family pedigree

Q. now my question is was ezra taft benson a member of skull and bones?

A. i doubt it, ezra taft benson didnt go to yale.

Tuesday 4 May 2010

my goetic evocation experience of the demon duke of hell Bune / Buné / Bim / Bime

i did an evocation last night (20100502) of Bune.

here are some resources that i read before doing the evocation:
goetia (scroll down to bune)
allan fullers evocation of bune
everyones tired of bune
the many faces of bune
physical evocation of bune dream followup
conjure sorcery with bune
evp and evocation (bune mentioned)
bune
bune (wikipedia)

i didnt do the lbrp or use a circle. i opened simply with a prayer to god for protection and also during the evocation i commanded bune to not do me or anyone around me or anyone i love any harm. i didnt use a triangle either, i simply placed my black scrying mirror on a chair in front of me.

my intention with this was to not limit myself psychologically. also for the sake of science, to see how it would go since i havent found very many practitioners writing about doing it this way, ive most read about great warnings and caution and scare-stories. i also took no regard for time or astrological implications. i performed the ritual last night, 20100502 at about 2 am. according to my computer clock i used about 2 hours and 15 minutes trying to get a response, stating my will, etc and also meditating. but i swear it seemed only like i was only operating for like a half hour, it was crazy.


i just drew both of his sigils onto normal white paper instead of using a kind of metal (also i had no access to anything else) and had them in my hands, as well as a wand, made by athena from enochian.org. i also had made a little talisman from the book of power (from the book the secret lore of magic), supposedly something solomon had used to ward off evil and to serve as protection when worn on the left arm:
s d d d c
h t l t b
s d d d c
h t l t b

since i didnt have any tape or safety pins i was like "how in the heck am i going to fasten this to my arm?" then i got an idea to just fold up my sleeve once and then stick the paper talisman down into the fold =)

i did feel a good light energy around me during the operation . i felt safe. at one point i remember hearing a small hissing sound (i hadnt really heard anything at all around here, it is so quiet at this hotel) and my fight or flight kicked in for a split second out of pure normal reaction to something new and i flinched for a half second, then smiled, but i dont remember feeling afraid, just startled. i dont know what the sound was or if it was something outside. anyways i just continued after that.

at one point i thought i might have heard his dark voice inside my talking to me, but i wasnt sure if it was just me or not, but i remember the voice was definitely distinct sounding and not my voice, but again, im not sure if it was me or not creating the voice. but actually now that i think of it i am almost sure that it was him at least at one point because i remember i was struggling to know how to pronounce his name, i was kind of switching between bune (pronounced boon) and buné (pronounced boon-ay) and bim (i had read somewhere that he was also know as that name) and i distinctly remember a thought/voice entering my head, that wasnt my own saying "just use bim instead, then theres no confusion", because i was asking him how to pronounce his name.

at certain points i kind of felt a presence of some kind of energy (and i also often got chills), but i ended with a command that he do my will that i had expressed to him and gave him a deadline by next sunday, all the while showing respect, but still being authoritative.

i ended by simply banishing all ill-intended energies and entities from my hotel room, then i drew in the air with my wand a pentagram and a hexagram. before i started i turned on my zoom h4n recorder and pushed record. to my dismay i had forgotten to push record a second time to actually start recording! grrrrrrrr. i wanted to see if i could pick up any evp during the operation. i am pretty disappointed about missing out on that.

the whole working was impromptu and i said what i felt, i followed no script and had not written anything down. i concentrated many times on not blinking while staring at the black scrying mirror and also at the sigils (as suggested by carrol poke runyon) and one time while staring at the more complicated sigil everything around the sigil got super white and bright whereas i could almost only see the sigil and i felt like i was drifting into some other dimension, it was crazy, it was as if this world around me was fading away. this lasted for maybe 2-3 minutes. it was interesting, i dont know for sure, but i feel like i was able to delay blinking for like 7-10 minutes at a time, and its like its a little difficult up to a certain point and then its like once you pass that point then it isnt difficult at all and you feel like you can just keep going and going. i eventually would blink willingly to try the retinal burn thing where i superimpose the sigil onto the black mirror.

i also remember a couple of minutes after i was finished, getting a sharp pain inside my head, like headache pain, but only for a split second, like 2 or 3 times. this was exactly what happened last time i tried to evoke a different duke in the bathroom at work, totally impromptu as well, with no circle or anything.

oh yeah, the holy names i felt comfortable working with, evocating by and banishing by are: almighty god, elohim, adonai and agla. i am still personally unsure about jesus/christ/jehova, etc so i didnt use any of those names.


i did a follow up quick conjuration of bune again today (20100503) at about 17:30 and just appended to my will that bune was to carry it out without any negative consequences and without any harm to anyone i love, to anyone in my family (notice the distinction? =) and to any of my friends.

i also set up a little "altar" here in my hotel room on a chair in the corner, with both his sigils resting on top of a larger piece of paper with some instructions/help for bune so he knows at least one area he can try to succeed in to help me, but ultimately the results are up to him, i just wrote out a suggestion for him.

i have to say, i have been feeling a type of "bombardment" on my mind/head ever since the first evocation, coming and going, when i enter the hotel even, and whenever i think about bune. i dont remember feeling anything last night when i went outside in the city and walked around looking for a restaurant with an open kitchen (ive completely switched my day around since i got here, sleeping during the day and "working" at night) i have decided to do an LBRP before i leave the hotel, for their sake. when i meditate though this "pressure" on my mind seems to go away. i dont know if it is my own imagination that is the cause of it, but i have never felt anything like this before.

i guess maybe i should add a warning to anybody thinking about attempting what i did:
***dont try it unless you feel you know what you are getting into.***

i am wondering if maybe i have a "gift" (here me out, im not trying to be proud), or rather i am different than other people i have read about. i recently purchased something from a well-respected practitioner of a certain type of magick. if i wrote this persons name here, many people would know who this person is. ill call this person Larry. i received this item from Larry with a warning not to touch a specific part of it because it is charged with very dangerous forces/energies. i have actually brushed up against this item by accident several times and have felt nothing. i told Larry this and that i dont feel any particular energy from this item at all and he said "that is strange, because i (larry) have never felt a stronger energy from anything i have ever made before. it is actually a good thing then that you dont feel anything because it wont affect you negatively or at least to the degree it would affect other people."

i share this because after thinking about this maybe a warning is in place. maybe not everybody is able to perform an evocation in the manner i described. people are different and tolerate different levels of energy.

update 20100504: i now got the idea today that maybe these sensations in my head are due to me stopping my anti-depression meds while ive been on vacation? ill wait to take them until i get home to see if they continue or not before i start taking my meds again.

update 20100519: the headaches were from me not taking my medication. it has happened several times after this first experience when i have forgotten to take my meds.

read my second bim evocation experience (ill call him bim from now on, instead of bune, since i felt that is what he told me (as a voice in my mind) to call him during the first evocation)

reconnective healing experience


a couple of days ago my wife did 2 successive sessions of (eric pearl) reconnective healing on me over 2 days. when she started the first session i immediately smelled a weird burning smell. i didnt notice anything else, other than being very relaxed, although i did feel for a short moment an upward pulling sensation on my left leg once.

then i had 2 very interesting experiences with food the other day =) at breakfast i decided to eat some cereal with milk and yoghurt and immediately after starting to eat it (and actually while i was putting it into the bowl) i felt like my body didnt want it, like it was going to make me sluggish so i stopped eating it (i have been eating cereal for 30 years btw). then later on in the evening i found a little grocery store and i was picking out some snacks and food to eat tonight after i got back to my hotel room and i could seriously feel when i picked up certain things that my body didnt want it, like it was pushing the food item away or like 2 magnets with the same pole + to + or - to -, how they push away from each other... pretty weird huh? =)

maybe the reconnective healing has altered me in some way?

my book review of the pendulum kit by sig lonegren


i just had a very interesting experience with my own modified version of the three coins exercise on page 27:
i took three 10 cent euro coins and placed them in a triangle formation. one coin was dated 1999, another 2000 and the third 2002. the point of the experiment was to find the coin that had the 2002 date on it.

not knowing which coin was where i told the pendulum to oscillate between the 2 coins that did not have the date 2002 on them. this experiment should then ideally only require one round to find the 2002 coin. it should be the coin that the pendulum does *not* oscillate to.

experiment 1:
it oscillated between 2 coins. when i looked at the 3rd coin, it did not have the date 2002 on it. it should have been the 2002 coin. i decided to try again only this time with the 2 remaining coins and repeated the same command, so i placed the pendulum at the point where the 3rd coin was previously and asked the pendulum to now oscillate towards the coin that did not have the date 2002 on it. this time it oscillated towards the coin that did not have the date 2002 on it. i.e. the first round it gave the wrong answer and the second round it gave the correct answer.

experiment 2:
this time i decided to do the exact same thing only treat the first answer which was "wrong" as the right answer (ultimately picking out the coin with the 2002 date on it using the pendulum). i got the same result this time as well. the first answer was wrong and the second answer was right.

run 3:
i got the exact same result, a third time in a row! the 2002 coin was among the first 2 coins and the second round, it was the coin that the pendulum *didnt* oscillate towards.

wrong first, right the second time. what an interesting pattern! it repeated itself 3 times in a row, 100% effective.

update: i just tried the same thing again and the same pattern emerged for the 4th consecutive time! false the first time and true the second time =)

wow, very interesting. i continued reading in the book and it says on page 28:
put the coin on the table heads up, and hold your pendulum over it. it will go from the search position into your yes response. now turn the coin over, and see how your pendulum goes into a no response. (these responses could be reversed -- it doesnt matter.)
how funny =) thats exactly what i just experienced.

update: now i just tried the "heads up" exercise on page 28. i got the "wrong" answer 7 times out of 10. according to the book this is statistically important. (the 10 cent euro coin had the year 2000 on it). although, i didnt do the experiment 100% correctly because the book says to have a friend who records whether it landed heads or tails and to not let you know the results before the end. i had to keep track of the results myself, so i could see how well the pendulum was responding. ill have to try it again later, with a friend.


update 20100504

pendulum exercises:

1. flip the coin then divine without looking at the result.
year 2000 coin. is it heads up?
3 correct out of 10

2. divine before the coin is tossed.
year 2000 coin. will it be heads up?
6 correct out of 10

3. divine before the coin is tossed. arm resting on thigh. previously arm was held in the air.
year 2000 coin. will it be heads up?
7 correct out of 10

4. coin toss, call it on the back of my hand. no pendulum. only intuition.
7 correct out of 10

5. divine before the coin is tossed. arm resting on thigh. previously arm was held in the air.
year 2000 coin. will it be heads up? is this answer the truth?
1 correct out of 5
this is the closest extreme!


on my plane ride home from holland last night i did an experiment with playing cards:
i put the cards A, 2, and 3 of spades face down and shuffled so i didnt know which was which and placed them on my lap.
i held the pendulum over each one asking "is this the ace of spades?" until i got a yes, asking after every question "is this the truth?"
i did this test 2 times and found the ace both times!


update 20100505

i repeated the playing card test today using the same cards.
round 1: it answered correctly the first card i placed the pendulum over, but i decided this time to check the other ones just in case and the second card i chose the pendulum oscillated stronger so i figured it was that one, but i turned it over and it was the 3.
i then turned the first card over that i got a yes on and it was the ace =)

then things got weird.
round 2: i felt drawn to a specific card so i put the pendulum over it and asked if it was the ace and followed up with the truth question, confirming that "no" this wasnt the ace. i turned the card over and it was the ace.
i decided to try again, the third round, this time taking a "no" as a "yes"

round 3: i again felt drawn to a specific card and ran the test. i got no and it was the ace.

round 4: exact same as round 3.

conclusion: i was drawn towards a specific card and it was the ace, the first card i asked about, every time, irrespective of yes or no. and from round 3-4 it seemed as if my subconscious went into negative mode and knew that i would pick the card i got a "no" on (since thats what i did in round 2) so it gave me "no" on the correct card instead of a "yes".

the mind is a tricky thing =)


"find the hidden object"/triangulation exercise on page 33:
i had someone hide something for me in a room and both times (i did the test twice) i didnt find it using the pendulum.


update 20100506
100-0 scale exercise
i asked about sig's book, how it rates as a beginners pendulum book from 0-100, 100 best and i got about 95-100 =)


update 20100507
i did the A 2 3 exercise again and found the ace on the first try.
then i gave the 3 cards to my coworker and told him to mix them up without showing me and i found the ace on the first try!

then he suggested i try with 5 cards and find a different number. i did this 2 times and failed both times.


update 20100508
i dowsed for winning lotto numbers for norsk tipping lotto tonight and got 4 correct out of 7. one of the other numbers i got was 1 off from one of the 3 additional numbers drawn. i made my own "fan" map/chart like the 0-100 chart in sigs book, but for numbers 1-34.


update 20100516
page 48
i just did the zodiac chart dowsing experience and got the following results:
* how is my love life? profound sensitivity (totally matches my personality, and this is something im working on controlling a little better)
* what makes me happy? being understood (im not sure that this is very accurate, it is important to me, but i think what really makes me happy is learning and obtaining my desires and seeing that my family is happy)
* what would be a good career (change) for me now? the pendulum went to "go to zodiac page 62", which them immediately pointed to sagittarius, so i went to that page and it gave me "philosopher" (which i think would totally fit me!)
* what health issues do i need to be aware of? forgetfulness (i at least have a very selective memory =)

but then sig writes immediately after the test these interesting words:
while it is always nice to hear something that confirms what you already know, i urge that you pay most attention to the answer(s) that dont make immediate sense. they are important and should be kept in mind during subsequent readings.

then sig suggests on page 49 that you can dowse your partners love life to see if there is anything you can do to help the relationship, and i got "soul unions"