whatmatters2us

"Runes Are Just Runes"

2011-10-29T21:54:00.001+01:00

Runic muziNs and wizdum uziN Tu nors eldur fuTark

Runic musings and wisdom using the Norse Elder Futhark

"Runes are just runes" - Despite all of the supernatural claims made by 'wanna be' druids, wiccans, et al, there is nothing magical about runes. They have no power to predict the future, help your love life, or ward off dragons, demons, the tax collector. Runes are just another form of writing. Anyone who claims to be able to 'cast runes' to gain insight about your character, future, or current life circumstances is engaging in parlor tricks and tomfoolery. Runes are just runes.

Having gotten that out of the way, we can now say that we still think runes are pretty cool. Runic characters have been used for many, many centuries across much of Europe and into the Middle East. That alone is sufficient to make runes intriguing. Runes are excellent for inscribing meaning and messages in stone, bone, horn, antler, wood, leather, and metal, as well as on paper. The runes of the Elder Futhark contain no curves. So the engraver need not worry about getting the radius just right or about how to make an even curve on a difficult medium. Runes lend themselves well to writing with hammer and chisel or knife. And legend that you engrave in runes just looks weightier than the same message written in our latin alphabet. So three cheers for runes!

Runes leave lots of room for individuality and creativity. When transliterating modern English into runic characters spelling, punctuation (or the lack thereof), and how to form the characters are all decisions made by the writer. Everything is phonetic, so how you hear and pronounce words will affect which runic characters you use to write them. You get to decide what is right for you. Of course, if you stray to far afield, people may think you are quite mad, but then they may already have arrived at that opinion once learning that you are working (or playing) with runes. Just remember that runes are just runes. Dismiss all opinions to the contrary, and have fun!

September Dawn - Movie Review

2011-10-29T18:34:00.000+01:00

(I have received a number of requests to re-publish the following Movie Review, which was originally written and published at the release of, "September Dawn". Mitt Romney's candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination has once again piqued interest in all things Mormon.)

The storm of animosity faced by this dramatic retelling of one of the most horrific events in the history of the westward expansion of the United States shouldn’t stop anyone from seeing this outstanding film. Directed by Christopher Cain, who has come in for a large dose of media vitriol, and co-written by Cain and Carole Whang Schutter, September Dawn recounts the Mountain Meadows Massacre of September 11, 1857, in which 120 men, women, and children were killed in cold blood by a Mormon Militia, specifically, the Iron County Brigade of the Nauvoo Legion. Starring Jon Voight, as fictional Bishop Jacob Samuelson; and Terence Stamp, as Brigham Young – Governor of Utah, Superintendent of Indian Affairs, Commander in Chief of the Mormon Militia, and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (hereinafter, the Mormons, or LDS) – September Dawn serves as an allegory for all of the evil done in the name of religion when people subject themselves to a highly controlling and self-proclaimed representative of God on Earth.

So what is it about this film that arouses the anger and derision of movie critics from Michael Medved to Roger Ebert to Doug Ware of Salt Lake City’s KUTV? (Okay, so Ware’s derision is predictable and required of someone in the Salt Lake City media.) One suspects that there is a form of denial going on here. Cain has touched a nerve in the human psyche with his depiction of top Mormon leadership issuing orders to murder in the name of God, and of their followers quite willing to carry out those instructions. When we look at September Dawn, there is a sense in which we are looking into a mirror, and not liking at all what we see. It suggests that deep within many of us there lays a destroying monster waiting to emerge. As Americans, it seems we find this especially unnerving when we are dealing with Mormonism, a homegrown cult that is overrepresented in national politics, and for all intents and purposes, runs the State of Utah.

More about reactions to this movie later – but first, my review: ignore what the negative critics are saying – this movie deserves to be seen. The story line is strong, the characters are depicted with thorough realism, and the pacing of the picture keeps viewers fully engaged. The contrast between people living in freedom, and people living under the iron hand of an all controlling despot comes through in the interaction between Jonathan Samuelson (played by Trent Ford), the son of the Mormon Bishop, and Emily Hope (played by Tamara Hope), the daughter of the Protestant Pastor traveling with the doomed Francher party wagon train, enroute from Arkansas to California. In a private moment, Jonathan can only wonder, and not quite comprehend, that Emily’s father doesn’t use his Office of the Public Ministry to control and punish people, but to proclaim God’s love and forgiveness. Emily, in turn, cannot begin to comprehend the absolute control that the Mormon Bishop exercises over even the most private aspects of Mormon lives.

The outcome is never in doubt: after all, the Mountain Meadows Massacre is a matter of public record. Though so intense as to deserve the R rating, Cain accomplishes a masterful retelling and depiction of the final moments, when the cry, “Mormons, do your duty,” led to the slaughter of 120 human beings. The dehumanizing effect on the murders is portrayed in a strong performance by Jonathan’s half-brother, Micah (acted by Taylor Handley), as he cannot stop himself from obeying the commands of his father to murder, and yet pleads for his own death to make “Blood Atonement” (more about Blood Atonement, later) for what he has done at the direction of those with ecclesiastical authority over him. Even Bishop Samuelson, true believer though he is, is revealed to be likewise held in bondage by his own delusions and by those higher in church polity than he.

Jon Voight’s portrayal of Jacob Samuelson is both compelling and chilling, as the ultimate ending is foreshadowed by his first visit to the emigrant’s wagon train. Likewise, Terence Stamp’s portrayal of Brigham Young captures the essence of Young’s persona. Young’s ruthlessness in first seizing and then consolidating power over the LDS in the wake of the death of Joseph Smith Junior is still present in the now older and even more sinister man who holds the keys to all power – ecclesiastical, political, judicial, and military – in Utah Territory. The adage, “all power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” rings true in Stamp’s performance.

Shaun Johnston, (Captain Francher), Lolita Davidovich (Nancy Dunlap), Daniel Libman (Reverend Hudson), Huntley Ritter (Robert Humphries), and Hal Kerbes (Highbee) all turn in good performances. However, Jon Gries, who portrays John D. Lee, deserves special mention. Gries presents Lee as a tortured soul, one who has made a pact with the Devil and sees no way out but to keep his side of the bargain. In reality, Lee had a long history in the Mormon Church, and was the adopted son of Brigham Young – the choice he is faced with at Mountain Meadows is to continue to obey Young and his minions by committing an unspeakable atrocity, or to face certain death at the hands of his fellow Mormons. Sadly, after protesting as much as he dares, Lee chooses to obey. Ultimately, after 20 years of justice delayed, Lee becomes the only man ever tried, convicted, and executed for the mass murder – offered up by the LDS as the scapegoat, to stop the investigation from continuing all the way to Brigham Young.

This movie is not likely to be around long, given the unrelenting media attacks on both the movie and its message. So don’t wait to go see it. While rated R for the violence that is necessary for any retelling of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, this film would be suitable for more mature 13 – 14 year olds, accompanied by their parents, and would provide an opportunity to discuss the evil that lurks within all humans. September Dawn goes a long way toward helping all of us to understand the conditions that lead teenagers and other young people to willingly strap bombs to their bodies and commit suicide in the name of Allah.

**** Four out of Five Stars for “September Dawn”

Background CommentaryI have read and reviewed thousands of pages of trial transcripts, written histories, autobiographies, and other records in preparation for writing this commentary. Let me say at the outset that I agree with the conclusion reached by Christopher Cain - I believe that the record shows that Brigham Young ordered the Mountain Meadows Massacre. The record is unequivocally clear in proving that he committed perjury in his deposition for the trial of John Doyle Lee. While some may arrive at a different conclusion as to whether he issued the actual orders to kill the emigrants, the record is likewise unequivocally clear that he issued orders to incite the Native American tribes to attack the wagon train, and that he created conditions that could only lead to the massacre through his sermons, commands, and official acts. The LDS has at long last conceded that the Mountain Meadows Massacre was perpetrated by Mormons. However, the LDS finds itself unable to implicate Brigham Young in this monstrous crime. To do so would call into question the very truth claims upon which the entire Mormon religion is built. Nevertheless, I believe that this movie accurately places responsibility squarely where it belongs - on Brigham Young.

While the Mountain Meadows Massacre took place 150 year ago, just within the past three decades we have seen similar violence and death among religious cults involving Americans. In November 1978, at least 913 people died when the leader of the People’s Temple cult, Jim Jones, ordered mass suicides and murder at the cult compound known as Jonestown in Northwestern Guyana, South America. In many cases, whole families lined up to drink a lethal mixture of Kool-aid laced with valium and cyanide, at the direction of cult leader, Jim Jones. Most of the dead were Americans.

On February 28, 1993, the United States Treasury Department’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) botched a raid on the Branch Davidian Compound near Waco, Texas. The Branch Davidians are an off-shoot of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. At the time of the ATF raid, they were led by Vernon Wayne Howell, AKA, David Koresh, who claimed he was the second coming of Jesus Christ. What followed was a 51-day siege of the compound, culminating on April 19th with another botched assault by law enforcement, led by the FBI and ATF, acting with the approval of the Clinton Administration. This assault resulted in the deaths of approximately 79 Branch Davidians, 21 of whom were children. Many, including their self-proclaimed messiah leader David Koresh, died of single gunshot wounds to the head – suicide in the case of some adults, and ritual sacrifice in the face of the government assault for the other, apparently following orders of Koresh.

On March 26, 1997, in a rented mansion in the wealthy San Diego suburb of Ranch Santa Fe, authorities found the bodies of 38 members of the Heaven’s Gate cult dead, in addition to their leader, Marshall Applewhite. Applewhite had convinced the cult members that, by committing ritual suicide, they would depart this plane of existence and rendezvous with a spaceship, which was shadowing Comet Hale-Bopp, and join Jesus, who Applewhite claimed was riding in that spaceship.

What all of these groups have in common – especially the Peoples Temple, the Branch Davidians, and the Mormons – is a tightly controlled, highly structured, religious system under the complete domination of one or a small group of leaders that are believed to possess direct access to the thoughts and will of God. In addition, these cults view outsiders as the “other”, and their leaders encourage separation from the rest of humankind by continually whipping up a mass paranoia over perceived persecution by the “other”. By nature secretive, believing themselves or their leaders to be a law unto themselves (since the leaders are believed to be infallibly guided by divine revelation), it proves easy for most who join these cults to be readily seduced by their feelings of being both special and persecuted by the sinful world. They believe that they have a unique place as “the chosen ones of God”. Once indoctrinated, they blindly obey their leaders, even when those orders call for them to commit atrocities, such as The Mountain Meadows Massacre.

One of the criticisms leveled against September Dawn is that Cain chose as his subject an event that happened 150 years ago, among Mormons living in what is now one of the United States. Well known movie critic Michael Medved has faulted Cain for not choosing modern day Islamists, instead. I believe Medved misses the point. What Cain has accomplished in this movie is to provide a cautionary tale that should inform how we look at all religions. While the LDS has tried with varying degrees of success to become mainstream in the 150 years since the Mountain Meadows Massacre, the very nature of Mormonism continues to lead to the spin-off of a multitude of smaller, more secretive Mormon cults, primarily in the Inter-Mountain Region of the United States. The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), led by Warren Jeffs, is an example of a Mormon denomination that has recently emerged from the shadows, and epitomizes the aspects of Mormonism that resulted in the Massacre in 1857.

Operating in a remote area along the Arizona – Utah border, in and around the community of Short Creek, Arizona, the FLDS has been a highly secretive, tightly controlled Mormon denomination since the beginning of the 20th Century. Even earlier, Brigham Young visited the area and declared that, “This will someday be the head, and not the tail, of the church. These are the granaries of the Saints.” In 1954, the Governor of Arizona, John Howard Pyle, engineered a raid on Short Creek, in the face of widespread publicity over polygamy and other illegal practices by the FLDS. The raid backfired, as images of children being torn from the arms of their mothers filled the newspapers of the day, and Pyle lost his bid for re-election. Law enforcement backed off, and the FLDS operated “below the radar” for most of the next 50 years.

In recent years, however, following in the wake of the Branch Davidian fiasco, concern over religious cults increased, and the FLDS came under greater scrutiny. In his best seller, “Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith,” Jon Krakauer chronicled the story of the FLDS and several other Mormon denominations. Finally, law enforcement intervened, making public the arranged marriages of under-age girls to middle aged men, the continuation of polygamy, and a host of other frightening cult practices by the FLDS. As a result, the FLDS has scattered, with some moving to Texas and others going deeper underground. Their leader, Warren Jeffs, has been arrested and faces prison time for statutory rape and similar charges. However, the FLDS is but the tip of the iceberg. Throughout the American West, and spreading throughout the United States and internationally, Mormon cults at variance with the public face of the LDS continue to practice the kind of religious extremism depicted in “September Dawn”.

Blood Atonement is a doctrine of the Mormon religion that pronounces as follows: “But under certain circumstances there are some serious sins for which the cleansing of Christ does not operate, and the law of God is that men must then have their own blood shed to atone for their sins.” ("Mormon Doctrine", by Elder Bruce R. McConkie, 2nd Edition, published by Bookcraft, Salt Lake City, Utah) Elder McConkie continued his exposition of the Doctrine of Blood Atonement as follows: President Joseph Fielding Smith has written: “Man may commit certain grievous sins – according to his light and knowledge – that will place him beyond the reach of the atoning blood of Christ. If then he would be saved, he must make sacrifice of his own life to atone – so far as in his power lies – for that sin, for the blood of Christ alone under certain circumstances will not avail.

…Joseph Smith taught that there were certain sins so grievous that man may commit, that they will place the transgressors beyond the power of the atonement of Christ. If these offenses are committed, then the blood of Christ will not cleanse them from their sins even though they repent. Therefore their only hope is to have their own blood shed to atone, as far as possible, in their behalf.” (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, pp. 133-138).

McConkie continues, “This doctrine can only be practiced in its fullness in a day when the civil and ecclesiastical laws are administered in the same hands.” In his opening sentences on this doctrine, McConkie takes pains to assert that, since the days of Joseph Smith, the doctrine of Blood Atonement has never been practiced by the Mormon Church. However, there is a contradiction here – in 1857, in Utah Territory, both the civil and ecclesiastical laws were administered in the same hands – namely in the hands of Brigham Young and those he placed in positions as bishops, judges, and other positions of authority over the entire citizenry of Utah, both Mormon and non-Mormon. Despite the secrecy that accompanied the carrying out of Blood Atonement, there are numerous reports of the doctrine being carried out, all the way back to the Mormon sojourn in Missouri, if not earlier during their time in the Kirtland, Ohio, area. The depiction of Blood Atonement being instituted in September Dawn is in keeping with both Mormon doctrine and historical accounts.

Under the doctrine of Blood Atonement, as it was and is understood by many Mormon authorities, killing either a Mormon or a “gentile” (i.e., a non-Mormon) by slitting their throat or other means, so as to spill their blood upon the ground, is an act of love. Their twisted logic is that murder is an act of love because by the spilling of the target’s blood, their sins are atoned for, and they may eventually gain admission to at least the lowest level of heaven, as taught by other Mormon doctrine. Again, it must be pointed out that most LDS officials of recent years disavow any imposition of Blood Atonement. However, the secrecy and oaths of silence that surround this doctrine have not prevented reports of these ritual murders from entering into historical records and the collective consciousness of generations of Mormons. Thus, Blood Atonement acts as one more lever to control the behavior and ensure the obedience of Mormons still today.

So what does this tell us about the world we live in today? All cults deserve continuing public scrutiny. Secretive religious organizations (often based on devotion to a human leader who is proclaimed as being a god, or who claims to be receiving continuing direct revelations from God), religious organizations that advocate violence and oppression in their official doctrines and scriptures, and religious organizations that isolate their adherents from mainstream society all deserve close attention. Freedom of religion must be upheld, but religious leaders that practice mind control techniques, isolate their adherents from the rest of society and control the information and view of reality that these adherents have access to, must be viewed with concern and skepticism by the rest of society. While we hear less about the dangers of cults today than we did during the decade of the 1970s, in fact there are even more cults forming now than at any time in the past. While many at least start out as benign, those that continue evolving have a tendency to become more dangerous over time, as the leader resorts to more and more outrageous claims to maintain control over cult members. Some very large religious groups (e.g., LDS and various other Mormon denominations, Unification Church, Islamists) fit the cult profile, and merit continuing concern and vigilance by all Americans.

Finally, the lesson of September Dawn is the chilling truth that people under the control of cult leaders are capable of the most horrible atrocities imaginable. Eternal vigilance is, indeed, the price we must pay for our freedom and liberty. The Islamist terrorists are not Mormons, and the Mormons are not Islamist terrorists. Nevertheless, the human weaknesses and predispositions that lead to Islamist suicide bombers today have much in common with the human weaknesses and predispositions that precipitated the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Religious leaders who promote a culture of absolute obedience, separation from the “other”, and embrace violence and death as religious doctrines are as dangerous in 2007 as they were in 1857. Those critical of September Dawn would do well to learn this lesson, before dismissing an important film for primarily political reasons.

The Worst People in the World

2011-10-28T23:07:00.003+01:00

America’s Shame – Are We the Worst People inthe World?

In Matthew 25, Jesus of Nazareth called on hisfollowers to visit prisoners. In thesesimple verses, Jesus expresses his will that Christians be concerned for thoseimprisoned. Today, in the United Statesof America, we have more people imprisoned per capita than in any otherdeveloped nation. Many statisticsreflect the shameful fact that we in the United States have the highest incarceration rate in the world.[1] We are imprisoning people at a rate that is22% higher than Russia – 46% higher than Kazakhstan – 73% higher than Mexico –80% higher than England and Wales – 82% higher than Australia – 84% higher thanCanada, China, and Vietnam. Put another way, we maintain an incarcerationrate 6 times higher than our neighbor to the north, Canada, and almost 4 timeshigher than our neighbor to the south, Mexico. Given these deeply troubling statistics, we believe that Jesus’ call takeson greater urgency. It calls us tochallenge the criminal justice system that creates the world’s highest rate ofincarceration. It calls us to visit theprisoners, and to show compassion and mercy as we work to prevent more peoplefrom being caught up in what we believe is an inhuman apparatus.

We believe that the world’s highest rate ofincarceration is not the result of a nation made up of citizens more evil orprone to wrongful behavior than any other nation. Quite the opposite – we believe thatAmericans overall are less inclined toward doing wrong than people of manyother nations. So what does our world’shighest incarceration rate mean? Webelieve that the answer is three-fold: First,and worst, we have created profit incentives for arresting, prosecuting, andimprisoning more of our fellow citizens. Second, we have criminalized personal behaviors that, to the extent thesebehaviors are a fit subject for anypublic response, should be addressed as public health issues, not criminaljustice issues. Third, our failures onthe first two factors have engendered over-politicized and over-zealous peoplefilling jobs in law enforcement, prosecutorial, and judicial positions. These people have developed a blind spotregarding the harm they are doing to society.

Benjamin Franklin is one of our most revered FoundingFathers. He helped to create many of ourfounding documents (e.g., Declaration of Independence). Franklin once stated that it is better for 100guilty men to go free than for 1 innocent man to be wrongfully punished. Our present criminal justice system has turnedthis upside down. Our police,prosecutors, and judges relentlessly pursue the policy that it is better for100 innocent people to be imprisoned than for 1 guilty person to go free. This corrupt and corrosive way of thinkingpermeates 21^st century America. It fills our prisons with people torn from their families andcommunities. Countless lives aredestroyed. It is shamelessly fed by 24/7‘news’ programs on television, radio, and the internet. These media pander to voyeurs as the celebritycops perform in ‘perp-walks’ designed to humiliate and shame people – people whom our laws say must be presumed innocent!

The challenge is formidable. Hundreds of billions of dollars are at stakefor those who profit from arresting, prosecuting, and imprisoning theirneighbors. There exists in the UnitedStates a well-funded and deeply entrenched ‘prison industrial complex’ thatgrows rich by the imprisonment of our fellow citizens. Those who profit from building prisons,guarding prisoners, providing services to prisons, and using prisoner laborhave forged close ties with politicians at every level.[2] There exists a systematic effort to frightenAmericans with the specter of high crime rates and lawless violence in alargely successful effort to align public opinion with the profit goals of theprison industrial complex. Policedepartment budgets, promotions, and expansions are all dependent on turningmore citizens into criminals. The sameholds for prosecutorial departments and the judiciary. They all profit in one way or another bycriminalizing more private behavior and incarcerating more of our fellowcitizens. We as individual cannot doeverything necessary to end this massive injustice – but we can do something.

We ask you to focus efforts to provideassistance and support to the millions of people who are being persecuted bythe criminal justice system. We suggestthree objectives:

· Education about the corrosive and corruptingrole of the profit motive in our criminal justice system.

· Challenging convictions when there is reason tobelieve that those convicted did not receive fair treatment at the hands of lawenforcement officers and the criminal justice system.

· Challenging public policy to addressallegations of many criminal offenses within the context of the public healthsystem rather than the criminal justice system.

We challenge every Christian educational andcharitable organization to take on the moral outrage created by our criminaljustice system that has resulted in the highest in the world incarceration rate. Take steps:

· To identify, publicize, and challenge abuses bylaw enforcement, and all participants in the criminal justice system, that leadto oppression of American citizens and the highest incarceration rate in theworld. We specifically oppose the profitmotive in criminal justice.

· To survey research publications and other informationand produce resources to inform public policy discussions on topics related toincarceration and official oppression and abuses by law enforcement and thecriminal justice system.

· To educate professionals in the fields of familycounseling, Christian ministry, family medicine, law enforcement, and criminalprosecution to better equip them to identify and intervene in the lives of peopleengaged in addictive behavior before it puts them into the criminal justicesystem.

· To develop and provide focused publicinformation programs to enable and encourage people suffering from addictionsto self-identify and seek therapy.

· To develop programs for referrals to competentprofessional therapists and follow-up care to ensure the highest possiblesuccess rate for therapy for individuals identified as addicted.

· To provide personal assistance and support for addictedindividuals who have been accused of crimes to ensure that they haveprofessional and capable legal representation as well as therapy for theiraddictive behavior.

· To visit and support through prayer andcompassionate care those prisoners suffering from addictions (and theirfamilies) who have been convicted of criminal offenses, and to assist them inappeals and other efforts to rebuild their lives.

Summary

We are not calling for the abolition of allpolice agencies, prosecutors, judges, or prisons. We live in a fallen world, a world thoroughlycorrupted by sin. Police, courts, andprisons are necessary to restrain the rampant evil that would otherwiseprevail. We do not advocateanarchy. However, we believe that it isself-evident that we are already living in a police state. The balance has been lost between individualfreedom and personal liberty on the one side and the necessity of maintainingpublic order and a peaceful society on the other. The danger to our society posed by the police,the criminal justice system, and the prison industrial complex is arguablygreater than the danger posed by real criminals and people of violence. We challenge every Christian in not just theUnited States but throughout the world: Bea voice calling for an end to the profit motive for arrest, prosecution,conviction, and incarceration. Be avoice calling for decriminalizing private behavior and addictions that resultin countless lives destroyed by our criminal justice system. Be a voice demanding that our police,prosecutors, and the prison industrial complex be made accountable for the policestate that they are inflicting on the people of the United States.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_incarceration_rate

[2]More than a decade ago, when New York State was considering repeal of thedraconian ‘Rockefeller Laws’, which were widely recognized as resulting inonerous sentences far out of proportion to any crimes committed, Nancy Little,then a New York State Senator from an Upstate New York District, objected. She spoke passionately on the floor of theNew York Senate and in media interviews about the necessity of maintaining thestatus quo. Her sole rational forkeeping laws that everyone agreed were unjust was that by repealing them, theprison population would be reduced and prison guards would be laid off. Her district was highly dependent on prisonrelated jobs. Ms. Little shamelessly putthe interests of the prison guards’ union, which supported her politically,above the freedom of the thousands of New York citizens entombed in the prisonslocated in her district. This is but oneof thousands of similar examples of how the prison industrial complex hascorrupted politics.

Breaking the Runic Code

2011-10-28T22:16:00.001+01:00

Eldur fuTark tIpfontz

rItiN wiT runz iz fonetik

Tu folowiN list uf run kerukturzand Ter fonetic saundz wil gId ju in inturpretiN modurn iNlish riten juziN runz

it iz also importunt turimembur Tat Ter ar mor run karakturz Tan juzd hir

in Tis list I am limited tu Turunz in Tu tIp font I am JusiN

for Tu konwiniens uf ridurz Tulist folowz Tu ordur uf Tu iNglish alfubet raTur Tan Tu tradishunal fuTarkordur

wi also wil point aut Tat Ter izno punktchueshun in aur runic script

raTur wi start itch sentens wiTe nu lIn

also pliz kip in mInd Tat maniuf Tu runz kan bi mad in mor Tan wun wej

sum uf Tu werieshunz ardiscrIbd bilow but mani mor can bi faund in ani buk on runz

a the‘a’ sound as in cat, car, and saw.

B the‘b’ sound as in boy.

K the‘k’ sound as in cat, king, lick, liquor, and quick.

D the‘d’ sound as in dog, day, and clod.

E the ‘e’ soundas in beg or end; the ‘a’ sound as in late or braid.

F the ‘f’ sound asin fat, photo, or laugh.

G the ‘g’ sound asin go or rig.

H the ‘h’ sound asin how, hill, or who. This character isalso made facing in the opposite direction; that is, with the diagonal line inthe middle slanting upward from left to right.

i the ‘i’ sound asin sit; the ‘e’ sound as in tree

j the ‘j’ soundas in jump; the ‘g’ sound as in judge; the ‘y’ sound as in yellow. This character is also made facing theopposite direction; that is, with the upper part open to the right and thelower part open to the left.

L the ‘l’ soundas in leg or tell.

M the ‘m’ soundas in man or summer.

n the ‘n’ sound asin now or runner.

O the ‘o’ sound asin go, for, on, or John.

P the ‘p’ sound asin palm or slap.

R the ‘r’ sound asin red or order.

S the ‘s’ sound asin sun or ice. This character is alsomade with the upper and lower linesvertical and the connecting line slanting upward diagonally from left to right.

t the ‘t’ sound asin too or rotten.

U the ‘u’ sound asin up; the ‘oo’ sound as in foot or boot; the ‘u’ sound as in fur or pure. This is one of the most frequently used runiccharacters.

W the ‘v’ sound asin vine or river; the ‘w’ sound as in wind; the ‘f’ sound as in of.

I the ‘y’ sound asin sky; the ‘I’ sound as in nice or time.

Z the ‘z’ sound asin zoo, runs, cousin, is, or reason.

T the ‘th’ soundas in the, they rather, and them.

N the ‘ng’ soundas in sing, running, and English.

Inaddition to these single character sounds, there are several charactercombinations used in much the same way that they are used in the Englishalphabet.

au the ‘ow’ sound as in cow, how, andsound.

Oi the ‘oi’ sound as in noise or boy.

tch the ‘ch’ sound as in church, witch,catch, or rich. Some runic writingsinvert the character that makes the ‘z’ sound for the ‘ch’ sound.

Sh the ‘sh’ sound as in hush, shoulder, orshot.

Zh the ‘s’ sound as in vision.

Becauserunes are phonetic, different regional accents may result in spelling variations. The context is often the best clue to theword represented by the runes used. Double letters (like the double ‘t’ in letters) are rare in runicscript. When they do appear, each will be pronounced, though two differentsounds may be represented. For example, ‘being’ in runic script appears asfollows:

biiN

Thefirst i is the long ‘e’sound and the second the short ‘i’ sound, with both being clearlypronounced. There are no silentrunes. Where in English, a silent lettermay determine the way a proceeding or following letter is pronounce, in runesevery letter stands on its own. Thisalso leads to spelling variations. Forexample, some writers will write the English word ‘may’ with just twocharacters, me while other writers will use three, mej to reflect theway that they hear and speak the word. While these variations can be challenging, they also are part of the funof ‘breaking the code’ and understanding English transliterated into runicscript.

Demonic Possession Today

2011-10-06T19:08:00.001+01:00

aur gretist enemiz ar not Tu kriminulz wi ar urjd tu fir

Our greatest enemies are not thecriminals we are urged to fear.

raTr it iz Tu polis Tat ar sworn tU protect us

rather it is the police that are swornto protect us.

if Iu ar lukiN for madurn kases uf demanik pozeshn Tu most lIkli plestu fInd it iz UmuN polis afisurz

If you are looking for modern cases ofdemonic possession the most likely place to find it is among police officers.

Tu faloiN artikl prowIdz mor informeshun

The following article provides moreinformation.

Are demons real? Is demonic possession real? The answer to both questions is yes. Don't take my word for it. Jesus of Nazareth throughout his earthly ministry spoke about demons and demonic possession. Jesus in the power of his divine nature cast out demons from the demon-possessed people that he encountered. He also instructed his disciples to cast out demons whenever they encountered them, as well. As Jesus' modern day disciples, this responsibility comes down to us, as well. We are to recognize demons and we are to minister to the demon-possessed whom we encounter.

Where are we most likely to encounter demon-possession today? The simple answer is everywhere. But there are some groups who are more likely to be possessed than others. The profession that is most susceptible to demon attacks and possession today is that of law enforcement. Add to law enforcement officers just about anyone who is involved in the criminal justice system and you will have accounted for most modern day cases of demon possession. Police officers, regardless of what they are called, are very often demon-possessed. Several factors account for this. First, they are continually dealing with evil, and in doing so they encounter demons on a daily basis. Second, they most often are proud and arrogant of their power - their uniforms and guns make them feel invulnerable. This pride and arrogance provides an open door for demonic attacks. Third, police officers very rapidly come to believe themselves superior to those they encounter in the course of their jobs. They hold the power of life and death over the citizens they are sworn to protect. This power is corrosive, and soon corrupts the nature of every police officer. The demonic influence on their behavior is welcomed and unrecognized, being experienced as simply doing what it is that the police officer wants to do of their own sinful nature - that is to destroy the lives literally and figuratively of everyone 0ver whom they can exert power whether by deception or design.

What does this mean for Christians who encounter police officers, sheriffs deputies, state troopers, and agents of the myriad other Federal, state, and local police powers? Exercise the utmost caution. Recognize that in the vast majority of cases you are not dealing with simply an evil human being, but in fact you are dealing with an emissary of Satan - the Prince of Darkness. Be afraid of the police. Try as well as you can to avoid all entanglements with police officers. Do not socialize or become on familiar terms with police officers. By doing so you expose yourself, your family, and your friends to demonic forces and possession. The number one source of new demonic possessions among civilians is through interaction with police officers. So the single most important step you can take to avoid demonic powers in your life is to avoid all contact with police officers.

What about police officers who are Christians? Sadly, the demons love deception. Police officers who join Christian congregations are, for the most part, demon-possessed. They use membership in a Christian congregation as a means of infiltrating and attacking the Christian church. Pastors and congregational leaders who welcome police officers into their fellowships with respect and appreciation are often the conduits for the spread of demonic possession. Christian police officers, who are in truth exceedingly rare, ought to form their own exclusive police congregations to avoid contaminating other Christian fellowships by their participation.

The forces of darkness are real. They are present in our lives today. We are wise to be on guard continually for the sake of ourselves and our families.

Runes and Magic

2011-09-24T20:25:00.000+01:00

There is nothing magical about runes. Period! Runes are simply another form of writing developed by many people over many ages in the past. Runes are neither pagan nor Christian. They are not occult symbols, though people interested in the occult may use runes just as they use stars, pentagrams, and a variety of other objects to try to manipulate reality. I completely and categorically disavow any interest in or association with magical thinking or any supposed practitioners of magic. Magic and magical thinking are absolutely and completely incompatible with Christianity, and I am a Christian. It is neither wise nor safe to dabble in magic to attempt to alter reality. The demonic realm is real, and those who use runes or anything else in attempts to cast spells, work charms, etc., are opening themselves up to demonic deception and entrapment. Just as candles may be misused for pagan purposes so may runes be misused. If you are interested in runes for such purposes, I plead with you to reconsider.

Norse Elder Futhark Rune Variations and Combinations

2011-09-24T20:09:00.001+01:00

Grace Alone – Faith Alone – Christ Alone

One of the challenges that we encounter in workingwith runes is similar to challenges that we encounter with the English alphabet:The same letter can represent different phonetic sounds. For example, ‘C’ can represent the ‘S’ sound,as in ‘nice’, or the ‘K’ sound, as in ‘cat’. In the Norse runes of the Elder Futhark, ‘Ar’ (also called ‘Jera’, amongseveral other names) can represent either the English alphabet ‘J’ (as in just)or ‘Y’ (as in yes) sound. Thus we use ‘Ar’(j) for the first letterin, ‘Jesus’, as well as for the first letter in, ‘you’. An even better example is found with ‘Ur’(also called ‘Uruz, among other names). ‘Ur’(u) represents a range ofclosely related sounds that in the English alphabet are represented by suchletters as, ‘U’ and ‘OO’.

‘Ur’ is also used in combination with ‘Ass’ (a) to represent the English alphabet’s ‘OW’sound (as in how). In addition tocombining runes to represent English alphabet sounds, Norse Elder Futhark alsohas runes that represent combination of letters. For example, ‘Inguz’ (N) for ‘NG’ and ‘Thurs’ (T) for ‘TH’. Becoming familiar with how runes and runecombinations represent English alphabet phonetic sounds is only half thebattle, however. Context is alsocritical to determining what English language word is being formed by the runesyou are reading. And practice is thebest teacher of all.

One final challenge we will mention is the lack ofpunctuation in Norse Elder Futhark. In somecases, we will insert wide spaces between words or paragraph breaks to indicatewhere punctuation would be used in English writing. Here again context is most helpful indetermining how a Norse Elder Futhark phrase would be punctuated if it werewritten using our English alphabet. Sowith no further introduction, here are today’s practice phrases:

(Bible quotations: John 6:29 and John 6:44a)

Jizus ansurd Tem Tis iz tu work uf god Tat ju biliw in himhu hi haz sent (Jesus answered them, “This is the workof God, that you believe in him who he has sent.”)

Kamenteri (Commentary)

In Tis pasudzhjizus iz ansuriN Tu kwestshun askd bI Tu kraud

Wut must wi du tubi duiN Tu wurks uf god (In this passage, Jesus is answering thequestion asked by the crowd: “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”)

Jizus giwz Tuansur Tat iz Tu esens uf Tu kristshun feT

Wi ar justified bIfeT and nat bI wurks (Jesus gives the answer that is theessence of the Christian faith: we are justified by faith and not by works.

Lest wi misunderstandjizus goz an tu se no wun kan kum tu mi unles Tu faTur hu sent mi draz him (Lestwe misunderstand, Jesus goes on to say, “No one can come to me unless theFather who sent me draws him.”)

Tus Wi lurn Tatiwen Tu feT bI witsh wi biliw and ar sewd iz e gift frum aur greshus god (Thuswe learn that even the faith by which we believe and are saved is a gift fromour gracious God.)

A Final Note for Today: You may encounter instanceswhere I have misspelled words either accidentally or deliberately. When accidental, it is a sign of my humanfallibility. When deliberate, it is anillustration of how the ancient rune writers used various spellings andpronunciations in their works.

The Word of the Cross

2011-09-23T19:12:00.002+01:00

1 Corinthians 1:18 – For the word of the cross isfolly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the powerof God.

For Tu wurd uf TuKras iz foli tu Toz hu ar perishiN but tu us hu ar biiN sewd it iz Tu pauwur ufgod

Kameneri (Commentary)

Wut iz Tu wurd ufTu kras it iz Tat jizus hu tugeTur wiT God Tu faTur and Tu holisperit iz wun god tuk up human fleshand blud bikumiN tru man az wel aztru god

What is the word of the cross? It is that Jesus (who together with God theFather and the Holy Spirit is one God) took up human flesh and blood, becomingtrue man as well as True God.

Ten Tis sem jizuswent wiliNli tU Tu kras tu sufur and tU di Tus peIiN Tu penulti for aur sinz

Then this same Jesus went willingly to the cross tosuffer and to die – thus paying the penalty for our sins.

at Tu kras okurdTu joius ekstshenj

At the cross occurred the joyous exchange.

God plesd aursinz an jizus and kuwurd us wiT jizus rItshusnes

God placed our sins on Jesus and covered us withJesus’ righteousness.

So salweshun iznat bi aur wurks but bi jizus finishd workan Tu kras

So salvation is not by our works, but by Jesus’finished work on the cross.

What Is the Futhark?

2011-09-23T12:09:00.000+01:00

One of the first new words that you will hear when starting to explore runes is "Futhark". Simply stated, Futhark is the English transliteration for the first six letters of the runic alphabet. (Transliteration means converting words written with one writing system into another writing system, while keeping the pronunciation and meaning the same.)

In modern English, we use the word alphabet to refer to the twenty-six letters that compose our system of writing. Alphabet is a contraction of the Greek names for the first two letters - alpha and beta - which are transliterated from Greek into English as "a" and "b". In the same way, those who use runes name their "alphabet" using the first few rune symbols - six to be exact. Those first six runes are represented by seven letters in the English alphabet:

F –is used for the ‘F’ phonetic sound

U –is used for the “U” phonetic sounds

T –is used for the “TH” phonetic sound

a –is used for the “A” phonetic sound

R –is used for the “R” phonetic sound

K – is used for the “K”phonetic sound

These first six runes can be formed in different ways. The forms that I use most often are called the "Elder Futhark". There are several Futharks, and there are several different names for each rune. These differences come from the different places where runes were developed and used in ancient times. Even within the Elder Futhark, there are different ways to form certain runes. In handwriting, I use slightly different rune forms from what I have available as a type font in my word processing software. In future blog posts, I'll illustrate some of these different shapes.

In the Elder Futhark, runes represent phonetic sounds differently from our English alphabet. For example:

In the English alphabet, “a” is used for the short ‘a’vowel sound (as in cat) and the long ‘a’ vowel sound (as in came). Using runes, the short ‘a’ vowel sound isrepresented by a,while the long ‘a’ vowel sound is represented by e. e also represents the short ‘e’ vowel sound (as in bet).

The important point to remember is this: There is no 'one-to-one' relationship between all of the letters in the English alphabet and the runes used to transliterate modern English words into runic script.

Differences in opinions exist about which rune(s) should be used to represent each English word or letter. Both rune experts and rune amateurs have their favorite systems and methods for transliteration. Some of the differences are minor disagreements, while others are hotly contested points of view. There will certainly be some who disagree with the system and method that I use. And that's okay. Even our long forgotten Norse and Germanic ancestors were inconsistent in how they used runes and spelled words.

One source of differences among those who enjoy working with runes is our many and various regional and national accents. For example, in the Southern States, many words are pronounced more similar to the way the earliest Scotch, Irish, and English immigrants spoke. In the Upper Midwest English is spoken with an accent that reflects how Scandinavian immigrants learned to speak English in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. To the extent practical, I will try to smooth out these differences. Nevertheless, they will pose a challenge for some readers.

I work most with the Elder Futhark similar to the way it was used by the Norse. I use the Norse names for the runes. In coming posts I will spend more time on each rune.

Runes for King James Quotations

2011-09-23T02:39:00.000+01:00

So mutsh uf TU laNwadj wi Iuz ewure de kumz frum Tu kiN jEmz bIbl Tat wi wud bi rimis if wi feld tu translituret sum uf Tu frezes most familiar (So much of the language we use every day comes from the King James Bible that we would be remiss if we failed to transliterate some of the phrases most familiar.)

But wi ar uziN modurt wurdiN (But we are using modern wording.)

not arkeik wurdz (Not archaic words.)

Du untu uTurz az Iu wud haw uTurz du untu Iu (Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.)

Renur untu sisur Tat witsh iz sisurz (Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s.)

An I for an I and E tuT for e tuT (An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.)

Run uf Tu de (Rune of the Day)

E – Eoh (pronounced “ee-oh”) is used for the phonetic sounds of short e (as in “bet”) and long a (as in “play”). The old Norse has the meaning “horse” and all of the connotations that go along with these origins.

Reading and Writing Using Runes

2011-09-22T23:10:00.001+01:00

OwenS world (Owen’s World)

Welkum tu comenerI in runic script (Welcome to comments in runic script)

Praktis Ior run skils bI kumiN bak aftun tu rid itsh nu post (Practice your rune skills by coming back often to read each new post)

Ter ar mani difurent runic sistumz (There are many different runic systems)

Tu sistum Tat I am IuziN iz an adaptashun uf eldur fuTark az Iuzd bI Tu nors and Tu limiteshunz uf Tu tIp font Tat I haW tU work wiT (The system that I am using is an adaptation of Elder Futhark as used by the Norse and the limitations of the type font that I have to work with)

Ter ar mane opiniunz on speliN wen rItiN madurn ENlish in entshun runz and mI opinion iz just wun mor (There are many opinions on spelling and writing modern English in ancient runes and my opinion is just one more)

Tu pipl Tat gaw us runz also miksd up speliN and stIlz (The people that gave us runes also mixed up spelling and styles)

So tek it al wiT e gren uf salt and I wil eksplen mI meTudz az wi go alaN (So take it all with a grain of salt and I will explain my methods as we go along)

Run uf Tu de (Rune of the Day)

i (Is – pronounced “ees”) used for the short i (as in “sit”) and the long e (as in “tree”). The Norse word translates into the modern English word “ice” and the many connotations that accompany ice.

Romney 2012?

2009-11-24T21:22:00.002Z

December 6, 2009 will mark the second anniversary of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney’s “Faith in America” speech – the televised address to the American people during the 2008 Republican Party primary elections campaign that was intended to make us believe that Romney’s Mormon religion shouldn’t be an issue for a candidate of his stature and accomplishments. The dismal results that followed soon convinced the billionaire Wall Street insider to stop throwing good money after bad. He quickly withdrew from the race. It was glaringly obvious that Romney’s “Mormon problem” wasn’t going away. Americans weren’t buying what he was trying to sell them about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS Church).

Now, with the Obama Administration imploding, the country mired in debt from failed “stimulus packages”, and unemployment at double digit levels not seen since the failed Carter Administration, Romney is busy positioning for another run. This time it will be for the 2012 Republican Party nomination. But that “Mormon problem” is still out there. And it isn’t going away.

In 2006, conservative talk show host and author Hugh Hewitt penned a book that purported to address Romney’s Mormon religion. Hewitt, a usually brilliant writer, just doesn’t get it when it comes to the LDS Church. In his 2006 book, “A Mormon in the White House”, Hewitt posited three, “legitimate reasons,” why Americans might refuse to vote for a Mormon presidential candidate. Hewitt set up the false premise that these were the only reasons, apart from overt religious bigotry, why someone might be opposed to Romney based on his Mormon religion. Then he purported to demolish each of the three reasons. While many of his arguments were sound, others were based on assumptions that were faulty or outright false. Hewitt’s conclusions amount to a classic case of “garbage in – garbage out” thinking. When one starts with a false premise, an erroneous conclusion is inevitable.

In his apparent eagerness to promote Romney’s candidacy, Hewitt either missed or chose to ignore the real reasons why most Americans choke on the prospect of a Mormon president. These include:

• History and Archeology – While year by year ancient manuscript and archeological finds continue to pile-up evidence supporting the truth claims of orthodox Christianity and historic Judaism, the opposite is true for Mormonism. Countless scholars, researchers, and archeologists have thoroughly proven that Joseph Smith Junior, his contemporaries in LDS leadership, and their successors, were and are frauds. Mormonism has been debunked. All that remains is for prominent Mormons, such as Romney and the Salt Lake City LDS leadership, to admit that they have been promoting the Big Lie all along.

• Lies, Distortions, and Manipulations – From its earliest days, Mormonism has been plagued by the historical record. Joseph Smith Junior, Brigham Young, et al, lived a hedonistic lifestyle at the expense of countless true believers. Whenever confronted with the evidence that Mormonism is a fraud, whether that evidence is factual historical or immediate and current, the LDS and its offspring resort to new frauds to try to conceal the earlier frauds. Mormons are taught from their first contact with the LDS to distrust everything that isn’t spoon-fed to them from their leaders. If a prior prophesy is clearly shown to be fraudulent, the leadership simply invents a new prophesy to distort the original failed “revelation”. The so-called scriptures of the LDS are continually being revised with great swatches of old text disappearing and new text being inserted. Individual words are also deleted, changed, or inserted to completely alter the meaning of what was originally presented by Joseph Smith Junior as, “The most correct book ever written,” and the inspired divine revelation of the Mormon god. If what Smith claimed about the Book of Mormon was true, not a single word or comma should ever have been changed. But instead, massive revisions have continually been quietly slipped into the Book of Mormon by LDS leadership. None of their explanations stand the test of logic and reason.

• Truth is Vigorously Suppressed – Mormons are told early and often that, “When our leaders have spoken, the time for thinking is over.” Another deceitful trick to get around the truth is the Mormon maxim that, “The words of a living prophet are worth far more than the words of a dead book.” In other words, whatever the current leadership says is true is held to be the truth, regardless of whether it conflicts with prior Mormon scripture. The absurdity of belief in the pantheon of Mormon gods who capriciously change their minds continually for political or economic advantage strikes non-Mormons as laughable. How can anyone who claims to be a true believer be taken seriously?

• People are Hurt and Lives Are Destroyed – One of Hewitt’s theses is that, even if what they teach isn’t mainstream or true, at the end of the day, Mormons are nice people – at worst, a bunch of harmless kooks who live decent lives. The facts are different. What about the millions of people who have been oppressed, raped, murdered, extorted, and otherwise abused by their leaders? The record is clear. Mormon culture consigns countless families to grinding poverty and tears apart countless others. As former Mormon Jim Whitefield documented so well in his three-volume work, “The Mormon Delusion”, the glowing tales of Romney’s service through the Mormon Relief Society (in helping families who had fallen on hard times) is pure bunk. Lots of money flows into the coffers. Almost none flows out in the form of help to those in financial difficulties. The Mormon leadership charged with disbursing funds nearly always disqualifies needy families on some obscure religious or moral basis. They are victimized first by being required to tithe, regardless of their families’ financial circumstances. Then they are victimized again by being refused the financial aid that they have been promised. In addition, families are torn apart by the commands from above to shun members who are judged “apostate” because they have failed to tithe or they had the courage to question the Mormon “Big Lie”.

• Joseph Smith Junior Was the Founding Pedophile – Here is gets really messy. Joseph Smith Junior seduced and raped girls at least as young as fourteen. Not just once in awhile, but as a regular practice. He also exchanged young girls with other Mormon leaders, including Brigham Young. This is well documented in the public record. Dozens of well-researched books and articles expose Joseph Smith Junior as a serial adulterer, confidence trickster, and megalomaniac. Pedophilia is deeply ingrained in Mormonism. The recent FLDS Yearning for Zion case in Texas put a spotlight on the continuing problem of sham marriages of underage girls to older men. Again, the historical record is clear. Denials from Salt Lake City to the contrary, polygamy and pedophilia have a long and continuing history in Mormonism. The basic doctrines of the Mormon faith make these disgusting problems inevitable among faithful, practicing Mormons. To those not brainwashed by the LDS, or pinned firmly under the heavy thumb of Mormon leaders like Romney, this is just plain creepy, not to mention the horrific price paid by both Mormon girls and boys.

So non-Mormons look at Mitt Romney and come to one of two conclusions:

• Either he has an inexcusable blind-spot, along the lines of the Heaven’s Gate, People’s Temple, Scientology, and Branch Davidian cult followers, or

• He is following in the footsteps of Joseph Smith Junior, Brigham Young, Orson Pratt, and the host of Mormon bigwigs who, knowing full well that Mormonism is a fraud, have nevertheless used this cultic religion to control, manipulate, and oppress masses of true believers for nearly two centuries.

Many non-Mormons believe that Romney is extremely bright and perceptive. So they lump him in with Joseph Smith Junior and the rest of the creepy men who have gravitated to the Mormon faith to satisfy their own selfish desires for power and/or wealth, deviant sex, fame, etc. Which category Romney falls into isn’t clear to me. However, personal stories such as abuse of the family dog by a much younger Mitt Romney do seem pretty creepy.

It is safe to say that the majority of Mormons have a very shallow understanding of the key doctrines of the LDS faith. The Mormon hierarchy, beginning with Joseph Smith Junior and his fellow conspirators, has consistently and deliberately adopted Christian language to explain their bizarre faith. However, every Christian term used has a very different meaning in Mormonism from what real Christians believe. This is a deliberate ploy to confuse potential converts. Many Mormons don’t realize that the faith they adhere to is not Christian. The national mainstream media is similarly ignorant of what Mormons really believe, and how different those beliefs are from Christianity. Fortunately, plenty of Christian Americans have become aware that Mormons are decidedly not Christian.

As Mitt Romney gears up for another run for the White House, those Christians are going to be vocal and active in their opposition to his candidacy. Their opposition is based on very sound reasons, not on religious bigotry. What Hewitt didn’t understand about Mormonism, or chose to ignore, is going to be front and center for Christian Americans. This may prove to be a blessing in disguise for many ill-informed Mormons, as they for the first time hear the truth about their false gods and fraudulent prophets and apostles. The LDS is already suffering from large numbers of defections and ‘back-door’ losses in membership. Perhaps a high-profile Romney run for the Republican nomination will expose even more on-the-fence Mormons to the truth, and tip them away from the counterfeit religion they have been following and toward the true Christian faith. At least that should be the prayer of every Christian for our lost cousins in the LDS and its many offspring.