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I was reading posts in the archives on this sub. I believe it is referenced from The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power by D. Michael Quinn
“Sept 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.”
The best overview of this and the surrounding events can be found in Origins of Power by Quinn. Quinn is a believer, but an accurate historian as well (hence his excommunication in the early 90s).
About the early Mormon church schism:
Indeed, infighting and lack of succession planning in leadership occurred when the charismatic, but flawed leader, Joseph Smith died dramatically. He had ordered that the newly created local newspaper be burned down for having intended to run the story about his infidelity. His actions violated his newly revealed doctrine about polygamy, which coincidentally he claimed to have received directly as a revelation from God within hours after his wife Emma found out about his infidelity with the 14-year-old nanny in his home.
His doctrine on polygamy enabled him to marry multiple 14-year old children, women who themselves were biological moms and daughters, and even his practice of polyandry (the practice where each partner is married to multiple partners). You'll only find reference to polygamy in Mormon Doctrine, but even by Joseph Smith's own records he deployed many faithful men to far-off places so he could marry their wives in secret (polyandry).
The prodigious and prolific volume of children produced by their seed will be important in a minute.
https://cesletter.org/debunking-fairmormon/polygamy-polyandry.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Joseph_Smith
So with his passing, there was indeed a splinter; family members believed the leadership should pass to Joseph's son (that today is the RLDS) but Brigham Young emerged as a forceful voice, a violent one as well (that today is the LDS). There are additional splinters, but these are the major two.
About the current Mormon Oligarchy:
So let's get back to the current day leadership.
I would commend for your review the Appendices to the incredibly well-documented book: The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, from Michael Quinn. Look at Appendix 4, pages 731 - 745. There you will see a snapshot of the 101 General Authorities serving September of 1996 where he breaks down each individual's relationship to the former church leaders, including each spouse of each leader. To sum it up, the average number of familial relationships of the members of the Quorum of the 12 and the First Presidency (Q15) pointing back to the founders is 7.
For example, let's look at the #2 person in the organization today in April of 2022, after RMN (who doesn't have nearly the familial pedigree as most of the Q15).
2nd-great grandnephew of Marin Harris, Book of Mormon witness and funder of the printing of the first edition of the Book of Mormon
wife: Verda June Dixon Oaks
- 2nd cousin of Waldo P. Call, a former Seventy
- 2nd cousin, 1 rvd, of William R. Bradford
-2nd cousin, 2 rvd, or Earl C. Tingey
-3rd cousin of wife of V. Dallas Merrell
-4th cousin of wife of John H. Groberg
Then look for Bradford (12 relationships), Tingey (12 relationships including a cousin of President Spencer W. Kimball), Merrell (6) and Groberg (10, including a cousin of Gordon B. Hinckley).
About the Money:
Relating to the incredible financial savings of the Mormon church, I would encourage you to look at Ensign Peak Advisors, quoted in the Wall Street Journal as having amassed $100 billion. The fund is reportedly over $150 billion at the time of the whistleblower leak and total financial assets including real properties are estimated to be nearly $500 billion US dollars. Put that in context, 1/2 of a trillion dollars. That's bigger than Harvard's endowment (53B) and any non-profit, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wealthiest_charitable_foundations
Here's the link to the whistleblower article:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ensign_Peak_Advisors
If you're interested, here's Lars Larson talking about his findings in detail:
I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, but this is the one I’m thinking of:
https://www.amazon.com/Mormon-Hierarchy-Origins-Power/dp/1560850566
D. Michael Quinn's exhaustive research—appendices ofThe Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power
D. Michael Quinn's exhaustive research—appendices ofThe Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power
D. Michael Quinn's exhaustive research—appendices of The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power
D. Michael Quinn's exhaustive research—appendices ofThe Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power
D. Michael Quinn's exhaustive research—appendices ofThe Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power
D. Michael Quinn's exhaustive research—appendices ofThe Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power
D. Michael Quinn's exhaustive research—appendices ofThe Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power
D. Michael Quinn's exhaustive research—appendices ofThe Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power
But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you...And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
(1) They shall sound like they say truth
And through covetousness shall they with afeigned words make merchandise of you
(2) Through covetous behavior (such as building a mall, planting tobacco, becoming governor or mayor, heck crowning yourself king, putting loans on memberships heads, changing a non-profit church into a for-profit corporation, paying off personal lones, etc.) they will turn the members into "Merchandise"
For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness
(3) People who turn the grace of god into lust which might include 14 year old brides, and two sets of 16 year old sisters married two days apart from each other (link is only to one set)
Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
(4) They'll speak evil of politicians and the government. Luckily the church has NEVER spoken ill about federal marshals, or political leaders.
But these speak evil of those things which they know not
(5) Such as decrying homosexuality or DNA evidence without ever studying it.
Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
(6) Again they prophesy for money such as Balaam did; and if you sit on the board of directors of 14 private companies as soon as one becomes prophet, one might see that as being similar to Balaam. Gainsaying of Core means that they have influence over the membership but fight actual prophesy.
clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
(7) They will be prophets who don't prophesy (when was the last time a GA prophesied a prediction of the future), seers with no seerstones, revelators who don't reveal. Business men in Prophet's clothing.
Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
There you have it, a clear explanation that the current Brighamite church is apostate, straight from Peter.
Feel free to wrest the scriptures.
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