LDS Church Censors Speech
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the “Organization”) divides Utah. It spits on democracy, and it dumbs down public discourse: that is, when it can’t outright eliminate public discourse. The Organization mandates stupid policy, and it diminishes the quality of life in Utah. Overall, the Organization hurts the Beehive State. To make my case, I’ll lay out three key points, the latest example of the Organization’s thuggishness, and the way this will change in Utah.
Point 1: Note, I say the Organization, not its people. Hell, whether it or I like it, I am one of its people. The Organization and the systems it perpetuates, not the members, hurt Utah. By being unnecessarily pitted against their neighbors—and, thus, isolated—members also suffer because of the community-eroding division created by the Organization.
Point 2: Contrary to the Organization’s mythology, Satan doesn’t have anything to do with this divide. Satan is living large and kicking ass in every state. In fact, I hear Old Scratch prefers the sunshine of Florida and California to Utah’s annual Winter-Spring-Winter-Spring dance. Rather, by bullying non-believers in Utah, it is the Organization that divides people of good will and decent manners, not Beelzebub.
Discussion Point 3: Calling out the Organization’s thuggery is not religious persecution. Rather, it is, well, pointing out the Organization’s ungodly thuggery. Non-believers don’t have to pretend that God is in charge of ridiculous nanny-state laws and heavy-handed, backroom dealings. They can get pissed and push back. It’s really okay. It’s called politics, not end days.
Next, the latest example of the Organization censoring speech: Utah Business magazine published an excellent article, written by Jennifer Alsever, on “Psychedelics and the State of Utah.” Utah Business was forced to take it down and remove it from the print edition. “Who censured it?” you ask. Answer: “The Twelve.” As in, the twelve apostles of the Organization. Seriously, by the men who—according to the Organization’s mythology—now occupy the positions held by Peter, James, John, and the other nine apostles of the New Testament. Modern Jesus apparently saith, “Blessed are the meek. But, first, get that psychedelic article out of Utah Business magazine!”
It was a great article. It started by talking about me and the mushroom church I founded: The Divine Assembly. Couldn’t be a better start, right? Jennifer wrote about the damage the Organization inflicted on my psyche and my spirit. She wrote about the ways that mushrooms helped me find spirituality and, most importantly, healing. Then, she broadened the scope of the article, to write about the explosive growth of the Mormons on Mushrooms community. And, in contrast, she talked about the stagnation of the Organization.
Cool stuff, eh? Welp, not to “THE TWELVE.” It apparently is the stuff that pulls apostolic attention away from widows, wars, and double piercings, in order to demand that media be censored.
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Here is the funny thing. And, candidly, the scary thing. Talking about my political battles against the Organization, I was quoted: “I saw up close the incredible power that the church has.” Well, I get high marks for nailing that obvious point. At the same time, this is something different. Seeing the Organization’s ability to censor media—which, in other states, is institutionally allergic to such thuggery—I now worry about being the target of that Organization’s incredible power.
The Organization’s followers are trained to do what it says. That includes its followers in law enforcement and prosecutorial positions. In Utah, even people who do not belong to the faith know to do what it wants. In Utah, the Organization controls.
If the Organization wants me and The Divine Assembly to be targeted, it will happen. In Utah, the Organization gets what it wants. No question. No discussion. It just happens. In Utah, articles are published and, then, quietly removed. Because, in Utah, the Organization gets what it wants. Stupid-ass bills are drafted to put restaurants and bars out of business and, then, passed without meaningful discussion. Because, in Utah, the Organization gets what it wants.
In Utah, speech and the press are not sacred. In Utah, democracy is not sacred. In Utah, at the end of the day, religion is not sacred. In Utah, the thing that is sacred is the Organization.
The Divine Assembly and I are on the radar of “THE TWELVE.” Peter, James, John, Dallin, and Jeffrey. What do I do?
Finally, the way this will change: I push forward. I choose the right. For the thuggery to stop, all Utahns must push forward.
The Organization teaches that there is “opposition in all things.” What it means by that is that Satan will oppose what the Organization wants. If you are not with the Organization, you are against the Organization. If you are against it, you are against God. Us v. Them. Neighbor against neighbor in a quotidian Mormonic Armageddon. In Utah, that means that the Organization works to thuggishly suppress speech, dialogue, the press, and anything it wants to suppress, in the name of God.
We change this in Utah by standing up boldly and publicly to the Organization’s thuggery, even if its mythology casts benign political opponents as devils. I’ll do my part. The United States Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion. That includes worshipping with a sacrament other than bread and water. It includes worshipping with an active sacrament of psychedelic mushrooms. I will keep worshipping how, where, and what I may. If the Organization censures one article about psychedelics in Utah, I will replace it, pointing out the thuggery of the Organization and asking others to note the thuggery and stand with me against it.
This stops when we no longer put up with it.
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