Opinion: Are works of perversion afoot in the LDS Church?

Is a storm forming over the State of Utah?

By Gregory Knight

And unto you it shall be given to know the signs of the times, and the signs of the coming of the Son of Man. 

- D&C 68:11

In recent months, the name Tim Ballard has been had for good and bad -- mostly bad -- across the spectrum of Mormon-related news on a national level. To put it bluntly, Ballard, who is a former head of Operation Underground Railroad, has been accused of a litany of immoral and possibly illegal activities connected to the work of (allegedly) protecting children from trafficking, exploitation and predators.

One of the most telling stories about Ballard's meteoric rise with OUR, and in Mormon circles that reach all the way to the Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, can be found at The Associated Press from October 2023.

Even more demonstrably troubling information about Ballard's alleged misdeeds and bad works can be found by doing a simple Google search. There has been so much (bad) press about this story recently that you would think it's the only thing happening in Utah of late.

And let's not forget that Ballard's name had been bandied about as a possible successor to Sen. Mitt Romney.

But in what is possibly the most devastating news against not just Tim Ballard, but Apostle M. Russell Ballard as well, a complaint filed in Utah last week has alleged that the president of the Twelve released tithing records of well-to-do LDS members to OUR for the purpose of soliciting donations to the non-profit organization. Details from an investigation by Davis County officials made its way into the complaint.

That complaint can be found in its entirety here.

"Ballard has been, until recently, business associates and close friends with Apostle and Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles M. Russell Ballard (“President Ballard”) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (“Mormon” or “Mormon Church"). President Ballard has cited Tim Ballard to students at Brigham Young University Idaho, as an expert of Book of Mormon Prophet Nephi and the Mormon view of American History. Tim Ballard has met with President Ballard in the Church Administration Building in Salt Lake City, to discuss OUR’s work. The Davis County Investigation, according to OUR’s own internal documents, revealed that Elder M. Russell Ballard and other authorities from the Mormon Church, provided Mormon tithing records to OUR to help OUR target wealthy donors and wealthy Mormon Church Wards." (Emphasis added)

That, by itself, throws up a major flag to me that something is extremely wrong right now at the top of the LDS Church. It's no secret that the church, via the works of Ensign Peak Advisors, has become fabulously wealthy over the past two or three decades. Now, you have a general authority possibly leaking personal information about tithe-payers to a non-profit organization -- an organization that aided and abetted Tim Ballard in his likely immoral schemes to abuse women. And all of this was under the guise of helping keep young kids from being exploited.

On top of all of this, a group of LDS tithe-payers wants their money back. You can read that story here. 

"The problem lies in whether the church’s investments in bonds, real estate, stocks and agriculture echo the wishes of the donors," the lawsuit alleges.

Real answers need to come forward, and quickly. While I am no longer a member of the LDS Church, I am a believer that they are turning into the biggest tool at our disposal for sharing the truth with men and women that will accept it. I can truly say that I foresee a day when all of these secret combinations and immorality will bite the mainstream church in the proverbial hind end.

Although I am not a member of the TLC-Manti congregation, I can agree with the concepts Jim Harmston cited as a reason for starting his church. It's a telling throwback now in 2023, and it testifies from decades ago what may be the reality of today:

"This apostasy included ... the discontinuation of plural marriage; changes to ordinances and temple-related doctrine; and an increasing trend of what TLC describes as 'watering-down' doctrine." (Wikipedia)

Something is afoot in the LDS Church.

And now, a parting thought... if ever questioned or challenged on his propriety or priesthood worthiness after this, methinks President Ballard probably would say to himself, "You’ve all seem to have forgotten I’ve had my second anointing (the 'Calling and election made sure'). I can do anything in this world I want to... especially if it makes me money."

You can reach me at fundamentalistmag@gmail.com.