Talk:Secret combination (Latter Day Saints)

dispute and clean up tags

The whole section under my dispute tag is not only strange to me, but not reflective of LDS/Mormonism belief of secret combinations.

It is uncited, and the article needs heavy cleanup. This is really bad. -Visorstuff 16:21, 22 June 2006 (UTC)

Even though this article is really awful, I think most of the information could stay if cites were added. I would remove the CIA cocaine trafficking thing, and everything following that paragraph. The rest of it I think could stay if cited. As a non-Utah Mormon living in Utah, I was surprised by a significant anti-corporation attitude among Utah Mormons, and know people who agree with the articles description of corporations as secret combinations (though personally I think it is mostly ridiculous). If cites could be found for these theories though, I think they legitimately belong in the article. There is certainly no doctrine of the LDS Church supporting these theories; maybe quotes by General Authorities on the subject should be included.

The weird paragraph was added by user Mxjmorrise on May 4th, and it's the only contrib made to wikipedia by that user. Is that what you would call a sockpuppet? Aranhamo 23:50, 22 June 2006 (UTC)

Another comment, from a Mormon living in Utah .....

"I agree, this article is too much speculation. A shorter document that's less doomsday and more scripture and quotes from modern and ancient Apostles and Prophets would be more appropriate."—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 128.187.0.164 (talk • contribs) 02:02, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

I originally entered the disputed paragraph and apologize for doing so, as it was admittedly my own opinion and not generally accepted (though I believe defensible). I had just learned about Wikipedia and just had to "try it out". Again, I apologize. The paragraph has now been modified to the point where it does not represent my views.—The preceding unsigned comment was added by Mxjmorrise (talk • contribs) 18:21, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

fwiw, i find this fairly bland and defensible and supportable with references to the BofM. 2007/01/06.—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.203.146.168 (talk • contribs) 21:06, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Removal of Benson statement

I removed the following statement from the article:

"In addition, LDS Apostle Ezra Taft Benson has described socialism, evolution, rationalism, and humanism as secret combinations (Conference Report, April 5, 1975)."

I checked the original source, and no where in the speech cited does Benson equate these with secret combinations. All he says about these is: "Our families may be corrupted by worldly trends and teachings unless we know how to use the book [of Mormon] to expose and combat the falsehoods in socialism, organic evolution, rationalism, humanism, etc."

Saying something contains "falsehoods" is a far cry from calling it a secret combination. –SESmith 23:48, 12 July 2007 (UTC)

I've added some references where Benson does refer to communism (only) as a secret combination. –SESmith 03:05, 13 July 2007 (UTC)

Move

This page is going to have to be moved to make room for a disambiguation page. What would an appropriate name for the new page be? The other page will be Secret Combination (song). It is a song by Kalomoira. Grk1011 (talk) 20:11, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Mormon leaders and U.S. Intell organizations

Considering the Church Committee (and Marks/Marchetti before, for that matter) found that quite a few Mormons in the intelligence community protested/resisted various activities during the Cold War they were otherwise being compelled to participate in, have Mormon leaders *ever* stated anything about the history or threat of secret combinations within their own government that has nothing to do with communism, aside from these occasionally using the 'defense against communism' as a justification & facade for? Many of these secret activities over the years that are highly embarassing were specifically for the personal gain of the operators, their family, friends, or those who would later employ them... often large companies seeking to gain greater wealth by utilizing covert actions, tax payer money, and criminal conduct to oppress, imprison, or murder people. Some were even downright lunatic cults engaged in gunrunning and murder in Latin America for Christian fundamentalist (even new-age & occultist-laced) ideologies, with home bases within the USA and quasi-legit covers. Seems like a convenient, jingoistic selective myopia Mormon general authorities are exhibiting talking exclusively about communists and the mob. If their motivations were of divine origin, one would think The Almighty would have the prescience to realize communism was a dead-end that would implode on itself out of its own mismanagement and inefficiency. Any quotes of them ever broadening their targets other than in the most generic sense? -Reticuli 71.65.115.103 (talk) 20:57, 1 July 2012 (UTC)