[mckenzie7]

I would hate to think that the RC church would be held responsible for the atrocities that are committed by some that have an affiliation to it.

I don't know a whole lot about Mormons, but when you have a large group of people, there are bound to be some whackos in it!

Unlike islam that teaches inequality, hate, lying and murder!

[Colofornian]

I would hate to think that the RC church would be held responsible for the atrocities that are committed by some that have an affiliation to it. I don't know a whole lot about Mormons, but when you have a large group of people, there are bound to be some whackos in it!

Allow me to explain the connection.

It's not simply "guilt by association" -- as Raider Sam claimed; nor does the Mormon mention simply run into the obvious realities of "whackos" who exist in the midst of any and all religious groups.

One of the underlying issues here is who Mormon leaders claim these people to be...the very "identity" of who they claim to be:

(Mormon Identity Claim #1) Those Mormon murderers mentioned in post #2 became part of the Mormon "priesthood" at age 12. That means that instead of being equal to some fringe looney -- say one who happened to be from a RC family -- it's actually more equivalent to us reading a headline that a RC priest butchered somebody. [And it even goes beyond that...see #2 & #3 below]

I could just imagine somebody posting an article about a RC priest butchering someone. And then would we see people rush out right away & pretend they are the public relations arm of the RC church and quickly try to wipe away that this murderer was a RC priest? Would they quickly dismiss the priest's ties to the RC church? Really? Would they try to alter the murderer's identity? (Oh, he wasn't some RC priest; no, he was just a "whacko.")

No. We don't usually see that. It's usually ONLY with Mormon criminals that we see PR advocates rush in via such a manner -- to distance his ID from his acts.

Now. How much "power" and "knowledge" do Mormon leaders accord their "priesthood?"

“…the Melchizedek Priesthood…is the grand head, and holds the highest authority which pertains to the Priesthood, and the keys of the Kingdom of God in all ages of the world to the latest posterity on the earth; and is THE channel through which ALL KNOWLEDGE, DOCTRINE, THE PLAN OF SALVATION AND EVERY IMPORTANT MATTER IS REVEALED FROM HEAVEN.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith pp. 166-167)

My Point is that it's the Mormon church that sets up these men to be so "lofty."

When some extremist fringe person whose family happens to be some religion commits some atrocity, well that's just it: It was usually some extremist fringe person.

Won't you both don't seem to "get" -- because you just don't comprehend Mormon culture or its worldviews -- is that an ex-Lds missionary like a couple of murderers mentioned in post #2...or an Eagle Boy Scout as it pertains to this article...are NOT extremist fringe "whackos" but are in fact, MAINSTREAM Mormons who are supposedly, per Joseph Smith...
...compose "the grand head" of all mankind...
...represent "the highest authority" on earth...
...have access to the "keys" of God's Kingdom...
...& "is THE channel through which ALL KNOWLEDGE, DOCTRINE, THE PLAN OF SALVATION AND EVERY IMPORTANT MATTER IS REVEALED FROM HEAVEN." (Joseph Smith)

What's too "funny" is to see you both rush in -- for example, you McKenzie -- conclude an "identity" exactly opposite of who Mormon leaders have made their followers out to be...as if they held some "whacko" identity all along.

Other Aspects of Mormonism's Lofty claims as to who these murderers are:

* (Mormon Identity Claim #2) Mormon leaders claim their followers are "gods in embryo." Do we all think a "god-in-embryo" would commit such atrocities? Or is it just possible that Mormonism has misidentified who their people are?

* (Mormon Identity Claim #3) Mormons say people are NOT sinners. Oh, yes, they recognize that people sin. But at the root core, no, Mormon leaders reference people as "free agents" who are NOT in bondage to an inherited sin nature.

Therefore, the focus is NOT that because one Mormon is "guilty" of some crime; therefore somehow ALL are guilty.

It's rather that Mormon worldviews are often like fragile eggs -- especially in their anthropology. And their worldviews that these murderous men are "priests" who represent God...that these priests hold the keys to the kingdom of heaven...and God's authority on earth...

Well, excuse me for mentioning that yet more Mormon eggs have hit the ground from their loftiest of positions...