Replies

There are sheeple on the right as well.

The best propaganda is subtle (which this really isn't, except that the US public is extremely dumbed down and nondiscriminatory with the media), packaged in a way where people don't realize what is going on, nonetheless it changes perceptions, thereby influencing behaviors. If people are aware of the intent of the information operation, they inherently put up filters or become more critical (Would you read anything in Newsweek and take it as the gospel or would you be highly critical because of their obvious agenda?). The best propoganda isn't all or nothing (overbearing), direct and it's source is through a proxy so that it's subtle to the target audience and achives a desired affect.

I bet, and I haven't done this nor do I have the time, that if you were to look at the the stories in the FR about LDS in 2009 and 2010 you might find a few stories, but now suddenly you see a slew of stories (a constant stream, multiple daily that I can tell) since the election game is on and Romney is a candidate. Of course these stories will be negative (In some aspect where the opponent feels they have a perceived position that will get traction among the ignorant masses- for example, that was WMD in Iraq for the Michael Moore's out there). The superficial and ignorant logic that the sheep are to follow:

LDS = Bad
You're supposed to connect the dot that Romney = LDS

This is in poor taste and has nothing to do with facts or the truth, most likely.

Here. I'll make it a bit easier for you, so that you stop making a fool of yourself in stating utter-ignorant commentary re: FR realities.

2010

Top LDS News Stories of 2010

Look @ post #1: I listed the top 10 Lds articles posted on FR that drew between 1,000 -->over 2,200 replies.

So what? You think there wasn't "activity" on FR re: commenting upon Mormonism?

And, btw, three of the top five commented upon Lds articles in 2010 were posted by Mormons...and NONE were posted by any of us posters deemed as "Flying Inmans" or by posters noted for their "anti-Romneybot" stances.

Even from a non-Romney political vantage point, 2010 was a big newsmaking year for Mormon politicians embarrasing themselves. Just see -- for a year's recap -- Influential stories of 2010: Political upsets and shockers (Mormon OPEN)

2009

As for 2009, no fewer threads posted then, I would imagine. 'Twas also a big year for Mormonism in the news...as even this Mormon-church owned DesNews columnists noted: Mormon Media Observer: Top 10 LDS newsmakers of 2009

There are sheeple on the right as well.

The best propaganda is subtle (which this really isn't, except that the US public is extremely dumbed down and nondiscriminatory with the media), packaged in a way where people don't realize what is going on, nonetheless it changes perceptions, thereby influencing behaviors. If people are aware of the intent of the information operation, they inherently put up filters or become more critical (Would you read anything in Newsweek and take it as the gospel or would you be highly critical because of their obvious agenda?). The best propoganda isn't all or nothing (overbearing), direct and it's source is through a proxy so that it's subtle to the target audience and achives a desired affect.

I bet, and I haven't done this nor do I have the time, that if you were to look at the the stories in the FR about LDS in 2009 and 2010 you might find a few stories, but now suddenly you see a slew of stories (a constant stream, multiple daily that I can tell) since the election game is on and Romney is a candidate. Of course these stories will be negative (In some aspect where the opponent feels they have a perceived position that will get traction among the ignorant masses- for example, that was WMD in Iraq for the Michael Moore's out there). The superficial and ignorant logic that the sheep are to follow:

LDS = Bad You're supposed to connect the dot that Romney = LDS
This is in poor taste and has nothing to do with facts or the truth, most likely.

People can spot the lie better these days, discern heresy and object to a "religion" that doesn't look the same today as it did when it stated!

The best propaganda is subtle...

It IS??

Who knew!!

Questions put to Joseph Smith: "'Do you believe the Bible?' [Smith:]'If we do, we are the only people under heaven that does, for there are none of the religious sects of the day that do'. When asked 'Will everybody be damned, but Mormons'? [Smith replied] 'Yes, and a great portion of them, unless they repent, and work righteousness." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 119).

Joseph Smith: "for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible" (from Pearl of Great Price 1:12). "What is it that inspires professors of Christianity generally with a hope of salvation? It is that smooth, sophisticated influence of the devil, by which he deceives the whole world" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.270).

Brigham Young stated this repeatedly: "When the light came to me I saw that all the so-called Christian world was grovelling in darkness" (Journal of Discourses 5:73); "The Christian world, so-called, are heathens as to the knowledge of the salvation of God" (Journal of Discourses 8:171); "With a regard to true theology, a more ignorant people never lived than the present so-called Christian world" (Journal of Discourses 8:199); "And who is there that acknowledges [God's] hand? ...You may wander east, west, north, and south, and you cannot find it in any church or government on the earth, except the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" (Journal of Discourses , vol. 6, p.24); "Should you ask why we differ from other Christians, as they are called, it is simply because they are not Christians as the New Testament defines Christianity" (Journal of Discourses 10:230).

Orson Pratt proclaimed: "Both Catholics and Protestants are nothing less than the 'whore of Babylon' whom the Lord denounces by the mouth of John the Revelator as having corrupted all the earth by their fornications and wickedness. Any person who shall be so corrupt as to receive a holy ordinance of the Gospel from the ministers of any of these apostate churches will be sent down to hell with them, unless they repent" (The Seer, p. 255).

Pratt also said: "This great apostasy commenced about the close of the first century of the Christian era, and it has been waxing worse and worse from then until now" (Journal of Discourses , vol.18, p.44) and: "But as there has been no Christian Church on the earth for a great many centuries past, until the present century, the people have lost sight of the pattern that God has given according to which the Christian Church should be established, and they have denominated a great variety of people Christian Churches, because they profess to be ...But there has been a long apostasy, during which the nations have been cursed with apostate churches in great abundance" (Journal of Discourses , 18:172).

President John Taylor stated: "Christianity...is a perfect pack of nonsense...the devil could not invent a better engine to spread his work than the Christianity of the nineteenth century." (Journal of Discourses , vol. 6, p.167); "Where shall we look for the true order or authority of God? It cannot be found in any nation of Christendom." (Journal of Discourses , 10:127).

James Talmage said: "A self-suggesting interpretation of history indicates that there has been a great departure from the way of salvation as laid down by the Savior, a universal apostasy from the Church of Christ". (A Study of the Articles of Faith, p.182).

President Joseph Fielding Smith said: "Doctrines were corrupted, authority lost, and a false order of religion took the place of the gospel of Jesus Christ, just as it had been the case in former dispensations, and the people were left in spiritual darkness." (Doctrines of Salvation, p.266). "For hundreds of years the world was wrapped in a veil of spiritual darkness, until there was not one fundamental truth belonging to the place of salvation ...Joseph Smith declared that in the year 1820 the Lord revealed to him that all the 'Christian' churches were in error, teaching for commandments the doctrines of men" (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 3, p.282).

More recent statements by apostle Bruce McConkie are also very clear: "Apostasy was universal...And this darkness still prevails except among those who have come to a knowledge of the restored gospel" (Doctrines of Salvation, vol 3, p.265); "Thus the signs of the times include the prevailing apostate darkness in the sects of Christendom and in the religious world in general" (The Millennial Messiah, p.403); "a perverted Christianity holds sway among the so-called Christians of apostate Christendom" (Mormon Doctrine, p.132); "virtually all the millions of apostate Christendom have abased themselves before the mythical throne of a mythical Christ whom they vainly suppose to be a spirit essence who is incorporeal uncreated, immaterial and three-in-one with the Father and Holy Spirit" (Mormon Doctrine, p.269); "Gnosticism is one of the great pagan philosophies which antedated Christ and the Christian Era and which was later commingled with pure Christianity to form the apostate religion that has prevailed in the world since the early days of that era." (Mormon Doctrine, p.316).

President George Q. Cannon said: "After the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized, there were only two churches upon the earth. They were known respectively as the Church of the Lamb of God and Babylon. The various organizations which are called churches throughout Christendom, though differing in their creeds and organizations, have one common origin. They all belong to Babylon" (Gospel Truth, p.324).

President Wilford Woodruff stated: "the Gospel of modern Christendom shuts up the Lord, and stops all communication with Him. I want nothing to do with such a Gospel, I would rather prefer the Gospel of the dark ages, so called" (Journal of Discourses , vol. 2, p.196).