[Zakeet]

Can we have a 1-3 paragraph summary of what happened and the implications?

In a nutshell ...

The Tanners are former Mormons (she is Brigham Young's great granddaughter) who have amassed a mountain of evidence refuting many of the claims of the LDS church. They have published more than 40 books on the subject, and have operated a bookstore in Salt Lake City for the past four decades.

Their work has been devastating to the LDS movement. For example:

• The Tanners have documented thousands of changes made by the LDS Church to the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants; and

• The Tanners have noted hundreds of obvious errors which still remain, some of which are summarized on this site; and

• The Tanners have pointed out how even after all of those changes, there are still many remaining serious contradictions among Mormon Scripture.

The Tanners' research leaves one wondering how can something claim to be impeccable when it is both contradicted by science and it impeaches itself?

It is impossible to know how many people have abandoned Mormonism, or have been dissuaded from converting to Mormonism, through the 40+ years of the Tanners' ministry, but according to virtually every credible source, the number is substantial.

The Tanners have made their research available online through their website, Utah Lighthouse Ministry at: http://www.utlm.org/.

The Mormon Church has had a longstanding practice of being less than truthful with respect to their doctrine and history to both members and potential converts. This deception is commonly referred to as lying for the lord and milk before the meat.

You can watch a brief video of a lecture given by an LDS Church Leader to Mormon Missionaries at BYU illustrating this practice here.

It is not surprising the Mormon Church would want to mitigate the damage inflicted by the Tanners. Nor is it surprising they would do this by reverting to lying for the lord.

In the 2002, an LDS apologetic ministry, FAIR, swung into action by registering numerous domain names similar to, and in most cases easier to remember, than the one used by Utah Lighthouse Ministry. Examples include:

• utahlighthouseministry.org
• utahlighthouseministry.com
• utahlighthouse.org
• utahlighthouse.com
• sandratanner.org
• sandratanner.com
• jeraldtanner.org
• jeraldtanner.com
• geraldtanner.org
• geraldtanner.com

As shown directly below, FAIR then prepared web pages substantially similar in appearance to the Tanners', but with an entirely different message.

The Tanners filed suit on April 25, 2005 in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City to prevent the exploitation of the ministry trademark and their personal names, and to ensure that those seeking their information are not misled. As noted in the above article, the Tanners lost their original suit, and again on appeal.

Predictably, many in the Latter-day Saint Movement will hail the decision as a victory for free speech. However, the decision does raise troubling issues concerning the extent to which a party may use deception to disparage and/or distort competing products and/or viewpoints.

[SkyPilot]

This is an incredible post Zakeet.

It is also quite disturbing.

The more I encounter, read, and deal with the LDS church, the more disturbing it becomes.

The organization is acting almost identical to this cult.

[Quix]

Excellent. Much appreciated.

Saving to a Word file.

God’s best to you and yours.

Truth and light SHALL WIN. It was settled at The Cross.

The rest is details. It will include some very messy details . . . and some who have been convinced they have been on the side of light, right and life shall discover grievously that they have been on the side of darkness, wrong and death. I pray such discoveries are made while repentance is still possible.

Smug arrogance on any side will crash and burn. As James Robison says . . . we shall have either humility or humiliation. Our choice.

PRAISE GOD FOR THE FAITHFUL TRUE MINISTRY OF THE TANNERS. May He give them protection, abundance and maximum effectiveness with a maximum audience. Amen.

[greyfoxx39]

Ping to #13.

[ejonesie22]

You know, it is good to know that Joe and the boys had a jump on L Ron for over 100 years.

Wonder if they could sue the Scientologist for stealing their methodology in crushing dissent...

[svcw]

Very nice summary.
This ruling has nothing to do with free speech, it has everything to do with the keeping the ldsers alive and kicking, alive and fooling.

[EternalVigilance]

Wicked.

[Old Mountain man]

Obviously, the trial courts and the appeals courts can see right through your arguments. Parody sites are merely an exercise of free speech. You need to learn that.

[Grig]

Your personal views on the Tanners and my church are material for the religion forum.

The bottom line here is that an attempt to stifle freedom of speech was stopped.

[JRochelle]

I typed in sandratanner.org and it took me to utlm.org.

[fproy2222]

Their work has been devastating to the LDS movement.

+++++++++++++++++

I know this is only personal experience, but people like the Tanners and you are only helping to expand the LDS Church.

Thanks for the help.

[TChris]

The Mormon Church has had a longstanding practice of being less than truthful with respect to their doctrine and history to both members and potential converts.

Uh huh. Mmmm kaaaayyyy.

And the Mormon-bashers are bastions of honesty I suppose?

[fishtank]

“The Mormon Church has had a longstanding practice of being less than truthful with respect to their doctrine and history to both members and potential converts. This deception is commonly referred to as lying for the lord and milk before the meat.”

Which is why Mitt Romney went NOWHERE ..............