First I just want to say that is one of my favorite subjects; Hinckley's Interviews. These interviews are what directly led me to leave the Church. After reviewing them all back in April, it led me to research all the questions that I had and well, here I am. It started out innocent for me but I found them to be so disturbing, both in what he said and didn't say, I would say that Gordon B. Hinckley is 100% responsible for my new gained freedom and discovering that the Mormon Church was a complete fraud. Thank you GORDO!! Here are a few things I'd like to add to this list of Hinckley's greatest interview blunders.
This was Gordon B. Hinckley's interview in Winter of 2002, prior to the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, with a German TV reporter. Here are some of the highlights but I highly recommend that for those that haven't watched this interview, watch the whole thing, it's very revealing.
Check out the DNA question. I have a pretty good source telling me that that question was never supposed to be asked and was added right before the interview after he suggested it. I have links at the end.
REPORTER:
YOUR MISSIONARIES…IS VERY SUCCESSFUL. I READ AND HEARD. BUT WHY DO YOU NEVER PUBLISH THE FIGURES OF DISSIDENTS?
HINCKLEY:
OF DISSIDENTS?
REPORTER:
YES.
HINCKLEY:
OH, WE HAVE A FEW DISSIDENTS. WE HEAR FROM THEM. THEY'RE NOT QUIET, THEY MAKE THEMSELVES KNOWN, BUT WE DON'T HAVE MANY DISSIDENTS, REALLY. VERY FEW.
REPORTER:
VERY FEW.
HINCKLEY:
THEY'RE NOT…THEY'RE VERY FEW, REALLY. ONCE IN A WHILE, NOT FREQUENTLY AT ALL. NO. OUR PEOPLE ARE VERY CONGENIAL, HAPPY PEOPLE. WE WORK TOGETHER, AND HAVE A GOOD TIME, AND FEEL THEY BELONG TO A GREAT ORGANIZATION. LOVE ONE ANOTHER. AND ENJOY LIFE. WHETHER THEY'RE GERMANS, AMERICANS, SCANDINAVIANS, JAPANESE, AUSTRALIANS, IT'S THE SAME EVERYWHERE.
REPORTER:
UNTIL 1978, NO PERSON OF COLOR ATTAINED PRIESTHOOD IN YOUR CHURCH.WHY IT TOOK SO LONG TIME TO OVERCOME THE RACISM?.
HINCKLEY:
I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW. I CAN ONLY SAY THAT. BUT IT'S…WE'RE…IT'S HERE NOW. WE'RE CARRYING ON A VERY EXTENSIVE WORK IN AFRICA, FOR INSTANCE. WE'RE CARRYING A VERY SUBSTANTIAL WORK IN BRAZIL. WE'RE WORKING AMONG THESE PEOPLE, WE'RE DEVELOPING THEM. UH, WE'VE HAVE THEM AMONG THE LEADERSHIP OF THE CHURCH. AND THEY'RE ABLE, THEY DO A GREAT WORK, AND WE LOVE THEM, AND APPRECIATE THEM. AND RESPECT THEM, AND ARE TRYING TO HELP THEM.
REPORTER:
IN MY COUNTRY, THE…WE SAY THE PEOPLE'S CHURCHES, THE PROTESTANTS, THE CATHOLICS, THEY PUBLISH ALL THEIR BUDGETS, TO ALL THE PUBLIC.
HINCKLEY:
YEAH. YEAH.
REPORTER:
WHY IS IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOUR CHURCH?
HINCKLEY:
WELL, WE SIMPLY THINK THAT THE…THAT INFORMATION BELONGS TO THOSE WHO MADE THE CONTRIBUTION, AND NOT TO THE WORLD. THAT'S THE ONLY THING. YES.
REPORTER:
NOW, MR. PRESIDENT, ONE OF…ONE QUESTION WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT COMPLICATED FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND, BUT I HEARD IT AND ONE COLLEAGUE ASKED ME TO ASK IT. WHAT WILL BE YOUR POSITION WHEN DNA ANALYSIS WILL SHOW THAT IN THE HISTORY NEVER HAVE BEEN AN IMMIGRATION FROM ISRAEL TO THE NORTH…TO NORTH AMERICA? IT COULD BE THAT THE SCIENTISTS WILL FIND OUT…
HINCKLEY:
WELL, IT HASN'T HAPPENED. THAT HASN'T BEEN DETERMINED YET. ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT'S SPECULATED. NO ONE REALLY KNOWS THE ANSWER TO THAT, NOT AT THIS POINT.
Here is the video link(requires Windows Media Player):
http://www.mormonchallenge.com/hinckley/hinckley.wmv
Here is the Text link:
http://www.mormonchallenge.com/hinckley/
I also wanted to add a couple of statements from his San Francisco Chronicle Interview:
Q: You are the president, prophet, seer and revelator of the Mormon Church?
A: I am so sustained, yes.(Laughter)
Q: Now, how would that compare to the Catholic Church? Do you see yourself as Catholics would see the pope?
A: Oh, I think in that we're both seen as the head officer of the church, yes.
Q: And this belief in contemporary revelation and prophecy? As the prophet, tell us how that works. How do you receive divine revelation? What does it feel like?
A: Let me say first that we have a great body of revelation, the vast majority of which came from the prophet Joseph Smith. We don't need much revelation. We need to pay more attention to the revelation we've already received.
Now, if a problem should arise on which we don't have an answer, we pray about it, we may fast about it, and it comes. Quietly. Usually no voice of any kind, but just a perception in the mind. I liken it to Elijah's experience. When he sought the Lord, there was a great wind, and the Lord was not in the wind. And there was an earthquake, and the Lord was not in the earthquake. And a fire, and the Lord was not in the fire. But in a still, small voice. Now that's the way it works.
Q: The church has issued a statement concerning the campaign for legal recognition of same-sex marriages in Hawaii and other states. And the church has asked its members to write to their legislatures opposing this.
A: Yes. We've been involved in some action against same-sex marriages. Now, we have gays in the church. Good people. We take no action against such people -- provided they don't become involved in transgression, sexual transgression. If they do, we do with them exactly what we'd do with heterosexuals who transgress.
We have a very strong moral teaching concerning abstinence before marriage and total fidelity following marriage. And, regardless of whether they're heterosexuals or otherwise, if they step over that line there are certain sanctions, certain penalties that are imposed.
Q: What about gay people who feel God made them that way? You're saying they must lead a celibate life?
A: Well, yes, I suppose, essentially. A lot of people live a celibate life. Lots of them. A third of the people in the United States are now single. Many of them live a celibate life.
Q: But what homosexuals say is they don't have the opportunity to marry and be monogamous and faithful.
A: We believe that marriage, of a man and a woman, is that which is ordained of God for the procreation of children. That's a very sacred thing and is ordained of God and ought to be observed.
Q: One more question: A few years back, the church excommunicated some dissidents. Is the church large enough to put up with having a loyal opposition?
A: It has always had that. We believe in intellectual curiosity. We carry it on constantly. We maintain the largest church-owned university in America. We believe in education, in thinking, in doing things. But when somebody goes out and publicly fights the church, opposes the church, then we move in.
Now, we had six excommunications, as I remember. That same year, in the state of Utah, we had more than 5,000 convert baptisms. Six versus 5,000 convert baptisms. Now that's the picture. But these are blown all out of proportion. They attract the media.
Link to San Francisco Chronicle Interview:
http://www.tungate.com/2004_dec_lk.htm
Now one more amazing exchange that I never get tired of Sharing. This one was just last December on Larry King Live:
King: But as the morales have changed - for example, I know that the Church is opposed to gay marriage.
HINCKLEY: Yes.
KING: Do you have an alternative? Do you like the idea of civil unions?
HINCKLEY: Well, we're not anti-gay. We are pro-family. Let me put it that way.
And we love these people and try to work with them and help them. We know they have a problem. We want to help them solve that problem.
KING: A problem they caused, or they were born with?
HINCKLEY: I don't know. I'm not an expert on these things. I don't pretend to be an expert on these things. The fact is, they have a problem.
KING: Do you favor some sort of state union?
HINCKLEY: Well, we want to be very careful about that, because that - whatever may lead to gay marriage, we're not in favor of.
We - many people don't get married. Goodness sakes alive. You know that.
Many people who have to discipline themselves. If they transgress, they become subject to the discipline of the Church. But we try in every way that we know how to help them, to assist them, to bless their lives.
KING: It's hard to be a Mormon, isn't it?
HINCKLEY: No. It's wonderful.
KING: Not hard.
HINCKLEY: No, no. It's just wonderful. It's demanding. Great expectations. I should say so. But it's wonderful.
Here's the link:
http://www.tungate.com/2004_dec_lk.htm
Samuel the Utahnite
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