A LITTLE MORE ON HOW THE CHARLATAN DOES HIS WORK

So, in the last post, the claims of the DoC have been pretty much spelled out.  To someone hurt by the church's response to the vaccine mess, these things might seem enticing and they might even be desperate enough to buy into this guy's claim that he is the next one to try and claim the title of The One Mighty and Strong from Section 85.  There is a great list of all the failed attempts at this on Wikipedia.  The chocolatier may well be in the third dozen that were fortunate enough to even get enough of a following and to make enough of a racket that they were able to be recognized and be on the list.  

I used to know a chiropractor back in Washington who was following a group whose leader thought he was the carnate equivalent of the Holy Ghost (his spirit was actually the HG).  Anyone that bought into his trip; mentally ill.  Nice guy.  But mentally ill.....  And yes, he did have a breakdown after he mortgaged his house and business and gave all monies to said leader who disappeared with it and left him in the hard position of having to explain all that to his wife....  I think this leader also made claim to The One Mighty and Strong.  I think the only thing that got "Mighty and Strong" were his finances, that were in a stronger position after he fleeced everyone and moved along to the next group of suckers and mentally ill that he could successfully fleece.   And so it goes.  A story old as time.  People desperate for a leader that will tell them what to think and do in an increasingly uncertain world.

So, what is it about this phenomenon that would cause me to classify someone as mentally ill.  Those that followed Jim Jones or the Bagwan Rajneesh or David Koresh or now Phil Davis?  I cannot speak much to the teachings of Jim Jones or David Koresh - other than their followers adored them almost as gods and they usually gave up their life savings/trust funds to support their new-found leader.  One of their characteristics is that they were "lost" and would often follow their leaders like a lost puppy.  When my wife was at her worst with post-partum after our 5th child, this was a classic sign that something was not right.  The actions of a lost puppy dog - with unbridled trust.  This was the exact opposite of one who had her trust broken by her step-dad and was very suspicious of men in particular.  It was like the "trust-o-meter" was switched completely off and explicit instructions had to be given in everything.  They were followed religiously.  I felt like I had a hypnotized Manchurian Candidate on my hands (my wife in her usual state is nothing like that and is feisty as hell).  This is probably what Jesus had in mind when He talked about not violating the trust of the innocent, because it creates this massive state of conflict in the adult man or woman.  And as such, when they develop a mental health condition as hormones change or life just gets the best of them, they are susceptible to abuse (staying in a physically or emotionally abusive relationship, trafficking, drug dealers, pimping, so much else).  Or being a groupie to a social or religious predator like Phil Davis and others like him.  I witnessed a silver-tongued predator (and proud Utah prison white collar crime felon) do the same thing to my older sister when she started menopause and became incapacitated emotionally.  He was waiting in the wings and scooped her up telling her she was beautiful and smart, etc.  And off she went with him as his sidekick on his schemes.   They left a trail of wreckage; it was sad.....

Anyway, here is a pic of Phil, if you are interested in seeing the cover of that particular book:

These types will convince you that they are "special" or set apart or that they have special knowledge.  In the case of Phil, he had an "angel" appear to him.  He has also told others that they have hands laid on them (even though they did not see anyone or feel anything) and that they got this Priesthood that Joseph supposedly lost in 1832 and that they are now the special anointed ones.  In other words, they are doing the exact same thing they are stating that Brigham Young did (usurping authority, pretending to something they are not, getting lustful with the gurlz, etc). 

As Chad Daybell, one of the best case histories in recent time, has shown, these predators follow a specific pattern.  It goes like this:

• Gain power/notoriety
• Among the pack of fans, choose one who is vulnerable
• Commit adultery with the vulnerable
• Seek to cover sin, sometimes through murder
• Commit others to secrecy to hide murder
• Get further gain and keep the cycle going, getting something for nothing

First, it is an attempt to gain power (a following).  Chad was able to do it using his books.  I know so many in my circles that adored his books and many still own them.  I would have trashed them long ago.  Yes, the baby would have gone out the window with that particular bathwater....  Once he had his following, he picked one that was moderately attractive who had been in multiple failed relationships.  Conspire to get gain by murder and reaping resulting life insurance payout (did Chad pay tithing on that windfall?!?).  Continue the trend by murdering boring librarian wife who likely would not agree to polygamous union with new lover.  Murder to kids to get them out of the way, paving way for new adulterous/murderous affair to continue.  Rinse and repeat? with additional victims to keep the Hawaiian dream alive with life insurance money?  Ah, what a plan!  I think they stole a play or two out of Cain's playbook - and yes, the Jewish tradition is that it was not just a fit of rage over a sacrifice that was not accepted; it was also over the wife of Abel.  From what little we have, the pattern used by Cain was quite predictable - and we can back-fill the details from modern instances to theorize where Cain might have also gone in the first major sin on the books.  I theorized some years ago that adultery was also involved with Cain and within a few weeks ran into the reference in the Jewish tradition and felt that this was enough to vindicate my theory.  It always takes a few weeks.  But I have learned to be a patient man....

So the pattern is:  

• lust for power
• lust for woman.
• lust for gain
• lust for the life of another
• cover sin with secret combination, bringing as many in as is possible
• rinse/repeat until God trashes the cycle

And what do we have?  The three major sins (I will throw a fourth one in there) that lead one down the primrose path to seal one to the devil:

• (pride - although this is implied with all three below, and it usually comes with "special knowledge")
• sexual sin
• murder
• deny Holy Ghost (for those who have gotten to a level of the truth)

So, watch for this pattern with the Phil Davis meteoric fall.  It will happen.  Pray for it.  It is better that he has an Alma the Younger experience early on, rather than later after he has assumed the collective sin of all those that he has led astray.

I pray for the same thing with the DoC cell up here in S. Alberta.  It is always better that one man should repent or perish than an entire generation should be led astray.  But, this is God's call just as it was with allowing Judas to operate under the nose of the Savior until he had performed his nefarious act.  In the days of the separation of the wheat and the tares and in times of wolves among sheep, some must perform their roles in order to effect that before they meet their end.  Hitler did a great work in driving the Jews back home before he met his end.  It all works to God's glory.  The same can even be said of satan.  How else would there be opposition in the Plan of Happiness without their instrumentality.  And then they will be thrust into outer darkness.

Time has always exposed the agendas one way or another.