"Tainting The Mormons" Cousin Ryan Cragun Assisting

OK, it's Sunday when I usually post something inspirational. Most often it's a great video, a beautiful hymn for example. But for days I have been pondering an article written about the church that includes slanted information provided by a cousin of mine, 1/2 cousin and down the line. He's professor Ryan Cragun. I haven't met him. I read his Facebook posts, I followed him on Facebook, I've read on his blogs.

In the early history of the church and in modern times some who have the greatest love of seeking to damage or discredit the church are those who were once quite involved. In the early history of the church apostates who were very high up were instrumental in causing the extermination order that resulted in unimaginable persecution. They led the mobs that murdered, pillaged, stole, and raped.
Now I don't give cousin Ryan that level of influence but it looks like he is trying. He's a Dr of  something and specializes in the sociological study of religion at the University of Tampa. He served an LDS mission, and wrote a book about Could he Vote for A Mormon for President. The answer is no. He received a degree at the University of Utah.

I'm guessing he like a neighbor of mine, and former member of my Church Congregation in Issaquah, Ed Decker. Mr Decker, creater of The Godmaker made money and an industry among Christian Congregations. His family remained active in our Ward, a son served a mission while I lived there.

Cousin Ryan seems to have contributed his so called expert inside information as to our Church's income and expenditures, how much we give to charitable causes and the like. Here is a quote attributed to Ryan: Given their array of corporate interests, it would probably make more sense to refer to them as "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Holdings Inc.”

The article was shallow, yet .proudly he noted in on Facebook as a good article.

I'm not concerned that I don't know the details of our church financial P & L. Why? Here are a few reasons, and they are good ones. I offer my experiences and refer you to an article the Church just published. They paint a credible picture. I know well the commitment of the Church to help bring people back to Christ, and to assist those in need.

I served as a Bishop in Bellevue Washington for 5 years. I was expected to be the steward of the members donations, treat them as the Lords trusted funds. Whether it be as the widows mite, or a large donation from a wealthy tithe payer - they were sacred donations. My handling those funds was strictly monitored. Two of us had to take the deposits to the bank. Always at least two of us, one being a member of the bishopric handled the funds from being given to the bishopric in an envelope to opening the envelope, logging in the donations, double checking for accuracy, and making the deposit. There is a reverence and respect in this process.

More interesting perhaps was that I as the local Bishop had the stewardship and was the sole decision maker as to how I looked after those in need in my Ward. I was taught principles of Welfare in The Lords Way. We sought to help each member in trouble rise above their problems and become self sustaining. In some cases the challenges were severe. However, a member in need definitely could come to me for assistance, and they often did.  If only the nation were run as correctly as is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, The Mormons.

I learned as a Bishop the role of faith in God being a greater problem solver than welfare assistance. God is real, he knows us. Our faith in him can cause us to see great miracles. People that came to me first received a partner in building faith.

Church Welfare isn't a program you sign up for. I had a local man call me one day and tell me he wanted to sign up for our rent subsidy program. I told him we didn't have such a thing. Oh  yes you do he said, my apartment manager told me so. There was a single mother in that project who did need help. I assumed that was who he was referring to, that the manager told him to contact me. I explained members who have been contributing, who are faithful, and who have exhausted all other resources can sit down with me and look at a temporary situation on what resources we can bring to their aid. That aid could include temporary financial help that might include rent. That's what I thought he said, I want to join your church. No he didn't really, he just wanted in on a rent subsidy program.

In the 5 years I served as Bishop in Bellevue we did help many people. That's what the welfare program is for. But even more than financial help we brought to their aid among other resources, counseling, job hunting support, and at the same time provided ways for them to serve others as they received assistance. People were blessed as receivers. That is part of the Lords way, when administered in righteousness. I felt the responsibility to be a just steward over the needs of my congregation as I had no bank balance, just a checkbook. As I wrote a check I knew that some of that money might have come from a struggling member striving to make ends meet, even in a far off primitive country, keeping their commitment to give back.

Unlike a program you sign up for, it's a vision of becoming self sustaining, even to the point you can assist others. Our father is a prime example of that.

When I was 15, our dad came down with Cancer. It took him out of action for over a year. He was treated with radiation treatments that blistered his groin area, caused him great pain that lasted, and sapped him of his strength. He was an electrician with little financial reserves. It was a difficult time for him, and he looked to the church for assistance. Self reliance was not an option for my dad at this time, and he was, we were the recipients - the receivers.

But, the gift of the Welfare system is that it is a blessing to the giver and the receiver. My dad recovered and we became the givers. At the time, In Idaho, the Church owned at least two large farms. The members were responsible to support them as part of the welfare system. We grew beats, carrots and potatoes. Every summer, dad hauled me out of bed to hoe beats, thin potatoes and carrots, and the hardest of them all - haul spuds. Either way it was back breaking, bending over to thin beats and carrots, or standing up lunging huge bags of spuds onto the truck.We were blessed by this, and this time we were the givers. To my dad, we were the givers back. I remember going to what is called The Bishops Storehouse to fill a food order signed by our Bishop. It was hard on him to go there. I always went with him. He would say to me, son, this is only because we need it. I guarantee you, we will give back. We did. He made sure of that.

Our expert cousin, Dr Cragun helped come up with a number that implied that for the massive dollars the Church took in, we gave back a paltry amount.

Now I ask you cousin, did you measure what I and other Bishops provided? Did you put a number to the professionals that serve in the support system? How could you have? What else did you miss?

Now to another point. I am serving here on Church Campus with about 1000 missionaries. We are here because we love to serve. We turn in our papers and know they can call us to go anywhere in the world. We may go on a humanitarian mission in a poverty stricken place. We may be called to Russia, which Kathleen feared. We were called here to serve in Genealogy support for all people who need assistance, member or non member. In our mission, Family and Church History and supporting the Church Headquarters is the focus. There is also the Temple Square Mission here. We are not here as tin robots heeding orders from the Prophet. Once again the giver is the receiver. It's called service. We serve because we want to. I now know, I would have been happier the last 5 years if I would have done this 5 years ago. I say that often, we should have done this 5 years ago. It is a rich and rewarding experience. Some we work around, I am thinking of some in the training zone, have extended their missions to the point they have been here up to 12 years. A single lady left last month after 5 years. She said she might be back, if she doesn't like it at home. In the 5 years she has been here, she  has never heard a cross word from anyone. Truly, there is a special spirit in serving on a mission.

I don't know how you put a value to all the humanitarian service performed by members, their time and skills throughout the world.

Now, I am not authorized to speak for the Church, these are my feelings and experiences. Dr Cragun isn't either.

The Church did respond with an official statement. I offer it for your reading. Click Here.

For those of you who made it this far, I thank you. I thought long and hard about responding as I felt insulted by the article and especially how it was depicted on the cover of the magazine I will not name. I was embarresed it was a cousin. It reminded me of a friend here in Utah, who was proud about his anti Mormon radio show. He was once close to the Church, also a missionary at age 19. He acted proud and unconcerned how it affected his parents and siblings, even his children.

As I said, I think of the many who turned against the Church in the beginning. People very close to the Prophet Joseph Smith that caused people to be murdered and the members to suffer. My grandfathers and grandmothers were some of those people. Grandfather Elisha Cragun died on the plains to Utah, as they emigrated, driven out by mobs. Grandfather Sanford Porter, his family was run out of their homes in the mid of winter. After a time, he returned and pleaded with a neighbor to share with him some of the food he had confiscated, so they wouldn't go hungry as they headed west.

I know, this isn't the same - or is it? Isn't it similar at least, to a degree, tainting a religion. And I ask, Cousin Ryan, for what reason?

Some Thoughts About Life

Craigfintray Castle: Ireland

Several weeks ago I started posting something in tune with the spirit of Sunday as the Sabbath. It often is a neat video. For those that just want the video: here is a re-run of the one people liked the most so far: Click here

So for those willing to hang in there, I guess it might be relevant as my 71st birthday is coming up, I wanted to share these thoughts. Mark it down as an old man speaking. I know, I don't look or act old.

I am sure there is a God who has created all things and that he is a God of order. I am equally convinced that part of that order is the right he provides us to have our Free Agency. In other words, he will not force us to do his will, even when for our own good.

I believe that all things we encounter, good or bad, are for our own good. Many times I have asked myself,"'why was I born to these parents"? Yes many good things have come to me through them. I am now wondering if the challenging things we shared had lessons for me to learn. If there is such a thing as life eternal, and if our Saviour Jesus Christ not only died for our sins, but his atonement will make right our pains, should it matter what we have been subjected to, or should it matter more what we did with our situations? Or how we grew?  Kathleen and I were the Sacrament meeting speakers on Mothers Day. I don't know why, but I kept being prompted to say this to our mother: "Mother, I know you loved us", as part of my talk. Those close to our family will make more sense of this than others, let it suffice to say - things got pretty rocky in our family.

I am hoping for many many more good years on this earth. I'm planning on that. However, one thing I think I will cherish will be meeting some of my pioneer ancestors. It is true, the more research one does on their family history the closer you get to them. Recently I have wanted to understand our grandfather Elisha Cragun. The details of his joining the Mormons would be fascinating to me. I sense I would be impressed with that, as he was a wealthy man, married into a wealthy family. It appears he gave it all up, (land and slaves) as he and  his family were baptized and joined the trek west. He did die on the way.

I'd also like our Cragun ancestors to tell me the proper spelling of our name. Whether we came from England, Ireland, or Scotland, or all of the above, their is no spelling of our name as CRAGUN in those countries. Not now, not ever in the past. Something simple would do, like Craig rather than ones I have found possible like Craigfintray. There was a Castle in Ireland of that name.

Connecting the principle of free agency to the sacrifice of our early pioneer ancestors makes me think about the many of their descendants who left the faith. From that, much of their entire posterity is mostly out of that faith. Does it matter? Are all religions enough, are all correct? Now that would clash with the concept of a God of order. It wouldn't clash with believing eternal life provides enough time for the love of God to win us all over. That also wouldn't clash with believing Christ paved a way for all of us to be given forgivenss, and to accept his doctrine. I do sense thatwe will be judged for our lives work. I sense it is important to turn to his doctrine as we are here and when we are prompted by his spirit. I think our pioneer ancestors are likely concerned for their grandchildren many.

Our Grandmother Nancy Athena Porter will be a special meetup. I feel like I am her buddy. I feel her love. I also think she is getting impatient for me to finish the book I started so many years ago about her life. If I don't finish it, much I have learned will be lost.

I'm not sure how to wrap this up - so I will just wrap it up. Have a good day today. Larry

Why Does Heavenly Father Love Us?

For my non mormon friends: Our committment to genealogy has much to do with our understanding of a real and living Father in Heaven.

 He knows us and he loves us.

“He loves us because He is filled with an infinite measure of holy, pure, and indescribable love. We are important to God not because of our résumé but because we are His children. He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken. God’s love is so great that He loves even the proud, the selfish, the arrogant, and the wicked.

“What this means is that, regardless of our current state, there is hope for us. No matter our distress, no matter our sorrow, no matter our mistakes, our infinitely compassionate Heavenly Father desires that we draw near to Him so that He can draw near to us.”

President Dieter F Uchtdorf, Ssecond Counselor in the First Presidency, The Love of God, "Liahona and Ensign, Nov.  2 009, 22-23

Emma Sarah (WHITE) GUTHRIE

Born: 21 November 1841 Died: At the age of 98

Link To Sarah's Find A Grave Memorial

          The following is from the Book of Remembrance of Howard Blaine Cragun, gr-grandson of Emma Sarah (WHITE) Guthrie and Lorenzo Freeman BINGHAM and is being typed by Ruth WOOD Cragun, wife of Howard Blaine.

Be it known that I, Mrs. Emma White Guthrie, whose present residence is Harrisville, Weber County, Utah, am on this 15^th day of April, 1931 herein stating the history of my life.

             I was born in London, England 21 Nov. 1841. My mother’s name being Rebecca WHITE and my father’s name being Samuel WHITE. (NOTE: Father was Samuel WHITE and mother was Sarah Rebecca ADAMS rc)

My father joined the Mormon Church in 1850 at London, England. I was personally baptized in this church when I was 9 years of age. My mother was never baptized into this church

.

My father was porter in a fruit and vegetable market known as Covent Garden in the city of London. This market was the largest market of its kind in existence at that time. Fruit, vegetables, and flowers being shipped to this market from all parts of the country (France, etc.). This position my father held long before my birth and up until his departure to America, which will be stated later in this document.

On the 1^st day of April, 1852, myself and my father left London, England for America The views of my mother regarding the Mormon Church were not in accordance with those of my father and myself and it was for this reason that we two left London, leaving mother behind. We had one thing in mind, which was “to go to the city of Zion.” We had been converted into the Mormon religion by Mormon missionaries who worked in London.

As stated, on the 1^st day of April 1852 we left Liverpool, England. Liverpool being one hundred (100) miles away from England (possibly she means 100 miles from ‘London’ rc). There were four hundred (400) people set sail on this date, including men, women and children, all converted to the Mormon religion and our slogan was, ‘we are all Zion bound”. The name of the ship on which we traveled was ‘The International’.

We were on board this ship exactly six (6) weeks and three (3) days from the time we left Liverpool, England until we disembarked at New Orleans, Louisiana.

Our average speed, under normal weather conditions, was forty-four (44) miles per hour on this ship, but frequently we encountered what is known as ‘headwinds’ and in such cases it was our experience to be driven back (40) or more miles, due to these headwinds.

The trip in general, for those days, was about as pleasant as we could expect. My father brought with him quite a supply of food such as bread, which we called gingerbread. This was made into large slices of toast, which was mostly our food. The ship allowed us a certain supply of food, but mostly our food consisted of our own bread, as that which was supplied by the ship was only in a very small quantities, and for liquid we were allowed one pint of water per day and myself, being under age, I was allowed one half pint of water. We brought with us our own tea, and from this water allowed us we were permitted to go to a certain part of the ship where we could heat this water to make our tea. Occasionally we were allowed a small quantity of hot water with which to make this tea in addition to that which we were usually allowed.

Our sleeping quarters were all below deck. The beds, being called ‘bunks’, were so arranged that one was above the other. Each individual had their own bunk. The main deck was used only for pleasure such as walking around, holding meetings, etc. Every evening we held one on board ship.

One of the Mormon missionaries, by the name of Captain Brown, was in charge of the four hundred (400) converts. He left Liverpool with us and was in charge throughout the trip until we landed in Zion.

As previously stated, we landed in New Orleans, La. Six (6) weeks and three (3) days from the date we set sail from England. This making our landing in New Orleans about the middle of May in the year 1852

After landing in New Orleans, we remained there only long enough to get our belongings together and our Captain then loaded us on a steamship on which we sailed up the Missouri River to St. Louis, Missouri. A short distance from St. Louis was our camping ground, where arrangements were being made to cross the plains to the city of Zion.

At this camping ground, the equipment consisted of wagons and oxen teams. There were generally, what is called, three (3) yoke of oxen, to each wagon (a ‘yoke’ consisting of two (2) oxen. There were forty (40) wagons to our train (a train being the entire outfit of wagons, oxen, etc.). In a few cases there were four (4) yoke of oxen to a wagon, but not often.

We remained at this camping ground a few weeks, during which time the equipment was being put in order for our trip to ‘Zion’. Oxen had to be purchased, wagons equipped and bows and covers, etc

.

We left this camping ground headed for Salt Lake Valley. Previous to our crossing these plains, surveyors had surveyed practically all the road and there had been some travel over same. Enough so that it was known to us which was the road. Scarcely anyone rode during the entire trip from the camping ground in Missouri to Salt Lake Valley. We all walked, as our clothing, bedding, provisions, etc. took up all the room in the wagons and it was only when one became ill, or in some manner unable to walk, they were permitted to ride. It was only when we came to rivers that we would ride and, when coming to these, naturally they had to be forded and we would ride across the water.

Our main trouble was with the Indians. This was the tribe of Sioux Indians. They were a very wealthy tribe of Indians, highly painted and dressed in their style and rode the most beautiful of ponies. They would halt our train of wagons and demand food. There was no use trying to fight them, as in such an attempt they would fight to kill. Our only way out of such a predicament would be to feed them. In such cases, where we were attacked by the Indians, our Captain made  (the) family of the entire 400 converts give to the Indians a certain amount of our supplies, such as half pint of sugar from each family and other food we (had) in proportion. Sugar, these Indians were very fond of and made special demands for this. The Indians were equipped with bow and arrow, scalping knives and, in a few cases of the wealthier ones, they had firearms. The main food on which the Indians lived was the buffalo they would kill.

Encouraging those Indians so frequently and having to give a certain portion of our food products to them, we were afraid we were going to run short of food ourselves. On every occasion we tried to hold out from giving them food, but they were wicked and would kill in dark. On one occasion they came in the night and frightened our cattle, causing them to stampede. In one case I recall now, our cattle were frightened away and scattered to the extent that we were two (2) days getting them rounded up and ready to pull off again. I might say, as nearly as I can recall, we had three (3) full months of traveling across the plains, walking all the way from our camping grounds in St. Louis to Salt Lake Valley.

The first mountains I recall coming to was what is known as ‘Little Mountains’ and ‘Echo Canyon’. I recall my father taking me by the hand and standing on top of ‘Little Mountain’ and looking over into Salt Lake Valley.

We landed in Salt Lake Valley October 1, 1852, a full six (6) month journey from Liverpool. We camped on what was known as ‘

Immigration Square

’, which was very near the place that is now known as

Temple Square

. No one was allowed on the place except the immigrants. Our Captain told us that we would not have to remain on this

Immigration Square

very long as there would be members of the Mormon church who would come and get us and take us to our homes. Fortunately for my father and myself we were taken by Mr. Wm. C. Staines, who was a high member of the church and later a high man in the organization of Brigham Young.

We remained there all winter, at which time my father took a notion to leave Salt Lake and go north, taking me with him. He came north from Salt Lake Valley and located at Bingham Fort (later known as Lynn Ward). This Bingham Fort was all enclosed by a high mud wall, as protection against the Indians. This protection (as we thought) was really not much protection against the Indians, but acted as a feeling of safety in the minds of the people.

My father worked on this vicinity approximately three (3) years, building fences and digging ditches and working for other people who had located here previous to our coming.

My father and myself lived in a log cabin, which he built himself. The winter of 1853 was known as ‘the hard winter’. Terrible cold. So much so that cattle died from exposure. The snow was so deep and the weather so cold that the cattle, in trying to feed themselves by eating the bark from the trees at the river bottoms, would freeze to death standing  up.

It would be difficult for me to say how we lived during that winter. I could probably best answer this question by saying, “We didn’t LIVE”. However I recall my father bringing home a bushel of wheat from a man for whom he had been working and he took it to a small mill and had it ground. We ate the best of it and then were forced to eat the balance, which we would now call ‘bran’, or ‘pig feed’.

I also recall one incident where my father would go to the river bottoms with a sled he had built and would cut the rear quarters from the cattle, which had frozen to death in the river bottoms and bring them home. Here he would do, as we called, ‘jerking’ the meat. This slicing it to fine slices, salt it and dry it. In this manner we had two burlap sacks full of this kind of dried meat. In the fall of 1857 Johnston’s Army came in and it was their intentions to kill all of the Mormons. They were held back in the mountains by the Mormons all during the winter of 1857.

They had sufficient grain for their mules and they killed game for their own support. They were held back in the mountains by the Mormons until they were about starved out. In the spring of 1858 Brigham Young issued orders that all Mormons (except a few of the rear guards) were to leave this valley and go down south. This was done. Then, as stated above, Johnston’s Army was about starved out and finally sent word into the guards of the Mormons that, if the Mormons would allow them to come in, they would not fight. Word was passed on to Brigham Young and on the promise of Johnston’s Army not to fight, they were allowed to come. They came and went directly to what is now known as Fort Douglas and commenced building what is now known as Fort Douglas. They hired the Mormon boys and paid them in actual money. They had plenty of money, but no provisions. This was done while the majority of the Mormons were down south. Then, after being down south several months, quiet seemed to reign in Salt Lake Valley and Brigham Young ordered us to return to our homes, which we did.

It was after our return from the south that father and I went north and located in what is now my home in Harrisville, Utah. It was while I was on this farm with father that I met Thomas B. GUTHRIE, whom I later married. My father died in 1878. I was married previous to my father’s death and gave birth to five (5) girls and four (4) boys. Nine in all.