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Autonomy strikes back from the dead
|Mike Lynch: Making the news for all the wrong reasons.
His coup de grace was to squeeze a $12bn bid out of HP which was rich by even the rarified standards of tech M&A (11x sales; 24x EBITDA). And note this wasn't just any old bid - HP paid up in cash (hint to CFOs: If you're a distressed buyer and the seller has an information edge, probably best to share the downside by paying stock), and the deal was forced through with exquisite timing despite the concurrent defenestration of its architect, Leo Apotheker. Once Autonomy disappeared into HP's gaping maw we assumed it was a done deal. Mike had finally proved, with his $800m payout, that he was cleverer than the rest of us.
Of course on Tuesday Autonomy struck back from the dead, prompting a $8.8bn write-down at HP and furious accusations of accounting improprieties.
The case for the prosecution
In a nutshell HP is alleging three things:
- Low-margin hardware sales (c10-15% of group revenues) were booked as software licence sales.
- Licensing deals with resellers were used to bring forward revenue from future periods.
- Licensing deals with resellers were used to create revenue where no ultimate end-user existed.
A few things to note.
Higher software revenue impacts profitabilityBooking low-margin hardware sales as software has two impacts on Autonomy's financials. Firstly it inflates gross margin, as hardware typically has a lower gross margin (20-40%) attached to it than software (80-90%). However bear in mind that it in the long run it does not change the overall operating margin of the business, as costs associated with the hardware will still be taken further down the P&L (apparently here in the sales & marketing line). Software investors tend to focus on operating margin much more than on gross margin, as the majority of costs in this business model lie in S&M and R&D.
There's a catch though. One way this misallocation could affect profitability is if the phasing of the costs for software is different for the costs of hardware. For example if you sell a hardware box the cost of manufacturing that box is going to be booked as a cost at time of sale. However if you sell software the R&D cost associated with that might be capitalised and taken over the life-cycle of the product. On, say, a five year view the impact would be neutral but it reporting more software sales mean higher margins in year 1 and lower margins in year 5.
Software licence growth is a big deal for your P/E ratingSecondly showing higher licence growth is beneficial to the valuation (e.g. P/E ratio) the market attaches to a stock; investors tend to prefer software businesses showing fast-growing software revenues as that is seen as a lead indicator for growth elsewhere in the business (particularly in ultra high-margin maintenance revenues). Or to put it another way, if Autonomy started to show licence declines, the share price would have gotten trashed.
This is serious.
Channel stuffing seems strange at a software companyAs are the accusations over reseller sales. Historically Autonomy would sell its software via both its direct sales effect and via resellers (typically IT Services companies or systems integrators). HP's second accusation is effectively that it engaged in "channel stuffing" - selling more inventory to resellers than they were selling on to end-users. In effect this means products which wouldn't be sold to end-users until next quarter could be booked as revenue this quarter.
Note that channel stuffing can be legitimate. Hardware companies, for example, report sales into the channel as revenue, not to end-users (e.g. Apple's reports a sale when it ships an iPhone to a retailer such as Best Buy, not when a punter buys it in a Best Buy store). They would typically engage in channel stuffing ahead of a busy period, such as the holiday season.
However there are a couple of funnies here. The first is Autonomy's own revenue recognition policies laid out in its annual report (see page 51)
The group enters into OEM and reseller arrangements that typically provide for fees payable to the group based on licensing of the group's software to third party customers. Sales are generally recognised as reported by the OEM or reseller and is based on the amount of product sold. Sales are recognised if all products subject to resale are delivered in the current period, no right of return policy exists, collection is probable and the fee is fixed and determinable.The key phrase is "Sales are recognised if all products subject to resale are delivered in the current period...". If that means delivered to the end customer then Autonomy shouldn't have been booing channel sales as revenue; its not completely clear if this is the case, but the fact the clause also mentions right of return policy (again something which would be attributable to the end customer) implies that it is.
The other strange thing is that discussion of inventory and channel stuffing as a whole is highly unusual for a software company, simply because there is no physical product to stuff into the channel. Software companies sell licences to software code, typically downloaded or delivered on a 5c DVD. If Autonomy really was selling high-margin software it is very strange there would be enough product to legitimately stuff into the channel to have a meaningful impact on results.
However it gets worse.
Fictitious revenues is the cardinal sin (but quite easy to do)The third allegation is the most serious - that deals were created with resellers to create revenue where no ultimate end-user existed. That is more than channel stuffing - that is outright fraud. In the great scheme of accounting shenanigans, manufacturing revenues by creating fictitious customers is a) the cardinal sin and b) surprisingly easy to do in a software company where there is no physical product to manufacture and ship.
The evidence: Seven things I observed in the Autonomy Wars
At the moment HP hasn't shown us the direct evidence which underpins their accusations. However over the years at Autonomy there was a great deal of circumstantial evidence that something was amiss. Nothing that could be proven in a court of law but a number of things which said "this doesn't quite smell right".
1) Low deferred income & high accounts receivableSee this blog article for a good snapshot of the situation at Autonomy. In a nutshell receivables (money owed for services already rendered and booked as revenue) were high and deferred revenues (money received for services not yet rendered and booked as revenue) were low. This was an inversion of the normal situation at software companies where receivables were typically low (cash paid upfront for licences rather than being collected later) and deferreds high (cash collected upfront for maintenance and support yet to be rendered - SAP is a great example of this).
2) Mixed cash conversionCash conversion is the proportion of accounting profit (net income) converted to cash profit (operating free cashflow). This sort of relates to the first point as high receivables generally mean low cash conversion. Normally cash conversion is very high (as I said in my earlier blog post, software companies have little physical plant or inventory tying up money so are high cash generative). At Autonomy, if my memory recalls (I no longer have my old model with me, alas) it was mixed. Sort of in the 70% range (I think). Not the worst I've seen but not what you expect from a top-class software model.
Note that there can be legitimate explanations for weak cash conversion. In particular if a business is growing fast (which Autonomy claimed it was) it would be reasonable for capital to be committed to support growth, either for vendor financing or to support a sales & marketing push. However if it continues to be weak when growth slows, particularly, that is a warning sign.
3) Unusually high operating marginsThe third thing that was a little strange was Autonomy's high operating margins, typically 40%+. A classic software business model is generally capable of doing 20-30% operating margins no sweat. 40% is possible, but normally only in mature businesses with large cash-cow installed bases and lower marketing costs (Oracle and Microsoft are classic examples). Autonomy claimed to be having it both ways - but growing fast but also producing mature-company margins. I can't think of another software company which was reporting a similar growth/margin profile. Meg Whitman's comments that Autonomy's underlying margin was actually 28-30% sounds a lot more like reality.
4) An acquisitive track recordAutonomy was a perennial acquiror. It was a classic "roll-up", conducting a series EPS-boosintg acquisitions (Interwoven, Verity, Zantaz etc) each time growth appeared to be slowing. This had several impacts on the numbers. For one thing the consolidation of the balance sheet of each target (and the taking of merger provisions) obscured the numbers, making it very hard to track true organic growth.
For another it enabled Autonomy to acquire new customers to cross-sell into - costs which would have flowed through the P&L as sales & marketing costs if the customers had been recruited organically. There is nothing illegitimate about this, but I always thought that to reflect the true nature of the business Autonomy's margins should have been looked at including acquisition of goodwill (typically taking 500bp of of that 40%+ operating margins) as it was effectively a S&M cost.
The other funny thing about Autonomy's M&A was that they were remarkably quick at integrating acquired products into their IDOL platform. Without fail they would happily report a couple of quarters after acquisition that all new products were integrated into their suite - this is surprising given the complexity of the engineering task. As this Forbes article alleges the reasons was that products weren't actually integrated.
5) A persecution complex with analystsThe fifth strange thing was their bizarre relationships with analysts. Autonomy's various run-ins with critical analysts were well documented even before the HP deal. From my recollection I cannot recall seeing a company so obsessed with what analysts thought of it. In particular each quarter there would be a "review of analysts models" slide which, though not labelled as such, was seen as tacit guidance. Autonomy was the only company to take this step, rather than simply including a formal guidance statement.
I think there was something of a vicious circle to Autonomy's relationships with the analyst community. The more people wrote bearish notes on Autonomy the more the company would circle their wagons and the more bearish the bears would get. This wasn't helped by Autonomy's quarterly reporting cycle (unusual for a UK company). Given the volatility of quarterly results (especially for a smaller companies) there was always going to be some "funny" in the numbers each time for people to jump on. Sometimes this was legitimate, sometimes this was just noise. Of course if Autonomy had reverted to a more sensible half-yearly reporting structure that would have just made people howl that they were hiding something!
At the end of the day good companies are generally ones which look after their business and then let the share price take care of itself. Autonomy seemed to take the opposite view.
6) A dangerous internal cultureThe sixth worrisome sign was the internal culture of the company. Autonomy struck me as having a dominant CEO with little formal constraints on his power. CFO Sushovan Hussain did not strike me as someone who, when push came to shove, would stand up to Mike.
Also, like many software companies, there seemed to be a Darwinian sales-driven culture (see the anonymous comment at the bottom of this Reuters story for (what may be) a eye-popping account). That is not to say that sales-driven cultures = accounting fraud, rather that sales-driven cultures tend over-promise on the topline, and be incentivised on a rising share price. This creates fertile conditions to try and cover it up when sales (inevitably) fails to deliver and threatens to derail the equity story.
7) A strangely static tech pitch
Autonomy's technology pitch: "I know more Greek
symbols than you. Now please buy my software"
The funny thing was that the pitch never changed, right from when I first came across Autonomy in 2000 to when it was finally taken out. Now imagine a major tech company who's pitch hasn't changed in 12 years. You can't. There isn't one. Twelve years ago Apple was a desktop computer company with a sideline in media players. Now its a phone company with a sideline in desktop computers. But Autonomy never changed.
Now none of these factors were a killer in and of themselves - I've seen them all occur in isolation at many well-run and highly profitable companies. However together they were all a bit... Strange.
The case for the defence (and other logical fallacies)
Of course Mike Lynch isn't the sort of guy to keep quite about this. He was busy making the rounds of TV studios yesterday putting his case. In a nutshell:
- He admits there was some hardware reselling involved, but this was openly disclosed and only c2% of revenues.
- The Autonomy numbers were audited by Deloitte and subject to due diligence by KPMG plus a horde of associated bankers. If there was something going on they would have spotted it (amusingly, Meg Whitman has been making the same point to justify why she wasn't responsible, except saying if there was something on they should have spotted it).
- Autonomy was fine when it was bought and has been wrecked by mismanagement post-acquisition, hence the write-down.
- HP is using this as a smokescreen to hide problems in its own business.
Bundling hardware is legitimate - the question is how much was going onI think Mike has a point about hardware sales. Autonomy did talk in the past about bundling software and hardware, particularly with its IDOL Search Appliance, a $1m+ box which combined Autonomy software on a dedicated, high-speed server. Given the numbers Lynch has talked about I think this product is what he is alluding to.
Bear in mind that bundling hardware and software is a perfectly legitimate practice - it's what tech companies call selling a "solution". Everyone does it to some degree. Arguably Cisco, for example, is simply a software company which bundles its programs on generic low-margin router hardware and sells them for a premium. Similarly SAP has been blowing its trumpet for the last two years about HANA - its bundling of an in-memory database on a commodity hardware server.
It sounds like the debate isn't that it was being done, but the magnitude. If hardware sales were 10-15% of revenues as HP alleges, that would not be something I can remember then talking about before.
His other arguments are, however, red herrings.
Throwing Deloitte under the bus - the fallacy of the Appeal to AuthorityWith regard to the due diligence whether it was spotted or not by Deloitte, KPMG or the man on the moon is a reflection on their competance, and has no bearing on whether it actually took place. This is a logical fallacy known as the Appeal to Authority: "Deloitte says its so therefore it must be so".
HP's subsequent behaviour - the fallacy of the False DilemmaWith regard to what HP did or did not do to Autonomy after acquisition again that is not the issue. The question is what happened before HP bought Autonomy. HP's (undoubted) management ineptitude is another matter. This is a logical fallacy of the false dilemma: HP wrecking Autonomy post-acqn, and Autonomy have dodgy accounts are not mutually exclusive events.
HP's smokescreen - the fallacy of the Appeal to MotiveFinally saying HP is using this issue as a smokescreen is a logical fallacy known as the appeal to motive, where you impugn an opponents reasons rather than his reasoning.
As I said before we do not have the full evidence, but I don't think Lynch's case adds much to the defence argument. Anyhow let's see what HP come up with. And let's not underestimate HP's unending ability to shoot itself in the foot (on that note I actually saw someone using a Palm Pre the other day. Wonders never cease!).
(PS if you want to understand more about formal and informal logical fallacies, I can thoroughly recomment Masen Pirie's How to Win Every Argument: The Use and Abuse of Logic. Essential reading for anyone who's ever been involved in an online flame war!)
Lessons to be learned
So what are the lessons to be learned from this mess? Very early days but here are the things that jump out at me.
The dangers of shorting bad companies
Be careful shorting dodgy companies when there is a bid out there. This sounds sort of counter-intuitive (surely you'd want to sell the bad companies?), but don't forget that up until this week if you had bet against Autonomy on the back of these you'd have had your face ripped off. Every time the bears got too dominant the company would pull out (manufacture?) a blow-out set of results or another acquisition to muddy the waters. And eventually they found (what they thought) was the ultimate get-out and found an even greater fool (HP) to sell the business to.
Ironically the right investment thesis on Autonomy (the shares) as opposed to Autonomy (the company) was "buy the stock, because Mike is clever enough to pull it off".
Another good example was actually a former competitor of Autonomy's, Norwegian company FAST Search & Transfer. This was another one that always had questions asked about its numbers (culminating in an accounting restatement in 2007). However in the end they got a $1.2bn bid from Microsoft before the whole story could come out (I sort of remember MSFT taking a write-down on that one too, but a quick scan of the 09/10/11 10-Ks didn't throw anything up).
Another blow to Europe's tech hopesIt hasn't been a good few years for European tech. With the implosion of Nokia and Alcatel-Lucent we now have very few global tech leaders. Off the top of my head SAP, ASML, ARM and perhaps Dassault Systemes. Capgemini in IT Services (does that count as "tech"?). Most of the mid-sized names are slowly getting picked off - in the last year or so Autonomy, Logica and Misys in the UK alone.
What's more worrisome though is that there are few companies coming through with the to potential to become $10bn (or even $1bn) tech players. Most of them sell out before they get to that stage. I was sad when Autonomy was bought out, because at the time it had the best shot of any of them at making it big. And it would be particularly galling if accounting issues were proven, after the examples of FAST and iSoft in the last few years. What is it, investors may ask, about European software companies and dodgy accounting?
HP are a complete bunch of lemonsThere are a lot of I-told-you-so's flying around this week, but the plain truth is there was reasonable doubt over Autonomy before HP came in. The seven points I listed above were all transparent to everyone before HP turned up with a bid at 11x sales. What was even more galling was that after the defenstration of Leo Apotheker they had a golden opportunity to walk away from the deal (the only barrier being a trifling break-up fee) but instead pressed on with it.
Even so given Autonomy's history you would have thought they would have hired the SAS to do the due diligence. At the very least they should gotten a team of forensic accountants in and pulled all the historic customer contracts. Now that's no guarantee (contracts can be faked, as we found out at the recent iSoft trial), but it should have least given an inkling of the proper licence/hardware split.
In this case, I'm afraid, there is no excuse.


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Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony have begun their two-week Beethoven festival, dubbed the "Beethoven Project." One of its goals is scholarly: to connect the dots between some of the titan's early rarities and his late-period ascensions. But, basically, what Thursday's opening program accomplished was to make your jaw drop.
The program — the first of its two performances — was devoted to those youthful rarities, including "some really oddball stuff," which is how John Mangum, the orchestra's director of artistic planning, put it in a pre-concert talk. The most oddball was the Sonatina in C major for Mandolin and Fortepiano, sort of a 19th-century bluegrass prophecy; more on that later. The jaw-dropper was the Cantata on the Death of the Emperor Joseph II, a massive work for orchestra, chorus and four soloists, which points toward much later masterworks — and which Beethoven composed at age 19.
Not fair, right?
Composed in 1790 — after the passing of the Holy Roman Empire's monarch — this grand endeavor stretches across 40 minutes. (You may recognize some of its themes; Beethoven recycled them into "Fidelio.")
There are moments, quite a few, when teenaged Beethoven strains for portent; the steady declamations of world-weariness and grief feel a little faux. Yet there are many sublime effects, and the maturity of the orchestration is astonishing: trembling cross-currents in the strings that verily "speak" Beethoven; likewise, a delicate chorale for winds; and the entwining of solo voices, chorus and instrumental forces, all commandingly marshaled by Tilson Thomas, making for a vast and expressive emotional matrix.
The San Francisco Symphony Chorus, directed by Ragnar Bohlin, gripped onto this piece from its opening outbursts: "Todt! Todt! Todt!" ("Dead! Dead! Dead!"). Then four strong soloists dove straight in: soprano Sally Matthews, mezzo-soprano Tamara Mumford, tenor Barry Banks and bass-baritone Andrew Foster-Williams.
Beethoven assigns two central arias and a recitative to the soprano, and Matthews lived up to her star billing. One could listen all night to her singing: exquisite, plush and very mezzo-y. She traced the curve of Beethoven's swan's-neck melodies, conveying their deep solace. Her first aria seemed predictive of Brahms' Alto Rhapsody; interesting, as Brahms was a fan of this cantata, which was first performed in 1884, long after Beethoven's death.
The gravity of this work stood in contrast to the one preceding it: "Adelaide," a song from 1796, setting verse by German Romantic poet Friedrich Matthisson and exuding a young man's pure-hearted love of a woman. Composed by Beethoven for piano and voice, it has been newly arranged for chorus by Bohlin, who conducted. (The sole instrumentalist was principal keyboardist Robin Sutherland, playing Beethoven's original piano part, superbly.)
These expanded accolades for "Adelaide" were gorgeous: love's rustlings and murmurs, echoing and lapping through the chorus. Oh, Adelaide!
After intermission, as the house lights dimmed and patrons rushed to their seats, it was time for the "oddball" stuff: mandolinist Joseph Brent and fortepianist Eric Zivian were spot-lit in a far corner of the stage, looking as if they had wandered in from one of Wes Anderson's film sets. They launched into the aforementioned Sonatina; a quiet, quirky and charming performance. And very folkish; its finger-picking principal theme is a bluegrass forerunner. Who knew?
This imaginative program concluded with something more familiar: Symphony No. 2 in D major, which the orchestra was recording for future release on CD. To these ears, the spacious opening movements weren't vivid enough; Tilson Thomas was locked into a dynamic mid-range. The Scherzo was elegant, somewhat slower and less comically exaggerated than in many performances. The finale was best, skewering that outrageous theme which sounds like Buster Keaton tumbling down a flight of stairs and leaping to his feet. For all his familiarity, Beethoven still surprises.
Contact Richard Scheinin at 408-920-5069, read his stories and reviews at www.mercurynews.com/richard-scheinin and follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/richardscheinin.
San Francisco Symphony's 'Beethoven Project'
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Through: May 12
Next programs: 8 p.m. May 3, a repeat of the program reviewed here; May 4, 5 and 9, "Beethoven and Adams"
Where: Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco
Tickets: $15-$150, 415-864-6000, www.sfsymphony.org


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Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Gerrard out for season
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is to have an operation on his left shoulder which will rule him out of the rest of the season.
The England skipper will also miss the national team's two friendlies against the Republic of Ireland at Wembley on May 29 and Brazil on June 2.
Gerrard will go under the knife later this week and is expected to return in time for Liverpool's pre-season programme.
Gerrard, 33 later this month, has had his best season fitness-wise and his appearance in 220th Merseyside derby was his 36th consecutive Premier League start - equalling his previous longest run set between April 2006 and April 2007.
He has played with the shoulder injury for several months but after an early collision with Everton midfielder Leon Osman on Sunday he looked in obvious discomfort.
However, it did not prevent him completing 90 minutes - Gerrard has missed only 17 minutes of the league season after being forced off against Newcastle just over a week ago after feeling some pain in the shoulder - and putting in another impressive performance.
But with little to play for in their remaining two matches at Fulham and QPR Liverpool have decided it makes more sense for Gerrard to have an operation now to give him an additional couple of weeks' rehabilitation.
"Liverpool have confirmed Steven Gerrard will undergo surgery on a recurrent shoulder problem this week," said a statement from Liverpool.
"The captain's injury has progressively worsened in recent weeks and requires an operation to cure it.
"Gerrard will now miss the final two games of 2012-13, but he is expected to be fit for the start of pre-season training this summer."


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Metallica Tap Acclaimed Director for Upcoming 3D Feature Film
Breaking news about Metallica's highly anticipated 3D film: The band just revealed that they've chosen director Nimrod Antal ('Kontroll,' 'Vacancy,' 'Predators') and producer Charlotte Huggins ('Journey 2: The Mysterious Island') to work with them in creating the film.
Metallica released the following statement on their official website:
At the beginning of the year we told you about our latest adventure into 3D film … an all new, totally crazy world for us!! And, as we mentioned then, so many of the details were still being ironed out. With that said, we're super excited to announce that we will be teaming up with award winning director Nimrod Antal and producer Charlotte Huggins.
Adds drummer Lars Ulrich:
I've been a fan of Nimrod's since his first Hungarian film, 'Kontroll,' showed up at Cannes in 2004 and blew everybody away. I've watched with excitement his career in Hollywood blossom over the last few years. Within five minutes of meeting him I was addicted to his enthusiasm, his take on the creative process and his 'thinking outside of the box' personality. Let's get on with it!!!
Nimrod Antal also shared his excitement for the upcoming project:
Metallica has always been a huge part of my life, and it's an incredible opportunity when we get to work with our heroes. We are going to harness the powerful and almighty energy of Metallica's live shows, inject a narrative into it, and shoot it in 3D to elevate the entire experience.
According to a press release, "The film will be a marriage of narrative and concert and will star the five members of Metallica: James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, Robert Trujillo and the fans. It will begin shooting this August and will be released in the summer of 2013."
Metallica are planning to release more information on the film over the next few months.


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cortb needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 176 designs submitted by 51 freelance designers.
Looking for a cool branding logo for a new unique organic/herbal company. Open to design/branding/color selections.
Alternative Organics
Alternative Organics is a new company focused on alternative, herbal, holistic medicine organic products unique in their function and marketplace. We're looking for a branding logo with crisp colors and a unique, distinctive organic/herbal appeal. Ideally, we would like to have a memorable visual component to our logo (i.e.- Nike swoosh, etc.).
We will be launching a unique line of herbal infusions, neutraceuticals, essential oil medicinals, etc. so the logo should really convey health and wellness through the use of organics/herbals.
To all designers: you are all extremely talented and making this one ofthe hardest decisions we've had to make in quite some time. Feel freeto stop submitting ideas as we have quite an extensive list to choosefrom. If, however, you choose to submit more, please think of our goals- this will be a company logo that will be on all product packaging. Wewant to convey high end herbal/organic/holistic solutions. So thedesign should not be overly complex - quick, elegant, eye catchingwhich conveys an attitude.
All associated design files will be needed once the winner has been selected - this could include PSD, etc.
- Generic designs
- traditional medicinal designs/symbols should not be used
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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How much truth is there in the movie The God Makers? This page provides resources that explain the truth behind the claims made in the movie.
The movie "The God makers" is described by a multi-denominational group, the National Conference of Christians and Jews, as "making extensive use of 'half-truth', faulty generalizations, erroneous interpretations, and sensationalism. It is not reflective of the genuine spirit of the Mormon faith."
Unable to accept this assessment, the supporters of the film have demanded specific examples of the above-mentioned faults. The following is a partial list of such specifics in the approximate order that they are found in the film.
1. LDS temple services are said to be "reserved for an elite few". In actuality, great efforts are made to assist all members to align their lives with the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ so that they may enter the temples. They are not "reserved" for the "elite". If not all members worship there, it is by their own choice, and represents a fulfillment of the Biblical truth, "many are called, but few are chosen", for "strait is the gate and narrow the way, and few there be that find it."
2. After LDS mission president Harold R. Goodman described the interview for receiving a temple recommend, a misleading film edit was made so that he seemed to say, "that is the only way we can be with our Heavenly Father". While it is true that certain of the highest heavenly rewards are contingent on making covenants with God in the temple (and living up to them), this is not required for salvation and entrance into the Celestial Kingdom where we will be in the presence of our Heavenly Father. Anyone familiar with LDS doctrine knows this, and the film was edited in such a way as to create a deliberate deception.
3. It was said that "many Mormons came thousands of miles and stood in the rain" to tour the Seattle temple before its dedication because "this may be the only time they may be allowed to enter a Mormon temple" as one of the "select few". In view of #1 above, any LDS member who cared enough about the temple to make that kind of a journey would certainly find it easier to obtain a recommend and attend a temple nearer home. The statement was absurd and unfounded.
4. The Mormon "gods" were said to have "worked their way up" to become gods. This is alien to LDS theology. While we believe that we are the "offspring of God", (Heb. 12:9, Acts 17:29, Ps.82:6) and "joint heirs with Christ", (Rom.8:17, 1 Jn.3:2, Rev. 3:21) we can no more "work ourselves up" to godhood than a piece of coal can "work itself up" to become a diamond or a caterpillar can "work itself up" to be a butterfly. In each case the potential is there, but it is God who must work the miracle. He is the only "God maker"!
LDS strive to follow the Savior's admonition to "Be ye perfect even as your Father in Heaven is perfect."(Matt.5:48) And yet we know that "we have all sinned and come short" of that perfection. In fact, we know that we won't achieve it in this life, and that we must all rely on the Grace of Christ to return to the presence of our Heavenly Father. But "we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him"(1 John 3:2).
Following the admonition of Paul, we as Latter-day Saints "let this mind be in (us) which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God" (Philippians 2:5,6) We do not apologize for believing the Bible. Most Christians consider themselves "a child of the King", yet they don't know what that really means. Latter-day Saints believe the Bible when it says the faithful children of our Heavenly Father are to inherit the kingdom, receive a throne, and sit at the right hand of God. (Rev. 3:21)
5. The quote "As man is, God once was, and as God is, man may become" was credited to James E. Talmage. It was Lorenzo Snow who said this. This is a small thing, but it's evidence of poor research and a disregard for accuracy. Almost any LDS high school seminary student could give the correct attribution for this quote.
6. To demean God's Biblical command to "be fruitful and multiply" by referring to "endless Celestial sex" is an example of the tasteless sensationalism decried by the National Council of Christians and Jews in their report which totally discredited this film.
7. The principles of Celestial Marriage and Eternal Progression were said to be "secrets" that "Mormons don't talk about". This is untrue. While the principle of man's becoming like our Heavenly Father is not discussed in our church meetings nearly as much as one would believe from reading anti-Mormon literature, it is certainly not a secret.
8. Mormonism is described as being far removed from "orthodox" Christianity. It must be remembered that orthodoxy is often subjective in its definition. Christ himself flew in the face of the religious "orthodoxy" of His time. But who was right? Our Lord, or the Scribes and Pharisees? In reality the LDS church is much closer to the "orthodoxy" of the original first century Christians than other churches in the world today. (The popular Protestant doctrine of salvation by faith alone is itself far removed from the historic Catholic theology by which "orthodoxy" was defined for over 1,000 years!)
9. A story is shown in animation of Elohim growing up as a mortal on a planet and later becoming God, our Heavenly Father. Somehow this is implied to be a fantastic and un-Christian doctrine. Yet this is exactly like the story told in the four Gospels of the mortal existence of our Lord Jesus Christ, who later rose from the dead and received the fullness of His glory as God the Son, equal in power and dominion with His Father. Jesus said that he did nothing that he had not seen the Father do. (John 5:19) If Jesus is God, yet lived as a mortal, then why could not His Father have done the same?
10. Blacks are described as being "neutral" in the war that was fought in heaven against Lucifer and the spirits who followed him. This is incorrect. LDS are taught that there were no neutrals in that conflict.
The implication in the film that the LDS church is racist is unjustified. Many blacks and other minorities hold responsible positions of leadership in our Church, and our Indian Placement Program (where LDS members open their homes to assist in the education of Native American children) is unequaled by any other Christian denomination.
11. God the Father (Elohim) is pictured "returning to Earth in human form from the 'star base Kolob' to have sex with the Virgin Mary in order to provide Jesus with a physical body". The caricature of the Lord of the Universe knocking on the door of a home in Nazareth in the middle of the night is a total perversion of LDS beliefs and has rightly been called "religious pornography" by many Christians who have more taste than the people who produced this film.
Two marvelous events happened on that wondrous night (or day) when Jesus was conceived in Mary's womb. According to the Bible, (1) the Holy Ghost came upon her, and (2) the power of the Highest "overshadowed" her. The first was necessary because no mortal can endure the presence of God the Father without the protection of the Holy Ghost. But Jesus is not the son of the Holy Ghost. God the Father is "the Highest", and it is He who is the father of Jesus. To say otherwise is to "wrest the scriptures".
12. A few speculative remarks from early LDS leaders regarding Jesus having married and fathered children is implied to be official Church doctrine, which it is not. However such a doctrine would not be un-Christian, since the Bible is silent on the subject. (In fact a Presbyterian minister in West Virginia has written a book giving Biblical reasons why he believes that Jesus was indeed married!)
13. Joseph Smith is described as "a young treasure seeker". Although he did once hire out as a laborer for a man looking for treasure, this derogatory term is a definite "half truth" and in no way accurately describes his usual occupation or character. It is also highly questionable whether it can be substantiated that he was "known for his tall tales", or if this is merely an invention of the film's authors. His mother said he shared stories from the Book of Mormon history with family members, but these are no more "tall tales" than telling about Moses parting the Red Sea.
14. Statement from the film: "The Mormons thank God for Joseph Smith, who claimed that he had done more for us than any other man, including Jesus Christ." This is patently false. The original quote from D & C 135:3 said Joseph Smith had done more for the salvation of men"save Jesus only" than any other man who had lived in the world. There is a world of difference in the two statements, and difference is the truth of what was said versus the deception of those who have deliberately misquoted Joseph Smith.
Defenders of the film have confused this misquote with another reference in LDS Church history (taken from the book also titled The God makers, not the movie, which is what I am dealing with here) where Joseph Smith said of "keeping a whole church together" that "neither Paul, John, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I!" (Let the reader compare the three quotes to see where the deception lies!) Here, Joseph did not say that he was greater than Jesus as the anti-Mormons have claimed, but rather that he had done a greater work than Jesus. Was this blasphemy? Or fulfillment of a prophecy made by Jesus himself? In John 14:12, the Lord said of whoever believed on Him; "the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do..."
Perhaps Joseph did get a little carried away in his boasting of what happened to be a true fact of history. But this is a human fallibility that Joseph shared with many other Biblical prophets (see Paul in 2 Cor. 11:16-33).In no way does this negate his prophetic calling nor invalidate the truthfulness of the church he restored. To even mention it shows how desperately the critics of the LDS church are grasping at straws. A quick reading of Joseph's speeches or writings would show immediately that neither he nor his followers have ever considered him to be greater than Jesus Christ.
15. It is stated that "the Mormon church pressures individuals into divorcing their spouses when they are not measuring up to the Church's standards." This is totally untrue. Several ex-Mormons interviewed in the film said they were counseled by their Bishops to divorce. A quick look at handbooks for Bishops will reveal that the official Church policy is quite the contrary. LDS couples are counseled to make every effort to strengthen and preserve their marriages and families. If Ed Decker knows "literally hundreds of families with stories like this" (being advised to divorce), then why did he have to hire actors to portray 2 of the "estranged husbands" in the film? (These were in addition to two other actors playing attorneys.)
16. One of the major allegations of the film is that "there is a whole area of psychiatric care dealing with depression in the Mormon woman". Much has been made of a 1983 TV documentary produced by KSL television in Salt Lake City called "Mormon Women and Depression". (I watched it and have it on videocassette.) It is never mentioned, however, that this was only one part of a series of programs on depression in various segments of the Utah population. Its importance has been blown out of proportion... another example of the "half truths" in this film which were condemned by the investigators from the NCCJ.
It should also be noted that in the last few years there has been a rise in the awareness of depression in women in general (some think it's brought on by the feminist movement), and a recognition of illnesses like Pre-Menstrual Syndrome, etc. If one is to believe the multitude of commercials heard on Christian radio stations (at least in the LA area) which advertise counseling and PMS treatment centers, it could more legitimately be said that "there is a whole area of psychiatric care dealing with depression in CHRISTIAN women". To single out Mormonism as a cause of depression is at best false and misleading. I have no doubt that virtually 100 percent of LDS women who feel depressed would say if asked that their faith in Christ which they're taught in the Mormon church is their greatest help in OVERCOMING that depression.
17. According to Ed Decker in the film, "Heaven to the Mormon woman is being pregnant for all eternity, one spirit baby after the next". A mental picture is thus drawn which is supposed to be repugnant to today's "liberated" women and somehow un-Christian. In reality, God has not yet completely revealed the process by which spirit children are added to His eternal family (of which we are all a part). But surely the process is more sophisticated than the nine-month gestation period and pregnancy through which mortal women suffer to give birth. It was only after the Fall that God said to the woman Eve, "I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children". Therefore "pregnant" is a term which in all likelihood is applicable only to the post-Fall mortal condition.
18. Sandra Tanner is described as "considered to be one of the greatest living authorities on Mormonism". Considered by whom? Anti-Mormons? Being an "expert" on only one side of an issue doesn't make one an "authority". Dr. Jan Shipps, a non-Mormon professor at Indiana University At Indianapolis is a much more believable "expert". Her book entitled Mormonism, A New Religious Tradition is acclaimed as an objective alternative to Tanner's polemic tome.
19. Mrs. Tanner says Utah (67% LDS) has a higher rate of divorce and suicide than the national average. Teen suicide is supposedly much higher than nationally. "This is partly due to the fact the Mormons emphasize perfection", she says. (For more details on the questionable statistics, see #44 below)
Is it un-Christian to strive for perfection? Was it not Christ himself who said "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect"? (Matt.5:48) And though we, like Paul, have not "already attained" perfection, but "follow after" as we "press toward the mark"(Philip 3:12), is not the purpose of the church "for the perfecting of the saints"(Eph. 4:12)?
A truly heart-rending and tragic case is presented of 16-year old Kip Eliason who committed suicide in 1982. When he approached LDS counselors regarding his "sexual feelings that were in direct conflict with the teachings of the Church", they lovingly reinforced those teachings and standards. This is implied to have led to the boy's death, and therefore is supposedly another proof that the LDS Church is not Christian.
Ironically, an almost identical case of a teen's suicide after receiving counseling from a religious leader has led to a landmark lawsuit filed by the second boy's parents. Except in this case the defendant is not a Mormon but a leading figure in the Evangelical Christian community who is also an ardent supporter of "The God makers". Did not Jesus say that we should cast out the beam in our own eye before worrying about the mote in the eye of our neighbor? Clearly, this kind of tragedy can happen in any church. Such exploitation of the Eliason family's grief by the film makers is unforgivable!
20. Ed Decker charges that the Book of Mormon calls the "Christian body" the "whore of Babylon". Actually two churches are mentioned in 1 Nephi 14:10--the "church of the Lamb of God" and the "church of the devil". It is the latter which is described as "whore of all the earth". However this church is further described in 1 Nephi 22:23 as actually a collection of "all churches which are built up to get gain, and all those who are built up to get power over the flesh, and those who are built up to become popular in the eyes of the world"...etc. Only those churches which fit this description need worry. (and according to the complaints of many Christians, there unfortunately seems to be quite a few of them)
21. Ed Decker also charges in the film that the LDS temple ceremony "mocks the Christian pastor and calls him a hireling of Satan". The depicting of a nameless clergyman in the temple instruction is simply a teaching device where he recites the traditional creeds regarding the nature of God, which we believe to be in error. No disrespect or "mocking" of any Christian pastor or any denomination is intended. In fact, the minister's integrity is demonstrated when he repents and changes his ways after he learns the truth from the apostles Peter, James, and John. (Note: Recent changes in the temple films have deleted the above altogether.)
22. The film's narrator states that: "Mormons are instructed to use Christian terminology when talking to potential converts. Words such as 'God', 'Jesus', and 'salvation' all have different Mormon meanings which the outsider may not be aware of..."
LDS members use no different terminology when talking to non-LDS than when talking to each other. The sort of sinister deception that is implied simply does not exist. Any deviation from the Biblical usage and definition of the above words lies with the film's authors, not with the Latter-day Saints.
23. Reference is made to "nine versions" told of Joseph Smith's First Vision, "each of which contradicts the other". These "unpublished" accounts are supposedly "deliberately kept from you by Mormon leaders" to conceal the truth. As a point of fact, the different versions were published in a feature article by James B. Allen in the official LDS church magazine The Improvement Era (April 1970) with the express approval of the "Mormon leaders", for all to see. An in-depth article on this subject by Dean Jesse was also published in BYU Studies (Spring 1969).
A careful comparison will show that there is no more "contradiction" among the accounts than one will find in comparing the four descriptions of the life of Jesus found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. In each case, different aspects of the events were emphasized or highlighted according to the needs of the intended audience at the time of the writing.
Similarly in Acts 9,22,&26 we find three different accounts of Saul's "first vision", with discrepancies as to who fell down and whether those with Saul saw the light or heard the voice, etc. Yet both Saul's and Joseph's visions did take place. (They are actually quite similar.)
24. The film points out that there have been many changes in the LDS scriptures in their various editions. This is implied to be a fatal flaw. If so, then the rest of Christianity must share the same deficiency considering the thousands of changes made in the Bible in the hundreds of translations and editions that have been printed. Usually changes in LDS scripture have been made to correct typographical or punctuation errors, or to make the text either (1) agree more closely with the earliest editions, (2) seem more grammatically palatable to the modern reader, or (3) express under inspiration a clearer meaning of the original intent. (see #28 below)
25. Statements said to be made by Joseph Smith and Brigham Young regarding the possible inhabitants of the sun and moon were reported from journal entries or from third-hand memory, and are suspect. To imply that those quotes really represent LDS doctrine is another in a long list of distortions in this propaganda film.
But the real issue is, can a prophet believe something which is found to be in error by the science of a later age? If the Bible is true, the answer is yes. Leviticus 11 and Deut. 14 list the hare as an animal that chews the cud, which science has disproved. And Gen.30:35--43 says that placing striped sticks in view of mating animals results in striped offspring. ...Moon men? These examples sound equally absurd in light of modern day scientific knowledge. The Rev. J.R. Dummelow in his One Volume Bible Commentary said something about the author of Genesis which could equally be applied to Joseph Smith or Brigham Young: "His scientific knowledge may be bounded by the horizon of the age in which he lived, but the religious truths he teaches are irrefutable and eternal."
26. Decker says: "The true doctrine (of the LDS church) teaches that there is no eternal life without a polygamous relationship". This is blatantly untrue. The church teaches that the highest heavenly rewards are reserved for those who enter the "new and everlasting covenant" of eternal marriage, but they can be married to just one person and receive the same rewards as anyone in a "polygamous relationship".
On polygamy:(the practice of which was officially ended by the LDS church in 1890) --if Joseph Smith seemed reticent to tell his wife Emma about this law of God at first, it is an understandable human foible. (Especially if you knew Emma!) But this no more disqualifies him from the office of prophet than the similar frailties seen in Abraham's lie to Pharaoh about Sara being his sister, or in Moses's boast to the Children of Israel that he would give them water from a rock in the desert. (Num. 20:7--12. His failure to acknowledge God on that occasion kept him out of the Promised Land as punishment, but did not negate his prophetic calling or nullify the scriptures he wrote.)
In addition, it should be noted that these same ancient prophets --and their followers-- also practiced polygamy... with the approval and sanction of God.
27. Sandra Tanner charges that LDS church historical records are hidden from the members in some sort of dark cover-up. Obviously the rare and valuable documents must be protected from public access, just like the closed stacks in many libraries and museums. Nor would the Church see the need to admit a known anti-Mormon like Mrs. Tanner.
Incidentally, Mrs. Tanner and her husband have made a substantial business of publishing those same LDS church historical records that are supposedly "hidden". They must not be too hard to get hold of!
28. Decker says that Christian scholars are "always refining" the scriptures in the quest to "improve and validate the authenticity of the Holy Scripture". Then he says, "In Mormonism it's completely opposite". And yet when LDS efforts are made to "refine" scripture, resulting in changes, he decries these changes as proof of the non-validity of LDS scriptures. (see #24 above)
Come on, Ed... you can't have it both ways!
29. Dr. Charles Crane is presented as an "expert on Mormon archaeology". He is actually a Church of Christ minister with advanced degrees in "Ministry", "Divinity" and Psychology, (not archaeology) who in correspondence with me says he has "sought to study the archaeology of the Book of Mormon". He revealed no details on the extent of his study, so I must question his "expert" status.
30. Both Crane and Tanner claim that because the cities of the Book of Mormon are not found on modern maps, "there is no evidence for the book, any yet it's supposed to be a historical record". Dr. Richard Fales ("author, lecturer, archaeologist"-- what are his credentials?) says "not one single artifact has been found that even remotely relates to the (Book of Mormon) civilizations". He calls the book a "fairy tale".
Point of fact: Many books have been written detailing dozens of archaeological parallels between the Book of Mormon and the history of ancient America. The Book of Mormon's claims regarding wheeled vehicles, great walled cities with prayer towers, baptismal fonts, the use of cement, the presence of horses and elephants, etc. seemed absurd in 1830 when it was published. Yet these claims have been vindicated by archaeological discoveries since that time.
In addition, one particular artifact (Stela 5 Izapa from Chiapas, Mexico) contains a large and detailed drawing of the Tree of Life which appears to be a direct connection with the Book of Mormon. Competent scholars have found over 50 elements in Stela 5 which correspond to parts of a long and involved vision given by God to the prophet Lehi in the 8th chapter of 1st Nephi. This artifact was discovered by a Smithsonian dig in 1941, and to date no non-LDS scholar has offered a viable alternative interpretation of the inscription. --Not bad for a "fairy tale"! (see the Ensign June 1985 pp.54--55.)
A note on the film's statement that "archaeology has been able to prove the existence of all great civilizations": It was only in the 1800's after many years of struggle against the archaeological "establishment" that the explorer Heinrich Schliemann finally found proof that unearthed the ancient city of Troy described in Homer's epic poems. Until that time they were considered to be in the realm of "fairy tales". Who's to say that in a year or two the great Book of Mormon cities of Bountiful or Zarahemla will not be uncovered and make news around the world? What will the anti-Mormons say then?
Anyone sincerely wishing to study scientific evidences of the Book of Mormon should contact the Foundation for Archaeological Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) for a catalog of scholarly papers on a wide range of topics.
Their address is P.O. Box 7113 University Station, Provo, Utah 84602.
31. The film states that: "Mormon missionaries are converting people throughout the world by explaining to them that archaeology has "proven" the Book of Mormon to be true." This is false. Sometimes archaeological evidences are shared with people to pique their interest and get them to seriously consider the book, but LDS missionaries are trained to teach people that the ultimate test of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon is through an answer to prayer and a personal witness from the Holy Ghost, as described in James 1:5,6. It is only through the Spirit of God that true conversion takes place.
32. Regarding the Book of Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price, which was revealed to Joseph Smith through the gift and power of God: The film says, "Several famous Egyptologists have now translated it (the Egyptian Papyri associated with the Book of Abraham) and have found that it doesn't have anything to do with the time of Abraham at all".
At least one of these "famous Egyptologists" --Dee Jay Nelson-- made false claims about his academic background and his alleged employment as a translator for the LDS church. How many other holes are there in "The God makers" story?
The sincere investigator on this topic will find a wealth of information in Dr. Hugh Nibley's articles in BYU Studies (1968 and 1971) as well as those in the Improvement Era almost every issue from Jan. 1968 to May 1970, plus one in the Ensign, March 1976. Also see Michael Rhodes's study in BYU Studies 17 (1977). Also Nibley's book, "The Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri" (1975)
33. The 1978 revelation to President Kimball to give the LDS priesthood to blacks was said to have come because of "social pressure". This is wrong. The greatest period of pressure of this nature came in 1971. By 1978 it was hardly an issue because the civil rights movement was at a comparative ebb. The revelation came as an answer to prayer from God's prophet and mouthpiece on Earth, at a time when increasing numbers of blacks were beginning to join the LDS Church. Church leaders desired to extend all blessings of membership to these people, and after much supplication God heard their prayers.
34. The film says that "the finality of Mormon theology is not based on evaluation by scriptural evidence", and that LDS missionaries do not encourage the people they're teaching to read from the Bible, only the Book of Mormon. This is untrue. In the Uniform System for Teaching Families, (the basic lessons that LDS missionaries use all over the world) they are expressly instructed to: "use only Biblical references with investigators". Nothing is taught in LDS doctrine that is in conflict with the Bible, and every opportunity is taken to point this out by studying the relevant Bible verses. (LDS prefer the King James Version)
35. The witness of truth by the Holy Ghost in the heart of the individual person --described as a "burning in the bosom"-- is said to be a "totally subjective" process. This is incorrect, as many Christians will testify. There are many times when one is walking in the Spirit that "the heart will be told what the mind cannot know." And yet the reliance by LDS on the Spirit for guidance and inspiration is implied to be somehow un-Christian! The makers of "The God makers" would prefer to gamble their Eternal Salvation on someone's (usually theirs) subjective interpretation of this Bible verse or that. (My Baptist friends tell me that when you get any three Baptists together on a Bible verse you'll get at least five opinions!)
Latter-day Saints rely heavily on the Scriptures, both the Bible and our own. But we believe that "no prophecy of the scripture is of private interpretation"(2 Pet. 1:20) "But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God.... Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth: comparing spiritual things with spiritual."(1 Cor.2:10--13) This is the real test.
The Saints in the days of Paul relied on the witness of the Spirit instead of hermeneutics. The Saints of these latter-days believe that true Christians must still do the same. It is the "rock" of revelation from God to man (as the Christian singer Sandi Patti so eloquently puts it in her wonderful song) on which the true church of Jesus Christ is built; not someone's Biblical interpretation, however learned. The "Born Again" experience itself necessitates the Holy Spirit witnessing to a person that Jesus is indeed their personal savior, Lord, and Christ. It cannot come by Bible study alone.
36. The "re-enactment" (so-called) of LDS temple ceremonies is perhaps the most disappointing and offensive part of this film. An utter disregard is shown by the film makers for the sensitivities of other human beings. Ceremonies that are considered sacred by millions of people are trampled upon, ridiculed, and distorted, with definite purpose and malice aforethought. A great many right-thinking Christians have expressed revulsion at this kind of propagandistic approach.
The producers of the film have admitted their use of deception to obtain stock footage of temple interiors from the LDS church information services, and to arrange interviews with church officials who appear in the film. These despicable tactics speak for themselves.
The LDS temple ceremonies are said to be "Mason-like" and "occultic". There is nothing "occultic" about the covenants that LDS people make with our Heavenly Father in the temples, nor about the work done there for the dead. In fact one of these ceremonies --baptisms for the dead-- was mentioned as a practice of the early Christians by the apostle Paul in 1 Cor.15:29. This is merely a way in which these necessary ordinances can be performed as a vicarious service for those who have died without the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and accept Him as their Savior through baptism. (Most Christian denominations have a hard time explaining what happens to these people.)
What is described as a "fanatical program to evangelize the dead" is simply the fulfillment of prophecy in the last verse of the Old Testament (Malachi 4:6) that in the last days God will "turn the hearts of the children to their fathers". What is so "fanatical" or sinister or "occultic" about that?
If there is anything "Mason-like" about the LDS temple ordinances, it might be explained by the fact that the Masonic order began among workers on the great Temple of Solomon. If God is "the same yesterday, today and forever", then the same ceremonies were performed by God's righteous believers in the Temple of their day. If God then revealed the ordinances to the prophet Joseph Smith in our day, a corrupted version handed down through the centuries by the Masons might still bear some resemblance to the original.
37. The sacred undergarment worn by LDS who have made special covenants with God in the temples is said to be "unattractive" and "de-humanizing". (Why should it be attractive since it is not meant to be seen? It's an undergarment!) These garments are patterned after the garments of skins that God made for Adam and Eve when He cast them out of the Garden of Eden. (Gen.3:21) Perhaps the film makers should take up their complaints with the original Tailor!
A parallel to the LDS temple garment can be seen in a similar item of under-apparel worn by the most orthodox Jewish sects-- a holdover from Israel's righteous days when they performed temple worship thousands of years ago. It should also be noted that a similar item is mentioned in the earliest Jewish and Christian writings such as the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi codices.
The extreme measures referred to in the film that are supposedly taken by LDS to avoid ever losing physical contact with the temple garment are totally incorrect. There are many occasions such as visits to a doctor, swimming or playing basketball, etc. when "temple Mormons" rightly do not wear the garment. The film portrayed a caricature that does not exist.
38. Another caricature is built up of Joseph Smith as a "treasure seeker" who was "involved in the occult". This description does not fit the man as all, as revealed in many accounts regarding him written by his contemporaries. (See #13 above) The mistake is also made of trying to judge Joseph, who lived in the mid-1800's, by the culture and practices of the 1980's. Similarly a person in the next century might say that having a Jack o'lantern on Halloween is a sure sign of being "involved in the occult", and the hobbyist with a metal detector is a "treasure seeker"!
39. An avowed Satanist's book is used as an authoritative source to come up with a mythical god "Mormo" whose followers are allegedly called "Mormons". Obviously if the same book were to have reference to a god "Metho" whose followers were called "Methodists", they would give it no credence or notice, except perhaps for a good horse laugh. To stoop to such antics in a supposedly serious "documentary" is inexcusable.
40. Likewise, the claim that the Chinese word "Mormon" means "gates of Hell" relies on an extremely tortured translation and is meaningless. It's just another example of sensationalism. The National Enquirer would win a Pulitzer Prize in comparison to the writers of this film!
41. Some sort of sinister implication (complete with evil-sounding music to match) is made in speaking of the "wealth" of the LDS church and great land holdings. The narrator fails to mention that virtually all of the Church's real estate is identified as meetinghouses for LDS members (built with as little as 4% of the cost paid by the local congregations), schools, and farms where food is raised to feed the needy in the model LDS welfare program.
The LDS church does have some stock in the parent corporation that owns the LA Times, but can hardly be considered a "major stockholder"(especially in view of some of the articles unfavorable to the Church which have appeared in that paper and its sister publication in Denver).
42. Money is said to be "extracted" form LDS church members in a "mandatory" tithing program. These buzz words are by now quite tiresome, and again they are totally false! Tithes and offerings are no more "mandatory" for Mormons than for other Christians. As with any principle of the Gospel there are certain rewards (both temporally and spiritually) for obedience. But to show the picture of the young Deacon gathering Fast Offerings and imply that he was "shaking down" the Mormon mother for tithing... come on now! (The Fast offering is a separate contribution where members fast for two meals on the first Sunday of every month and give the cost of the meals into a special fund to feed the needy. This practice is now being picked up by some other Christian churches.)
43. Mormons are said to "own a substantial portion of Hawaii". It is not indicated whether they are referring to individual LDS members or to the Church. In either case the truth is probably stretched quite a bit.
44. Utah (identified as 75% Mormon--actually it's closer to 50%) is said to "rank among the highest" of the states in divorce, suicide, child abuse, teenage pregnancy, venereal disease, and bigamy.
Utah (according to Atlanta's Communicable Disease Center) is 47th among the states in venereal disease. This is hardly "among the highest". In view of this kind of error, the rest of the statistics cited are highly suspect. The following, however, might explain any unexpectedly high figures for the state of Utah if they proved to be correct:
Utah is among the lowest states in abortions, which accounts for more teenage pregnancies carried to term. And since most young LDS people don't plan to be "sexually active" as do teens in other states, they are more likely to become pregnant when they do make mistakes. And since they try harder to "do the right thing" by getting married when they get pregnant, there are more teen marriages and hence more divorces. And since Utah has some of the most strict child abuse reporting laws in the nation, (you must legally report even any SUSPECTED abuse) there is perhaps more reported child abuse than in other states. (Not necessarily more abuse.)
Therefore it can be seen that the supposedly damning statistics reveal in actuality the good "fruits" of the LDS church. The film makers failed to mention that of active LDS church members married in the temple, the number of divorces is only ONE-FIFTH the national average.
45. The film says that "Mormonism undercuts the Bible", which is definitely false. Our 8th Article of Faith states, "We believe the Bible to be the word of God, as far as it is translated correctly." We believe it to be "verbally inspired" as do other Christians. That is, that it was "inerrant" as it flowed from the mind of God through the pens of the original writers. However we believe (along with most Christians) that copying and translation errors do occur. No Christian would accept as God's word any verse of the Bible which scholarship proves to be mistranslated, and neither to Mormons.
The film also says that Mormonism "undercuts all the other churches", which is misleading. Although we believe that the complete fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is found only in our church, we believe that almost all religions contain some of God's truth and are beneficial to mankind.
It is not the Latter-day Saints who brand another faith as a "cult" and seek to exclude its members from fellowship with other Christians. We leave that activity to the anti-Mormons.
46. It is said in the film that many LDS church members only remain in the church because "Mormonism is a nice place to raise your family...it's the easy road". That description may be true in Utah, but it does not account for the rapid growth of the LDS church in other parts of the world like Latin America and Japan, where becoming a "Mormon" is anything but "the easy road". Many millions of people have decided to follow Christ as the Holy Ghost has led them by joining the LDS church, and in doing so have lost their jobs, families, --everything. Sometimes even their lives.
47. "I learned that the God of Mormonism was not the God of the Bible." This statement near the end of the film shows that the person who uttered it has an incomplete knowledge of both Mormonism and the Bible. The God of Mormonism is not the God of the Nicene Creed, but He definitely IS the God of the Bible.
48. "But there's fraud...deliberate misrepresentation". This quote from Dick Baer aimed at the LDS church applies more aptly to his propaganda film "The God makers", as has been pointed out herein.
The foregoing 48 specific points constitutes a partial list of the errors, distortions, and untruths in the film. These comments will also apply equally to the same problems found in the book of the same name, written by Ed Decker and Dave Hunt. A more complete response to the book has been written, but the major points of emphasis will probably not vary a great deal from those of the film which have been dealt with here. The book is called "The Truth About The God makers", and it is available at almost any LDS book store. Or more information on the book response may be obtained from the author, Gilbert Scharffs, 2898 Mill Creek Rd., Salt Lake City, Utah 84109.
It is unfortunate that the authors and producers of the "God makers" film and book have felt it necessary to expend such great amounts of money, time and energy to persecute the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is equally unfortunate that so many good Christians and pastors have unknowingly "aided and abetted" in this persecution by opening their churches and their pulpits to those who have been perpetuating it. Hopefully, this response will shed some light and lead to a better understanding between Latter-day Saints and their fellow disciples in the Body of Christ.
In his brilliant essay on "What it Means to Be a Mormon Christian", BYU English professor Eugene England shared a quote from the great reformer Martin Luther: "The kingdom of God is like a besieged city surrounded on all sides by death. Each man has his place on the wall to defend and no one can stand where another stands, but nothing prevents us from calling encouragement to one another." England then goes on to say, "It would be tragic if we Christians, standing each in our different places, were to desert our place on the wall...to turn on each other."
Intolerance has no place among Christians. Jesus himself taught that lesson when his apostles came to him saying they had forbidden one casting out devils in His name because "he followeth not with us". The Savior said: "Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us."(Luke 50:49). Likewise in Acts 5:27-39 we find: "Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God." This is a commandment from Jesus that the producers of "The God makers" and those who assist them need to learn and obey.
The foregoing is my own work and does not represent any official statement of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Robert D. StarlingNote: These concepts and others will soon be presented in an expanded form, in a book the author is currently writing entitled Inside Mormonism; Confessions of a Latter-day Christian. This essay is considered to be in draft form until publication, and your comments, corrections and suggestions are welcomed.
Riverton, UT 84065
I especially welcome the opportunity for clarification or dialogue with non-LDS readers.
Copyright 1986--1995 Robert D. Starling All Rights Reserved
Permission is hereby granted for this work to be duplicated without cost and distributed by any means including electronic or computer transmission, provided it is done in its entirety and without alteration.


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Danny and Erin
When an armed robbery ends with the death of a police officer, Frank makes it a mission for the NYPD to bring the suspect to justice. However, tensions run high between Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) and Erin (Bridget Moynahan) when she drops the charges and releases the suspect due to lack of evidence, on the fourth season premiere of BLUE BLOODS, Friday, September 28 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Photo: John P. Filo/CBS ©2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.


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Message Board
Wendy Lawton Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Lawton has written!
Author Lawton's Book Reviews
Ransom's Mark
Olive Oatman is thirteen years old in the fall of 1850 when her father decides the family will live their Illinois farm and go west to California. Olive, her parents, and her six siblings join a wagon train west, but have trouble from the start. Their leader turns out to be unreliable, and changes their destination. The wagon train splits several times, until the Oatmans eventually end up on their own in dangerous Indian territory, because her father is ...


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Oh...but you see....I knew that you've be e e n f e e l i n g
t i r e d
Well, I don't mean much--it's a line from a song called "Deeper Understanding." Obviously not meant to be taken literally ;-) I enjoy abstractions, non-dits and double-entendres, and so, for that which concerns meaning, I suppose it would translate into everyday communication as:
"Hello, Thanks for the friend request" -- but that's so boring, isn't it? I do have my "say what you mean/mean what you say" moments--rest assured!
hello.....i know that you've been feeling tired. I bring you love and deeper understanding.
A bit more sweet and tobacco and less soapy . In many ways it feels more like a feminine oriental than the marketed as women's version.
I would like to ask you about tea rose by perfumers workshop
"Virtues, like essences, lose their fragrance when exposed."
I saw your nota on Mon Peche, while I've never smelled the original, its been haunting me, discontinued the year I was born. Perhaps we could start a petition online or something?
Have you tried Opium pour Homme Eau De Parfum? It is very warm amber vanilla spices --at least to me.
Basenotes is an online guide to perfume and fragrance, featuring news, a database of fragrances, perfume glossary, fragrance forums, user reviews and more.


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Shannon Madden brauchte ein neues Logo Design und hat einen Wettbewerb auf 99designs gestartet.
Aus 141 Designs von 17 Designern wurde eine Gewinner gewählt.
Aletheia Mortgage Consulting, LLC
Aletheia Mortgage Consulting is a small woman owned consulting business that provides mortgage expertise to foreclosure lawyers working on behalf of mortgage servicers. In the current environment, there are many claims being made as to the quality of specific mortgage loans in an attempt to stall or derail a foreclosure action. Aletheia's purpose is to review the mortgage loan and provide the client (and the court if it comes to that) with an accurate assessment of the quality of the mortgage loan. Aletheia can provide expert loan documentation review, regulatory compliance testing, re verification of borrower information, re underwriting, servicing reviews and expert testimony.
I chose the name Aletheia because it means "the truth" in Greek and is also the name of the Greek Goddess of truth and sincerity.
The target audience includes; lawyers, mortgage servicers, mortgage companies, large banks.
I don't have a specific image in mind for the logo. I am looking for you to get creative.
The only thing I would say to keep in mind that the target audience is other professionals, so it is important to convey a sense of experience, expertise and professionalism. As far as color is concerned, I like earth tones, but do not want to get hung up on color since that can be changed once the winning design is chosen.
Finden Sie heraus, wie ein Designwettbewerb funktioniert, oder lernen Sie mehr über unsere Logo-Design-Angebote.


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Movie News: Eric Bana Joins Mark Wahlberg on SEAL Mission; Jake Gyllenhaal in Tense, NSFW 'End of Watch' Trailer
Eric Bana in Lone Survivor: Even though Battleship didn't perform up to expectations, that hasn't slowed down director Peter Berg as he prepares to start production on his next film, Lone Survivor, in September. Mark Wahlberg, Ben Foster, Emile Hirsch and Taylor Kitsch are already onboard to star in the story of a Navy SEAL mission that doesn't go as planned, and now Eric Bana (above, in the upcoming Deadfall) is in negotiations to join the cast as a SEAL lieutenant. [The Hollywood Reporter]
Martin Scorsese's Sinatra: Famed director Martin Scorsese is hard at work on his new film The Wolf of Wall Street, with Leonardo DiCaprio, but meanwhile, potential future projects are piling up. Sinatra, an authorized biopic of the legendary singer, may be the most intriguing -- and toughest to crack. Billy Ray, who's worked on every kind of project, from his own indie drama Shattered Glass to mega-blockbuster The Hunger Games, is the latest to try and get the script in shape. Scorsese has not yet decided if the story of Ol' Blue Eyes will be his next film; obviously, that depends in great part on the script. [Deadline]
Titanic 3D in Myanmar: The country of Myanmar in Southeast Asia, formerly known as Burma, is home to 60 million people, and is slowly emerging from the effects of a long military dictatorship. No Hollywood movies have been seen there for at least a decade, and possibly much longer, but that wil change on Friday, when Titanic 3D opens in Myanmar theaters. James Cameron's reissued blockbuster has played extremely well in neighboring China, earning more than $146 million this year. [Los Angeles Times]
End of Watch Trailer: Cop dramas come and go, but End of Watch starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena could be special. David Ayer, who also made the underrated Street Kings and Hard Times, wrote and directed. Check out the NSFW red-band trailer below; the film is due in theaters on September 21. [Yahoo! Movies]
Movies.com, the ultimate source for everything movies, is your destination for new movie trailers, reviews, photos, times, tickets + more! Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at Movies.com.
Copyright © 2019 FANDANGO MOVIES.


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Sitting up and getting out of the chair is easier with the ability to put the footrest away with the simple press of a button instead of having to slam it shut. Sit far back to completely recline or stop at any point before then to get the most comfortable position for your body with power motion.
Unlike recliners that are built with a two- or three-piece seat and leg rest cushion, this recliner has a single chaise cushion that extends from the seat to the feet. This style offers a fuller comfort and support for your legs, as well as eliminating the open gap that toddlers can get fingers or toys stuck in.
Welcome this sectional sofa into your living room, family room, or den to create a comfortable and casual oasis. This reclining sectional features pad over chaise seats and high plush split back cushions for full body support. Spacious reclining seats offer enough space for the whole family to sit back and relax.
The Odessa Casual Power Reclining Sectional with Accent Pillows by Elliston Place at Morris Home in the Dayton, Cincinnati, Columbus, Ohio, Northern Kentucky area. Product availability may vary. Contact us for the most current availability on this product.
The Odessa collection is casual and comfortable, offering the perfect solution for your living room or family room. These plush reclining pieces will support you from head to toe, with a high tufted back cushion, full chaise seat, and soft pillow arms.
The Odessa collection is a great option if you are looking for furniture in the Dayton, Cincinnati, Columbus, Ohio, Northern Kentucky area.
These images are representative of this group as a whole and may differ from this item.
Browse other items in the Odessa collection from Morris Home in the Dayton, Cincinnati, Columbus, Ohio, Northern Kentucky area.
This item has been tagged as: Sectional with Recliner, Recliner Sectional, Reclining Sectional, Seating, Couches, Couch, Sofa, Reclining Home Theater Furniture, Living Room Furniture, Accent Furniture, Reclining Love Seat, Loveseat Recliner, Reclining Couch, Reclining Sofa, Couch with Recliner, Sofa with Recliner, Motion Furniture, Moving Furniture, Living Room Furniture, Family Room Furniture, Great Room Furniture, Den Furniture, Home Furnishing
Morris Home operates five stores in Ohio and one in Kentucky and prides themselves on being the areas best choice for living room furniture, dining room furniture, bedroom furniture, accent furniture, entertainment furniture, home office furniture, kids furniture, outdoor furniture, and mattresses. Morris' Centerville, OH furniture store, Dayton, OH furniture store, Springdale, OH furniture store, and Columbus, OH furniture store provide furniture shoppers from Cincinnati, Columbus, Sharonville, Kettering, Bevercreek, Huber Heights, and Hamilton, OH a top of the line shopping experience when looking for living room, dining room, bedroom, entertainment, accent, home office and kids furniture.
Errors on Our Site: Prices and availability of products and services are subject to change without notice. Errors will be corrected where discovered, and Morris Furniture Co., Inc reserves the right to revoke any stated offer and to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions including after an order has been submitted and whether or not the order has been confirmed. If you are not fully satisfied with your purchase, you may return it in accordance with our Return Policy.
We have taken great care to provide you with information that is accurate and useful. Please notify us if you find an error, and we will do our best to correct it. We endeavor to list complete and accurate web data as possible. However, due to the sheer quantity of information, complex computer integration, human error and the automated nature of the web, web content may sometimes be inadvertently erroneous. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and ask that you contact us directly or visit our stores to confirm information about pricing, color, features, dimensions, availability and special order lead times.
Ensure Your Happiness: Please note that some website picture are for illustration purposes only and may vary from actual items available in our showroom. We recommend visiting our showroom prior to purchase to ensure that the fabric, color, and finish meet your expectations.
Nothing on this page may be copied or reproduced without explicit permission.


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- Home
- : High Country Trail Rides
- : Farm stay cottages
High Country Trail Rides
Explore the amazing Oberon High Country.
High Country Trail Rides will let you explore the spectacular Blue Mountains High Country on horseback and quad bikes, ride beneath a canopy of pine forests, marvel at the unspoiled bushland, gaze into a crystal clear creek, breathe the clean mountain air. An unforgettable riding experience at Oberon NSW.
If you are looking for a family holiday, we have just what you need. Farm Stay Cottage Accommodation is available on the property. Children are encouraged to interact with our friendly farm animals.
Cottage Accommodation Features:
* Two bedroom and three bedroom cottages
* Separate toilet and bathroom with shower and bath
* Good sized living area with log fire
* Well equipped kitchen with cook top, oven & full size fridge
* Games room with air hockey & table tennis
* In ground olympic size trampoline
* High Country hut with BBQ and open fire
* Out side fire pit
1 and 2 Hour Trail Rides
* Mountain and bush views
* Suitable for beginners
* Led pony trails for kids
* Happy, well cared for horses
* Bookings essential
Family Farm Stay Cottage
* Quiet rural setting
* Activities for kids
* Bushwalking, bird watching
* Friendly farm animals
Explore the Oberon High Country on a Quad Bike
Escape into the amazing Oberon High Country and explore the great mountain scenery on a quad bike....
We have rides to suit adults and children 6 years of age and up, the rides are tailored to each individual group, with big bikes for adults and small and medium sized bikes for the kids.
The adults and kids over 12 can ride right to the top of the hills to enjoy 360 degree views of the surrounding country side. The smaller children ride in the lower areas where it is nice easy riding. There are always some friendly farm animals waiting for some attention on these rides. Full riding instructions and safety equipment are supplied to all riders.
How To Get Here..
Drive for approximately 6 kms then turn right into Sloggets Rd.
Drive approximately 4 kms, we are on your left.
Oberon is approximately 2 1/2 hours from Sydney and Canberra (now a fully sealed road), 1 1/4 hours from Katoomba, 35 mins from Bathurst.
High Country Trail Rides
High Country Trail Rides DetailsView photo galleryView productsContact High Country Trail Rides
Photo Gallery
Farm stay cottages
$200.00 *
* 2 bedroom $200/night 3 bedroom $240/nig
Self contained cottage accommodation with cooking facilities, BBQ, games room, in ground trampoline in a quiet rural setting. Packages with activities available at discounted prices
Product Highlights (Click on product for more detail)
High Country Trail Rides
Phone: 0427 470 247
413 Sloggetts Rd
Oberon NSW 2787
Email: Click here to send an email


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