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The City of Mesa

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Maybe I should change the title of this page to Mesa and Mormons. It is hard to talk about Mesa without talking about Mormons - but this is 2006, not 1956. Nowadays Mesa is not at all like the town it was 50 years ago, when it was basically considered by us "gentiles" as "Mormon Town". I still remember going to downtown Mesa in the old Buick and my dad buying me clothes at Pomeroys, and then Buster Brown shoes at the store next door. They even had one of those cool x-ray machines where you could see the bones in your feet - at least until they found out about the high doses of radiation. Mesa was known for its quiet life, good schools, wide straight roads and, of course, the big Mormon Temple.

Let me also make clear that yes, there are underground tunels in downtown Mesa between building under the sidewalks, and no, they do not reach all the way to Salt Lake City. I am glad I cleared that up. Speaking of Mormons again, a few years ago I was talking about them and their history in Arizona with my co-workers and I used the term "Jack Mormon." To my surprise nopbody knew what it meant - none of the present had heard that phrase before. I really don't know how many times I had heard my Dad refer say something like "He is just a Jack Mormon." I guess that term is pretty much dead now. For those of you who want to know, a Jack Mormon is a non-observant Mormon, one who is LDS in name only. I lived in Tempe, and probably half the kids on the block were Mormon, and we got along pretty well, and I did my best not to corrept them. Of course their were the stories of their strange rituals and even stranger underwear. Oh well. If I had lived in Mesa, probably 80% of the neighborhood would have been Mormon. So, even from a young age, I knew Mormons - and something of Mormon doctrine and history. I remember argueing about Hill Cumorah, Mountain meadows and even BOM (that is Book of Mormon to all of you) geography, such as it is. Even today I find it somewhat interesting to follow the polemics, or better, the many many polemics that seem to occassionally sweep the Church of the Latter Day Saints in Arizona. Maybe one or twice a year I check sites such as http://mormonstories.org/?p=50 http://mormonstories.org/ http://mormoninquiry.typepad.com/ http://www.fairlds.org/ http://mormonstudies.byu.edu/ to see what is going on in Mormonland. Nowadays the lady, being a language teacher, has much more contact than I with the LDS - mostly from young men preparing for their two year mission or after returning home looking either for an easy class or wanting to maintain contact with certain Latin American cultures. To be honest, she says they are among her best students, intelligent and attentive. Speaking of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, I find it fascinating that there is a close link between it and the most famous gunfight in Arizona, and all of American history - the battle between the cowboys and Earps at the OK Curral in Tombstone. It is strange that perhaps the two most famamous events in the Old West are linked by a key participant being involved in both, and it is almost unknown. Anyway, I am off subject. I have some other Mormon stories, but I've said enough. Let get back to Mesa.

Consider Latter Day Saints (Mormon) public health: Utah, where 70% of the population are Mormon, has the lowest, or near the lowest, rates of smoking, lung cancer, heart disease, alcohol consumption, abortions, out-of-wedlock births, work-days missed due to illness, and the lowest child poverty rate in the country. Utah ranks highest in the nation in number of AP tests taken, number of AP tests passed, scientists produced per capita, percentage of households with personal computers, and proportion of income given to charity. [4] Within Utah, of course, the Mormons are the subgroup that bring the averages up. While there may be a portion of this due to the Mormon religion itself, most researchers believe that much of this success is due to the communal commitment to moral and religious beliefs that support good habits. No public health initiative is remotely as effective as Mormon culture.http://www.adherents.com/largecom/lds_dem.html. here's some useful information from the Mormons, who take this subject seriously. http://www.providentliving.org/channel/0,11677,1706-1,00.html Food Storage and Emergency Preparedness Storing food is an important part of becoming self reliant. Help your family become self- reliant by beginning or improving your own storage. Why Food Storage? What to Store How to Store Using Food Storage Gardening Emergency Preparation

PANG Power to act in Namer of GodPeople alwats Need

First milk, than meat, The secret passwords and grips and everything - wow. New secret names I learned later that in the version of the endowment ceremony my old friend was referring to, the patrons were also required to take an oath of vengeance against the United States, to avenge the blood of the Prophet Joseph Smith. That could not very well have been in Solomon's version, nor in the version revealed by God to Joseph Smith.ripping out your tongue and gushing your bowels out on the ground! who would be so brash as to invent something as dumb as "Pale Ale" as the most sacred and powerful words by which to address God? It HAD to be divinely inspired! Lamanite = indians RM Abbreviation for "returned missionary farms and fair Relief Society: The women's auxiliary organization of the church. stake A stake consists of several neighboring wards, usually five to ten Danites (DANN-ites) A band of Mormon "enforcers" organized in the early days of the church, to whom many acts of violence, including murder, have been attributed burning in the bosom CHI: see Church Handbook of Instructions common Mormon saying is therefore "hold to the rod!", Kolob CTR An abbreviation for "Choose The Right," a popular Mormon slogan Cumorah Doctrine and Covenants Gentile A non-Mormon An Institute of Religion is a Mormon school located near to a college or university campus Deseret (dezz-a-RETT or DEZZ-a-rett) A word from the Book of Mormon which is said there to mean "honey-bee." The first Mormon immigrants to Utah (1847) called their new home "Deseret," symbolizing the industry which was needed to establish lasting settlements there. It appears as part of the name of many Utah and Mormon businesses and institutions, and the image of the bee-hive can be seen everywhere in Utah. This is a picture link:

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In Sept 2007 I was in Mesa and stopped at Pomeroys - 50 years later. It hadn't changed much. WHen I entered the two yopung men (white sirts, black ties, didn't pay me much attention. I don't look mormon and and did have any passwors or hand signals, I guess. So how Mormon is the store? Well, most retailers don't have "LDS Presidents contentration game" boxes or sale, or "Fishing for Nephites" books.
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http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/98035 Lyndon Lamborn, whose personal research led him to question Mormon church teachings, is livid that a letter is being read at ward meetings today announcing his excommunication.
In a letter to Lamborn dated Sept. 2, Molina noted that a disciplinary council had been held Aug. 19 and excommunication was ordered. Lamborn, 49, a Mesa resident who has been a priesthood leader for 20 years, was informed he was no longer a church member, could not “enjoy any membership privileges, including the wearing of temple garments and the payment of tithes and offerings.” He could attend public meetings if his conduct is orderly, but would be denied giving any talks, offering prayers, partaking of the sacrament or voting. “Because of the nature of your excommunication and your involvement with people in this area, an announcement will be delivered to the Melchizedek Priesthood quorums and Relief Society in each of the wards in our stake ... on Sunday, September 23, 2007, that you have been excommunicated for apostasy,“ Molina wrote.
This article in the East valley tribue generated over 2000 comments! here is a good interview with Lamborn, on a Morman blog. http://peepstone.blogspot.com/2007/09/interview-with-excommunicated-member.html xxxxxxxxxx A sample table:

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