Is Donny Osmond Really So Desperate For PR, That He Has To Turn Against His Beliefs & Promote Gambling, In Order To Promote His Album And Concerts?!!

I first have to say that I have always liked Donny Osmond(I saw him and all the Osmonds in concert when I was about 6-7 years old) and I always thought that he seemed like a pretty good and genuine guy. I've watched him in interviews(including Howard Stern) and found him to be very down to earth, humble, grateful, etc. He did admit to Howard Stern that his wife Debbie wouldn't give him oral, which probably wasn't the best thing to say and definitely not in keeping with the standards of the church, which he professes to believe so strongly in.

Anyway, so I was browsing his personal site a while back, in the "beliefs" section and wow, he sure comes across as a very devout, die-hard Mormon, in every way. So, due to his very strong profession of the Mormon Faith and his promoting of Mormonism every chance he gets, and all over his website; I was shocked to see him promoting gambling in the above video, in order to promote his newest album. It would appear that he's reached the desperation mode or maybe he really isn't and never has been a true TBM and he just does it for image, to be different, or to fit in here in Utah and most of all, to keep all of his Mormon fans...who really knows?!!

One thing that is crystal clear, is that famous Mormons are usually huge hypocrites, right down to the Hierarchy themselves, agreeing to allow alcohol to be served in Jesus' new malls. Meanwhile, across the street at temple square and the Gordydome, they are condemning it left and right and talking about how it is evil, of the devil and destroying and tearing apart families. So is it okay or not? It is against the word of wisdom(which even Joseph Smith didn't obey, getting drunk in jail, along with his brother, John Taylor, the guard, etc, the night before he was killed) and will keep you out of "The Lord's house", yet the liquor will flow for Jesus malls Inc. Why is this?

I've already lost 3 die-hard TBM friends from my life, due to this one issue and the one even told me to "get behind the Prophet and support the alcohol or get out of the church and renounce my membership immediately, because a Prophet cannot EVER lead us astray and that the serving alcohol in the malls was a revelation straight from Jesus Christ to Hinckley." I'm surprised he didn't call my Bishop and tattle on me, I really am. Needless to say, we haven't spoken since.

He was the same guy that said he'd get down on his knees and thank God if his daughter was brutally raped and killed, because it would only make him a stronger, better man...because everything is meant to be, as the tears filled his eyes. Yeah, he has some very serious and deep emotional and psychological issues, which I'm sure are all cult related, from a lifetime of Mormon abuse, indoctrination and brainwashing. It's really sad to see what has happened to the guy, who I thought was pretty normal until then.

Anyway, I honestly believe that Mormonism is nothing more than a social networking group for people like Donny Osmond, Steve Young and others and that they only have a shallow view of the church and never go beyond the surface and don't care one whit what's below it. They probably don't even know 90% of what us ex-Mormons know and really couldn't give a damn either way, because hey, it keeps them popular and adorned and they are all on the Mormon fireside circuit, which they eat up.

I'm sure that anyone of us well informed ex-Mormons could embarrass these guys in seconds with our knowledge and their lack of knowledge. But again, it doesn't matter to them, because hey, they have albums to sell, motivational speaking engagements, firesides to speak at, autographed items to sell and so on. Most of Donny's responses on his site, to questions asked, are all very by the book, standard, Mormon responses.

Oh yeah, did I mention the Stake President in Nevada that owns a casino? How many of you knew that? I always see and hear people talking about Mormons working in casinos, but how about a Stake President owning one and tithing on that money. Like the Mormon Hierarchy doesn't know this and didn't know this when they called him to be a Stake President and I'm sure he was a Bishop before that. Again, just another example to support my "hypocrisy" comments and the "do as we say, not as we do" attitude of the Mormon Hierarchy.

Real quick, let's review what Hinckley himself, the current modern day Prophet of fraud has said about gambling:

"I think I could answer the question concerning gambling just that briefly. We are against it.

Gambling is to be found almost everywhere and is growing. People play poker. They bet on horse races and dog races. They play roulette and work the slot machines. They gather to play in bars, saloons, and casinos, and, all too often, in their own homes. Many cannot leave it alone. It becomes addictive. In so many cases it leads to other destructive habits and practices...

I am told that Utah and Hawaii are now the only two states in the United States that have not legalized lotteries and gambling of various forms. From the letters I have received from members of the Church, it becomes apparent that some of our young people start by playing poker. They get the taste of getting something for nothing, and then travel outside of the state to where they can gamble legally...

We now have state lotteries on a very large scale. Once the law almost universally prohibited them. Now they are operated as a means of gaining revenue.

Some 20 years ago, speaking in conference, I said: "Lottery fever recently peaked when New York State announced that three winning tickets would split $41 million. People [had] lined up to buy tickets. One winning ticket was held by 21 factory workers, with 778 second-place winners, and 113,000 who received token amounts. That may sound pretty good.

'But there were also 35,998,956 losers, each of whom had paid for a chance to win [and received nothing]' (in Conference Report, Oct. 1985, 67; or Ensign, Nov. 1985, 52).

Some American states have imposed heavy taxes on casinos as a source of revenue. The operating company also must have its profit. Then comes the winning ticket holder. All others who bought tickets are left empty-handed.

I am so grateful that when the Lord established this Church He gave us the law of tithing.(like that isn't gambling) I talked at one time with an officer of another church which, I understand, relies on the playing of bingo for a substantial part of its income. I said to this man, "Have you ever considered tithing to finance your church?" He replied, "Yes, and oh, how I wish that we might follow this practice instead of playing bingo. But I do not expect this change in my lifetime..."

Well, I just thought you'd all enjoy seeing this.

One of our young men recently said, "Pay five bucks to see a movie; pay five bucks to play poker—it is the same idea."

It is not the same idea. In one case you get something for which you pay; in the other case, only one picks up the winnings and the others are left empty-handed.

Experience has shown that the playing of poker can lead to an obsession to gambling.

From the early days of this Church, gambling has been denounced.

As far back as 1842, Joseph Smith described conditions when the Saints lived in Missouri. Said he, "We made large purchases of land, our farms teemed with plenty, and peace and happiness were enjoyed in our domestic circle, and throughout our neighborhood; but as we could not associate with our neighbors . . . in their midnight revels, their Sabbath breaking, horse racing and gambling, they commenced at first to ridicule, then to persecute, and finally an organized mob assembled and burned our houses, tarred and feathered and whipped many of our brethren, and finally, contrary to law, justice and humanity, drove them from their habitations" (in James R. Clark, comp., Messages of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6 vols. [1965–75], 1:139).(Wow, I never knew that all of that happened just because the Mormons wouldn't gamble...yeah right!! I think he might have left out the polygamy, wife stealing, sex with underage girls and oh yeah, a massive bank failure, where he first tricked them all into investing and then defrauded them them all and snuck out of town in the middle of the night, claiming mob violence. Yeah, I probably would have been in that mob if he'd stolen my life savings.)

Brigham Young, in October of 1844, said this concerning Nauvoo, "We wish to suppress all grogshops, gambling houses, and all other disorderly houses or proceedings in our city, and to tolerate no intemperance or vice in our midst" (in Messages of the First Presidency, 1:242).

Presidents of the Church and counselors in the Presidency have repeatedly spoken concerning this evil. George Q. Cannon, counselor to three Presidents of the Church, said: "There are many evils in the world which young folks need to be guarded against. One of these is gambling. There are various forms of this evil but they are all bad and should not be indulged in" (Gospel Truth: Discourses and Writings of President George Q. Cannon, sel. Jerreld L. Newquist, 2 vols. [1974], 2:223).

President Joseph F. Smith stated, "The Church does not approve of gambling but strongly condemns it as morally wrong, and classes also with this gambling, games of chance and lottery, of all kinds, and earnestly disapproves of any of its members engaging therein" ("Editor's Table," Improvement Era, Aug. 1908, 807).

President Heber J. Grant counseled: "The Church has been and now is unalterably opposed to gambling in any form whatever. It is opposed to any game of chance, occupation, or so-called business, which takes money from the person who may be possessed of it without giving value received in return.(like LDS Inc does to its members?) It is opposed to all practices the tendency of which is to . . . degrade or weaken the high moral standard which the members of the Church, and our community at large, have always maintained" (in Messages of the First Presidency, 5:245).

President Spencer W. Kimball said: "From the beginning we have been advised against gambling of every sort. The deterioration and damage comes to the person, whether he wins or loses, to get something for nothing, something without effort, something without paying the full price" (in Conference Report, Apr. 1975, 6; or Ensign, May 1975, 6).

Elder Dallin H. Oaks, who is with us tonight, in 1987 delivered a masterful discourse on this subject at what was then Ricks College. It was entitled "Gambling—Morally Wrong and Politically Unwise" (see Ensign, June 1987, 69–75).

To these statements of the position of the Church I add my own. The pursuit of a game of chance may seem like harmless fun. But there attaches to it an intensity that actually shows on the faces of those who are playing. And in all too many cases this practice, which appears innocent, can lead to an actual addiction. The Church has been and is now opposed to this practice. If you have never been involved in poker games or other forms of gambling, don't start. If you are involved, then quit now while you can do so.

There are better ways to spend one's time. There are better pursuits to occupy one's interest and energy. There is so much of wonderful reading available. We are not likely to ever get too much of it. There is music to be learned and enjoyed. There is just having a good time together—in dancing, in hiking, in cycling, or in other ways—boys and girls together enjoying one another's company in a wholesome way.

I wanted to end with a few quick points; first of all, despite gambling being so evil and destructive and something the church is supposedly so against; it is not a temple recommend question and will not keep you out of the temple. There are many humorous stories here in Utah about members running into their Bishop out in Wendover, Nevada, which is about an hour and a half from Salt lake.

If you go out there and drive through the parking lot, 99% of the cars are from Utah of course. Whenever the powerball lottery in Idaho gets up to around $200,000,000, it's literally a traffic jam and mass exodus of cars on I-15, from Utah to Idaho, which I've participated in many times...why not?!! LOL!!

So, if it is so important that Mormons not gamble, why isn't it a rule or commandment, like the word of wisdom? I guess they have to leave room for Stake Presidents to own casinos and for people like Harry Reid to be the head of the Nevada Gaming Commission, right? I mean hell, it's apparently such a big deal, that even J. Willard Marriott won't allow casinos in his hotels in casino towns, like Vegas or Rio and many other places. Meanwhile, he sells and profits from alcohol and shows hard-core porn....go figure....just more typical Mormon hypocrisy.

I guess gambling is worse than hard-core porn and booze now? I mean Oaks did say porn is harder to overcome than cocaine, so I guess gambling is harder to overcome than porn and cocaine?.


MP3 File

Funny how the TBMS claim that J Willard Marriott has no control whatsoever, regarding what goes on in his hotels with porn and booze, yet he makes sure they don't have any casinos or gambling. That would seem to contradict that, wouldn't it?

Now, what did the Mormon's beloved, humble and celebrated Prophet Brigham Young have to REALLY say about gambling in addition to what Hinckley said above:

Now hearken, O ye Texians; do you say there are are people here who are wicked? So we say. Could I wish things to be otherwise? No, I would not have them different if I could. We can produce the best men and the worst, the best women and the worst, and thus prove, according to the sayings of Jesus Christ and his Apostles, that this is the kingdom of God, or at least answers to the Savior's description of that kingdom.

Were I in Texas I would say, let me tell you that I have not embraced any man on this earth, in my faith, but I have embraced the doctrine of salvation, and it is no matter what the people do in Utah. Here is the doctrine of salvation, talk against that, prove that to be false, or find a flaw in it, if you can. As for the people, they cannot save you. Never embrace a man in your faith, for that is sectarianism.

There are many of the men and women now before me who have looked for a pure people, and have supposed that that was a proof of the truth of our doctrines, but they will never find such a people until Satan is bound, and Jesus comes to reign with his Saints. The doctrine we preach is the doctrine of salvation, and it is that which the Elders of this Church take to the world, and not the people of Utah.

Some of the Elders seem to be tripped up in a moment, if the wicked can find any fault with the members of this Church; but bless your souls, I would not yet have this people faultless, for the day of separation has not yet arrived. I have many a time, in this stand, dared the world to produce as mean devils as we can; we can beat them at anything. We have the greatest and smoothest liars in the world, the cunningest and most adroit thieves, and any other shade of character that you can mention.(AMEN to that statement!!)

We can pick out Elders in Israel right here who can beat the world at gambling, who can handle the cards, cut and shuffle them with the smartest rogue on the face of God's foot-stool. I can produce Elders here who can shave their smartest shavers, and take their money from them. We can beat the world at any game.

We can beat them, because we have men here that live in the light of the Lord, that have the Holy Priesthood, and hold the keys of the kingdom of God. But you may go through all the sectarian world, and you cannot find a man capable of opening the door of the kingdom of God to admit others in. We can do that. We can pray the best, preach the best, and sing the best. We are the best looking and finest set of people on the face of the earth, and they may begin any game they please, and we are on hand, and can beat them at anything they have a mind to begin. They may make sharp their two-edged swords, and I will turn out the Elders of Israel with greased feathers, and whip them to death. We are not to be beat. We expect to be a stumbling block to the whole world, and a rock of offence to them. (A Discourse by President Brigham Young, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, November 9, 1856. J. of D. Vol. 4 P. 77)

I don't think I really need to say much in response to those words of Brigham Young, as they speak for themselves and are quite shocking, in many regards. How many of you out there had ever read those words before? I'm sure that some of you are reading them for the first time and can't believe what you just read, just like it was for me and most of us when we first read them.

Well, like usual, this post was intended to be a short one, but it turned into something much longer and time consuming, as I had a lot more to say than I thought I did. Hopefully it was informative for everyone and you've learned something from it. I hope things go better for Donny Osmond in the future, so that he doesn't have to go against current and past Prophets by promoting gambling, in order to promote his new album and future concerts.

Then again, despite how evil the hierarchy claims it is to gamble; it isn't even a question in the temple recommend interview as I mentioned above, so I guess Donny is free to do whatever the hell he wants in regard to gambling. In fact, I guess all of the Saints are free to gamble at will and then enter their temple recommend interview with a clean and clear conscience.

Look, the fact is, and we all know this; the Mormon hierarchy, especially Hinckley, doesn't want the members gambling, because of only one reason and one reason only; it may affect their ability to pay tithing and the amount they pay. That's why the church has spent millions of tithe payer dollars to fight any form of gambling, especially the lotto, both in Utah and Hawaii.

We then have the examples of Lynn G. Robbins claiming that you should pay tithing instead of feeding your family, Earl C. Tingey taking geese eggs from an unemployed man with a large family in Africa and Faust bragging about the Saints in Argentina literally selling their gold fillings, to help build a temple in Brazil. This post has audio to the Robbins and Tingey remarks for those interested, that haven't heard them before.

In my opinion, the odds of winning the lottery or hitting a jackpot on a slot machine or picking the right team in the SuperBowl, are much higher than ever getting anything back from your Mormon tithing.

In fact, when you are gambling, you at least know where all your money is going, unlike tithing, where they don't report back to the members at all, despite Hinckley lying to the German reporter and saying that it's between the church and its members. At least if you pick a team to win a sporting event, in football, basketball, etc, you have odds of 50% before the game begins.

With tithing, your odds are ZERO when you start and ZERO when you end. Nothing good or any blessings, ever come from tithing. The only thing that happens when you tithe, is that you donate your hard earned money to a money grubbing corporation, who does what ever they please with it, with no oversight or accountability. Amazing isn't it, that casinos are more honest than the Mormon Hierarchy of God's supposed "one and only true church"....LOL!!

My advice, if you have to choose between gambling or paying tithing to the corporation of the President/LDS Inc; go gamble and have fun, and you might even come home with a return on your money, unlike tithing, which guarantees you NOTHING.

Take care everyone,

Samuel the Utahnite