The above video is one of more than 15 to be released by YouTube channel Mormon Leaks. Most are of closed-door sessions in which LDS leaders are briefed and discuss issues in the news and of the faith. See more videos below.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Oct. 2, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — LDS leaders in 2011 were briefed in a closed-door session about WikiLeaks and the harm and embarrassment that leaked insider information might pose.
Then a leak happened to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in a small way, with news breaking on General Conference weekend.
The YouTube channel Mormon Leaks, which keeps its manager’s identity secret, posted more than a dozen videos, most of closed-door meetings in which church leaders were briefed, then were invited to ask questions or to discuss the information presented.
And one of those leaked videos was of the 2011 WikiLeaks presentation.
John Dehlin — a former LDS Church member who was excommunicated for sharing his concerns online about the church’s truthfulness and practices — was rattled by what he heard some church leaders say on that video.
“Their only reaction was to obsess about the potential homosexuality of the participants in WikiLeaks,” Dehlin said.
“They used terms like ‘confirmed homosexual,’ which is kind of a gross term. And to hear Elder (Dallin H.) Oaks say that if there’s a bad story, the people in the media don’t report it unless it supports ‘the gay agenda,’ it was kind of revolting and really, really disturbing.”
LDS Church spokesman Eric Hawkins released the following statement regarding the Mormon Leak videos:
“Most of these videos appear to be from briefings received by senior Church leaders between 2007 and 2012. In these committee meetings, presentations are routinely received from various religious, political and subject matter experts on a variety of topics. The purpose is to understand issues that may face the Church, and is in pursuit of the obligation Church leaders feel to be informed on and have open discussion about current issues. This is an informational forum, not a decision-making body.”
Dehlin is the creator and host of the Mormon Stories podcasts, on which he interviews people about their LDS Church experiences, most of which are negative.
Dehlin has said that he supports more informational transparency in the LDS Church so that believers can feel better about their membership, and, over time, improvements can be made to the faith and its support organization.
“Honestly, my personal reaction (to the videos) is I am saddened and a bit heartsick about the state of church policy and the way revelations are made,” Dehlin told Gephardt Daily.
“I think these videos show how the brethren are even more conservative and more out-of-touch than we thought — which is saying a lot.”
Dehlin was also bothered by a video in which former Oregon Sen. Gordon Smith spoke to church leaders.
“To see a U.S. senator sort of pander to the leaders of the LDS Church, almost kissing their ring,”Dehlin said.
“And another video explained the benefits of our war in Iraq was that it would be opening great missionary opportunities…. That kind of opinion informs our decision to go to war. That kind of thing is worse than I could ever imagine.”
Dehlin also was disturbed by a leaked video about religious freedom, which said the church would “not budge” on certain issues, no matter the cost and the time required.
“What they really mean is fighting homosexuality and fighting same-sex marriage,” Dehlin said. “When they say religious freedom, they mean the right to impose religion on the country. What they mean by religious freedom is that they will spend so much money and resources. It seems so un-Christlike.”
Dehlin said he hopes the clear view of how some elder church leaders think will encourage the church to institute an “emeritus” status for some top leaders.
“I think the church needs to put these apostles on emeritus status. They are unfit to govern,” Dehlin said. “They are unfit to govern a church so wealthy and powerful. These videos show they are unfit. They need an emeritus status, like retirement, like the pope (Pope Benedict XVI), so we can get more fit leaders — because lives are at stake.
“When young LGBT people are killing themselves by the dozens, this isn’t just comedy. This sort of corporate buffoonery turns immediately tragic, because lives are at stake.”
Links to the rest of the 16 leaked videos that were available at press time, with each listed under the title assigned by Mormon Leaks, follow below.
• In which they express confidence that Kurds will one day become Mormons:
• Addressing the problem of Mormons marrying later in life:
• In which they fret over the young, single adults:
• In which they fret over the growing popularity of marijuana:
• In which they fret over science and worldly morals:
• In which the apostles crack crack jokes about gambling in Las Vegas and 9/11:
• In which they fret over science and worldly morals:
• In which they watch a clip from “Pirates of the Caribbean”:
• In which they fret about religious freedom…:
• In which they discuss how relations with Islam can be improved:
• In which they fret over politics:
• Church preparedness:
• In which they discuss politics with Sen. Gordon Smith:
• The housing crisis:
• CHD reorganization:
