Life After Ministry

 The LDS Church announced their intention of building eight new temples at their last General Conference in October 2019. Today we’re looking at two of those choices, and in the next few days, we’ll look at a couple more.

Our reason for concern on the two we’re looking at stems from the Church’s choice of location, and what they said about the ‘help’ they’re giving to them. The two temples in question: Guatemala, and Papua New Guinea. We’ve listed the stats for each country below, along with a few questions! To read the Church announcement in full, see October 2019 General Conference News and Announcements.

In addition to the announcement of a new temple, at the end of the same month the Church also announced their donation of 100 beds to the hospital in Port Moresby. This is obviously a show to warm up locals to their presence, and gives future missionaries a foot in the door showing their concern for them. Here’s the reality of life regarding these two temples …

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea —

1.One of the main things that stood out with all the Church’s busyness was a statement on their site telling everyone their Relief Society group is teaching the women of Papua New Guinea how to read. While that’s a noble thing to do, they said they’re teaching them how to read their scriptures.

“The Relief Society continues to make contributions to the branches. Some sisters have learned to read the scriptures through the Relief Society’s gospel literacy effort.”

Will this include teaching them about 2 Nephi 5:21?

“And he had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them.”

2.The Church’s website claims 24,780 LDS members live in Papua New Guinea. Historically, the Church has only seen a 40% activity rate amongst members outside the U.S. This would mean roughly 9,900 members are attending church regularly, and less than half of those would be temple worthy.

In 2012 Cumorah.com reported the Mormon population stood at 0.32% of Papua New Guinea. Seven years later (2019), those numbers had dropped to 0.28%. Making matters worse, most of Papua New Guinea’s population (87%) live in rural areas where it’s sparsely populated, and isolated. Cumorah.com, also noted the ‘current LDS congregations provide outreach to no more than 10% of the national population’.

3.Another issue is crime. GOV.UK, Wikipedia, and others, have published reports on the deep concern about violent crime, tribal fighting, and even attacks from criminals setting up road blocks to attack passersby. Another type of crime that’s more pervasive than others is sorcery. It plagues Papua New Guinea, and runs unabated according to a report from Human Rights Watch. The main victims are women who’ve been accused of witchcraft.

Time.com has a report on the prevalence, and horrors of sorcery/witchcraft that’s an absolute heartbreaking story. It’s ripped innocent children away from parents and forced them into a life of hiding.

Are missionaries really equipped to deal with such heavy spiritual topics? Not only is this tragic for the locals, but it’s equally so for LDS missionaries.

4.WorldPopulationReview.com reported 30% of the population lives below the poverty line of $1.25 per day. They also said that ‘most people live on subsidence-based agriculture’.

Will there be boots on the ground addressing the poverty of these people, or will it be another example of leaders telling people they need to pay tithing like they did in Kenya? See SHAMEFUL LDS AFRICAN TOUR for more info. Nothing was done for Kenyans so we’re highly skeptical the people of New Guinea will see anything either.

5.The country has the highest incidence of HIV/AIDS in the Pacific and meets the criteria for a generalized HIV/AIDS epidemic. The leading cause of death is malaria, which affected about 1.7 million people in 2003 alone.

This topic hits close to home for me because my brother Phil died of AIDS in 1992. Will the Church administer help to those who are suffering from this dreaded disease, and everything concerning it? I know they didn’t do so in my family’s case.

Cobán, Guatemala —

I can’t think of Guatemala without remembering the experience that my friends went through as they were adopting their daughter. After all the paperwork and visitations were complete, the only thing left to do was wait for the big day.

One fateful morning my friend received a phone call from the orphanage. The daughter she and her husband had been waiting for had been kidnapped by a band of robbers. They were holding her, and other children hostage, until a ransom had been paid.

Days turned into weeks as we all prayed around the clock, until finally she received another call. This time from the Guatemalan police. Their little girl had been found alive, and rescued. My friend had 24 hrs to pick her up at the orphanage. Her experience was unusual only because the kids had been found alive which is typically not the case as we soon learned.

Moreover, it’s a common story in Guatemala. Crime in Guatemala is high, just as it is in Papua New Guinea.

World Factbook info sheet gave the following info on Guatemala –

“…one of the poorest countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, having highly unequal incomes and chronically malnourished children, beset by political insecurity, and lacking skilled workers and infrastructure; Guatemala depends on remittances for nearly one-tenth of GDP”

Nearly one-half of Guatemala’s children under age five are chronically malnourished, one of the highest malnutrition rates in the world. Again, we’re asking if the Church will address these issues? How can you put a multi-million dollar building in a place where little kids are starving?

We’re also wondering why the Church would plant a temple in Cobán of all places. This is the epicenter of a major coffee growing area! See Wikipedia for more info.

Are they going to demand their tithing, and tell them not to drink coffee?

Compassion.com —

“The illiteracy rate among Guatemalans over age 15 is 19% — the second-highest in the Western Hemisphere.”

Compassion.com and World Factbook also stated the following –

“More than half of the population [17.5+m] is below the national poverty line, and 23% of the population lives in extreme poverty. …

Guatemalans’ attitudes toward education depend on their social level in society. Many parents think girls should not attend school since they should be preparing for motherhood. In other cases, parents feel their children will improve through work, not academic study. Others would like to attend but the cost of school fees is prohibitive. Guatemalans who are wealthier value education, but still find it to be a financial burden.”

We’re praying the locals will see through the charade of the falsehoods in Mormonism. Please, pray for the safety of missionaries, and for the salvation of the Guatemalans!

With Love in Christ;

Michelle

1 Cor. 1:18