In 1984 I was a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as "The Mormon Church") in San Franciso California. Being a missionary is like being a travel-teacher, but much more strict. While walking with my missionary companion (we must go by two's) down Market Street in San Francisco, I noticed a sign "Baha'i Center". I remembered studying the Baha'i Faith somewhat back in 1981-82 in Los Angeles when I was a security patrolman. An area I patrolled included the old L.A. Baha'i Center on Pico Blvd in the Whilshire District. I would stop by during many lunch periods to read books and chat with a few Believers.

Anyway, the Baha'i librarian said, "Tomorrow we're having a guest speaker at our Fireside, and we're going to be serving some Swedish meatballs, you boys out to come out! We'd love to have you!"

I loved Swedish meetballs, and I was into listening what this guest speaker had to say. I was curious about all religions, so I looked at my companion (a Mauri from New Zealand), and said, "Wanna go?" and he said, "Sure, why not?" So, we came to the Fireside, but we were late (we had to take buses and streetcars--hard to judge time), and the speaker was in the back finishing up. We decided not go to in, but the Swedish meatballs where served, and I fit as many as I could into my mouth. I said to my companion, "Try some!" but he said, "No, I don't feel right, It's not our church! It's not our food." I said, "Look, THEY INVITED US HERE! We are their GUESTS! Try some!" But again he refused.

Then, as I was muching on a Swedish meatball, the meeing in the back concluded and a blonde Baha'i woman about 45ish came out, looked at our name-tages and said, "What does Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints mean?" I said, "It's the official name for the Mormon Church!" The women's eyes BULGED out and she SCREAMED at the top of her lungs (I "kid" you not):

"OH MY GOD!!! MORMONS!????? YOU ARE RAAAAAAAAAAAAAACiiiiiiiiits! Raaaaaaaaaaaaciiiiiiiiiiisssst!? OH MY GOD!!!! OH MY GOD!!! RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiissssstttss! OH MY GOD....!!! GET __OUT__ OF HERE! OH MY GOD!!! What are YOU racists DOING HERE??? OH MY GOD!!! MY GOD!!!!..."

I looked at the librarian who invited us. Her eyes bulged, and she quickly turned and walked swifty away back into her tiny office without defending me or explaining it was SHE who invited us.

Needless to say, we both left. My companion, who was a Mauri from New Zealand said, "Man! Those Baha'is are INSANE! They are the MOST INSANE people I've ever seen! I'm NEVER gonna speak to any of them again!"

I completed my mission for the Church, then went home. I then began to study anti-Mormon books, and soon decided I wanted to write a book defending the Church against anti-Mormon attacks. That book was eventually published, and it sold in Mormon bookstores for many years.

Believe it or not, in 1994, I declared myself a Baha'i in Riverside, California! Why? Because Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon Church, prophesied that the "Son of Man" would come "in red apparel" in the year 1891 (Doctrine & Covenatns 130:15). I spent years as a Mormon apologists (defender of the Church against anti-Mormon attacks) trying to find a "fulfillment" of that prophecy; knowing that if it wasn't fulfilled, then Joseph Smith must be dismissed at a false prophet.

I remember reading that after His return from Kurdistan in 1863, one of the wives of Baha'u'llah made for Him a glorious robe out of red Tirmih (red Persian cloth). I remembered reading that in 1891, Baha'u'llah climbed Mount Carmel and recited the Tablet of Carmel; His general announcement to the world-at-large that He was the Promised One. I remember that He called Himself "the Son of Man".

So, eventually, to retain my belief that Joseph Smith was inspired of God, I literally "had" to accept Baha'u'llah. It was either that, or dismiss Joseph Smith as a fraud, and I wasn't prepared to do that.

Baha'is told me, "Oh, Joseph Smith was not a Prophet, so he never prophesied of Baha'u'llah!" That confused me for quite some time. I considered leaving the Faith, but then I discovered that Shoghi Effendi had told a number of Baha'i pilgrims that Joseph Smith was not a Prophet but a "Seer" who "had high standards". Now, I did not at the time know what a "Seer" was, but a fraud cannot have "high standards". More research led me to see that in Islaaam (and the Baha'i Faith) there are two types of Revelators: Prophets and Seers. Prophets are Infallible Men. Seers are fallible humans; both men and women. Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsa'i was one such "Seer". He had visions of Muhammad and angels, but he was not a Prophet lesser or otherwise.

Not long afterwards, I met a man named Richard André at a Unit conference, and we spoke. I told him my story, and he told me to share it in a Fireside he would give at his home in Ontario California.

I went over and met his wife, who is Afro-Brazilian, and their children. I gave the Fireside. At the Firesdie there were three black Baha'is: an older woman (about 65), a younger woman (30), and a black man (30). The black man would not come out of the kitchen. I leanred later that he would not come out because "Mormons hate black folks" (a false rumor popular in the African-American community at the time). I gave my talk in front of about 6 people; all of them Baha'is.

After my talk, the two black women began to ask me questions such as:

"Why don't Mormons like black folks?"

"Why do Mormons HATE black people anyway?"

"Why do Mormons teach that black folks are the children of the Devil?"

I knew, of course, that these were false rumors in the Black community. I experienced them before. They are as accurate as: "Baha'is spy for Israel" and "Baha'is have orgies" and other things one hears from the Anti-Baha'i Society in Iran. Totally, absolutely FALSE. Lies....spread over and over again, and believed because they are heard all the time.

I explained to them that Mormons do not hate black people and that I knew quite a few black Mormons, there have been black Mormons since 1832, etc. The older woman said, "But....WHY do Mormons HATE US?"

I repeated what I had just told her before. She asked again, "But WHY do Mormons hate us?"

I could not believe the unremitting ignorance of that woman, but I held my tongue.

The younger black woman said, "Ok, but black Mormons couldn't become Elders right? Why is that?"

I then explained to her the Curse of Cain Doctrine, which was taught by Mormon leaders from 1848 until 1978. They taught:

*Cain killed Abel. As punishment, the LORD decreed that Cain and his descendants could not hold God's Authority (priesthood) until the Curse of Cain was removed by the LORD, and this happened on June 8th 1978.

*Ham, the son of Noah, married Egyptus, a Cainite woman, and they had a son named Canaan; and their descendants became the Canaanites.

*Canaan's sons Phut (Poot) and Cush migrated into black Africa, which is why many black African tribes had the blood of Canaan (and Cain) in them.

*Many black Africans have the blood of Cain in them, and they cannot hold the Priesthood because of the "Curse of Cain".

*The President of the Mormon Church asked the LORD to remove the curse of Cain in 1978, this was done, and now there are hundreds of thousands of black Mormons, all males can hold the priesthood.

My Baha'i listeners were in SHOCK! Several of them left to go into the kitchen. The younger black woman said, "Well, the Baha'i Faith teaches that God would NEVER curse anyone! There are no Divine Curses in the Baha'i Faith!"

The older woman said, "WHY would any black person want to join a RACIST religion?"

I said, "Well, both the Bab and Baha'u'llah owned black slaves, so....."

Immediately I was accursed of being a "LIAR". The older black Baha'i woman said, "If you were in my neighborhood, teaching that racist crap, you wouldn't get very far!"

I then told the story of when I first joined the Church, while in Marine bootcamp. There were Southern whites saying the "N" word everywhere, and the black Marines left them alone. But I joined the Mormon Church--knowing nothing that blacks perceived it as racist. My Mormon bishop told me to "Be a service" to other Marines, and then invite them to Mormon services. I knew nothing about the Curse of Cain Doctrine at that time.

One Sunday, in bootcamp, I asked a group of black Marine recruits if I could do their chores for them. They looked at my like I was crazy, but said "Go ahead!" I mopped for them. One said, "This white boy has never held a mop in his life!" I replied, "That's not true, I worked as busboy for years!" I then say, "Hey, would you guys like to come to a Mormon Church service this afternoon?" They all looked IN SHOCK, and one said, "You BETTER get out of here!"

I didn't know what I had done wrong. I showed them utter respect! Did them a favor. I was unaware that African-Americans perceived Mormons as "racist" and "worse than the Klan" (both BIG LIES).

Anyway, later, I was shinning my boots on my foot-locker, and two of three of the black recuites came up from behind me, draped a towel around my head, and beat and kicked me so severly that it caused one of my testicals to tear out. I was motionless for an hour, and it took many years for me to recover. I was in tremendous pain for years. Many years.

What had I done? Had I shown him nothing but absolute respect? Some other white recruits from the South were using the "N" word all the time, in front of these black recruits, but the black recruits did nothing! Nothing! I was the one being "punished" for helping them, and showing them utter respect, and because in the African-American Community "false rumors" about Mormons spread like wild-fire; horrendous lies and exaggerations and inaccuracies only the most ignorant would believe.

The reason why I was attacked is because the black recruits wanted to "kill" the Southern whites for disrepecting them, but, they knew if they attacked one Southern white, then the other Southern whites would retaliate. So, I was attacked. They interpreted my "niceness" as weakness. I did not "hang" with the Southern whites, so they knew there would not no reprisals.

I respected them, they saw it as "weakness" so they decided to punish me for the disrespect other whites had shown them!

In many Ghettos, especially in the early 1970s, there was great anti-White feelings. It was "whites" who enslaved them, they were told (actually--black chiefs sold their black slaves to white men). All whites were equally "liable" for what a relative few white men did. Therefore, these black men saw nothing wrong with attacking me, even though I'd shown them utter respect! I was "white" and an easy target! Basically, I was like a Jew who gave a group of Nazis a flower saying: "I want to be your friend". Instead of the Nazis saying, "Gee, ok, let's be friends!" they beat the Jew and then shipped him off to Bergenwald.

The point of my story was this: in the 1970s Mormons were no more "racist" than another other white American. False rumors in the African-American Community portrayed Mormons as "worse than the klan" etc. All lies. All "false". To punish "me" because of false rumors, and the disrespect other whites showed them, was nothing but animalistic. The behavior of those black recruits who attacked me reminds me of what 'Abdu'l-Baha once purportedly said:

"It is, therefore, certain that sins such as anger, jealousy, dispute, coventouness, avarice, ignorance, prejudice, hatred, pride, and tyranny exist in the physical world. All these brutal qualities exist in the nature of man. A man who had not had a spirutal education is a brute. Like the savages of Africa, whose actions, habits and morals are purely sensual, they act according to the demands of nature to such a degree that they rent and eat one another." (Some Answered Questions 29:5)

"As ignorance is the cause of crimes, the more knowledge and science increases, the more crimes will diminish. Consider how often murder occurs among the barbarians of Africa; they even kill one another to eat each other's flesh and blood!" (Some Answered Questions 77:13)

"If a child is left in its natural state and deprived of education, there is no doubt that it will grow up in ignorance and illiteracy, its mental faculties dulled and dimmed; in fact, it will become like an animal. This is evident among the savages of central African, who are scarcely higher than the beast in mental development." (The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p.311)

In any case, I told this story at the Baha'i Fireside, of how I was beaten and kicked so severely my left testical was torn out, and it took me years to recover. The "point" of my story was this:

*That the false rumors that Mormons "hated black people" and believed that "black people were the Devil's children" (both widely believed by the African-American Community then--less so today) were false.

*That to punish someone because of "false rumors" is even MORE false.

Did the Baha'is that I spoke with understand my points?

Verily....NAY!

When I finished telling my story of how I was beaten and kicked so severly it took years to recover, the older black woman looked at me and said, "Well, CAN YOU BLAME THEM?"

I was in COMPLETE SHOCK! For her to tell me that, would be like a black man telling me how the Klan tarred and feathered him, raped his wife, killed his children, merely because he was black and they "thought" he was in the wrong area, and then me saying, "Well, CAN YOU BLAME THEM?"

I was so distraght I was SPEECHLESS! It was all I could do to tell the André's I would see them later. I left. The comments of that old black Baha'i woman had left me physically ill. The trauma of the event returned. On my way back home, I had to pull my car to the side of the road twice to throw up.

Over the years, I've noticed how a good number of Baha'is, both black and white, seem to think that all white people should share the "guilt" for the African slave trade, slavery, the Jim Crow laws, and the terrorists acts of the Ku Klux Klan. Several black Baha'is have told me that, and a number of white Baha'is seem to agree. But, I could never understand how "all white people" should be responsibility (moral or otherwise) for the actions of others.

What Baha'is showed me that evening was:

1) Ignorance.
2) Pre-judice. This means to "pre-judge". They "assumed" I was/had been a racist because I was a Mormon. They "assumed" that all Mormons were racist, based upon false rumors they had been told.
3) Violating the Golden Rule. Even if I "was" racist, Baha'is are not to give evil for evil, but good for evil. Instead, the old woman gave me evil for good.

The African-American community was (and still is) full of false rumors about Mormons.

Q. Well, I've heard from many people that Mormons are racist. Is this not true? How could so many people be wrong?

How could 60 million Iranians, who believe that Baha'is are immoral, spying for Israel, and wish to destroy Islaam. How can they ALL be wrong?

The vast great majority of white Mormons today (98%) are NOT "racist" in any way, shape or form. The racial attitude of Mormons in the 1800s, and the early 1900s, was exactly the same as it was for most Americans at that time; a moderately racist one.

Here are some facts:

1) Mormons did not enslave black people. Christians and Arabs (and yes---until the 1890s--Baha'is) did that.

2) Mormons were not behind the KKK; in fact, the Deseret News (owned by the Church) was always anti-KKK, and the KKK called the Mormon Church "one of our chief enemies" in the 1920s.

3) Joseph Smith was a great advocate for the rights of black people; calling for the end to slavery, and the educating and granting of equal rights, in 1843.

4) Mormons were not behind the Jim Crow laws of the South (and other places); so called "Christians" were.

5) Mormons never "segregated" black people in their churches; as just about all other churches did during the same time period.

6) Black people have always been Mormons. The worst thing the Mormon Church ever did to black people was the Priesthood-Ban; to deny black males the Mormon Priesthood, and all black the Ordinances of Mormon Temples (the equivolent of a Baha'i Pilgrimage) from 1848 until 1978. The Church did this because of the Curse of Cain Doctrine.

Anyway, the point is, the old black "Baha'i" woman listened to NONE of this--insinuating I was "lying" because she knew the "truth" (i.e. the false rumors in the African-American Community).

Jesus said "Do not judge!" He did not mean "Do not condemn wicked behavior". Jesus spoke Aramaic, not Greek. Look at the Aramaic Bible, and Jesus says: "Do not be prejudicial". The black Baha'is I spoke with that day were prejudicial. They pre-judged me!

Baha'u'llah taught His followers NOT to spread rumors; because they can often be "false". The rumors in the African-American Community that "Mormons hate white folks" and "Mormons are worse than the Klan" are absolutely OUTRAGIOUS ___LIES____! Yet, some Baha'is (black and white) continue to spread them; in violation of the Laws of Baha'u'llah.

The white woman who screamed at me and my companion from New Zealand, believed a lie and violated Baha'i Principles; as did the famous Baha'i teacher who told me we had NOT been invited to the Fireside (we in fact HAD BEEN by the Baha'i librarian).

Q. The Mormon Church denied its Priesthood and access to its Temples to black people for 130 years. Is this not RACIST?

"Racism" is the belief that one's own race is "innately superior" to other races. 'Abdu'l-Baha wrote:

It should not be imagined that the people of Persia are inherently deficient in intelligence, or that for essential perceptiveness and understanding, inborn sagacity, intuition and wisdom, or innate capacity, they are inferior to others. God forbid! On the contrary, they have always excelled all other peoples in endowments conferred by birth." (Secret of Divine Civilization, p.9)

Were Mormon leaders of the 19th and early 20th century "racists"? Yes, most early Mormon leaders believed whites were "superior" to blacks, but, then again, 99% of all whites in their day believed the same thing! It is doubtful today (2011) that 1% of white Mormons believe that!

The Mormon Church banned all "Canaanites" (of whatever skin-color) not because of racism (most Mormon leaders were "racist"--but so were 98% of white Americans in their day), but because they believed that God had placed a Divine Curse upon the lineage (bloodline) of Canaan that only the LORD could remove via Divine Revleation to the President of the Church.

In other words, Cain killed Abel, so God "cursed" Cain with a denial of the Priesthood, the Ground would not yield fruit for him, and he would be a wanderer on the Earth. Ham, son of Noah, married a Cainite woman, in violation of a divine Law, and their son was Canaan. Noah cursed Canaan (meaning Canaan and his descendants) to be "servants of servants".

In The Book of Abraham, a book which Mormons recognize as inspired Scriptures, it says:

25Now the first agovernment of Egypt was established by Pharaoh, the eldest son of Egyptus, the daughter of Ham, and it was after the manner of the government of Ham, which was patriarchal.
26 Pharaoh, being a righteous man, established his kingdom and judged his people wisely and justly all his days, seeking earnestly to imitate that aorder established by the fathers in the first generations, in the days of the first patriarchal reign, even in the reign of Adam, and also of Noah, his father, who blessed him with the bblessings of the earth, and with the blessings of wisdom, but cursed him as pertaining to the Priesthood.
27 Now, Pharaoh being of that lineage by which he could not have the right of Priesthood, notwithstanding the Pharaohs would fain bclaim it from Noah, through Ham, therefore my father was led away by their idolatry (Book of Abraham, chapter one)

Jesus himself accepted the "Curse of Canaan" when he referred to a Canaanite woman as a "dog" which means a lowly servant:

21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to Him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.”
23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to Him and urged Him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
24 He answered, “I was only sent to the lost sheep of Israel.”
25 The woman came and knelt before Him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.”
“Yes, Lord,” she said, “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
27 Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour. (Matthew chapter 15)

Black Africans have two "bloodlines" (lineages); one from the Bantus (native Negroes) and another from the ancient Egptians, who were Canaanites (descendants of Canaan, son of Noah). It is via this "Canaanite bloodline" that the Curse of Canaan, a curse of God, descended.

Baha'is will say; "Oh, God would NEVER curse anyone!" But this is just false! There are curses of God against the Moabites, Ammonites, Egyptians, the Canaanites, the Egpyptians, and even the Israelites! Indeed, the Law of Moses was a "curse" which Jesus came to suffer on the Cross in order to "pay" for! The Apostle Paul wrote:

"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." (Galatians 3:13 NIV)

In like manner, Baha'u'llah "suffered" in the Siyah Chal for four months, so that those "chained" may be freed from their captivity. He "atoned" for the Curse upon Canaan (and his descendants). You can read more about this in "The Curse of Canaan in the Light of the Baha'i Teachings" online. More about that later.

Shoghi Effendi himself taught that the Jews were "cursed" for 2,000 years before they persecuted Christ, and the Arab Muslims would likewise be cursed because they rejected and persecuted Baha'u'llah. He purportedly told Ramona Brown:

"The Jews suffered for 2,000 years for persecuting Christ, "The Son of God," for 3 years; the Moslems and the Arabs persecuted Bahá'u'lláh, "the Father," for 50 years, so they will suffer more and endure greater sufferings. The time of banishment is now over for the Jews. They will return to Palestine and Palestine will be their home forever. The Moslems and Arabs will be scattered. The Arabs suffered severe defeat because they did not respond to the call of Bahá'u'lláh." (Haifa Notes of Ramoma Brown, p.4)

Mormon leaders believed that "Negroes" were "Canaanites" (the descendants of Canaan--and of Cain), so they were "banned" from the Mormon Priesthood (which all Mormon men hold) and Mormon Temples (where rites of Godhood and Eternal Marriage are performed) until the "Curse" was removed (which is was in 1978).

Again, the ban was not imposed because of "racism" (the belief that whites are superior) but because Mormon leaders believed that "Negroes" were "Canaanites" and under the "Curse of Canaaan".

The Mormons did not enslave blacks in Africa and bring them over here. Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and Arabs did that.

The Mormons did not create the "Jim Crow Laws" in the South. "Christians" did that.

The Mormons did not create nor support the KKK! Again....Methodists and Baptists did that. And even the Baha'is bought and sold black "slaves" (NOT "servants" but slaves) up until at the 1890s (according to the book Black Pearls sold by Kalimat Press).

Joseph Smith was the "first" American Presidential candidate (Mormon Reform Party of 1843) to call for blacks to be freed, educated, and given equal rights! His views may have influenced another man living in Illinois in 1843 named Abraham Lincoln.

Joseph Smith said:

"I have advised them to bring their slaves into a free country and set them free~educate them~and give them equal rights." (Compilation on the Negro in Mormonism, p.40)

"Break off the shackles of the poor black man and hire him to labor like other human beings." (History of The Church 5:209)

"While he was acting as mayor of the city, a colored man named Anthony was arrested for selling liquor on Sunday, contrary to law. He pleaded that the reason he had done so was that he might raise the money to purchase the liberty of a dear child held as a slave in a Southern State. He had been able to purchase the liberty of himself and his wife and now wished to bring his little child to their new home. Joseph said, 'I am sorry, Anthony, but the law must be observed and we will have to impose a fine.' The next day Brother Joseph presented Anthony with a fine horse, directing him to sell it, and use the money obtained for the purchase of the child." (Young Woman's Journal, p.538)

"VERILY, thus saith the Lord concerning the wars that will shortly come to pass, beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina, which will eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls,
2 And the time will come that war will be poured out upon all nations, beginning at this place.
3 For behold, the Southern States shall be divided against the Northern States, and the southern States will call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain, and they [Britain] shall call upon other nations, in order to defend themsevles against others nations [Germany, Austria-Hungary], and then war shall be poured out upon all nations.
4 And it shall come to pass, after many days, slaves shall rise up against their masters, who shall be marshaled and disciplined for war.
(Doctrine & Covenants section 87)

There is a VAST amount of "false rumors" about Mormons in the African-American Community, and they "spread" this unchecked in the Baha'i communities! Nobody does a "thing" about it! That's not right.

The Salt Lake City Incident

In 1996 I travelled through Salt Lake City, Utah. I was only going to be there a day or two. I called the Baha'is and said, "If you like, I can give a talk to the Friends on how to use the prophecies of Joseph Smith to attract and teach Mormons". The Baha'i I spoke to (a woman) said, "Ok, but you have to do it during out Fireside". I said, "I can't stay another three days, can't we do it sooner?" She said, "No, sorry, we just can't, why can't you stay?" I said, "I don't have enough money to stay, can't we do the talk sooner?" She said, "I'll call you back". She called back 30 minutes later and said, "Ok, we can get you $100 to stay, can you?" I said, "Well, ok, but if we can do it tomorrow I will need no money at all!" She said, "There will be no problem, we'll help you stay a few more days".

I went to the Fireside expecting maybe at least 20 people, and about 5 showed up: the woman I spoke with, her husband "Mr. T", a "Mr. S" and a Chilean Mormon who was very bitter against the Church. I asked if the tape could be recorded, so that they could make copies for others. It was recorded.

Mr."T" was a Persian Baha'i, and had been in Utah for decades. He was about 60 in 1996. Mr. "S" was another Persian Baha'i, about 30 at that time. For the next hour, Mr. "T" would call me a "liar" at least 25 times. Mr. "S" would suggest I was a liar, but not call me such. Here is an overview:

Me: "Shoghi Effendi said Joseph Smith was a Seer!"

Mr."T": "That's a LIE! You are a LIAR! He never said that! He never said that!"

Me: "I spoke with Marsha Gilpatrick in 1984, and spoke with her father Charles Wolcott."

Mr. "T": "YOU ARE A LIAR! I know Marsha! You never spoke to her father. He was in Israel in 1984. That is a LIE!"

Mr. "T" and Mr. "S" interrupted me CONSTANTLY. Finally, I said, "Look, WHY are you calling me a liar? WHY are you interrupting me?" Mr. "S" said, "Well, if you don't like it, why don't you leave?" I did. I did not take the casette tape with me. As I went out the door, Mr. "T" came out and said smiling, "Well....don't you want your MONEY??? Hahahahah?"

Remember, it was not "I" who asked the Baha'i Community for any money! I was willing to give my talk for free. But the Baha'i woman (the wife of Mr. "T") was the one who begged me to stay and offered the money to me. On my way back to Washington State I had to sleep in my car, because I refused her funds. I had to sell 20 of my books (author's copies) to a bookstore in Boise in order to have enough gas to make it back to Tacoma, Washingon.

Anyway, I wrote to Marsha and she sent me a letter saying, "Yes, you did speak to my father who was visiting me from Israel in 1984, and I remember you having dinner later at our home when you were a Mormon missionary. I also made copies from pilgrim's notes where Shoghi Effendi said "Jospeh Smith was a Seer". I made copies of this, and mailed them to the LSA of Salt Lake City.

Later, Mr. "T" and Mr. "S" told everyone that I had "lied" when I said that the Jewish Community Center (four houses down from the Baha'i Center) had said we could use their parking lot for the Fireside, because they called and the head of the Center denied speaking to me. So, I went their and spoke to a blonde Jewish woman who told me "Yes, you can use our parking lot for one night only". She said she DID tell the director of the Center, who I later called, and he denied any Baha'is had called him about anything. I was quite upset, because Mr. "T" and Mr. "S" had DELIBERATELY LIED! I called both of them up and said, "YOU ARE DISGUSTING LIARS!" and hung up. After that, Mr. "T" and Mr. "S" starting spreading false rumors about me to all the Baha's they met in Utah; which still persist today. And nothing has been done about it. Nothing.

Later, I discovered the Mr. "T" and Mr. "S" had been reading anti-Mormon literature by Jerald and Sandra Tanner for years, and they were convinced Joseph Smith was a fraud (based upon the anti-Mormon literature by the Tanners). So, they decided they were going to "way-lay" me during the talk. Instead of saying, "Thank you, but we simply don't agree that Joseph Smith was a Seer, and we simply don't want to use his prophecies to attract and teach Mormons". That would have been the "Baha'i" way of handling it. Instead, they decided they would "way-lay" me during my speech, interrupt me constantly, call me a "liar" every other minute, until I had "enough" and left. This is what happened. And, they got their way! The SLC community, nor any Baha'i Community in Utah uses the 1891 prophecies of Joseph Smith to attact and teach Mormons. And, not surprisingly, they have had about "0" luck in attracting "believing" Mormons to the Faith. Sometimes they'll attract an ex-Mormon, but never believing Mormons. The growth rate in Utah has been almost exclusively from Baha'is moving into the state. Very, very few converts from the Mormon community in the last 30 years! And this will NOT change! Ever. As long as the Baha'is of Utah ignore Joseph Smith or dimiss his prophecies.

Baha'is in Utah try attract people to the Faith by marching in Dr. MLK Jr. parades, and by having talks on "world peace" or "race unity" or "esperanto" and then inviting people they know to the talks. About 1 in 10,000 Mormons would be intesested in going to such talks. About 1 in 10 Mormons would be interested in knowing if Joseph Smith prophesied of Baha'u'llah! That is no exaggeration.

Baha'u'llah forbade gossip and back-biting for "any reason"! He did not say "Don't gossip and backbite unless you have a GOOD REASON to do so!" He said "don't do it". The false rumors about Mormons being "racist" is still being spread in the American Baha'i Community. The false rumors about me is still being spread by Baha'is in Utah, thinking they are doing God a service. Instead of trying to crush such false rumors, the ABMs in Utah have, for the most part, been the "sources" of them! This is unfortunatly too true.

One woman in Utah was spreading the rumors, and treating me quite contemptuously, mockingly. I had had enough. I "broke". I think I called her a 'whore' and a few other things. That was WRONG! But, when you spread false rumors...negative things happen. Nothing "good" ever comes form it. This woman has, no doubt, told the Baha'is of Utah that I called her a "whore" and in fact, in anger, I did! This will be the first "true" rumor spread! But she won't mentioned her lying to me, or spreading rumors BEFORE I showed her any disrespect. Nor how she mocked me when she spoke to me, hooting and turning her head on its side. Nobody likes to be treated like that. But, my reaction, was clearly wrong. And I repent of it. As soon as the Baha'is who lied about me, or spread false rumors about me, also repent, I may think about joining the Faith again.

As long as the Baha'is "love" their false rumors, negative things will continue to happen. Anti-Mormon propaganda is about as "trustworthy" as the propaganda of the Anti-Baha'i Society of Iran; which millions of Iranians accept as "absolute truth". I had hoped the Baha'is were above believing in false rumors, and in spreading them, but they are clearly not. Thank you.

"Aenon E. Moss"

Articles Featured at Mustagath Online

*1891: Did Joseph Smith Prophesy of Baha'u'llah?

*Adam and Eve in the Light of the Baha'i Teachings (an article which presents "Adam" as Pharoah Aye and "Eve" as Princess Khiyah of ancient Egypt)

*The Curse of Canaan in the Light of the Baha'i Teachings (i.e. Baha'u'llah suffered in the Siyah Chal in order to atone for the Curse upon the Canaanites)

*The Quickening: 19 Suggestions for the Baha'i Faith in America. Online articles are NOT put through the Baha'i Reveiw process. They do not need institutional approval before being read or shared with others. All linked at:

http://mustagath.angelfire.com

"Keep the tongue from evil, and the lips from speaking guile." (Psalm 34:13)

"A gossip goes around spreading rumors, while a trustworthy man tries to quiet them." (Proverbs 11:12 The Living Bible translation)

"A hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbor; but through knowledge shall the just be delivered." (Proverbs 11:9)

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