ED DECKER: MAN OF GOD
or godless con-man?

---

A SHOCKING EXPOSÉ of Ed Decker, author of "The God Makers" books and films and President of Saints Alive in Jesus, the most successful Anti-Mormon of all time.

The Book of Mormon was published in 1829. Since 1834, with the publication of Mormonism Unveiled, Anti-Mormons have found they could make money (and A LOT of it!) by writing, publishing, and preaching against Mormonism. I've studied Mormonism, and Anti-Mormonism, for over 30 years; 4 of those years full-time, and the rest part-time. Regardless of whether Mormonism is true or false, Anti-Mormons, for the most part, use lies, deceit, innuendo, false testimony, and fabricated evidence to "prove" Mormonism false. There are "some" honest Anti-Mormons, but they are by far the least popular among Evangelicals. It is true to say that the MORE sensationalistic and dishonest the Anti-Mormon is, the more popular he is in the Evangelical world, and the more books and lectures and videos and films he can "sell". John Edward Decker Jr ("Ed Decker") is the prime example of an Anti-Mormon who uses sensationalism, deceit, fabricated evidence, false testimony, distortion, and--indirectly--violence, in order to make a fortune off of preaching against Mormonism.

Ed Decker is revered by millions of Evangelicals the world over as a brave and courageous "Christian brother" and "Man of God" whom Jesus rose-up to warn the Christian world of the evils of "Mormonism" and "Freemasonry"; to warn them against the worldwide International Luciferian/Masonic/Mormon Conspiracy to take-over the U.S, then the World, and introduce the End-Times ANTI-CHRIST!

This article will reveal the TRUTH about Ed Decker, and his closest friends and associates.

Ed Decker has been preaching against the LDS Church since about 1976. He started "Ex-Mormons for Jesus" (now Saints Alive in Jesus) in 1978.

Ed has traveled to Chile, Brasil, Tonga, Hawaii, Samoa, England, Ireland, Scotland, Israel, Canada, Australia, and various other places to promote his films and anti-Mormon publications as well as to preach against the Church in lectures. He is the most successful anti-Mormon there has ever been; by far! He is a personal friend of the King of Tonga, and has shown Temple of The God Makers before the Israeli Knesset. He is viewed by TENS OF MILLIONS of Evangelical Christians around the world as a "true Christian brother" raised-up to warn them about the evils of Mormonism and Freemasonry; a truly "Christ-like" and honorable "Man of God".

Who is Ed Decker? Is he a "Man of God"?

I'll give you my own opinion; from what I know of him, and from what others have told me over the past 23 years. This article will reveal the TRUTH about J. Edward Decker Jr.

Decker's Claims of Why He Left the LDS Church

Decker's "story" of why and how he left the Church has changed over the years, and even changes with audiences. Here are some stories he gives:

Decker first claimed that he was "a card-carrying [Temple-recommend] Temple-Mormon for over 19 years." [FALSE: He had a temple-recommend for only a few years during the 19 he was on the rolls of the Church].

He first claimed that he became a Christian because, after 19 years as an active "card-carrying" Temple-Mormon, he knew he could not keep all the hundreds of Mormon commandments, and each Mormon MUST keep each and every one "perfectly" in order to become a god. Decker says that at a Sacrament meeting one day, he held the sacrament WATER in his hand, and began to wonder why the Church used water and not wine or grapejuice. He was told that it was because Mormons "despise the blood of Jesus". Also, he had a son (Jason) born without normal outer ears or earcanals, and he realized that the "Mormon god" was a "judgmental god" and was punishing Ed for not keeping the hundreds of Mormon laws perfectly; as every Mormon is commanded to do. Finally, realizing his own sinfulness and imperfection, and realizing he could not keep all the hundreds of Mormon commandments perfectly, he realized he could never become a "god". He told his Mormon wife this, and his Mormon wife told her bishop. Her bishop then commanded his Mormon wife to "divorce" Ed and marry a good Mormon. She did. Although not believing he could become a "god" he still remained an active Mormon, but he met a Christian woman. He tried to convert her, and she tried to convert him. They fell in love and married. They went to his Ward one Sunday, and to her Pentecostal church the next Sunday; alternating each Sunday.

One Sunday, at the Pentecostal church, Ed was passed the communion which consisted of red grape-juice. Ed said, "If I partake of this Gentile Sacrament, the Mormon god will KILL ME ON THE SPOT!!!" Decker used to tell Evangelical audiences that Mormons are taught "to despise the blood of Jesus" and that "the Mormon god" would "kill them on the spot" if they "partook of an ACCURSED Gentile sacrament of wine or red grapejuice". Yet, the redness of the grapejuice caused him to think about the Blood of Jesus. Mormons, said Ed, were taught to "despise the Blood of Jesus", and this is why clear water, and not wine or grapejuice, is used in Mormon sacraments. Yet, the grapejuice got Ed to think more and more about the Blood of Jesus; something he "utterly despised" as a Mormon.

Decker's son Jason was born deformed, and the Bishop couldn't heal him with his Melchizedek Priesthood. Ed couldn't heal him. Ed's new Christian wife suggested that the Pastor and Elders at her Pentecostal church try to help Jason. Still being Mormon, Ed refused; knowing that such a thing was "blasphemous" to Mormons, and would cause the "Mormon god" to send down more curses upon Ed. However, he finally relented, and the Pastor and the Elders at the Pentecostal church layed their hands upon Jason and HEALED HIM. Jason was no longer deaf!!! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

After Jason's miraculous healing by the Pastor and Elders at his wife's Pentecostal church, Ed finally realized that his Melchizedek Priesthood had no power, and that the "Mormon Jesus" was not the "Jesus of the Bible", etc. Soon afterwards Ed claimed to have a "born again" experience. He became a born-again Christian! Ed soon told other Mormons what had happened. Enraged, his Mormon bishop told his Mormon Stake President and they quickly had him excommunicated. Soon afterwards Ed started giving classes on "Mormonism", and soon after that formed Ex-Mormons for Jesus: to "reach out to those lost in Mormonism with the precious blood of Jesus Christ"!

This was Decker's FIRST story. I know because I was in Tacoma Washington when I first heard it; in 1979. This story changed somewhat over the next few years, because more and more people began to know Ed. They also began to realize a few things about Ed:

*Jason is the son of Ed's SECOND wife; not his first Mormon wife.

*Ed Decker was divorced for YEARS before he was remarried.

STORY #2

Decker started changing his story. In the second story Decker's Mormon wife divorces him because he becomes a Christian. Decker says whenever a spouse becomes a Christian, the Mormon leaders command the remaining Mormon spouse to divorce. Decker becomes a Chrisitan (in Story #2) while still married to his Mormon wife. The miraculous healing of Jason is still included.

STORY #3

In the last version, Decker no longer says that his wife divorced him because he became a "Christian". He goes back to the first story; that she divorces him because he comes to the conclusion he can not attain Godhood; like every Mormon male is supposed to aspire to. However, in Story #3, the miraculous healing of Jason is gone. The grape-juice story is still there, but gone is Decker telling himself, "If I partake of this accursed Gentile sacrament, the Mormon god will KILL ME ON THE SPOT!!!"

Why did the stories change?

Because people started finding-out facts about Decker and "calling him" on those facts; often at public meetings where Decker is speaking.

Here are some FACTS:

1) Decker's first wife divorced him on ground of MULTIPLE ADULTERY and mental and emotional cruelty. This is in the public divorce records of the Court. Decker DID NOT CHALLENGE her claims. The divorce was granted on those grounds. Copies of the Court records and an affidavit from Phillis Decker (his first and only Mormon wife) are reprinted in They Lie In Wait To Deceive volume 4. Her affidavit is also online at:
www.angelfire.com/mo3/pma/Edswife.html

2) Mormon bishops are NOT instructed to tell Mormon spouces to divorce if their spouse joins another church or religion. Simply doesn't happen. In the case of Ed Decker and his Mormon wife, Mormon bishops told her repeatedly to "forgive" Ed's adulteries. Mormon bishops are told to try to keep the family together in all cases except for ongoing and unrepented physical and/or sexual abuse of the wife or children. Since there was none in Decker's case, they told his wife to forgive him and try to make the marriage work. This is in Phyllis Decker's affidavit in They Lie In Wait To Deceive volume 4.

3) Mormons are NOT told to "despise the Blood of Jesus"! This is a LIE! Mormons drink water instead of wine or grapejuice because, in Missouri in the 1830s, it was in many cases impossible to get wine or grapejuice to most Mormon congregations. Imported wine was scarce on the frontier and extremely expensive. Grapejuice simply wasn't available at that time (no refrigeration). So, water was used. At the Mormon Sacrament prayer, a priest says, "We partake of this water in remembrance of the blood of Thy Son, which was shed for them,....." Ed is simply lying.

4) Jason Decker was NOT miraculously healed by the pastor and elders at the Pentecostal church he and his second wife used to belong to. Jason Decker was NOT "healed" by anyone but specialists at the University of Washington Medical Center. Jason Decker has had MANY surgeries which have corrected much (but not all) of his deformities regarding his ears.

5) Mormons are NOT expected to "live all of the hundreds of Mormon laws and commandments perfectly" in order to become a god! They are expected to "keep the commandments" to the best of their ability; to "endure to the end" in moral cleanliness and faithfulness. Mormons believe that only Jesus Christ could live all the laws perfectly. Mormons are expected to live them the best they can, but perfection for mortals is absolutely impossible.

In 1979 I first heard Decker's story at the Fern Hill Branch Library in Tacoma, Washington. I decided to check-out his claims. So, I went up afterwards and asked him: "You say that your son Jason was healed by the pastor and elders at a Pentecostal church. Which one was that?" Ed replied, "It was the Angle Lake Assemblies of God, next to the airport." I asked Decker some other questions, to which he responded by showing me various "penalties" in the Temple endowment ceremony (i.e. in an effort to "offend" me and stop me from asking him further questions). He also told me that night that they were making a film called "To Kolob And Back" which would appear on NBC or perhaps PBS. He also told me that he had letters from "thousands of Mormons" who had "come out of Mormonism" because of his ministry. I asked him where the letters were. He said they were kept at his ministry offices. I later visited "Saints Alive HQ"; which was at that time a mobile home on Decker's May Valley, Washington, property; next to his huge home. The secretary working that day was a 16-year old girl; the daughter of Dean and Linda Roberts. She looked confused when I asked to see some of the "thounsands" of letters. She pulled out about two dozen, and said, "That's all we have. That's all there is!"

I also asked him about the assassination attempt. At the meeting he said "Mormon Danites" had tried to kill him, and that he still had the bullet-hole in his window at his home. During his lecture at the Fern Hill Library he told the audience that "the bullet missed my head by inches". I asked him if I could see the bullet hole. He said I could. I will tell you later what I saw.

The Mormon Oval Office

During the lecture Ed also said that inside the Washington D.C. Temple was "an exact replica" of the White Houses' Oval Office, and that when the Mormon Prophet said "Go!" Mormons in the military, and Mormons in government, and Mormons in general would take their 2-years supplies of guns and ammunition and try to take over the Unites States government, and when that happened the Mormon Prophe would take a plane from Salt Lake City to the Washington D.C. Temple, and "reign" as a dictator over the U.S. from the exact replica of the Oval Office inside the Washington D.C. Temple, but that the exact replica was "now just used for storage".

I asked Decker about the Oval Office, and he again went into the Signs, Tokens, and Penalties, of the old Endowment Ceremony.

Several weeks later I decided to contact the Pastor of the Angle Lake Assembles of God; where Decker said his son Jason was miraculously healed by the pastor and elders. I discovered that it was called the Angle Lake Neighborhood Church, and that they were affiliated (somehow) with the Assemblies of God. I met the Pastor, who told me he did not know Ed or his wife, but he told me to contact the retired Pastor of the church; who knew Ed and his wife very well. He gave me his telephone number.

I called up the retired pastor (he was in his mid-70s and ailing) and asked to speak with him. He said I could. I went over to his home, and he sat on a piano bench; shaking but with a very smug and defiant expression. I told him I was Mormon, and I wanted to confirm a story Ed Decker had told me at a lecture several weeks before. I told him exactly what Ed had told me and dozens of others at the lecture. During this time the pastor would give me facial expressions as if I was lying to him. He would sniker and shake his head. After I told him he looked at me and said, "Like all Mormons, YOU'RE A LIAR! Ed Decker NEVER told you ANY of that!!!"

To say the least, I was SHOCKED! I had told the pastor exactly what Ed had told me and all others at the lecture in Tacoma (Ed also said this in numerous lectures he gave around the country for years). I said, "I can give you a cassette tape that PROVES Ed said this!" He laughed sarcasticly and said, "Oh, GET OUT OF MY HOUSE! I'm not gonna let a Mormon STINK UP my house!" He then threw me out; telling me just before slamming the door that I was going to "burn in Hell" for all eternity!

Decker Goes to Chile

Ed and his first Mormon wife had two sons: Jeff and John. Both of them served LDS missions; John to Italy and Jeff to Chile. When Jeff was send on a mission to Chile in 1980, Decker traveled to Chile and spoke at numerous Assemblies of God churches. He told everyone who would listen that Mormon missionaries "were really CIA agents"; working for the Central Intelligence Agency. At this time, in 1980, there was great anti-American and especially anti-CIA feelings in Chile. A popular Chilean president (a Socialist) was assassinated in 1973; with the help of the CIA. The Chilean military government was supported by the CIA; even when the military government had killed thousands of young university students who supported Communism or Socialism (or even social causes) in Chile. Now, Decker was telling everyone that Mormon missionaries were "really CIA agents".

Not long after Decker was in Chile, there began bombings of LDS chapels in Chile. Over the next two decades there would be hundreds of bombings of Mormon chapels, and the killing of at least 6 Mormon missionaries in Chile, Bolivia, and Peru, by Communist forces. After 1980, Communist and Socialist organizations in Chile, and neighboring Peru and Bolivia, began to suspect that Mormon missionaries were CIA agents, and the Mormon Church simply a "front" for American imperialism.

There was an American Protestant missionary in Chile who refused to have anything to do with Decker after he began telling everyone that Mormon missionaries were really only "CIA agents".

The Saints Alive newsletter reported the murder of two Mormon missionaries in Bolivia in 1989 this way:

"LDS MISSIONARIES SHOT: A tragic shooting in La Paz, Bolivia, claimed the lives of two young Mormon missionaries, both 20 years of age, as they were returning to their apartment. A terrorist group 'Zarate Willka Armed Liberation Front' claimed responsibility,...this is the same group which claimed to have bombed a Mormon meetinghouse last year in Boliva.
Sadly, this sort of thing happens because the missionaries are identified with the CIA and other US interests...There are reasons for this perception. It is no secret that the CIA does heavy recruiting among returned LDS missionaries....It is heartbreaking that these innocent young men paid with their lives for the Church's dabling in political intrigue." (Saints Alive newsletter, June/July, 1989, p.4)

Dean Helland, an Evangelical Christian who wrote his doctrinal dissertation (Meeting The Book of Mormon Challenge in Chile) at Oral Roberts University in 1990, wrote that Decker's wellknown "Mormon missionary/CIA agent" rhetoric "may have been partially responsible for the continual bombings of Mormon churches by political extremists in Chile." (quoted in Offenders for a Word, pp.180-1).

The FACTS are:

*Mormon missionaries are NOT CIA agents. Decker of course knows this.

*To equate Mormon missionaries with CIA agents would threaten their vary lives in many South American countries. Decker knew this.

*The CIA does recruit out of Brigham Young University, which has a LOT of returned missionaries. But the CIA recruits out of just about all major universities in the U.S.! Returned missionaries who are recruited out of BYU are not called on missions again and pretend to be Mormon missionaries. Far, FAR, more CIA agents come from Yale or other Ivy League schools than from BYU.

Decker knew that telling people in Chile that Mormon missionaries were "really CIA agents" would put those young innocent missionaries lives in danger. He did it anyway. To date, 6 missionaries have been killed by Communist forces in South America because they were considered "CIA agents". Mormon chapels have been bombed hundreds of times for the same reason; this is no exaggeration.

Decker lied, and innocent people died.

Decker Attempts Suicide?

In The God Makers film a blonde overweight actor plays the part of Decker in the first few scenes. The actor says that when he became a Christian his wife's Mormon bishop told her to divorce him, and that "they took my own children away from me". When "they" did that, "I tried to commit suicide" (the actor then choke's up as if to breakdown in tears).

The LDS Church has no legal authority to take anyone's children away from anyone. Decker's only Mormon wife divorced him on grounds of multiple adulteries and emotional cruelty; grounds not contested by Decker. Ed always had liberal visitation rights which were never revoked or overturned. According to Phyllis Decker (Ed's only Mormon wife), her Mormon bishops told her to forgive Ed of his adulteries and try to keep the family together. AT NO TIME did one of them tell her to divorce or even suggest divorce.

When Mormons bring up the court records and Phyllis' affidavits to Ed, he responds by the following:

*Telling them that his Mormon wife committed adultery against her third husband.

*Telling them that she is a liar and her claims were false but he did not contest it at the time because he was on the East Coast and could not get to Seattle where the procedings were.

When the subject is brought up by a non-Mormon, Ed tells them:

*The court records are FAKES; produced by the Mormon Church and secreted into official court records by undercover Mormon agents.

*The judge in the case was a Mormon; so "what do you expect?" His wife committed adultery against HIM!

Notice that Decker's story changes with time, location, and who his audience is.

Decker in the Holy Land

Since the mid-1970s Brigham Young University (owned and operated by the LDS Church) has had a Department of Middle-East Studies. In about 1981 the Church decided to build a BYU-Jerusalem Center on Mount Scopus, in Jerusalem. Why? For the same reason other American universities build study-centers in Israel; to study Arabic language and culture, to study Hebrew, and archaeology of the Bible. Construction would begin in 1983.

Ed Decker read about the BYU-Jerusalem Center plans. So, Ed went to Israel! He donned a skull-cap and prayed at the Wailing Wall. He told everyone his mother was a Jew (?); which would, in the eyes of Jews, make him a brother Jew! He played down considerably that his religion was "Christianity". He showed Temple of The God Makers before a special session of the Knesset (Israeli Parliament). He told Israeli journalists that he was in Israel to "warn" the people about the Mormon Church plan to open a "Missionary Training Center" on Mount Scopus. He told everyone that the Mormon Church was "LYING". They weren't building a study center, but constructing a Missionary Training Center; so that Mormon missionaries would convert Jews to Mormonism.

The Ultraorthodox Jews believed what their "Brother Ed" was telling them. They decided that the building of the BYU-Jerusalem Center had to be stopped; at all costs. Proselyting was illegal in Israel, and the Mormon church was trying to "deceive" the Israeli government! The Ultraorthodox Jews began to riot to prevent construction. Israeli mounted police broke up many of these riots. Many people were hurt in these riots; some seriously.

The Church was sued by many Israeli citizens; who believed Decker. The Church hired an Israeli attorney to defend them. He did a good job, but he was killed in a car-bomb. Somebody assassinated him. The attorney's son later attended BYU-Provo.

About every ten years or so there is more than usually snow on the Wasatch mountains; which causes the Great Salt Lake to rise and flood surrounding areas. This is expected. This happened in 1983; during the BYU-Jerusalem Center controversy.

During the controversy, the Ultraorthodox Rabbi of Jerusalem heard that the Great Salt Lake was flooding, and he uttered a "prophecy" that the floods would continue until and unless "the Mormons vacated Mount Scopus" (i.e. abandoned construction of BYU-Jerusalem Center). He also promised that if the Mormons did not abandone the cite hundreds of Jews blowing shofars would converge on the Center and blow it down as was the walls of Jericho blown down by the blowing of shofars in the Book of Joshua.

The Saints Alive newsletter at this time reported the 'Word of Prophecy' of the Chief Rabbi as genuine, even showing on the cover of the newsletter a drawing (by Dean Roberts) of the Salt Lake Temple submerged in water, with a Mormon temple-goer in scuba-gear swimming around with a stupid surprised look on his face (see appendix). The newsletter said:

"As the Jews continue to gather and blow Ram's horns in a declaration of Spiritual war against the powers of Mormonism, a word of prophecy given to us, at the start of the Feast of Tabernacles in late September, is being fulfilled before our eyes.
We were told by Rabbi Elliot Sherman of old Jerusalem, that the Great Salt Lake would begin to rise at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles, and wold not stop until the LDS leaders repented and vacted Mount Scopus...
Utah is already sandbagging its East-West highways and planning a gigantic pumping project to pump the water into its western desert. This is okay for the floods, but what are they going to do about the earthquakes? I would get off Mount Scopus! The last time the Jews blew multiple shophars was at the battle of Jericho...and there, they only used seven!***
The pumping of the great Salt Lake will be a waste of time and cost us [taxpayers] all lots of money because of the Mormon Church and its leaders." (Saints Alive in Jesus newsletter, July -August 1983)

"The reader will remember that it was prophesied that the lake would not stop rising 'until the LDS leaders repented and vacated Mount Scopus'. Mr. Decker labored very hard to get the Jews to remove the Mormons from Mount Scopus, but his efforts were in vain. Although the Mormons remained, the level of the lake continued to drop. We. therefore, can only conclude that the 'word of prophecy' was not from God." (Problems in The God Makers II., p.51)

It is still incredible that Decker would claim to believe in a "word of prophecy" by the Chief Rabbi; a man who believes Jesus as a "FALSE messiah".

Joseph Smith once said: "The false prophets shall always oppose the true ones".

Decker lied, and an innocent man died. Many others were hurt.

Decker At Temple Open-Houses

One thing that Decker and his followers at Saints Alive used to do a LOT was to go to LDS Temple Open Houses; where the public is invited to tour the inside of a Temple before it is closed to the public. During these times Decker would dress in full Temple-patron regalia (temple robes, hat, sash, apron, etc.), and walk around carrying a huge sign which read: "Welcome to America's Newest PAGAN Temple!"

But that's not all he would do!

Parked not far from Decker would be a van with tinted windows, and inside the van would be a Saints Alive member (often two) with a video camera. Why, you ask, with a video camera?

Well...

Decker would wear his temple-robes (which Mormons consider to be very sacred and NOT to be worn outside of Temples, and carry this sign which read "Welcome to America's Newest PAGAN Temple!". He would also re-enact various Temple Signs and Tokens (which Mormons also consider VERY sacred and not to be shown or seen outside Mormon Temples). What Ed was doing was deliberately profaning Mormon Temple rites.

Why?

Ed claims he was merely showing people what goes on inside Mormon Temples; what Mormons are trying to "hide" from others.

But, the real reason is this:

Decker was hoping that he would piss-off a Mormon; especially a Mormon security guard (who works for the Church). He was hoping to make some Mormon SO ANGRY at him that he would come and PUNCH ED IN THE FACE!

Now, why would Ed Decker want a Mormon to punch him in the face?

Easy one! So Ed could SUE THE CHURCH FOR MILLIONS OF DOLLARS! That's what the van with the tinted windows with the video recordres inside were for; to show the "proof" of persecution, and the "proof" needed so Ed would win a case against the Church for many MILLIONS of dollars.

This is why Ed could often step on the toes of Mormon security guards, he would often deliberate "pop" his "ps" (i.e. spray spittle in the face) of Mormon men and security guards at this Temple Open-Houses; in the hopes that one would punch him. This attack or punch would be on video, and used for two purposes:

1) in litigation against the Mormon Church for millions of dollars; Ed being the recipient.

2) in later films/videos to show his fellow Christians how Mormons are "persecuting" him.

So, here is Ed, wearing Temple Robes, openly displaing Signs and Tokens, spraying Mormons in the face with his spittle, walking on Mormons security guards' feet, occassionally insulting the wives of Mormon officials, all while being video-taped secretly from a nearby van.

The MOST Ed ever got was a Mormon official holding his arm (which he later displayed proudly). Decker had walked on the Mormon official's feet twice and was attempting to walk on them again. The Mormon official gently but firmly grabbed Decker's arm and prevented him from doing this a third time. The scene of the Mormon official holding Decker's arm, while Decker was in full Temple-Robes, made the FRONT PAGE of a local newspaper. That's it. No punches. No lawsuit this time! Poor Ed!

Decker DID sue the LDS Church many, MANY times; one time for 11 million dollars. All suits were thrown out of court. Decker tells his followers that the lawsuits were thrown out because "the Mormon Church has alot of money" (i.e. they bribed all the judges).

Decker, Danites, and BAD Scottish Pizza

Anti-Mormons love to talk about the "Danites"; the Mormon Church assassins who are constantly trying to kill them, but never can seem to get it right! They are the "gang-that-couldn't-shoot-straight". They've been trying to kill Decker (and all other Anti-Mormons) for the past 170 years, but can't seem to get their act together! I like to call the Danites "The Absent-Minded Assassins".

During lectures I attended where Ed Decker was speaking, and on old Ex-Mormons for Jesus cassette tapes, I have heard Decker say the following:

*Fanatical Mormons have tried to kill him and his wife.

*Danites have tried to kill him by bullet and arsenic poisoning.

*Mormon leaders have hired men to kill him.

As "evidence" for these assassination attempts, Ed loved to show people the bullet hole in his bedroom window at his old house in May Valley, Washington.

During a lecture he gave at the Fern Hill Public Library in 1979, I still remember Ed saying that Mormon leaders sent "an assassination squad" to kill him in his home, and that they fired a bullet into his bedroom window and "the bullet whizzed by my head and only missed my head by a few inches."

Several months after I heard this I discovered where Ed lived, and I drove up to his home in May Valley, Washington; about 15 miles southeast of Seattle and about 5 miles southwest of Issaquah, Washington. Ed lived on about 10 acres in a HUGE two-story modern home; with a guesthouse in the back, a classic MG in the driveway, and a large mobilehome which (at that time) served as Saints Alive H.Q. I would think the complex today would cost at least 1.5 million; perhaps more.

I knocked on the front door, and both Ed and his wife Carol answered. I held a camera, and I asked if I could take a photo of the bullet hole. They let me in and led me upstairs to their bedroom; which was HUGE, and had a HUGE vaulted ceiling. The window itself was huge, and was about 6 feet off the floor and continued for another three feet. The ceiling on the window side of the room was about 12 feet off the floor. In the exact center of the window was a bullet-hole; covered with clear Scotch tape. I took several photos.

Ed pointed to the bullet hole in the ceiling of their bedroom; which was about 3 1/2 feet inside from the window. For the bullet to have missed Ed's head "by inches" Ed MUST have been jumping on his bed, with him up at least 4 to 5 feet in the air off his bed, for the bullet to have missed his head by "inches". However, there was no furniture on the window side of the room. The bed was on the other side.

I asked ask why they didn't replace the window. He replied, "Those windows are very expensive you know!" Standing in that LAVISHLY furnished million-dollar home, I thought his reply rather odd.

I couldn't find any record of a 911 call or any police report regarding this assassination attempt. One would think that he would have called the police (the King Co. Sheriff's Office which patrols May Valley) after somebody tried to shoot him in his house. But this did not happen. After all, Ed must have been home at the time because he claimed for years that "the bullet missed my head by inches." When Mormons ask Decker why he didn't call the police, they are told, "I'm not gonna do you research for you! You figure it out!"

. For more than a decade, whenever anyone went to his home in May Valley, he proudly showed them the bullet hole in his bedroom window. Jerald Tanner, a prominent ANTI-Mormon researcher in Salt Lake City, wrote Decker a letter in 1990 regarding his assassination-attempt claims. Here are excerpts:

"Now that you have indicated you are willing to provide information concerning the poisoning, I am making a request directly to you...I also have questions concerning relating matters...
To begin with, there is more involved here than the arsenic poisoning story. In a tape...dated July 15, 1988, you claimed that the year 1986 was a very ad year for you. You stated, '...God showed me that I was in for a time of attack, and the next year I suffered three coronaries, I was poisoned twice, and at least one gunman that they caught was dressed in battle fatigues...I'm not going to hide. I'm not going to stop what I'm doing...I you want to try to kill me then try it, because I'm not going to go inside some place and hide from you.'
In addition to all these troubles, you reported...'The day after Capstone [anti-Mormon conference in Utah], I came down with Legionnaires' Disease....'
In addition to all this, I understand that you have stated that the Mormons have tried to kill you THREE TIMES before you were poisoned in 1986." (Jerald Tanner to Ed Decker, dated August 11, 1990, quoted in Problems in The God Makers II, p.81)

"...it is the instruction of the Board of Directors that you refrain from any further discussion with the Tanners and their organization...and any affiliated persons associated with that organization." (letter from Saints Alive in Jesus Board of Directors to Ed Decker, August 31, 1990, quoted in Problems in The God Makers II, p.81)

Decker presents himself as a "brave Christian soldier" in battle with the "Great Red Dragon" (i.e. the Luciferian/Masonic/Mormon Worldwide Conspiracy). He's been shot at three times, poisoned twice, came down with Legionaire's Disease (i.e. the Mormon Church had biological warfare scientists), etc. But, instead of going into hiding, he comes out and says, "HERE I AM! Come get me!" What a BRAVE Christian soldier isn't he?

But, anti-Mormon researchers Jerald and Sandra Tanner asked him for any corroborating evidence about the man "dressed in battle fatigues" who was "caught". Who caught him? What police department caught him? Where is the arrest report? Where is the police report if there was no arrest? Who was the officer? Decker replies to the Tanners by having his Board of Directors command him not to reply to them! Mind you, Ed wants to reply, but, after all, he MUST OBEY his Board of Directors!

I suppose it doensn't matter that Ed is President of the Ex-Mormons for Jesus Evangelical Association. He controls it. "Saints Alive in Jesus" is just the dba (doing-business-as) name for the EMFJ Evangelical Association. Ed has full legal and financial control of Saints Alive.

What about the poisoning in Scotland? Was Ed Decker really poisoned by Masons (or Mormons) who dropped "7 times the lethal dose of arsenic" in his coca-cola at a pizza restaurant?

Decker had claimed for years that while lecturing against Mormonism and Freemasonry in Scotland he was invited to lunch by a pastor, but at this lunch table was a suspecious man he didn't know. The "man" asked Decker if he could get him a refill on his Coke. Decker agreed. The man got up, took his Coke, and came back several minutes later with the refill. Decker thought that was odd that he would disappear and take so long, but he didn't think much of it and finished his Coke. Then, only 20 minutes later, Decker began to vomit and had horrible stomach pains. He was immediately rushed to the emergency room of the local hospital where they pumped his stomach. Blood tests there found "7 times the lethal dose" of arsenic in his system. The doctors couldn't understand why he was still alive. But, praise the Lord, his life was spared yet again!

When Decker is preaching against the Mormons he says it was the Mormons who tried to kill him with arsenic poisoning. When he is preaching against the Masons he suggests it was the Masons. He strongly insinuates that the unitentified "man" was a secret agent for the Mormons (or Masons) sent there to kill him.

Several ANTI-Mormon researchers, Wally Tope and Jerald Tanner, looked into Ed Scotland-pizza-parlor-arsenic-poisoning claims.

They found those claims groundless and fraudulent.

Wally Tope (a well-known and quite likeable anti-Mormon who handed out his own homemade tracts) did an intense amount of research into his poisoning claims; so much so that Tope wrote a book on the matter titled Poisoning in Pizzaland: The REAL Story of Decker's Arsenic Poisoning. The book is well over 100 pages long, and fully documented with photocopies of letters from physicians and others in Scotland and the U.S. who knew the Decker during his time in Scotland and treated him. The book contains copies of Decker's blood and urine tests. The book shows clearly that Decker had invented the arsenic-poisoning story only after coming back to the U.S.

Tope acutally spoke to the people Decker stayed with in Scotland, and to a veterinarian doctor in Ireland who treated Decker for stomach pains after eating a pizza in Scotland several nights before as well as Decker's own physician in Auburn, Washington. None of the people remember Decker vomitting or in convulsions. There was NO hospital stay (much less an emergency room) for Decker either in Scotland or Ireland as he had later claimed. There was NO pumping of the stomach at the hospital as Decker claimed. The very night Decker claimed he was in an emergency room having his stomach pumped, he was actually at a local Evangelical church preaching against Freemasonry. Tope got a taped copy of the actual lecture that night; Decker spoke clearly and strongly without any indictation he was sick at all. He got letters from the vary pastor who took Decker to the Pizzaland pizza parlour. Tope found that Decker complained of stomach pains after the lecture, but slept well that night. The next day Decker flew to Ireland, where the stomach pains increased. He was seen by a friend of the people he was staying with, a veterinarian physician, and given something for the stomach pain. That was it.

Tope even got a letter from Decker's physician after he came back to the U.S. The blood and urine tests showed Decker had an arsenic of 27 micrograms; well within normal parameters.

Pastor Sam Burton, the Evangelical pastor who asked Decker to come to Scotland, and who took Decker to Pizzaland, later wrote Tope, saying:

"When I first heard that Mr. Decker was implying that either I or my dear friend, Leslie Jappy, had poisoned him, I thought it was a joke. The passing of time has shown that I thought wrong.
***
For 10 years of so, I have lectured to churches and young groups on the subject of Mormonism. I have travelled a great deal, and have had a couple of articles published....when I heard of Mr. Decker's insinuations of attempted murder, I was shocked and even hurt. I had bought several copies of his book to distribute, payed good money to rent halls to show his film in, and Leslie and I had bought his lunch. Why would one Christian make that kind of accusation, who was like a kid at Christmas, being suspected of trying to take a brother's life...I'm terrible disillusioned by the whole affair. I can assure the reader of this. Leslie did not get a refill of diet coke (the poison was said to have been in a diet coke refill). I remember, not so much of my great powers of recall, but because I've eaten at Pizzaland many times and they have waitress service and the waitresses bring you your refill should you request one. Even refill is a poor word. Another drink would be a better expression. My sincere prayer is that all this childishness goes away before the Mormons are able to capitalize upon it....Let the truth of this 'poisoning' affair be known, and let it die, that we might be about the Father's business." (Serious Charges Against the Tanners, 1991, p.43)

Pastor Burton, a man who lectured against the Mormon Church in Scotland for 10 years, who rented halls to show The God Makers film, said that he and Decker spoke for several hours after the lunch at Pizzaland, and that Decker showed "no signs of being ill." (ibid.). Pastor Burton was upset that Decker would insinuate that the "man" who they had lunch with put arsenic in his Coke; the man (whom Decker never names) was Leslie Jappy, a man Pastor Burton knew for many years as a Christian brother; a man who had never been a Mason nor a Mormon.

Dr. Charles B. Sweigard of Auburn, Washington, Decker's physician at that time, took blood and urine test of Decker as soon as he arrived home, and he found that Decker had, among other things, a arsenic level of 27ug (micrograms). A normal person at any given moment has an arsenic level of anywhere from 0ug to 30ug. Decker reported that his doctor told him that he had "7 times the lethal dosage" of arsenic in his system. In fact, he had a "normal" amount as any person on earth. A person eating a seafood dinner would have at least 170ug (micrograms) of asenic in their system; many times the amount Decker had. The minimal amount of arsenic that would cause somebody to die would be about 120,000 ug. Decker had 27ug.

In a lecture, taped February 1987, Decker says:

"I'm still fighting the problems of having what the doctor's estimated as seven times the amount of arsenic in my body that would kill a man." (Serious Charges, p.36)

The Tanners conclude that Decker probably got sick on the prescription medication he was taking for arthritis which contained indomethacin; which causes weakness in the mustles and upset stomach (the only symptoms reported by the Irish veterinarian and Decker's own physician in Auburn, Washington).

Tope was working on a larger book which was a purported "expose'" of Ed Decker and Jeremiah Films. Tope was claiming that after he wrote Poisoning in Pizzaland he began to research more into Decker's claims, and had found enough for a large book, and was working on it. Tope confronted Decker at an anti-Mormon conference in Utah; pointing his finger at Ed and calling him a "fraud" and "liar". Ed grabbed Tope's finger (the one he was pointing at Ed with) and SNAPPED IT! Ed Decker broke Wally Tope's finger!

Decker presents himself as a spiritual-giant, a "Man of God". Yet Mormons who know him KNOW he is a coniving, vile, vengeful, UTTERLY ruthless and VICIOUS man who uses ANY lie, and anyTHING, to get back on anyone who criticizes him in the least. Decker does NOT turn-the-other-cheek! Not once.

Wally Tope did not get a chance to finish his expose of Ed Decker. During the L.A. riots in 1991, Wally Tope had driven from his home in La Canada-Flintridge (just above Pasadena) to the riot areas; for the purpose of "witnessing for Jesus" to the people rioting. A black man and a Chicano man were coming out of a supermarket. They had stolen goods in their arms. Wally confronted them and tried to "witness" to them. They dropped the goods and commenced to beat Wally; eventually kicking him while he was on the ground and unconscious. They continued to kick Tope in the head after he was on the ground and obviously unconscious. Wally died later in a hospital of head injuries.

The Tanners later reproduced much of Tope's evidence against Decker's poisoning claims in a book they published titled Problems in The God Makers II; which is available via Utah Lighthouse Ministries online.

What happened is typical "Decker". He goes to Scotland to show The God Makers and preach against Masons and Mormons. He is invited for lunch by a pastor and another man who helped pass-out leaflets for The God Makers showing. Decker takes his arthritis medication. He later gets and upset stomach and becomes very weak, but continues to lecture. The next day he is flown to Ireland where his stomach becomes more upset, and considers going to a hospital. The people he is staying with ask a veterinarian to look at him. He returns back to the U.S. and still is very weak and has a very upset stomach. At no time does he enter a hospital. He goes to his own physician who runs blood and urine tests. He is tested for arsenic, and it proves negative (he has a normal level). Later, Decker invents a story where he insinuates he is poisoned by a man who accompanies him and the pastor; a man who did not know who got a refill for him on his Coke. Twenty minutes later he is rushed to the emergency room and his stomach is pumped. He is told that there was "7 times the lethal dose" of arsenic in his stomach, and doctors can't understand why he is still alive! He tells these stories, and many similar false and fabricated stories, to large audiences of Evangelicals around the county who, upon hearing it, shout "Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!"

Decker et al vs. the Tanners et al

If you are wondering why the Tanners, two of the most prominent anti-Mormon researchers and publishers, are publishing things which expose Ed Decker as a LIAR, then I'll tell you.

Today (2002 A.D.), anti-Mormons and their followers fall into two opposing "camps": the Deckerites and the Tannerites. The Deckerites are the followers of Ed Decker and his "camp". The Tannerites are the followers of Jerald and Sandra Tanner and their "camp". The Deckerites believe Decker and read "The God Makers" books and other Decker books and tracts. The Tannerites read "Mormonism: Shadow or Reality?" and other Tanner books and publications.

The Deckerites are, how do I say this, rather "simplistic" in their view of Mormonism. They think it is part of a worldwide Luciferian/Masonic/Mormon conspiracy; to take over the world and prepare it for the End-Times Anti-christ. They believe Mormon leaders are Mafia-like murderers who openly worship Lucifer while rank-and-file Mormons are liars and hypocrites and dupes, that Lucifer is the god of Mormonism, etc.

The Tannerites, on the other hand, are abit more sophisticated. Tannerites include more intellectual Evangelicals, as well as quite a few Agnostics and Atheists. There are also quite a few "Liberal" Mormons in the Tannerite camp; who see all religion as more or less "man-made" The Liberal Mormons (often called "Sunstone Mormons") don't want the Church destroyed; just "changed" from within. They seen themselves as "agents of change". Quite a few of them actually work for the Church as lower-level managers; as a means to "change-from-within". The Evangelicals among the Tannerites see Mormonism as just a false religion; founded by a charlatan. They see Mormons as sincere, but deceived. They don't see Mormon leaders are "evil" men, but not that good either.

The Deckerites and Tannerites used to basically co-operate with each other; at least yearly during a yearly anti-Mormon conference called "Capstone"; held in Salt Lake City or sometimes Park City, Utah. Each year anti-Mormons would give lectures, and new publications or films would be promoted.

However, the Tannerites also thought of the Deckerites as "boobs" and "conspiracy-nuts" and "simpletons". On the other hand, the Deckerites have always considered the Tannerites to be "deceived" because they did not see the worldwide Luciferian/Satanic conspiracy like the Deckerites did.

In the mid-1980s, James Spencer (an ex-Mormon) and William Schnoebelen (an ex-Mormon and Associate Director of Saints Alive in Jesus) wrote a book titled Mormonism's Temple of Doom. In the book they claimed to show how the Mormon Endowment Ceremony was taken "bodily" from occultic Witchcraft rituals. They also claimed to show that the very architecture of the Salt Lake Temple was occultic and Satanic.

Spencer and Schnoebelen began to promote their new book, and lectured and appeared on various Evangelical radio talkshows. Schnoebelen began claiming that when he and his wife first went to the Temple they were taught three Hebrew words, and they later discovered, to their horror, that those three Hebrew words meant in Hebrew: "O WONDERFUL LUCIFER!" Later, in a meeting with Mormon Apostle James Faust, Bill's wife said, "Lucifer is the god of the Mormon Temple isn't he?" Elder Faust is supposed to have said in reply, "Flesh and blood hath not revealed this to you! You are correct!" Realizing they had joined a Lucifer-worshipping cult, they left Mormonism and became born-again Christians....Praise the Lord!

Many Tannerites began to hear about the claims of Schnoebelen and Spencer. Many of the Tannerites were quite intellectual and sophisticated people; many of them did their own research. Many were quite well-read and highly educated. They KNEW that the Mormon Endowment Ceremony had many close parallels to Freemasonic rites, but NOT to witchcraft rituals as Spencer and Schnoebelen were saying. Many Tannerites (some of these Liberal Mormons) KNEW that the three Hebrew words Mormons chanted in the old Endowment ceremony DID NOT MEAN "O Wonderful Lucifer!" They started writing and calling the Tanners, saying: "What are you gonna do about this?"

The Tanners decided to write a reply to the claims of Spencer and Schnoebelen. They basically wrote:

*The Three Hebrew Words in the Endowment ceremony DO NOT mean "O Wonderful Lucifer!" but "Hear [my]Mouth [O] God" in Sephardic Hebrew.

*Claims that the Signs and Tokens in the Mormon Endowment Ceremony came from Witchcraft are FALSE.

*There is no evidence that the architecture of Mormon Temples are based upon anything known as "Satanic architecture". This is an invention by William Schnoebelen.Mormonism's Temple of Doom are often contradictory, misleading, or false.

Instead of James Spencer and Bill Schnoebelen withdrawing their claims, they made new claims! They began claiming that Jerald and Sandra Tanner, authors of scores of anti-Mormon books, and whose research MOST of The God Makers book is based upon, were "secret agents working for the Mormon Church".

Ed Decker stood by his associates! He came out squarely on the side of Spencer and Schnoebelen. After all, Bill Schnoebelen was the Associate Director of Saints Alive in Jesus.

Decker accepted the claim that the three Hebrew words Mormons chant (before 1990) in the Mormon Endowment Ceremony meant "O Wonderful Lucifer!'; thereby proof that Mormons was unknowingly worshipping Lucifer in Mormon Temples. To substantiate this claim Decker asked the Rev. Wesley P. Walters, and anti-Mormon researcher who had studied Hebrew for 3 years in seminary. Jerald Tanner writes what happened next:

"Unfortunately, Decker could not get over the sensationalistic claim that the words 'pay lay ale' actually meant 'Wonderful Lucifer'. He called Wesley P. Walters, who was one of the most knowledgeable critics of the LDS Church, and asked his opinion on the matter. Walters, who had also studied the Hebrew language, examined the claim and responded by frankly telling Mr. Decker that the idea could not be supported from the Hebrew language. According to Walters, Decker then stated that he did not care and was going to use the arguement anyway." (Problems in The God Makers II, p.49)

Soon, James Spencer was claiming that Jerald and Sandra Tanner weren't Christian researchers on Mormonism after all, but "secret agents" hired and directed by Mormon Church leaders as way of "controlling" (watering-down) anti-Mormon claims. This was why the Tanners rejected the worldwide Luciferian/Masonic/Mormon conspiracy; because they were part of it!

Other Deckerites, such as Loftes Tryk (an ex-Mormon and anti-Mormon writer) began saying that the Tanners were "demonized secret agents" working for the Mormon Church.

Jerald and Sandra Tanner produced several publications which not only refuted the absurd claims Decker/Spencer/Schnoebelen, but exposed Bill Schnoebelen as an ABSOLUTE PATHOLICAL-LIAR AND FRAUD. These publications are:

*The Lucifer-God Doctrine (90 pages)

*Covering-up Syn (one of their Salt Lake Messenger newsletters)

*Serious Charges Against the Tanners (44 pages)

Covering-up Syn can be read online. The other two publications can be purchased online from Utah Lighthouse Ministries for $4 and $1 (plus shipping and handling) respectively.

Decker stood squarely behind Spencer and Schnoebelen, and against the Tanners. After all, at that time Bill Schnoebelen was the Associate Director of Saints Alive in Jesus. This was a rather contradictory things to do; since 75% of The God Makers book was based upon research by the Tanners. Indeed, The God Makers book plagarized much of the Tanners' book Mormonism: Shadow or Reality?.

Decker featured Sandra Tanner in The God Makers film as a "renowned researcher" on Mormonism. Much of The God Makers was based upon Tanner research. Now, Ed Decker, and Pat Matrisciana (president of Jeremiah Films who produced The God Makers and other anti-Mormon films by Decker) were calling the Tanners "liars".

During this time, Decker wrote:

"They [the Tanners] want to put the Matricianas and me out of business. Well, it isn't going to happen, Jerald and Sandra. Not by your kind of cheap journalistic claptrap. If this is the way the Tanners go about all their research, I've got a lot of Mormons to apologize to and so does Pat [Matrisciana]."
"Either the Tanners are the greatest dupes in the business, or bald-faced liars." (Saints Alive in Jesus newsletter, March-April 1993)

"I have to apologize to every Mormon I have ever shared Tanner materials with. I have even used it heavily in my own research and publications, writings, films. I had always thought the Tanners to be exacting researchers and without a real ax to grind. No more. What has happened is that they have manipulated data to make it say what they want it to say in order to defame someone they want to destroy. If they would do it to Ed Decker, or Jim Spencer, or Bill Schnoebelen and we are others can see it, then what does it say about their reporting on Mormonism? Therefore, I have to apologize and will have to re-evaluate a whole lot of what we did with their material." (letter quoted in Problems in The God Makers II,, pp.52-3)

The Tanners DID prove that much of the materials in The God Makers book was taken bodily from Mormonism: Shadow or Reality?; as if someone cut-up the Tanner's book, pasted the pages on cardboard, then mixed the cardboards up (to try to hide the plagarism), and then wrote The God Makers from the cardboards; only adding comments and additional materials (like a Luciferian/Masonic/Mormon conspiracy-theory) here and there.

In other words, whoever wrote The God Makers book plagarized heavily from the Tanner's book (Mormonism: Shadow or Reality?), tried to hide it, then included comments and additional information here and there from Decker and co-author Dave Hunt. Later, Decker claimed that the Tanners were either dupes, secret agents hired by the Mormon Church to "control" anti-Mormon research, or "bald-faced liars". Decker wrote that the Tanner materials could not be trusted, yet, he continutes to produce hundreds of thousands of copies of The God Makers.

Decker claimed that while he was in Scotland, preaching against the Masons (or Morons...the story changes with the audience) the Masons (or Mormons) had tried to poison him (kill him) with arsenic in a glass a coca-cola. According to his own claims, a man he did not know gave him a glass of coka-cola at a Pizza parlor. He drank it, but soon afterwards he became quite ill; vomiting, in violent convulsions, so much so that he was taken to an emergency room THAT NIGHT and it was discovered that he had been given "7 times the lethal dose of arsenic". Although given seven times the lethal dose, he survived (Praise the Lord!).

Decker was on the Phil Donahue television show in 1991, and Donahue said:

Donahue: "Ed Decker was a Mormon for 19 years. After speaking out against the Mormon Church, he claims, Mr. Decker does, that he was shot at and even poisoned. He believes Mormon followers are responsible for the actions against him. Now, Ed, I mentioned a few times that the fact that you had been shot at twice. Has anyone been arrested in those cases?"
Decker: "No, my wife and I were shot at in our bedroom in the middle of the night."
Donahue: "It is an established fact that indeed a shooting did take place?"
Decker: "OH YEAH! I was poisoned with arsenic! I have the doctor's reports, the urine tests, the blood test." (Problems in The God Makers II, Appendix B)

"It wasn't the LDS Church that I was dealing with at the time. It wasn't even the Mormons that were involved in the poisoning." (Martin Tanner Radio Show, July 19, 1992, quoted in Problems in The God Makers II, Appendix B)

However, on the Phil Donahue show, and in other places, when Ed is preaching against the LDS Church, he blames the poisoning on "Mormons".

The "truth" is that there was no poisoning nor a poisoning attempt. The "man" whom Decker insinuated put poison in his Coke refill did not get Ed's refill; the waitress did. There was no rush to the Emergency Room! There was no stomach pumping. There was no "7 times" the lethal dose of arsenic in his blood! Decker's symtoms was consistent with the side-effects of the medication he was then taking for arthritis. His arsenic level was normal. He simply "invented" this story as a way to present himself as a "brave Christian soldier" whom the Lord miraculously saves. Why? In order to get more money from Evangelicals; who believe every word of what Decker tells them!

Who shot Decker's bedroom window? I don't know. But I don't believe it was a "Mormon". At about the same time Decker's window was shot by a high-velocity bullet, the same kind of bullet hit the statue of Moroni, on the top of the Seattle Temple, several times. Why would a Mormon wish to shot a statue of Moroni on the Seattle Temple? Of course, an anti-Mormon would have good reason to shoot a bullet through Ed's bedroom window; without Ed being there or anyone hurt; so as to get MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF FREE ADVERTISING for Ed and Saints Alive via local secular press and national "Christian" press!

And IT WORKED!

In 1990 Jerald Tanner, the most prominent anti-Mormon researcher in the world, wrote a letter to Ed Decker. Here are excerpts:

"Now that you have indicated you are willing to provide information concerning the poisoning, I am making the request directly to you...I also have questions concerning related matters...To being with, there is more involved here than the arsenic poisoning story. In a tape...dated July 25, 1988, you claimed that the year 1986 was a very bad year for you. You stated, '...God showed me that I was in for a time of attack, and the next year I suffered three coronaries, I was poisoned twice, and at least one gunman that they caught was dressed in battle fatigues...I'm not going to hide. I'm not going to stop what what I'm doing...if you want to try to kill me, then try it, because I'm not going to go inside some place and hide from you.' In additional to all these troubles...you reported..'The day after Capstone [the anti-Mormon conference in Utah] I came down with Legionnaries' Disease.' In addition to all this, I understand that you have stated taht the Mormons have tried to killed you THREE TIMES before you were poisoned in 1986." (Jerald Tanner to Ed Decker, August 11, 1990, quoted in Problems in The God Makers III,, p.81)

Ed Decker never responded to Jerald Tanner's request for references. Instead, Jerald Tanner received a copy of a letter from the Board of Dirctors of Saints Alive in Jesus to Ed Decker, which read in part:

"...it is the instruction of the Board of Directors that you refrain from any further discussion with the Tanners and their organization...and any affiliated persons associated with that organization." (ibid.)

Decker presents himself as a brave and heroic Christian soldier in battle with the "Great Red Dragon" (the Luciferian/Masonic/Mormon worldwide conspiracy). He's been shot at three times, poisoned twice, came down with Legionnarie's Disease (hint: the Mormon Church has biological warfare specialists), but, instead of going into hiding, he comes out boldly saying, "Here I am, come get me!" WOW! What a brave and heroic Christian soldier isn't he? The all-powerful Mormon Church has tried to kill him in umpteen ways for DECADES and they can't seem to succeed. Surely, the Lord is protecting this "Man of God"! He wants Evangelicals to believe this, and MILLIONS do!

Can you spell d-u-p-e-s?

Decker and the Mark Hofmann Affair

On October 15th, 1985, two pipebombs exploded in Salt Lake City. One of them killed a Mormon bishop named Steve Christensen; the son of Mac Christensen; the owner of "Mr. Mac's" clothing stores (quite famous in Salt Lake City for giving missionaries discounts and for TV ads). The other person killed was Kathy Sheets; a housewife, mother of four. She was the wife of Gary Sheets; a Mormon, former bishop, who owned CFS (Consolidated Financial Services); an investment company that had recently lost most of it's investor's money due to bad investments and a downturn in the economy. Police initially believed the bombings were done by professional hitmen hired by disguntled investors. Christensen had once worked for Gary Sheets at CFS. Now, Christensen and Kathy Sheets were dead from pipebombs.

The very next day another pipebomb exploded. This time the victim was Mark Hofmann; a well-known "documents" dealer. He became famous for "discovering" hundreds of early Mormon and American documents. Some of his finds were quite controversial. He found old Mormon documents which said:

*The Angel Moroni turned into a white salamander and bit Joseph Smith three times on the hand (Salamander Letter).

*The Angel Moroni commanded Joseph Smith to dig up his dead brother Alvin and bring a hand to the Hill Cumorah so he could get the gold plates (Martin Harris Letter)

*Joseph Smith ordained his son to succeed him, and not Brigham Young (Joseph Smith III Letter).

*Brigham Young tried to destroy the Joseph Smith III letter to hide the fact he was not the true successor (Thomas Bullock Letter).

*etc.

Nobody praised and supported Mark Hofmann more than Ed Decker and Saints Alive. Everytime Mark Hofmann made another "find" the member of Saints Alive were literally dancing in the aisles at their meetings; shouting at the tops of their lungs: "HALLELUYAH! PRAISE THE LORD! WE KNOW HAVE PROOF MORMONISM IS A FRAUD!!! PRAISE THE LORD!!!!"

Hofmann was seriously injured in the bombing; which happened in his car. He told TIME magazine that a "fanatical Mormon" did it (i.e. Darrick Evenson did it, because I was telling everyone that Hofmann was an "atheist" and a "liar" and "forged" the documents---I was not believed by anyone--Mormons and anti-Mormons laughed at me both and called me a "nut"). I had tried to warn the Church about Hofmann as far back as 1981. I wrote leaders to Church leaders and contacted Church Security. I was immediately dismissed as a "nut" and Church Security would intercept my letters to Church leaders and make sure I "didn't waste the Brethren's precious time". When I tried to tell my bishop and Institute directors they would all tell me that Hofmann was "a good Member of the Church" and that "all is well" and that the Brethren had everything in control. Liberal "Sunstone" Mormons would tell me that Hofmann was "coming out with truth" and I "just had to accept it".

After Hofmann discovered the Salamander Letter, Saints Alive did another newsletter; this time with a salamander blowing a trumpet on the top of the Salt Lake Temple.

After Hofmann was carbombed Decker immediately starting telling everyone (including journalists) that "Mormon leaders" had ordered the bombing because they wanted to silence Mark Hofmann because "he's coming out with too much truth about Mormon origins". The New York Times Magazine came out with a huge 4-page front-page article that basically said the same thing! The bombings were part of a "Mormon conspiracy" to silence Hofmann. But then why were Christensen and Sheets killed? Decker responded, "That's all part of the conspiracy!"

ATF (Alcohol Tobacco and Firearm) agents knew day 1 that Hofmann had dropped his own bomb; because the bomb-blast pattern didn't "fit" with what Hofmann said happened. The police then launched a massive investigator of Hofmann that would take many months and tens of thousands of man-hours. They discovered:

1) Hofmann was an atheist; although he served a mission and was an active Mormon.

2) Most of Hofmann's friends in Utah were bi-sexual and homosexual Mormons who were active in the Church, but secretly were very angry at Mormon leaders for being "anti-Gay". Police suspected Hofmann of being "a switch bater" (i.e. bisexual).

3) Hofmann had spent hundreds of hours with Michael Marquardt; an anti-Mormon researcher who specialized in Mormon history.

4) Hofmann had visited Jerald and Sandra Tanner many times, and offerred them information on numerous occassions.

5) Hofmann had purchased the materials to make the pipebombs under the pseudonym of "Mike Hansen".

6) Hofmann had FORGED just about all of his "finds"; including ALL of the documents that made Joseph Smith and Brigham Young look bad and involved in Black Magick.

It was George Throckmorton who "broke" the forgery case; proving that Hofmann had ingeniously forged the documents by stealing old paper from old books, then making ink to appear old, and adding charcoal to try to fool Carbon 14 dating.

Devastating evidence was presented at the Preliminary Hearing; afterwhich Hofmann confessed to forging the documents, making the pipebombs, and killing Christensen and Sheets. He killed Christensen because Christensen was beginning to suspect Hofmann of being a fraud. He killed Kathy Sheets merely to throw off police suspecting him; hoping they would think the bombings were a disgruntled CFS investor (they did at first).

When asked why he forged the documents, Hofmann replied that he had been an atheist since age 14. He went on a mission for the Church to please his parents. On his mission he decided he wanted to someday "discover" the evidence to prove Joseph Smith a fraud. He tried for years, but he couldn't find any "smoking gun". So, he decided the next best thing was to "create" the "evidence".

When Hofmann was asked why he killed Christensen, he replied that Christensen was beginning to suspect him, and he couldn't afford to be suspected; because he was forging the ultimate "smoking gun" against Joseph Smith.

When Hofmann was asked why he killed Kathy Sheets, he replied that he needed to throw police off of suspecting him. He knew that Christensen once worked for CFS (owned by Gary Sheets), and that CFS had lost tens of millions of investor dollars. He hoped that by killying Sheets and/or his wife, police would suspect it was a disguntled investor (they did at first).

After Hofmann confessed, Decker said that Hofmann was "framed" and that the documents were "real". Was not the judge in the Pre-Lim a Mormon? Was not the forensic scientist who discovered the forgery Mormon? Was not the chief prosecutor Mormon? Was not half of the police investigator's Mormon?

There ya go!

It was just another Mormon Church conspiracy!

Why did Hofmann confess? Well, easy! The Mormons wanted to kill him; put him against a wall in a fireing squad! The only way Hofmann could save his life was to "confess".

And, YES, Evangelicals believed Decker...every word...yet again!

I don't know if Hofmann and Decker every communicated. I DO know that they had a mutual friend; Michael Marquardt. Decker and Marquardt both attended the yearly "Capstone" anti-Mormon conferences in Utah, and had many one-to-one conversations together.

In "The God Makers II" (produced in 1991-1992) Decker claims that the Angel Moroni ordered Joseph Smith to dig up his dead brother Alvin and cut off his hand and bring it to the Hill Cumorah in exchange for the gold plates (the film shows a scene of a skeleton--then Joseph Smith receiving the gold plates from Moroni). This was based upon one of Hofmann's forgeries; the "Martin Harris" letter. Hofmann confessed to forging it in 1986. "The God Makers II" was produced in 1991-2.

After Hofmann confessed and was convicted I called the Mormons who had laughed at me and called me a "nut". All of them but one hung up the phone on me. One of them said, "But Mark Hofmann was a FAITHFUL member of the Church!!!"

I kid you not!

After Hofmann confessed many of the Liberal "Sunstone" Mormons went into what I could only call a "state of mourning". Hofmann was their hero. They saw this as a terrible set-back to their cause. One of them, a Mormon historian named D. Michael Quinn, wrote Mormonism and the Magic World View; which was based on many of Hofmann's forged documents. The book was published before the bombings. After Hofmann confessed, Quinn (who left the Church and now lives with his gay lover) said that the documents are "real" but refuses to defend them beyond that. Anti-Mormons still use Quinn's book as "proof" that Joseph Smith was heavily involved in the occult/Black Magick. Mark Hofmann and Quinn knew each other; both attended the yearly Sunstone Symposiums in Salt Lake City. Quinn was a closet "Gay" Mormon. Most of Hofmann's friends were Mormon closet homosexuals who were active in the Church, but secretly engaged in gay liaisons and ranted against Church leaders for being "homophobes" and for contibuting Church funds to Anti-Gay political campaigns.

Jerald Tanner was wise enough to distance himself from Hofmann right at the beginning. However, Deckerites still believe that Hofmann is "innocent" and was "framed" by the Mormon Church; who murdered two people and framed Hofmann. The judge, police, forensic examiners, etc. are all part of a Mormon Church's frame-up that would make O.J.'s defense team "white police conspiracy" look amateurish!

Hofmann has been in the Utah State Prison since 1986. He is not expected to every be paroled; although this is possible.

Decker and the Van Damme Episode

Back about 1985 there was a man named Charles Van Damme who was dying of AIDS. He claimed that Gordon B. Hinckley (now President of the Mormon Church) had been his bisexual lover in the late '60s/early '70s, and even had bought a home in Salt Lake City specifically for bisexual orgies that included black prostitues and underage young men. Jeremiah Films did a video regarding this titled The Truth About Mormon President Gordon B. Hinckley. The video showed a black man and a woman (identified as a former prostitute) claiming that "Mr. Hinckley" or "Gordon B. Hinckley" had engaged in sex with black prostitutes at the sex-house he had bought. Van Damme is shown in his death-bed claiming that "Gordon B. Hinckley" had sex with "boys as young as 15" at this house. The black man (a former pimp) claimed that "Gordon really liked black girls".

Gordon B. Hinckley was the Acting President of the Church from about 1984 to 1985, and again from 1987 to 1988. He became the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1990, and remains the President today (2003 A.D.)

Jerald and Sandra Tanner, long-time anti-Mormon publishers and researchers in Salt Lake City, decided to check-out these claims. They found them abit too fantastic. They got from a friend (Wally Tope) an UNedited copy of the death-bed interview of Charles Van Damme; where Van Damme claims (among other things):

*He first met Gordon B. Hinckley when he was ordained a Priest in 1963. Apostles had to ordain men priests, so Hinckley was sent from Salt Lake to California to ordain Van Damme. (NOTE: This is ABSURD! Priests in the Mormon Church are 14 and 15 year old boys, NEVER ordained by apostles but by their own local ward bishops or sometimes their own fathers).

*The house Van Damme said was bought by Gordon Hinckley for the sole purpose of staging sex-parties was in fact NEVER bought, sold, or owned by Gordon B. Hinckley, but by another "Hinckley" who was a relative of Gordon B. Hinckley, but never an apostle in the LDS Church.

*The man who actually WAS associated with Van Damme in the late 60s was a "Hinckley" who was a close relative of Gordon B. Hinckley. This "Hinckley" owned a car dealership that Van Damme worked at. This "Hinckley" did own the house in question during the time in question. The Tanners do not reveal the name of the "Hinckley" (perhaps for fear of legal action), but assure it was not "Gordon B. Hinckley"; current President of the LDS Church.

*The Tanners discover that Charles Van Damme had married a Mormon woman, then was baptized into the Mormon Church soon afterwards. He was excommunicated from the LDS Church in 1970. Soon afterwards his wife divorced him, and he lost his part-ownership in a car dealership in Salt Lake City. He then moved to Denver and openned two gay bars; later involved in several FBI investigations into organized crime in Denver.

*The Tanners found a man who knew Van Damme while he lived in Salt Lake City. Van Damme had pretended to be a "good Mormon" but at the same time used drugs, held sex-parties (in the house in question), sometimes had sex with very young homosexual men, and would steal money from his partners in the car dealership. All this changed when Gordon B. Hinckley, then an apostle, discovered that Van Damme was having a homosexual affair with one of Hinckley's close relatives. The close relative had confessed and apparently repented, and named Van Damme as his former lover. Perhaps to protect his close relative, Gordon B. Hinckley decided to "take care of the problem" himself rather than let local bishops do it (apparently to protect his close relative's marriage). Gordon B. Hinckley called Van Damme into a meeting at the Church Administrative Offices. Van Damme came, and a confrontation occurred. Van Damme apparently DID NOT REPENT or show sorrow for his actions. He was soon excommunicated from the Church. Back in 1970 excommunications were "publicized" by the Church in Church publications (not so today because of libel suits against the Church that have proved very successful and lucreative). Van Damme lost his wife, his children, his business...EVERTHING! Mormons no longer bought cars from him. His wife divorced him. His life in Utah WAS RUINED! Instead of blamming this on his own deviant behaviors and hypocrisy, he blamed Gordon B. Hinckley for his misfortunes (this is typical of many ex-Mormons who blame the Church instead of themselves).

Charles Van Damme's death-bed confessions were simply one final "pay-back" upon the man (Gordon B. Hinckley) whom Van Damme blamed for ruining the "good life" he had had in Salt Lake City.

Gordon B. Hinckley sued Jeremiah Films, and an out-of-court settlement was reached. Jeremiah Films stopped distributing The Truth About Mormon President Gordon B. Hinckley. Then, years later, Jeremiah Films began to quietly redistribute it; only to be "caught" and then again stop distribution.

Decker and the FEN Episode ("Put-em On The Payroll")

In the late 1980s two Mormon businessmen from Ogden, Utah, Jared Brown and Sheldon Young, decided to create Bible Story and Book of Mormon Story animated videos. They both owned a company called "Living Scriptures" which had, since the early 70s, produced dramatized Bible and Book of Mormon cassette tapes which were sold to Mormons throughout the U.S. Brown and Young wanted to produce animated videos on the same subjects. So, they hired Mormon writers and producers who, along with Korean animators, produced a series of Bible and Book of Mormon animated cartoons of a very high quality. Mormons bought them up like hot cakes!

Just then, Brown and Young decided to expand their market. It was decided that the "Christian" market was 20 times larger than the Mormon market; so they decided to distribute their Bible Story videos to the Christian market. However, they soon discovered that "Christian" bookstores and distributors would UTTERLY REFUSE to buy or even stock "Mormon" videos or any sort. What to do? They decided to use a little strategem!

Brown and Young formed a subsidiary of Living Scriptures called "Family Entertainment Network ("FEN"), and they recruited several prominent Evangelical Christians to become "partners". One was Jerry Falwell. The "partners" would basically be "partners" in name only. In return for the use of their "names" they would receive a portion of the profits from the sale of every video.

Brown and Young then placed an "Evangelical Christian" as President of FEN, and openned an office in Dallas, Texas. No mention was made that FEN was wholly owned by Living Scriptures; a company owned by two Mormons in Ogden Utah.

It worked!

FEN began to distribute the Bible Story videos all across the country! Evangelicals began to buy them as soon as they hit the shelves. They went like hot-cakes! Soon FEN was taking in millions of dollars.

But, all was not well in Paradise!

A man who worked for an anti-Mormon "ministry" in Oklahoma purchased several of the tapes, and noticed in the "credits" that "Orson Scott Card" was the "scriptwriter". He KNEW that Orson Scott Card was a famous MORMON writer! He then began to check things out. He called FEN in Dallas, and they DENIED that they were associated with the Mormon Church in any way. He did more research and discovered that FEN was owned by "Living Scriptures" of Ogden, Utah. He called FEN and "Living Scriptures". Both denied they had anything to do with the other. But, he had the information and began sharing it with other anti-Mormon "ministries"; including Saints Alive in Jesus.

As soon as Decker learned that FEN was "Mormon owned" he began his anti-FEN crusade. Decker went on a Christian radio campaign, saying:

*FEN is owned by the Mormon CHURCH.

*FEN was created by the Mormon CHURCH as a way to get Mormon teachings into Christian homes.

*The money Christians pay to FEN for the videos goes straight into "Mormon Church coffers".

*FEN videos were full of Satanic "subliminal messages" that try to hypnotise young Christians into Mormonism.

*Buying FEN videos was "letting Satan into your homes" and "just like letting Mormon missionaries into your homes".

NOTE: The LDS Church does not own FEN nor Living Scriptures. The LDS Church has no stock in either company (which are privately owned and do not issue stock). The ONLY connection the LDS Church has with FEN or Living Scriptures is that the two owners of both are Mormons. There is no "business tithe" in the Mormon Church. Neither FEN nor Living Scriptures pays a dime to the Mormon Church.

Sales of the Bible Story videos began to decline rapidly. What to do?

Brown and Young had a stroke of genius!

They decide the best way to shut Decker up is to put 'em on the payroll!

They put ED DECKER on the payroll of FEN!

They asked Decker to become a member of the "Board of Advisors" of FEN, and to "review" each Bible video FEN produced; for an "advisor's fee" of $1000 per video. There were 28 Bible videos.

Decker accepted!

Apparently no longer concerned with filling "Mormon Church coffers" Decker "reviewed" the 25 FEN Bible story videos, andthen came out with this written statement:

"I am pleased to report that FEN has enthusiatically implemented my recommendations and the products now stand clean of any Mormon or other not-orthodox influence. As such, I endorce them as products of the highest quality and I confidently recommend them to Christian families and churches." (The Christian Research Journal, Summer 1992, p.34)

*The two Mormons (Brown and Young) remained the controlling-owners of FEN.

*Mormon writers and producers continued to produce animated Bible videos for FEN.

*Not ONE of the 25 Bible Story videos produced by FEN that Decker allegedly "reviewed" was edited or changed in any way.

Does that sound "clean" to you?

Nothing changed except the weight of Decker's wallet!

Decker presented FEN as a "Mormon Church conspiracy" to get Mormon doctrines into Christian homes to try to convert Christian children and, at the same time, fill "Mormon Church coffers" with Evangelical money. But, after they put Decker on the payroll, and he "cleaned" the videos (?), he couldn't endorce FEN highly enough!

Decker's Disappearing Radio Station

For years Decker claimed that after appearing on a Christian radio station and playing a secret cassette tape recording of the Mormon Endowment Ceremony (considered vary sacred to Mormons) the Christian radio station he was at soon afterwards burned to the ground! Decker hints that Mormons did it, or the Mormon leaders sent "Danites" (Mormon hit-men) to burn it to the ground in retaliation for his playing the Mormon Endowment ceremony cassette.

At the Capstone Conference for 1998, held in Park City, Utah, Decker repeats the claim that he once played an audio tape of the Mormon Endowment ceremony, and soon afterwards "the Mormons" had the radio station burned to the ground [audience moans]. At this particular anti-Mormon conference was Wade Wenglund; a Mormon Apologist ('defender of the faith'). Mormon Apologists are NOT "sent" or "controlled" by Mormon leaders. They are simply individual Members of the Church who research anti-Mormon claims, and try to refute as many as they can. Many are just armchair intellectuals who enjoy the intellectual challege of refuting anti-Mormon claims. Others are abit more active. Wade was one of the more active ones.

Wade was at the 1998 Capstone Conference and heard Decker speak. He later sent an email to Decker asking for dates/times/names to confirm that the radio station was indeed burned to the ground. Here is Wade's email plus Decker's email in reply:

WADE: "Mr. Decker, I took the opportunity to sit in on the [Capstone] conference sesson in which you spoke...

DECKER: "Too bad you didn't take the time to introduce yourself, I would have enjoyed talking to you."

WADE: "...and I was wondering if you could give me a few more details on some of the items you made mention of:
1. What is the name of the radio station that burnt down after you spoke about the temple ceremony? What was the name of your show? What was the date that the station burnt down? Where was the station located? Was there an investigation made into the causes of the fire? If so, what were the findings of the investigation? And, was there any evidence that members of the LDS faith may have been involved, as you intimated?"
DECKER: "Wade, I don't think I owe you any of the details when I know you approach me in a very strong and adversarial position. Be kind enough to do your own research. We wrote about it at the time and it was in the news."
[NOTE: What newsletter? When? What news? Where? Decker refused to say]
WADE: "2. In which Ward did you teach the Gospel Doctrine class for years?"
DECKER: "I taught GD a number of times in a number of Wards. Ask the Church, they have the records. Do your own research, OK?"
WADE: "3. You spoke of many false claims that the LDS have leveled against you, and you even listed several of them--including the assertion that you committed adultery. Are the claims attributed to your former wife, that you had several affairs during the course of yours and hers marriage, false in every way?"
DECKER: "I have an idea. DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH, Ok?" [NOTE: Decker then goes on to tell Wade that his Mormon wife committed adultery against her third husband, but never answers his question]
(My Correspondance With Ed, p.1-2 online)

The only two Christian radio stations in Utah (KANN and KBBX) were never burned to the ground. They were never burned period. What radio station is Decker referring to? Decker doesn't seem to want to say. One time he told me, "Darrick, if I tell you which one then the station may be burned down again!" But I replied, "Ed, don't you THINK the Mormon Church KNOWS which one it burnt down the first time? How is telling me jepardizing anything?" He quickly changed the subject.

Decker and 'Prof. Dee Jay Nelson'

For decades Decker and Saints Alive promoted "Prof. Dee Jay Nelson"; the world's "greatest Egyptologist". Nelson had claimed that as a "Mormon Egyptologist" he was comissioned by the Mormon Church to "translate" the Joseph Smith Papyri; recently rediscovered in 1968 at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. The Prophet Joseph Smith claimed to have "translated" The Book of Abraham from such papyri. Nelson claimed he translated the papyri and discovered, to his horror, that it was NOT the ancient "Book of Abraham" but rather a common first-century A.D. pagan "Book of Breathings"; a document which the "soul" of the dead took with them into the Afterlife. Nelson claimed when he told Mormon leaders they told him to "keep quiet" about it, but Nelson couldn't so he published his translation and then was excommunicated. Dee Jay Nelson's claims were published both by Saints Alive in Jesus and by Jerald and Sandra Tanner in pre-1981 editions of Mormonism: Shadow or Reality? and The Changing World of Mormonism. Nelson's claims were also put-forth in many other anti-Mormon works; including The Maze of Mormonism by "Dr." Walter R. Martin.

In 1980 Robert and Rosemary Brown, two Mormons living in Mesa, Arizona, attended an anti-Mormon lecture given by "Prof. Nelson" at a local Baptist church. The Browns decided to check-out his claims. After 9 months of research they discovered:

*Nelson was a high-school and community college drop-out with no earned degrees of any kind.

*Nelson was not a "professor" of any sort, but gave non-credit lectures on tourism to Egypt at a small Community College in Billings, Montana; not as a professor or teacher but as a tour-guide to Egypt.

*Nelson's "degrees" came from a diploma mill in Seattle, Washington, called "Pacific Northwestern University"; closed down as illegal by the State of Washington not long after openning.

*Nelson had been a "Deacon" (12 year old boy) in the Mormon church, but was not active in the Mormon church since the age of 12 or 13.

*Nelson had published two self-published books on "Pyramidology"; an occultic psedo-science having to do with healing via pyramid shapes. True Egyptologists refer to "Pyramidologists" as "Pyram-idiots".

*Nelson had been a tour-guide in Egypt on at least two occassions.

*Nelson was NEVER commissioned by the Mormon church to do anything; much less translate the Joseph Smith Papyri.

In 1981 Robert and Rosemary Brown published an expose' of Dee Jay Nelson; titled They Lie In Wait To Deceive volume one. Soon afterwards Moody Press told the Tanners to do a new edition of Changing World that would remove all references to Nelson. They did. They also removed most references to Nelson from further editions of Mormonism--Shadow or Reality?. Other anti-Mormon books removed all references to "Dr. Dee Jay Nelson" from all post-1981 editions of their books; usually without explanation.

Saints Alive, however, continued to promote Dee Jay Nelson as "Dr." and "Prof." Nelson, and his bogus story, for YEARS after he was exposed as a fraud. Then, in about 1984, Decker began to say at his lectures (after Mormons began to ask questions about Nelson and tell the audience Nelson was a "fraud") that Nelson was a "secret agent" for the Mormon Church! He said Nelson was a "Mormon" who was sent by Mormon leaders to "infiltrate" Christian ministries to Mormons and try to discredit them. I was all just another a Mormon Church conspiracy! It was the Mormons who promoted Nelson, got his phoney degrees, had Christian "ministries" use him ONLY to "expose" him in the end!

And if you believe THAT, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you----TWICE!

The Deckerites, of course, believed every word!

The Browns continued to research anti-Mormons and their claims, and published the following exposes:

*They Lie In Wait To Deceive Vol.1 (an expose'of Dee Jay Nelson)

*They Lie In Wait To Deceive Vol.2 (an expose' of Who Really Wrote the Book of Mormon?)

*They Lie In Wait To Deceive Vol.3 (an expose' of "Dr." Walter R. Martin, founder of the "Christian Research Institute")

*They Lie In Wait To Deceive Vol.4 (an expose' of Ed Decker, Dick Bear, et al)

*The Lie In Wait To Deceive Vol.5 (an expose' of Jerald and Sandra Tanner)

The series does not 'deal' with most major anti-Mormon issues (Adam-God, plural marriage, etc.), but merely "exposes" the deceptive techniques, personal claims, and practices that anti-Mormons use. Each volume is from 320 to 550 pages; with photocopied documentation included.

They Lie In Wait To Deceive (the series) is available for sale (ON SALE) online via the FAIR website:

http://www.fairlds.org/pubs/liw/

The God Makers

Decker's film (video) "The God Makers" (originally titled "To Kolob and Back") was produced around 1980-82 by Jeremiah Films of Hemet, California. The film declares it is a "fair and accurate" presentation of "What Mormons REALLY Believe!" It is just the opposite! While the film contains many truths, it ALSO contains many half-truths, fabrications, distortions, misleading innuendos, generalizations, and outright lies. One Mormon who reviewed it, James Carver (author of A Reply To "Moroni With Love) described the film as "Mormonism in a circus funhouse mirror".

The premise of the film is that it is a "re-inactment" of a real situation:

1) Ed Decker and Richard Bear are ex-Mormons. The Church took their families away from them because they became Christians. The Church is "breaking up families" in this way every day. Can't they do something "legally" to stop this.

2) They meet with lawyers who are experts in the First Amendment (Freedom of Speech). Ed and Dick explain to them what Mormons believe. The lawyers can't believe what they are hearing!

3) A cartoon is made so Ed and Dick and can what Mormons believe. They show the cartoon to the lawyers.

4) Ed and Dick tell the lawyers that the Mormon Church is "breaking up families" and Mormons are commanded to "store two years" of supplies (guns and ammunition are shown) so that they can take over the United States when the Mormon Prophet says "Go!" The film says that there are Mormons in government (Congress, Senate) in the military, law enforcement, because they are there to help take over the U.S. when the Mormon Prophet says "Go!"

5) At the end of the film one of the lawyer's says, "You've taken us to Kolob and back, but WE CAN'T HELP YOU! The Mormon Church HAS BILLIONS!!!!"

6) The narrator finishes the film by saying that the Church is a threat to families, and to freedom, as long as it "is allowed to continue" its diabolic quest for world domination.

7) The "message" of the film is that the Mormon Church is part of an internationally Luciferian/Masonic/Mormon conspiracy to take over the U.S., and then the World, and install the end-times Anti-Christ. As long as Mormons have freedom to live and practice their religion, they are a satanic threat to the rest of us; including our families. What are YOU going to do about this horrible conspiracy against YOUR FAMILY????

If this reminds you of pre-WWII Nazi propaganda films against the Jews, it should! The Nazis got into power saying the exact same things about the Jews!

The major claims of "The God Makers" film and video are:

*The Mormon Church "breaks up families". If a spouce becomes a Christian Mormon bishops tells the Mormon spouce to divorce the Christian and marry a faithful Mormon. [FALSE! The very opposite is true. Many pastors of Evangelical churches have told their members to divorce their Mormon spouces so "as not to unequally yoked". Mormon bishops counsel forgiveness and to try to keep the family together in ALL cases except in cases of physical/sexual abuse]

*The Mormon Church prevents Christian spouces from seeing their Mormon children.[FALSE! The Mormon Church has no power to do this, and it simply does not happen.]

*The Church trains it's missionaries to "use Christian terminology" so as to "deliberately deceive" Christians into thinking that the Mormon Church "is just another Christian church". [FALSE! There are no "two sets" of terminology. Mormon missionaries are sincere, and try to deceive nobody.]

*Mormons practice satanic "occultic rituals" in Mormon Temples which include "blood oaths".[DISTORTION! The rituals are Masonic-like in nature. A "blood-oath" means a pact using blood. This was never done in Mormon temples]

*The Mormon Endowment mocks all Christians pastors and calls them "hirelings of Satan".[DISTORTION! No indication the "sectarian priest" represented all Christian ministers.]

*Mormons promise to have their throats cut if they review temple secrets.[FALSE! Patrons promise to keep "signs and tokens" sacred even if it means they are tortured by enemies in order to reveal them.]

*Only a small number of the "Mormon Elite" may go to the Temple.[FALSE! One must only be of age and be active and worthy Member]

*The Church tells Mormons to store "two years" of food, water, guns and ammunition, in order to take over the U.S. Government when the Mormon Prophet says "Go!"[FALSE! Mormons commanded to store one-year of food in case of national disasters. No command to store ammunication. Mormons know of no plot to take-over U.S.]

*Mormons believe that Joseph Smith, and not Jesus, is their true Savior, and that his blood, and not Jesus' blood, saves them.[FALSE! A BIG LIE! Mormons see Joseph Smith as a martyr, nothing more.]

*Mormons believe that God the Father and Mary had sex to produce Jesus.[Some do, but not official Church doctrine! Official Church doctrine in the Bible, Book of Mormon, and Jesus the Christ by James Talmage, says Jesus' conception a miracle.]

*Joseph Smith claimed he had done more than any other man, including Jesus Christ.[DISTORTION! He claimed he had done a "greater work" in that he kept the Church together. Jesus said His true disciples would do "greater works" see: John 14:12]

*Mormons believe that they may become gods; this was Lucifer's "Big Lie" in the Garden of Eden.[Mormons believe this, but this was NOT Lucifer's lie! The Lord confirms in Genesis 3:22. Lucifer's lie was "Ye shall not surely die." They surely did.]

*The Church forces young Mormons to commit suicide by having an unrealistic moral code and a too-judgemental god. Kip Elias, a young Mormon in Idaho, committed suicide because he could not keep Mormon standards. The film shows his father crying at the end. [DUMB! A few Mormon youth 'may' commit suicide every year because they feel unworthy, and have mental problems. However, do not Evangelicals have the SAME moral code? Are they not ALSO expected to remain cellibate before marriage and chaste in marriage? Is not masturbation and petting also forbidden or considered "sinful"? Kip Eliason's father, Gary Elias, was an alcoholic and an abusive husband, according to court records. Kip's mother, Gary's wife, ALSO committed suicide. Gary Elias sued the Church for MILLIONS of dollars, but lost his case]

The film contains a cartoon which is about 12 minutes long and which is rather ridiculous. It portryas Elohim as being married to thousands of young blonde women wearing almost see-thru lingere. It portays white blonde-haired spirits in heaven turning into Negroes. It has Joseph Smith in the central role at the final Judgement; flanked by Elohim and "the Mormon Jesus". It has interviews of "Mormons" looking and sounding like robots or people hypnotized, along with attractive ex-Mormons with smiles and easy-going demeanors.

Robert Bowman, an Evangelical and a researcher at the Christian Research Institute (CRI) wrote an email reply in 1998, which reads:

"The video [The God Makers] is edited in such a way that Mormon authorities are cut-off in mid-sentence, in some cases thereby made to appear to be saying something very different from what they meant. The cartoon presents a caricature of Mormon beliefs so distorted that hardly any Mormon will recognize their own beliefs in it. Decker and Hunt [in The God Makers book] did not present an accurate description of what Mormons believe or have ever believed." (The Modern Christian Counter-Cult Movement, p.4 online)

Not long after "The God Makers" was released, Jeremiah Films released "Temple of The God Makers" which, I think, are the edited-out portions of the original "God Makers" film (which was first supposed to be two-hours but was edited down. In "Temple of The God Makers" we have former "Temple Workers" (Chuck and Dolly Sackett) going through portions of the Endowment Ceremony (one of the three rites of Mormon Temples).

The film is supposed to show "exactly" what happens in "secret Mormon temple rituals". One segment is supposed to show the "washings and anointings", but the film shows a man, and then a woman, standing in temple garments with a pitch black background; with screeching violins being played. Chuck Sackett plays the part of the male Washer, and Dolly the female Washer. The film does not show Chuck or Dolly touching the private parts of the man and woman, but it heavily IMPLIES that they are foldling the private parts of the man and woman. It shows the Washers reaching under the garments of the man and woman and the man and woman having horrified looks on their faces. [FALSE! No touching of private parts are done in Mormon Temples]

The film shows the "Signs and Tokens" of the Priesthoods; the most sacred parts of the Endowment Ceremony.

The Endowment room in the film resembles the Endowment rooms of LDS temples, but the veils in the film are BLACK instead of white! Very evil and eery music is played in the background. There are no black veils in Mormon Temples, and there is no music of any kind.

The "film" portion of the Mormon Endowment Ceremony (in a few of the older temples the film is not used, but actors play the various roles) is surprisingly NOT shown or used in this expose' of what the Mormon Endowment is supposed to be. [NOTE: The makers of "Temples of The God Makers" probably did not wish to show that the Endowment is based upon the Bible, especially Genesis chapter 2 and 3. This would make the Endowment seem to the unwary Evangelical too "biblical" and not "satanic" enough, so they left it out, although it is the MAJOR theme of the true Endowment Ceremony.]

The temple patrons (Mormon temple-goers) in the film are dressed correctly, but look and move about like Zombies or "possessed" by evil spirits. The 1950s horror-movie soundtract, plus the dark backgrounds and black veils, adds to the general mood of evil and darkness. In reality, the inside of Mormon Temples are not dark but very light.

"Temple of The God Makers" gives the inference of the following:

*The Endowment Ceremony is very evil and satanic.[False, it's based upon Genesis 2 and 3]

*Mormons promise to be killed if they reveal the "Signs and Tokens".[False! They promise to keep them sacred even if threatened with death by their enemies. This has actually happened in the past.]

*Mormons are possessed by evil spirits when they enter Mormon temples. [False! I never saw any Zombie-like patrons during the Mormon Endowment ceremony, although I DID see a few of them asleep during the film portion of it! ;-) ]

*Mormon men who go to the Temple have their private parts washed and anointed with oil by the hands of male Washers, and Mormon women who go to the Temple have their private parts washed and anointed with oil by female Washers. [FALSE! The private parts are not touched at all by the Washers!]

The "Temple of The God Makers" repeats the 12-minutes cartoon as was shown in "The God Makers".

The God Makers II

About 7 years after "The God Makers" Decker and Jeremiah Films produced "The God Makers II". While "The God Makers" was simple distortion and mockery, "The God Makers II" pulled out all the stops and portrays Mormon leaders as mass-murdering/bi-sexual/Lucifer-worshipping hypocrites. It portrays Mormons are ignorant self-righteous lying dupes who have blind-faith in Mormon leaders.

The film includes:

*An interview with a woman who says that "Church leaders" killed 27 members of her own family, and they are after her to kill her because she tried to "escape Mormonism".

COMMENT: The woman in the film is NOT talking about the LDS Church, but about the Church of the Lamb of God; an offshoot of an offshoot of an offshoot of an offshoot of an offshoot of the LDS Church. The woman, Lillian LeBaron Chynoweth, was never a Member of the Mormon Church, but was a member of The Church of the Lamb of God; founded by her father, Ervil LeBaron. And it was on the orders of Ervil LeBaron that 27 members of her extended polygamist and in-law family were killed; because they opposed Ervil in one way or another. Ervil LeBaron had plans to kill the entire First Presidency and Quorum of Twelve Apostles of the LDS Church, but could not carry that out because he was imprisoned for murder, and died in prison. Ervil LaBaron killed his own brother (Joel), and one of his own daughters along with many others. The Church of the Lamb of God was an offshoot of The Church of the Firstborn which was an offshoot of The Apostolic United Brethren which was an offshoot of The United Order Effort which was an offshoot of The Council of Friends which was formed by a small group of men who opposed Mormon leaders over the subject of polygamy, and other subjects, in the early 1920s.

The makers of "The God Makers II" wants people to believe that Lillian LeBaron Chynoweth was a Mormon who tried to leave the Mormon Church, but was killed (along with 27 others) BY MORMON LEADERS! But that is NOT what Lillian was saying. By "Church leaders" she meant leaders of the only "Church" she ever belonged to: The Church of the Lamb of God. By "Mormonism" she meant The Church of the Lamb of God; the only "Mormonism" she ever knew!

*The film shows excerpts from a death-bed interview of Charles Van Damme; a man dying of AIDS who claimed that Mormon Church President Gordon B. Hinckley had been his bisexual lover in the late 1960s, had bought a house specifically for bisexual sex-parties, and who had had sex with black prostitutes and 15-year old boys.

COMMENT: The Tanners, anti-Mormon publishers and researchers, showed that the "Hinckley" that Van Damme was involved with was not Gordon B. Hinckley; currently President of the LDS Church, but a close relative of Hinckley's. It was Gordon B. Hinckley who had Van Damme excommunicated; hardly a way to "hide" one's own scandalous affairs! Van Damme blamed Hinckley on the loss of his family and financial disaster in Utah (Mormons would no longer buy cars from him after he was excommunicated for homosexuality). This was Van Damme's final "pay-back" to Gordon B. Hinckley.

*The film claims that a "spirit" appeared to Joseph Smith and told him to bring a piece of his dead brother Alvin's body, like a hand, to the Hill Cumorah so he could obtain the Gold Plates. The video shows pictures of Joseph Smith and the Angel Moroni, a picture of a replica of the Gold Plates (from which The Book of Mormon was translated), and a photo of a skeleton (I suppose to represent Alvin's dead body).

COMMENT: Decker got the story about Alvin Smith's dead hand being dug up on Moroni's instruction from "The Salamander Letter"; a letter forged and fabricated by Mark Hofmann; a man later convicted of hundreds of forgeries and double-homicide! Decker actually used a KNOWN fabricated letter as evidence for this claim! AMAZING! Mark Hofmann CONFESSED to fabricating the letter only months after forensic experts discovered it was a forgery! This was in 1986! "The God Makers II" was produced in 1989-1991 (final editing in 1992) and released in 1992; MANY years after "The Salamander Letter" was PROVED to be a FAKE! How in the world did Decker think he could get by with this? Easy! Decker knew that not 1 in 10,000 Evangelicals KNOW the Mark Hofmann story. They simply DO NOT KNOW that Decker is using evidence from a known and confessed forgery! Amazing, isn't it?

Several Evangelicals in Utah, who KNEW that the Salamander Letter was a fake, later wrote to Decker and asked him why "The God Makers II" used a forgery as "evidence" against Mormonism. Decker replied that there was "other evidence" outside of the Salamander Letter which said that Joseph Smith dug-up Alvin's body and cut off his hand and took it to the Hill Cumorah. When they asked where this was Ed Decker said it would be "published soon". In 1994 Decker published a small article by an anti-Mormon who offered as "evidence" the Salamander Letter!

Yes! Believe it or not. But believe it, because it's TRUE!

And he gets away with it!

And HOW!

The God Makers books

The God Makers book is basically a "cut-and-paste" collage of anti-Mormon literature often taken "bodily" from anti-Mormon books; especially Jerald and Sandra Tanner's Mormonism~Shadow or Reality? The Tanners have basically proved that whoever wrote The God Makers took a copy of their Mormonism~Shadow or Reality?, cut it up into sections, pasted these cut-ups on cut-up boards, mixed the boards around (to try to hide the plagarism), and then wrote directly from the boards; adding comments here and there plus a Luciferian/Masonic/Mormon/End-times-Anti-christ world-take-over conspiracy-theory.

The only unique item in The God Makers book is the CONSPIRACY THEORY!

In The God Makers book 'Mormonism' is presented as part of an International Luciferian/Masonic Conspiracy to take over the United States, then the World, and then install the end-times Anti-christ as the World Leader. How does "Mormonism" fit into this worldwide conspiracy? Well, are there not Mormons in politics and law enforcement? Are there not Mormon judges and congressmen and senators? Don't Mormons want to convert the world to Mormonism?

There ya go!

The conspiracy-theory of The God Makers book goes like this:

*Lucifer is the Devil (Satan). He told Eve "Ye shall be as gods". This was the BIG LIE. Mormons believe they can become "gods". They believe Lucifer's Big Lie; the "Grand Lie of Lucifer".

*When Adam and Eve accepted the Grand Lie, Lucifer became the god of this world. He started the pagan Mystery Religions of antiquity in order to perpetuate his "Grand Lie". These Mystery Schools were set-up in opposition to God's Prophets; Abraham, Moses, etc., who taught people "You are not gods nor shall never be gods!"

*In the 18th century (1700s) Lucifer started Freemasony; which is just a "modern" version of his Mystery Schools; couched deceptively in biblical language and symbols, but still teaching the "Grand Lie" of Lucifer. Anyone who becomes a Mason is helping Lucifer establish his New World Order and ultimately helping usher in the End-Times Anti-christ.

*Joseph Smith was a fraud and charlatan who pretended to see treasures under the earth in stones as a way to scam people out of their money, but at the same time he was used by Lucifer, posing as an angel of light, to start Mormonism. Why start Mormonism? Lucifer wanted a Church to try to deceive Christians into helping him and his cause. So, he created "Mormonism" out of Freemasonry; in order to get gullible Christians to leave Christianity and join his legions.

*Mormons are in fact NOT Christians, and they are well-aware they are not Christians but just "pretend" to be Christians in order to convert real Christians.

*Mormons store a TWO-YEAR SUPPLY of food, guns, and ammunition, hoping and waiting for the day when they will take over, by force, the United States. Then they will take over the world, and usher in the End-Times Anti-christ. Mormons work with other cult organizations, like the Moonies, for the same goal.

*Luciferians are in the background of the wouldwide "Luciferian" conspiracy. In the foreground are Freemasons who recruit politicians and men in government and business and education. Then there is Mormonism which tries to recruit unsuspecting Christians; all for the same evil satanic Luciferian goals of final world domination and introduction of the end-times Anti-christ.

That is the conspiracy-theory of The God Makers book! It is the central thread that runs throughout the book.

Comments

Here are my comments on The God Makers conspiracy-theory:

1) The Serpent in the Garden did not lie when he said "Ye shall be AS gods, knowing good and evil." The LORD Himself said:

"Behold, the man has become as one of us, knowing good and evil." (Gen. 3:22)

All of the Early Church Fathers (the ancient Christian writers such as St. Irenaeus, St. Augustine, Clement of Rome, Clement of Alexandria, etc.) taught that the very purpose of Christianity was to turn men and women "into gods". All Eastern Orthodox Churches still teach this! C.S. Lewis, the most popular Christian writer in English ever, taught this. Some modern Evangelical preachers teach this.

2) The conspiracy-theory part of The God Makers book is very similar to the Nazi and White-supremacist "conspiracy-theory". In the Nazi/White-suprematic conspiracy-theory we have Lucifer establishing the mystery schools, and then Freemasonry; which is used by secret Zionist Jews as a way to control nations and then eventually the world! This conspiracy-theory actually was believed by a large number of Germans during the Depression, and helped get the Nazis into power. Today, this conspiracy-theory is believed by a large number of Muslims around the world, and inspired the 9-11 attacks and other terrorist attacks.

Ed Decker once contributed to a book by "Col. Jack Mohr"; a well-known anti-Semite and white-supremacist. Mohr is a Brig.General in the "Christian Defense League"; a group that Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh once belonged to. The book Decker contributed to was The Hidden Power of Freemasonry by Jack Mohr, and published by Mohr. In Mohr's writings he equates "Negroes" with sub-human souless "beasts of the field" created solely to serve whites.

"The God Makers" films (videos) were produced by Jeremiah Films of Hemet, California. Jeremiah Films produces a number of videos on conspiracy theories, and has close ties to the "Christian Patriot Movement"; an organization with ties to White-supremacist groups that teach a Luciferian/Masonic/Zionist worldwide conspiracy.

All this is rather ironic since Decker LOVES to portray the Mormon Church as "racist" and "anti-black".

3) Evidence for the conspiracy-theory rests upon the writings of Manly Hall; a Freemason who is also a Gnostic. The Gnostics believe that Jehovah is the evil creator-god, but that Jesus was sent by the "Unknown Father" to free humanity from the evil Jehovah; who created matter in order to "trap" spirits (i.e.humans) to make them his slaves. Decker and Hunt quote Manly Hall numerous times in The God Makers book to "prove" that Freemasonry came from the Mystery Schools, and ultimately from Lucifer.

But....

They DO NOT quote Manly Hall when Hall writes that "Christianity" also came from the Mystery Schools, and Jesus was initiated into a Mystery School in Egypt. This would, of course, BLOW their entire theory! So, they quote Hall when it suites them, and they ignore Hall (certainly NOT letter the unwary Reader know) when he contradicts their own beliefs!

The Freemasonry that Joseph Smith belonged to was York Rite (Royal Arch) Freemasonry. There "is" a Gnostic type of "Freemasonry" in Europe (called "Continental" Masonry) which is considered "false" Masonry by York (Royal Arch) and Scottish Rite Masons. York and Scottish Rite Masons refuse to fellowship with "Continental" Masons (otherwise known as "Grand Orient" Masons). In fact, there is no evidence (other than the writings of Manly Hall) that Freemasonry came from the Mystery Schools. There is not one shred of evidence that "Lucifer" started the Mystery Schools. The Mystery Schools of the ancient world encouraged initiates to be honest and moral. Why would Lucifer (the Devil) want this?

The Mystery Schools of the ancient Greek and Roman world came from similar schools in Persia; which were founded by the Magi; the "wise men" of Persia who were followers of the Persian prophet Zoroaster. It was a prophecy of Zoroaster that sent some wise men to worship Jesus as is recorded in the Gospels. Why would "Luciferians" wish to worship Jesus and offer Him gifts?

Freemasonry came NOT from the Mystery Schools, but from the Order of the Temple of Solomon; which was originally the Order of the Poor Soldiers of Christ. It was originally an order of warrior-monks who defended Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land during the Dark Ages. It was an order of Christian warrior-monks, but included cooks, servants, scribes, priests, and stonemasons who built castles and other works for the Order.

After the Order was persecuted in the 13th century some Knight Templars fled to Scotland. The stonemasons of the Order (stonemasons were needed to build the knights castles) later formed a brotherhood of their own which eventually became open to non-stonemasons. This became Free Masonry.

What Ed Decker and Dave Hunt did in The God Makers was to take an old anti-Semitic conspiracy-theory and cross out "Zionist" and "Jewish" and write in "Mormon" and "Mormonism".

4) Mormons store food in case of local or national emergency. This is known as "food storage". They are NOT commanded or asked to store guns and ammunition! Mormons know of no plan to take over the United States. Mormons DO wish to convert the World, but not take it over by force or deception.

5) Anti-Mormons are (or at least claim to be) Evangelical Christians, and they do not believe it is possible to lose their salvation once they have been saved ("once-saved-always-saved"). So, by their own belief, Mormons cannot deceive them into becoming Mormons! Why then anti-Mormon literature? [Ans. to make $$$ for professional anti-Mormons! ;~) ]

6) Anti-Mormons are or at least claim to be Evangelical Christians who believe in one God (Jehovah), and deny the existence of all other gods. The name "Lucifer" in many English Bibles is simply a translation of the Hebrew/Canaanite name "HEYLEYL" ("Shining One"); a pagan Canaanite "god" who, in Canaanite myth, tries to ascend above all other stars (the Canaanites believed the stars were gods) and sit upon the Throne of El; the chief father-god of the Canaanites. Instead of sitting upon El's throne, Heyleyl is cast out of Heaven. According to Evangelical Christian belief LUCIFER (Heyleyl) CANNOT EXIST! Since there is no God but Jehovah, the Canaanite god Heyleyl cannot have any existence of any kind. In other words, in Evangelical theology, Lucifer does not exist! If Lucifer does not exist, then there can be NO "Luciferian" conspiracy! If Lucifer does not exist, then he could NOT have been the Serpent in the Garden of Eden! In Mormon theology, El is the Father, and Heyleyl is one of His sons, and the Canaanite myth of Heyleyl is basically a true story (although somewhat corrupted) that was told by Adam to his children and handed down from one generation to another.

7) For the conspiracy-theory of The God Makers book to be true...

*Lucifer MUST exist, but he can't in Evangelical theology which teaches that none of the Canaanite gods (except perhaps for El=Jehovah) exist.

*Lucifer MUST have established the Mystery Schools. Not likely since the prophet Daniel was once a "Rab Mag" (see Daniel chapter 5); a chief of one school in Babylon, and the three Wise Men were also members. That's right, the Prophet Daniel was the HEAD of the Mystery School of Babylon! He did not refuse this appointment; although he refused to eat unkosher food even when threatened with death.

*Lucifer's "Grand Lie" MUST have been "Ye shall be as gods". This was NOT his lie, for the LORD Himself says, "Behold, the man has become as one of us, knowing good and evil." (Gen. 3:22)

*Freemasonry MUST have been established by the Mystery Schools. The only one who even claims this is Manly Hall, who also claims that "Christianity" was established by the Mystery Schools, and Jesus was a member of one in Egypt (which Decker and Hunt NEVER let the Reader know).

The Conspiracy-Theory portion of The God Makers book simply DOES NOT WORK! It is a pious fraud created to scare and dupe Evangelicals and make them contribute financially to Decker and Saints Alive. It is based upon old anti-Semitic conspiracy-theory used by the Nazis and still used by White-supremacists and extremist Muslim fanatics.

Has it worked?

Yes! Hundreds of thousands, if not MILLIONS of Evangelical Christians truly believe in the International Luciferian/Masonic/Mormon conspiracy; thanks to "The God Makers" book and films.

General Claims in The God Makers Book

Besides the conspiracy-theory The God Makers book simply follows general anti-Mormon claims. In fact, Jerald and Sandra Tanner, two professonal anti-Mormon researchers and publishers in Salt Lake City, have PROVED that whoever wrote The God Makers book plagarized directly from their magnus opus Mormonism~Shadow or Reality? They simply cut-up the Tanner's book into sections, pasted the sections on storyboards, rearranged the boards to try to hide the plagarism, then wrote directly from the storyboads; adding comments here and there. The Tanners show irrefutable evidence of this in their publication Serious Charges Against the Tanners. A new expanded edition of The God Makers book was released by Harvest House Publishers which had additional information, but also covered-up the plagarism evidence.

The book's basic claims (outside of the conspiracy-theory) are:

*Joseph Smith was teller of tall tales, and pretended to look through a stone to find buried treasure.

*Joseph Smith lied about a religious revival in 1820 in Palmyra.

*Joseph Smith started polygamy to gratify his lusts and later lied about practicing it.

*Joseph Smith claimed to be greater than Jesus Christ.

*Mormons pretend to worship Jesus to outsiders but they really worship Joseph Smith as their Lord and Savior.

*Joseph Smith and Brigham Young had "Danites" kill anyone who criticized them.

*Mormon assassins (Danites) kill anti-Mormon critics if they can.

*Mormonism comes from Freemasonry, and this is why the rites are so similar.

Freemasonry comes from the occult, which come from the ancient Mystery Schools; which were founded by Lucifer at Babylon.

*Joseph Smith was a hypocrite who stole people's money and violated the Word of Wisdom (i.e. he drank wine and beer and smoked cigars)

*The Mormon Church has billions of dollars and controls many companies and corporations.

*Utah is mosly Mormon but higher in divorce, alcoholism, teen-age pregnancy, suicide, drug-use, etc.

*The Book of Abraham is a fraud.

*The Kinderhook Plates were a fraud and fooled Joseph Smith into translating them.

*The Book of Mormon is a fraud and archaeological evidence is against it but the Mormon Church tries to use archaeology to promote it.

*Mormon missionaries are trained to deliberately deceive Christians; to deliberate lie and deceptively use "Christian" terminology which speaking with Christians.

*etc. Here are answers I gave while I was a Mormon Apologist (defender of the faith):

1) While rumors had Joseph Smith "peeping" for buried treasure, reliable reports said that Joseph Smith and his father and brothers were merely laborers (diggers) in money-digging (hired by others), and that Sally Chase was the "peeper" on the treasure-seeking digs; NOT Joseph Smith Jr. Joseph used the seerstone to find lost and stoken objects, and was quite successful at this; his enemies claiming he "stole" items just to "find" them with his "peepstone" (seerstone). Is this unbiblical? The Prophet Samuel, in the Old Testament, was also a "seer" and had the ability to find lost sheep. This is how he met Saul; later king of Israel. Saul went to Samuel to help him find his lost sheep.

2) There WAS a religious revival in Manchester and around the area where the Smith's lived in 1820, but not in the village of Palmyra (for that year). Evidence shows that Joseph Smith's family had a "beer and sweetcake" concenssion at many of these 1819-1820 revivals; with Joseph Smith Jr. working at as a cashier. This explains why he, as a 14 year old boy, would have been at so many religious camp-meetings; some 30 miles from his home. Joseph Smith Jr. NEVER CLAIMED the 1819-1820 revivals were in the village of Palmyra! At that time the village had only one church (Congregationalist). Yet, Mormon scholars have PROVED that there were at least a dozen religious revival camp-meetings (held in forest clearings) within 30 miles of the Smith farm in 1819-1820; the time Joseph Smith claimed.

3) Joseph Smith denied the Church practiced "a community of wives". In his day "polygamy" was a term for "free love" or what is now referred to as "polyamory". Today, "polygamy" means having more than one wife, and does NOT refer to "free love". So, YES...Joseph Smith DID deny the Church, or he, practiced "polygamy". Joseph Smith did keep the practice of plural marriage (a plurality of wives) a secret; in fear of persecution. For fear of persecution Martin Luther LIED about telling Phillip of Hesse (his mentor) to take an additional wife and then denying it. For fear of persecution Peter LIED by denying Jesus three times. For fear of persecution Abraham LIED (or rather told a "half-truth") by saying of his wife, "She is my sister" both while he was in Egypt and again while in Canaan. Paul, when brought before the Sanhedrin, feared being stoned to death for being a "Nazarene", so he said, "I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharises". That was a LIE! Even prophets are still just sinful, fearful, men.

4) Joseph Smith NEVER claimed to be greater than Jesus, but claimed to have done "a greater work" by keeping the Church together. Jesus said that His disciples would do "greater works" than Him! (John 14:12). Joseph Smith considered himself a sinner and FAR INFERIOR to Jesus, as is expressed in his comments about Jesus in comparison to himself (see THE MORMON FAITH UN-DECKER-ATED: Is Ed Decker Telling the TRUTH About Mormonism?)

5) Mormons DO NOT see Joseph Smith as their true Lord and Savior. Another BIG LIE by Decker.

6) Mormons DO NOT pretend to be Christians only to attract "Christians" to the Church! Another absurd BIG LIE by Decker.

7) The "Danites" existed as a defence force in Missouri in the 1830s against Anti-Mormon mobs, but were disbanded after Sampson Avard, a Mormon convert, used the group for personal gain and personal glory. The Danites 'may' have continued as a secret combination within the Church, but there is no evidence that Church leaders approved or directed them after Avard was excommunicated. It is possible that the "Danites" were behind horse-thievery (against other Mormons) in early Utah, and tried to assassinate Brigham Young after he advocated "killing thieves" (i.e. killing "Danites"). The only "witnesses" that the Danites were Church-directed was The Confessions of John D. Lee (an OBVIOUS fake written by Lee's lawyer after he died), and Brigham's Destroying Angel; whose author Bill Hickman, a convicted murderer, later admitted was "fiction"; written to make money.

8) Mormon and Freemasonic temple rites are very similar (in certain respects) because, according to Joseph Smith, Freemasonry was a "corruption" of the Higher Priesthood; just as Catholicism was a "corruption" of the Lesser Priesthood. Catholicism is a corruption of the Aaronic Priesthood and Freemasonry was a corruption of the Melchizedek Priesthood. In other words, Freemasonic rites were ancient Christian rituals "corrupted" over millenia, but restored to purity as part of the "Restoration of all things".

9) The Mormon Church does have "billions" of dollars, and owns a lot, but so what? Is one man or set-of-men benefiting? Mormon apostles make decent salaries, but no set-of-men or families have become wealthy because the Mormon Church has billions. Most of the "billions" are locked up in real-estate and in churches, temples, and schools.

10) Utah has about the national average in divorce and suicide. Utah is 70% "Mormon", but half of the "Mormons" in Utah don't go to Church; nor follow Mormon laws. In actuality, active Mormons are a minority (about 30%) of Utahns. Utah has lower rates of alcoholism than all other states. In Utah, people would report a child of 12 alone at home unattended for a few hours each day as "child abuse" while in New York or Chicago this would not at all be reported as "abuse"; so a slightly higher number of "child abuse" reports are not indicative of greater abuse. Teen-pregnancy is higher in Utah than most other states because of a very low abortion rate in Utah, and a very high rate of teen-age marriage. Illegal drug-use is low in Utah. Prescription drug-use is higher than average perhaps because alcohol and illegal drug use is much lower and people with depression in Utah turn to prescription drugs rather than alcohol or illegal drugs for self-medication.

11) The Book of Abraham is a revelation to Joseph Smith. It is not a "translation" of the Joseph Smith Papyrus; which is a pagan Book of Breathings document. Joseph Smith's interpretations of the symbols in Hypocephalus are mostly correct. Joseph Smith identified the pagan god Osiris with Abraham. However, some scholars now believe that the Egyptian god O-SHAR (Greek: "Osiris")--the "Eastern Prince"--is in fact based upon Abraham; who, according to Josephus, taught the ancient Egyptians astronomy (something Osiris supposedly did).

12) The "Chicago Plate" ("discovered" in 1920) is a fake; admittedly. It was NOT part of the original Kinderhook Plates; of which Joseph Smith "translated a portion". The Chicago Plate is a different size, has different symbols, and was not one of the original Kinderhook Plates. The symbols on the Kinderhook Plates are very similar to the Byblos Script. The provinance (line-of-ownship) of the "Chicago Plate" and the original Kinderhook Plates also strongly suggests the "Chicago Plate" is a FAKE alone and not the original Kinderhook Plates.

13) The Mormon Church DOES NOT try to use archaeology to "prove" the Book of Mormon is true! Just the opposite. Another BIG LIE by Decker. There is no evidence of the Nephites in America. True. There is also NO EVIDENCE that the Isrealites were ever in Egypt; much less lived there (by the millions) for 450 years! Does that mean the Bible isn't true? I think not. While archaeological evidence is lacking, the ancient American native histories of Ixtilxoquitl ("Ishtil-show-kee-til") and other native writers, DO have parallels in the Book of Mormon.

14) Mormons missionaries are NOT "deliberately trained to deceive Christians into thinking they are Christians by using Christian terminology". Mormon missionaries sincerely believe they ARE Christians. There are no "two sets" of terminology. Yet another BIG LIE by Decker; one that has angered some Evangelicals so much they have threatened and in some cases physically assaulted Mormon missionaries.

You can read a 65-page 13-point detailed response to Decker's major anti-Mormon claims I wrote a number of years titled "MORMOISM UN-DECKER-ATED". You'll read more about that below.

It is estimated that over 12 million people saw viewings of The God Makers film, and tens of thousands of more have rented the videos. Perhaps up to 750,000 or more have read The God Makers books (I and II).

Gilbert Scharffs, a Mormon Institute teacher, wrote a reply to The God Makers book titled The TRUTH About 'The God Makers' in which he found:

Repetition of charges from once to several times...169
Statements that are not true...141
Unwarranted conclusions based upon facts...131
Misinterpreted statements...123
Exaggerated statements...119
Broad generalizations...48
Significant quotes or charges without documentation...47
Historical material quoted out of context which altered the meaning...39
Scriptures quoted out of context or paraphrased which altered the meaning...18
Footnotes references that were not where they were indicated...7
Wrong footnote because the source copied by the authors had the wrong footnote also...5

Scharffs found over "600" major errors in The God Makers book.

The God Makers II book was later published which closely followed the "The God Makers II" film. It was so bad and so inaccurate that other anti-Mormons like Jerald and Sandra Tanner wrote expose's of it in a publication called Problems in The God Makers II. Decker's associate in "The God Makers" film, Richard Bear, disassociated himself from Decker and the second film and book. Bear was later interviewed by the Sacramento Union, and is quoted as saying:

"Ed has a penchant to sensationalize, embellish the facts, and center on bizaar issues to shock people." (The Sacremento Union, Dec. 26, 1992)