To Trust In Man (Part 7)

Author's note: The following post is part of a series dealing with my experiences in the Jeffrey Lundgren cult and what I learned from those experiences. My hope is that my story will teach others the importance of listening to the voice of God within for their answers. Peace. cse

Planning For the Future

The summer of 1985 was an idyllic summer for me as I fulfilled my dream of sharing the peace and history of the Kirtland Temple in beautiful northeastern Ohio with those who wanted to explore it. There was no doubt in my mind this building was a special place--a place where it was easy to find God. However, the course of the summer also found me being drawn closer to the building for more ominous reasons. I had been convinced by Jeff Lundgren that the purpose of the temple had not been fulfilled back in the 1830's but was still yet to come. It was my plan to be part of that movement.

Toward the end of that first summer, I knew I would be back. I was already making plans to apply for a job the following summer at the Temple, where full preparations were underway for the 1986 sequecentennial celebration of the Temple's completion and dedication. My roommate had already found a job in the local community and was planning on staying on in Kirtland indefinitely. The other two summer guides and I were all planning on going back to school for the fall semester although the pull to stay in Kirtland was felt by all three of us.

My boyfriend, Brian, came to Kirtland at the end of the summer, both to see the Temple and then to take me home to South Carolina for a brief visit before we had to be back to college in Iowa in the fall. I was somewhat disappointed Brian did not seem to be as enamored with the building or Jeff's teachings as I was (although he was the patient boyfriend and listened to what I had to say). Still, it was important for me to share it with him. From the very beginning of our relationship I had been extremely drawn to Brian--sort of like I had known him forever. Things were getting serious very quickly, and we were talking about marriage. I knew I would need Brian to be in agreement with me if I was to make it back to Kirtland.

My attachment to Brian and his disinterest in the Temple proved to be a very good thing.

The story continues: http://cocoontobutterfly.blogspot.com/2011/03/to-trust-in-man-part-8.html

*(For more information on this incident, one of the best books written is Prophet of Death. the Mormon Blood-Atonement Killings by Pete Earley. It's very detailed and uncomfortably graphic, but he did his research well. Earley gets to the heart of why Jeff and his followers acted as they did, without bias. Also, A&E did a segment of their show American Justice on this topic: American Justice: The Cult Murders.)