IN DEFENSE OF THE CHURCH (Part Two of Two)
How a crybaby who peddled his bogus theory of half-baked truths and outright lies to The Washington Post in 2019, got CBS to buy his crap solely to enhance their season-ending ratings
In Part One of Two, we see how David A. Nielsen—the attention junkie who peddled a story to The Washington Post some 3½ years earlier that on closer review and scrutiny turned out to be what I would mildly call out as B.S.—has sunk to yet another low in what appears to be his duplicitous nature.
What Nielsen sought in his first attempt with WaPo, was to ‘sic’ the already-weaponized Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on the Church, all in his petty lust for revenge, not to mention a payday, which fizzled. He was also hoping that if the IRS ‘burned’ the Church on a major violation of some sort, he could cash in on a major payday. As the IRS found no case to exist in Nielsen’s crybaby rants, Nielsen struck out in his revenge-soaked quest for a tattle-tale payday. AGAIN. He also struck out with the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission).
In the process, he spotlighted his absence of character as a major-league weasel and ethical reprobate. With a ‘violating an NDA’ on his sheet, NOBODY is going to want to hire him; he has made himself poison-for-life in the securities field, and deservedly so.
This he did when he ‘buffaloed’ CBS NEWS, especially ‘60 LIES’/’60 MINUTES’ (your interpretation) into buying his recycled written manure WaPo had run in December 2019, and tried to sell it off as new and improved, when it was neither new, nor improved. or anything resembling the first edition.
Only this time, CBS managed to draw a Church leader—W. Christopher Waddell—the first counselor in the Church’s Presiding Bishopric, into what I could only think of as drawing the short straw, into having to deal with these smegma media jackals in an interview, whose predetermined narrative, as always, was to draw first blood.
In my professional opinion, having any church official other than a designated PR representative respond to their requests for an interview was a colossal error in judgement, especially given CBS’ decades-long record of their complete inability to be objective in any way whatsoever. CBS isn’t called ‘C-the-BS’ for nothing!
Clearly, CBS—who never had any interest in the truth here—and whose specialty is both slander and bullying, knows full well they’d sell their mothers into a white slavery ring in a heartbeat, especially if it’d give them one more rating point with which to close out their ratings for the season, and thus determine their summer ad rates. Ethical prostitution on the lowest rung if ever was there on public display, with such fitting them like an iron whip in a velvet glove.
Poor Bishop Waddell. Putting him in the lion’s den like that with those jackals, looking for a Christian to feed on. It’s not like CBS has no shame; they never did, certainly not once in the last 50+ years, with the exception of Jane Clayson Johnson, who wised up and took a better offer, and leaped on the ‘mommy track’ 20+ years ago. Yet these people were more interested in seeing the Church’s total finances, when it was neither theirs, or any of the world’s business to begin with.
One woman—whose privacy I’ll protect—expressed her concerns about the Church’s finances on a website, and what she thought about the Church and its finances—which sent the clear and overwhelming signal that she thought she knew better than they did, when they had all the facts, and neither she nor I did.
While she is free to her opinion, and she should be encouraged to do so after pursuing additional facts within appropriate boundaries, I have enough faith and trust in those who handle the church’s finances to know they have major safeguards to ensure the funds are safely and responsibly handled.
I took some time to respond to her concerns, and did so in a spirit of kindness, compassion, and love, as I believe that while she had concerns that while they were indeed legitimate and very valid to her, that key portions were missing—portions of which were not available to either me or her—and that sometimes that information, must be withheld for safety, as well as operational security reasons.
As such, a full and complete answer could not be given her. My heart goes out to her, and I hope she finds the inner peace she seeks in her pursuit of an answer to her questions she has in that regard.
That, and they (both Bishop Waddell and Ensign Peak Advisors) have access to information neither she nor I do, not to mention they all live modest lifestyles, live in modest homes, drive modest cars, etc.
As an active—yet highly imperfect member of the Church myself—the largest (or newest) car I owned in the last 30 years, was my then 4-year-old Crown Victoria that I acquired when the department asked me if I wanted to buy it out when the mileage hit a designated number. Which I did.
If any Latter-day Saint leader I know of has a really nice car, they in all likelihood worked in the private sector, and made some serious coin. When selected members are called into full-time Church service, every single one that I’ve seen known, or known of, drove appropriate cars, indicating to me at least, they do their best to stay at least somewhat relatable to the members they are called to serve.
On the subject of finances, it should be noted that Canada was the only G-8 country to come out of the 2008 recession virtually unscathed. It did, because my now-late friend Jim Flaherty—the Canadian Finance Minister at the time—steered a course of fiscal prudence and responsibility to ensure Canadians would come out on the other side, not only unscathed, but with a balanced budget on the other end, which it did.
Contrasted to other corporations and/or countries, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—when it approached the 2008 recession—also emerged unscathed, because they followed a similar course of fiscal prudence, responsibility, and restraint; not only for the Church as a whole, but also by ensuring budgets were adjusted, as well as priorities, in keeping with the realities of the time.
As to Bishop Waddell and the issue of Church finances overall: Church finances have not been disclosed to the general Church membership since General Conference in 1959. I see no reason to start now, as that would open a Pandora’s Box® they could never close.
The fact is with accountants running THAT portion of the show, the overwhelming majority (99%+) of members DO NOT WANT to know, simply on the grounds that finances in the Church are strong, stable, and there to benefit both the Church, and YES, the world at large, and they trust their leadership to whom the bean counters report that information.
Nor should the Church see the need to cast its pearls before the swine of the world (read: enemies of the Church); in other words, those who’d get their rocks off in bringing about the downfall of the Church, which is NOT going to happen. If anything, they’re going to have to use a MUCH more creative argument.
What many people do not realize is that the Church does A LOT of good behind the scenes—both in the United States and Canada — as well as internationally, in making the lives of others better, often through easing their suffering, and unlike incompetent progressive Democrats in the United States Government, who insist on maintaining the moronic idea that throwing cash on problems will fix them, especially when the private sector is FAR MORE EFFICIENT and RELIABLE.
Case in point: When Hurricane Katrina destroyed New Orleans, and much of Southern Louisiana and Mississippi in 2005, much of that area did not regain full restoration of electrical power for MONTHS.
Wal-Mart — on the other hand — the largest private employer in the affected area –jumped in to the rescue, and had every store up, running, with power restored, and OPEN, within DAYS, with employees earning themselves a livelihood, and people in need of supplies able to purchase needed items to repair and restore their homes.
Again, the private sector FAR AND AWAY outshining the useless government resources that again fell flat in failing to serve the people they took an oath to serve and protect.
Were the Church’s trailers up and running, using some of that ‘reserve’ to assist those in need, complete with yellow t-shirts, both missionaries and members alike, working should-to-shoulder, to include helping their non-member friends? YOU BET THEY WERE!!!
A lot of assistance given by the Church is done quietly, and especially under the radar, not seeking recognition, in keeping with what the Savior taught in Matthew 6: 4,6 (King James Version).
About the only mention you’ll ever hear of it is on the Church Newsroom’s website, which is in place to record it as a matter of historical fact, as they return and report to Church members what the Church does in easing human suffering around the world.
This is where Sharon Eubank, the head of LDS Charities and former counselor in the Church’s Relief Society General Presidency, comes in with her team, doing their wonderful work they do, in making the lives of thousands easier, wherever they may be.
So, while I understand the poster had some concerns, this is one area while I respectfully agreed to disagree with her, on the grounds there is some information Bishop Waddell has for which there is NOT A NEED for others—members or others—to know the details here.
I detailed the CBS piece in my article BIGOTS AT PLAY, which you can find on my Substack page — complete with all the needed links following it — showing both sides of Nielsen’s addiction for attention.
As I said a minute or so ago, this may not satisfy some, and I can respect that. It’s just that for operational security — and yes, safety — reasons, that some information must be withheld, to ensure smooth, competent operations can continue for the benefit of one and all, even the dissenters.
I wish sincere enquirers peace in their pursuit of the truth. As to the others: They’ll always find a need to whine and complain. ***
© 2023 Timothy Christopher Rollins
LDS Church rejects whistleblower's allegations from '60 Minutes' interview