To read a brief history on Monson, see the Wikipedia article: HERE.
Unknown to many Latter Day Saints, Monson has a few skeletons in his closet, which I will be helping to divulge in this article. Here it goes ...
THE VALUES INSTITUTE
During the midst of a second major purge of homosexuals at BYU in the 1970's, the "Institute for Studies in Values and Human Behaviour" was formed; in short it is known as the 'Values Institute'.
The idea was proposed by Dallin Oaks at a meeting (of the Boards of Trustees at BYU, and the Unified Church Educational System) on September 1, 1976.
The purpose of the Values Institute was kept a secret from the general public, but generally comprised of: combating homosexuality, doing research on homosexuality, fighting homosexuality within the church, and writing a book to verify the LDS church's position on homosexuality.
The public was only told that it would conduct "research that would assist in preventing and changing problem behaviors which lead people away from eternal life." The Values Institute was to be provided resources and assistance from LDS Social Services.
The first main goal of the Values Institute was to produce a manuscript "which would set forth significant empirical evidence in support of the Church's position on homosexuality." The book was to be written by Bergin and Victor L. Brown Jr. (of LDS Social Services), approved by a General Authority, published by a popular Eastern Press, and have no appearance of a connection with the church. Then the book was going to be used as "secular evidence" to back up LDS Church claims on homosexuality.
Other goals of the Values Institute were:
1) Reviewing homosexual "indoctrination" created by public gay protest and opposition.
2) Anti-gay papers & rebuttals.
3) Supporting research to vindicate LDS Church positions on homosexuality.
4) Creating church policies to combat homosexuality and 'sexual misconduct'.
Over the course of time, the Values Institute members worked on writing the book, other articles, researching, and collaborating. (There is too much to condense on this subject)
On November 17th, 1978 a two hour presentation was made before the First Presidency, and then after that was made before all the General Authorities and BYU president Dallin Oaks - concerning the manuscript for the 'anti-gay' book.
In March of 1979, Marion G. Romney asked Thomas S. Monson to get a concrete budget for the Values Institute. (Which they did, and I might add that all of the money to fund the Values Institute and its projects were received directly from tithing funds paid by LDS members).
Values Institute leaders met with Thomas S. Monson (and unknown others) on August 9, 1979 to ask formal approval to write an 'anti-gay' book for publication, and related articles. Monson and the committee agreed with the proposal and recommended it to the First Presidency on August 10, 1979 - where it was formally approved.
As time passed and things went sour with the Values Institute -- Dallin Oaks wrote to Thomas S. Monson on September 3, 1979 to explain the many problems and his irritation. And so, in 1980 the Values Institute was disbanded, after spending $150,000 of tithing funds from LDS members.
"AVERSION THERAPY AT BYU"
I won't get into it in extreme detail, as that is for another day -- but as early as the 1960's, aversion "therapies" were conducted at BYU, which continued on for several decades, and were notably in practice in the 1970's when the Values Institute was operational.
BYU professor D. Eugene Thorne oversaw the therapies.
Some examples of the "therapy" practices were:
- Electroshock Therapy (electrodes attached to head, hands, arms, and legs which shocked the patient with electricity)
- Pornography (homosexual and heterosexual pornography which was used in conducting tests, and to try to "cure" the homosexual behavior)
MONSON PARTICIPATION ...
I had an irate Mormon write to me regarding one of my YouTube videos ("Images from Mormon History") because at one point I showed a photo of Thomas S. Monson and wrote that he "helped to found the Values Institute" at BYU. This man took issue with this, claiming he had never heard of the Values Institute, nor did he know of any Monson-connection.
Let me make this perfectly clear:
The Values Institute is WELL-DOCUMENTED and is factual. It did exist, and we know all about it; we have documents, memos, testimonies, etc.
The Aversion Therapies done at BYU for decades are WELL-DOCUMENTED (for all of the reasons I just mentioned above).
And thankfully, we have evidence of connections in all this disgusting corruption and inhumanity, because memos and documents have survived. Some of these link to certain individuals, with Thomas S. Monson being one of them!
So what evidence do we have of Thomas S. Monson's involvement in these scandals?
- The Values Institute was proposed by Oaks at a 'combined meeting' (BYU Trustees and Unified Church Educational System) which would have come to Monson's attention. Even if we assume that it didn't ...
- Monson was present for a 2-hour presentation which outlined the Values Institute and its agenda, including: writing anti-gay material, and publishing a book which was to be used as "secular evidence" to affirm the Church's position (even though it was written by church members) ... dishonestly fooling LDS members, and the general public at large.
- Marion G. Romney wrote to Monson to request funding for the Values Institute.
- Values Institute leaders met with Monson to get formal approval for the anti-gay book and other related projects.
- Monson recommended the Values Institute book and projects to the First Presidency himself, in 1979.
- Dallin Oaks wrote specifically to Monson regarding problems with the Values Institute.
* There's also a history of many other things as well (which are too much to relate), and we know that Thomas S. Monson, Gordon B. Hinckley, Victor L. Brown, Boyd K. Packer, and Kenneth H. Beesley all met for a meeting in response to the infamous "Payne Papers".
That also shows us that Monson was aware of everything that was going on at BYU because he knew about the Payne Papers (a student written paper distributed school wide in defense of homosexuality), he knew -- as General Authorities were made aware-- of the Chipman case and other activities and scandals that were occuring at the school.
There can be no doubt that Thomas S. Monson knew all about BYU's treatment of homosexuals, which included: aversion "therapies", sting-operations, purges, suicides, police investigations, harrassment, student-on-student spying, and more!
We have documents linking him to the Values Institute and approving its related projects, and a BYU Executive Committee Meeting Minutes document relating to a church response (including his personally) to the Payne Papers, etc.
*** Everyone please research about: the history of BYU's treatment of homosexuals; all its scandals, the Values Institute, Evergreen International (currently operational), shock-therapy, the Payne Papers, the Chipman case, the suicides, etc. ***
CONCLUSION
I can only imagine what other cookie jars Monson has dipped his hands into, and what other skeletons lie in his closet. We would never have known about his connection to all of this if we didn't have the documents, memos, and other evidence linking him to it.
Otherwise it would be flat out denials from his camp, and Mormons crying afoul about how ex-mormons are lying and have no evidence, etc.
Any thinking and compassionate person should be outraged at Monson's treatment of gays -- especially within the LDS Church-- and of his previous support in: harassing them, purging them, therapies for them, driving them to suicide and social ruin, helping to found and fund the Values Institute, and supporting unscientific, undocumented, bigoted and hateful rumors, and unsubstantiated theories about homosexual people.
We have discovered what the "S" in Monson's name stands for -- Shocktherapy!
From now on, let us all dub him:
THOMAS "SHOCKTHERAPY" MONSON.
Hey Monson,
when are you going to apologize for your hateful and cruel treatment of
gay people? We're all still waiting! Don't think people have forgotten
about all you've done! We'll be dragging the skeletons out of your
closet one by one for everyone to see ... PREPARE YOURSELF!Resources:
"The Abominable and Detestable Crime Against Nature": A Revised History of Homosexuality & Mormonism, 1840-1980: BY Connell O'Donovan
[Documentation, footnotes and references confirming and validating the statements written in this article can be found numbered throughout the book, and listed at the end of the website.]
*Please Note: The above book was published by Signature Books, but is viewable for free via the link above. It is an EXCELLENT book that I cannot recommend enough, which covers a large history of homosexuality in the LDS church, and specifically at BYU, etc.
Specifically (for more current events) I recommend the sections:
Commie Pinko Queers: The "Boys of Boise" and Salt Lake Scandals
"The Lord's Program": Kimball and Petersen Attack (followed by:)
"Hope for Transgressors" & "New Horizons for Homosexuals" (later aka "A Letter to a Friend")
ANTI-HOMOSEXUAL POLICIES AT BYU (1957-1980) (followed by:)
The Suicides of 1965 & The "Witch Hunts of 1968" & The "Witch Hunts of 1975"
The Values Institute
Shocking Events at the Y
The 'Payne Papers' and Prologue
The David Chipman Case
Oaks' 1979 Memo to Monson
1977 BYU Executive Committee Meeting Minutes memo
An online article about 'Evergreen International': CLICK HERE.
Wikipedia article on "Homosexuality and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" (conspicuously missing is any mention of aversion therapy at BYU).
