Posted on 07/03/2009 6:12:52 AM PDT by Colofornian
MAGNA -- Accusations of sex abuse and assassination threats are swirling around a small religious group led by a man who claims to be the Holy Ghost. He calls the charges a pack of lies, but they prompted a raid by the Secret Service, the FBI, and child protection investigators.
Six weeks ago, officers surrounded and searched the Church of the Firstborn and the General Assembly of Heaven's headquarters in Magna, interrogating members for hours. According to the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office, they found nothing.
If the charges are lies, they reveal a most unusual church, torn apart by bitter personal and religious feuds.
Two weeks ago, KSL News trailed the church's members as they left Utah in a convoy of vehicles. It was a long-planned move at the direction of their prophet, Terrill Dalton, who says it's been revealed he's the Holy Ghost and the father of Jesus.
"From the Lord I've been told, yes, that's who I am," Dalton said.
For years, he and numerous followers lived in a duplex in Magna. A former apostle in Dalton's church, Michael Stevenson, has now unleashed a blizzard of allegations, including fondling of children and exhibitionist sex acts at church meetings.
Terrill Dalton "In front of everybody in their group," Stevenson said. "Even the children were present."
"I never, ever would allow that," Dalton told KSL News. "But knowing that somebody could accuse me; and more than that, that somebody might actually believe the allegation, that makes me upset."
In the group's 500 pages of scripture, Dalton and church member Geody Harman are called the "Two Witnesses." Stevenson claims they've repeatedly threatened assassination of President Barack Obama, President George W. Bush and others.
"And they claim that one of their duties as the 'Two Witnesses' is to go up to President [Thomas S.] Monson of the LDS Church, and that they're required to kill him when it comes time. They claim that he's the man of sin," Stevenson said.
"False!" Dalton responded. "False, false, false, false, false. I mean, all the way down that list."
The raid on the duplex apparently produced no evidence of assassination plots; the Secret Service closed its case, according to the sheriff's office.
But Dalton's scripture does label LDS President Thomas S. Monson a "culprit." And it accuses "the Bush" and "his father, the old Bush" of masterminding the 9/11 terror attacks to boost oil profits.
Dalton says much of the scripture was actually written by his accuser, Michael Stevenson, who Dalton says is now trying to start his own church, the Restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Stevenson denies it, saying it is someone else with the same name.
"If he could get me in jail, then I guess maybe he can take all the members," Dalton said. "Maybe that's his plan."
Dalton says Stevenson's allegations were orchestrated by a disgruntled ex-husband of Jennifer Nelson, Dalton's live-in girlfriend. Texan Lance Fleming is fighting her for custody of their son.
Stevenson admits the boy's father encouraged him to go public, but insists the allegations are true.
"When I finally made contact with Lance, he was able to help me begin talking about it," Stevenson said.
Sheriff's detectives ended their investigation after interviewing the boy.
Michael Stevenson "We were not able to get the 7-year-old to come forward or come forth with any information associated with any potential sexual or other abuse," explained Lt. Don Hutson, spokesman for the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office.
But evaluations by a Texas therapist and an investigator describe disturbing behavior. The boy growled, barked like a dog, and crawled under a table when his mother and Utah were mentioned.
The boy's great-grandmother once testified that Dalton and Harman spent five days teaching her their religious doctrines.
Barbara Satterfield said they taught: "A man and a woman can invite another woman into their bed. That's OK with God. It's OK with him to fornicate, masturbate; women having sex with women."
Dalton disputes that, saying sex is his followers' private business and he plays no role it.
To prepare for the move to Idaho, the followers sold their homes in Utah. KSL News tailed them to a house near Pocatello. Stevenson claims they've repeatedly practiced mass suicide in case of a standoff.
"It's not clear that they mean poison," Stevenson said. "At this point they've been using straight Kool-Aid as their drill."
"Never happened," Dalton said. "It never could happen. It never would happen. I never would allow such a thing."
Idaho authorities say the group has been exceptionally open and cooperative since that move two weeks ago, but more legal trouble could be coming. Fleming claims his ex-wife is under court order to keep their son in Utah; Dalton denies it.
The bitter battle continues.
Almost sounds like a sign of demon possession.
A bit of background to this group -- this is a Mormon-based cult:
Its "prophet" has supposedly "translated" 14 chapters of the "sealed Book of Mormon" with the "Words of Moroni," etc.
Another "scripture" is "The Journal of Discourses of Zion."
It cites Joseph Smith's "Doctrine & Covenants."
And like Joseph Smith, this so-called "prophet" claims to be able to use a urim & thummim to create new "scriptures."
Like Smith, Dalton & another leader keep naming new "apostles."
Like Smith, Dalton calls himself a "seer" and "revelator President of the church."
Like Brigham Young, who identified a man as god (Young taught for over 25 years that Adam was god), Dalton also calls himself "Gabriel" and "the Holy Ghost."
KSL, the radio station covering this, is owned by the Mormon church. What's almost hilarious about this serious subject was KSL's headline that touted upcoming coverage of this sect a few days ago: “A cult uncovered in Utah, the alleged target in the LDS Church tonight at 10.” (What? A "cult" uncovered in Utah? Nah...couldn't happen!!!)
Hah.
Lots of people have claimed to be the Son, but this is the first I know of claiming to be the Holy Ghost.
Isn’t that a bit hard for a living guy to pull off?
Just another cult.
The gay community is very quiet about child rape. The folks in the gay "chat rooms" knew about the child being molested for "perv dad's" fun and entertainment and NOT ONE OF THEM HELPED THE CHILD.
Gays and the liberal Establishment are the new thugs on the block.
Oh and the CIVIL RIGHTS GUYS are all AWOL - singing the praises of the KING OF PEDOPHILES - Michael el creepo Jackson... Too busy to care about a Black Child being sold on the internet for white men to rape.
Yeah just another cult, but even if the guy is totally insane; If they cannot prove that they committed any crimes then they should be left alone.
It’s amazing to me that instead of the media covering one of our American Heroes that were captured, they would cover a criminal. Not just a criminal, but the Bible says rape is equivalent to murder and should be punished with death so God can further judge that person.
[Hey, this guy's only taking Joseph Smith literally. Smith taught toward the end of his life that "you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves...by going from one small degree to another, and from a small capacity to a great one...from exaltation to exaltation, until you...are able to dwell in everlasting burnings..." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 346-347, published 1938 by Deseret News Press, owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormons)]
So, this guy's just chosen to start his "exaltation" as a "holy ghost" god...
I'm sure, as Smith says, he'll go from small degrees & capacities to others, maybe graduating from "holy ghost godhood" until he's "able to dwell in everlasting burnings" -- which Smith repeatedly said was the outcome for such godhood-seeking...and he thought that would be a positive thing!
Dalton says is now trying to start his own church, the Restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
I thought there already was a Restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. ....and...
How do you repeatedly practice suicide?...OHHHhhhhh I guess they mean "rehearse" suicide not practice it.
(BTW: Where does the Mormon church-owned KSL folks get off calling a Mormon-based group a “cult?” I mean, haven’t the Mormons been lecturing us for years now that “No, we’re not a cult. We’re ‘Christians.’ We even have ‘Jesus Christ’ in our Title?” I mean, couldn’t this Dalton character say to the Mormon church, “No, we’re a not a cult. We’re Mormons. We even have ‘Firstborn’ in our Name — which the Bible ascribes to Jesus Christ.”)
Christianity...circa 1970s-1980s: "I'm a Born-Again Christian" (to distinguish a special Holy Ghost anointing)
Mormonism...circa 2004-2009: "I'm a Restored-Again Mormon" (to distinguish an extra-special pseudo "holy ghost" burning bosom experience)
I can’t remember. Did you post the article about the non-Mormon Christian Youth With a Mission killer who entered the non-Mormon New Life church in Colorado Springs a few years back? Or a you just cherry pickin’ Mormons again?
(I didn't post any of those articles...but what you don't seem to be able to do is to keep up...that killer had actually converted to Mormonism before he went on a killing spree...but had become a lapsed Mormon for almost up to a year...of course, he also dabbled in the occult, etc...but sorry, you can rightfully claim ignorance once again -- this time claiming that you didn't know he had converted to Mormonism)
How bout did you post non-Mormon Terry Sedlacek walking into a non-mormon church in Illinois and shooting the pastor?
Didn’t see that one either. I can post hundreds more. Shouldn’t cherry pick dude. You come across as a hater when you do that.
Oh, I get it. Had I...
(a) posted an article about the New Life church killings, which I didn't, killings committed by a lapsed Mormon, then according to you I wouldn't be cherry picking [post 12]...
...but if I posted an article about Illinois church killings, which I didn't, a killing not committed by a lapsed Mormon, then according to you, I might not be cherry picking, either [post 14]...
Hey, just let me know which side of you is postin' so I can properly respond to the correct personality
Haven’t you figured it out yet? All of you religious folks are cultists.
***So, this guy’s just chosen to start his “exaltation” as a “holy ghost” god...***
When does he build his own cathedral and staff it with his own choir?
NAUVOO — Accusations of sex abuse and assassination threats are swirling around a small religious group led by a man who claims to be the Prophet. He calls the charges a pack of lies, and destroyed a private printing press and initiated martial law which prompted his arrest by the governer of Illinois and his incarceration in the Carthage Jail.
It doesn’t require a response. He was Christian longer than his brief Mormon infatuation. Just consider yourself exposed. Cherrypicker. :-)
If the present "Prophet, Seer and Revelator" of the SLC LDS church were to have a revelation that he had been "eternally infused with the presence of the Holy Ghost" there are millions of mormons with whom he could "pull it off"....OH..wait....
Unique to LDS theology in modern times is a view of the Godhead as consisting of three separate beings, two possessing bodies of flesh and bone and one possessing a spirit body. An official declaration concerning the Godhead states: "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit" (D&C 130:22). Latter-day Saints take the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, in a literal, anthropomorphic sense, attributing to God both a human form and emotions. They accept both a "oneness" and "threeness" of the Godhead as taught in the Bible. However, they reject the traditional doctrine of the Trinity, and believe instead that the Godhead is one in mind, purpose, and testimony, but three in number. Thus, they believe that God is spirit in the sense that he is infused with spirit, and in the sense that the Holy Ghost is a spirit, but they do not limit the Father or the Son to incorporeality.
Since mormons believe they will become gods, I guess that would not be so far-fetched, would it?
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