Words cannot express the deep hurt we feel that some former members of our Church – men and women whom we have loved, laughed with and cared for – could be so troubled, hateful and vindictive. 

While some of these individuals themselves experienced public shame of false accusations and humiliation at school in their youth, they now look to use that same hate-filled rhetoric and unbridled gossip to attack not only our Church, but the individuals, families, businesses and children who comprise The Church of Jesus Christ Forever.

We could spend hours (perhaps days) to “set the story straight” and go through all of the back-and-forth of who is right and who is wrong, the circumstances surrounding events as well as debunking many events that simply never happened. For what? To settle the score? Many in our Community have taken every word on this forum, whether a personal statement, anonymous recollection or third-party gossip, as proven fact. And should we take the high road and not respond to mean-spirited gossip, innuendos and speculation? Does such silence translate into some acquiescence and ratification of an otherwise false narrative? 

Where is the fairness? What about an acknowledgment that there are oftentimes two sides, three sides, and sometimes five sides to a story? Like every Church, we have our detractors and naysayers. Sadly enough, we have endured members who have committed fraud, stolen both real and personal property belonging to the Church and its members; among them, a sexually depraved individual who was caught by the police and sentenced to serve four years in a state penitentiary. For what? Burglary with forced entry, burglary without forced entry, motor vehicle theft/stolen property, and larceny – only to have this individual and other ex-members now exaggerate and put forth outright lies about the very same institution that tried to help them. 

There are many who know us personally and have stood by us. We forever thank you for defending us, while acknowledging that such support can be exhausting.  Submitted anonymously are vile letters about circumstances that never occurred and a family that never existed. There are also exaggerated stories with a modicum of truth spun with falsities and conjectures. The only torture we have experienced has been tortured facts. The alleged victims think otherwise.

Our members are fully aware that acquaintances of the community might like us and see us face-to-face as good people, but do not want to defend us if these alleged accusations might be “true.”  To those good-hearted people, we submit to you that the picture painted of a dark and sinister house of horrors is not true – albeit intriguing and exciting for some to think so. You will have to let your intuition judge through your heart of hearts.  But judge us based on your direct experiences with us – not from hate mail and Facebook postings. It is easy for disgruntled individuals holding grudges and hateful intentions to exaggerate and distort occurrences that happened 10 to 20+ years ago.

We, the members of The Church of Jesus Christ Forever, Illinois and Hawaii, are hard-working, honest and happy people with very good families.  We have been taught to love our neighbors and help our fellow citizens regardless of their beliefs. Contrary to numerous statements and postings, we own our own property, pay our taxes, and make our mortgage payments. We do not steal or take from others. Tithing is done on a voluntary basis. We have worked beside you and our children have played sports with your children. Maybe our religious beliefs are different and may even be peculiar to some, but this is how we exercise our rights to practice our religion – free of persecution. 

Many of our members have volunteered to help the city of Oregon. We have donated money to the referenda committee that ended with a favorable vote to assist the school district. We have contributed thousands of dollars to various local non-profits, among them Village of Progress, Lifeline, and Hands on Oregon.  As a Church, we have provided thousands of hours of labor for several important projects to enhance the city.  The record speaks for itself.

Every person in our Church knows where wisdom lies. Just look at the substance of those that have stayed and adhered to ethical and religious standards in Christ Jesus: