Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Mormon Bishop murdered

Kenneth James Ward, murdered the LDS bishop in charge of his former church. Ward did not know the victim.

…he drove 140 miles south to his childhood town of Visalia, walked into his former church and opened fire on Clay Sannar, 40, a lay bishop with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints....

Ward blamed the Mormon church for his troubles.

"When my brother had one of his episodes, he conjured up in his mind that he thought that the Mormons were sending him to hell. He would tell me that," Mike Ward, 44, said in a phone interview from his home in Bakersfield.

Clay Sannar was a father of six children.  How horrible. I offer my condolences to the family.

It is odd that Ward would travel down to his old church to murder a man he did not know. It speaks of deeper issues. He was trying to settle the score on something from his past, some injury amplified by his mental issues into something that could only be addressed at its root. He could have walked into any Mormon church and opened fire, they are a ubiquities feature of most towns. There are plenty to choose from.

Religious violence intrigues me. I often wonder about the link between dogma and violence. Ward’s fixation on being cast into hell has its roots in something he experienced as a Mormon. Perhaps his atypical ranting could have been used as a reason to get him help? But what would we say? “My brother thinks he’s going to hell?”

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Mike's avatar

Mike · 763 weeks ago

I am a Mormon Bishop. I cannot cast anyone to hell. No Bishop can. This man was ill. What he did is beyond comprehension. It makes no sense. If he wanted to end his life, and it is clear that he did, why not just end it? Because he felt he had to make a statement. Did he? I don't think so. I think all he did was deprive the world of a good man.
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Mojoey 107p · 763 weeks ago

I agree - It makes no sense to me. Thanks for posting.
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Mike · 763 weeks ago

A very tragic side note to this story. I have heard that one of his sons saw his murder. If true I cannot even imagine what that poor kid is going through.
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Dave · 763 weeks ago

I just want to echo Mike's comments. I served as a counselor with 3 Bishops over a 10 year period (all lay ministry...no pay to anyone in the congregation including the Bishop). Do you really think that people who are very busy working in normal professions, raising their families and volunteering to serve in their Church are fixated on telling people they are "going to Hell"? This Church is full of love and longsuffering and goes out of it's way to help people out, not "condemn them". This is such an aberation (and an obvious case of extreme mental illness)...if only the public could see the countless hours put in by Bishops and all members of the congregation (ward) to serve each other and help one another as Christ so well taught us to do..."By this ye shall know ye are my disciples, that ye have love one for another".
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tonjia · 763 weeks ago

My deepest condolences go out to the family also. What a horrific act.

One does not have to be mentally unstable to desire to revenge wrongs done by fundamentalist religions like Mormonism that routinely violate human rights, and repress human expression. I really cannot believe it happens so infrequently.

The abuses I suffered at the hands of the Mormons are pretty horrific in themselves.

When I left the church, I literally had dreams of gunning the patriarchs down when they came to my door.

He was probably doing the guys wife. I'm not even kidding. Their repressive veiws of sex lead to all kinds of sexual perversions.

Sorry to be the evil bitch. Thats the way I see it.
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tonjia · 763 weeks ago

yeah. and DAve. Neither the church, nor any member of the church has the vaguest foggiest idea of what love is, or how it operates.

People who believe that god is love, and god kills, believe that love kills, and that is twisted beyond belief.

I learned nothing of love until I left mormonism. Actual real love exists, but not in the mormon church.
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Mike's avatar

Mike · 763 weeks ago

I hope the last 2 comments aren't allowed to stay. What a sad commentary if they are. Visions of murder and someone who obviously does not know what a Patriarch is in our church. How anyone can condone murder is beyond me. Yet this lady has, and needed libel as an ally to do it. Quite sad.
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Mojoey 107p · 763 weeks ago

MIke - I don't delete comments unless they are spam. People are fee to express themselves here.
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Mike · 763 weeks ago

That is too bad. Lying and threatening are not freedom of expression. Good luck. If you ever would like to know the truths about my religion, let me know. I run from nothing.
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MABER · 763 weeks ago

I have been a member of the church for a few years, I am a southern Baptist convert. The comments by the "lady" above me are incorrect.

The fact that a man would enter a place of worship regardless of what religion and take another's life is unbelievable. This individual was concerned that the church was sending him to hell? His actions alone in many mainstream Christian sects would do just that in and of itself. I feel for the mans family, to lose a loved one is one of the hardest thing we can endure but to lose a loved one over such an act brings many other emotions. My prayers go out to Bishop Wards family today a week later, to his wife and six children who will have to endure the rest of their time on this planet without him but I am sure they have that small bit of comfort in knowing that they will see him again.
A Family is Forever.
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MABER · 763 weeks ago

Oh goodness I do not know how I ever got the names reversed in my post!!! I meant Bishop Sannar....
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InDublin · 737 weeks ago

It's always sad to hear about senseless violence. There are no shortage of people with bad things to say about the Mormon faith. Many have had years of experience in that faith, and valid complaints that others won't ever acknowledge, so they see the word Mormon and can't resist mentioning their hurt, or new beliefs or the facts that they know Mormon's will not see or hear, specially when they are introduced in this way. My thoughts are for a man who was killed needlessly, the family he left behind.

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