Mike an Ordained Minister?

Dear mcsreader, If you really are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please see your Bishop for some clarification and possibly an "apology" to brother Taylor.  You may disagree with his politics, and that is your right as a member of the church and a member of our wonderful country.  But, your comments about his religious status are completely out of line and disparage the church.

For the benefit of anyone who may read this post, please forgive all of us that have brought religion into the midst of a political debate.  However, it is very important for me as a Priesthood holder in the church to make a reasonable attempt to protect the church from false statements.  I am not here to defend brother Taylor, just to protect the good name of the church.

According to one of our beloved Apostles Bruce R. McConkie, "the Priesthood is conferred upon an individual and he is ordained to the office therein."  If brother Taylor said he was ordained, that would be absolutely correct since he is a Melchizedek Priesthood holder ordained as a both a High Priest in the church and ordained as a Bishop. 

Elder McConkie continues, "In the gospel sense, ministers are the Lord's authorized and legally commissioned servants whose mission it is tho act for the salvation of their fellow men.  They are priesthood holders who are directed to preach the gospel and administer the ordinances thereof."  And Elder McConkie concludes, "From the sectarian view, the church has a lay ministry, meaning that bishops and other church officers do not receive financial compensation for their work; their temporal necessities are provided through secular pursuits."

Dear brother mcsreader, if brother Taylor said he was an ordained lay minister, that would be an entirely true statement according to the doctrine and order of the church.  That is where I will stop in the appearance of supporting brother Taylor.  As I said, my concern here is protecting the good name of the church.  Please do not bring any further embarrasment to the church with rantings and disparaging remarks including brother Taylor and the church.   

If you wish to disagree with brother Taylor as a candidate and support another, please do so.  Simply do not include the church.  And, please do not call an ordained minister in the Lord's church a liar for stating a fact clearly substantiated by church doctrine.  Whether you agree or not, his current and former bishop do support his candidacy and I am sure they will agree that he made an entirely truthful statement about his years of service as an ordained minister, since he continues to be such.  Which by the way, is where you should have taken your concern.  Not to a blog, public forum or your bretheren.  

You should feel free to not support brother Taylor.  He has never made his attendance in church a political scene.  Nor has he ever used the church for political gain.  There are plenty of political differences between brother Taylor and his opponents.  I suggest you take that route.   

This will be my one and only posting.  I am not a blogger.  But, when I received a phone call that the church had been brought into this discussion, I felt it was entirely out of line by one who claims membership.   

I will admit that this was not the best choice of forum for the discussion.  I apologize for this fact. 

I will also say this, I am not a supporter of either of Mike Taylor's opponents.  My remarks stemmed only thoughts about what he had said.  I am not advocating voting for any of the three candidates.  The remark has been made that I am a desparate Beseler supporter, that is not true.  I do not support any person in this race, and intend to leave all arrows unconnected in the Sheriff's race when I vote on Aug. 26th.