Latest News About Michael Crook
January 16, 2012--I must communicate in the strongest language possible that I am in no way whatsoever associated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ("Mormons"). I am not active or involved in any way in the Rome Ward (Utica New York Stake). Any rumors to the contrary are false. Also false are any rumors that I was subjected to Church discipline prior to my January 2012 departure (Read resignation letter). I was not.
I have not attended LDS Church services since Christmas Day, and that followed a two-week period of non-attendance. I do not intend to attend any LDS service ever again. My sole reason for leaving the Church-- again, by voluntary name removal as addressed in CHI Handbook 1-- is the removal of my mormon.org profile following the publication of an article I wrote that cited LDS Church leaders past and present, and the article quoted them in context. The recent departure of Greg Dodge from the Member and Statistical Records Department may slow down my departure on paper, but in spirit, it is already done.
In return for taking great care to quote Church leaders and materials properly, I was victimized, censored and technologically brutalized by a bitter, power-hungry, dour, (in my opinion, of course) stake counselor who thought nothing of wishing my mormon.org profile away. Such a move took a series of calculated and intentional acts on the part of said stake counselor.
I do not hide money in offshore accounts like Mitt Romney seems to have done. I did not become involved in a beer commercial like Kirby Heyborne did. He, in my opinion, abandoned his standards. I, on the other hand, do not sell out; I uphold Church standards by not drinking, smoking, fornicating or getting tattoos or piercings. Even so, I am the one technologically crucified by a stake counselor, and by extension, the Church. Why? Simply for daring to quote Church leaders and materials and for having the audacity to do it in contex. Well, so be it.
Detailed questions surrounding the reason for my pending departure may be directed to this cranky old coot (something I called him on his answering machine), one Pres. Daniel Gilchrist, of the Utica Ward, but simply put, here is the mormon.org profile that he does not want you to see.
Yes, it is my belief that he arrogantly and maliciously ordered the disabling of my profile, which is why I am leaving the Church. If a stake counselor takes such action against a member for quoting the very Church leaders the counselor ostensibly sustains, that sets a dangerous precedent.
If a stake president allows such a confrontational, irreversable and unforgivable action to take place at the hands of a stake counselor obviously drunk on malice and power without his knowledge, that is equally as appalling.
Besides, if I'm not good enough for a profile, I'm not good enough for the Church. It's as simple and as complicated as that.
My profile should be visible here, but Gilchrist has taken it upon himself to continually cause the unavailability of my profile. Why? Ask him. Only he knows at this point. The article was removed, despite doctrinal support and despite the words of Church leaders past and present, including a currently sitting apostle. Church leaders of today should sustain the leaders of the past, hands down. Are the teachings of apostles and Church presidents of the past no longer valid, simply because they've crossed the veil?
Not that it matters.
Even if he ordered the reactivation today, it is too little, too late for any sort of resolution, as far as I am concerned. The line has been drawn and the message has been sent.
The weeks since I have stopped attendng LDS services have been stress-free, calm, and above all, enjoyable. I don't intend to ruin that by returning. I do, however, need to make it clear that I do not bear any ill will towards the LDS Church, nor any of its members, save for Gilchrist. He can take a flying leap into a burning volcano. My rebaptism in August in 2011 (my original baptism was in October 1987, but I had my name removed at my request in April 2004) was simply akin to a marriage that didn't work out, and when a marriage doesn't work out, you divorce the broad. The Church is that broad.