when you find yourself involuntary committed to a mental hospital

i am currently confined, involuntary, by my blue state government to a statewide mental hospital. the church membership reflects the economic environment of the area with an over representation of government, state or federal, employees and retirees. so the vast majority of members comply enthusiastically with the wearing of masks. the heretofore undiscovered duality of masks, not only personal protective equipment but as sign of Christlike love, is very much the fashion statement. i find the old school way of recognizing someone’s countenance much more to my liking. but, at least for me, that requires being able to see someone’s entire face. honestly, i’m just not whatever enough to want to voluntarily look for spiritual retrieve in such a place. especially, seeing little children being abused with masks. i don’t want these children, who some day will look back at the adults who enabled this abuse with derision, to include me as a supporter of this absurdity. you catch my drift.

THE GILA VALLEY, ARIZONA EXPERIMENT

thank goodness i have my own airplane. so the theory of the case was that the good salt-of-earth saints in the gila valley would not been down for this nonsense. having the ability to fly over the mental hospital security fence from one small airport to another, instead of through the checkpoints (oh, wait a minute, there’s no one at those checkpoints. but, that’s another story) is a massive loophole that are betters haven’t caught on to yet.

so, i nervously pull into the parking lot of the church. i actually see members, old and young, families with their children heading towards the chapel without masks. not only did they not have masks on it appeared as if they didn’t even have masks. i was expecting the perfunctory donning of the symbols as they prepared to enter judgment zone. but this didn’t happen. they just walked in. stunning. so i did too.

the spiritual feeling i had entering that chapel took me by surprise. it was the exact same feeling of calm and belonging i had when, as a twenty year old investigator, i first stepped into a mormon chapel. nary a mask in sight. stake high councilman, no mask. bishop and his counselors, no masks. deacons, no masks. children, no masks. the only place in the gila valley were masks are required is the temple.

what is the message these faithful members are sending to salt lake? are they just not sophisticated enough, not well educated enough, not obedient enough, don’t understand the “science” because, well, you know they might have voted for, well, you know?

the prophet will not lead the church astray. what is God’s mechanism for this? what are the logistics of this? maybe the strength of the church is in the disseminated priesthood, members living to be worthy of the gift of the Holy Ghost, and these members serving as a sort of check and balance when it comes to policies and admonitions.

how about those “safe and effective” vaccines? ouch. stay faithful and stay tuned!