The failure of the Freeman Institute

[Darren]

The failure of the Freeman Institute was that it failed to train the people of the Church about the culture of Freemen.

The culture of Freemen was the whole purpose of the works of Napoleon Hill. Although Napoleon Hill did not have the luxury of modern revelation, he did discover the culture of Freemen. Napoleon Hill’s program was based on his study and findings of how the 500 most successful men in America succeeded by living by the culture they had been given as part of their Anglo/Saxon business heritage, that of the culture of each man forcing himself to be good.

The culture of Freemen is that to be a Freeman you have to force yourself to be good.

The Freeman Institute set up by Cleon Skousen had one purpose. That purpose was to show the LDS people, by showing them the Ancient Ancestral Culture of Freemen, how that culture set itself up to have ingrained into their culture the automatic and continued practice of each man forcing himself to be good. As we promise to do in the temple.

That Freeman Culture was presented to the LDS in Utah Valley, in the unfortunate environment of a spirit of financial speculation among the saints. Big money things were underway in Utah County, and it was hoped by Presidents McKay and Kimball that these important innovations would take place as the LDS learned to take to the world the proven and trusted culture of Freemen.

Napoleon Hill was quoted as saying that only less then 5 percent of people can force themselves to be good. But the Anglo/Saxons had much higher percentages in their ancestral culture, perhaps as Thomas Jefferson was discovering, their whole culture before the 8th Century operated almost completely by forcing themselves to be good.

Cleon Skousen was trying to do that and much more for the LDS people. That perhaps they could respond to the prophetic call and become a people on a trajectory of higher and higher percentages, mirroring their ancestral culture, of them forcing themselves to be good, and thus igniting a self-perpetuating culture that Cleon Skousen and Napoleon Hill were coming into an understanding of.

So why the Cleansing? Because the purposes of the Freeman Institute were frustrated and we are not the recipients of the continuing Freeman Culture.

And the failure of the Patriot Movement and of the Saving the Constitution Movement is a continuation of the failure of the Freeman Institute. All because we as a people love Babylon more than the Culture of Freemen.

God Bless,
Darren

[Original_Intent]

I don't think you can characterize this as a failure of the Freemen Institute any more than you can call the shortcomings of the LDS people a "failure of President Monsen". i.e. the failure is on the heads of the members, not the F.I.

[Darren]

I don't think you can characterize this as a failure of the Freemen Institute any more than you can call the shortcomings of the LDS people a "failure of President Monsen". i.e. the failure is on the heads of the members, not the F.I.

When Cleon Skousen turned over the leadership of the Freeman Institute to John Harmer who was a former California State Senator and Lieutenant Governor under Governor Ronald Reagan, the Freeman Institute lost its way and had to shut down, reversing the momentum and stunting the efforts initiated by the calling of Cleon Skousen by President David O. McKay.

John Harmer was not running the Freeman Institute faithful to President David O. McKay's vision, for teaching our people how to work together by the goodness of their Freeman Culture. Going to the Freeman Institute became instead a place to network and rub elbows with the Utah élite for political and financial opportunities.

Yes the Freeman Institute failed our people, thanks to poor leadership and a failure of vision by that leadership and those members of that Institute, as much or more than how the rest of the LDS have failed to live up to that same vision.

Cleon Skousen did not fail in his calling, he just became surrounded by folks who had a greater vision of their personal palaces in Babylon. LDS business leaders seeking for political and financial opportunities in Utah created a climate that ruined our culture of adherence to ancestral goodness. It became more important to have a big house on the hill than to promote living by the principles that were being taught at the Freeman Institute.

Really, the failure was that the business leadership of the LDS Culture failed to accept and adhere to the principles of their ancient Freeman Culture D&C 86:11. Moreover they rejected it. And that attitude infiltrated the Freeman Institute Leadership that had the charge to teach ancestral principles of working together by goodness and virtue. And perpetuating that failure by the LDS members is not only a sin of the members but of those of leadership responsibility as well, and that Neo-Mormonism is now ensuring that we will have The Cleansing, that begins at His House.

In President David O. McKay's conversation with Cleon Skousen he gave a grave warning, "If our people do not repent," of their "falling for the lures and tricks of Babylon," that they would receive the scourges and forced removal by the Lamanite people prophesied in the scriptures. President McKay knew the answer was to get back to our ancestral roots, and live by them, and charged Cleon Skousen to not let our people go merrily on their way down to destruction, but instead educate them otherwise.

Skousen is an example for the Constitutionalists, Harmer "harmed" the work because of the love for political connections and financial opportunity. Are we Skousens or Harmers?

God Bless,
Darren

[p51-mustang]

Darren, is there a book somewhere that gives the history of the freeman institute and the history of the ancient culture and teachings? I would like to know the complete history surrounding Mckays charge to Skousen to do this work.

The failure of the institute is unfortunate. To make something like this work, you really need selfless, god fearing and incorruptable people to both run the organization and to hear its message. This failure is an indictment against our people.

[Darren]

Darren, is there a book somewhere that gives the history of the freeman institute and the history of the ancient culture and teachings? I would like to know the complete history surrounding Mckays charge to Skousen to do this work.

The failure of the institute is unfortunate. To make something like this work, you really need selfless, god fearing and incorruptable people to both run the organization and to hear its message. This failure is an indictment against our people.

Much of the history of the failure of the Freeman Institute I got from communicating with some of the friends of Cleon Skousen and members of the Freeman Institute.

First read, "The Majesty of God's Law" by Cleon Skousen.

Then read, "Work by the Law" by Bruce Wydner. http://s98822910.onlinehome.us/thousand ... he_law.pdf

I can email you a copy of either book.

President Ezra Taft Benson made the indictment, we are left to ponder the reasons why we qualify for such an indictment.

God Bless,
Darren

[sbsion]

think ya got it backwards

[Jnewby]

We should be careful as to what we call a failure. I remember attending several sessions of the institute and it changed my life. While it may have gone by the wayside, it had a profound impact on my life to which I am eternally grateful.

[lundbaek]

Rather than say that the Freeman Institute failed, I prefer to think that the overall mission of the Freeman Institute was less than 100% successful. It is my understanding that its main mission was to teach primarily Latter-day Saints the principles of freedom and the US Constitution so that in future there would be a people prepared to restore to America the Lord’s principles of government and to bring those principles to other nations as well. I believe the National Center for Constitutional Studies continues that mission, I assume with some modifications, and continues to be successful. IMO the real failure of that mission is attributable mainly to the Latter-day Saints especially who did not bother to avail themselves of the programs these organizations have offered, and to some extent to certain people within the organizations who’s egos and other idiosyncracies drove some good people away.

[HeirofNumenor]

When Cleon Skousen turned over the leadership of the Freeman Institute to John Harmer who was a former California State Senator and Lieutenant Governor under Governor Ronald Reagan, the Freeman Institute lost its way and had to shut down, reversing the momentum and stunting the efforts initiated by the calling of Cleon Skousen by President David O. McKay.

John Harmer was not running the Freeman Institute faithful to President David O. McKay's vision, for teaching our people how to work together by the goodness of their Freeman Culture. Going to the Freeman Institute became instead a place to network and rub elbows with the Utah élite for political and financial opportunities.

With all due respect Darren and in consideration of your fondness of Bruce Wydner & his research (which is generally good):

You may blame John Harmer for the failure of the Freeman Institute (YOUR interpretation) but your condemnation of him is likely NOT shard by the Lord when you consider what Bro. Harmer has spent his post-political life doing: fighting pornography.

When California began introducing sex-education in the public schools in the early 70's, John Harmer was the loudest LDS voice leading the opposition. When TCI cable began broadcast soft-core porn movies on HBO, Showtime, and Cinemax in Utah during the late 80's-mid 90's, John Harmer was leading the opposition - despite all the LDS members of local (no-ecclesiastical) influence saying that people have free agency to choose to broadcast it or to watch it. He has collaborated on many legal briefs presented to various courts on pornography cases, including the Supreme Court of the United States. He is the author of various publications regarding pornography as well as several nonfiction books. He has written a book on pornography called "A War We Must Win". A very insightful book.
Recently he wrote a LDS last-days fiction book called "Ere His Floods of Anger Flow", dealing with the corruption of society and among the saints, immorality in society and among the saints, how various church members react to implementing the Law of Consecration, and the massive destruction and cleansing of America. Most of the characters in the book, both good and bad, are based upon experiences he has had with people that he really knows, and never would have dreamed that their attitude/actions would be portrayed as types and object lessons.
The family tradition continues: his son Christopher was my home teacher in my singles ward in San Diego. Chris was then a navy officer, and in 1999-2000 was appointed by the stake president to bead the fight to pass proposition 22 to ban gay marriages in California.

I would say 40 years dedicated to fighting pornography will be judged highly favorably of the Lord - at least enough to offset what else may have happened due to either him not understanding Pres. McKay's vision, or unable to implement it because of attitudes among the saints.

This is SOMEWHAT similar to what happened after Dr. Skousen died in January 2006. Rick Koerber came forward and began networking with Dr. Kimber (Cleon's son-in -law), and Emeritus 70's Elders Hartman rector Jr., and Robert D. Wells. Rick's proclaimed vision was to set up the Free Capitalist, to teach the Founding Father's vision on Constitution and economics, set up a new education system (American Founder's Academy and University). He even began sponsoring/helping with the Beit Lehi archeology dig in Israel. Many good LDS people were attracted to this whole project (including my family).
The problem was, Rick also had a business teaching people how to invest in real estate, and buying, what not with properties. Unfortunately - HE got caught up in the idea of God wants us to live the good life, and many of his followers took his teachings about equity milling and straw buyers, and began having greatly inflated assessments of homes done, before stripping them of the equity, and placing them for sale at 25%+ higher list price - when the market tanked and there was no mortgages approved for these mega-loans, then his whole business began to resemble a giant ponzi scheme, with Koerber now facing 22 Federal charges of fraud, securities violations, and money laundering. Did he began greedy? No, he thought he found a way to help people learn how to earn more - but he forgot some basic laws of economics, as well as human nature when he began his programs. He then let his heart become turned to riches, and away from God. No many people in Utah are suffering the fallout.

Heber C. Kimball said:

"A spirit of [financial] speculation will take hold of the saints that will lead to financial bondage. Persecution will then be unleashed upon the saints will which be so severe as to try the very best of them." We In the increasing bondage stage, and immediately before the persecution (likely coming from opposition to gay marriage).

[happy@life]

"You may blame John Harmer for the failure of the Freeman Institute (YOUR interpretation) but your condemnation of him is likely NOT shard by the Lord when you consider what Bro. Harmer has spent his post-political life doing: fighting pornography.

When California began introducing sex-education in the public schools in the early 70's, John Harmer was the loudest LDS voice leading the opposition. When TCI cable began broadcast soft-core porn movies on HBO, Showtime, and Cinemax in Utah during the late 80's-mid 90's, John Harmer was leading the opposition - despite all the LDS members of local (no-ecclesiastical) influence saying that people have free agency to choose to broadcast it or to watch it. He has collaborated on many legal briefs presented to various courts on pornography cases, including the Supreme Court of the United States."

Quote by HeiroNumenor (sorry, I don't know how to do quotes with this new setup!)

I agree whole heartedly! I worked with a Utah group against pornography in the 70's and we received much legal help from John Harmer. If LDS members, (and some local leaders) had stood strong longer and with more conviction behind the fight, perhaps things would be different, but the floodgates were opened, and we are reaping the consequences. I have always admired John for standing up for truth on these matters, when it wasn't popular, even with some church members, and most in his field. He was at the front in this effort to warn, and many did not head, just as in other efforts that have been put forth, such as the Freedom Institute.

I,m sure that the Lord is well pleased with John Harmer's efforts. He warned....That's what he was called to do. It was we as a people who faltered.

[ljmom]

The question I have of all this is did the church come out and tell them about Skousen's books and stuff he was doing to teach the members or was it a quiet thing that many didn't know about. It was way before my time. A few of the older members that I have dared say anything too act like we have never been told or talked about. Except a few years ago one of my visiting teachers which is a bishops wife said she was so glad to see Pres. Benson stop talking because she was so sick of hearing him talk about all this stuff. I didn't say anything at that time because I was to new into learning this stuff and was just getting active at the end of Pres. Benson life. So I didn't know much about what he talked about then. She no longer visits me.

Thanks,
ljmom

[Darren]

You may blame John Harmer for the failure of the Freeman Institute (YOUR interpretation) but your condemnation of him is likely NOT shard by the Lord when you consider what Bro. Harmer has spent his post-political life doing: fighting pornography.

When the Freeman Institute shut down, a condition or sickness in our LDS culture called Gross Darkness was at fault, and still is.

As admirable as it is to successfully fight pornography for 40 years it does not compare to the failure of responsibility for the vision of President David O. McKay that had been initiated by the work of Cleon Skousen to put our people into a building relationship with each other and with the world in a restored goodness or Neo-Puritanism, based on a memory of our ancestral (Freeman Culture) goodness. In that envisioned environment there would be no need to fight pornography. Fighting the vice of pornography is an insignificant thing compared to the work of wasting and wearing out our lives in bring to light the hidden things of darkness and then restoring the constitution.

In the first sentence of Cleon Skousen’s book dealing with this matter he wrote, “In 1967 a great leader whom I admired and loved said that a crisis was coming to America and the legal minds of the nation were not getting ready to deal with it.”

“not getting ready to deal with it.” Is our sin.

And when John Harmer was at the helm of the Institute that was charged with the assignment of getting us “ready to deal with it,” he instead became the poster child for missing the mark. Why? Just as so many well meaninged LDS have done, one foot in the politics and financials and the other foot struggling to stand on gospel soil. Oops missed it by that much. With all due respect for your opinions and your respect for mine it is well to understand that very few men have ever merited the title of being an example of virtue, I have personally met three in my life time, of which Iohanni Wolfgram is one, and the rest of us need to find our path to goodness, that leads to our calling and election sure.

There is a message in the successes and failures of the Freeman Institute. That there is a way to have the Culture of Virtue where we can become a virtuous people. And we are not looking hard enough or are willing to give up enough for it. This is something we must attend to.

Cleon Skousen continued by writing, “But as great as leaders of the nation turned out to be, they did not have a generation of what they called "virtuous people" who were ready and able to live under God's law. They said it would have to come some time in the future.”

This is the future, and we have missed the mark. John Harmer, and many many other LDS business leaders have missed the mark regardless of their efforts.

The mark is to work together by goodness, in our business culture as well. As demonstrated by our ancestral Anglo/Saxon heritage and culture, by their constitution that precipitated our US Constitution.

The indictment is upon all of us, and John Harmer is a prominent figure that, like the rest of us have been doing, missed the mark.

And this is the reason for the coming Cleansing. Are you ready for it, and do you have a plan for how to work together after the Cleansing. That is now our reality and legacy of the failure of the Freeman Institute. A pivotal event to say the least.

As President David O. McKay told Cleon Skousen, that if our people do not repent that his work was in vain. Has the purposes of the Freeman Institute been in vain?

God Bless,
Darren

[HeirofNumenor]

Just a thought Darren...

You can live in a country/society that does NOT have a real free-enterprise system, no democratic/republican institutions or forms, no real freedoms (beyond religious freedom-think Russia now under Putin), no real traces of Nordic or Anglo-Saxon heritage left at all...BUT you can still have the Gospel of Jesus Christ in your life, can still be baptized, and can go to a Temple of God to make covenants critical for your salvation and exhaltation (even East Germany in late 1980's)..

BUT

You CANNOT go the temple and make those covenants worthily and so they will be in full force IF YOU ARE ADDICTED TO PORNOGRAPHY or in the throes of sexual addiction.

You can have a man be an outstanding proponent of Freedom, the US Constitution & American Founding Fathers, but if you get hooked into pornography/sex addiction, you soon lose the Spirit of God, and all influence for good - especially when the truth comes out. This happened recently to a fellow student with whom I attended George Wythe College in the mid-90's. He was a shining star at the school, highly liked and admired as both a student, classmate, priesthood holder, etc. He was one of 2 students we sent to the UN Habitat II conference in Istanbul in 1996, where LDS Church members led the way in rolling back UN/NGO moves to redefine the family. He became a mentor/professor, then Provost, then President of George Wythe University - whose mission was to develop a second Generation of American Founding Fathers.

He resigned from the university last summer, and in December 2010 he was arrested in Cedar City in a sting operation for soliciting prostitution over the Internet (I bet it didn't start there). He has lost ALL credibility, possibly his wife and children, and if he doesn't repent for good - his salvation. But he has ALSO severely damaged the credibility of George Wythe University, in connection with his past leadership role. The one saving grace is that also arrested in the sting was a current Vice-President of Southern Utah University (SUU) - the connection with the bigger school has helped to draw attention away from George Wythe U.

The LORD will work with whatever political system exists that will allow His Gospel to be preached there and lived there, BUT He cannot work with a people who are universally corrupt and immoral. I know you nearly worship the Nordic heritage/10 Tribes connection, but the the Prophets and Apostles cannot speak about that, the LORD cannot give us those records and declare "these are they", when the Brethren have to plead so constantly with the church members to repent and stay clear from pornography and all other immoralities.

Don't denigrate John Harmer because he didn't live up to Pres. McKay's vision (in YOUR opinion), or to yours. We have already established that Utah and Mormons will NOT be able to do that until either the cleansing or the Law of Consecration are in full force. If anything either blame Cleon Skousen for picking John Harmer to succeed him at the Freeman Institute, or grant him the realization that it was doomed because of the people in general.

John Harmer has been fighting the cause for which the Lord has directed him...don't tear him down because he (may have) "failed" in your favorite cause.

[HeirofNumenor]

If you HAVE to blame anyone, you might want to consider Dr. Andrew Allison, who took over NCCS, and who seemed to be upset that Cleon Skousen got so much more notice for "The Real George Washington/Thomas Jefferson/Benjamin Franklin" series than he did as a co-author. That's when NCCS lost it's influence, and led to a few years later began printing the 5,000 Year leap - WITHOUT paying royalties to Dr. Skousen or his widow. Fortunately, the Skousen family has fought back legally and are now receiving royalties, and have control over Dr. Skousen's work. Just in tie for Glen Beck to promote it heavily and cause it's popularity to soar.

[Darren]

Being able to acknowledge our own failures in life is part of a process of bettering ourselves. For example the Mountain Meadow Manicure is a sorrowing event in the history of the Church, regardless of who you blame for the killings. I am not about to throw the first stone at John Harmer, and I wish him well in his chosen endeavor. But he does stand out to many that I have talked to as being someone who blew it at an opportune time, when leadership was needed. And the event that caused the downfall of the Freeman Institute is one of those sorrowing events in the history of the Church. It is better that we acknowledge it for what it was, put that down in the history books, and move forward with the bettering process.

What I am trying to do here is to get all of us, as many as possible to acknowledge our own failures, by bringing up this episode that shut down the Freeman Institute. That has been a huge departure from the vision of President David O. McKay, and which must be re-established if we are to recapture the vision, and not bring upon all of us The Cleansing, that President David O. McKay told Cleon Skousen to get our people doing.

The effort of the Freeman Institute did not begin as a focus only upon the United States Constitution. As it was the information was so powerful, that was being developed at the Freeman Institute, and as it was not being brought to light in an environment of virtuous deeds and right thinking among LDS business leaders. Cleon Skousen realized that he had to step back from the higher calling of the Freeman Institute and tone down his message, to that of the message and purposes of the National Center of Constitutional Studies. These two institutions did not and do not have the same overall objectives. Although if the LDS, and especially the LDS business leadership could, as a people, get back to the basics of the Constitution, then we would be preparing and bettering ourselves, for the more fulfilling message from the efforts initiated by the Freeman Institute.

The failure of the Freeman Institute, is among the failures of the LDS people to unplug from Babylon.

I am at the least trying to revive the efforts of that Institute, with what could be a hopeless effort to somehow get us moving in that direction again.

God Bless,
Darren