http://www.greaterthings.com/Davidic_Servant/Mitchell_Survey/


Hello Friends,

I've sent the following analysis to Peggy Fletcher Stack of the Salt Lake
Tribune, who is doing a story based on the piece I wrote on Sunday.

I would like to ask you to review the estimates given here and offer your
feedback on any you think are either significantly high or low. Also, I
would like to hear briefly from you if you think I've hit it pretty well on
target for the most part.

I was going to take the time to compose a survey that you could fill out and
turn it into a bit more of a scientific study, but time does not permit me
to do so with the projects I have running right now. However, if you would
take a few minutes to read and respond, we can accomulate more
substantiation of the estimates rendered here. If you strongly disagree
with a statement or an estimated percentage or other estimated statistic,
note it and give your revised estimate.

Thanks



Brief Primer on the "One Mighty and Strong"

Mitchell is not the only one who thinks he is the One Mighty and Strong. He
certainly is not alone in believing there will come such a person. But the
extreme he went to should not be seen as representative of what might be
expected from others who either believe they are the One Mighty and Strong,
or who believe there will come such a person.

[NOTE: The estimates given below are completely unscientific and are only
guesses based on observation of one person (who for nearly a decade believed
he was the one mighty and strong prophesied to come, and hence kept a keen
eye on the phenomenon).]

The world is wondering how a religious fanatic in our day could kidnap a
child, to whom they have no biological connection, and ascribe the hijacking
of a family to the will of God.

Personal revelation gone amuck.

The most anomalous and obvious culprit in Mitchell's paradigm is that he
considers himself to be the One Might and Strong, from which belief spring
the purported revelation to do what he did. Most people outside the Mormon
world have never heard this terminology.

What is this "One Mighty and Strong?"

Short answer: He is sent to "set in order the house of God" (per Doctrine
and Covenant 85 and also 3 Nephi 21:8-11; drawing from Isaiah 52) . . .

Implication: the house of God is out of order.

Other names: Davidic Servant, Davidic King.

Variations: Lamanite Prophet; not just one person but many -- 144,000 quorum
of ones mighty and strong.

Among the LDS, the "one mighty and strong" belief is confined to a fringe
segment of members and former members and offshoot groups (mainly the
latter), though it does manifest itself in a varied form in other
denominations from Christian, to Jewish, to Muslim, etc.

Muslim Counterpart: Imam Made

Jewish Counterpart: Messiah

LDS and Christian Mainstream's Preferred Interpretation: Jesus Christ
himself at his second coming.

Most LDS fundamentalist groups probably view their leader, if they have one,
as being the One Mighty and Strong prophesied.

Usual interpretation by those among the LDS fringe who study & believe is
that the Davidic Servant will come from without the LDS church leadership.

Ministry precedent: Any prophet, any time, as recorded in scripture; as well
as Jesus Christ. (Including their deeds, especially bringing forth
revelation to the world, but also things such as being a martyr, or even
killing for the sake of the truth, such as Nephi and Laban, or even Abraham
and Isaac.)

Persecution by those he came to minister to is a primary consideration that
validates the mindset, as being "marred" is a key factor in the germane
prophecies.

Parallel scenarios: Jews at time of Jesus on parallel with Mormons and
Davidic Servant.
Jews established by Moses were in a state of general apostasy (not complete,
but nearly so). Jesus comes along, preaches for three years; is crucified
by Jews; kingdom is taken to Gentiles, by a core of converted Jews. Mormons
established by Joseph Smith, fall into a state of general apostasy (not
complete, but nearly so). Davidic Servant comes along, preaches among them,
is marred by them; kingdom is taken from Mormons (Gentiles) and restored to
true spiritual Israel.

Latter-day ministry of Davidic Servant among the Mormons is akin to Jesus'
ministry among the Jews.

Context of Davidic Servant ministry: general apostasy of LDS Church.

Approximate percentage of LDS membership (numbering ~11 million) that have
studied the prophecies of the Davidic Servant to some extent and believe in
them to some extent: 1 percent (110,000). Percentage of those who at some
point firmly believed, or who still believe, that they themselves are the
one mighty and strong: 1 percent (1,100). Approximate number who come to
believe so strongly that it becomes the primary focus of their existence for
several years: 100.

Most LDS fundamentalist offshoot groups foster some form of belief regarding
One Mighty and Strong, and are not included in the above estimates. Of
these offshoot groups, the number of people who believe there will be a One
Mighty and Strong is probably around 200,000. And among them, the
percentage of those who think that they themselves are the One Mighty and
Strong would be higher, such as 5%, compared to the percentage mentioned
regarding the general LDS fringe mentioned above.

Approximate number who are capable or inclined to do something like what
Mitchell did: 10-20.

Worldwide, of all Christian denominations, of those who believe that there
will arise a Davidic Servant, percentage who believe he will be Jesus
Christ: 90%.

Among LDS, of those who believe that there will arise a Davidic Servant,
percentage who believe he will be Jesus Christ: 75%.

Among the LDS fringe (100,000) and fundamentalist offshoots (200,000) [for
total of 300,000], percentage who believe there will arise a Davidic
Servant: 95%.

Of those,
- the percentage who believe he will be Jesus Christ at his second coming in
glory: 5%.
- percentage who believe he will be a "Lamanite" (north or south American
native) prophet: 25%
- percentage who believe he will come from within LDS leadership: 5%
- percentage who believe he will be a former Mormon: 50%
- percentage who believe the person will be female: 0.1%
- percentage who believe he will practice polygamy and restore polygamy: 80%
- percentage who anticipate that he will show polygamy to be a deception: 5%
- percentage who believe that the ministry is actually a quorum of "ones
mighty and strong" though there might be one in particular: 10%
- percentage who believe the person is an aggregate of many working
together, and not one person in particular: 2%
- percentage who believe he is on a parallel today among the Mormons as
Jesus was anciently among the Jews: 75%
- percentage who believe his ministry will be concurrent with national and
global upheaval: 99.9%
- percentage who believe he will set the Mormon church straight: 95%
- percentage who believe he will install new Mormon leadership: 85%
- percentage who believe he will take what "remnant" is left in the Mormon
church with him to a new entity, while the existing Mormon church continues
to deteriorate ad infinitum: 15%
- percentage who expect him to play a role in restoring the U.S.
Constitution: 95%
- percentage who expect him to be included in a new government leadership:
80%
- percentage who expect his ministry of overturning will be focused with the
United States: 90%
- percentage who themselves live in the United States: 90%
- percentage who themselves live in Utah/Idaho/Arizona (Brigham Young's
Deseret): 45%
- percentage who themselves live in or near Missouri (believing it will be
the New Jerusalem): 20%
- percentage who believe he will be other than Christian or Mormon: 1%
- percentage who see his role as having significant political overtones: 85%
- percentage who believe he will be well-accepted in the world prior to the
reign of peace: 0.1%
- percentage who see his role as being primary in commencing a worldwide
reign of peace: 99%
- percentage who would not be surprised to see acts of violence perpetrated
by him in associate with his role: 10%
- percentage who would see such acts of violence as wholly inconsistent with
his role: 85%
- percentage who are politically ultra conservative: 90%
- percentage who would be ready to die for the cause of the kingdom of God:
90%
- percentage who live within 10% of the "poverty" level in the United
States: 80%
- percentage who are homeless: 2%
- percentage who are home owners: 40%
- percentage who home school their children: 20%
- percentage who are in favor of home schooling: 90%
- percentage who own guns: 98%
- percentage who prefer conservative third party candidates if available,
rather than Republican or Democrat: 60%
- percentage who vote mostly Republican: 80%
- percentage who vote mostly Democrat: 3%
- percentage who do not vote, seeing all options as unsavory; or futile: 15%
- percentage who do not agree with socialist principles of redistribution of
wealth by force of government: 90%
- percentage who favor a voluntary program for taking care of the poor: 98%
- percentage who are in favor of being ecologically minded: 85%
- percentage who are health conscious, studying alternative modes of
healing: 90%
- percentage who spend time and money frequently in frivolous activities: 5%
- percentage who would have been in favor of LaVerkin Utah's vote against
having U.N officers come to LaVerkin to exercise any kind of authority: 95%
- percentage who believe President Bush is part of a global conspiracy to
establish world socialist government (New World Order): 75%
- percentage who believe President Bush could turn around and be part of a
transformation that would evoke a repentance clause thereby turning away or
lessening destructions otherwise prophesied: 5%
- percentage who are sympathetic with Mitchell's kidnapping of Elizabeth
Smart: 0.01%
- percentage who think the media attention on Mitchell will fuel his belief
that he is the One Mighty and Strong: 90%
- percentage who would be in agreement with most of Mitchell's "Manifesto":
90%
- percentage who view the current LDS leadership as having yet a thread of
legitimacy: 50%
- percentage who would attend the LDS Temple regularly if they were
permitted: 85%
- percentage who would get in trouble if they were to voice their heartfelt
views in the typical LDS Sunday School class: 95%
- percentage who have read and admire Avraham Gileadi's work on Isaiah: 80%
- percentage who have read admire Cleon Skousen's work on the Constitution:
95%
- percentage who admired Ezra Taft Benson: 95%
- percentage who admire Gordon B. Hinckley: 25%
- percentage who think Gordon B. Hinckley is functioning fully as a
"prophet, seer, revelator": 5%
- percentage who thought Ezra Taft Benson functioned fully as a "prophet,
seer, revelator": 10%
- percentage who think the one mighty and strong will function fully as a
"prophet, seer, revelator": 99.9%
- percentage who knew of C. Samuel West and Lymphology: 10%
- percentage who read Betty Eadie's book and liked it: 90%
- percentage who read Rick Joyner's "The Final Quest": 15%
- percentage who revere the Book of Mormon to be the word of God as is the
Bible: 99%
- percentage who revere Jesus Christ as the Savior of mankind: 99%
- percentage who believe that mankind's destiny is to become as God: 99%
- percentage who believe in a heavenly mother: 99%
- percentage who believe that Adam was God come in the flesh to begin
humankind: 45%
- percentage who believe that Jesus will come again, this time in glory: 99%
- percentage who have actively and personally studied the book of Isaiah:
95%
- percentage who could say they have received personal revelation from God:
99.9%
- percentage who have done "crazy" (of their own admission later in life)
deeds in the name of following a revelation: 80%
- percentage who will admit that their "revelations" have been off at times:
95%
- percentage who believe everyone is entitled to revelation: 99.9%
- percentage who are active in the LDS Church and hold a temple recommend:
10%
- percentage who are "independents," not being actively affiliated with any
particular religious body: 20%
- percentage who believe the U.S. will soon come under Marshall law and the
"mark of the beast" set in place, without with a person cannot buy or sell,
the refusal to take such a mark being death: 65%
- percentage who believe the social security number is a precursor to the
mark of the beast: 85%
- percentage who believe there are UFO's: 95%
- percentage who believe UFO's play a prominent role in the one mighty and
strong mission: 5%
- percentage who have written at least one letter to the LDS first
presidency: 80%.
- percentage who have held LDS leadership positions of Bishop or above: 5%
- percentage who are or who have been LDS General Authorities: 0.01%

Percentage of LDS General Authorities who believe there will be "one mighty
and strong" come from without the ranks of LDS leadership to set in order
the house of God: 1%

Percentage of LDS General Authorities who believe the house of God is out of
order: 5%

Percentage of LDS General Authorities who would likely be replaced if the
house was set in order: 98%

Percentage of U.S. Congressman who would likely be replaced if the country
were set in order, being restored to principles of freedom and individual
responsibility and not of government dole: 95%

How ready the Country is for such a setting in order: 25%

How ready the Mormon church is to be set in order: 25%

One thing to bear in mind is that these numbers fluctuate, and a person's
individual belief on the matter also fluctuates.

This still doesn't answer the question as to what would drive Mitchell to do
what he did in the case of kidnapping and brainwashing Elizabeth Smart.

By way of speculation, that can be answered quite simply -- Abrahamic Trial.

There is this perception that in order to inherit the blessings of Abraham,
the great patriarch, one must pass an Abrahamic trial of faith.

God tells you to do something that seems so absolutely ridiculous, and yet
you prove your obedience by doing it anyway.

Once you think "this is my test," and you believe the test was given of God,
and you use the Abraham offering up Isaac story as your precedent, then you
can justify just about any behavior, no matter how outlandish; in fact to
some extent, the more outlandish the better, if you take this phenomenon to
its extreme.

I personally have a real problem with this idea.

I do not believe that God would request that you go against your conscience
in the name of following God. That is so contradictory. Somehow, Mitchell
stepped over that line and did not let his conscience call him into check.
Stark reality was not a strong enough buffer for the spiritual rational he
had somehow composed in his head.

Sincerely,

Sterling D. Allan