Jeff Foli Update
A few months ago, former mayor of Chillicothe, Missouri, Jeff Foli submitted a guest post, Political Power in the Pulpit, about his concerns regarding then candidate Mitt Romney based on his own experience with Mormon Church leaders while mayor. I suggest you go back and read it. It’s quite thought-provoking.
Since that time, Jeff has provided an update on his own situation, and I have decided to go ahead and put it here on the front page for the benefit of our readers. Once again, here is Jeff Foli:
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
FORMER CITY MAYOR TO BE EXCOMMUNICATED FROM MORMON CHURCH FOR NOT FOLLOWING ORDERS IN POLITICAL MATTERS?
Probably because of the Romney controversy, on February 4, 2008, Thomas S. Monson said to Peggy Stack, reporter for the Salt Lake Tribune, that the church does not get involved in political matters. If this is true, then why, when I was Mayor of Chillicothe Missouri, was I was threatened with excommunication if I did not rescind a piece of Legislation that I sent to the Missouri State Legislature?
It is supposedly against Federal Law (Title 26, Section 501) for a church to influence legislation, but in 2003, the late Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley and his councilors thought it appropriate and acceptable to threaten my membership in the church when I was Mayor of Chillicothe in Northwest Missouri, regarding a political matter.
On Feb. 17, 2007, the Church will hold a disciplinary Council (church court) on me because I let the public know of these acts via the Internet, and I finally filed charges with the local Sheriff, the ACLU, the IRS, and others because of the continual manipulation and abuse of Mormon leaders. I tried for several years to quietly and internally settle these issues, but they would have none of it.
They view my exposure and revealing of their actions as my attempt to disparage and criticize leaders (evil speaking of the Lord’s anointed). They state, “those who reject Christ’s servants, reject him”. Why does leadership demand no accountability in Churches for inappropriate actions of leaders?
Do we think Brigham Young would have personally sought out those accountable for the senseless murder of 120 men, women, and children on SEPTEMBER 11, 1857, without pressure from the Federal Government? Who will protect us? Where are the checks and balances for questioning potential religious abuses?
Most of the Mormon people are good, honest individuals, but the people of Missouri will not put up with this type of stronghanded influence. So as the Mormon Migration to Missouri continues, I hope the Mormon people will open their minds and become more careful and considerate of the people they meet.
Most have no idea of what really happened in Missouri over 170 years ago, because the whole story was never fully told.
Sincerely,
Jeff Foli
Former Mayor of Chillicothe, Missouri
Tags: Jeff Foli, Jeffery Curtis Foli, Missouri
February 20, 2008 at 4:02 pm
By all means, out the emails. I’m interested to see if there is any substance to this.
March 12, 2008 at 3:57 pm
I would be happy to supply you with further information. Please let me know what questions you have and what I might provide you with to help you better understand.
Jeff Foli
660-247-1700
chillicot@socket.net
March 17, 2008 at 8:24 pm
As follow up, to remain a Mormon, pressure was applied to me to distance myself from my public exposure of the fact that I had been pressured to kowtow to the self-serving Mormon agenda. I respected their input in the beginning, as they told me directly that they would oppose my legislative initiative. What is challenging is that I did not kneel to their suggestion, so they ratcheted up their rhetoric with direct threats of excommunication. It is also obvious that had I not exposed these facts public ally, I could have continued on as a normal card carrying Mormon, even though I had written dozens of letters expressing my displeasure at their illegal tactics. Sadly, as councilor to Gordon Hinckley, there is no doubt President Thomas S. Monson participated in the breaking of Federal law regarding tax exempt status and the non-compulsive requirements of legislative issues. Let’s hope these types of actions are never acted out again, and if I need to be the sacrificial lamb so that these things cease, then I believe my acts were important enough to protect the innocent against power and corruption.
March 27, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Since my excommunication, the Mormon church, via its leaders, is using the arguement that my excommunication was legitimate because they have spent money combatting certain political issues in the past. They try to muddle the issue and confuse people so as to minimize their guilt. The fact that they went above and beyond mere suggestion and decided to resort to threat was a line illegally crossed. Churches do in fact, often suport or oppose many issues, but to cross the line into threat, intimidation, and coersion of members is innappropriate. Can you imagine the Mormons getting up at the pulpit and threatening thier members if they were to vote or support certian candidates or issues? They do not do this openly, but they do this exact thing in cliendestine meetings behind closed doors. I was excommunicated for exposing this fact which they term, “disparging church leaders”. I forgive them openly for what they have done to me, but I hope to God, they do not continue with this kind of action with others. They sometimes do not respect the delicate line between church and state. They have got away with it with me, because of their power and influence, but I do not believe, the citizens of Missouri will ultimately put up with this, as the Mormons become more numerous in Missouri. The mass exodus and return of the Mormons to Missouri is inevitable, and could once again prove to be deadly if the clash of cultures once again ruptures. Curiously, this tragic possiblity happend in Missouri at Hauns Mill, when the people of my City attacked the Mormons, because civility broke down. It again occured in southern Utah on September 11, 1857, when the Mormons, in retaliation for what happened here in Missouri, attacked a waggon train of non-Mormons and murdered 120 men, women, and children. Are we blind as to why and how these types of things happen. For Gods sake, please let us learn the lessons of history enough as to not need to repeat them in other days, and in other ways. They Mormons today, will see this type of thing as an impossibility, but if you ask them if thier leaders told them to do terrible deeds, many would, without reservation, quickly aswer, YES. The programming is strong, and has many ggod aspects, but in the wtrong circumstance, this type of blind obedience could be very deadly. The day will come, when Missouri’s elected offices and legislatures will be dominated by Mormon influence. Possibly by that time, the political power and cultural influence will be virtually unstoppable. My desire was to stop this kind of action right up front, but that did not happen. Don’t get me wrong, the Mormons are generally very excellent people, but in certain critical cases, it has been proved to be spiritually deadly to go against their political agendas.
Jeff Foli
Former Mayor of Chillicothe, Missouri
April 11, 2008 at 2:26 am
I thought this was a thread about that pedophile Mark Foley, who was protected for no less than 7 years by the Republican party.