I finished the book, Lying for the Lord by Lynn Packer. (Click here for part 1.) It seems to me that most Mormons are upset by his telling stories that weren’t true. To be honest, I ‘m not all that fond of piling on Dunn for that, though after reading the book, it wasn’t so much him exaggerating some war and baseball stories, he flat out made them up. The bigger issue to me is his bad business deals. I talked about the ponzi scheme in my previous post, and for that he was demoted from the Quorum of Seventy (Lynn Packer thinks Dunn should have been excommunicated) and the church leaders implemented a new policy banning GAs from serving on boards of directors. However, they essentially left Dunn intact to continue the shady business deals, and he did.
The Osmonds were advised financially by Paul H. Dunn
Dunn was also a prominent financial adviser to the Osmonds and their newly created studio in Orem, Utah. Not all of their financial troubles were due to Dunn, but he didn’t help matters. The Osmonds built a $6 million studio in hopes of turning Orem into an alternative version of Hollywood. However, when their show on ABC was canceled in 1978, it put the project in serious jeopardy. To make matters worse, Merrill Osmond was put in charge of running the family finances, and he didn’t do a good job. “Just about every prominent Mormon flake had something going on with Merrill. It was bizarre, likes flies to fly paper. Anyone who had a business deal usually came through Merrill’s office in some way, shape, or form. We had to try to help Merrill determine who were flakes and not flakes” said a company insider.
Paul Dunn and other LDS Church officials steered the Osmonds to Jose Arturo Riffo, a Chilean member, to help when a bank threatened to foreclose on a $1.5 million mortgage. According to Lynn Packer, (pages 268-9)
Riffo formed a couple of phony, Utah corporations–the South American Energy Corporation and the Utah International Corporation–which were ostensibly set up to promote mineral development and Utah trade with Chile.
To establish contact and credibility with powerful Mormon businessmen, he began attending daily temple ceremonies on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, attending pre-dawn sessions that LDS businessmen could work into their schedules.
Riffo’s approach was unique. Although he spoke English he would use a translator, pretending he spoke no English. He would dupe people by telling them his family owned big chunks of the Chilean communications industry, television, and newspapers, even a titanium mine. He told some he had been a Mormon bishop.
“This guy is charismatic,” said Utah developer Steve Smoot who gave Riffo office space for a few months. Smoot said Riffo dropped names, President Kimball, William Bradford (in Dunn’s Quorum of Seventy). Smoot worked with Riffo and believed in him. “I really thought he should be the next General Authority.”
Other GA’s also got involved. From page 269,
Russell M. Ballard
Russell Ballard, another member of the First Quorum of Seventy, had asked the California note-takers to hold off foreclosure while the Riffo deal was pending. (In 1985 Ballard was elevated to apostle.)
Ballard has his own history of business failure. In 1958 despite “the spirit whispering to me ‘Don’t do this’,” Ballard bought an Edsel franchise from Ford Motor Company. “The result of that, not following the promptings of the spirit, was that my loss took our company very close to the brink of bankruptcy.”
But he went to the brink again. In the sixties Ballard raised some $750,000 from 5,000 Utahns to build the Valley Music Hall, a theater-in-the-round, in North Salt Lake. Much like the Osmond Studio, it was to bring stars and wholesome entertainment to Utah. Hollywood stars did show up for the grand opening in July 1965, including actors Robert Taylor and Robert Cummings. Art Linkletter, a partner in the project, was there too. As were a who’s who of top Mormon leaders: Joseph Fielding Smith, Harold B. Lee, N. Eldon Tanner and Hugh B. Brown.
The Valley Music Hall foundered. The church stepped in and bought the white elephant to use as a regional meeting center, bailing out Ballard and his investors.
I remember meeting there for stake conference when I lived in Davis County. I had no idea that Elder Ballard once owned the building, and it was very interesting to me that the church bailed him out on the venture. Packer continues discussing the ins and outs of the Riffo-Osmond bailout. From page 270,
Riffo convinced church leaders and the Osmonds he had an interest in the Chilean titanium mine named Sociedad Minera Humboldt De Pichilemu, LTDA. He talked Merrill Osmond into buying an interest in the mine and to sign over title to the Orem television studio in exchange for promissory notes of $5.7 million and $1.2 million. Then Riffo took the notes to California and tried borrowing against them to get the money he needed to buy the studio.
In the midst of the financial meltdowns, Dunn and Merrill Osmond planned to build homes on adjacent lots in Highland, Utah, just north of Orem. Osmond, desperate for money to keep the studio afloat, had given Dunn a lot in exchange for Dunn allowing Osmond to borrow about $300,000 using Dunn’s Holladay, Utah house as collateral. Dunn had begun his half million [dollar] house in Highland, Merrill hadn’t. With the AFCO rug being pulled out from under him Dunn stood to lose both of his homes.
Dunn’s financial woes were part of the mess [new accountant] Gardner was hired–or, in church speak “called”–to sort out. Gardner confirmed Merrill Osmond had given Dunn two lots at 10252 Hidden Oaks Drive in Highland. Because of financial problems with the studio, Dunn then signed over title to his Salt Lake County Holladay home to Osmond, part of which, about $240,000, ended up in studio. “I don’t think Paul knew it,” Gardner said.
Gardner, however, says Dunn was being paid for being an advisor. “He got payments,” Gardner said.
It was at this point the AFCO business started getting the leased cars repossessed (I mentioned more about AFCO in my previous post), Merrill Osmond failed to make payments, and the church stepped in to help. From page 271
Gardner said the church provided direct financial help to bail out the Osmonds just as it had purchased the Valley Music Hall. He said the church bought the Osmonds’ Riviera Apartments near BYU as well as their condo near the Los Angeles Temple in Brentwood, California.
…
Riffo never did come up with sufficient cash to buy the Osmond Studios. He had to be evicted from Merrill’s house. After the FBI investigated, Riffo was charged, convicted of fraud and spent 14 months in federal prison. (Authorities arrested Riffo while he was meeting with Robert E. Wells at the Church Office Building. Years later–in 2010–a federal grand jury indicted Riffo again, this time for allegedly defrauding a wealthy Utah family in a scheme involving purported secret data storage technology.)
The story continues to get worse for the Osmonds. Church leaders contacted Paul Jensen, a Utah transplant in Texas, to help bail out the Osmonds. Jensen (page 272-3)
was under investigation for what would become the largest real estate fraud in Texas history. He took out personal bankruptcy. He was eventually tried and convicted of fraud in Texas federal court and sentenced to twenty years.”
Dunn advised the Osmonds to work with Gary Sheets, who then defrauded the Osmonds further. From page 273,
Merrill Osmond would later testify at a Sheets fraud trial, that he signed an investment agreement with Sheets while Osmond was at Utah Valley Hospital, suffering from stress. “I remember being a little sedated, “Osmond testified.” Jay Osmond sued Sheets civilly, accusing Sheets of bilking him out of $30,000 through lies, misrepresentations and fraud.
(Sheets was acquitted of the fraud charges. He became widely known in Utah for another reason: his wife was the murder victim of infamous Mormon bomber Mark Hofmann, who himself, had been swindling top leaders of the church, having induced them to buy phony historical documents. Sheets and his partner Steven Christensen had helped finance Hofmann’s document business. When Christensen discovered Hofmann’s scam, Hofmann killed him with a pipe bomb and attempted to kill Sheets with a similar bomb that Sheet’s wife set off.)
I don’t think a soap opera could be written like this. Dunn really had a knack for finding scam artists. While Dunn was in many ways a victim of these men, one would think that if he were really an adviser, he ought to have had a better nose for this sort of stuff. As the heat started getting hotter for Dunn, apostles James E. Faust and David B. Haight were assigned to look more closely into Dunn’s activities. Why didn’t the church do more than release Dunn? Boyd K. Packer (page 296)
likened Paul Dunn to the tares. He said especially younger members might reason if Dunn were lying about his baseball and war stories then he must also not be truthful about his testimony and the truth of the church.
Dunn threatened Lynn Packer’s job at BYU (Packer was already terminated from KSL due to his researching Dunn’s activities.) Packer was able to hang on for 2 years, but eventually his contract was not renewed. Some of Dunn’s family hired private investigators to turn up dirt on Lynn Packer, and spread rumors that Lynn was excommunicated, or abusing his children. Dunn’s business partner Clare Morse filed a lawsuit against Lynn Packer for (page 334)
defamation, invasion of privacy, interference with contractual relations and other statutory and common law complaints.
Lynn Packer noted that all of the mortgage documents were public record. Lynn couldn’t afford to hire a lawyer and ended up defending himself in court. He was not only exonerated of all charges in court, but successfully sued Morse’s lawyer Timothy Willardson for a frivolous lawsuit and got him disbarred by the Utah Bar Association. Lynn’s cross examination of Morse is pretty interesting to read.
After Dunn was released from the Quorum of Seventy around 1990, Dunn continued in these sorts of activities. His son in law, Jeremy Winget pled guilty in 2008 to a charge of income tax evasion and served a year in the Colorado State Penitentiary. Dunn and Winget had started a real estate scheme. Dunn also got involved with Wade Cook, a guy who claimed to use his learning as a taxi cab driver to double your money investing in 2-4 years in the stock market. From page 356
when Dunn agreed to join Cook’s board, the company Dunn was joining was under state and federal investigation. Cook had been cited, administratively for securities fraud. And he escaped a criminal trial for racketeering and fraud based on a double-jeopardy defense….the week before he [Dunn] died–and the week it was announced he would join the Wade Cook Financial Board–Dunn told a friend that he was not delving into any more business to “protect the sanctity of being a General Authority and not making a profit off the church.”
I mean seriously it takes a lot of effort to find all these criminals. The war and baseball stories are nothing compared to the shady business people he was associated with. The funny thing is that Dallin Oaks just published a piece with LDS Living saying why Mormons so often get sucked into all these get-rich-quick schemes. What are your thoughts about Dunn’s business activities? Were you aware the church bailed out Ballard and the Osmonds?
WOW. What a soap opera! From what you have written here, I would have to agree with you MH that the stories were one thing, but this whole other side of things is just startling.
I also saw that many of the reviews said the editing was quite bad. I assume all of the quotes were cut/paste and not MH’s mistakes. Just a few of the quotes would have gotten a slap on the hand with a ruler by my 4th grade English teacher.
I’m amazed at how much he was able to do after being released for lying.
Trauma. When I was little, my dad would rant and vent about this and all of the drama that was taking place in Mormon culture and I had to sit there and listen. What ten-year old girl has any understanding of grown-man bullshit which is important because it’s ‘our religion.’
Happy Hubby, there were some typos by Packer, but I made plenty in my attempt to publish something quickly today. I think I fixed them, so it should be an easier read now. Most of those were mine (a few were his that I have now corrected.)
MH – thanks so much for this summary. I, like most, we’re not aware of the extent of his indescretion. It seems like the church treated him the way most of our society treats white collar crime. We want the shoplifter prosecuted to the full extent of the law, but “corporate or white collar crime” goes largely unchecked.
I think there is also a cultural overlay here. The notion of extreme capitalism that appears to be supported by the American culture, combined with the “prosperity culture” of the church perhaps combined to 1. Allow this to occur, 2. Allow it to continue and 3. Restrict those who should have sanctioned him more.
I, and perhaps many others, have seen members that have been the subject of church discipline for far less than what is alleged that he did. What ever happened to the “where much is given, much is required” philosophy…???
Didn’t know about the Church bailing out the Osmonds. Makes sense why the surviving scions of the family are always hawking weight loss products. Or Ballard. That’s f***** up.
My mission president was an Osmond distantly related to them, but he was a farmer. He couldn’t carry a tune if his life depended on it. True salt of the earth. I miss being around him dearly.
So, I’m confused, why did the church bail out Ballard? Was he already a GA at that point? A 12? 70?
I encourage people to buy Lynn Packer’s e-book for his first-hand stories. He was treated abominably by leaders, bosses, and fellow saints for his life-long efforts to bring this scamming to light.
GAs see stipends as a way to prevent another Paul H Dunn.
But because they are a super family from the outside it gives some a different view.
With the Osmonds it appears that the bail out cost them a lot of their assets.
I remember attending an LDS regional conference in Tempe, Arizona sometime around 1990 or early 1991, held in the ASU basketball area. This was about the time when stories were being published in the Arizona Republic questioning Elder Dunn’s honesty. Gordon B. Hinckley, then First Counselor in the First Presidency, referenced these articles. President Hinckley stated something like the media was making a mountain out of a molehill. He reassured us that when the full truth became known, then Elder Dunn would be exonerated or something like that.
I deeply respect President Hinckley. I understand why he wanted to downplay Dunn’s problems. But honesty is the best policy.
Utah has always had a somewhat incestuous culture, mixing personal ties, religious relationships and business. Often, it ends up toxic and breeds MLMs, ponzi schemes and various forms of fraud.
The solution is public scrutiny and sunlight.
More evidence that the Brethren do not have “the spirit of discernment”. The “Music Hall” is right next to the freeway in North Salt Lake,next to a car dealership. High Schools use it for graduation ceremonies. Other than that, it is unused. Not enough parking spaces even for a Stake Center. Church bailed Ballard out because Ballard used to give the Apostles a new car every year for a decade before he became a G.A.
The Church “bails out” VIP Mormons but if a rank-and-file Mormon loses their shirt, they’re on their own.
BY THE WAY…a segeant at the Provo P.D. told me once that many MANY women in Provo have gone to the Provo P.D. claiming they were RAPED by a certain “Osmond” (he didn’t tell me which one), and he said it was frequent and had gone on for many years. I begged him to tell me which “Osmond” it was, but he smiled and refused. So…not all the Osmonds are squiky clean.
I think what concerns me is the low level of personal ethics demonstrated in this sorry story.I know many great people who strive every day to line up their work place, personal and business ethics. These individuals appear to knowingly mislead one another and I’m also amazed at the credulousness of each of the victims.Who amongst these people take the time to build a rigourous accountable profession? Give me a person who does a proper job any day, offering a decent service and being paid for doing so.
Personally I wouldn’t give these people the time of day, let alone my
money.
“The Valley Music Hall foundered. The church stepped in and bought the white elephant to use as a regional meeting center, bailing out Ballard and his investors.”
Statements like this leave a LOT uncovered. Maybe there was more in the book, but I’ve got to wonder what the difference is between “the church bailed out Ballard by buying his distressed property” and “the church bought a distressed property at a good price.” I can certainly see how having friends in high places could have benefited Ballard, but I generally try to give the accused the benefit of the doubt unless the evidence is pretty strong.
It is amazing to me how good some people are at lying. It’s almost as if they create their own realities when they speak, and resent the people who challenge those realities with the truth, as though the truth-seekers are the bad guys.
I kind of agree with you Martin. This book doesn’t have footnotes. I know I’d like a lot more info on some of these things, but Lynn is an investigative reporter, so I think he’s pretty good at backing stuff up, but he didn’t put in some details that I’d like to see.
Lynn told the war and baseball stories like they were a pattern of lying. Given his history, I can see why Lynn spun the story that way. Dunn did lie. But I think I’d be a little more charitable. However, Dunn’s business practices were awful, and I think he’s pretty lucky he didn’t go to jail on the AFCO fraud. That was just plain evil, and I don’t give him the benefit of the doubt. He forged documents, and then did the same with a W2 and a hand-written notation that it was for teh St. Louis Cardinals. That’s not an exaggeration–that’s a complete forgery and fabrication. I can see why Lynn doesn’t give Dunn very many benefits of the doubt.
Not sure that applies to Ballard or the Osmonds. Merrill Osmond was simply inept and people took advantage of him. The church tried hard to help the Osmonds and I do think they offered more help to the Osmonds than they would to rank and file church members. I do think the brethren were a bit idol worshiping the Osmonds due to their fame.
Lynn Packer also hints that Robert E. Wells, Marion D. Hanks, and even Thomas S. Monson weren’t always squeaky clean either. Boyd K. Packer didn’t want the story to run due to the bad publicity that would inevitably result and those were some interesting conversations to read as well.
Since the Tom Phillips interview on Mormon Stories I have often wondered how having the second anointing affected their morality. I mean they will just possibly be beaten with a few stripes and then all will be well….wait isn’t that a BOM prophecy?
Wow Nancy. I had NEVER thought of it that way. Wow.
Nancy: I sometimes wonder about the psychological effect of the second anointing. I would assume most who have had it don’t immediately think that they are essentially infallible, but for those prone to self-aggrandizement, I imagine it is an intoxicating fragrance indeed.
A little to the left of this….we in Australia were subject to the appalling behaviour of another Dunn, Loren C Dunn….I remember in the 1980’s when I was in Highland that my friend was telling me about some suspect dealings in real estate at Alpine with This Dunn involved??
There is no way to put a positive spin on this much corruption, greed and flat-out lying! This is just gross! 😦
There is a Thoughtful Faith Podcast with Lynn Packer on this subject, if anyone is interested:
I remember Loren C Dunn. He was frightening. Don’t know about any real estate scheme but as a mission president he was way over the top. The pressure on members was incredible,felt sorry for the missionaries. Get people to the chapel and baptise them that night.
Darrick, That says a hell of a lot more about the Provo PD and DA than it does about the alleged rapist Osmond.
MH, you gotta get Greg Prince’s take on this. He’s a huge Dunn apologist in progressive Mormon circles.
Lynn Packer did discuss his findings with Prince, and references some of those conversations in the book. Lynn makes the case that Prince was chosen as a pawn to improve Dunn’s image. When Dunn’s wife died, the rest of the family told Prince that they wanted him to drop the biography, so Prince complied. I talked to Prince at MHA meetings and Prince said he hasn’t read Lynn’s book and therefore couldn’t comment on it.
I just started reading Lying For Thr Lord and there is a mention in there about Prince and the fact that Dunn lined him up to do an official biography of his life. It also mentions that Prince diplomatically walked away.
MH, it sounds like Prince is still being diplomatic. That is an excellent trait in a man who spends his time writing ecclesiastical biographies.
There are several mentions of Prince in Lynn’s book. Maybe I should dig them out and you all can see how you would characterize the conversations.
Prince is a great guy, and he is probably more forgiving of Dunn than Lynn Packer is. But I’m pretty sure Dunn didn’t sent private investigators after Prince, so I think that explains why Lynn is more negative on Dunn than Prince is.
This information is WAAAAAAY more troubling than the church building the City Creek Mall.
Bailing out prominent members is wrong, against the Gospel, and wrong, wrong wrong. Wow. It always bothered me that prominent members always received special treatment from the GA’s, which is also not right. But bailing out…..
And poor members get lectured for needing help, not having a job, how they dress, etc.
I had read about what happened to Lynn Packer a few months ago. How awful that he was treated so horribly. The Church owes him a formal apology!!!
How disappointing and disturbing that the General Authorities lied, covered up, defended, and bailed out Dunn and others.
Telling the members one thing then doing something different that goes against the Gospel. Is this why the church will not release finances? Are they still bailing out high profile members at our expense?
Past time to get everyone on board to demand light on where the money goes.
No wonder people do not like Mormons. I am a member and I do not like Mormons. All of my friends are not church members. Seriously.
No wonder ex Mormons say the church leaders are dishonest. They really are!!!
No wonder the church is in trouble. The leaders have failed and continue to fail to live the Gospel they preach for us to live. Hypocrites!!!
I am now living where there are a lot of Mormons. Too many are dishonest, corrupt, greedy, treat people badly, etc. Non Mormons hate the Mormons here because of the Mormons who do not even try to live the Gospel. Yet according to other members and even leaders, these low life Mormons are “excellent members”!
I always wondered, if those who are privileged and special enough to get the Second Annointing, let it go to their heads, and think they can do what ever they want with no consequences. Obviously they get no earthly consequences.
I live two doors down from the former Dunn home in Highland Utah and can confirm that it sits on a double lot. I didn’t know it’s history with Merrill Osmond. That beautiful home is worth between $3-$4 million in 2020. His neighbors tell interesting stories about him and his wife, They were secretive and fearful. I think the fraud and lies explains why they were so closed off and wouldn’t let in home teachers and visiting teachers. His wife was paranoid and planted thorn bushes around the foundations of the home so they wouldn’t get broken into. The upstairs bedrooms had deadbolts in case someone used a ladder to gain entry. With the deadbolt, they couldn’t get beyond the room they entered with the ladder. Dunn’s daughter said that when her Mom wanted new things, dad would just write another book. I’ve never seen a more beautiful room than Paul Dunn’s study. He lived well and cooked a steak on a grate over his family room fire almost every night.
Wheat & Tares 
WOW. What a soap opera! From what you have written here, I would have to agree with you MH that the stories were one thing, but this whole other side of things is just startling.
I also saw that many of the reviews said the editing was quite bad. I assume all of the quotes were cut/paste and not MH’s mistakes. Just a few of the quotes would have gotten a slap on the hand with a ruler by my 4th grade English teacher.
I’m amazed at how much he was able to do after being released for lying.
Trauma. When I was little, my dad would rant and vent about this and all of the drama that was taking place in Mormon culture and I had to sit there and listen. What ten-year old girl has any understanding of grown-man bullshit which is important because it’s ‘our religion.’
Happy Hubby, there were some typos by Packer, but I made plenty in my attempt to publish something quickly today. I think I fixed them, so it should be an easier read now. Most of those were mine (a few were his that I have now corrected.)
MH – thanks so much for this summary. I, like most, we’re not aware of the extent of his indescretion. It seems like the church treated him the way most of our society treats white collar crime. We want the shoplifter prosecuted to the full extent of the law, but “corporate or white collar crime” goes largely unchecked.
I think there is also a cultural overlay here. The notion of extreme capitalism that appears to be supported by the American culture, combined with the “prosperity culture” of the church perhaps combined to 1. Allow this to occur, 2. Allow it to continue and 3. Restrict those who should have sanctioned him more.
I, and perhaps many others, have seen members that have been the subject of church discipline for far less than what is alleged that he did. What ever happened to the “where much is given, much is required” philosophy…???
Didn’t know about the Church bailing out the Osmonds. Makes sense why the surviving scions of the family are always hawking weight loss products. Or Ballard. That’s f***** up.
My mission president was an Osmond distantly related to them, but he was a farmer. He couldn’t carry a tune if his life depended on it. True salt of the earth. I miss being around him dearly.
So, I’m confused, why did the church bail out Ballard? Was he already a GA at that point? A 12? 70?
I encourage people to buy Lynn Packer’s e-book for his first-hand stories. He was treated abominably by leaders, bosses, and fellow saints for his life-long efforts to bring this scamming to light.
GAs see stipends as a way to prevent another Paul H Dunn.
But because they are a super family from the outside it gives some a different view.
With the Osmonds it appears that the bail out cost them a lot of their assets.
Wonder how the net numbers look?
Packer Didn’t give dates but Ballard was calledto q70 in1976. The building was dedicated for lds use in1977by Mark e. Petersen. See http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/21449/Lord-has-a-way-of-turning-adversity-to-good.html
I remember attending an LDS regional conference in Tempe, Arizona sometime around 1990 or early 1991, held in the ASU basketball area. This was about the time when stories were being published in the Arizona Republic questioning Elder Dunn’s honesty. Gordon B. Hinckley, then First Counselor in the First Presidency, referenced these articles. President Hinckley stated something like the media was making a mountain out of a molehill. He reassured us that when the full truth became known, then Elder Dunn would be exonerated or something like that.
I deeply respect President Hinckley. I understand why he wanted to downplay Dunn’s problems. But honesty is the best policy.
Utah has always had a somewhat incestuous culture, mixing personal ties, religious relationships and business. Often, it ends up toxic and breeds MLMs, ponzi schemes and various forms of fraud.
The solution is public scrutiny and sunlight.
More evidence that the Brethren do not have “the spirit of discernment”. The “Music Hall” is right next to the freeway in North Salt Lake,next to a car dealership. High Schools use it for graduation ceremonies. Other than that, it is unused. Not enough parking spaces even for a Stake Center. Church bailed Ballard out because Ballard used to give the Apostles a new car every year for a decade before he became a G.A.
The Church “bails out” VIP Mormons but if a rank-and-file Mormon loses their shirt, they’re on their own.
BY THE WAY…a segeant at the Provo P.D. told me once that many MANY women in Provo have gone to the Provo P.D. claiming they were RAPED by a certain “Osmond” (he didn’t tell me which one), and he said it was frequent and had gone on for many years. I begged him to tell me which “Osmond” it was, but he smiled and refused. So…not all the Osmonds are squiky clean.
I think what concerns me is the low level of personal ethics demonstrated in this sorry story.I know many great people who strive every day to line up their work place, personal and business ethics. These individuals appear to knowingly mislead one another and I’m also amazed at the credulousness of each of the victims.Who amongst these people take the time to build a rigourous accountable profession? Give me a person who does a proper job any day, offering a decent service and being paid for doing so.
Personally I wouldn’t give these people the time of day, let alone my
money.
“The Valley Music Hall foundered. The church stepped in and bought the white elephant to use as a regional meeting center, bailing out Ballard and his investors.”
Statements like this leave a LOT uncovered. Maybe there was more in the book, but I’ve got to wonder what the difference is between “the church bailed out Ballard by buying his distressed property” and “the church bought a distressed property at a good price.” I can certainly see how having friends in high places could have benefited Ballard, but I generally try to give the accused the benefit of the doubt unless the evidence is pretty strong.
It is amazing to me how good some people are at lying. It’s almost as if they create their own realities when they speak, and resent the people who challenge those realities with the truth, as though the truth-seekers are the bad guys.
I kind of agree with you Martin. This book doesn’t have footnotes. I know I’d like a lot more info on some of these things, but Lynn is an investigative reporter, so I think he’s pretty good at backing stuff up, but he didn’t put in some details that I’d like to see.
Lynn told the war and baseball stories like they were a pattern of lying. Given his history, I can see why Lynn spun the story that way. Dunn did lie. But I think I’d be a little more charitable. However, Dunn’s business practices were awful, and I think he’s pretty lucky he didn’t go to jail on the AFCO fraud. That was just plain evil, and I don’t give him the benefit of the doubt. He forged documents, and then did the same with a W2 and a hand-written notation that it was for teh St. Louis Cardinals. That’s not an exaggeration–that’s a complete forgery and fabrication. I can see why Lynn doesn’t give Dunn very many benefits of the doubt.
Not sure that applies to Ballard or the Osmonds. Merrill Osmond was simply inept and people took advantage of him. The church tried hard to help the Osmonds and I do think they offered more help to the Osmonds than they would to rank and file church members. I do think the brethren were a bit idol worshiping the Osmonds due to their fame.
Lynn Packer also hints that Robert E. Wells, Marion D. Hanks, and even Thomas S. Monson weren’t always squeaky clean either. Boyd K. Packer didn’t want the story to run due to the bad publicity that would inevitably result and those were some interesting conversations to read as well.
Since the Tom Phillips interview on Mormon Stories I have often wondered how having the second anointing affected their morality. I mean they will just possibly be beaten with a few stripes and then all will be well….wait isn’t that a BOM prophecy?
Wow Nancy. I had NEVER thought of it that way. Wow.
Nancy: I sometimes wonder about the psychological effect of the second anointing. I would assume most who have had it don’t immediately think that they are essentially infallible, but for those prone to self-aggrandizement, I imagine it is an intoxicating fragrance indeed.
A little to the left of this….we in Australia were subject to the appalling behaviour of another Dunn, Loren C Dunn….I remember in the 1980’s when I was in Highland that my friend was telling me about some suspect dealings in real estate at Alpine with This Dunn involved??
There is no way to put a positive spin on this much corruption, greed and flat-out lying! This is just gross! 😦
There is a Thoughtful Faith Podcast with Lynn Packer on this subject, if anyone is interested:
http://www.athoughtfulfaith.org/lynn-packer-paul-h-dunn-lying-for-the-lord-2/
I remember Loren C Dunn. He was frightening. Don’t know about any real estate scheme but as a mission president he was way over the top. The pressure on members was incredible,felt sorry for the missionaries. Get people to the chapel and baptise them that night.
Darrick, That says a hell of a lot more about the Provo PD and DA than it does about the alleged rapist Osmond.
MH, you gotta get Greg Prince’s take on this. He’s a huge Dunn apologist in progressive Mormon circles.
Lynn Packer did discuss his findings with Prince, and references some of those conversations in the book. Lynn makes the case that Prince was chosen as a pawn to improve Dunn’s image. When Dunn’s wife died, the rest of the family told Prince that they wanted him to drop the biography, so Prince complied. I talked to Prince at MHA meetings and Prince said he hasn’t read Lynn’s book and therefore couldn’t comment on it.
I just started reading Lying For Thr Lord and there is a mention in there about Prince and the fact that Dunn lined him up to do an official biography of his life. It also mentions that Prince diplomatically walked away.
MH, it sounds like Prince is still being diplomatic. That is an excellent trait in a man who spends his time writing ecclesiastical biographies.
There are several mentions of Prince in Lynn’s book. Maybe I should dig them out and you all can see how you would characterize the conversations.
Prince is a great guy, and he is probably more forgiving of Dunn than Lynn Packer is. But I’m pretty sure Dunn didn’t sent private investigators after Prince, so I think that explains why Lynn is more negative on Dunn than Prince is.
This information is WAAAAAAY more troubling than the church building the City Creek Mall.
Bailing out prominent members is wrong, against the Gospel, and wrong, wrong wrong. Wow. It always bothered me that prominent members always received special treatment from the GA’s, which is also not right. But bailing out…..
And poor members get lectured for needing help, not having a job, how they dress, etc.
I had read about what happened to Lynn Packer a few months ago. How awful that he was treated so horribly. The Church owes him a formal apology!!!
How disappointing and disturbing that the General Authorities lied, covered up, defended, and bailed out Dunn and others.
Telling the members one thing then doing something different that goes against the Gospel. Is this why the church will not release finances? Are they still bailing out high profile members at our expense?
Past time to get everyone on board to demand light on where the money goes.
No wonder people do not like Mormons. I am a member and I do not like Mormons. All of my friends are not church members. Seriously.
No wonder ex Mormons say the church leaders are dishonest. They really are!!!
No wonder the church is in trouble. The leaders have failed and continue to fail to live the Gospel they preach for us to live. Hypocrites!!!
I am now living where there are a lot of Mormons. Too many are dishonest, corrupt, greedy, treat people badly, etc. Non Mormons hate the Mormons here because of the Mormons who do not even try to live the Gospel. Yet according to other members and even leaders, these low life Mormons are “excellent members”!
I always wondered, if those who are privileged and special enough to get the Second Annointing, let it go to their heads, and think they can do what ever they want with no consequences. Obviously they get no earthly consequences.
I live two doors down from the former Dunn home in Highland Utah and can confirm that it sits on a double lot. I didn’t know it’s history with Merrill Osmond. That beautiful home is worth between $3-$4 million in 2020. His neighbors tell interesting stories about him and his wife, They were secretive and fearful. I think the fraud and lies explains why they were so closed off and wouldn’t let in home teachers and visiting teachers. His wife was paranoid and planted thorn bushes around the foundations of the home so they wouldn’t get broken into. The upstairs bedrooms had deadbolts in case someone used a ladder to gain entry. With the deadbolt, they couldn’t get beyond the room they entered with the ladder. Dunn’s daughter said that when her Mom wanted new things, dad would just write another book. I’ve never seen a more beautiful room than Paul Dunn’s study. He lived well and cooked a steak on a grate over his family room fire almost every night.