George Patrick Lee was the first American Indian, a Navajo (Diné), to become a General Authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church or Mormon Church). He was a member of the LDS Church's First Quorum of Seventy between 1975 and 1989, when he was excommunicated from the LDS Church.

George Patrick Lee was born on March 23, 1943 on the Ute Mountain Indian Reservation just below "Sleeping" Ute Mountain in Towaoc, Colorado to Mae K. Lee (Asdzaa Lichii) of the Tódích'íi'nii (Bitter Water Clan), and to an alcoholic and Medicine Man, Peter Lee (Hastiin Jaaneez Yee Biye), of the Under the Flat-Roofed House People Clan. He was one of 17 children from his parent's previous relationships. His father had 4 children from a previous woman, and his mother had 2 surviving children of 4 from 2 previous men. Lee was the second of their 9 children. Lee was called a common Navajo name for a child, Ashkii Yazhi (Little Boy), until he was given his sacred Navajo name, Ashkii Hoyani (Boy Who is Well Behaved and Good). He attended Shiprock Boarding School at Shiprock, New Mexico for 2 years after a Mormon trader assisting the Bureau of Indian Affairs helped him enroll. His middle name "Patrick" was assigned to him at Shiprock Boarding School. Because a religious preference other than the Native American traditional faith had to be indicated on the application, Lee's mother told the trader to write in the name of his religion. After completing the second grade at Shiprock, New Mexico, Lee attended school in Aztec, New Mexico, where he was promoted to the fifth grade. When he was 12 years old, George became a member in one of the first children's groups to participate in an official Indian foster placement program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He travelled to Orem, Utah where he lived with his foster family, the Glen and Joan Harker family during the academic school year returning home during the summer to be with his natural parents. The Harkers cloth, fed, and educated, at their time and expense George Patrick Lee during the time he was with them.

George lived with the Harker family for 7 years until he graduated from Orem High School in 1962. He excelled at Orem High School achieving many honors and was a devout Mormon. As with most Mormons of that time, George knew and could recite the King James Version of the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and Doctrine of Covenants by heart. He served as a Mormon missionary for the then "Southwest Indian Mission" on the Navajo reservation. He attended Brigham Young University, where he earned a Bachelor's Degree and a Doctorate in Educational Administration, and Utah State University where he completed a Master's Program. He served in the Southwest Indian Mission, an area which included the Navajo reservation. George married Katherine (Kitty) Hettick, a member by descent (not by blood) of the Comanche tribe, in the Salt Lake Temple. Spencer W. Kimball, then one of the 12 Apostles, officiated at his temple marriage. They were parents to 7 children. George taught at the experimental Rough Rock Demonstration School in Rough Rock, Arizona and later served as President of the Ganado satellite campus of Dine' College known at the time as the College of Ganado. George received many honors, including a fellowship from the U.S. Office of Education for the 1970-1971 academic years, a Ford Foundation Fellowship Award and the Spencer W. Kimball Lamanite Leadership Award. His autobiography, Silent Courage: An Indian Story: The Autobiography of George P. Lee, a Navajo, was published by Deseret Book, in Salt Lake City, in 1987.

Prior to his call as one of the General Authorities of the Mormon Church, George held a number of Melchizedek Priesthood callings including Missionary to the "Southwest Indian Mission", Elders Quorum President, Branch President, District President, and President of the 1970s "Arizona Holbrook Mission". Lee's achievements culminated in his October 3, 1975 calling at the age of 32, as a full-time member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, a General Authority, by President and Prophet Spencer W. Kimball of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was President of Ganado College at the time. The position in the LDS High Council meant that George would work with the President and Prophet Spencer W. Kimball, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and other high leaders in administering the affairs of the Mormon Church. George P. Lee was the first, and so far only, American Indian, a Navajo (Dine'), to hold such a highly respected and honored position in the Mormon Church. His calling was widely attributed to the long-time association that Spencer W. Kimball had with American Indians. Spencer W. Kimball had become president of the Church twenty-two months earlier. George P. Lee was sustained and confirmed as a Seventy at the October 1975 General Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah on October 4, 1975. George P. Lee was the literal fulfillment of the LDS prophesy of the rise of the "Lamanites" in the last days that

"Before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose." (D&C 49:24)

The Lamanites will blossom as the rose on the mountains. I am willing to say here that, though I believe this, when I see the power of the nation destroying them from the face of the earth, the fulfillment of that prophecy is perhaps harder for me to believe than any revelation of God that I ever read. It looks as though there would not be enough left to receive the Gospel; but notwithstanding this dark picture, every word that God has ever said of them will have its fulfillment, and they, by and by, will receive the Gospel. It will be a day of God's power among them, and a nation will be born in a day. Their chiefs will be filled with the power of God and receive the Gospel, and they will go forth and build the new Jerusalem, and we shall help them. (The Signs of the Coming of the Son of Man - The Saints' Duties, Discourse by Elder (4th President of the Mormon Church) Wilford Woodruff, Delivered in the 13th Ward Assembly Rooms, Salt Lake City, January 12, 1873 (Reported by David W. Evans), Journal of Discourse 15:283 (volume 15, page 283))

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After the passing of the Prophet Spencer W. Kimball in 1985, Ezra Taft Benson was chosen as President, Prophet, Seer, and Revelator of the LDS Church. Spencer W. Kimball and Ezra Taft Benson were different in their views of how the American Indian, would be treated in the Mormon, now known as LDS, Church. To give you a perspective of the thoughts at the time, below is a little bit of the history of Spencer W. Kimball and Ezra Taft Benson on how they treated American Indians.

Spencer W. Kimball was born in Mexico, had lived with a Navajo family, and considered many Navajos in Salt Lake City and on the Navajo reservation, close respected friends. During his Mormon Presidency, Brigham Young University (BYU) had grown in the number of American Indians attending to be ranked number 1 or 2 in the nation having between 900 to 1800 American Indians attending BYU each academic year. His respect was shown when he unexpectantly attended and congratulated the marriage of Marilyn Paul, daughter of former Bishop Frank Paul (Navajo), who had been Bishop of a 1960s Lamanite Ward in Salt Lake City. This was special since the Paul family were inactive LDS members and hadn't attended an LDS church for a couple of years.

Ezra Taft Benson had been U.S. Secretary to Agriculture under the U.S. President Dwight D. Einsenhower and made negative contributions to American Indians in the LDS Church. Under his Mormon Presidency, Ezra phased out and help bring an end to the Mormon Indian Placement program which helped Mormon American Indians known as "Lamanites", mostly Navajos, attend excellent public schools in Utah and assimilate them into the Mormon culture. Under Ezra's approval, BYU ended its BYU Indian Education Department and American Indians Services (AIS) program housed in the Brimhall building (known as "Fort Brimhall" by some American Indians) at Brigham Young University. The Indian Education Department and AIS were a unique program for U.S. universities. It purpose was to only help American Indians succeed at BYU. BYU did not have a program for any other ethnic American group only for American Indians. At the time, U.S. universities had programs designed to help Black Americans, and Hispanic Americans, but not for American Indians or Asians. American Indians were mostly forgotten by almost all other U.S. universities. At Fort Brimhall, American Indian tutors were hired in Chemistry and Math under Professors specially housed in Brimhall. American Indians had their own Study Hall, a large room about 20 feet by 40 feet long specifically arrange to study. Pictures of "Miss Indian BYU" were placed around the walls in the Study Hall room. There were Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English, Sociology, and Math Professors specially housed in Brimhall to teach introductory courses to make the success rate of the American Indian at BYU greater. American Indian students also were hired to work 5, 10, or 20 hours per week, as Research Assistants for Biology and as Administrative Assistants in the Brimhall American Indian offices. Almost every American Indian received a stipend of a hundred to a few hundred dollars a week as part of their financial aid or scholarship at Fort Brimhall. This all ended under Ezra Taft Benson's presidency. Now BYU doesn't even rank for the number of American Indians it has, and now most American Indians don't even consider BYU when searching for a college or university as Arizona State University, University of Arizona, New State University, or the University of New Mexico.

Under Ezra Taft Benson's presidency there was the elimination of the LDS Church's Indian Committee, termination of Indian Seminary teachers, faltering of missionary work on Indian reservations by pulling missionaries off Indian reservations and moving the "Holbrook Mission" headquarters from Holbrook to Phoenix, Arizona. Active Lamanites realized that the Mormon church had changed, that Spencer W. Kimballs spirit was not that of Ezra Taft Benson, and this rejection caused great Lamanite inactivity such that today active Lamanite member participation in just Sunday service is very small.

Also realize, Mormons at this time considered American Indians as "Lamanite" and that the "Book of Mormons" was the true culture and character of what the American Indians was and that this is how he should be or look forward to as a Mormon American Indian. Mormons of this time actually considered the American Indians as a descendent from Laman and Lemuel, who had been cursed with a dark skin, who defeated the descendants of Nephite, the righteous brother, whose descendants had white skin. According to the "Book of Mormon", Laman, Lemuel, and Nephite came from Jerusalem by ship, landed in America, conquered and destroyed all the descendants of Nephite, and populated America. Mormon culture of the time considered the American Indian as the "Lost Tribe of Israel", and that if he was righteous that, according to the "Book of Mormon" of that time (some original words of the "Book of Mormon" have now been modified), that the Mormon American Indian (Lamanite) shall "blossom as a rose" and that their skin and race shall become "a white and delightsome people" (now written as "a pure and delightsome people").

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Under this condition, George P. Lee and Ezra Taft Benson were in opposition of how the American Indian was to be considered in the Mormon church. George P. Lee wrote and said many things about the Mormon Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, Ezra Taft Benson on how American Indians should be as Mormons. Months earlier George had given the LDS authorities a hand written 15 page letter for neglecting or cutting back long standing programs designed to help the American Indian. His letter consisted of an introductory statement and 2 lists of questions and accusations, the first number "a" through "w", and the second "1" through "51", followed by a plea for understanding and acceptance. George spoke of the anti-Indian feeling among the Anglo leaders of the church and individual hostility toward him. He citied specifically that he had been on "probation" in an informal way, without the kind of procedures that would have been used for the Twelve Apostles, and "stripped of all assignments." Even after the probation supposedly ended, he said he had still not been allowed again to organize stakes, which showed a continuing lack of trust rather than a return to full status. He felt that the way he had been treated showed a lack of mercy and an inappropriate exercise of power. He also felt that his "spiritual gifts" he had were rejected and their results labeled as false doctrine. The letter closed with a plea for reconciliation, for an end to the restraints on him. It pledged his loyalty and willingness to go forward in spite of continued feelings that he had been ill treated. George P. Lee had not got the response he had hoped for and suffered increased feelings of isolation. In a newspaper interview at the time of his excommunication, he said he had landed in trouble for questioning Church leadership "two years ago," or about the fall of 1987.

In a second letter read to the President and Quorum of Twelve Apostles, a complicated theological reasoning was given that the true Israel included Jews, Lamanites, and the lost Ten Tribes. According to George, most Church members were Gentiles who through their baptism became "adopted" children of Israel. George quoted the Book of Mormon as predicting that after Israel rejected the gospel the Gentiles would receive it and bring it back to Israel, but that the ultimate responsibility in the Kingdom would be upon Israel, with the believing Gentiles (adopted into the House of Israel) assisting them to build the New Jerusalem in preparation for Christ's return.

It was basic to George that "adopted Israel" never displace those who are literal descendants of Israel in fulfilling their tribal responsibility. Lee, however, stated that individual salvation was the same for all members regardless of descent, but that they differed in their assignments. In a passage frequently quoted by the press, George said: "While physical extermination may have been one of Federal governments policies long ago, your current scriptural and spiritual extermination of Indians and other Lamanites is the greater sin and great shall be your condemnation for this. . . . I cannot be a party to this kind of teaching which runs counter to the Lord's instructions in the scriptures."

Lee said the Church leaders' sins led to feelings of white supremacy and a neglect of Lamanites and other people of color. He accused the Brethren of "pride, arrogance, and unrighteous dominion and control which encourages priesthood abuse, induces fear and produces forced obedience." He chided them for their love of power, status, money, and for covering up their sins and for having "no sense of responsibility to the poor." "The well-to-do seemed to get all the important assignments and callings," he elaborated. "Every weekend all we do is rub shoulders with the active or well-to-do while neglecting the poor who need our help the most."

On September 1, 1989, Mormon leaders announced that George P. Lee had been excommunicated for "apostasy and other conduct unbecoming a member of the church." His excommunication was the first of a General Authority to occur in 46 years, when in 1943, Apostle Richard R. Lyman was excommunicated for adultery and unlawful cohabitation, but was rebaptized 11 years later.

According to George, the action stemmed from his disagreement with the other church leaders over the role of the American Indians in the Mormon faith and from other charges he had presented a second hand written 23 page hand written letter to Ezra Taft Benson, the 90 year old Church President, and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, addressed as "To the First Presidency and the Twelve". Specifically, when Ezra became a Church President, Ezra ended the Church's Indian Placement Program, which George cited as a key to his personal development. George argued that Benson was not treating LDS American Indian in a way that previous Mormon President Spencer W. Kimball would have approved. According to the Salt Lake Tribune (September 10, 1989, page 14B)

"After reading in person a 23-page letter detailing his concerns, Lee said he was astounded at the speed with which he was ousted. Within in minutes, two officials came to his office and told him to turn over all church property, including a credit card and a signed pass with which faithful Mormons gain entry to their temples. 'I was stripped of everything,' said Lee ... 'It was just absolutely cold.'"

For weeks after the excommuncation, with scant information coming from the Brethern, members wondered why the Brethern just didn't release Brother Lee from his position. The LDS Church did not publicly respond to George P. Lee's letter or his public comments. It has been said that the LDS Church's policy was not to publicize the details of an excommunicant's behavior which brought about the disciplinary action.

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In his interviews with the press immediately after his excommunication, Lee predicted that another American Indian would shortly be named as a General Authority "so they can continue to look good." He said he would advise his two sons to complete their LDS missions. He said he had no intention of recruiting his own following and discouraged disillusioned Church members from leaving the faith.

In response, Associated Press reporter Vern Anderson produced a wire story which was carried in newspapers across the nation, announcing the excommunication and quoting from Lee's letters. For its Friday afternoon edition, the Church-owned Deseret News rushed a brief front-page boxed announcement.

KUTV reporter Rod Decker was able to interview Lee for his news spots, as was KTVX. However, at the Church-owned KSL-TV, coverage of the story caused a major war between its journalists and the management. Originally, KSL was instructed by a representative of the First Presidency to simply report (read) the First Presidency's short announcement without any embellishment, including any contextual information such as general biographical facts such as Lee's position, length of service, Indian heritage, etc. Throughout the afternoon KSL reporters protested with no effect and forty minutes before air time both news anchors and other staff decided to walk off the set unless they were allowed to report the story according to their journalistic standards. After the AP wire story with Lee's interview appeared, a high-level meeting was called and it was decided to allow the station to go with the story. When approval was finally given, KSL contacted Lee several times to do a live interview (and had a remote broadcasting truck in his neighborhood if he consented), but Lee refused saying he didn't think KSL could be objective. KSL reporters regret they can never again say that they have "never had direct interference from Church officials."

Throughout the afternoon and the night Deseret News flip-flopped on how the story would be reported in its Saturday morning edition. Initially, Elder James Faust, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, instructed the paper to simply run the Church's announcement without a headline. Later President Gordon Hinckley, counselor in the First Presidency, told them to do what you have to do with the story. Although the Church was not commenting on the excommunication, senior officials at the paper had obtained from General Authorities quotes which they wanted attributed to Church spokesperson Bruce Olsen. In a humorous situation, when the News reporter called Olsen on the story and he said he had nothing to say, she replied, "Oh, but let me tell you what you've already said" and then she read him her quotes. Reportedly, he chuckled and replied, "I'm speechless."

In spite of the involvement of Church leaders, the Deseret News covered the story very similar to the Salt Lake Tribune, with the exception of its headline. Reportedly, the News's headline was originally "Lee Accuses the leaders of being racially biased," but sometime during the night an editor switched the headline with the subhead which was based on an Olsen "quote" so the final headline read "LDS Church affirms love for Indians," quite a contrast to the Tribune's "Mormon Officials Excommunicate General Authority."

Surprisingly, with less excuse than the News, the Tribune chose not to run the story on A-1, but put it on the cover of its Saturday morning State/Local B section (as did the News). Of the Wastach Front newspapers, Ogden's Standard-Examiner provided the most extensive coverage with a front-page banner headline, and side-bar stories on LDS excommunication, the Navajo/LDS culture clash, the reaction of Ogden citizens and Lee's friends and family members (shock and surprise), and Lee's Deseret Book published biography, Silent Courage (the 9th printing came off the press the week of the excommunication and Deseret Book Stores plan to continue to carry it).

Although reporters did not like being only able to report Lee's side of the story, which he aggressively promoted, during the first week both Salt Lake papers seemed overly-timid about doing follow-up articles on the story's issues and those raised by Lee in the long list of questions (over 75) he presented to the Church leaders. Obvious issues include the apparent ineffectiveness and termination of numerous BYU and Church Indian programs and services, the response of LDS Indians to Lee's criticisms and his excommunication, and critiques by LDS theologians of Lee's Lamanite theology, the crux of his dissent.

A week later in the next issue of the Church News (the paper is included in Saturday's Deseret News but is printed earlier), the excommunication was announced prominently on page 3 with a photograph of Lee and the headline "Disciplinary action taken Sept. 1 against General Authority." The seven-paragraph story reported the Church's official statement, Bruce Olsen's no-comment comment and affirmation of the Church's care for Indians, a biographical paragraph of Lee, and, surprising to some, a candid paragraph summarizing Lee's now public criticisms. The next day, Sunday, A.P. reporter Vern Anderson had a follow-up story which reported that Lee had gone to the mountains for a month-long spiritual retreat. "It's the way of my people," he said. "My father would take me to a mountaintop and we'd communicate with the Great Spirit. I was more spiritual then than I am now."

Anderson also reported on the Navajo reaction. In response to a letter by Romero Brown, an LDS Bishop in a Navajo ward in Window Rock, Arizona, Elders Russell Ballard and H. Burke Peterson, an Apostle and a Seventy, traveled to speak to the Indians there and also in Shiprock, New Mexico. Reportedly, they reiterated the promise that God would not allow prophet to lead the Church astray. "Generally they said it was not the Church's fault and that it was due to George losing his testimony" said one Navajo. "They are trying to nip it in the bud, but at the end we are all somewhat confused."

Elder Peterson apparently tried unsuccessfully to address Lee's doctrinal question on lineage by quoting Joseph Smith that at baptism a Gentile's blood is literally changed to that of the House of Israel. "I think a lot of people left disoriented on that question," one Navajo reported.

Church leaders continue to decline press invitations to comment, citing Church policy against divulging details of disciplinary actions. However, in a Melchizedek Priesthood Leadership Session at a Regional Conference in Washington, D.C., President Thomas Monson reportedly said that it was only after long-suffering with Lee, who would not stop speaking in public about his ideas, that they had to turn to excommunication.

Perhaps the Church would have preferred that Lee didn't make his private letters public -- to have had their announcement the only available statement -- but in the weeks following the event as the scanty knowledge of it grew, it appeared that the more an LDS person became familiar and even sympathetic with some of Lee's criticisms, the more saddened they were by the outcome. Most recognizing that they only had Lee's side of the story, trusted that the Brethren reluctantly made the decision only after all other options were exhausted. Still, given the known facts many asked, "Why couldn't he have just been released?"

In any event, with or without the help of the press and Church leaders, Navajo Latter-day Saints have been processing the ramifications of George P. Lee's excommunication and their holding on to their Mormon faith.

A comment made by a former Indian Placement Program student might be able to sum it up thus:

"I heard Elder Lee speak eloquently about the gospel once at a fireside attended largely by the Native American students at the university. I went with my boyfriend at the time, a Hopi. Elder Lee spoke about his life on the res, and told the students that their tribal religions were not the true religion, that the church was true. Many of the students were offended, but I said a silent 'Amen.' I heard later that he’d been excommunicated, the story here in southern Utah was that he’d gotten into a fight with (not a fist fight) Elder Packer, he’d been offended and apostasized. There were also allegations of adultery and I think he was charged with molesting someone. He came to the university a few years after that and spoke about depression in a convocation lecture. He was a different man, he was wandering rambling, he didn’t have a clear message and really it wasn’t a good speech. Very sad."

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Copies of the following two letters from George P. Lee to the LDS church leadership were also given to the press on the morning following his disciplinary hearing where he was excommunicated. The first letter was written several months earlier, the second George had read to the council at his disciplinary (excommunication) hearing on September 1, 1989. Both letters were hand-written and contain spelling and other grammatical errors made in presumably the overnight rush or in the heat of emotion to produce them. The 2 letters shown below were transcribed exactly as written with no editing or corrections.

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1. The First letter (Undated but occurred about Fall 1987)

   To the First Presidency and the Twelve

   Dear Brethren:

       After consulting with the Lord and with him guiding my thoughts and hand, may I please speak with you in the spirit of love via this letter. I hope and pray that you will take the time to listen with your heart and read the whole letter.

       The feelings expressed are genuine and sincere and were not spawned out of bitterness nor rebellion although I may be justified in doing so.

       I speak unto you not just for myself but for all of my people the Lamanites as well as the Jews and the Lost Ten tribes. I speak unto you as the voice of one crying from the dust for those that have died and moved on into the spirit world.

       Like my father Nephi of old, I pray continually for my people and mine eyes have watered my pillow by night because of them and I cry unto my Heavenly Father in faith and I know that he will hear my cry.

       I glory in the plainess and simplicity of the restored gospel. I glory in truth and will defend it at any cost. I glory in my Heavenly Father. I glory in my Jesus for he hath redeemed my soul. I have charity for my people. I have charity for the Gentiles. I have charity for all the children of God.

       The question "Do you think President Kimball approves of your action?" has been asked of me by one of you and I would like to respond to your inquiry with the following questions.

   1. Who terminated the BYU Indian Education Department?
       
   2. Who terminated BYU Indian Special Curriculum which helped Indian students succeed in college?
       
   3. Who is phasing out BYU American Indian Services?
       
   4. Who is phasing out the Church's Indian Student Placement program?
       
   5. Who got rid of the church's "Indian Committee?"
       
   6. Who fired the Indian Seminary teachers and send them out into the cold?
       
   7. Who pulled the full-time missionaries off Navajo and other Indian reservations?
       
   8. Who moved the mission headquarters from Holbrook to Phoenix?
       
   9. Who caused missionary work on Indian reservations to falter and make it almost non-existent?
       
   10. Who is causing a feeling of rejection among Lamanite members on reservations which resulted in great inactivity among them?
        
   11. Who terminated Indian Seminary and all related curriculum materials?
        
   12. Who is teaching that the `Day of the Lamanites' is over and past?
        
   13. Who is trying to do everything they can not to be known as a friend of the Indians like President Kimball was?
        
   14. Who has assigned mentally unstable, physically handicapped and other mediocre or below average full-time missionaries to missions with large population of Indians?
        
   15. Who is trying to discredit or downplay the role of Lamanites in these last days and downplay their role in the building of New Jerusalem?
        
   16. Who is telling church members to teach from the Book of Mormon and at the same time downplay the role of Lamanites in the Book of Mormon?
        
   17. Who has come very close to denying that the Book of Mormon is about Indians or Lamanites?
        
   18. Who is loving the Lamanites at a distance and would rather not rub shoulders with them?
        
   19. Who is trying to take the place of Lamanites in their divine sacred roles and priesthood assignments in the Millenium?
        
   20. Who is turning their backs on the children of Lehi and would rather not be "nursing fathers and mothers"(?)
        
   21. Who is telling George P. Lee not to pray or talk about Lamanites or the poor?
        
   22. Who is conniving or scheming now to get rid of George P. Lee? Is he part of the package?
        
   23. Who is loving George P. Lee at a distance and rather not rub shoulders with him?
        
   1. Who is acting as judge, jury and executioner at the same time and delights in putting George P. Lee on probation without fair hearing?
       
   2. Who is causing George P. Lee and his family heartaches, mental and psychological stress?
       
   3. Who is causing heartaches as well as mental and psychological stress upon the Lamanites out in the field?
       
   4. Who is shutting down schools without warning among the Lamanites in the islands?
       
   5. Who is telling the Lamanites in the islands that they have been given too much "Widow's mite" from the states and that they may have to go without for a while-including without help on maintenance and upkeep of their buildings?
       
   6. Who is causing the silent behind the scenes subtle scriptural and spiritual slaughter of the Lamanites?
       
   7. While physical extermination may have been one of the Federal Government's policies long ago but isn't spiritual and scriptural extermination of Lamanites the greater sin?
       
   8. Who is still harboring hostility and ill feelings towards the Lamanites even after the Lord's commandment to gather them and to be "nursing fathers and mothers" to them?
       
   9. Who is turning their backs on the Lamanites--the very people on whom your own salvation hangs?
       
   10. Who wrote a letter to George P. Lee and falsely accused him of things which were not true such as polygamy and teaching false doctrine? (Note: One woman in an East Bench ward in Salt Lake City about 1984-85 said that Elder Lee "offended" the members of her congregation when he spoke at her ward’s reunion by accusing the members of being materialistic and greedy and of turning their backs on the poor. She felt that he primarily blamed the women in the audience and contemptuously told the men to "say no" when their wives asked for "another fur coat." Another, a professor at BYU said that Elder Lee had interviewed her when she was hired. She recalled her confusion at being asked questions about her belief in polygamy. Possibly Elder Lee had made a number of such comments or brought it up in a number of settings.)
        
   11. Who put George P. Lee on probation after he faithfully and honestly opened up to you in his attempts to answer your questions and false accusations with a presentation on the chalkboard?
        
   12. Who stripped George P. Lee of all assignments after he spoke out in a meeting because he was hurt and was being punished without the Lord's justice and mercy?
        
   13. Wasn't George P. Lee who sincerely and humbly apologized and asked for your forgiveness and love in a wonderful June meeting?
        
   14. Wasn't he who fully and completely trusted you and told you he sustained you 100% as apostles and prophets? Didn't he promised you that he would completely bury what he shared with you and that he would never teach them?
        
   15. Didn't you tell him that you forgave him and that he was completely off probation?
        
   16. After the wonderful June meeting, who did not keep their word and denied George P. Lee an Area Presidency assignment, prohibited him from dividing and reorganizing stakes and denied him week-end assignments except that he went with someone else after he was clearly told that he was completely off probation?
        
   17. Who really is speaking with Forked tongue? Who keeps breaking promises?
        
   18. Who is telling George P. Lee `We love you' on one hand and on the other hand you have a rope around his neck and withhold your complete trust and confidence from him? So who really did violate the probation?
        
   19. George P. Lee is on probation again. Who's fault is it really that he is in the doghouse?
        
   20. Do you really think that he has injured someone's feeling? Why is he teaching Christlike love every chance he gets throughout the church? He has been color-blind throughout his life and never sees colors in people.
        
   21. What about his feelings? Don't you think you might have injured his feelings and caused a pain in his heart by putting conditions on your love for him and did not trust him on some assignments?
        
   22. Who has prohibited and denied George P. Lee certain important assignments such as dividing and reorganizing stakes since 1975? Do you call that complete trust and confidence? (Note: Although "1975" was extremely clearly written in his own handwriting, it cannot be correct. He was not called as a General Authority until October 1975. It seems improbable that a General Authority would be immediately denied one of the most routine functions of a General Authority as soon as he was called. A more likely date would be 1985, after Ezra Taft Benson became president of the Church.)
        
   23. Don't you think that this has been a heavy burden for him to carry all these years knowing in his mind and heart that his own Brethren don't trust him and that they have only conditional love for him?
        
   24. What about the thousands you might have injured as you cut off Lamanite programs and as you downplayed the role of the Lamanites?
        
   25. What about countless other leaders, members and the poor who have been hurt by your attitude, actions and words who have come to Elder Lee for priesthood blessings and guidance? In every case Elder Lee has defended you and did not report you nor put you on probation?
        
   26. Do you think the Lord approves of double standards in the church? Do you think He approves of double standards among the General Authorities?
        
   27. Do you think that it is only right and fair that whatever the disciplinary practices, rules and traditions are for the 70's, the same should apply to the twelve?
        
   28. Do you think members of the twelve should be above the law? Do you think they should be above these disciplinary practices, rules and traditions?
        
   29. Do you think there should be separate disciplinary rules for the twelve and separate practices for the 70's?
        
   30. Don't you think that each general authority should be given every opportunity to be heard and to be provided adequate information, reasons, and facts as to why he is considered for probation and why he will be denied certain assignments?
        
   31. Do you think these practices, rules and traditions are a little bit out of date and that there is a better way of dealing with each other?
        
   32. Do you think these outdated man-made disciplinary practices and traditions encourages priesthood abuse, induces fear, and produces forced obedience?
        
   33. Do you think these outdated disciplinary traditions and rules creates a sense of worship for those in power?
        
   34. Do you think these archaic disciplinary rules and practices creates an atmosphere whereby love of power, love of status and love of money flourishes?
        
   35. Do you think these disciplinary practices and procedures creates an environment whereby pride and arrogance are nourished, nurtured and cultivated?
        
   36. Do you think these outmoded procedures, practices and traditions creates an atmosphere whereby faith, compassion, empathy and spirituality are diminished?
        
   37. Do you think it possible that these types of practices and traditions encourages one to exercise control and unrighteous dominion upon the souls of the children of God?
        
   38. Do you think it possible that these types of man-made rules and traditions encourages the blending of world prominence with spiritual prominence and thus produce the seeking of the praises of man and not the praises of God?
        
   39. Do you think it is possible for these types of practices, rules and traditions to create a condition whereby the spirit of the Lord is grieved and the heavens will withdraw themselves and cause God to say amen to our priesthood and authority?
        
   40. If we claim to be righteous and holy men of God, don't you think that our decisions must be made in all righteousness, in holiness, lowliness of heart, meekness, long suffering, in faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, Godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity. (D&C 107:30)
        
   41. Do you think we can learn a lot from the Nephites? Didn't they have all the blessings of the gospel, priesthood and authority? But look what happened to them?
        
   42. Didn't their pride exceeded the pride of the world? Weren't they past hearing, past feeling, past listening and past teachableness?
        
   43. Didn't they control and exercise unrighteous dominion on each other and meted out punishment without mercy and fair hearing?
        
   44. Didn't they develop practices, procedures and man-made traditions which created an environment where pride and arrogance were in full bloom?
        
   45. Didn't the Lord finally said amen to their priesthood and authority and closed the heavens on them?
        
   46. Wasn't pride the killer of the Nephites? Wasn't arrogance a close second and a close companion of pride?
        
   47. Do you think it is possible to have a similar pattern develop among us today in the church?
        
   48. Doesn't arrogance usually do all the talking and none of the listening?
        
   49. Doesn't arrogance usually reject advice and refuses to be taught?
        
   50. Doesn't arrogance usually stubbornly refuses to change its mind when it knows its wrong?
        
   51. Isn't arrogance an unwillingness to consider the possibility of making a turn in your life, to change your direction and focus?

       My beloved Brethren, I feel that I am in good standing with President Kimball, especially with the Lord and Lehi. I am crying out to you. I need your full trust, confidence, and unconditional love. I feel like the only person who completely trusted me was President Kimball. I feel that some of you do not have the best of feelings towards me. To me you are not a true disciple or an apostle of the Lord if you refuse to let go of your hostility or unkind feelings towards me or some other person. The spirit of the Lord will not always strive with you if you harbor any such ill feelings.

       I do not appreciate being treated like a criminal and being punished as one. I felt more like your enemy than a fellow general authority. There was a time when defending the truth was applauded but today it seems that those who are honest in their feelings, those who are strong in their convictions, those who truly stand up for what's right are either severely ridiculed or excommunicated. What has gone wrong with us?

       I do not mind being chastised or disciplined if its done the Lord's way. True obedience can only be taught and learned in an atmosphere of full trust, confidence and love. Any discipline less than this is not of God and forced obedience will be taught.

       I did not appreciate the labels or names that have been thrown my way such as "apostate" "rebellious" "sick" "crazy" "listening to the wrong voice" "speaking against leadership" "dark clouds over your head" and etc. I guess these labels were a little easier to endure when I know that even the Son of God, our Savior was ridiculed with similar names including Him being called "possessed by the devil." When the going got tough even his closest friends abandon him.

       I thought some of you were my friends but I guess not because when the going got tough for me you ran from me and would have nothing to do with me, to protect your own position and selfish interests.

       Brethren I need your warm handshakes and warm smiles. I need your compliments. I need your support, respect and prayers. I need "nursing" fathers and mothers, I need a good Samaritan for I have been woulded mentally and psychologically and emotionally as well as spiritually. I do not need your arrows, spears and stones in the form of disdain, snobbery, ridicule, rejection and conditional selective love.

       Why do you continue to ridicule me for my spiritual gifts? I sincerely feel that one of my special spiritual gifts is that of knowing the mysteries of God. Please read Alma 12:9-11. You have spiritual gifts too but you don't see me ridiculing you for your special talents and gifts.

       Please don't harden your hearts against me because of this spiritual gift and charge me with teaching false doctrine. Whatever you charge me with you will also charge the Lamanites, Jews, and the Lost Ten tribes. If you reject me you also reject them as well as the God of Israel even Jesus Christ--great shall be your condemnation. Again let me express my total and complete support, trust, respect and love for each of you. I have never in the past publicly criticize or ridicule any of you. If I have any complaint against any of you, I will come directly to you as I had tried to do with this letter which is directed to you as a group.

       No matter what you may think or what you might have been toldor heard, the fact remains that I have always sustained you, defended you and stood up for you while out in the field on assignments.

       As I have repeatedly told you, I sustain you as apostles and prophets. I desire only to be one with you as the Father and Son are one. I desire only to be of one mind and of one heart with you. We need to be one. If we are not we are not worthy to be his disciples.

       We need to get our act together before the spirit of the Lord is grieved and before the Lord says amen to our priesthood and authority as he did the Nephites. I believe our fate is very similar to the Nephites unless we can turn it around only upon the principles of righteousness (Read 3 Nephi 16:10-11).

       I have always cherished and held in high esteem all of my assignments and responsibilities and will hope and pray that the probation will be lifted soon and that I shall receive all of my assignments back, this time with no strings attached. I want to be treated fairly and as an equal with full fellowship among the Brethren and as an equal with full trust, respect, confidence and unconditional love.

       Brethren, please, no more playing games. The probation serves no purpose at all. If only teachs forced obedience and causes resentments and hostility. Again obedience without full trust and charity is not of God.

       I am asking for your complete unconditional Christlike love and I will execute all of my assignments without any more problems for the rest of my life. My problem has been you. I have been hurt deeply by your lack of confidence, trust, love and faith in me. I will accept any assignment and will go anywhere, anytime faithfully if I only knew you had complete trust and confidence in me. I'll even go back to Australia, to Phillipines, to China, to Russia, just anywhere if I knew you had complete Christlike love for me.

       I am not even concerned or worried about the fact that our Lamanite report card is not very good. I will let the Lord be the judge of that aspect of the work. If we are guilty then we will receive his anger and wrath.

       I am not even concerned or extra worried about your apparent hostility and hatred towards me. It is your problem and I will let the Lord be the judge of that and he will hold you accountable. No apostle or any servant of God should ever entertain "Big I and little you" feeling towards anyone. Servants of God who are unapproachable, insensitive, and unforgiving are only putting shame upon the holy priesthood of God.

       We do not have the priesthood for self-aggrandizement or to be used to oppress anyone. There is no priesthood of God that authorizes any one man to oppress another or to intrude upon his rights in any way. We ought to be a big brother and friend to one another.

       Brethren this work is a never-ending work which we have taken upon ourselves. It will never terminate until this earth shall be redeemed, until the power of Satan shall be subdued, until wickedness shall be banished from the earth, until Christ shall reign, whose right it is to reign, and until every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, I so testify in his name. Amen! Elder Lee -------------------------------------------

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2. The Second Letter (Read September 1, 1989 at Lee's Disciplinary (Excommunication) Hearing)

   To the First Presidency and the Twelve.

   Dear brethren:

       After consulting with the Lord and with him guiding my thoughts and hand, may I please speak with you in the spirit of love via this letter, I hope and pray that you will listen with your heart and with the spirit.

       The feelings expressed are genuine and sincere and were not spawned out of bitterness nor rebellion although I may be justified in doing so.

       I speak unto you not just for myself but for all the Lamanites, the Jews and the Lost Ten Tribes, Like my Father Nephi of old, I pray continually for my people and mine eyes have watered my pillow by night because of them and I cry unto my Heavenly Father in faith and I know that he will hear my cry.

       Like my people in the Book of Mormon I glory in plainess and simplicity of the restored gospel. I glory in truth and will defend it at any cost. I glory in my Heavenly Father. I glory in my Jesus for he hath redeemed my soul. I have charity for my people. I have charity for the Gentiles. I have charity for all the children of God.

       Brethren the Lord makes it very clear in the scriptures as to who the Gentiles are and who Israel is. There are only two groups of people throughout the world. Each person on earth belongs to one or the other. A Gentile is a stranger or Foreigner to the House of Israel. The true definition of a Gentile is anyone who is not a literal or true seed of Israel. But a Gentile can be numbered among House of Israel through baptism and thereby become "adopted Israel" and receive his blessings through Ephraim but he does not become Literal or true seed of Ephraim.

       Therefore any Gentile who is numbered or adopted into Israel can still be referred to as a Gentile so that a distinction can be made as to what group has been charged with the gospel after true Israel rejects the gospel and crucifies Christ.

       If this were not so, then how could True Israel reject Christ and the gospel and at the same time receive it again? Israel cannot reject and receive at the same time. How can Ephraim reject the gospel and receive it again at the same time? This is against God's plan and design.

       His wonderful plan as outlined in the scriptures is to have the Gentiles or "adopted Israel" to receive the restored gospel after Israel's rejection. If everybody is Israel then who are the Gentiles who suppose to receive the restored gospel and take it to Israel?

       One's salvation or exaltation does not depend on whether one is an "adopted Israel" or a literal seed of Israel. Eternal life with God will depend on one's own faithfulness and righteousness.

       The designation "adopted Israel or Gentile and literal seed of Israel" only becomes important when distinguishing which group has the Abrahamic covenant or to put it simply "who has the priesthood assignment to bless the whole world with the gospel?". Only one of the two groups has the priesthood assignment to bless all human families throughout the world.

       Do the Gentiles or "adopted Israel" have the mission to bless the whole world with the gospel. I think not, at least not totally. They will assist true Israel in accomplishing this mission but I do not believe they will have "front seat" leadership role in it.

       As the Lord Jesus clearly states throughout 3rd Nephi the Gentiles or "adopted Israel" will also "assist" true Israel in the building of New Jerusalem and the building of the temple in the New Jerusalem in preparation for the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Israel's assignment to bless all the human families throughout the world includes the building of the New Jerusalem and temples in New and Old Jerusalem.

       In a sense, the New Jerusalem will become missionary training center out of which 144,000 Israelite missionaries will emerge, 12,000 from each tribe with the Gentiles or adopted Israel in the assisting role.

       Both Israel and Gentiles or "adopted Israel" have divine roles to play in this the last dispensation of the fullness of times. Each must understand it's role or else there will be great confusion, chaos and misunderstandings. It's an honor to be a Gentile or adopted Israel. It is nothing to be ashamed of. God does not love or favor Israel more nor does he love Gentiles more than Israel. The important and vital question or issue at hand is: who has the ultimate priesthood assignment to bless the whole world with the gospel?

       This priesthood assignment was given in the pre-mortal life and one group was charged with this sacred and divine responsibility. On earth this particular group became known as the House of Israel. This group gave leadership to advancing the gospel on earth from the time of Adam up to and including crucifixion of Christ, the killing off of the original Israelite twelve apostles and the Nephites. Then Israel crucified Christ and rejected His gospel. Apostasy and the dark ages came and went.

       Since the Gentiles did not crucify Christ and since they did not reject His gospel, God in His mercy and compassion, gave great blessings to the Gentiles. Their blessings included:

   1. receiving the restored gospel.
       
   2. receiving the keys, rights, privileges, power, and authority of priesthood.
       
   3. keys in gathering true Israel including Lamanites.
       
   4. building temples and doing ordinance work.
       
   5. keys in doing missionary work but not to fulfill true Israel's assignment in blessing all human families throughout the world.
       
   6. leadership role in building the Kingdom including the privilege of being apostles and prophets, stake presidents, bishops, patriarchs and etc.
       
   7. given their own time period called "Times of the Gentiles" in which to become temporary custodians of the gospel, bless each other with the gospel and to lay the foundation to gather true Israel and to lay ground work for the building of New Jerusalem and second coming of Christ and making preparations to make a smooth transition in giving leadership of church and gospel back to True Israel so that they can fulfill their priesthood assignment of blessing the whole world with the gospel. Adopted Israel does not have this assignment.

   ALL OF THESE BLESSINGS EXTENDED TO THE GENTILES OR "ADOPTED ISRAEL" WERE ONLY ON THE PRINCIPLES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

       My Beloved Brethren, I am afraid that you as Gentiles or "adopted Israel" have forgotten your blessings and the divine sacred role you were to play. I am afraid that the same thing that has happened to the Nephites is happening to you. I feel sad for you and have nothing but compassion for you.

       Didn't the Nephites had all the blessings of the gospel, priesthood and authority? But look what happened to them?

       Wasn't pride the Killer of the Nephites?

       Didn't their pride exceeded the pride of the world? Wasn't arrogance a close second and a close companion of pride?

       Do you think it is possible to have a similar pattern developing among you?

       Weren't the Nephites past hearing, past feeling, past listening and past teachableness.

       Doesn't pride and arrogance do all the talking and none of the listening?

       Do they usually reject advice and refuse to be taught?

       Doesn't pride stubbornly refuses to change its mind when it knows its wrong?

       Didn't the Nephites control and exercise unrighteous dominion on each other and gave out punishment without mercy, fair play and fair hearing?

       Didn't they develop man-made and man-inspired practices, procedures and traditions which created an environment where love of control, love of power, love of status, love of money flourishes so that faith, compassion, empathy and spirituality are diminished?

       Do you think it possible that these types of man-inspired rules and practices encourages the blending of world prominence with spiritual prominence and thus produce the seeking of the praises of man instead of praises of God?

       Didn't the Lord finally said amen to their priesthood and authority and closed the heavens on them?

       In third Nephi Chapter Sixteen verses ten and eleven, the Lord outlines your destiny if you do not repent. May I read please:

       "And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel and shall reject the fullness of my gospel and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations and above all the people of the whole earth and shall be filled with all manner of lyings and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy and murders, and priestcrafts and whoredoms, and of secret combinations and if they shall do all those things and shall reject the fullness of my gospel behold saith the Father, I will bring the fullness of my gospel from among them.

       And then will I remember my covenant which I have made unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them." (3 Nephi 16:10-11)

       Brethren, I feel a deep compassion for you and a grave concern for you.

       I feel that you are sinning against God. I feel that your sinning against and rejection of the fullness of the gospel have already taken place and is in process. For the following reasons:

   1. You have set yourself up as a literal seed of Israel when the Lord Jesus designated you as Gentiles or "adopted Israel" You have set yourself up as true seed of Ephraim thereby displacing the true seed of Israel.

          You have shoved true Israel out of his own home or house and have given great importance and status to your own role as Ephraim while at the same time diminishing the role of true Israel. This has resulted in great confusion, misinterpretations and misunderstandings of the scriptures as they relate to Gentiles and Israel.

          Because of this Gentiles or "adopted Israel" have set themselves up as true Ephraimites with little or no obligation or sense of responsibility to the Lamanites and other true seed of Israel. This kind of teaching runs counter to the instructions of the Lord Jesus and collides with the will of God. I cannot be a party to this type of policy or doctrine. It is not God's but man-inspired It is getting to the point where every Gentile that is baptized is told and taught that he is literal seed of Ephraim unless he is a Jew, Indian or Black. This type of teaching encourages an attitude of superior race, white supremacy, racist attitude, pride, arrogance, love of power, and no sense obligation to the poor, needy and afflicted.

   2. You have taught that the "remnant of House of Israel" means all members of the church. This collides with and runs counter to the instruction of the Lord Jesus. In First Nephi Chapter thirteen verse 34 He defines who the remnant of Israel is. Let me read

          "And it came to pass that the angel of the Lord spake unto me saying Behold, saith the Lamb of God, after I have visited the remnant of the House of Israel--and this remnant of whom I speak is the seed of thy Father (Lehi)." (I Nephi 13:34)

          According to the Lord Jesus' definition the "remnant of the House of Israel" means Lamanites or children of Lehi not all members of the church. I cannot be a party to anything less than this. I cannot be a party to false teaching, teachings which are man-inspired.

   3. You have taught that the Book of Mormon is not written to the Lamanites but to the Gentiles in our day. You have come very close to denying that the Book of Mormon is about Lamanites. You have cut out Indian or Lamanite programs and are attempting to cut them out of the Book of Mormon. You are trying to discredit or downplay the role of Lamanites in these last days and downplay their role and importance in the building of the New Jerusalem.

          You are teaching members to teach from the Book of Mormon and at the same time downplay their role in the Book of Mormon. You are teaching that today's Lamanites are descendants of wicked evil Lamanites in the Book of Mormon. The truth is the Lamanites Today are descendants of both Nephites and Lamanites--therefore they carry the Blood of Mormon, Moroni, Nephi, Lehi and other great Book of Mormon prophets in their veins today.

          You are Loving the Indians and other Lamanites at a distance and have no sense of responsibility to them because you displaced them and set yourself up as Epraim more superior to the Lamanites and thus you are telling the Lamanites that you are No. 1 and they are second class. You are trying to take their place in their divine roles and assignments.

          You are turning your backs on them and would rather not be "nursing fathers and mothers"

          You are slowly causing a silent subtle scriptural and spiritual slaughter of the Indians and other Lamanites.

          While physical extermination may have been one of Federal government's policies long ago but your current scriptural and spiritual extermination of Indians and other Lamanites is the greater sin and great shall be your condemnation for this.

          You are still harboring hostility and ill feelings towards Indians and other Lamanites even after the Lord's commandments to gather them and be nursing fathers and mothers to them. In short, you betraying and turning your backs on the very people on whom your own salvation hangs. I cannot be a party to this kind of teaching which runs counter to the Lord's instructions in the scriptures.
       

   4. Pride, arrogance and unrighteous dominion and control which encourages priesthood abuse, induces fear and produces forced obedience.
       
   5. Love of power, status, position which creates a sense of worship for those in control and power.
       
   6. Love of Money. The rich seem to get richer and the poor get poorer which encourages no sense of responsibility to the poor. In fact you told me to not talk about poor nor pray for them. The well-to do seemed to get all the important assignments and callings. Every week-end all we do is rub shoulders with the active or well-to do while neglecting the poor who need our help the most. I suppose most active members do not have inactive or poor friends. Our faith, devotion and commitment seemed to be based on being paid to do the work. A lot of our Priesthood leaders depend on being paid to attend important priesthood meetings which includes Bishops, branch presidents, district presidents, stake presidents, regional representatives and even general authorities. Of course most of these Brethren would go anywhere in the name of "The Lord's Work" as long as they are being paid and as long as all of their expenses are being paid. Brethren this would include your board memberships and meetings, royalty from wrtten books, and all donations and gifts from friends, speaking engagements and etc.

          I am not sure how many of us would really do the Lord's work if we were not being paid.
       

   7. I have heard a few of you declare that you are greater than ancient apostles such as Moses, Abraham, Noah Isaiah, Isaac, Jacob and etc. This reflects the attitude of all of you.
       
   8. I have heard one of more of you declare that you can change anything Jesus had said or taught. This also reflects the attitude of all of you.
       
   9. Covering up our sins:
   1. vain ambitions
       
   2. gratifying our pride
       
   3. exercise unrighteous control
       
   4. exercise unrighteous dominion
       
   5. exercise unrighteous compulsion
       
   6. hearts set upon things of the world.
       
   7. hearts aspire to honors of men
       
   8. They do not learn one lesson. That rights of priesthood are inseparably connected with powers of heaven and that powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the Principles of Righteousness.

   It is our nature and disposition that as soon as we get a little authority as we suppose we begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.
    

   10. It is not so much what you know or how spiritual you are it's who you know

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6. Sexual Molestation of Child

It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. - Luke 17:2

In 1993, the Salt Lake Tribune reported that 50 year old George P. Lee had sexually molested a minor girl who had been a friend of the Lee family in 1989, and this may be one of the reasons for Elder Lee's excommunication. Responding to a reporter after his excommunication, Lee specifically denied that the excommunication was for "moral misconduct." George said "Mormon officials had accused him of polygamy and ‘immorality,’" both of which he denied. When those charges didn’t stick, George said that they then accused him of "apostasy". In 1993 when criminal charges were filed against Lee, a Church spokesman said "they were unaware at the time (of the excommunication) of the sexual-abuse allegations." Despite the Church’s silence and Lee’s denial, it was not impossible that allegations of sexual misconduct were known among the other General Authorities, for simultaneously with the period of probation and the pattern of intensifying ostracism of Elder Lee, George might have turned to children for sexual gratification and might have been doing so since at least 1986, about 3 years before his excommunication.

According to newspaper accounts spanning the time period between the filing of charges and Lee’s plea bargain, there may have been additional victims. A story published two days after he was charged states: "Other possible victims are alluded to in the report, but officials say that for now, only incidents involving the l2-year-old will be prosecuted." A second newspaper story quoted sheriffs officials as saying "others allegedly have made similar allegations against Lee." A third news story, published in May 1994, reported that Lee’s attorney had filed a motion "asking the judge to exclude "any evidence of other misconduct or bad acts concerning defendant’s sisters-in-law … for the reason that said incidents, even if true, are irrelevant." The motion did not elaborate on the "misconduct or bad acts."

The Utah prosecutor filed first degree felony charges on George P. Lee. The sexually abused girl told police that Elder Lee had fondled her while she visited Lee's daughter at Lee's West Jordan, Utah home and during official LDS conference trips to Arizona, Canada, and Lake Powell when he was Quorum of the Seventy General Authority, from the time she was 9 years old until she was 12 years old. Excommunicated Elder George P. Lee was Principal of the Tuba City High School in Arizona when he was charged with the sexual molestation. According to David Sanders, Lee’s attorney, George Lee "was a good friend to the family for years and assisted them financially." The girl testified that she knew he was a "a religious leader" and considered "Brother Lee" a family friend and important man in the Mormon Church, of which she is a member. Prosecutors had filed the charge as a first-degree felony because George had occupied a position of special trust to the victim as a religious leader and because the incidents were said to have occurred more than five times."

Beginning in 1986 when she was nine, she says, she accompanied Lee’s family to Lake Powell. In the motel, Lee lay down on the bed between his daughter and the abused girl and began "‘telling us stories and scratching our backs."’ Then he "‘put his hand inside my panties, on my buttocks," the abused girl testified. After that incident, Lee "called her into the bathroom. ‘He told me that I shouldn’t tell anyone because the Lord had told him to do it and it should just remain between the Lord and him and me. I thought it was what I was supposed to do."’ She sometimes gave excuses to avoid visiting the Lee home and tried to stay with Lee’s daughter when she was there because she "felt safer." The girl also accompanied Lee and his daughter on church assignments outside Utah where he also fondled her.

At some unspecified point, the girl’s family moved to Phoenix. Then during the summer of 1989, Lee came to her home while he was on a church assignment and offered to take her and a brother back to Utah for a month-long vacation with his family. The month in question is not reported in the newspaper accounts; but since the girl accompanied Lee and his daughter to a conference assignment, at least part of it must have been in either June or August, since General Authorities are on vacation during the month of July. In either case, Lee was within weeks—and possibly within days—of excommunication.

During that trip, she went camping with the Lee family. Lee disappeared for a day and a night, then returned and brought her, her brother, and two of his children back to their West Jordan home. That night, he called the girl into his bedroom and had her sit on his bed. He told her that he had hiked to the top of a nearby mountain where he spoke "to the Lord and he told the Lord he’d fallen in love with me ... I was confused and taken aback about him speaking to the Lord and the Lord saying it was OK." Lee then began talking to her "about polygamy. "He said that it was going to be brought back to the Earth and we’d be asked to live it." She left the bedroom and went downstairs to the bedroom she was sharing with Lee’s daughter. Unable to sleep, she returned later to Lee’s bedroom, woke him up, and said, "I don’t want my father to have to take another wife." He said, "You don’t have to worry about it. He won’t have to." Lee then told her to lie beside him and caressed her breasts. Frightened, she left the room and returned to her bed, where she fell asleep. Still later that night, Lee woke her up and said "he was sorry he’d ever started touching me and that he’d never do it again."

However, "almost every day" for the month, he continued the fondling: in her friend’s bedroom, in the family room, in the pool at the Deseret Gym, on a Heber Creeper train ride, and in hotels when they traveled to Canada. She testified later that there were "more than 20 touching incidents" that month.

Once as Lee wrestled with his daughter and Karen, he playfully held a pillow over his daughter’s face with one hand, kissed Karen’s neck, and put his hand down her pants.

However, after that month-long visit, the abuse ended. On 1 September 1989, Lee was excommunicated and did not see sexually abused girl again. He disappeared for 4 months in the Southwest. "I isolated myself like Moses did. ... I had a real nice time going one-on-one with God," he explained in an interview when he returned in early 1990. He found a job as principal of Tuba City High School in Arizona, while his wife and children remained in West Jordan.

In 1990, he became the running mate of former Navajo tribal chair Peter MacDonald. After a scandal forced MacDonald to drop out, Lee launched a write-in campaign that drew 11,000 votes and placed him third in the election. His success encouraged him to plan a 1993 campaign for tribal presidency.

Then in November 1992, the abused girl dreamed Lee was chasing her through a forest. "I was getting scareder and scareder. He was getting closer and closer," she described it. The next morning, she told her parents. They reported the abuse to the Utah Department of Family Services. According to Sheriffs Deputy Rod Norton, "The FBI and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints assisted with the investigation" and the sheriffs report was filed in January 1993. Actual charges against Lee were not filed until Thursday, 29 July 1993. He was charged in Third Circuit Court with aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony that carries a sentence of five years to life in prison.

When charges were filed on excommunicated Elder George P. Lee, George denied the charge. Lee, who was Principal of Tuba City High School in Arizona when the charges were filed, promptly "negotiated a deal with school officials to resign in exchange for six or seven months of pay," and returned to Utah to surrender himself. Bail was set at $1,500, and he was released under orders to have contact with no one under eighteen and only supervised contact with his five children under eighteen. Because three other boys were staying with the family, he was required to find temporary living arrangements. Lee described himself as "confused by the charges" and claimed that he "was never alone with the girl." According to Sanders "the girl fabricated the incidents" and "my client says he is absolutely innocent."

Lee’s wife Katherine stood beside him as he made his statement to the press and accompanied him to court with nine children. She expressed the family’s support: "We love him very much. He’s been my husband for almost 26 years now. He’d tell me if he’d done something wrong, and he says he’s innocent." She expressed concern about the expense of defending against the charges and worried that they might have to sell their home.

On Friday, 30 July, the Tuba City Unified School Board, which had renewed his contract for a year in June, "reneged" on their deal with Lee, according to Sanders, voting to dismiss him "for cause." One unidentified board member commented, "He’s been disappointing to a number of us," but a prepared statement by the board stated: "The district has no knowledge considering the truth of the allegations against Dr. Lee or the facts of those allegations ... In addition, the district has no information which would lead it to believe that conduct similar to that alleged against Dr. Lee in Utah ever took place in Arizona." In addition to being fired, Lee also lost his chance for the tribal presidency. Poised to announce his candidacy in August 1993, he lost in the primary election after criminal charges were filed.

After his first court appearance and processing for bail in early August 1993, Lee issued a statement that he was "innocent before God. ... This is my Garden of Gethsemane, and my people have gone through a lot of Gardens of Gethsemane. ... What I’m going through is really nothing new for my people. ... This is a trial in the valley for all of us, but the Great Spirit will help us." He predicted that "what’s happening to me may be a turning point for Indian people" and claimed, "This will trigger some great and powerful things. Get ready, get prepared spiritually and any other way. ... The Great Spirit is about to bless you with some great things. ... This also, I feel will set in motion a chain of events which will bring the anger and wrath of God against the Gentile nations. The perpetrators or those who are doing this to me and my Indian people will be dealt with and punished by God. ... They cannot get away with this. ... I will overcome this one for myself, for my family and for (the Indian people)."

On August 13, 1993, the Salt Lake Tribune reported that, "Former Mormon general authority George P. Lee said God will bring 'calamities and judgments' upon those who have accused him of child sex abuse ... Mr. Lee compared his plight with the persecution of Jesus Christ. 'We all have peaks and valleys,' he said. 'This is my valley, my Garden of Gethsemane.'"

His attorney, who had recommended against speaking to the press, said "he did not know who his client was specifically referring to, but suggested: "He identifies himself often with a lot of problems Indian people have. Indian people oftentimes have been treated unfairly or accused falsely and have been persecuted like he is now, but not necessarily for this particular crime."

Lee refused to explain the "wonderful events," the "wrath of God against the Gentile nations" or whom he meant by "the perpetrators." He also "declined to answer a question about whether sexual improprieties played a role in his excommunication."

Katherine Lee, who was present with the children at the press conference, told reporters that Lee "loves children and has always taken them on trips. It’s always a huge group. He’s never one-on-one with any child." She also balked at the allegation that her husband spoke with the girl about polygamy. She said that while he occasionally discussed polygamy as an aspect of Church history, he never espoused the practice. "I’m a one-man woman and that’s the way it will be whether he likes it or not," she quipped. ... "Any wife would be disturbed" at the allegations ... but said she is standing by him and knows he is innocent.

The immediate reaction of Lee’s supporters was anger at the Church. According to Romero Brown, a political supporter from Window Rock, Arizona, the charge was "obviously a political plot by the LDS Church to discredit Mr. Lee." He further claimed, "We were expecting something like this" because the Church was trying to "win back fallen members" who were part of Lee’s "huge following." According to Romero, the Church wanted "their tithing money." He also alleged that "state and federal officials also are scheming against Mr. Lee because he supports Indian sovereignty."

The preliminary hearing was held on 16 December 1993. The Salt Lake County attorney’s office tried to have the hearing closed to press and public, but Third Circuit Court Judge Robin Reese denied the motion. Karen, the state’s only witness, "wept several times" during her testimony. She told police that Lee had touched her breasts, buttocks, and genitals that night in his bed but, on cross-examination, told the defense attorney, Ron Yengich, that she was "sure" only that he had touched her breasts. Lee was bound over for trial.

In May 1994, he asked that Kenneth Rigtrup, the LDS judge of Third District Court scheduled to hear the case, disqualify himself and that no other LDS judge be appointed. "Lee said he has reason to believe he could not receive a fair and impartial trial because of potential bias and prejudice. "I am a former member of the Council of the Seventy, was excommunicated, and since that time I have made statements derogatory to the Church," Lee wrote. Rigtrup had offered to have the case assigned to another judge in January "to avoid any potential claims of prejudice," but Lee did not accept the offer. Prosecutor James Cope said "the motion appears only to be an attempt to delay his scheduled trial."

When the case came to trial on 11 October 1994, Lee, now 51 years old, in a surprise move, pleaded guilty to attempted sexual abuse of a child, a third-degree felony. The 17 year old sexually abused now teenage girl, who was in court with her parents, prepared to testify, wept with relief as he looked directly at her, admitted "to touching the girl’s breasts for sexual gratification," and told the judge, "I want to say, your honor, that I’m very sorry. I’m sorry for whatever difficult times that I’ve put them through. None of this will ever happen again." Judge Kenneth Rigtrup placed Lee on 18 months probation, and ordered him to pay a $1,850 fine, complete sex-offender counseling, write a letter of apology to the sexually abused teenager, and pay the costs of her counseling. George P. Lee was scheduled to remain on Utah's registry as a sex offender until November 2011.

On October 12, 1994, the Salt Lake Tribune reported the following:

"A year ago, former Mormon general authority George P. Lee proclaimed he was 'innocent before God' of sexually molesting a 12-year-old neighbor girl. But Tuesday before a 3rd District judge, Lee humbly hung his head and admitted to touching the girl's breast for sexual gratification ... Lee, 51, pleaded guilty to attempted sexual abuse of a child, a third-degree felony ... Lee admitted only to fondling the girl's breasts. But the victim, now 17 years old, said Lee fondled her breats, buttocks and genitals for three years, beginning in 1986 when she was 9 years old ... The last time Lee abused her was after a camping trip in June 1989 at Lee's home."

Assistant Salt Lake County Attorney Greg Skordas told the press: "The victim never wanted him to go to jail. She wanted him to get help, and she wanted someone to believe her." Prosecutors felt positive about accepting the plea bargain because they were not sure of a conviction. It was abused girl’s word against Lee’s, " not a slam-dunk case," as Skordas put it. His boss, Salt Lake County Attorney David Yocom added that Lee was still considered "a pillar of the community. ... There is a tendency to believe someone like Lee, and that makes the state’s burden more difficult."

Lee wanted to serve his probation in Arizona but would have to get permission to do so from his Utah probation officer. Lee and his attorney refused to comment, but Yengich in a news release said "Lee continued to enjoy the support of family and friends."

On July 27, 2007, George was arrested in Washington County, Utah for failing to register as a sex offender in the state of Utah. The police reported that George had not registered since 2001 and that he had been "living in an area with several young children in close proximity". George P. Lee was booked into the Purgatory Correctional Facility in Hurricane, Utah on $5,000 bail. The case had dragged on for many months due to George's health issues. On March 19, 2008, the case was formally dropped due to these issues and that George had registered with the sex offender registry.

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As a General Authority, Lee spoke only six times in general conference in almost fourteen years, at intervals of six months, two years, two years, two years, and three years. He had not spoken for almost four years when he was excommunicated. This pattern of public visibility should not be automatically susceptible to a negative interpretation. At the October 1976 general conference, a policy was announced of "reconstituting" the First Quorum of the Seventy by transferring all Assistants and beginning to call new seventies to that quorum (and later to a second quorum as well). Six months later in April 1977, the general conferences were cut from three days, the usual length for most of the twentieth century, to two days. Thus, the number of available speaking slots decreased by a third. From that point on, typically all members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve who were physically able addressed the conferences with other General Authorities speaking as time permitted. Speaking assignments could be three or four years apart before a Seventy s turn came up.

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1. First General Conference Speech: My Heritage is Choice (Ensign, November 1975, page # 100-101)
   Abstract: George P. Lee's first speech after being sustained and confirmed as a Seventy at the October 4, 1975 LDS General Conference. His first address as a General Authority, was explicit and proud about his ethnic identity. He began by saying, "I finally realized how General Custer must have felt," and expressed pride that he was "a child of the Book of Mormon people. I have found my true heritage; I have found my true identity." He also expressed pride as "a descendant" (presumably spiritual) "of Red Cloud, Sitting Bull, Chief Joseph, Chee Dodge, Chief Crazy Horse" and assured Indians on "reservations and in the cities of our country and through the islands of the sea. ... that Heavenly Father loves you." He called on all members of the Church "to join hands as children of God" and warned, "You will not find [the] United States in paradise. ... I will not find an Indian reservation in paradise. ... You will not find China in paradise."

   Brothers and sisters, I finally realized how General Custer must have felt. ...

   I want you to know that it is a great honor and privilege to be in your presence today, and in the presence of our Prophet, and all those that assist him in the kingdom of God.

   I am proud to declare to you today, brothers and sisters, that I am a descendant of Lehi, Nephi, and all the great Book of Mormon prophets. I am proud to be a child of the Book of Mormon people. I have found my true heritage; I have found my true identity. I am a son of God, a child of God, a child of the Book of Mormon, a child of Lehi, a rich heritage that extends all the way back to my Heavenly Father, through Moses, and Abraham, and other great prophets.

   I am also proud to be a descendant of great Indian chiefs of our country. I am proud to be a descendant of Red Cloud, Sitting Bull, Chief Joseph, Chee Dodge, Chief Crazy Horse and all these great Indian chiefs that did so well as leaders of their people. I want you to know that these men were great. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are all in paradise; and I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them are converted, and maybe some of them are on the fourth missionary discussion. I am proud of my rich heritage.

   To you my people, the Lamanite people, on Indian reservations and in the cities of our country and through the islands of the sea, I want you to know that Jesus Christ is our Elder Brother. He is our Savior. He is our Redeemer.

   We have a choice heritage. I want you to know, you Lamanite people, that Heavenly Father loves you. Jesus Christ, your Elder Brother, loves you. He has died for you. He has sacrificed his life to overcome our sins. He conquered death for each of you and every man on earth. He lives and is God of this earth.

   To you in the Church throughout the world I declare that the time has come to lay aside our differences, to join hands as children of God. We have a great job to do, to bring many more choice spirits of our Heavenly Father into his kingdom, all over the world. The time has come for all of us to be 365-days-a-year Latter-day Saints, and seven-day-a-week Latter-day Saints, and not just Saints on Sunday only. The Lord has need of every Latter-day Saint to be a missionary, to bring others into his Church.

   The time has come, brothers and sisters, to realize that we have no guarantee to the celestial kingdom. Just because we are members of his Church does not give us a guarantee to the celestial kingdom—only if we endure to the end and are faithful until he comes again.

   To you, my brothers and sisters in the world, who are still searching for truth, who deny the existence of God, I give you two challenges. I challenge you to find another church, another organization, another way of life that has twelve apostles, that has a prophet, that is run by revelation, that baptizes by immersion and one that has priesthood. You will find there is no other church, there is no other way that is like the church we have. We have the same church that Jesus Christ organized anciently on this very soil and also in the Bible lands.

   That is my first challenge to you. My second challenge to you is to look around you. What do you see? You see a beautiful creation, the handiwork of Jesus Christ, our Savior.

   He has done so many wonderful things for us. How can we deny, as intelligent as we are, the existence of a God, and Jesus Christ? The greatest witness of Jesus Christ is right before your very eyes—the trees, the grass, the universe, the moon, the sun.

   Can any mortal man create human beings?

   Can any mortal man create the grass, the universe, the sun, the moon, the rain, the snow, the trees, the very food we eat?

   Can any mortal man create such a beautiful world as we see and live in today?

   How can we as scientists and learned men deny the existence of God and Jesus Christ when right before our very eyes we see existing a beautiful creation with order, precision, and exactness? No mortal man can duplicate what we see. This is enough to tell all of us that there is a divine God, a divine Christ—even Jesus Christ. He lives! He is the Creator of this world. The gospel is his plan. This is his way of life.

   All of us must realize that when we die and go to paradise, if we make it there, that as Americans you will not find United States in paradise.

   You might as well realize that we are all going to the same place. As an Indian I will not find an Indian reservation in paradise. As a Hopi, you will not find a Hopi reservation. As a Japanese you will not find Japan in paradise. As Chinese, you will not find China in paradise. Let’s live together as children of God. We are all brothers and sisters. We will all go to the same place if we are righteous, and if we endure to the end. There is no United States, there is no Navajo reservation, nor any way of life, except God’s, in paradise.

   God lives. Jesus Christ lives, brothers and sisters. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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2. Second General Conference Speech: But They Were in One (Ensign, May 1976, page # 99-100)
   Abstract: This speech again contained ethnic references to "my people," bore a strong testimony to the greatness of Spencer W. Kimball, and described "heaven" as the "brown faces and white faces together" that he saw in the tabernacle. Then he issued a strong call for social justice, reminding his hearers of the ideal Book of Mormon condition in which poverty was eclipsed by sharing and service, and asking, "Will you go out of this building and out into the world and deal justly with your fellowmen7 Or will you compromise gospel principles and standards?"

   My dear brothers and sisters, I am happy, thrilled, and delighted to be with you once again. I am greatly strengthened again, my brothers and sisters, by the energetic, vibrant, and humble spirit of President Kimball and all those who have spoken. President Kimball is not only a great leader but a great man. His faith and works are incomparable. In my estimation he is as great as any prophet that preceded him since the time of Adam. I know that he is one of the great and noble ones the Lord referred to while conversing with Abraham. (See Abraham 3:22).

   In Fourth Nephi, verses 15 and 17, my brothers and sisters, we read:

   “There was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.

   “There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God.” (4 Nephi 1:15, 17)

   As I look at you today, I can’t help but feel warm and thrilled inside to see a similar atmosphere of love and compassion, unity and warmth among you as was among my forefathers. I see brown faces and white faces together, sitting shoulder to shoulder. I see big nations side by side with small nations. I see American faces with Lamanite faces. I see German faces next to French faces. I see Mexicans next to Chinese. I see Japanese faces next to Polynesians. My brothers and sisters, what I am seeing today demonstrates to me the true gospel in action. As I look over the audience today, I do not see Mexicans, or whites, or Japanese, or Chinese. What I see are children of God. To me you are all children of God. In fact, today I see a glimpse of heaven.

   As I look at you I know there is no hate or animosity among you because of the love of God which is swelling in your hearts. There is great evidence of loving your neighbor among you today. But let me ask you, brothers and sisters, you in this tabernacle and all those listening, what about when you leave this conference? And you in this building, when you leave this building, will you have the same feeling? Will you have the same love and regard for everyone and for anyone? The Lord said:

   “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

   “This is the first and great commandment.

   “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Matthew 22:37–39).

   Of all the great commandments given to us by our Heavenly Father, he rates these number one and two. My brothers and sisters, you cannot live one without the other; both must be lived and practiced if we are to be found with Him in the celestial glory. In this church there is no place for hate, animosity, or prejudice. Nor are they found in the celestial kingdom.

   Again we read in Fourth Nephi:

   “And they had all things in common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift.” (4 Nephi 1:3).

   In like manner, my brothers and sisters, among you today there are really no rich, no poor. To me you’re all equal in the sense that you are all Latter-day Saints and that you are all rich spiritually. What I see in the audience today are people from all walks of life. I see doctors and lawyers sitting next to common men. I see a farmer next to a professional person. I see professional people, educators, and teachers side by side. I see composers, musicians, and artists—all kinds of people from all walks of life, sitting together side by side. And this is as it should be, because if you want to know what the celestial kingdom looks like, you are witnessing today a glimpse of the celestial kingdom and heaven.

   My brothers and sisters, the Lord has commanded us to love each other, and to be one in Jesus Christ, and to become perfect as he is. But let me ask you again, brothers and sisters, what will happen after you leave this building and return home? Will you be common with all and listen to the cries of the poor, the deprived, and the oppressed? The Lord said, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40).

   The mission of this church is to focus on others. The Lord has instructed us to give meat to the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the sick and those in prison. Again Nephi said:

   “The people were all converted unto the Lord, upon all the face of the land, both Nephites and Lamanites, and there were no contentions and disputations among them, and every man did deal justly one with another.” (4 Nephi 1:2).

   In like manner today, as I look at you, you are all converted to the Lord and there is no disputation among you. You are all willing and capable of dealing justly with your neighbor. But again I must ask you, what will happen when you leave this building? What will happen when this conference is closed? Will you go out of this building and out into the world and deal justly with your fellowmen? Will you still be converted? Or will you compromise gospel principles and standards? Will you still be willing to deal justly with your fellowmen?

   Again we read from Nephi’s account the following:

   “And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.” (4 Nephi 1:16).

   This passage of scripture, my brothers and sisters, describes the happy and beautiful estate of my Book of Mormon ancestors. They lived in peace and happiness for 200 years without hate or wars or contentions. What a glorious and superb record of righteousness!

   Can those of us in this room today, and those of us listening in, duplicate this record of righteousness? I challenge you, my brothers and sisters, as we celebrate the birth of our country, as we celebrate 200 years of our country’s history, I challenge you that between now and when you come back next fall to general conference that you love each other as children of God and not as different races and cultures.

   When we are baptized and confirmed as members of this church, we become one in Jesus Christ. In other words, my brothers and sisters, we commit ourselves to follow him. Our attitudes, thoughts, deeds, and actions should conform to his. If we will truly be faithful and righteous, we will truly be called children of Christ, children of God, and we will be entitled to his kingdom.

   I want all of you to know that I love my Heavenly Father. I love the Lord Jesus Christ. I love people. This has been one of my greatest assets—loving people. I’m grateful for this attribute that my Heavenly Father has blessed me with.

   I know that Jesus Christ lives and that we fought beside him in the preexistence, those of us in this room and those of us listening in. We were side by side with him in the war in heaven as we stood with him and fought Lucifer. And today he has chosen us to come in these last days to stand beside him again, and again to fight Lucifer, Satan, who controls the world.

   I have a testimony of the Book of Mormon, the history of my forefathers. America was founded so that the gospel could be restored and so that this sacred record could be brought back to my people and to anyone who will listen.

   I know that Joseph Smith really was a true prophet of God, that God the Father and Jesus the Christ actually and really came down and visited with him. It’s no myth, no legend, no fairy tale, no make-believe. It really happened. And with us today is a living prophet, President Kimball. I love him; I sustain him; I respect him. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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3. Third General Conference Speech: Staying Unspotted from the World (Ensign, May 1978, page # 27-29)
   Abstract: This speech was delivered when he was president of the Arizona Holbrook Mission, was a strong appeal to young people to "let virtue and purity be your shield and armor, and you will be invincible," to pray continually (he told of being mocked by his own brothers for praying in the hogan, but "a Navajo boy, coming from very simple, humble, poor circumstances because he was on his knees, became a polished instrument of God"), to "stand up for the Lord, even against your own flesh and blood, even against your own brothers and sisters, even against your own loved ones and friends" (he described fighting off four of his brothers who tried to hold him down and pour liquor into him), to "become obedient to your parents, to your priesthood leaders, and to the Lord," and to search the scriptures. "You’re too choice, you’re too innocent, you’re too sweet and too pure to lose." The talk that Lee had submitted to the Ensign magazine staff and translators though was different and was a ringing call for the "Gentile" members of the Church to become the "nursing fathers" and "nursing mothers" to the Lamanites that the Book of Mormon assigned them to be and which, to this point, Lee implied, they had failed to do. A few days later, this "social justice" address submitted by George P. Lee was withdrawn on instructions from the First Presidency’s office and replaced with the address to young people that he actually delivered. Magazine staff members speculated that the reason for the substitution may have been the accusatory tone in which Lee called the Mormon Gentiles to "repentance" for their mistreatment of the Indians.

   My beloved brothers and sisters, I should like to address my remarks to the young people of the Church, the youth of the Church. I love the young people of the Church. I sincerely believe that the young people of today are some of the choicest young people who ever lived on earth. One of the reasons why I know this is because of the choice, dedicated missionaries that I preside over in the Arizona Holbrook Mission. Missionaries of today are coming out more prepared, more mature, and more spiritual than ever before.

   You young people are among the most valiant, among the cream of all the spirits in the premortal life; and God has reserved you to come forth in these perilous times, the last days, for a divine purpose. The choice spirits coming to earth today were choice in the premortal existence before they came here. The reason they were choice in heaven is that they were obedient, valiant, and lived with exactness. In heaven, you young people, you lived by sight; in other words, you saw with your spirit eyes, you saw God, you saw Jesus Christ, your elder brother, and you saw Satan.

   When Satan rebelled in the war in heaven and tried to persuade you to follow him, you stood up for the Lord. You were true and faithful. Y