By Jerald and Sandra Tanner
Unfortunately, our last newsletter regarding the video The God Makers II, has stirred up a real hornet’s nest. While we tried to be very accurate and tactful in our presentation, in an article entitled, “The Tanners Strike Again,” J. Edward Decker exclaimed:
One would think that I’d have developed some sort of immunity by now. Truth is, having felt the prick of both, I’d rather take my poison in a coke glass than from the pen of a some so-called brother and sister in Christ. I’m just about fed up with them. Arsenic is a whole lot easier to swallow. . . . they are out to rip the God Makers movie to shreds . . . It’s these constant two-by-fours across the back of my head that are starting to got me mad . . . the Tanners state with a straight face, “Nevertheless, we feel that it is our duty to present our readers with well-balanced research on this issue.” I’m sorry but that is just plain Hogwash! Either the Tanners are the greatest dupes in the business or bald faced liars. I’m weary of giving them the benefit of the doubt. (Saints Alive in Jesus newsletter, March-April, 1993)
Ed Decker sent a copy of his newsletter to a lawyer named Douglas A. Wallace. Wallace, in turn, wrote us a threatening letter in which he stated:
As you may already know, I represent Ed Decker, Bill Claudin, Patrick and Caryl Matriscianna [sic] as well as Jeremiah Films in connection with “God Makers II.”. . .
As attorney for “God Makers II,” et al, I can say that the most disappointing thing that could happen with regard to the film is the failure of the “CHURCH”. . . to actually file a lawsuit for slander. . . . It would be the epitome of my life to defend such a lawsuit for I have lived these past 58 years for no reason other then to expose the Mormon Menace.
If the “CHURCH” fails to bring such action, then I will be looking elsewhere to expose the fraud by seizing opportunity to file a lawsuit against slanderous, spurious articles such as you have written. (Letter from Douglas A. Wallace, dated April 10, 1993)
In spite of the threat of a lawsuit we completed a 94-page book concerning the video entitled, Problems In The Godmakers II. While we do not wish to argue with the accusations made by Ed Decker and Douglas Wallace in this newsletter, those who read the book will find our side of the story.
Since our last newsletter we made two extremely important discoveries which throw important light on the validity of the video:
One, while the video charges that Gordon B. Hinckley, a member of the First Presidency of the Mormon Church, was involved with prostitutes and had a homosexual affair with a man named Charles VanDam in the 1960s, we have had contact with a man who was closely associated with VanDam during the “mid 1970’s.” This man says that VanDam was not telling the same story at that time. He maintains that although VanDam told him about his wild parties with a Mr. Hinckley, it was not President Gordon B. Hinckley!
In a letter, dated May 10, 1993, VanDam’s former associate affirmed:
He [VanDam] was not a stable person. . . . He lived in extreme exaggeration of lies – fantasy & a violent temper . . . He boasted & bragged to me that it was . . . [another Hinckley] not the Gen[eral] Authority that he partied with!!!
We have verified the fact that this man was closely associated with Mr. VanDam. It would appear, then, that the chief witness against Gordon B. Hinckley changed his story sometime after the mid 1970’s. We found numerous other problems with VanDam’s statements.
Two, one of the most moving and important portions of the video involves the death of a woman named Lillian Chynoweth. While the video leads the viewer to believe that she was murdered, the truth of the matter—verified by the Houston Police Department—is that Lillian committed suicide!
Since we completed the book we have become aware of the fact that lawyers for both Jeremiah Films and the Mormon Church have been making some very serious charges. For example, in a letter to Patrick A. Shea, the lawyer representing the Mormon Church, Douglas Wallace charged:
There are issues relating to regular prostitutional sexual servicing of Mr. Hinckley at the Hotel Utah along with other Authorities on the day of their regular weekly meetings in the Salt Lake Temple, and there are issues relating to assault and attempted murder of the prostitute and the murder of a young male following a verbal confrontation with Mr. Hinckley over the severity of his abuse of the young boy. (Letter from Jeremiah Films’ lawyer Douglas Wallace, dated March 5, 1993)
It is interesting to note that William Claudin, who spearheaded the investigation directed at Gordon B. Hinckley, was very forthright with us concerning what he learned about the charges of church leaders being furnished with prostitutes in the Hotel Utah. On May 7, 1993, he frankly admitted that when further investigation was done, it became apparent that the prostitute who related the story was not telling the truth about certain things. Although he still believed there could be some truth to the accusations, he felt that it was best to withdraw her testimony about Hinckley and other church leaders. For more information on this matter see Problems in the Godmakers II, page 34. We have no further information regarding the charge that a young man was murdered.
On March 18, 1993, the lawyer representing the church, responded to Wallace, Claudin, Decker and the Matriscianas. In this two-page letter he seems to assert that Patrick Matrisciana, of Jeremiah Films, tried to blackmail the church:
I understand that Mr. Matrisciana is a “businessman” to quote his own words. His offer for me to simply buy the raw tape of “God Makers II,” and thus solve the problem of any distribution of the false information was, and is, clearly unacceptable. I rejected the first offer and would not accept this type of extortion as a means of resolving this dispute. . . .
Mr. Claudin has not responded directly but in his wanderings in Southern Utah continues to promote the video and makes representations regarding an “X-rated God Makers II” video which will be coming out shortly. (Letter from Patrick A. Shea, dated March 18, 1993)
It is unlikely that any deal was struck between the church and Jeremiah Films because the film company later produced a 27-minute video entitled, The Truth About Mormon President Gordon B. Hinckley, which was taken from the 6 to 8 hours of “raw tape” which Jeremiah Films had in its possession. (V. Leah Walker has informed us that when she called Jeremiah Films on May 5, 1993, she was told that all of the footage except for the 27 minutes used in the video mentioned above, was destroyed. See her letter in Problems in the Godmakers II, pages 21-22.) In any case, in our opinion the 27-minute video really adds nothing to what appeared in the video, The God Makers II. Instead, it demonstrates Charles VanDam’s tendency to exaggerate.
It is certainly obvious that some very serious charges involving criminal behavior have been made by lawyers on both sides of the controversy.
Even though we have been threatened with a lawsuit for expressing our opinion on The God Makers II, we do not feel that we can remain silent about problems in the video.
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