Edith Roller – February 8, 1976 – Sunday

Transcript | Annotation | Source: 89-4286-HH-2-101-105 (PDF) | Month Index


I got up at 9.00.

I prepared breakfast: grape juice, eggs, hamburger patties, toast, jam and Sanka. I washed dishes.

Ethel’s outlook seems to be regret that the rights blacks won in the civil rights movement have not been enough. Now they have to give all that up, abandon their property. She kept saying it was hard it you owned your home. I gather that only one daughter is interested in the Temple. I advised her to see the Temple attorneys about turning her property over to the Temple.  Jim had indicated that people are transferring ownership of their houses but continuing to live in them.

I went down to buy a Sunday paper. It was raining lightly.

Christians made a late start and we didn’t get into service until after 12.00.

Jim was on the podium at 12.40.

A tape was played of a former sermon.

The offering was taken.

Jim denounced Neva Sly. She left Jim’s mother without care after giving her a double dose of medicine that would have killed her without a miracle. Neva had been drinking with bigots, was on the point of leaving when Jim caught her. She had better go five hundred miles away.

We will not forget our enemies. Her husband and son stood fast.

Jim became angry at some who did not stand when he was talking about black freedom. He demanded to know how the greeters let them in. We are naturally suspicious when people sit silent when we are standing and applauding. Black people always do the work or the honky, as Martin Luther King, Jr.’s mother was killed by a black man.

Jim said the system is not going to let any more black leaders arise, according to Jet magazine.

A woman who is going communal asked it she has to give up her poodles. Jim: We can find some place for your poodles. But the time will come when our children will have to have priority.

Jim explained why we turn people away. They support Wallace, would be willing to go to concentration camp, would submit to a dictatorship because the Bible says, “Servants, obey your master, obey those who have rule over you.” The Bible will be used to put you back into slavery.

A second question: How long will Kissinger keep his job? Jim:  Kissinger will die much before his time.

A third question: Where did the prayer, “Our Father,” come from? Jim analyzed it phrase by phrase, concentrating on the words “Lord, kingdom, heaven, forgiving our debtors, leading us into temptation.” (He, God, Devil.) I don’t give nobody unconditional power and glory for one day, let alone forever.

Hugh Doswell was called up. He took Jim’s car, tried to take the children away. He was feeling numb, as Jim stated. Jim said, “In a little bit, you’re going to fall over. Jim advised him to talk fast. Hugh begged for another chance to exist in this wonderful organization, live up to his responsibility. He had wrecked his wife’s car, threatened to leave. Hugh cited the progress he had already made. Jim said he had a childish tendency to challenge authority. This is called anarchy.  Jim caused him to go down, said for his children’s sake he will let him live. He will be resurrected.

Jim took another offering. He decreed that all should give something.  He severely demanded that commitments be paid in at least a month.

Healings were performed.

Those who were invited to become members came up; Jim healed many of them. Jim said there had been eighty visitors today.

The meeting was dismissed at 4.00. Jim had raised Hugh Doswell. Hugh was for the rest of the day very white and silent.

I took a bus home. I prepared and ate my meal. 1 looked up the clothes I had to give to the Temple and to Goodwill (those not good enough for Temple people to wear). I made lists of the former, in order to give them to Millie Cunningham and Carolyn Looman, who might know people in the communes who could use them.

I took the bus back to the Temple. The evening service was scheduled for 7.00, but when I arrived at 7.35, the members were still downstairs.

Presumably the Planning Commission was still meeting upstairs. strict silence was imposed, even on children. I worked on journal entries.

A little before 9.00 we were told we could come upstairs.

No clue was given us as to what the long Planning Commission meeting had been about, except that all children living in any Bay Area commune were requested to come to the Gold Room with their parents and supervisors. Some problem may have arisen about their schooling.

Rides were arranged.

Jim took the offering.

A complaint was made about the way the telephone is answered in the Temple. These speaking on the phone were ordered to be polite and cooperative.

Several more sisters have had their teeth wired in order to lose weight.

Each told how much weight she had lost. Sue Noxon has lost seventy pounds.

Patty McCoy was commended. She is an example to the children. She passes out envelopes during the offerings.

Vivian Gainous was called up. She had been away from work for three weeks. She said she was working in a different building. Jim asked that she bring a verification of days worked on her office letterhead.

Irvin Perkins was called up for smoking and fined $100. He had talked to Ron Talley about Ron’s being called on the floor. Jim asked him whether he had told Talley that he might be on the floor tonight.  (Ron was not in the meeting.) Irvin said no. He had smoked with Ron.

Pam Bradshaw said she and Ron went to a park in his car. Jim said Ron runs from one woman to another, then lets them down. She admitted that it was not the first time with Ron. Jim said he doesn’t contribute anything to the cause, begs money on the street for his own use. Jim said she often had a look of hostility on her face. She was questioned about her attitude on supporting his weakness. There was a discussion of Pam’s marriage with Russ Moton which was for reasons of convenience.

She admitted she wanted companionship. She said she wanted to stay, can’t exist without Father. She promised to stay away from men. Jim: What basis is there for thinking you’ll change? He said he was hurt and disillusioned.

He gave her another chance. Claire said Council is going to set up strict regulations for her;  she’ll have no time alone.

Talley had left the meeting. A delegation went after him, but he refused to let his own sister in. Jim said he shall be banned from entrance without his permission.

Pam had to go four rounds with Linda Mertle. She took a beating. Jim said: I guess I still do believe in you.

Jim talked about the pain of watching the fight. “I cannot wish that any of us will be hurt. I hate these fights.”

Los Angeles members left.

Johnny Yates wanted to know what to do when someone comes up on you without warning with a weapon (a shoe heel). The accused woman is the woman whom Jim cured of bone cancer. She said that Johnny stepped on her foot and didn’t apologize. Gerry Brady Bailey reported that she is very bad-tempered with relation to the man who is her companion. Jim said to Johnny: You are dealing with a senior;  don’t retaliate with violence, but report the situation.

Jim said he was meeting the Mayor and several other prominent leaders at breakfast tomorrow. He was obviously exhausted. Jack Beam said both the women should remember from what Jim has brought them. Johnny was healed by him as well. Jim said all relationships depress him. They’re death. Couples are alliances for treason. “My love will not reach you if you put a piece of flesh between you and me.”

Talley had arrived. He was charged with using drugs. He had been with Diane Lundquist in a hotel and was thrown out. Instances of his leading women to expect marriage were cited. Ron admitted he had manipulated people, used the church structure to do what he wanted to do. He is lazy. Debbie Blakey gave him, an able-bodied man, money to pay his rent. He said his workman’s compensation hadn’t come yet. Jim: There is no excuse for two counselors (Debbie and Grace) giving money to this man. He hasn’t paid it back. This is going to be used against us.

Archie said he should turn his car over. Michelle Wagner said she had had an affair with Ron. She said her relationship with L.C. Davis is over. Michell seemed to be complaining that Jim had her watched.

Jim asked if some of her behavior did not justify his trying to keep an eye on her.

Ron had to fight David Gainous and Ken Norton. He was thoroughly beaten by Norton. He said that he had been a poor representative of socialism and would do better. Jim, apparently referring to both Pam and Ron, said he was puzzled why it took physical punishment for them to decide to do right. He had become increasingly sad and tender, in contrast to his rather terrifying aspect in the morning when he denounced Uncle Toms, felled Hugh, and predicted ill consequences from insufficient offerings. He was suffering from the prolongation of the meeting.

After a brief healing period, Jim ended the meeting at 12.50.

Christians left soon. Vern has had an operation on her foot and wasn’t working on the concession stand. Conversation in the car was on the compulsory seven-day pamphleting period, which most interpreted as starting tomorrow.

I read Kerényi for an hour.

I went to bed at 2.30.