All-British Dividing Line

Opening Remarks and Travel Mishaps in London

Webcasting around the world from the desert metropolis of Phoenix, Arizona. This is the dividing line. The Apostle Peter commanded Christians to be ready to give a defense for the hope that is within us.

Yet to give that answer with gentleness and reverence. Our host is dr. James white director of Alpha Omega ministries and an elder at the Phoenix reformed Baptist Church. This is a live program and we invite your participation.

If you'd like to talk with dr. White call now. It's 602 nine seven three four six zero two or toll-free across the United States. It's one eight seven seven seven five. Three three three four one and now with today's topic.

Here is James white.

And welcome to the dividing line live from London England. I Am hearing the office sound over this connection. It honestly sounds very much like a death metal band singer. As soon as the music started I thought somebody had hacked our system and recorded Satanic message over top of the big thing of the dividing line like oh, this is going to be an interesting.

It's been an interesting trip so far. There's no no toys about it. My luggage has not yet arrived and I arrived yesterday morning. No toys about it because they routed us. I forgot to visit all the United States on the way from Phoenix to Philadelphia down and so you get it and you're one of the last people on the on the plane and Who sits down in the row in front of you?

But one of whom has an ear if you're now going to try to sleep for eight hours on the trip over to London and that's not going to happen so and then you get there and you stand there at that that wonderful luggage machine and and As you see more and more people walking away you start feeling ever more lonely.

Until the machine stops and your luggage isn't there but That's just sort of how things go and we did have an opportunity last night Do a television program that honestly we really didn't know exactly what to expect.

Until it started basically, and there were three of us on a panel a black pastor by the name of Edward Wama and Then dr. Tony Lane from London School of Theology now LST. I think it's one of the schools.

Yeah, it's one school theology because he gave LST in his in his email address. He's written a number of books on the Calvin and issues like that and then myself and I guess what had happened is there had been a a segment where predestination had been discussed on this program and Or at least had come up and so there are so many questions about they decided to have a program to discuss it and That's what we did for the first hour and then dr. Lane had to leave and so the pastor and I stayed for the second hour so we did two hours and It was taking live emails as they were coming in and live phone calls and some of those phone calls were quite interesting one got into Israel and predestination and eschatology and Returned to us with the Israel question I was going to pat the pastor on the back and say you haven't gotten to say quite as much as you'd like so far.

How about you think you know? He didn't he didn't bother to throw in our direction. So it was it was quite the the interesting experience, but Through London to get to the location of the of the the television studios and At rush hour basically so it was it was quite the interesting the trip through London across the Thames and We went right past the eye of London.

Which I didn't realize that goes around what once every half hour. I believe it. You've never been to it's not fair to call it a Ferris wheel. But it's it's very similar except it moves very very slowly and I understand they even do weddings.

As long as you can get it done half an hour. You can do weddings. Looking over the that's really close to Parliament and things like that. So it's right downtown where you can the Big Ben and stuff like that.

Yeah, so so slowly to traffic I was able to actually see it moving. How I figured out that it but it's coming back though we were able to take the m25 which is the the route that basically circles all of all of London and it was raining and.

I.

Not quite figured out yet whether I was in a car or a low-flying aircraft I've been sometimes it parts of the boat. I was so tired that it really didn't matter one way or the other at that point in time and Because I had been traveling for No 18 hours or something like that and I had almost no sleep and didn't have any of my own clothes I'm just hoping that that everything I said was in fact orthodox.

I didn't hear anything. Well, unfortunately, yes, I'm not necessarily certain that so that would have been detected one way or the other but We had some friends there. I think they might have noticed something outrageously Out of the way, but some time on the program and hopefully if and folks were edified but I had a Jehovah's Witness car he called in because Another woman had called in and had raised the Israel a school of theology for not had being all Pre-dis a pre-millennial and she got cut off pretty quickly.

So the Jehovah's Witness called in to defend the idea of not being free. Like well, how do we change this topic into something worthwhile? And so I I launched into something about Oh, I forget how I I got into who Christ was and you know I tried to transition into something as meaningful and witnessing to a was witness.

And it was.

But just very interesting the number of calls that we got in the directions that they went it was it was quite quite interesting I guess that according to people in the channel. I'm Sounding far too happy.

I guess when you're in London, you're supposed to be straight-laced and And very glum and things like that. So I'll try to be less happy in the rest of the program as we possibly can. Lord willing a piece of luggage will be delivered here and that way I'll be able to Utilize my computer again since I'm slowly killing the batteries that I had brought with me and I've learned a lesson.

I'll put a few things that you need the first couple days in your carry-on. Rather than the other one in case it does not arrive with you. It would be interesting to be able to track which airports it ended up going through if we're just got lost in Philadelphia.

Going through Philadelphia. I'm sorry to Spidey geek, but going through Philadelphia is a very frightening thing. So, I guess we do have some birthdays in channel. I don't want to even try to sing happy birthday to anyone, but Rosie and I Don't think that Sheffy is actually a proper pronunciation of that term.

But looks like we have some ladies who are up Celebrating getting younger today in channel. So we say say happy birthday to to them as well. Yes, we do have the all British dividing line today. And if you if you would like to call in and request a British accent.

It must be a company with a proper donation. It's a ministry, but eight seven seven seven five three three three four one. I do not have that number. Well, there it is at the top of the channel thing.

That's good. I do need that. No, no, don't no.

Don't a no donation is large enough for that. Yeah, it can't be done.

Well now why is that rich. I mean, don't you know the field saying that's when and when in London do is the Londoners. Do I.

Had not I had not heard that.

He had not heard that one. Well, I know that the Italians think they have copyright on that, but it actually came from London. So so but no, I could use everyone. Let me just remind you.

Let me just remind you about a certain politician on this side of the pond who likes to you know change. Yes, yes in order to to blend in with their audience. Dissuade you.

No, we can't discuss Politics on the dividing line. That's I'm certain. We'll get sued by someone if we do and I wouldn't know who you were talking about. Not no one. No one would ever do that. No. Pretend that they were something that they were not.

That would just never happen, but I did hear that the Suns had a game stolen from them. And that the big question right now in Phoenix is how Antonio by Stern for and can we.

Just in Phoenix. It's all over the sports. Nationally the a lot of sports people are very very angry with with David Stern from what I've seen.

It's it's it's the most ridiculous thing. I've ever seen in my life. Just unbelievable. Dirty play, but anyway. Primary topics here. No, not exactly. Not exactly. Well, do let me know I will be able to see your little things start to blinking here on my screen.

Should someone Assist us with the program today at eight seven seven seven five three three three four one. I have been taking some time to be looking about the the net and picked up some. I think one of the reasons that we closed the the window.

So it was said no one passing by would hear me talking about Islam here in London because I'm not certain that that's.

Actually.

Legal.

Making sure it's opening all the windows. Okay, don't mind having a little breeze through there actually. But I was looking at the Christian Today article that was linked to by Jeff Downs on our on our website.

Or it says. Christians in Karsada a town in northwest frontier province in Pakistan Have been warned that if they do not convert to Islam by today 17 May. Which for people outside the United States is an appropriate means of indicating?

The date we would say May 17th, but we're sort of backwards the rest of the world. They will face dire consequences and bomb explosions. That's that's a Translator in English Christians Christianity has learned the threats were made in a letter circulated last week to the town's Christian population according to the all Pakistan minorities Alliance and.

Persecution of Christians in Pakistan and the Threat of Blasphemy Laws

So here you have Believers. Some of you may recall the program that we did and that we called Man who was converted to Christ by the reading of the New Testament in a testament that had been left with his father there in the borderland between Pakistan and Afghanistan and it was the reading of that text that's a convert him to Christ and those who are converted to Christ in that.

Area.

Face a tremendous difficulty and Certainly ever forget about the interview with with Peter was the statement that he made that he Quran teaches When he read the New Testament to hear about to hear Christ's own teachings Was was a complete revelation to him and then become more and more familiar with the Quran.

There's there's no No question whatsoever. I I heard a a quotation. I need to track down the actual source of quotation so I can properly Credit the man who said it he is a liberal Islamic scholar means he could not live in a number of nations on this earth when you think about that for a moment I think that says something but a liberal Islamic scholar has said the Jesus of the Quran is an argument not a person and He is an argument for the prophet hood of Muhammad and I am reading through the Quran again but this time I'm reading through it in a chronological reading that is from the earliest of Surahs to the last surahs as best you can some surahs are somewhat mixed and there is Question amongst scholars as to exactly how to order of this material, but it is interesting to see the can the Of the Christ the Messiah in in the Quran and the fact that he is a contextless a historical argument of Muhammad as a prophet.

He's not talking about himself. He's not talking about Just completely different than what you find in the New Testament, so it certainly is understandable how someone if all they've ever heard has been a Recitation or a rephrasing of the very Small amount of material in the in the Quran about Jesus to read the New Testament is a incredible thing.

But I have met so few Muslims that have Despite the fact that the Quran speaks of the gospel They've been they have been told by their leaders so often that that gospel has been robbed from the Bible.

It's been taken from the Bible That they don't they don't bother to read the New Testament. And and if they do then of course they and they they're facing the decision either they have to reject this this entire Book because it's so different from the Quran.

No one could possibly put the two together or they They must abandon Muhammad as a prophet. There is there is really no way of putting the two together and.

So.

Here we have Christians in Karsada, and I have not seen any any fact matter is Pakistan. In fact did I I'm I think I had another. Oh, yeah, it's in the same story. It's in the same story. Let me read you.

They started talking about the fact that there had been a mr. Bandara Who is Parsi? Who had attempted to bring into Pakistan's National Assembly a Modification of what's known as 295 C of the Pakistan Penal Code if you if you keep up with voice the martyrs if you.

And you've heard me saying much more about this. You cannot study Islam without constantly being count encountering the fact that Muslims persecute Christians all around the world. They they it is it is a part of Those nations that become Islamic nations to pursue of have the hurt to another religion and things like this.

He'd about what has taken place in these in these nations. You see that when a particular nation has a blasphemy law as Pakistan does Then the means of persecuting the Christians basically becomes Accusing someone whether falsely or truly of blaspheming Muhammad.

Well, how would you define blaspheming Muhammad? I mean is there is it's very easy to determine the blasphemies that take place daily against Jesus Christ but if you're a Christian and Someone asks you the question.

Do you believe Muhammad was a prophet and you say no I do not believe he was then that's easily interpreted as being a blasphemy of the Prophet and so. To have that kind of a law on the books is in essence to say This is an Islamic country that is not open to anyone else living within it.

And.

So very often when you read the stories of false imprisonments and and false accusations They are based upon these blasphemy laws. Well this mr. Bandara had attempted to bring into the National Assembly a Modification and a change in reference to these particular laws and in particular If you're an atheist, I think you you probably would keep that to yourself to be sure.

He he wanted to have a modification of the blasphemy laws and here's what the article says it says his proposals were agreed with cries of shame from government and opposition benches and were rejected by the parliamentary affairs minister as un-Islamic Quote.

Islam is our religion and such bill our feelings. This is not a secular state, but the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Now the hurt our feelings part definitely leaves me going. Excuse me. Okay, if you're the Islamic Republic of Pakistan fine, that's that's one thing, but please hurt our feelings.

Is the low but this is what is going on all over the world in these nations and it is? Many many as in Christians this day are separated from their families and if you go back on the blog I spent some time preaching on this particular subject a few weeks ago at the Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church, and I would direct you to that as I was reading this was brought to my attention a large art in the Daily Mail within London and That's odd 42 to 47.

I guess there was something in between them anyway stone to death for love the walk. I Leo a swad a 17-year-old a very pretty young lady I guess and I did not do so know what I really want to but I guess you can go online and watch the video of her being stoned to death in Iraq and She is was stoned and killed for having fallen in love with a Sunni boy and She is not Sunni.

She is a part of religion that I will confess until this afternoon I had never heard of before in my life part of the Yazidi Religion. I looked it up online. It's yes, either Yazidi or Yazidi and This is a form of ancient Gnosticism with certain elements of Islam involved.

Mosul is the center point of about half a million people who follow this particular religion and.

When.

When she fell in love with a Sunni boy Then a death sentence was issued out for her and she was publicly Publicly stoned our I guess it was just incredibly brutal and this is just takes place in the streets of these of these places and the Yazidi religion online and it was quite fascinating again if you are familiar with the Book of Colossians and first John You would find a number of Parallels to the the situation they they have in essence the Actually the God who created all things they they they worship a lesser being that is in charge called Malik house Yazidi accounts creation different from that of Christianity Islam.

They believe that God first created Malik house From his own illumination and the other six archangels were created later on. God ordered Malik house not to bow to other beings and God created the other archangels which interestingly enough Not only would that be Gnostic the emanations and things like that, but that sounds a little bit like Jehovah's Witnesses.

I mean when you think about it, the first thing God creates and the only thing God creates directly is Michael the archangel an archangel and it's one of the reasons I've Frequently said to and the Jehovah's Witness reading of Colossians chapter 1 you are in essence arguing for the very Position that was being argued against by the Apostle Paul.

You're turning his own apologetic on its head. So anyway, these folks are still around there are still in essence Gnostic religions In in the world and here is a situation where the followers of this religion Killed one of those that fell in love with a Sunni Muslim boy Who I don't no one knows who he is or anything like that, but that's a sad story.

She's a very pretty young young girl. And that's the situation that goes on in those places now, of course as everyone recognized and I'm starting to become somewhat concerned about going to The airport because the last time that I went to the airport to go overseas Or or one of the recent times I went to the airport to go overseas.

The.

Situation with Terry Shivo Took place and she passed away while I was in the waiting area. Well, I get to the waiting area at the airport and Breaking news Jerry Falwell has been taken to the hospital gravely ill and I'm like stop going to the airport because this is not a not a good thing and Given his health history when the initial Comments the initial report came across.

I had a feeling what we were going to hear and of course that is What eventually ended up being the situation? So yeah day before yesterday Yesterday for me yesterday was just yesterday was approximately 36 to 40 hours in length.

So just you know, just you know, it's Seven o 'clock at night, but on what day I don't know. Here, so I just had I just crammed all of two days into one day. And so, you know, whatever quit picking on me obviously, I extended my condolences as best I could on my Blackberry from the waiting area itself and It is sad to see some of the responses that have come out.

I noticed That the gays and lesbians held an end for Jerry Falwell in San Francisco. Now the irony is that they don't bother saying how many people showed up I guess when you are a part of the you're you're a Homosexual in San Francisco, all you gotta do is call a newspaper and Say that you're going to have an anti-memorial and it doesn't really matter if anybody shows up now if Christians do something if Christians want to make a public statement, then you have to have 10 ,000 people show up and they'll report is 2 ,000 and will be on the third page of the seventh section of the newspaper.

But as long as you're homosexual in San Francisco, you have super rights and so they have this this anti Jerry Falwell memorial and no one will talk about the hatred. You know that the fact that this is this this would qualify as a hate crime If it was a non-homosexual.

If it was a Fred Phelps type, they would be talking about hate crimes, but as long as you're a Homosexual you can't commit hate crimes. You can only be the object of hate crimes. You can't commit them.

Even though I I was looking at a story online of just a terrible story of the murder of Two individuals back in I believe January that has simply been in the mainstream media because it's not a politically correct a crime and So you you just the the inconsistencies of there's just terrible 877 -753 -3341 is the phone number?

Yes, if you would like to speculate on Who's going to be in charge of Liberty University next I suppose you can do that obviously, that's been a question in everyone's mind, but I have no special insights into such things and We'll be monitoring events just like anybody else will be for that matter, but I honestly have no no concept of where the University is going to go obviously Eric and Kanner is a well-known person there, but Eric and Kanner is likewise Very much an unliked person by many other people and so will there be a political battle.

I don't know. It would be sad if there was. But the fact is that that's the kind of world we live in so I have no way of knowing. But it will be it will be very very interesting to see what so what takes place in that a particular way there was a another article since we were talking about passage of the House representatives of the bill regarding hate crimes of 237 to 180.

That's the bill that I believe President Bush has promised to veto. So we have at least about 18 more months worth of safety from that one.

Hate Crimes Legislation and the Intimidation of Free Speech

But.

This whole issue of trying to discern the intentions of people's hearts rather than being a nation of laws Where it is the law that is looked to not to some psychological Examination of why people did what they did.

That has been used in Europe in Australia in Canada as the means of intimidating people into silence of Making people worried that when they open their mouth and they they speak what they believe to be truth that When they do so they will have to pay for so doing and certainly minority groups, especially homosexuals, but abortion rights advocates Want to make people very concerned about what they say in an attempt to intimidate those who would speak about them and That's it's coming to the United States.

It's just coming a little bit more slowly than it has in other places people won't bother to look and see the effects elsewhere. But that's that's that's what's taking place. Now over here in in the UK.

It's a little bit of a gray day here. It's just shocking that there would ever be a gray day in London. I mean, I Disexpected the bright blue skies and sunshine and everything else, but it's a little bit of a gray overcast day here in Enfield, which is the north north west east just straight north okay north of downtown London and Nice breeze as I'm looking at my Actually, it's not my computer.

It's Rogers computer, but looking at my Google home page. I see that it's 93 point two degrees Back in Phoenix, and it's not going to be 93 degrees here probably for yeah. Get up to 93 95. Doesn't doesn't get that hot here.

Okay. Well, so it's already warmer back at home than than it could ever be here. And I don't even know what the temperature is. I guess I should have put that in to figure out what the temp is, but it's low 60s.

Yeah, it's around 60 degrees. Of course. I'm not using the centigrade thing there, but Oh, you saw some speculation that the fall of Sun was day. Well, maybe so that would be. That would be interesting.

But anyway, it's it's nice here and I as I was looking for material on the program. Since no one has bothered to be kind enough so far. Even all those folks in the in the chat channel who are busily chatting with one another.

But they won't pick up the phone and they they won't Assist me in the all British.

Dividing line today. Oh, oh, oh, I.

Excuse me while I try to try to recover here. My good friend Roger has a question for me and and now I just need to mention to rich You cannot complain about the fact that he has a British accent because he lives in London.

So so so this is this is for real. He's not. He's the one who's mentioned to me that I sound like Dick Van Dyke when I try to do a British accent. But actually we do have a question. So I'm going to be passing the phone off here to my brother Roger and then I will do my best to answer it.

Of course, it could be a very difficult question mate. I may have to take a break to figure it out. But hold on just a moment. Yeah, it's doctor wise. It's obvious. You're a Calvinist. But over here in England, we want to know the burning question is are you a self respect?

Well Roger I don't. I don't know what you could possibly referring to unless possibly you're referring to that the fact that every Self-respecting Calvinist is a premillennialist. Is that what you're asking about?

You didn't try to get me in trouble here, aren't you? Oh my. See rich has a oh good good. All right. We do have a call a call coming in which doesn't mean I'm going to I'm going to ignore your question.

But so evidently a certain beginning sermon at the recent Shepherds conference has made it all the way across the pond a little bit and Has left you just as befuddled as it left everyone else didn't it?

No, I guess I'm not a self-respecting Calvinist. I can say well You're gonna say easy to get rid of me without a luggage anyways, you know. It's just throw your tablet out the window and you're ready to go.

Yes, indeed.

So.

Some of you know what I'm talking about. Some of you have no idea what I'm talking about and unfortunately those of you who do know what I'm talking about are probably get Me in trouble for having said what I said, but no, I am NOT a self-respecting Calvinist at that particular point in time.

Wait a minute now people are picking on my British accent. I haven't even used it. That was you and you're British. That's good, that's good. Well, anyway, all right, we actually do have a Phone call and I appreciate that and up from my actually my it's where I was born.

I was born in Minnesota. But I don't call it my homeland because I'm my ancestors came from Scotland, of course. So up, but I was was born up in Minnesota. And so let's let's talk to Karen up in Minnesota.

Mormonism, Everlasting Life, and the Doctrine and Covenants

Hello Karen. Hey, how you doing doc this time here. I'm doing pretty well given Given the circumstances of the traveling out here and everything else.

So we're over there trying to stir up the Scottish. I hear that Sean Connery may come home at the right party. Wins.

Sean Connery might come home with the right. Some more fake Russian accents for it.

Listen I was wanting to know I'm doing this some study on Mormonism and I was wanting to know the How the Mormons deal with the word everlasting in like Psalms or the Isaiah passes where God that dwells or inhabits eternity and I was kind of curious as to since they don't believe that God has an eternity.

They must somehow Look at these verses some way and can you tell me how?

Yeah, actually if you if you look up the term in the Doctrine and Covenants, you will see for people I Wanted to start posting and I wanted to have queued up to post on the blog while I was gone an entire introductory segment on the Mormon Doctrine of God because obviously.

With Mitt Romney's run for the presidency. There is a Heightened interest in the theology of Mormonism and it comes at an interesting time Where Mormonism is struggling to really be very consistent in its own definition of its own theology.

Mormonism is undergoing a lot of stresses and strains right now. Their their numbers are down their numbers are weak as far as their possibilization pretty much just natural growth rather than the huge explosion that they had in the 1970s and 80s in the early 90s and There's there's confusion on leadership of the church as to what direction they're to go.

It used to be that Mormonism was very very clear not defining itself as a as a Christian faith in the sense of Because they've been trying to mainstream a lot of their own people are now confused as to what is Really central in their theology and what is not the doctrine of God, which of course is what you're looking at.

There Is confusion now not because there's been some official repudiation of what Mormonism is taught in the past but through a.

Less.

Consistent emphasis upon what used to be what even the youngest Mormons were taught when I first went out to the Salt Lake to Mesa and Began witnessing the Mormons back when I myself was about the same age as the missionaries.

You could talk to young Mormon guys 12 13 years old who would be able to give you a really clear definition of what Mormons believe now. You can talk to 25 year olds out there. And you have to bring out your LDS scriptures and your your other works to even explain to them The concept of exaltation to Godhood and things like that.

There's been a tremendous change over that period of time. But again, not that the church has changed its teaching. The same thing is true the Doctrine Covenants in a sense when you go the Doctrine Covenants or the Book of Mormon, for example.

You will use.

Everlasting in pretty much the same way you and I would because you need to remember when Joseph Smith wrote the Book of Mormon he Had not yet developed the concept of the plurality of God. Yes, and so that terminology and that language you'll find the Book of Mormon is Drawn directly from his experiences in Methodism and Presbyterianism and and is very much in a biblical sense at that point.

Then we get in Doctrine Covenants the earlier revelations are going to be Along the same line because they're contemporaneous with the period of the writing of the Book of Mormon immediately thereafter.

Then when you get into the middle 1830s, this is when Joseph's theology begins to change and you start getting these odd Redefinitions of words for example, and this is directly relevant to your question when you Talk to a Mormon and you use the term everlasting life now for you and I anyone who's familiar with the Bible there's a meaning to that kind of Terminology and we would share that in common.

But when you read LDS writings you discover that in their mind, there's a subtle redefinition to where it's everlasting lives is that Lives and instead of it referring to a kind of life that is never-ending that is given to us By God as part of salvation in the Mormon concept.

Everlasting lives is the ability on the part of an exalted man to produce offspring with his wives still children. See once everybody who in Mormonism except those who are exalted to godhood. So even Mormons who go to the celestial kingdom, but they were not married during the eternal marriage ceremony and hence will become angels.

Even they and everyone below them are said to be damned or meanings not damned in the sense that you and I would use that but Damned as in damn and able to finish their progression to their fullest extent.

It is the only those the top who are who become exalted who have the ability to have spirit children. And that is one of the two definitions of God's power to priesthood in the power of procreation so eternal lives is the ability to give Life to to procreate spirit populate a planet and then become the god of that planet worship by those who were who are on that planet.

So you can see that there's a massively different lexicon being used by the more than is used by Christians at this point so when they talk about God and They encounter these texts to talk about God being everlasting Omnipresent having all knowledge.

Older Mormons that the Mormons who would be more consistent with Joseph Smith more consistent with Utah Mormonism. Let's put it that way.

Will.

Interpret that in a sense of in reference to this creation. Oh, and so when you go to Colossians 1 you talk about how Jesus Christ create all things were in heaven earth visible invisible. So I'm still worth they say yes Jesus is the creator of this world the Bible is only relevant to this world.

And so all the terms used in the Bible are only relevant to this world. Or sometimes they'll even go to the point of saying This universe, but you need to recognize that they don't believe there's only one universe.

They believe that there are many universe says plural and so they they will limit all these words To having reference only to this particular creation. So as to leave room for not only the progression of God the status of godhood.

But the fact that Mormon leaders have said from the beginning that if you take a million worlds like this world the number the particle of matter in those worlds you'll see that there are more gods than there are particles of matter in those worlds and.

So Mormonism is the most polytheistic religion that I know of and so they have to redefine the language To to allow for that kind of a thing. Now I don't know which Mormons necessarily you might be talking with or what their background is.

But you do need to realize that there is There's change afoot. Relation change than anything else right now. That is Gordon Hinckley when he became the prophet had spent over 30 years in the public relations department.

So when he's been on Larry King, for example. He's known how to de-emphasize things that would make the Mormons look bad and emphasize things would make the Mormons look good and so on.

So forth.

Combine that with what's been going on at BYU where there has been a purposeful Orchestrated attempt over the past 25 years. To get their people into non LDS schools get non LDS doctorates and non LDS training.