Comments about ‘Ex-choir member ordered to prison in porn case’

I sincerely hope he was excommunicated, and will be very closely watched.

Frankly, it's none of our business what is done to him. What happens to him is between him, and the Lord, with church leaders acting in His place. He still has a mother and father, wife and family that have loved him, and hopefully continue to. He is much more likely to truly repent if he has loving support. This is just more proof of how pornography can distroy someone. I have watched my husband's ex-wife commit horrible sins, and even crimes, while she was not excommunicated. It took me a long time to understand that it should not matter to me how she is dealt with. And regardless of how negatively her actions have affected my family, she still is loved too, just like I would love my children, regardless of their actions.

Addiction is a horrible thing. It destroys. Pornography is addiction. Pornography destroys.

Why only 36 months after he is released? He should never be allowed to be around children unsupervised. PERIOD

Everyone loves to attach the name "addiction" to every bad habit. Doing so merely removes the sense of responsibility.

Getting into pornography is NOT an addiction. It is a CHOICE, and it becomes a habit, but it is not an addiction.

My heart goes out to his family, especially his wife. I know how hard it is to deal with a husband in jail. Mine just came home after 6 months in jail, and we are completely broke. I can't imagine trying to cope for 3 years. I wish the family the best, and I hope that with counseling, much love, repentance, forgiveness, and whatever church action is necessary, Brother Matthews can come back into full fellowship and be welcomed back into his ward when the time comes. My husband was welcomed back warmly. He was wrongfully accused by a vengeful granddaughter, but that's another story. I'm grateful for good family and friends who helped us, and I wish the same for the Matthews family, too. We cannot be his judge, that is up to God. Of course, certain precautions will be necessary, but life can go on. Porn begins as a choice, but then becomes an addiction if not stopped in the beginning. Read, "The Worth of a Soul."

Okay, so this guy was once in a church choir. How nice for him. Well lets be fair Mr. Deseret News Editor. From now on I will expect to see all the stories of a similar nature include a bio of the former and current church background reguardless of religion. If he was a Catholic Alter Boy 30 years ago, I want to know. If he was a Former Minister of a Baptist Church I expect to know. Why must you include a person's religion if he is or was Mormon in the story? It is not your practice to do so with any other religion. Make it one way or the other but make it uniform.

Addiction doesn't take away responsibility at all, it was still clearly a choice to get involved and then he was addicted and all the responsibility still is with the choices he made.

I don't know where the idea comes from that addicition excuses anything. Ask anybody in AA meetings, they have a disease and they own up to it. It is one of the ways they recover.

It sure seems like most or all of the child porn cases I hear about involve religious people leading a double life. I find that very odd.

While I feel sorrow for him and his family, I can not see how such a light sentance is justified. Even if the pictures he possessed did not include "the" sexual act you can bet those same children were subjected to cruelty that will affect their lives for years and years. By possessing these pictures he helped enable further crimes to be perpitrated upon those and other children. You can also be sure mentioning the church hurts countless others across the world. When will the media understand what is public and what is private. They only understand that sensation sells. Shame on us for buying.

I agree with Major US Media: What did his membership in the choir or in the Mormon Church have to do with the story? Did he commit the crime while singing? During practice or a performance? Was the offensive material found on a computer owned by the choir or the Church? What exactly is the connection here? And blazing the choir membership in the headline of the article, where it REALLY didn't belong, only goes to prove that his association with the choir and the Church were only used to sensationalize the situation for print. Bad journalism!!!

One more thing that makes the world look at Mormons in a less than favorable light.

In cases like these, the reporters do add info about churches and religious, altho it has no connection in my opinion. You do read, "Baptist minister commits murder," "Pentecostal preacher accused." Usually it involes leadership. I don't see much headlines about church members, choir members, lay members in the headlines. Yet somewhere is the articles, if the person was known to very religious, it comes out. This feeds the publics desire for such info. Definitely a fulfillment of what's done in the dark shall be brought to the light, regardless of religious affiliation. There are sick, misguided, or hypocritical people in every walk of life.

So this guy has been alive for 52 years with plenty of other experiences worth noting, but the only thing mentioned about him was the fact that he was a member of the choir for a short amount of time? They couldn't have labeled him as an employee of a certain company, or a resident of a certain community? Whatever sells papers, right? The media love to throw egg in the Mormon face whenever possible. I guess it just seems so fascinating to people that Mormons can have issues just like any other person. I agree with Kia... bad journalism.

To whom much is given, much is required. As a member of a high profile organization, appearing nationally on weekly T.V. and radio, travelling around the world, in inaugrals for U.S. Presidents, the public has a heightened awareness and a higher set of expectations. When those public expectations are violated, its news. There is no evidence to show that the guy had any actual contact with any children, or would have. But an unfortunate addiction like this is many times a precursor (precedes)to physical contact. Eventually things will turn out well, but meanwhile-its a harsh penalty.

I'm a faithful member of the LDS Church, and don't like seeing it portrayed in a negative light. But the choir is an organization knwon worldwide, and is an ambassador of LDS beliefs, values and culture. It is, frankly, a big deal if a member of the choir is arrested for this sort of crime. It's not "bad journalism", people just don't like it because (A) It's less than flattering to the LDS public image, or (B): It's yet another story in the Deseret Morning News that mentions Mormonism. Either way, we're talking about boorish Utah politics.

Anyone with at least a double digit I.Q. knows this doesn't mean he was a pedophile BECAUSE he was in the Choir, but it's relevant to the story. Calm down, people.

I agree with several of the above...why bring the choir issue into the picture?? My wife is a member of the choir and its just a slap in the face of an outstanding group of talented people, of which the vast majority who are dedicated to their faith. I say shame on the individual who was responsible for interviewing the individual and not finding the root of his problem in the beginning. Why let one isolated individual bring such shame on the whole group,I say shame on the Bishop. Interesting that when a person of another faith commits such acts its only mentioned in a small third or fourth page column, but, if its related to the LDS...watch out, because here comes the thunder.

I find it interesting that he was in the choir. Maybe after serving 3 years he will get out and be the Sunday school teacher, after all we should forgive him right???
You can forgive but dont ever forget, otherwise it could be your child.

For those who say that his choir membership has nothing to do with the story do not understand journalism. It is indeed part of the story. If the president of the church were arrested and convicted of a similar crime, do you just leave out the fact the he is president of the church because it has nothing directly to do with his crimes?
Learn a little about basic journalism before you express such misguided opinions.

You blame bad journalism and tout "The media loves to throw egg in the Mormon face whenever possible."...

Are you aware that this is LDS Paper? Why would they throw egg in their own face?

I think the point of mentioning the choir is to illustrate the duality of man and that this type of thing can happen to anybody, even members of prestigious groups. I bet if he had climbed Mt. Everest or flew to the moon, they would have mentioned that too.

First, thanks to readers who have correctly argued that the perp's choir membership is newsworthy. Anyone who thinks it isn't doesn't have a clue about the news business, and I don't care where he works.

Second, yes, sometimes reporters focus on one's religion when it's not pertinent. Certainly Mike Wallace's 60 Minutes piece about disgraced FBI agent Richard Miller (convicted of espionage in the '80s) fits that category. But this is a different story entirely.

Finally, this story is damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't. If the Deseret News had failed to report that he was arrested while a choir member, the commentary would surely be going the other way: "Look at how the Mormons cover up the wrong-doing of their own people!"

In years past, the News *has* withheld newsworthy information about church members involved in unsavory behavior when including that information might reflect negatively on the church. However, during the media-savvy Gordon B. Hinckley administration, church-owned media have learned the value of open, honest communication that doesn't seek to hide our blemishes -- and the church has benefited from it.

I applaud the Deseret News for its reporting in this case. The paper was both ethical and true to its readers.