Comments about ‘Utahns, visitors pray in opposition to Ronnie Lee Gardner execution’

I sure hope that the Rt Rev Irish isn't comparing Gardner to Jesus. She shouldn't make such a comparison.

I'm always amazed at just how many people have more empathy for the killer than they do his victims. Incredible!

"...Jesus himself was the victim of a state-sponsored murder."


You're leaving out one small detail, however, Reverend: Gardner is guilty of a capital crime, while Jesus was innocent of wrongdoing.

I'm NOT from Utah, I'm from Florida. As Christians we condemn the taking of a human life, recalling that Jesus himself was the victim of a state-sponsored murder, that was God's plan, Plan of Salvation, In the premortal existence, Heavenly Father prepared a plan to enable us to become like Him and receive a fulness of joy. The scriptures refer to this plan as "the plan of salvation" (Alma 24:14; Moses 6:62), "the great plan of happiness" (Alma 42:8), "the plan of redemption" (Jacob 6:8; Alma 12:30), and "the plan of mercy" (Alma 42:15). The plan of salvation is the fulness of the gospel. It includes the Creation, the Fall, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and all the laws, ordinances, and doctrines of the gospel. Moral agency, the ability to choose and act for ourselves, is also essential in Heavenly Father's plan. Because of this plan, we can be perfected through the Atonement, receive a fulness of joy, and live forever in the presence of God. Our family relationships can last throughout the eternities.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." If Gardner has accepted Christ, the state's punishment will hasten his heavenly reward. We rid ourselves of a cold-blooded killer and he gets eternity. Sounds like a win-win to me.

The 6th commandment: Thou Shalt Not Kill.

Yes this man is in violation of this commandment. And now tonight a lot more people will be in violation of this commandment. The public that supports capital punishment will be in violation of this, because they would not perform executions if the public did not want and support this penalty.

People with the devil blinding them from what is right and wrong say that those against the death penalty do not care about the victims and their families. How can you honestly think this way? Of course we care about the victims. We also care about this cycle of violence that accomplishes only the satisfisfaction of the evil bloodlust for revenge. Let God be the judge, and take this mans life when he decides to. I'm afraid that after tonight, there will be more people that God will have to judge for murder, besides Ronnie Lee Gardner.

Anyone who has a good understanding of the Old Testment would know that Murder was punishible by death.

The commandment that says thous shalt not kill says not to murder. He that killeth shall die Doctrine and Covenants section 42. By opposing Capital Punishment you are denying justice for the victim and mercy cannot rob justice. You are saying being in the wrong place at the wrong time is worthy of a death sentence but murder isn't.

Comparing a serial killer of multiple innocent victims to the Savior of mankind is tantamount to blasphemy.

@TunnelVision 9:45

So if someone breaks into my house and tries to murder my family, in your view the Christian thing to do is let them get away with it, because defending myself and my family is unChristian.

Whatever repect I had for Rev. Irish is totally GONE!

HOW DARE SHE COMPARE GARDENER TO JESUS CHRIST! WHAT A SHAMELESS, DISGUSTING ANALOGY!

Brother Chuck Schroeder - What Bible are you using??? The Bible that Christians use does not have Alma 24:14; Moses 6:62; Alma 42:8; Jacob 6:8. We have 66 books in the Bible and Alma, Moses and Jacob are not one of those books.

Read in Exodus where Moses receives the 10 commandments, but also learns that murder is punishable by death. There is no dispute to it. You dispute it and you're disputing God's law. Dispute God's law then where are you getting your reasonings? You can't say you follow God but say what he has set forth is wrong. That's contradiction. Pray for this man's soul to be as peaceful as possible. It is in God's hands to determine his future and it is only our duty to do the best we can as humans to give the man a fair trial. Also refer to 1 Nephi when God commanded Nephi to slay Laban. It was for the pure benefit of an entire nation to have the gospel that one man's life was ended. Apply it here and pray that this man's death will bring many more to the true pure love and gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ and His atonement.

The time is drawing near and I guess no one will stop the execution. I will always wonder if this was just a continuation of Ronnie Lee Gardner's life of bad luck. Watch any TV show that has documented murderers and you will see that most of them end up sentenced to life in prison, without parole and that is for the most despicable of crimes and murders. For those who have murdered as a by-product of their actions, as I believe Ronnie Lee Gardner has, they almost all receive life without parole, not execution. Yes, I know that life is eternal. I hope that Gardner's relatives and loved ones know that as well as the families of those whose lives he took. And I hope that most of the people who keep crying for revenge and vengeance realize that forgiveness is a gift for the FORGIVER, not the criminal. It is a lifting of pain and a freedom.

And it's done.

It's not a better world now. Sad.

I shed a tear...a man with the worst possible sin is now on the other side and has no hope for full redemption. It is heart breaking. I pray he will try to do all within his power to make amends to our Lord, and Savior. Jesus Christ's atonement will need to be in full force to help people forgive. My heart truly aches for this man's soul. He will have much pain and suffering in his eternal future.

People killing people. That's all we've ever done.

These are the rules in the state of Utah in 1985: If you kill people in 1984 a jury of your peers may find you guilty and sentence you to death. Those are the rules. Ronnie Lee Gardner chose to go ahead and ruthlessly kill two individuals. Not to protect others who were being threatened or even himself. He killed out of selfishness. Not one of his victims was afforded 25 years to appeal for his life, request for a final meal, a farewell with family. Mr. Gardner claims he's a changed man. I'm sure his victims would be different and changed men if they had been given the opportunity to live. During the appeal process we heard of Mr. Gardners troubled youth and the abuse he suffered at the hands of others. This is truly tragic. BUT did we ever hear about the childhoods of his victims? Did not his victims have their own story of which Mr. Gardner could care less about? It is not MURDER when you are told the rules of society. This is how we operate as a civilization, by the rules. When we throw out the rules we have ANARCHY!

Taking revenge by killing those who hurt or threaten us. Isn't that what got Mr. Gardner in trouble? Whenever we, as a society, justify taking a human life for a greater good, we blur the distinction between right and wrong.

buh-bye.