Q612a Summary

Summary prepared by Fielding M. McGehee III. If you use this material, please credit The Jonestown Institute. Thank you.

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FBI Catalogue: Jones Speaking

FBI preliminary tape identification note: [From Q 612] One BASF C-120/Sermon 3/3/74/ Reply to Kinsolving

Date cues on tape: Continuation of 612 (1974)

People named:

Bible verses cited:

(Click here for a scriptural index to the sermons of Jim Jones.)

“The Jews were chosen people. That’s what their Bible said. But seven million of them were exterminated in gas ovens. Buried alive, burned alive.” (Numerous references, including Deuteronomy 7:6, Deuteronomy 14:2, Psalm 33:12, and Psalm 105:43)

Summary:

In a continuation of the sermon started on tape 612, Jones speaks of his ability to heal through his mental powers, his “magnetic force.” If you need assistance, he says, “all you have to do is just call. Mentally. Make a mental and a spiritual contact.” After speaking of the healing he has done, he repeats, “Just call on your God, and you will get an answer!”

He then speaks about Jonestown — referred to as the Promised Land — and the reasons people need to go there. Scientists want to teach that blacks are inferior, blacks are deliberately given syphilis, and Mexican mothers who were told they were taking an anti-pregnancy drug were instead given a drugs that “guarantees” you’ll contract cancer. In addition, the Supreme Court has widened the police wiretap powers, in a time during which police-shootings of blacks escalate.

He warns of a coming dictatorship, and says the rich people want a race war to break out between poor whites and blacks, because “with this mass production, they don’t need poor workers anymore.”

He concludes by contrasting Peoples Temple with other churches, and his ability to bring his people out of danger, whether that danger come from the government, society at large, or other churches (see “Differences with FBI Summary” below).

The second half of the tape consists of a rebuttal which Michael Prokes reads on KGO radio to the charges brought by Rev. Lester Kinsolving about Peoples Temple. Prokes lists some of the Temple’s works and Jim Jones’ part in them and rejects Kinsolving’s demands that the Disciples of Christ “exorcise” Jones from his ministry.

In addition, Prokes explains some of the troubling things which Kinsolving reported seeing. He acknowledges the presence of armed security guards, for example, but says they were necessary, given the attacks on Temple members and the arson against the church building itself. Prokes denied the allegations which Kinsolving made of attacks and harassment on him. If that were true, Prokes asks rhetorically, “if Kinsolving was so threatened, why did he come back the following week, by himself?”

FBI Summary:

Date of transcription 3/5/79

In connection with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s investigation into the assassination of U.S. Congressman LEO J. RYAN at Port Kaituma, Guyana, South America, on November 18, 1978, a tape recording was obtained. This tape recording was located in Jonestown, Guyana, South America, and was turned over to U.S. Officials in Guyana and subsequently transported to the United States.

On March 2, 1979, Special Agent (name deleted) reviewed the tape numbered 1B47 No. 56. This tape was found to contain the following:

Side A of the tape is a continuation of JIMMY JONES’ sermon attacking the Bible and fundamental Christianity and JONES’ statement that they (inferring the Christians or those in authority) were attempting to start a race war to kill off the poor and black people. JONES said he had come to “save you” (inferring black persons in general), “not from sin, but from the sinners, the honkies that have sinned against you.” The tape also contained a KGO radio interview of People’s Temple Spokesman MICHAEL J. PROKES wherein he said he was, responding to an earlier broadcast of a statement by Reverend LESTER KINSOVING [Kinsolving] attacking JIM JONES and the People’s Temple Disciples of Christ, at Ukiah, California. PROKES denied that KINSOVING had been recently seized by the Church when KINSOVING reportedly visited the church. He said that KINSOVING was in fact allowed in to take notes inside the church and he said that a member of the church who was an assistant district attorney (location not indicated) had not interrogated KINSOVING “in any sense of the word”. PROKES also denied that KINSOVING’s photographer had been “grabbed” on the occasion of KINSOVING’s visit to the church and PROKES said that if KINSOVING had felt “so threatened” why had KINSOVING returned alone to the church for a further visit one week later. PROKES admitted two Peoples’ Temple members had “in open view worn firearms” and served as security guards on two Sundays only, after acts of violence had taken place against the church. PROKES further denied that either of the security guards had met KINSOVING. PROKES cited several past incidents of violence against the church and he said the church had “reasons to be concerned about security.”

Side B of the tape is blank.

Differences with FBI Summary:

The FBI summary says that Jones “attack[s] the Bible and fundamental Christianity.” While this is the second tape of the sermon which began on 612, there is no direct attack on the Bible on this tape. Jones observes that both Christians and Jews claim their Bible will see them through their troubles, but it doesn’t always work that way. “The Jews were chosen people. That’s what their Bible said. But seven million of them were exterminated in gas ovens. Buried alive, burned alive.”

His attack on churches consists of contrasting Peoples Temple with other churches (with a quote that the FBI did include in its summary). “You came here thinking this was another church, some of you. You thought you’d be lied to, just like your preachers lied to you. I’ve come to save you. I’ve come to save you, not from sin, but from the sinners.” He also criticizes ministers who take their black parishioners to the Holy Land, when, for Peoples Temple, “this is our Holy Land.”

Tape originally posted May 1999