{"id":110060,"date":"2021-06-23T17:47:17","date_gmt":"2021-06-24T00:47:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/?page_id=110060"},"modified":"2021-07-23T16:32:24","modified_gmt":"2021-07-23T23:32:24","slug":"q988-summary","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/?page_id=110060","title":{"rendered":"Q988 Summary"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary prepared by Fielding M. McGehee III. If you use this material, please credit The Jonestown Institute. Thank you.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

To read the Tape Transcript,\u00a0click here<\/a>. Listen to MP3 (Pt. 1<\/a>,\u00a0Pt. 2<\/a>)
\nTo return to the Tape Index, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

FBI Catalogue<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jones Speaking<\/p>\n

FBI preliminary tape identification note: <\/strong>None<\/p>\n

Date cues on tape:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Late winter 1978<\/p>\n

People named:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Public figures\/National and international names:<\/em>
\nJimmy Carter, President of US
\nValery d\u2019Estaing, President of France (by reference)
\nVladimir Lenin
\nKarl Marx
\nFred Wills, Guyana Minister of Foreign Affairs (by reference)<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Wilbur Chapman
\nFather Divine
\nReverend Ike
\nAmy Semple McPherson
\nDwight L. Moody
\nOral Roberts
\nBilly Sunday
\nJohn Wesley<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Charles Garry
\nWilliam Randolph Hearst
\nRandolph Hearst
\nRupert Murdoch
\nJohn and Barbara Moore, parents of Carolyn Layton and Annie Moore (by reference)<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Temple adversaries; members of Concerned Relatives:<\/em>
\nWalter \u201cSmitty\u201d Jones (by reference)
\nGrace Stoen (by reference)
\nTim Stoen<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jonestown residents:<\/em>
\nJack Barron
\nJeff Carey
\nEugene Chaikin
\nCarolyn Layton (by reference)
\nTish Leroy (by reference)
\nAnnie Moore (by reference)
\nRose Peterson
\nMike Prokes
\nJohn Victor Stoen (by reference)
\nWalter Williams<\/div>\n

 
\nBible verses cited: <\/strong> None<\/p>\n

Summary:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Likely recorded in the early months of 1978, this tape of a Jonestown community meeting in Jonestown consists of two distinct segments. The first part of the tape features four songs \u2013 including at least one original composition \u2013 performed by Jim Jones and members of the Jonestown Express. The bulk of the tape, however, is of Jones speaking of numerous grievances he has, and of his ability \u2013 in fact, his sole ability \u2013 to lead them out of some of their troubles.<\/p>\n

Speaking on a pragmatic level at the beginning \u2013 but still incorporating his overall goal for self-sufficiency and to \u201ctransition from capitalism to socialism\u201d \u2013 he demands that the construction crews develop a lumber industry for Jonestown. It\u2019s not enough to build more cabins \u2013 which they also need to do \u2013 but they need to learn how to harvest raw materials. <\/p>\n

Jones soon turns to other issues of concern, and one that arises several times during the meeting is the place of religion in Jonestown, for which there is none. He has learned that there are several books on religion, metaphysics, meditation, and astrology in Jonestown, and he wants to be rid of them. Religion is counter-revolutionary, and \u201cthe biggest proponents of it through history have been the capitalist exploiter class.\u201d More than one business tycoon has used, and even funded, old-line evangelicals to help crush labor strikes.<\/p>\n

In addition, the very foundation of the various religions is flawed, because it asks adherents to wait until the \u201csweet bye-and-bye\u201d for their heavenly reward. But \u201cthere is no world but this world, as far as we\u2019re concerned,\u201d Jones says. \u201cWe should live because it\u2019s principle to live.\u201d<\/p>\n

He has always believed this, he says, he has always been an atheist. He became a minister for the sole reason of bringing communism to the people. \u201cI went in the church and I invaded it, and I prayed when I didn\u2019t believe in nothing, \u2026 but don\u2019t ever believe I believed one goddamn bit of the bullshit, I never have believed it and I never will.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is not enough to merely speak against religion, he adds at another point. \u201cReligion is a menace to the people. We have come to attack it and destroy it. \u2026 We are opposed to religion, because religion is against us.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is an alternative, the exception to his disbelief in anything he can\u2019t see, and that is himself, and \u201cI wouldn\u2019t believe in my faculty other than I see the results of it.\u201d Instead of offering prayers or meditations, then, the people of Jonestown need to say their \u201cgratitudes\u201d \u2013 for being there, for his guidance and leadership, for his protection.<\/p>\n

The other subject to which Jones turns on numerous occasions is Tim Stoen and the threat he is attempting to make to endanger Jonestown\u2019s survival. At one point, Jones says he knows that Stoen is part of the new rightwing movement in the US, that he has connections both to Nazis and to the CIA, but at another, he muses aloud as to what would make his former aide turn against them. But whatever the reason, and whatever he and his estranged wife Grace want \u2013 i.e., John Victor Stoen \u2013 Jones says he would die before he would yield or surrender anyone to the outside. \u201cI\u2019m responsible for anything I take on. \u2026 I\u2019m with you all the way. And it\u2019s never been my understanding how you can sacrifice people without sacrificing principle.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Stoen himself represents only part of a larger problem in the U.S. The Temple left danger behind when they came to Guyana. The press was coming down on top of them \u2013 they beat that only by a few days \u2013 and the people on Jonestown don\u2019t know how many government agents showed up at various members\u2019 doors after they had escaped to the Promised Land. \u201cThen you talk about going back. You better remember where in the hell you are. You better remember what the hell\u2019s going on back there, because you wouldn\u2019t like to face what you\u2019re gonna run into when you get back there.\u201d<\/p>\n

FBI Summary:\t<\/strong><\/p>\n

Date of transcription: 6\/27\/79<\/p>\n

In connection with the Federal Bureau of Investigation\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

On June 25, 1979, Special Agent (name deleted) reviewed the tape numbered 1B110-53. This tape was found to contain the following:<\/p>\n

Music, followed by JIM JONES, discussing Jonestown, socialism, religion and criticisms of the membership.<\/p>\n

Differences with FBI Summary:\t<\/strong><\/p>\n

The summary is accurate and meets the FBI\u2019s purposes.\t<\/p>\n

Tape originally posted June 2021.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary prepared by Fielding M. McGehee III. If you use this material, please credit The Jonestown Institute. Thank you. To read the Tape Transcript,\u00a0click here. Listen to MP3 (Pt. 1,\u00a0Pt. 2) To return to the Tape Index, click here. FBI Catalogue\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jones Speaking FBI preliminary tape identification note: None Date cues on tape:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Late winter […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"parent":27996,"menu_order":658,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-110060","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/110060","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=110060"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/110060\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":110640,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/110060\/revisions\/110640"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/27996"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=110060"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}