{"id":122801,"date":"2023-06-02T15:23:50","date_gmt":"2023-06-02T22:23:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/?page_id=122801"},"modified":"2026-01-08T15:42:36","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T23:42:36","slug":"q947-1-summary","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/?page_id=122801","title":{"rendered":"Q947-1 Summary"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

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

FBI Catalogue:<\/b> Jones speaking<\/p>\n

FBI preliminary tape identification note: <\/strong>Labeled in part \u201cAug 72\u201d<\/p>\n

Date cues on tape:<\/b> December 11, 1977 (day after death of Lynetta Jones)<\/p>\n

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

Public figures\/National and international names:<\/i><\/p>\n

Vladimir Lenin, father of Russian Revolution
\nForbes Burnham, Guyana Prime Minister (by reference)
\nPtolemy Reid, Guyana Deputy Prime Minister<\/div>\n

Temple adversaries; members of Concerned Relatives:<\/i><\/p>\n

Joe Mazor, detectives hired by Concerned Relatives
\nGrace Stoen
\nTim Stoen<\/div>\n

Jonestown residents, full name unknown:<\/i><\/p>\n

Bertha [several in Jonestown]
\nHelen [several in Jonestown]
\nJim [several in Jonestown]
\nMarvin Kice
\nMary (speaks<\/strong>)
\nPete [several in Jonestown]
\nReuben
\nRon
\nRose
\n\u201cThe Williams boy\u201d<\/div>\n

Jonestown residents:<\/i><\/p>\n

Jerome Anderson (speaks<\/strong>)
\nMarcus Anderson (speaks<\/strong>)
\nJair Baker (speaks<\/strong>)
\nTommy Bogue
\nVities Cannon (speaks<\/strong>)
\nBrian Davis (by reference)
\nRonnie Dennis
\nTinetra Fain
\nMarshall Farris
\nDavid Goodwin
\nEmmett Griffith
\nMary Magdaline Griffith (by reference)
\nGarry Dartez \u201cPoncho\u201d Johnson (speaks<\/strong>)
\nLynetta Jones (by reference)
\nStephan Jones
\nPenny Kerns (speaks<\/strong>)
\nTish Leroy
\nVincent Lopez
\nWillie Malone (speaks<\/strong>)
\nCheryle Darnell McCall
\nSebastian McMurry
\nLinda Mitchell
\nYvonne Morrison
\nRussell Moton
\nEsther Mueller
\nTom Partak
\nRose Peterson
\nKenny Reed
\nBenjamin O\u2019Neal Robinson
\nMary Johnson Rodgers (by reference)
\nJan Wilsey<\/div>\n

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

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

(This tape was transcribed by Connor Ashley Clayton. The<\/em> editors gratefully acknowledge his invaluable assistance.)<\/em><\/p>\n

This meeting of the Jonestown community has many of the elements of a Peoples Rally \u2013 most notably, discussions of the conspiracy against Peoples Temple and of the former members and defectors responsible for it; and decisions on recommendations of coordinators and supervisors on disciplining misbehavior and shortcomings \u2013 but two problems differentiate this session of December 11, 1977.<\/p>\n

The more emotional one is that Jim Jones\u2019 mother Lynetta has died the night before, and Jones spends time reviewing her life and everything she did for the movement. One issue he has to discuss, however, is the very fact of her death, since Jones has spent years claiming that, due to his own paranormal abilities, no one dies in his presence. Part of his explanation is that his mother knew how much energy and pain it caused her son to perform his healings, and she did not want to drain him, so she asked him to let her go. He also says that, while he considers everyone else in the community to be his child \u2013 and so does everything in his power to protect them \u2013 Lynetta was the mother. She made the decision to die, and as hard as it was, he had to accept it. Throughout this meeting, though, she is held up as the example to which all Jonestown residents should emulate.<\/p>\n

The second issue is one affecting the community\u2019s finances: Jones has recently learned that the Social Security Administration, working with the U.S. Postal Service, has blocked<\/a> Temple recipients in Jonestown from receiving the checks to which they are entitled. Jones has known about the problem for a few weeks, and \u2013 between contacts with California congressional representatives and Guyanese political leaders \u2013 Jones is fairly calm that the situation will be resolved (which it was, later that month). Nevertheless, it gives him fodder for his frequent reminders of the perfidy of the fascists and monopoly capitalists running the U.S. government. In addition, while he doesn\u2019t that the community would choose death on this subject, he does note that they have power in threatening death. \u201cWe\u2019ll get right on that radio and tell \u2026 the fuckin\u2019 world that we\u2019re gonna fast, \u2018til we get our goddamn money.\u2026 I\u2019m certainly not gonna let us stand here and starve to death to suit the fascists. But we\u2019ll tell \u2018em we\u2019re gonna fast.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Jonestown community does have the Guyanese government in its corner, though. There are pressures on it to get rid of them, but the prime minister \u201csaid that we were indispensable<\/em> to the security of Guyana.\u201d Beyond that, the US doesn\u2019t want to fight another war in a jungle, not so soon after Vietnam.<\/p>\n

Still, there might be a battle that might kill many of them. And those that have betrayed him and survive, won\u2019t be in the clear, because of all the contingencies he will have left in the wake of his death. \u201cYou can\u2019t put me in the grave and get away from me,\u201d he warns. They should heed what he has to say, because he knows how to deal with traitors. \u201cYou don\u2019t know how clever I am. One thing you\u2019ve all<\/em> done is underestimate me. I made plans for treason long ago, \u2018cause I knew I couldn\u2019t trust enough of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jones does suggest he has some financial hold or influence that allows him to leverage information \u2013 from government agencies, from other parties \u2013 about who their enemies are and what they\u2019re doing. \u201cThey\u2019re hesitant to give me my credits for stopping trains and stopping bombs and that kind of shit,\u201d he says, but \u201ccapitalists will fink on each other if you pay them.\u2026 I can get anything I want to buy. And I know how to buy it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The session eventually turns to Jones\u2019 review of reports regarding the Learning Crew \u2013 the people who have been placed on it, the people ready to come off of it \u2013 and in general, he offers as much encouragement and praise for the progress folks are making as chastisement. He does wonder aloud, though, whether the news there was going to be a Peoples Rally that night concentrated the minds of would-be miscreants.<\/p>\n

The final moments of the tape focus on one of Jonestown\u2019s hardest rules, about love and sex. There is a Relationships Committee in Jonestown which is supposed to rule on all relationships before the partners can engage in sex, and one of the conditions is a three-month period of abstinence before the union will be approved. There are several reasons given for this. One is that the community is already living close to the margin of existence \u2013 maybe too close, according to some \u2013 and they don\u2019t need any more babies to consume valuable resources. Another is that the time spent in relationships takes away from the production goals of the project. \u201cShit, we here to work<\/em>, not to lay up and fuck,<\/em>\u201d one unidentified woman says, adding, \u201cIt really pisses me off.\u201d Expanding upon that, Jones notes that the father of the Russian Revolution, Vladimir Lenin, pointed out that you have to be prepared to abandon love as being too much of a diversion. \u201cAny kind of one-to-one relationship he\u2019s said to be stopped. We\u2019re in a revolution.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Date of transcription: 7\/2\/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 21, 1979, Special Agent (name deleted) reviewed the tape numbered 1B110-10. This tape was found to contain the following:<\/p>\n

JIM JONES talks about the recent death of an elderly female Jonestown resident then talks about the \u201cconspiracy\u201d and says, \u201cI\u2019ve made plans to protect these people \u2026 I\u2019ll call up my aces in the hole \u2026 you can\u2019t put me in a grave and get away with it\u201d.<\/p>\n

This is followed by criticisms of work habits and performance and criticisms of the \u201cRelationship Committee.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

The summary is accurate and meets the FBI\u2019s purposes. The identification note \u2013 indicating the tape was made in 1972 \u2013 would indicate that it is a recycled tape.<\/p>\n

Tape originally posted\u00a0June 2023.<\/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, click here. Listen to MP3 (Pt. 1,\u00a0Pt. 2). To return to the Tape Index, click here. FBI Catalogue: Jones speaking FBI preliminary tape identification note: Labeled in part \u201cAug 72\u201d Date […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"parent":27996,"menu_order":625,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-122801","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/122801","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=122801"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/122801\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":133274,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/122801\/revisions\/133274"}],"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=122801"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}