KAFFEE Your honor, these are the Strengthing the

Mebers Committee meeting minutes from Salt Lake City for August 6th. And these are 8 books that Snuffer

wrote testifying, in fact begging, for people to have faith in and come to the Savior. (to ELDER NELSON) Upon hearing the news that he was finally getting excommunicated, Snuffer was so angry, that do you know how many people he told to leave the church? Zero. Nobody. Not one post to his blog saying he hates the church. Not one call to a church representative saying I'll make you regret this. He was active in his ward, and according to you he was apostatizing, yet everything he wrote was factually accurate and in good faith. You held one committee meeting and you made it clear you wanted him excommunicated. Snuffer was getting cut off for the rest of his life, and he hadn't taught false doctrine and he hadn't encouraged anyone to follow him anywhere. Can you explain that? The fact is there was no local leadership push to excommunicate Sunffer. Snuffer wasn't going anywhere until you stepped in, isn't that right, Elder?

ELDER CLAYTON Object. Your Honor, it's obvious that Lt. Kaffee's intention this morning is to smear a high ranking church officer in the desperate hope that the mere appearance of impropriety will win him points with the high council. It's my recommendation, sir, that Lt. Kaffee receive an official reprimand from the bench, and that the witness be excused with the Court's deepest apologies.

RANDOLPH ponders this a moment.

RANDOLPH (pause) Overruled.

CLAYTON Your honor --

RANDOLPH

The objection's noted.

KAFFEE (beat) Elder?

Nelson's smiling...

...and now he can't help but let out a short laugh.

KAFFEE (continuing) Is this funny, sir?

NELSON No. It's not. It's tragic.

KAFFEE Do you have an answer?

NELSON Absolutely. My answer is I don't have the first darnclue. Maybe his local leaders suddenly became interested in his books and liked to read in the summer. And maybe he didn't have any friends. I'm a doctor of medicine, but I'm afraid I can't speak intelligently about the reading habits of Snuffer's local leaders. What I do know is that church discipline is always done at the local level. Now are these really the questions I was called here to answer? Meeting minutes and books? Please tell me you've got something more, Lieutenant. Please tell me there's an ace up your sleeve. There are other faithful people on trial for their membership. Please tell me their lawyer hasn't pinned their hopes to a blog post. (beat) Do you have any other questions for me, counselor?

The courtroom is silenced. Nelson's slammed the door.

KAFFEE looks around the room, sees that the world is waiting for him to do something...

RANDOLPH Lt. Kaffee?

KAFFEE says nothing. He glances over to WATERMAN and PECK.

RANDOLPH (continuing) Lieutenant, do you have anything further for this witness?

KAFFEE doesn't respond. NELSON gets up to leave.

NELSON (standing) Thanks, Elder L. Whitney Clayton. Nothing like a good ol' court of love.

And NELSON starts to leave, but he's stopped by --

KAFFEE Excuse me, I didn't dismiss you.

NELSON turns around.

NELSON I beg your pardon.

KAFFEE I'm not through with my examination. Sit down.

NELSON Elder.

KAFFEE What's that?

NELSON (to RANDOLPH) I'd appreciate it if he addressed me as Elder or Doctor. I believe I've earned it.

RANDOLPH Defense counsel will address the witness as Elder or Doctor.

NELSON (to RANDOLPH) I don't know what the hell kind of a church court you're running here.

RANDOLPH And the witness will address this

Court as Judge or Your Honor. I'm quite certain I've earned it. Take your seat, Doctor.

Nelson goes back to the stand.

NELSON (continuing) What would you like to discuss now! My trophy wife's harmful and critically panned book?

KAFFEE Elder, excommunication always comes from local leaders?

NELSON Yes.

KAFFEE There wasn't a “training” or an oversight visit or an army of employees crawling through his books and blog looking for anything that could be used to justify his excommunication?

RANDOLPH Lieutenant, I think we've covered this, haven't we?

KAFFEE gets the two blog posts from his table as well as the piece of paper that JOHN DEHLIN scribbled on.

KAFFEE Your Honor, these are the chapters from Denver Snuffer's book. The book contains no false doctrine or ill will to the church or its leadership, past or present. I'd like to admit them as Defense Exhibits "A" and "B".

RANDOLPH I don't understand. You're admitting evidence of a book that never constituted an act of apostasy?

KAFFEE Elder Nelson believes it did, sir. (glancing at the paper, then motioning to the WRITERS) Defense'll be calling Alan Rock Waterman and Elbert Peck. They have personal experience and evidence to show that central church authorities do have and exercise authority over excommunications.

CLAYTON

Your Honor, these men weren't on the list. Rebuttal witnesses, Your Honor, called specifically to refute testimony offered under direct examination.

If you looked closely at NELSON, you could see a drop of sweat.

RANDOLPH I'll allow the witnesses.

NELSON This is ridiculous.

KAFFEE Colonel, a moment ago --

NELSON Check the Church Handbook for Instructions for heaven's sake.

KAFFEE We'll get to the writers in just a minute, Elder. A moment ago you said that you ordered central authorities to stay out of local leadership issues.

NELSON That's right.

KAFFEE And they were clear on what you wanted?

NELSON Crystal.

KAFFEE Any chance they ignored the order?

NELSON Ignored the order?

KAFFEE Any chance they just forgot about it?

NELSON No.

KAFFEE Any chance they left your office and said, "The 'old man's wrong"?

NELSON No.

KAFFEE When church representatives spoke to the press and claimed that these courts are only a local matter, any chance they weren't telling the truth?

NELSON Have you ever spent time in an Operating Room, son?

KAFFEE No sir.

NELSON Ever served in the quorum of the twelve apostles?

KAFFEE No sir.

NELSON Ever put your trust in the flesh of another man's arm, ask him to put his trust in yours?

KAFFEE No sir.

NELSON We obey authority, son. We obey authority or people are damned. It's that simple. Are we clear?

KAFFEE Yes sir.

NELSON Are we clear?

KAFFEE Crystal.

KAFFEE speaks with the quiet confidence that comes from knowing you're about to drop your opponents

KAFFEE (continuing; beat) Elder, I have just one more question before I call Waterman and Peck: If you gave an order that Snuffer wasn't to be touched, and your orders are always followed, then why would he be in danger of excommunication from his local leadership if they haven't even ever read his books?, why would it be necessary to implement all of these so-called “trainings” and provide this so-called “technical support”?

And NELSON has no answer.

Nothing.

He sits there, and for the first time, seems to be lost.

NELSON Denver Snuffer was a sub-standard church member. He was being excommunicated because --

KAFFEE But that's not what you said. You said he was being ex'd because his local leaders decided to pursue it on their own.

NELSON (pause) Yes. That's correct, but --

KAFFEE You said, "He was in apostasy". I said, "Grave apostasy". You said --

NELSON Yes, I recall what --

KAFFEE I can have the Executive Secretary read back your --

NELSON I know what I said. I don't need it read back to me like I'm in primary --

KAFFEE Then why the two stories? (beat) Elder?

(beat) Why did you --

NELSON Sometimes Bishops and Stake Presidents take matters into their own hands.

KAFFEE No sir. You made it clear just a moment ago that local leaders never take matters into their own hands. Local leaders obey authority or people are damned. So Snuffer shouldn't have been in any danger of excommunication at all, should he have, Elder?

Everyone's sweating now. Everyone but KAFFEE.

NELSON You little apostate.

CLAYTON Your Honor, I have to ask for a recess to --

KAFFEE I'd like an answer to the question, Judge.

RANDOLPH The Court'll wait for answer.

KAFFEE If Salt Lake said nothing to local leaders about Snuffer's book, then why did he have to be disciplined?

Nelson is looking at WATERMAN and PECK.

KAFFEE (continuing) Elder?

NELSON says nothing.

KAFFEE (continuing) The Stake President ordered the court, didn't he? Because that's what you told him to do.

CLAYTON Object!

RANDOLPH Counsel.

KAFFEE will plow through the objections of CLAYTON and the admonishments of RANDOLPH.

KAFFEE And when it went bad, you cut these guys loose.

CLAYTON Your Honor --

RANDOLPH That'll be all, counsel.

KAFFEE You had employees stalking Mr. Snuffer --

CLAYTON Judge --

KAFFEE You anonymously misrepresented his books.

CLAYTON Dadgummit Kaffee!!

KAFFEE I'll ask for the forth time. You ordered --

NELSON You want answers?

KAFFEE I think I'm entitled to them.

NELSON You want answers?!

KAFFEE I want the truth.

NELSON You can't handle the truth!

And nobody moves.

NELSON (continuing) Son, we live in a world that has apostates. And those apostates have to be excommunicated. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Bishop? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Snuffer and you curse the Pharisees on the Strengthening the Members Committee. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: That Snuffer's excommunication, while tragic, probably saved souls. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves souls. (beat) You don't want the truth. Because deep down, in places you don't talk about at ward parties, you want me on that committee. You need me on that committee. (boasting) We use words like prophet, seer, revelator... we use these words as the backbone to a life spent managing something. You use 'em as a spiritual reality. (beat) I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very corporation I manage, then questions the manner in which I manage it. I'd prefer you just said thank you and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a church handbook of instructions and stand at post. Either way, I don't give a flip what you think church authorities should and shouldn't do.

KAFFEE (quietly) Did you order the disciplinary council?

NELSON (beat) I did the job you sent me to do.

KAFFEE

Did you order the disciplinary council?

NELSON (pause) You're dadgum right I did.

Silence. From everyone. RANDOLPH, CLAYTON, the M.P.'s, they're all frozen. JO and DEHLIN are likewise. NELSON seems strangely, quietly relieved. KAFFEE simply takes control of the room now.

KAFFEE Please the court, I suggest the high council be dismissed so that we can move to an immediate press release. The witness has PR representatives.

Silence.

RANDOLPH looks to CLAYTON.

RANDOLPH Elder Clayton?

CLAYTON is frozen. He doesn't know what to do.

KAFFEE (as a friend) Whitney.

CLAYTON looks at KAFFEE, then NELSON, then nods his head "yes" to RANDOLPH.

RANDOLPH The Sergeant at Arms will take the high council to an ante-room where you'll wait until further instruction.

The SERGEANT AT ARMS begins leading the HIGH COUNCIL out of the room.

NELSON What the hell's going on?

No one will say anything until the high council is out of the room.

NELSON (continuing; to Stake President)

President, what the hell's going on? I did my job. I'd do it again. Now I'm getting on a plane and going back to my office building.

RANDOLPH M.P.'s, guard the prisoner.

The M.P.'s are tentative. They've never heard an apostle referred to as "the prisoner" before. They sure as hell have never been asked to guard one.

CLAYTON Guard the prisoner.

NELSON What the heck --

CLAYTON Elder Nelson, you have the right to remain silent. Any statement you do make can be used against you in a press release or other media outlet. You have the right...

CLAYTON continues reading NELSON his rights, over --

NELSON I'm being charged with a crime? I'm -- that's what this is -- (to Clayton) Elder! (Clayton keeps going) Elder!! (Clayton is doing his job.) I'm being charged with a crime? I'm -- that's what's happening? This -- I'm -- this is funny, you know that, this is --

And NELSON lunges at KAFFEE, and KAFFEE would be dead but for the three M.P.'s who've leapt in to restrain NELSON. DEHLIN and JO have come to their feet and stand behind KAFFEE.

NELSON (continuing; to Kaffee) I'm gonna tear your temple recommend right outta

your wallet and cancel all of your ordinances. You messed with the wrong apostle.

CLAYTON is done reading NELSON his rights.

CLAYTON Elder Nelson, do you understand those rights as I have just read them to you?

NELSON I saved souls. That man was -- there was a weak link. I saved souls, you hear me?

The courtroom is silent from Nelson's outburst. Nelson shakes his head.

NELSON (continuing) You friggin' people. (beat) You have no idea how to manage a corporation. (continuing; to KAFFEE) All you did was weaken a church today, Kaffee. That's all you did. You put souls in danger. Sweet dreams, son.

KAFFEE Don't call me son. (beat) I'm a lawyer, and an officer of the United States Navy. And you're a middle manager in a corporate nightmare.

KAFFEE stays on NELSON a moment longer, then remembers --

KAFFEE (continuing) The witness is excused.