A Clash of Cultures

Our nation is a polyglot of cultures, religions, attitudes and other unique characteristics. Our history is replete with men and women whose individuality and independent nature forged a country far different from their homelands. Since they were not encumbered by kings and despotic rulers they were free to exercise their talents to the fullest. With no authority to provide for them, they developed a measure of self-reliance to provide that which had formerly been directed by the state. Given the God inspired government they formed here to guarantee liberty, they carried their self-reliance into their daily lives in every way. It was inevitable that they would also carry it into the conduct of their faith.

Pursuit of their concept of God was a prime mover in populating the nation. Many had suffered the tyranny of a state religion and longed to be free of those prohibitive chains on their faith. We have enjoyed our religious freedoms for so many generations we may have grown lax in our understanding of how it separates us from the “old country.”

Even in America, as Latter Day Saints, we are far closer to the realities of religious persecution in our past than most other church bodies. Certainly, others have suffered from time to time, but few have equaled the pressures the Saints felt through the middle decades of the nineteenth century. Our predecessors in the faith were not shy about professing their beliefs. Our ancestors, lacking our communication and information retention capacity, did an astonishing job, with God’s help, preserving the Holy word. There were occasions however, when the Saints had to deal with unruly mobs and fleeing members of the hierarchy, that retention of the exactitude of various pronouncements came out muddled or in some case, probably inaccurate. The original pages of the Book of Commandments were mostly rescued from the middle of the street.

They did the best they could with what they had, and persevered. The inherited grit which they gained from their predecessors coupled with their ability to deal with their own everyday hardships produced some very rugged individuals. As we look at today’s peoples in the church, we find some very strong traits which must be a result of that gene pool. These folks, when seen in person, don’t much resemble Clint Eastwood or John Wayne, but do when they express themselves. It is my privilege to know some of these people and I rejoice in the opportunity.

When they see their beloved church falling before the onslaught of political correctness and the perceived need of reconciliation, they rise up and call for common sense. They rebel at the notion that the appointed leaders should have the right to silence their objections to doctrinal interpretation in any way. When they seek guidance from above, it is from God and not a collection of functionaries in Independence. They do not prosper well in an atmosphere of false accusations and trumped up charges. Their primary tool is reason. Their weapon of choice is always truth.

From what source then come those who would have man lead the church instead of Jesus Christ. The claim is always that they are led by the Lord. The behavior speaks differently. Their fear of hearing from the faithful is akin to those in despotic regimes who stifle speech, abridge liberties and demand fealty to the leadership. One can only conclude that a great cloud of deception has fallen over a segment of the priesthood. The countries from which our ancestors came have fallen to a point well past agnosticism. They find our faith quaint and fail to understand the relationship between our God given form of government and the success of the nation. Their principal export is the social drivel which would be disastrous for our country and our church.

Our faith is a gift from God. Our entire belief system comes from the Almighty. Any lack of resistance to those who would usurp His will constitutes endorsement of the destruction of the Restored Church of Jesus Christ. Modern theologians decry any black and white evaluations and have allowed our concept of Christ and His church to diminish to a murky gray. Christ’s message is lengthy but clear. Without study and prayer the words can seem mysterious. Critics are always with us to derail any attempt to reason. But, the absolute fact remains, that Jesus Christ is the head of this church and as the scriptures clearly relate, He will continue to be regardless of the activity of foolish men.

Let us then rejoice that there are those among us who are possessed of reason. Let us give thanks to our Father that they are willing to endure the slings and arrows from the hierarchy to seek the will of the Lord. Let us support those who do not promote the church as a social experiment but rather as a means to define and achieve the ends our Savior proposes. Let us realize that a culture of individualism under the direction of and with the able assistance of our heavenly Master will produce the Zion we all seek.

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon