Dear Christians and Christian Nationalists:

Have you listened to this recent speech by President-elect Trump and felt ecstatic about the future? felt like jrutt2675¹ that MAGA has taken on a new and greater meaning: “Make America Godly Again”?

We Are Bringing The Bible BACK To America‼️
(CMFI-USA Miracle Center | Nov 9, 2024 | Time 3:14 min.) at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnupISwtEB0

Yes, there is little doubt from newscasts and social media that the Americas, North and South, need to turn back to God, BUT how is that to be achieved? by government mandate? edict? Are our civic leaders to “make America pray again” as Trump says (2:30 min. mark)? OR are we all to freely “invite and encourage” Americans [and all people] to pray again? to encourage scripture reading as a daily endeavor? Of course, in a free and open society (as ours should be), civic leaders should be able to also invite and encourage the living of moral principles and to express their beliefs and grounding, but never to impose religious belief or practice on others; and never to discriminate based on differing religious belief.

But the question is: If Christian Nationalism is going to take hold in this administration,² are we setting ourselves up for a regression into sectarian tyranny via civic powers? the kind that ruled for so many centuries in Europe, and even in the early Americas? Do we think such regressions are impossible in today’s enlightened world? But who ever imagined what happened to conscience and worship during COVID-19, or with today’s censorship, mandates, persecutions, prosecutions, cancelling, etc. 

In the latter half of 2023, I wrote a 5-part Déjà Vu II series about Church and State,³ so I will keep this post brief.

We are entering a dangerous time: on the Right, a rising Christian Nationalism; on the Left, an aging Fwokism⁴ and DEI-ism.⁵ Yes, the dogma of the Left was rejected by the majority on November 5th, but many of the disappointed Left are doubling down and vowing to aggressively resist the “old” ways that Trump represents to them. Meanwhile on the Right, many seem to be championing the ideology of Christian Nationalism, even if they do not know it. So what are Christians to do when they believe that Jesus Christ is the God of this land and are distressed that so many have inverted, abandoned, or never accepted His ways? — distressed that justice and judgment must come if the People do not awaken and repent? What do we do when Trump seems to say good things in one hour and not so good things in another?

Here are few guidelines:

Remember what Christ said about Caesar (civic authority):

... Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar's; and unto God the things that are God's (New Testament | Matthew 22:21; D&C 63:25-26).

Remember that conscience and worship are not under civic jurisdiction. As Joseph Smith wrote:

11 We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.

Be alert to encroachments into matters of conscience or worship and protest them. Even a cursory reading of ardent Christian Nationalists should put us on high alert.

Remember:

39 We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 121:39).

Remember:

In our probation and agency,⁶ Christ is in the Godhead of Heaven and Earth, and nowhere does He approve coercion of conscience or worship. When man attempts it, it is not of Christ; it is unrighteous dominion. And if men or women claim rights of conscience and belief to justify infringing upon the rights or liberties of others, that also is unrighteous dominion, not justified, and thus subject to civil penalty.⁷ Infringing acts of harm or violence always fall under civil authority for justice, judgment, and punishment.

Please, let us be on alert because the adversary of all good has a proverbial forked tongue: one tactic to the right, another to the left.

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1. @jrutt2675 - 4 days ago (A comment appended to the above video.)
   M= Make
   A=America
   G=Godly
   A=Again
2. Not that Trump is a committed Christian Nationalist; but there are CNs who are and have been maneuvering since 1776 to breach the wall of separation that history had convinced the Founders to erect.
https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2023/09/5-church-state-christian-nationalism.html
3. https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/search/label/Church-State
4. https://dejavu-times.blogspot.com/2023/04/correction-fwoke.html
5. https://dejavu-times.blogspot.com/2023/03/dei-ology-great-pretense.html
6. https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-plan.html
   Book of Mormon | 1 Nephi 10:20 21
   20 Therefore remember, O man, for all thy doings thou shalt be brought into judgment.
   21 Wherefore, if ye have sought to do wickedly in the days of your probation, then ye are found unclean before the judgment–seat of God; and no unclean thing can dwell with God; wherefore, ye must be cast off forever.
Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 2:21
   21 And the days of the children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became a state of probation, and their time was lengthened, according to the commandments which the Lord God gave unto the children of men.
Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 9:27-28
   27 But wo unto him that has the law given, yea, that has all the commandments of God, like unto us, and that transgresseth them, and that wasteth the days of his probation, for awful is his state!
   28 O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.
Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 33:9
   9 I also have charity for the Gentiles. But behold, for none of these can I hope except they shall be reconciled unto Christ, and enter into the narrow gate, and walk in the strait path which leads to life, and continue in the path until the end of the day of probation.
Book of Mormon | Alma 12:24
   24 And we see that death comes upon mankind, yea, the death which has been spoken of by Amulek, which is the temporal death; nevertheless there was a space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead.
Book of Mormon | Alma 42:3-4, 10, 13
   3 Now, we see that the man had become as God, knowing good and evil; and lest he should put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat and live forever, the Lord God placed cherubim and the flaming sword, that he should not partake of the fruit—
   4 And thus we see, that there was a time granted unto man to repent, yea, a probationary time, a time to repent and serve God. ...
   10 Therefore, as they had become carnal, sensual, and devilish, by nature, this probationary state became a state for them to prepare; it became a preparatory state. ...
   13 Therefore, according to justice, the plan of redemption could not be brought about, only on conditions of repentance of men in this probationary state, yea, this preparatory state; for except it were for these conditions, mercy could not take effect except it should destroy the work of justice. Now the work of justice could not be destroyed; if so, God would cease to be God.
Book of Mormon | Helaman 13:38
   38 But behold, your days of probation are past; ye have procrastinated the day of your salvation until it is everlastingly too late, and your destruction is made sure; yea, for ye have sought all the days of your lives for that which ye could not obtain; and ye have sought for happiness in doing iniquity, which thing is contrary to the nature of that righteousness which is in our great and Eternal Head.
Book of Mormon | Mormon 9:28
   28 Be wise in the days of your probation; strip yourselves of all uncleanness; ask not, that ye may consume it on your lusts, but ask with a firmness unshaken, that ye will yield to no temptation, but that ye will serve the true and living God.
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 29:43-45
   43 And thus did I, the Lord God, appoint unto man the days of his probation—that by his natural death he might be raised in immortality unto eternal life, even as many as would believe;
   44 And they that believe not unto eternal damnation; for they cannot be redeemed from their spiritual fall, because they repent not;
   45 For they love darkness rather than light, and their deeds are evil, and they receive their wages of whom they list to obey.
7. Doctrine and Covenants | Section 134:4-5
   4 We believe that religion is instituted of God; and that men are amenable to him, and to him only, for the exercise of it, unless their religious opinions prompt them to infringe upon the rights and liberties of others; but we do not believe that human law has a right to interfere in prescribing rules of worship to bind the consciences of men, nor dictate forms for public or private devotion; that the civil magistrate should restrain crime, but never control conscience; should punish guilt, but never suppress the freedom of the soul.
   5 We believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments in which they reside, while protected in their inherent and inalienable rights by the laws of such governments; and that sedition and rebellion are unbecoming every citizen thus protected, and should be punished accordingly; and that all governments have a right to enact such laws as in their own judgments are best calculated to secure the public interest; at the same time, however, holding sacred the freedom of conscience.

Staying? or Leaving?

In a previous post titled: “Speaking Truth to Power | New Testament,”¹ I quoted numerous words spoken by Jesus, including words He counselled His disciples to also use (see JST)² — words highly critical of the religious authorities of His day — words that would surely have been considered “evil speaking” had the phrase been known to the criticized authorities.

In our day, we are also witnessing more and more questions and criticisms levelled at religious authorities of numerous faith traditions by their congregants. Many are choosing to leave their affiliations because the dissonance between what they believe and what they witness has become too great, BUT perhaps we should first ask: “What did Jesus and His disciples do with Their dissonance? Were They able to distinguish the core from the encumbrance?

As we review history, almost every creation of God or man, whether scripture, revelation, Constitution,  empire, agency, corporation, foundation, technology, building, work of art/drama/literature, etc., etc., has fallen victim to decay, revision, or corruption in process of time, re-imagination, or hubris. That is the nature of man and this fallen world. Thus, the dissonance between blueprint and manifestation seems ever present.

So what did Jesus and His disciples do with Their dissonance?

1. They knew the house and the gospel were God's, not man's:

45 And [Jesus] went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought;
46 Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.
47 And he taught daily in the temple.
(New Testament | Luke 19:45–47, bold emphasis added.; Also: Matthew 21:12–14; Mark 11:17)

2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. ...
20 These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.
(New Testament | John 8:2, 20, bold emphasis added.)

19 ¶ The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine.
20 Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.
(New Testament | John 18:19–20, bold emphasis added.)

19 But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them [Peter and John] forth, and said,
20 Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.
21 And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.
22 But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told,
23 Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.
24 Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow.
25 Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.
(New Testament | Acts 5:19–25, bold emphasis added.)

2. They recognized and honored the honorable feasts and traditions:

3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
(New Testament | Matthew 8:3–4, bold emphasis added.; Mark 1:44; Luke 5:14)

12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests.
(New Testament | Luke 17:12–14, bold emphasis added.)

18 And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.
19 And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover.
(New Testament | Matthew 26:18–19, bold emphasis added.; Mark 14:12–16; Luke 22:7–15)

23 ¶ Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
(New Testament | John 2:23, bold emphasis added.)

14 ¶ Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.
(New Testament | John 7:14, bold emphasis added. (also v. 28)

3. They rejected incorrect or onerous traditions and directives:

16 ¶ Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
(New Testament | Matthew 6:16–18, bold emphasis added.)

1 THEN came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
(New Testament | Matthew 15:1–2, bold emphasis added.)

1 THEN came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.
2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.
3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
4 And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.
5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
(New Testament | Mark 7:1–5, bold emphasis added.)

1 AND it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.
2 And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?
3 And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him;
4 How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?
5 And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
6 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.
8 But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.
9 Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?
10 And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
(New Testament | Luke 6:1–10 | bold emphasis added; also New Testament | Mark 2:23–28)

5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
10 ¶ The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.
11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.
(New Testament | John 5:5–11, bold emphasis added.)

18 And [the authorities] called [Peter & John], and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
(New Testament | Acts 4:18–20, bold emphasis added.)

10 Commandments vs. modern law
Artist: Daniel R. Fitzpatrick | 1925
Image Info below footnotes

As we see from this insightful image from 1925 many things can be added to, misinterpreted, reinterpreted, suppressed, covered-up, and so forth, such that each person must be individually responsible to discern what is core and what is encumbrance — what is of God and what is of man — what is more or what is less than what God has ordained. There are other examples of Jesus breaking with tradition as well, such as extending the gospel to Samaritans and Gentiles, and being more inclusive of women.

As for our time, there is so much good in what the Prophet Joseph restored, so let us hold on to that good even if various powers may seek at times to sever some from that good. Let us be honest and forthright in our conscience and convictions, not insisting that others see as we see, nor alleging authority we do not have, but living our lives and testimonies with integrity, as the Spirit directs, come what may.

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1. https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2022/03/speaking-truth-to-power-new-testament.html
2. JST Jesus to His disciples (Black and red bold is JST):
   6 And Jesus said unto his disciples, Beholdest thou the scribes,* and the Pharisees, and the Priests, and the Levites? They teach in their synagogues, but do not observe the law, nor the commandments; and all have gone out of the way, and are under sin.
   7 Go thou and say unto them, Why teach ye men the law and the commandments, when ye yourselves are the children of corruption?
   8 5 Say unto them, Thou hypocrite Ye hypocrites, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye eyes; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
   9 Go ye into the world, saying unto all, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come nigh unto you.
JST New Testament | Matthew 7:6–9 from Lutes, Kenneth and Lyndell. Joseph Smith Translation (p. 2124). Lutes Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Additional under #1:

  35 ¶ And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple,
(New Testament | Mark 12:35)
  1 AND it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders,
(New Testament | Luke 20:1)

Image info.
Page URL: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Laws_of_Moses_and_the_Laws_of_Today.jpg
File URL: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/The_Laws_of_Moses_and_the_Laws_of_Today.jpg
Attribution: Daniel R. Fitzpatrick, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Description: An editorial cartoon contrasting the proliferation of modern laws to the brevity of the Ten Commandments. Winner of the 1926 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning.
Date: 12 April 1925
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 12, 1925. Reprinted in Caricatures on American Historical Phases 1918-2018 (ed. Heinz Dietrich Fischer), via Google Books
Permission: Public Domain
Author: Daniel R. Fitzpatrick 1891 - 1969

March (25th) on Washington, D.C.!

(To Go or Not to Go?)

A question for men and women of conscience

(especially women of the Relief Society)

EXPOSE THE DOJ PEDOGATE COVER UP:
MARCH ON D.C. 3/25/2017 (Time 24:31) at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXBWo0wUi0Y

If you are within range of Washington, D.C., or can travel there for Saturday, 25 March 2017, are you willing to join a march to protest the repeating cover-up of massive child abuse and trafficking¹ at the highest levels? There are emerging voices, however, advising against joining a “useless” protest march, for fear of

» being labelled / targeted as an enemy of the government, World Order, peace, tolerance, etc.;
» violence being initiated by infiltrators, provocateurs, or paid agents;
» wasting time and energy for nothing;
» disrupting work or life with risk of retribution;
» being mocked for belief in unbelievable allegations which, to all who are willing to see and hear, have been and are being confirmed on a global scale by

headlines	brownstone ops
arrests	blackmail schemes
prosecutions	sex tourism
cover-ups	quashed investigations
victim witnesses	whistle blowers
CSA “art”	MKUltra exposés
pornography addictions	citizen journalists
dark web	historical déjà vus
code words	and on and on

More Questions:

BUT what does it say to perpetrators, pedophiles, and orchestrating psychopaths if no one writes about, speaks up, marches, or protests out of fear or apathy?

If we think protests are useless because the “authorities” don't seem to pay heed, should we instead ask ourselves whether God pays heed to the stand we are taking?

Have we forgotten the many protests that changed the world? like Gandhi's Salt March, women's rights, voting rights, civil rights, worker's rights, and so forth?²

Do we not realize that every person who stands for justice and equity will become, sooner or later, according to history and prophecy, a TI (Targeted Individual³) by psychopathic systems?

Have we forgotten ancient TIs like Daniel in the lion's den; Shadrach and friends in the fiery furnace; suffering Job⁴; Jeremiah in the miry pit; Abinadi; Ammon and company; Alma and Amulek; Samuel the Lamanite; Jesus of Nazareth; and on and on?

Each of us must decide for ourself how much we wish to publicly write, say, or protest, but the most urgent question may be:

When will “We, the People” wake-up to the awful situation WE have permitted to escalate to this horrific point by our distractions and denials?

Of course, no one wants to believe the rampant child sexual abuse (CSA) that has been covered-up for decades by psychopathic systems, persons, and supporters, but the witnesses will not go away. WE have been warned and commanded:

Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things [secret combinations] should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain—and the work, yea, even the work of destruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be. Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up. (Book of Mormon | Ether 8:23-24)

What might the enemy of all righteousness hate worse than innocent, vulnerable children?⁵ Do we think that child abuse and sacrifice—one of the persistent déjà vus of history—is not still a tool in Satan's plan to destroy the world?⁶

SO, if millions of women (worldwide) can rally to protest against a sitting president barely two months ago, surely tens of millions can rally for the children of the world. It is way past time to take a stand. It is time to begin hearing and seeing what our world has come to through the obsessive pursuit of power (control⁷) and gain.

Let us finally get over our paranoia of being called conspiracy theorists for the history of the world is (as I have said before) one repeating, repeating, repeating endless list of conspiracies by those pursing and protecting power and gain.

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1. http://dejavu-times.blogspot.ca/2016/11/offering-up-children.html
http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2017/03/who-cares.html
http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2016/12/by-nothing-but-by-prayer-and-fasting.html
2. For others see: http://www.counterfire.org/articles/analysis/17835-ten-demonstrations-that-changed-the-world ; for further research see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Protest_marches
3. http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2017/02/disrupt-and-destroy.html
http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2017/02/how-awful-does-it-have-to-get.html
4. http://dejavu-times.blogspot.ca/2017/02/a-gang-stalking-deja-vu.html
5. New Testament | Matthew 18:6-7~ But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
6. http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2016/10/know-thine-enemy.html
7. http://dejavu-times.blogspot.ca/2017/03/conspiracies-of-control.html

Part Two: Evil Speaking? Discernment?

(Déjà Vus of Dissent)

“There has probably never been a time in the history of the world when evil speakers and deceivers have had such an instantaneous, global platform—not only to spread latter-day distortions, but to resurrect ones from the past and spread them anew” (DV2-January 16, 2016).

On the other hand, the same applies to truth speaking though it seems the “natural man”¹ pursues and generates more of the former, as noted in Part One. Evil Speaking? Discernment?²

But what is evil speaking? To some, it means to say anything critical or negative about another, particularly about church officials—even if the criticism is true.³ But if we run this concept through history and scripture, we would find:

Elijah	Isaiah
Jeremiah	Ezekiel
Amos	Hosea
Malachi	Lehi
Abinadi	Samuel the Lamanite
John the Baptist	Jesus the Christ
Simon Peter	John the Beloved
Stephen the Martyr	Paul
John Huss	John Wycliffe
Martin Luther	Huldrych Zwingli
Henry Barrow	John Smyth
Thomas Helwys	Roger Williams
Joseph Smith	et al., al., al.

            Created with the HTML Table Generator

—every one of them offending this broad definition of evil speaking. Each was viewed as a “rogue upstart”—an evil speaker in the eyes of established authorities. Such “rogues” have arisen déjà vu upon déjà vu to warn God’s people and religious leaders that they had become lost in Babylon—in her enticing ways and her fondness for “smooth things.”⁴ Thus, for the above dissenters, it was as if each had received this commission:

~ various calls; various voices ~
(Source at footnote 24)

CRY aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. (Old Testament | Isaiah 58:1)

In hindsight, we hold most of these historical reformers in honor for raising voices of criticism and warning. But in their day they were not held in honor. When we consider the persecutions they suffered—even unto martyrdom—it is clear that their voices of conscience were anathema to those they criticized. They were seen as apostates worthy of death if they refused to reform and conform, even if it meant going against their conscience.

So the dilemma is to know what the Lord means when He denounces “evil speaking.” Let us consider the context and companion words:

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you (New Testament | Ephesians 4:31-32).

The teacher's duty is to watch over the church always, and be with and strengthen them; And see that there is no iniquity in the church, neither hardness with each other, neither lying, backbiting, nor evil speaking; (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 20:53-54).

The context seems to be where one is speaking in malice, bitterness, deception, etc. But is there a broader meaning uniquely applicable to our latter-day?

The LDS are familiar with the expression “evil speaking of the Lord’s anointed” yet everyone of the officials criticized by the above dissenters also considered themselves to be the “Lord’s anointed.”

So how do we resolve this? How do seekers of God’s will and ways discern what to do:

▪ when instruction or policy disturb conscience?
▪ when teaching or practice seem contrary to canonized scripture?
▪ when “tradition” seems to trump truth-seeking and truth-speaking?
▪ when the Spirit witnesses that all is not well?⁵
▪ when believers / followers become hostile with questioners?

Perhaps the counsel of Paul the Apostle is the preeminent test for everyone: believers, questioners, and unbelievers.

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
(New Testament | 1 Thessalonians 5:21)

And what does “prove” mean if not to investigate, test, study, search, seek—being open to God’s witness through revelation? And what does “all things” mean if not everything?

And when God says: “Doubt not, but be believing”⁶ does He mean, in part, “Doubt not [that you will get My answer to all your questions], but be believing [in My wisdom—prepared to do My will in My timing⁷]”?

And could His answers range along a continuum?—from “Do nothing. Say nothing. I am working on the situation” to “This is what I want you to say and do—in this place and with this timing.”

So why does God seem to have inspired “dissenters” down through the ages? Here are some observations and advice from yesteryear.⁸

[Joseph Smith] To become a joint heir of the heirship of the Son, one must put away all his false traditions.⁹

President Joseph Smith read the 14th chapter of Ezekiel—said the Lord had declared by the Prophet, that the people should each one stand for himself, and depend on no man or men in that state of corruption of the [house of Israel]— that righteous persons could only deliver their own souls—applied it to the present state of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—said if the people departed from the Lord, they must fall—that they were depending on the Prophet, hence were darkened in their minds, in consequence of neglecting the duties devolving upon themselves, envious towards the innocent, while they afflict the virtuous with their shafts of envy.¹⁰

[Joseph Smith] It always has been when a man was sent of God with the priesthood and he began to preach the fullness of the gospel, that he was thrust out by his friends, who are already to butcher him if he teach things which they imagine to be wrong; and Jesus was crucified upon this principle.¹¹

[Brigham Young] Some may say, Brethren, you who lead the Church, we have all confidence in you, we are not in the least afraid but what everything will go right under your superintendence; all the business matters will be transacted right; and if brother Brigham is satisfied with it, I am. I do not wish any Latter-day Saint in this world, nor in heaven, to be satisfied with anything I do, unless the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, the spirit of revelation, makes them satisfied. I wish them to know for themselves and understand for themselves, for this would strengthen the faith that is within them. Suppose that the people were heedless, that they manifested no concern with regard to the things of the kingdom of God, but threw the whole burden upon the leaders of the people, saying, If the brethren who take charge of matters are satisfied, we are, this is not pleasing in the sight of the Lord. ¶ Every man and woman in this kingdom ought to be satisfied with what we do, but they never should be satisfied without asking the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, whether what we do is right.¹²

[George Q. Cannon] Do not brethren, put your trust in man though he be a bishop, an apostle, or a president. If you do, they will fail you at some time or place; they will do wrong or seem to, and your support is gone; but if we lean on God, He never will fail us. When men and women depend on God alone, and trust in Him alone, their faith will not be shaken if the highest in the Church should step aside. Perhaps it is His own design that faults and weaknesses should appear in high places in order that His Saints may learn to trust in Him, and not in any man or men.¹³

[Samuel Richards] "We have heard men who hold the priesthood remark, that they would do anything that they were told to do by those who preside over them, if they knew it was wrong: but such obedience is worse than folly to us; it is slavery in the extreme; and the man who would thus willingly degrade himself, should not claim rank among intelligent beings, until he turns from his folly. A man of God...would despise the idea. Others in the extreme exercise of their almighty authority have taught that such obedience was necessary, and that no matter what the saints were told to do by their presidents, they should do it without asking any questions. When Elders of Israel will so far indulge in these extreme notions of obedience as to teach them to the people, it is generally because they have it in their minds to do wrong themselves."¹⁴

[George Teasdale] I understand that all men and women are their own agents; and I do not know a worse degree of slavery than to be afraid to think for yourself and speak what you believe.¹⁵

[J. Golden Kimball] Latter-day Saints, you must think for yourselves. No man or woman can remain in this Church on borrowed light.¹⁶

[George Q. Cannon] It is the design of the Lord to develop within every man and woman the principle of knowledge, that all may know for themselves. He has poured out His holy spirit upon all of us, and not upon President Young nor upon bro. Joseph alone. The Lord designs that the principle of knowledge shall be developed in every heart, that all may stand before Him in the dignity of their manhood, doing understandingly what He requires of them, not depending upon nor being blindly led by their priests or leaders, as is the universal custom, and one of the most fruitful sources of evil to the people on the face of the earth. God intends to break down this order of things, and to develop in the bosom of every human being who will be obedient to the gospel and the principles of truth and righteousness, that knowledge which will enable them to perform understandingly all the labors and duties he requires of them. ¶ If we, in our experience, have not yet proved the truth of the words of the prophet—"Cursed is he that trusteth in man, or maketh flesh his arm"—probably we will do if we live long enough. There is a curse attending every man and woman who does this. If we will watch the operations of the gospel of Jesus Christ among us, we will see that it has a tendency to develop knowledge in the bosoms of all, and it is the design of Providence that it should be so. We must all learn to depend upon God and upon Him alone. Why, the very man upon whom we think we can rely with unbounded confidence, and trust with all we possess, may disappoint us sometimes, but trust in God and He never fails. We can go before Him at all times, and upon all occasions, and pour out our souls and desires before Him, and we feel that we lean upon a rock that will not fail, and upon a friend that will not desert us in the day of trial. He is omnipotent, and in Him only can we trust under all circumstances, therefore we perceive why the prophet has said—"Cursed is he that trusteth in man, or maketh flesh his arm." ¶ God, our Heavenly Father, designs that all who will observe truth and righteousness should possess wisdom and understanding for themselves, and He is bringing us through circumstances that will develop within us that portion of the Godhead or Deity which we have received from Him, that we may become worthy of our high and glorious parentage. This being His design respecting us, we should seek by every means in our power to aid Him in carrying it out, until the whole people are enlightened by His Spirit, and act understandingly and in concert in carrying out His designs. In other systems the design is to keep the people down in ignorance and darkness respecting the principles that are taught them, to keep the knowledge in the hands of a select few, upon whom the people are forced to depend, but this is not the genius of the kingdom of God. The spirit of the church of God is that manifested by Moses when, in answer to Joshua, who wished him to reprove some who were prophesying, he said—"No; but I would to God that all were prophets." That is the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The genius of the kingdom with which we are associated is to disseminate knowledge through all the ranks of the people, and to make every man a prophet and every woman a prophetess, that they may understand the plans and purposes of God. For this purpose the gospel has been sent to us, and the humblest may obtain its spirit and testimony, and the weakest of the weak may obtain a knowledge respecting the purposes of God. This is the difference between the church and kingdom of God and the creeds and institutions of men. The idea that prevails in the world concerning us is that we are hoodwinked and led blindly by our leaders; but the contrary to this is the case, for it is the wish of every man who comprehends this work that the people should all understand it. The bishops and teachers, if they have the right spirit, wish their wards to understand the principles of the gospel and the requirements of heaven as they understand them, and so it is through all grades of the priesthood and through all the ramifications of the church of God. If we take this course continually we will become a great and mighty people before the Lord. If we do anything let us do it understandingly. If we hear any principle taught from the stand that we do not understand let us seek to comprehend it by the Spirit of God. If it be not of God we have the privilege of knowing it. We are not required to receive for doctrine everything that we hear. We may say—"I do not know whether this is true or not, I will not fight it, neither will I endorse it, but I will seek knowledge from God, for that is my privilege, and I will never rest satisfied until I have obtained the light I require." If you hear a doctrine that does not agree with your feelings, or that you do not believe, take this course; do not reject nor endorse hastily, without knowing or understanding. By taking this course you will develop the principle that God designs we should possess, and we will thus become a wise and understanding people, for we will be based on the Rock of Revelation.¹⁷

[Charles W. Penrose] Our testimony does not depend upon Joseph Smith; it does not depend upon Brigham Young; it does not depend upon John Taylor, or upon the council of the Twelve Apostles, which is now the presiding quorum in the Church. I pin my faith to no man's sleeve; I am a believer in the Scripture which says, "Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm." I obeyed this Gospel because I believed it was true, through reading the Scriptures, which I was taught from my early childhood to believe in. When the sound of the Gospel reached my ears I believed; and having bowed in obedience to the ordinances, I received a testimony for myself of its truthfulness, and that testimony has never departed from me.¹⁸

[Hugh B. Brown] Faith is the ground of all religion, but there is no special virtue in blind faith. Only faith that is grounded in a courageous search for truth is worthy of the student. We should reject every temptation to irrationality, overcome every inclination to disregard or distort the facts, avoid the extremes of fanaticism, and above all else, demand the truth. Here is the firm foundation for our religion—a religion that describes the glory of God as intelligence and proclaims that man is saved no faster than he gains knowledge. ¶ Just as the truths of science must be tested and verified by reason and factual investigation, so the moral and spiritual truths which the world is seeking from its prophets must be proved and validated in the experience of men. In his search for truth, every man must be true to himself. He must answer to his own reason and to his own moral conscience. Anything less than this would betray his dignity as a human being and a child of God. True dignity is never won by place, and it is never lost when honors are withdrawn.¹⁹

Are leaders fallible? History, scripture—even most leaders—agree, “Yes.” And in further witness: If it were not possible for leadership to err, why would the Lord have made provision in Doctrine and Covenants 107 that “inasmuch as a President of the High Priesthood shall transgress, he shall be had in remembrance before the common council of the church” and that “none shall be exempted from the justice and the laws of God.”²⁰

In short, truth speaking prompted by the Holy Ghost is not evil speaking. Our dilemma as laity and leaders is to get things right—to listen, to hear, and to speak or not speak as God wills; BUT what more efficient, effective way could God have to teach His children the way of discernment²¹ and the necessity of trusting in Him than to place fallible mortals in positions of leadership? As the Apostle Paul said, “Prove all things,” or as Roger Williams phrased it:

The Father of Spirits mercifully persuaded [me] to
Swallow down no longer without Chewing;
To chew no longer without Tasting;
To Taste no longer without
Begging the Holy Spirit of God to
Enlighten and Enliven [me].”²²

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Note 1: Too often, what could be called evil speaking about leaders of today centers on the personal instead of on fundamentals and makes use of disparaging, abusive language that does not foster discussion or persuasive dialogue.
Note 2: This writer believes that truth endures even if a speaker or writer does not. Thus, truth stands independent of a speaker’s actions or other beliefs. Every one of us is a mix of truth and untruth which is why God is always on our case to get things right. And that is why we can quote people who get or got some things seriously wrong, if they got the things right that we quote. It’s all about discernment which depends on revelation. For most of us, it’s a wheat and tares thing—our openness to discernment being a work in progress. Hopefully, we learn by the mistakes we make. So as Joseph Smith said: “One of the grand fundamental principles of "Mormonism" is to receive truth, let it come from whence it may.”²³

1. Book of Mormon | Mosiah 3:19 ~ For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.
2. http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2016/01/part-one-evil-speaking-discernment.html
3. Dallin H. Oaks: https://www.lds.org/ensign/1987/02/criticism?lang=eng ; et al.
4. Old Testament | Isaiah 30:8-11 ~ Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever: That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.
Old Testament | Jeremiah 6:13 ~ For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.
New Testament | 2 Peter 2:1-3 ~ BUT there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: …
Note: this déjà vu tale of seduction and backsliding is repeated throughout Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, etc., etc.
5. Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 28:21, 24-26 ~ And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell. … Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion! Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well! Yea, wo be unto him that hearkeneth unto the precepts of men, and denieth the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost!
Book of Mormon | Helaman 13:28 ~ … because he speaketh flattering words unto you, and he saith that all is well, then ye will not find fault with him.
6. Book of Mormon | Mormon 9:27 ~ Doubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him.
7. New Testament | James 1:5-8 ~ If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
8. Additional observations and advice:
[Joseph Smith] It is one of the first principles of my life, and one that I have cultivated from my childhood, having been taught it by my father, to allow every one the liberty of conscience. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith [TPJS], selected and arranged by Joseph Fielding Smith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1976], 326.)
[Joseph Smith] I have tried for a number of years to get the minds of the Saints prepared to receive the things of God; but we frequently see some of them, after suffering all they have for the work of God, will fly to pieces like glass as soon as anything comes that is contrary to their traditions: they cannot stand the fire at all. How many will be able to abide a celestial law, and go through and receive their exaltation, I am unable to say, as many are called, but few are chosen (Jan. 20, 1844). (TPJS, 313; also DHC 6:183-185.)
[Joseph Smith] We deem it a just principle, and it is one the force of which we believe ought to be duly considered by every individual, that all men are created equal, and that all have the privilege of thinking for themselves upon all matters relative to conscience. Consequently, then, we are not disposed, had we the power, to deprive any one of exercising that free independence of mind which heaven has so graciously bestowed upon the human family as one of its choicest gifts; … (TPJS:49).
[Brigham Young] Shall we deny the existence of that which we do not understand? If we do, we would want to keep an iron bedstead to measure every person according to our own measurements and dimensions; and if persons were too long we would cut them off, and if too short draw them out. But we should discard this principle, and our motto should be, we will let every one believe as he pleases and follow out the convictions of his own mind, for all are free to choose or refuse; they are free to serve God or to deny him. We have the Scriptures of divine truth, and we are free to believe or deny them. But we shall be brought to judgment before God for all these things, and shall have to give an account to him who has the right to call us to an account for the deeds done in the body. (Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, selected and arranged by John A. Widtsoe [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1954], 67.)
[Hugh B. Brown] We are grateful in the Church and in this great university that the freedom, dignity and integrity of the individual is basic in Church doctrine as well as in democracy. Here we are free to think and express our opinions. Fear will not stifle thought, as is the case in some areas which have not yet emerged from the dark ages. God himself refuses to trammel man's free agency even though its exercise sometimes teaches painful lessons. Both creative science and revealed religion find their fullest and truest expression in the climate of freedom. ¶ I hope that you will develop the questing spirit. Be unafraid of new ideas for they are the stepping stones of progress. You will of course respect the opinions of others but be unafraid to dissent - if you are informed. ¶ Now I have mentioned freedom to express your thoughts, but I caution you that your thoughts and expressions must meet competition in the market place of thought, and in that competition truth will emerge triumphant. Only error needs to fear freedom of expression. Seek truth in all fields, and in that search you will need at least three virtues; courage, zest, and modesty. The ancients put that thought in the form of a prayer. They said, 'From the cowardice that shrinks from new truth, from the laziness that is content with half truth, from the arrogance that thinks it has all truth - O God of truth deliver us'. (Speech at BYU, March 29, 1958; also Hugh B. Brown, Continuing the Quest [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1961], 200-201.)
  9. TPJS:321.
10. TPJS:237-238.
11. TPJS:310.
12. Brigham Young, October 6, 1855, Journal of Discourses, 3:45.
13. George Q. Cannon, Millennial Star, 53:674
14. Samuel Richards on Nov. 13, 1852, recorded in the Millennial Star, 14:393-395.
15. George Teasdale, Conference Report, April 1901, Second Day—Morning Session 34-35.
16. J. Golden Kimball, Conference Report, April 1904, Overflow Meeting 97.
17. Remarks by George Q. Cannon delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, April 21st, 1867, [Reported by David W. Evans.] found at Journal of Discourses, 26 vols. [London: Latter-day Saints' Book Depot, 1854-1886], 12:45-46.
18. Discourse by C. W. Penrose, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, on Sunday Afternoon, August 17th, 1879. (Reported by Geo. F. Gibbs.) found at Journal of Discourses, 26 vols. [London: Latter-day Saints' Book Depot, 1854-1886], 20: 296.
19. Hugh B. Brown, Conference Report, April 1970, Second Day—Morning Meeting 77.
20. Doctrine and Covenants | Section 107:30, 32 ~ The decisions of these quorums, or either of them, are to be made in all righteousness, in holiness, and lowliness of heart, meekness and long suffering, and in faith, and virtue, and knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity; … And in case that any decision of these quorums [Presidency of the Church-v. 22; Twelve Apostles-vs. 23-24; Seventy-vs. 25-6] is made in unrighteousness, it may be brought before a general assembly of the several quorums, which constitute the spiritual authorities of the church; otherwise there can be no appeal from their decision.
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 107:82-84 ~ And inasmuch as a President of the High Priesthood shall transgress, he shall be had in remembrance before the common council of the church, who shall be assisted by twelve counselors of the High Priesthood; And their decision upon his head shall be an end of controversy concerning him. Thus, none shall be exempted from the justice and the laws of God, that all things may be done in order and in solemnity before him, according to truth and righteousness.
21. Discernment: A great dilemma in this internet age is to discern what is evil-speaking, deception, guile, etc. and what is truth. Here is what some have had to say:
New Testament | Hebrews 5:12-14 ~ For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
TPJS:204 ~ Or who can drag into daylight and develop the hidden mysteries of the false spirits that so frequently are made manifest among the Latter-day Saints? We answer that no man can do this without the Priesthood, and having a knowledge of the laws by which spirits are governed; for as no man knows the things of God, but by the Spirit of God, so no man knows the spirit of the devil, and his power and influence, but by possessing intelligence which is more than human, and having unfolded through the medium of the Priesthood the mysterious operations of his devices; without knowing the angelic form, the sanctified look and gesture, and the zeal that is frequently manifested by him for the glory of God, together with the prophetic spirit, the gracious influence, the godly appearance, and the holy garb, which are so characteristic of his proceedings and his mysterious windings.
TPJS:205 ~ A man must have the discerning of spirits before he can drag into daylight this hellish influence and unfold it unto the world in all its soul-destroying, diabolical, and horrid colors; for nothing is a greater injury to the children of men than to be under the influence of a false spirit when they think they have the Spirit of God. Thousands have felt the influence of its terrible power and baneful effects. Long pilgrimages have been undertaken, penances endured, and pain, misery and ruin have followed in their train; nations have been convulsed, kingdoms overthrown, provinces laid waste, and blood, carnage and desolation are habiliments in which it has been clothed.
TPJS:206-207 ~ A man must have the discerning of spirits, as we before stated, to understand these things, and how is he to obtain this gift if there are no gifts of the Spirit? And how can these gifts be obtained without revelation? "Christ ascended into heaven, and gave gifts to men; and He gave some Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers." And how were Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, Teachers and Evangelists chosen? By prophecy (revelation) and by laying on of hands—by a divine communication, and a divinely appointed ordinance—through the medium of the Priesthood, organized according to the order of God, by divine appointment. The Apostles in ancient times held the keys of this Priesthood—of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, and consequently were enabled to unlock and unravel all things pertaining to the government of the Church, the welfare of society, the future destiny of men, and the agency, power and influence of spirits; for they could control them at pleasure, bid them depart in the name of Jesus, and detect their mischievous and mysterious operations when trying to palm themselves upon the Church in a religious garb, and militate against the interest of the Church and spread of truth. We read that they "cast out devils in the name of Jesus," and when a woman possessing the spirit of divination, cried before Paul and Silas, "these are the servants of the Most High God that show unto us the way of salvation," they detected the spirit. And although she spake favorably of them, Paul commanded the spirit to come out of her, and saved themselves from the opprobrium that might have been heaped upon their heads, through an alliance with her, in the development of her wicked principles, which they certainly would have been charged with, if they had not rebuked the evil spirit.
TPJS:202 ~ It is evident from the Apostles' writings, that many false spirits existed in their day, and had "gone forth into the world," and that it needed intelligence which God alone could impart to detect false spirits, and to prove what spirits were of God. The world in general have been grossly ignorant in regard to this one thing, and why should they be otherwise—for "the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God." ¶ The Egyptians were not able to discover the difference between the miracles of Moses and those of the magicians until they came to be tested together; and if Moses had not appeared in their midst, they would unquestionably have thought that the miracles of the magicians were performed through the mighty power of God, for they were great miracles that were performed by them—a supernatural agency was developed, and great power manifested.
(See also footnote 11 in Part One: Evil Speaking.)
22. As quoted in Edwin S. Gaustad’s Liberty of Conscience: Roger Williams in America © 1999 Judson Press, Valley Forge, PA, p. 163.
23. TPJS, 313.
24. By illustrators of the 1890 Holman Bible [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons;
File URL: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Holman_Trumpets.jpg
Page URL: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AHolman_Trumpets.jpg

The Pity Ploy

(“It’s not my fault!”)

In her book, The Sociopath Next Door, Martha Stout gives her assessment of the best tip-off to avoiding sociopaths. It is not “some sinister-sounding detail of behavior or snippet of body language or threatening use of language that is the subtle give-away” for “none of these things is reliably present” (p. 107). She continues:

Rather the best clue is, of all things, the pity ploy. The most reliable sign, the most universal behavior of unscrupulous people is not directed, as one might imagine, at our fearfulness. It is perversely, an appeal to our sympathy (p. 107).

When deciding whom to trust, bear in mind that the combination of consistently bad or egregiously inadequate behavior with frequent plays for your pity is as close to a warning mark on a conscienceless person’s forehead as you will ever be given (p. 109).

All of which is a fascinating insight considering the brief profile of the first conscienceless person identified by name. Here is what was written of Cain after he murdered his brother Abel.

And Cain gloried in that which he had done, saying: I am free; surely the flocks of my brother falleth into my hands.

Then God appears on the scene.

And the Lord said unto Cain: Where is Abel, thy brother?

And he said: I know not. Am I my brother's keeper?

And the Lord said: What hast thou done?
The voice of thy brother's blood cries unto me from the ground.
And now thou shalt be cursed from the earth
which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand.
When thou tillest the ground
it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength.
A fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
(Pearl of Great Price | Moses 5:33-37)

Now, comes the pity ploy.

And Cain said unto the Lord:
Satan tempted me because of my brother's flocks.
And I was wroth also; for his offering thou didst accept^[1] and not mine;
my punishment is greater than I can bear.
Behold thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the Lord,
and from thy face shall I be hid;
and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth;
and it shall come to pass, that he that findeth me will slay me,
because of mine iniquities, for these things are not hid from the Lord.
(Moses 5:38-39)

And so it began and so it continues, and will continue unless we awaken to things as they were and as they now are; and thenceforth follow the advice:

Never agree, out of pity or for any other reason, to help a sociopath conceal his or her true character [or crimes]. ... Other people deserve to be warned more than sociopaths deserve to have you keep their secrets (Stout, pp. 161-162).

And that goes especially for the human agents of sociopathic / psychopathic institutions, societies, clubs, organizations, and nations.

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1. Some have wondered why

… the Lord had respect unto Abel, and to his offering; But unto Cain, and to his offering, he had not respect. Now Satan knew this, and it pleased him. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. (Moses 5:20-21)

(Note: it is not because Cain’s offering was the fruits of the field, for “first fruits” are acceptable. Listen to the temple endowment words.)

There may be several factors to account for God’s lack of respect, but surely this reason is foremost:

And Cain loved Satan more than God. And Satan commanded him, saying: Make an offering unto the Lord. (Moses 5:18)

So, Cain was acting in obedience to Satan, not God. Also, we do not know the quality of Cain’s offering, but we do know he already had an attitude problem:

Who is the Lord that I should know him? (Moses 5:16)
And Cain was wroth, and listened not any more to the voice of the Lord, (Moses 5:26)

Thus, his perceived “obedience” to God was just the opposite.

Without Conscience

Perhaps the greatest obstacle that believers / unbelievers have in accepting the mind-boggling horrors perpetrated by conspiracies and secret combinations¹ is the incomprehensibility of humans living without conscience. Yet, it is now estimated that there are 4 in every 100 (1 in 25) who do so—many of whom are in positions of power and leadership.

For a flavor of what it means to live without conscience, you can read The Sociopath Next Door by Martha Stout, Ph.D.; or begin with this audio introduction:



at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFVrvoYTGu0 .

But the great tragedy is that there are 96 out of 100 who do have conscience, and yet our world is in desperate straits:

» toxic medicines, foods, air, and water;
» pervasive business, government, and science frauds and scams;
» state-sponsored or contracted torture and murder;
» violations of human and legal rights;
» perpetual wars;
» police brutality;
» genocides;
» oppression;
» and on and on.

BUT, why do those of conscience tolerate the machinations of those without conscience?

Here are some possible reasons why:

▪ failure to recognize psychopathic / sociopathic traits and behaviors;
▪ inability to accept that there are people without conscience (PWOC) despite the evidence;
▪ too much participation and pleasure in the “trickle-down” perks of money, power, fame, immunity, etc. with which PWOC often surround themselves;
▪ fear of exposure after violating one’s conscience or moral code at the persuasion / instigation of PWOC;
▪ threats, intimidation, blackmail;
▪ fear of what PWOC might resort to if they perceive themselves as “betrayed” or offended;
▪ difficulty in standing up to “authority” figures² for many people with conscience (PWC);
▪ impressive favors and rewards accruing to PWOC by way of competitive capitalism;
▪ acceptance of aggressive self-interest in cultures that promote extreme individuality and bottom-line;
▪ “pity-me” (victim) ploys invoked by many PWOC to keep their game going;
▪ tendency of PWC to be trusting, courteous, forgiving, hopeful, etc.
▪ shaming, denigration, mockery, etc. of PWC;
▪ believing mind-boggling, massive lies and deceptions concocted and perpetrated by PWOC because, as Hitler, a classic person without conscience, wrote:

... the broad masses … more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods. It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and will continue to think that there may be some other explanation. For the grossly impudent lie always leaves traces behind it, even after it has been nailed down, a fact which is known to all expert liars in this world and to all who conspire together in the art of lying. —Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf, vol. I, ch. X (See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_lie ).

And so, 4% of the population (along with a sizable portion of conned or corrupted PWC) have managed, with the above and other strategies, to exercise enough power, control, and deception to bring the entire world to the brink of disaster. (Most of us can’t even fathom how close!) So what can the remaining percentile of people with conscience do? Perhaps we can begin immediately and aggressively to act by:

▪ refusing any and all association or support of PWOC, including faux-persons (being many corporations);
▪ daring to question things and to speak up;
▪ continually demanding accountability, consequence, and responsibility for harms done;
▪ recognizing how immersed we are in the ways of Babylon (the archetypical fraternity of PWOC);
▪ supporting local small business for all needs;
▪ sourcing small business products as locally as possible;
▪ banking with local credit unions;
▪ sharing more and making do with less;
▪ living the gift-economy as much as possible;
▪ participating in reputable income-generating programs for suffering peoples;
▪ recommitting to personal moral values and integrity (no matter the cost);
▪ repenting of our failures and paying the consequences (no matter the cost) in order to be free of PWOC and their disciples.

Albert Einstein said:

The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.³

So, let us do whatever we can. If enough PWC can reject the ways of Babylon and of PWOC, perhaps we can, even in the midst of chaos, look confidently to the promise:

[L]et us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed. (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 123:17)

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1. See http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2014/12/unbelievers.html
2. See the Stanley Milgram experiment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment . Despite some controversy, his findings have been replicated showing that as many as 63 % of people will act against conscience at the instigation of an authority figure.
3. As quoted in The Sociopath Next Door: The Ruthless Versus the Rest of Us by Martha Stout, p. 106.
Other relevant quotes from Stout’s book:

» ...life without conscience is deception and illusion (p. 91).
» What sociopaths want, what motivates them, is completely outside our experience (p. 96).
» The most reliable sign, the most universal behavior of unscrupulous people is not directed, as we might imagine, at our fearfulness. It is, perversely, an appeal to our sympathy (p. 107).
» ... American society seems to allow and even encourage me-first attitudes elevated to the pursuit of domination (p. 136).
» ... our culture, which informs them resoundingly that their ability to act guiltlessly on their own behalf is the ultimate advantage (p. 137).