Latter-day Satyagraha

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What does the scripture mean, which saith that God placed cherubim and a flaming sword on the east of the garden of Eden, lest our first parents should enter and partake of the fruit of the tree of life, and live forever? And thus we see that there was no possible chance that they should live forever. Now Alma said unto him: This is the thing which I was about to explain. Now we see that Adam did fall by the partaking of the forbidden fruit, according to the word of God; and thus we see, that by his fall, all mankind became a lost and fallen people.

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In the war in heaven – mormon conflictology, it is made clear that the outcome of that mighty war, that battle of wills, was in mere fact the prolongation of that war here on earth. Nephi teaches that without the Atonement of Christ ‘our spirits must have become like unto [the devil], and we [would have] become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself; yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness’ (2 Nephi 9:9). So, according to the Book of Mormon, the enemy’s plan is clear and the end he seeks is also made bare for all to see.

Lucifer and his angels, as enemies to God and to His righteousness, are seeking to make the entire posterity of Adam and Eve as miserable as they themselves had become. The question emanating from such a belief must be the following: what are the means by which these fallen angels may achieve their ends, and what are the ends achieved through those means? What are the weapons with which they fight? I make three propositions based on Galtung’s ABC triangle of violence/peace:

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A. Cultural Violence – negative attitudes towards the other

Means: hatred, pride, fear-mongering, demonizing the other, us versus them, group-thinking, mocking, bullying, lies, secrecy

Ends: Keeping God’s children from uniting and ensuring that they are kept for ever ignorant from more truth and knowledge

And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building; … And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit. And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost.

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B. Direct Violence – destructive behavior toward the other

Means: war, destruction, rape, violent conflict, fighting, killing, maiming, torture, bombs, tanks, guns, armies and navies

Ends: shortening the probationary state of human beings and thus take away from them the opportunity to repent, to change their ways, before being judged by God

And the children of men were numerous upon all the face of the land. And in those days Satan had great dominion among men, and raged in their hearts; and from thenceforth came wars and bloodshed; and a man’s hand was against his own brother (and sister, and his brother’s and sister’s son and daughter) in administering death, because of secret works, seeking for power.

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C. Structural Violence – oppressive conditions toward the other

Means: systemic injustice, inequality, oppression, colonialism, economic exploitation (gold and silver), imperialism,  patriarchy, denial of basic human rights, food security, power, greed, tyranny

Ends: creating and maintaining inequality and perpetuating temporal and spiritual misery

Yea, he saw great inequality among the people, some lifting themselves up with their pride, despising others, turning their backs upon the needy and the naked and those who were hungry, and those who were athirst, and those who were sick and afflicted. And thus we see how great the inequality of man is which comes by the cunning plans of the devil which he hath devised to ensnare the hearts of men.

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Found out more about LDS counter strategies in the article mormon peacebuilding – who is the keeper at the gate?. If you are curious about what the flaming sword and the cherubim meant, the answer is to be found at the bottom of that article.