latter day satyagraha

Tagged: restoration RSS

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  mormongandhi 17:07 on October 11, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: christians, joseph smith ( 7 ), Mormons ( 46 ), nonviolence ( 21 ), restoration   

  the nonviolence of early followers of Christ 

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  The 6th nonviolent article of faith says:

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  We believe in the same nonviolence that existed in the Primitive Church: “And to those who inquire of us whence we come, or who is our founder, we reply that we are come, agreeably to the counsels of Jesus, to cut down our hostile and insolent swords into ploughshares, and to convert into pruning-hooks the spears formerly employed in war. For we no longer take up sword against nation, nor do we learn war any more, having become children of peace, for the sake of Jesus, who is our leader.” – Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD).

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  The Restoration implied that the Prophet Joseph Smith would restore the primitive church that was instituted during and after the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. It is therefore surprising that little research is done in the LDS church to uncover how the early saints lived, and what was characteristic of their beliefs. They heard it directly from the mouth of Jesus and their immediate interpretation of His Gospel was most probably the most correct application of his divine teachings – unspoiled by time and interpretation.

  Below are selected writings of “early-day” saints (EDS) characteristic of their time and of their attitude to war, peace and even to capital punishment. You cannot convincingly tell me that the early Saints had perverted the Lord’s teachings by pursuing an ideal that had not been taught by Christ and that went contrary to the logic of their time.

  May we heed their council as we seek to live as Jesus wanted us to live until his return:

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  “For it is not in war, but in peace, that we are trained.”  – Clement of Alexandria (150-aprox 211 AD), The Instructor 1.12

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  “The catechumen or faithful who wants to become a soldier is to be rejected, for he has despised God.” – Hippolytus (170-236 AD), The Apostolic Tradition 16.11

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  “But how will a Christian war, nay, how will he serve even in peace without a sword, which the Lord has taken away? For albeit soldiers had come unto John, and had received the formula of their rule; albeit, likewise, a centurion had believed, still the Lord afterward, in disarming Peter, unbelted every soldier.” – Tertullian (160-225 AD), On Idolatry 19

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  “Shall it be held lawful to make an occupation of the sword, when the Lord proclaims that he who uses the sword shall perish by the sword? And shall the son of peace take part in the battle when it does not become him even to sue at law? And shall he apply the chain, and the prison, and the torture, and the punishment, who is not the avenger even of his own wrongs?” – Tertullian (160-225 AD), The Chaplet 11

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  “We cannot endure even to see a man put to death, though justly.” – Athenagoras of Athen (aprox 180 AD), A Plea for the Christians 35

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  “Thus it will be neither lawful for a just man to engage in warfare, since his warfare is justice itself, nor to accuse any one of a capital charge, because it makes no difference whether you put a man to death by word, or rather by the sword, since it is the act of putting to death itself which is prohibited. Therefore, with regard to this precept of God, there ought to be no exception at all; but that it is always unlawful to put to death a man, whom God willed to be a sacred animal.” – Lactantius of Bithynia (aprox 240-317 AD), Divine Institutes 6.20

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  mormongandhi 17:24 on May 17, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: freedom ( 5 ), freedom fighters, latter day saints ( 32 ), LDS ( 40 ), liberation, liberation theology ( 2 ), liberty, missions ( 2 ), Mormons ( 46 ), nonviolence ( 21 ), peace ( 20 ), religion ( 6 ), religious peacebuilding ( 2 ), restoration, salvation ( 2 ), satyagraha ( 12 ), temples ( 4 )   

  what shall we do? – mormon change theories 

  

  What shall we do?

  After having felt the influence of the Holy Ghost in Acts 2:37, the people surrounding the early apostles asked of them: ‘Men and Brethren, what shall we do?’ The response to that question depends very much on who at a certain given point in time is in authority to answer that very question. In different situations, there are different interpretations of the divine will and therefore depending on the interpretation the chosen course of action will vary.

  Appleby in The Ambivalence of the Sacred believes that theologies of redemption can have very dramatic social consequences.He perceives mainly three basic different models of Christian conflict transformation, all bespeaking of different interpretations of the divine will and different orientations to the world:

  

  1. Spiritualists (peaceful attitudes toward the other)

  The spiritualists are known for being committed nonviolent practitioners who view reconciliation as a spirituality, not a strategy, and still less a technical or professional process. Anabaptists – Hutterites and Mennonites in particular – and Quakers have the great virtue, which Latter day Saints presently lack, of ‘being really committed to peace through nonviolence: ‘We certainly know and testify to the world, that the Spirit of Christ, which leads us into all Truth, will never move us to fight and war against any man with outwards weapons, neither for the Kingdom of Christ, nor for the kingdoms of this world’. The Quaker Peace Testimony is grounded upon Jesus’ words to Pontius Pilate – a central scripture also to Latter day Saints: ‘My kingdom is not of this world’. However, it is important to see that scripture in context: ‘If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence‘ (John 18:36).

  

  If my kingdom were of this world...

  In Mormonism, a spiritualist interpretation of the divine is probably best captured in the Conference address The False Gods We Worship given by then-President Spencer W. Kimball at the bicentennial of the USA in 1976: ‘We are a warlike people, easily distracted from our assignment of preparing for the coming of the Lord. When enemies rise up, we commit vast resources to the fabrication of gods of stone and steel – ships, planes, missiles, fortifications – and depend on them for protection and deliverance. When threatened, we become anti-enemy instead of pro-kingdom of God; we train a man in the art of war and call him a patriot, thus, in the manner of Satan’s counterfeit of true patriotism, perverting the Saviour’s teaching: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you”. 

  2. Liberationists (just conditions toward the other)

  On the other hand, the violence of the oppressed is perceived by the liberationists to be a response to a prior ‘original’ and structural violence of the oppressor. Liberation theologians employ elements of just-war theory in order to emphasize the defensive nature of the counter-violence. Gordon B. Hinckley left no doubt to his personal sentiments in regards to the war in Iraq. “We must be mindful of another overriding responsibility, which I may add, governs my personal feelings and dictates my personal loyalties in the present situation. When war raged between the Nephites and the Lamanites, the record states that the Nephites ‘were inspired by a better cause, for they were not fighting for power but they were fighting for their homes and their liberties, their wives and their children, and their all, yea, for their rites of worship and their church. And they were doing that which they felt was their duty, which they owed to their God”.

  

  captain moroni - a freedom fighter

  The LDS prophet believed that “it is clear from these and other writings that there are times and circumstances when nations are justified, in fact have an obligation, to fight for family, for liberty, and against tyranny, threat, and oppression’. I firmly believe that Gordon B. Hinckley’s Conference address on War and Peace opens up for the possibility of a Mormon Liberation Theology. 

  3. Conversonists (righteous behavior toward the other)

  The conversionists seek to bring the world more closely into conformity with the reign of God, primarily by spreading the good news of salvation through the Atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and where possible, converting people to Christianity. Conflict and violence may be inevitable in a world divided between children of darkness and children of light; spiritual warfare is often a common theme.

  Mormons are best known for their missionary work and when it comes to bringing salvation to the living, there is pretty much no other way than proclaiming the Gospel. This theme is recurrent in Doctrine and Covenants, in particular the often-quoted chapter 4: 

  Now, behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men. Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day. Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God, ye are called to the work. For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo he that thrusteth his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul. 

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