(June 30, 2015)
I had a
couple of brief thoughts as I read through these chapters. The first was on the change in perspective
and narration in these chapters (it went back and forth between first- and
third-person). This, of course, isn’t a
huge deal – it may be perfectly accurate in how it is presented (with the
narrator stepping in to describe his participation from time to time) or it may
be a mistake somewhere. Neither option
bothers me. The value in this, though,
is in contradicting the anti-Mormon argument that the similar change in
perspective which occurs once in Helaman’s letter to Moroni ‘disproves’ the Book
of Mormon. Whether it is correct, in
that it was edited and redacted by Mormon (which, I think, is the most likely
scenario) or some different explanation, the takeaway is that things like this
happen even in scripture.
The
second thought was on those who generated chaos. Rather than respond to the truths presented
(which, I believe, they knew they couldn’t) they instead resorted to a
different tactic. They generated chaos
and confusion and disorder, and then they blamed that chaos and confusion and
disorder on the Disciples.
I see
this on a macro- and micro-level. On a
macro-level, our current political process is being destroyed by this satanic
behavior. Crises are generated by the
very people demanding their preferred political remedy for the crises. Chaos and confusion are everywhere, and by
design.
On a micro-level,
there are those who demand certain responses or else they will take destructive
actions (or take the destructive action and demand responses or they will
continue those actions). In both of
these cases, what we see is an abrogation of agency, and a willing engagement
in any sort of behavior to acquire the control they desire.
Of
course, this behavior is incompatible with the life of a disciple of Christ
(and to the extent we engage in any such behavior, we must repent). But even more than that, we must learn how
best to respond to such behavior. And in
this respect, I really don’t know the right answer. Turning the other cheek and giving in seems
to embolden and encourage such behavior.
But we are not to resist evil, either.
I wish I knew, because I am facing just such a bullying set of behaviors
right now and I struggle to know the right thing to do. I muddle through as best as I can, but it would
be easier if I had more clarity.
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