The Great and Abominable Church

Okay, its been awhile since I posted, no excuses, and won't wasted space on that. To my topic.

I was sitting in Sunday School this week, we were talking about Nephi's vision where he saw many things including the subsequent events that would lead to the founding of this nation, i.e. the apostasty, Columbus, the Pilgrims, etc.. A quote by Elder McConkie was read, its the subject of this post. It said,

"The titles church of the devil and great and abominable church are used to identify all churches or organizations of whatever name or nature—whether political, philosophical, educational, economic, social, fraternal, civic, or religious—which are designed to take men on a course that leads away from God and his laws and thus from salvation in the kingdom of God."

Now, I don't mean to get into any of the argumentation or side issues of actual churches that could or could not get labeled with the designation in the subject line. I was more intrigued, and am directing my thoughts at the idea of any 'organization' or philosophy that leads away from God.

I have long been annoyed or frustrated by the idea that seems fairly prevelant that people can have their religious beliefs, and their political beliefs, and their economic beliefs, etc., and though they be completely inconsistent, in their own mind, or argumentation there is no inconsistency.

Now, clearly, members of the Church are free to have whatever positions and opinions they want, that is agency. However, when one tries to argue that their religious beliefs and their voiced political/economic/whatever opinion aren't inconsistent because they are different realms, that bothers me a great deal. Don't get me wrong, it can be difficult to give up, or surrender ones closely held beliefs or stances on a temporal subject, but when it comes to things that the Church has actually taken a stance on, there are only two positions. We are all free to decide whether or not we agree with the Church, and where we will stand, but we are not free to try to obfuscate the lines, making it seem that we both stand with the Church religiously, but stand in opposition politically, or economically, or philosophically.

The Church and the Gospel take some fairly hard line stances on a lot of hot button topics, and people of both political spectrums may find it difficult to swallow such stances. There are times when we must take a good, honest look at our own beliefs and see where they fall. Homosexuality and society. Business practices and the pursuit of worldly goods. Mothers in the home. Marriage. Children. Our wise stewardship over the earth.

This may come off as a political post, but it isn't meant to be. It also isn't a denunciation of any person or specific group. This is a level of introspection that I have had several time with myself as I, hopefully, have matured in my personal stances on worldly issues. It will continue to be a growing experience to take my natural reaction to things politic or temporal, and then compare that stance to those things I know to be true and eternal. Sometimes that means the humility to realize that one's initial stance, reasoned though it may seem according to the philosophies of men, is not in line with the Gospel, or the Church of the Lamb. I think that that is the much bigger danger in the idea espoused in the vision of Nephi and expounded on by Elder McConkie.

The list in the quote gives a small idea of all the various areas in which we may find ourselves. And, as we become 'learned' we may 'think ourselves wise'.

As one who is quick to have opinions, and especially politically, it is I think, a valuable idea to look at our own beliefs and see where they lie. For there are truly only two Churches. And their influence is not restrained to the purely metaphysical.