The Persecution Problem
I believe most people are in the LDS church are cognizant of the idea of persecution. They are even aware that great persecution has been suffered by men of God since the beginning. For that we can turn to Adam, Abel and Cain. The moment Adam came into the world and tried to seek further light and knowledge he was approached by someone seeking to stop him, to divert his path. This same pattern continues on for all men of God. Upon learning new things, accepting them and seeking to live after that manner of true faith, opposition arrives to thwart that progress and divert it. Men of all classes heap up persecution of one form or other.
Joseph was a prime example of this also. The moment he told people about this remarkable change in his life, he was told to quit believing, called a liar and pushed around by men of much more persuasion then him. Joseph made the solemn observation, “…all the time suffering severe persecution at the hands of all classes of men, both religious and irreligious, because I continued to affirm
that I had seen a vision. During the space of time which intervened between the time I had the vision and the year eighteen hundred and twenty-three—having been forbidden to join any of the religious sects of the day, and being of very tender years, and persecuted by those who ought to have been my friends and to have treated me kindly, and if they supposed me to be deluded to have endeavored in a proper and affectionate manner to have reclaimed me-…(JSH)”. Upon reading the whole of the JSH, it is painfully obvious that this was his lot in life from the beginning, and yet he felt it to be to his benefit to receive it. He was in fact given that promise, “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes. (D&C 121:7-8)”
Throughout the text we find living examples of persecution displayed graphically, all for believing and worshipping God and his Christ in the correct manner. Nephi was tortured by his brothers, tied up, beaten, verbally abused. They eventually sought his life. When enough was enough, Nephi was removed by the Lord with his family from the situation. They said of Enoch, “and all men were offended because of him”. They attempted to lay hands on him, but the Lord protected him (moses 7). As was Noah, whos life was sought by the Nephilim for preaching Gods word (Moses 8). Abraham, Joseph of Egypt, David, Moses, Isaiah, Ezekial, Paul, John, Alma, Alma the younger and his friends, Nephi iii, Mormon, Moroni, countless men in our dispensation, etc… All have this one thing in common, persecution. Their manner of life was not consistent with those around them and they were thus persecuted for being not like the others.
At first glance it could be dismissed that this was/is the lot in life of exceptional men. It could be dismissed that the majority of believers are not meant to be persecuted in this manner. This however does not correlate with scripture.
In 2 Tim. 3 Paul tells us, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution”. And the Lord told us in Joh 5, “The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.” Are you a servant? Do you live Godly in Christ Jesus? If so, what should be happening as fruit? But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. (Gal. 4)”
Whenever they were living the laws of God, men were persecuted for it. The saints of the New Testament were constantly bolstered by Paul’s word to them, telling them, “that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer (2 Thes 1)”. It was a forgone conclusion to Paul that the Saints would be persecuted, that it was to be their lot and that they would be rewarded for it.
Joseph stated, “This one thing is sure, that they who will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution; and before their robes are made white in the blood of the Lamb, it is to be expected, according to John the Revelator, they will pass through great tribulation. (HC 1:449.)”. Also, “Those who cannot endure persecution, and stand in the day of affliction, cannot stand in the day when the Son of God shall burst the veil, and appear in all the glory of his Father, with all the holy angels. (HC 1:468.)”
Indeed persecution can be shown scripturally to not only be a byproduct of covenant keeping but the medium through which perfection is wrought. While strict law of ordinance and obedience, has not the power to perfect (Heb. 7), Persecution and Suffering do, “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you (1peter 5)”. In fact, this is said to be the medium through which our Savior found perfection, “…we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For ait became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings (Heb. 5)”.
The Nephites of the BOM were persecuted and purged through the righteous enduring of it. “And they were lifted up in pride, even to the persecution of many of their brethren. Now this was a great evil, which did cause the more humble part of the people to suffer great persecutions, and to wade through much affliction. Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.”
Finally the above quote in Helaman points out an interesting dichotomy which is consistent in scripture. That is, there are only two camps. They are those in prideful complacency who persecute and the repentant faithful who endure them. Taking Helamans example, “pride which began to enter into the church—not into the church of God, but into the hearts of the people who professed to belong to the church of God-And they were lifted up in pride, even to the persecution of many of their brethren.” The same story was repeated in 4 Nephi,
“there were many churches which professed to know the Christ, and yet they did deny the more parts of his gospel, insomuch that they did receive all manner of wickedness, and did administer that which was sacred unto him to whom it had been bforbidden because of unworthiness. And this church did multiply exceedingly because of iniquity, and because of the power of Satan who did get hold upon their hearts. And again, there was another church which denied the Christ; and they did persecute the true church of Christ, because of their humility and their belief in Christ; and they did despise them because of the many miracles which were wrought among them.”
Thus men divide themselves into those who have faith and lift others and those with pride who tear others down. The BOM is full of examples of this, but more poignant to us is the warning from Moroni directly to us today, “And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts.”
So, the question than behooves us as saints; are we being persecuted? If this is the manner of events that perfects us, are we in line? If not, what laws can we live to reap the fruits that provide perfection?
