I read somewhere that there are two basic versions of Christianity. The first Christianity is the one that Christ lived and taught—that we love our enemies, (Luke 6:27) that we are willing to submit our will to God and become like children, (Matthew 18:3) and that "he that is greatest among you shall be your servant." (Matthew 23:11)
The second form can be categorized as what the author calls “Empire Christianity.” In stark contrast to the original, Empire Christianity is about consolidating power and influence. It is over-dressed, unusually fragile and obsessed with its own image, endlessly fixated on indicators of growth and popularity, and eager to excuse any bad behavior. While Christ would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey, Empire Christianity would ride in on a war horse. It is less interested in a disciplined life, and more interested in maintaining and growing its own kingdom, by force if necessary.
It was this brand of Christianity that arose out of an amalgamation with conquest ideologies coming out of the Roman Empire, which occurred around the 4th century AD. Though it is quite different from the teachings of Christ, it would be unfair to say Empire Christianity totally replaced it. Much goodness was preserved as Christ's teachings spread across Europe in those early centuries, but Empire Christianity has been the tare growing alongside the wheat for thousands of years, and much of the drama playing out in our political and social landscape can be traced to that unholy union.
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| "First Vision" by J. Kirk Richards |
Latter-day saints teach that there was a Great Apostasy in which Christ’s original priesthood was lost. I think this has more to do with giving in to worldly power structures than merely the killing off of the apostles, but whatever the reason it was bad enough for Jesus Christ to say 1820 years after His death, as recorded by Joseph Smith, that they all "draw near unto me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.” (JSH 1:19)
God's power is called priesthood, and is based on Christ's teachings of radical love, that "without compulsory means it shall flow unto [him] forever and ever." (D&C 121:46) In our current mess and latest "war of words and tumult of opinions," the counsel of Christ to Joseph remains the same: "join none of them, for they are all wrong." (JSH 1:19)
Jesus condemns the use of His teachings to build up oneself instead of blessing others. He called out the religious leaders of His day, calling them a “generation of vipers." His harshest words were not for the sinners, the heretics, or the morally unclean. It was the self-righteous churchmen, especially when they made life more difficult for the marginalized, that brought out Jesus' harshest criticism.
The Book of Mormon doesn't mince words either:
“Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.” (1 Nephi 14:10)
This has nothing to do with specific churches being right or wrong, and everything to do with the way Christian teachings are used. Whenever God's authority is joined with worldly systems of power to exploit, gratify, or consolidate one's own power and influence, that is the definition of “the great and abominable Church," or church of the devil.
Why am I writing this now? Because I think it is important that we recognize how pervasive Empire Christianity is in the current political and social landscape. I think we, including members of the church, are getting duped too often, because it arrives packaged to us in all the appearance of familiar traditional Christian religious practice, with all the right political and social cues, and it gratifies us in all the ways that feels good as we feel a part of a team that fights against all our perceived enemies.
"And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the whore of all the earth, and she sat upon many waters; and she had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people." (1 Nephites 14:11)
A fine description of our current state of affairs. The joining of the gospel that is meant to be a form of love and connection between men and women has become the very form of oppression and control. This is one meaning of whoredom, to take that which is sacred and make it exploitative. We hear that corruption in the voice of political pundits and politicians. We hear it whenever groups try to blame another group of people in the name of Christ and make them their latest enemy, hollowing out the foundation of Christian love. Wherever Empire Christianity goes, contention and division follows.
What is the solution to all of this?
"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory."
Priesthood power is the defining attribute of the church of the Lamb, and the Spirit which accompanies priesthood power helps us recognize the clever decoys. As we become familiar with how priesthood works, we will be better able to recognize its counterfeits.
"No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile." (D&C 121:41-42) This is the defining characteristics of God's power, and though it is rare, it is nevertheless unconquerable, for "charity never fails." Without it, we are messing around in the dark. Not even members of the church get a free pass:
"That [the priesthood] may be conferred upon us it is true, but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the children of me, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man...We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.” (D&C 121:37-39)
Anytime someone uses their influence or power to further their own interest, to exploit or demonize another group or individual, especially when they do it in the name of Jesus Christ, “amen to the priesthood of that man.”
In a social and political stage as much as a personal one, the Book of Mormon is the guidebook for the problem that plagues us, to help us in our latter-day project to establish a world based on love instead of control. As we read about the unraveling of the Nephites and the Lamanites, it opens our eyes to both the problem and the solution. It gives away the whole plot of the adversary. Spoiler alert! If we don't learn the heart of Christ's teachings, which is to love our enemies, everyone dies. The Book of Mormon breaks the spell we are living under as the world continues to hurl itself over to the task of consolidating worldly power structures and teaches us to love our enemies, and put our trust in God.
In the last days, we will be trying something new. Instead of sharpening our ideological swords, the solution the Book of Mormon offers is quite revolutionary. We are to bury them. Like the Anti-Nephi Lehies did, or like Moroni did when he buried the sword of Laban at Cumorah, the way to peace is to trust God enough to put out down our defences. You cannot establish peace with a sword.
Instead of the sword, Moroni gives us the word of God. A book. This is the secret weapon preserved for our time. It is metaphorical sword beat into a ploughshare of a civilization that cries to us from the dust "that [we] might learn to be more wise than [they] have been." (Mormon 9:31) It testifies and clarifies the power and priesthood of Christ as the only way to prepare the world for His Second Coming.
