Dear Brigham Young Haters: Leave My Prophet Alone!
Emotions are raw, and people are angry all over the United States. As members of the Church, we are not insulated from the rioters who are tearing down statues, defacing property, and attacking and demonizing historical figures.
Petitions to change the name of BYU, 'racists' quotes from church leaders have been circulating around social media, and this weekend a statue of Brigham Young on BYU campus was vandalized with the crooks spray painting racist on it and painting him in blood-red paint.
I have been getting a lot of messages on Facebook asking my thoughts on the current situation and, quite frankly, what I want to shout out is simply this: Dear Brigham Young haters: Leave my prophet alone! But don't leave him alone because of me. There are two reasons to leave him alone, the secular reason is presentism, and the religious reason is covenants.
Presentism can be used to destroy anyone.
Presentism is the practice of judging people in the past based on today's morals and or cultural expectations. This is dangerous for many reasons: but I would like to focus on two.
1st. Presentism is a wildly irresponsible approach to history.
The purpose of learning history is to learn from the mistakes of others rather than repeating those same mistakes ourselves. But too many professors today are pushing history for a different reason, to justify their worldview. Rather than teaching people HOW to objectively learn from history, they are teaching people WHAT TO THINK about history.
For example, it would be easy and justifiable to teach, "Hitler is evil." as that is a commonly accepted belief, even by Germans. But what happens when the person/topic is less cut and dry? Say we are talking about Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Che? Or maybe George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Christopher Columbus, or even Brigham Young? They are loved by some and loathed by others. Professors teaching what to think will teach their world view of these historical figures and topics rather than the actual history. This is historical malpractice and intellectual dishonesty!
Instead, what we should be in favor of is a holistic approach to history. Where we teach the problems that led to the rise of Hitler, the promises he made to gain the support of the German people, as well as the evils of what he did. Let us learn what happened and then we can individually come to the conclusion as to what to think about the person.
2nd. Presentism is devoid of context and is simply an inquisition.
Teaching students history without context would be like watching Star Wars episode 1 and making your conclusions on the whole series based on it. One would think that Anakin is a good guy and Gungans will be a central theme. When in reality Anakin would commit genocide in episode 3 and Gungans were not even shown in later episodes.
Context is key that brings history and the scriptures to life. It is important to understand that the past is a not like the present. My favorite professor often quoted L.P. Hartley and would say, “The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.” (The Go-Between)
When you take history out of context it is easy to attribute the shortcomings of the era and attribute it to an individual. For example, George Washington lived in a time most people either accepted slavery or even had slaves, Washington had slaves. But they were treated better than most slaves. But with presentism, you strip away the context and suddenly all you see is Washington as a slave owner.
But beyond just lacking contextual background, presentism has turned into an inquisition. No amount of good redeems any amount of evil, perceived, or real. Without George Washington, there would not even be America! But he owned slaves and therefore is evil. Matthias Baldwin, Fought for abolition? Well, he was still a colonizer. Presentism still destroyed him (source). President Ulysses S. Grant defeated the Confederacy and fought against the KKK? Well, Presentism still destroyed him because at one point he owned a slave that he soon after freed (source).
And as everyone has made or will make mistakes, it is only a matter of time before presentism will turn on you and destroy you.
Evil Speaking of the Lord's anointed includes the dead ones.
Presentism is a good secular reason for everyone to be merciful to those who have gone before us, Brigham Young included. But as members of the Church, we have a much more important reason to stop criticizing Brigham Young and other Church leaders. Simply put, we have covenanted to abstain from evil speaking of the Lord's anointed.
Our covenant does NOT have any asterisk marks to excuse our breaking of it. Even if our criticism of Brigham Young, Joseph Smith, or any other Church leader is justifiable or accurate.
"Does the commandment to avoid faultfinding and evil speaking apply to Church members’ destructive personal criticism of Church leaders? Of course it does. It applies to criticism of all Church leaders...Evil speaking of the Lord’s anointed is in a class by itself. It is one thing to depreciate a person who exercises corporate power or even government power. It is quite another thing to criticize or depreciate a person for the performance of an office to which he or she has been called of God. It does not matter that the criticism is true." Dallin H. Oaks Ensign February 1987, "Criticism."
Elder George F. Richards, President of the Council of the Twelve, also taught this in April 1947, General Conference, "When we say anything bad about the leaders of the Church, whether true or false, we tend to impair their influence and their usefulness and are thus working against the Lord and his cause." (In Conference Report, Apr. 1947, p. 24.)”
The scriptures also teach us, “Cursed are all those that shall lift up the heel against mine anointed, saith the Lord, and cry they have sinned when they have not sinned before me, saith the Lord, but have done that which was meet in mine eyes, and which I commanded them.” (D&C 121:16.)
President Dallin H. Oaks also elaborated as to why evil speaking and criticism are so damaging when he taught, "The Lord acts through his servants. That is the pattern he has established to safeguard our agency in mortality. His servants are not perfect, which is another consequence of mortality. But if we murmur against the Lord’s servants, we are working against the Lord and his cause and will soon find ourselves without the companionship of his Spirit."
We may not know everything, but we know enough.
Do I understand or have excuses for the actions or beliefs of prior church leaders? No, I do not. But, I don't need to! If they sinned, then that is between them and God. My job is simple, keep my covenants and be true to the testimony I have been given or I will be the one sinning.
I know by a witness of the Holy Ghost that Brigham Young was a prophet of God. That witness did not come with the qualifier, "He is a prophet unless you find a quote you disagree with or a practice you don't like." It was simply put, he is a prophet. And in my book, that means PERIOD THE END. No action by him will excuse me in breaking my covenants, or you in breaking yours!
Neil L. Andersen
Amen!!!
Perfectly said!
Thank you and AMEN! As I have taught in middle school, I have had many opportunities to expound and teach how dangerous it is to apply modern day ethics and awareness to the past. When we judge those in the past by what we know now, we forget all the lack of communication and studies they lived with. It is also hypocritical knowing that we have made mistakes in our own lives, and hindsight doesn't correct past behavior. Too many are throwing rocks in a glass house.
Thank you for your excellent thoughts on both the secular and religious reasons for what is going on in our country. I appreciate your willingness to speak up too in this climate.
There was a time I when I had some critical thoughts about a new president of our church. Soon after I attended stake conference where we had the opportunity to sustain him as our new leader. At that moment I received a prompting to immediately raise my hand because this man was God's choice. It was almost as if I was being chastised for even considering that it not be. My belief is that if this man was called to be president then they all are. We mortals have a limited understanding of Heavenly Father's designs for our church and need to accept all His servants no matter that might have imperfections just as all of us do.
A whole-hearted, big AMEN! Well put.
As I read this article I had the impression come to me about the lord calling workers into his vineyard & those who complained because the latecomers, who only work for an hour got paid the same wages as those who had worked all day. Matt 20:1-16.
Yet Those who are destroying they Statues & monuments are those who work on the side of the opposition. & his Marxists ideology There not church members are they?
Sadly many are members. That is why I included the second reason.
Isn’t this statue Abraham Smoot?
No, it stands in front of the Smoot Admin Building, but it is Bringham.
Thank you for putting into words what I could not. And for being brave enough to speak out about it.
Thank you. The tearing down of our leaders and prophets is so disturbing. The totality of their lives and the good they did for their fellowmen in their time is what is important. They moved us forward and that is what we are honoring.
I am old enough to have had more than one Prophet during my lifetime. I have had favorites! That is because of ther personalities, not their leadership. They have all been good men called of God, not man! Dare I pretend to know more than God? NO! Have I questioned my faith at times? YES! Then I have studied and turned to my Heavenly Father for a better understanding. The answer has always been the same....Follow the Holy Prophets I have sent to guide you, and you will not be led astray. I love the Prophets of God, those I have had the privilege to live with, and also those of old. They have always given me the proper and correct advice, over and over again. Please do not destroy what God has given me, an earthly representation of Him, my Heavenly Father.
I too have my favorites --- David O. McKay was president of the church until I turned 6. Each one has been unique and some have personalities which are closer to my own. But I know each is/was a true prophet of God. I have also had favorite Bishops, favorite R.S. Presidents -- but I have done my best to sustain all of them regardless of my personal likes or dislikes.
Amen! We are on unstable ground passing judgement on only a few facts and not looking at the whole picture. It could have dire consequences.
Has anyone visited the Springville Museum of Art and seen the Soviet Layers exhibit? It is Soviet propaganda. Small plaques have been set to explain some of the downside, but I feel not enough. This is truly a re-write of that horrific history (100 milion died). Lets accompany the pictures with actual history.
The history of Socialism and Communism has a truly horrific body count.
I can't help but think what future generations will say about this time in history! I think that people now have had the privilege of being very much aware of the yesterdays; however, they don't seem to understand that steps taken by those in the past were based on the knowledge of life as it was instituted then. Just as we are living our lives based on our beliefs, norms, and understandings. I concur with others that it is wrong to judge anyone, but worse still to judge the past based on the beliefs of today. As a people, we have without a doubt such advantages given through so many wonderful inventions; yet, what are we truly using them for? You cannot rewrite history based on your standards. That's like comparing apples to cacti fruit! We have taken so much for granted and have used it so wrongly! The Lord makes no mistakes, and whomever He has called, He called them knowing them inside out, which is more than anyone can say. Brigham Young accomplished so much for the pioneers as they crossed the plains to get them to the place the Lord had set aside for them. He did so much also for the State of Utah, the West, and the USA as a whole. "He that is without sin cast the first stone." I am most grateful for what each Prophet has accomplished to get our Church to the wonderful status it holds. Each Prophet was called at that particular time because each could accomplish all that was needed to fulfill the Lord's wishes for its Church at that period of time.
Very good explanation! You can't serve God and Mammon; neither can you serve God and the whims of public opinion.
I for one love Brigham Young.
Sure, I know we was hard at times and might even have seemed callous, but then I visit his Salt Lake home, the Beehive House and am pointed out the windows through which his children could gaze at guests coming to the house. (It's tempting to wonder why the kids were not allowed to mingle -- but that was the custom of the day. Children weren't part of adult socializing -- that wasn't a rule Brigham Young invented). But he also had a special entrance into the house with the door knobs set lower so the little kids could reach them and enter the house -- sexist, racist pigs don't do that.
When apostates turned against Joseph Smith - Brigham Young earned his "Lion of the Lord" nickname as he defended the Prophet to the end.
Yes, when this country was formed, slavery was practiced by many. The founding fathers (for the most part) wished to abolish it -- but to do so immediately would have lost the support of the South and would have meant the end of the Revolution before it ever began. Cry racism all you want, but this country fought a war to end it. A very large percentage of the world still practices slavery -- the same countries that many of our current elected officials support: Not just black slaves, but white, Asian, and even children.
Before we vandalize statues, lets first abolish sex trafficking (its alive and well in this country). Before we burn down cities and molest police officers, put a stop to the drug trade which is killing our teens and young adults.
What covenant includes that promise?
That we do not speak ill of the Lord's anointed? That is one of the covenants we make in the temple.
So many members of the Church question Brigham Young and the "rewriting" of D&C 132, as well as his racial comments to justify how the LDS Church has been fallen since Brigham Young and continues to be fallen. Someone very close to me who served a mission, graduated from BYU, etc., will not wear BYU logo, nor sustain the prophet.
I have been torn between her credentials and similar things she reads from other members who have researched and studied this issue, and my testimony. These are GOOD people who love Christ, study the Book of Mormon, and work harder to be worthy to be "born of the Spirit" much more than me. Yet they bash the church and the polygamy issue.
However I can't throw the temple and it's blessings under the bus. This article is exactly what I needed to hear today. How can they make these claims, yet disparage Brigham and the prophets since then?
@Ellen, isn't this a sign of the times that the Second Coming is near when the members are divided even inside the church? More than ever, we need the discerning spirit of the Holy Ghost to help us choose between right and wrong. What appeals to the human eye may not pass the scrutiny of the Lord. Regular attendance at the temple can help us heed the promptings of the Spirit.