If William Barber II was a Shock Test, BYU's Faculty and Students Failed it!
Almost immediately after William Barber II spoke at BYU all my friends who go to BYU started posting on Facebook about how amazing his speech was. Some even said it was the best Tuesday devotional they had been to. Knowing absolutely nothing of William Barber II but having participated in many interfaith dialogs while a student at UVU, including the Elijah Institute where I had lunch with the former leader of the Episcopal Church and dinner with a Muslim Cleric and professor from Islamabad, I was excited to hear what Barber shared in hopes that he focused on common doctrines and building bridges like the interfaith dialogs I had been to.
I was sorely disappointed. I watched William Barbers sermon; he did NOT talk about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let alone our common doctrines. Instead of preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, he preached the gospel of progressivism. It was full of division and political talking points. He blamed all the ills of the nation on those who are unwilling to embrace the false gospel of socialism/welfarism. It was like turning on the news and hearing a politician/the media ignorantly hyperventilate about issues like voting rights, white supremacy, the evils of border security, religious nationalism, how tax cuts are evil, and the need to pass Build Back Better and the Green New Deal, etc., etc., etc.
He (mis)quoted scriptures to justify progressive ideologies of redistribution of wealth and the welfare state, he said it was wrong to expect people to work for welfare, he called for increasing the minimum wage, he ranted about 'living wages' and said that a living wage would be $25 an hour. He repeatedly stressed the moral need to have universal health care. And he advocated redistribution of wealth and he said it was immoral for the government not to spend money to fix these issues. He pushed the socialist ideology that promoted using force (via the government) to ensure people followed the scriptural injunction to take care of the poor and needy. And he inferred such socialist programs were the only way to bring about Zion-like conditions.
In a nutshell, the ONLY phrase that can be used to describe what I listened to when I watched his 'sermon' is the phrase that kept running through my mind, "These are the false philosophies of men, mingled with scripture." Sadly, watching the video I saw BYU staff and students receive these teachings with thunderous applause and standing ovations, which could only be defined as very well. (To watch the video of his sermon, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du1-Ce832VM)
The Failed Shock Test.
With that background, I feel impressed to say that if William Barber II was a shock test, then BYU's faculty, students, and their parents all failed the test. That statement might offend some people, but before you take offense, hear me out. Before I can go over HOW each of these groups has failed, I need to make sure you understand briefly what a shock test is. A shock test is when you conduct a test to ensure that something is working correctly.
For example, if you make a case to protect cellphones then you would test it by dropping the phone. If the phone cracks the case has not protected the phone, it failed the test. If the phone does not crack, the case passed the test. A failed test means that something has gone wrong and needs to be fixed. Now that you know what failing a shock test means, IE something has gone wrong and needs to be fixed, now let me go into how BYU's staff, students, and their parents have failed their shock tests.
How BYU Faculty Failed the Shock Test.
The Job: Ezra Taft Benson taught that the job of the BYU Faculty was to "First lay the groundwork of gospel truth in every subject, and then, if necessary, show where the world may fall short of that standard." And in the words of Brigham Young, “You should not teach even the alphabet or the multiplication tables without the Spirit of God."
How They Failed the Test: Even with this CLEAR expectation of what they should do, many members of the BYU Faculty are teaching opinions that are NOT consistent with the doctrines of the Church. They are producing students who are socialists, who buy into false ideas such as the redistribution of wealth and government welfare being the solution to all the injunctions to take care of the poor and needy.
These issues are not just Political Science professors run amuck, my wife was in the Family Sciences and many classes were a dumpster-fire of progressive ideologies and opinions not consistent with the gospel. For example, students have been taught that the Family Proclamation was wrong as gender is a spectrum. Other professors have taught that the Church will have a revelation allowing gay marriage in the future. Or that the Church is wrong on LGBTQ issues. My wife had professors try to coach her into believing she was a victim of sexism and that she had white privilege, and another told her that masturbation is alright if your goal is to 'explore' to improve your marriage!
It is no wonder that with such apostate doctrines being taught that Elder Holland came and rebuked the professors earlier this year. Yes, that talk where Elder Holland touched on LGBQ was directed to professors and correcting them, see Three Ways Everyone is Missing the Mark With Elder Holland’s Talk at BYU.
Now, when I say BYU faculty have failed, I do not mean ALL professors have failed but that many of them have failed. I acknowledge that there are many amazing members of the faculty and staff. In fact, I have even had members of the BYU faculty reach out to me to say thank you for speaking out as they felt alone in steading against the bad professors. The fact that good professors feel alone is a huge indictment of the current climate which Elder Holland came to correct.
The Fix: The Faculty and Staff at BYU are paid out of the tithing funds of the Church. It is not just their job but also their duty to ensure the veracity of the principles taught in their classes. If they are unable or willing to teach the truth they should be admonished, corrected, and if necessary, removed. When it comes to the Political Sciences and the role of government, ALL students should leave class with a FIRM knowledge that redistribution of wealth and welfare as the government administers it is not in accordance with the gospel. Teachers should use quotes such as the following as the basis of their courses on welfare:
The welfare plan of this great Church tells us to reenthrone work as a ruling principle in our lives and to abolish the dole, which is a something-for-nothing program. There is no place for it in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Robert L. Simpson (Conference Report, Oct. 1968, Page 98)
Thou shalt not be idle; for he that is idle shall not eat the bread nor wear the garments of the laborer.
Doctrine and Covenants 42:42
But it [welfare] must needs be done in mine own way;
Doctrine and Covenants 104:13(14–17)
We know that the day will come when “every man” shall share equally in the good things of earth, “according to his family, according to his circumstances and his wants and needs.” (D&C 51:3.) We also know that attaining such equality must await the time when all men willingly work to sustain themselves and, motivated by love for their fellowmen, liberally “impart” of their substance unto the poor and the needy, “according to the law of [the] gospel.” (D&C 104:18.)
“In Mine Own Way” by Marion G. Romney
No one has the authority to grant such powers as welfare programs, schemes for redistributing the wealth, and activities that coerce people into acting in accordance with a prescribed code of social planning. There is one simple test. Do I as an individual have a right to use force upon my neighbor to accomplish this goal? If I do, then I may delegate that power to my government to exercise it in my behalf. If I do not have that right, I cannot delegate it.
Ezra Taft Benson (Conference Report, October 1968 Pages 17-22)
And when it comes to the proper role of Government they should use the teachings of the prophets of God rather than the counterfeits of the devil. For one of the BEST talks on this see Our God-given Rights by Ezra Taft Benson in the Oct. 1968 General Conference. He thoroughly DENOUNCES everything that William Barber II advocated.
How BYU Students Failed the Shock Test.
The Job: Regardless of what professors teach, everything should be filtered through a gospel lens. Our job is to detect Satanic counterfeits where he mingles in scriptures to justify the philosophies of men and reject them in favor of the true teachings of God's messengers. Everything should be compared with the revealed word, personal revelation, lectures, political ideas, and even guest sermons. Truth embraced and counterfeits or falsehoods rejected.
How They Failed the Test: BYU students were caught in the most basic of Satanic counterfeit lies, the ends justify the means. In Heaven Satan did not offer a different result, he offered exaltation too, but he offered a different plan to get there. This same approach is what William Barber II did. He quoted scriptures to describe the things he wanted: to end racism, to improve the quality of life, to increase the abilities of people to provide for their families, and to take care of the poor and needy. All these things were good. But it was the MEANS that he proposed that should've sent red flags up every single student's flagpole. Using governmental force to fix these problems! That is Satan's plan!
The Fix: Compare the PLANS and not the ENDS that people preach. The plan of William Barber II was to increase Socialistic Welfare state programs. Compare that to the teachings of the prophets, for example:
To have been on the wrong side of the freedom issue during the war in heaven meant eternal damnation. How then can Latter-day Saints expect to be on the wrong side in this life and escape the eternal consequences? The war in heaven is raging on earth today. The issues are the same: "Shall men be compelled to do what others claim is for their best welfare" or will they heed the counsel of the prophet and preserve their freedom? … Today Satan argues that men given their freedom do not choose wisely; therefore a so-called brilliant, benevolent few must establish the welfare government and force us into a greater socialistic society.
Ezra Taft Benson, Conference Report, Apr. 1965, pages 122-123
Can there be any clearer of a juxtaposition between the gospel as taught God's anointed servants and the gospel taught by William Barber II than that? Yes, there can. Turning again to General Conference, we were taught, "Once government steps over this clear line between the protective or negative role into the aggressive role of redistributing the wealth through taxation and providing so-called “benefits” for some of its citizens, it becomes a means for legalized plunder. It becomes a lever of unlimited power that is the sought-after prize of unscrupulous individuals and pressure groups, each seeking to control the machine to fatten his own pockets or to benefit his favorite charity, all with the other fellow’s money, of course. Each class or special interest group competes with the others to throw the lever of governmental power in its favor, or at least to immunize itself against the effects of a previous thrust. Labor gets a minimum wage. Agriculture gets a price support. Some consumers demand price controls. In the end, no one is much further ahead, and everyone suffers the burdens of a gigantic bureaucracy and a loss of personal freedom. With each group out to get its share of the spoils, such governments historically have mushroomed into total welfare states. Once the process begins, once the principle of the protective function of government gives way to the aggressive or redistributive function, then forces are set in motion that drive the nation toward totalitarianism."
Repeatedly throughout his sermon statements from Barber should've caused BYU students to step back and say, "That does not align with the gospel!" or "That is not the role of Government!" Rather than advocating that we do what is in our power to fix the problem using our agency to choose the right. William Barber advocated we 'march on DC' to tell the government to force people to do what Barber believes is right.
For more on this topic see: "Why So Many Members Are Falling For Satan’s Counterfeits of the United Order"
How Parents Failed the Shock Test.
The Job: All of us are given agency. Parents are commanded by God to ensure that their children are taught correct principles and how to recognize the Spirit so that they may be accountable for their agency. Elder Dean L. Larsen taught, "When knowledge and understanding are combined with agency, a condition is achieved that we call accountability. Achieving accountability and helping others to achieve it are among the most important concerns of mortal life. Parents have this great responsibility with regard to their children. The Lord has said that those parents who fail in this are guilty of a serious transgression. (See D&C 68:25.)"
How They Failed the Test: One of the key parts of achieving accountability is teaching children how to recognize the Spirit. Parents failed the test by failing to teach this to their children. Too many people mistake strong emotions for 'the Spirit' thus when a Pentecostal Preacher from The South gets all fired up and the emotions are running raw the students confused their emotions with the Spirit. I saw so many comments on the YouTube video (before they turned them off) and on Facebook posts saying that this was one of the most powerful and spiritual devotionals ever. Students, like many of their parents, have failed to learn how to tell the difference between strong emotions that can be manipulated and the Spirit.
The Fix: We must learn how to truly communicate with God, and then teach it to the youth. Once they know and understand the truth and know how to recognize the Spirit, then, and only then, will we be able to stand blameless before God in the discharging of our parental duties. This requires that we learn to truly communicate and #HearHim and seek to foster an atmosphere where the Spirit can testify, and emotional manipulations are not used. Once we and our children know how to decern truth from error by the Spirit we won't be led astray by every popular or exciting false doctrine, trend, or gospel.
Conclusion.
I have no issues with men like William Barber II coming to speak at BYU. It provides a shock test. The Lord even allows Satan to make his pitch, but we must reject the philosophies of men, mingled with scriptures, in favor of the authorized servants of God teaching His Gospel. Sadly Barber was not rejected and thus BYU's staff, students, and their parents failed the shock test. But failing a shock test is not true failure. True failure is not taking the steps to pass it in the future. Let us do all that is in our control to ensure that we can pass our shock tests when they come for us. To do so we will need the Spirit to detect truth from error, I echo the warning of President Russell M. Nelson "It has never been more imperative to know how the Spirit speaks to you than right now."
This was a great article. It is so sad to see so many in the church fall for the lies of the religion of progressivism.
This is my take away from Elder Holland’s address to BYU’s faculty and staff earlier this year:
I submit that the following excerpt from said address is a warning that if this ship doesn’t get turned around then the First Presidency has no problem sinking it.
In 2014, seven years ago, then-Elder Russell M. Nelson came to campus in this same setting. His remarks were relatively brief, but tellingly he said:
“With the Church growing more rapidly in the less prosperous countries, we . . . must conserve sacred funds more carefully than ever before.
“At BYU we must ally ourselves even more closely with the work of our Heavenly Father. . . .
“A college education for our people is a sacred responsibility, [but] it is not essential for eternal life.”[9]
A statement like that gets my attention, particularly because just a short time later President Nelson chairs our Board, holds our purse strings, and has the final “yea” or “nay” on every proposal we make from a new research lab, to more undergrad study space, to approving a new pickup for the physical facilities staff! Russell M. Nelson is very, very good at listening to us. We who sit with him every day have learned the value of listening carefully to him.
I believe it is a sign of the times. Lovers of self
Disobedient. Swayed by the worlds view
Too much false information available 24/7
A lack of responsibility. Everyone should read
Be 100 percent responsible by Lynn G Robbins
And anything the prophets have said.
Thank you for including quotes from the leadership of the church. I hope something is done soon to remedy this problem. Our tithing is precious.
Great article...could it be a time of weeding out? I hope so. The wokeness being taught at BYU does not have a good ending. So sad.
Thank you for this article. I too turned on the devotional that day, as I have heard many great talks in the interfaith series. I always hope to hear the commonalities between our faiths, and hear ways that good people who believe in God band together against the evils of the world. My husband and I watched for a bit, and when the speaker stated that welfare shouldn't require work, and talking about socialism being the only way to bring Zion-like conditions, we had to turn it off. Progressivism and Socialism sound great on the surface, but they are a counterfeit of the Lord's plan and will result in disaster. I am seeing too many people accepting these ideologies. You are correct--these are the philosophies of humans masquerading as scripture. Thank you for your writings and always bringing issues back into focus on God, scripture and prophets.
Given the number of poor among us, what steps do you propose to make capitalism work? Your answer cannot blame the poor, as Christ never would do that. You fail the shock test if you aren’t in shock by the number of poor in our nation.
The number of poor and needy is shocking and disgusting, but blaming capitalism is ignorant.
The answer is not to turn to Satan it is to turn to the Lord and do welfare in the Lord's way.
Renthrone the Fatherhood of God to restore the brotherhood of man. Teach men their duty to their fellow men.
Deconstruct the current welfare state and intact strict austerity measures as the prophets have told us to do.
Move the responsibility of welfare and taking care of the poor and needy back into the private sector.
The problem is not too much capitalism, the problem is too much welfarism. Too much cronyism. Too much government. And too many ignorant people that are fed lies by malicious professors who seek to reshape our nation. Read the talk by Benson referenced in this article.
@Dana, Have you ever been to India? Or any other nation where there are poor? The poor in the USA are wealthy compared to the truly poor and destitute there. This is the land of opportunity! People flock here to get a chance at the opportunity for "wealth", which can mean a steady job, a roof over head, clothes in the closet, a television and phone, and food every day. Capitalism, not cronyism, is the system that has lifted more out of poverty than any other. The answer to the ills of society is to live the commandments and follow the Savior. The response of Jeremy is correct!
@Jeremy, I didn’t say there is too much capitalism. I did not say capitalism is to blame. I asked a question, how do you make our capitalistic system work for everyone?
I’d say there isn’t enough capitalism in the inner city where I live. Black people are agitating for more participation, not less. Access to loans and opportunities, decent education, dignified justice system, all the benefits of capitalism.
I’ve read Benson, grew up on him. He’d want capitalism to work in the city too!
Blaming is easy. We are in the trenches with others in our ward trying to give access to our hard working members in the cycle of poverty working two or three jobs. I’m not ignorant. I’m frustrated by the blaming and hands-off righteousness indignation of members who choose the sidelines to scream/preach rather than digging in to help. Christ got busy to work with his healing. Bring your healing….bring your capitalism, please! We could use it here. Too often access is denied, mostly by disparities in a broken system. Fix it. You may have the greatest car but if it’s broke, it’s not so great. You fix it.
Yes, the private sector needs to be responsible for the poor. Tell McDonalds to pay their workers a living wage and stop the government subsidizing of their workers. McDonald’s and other private sector businesses can stand up and do the right capitalistic thing. I can pay an extra 25 cents for my burger. Businesses don’t need the government to tell them or do they? They aren’t doing it! So who is going to get businesses to care?
Make welfare unnecessary. We all have a role in this. Roll up the sleeves. Your ignorance is showing if you believe capitalism is alive and well in all communities.
Therein lies your issue, it is not our job to "make the system work" the VAST majority of reasons why the system is broken is because people have departed from a true free market to "make the system work" by making it more socialistic. The system is broken to the extent we have departed from it.
And as for your McDonald's question, the very structure of how you phrased it shows a lack of understanding of how the free markets work, the phrase "Living Wage" is a term used by progressives and is undefinable, $7.25 would be a living wage if it were not for inflation.
But to the substance of your question you allow the free market to work, individuals and groups can petition privately or publically and advocate for their desired outcomes, but in no way should "telling them" equate to forcing them. So to answer "Who is going to get businesses to care" people. Customers, shareholders, the court of public opinion.
I fully know capitalism is not alive and well in the vast majority of the country. We have government-sponsored cronyism and socialistic welfareism that like cancer has corrupted our system.
@Jeremy, Very well said!!
@Dana, Serious suggestion, listen/read everything you can from Thomas Sowell. He has spent decades researching economies and governments and has found that government always makes things worse. Let the market do what it does. And for inner cities, neighborhoods need to be safe so business will want to invest in those areas which creates more jobs and more wealth.
This is wonderful. I just knew you'd do a great job explaining it. As soon as I saw that "devotional" or whatever it was, I wanted you to write about it! I know the scriptures say to not be astonished when these things come to pass, but I can't help but be appalled and nervous. You make a wonderful point about mixing our emotions with the spirit. I'm guilty of misunderstanding them too. I struggle consistently with discernment feeling the spirit or just my own ideas? I suffer with bipolar disorder, and intrusive thoughts so I'm very much a mess, despite my patriarchal blessing telling me I have the gift of discernment. Searching the scriptures helps me discern mostly, but there are still so many subtle ways I fear I will get it wrong.
The answer to your worry comes in a quote and suggestion.
“Quit worrying about it. Quit fussing with it. Quit analyzing it. You be a good boy, you be a good girl, you honor your covenants, you keep the commandments; and I promise you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that as you press forward with faith in Christ, your footsteps will be guided. As you open your mouth, it will be filled, and you will be where you need to be, and most of the time, you will not even have any idea how you got there.”
David A. Bednar
Learn the principles that govern revelation and how to authenticate it. For more see:
https://mylifebygogogoff.com/2017/02/7-principles-of-personal-revelation-every-latter-day-saint-needs-to-know.html
https://mylifebygogogoff.com/2021/09/how-can-i-tell-if-a-quote-from-a-general-authority-is-authoritative.html
Very well said as always!
As a parent of a BYU student I am sad that this school has turned into nothing more than a regular left leaning school just like any other University these days. The school has really gone down hill under Kevin Worthen so called leadership.
If you think government welfare isn't a good thing then why is one of the first steps for bishops in my area to encourage members to see what families and the government can help them with first before the church steps in? I honestly do not think Christ would be pleased with how many poor people are not taken care of in our country. Didn't King Benjamin teach us to take care of the poor among us and that it is not up to us to judge how they got there? With all the riches in this country no person should go hungry, or go without health care, or without housing. That's not socialism, that's just human decency. I'm not trying to redistribute wealth, I'm advocating for taking care of the Samaritan on the side of the road. Some people will not take care of their fellow man unless compelled by outside forces. Didn't Christ tell a young man to leave all his riches behind and follow Him? He couldn't do it. I would encourage you to listen to another BYU talk - The Macroeconomic, Geopolitical, and Social Trends Defining Our World by Dambisa Moyo. What stuck out to me from this talk is that if you look at poverty in China, which has a very different economic and political system, it's about the same as the US. It really isn't about capitalism, and capitalism isn't any better than other economic systems when it comes to taking care of the poor. It's about finding a humane way to treat your brothers and sisters and lift everybody. People aren't really good at that even though God has sent us many prophets and His Son to help us learn.
Jeremy,
You echo my thoughts perfectly! I feel as though every blog you write is what I should be writing myself but can never bring myself to do so. Thank you for this article!