Mormon Leadership - Why I'm lost
Leaders admit to having faults but don't tolerate criticism. Leaders admit to not seeing God, Jesus, or angels, but claim to be special witnesses of Christ. When will the madness end?
Right now I’m really at a loss. So many people that belong to the Mormon church believe that the leaders can do no wrong. They will follow them wherever they lead. One covenant that Mormons make in the temple is that they should not “speak evil of the Lord’s anointed.” This means you shouldn’t talk bad about a leader, at least I am pretty sure. It’s pretty vague considering that each member who’s been through the endowment has also been “washed and anointed.” That’s the precursor ordinance before the endowment.
I ran a poll on Twitter for about 3 days asking for input from Mormons.
I didn’t get as many results as I was hoping for and by no means am I suggesting this is scientific. It’s something to look at though. If one has had a negative experience, about 1/3 of Mormons would keep silent on the issue because it would be considered breaking a covenant.
The Doctrine
The leaders claim the following:
they are fallible and have made mistakes.
admitted that none of them have seen god, Jesus, or angels.
“Criticism is particularly objectionable when it is directed toward Church authorities, general or local. Jude condemns those who ‘speak evil of dignities.’ (Jude 1:8.) 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 Oaks, Criticism Feb 1987
It does not matter if the criticism is true? Well, they’ve proven that over and over again. You get excommunicated for speaking out on issues that are prevalent in your day. Sam Young was excommunicated for speaking out against bishop interviews that were done with youth 1 on 1. Byron Marchant was excommunicated for speaking up against the church’s racial ban in 1977, one year before the church had its “revelation” that it was time to do away with it.
Where does it end? Where does the accountability come to a head where the membership is fed up with this kind of response? When is it ok to tell them enough is enough?
My thinking is it will never be enough. There will always be a group of orthodox members that will believe the leaders are inspired men of god at every turn. It doesn’t matter that the church put in place a racial priesthood ban for 126 years. Nor does it matter that the highest body of leaders in the church published books and wrote letters to the entire church how “the Negro” is cursed and is founded upon the doctrines of the church.
“We will never lead you astray”
Wilford Woodruff said these words that now live in infamy. Whenever a challenge to a prophets divine connection is made, members turn to this quote in defense. The following words are from Ezra Taft Bensons “Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet”
President Wilford Woodruff stated: “I say to Israel, The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as president of the Church to lead you astray. It is not in the program. It is not in the mind of God.” (The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, selected by G. Homer Durham [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1946], pp. 212-213.)
President Marion G. Romney tells of this incident which happened to him:
I remember years ago when I was a Bishop I had President [Heber J.] Grant talk to our ward. After the meeting I drove him home. . . .Standing by me, he put his arm over my shoulder and said: “My boy, you always keep your eye on the President of the Church, and if he ever tells you to do anything, and it is wrong, and you do it, the Lord will bless you for it.” Then with a twinkle in his eye, he said, “But you don’t need to worry. The Lord will never let his mouthpiece lead the people astray.” [In Conference Report, October 1960, p. 78]
Ezra Taft Benson, 14 fundamentals of following the prophet
What Benson left out of his talk, was this special condition by Wilford Woodruff:
The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as President of this Church to lead you astray. It is not in the programme. It is not in the mind of God. If I were to attempt that, the Lord would remove me out of my place, and so He will any other man who attempts to lead the children of men astray from the oracles of God and from their duty. (Sixty-first Semiannual General Conference of the Church, Monday, October 6, 1890, Salt Lake City, Utah. Reported in Deseret Evening News, October 11, 1890, p. 2.)
It’s incredibly problematic to proclaim, as many members do, that their prophet is fallible, but will never lead the people astray.
One of the policies that Russell Nelson instituted was a ban on kids of LGBTQ parents from being baptized. The policy lasted 4 years. And they have the audacity to say that it came out of love?
Though it may not have looked this way to some, the 2015 and 2019 policy adjustments on this matter were both motivated by love—the love of our Heavenly Father for His children and the love of the Brethren for those whom we serve.
The Love and Laws of God, President Russell Nelson, September 17, 2019
How can one say that he wasn’t leading the church astray when it was something that was quickly reversed?
How can one say that the racial ban wasn’t leading the church astray, when right after it happened, you had apostles and the first presidency saying “forget all I said on the matter”?
“There are statements in our literature by the early brethren which we have interpreted to mean that the Negroes would not receive the priesthood in mortality. I have said the same things.... All I can say to that is that it is time disbelieving people repented and got in line and believed in a living, modern prophet. Forget everything that I have said, or what President Brigham Young or President George Q. Cannon or whomsoever has said in days past that is contrary to the present revelation.
Bruce R McConkie, All are Alike unto God August 1978
Maybe Oaks has some insight for us! Dallin Oaks also gave a talk to the graduating class of lawyers at BYU. He’s talking about liars and when it’s ok to lie to people.
Here we see that although a man is not justified in lying to detect a liar, he is justified (indeed, Joseph Smith was commanded!) to withhold things from the world in order to preserve himself and safeguard the work in which he is involved. In other words, we must not lie, but we are free to tell less than we know when we have no duty to disclose.
Dallin Oaks, Gospel teachings about lying, September 12, 1993
What else are they hiding from the membership? Do they feel they do not have a duty to disclose? Why did it take them so long to admit that Joseph Smith married young teenage girls?
Why did it take a whistleblower at Ensign Peak to have them finally admit they were trying to hide their ginormous piles of money that they’re sitting on?
Why do they ask poor people for tithing when they know they don’t need it?
One of the first things a bishop must do to help the needy is ask them to pay their tithing. Like the widow, if a destitute family is faced with the decision of paying their tithing or eating, they should pay their tithing. The bishop can help them with their food and other basic needs until they become self-reliant.
Tithing - A commandment even for the Destitute, Lynn G. Robbins
When will it end? When will they admit fault and accept criticism? I fear only time will tell.
Resources
Widows Mite This site goes over the investment funds the church has and where the money goes.
“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.” This statement right here is immediately disqualifying of me listening to anything they have to say. There is ZERO chance that an authority figure who rejects critique is a positive force in the world. Zero.