They both agreed, separately, that there is more justice being administered in the US government system today than in the other three organizations and they then both put them in this order:
1- US government = the most just
2- LDS Church
3- Priesthood Work Leadership
4- Short Creek Leadership = the least just
Do you agree? How would you rank order those four organizations listed above concerning which administers the most correct justice out to its subjects? Why would they rank us barely above Short Creek in next to last place? Why?
I have been reflecting on my knowledge and experiences with each of these four groups. In my few legal dealings with US and State governments I have noticed that if there is a hearing, or a trial, both sides of the argument are present, at the same time, and the judge has no prejudicial contact with either side whatsoever before the hearing. Both sides get to speak and to be heard by their opponent, a jury of peers, legal experts counseling each side and an impartial judge. Granted they are all fallible and not always very God fearing but there is a balancing effect which helps sort and cancel out some of the negatives, tending to give a more just outcome.
In my trial experience dealing with justice courts in the LDS Church, I talked to my Stake President for several hours explaining my beliefs and how I arrived at that position. He lamented that I had made those decisions and confided in me that he had been tempted to study the differences between early Mormonism and modern Mormonism, but got so busy that he never got around to it again, and was so glad that he was still ignorant of those details. He, nonetheless, insisted that I come to a church trial for my membership. I asked him if I could represent myself and he said no, because he felt that I was too powerful a speaker and have too many persuasive skills. I told him that if I could not speak, I saw no reason to attend for it would positively be an unjust trial, to say the least. I then suggested he represent me, the best he could, in my absence, and that I would wait for a future hearing that would be far more fair and just.
My experiences with trials and seeking justice, within the Work, are more plentiful. I was asked by Bro. Owen to help him craft what we have of a justice system back in the 1980s. I participated with Bro. Owen in two hearings with John Ray. I called the trials on Joe, George, and with my wife, we called forth the proceedings on Chevrol. I also called for a trial on Owen concerning his divorce policy in an attempt to move us closer to the scriptural truths on that essential doctrine. The trial on Bro. Owen went through a transformation from a form of godliness, into a sham or mockery of justice, and I ended up disfellowship for about 15 months. So far, concerning me personally, I have been convicted by a court where the outcome was predetermined, the judge was my chief prosecutor and in direct cahoots with and taking orders from the defendant. I had no visible council, was not allowed to present my points of view. My few witnesses were badgered, the rules and procedure of the court were totally controlled by the defendant, himself, and the court was flipped upside down into a trial really of me, myself. Other than that it had a veneer of justice. At least it was not held in the wee hours of the night which is its most redeeming virtue.
Lately I wrote 2 opinion papers concerning the great evil found in this Work, and proposed some 95 Questions that Still Need Answering, and a few possible solutions for which I was again disfellowshipped for even daring to think, and to write some different ways to look at the hard problems facing us as a people. No information gleaning hearing was held with me at all, until after my public maiming was announced from "Dan to Beersheba" with great and swelling emotion. Comparing my experiences, of late, with those of the US and Church courts, proves they do indeed seem to administer more justice and protect my freedoms given me by God than I’ve so far received from the leadership in this Work.
Well, Short Creek does seem to be a little more tyrannical than us but which way are we stampeding? Their leadership simply waves a priest.hood wand and the trial is quickly over. End of discussion. I guess, come to think of it, that is not much different than in the Work, at least, this last go around. We’ll see what principles our leaders follow as my blog of what I am personally witnessing, comes out to be scripturally judged by you, my peers.
Webster defines justice as: the virtue which consists in giving to everyone what is his due; practical conformity to the laws of rectitude in the dealings of men with each other; honesty; impartiality and deciding controversies according to the laws.
Tyranny, on the opposite hand, means a government where absolute power is vested in one or a few rulers, unrestrained by law or truth. A tyrant is one who uses harsh, abrupt, arbitrary power - oft times brutally.
If my experiences are typical of many, many in this Work, simply ask the boatload of men who have had a wife illegally taken away from them, without even a hearing, and many times not even given the courtesy of knowing about the verdict after the “non-trial” was held. Ask them how they feel about tyranny in this “work.” Be prepared for some emotion if you dare ask, but I promise you, if you do venture forth, it will prove to be instructive to those of you with less experience.
When one contemplates the US government driving our people out of the then known U.S. borders, persecuting us from the 1830s on through the 1950s [a hundred and twenty years war?] one must truly come to the point of asking how is it that we, in this Work, appear to have descended to a baser level where we have less justice among us than such an evil government presiding over our country? Is this a possible sign that we are now going downhill faster than they are? Will we hit the bottom before they do? Are the cleansing powers of God going to start with us first or them?
The five basic principles in the First Amendment are: 1) freedom to worship God the best you understand truth without being controlled against your conscience. 2) Freedom to speak openly what you think is best. 3) Free Agency to write your views and to challenge other points of view as tactfully as you are able. 4) Freedom to assemble in a meeting without a mandatory permit or being monitored. 5) Freedom to petition those who “rule” over you and to exert social pressure on matters you deem unjust and that need correcting.
In the
Work how are we doing, when measured by these five eternal principles of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ found in Amendment One? Are we
free or are we forced to worship in lock step with the council's sometimes arbitrary
mandates and creeds, or can we, at least, decide to differ sometimes, and still be allowed to work together in the great overlap areas where we do fully agree with each other, according to our best understanding of the scriptures? Isn't this in accordance with the spirit of: "We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where or what they may." Article of Faith #11. Also ponder the prophet's words: "I want to come up into the presence of God, and learn all things; but the creeds set up [or] stakes, and say, 'Hitherto shalt thou come, and no further'; which I cannot subscribe to." TPJS 327
Are we really free to openly express our theories or our point of view as currently held, as we test them on each other without being stoned for heresy and blasphemy? If we can back up different ways of viewing issues with great scriptural support, is that allowed even a little among us? The Lord commands:
“Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the Gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God…” D&C 88:78
Did you
notice that theory was first in the
list of things we need to be teaching and discussing before we stone each other? Why so much fear among us? Don't we have confidence in each other that given enough study and prayer that we all will come up eventually to see "eye to eye?"
The freedom to write one’s views and to have them “tested by the Word of God” is fundamental in our religion, isn’t it?
“Mr. Olney has also been tried by the High Council and disfellowshipped, because he
would not have his writings tested by the word of God; evidently proving that
he loves darkness rather than light, because his deeds are evil.” TPJS
215 If all of us, high or low, can't be challenged to prove our personal views by scriptural comparison , of how much practical use are the Scriptures then?
Doesn’t this apply equally to each of us, even to council members? Are we all willing to have our opinions tested by the Scriptures as the standard? I hope so. But that does imply that we must daily be studying the Scriptures, more than other philosophies, and opinions, to be able to use them as true measuring instruments effectively, doesn't it?
Can we
still meet without a permit in the Work?
I think so and that is a little encouraging isn’t it? [this is now modified in the listening over the phone to meetings at the RCA building]
Are we allowed to petition the council, as a people, or as
a small group of people, suggesting they follow the scriptures and teachings of
the prophets more closely or even for a redress of grievances where we see the need?
No!
That seems to be asking for way too much freedom or our God given free agency rights in those areas, especially if it touches their traditions personally.
So dear reader, you judge - how free are you in this Work, measured only by two principles, those of receiving a just, impartial hearing, and by our God endowed First Amendment rights?
Bro. Steve
P.S. Why is this happening among us too as it has for centuries described in our history books?