Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Latter-day Saint
“The spirit of contention”

“The spirit of contention”

Last updated on: February 9, 2020 at 10:01 pm by Dan Peterson

“The spirit of contention” 2020-02-09T22:01:20-07:00 Dan Peterson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I don’t know the provenance of this meme, but I hope that its creator won’t mind my borrowing it.

I continue with thoughts that are more or less in the vein of my immediately previous post (“An apostle makes a political move”):

I make a pretty serious effort — largely successful, though not invariably so — to avoid politics on my blog during the Sabbath. I believe that Sundays (or whatever the Sabbath might be where one happens to live) should be reserved for more important things, for a more significant and fundamental loyalty, than partisan earthly politics:

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me. . . . Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.” (Exodus 20:3, 5)

I especially hope to avoid politics on the Sabbath nowadays because of the venomous tribal hatred that increasingly accompanies political disagreements, even, to my deep sorrow, among Latter-day Saints.

I worry for our society and our nation. I remember, for example, 3 Nephi 7:2, 5 from the Book of Mormon, a book that modern prophets and the book itself have repeatedly told us was given for our day:

And the people were divided one against another; and they did separate one from another into tribes, every man according to his family and his kindred and friends; and thus they did destroy the government of the land. . . . [A]nd all this iniquity had come upon the people because they did yield themselves unto the power of Satan.

I fear that we ourselves may be headed in the same direction.

Very shortly after that collapse of Nephite society into warring factions, the Nephites are nearly destroyed by an enormous physical cataclysm, in the wake of which the resurrected Savior appears among them following the close of his Palestinian ministry. And here is one of the things he teaches them during that brief sojourn in the New World:

For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.

Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away. (3 Nephi 11:29-30)

It is, perhaps, not mere coincidence that the Restoration began amid a “war of words and tumult of opinions” (Joseph Smith-History 1:10) and that it was plainly intended to end that unpleasant situation.

“Only by pride cometh contention,” says Proverbs 13:10.

This should give us all pause, and reason for introspection. Angry contention is not the Lord’s way. Not for the Sabbath. And not for any other day of the week.

“And above all things, clothe yourselves with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace.” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:125)

Uncategorized

Book of Mormon

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Previous Post

February 9, 2020

An apostle makes a political move

Next Post

February 9, 2020 "Thanatopsis"

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 March 2014 August 2013 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who cried at the tomb of Lazarus?

Select your answer to see how you score.

David John Peter Jesus