As Dallin H. Oaks once said during an on camera interview "It is wrong to criticize church leaders even if that criticism is true." Basically this means that church leaders are infallible. That even when they make mistakes we need to be loving and understanding unless it's a member who drank a beer after their divorce. Then we shame them out of church as they are not worthy of our understanding or love.
Voltaire on the other hand once said this: "To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize."That's not saying those who are in charge but those who are truly in power or those who rule as in those who are above reproach. It's those who want the air of infallibility who also take part in character assassination and call into question your loyalty or patriotism or righteousness because you dare to do something as insipid as question or criticize their words or actions. They can question or criticize you but you are not to question or criticize them. Thus they rule over you.In psychological terms this is a red flag of a narcissistic personality disorder. What this means for everyone around them is that the narcissist can never be at fault for anything which means that everyone else must take the blame. Victim blaming also results because the narcissist can't be at fault so their victim must be.Does this sound familiar, like at all?So what happens when narcissism is institutionalized all the missteps and mistakes pile up and must be covered up with each new generation the cover up begins anew.With our generation living in the age of information ignorance is now a choice plain and simple.To which Quentin L. Cook addressed the fallout resulting from the abundance of information and the resulting bad light the LDS church is often cast in, in this statement:"Many who are in a spiritual drought and lack commitment have not necessarily been involved in major sins or transgressions, but they have made unwise choices. Some are casual in their observance of sacred covenants. Others spend most of their time giving first-class devotion to lesser causes. Some allow intense cultural or political views to weaken their allegiance to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some have immersed themselves in Internet materials that magnify, exaggerate, and, in some cases, invent shortcomings of early Church leaders. Then they draw incorrect conclusions that can affect testimony. Any who have made these choices can repent and be spiritually renewed."So, to be clear; the theological but specifically the historical problems with the church are not the fault of the church past or present, they instead are the fault of those who the church has deliberately deceived. It is not the fault of the church leaders for their wrong words or actions, it is the fault of those who find out about those mistakes, missteps and wrong doings. Let that sink in for a moment.You can repent for discovering the mistakes of the church! It's not too late!Jesus who had the authority that could be, according to believers, described as infallible authority wielded it in a completely different way than the very fallible men who have run the LDS church since its inception.Here is just one of many examples in scripture:
"2 Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in." Matthew 23:2-13
So observe what we must but do not model yourself after these men. They do not actually do what Apostles are meant to. Apostles are supposed to be servants as much as leaders. Because the greatest among us shall be our servants and Jesus has long been called "The Servant King" because that was the ethos of His life and ministry.
So too should it be the ethos of His disciples. Doesn't that makes sense that His disciples should live as He did?
For example we find this gem in scripture. It describes how Jesus is asking all of us to live and those who call themselves His disciples and especially those who call themselves His Apostles.
It is found in Matthew 25:31-46 kjv
"31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."
Jesus is teaching us that we must do these things for the ostracized and exploited children of God. Not that we pay our tithing or pay to charity so they can do it for us in the same way that LDS Apostles delegate others to do this service on their behalf.
The original 12 Apostles went out on foot with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the spirit to guide them and they ministered to the sick, the poor, the prisoners, the orphans themselves rather than delegating those tasks to others from their opulent offices.
They preached to those who disagreed, they debated rather than only preaching to the converted who treat them like rockstars and stand when they enter or exit a room. Ya know, for example?
I've heard people refer to God as a gardener. And not just when Mary Magdealene mistook Christ for one. The idea is that God cultivates the good in us, He feeds us what we need to grow. And sometimes He prunes us in order for us to grow to our full potential. One can't garden for ourselves, our families and others without getting our hands dirty and I am suspicious of those whose life mission is to garden for others on behalf of the Lord but only if they keep their hands clean. And only if their authority, bad decisions and words never come into question especially when they make it their job to question everyone else's.
A study was done showing that when everyone of every level of employees from management to entry level and even to CEO are all accountable that business does better. So maybe by speaking in terms of business we may speak the language our leaders use and thus be able to affect the change we need to thrive as a church, as a people and as true disciples.
