Wouldn't it be something if Americans decided to declare a national Day
of Repentance? Three years ago the tiny country of Papua New Guinea
instituted just such a holiday for the purpose of fasting, prayer, and
reflection. The sizable Christian and Muslim population of that nation
(both religions worship the God of Abraham) have chosen to set aside
August 26th every year as a non work holiday, and use it not for picnics, sports
events, or trips to the beach, but as an actual holy day.I don't know what kind of sins the Papuans are guilty of, but I'm willing to by CouponDropDown"> by CouponDropDown"> by CouponDropDown">bet we Americans have them beat by a mile.
I realize that convincing Americans they should set aside a National Day of Repentance for quiet reflection is a pipe dream; Americans like to use their holy days for playing, not praying. Still, Memorial Day would seem ready-made for conversion to that use. It already stands as the day we pay tribute to those among us who have fallen in battle. Wouldn't it be helpful if we collectively took the additional by CouponDropDown"> by CouponDropDown"> by CouponDropDown">step and asked ourselves the question: why did they have to die?
You would think latter-day Saints would be the first to awake from their slumber and reflect upon their unquestioning support for perpetual wars. We have, after all, not been shy about referring to ourselves as the Children of Light on occasion. So why do we keep doing this? Why are many Mormons so proud and willing to sacrifice their own children on the altar of war?
Why are we, of all people, so easily manipulated by that tool of the devil, fear? How is it possible for so many who declare themselves followers of Christ to put the teachings of Christ on hold the moment the devil leaps up and shakes a Booga-Booga stick stick in our face? And why do we hold the military establishment in such high regard when our doctrine teaches that armies and navies are tools Satan has captured for his purpose of ruling the earth with blood and horror?
Calling Evil Good, And Good Evil
I suppose we can forgive some of our sectarian brothers and sisters for constantly misinterpreting scripture. But why do we fall into that trap? The Book of Mormon is supposed to have been given to us so we could understand precisely when and where war was justifiable, and when and where it was not. Yet we ignore those teachings and enthusiastically by CouponDropDown"> by CouponDropDown"> by CouponDropDown">join with our evangelical brothers and sisters in cheering on the monster leviathan as it rolls across the globe murdering the innocent along with the guilty. Those who rely on the bible alone may be susceptible to false teachings and vain traditions, but what is our excuse?
The major purpose of the Book of Mormon was to to lead us away from Satan's clever manipulations and back to Christ. Yet some of us seem to have missed a major point. A mere two years after the church was formally organized, the Lord placed the entire community under condemnation for taking lightly the things they had been given in the Book of Mormon. And in President Benson's very first conference talk after attaining office, he reminded us the condemnation has never been lifted. We remain a community puffed up in pride over our status as "The One True Church," yet there is little difference between us and any others who revel in the imposition of force.
We are all aware of how top-heavy the Book of Mormon is when it comes to the discussion of war. We even make jokes about it. But how many have bothered to wonder just why that is? Why did the warrior prophet Mormon feel it so important to fill that book up with endless tales of combat?
The answer is that he was sending us a warning. Both Mormon and his son Moroni were given a peek into the future, and what they saw filled them with alarm. Mormon saw us headed on the very path to destruction that had wiped out his entire civilization, and he hoped his warning would reach us and get us to change direction. The fact that so many of us happily testify of the truth of Mormon's book while managing to miss the lesson he hoped to impart is a sad testimony to our pride. We love to tell the world how much we love the Book of Mormon, but we pay little attention to what that book is trying to tell us.
If the last time you read the Book of Mormon with any diligence was when you were in Seminary and raced through it only with the goal of finishing the dang thing in time to get that nice Certificate of Completion, this might be a good time to sit down and give it a second look. If there was ever a time we Americans deserved to take a good hard look at ourselves and reflect upon what it is we might be doing wrong, this is that time. You may have noticed God is not exactly pouring out his blessings on America in these latter days. I would suggest that a primary reason for the absence of of the hand of providence is that God's people are blatantly ignoring His law concerning war. It seems to me that Memorial Day would be a good time to engage in quiet and thoughtful reflection about that.
What Mormon Was Trying To Tell Us
In case those many tedious accounts of wars and battles in the Book of Mormon clouded your brain and caused it to miss the lesson, the message can be distilled into two simple points:
1. God's people have a sacred duty to to defend themselves, their families, and their lands; not just from invasion, but also usurpation from within.Now, you might not like hearing that second point. You might even refuse to believe it. Nevertheless, that is Christ's actual Doctrine. Those are God's Rules of Engagement concerning war. And as he told Joseph Smith in what became section 98 of our Doctrine and Covenants, this has always been the law, from the time of the ancient prophets and apostles, through Nephi, and down to our own day. His people were not to go out into battle "against any nation, kindred, tongue, or people unless I the Lord commanded them."
2. God will turn his back on us the moment our armies cross into the borders of another country. We may delude ourselves into believing we are fighting for His cause; we may pray for His blessings and invoke His protection. But God won't hear us. The moment we take the war into the lands of another people, God walks off the field and leaves us on our own.
This scripture is unacceptable to some latter-day Saints. Many simply refuse to follow it, and will attempt all manner of ways to introduce exceptions to the rule, asserting it doesn't apply in certain cases and under varying modern circumstances. God could not have anticipated some of the dangers that threaten us today, don't you see. They engage in mental acrobatics to justify acting contrary to God's will because their cultural and political beliefs have become intertwined with their religion to the point they are unable to tell truth from error.
Wars And Rumors Of War
I was born in 1951. In my lifetime my country has been involved in one war or another every year of my life except five. Not one of those wars was authorized by God. Not one of them was authorized by the Constitution, either. I don't know about you, but that's enough to pull me up short and get my attention.
Here is a list of the military adventures my government has embarked on, in my name, during just my lifetime:
1951 – Korean War
1952 – Korean War
1953 – Korean War
1954 – Covert War in Guatemala
1955 – Vietnam War
1956 – Vietnam War
1957 – Vietnam War
1958 – Vietnam War
1959 – Vietnam War, Conflict in Haiti
1960 – Vietnam War
1961 – Vietnam War
1962 – Vietnam War, Cold War (Cuban Missile Crisis; U.S. marines fight Communists in Thailand)
1963 – Vietnam War
1964 – Vietnam War
1965 – Vietnam War, U.S. occupation of Dominican Republic
1966 – Vietnam War, U.S. occupation of Dominican Republic
1967 – Vietnam War
1968 – Vietnam War
1969 – Vietnam War
1970 – Vietnam War
1971 – Vietnam War
1972 – Vietnam War
1973 – Vietnam War, U.S. aids Israel in Yom Kippur War
1974 – Vietnam War
1975 – Vietnam War
1976 – No major war
1977 – No major war
1978 – No major war
1979 – Cold War (CIA proxy war in Afghanistan)
1980 – Cold War (CIA proxy war in Afghanistan)
1981 – Cold War (CIA proxy war in Afghanistan and Nicaragua), First Gulf of Sidra Incident
1982 – Cold War (CIA proxy war in Afghanistan and Nicaragua), Conflict in Lebanon
1983 – Cold War (Invasion of Grenada, CIA proxy war in Afghanistan and Nicaragua), Conflict in Lebanon
1984 – Cold War (CIA proxy war in Afghanistan and Nicaragua), Conflict in Persian Gulf
1985 - Cold War (CIA proxy war in Afghanistan and Nicaragua)
1986 – Cold War (CIA proxy war in Afghanistan and Nicaragua)
1987 – Conflict in Persian Gulf
1988 – Conflict in Persian Gulf, U.S. occupation of Panama
1989 – Second Gulf of Sidra Incident, U.S. occupation of Panama, Conflict in Philippines
1990 – First Gulf War, U.S. occupation of Panama
1991 – First Gulf War
1992 – Conflict in Iraq
1993 – Conflict in Iraq
1994 – Conflict in Iraq, U.S. invades Haiti
1995 – Conflict in Iraq, U.S. invades Haiti, NATO bombing of Bosnia and Herzegovina
1996 – Conflict in Iraq
1997 – No major war
1998 – Bombing of Iraq, Missile strikes against Afghanistan and Sudan
1999 – Kosovo War
2000 – No major war
2001 – War on Terror in Afghanistan
2002 – War on Terror in Afghanistan and Yemen
2003 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, and Iraq
2004 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen
2005 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen
2006 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen
2007 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen
2008 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen
2009 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen
2010 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen
2011 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen; Conflict in Libya (Libyan Civil War), US Combat troops sent in as advisers to Uganda
2012 - Troops deployed to Jordan, Syria, Chad. Continuing War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen.
2013 - Mali, Somalia; Continuing War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, and Uganda.
A Mormon Perspective
Many good members of the church have been frightened into participating in these wars, and many more have been frightened into supporting them. But the Book of Mormon goes to great lengths to warn us that powerful men in our day would combine in secret to use fear as a means of getting us to believe the only way to save ourselves is to disobey God. In light of our penchant for following Satan's minions rather than serving Christ, wouldn't you agree we're past time for a day of repentance?
One reason I believe we latter-day Saints have not been quick to grasp how far afield we have strayed is that until recently there has not been much in the way of resources we could consult that would give us a clear understanding of our responsibility regarding war. We have been easily led by politics and culture, but politics and culture have ever been rooted in the influence of Babylon. We should be looking instead to the word of God.
One of my favorite books on war as it relates to our religion has been Warfare In The Book of Mormon, published by by CouponDropDown"> by CouponDropDown"> by CouponDropDown">Deseret Book
in 1990. But that book is long out of print, so if you don't already
own a copy, you could expect to pay as much as $300.00 for one. And even that book is less than from comprehensive. Though it contains a sampling of theology and doctrine,
the essays contained within are mostly concerned with the history, strategies, archaeology, and
weapons employed in Book of Mormon wars.Happily, we now have a new volume published just last year by Greg Kofford Books of Salt Lake City, War & Peace In Our Time: Mormon Perspectives, a collection of essays edited by Patrick Q. Mason, J. David Pulsipher, and Richard L. Bushman. I consider this book an absolutely essential resource for any latter-day Saint seeking to understand God's will regarding war, especially as it pertains to our day.
I admit to having read only four essays in this book so far, but on the strength of three of those alone I recommend the book enthusiastically. (I'll tell you my reservations about the fourth one in a moment.) I would wish to see this book in every latter-day Saint home. That's how important I think it is. It should be as ubiquitous today in Mormon households as Mormon Doctrine once was in the 1970s and 80s. If you want a cogent understanding of LDS doctrine and teaching as it relates to war, I know of no better place to start than this outstanding collection.
War & Peace In Our Time: Mormon Perspectives is a collection of essays from a wide variety of LDS authors and scholars, approaching aspects of LDS theology and history from a variety of angles. I started my reading by skipping right to the pieces by two of my favorite experts on Mormonism and war, Joshua Madson and his father Ron Madson. Both offer outstanding analyses here. Josh takes an approach that would surprise most members of the church by demonstrating how the Book of Mormon is a book that preaches non violence. Ron Madson discusses how we have largely rejected God's immutable covenant of peace and thereby brought condemnation on our heads.
All good books have their flaws, of course, and in this instance I have to pick on an essay contributed by Morgan Deane, who offers a contrary point of view, enlisting the Book of Mormon to bolster his support of the Bush Doctrine of pre-emptive warfare.
Deane's thesis is that "it was the bloodlust and general weakness of Nephite society that caused their failure," and not so much their disobedience in taking the war into the lands of their enemies. Although no one would disagree that the Nephite's bloodlust was a salient factor in God's failure to support their cause, Mormon was emphatic that the dealbreaker was when his army went on the offensive against the Lamanites inside the Lamanite borders. That is when he resigned as their leader, and that's the moment he points to in Mormon chapter four as the reason God allowed the entire Nephite civilization to be destroyed.
But Deane rejects the idea that the Nephite's defeat was the result of their crossing over into Lamanite borders. He tries hard to fit his personal beliefs into the scriptures, and those beliefs are typified by the popular view that America's pre-emptive wars against Iraq and Afghanistan (and now Libya and Syria) are justifiable before God. His thesis doesn't work. He supports his position with an unfortunate reliance on a skewed interpretation of scripture and contexts. He points to examples where the Nephites were justified in conducting offensive maneuvers in order to defeat the Lamanites, without recognizing those offensive maneuvers took place on Nephite soil and not on the Lamanite's home turf.
Deane's view is shared by quite a few latter-day Saints today, and its inclusion in this volume is helpful if only as an example of how far many of us will stretch God's word to match our personal views. I include myself among the ranks of the formerly deluded. Though I was spared from participation in the war in Vietnam, I was an outspoken cheerleader for that adventure at the time, and for decades after. I believed with all my heart that my brothers in arms who traveled thousands of miles from home to murder people they had never met were engaged in God's work. I defended that war and the politicians who directed it with a zealous fervor my children today find hard to believe, as they know me to be quite different from the lad I tell about in my stories. (For a peek into my admittedly warped psyche as a teenage chickenhawk, see my piece "Don't Shoot, I'm Just The Messenger.")
God does not justify nations going to war. That is Satan's arena. The Prince of Peace does not employ war to accomplish his purposes.
At the risk of beating this topic to death, I just want to tell you again that you really ought to buy this book! I'm tempted to reprint an unending number of irresistible quotations from War & Peace: Mormon Perspectives, but instead I'll do what is usually not done in book reviews: I'll reprint the Table of Contents to give you a taste of the topics covered:
Part I. Scriptural & Doctrinal InterpretationsThe book also contains an informative introduction by Patrick Q. Mason and an aftermath by Richard Bushman, as well as a subject index and a complete scripture index that extends to seven pages. This is a complete reference on Mormonism and war. Have you taken my hint yet? I really want you to get this book. I'm writing this on the Saturday before Memorial Day. If you're reading it today and live near a Deseret Book Store, you can buy your copy today and read something from it on Memorial Day. I think that would be a fitting use of the holiday.
The Ammonite Conundrum
J. David Pulsipher
A Non-Violent Reading of the Book of Mormon
Joshua Madson
Offensive Warfare in the Book of Mormon
and a Defense of the Bush Doctrine
Morgan Deane
Imagining Peace: The Example of the Nephites
following Christ’s Visit to the New World
Robert A. Rees
Pax Sanctorum
F. R. Rick Duran
Part II. Historical & Cultural Perspectives
Zion as a Refuge from the Wars of Nations
Mark Ashurst-McGee
Fall from Grace: Mormon Millennialism,
Native Americans, and Violence
Jennifer Lindell
Negotiating War and Peace in Korea: A Comparison
of U.S. Military and Korean Latter-day Saints
Ethan Yorgason
Nonviolent Responses and Mormon Attitudes:
Reasons and Realities
Jesse Samantha Fulcher
Part III. Notable & Prophetic Voices
General Conference Addresses during Times of War
Robert H. Hellebrand
Pacifist Counselor in the First Presidency: J. Reuben Clark
D. Michael Quinn
The Work of Death: Hugh Nibley as Scholar, Soldier, Peace Activist
Boyd Jay Petersen
Eugene England's Theology of Peace
Loyd Ericson
Part IV. Personal and Professional Observations
An LDS Chaplain's Perspective on Current Conflicts
Eric A. Eliason
"Renounce War and Proclaim Peace": Personal Reflections on Mormon Attempts at Peacemaking
Gordon Conrad Thomasson
Doctrine and Covenants 98: The "Immutable" Rejected Covenant of Peace
Ron Madson
War and the Gospel: Perspectives from Latter-day Saint National Security Practitioners
Mark Henshaw, Valerie M. Hudson, Eric Jensen, Kerry M. Kartchner, and John Mark Mattox
A reference work like this has been sorely needed in the church for quite some time. If enough of us will read these essays and ponder upon God's will regarding war, it may lead to an awakening in the church to the direction we ought to be facing as disciples of Christ. I think we could do with a bit of repenting.
Americans may never call for a National Day of Repentance, but as individual disciples of Christ, we can certainly repent of the false notions we have held concerning the greatest evil the adversary ever devised. We can stop supporting the Secret Combinations whose goal is to enslave our minds as well as our bodies. Many of us have been deceived by fear and trickery. It's past time to turn from our delusions. The promise God made in ancient times is as valid today as it ever was:
"If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
"If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and
pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I
hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."I don't know what kind of sins the Papuans are guilty of, but I'm willing to by CouponDropDown"> by CouponDropDown"> by CouponDropDown">bet we Americans have them beat by a mile.
I realize that convincing Americans they should set aside a National Day of Repentance for quiet reflection is a pipe dream; Americans like to use their holy days for playing, not praying. Still, Memorial Day would seem ready-made for conversion to that use. It already stands as the day we pay tribute to those among us who have fallen in battle. Wouldn't it be helpful if we collectively took the additional by CouponDropDown"> by CouponDropDown"> by CouponDropDown">step and asked ourselves the question: why did they have to die?
You would think latter-day Saints would be the first to awake from their slumber and reflect upon their unquestioning support for perpetual wars. We have, after all, not been shy about referring to ourselves as the Children of Light on occasion. So why do we keep doing this? Why are many Mormons so proud and willing to sacrifice their own children on the altar of war?
Why are we, of all people, so easily manipulated by that tool of the devil, fear? How is it possible for so many who declare themselves followers of Christ to put the teachings of Christ on hold the moment the devil leaps up and shakes a Booga-Booga stick stick in our face? And why do we hold the military establishment in such high regard when our doctrine teaches that armies and navies are tools Satan has captured for his purpose of ruling the earth with blood and horror?
Calling Evil Good, And Good Evil
I suppose we can forgive some of our sectarian brothers and sisters for constantly misinterpreting scripture. But why do we fall into that trap? The Book of Mormon is supposed to have been given to us so we could understand precisely when and where war was justifiable, and when and where it was not. Yet we ignore those teachings and enthusiastically by CouponDropDown"> by CouponDropDown"> by CouponDropDown">join with our evangelical brothers and sisters in cheering on the monster leviathan as it rolls across the globe murdering the innocent along with the guilty. Those who rely on the bible alone may be susceptible to false teachings and vain traditions, but what is our excuse?
The major purpose of the Book of Mormon was to to lead us away from Satan's clever manipulations and back to Christ. Yet some of us seem to have missed a major point. A mere two years after the church was formally organized, the Lord placed the entire community under condemnation for taking lightly the things they had been given in the Book of Mormon. And in President Benson's very first conference talk after attaining office, he reminded us the condemnation has never been lifted. We remain a community puffed up in pride over our status as "The One True Church," yet there is little difference between us and any others who revel in the imposition of force.
We are all aware of how top-heavy the Book of Mormon is when it comes to the discussion of war. We even make jokes about it. But how many have bothered to wonder just why that is? Why did the warrior prophet Mormon feel it so important to fill that book up with endless tales of combat?
The answer is that he was sending us a warning. Both Mormon and his son Moroni were given a peek into the future, and what they saw filled them with alarm. Mormon saw us headed on the very path to destruction that had wiped out his entire civilization, and he hoped his warning would reach us and get us to change direction. The fact that so many of us happily testify of the truth of Mormon's book while managing to miss the lesson he hoped to impart is a sad testimony to our pride. We love to tell the world how much we love the Book of Mormon, but we pay little attention to what that book is trying to tell us.
If the last time you read the Book of Mormon with any diligence was when you were in Seminary and raced through it only with the goal of finishing the dang thing in time to get that nice Certificate of Completion, this might be a good time to sit down and give it a second look. If there was ever a time we Americans deserved to take a good hard look at ourselves and reflect upon what it is we might be doing wrong, this is that time. You may have noticed God is not exactly pouring out his blessings on America in these latter days. I would suggest that a primary reason for the absence of of the hand of providence is that God's people are blatantly ignoring His law concerning war. It seems to me that Memorial Day would be a good time to engage in quiet and thoughtful reflection about that.
What Mormon Was Trying To Tell Us
In case those many tedious accounts of wars and battles in the Book of Mormon clouded your brain and caused it to miss the lesson, the message can be distilled into two simple points:
1. God's people have a sacred duty to to defend themselves, their families, and their lands; not just from invasion, but also usurpation from within.Now, you might not like hearing that second point. You might even refuse to believe it. Nevertheless, that is Christ's actual Doctrine. Those are God's Rules of Engagement concerning war. And as he told Joseph Smith in what became section 98 of our Doctrine and Covenants, this has always been the law, from the time of the ancient prophets and apostles, through Nephi, and down to our own day. His people were not to go out into battle "against any nation, kindred, tongue, or people unless I the Lord commanded them."
2. God will turn his back on us the moment our armies cross into the borders of another country. We may delude ourselves into believing we are fighting for His cause; we may pray for His blessings and invoke His protection. But God won't hear us. The moment we take the war into the lands of another people, God walks off the field and leaves us on our own.
This scripture is unacceptable to some latter-day Saints. Many simply refuse to follow it, and will attempt all manner of ways to introduce exceptions to the rule, asserting it doesn't apply in certain cases and under varying modern circumstances. God could not have anticipated some of the dangers that threaten us today, don't you see. They engage in mental acrobatics to justify acting contrary to God's will because their cultural and political beliefs have become intertwined with their religion to the point they are unable to tell truth from error.
Wars And Rumors Of War
I was born in 1951. In my lifetime my country has been involved in one war or another every year of my life except five. Not one of those wars was authorized by God. Not one of them was authorized by the Constitution, either. I don't know about you, but that's enough to pull me up short and get my attention.
Here is a list of the military adventures my government has embarked on, in my name, during just my lifetime:
1951 – Korean War
1952 – Korean War
1953 – Korean War
1954 – Covert War in Guatemala
1955 – Vietnam War
1956 – Vietnam War
1957 – Vietnam War
1958 – Vietnam War
1959 – Vietnam War, Conflict in Haiti
1960 – Vietnam War
1961 – Vietnam War
1962 – Vietnam War, Cold War (Cuban Missile Crisis; U.S. marines fight Communists in Thailand)
1963 – Vietnam War
1964 – Vietnam War
1965 – Vietnam War, U.S. occupation of Dominican Republic
1966 – Vietnam War, U.S. occupation of Dominican Republic
1967 – Vietnam War
1968 – Vietnam War
1969 – Vietnam War
1970 – Vietnam War
1971 – Vietnam War
1972 – Vietnam War
1973 – Vietnam War, U.S. aids Israel in Yom Kippur War
1974 – Vietnam War
1975 – Vietnam War
1976 – No major war
1977 – No major war
1978 – No major war
1979 – Cold War (CIA proxy war in Afghanistan)
1980 – Cold War (CIA proxy war in Afghanistan)
1981 – Cold War (CIA proxy war in Afghanistan and Nicaragua), First Gulf of Sidra Incident
1982 – Cold War (CIA proxy war in Afghanistan and Nicaragua), Conflict in Lebanon
1983 – Cold War (Invasion of Grenada, CIA proxy war in Afghanistan and Nicaragua), Conflict in Lebanon
1984 – Cold War (CIA proxy war in Afghanistan and Nicaragua), Conflict in Persian Gulf
1985 - Cold War (CIA proxy war in Afghanistan and Nicaragua)
1986 – Cold War (CIA proxy war in Afghanistan and Nicaragua)
1987 – Conflict in Persian Gulf
1988 – Conflict in Persian Gulf, U.S. occupation of Panama
1989 – Second Gulf of Sidra Incident, U.S. occupation of Panama, Conflict in Philippines
1990 – First Gulf War, U.S. occupation of Panama
1991 – First Gulf War
1992 – Conflict in Iraq
1993 – Conflict in Iraq
1994 – Conflict in Iraq, U.S. invades Haiti
1995 – Conflict in Iraq, U.S. invades Haiti, NATO bombing of Bosnia and Herzegovina
1996 – Conflict in Iraq
1997 – No major war
1998 – Bombing of Iraq, Missile strikes against Afghanistan and Sudan
1999 – Kosovo War
2000 – No major war
2001 – War on Terror in Afghanistan
2002 – War on Terror in Afghanistan and Yemen
2003 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, and Iraq
2004 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen
2005 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen
2006 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen
2007 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen
2008 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen
2009 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen
2010 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen
2011 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen; Conflict in Libya (Libyan Civil War), US Combat troops sent in as advisers to Uganda
2012 - Troops deployed to Jordan, Syria, Chad. Continuing War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen.
2013 - Mali, Somalia; Continuing War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, and Uganda.
A Mormon Perspective
Many good members of the church have been frightened into participating in these wars, and many more have been frightened into supporting them. But the Book of Mormon goes to great lengths to warn us that powerful men in our day would combine in secret to use fear as a means of getting us to believe the only way to save ourselves is to disobey God. In light of our penchant for following Satan's minions rather than serving Christ, wouldn't you agree we're past time for a day of repentance?
One reason I believe we latter-day Saints have not been quick to grasp how far afield we have strayed is that until recently there has not been much in the way of resources we could consult that would give us a clear understanding of our responsibility regarding war. We have been easily led by politics and culture, but politics and culture have ever been rooted in the influence of Babylon. We should be looking instead to the word of God.
One of my favorite books on war as it relates to our religion has been Warfare In The Book of Mormon, published by by CouponDropDown"> by CouponDropDown"> by CouponDropDown">Deseret Book
in 1990. But that book is long out of print, so if you don't already
own a copy, you could expect to pay as much as $300.00 for one. And even that book is less than from comprehensive. Though it contains a sampling of theology and doctrine,
the essays contained within are mostly concerned with the history, strategies, archaeology, and
weapons employed in Book of Mormon wars.Happily, we now have a new volume published just last year by Greg Kofford Books of Salt Lake City, War & Peace In Our Time: Mormon Perspectives, a collection of essays edited by Patrick Q. Mason, J. David Pulsipher, and Richard L. Bushman. I consider this book an absolutely essential resource for any latter-day Saint seeking to understand God's will regarding war, especially as it pertains to our day.
I admit to having read only four essays in this book so far, but on the strength of three of those alone I recommend the book enthusiastically. (I'll tell you my reservations about the fourth one in a moment.) I would wish to see this book in every latter-day Saint home. That's how important I think it is. It should be as ubiquitous today in Mormon households as Mormon Doctrine once was in the 1970s and 80s. If you want a cogent understanding of LDS doctrine and teaching as it relates to war, I know of no better place to start than this outstanding collection.
War & Peace In Our Time: Mormon Perspectives is a collection of essays from a wide variety of LDS authors and scholars, approaching aspects of LDS theology and history from a variety of angles. I started my reading by skipping right to the pieces by two of my favorite experts on Mormonism and war, Joshua Madson and his father Ron Madson. Both offer outstanding analyses here. Josh takes an approach that would surprise most members of the church by demonstrating how the Book of Mormon is a book that preaches non violence. Ron Madson discusses how we have largely rejected God's immutable covenant of peace and thereby brought condemnation on our heads.
All good books have their flaws, of course, and in this instance I have to pick on an essay contributed by Morgan Deane, who offers a contrary point of view, enlisting the Book of Mormon to bolster his support of the Bush Doctrine of pre-emptive warfare.
Deane's thesis is that "it was the bloodlust and general weakness of Nephite society that caused their failure," and not so much their disobedience in taking the war into the lands of their enemies. Although no one would disagree that the Nephite's bloodlust was a salient factor in God's failure to support their cause, Mormon was emphatic that the dealbreaker was when his army went on the offensive against the Lamanites inside the Lamanite borders. That is when he resigned as their leader, and that's the moment he points to in Mormon chapter four as the reason God allowed the entire Nephite civilization to be destroyed.
But Deane rejects the idea that the Nephite's defeat was the result of their crossing over into Lamanite borders. He tries hard to fit his personal beliefs into the scriptures, and those beliefs are typified by the popular view that America's pre-emptive wars against Iraq and Afghanistan (and now Libya and Syria) are justifiable before God. His thesis doesn't work. He supports his position with an unfortunate reliance on a skewed interpretation of scripture and contexts. He points to examples where the Nephites were justified in conducting offensive maneuvers in order to defeat the Lamanites, without recognizing those offensive maneuvers took place on Nephite soil and not on the Lamanite's home turf.
Deane's view is shared by quite a few latter-day Saints today, and its inclusion in this volume is helpful if only as an example of how far many of us will stretch God's word to match our personal views. I include myself among the ranks of the formerly deluded. Though I was spared from participation in the war in Vietnam, I was an outspoken cheerleader for that adventure at the time, and for decades after. I believed with all my heart that my brothers in arms who traveled thousands of miles from home to murder people they had never met were engaged in God's work. I defended that war and the politicians who directed it with a zealous fervor my children today find hard to believe, as they know me to be quite different from the lad I tell about in my stories. (For a peek into my admittedly warped psyche as a teenage chickenhawk, see my piece "Don't Shoot, I'm Just The Messenger.")
God does not justify nations going to war. That is Satan's arena. The Prince of Peace does not employ war to accomplish his purposes.
At the risk of beating this topic to death, I just want to tell you again that you really ought to buy this book! I'm tempted to reprint an unending number of irresistible quotations from War & Peace: Mormon Perspectives, but instead I'll do what is usually not done in book reviews: I'll reprint the Table of Contents to give you a taste of the topics covered:
Part I. Scriptural & Doctrinal InterpretationsThe book also contains an informative introduction by Patrick Q. Mason and an aftermath by Richard Bushman, as well as a subject index and a complete scripture index that extends to seven pages. This is a complete reference on Mormonism and war. Have you taken my hint yet? I really want you to get this book. I'm writing this on the Saturday before Memorial Day. If you're reading it today and live near a Deseret Book Store, you can buy your copy today and read something from it on Memorial Day. I think that would be a fitting use of the holiday.
The Ammonite Conundrum
J. David Pulsipher
A Non-Violent Reading of the Book of Mormon
Joshua Madson
Offensive Warfare in the Book of Mormon
and a Defense of the Bush Doctrine
Morgan Deane
Imagining Peace: The Example of the Nephites
following Christ’s Visit to the New World
Robert A. Rees
Pax Sanctorum
F. R. Rick Duran
Part II. Historical & Cultural Perspectives
Zion as a Refuge from the Wars of Nations
Mark Ashurst-McGee
Fall from Grace: Mormon Millennialism,
Native Americans, and Violence
Jennifer Lindell
Negotiating War and Peace in Korea: A Comparison
of U.S. Military and Korean Latter-day Saints
Ethan Yorgason
Nonviolent Responses and Mormon Attitudes:
Reasons and Realities
Jesse Samantha Fulcher
Part III. Notable & Prophetic Voices
General Conference Addresses during Times of War
Robert H. Hellebrand
Pacifist Counselor in the First Presidency: J. Reuben Clark
D. Michael Quinn
The Work of Death: Hugh Nibley as Scholar, Soldier, Peace Activist
Boyd Jay Petersen
Eugene England's Theology of Peace
Loyd Ericson
Part IV. Personal and Professional Observations
An LDS Chaplain's Perspective on Current Conflicts
Eric A. Eliason
"Renounce War and Proclaim Peace": Personal Reflections on Mormon Attempts at Peacemaking
Gordon Conrad Thomasson
Doctrine and Covenants 98: The "Immutable" Rejected Covenant of Peace
Ron Madson
War and the Gospel: Perspectives from Latter-day Saint National Security Practitioners
Mark Henshaw, Valerie M. Hudson, Eric Jensen, Kerry M. Kartchner, and John Mark Mattox
A reference work like this has been sorely needed in the church for quite some time. If enough of us will read these essays and ponder upon God's will regarding war, it may lead to an awakening in the church to the direction we ought to be facing as disciples of Christ. I think we could do with a bit of repenting.
Americans may never call for a National Day of Repentance, but as individual disciples of Christ, we can certainly repent of the false notions we have held concerning the greatest evil the adversary ever devised. We can stop supporting the Secret Combinations whose goal is to enslave our minds as well as our bodies. Many of us have been deceived by fear and trickery. It's past time to turn from our delusions. The promise God made in ancient times is as valid today as it ever was:
"If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
"If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and
pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I
hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
