What is a sacred cow? My definition is anything that is believed based only on tradition, and has little to zero basis on actual fact. These beliefs are held so strongly that the “worshiper” declares “blasphemy!” to anyone that challenges said belief.
Sacred Cow #1: Obey the law of the land… no matter what?
The 12th article of faith states, “We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.”
Many today have interpreted this to mean that it is a part of our faith that we are to obey any and all governmental laws and regulations no matter their compatibility with the laws of of God.
However, this paradigm does not take into account the Lords definition of law, as well as precedence set by ancient as well as modern (including the author of said article) Prophets.
In the Doctrine & Covenants, section 98 verses 5-7 lays out what “the law” is:
And that law of the land which is constitutional, supporting that principle of freedom in maintaining rights and privileges, belongs to all mankind, and is justifiable before me. Therefore, I, the Lord, justify you, and your brethren of my church, in befriending that law which is the constitutional law of the land; And as pertaining to law of man, whatsoever is more or less than this, cometh of evil.
Any law that is not Constitutional or fails in “supporting that principle of freedom in maintaining rights and privileges” is evil. In verse 11 the Lord tells us what we should do with such evil when He says, “And I give unto you a commandment, that ye shall forsake all evil”. Therefore, according to an actual revelation, the Lord tells us to forsake any laws that are unconstitutional or that violate principles of freedom. This conclusion is also supported by several statements from modern prophets.
In addition to this commandment from the Lord in this the last dispensation, we have precedence that reveals this as a universal principle.
Here are just a few examples:
We all remember the Sunday School lesson about Daniel and the lions den. Why was Daniel, a Prophet of God, sent to the lions den? He was sent there by the government because he violated the “law of the land”!
- Daniel knew it was against the law to pray to God (Dan 6:10)
- Daniel openly defied the law (Dan 6:10)
We should also remember Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, the three Hebrews that were sent into the fiery furnace because the disobeyed the “law of the land” that went against the law of God. (Dan. 3:12–30)
Let’s skip now to modern examples:
Polygamy as practiced by Joseph Smith and contemporary apostles was against “the law of the land” in every single state they were in.
John Taylor said, “We believe in … loyalty to our country, but when they enact laws, forbidding us the free exercise of our religion, we cannot submit. God is greater than the United States; and when the government conflicts with Heaven, we will be ranged under the banner of Heaven against the government… If the United States say different the Saints cannot obey it. … [W]e will worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience.” (1/6/1880)
Heber J. Grant: “No matter what restrictions we are placed under by men, our only consistent course is to keep the commandments of God. We should, in this regard, place ourselves in the same position as that of the three Hebrews who were cast into the fiery furnace.” (4/5/1885)
George Q. Cannon: “I admit that those raising children by plural wives are not complying with man-made laws, but in the sight of God they are not sinning, as there is no sin in it.” (Reed Smoot Hearings 1:9)
Wilford Woodruff: “God says, “We shall be damned if we do not obey the law.” Congress says, “We shall be damned if we do.” It places us precisely in the same position that it did the Hebrews in the fiery furnace, and Daniel in the den of lions. … Our enemies have pursued the same course … and made it a law of offense to obey one of the laws of our God. Now who shall we obey? God or man? My voice is that we obey God.” (4/21/1879)
Apostles Penrose & Richards wrote a letter to John Taylor stating: “We then say, we consider the law of God superior to the law of the State, and if we have to break the law of the State to keep the law of God, we will stand by the consequences.” (2/16/1887)
The First Presidency: “God is superior to governments and courts. But he tells his Church to befriend the constitutional law of the land. If it is not constitutional, He says it comes of evil. It must support the principle of freedom in maintaining rights and privileges; if not, it comes of evil. Who is the Lord directing? His Church. Whatever is contrary to the freedom guaranteed by the Constitution, which includes not mere belief but the “free exercise” of religion, He does not command His people to obey, but says they shall do His will.” (First Presidency 7/7/1886)
John Taylor: “I defy the United States. I will obey the will of God. These are my sentiments, and all of you who sympathize with me in this position raise your right hand.” (1/6/1880)
It is dangerous to take one statement, or verse, or part of a verse in a vacuum, with no context. That is how we get all the false creeds of men that lead to the great apostasy. Prophets, both ancient and modern, are clear on this principle.
God’s law is supreme, and all laws that violate His are to be “forsaken”.
Holy Cow!!! What an excellent article!!
I am a convert to the Church. I am saddened by the lazy Priesthood Holder’s who consistently follow the ways of Man’s law.
I want to know when will we, as a Priesthood body begin to stand up and do our sworn duty to protect and preserve the liberty of this nation?
I hear the member’s of the church blaming President Obama for the condition that this country is in, but the fact of the matter is that Obama has not made one covenant to defend and build the Kingdom of God. He has not made one Temple Covenant.
I perceive that the Latter Day Gentiles are following in the foot steps of their ancestors. They are changing the doctrine by proclaiming to the World that, “We are Christians.”
Where are those who are ready to stand up and proclaim to this government, as David did to the Philistines that. “You have offended the God of Israel.”
Sadly enough, I agree. Too many members, I think, are trying too hard to fit in. They don’t critically examine what they’re trying to fit in to. We need to stand tall in the distinctness of the Gospel, even when it flies in the face of popular evangelical culture.
Great article. Love the quotes. Keep it up!
I would like to know – is the church saying that it is a bad law to require people to come to America legally? By not requiring complete repentance by those who commit identity fraud, is the Church saying that requiring identity is a bad law?
You left out the quote where John Taylor said that we are not obligated to obey unconstitutional laws. It would also help if you provided references for your quotes, instead of just dates.
Regardless of the basis for laws, we still believe in being “subject.” Just think. Had the Church been restored before the RevWar, “good” Mormons would have been Tories. They’d have remained subject to the king. If we take the article of faith at face value, we don’t have the same prerogative to rebel against tyranny that our Founders had. But, we apparently dismiss it regarding illegal aliens.
Rex, you don’t understand the syntax of the 12th Article of faith. It isn’t us who are required to obey, honor, and sustain the law no matter what. It’s kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates. For clarification, substitue the words “who are” in place of “in” in the last phrase. It would read “We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates who are obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law”. Read D&C 134:5 to verify this. “We believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments in which they reside, WHILE PROTECTED IN THEIR INHERENT AND INALIENABLE RIGHTS BY THE LAWS OF SUCH GOVERNMENTS, and that sedition and rebellion are unbecoming every citizen THUS PROTECTED…” Thus, no protection from government equals no
loyalty to said government required of us. During the Revolutionary War, we would have been required by our faith, and by our committment to the principle of agency, to fight the British. Agency is an eternal principle. It transcends the dates that wars take place. When the next American revolution begins, as Thomas Jefferson said it would and should, we will once again be required to be on the side of freedom, or agency. We will make war on our own government, just as the Founders and early patriots did, because our government has not “protected our inherent and inalienable rights”.
“We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.”
To me, the comma after “magistrates” means “and”. So, here’s how I read it: “We believe in being subject … [and] in obeying…” It does not stupulate what kind of laws, but it seems logical that it would be the laws promulgated by such rulers.
I think that this reading is borne out by the Brethren’s admonitions to Church members who live under tyrannical regimes to obey the law and be good citizens of their respective countries. Apparently, living under tyranny is preferrable to bloodshed and bad press. The building of the Freiberg Temple was attributed to the East German Saints’ good citizenship and honesty — in being subject.
This clearly applies and brings sense of understanding the Church’s current position of compassion and tolerance tours Illegal Immigrants together with embracing laws that would lead for “legal” status to those worthy of it and seeking, versus calling them sinners and supporting such laws as pure “deportation” as many conservatives tend to alienate with and suggest by referring to the 12th article of faith.
Should the day ever come that rebellion against the US government were justified, I believe that we would hear some authoritative approval. Before that day comes, however, I believe that the United States will implode, leaving the Church as the final bastion of constitutional law and freedom. That’s where I think we’re headed.
“And thus, … shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel the wrath, and indignation, and chastening hand of an Almighty God, until the consumption decreed hath made a full end of ALL nations” (D&C 87:6, my emphasis). No exception is made for the USA.
This is something to consider today when our government is about making more laws, designed by select groups of men with no Constitutional authority to make laws, that rob citizens of their liberties and responsibilities save they follow the current powers that be. And that some laws are designed to conflict with other laws as weapons against political adversaries just complicates the choices that honest God fearing men would make. I am sure that to act as Daniel, Shadrack, Meshack and Abednigo did, you need to be similarly righteous as they to expect The Lord’s intervention. Also there are those innocent of sin such as Abinadi who suffered a nobel death rather than blaspheme against God. Now is not a time to rationalize disobedience but to closely obey God.