Affirmation and Support for Sin is not Compassionate

Part 1: Affirmation and Support for Sin is Not Compassionate

President Ezra Taft Benson said that, “The plaguing sin of this generation is sexual immorality.” In addition to being one of the most widespread and destructive sins of our time, it is by far the one that is most celebrated in our culture as a healthy expression of human sexuality. Telling the truth about sexual sin is not easy, but lying about it is not compassionate. The artifice used to naturalize sexual sin in our society has beguiled compassionate well-intentioned people to offer affirmation and support for premarital sex, pornography, cohabitation, adultery, homosexual relations, and other impure sexual behaviors as acceptable choices. Because of the deceptions of the world, fewer resist the temptations of the flesh and become captive to their desires. Support for sexual sin encourages people to break sacred laws of chastity, making them believe they can obtain happiness “in doing iniquity, which thing is contrary to the nature of that righteousness which is in our great and Eternal Head.” (Helaman 13:38)

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have a sacred duty to God to stand as witnesses for marriage and family ordained of God. Speaking of sinful lifestyles as if they are the right choice for some, even a good choice, encourages people to abandon the straight and narrow path for an artful promise of happiness that will turn to dust. Though it may be a relief to carve out a way to appear tolerant and compassionate in the eyes of the world, and by so doing, deflect the persecution and condemnation of our associates and friends; adopting the compassion label while making what is spiritually destructive appear benign, spares only ourselves at the expense of those in spiritual peril.

There is a growing number of LDS people who believe that compassion and Christlike love requires that we extend our affirmations and support to persons who choose to live in sinful lifestyles. The scriptures provide a clear description of the characteristics attendant to Christlike love, one of those is that the pure love of Christ "rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth." (1 Corinthians 13:5; Moroni 7:45) And the truth, though harder to teach, will always be the more compassionate loving path; for only the truth can set free those captive to sin, only through learning the truth of God's plan for His children and living the laws that govern his house, can we return to live with him again. “Christlike love will always extend love by strengthening others in the right way without encouraging them in the wrong way.” (James Mitchell, my stake president)

I’d like to use a favorite allegory, Lehi’s dream, to shed some light on what’s wrong with giving affirmations to those choosing to live in sexual sin. Picture Lehi after he ate of the fruit of the tree of life, he described his feelings, he said the fruit “filled [his] soul with exceedingly great joy.” (1 Nephi 8:12) Do you remember the effect of his experience? His heart was moved with concern for others, but did his compassion cause him to encourage others to continue wandering in darkness? Did he say, “Good for you! I’m so glad that you’ve found your own path.” NO! He could not, for he knew there was only one path that led to the tree and only one fruit that was “desirable above all other fruit.” Therefore, he beckoned them “with a loud voice” that they would come unto him. He beckoned, not with a soft voice, his compassion made him bold. He was filled with a sincere desire for others to find the straight and narrow path.

I’m concerned that members of the church are not only softening their voices, but they are changing the message. I am concerned that too many who have “commenced in the path” are losing their way because they are letting go of the rod of iron. Some imagine they are on a great mission to rescue, wandering off the path in search of those who are lost, but we cannot save them from the midst of darkness if we let go of the rod of iron and wander with them. Lehi did not leave the tree and seek in darkness for his family, he stood in the light and beckoned them with a loud voice. Lehi was not a cruel man, not uncompassionate or unloving. Spencer W. Kimball described prophets and their words of warning this way, “Those prophets I have known are the most loving of men. It is because of their love and integrity that they cannot modify the Lord’s message merely to make people feel comfortable. They are too kind to be so cruel” (Spencer W. Kimball, “Listen to the Prophets,” Ensign, May 1978, 77). We are on a rescue mission, called to serve the Lord (D&C 4:3) and “proclaim liberty to the captives,” (D&C 138:31) but like Lehi, we must stand in the light, fixed in our position of truth, and clearly beckon to those who wander in darkness so that they will enter into the straight path that leads to the tree of life.

Sexual purity by adherence to the law of Chastity is an indispensable support to the sustaining of the family, which family, organized by God, is central to the great plan of our God for the happiness and eternal lives of His children. When we shy away from proclaiming our belief in the doctrine of the family, in order to appear more loving and compassionate, we abandon our brothers and sister to wander in darkness. In the Book of Mormon, Jacob does not shirk from teaching truth, though the people are offended by his words, he explains why he must speak the truth though it hurts them to hear it.

“O my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him… there is none other way save it be by the gate… I shook your iniquities from my soul, and… I stand with brightness before him, and am rid of your blood… O, my beloved brethren, turn away from your sins; shake off the chains of him that would bind you fast… that ye may not shrink with awful fear… and be constrained to exclaim: Holy, holy are thy judgments, O Lord God Almighty--but I know my guilt; I transgressed thy law, and my transgressions are mine; and the devil hath obtained me, that I am a prey to his awful misery… But behold, my brethren, is it expedient that I should awake you to an awful reality of these things?... Behold, if ye were holy I would speak unto you of holiness; but as ye are not holy… it must needs be expedient that I teach you the consequences of sin.” (2 Nephi 9:41-47)

We cannot ignore the imperative to teach the truth and invite our families, friends, and associates to walk in the straight and narrow way. To ignore our duty is to extinguish brotherly love from our hearts. Elder M. Russell Ballard taught that it is imperative that we boldly teach the doctrine of the family, and help others to enter into the path and partake of the fruit, he said that we must “help them to know it, embrace it, participate in it, and defend it.” We cannot do this if our view of the doctrine of the family has been obscured by our compassion for the philosophies of the world. To help others to know the plan, we must have a clear understanding of it ourselves and then we must be willing to “earnestly contend for the faith.” (Jude 1:3) Our duty to God requires that we wield the sword of truth (Ephesians 6:17) in the public square. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

We should not expect to be at peace with the world, if we expect to be one with Christ. Christ warned his disciples not to falter for praise of the world when he taught, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.” (John 15:18) We should not expect to escape confrontation and persecution when we stand as witnesses of Christ and His plan. “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” (John 15:20) Peace with the world is not our aim, even Christ said, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34) Figuratively speaking the sword that he has sent is the two edged sword, the sword of truth, which cuts to the heart of the wicked but is the defense of the righteous.

This doesn’t mean that we should contend for the faith in anger, causing contention with unkind words, or seek out contention. Of course, we cannot stand as witnesses of Christ unless we become like Christ, but emulating Christ will never include obscuring the truth. The truth about human sexuality and family life, is that sexual relations are only to be employed within the holy bonds of matrimony between a man and a woman, and that the family as organized by God is central to the great Plan of our God which is given to us by the power of the atonement that we may be eternally happy. Christ will do nothing “save it be for the benefit of the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him… behold, doth he cry unto any, saying: Depart from me? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; but he saith: come unto me all ye ends of the earth, buy milk and honey, without money and without price… ” he had given it free for all men; and he hath commanded his people they should persuade all men to repentance… God hath commanded that man should not murder… lie… steal… should not take the name of the Lord their God in vain; that they should not envy; they should not have malice… contend with one another; that they should not commit whoredoms (sexual sins)... none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good… and he inviteth all to come unto him and partake of his goodness.” (2 Nephi 26:22-33)

To receive the great promises of the Lord, and to lead others to greater happiness than they now know, we must hold tight to the iron rod and press forward in the straight and narrow path. When we stand in the light of the tree, when we have tasted of the fruit desirable to make us happy, when our view of the plan of God is clear and unobstructed by the midst of darkness, then we will have power to stand in the light and beckon all to come with boldness and love. Then we will lovingly invite all men to enter into the straight and narrow and we will not be moved by those in the great and spacious building who point at us and mock us for our testimony. We will not be ashamed, we will not fall “away into forbidden paths” and be lost. (1 Nephi 8:24-28) When we walk in the way, we will be able to lead those who seek the truth “but know not where to find it.” (Joseph Smith)

We are the generation that prophets have described as having been held back by our Father in Heaven to come forth in this time when the whirlwinds of wickedness threaten every root. We were sent forth from the courts of our heavenly home to “gather the elect from the four quarters of the earth,” (JST Matthew 1:27) to carry them upon our shoulders, and to become their nursing fathers and mothers. (1 Nephi 21:23) What is required is that we “stand immovable” (Alma 1:25) in our defense of the plan of God, more than all the generations that have gone before, this generation must “contend for the faith” (Jude 1:3) with greater love, skill, tact, and tolerance than ever before. “Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.” (2 Nephi 31:20) Being compassionate demands that we proclaim truth. We cannot force others to choose the right path, but when we deny the existence of the one right way, we become a stumbling block to their finding it.

(For God's law on sexuality, marriage and family see: Genesis 18:20; Isaiah 3:9; Duet 23:17-18; Leviticus 18:22-25; 2 Nephi 13:8-9; Jude 1:7; 1 Timothy 1:9-10; Romans 1:24-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Moses 1:39; Genesis 1:26–27; Exodus 20:3–17; Matthew 16:15–19; John 17:3; 1 Corinthians 6:19–20; 2 Nephi 2:22–25; Mosiah 2:41; Alma 41:10; D&C 84:20–22; Malachi 4:5–6; Genesis 39:9; Alma 39:9; Genesis 1:28; 1 Corinthians 11:11; D&C 131:1–4; Genesis 2:24; D&C 49:15–17; “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,”)