The Execution of Ronnie Lee Gardner, and Blood Atonement

Recently, an article by Peggy Fletcher Stack of The Salt Lake Tribune was picked up by The Huffington Post. Stack’s article concerns the forthcoming execution of Ronnie Lee Gardner, who has been convicted of the murder of a man during a failed prison escape, 25 years ago. Gardner is petitioning to be executed by firing squad, citing his “Mormon heritage,” and Stack’s article connects Gardner’s request to the 19th century LDS doctrine of blood atonement.


Judging from the comments left by HuffPost readers, the whole matter of blood atonement seems quite strange to modern American ears. Some Latter-day Saints may have some pointed questions directed their way regarding this matter by their non-LDS friends and acquaintances. Below, I mention a few points of fact that may help to clarify this matter.

1. Since the time I was baptized a Latter-day Saint (LDS) in 1975 at college in Pennsylvania, I have never once heard blood atonement taught in an LDS Church class or preached from an LDS pulpit. Teachings about blood atonement are much more alive in anti-Mormon literature than they are in the LDS Church today.
2. At its heart, the doctrine of blood atonement states that some offenses against humanity (especially murder) are so heinous that the offender’s death is required to atone for it. One may disagree with the idea of capital punishment, but it is not inherently outrageous.
3. The shedding of the murderer’s blood seems to be meant to parallel the atonement of Jesus Christ, where Jesus’ blood was shed. The doctrine that Christ’s blood was shed to atone for the sins of the world has been a central aspect of traditional Christian theology for twenty centuries, and is clearly stated in the New Testament.
4. The LDS doctrine of blood atonement was taught by Brigham Young at a time when many of the Latter-Day Saints had recently been murdered by anti-Mormons (particularly in Missouri). LDS President Joseph Fielding Smith is mentioned in the Stack article as having once authored a pamphlet on blood atonement; President Smith’s grandfather and granduncle (the Patriarch Hyrum and the Prophet Joseph) had both been shot by an anti-Mormon mob of assassins. In that context, murder and its consequences, quite understandably, were on the minds of many of the Saints who lived in the latter half of the 19th century. In later years, these concerns have faded.
5. The punishment of blood atonement was never inflicted by LDS authorities as a punishment for apostasy or any such.

The modern LDS Church does not focus on blood atonement because it is not a central part of the LDS Christian Gospel message. It is simply not important enough to teach. However, these points above may help to put the whole matter in some context.

(This post expands on a comment of mine on a news item in The Huffington Post. The original news article is available here. An archive of all my comments on The Huffington Post is available here. Readers of this blog are welcome to become “fans” of mine on The Huffington Post.)

Copyright 2010 Mark E. Koltko-Rivera. All Rights Reserved.

Environmentalism, the Latter-Day Saints, and Glenn Beck

Back in March, I wrote a post on this blog regarding Glenn Beck’s comments to the effect that religious teachings on social justice amounted to Nazism and Communism. Mr. Beck has continued in this vein; a few days ago, he objected to the recommendation of a government panel that the government should help faith-based and other not-for-profit organizations obtain loans to encourage green building projects. For Mr. Beck, this amounts to “merging” the churches of America with the Environmental Protection Agency, into a superfaith that teaches “the Gospel of Gaia” and “the religion of environmental and social justice.”


In a new post to “On the Mark: Social Commentary from a Reflective Perspective,” another blog of mine, I address the misunderstandings that Mr. Beck has regarding the real meaning of the separation of Church and State. However, on “Mormon from Manhattan,” I would like to focus on another aspect of Mr. Beck’s thought: his misunderstanding regarding, yet again, the theology of his own church.

Yes, Glenn Beck is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, his understanding of the LDS Gospel in reference to environmentalism appears to be profoundly deficient, as was his understanding of the Gospel with reference to social justice.

The subject of LDS doctrine on environmentalism is not without its own controversies; the subject is worth a detailed doctrinal and historical treatment. Here, I shall just focus on two things: the commission given to Adam and Eve concerning the Earth, and the vision given to Enoch of the Earth as a living being.
Adam, Eve, and the Earth

In the first chapter of the Bible, the Lord states the following:

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (Genesis 1: 27-28)

The language of the King James Version, given above, might lead one to the impression that human beings are justified in basically doing whatever they wish to the world and its living beings. However, the underlying Hebrew text clarifies the meaning of the scriptures in a very different way.

The word translated as “subdue,” the Hebrew kivshuah from the root kavash, does indeed indicate the idea of putting something under submission. It is a forceful word, carrying the idea of Adam and Eve making the Earth do their will. This is appropriate for people who, quite soon, will be making their living from hard work in agriculture and herding. The world does not support us easily.

The word translated as “and have dominion,” the Hebrew urdu from the root radah, does indeed mean “to have dominion over, to rule.” However, the word means to rule in the way a king rules. One prominent theme in the Jewish scriptures is that when the king rules wisely, the people prosper, but when the king rules poorly or selfishly, the people suffer greatly.

Overall, this passage is not a license for humanity to do whatever it likes with the world. Rather, it is a commission to rule wisely over the world. It can easily be argued that we have not done so well in that department.
Enoch and the Earth

The LDS scriptures contain within them an account of a vision given to the prophet Enoch, a vision that features the world as a living being:

And it came to pass that Enoch looked upon the earth; and he heard a voice from the bowels thereof, saying: Wo, wo is me, the mother of men; I am pained, I am weary, because of the wickedness of my children. When shall I rest, and be cleansed from the filthiness which is gone forth out of me? When will my Creator sanctify me, that I may rest, and righteousness for a season abide upon my face? (Pearl of Great Price, Moses 7:48)

This is an astonishing confirmation of a concept that is found in several religious and spiritual traditions throughout history (including, yes, the Gaia Hypothesis): the Earth is indeed a living being. Moreover, it is a living being over whom we have stewardship.

Conclusion

It is important for Latter-day Saints to understand that, implicit in the LDS Gospel, we are taught to take care of the planet, as wise rulers of the living Earth. This is something that Glenn Beck seems not to understand.

(This post expands on a comment of mine on an opinion piece in The Huffington Post. The original opinion piece is available here. An archive of all my comments on The Huffington Post is available here. Readers of this blog are welcome to become “fans” of mine on HuffPost.)

Copyright 2010 Mark E. Koltko-Rivera. All Rights Reserved.

[The image of the Earth as seen from Apollo 17 is in the public domain, and was obtained through Wikipedia.]

Sorry to Be Gone for So Long

I am sorry to say that a combination of unfortunate health and family circumstances have kept me off my blogs for a long time. I am happy to say that my health is much improved, and so I look forward to returning to my blogging with renewed vigor.

Social Justice, the Latter-Day Saints, and Glenn Beck

An article by Laurie Goodstein in The New York Times of Friday, March 12, 2010, informs us of the following:

Last week, the conservative broadcaster Glenn Beck called on Christians to leave their churches if they hear preaching about social or economic justice, saying they were code words for Communism and Nazism. …

Mr. Beck said on his radio show on March 2, “I beg you, look for the words ‘social justice’ or ‘economic justice’ on your church Web site. If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words.” …

“If you have a priest that is pushing social justice, go find another parish.”

Despite the fact that Glenn Beck is a Latter-day Saint, what he has to say on this subject is entirely his own opinion, and does not reflect Latter-day Saint teaching. I am writing this blog post to inform the world at large of two simple facts:

1. 1. Latter-day Saint (LDS) teaching, doctrine, and scriptures clearly demonstrate an LDS commitment to social justice.
2. 2. The reason that the term “social justice” is not a prominent part of LDS teaching is due to an accident of history.
   

What Is Social Justice?

At its heart, the term social justice means that individuals and governments should support the idea that all people should be treated equally before the law; that the rights of all people should be protected regardless of considerations like race, religious affiliation, and so forth; and, that everyone deserves equality of opportunity within society.

Social justice is a general concept that allows for varying interpretations and methods of implementation, some of them quite heinous. In the 1940s, the Roman Catholic priest, Father Charles Coughlin used the term in his radio programs, in which he issued antisemitic commentaries and defended the policies of Adolf Hitler and Mussolini. At the opposite end of the political spectrum, Communist policies of forced property redistribution have been justified on the grounds of social justice. However, neither of these extremes are inherent in the concept of social justice itself. We must not judge concepts on the basis of their worst implementations—a principle which has general application. For example, the destructive teachings of self-proclaimed ‘prophets’ like the late David Koresh must not be used to sully the legitimate concepts of prophecy and revelation; however, many militant atheists do just that, to make a case against revealed religion.

For some readers, the ideal of social justice will seem to be a given. However, the reality is that social justice is the exception in the world, not the rule. In many places, different social classes get preferential treatment under the law, and special opportunities for education and economic advancement. There are such forms of prejudice as classism, racism, sexism, faithism, and other forms of discrimination. Special forms of privilege are afforded to members of certain political parties, or religious or ethnic groups—while members of other parties or groups are discriminated against.

No, social justice is not the global norm at all. It is, however, an important aspect of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ (shown above, preaching the Sermon on the Mount), to which I now turn.

The LDS Gospel is Highly Focused on Social Justice

LDS teaching, doctrine, scripture, and many aspects of LDS practice are highly focused on social justice. Below are a few examples, focusing especially on material from the LDS canonized scriptures or Standard Works, which include—in addition to the Bible—the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.

The Book of Mormon and Social Justice

That quintessential LDS document, the Book of Mormon, has as one of its central themes the matter of social justice. As quoted in Ms. Goodstein’s article, Philip Barlow, a history professor at Utah State University, put it well: “One way to read the Book of Mormon is that it’s a vast tract on social justice.” Some instances of the Book of Mormon’s focus on social justice include the following:

• The Book of Mormon constantly condemns the tendency of the Nephites to divide into social classes defined by wealth and luxury goods, with ‘higher’ classes withholding wealth from ‘lower’ classes. The prophet Helaman blamed a whole war on this tendency: “And it was because of the pride of their hearts, because of their exceeding riches, yea, it was because of their oppression to the poor, withholding their food from the hungry, withholding their clothing from the naked …” (Helaman 4:12).
• The Book of Mormon commands people not to withhold their substance from those in need: “… ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish. … For behold, are we not all beggars?” (Mosiah 4:16, 19; see Mosiah 4: 16-26 in its entirety).
  

LDS Economics: Consecration, The United Order, Tithing, Fast Offerings

The LDS ideal standard is expressed in the Law of Consecration, which has been expressed in different ways at different times. In the 19th century, under the United Order, Church members voluntarily consecrated all of their properties to the Church, which then deeded to each member what they needed according to their circumstances. At the present time, the United Order is suspended, but faithful members voluntarily pay 10% of their increase, or a tithe, to the Church, to support its programs, many of which benefit the poor. Members also fast for two meals monthly, and contribute an amount of money at least equal to the purchase of those meals, explicitly for the support of the poor.

Part of the point of all of these programs has been to further spiritual purposes by means of economic principles. An important aspect of this is the elimination of poverty, and power distinctions by economic class. Latter-day Saints believe that the Lord revealed this to the LDS prophet Joseph Smith in 1832: “For if ye are not equal in earthly things ye cannot be equal in obtaining heavenly things” (D&C 78:6). In LDS scripture, an ancient city and people who embodied these principles are described in these terms: “And the Lord called his people ZION, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them” (Moses 7:18). All of this expresses the heart of a social justice perspective.

LDS Aid to People in Need, in the Church, and in Developing Nations

For many years, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (hereafter “LDS Church”) has worked to improve the lot of its own poor, not just by giving a dole, but by helping people be self-sufficient. Back in the days of the Great Depression of the 1930s and 1940s, this effort became institutionalized in the Church Welfare Program. For several years, another aspect of this effort, the Perpetual Education Fund, has served to provide funds for education of Latter-day Saints in the Developing World, to help them to find economic self-sufficiency and career advancement; recently, this program reached the milestone of helping 40,000 people with their education.

However, LDS aid is by no means confined to helping Latter-day Saints alone. For several decades, the LDS Church has made it a priority to help to provide humanitarian outreach services on an ongoing basis to the developing world, through nonproselytizing service missionaries who work to improve literacy, sanitation, health, and nutrition—the vast majority of this aid going to those who are not Latter-day Saints. Much of this is supported by Latter-day Saint Charities, an official effort based at LDS Church headquarters.

These efforts of the LDS Church—efforts that have been conducted, in one way or another, for almost two centuries—are so important that, recently, the official statement of the purpose of the Church was altered so as to emphasize that one central aspect of the purpose of the Church is to “care for the poor and the needy.” This, too, is part of the essence of social justice.

LDS Stance on Basic Human Rights
The leadership of the LDS Church recently made a public statement supporting a proposed Salt Lake City ordinance supporting nondiscrimination in housing and employment on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. This is also an aspect of social justice.

It was in this public statement that an LDS Church spokesperson made a statement on which I would like to conclude this section:

I represent a church that believes in human dignity, in treating others with respect even when we disagree – in fact, especially when we disagree. (Statement made through Michael Otterson)

If there is a better statement of the essence of social justice, I am not aware of it.


Why Don’t We Hear the Term “Social Justice” Preached from LDS Pulpits?

The question may be raised, why don’t we hear the term “social justice” from the LDS pulpit? As it happens, this is due to an accident of history.

The term “social justice” was apparently coined by the Italian Jesuit scholar Luigi Taparelli sometime in the 1840s. During this decade, the Latter-day Saints were heavily persecuted; indeed, the LDS prophet Joseph Smith himself was assassinated by an anti-Mormon mob in 1844. Subsequently, the Latter-day Saints were driven from their city of Nauvoo, Illinois, out to the valley of the Great Salt Lake. Throughout the remainder of the 19th century, the Saints were preoccupied with various threats to their physical and political survival (such as the imposition of Johnson’s Army). (The interested reader may find it helpful to consider this webpage about LDS Church history.)

By the time LDS survival in the Intermountain West was assured, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Latter-day Saints had already developed their own distinctive religious and theological vocabulary. In the same way that other Christian churches do not use the term “exaltation” in the way that the Latter-day Saints do, so the Latter-day Saints use different terms and phrases to reflect the concept of social justice, such as “there shall be no poor among you,” “consecration,” “United Order,” “charity,” “humanitarian aid,” “respect,” and so forth.

Conclusion

The Latter-day Saint Gospel—what the LDS believe is the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ—is strongly focused on social justice. LDS doctrine and scripture focus on the obligations, not only to relieve the plight of the poor, but to eliminate poverty altogether. Various LDS programs focus on the improvement of the lives of the poor around the world.

Like any concept, social justice can be implemented in a variety of ways, some of which would be abhorrent to Latter-day Saints. However, the heart of social justice is highly consistent with the heart of the LDS Gospel.

Reference

Goodstein, L. (2010, March 12). Outraged by Glenn Beck’s salvo, Christians fire back. The New York Times [late edition], p. A12.

Copyright 2010 Mark E. Koltko-Rivera. All Rights Reserved.

[The image of the painting, “Sermon on the Mount,” by Carl Heinrich Bloch (d. 1890), is in the public domain, and was obtained from Wikipedia.]