Sixteen Small Stones

“Piano” by Björn Perborg

In an excellent discourse given in the October 1971 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Boyd. K Packer of the Twelve Apostles compared the restored gospel to a piano:

The gospel might be likened to the keyboard of a piano—a full keyboard with a selection of keys on which one who is trained can play a variety without limits; a ballad to express love, a march to rally, a melody to soothe, and a hymn to inspire; an endless variety to suit every mood and satisfy every need.

How shortsighted it is, then, to choose a single key and endlessly tap out the monotony of a single note, or even two or three notes, when the full keyboard of limitless harmony can be played.

[…]

It is not unusual to find people who take an interest in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but give only casual attention to the ideal that the fullness of the gospel is here.

They become attracted by a single key, a doctrine, often one to which they take immediate exception and object to. They investigate it by itself alone. They want to know all there is about it without reference, in fact, with specific objection and rejection, to anything else.

They want to hear that key played over and over again. It will give them little knowledge unless they see that there is a fullness—other complementary ideals and doctrines that present a warmth and a harmony, and a fullness, that draw at the right moment upon each key, which if played alone might seem discordant.

Now that danger is not limited to investigators alone. Some members of the Church who should know better pick out a hobby key or two and tap them incessantly, to the irritation of those around them. They can dull their own spiritual sensitivities. They lose track that there is a fullness of the gospel and become as individuals, like many churches have become. They may reject the fullness in preference to a favorite note. This becomes exaggerated and distorted, leading them away into apostasy.

This concept was reiterated in 1992 by Apostle Dallin H. Oaks who quoted Elder Packer and warned members of the church about various ways in which our strengths can become weaknesses. Elder Oaks also warned about a similar problem:

“A related distortion is seen in the practice of those who select a few sentences from the teachings of a prophet and use them to support their political agenda or other personal purposes. In doing so, they typically ignore the contrary implications of other prophetic words, or even the clear example of the prophet’s own actions.

[…]

We should interpret their words in the light of their works. To wrest the words of a prophet to support a private agenda, political or financial or otherwise, is to try to manipulate the prophet, not to follow him.”

Elder Oaks’ essay has long been one of my favorites, and is worth reading in full. It was recently cited as an additional resource in the church’s January 3rd statement responding to media inquiries about the occupation of a federal facility in Oregon by citizens who were protesting federal government abuse, some of whom were members of the church.

However, instead of discussing how these principles apply to the tragic events in Oregon, I want to explore how these warnings from Elder Packer and Elder Oaks apply to a different trend I have noticed:

Among some vocal members of the church, there is a growing tendency to employ the phrase “mourn with those that mourn” as a rhetorical weapon.  Continue reading →