"We believe that religion is instituted of God; and that men are amenable to him, and to him only, for the exercise of it, unless their religious opinions prompt them to infringe upon the rights and liberties of others; but we do not believe that human law has a right to interfere in prescribing rules of worship to bind the consciences of men, nor dictate forms for public or private devotion; that the civil magistrate should restrain crime, but never control conscience; should punish guilt, but never suppress the freedom of the soul" (Doctrine and Covenants 134:4).
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints always has been and always will be a defender of religious freedom for all men, where ever they are, and whatever their religion or beliefs may be. We should all be able to worship in the ways we each choose to do so, without judgment of others and without fear of government.
The very history of our church is rife with religious persecution that eventually forced the early saints to leave their homes. Fearing for their very lives, they risked the western wilderness, searching for a sanctuary of peace in which to worship the Almighty God. Thankfully, this time of physical conflict passed long ago. Nowadays, most people are tolerant and even appreciative of Mormons. Sadly, there are some who still revile and demean Mormons, whether through words or actions. I heard a story this weekend about a sister missionary: A stranger came up to her,swung his arm to punch her (she ducked), spit his food in her face and when she walked away without responding in any way to his aggression, threw his mashed potatoes at the back of her head. First, let's applaud this sister missionary for not retaliating, because my normal human impulse would be to punch anyone who swung a fist at me. Second, I feel sad for someone who feels such hate and spite against a young person he doesn't even know, but who he recognized as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
It is, sadly, one example of the many acts of hatred and distrust against another person because of their beliefs or religion. Such a demonstration of dislike is not unique to members of this church, nor are all Mormons as Christlike as they should be when engaging with a person of different faith. The universality of such callousness does not make it right. It is wrong. We should, and can, love all our neighbors, meaning everyone we come in contact with, whether at home, or church, or school, or work, or the grocery store (Matthew 22:36-40, 3 Nephi 12:43-45).
Why should a person's beliefs and/or religion be so carefully defended? Because what we believe is an integral part of each of us. Belief dictates our actions and our perspectives. My entire reason for writing this blog is to inform others about my personal beliefs, so they can get to know me and understand me better. My belief system reveals the paradigm in which I live. It is the glass through which I view life and thus influences my decisions, directing my life down certain paths. The moment we restrict or limit anyone's ability to believe and/or worship, is the moment we take away part of who they are. We do not have to agree with or even condone another's choice of beliefs, but we can always respect who they are and love them regardless.
Coming Soon: {Article of Faith #12} How is "government" part of our beliefs?
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