Moroni: Not a warmonger
Kathy wrote this, in response to this:
When I read Adam Colvin's letter, "Bizarre Ideas of Democrats" on Dec. 1, I didn't worry about Democrats' (or Republicans') ideas, like he may have wanted; I worried about Mormons. I worry that too many members of the Church of Jesus Christ missed the point of the Book of Mormon when they stopped reading somewhere in the war chapters.
Moroni hated fighting; Colvin's letter makes Moroni sound like he just took anybody out who threatened him. But all Book of Mormon prophets who also served as military leaders abhorred violence and understood certain principles about war's justification. Mormon 4:4, for instance: "And it was because the armies of the Nephites went up unto the Lamanites that they began to be smitten; for were it not for that, the Lamanites could have had no power over them." We cannot kill or terrorize anyone in any country just because they frighten us or do not do what we say.
I also don't understand the claim that morals wouldn't mean squat anymore if we were endangered. This world will always have danger; that was the point of the happy go-live-on-Earth plan. We should not seek to eliminate danger; we should live morally in the midst of it. Perhaps by being moral, thoughtful, and truly Christlike people—regardless of our political leanings—we may even calm the anti-American sentiments that have footholds throughout the world.
But even if not, we should not toss our morals out the window to maintain a fleeting security, nor quote scripture to justify our fear.
When I read Adam Colvin's letter, "Bizarre Ideas of Democrats" on Dec. 1, I didn't worry about Democrats' (or Republicans') ideas, like he may have wanted; I worried about Mormons. I worry that too many members of the Church of Jesus Christ missed the point of the Book of Mormon when they stopped reading somewhere in the war chapters.
Moroni hated fighting; Colvin's letter makes Moroni sound like he just took anybody out who threatened him. But all Book of Mormon prophets who also served as military leaders abhorred violence and understood certain principles about war's justification. Mormon 4:4, for instance: "And it was because the armies of the Nephites went up unto the Lamanites that they began to be smitten; for were it not for that, the Lamanites could have had no power over them." We cannot kill or terrorize anyone in any country just because they frighten us or do not do what we say.
I also don't understand the claim that morals wouldn't mean squat anymore if we were endangered. This world will always have danger; that was the point of the happy go-live-on-Earth plan. We should not seek to eliminate danger; we should live morally in the midst of it. Perhaps by being moral, thoughtful, and truly Christlike people—regardless of our political leanings—we may even calm the anti-American sentiments that have footholds throughout the world.
But even if not, we should not toss our morals out the window to maintain a fleeting security, nor quote scripture to justify our fear.
You posted my letter! Thanks. The Daily Universe wouldn't, even though mine was um, better than the one they ended up printing. I give up trying to write in to them.
ReplyDeleteRock on Kathy!
ReplyDeleteThe Daily Universe is a silly little publication anyway. Its name betrays its arrogance. "Provo is the Universe!"