:Naiahdot

“Truth is truth, wherever you find it.” That’s one of my stock phrases. The lesser-used second half of it is “whether it’s from the mouth of a sage or the mouth of a babe.” While the wording is not the same, the idea comes from Joseph Smith, himself, and one usually thinks you can’t go too far wrong in following the prophet, but it has recently caused me to receive a little well-intentioned-yet-negative feedback from a couple of friends after I made known my feelings about the recent treatment of the members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints living at YFZ Ranch and my outrage at the utterly unconstitutional way in which their community was invaded by the Texas authorities.

You see, I am an active, practicing member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and my church goes to great lengths to clarify the differences between the two churches in the public mind. One sister who reached out to me felt that I was doing the church’s efforts at distinction a disservice. The church, by nature of being an ecclesiastical organization, and one with a worldwide presence, cannot speak out on such matters. I, as one of its members, though, not only can, but should.

I don’t know how you feel, my brethren and sisters, but I’d rather be dead than to lose my liberty. I have no fear we’ll ever lose it because of invasion from the outside. But I do have fear that it may slip away from us because of our own indifference, our own negligence, as citizens of this land. And so I plead with you this morning that you take an active interest in matters pertaining to the future of this country.
(Ezra Taft Benson, via Quoty)

What was done to them was not only grossly unconstitutional, but even downright illegal at the state (statute) level, as was found by the Third Court of Appeals and then upheald on challenege to the TX State Supreme Court. Had such actions gone uncontested, they would have set a dangerous precedent–the idea that a belief system alone, apart from any evidence of presence or lack of actual abuse, was grounds for government intervention in the lives of private citizens.

It must be said, though, that such treatment is nothing new to these people. The more I learn about the history of the FLDS people, the more I see, time and time again, blatantly unconstitutional acts of legislature and government agencies. We must remember that the freedom of religion that we claim for ourselves is only valid so long as it is afforded to all. If wrongs like this are allowed to stand uncontested, then, in our system of case law, the very wrongs themselves, as precedent, become the justification for perpetuation of further wrongs, against that same group and beyond.

Moving from a matter of law and duty to a matter of conscience, it was also suggested to me that, perhaps I am no longer worthy to hold a temple recommend, given that I would now have to answer that yes, I support these people. I support their right to live and worship as they choose so long as it is in keeping with the constitutionally just laws of the land. Note that I add the qualifier of ‘constitutionally just,’ for these people have already been subjected to targeted legislation that can and should be challenged to the highest level, for it is wrong. So, yes, I support them, though I doubt that a church court will be convened anytime soon:

We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
(from the 11th Article of Faith)

There is no room in that statement for “unless they are FLDS and some people who are mistaken about our two churches tend to confuse us with them, and then they hold the myths and accusations leveled against them against us, nevermind whether those myths and accusations are true or not.”

My friend said that I erred even further when I said that I would like to learn from them, would even be willing to go and stay with them. The fact is, not only would I be willing to, I would love to.

There’s no two ways about it, these people have a wonderful mode and model of gospel living. It does not matter if that gospel is the one preached by us, by them, by the Baptitsts, Buddhists, or Baha’i; that’s not the point. The point is that they truly live their convictions and have their faith woven into the very fabric of their daily lives. It is admirable, to me, the way the gospel has just suffused their ways of being, even down to attitudes and modes of interaction.

Some might claim that “they have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof,” and just as they are entitled to their opinion, I am to mine. I have studied the FLDS angle on the gospel as much as one in my place can, and as one must do whenever studying any belief system, I have come to where I can see it through their eyes, and they have truly been profitable servants with the turth that they have.

For me, as “someone who is known on the internet as a Latter-day Saint woman” to deny that in the face of the public fiasco of misunderstanding that surrounds these people and the horrible injustices that result, I could hardly call myself a saint. To do so would be tacit approval of the villification of this God-fearing community, and would just be untrue, and I believe in seeing and celebrating all truth–wherever I find it.

We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
(from the 13th Article of Faith)

I find much that is virtuous, lovely, of good report, and praiseworthy in their faith and lifestyle, and I, too, seek after such things.

Many, many, even nigh unto countless, vile, ugly, ill-told, and reprehensible accusations have been made against them, and taken by most for truth, as they were once taken by me. The FLDS who, as it turns out, are a people of forgiveness have quietly laid by as these lies have circulated, and simply prayed for those who have started and spread them, not knowing the damage that was being done to their public image and the power that public image (as opposed to truth) unfortunately has in modern society.

We all know that there are at least two sides to every story, even ones like the “Lost Boys,” child brides, Flora Jessop, welfare abuse, poor parenting, and, my favorite, the brainwashed women, incapable of thinking for themselves.

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