TNM-Issue #1-Personal Values

This series of posts focuses on The Next Mormons, specifically on Table 11.3 "Reasons for Leaving Mormonism."

Reason #1 is "I could no longer reconcile my personal values and priorities with those of the Church."
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Because Reason #1 involves "personal values and priorities," it is inherently subjective and individual. Each person's affiliation with any organization involves a weighing of multiple variables and considerations.

In one sense, Reason #1 is not a problem at all, as I'll explain below. In another sense, it's an enormous problem. That's in the sense of "unforced errors."

The key concept here is this: "Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?" (John 10:32)

If people leave because we are not showing "good works," then that's on us. 

If they leave because we are showing "good works," then that's on them.

Jesus continued the dialog by saying, "If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him." (John 10:37-8)

Let's consider these two points in reverse order:

1. Unforced errors. There are values and priorities established in the revelations that many people of the world share (or at least aspire to), but that we, as a Church, largely ignore. There are other priorities that we, as a Church, emphasize that are not shared (or sought) by most people in the world. To the extent we create unnecessary barriers to people accepting the Gospel, that's on us.

2. Alignment. Because God respects free agency, we should have no problem with people choosing to accept whatever amount of light and truth they want. We offer the Gospel to the world, but we don't require anyone to accept it. If we ask others to leave their religious affiliations to accept the Gospel, we can hardly object when some leave our affiliation.
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1. Unforced errors.  

To some degree, a person's conception of the "values and priorities" of the Church is itself subjective; i.e., they may focus on one thread or another and not even see the larger tapestry.

However, there are examples of teachings in the Book of Mormon and/or Doctrine and Covenants that do not seem to be priorities in today's Church, and there are priorities in today's Church that are not encouraged in the scriptures. For reasons of space, I'll just analyze one here, but I'll list a few below as well. Everyone can think of several more.

Zion. One example is the ideal of "establishing Zion." Joseph Smith said, "We ought to have the building up of Zion as our greatest object."

People all around the world, in rich countries and poor, seek a society of justice and equality, but they don't know how to accomplish it. They are "only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it." (D&C 123:12). Consequently, they focus on outward, sterile political debates and acrimony, when the Lord's solution involves a change of heart and charity.

The Latter-day Saints could and should be a beacon for the world on this topic. While we are making steps in that direction (tithing and fast offerings, perpetual education fund, Pathway, self-reliance, etc.), we fall short of the beacon because of other values and priorities.

If Latter-day Saints were known as people who enjoyed creating wealth and using it to help others, instead of acquiring and displaying wealth for themselves (mansions, cars, portfolios, etc.), the contrast with the values and priorities of the world would be stark and obvious.

People around the world would come to Zion to understand how and why we are that way.

Here are a few passages that express what the Lord established as values and priorities.

But wo unto the rich, who are rich as to the things of the world. For because they are rich they despise the poor, and they persecute the meek, and their hearts are upon their treasures; wherefore, their treasure is their god. And behold, their treasure shall perish with them also. 2 Nephi 9:30

And they taught, and did minister one to another; and they had all things common among them, every man dealing justly, one with another. (3 Nephi 26:19)

And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift. (4 Nephi 1:3)

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)

It is not given that one man should possess that which is above another, wherefore the world lieth in sin. (D&C 49:20)

Ignoring these values and priorities is an "unforced error" that each Latter-day Saint should consider.

Among other "unforced errors" are those Moroni set out in Moroni 10: intellectualism, overemphasis on "works" instead of "grace," de-emphasis of spiritual gifts, adherence to ungodliness, etc.
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2. Alignment. 

Our duty, as members of the Church, is to do "good works" as Jesus taught, and then let others decide whether their own values and priorities align with these good works.

We can be disappointed that loved ones don't align themselves with "good works," but in many cases, it is not "good works" that they object to.

Maybe their objections are to the unforced errors. If so, we owe it to them, and to ourselves, to stop making unforced errors.

Of course, no one is perfect. But we can always strive to come unto Christ and be as honest about our ideals and our joy as we are about our weaknesses and failures. When our faith in Christ directs our own values and priorities, those who seek Christ will more likely find themselves aligned with us.

The Title Page, the "last leaf" of the plates in the Original Book of Mormon, sets out the purpose for the book:

Which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations.

Notice, the Title Page says nothing about joining any Church. The Book of Mormon lets people know about the covenants, but leaves it up to them to decide whether to enter the covenants. People can accept and abide by the Book of Mormon because of its witness of Christ, even without joining the Church.

Our purpose is not to have as many people join the Church as possible and remain "active." Our purpose is to convince people that Jesus is the Christ, and to teach them about the covenants. We do that in humility and joy, recognizing that no matter what anyone else does, we can align ourselves to our Savior and become one with Him.

Translation issues

The CES Letter and other critics raise questions about the language in the Book of Mormon and the translation process.

Below is a summary of my take on the best and worst responses to the critics.

The best responses are based on the explanations given by Joseph and Oliver, along with the information in the revelations in the D&C (e.g., Joseph was told to translate the engravings on the plates). These responses provide a natural explanation that fits with how translation operates in the real world, aided by inspiration; i.e., any translator works with original source material and then draws on his/her own mental language bank, meaning the chunks of language he/she has learned.

The worst responses are those given by intellectuals who don't accept what Joseph and Oliver said because they prefer statements by others (mostly critics) who were not present during the translation (e.g., the "stone in the hat" scenario). Lately, even the Church History Department has adopted this scenario, and is now teaching that Joseph didn't even use the plates because they were covered with a cloth or outside somewhere during the translation. We see this scenario presented in recent Church artwork and media.

Some of these intellectuals also don't accept the idea that Joseph had a mental language bank sufficient to produce the language in the Book of Mormon, D&C, and PofGP.

Answers to the CES Letter
Best	Worst
Translation issues
By the gift of God, Joseph Smith translated the ancient Nephite record into English.	Joseph didn’t translate anything. He merely read out loud the words that appeared on a stone.
To translate, Joseph had to study it out in his mind and then ask if it was right.	Joseph didn’t study anything out in his mind; he just read the words that appeared on a stone.
Joseph used the Nephite interpreters that Moroni placed with the plates in the stone box to translate the engravings on the ancient metal plates.	Joseph didn’t use the Nephite interpreters or the plates. The plates sat nearby, covered with a cloth, while he read the words that appeared on a stone placed in the bottom of a hat.
Joseph dictated English words from his own mental language bank; i.e., after the manner of his language. He learned English from reading parts of the Bible, reading local newspapers, reading books written in “pseudo-Biblical style”, and reading and listening to Christian ministers. Naturally he drew on these words and phrases when he translated the engravings on the plates.	The language in the Book of Mormon is Early Modern English, which Joseph could not have known. Joseph had no control over the language, which was provided by an unknown translator.
Joseph used the King James version when he saw that the plates were quoting from Isaiah or other Old and New Testament books. He made minor changes, such as “When the mountain of the Lord’s house” in Isaiah 2:2, which he had added to his mental image bank when he read The American Revolution.	The unknown translator whose words appeared on the stone duplicated the King James translation exactly, except when inserting special Hebraisms and innovations that Joseph could not have known, such as “When the mountain of the Lord’s house” from Isaiah 2:2.
The imperfections in the text are attributable to Mormon and Moroni (Title Page) and the limitations of Joseph’s own mental language bank.	The imperfections in the text are attributable to the Early Modern English of the unknown translator who put the words on the stone.
The language in the D&C and PofGP (Moses, Abraham, and JS-H) resembles the text of the Book of Mormon because all of these scriptures were filtered through Joseph’s mental language bank.	Although Joseph didn’t read the words off a stone for the D&C and PofGP, the same spiritual translator also dictated the language of the revelations, letters and history. Joseph had no control over the language.
After 1832, the grammar in the D&C changed because Joseph learned better grammar after he moved to Ohio.	We don’t know why the grammar in the D&C changed after 1832.
Joseph revised the Book of Mormon text in 1837 and 1840 because by then he learned better grammar.	Joseph inexpertly removed some of the Early Modern English and Hebraisms when he revised the Book of Mormon in 1837 and 1840.

More detailed explanations of all of this are forthcoming.