Who cares about savor, more salt!

A Reflection on Church Metrics and Meaning

There are moments during church when I want to speak up, but doing so wouldn’t be constructive. For those times, I’m grateful for a blog to reflect, question, and explore what we’re taught.

Today’s lesson was based on Elder Rasband's talk, Right Before Our Eyes. The title comes from a quote from President Nelson.  The phrase seems meant to evoke majesty (President Nelson's description) and wonder at events currently taking place.  The talk followed suit, highlighting the rapid increase of temples, the surge in missionary work, rising baptism numbers, and the growth of Church-run education. These statistics were presented as evidence that the Church is thriving by every measurable standard, and by extension, that it is the Lord’s work. And further evidence that the lord is hastening the work.  

But something felt off.

The Metrics We Choose to See

The lesson focused exclusively on positive indicators, temples, and new temple announcements, membership totals, and institutional reach.  A lot of it was construction focused.  Not once were we invited to consider less flattering metrics: member activity rates, church attendance, temple participation, retention, modern revelation, new light or knowledge from heaven, or spiritual vitality. These were and typically are, absent from the leader's talks. 

When only favorable and cherry-picked statistics are shared, it creates a misleading narrative that risks becoming more about institutional pride and vanity than useful, honest truth.  How can we repent when we insist on avoiding the truth that would lead to repentance?

Salt, Savor, and Stats 

The instructor referenced 1 Nephi 14: “And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few.” He (and all others) connects this to the global LDS membership, suggesting that our small numbers fulfill that prophecy.  The members are likened to the “salt of the earth” from Matthew 5.

Supposing we go with the analogy and presume our self-identification with the salt is accurate, we then must also wrestle with Christ’s warning: “If the salt has lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men.”

It’s easy to identify as salt. Self-identifying with the good guys in scripture, the salt, the saved, the exalted, the righteous etc...  that's the norm for religious people.  But what if we're wrong? It’s harder (but more spiritually helpful) to ask whether we are salt that carries savor.   

We were reminded by both the talk and the lesson that “hundreds of temples” were once a dream, and now they’re a reality. But how many of these temples are actually built? How many are attended regularly? How many were announced without local awareness or preparation?  I've seen several examples where the city (or the country, like China) that is going to house the new temple puts on social media that they have no knowledge of any such temple being proposed. 

Likewise, we were told that 18 million members was once unimaginable. Now it’s a milestone reached, and one to be congratulated.  Hundreds of missions? Another fulfilled dream. But selected statistics fulfilled on paper can be terribly flattering, pacifying, and misleading.  

A Warning from 3rd Nephi

Jesus warns in 3rd Nephi (Covenant of Christ wording):

"But if they won’t return to Me and obey My voice, I’ll let My people, O house of Israel, go through them and trample them down. They’ll be like salt that’s become useless, which is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by My people, O house of Israel."

How can "My people" trample the salt, if they ARE the salt?  Our identification with salt seems like something we shouldn't just presume. Even if we identify with the salt, we can still be trampled underfoot by the Lord's people.  In other words, even those who once had savor can become useless and change which group they are associated with.

Honest Reflection

When Church leaders again and again focus solely on positive indicating metrics, it can feel like vanity dressed as righteousness and progress. When perilous spiritual realities are ignored in favor of institutional triumphalism, I worry we’re building assumptions that are false, vain, and spiritually fake. 

Honesty, even when unflattering  (perhaps especially) helps build trust. Without honesty, how can we claim to even see or know the truth?  

All diseases caused by evil spirits?

At church last week the instructor shared some interesting ideas and claims based on a quote from Brigham Young. He explained that Brigham taught that diseases and bodily problems and pain are all caused by evil or unclean spirits.

The room was initially very quiet. Then one guy asked for the idea to be repeated as it was surprising to him.  What struck me was how quickly the group accepted the idea without discussion. It seemed beyond scrutiny simply because Brigham Young said it. Perhaps some questioned it silently, but no one spoke up. I thought the quote sounded strange, yet I stayed quiet too.

The instructor didn't quote the exact quote as it didn't seem to be part of his prepared materials.  So I went and looked up the quote to see what he was talking about.  

Here’s the quote:

Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 4, pp. 129–134 (discourse 28), December 4, 1856, Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City:

“You never felt a pain and ache, or felt disagreeable, or uncomfortable in your bodies and minds, but what an evil spirit was present causing it. … Do you realize that the ague, the fever, the chills, the severe pain in the head, the pleurisy, or any pain in the system, from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet, is put there by the devil? You do not realize this, do you? … When you have the rheumatism, do you realize that the devil put that upon you? No, but you say, ‘I got wet, caught cold, and thereby got the rheumatism.’ The spirits that afflict us and plant disease in our bodies, pain in the system, and finally death, have control over us so far as the flesh is concerned.”

That first sentence is quite a claim. It attributes about everything to evil spirits. The last part of the quote attributes evil sprits as even what's behind our eventual death.  Such sweeping teachings seemed to merit some exploration.

Brigham seemed to anticipate such responses as "I got cold" "I got wet" and that's why this or that consequence happened with my body.  He predicts people will say such things and seem to refutes such thinking, saying those aren't the real cause.

 If we broaden “evil spirit” to include any lapse in body mechanics, judgement, or vision, like stubbing your toe or stepping on a Lego at night, then maybe this could make sense. But that still doesn't really make sense.  I stepped on a Lego recently. It hurt. It blended in with the carpet so I didn't see it.  It was inevitable give the amount of Legos my kids have on the table in the living room at any given moment. 

Should I conclude that a false spirit caused me not to notice the Lego?  Where would that line of reasoning take the mind?  Do evil spirits rally for flu season and take a break in summer? If we take these ideas to their conclusion where does that land us?  This teaching seems to lead to a very strange place with evil pulling all the strings as it relates to the body.    

What Do the Scriptures Say?

Brigham specifically mentioned fevers, so let’s check the Book of Mormon/Covenant of Christ:

Alma 15:3
“Now Zeezrom lay sick at Sidom with a burning fever caused by his great mental distress over his iniquity.”

Here, the fever was caused by the guys own mental distress, not an evil spirit.

Alma 46:40–41
“And there were some who died with fevers, which during some times of the year were very common in the land — but they could control the fevers because of the excellent qualities of the many plants and roots God provided to remove the cause of diseases which affected people due to the climate — still there were many who died of old age.”

These fevers were "very" common during parts of the year.  The verse says they were due to the climate, not evil spirits. The solution was herbal, not spiritual. If evil spirits caused the fevers, why not just cast them out? The scripture instead taught about plants and herbs and their respective qualities.  People still died, of old age. There's no suggestion in that passage that evil spirits were the cause of fevers or death.  People got old and died. Same as everything else on earth. Which God himself ordained as part of this earth life. Gen 3:19: “By the sweat of your face You will eat bread Until you return to the ground, For from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.”

Mosiah 17:16, 19

Abinadi prophesied that diseases would afflict the people as a judgment from God, not from evil spirits.

John 9:1–3
When Jesus healed the man born blind, He was asked who sinned, the man or his parents. Hs reply was that the blindness was not caused by sin but so “the works of God should be made manifest.”

 Jesus cast out evil and unclean spirits on plenty of occasions but it doesn't say that's what he did for the man born blind. These examples do not appear to be caused by evil spirits.  

Contrasting examples:  

There are examples in the new testament where someone did have some physical issues as a result of an evil spirit. 

Mark 9:17–27  

And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; and wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. … When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

Matthew 12:22 

Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.

There are clearly occasions where evil spirits are involved with the physical issues. Brigham’s teachings however overgeneralize and over simplify the issue in an odd way.  Various scriptures seem to contradict much of his statement. The scriptures attribute some bodily issues to personal choices, some to climate, some to God's judgment, some to God’s purposes, and yes, some to evil spirits.  But definitely not all. Brigham's teaching (at least that one, and a few others) frankly gives evil a pretty hefty dose of power.  

If you get the cause of the pain wrong, then you are very likely to get the remedy wrong too. For example, suppose we look at diet and the bodily effects and diseases stemming from what we put into our bodies.  The Word of Wisdom has instructions about keeping the body healthy.  What if we mis attribute something to an evil spirit when in reality it was something we repeatedly consume?  And that's to say nothing about the health effects of our beliefs, family patterns, and how we manage stress.

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Brigham's quote ends like this:

“The spirits that afflict us and plant disease in our bodies, pain in the system, and finally death, have control over us so far as the flesh is concerned.”

They have control over us as far as the flesh is concerned he says. They plant diseases, pain, and finally death.  Well that sounds pretty terrible. So are we doomed to being controlled by these evil spirits as long as we have a body?

Contrast Brigham's statement with this from Joseph Smith:

“A man is saved no faster than he gains knowledge, for if he does not get knowledge, he will be brought into captivity by some evil power in the other world, as evil spirits will have more knowledge, and consequently more power than many men who are on the earth.”

Perhaps Brigham’s statement illustrates Joseph’s warning.  Lack of knowledge leads to captivity by some evil power. What's ironic here is we are encountering a teaching that every pain and disease is caused by evil spirits. If that's not correct doesn't it give them more power and lead you into captivity? 

I'm not saying evil spirits don't also jump at the opportunity to afflict a person while they are down, sick, or dealing with some disease. Sounds reasonable that evil would afflict someone who's temporarily more vulnerable. In my experience that is common. But as for being the underlying cause, scriptures have enough examples to show that disease and illnesses can have many causes, physical, emotional, environmental, or divine, not just spiritual. And that in turn should inform how to go about addressing it.  

We do need knowledge otherwise we are liable to be brought under the influence of some false idea, IE false spirit.   

D&C 84 section heading hides the Church's Condemnation

In my local LDS Sunday School this week the instructor was giving us a summary of the D&C sections being covered this week.  He relied on the section heading to give some context and the gist of the various sections.

We came to D&C 84.   Here is the section heading summary online and in the printed versions of D&C for verses 54-61. "The Saints must testify of those things they have received".

Here's what 54-61 says, see if you think that summary is an even remotely appropriate way to cover the below: 

54 And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—5 Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation. 56 And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all. 57 And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written— 58 That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion.

59 For shall the children of the kingdom pollute my holy land? Verily, I say unto you, Nay. 60 Verily, verily, I say unto you who now hear my words, which are my voice, blessed are ye inasmuch as you receive these things; 61 For I will forgive you of your sins with this commandment—that you remain steadfast in your minds in solemnity and the spirit of prayer, in bearing testimony to all the world of those things which are communicated unto you.

That is one of the most serious warnings and collective rebukes in all of restoration scripture given through Joseph Smith: the Lord declares that the entire Church is under condemnation, specifically for treating lightly the Book of Mormon and prior revelations, not just failing to believe them, but failing to live them. That's all completely absent from the section summary summarizing those verses. The summary is arguably so lacking and misleading as to be false. It reduces a critical reproof and explanation of the Saint's status into a soft encouragement to “testify".  Based on a single out of context phrase from only 1 of the 7 verses summarized.

After over 100 years of editing (measuring from the time the first section headings were introduced) this has never been corrected or updated.

I can only speculate on why this section heading is so misleading and neglects mentioning the Church is under condemnation and why. But after decades in the Church I can do more than speculate about what some of the consequences of this misleading section heading have been. Many lifelong church members are not even aware of the condemnation. They assume all is well. Teachers who rely on the section headings to prepare their lessons or check out what's important won't even know about it, much less teach about it.  If people are not aware of it, how can anyone act on it? 

Here's a more accurate section summary for those verses:

54-61 The Lord condemns the entire Church for unbelief, vanity, and for treating the Book of Mormon and other revelations lightly. Because of this, their minds are darkened. The condemnation will remain until they repent and live what they have received. The Lord commands them to remain steadfast, solemn, and prayerful in proclaiming the things He communicates to them.

So, as it stands, the commandment is to proclaim what the Lord has communicated.  And this is one of those things He communicated.  So rather than hiding this condemnation or shying away from it, the commandment is to proclaim it!