The Book of Mormon and Modern Conflict

[BlackMormon]

The Book of Mormon describes many violent battles between groups. It mentions killings of men, women, and children. While I can't definitively say it depicts genocide, this concept is relevant to real-world tragedies.

Just like the Great Flood or bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, history includes horrific events where innocent civilians die. This sadly continues today, as shown by the recent violence in Israel and Palestine (though lately, details are often censored).

This conflict raises a difficult question: How should Christians respond to mass killings of innocent civilians?

A Family Discussion

I recently spoke with family members about the large number of Palestinian casualties in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They mentioned that Hamas hides among civilians, which is a common justification. Their view, in essence, was that the high number of Palestinian deaths is a consequence of war. I stated that war should be 2 countries equally armed and fighting each other. No comment.

I then asked how Jesus might react to this situation. We discussed the huge difference between the initial attack's death toll and the ongoing casualties.

Family members readily acknowledged the ugliness of war. However, they expressed a different view if the violence happened to the US. This inconsistency troubled me.

Whose Side Should Christians and LDS Take?

The discussion then turned to the stance of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in this conflict. They believe the LDS Church should unconditionally support Israel because it's the Holy Land.

I countered by pointing out Jesus' teachings against violence, especially towards children (John 8:44, Matthew 18:6). They acknowledged Jesus' message but felt it didn't apply here.

The LDS Church's Response

The LDS Church's position remains unclear. While not taking sides, they recently provided humanitarian aid to both Israel and Gaza.

[Hagoth]

Their view, in essence, was that the high number of Palestinian deaths is a consequence of war.

This was the same response Timothy McVeigh gave for killing children in the Oklahoma City bombing. His analogy is that individual storm troopers and members of The Empire might not be bad people individually, but they are still part of The Empire.

They believe the LDS Church should unconditionally support Israel because it's the Holy Land.

So is Palestine.

Whose Side Should Christians and LDS Take?

Jesus consistently weighed in on the side of innocents, children, and the poor. Christians and Mormons generally do not follow the example of Jesus.

[HappierNow]

After I studied at the BYU Jerusalem Center, I left the experience supportive of Palestinians after seeing how Israeli society oppresses them. I think that was a common reaction among the BYU students studying there. I think the Church needs to maintain strict neutrality to be able to continue the BYU program there.

As far as what a moral, ethical reaction to the war would be, it seems to me that it needs to be on the basis of both sides’ behaviors, not supporting one side or the other just because of who they are. Rule of law instead. This week’s announcement from the International Criminal Court seemed appropriate: they are charging both Hamas and Israel with crimes based on the inappropriate behaviors of both.

As a side note, today I went to a Baptist church supporting my never-Mo husband and the Sunday School lesson was about loving your neighbor. The discussion went in the direction of not harming people who harm you…not returning evil for evil, but instead getting yourself out of the abusive situation while continuing to love the person at a safe distance from them (although I inserted that last part about having boundaries and protecting yourself into the discussion…they might have gone towards the “turn the other cheek” and let yourself be abused approach taught in the Bible had I not steered them that way). I commented on the Gaza war, about how the evil done by both sides don’t justify committing more war crimes in response, and a woman lectured me for 5 minutes, pulling up a bunch of stuff from the Old Testament about how God commanded Israel to commit genocide (she thought that was okay) and about how Israel are the chosen people today and can justifiably commit genocide now.

Stuff like that just reinforces my atheism…when groups make up religions to support their own interests, or when their religion exempts them from being moral or ethical in situations when doing so would conflict with their interests, I’m so happy to no longer believe any of that, and to see it for the power play that it is.

[BlackMormon]

Being the Chosen People should never be a green light to massacre others. What is the definition of being a chosen people?

Entering into a covenant with God: This covenant involves following God's laws and teachings [Britannica]
Serving as a light to the nations: The Jewish people are meant to be an example of how to live a righteous life [Jewish Virtual Library]

What I find interesting is that generalizing the chosen people is wrong. Jesus defined them as John 8:44 bad and good.

I believe that in the present time, evil is ruling and calling the shots and it's important to have some sort of justice for the thousands that are being unjustly murdered, regardless of sides.

If there is no justice and due punishment, evil will continue on.

[Hagoth]

Great observations, HappierNow and BlackMormon.

Being the Chosen People should never be a green light to massacre others. What is the definition of being a chosen people?

Entering into a covenant with God: This covenant involves following God's laws and teachings [Britannica]

Pretty much every ideological cohort considers themselves a chosen people, Muslims no less so than Israelites.

[Ghost]

It's interesting to ask what Jesus would do in the context of the Book of Mormon. In 3rd Nephi, Jesus personally destroys a bunch of cities to usher in his visit, obviously not sparing innocent children.

Of course, it's even worse in the Bible where the humans are commanded to raid a city and kill everyone down to infants and animals. Seems like a kinder deity would exact those horrors Himself rather than making people do it for Him. If it has to happen at all, which seems a little suspect.

[moksha]

In 3rd Nephi, Jesus personally destroys a bunch of cities to usher in his visit, obviously not sparing innocent children.

Joseph was emulating Old Testament wrath when he wrote that.