Sign up for Meridian’s Free Newsletter, please CLICK HERE

This is not a political post, though its origins are rooted in politics. You see, like most of you reading, I’ve spent this past week reading differing views on the family separation issue going on down south. Regardless of where we all stand on this issue, it’s been an ugly, ugly week.

When the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement on this particular situation, members of the Church came out of the woodwork to throw down their two cents on the Church’s statement, on the situation itself, and on their ability to know whether someone is good or evil based on a post or comment they made. In other words, there’s been a lot of contention swirling over this whole thing.

Sadly, many of the arguing and insults I’ve read were from members of the Church. Now, I’m not going to talk about the details of the situation here except to say that I’ve watched, read, and even participated in some of the ‘discussions’ about it, and in doing so I’ve read some… interesting responses from Latter-day Saints.

Because this is a family-friendly page, I’ll spare everyone the cheer-killing insults I’ve witnessed, except for one that was so backwards it actually made me laugh out loud. It was a comment from one LDS person to another:

“Jesus told us to love our neighbor, you moron! You should try it some time!!”

Wow. Just…wow.

As I watched arguments and insults like this progress over the past week, I pictured the adversary sitting back in a lounge chair with his hands clasped behind his head. I imagined him smiling as he listened to the sounds of contention from within the ranks of the Lord’s church.

It reminded me of another time when the church, and eventually society itself, was destroyed from the inside out. Before telling of the destruction of his people, the prophet Mormon wrote about what the civilization was like before it collapsed (and which he, sadly, never saw during his lifetime). Speaking about that ‘delightsome’ civilization, Mormon said:

“And it came to pass in the thirty and sixth year, the people were all converted unto the Lord, upon all the face of the land, both Nephites and Lamanites, and there were no contentions and disputations among them, and every man did deal justly one with another.” (4 Ne 1:2)

“And it came to pass that there was no contention among all the people, in all the land; but there were mighty miracles wrought among the disciples of Jesus.” (4 Ne 1:13)

“And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.” (4 Ne 1:15)

“And how blessed were they! For the Lord did bless them in all their doings; yea, even they were blessed and prospered until an hundred and ten years had passed away; and the first generation from Christ had passed away, and there was no contention in all the land.” (4 Ne 1:18)

For a man who had grown up in a civilization of contention, this must have been an amazing thing to have read about a society so wonderful that Mormon said “surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.” (v. 16)

Because there was no contention.

Contention drives out the Spirit of God. As contention increases, the Spirit decreases, and then the power of Satan increases. The Nephites were destroyed by contention from within, a little at a time. The people in the early days of the church (New Testament folks) found their biggest trials coming from the contentions within the church as well.

In Joseph Smith’s time, the members of the Church in Kirtland were used to opposition from outside the Church. In 1837, however, they found themselves plagued by accusations and contentions among the members themselves. Many, including some of Joseph Smith’s dearest friends, questioned the prophet, the church, and even their own personal spiritual experiences. They lost the Spirit of God when they became participants in the hate and contention that had taken root in the area. When they lost the Spirit, they were left to themselves and to the follies of mortal men.

In a talk given by Marvin J. Ashton, he speaks of how we are to deal with contention. He says, “Contention builds walls and puts up barriers. Love opens doors. Ours is to be heard and teach. Ours is not only to avoid contention, but to see that such things are done away.

“We need to be reminded that contention is a striving against one another, especially in controversy or argument. It is to struggle, fight, battle, quarrel, or dispute. Contention never was and never will be an ally of progress. Our loyalty will never be measured by our participation in controversy. Some misunderstand the realm, scope, and dangers of contention. Too many of us are inclined to declare, “Who, me? I am not contentious, and I’ll fight anyone who says I am.” There are still those among us who would rather lose a friend than an argument” (No Time for Contention – Marvin J. Ashton, 1978).

We can’t afford to be contentious, no matter how strongly we feel about something. Where there is contention, the Spirit is not present, and when that happens, teaching by the Spirit is not possible. President Nelson once spoke of the only way to get rid of contention when he cited the scripture from above (4 Ne 1:15) and said, “Through love of God, the pain caused by the fiery canker of contention will be extinguished from the soul.”

As members of the Church, we simply can’t afford to give any reason to Satan to sit back in his lounge chair in hell and laugh. We can’t afford to sever the ties of friendship. We can’t afford to say (or type, or post) ANYTHING that drives the Spirit away. We cannot risk it or the consequences it brings.

“If Satan can succeed in creating in us habits of arguing, quarreling, and contention, it is easier then for him to bind us with the heavier sins which can destroy our eternal lives” (Ashton).

And perhaps the most powerful reason to avoid contention was spoken by the Savior of the world when he said, “For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.

“Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.” (3 Ne. 11:29, 30.)

I hope the next time someone gives me their two cents on [insert controversial topic here] that I can remember who the source of contention is. It’s easier said than done, however, and someday I might not need to write apology messages, delete hastily-written rebukes or ask forgiveness of ward members, friends and even family I contend with. If enough of us remember that it is NOT easier to ask for forgiveness than permission on matters of contention and insult, we might someday live in a civilization like the one Mormon longed for and urged each one of us to seek – where the love of God is found.

A place where there is no contention.