A: Some people do think that we Mormons are like sheep--mindlessly following our leaders. That is not the case for a number of reasons.
If I have strep throat and go to a doctor, she will prescribe the appropriate medicine. If I were to go to a different doctor, that doctor would prescribe the same medicine for my sickness. Are those two doctors "blindly obeying" the textbook or are they acting the same based on the knowledge they each personally gained?
Imagine an un-anchored sailboat on water. Now imagine a flock of sheep following a shepherd. Which is more free? Which has more power over what happens to them?
The sheep are walking along in a field. The shepherd leads them to food, to water, around the pasture. The sheep choose to follow the shepherd because they trust him.
Now picture that sailboat on the water, now caught in a violent storm. Waves crash against the boat. Wind pushes the boat this way, waves beat it back the other.
Which is more free--the sailboat or the sheep?
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are taught that they should study issues out on their own (see here, here, and here). Joseph Smith, the founder and first Prophet of the Church in modern days, taught that the Church teaches correct principles and lets its members govern themselves (quoted here). This is the real power of the Church. Members learn what the leaders teach, learn the consequences of actions, and then make their own decisions.
And that is why I am a member of the Church. I have decided that I want to follow the Shepherd. Turns out that He knows the way.
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To take this question in a more specific direction, there exist a variety of topics upon which mormons disagree. The church, from the smallest American branch up to the highest councils, contains a variety of political viewpoints and party affiliations contrary to the popular belief that all mormons are republicans (to see a list of some prominent church leaders who were democrats check out this site http://mormondemocrat.com/churchleaders.aspx). Besides politics, take an issue like evolution which continues to be debated and for which there is no simple resolution for members of the church. Furthermore, consider issues like stem cell research, continental philosophy (and philosophy in general for that matter) and art, for which each member of the LDS church must decide what his or her view is.
It is important to remember that the majority of subjects which are 'blindly followed' by church members really are ephemeral. What I mean is that those topics are typically broad and left open for interpretation. Take something seemingly concrete like the word of wisdom which at a glance seems to be a strict code of nutrition, but upon closer examination it becomes apparent that it really is rather vague: tea is bad, except for herbal; stimulants like coffee are bad, except for energy drinks like monster; drugs are bad unless you call them pharmaceuticals; eat meat sparingly, i.e. make sure you eat a baked potato with the 16oz steak. Such a list is just an example of how a blindly followed doctrine breaks down to a far more complex and subjective issue. How about something then, like the doctrine of faith, which is more abstract than something like the word of wisdom. Faith too is not something that is blindly followed as well: It is a principle of action; it is a way to believe; it is only true and real faith is coupled with works; it is a doctrine that connects us to the mercy of Christ and salvation; it is an emotional activity; it is a intellectual activity; it is learned; it is innate. Not all of these points are mutually exclusive, but they are distinct. Mormon's are only sheep (I mean this in the pejorative sense and not in the sense of discipleship that can be found in the New Testament) when viewed from a macro view, when we look closely, we just see people trying to figure out what they think and how to live. It is easy to accuse someone of being a blind follower when the focus is primarily on generalities. Look closely and you'll see contradictions and discrepancy and even blasphemy (but remember as Donna Haroway points out, 'blasphemy is not apostasy') Even if a Mormon wanted to follow blindly, it becomes quite complicated when the specifics of a situation are examined.
Posted on November 24, 2008 at 11:57 AM
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