The scriptures state that spiritual manipulation is almost the universal modus operandi of those in positions of religious authority. The word used in the verse to signify this form of abuse is unrighteous dominion:
"It is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion. Hence many are called, but few are chosen. No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood" (D&C 121:39 – 41, emphasis added).
According to the New Testament, Peter, himself in a position of utmost authority, warned the Jews after Christ's death that one's obedience could only be to God as witnessed individually through the Holy Spirit:
"When the apostles were brought before the council, the high priest said to them, 'We told you plainly not to teach in the name of Jesus. But look what you have done! You have been teaching all over Jerusalem, and you are trying to blame us for his death.'
"Peter and the apostles replied: 'We don't obey people. We obey God. You killed Jesus by nailing him to a cross. But the God our ancestors worshiped raised him to life and made him our Leader and Savior. Then God gave him a place at his right side, so that the people of Israel would turn back to him and be forgiven. We are here to tell you about all this, and so is the Holy Spirit, who is God's gift to everyone who obeys God'" (Acts 5:27 – 32, CEV, emphasis added).
What exactly is spiritual manipulation or unrighteous dominion? It is no less than placing oneself in the infallible position of God, thus equating "You ought to do whatever I say" with "You ought to do whatever God says." This may be the product of overt, intentional positioning or the result of originally well-intentioned tradition that has gone too far over time. But either way the final cultural picture is undesirable.
Of course, God does have a legitimate claim on giving us, his children, commandments and our spirits do have a legitimate claim on feeling guilty when we disobey him:
"If...man repenteth not, and remaineth and dieth an enemy to God, the demands of divine justice do awaken his immortal soul to a lively sense of his own guilt, which doth cause him to shrink from the presence of the Lord, and doth fill his breast with guilt, and pain, and anguish, which is like an unquenchable fire, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever" (Mosiah 2:38).
Furthermore, God has said that there are instances when the words of certain people, whom he identifies as his servants, ought to be regarded as if from his own mouth (note, however, the context of the written revelations):
"Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled. What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same" (D&C 1:37 – 38, emphasis added).
If a person can be authorized to act as God's mouthpiece, then wherein is the issue? It is in believing that "a prophet is always a prophet," which is false (DHC 5:265). The universality of spiritual manipulation or unrighteous dominion is in the organizational temptation to believe and promote the precept that every time a person of priestly authority makes an utterance, it is the unfailing word of God and nonconformance to it is tantamount to rebellion against God.
In other words, members of a church may seek to make others feel guilty about not kowtowing the suggestions of their leaders because they believe those suggestions to be God's implicit will. Thus belief in this false principle enables them to spiritually manipulate those who do not believe as they do.
This point should be clear: those with the priestly authority needn't be intentionally malevolent; decades of customs and conventions can transform a religion's sentiments regarding leaders. Where yesterday's prophets could give wise counsel and practical advice from a personal perspective, today's prophets are implied to only speak God's mind on all and any matters. Consider the viewpoints expressed over time by counselors in the First Presidency regarding the prophet in their respective days:
1892: "President Wilford Woodruff is a man of wisdom and experience, and we respect and venerate him; but we do not believe his personal views or utterances are revelations from God; and when 'Thus saith the Lord' comes from him, the Saints investigate it: they do not shut their eyes and take it down like a pill" (Charles Penrose, Millennial Star 54:191).
1979: "When the prophet speaks the debate is over" (N. Eldon Tanner, "The Debate is Over," Ensign, August 1979).
The fruit of spiritual manipulation or unrighteous dominion is as the placing of a lock on the tome of personal revelation, the limiting of free thinking, the stopping of the open mind, the ceasing of spiritual education, and the punishing of honest inquiry; and its harvests have included the martyr of pagan dissidents (early Christians), the inquisition of Spanish heretics, and the darkening of the minds of the saints (see D&C 112:23 – 26 and DHC 5:19). When a people follow any authority without question, they follow without the Spirit of God and they themselves become unwitting enablers of the spiritual manipulation passed upon them:
"Suppose that the people were heedless, that they manifested no concern with regard to the things of the kingdom of God, but threw the whole burden upon the leaders of the people, saying, 'If the brethren who take charge of matters are satisfied, we are.' This is not pleasing in the sight of the Lord" (Brigham Young, JOD 3:45).
In the past, chants of "follow the emperor" lead to the unquestioned persecution of those pesky Christians who thought it not robbery to "render to Caesar" only those "things that are Caesar’s" (Mark 12:17); in our day, have songs of "follow the prophet" lead to the unquestioned persecution of those faithless few who think it not robbery to render "to God" only those "things that are God’s"? (Ibid.).
We may be inclined to think we are immune to this influence for reason that it has been said that:
"The Lord will never permit me[, Wilford Woodruff,] or any other man who stands as President of this Church to lead you astray. It is not in the programme. It is not in the mind of God. If I were to attempt that, the Lord would remove me out of my place" (Wilford Woodruff, Official Declaration 1).
But such can only be the case under one very important set of conditions, one which is arguably absent among saints conditioned to merely accept and follow:
"I will say to my brethren and sisters, were your faith concentrated upon the proper object, your confidence unshaken, your lives pure and holy, every one fulfilling the duties of his or her calling according to the Priesthood and capacity bestowed upon you, you would be filled with the Holy Ghost, and it would be as impossible for any man to deceive and lead you to destruction as for a feather to remain unconsumed in the midst of intense heat.... When fear comes upon the people that a Bishop or President is leading them astray and introducing evil among them, it proves to me that the people are wrong and are destitute of the power of their holy calling. They are willingly deceived. It is folly to say that a community of Saints who are living up to their callings can be led astray by their Bishop or President. There is no such principle in all the kingdoms God has made." (Brigham Young, JOD 7:277 – 278, emphasis added).
The corollary of the last two sentences read thusly: "It is true to say that a community of Saints who are not living up to their callings can be led astray by their Bishop or President. There is just such principle in all the kingdoms God has made." The principle has not only been true in this world but it has been the worst form of atrocity perpetrated upon mankind, as the prophet Joseph Smith said:
"Nothing is a greater injury to the children of men than to be under the influence of a false spirit when they think they have the Spirit of God" (STPJS, p. 205, emphasis added).
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