Among the unique doctrines in LDS theology is the story of the War in Heaven. Barely hinted at, and greatly misunderstood in the book of Revelations…
Among the unique doctrines in LDS theology is the story of the War in Heaven. Barely hinted at, and greatly misunderstood in the book of Revelations, and told in greater detail in the books of Moses and Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price, the unfolding drama of our pre-earthly existence is key to our understanding the challenges we face in the latter days. Many Conservative Latter-day Saints, viewing events through the lens of political paradigm consider this pre-earthly struggle for agency and control a harbinger of struggles that have come in mortality, not only on a personal basis, but on a societal level as well. To Conservatives the War in Heaven is not just about spiritual salvation, but typifies two competing philosophies for the governance of souls: one that honors freedom of choice, or agency, through obedience to the eternal and immutable laws that govern physical creation and progression throughout the Universe; and the other, a theory not based in truth or fact which offers a “sure” and equal way for all souls to “be saved” while destroying the ability to choose. The former philosophy is truth, for God cannot lie, and the latter is the very essence of deceit.
When Satan was rejected and cast out of Heaven, it was to this earth that he came, and from almost the first moments of their existence mankind has been subject to the enticements of his deceitful plan. Satan’s philosophy has never changed; he is still determined to destroy the agency of man and to rule over him, taking unto himself the glory of the Father. His methods are varied, sometimes subtle and other times obvious, but always the result is the same: a loss of agency on the part of you and I. To behold the misery of souls upon our earth in these latter days is to witness to our Heavenly Fathers commitment to moral agency. Though his children war with one another, abuse and misuse and hate He continues to reach out to bless any and all who turn to Him. It is at times from the depths of good and sensitive souls that Satan deceives some into thinking that if we do not choose to help our fellow man voluntarily, we must be made to do so through compulsory means. Some even confuse the man-made, Satan-inspired governmental systems in place throughout some parts of the world to be stepping stones of the true order of the Celestial World, or the Law of Consecration.
From 1 Nephi 13:4–6 we read:
“And it came to pass that I saw among the nations of the Gentiles the formation of a great church.
“And the angel said unto me: Behold the formation of a church which is most abominable above all other churches, which slayeth the saints of God, yea, and tortureth them and bindeth them down, and yoketh them with a yoke of iron and bringeth them down into captivity.
“And it came to pass that I beheld this great and abominable church; and I saw the devil that he was the founder of it.”Â
And from 1 Nephi 14:10:
“And he said unto me: Behold, there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.”Â
The church of the Lamb of God is always identified as being governed by two precepts, namely, common consent, and covenant. Through common consent we give voice to the support, or at times lack of support, of church leadership and our fellow members in various callings and activities. Through the voluntary gift of tithes and offerings we build the kingdom and care for the needy. Through covenants we agree to perform these obligations voluntarily, and are promised a myriad of blessings as a result of obedience. Because Heavenly Father honors our agency every whit, He would never set in place a governmental system of compulsion. Father in Heaven who paid the price necessary for Eternal Glory provided a way for us, based upon strict principles, to achieve what He had achieved. But Satan wanted a short cut, a compulsory system of success at the expense of those who were willing to pay the price voluntarily. Compulsory taxation and education, retirement programs, and medical aid are not the Lord’s way of administering to the needs of his children. And, according to these scriptures, if something is not part of His governmental system, it is a system conceived by Satan, and is calculated to bind us down with a yoke of iron.
The two governmental systems we observe today are Democratic Republics based upon capitalist economics, and Socialistic governments in various forms. There are really only two governmental systems, two systems of delivering goods and services, in all the earth. Many believe that democratic capitalism and socialism can exist side-by-side to the betterment of society: after all, look at Europe, Canada, and even to some degree, the United States, among others. To Conservatives, this is another lie propagated by Satan to “lead us carefully down to hell,” for socialism slowly and relentlessly erodes our freedoms until we are incapable of throwing off the yoke which binds us. Statistical and historical evidence from countries which have embraced socialism wholly or in part are great examples of the effects of this governmental theory. In every case since the French Revolution where the ideals of socialism first came to fruition, the results upon society have been consistent: destruction of religion; dissolution of the family beginning with the necessity of women working outside the home and resulting in lack of replacement birth rate; the unraveling of societal norms based upon virtue and morality, particularly sexual morality; high taxation and high government control of the private sector leading to lower and lower standards of living, and in many cases the eventual collapse of any form of democratic or representative leadership into dictatorships.
Just as Satan proposed to limit and abolish the freedoms of each of us that he could insure the success of all of us, he continues to influence governmental and social philosophy to suggest that compulsory programs in government are necessary to “help” the poor, that they will ensure success without following the strict principles inherent in achieving that success. Government programs which seek to limit or abolish the freedoms of some for the supposed benefit of others is nothing more than the ancient struggle between the “sure”Âsecurity proposed by Satan and the agency-honoring freedom which is the law of the Universe. As adherents to LDS theology we must be able to distinguish the difference between compulsory programs which falsely claim to equalize, therefore ensuring success, and voluntary programs which require personal initiative to ensure success. According to statements made by numerous prophets the welfare system instituted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only authorized and inspired program in existence designed to meet the temporal needs of Heavenly Father’s children on the earth. Any other system is calculated to limit or abolish the freedoms of citizens who are subjected to it. There are no social programs instituted by any government on the earth at this time which follow the pattern set by the Lord in seeing to the needs of His children.
Owing to the fact that socialism has become the most common form of governance upon the earth leads LDS Conservatives to believe that we are now in a time of great wickedness and abomination. Even as the subjected nations of the earth fail in their progress by every measure, and subjected citizens suffer the effects of this tyrannical system, wicked leaders and deceived peoples become more and more dependent upon it. Is socialism the “great beast” of the book of Revelations, whose mark makes trade possible only for those who adhere to it? In the very least, the propagators and leaders of this movement conspire, as did Gadianton of old, to overthrow the freedoms of our nation and all others, and they are doing it with the blessing of many of the Saints.
We must not let our preconceived political paradigms blind us to the wickedness that now threatens to engulf us. The Book of Mormon – our testifier, converter, justifier, clarifier, and guide for the latter days – must be seen for the important tool that it is in discerning Satan’s plan: a political book which clearly states that in no way can we become dependent upon any entity beneath the Celestial World. To close our eyes to these realities is to eventually suffer the spiritual and temporal consequences.
