A More Determined Discipleship ______
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A More Determined Discipleship ________________________ By Elder Neal A. Maxwell An Address delivered at Brigham Young University, 10 October 1978 Ensign (Feb. 1979), pp. 69-73 (The sub-headings are not Neal A. Maxwell's but have been added.) Speaking to student leaders in higher incredible ironies. Let us cite but one of insistent and its inquisitors inevitable. Its education, I have often used the analogy these ironies which is yet in its subtle paid ministry would be numerous beyond that in a university the faculty, staff, and stages: We will see a maximum, if indirect, belief. Its Caesars would be insufferably administration are like the "natives," and effort made to establish irreligion as the condescending. Its majorities--when faced the students are like the "tourists." In many state religion. It is actually a new form of with clear alternatives--will make the ways, a recurring devotional speaker is paganism-which uses the carefully Barabbas choice, as did a mob centuries more like one of the "natives." Even so, I preserved and cultivated freedoms of ago when Pilate confronted them with the thank President Oaks for once again western civilization to shrink freedom, even need to decide. extending this precious privilege to me. as it rejects the value essence of our rich Your discipleship may see the time You may conclude, however, that I am Judeo-Christian heritage. when such religious convictions are becoming more like a "tourist," since today M. J. Sobran wrote recently: discounted. M. J. Sobran also said, "A I will try to cover two topics in order to "The Framers of the Constitution ... religious conviction is now a second-class make the most of these fleeting moments. forbade the Congress to make any law, conviction, expected to step deferentially to respecting' the establishment of religion, the back of the secular bus and not to get DISCIPLESHIP thus leaving the states free to do so (as uppity about it" (Human Life Review, several of them did); and they explicitly Summer 1978, pp. 58-59). Discipleship Means Following the forbade the Congress to abridge ` the free This new irreligious imperialism seeks Brethren exercise' of religion, thus giving actual to disallow certain opinions simply because Discipleship includes good citizenship. religious observance a rhetorical emphasis those opinions grow out of religious In this connection, if you are a careful that fully accords with the special concern convictions. Resistance to abortion will be student of the statements of the modern we know they had for religion. It takes a seen as primitive. Concern over the prophets, you will have noticed that with special ingenuity to wring out of this a institution or the family will be viewed as rare exceptions -- especially when the First governmental indifference to religion, let untrendy and unenlightened. Presidency has spoken out--the concerns alone an aggressive secularism. Yet there In its mildest form, irreligion will expressed have been over moral issues, not are those who insist that the First merely be condescending toward those who issues between political parties. The Amendment actually proscribes hold to traditional Judeo-Christian values. declarations are about principles, not governmental partiality not only to any In its more harsh forms, as is always the people; and causes, not candidates. On single religion, but to religion as such; so case with those whose dogmatism is occasions, at other levels in the Church, a that tax exemption for churches is now blinding, the secular church will do what it few have not been so discreet, so wise, or thought to be unconstitutional. It is can to reduce the influence of those who so inspired. startling to consider that a clause-clearly still worry over standards such as those in Make no mistake about it, brothers and protecting religion can be construed as the Ten Commandments. It is always such sisters, in the months and years ahead, requiring that it be denied a status routinely an easy step from dogmatism to unfair play- events are likely to require each member to granted to educational and charitable -especially so when the dogmatists believe decide whether or not he will follow the enterprises, which have no overt themselves to be dealing with primitive First Presidency. Members will find it constitutional protection. Far from people who do not know what is best for more difficult to halt longer between two equalizing unbelief, secularism has them--the secular bureaucrats' burden, you opinions. (See I Kings 18:21.) succeeded in virtually establishing it.... see. President Marion G. Romney said, "What the secularists are increasingly many years ago, that he had "never demanding, in their disingenuous way, is Irreligion and Discipleship hesitated to follow the counsel of the that religious people, when they act Am I saying that the voting rights of Authorities of the Church even though it politically, act only on secularist grounds. people of religion are in danger? Of course crossed my social, professional or political They are trying to equate acting on religion not! Am I saying, "It's back to the life" (in Conference Report, Apr. 1941, p. with establishing religion. And--I repeat-- catacombs?" No! But there is occurring a 123). This is a hard doctrine, but it is a the consequence of such logic is really to discounting of religiously based opinions. particularly vital doctrine in a society which establish secularism. It is in fact, to force There may even be a covert and subtle is becoming more wicked. In short, the religious to internalize the major disqualification of some for certain offices brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of premise of secularism: that religion has no in some situations, in an ironic irreligious the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not proper bearing on public affairs." (Human test for office. being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Life Review, Summer 1978, pp. 51-52, 60- If people, however, are not permitted to Christ! 61.) advocate, to assert, and to bring to bear, in Brothers and sisters, irreligion as the every legitimate way, the opinions and Irreligion - The State Religion state religion would be the worst of all views they hold which grow out of their We are now entering a time of combinations. Its orthodoxy would be religious convictions, what manner of men and women would we be? There will also be times, happily, when second estate is and can further encourage Our founding fathers did not wish to a minor defeat seems probable, but others us in good works. This precious doctrine have a state church established nor to have will step forward, having been rallied to can also help us go the second mile because a particular religion favored by rightness by what we do. We will know we are doubly called. government. They wanted religion to be the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a In some ways, our second estate in free to make its own way. But neither did slumbering majority of the decent people of relationship to our first estate, is like they intend to have irreligion made into a all races and creeds which was, till then, agreeing in advance to surgery. Then the favored state church. unconscious of itself. anesthetic of forgetfulness settles in upon Notice the terrible irony if this trend Jesus said that when the fig trees put us. Just as doctors do not de-anestlictize a were to continue. When the secular church forth their leaves, "summer is nigh" (Matt. patient in the midst of authorized surgery to goes after its heretics, where are the 24:32). Thus warned that summer is upon ask him again if the surgery should be sanctuaries? To what landfalls and us, let us not then complain of the heat! continued, so, after divine tutoring, we Plymouth Rocks can future pilgrims go? agreed to come here and to submit If we let come into being a secular DISCIPLESHIP AND ourselves to certain experiences; it was an church which is shorn of traditional and FOREORDINATION irrevocable decision. divine values, where shall we go for Of course, when we mortals try to inspiration in the crises of tomorrow? Can Have I come today, however, only to comprehend, rather than accept, we appeal to the rightness of specific add one more to the already long list of foreordination, the result is one in which regulation to sustain us in our hour of special challenges faced by you and me? finite minds futilely try to comprehend need? Will we be able to seek shelter Not really. I have also come to say to you omniscience. A full understanding is under a First Amendment which by then that God, who foresaw all challenges, has impossible; we simply have to trust in what may have been twisted to favor irreligion? given to us a precious doctrine which can the Lord has told us, knowing enough Will we be able to rely for counter force on encourage us in meeting this and all other however, to realize that we are not dealing value education aided in school systems challenges. with guarantees from God but extra which are increasingly secularized? And if opportunities--and heavier responsibilities. our governments and schools were to fail Foreordination is Not Predestination If those responsibilities are in some ways us, would we be able to fall back upon and The combined doctrine of God’s linked to past performance or to past rely upon the institution of the family, when foreordination is one of the doctrinal roads capabilities, it should not surprise us. so many secular movements seek to shred "least traveled by." Yet it clearly underlines it? how very long how perfectly God has loved Foreordination Based on Premortal It may well be that as our time comes to us and known us with our individual needs Obedience "suffer shame for his name" (Acts 5:41), and capacities.