Introduction - What Does the Book of Mormon Say about Inequality?

What Does the Book of Mormon Say About Inequality? Series

The Book of Mormon contains some surprising insights concerning economic inequality.  This series explores several topics addressed by the LDS scripture and its insights for today.

 

Introduction

'Inequality' is a popular topic today.  Whether you are talking about income, wealth, racial, gender, or marriage inequality, discussions concerning inequities are everywhere you look.  Many approach these problems through the gratuitous nastiness that is partisan politics.  While it would be interesting to filter through this nastiness and discuss the good arguments along all of the political spectrum, this series will explore inequality through a religious discussion of the Book of Mormon.

Why religion?

I should state first that I believe political inclinations should be founded on a rational thought process, and not alone on religious belief.  This is not to say that religion has no place in the public sphere, which is untrue, but that we live in a religiously diverse nation and world, and policies which affect everyone really should be based on ideas and conclusions that can be shared with and experienced by everyone.

With that being said, religious beliefs nevertheless inspire political beliefs directly, and heavily influence how people think about political issues indirectly.  Understanding how religion influences people's opinions concerning inequality is important, regardless of whether or not you yourself have the same convictions.

Furthermore, inequality is not wholly a political issue, or even mainly a political issue.  In fact, addressing inequality as a moral and theological problem is central to many religious messages, especially Jesus Christ whose teachings in the Book of Mormon will be a large part of this discussion.  Religious organizations should be doing, and many are doing, their part to address the problems of inequality, and in the end may have more success than any political endeavor.

To reemphasize, regardless of whether or not you agree with the religious convictions of others we can still work together to resolve issues that we all experience; and understanding the beliefs of those around you will help you to do so.

Why the Book of Mormon?  

Why would I approach this topic using the Book of Mormon instead of a different religious text like the New Testament?

Two reasons, first although Mormons in the U.S. are relatively few (about 2% of the US population I believe), they have had a profound affect on politics, especially in Utah and surrounding states, but also on the national stage.  Former Presidential candidate Mitt Romney is Mormon, as well as the previous senate majority leader Harry Reid (a democrat).

Second, even though the New Testament has plenty of material on inequality, the Book of Mormon is even more plentiful on the topic, perhaps even more than any religious book.  However, there will be times when I report major parallels with the New Testament within this series

I should note that while this series will be a discussion about the Book of Mormon, it is focused primarily on what the Book of Mormon teaches about inequality.  This will not  be a discussion about the Book of Mormon itself, Joseph Smith, or the LDS church.  Therefore, the articles will be limited to such a discussion, and I would ask that your comments follow suit.

So What Does the Book of Mormon Say About Inequality?

The Book of Mormon is a mixture of Pauline Epistle-style gospel teaching and Acts-style historical narrative.  Both have quite a lot to say about inequality, but mainly on economic inequality which will be the focus of this series. 

As for the Book of Mormon's historical narrative, it turns out that the most common sin of the people of the book was allowing inequality into their society.  During the thousand year span of the Nephite civilization every time (which as it turns out was very often) the Nephites are described as wicked and are destroyed by their own designs, it is because their society is grossly unequal.

The process of destruction always begins with the people becoming wealthy, and this wealth eventually leading to major disparities between the rich and poor.  Pride, or the neglect and hatred of the poor then develops, leading to social strife and disorder.  Finally, the people are either humbled by their unequal and volatile circumstances, and use their religion and government to correct the inequities, or they are destroyed in the ensuing chaos.

This process is often referred to as the "Pride Cycle", and is among the central themes of the historical narrative.

The pride cycle worsens half-way through the Book of Mormon when groups referred to as 'secret combinations' begin institutionalizing the inequities between the rich and the poor through secret societies that murder, rob, deceive, twist religion, persecute the poor, dominate politics, disrupt government, and do whatever else it takes in order to enrich its own members. 

In addition to the history lessons, the Book of Mormon is also abundant in its direct teachings on the subject of economic inequality.  Economics is not a neutral issue for the God of the Book of Mormon - inequality is described as an 'abomination', any action which brings about inequality an 'iniquity', while serving the poor is among the central commandments given to the people, addressed through their religion, society, and government.

The topics in the Book of Mormon are very applicable to today, but in order to make these applications one needs a sound understanding of what the Book of Mormon says.  Therefore, I will hold off on most direct applications until the end of the series.

If any of these topics are of interest to you then I would encourage you to keep up with this series.  And just as a heads up - I have over 30 separate articles planned for this series.  So enjoy!

Organization

There is a lot to say about this topic, so I have divided this series into several sub-series, each with several topical posts.  Here are the sub-series which will be included:

• Introduction - a few articles, including this one, a table of contents, and two others offering a few helpful tools to understanding economic inequality in the Book of Mormon

• The Historical Narrative - includes several articles describing the cyclical history of the people in the Book of Mormon - especially featuring their frequent economic inequities, their causes and consequences

• Teachings of the Book of Mormon - this chapter will point out the distinct teachings of the Book of Mormon concerning wealth, poverty, inequality; especially pointing out the differences between the Book of Mormon and modern Prosperity Theology Christianity, as well as related economic ideologies.

• Solutions to Inequality - this chapter will highlight both the historical examples and teachings which are used in the Book of Mormon to address inequality

• Prophesies Concerning our Day - the Book of Mormon contains many prophesies about our day, highlighting the main problems in are day as the same economic inequities portrayed in the Book of Mormon

• Applying the Book of Mormon Message - this last sub-series will attempt to bring everything together and suggest several ways we can apply all the messages in the earlier sub-series to today

What Does the Book of Mormon Say About Inequality - Table of Contents
Introduction - What Does the Book of Mormon Say about Inequality
    Academic vs Religious Approach to Inequality
    Book of Mormon vs Mainstream Christian Understanding of Inequality