Beginning to Apply the Historical Narrative

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.
Table of Contents

The historical narrative of the Book of Mormon contains a powerful message about the dangers of economic inequality, and also has many similarities to patterns of inequality today.  This article will be focused on the general message the book has about inequality, and how the book offers new ways of looking at the present.

This article will apply material in the Book of Mormon from these previous articles:
Understanding Inequality in the Book of Mormon Pt. I
Understanding Inequality in the Book of Mormon Pt. II
The Pride Cycle Pt. I
The Pride Cycle Pt. II
Twilight of the Nephites and Conclusions

Some Notes on Applying the Book of Mormon

Most of the articles which I would like to write about applying the Book of Mormon message about inequality will require the full material of this series.  However, I think it would be helpful and interesting to introduce some potential applications now, using a few of the articles that have already been posted.

Before I do so, let me share the philosophy which I will use in applying this book.

Book of Mormon as a Scriptural Allegory

The Book of Mormon is an allegory - or a complex story from which one can derive hidden and applicable meaning.

Allegories are stories with settings that can differ wildly from the setting of the application.  It is understood that most of the details in an allegory are supportive, while only some of the details have similarities to the present, and thus can be used to create meaning and applications. 

The meaning that is derived from allegories is up to the interpreter.  There is generally no right or wrong way to apply allegories - their interpretations are founded by the creativity and persuasiveness of the interpreter.

Since allegories do not often produce one unified official message, they can be frustrating.  Complex allegories, can even be used to create and defend completely opposite conclusions, with the right creativity.  The only way to really create a 'right' or unified interpretation of an allegory is to simply convince everyone that an application is correct.

In addition to being an allegory, the Book of Mormon is also scripture, which complicates the application process a little. There can be a zeal with scriptural allegories to assume that every aspect of the scripture must be applied, because the scripture is true.  I think this is an error, and will not be my philosophy in applying the Book of Mormon content on inequality.

For example, in Alma 51 Captain Moroni executes everyone who refuses to take up arms to defend their country.  I think we can all agree that this detail should not be emulated in the present.

But there are many details in the Book of Mormon about inequality that do deserve discussion, and perhaps emulation.  But we will approach applying the Book of Mormon as an allegory with many potential applications, rather than an authoritative treatise on economics.  This means that every application that I will write are potential applications, and open of course to any of your own interpretations and insights.  If you see me write an application which you believe is economically wrong, religiously heretical, or logically flawed, then share your thoughts.

You may remember from the introduction to this series that I stated that I believe political opinions about economics and social life should be founded on facts and observations that everyone can share, and not only on religious belief.   I stand by that.  We should not initiate some new progressive policy only because that policy was used in the Book of Mormon.

But the Book of Mormon is a powerful allegory that can be used to see the world in a different way, or to illustrate a topic that can also be founded outside of the scripture.  Economics and inequality are topics which, as concerned citizens, we should have political opinions on, and are also topics which are addressed powerfully in the Book of Mormon allegory.

The Book of Mormon on General Inequality

With the above thoughts in mind, let's dig right in to some potential applications.  Let me know your thoughts on these.

The Evils and "Abomination" of Iniquity and Inequality

As we discussed in Understanding Inequality in the Book of Mormon Pt. I and Pt. II, the God of the Book of Mormon is most often concerned with immoral actions that affect social, and especially economic, justice and life.  This kind of immorality even has its own word, 'iniquity', which is used far more often than any other word describing wickedness.  This God views iniquity, and the economic inequality such actions cause, as 'abomination'.

Throughout the history of the Book of Mormon, the people frequently fall into patterns of inequality, leading to all sorts of social and economic problems.  Because of this, the God in this book instructs his prophets, priests, and all good people to act against inequality, and to address the needs and wants of the poor as a necessary part of his Gospel.

Considering these aspects, what do you think of these questions and statements?

• Why does the God of mainstream Christianity differ so much from the God of the Book of Mormon?  Why does iniquity, social injustice, and inequality rank so low in sins which are talked about in modern Christian discourse, or even just modern cultural discourse? This needs to change, and the Book of Mormon provides a lot of content which can be discussed.

• Religion played a major role in confronting iniquity, injustice, and inequality in the Book of Mormon.  American religion today, with some exceptions, has either shied away from opinions on economics and inequality because the topics are too political, or has embraced inequality, injustice, and even iniquity as necessary, unavoidable, or righteous.  This is in error, and could even be considered a priestcraft.

• Using the Book of Mormon, I would argue that the most socially destructive type of wickedness is iniquity - or social injustices which create inequities.  As concerned citizens, and as moral people, our concern about iniquities today should rank higher than our concern for sexual immoralities on the social stage, including the high profile, low utility, debate on homosexual marriage.  By obsessing with sexual sins we are missing much more dangerous economic sins.
• Consider Robert Reich's similar argument
 

Cycles of Inequality

The people in the Book of Mormon experienced many cycles of wealth inequality.  This inequality led to pride, the persecution of the poor, serious social problems, and the creation of inequities in education and justice.  The church of God, and the government of the people, were created in large part to combat economic inequities, and actively pursued this cause.

At times, inequality was orchestrated by a greedy few - ideologically orchestrated in the form of priestcrafts, and criminally orchestrated in the form of secret combinations and dissenters.  Their activities created severe inequities in wealth, political power, and justice, in addition to eventual economic recession.

When economic inequalities were eliminated in 4 Nephi, the social problems and inequities which had existed before were also eliminated.  In addition, other types of immorality, which had festered in times of economic inequality, were also eliminated.  Once economic inequities returned, so to do many social problems and immorality, as well as the devastating effects of organized inequality.

With these insights in mind, consider these items:

• The cycles of inequality described in the Book of Mormon have many similarities to cycles of inequality today.

In the U.S., economic inequality today has many similarities to the "gilded age" of America's late 19th and early 20th centuries.  During the gilded age and today, the consequences of inequality were and are serious social problems, money and power concentrated in the hands of a (often secret) few, ideologies that justify inequality and vilify the poor, inequities in education and justice, and economic recession (especially the "great depression" and the "great recession"). 

Does this sound a little like the patterns in the Book of Mormon?

• In the Book of Mormon, the poor were persecuted because the rich became prideful, came to hate the poor, envy them, and to believe in ideologies which vilified the poor, while exonerating the rich.  This process also created strife, contentions, and malice among the people.  These same terms and process can and should be used to describe today in religious discourse.  Furthermore, like in the Book of Mormon, the social, political, criminal, and racial contentions of today also have roots in economic inequality. 

• The people of the Book of Mormon use their church and their government together to combat inequality (we will cover more details how they did this in a later sub-series), and doing so was a primary focus of both organizations.  Many today argue that the government has no business correcting economic inequalities and social injustices.  I believe this is opposite of the Book of Mormon message.

What are your thoughts?