SHIFTING VIEWS ON WAR

During the decade of the 1980’s I wrote and presented ‘the spoken word’ for a weekly local radio broadcast produced by Carl Chamberlain in Washoe County, Nevada, which was called Sabbath Day Reflections. The great majority of these short talks which were originally self published and distributed to family members have been used as springboards for many Thoughts for a Sabbath Day. As I was preparing to write this week’s Thought based on Mosiah 19, 20 for some reason I happened to thumb through one of those book called ‘Reflections for a Sabbath Day’ and discovered I had never used the following talk as a springboard for Thoughts for the Sabbath Day. Miraculously this reflection fit into the theme I had been moved to write about from those chapters of Mosiah.

On the 14th of March 1966 the ‘Denver Post’, which had been publishing a series of letters from soldiers who had written to their loved ones in anticipation of being war casualties, published the following letter from which I have extracted some excerpts.

“I’m writing this letter as my last one. You’ve probably already received word that I’m dead and that the government wishes to express its deep regret. Believe me, I didn’t want to die, but I knew it was part of my job.

I want my country to live for billions and billions of years to come. I want my death to stand as a light to all people oppressed, and guide them to the same freedom we know. If we can stand and fight for freedom, then I think we have done the job God sent down for us.

It’s up to every American to fight for the freedom we hold dear. If we don’t, the smells of fresh air could become dark and damp as in a prison cell.

Don’t mourn me, Mother, for I’m happy I died fighting my country’s enemies, and I will lie forever in people’s minds. I’ve done what I always dreamed of. Don’t mourn me, for I died a soldier of the United States of America.”

Donald T. Strickland

There is no doubt that it is totally fitting that we should set apart days in this great land which can be spent remembering those who have given their all so that we might enjoy the quality of life which we have.

We thank those who have lived through those evil wars and written and taught about the importance of freedom.

We thank those who have been righteous leaders who have tried to maintain peace in our day.

I know that on the day I wrote those words as well as the day I recorded them to be broadcast I sincerely felt and believed the position I had on war at the time. Now after having passed through another four decades of life, having often pondered on the subject of war, I realize I have probably made more major shifts in my feelings and beliefs about this atrocious practice than any other part of the mortal experience.

I suspect if someone were to spend much time sitting and chatting with me they would go away having the opinion that I could be labeled as a pacifist or a dove when it comes to the subject of war. In many respects they would be absolutely correct, but within myself I find my ponderings to be way too varied to be quickly dismissed with one or two labels.

The last time I was involved in any actual physical conflict, although when Kathleen watched me play basketball she had a different opinion, was in the 6th grade when the red headed boy gave me a black eye. From that day forward I have told everyone that I was a lover not a fighter.

I was trained in hand to hand combat in the spirit of the bayonet, shot at person shaped targets, felt the sting of tear gas on my lungs, but was never really sure if I would be capable of taking the life of another of Heavenly Father’s children in battle. Luckily, my advanced training was as a clerk typist and I was assigned to an engineer group.

I had determined from the very beginning of this wonderful journey I have been on for the last 16 months that I was not going to spend a lot of time writing about the many conflicts and wars which are written about and which eventually cause the total destruction of the nation of those who authored the words in The Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ. In the aforementioned chapters from the book of Mosiah we find the first philosophical statements on the subject of wars.

And it came to pass that the people of Limhi began to drive the Lamanites before them; yet they were not half so numerous as the Lamanites. But they fought for their lives, and for their wives, and for their children; therefore they exerted themselves and like dragons did they fight. (Mosiah 20:11)

I have realized for some time that this and other similar verses in The Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ are generally the most frequently referred to by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as a justification for nations being involved in warfare. It is therefore more than a little ironic that just a few verses later in the same chapter (verse 22) that we find the following philosophy being taught and adhered to.

And now let us pacify the king, and we fulfil the oath which we have made unto him; for it is better that we should be in bondage than that we should lose our lives; therefore, let us put a stop to the shedding of so much blood.

I pray that the differences of the philosophies about war found in these two verses will serve as the beginning of understanding why my personal beliefs about the subject have never been on one steady course.

I invite you to briefly walk with me through the Standard Works as I quickly review the dominant views about war in those works. I hasten to plead for understanding that because of the brevity of these Thoughts, I will in no way do a comprehensive coverage of those positions.

OLD TESTAMENT OF JESUS CHRIST

During the period covered by the various authors of the books found in the Old Testament the prevailing belief held by people was that that nation which served the most powerful God would always be victorious in battle. The children of Israel added a caveat to that philosophy believing that their God would cause them to be victorious only as long as they faithfully adhered to the Law of Moses.

The flood was employed by Heavenly Father as a means of ending the unending pattern of war and blood shed.

It is only a small step from these beliefs to believing that war is not just accepted by God, but as in the story of the Israelite occupation of the land of Canaan it is admonished by God.

It would be easy to dismiss these beliefs by saying it was a different time with different circumstances if we were not taught that God is the same yesterday, today and forever.

NEW TESTAMENT OF JESUS CHRIST

One of the beautiful titles the Savior, Jesus the Christ bears is Prince of Peace, which since his sojourn in His mortal body was in a land conquered by an unrighteous foreign nation and ruled by wicked puppet kings, makes for one of the strangest ironies of the history of this world.

The good news was filled with love thy neighbor, pray for thy neighbors when they despitefully use you, mourn with thy neighbor etc.

The contrast between his message and the circumstances of His daily walk could not have been greater.

The crowning event of this contrast is manifest in the placing of a crown of thorns on the head of the Prince of Peace.

THE BOOK OF MORMON ANOTHER TESTAMENT OF JESUS CHRIST

The philosophies on war in this volume are so varied that I will only mention a few so that you might further understand my uneasy shifting views about the subject.

We have the aforementioned, war is justified in order to save our own lives and that of our families.

Likewise, Mosiah brought to our attention that bondage is preferable to engaging in war.

The Anti Nephi Lehi’s chose to bow down to the sword and die rather than to break a covenant.

Generals sought the advise of Prophets on how best to win battles.

People were put to death or imprisoned if they refused to go to battle.

The Savior’s ministry on this continent was accompanied by the destruction of all who could not live according to the laws of His Plan of Happiness.

PEARL OF GREAT PRICE

Satan proclaims he will use the enmity given him by God to wage war, blood and terror upon this world.

DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS AND WORDS OF LATTER DAY PROPHETS

The doctrine of thrice forgiving an enemy before going to war is introduced.

It is better to abandon all one possesses rather than go to war.

Preemptive warfare is condemned.

Satan is denounced as the author of all contention not just war.

I hope I have been able to help you understand why it has been difficult for me to come to an absolute position to justify or condemn war. Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that as much as is possible I will with Chief Joseph, ‘make no more war forever’, but will spend my days now and hopefully forever being an enlistee in the army of the Prince of Peace.


THOUGHTS FOR A SABBATH DAY – WILLIAM L. RILEY

EDITED BY – KATHLEEN W. RILEY