Mormonism 1:11 - “We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.”
What It Is
An endearing statement, exclaiming a liberty most religions would not emphasize. Extending the freedom to choose as they will, following their own inspiration and understanding of what they believe is true to be their way of worship, study, and practice of spiritual matters. While still insisting on the absolute truth of their particular faith, Joseph sets apart this trust in the Holy Ghost to guide and move the hearts of men as needed, assuming everyone will eventually participate and receive the salvation the church insists on offering, including providing the deceased an opportunity to receive baptism and ordinances of the gospel through performance in their names.
When It Started
In the early years of the church, there was a lot of religious and political persecution against Joseph Smith and a few other members, mostly regarding the financial opportunity that such “golden plates” would bring into people’s lives. When the news spread about Joseph’s claim, many people became interested in what they could do with such a stack of gold. Being a book of over 260,000 words, you can imagine how many engraved plates it would take for an ancient language to be chiseled on. Despite the fact that Joseph was able to hold it with one arm while wrapped in a cloth, he also claimed 2/3 of those plates were still sealed with straps.
The church uses the fact that Joseph and other members were often dragged out into the streets, beaten, and tarred and feathered, as a testament to a literal adversary being very motivated to take down Joseph and the church, exclaiming its validity must be so because of it. However, such abuse of different religious practices is not a new or unusual thing in history; wars have been waged and fought in the name of God, and thousands have been slaughtered in demands for conversion to similar faiths.
For whatever reason, Joseph experienced such persecution, whether regarding the gold or the belief that he was lying and taking advantage of people. Some say Joseph and Emma lost six or seven children, some due to the door being left open while Joseph was being mutilated in the streets.
In Joseph’s later years, he discussed much about the revelation given to practice plural marriage, the reason for being sealed in the temple, and producing as many children as are waiting to be born from the preexistence. While Joseph practiced this according to other members and the 30+ wives, there is no real evidence of children proven to come from them.
Ultimately, there were quite a few reasons across many states why people believed they needed to stop Joseph, leading to the death of his brother and himself, and motivating the church’s move to Utah.
Where We Relate
We absolutely concur with the trust in people’s motivation to practice in the way they find inspiring. We find it quite important to allow everyone to practice and worship in the way they see fit. While refraining from harming or disturbing others' freedoms, we find it of the utmost importance to be able to practice and define truth in any way one feels called to do so.
We agree that the way of life between consenting adults should remain under their personal agreement and should not be determined by social or political enforcements. If it is not harmful or forceful against someone’s independent will to practice and live their lives, there should be no objections to them doing so from outside sources. Even while it is often believed that people do not know their own best interests, we emphasize trust in people's personal revelation, guidance, and understanding, while only assisting those in understanding their guidance when they directly ask for such assistance.
Agreeing that no one should fear persecution while practicing and sharing what they believe to be true, as long as they are not harming anyone else, we agree that they should be allowed to read whatever they desire, pray in whatever way, and have whatever personal morals they find important and divinely inspired.
Not only do we desire freedom for ourselves, but we find it necessary for everyone to be unique and true to who they are, while understanding there is no need to enforce particular religious practices on anyone unwilling or doubtful but trusting.
Why It Seems
As undefinable and expansive as we understand why there have been many branches of cultures and ways of life, the Wholly Spiritual Universe is always adapted to its particular way. It can always meet someone where they believe they are and through everything they believe is important. This is because of the nature in which it represents itself, completely reliant on the interpretation of perception. While the truth of it remains the same beyond all perception, it will always be shaped into anything the mind comes up with.
At the point of perception, there is a stream of energetic frequencies, and it is received by this element which observes. Not only can it easily be distorted, but it can also be transformed into anything. However, no matter what it seems to be, it is not the truth of it. This does not imply guilt or shame for the distortion. While often believed to be contrary, distortion is actually intentional, making it possible for every option to be experienced.
Each of us is made like each world and each universe is, to apply individual resistances to reality in order to make anything seem real. Often, religions are expressed in a fashion that implies the desperation of some deity to gather and claim as many people as possible to add to their endless and somewhat meaningless collection of weaklings who just hang out at peace all the time, as if we are meant to gain their favor and access to their exclusive somewhere. This is true according to our experience of dimensions; however, it is actually quite the opposite. You are an experience for this perceiver so that it may know firsthand all that it actually is. It is the one who wants access to you—not in a creepy, possessive way, but this is the original reason you were developed. While it may want to be set free so that you may also know it, it already knows you, living within you, as you.
Therefore, it doesn’t want to live everyone’s life the same way as one another, it wants to live different ways in everyone. That’s why so many are driven to do and be whatever it is that they are. If it really wanted everybody to be the same, it would be a natural occurrence because no real adversary could surmount its decision.
With An Open-mind
“God” is not as far away as many assume. While it can appear to be anything, its reality is behind the dimensional paradigm that appears as images. It does not judge, being completely incapable of such processing. It simply manifests through the Wholly Spiritual Universe as whatever it is you desire it to be. With pure intent, it responds to any name and can appear in any shape and size. Its only concern is to know you, and its only desire is that you also attempt to know it—that you try to reach it. It wants to know what it’s like to live as you, to feel your pain and suffering, and to feel your desire and motivation. It wants to know what it’s like to imagine realities and ideals of what it is through your perception. It desires to live the experience of coming to its own awakening through your life, through your individual person.
Therefore, while it is motivated for your advancement, it will seek to inspire you and become what you are looking for to give you that motivation. Everyone, regardless of religious practice or not, is learning maturity in life, spawning from whatever degree we have started from. It is that journey that only you can offer, whether through another’s defined faith or through something of your very own. While generously giving back to those who inspire you is wonderful, it is through living that you serve “God,” and it is only through living your life that you give your offerings and tithe to it.
The reality of “God” is everywhere, and it is available through every church, every school, and every noble practice seeking its communion. Regardless of form or structure, each of them leads to the same truth. All of them have the potential to support your culturally unique perspective over the threshold of its recognition.
How We Unite
Not only do we accept that people have their unique spiritual practices, but we also always encourage personal adaptations and applications of all of them, structuring and combining any of them to fit who you believe yourself to be. It’s not simply about being who you are, but about being the wholeness of who you are—following your individual guidance to be as much of who you can be in that moment. Encouraging advancement, expansion, and growth, and not an insistence on stagnancy.
Therefore, it is as simple as knowing thyself. While that will expand as you advance, it is through the authentic attempts to fully channel who you are that you can discover where it is you can and want to improve. Allowing yourself to find ways of that improvement and giving it your all in any way you find necessary. We completely trust you because we completely trust who lives as you.
How It’s True
Even while it is often difficult for society to accept every unique structure and way of living, it is the only way we can move forward together. To be of one mind is not to lose uniqueness and particular callings. Much like a hand will never be forced to be a head or a foot, it is to own your own inspiration, fulfilling a job you were made to fulfill. Whatever it is you believe, believe it completely, and it will reveal its truth to you.
“Why They Are Right” (book series)
By Rev. Devan Jesse Byrne
~
The author of The Statutes Of The Divinely Realized the essence of Undefinable and Expansive, here to coach spiritual people to discover their multidimensional reality beyond the veil.
~
UECreed.org
IamACIM.com
OpenandClear.com