The Law of Common Consent

Last Sunday (April 4, 2015) in the second session of general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during the sustaining of the General Authorities there were few individuals that opposed the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Why do the members of the church have the opportunity to sustain their leaders and what does it mean when someone votes not sustain them? From the time that the Church was restored until now all those who are called to any position in the church are sustained by the members of the church. In the Doctrine and Covenants it says:

No person is to be ordained to any office in this church, where there is a regularly organized branch of the same, without the vote of that church; (D&C 20:65)

And all things shall be done by common consent in the church, by much prayer and faith, for all things you shall receive by faith. Amen. (D&C 26:2)

Also the Fifth Article of Faith states:

We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.

What this means is that God calls everyone that serves in any position in the church. Once called, the members of the ward, stake or the entire church depending on their calling, are asked to sustain the person being called. This sustaining is not a vote to determine if the person will serve or not, it is an opportunity for the members to sustain the call and promise to support them. Twice each year in General Conference the members have the opportunity to sustain the general authorities of the church.

Just last October; Elder Russell M. Nelson spoke to the members about what it means to sustain our leaders. He said:

“When we sustain prophets and other leaders, we invoke the law of common consent, for the Lord said, “It shall not be given to any one to go forth to preach my gospel, or to build up my church, except he be ordained by some one who has authority, and it is known to the church that he has authority and has been regularly ordained by the heads of the church.”

“This gives us, as members of the Lord’s Church, confidence and faith as we strive to keep the scriptural injunction to heed the Lord’s voice as it comes through the voice of His servants the prophets. All leaders in the Lord’s Church are called by proper authority. No prophet or any other leader in this Church, for that matter, has ever called himself or herself. No prophet has ever been elected. The Lord made that clear when He said, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you. You and I do not “vote” on Church leaders at any level. We do, though, have the privilege of sustaining them.

“The ways of the Lord are different from the ways of man. Man’s ways remove people from office or business when they grow old or become disabled. But man’s ways are not and never will be the Lord’s ways. Our sustaining of prophets is a personal commitment that we will do our utmost to uphold their prophetic priorities. Our sustaining is an oath-like indication that we recognize their calling as a prophet to be legitimate and binding upon us.

“Twenty-six years before he became President of the Church, then-Elder George Albert Smith said: “The obligation that we make when we raise our hands … is a most sacred one. It does not mean that we will go quietly on our way and be willing that the prophet of the Lord shall direct this work, but it means … that we will stand behind him; we will pray for him; we will defend his good name, and we will strive to carry out his instructions as the Lord shall direct.“ (“Sustaining the Prophets”, Elder Russell M. Nelson, General Conference, October 2014)

What does it mean if someone opposes the sustaining, as was the case this past week? The Church handbook of instructions says:

“If a member in good standing gives a dissenting vote when someone is presented to be sustained, the presiding officer or another assigned priesthood officer confers with the dissenting member in private after the meeting. The officer determines whether the dissenting vote was based on knowledge that the person who was presented is guilty of conduct that should disqualify him or her from serving in the position. Dissenting votes from nonmembers need not be considered.”

The only valid reason to oppose a person is if the person opposing has knowledge that the person being sustained is guilty of conduct that would disqualify that person from serving in the calling. It has nothing to do with not agreeing with church doctrine or it’s policies. The opposing member is asked to speak to the presiding authority to explain why they opposed the leaders. If there is a legitimate reason, then the individuals are brought together to discuss their reason.

I have never personally seen anyone oppose a local leader of a ward or stake; however, during the 185 Annual General Conferences of the Church there have been times when individuals have opposed those being sustained. In 1838 members opposed Fredrick G. Williams as a member of the First Presidency and he was later released from the First Presidency. In 1898 several members opposed Elder John W. Taylor as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles because of some negative remarks he made about the Tabernacle Choir. Those opposed met with Elder Taylor and he recanted his statements and the members were satisfied.

There have been those who were opposed to Church’s policies. In 1977 a man objected to the church’s policy on who could hold the priesthood and another time some women objected to the Church’s position on the Equal Rights Amendment to the USU Constitution (1980). In these cases their objections had nothing to do with an individuals ability to serve in the position and nothing changed. We don’t know the reasons why those who opposed the sustaining this time did so, but the media interviewed some after the meeting and they mentioned they did not agree with the church’s policy on same sex marriage as well as women not being able to hold the priesthood. Again these are not related to any of those beings sustained as not being qualified to serve in their position. Those who dissented were asked to meet with their stake presidents to discuss their objections. The stake president is the presiding authority for the member and they are the ones that can determine if there is a legitimate reason for their objection.

Except in rare cases when someone chooses to oppose a person being sustained to a position they are really saying they oppose the Lord in calling that person. If we really believe that a man or woman is called of God to the position, as it states in the Fifth Article of Faith, then we are in opposition to how the Lord is conducting the affairs of his church. The Lord knows the person better than anyone else and if he calls him then we should sustain that person. When we sustain our leaders we are telling everyone that we agree with the Lord and his leaders and that we will support those individuals with our prayers, our willingness to serve in callings and that we will do all that we are asked. That is what common consent means to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and I along with millions of the members allover the world sustain the First Presidency, The Quorum of the Twelve, the other General Authorities and local leaders.

Your comments and questions are welcome.

March Madness

It is that time of year when even the least basketball fan is caught up in the tradition and excitement of the NCAA Basketball tournament.  I love this tournament over all the others because even the smaller schools have an opportunity to go for the championship. Many times the “Cinderella” team beats the “Goliath” team and the odds to win their game and continue their quest for perfection. We have seen someone that has no chance defeat teams that are picked to win it all. That is what I love about this tournament. Rarely does a team get all the way through the tournament with a perfect season. This year the University of Kentucky is trying to beat those odds with a record of 38-0 and one of the final four teams.

Many of the games are not decided until the very end and the student athletes give everything they have. The emotions win or lose are there for all to see. This year we saw Arizona defeated by Wisconsin and Notre Dame lose to Kentucky. The old saying “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” was on faces of all the players, coaches and fans. It is emotionally draining to work so hard and be so close but come up short.

The Notre Dame vs Kentucky was one of the most exciting games yet in the tournament and Notre Dame did all they could to beat their opponents. How do we handle the wins and the losses? Do we blame the loss on someone or something? When we win, do we take glory unto ourselves and put down the opponent? We experience success and failure in our everyday lives and how we respond will develop our character. When asked by a reporter if the Notre Dame game was their toughest game yet, the Kentucky coach said not that Kentucky simply played bad. I am not sure if he was trying to challenge his players or if the coach could not have the class to respect the effort that Notre Dame put forth in the game? Proverbs says: "pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before the fall" (Proverbs 16:18) and it sounds like the Kentucky coach is getting ripe for a fall.

Are the teams that lose considered losers? Even though it may seem like it to them at the time, character is forged by the times we fail as much as in our victories. President Worthen, President of Brigham Young University, spoke of the difference in failing and being a failure. He said:

“It is a truth that is hard to deny, yet difficult to accept. It is this: We will all fail. More than once. Every day.

“I know that may sound startling and not the most optimistic of messages, so let me be quick to add that this does not mean that you or I are failures or that the quest for perfection is futile. There is a difference between failing, even repeatedly, and being a failure, as I hope to explain.

“Failing is an essential part of the mortal phase of our quest for perfection. We don’t often think of it that way, but that is only because we tend to focus too much on the word perfection and not enough on the word quest when we read the mission statement. Failure is an inevitable part of the quest. In our quest for perfection, how we respond when we fail will ultimately determine how well we will succeed.” (“Successfully Failing: Pursuing Our Quest for Perfection”, Kevin J. Worthen, BYU Devotional, January, 06, 2015).

Failure is a part of this life and how we deal with it will determine our ultimate success. Unfortunately in a tournament like the NCAA basketball tournament, when you loose you are out and the sting of that loss is a difficult lesson. There will be many sports commentators and fans that will put the blame on the coach or the failure of one shot or something, but it rarely comes down to one play. There are many mistakes and missed shots that put teams in a situation where that one bad call from a referee or missed foul shot costs them the game. The important thing is to learn from our mistakes and improve. The test for Arizona, Notre Dame, and the others that lost will be how they rise up and come back next year and start over.

Our lives are similar to the wins and losses in sport. We will succeed at some things but fail at other times. How we learn from our mistakes (or sins) and improve (or repent) will determine our overall happiness and standing before God. The Apostle Paul compared our lives to a race when he said:

Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.” (1 Corinthians 9:24)

The difference between a sporting event and our lives is in sports there is only one eventual winner but in life we all have the opportunity for eternal life. None of us will make it through this life without failing or sinning. But through the atonement of Jesus Christ we can all end up with that perfect record. If we repent when we sin and strive to keep God’s commandments we can be cleansed and Jesus Christ has promised that because of his suffering for us it will be as if we never sinned at all; we will all be perfect and win the prize of eternal life.

President Worthen reminded the students at BYU of the blessing of the atonement and the effect it can have on us:

“…failing is a critical component of our eternal progress—our quest for perfection. And because of the Atonement we can—if we respond to failures in the right way—be blessed with a new kind of learning that allows our failures to become part of the perfecting process. As Elder Bruce C. Hafen has explained, the beauty of the gospel is that “because of the Atonement, we can learn from our mistakes without being condemned by them.”¹⁴ What a wonderful blessing that absolutely marvelous and indispensable portion of the plan of salvation provides to each of us, if we will but take advantage of it.” (“Successfully Failing: Pursuing Our Quest for Perfection”, Kevin J. Worthen, BYU Devotional, January, 06, 2015).

Since 1939 there has only been five different division 1 teams to have a perfect season and win the national championship. UCLA did it four times and Kentucky did it in 1954. We have yet to see if Kentucky can end the season without a single loss, they have two more games to go to reach that perfect season for a second time. If Kentucky does it their season record will be 40 wins and 0 losses and no other team has had to win that many games to achieve a perfect season.

Our lives sometimes may seem to be one long month of march madness, but if we will rise up when we stumble, repent when we sin, seek forgiveness when we fail in the end we will hear the Lord speak the words we all hope for: “Well done thou good and faithful servant…enter into the joy of thy Lord”. (Matthew 25:21) and we will enjoy a perfect season, eternal life with our families.

Your comments and questions are welcome.

A Sharp Tongue

Recently I had the privilege of officiating a high school lacrosse tournament.  The tournament lasted two days and teams from Idaho, Utah and Nevada participated. Lacrosse is unique in not allowing unsporting behavior from the players, coaches or fans. When teams play in a tournament like this one it is easy for habits from other sports creep in and the tempers can heat up and people give in and start complaining. Times like these show what people are made of. Do they give in and start the blame game or do they own the situation, good or bad, and make the best of the situation.

I have never understood why anyone thinks that yelling at officials will convince them to make calls in their favor. Officials do not care which team wins or how much the fans complain and harass, it will not change the way calls are made. From a fans perspective it may appear that the officials are biased when calls are not going the way they want. I have often wondered how fans would enjoy a game where officials changed the way they called the game based on comments from the fans or coaches. Players would have no idea how to play because the rules would not be consistent. Everyone involved would become frustrated and lose interest.

Officials work hard to understand the rules and call a game by those rules with their primary goal to provide a safe environment and allow players from both teams to display their talents fairly. No official will call a perfect game. Mistakes will be made on calls and in my opinion that is part of the game. Teams need to learn to accept mistakes that players make and move beyond them or they will get frustrated and lose focus. The same thing can happen if they are focusing on what the officials are or are not calling, they will not be able to execute properly and they will get even more frustrated and complain more.

One of the lacrosse teams in this tournament lost control so much that their foul mouths had the officials ending the game with the leading team forfeiting the match and ending their championship hopes. This team was one of the better talented teams in the tournament and had won the championship in previous years. After the game parents from the losing team came on the field and started berating the officials (I was not on this game) and threatening that they were going to contact the tournament sponsors with their complaints.

In one of the games that I officiated, we experienced one of the greatest acts of sportsmanship I have seen in a long time. One team was behind by several points and the other team out matched them with their experience and skill. The team that was losing had a player that was autistic. The team that was in the lead found about the autistic player and they called a time out. They talked to their players and asked them to allow the autistic player to score a goal when he got the ball.  A few minutes later the player received the ball and he weaved in and out around the defenders and made it to the goal. He shot and scored; players from both teams surrounded the player and with high fives congratulated him. He was so excited; there was not one person that did not have a smile on his face. That one goal did not make a difference in the game, but it did make a difference in a young athlete that found success in a sport he loved. Just before all this happened I saw this player with his mouthpiece hanging down. I did not know that he was autistic, but instead of penalizing him with a 1-minute penalty I just told him to get the mouthpiece in. Had I flagged him and sent him to the penalty box he would not have been on the field to score the goal. Sometimes even officials make the right call by not going by the book.

Life is seldom fair. When things are not going your way how will you respond? Will you cry foul and lash out at those who appear to have the advantages or will you lift up your head and move on and make the best of life’s curves and bumps? David said in one of his Psalms: “Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.” (Psalms 52:2) and in the New Testament we read:

Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:

 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.

 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. (James3:5-10)

Marvin J. Ashton spoke in general conference of the common practice of bashing others. He said:

In the world today we are victims of many who use their tongues as sharp swords. The misuse of our tongues seems to add intrigue and destruction as the media and private persons indulge in this pastime. In the vernacular of the day, this destructive activity is called bashing. The dictionary reports that to bash is to strike with a heavy, crushing blow.

Such a popular behavior is indulged in by far too many who bash a neighbor, a family member, a public servant, a community, a country, a church. It is alarming also how often we find children bashing parents and parents bashing children.

None of us need one more person bashing or pointing out where we have failed or fallen short. Most of us are already well aware of the areas in which we are weak. What each of us does need is family, friends, employers, and brothers and sisters who support us, who have the patience to teach us, who believe in us, and who believe we’re trying to do the best we can, in spite of our weaknesses. What ever happened to giving each other the benefit of the doubt? What ever happened to hoping that another person would succeed or achieve? What ever happened to rooting for each other? (“The Tongue Can Be A Sharp Sword”, Marvin J. Ashton, General Conference, April 1992)

The Savior was the greatest example of how to react to those who wanted to kill him. He refused to give into their taunts and lies and held his peace and would not answer their questions (Mark 14:61). Even when Pilot questioned him, he would not answer his questions (Mark 15:5). Earlier while teaching his disciples he told them to love their enemies and to bless those that would curse them and to pray for those that would persecute them (Matthew 5:44).

No one likes the player or fan that constantly complains and cries when the referees seemingly are out against them or their team. Most of the time all we want is for them to go away and let the rest enjoy the game.  How we respond to the difficulties we experience in life will determine if we are accepted or rejected by those we come in contact with. The tongue can be a sharp sword or it can be used to bless and find joy no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in.

Your comments and questions are welcome.