Bound Together

I finished listening to Elder Holland’s recent devotional talk from BYU Education Week today about the need for religion and religious expression in society.  His message was the need for “religious privileges be cherished, preserved, and lived” in a day when secularism and atheism fight against any expression of religion in public life.  What impressed me was the way that he referred to so many sources and people outside of the LDS Church.  For me the indirect message was that we must be willing to join with all legitimate, sincere religious groups as we seek to protect religious freedom and preserve the moral force for good that faith is in society.  In our quest to proclaim the restored truths revealed through modern-day prophets we have to be careful not to close our eyes to the powerful and positive influence of so many other peoples of faith.  Surely as the world seeks “to establish irreligion as the state religion” we will need to join with all sincere believers in God to seek to preserve the religious liberties that will allow our children to openly “worship Almighty God according to the dictates of [their] conscience” without fear of persecution (A of F 1:11). 

                Here are some of the non-LDS people (mostly religious) that Elder Holland quoted: Will and Ariel Durant (American historians), Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (Jewish leader), Max Weber (German sociologist), David Bentley Hart (Eastern Orthodox theologian), Charles Taylor (philosopher and Roman Catholic), David Brooks (Jewish cultural commentator), William Saletan (journalist), and Robert Royal (Roman Catholic scholar).  He likewise referred to many non-LDS religious texts such as Dante’s Divine Comedy and Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter.  That’s quite a list for a 45 minute devotional, and it evidenced not just the immense research that must have gone into his talk but the implicit invitation for us to hear what other religious leaders are saying about religious freedom.  His message reminded me of the idea of S. Michael Wilcox of having our “fixed foot” and “searching foot” in our quest for truth; Elder Holland’s foundation is clearly in the gospel of Jesus Christ, but that does not at all inhibit him from seeking out “of the best books words of wisdom” as he looks to understand and describe the current state of religion in society (D&C 109:7).  I think it’s an example for us to be more open to the world around us and the force for good that so many people and leaders of other faiths are. 

                At one point the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.”  Jesus rebuked them saying, “Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.  For he that is not against us is on our part” (Mark 9:38-40).  I think that lesson is very relevant for us today—we need not dismiss the contributions of other religions just because our doctrines don’t totally line up.  Given the religious storm that Elder Holland described is up ahead, persons of faith will all need to be "bound" together to protect for all the right to express that faith.