Contention is of the Devil
My brain is trying to be subversive again. I bear it with patience.
A few days ago I was studying in 3rd Nephi when the brain popped up to say that Christ’s injunction not to contend sure hits differently when you realize he had just finished destroying the 2/3s of the population that his audience would have needed to contend with. Hard filter = “no contention!” From that perspective saying contention is of the devil is like saying wickedness or opposition is of the devil, or the Gadianton robbers were of the devil (which they were).
I don’t 100% agree. There’s some truth to it, but this last conference had several messages about avoiding contention that shows it goes beyond just the narrow confines of the in-group. What I do think is that many of us, including me, spend a lot of time thinking about hard task of avoiding contention in the abstract with people who are our opponents or even in the scriptural language our “enemies,” while we are failing at the easy task within the in-group: not being contentious with the people in our family or ward. I’m not sure that being civil across big partisan divides matters too much if you are quarrelsome and nasty to your kids or your cousins or the Sunday School 1st counselor.
Filed under: Deseret Review | Tags: General Conference retrospective
Zen
October 16, 2024
I served my mission deep in the Bible Belt. And I knew the scriptures well enough to bash with the best of them. I am sure you can guess how well that turned out.
I think the injunction is not arguing per se, but having the Spirit of the Devil. We can not do the Lord’s work with the Devil’s Spirit. What we do accomplish with the Devil’s spirit only serves his ends.
Even if we could speak and preach with the trump of an angel, without the Spirit of God, it would be just so many ‘special effects’.
So, on my mission, I erred strongly on the side of not contending. I was there to testify and to warn the people. (D&C 88) Any conversation without the Spirit of God is useless.
It is fascinating to me that (twice?) when the Prophet Joseph appeared to Brigham after his death, and Brigham asked him some important and urgent questions, Joseph thoughtful responded with direction to get the Spirit of the Lord. And when the deceased Brigham appeared to Pres. Taylor (or Woodruff?), he repeated the same thing.
tl:dr – you can’t do the Lord’s work with the Devil’s spirit.
Zen
October 20, 2024
I remember someone I knew online, who would ‘win’ arguments by shutting down the opposition. Of course, none of her opponents came around to her way of thinking. So in my book, she wasn’t really winning nearly as much as she supposed.
My real goal, is to learn how to teach with love and power, so I can tell people off accurately and with power and love.
Jokes aside, I want to speak clearly and powerfully, and you don’t get the trump of God without the Spirit of God.
Jesus was not, as many suppose, adverse to telling people they were wrong.