By Gene Kuhns
We must be courageous enough, curious enough, and intellectually honest enough to break the chain of Accusatory Fog.
What does this mean? There surrounds each one of us a fog of accusations, partial truths, or outright lies about many things, organizations, places, items, and people. Whether it started as gossip, because of an argument, a misunderstanding, completion, or a heightened desire to see them/it fail, there are things you have heard about people, entities, etc., that are simply exaggerations, half-truths, or perhaps lies altogether.
Some of these accusations have been passed on from generation to generation, parents and grandparents to children, or friend to friend, without one person having the fortitude to find out what the truth really is and break the chain of lies and accusatory fog.
Think of media today, and especially social media. We are constantly bombarded by the “spin” someone else wishes to project and the belief they want us to have about a person, place, or thing. We need to be courageous enough, curious enough, and intellectually honest enough to explore where the truth really is and stand independent of what anyone else says, learning and knowing for ourselves.
Think about Seattle. Most of the country and world thinks Seattle is wet and rains here every day of the year. With this exaggerated truth, only a relative handful realize that there is almost no better place on earth from June to September, and also miss out on everything else good in the Pacific Northwest … not to mention the cool mushrooming and gardening opportunities that exist because of the rain … just because of the “Accusatory Fog” surrounding Seattle.
Think about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Just mentioning it may, for some, bring up thoughts and deep emotions of ill-feelings towards this organization. Honest question: Are these thoughts and feelings based on truth that you have been courageous enough to learn for yourself, or is it because of things others (parents, friends, priests/pastors, the media, etc.) have said … i.e., the Accusatory Fog?
Were the things you were told, even by sincere, well-meaning people, true? Words and thoughts like: Those Mormons – they are a cult – Polygamy – they added to the Bible – have a different Jesus – Joe Smith – salvation by works – take from the poor. All these things point to different aspects of the Accusatory Fog of lies, half-truths, or exaggerations that surround this organization.
Each of these items, when courageously studied, can be broken apart and the lies, half-truths, exaggerations, and actual truths exposed for one to determine the validity of and where the truth actually is.
Briefly, I’ll take one: Polygamy. The Accusatory Fog would tell one that it was a sexualized orgy cult … that simply is not true. Did you know there was an extermination order signed by Governor Boggs of Missouri? We call it genocide today. Basically, if the members of the church did not leave the state, they would be killed by the state militia … and some were (The Hawn’s Mill Massacre of 1838).
How can a people survive while they are being hunted? How can women and children survive in those days of sustenance farming? God revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith that, for a time, worthy men should take more than one wife. Initially, it was very few who obeyed the revelation. It became public in 1852, and in actuality, only 20-30% of families were involved.
Polygamy was stopped in 1890 as Utah was getting ready to become a part of the United States. Literal survival of the people is only one reason why God instituted polygamy during the restoration. Another reason is increased faith: If God commands one to do something difficult, and one obeys, it builds one’s faith and shows to God that one will be obedient in most all things.
Today, a practicing polygamist would be excommunicated. That is the truth.
Time and space do not allow me to explore all of these items in this article, but perhaps I’ll have the opportunity to go through each one in more detail in the future. For now, please just realize that the Accusatory Fog is real. By being open and honest with yourself about what you have been told or taught, you may find that it may not be true …
To find the truth of something or someone out for ourselves is a wonderful, fulfilling experience.
Peace to you all during this Holiday Season. Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah and merry/happy whatever you may celebrate this time of year. Peace.
