This blog is dedicated to Mormon or LDS ethics and morality. And not the kind of morality where I quote a bunch of scripture telling you to be a good person or what not. The purpose of this blog is to work with seeming contradictions, ethical scenarios, and different points of view in the search of truth. It will challenge you and me, forcing us to think about Mormon doctrine and personal beliefs in new and deeper ways. Ethics has a way of forcing us to draw out our existing views and beliefs and examine them in new light.
What's the Point?
You might be asking yourself why? The Mormons religion after all is a religion of personal revelation. So our morality is a kind of spirit-guided morality, where if I follow the commandments I can have the spirit with me to guide me through the dilemmas of life, no need to get into these philosophical quandaries. All of this is true. However I would argue that although Mormons practice a spirit-based morality, we are also beings of progression and learning. A servant who has to be commanded in all things is a slothful and unwise servant as said in the Doctrine and Covenants. Adam was faithful and obedient in offering sacrifice, but eventually he was taught why. We tell children not to touch the stove when they are young, and eventually when they understand laws of thermodynamics, it is no longer necessary. They understand. And so by studying how the spirit guides people in different ways in modern and ancient times, sometimes even contradictory ways, we can reach overarching truths and a deeper understanding of the commandments that change with time and culture. If we don't, we run into the danger of becoming like Pharisees, which Mormons are sometimes labeled, where we follow the rules and yet have completely lost the meaning. As members of this church there is always a danger of getting so lost in the rules, symbolism, and culture of Mormonism that we draw near with our words but our hearts are far from Him. Ethical studies are a great way of challenging the inconsistencies in our thoughts and actions to purer forms of belief.
Common Mormon Ethical Studies
There are three kinds of ethics that are common in Mormon studies. The first is moral hierarchies and value theories. An example of this is a study done with missionaries on their mission and then 10 years later. When asked the question, "If you were a German during the time of WWII, and housed Jews in your home, would you give them up if a soldier asked if there were Jews in your home?", a majority of missionaries answered that they would tell the truth and not lie, thus giving up the Jewish refugees. 10 years later, these same return missionaries replied that they would lie to the soldiers and save the Jew's lives. In those ten years, through life experience and/or study, these men who first valued honesty above human life, reversed that value. And rightly so I might add.
The second kind of ethical studies done in Mormonism is in morality and the foundations of morality. This includes study into right and wrong, as well as the nature of good and evil. For example, Mormons would say that God is good because he understands the nature of good and evil, not the other way around, where it is good because God says so. That's an important difference. In the Doctrine and Covenants it talks about the light of truth not being created by God, nor can it be, and truth exists in its own sphere independent of God himself. This has huge implications for Mormon morality and why something is good and evil. Another example in this field would be how the Mormon God answers the problem of evil, especially in God's nature as a constrained God. A God who weeps. A God who allowed evil in the world that his children may gain experience through choices.
The third kind is integrating personal, professional, religious, community and other ethical codes into one code of living. An example would be questions of morality as a Mormon doctor, or a Mormon soldier, and how one would live the good life when the world demands differing ethical codes of behavior. Should a Mormon doctor give Priesthood blessings to patients, provide physician aided death in allowed states, subscribe Marijuana to a child with seizures or adult with chronic pain, etc? Does a soldier submit their own ethical code to the military ethical code? Should illegal immigrants be allowed to hold callings in the church? How high up? Should they be allowed to attend the temple if they are worthy? What do you do when you receive spiritual inspiration that contradicts that of your bishop, or the church at large? These are some of the questions one would come across when combining the ethical codes of a profession, government, community and a religion.
I hope to be able to provide brief summaries of various sides of some of these common ethical questions, as well as go into new avenues of Mormon ethical dilemmas to deepen our understanding, shed our false preconceived notions, and perhaps challenge our own one-sidedness. I do not presume to give you answers, but by asking more questions, our faith becomes dynamic and real rather than inflexible and stagnant. At the very least, I hope it will be fun for you to scroll through some hypothetical questions or very real and modern Mormon questions just for the brain food!
So pick anything that looks mildly interesting on the side panel and let me know what you think in the comments! If I have any skill in life it would be asking questions, like an annoying 4 year old...answers however, are much harder.
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