As has been mentioned, my name is Ronald A. Rasband. I am a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am grateful to my friends at CALIR and IRLA for the privilege of speaking to you on a subject that is dear to my heart. During the next three days, an extraordinary international panel of experts and academicians will speak about challenges we face in defending and promoting religious liberty, not only in Latin America, but throughout the world.
I would like to add my words of encouragement to those who have spoken and will yet speak about the growing attacks on religious liberties and the right to practice religious beliefs according to the dictates of one’s own conscience by individuals and families. I will devote much of my remarks to the struggles faced by members of my own faith, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
For some, the phrase “religious freedom” may feel more akin to “freedom to discriminate.” Our society has become so blinded by its quest to redress wrongful discrimination against one class of people or another that it is now in danger of creating another victimized class: people of faith, such as you and me.
Throughout history, many people of faith have suffered persecution, and for the Latter-day Saints it has been no different. The modern-day LDS faith, the faith of my ancestors, began humbly in Palmyra, New York, in the United States. In eighteen twenty, a fourteen-year-old boy by the name of Joseph Smith had read these words from the Epistle of James in the Holy Bible:
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally...; and it shall be given him.” 1
Young Joseph did just that: he walked into a grove of trees near his home and asked God which church he should join. In response, God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph and he received a “promise that the fullness of the gospel should at some future time be made known unto” him. 2 Later Joseph was given a record of ancient prophetic writings, engraved on plates of gold, which contained a history of some of the inhabitants of the American continents and, most importantly, the teachings of Jesus Christ, who visited the Americas as a resurrected being following His crucifixion in Jerusalem. This record, known as The Book of Mormon, serves as another testament, as a companion witness to the Holy Bible, of Jesus Christ. It helps us develop faith in Him and find joy in this life.
Some believed the unique teachings of this newly established “American” religion. Others did not. Many opposed and openly persecuted Joseph Smith and his small group of followers (often called Mormons because of their belief in the Book of Mormon). Nineteenth Century Latter-day Saint history is replete with sad accounts of anti-Mormon violence.
For the members of our faith, these early days were exciting, but difficult times. Because of their beliefs, leaders and members were killed, robbed, violated, and driven thousands of miles, from place-to-place across the United States by mobs intent on destroying them for their faith. Joseph Smith and his followers were forced to flee their homes repeatedly and were driven from New York to Ohio, then to Missouri, where the governor of that State actually issued an order declaring: “The Mormons must be treated as enemies and must be exterminated or driven from the state.” 3 Later, the federal government of the United States disenfranchised the Church and its members and confiscated their properties.
In the midst of this turmoil, Joseph Smith published the Articles of Faith, thirteen of the Church’s most fundamental tenets. One of them states:
“We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.” 4
Later, in eighteen forty-three, Joseph said:
“If it has been demonstrated that I have been willing to die for a ‘Mormon,’ I am bold to declare before Heaven that I am just as ready to die in defending the rights of a Presbyterian, a Baptist, or a good man of any other denomination; for the same principle which would trample upon the rights of the Latter-day Saints would trample upon the rights of the Roman Catholics, or of any other denomination who may be unpopular and too weak to defend themselves. It is love of liberty that inspires my soul—civil and religious liberty to the whole of the human race.” 5
Ultimately Joseph Smith did die for his beliefs. On June twenty-seven, eighteen forty-four, he and his brother Hyrum, while confined to a small jail on spurious charges, were murdered by a mob of some two hundred people. 6
Joseph’s successor, Brigham Young, then led a forced exodus of thousands of believers one thousand three hundred miles from their homes in the Midwest to an inhospitable desert, in what was then territory outside of the United States of America, known today as the State of Utah. There, at last, they could practice their religion and live in relative peace.
From the beginnings of the Church, missionaries were sent to the far corners of the earth, two-by-two. We continue this practice of missionary labors today in an effort to comply with the Lord’s command in the Bible, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the son and of the Holy Ghost” 7 . You have certainly seen some of our missionaries, black name tags adorning their modest and sharply dressed clothing, clean-cut and smiling as they walk down the streets of your neighborhoods. As our message of following the Savior, Jesus Christ, and His teachings was better understood over the years, our faith and its members have received greater acceptance in society. Today, more than fifteen million people around the globe call themselves members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Six million of those members live in Central and South America. More than half of today’s Latter-day Saints speak Spanish as their native language and tens of thousands of returned missionaries from all over the globe fondly think of Latin America as their second home, having spent eighteen or twenty four months of their lives here sharing the word of God.
Now, after a relative season of calm, we again hear voices questioning our right to practice our religion. However, certainly you can see that not just Mormons, but all religions and religious practices and all people of faith are under attack. Mormons, Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants, Evangelicals, Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, and many others – are encountering intolerance in an increasingly secular environment. Our right to believe is still largely tolerated. But our right to practice our beliefs is increasingly being challenged.
Some religious institutions of higher education are being questioned because they require students and faculty to adhere to an honor code, which requires fidelity and chastity and other qualifications of high moral value. Chief executive officers of large companies have been marginalized or forced to resign because their personal religious views are no longer politically acceptable in society. And, some businesses have been forced to close because their owners have spoken their conscience or refused to participate in business activities which they have deemed to be contrary to their personal beliefs.
Last year, in a meeting for religious freedom at Independence Hall in Pennsylvania, USA, Pope Francis reminded us that “When individuals and communities are guaranteed the effective exercise of their rights, they are not only free to realize their potential, they also contribute to the welfare and enrichment of society.” 8 He affirmed, “Religious freedom certainly means the right to worship God, individually and in community, as our consciences dictate. But religious liberty, by its nature, transcends places of worship and the private sphere of individuals and families.” 9
Finally, Pope Francis warned, “In a world where various forms of modern tyranny seek to suppress religious freedom, or try to reduce it to a subculture without right to a voice in the public square, or to use religion as a pretext for hatred and brutality, it is imperative that the followers of the various religions join their voices in calling for peace, tolerance and respect for the dignity and rights of others.” 10
So what are we to do? I can assure you that the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, under the inspiration of Heaven, have given significant consideration to this issue. We believe in following the commandments of God, which are designed to secure our eternal happiness. We believe in creating a space for everyone to live their conscience without infringing on the rights and safety of others. When the rights of one group collide against the rights of another, we follow the principle of being as fair and as sensitive to as many as possible. The Church believes in and teaches “fairness for all.” 11
Protecting conscience is about safeguarding the way someone thinks and feels and their right to act on those beliefs. It is a gross violation of God-given agency to force another to betray their conscience because their views do not align with popular teachings.
Religious liberty is a divine right. It will take a broad coalition to preserve it. It will also require courage on the part of leaders of all faiths to speak out in defense of fairness and protection for all.
If religious liberty is to survive – and surely it must – we must set aside the doctrinal traditions which separate us and focus on what unifies us: love for God, and the love of God, which binds us as brothers and sisters.
We can look past a person’s ethnicity, rank, and all other potentially divisive or exclusionary circumstance to teach simple, eternal truths.
I believe the defense of religious liberties also begins with the fundamental unit of society – the family. It is essential that we safeguard our families in an ever-changing world, where religious beliefs are constantly challenged. Strong family units create strong societies. We need to strengthen parents and children. We can teach them to recognize right from wrong, and to be strong in defending what is right. And certainly there is no more basic right than that agency which allows individuals to decide for themselves what they will believe and how they will act on those beliefs. As we speak out in defense of our God-given liberties, let us be mindful to teach the next generation of believers and prepare them to one day carry the banner of religious freedom.
In the United States, the opportunity to be involved in the political process to defend our beliefs is a privilege given to every citizen. Our nations’ laws and legislation play an important teaching role in shaping social and moral culture. We have encouraged every individual to take an active role in engaging in civic dialogue to help frame laws and legislation which are fair for everyone.
In January of last year, leaders of our faith held a press conference with three Apostles and one of the leaders of our young women to remind our members, the community, and the Utah state legislature that our religion favors a balanced approach to issues of religious freedom.
Our Church leaders, joined with leaders of a number of different faiths, sought and successfully gained the legal passage of protection for other minority groups as well as religious persons. Utah – and the Church– received national news coverage in the United States and praise for this historic compromise. I want to make very clear that no doctrinal or religious principles were sacrificed. No changes were made to God’s laws, but the outcome was fair to all and reflected a consistency in moral standards and teachings and in respect for others.
One day, as Joseph Smith was visiting his parents’ home, a group of armed militia arrived and announced that they had come to kill him. His mother, Lucy Mack Smith, recounted what happened on that occasion:
“[Joseph] looked upon them with a very pleasant smile and, stepping up to them, gave each of them his hand in a manner which convinced them that he was neither a guilty criminal nor yet a cowering hypocrite. . . .
“Joseph sat down and entered into conversation with them and explained to them the views and feelings of the people called Mormons and what their course had been, as also the treatment which they had met with from their enemies since the first outset of the Church. He told them that malice and detraction had pursued them ever since they entered Missouri, but they were a people who had never broken the laws to his knowledge. But if they had, they stood ready to be tried by the law. ...
“After this, he rose and said, ‘Mother, I believe I will go home. Emma [Joseph’s wife] will be expecting me.’ Two of the men sprang to their feet, saying, ‘You shall not go alone, for it is not safe. We will go with you and guard you.’ Joseph thanked them, and they went with him. . . . [Later they] promised to . . . disband the militia under them and go home, and said that if he had any use for them, they would come back and follow him anywhere.” 12
We can do likewise.
“Therefore, dearly beloved brethren,” said Joseph, “let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God.” 13
I bear witness of the love of God for all of His children. I believe firmly in the fundamental right of all of our brothers and sisters on this earth to believe and practice their religious beliefs as dictated by their own conscience. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stands firmly, shoulder to shoulder, with any individual, family, or group seeking to preserve and protect the God-given rights of religious liberties. May all of us, in whatever position of authority we may hold, or merely as individuals in society, seek to ensure that our children and our grandchildren will always have the right to worship how, where or what they may, is my humble and fervent prayer.
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James 1:5.
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“Times and Seasons, 1 March 1842,” p. 707, The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed October 31, 2016, http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/times-and-seasons-1-march-1842/5
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Lilburn W. Boggs letter to John B. Clark, Oct. 27, 1838, Mormon War Papers, Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City, Missouri, accessed October 31, 2016, sos.mo.gov/cmsimages/archives/resources/findingaids/miscMormRecs/rg005_01/B1F49_1838.pdf
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Articles of Faith 1:11.
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Joseph Smith, in History of the Church, 5:498
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D&C 135:1.
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Matthew 28:19.
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Pope Francis, “Pope Francis’ remarks during meeting for religious freedom at Independence Hall (English)," Crux, September 26, 2015, accessed October 31, 2016, cruxnow.com/papal-visit/2015/09/26/pope-francis-remarks-during-meeting-for-religious-freedom-at-independence-hall-english/
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Ibid.
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Ibid.
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Ronald A. Rasband, BYU Speeches, September 15, 2015.
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Lucy Mack Smith, “The History of Lucy Smith, Mother of the Prophet,” 1844–45 manuscript, book 15, pp. 8–10, Church Archives, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah.
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13 D&C 127:17.