In one word: "Energy.”
According to Stephen Hawking, all of reality is summed up as space and energy. Energy is neither created nor destroyed, just changes form. Energy out, energy in. Empowering energy or disempowering energy.
So when examining Mormonism I always begin with the question: is that interpretation or point of view empowering or disempowering?
Is that way of "mormoning" empowering or disempowering?
I see the words of Restoration Scripture as a kind of "potential energy." With the right interpretive lens, I see Mormon Scripture as being psychologically empowering. Here are some examples:
Alma 18:35
And a portion of that Spirit dwelleth in me, which giveth me knowledge, and also power according to my faith and desires which are in God.
Alma 10:17
Now they knew not that Amulek could know of their designs. … as they began to question him, he perceived their thoughts, and he said unto them: O ye wicked and perverse generation, ye lawyers and hypocrites, …; for ye are laying traps and snares to catch the holy ones of God.
Alma 12:3
[Amulek said to Zeezrom:]
"[God] knows all thy thoughts, and thou seest that thy thoughts are made known unto us by his Spirit."
Alma 61:15
Therefore, come unto me speedily with a few of your men, and leave the remainder in the charge of Lehi and Teancum; give unto them power to conduct the war in that part of the land, according to the Spirit of God, which is also the spirit of freedom which is in them.
Alma 48:16
… God would make it known unto them whither they should go to defend themselves against their enemies …
Alma 46: 7
… and their great rejoicings which they had had because of their deliverance by the hand of the Lord.
Alma 8:31–32
31 And they had power given unto them, insomuch that they could not be confined in dungeons; neither was it possible that any man could slay them; nevertheless they did not exercise their power until they were bound in bands and cast into prison. Now, this was done that the Lord might show forth his power in them.
32 And it came to pass that they went forth and began to preach and to prophesy unto the people, according to the spirit and power which the Lord had given them.
Genesis 14 of the Joseph Smith Translation (JST):
"Every one being ordained after this order and calling should have power, by faith, to break mountains, to divide the seas, to dry up waters, to turn them out of their course; To put at defiance the armies of nations, to divide the earth, to break every band, to stand in the presence of God; to do all things according to his will, according to his command, subdue principalities and powers; and this by the will of the Son of God which was from the foundation of the world."
This is the language and theology of empowerment. It activates the imagination and fuels the unconscious with confidence. Even if it is a placebo effect one cannot deny the power of the placebo effect. Believing that a Higher Power is on your side and empowering you does have a positive psychological effect on you.
In my view, spiritual and scriptural knowledge is intended to empower. I don't present information on this blog as a way to appear high status or smarter than others but to empower the reader to the same degree that I have been empowered. My motive is always to share knowledge in order to empower, as it empowered me; which is why I'm usually passionate to share it. If an interpretation is not spiritually empowering, then in my view it may be misinterpreted. I believe in the church as the "vine," as the Book of Mormon describes the church: as a source of unifying spiritual empowerment. Unfortuantely, cultural factors can get in the way of presenting the enpowering message, so that Mormonism can become disempowering through pharasical attitudes and wrongful interpretations.
In my view, the Scriptures revealed through Joseph Smith, are the purest form of that empowerment. The leaders of the Utah-based Church and that culture sometimes falls short at times of being empowering due to the fallibility of men, and as scripture puts it "unrighteous dominion"; and so instead of empowering a person the Leaders (of any organization) can disempower a soul. For example, causing someone to feel overwhelmed or unnecessarily shamed because of pharisaical institutional perfectionism, etc. I believe that when that happens it is that particular individual leader or the culture that is not true, while the True Vine remains true and good in my mind. Because as I see it, the Energy that feeds the true vine, the Light of Christ (described in D&C 88) is an expanding force of plenty and is always empowering. An Institutional Religion making someone feel shame for merely masturbating is not empowering. Discouraging married couples from engaging in oral sex, which the Utah-based LDS Church did briefly around 1980, is not empowering. Disfellowshipping or excommunicating a grown adult for having consensual and safe intimate relations, is not empowering but disempowering. As I read Mormon History and Scripture, I see a consistent theme of the original Mormon Church/Vine and the Scriptures Smith produced, being a constant source of inspiration and empowerment.
In the original Doctrine of the LDS Church, The Lectures on Faith, in the First Lecture, faith is said to be "the assurance which men have of the existence of things which they have not seen; and the principle of action in all intelligent beings ... which is the moving cause of all action, in them; that without it, both mind and body would be in a state of inactivity, and all their exertions would cease, both physical and mental ... [and so faith is] what gave them energy and activity, in all their lawful avocations, callings and pursuits ... which stimulated you to action and exertion ... faith is not only the principle of action, but of power ... [faith is] the principle of power"; and the Seventh Lecture states: "As we have seen in our former lectures, that faith was the principle of action and of power in all intelligent beings ..."; and in the Book of Mormon the Spirit empowers people to fight for a just cause or to do good; and in the revelations, people are empowered to open their mouths to speak authoritatively and that they will know what to say.
There is no unhealthy shaming in the actual Mormon Scriptures, only the condemnation of major sins like murder, stealing and adultery. And what is condemned more than anything is selfishness, elitist classism, and non-equity. Also see “All Are Alike unto God”: Equality and Charity in the Book of Mormon by Lloyd D. Newell.
The consistent theme of original Mormonism is personal and interdependent empowerment and building Zion. The entire Kirland and Nauvoo Temple is one consistent ritual of empowerment; it is even called the Endowment.
