The authoritarian ideology of Russell Nelson

[drumdude]

But, my dear brothers and sisters, so many wonderful things are ahead. In coming days, we will see the greatest manifestations of the Savior’s power that the world has ever seen. Between now and the time He returns “with power and great glory,”1 He will bestow countless privileges, blessings, and miracles upon the faithful.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/stu ... n?lang=eng


I can't shake the eerie feeling I get reading this talk. Nelson's words could have come out of the mouth of any 20th or 21st century dictator.

Everything in quotes is a direct sentence from Nelson's talk.

The opening statement is "You are constantly on my mind" implying he knows the individual listener personally through some magical gift from God.

He says he "weeps over your heartaches" again as if he knows you personally and isn't just basing it on meeting a few church members on his trips around the world.

He says the dead dear leader from whom he derives his power, Jesus, loves you. "They are intimately aware of your circumstances"

Then we move into the fear section:

The world is in crisis. You're scared. You're anxious. You're in financial trouble. "You may have had days when you wished you could don your pajamas, curl up in a ball, and ask someone to awaken you when the turmoil is over." And we have to unify against our enemies. But there is an ultimate solution.

If you join Mormonism, "He will bestow countless privileges, blessings, and miracles upon the faithful." "Each person who makes covenants in baptismal fonts and in temples—and keeps them—has increased access to the power of Jesus Christ." "Those who live the higher laws of Jesus Christ have access to His higher power."

How do you access this solution?

You have to "overcome" the world. Us versus them. What do you have to do? You have to put the Mormon church above everything else. "It means overcoming the temptation to care more about the things of this world than the things of God." "Keeping [Mormon] covenants that endow us with power."

What is the punishment for not joining Us against Them?

"But here is the grand truth: while the world insists that power, possessions, popularity, and pleasures of the flesh bring happiness, they do not! They cannot! What they do produce is nothing but a hollow substitute for “the blessed and happy state of those [who] keep the commandments of God.”

Finally, we get to the meat of the deal.

You have to BIND yourself to the church. You have to YOKE yourself to the church. Like a mule. Oh, but pulling that load will actually make you feel lighter!

“Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, … lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace.”

Back to the bargain.

"My plea to you this morning is to find rest from the intensity, uncertainty, and anguish of this world by overcoming the world through your covenants with God." You're a poor, sad, anxious person and we can help you if you BIND yourself to us.

We are building an army.

"As I have stated before, the gathering of Israel is the most important work taking place on earth today. One crucial element of this gathering is preparing a people who are able, ready, and worthy to receive the Lord when He comes again, a people who have already chosen Jesus Christ over this fallen world, a people who rejoice in their agency to live the higher, holier laws of Jesus Christ."

And finally, the cherry on top of the disgusting authoritarian cake, an appeal to Russell Nelson's authority as he blesses you.

"With the power of the holy apostleship vested in me, I bless you in your quest to overcome this world. I bless you to increase your faith in Jesus Christ and learn better how to draw upon His power. I bless you to be able to discern truth from error. I bless you to care more about the things of God than the things of this world. I bless you to see the needs of those around you and strengthen those you love."

[canpakes]

"You may have had days when you wished you could don your pajamas, curl up in a ball, and ask someone to awaken you when the turmoil is over."

Oh. Turmoil. Such that my most seriously considered option is to don pajamas and curl up into bed? Well, poor us, I guess.

It’s still surprising to watch how someone who has supposedly traveled the world will continue to phrase sentiments in ways that are this detached and forcibly filtered through the relative privilege of First World experience, given that the vast majority of folks more than 1000 miles outside of his own environment likely could never even afford to own a set of pajamas.

[Kishkumen]

But this is the same old message. Not very scary. Gird up your loins, stop buying ciggies! Say a prayer, and don’t drink coffee!

[malkie]

Perhaps this great manifestation is the church spending its tens of billions of dollars now to help people who are living and dying in misery.

whadyathink?

[Kishkumen]

Perhaps this great manifestation is the church spending its tens of billions of dollars now to help people who are living and dying in misery.

whadyathink?

If only!

[Dr Moore]

That would be the first true miracle in the church since the days of brother Joseph.

[Informant]

Hey dumdude, did you vote for Trump?

[drumdude]

Hey dumdude, did you vote for Trump?

Does your question relate to Russell Nelson?

[drumdude]

Perhaps this great manifestation is the church spending its tens of billions of dollars now to help people who are living and dying in misery.

whadyathink?

That’s just it. Imagine if instead of telling Mormons that they need to be scared, tribal, and insulated from the non-Mormon world - how about telling Mormons to make Earth the heaven that they’re waiting for?

When you think this place is just a temporary test, you’re not likely to enjoy your time here. And you’re not likely to take good care of it. The Earth becomes just a means to a hypothetical celestial end, rather than an end in itself.

Strangely enough, those who have power in this world- the one we know exists- are Russell Nelson and his friends.

[Informant]

Hey dumdude, did you vote for Trump?

Does your question relate to Russell Nelson?

It relates to authoritarianism.