I'll bet I really don't need to get into the details of what sparks this question. There's a lot happening right now, and if I'm being frank, it's only going to get worse from here. A lot of people-saints and non-members alike are understandably overwhelmed, frustrated, and desperate for any type of resolve. For saints who are striving to be Christlike and honor their covenants, it's really hard to find our footing. Shouldn't we be mad about injustice? Whose counsel do we follow? Where's the balance between standing up for ourselves and seeking stillness? A lot of people are asking themselves (and me!) these questions. I wanted to share my research as we come to our own conclusions.
3 Nephi 12:22 Vs. Matthew 5:22
In 3 Nephi 12:22, we read, "But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of his judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire". This is popularly the scripture cited by those who advocate for peace, and have a desire to tread on despite whatever is happening in pop-culture, pop-politics, or their communities. It's a strong verse, counseling us not to hold anger for others. The word "raca" comes the Aramaic word, "reka", which essentially translates to the modern English term, "stupid" or "foolish". We can learn from this that we're not supposed to look down on, talk poorly of, or embrace anger towards our spirit brothers and sisters. It's as straightforward as can be, and is in harmony with the rest of Christ's teachings, most notably the two great commandments.
However, this scripture can be compared to Matthew 5:22, which states the same thing with one disclaimer added. Where 3 Nephi makes no ifs, ands, or buts about anger towards our brothers, Matthew states "...That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of his judgment". This difference between scriptures may seem menial at first. However, the Matthew scripture tends to be the one used by saints looking for God's permission to be angry. Plenty of people provide us cause to be angry with them. They can be offensive, violent, or disturbing of our peace. This scripture alone would lead those looking for justification of their anger to feel that the Lord encourages them to bring some sort of wrath upon their offenders.
Reading on, we are told in very clear speech that we must resolve our contentions with our brethren before we can go before the Lord's altar, love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, pray for our persecutors, and so on we could go. As we read the words of Christ we find that he doesn't want us to take on the burdens of hating, judging, or contending with one another. We know that Christ is the purest form of love called "charity". We know that at baptism, we agree to take on the name of Christ, to do our very best to be Christlike, and to be instruments in the Lord's hands to build up the kingdom of God. With these covenants, we should employ self-discipline and do what Christ would do, even when it's hard.
But What About People Promoting Sin and Disharmony?
I want you to think of the most heinous person you can imagine. This person is selfish, ignorant, manipulative, violent, publicly speaks the worst of you, is just an all-around-offender in any way you can imagine. Now...what has the Lord instructed you to do about this person? What has the Lord done about wicked people in the past? In Alma 8, when Alma was sent to the people of Ammonihah, did the Lord tell Alma, "go forth and prophesy unto this people, saying—Repent ye, for thus saith the Lord, except ye repent I will visit this people in mine anger;" or did he say "go forth and prophesy unto this people, saying-Repent ye, for thus saith the Lord, except ye repent, I will send Alma in my stead to strike you all down on my behalf because he's more obedient than you and deserves to put you all in your places because he knows better"? Pretty obvious which one's the right answer here.
We're not obedient simply to have the chance at a "beat the sin out of the sinners" license. We shouldn't take pleasure in berating our enemies or daydream of them meeting any sort of demise. When it comes to delivering the message of repentance, let's share it lovingly and lead by example. Allow those with the authority to speak in the boldness of the Lord concerning the worthiness of others. Be tolerant of one another's humanity.
We have to extend the same mercy to others that we'd want to be able to access, ourselves. Put yourselves in the Lord's shoes. Do you think he mourns the loss of his children to sin, or feels no loss and has no concern for what happens to them? Yes, when we rebel, we are absolutely going to have to face the consequences. But is the atonement not also a soothing balm for us to recover from and make the most of those consequences? So that we can learn and overcome? Let's practice allowing people the privacy to access the atonement and work through their repentance process, and let's lead them there through our Christlike examples.
Take Care of Yourself
We need the spirit now more than ever. Right now most people are not able to get baptized, have church (and many don't have family or live in homes where the gospel is entirely welcome), enter into temple covenants, or perform temple ordinances on behalf of those who've passed. Society is violent, angry, and rambunctious. People in power are posing dangerous legislation. Hearts are hardened. We don't know who to trust and we're barred from most of the things we need most while permitted access to things we don't need at all. These days weigh heavily on our souls.
In order to receive personal revelation, lead our families, and stay on the right course, we must stand where the spirit dwells. Make your home a peaceful place. Shut off the news. Back away from social media. Give your mind a break. Find your balance through prayer. Listen to uplifting messages in the form of inspired music, talks from general authorities, or church-affiliated podcasts. Give thanks for what you have. Journal about what you're experiencing. Read your scriptures. Volunteer where possible. Allow yourself to relax, pray without ceasing, and keep an eye single to the Lord.
We can't expect to receive inspiration while debating others on Facebook. We can't roll around in the mud, claiming moral superiority, fully engaged with the enemy and be fully engaged with God. Promote that which is good, wholesome, and moral. Support love and peace and charity. Rely on the power of discipleship, rather than the false-strength of contention. We can't argue and fight people, no matter how wrong they may be, into morality or discipleship. And when people have struck the hardest, sometimes it's best that we react like Alma and Amulek-silently, and with prayer.
Remember that we are not charged with the responsibility to do battle with every ounce of evil that can be found on earth. If we have the ability to make a more responsible choice, vote against evil legislation or politicians, speak the truth, or otherwise be a force for good, that is our responsibility. But please, do not feel like you have to lash out against every single disturbing, hateful, or unchristlike comment that you come across all of the time. It's enough just to pray for them and do your best to lead a peaceful and righteous life, I promise.
In these days, I think of Mark 4:39-40 when Christ calms the storms and says to his disciples, "...Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?" Great forces for evil, wild storms of chaos both natural and man-made have become relentless in our day. Still, we have to place our faith in Christ. He has promise to calm these storms. We know what will happen to us if we are obedient and faithful. We know very well who wins in the end. Let's stay on the winning team, and play like we're on that team.
In short, no. We should not be angered, nor should we be afraid. Leave the anger to God, because he has the strength, wisdom, experience, and authority to handle it. Leave the fear to those who would fall to the wiles of Satan. Let us be faithful and charitable, with love for our fellow-man in these last days.
Further Learning:
We read with aching hearts the plight of Alma and Amulek in Alma 14. These men exemplify the power and courage of silence.
Sweet President Hinckley warns of us the dangers of anger in his talk, Slow to Anger.
A powerful talk we all need to read given by Lynn G. Robbins titled, Agency and Anger.
A moving story of a man who learned to forgive the unforgivable told in this video
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