Sabbath Devotional :: In Justice and Equity

The day my oldest son turned 8-years-old, another precious boy lost his life. David was a member of our ward and had been my primary student and one of my husband’s scouts over the years. He was unarmed and 17 when he was shot and killed by an officer in broad daylight in an Austin, Texas suburb. On this, I want to be very clear: the officer who shot our friend was a good officer with a good reputation, and though he knew David was unarmed, he followed his training that day. What’s more, both David and the officer were Black. Still–David, in his fear, ran. And the officer, in his fear, fired.

For many years, I have researched Use of Force policies and law enforcement culture in an effort to understand how this could happen to a good man and a good boy who should have seen humanity in one another. Today, I am enrolled in a doctoral program for Social Justice; I seek to explain the way humans see the “other” and how this can lead to tragic violence. As a woman of faith, I also study the scriptures for spiritual understanding. I often wonder . . . What makes us place ourselves above one another? Are there examples in the scriptures of systemic bias? What would Christ have us do to avoid this?

While I have found that the Lord offers instruction on inequity in every one of our standard works, this post will include only some examples from the Book of Mormon.

Let’s begin with Jacob. His message in the temple explains how Pride stems from Privilege before leading to serious sin. Jacob 2:13 states, “ . . . because some of you have obtained more abundantly than that of your brethren ye are lifted up in the pride of your hearts . . . and persecute your brethren because ye suppose ye are better than they.” Jacob’s counsel to his people in verses 17 and 19 is to: “be familiar with all and free with your substance . . . liberate the captive.” In Jacob 3:9, we even read, “revile no more against them because of the darkness of their skins.” (Please note here: Blackness of skin is not to be interpreted as wrongdoing or a “curse” as some of us may have been taught or may mistakenly think here. For more information, please see this essay from the Gospel Library.)

Many times today, we hear untrue myths about how people came to be in their circumstances; some say we should hold others accountable by not supporting policies which would lift them out of these conditions. But King Benjamin teaches in Mosiah 4:17-18, “Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery . . . But I say unto you . . . whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent . . . For behold, are we not all beggars?”

Other times, we may be tempted to think that others lack spirituality and require only the Gospel or more righteous living to escape their challenges. Alma can help us here. Alma 4:8-12 teaches about the Pride of the people within the church, their vanity in material things, their withholding from the poor, and how their examples turned those outside the Church away from the Gospel. I find Alma’s response instructive. In this instance, Alma does not simply preach or teach his people from the scriptures. No. Instead, he employs a wise leader to make use of “laws.” Alma 4:16: And he selected a wise man who was among the elders of the church, and gave him power according to the voice of the people, that he might have power to enact laws according to the laws which had been given, and to put them in force according to the wickedness and the crimes of the people.

Again in Helaman, we see Pride enter the hearts of the members of the Church. As the people struggle for humility, Nephi governs “in justice and equity” (Helaman 3:34-37). Unfortunately, the members of the Church allowed Pride to overtake them, causing “the more humble part of the people to suffer great persecutions . . . and to wade through much affliction.” (Helaman 4:12, 6:17).

When we arrive in 3 Nephi, the tale is familiar. Satan stirs the people up in Pride, who create “ranks according to their riches and their chances for learning” and seek “power and authority, . . . and the vain things of the world.” It is Pride that brings their downfall.

Sisters, in our country today, we indeed see ranks according to riches and opportunities for learning — and a much higher percentage of those in humble circumstances have darker skins. May we recognize that to be faithful is to put aside pride and embrace humility, not just spiritually or individually, but systemically. May the Lord bless us in our efforts to establish ethical laws and appoint equitable leaders.