Insubordination

True Story...Years ago I had a conversation with an individual who had been excommunicated from the church in his younger days but had since found his way back into full activity.   He told me the reason he'd been excommunicated was because he had been found guilty of insubordination to his priesthood leaders (bishop and stake president) in failing to follow their council on a particular issue.  At the time of him telling me the story he held a position where I was under his direction and he wanted me to follow some advice he was giving me. He related his excommunication story to me in an effort to get me to fall in line with his wishes.  He was attempting to get me to comply with what he wanted me to do or else (as he warned me) I may face the same fate as he once did in finding myself outside the safety net of the church because I would not yield to the advice of my “priesthood leader.”

I didn’t press him on what his particular insubordination issue was because I felt like it was none of my business.  However, I did think an excommunication sentence sounded a pretty heavy handed for simply not following the advice of his priesthood leader.  After all, I have been guilty more times than I care to count when it comes to not following the counsel of my bishop or stake president.  To be truthful, it bothered me for quite some time that this individual had seemingly been mistreated by the bureaucracy of the church resulting in his excommunication by the over-zealous hand of local leadership.  Furthermore, I found it ironic that he would in-turn use the same tactic on me.

I later found out the reason he had been excommunicated from the church was he had been cheating on his wife.  The bishop had warned him if he did not stop and repent immediately he would be subject to a church disciplinary council and more than likely be excommunicated.  This was the council from his priesthood leaders that he failed to follow and therefore excommunicated. In his view... “insubordination.”

Now, I know what you’re thinking.  How could someone make the idiotic mistake of thinking insubordination was the problem?  That kind of stupidity should not be allowed to exist.  In fact, he should have been excommunicated based on how stupid he was to think he was being excommunicated for insubordination instead of for being unfaithful to his wife!

Unfortunately, this same line of stupidity exists among the AUB council members in the way they have treated Brian and Marv Jessop.  Men on the council have been making statements about submitting to their leadership as being the most important thing a loyal AUB member can do.  They have claimed that the reason Joe Thompson got kicked off the council was for insubordination.  The cunning talk of insubordination from members of the council while they were in Pinesdale over the Pioneer Day holiday in July is deeply troubling.  Their comments were shot across the bow of Brian Jessop, and more particular Marv, or anyone else for that matter who might dare to question and stand against their “royal council”.  They invited Marv to sit on the stand in a position of honor to supposedly show how much they love and appreciate him.  Unfortunately, their rhetoric across the pulpit of loyalty and falling in line with Lynn Thompson and Harry Bonnell was the equivalent of putting Brother Marv in the public stockades on full display for all to see just how far one can fall if they will not bow themselves to the Lord’s anointed. 

I hope to high heaven that Joe Thompson lost his good standing on the council for carrying out his sexual fantasies with his own daughters and not for being insubordinate.  Because if he was merely dismissed for insubordination then it stands to reason that if Joe Thompson would have simply fallen in line with the council, then the council would have thrown the cloak of charity over him and covered for his sins and no one would have been the wiser.  If that is the case…then truly the council is a den of vipers after the order of wicked King Noah’s court in the Book of Mormon or the Pharisees in the bible who were willing to go to any length to protect their authority and position. Those kind of actions are more closely aligned with political parties and third world despots rather than a body of men who are supposedly led by inspiration.

Just like my friend who foolishly thought he was excommunicated for insubordination, the council has learned the wrong lesson.  They think that the moral of the story regarding the recent splitting of The Group is to buckle down on loyalty and obedience to priesthood leaders so they can lead you in the paths of truth and righteousness.  Instead, the lesson that was supposed to be learned was to STOP VIOLATING THE TRUST OF THOSE WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO TRUST YOU THE MOST! Insubordination to church leaders is not a greater sin than rubbing your daughter’s breasts or covering up years of stealing tithing money.  To compare Brian and Marv Jessop's insubordination to the likes of the Thompson brothers years of corruption, lies, molestation, and financial scandals should be incredibly offensive to anyone who has frontal a lobe.

Thank goodness for men like Brian, Marv, and and many others in Pinesdale who have the guts to refuse to follow their "apostolic" brethren over the loyalty cliff.