The Dangers of Gospel Hobbies

[freedomforall]

This whole article is fuel for contention and disputation because it aims to judge others as being wrong, while the author is right. It creates an us and them. These people are extreme, I, the author, am moderate and balanced.

The author is exhausted by the recruiting attempts by "catastrophist". Labeling people is a sure fire way to create an us versus them scenario. Contention and disputation on full display. Being exhausted by something is just another way of saying they are frazzled or "done with" something, which are just another way of being angry/upset.

-Finrock

I believe this is a very keen insight. In seeking to instruct people on how to avoid contention, the man is creating a rift between himself and his fellowman, or in other words, creating contention.

I think he has some good points but I believe his premise is off. The focus of the Book of Mormon is not to avoid contention. It's to urge people to come unto Christ. When people come unto Christ, contention will be cleansed out of their lives in the Lord's way, which often includes experiencing more contention at first as hell unleashes its fury against you. His focus on avoiding contention is misleading. You can damn yourself seeking only to avoid contention rather than to come to Christ.

The main problem this misinterpretation of focus creates is that we receive what we focus on in life. If we are going around thinking, avoid contention, avoid contention, we are sure to find contention at every turn. On the other hand, if our focus is, seek Christ, repent, forgive, etc., we will find him and avoid contention as a side effect as well.

Say what? These directives are the Lord's way. From the BoM As follows:


the Lord commands that men not contend one with another: 2 Ne. 26:32 .

beware lest contentions arise among you: Mosiah 2:32 .

Alma commands no contention among Church members: Mosiah 18:21 .

great contentions arise among people of Church: Alma 4:9 .

Amulek admonishes people not to contend against the Holy Ghost: Alma 34:38 .

Satan spreads rumors and contentions: Hel. 16:22 .

devil is father of contention, stirs up men to contend with anger: 3 Ne. 11:29 .

no contentions in land because of love of God: 4 Ne. 1:2, 13, 15, 18 .

he who contends against word of the Lord will be accursed: Ether 4:8 .

The Lord commands men not to contend with one another:2 Ne. 26:32;

Ye will not suffer your children to fight and quarrel with one another:Mosiah 4:14;

Alma commanded that there be no contention among Church members:Mosiah 18:21;

The devil is the father of contention and stirs up men to contend with one another:3 Ne. 11:29; ( Mosiah 23:15; )
.............................................................................................................................................
Contention among church members can and does become a stumbling block.

Alma 4:10
10 And thus ended the eighth year of the reign of the judges; and the wickedness of the church was a great stumbling-block to those who did not belong to the church; and thus the church began to fail in its progress.

Rom. 14:13 .
13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.

[Matchmaker]

I need a good definition of contention that this convert can understand. Please help, if you can.

Some people in the Church, and out of it, will perceive others as being contentious, when all the other person is doing, in my opinion, is voicing a differing opinion than the speaker, or simply looking for clarification or further understanding of the reasons behind doing something. When does a healthy discussion cross the line into contention?

I'm sure avoiding contention is not meant to turn us into sheep who follow others blindly and can't think for themselves.

[diligently seeking]

Contention is Darkness.

The peaceable things of God are light and truth and edifies.

The condition of our heart determines which we will receive / promote.
D&C 50
17 Verily I say unto you, he that is ordained of me and sent forth to preach the word of truth by the Comforter, in the Spirit of truth, doth he preach it by the Spirit of truth or some other way?
18 And if it be by some other way it is not of God.
19 And again, he that receiveth the word of truth, doth he receive it by the Spirit of truth or some other way?
20 If it be some other way it is not of God.
21 Therefore, why is it that ye cannot understand and know, that he that receiveth the word by the Spirit of truth receiveth it as it is preached by the Spirit of truth?
22 Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together.
23 And that which doth not edify is not of God, and is darkness.
24 That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.
25 And again, verily I say unto you, and I say it that you may know the truth, that you may chase darkness from among you

[diligently seeking]

More on the heart and its pivotal role in what we promote:

10And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: 11Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

12Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? 13But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. 14Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

15Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. 16And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?17Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? 18But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.19For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

Matthew 6


19 ¶ Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 ¶ No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon

2nephi 25

10 Wherefore, it hath been told them concerning the destruction which should come upon them, immediately after my father left Jerusalem; nevertheless, they hardened their hearts; and according to my prophecy they have been destroyed, save it be those which are carried away captive into Babylon.

11 And now this I speak because of the spirit which is in me. And notwithstanding they have been carried away they shall return again, and possess the land of Jerusalem; wherefore, they shall be restored again to the land of their inheritance.

12 But, behold, they shall have wars, and rumors of wars; and when the day cometh that the Only Begotten of the Father, yea, even the Father of heaven and of earth, shall manifest himself unto them in the flesh, behold, they will reject him, because of their iniquities, and the hardness of their hearts, and the stiffness of their necks.

13 Behold, they will crucify him; and after he is laid in a sepulchre for the space of three days he shall rise from the dead, with healing in his wings; and all those who shall believe on his name shall be saved in the kingdom of God. Wherefore, my soul delighteth to prophesy concerning him, for I have seen his day, and my heart doth magnify his holy name.

1nephi 2:


9 And when my father saw that the waters of the river emptied into the fountain of the Red Sea, he spake unto Laman, saying: O that thou mightest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of all righteousness!

10 And he also spake unto Lemuel: O that thou mightest be like unto this valley, firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord!

11 Now this he spake because of the stiffneckedness of Laman and Lemuel; for behold they did murmur in many things against their father, because he was a visionary man, and had led them out of the land of Jerusalem, to leave the land of their inheritance, and their gold, and their silver, and their precious things, to perish in the wilderness. And this they said he had done because of the foolish imaginations of his heart.

12 And thus Laman and Lemuel, being the eldest, did murmur against their father. And they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them.

13 Neither did they believe that Jerusalem, that great city, could be destroyed according to the words of the prophets. And they were like unto the Jews who were at Jerusalem, who sought to take away the life of my father.

14 And it came to pass that my father did speak unto them in the valley of Lemuel, with power, being filled with the Spirit, until their frames did shake before him. And he did confound them, that they durst not utter against him; wherefore, they did as he commanded them.

15 And my father dwelt in a tent.

16 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers.

17 And I spake unto Sam, making known unto him the things which the Lord had manifested unto me by his Holy Spirit. And it came to pass that he believed in my words.

18 But, behold, Laman and Lemuel would not hearken unto my words; and being grieved because of the hardness of their hearts I cried unto the Lord for them.

D&C 39


1 Hearken and listen to the voice of him who is from all eternity to all eternity, the Great I Am, even Jesus Christ

2 The light and the life of the world; a light which shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not;

3 The same which came in the meridian of time unto mine own, and mine own received me not;

4 But to as many as received me, gave I power to become my sons; and even so will I give unto as many as will receive me, power to become my sons.

5 And verily, verily, I say unto you, he that receiveth my gospel receiveth me; and he that receiveth not my gospel receiveth not me.

6 And this is my gospel—repentance and baptism by water, and then cometh the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, even the Comforter, which showeth all things, and teacheth the peaceable things of the kingdom.



Moroni 7

3 Wherefore, I would speak unto you that are of the church, that are the peaceable followers of Christ, and that have obtained a sufficient hope by which ye can enter into the rest of the Lord, from this time henceforth until ye shall rest with him in heaven.

4 And now my brethren, I judge these things of you because of your peaceable walk with the children of men.


3Nephi 11:

29 For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.  Etc...

[captainfearnot]

I need a good definition of contention that this convert can understand. Please help, if you can.

Some people in the Church, and out of it, will perceive others as being contentious, when all the other person is doing, in my opinion, is voicing a differing opinion than the speaker, or simply looking for clarification or further understanding of the reasons behind doing something. When does a healthy discussion cross the line into contention?

I'm sure avoiding contention is not meant to turn us into sheep who follow others blindly and can't think for themselves.

The quote from 3 Nephi is "the spirit of contention is of the devil." There's an article in the Ensign that addresses the difference between disagreement and contention here.

It’s normal for people to have different views, and there are times when disciples of Jesus Christ need to stand up in the face of opposition for what we believe. But we need to state our positions in a positive and factual way without becoming angry, bitter, or insulting. So how do we avoid contentious conflict?

You’ve probably heard we can “disagree without being disagreeable.” Avoiding contention begins with your motives and desires. The scriptures say that “only by pride cometh contention” (Proverbs 13:10). If you care more about “winning an argument” or “being right,” a spirit of contention is almost certain to follow.

Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has taught some ways to avoid contention: (1) “show compassionate concern for others”; (2) “bridle the passion to speak or write contentiously for personal gain or glory”; and (3) “in humble submissiveness, truly [love] God.”1 Then we can have the Spirit of the Lord with us, not the spirit of contention.

When I ponderize what is meant by the "spirit of contention," I'm reminded of recent studies that have shown that as a culture we are becoming increasingly addicted to moral outrage. Social networks make it easy to seek out the most extreme and strident positions on either side of an issue, and many of us will intentionally look for people who are espousing the views we find most offensive because we get a rush from the anger that wells up when we encounter them. I think that's the spirit of contention that is of the devil. Just because you might be on the moral or righteous side of an issue doesn't mean you're justified in indulging your wrath. Compassion, patience and long-suffering are still called for.

That being said, I do think members of the church often cite the avoidance of contention as a passive-aggressive maneuver in an argument. Any disagreement can be dismissed as inciting contention, in favor of the status quo. I don't think that's what the "spirit of contention" means at all. I think it is just a reminder to handle our disagreements like mature adults who are striving to be Christlike.

[Matchmaker]

I need a good definition of contention that this convert can understand. Please help, if you can.

Some people in the Church, and out of it, will perceive others as being contentious, when all the other person is doing, in my opinion, is voicing a differing opinion than the speaker, or simply looking for clarification or further understanding of the reasons behind doing something. When does a healthy discussion cross the line into contention?

I'm sure avoiding contention is not meant to turn us into sheep who follow others blindly and can't think for themselves.

The quote from 3 Nephi is "the spirit of contention is of the devil." There's an article in the Ensign that addresses the difference between disagreement and contention here.

It’s normal for people to have different views, and there are times when disciples of Jesus Christ need to stand up in the face of opposition for what we believe. But we need to state our positions in a positive and factual way without becoming angry, bitter, or insulting. So how do we avoid contentious conflict?

You’ve probably heard we can “disagree without being disagreeable.” Avoiding contention begins with your motives and desires. The scriptures say that “only by pride cometh contention” (Proverbs 13:10). If you care more about “winning an argument” or “being right,” a spirit of contention is almost certain to follow.

Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has taught some ways to avoid contention: (1) “show compassionate concern for others”; (2) “bridle the passion to speak or write contentiously for personal gain or glory”; and (3) “in humble submissiveness, truly [love] God.”1 Then we can have the Spirit of the Lord with us, not the spirit of contention.

When I ponderize what is meant by the "spirit of contention," I'm reminded of recent studies that have shown that as a culture we are becoming increasingly addicted to moral outrage. Social networks make it easy to seek out the most extreme and strident positions on either side of an issue, and many of us will intentionally look for people who are espousing the views we find most offensive because we get a rush from the anger that wells up when we encounter them. I think that's the spirit of contention that is of the devil. Just because you might be on the moral or righteous side of an issue doesn't mean you're justified in indulging your wrath. Compassion, patience and long-suffering are still called for.

That being said, I do think members of the church often cite the avoidance of contention as a passive-aggressive maneuver in an argument. Any disagreement can be dismissed as inciting contention, in favor of the status quo. I don't think that's what the "spirit of contention" means at all. I think it is just a reminder to handle our disagreements like mature adults who are striving to be Christlike.

Thank you. This is just the information I was looking for.

[freedomforall]

I need a good definition of contention that this convert can understand. Please help, if you can.

Some people in the Church, and out of it, will perceive others as being contentious, when all the other person is doing, in my opinion, is voicing a differing opinion than the speaker, or simply looking for clarification or further understanding of the reasons behind doing something. When does a healthy discussion cross the line into contention?

I'm sure avoiding contention is not meant to turn us into sheep who follow others blindly and can't think for themselves.

Contention = strife

Strife =

vigorous or bitter conflict, discord, or antagonism: to be at strife.
a quarrel, struggle, or clash: armed strife.
competition or rivalry:
angry or violent struggle; conflict
rivalry or contention, esp of a bitter kind

[Matchmaker]

I need a good definition of contention that this convert can understand. Please help, if you can.

Some people in the Church, and out of it, will perceive others as being contentious, when all the other person is doing, in my opinion, is voicing a differing opinion than the speaker, or simply looking for clarification or further understanding of the reasons behind doing something. When does a healthy discussion cross the line into contention?

I'm sure avoiding contention is not meant to turn us into sheep who follow others blindly and can't think for themselves.

Contention = strife

Strife =

vigorous or bitter conflict, discord, or antagonism: to be at strife.
a quarrel, struggle, or clash: armed strife.
competition or rivalry:
angry or violent struggle; conflict
rivalry or contention, esp of a bitter kind

Thanks, Freedomforall. That's a good definition of contention. The presence of anger, bitterness, or envy changes things.
I like your blue bird avatar also.

[freedomforall]

I need a good definition of contention that this convert can understand. Please help, if you can.

Some people in the Church, and out of it, will perceive others as being contentious, when all the other person is doing, in my opinion, is voicing a differing opinion than the speaker, or simply looking for clarification or further understanding of the reasons behind doing something. When does a healthy discussion cross the line into contention?

I'm sure avoiding contention is not meant to turn us into sheep who follow others blindly and can't think for themselves.

Contention = strife

Strife =

vigorous or bitter conflict, discord, or antagonism: to be at strife.
a quarrel, struggle, or clash: armed strife.
competition or rivalry:
angry or violent struggle; conflict
rivalry or contention, esp of a bitter kind

Thanks, Freedomforall. That's a good definition of contention. The presence of anger, bitterness, or envy changes things.
I like your blue bird avatar also.

Thank you, and you're welcome.