A very popular hymn that I’m sure you are all familiar with is called “Do What is Right”. The chorus sums up the hymn well:
Do what is right; let the consequence follow.
Battle for freedom in spirit and might;
And with stout hearts look ye forth till tomorrow.
God will protect you; then do what is right!
LDS Hymns
We normally associate this with following some commandment, and then receiving ridicule or adverse consequence for doing what is right. For example, a person keeps the Sabbath day holy by not playing a championship sporting event on Sunday, and then receives the consequences of the team not winning. A young person walks out of a party when alcohol is served, and receives teasing from their piers. Or what about BYU doing what is “right” and not allowing gender affirming speech therapy for transsexual students, and then “letting the consequence follow”, and the school loses their speech pathology accreditation.
What if we flipped this, and the thing we do is right but then draws adverse consequences from the Church? One person decided to protect children (do what is right), and advocates for the ending of one-on-one child and youth interviews with church leaders. This person let the consequences follow, and was excommunicated from the Church.
Another example is advocating for women’s voices in the Church, or for LGBTQ rights. Let the consequence follow (shunning/excommunication).
What ways have you seen in the church where somebody did the right thing, but then was punished?
Wheat & Tares 
This is the exact reason why I no longer am an active member of the church.
My mission, 30 yrs ago, is full of these stories. One brief highlight, my MP had so many irrational rules and only wanted numbers. It was to the extreme that the only month I did not baptize on my Central American mission, was of my own choice. After I had grown fatigued of baptizing 9 year olds and also people who would be inactive within 2 weeks. That particular month the only investigator we had was a mentally disabled individual, who did not fully understand or comprehend what we were discussing. When the pressure came down from the AP and the MP on where is the baptism, they said to baptize her anyways. I pushed back and said, “No!” My MP threatened to send me home.
Two months later he threatened to send me home again, when I refused to work the entire P-day, because we did not have a baptism, as of yet. We were baptizing someone the next day. I told him. He got me on the phone, and said go work. I said, “no” I am exhausted and needed a break from working/walking 14 hour days. He again, said go to work or pack your bags.
The mission was full of 2 years of mental, physical and spiritual abuse. When I returned home and tired to tell my stories, no one would listen. He was protected by his prior MP, who was a GA. I thought my mission was unique, until the internet allows us all communicate. If you listen to Mormon Stories #1 with John Dehlin and #101-103 with Ted Lyon, you will start to understand. I went down the rabbit hole of all aspects of church history and now my eyes are open.
The obedience culture of the LDS church has killed “Do what is right!”
My final shelf item, was early morning seminary.
I stood up for my kids. In our area, the kids had seminary at 5:30 AM. That means getting up at least 5AM. I saw how the seminary hour was ruining our family. We were all exhausted. I had read all the research that youth need to be sleeping. We approached the Bishop then Stake president about doing home study seminary, they said “No”.
I pushed back, and they did not like that I was not obedient. Consequentially, that same week I was going to be place onto the Stake high council. The official call was not extended. I realized again, the LDS organization does not care about its members. It is all about money, power and control. They try to talk a good talk, when needed in GC, however that is not the LDS church reality. Why go on a mission when there is no service and it is all abuse. why pay tithing when it is wasted unnecessarily. why do what they say, because they are typically wrong from history, and everything else they talk about.
The gospel is not the LDS church as most TMB think. the gospel of Jesus Christ is easier to practice when you can think for your self, do not have to play “be obedient” Man’s ways are not God’s ways. I have seen all the abusers of LDS power advance in the system to continue their abuse, and the rational thinking and kind Christ like individuals be left behind.
The church needs more members to stand up and state, no more abuse ! No more lies ! No more cover up! But most TBM’s are living in denial, including too many of my own family members.
One example of “doing what is right” is being authentic. And while I find my LDS friends to be nice, friendly, and positive people, I wouldn’t say authenticity is one of their strong points. I don’t blame them generally. My observation is that the LDS culture doesn’t encourage authenticity but rather conformity.
The Church is always right.
I was in a bishopric when the bishop’s wife was a YW leader. She put enormous pressure on the YW to be there on time. On night, two YW came to the activity directly from a track meet. The bishop’s wife berated them for not dressing modesty.
One of the YW was the daughter of the other counselor in the bishopric. The bishop asked us both what we thought about the situation, and we both said that YW should never be criticized in front of the group, especially for trying to do what is right.
We were both realized within a month. While I was not happy about why the release happened, I realized that my life was happier after I was released because I had more time for my family and I didn’t have to deal with the nonsense anymore.
Richard Ostler has a new book about improving our church culture. He solicited real-life anecdotes; I submitted some thoughts, book is now published and now I am awaiting the Inquisition.
It goes all the way back to Eve. She ate the fruit, which, according to our theology, was the right thing to do because she brought about our mortal experience and set everything in motion. For her trouble, she got punished with subjugation and got vilified by her descendants. Until the 2019 changes in the endowment, her daughters were also punished with the same subjugation, and we still have patriarchy to root out.
I was an obedient son of God, and the consequence I received for my obedience was the death of my ten children. I lost most of my wealth. My friends turned against me, and I got terrible boils all over my body — Job
I was obedient to God and the consequence I received was being mistreated by my older brothers and secretly sold as a slave. I lived the law of chastity by resisting the advances of a married woman where I worked and as a consequence was cast into prison. — Joseph son of Jacob
Elder Christofferson shared several other examples like this today in his talk. Life is full of injustices, even coming from people who should know better. For those of us professing Christian discipleship, one of our tests is to determine how we will respond when injustice comes our way.
I’m questioning the OP’s examples. Here is another way to look at them:
“A person keeps the Sabbath day holy by not playing a championship sporting event on Sunday, and then receives the consequences of the team not winning.”
OR
receives the consequences of:
1. Realizing he can make difficult, but correct choices
2. A growing confidence in his standing before God
3. Increased faith in Jesus Christ
4. Being an example to others of his friends and teammates about priorities in life
“A young person walks out of a party when alcohol is served, and receives teasing from their piers.”
OR
receives above 4 consequences AND:
1. Staying healthy
2. Not puking over a toilet bowl
3. Not starting a bad, addictive habit
4. Not making poor choices at the party due to reduced mental awareness
5. Not getting a DUI on his way home
Helmuth Hubener …
Rudy: “Until the 2019 changes in the endowment, her daughters were also punished with the same subjugation…”
From the days of Nauvoo it’s been understood that men and women would inherited the universe together. And so, however the cultural elements of the drama might have influenced the portrayal of the endowment–the fact is women have always been on track to become exalted and “rule” in the Kingdom.
“…and we still have patriarchy to root out.”
Not completely. It needs to be cleansed–and then matriarchy needs to take its place along side of patriarchy.
I’m sorry–that should be Rudi with an “I”.
Emma Hale Smith tiring of cleaning priesthood leaders’ poorly aimed tobacco spit and green tea is vilified forevermore.
Larry,
Who said it was poorly aimed? There were serious cross winds over that spittoon.
Natasha Helfer Parker – spoke up on behalf of LGBT kids and was excommunicated in a kangaroo court.
Kate Kelly asked for better treatment of women and revelation re: women in the church and was excommunicated in a kangaroo court. After she was gone, several of the reforms she advocated for were quietly made- without of course giving her any credit.
Lavina Fielding Anderson wrote about women in the church and was excommunicated. Played nice for 24 years and was resubmitted to the FP for reinstatement- which they denied w/o explanation.
Sam Young, former bishop, went on a hunger strike to get the church’s attention to stop having male leaders interview children and teens one-on-one w sexually explicit questions. He was excommunicated, and then the policy changed.
Thomas B. Marsh advocated against the Danites and their violent rebuttals, eschewing a more Christ-like, peaceful behavior. After a Danite raid, Marsh and Orson Hyde left the church (1839) and sadly, their affidavit condemning the Danite raid added kindling to the Mormon War. He did not rejoin the church for 19 years and was never again invited into leadership. He and his wife have been vilified with the debunked “milk strippings” story (which you can read about elsewhere on the bloggernacle) for generations.
Byron Marchant. I mourn for all of these people who had the integrity to speak up, but especially for Byron Marchant, who was the lone dissenting voice in the 1977 Gen Conference to not sustain the brethren for the church’s stance at the time on not ordaining those of African descent to the priesthood.
“President Tanner? President Tanner?” He said. “Yes?” From the pulpit.
“Did you get my negative vote?”
“No. Let me see it.”
“Up here.”
“Oh, up there. I’m sorry, I couldn’t see up in the gallery. We’ll ask you to see Elder Hinckley immediately after this meeting.”
Marchant was advocating for a black boy in his SLC-based YM group. Marchant was excommunicated, but within the year, the policy was reversed.
And here’s yet another way to look at Bishop Bill’s examples.
“A person keeps the Sabbath day holy by not playing a championship sporting event on Sunday, and then receives the consequences of the team not winning.”
OR
1. Plays the game on Sunday and demonstrates a commitment to both chosen career and teammates, which is crucial in a professional sport
2. Finds alterative ways to worship on Sunday before or after the game
3. Creates opportunities to talk to teammates about chosen religion instead of appearing to be a sanctimonious tool
4. Decides that Christ’s willingness to walk with all people is a better example to follow than that of the Pharisees condemning everyone for breaking nonsensical rules
“A young person walks out of a party when alcohol is served, and receives teasing from their piers.”
OR
1. Stays at the party and drinks soft drinks while managing to have a good time with friends
2. Makes sure drunk friends get home safely and don’t do something stupid
3. Develops a reputation as someone that can be trusted to make sound decisions
4. Creates opportunities to talk to classmates about chosen religion instead of appearing to be a sanctimonious tool
Sandy Koufax played on Saturday. Dale Murphy played on Sunday. Bryce Harper PLAYS on Sunday. Young people can make smart choices without making a sanctimonious scene. Also, why is this kid at a party that they have to walk out of? Did they not know there would be booze?
So much constructive nuance drowns in Mormonism’s unnecessary focus on not just making good choices but also making a scene so everyone at the party and God himself notice.
100% jaredsbrother. You took the thoughts of out my brain and put them in words that I could never articulate so clearly.
@jaredsbrother
I think the additional possible consequences you suggested of the youth at the party make perfect sense. The youth is still “obeying”, by refraining from alcohol consumption as the OP implies. Not so sure if your suggestions about keeping the sabbath day holy fit with the logic of the OP. (Also, keeping the sabbath day holy is not strictly a “Mormon” thing, it’s more of a Christian thing, but I agree, Mormons may keep it holy differently than others.)
The OP’s example suggests that choosing to not play is a way for the person to keep the sabbath day holy and that playing the game is not. You invalidate, or change, the example by suggesting that playing the game can be a way to keep the sabbath day holy. I think a comparison to career athletes is not an apples-to-apples comparison as well. I get it though that you’re saying that there could be positive consequences for choosing to play the game on Sunday. I agree that your suggestions could definitely be consequences of his choosing to play on Sunday. I suppose at that point, it comes down to the fact that one would have to decide which of all these possible positive consequences he wishes to have.
In my comment above, I was just trying to suggest that following the logic of the OP’s examples, we could look for other, much more positive consequences than those suggested by the OP.
bwbarnett, I think when the typical Mormon sings the song, they think of the “consequence” as something not desirable, but worth the cost. Anyway, that is how I always pictured it as a youth. Maybe we need to change it to some consequences can be good like you suggest. But I think in general in the English language, the word consequence denote something bad. E.G. a mother reprimanding a child saying “you better stop that or there will be consequences” . It is implied that the consequences will be bad.