“Mark Them Which Cause Divisions”

How do you handle disrupters?

Near the end of Paul’s epistle to the Romans, he interrupts a series of greetings to give his readers one final warning:

I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

Romans 16:17-18

To “mark” in King James English is to notice or to be aware of. Paul is urging church members, whom he praises in the following verse for their humble obedience, to be careful not to be led astray by people with selfish motives.

Paul’s advice reminded me of the following guidance from President Russell M. Nelson:

Take your questions to the Lord and to other faithful sources. Study with the desire to believe rather than with the hope that you can find a flaw in the fabric of a prophet’s life or a discrepancy in the scriptures. Stop increasing your doubts by rehearsing them with other doubters. Allow the Lord to lead you on your journey of spiritual discovery.

“Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains,” General Conference, April 2021, italics added

Alma had to deal with this issue as the church grew in the land of Zarahemla. When the church was small, at the waters of Mormon, he taught the people to avoid contention and to have “their hearts knit together in unity and love one towards another” (Mosiah 18:21). When they escaped from King Noah’s armies and established their own city, he taught them to love one another, and “that there should be no contention among them” (Mosiah 23:15). But he also encouraged them to be careful: “trust no one to be your teacher nor your minister, except he be a man of God, walking in his ways and keeping his commandments” (Mosiah 23:14).

But after they immigrated to the land of Zarahemla, things suddenly got more complicated. King Mosiah authorized Alma to “establish churches throughout all the land…and gave him power to ordain priests and teachers over every church” (Mosiah 25:19). Suddenly, he was working with a much larger number of people, including many people whom he did not know personally.

When a growing number of church members began to sow seeds of doubt and cause disssentions within the church, Alma knew he had to do something. He “poured out his whole soul to God” because he “feared that he should do wrong” (Mosiah 26:13-14). In response, God instructed him to talk with the dissenters. If they are willing to repent, forgive them. If not, they should no longer be considered members of the church. “Whosoever will not repent of his sins the same shall not be numbered among my people,” He directed (Mosiah 26:32).

This guidance must be kept within the context of the Savior’s instructions when He visited the American continent:

Ye shall not forbid any man from coming unto you when ye shall meet together, but suffer them that they may come unto you and forbid them not;

But ye shall pray for them, and shall not cast them out; and if it so be that they come unto you oft ye shall pray for them unto the Father, in my name….

For unto such shall ye continue to minister; for ye know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal them; and ye shall be the means of bringing salvation unto them.

3 Nephi 18:22-23, 30

Here’s the combined message I get from these scriptures: If people are disruptive, if they erode faith and cause contention, you should continue to love them, to minister to them, and to welcome them into your meetings. Pray for them. But don’t make them your advisor, your coach, or your mentor. Don’t trust them unduly, and don’t immerse yourself in their criticism or bitterness. We should “mourn with those that mourn,” not “doubt with those who doubt.”

Today, I will minister mindfully. I will love and serve the people around me and be empathetic to the the challenges they face, but I will avoid being drawn into negative thought patterns and behaviors. I will take note of behaviors and words which cause divisions and avoid them.