“O Ye Pollutions”

Moroni called us “pollutions.”

You might read this passage differently. You might conclude that he’s talking about other people, such as leaders of megachurches who grow rich by intentionally distorting the gospel to make it more popular. That scenario matches his words, but I think we miss something by assuming he’s not talking to us. It doesn’t sound to me like he is addressing only a tiny subset of his readership in the following passage:

I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.

And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts. …

O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God? Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies—because of the praise of the world?

Mormon 8:35-36, 38

As I’ve pondered his meaning this week, I’ve considered the plight of parenthood. Most parents do their best to raise their children well. They try to be good examples, but invariably, their weaknesses and shortcomings affect their children, either by influencing them, or by offending them, or both. We are all imperfect people, and so all parents are imperfect parents. That’s not an excuse for poor parenting; it’s a reminder to be self-aware and to look for ways to minimize the damage from our deficiencies.

Jesus said, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17; see also Matthew 9:13, Luke 5:32). We often say that the church is a hospital for sinners, not a resort for saints. That may help us be more patient when the people around us fall short of our expectations. But we are not only patients at church; we are also doctors and nurses. “And they did admonish their brethren; and they were also admonished, every one by the word of God” (Mosiah 26:39). “And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls” (Moroni 6:5). We literally hold one another’s welfare and spiritual progression in our hands as we worship together. We ought to approach that sacred responsibility with the conscientiousness of a parent, striving to help others grow closer to God, even as we recognize that we won’t do it perfectly.

Elder David A. Bednar recently reminded us, “If you or I believe we are sufficiently strong and stalwart to avoid the arrogance of pride, then perhaps we already are suffering from this deadly spiritual disease. … If, however, you or I believe we could be afflicted with and by pride, then we consistently will do the small and simple things that will protect and help us become ‘as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us]'” (“In the Space of Not Many Years,” General Conference, October 2024).

Today, I will do my best to mitigate the impact of my shortcomings on other people. I will strive, with God’s help, to influence other people in positive ways in spite of my imperfections.