Editor’s Note:  Several civilizations lived on the American continent over the centuries, and each of them was eventually decimated or destroyed. Does a similar fate await us?  Author Douglas E. Brinley describes ten stages of decline through which all of the previous societies passed through before they were destroyed, and he compares our current circumstances to theirs.  His book, serialized here, provides insights that give us hope in a time of upheaval, and offers timely counsel on what we must do to avoid the fate that befell former civilizations.

When the Lord led a colony of faithful souls to the promised land, they committed to “serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ” (Ether 2:12). For people to be wholly accountable for their citizenship, laws must be put in place as a foundation not only for regulating social and economic commerce but also for holding people responsible for their behavior (Moses 6:56; Ether 7:25; Mosiah 29:15; D&C 101:77–78).

Laws are designed to preserve order in the community and safeguard the rights of individuals by restricting or limiting inappropriate behavior and public demeanor inconsistent with commonly accepted community standards. Laws also prescribe behavior. It is a fundamental tenet of the United States legal system that laws apply equally to all individuals via the equal protection provisions of the Constitution. Recall the Lord’s counsel to Moses concerning all who come into the promised land: “Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 24:22).

Laws enable commercial transactions and political processes to function smoothly when a reasonable amount of certainty exists that both parties will fulfill their agreements. Without legal commercial standards, for example, business and commerce would be chaotic and we would return to a barter system. Without a fair and impartial set of laws and the means to enforce them, dishonest people gain the upper hand and cause social disorder as we learned with the Gadianton robbers. Without obedience to a commonly agreed system of rules and regulations, civilization literally would come to a halt.

The simple example of traffic lights illustrates the point. When drivers honor traffic signals, transportation moves with relative efficiency. The failure of drivers to obey such signals, however,
drastically reduces the safety and efficiency of automotive travel.

Too, laws limit the agency of those who are unwilling to abide by established standards of conduct. Sadly there are many who will not comply with or voluntarily sustain the principles of human order and decency, who prey upon the weak, the gullible, the elderly and otherwise disadvantaged individuals. Laws and the threat of punishment hold many immoral persons in check.

Ancient Laws

Among the Israelites, the Law of Moses was the basic law that regu­lated temporal and spiritual matters. The law of Moses and the laws of Mosiah formed the legal framework for the Nephite society to function (1 Nephi 4:15–16; 2 Nephi 2:13; 9:25; 13:29–30; 25:24; Jacob 4:5; Mosiah 29:15, 25–29; Alma 1:14, 17–18; 10:13–14; 11:1; Helaman 4:21–22). When the Savior personally ministered to the Jews and the Nephites, he gave his disciples a higher law that transcended the old Law of Moses, and that higher law was known to the Gentiles through the New Testament.

The United States of America differed from earlier civilizations on this land because many of the Gentiles who immigrated here came seeking not only religious freedom but political asylum as well. From their own background, those who settled this land were wary of a monarchical form of government. Though most were Christian by upbringing, they held to many doctrinal errors that had crept into Christian theology during the great apostasy after the ministry of the Savior and the Twelve. They lacked prophetic leadership and inspiration and were deficient in doctrine because of an incomplete scriptural record.

The Bible translations available to the Gentiles were a “stumbling block” to them, as Nephi declared (1 Nephi 14:1). The Bible contains errors both from intentional tampering (1 Nephi 13:26) and from unintentional scribal errors and omissions. The consequences of having an incomplete scriptural record invited and sustained theo­logical confusion. The division of Christianity into many different churches is the most compelling evidence that the Bible, in its pres­ent form, is insufficient to bring agreement and unity on saving and exalting doctrines of the gospel.1

In the First Vision, the Lord told the boy prophet of the problem with the sects of his day:

False teachings concerning gospel principles, covenants, doctrines, and ordinances abound in the theologies of the day. Teachings on the nature of the Godhead, postbiblical revelation, the premortal life, emphasis on grace solely to the exclusion of effort, the purpose of baptism, Church organization, ordinance work for the dead, marriage and family life, and a host of other doctrines were simply missing or distorted among the faiths in Joseph’s time. False theological innovations, such as Calvin’s predestination and Luther’s rejection of works, together with the pomp and ceremony that came to be associated with Christianity in the Middle Ages and beyond reduced the Savior’s gospel, in too many cases, to a set of ethics with false theo­logical underpinnings.

The teachings of men infiltrated and complicated the simple doctrines taught by the Savior. The common people, during the time we call the Dark Ages, had no access to the Bible in the early period of Catholic rule. A great number of sects were spawned because of doctrinal confusion that came from a variety of textual interpretations. No doubt many of the Founding Fathers of this nation, those who contributed to the ideas in the Constitution, did not actively participate in formalized religion because of the vagaries and confusion and contradictory teachings found in the Christian camp. Ministers preaching hellfire and damnation to instill fearful obedience did not appeal to men of intellect, those who sensed that the true God was not to be found in denominations that taught about purgatory and hell, that little children, without baptism, were damned. As Deists, many of these early founders were humble, ­God-­fearing men who were inspired to work out the purposes of the Lord through the Constitution to establish this nation on a sound political and moral footing (D&C 101:80).2

The Lord brought believing Gentiles to this land to prepare it for the restoration of the fulness of the gospel. He promised Nephi that He would assist the Gentiles out of their doctrinal nightmare and confusion by having Nephi and his seed write the gospel on the plates, and He would bring that record forth as the Book of Mormon in the latter days (1 Nephi 13:20-24, 32-36). When the priesthood was restored in 1829, this last dispensation became legitimate when doctrine and priesthood authority were once again on the earth.

These early ­God-­fearing Gentiles, as Nephi saw in vision, after defeating their “mother Gentiles” (1 Nephi 13:17) proceeded to fashion a government that has lasted into its third century. The Lord had His hand in this work, as He Himself declared: “And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose” (D&C 101:80). The framers of the Constitution were inspired to create a government incorporating a unique system of checks and balances. Having experienced firsthand the tyranny of kings and dictators in their homelands, our Founding Fathers were sufficiently wise to establish a legal and judicial system that allows for ­self-­governance, a representative system of government in which the people have a say in electing representatives. The system entailed three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial divisions. The legal system encompasses courts, judges, and laws that give protection to individuals in a trial by a jury of peers with the right to appeal. This was a new legal enterprise in the history of mankind.

The Bill of Rights was added to the original document, ensuring not only that the Constitution would be accepted by the people but that certain liberties would be preserved under the new government, liberties that had been ignored or trampled under by monarchs in the settlers’ original homelands.

Laws among the Nephites and Mulekites

The Nephites established a monarchical form of government. Kings had ruled Jerusalem since the days of Saul. King Zedekiah was king over Jerusalem at the time the Lehites and the Mulekites left the capital city (1 Nephi 1:4). Both Judah and the tribes of Israel were immersed in a kingship form of government for centuries. Thus, Laman and Lemuel could accuse Nephi of wanting to rule over them: “After he has led us away, he has thought to make himself a king and a ruler over us, that he may do with us according to his will and pleasure” (1 Nephi 16:38).

When Nephi and his followers were forced to separate themselves from the people of Laman and Lemuel, the Nephites desired to anoint Nephi as their king. Nephi recorded: “They would that I should be their king. But I, Nephi, was desirous that they should have no king” (2 Nephi 5:18). Nephi knew the dangers and difficulties that come with an unrighteous leader. Despite his reluctance, however, the people looked to Nephi as a king and protector (2 Nephi 6:2), and near the close of his life, he did ordain a king as his successor:

Having a monarchical form of government is not necessarily bad if the monarch is a righteous individual. We have positive examples of kingship in Nephi, Mosiah, and Benjamin and his son Mosiah. But the Book of Mormon also makes clear the damage a wicked king can inflict upon people. The pros and cons of a kingship form of government were explained by King Mosiah:

“We have learned by sad experience,” wrote the Prophet Joseph Smith, “that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion” (D&C 121:39). How dangerous it becomes for the governed when rulers seek power and control over others and surround themselves with cronies who seek to maintain their positions of power. Notice the parallels between Saddam Hussein and the people of Iraq, as Mosiah outlined the problem:

When the time came for Mosiah to appoint a ­successor — ­his sons were serving as missionaries to the Lamanites and therefore unavailable to assume the ­throne — ­a change was made in the form of government among the Nephites. Instead of a king, the Nephites created a system of judges elected by the voice of the ­people —­ by majority vote. Mosiah explained how this new order would serve the people best:

King Mosiah acknowledged that the laws he ordained were of God. No doubt additions or modifications to the law of Moses were made by the Nephites over time through their experience (Mosiah 2:31; 3 Nephi 6:24-27). Suffice it to say that law plays an important role in God’s plans for His children for, ultimately, laws make men and women accountable for their agency and behavior (2 Nephi 2:26).

Nonetheless, even ­self-­government is not flawless, as Mosiah warned: “Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your ­law —­ to do your business by the voice of the people” (Mosiah 29:26; italics added).

When sensible laws are upheld and sustained by the will of the majority of righteous people, society functions smoothly. Even then, however, it may be difficult to find a unanimity of opinion on any particular issue. Righteous people may disagree or have different opinions on numerous issues. Both the Republican and the Democratic parties have members who are faithful ­Latter-day Saints. Varied opinions will always exist among constituents as to what government services should be provided and the extent to which people are willing to be taxed for such services. There has been, for example, a historic divide in our country between those on the ­so-­called politi­cal “left” and those on the “right” who disagree over the amount of government involvement in community and individual affairs.3

The best course of action, the Nephite king counseled, is to make and sustain laws and policies by the voice of the ­people — the majority. When most of the people are righteous, sustain equitable laws, and elect officials who conscientiously sustain existing laws while the judiciary interprets the laws without regard to money or bribes, chances are improved for harmony in the populace. The principle is that if elected officials fail to uphold laws sustained by the majority of people, the next election will find the majority turning the incumbents out of office.4

King Mosiah also saw the weaknesses of ­self-­government: “And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity; then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land” (Mosiah 29:27; italics added).

Here is a key component! If the majority believes in and upholds strong, decent, and equitable laws, the standard of decency keeps society moving along. But should the greater proportion of the people become fuzzy about what is right and wrong and initiate or sustain legislation that encourages or protects the wicked, or when evil men and women or their legal representatives manipulate the system to avoid punishment or legal consequences for illegal acts, then a democracy can become as corrupt as that of a wicked kingship. The universal principle is that the rights and blessings of citizenship must be accompanied by responsibilities and accountability.

When the majority of people in a society influence and maintain government processes and righteous leaders through the ballot box, then that same majority must be held accountable for those who are voted into office. We have learned by sad experience that the minority, even a righteous minority, can suffer as did the ­Latter-­day Saints in their early history when the majority of people in this land and their leaders refused to come to their aid, ignoring the principles of the Constitution they had sworn to uphold.

The Breakdown of Nephite Laws

Early in the Book of Mormon account, Nephi was instructed:

Later, after the Lamanites killed many Nephites, the followers of Nephi were humbled by the losses they sustained. They understood that they had become lax in sustaining and maintaining the laws of God. The ­prophet-­writer at the time, Nephi, son of Helaman, wrote this poignant summation:

When the Nephites trampled divine laws, laws that were designed to regulate and maintain order in their society, the people began to ripen in iniquity. They sought to introduce wicked practices among the people. Warned by prophets but refusing to abide by the laws that came from God, they opened themselves up to His judgments:

Without swift repentance and reformation, the covenant on the land was fractured and the Nephites lost the divine protection of covenants with Deity. Physical and spiritual penalties came upon them until they were eventually destroyed.

The Disintegration of the Legal Framework

Except for the Lamanites, the Jaredite and Nephite civilizations were completely annihilated. The downfall of these two nations attests to the principle that the laws of God cannot be violated with impunity, nor can unrighteousness on this land be tolerated to any great extent without serious temporal and spiritual consequences. A study of these civilizations gives us insight into the state of the pres­ent Gentile civilization.

The breakdown of law among the Nephites led to wickedness, arrogance, chaos, pride, and a lack of spiritual vision. When the leaders who are responsible for maintaining and administering the law become selfish, greedy, and tainted by corruption, governmental processes quickly break down. ­Self-­interest and ­self-­preservation then dominate the landscape, and concern for the welfare of others is quickly abated. Interestingly enough, Alma singled out the group he thought most responsible for the decline in law and order and who persecuted the righteous:

In the United States, when judges and lawyers interpret laws consistent with the meaning of the inspired Constitution, society remains strong and stable. But when the very officers who are elected to safeguard and enforce sensible laws ignore them or use them to advance their own evil purposes, the law then begins to undermine justice, and it becomes a curse rather than a blessing.

Amulek explained the outcome of such actions: “I say unto you, that the foundation of the destruction of this people is beginning to be laid by the unrighteousness of your lawyers and your judges” (Alma 10:27). When laws are disregarded or ignored or when those whose task it is to enforce the laws fail to do ­so — ­or even worse, when they manipulate the law for personal ­gain — ­then the law, no matter how inspired, cannot bless the citizens.

This problem of ignoring laws, or thinking one is above the law, was a major issue among the Nephites and one that led to their destruction. Though their laws had come from God through inspired prophets and leaders, the laws were broken or ignored when the wicked ascended to power. Because the laws originated with God, however, their violation could not occur without divine displeasure and warnings. The Lord made it clear to Nephi early in the record what would happen if the Nephites fell into transgression: The Lamanites “shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in remembrance of me; and inasmuch as they will not remember me, and hearken unto my words, they shall scourge them even unto destruction” (2 Nephi 5:25; italics added). The story of the Nephites, as it unfolds in the writings of Mormon, attests to this principle. Society fell apart when ­God-­given laws were disregarded with impunity.

The Nephites reached the point when:

When ­God-­ordained laws are trampled with regularity and the majority of people allow those in power to continue to use the laws to justify wickedness, then the people become accountable because they are the ones who voted for corrupt officials. Where people have the right to vote on their representatives (or judges, in the case of the Nephites) and they consistently vote in candidates who misuse the system for their own gain, not only do the people suffer from their lack of political involvement or choices but they elect representatives who jeopardize the covenant with God.

Application to Our Day

As American citizens, we have an important say in the quality of our political leaders because we elect representatives to serve in government. The Lord commanded us to seek for good men and women who will represent people fairly and accurately and be in harmony with righteous guidelines (D&C 98:10). As recipients of the blessings of ­self-­government, Americans are also accountable for how the governmental processes work. It is our obligation as citizens to insist on reasonable laws and righteous legislators, and we ourselves must be willing to obey the laws.

We ­can —­ and ­must — ­monitor and influence government leaders and processes by our participation through the voting process. By bringing men and women to office who will serve the people humbly and well, we safeguard the Constitution, our legal system, and our way of life. To the extent that we allow wicked men and women to remain in high places, we do ourselves a disservice and perpetuate an evil system that can destroy our way of life. The small proportion of people in this country who vote in most elections is a sad commentary on the interest of the electorate to secure righteous and ­God-­fearing candidates.

To assess our collective performance as Americans, consider this question: Have the inhabitants of our land reached the point where most of the people are choosing evil over good? If not, then we will be blessed as long as the wicked remain a minority. If we have more who want to sustain evil rather than good, then we are in violation of the principle taught by King Mosiah: “If the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land” (Mosiah 29:27; italics added).

Consider the issue of abortion as an example. Does a majority of citizens of this nation sanction abortion as a form of birth control?⁵ If the majority agrees that an abortion depends on the woman’s choice alone, with no regard for the sanctity of the unborn life within her, is such a decision in harmony with what the God of the land, Jesus Christ, desires?

If a majority of people seek abortions in situations that do not threaten the life of the mother, are they violating the covenant between God and the inhabitants of the land? In its effects, was the decision of the Supreme Court in Roe vs. Wade a righteous decision? When wicked individuals gain a Constitutional right to perform or receive an abortion, is that pleasing to God? We each must answer for ourselves.

We might ask other questions: “Do a majority of people living on this ­land — ­the voice of the people, as Mosiah put ­it —­ accept the idea that consenting adults should be able to live together without being married? Can people live together or be sexually active outside of marriage without offending God and violating the spirit of the law of the land?

Does interpreting or instituting a law that gives legal sanction to ­same-­gender unions violate the laws of God? If most citizens support ­same-­gender marriage, is that a violation of the covenant of God upon this land? In other words, does He care about such behavior?

The point here is that the Book of Mormon clearly teaches that the majority of citizens in a society cannot sustain wrongdoing or wickedness, nor can the majority pass or uphold laws contrary to the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ without serious practical and spiritual consequences. When laws and punishments are enacted to prohibit crime, protect the innocent, punish the guilty, allow agency to function within sensible parameters, facilitate commerce within ­agreed ­upon guidelines, then there is safety in a ­free enterprise system nestled in a constitutional form of government. The opposite is also true. When there is evil, particularly among lawyers and legal officials, the common people usually suffer. As the Lord succinctly declared, “When the wicked rule, the people mourn” (D&C 98:9). Judicial activism, as it is called, has been rampant in recent years in this country.

The Lord explained the principle as it pertained to the redress of the Saints for the loss of their property in Missouri:

Spiritual Laws

It is important to note another difference between ­present-­day America and earlier civilizations, both on this continent and elsewhere — the fundamental principle of separation of church and state. Although as ­Latter-­day Saints we believe that the Constitution and Bill of Rights were divinely inspired, we also recognize that the system of government and laws under which we live is not a theocracy but rather a collection of ­man-­made statutes and institutions. Therefore, although the laws and regulations that a democratic society supports may be an indicator of righteousness for the majority of that society, it is important to remember that the Lord’s judgment of both the society and the individuals within it will be based on laws and standards set forth by His servants, the prophets.

Judging from media accounts of unfortunate public scandals involving governmental leaders and other citizens, it seems that many individuals in America today believe that if their behavior (or that of their leaders) is not illegal, then such behavior is inconsequential and can be overlooked.

Many consider that if a politician seems to be doing his job well and has high approval ratings, no one should care about the morality of his life. For example, the primary concern voiced during a recent scandal relating to the nation’s president was the legality of some of his actions rather than the morality of them. When the Senate determined in impeachment hearings that those actions did not constitute “high crimes and misdemeanors,” as set forth in Article II, Section 4, of the Constitution, the public seemed ready to let the matter rest.

The danger of evaluating the moral status of an individual or a society in terms of legalities lies in the low standards of criminal law. Laws are in place largely to prohibit behavior so reprehensible that it must be punished by a forfeiture of basic liberties, that is, by incarceration or fines. Put another way, it is possible for an immoral person to conduct himself in such a way as to avoid prosecution under the law while living a life extremely displeasing to the Lord. Note, for example, that violation of most of the covenants made in the temple or at baptism or at marriage would not be a violation of the criminal laws of the land.

The United States Constitution and many of the laws derived from it were never intended to be a moral compass but rather (in the case of the Bill of Rights) just the ­opposite —­ a barrier to governmental interference in individual moral behavior. Thus, the First Amendment does not directly promote religious activity, but it prohibits the government from involving itself in such activity. The Fifth Amendment does not require an individual to tell the truth, but it stops the government from forcing an individual to tell the truth if it will incriminate him or her.

Our personal standards and the standards of society the Lord allows us if we are to enjoy His blessings on this promised land are higher than the legal requirements. His requirement is that “inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper” (1 Nephi 2:20; italics added), and “if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ” (Ether 2:12; italics added), then society will be free from bondage. No jury in the land ever convicted or acquitted individuals of violations of these standards.

Summary

When we observe conditions in America today and measure the behavior of its citizens against divine principles, it is obvious that we are slipping from our moorings of righteousness as we see a great effort to justify and legalize evil practices and behavior. The prophets of old knew that such inclinations would exist among the people if they became wicked and that such behavior would undermine the foundation of social order because of those who seek power and gain. “In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you and forewarn you” (D&C 89:4).

Though the context of that warning is the Word of Wisdom, the application is also true that there are those who would use the legal system to extort, peddle drugs, form secret combinations, encourage prostitution, destroy marriage, lie, steal, gamble, and commit a host of other sins detrimental to the social order. The message of the Book of Mormon is that good laws must be firmly enforced if law and order are to function in welding a society into one of righteous unity. Integrity on the part of a nation’s citi­zens leaves room to punish offenders while allowing for repentance and rehabilitation.

We must each, as citizens, ask, Are our duly elected legislators passing laws consistent with the will of God, laws that are in harmony with the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the nation’s inspired Constitution? Do the rich of our day consistently avoid prosecution because they have sufficient funds to find a prominent attorney who can get them off? Are the poor and downtrodden victimized by laws that do not treat them fairly? Are ­white-­collar criminals able to avoid punishment because lawyers and judges can be influenced to find ways to free the guilty rather than seeing that justice is served?

The Book of Mormon prophets emphasized the need for the inhabitants of this land to be righteous, to sustain the laws of the land, and for the court system to administer laws fairly and uniformly. A society that will not uphold good laws will find it difficult to maintain peace and order among its citizens. As President Ezra Taft Benson explained:

Our Constitution has served this country well for more than two centuries. It remains the envy of many in other nations who live under forms of tyranny and corrupt systems of government. Americans must remain committed to the principles that this inspired document embodies if we are to accomplish the mission God has given the people of this land and to His Saints in particular.