Last night I was talking to my mother-in-law when the conversation turned to Coronavirus. We talked about the shelter in place orders and the economic impact of Coronavirus. As I was leaving she asked me, “Do you think it is right for the government to force people to stay home?” Her question has caused me to ponder about our societies response to coronavirus, here are my thoughts:

COVID-19 is real.

Before we get started, I want to emphasize that I believe Coronavirus is a real threat. People are dying, livelihoods destroyed, entire nations’ economies are on the verge of collapse, and governments around the world are piling on more and more debt in an attempt to keep the systems going. The big question is not “What should be done?” everyone agrees that this virus needs to be stopped. But the big question is “How should it be done?” I think that generally speaking, we can break down the approaches to dealing with COVID-19 into two different camps.

First, forced quarantine. This is the most common approach, you have mayors, governors, presidents and prime ministers declaring quarantines, stay at home/shelter in place orders, and forcing businesses to shut their doors, fining/arresting people who are outside, or prohibiting the selling of ‘non-essential items,’ for example, in Michigan they are not only forcing companies to shut their doors, causing many people to lose their jobs/companies. Those few that the government thinks are appropriate to remain open are being told they can’t see non-essential items, aka they won’t allow Wal-Mart to sell seeds! Or in Mississippi, they are ticketing people who are going to drive-in church services.

Entire countries are shutting down. The assumption is that people will not voluntarily choose to quarantine so a stay-at-home order must be in place. In Salt Lake City they have even set up ways for people to report their neighbors breaking the orders. Turning neighbor against neighbor. Salt Lake City is just one example, governments around the world are stepping up enforcement of these orders with heavy-handed tactics including arresting, fining, and in some countries literally shooting people who don’t follow their plan to stop the spread of coronavirus. All notions of ‘rights’ have been suspended in pursuit of ‘flattening the curve.’

The second camp believes that COVID-19 is real, but that the shutting down of entire economies is not the solution. They believe that we should socially distance, but that business should be able to figure out the best way to operate to ensure that the economic fallout does not cost more human lives than the disease. This group believes that you should take every reasonable measure to flatten the curve, but that it is not right for governments to suspend rights and force you to do so, they believe it should be voluntary. This is not to say the elected officials could not issue warnings, but the authoritarian tactics we are seeing would be off the table.

Within the second group falls the Church’s approach. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint’s has been closely monitoring the situation with the Coronavirus. Months ago they were quarantining missionaries, closing temples, and suspending services in Asia to be good global citizens and help stop the spread. Once Coronavirus broke out in Italy they pulled missionaries and suspended church services, again to be good global citizens. And finally, when Coronavirus hit the USA, before anyone was even worried about it, they suspended all Church services. They then recalled all missionaries to their home countries, and ultimately closed all the temples. All of these actions were voluntary and in an attempt to be a good global citizen.

What Coronavirus and the War in Heaven have in common.

So what does this have to do with the War in Heaven? Everything. In the War in Heaven, we faced a vitally important situation, who’s plan were we going to support? Heavenly Father, who’s plan was championed by Jesus Christ, presented the idea that we would all have the freedom to choose. We could choose to obey and be rewarded, or we could choose to disobey and be punished. Satan was pushing his own plan where he claimed he would save everyone, and that he would coerce people to choose the right.

It is a narrative we have all heard ten thousand times. God’s plan was agency, Satan’s was force. But today we have real-life examples of this when we look at Coronavirus. We have leaders of the world trying to force their citizens to do what they deem is best. They have suspended Godgiven rights, they have shut down small businesses, destroyed entire economies and the livelihood of millions of people, all because they do not believe we will choose the right, but that we must be coerced to do so. In juxtaposition, you have the Church and others encouraging people to voluntarily do everything in their power to stop the spread without government mandates and threats.

The war rages on.

Satan was cast out of heaven for his rebellion and for seeking to destroy the agency of men, but he has not given up. President Hinckley did not mince words when he described our day, “That war [the War in Heaven], so bitter, so intense, has never ceased. It is the war between truth and error, between agency and compulsion, between the followers of Christ and those who have denied Him. His enemies have used every stratagem in that conflict. They’ve indulged in lying and deceit. They’ve employed money and wealth. They’ve tricked the minds of men. They’ve murdered and destroyed and engaged in every kind of evil practice to thwart the work of Christ.” (An Unending Conflict, a Victory Assured, June 2007 Ensign).

It is not shocking to see governments attempting to use force. Anyone who is not ignorant of history knows that the mantra “the ends justify the means” has been the justification used by governments in committing atrocities and genocides. The Holocaust, Holodomor, Armenian genocide, and Great Leap Famine are the names of just a few of the actions by these governments following Satan’s plan. So, no, it does not shock me to learn that governments are willing to let Satan guide them again. After all, President Benson warned, “The war that began in heaven over this issue is not yet over. The conflict continues on the battlefield of mortality. And one of Lucifer’s primary strategies has been to restrict our agency through the power of earthly governments.” (The Constitution a Heavenly Banner. Ezra Taft Benson. 16 September 1986).

But what I do find shocking is how many members are falling into Satan’s trap. Playing off the fear of Coronavirus, Satan has turned many Saints from the side they once fought for, agency, to the promises of safety that coercion brings. I have many friends on Facebook that are complaining that the rules by the government are not strict enough. They complain that the Governor of Utah and the President of the United States have not locked down the state/country, or suspending Godgiven rights fast enough! This is what shocks me! These members fought against Satan’s plan in Heaven but now they are begging governments to embrace Satan’s plan. They are so afraid that people won’t voluntarily choose to do what they deem as ‘the right thing’, that they are begging the government to violate agency and to force people to obey.

Many members have been blinded by fear. They don’t realize what they are supporting. Satan, the Father of all lies, has tricked them into believing that the War in Heaven is over, the ends justify the means and that government forcing people to do things is different than Satan’s plan. Sadly when judgment day comes they will learn that they were fighting for the wrong cause. Make no mistake about it, as religious freedoms and other freedoms are curtailed around the world Satan rejoices.

As President Benson warned, in general conference, “As important as are all other principles of the gospel, it was the freedom issue which determined whether you received a body. To have been on the wrong side of the freedom issue during the war in heaven meant eternal damnation. How then can Latter-day Saints expect to be on the wrong side in this life and escape the eternal consequences? The war in heaven is raging on earth today. The issues are the same: ‘Shall men be compelled to do what others claim is for their best welfare’ or will they heed the counsel of the prophet and preserve their freedom?” (General Conference April 1965. Not Commanded in All Things).

In the words of Elder Bednar, “we can no more disregard the valid claims of religious freedom in a time of crisis than we can disregard the valid claims of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, or freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. Nor should we prioritize secular interests above religious ones. A health crisis should not become an excuse for a religious freedom crisis… never again can we allow government officials to treat the exercise of religion as simply nonessential. Never again must the fundamental right to worship God be trivialized below the ability to buy gasoline.” I recommend reading his full address https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/bednar-byu-religious-freedom-review-speech

Conclusion.

So what does the War in Heaven have to do with Coronavirus? Everything. We are being tested, once again, on which plan we will embrace. Will we embrace personal freedom to do good or evil, knowing that some will choose evil? Or will we reject God’s plan in favor of forcing others to do what we deem best because that sounds like it is less risky?

Remember, the score might be in question, but we know that God is in control and this too shall pass. So let us follow the example of our Prophet as we navigate the last days. Let us choose to use our agency to be good citizens, let us obey the laws of the land, and do our parts to help stop the spread of COVID-19. But, let us also be good Saints and stand up for freedom and choose once again the Lord’s plan.

“Besides the preaching of the Gospel, we have another mission, namely, the perpetuation of the free agency of man and the maintenance of liberty, freedom, and the rights of man.”

John Taylor, General Conference April 1882.

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