"Safe Rebellion?"
Susan Bednar
January 6, 2004
In the backyard of the home where we live, we have a raspberry patch which every July bears the most delectable raspberries you have ever tasted. One summer morning when I was out weeding our garden, I noticed an attractive vine had wound its way up the stalk of one of the raspberry bushes. Since vines grow on everything where we used to live, I didn’t think anything of it. I noted with interest that when the vine reached the top of the stalk, its curling tendrils latched onto the stalk of an adjacent raspberry bush forcibly leading, bending, and pulling the one in it’s grasp in whatever direction the vine happened to grow. The unsuspecting stalk was held captive by the growth of this fascinating vine.
You can imagine my amazement when I read one day in the newspaper that this beautiful vine was considered an aggressive and dangerous menace, and anyone who had this “noxious weed” growing on their property was to report it to the county weed superintendent.
As I reflected on the image of this attractive yet harmful and destructive vine winding around the stalk of the raspberry bush, two scriptures from the Book of Mormon came to my mind.
. . . and he leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his strong cords forever (2 Nephi 26:22).
. . . and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell (2 Nephi 28:21).
A question also popped into my mind: What seemingly weak yet potentially strong cords could the adversary employ to lead and bend and pull us carefully toward him?
Let me share what I believe these deceptive cords could be. I think they are attitudes and behavior we call “safe rebellion.” For many years I have heard the phrase “safe rebellion” used among youth and adults in the Church. This term suggests that forms of subtle and inconspicuous defiance and disobedience, coupled with rationalization and justification for inappropriate behavior, are considered permissible, acceptable, and even harmless. It is a way to “sort of trespass or sin just a little” but not put ourselves in any lasting spiritual danger—or so we think. Consider these subtle statements we hear almost every day and the behavior that accompanies them: “I have my agency, and I can do as I please.” “It’s no big deal, and I’m not hurting anyone else.” “I know what the prophet says, but my situation is different.” One of these statements defies, one rationalizes, and one justifies. Are these typical rebellious attitudes and behaviors safe and harmless; or, like the noxious vine, are they deceptive tools of the adversary that can lead and bend and eventually pull us toward our own spiritual downfall and destruction?
Scripture defines the rebellious as those who turn away from the Lord and despise his judgments, those who hear but won’t hearken to His words, and those who have eyes to see but won’t (see Ezekiel 20:13; Isaiah 30:9; Alma 10:6; Ezekiel 12:2).
A scripture in 3 Nephi describes the rebellious perfectly:
Now they did not sin ignorantly, for they knew the will of God concerning them, for it had been taught unto them; therefore they did wilfully rebel against God (3 Nephi 6:18).
The term rebellious is also used scripturally in conjunction with the words disobedient, stubborn, stiff-necked, and hard hearted (see Nehemiah 9:26; Psalms 78:8; Deuteronomy 31:27; 2 Chronicles 36:13).
Do any of us fit this definition of rebellious? I know at times I do. At various moments and in different ways, the natural man (see Mosiah 16:5) in all of us surfaces, and being a bit rebellious seems deceptively alluring, attractive, and harmless—just as the vine on the raspberry stalk. We enjoy the false feeling of independence which accompanies our rebellious streak. We don’t want anyone else controlling our lives or telling us what to do—sometimes not even the Lord or His servants. We wrongly express our sovereignty by picking and choosing which standards we wish to disobey and to what degree we will disobey them—a little or a lot. We’re defiant, and we know it, and we’re proud of it. We mock and ridicule others whom we perceive as too straight, too strict, or too compliant in the way they live the gospel. Then we give congratulatory pats on the back to ourselves and each other for bending or breaking the rules just a little and getting away with it. We salve our consciences with self-satisfying rationalizations, and we justify our unseemly behavior as benign. But is any form of disobedience or measure of rebellion safe and harmless? I’ve come to think not. Let me explain why.
The Bible Dictionary teaches that in the premortal life Lucifer and his followers refused to accept the appointment of Jesus Christ as the Savior of our Heavenly Father’s eternal plan. Because of their rebellion, they were cast from His presence. Thus, the devil became the enemy of righteousness and of those who seek to do the will of God (see Bible Dictionary, Devil). Refusal to submit and a rebellious attitude caused the devil’s downfall, and he knows it can cause ours.
Ponder this statement from President Harold B. Lee:
There are carefully charted on the maps of the opposition the weak spots in every one of us. They are known to the forces of evil, and just the moment we lower the defense of any one of those ports, that becomes the D Day of our invasion, and our souls are in danger (Powers of the Gospel, Improvement Era, November 1949, p. 737).
Defiance, rationalization, and justification expose our human frailties and susceptibilities and entice us to forfeit our willingness to freely submit our will to the will of the Father. By incremental steps, the lie of safe rebellion can eventually wind its way around our unsuspecting hearts and minds—carefully taking advantage of our weaknesses until we are bound by the strong cords of the adversary.
My dear young friends, it’s time to see safe rebellion for what it really is—an attractive, yet noxious and destructive weed. It’s time to pull it out. And it may even be necessary to call the weed superintendent to learn how to permanently eradicate it!
As we seek to cultivate a more humble and submissive attitude along with obedient behavior, may we know there is understanding from a caring Father in Heaven, succor from our loving Savior, and assistance from the holy scriptures and the wise teachings of living prophets and apostles. May we have the courage to seek their fortifying help is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.