Today's lesson on apostasy was led by Brandon Westover. He started by discussing the difference between "inactivity" and "apostasy". It was posited that inactivity is passive neglect whereas apostasy is pro-active antagonism. Brandon quoted a passage from C. S. Lewis's The Great Divorce which basically made the point that a man's road to apostasy is paved with good intentions, that a person can get to a point where they sincerely believe in what they're doing even if what they're doing is wrong.
Two points were made to help as a defense against apostasy. First, examine your motives and discern what kind of spirit you are feeling when you are finding fault with church leaders or doctrine. Is the criticism made in a spirit of love, humility, and a desire for the well being of the church/leader? Or, is it made in a spirit of contention, pride, and a desire (above all) for being right? Second, remember that despite the many faults and weaknesses of our leaders, they have been anointed and called by the Lord. Respect the calling and the Source of that calling.
I will give you one of the Keys of the mysteries of the Kingdom. It is an eternal principle, that has existed with God from all eternity: That man who rises up to condemn others, finding fault with the Church, saying that they are out of the way, while he himself is righteous, then know assuredly, that that man is in the high road to apostasy; and if he does not repent, will apostatize, as God lives.
Joseph Smith (July 2, 1839)
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I'm not sure my first point came accross clearly during the lessen. I meant to say that the intentions paving the road to apostasy perhaps look good and sincere, but when examined closely really are not. The C.S. Lewis quote was this: "...Having allowed oneself to drift, unresisting, unpraying, accepting every half-conscious solicitation from our desires, we reached a point where we no longer believed in the Faith. Just in the same way, a jealous man, drifting and unresisting, reaches a point at which he believes lies about his best friend; a drunkard reaches a point at which (for the moment) he actually believes that another glass will do him no harm. The beliefs are sincere in the sense that they do occur as psychological events in the man's mind. If that's what you mean by sincerity they are sincere...But errors which are sincere in that sense are not innocent."
The point I take it is that even though the apostate may appear sincere in his doubts and contrary position, perhaps even to himself, the ultimate reasons for his apostasy are hidden sin, usually some form of pride.
Another great passage along the same lines that we didn't have time for is this: "...The choice of every lost soul can be expresed in the words `Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.' There is always something they insist on keeping even at the price of misery. Ye see it easily enough in a spoiled child that would sooner miss its play and its supper than say is was sorry and be friends. Ye call it the sulks. But in adult life it has a hundred fine names--Achille's wrath and Coriolanus' grandeur, Revenge and Injured Merit and Self-Respect and Tragic Greatness and Proper Pride."
-Brandon
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