BELIEFS AND STORIES FROM MEMBERS OF
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

This question is related to Karl Marx’s famous statement that “Religion is the opium of the masses.” Marx also said, “Religion is the impotence of the human mind to deal with occurrences it cannot understand.” And again, “The first requisite for the happiness of the people is the abolition of religion.” [1]

In an article written by Geoffrey Janes addressing this question, Janes insightfully said: “The basic idea is that God is some kind of spiritual narcotic that dulls our senses to the pain of the world and helps us to cope with it.” Quoting from a contemporary Polish poet, Janes went on to say, “Religion, opium of the people! The true opium of modernity is the belief that there is no God so humans are free to do precisely as they please.”

Opium is a narcotic. “The term narcotic (ναρκωτικός) is believed to have been coined by Galen to refer to agents that benumb or deaden, causing loss of feeling or paralysis.” [Wikipedia]

Thus, opiates have two effects: 1) to numb pain, to do away with feeling; and 2) to make one powerless to move. Marx’s statements suggest that the populace is paralyzed when religion holds sway. He thinks people cannot make thinking, rational decisions or exercise volition, when religion influences them. He thinks people are lulled into believing in fairy tales, numbing their pain, but making them unable to sense what is really real and to act accordingly.

Having been physically paralyzed from the neck down for 19 years, I know how it is to have absolutely no feeling in any part of my body except for my face and the top of my head. You may think it a blessing not to be able to feel pain, but it really isn’t.

Our bodies, as created by God, were designed to experience pain to let us know that something is wrong and to move us to act. Although pain is not pleasant, it can be a blessing in urging us to seek immediate help to discover the source of the pain, take the necessary measures to alleviate it, and thus avoid more serious damage.

I believe that our spirits function in much the same manner. If we inject too much opium of disbelief into our systems it is also possible for our spirits to become paralyzed. When an individual is spiritually paralyzed he cannot “feel” the promptings that come from God through his conscience and is not aware that he is in great spiritual pain and perhaps in danger of an impending spiritual death. It is sin and pride that cause paralysis, and not true religion.

Geoffrey Janes said, “The truth is something that cannot be changed. God does exist. He created us, not the other way around.”

From the beginning of time there have been individuals and entire nations that have become spiritually paralyzed by rejecting God. They have injected into their cultures the narcotic of disbelieving in a higher power and any system or code of ethics. It has had such a numbing effect on their spirits they have become “past feeling.” Crimes against humanity have been and continue to be committed by such individuals and nations, including indeed, the nations that have followed the philosophies of Karl Marx.

For months after my accident I came very close to being spiritually paralyzed as well as physically paralyzed. It was only by turning to God with all my heart and trusting in his goodness and love that my spirit was brought back to life. Darkness, gloom, and despair were replaced by light, warmth, and joy! No, religion is not the opium of the weak!”

Jack Rushton

Personal response by Jack

At age 50 I was body surfing with my 16-year-old son and his friend at Laguna Beach, California. I took one “last wave” and accidentally hit by forehead on a submerged rock, my neck was broken, and my spinal cords severed between the second and third cervical vertebrae. I was instantly paralyzed, lost consciousness, and woke up two hours later in the Laguna hospital surrounded by doctors and nurses. One of the nurses noticed my eyes were opened and said to me, “Jack, if you can understand what I am saying, blink your eyes once.” I blinked and there was a collective sigh of relief in the room. That began for me a new way of life that has continued on for the past 19 years.

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Personal Response by Jack Rushton

I believe this is a very profound question that has undoubtedly been asked by millions of people from the beginning of time. Life can seem unfair at times as we experience our own personal suffering, and witness through our own eyes or through the media, the incredible suffering that seems to be such an integral part of the daily lives of people all over the world.

I had to come to grips with this question on a personal level when 19 years ago I broke my neck, severed my spinal cord, and became paralyzed from the neck down and ventilator dependent. (more…)

Personal Response by Karen Merkley

The lights aren’t always green. The bread isn’t always fresh. Tires go flat. Bills mound. People take ill and die at every stage of life. People struggle. Others starve. Wars go on.

Grief is part of the human experience. Opposition is necessary for growth, according to the Mormon view of our mortal experience, revealed by the Lord through modern prophets. It can, however, be lifted through the power of the atonement of Jesus Christ. Mormons believe that the Savior not only died to pay for our sins but also to take upon Himself our sorrow, grief, and infirmities (Alma 7:11-12). (more…)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is against all forms of abuse–spiritual, physical, and emotional. Abuse is any hurtful form of treatment of another, including humiliation, domination, physical, psychological or spiritual harm inflicted on another person. The Lord never condoned any like behaviors but was and is an Advocate of peace and harmony for His children. (See Abuse)

In an interview with LDS practitioners discussing “spouse abuse,” John Nelson describes what is deemed inappropriate behavior: (more…)

Mormons believe that God is all-powerful and has every capacity to intervene in our lives. He gives us, and accounts for, however, the agency of man, a gift which is above price. As a result, while He can and does intervene consistently in our lives under many circumstances, He sometimes allows us to undergo the results of our own choices, others’ choices, or natural occurrences. He feels with us as we struggle and promises to work all of experiences for our ultimate good. The Savior Himself has personally endured each of our pain, illnesses, and suffering and knows how to succor us in those infirmities. His perfect plan for our growth includes learning from opposition–sickness, well-being; right and wrong; light and darkness. It is through grappling with the vicissitudes of life, relying on the atonement of Jesus Christ, that we are able to grow spiritually and reach our divine potential.

Personal Response by James Faulconer

Confronted with the problem of suffering, it is as tempting for Mormons to wax philosophical as it is for anyone else. The question makes our otherwise quiet philosophical engines rev, anxious to decide which of the three legs of the traditional problem to knock down, or to find a way to reconcile them with the existence of suffering. Is it that God is not really all powerful—or perhaps that we misunderstand what “all-powerful” means? Is it that he is not all-loving or, that perhaps we do not fully understand his love and what it entails? Is it that he is both all-powerful and all-loving, but does not know how to stop or at least lessen our pain? The existence of suffering seems to demand that we deny at least one of God’s attributes.

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