J. Todd Ogden: LDS divisions over pandemic may lead to more free thinking

I think it’s fair to say that there has been some division of opinions following The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints First Presidency statement regarding vaccines and masks, issued on Aug. 12. But this isn’t an opinion about vaccines and masks.

There is something else significant going on here for LDS members. And it could be very positive for the church. On Aug. 12, many previously unquestioning members found their deeply held convictions suddenly at odds with their leaders. Some for the first time.

For plenty of other active and faithful members, this is not new. We have felt this sort of dissonance for years, on topics ranging all the way from white shirts, ear piercings, green tea and tattoos to more significant issues of gender equity and LGBT status. Many of us have worked overtime in an attempt to reconcile that dissonance with a desire to continue as members in good standing. And it’s not always easy. Particularly in a church that constantly reinforces deference to its leadership with quotes such as, “The prophet will never lead the church astray.” And children songs like “Follow the Prophet.”

But, the recent COVID announcement has undoubtedly raised a question in the minds of a generally more orthodox subset of members: What do I do when my personal convictions are out of alignment with my prophet? It only takes a few minutes on social media to see a variety of answers to that question. And some of those answers have prominently been: They are speaking as men, men are fallible, this is opinion not doctrine, and my personal convictions of truth need to guide me.

Welcome to what some refer to as “nuanced” or “progressive” Mormonism. And, notwithstanding the ongoing mask and vaccine debate, I believe some nuance and questioning can have a very productive impact on church policies, practices and even doctrine.

Throughout the evolution of the LDS Church, such questioning and debate has led to some of our greatest improvements. Allowance of people of color to enjoy temple ordinances, modifications to the role of women at church, reversal of a troublesome 2015 LGBT policy and installation of safer guidelines for youth interviews by ecclesiastical leaders. All followed the petitions and cries of questioning, thoughtful members.

As current President Russell M. Nelson stated after one such change, “We knew that this policy created concern and confusion for some and heartache for others. That grieved us ... So, our supplication to the Lord continued.”

So, without attempting to debate any conclusions about the complex vaccine or mask issues, there is good that can come from dissonance and questioning, particularly in a church where those things were not always expressed or welcomed.

Some members, for the very first time, are awakening to the idea that their personal convictions may need to carry more weight. And sometimes to the degree that they may opt to follow their own beliefs, rather than those of their leaders.

And that awakening, assuming we can safely get to the other side of this worldwide pandemic, could lead to, at best, some real, positive changes at church (regarding LGBT issues, worthiness assessments, financial and historical transparency, etc).

And at the least, maybe we can learn to live with a little less judgment of those who wrestle with their own church-related concerns and questions, even when those questions don’t match our own.

J. Todd Ogden, Colorado Springs, Colorado, is an active, but nuanced, lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A husband, father, finance manager for a small business and occasional editorial photographer.