The "Mormon Moment" part 2

Time after time, I find that the Book of Mormon, a text that was written about 1600 years ago, is amazing relevant for our day. In fact, time after time, it is very clear to me that, as President Ezra Taft Benson stated in 1986, this book was written for our day! (see, "The Book of Mormon--Keystone of our Religion," from the Ensign magazine, November 1986) Here's a relevant example of what I mean that deals with how Mormons react to people with opposing viewpoints.

A lesson from the Book of Mormon about how disciples of Christ should handle religious contention (Book of Mormon, Alma chapter 1: 19-25, highlighting added and comments in brackets [like this] added):

 19 But it came to pass that whosoever did not belong to the church of God began to persecute those that did belong to the church of God, and had taken upon them the name of Christ.

 20 Yea, they did persecute them, and afflict them with all manner of words. . . .

[so, the believers in Christ were persecuted by those who believed differently than they did.] 

 21 Now there was a strict law among the people of the church, that there should ^anot any man, belonging to the church, arise and persecute those that did not belong to the church, and that there should be no persecution among themselves.

[So, the law of the Church was that the members should never persecute those who were not members!]

 22 Nevertheless, there were many among them who began to be proud, and began to contend warmly with their adversaries, even unto blows; yea, they would smite one another with their ^afists.

[Evidently, Church members' tempers flared to the point of physical violence!]

 23 Now this was in the second year of the reign of Alma, and it was a cause of much affliction to the church; yea, it was the cause of much trial with the church.

 24 For the hearts of many were hardened, and their names were^ablotted out, that they were remembered no more among the people of God. And also many ^bwithdrew themselves from among them.

[sounds like people getting angry with detractors and reacting was a bad thing for the Church. And, interestingly, for some Church members, how they reacted to detractors ultimately led to their excommunication or voluntary withdrawal from the Church! To me that says, "take very good care how you react to detractors!"]

 25 Now this was a great trial to those that did stand fast in the faith; nevertheless, they were ^asteadfast and immovable in keeping the commandments of God, and they bore with ^bpatiencethe persecution which was heaped upon them.

[to me, this verse implies that if we want to follow Christ, we need to roll with the punches, regardless of how detractors and fellow members interact.]