The Very Elect Shall be Deceived. But Maybe Not in the Way That We Think

Today is a day of sadness. The church has lost two of its best and brightest. Valerie and Nathan Hamaker from the Latter-day Struggles Podcast have formally resigned from the church, not because they wanted to, but because they refused to face excommunication.

Everyone should listen to their newest podcast episode “Not Willing to be Burned at the Stake Center” to understand the ordeal they have been through, and to see how terribly misunderstood they have been.

Their content has been instrumental in my own healing journey, and I know they have had an immense positive impact on so many in the church. 

To Valerie and Nathan, we here at Exponent II stand with you.

I mourn the message that this sends to nuanced members all across the church; you are not welcome here. Your beliefs, your hopes, your dreams of contributing to an inclusive and love filled church do not belong here. If you do not conform, you will not find a place here. If you speak out too loudly, you’ll either be excommunicated or forced to resign.

And this breaks my heart.

I’d like to remind everyone of the story of the blind man who received the gift of sight from the Savior. The leaders of his own religion asked him repeatedly how this miracle occurred. When he told them, they didn’t believe him. Perhaps it was too threatening to their prescribed religion, or maybe it was too difficult for them to understand.

In the end, the man refused to deny the truth of what happened, and his leaders cast him out. It is my understanding that this would have lead to serious social consequences for this man; a man who stood with integrity and honesty in the face of severe punishment from the hands of his ecclesiastical leaders.

In the wake of his apparent excommunication, who was there for him? The Savior Himself.

You see, He didn’t stand beside the leaders of his day, condoning the disfellowships and the excommunications

Jesus Christ stood with the outcast, the downtrodden, the isolated and the afraid. He even embraced them.

We perceive the saying “even the very elect shall be deceived” to mean that even the most faithful among us will leave the church, finding themselves deceived by anti-Mormons or by Satan himself.

The Hamakers leaving is proof that the very elect are leaving the church, but not in the way that we assume.

They are not leaving because they have been deceived; they are leaving because the perceived “elect” among us, those who hold power and authority both locally and generally, are the ones who have been deceived.

They have been deceived by the false belief that conformity is mandatory in the church.

They have been deceived by the notion that defending the church is more important than loving those who may believe differently.

They have been deceived by their own fears; convinced that those who think differently must be silenced and cast aside.

They have been deceived by pharisaical traits that encourage the exclusion and excommunication of their own people; an action that Jesus opposed.

So yes, perhaps the very elect shall be deceived. But maybe not in the way that we think.

Maybe lacking institutional conformity isn’t a legitimate marker for a person’s righteousness, faithfulness, goodness, or spirituality.

Maybe leaving the church doesn’t mean you are lost and have gone astray.

But perhaps excluding those who think and believe differently from you, and casting them from your midst, is an action done by those who have lost their way. 

To the leaders of the church who abuse their power and who refuse to hear the very real spiritual experiences of others, maybe it’s time to consider that the “very elect being deceived” might just be referring to you. 

Author’s Note:

It felt odd to find myself feeling such emotion over this news. I had thought that maybe I was the only one to be feeling such heaviness drag myself down throughout the course of the day. But I quickly learned, as fellow bloggers emailed one another and as the comments came through on social media, that I was not alone.

We are not alone.

It may feel isolating at times to find ourselves standing alone in our congregations or even within our own families. Moments like this remind us that we do have a community out there, even if we can’t always see it in our day to day lives.

This may be the greatest thing that the Hamakers have accomplished: bringing like-minded souls together.

Maybe something good can be salvaged from all of this. The outpouring of love from supporters has been heartwarming to witness. I have also appreciated the comments that remind us of the amazing Christlike example that the Hamakers have shown. They have actively chosen to forgive, empathize with, and extend love to those who have wronged them.

The Hamakers have also chosen to not let this shake their resolve. They remain committed to fulfilling their mission of offering wisdom, love, and support to those who find themselves along the fringes of the Latter-day Saint community.

As someone who has found themselves among this crowd, I owe a great deal of thanks to the Hamakers. Valerie’s words assured me that there was nothing wrong with me, even though the church’s negative rhetoric toward those who stray had overwhelmed my mind for months. She assured me that I was growing, and that I was right on track with where I needed to be. She gave me hope and a light at the end of the tunnel when all I saw was darkness.

Their work has literally saved lives. I’m certain that this work will continue to roll forth and impact the lives of many more to come, as the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, if you will.

A few men who feign power and deign to abuse it will never be able to stop it.

And they won’t be able to stop all of us from uniting and growing along our own personal spiritual journeys.

I’m saddened that the Hamakers had to be the collateral damage, but I am grateful for their example, their bravery, and their unwavering commitment to integrity and truth.

This event did not break them. So we will not let it break us.

This will not weaken us or drag us down. It will do more to bring us together with purpose and renewed resolve than ever before.

Yesterday felt like a loss, but today feels like a new day. Let’s make it a good one.