The first three verses of Helaman, chapter 5 have always been interesting to me.
Speculating on all these things are interesting, but the focus of today's post is the last phrase, "save it were to their destruction." This makes me wonder if voluntary compliance with law had so eroded that government couldn't get people to behave unless it slapped them with sanctions or penalties of some sort.
Most people who study ethics, normative behavior, moral theory or whatever you want to call it agree that in a well-functioning society you need some curbs imposed externally by government as well as some curbs imposed internally by individuals.
You cannot wholly depend on one or the other. A blend of both is needed. This is why we offer law, criminal justice and ethics courses in school. We need them all.
If the majority of people are not doing something right unless they are compelled by government to do so then our society will fail. We don't have enough police to police everyone. We have to rely on voluntary compliance to law.
I think the Book of Mormon is warning us that when people won't obey laws unless compelled to do so our destruction as a society is only a matter of time.
And it came to pass that in this same year, behold, Nephi delivered up the judgment-seat to a man whose name was Cezoram.
For as their laws and their governments were established by the voice of the people, and they who chose evil were more numerous than they who chose good, therefore they were ripening for destruction, for the laws had become corrupted.
Yea, and this was not all; they were a stiffnecked people, insomuch that they could not be governed by the law nor justice, save it were to their destruction.When the majority of people choose evil rather than good then the laws become corrupt. We don't have any clear guidance on what constitutes corrupt laws. Those of us with public law training can guess.
Speculating on all these things are interesting, but the focus of today's post is the last phrase, "save it were to their destruction." This makes me wonder if voluntary compliance with law had so eroded that government couldn't get people to behave unless it slapped them with sanctions or penalties of some sort.
Most people who study ethics, normative behavior, moral theory or whatever you want to call it agree that in a well-functioning society you need some curbs imposed externally by government as well as some curbs imposed internally by individuals.
You cannot wholly depend on one or the other. A blend of both is needed. This is why we offer law, criminal justice and ethics courses in school. We need them all.
If the majority of people are not doing something right unless they are compelled by government to do so then our society will fail. We don't have enough police to police everyone. We have to rely on voluntary compliance to law.
I think the Book of Mormon is warning us that when people won't obey laws unless compelled to do so our destruction as a society is only a matter of time.
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