Gaslighting First Century Style

Come Follow Me (3 Nephi 1-7)

I know I sound like a broken record. Reading the Book of Mormon just keeps feeling eerily like I'm reading a modern news story, or reading a transcript of a modern interview with a current political candidate, or listening to a current political speech. IT'S. EERIE, I tell you, and I'm starting to feel a tad repetitive. I'm starting to feel a tad repetitive.

And parenthetically, before I call out Giddianhi for his perfectly appalling letter in 3 Nephi chapter 3, I need to rave for just a little minute about the absolute brilliance of the Book of Mormon in general. First and foremost, it testifies of the divine redeeming message and mission of Jesus Christ. So - not just brilliant there, but inspired.

Second, it shows what good government and bad government looks like, underscoring the how very much is at stake when secret combinations are allowed to flourish. But thirdly, this book is fast becoming my favorite guidebook on human nature in general. I'd so love to sit down with a clinical psychologist who's read it to dissect the many predictable patterns of human behavior that are so starkly laid out here. You can learn SO MUCH about human nature from reading this book.

I had to say that first so that the letter in 3 Nephi chapter 3 serves as a huge Exhibit A in our case for human nature remaining static for lo, these millennia of history. I will never stop finding this fact remarkable: in all its capricious volatility, human nature is staggeringly predictable in any myriad of scenarios.

Look at the man behind the letter: Giddianhi is the current head of the Gadianton robbers, the secret combination - which at this point is anything but secret. They're so far along in gaining complete control of the government, they don't even pretend to hide their plans and motives anymore. Gone are the days of couching their agenda in pleasing rhetoric; now it's just "We want power, and we don't care whom we have to get rid of to get it."

Giddianhi opens his letter with condescending lies, insinuating that the government Lachoneus oversees has happened dishonestly. He mocks Lachoneus for attributing their preservation to God, and acts as if the rights of liberty and property aren't legitimate:

"maintaining that which ye suppose to be your right and liberty; yea, ye do stand well, as if ye were supported by the hand of a god, in the defence of your liberty, and your property, and your country, or that which ye do call so." (3 Nephi 3:2, emphasis added)

It's at this point in a modern-day movie when the victim who is being set up to look crazy usually raises his voice. "I am NOT crazy!" he/she strongly protests, lending perfectly to the perpetrator's plans to make the person look crazy. Suddenly, the villain can leap back in greatly postured surprise and even fear, again - lending to the perception of the victim being truly unhinged.

But Giddianhi is writing a letter, and the pile-on of gaslighting rhetoric continues. Speaking of his men who are ready to annihilate the Nephites:

"...knowing of their unconquerable spirit, having proved them in the field of battle, and knowing of their everlasting hatred towards you because of the many wrongs which ye have done unto them, therefore if they should come down against you they would visit you with utter destruction." (3 Nephi 3:4, emphasis added)

Remind me what wrongs the Nephites committed again? Not giving them their way? Yeah, pretty much. He goes on, adding more lies:

"Therefore I have written this epistle... feeling for your welfare, because of your firmness in that which ye believe to be right..." (3 Nephi 3:5)

Do you honestly think this man is worried about the welfare of the people he wishes to conquer, particularly when in the next breath he claims that all that they possess is illegitimately theirs, after he has already stated he means to take it for himself?

And then it just gets creepy - the lie of the payoff:

"...yield yourselves up unto us, and unite with us and become acquainted with our secret works, and become our brethren that ye may be like unto us - not our slaves, but our brethren and partners of all our substance." (3 Nephi 3:7)

Is there anyone who would believe this potentially invading force is going to make those he conquers his equals in rights and privileges? When has that ever happened? I'll quick and wait while you google and check...

Please note: the true motive is revealed in the negative promise at the end of that statement: "not our slaves." The translation of "we don't want to make your slaves" ?

"We intend to make you our slaves." This is roughly akin to the old Jedi mind trick: "These are not the droids you are looking for."

The promise of complete destruction if these demands aren't met follow, and then Giddianhi sunnily concludes his missive:

"...I am governor of this the secret society of Gadianton; which society and the works thereof I know to be good..."

"...deliver up your lands and your possessions...that this my people may recover their rights and government, who have dissented away from you because of your wickedness in retaining from them their rights of government." (3 Nephi 3:9-10)

The final coup de grace - these things are unlawfully yours because you took them from us.

The letter is completely preposterous in its claims, and the language seeks to make the bully - Giddianhi - the victim. Classic narcissistic behavior. Thank heaven Lachoneus was a wise and discerning leader who couldn't be cowed by such blatant tactics of intimidation. A pattern for dealing with such threats in the Lord's way finishes the chapter:

• Lachoneus urges his people to pray for strength to go against these ruthless enemies (v. 12).

• He gathered everyone together in one body and made sure there were strong military reinforcements around them (v. 13-14).

• Gidgiddoni, the chief military leader who also had the spirit of revelation (v. 19), taught the people that the Lord will never condone the first strike. This is the way to assure the Lord's protection in an unrighteous confrontation (v. 21).

• Previously, the people had received counsel to prepare for potential sieges, so they had provisions to see them through a war.

Perhaps this story makes you feel like you just read a current events story, rather than of an event which happened over two thousand years ago. For your consideration, I submit this as today's Exhibit A of 'There is Nothing New Under the Sun Where Human Nature is Concerned.' Same song, different singers.

For the record, I wish we had more leaders - and citizens - who didn't fall for the gaslighting today. I wish we had more leaders who didn't do the gaslighting. Perhaps that's a litmus test in discerning true motives, eh?