Unrighteous Dominion

A person called to a position of authority might assume that because God called them, those people he was supposed to serve were subject to him to do his will. Such a person might expect that they should obey and honor him by virtue of his position and priesthood. To do otherwise was not honoring his priesthood and so he might be apt to use that position, authority and power to punish them in some way within his power. Such a person would expect obedience, teach obedience and I assume that they should be honored.

Such a person would be out of line — he is not called to lead but to serve. They should learn by the spirit and the scriptures that even expecting obedience was wrong for leaders to do. They need to protect people’s ability to govern themselves and that they should not do anything to infringe on that. They can persuade and even request but from a position of honoring them and their agency. If they didn’t do what was suggested or asked, it was because the leader did not earn enough honor and respect from them, they did not persuade them and the lack was on the leader, not them. The priesthood or position in the church is never a valid reason to believe or do anything. As leaders, we are to lead as if we are like every other member of the church and try to persuade others as if we didn’t have any priesthood or position. A position does not indicate righteousness, knowledge, morality or virtue. A leader should raise others as high as they were willing to go and encourage others to stop viewing the leader as special and begin viewing themselves as equal with the leader. The leader should have a goal to make as many leaders in a ward or Stake who could replace them and not set themselves up as being better than those they serve.