Centralized Institutional Organization and Hierarchy vs. Decentralized Structure
The concentration or centralization of administrative power in a central government, assembly, establishment, society, body, or authority lends itself to all-out control, supremacy, and influence. It is the process whereby social groups and organizations become increasingly dependent on a central group or institution or person. Organizations impede the real church, which consists of faith in Christ, repentance, and baptism, and that brings about the gift of the Holy Ghost.1 The more men consolidate power and authority into an office, the more they tempt the adversary to gain control of the office.2 Hierarchies of office and power positions are invariably what ambitious people gravitate to. And when they acquire possession of office, then moral authority is no longer what gets respected; it’s the office that gets respected. Therefore (perhaps with good meaning), the lines get a little blurred, they exceed the bounds of propriety, and over time, that becomes a window into abuse. “Office” was fine as long as the person occupying it was a morally-straight, trustworthy individual. But as soon as the morally-straight, upright individual is removed from the office and the office is left open for someone else to occupy, men are led into a trajectory that’s going to be destructive, as all institutions eventually show.3
As soon as a body creates a seat of power and authority, all that’s required to overthrow the entirety of the organization is to gain control of that seat of authority. Among a group of equals, so long as anyone remains true and steadfast to the gospel, no one can tell them that they must do something other than retain that steadfast conviction and belief and practice of the gospel in its fullness.4 If fellowships are all equipped with the same instruction and function independent of one another, it does not matter how corrupt any single fellowship may become. It would be necessary to corrupt every single one of them to kill the whole. Men can’t kill the whole by corruption of a single influential, wealthy entity. Independence and equality provide the truth a better chance to survive.5 “[Organizing or founding a church] will only lead inevitably to corruption and apostasy… Men who crave office, and desire to direct others, are the ‘wolves’ we are warned against. They occupy the offices of all the churches, and the adversary knows that a corrupt man who occupies church office will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Moreover he will prevent those who might otherwise have entered from entering.”6 Woe unto you lawyers, for you have taken away the key of knowledge, the fullness of the scriptures. You enter not in yourselves into the kingdom, and those who were entering in, you hindered (Luke 8:17). It is not necessary to make churches utterly corrupt to damn the souls of men. It is only necessary to hedge up the way with an error here and a forgotten truth there. Forgetting and neglecting truth is enough to damn believers. “We cannot be equal if there is an institutional church. And if we have an institution, the adversary will never stop in the effort to corrupt it. It will inevitably attract aspiring men. Before long, it will become just another failed effort to honor God, and will instead be used to honor men.”7
Early Christians were not institutional and certainly not hierarchical; they had no formal organization and no central control. Christians met informally in small groups and worshiped together in homes or public places. When a centralized hierarchy took control over Christianity, the wealth generated by the generosity of Christian believers became the tool used by the hierarchy to buy up armies, kings, lands, and treasures that were used to rule and reign as a cruel master over a subjugated population made miserable by the abuse heaped on them from Rome. Cathedrals and church buildings consumed and still consume resources that are to be used to help the poor.8 It is easy to aggregate power, wealth, influence, and authority if religion is used to control people. If one claims to speak for God and there is a population who accepts that claim, outrageous abuses can be perpetrated, and power, wealth, influence, and authority can be retained. Even if a man who would give his life to follow Christ were to found the organization, as soon as he is taken, the organization that remains behind will fall into the hands of other men. Dispensations were founded by Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Christ, Peter, and Joseph, but they quickly become the property of Pharaoh, the priests of Baal, Eli, Caiaphas, Annas, Constantine, and Brigham Young. It seems self-evident that it would be foolish to repeat a failed pattern.9 “It is the Lord’s purpose to create equality in his vineyard… We cannot be greater and lesser, nor divide ourselves into a hierarchy to achieve the equality required for Zion… We cannot allow ourselves to be drawn into inequality… We cannot imitate the failures of the past by establishing a hierarchy, elevating one above another and forgetting that we must be of one heart, one mind and no poor among us.”10 Zion won’t be composed of people who are presided over by anyone other than Christ Himself. As between one another, they’re brothers and sisters, and they’re equals, having one heart, having one mind, and having all things in common because there is no one who can exert control or authority over one another. “We’re not interested in forming a Kremlin; we’re interested in forming Zion.”11 Zion and a hierarchy are mutually exclusive. There can be one or the other, but not both — hence the Lord’s frequent assertion that He, not man, will bring again Zion. Removing all the barriers between the top and bottom and establishing only a great equality between His people is a likely prerequisite for the return of Zion. The return of “natural fruit” will come from conversion to truth, not commitment to organizational behavior. Strong, central organizations tend to flatten people. Inspired people only need a flattened organization because they govern themselves.12 A body of believers who are equal are not easily governed. If the only tools to employ are persuasion, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, love unfeigned, and pure knowledge, it will require the wisdom of God to keep believers together. Zion will be produced by a journey begun in equality, pursued by equals, with no man able to command another man’s actions. Persuasion, meekness, unfeigned love, and pure knowledge are the only tools necessary for Zion.13See also CHURCH.
1 First Annual Joseph Smith Conference, Remarks, June 23, 2018, Boise, ID, transcript, 7.
2 Assembly on Missionary Work, July 2, 2016, Eden, UT, transcript, 3.
3 Sunstone Symposium “A Fountain of Filthy Water,” Q&A, July 29, 2023, Sandy, UT, transcript, 1.
4 “Our Divine Parents,” March 25, 2018, Gilbert, AZ, transcript, 1.
5 St. George Conference Q&A, March 19, 2017, St. George, UT, transcript, 7.
6 “Church Organization,” March 26, 2023, blog post.
7 Ibid.
8 500th Year Reformation Talk Two, October 19, 2017, Dallas, TX, transcript, 6, 8.
9 “Authority and Abuse,” September 21, 2016, blog post.
10 Opening Remarks, Covenant of Christ Conference, September 3, 2017, Boise, ID, transcript, 5, 6.
11 “Our Divine Parents,” March 25, 2018, Gilbert, AZ, transcript, 1,
12 “Organizational Changes,” May 8, 2012, blog post.
13 “Authority and Abuse, Part 2 of 3,” September 21, 2016, blog post.