On Avoiding (the Appearance of) Evil

Back in the fall of 1998, after my mission and during my first semester of college at UVSC, I took an institute course in the Book of Mormon from a guy I’ll call Jack. Jack was well known at the time in the Utah-preaching circuit (otherwise known as young single adult firesides). And he treated his institute classrooms as proving grounds for his fireside sermons. In this particular class we busied ourselves with the first half of the Book of Mormon. When we covered Nephi’s psalm (the second half of 2 Nephi 4), Jack made it apparent that one of his favorite passages in this sublime lyric was the last sentence of 2 Nephi 4:31. “Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?” Jack interpreted this passage in a way I had unfortunately seen before – several times as a missionary (from other Elders and Sisters), more than a handful of times from Seminary teachers, and a few times from church talks or lessons. Jack’s interpretation (and the others before him) amounts to this:

[begin fallacious interpretation] In this passage Nephi pleads with the Lord to make him (Nephi) shake at the things that even LOOK like they are sinful. See how righteous Nephi is? He not only wants to avoid the things that are sinful; he wants to avoid the things that even LOOK like they’re sinful! We should be like Nephi in this regard. So don’t even step into a bar with friends, for that LOOKS like you’re breaking the Word of Wisdom. [end fallacious interpretation]

One other scripture (and only one) in the LDS cannon would appear to support this. Paul writing to the Thessalonians encouraged them to, “Abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

The problem with Jack’s interpretation is that it flies in the face of other scriptures that mention appearance. Take for example

But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)

Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. (John 7:24)

And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not ajudge bafter the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears. (Isaiah 11:3)

For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart. (2 Corinthians 5:12)

Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s. (2 Corinthians 10:7)

And my personal favorite:
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. (Matthew 23:27)

How to reconcile these?

First, more scriptures lean toward the notion that the Lord actually is NOT concerned with how things LOOK; He’s concerned with how things actually ARE. So, go with the majority of scriptural evidence. Don’t be concerned with how things LOOK; be concerned with whether something really IS good or evil.

Second (and most convincing to me), there is no contradiction from a certain semantic/linguistic standpoint.

Look at the Greek word that “appearance” comes from in the 1 Thessalonians verse (“Abstain from all appearance of evil”). The Greek word is closer to “kinds.” So the verse should read “Abstain from all kinds of evil.” So, Paul is consistent with his own writings and other scripture. Avoid things that are actually evil.

And what of Nephi? We don’t have any “reformed Egyptian” translation to work from with him. In light of every other passage in regards to appearance, we have to assume that Nephi is using “appearance” in terms of “presents itself” – like a car suddenly appearing in the intersection ahead of you – and NOT in terms of “looks like.” In this interpretation, Nephi wants the Lord to make him (Nephi) shake when sin actually appears – when sin presents itself – so he can know the difference. This is the only interpretation of Nephi’s use of the word “appearance” that makes sense in light of every other scriptural example.

Besides, think of what Nephi had to do earlier in life. In the dead of night, on a dark city street, Nephi took someone else’s sword and clothes, DECAPITATED the unarmed and defenseless man, stole the dead man’s property, and forced the dead man’s servant out of the city. You have to admit, all of these actions LOOK pretty sinful. If Nephi really were concerned about avoiding the things that LOOK like they’re sinful, he would not have been able to do the things necessary to get the brass plates, his family would have dwindled in unbelief, there would be no record on gold plates to give to Joseph Smith, and there would have been no tangible evidence of the Restoration of the Gospel. Nephi was not concerned about how things LOOK to others; he was only concerned with what the Lord said was actually virtuous or sinful…

…which is a lot healthier than concerning ourselves with what shade of whitewash we should use to cover our sepulchers.