Transformation and #WalkAway

I recently became aware of the #WalkAway campaign, a movement started by Brandon Straka to encourage liberals to walk away from the Democrat party, principally because of its intolerance for robust discussion and individuality. As their webpage states: "The #WalkAway Campaign encourages and supports those on the Left to walk away from the divisive tenets endorsed and mandated by the Democratic Party of today." This movement fascinates me for several reasons, but the one I wish to explore here is how it serves as a microcosm of observing the phenomenon of humans changing a deeply held belief, with all that comes attached to that belief: patterns of behavior, friendships, activities, hopes, perspectives, etc.

Humans are a jumble of being, and we are constantly trying to make sense of our existence: thoughts, beliefs, actions, souls, minds, hearts, relationships. No pattern can capture all of the nuances, but one helpful pattern I've found in thirty plus years of trying to sort it all out is that offered by Jamie Utley of Outlook Development LLC. It can be summed up as follows:

results ⟷ actions ⟷ feelings/emotions ⟷ thoughts ⟷ belief

Belief is no mere stopping point on the journey of human change; it is both the source and the destination of our most fundamental activities. Every action you take is rooted in a belief you hold; every action you take nourishes a belief inside. Those beliefs manifest in different ways and times, and some lie dormant for years, but all of them are a part of our being, our decision making, our identity: us. Andrew Klavan, in a podcast posted January 19, 2019, stated (paraphrasing): "People don't change because they're given good advice. They change because they're loved and people support them in things they want to do and people are being there for them." He explained that the way to get someone to change their behavior is to speak to something that is already inside them. If you can awaken this belief inside, then you can awaken the thoughts, feelings, and ultimately behaviors that come along with that belief.

In the theology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, everyone who is born on this earth made a choice in a prior life to come to this earth to have a chance to become more like God. In our prior life, we learned and accepted certain correct beliefs, but we passed through a veil of forgetfulness when we came to this life. However, when we re-encounter those beliefs we once held, they resonate because they are familiar; something we already have inside of us - a bit of spiritual DNA, if you will. In addition, the light of Christ dwells in every person, acting like a conscience to encourage people to believe truth and make good choices. It is possible to sear your conscience by conscious, repeated evil actions, but in most people, the voice of conscience is still audible and quietly pointing out the right choice as situations arise.

The theory becomes real with examples. In the case of Brandon Straka, he already held dear the beliefs that truth is more important than narrative, that respect is key to creating a sense of belonging, that a friendship based on forcing others to agree is not a true friendship, and that we should judge people by what they do, rather than the worst things people say about them. It took some painful experiences—being rejected by those he considered friends, a painful political loss (Hillary 2016), and some courageous outreach (notably, from a former babysitter who sent him a video giving context on Trump's apparent mocking of a disabled reporter)—to cause Brandon to examine these beliefs and ponder how to act on them; but to his credit, he did act.

There are numerous other examples of people examining beliefs they already hold, and acting on them. It is fascinating how those who successfully make radical changes in their lives don't view their transformation as radical or untenable—rather, it is the natural result of following beliefs they had held dormant for a long time. It is an expression of truths and beliefs they already held dear, but hadn't acted on fully before. 

There are numerous examples in ancient and modern times that shed light on transformation. Saul of Tarsus was a zealous believer in God. He believed in doing God's will with all his might. The Lord knew of this belief, and knew that it would sustain Saul through the things he would be called to suffer as Paul the apostle, testifying of the Lord before his peers. Abby Johnson (of Unplanned notoriety) always loved and hurt for women in crisis, and she redoubled her efforts to serve the vulnerable around her when God convicted her of the evil nature of the abortion industry and the incredible joy of nurturing all human life. The sons of Mosiah and Alma the Younger always had a sense of mission and were natural teachers, and it was the long-rejected beliefs of their fathers, instilled in their rebellious sons, that they reached out for at a pivotal moment, beginning the path to repentance and ministry.

Some patterns begin to emerge for successful transformers: 

1. There is a period where both good and bad beliefs coexist, but the bad beliefs are acted on. 
2. There is an often traumatic catalyst event that triggers re-examination of beliefs. 
3. There is an urge to share the new belief with others. 

I want to examine these patterns a little more closely.

1.The period of co-existence. This is the hard time for those who have helped instill good beliefs in their little Saul—because they don’t yet know if the transformation is coming, or when. Patience is key—there are many prayers that appear unanswered, and invitations and answers that seem to be ignored, and much bad fruit with all the attendant consequences. Brandon has mentioned his former promotion of leftism, as well as his alcoholism; Abby facilitated thousands of deaths of innocent babies; Saul and Alma set back the growth of Christianity significantly in their sphere of influence (and though we aren’t told, it seems likely that many who they proselyted left Christianity for good). Yet, their loved ones and friends continued to pray for them to “be brought to the knowledge of the truth” (Mosiah 27:14; see also 1 Tim. 2:4), and in God’s timing, those prayers were answered abundantly.

2. The catalyst event. The catalyst event appears to happen 100% of the time when the person is acting on the bad beliefs. Those who sit around on the couch don’t have these experiences – but those who get on the road to Damascus (Saul), who work in a political campaign (Brandon), who tackle a tough work assignment in an abortion clinic (Abby), or who break the law to spread their beliefs (Alma) do.

The re-examination of beliefs requires that a good belief already be present in the person – Saul already knew there was a Lord, so when he saw the Lord, he said, “Lord, what would you have me do?” Alma knew there was a Savior, so when he felt in need of saving, he cried out to that Savior. Brandon knew there was a conservative alternative to his dismissive liberal friends, and that it included people he could trust, like his former babysitter who had reached out to him when he called. Abby’s husband and parents had been quietly praying for and inviting Abby to get out of the abortion industry, and the pro-life movement had also assured her they would help her transition, so she had somewhere safe to run when she decided to run.

God and Satan have one thing in common: they move. The war for souls and for meaningful change on a meaningful scale takes place only as people act out their beliefs.

3. The sharing of the good news. When a good belief takes root, and bears fruit in you, it is natural if not compulsory to share the good news. It may be as simple as a journal entry for posterity, or as dramatic as founding the #WalkAway campaign, or ATTWN (a pro-life organization to help abortion workers walk away from the abortion industry), or becoming a full-time apostle or prophet for the Lord you used to persecute. But the outreach is inevitable if the change is genuine and permanent.

There will be no shortage of dramatic catalyst events in days to come. Beliefs will be examined, and choices made. Many will walk away from error, and walk towards light. Let us be humble, patient, and ready to help wherever we see an opportunity to change for the better. Rejoice that we have more history to profit and learn from than any people before us, and in the marvelous changes that are coming—and be prudent and prayerful, so that we will recognize when a true belief inside of us is ready to sprout and bear fruit.