Darvish Intelligence: From Hypocrisy to Holiness: Why the LDS Church Must Return to the Spirit of Its Founders

Sunday, March 23, 2025

From Hypocrisy to Holiness: Why the LDS Church Must Return to the Spirit of Its Founders

By Bobby Darvish, Iranian-American Ex-Muslim, Former CAIR Leader, Now Conservative Christian LDS Priest

For 22 years, I saw it all with my own eyes—the hypocrisy, the contradictions, and the cultural double standards that plague modern religious life. As someone born into a Muslim family, raised secular, and eventually becoming a practicing Muslim leader, I witnessed the inner workings of religious institutions from the top down. I served as Executive Director of CAIR-Columbus and President of the Muslim Forum of Utah before converting to Christianity in 2019 and joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 2022.

But becoming LDS didn’t shield me from recognizing hard truths. In fact, my conversion only sharpened my awareness of the disconnect between the Church’s spiritual teachings and the everyday behaviors of many of its members—particularly regarding the Word of Wisdom, the Law of Chastity, and Tithing.

The Culture of Performance vs. the Spirit of the Gospel

In affluent LDS communities like Utah’s Upper East Bench, I watched as these principles—originally meant to guide and uplift—became rigid, performative checkboxes. Members drank coffee, tea, and alcohol in secret. They fornicated behind closed doors while presenting themselves as temple-worthy saints on Sunday. I saw LDS girls party on Saturday nights with my Black and Arab friends, only to ask for rides to church the next morning, dressed in modesty but dripping with hypocrisy.

Most of these individuals lied during temple recommend interviews. It wasn’t even hidden—just assumed. The whole system seemed built not to foster true righteousness but to maintain the appearance of it. And that, to me, is more dangerous than open sin.

The Founders Did Not Enforce These as Requirements

What struck me most was how far removed this culture is from the original spirit of the LDS Church under Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.

🔹 Word of Wisdom – Originally a Guideline, Not a Commandment

Joseph Smith introduced the Word of Wisdom in 1833 (Doctrine and Covenants 89), not as a commandment, but as a principle with promise. In fact, he himself and early Church leaders often drank wine, beer, and coffee. Brigham Young clarified that the Word of Wisdom was not intended to be enforced by compulsion:

"I do not think that I shall take the liberty of calling any man to account because he does not observe the Word of Wisdom."
— Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 12, p. 222 (1867)

It was not until the 20th century that church leadership—especially under Heber J. Grant—began enforcing the Word of Wisdom as a strict requirement for temple worthiness. This was a cultural shift, not a doctrinal one.

🔹 Law of Chastity – Originally Tied to Plural Marriage and Personal Covenant

While chastity is undeniably a biblical and Christian principle, its modern application within LDS culture—where any sexual behavior outside of marriage leads to harsh judgment or exclusion—was not always enforced with today’s rigidity. Joseph Smith taught about purity, but also introduced complex doctrines about plural marriage, sealed unions, and spiritual relationships.

Today, the Law of Chastity is reduced to a rule-based interview checklist rather than a personal covenant with God based on growth, repentance, and individual spiritual maturity.

🔹 Tithing – Encouraged, But Not a Salvation Requirement

Tithing was always encouraged in scripture, but Joseph Smith and Brigham Young both spoke of it as a voluntary act of faith, not a price of entry for temple worship.

“I want the brethren to understand how I feel on the subject of tithing. If it is required as a means of salvation, it ceases to be a freewill offering and becomes compulsion.”
— Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 2, p. 306 (1855)

Today, withholding tithing disqualifies you from temple access—turning what should be a sacred act of generosity into a rigid obligation. That’s not Christianity. That’s institutional control.

The LDS Church Needs Reformation, Not Just Revival

The truth is, many modern LDS policies are more rooted in 20th-century American culture than in original Christian or Latter-day Saint doctrine. Jesus Christ did not institute temples as places only for those who could check off a man-made list of behaviors. He welcomed sinners, dined with tax collectors, and healed adulterers. His gospel is one of grace, transformation, and truth, not performance, legalism, or elitism.

As Paul warns:

"Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
— 2 Timothy 3:5 (KJV)
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/2-Timothy-3-5/

If the LDS Church truly wants to preserve its soul, it must return to the foundational principles that Joseph Smith and Brigham Young laid down: free agency, grace, personal revelation, and voluntary discipleship.

That means no more weaponizing the Word of Wisdom, no more treating tithing like a temple tax, and no more reducing chastity to a checkbox in a bishop’s interview. Let the Spirit be the guide—not institutional pressure.

Final Thoughts: A Call to Integrity

My journey from Islam to Christianity, from deception to discipleship, taught me that the greatest lie is the one we tell ourselves to look holy while living in rebellion. We cannot serve two masters: one of outward appearance and one of inward righteousness.

Let us be honest about the sins within our community. Let us reform the Church—not to weaken it, but to strengthen it through truth. The original teachings of the Restoration were never meant to control us—they were meant to free us.

Let’s reclaim that freedom.