The purpose of the church is to perfect the saints in order to establish a Zion people. This was the goal of Helaman and his brethren as it has been with priesthood leaders of all ages. Joseph Smith taught, “Adam blessed his posterity; he wanted to bring them into the presence of God…Moses sought to bring the children of Israel into the presence of God, through the power of the Priesthood, but he could not” (Teachings, p. 159). Zion must be established upon the principles of righteousness, one of the most important of which is unity. A Zion people must be a united people.
Dissension within the Church has a devastating but cleansing effect. “Thus, even diligent care and watchfulness and righteous leadership cannot always prevent all dissent… Dissension from the church and society performs a self-cleansing function that leaves the remainder of the church or nation better able to unify and to progress in harmony. Perhaps dissension is one manifestation of the wheat-and-tares separation that is inevitable (Matthew 13:24-30; D&C 86:1-7; see also Jacob 5:65-69). In the last days things will be shaken and turned upside down in order to liberate those who have been ensnared by Lucifer (1 Nephi 14:15-17; 2 Nephi 23:6-11; 28:19; Jacob 3:11; 3 Nephi 21:8-22; D&C 45:43). Dissent appears to be one of the causes of such turmoil and unshackling.” (Lynn D. Wardle, FARMS: Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, vol. 3, no. 1, Spring-1994, p. 70) Regarding the cleansing of the church which will take place prior to the Second Coming, the scriptures remind us, ’vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth…And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord’ (DC 112:24-25).
The scriptures remind us not to be flattered away by any who are a source of dissension within the Church. Otherwise we will soon find ourselves wallowing in the mire of our own disobedience until the vengeance of a just God is exacted upon us.