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Mormons & Death Penalty - Yea or Ney?

Mormons & Death Penalty - Yea or Ney?

During one case of a vicious murderer being sentenced to death the Church was asked about its' 'thoughts' on the matter. One paper reported...

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, maintain a hands-off attitude toward the death penalty, taking the position that the death penalty is solely a matter of law.'

What do you think? Are you in support or against the death penalty?

Ney Yea Penalty Death and Mormons

I agree with the Church on this one. It's best to stay on the side of the law of the land. Personally, I don't believe it is mankind's place to rob a man of his opportunity to repent of his sins while on this earth. Life is short enough as it is and a murderer's judgement day will come as surely as ours.  Isolating murderers from society for life is the humane way to deal with such egregious crimes against other humans.  From what I've heard, the 'tortuous isolation' many of these offender's suffer through may be worse than the death penalty.

Mormons & Death Penalty - Yea or Ney? Studies Doctrine Mormon

I don't know. It's so hard to have a strong position about the subject. I don't really have one. I understand both sides of the story but still having that feeling inside of me that says that it's not all that right, regardless of the circumnstances. I don't know really, it's very hard to have a opinion in this subject.

Ney Yea Penalty Death and Mormons

One thing we have to remember is that the law is formulated through the people. Therefore, even though the Church does not take an 'official' postion on the death penalty does not mean we should not.

Why should we take a position? Well, like everything else in life and especially when it is concerning laws... would you want something inacted as a law YOU have to abide by without your personal input? I believe the answer would be "no".  So this thread can be now lean towards this question:

Do you personally agree or disagree with the death penalty

Here are somethings to think about;

1. In the days of the Old Testament and Book of Mormon does sanction the use of death for certain crimes.
2. Muslim states today still acknowledge death for less than murder such as in the case of adultery.
3. In the case of war crimes where people have killed millions of men, women and children for no reason there is the death penalty.
4. States and countries with an active death penalty have recorded a significant decrease of crime.
5. There is the risk of putting to death the wrong person because of a flaw or error in the justice system.
6. Death in itself affects not only the person but relatives, such as the children of the person being put to death.
7. Would society want to pay the upkeep of a person who has raped and killed several women in the most inhumane manner? Should society pay for this person's upkeep?


From CNN:

Good Morning from Bill Hemmer:  Illinois Governor George Ryan has commuted the
death sentences of 156 death row inmates and now both sides of the capital
punishment debate are scrambling for the upper hand.  The Governor, whose
final day in office is today, will be with us live to explain his decision.
And meet a woman whose sister was raped and murdered nine year ago today.  The
accused killer is no longer sentenced to die.  How are families reacting?

Ney Yea Penalty Death and Mormons

Oh boy JB, you made me more complicated now lol...thinking over and over about the matter I cannot agree about death penalty because it's seems wrong to me. It's like to play to be gods. As I said before, I do understand both sides of the story but for just some reason I cannot agree with it 100%. This is very tough topic, as nephiproject well said if we do it we are taking away the opportunity for someone to repent for what they have done (if they're not 'pass feeling' like the Book of Mormon says). Wow, I have to give more thought about this.

Mormons & Death Penalty - Yea or Ney?

I believe the argument now falls into the question of wether we follow the Old Testament Law or New Testament Law. It seems to me that except for war, there is no clear indication since Christ's coming  that a man should loose his life and should be put to death if he murders.

Mormons & Death Penalty Yea Ney

[quote]It seems to me that except for war, there is no clear indication since Christ's coming  that a man should loose his life and should be put to death if he murders. [/quote]

But that's the point. I would like to know where in the New Testament Christ taught that to kill in war is acceptable.  As far as I know there are not indication of this. BUT I may be wrong so if anyone can give me a scripture in the New Testament about Christ teaching this, I would appreciate it. Thanks.

Mormons & Death Penalty Yea Ney Mormon Doctrine Studies

In 1 Nephi we have an amazing confession by Nephi himself that he murdered a drunken helpless man (Laban) in order to obtain the engraven plates for his father Lehi.  He did it brutally (beheading Laban) and bloodily (stealing his sword and his clothing). He then impersonated Laban as he entered Laban's compound, kidnapped Laban's servant (Zoram) and threatened his life. He then fled to the wildreness with his accomplices (his brothers).  In today's world, he would have been hunted down as a cold-blooded murderer by the FBI and other police agencies.  Laban was a respected member of his society (and a relative of Nephi's).  Without this brutal act however, there would have been no plates and thus possibly, no Church.
I find it interesting that if he had been captured, he would have held to his story that the 'quiet voice' of the Lord told him to do this act. The spirit directed him. The authorities would have placed him under psychiatric care and the newspapers would have printed another story of a young 'parentally misguided' man who listened to voices in his head and who was obviously psychotic or bedeviled with multiple personalities. Furthermore, what really gets me is that his brothers would certainly have testified against him in a court of law and his father (Lehi) would also have been arrested for directing his sons back to Jerusalem to get the plates of brass.  Has anyone else thought about this? And since we're on the Death Penalty - Did Nephi deserve the death penalty for his brutal act of murder and flight from the scene of the crime? If you were a juror, how would you vote if Nephi was the defendant in a capital murder case like this was?