Quakers

Some of my Yorkshire ancestors were Quakers, Baltimore is full of Quaker meeting-houses, William Penn was a Quaker, a friend of mine growing up was a Quaker, and I like Quaker harvest oats. But who are the Quakers (the Religious Society of Friends)? I'm interested because I did a survey on Belief.net that tries to guess your religious affiliation. It seems I'm more of a Quaker than I am a Mormon (although I did blur the questions that were obviously going to make me LDS just for the sake of interest!) Quakerism was founded in England by George Fox (1624-1691). At 23, he heard a voice saying "there is one, even Christ Jesus, who can speak to thy condition". Fox promoted the concept of the Inward Light, or Inner Voice--"the seed of Christ"--that is innate to everyone and gives everyone the right to express opinions on spiritual matters (see John 1:9--"the true Light, that lighteth every man that cometh into the world", aka the Mormon "Light of Christ".) Fox taught his followers to worship in silence. At their meetings, people only spoke when they felt moved by the Holy Spirit (testimony meeting?) They thought of themselves as "friends of Jesus" and referred to themselves as "Friends of Truth" (from John 15:15). Later, they became known simply as "Friends". Because of their non-comformist views the movement came into conflict with the English government. Once, when Fox was hauled into court, he suggested that the judge "tremble at the word of the Lord". The judge sarcastically referred to Fox as a "Quaker", hence "Quakers". American Quakers found sanctuary in the Rhode Island colony. William Penn (1644-1718) and other Quakers played a major role in the creation of the colonies of West Jersey (1675) and Pennsylvania (1682). Quakers took the first public stand against slavery and played a major role in organizing and running the "Underground Railroad". Quaker beliefs are famously diverse and range from Evangelical (conservative) to liberal. The largest Quaker body, the Friends United Meeting includes the following beliefs: true religion as a personal encounter with God, rather than ritual and ceremony; individual worth before God; worship as an act of seeking; the virtues of moral purity, integrity, honesty, simplicity and humility; Christian love and goodness; concern for the suffering and unfortunate; continuing revelation through the Holy Spirit. Many Quakers do not regard the Bible as the only source of belief and conduct. They rely upon their "Inner Light" to resolve what they perceive as the Bible's many contradictions. They sound awfully nice, don't they? Seeking the Spirit as one's guide is a common Mormon theme nowadays (see the recent Heber J. Grant lesson on this topic). It's ironic then that Joseph Smith denounced Quakerism for this very thing: "The Shaker will whirl around on his heel, impelled by a supernatural agency or spirit, and think that he is governed by the Spirit of God; and the Jumper will jump and enter into all kinds of extravagances. A Primitive Methodist will shout under the influence of that spirit, until he will rend the heavens with his cries; while the Quakers (or Friends) moved as they think, by the Spirit of God, will sit still and say nothing. Is God the author of all this? If not all of it, which does He recognize? Surely, such a heterogeneous mass of confusion never can enter into the kingdom of heaven.(TPJS, Section Four 1839–42, p.204)" John Taylor similarly: "In examining the human mind you will find many correct feelings and instincts planted there, if men would be governed by them. I do not know but it is this the Prophet Job has reference to when he says, "there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding." (Job 32:8.) Another scripture says, "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal." (1 Cor. 12:7.) But then, many men do not profit by it; and although they have this light, or intuition within themselves, they are not governed by it. There is a party of religionists called Quakers, so strongly impregnated with this idea, that they think this inward monitor is sufficient to guide men in all their acts in life. (John Taylor, The Gospel Kingdom, p.324) So which is it? Are we to be governed by our Inner Light, or by the authorities above us? Whom do we trust? Therein lies the contradiction between the Liahona and the Iron Rod. The challenge of the Latter-day Saints is to square the guidance of the Spirit with the principles we are taught.