“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light.” (Ephesians 5:11–13 ESV)
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been watching the unfolding of a much-needed reckoning at Bethel Church after former members and Pastor Mike Winger exposed how the church covered up the sexual abuse and false prophecies of Shawn Bolz. Bethel leadership initially seemed to double down on a cover-up culture, but eventually issued some seemingly candid apologies and promised serious reforms.
On the one hand, I am wary of these apologies. The problems that Winger exposed seem systematic and deeply rooted, and one apology will not fix them. I pray for these leaders and for all of the victims, that there will be real accountability, repentance, and reformation.
And yet, as I read these apologies, I still couldn’t help but be moved by them. These appear to be real apologies—vulnerable, specific, and concrete. They named victims and perpetrators and committed to lasting change.
Candidly speaking, I have never heard a similar apology from the leaders of the LDS Church—not even once.
As I watched this unfold, I also listened to a series of episodes on the Viewpoint on Mormonism podcast focusing on William Law and the Nauvoo Expositor, and this video from God Loves Mormons examining the claims of the Nauvoo Expositor:
I couldn’t help but notice some striking parallels in the patterns of leadership and institutional failure that existed in Nauvoo and that exist today at Bethel.
- Promotion of or covering up of sexual immorality
Joseph Smith engaged in secret polygamy while hiding that truth from the world. Shawn Bolz sexually harassed staffers and concealed it.
- The propagation of false teachings that become protected by institutional authority
Joseph Smith taught the infinite regress of gods and contradicted the Bible in many respects. He also contradicted the Church’s earlier pro-Monogamy revelation by secretly promoting polygamy. Bethel and the broader Word of Faith movement have similarly been accused of false teachings that elevate mankind and diminish God.
When critics try to show how these teachings are not biblical, they are told that prophetic or apostolic leadership has spoken and must be trusted. The teachings of men are elevated above the authority of God’s Word.
- Accumulation and comingling of worldly power
The LDS Church had an extraordinary mix of civil and ecclesiastical power in Nauvoo and used that power to suppress critics and shield leaders from accountability. While Bethel does not have the same degree of power in Redding, there are still clear parallels.
- Claims of apostolic or prophetic authority
When Joseph Smith was criticized for polygamy or other practices, he defended himself by appealing to his prophetic authority. These claims insulated him from accountability and led followers to turn a blind eye. The same dynamic has operated within Bethel.
- Lack of accountability for leaders at the top
Because leaders are seen as prophetic or apostolic, they must be protected at all costs. Dissenters must be isolated or discredited to preserve the institution’s reputation. This happened in Nauvoo and at Bethel.
- Efforts to shut down critics’ speech rather than engage their concerns
Rather than addressing criticism on the merits, institutions often resort to silencing tactics—lawsuits, threats, intimidation. The Nauvoo Expositor was destroyed, while Bethel’s critics were threatened with defamation suits and copyright strikes.
- Whistleblowers and victims are vilified
Critics of Joseph Smith were accused of sexual immorality and other sins. Bolz’s critics and victims have likewise been smeared with allegations that often lack evidence.
In light of the series on William Law, I want to spend a bit more time thinking about how whistleblowers are treated in churches with a culture of covering up sins rather than accountability.
One of the most disorienting aspects of leaving the LDS Church was how differently I came to see figures from church history. That is certainly true of William Law, who went from villain to someone I deeply admire.
Law had been a member of the First Presidency but left because he could not accept Joseph Smith’s polygamy or teachings like those in the King Follett discourse. He lost his position, his friends, and eventually had to flee Nauvoo—but he stood firm. Law didn’t start out as a rebel or antagonist. He was a faithful member and insider. But he could not stay silent in the face of the immoral behavior that he saw.
According to Law’s diary, at one point, Sidney Rigdon came to Law on Joseph’s behalf and offered reconciliation and restoration to leadership if he would recant and stop speaking out. (William Law Diary, 13 May 1844). I imagine the temptation must have been real. But Law believed that practices like polygamy could not simply be buried—they had to be exposed. (There are some disputes about the authenticity of this Diary, but I agree with Historian Benjamin Park that there are significant “hints of its veracity”)
He and several others founded the Nauvoo Expositor to call Joseph Smith and the church to repentance. The paper was denounced and destroyed, which ultimately contributed to Joseph’s death.
Even today, Law is still portrayed in LDS sources as a villain—an adulterer or a would-be murderer—accusations that many historians regard as unsupported and politically motivated.
I find myself moved by the courage of William Law, and by the courage of modern whistleblowers who risk their reputations and communities to speak the truth.
Cover-up culture destroys victims and protects perpetrators. It treats the reputation of leaders and institutions as more important than the truth itself. And this is even more so the case for hierarchical churches with strong claims of divine authority. The more a church identifies itself with God’s voice, the harder it becomes for it to tolerate being brought into the light.
By contrast, Jesus Christ calls his church to expose evil, not conceal it.
Those who engage in sin depend on darkness to conceal: As Jesus explained in John 3:19–21: “People loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.” But Jesus calls us to be “sons of the light and sons of the day” (1 Thess 5:5) and to not become complicit in hidden sin. Indeed, we are called not only to have no part in sin, but to expose it and confront it in our midst. (Ephesians 5:11-14).
I pray that Bethel and other churches (including the LDS Church) will genuinely repent and pursue accountability. And I pray that, even after all these years, brave whistleblowers like William Law will no longer be vilified, but honored for their willingness to speak when it cost them everything.