Both the Book of Mormon and the Bible provided ample evidence as to what can happen to a nation that allows “statolatry” [the worship of the state] to become the national religion. And as will be seen, the roots of this tendency can be traced directly back to the War in Heaven.
In the Old World, the Israelites also apostatized politically from their divinely revealed system of representative government, based on the immutable rule of law. As they demanded to have a king, Samuel the prophet tried to convince them otherwise. He warned that the king would conscript their sons into aggressive empire-expanding military campaigns (1 Samuel 8:11-12), and because of the lack of male workers, the women would be forced into the workplace as “confectionaries, cooks and bakers” (1 Samuel 8:13). Heavy taxation of property would follow in order to fund the ever-expanding Satanocracy [government founded on principles of Satan, eg. Force] (1 Samuel 8:14-15, 17), followed by state-mandated slavery (1 Samuel 8:16-17). Once all of that happened, Samuel prophesied that the people would cry out in that day for deliverance but, because of their king which they had chosen, the Lord would not hear them (1 Samuel 8:18).
King Mosiah … warned the Nephites what would happen to them if they continued to have kings for rulers. In trying to convince them to adopt a form of representative government, based on the rule of law, Mosiah spelled out all of the inherent risks and evils associated with having kings. Speaking to the Nephites, he said,
“Now I say unto you, that because all men are not just it is not expedient that ye should have a king or kings to rule over you. For behold, how much iniquity doth one wicked king cause to be committed, yea, and what great destruction! Yea, remember king Noah, his wickedness and his abominations, and also the wickedness and abominations of his people. Behold what great destruction did come upon them; and also because of their iniquities they were brought into bondage… and behold, now I say unto you, ye cannot dethrone an iniquitous king save it be through much contention, and the shedding of much blood. For behold, he has his friends in iniquity, and he keepeth his guards about him; and he teareth up the laws of those who have reigned in righteousness before him; and he trampleth under his feet the commandments of God; and he eneacteth laws, and sendeth them forth among his people, yea, laws after the manner of his own wickedness; and whosoever doth not obey his laws he causeth to be destroyed; and whosoever doth rebel against him he will send his armies against them to war, and if he can he will destroy them; and thus an unrighteous king doth pervert the ways of all righteousness. And now behold I say unto you, it is not expedient that such abominations should come upon you…
“And [King Mosiah] also unfolded unto them all the disadvantages they labored under, by having an unrighteous king to rule over them; Yea, all his iniquities and abominations, and all the wars, and contentions, and bloodshed, and the stealing, and the plundering, and the committing of whoredoms, and all manner of iniquities which cannot be enumerated – telling them that these things out not to be, that they were expressly repugnant to the commandments of God.” (Mosiah 29:16-18, 21-24, 35-36)
It is difficult to find a more apt description of statolatry than Mosiah’s comments that an unrighteous king “enacteth laws after the manner of his own wickedness [and] whosoever doth not his laws he causeth to be destroyed” (Mosiah 29:23). Seeking to replace God himself, an unrighteous king sets himself up as the standard, and destroys all that refuse to bow the knee in worshipping him.
The above was written by Christopher S. Bentley, in his book The Hidden Things of Darkness.