The United Order and other Like Beliefs Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets, by Svetlana Alexievich
School paper from June 2019
Have you ever had a question answered, but not consciously realizing you had been asking the question? Suddenly, the answer is there and you realize you had been wondering about that very same thing. This has been my experience while reading Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets, by Svetlana Alexievich. My long buried question is this, “What were the opinions and stories of the people of Russia during the time frame of my own lifetime?” From news and politicians (theirs and ours), I had heard so much about them over the years (I was born in 1960). I also studied Western Civilization last summer where I learned about the highs and lows of Russian history. But how did the people feel about it all? I had long suspected that there was much more to the story than I was hearing.
The author, Svetlana Alexievich, was awarded the Nobel Prize. She was credited for inventing “a new kind of literary genre,” in which one describes “a history of emotions—a history of the soul.” And indeed, she does just that in this book. In it, we listen to the voices of ordinary people who are not normally heard from in the greater world. And too often are not included in the history books. Secondhand Time shows us the experiences, thoughts, and feelings of those who lived through the last thirty years of communism and beyond.
I have a personal twist to this particular story. It gave me a unique perspective that may not have been thought of by those not actually living communism. I grew up a strict Mormon until I left the religion in my mid thirties. When I was a kid, I would be harassed by schoolmates and others with questions such as:
Why don’t you believe in God?
How many wives does your father have?
Where are your horns?
I’m quite sure I was not eloquent in my responses, if I responded at all. I tended to be afraid and confused by these nonsensical questions. But now, with a Mormon presidential candidate in recent years, and with generally more awareness of Mormonism, and because I don’t hang with Mormons much these days - I don’t have to answer these kinds of questions any more.
As I got older however, I did come to know the teachings of the religion very well. I had even gone on a Mormon mission so I was no slouch on the dogma. One of the teachings I remember is called, “The United Order.” I was taught that a Divine revelation had been brought to the earth (in the 1800s) to be lived by the faithful and obedient people of God. The United Order states that the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) would give all of their material wealth to the Bishop (leader of the local congregation). This would include everything from money to chickens. He would in theory, then distribute it back to all of the members in a fair and equal way. Everyone owned everything equally.
What happened next seemed like an embarrassment to me, though no one in church ever mentioned it in those particular words. The early Mormon people were not able to handle it. Blame it on ego, greed, or just not seeing the vision - the attempt at living a higher order was a dismal failure. And so, the “Divine Principle” was taken away by God. But with the clear understanding that He would bring it back again someday when the people had evolved to a higher state where they could live it correctly.
Meanwhile, throughout the Cold War, I would hear time and time about the horrors of Soviet communism. I would think (but not dare to say out loud), “What’s the difference between communism and the United Order?” The concepts seemed awfully similar to me. We Mormons were no longer living it because we weren’t mature enough and ready for it, but at least the Russians were giving it a go. What was I missing?
Because I was a solid Mormon, I spent a good amount of time contemplating actually living the United Order. After all, God was bringing it back any day now. And because the two ways of life seemed similar to me, I also contemplated what it would be like to live as a communist. I liked the idea of no one being left out of the community or going hungry. But I also knew stories from the United Order days of less-than-altruistic humans making a muck of it all. As I got older and learned more about Russian communism, I still felt like I wasn’t getting the whole story there; how did the people feel about it? After all, it was supposed to be for the people. And for this reason, I am grateful for this book of multilayered, complex stories that give me a glimpse into what their lives actually looked like and how they felt about it. And perhaps, something of how my own life might have looked had I been born into a Mormon community 100 years earlier.
As I am reading this old homework assignment six years later, what really matters to me now is the spirit of the idea. How do we truly include? As we are currently creating New Earth, how do we get it right this time?
And would I recommend this book? You better believe it!
With a free subscription you receive a post every Friday (spam-free & ad-free). And for $8 a month you receive an additional post every Sunday. All posts are from the following categories:
.png)
Susan Fullmer is a writer, podcaster, conscious channel, shamanic practitioner, psychic medium, energy healer, energy reader, teacher, mentor, group facilitator, nurse, and licensed massage therapist. Susan specializes in extraterrestrial connections, and she is a telepathic talker. She has been in private practice since 1990 with her business, Intuitive Explorations with Susan Fullmer.
She draws from decades of study and practice in the healing arts including 35 years of nursing (both medical and mental health) and massage therapy (with extensive study in energy medicine). Susan has a plethora of experience in group facilitation, public speaking, mentorship, teaching classes, and hosting workshops and retreats. In 2019 she graduated from Boise State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Multidisciplinary Studies with certificates in Leadership and Human Relations, and Dispute Resolution.
Comments
Post a Comment