What do you call a person who listens carefully as you share your spiritual experiences, takes time to find out more, is willing to travel to spend time with you, even supporting you financially in significant ways, who prays with you, speaks about you only positively in public, and is willing to sacrifice substantial amounts of effort, means, and reputation for you. Is this man your minister?
The Lord called him a "wicked man."
Martin Harris was 20 years or so older than Joseph Smith, and had some measure of material success in the world by the time he met and showed favor to the Smith family, Joseph in particular, despite their awkward community standing in Palmyra. As an entrusted scribe, creditor to Joseph, and family friend, Harris enjoyed proximity to some of the early wonders of the translation process, traveled to New York in search of potential scholars able to help or at least help verify authenticity of the Book of Mormon characters. And he demonstrated a profound sense of guilt at the theft of the 116 pages immediately upon discovery.
The Lord called him a "wicked man."
After the loss of the pages, his status as scribe for the translation, and his marriage, Harris continued to support the Book of Mormon, mortgaging his farm, and regaining the Lord's favor enough to hear His voice directly, see an angel, and handle the Gold Plates as a special witness.
The Lord called him a "wicked man." Twice.
Who do you think of, when the term "wicked" is deployed in scriptural language? Cain? Pharaoh? Jezebel? Delilah? The adulterous woman? The Pharisees?
How about yourself?
You can be highly faithful and oriented toward worship, and still be wicked. You can be highly interested in, well educated in, and willing to sacrifice a lot for spiritual matters, and still be wicked. You can perform deep service, possess deep godly knowledge, and hold public positions of influence for good, and still be wicked.
Wicked is the descriptive pole of a spectrum on the other end of which is righteous. With Christ as our model for what that other pole looks like, by comparison we're all wicked. You are wicked. I am wicked. We're all wicked.
And we are who His sacrifice was made for. Acceptance of His forgiving power both prevents that polarized term from sticking permanently and enables any move along the spectrum in His direction.
It may seem harsh to have your person labeled with the term "wicked" in a published revelation, but He has taken that shame upon Himself too. For us all.
Both Smith and Harris had to square up to the sins and mistakes they made, and regain the favor of the Lord through repentance. In the final analysis, repentance is the only process whereby the label flips and we can become righteous. We share the Gospel that this happens through Christ. Let's worry less about whether we are flatteringly or unflatteringly portrayed in the world, and more about how we shine with the Light of He who has borne our sin and made us His.
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