Posted on 06/15/2009 10:22:41 AM PDT by greyfoxx39
A Closer Look At Stephen Covey And His 7 Habits
by Bill Gordon, Interfaith Witness Department
Home Mission Board, SBC
One of the most popular personal development training programs today is The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. Many church and religious organizations are using this program to train ministers and leaders. One of the reasons they find this program attractive is because it gives a prominent place to spirituality in personal growth. However, most of those who take this training are unaware of the specific religious beliefs that are behind many of Coveys principles.
Covey has stated these religious beliefs in an earlier book entitled The Divine Center. This book contains many of the same principles that are found in 7 Habits. Many of the anecdotes and illustrations in the two books are also similar. An analysis ofThe Divine Center reveals that Coveys religious beliefs are Mormon. Covey explains in this book that he has discovered how to communicate Mormon truths to non-Mormons by simply changing his vocabulary. He writes, I have found in speaking to various non-LDS groups in different cultures that we can teach and testify of many gospel principles if we are careful in selecting words which carry our meaning but come from their experience and frame of mind. [Divine Center, p. 240.]
In The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People Covey writes that he finds renewal in daily meditation on the scriptures. [7 Habits, p. 292.] In the Gospel of John, the epistles of Paul and Peter, the Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants. [Divine Center, p. 298.] He also writes, Cultivate the habit of reading the scripture everyday perhaps just before retiring. Its better to go to sleep on Helaman or Moroni than on the latest TV talk show. [Divine Center, p. 197.]
7 Habits refers to natural laws in the human dimension that are just as real, as unchanging and unarguably there as laws such as gravity are in the physical dimension. [7 Habits, p. 32.] In The Divine Center Covey identifies these laws of nature as the teachings of the LDS Church which enable the individual personality to grow and develop until eventually he can become like his Father in Heaven. [Divine Center, p. 246.] For example, The Divine Center reveals that Covey derives his principle of being pro-active rather than reactive from Mormon scriptures. [Divine Center, p. 176; 7 Habits, pp. 70-77.]
Those who have read Coveys 7 Habits are familiar with his use of the term map for a paradigm of life.[7 Habits, p. 29-35.] He writes, The more closely our maps or paradigms are aligned with these principles or natural laws, the more accurate and functional they will be. Correct maps will infinitely impact our personal and interpersonal effectiveness far more than any amount of effort expanded on changing attitudes and behaviors. [7 Habits, p. 35.] In The Divine Center he identifies both correct and incorrect maps. Covey reveals that the true map is the LDS Church and that evangelical Christianity is a false map that limits the personal development of its followers. He writes:
Because of the incorrect map inherited through centuries of apostasy, the sectarian world does not understand the above concepts. The map so distorts the knowledge of who we really are, who our Father in Heaven really is, who Jesus Christ really is, and who the Holy Ghost really is, that it imposes enormous limitations on the software program of those who buy into it. It also impels their minds to great accusation and criticism of those who are correctly programmed in these matters. They call the Latter-day Saint concept of an anthropomorphic God arrogant, presumptuous, and narcissistic. Their concepts drastically reduce mans ultimate potential. To them, the potential is not to become like God, not to have eternal life that is, to have the kind of life and character that God has, to become perfected as he is but instead to become his eternal robots, worshipping him in a saved condition throughout all eternity. This rules out the celestial family stewardship, the opportunity to become eternal co-inheritors of all that the Father has, and the eventual opportunity to become like the Father, a god, capable of eternal increase, of spiritual procreation.
The true map, on the other hand, tells us what Elder Lorenzo Snow summarized in his couplet:
As man now is, God once was;
As God now is, man may become.
[Divine Center, p. 81.]
Covey criticizes evangelical denominations for promoting incorrect maps. Those who follow these false maps are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men. [Divine Center, p. 16.] He writes, No wonder Joseph Smith under inspiration identified the creeds of the fathers as the very mainspring of all corruption; [Divine Center, p. 17.] He also argues that the beliefs of traditional Christianity are false maps ... in the form of beliefs or doctrines or creeds. [Divine Center, p. 15.] Covey refers to Mormon scripture (Joseph Smith History 1:19) to prove that the beliefs of evangelical churches are an abomination in the sight of God. [Divine Center, p. 15.] (Note: Joseph Smith History 1:5 reveals that the three churches in question were Methodist, Presbyterian, and Baptist.)
Covey contends that the message of non-LDS churches is an inaccurate and distorted map.
Such a warped map gets just about everything wrong, including God, man, mans relationship to God, the role of Christ the Savior, the purpose and meaning of life. Naturally, it also produces a warped understanding of what the commandments are and what obedience is.
[Divine Center, p. 246.]
One of the things that Covey believes evangelical churches have gotten wrong is the doctrine of the Trinity which he calls an apostate doctrine. He claims that the doctrine of the Trinity has lead people to believe that we are a creation of God rather than his literal offspring. [Divine Center, p. 82.]
Covey believes that the maps (paradigms) used by most people are false because of apostasy. He claims that this situation continued until the nineteenth century when Joseph Smith restored the true map. According to Covey, the true map places no limitations on the development of human capacities and potentials. [Divine Center, pp. 14-17.] Covey claims that with the help of the LDS Churchs gospel ordinances people can develop godlike powers and capacities. [Divine Center, pp. 208-9.]
Covey teaches about the upward spiral in 7 Habits. [7 Habits, pp. 304-06.] He writes, Renewal is the principle and the process that empowers us to move on an upward spiral of growth and change, of continuous improvement. [7 Habits, p. 304.] The Divine Center reveals that he is referring to the Mormon principle of eternal progression. [Divine Center, pp. 180, 207, 213.] He claims that this constantly expanding upward-spiraling movement in the development of the human soul... constitutes the road to perfection. [Divine Center, p. 207.] Covey explains that we eventually can become literally like Heavenly Father; we can become perfect, just as he and our elder brother, Jesus Christ, are perfect. [Divine Center, p. 77.] Covey teaches that we have within us the eternal seed of godhood. [Divine Center, p. 206.] Following the correct map found in the LDS Church liberates man and releases his divine potentialities. [Divine Center, p. 246.] Coveys belief that people have a limitless potential is derived from the Mormon doctrine that people are gods in embryo. [Divine Center, p. 164-66.] He writes, Since we truly are sons and daughters of God the Eternal Father, we possess in embryo his nature and potential. [Divine Center, p. 166.]
Covey contends that since we are literally the Fathers children that we can literally become perfect even as he is perfect. [Divine Center, p. 81.] He also claims, Jesus was the first begotten in the spirit and the Only begotten in the flesh. He shows each of us that we can do it because he did it. [Divine Center, p. 78.] According to Covey, we should not get discouraged about the possibility of becoming perfect like God. This is because we are of the same species as Jesus and God the Eternal Father. [Divine Center, p. 79.]
Covey warns his readers against privately interpreting scripture. Rather he advocates that they look to the present prophet and Church (LDS) leaders and official Church policies for the manifestation of the Lords will and interpretations. [Divine Center, p. 199.] He also writes, The inspired words of living prophets may be of greater worth to us than the words of the dead prophets. Their words also can be scripture. [Divine Center, p. 199.]
Covey believes that those who oppose the LDS prophet are opposing the Lord and that they are guided by an evil spirit. [Divine Center, p. 225.] He argues that the LDS Church is literally Gods church and the President of the Church is truly Gods prophet. [Divine Center, p. 224.] He also contends that God will never allow his prophet to lead the Church astray. [Divine Center, p. 224.]
Coveys beliefs about salvation are also uniquely Mormon. He warns his readers against seeking any kind of special relationship with Jesus Christ. [Divine Center, pp. 67-68.] He writes, The Christ-only approach is inappropriate for Latter-day Saints and for this book. [Divine Center, p. 83.] Covey claims that eternal life is only for those who obey the gospel principles. [Divine Center, p. 294.] He argues that the grace of Christ is not efficacious except through our obedience to gospel standards of righteousness. [Divine Center, p. 158.] Covey labels the evangelical doctrine of salvation by grace alone a false concept and an apostate doctrine. Divine Center, p. 68.] He even claims that one of Satans lies to the world is that all God wants us to do is receive Christ Jesus through faith. [Divine Center, p. 271.]
The religious beliefs of Covey are Mormon. They are not Christian. A study of Coveys writings reveal the Mormon ideas and beliefs behind many of the principles found in 7 Habits. Churches and religious organizations should seriously reconsider whether it is appropriate to use a personal growth program that is written by someone who believes these false doctrines. They also need to decide if they want to promote Covey as an expert on personal growth and development that Christians should follow.
Bill Gordon
Interfaith Witness Department
Home Mission Board, SBC
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program contents:DVD or Video, 4 programs (A Grander Goal, Journey to Discovery, A Better Way and Law of the Harvest), Leader's Guide and Participant's Workbook
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Covey is sooooo 20th century.
The 7 Habits have been replaced by emotional intelligence and diversity.
Well, on this, Covey "brothers" Lds apostle Bruce R. McConkie, who lectured BYU students in a devo there in the early 1980s NOT to seek a special relationship with Jesus Christ.
What's quite interesting is there's four verses in the Book of Mormon which talk about Book of Mormonites worshiping the Mormon jesus...I mean, some of them are all-out worship. Yet McConkie said, "No" not to worship Christ (directly).
There's also a whole chapter in the Book of Mormon about praying directly to Jesus (3 Nephi 19). Yet, once again, those behind the scenes of Mormon doctrine ensured that they cautioned their followers NOT to pray directly to Jesus.
Don't seek any kind of special relationship with JC?
Don't directly worship JC?
Don't directly pray to JC?
(Even though both the Bible AND Book of Mormon tells you to?)
Can you say "anti-Jesus" as in "anti-Christ?"
(Yeah, yeah, yeah...whenever we quote a Mormon "prophet" saying something embarrassing, we hear from somebody Lds claiming, "Well, that's not canon...That's not 'scripture' "scripture"...it's only verbal 'scripture' of the type Brother Brigham talked about ... saying he never sent out a corrected sermon that he couldn't call 'scripture'"...Boy, it sure becomes confusing on all the suddenly-inserted new standards that are introduced into conversations mid-sentence)
What usually gets me are defenders of Mormonism who aren't Mormon but are either members of a church -- or their parents were. And yet they don't seem to comprehend that not only Covey, but every true believing Mormon sees every other church & their members as consisting of "apostates." Many somehow understand that Islam defines Christians as "infidels," but they don't quite comprehend that Lds label us in exactly the same way!
Genesis 3:4) and the Serpent said'"you shall surely not die! 5)"For God knows from the day that you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God knowing good and evil"... Satan never changes his tune, always wanting to be equal to God and drag everyone along with him who is sadly fooled by him. Doesn't matter who the messenger is ... Covey here, a fourteen year old swindling womanizer from New York, or a golden Angel of light, with a trumpet...
‘Zactly
Placemark
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