Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood.
~ Alma 48:13
Today, I had an interesting conversation with my roommate, Byran, about the status quo in America today. I was given the opportunity to express some things that have been weighing on my mind for some time regarding how the world works.
1. The devil's followers are shining examples of religious commitment to a cause, diligence, foresight, and faith. Their money is where their mouth is, and they believe they will win.
2. Everyone else, but particularly, the disciples of Christ, are far less organized, diligent, and committed than the followers of Satan. They question whether or not they can win.* They reason that because Christ and many of the churches that claim to follow Christ do not wage political battles that they should let others wage (and win) every battle that does not affect their day to day life (and even some that do). They pray for the coming of Christ, but do not labor to prepare (and preserve) free nations and peoples to receive Him when He does come.
3. The disciples of Christ have the truth on their side. Side note: Satan's side also has an unfair advantage (which will lead to their downfall in the long scheme of things): they will do anything in order to win. The rules of God and man are no obstacle.
This past Sunday, I was assigned to teach Lesson 31 from the Gospel Doctrine Book of Mormon manual. Probably not by coincidence, this lesson deals heavily with the war chapters and a fiery individual who figured prominently in preserving Nephite freedoms from threats domestic and foreign.
Latter-day Saints are used to quoting David O. McKay's profound statement: "No success can compensate for failure in the home."**
Are we equally familiar with these words of Ezra Taft Benson and David O. McKay?
Now it is not so much a case of a man giving up all his other
duties to fight for freedom, as it is a case of a man getting his life in
balance so he can discharge all of his God-given responsibilities. And of all
these responsibilities President McKay has said that we have “no greater immediate responsibility” than “to
protect the freedom vouchsafed by the Constitution of the United States.”
There is no excuse that can compensate for the loss of liberty.
Do we share President Benson's faith the Constitution will "be saved by the citizens of this nation who love and cherish freedom?" Have we labored "with all diligence" (Jacob 5:74, Moro. 9:6) to preserve our God-given freedoms? Are we prepared to live up to our God-given responsibilities? President Ezra Taft Benson said:
I
reverence the Constitution of the United States as a sacred document. To me its
words are akin to the revelations of God, for God has placed his stamp of
approval on the Constitution of this land. I testify that the God of heaven
sent some of his choicest spirits to lay the foundation of this government, and
he has sent other choice spirits—even you who hear my words this day—to
preserve it.
We, the blessed beneficiaries, face difficult days in this beloved land, "a land which is choice above all other lands" (Ether 2:10). It may also cost us blood before we are through. It is my conviction, however, that when the Lord comes, the Stars and Stripes will be floating on the breeze over this people. May it be so, and may God give us the faith and the courage exhibited by those patriots who pledged their lives and fortunes that we might be free... (Emphasis added)
In the talks I have referenced, Elder Benson expounds the principles in the constitution. He also questions if the elders' commitment to defend it is sufficiently great. Consider these words, comparing the prophet Moroni to elders today:
Now part of the reason why we don’t have sufficient Priesthood bearers to save the Constitution, let alone to shake the powers of hell, is, I fear, because unlike Moroni, our souls do not joy in keeping our country free and we are not firm in the faith of Christ, nor have we sworn with an oath to defend our rights.
The only way this statement fits in with his faith and conviction that we will help preserve the Constitution is that many of these shrinking souls are going to man up and take the steps they have to take to become effective ambassadors for freedom. In future blog posts, I want to explore the relevance of Moroni's oath to our situation. Why did he swear to defend specifically "his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion?" I want to do this because I believe understanding and following Moroni's example could be key in our efforts to successfully change the status quo and fulfill President Benson's dream of a free America welcoming the Savior at His Second Coming.
* e.g., D&C 1:35 For I am no respecter of persons, and will that all men shall know that the day speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion.
**This is a true statement: great nations can only be conquered from within. Families are the same. We can only win the war for our freedoms if we win the war for individual hearts and minds.
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