This week has been monumental and historic. Here is just a taste of this national and international news stories:
- Planned Parenthood executive is recorded to be selling the remains of human babies for the highest bidder.
- The United States, along with many other world leaders lifted its sanctions on Iran in a deal to prevent the longtime known terrorist country to making nuclear weapons. Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu has been quoted as saying that the Iran deal is a ‘stunning historic mistake.’
- Greece narrowly escapes imminent financial ruin with a European union of countries signing a last minute bailout.
My heart is heavy listening to the world’s problems, with decisions and destinies transformed by government leaders, not by my own book club or Sunday night family get together attendees. Sin, pride, greed, fear, lust…. they are all forging into the hearts of mankind.
God does not ask for me to change the world, but to soften my heart.
God does not request that I step up to the plate for the democracy of my country, he simply asks for me to love my neighbor.
God does not need me to succor the babies of the world, just to welcome, care for, and nurture my own.
And yet, collectively, if we do not do as we are asked, the fabric of our culture unravels, dissipates, rots with filthy, vile lucre. There are great evils lurking in the shadows, and in closed door meetings. There are covenants being made to protect the brotherhood of deceit, of gain and of lies. Corruption abounds in powerful places. It is not my family they seek to protect, our liberties and freedoms, but that of the great adversary, even Lucifer.
The laws of our land no longer reflect a fear of our Creator, but a love for lust, a commitment for passion, and reviling against natural consequences. Our economy’s fragile prosperity of a fictional bubble goes to the highest bidder on debt bailouts, and entitlement subsidies.
So, what are we supposed to do?
This summer our inspired Relief Society President has asked the sisters in our ward to flood our lives with the Book of Mormon, by participating in a reading challenge. My heart has swollen, filled with the spirit of the Lord, his love, his chastening, his warnings, as I have immersed my mornings in the pages of this sacred text.
The Book of Mormon is another witness of Jesus Christ. Written by ancient American prophets, beginning with Nephi, and his family, Jacob, Mosiah, Alma, Helaman and more. The history tells of two Christian nations who dwelt upon our own promised land, the United States of America. Tragically because of a rise in wicked governmental power and subsequent hardening and corruption of the citizens in the land, both civilizations – the Nephites and Jaredites – were destroyed upon the face of the land.
In light of today’s headlines, these echoes of the past are haunting.
How did they know?
3 Nephi 7
2 And the people were divided one against another; and they did separate one from another into tribes, every man according to his family and his kindred and friends; and thus they did destroy the government of the land.
In today’s political landscape houses are sharply divided, Democrats vs. Republicans vs. Tea Party, so much so that politicians disagree on principle and support legislation based on loyalty.
5 …. and all this iniquity had come upon the people because they did yield themselves unto the power of Satan.
The power of Satan stirs men {and women} to abort nearly than 3,000 babies daily, marriage is often frowned upon in portrayals in the media and sexual promiscuity is the faddiest recreation.
6 And the regulations of the government were destroyed, because of the secret combination of the friends and kindreds of those who murdered the prophets.
7 And they did cause a great contention in the land, insomuch that the more righteous part of the people had nearly all become wicked; yea, there were but few righteous men among them.
New proposed Government regulations, which have been in the works within the past month by the Obama administration, seek to undermine local authority for housing zoning laws in pursuit of social class integration, as well as changes in laws that would prohibit free speech laws for changes in gun control laws, and the Jade Helm military operation that is rumored to be a Marshall law drill, effecting hostile states such as Utah and Texas.
Advice from voices of the dust, WAKE UP!!!!
2 Nephi 8:9, “Awake, awake! Put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake as in the ancient days.”
2 Nephi 8:24, “Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.”
2 Nephi 1:13 O that ye would awake; awake from a deep sleep, yea, even from the sleep of hell, and shake off the awful chains by which ye are bound, which are the chains which bind the children of men, that they are carried away captive down to the eternal gulf of misery and woe
2 Nephi 4:28, “Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.”
2 Nephi 1:23, “Awake, my sons; put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust.”
Alma 32:27 “But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.”
Stars and Stripes Forever
The forefathers of our great land were born and brought up by God to create the United States of America. We need to AWAKE, to learn of their stories and sacrifices. We need to read the constitution and understand what it says and means.
We need to AWAKE and:
- Put on strength, even the strength of the Lord
- Put on our garments, in other words, our covenants, and wear the protection of God’s promises by being obedient to his commandments.
- Shake off our bondage to sin, to debt, to excessive weight, of addictions.
- Fill our lives so full with the light of Christ that there is no room for the enemy of our soul.
- Put on the whole armor of God; As we learn in Ephesians 6 – Loins girt with truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feed shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, sword of the spirit.
- Nurture your faith in the word of God by daily studying, through prolonged prayer, even celebrate your desire to believe.
Listening to the voice of President Benson grounds my worried heart. Yes, there are difficulties coming for our great nation. As we put our trust in God, we do not need to fear. We can trust in his redeeming love, as we valiantly prepare our homes and our hearts for his return, and as we muster the internal faith and courage we need to reflect that of our forefathers.
“It is my conviction 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 courage, exhibited by those patriots who pledged their lives and fortunes that we might be free.” – Ezra Taft Benson
