Lasting Peace Through Freedom
Posted by david on March 18th, 2007
How can we reconcile the principle that “blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9) with the commandment of the Lord, “Ye shall defend your families even unto bloodshed” (Alma 43:47; see also Alma 43:9; Alma 48:13; Alma 58:40; Alma 61:14; 3 Nephi 2:12)? In other words, how can we seek peace and at the same time maintain a strong defense to protect our liberty? I believe we can do this by working to establish a peace built on a strong foundation of individual freedom, the underlying principle upon which the entire plan of salvation is based.
A true and lasting peace cannot exist absent freedom or liberty for all. Chamberlain’s effort before World War II to establish “peace for out time” proved that peace cannot last when it is established upon conditions that permit tyranny and captivity of some.
Our Founding Fathers understood this principle. It’s interesting to see how the focus of their heroic efforts was not peace with England but the guarantee of freedom from tyranny. Look at three of our dearest patriotic hymns, “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” “America the Beautiful,” and our national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Freedom or liberty is mentioned 13 times while peace is mentioned just once:
The Star-Spangled Banner
- “Oh say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?”
- “‘Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh, long may it wave o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!”
- “Oh thus may it ever when, free men shall stand between their loved homes and the war’s desolation!”
- “Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n-rescued land praise the pow’r that have made and preserved us a nation!”
- “And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!”
My Country, ‘Tis of Thee
- “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty”
- “From ev’ry mountainside, let freedom ring!”
- “My native country, thee, land of the noble free”
- “Let music swell the breeze and ring from all the trees sweet freedom’s song”
- “Our fathers’ God, to thee, Author of liberty, to thee we sing.”
- “Long may our land be bright with freedom’s holy light.”
America the Beautiful
- “Oh, beautiful for pilgrim feet, whose stern, impassioned stress a thoroughfare of freedom beat across the wilderness!”
- “Confirm thy soul in self-control, thy liberty in law.”
- “Oh, beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife”
Agency is a foundational principle of the Plan of Salvation. Elder M. Russell Ballard said, “Critical to our knowledge of the plan of happiness is an understanding of the great governing principle of agency” (M. Russell Ballard, “Answers to Life’s Questions,” Ensign, May 1995, 22). Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin reminds us that during our premortal existence, agency was a principle “we adopted and for which we contended” (Joseph B. Wirthlin, “The Time to Prepare,” Ensign, May 1998, 14). Because Satan continues his fight to take away our agency today, we must still contend to protect our agency.
There will be no lasting peace in the world so long as Satan and his followers are free to fight against righteousness. Negotiation with Satan is doomed to failure. Short of our own souls, we have nothing of sufficient value to offer him in trade for world peace. He will not stop until we are damned or he is powerless. The only way to take away his power to wage war is by living righteously. Elder Delbert L. Stapely said, “The only way Satan can be bound is for people to forsake his temptations and enticements to do evil, and to walk uprightly and circumspectly before the Lord.” (Delbert L. Stapley, “Our Responsibility: To Save the World,” Ensign, Dec 1971, 94). Step by step, his ability to create conflict is reduced by taking the gospel to the world until the great and last day when the Lord comes again and Satan has no power. Of that time, the Lord said, “Satan shall be bound, that he shall have no place in the hearts of the children of men” (D&C 45:55).
This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t strive for world peace. We are still commanded to be peacemakers. But the best and only truly successful way to guarantee peace is to ensure the freedom of all people around the world so that they can learn of Jesus Christ and choose to follow his gospel. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin said, “Though we abhor war, peace nearly always has been more a dream than a reality. During most of the world’s history, strife, dissension, and conflict have flourished and displaced peace. The times when peace has reigned, it began in the hearts of righteous, obedient individuals and grew until it engulfed a society.” (Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Peace Within,” Ensign, May 1991, 36).
So what is my point? To ensure world peace, we must first guarantee the freedom of all peoples of the world. Only after the gospel of Jesus Christ becomes available to all people will we be in a position to obtain a true and lasting peace. I concur with Elder Wirthlin’s statement that “we look forward to that day of universal peace and justice, when Christ will reign upon the earth.”
“To ensure world peace, we must first guarantee the freedom of all peoples of the world.” VIA ??? This smacks of warmongering, which I reject as being anti-Christ. If that is not your intent, then please explain exactly how we GUARANTEE the freedom of all the peoples of the world.
Comment # 1 left by ed42 on March 18th, 2007
I agree that peace can only come through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
But conflict has been and will continue to be the consequence of a fight against tyranny and injustice. So thought Thomas Jefferson:
The Book of Mormon contains stark warnings against those secret combinations that threaten our liberty from within our own government. Moroni warns us that such things shall be among us, and that we must awaken to a sense of our awful situation, to not suffer that such powers get above us.
Jess Winchester asked the question:
The war in heaven (for men’s souls) continues in our day. We must fight against tyranny and oppression, like great men of old, in order to preserve and protect peace. So agreed Wendell Phllips:
While that peace will ultimately and only fully come through the gospel of Jesus Christ, the patriot must do his part to challenge government and preserve the liberties protected by our nation’s founding documents.
Comment # 2 left by Connor on March 18th, 2007
Interesting topic.
In light of current events, what do others think of a type of forced freedom? Have there not been times when the people wanted a king, and were allowed by God to have one? I agree that people would be better off with freedom and democracy, but what if they do not seem to want it very bad? Should we try to impose freedom on others?
It seems to me that we should encourage freedom using the methods outlined in section 121 of the D&C. I certainly support defending our own freedoms, but don’t know quite what to make of establishing freedom in places that don’t appear to want it.
Comment # 3 left by Eric Nielson on March 18th, 2007
Guarantee freedom? Just how do you “guarantee freedom” for everyone in the world, except through “endless war,” and if through endless war, how can anyone be free?
Your being duped dude. Wars do not bring about freedom, they bring about destruction.
Comment # 4 left by Dan on March 18th, 2007
Ed42, you’re right that warmongering is anti-Christ. If we undertake a war, it must be for the right reason. War for war’s sake is wrong. War to extend tyranny and end freedom is wrong. War to defend individuals from tyranny (and thus to guarantee their basic human rights of freedom) is justified, I believe.
Dan, you raise an interesting point. If war continues endlessly, are we really free? I had to think about this. If I didn’t know about the war in heaven which continues today, I may have agreed with you that people can’t be free during war. However, it’s clear that while the spiritual war between Satan’s forces and the Lord’s continues today, we are still free so long as we choose to follow Christ and keep his commandments. Therefore, I would say that we CAN enjoy the most important type of freedom during war, the freedom to choose to follow the Lord.
That said, I don’t like war. I look forward to the day of the Lord’s second coming when we will finally enjoy that true peace that comes because we’re free from Satan and his evil followers. I served in the US Air Force and now work for the US Army as a civilian, but I can’t wait until all militaries are disbanded because they no longer must defend free people against tyrants and terrorists.
Comment # 5 left by david on March 18th, 2007
Eric, good point. I agree with you that if a people choose (the operative term here) to give up freedom by demanding a king, then it’s their choice and they should be permitted to make that choice. They will enjoy/suffer the consequences of their choice.
However, if a people is subject to a tyrant by no choice of their own, that’s a different matter. I’m simply making the point that all people must ultimately be free to choose the follow or reject the Lord. At his second coming, those who have chosen to follow him will enjoy true and lasting peace while Satan is bound.
Lastly, I completely agree that the best course of action in helping people choose to follow the Lord is through love and persuasion. Unrighteous dominion can never lead a people to Christ and the true peace that comes through freedom because it forces them to act. Where diplomacy and persuasion can be used to encourage foreign governments to give their citizens freedom of religion, that is clearly and unequivocally the best option compared to war.
Comment # 6 left by david on March 18th, 2007
In light of current events, what do others think of a type of forced freedom?
Forced freedom its not freedom. It is simply replacing one tyrannical dictatorship for another. :::cough::: Iraq :::cough:::
Wars do not bring about freedom, they bring about destruction.
Well, of course they bring about destruction. However, righteous wars wherein those on the right side are simply defending themselves against oppressors will see the hand of God work to their benefit and see their cause through.
President Reagan once spoke of the connection between war and peace:
However, if a people is subject to a tyrant by no choice of their own, that’s a different matter.
There is always a choice. We can fight back. President Reagan also said:
The problem lies in knowing who the true tyrant is—those in power in your own government, or a bunch of extremists thousands of miles away, puffed up in the media as threats to our national security.
Said the Lord:
Comment # 7 left by Connor on March 18th, 2007
Why David, I wholeheartedly agree, tyranny must be stopped at all costs and people allowed to be free. So when do you think the United States should invade Israel to dismantle the Apartheid system of slavery of Arabs they have established there? Before or after the US stops sending guns and money to fund that system? Before or after we stop blaming the Arab victims of Israeli racism for getting angry the way slaves in the US used to get angry at their masters (you will recall, many slaves rose up in anger and killed their masters only to have other innocent slaves tortured and slaughtered in retaliation much as Israelis now with US financial and military assistance now torture and slaughter Palestinian civilians when one of the Palestinian slaves of the Israelis gets so angry at being a slave that he kills an Israeli)?
Oh, and when do you propose sending an army to march on Washington to free Americans from arbitrary arrest and detention at the whims of an executive power that claims no legal restraints, the right to torture, the right to create lawless gulags, the right to kidnap foreign citizens on foreign soil, and which lied to its own citizenry and elected officials to engage in an illegal (by both domestic US law and international law which the US has made domestic law by signing treaties) war on Iraq? For that matter, which “free” army do you propose should march on Iraq in order to free it from the American army of occupation along with its Islamist-Shiite allies such as SCIRI who have made it their top priority to use the American military as their shield while robbing the country blind and tearing it to pieces with American assistance?
Oh, and when do you propose sending the American Army to Western Sahara to overthrow the Moroccan occupation of the last officially colonized country on earth? Before or after reversing decades of American and French “free” policy of supporting Morocco regardless of de jure acknowledgement of the illegality of that occupation? And before or after telling the Moroccan government that we no longer need their services torturing victims we have kidnapped from around the globe and sent them?
Oh, and would you propose using the American Army or some other “free” army to invade Russia in order to roll back the murderous terrorism of the Russian army in Chechnya which has murdered and raped with such impunity for so long that an entire generation of raped widows is now so desperate they are willing to blow themselves up just so that someone will notice them?
And you know, while we’re at it, Nigeria isn’t very free. Hyper-corrupt government who have robbed the people so blind for so long that they’re even poorer today than before oil was discovered. I presume as free Americans we have an obligation to free Nigeria from the hands of thousands of mini-corrupt warlords and thugs along with the big corrupt fish? I mean, we’ve been so effective at rooting out…whoops, I meant “worsening already staggering levels of”…corruption in Iraq, surely only we are qualified to do this. So will we invade Nigeria to free it before or after US-ally Obasanjo’s hand-picked successor commits fraud to win the April presidential election and before or after we realize that 2 million barrels per day of oil that the US desperately needs online to prevent a recession is taken offline?
China too, incredible lack of freedom, we need to invade. Democratic Republic of Congo, we better go free them. North Korea - screw the nukes and massive conventional army and the death and destruction on an apocalyptic scale, they need flaming blazes of freedom from Howitzer no matter what the South Koreans or the rest of Asian may have to say about it (half of them aren’t free anyways so what do they know?). And you know, Pakistan under Musharraf, not so free, better invade their, I’m sure they’ll love us in the morning once the smoke clears. Candy and roses, just like in Afghanistan the past five years. Sure, in a free election people we don’t like will win in Pakistan, but we’ll just do like we’ve done in Lebanon, Palestine, and Egypt the past few years - find a “free” “reformer” who can manage a “transition” period to democracy. The “natives” need some time you know to get it right (the way we have in our perfect system that has never had any flaws in it and has not a single flaw in it today). Some American “assistance” so they can learn to recognize that “freedom” is defined in Washington, not in your home village in Sindh or Uttar Pradesh or Asyut. Musharraf just bungled it a bit and someone “freer” had to be found.
Or maybe…just maybe…could it be that Mormon was on to something when he said that the Nephites defeat at the end was never fully sealed until they got so full of themselves that they over-reached in their self-righteousness and invaded Lamanite territories determined to force them into submission [Mormon 4:4]…hmmmm…could it be that this…nationalistic-theocratic line that so many Mormons and other Americans take as a warm and fuzzy thought that they like to sprinkle with lines from the national anthem and quotes from past leaders out of context…without ever thinking of the real world consequences and how others at the receiving end of the smartbomb feel…could it be that perhaps we got it wrong and that the Book of Mormon actually suggests something quite the opposite for the circumstances America finds itself in nowadays? Could it be that the Book of Mormon and the Bible suggest that we need to dig into our own hearts first, that perhaps there is a beam there? Could it be, could it be?!
Comment # 8 left by Tareq on March 22nd, 2007
Tareq, all we want is for all people to be free to seek their own destiny and to worship their god. Don’t you want that? If the U.S. doesn’t stand up for peoples who can’t protect themselves, who will?
I’m not arguing that the U.S. invade every country in the world where the people are free. You’re right; that would be foolish and wrong. How did Ronald Reagan bring a measure of freedom to the peoples of the world? He certainly didn’t do it by invading the Soviet Union. He found a multitude of other ways which included support to freedom-seeking people around the world. It also included ensuring that the U.S. had a strong military. I’m sure it also included prayer. Finally, it included reminding the world that America is a beacon of freedom and that individual freedom is a God-given right.
I find it interesting that you make such a strong argument against America’s efforts to bring freedom to the world. Yes, the U.S. hasn’t done this perfectly in the past, but keep in mind that the vast majority of suffering in the Middle East and other parts of the world are NOT caused by the U.S. military. To the contrary, the U.S. military is helping to stop tyranny and terrorism. If it weren’t for the U.S. military, there would be far more suffering and much less freedom in the world today.
Be careful not to call good evil and evil good. Your lecture to me, to Mormons, and to Americans smacks of that. We’re trying to bring freedom to the world while terrorists are the ones blowing up themselves to kill innocent people including children.
Comment # 9 left by david on March 23rd, 2007
I don’t see why there seems to be these Extreme Examples of Confusion. Those of you posting here that cite to or have Read the Book of Mormon Should Not Have ANY Confusion on the issue of peace and war, murder and defensive or justice killing. Captain Moroni was pretty well veted by the prophet and compiler of the Book — namely the Prophet Mormon. He named his son after Captain Moroni. Moroni was a man of God. He loved his fellow man and worked to protect With The Sword his family and his people. Evil will not be reasoned with like the unbelieving or unrighteous. Evil can only be Slain to be defeated in the immediate (an attack, war, and conflict with those impelled by Satan to destroy the Freedom and Lives of those who are or are trying to be God’s people/disciples/church) And about Evil in the long-term — Yes righteousness to the point that Satan is bound. But those exist on an individual and family basis Not as seen and prophesied through the Lord’s prophets (past and present) upon Christ triumphant bridegroom return of ‘the Second Coming’ and advent of the Millennium. Singular persons have cast out Satan and his works in their lives, but scripture-documented groups have been few Enoch; and the generations of Nephites after Christ’s visit for example. There is no confusion Here for those willing to actually read the Scriptures Jesus Christ provided to erase the ‘Stumbling Block’ of removed and corrupted record of the Jews ‘the bible’. There are wonderful things to work on to Resist Iniquity and be men like Lehi and Teancum with the swords. What in Heaven is wrong with you all to not remember the honorable incredible faith statements of the Stripling Warrior Lamanite converts –
Alma 56:46 - 47
46 For as I had ever called them my sons (for they were all of them very young) even so they said unto me: Father, behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth;
we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone; therefore let us go, lest they should overpower the army of Antipus.
47 Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.
Alma 61:10 - 11
10 And now, behold, we will resist wickedness even unto bloodshed. We would not shed the blood of the Lamanites if they would stay in their own land.
11 We would not shed the blood of our brethren if they would not rise up in rebellion and take the sword against us.
Alma 60:28
Yea, behold I do not fear your power nor your authority, but it is my God whom I fear; and it is according to his commandments that I do take my sword to defend the cause of my country, and it is because of your iniquity that we have suffered so much loss.
Alma 48:13 - 16
13 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.
14 Now the Nephites were taught to defend themselves against their enemies, even to the shedding of blood if it were necessary; yea, and they were also taught never to give an offense, yea, and never to raise the sword except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives.
15 And this was their faith, that by so doing God would prosper them in the land, or in other words, if they were faithful in keeping the commandments of God that he would prosper them in the land; yea, warn them to flee, or to prepare for war, according to their danger;
16 And also, that God would make it known unto them whither they should go to defend themselves against their enemies, and by so doing, the Lord would deliver them; and this was the faith of Moroni, and his heart did glory in it; not in the shedding of blood but in doing good, in preserving his people, yea, in keeping the commandments of God, yea, and resisting iniquity.
Comment # 10 left by kevin scott on November 10th, 2007
I don’t see why there seems to be these Extreme Examples of Confusion. Those of you posting here that cite to or have Read the Book of Mormon Should Not Have ANY Confusion on the issue of peace and war, murder and defensive or justice killing. Captain Moroni was pretty well veted by the prophet and compiler of the Book — namely the Prophet Mormon. He named his son after Captain Moroni. Moroni was a man of God. He loved his fellow man and worked to protect With The Sword his family and his people. Evil will not be reasoned with like the unbelieving or unrighteous. Evil can only be Slain to be defeated in the immediate (an attack, war, and conflict with those impelled by Satan to destroy the Freedom and Lives of those who are or are trying to be God’s people/disciples/church) And about Evil in the long-term — Yes righteousness to the point that Satan is bound. But those exist on an individual and family basis Not as seen and prophesied through the Lord’s prophets (past and present) upon Christ triumphant bridegroom return of ‘the Second Coming’ and advent of the Millennium. Singular persons have cast out Satan and his works in their lives, but scripture-documented groups have been few Enoch; and the generations of Nephites after Christ’s visit for example. There is no confusion Here for those willing to actually read the Scriptures Jesus Christ provided to erase the ‘Stumbling Block’ of removed and corrupted record of the Jews ‘the bible’. There are wonderful things to work on to Resist Iniquity and be men like Lehi and Teancum with the swords. What in Heaven is wrong with you all to not remember the honorable incredible faith statements of the Stripling Warrior Lamanite converts –
Alma 56:46 - 47
46 For as I had ever called them my sons (for they were all of them very young) even so they said unto me: Father, behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth;
we would not slay our brethren if they would let us
alone;
therefore let us go……
47 Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.
Captain Moroni said—
Alma 61:10 - 11
10 And now, behold, we will resist wickedness even unto bloodshed.
We would not shed the blood
of the Lamanites
if they would stay in their own land.
11 We would not shed the blood of our brethren
if they would not rise up in rebellion
and take the sword against us.
Alma 60:28
Yea, behold I do not fear your power nor your authority, but it is my God whom I fear;
and it is according to his commandments
that I do take my sword
to defend the cause of my country,
and it is because of your iniquity that we have suffered so much loss.
Mormon said about Captain Moroni—
Alma 48:13 - 16
13 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.
14 Now the Nephites were taught to defend themselves against their enemies, even to the shedding of blood if it were necessary; yea, and they were also taught never to give an offense, yea, and never to raise the sword except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives.
15 And this was their faith, that by so doing God would prosper them in the land, or in other words, if they were faithful in keeping the commandments of God that he would prosper them in the land; yea, warn them to flee, or to prepare for war, according to their danger;
16 And also, that God would make it known unto them whither they should go to defend themselves against their enemies, and by so doing, the Lord would deliver them; and this was the faith of Moroni, and his heart did glory in it; not in the shedding of blood but in doing good, in preserving his people, yea, in keeping the commandments of God, yea, and resisting iniquity.
Comment # 11 left by kevin scott on November 10th, 2007
I don’t see why there seems to be these Extreme Examples of Confusion.
Those of you posting here that cite to or have Read the Book of Mormon Should Not Have ANY Confusion on the issue of peace and war, murder and defensive or justice killing. Captain Moroni was pretty well vetted by the prophet and compiler of the Book — namely the Prophet Mormon. He named his son after Captain Moroni. Moroni was a man of God. He loved his fellow man and worked to protect With The Sword his family and his people. Evil will not be reasoned with like the unbelieving or unrighteous. Evil can only be Slain to be defeated in the immediate (an attack, war, and conflict with those impelled by Satan to destroy the Freedom and Lives of those who are or are trying to be God’s people/disciples/church) And about Evil in the long-term — Yes righteousness to the point that Satan is bound. But those exist on an individual and family basis Not as seen and prophesied through the Lord’s prophets (past and present) upon Christ triumphant bridegroom return of ‘the Second Coming’ and advent of the Millennium. Singular persons have cast out Satan and his works in their lives, but scripture-documented groups have been few Enoch; and the generations of Nephites after Christ’s visit for example. There is no confusion Here for those willing to actually read the Scriptures Jesus Christ provided to erase the ‘Stumbling Block’ of removed and corrupted record of the Jews ‘the bible’. There are wonderful things to work on to Resist Iniquity and be men like Lehi and Teancum with the swords. What in Heaven is wrong with you all to not remember the honorable incredible faith statements of the Stripling Warrior Lamanite converts –
Alma 56:46 - 47
46 For as I had ever called them my sons (for they were all of them very young) even so they said unto me: Father, behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth;
we would not slay our brethren if they would let us
alone;
therefore let us go……
47 Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.
Captain Moroni said—
Alma 61:10 - 11
10 And now, behold, we will resist wickedness even unto bloodshed.
We would not shed the blood
of the Lamanites
if they would stay in their own land.
11 We would not shed the blood of our brethren
if they would not rise up in rebellion
and take the sword against us.
Alma 60:28
Yea, behold I do not fear your power nor your authority, but it is my God whom I fear;
and it is according to his commandments
that I do take my sword
to defend the cause of my country,
and it is because of your iniquity that we have suffered so much loss.
Mormon said about Captain Moroni—
Alma 48:13 - 16
13 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.
14 Now the Nephites were taught
to defend themselves against their enemies,
even to the shedding of blood
if it were necessary;
yea, and they were also taught never to give an offense, yea,
and never to raise the sword
except it were against an enemy,
except it were to preserve their lives.
15 And this was their faith, that by so doing God would prosper them in the land, or in other words, if they were faithful in keeping the commandments of God that he would prosper them in the land; yea, warn them to flee, or to prepare for war, according to their danger;
16 And also, that God would make it known unto them whither they should go to defend themselves against their enemies, and by so doing, the Lord would deliver them;
and this was the faith of Moroni,
and his heart did glory in it;
not in the shedding of blood
but in doing good,
in preserving his people,
yea, in keeping the commandments of God, yea, and resisting iniquity.
This is a thumbnail of the Faith of Jesus Christ and the Law taught to Israel. Read for Heavens Sake Section 98 of the Doctrine and Covenants and stop being confused. Please.
Coming on to see in such blog forums such foolish confusion in a matter as clear as can be
Be nice
don’t start a fight or respond to petty insults
if it’s serious or the third time take action
run from temptation but resist (means fight) Iniquity
Slay the Evil men and women when they will not yield to entreaties for peace. Really Simple. You don’t stand around as a man or parent and watch men rape and kill your kids. You don’t sit around and let your country be destroyed by those espousing the Lies of Satan (old times False Gods in the Old Testament — the lamanite lies about Nephi and his people– when Laman and Lemuel and generation following wanted to kill those who followed the God they rejected; and TODAY the false religion of Islam that teaches to kill everyone that does not worship the false god Allah– that’s US!! Those who worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob– JESUS CHRIST. The Americans the rest of the world who will not bow down to the imaginary God Satan taught Mohamed to make up with the religion started about the time that Lehi left Jerusalem to go to the “Promised Land”
READ THE BOOK OF MORMON like you intend to learn the truths, covenants of God and the patterns of righteousness and wickedness. Then stop arguing and unite for Holiness and Unite against Evil. God was the one after all that placed enmity (that’s hatred) on the earth– And what were we to help brethren? Satan and Evil. Recall the scriptures and Alma’s command to Helaman and in turn to us the reader and would-be disciples of Christ: ‘teach your children to have an everlasting hatred and iniquity’. Alma 37:29
There are great blessings for those who live right
As well as (not but or in contrast with the verb to)
fight against evil.
Christ earthly mission was to restore teach and go through the perform the Sacrifice (Atonement Gethsemane’s Sacrifice and Calgary voluntary Death)
But his work is not done– Christ is a Warrior and a Slayer of Evil– His presence and work on the earth before the Grand Public Return of the 2nd coming Will be as a Warrior and Destroyer during the Tribulation– He will slay the wicked and help the Saints and Free Men of the 21st Century to kill the evil men that kill the prophets and saints and others. Those Evil men we assist God to Destroy who are shedding innocent blood. That is the work of God as well as teach convert and live good Lives. Captain Moroni would have loved to stay at home and work to perfect his people. It is not sleeping or taking a Holiday. Evil exists and its sole purpose is to destroy the innocent and all traces of the God they reject. We have an obligation beyond misty-eyed utopia dreaming kumbia sing alongs!!! Wicked men and Evil Women exist in the world in the States and in the church of God as tares pretending to be wheat. Father will direct the time to clean our inner vessel the Church at his timing and by his direction– Then he will begin his specific work like Moses with Pharaoh.
But in the meantime we are not to sit as the wicked King Men being lazy and supporting the enemy of the Free Men. We are to fight iniquity and if necessary take the sword against evil– THAT MEANS AGAINST TERRORISTS in Iraq and wherever.
By the way if a latter-day-saint is against the Iraq war in the fight against evil— He is either a fool (deceived); Or he is a tare (wicked). Period Period Period. Think otherwise– Well then take the Test and Take it To The Father in fervent faith filled Prayer– He will answer and then get off your bottoms and pray and support our boys fighting for the United States against those who hate us enough to strap bombs on kids and kill bus-loads of children in their path to annihilation of the God’s inspired government of the United States in the Promised Land blessed by Adam, Enoch, Brother of Jared, Nephi, Mormon, Moroni and Joseph the Prophet of the Last Times..
Please be faithful
your Brother
Scott
Comment # 12 left by kevin scott on November 10th, 2007
sorry for the typo in the last posting
IT SHOULD BE
And what were we to hate brethren? Satan and Evil
sorry for the typing error
Comment # 13 left by kevin scott on November 10th, 2007