A Mormon Defines Israel in Today's World

As I have stated before, I do not speak for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons), but I am a Mormon with an opinion. I have never been shy about sharing what I believe to be true.

Two facts this past week have prompted this post. 1) It was announced there will soon be 7 billion people living on planet Earth. Of course these numbers are difficult to nail down with precision, but "close enough" will have to suffice; and 2) according to a new poll by The Hill newspaper, 69 percent of Americans now believe the USA is in "decline." In addition, a whopping 83 percent indicate they are worried about America's future.

So how do those two seemingly unrelated facts intersect? They came together in my mind to suggest that very few people on planet Earth today understand, know or even believe these facts are part of the Grand Design of our Father in Heaven who knows the beginning from the end and has made ample provisions for His children because He loves them all and is no respecter of persons.

The Prophet Joseph Smith has delivered this plain and simple truth: "At the first organization in heaven we were all present and saw the Savior chosen and appointed and the plan of salvation made, and we sanctioned it." (TPJS, 181).

The "we" in his statement includes everyone currently living on the Earth today. Everyone. All 7 billion of us. In fact, it includes everyone who has ever lived on the Earth since the dawn of Earth's creation (more properly "organization," since matter is neither created nor destroyed, but is eternal - see D&C 131:7).

Unlearned Joseph Smith could not possibly have understood the first law of thermodynamics during his lifetime, but it was obviously revealed to him by the Holy Ghost, as he states below, and he shared this insight at a funeral for his good friend, a man named King Follett:

“Now I ask all who hear me, why the learned men who are preaching salvation, say that God created the heavens and the earth out of nothing? The reason is, that they are unlearned in the things of God, and have not the gift of the Holy Ghost; they account it blasphemy in any one to contradict their idea. If you tell them that God made the world out of something, they will call you a fool. But I am learned, and know more than all the world put together. The Holy Ghost does, anyhow, and He is within me, and comprehends more than all the world: and I will associate myself with Him.
“You ask the learned doctors why they say the world was made out of nothing; and they will answer, 'Doesn't the Bible say He created the world?’ And they infer, from the word create, that it must have been made out of nothing. Now, the word create came from the [Hebrew] word baurau which does not mean to create out of nothing; it means to organize; the same as a man would organize materials and build a ship. Hence, we infer that God had materials to organize the world out of chaos — chaotic matter, which is element, and in which dwells all the glory. Element had an existence from the time he had. The pure principles of element are principles which can never be destroyed; they may be organized and re-organized, but not destroyed. They had no beginning, and can have no end.” (TPJS, 350-52).

Abraham was shown all these spirit children before we were born, and he saw that "among all these there were many of the noble and great ones." The Lord then said, "Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born." (Abraham 3:22-23). "The noble and great ones" were all of Abraham's future posterity - referred to as "the elect," those who would hold the priesthood, those who are Lord's "chosen people," those whom we know today in the broad definition as "Israel." Abraham would become "the father of the faithful." (D&C 138:41).

We learned there was a war in heaven, the theme was the contention over moral agency (or sometimes, "free agency.") Taught Joseph Smith: "The contention in heaven was — Jesus said there would be certain souls that would not be saved; and the devil said he could save them all, and laid his plans before the grand council, who gave their vote in favor of Jesus Christ. So the devil rose up in rebellion against God, and was cast down, with all who put up their heads for him. (Book of Moses — Pearl of Great Price, Chap. 4:1-4; Book of Abraham, Chap. 3:23-28.)" (TPJS, 357).

"The father of all lies" (see Moses 4:4, Ether 8:25, 2Nephi 2:18) is a perfect description of Satan. Notwithstanding his subtlety and brilliance, Lucifer lost the war in heaven, but he did not quit, nor did he surrender. Instead he took the hosts who followed him, denied the privilege of a physical body, and continues to wage the war against agency today on Earth. Those of us on Earth today saw through his craftiness because the evidence is we are here and we all have physical bodies - 7 billion of us.

At every stage of our existence, first as organized intelligences, followed by our existence as spirits during the war in heaven, then here on Earth today, and someday in the glorious world of spirits and the resurrection yet ahead, we are always granted that precious gift - our moral agency. We may choose freely without compulsion. Everything about our Heavenly Father's plan of salvation suggests it could not exist without moral agency. We are enlarged and our choices expand until they are as wide as all eternity if we are faithful in the correct use of our agency.

It was John who preserved this precious doctrine taught by the Savior: "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32).

If (it's a big IF these days) we learn the truth and obey it, we shall be free, even as free as God is.

President Harold B. Lee

President Harold B. Lee, in his pinnacle General Conference address (October 1973), said this:

"It would seem very clear, then, that those born to the lineage of Jacob, who was later to be called Israel, and his posterity, who were known as the children of Israel, were born into the most illustrious lineage of any of those who came upon the earth as mortal beings.
"All these rewards were seemingly promised, or foreordained, before the world was. Surely these matters must have been determined by the kind of lives we had lived in that premortal spirit world. Some may question these assumptions, but at the same time they will accept without any question the belief that each one of us will be judged when we leave this earth according to his or her deeds during our lives here in mortality. Isn’t it just as reasonable to believe that what we have received here in this earth life was given to each of us according to the merits of our conduct before we came here?
"Now there is another important understanding that we have from the scriptures. We are all free agents, which means to some people who manifest a spirit of rebellion that they are free to do anything they please, but that is not the correct meaning of free agency as the prophets have declared in the scriptures where free agency has been defined. I quote:
“'Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great mediation of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.'” (2 Nephi 2:27).

President Lee continued:

“Who are you? You are all the sons and daughters of God. Your spirits were created and lived as organized intelligences before the world was. You have been blessed to have a physical body because of your obedience to certain commandments in that premortal state. You are now born into a family to which you have come, into the nations through which you have come, as a reward for the kind of lives you lived before you came here and at a time in the world’s history, as the apostle Paul taught the men of Athens and as the Lord revealed to Moses, determined by the faithfulness of each of those who lived before this world was created." (Ensign, January 1974, 2-5).

Here's the important point as it affects Israel and all of God's children today: All God's children were of the foreordained spiritual family of Christ in the premortal world and were included in the broad family of Israel. They were all foreordained to join the eternal family of Christ during the days of their mortal probation. The gospel, it was agreed, would be preached to everyone, and they would all be given the opportunity to become the "chosen and the elect" during the days of their mortal probation. All these, we are told, "the Father had put into his [Christ's] power, and they were made by him." (D&C 76:42-43). All were good, and all were deserving of all the blessings they could obtain through their faithfulness in some degree of salvation.

All were given an opportunity to experience this second estate. The elect were foreordained to come into the world through the chosen lineage, and were foreordained to obtain eternal life. Significantly, and sometimes forgotten by all of us, everyone would be given an opportunity to obtain the very same blessings and promises to improve their station and to choose eternal life not only during the days of their mortal probation, but for as long as it took in the spirit world hereafter to fulfill the promises given to them in the premortal world. Whether by birthright lineage or eventual adoption into Israel, all were foreordained to exaltation who were worthy of a body in their second estate. Because God is no respecter of persons, ample opportunities are the sum and substance of His plan of salvation. The key is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, and the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Remarkable to me is that we perform all these ordinances vicariously for all in our family tree who have predeceased us. We give them the gift of the Holy Ghost vicariously here on Earth, so they may exercise its blessings in the spirit world where they reside. They are ordained vicariously to the priesthood so they may also minister to others in the spirit world as they advance in light and truth. All are alike unto God, and all have equal claim on all the blessings -- if they repent.

So what does all this mean about America's future? Freedom is the lynch pin that makes it possible for the gospel of Jesus Christ to exist on Earth today and to flourish in our lives. The United States of America is the bastion of freedom in the world today, so that all may come in at the front door of Israel's expansive tent. Yes, we are all kin to the state of Israel politically, but spiritually America's destiny is to provide and to protect freedom for all God's children living on the Earth today no matter where they reside on Earth. Zion is spreading forth globally. Satan's dominions, intimidating as they seem, are only an illusory passing night vision that will one day evaporate like the frost when the sun rises.

We may despair from time to time about America in decline, but truthfully, America will stand as long as the Earth itself stands, and as long as the hearts of freedom-loving people still beat in the breasts of those who reside in "the land of the free and the home of the brave," the outcome is assured.

The New Jerusalem is yet to be built before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and we know it will be established here in America and nowhere else. (10th Article of Faith; D&C 84:1-5).

All the doomsday talk notwithstanding, all the wars and rumors of wars, all the upheavals imaginable, all the filth and wickedness aside, the promises to the faithful remain:

"Zion shall be redeemed, although she is chastened for a little season." (D&C 100:13).

May we always prove worthy of the trust as the chosen seed of Israel and citizens of this great land of freedom as we build Zion together.

President Obama's Historic Approval Slide

No matter who does the polling, it seems the once-wildly popular president who started with the mantra of "hope and change" has plummeted as the country has realized neither since his election.

I am one who never lays all the blame for everything at the feet of the current president whoever he is, but these numbers published today are certainly sobering and disheartening. No one wins when the president becomes this weak in the opinions of the most likely voters.

There's a poll out this week about the economy. The findings are not encouraging. The USA Today/Gallup poll says 35 percent of respondents assess the U.S. economy as no better than a year ago and 42 percent say it is worse.

Sixty-one percent said they expect the economy over the next year to be similar to now, or worse, Gallup said Wednesday. The findings are based on telephone interviews with a random sample of 1,004 adults conducted Sept. 15-18. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus four percentage points.

Again, one man in America cannot solve all the problems. It's a popular myth, but the one thing one man can do is chart a course for everyone else. He can lead. He can work with Congress to find a path.

What is really unhelpful is someone who flaunts Constitutional checks and balances, goes over the head of Congress with "czars," travels the country on Air Force One at taxpayer expense, never stops campaigning and raising money for his own re-election, and is tone deaf to the expressed wishes of a majority of likely voters. His disdain for the electorate is now on full display and it is reflected in his historic slide in approval ratings. He has lost his connection with the people.

That one man is Barack Obama. I noticed in Steve Jobs' recently published biography that he expressly warned Obama he would be a one-term president unless he changed his course as a president who is profoundly unfriendly to business. He either has no idea how destructive his economic policies are, or he is malicious. Take your pick, the result is the same. . .

And it explains his historic slide in approval among common sense Americans.


Rescuing "That Which Was Lost" in Today's World

Last night we held our Saturday night adult meeting in conjunction with a regional conference that will be broadcast into our stake center this morning. Our stake presidency invited the mission presidency for the Utah Salt Lake City South Mission to come and instruct us. It was one of those meetings where the spirit carried us along speaker by speaker, punctuated by a stake choir with missionary-themed hymns that were heavenly.

It has been said there is no such thing as an original idea in the Church, since we repeat so many things we hear and experience. I can say the lesson I have learned is that it can all be traced eventually to the fountainhead of this dispensation, Joseph Smith. I was into the eighth volume of the Journal of Discourses years ago when that realization hit me -- this all came through Joseph Smith! That said, despite how many times we read and study the scriptures, someone comes along and puts an interpretation on something we've never considered before. Such was my experience last night.

President and Sister Bruce E. Miller

When it was President Bruce E. Miller's turn to speak, he began with the Lord's introduction to the Doctrine and Covenants:

Hearken, O ye people of my church, saith the voice of him who dwells on high, and whose eyes are upon all men; yea, verily I say: Hearken ye people from afar; and ye that are upon the islands of the sea, listen together.

For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear, neither heart that shall not be penetrated.

And the rebellious shall be pierced with much sorrow; for their iniquities shall be spoken upon the housetops, and their secret acts shall be revealed.

And the voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days.

And they shall go forth and none shall stay them, for I the Lord have commanded them. (D&C 1:1-5).

He emphasized that this revelation was given to members of the Church, certainly, but it also included all the people of the earth. He then cited Luke 15, where the Savior is quoted delivering three parables, all having to do with things that were lost - a sheep, a coin and a son.

One can turn to numerous commentaries on the meanings of these parables, and just when you think you've heard it all there is one more interpretation suggested you had never considered. President Miller suggested Luke 15 with its three parables are the ways in which people leave the Church for a season and are lost to the doctrine of Christ. They either wander away, either they or we are careless, or they rebel and turn away for a season. It may be true this is how people leave the safety net of the gospel, but it is also true for those not of our faith who have yet to find it in this life. . .

He had an audience member read each of the parables, and taught the principles concisely and with precision.

The parable of the lost sheep is actually given twice in the scriputres to different groups of hearers and with differing purposes and applications. However, in Luke the message is clear. It was delivered in Perea. The Savior illustrates the length the Shepherd will go to find the sheep and the rejoicing that takes place when the lost is found. He is teaching the murmuring and self-righteous religious leaders of the day what they should have been doing (but were not) in rescuing the lost sheep. The Good Shepherd was teaching them what was needed to become His true under-shepherds.

Joseph Smith

The Prophet Joseph explained: "The hundred sheep represent one hundred Sadducees and Pharisees, as though Jesus had said, 'If you Sadducees and Pharisees, are in the sheepfold, I have no mission for you; I am sent to look up sheep that are lost; and when I have found them, I will back them up and make joy in heaven.' This represents hunting after a few individuals, or one poor publican, which the Pharisees and Sadducees despised." (TPJS, 277). President Miller suggested some of the sheep today are lost because of the first reason -- they wander off and are lost.

One of the sister missionaries in the audience had been to Israel, encountered a shepherd there, and inquired why he had a lamb draped over his shoulders. She was told by the shepherd that this little lamb had wandered off one too many times. "The first time it happens, I tell the little lamb, don't do that again. The second time it happens I repeat my instructions, but the third time it happens I must break all four of its legs then carry it on my shoulders and do everything for it until the bones heal. Once I have demonstrated my love for the lamb in caring for and protecting it, it will never wander away again."

by Del Parson

The application of the parable for each of us takes on new meaning in the context of those symbolic explanations, doesn't it? When we come unto the Savior, something profound must be broken within each of us -- our hearts must be broken and our spirits must be contrite, and then we can recognize what great things He has done for us so we never hunger nor thirst again. (See 3 Nephi 9:14-22). Our tendency to love Him more increases, but only after our hearts are truly broken for our sins. Only then is our tendency to love Him increased and our diligence in obedience manifested.

Our Lord's earthly under-shepherds today, because they are mortal and weak, sometimes lose precious members of their flocks. When he was a bishop, President Miller told a simple story of elderly lady in the congregation scolding a young sister that her skirt may be too short. Through an unkind word, or inattention, or perhaps even something trivial said carelessly, or because of some other weakness, the soul of much worth like the lost silver coin in the parable, is finally recovered after it seems all attempts that previously failed are finally rewarded with recovery. President Miller suggested the second reason people leave the Church is that either they or we were careless and misplaced or lost our priorities in focusing on things of lesser value. The parable of the lost coin also speaks of rejoicing in the celestial realms when erring members of the kingdom repent and pursue again the course leading to eternal salvation.

Elder James E. Talmage

Elder James E. Talmage offered this insight: "The woman who by lack of care lost the precious piece may be taken to represent the theocracy of the time, and the Church as an institution in any dispensational period; then the pieces of silver, every one a genuine coin of the realm, bearing the image of the great King, are the souls committed to the care of the Church; and the lost piece symbolizes the souls that are neglected and, for a time at least, lost sight of, by the authorized ministers of the gospel of Christ." (Jesus the Christ, 456.) How many times have we misjudged another because of their outward appearance and thought, "Surely, that person would have no interest in the gospel?"

In the more famous parable of the prodigal son, the teaching of the previous two is repeated. All three are part of Jesus' answer to the Pharisees and scribes who murmured because He mingled and ate with publicans and sinners. They all show what joy there is in heaven when straying souls repent, and in this case an illustration is given of the third reason people leave the Church or never embrace it -- they rebel.

The Father in the parable is God who endows all His children with certain talents, capacities, powers, and agency — all according to their needs and situations, all subject to the divine decree that they shall keep His commandments and use their inheritances wisely. We all have gifts, spiritual gifts and endowments designed to aid us in our mortal journey back to Him.

The Prodigal Son

One son is faithful all his life, he keeps the commandments, labors diligently without disruption or complaint at his Father's side, and lays up a rich spiritual harvest for himself and magnifies his Father's kingdom. The other son, however, is tempted, becomes jealous and is overcome by the world's wiles, he squanders away his inheritance on the lusts of the flesh, and soon finds himself in a state of degenerate behavior and suicidal thoughts. Finally, humbled by his adversity he "comes to himself," recalls that even his Father's hired servants are better off than he is, and in his distress turns to God. He seeks relief and begins his journey home. He is emblematic of so many in the Church today who rebel against authority, cheat themselves of the happiness through obedience that otherwise might have been theirs. Those who have never known a day of peace and happiness are also in this group. The gospel truly is all about joy, it's about the good news of Christ's atonement. It's a timeless and timely message for all God's children.

There is much fodder for discussion in this beloved parable. Repentance is real, hearts can change and obedience can be demonstrated, but we can never have back the time wasted in rebellion that might otherwise have been ours. Our memory of our former rebellion is never fully taken away either, to keep us in remembrance of the pain of our former suffering. We may be forgiven, it is true, but that which is lost is lost forever in what "might have been" during the season of our discontent. To rebel is a common theme, to repent is even more common, but wasted time is unrelenting and cannot be fully recovered to us.

Properly applied, this parable has found application for me in all three scenarios -- as the rebellious son in the sense of "holding back" what I might have given in service to others, the faithful older brother who wrongfully judged himself worthy by comparison, and the father of the prodigal who has experienced the joy of welcoming home the prodigal. Seeing it all fulfilled through life's experiences within ourselves is the first step of the true disciple.

In today's world, perhaps as never before in the world's history, we must come to understand why people leave the warmth and safety of the gospel of Jesus Christ, or know not where to find it (see D&C 123:12) and do all we can to succor them.

In so doing we find that which was lost as the true under-shepherds would.

Lee and Schumer: Strange Bedfellows Agree on Immigration Bill

Did you ever think you'd see the day when a tea party activist, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), and a New York liberal, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), could not only agree on something, but co-sponsor a narrowly crafted immigration reform bill? YIKES!!

Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY)

Well, stop the presses. . . it's happened today. They are introducing significant immigration reform legislation that congeals around an idea no one has ever brought up before. Let's bring foreign nationals and their investment dollars into the United States legally, and encourage their purchases of residential real estate to lift real estate prices by introducing some demand into the vast inventory of foreclosed, government-owned homes on the market currently.

It's a legitimate effort to boost housing prices that have not only languished, but continued to decline in some afflicted areas. There are strict provisions to bring capital into the U.S. without granting an automatic path to citizenship. Simultaneously, the bill will introduce some much-needed revisions to speeding up visa applications by installing technology (video-conferencing) to speed up processing.

It's a well-thought-out approach in a narrow segment of a complex immigration pie, but it's a good first step. Schumer says the bill's provisions have won endorsements from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Travel Association, the American Hotel and Lodging Association, and the U.S. Olympic Committee.

In a press release explaining the bill, Lee's office said:

"The Visa Improvements to Stimulate International Tourism to the United States of America Act (VISIT-USA Act) would remove bureaucratic red tape that stifles travel and investment in the U.S. For instance, the bill would reduce barriers for Canadian and Chinese visitors whose consumer spending provides a lift to the U.S. economy. The bill would also expedite priority visa applicants, introduce videoconferencing as a means to screening foreign nationals, and make major changes to visa procedures for U.S. allies in the fight against al Qaeda."

Lee released another statement, clarifying the details of the proposed legislation. It's not intended to be a comprehensive approach. Rather, like eating the elephant one bite at a time, Lee and Schumer have found AN area of agreement (ONE ONLY) around which they can cobble legislation in a constructive way.

Senator Mike Lee (R-UT)

Lee says buyers under the provisions of the proposed legislation will not be allowed to purchase a home by taking out a mortgage. They must pay up front and in cash in order to qualify. They will not create additional risk in our financial system, nor will they create a stream of interest payments to our major banks. The plan is not intended to go through the banks, a plus to those who view banks as the evil empire.

He also says this bill does not create a new market that did not exist previously. Foreign buyers accounted for roughly $82 billion of American real estate purchases in the most recent year tracked by the National Association of Realtors. "A full quarter of those buyers came from our neighbor to the north, Canada, with whom we share the world’s longest open border," explains Senator Lee.

The purpose of this bill is to support a free market method of increasing demand for housing at a time when so many working-class Americans who are underwater on their homes are desperate for prices to rise again. We all know the big-government programs to assist banks and borrowers have failed to work.

Lee concludes, "I am sponsoring this bill because I know that it makes economic sense while protecting American citizens."

Great idea. Kudos to the honorable Senators for coming up with a creative and innovative way to bring a foreign infusion of investment capital into our struggling economic system and to come up with a free-market solution to helping reduce the deficit.

After I saw the headline, overcame my shocked initial response and dived a little deeper into the detail, I like it!

But then, I like Mike (still do).

Political Quote of the Day

From Mortimer Zuckerman, a lifelong Democrat and avid supporter of Barack Obama, as quoted by James Freeman in today's Wall Street Journal:

"Reagan surprised me. He got the point of every argument. . . . He was very decisive. And everybody loved working for him. They followed his lead because they really respected his decisiveness and his instincts.

"I was not a Republican and I was not an admirer of his before I knew him. And you know, Harry Truman had a wonderful definition for the presidency. He said the president has to be someone who can persuade the American people to do what they don't want to do and to like it. And that's what you have to do. Somebody like Reagan had that authority. He was liked so much and he had a kind of moral authority. That's what this president has lost.

"Democracy does not work without the right leadership and you can't play politics. The country has got to come to the conclusion at some point that what you're doing is not just because of an ideology or politics but for the interests of the country."