A land choice above all others...

Is the United States of America a Christian nation?

Many of the arguments regarding this question attempt to examine documents or quotations from the late 1700s… but I would like to draw from a much older source.

After the flood in the Old Testament, in a land called Shinar, people aspired to build a great tower that they hoped would let them ascend to heaven without having to live the laws of God.  The Lord confounded the languages of many of these people rendering them unable to communicate, but before the process was completed, a man named Jared and his brother pled that God not confound the language of their family.  Their faith pleased the Lord and he not only allowed them to keep their tongue, but offered to guide their people to a land of promise.  The journey ultimately brought them to the shores of the ancient sea.  There the God of the Old Testament revealed his identity as Jesus Christ, who would be born in the future and perform a great sacrifice to save all men.  He also spoke of the land to which they were being led.

“…but he would that they should come forth even unto the land of promise, which was choice above all other lands, which the Lord God had preserved for a righteous people. And he had sworn in his wrath unto the brother of Jared, that whoso should possess this land of promise, from that time henceforth and forever, should serve him, the true and only God, or they should be swept off when the fulness of his wrath should come upon them.” (Ether 2:7-8) 

The land across the sea was the American continent.  Tragically, these Jaredites eventually abandoned the guidance of Christ and his prophets, and destroyed themselves in a civil war that had but one survivor… Just as had been promised, they had been swept off the land, and God guided another group of people seeking refuge from the wickedness of Zedekiah in Jerusalem to his land of promise.  Among these travelers was a prophet named Nephi.  He foresaw that in spite of his efforts to preach of the Messiah, his own people would eventually reject Jesus and be swept off the land, but he had hope that his efforts might be valued by those to whom Christ would lead to his promised land afterward: Christopher Columbus and other European colonists:

“And I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land. And it came to pass that I beheld the Spirit of God, that it wrought upon other Gentiles; and they went forth out of captivity, upon the many waters.” (1 Nephi 13:12-13)

This ancient Christian prophet foretold the hand of God in aiding the American Revolution and establishing an independent nation:

“And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them. And I beheld that their mother Gentiles were gathered together upon the waters, and upon the land also, to battle against them. And I beheld that the power of God was with them, and also that the wrath of God was upon all those that were gathered together against them to battle. And I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles that had gone out of captivity were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations.” (1 Nephi 13:16-19)

The founding fathers were not just imagining divine providence, they were brought here and preserved by God himself.  The witness and warning of ancient Christians regarding this place echoes across time:

“…and that after the waters had receded from off the face of this land it became a choice land above all other lands, a chosen land of the Lord; wherefore the Lord would have that all men should serve him who dwell upon the face thereof;” (Ether 13:2)

Perhaps it is not important to ask “is the United States of America a Christian nation?”  Christ is responsible for the existence of our nation, and as he has done with the land’s previous inhabitants, he has prospered us when we have put our trust in him.  As this is his promised land, a more prudent question might be “what can we do to make the United States of America a more Christian nation?”  Our knowledge and understanding has not advanced us so far as to make faith and penitence, charity and forgiveness, humility and diligence, or any of the teachings of Christ obsolete.  Adhering to these principles is the ultimate in patriotism.

For more information about the role of Jesus Christ on the American continent, visit http://mormon.org/beliefs/book-of-mormon

 

 

Music credit:  Destiny of the chosen – Immediate

 

Should I freak out about the election?

Attention liberals: this post is not intended for you.  This post is intended for conservatives that are upset about politics in the United States.  This post may cause you to feel angry, and perhaps develop a desire to argue with me.  I do not want to argue with you, so please feel free to read my other posts, or peruse the internet for pictures of cats, or robots, or robot cats.  By continuing to read this post, you agree that you are conservative... not liberal, not moderate, not "fiscally" conservative, but conservative.

Ok, so for anyone who was unable to discern previously, I consider myself very conservative on the political spectrum.  There are a large number of members of the Mormon church who believe as I do, although the church is politically neutral and there are many good members of the church that lean far to the left.  Since liberals are not reading this post any longer, I have no qualms in declaring that they might be well-meaning, but are completely wrong. 

The past few weeks have been filled with disappointment for conservatives.  There are many of us who believe that President Obama is taking the country in a direction that will weaken the United States defensively and economically.  I watched the internet and television on election night and felt my heart sink when states began turning blue.  I asked myself what was wrong with Americans, and could not help but feel a special disappointment with the state of Ohio.  I had, probably against my better judgment, been following several political conservatives in the media, and told myself that the death threats, slurs, and vile hatred being spewed out against them personally and those that believed in conservatism would be worth it because we would at least be able to put the proverbial brakes on the out-of-control big government mentality that had prevailed during the Obama administration.

Of course, people that were brave enough to declare themselves conservative were lambasted with additional profane and vulgar language after the election in the lowest form of gloating.  (for example: http://twitchy.com/2012/11/07/obama-supporters-serve-up-venomous-revenge-to-actress-stacey-dash-die-come-off-porch-house-slave/ warning: language) 

Writing a few posts on a blog has obviously not made me a target of the crazed haters that occupy the fringes of the left, but the feeling of being gloated over is seen in numerous passive aggressive statements from even well-meaning leftists.  A link that I have seen posted several times is one in which the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints congratulates President Obama on his re-election. (http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/statement-on-election-result)  As a member of the church, this does not surprise me.  The church is politically neutral, and particularly where the opposing candidate was a member, it is appropriate to show that they are not unhappy with the result, and that Romney's candidacy was not (as some may have believed) an attempt to gain political power for the church.  It is positive, concise, and clear.

The issue appears when liberals use this and other messages to congratulate the President on his re-election.  They are frequently accompanied with statements exhorting conservatives not to "freak out" or expressing a desire to "work together" and "move forward."

Statements such as these come off to conservatives like this:
You should be happy about the results of the election because I am happy about them.
Or
You shouldn't freak out about the election, because my candidate won.

Of course, as a conservative, I believe that leftists would post far fewer of these "work together" and "don't freak out" nuggets of advice had Romney won the election.

In truth, conservatives such as us do have a few reasons to freak out... and no gloating liberal or progressive wearing moderate clothing is going to convince us otherwise.  Below are legitimate reasons to feel discouraged:

1. Obama's statement about "flexibility" after the election - (http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/26/us-nuclear-summit-obama-medvedev-idUSBRE82P0JI20120326) - The idea that Obama was moving to the center only temporarily in order to win votes is not baseless.  There were a number of promises that Obama made before his first term that he did not keep.  Now that there is no re-election about which to worry, how far left can he go?
2. The Supreme Court - Should there be any retirements or vacancies in the Supreme Court, Obama will appoint another subscriber to the "living" constitutional theory that believes pushing progressive theories is the unwritten goal of our highest law.
3. Socialist policies - Any one who talks about "fair share" without insisting on a flat rate for all social classes is by definition discriminating against certain social classes.  That is by definition socialist.  Obama has not even made a secret of his plan to make the wealthiest individuals (who are in the best position to hire others or to purchase the most goods and services from those that do) the target of his tax policies.
4. Lack of Defense - The Benghazi incident is consistently dodged by the Obama administration as "being investigated."  Part of the problem though is how a consulate in a notoriously dangerous nation was not watched more carefully and defended more thoroughly.  To the observer, Obama has placed a higher priority on his golfing than the defense of the country, hoping that his friendly demeanor will decrease the hatred of America by our enemies.
5. The Republican Party re-evaluating social conservatism - The party that gave us moderate John McCain in 2008 and moderate Mitt Romney in 2012 has started to wonder if they are too conservative.  The party's defense of traditional marriage and stance for the sanctity of the life of the unborn have spawned leftist campaigns encouraging women to "vote with [their] lady parts." (http://twitchy.com/2012/10/02/for-shame-women-obama-literally-reduced-you-to-sum-of-your-ladyparts-vote-like-lady-parts-depend-on-it/)  For some reason, the GOP thinks if we switch to a libertarian philosophy of fiscal conservatism and social liberalism that we will win, in spite of the fact that moderates have done poorly.  I find this point to be more discouraging than many of the difficulties that are coming or may potentially come out of the Obama administration.  Defending marriage is a noble cause... and so is trying to prevent the exploitation of the unborn.  Forfeiting principles in favor of popularity is the wrong move.  I believe the GOP should return to its conservative base and hold fast to correct principles regardless of whether they are popular or politically correct.
6. The Media - It is absolutely infuriating to see the lack of coverage.  Reporters have, for the most part, bought the "we're investigating it" line from Benghazi without asking for details of the investigation.  When interviewing conservatives, the mainstream media possesses a talent for finding those that are least able to articulate their views, or those from the fringe that could easily be portrayed as racists or undesirable.  Although there are a multitude of liberals that could just as easily make the left look foolish, they are always overlooked by the mainstream media. (http://www.theblaze.com/stories/obama-supporters-celebrate-election-victory-no-more-israel-fk-that-sht-kill-those-mother-fkers/ warning: language)
7. Pot and Gay Marriage as ballot measures - Several states including Colorado had measures regarding gay marriage and the legalization of pot.  The populations of these states apparently felt the small percentage of the population that actually use pot or are gay were among the most important issues.  Is changing the law for these items really that helpful for any state?  Certainly I am among conservatives that feel that the fact these things are even considered debatable issues is a sign indicating the moral decay of society at large. 

Of course the complete list of points is actually much longer, and any of these points could be supplemented with additional details and sources confirming how conservatives actually do have lots of reasons to freak out.

Ultimately though, in spite of the reasons for freaking out, even obnoxious gloating liberals can be right when they advise conservatives to stay calm.  Of course, for different reasons than they think.

Consider how many people freak out because they think that the world will end soon.  There is a wide sense across several religions that seem to perceive that we are living in the latter days, or the end times.  Though many religions have a similar perception, Christianity emphasizes the importance of the latter days through prophets and scriptures.  Christianity also emphasizes the terrible tribulation that accompanies the approach of Christ's second coming.

Below is a list of reasons that people could use to freak out that the world is ending:
1. Wars and rumors of war - Matthew 24:6
2. Earthquakes in diverse places - Matthew 24:7
3. Famine and pestilence - Matthew 24:7
4. False prophets - Matthew 24:11
5. Apathy and hatred - Matthew 24:10,12
6. Widespread pride and selfishness - 2 Timothy 3:2
7. Those that do good are despised - 2 Timothy 3:3

Essentially, all of these perils are being seen presently.  The calamities that prophets both ancient and modern have foretold are unfolding before our eyes.  Certainly this list is not comprehensive either, and details and sources could supplement any of these points.

Fortunately, I am not aware of any gloating liberals telling people not to freak out over these things; in fact, leftists are notorious for freaking out over wars, famines, earthquakes, and apathy (though typically only apathy toward spotted owls or 'climate change').

In the case of the signs of our times, it is Jesus Christ himself that tells us not to be troubled:
"...see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass..." (Matthew 24:6)

Jesus Christ is the master of not freaking out.  Even before he was brutally tortured and killed, he gave comfort to his apostles:
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27, emphasis added)

While the gloating leftist stirs hearts to anger, the conservative that remembers Christ can have comfort in calamity.  In fact, the essence of conservatism should exude confidence. 
- A conservative does not need to freak out that injustice exists; we can have confidence that if we work hard, a source higher than the government will ensure that malevolence is punished and benevolence is rewarded. 
- A conservative does not need to freak out that some people have more money than others; we can work hard to improve our own circumstances, and give Christian charity to those in need around us.
- A conservative does not need to freak out that a few SUVs on the road will end the world; we can have confidence that Jesus Christ will restore the earth to a paradisiacal glory that has not been known since the days of Eden.
- A conservative does not need to freak out over the election of a President of the United States; as much as we love our country and want it to succeed, ultimately, as conservatives, we are also citizens of a great kingdom with an immortal and omnipotent King that is not subject to elections or the vices inherently present in political office... 

So fellow conservatives, don't freak out.  Think of the reasons we have to be confident.  Ultimately, remember that in the United States of America, we have no man for whom we shout 'God save the King' because the ideal for conservatives, and for all Americans is that God is the King.