King-men

Benjamin Franklin said "There is a natural inclination in mankind to kingly government." I believe over the past 100 years we have seen such an inclination. Now we have arrived at the point where our leaders, instead of being subject to law, are above the law and create it as they go along. What is it about having an earthly king that is desirable by the natural man?

We see the same inclination in the Book of Mormon. "For behold, there were a part of the people who desired that a few particular points of the law should be altered...for they were desirous that the law should be altered in a manner to overthrow the free government and to establish a king over the land." Those who opposed this action "had sworn or covenanted to maintain their rights and the privileges of their religion by a free government...now those who were in favor of kings were those of high birth, and they sought to be kings; and they were supported by those who sought power and authority over the people."

There are likely two reasons this trend occurs. First, there are those who want power and authority over the people. Whether driven by pride, power, or money, there are those "elite" minded people that seek to overthrow freedom and establish themselves as rulers.

Second, there are those who don't want to be responsible for governing themselves. Is it easier for a people to push the responsibilities of governing onto others? Do we as men feel that by giving so much power to the government we excuse ourselves from some level of accountability? Maybe we don't have to work, or think, so hard if the king just tells us what to do. Such reasoning sounds like those who desired to come to earth without having to think and learn for themselves. Those who wanted a guarantee, a free pass to celestial glory.

Individuals in the first category will appeal to people in the second category and eventually you have monarchy. Regardless of the reasons for this natural inclination, it is an incline down to submission and slavery.

When we think of kings, we may think of a man sitting on a high throne wearing a crown and long robe, saying "Off with his head!" The idea seems silly to us as Americans because we just can't conceive of our leadership ever looking like that. Instead of this image, we should think of kings as what they ultimately are, a centralization of governing power. One man or a group of men with excess governing power. It may be easier for us as Americans to conceive of that, as we have some living examples.

Alma explained that the reason not to have a king is because we "shall not esteem one flesh above another". There is no man on earth that should be our king, the Lord only shall assume that position. He says, "But, verily I say unto you that in time ye shall have no king nor ruler, for I will be your king and watch over you. Wherefore, hear my voice and follow me, and you shall be a free people, and ye shall have no laws but my laws when I come, for I am your lawgiver, and what can stay my hand" (D&C 38).

We must restore God as the King of this land. Regardless of religion or race, our allegiance must be to Him and not man or man's government. Until we do so, we shall not be a free people.

A few days ago my wife and I were discussing our political views and the need to restore true principles of government in our land. As we pondered the task of doing so, my wife commented on the seeming impossibility of the task. With such a small ratio of people who feel that there are true principles of governing and are trying to do something about it, how can we ever hope to accomplish our goal?

While pondering we realized that if this is a work that God has a hand in, we wouldn't expect the circumstances to by any different. Tell me a story from the scriptures or from the restored Gospel's history where the Lord's people dominated by numbers. When Israel entered the land of Canaan, it seems that every city they overtook required a miracle because their force was small in numbers or small in size in relation to the opposing force. The Nephite armies overcame formidable odds when they had truth on their side, when they were honoring God.

The size of the force for truth has very little to do with whether it will be successful. It should never discourage those involved, in fact, based on history, the small size should be encouraging. President Packer commented on the small numbers of Church members in last General Conference. I think his words apply very well to those standing up for true governmental principles. "We are a tiny fraction when compared to the billions of people on earth. But we are who we are, and we know what we know, and we are to go forth and preach the gospel."

Let us seek not to take courage in our numbers but in our cause. It resembles God's work.

"For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith.” (2 Nephi)

Winning a Losing Battle

What is the secret to winning? How do you ensure that you are always successful, in every pursuit?

About a year ago, I began paying attention to politics. I began asking basic questions, basic questions surprisingly similar to the boy Joseph Smith when he began asking questions about religion...in fact, I would like to use his words to describe some of my feelings related to politics.

"During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep and often poignant, still I kept myself aloof from all these parties...My mind at times was greatly excited, the cry and tumult were so great and incessant. In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?"

My search, as any sincere search, led to some truths related to the founding of our nation, and the Lord's warnings to us in these latter days. As I began to awake, I felt panic and almost constant anxiety. I wanted to take this new knowledge and share it with others and gain some comfort in knowing that we were all in this together. However, I found that there were few who were actually willing to discuss the issues with me.

One thing led to another and I have now united myself with Doug Sligting's campaign. I have learned many things since joining the campaign. Among various facts related to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, I have become aware that our chances of getting Doug elected are slim at best. One may ask, "Why would you spend all the time, money and energy on this cause if you don't fully expect to win?"

This is quite a good question. Men such as Moroni and Jesus' apostles probably had to battle with such questions. Why did these men continue preaching and pressing on when they knew that their days were numbered? There was going to be a falling away, the Lord told them that the word would not take hold at this time, their efforts were not going to produce immediate victory. But, they pressed on nevertheless.

I believe we each have the responsibility to live according to the truth that we possess. If we know something is right and true, we cannot settle for anything less. Though we may fall short and manifest our weakness from time to time, our sights must remain focused on the principles of truth God has revealed to us. This is how we secure for ourselves certain victory. As long as we are true, we win every time and are successful in every pursuit. God will prove this at the last day.

This nation is not going to change by getting the right people elected, I am afraid it is not that easy. This battle for our nation is nothing short of the battle for men's souls...it never has been through all ages of time, it never will be. Getting people to vote for the most popular, the most persuasive candidate doesn't change people's minds or hearts, it just sways them for a time. Our nation will change when individuals, possessing the same principles of liberty and righteousness as our founding fathers, begin living principles of truth. It is an overwhelming concept to swallow, but we can't deny it. God put us here to test us, why would such a struggle be going on if men's souls were not at stake? Would God or Satan care if it was just a matter of opinion?

So, if Doug doesn't win the election, so be it. The real victory is found in people becoming familiar with true principles of government.

The Line Between the Lord's Will and Our Efforts

I regularly ponder the Lord's admonition to "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." (Matthew 7:7) How can the Lord give such direction so freely? Of course, there is some qualification to this promise as described in 3 Nephi. "And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you."

We have to ask for the "right" things. I think this is the part I often struggle with. I tend to be unsure exactly what I should be asking for. I want to ask for what is right, but sometimes get confused. The scriptures have been a great source of helping me overcome that confusion.

In 1 Nephi chapter 17, the Lord wakes Nephi and tells him to arise and go to the mountain. Nephi goes and cries to the Lord seeking further instruction. The Lord tells Nephi to build a ship after the manner that He would show him. Nephi responds, "Whither shall I go that I may find ore to molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship after the manner which thou hast shown me?"

What a response! Nephi was ready to do all of the work, he just asked for a piece of knowledge. Knowledge of where to go to get the ore, to make the tools, to do the work. What if Nephi had just asked the Lord to give him tools? He knew God could provide them. How often do we just ask for the tools, and "skip" a step, asking for something that would excuse ourselves from doing all of the work?

In verse 8, the Lord tells Nephi to build the ship..."that I may carry thy people across these waters." Nephi needed to build the ship in order for the Lord to be able to carry them across the water. Is the Lord able to build a ship? Of course, and Nephi knew it. Regardless of the Lord being able, and regardless of Nephi knowing the Lord was able, the Lord still instructed Nephi to do the building. So that He, the Lord, could bring them across the great waters.

This scenario further defines the point at which our efforts/faith and the Lord's will/power meet. I am beginning to believe it is further away from us that we think. There is more required of me than I often realize.

We cannot just sit there in our families or Ward Councils and hope that people will be saved. It requires hard work and consistent stretching faith to bring about the miracles we desire. Consider the faith Nephi was exercising day after day as he built that ship, the hard labor it required. Only following that exertion would the Lord carry them to where they needed to go.

What is our ship? What is the Lord waiting for us to build so that He can begin to carry us where we need to go? What should we be asking for in the meantime? We certainly should not be asking for the ship.

Following the Prophet

Lehi the prophet informs his sons that the Lord wants them to go back to Jerusalem to get the brass plates. Laman and Lemuel murmur at the counsel of the prophet, but Nephi responds faithfully saying, "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."

What is the "way" that is prepared for us to do as the prophet counsels? When the Lord asks us to do something, should it really be that difficult to just do it? Is it sometimes harder to know what the Lord is commanding us to do, than it is to do as He commands?

In Nephi's case, Lehi told him exactly what to do, "Go and get the plates..." but fulfilling that direction eventually required a great deal of effort. This was a directive from the Lord, but many obstacles had to be overcome before Nephi could fulfill the command. The "going and doing" was actually quite complicated.

The brother's first attempt was based on casting lots, relying on some element of chance. Didn't work. The second attempt involved using worldly possessions to trade for the plates. Didn't work. Before the third attempt, Nephi had to endure significant persecution and abuse from his brothers. Why did he have to go through that when all he was doing was what the Lord asked him to do?

The third attempt was carried out solely by Nephi and required significant reliance upon the Holy Ghost. Without being led by the Spirit, Nephi would not have been able to accomplish the Lord's command. In a sense, it was necessary for Nephi to receive additional, personal commandments in order for him to fulfill the prophet's original counsel.

Blind faith will never be enough. Our circumstances, just like Nephi's, set us up for personal growth as we try to do what the prophet says. It is not enough to be 100% willing to follow the prophet, we each have to learn to endure seemingly unjustified hardship and learn to follow the Holy Ghost. In order for us to be able to follow the prophet, we have to be able to follow the Spirit, there is no way around it.

We must be familiar with the general directions we have been given. We need to know His words, so that we are engaged in the work that will merit further, personal commandments from the Holy Ghost.

Isolation / Perspective

The other common theme I heard coming through from my corruption email was the feeling of loneliness. Loneliness in the sense that people felt that they were only one of the few that really cared about the state of their country. Some made the statement that they very much wanted to see the corruption removed but that they didn't think people in general cared enough about it.

The proposal that a large number of people don't really care about politics is certainly supported by my own experience, but the idea that most people don't care enough about the country to make a difference, I have to disagree with, or at least, I strongly question. Though, I completely understand the feeling. In fact, the first post of this blog was an expression of frustration with people for their lack of engagement in the issues.

Why do we sometimes feel like we are the only ones that care? Why do those who are dissatisfied with their representation and leadership often feel in the minority?

One answer to this question struck me while sitting in a hospital room all day watching the news. It was the day or two after news broke about a little boy being stuck in a homemade hot air balloon that was flying through the sky. They had found the boy and he was alright, yet multiple news agencies were spending hours and hours covering whether or not the family was lying about thinking the boy was in the balloon. The story was going on and on, I began to wonder why this was so important. After a while I got frustrated, "Who cares about whether or not this family made it up?" "What does it matter to the rest of the country?" "Isn't there something else more relevant to report on?"

Naturally, since it was on TV and getting so much air time, I figured that most people must care about this. They wouldn't report on it if it wasn't what the general public cared about, right?

Another recent instance of these circumstances was the story from an MTV awards program. I am sure you heard about Kanye West (sp?) stealing the microphone away from some other singer and commenting on Beyonce's (sp?) music video. Frustration set in that time too, "Who are these people?" "Who cares about what he said or she said?" "Is this relevant enough to be covering on a national news station?" "What does it matter to the rest of the country?" As with the balloon story, I figured that the national news agency wouldn't cover it if most people didn't care about it, right?

This perspective ultimately results in me wondering why my neighbor cares about such pointless information. "Why is my neighbor, who must be watching and caring about these stories, concerned about such insignificant matters when our country is being steered by an out of control government body? I must be surrounded by a bunch of idiots! I am definitely one of the few who cares about the important stuff."

Well, the idea that news agencies only cover stories that most people care about is a fallacy. We can't let our confidence be based on what the crowd "appears" to be concerned with.

You and I know that most people we associate with are good. Most people want good for this country. They just feel isolated and don't know what to do about it. The best way to prevent the media from having this affect on us is by talking to each other. Speaking up about important issues on a regular basis will help us all realize that we are in the majority.

On a Different Note

I will forgo my plans for the follow up post to discuss something a little more important. Yes, even more important than politics. The blog is called, "Religion and Politics", and I thought it could use a little more religion. You can tell me what you think.

Elder Richard G. Scott gave a very inspiring talk, as usual, at the past General Conference. Some of his statements have caused me to contemplate the fundamental principles of faith.

He said, "Our Father expects you to learn how to obtain that divine help by exercising faith in Him and His Holy Son, Jesus Christ. Were you to receive inspired guidance just for the asking, you would become weak and ever more dependent on Them". Wait a minute, I thought it was a good thing to become "ever more dependent on Them"? The implications of his statement deserve deep consideration.

Never does our reliance upon the Lord relieve us of our responsibility. Never does our dependence upon Them justify a lack of effort on our part. There are things to act, and things to be acted upon (2 Ne 2). We are not here on earth just to be God's pawns, we have a sphere of influence. God uses His servants, He uses His friends, not pawns, to accomplish His work.

What actions are we not taking today, which, if taken, would bless the life of another? What invitation are we not offering today, which, if offered, would result in a less active friend or neighbor joining us at Church this Sunday? I wonder if the power to work miracles lies within us more often than it does in another? Does God depend on us to bless His children?

The Lord has made great promises to His faithful saints, they don't all need to be repeated here. He says, "signs follow those which believe" (D&C 63:9). Are we living in a manner that would produce such "signs"? Do we ever take action that draws the Lord into our lives because our action demonstrates our faith in His promises? Or do we live in a manner that doesn't necessarily include Him or require His intervention and support? Do we even think about it?

The much repeated slogan of President Hinckley's life comes to mind. I repeat it here once again but with a few added words for emphasis of what I believe he was teaching. "Pray as if everything depends on the Lord, because it does. Go to work as if everything depends on you, because it does."