Wars and Rumors of Wars

Matthew-24-7Nobody likes to talk about war, at least I don’t think so. Maybe there are those who delight in the subject. I don’t. However, the theme of war is found throughout the scriptures, indicating it is a topic about which the Lord expects us to be knowledgeable. I don’t think He wants us to become experts at waging war, but be informed about what will happen in the last days in regard to war.

We can’t go about with our head in the sand when it comes to international affairs, although one could make an argument to the contrary. For example, in my mother’s journal, referring to the timeframe of World War II, I recall this statement: “The war is so far away. We hear about it on the radio and see the boys who come home to the hospital, but for us, there really is no war.”

Now mother knew perfectly well there was a war going on. She worked on the base where she grew up in Norman Oklahoma. She was a cashier in the Naval Hospital where she met my dad, who was a cook at the same base. She saw one of the results of war first hand – the wounded and the maimed. But there were no bullets flying around her family, so in effect, there was no war.

War Always Seems So Far Away

I have never seen war. Of course I have seen videos and read the history of wars in my lifetime, but I have never lived in a war zone, so I can’t relate to those who do, such as a large population of the Middle East. I have watched lots of movies about war, some which glamorize it and others that show it in all its gory detail. But I have never experienced the heart-pounding fear of war.

Update: I remembered a time on my mission where I worked in a soon-to-be war zone. I wrote this little memoir a few years back for a writing class. The thing about memoirs is they can be “enriched” memories. I combined two separate events for this piece of writing. It’s the closest I came to feeling the fear of war some experience every day

The United States has experienced only one civil war so far and that was long before any of us were born, so it’s a distant memory in the history books. The closest thing to civil war now is experienced by those who live in downtown crime-ridden neighborhoods. Even then, it’s nothing like that experienced by those who live, for example, in Honduras, where I served my mission.

countries-at-war-2015There are over fifty ongoing armed conflicts being waged somewhere around the world as I write this. Although the Mexican Drug War can be considered close-by, most wars are centered around the Middle East and Africa. One of the longest running wars is the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, ongoing since 1948, when Israel was established as an independent state by the United Nations.

Prophecy Concerning War in the Last Days

Two of my favorite books growing up were Gerald Lund’s The Coming of the Lord and Duane Crowther’s Prophecy, Key to the Future. I have read or studied both of them almost constantly since I purchased them in the early seventies.  They are well marked-up and annotated, similar to my scriptures. Duane’s book was published before the Six Day War so lacks commentary there.

However, they both have considerable content dedicated to explaining the author’s interpretation of scripture and prophecy dealing with the subject of war. I’d like to focus on war in the Middle East in this post. I don’t believe the author of either book I mentioned above has taken sides, nor is that my intent in sharing this post. I simply desire to outline prophecies concerning that war.

Of course, one of the things about prophecy is that it is not intended to foretell the future, but to make us aware of the foreknowledge of God in such matters. Prophecy is not given to help us pin down an exact date as to when certain things are supposed to happen. It is to remind us of the love of our Savior in preparing us for that which is to come. Thus, we can avoid being fearful.

A Voice of Warning in the Last Days

sword-of-heaven“And the anger of the Lord is kindled, and his sword is bathed in heaven, and it shall fall upon the inhabitants of the earth. And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed…” When I read this verse I see it being fulfilled in two ways, but primarily by the Lord. The phrase, “arm of the Lord” has special significance in terms of prophecy. It is referring to an astral event in the ancient skies.

But it can and does also refer to the destruction that is forthcoming upon the appearance of this frightening object in the skies. All the world will see it. The wicked shall fear and tremble. Even the righteous will be alarmed if they have not taken the Holy Spirit for their guide. Read chapter twenty-one of Ezekiel to learn more about the imagery of this bright sword bathed in heaven.

“For I will reveal myself from heaven with power and great glory, with all the hosts thereof…” The word of the Lord is “quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, to the dividing asunder of both joints and marrow…” There’s that sword imagery again. This time it’s applied to the word of the Lord, which will prepare our hearts for the tribulation and desolation sent forth.

War Poured Out Upon All Nations

wars-and-rumors-of-wars“And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion…” There is no getting around it. We live in that day now. Peace has been taken from the earth. “…see that ye be not troubled, for all I have told you must come to pass…Behold I have told you before…for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom…”

“And the time will come that war will be poured out upon all nations…And thus with the sword and by bloodshed the inhabitants of the earth shall mourn…” If you think God has nothing to do with war upon the earth, think again. I’m not saying God causes war. Men are very well able to do that by themselves. But ask yourself, why would He use the phrase “war will be poured out”?

And when He says ‘all nations,” do you think He means the United States of America? I do. That day has not come yet, but is at the doors. The Lord said He would make an end of all nations. It could be through social unrest or it could be through invasion by other nations who have sworn to destroy “the great Satan,” which is their term for wickedness exported from the United States.

Sworn to Annihilate Israel

The future history of IsraelNow to the point of my post: Israel. As reader Linda pointed out in the comments section of my last post, nobody wants war. She linked to a YouTube video of an awesome TED talk about an Israeli designer who created an online peace sensation with his design, “Iranians: We will never bomb your country. We {heart} you.” If you haven’t viewed the short 2012 video, take a look.

Linda, you are right. Your average citizen of most any nation doesn’t want war. I believe that is true for Palestinians, Iranians, Afghanis, Israelis, Russians, Chinese or Americans. It’s true for the citizens of every nation that has weapons of mass destruction such as India, Pakistan, France, England, and even North Korea. Nobody wants war, or at least I would like to believe that’s so.

Sadly, we know that’s not true. There are individuals out there who do want war. They want it for various reasons. Some desire it to increase personal wealth, others want to change the balance of power in the world. Unfortunately, there are deranged individuals who want war for religious reasons. They have declared their intent to annihilate the nations of Israel and the United States.

Israel Not Powerless to Defend Themselves

The leader of Iran tweeted last year, “This barbaric, wolflike & infanticidal regime of Israel which spares no crime has no cure but to be annihilated.” I think that’s fairly clear, don’t you? Yet, John Kerry is brokering a deal with Iran to remove economic sanctions and extend time to allow weapons-grade uranium development in their nuclear program. What is the man thinking?

As the Prime Minister of Israel said in his address to congress this week, “We are no longer scattered among the nations, powerless to defend ourselves. … For the first time in one hundred generations, we, the Jewish people, can defend ourselves. This is why … as a prime minister of Israel, I can promise you one more thing: Even if Israel has to stand alone, Israel will stand.”

I’m not choosing sides here. I believe the reports Israel has nuclear weapons. We know Israel will act in a pre-emptive manner. They demonstrated that in the Six Day War. I don’t think the Prime Minister of Israel wants war. But I do believe the leader of Iran wants war. He wants it specifically so he can annihilate Israel. He has said so. I just want to make sure we’re all clear.

No Nation Can Do More Than God Permits

“Have I not made the earth? Do I not hold the destinies of all the armies of the nations of the earth?” In spite of wars and rumors of wars, in spite of the whole earth being in commotion, in spite of men’s hearts failing them, meaning losing courage to stand up for what is right, in spite of Satan’s seeming success in promoting war and contention, please remember who is in charge.

The adversary’s greatest efforts will not stop the work of the Lord. “The Lord rules, manipulates and manages the affairs of men, of nations and of the world, and therefore, neither this nation nor any other nation can do anything more than God permits. He sets up one nation, and puts down another, according to the counsels of his own will.” John Taylor couldn’t have said it any better.

armageddon-countriesWe know Israel will be the focus of the great battle of the last days – Armageddon. The battle is essentially religious: one ideology and theology against another. One host stands for God and his cause. The other fights against Him. Both hosts are comprised of wicked and worldly men, but one is defending freedom while the other would destroy liberty and enslave men. You choose.

Government of the United States Will Collapse

Joseph Smith stated on several occasions that, “the government will be utterly overthrown and destroyed,” and that “Congress…shall be broken up as a government.” In addition the prophet Joseph is quoted as saying, “A terrible revolution will take place in the land of America, such as has never been seen before; for the land will be literally left without a supreme government…”

President Woodruff was more emphatic when he asked, “…can the American nation escape? The answer comes, No; its destruction, as well as the destruction of the world, is sure…Sooner or later they will reap the fruits of their own wicked acts, and be numbered among the past.” On another occasion he said, “The American nation will be broken in pieces like a potter’s vessel…”

Perhaps you recall this statement by Orson Pratt, an early LDS apostle. “State will be divided against state, city against city, town against town, and the whole country will be in terror and confusion; mobocracy will prevail and there will be no security, through this great Republic, for the lives or property of the people.” This statement was made after the Civil War of 1861-65.

The Coming Civil War

civil-unrestReferring to the Civil War of 1861-65, President John Taylor said, “We had a great war upon this continent some years ago; but there will yet be wars pass through these United States…” He also said, “You will see worse things than that, for God will lay his hand upon this nation, and they will feel it more terribly than even they have done before. There will be more bloodshed…”

“Their great and magnificent cities are to be cut off. New York, Boston…and numerous other cities will be left desolate…the whole nation will be broken up. There shall be a fleeing from one city to another, from one state to another, from one part of the continent to another, seeking refuge, from the devastations of bandits and armies; then shall their dead be left unburied.”

The above quote is from Orson Pratt, who left us the best descriptions of the great American civil war of the last days, a prophecy yet to be fulfilled. He said, “It will be a war of neighborhood against neighborhood…they will go forth destroying and being destroyed…going forth in bands and destroying and pillaging the land…the whole country…will be wasted away…”

“The time will come when there will be no safety in carrying on…peaceable pursuits…these will be neglected and the people will think themselves well off if they can flee from city to city, from town to town and escape with their lives.” In one particularly foreboding statement, Brigham Young agreed with Orson and said the whole government will become a mob. Hmmm…

Gather to Zion for Protection

tent-cityThe only protection for those who will not take up arms against their neighbors is to flee to Zion. Zion as a place of refuge has not yet been established. At one time I had a dream about a large piece of land behind our Stake Center. It was filled with tents. The members of our stake had come together to protect one another. Men took turns patrolling the area, armed with weapons.

I wondered about the dream and asked the Lord for an interpretation. The impression came this was one possible scenario. It was a temporary situation. The people were waiting for word from Salt Lake to gather to Zion. But no word came. We were cut off. Communications were down. But in fact, Utah and especially Salt Lake were in worse shape. Zion was not found in Utah.

It was just a dream. The LDS Church teaches preparedness. We are counseled to have a large supply of food, water and even money although it’s fairly clear money will be worthless if the government collapses and social chaos reigns. I never cared for weapons yet I now have a small arsenal in my home, next to my food storage. What? Here in California? I hope I never need it.

Zion Prospereth, All Is Well In Zion

I close in the same way I began. Nobody likes to talk about war. Nobody likes to think about the possibilities of social anarchy or the specter of financial collapse. Surely this great nation will last forever, right? As long as we serve the God of this land we will be blessed. Once the highest court of the United States rejects the principles of religious freedom, we lose God’s protection.

I hope and pray these things I have written about do not come to pass in my lifetime. We seem to be enjoying renewed prosperity in our nation as I write this. Employment prospects appear to be the best they have been in years. Crime is down to a level not seen since the sixties. In my ward and stake, families appear to be happy and growing. All is well in Zion. Yea, Zion prospereth.

You can dismiss this post on war as irrelevant from an old man out of touch with the realities of life. You can tell yourself the scriptures and prophecies I have quoted were taken out of context and have different interpretations than those I have offered. Of course they do. The spirit will guide you how to receive these thoughts. After all, they are only the ramblings of an old man.

 

32 thoughts on “Wars and Rumors of Wars”

  1. Having never met you, why would I think of you as a rambling old man? I doubt any of us would bother reading your blog if we did! 😀

    I just have two comments. The first is maybe a bit silly, but your post reminded me of the recent Planet of the Apes movies, which tell a story showing how an awful lot of good and well-meaning people (or apes) can be swept along into a powerful movement that is essentially caused by the actions of a few misguided individuals who themselves believe their cause is righteous. This is kind of how I imagine the wars of the last days: a few people or groups will resort to violence, believing their cause to be righteous (this is already happening), but the movement gathers momentum too fast for anyone to resist being caught up into the conflict or prevent it from growing to worldwide proportions. I agree that almost nobody actually wants war, but we may not be able to help it.

    Second comment: I can’t help but notice that certain recent developments in the world are on/have been on the brink of growing to worldwide, biblical proportion (Ebola and IS, to name just two that come to mind). It’s scary, and you’re not out of touch! Thank you for the reminder that there is only one way to avoid the fear and trembling.

    1. Dear Tim,

      I am just amazed! Can you not see that even though you say you are not taking sides, you are believing what one man has spoken, and disbelieving what another man says. How is this not taking sides?

      ” We know Israel will act in a pre-emptive manner. They demonstrated that in the Six Day War.”
      You are correct, Israel took the war by pre-emptive strikes. Has Iran taken any pre-emptive strikes on Israel? THIS IS THE REAL QUESTION.

      One country has no problem starting or escalating a disagreement, while cooler heads take it on the chin, and try for peace. Who is the aggressor? When is the aggressor EVER in the right way?

      Read again D&C 98.

      If you believe it is God’s way of dealing where there are disagreements, then how can you call the one country who has nuclear weapons, who has already demonstrated that they are willing to use pre-emptive strikes, the more righteous country? It begs to call Christ a liar.

      Christ has already told us His way of handling disagreements. I am not willing to back a country which thumbs its nose at Christ’s words. You may back such a country; I will not.

      Remember that it by the wicked that the wicked are destroyed.

      God wants us to be peacemakers and peacekeepers.

      Very sincerely yours,
      Linda

      1. Linda, before you bash Tim on his version of history, please get some facts in a row and then respond with your new-found learning.
        Israel has a choice position in international relations if viewed through a biblical sense. That is obvious to anyone who even glances at scripture. See Zechariah Chapter 12. Tim concedes both Iran and Israel are led by wicked men. And certainly Israel’s divine protection is most likely limited as they move from following God to following their own counsel.
        What does preemptive even mean? Based on the Book of Mormon, this of course means fighting a defensive war as the enemy (seeking to enslave, approaches the gates. But that would make Captain Moroni’s righteousness suspect as he used spying to gather intelligence during his campaigns. Did he sit back and wait for the attack to come? To be sure, he did not send armies into Lamanite lands to take control. But he did not sit idly by and wait.
        The Book of Mormon talks often of incidents where the Lamanites were inciting themselves (or being incited by wicked Nephites) until they finally picked up their arms and headed to Zarahemla. Again, how did the Nephites find this information? Most likely intelligence gathering and an army standing guard.
        In more modern times, Iran has been attacking Israel for decades. Your misapply section 98 if you believe Israel has not been attacked the requisite three times. How many missile attacks from the North and South must they endure? Iran has been attacking Israel through funding of Hezbollah and the shipping of arms to southern Lebanon. So your implicit characterization of Iran not acting as the aggressor is patently untrue.
        So, how does a country protect itself under a sort of Nephite Homeland Defense Doctrine? During the Six Day War, Egypt, Jordan, and Syria had massed weapons and men along Israel’s borders. Given the speed that modern weapons can be moved over long distances, was Israel really acting preemptively, or just taking the next step in a belligerent confrontation? I will leave that to armchair historians.
        So when Iran has a nuclear weapon and the delivery system to move such a weapon to Israel without moving troops or materiel, what is Israel to do? Iran has promised to attack Israel. How much clear can it be? With such a weapon, one could argue that the enemy is at striking distance of the gates, albeit hundreds of miles away.
        History will play out the way the prophets have described. The trick is to be on the side of righteousness, whatever that might look like in these days of confusing allegiances and secret combinations.

        1. Here is an entire post on why we should not be taking sides in any conflict outside our own country.
          The reason is that we cannot know all that goes on behind the scenes, which are sometimes instigated by the very government which seems to be the victim.

          Please at least skim this article. It has lots and lots of links you can click on to find out additional information.

          Presidents, Prime Ministers, Congressmen, Generals, Spooks, Soldiers and Police ADMIT to False Flag Terror

          Posted on March 18, 2015 by WashingtonsBlog
          Not Theory … Admitted Fact

          http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2015/03/false-flag-5.html

          Here is one example which we have all had emotional responses to:
          (32) The U.S. falsely blamed Iraq for playing a role in the 9/11 attacks – as shown by a memo from the defense secretary – as one of the main justifications for launching the Iraq war. Even after the 9/11 Commission admitted that there was no connection, Dick Cheney said that the evidence is “overwhelming” that al Qaeda had a relationship with Saddam Hussein’s regime, that Cheney “probably” had information unavailable to the Commission, and that the media was not ‘doing their homework’ in reporting such ties. Top U.S. government officials now admit that the Iraq war was really launched for oil … not 9/11 or weapons of mass destruction. Despite previous “lone wolf” claims, many U.S. government officials now say that 9/11 was state-sponsored terror; but Iraq was not the state which backed the hijackers. (Many U.S. officials have alleged that 9/11 was a false flag operation by rogue elements of the U.S. government; but such a claim is beyond the scope of this discussion. The key point is that the U.S. falsely blamed it on Iraq, when it knew Iraq had nothing to do with it.).

        2. Alternative viewpoints can be found everywhere. Whose report does one believe?

          A report claims the Pentagon kept secret that U.S. military personnel were exposed to abandoned chemical weapons while serving in Iraq.

          A report claims the Pentagon kept secret that U.S. military personnel were exposed to abandoned chemical weapons while serving in Iraq.

          On March 19, 2003, a solemn-faced President George W. Bush addressed the nation from the Oval Office, announcing the early stages of American and coalition forces taking part in Operation Iraqi Freedom. “The people of the United States and our friends and allies will not live at the mercy of an outlaw regime that threatens the peace with weapons of mass murder,” Bush said.

          Two months prior, in his State of the Union address, Bush spoke the phrase that would define a decade of war: Weapons of mass destruction. “My hope is that all nations will heed our call, and eliminate the terrorist parasites who threaten their countries and our own…Our second goal is to prevent regimes that sponsor terror from threatening America or our friends and allies with weapons of mass destruction…Iraq continues to flaunt its hostility toward America and to support terror. The Iraqi regime has plotted to develop anthrax, and nerve gas, and nuclear weapons for over a decade.”

          It appears that Bush – either knowingly or unwittingly led to the conclusion – was correct, at least in part. Through a Freedom of Information Act request, the NY Times obtained a heavily redacted, 45-page document from the Department of the Army, dated Jan. 16, 2014, that showed over 4,990 chemical munitions were discovered in Iraq between 2004 and 2011.

          The World Tribune on Oct. 15, citing the report from the Times, stated that U.S. troops “repeatedly encountered Weapons of Mass Destruction. Meanwhile, voters back home and the world at large had been repeatedly told precisely the opposite by U.S. media reports. The Republican administration of George W Bush was condemned on a daily basis by partisans in and out of government for executing a war in Iraq on the false premise that such WMD existed and posed a threat to Iraqis and the region at large.”

          But while many media outlets have painted a superficial spin on the article and dangled the news for some salacious clickbait, the Times was quick to point out the obvious – these weapons were old, outdated armaments, many of them inoperable, sourced from long-abandoned programs. Hardly the justification that would mirror Secretary of State Colin Powell’s convincing contention that Iraq had an active WMD program, something that inspectors from the United Nation could never find.

          An excerpt from the Times:

          The United States had gone to war declaring it must destroy an active weapons of mass destruction program. Instead, American troops gradually found and ultimately suffered from the remnants of long-abandoned programs, built in close collaboration with the West.

          The New York Times found 17 American service members and seven Iraqi police officers who were exposed to nerve or mustard agents after 2003. American officials said that the actual tally of exposed troops was slightly higher, but that the government’s official count was classified.

          The secrecy fit a pattern. Since the outset of the war, the scale of the United States’ encounters with chemical weapons in Iraq was neither publicly shared nor widely circulated within the military. These encounters carry worrisome implications now that the Islamic State, a Qaeda splinter group, controls much of the territory where the weapons were found.

          The information was so closely withheld that even American troops and military medical doctors were kept in the dark regarding what they were walking into – and many suffered for it.

          “I felt more like a guinea pig than a wounded soldier,” said one former Army sergeant who suffered mustard burns in 2007, the Times reported.

          Jarrod Lampier, a retired Army major, was there when his unit came across 2,400 nerve-agent warheads in 2006. However, he was firmly ordered to give a misleading reply if asked about them. “’Nothing of significance’ is what I was ordered to say,” said Lampier.

          Jarrod L. Taylor, a former Army sergeant, oversaw the destruction of mustard shells located in old Republican Guard bunkers. He sarcastically joked of “wounds that never happened” and “that stuff that didn’t exist,” adding that the American people were lied to for over a decade. “I love it when I hear, ‘Oh there weren’t any chemical weapons in Iraq,’” Taylor said. “There were plenty.”

          Soldiers injured by the leaking chemical weapons were sworn to secrecy. “They put a gag order on all of us — the security detail, us, the clinic, everyone,” one officer quoted in the report said. “We were briefed to tell family members that we were exposed to ‘industrial chemicals,’ because our case was classified top secret.”

          The discovery of WMDs and chemical agents: Conservatives are hailing Bush as being unmistakably spot on, liberal media outlets are trumpeting the discovery. And yet, the Bush administration, so desperate to vindicate themselves with the presence of lethal weapons, never revealed the information? Why?

          According to the Times, the majority of the weapons “appeared to have been designed in the United States, manufactured in Europe and filled in chemical agent production lines built in Iraq by Western companies.” The weapons were made by the West, then discovered decades later.

          Further evidence of gross political manipulation? Or long-sought vindication? Sound off below with your thoughts.

          For the full report, head over to the New York Times article: The Secret Casualties of Iraq’s Abandoned Chemical Weapons

          http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/10/14/world/middleeast/us-casualties-of-iraq-chemical-weapons.html?_r=0

        3. And, for what it’s worth:

          http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/iran-endorses-nuclear-emp-attack-on-united-states/article/2561733

          Suspected for years of plotting to dismantle the U.S. electric grid, American officials have confirmed that Iranian military brass have endorsed a nuclear electromagnetic pulse explosion that would attack the country’s power system.

          American defense experts made the discovery while translating a secret Iranian military handbook, raising new concerns about Tehran’s recent nuclear talks with the administration.

          The issue of a nuclear EMP attack was raised in the final hours of this week’s elections in Israel when U.S. authority Peter Vincent Pry penned a column for Arutz Sheva warning of Iran’s threat to free nations.

          Iranian military documents describe such a scenario — including a recently translated Iranian military textbook that endorses nuclear EMP attack against the United States,” he wrote.

          A knowledgeable source said that the textbook discusses an EMP attack on America in 20 different places.

          Arizona Republican Rep. Trent Franks, who is leading an effort to protect the U.S. electric grid from an EMP attack, has recently made similar claims based on the document translated by military authorities.

          Once sneered at by critics, recent moves by Iran and North Korea have given credibility to the potential EMP threat from an atmospheric nuclear explosion over the U.S.

          Pry has suggested ways for Iran to deliver a nuclear attack: by ship launched off the East Coast, a missile or via satellite.

          Either way the result could be destruction of all or part of the U.S. electric grid, robbing the public of power, computers, water and communications for potentially a year.

          RELATED: Is Iran playing the U.S. in the nuclear talks?

          Frank Gaffney, founder and president of the Center for Security Policy, said the threat to the grid can also come from solar activity.

          He has been pushing Washington and state governments to take the relatively inexpensive move to protect the electric grid, though his concern is from a nuclear attack by Iran or North Korea.

          “It is increasingly frightening,” he said. “We have to get started on this.”

          He noted that Iran’s top military leader recently announced that he was ready for war with the U.S.

          “We are ready for the decisive battle against the U.S. and the Zionist regime,” Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Hassan Firouzabadi told Iran’s Fars News Agency in 2014.

          Below is from Pry’s column that discusses an Iran EMP attack:

          Iran armed with nuclear missiles poses an unprecedented threat to global civilization.

          One nuclear warhead detonated at high-altitude over the United States would blackout the national electric grid and other life sustaining critical infrastructures for months or years by means of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP). A nationwide blackout lasting one year, according to the Congressional EMP Commission, could cause chaos and starvation that leaves 90 percent of Americans dead.

          Iranian military documents describe such a scenario–including a recently translated Iranian military textbook that endorses nuclear EMP attack against the United States.

          Thus, Iran with a small number of nuclear missiles can by EMP attack threaten the existence of modernity and be the death knell for Western principles of international law, humanism and freedom. For the first time in history, a failed state like Iran could destroy the most successful societies on Earth and convert an evolving benign world order into world chaos.

          Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at pbedard@washingtonexaminer.com.

  2. Minorityofone

    Great post Tim

    A few things that people may not know but will be interesting to see fulfilled. One is that this country will be invaded, and a man like into moses, with others, will literally lead people from bondage, both physical and spiritual. Two is that all the world will not only go to war against Israel, but all the world will go to war against the people of God. The LDS members who will not repent will go to war against the true saints.
    A huge catalyst and reason for the wars that will happen across the globe will be the miracles done by the people of God.
    Lastly, Israel and Jerusalem itself must be cleansed and this will be done by the power of God BEFORE the people of The Lord move in to inhabit it with the remaining Jews and build the temple and see Armageddon. A lot of people will see the movements of God’s people as fulfillment of the anti Christ, the beast, and Armageddon etc. knowing the scriptures intellectually will not help anyone because God’s strange act will be done in a manner that either side could argue from the scriptures who is on the side of truth. Again we must learn the voice of The Lord in such a manner that daily we can be guided and instructed by Him, otherwise we will be part of the mass confusion that will reign in that time.

    1. Aotearoa Abinadi

      Thanks Minority of one for bring up the part about the whole world will be against the peopel of God.
      Even though there will be great wars and destruction in both USA and Israel, essentally there will be war between 2 sides in the last days…. Zion, and the rest of the world.
      War will be waged in all lands, and it will be against those that are gathered in Zion, in every country.

  3. Hi again Linda. I am enjoying your participation on my blog. Thank you for your thoughtful contributions. The purpose of life is to make choices. If we do not make choices, we waste our time here on earth. I come from a Judeo-Christian background. I believe in defending oneself. The constitution of my country proclaims the government is authorized to defend my security.

    However, my own personal defense is to depend upon the Savior for salvation, which, once secured, does not require mortality. I have no problem taking sides, although my choices don’t matter much in regards to what is prophesied to come to pass. Both Christian and Muslim holy books make reference to Armageddon. It will happen, no matter my feelings on the subject.

    You ask, “Has Iran taken any pre-emptive strikes?” The answer is yes. Iran is deeply involved in backing or openly waging war in Syria, Iraq and other countries. Iranian-supported Shia groups consolidated into Hizbullah and Amal, operated against Israel, and allied with the remnants of Palestinian organizations to launch attacks on Galilee through the late 1980s.

    If you are referring to pre-emptive nuclear strikes against Israel, the answer is of course not. Has not Iran declared their intent to annihilate Israel? Is that not why Iran is seeking time and help to develop weapons grade uranium? Would Iran not act upon their threat if they are allowed to obtain weapons of mass destruction? Yes, I believe Israel would strike first if that happens.

    Linda, I have not called any country more righteous. I think you may be confusing your dialogs with others on the subject with what I have written here. At your suggestion, I re-read section 98 of the Doctrine and Covenants. Are there any verses in particular you would like to discuss? I especially like verses 16 and 17. I renounce war. I desire peace. Would that all men did the same.

    16 Therefore, renounce war and proclaim peace, and seek diligently to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers, and the hearts of the fathers to the children;

    17 And again, the hearts of the Jews unto the prophets, and the prophets unto the Jews; lest I come and smite the whole earth with a curse, and all flesh be consumed before me.

    I agree with the Lord’s instructions in later verses on how to respond to aggression. Would that all people of all nations would heed the word of the Lord. Vengeance is the Lord’s. The Lord will fight His battles. As a people, we are not familiar with how the Lord has done this in the past. The Lord’s involvement in battles of the last days, especially Armageddon, will be cataclysmic.

    Just as men devise plans to wipe out each other’s ability to wage war with such things as EMP blasts and the like, the Lord can do the same with an EMP blast from the sun or with the terrible destruction that would take place should one of the planets in our solar system be moved from its orbit and draw close unto earth. I have no doubt He will do just that. He has done so in the past.

    Again, thanks for your thoughts shared on my blog. I pray the Lord’s blessings upon you. Peace.

  4. I appreciate having a forum here to discuss so many perspectives on issues relevant to the last days.

    Tim said, “one of the things about prophecy is that it is not intended to foretell the future, but to make us aware of the foreknowledge of God in such matters.” (Yet we talk as if we know how the prophecy will play out, and who the characters involved are.)

    Combine this statement with what Minority of One said – “knowing the scriptures intellectually will not help anyone because God’s strange act will be done in a manner that either side could argue from the scriptures who is on the side of truth. Again we must learn the voice of The Lord in such a manner that daily we can be guided and instructed by Him, otherwise we will be part of the mass confusion that will reign in that time”

    I am reminded of a Greek tragedy, where a king sends away his wife, or daughter, or son because of a prophecy about their role in his future death. In the end, his fear is what started the chain of events leading to the prophecy’s fulfillment.

    Several months ago, I had a strong impression to pray for ALL the families in the Middle East as I would pray for my own, if the events I hear about were happening in my town. Pray for the children to have food and a safe place to sleep at night, to be buffered from the turmoil even as war rages around them. Pray for the mothers who would give their own lives to protect their children, that they might feel peace in their hearts despite uncertainty about the future. Pray for the fathers and the young men, even those engaged in battle, that they might not shed innocent blood and that their hearts might be protected from hate. There have been miracles in Israel throughout its short history. God is mindful of his children. Let us also pray that Israel does not become the aggressor and lose the protection it has enjoyed.

    My impression was that these prayers for strangers in a strange land might be the catalyst for protection upon my own family when the wars are upon us. On the flip side, any ill-will I send toward people I don’t know in the Middle East might return to me, making God slow to hear my prayers when I need Him most.

    1. RaNae,

      If we weren’t sisters before your last comment, we certainly are now.

      Thank you for defending the innocents who get caught up in this madness without any political voice.
      With your prayers, I am confident many who otherwise might be destroyed will have angels surrounding them.

      God bless you for being a true peacemaker.

      With love,
      Linda

  5. If we are in(or approaching) the Age of Aquarius, could this be the wrath of God about to be “poured” out on the great and abominable?

    17 And when the day cometh that the wrath of God is poured out upon the mother of harlots, which is the great and abominable church of all the earth, whose founder is the devil, then, at that day, the work of the Father shall commence, in preparing the way for the fulfilling of his covenants, which he hath made to his people who are of the house of Israel.

  6. I happen to love your posts! I read every one and I feel the spirit profoundly when I do. Thank you so much for teaching here. Thank you for uplifting me and helping me to remember the things I need to. May God bless you!

  7. Another Mel B

    Great post! I love coming here to learn and hear. I then pray for inspiration.
    I have this nagging thought. Heavenly Father has a world full of 2 & 3 year old children. We fight continuously over everything!
    It is apparent to anyone taking notice that our own country is being sliced and diced from within, as we fight over everything. We will not stand.

    We have been taught to be like our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To become like Him, to hear His voice. Stop the “fighting”, and become a soul full of agape, the pure love of Jesus Christ. Loving all.
    Interesting, exciting times coming!

    Thanks, again Tim, for another great post!
    “… The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace…”, Numbers 6:23-27.
    A blessing upon your head.

    “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”, Phillippians 4:7
    Mel

  8. Aotearoa Abinadi

    Hi Tim,
    Good post. The events of the last days are of real interest to me, and I love to study them.
    I have a question for you Tim (and anyone else that might want to put their 10cents in).
    What is your understanding of this scripture….
    Revelations 6:2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
    If you have no opinion, that’s fine. I’m just curious about what peoples interpretation is on this.

  9. I’m all for peace and peacemaking: that’s called isolationism. BUT–when a few milliion Jews are surrounded by hundreds of millions of Muslims, AND those Muslims are ready to develop nuclear weapons, and are determined to eradicate the state of Israel,then I shake my heads at disbelief at those who somehow cannot discern the white hats from the black hats here. Further, of greater importance to the USA, is the potential for igniting the entire world in WW3. Tim, you are correct to be concerned–we all should. We should all pray for peace, and prepare for the worst. Still, I do not necessarly accept the interpretations of Crowther & Lund in their books. Crowther’s source documentation is very poor throughout much of the book. I do not think it likely that the continental US will be invaded by Russia and/or China for example. You have to remember that despite what economic breakdown may occur in the US, the US still has thousands of long-range nuclear warheads at it’s disposal. If there is a shred of US government left, they would use them for self-preservation. If there is truly no US government left at some point, then what would there be left for a foreign invading power to take over? So, I take these apocalyptic scenarios with a heavy grain of salt. Even if these scenarios do develop it is extremely difficult to try to predict a time frame for these events. Many of Woodruff’s prophecies, for example were made over 150 years ago, and most, at least to me, don’t seem to much closer to fulfillment now than when they were given. Honestly, I don’t know what to make of all this apocalyptic material. If you google LDS visions, you’ll see scores of dreams, visions, angels, etc of “prophecies” from about 1870-1915, and despite a century of more, virtually none of these prophecies have been realized. My conclusion is that many good faithful LDS are prone to be deceived by the adversary. Not every revelation, vision, visitation being received is actually from God. Many, perhaps most, are actually from dark sources.

  10. Dear Tim,

    Sorry, but I had to take a step back from the fray that I had whipped up. I attend afternoon church, so I had some time on Sunday morning to contemplate your post. Part of my problem is that I am empathic to the plight of the underdog, the little guy. It is merely a part of who I am. Injustice is injustice to me, who tends to see things in black and white.

    My apology for coming across so strongly in favor of a doctrine of the scriptures which others find convenient to dismiss. It is, after all, your blog. I want you to know that I have learned many great and important concepts from your blog. I admire your courage and your faithfulness to Christ, and your earnestness.

    I have not changed my mind about NOT supporting the current leaders of the nation of Israel. I have read too much to think that they are on the Lord’s errand. They seem to be okay with pre-emptive strikes, as is America. But did you know that It has been over 250 years since Iran has gone to war against anyone?

    I have every confidence that our Lord wants us to defend our homes and our immediate neighbors (the ones of whom we understand, and not misconstrue, their culture). I also have confidence in the scriptures and teachings of Christ which state that we are to love our enemies (basically change them from enemies to friends), and do good to those who mistreat us.

    You asked about which verses I meant when I mentioned re-reading D&C 98

    D&C 98:33-38 tells us:

    D&C 98
    33 And again, this is the law that I gave unto mine ancients, that they should not go out unto battle against any nation, kindred, tongue, or people, save I, the Lord, commanded them.
    34 And if any nation, tongue, or people should proclaim war against them, they should first lift a standard of peace unto that people, nation, or tongue;
    35 And if that people did not accept the offering of peace, neither the second nor the third time, they should bring these testimonies before the Lord;
    36 Then I, the Lord, would give unto them a commandment, and justify them in going out to battle against that nation, tongue, or people.
    37 And I, the Lord, would fight their battles, and their children’s battles, and their children’s children’s, until they had avenged themselves on all their enemies, to the third and fourth generation.
    38 Behold, this is an ensample unto all people, saith the Lord your God, for justification before me.
    ~~~~~~~

    What do these verses say to you (not just to Tim, but to any who are interested)?

    verse 33. How long has this law been established? When was the last time Christ told us to go out to battle against ANY nation or people? Who has the ears to correctly hear such a proclamation?

    verse 34. We must first raise the standard of peace. Is the US or Israel encouraging peace talks, or are they sabotaging peace talks?

    verse 35. If peace, once offered, is rejected, have we offered peace a second and third time? Did we take those rejected offers of peace as testimonies to the Lord?

    verse 36. Have we received a COMMANDMENT from the Lord which would justify our going to war against another nation or people? A COMMANDMENT!

    verse 37. Who is going out to fight our battles? Is it our precious young potential leaders of the next generation? Is that what the Lord says? How long will the Lord fight our battles for us?

    verse 38. Who was this example given for? Which countries or peoples are under this commandment? Which nations are justified in going out to battle?

    Also consider that Netanyahu has made statements that there are nations he will utterly wipe from the face of the earth. He has the armaments to accomplish that threat. Why is his statement not a cause for alarm?

    Let us be the Sons of Mosiah. Let us be the change we hope to see.

    Love thy neighbor is not just a nice sentiment………it is one of the Big Ten which Moses received directly from the voice of Jehovah. Should we pick and choose which of the Ten Commandments we will adhere to?

    Any man who says he loves God and hates his neighbor is a liar(that is a very harsh word). Do we honestly LOVE the Iranians? Palestinians, Syrians, Egyptians, Jordanians, etc? Love them enough to petition the Lord to preserve their lives as we would one of our own family members? (I think perhaps RaNae does.)

    Some things to think about.

    Very sincerely yours,
    Linda

    PS
    Why we can’t take the war ‘over there’ so they don’t bring the war ‘over here’.

    Mormon 4
    4 And it was because the armies of the Nephites went up unto the Lamanites that they began to be smitten; for were it not for that, the Lamanites could have had no power over them.
    5 But, behold, the judgments of God will overtake the wicked; and it is by the wicked that the wicked are punished; for it is the wicked that stir up the hearts of the children of men unto bloodshed.

    and

    3 Nephi 3:21
    21 But Gidgiddoni saith unto them: The Lord forbid; for if we should go up against them the Lord would deliver us into their hands; therefore we will prepare ourselves in the center of our lands, and we will gather all our armies together, and we will not go against them, but we will wait till they shall come against us; therefore as the Lord liveth, if we do this he will deliver them into our hands.

    1. EvenTheLeastSaint

      Linda, I love the scriptures that you have quoted. I agree with them completely.

      Also I know that when it comes to establishing and protecting Zion, it will be by the power of God and not by men waging war against men.

      I love these verses in D&C, and I hope to witness the one like Moses, in my lifetime, who will be given this power from God:

      D&C 103:
      15 Behold, I say unto you, the redemption of Zion must needs come by power;

      16 Therefore, I will raise up unto my people a man, who shall lead them like as Moses led the children of Israel.

      17 For ye are the children of Israel, and of the seed of Abraham, and ye must needs be led out of bondage by power, and with a stretched-out arm.

      18 And as your fathers were led at the first, even so shall the redemption of Zion be.

      19 Therefore, let not your hearts faint, for I say not unto you as I said unto your fathers: Mine angel shall go up before you, but not my presence.

      20 But I say unto you: Mine angels shall go up before you, and also my presence, and in time ye shall possess the goodly land.

      ———-

      There will be those who engage in war on the telestial level each side thinking they are right, but they will be like the Laminites and Nephites in Mormon and Moroni’s time. It will be the wicked destroying the wicked. Another example would be the destruction of the Jaredites.

      Those who refuse to engage in the war of destruction of the wicked must flee to Zion. When the wicked turn their war against Zion they will be destroyed by the power of God – by fire according to the scriptures, I believe.

      1. Thank you ETLS for your thoughts.

        Your words were much more succinct than mine, but those are my exact thoughts.

        It will not be any armaments which accomplish God’s will………….it will be by our prayers, and our desires for righteousness, and especially our Christ-like love for ALL of God’s children.

        I appreciate your words,
        Linda

  11. Dear Tim,

    I want you to know that I greatly appreciate you for hosting this blog. Your posts are an inspiration to myself and many, many others.
    Thank you for the excellent job you are doing in helping your readers to contemplate living the gospel of Jesus Christ more fully and more on purpose.

    I spoke poorly about Iran and I want to set the record straight. I said:
    “But did you know that It has been over 250 years since Iran has gone to war against anyone?”

    What I should have said is:
    “….Iran, a country that hasn’t invaded any country for over 250 years, should remain cool in the face of such attacks, threats, infiltrations, boycotts, U.S. Navy in the Persian Gulf, and not engage in any military alliances….” https://www.lewrockwell.com/2015/03/no_author/the-capital-hill-blood-festival/

    There is a difference in the wording and I realized my error when I had posted my previous comment.

    Thank you again for hosting this blog. I admire you for your diligence and your courage.

    Very sincerely yours,
    Linda

  12. Linda: I would like to respond to your comment, then add a few additional points to ponder.

    You mentioned the underdog. That’s a value judgment, indicating one has taken sides. We all do it. I’m not sure I would consider Iran an underdog, although the case could be made because they have not yet fulfilled their nuclear ambitions. But with the help of John Kerry and the United States, they will, given enough time, which is what the current negotiations are really all about.

    There is no need to apologize for using persuasive words. It’s obvious you are passionate about peace. That is good. So am I. This post was not about peace. It was about prophecies of war. My intent was to point out where the Lord has warned us in advance about the terrible wars of great destruction that will take place in the last days so we will not be overwhelmed when they occur.

    There is always injustice in the world, especially when it comes to political ambitions of those who seek power and the very wealthy who support them. That is very much the case in the current negotiations. I wonder why the United States is involved at all, but it’s obviously way too late for that discussion. We have been involved in Middle East conflicts for a very long time.

    I’m going to disagree with your statement about Iran not going to war in over 250 years. The current regime, set up in 1979, is very much involved in terrorism, which is war. Iran funded and supported the PLO for many years. Iran has been identified as the source providing weapons, capital and logistical support for numerous terrorist operations all over the world for years.

    Note: I just saw you added more about Iran not initiating war. Thanks for adding that.

    In like manner, Israel and the United States have been involved in numerous assassinations and covert operations that we only hear about long after the fact and then only in bits and pieces. One I can relate to is the way the Stuxnet virus got into the Iranian centrifuges. The theory was that someone brought in an infected flash drive. It may have been a bit more complex than that.

    http://www.engadget.com/2014/11/13/stuxnet-worm-targeted-companies-first/

    You mentioned the Lord’s errand. It’s difficult to connect that phrase with war. Were George Washington or Abraham Lincoln on the Lord’s errand? There are obviously many who have argued emphatically they were. Was the Lord involved in the events that brought down the Berlin wall? Were the men involved in the breakup of the Soviet Union on the Lord’s errand?

    I know a lot of Israelis would agree with your assessment of the current leaders of Israel. The same could be said of the leadership of America. Opinions run strong both ways. Somehow, in spite of our personal opinions of the men or women who run nations, I believe the Lord works through them to bring about his purposes. Remember, Alma came from the court of King Noah.

    I agree with your emphasis to remember the teachings of the Savior in loving our enemies. He taught us to pray for them. That’s why I appreciated you sharing that YouTube video about the Israeli designer behind the “we {heart} Iran” meme. Once we get to know people of different cultures, it’s amazing how much we can enrich each other’s lives. You’re right, we want peace.

    I don’t disagree with your points about section 98. I have seen these verses discussed multiple times over the years on the various LDS Internet forums. Depending on the makeup of the forum members, the results are almost always the same. There is no justification for going out to battle against another nation unless the Lord commands it. Would that all men followed this law.

    I am not arguing in favor of war. I am against war. The point of the post is that war is prophesied to be poured out in the last days. This blog is about the last days, into which I believe we have entered by now. Some make a distinction between latter-days and last days, the demarcation point being specific Biblical events involving war in the Middle East leading up to Armageddon.

    Those events are taking place before our very eyes. I hope we are all familiar with the multiple appearances of the Savior prophesied to take place in the last days. One of them is when He descends upon the mount, cleaving it in two, saving Jerusalem from certain destruction. I had intended to share a follow-up post about the events in that city just prior to the Lord’s advent.

    I’m surprised nobody has commented on the second half of the post about the breakup of this great nation of the United States of America. I expected someone to bring up the point that the nation will never fall because the Elders of Israel will step forward and bear up the constitution. I wanted to discuss how that can still happen, somewhere, even after America dissolves into tribes.

    Has nobody else seen chapters six and seven of third Nephi in vision? I thought we might have a dialog about the breakup of the church, which is also prophesied. This statement usually brings out great passion as readers defend the concept that the LDS Church will never fail because of Daniel’s dream about the Kingdom of God. I wanted to discuss Elder’s Holland’s remarks here.

    This dialog about peace has been profitable. I have learned some things. Thank you for sharing your views and your feelings about Israel. They brought to mind the points I wanted to make about the Lord’s many expressions of love for Israel and especially Jerusalem and his dismay over the refusal of that nation to be gathered in peace, with Jesus Christ as the Prince of Peace.

    I’ll take peace over war any day. Thanks for focusing the dialog in that direction.

  13. Dear Tim,

    Your words are too kind.

    I am VERY passionate about peace and I am concerned that my passion has led me to be tempestuous at times.

    I struggle ALL the time in trying to convince others that there is an alternative to destruction. Even Nineveh, which destruction was foretold, was protected when the inhabitants repented in sackcloth and ashes. I guess I am just optimistic that such a thing can happen for our country, but alas, we have strayed so far from our potential.

    I visit this blog every day, and love the things you post. I can hardly wait for each new post. It is like opening an unexpected treasure every time.

    Thank you for indulging me and allowing me space for my little tirades.

    I am a dedicated fan of yours,
    Linda

  14. Hi Tim,
    Wonderful post. Thanks you for taking the time to share with us. I will take the bait. I would like to have a conversation with you or anyone else about the possible break up of the US and the collapse of our nation and the constitution. Please feel free to express your opinions on how the break up can occur. As for the “Constitution hanging by a thread”, is that a true verifiable revelatory statement made by Joseph Smith or is it a bit of folklore mixed with someone’s opinion? What did Elder Holland say? Anyway, do tell!
    Coincidentally, lately I have been reading 3Nephi 6-7, and I must say it has put me into a bit of a funk. I am normally an upbeat person, but wow it’s depressing.

  15. First the quotes on the constitution:

    D&C 101:77-80 – “According to the laws and constitution of the people, which I have suffered to be established, and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles; 78 That every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency which I have given unto him, that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment. 79 Therefore, it is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another. 80 And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood.”

    Mosiah Lyman Hancock, Life Story of Mosiah Lyman Hancock, p. 29 (BYU library) – “In connection with the attack on the United States, the Lord told his prophet there would be an attempt to overthrow the country by destroying the Constitution. Joseph Smith predicted that the time would come when the Constitution would hang, as it were, by a thread, and at that time this people will step forth and save it from the threatened destruction. It is my conviction that the Elders of Israel, widely spread over the nation, will at that crucial time successfully rally the righteous of our country and provide the necessary balance of strength to save the institutions of constitutional government.”

    Orson Hyde, Journal of Discourses 6:152 – “It is said that brother Joseph in his lifetime declared that the Elders of this Church should step forth at a particular time when the Constitution should be in danger, and rescue it, and save it. This may be so; but I do not recollect that he said exactly so. I believe he said something like this — that the time would come when the Constitution and the country would be in danger of an overthrow; and said he, if the Constitution be saved at all, it will be by the Elders of this Church. I believe this about the language as nearly as I can recollect it.”

    Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 7:15 (1854) – “Will the Constitution be destroyed? No: it will be held inviolate by this people; and, as Joseph Smith said, ‘The time will come when the destiny of the nation will hang upon a single thread. At that critical juncture, this people will step forth and save it from the threatened destruction.’ It will be so.

    John Taylor, Journal of Discourses 23:239 (1882) – “And if other people trample upon the Constitution and pull it to pieces, we will gather together the pieces and rally around the old flag, or what is left of it, and proclaim liberty to the world, as Joseph Smith said we would.”

    Moses Thatcher, Journal of Discourses 26:334 – “There is no power in this land to turn this people against the government of the United States. They will maintain the Constitution of this country inviolate, and although it may have been torn to shreds they will tie it together again, and maintain every principle of it, holding it up to the downtrodden of every nation, kindred, tongue and people, and they will do it, too, under the Stars and Stripes.”

    Joseph Fielding Smith, CR-4/50:154,159 – “Now I tell you it is time the people of the United States were waking up with the understanding that if they don’t save the Constitution from the dangers that threaten it, we will have a change of government.”

    L. Tom Perry, New Era, July 1976 – “No constitution on earth has endured longer than ours. We seek and usually find the answers to today’s hardest legal questions within this document of yesterday. The Constitution was and is a miracle. Both Washington and Madison referred to it as such. It was an inspired document, written under the divine guidance of the Lord. James Madison, commonly called the Father of the Constitution, recognized this inspiration and gave the credit to ‘he guardianship and guidance of the Almighty Being whose power regulates the destiny of nations whose blessings have been so conspicuously displayed to the rising of this republic.’ (Prologue, p. 95.) We believe that the Constitution was brought about by God to insure a nation where liberty could abound, where his gospel could flourish.

    “Joseph Smith said, ‘The Constitution of the United States is a glorious standard; it is founded in the wisdom of God. It is a heavenly banner.’ (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 147.) Again from Brigham Young, ‘[The Constitution] was dictated by the invisible operations of the Almighty.’ (John A. Widtsoe, ed., Discourses of Brigham Young, Deseret Book Co., 1966, p. 359.) From our current living prophet, Spencer W. Kimball, ‘One of the reasons America is great today is because those men who formulated the Constitution had vision. They looked ahead to today, and all of us here are recipients of their wisdom and foresight.’ Among other things, the Constitution guarantees the religious freedom that allowed the Reformation to continue and flourish. The great religious reformers began to throw off the rituals and dogmas that had been attached to Christianity during the dark ages and sought to return to the pure and simple truths of the New Testament.”

    Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, Nov 1987, p 4 – “Unfortunately, we as a nation have apostatized in various degrees from different Constitutional principles as proclaimed by the inspired founders. We are fast approaching that moment prophesied by Joseph Smith when he said: “Even this nation will be on the very verge of crumbling to pieces and tumbling to the ground, and when the Constitution is upon the brink of ruin, this people will be the staff upon which the nation shall lean, and they shall bear the Constitution away from the very verge of destruction” (19 July 1840, as recorded by Martha Jane Knowlton Coray; ms. in Church Historian’s Office, Salt Lake City).”

    Denver Snuffer, in a post dated Feb 24 2014 entitled, “Scriptures, not Traditions” – “You neglect the scriptures at your peril. You dwindle as you lose contact with God’s mysteries contained in scripture. Trusting in the traditions of our fathers is risky. Traditions get measured against scripture, not the reverse. The Constitution is likewise a guide to protect our liberty. We are free to ignore it, and thereby lose the protection it provides us. Because we have done this, we have destroyed our freedom. The scriptures are also a guide to save us. Because we ignore them, we have lost our way. In place of liberty and salvation we have chosen captivity and damnation. The cure for both is only found through repentance and remembering God’s great mercy to us, then laying hold again upon that mercy.”

  16. Elder Holland from the CES broadcast Feb 6th 2015 entitled, “Be Not Afraid, Only Believe” – “I ask you to teach that nothing—not anything, not anyone, not any influence—will keep this Church from fulfilling its mission and realizing its destiny set from before the foundation of the world. Ours is that fail-safe, inexorable, indestructible dispensation of the fulness of the gospel. Our youth have no need to be afraid or tentative about themselves or about their future.

    “Unlike every other era before us, this dispensation will not experience an institutional apostasy; it will not see a loss of priesthood keys; it will not suffer a cessation of revelation from the voice of Almighty God. Individuals will apostatize, they may turn a deaf ear to heaven, but never again will the dispensation collectively do so. What a secure thought that is! What a day in which to live! What a way to cut through fear or faintheartedness.

    ” … we are the favored people that God has made choice of to bring about the Latter-day glory.

    “…ours is the dispensation God has favored. We are the ones to bring about this “Latter-day glory” spoken of. So much rests on our shoulders, but it will be a glorious and successful experience. If any of your students are unsettled, or if you are unsettled, reassure one and all that the victory in this final contest has already been declared. The victory is already in the record books, … the scriptures!

    “We know for certain that if and when everything else in the latter days is down or dying; if governments, economies, industries, and institutions crumble; if societies and cultures become a quagmire of chaos and insecurity, nevertheless, through it all the gospel of Jesus Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that bears that gospel to the world will stand triumphant. It will stand undefiled in God’s hand until the very Son of God Himself comes to rule and reign as Lord of lords and King of kings. Nothing is more certain in this world. Nothing is more sure. Nothing could be more of an antidote to anxiety.”

  17. Here are a few prophecies from Joseph Smith about the breakup of the government of the United States. These are favorites of those who like to discredit Joseph as a prophet. I’m not so swayed by their efforts. Give it time, I say. It obviously didn’t happen in Joseph’s lifetime and maybe it won’t happen in mine, but it will happen.

    Joseph Smith HC 5:395 – “… I prophesy in the name of the Lord God of Israel, unless the United States redress the wrongs committed upon the Saints in the state of Missouri and punish the crimes committed by her officers that in a few years the government will be utterly overthrown and wasted, and there will not be so much as a potsherd left…”

    Joseph Smith HC 6:116 – “While discussing the petition to Congress, I prophesied, by virtue of the holy Priesthood vested in me, and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that, if Congress will not hear our petition and grant us protection, they shall be broken up as a government, and God shall damn them, and there shall be nothing left of them.”

    And this one, part of the “White Horse Prophecy”, disavowed by the church as having unverified sources: “A terrible revolution will take place in the land of America, such as has never been seen before; for the land will be left without a Supreme Government, and every specie of wickedness will be practiced rampantly in the land. Father will be against son and son against father; mother against daughter and daughter against mother. The most terrible scenes of bloodshed, murder and rape that have ever been imagined or looked upon will take place.”

  18. After George Washington saw the outcome of the revolutionary war in vision, and then saw the vision of the civil war, he saw the third and worst conflict that would reach the mainland of this continent. He was shown this vision by a female angel.

    “And again I heard the mysterious voice saying “Son of the Republic, look and learn.” At this the dark, shadowy angel placed a trumpet to his mouth, and blew three distinct blasts; and taking water from the ocean, he sprinkled it upon Europe, Asia and Africa. Then my eyes beheld a fearful scene: From each of these countries arose thick, black clouds that were soon joined into one. Throughout this mass there gleamed a dark red light by which I saw hordes of armed men, who, moving with the cloud, marched by land and sailed by sea to America. Our country was enveloped in this volume of cloud, and I saw these vast armies devastate the whole country and burn the villages, towns and cities that I beheld springing up. As my ears listened to the thundering of the cannon, clashing of sword, and the shouts and cries of millions in mortal combat, I heard again the mysterious voice saying, “Son of the Republic, look and learn” When the voice had ceased, the dark shadowy angel placed his trumpet once more to his mouth, and blew a long and fearful blast. “Instantly a light as of a thousand suns shone down from above me, and pierced and broke into fragments the dark cloud which enveloped America. At the same moment the angel upon whose head still shone the word Union, and who bore our national flag in one hand and a sword in the other, descended from the heavens attended by legions of white spirits. These immediately joined the inhabitants of America, who I perceived were will nigh overcome, but who immediately taking courage again, closed up their broken ranks and renewed the battle.

    Again, amid the fearful noise of the conflict, I heard the mysterious voice saying, “Son of the Republic, look and learn.” As the voice ceased, the shadowy angel for the last time dipped water from the ocean and sprinkled it upon America. Instantly the dark cloud rolled back, together with the armies it had brought, leaving the inhabitants of the land victorious!

    Then once more I beheld the villages, towns and cities springing up where I had seen them before, while the bright angel, planting the azure standard he had brought in the midst of them, cried with a loud voice: “While the stars remain, and the heavens send down dew upon the earth, so long shall the Union last.” And taking from his brow the crown on which blazoned the word “Union,” he placed it upon the Standard while the people, kneeling down, said, “Amen.”

  19. Hi Tim,
    Thanks for the quotes. For me, the stronger witness that our country will become very divided, are the chapters in 3Nephi. I don’t put a lot of stock into the “History of the Church”, it was not organized according to truth. I do not doubt Joseph said something about the country being broken up, because of 3Nephi. Lots of people said Joseph said stuff, but he did not. The scriptures are as plain as day and are the strongest and best witness.
    Elder Holland and Elder Perry’s opinions are interesting, but opinions only. Maybe Elder Perry does not understand that our country’s constitution was the one all others were based on. As far as the history of the world the US constitution and it’s longevity are a blink of an eye. Elder Holland needs to read 3Nephi and Zenos Allegory of the Olive Tree. The gospel will endure, but the church probably won’t. Elder Holland may not know there is a difference between the gospel and the corporate church.

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