Sunday, January 25, 2015

Satan's Influence in Government

Joseph Fielding Smith
The present turmoil and contentions in the world are due to the fact that the leaders of nations are getting their inspiration from Satan, not from the Lord. His Spirit is withdrawn from them, according to his promise, in spiritual things. The Lord would be glad to direct them, but they seek not his counsel. The spirit of the evil one is placing in their minds vain and fantastic notions and leading mankind farther away from the truth as they boast in their own strength, while the Almighty sits in the heavens and no doubt laughs at their folly.
(Answers to Gospel Questions. vols. 1-4. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1957-1966. Pg. 156)
Joseph Fielding Smith
Satan has control now. No matter where you look, he is in control, even in our own land. He is guiding the governments as far as the Lord will permit him. That is why there is so much strife, turmoil, and confusion all over the earth. One master mind is governing the nations. It is not the President of the United States; it is not Hitler; it is not Mussolini; it is not the king or government of England or any other land; it is Satan himself.”
(Doctrines of Salvation. Compiled by Bruce R. McConkie. 3 vols. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, 1954-56. 3:315)
Ezra Taft Benson
I testify that wickedness is rapidly expanding in every segment of our society. (See D&C 1:14-16; D&C 84:49-53.) It is more highly organized, more cleverly disguised, and more powerfully promoted than ever before. Secret combinations lusting for power, gain, and glory are flourishing. A secret combination that seeks to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries is increasing its evil influence and control over America and the entire world. (See Ether 8:18-25.)”
(General Conference, Oct. 1988)

Mormon Leaders on Population Control

Russell M. Nelson 
Another excuse some use to justify abortion relates to population control. Many in developing nations unknowingly ascribe their lack of prosperity to overpopulation. While they grovel in ignorance of God and His commandments, they may worship objects of their own creation (or nothing at all), while unsuccessfully attempting to limit their population by the rampant practice of abortion. They live in squalor, oblivious to the divine teaching-stated in the scriptures not once, but thirty-four times-that people will prosper in the land only if they obey the commandments of God. (General Conference, April 1985)
Harold B. Lee 
Satan turns great issues of the day into concerns for the Church. Do you realize that Satan has decreed that he will use all of his considerable power to thwart the work of Jesus Christ on the earth? That power enables him to turn some of the great issues of the day into the challenges of the Church. The women's liberation front, at least the extremist areas, challenges the teachings of the Church concerning the sister's role as homemaker and her key role as supporter and thus to share in the blessings of the priesthood. This whole movement strikes at the heart of one of the great and the most fundamental teachings pertaining to your lives. We hear so much about this world ecology. Experts develop theses around fully justified pollution problems, then all too often conclude that the solution to these problems lies in birth and population control—again, a direct challenge to the word of God as revealed by his prophets. (Teachings of Harold B. Lee, 43)
Ezra Taft Benson 
The precepts of men would have you believe that by limiting the population of the world, we can have peace and plenty. That is the doctrine of the devil. Small numbers do not insure peace; only righteousness does. After all, there were only a handful of men on the earth when Cain interrupted the peace of Adam's household by slaying Abel. On the other hand, the whole city of Enoch was peaceful; and it was taken into heaven because it was made up of righteous people. And so far as limiting the population in order to provide plenty is concerned, the Lord answered that falsehood in the Doctrine and Covenants when he said: "For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves." (D&C 104:17.) (General Conference, April 1969)

Knowledge Beyond Faith

Richard G. Scott

Use Jesus Christ as your example for life. Use His teachings as your handbook and never make exceptions to them. When I was your age I tried with all my heart to grow in faith and testimony of Him. What I tell you now is not based on faith - I know He lives.

Speech at BYU-Hawaii Graduation, July 2, 1994.

Brigham Young's Prophecy of Labor Saving Devices

"Cars, planes, telephones, computers, and so forth enable us to do so much more than ever before. But they can also distract us from doing what, eternally, really matters most. Susa Young Gates once asked her father, President Brigham Young, how it would ever be possible to accomplish the great amount of temple work that needed to be done. 'He told her there would be many inventions of labor-saving devices, so that our daily duties could be performed in a short time, leaving us more and more time for temple work. The inventions have come, and are still coming, but many simply divert the time gained to other channels, and not for the purpose intended by the Lord.'"

W. Jeffrey Marsh, “Training from the Old Testament: Moroni’s Lessons for a Prophet,” Ensign, Aug. 1998, 10; quoting Archibald F. Bennett, “Put On Thy Strength, O Zion!” Improvement Era, Oct. 1952, 720.

Monday, January 19, 2015

Farrar on Death & Self-Importance

The world hardly attaches any significance to any life except those of its heroes and benefactors, its mighty intellects, or its splendid conquerors. But these are, and must ever be, the few. One raindrop of myriads falling on moor or desert or mountain—one snowflake out of myriads melting into the immeasurable sea—is, and must be, for most men the symbol of their ordinary lives. They die, and barely have they died, when they are forgotten; a few years pass, and the creeping lichens eat away the letters of their names upon the churchyard stone; but even if those crumbling letters were still decipherable, they would recall no memory to those who stand upon their graves. Even common and ordinary men are very apt to think themselves of much importance; but, on the contrary, not even the greatest man is in any degree necessary, and after a very short space of time—

"His place, in all the pomp that fills
The circuit of the summer hills,
Is that his grave is green."

A relative insignificance, then, is, and must be, the destined lot of the immense majority, and many a man might hence be led to think, that since he fills so small a space—since, for the vast masses of mankind, he is of as little importance as the ephemerid which buzzes out its little hour in the summer noon—there is nothing better than to eat, and drink, and die. But Christ came to convince us that a relative insignificance may be an absolute importance. He came to teach that continual excitement, prominent action, distinguished services, brilliant success, are no essential elements of true and noble life, and that myriads of the beloved of God are to he found among the insignificant and the obscure. "Si vis divinus esse, late ut Deus," is the encouraging, consoling, ennobling lesson of those voiceless years. The calmest and most unknown lot is often the happiest, and we may safely infer that these years in the home and trade of the carpenter of Nazareth were happy years in our Saviour's life.

Frederic W. Farrar, The Life of Christ, Chapter VII, pages 88-89.

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Near Death Experiences and Visions of the Last Days

Much ado has been made over books that give titillating and detailed descriptions of near death experiences and last-days events. Such books are heavily advertised and rumored to be terrific sellers. I have serious reservations about such books for several reasons.

First, the acceptance of these books as revelations violates the doctrine found in Doctrine and Covenants 43:1-7:

1 O hearken, ye elders of my church, and give ear to the words which I shall speak unto you.
2 For behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye have received a commandment for a law unto my church, through him whom I have appointed unto you to receive commandments and revelations from my hand.
3 And this ye shall know assuredly—that there is none other appointed unto you to receive commandments and revelations until he be taken, if he abide in me.
4 But verily, verily, I say unto you, that none else shall be appointed unto this gift except it be through him; for if it be taken from him he shall not have power except to appoint another in his stead.
5 And this shall be a law unto you, that ye receive not the teachings of any that shall come before you as revelations or commandments;
6 And this I give unto you that you may not be deceived, that you may know they are not of me.
7 For verily I say unto you, that he that is ordained of me shall come in at the gate and be ordained as I have told you before, to teach those revelations which you have received and shall receive through him whom I have appointed.

The gate referenced in verse seven is the established organization of the Church, not Amazon.com, Cedar Fort Inc., Sprinkcreek Books, or even Deseret Book. The second reason I have reservation about such books is that it violates the principle of keeping spiritual confidences. I have assembled quotes from authoritative sources on this principle here. Associated with this principle is the scripture in Alma: “It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.” (Alma 12:9.) By publishing sacred experiences, one is certainly not imparting according to the heed and diligence of another, rather, one is casting sacred pearls before swine.

The third reason I have reservation about these books is that it seems strange for one to seek to monetarily profit from a real revelation. When Paul wrote the Corinthians, he said, “Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.” (1 Corinthians 10:33) If those who publish these books wish to simply benefit their brothers and sisters with the content of their supposed revelations, I do not see the reason they charge more than their cost of publishing the revelation. Moreover, they are not sharing the revelation online, where others could access it at no cost. Rather, they are charging market prices and heavily marketing their books.

Ultimately, each person must decide for themselves what they will receive as truth. “And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” (Moroni 10:5)

The Inadvisability of Releasing Someone to the Lord in a Blessing

On dedicating the sick and suffering to the Lord, Improvement Era 25:1122, October, 1922.

The editors of the Era, President Heber J. Grant and Edward H. Anderson, in publishing this letter of the First Presidency written to an unnamed "inquirer," stated: "Questions have been asked as to what extent the custom prevails among the elders of the Church of dedicating the very sick, or the suffering, to the Lord when they are administered to, thus presumably giving them up to death. The question is further as to the extent or advisability of this custom. The First Presidency have considered this matter, and . . . say:"

ON DEDICATING THE SICK AND THE SUFFERING TO THE LORD

The custom which is growing in the Church to dedicate those who appear to be beyond recovery, to the Lord, has no place among the ordinances of the Church. The Lord has instructed us, where people are sick, to call in the elders, two or more, who should pray for and lay their hands upon them in the name of the Lord; and "if they die," says the Lord, "they shall die unto me; and if they live, they shall live unto me." No possible advantage can result from dedicating faithful members of the Church to the Lord prior to their death. Their membership in the Church, their devotion to the faith which they have espoused, are sufficient guarantee, so far as their future welfare is concerned. The administration of the ordinances of the Gospel to the sick, is for the purpose of healing them, that they may continue lives of usefulness until the Lord shall call them hence. This is as far as we should go. If we adhere strictly to that which the Lord has revealed in regard to this matter, no mistake will be made.
Messages of the First Presidency, Volume 5, page 219.