Win Hearts Not War

Some say that US policy inspires terrorists around the world. I disagree. All people desire freedom, prosperity, and opportunity. What they don’t want is apparent western materialism, secularism, and immorality; especially as depicted by American media. American media gives dictators, tyrants, and terrorist their power. Their most powerful aurgument against democracy is “Do you want your daughters to become Brittany Spears?” This is the major reason the US is called "the Great Satan."

The majority of people in Iraq, Iran and North Korea are good and honorable people with a natural sense of nationalism and love for their family, friends and neighbors. Most people from Iran or Iraq condem the actions of terrorist groups but either feel powerless to do anything about it or may even feel that the US deserves it, not necessarily because of our policies, but because they feel its the judgements of God on a wicked nation. Self-interested US policy and divisive, inflammatory language do not help. However, saying it is the root cause of terrorism is near-sighted and playing party politics.

The secret to fighting the war on terrorism is to win the hearts of the people. We have to unify all good people against those who would practice terrorism. I agree our political leaders should avoid policies and language which is inflammatory and divisive. We also must understand the nature of the conflict. This war is not a conflict of civilizations, it is a battle against civilization. Therefore we must be an example of a more civilized people.

With the good people of the earth unified on the side of civilization, when terrorist plots are formulated, people will choose to warn the innocent victims instead of standing idlely by; feeling that justice is being served. There is no better motivation than appealing to a persons sense of rightness verses injustice.

The Book of Mormon speaks about this recurring conflict against civilization in Ether 8:19-26:
"For the Lord worketh not in secret combinations, neither doth he will that man should shed blood, but in all things hath forbidden it, from the beginning of man. . . .And whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed; . . . Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain. . . Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; . . . For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, . . . Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved."

According to the Book of Mormon we need to awake and repent of our sins individually and as a nation. Then after we are an example of goodness, we can persuade (not force) our brethern to do good also and come unto Christ and be saved.

Why was Jesus Crucified?

DKL at Mormonmentality.org asks why was Jesus Crucified? Well, on a superficial level, that’s how the Roman’s practiced capital punishment. However, after reading James E. Talmage's "Jesus the Christ," the injustice of Christ’s treatment is much more shocking than the bruitality of being scurged and crucified. Others have died in a more bruital fashion. However, no other injustice can come close to the God of Isreal being sentenced to death for blasphemy. Who, after the injustice that Christ experienced, will, at the final judgement, be able to say that Christ’s judgements are not just? We are then urged to plead for mercy from Him who was subjected to the greatest injustice(D&C 88: 6)(Alma 7: 13).

4 Keys to Understanding Isaiah

Avraham Gileadi in his book "Book of Isaiah, New Translation" points to 4 keys given in the Book of Mormon needed to understand the Book of Isaiah.

1. Spirit of Prophecy = A testimony that Jesus is the Christ. Since Isaiah is about Jesus Christ, its not possible to understand Isaiah unless you believe that Jesus is the Messiah.

"For behold, Isaiah spake many things which were hard for many of my people to understand; for they know not concerning the manner of prophesying among the Jews. . . nevertheless they are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy" (2 Ne. 25: 1,4).

2. Letter of Prophecy = Hebrew writing style, devices, figures of speech, grammer, etc. Dr. Gileadi points out that the hebrew word for "things" = "words."

"Yea, and my soul delighteth in the words of Isaiah, for I came out from Jerusalem, and mine eyes hath beheld the things of the Jews, and I know that the Jews do understand the things of the prophets, and there is none other people that understand the things which were spoken unto the Jews like unto them, save it be that they are taught after the manner of the things of the Jews" (2 Ne. 25: 1,4).

3. Search Isaiah = Apply the teachings of Isaiah in your life.

"And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah" (3 Ne. 23: 1).
"And now I write some of the words of Isaiah, that whoso of my people shall see these words may lift up their hearts and rejoice for all men. Now these are the words, and ye may liken them unto you and unto all men" (2 Ne. 11:8).

4. Types = All the prophecies in Isaiah apply to Isaiah's time, the time of Jesus Christ, and the Last Days.

"For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel; therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles. And all things that he spake have been and shall be, even according to the words which he spake" (3 Ne. 23: 1).

Recipe for Anti-Mormon Literature

A Christian friend of mine is investigating the Book of Mormon and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. During this process he has come into procession of an article by a non-LDS preacher which, on the surface, seeks to explain the doctrines and beliefs of the LDS Church. I asked my friend if he thought the article was unbiased. My friend responded “yes” because the article praises Mormons for being honest, hardworking, righteous, family- and community-minded people. But, when it came to explaining what Mormon’s supposedly believe, the article brought up esoteric doctrines such as “blood atonement” and “Adam-god theory.”

My friend made an excellent point with regard to what he had read. He said, “I am concerned about joining a church that was founded on questionable foundation doctrines.” The foundation doctrines of the LDS church, then and now, have always been faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, and baptism by water and by the Holy Spirit. Joseph Smith taught masterful sermons on faith which have been compiled in a book entitled “Lectures on Faith.” Joseph Smith spoke on forgiveness and repentance and as a Prophet of God, he bore witness the Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of the World. He taught that the grace of Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation and eternal life. This is the foundation doctrine of the church.

Now where do these other funny topics come from? Mormons believe in being “a record keeping people.” Consequently, the LDS church has made an effort to record and catalog almost every talk, discourse, article, and sermon by its church leaders. Every single one. Consequently, enemies of the church have spent considerable effort to search through church archives and come upon a talk, here or there, that may address a speculative or esoteric topic. Then they write a misleading article which falsely presents these subjects as founding LDS doctrines.

The typical recipe for an anti-Mormon article is to start out by saying, “Mormons are seemingly such God-fearing, righteous, family-oriented people.” But then it will say, “But don’t let that fool you. It’s all a crafty facade; a diabolical ruse.” “Look at all these strange and mystical doctrines that they believe in, they are occult, they are not based on the teachings of the Bible.” They then go on to say, “no Mormons follow the Bible because if they ever did they would never be Mormon.” The whole point of the article, obviously, is to discourage the reader from further investigation on of the church.

In response to this article, I reminded my friend what the aim of the article was discouragement. I answered all of his questions from the Bible. I didn’t change the subject or ignore any his concerns. And I encouraged him to continue to learn about the true foundation doctrines of the Church from the missionaries, by attending church, and by reading the scriptures. The Bible teaches, “if any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it is of God, or I speak of myself.”

I have encouraged my friend that after he has searched the scriptures, and studied it out in his mind. That he would ask God the Eternal Father in the name of Christ if the LDS Church is true, if the Book of Mormon is scripture like the Bible, and if Joseph Smith was a true prophet. The Bible warns us to not “trust in the arm of flesh” but “if any seek wisdom, let him ask of God.”

I am concerned that such anti-Mormon literature would discourage my friend and others from praying and asking God if these things are true. The Book of Mormon states, “For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray. But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint” (2Ne 32:8).

Also, remember that the Bible teaches that “false prophets” would arise in the last days but, “by their fruits, ye shall know them.” I think it a great compliment that most anti-Mormon literature always begins by extolling Mormon faith, righteousness, and family values. Sounds like the wonderful fruit of Christian gospel living to me.

Unity and Perfection

Christ commanded that we be perfect (Matt. 5: 48) "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Many other scriptures connect the idea of being perfect with that of being one. John 17:22 reads:

A "That they all may be one;
B as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee,
C that they also may be one in us:
D that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
D* And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them;
C* that they may be one, even as we are one:
B* I in them, and thou in me,
A* that they may be made perfect in one;"

Here Christ teaches using chiasmus that we become perfect by being "one" in purpose with God and each other. Through faith in Christ we are promised the same glory that God gave Jesus Christ. By unifying our wills with God we become perfected through a personal relationship with Him.

Genesis teaches how the relationship with our spouse is designed to perfect us, "And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. . . Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." (Gen. 2: 18, 24)

The word help used in the verse in hebrew is "ezer" which is the root for the transliterated latin word Ebenezer which is a name of Christ meaning "Divine Enabler" or "Perfecter" The only other person or place "ezer," translated help, is used in the Bible is with reference to Christ. I think that speaks volumes about our wives' special role in our lives. Because of this critical relationship 1Cor 11:11 reads, "Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord."

To help us in our quest for perfection in Christ, God has given us His church. Eph 4:11 reads, "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:"

This suggests that although Christ is the only path to salvation, that Christ has given us our wives, families, and his church to help in the process of sanctification. Our relationships, organizations, and institutions become tools in which Christ has given us to both unify us and help us become perfected in Christ. However, that which has power to unite us is used by the advisary to divide us.

Additional scriptures reveal how scripture and priesthood authority were also given to both unify and perfect us. (see 2Cor. 13: 9, 11, Philip. 3: 12, 15, Heb. 7: 11, 19, 1Cor. 1: 10, Col. 3: 14, 2Tim. 3: 17)