"...We feel to hope for the best, and are determined to prepare for the worst. And we want this to be your motto in common with us, 'that we will never ground our arms untill we give them up by death--' 'Free trade and sailors rights, protection of persons and property, wives and families.' If a mob annoy you, defend yourselves to the very last, and if they fall upon you with a superior force, and if you think you are not able to compete with them, retreat to Nauvoo... act according to the emergency of the case but never give up your arms, but die first...." – Joseph Smith Jr. to his Uncle John, Nauvoo, June 17, 1844. Source: "The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith," compiled and edited by Dean C. Jessee, Deseret Book, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1984, p. 591 (ISBN: 0-87747-974-7)
"There is one principle which is Eternal, it is the duty of all men to protect their lives and the lives of their households whenever necessity requires. And no power has a right to forbid it." -- Joseph Smith Jr. to his wife, Emma Smith, Carthage Jail, June 27, 1844. Source: "The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith," compiled and edited by Dean C. Jessee, Deseret Book, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1984, p. 611 (ISBN: 0-87747-974-7)
"Peace be still, bury the hatchet and the sword, the sound of war is dreadful in my ear. [But] Any man who will not fight for his wife and children is a coward ..." -- Joseph Smith Jr., journal entry, January 29, 1843. Source: "An American Prophet's Record: The Diaries and Journals of Joseph Smith," edited by Scott H. Faulring, Signature Books, Inc. in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1989, p. 298 (ISBN: 0-941214-78)
"Constitution of the U[nited] S[tates] say[s], "Habeus Corpus shall not be denied. Deny me the right to H[abeus] Corpus and I will fight with guns, sword, cannon behind and thunder [afore] till I am used up, like Killkenny Cats." -- Joseph Smith Jr., journal entry, June 30, 1843. Source: "An American Prophet's Record: The Diaries and Journals of Joseph Smith," edited by Scott H. Faulring, Signature Books, Inc. in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1989, p. 391 (ISBN: 0-941214-78)
"I swear in the name of the Almighty God with uplifted hand the Legislature shall never take away our rights. I'll spill my heart's Blood first." -- Joseph Smith Jr., journal entry, June 30, 1843. Source: "An American Prophet's Record: The Diaries and Journals of Joseph Smith," edited by Scott H. Faulring, Signature Books, Inc. in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1989, p. 392 (ISBN: 0-941214-78)
Having said that, YES I do expect to live in a world where none of this is required. I dream of it, in fact. But not in a telestial world where all evil has not been put under the feet of our Savior. Until then, if you do not rise up to defend your stewardship, you will have to answer to it in the judgment.....
I have to remind people that the Second Coming is not an event, but a part of a long process. Granted the scriptures tend to cram everything into this period and bounce around a lot. But the important thing is to understand is that we are on the brink of a fantastic time of opportunity for a whole new society on this continent prior to Christ's return. Before the 144,000 go through out the world one last time before Christ comes in his glory among so many other events, The North American continent must be cleansed of all the wicked in preparation for the return of the Ten Tribes, as well as to establish the New Jerusalem. this stuff requires time, the same as it has always done. Just how long do you think it will take for a remnant of Joseph to assimilate with a whole new group of people - aliens for all intents and purposes here, since they have their own culture totally foreign from us as the lord has separated them from our culture as to minimize societal pollution. The same as he has always done to prevent the corruption of all his children through out time.
ReplyDeleteI might refer you to Skousen's book on the Cleansing. Brother Erickson's vision is really quite interesting. In some of what he talks of, I don't think he was necessarily speaking of the millenium as he was speaking of the time after the cleansing, take a look. I wish I could be there. The older I get the more I see the sickness and wickedness lying underneath the illusion on top and the ensuing misery upon so many people and they don't know it because the media hides everything and we can no longer count upon our institutions to warn or alert us to this corruption.