Snagged this off FB. Could not have said it better myself…:
We are like Ancient Israel. Generations ago we had a majority of the Church turn away from certain warnings and commands by our leaders/Prophets. As President John Taylor saw, the Saints would desire for their Prophets to stick to Gospel subjects only but not draw the parallel and warn of sectarian life. You can see they started laying hold of Babylon and even building it. Just as in Helamen (forgot the chapter) where "the majority of the Church began to uphold" those secret combinations from the Gadiantons, we too started following suit.
We would say, "Is it not proof God approves of me and my choices because of how richly I am blessed. It all proves God is with me." Though they discard the fact that God causes both the Rain & Sun to fall on the wicked and righteous alike.
After generations of watching out for a tyrannical systrm to come without realizing it is already here and we are born into slavery our parents subjected us to, we are now faced with the "need to be freed from bondage" but can not let go of all the false gods we have come to worship and adore. We serve God and Mammon. There is a reason we are still under Condemnation as a whole regarding BoM and Covenants and I'm afraid we are rapidly approaching Christ's adamant warning to us Gentiles He gave in 3 Nephi chapters 14 and 15.
When Moroni is warning us to awaken from our awful situation, it's not merely because the Secret Combinations got above us, but of state of our hearts and minds that got us into that slavery to begin with.
Recognizing our awful situation along with a thorough repentance of all these things rather than justifying ourselves is the only way not to be wiped off the face of this land.
ReplyDeleteDid the Saints really want the leadership to stick to religious subjects, or was it politically expedient? It seems the tone changed around the time those who known Joseph, had died, I can only guess. Today there are no warnings of corruption and wickedness in government. It's as though we are living in an alternate universe. This is why I become weary with the messages from Leadership. I feel like I am being gaslighted, and the messages become more vacant as these things are being ignored.
When the Nephites in the book of Alma were dealing with the threat of insurrection from within by the Kingmen did the prophet say this is just political and we have nothing to say here in support of freedom and liberty, nor taking any sides in the debate. Things are so clear in hindsight of scriptures centuries ago but heaven forbid we should see any parallels in todays events, that would disenfranchise half the membership of the church. A good share of the membership have accepted much of Babylon, the more erudite and the youthful of the membership have accepted to a greater degree.
I see similarities with the Jews at Christ's time who may be following the commandments faithfully but they rejected Jesus as the Savior meaning they just could not accept some guy from out in the boondocks of Israel, even though he met all the requirements as was described by Isaiah and other prophets.
I like the comment of not letting these things get above us, as being inclusive with seduction. A deceiving of the people into accepting greater perversions of immorality, for one, as we see with the current media culture. Much of the woke culture is also a perversion being a part of this seduction.