In The Song Just Concluded Were The...

In the song just concluded, were the words, "Why should we seek to earn a great reward, if we now shun the fight?" ¶

I believe, my brothers and sisters, that is the feeling I have had as I have thought of what I might say. What I shall say is given in the spirit of encouragement and commendation for the young, for the rest of us, and for all mankind. ¶

According to the writings of Moses, the history of the world from the beginning to the end was revealed to Enoch when Enoch was permitted to look upon the world and see it as it was in the days of Noah, as it was in the Meridian of Time, and as it would be in the last days, or the days in which we now live. Enoch beheld all of the inhabitants of the earth. He saw that after the flood had depopulated the earth, because of wickedness, it was after a time inhabited again. But then he saw that after a time, men were again forgetting God and were rebelling against the truth. He saw the Savior in the Meridian of Time lifted up on the cross as a sacrifice for mankind and as the Redeemer of the world. When Enoch saw all this, he wept. And he beheld also that Jesus wept. And Enoch asked of him, "How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?" ¶

"The Lord said to Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency." ¶

(Moses 7:29, 32.) The Lord went on to explain to Enoch by saying that he and the hosts of heaven wept because of the rebellion of mankind, nevertheless, Enoch was assured that the Lord would come again in the last days, and that before his coming he would cause righteousness and truth to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out his elect from the four corners of the earth. ¶

Surely that has been going on ever since the Church came into being. ¶

"And the Lord showed Enoch all things, even unto the end of the world; and he saw the day of the righteous, the hour of their redemption; and received a fulness of joy." {ibid., 7:67.) By his supreme knowledge of the nature of man, both individually and collectively, the Lord sees the future of men and of nations, but even so the agency of man is not nullified. Individuals and free nations may choose wickedness and bring upon themselves sorrow and ultimate destruction, or they may choose righteousness and be preserved in peace. ¶

In the Doctrine and Covenants we are told that in our day there are many who are "blinded by the craftiness of men who lie in wait to deceive." (D&C 123:12.) An example of this is seen in the relentless efforts that are made to have as many as possible become addicted to the use of products which not only degrade and weaken but which also impair the health and undermine the moral and spiritual qualities of those who are misled. ¶

As expressed in the second epistle of Peter: ¶

"And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you." (2 Peter 2:3.) An example of how certain individuals intend to make merchandise out of us, if they can, is seen in the following statement taken from the Brewers Journal. I quote: ¶

"Now I am going to talk about how to sell more beer and I mean a lot more. ¶

It is easy if you go about it in the right way. The place to sell more beer and ale is in the home. Home consumption, that is what I mean. That means sell the women. Women do 90% of the shopping. Work with the grocery store and the super-market. The possibilities stagger the imagination. Why, you do not even have any competition. Promote beer as a beverage at mealtime. ¶

Beer is a food. Have the grocer give the woman a little booklet showing typical family meal combinations with beer, delicious, mouth-watering combinations and how to serve." End of the quotation. "Beer is a food." How ridiculous! ¶

I hope that we will be aware of these scheming ways of some. I hope that we will not be gullible to this or to any other means of enticing us and pressuring us that they might make merchandise out of us. ¶

The words of Nephi should put us on guard against such things: ¶

"Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost." (2 Nephi 28:31.) What applies to us individually, applies to the nation as a whole. ¶

At least two civilizations have previously occupied the land of America. ¶

They became a great people, a truly great people, who, like the people of today, found favor with God, but it is sad to read that both of these civilizations brought destruction upon themselves through disobedience and iniquity — actually because they rebelled against God. The Prophet Mormon tells us that the cause of this iniquity and their ultimate downfall came because as he said: "Satan had great power, unto the stirring up of the people to do all manner of iniquity, and to the puffing them up with pride, tempting them to seek for power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the world. ¶

"And thus Satan did lead away the hearts of the people to do all manner of iniquity; therefore they had enjoyed peace but a few years. ¶

"Now, they did not sin ignorantly, for they knew the will of God concerning them, for it had been taught unto them, therefore they did wilfully rebel against God." (3 Nephi 6:15-16, 18.) So it is with us today. We, too, are well-taught, but many, too many of us, in the Church and out of the Church, are led away by crafty men whom the Adversary uses as tools, from the standards and the ideals the Lord has set for our happiness and our security. ¶

Will history repeat itself? Shall we in this beloved land again lose our freedom because of disobedience? No nation rises above its religion. President Calvin Coolidge once wrote these lines: ¶

"Our government rests upon religion. ¶

There are only two main theories of government in the world, the one rests on righteousness and the other upon force. A government of a country never gets ahead of the religion of a country." ¶

This very moment finds our beloved nation tense and wondering. We are concerned about the increasing power and the intentions of rulers of other nations, and well we should be concerned, because Godless, ruthless men are determined by their satanic plan to subject all the world to their will, and admittedly, they are making amazing progress. ¶

But the Lord has made a promise to the inhabitants of America which should give us hope and direction. It is recorded in the book of Ether, the second chapter, wherein the promise is made that this, being a choice land, no nation or combination of nations should take its people into bondage or captivity ". . . if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ." (Ether 2:12.) What a simple way to preserve our liberty and our freedom 1 In a revelation in our day, through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord has declared: ¶

"I, the Lord God, make you free, therefore ye are free indeed; and the law also maketh you free. ¶

"Nevertheless, when the wicked rule the people mourn. . . . ¶

"And I give unto you a commandment, that ye shall forsake all evil and cleave unto all good, that ye shall live by every word which proceedeth forth out of the mouth of God." (D&C 98:8-9, 11.) This is indeed a day of testing, not only the testing of rockets and missiles, but also the testing of our allegiance to God, the testing of our beliefs in God. ¶

It is a day of sifting, a day when each of us must determine where we stand. To each member of the Church and to all people, I say, with King Benjamin (I hope I shall meet him someday), these words: ¶

"Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend. ¶

"And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them." ¶

(Mosiah 4:9-10.) "And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember," he said, "that these things are true; for the Lord hath spoken it." (Ibid., 2:41.) I have no doubt, my brothers and sisters, that the course of this nation will be directed by the hand of God if we believe in him to the degree that we serve him and keep his commandments as a people and as a nation, for he has said, "If ye walk in my statutes and keep my commandments, and do them, . . . (Lev. 26:3.) ... I will give peace in the land, . . . (Ibid., 26:6) and will be your God, and ye shall be my people." (Ibid., 26:12.) This I believe and I testify to the reality of God and of Jesus Christ and of those who represent him here at the head of his Church and kingdom today, and I sustain them with all my heart. ¶

In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶