God

Be a Purveyor of Hope

We live in a world plagued by a growing epidemic of depression and anxiety, especially among the younger generations. Recent surveys have shown that nearly one-third of teenagers are suffering from clinical levels of anxiety and depression. Among the contributing factors are genetics, trauma, neglect, parenting styles, sexual orientation, peer and social group influence, and social media use. Data also suggests that older age groups are not immune to the discouragement, frustration, and sadness running rampant throughout American society. Overall, it is being reported that over 50% of Americans are dissatisfied in their lives.

I am not a counselor or mental health specialist. However, I have kids, grandkids, and friends who are facing life’s challenges as they pursue happiness and seek to discover meaning in their lives. Like Americans of all ages, they want to dream, to find meaning, and to fulfill their potential. In the ongoing battle that at times can overwhelm each of us and fill us with despair, it is my hope that when we see our futures as bleak and fragile, we will find strength and reassurance.

One clue as to where we are as a society was recently provided by a billionaire donor to Harvard University who said that Harvard and other elite schools create “whiny snowflakes.” He asked, “Are we going to educate a group of young men and women who are just caught up in a rhetoric of oppressor and oppressee and ‘this is not fair’?

“Until Harvard makes it very clear that they are going to resume their role of educating young American men and women to be leaders, to be problem solvers, to take on difficult issues, I am not interested in supporting the institution.” Over the past 40 years, he has donated in excess of $500 million to the school.

As we confront and conquer tough times, we owe a debt of gratitude to all of those, past and present, who work overtime to become a counterweight to the negative factors that threaten our individual and collective peace. Through inspiring words of wisdom and encouragement, they demonstrate how we too can become purveyors of hope.

Looking back in time, we can see that what passes today for intellectualism and scholarship is a very narrow view of the world. Disdain for natural law and a lack of respect for the great thinkers of the past has led to an intellectual environment governed by license–Let me do what I want, let me live “my truth,” while I mock and ignore the sacred, the foundational, and the traditional.

In 1987, Allan Bloom wrote The Closing of the American Mind. Painting the picture of a nation in crisis, he wrote of “the universities’ lack of purpose and the students’ lack of learning. Each of which has led to nihilism and despair, of relativism disguised as tolerance.

“What we see today is a culture which lacks an understanding of the past and a vision of the future. Entrusted with the education of our people, our system no longer provides the knowledge of the great traditions of philosophy and literature that made students aware of the order of nature and of man’s place within it. In their failure to arouse or to nurture the self-knowledge that has always been the basis for serious learning, the intellectual currents of Western civilization and history have been replaced by a spiritual malaise.”

Accelerating this deterioration are those who either have no interest in or who are actively hostile to our founding, to the Declaration of Independence, and to the Constitution. Employing deceit, and under the guise of objectivity, our culture has been transformed “by the idea that there is no longer hope in great and wise men from other places and times who can reveal the truth about life.” In short, relativism, revisionism, and opposition to spiritual principles have extinguished the real motives of education and the essential importance of the standards by which we are to be governed.

My prescription for instilling hope and alleviating sadness is as follows:

We live in a world of spiritual warfare. Beginning with the War in Heaven and continuing on Earth today, a fierce battle is being waged between the forces of good and evil. It is imperative that all people, both young and old, see this.
We are children of God; created in His likeness and image.
Our two greatest blessings are the gift of life and the freedom to direct that life.
Mortality is an opportunity to gain a physical body, to overcome weakness and temptation, to improve, and to gain experience. Each of us won (earned) the right to be here (on Earth). We were not forced to come. Furthermore, we each have an important mission to fulfill. So much of what is beneficial is discovered through developing a love of work and in learning to value time.
We are possessed with an irresistible desire to know our relationship with the Infinite. Hope is rooted in faith and trust that God is at the helm.
Knowledge is of no value unless used. Learn and apply correct principles.
Strive to rise above the environment. Master the body and all things physical and live in a higher and more beautiful world.
Turn to Jesus Christ. He is the Light of the World. He has overcome spiritual and physical death. He has suffered pains, afflictions, and temptations of every kind. Full of mercy and compassion, He understands our infirmities, anxieties, and limitations.
Our nation was founded by honorable men. The invention of the market economy fostered upward mobility, harnessed self-interest, and spurred creativity, imagination, and individual talent. Remember all of our hard-won rights and responsibilities. Pursue a renaissance of respect, a revival of responsibility, a spiritual awakening of our story, of who we are and how we got here, of all we have been through and achieved, to accompany the emphasis on human rights, our pursuit of equality and justice, and our celebration of human freedom. There is no upside to the weakening of our nation. The conservative worldview drives human flourishing.
Reverence for life is imperative. The world’s richest man is also the world’s leading proponent of natalism. “Having children is saving the world,” said Elon Musk. “A collapsing birth rate is the biggest danger civilization faces by far.” Prepare well, fall in love, walk down the aisle or kneel at the altar, and raise a family. The right to life is the universal birthright of every soul.
Seek and promote balance in our environmental stewardship. We do not have to choose between a cleaner planet and a prosperous economy. We can have both.
Maintain freedom against the forces of socialism and communism. “Of all the systems of political economy which have shaped our history, none has so revolutionized ordinary expectations of human life–lengthened the life span, made the elimination of poverty and famine thinkable, enlarged the range of human choice–as democratic capitalism” (Michael Novak).
“Lay down true principles and adhere to them inflexibly. Do not be frightened into their surrender by the alarms of the timid, or the croakings of wealth against the ascendancy of the people” (Thomas Jefferson).
Live the Golden Rule. Always be kind, honest, and friendly.
Righteousness exalts a nation. When the meanings of words are changed through plausible definitions, freedom is degenerated, and the culture is in decline.

Above is a list of universal truths. They are designed to help us better understand the why of our existence and the purposes of mortal life. Understanding them, applying them, and sharing them will build and preserve spiritual and emotional resilience in ourselves and others. May we be the voice of hope, the purveyors of hope, to all those around us.

The Books of Judah and Joseph

Each calendar year, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we rotate our weekly Sunday School scripture study between what we call the Standard Works: The Old and New Testaments from the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants. These four books represent our canon of scripture. Accordingly, calendar year 2024 is devoted to the study of the Book of Mormon.

The Bible is a divine library of sixty-six individual books divided into the Old and New Testaments, collected and edited over many centuries. The books were written by divinely inspired authors about Israel’s sacred history and theology, her covenants with God, her faith and loyalty to Him, her patriarchs and prophets, her expectation of a Messiah, and the fulfillment of that expectation in the advent of Jesus Christ.

Our Church honors and reveres the Bible. We believe that the Bible has had greater influence on the world for good than any other book ever published. We consider the Bible to be the Book of books!

The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. Foretold in both the Old and New Testaments, it is a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains, as does the Bible, the fullness of the everlasting gospel. The Book of Mormon is the greatest witness for the truth of the Bible that has ever been published. Through its teachings, we draw nearer to the Infinite, greatly aided in our discovery of the reasons for our being.

In support of these claims, Plato’s divine ontology and Socrates’s divine signs manifestly fit the narrative of the human quest: to discover our highest potential. As members of the human family, we were in the beginning with God. Each of us is on the Earth because of our acceptance of the plan of salvation, and because we lived satisfactory preexistent lives. We won the right to be here; we were not forced to come; we won our place on the earth!

The work of God has been designed and will not be complete until every soul has been taught the gospel and has been offered the privilege of salvation and the accompanying great blessings which the Lord has in store for His children. Joining the Bible in proclaiming that our purpose in mortal life is to seek and follow divine pronouncements, the Book of Mormon is essential to mankind.

Further substantiating these assertions are four narratives, each beginning around 600 BC. First are the prophecies of Isaiah which foretell the coming of the Messiah, a time of falling away through transgression of the laws and changing of the ordinances, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and the establishment of an ensign for the nations in anticipation of the gathering of Israel and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Second is the philosophical account which led to ethics and helped preserve Christianity in the time of Constantine. The three great minds behind this unfolding were Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Third is the Muslim scholarly tradition. The role played by eastern intellectuals in keeping truth alive was essential, as visionary Muslim scholars fled the Ottoman Empire, bringing sacred and vital works to Italy, thus fueling the Renaissance. The fourth in this series of connected events is the record of Nephi, a succession of kings and prophets in the New World. Containing the fullness of the everlasting gospel, this record is known as the Book of Mormon.

Creating a paradox, the philosophical, Roman, and Muslim narratives had at their heart the idea of obscuring, burying, or eliminating true Christianity. For example, in the face of biblical and historical evidence, the Greeks and Jews scoffed at the idea of Christ’s resurrection, thus negating the purpose for which He had come to Earth and given His life. Islam, on the other hand, though regarding Jesus as a great prophet, is not Christian. Siding with universal truths that were appealing and important, in order to be popular and relevant in the world, these movements sold out what Jesus Christ was really about, and precious truths were lost.

Upon the foundation of Hellenism–the act of becoming Greek in thought and culture–and warped by speculative thinking–resulting in creeds and edicts–God lost His corporeal form and free will yielded to the iron yoke of man-made ecclesiasticism through the joining of the altar and the throne and the establishment of the Divine Right of Kings. Moreover, many of the Master’s original teachings, such as the correct mode of baptism, the doctrine of preexistence, and the emblematic nature of His sacrifice were allowed to wither away. Over time, through the introduction of doctrines and practices such as purgatory, limbo, the sale of indulgences, and the establishment of national churches, the Roman Church would greatly limit the spiritual quest of ordinary people. To ensure conformance with an ever-changing orthodoxy, the state became the arm of power.

Unique from other Christian churches, this combination of events, known historically as the Dark and Early Middle Ages, and theistically as the Great Apostasy, triggered the loss of priesthood power from the earth, severed the lines of revelation, and signaled that purity of doctrine would not long remain. Over a period of centuries, guided by the hand of the Lord and designated scripturally as a marvelous work and a wonder (see Isaiah), a series of events took place which prepared the way for constitutional government and the Restoration of that which had been lost. Beginning with the Renaissance, and continuing with the Protestant Reformation, the Ages of Enlightenment, Discovery, and Colonization, and the War for Independence, the way was paved for civil and religious liberty and pluralism, wherein the restitution of all things as foretold by Peter could begin to unfold.

As the doctrine of biblical inerrancy and the rise of state churches continued to perpetuate the falsehoods of apostasy in America, the timing was right for a great reset. Translated by the gift and power of God and coming forth as the great clarifier of the true mission of Jesus Christ, the Book of Mormon was brought forth in 1830. Bypassing the influences of Greek and Roman jargon and sophism, the Book of Mormon was also spared the grueling process of polemical translation that the Bible had undergone. Accordingly, we believe, as expressed by the Prophet Joseph Smith, that the Book of Mormon is “the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”

Beginning with the events of 1820, the Doctrine and Covenants is not a translation from ancient documents but rather direct revelations and communications from God to His children through His chosen prophets in our times. It is a book of scripture given directly to our generation, containing the will of the Lord for us in these last days that precede the Second Coming of Christ.

Throughout the history of the world, the Lord has revealed His word and will to prophets. In our day, all the streams and rivers of the past are flowing into the grand ocean of truth that is known as the dispensation of the fulness of times.

Opinion: ‘He appeared and the soul felt its worth’

The James Webb Telescope has shown the world a glimpse into endless and spectacular creation. The question is, do puny humans on a tiny speck of a planet really matter?

My post for this week is by The Deseret News Editorial Board, Salt Lake City, Utah December 24, 2023.

The “Pillars of Creation,” a star-forming area about 6,500 light-years away from Earth, are shown in this image from the James Webb Space Telescope. — The “Pillars of Creation,” a star-forming area within the Eagle Nebula about 6,500 light-years away from Earth, are shown in this image from the James Webb Space Telescope.

Viewed in the right light, Christmas brings clarity to so much of what vexes the world. If that clarity entered every household during this season, think how the world would change.

Consider how ridiculous the hubris of dictators and tyrants appears amid the endless sparkles of creation the James Webb Telescope has laid bare this year. Consider how the perspective of endless creation reduces human conceit and pride to nothingness.

Just one example, but a typical one, is a photo the telescope produced, showing what experts say is 50,000 sources of near infrared light. Each tiny bright spot is a separate galaxy containing millions of stars and planets. The website explorersweb.com says this one single photo may contain as many as 4 trillion stars.

That seems impossible to comprehend.

Not only do human pursuits vanish into vapor against this backdrop, but a bigger, more ominous question comes to mind. How could anyone on a planet such as earth, which is less than a dark pebble in an ocean of stars and planets, presume a level of importance at all? How does anything we do matter?

And how could any thoughtful person consider the vastness of endless creation without wondering about the value of individuals, from the tiniest newborn baby to the most powerful political figure?

Christmas brings clarity to it all.

“O, Holy Night,” a hymn written by Placide Cappeau, a poet in a small town in France, contains these words about Jesus Christ: “Long lay the world, in sin and error pining, till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.”

The story of Christmas is the story of weak things being, in reality, of infinite worth. It is the story that corrects the way perspectives can be obscured by finite vision. It is about how tiny lives on a dim and remote planet, eclipsed by endless creative splendor, are important enough for the God of all creation to send his “only begotten son” to offer redemption, “that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

More than just a story about a baby born in a manger, it is a jaw-dropping affirmation of the divine worth of every person who has inhabited this planet, or whoever will so long as the planet exists. This tiny speck of a globe, then, is in reality the most sparkling jewel in the vast array of cosmic lights.

One of the most troubling tragedies of modern life is the way so many people today readily lose sight of the eternal and focus obsessively on things of little or no value. Much has been written in recent years about families in the United States being torn apart by politics. Many people cringe at the thought of another acrimonious election season coming in 2024.

Too many people now refuse to talk to or acknowledge mothers, fathers, sisters or brothers who hold differing political views. Too many walk amid splendor and beauty, focused only on the tiny specks of imperfections they insist on magnifying beyond proportion. Too many strive to keep those they dislike under their thumbs.

In an opinion piece for The New York Times, Will Leitch described the change in people regarding politics over the past eight years, or so.

“What had once been merely some awkward moments at Thanksgiving became constant fissures pitting kids against parents, siblings against siblings, generation against generation,” he said.

Others focus solely on wealth or the acquisition of things, oblivious to the short duration of their own lives.

It is common this time of year to hear people talk about wanting to feel the spirit of Christmas. Let’s be clear about that.

Cappeau’s “O, Holy Night” continues, “Truly he taught us to love one another; his law is love and his gospel is peace. Chains shall he break for the slave is our brother, and in his name all oppression shall cease.”

The spirit of Christmas comes when we forgive as he does, when we love as he does, and when we stop trying to punish others for what we have seen as irredeemable shortcomings. It comes when we view all people as equals, endowed by the same loving creator with certain inalienable rights. It comes when we look around us and, most importantly, above us, focusing on transcendent beauties and wonders that lift and inspire.

It comes when we discover the worth of our own soul, and subsequently the worth of all other souls. It comes when we can see the bright light of that holy night through the perspective of eternity.

What is the Bible and Where did it come from?

Who wrote the Bible?

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I may look at the Bible differently than you. While I consider it to be the greatest literary treasure of Western Civilization and the driving force in the shaping of the English-speaking world, I have studied the path that what would eventually become the King James Version, commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611, traveled, before its official designation and acceptance. Historical data has influenced my thinking.

To begin, we know very little about the authorship of the Old Testament with the exception that it arose over time and in phases. No doubt, its different prophets had different agendas and concerns while working in different cultural frameworks. While it conveys many wonderful and consistent themes, it is also complex and can be the subject of controversy.

Likewise, in the New Testament, which has a much less complicated history, we find discordance between the apostles. For example, the challenge James faced with what he was hearing about the teachings of Paul began when he realized that Paul’s teachings about salvation through faith alone in Jesus Christ, absent performance according to the law, were being interpreted in an oversimplified way that Paul never intended. In his book, James clarified this by writing that true faith always leads to righteous works, meaning our actions and efforts.

In the ensuing centuries however, beginning with Martin Luther, who was attempting to unwind some of the elaborate theology that had overtaken the Roman Church through the doctrines of pilgrimages to holy sites, confession to a priest, penance, indulgences, limbo, purgatory, and transubstantiation, we see that Paul’s teachings were continuing to be distorted through Luther’s development of the doctrine of justification by faith alone.

As their frustrations grew with these works that were purported to save, “The Reformers overcompensated and invented a new doctrine of salvation by grace alone, a doctrine that disavowed all works, even godly works, as a necessary ingredient of salvation. The pendulum merely swung from one heresy to another. As a result of the Reformation, many Christians teach that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can be saved by grace alone, regardless of any works on our part” (Callister).

In his misinterpretation of Paul’s teachings, Luther contended that the redemptive work of Christ was finished, that the sinner’s condition does not depend on what he can do today, but on his relationship to what Christ has done. Justified by faith alone, he taught that all that is needed for salvation is to either accept Jesus in your heart or confess him with your lips.

When one looks at the hold this doctrine of justification by faith alone has on the Christian world as well as its mistaken linkage to the doctrine of grace, it is as if a central theme of the Book of James, “Faith without works is dead,” has never been a factor. It is as if Luther was saying, “Well, let’s just throw out the book of James!” Moreover, it undermines the Savior’s continual emphasis of doing and becoming as He constantly emphasized in His sermons. A half-brother to Jesus, and one who was by His side for His entire earthly ministry, there can be no doubt that James understood the Savior’s teachings.

When our Church states, as a matter of doctrine, that “We believe in the Bible, as far as it is translated correctly,” what we mean is that we are not on board with the liberal Protestant tradition of biblical inerrancy. There are too many things that have been lost, too many definitions that have been incorrectly formulated through the interpolations of men, and too many erroneous descriptions of God and His interactions with His children.

Furthermore, as Joseph Smith labored to better understand the Bible, there were the frustrations of working within the limits of language. Thus constrained, he struggled to transmit his feelings into words and wrote, “The little narrow prison almost as it were total darkness of paper, pen, and ink, and a crooked, broken, scattered, and imperfect language.”

Willing to acknowledge the challenge of writing with concise, accurate grammar and diction, and anticipating a future day when all of us will read and understand to the fullness and satisfaction of our immortal souls, the Prophet of the Restoration seemed to say, “I don’t have the full picture. I’m struggling with an imperfect language.”

There are far too many unanswered questions to make everything fit together perfectly. This suggests that the Bible is the repository of numerous accounts, versions, and a library of stories rather than one coherent narrative. Because there is so much to learn about the life before, the Creation, Adam and Eve, the Fall, the Atonement, the true nature of God and man, and the teachings of Jesus, rather than take the position that the Bible is complete and has all the answers, it seems reasonable to be open to further revelation or even scholarship to fill in the gaps.

In accordance with this line of thinking, there is another basic belief to share. Introduced by Joseph Smith in 1842, as one of 13 Articles of Faith of the newly restored Church, it is the doctrine of ongoing revelation: “We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.”

In conclusion, the Bible is a book of inspired discourse. It unites us in our pursuit of understanding ethics and the divine will. The foundation of our Judeo-Christian heritage, it provides a basis for common conversation and community. In its morality lies the safety of society.

Explained by a Jewish writer, “Somewhere on the Temple Mount was the actual temple, but we don’t know exactly where. And so, we take off our shoes and treat the whole Mount with the reverence it deserves. And that’s how I try to approach the scriptures. I know that God’s fingerprints are there.”

All Men Are Created Equal

A Rebuke to Tyranny and Oppression

When considered in light of the most common charge leveled against America’s Founding Fathers, and against our nation itself, that they were hypocrites who did not believe in their stated principles, and therefore the country they built rests on a lie, two of the leading theological doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, properly understood and taught, would have significant impact on our culture. These teachings would refute the machinations of politics and selfish human interests, as well as undo the destructive theories that continue to divide Americans and tear at the fabric of our country.

First, is the powerful teaching of premortal life. Simply stated, man was in the beginning with God.

More specifically, in the premortal realm, order, agency, and eternal truths prevailed. Setting themselves apart through faithfulness, diligence, and devotion, leaders, including those who would discover, colonize, and establish the American nation, emerged. Born when and where they would be needed the most, these faithful individuals would be called upon to assist God in the development and progress of His work on earth.

Demonstrating the pattern of heaven, these noble and great souls would come forth as ancient philosophers, pagan or Israelite, as well as the great characters of modern times. In renewal, invention, translation, reform, discovery, science, enlightenment, music, colonization, the struggle for freedom, emancipation, union, statesmanship, diplomacy, religious ideals and philosophy, educational pursuits, and innovations, they would find in Christ the keys to human advancement and the source of the marvelous truths they would advocate.

Contrary to the greatest acts of mighty men, which have been carried out to depopulate nations and to overthrow kingdoms at the expense of the lives of the innocent, the blood of the oppressed, the moans of the widow, and the tears of the orphan, these noble and great ones would be inspired in doing what they do for the amelioration, liberty, and advancement of the human race. Unfolding under the umbrella of divine design, their leadership and accomplishments would be progressively refined to correspond with human understanding of God’s intentions.

Second, the inspiring assertion that our founding documents, and our nation itself, were created by the hands of wise men who were prepared in the premortal realm for that very task and raised up by God in mortality for that very purpose. Moreover, upon the foundation of the existential nature of freedom, over the course of centuries, God would employ a wide variety of methods and individuals to prepare the way and assist His chosen servants in the creation of this nation.

In 1620, upon boarding the Mayflower, the Pilgrims were worried about how self-government might be established upon their arrival in America. Somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, in one of the most significant acts in history, they drew up the Mayflower Compact.

Drawing heavily on the Long Letter, which had been presented by their spiritual leader, John Robinson, in Holland, the Mayflower Compact spelled out ideas for the group’s legal and social organization in the New World. For the role it played in inspiring this document, John Adams would credit Robinson’s Long Letter as foundational to the United States Constitution.

The aim of the Pilgrim enterprise, undertaken to escape religious persecution in the Old World and to seek the opportunity for self-government in the new one, was underscored by their belief that the Renaissance and Reformation were not ends but means to greater light. And even though God had not revealed His whole will to them, they knew they wanted to “be as a city upon a hill, [for] the eyes of all people are upon us” (John Winthrop).

In 1687, our notion of the structure of the natural world expanded dramatically with Isaac Newton’s discovery of gravity. The concept of a higher law, divinely ordained, was strengthened.

If Newton had been able to discern the particular laws that God had established to govern the movements of the planets in the heavens, how much more certain it was that He had ordained such laws for the direction of human societies. Accordingly, acting on John Locke’s assertion that the natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power on earth, and that ordinary individuals could form new communities and governments simply by agreeing to do so, confident of the fact that their rights were guaranteed by God Himself, the Founding Fathers would source human rights to the “Laws of Nature and Nature’s God.

Having gained a foothold in the New World, the parade of great and noble souls in pursuit of God’s will, continued to unfold. With a collective yearning for divine and practical guidance in an era of constitutional thinking, colonial America was richly blessed by the influence of George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, Cotton Mather, John Wesley, and James Otis.

In 1776, building upon the momentum of the Great Awakening, and further magnified by clarity of intellect, profundity of knowledge, and revolutionary genius, a powerful combination of noble and great souls would come together in Philadelphia. Bound together in their love of freedom, this most remarkable generation of public men in history would deliver a compendium of self-evident truths, truths they regarded as “sacred and undeniable.”

Envisioning an empire of liberty traveling westward, they were looking forward to the destined moment when America would give the “law” to the rest of the world in fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah: “Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” Pledging their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor, they would declare independence, affirm that “all men are created equal,” state that rights come from God, and enshrine in the American consciousness the supernal principle of consent of the governed.

Also in 1776, Adam Smith would publish The Wealth of Nations, which, through the invention of a market economy, would unleash a movement that would more profoundly revolutionize the world between 1800 and the present day than any other singe force. Defining freedom of thought as the most critical goal of the America Revolution, Thomas Jefferson would author the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, thus laying the groundwork for the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. And Edward Gibbon, seeking to answer the questions, “what happened, and could it happen again” would publish The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire.

Eleven years later, the Founding Fathers, led by George Washington, whose “very presence in Philadelphia certified the connection between the two founding moments: the first to win independence and the second to secure it” (Ellis), would give birth to the Constitution of the United States of America, “the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man” (Gladstone). Basing their work on “just and holy principles,” the Framers would establish the foundation and legitimacy of our nation.

Meanwhile, on July 13, 1787, in New York, the Confederation Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance which protected civil liberties and outlawed slavery in the new territories. Simultaneously in Great Britain, William Wilberforce, in combination with other noble and great souls, began a determined effort to abolish the slave trade and then to abolish slavery itself in all English possessions.

As indicated in the small sampling of noble and great ones aforementioned, foreordination is the premortal selection of individuals to come forth in mortality at specified times, under certain conditions, and to fulfill predesignated responsibilities. In the totality of these few examples, through what they accomplished as individuals and in groups, as well as in the movements they led and supported, the discovery, colonization, and establishment of America was to be a significant part of “a marvelous work and a wonder,” as foretold by the Old Testament prophet Isaiah.

While “many Americans labor under the illusion that slavery was somehow a uniquely American evil, it was the Western world’s repudiation of slavery, only just beginning to build at the time of the American Revolution, which marked a dramatic sea change in moral sensibilities. The American Founders were living on the cusp of this change, in a manner that straddled two worlds” (1776 Report).

The Framers of America’s founding documents knew that slavery was incompatible with the idea that “all men are created equal.” Yet, in the formative years of the United States, there was insurmountable social, cultural, and political opposition in the fight to end human bondage in America.

Remarkably, on December 16, 1833, with the issue of slavery unresolved, the Prophet Joseph Smith quoted the Lord. Referring to one of the “just and holy principles” upon which this nation was founded, he wrote, “It is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another. And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood” (DC 101.79-80).

In the fight against tyrannical practices, our history is one of common struggle and great achievement. Our ancestors won independence, created a government, and tamed a wilderness. In addition, over 600,000 lives were lost in the successful effort to end human bondage.

Interpreting the Declaration of Independence, Abraham Lincoln noted, “They meant to set up a standard maxim for free society, which should be familiar to all, and revered by all . . . and even though never perfectly attained, constantly approximated, and thereby constantly spreading and deepening its influence and augmenting the happiness and value of life to all people of all colors everywhere.”

Having based our political legitimacy on the eternal principles of liberty, justice, and consent of the governed, Thomas Jefferson was singled out by Lincoln, who wrote, “All honor to Jefferson–the man who, in the concrete pressure of a struggle for national independence by a single people, had the coolness, forecast, and capacity to introduce in a merely revolutionary document, an abstract truth, applicable to all men and all times . . . a stumbling-block to the very harbingers of re-appearing tyranny and oppression.”

In their appeal to both reason and revelation, our founding documents speak to “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God,” to the principle of freedom, and to the will of “We the People.” Working together, they are “an outgrowth, in practical terms, of man’s desire to protect the principle of free agency by defining the role and limits of civil authority” (G. Homer Durham).

Having established America as a city on a hill, those who came before brought forth eternal truths and a desire to share those truths with the rest of mankind. Under the protection of the Constitution of the United States, the spread of Christ’s gospel can go forward as the greatest motivational power in the world to be and to do good. Revealed as a trail of clues, our founding documents have given us the opportunity to establish and maintain a Republic, if we can keep it, and to offer universal peace and prosperity to all mankind, if they will receive it.

For additional information on America’s Grand Design, please see: http://www.americasgranddesign.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Brent Russell’s book, America’s Grand Design (2022), retraces the history of American heritage and humanity’s Constitutional liberties, grounded in the hope of universal goodwill.

Holistically outlining the interconnectedness of the historical events which caused and then overcame the Dark and Middle Ages, leading to the development and establishment of America’s civil and religious liberties, this treatise is a timely reminder that God governs in the affairs of men.

Developed through centuries of struggle, freedom of conscience and expression are woven into the very soul of our nation. Yet, there is danger lurking, for those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.

Because error is preached all the time, truth must be repeated constantly. We must stop the mindless destruction of historical America.

The American experiment was foreordained. America is a part of redemptive history, of divine prophecy fulfilled, of God’s grand design. As a society of free-born people, we must reawaken to the truth that “righteousness exalts a nation.”

Third in a trilogy of Constitutional enlightenment and awareness, the author supports the Utah State Legislature’s designation of September as Founders and Constitution Month. In an effort to champion civic awareness and the common good, he reaffirms that it was not by chance that the Puritans and others who followed later left their native land and sailed to New England where they were inspired to establish the God-given system of government under which we live.

Laying the foundation for the 1820 vision of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the unfolding Restoration, this series of historical events is described by the biblical prophet Isaiah as “a marvelous work and a wonder.” In an acknowledgement of our responsibility to teach the true greatness of our founding and nation, may we reenergize a spirit of patriotism in recognition of God’s hand in the origin and destiny of America, that we will be a nation under God, not without God.

Website: www.americasgranddesign.com BLOG: americasgrand.design

Courage and Resolve

Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed, is more important than any other one thing. –Abraham Lincoln

On a recent Sunday, as we sat down with our wives for a spontaneous brunch, a friend and I had one of those conversations that seem to come out of nowhere. Our topics covered a lot of ground. However, the part that touched me deeply was his personal story.

Speaking freely, we discussed the meaning and purpose of life. Why we are here (on earth) and what we are supposed to be doing with our lives.

He grew up in Chicago in a very dysfunctional situation. There was divorce, alcoholism, drug use, abuse, early separation from his siblings and parents, suicide, and poverty. His reaction was anger, bitterness, loneliness, and hopelessness, a teenager with a horrible temper and poor self-esteem.

At 18, traveling to California with his girlfriend, they stopped at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. He felt something. Shortly thereafter he joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons).

A year later, sitting in a speed-reading class at BYU, he gazed out the window, thinking how much he hated being there. Standing directly in front of him, the professor asked a couple of questions about the assignment, and then surprised him by asking, “How do you feel about things?”

“You want to know how I feel?” asked my friend.

“Yes,” responded the teacher.

Facing one of those moments requiring courage, he was tempted to ease his way out of the situation. But not today! He spoke his mind, and it all came out.

“I think you and the others are just a bunch of posers. You say things to impress people, but you don’t mean them, and you don’t care about us. It’s all for show.”

Realizing a teaching moment was at hand, the instructor responded with kindness, “My challenge to you, young man, is to get an education and then go out and confront the hypocrisy you so readily see in the world and change things for the better.”

This was the turning point of his life! He began pursuing his education with a higher purpose in mind. With degrees in hand and happily married, he has been teaching philosophy, critical thinking, and creative writing at the university level for the past 30 years.

Knowing my friend as I do, I can say with great confidence that he has been changing things and making a positive difference in the lives of students, associates, and his family since that day.

In this account we find a universal truth: when you educate a man, you liberate a man. The most important key to a proper education is to read to the point that words become precious. As you learn, you will begin to see that you are the person who has the most to do with you and what happens in your life.

This matters because our country needs you! You need to understand that the men who founded this nation believed that our system of government was designed for a well-informed and educated people. They understood that each of us needs to play our very important part in maintaining liberty.

While it’s true we need smart people to understand and correct our problems, what we need even more is people who care. People who are willing to love God, to love their neighbors, and to live by the Golden Rule. Like the teacher at BYU, our nation’s greatest need is people with common sense who care about others and the future of our country.

There is a great deal riding on the education of our young people. Misunderstanding freedom, many great and powerful nations have destroyed themselves from within through moral decay, fiscal irresponsibility, and selfishness. A proper education will instill these lessons because they matter, for the same fate could happen to us.

You can make a difference! Be inspired by men like Abraham Lincoln who carried a book with him everywhere he went; and often that book was the Bible. Be motivated by women like Emily Dickinson, who wrote, “There is no Frigate like a Book, to take us Lands away.” Be anxiously engaged in self-improvement. Discover a steadfast purpose to sustain you.

Like my friend, you were sent to earth to make a difference. Improve yourself, gain experience, help others along the way. As encouragement, I offer this poem:

The more you read, the more you know;

The more you know, the smarter you grow;

The smarter you grow, the stronger your voice;

When speaking your mind, or making your choice.

America is the only country founded on the principle that men and women should and could govern themselves. Seek true knowledge and govern yourself accordingly. Have confidence that the goodness of your life will lead to success and happiness.

Please see: http://www.americasgranddesign.com

Blog: americasgrand.design

Our Finest Hour

“There is not a truth from history more certain than this: that civil liberty cannot long be separated from religious liberty without danger, and ultimately without destruction to both.” –Joseph Story, Associate Justice U.S. Supreme Court

Coming out of the Great Depression and World War II, the parents of the Baby Boomer generation (1946-1964) wanted to give their children the good life. The result was that the Boomer generation “did many did things which their fathers would have deprecated, and then drew about themselves a flimsy cordon of sophistry while talking about the advance of humanity and liberal thought, when it was really nothing more than a preference for individual license” (John Hall). Agreeing with this sentiment, Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, recently stated that Baby Boomers will “go down in history as the most disappointing generation ever, from sex, drugs, and rock and roll to what we have today.” Hyperbole? I am not sure. But I do see where this could be the epitaph of my generation unless we act firmly and decisively in doing that which is still within our power: changing the course of American civilization.

Along with the aforementioned influences, the Boomer era saw the curtailment of prayer, Bible reading, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, and the singing of Christmas carols in schools. In addition, they created Greenwich Village and Haight Ashbury, epicenters of the 1960s counterculture movement, orchestrated the passage of Roe v Wade, and saw some of the brightest and most ambitious among them take their talents to institutions of higher learning and to Wall Street where they could continue their bohemian lifestyles in more comfortable environs.

The collective result of these actions fueled the acceptance and teaching of Marxist ideas in universities, in the national media, and among the cultural elites. In other words, there was a steady cultural shift away from the traditional values upon which this nation was founded.

Accompanying these trends was America’s turning away from absolute truth and a sense of personal accountability. As described by a leading churchman, “We spend billions of our resources in litigation one against another. Our spiritual power is sapped by a flood tide of pornography, by a debilitating epidemic of the use of narcotics and drugs that destroy both body and mind, and by a declining moral standard that is alarming and devastating to relationships, families, and the integrity of our nation as a whole. In too many ways, we have substituted human sophistry for the wisdom of the Almighty.” (Gordon B. Hinckley)

While we live in a generally prosperous and optimistic age, yet grave problems persist, namely crime, violence, chronic poverty, teen depression, suicide, teen pregnancy, broken families, corruption, changing the meaning of words, fiscal irresponsibility, and other signs of cultural decline. The confrontation in which we are engaged is transforming popular ideas, beliefs, and our national character. Evidence abounds that the fight for the survival of our nation is upon us.

Having won the tacit approval of much of the press, influential policymakers, and a great many ordinary Americans, what has taken place is the triumph of sin and selfishness. In one of the great ironies of freedom, a growing number of our most gifted young people–as well as our citizens overall–are turning away from the principles of our founding, from the nobility of Western civilization, from the rule of law, from sound economic principles, and from the sacred, the very sources of our prosperity and survival.

Data also shows that the decline in foundational virtues–work, marriage, and religion–affects all levels of society. Wrote one essayist, “What a surprise! We raised a generation of bright kids without a foundation in religion . . . We never told them that the virtuous life was both necessary and hard, that character was something that had to be built step by step from youth, that moral weakness was contemptible and natural.” (Walter Russell Mead)

Affirming that although there are many successes in raising great individuals, a renowned scholar writes that conditions in today’s world are particularly difficult for boys. “Confusion regarding manhood abounds, including confusion about a proper understanding of virility. Fathers are missing from boys’ lives in devastatingly high numbers. Children are exposed to a dizzying array of cultural signals about what it means to be a man.” (William J. Bennett)

In search of answers as we cross traditional political and cultural boundaries, the driving force in the potential resolution of this conflict will be an increasing awareness that the fate of our nation depends, perhaps like never before, on this truth, as articulated by Aristotle, “All who have meditated on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the fate of empires depends on the education of youth.” Order supplies the basics in training the rising generations; the fate of nations hangs on their education.

Thus, the biggest task at hand is to strengthen the home, family, and community, to remind ourselves of America’s Grand Design through a reaffirmation of our divine heritage and potential. To turn things around, we need a restoration of public sentiment in favor of America and to reintroduce classical literature and civic virtue into the classroom and the culture at large.

But there is a danger lurking. Alarming reports indicate fading respect for absolute truth and foundational traditions, which have obscured enduring values. With great numbers turning away from Christianity, and with many on the pathway to atheism, significant numbers from all generations are turning their backs on the religious traditions of their upbringing.

Each of these conditions point to the fact that if there was ever a time for religious influence in our society to be re-examined, the time is now. To achieve our common goals of the public peace, progress, and prosperity, we must be more articulate and persuasive in making the case for Christ, for Christianity, and for the principles of meritocracy, liberty, and justice, which are at the heart of the American system of government.

The rights of conscience and freedom of expression developed gradually and took centuries of struggle to establish. For these essential characteristics of life in America to continue, we must stop the mindless destruction of our Western and American heritage. We need not pretend to have a divine commission and a sacred destiny. America is a part of redemptive history, of divine prophecy fulfilled, of God’s Grand Design.

In a partnership between those who are living, those who are dead, and those who are to be born, we must honor the great primeval contract of eternal society, underwritten by the Golden Rule, which connects the visible and invisible world and finds expression in our Declaration of Independence as “the right to life.” Driven by an all-consuming desire to amass power through the doctrines of scarcity, privilege, and fear, we must also realize that freedom’s future hinges on an essential truth: we do not have to choose between a clean environment (via socialism) and a prosperous economy. We can have both.

The roots of this clash extend back hundreds of years. It is a battle between capitalism and Marxism, between the power of the state and equal opportunity for each individual, and between freedom and coercion. It is therefore essential to re-emphasize that a democratic system depends on its legitimacy, not upon equal results, but a sense of equal opportunity.

It has been said that we are fast approaching that moment when, “Even this nation will be on the very verge of crumbling to pieces and tumbling to the ground and when the Constitution is upon the brink of ruin this people will be the staff upon which the nation shall lean and they shall bear the Constitution away from the very verge of destruction.” (Joseph Smith)

“To those who have discerning eyes, it is apparent that the republican form of government established by our noble forefathers cannot long endure once fundamental principles are abandoned. Momentum is gathering for another conflict–a repetition of the crisis of two hundred years ago. This collision of ideas is worldwide. Another monumental moment is soon to be born. The issue is the same that precipitated the great premortal conflict–will men be free to determine their own course of action, or must they be coerced? . . .

“The war in heaven over free agency is now being waged here on earth, and there are those today who are saying, ‘Look, don’t get involved in the fight for freedom. Just live the gospel.’ That counsel is dangerous, self-contradictory, unsound.” (Ezra Taft Benson)

In the movie Apollo 13, as the spacecraft faced multiple perils with three astronauts on board, the chance for a safe return was greatly diminished. Upon hearing his supervisor say, “I know what the problems are. This could be the worst disaster NASA has ever experienced,” Gene Krantz (Ed Harris), the leader in Mission Control, turned towards him and said, “With all due respect, Sir, I believe this will be our finest hour.”

As a generation of Baby Boomers, the challenge before us to preserve human freedom is daunting. Will we be remembered as the generation that lost liberty because of “sex, drugs, and rock and roll?” Or will we, in our finest hour, be the generation that reestablished America as “the world’s best hope?”

Brent Russell is the author of America’s Grand Design. http://www.americasgranddesign.

Blog: americasgrand.design.

Why I Wrote a Book

What does it mean that the American experiment was foreordained? The Ten Commandments, the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount, and the the Golden Rule–these articulate the divine and universal standards upon which all nations will stand or fall.

Five years ago, I began reading Thomas Jefferson, The Art of Power. Nearing the end of the Prologue, I was stunned by the Pulitzer Prize winning author’s words as he asserted that there was “nothing foreordained about the American experiment.”

As the days passed, I could not get those words out of my mind. They went against everything I had been taught about America’s founding and against everything I believed. Furthermore, I was deeply troubled that this point of view was gaining ground and beginning to take hold in the consciousness of the American people.

I gradually came to the conclusion that society will choose and decide; that someone’s values will prevail in the end. It was at that point that I decided to get involved, to push back against the secular perspective, to take a stand on behalf of freedom, religious liberty, America’s founding, and our Founding Fathers.

In the book I address many topics. With regards to whether the American experiment is foreordained, my study and research reaffirmed my personal beliefs. We need not pretend to a divine commission and a sacred destiny. America is a part of redemptive history, of divine prophecy fulfilled, of God’s grand design. Established for the rights and protection of all people, the United States Constitution represents the practical guarantee in the political arena that adherence to natural law and Christian teachings will protect freedom across the globe. Thus, America is a land with not only a sacred history and a prophetic destiny but also a tremendous responsibility to serve as a beacon of hope.

The foundation of knowledge flows from reading. I read to learn of those who have passed before, to weigh and consider, to discover something of value. I read to improve my mind and morals and to regulate my conduct, to mark the great events of the world, to discover new ideas, to separate the chaff from the wheat, and to make myself contemporary with past ages. I read to be taught, because what is written is beyond my own power to have produced.

George Macdonald wrote, “As you grow ready for it, somewhere or other, you will find what is needful for you in a book.” I hope this book will be useful in your search for truth.

For additional information: http://www.americasgranddesign.com

The Big Ideas of Life and Liberty

In Search of What Can Unite Us

Nations have boundaries, but there is no limit to the sphere of ideas. Big Ideas control the world; they are mightier than armies. Big ideas lift civilizations.

Big Ideas spring from noble and great souls, from those who contemplate God’s works, feel a generous concern for the good of humankind, exhibit sincere humility.

Our first parents were instructed in two Big Ideas: “multiply and replenish the earth” and “in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread.”

Champions of Big Ideas, Abraham is the father of nations. Moses is the great lawgiver. Isaiah saw the transcript of God, and in language both poetic and prophetic, wrote of the Messiah and of “a marvelous work and a wonder.”

The rise of the Greeks brought the Big Ideas of the Classical Age which influenced western civilization more than any other people. The Romans spread Greco-Roman ideas across the world.

With immortal words, “Do unto others, as you would have others do unto you,” Jesus brought forth the ultimate in Big Ideas: the sacred covenant of eternal society, thus connecting the visible and invisible worlds in a partnership between those who are living, those who are dead, and those who are to be born. Inspired by this Big Idea, Thomas Jefferson declared that each and every soul has “the right to life.”

The thousand years of darkness was a period of decline in spiritual learning and scriptural literacy. The term “Dark Ages” is directly linked to the efforts of medieval church leaders to keep the Big Ideas of the Bible out of the hands of the people and to mediate spiritual enlightenment through priests and bishops of the Roman Catholic Church.

The ages of Renaissance, Reformation, Enlightenment, Discovery, Colonization, and Independence are testimonials to the power of Big Ideas. Beginning with the printing of the Bible and culminating with the ratification of the United States Constitution, the underpinnings of Western civilization were put in place by courageous and visionary individuals who fought against ecclesiastical overreach, scholastic intimidation, and the divine right of kings in pursuit of their civil and religious liberties.

In the ongoing effort to maintain our freedoms, we must value “the sacred right of conscience,” another Big Idea. The Founding Fathers concluded that only with careful cultivation of the soul, with attention to “the laws of nature and of nature’s God,” and with the uplifting assistance of family, church, and local community, America’s citizens could learn to control their passions and act worthy to receive the blessings of liberty.

The ages of Romanticism and Restoration are also testimonials to the power of Big Ideas. Encouraging emotion and creativity, Romanticism emphasized our relationship with the natural world and the sublime.

Among the Big Ideas presented in the Book of Mormon is that there is an opposition in all things, that this life is the time to prepare to meet God, that we should mourn with those that mourn, comfort those who stand in need of comfort, and stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places.

Building on the premise that we are being tested as a nation by small ideas that divide us, former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw shared his unique perspective on how Big Ideas over the past several decades united us and shaped what he called the American century.

These Big Ideas included our defense of freedom against Nazi and Sino aggression, creation of the GI Bill, establishment of minority rights, unleashing science and technology through the vision of going to the moon, emphasis on conservation, new opportunities for girls and women, opening relations with China, confronting and defeating the value system of the Soviet Union, knitting civilization back together after the fall of the Berlin Wall, improving the world through the gifts, influences, and inspiration of talented and visionary individuals and ordinary women and men. Summarizing his list of Big Ideas, Mr. Brokaw wondered where America would be today without them.

Against this backdrop, I pose the question: what are the Creator’s plans for the human family? My answer is based on the Big Ideas embedded within scripture, reason, and modern revelation.

At the dawn of creation God gave us freedom of choice, informed us that this earth would be created for us, and told us that we would be given physical bodies. Our reaction was stunning: “. . . the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:7). We are on earth to prove ourselves, to grow, to build relationships, and to gain experience.

Explained Joseph Smith, “At the first organization in heaven we were all present and saw the Savior chosen and appointed and the plan of salvation made, and we sanctioned it.” The Prophet further declared, “The great plan of salvation is a theme which ought to occupy our strict attention and be regarded as one of heaven’s best gifts to mankind.”

The contention in heaven was that Jesus said there would be certain souls that would not be saved; and the devil said he would save them all. When the grand council gave its vote in favor of Jesus Christ, the devil rose up in rebellion against God thus beginning the war in heaven.

Big Ideas illustrate that we are on earth for a purpose, that a divinity stirs within us. Accompanying this certainty is another Big Idea, declared by Cicero, “There is, I know not how, in the minds of men, a certain presage, as it were, of a future existence.”

Another Big Idea, we are all born for a higher destiny than that of earth. “Divine wisdom, intending to detain us some time on earth, has done well to cover with a veil the prospect of the life to come” (Mad. de Stael).

The ultimate in Big Ideas puts everything into perspective as we contemplate where we came from, why we are here, and where we go when we die. Searching for answers to our spiritual and intellectual concerns on the boisterous sea of liberty, the words of our Maker, the Great Governor of the Universe, ring out, “This is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”

To learn more, please go to: http://www.americasgranddesign.com