Change is Our Only Hope

You might think, from the title that I’m referring to Obama’s mantra of “Hope” and “Change”; in a sense I am. I had posted “‘Change’ is our only ‘Hope’” as my Facebook status the other day; at least that’s how it started.

I realized afterwards that it goes much, much deeper than just who gets elected as the next President.

The Thirteen Colonies were established because there is, deep within each of us, a yearning for Liberty; and religious liberty was a primary concern.  With these liberties available here, religion flourished, and by the time the Declaration of Independence was signed, the colonies were a patchwork of religious sects; diversity wasn’t even a catchword then. 

John Adams said “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

He meant it; most of our Founding Fathers also meant it. 

Read the writings of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Samuel Adams and others; they believed in “Divine Providence” and “the Invisible Hand” guiding the fortunes of America, and the need for us to be a moral people for the republic to flourish; the history we’ve all been taught in public schools is wrong.  

 2 Corinthians 3:17 tells us:
“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” 

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty.  

Look back over the ages past, and you’ll notice that the United States of America, the Republic we were blessed to be born in, has enjoyed the longest and most prosperous union of any other nation in the history of the WORLD. Why?

Because of the Judeo-Christian principles that permeated society for the first 100 years; this was the unquestioned standard until the middle of the last century; God was present and accepted and cherished. 

Fast forward nearly 160 years after the signing of the Constitution; religion came under attack, and in doing so put the Republic in peril. Knowing what we know, these being the Last Days, this really isn’t a surprise.

The march of anti-religious sentiment has kept a steady pace with prayer being forbidden in most any public institution.  

How did we get here? What can we do? 

It started simply enough 1947, when the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) essentially “federalized” the First Amendment; it has been turned AGAINST the people and AGAINST the states since that time, completely turning the meaning on its head, despite the writings of the Framers of the Constitution and those we consider the Founding Fathers. 

First Amendment
“Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

It’s very simple.

There are many cases, but one highlights the blatant disregard given to the Framers:

In the case “Lee vs. Weisman; 1992”, (prayer at school graduations), Justice Souter, in a most arrogant assessment, dismissing historical precedent, claimed that the Framers of the Constitution “simply did not share a common understanding of the ‘Establishment Clause’” and that they tended to “raise constitutional ideals one day and turn their back the next.”

Justice Souter claims to know more about the Constitution and the INTENT of the Framers than they themselves knew and meant and WROTE ABOUT. Incredible. 

Thomas Jefferson was rightly concerned about a Federal judiciary; he said “The Constitution…is a mere thing of wax in the hands of the judiciary which they may twist and shape into any form they please.”
He was spot on. 

We, as a populace got lazy; and by and large, we let this happen; we remained silent while this precious liberty has all but evaporated.

I found this in 1 Corinthians 8:9:
“But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.” 

We were weak; we let others handle the burdens of liberty and they had (and have still today) an agenda; in league with the Enemy of all mankind.

We were not diligent in our stewardship over the Constitution of the United States of America, and we got Justices like Souter as a reward-and he’s just the example of the day. I suggest you read “Original Intent” by David Barton; no revisionist history here; only original sources, quotes and examples. It’s quite enlightening. 

Do you realize that at the start of 2012, FORTY THOUSAND new laws were put on the books across the country? FORTY THOUSAND new flaxen threads, to bind your liberties, all across these fruited plains. 

How do we save our beloved Republic? 

Here’s what Moroni did in Alma 46:

12 "And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it—In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole. 

13 And he fastened on his head-plate, and his breastplate, and his shields, and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the pole, which had on the end thereof his rent coat, (and he called it the title of liberty) and he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land" 

I’m not asking that you rip your clothing and place it on a pole for your neighbors to see; I am asking that you behave like Christians. I’d love it if you found my brand of Christianity to your liking, but that’s not even what this is about. It’s about BEHAVING in a Christlike fashion. Help others to see that being good, and kind and honest and trustworthy is a worthy goal. Loving your fellowman regardless of the differences you may have between you. The best way to convert someone to your way of thinking is to be what you profess to be. 

Insist on prayer in your home; when you have company over, have a family prayer with them before they leave; let them know that you value God, and that you value them.

We have to change OUR hearts, OUR minds, and OUR examples before we can hope to influence a nation.

I heard someone on Glenn Beck’s program today say that he didn’t believe that God cares much about elections. I vehemently disagree. 

Doctrine and Covenants 101:
77 “According to the laws and constitution of the people, which I have suffered to be established, and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles.”

80 “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. 

If our Heavenly Father isn’t interested in elections, he wouldn’t have given us a Divine document that needed preservation, and set up within that document the methods for election, nor would he have “raised up” wise men as an example to us. I believe God cares very much about elections, about the United States of American and about Liberty. 

“Our God, our religion, our freedom, our peace, our wives and our children”’ these are the things that matter; notice that Moroni puts liberty as third on the list of things to fight for AFTER our God and our religion. Mighty important.Throughout history, when people leave God, God leaves them; change is our only hope, and it starts with us.