About 5 years ago I read Hugh Nibley's "Approaching Zion". Few books have had such a profound impact on my life. Since Hugh never attained the rank of a General Authority within the church, I highly doubt that any of his writings will be included in the new curriculum to teach the youth starting in January 2013. In my opinion, I would love it if we at least quoted him once in awhile...or at least as many times as we do non-LDS writers like CS Lewis.
This is a pivotal year. Election year. Tonight is the first of Presidental Debates. I don't particularily like either candidate. I think the American people have been given a "rock" or a "hard place" to choose from. Either the "ripe" or the "ripening". That being said, I just wanted to mention this. On page 275 in Approaching Zion, Hugh Nibley mentions the four things that will destroy a civilization. He quotes the Book of Mormon prophet writer, Mormon who also warns us in these latter days of these similiar four things. These four things are the lust for: Power, Riches, Popularity, and the Desires of the Flesh.
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"Satan had great power,
unto the stirring up of the people to do all manner of iniquity,
and to the puffing them up
POWER,
and AUTHORITY,
and RICHES,
and the VAIN THINGS of the world."
3 Nephi 6:15
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Almost every prophet in the Book of Mormon gives this same account of what happens to the people of the Church when they become powerful, rich and popular with the world. Examples can be found in Alma, Helaman, Mormon, Nephi etc. Here are few scriptures.
"For they saw and beheld with great sorrow that the people of the church began to be lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and to set their hearts upon riches and upon the vain things of the world."
Alma 4: 8
"But behold, it is to get gain, to be praised of men, yea, and that ye might get gold and silver. And ye have set your hearts upon the riches and the vain things of this world."
Helaman 7:21
"Yea, it shall come in a day when the power of God shall be denied, and churches become defiled and be lifted up in the pride of their hearts; yea, even in a day when leaders of churches and teachers shall rise in the pride of their hearts, even to the envying of them who belong to their churches."
Mormon 8:28
"They wear stiff necks and high heads; yea, and because of pride, and wickedness, and abominations, and whoredoms, they have all gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men."
2 Nephi 28: 14
Sidenote images and video:
Multimillion dollars homes surrounding the Draper, UT Temple.
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Here is an interesting video of one of our most famous Mormons
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I'll end this post by quoting from a friend,
"May the Lord have mercy on us all. Even so, Amen."
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One more interesting tidbit:
The Republican Party in helping the Mitt Romney Campaign is offering a free 3 day stay down in Las Vegas. I received an phone call and a follow up email with the following offer.
We are sending buses down to Las Vegas every weekend from now until election day (with the exception of Oct 5-7). We would love to have you join us! Nevada is a battleground state and they need us in order for the Republican ticket to win in November.
The buses will leave Utah on Friday afternoon and return on Sunday by 8:30pm. We will be putting you up in a hotel, and covering food for the duration of the trip. Saturday will be spent canvassing neighborhoods (ID-ing voters so that the NV team can effectively target voters). These voter IDs help the campaign to save valuable time and money so that they can focus on the swing voters.
The buses will start boarding at our Midvale office at 3:45pm and leave promptly at 4:00pm, or from our Orem office at 4:45pm and 5:00pm, respectively.
In order to reserve your seat on the bus, I need the following information:.....
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"May the Lord have mercy on us all. Even so, Amen."
ReplyDeleteAmen! This is a very poignant time we are in right now, my husband and I can feel, it is affecting our personal life, my heart is breaking for those who want to remain asleep, and for those who are casting out testimony. My husband and I truly weep for Zion. I feel things are about to become huge and more than ever we need to be ready, out tents facing the Lord and His true Prophets...we need to become Prophets. It has come to the point that we are consumed in our quest to KNOW the Lord, we feel an urgency. We long to gather with likeminded people, we feel so alone out here.
Another note:
Please forgive my ignorance, but was that 'Interesting tidbit' Church sponsored?
I mean...was that event organized by the Church in someway? We dont live in USA so dont know much about headquarters up there...
ReplyDeleteNo, Not that I am aware of.
DeleteUnknown, would you kindly private message me at RockWaterman@gmail.com, or PM me on facebook?
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Rock Waterman
GREAT blog entry, by the way. As always.
ReplyDeleteI just keep looking at the picture of the temple, and the homes that surround it. That is just so sad. It makes me just want to cry repentance ... inside myself! In my own heart! Am I really this blind? Are there things in my own life that are this blarryingly obvious to everyone around me (ok, I guess its not so obvious ... because, no judgement, but someone is living in those houses), but that I am blind to? I can't get over that picture. We have sold our soul ... and for what? Sad :(
ReplyDeleteWhy do we like to put the spiritual fight onto the President of the United States? Mitt will make a great POTUS. It's on Monson's shoulders that the spiritual fight lies. He should be leading the charge against materialism and the riches of the world. I haven't heard much about that lately at conference... maybe this weekend...
ReplyDeleteI apologize for using the word 'bewitched'--LOL!
DeleteBut, all the same, I don't believe after much research that Mitt Romney is what he appears to be.
Time will tell.
Losing riches can be one of the best things to happen to a person or persons--
ReplyDeleteand it's sad that we humans find it so hard to be humble without those 'humbling' experiences--
good post; sobering--
this is the same anonymous as above--12:51 P.M.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I wish I knew God's plan for *us*, especially for those of *us* who have 'battled for freedom' for many years against the powers of Democrats and Republicans--
7:33 a.m.--
Mitt Romney doesn't understand the constitution of the United States at all--
for those who need to subtract Ezra Taft Benson from the apostolic equation (thinking him too extreme; I don't, but oh well)--
many prophets who were not extreme warned again and again of what would happen if the constitution were set aside, and Brother (ahem!) Romney doesn't have any idea what the constitution means; I wonder if he has ever even read it--
his popularity among LDS really frightens me; I have seen many good LDS become bewitched by him--
it's also a good thing not to be popular--LOL! Some of us are really just unseen/unknown/disenfranchised--
and how VERY blessed we are! :)
It was prophesied by ancient BoM prophets that everyone in the Church would be deceived in the last days and become corrupt and support evil, except a rare few.
ReplyDeleteThus, though sad to see, it is not surprising that most all members and church leaders have fallen for Romney and support socialism and appear to be on the Adversary's side of the war this time around.
D&C 45 & 76 warns us that though we may be good and honorable members of the Church, if we allow ourselves to be deceived by the craftiness of wolves in sheep's clothing, we will lose our place in the Celestial Kingdom.
Only those with the Holy Spirit as their guide, who can tell truth from error and the righteous from the unrighteous, as easy as the night from the day, will not be deceived.
It appears 'few there be' that can.