FREEDOM IN GOVERNMENT

This is from my former blog written 1 Mar 2009, I thought I would share it.

 FREEDOM IN GOVERNMENT: These are notes I took from a fireside we attended with Elder Ezra Taft Benson, who was an Apostle at the time, at the Salt River Stake, 2 September 1980. He quoted from Doctrine & Covenants 101:76-80, he talked about how Wilfred Woodruff was visited by the signers of the Constitution in the St George Temple and was asked why their ordinance work was not done.

Elder Benson said, " I was assigned to go to the St George Temple... I went into the vault to check on records that they thought might be brought back to Salt Lake City... There I saw with my own eyes the records... the Founding Fathers laid the foundation for this country..."

Elder Benson stated, "We have a serious problem facing this nation, I saw the Iron Curtain drop...I went to Czechoslovakia in 1946 to re-establish the Mission there... I took Welfare supplies... I saw people in the last stages of starvation...economic failure and the start of communism." Then he said this with much emotion and emphasis concerning our country, "IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO LOVE A THING, YOU MUST PROTECT THE THING YOU LOVE", D & C 101:76-80. He continued, "We have a rich heritage and a rich birthright, we are traveling down the soul destroying road of socialism... we must become involved in the political process... this is the Lord's base of operation in theses days, He established it and expects us to safeguard it..." He then talked about his tenure as Secretary of Agriculture with President Eisenhower, (who was President of the United States from 1953-1961) and asked him at the time, 'is not now the time to instigate the Monroe Doctrine?" (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monroe_Doctrine).

 He further said, " I entertained Khrushchev (who was Secretary of the Communist Party 1953-1964) for half a day, and I was not proud of it, everything I showed him he said we have something better in Russia, he lied to us all morning... Detente is an absolute fraud, (meaning an easing of tension between the U.S. and Russia). "When I was in Russia the Agricultural Minister invited us to see everything in Russia. He said we could visit a Christian church.. he kept putting us off... finally on the road to the airport he located a Baptist Church. I insisted they turn off and stop, they didn't want to go but I insisted. They told us the churches had been converted to museums, the people weren't interested in religion. This church was full to overflowing, the Minister invited us up on the platform and invited me to speak. We used our own translators in order to be safe.

I bore my witness that God hears and answers our prayers and that freedom is God Given and to read the Bible. My heart was touched, the Spirit was there, the entire congregation arose and sang, ' God Be With You Until We Meet Again'. They took off their little head piece and waved good bye with tears. At the airport each press member but one said, 'that was the greatest experience of my life.' Elder Benson then said, "There is no Latter Day Saint living who is living the Gospel fully when he refuses to do his duty to his country... The whole communistic system is economically, socially, and spiritually unsound."
As we face the time that President Benson talked about, five years before he became the President and the Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, it is wise to follow his counsel. We now have government that is definitely leading us deeper in to bondage, and this was 35 years ago. As all the Prophets have counseled to keep the commandments and, "stand in holy places and be not moved" (D&C 87:8), and, "if ye are prepared ye shall not fear", (D&C 38:30) this will sustain us through the trials ahead. A book, Prophecy Key to the Future by Crowther, (it can be ordered from Bookcraft Publishing),  contains prophecies concerning our country's and the world's future.

                                                                                                                                                                                The Twelfth Article of Faith states: "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers and magistrates and in obeying, honoring and sustaining the law". Our best protection is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and knowledge, that is the power to overcome fear.