Tuesday, September 23, 2008

"My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge"

"My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge." (Hosea 4:6)

Elder Ezra Taft Benson started his talk in Conference in April 1960 by reading that scripture. He followed with this statement:
As in Old Testament days we need knowledge today. We need to know our enemies. We must assess clearly and accurately the perils that face the free world. At the same time we must assure ourselves of the knowledge which brings confidence and trust in our ability and that of our friends around the world to face the future - not in fear but with vigilance. From knowledge comes strength and from strength comes the power to preserve freedom both at home and abroad.

In this the Information Age the ability to arm ourselves with knowledge is much easier. At the same time the task may seem daunting as we are inundated by information - and much of it is false. We must be aware that there are both good and bad people in this world. We must also be aware that some of the bad people are at work in our own media and in our local, state, and federal governments. We must also we aware that there are good people in positions of power that have bad ideas and are influence by bad advisers. What we really need to be on the lookout for are those that are tearing away at our freedoms. Bad ideas cloaked in white robes are still bad ideas - I don't care how many people the idea may or may not help. Check your Machiavellian ideals at the door please. Satan is using deception to get us to believe he is in the right - does this shock you? If it doesn't then why do we seem to think that people under his influence (some are intentionally following him and others are just dupes) don't use lies and deceptions?

Big shocker - they do. Some of them are writing newspaper articles and news casts. Some are in political office, while others are seeking to obtain offices. Many, many, many people see things going on around them and just let it slide - they are complacent - uncaring.

Anyone seeking to remove freedoms does so for power. PERIOD. It is the formula for the Gadianton robbers, and all other secret combinations. In modern days that includes all totalitarian regimes, despots, dictators, terror organizations, neo nazis, communists, extreme environmentalists, extreme left liberals, etc. They are not all the same and they are not all equal, but they are all in league to remove power from the people to give to themselves. They all deceive to obtain it. They all justify there actions. And KNOWLEDGE is their ENEMY. FREEDOM is their ENEMY. These are SATAN's ENEMIES as well.

In 3rd Nephi there are lawyers and judges and their kindred (read politicians and their friends and families) that are in league to destroy the Nephites that are preaching the gospel and preaching freedom. So they have them put to death - illegally. Then they COMBINE against those that would punish them for their crimes and take oaths. 3 Nephi 6:29-30:
29 Therefore they did combine against the people of the Lord, and enter into a covenant to destroy them, and to deliver those who were guilty of murder from the grasp of justice, which was about to be administered according to the law.
30 And they did set at defiance the law and the rights of their country; and they did covenant one with another to destroy the governor, and to establish a king over the land, that the land should no more be at liberty but should be subject unto kings.

The cost of liberty is high. It is the very battle that was waged in Heaven. The cost: 1/3 of all God's spirit children, damned for eternity. Is the cost still high? Yes it is but the reward is much greater than the cost. We must seek out liberty for all God's children.
The world is full of people combining against God and his people. If they can take away freedoms then they can also take away knowledge. When this happens then it becomes much more difficult for us to live the gospel and spread its truths to the world. This is war - it always has been.

The prophet Moroni seeing our day has warned us against all the flavors of evil that would combine in the latter-days. Ether 8:23-25:

23 Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain—and the work, yea, even the work of destruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be.
24 Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up.
25 For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies;


I would like to read comments if you have any thoughts on this subject.

I will end this post with another scripture. 2 Nephi 28:21,24-25:
21 And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.
24 Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!
25 Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well!

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