Trump sure seems to want a war

[Ezra]

It seems to me that Trump, being a total outsider, does not realize the goals and battle plans of the globalists, or even that hey exist. But then, niether eo most Americans.

I feel trump put on a good show to make America think he was on The opposing side of Hillary. But it was a show. They are still friends. They still run with the same crowd.

Name just one person who could do a better job in the White House, given who actually runs this country and has done for decades.
Just like every other civilization, Americans have chosen evil over good. Can we honestly blame Trump for this? Had the people in this country stayed the course and kept close to God we wouldn't be in this mess. The Saints could have been able to choose honest, wise and good candidates for all offices, continually. The Ten Commandments would still be honored and observed. Prayer would still be something of value in our educational organizations. Honesty, love and peace would permeate our neighborhoods, and God would be worshiped with reverence and heartfelt devotion.
So how can so many people sit here and blame Trump for all the ails in the world? People make me sick with all their biases and name calling, which is not one iota better than the quick tongues on board cutting down Trump.
People here with all their wisdom and learning, yet, seemingly, knowing nothing as to what really has happened to our society, how and why. I lived in the days of having prayer in school and I didn't hear any kids complaining. Hate and loathing is taught to the youth by wayward and uninformed parents that do not want to live under God's laws. Children of all races do not know hatred until it is taught them, and then the problem escalates until no one likes anyone, and everyone is under immediate suspicion of being evil, a rapist, a pedophile, a thief, a murderer, a mugger, dishonest, a drug pusher, whatever, anything but a worthwhile child of God. And even when one is nice to someone, they question your motives and shun you at times assuming there is something wrong with you. Old Scratch has got a lot of people by the short hairs and they are oblivious to it.
I say the wheat and tares need to wake up and truly see what side of the fence they are really on.

Ron Paul
Darrel castle
Chuck Baldwin


Why do you think trump is doing a good job? His friendship with elites? Filling his cabinet with elite? Not knowing or adherence to the constitution? Dropping bombs which is a declaration of war without congressional approval let alone without Gods approval? All the vacation travel money on the tax payers dime he has already spent. I guess he did repeal Obamacare. Ohh wait. No he didn't.

With what you just said in your post why are you supporting a tare? Isn't that hypocritical?

What has he done that's a positive? I've been watching closely hoping there is something.

[ajax]

[ajax]

"I regret supporting Donald Trump"
http://www.targetliberty.com/2017/04/i- ... trump.html

A Target Liberty reader Dr. Mirand S. writes:

Trump has failed. I regret supporting him. I thought he would be at least half the man that Ron Paul is. Instead, he is a plastic man whose mold is that of the establishment - or at least the last person to have had an impression on him. I am nauseated that he has audacity to mourn for the dead children in Syria as a justification for the attack on Syria with 59 tomahawk missiles. This is a move that she-devil Hillary Clinton would have attempted. Now we know that President Trump too can join that historic club of so called legitimate presidents by murdering and destroying the lives of innocents under the guise of State. Where is his so called mourning for the innocent children in Iraq or Yemen who are directly punished by American weaponry?

I despise the site of him, like I do his daughter Princess Ivanka. I call her princess since she too is now part of the American Imperial Family and the Imperial Presidency. The Imperial President Trump bombs and kills people in other nations because his social justice warrior daughter Princess Ivanka was crying as a result of her safe space being violated by images on TV. “Oh Daddy! Please spend millions of taxpayers dollars to make evil men go away. Please Daddy, I can’t stand it anymore. Drop the bombs now!”

Does President Trump even have a clue that the American Empire has been running on fumes since Nixon unconstitutionally de-linked gold from the US dollar back in 1971? Has it ever occurred to him that the War on Drugs is a horrific failure? Will Princess Ivanka cry to daddy again when she sees television images of dead drug addicts ?

As I write this, President Trump has dispatched a naval “armada” (his words not mine) to North Korea. He has also declared that NATO is no longer obsolete — an Imperial Presidency indeed. And now he is considering re-nominating Imperial Finance Minister Janet Yellen!

Donald J Trump's feigned moral outrage is abhorrent. He is a disgusting globalist hypocrite.

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[ajax]

US Conducts Successful Field Test Of New Nuclear Bomb

With the world still abuzz over the first ever deployment of the GBU-43/B "Mother Of All Bombs" in Afghanistan, where it reportedly killed some 36 ISIS fighters, in a less noticed statement the US National Nuclear Security Administration quietly announced overnight the first successful field test of the modernized, "steerable" B61-12 gravity thermonuclear bomb in Nevada.

[ajax]

Blessed Are the Peacemakers
https://www.lewrockwell.com/2017/04/yvo ... emakers-4/

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Matthew 5:9

I am writing these words before Good Friday (including Orthodox Christian) 2017. Tensions between nations have never been greater. Although there are tens of millions of people in America who profess the Christian faith, there appears to be very little in the way of public protests against military actions and incipient war.

Recently, conservative talk show host Michael Savage publicly criticized President Trump’s decision to attack Syria. His conversation with author and columnist Pat Buchannan is on this YouTube of his broadcast on April 11th. In his book, Trump’s War, Mr. Savage wrote in the chapter “Trump’s War against the War Machine” these wise observations:

Just after the election, I saw Mel Gibson’s movie Hacksaw Ridge. It’s about the U.S. Army medic Desmond T. Doss, who served at the vicious Battle of Okinawa in World War II but refused to kill anyone. He became the first man in American history to win the Medal of Honor without firing a single shot.

This was the perfect movie to see in the context of Donald Trump as an anti-war President. While I was watching this moving film, Trump was speaking to Russian president Vladimir Putin, even though Trump hadn’t been sworn in yet. The two men vowed to work together…

One of the reasons I worked so hard to get Trump elected is I believe he will be a man of peace. Put everything else aside. The most important thing in this world is not the economy. It’s peace.

I’ve written about Desmond T. Doss and there are several excellent articles on Lew Rockwell’s site; I’ve also written about the work and writing of Professor Stephen Cohen. In his appearance on Tucker Carlson’s show on April 12th, 2017, he discussed the bombing of Syria:

[Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev] said American-Russian relations are absolutely ruined—ruined. He’s considered the most pro-Western member of the Russian leadership…and the politics in Russia today as we talk is if not the conviction the concern that America is preparing for war against Russia…my concern is that Russia will overreact…

(In forty years as a Russia expert) I’ve never been as worried as I am today about war with Russia.”

Yet far from most of the political leadership agreeing with Professor Cohen, they react with outrage against those who challenge their agenda; witness the attacks against Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard:

Sporting a sweet new “Resist” picture on Twitter, Neera Tanden, President of the Center for American Progress and author of numerous embarrassing email exchanges with John Podesta, called on Hawaiians to oust their Representative, Tulsi Gabbard, for having the audacity to question whether Assad was responsible for the recent chemical weapons attacks in Syria…

Gabbard told CNN on Friday that she wants to achieve peace in Syria, “Why should we just blindly follow this escalation of a counterproductive regime-change war?”

“There’s responsibility that goes around,” Gabbard said. “Standing here pointing fingers does not accomplish peace for the Syrian people. It will not bring about an end to this war.”

Meanwhile, former DNC chair Howard Dean also decided to join in on ganging up on Gabbard, but he immediately got shut down by a follower who asked the obvious question of why engaging in dialogue was disqualifying for Gabbard but violating federal record retention laws and a Congressional subpoena was perfectly fine for Hillary.

Here is Gabbard’s official statement that enraged so many of our elected representatives:

It angers and saddens me that President Trump has taken the advice of war hawks and escalated our illegal regime change war to overthrow the Syrian government. This escalation is short-sighted and will lead to more dead civilians, more refugees, the strengthening of al-Qaeda and other terrorists, and a direct confrontation between the United States and Russia—which could lead to nuclear war.

This Administration has acted recklessly without care or consideration of the dire consequences of the United States attack on Syria without waiting for the collection of evidence from the scene of the chemical poisoning. If President Assad is indeed guilty of this horrible chemical attack on innocent civilians, I will be the first to call for his prosecution and execution by the International Criminal Court. However, because of our attack on Syria, this investigation may now not even be possible. And without such evidence, a successful prosecution will be much harder.

I am not a Russia expert like Professor Cohen yet I believe we ignore his warning at our peril. Right now, there is the potential for military conflict with North Korea, Syria, Russia and Iran. Yet for a few righteous voices crying out and being either scorned or ignored, there are sadly too few Americans who value the teachings of Christ on the primacy of peace—or at least value them enough to fight for them. How will God judge us for not taking a stand when now more than ever it matters so much and literally the world is at stake?

[lundbaek]

I wholeheartedly agree with Ezra that Ron Paul, Darrell Castle and Chuck Baldwin would have been the best choices of POTUS. And I'd like to add Michael Peroutka to that list, OK ? So why was not one of them elected POTUS ? Each of these one-time candidates for POTUS understands the principles of the original U.S. Constitution and was prepared to uphold and abide by it. These are the sort of men that latter-day prophets and apostles urged us to support and vote for, only to have their admonitions ignored by most of the people who were under a divine mandate to uphold the Constitution and abide by it. I guess if American Latter-day Saints cannot uphold and abide by the Constitution, even after a living Prophet tells us that "We must learn the principles of the Constitution in the tradition of the Founding Fathers", and then that "We must become involved in civic affairs to see that we are properly represented", and that "We must make our influence felt by our vote, our letters, our teaching, and our advice", and that "We must become accurately informed and then let others know how we feel.", then how can we expect non-LDS voters to do the same ?

[lundbaek]

Here I go on a tangent. Last evening I again read those verses in the Doctrine and Covenants that address the U.S. Constitution, specifically D&C 98:4-7, 101:77&80, and 109:54. These statements from the Lord thru the Prophet Joseph Smith to us in our day tell me the following: 1.) The Lord Himself established the Constitution of the United States of America. 2.) The Constitution's principles were intended to reverberate to people in all nations. 3.) The principles of the Constitution were intended to endure forever. Do you see those messages in these verses, or is it just me ?

.

[Silver]

Here I go on a tangent. Last evening I again read those verses in the Doctrine and Covenants that address the U.S. Constitution, specifically D&C 98:4-7, 101:77&80, and 109:54. These statements from the Lord thru the Prophet Joseph Smith to us in our day tell me the following: 1.) The Lord Himself established the Constitution of the United States of America. 2.) The Constitution's principles were intended to reverberate to people in all nations. 3.) The principles of the Constitution were intended to endure forever. Do you see those messages in these verses, or is it just me ?

The message is there, and, yes, we blew it.

[ajax]

The Crazy Trump Policy Flip Flop Explained and How the Petrodollar Fits in the Puzzle
http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/20 ... -flop.html

This is an excellent summary report by Luke Rudkowski.

Here's the Wesley Clark confrontation video mentioned in the clip above:

[freedomforall]

If God wanted good men in office, then why has so many socialists been elected? Why did God allow these men to destroy our supposed Christian, Constitutional Republic? In scripture we read that God will fight our battles, yet He has allowed evil people take office, morality to decay and freedom to slowly become nil. The righteous, the few that are concerned and do all in their power to do right are as dirt under a carpet where they are not seen or heard. Evil reigns and it is the righteous that end up suffering. Yet it is the Saints that are to blame for all the evil. If God were to fight our battles, why doesn't He show it?
I didn't vote for or write-in either Ron Paul, Darrel castle, Chuck Baldwin or Michael Peroutka. And my statement was...name one person that could do a better job in the White House given as to whom actually runs this country and has done for decades.
Neither of these men could do a better job...because socialism has too big a hold on our country. Neither of these men could have enough strength, power or prowess to fight those holding all the strings. The puppeteers began their reign as far back as FDR, and everyone becoming POTUS has been their puppets. Where was God during all this time? I'm certain that at least a few Saints voted according to scripture, but what good does it do in reality. Crap has hit the fan and continues to do so no matter how we vote or what we feel.
Who allowed prayer to be removed from schools? Did God put a stop to it? Who has stomped on the Ten Commandments? Has God intervened? Who has kicked God out of our society? And a handful of Christians are supposed to fix everything? Right!
Most of us weren't born back far enough to have been able to make a difference when it truly counted, but we sure as hell are supposed to repair all the damages by voting for people that have a snowball chance in hell of getting into the POTUS chair. And even if they did the puppeteers would control them anyway. People thinking that any one of these other men could do a better job could be merely day dreaming, or filled with wishing, neither, of which, can fix a darn thing.

Now I have to stand up to the criticism of others because I didn't vote for their fantasy man. I read the memo that came down from the First Presidency, pondered it and prayed and felt somewhat good about voting for Trump. Now I have to kick myself in the rump because now I feel I wasn't getting the right vibes.

I voted for Trump because I listened to his speeches all throughout his campaign and because he mentioned upholding the Constitution and making America great again, I took him at his word, enough so to give him the benefit of doubt. And I knew I didn't want crooked Hillary in there. Her bad track record was already out in the open on display.

So now I have to eat my own disappoint and shame and consider myself as an animal with a nose-ring to be led around and prodded. As usual, my good, heartfelt intents turned into feces.

So all you Trump haters eat this up while you can.

Doctrine and Covenants 105:14
14 For behold, I do not require at their hands to fight the battles of Zion; for, as I said in a former commandment, even so will I fulfil—I will fight your battles.

Rev 13:7
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

Do you people understand the implications here? So I guess we Christians are on our own and have been for a long time.

[Ezra]

If God wanted good men in office, then why has so many socialists been elected? Why did God allow these men to destroy our supposed Christian, Constitutional Republic? In scripture we read that God will fight our battles, yet He has allowed evil people take office, morality to decay and freedom to slowly become nil. The righteous, the few that are concerned and do all in their power to do right are as dirt under a carpet where they are not seen or heard. Evil reigns and it is the righteous that end up suffering. Yet it is the Saints that are to blame for all the evil. If God were to fight our battles, why doesn't He show it?
I didn't vote for or write-in either Ron Paul, Darrel castle, Chuck Baldwin or Michael Peroutka. And my statement was...name one person that could do a better job in the White House given as to whom actually runs this country and has done for decades.
Neither of these men could do a better job...because socialism has too big a hold on our country. Neither of these men could have enough strength, power or prowess to fight those holding all the strings. The puppeteers began their reign as far back as FDR, and everyone becoming POTUS has been their puppets. Where was God during all this time? I'm certain that at least a few Saints voted according to scripture, but what good does it do in reality. Crap has hit the fan and continues to do so no matter how we vote or what we feel.
Who allowed prayer to be removed from schools? Did God put a stop to it? Who has stomped on the Ten Commandments? Has God intervened? Who has kicked God out of our society? And a handful of Christians are supposed to fix everything? Right!
Most of us weren't born back far enough to have been able to make a difference when it truly counted, but we sure as hell are supposed to repair all the damages by voting for people that have a snowball chance in hell of getting into the POTUS chair. And even if they did the puppeteers would control them anyway. People thinking that any one of these other men could do a better job could be merely day dreaming, or filled with wishing, neither, of which, can fix a darn thing.

Now I have to stand up to the criticism of others because I didn't vote for their fantasy man. I read the memo that came down from the First Presidency, pondered it and prayed and felt somewhat good about voting for Trump. Now I have to kick myself in the rump because now I feel I wasn't getting the right vibes.

I voted for Trump because I listened to his speeches all throughout his campaign and because he mentioned upholding the Constitution and making America great again, I took him at his word, enough so to give him the benefit of doubt. And I knew I didn't want crooked Hillary in there. Her bad track record was already out in the open on display.

So now I have to eat my own disappoint and shame and consider myself as an animal with a nose-ring to be led around and prodded. As usual, my good, heartfelt intents turned into feces.

So all you Trump haters eat this up while you can.

Doctrine and Covenants 105:14
14 For behold, I do not require at their hands to fight the battles of Zion; for, as I said in a former commandment, even so will I fulfil—I will fight your battles.

Rev 13:7
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

Do you people understand the implications here? So I guess we Christians are on our own and have been for a long time.

People know who the elite are. There names addresses.

If we elected the right person their first act could be to put a warrant to arrest all of them.

They have control only because of ignorance. And with the right president that could be solved almost instantly.

[freedomforall]

People know who the elite are. There names addresses.

If we elected the right person their first act could be to put a warrant to arrest all of them.

They have control only because of ignorance. And with the right president that could be solved almost instantly.

IF, if, if....if. Pure wishful thinking. The Gads have control. A good POTUS wouldn't be able to function for fear of everyone around him wanting to crush him.

We should have had good people in office decades ago.

No one can make a barrel of foul, rotten, disgusting appearing apples fresh, tasty and sweet again with only one new, fresh apple thrown in on top...unless it is God, himself.

Even if Trump meant every word he said about making America great again, etc. the proof is in the pudding that he ain't running the show. Americans have lost freedom because Americans caused it. Read what President Benson said about this very issue.

From: Americans Are Destroying America
Elder Ezra Taft Benson

Greatest threat
I do not believe the greatest threat to our future is from bombs or guided missiles. I do not think our civilization will die that way. I think it will die when we no longer care, when the spiritual forces that make us wish to be right and noble die in the hearts of men, when we disregard the importance of law and order.
If American freedom is lost, if America is destroyed, if our blood-bought freedom is surrendered, it will be because of Americans. What's more, it will probably not be only the work of subversive and criminal Americans. The Benedict Arnolds will not be the only ones to forfeit our freedom.
"At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected?" asked Abraham Lincoln, and he answered, "If it ever reaches us, it must spring up among us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher; as a nation of freemen, we must live through all time or die by suicide." (Springfield, Illinois, January 27, 1837.)
If America is destroyed, it may be by Americans who salute the flag, sing the national anthem, march in patriotic parades, cheer Fourth of July speakers—normally good Americans, but Americans who fail to comprehend what is required to keep our country strong and free—Americans who have been lulled away into a false security.

Want an example of a man in a high place but has no power because of wicked people around him?

Read Alma chaps 60-62

We are very near this type of government.

[freedomforall]

For all those bent on running down Trump, here is the remedy....a remedy that goes unnoticed, unconcerned about and just plain ignored. The government could have been fixed many, many years ago had "we the people" taken this serious enough to act on it.

Declaration of Independence

That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States.

Now who is it that shunned their duty and failed to uphold the Constitution? Who is it that didn't nip the bud before the virus spread to an uncontrollable level?

[lundbaek]

Mormons are the only people on the planet who have been told by the Lord that He established the Constitution of this land, the blueprint for our government. Mormons are the only people who have been told by a living Prophet of God that they must learn the principles of the US Constitution in the tradition of the Founding Fathers. And Mormons are the only people who have been warned by the Lord thru both ancient and latter-day prophets of a secret combination intent on destroying our nations and our freedoms. Mormons had a tremendous responsibility to strive to rally the American nation to save its Constitution and freedoms. Mormons have failed America by not recognizing and acting on that responsibility.

It may be that the Lord wants us to let it go for now while the Church focuses on missionary and rescue work. But I do think I perceive the creation of a remnant that will re-establish the Constitution and our freedoms after the "cleansing".

[freedomforall]

Mormons are the only people on the planet who have been told by the Lord that He established the Constitution of this land, the blueprint for our government. Mormons are the only people who have been told by a living Prophet of God that they must learn the principles of the US Constitution in the tradition of the Founding Fathers. And Mormons are the only people who have been warned by the Lord thru both ancient and latter-day prophets of a secret combination intent on destroying our nations and our freedoms. Mormons had a tremendous responsibility to strive to rally the American nation to save its Constitution and freedoms. Mormons have failed America by not recognizing and acting on that responsibility.

It may be that the Lord wants us to let it go for now while the Church focuses on missionary and rescue work. But I do think I perceive the creation of a remnant that will re-establish the Constitution and our freedoms after the "cleansing".

You're absolutely right, Lundbaek.

My above comment sounded cold, calloused and judgemental. But truth be known, as a whole, Americans broke their covenant with God many years ago. The covenant? Yes, the covenant that if we would keep his commandments, worship Him and live right, He would be our God and protector. This is why we're pretty much on our own. This is why God is slow to respond. America is in a gigantic pool of quicksand, steadily going under until we are nearly extinct.
Timothy Ballard explains this in his book The American Covenant.
And I think that not only will there be a cleansing, but also a huge chastening. The people lucky enough to pass through all the destruction will have to come to realize that they are and were the "more righteous" among the rest. Similar to:

3 Nephi 9:13
13 O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?

3 Nephi 10:12
12 And it was the more righteous part of the people who were saved, and it was they who received the prophets and stoned them not; and it was they who had not shed the blood of the saints, who were spared—

[lundbaek]

I sometimes feel cold, calloused and judgmental toward those LDS Church members who, having heard and/or read what the Lord and prophets said about our responsibilities Re. the US Constitution, freedom, and secret combinations, have declined to do anything about them. And I am especially hard on those LDS Church members who, having attained prominence in the political arena, continue to propose and support government actions that are egregious violations of the US Constitution and/or which support government actions which weaken the Constitution and our freedoms.

[Sunain]

I sometimes feel cold, calloused and judgmental toward those LDS Church members who, having heard and/or read what the Lord and prophets said about our responsibilities Re. the US Constitution, freedom, and secret combinations, have declined to do anything about them. And I am especially hard on those LDS Church members who, having attained prominence in the political arena, continue to propose and support government actions that are egregious violations of the US Constitution and/or which support government actions which weaken the Constitution and our freedoms.

I personally believe those that had positions of power and authority in this life will be judged by God a lot harder at final judgement than those of us that didn't because they can directly affect the lives of so many people.

[Silver]

Mormons are the only people on the planet who have been told by the Lord that He established the Constitution of this land, the blueprint for our government. Mormons are the only people who have been told by a living Prophet of God that they must learn the principles of the US Constitution in the tradition of the Founding Fathers. And Mormons are the only people who have been warned by the Lord thru both ancient and latter-day prophets of a secret combination intent on destroying our nations and our freedoms. Mormons had a tremendous responsibility to strive to rally the American nation to save its Constitution and freedoms. Mormons have failed America by not recognizing and acting on that responsibility.

It may be that the Lord wants us to let it go for now while the Church focuses on missionary and rescue work. But I do think I perceive the creation of a remnant that will re-establish the Constitution and our freedoms after the "cleansing".

Hello, sir. Guess what. Today I was called to be our ward's Gospel Doctrine instructor. We're studying the Doctrine and Covenants as you know. I will give those sections dealing with the Constitution a lot of importance and class time...in your honor.

[lundbaek]

SS Lesson #44 I think gives some good opportunity to address the US Constitution.

[freedomforall]

Mormons are the only people on the planet who have been told by the Lord that He established the Constitution of this land, the blueprint for our government. Mormons are the only people who have been told by a living Prophet of God that they must learn the principles of the US Constitution in the tradition of the Founding Fathers. And Mormons are the only people who have been warned by the Lord thru both ancient and latter-day prophets of a secret combination intent on destroying our nations and our freedoms. Mormons had a tremendous responsibility to strive to rally the American nation to save its Constitution and freedoms. Mormons have failed America by not recognizing and acting on that responsibility.

It may be that the Lord wants us to let it go for now while the Church focuses on missionary and rescue work. But I do think I perceive the creation of a remnant that will re-establish the Constitution and our freedoms after the "cleansing".

Hello, sir. Guess what. Today I was called to be our ward's Gospel Doctrine instructor. We're studying the Doctrine and Covenants as you know. I will give those sections dealing with the Constitution a lot of importance and class time...in your honor.

Silver, I wish you well!

[freedomforall]

Liberal or conservative?

Joseph Smith's 1844 presidential platform

Background
Most Latter-day Saints are aware of the fact that the Prophet Joseph Smith declared his candidacy for the presidency in the election of 1844. To an outside observer, one unfamiliar with our history, Joseph's candidacy would not be considered a serious attempt or perhaps was just a self-indulgence ego trip to elevate him to national prominence.
Following the Missouri period, during which Joseph was falsely imprisoned for several months without trial and the saints were driven from the state by mob violence, the enemies of the Church constantly harassed the Prophet by legal writ and threats of kidnapping. After several years in Nauvoo, those same enemies found likeminded souls in Illinois, bringing persecution and calumny upon the Prophet and the Church.
As he campaigned as General Joseph Smith (he was a Lieutenant General of the Nauvoo Legion by state and federal appointment), Joseph's main plank was the power of the executive to quell violence and preserve civil order in the states when the states failed to do so. This arose from his experience with President Martin Van Buren, to whom he pleaded for redress on behalf of the Saints. Van Buren's callous response was, "Your cause is just, but I can do nothing for you" for fear of losing the vote of the state of Missouri.
I regarded this issue as being unique in the context of his experience and surroundings. Nothing quite similar exists today. However, my curiosity was to see where the Prophet would stand on issues of a contemporary nature. Digging deeper into his views, I wondered, "Would Joseph be a Democrat, a Republican, or a Libertarian if he lived today?" Does any party today resemble his views?
A generation ago, more Latter-day Saints in the United States considered themselves Democrats than Republicans. Today, the reverse is probably true because of the perception that Republican positions on the Constitution, law and order, gun control, labor unions, abortion, education, and moral issues are considered more true to the original intent of the founders..
Many Saints regard the Democrat party with disdain for its liberal social policies, blaming them for social decay, expansion of the welfare dole, and support of gay rights, feminism, and radical environmentalism that has locked up millions of acres in the West. Would Joseph be a Republican if he lived today? A study of his views offers a surprising view.

Law and Order
Joseph, as the mayor of Nauvoo and author of the city's charter revealed an instinctive knowledge of justice and civil responsibility. Joseph was a firm believer in the Constitution and in particular the Bill of Rights. He had been told by God that the document was created by men who were raised up for that very purpose.
Joseph nevertheless believed that a strong central government was critical to the future of the United States. That position would have more closely aligned him with Federalists of his day, but is probably more representative of the actions of Democratic President Lyndon Johnson in our time, who called out the National Guard to enforce racial desegregation in the South.
Joseph felt that the Congress should amend the Constitution to give the President authority to send and army if necessary to quell violence or repel invasion of a state. Article IV of the Constitution states that the federal government shall protect the states against "domestic violence" only on application of the state legislature of governor. Joseph's position originated with the experience in Missouri where the governor, Lilburn L. Boggs, who was an anti-Mormon sympathizer and used his authority to issue an extermination order against the Mormons in 1838.
Joseph felt so strongly about the duty of the government to protect citizens' rights, that he even advocated capital punishment for those officials who neglected to do so. He said, "The Constitution should contain a provision that every officer of the government who should neglect or refuse to extend the protection guaranteed in the Constitution should be subject to capital punishment; and then the president of the United States would not say, “Your cause is just, but I can do nothing for you' [or] a governor issue exterminating orders."

Race Issues/Slavery
Joseph opposed slavery, but his approach to its abolition was unique. His plan to free the slaves involved giving Congress a pay cut, reducing the number of member in the state delegations in the House, and opening the sale of public lands in the West. The revenues gained from these actions were to be used to purchase the slaves' freedom in a phased process through 1850. 
In remarks outside his prepared campaign views, Joseph made it known that he advocated educating slaves and fostering literacy, which was illegal in many states. Having taught that "the glory of God is intelligence" and that a man is saved "no faster than he gains intelligence," Joseph's broad views were a result of his understanding of the universality of God's love and the infinite nature of the Atonement. Joseph's solution to the slavery issue would have spared the United States the costly bloodshed of the Civil War and spared the country the debate over "reparations" which has recently come to the forefront again. His compassionate, reasonable plan might have gone a long way towards healing the wounds of racism that still fester today.

Congressional Reform
Joseph Smith proposed, as previously mentioned, reducing the number of state representatives in the House significantly. In 1844, the Union consisted of 26 states, with 52 senators and 223 representatives for a population of about 20 million. Joseph's proposal of having two representatives for every one million people would have reduced the number of representatives in the House to 40. 
In the 1990s, Al Gore's programs to reinvent government did little to reduce the tax burden it places on Americans. Republicans advocate less government, but when they were given a majority in Congress, they failed to reduce the bloating bureaucracy. The years of George W. Bush's administration did little to curb government growth or limit its power. Former presidential candidate Ross Perot proposed getting the lobbyists out of Washington. What more effective way to limit government than to reduce the number of legislators? Fewer of them would force greater efficiency, limit the amount of pork they could stuff in the budget, and reduce the drag of government regulation on the private sector. Lawmakers are there to make laws. If you want to reduce the amount of intrusive government regulation, reduce the number of lawmakers.
Joseph also proposed a pay cut for legislators, from $8 to $2 a day. He said, "That is more than a farmer gets, and he lives honestly." I believe the framers of the Constitution had in mind that citizens would serve in government as a civic duty, similar to the obligation of military service. Joseph's view on public service was that it was an extension of King Benjamin's teachings in the Book of Mormon, that when we serve our fellow man, we serve God. At other times, Joseph expressed the sentiment that lawyers should be sent out to preach the Gospel and serve the poor and downtrodden before practicing their craft so they might be instilled with a spirit of compassion.

Prison Reform
Joseph's views regarding crime and punishment were liberal, even for our day. Joseph had a clear understanding of the principles of justice and mercy. Today, modern conservatives have taken a "get tough" attitude on crime. Mandatory sentencing, "three strikes" laws, and juveniles being prosecuted as adults have been some of the responses to criminality. He proposed, "Let penitentiaries be turned into seminaries of learning.” His statement, "Rigor and seclusion never do as much to reform the propensities of men as [would] reason and friendship" demonstrate that he had a firm belief in the ability of the sinner to repent and mend his ways.” 
He did not advocate leniency. Criminals were to be put to work on public works where they could learn useful trades and receive education. Nevertheless, Joseph believed that the death penalty was a legitimate deterrent to heinous crimes, including the punishment of government officials who failed to justly exercise their authority to protect citizens from violence. (Imagine applying that leverage to judges today who sentence violent child molesters to three months probation!) Joseph also sought to end the practice of imprisoning a person for indebtedness, a practice that was still common in many states.

Military Reform
Joseph Smith proposed the abolition of court-martial for those who deserted the military. He sought to elevate the principle of honor and to render good for evil. His own faith and experience taught him that people respond more willingly when high expectations are ennobled and that force and compulsion served only the Adversary's purposes. Joseph wrote, "Be sure that good is rendered for evil in all cases: and the whole nation…will rise up with righteousness: and be respected as wise and worthy on earth." 
In modern terms, the pardons issued by President Carter to Vietnam-era draft dodgers are reflective of this spirit. Although many expected it to undermine "good order and discipline" in the ranks, our all-volunteer military has proven to be the most highly skilled and motivated in the world. Again, Joseph Smith's views lean more towards modern liberalism.

Economy/National Bank
Today's conservatives, particularly those who are critical of the Federal Reserve System, find themselves at odds with Joseph Smith's stand on the value of a national bank. Prior to the civil war, many felt that a central bank would lead to the loss of state sovereignty. The Prophet's views were more in tune with the Federalists of his day. 
Although critics point out that we don't have a national bank, the truth is that we have outsourced that function to the Fed. Obviously, the wisdom of that policy is certainly debatable, but the principle that won out in its selection was the establishment of a national bank.  The challenge before us now is to make the Federal Reserve accountable to the people and their representatives.
Banking in the US during the early to mid-1800s was barely regulated. Private banks were common and required only a charter from the state in which it resided. Depositors had essentially no security or guarantees on their money. In Kirtland, Ohio, Joseph and a number of prominent men founded the Kirtland Safety Society, a private bank that they hoped would provide stability during a growth boom in the city.
The arrival of thousands of new Saints had caused the demand and price of property to skyrocket. Inflation and speculation were a problem throughout the country, but the conditions in Kirtland became critical when the state, under pressure from anti-Mormon community members (primarily pastors of Methodist and Campbellite churches) exercised their influence.
Although it was legal for the Kirtland Safety Society to operate without a charter, the lack thereof was a detriment to its long-term success. Nationwide, bank failures hurt many communities and Kirtland was a victim of the Safety Society's failure. Of this experience, Joseph Smith's views on the stability of a strong central bank were strongly founded. He proposed the founding of a central bank with branches in the states and territories and listed details about the election of officers, limitations on floating currency, and disposition of profits as national revenue.

Pork and Public Works
Current criticism of public works projects most often comes from conservative politicians who feel that the private sector should bear the burden of most services. While Joseph believed firmly in limited government, he was an advocate of using the powers of office to facilitate community growth and advancement.
When the Saints first arrived in Nauvoo, they were forced to make-do for a time without the Prophet, who was being held without charges in a Missouri jail. During the Prophet's forced absence, the community suffered terrible trials of poverty, sickness, and disease. Many of them had been forced to leave Missouri with no more than the clothing on their backs.
When Joseph arrived several months later, he wept at the sight of them, and even fell ill himself. After a miraculous recovery, he healed hundreds in the name of Jesus, and then set forth to turn the place into a healthy home. Armed with his vision of Nauvoo the Beautiful, one of his first projects was the temple.
The temple seems like an odd thing to start, when so many other needs pressed for the Saint's attention. Joseph's personal power was his ability to elevate the community's concerns from survival to godly sacrifice. The temple became a public works project on a huge scale. Stone quarries were opened, craftsmen came forward, shops and businesses arose to take care of the needs of the workers.
Joseph wrote the city's charter and became its first mayor. He felt no conflict between church and state, yet he respected the rights of all to believe or not. The city prospered and flourished in the space of it's few years before the saints were forced to abandon it. Joseph knew, perhaps in the same way John F. Kennedy knew, that if you give citizens a clear vision of where you want to go and let the government facilitate the process, remarkable things can happen.

Foreign Affairs/Immigration
The Wentworth Letter of 1843, from which the Articles of Faith were derived, demonstrates that his views on citizenship were broad. Knowing that the Church he founded would go to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, he was careful to recognize the validity of various forms of government. As a result, Mormonism has been able to thrive in democracies, monarchies, and even in socialist countries.  He nevertheless was an advocate of the superiority of the Constitution, a champion of God-given rights, and a voice against oppression. 
Although he did not travel widely, Joseph was well read and had a grasp of many international issues. Relating to the election of 1844, he proposed the immediate annexation of the Oregon Territory and hoped to expand the union in consultation with Native Americans, being conscious of their rights and claims. However, these sentiments changed when it came to Texas, feeling that Texas should be admitted to the union only if it petitioned to do so. 
He extended invitation to Mexico and Canada to join the Union as well, feeling that any people who wished to come under the protection of the U.S. Constitution should be encouraged to do so. He did not advocate the taking of territory by force or conflict. Had his policies been implemented, the history of the west, our relations with aboriginal peoples, and the current problems of illegal immigration might be significantly improved.

Assessment
The Prophet Joseph Smith's views were a unique combination of liberalism and conservatism. There is no political party today that completely embodies this unique mixture. Many of his critics have derided his candidacy of being merely the egotistical ambitions of a man who sought to impose his religion on other by virtue of the state’s power. We must realize that Joseph had foreknowledge of his impending assassination and that the political parties of his day were trying to divide the body of the Church. With that in mind, it becomes clear then that Joseph sought to simply take the votes of the saints “off the table” by submitting his name as a candidate for the presidency. He knew beforehand that he would have to leave them behind and that wolves would circle the flock. If they were not one in spirit an purpose, the Church might not survive.  
Thus Joseph’s candidacy was, as historian B.H. Roberts speculated, an attempt to take the weapon of disunity out of the Adversary’s hand, so the Church could withstand his loss and the transition to the Quorum of the Twelve’s governance. As in our day, the politicos of his time sought to divide, marginalize, and to weaken the loyalties of the saints to one another, all the while posing an inherent threat to their peace and safety. When you consider the parties contending for secular power in our world today, it would be well if we would consider Joseph’s counsel on the matter whenever we go to the polls. Let me conclude with his own words on the subject.
“And if we have to throw away our votes, we had better do so upon a worthy rather than upon an unworthy individual, who might make use of the weapon we put in his hand to destroy us with."
Where can one find a party today of social conservatives who are economically liberal?  Where do we find those who envision the federal role in guaranteeing civil rights, yet respect the Constitution's separation of powers and limitations on federal power?  Which party offers a proper balance between enlightened tolerance and moral license?  As members of the Church, the choice is often this: Do we vote with a sectarian Christian "Taliban" that regards us as non-Christian cultists, who would (were it not for the influence of liberalism in our society) gladly burn our homes and our churches?  Or do we side with tolerant liberals who support policies that undermine the sanctity of the family, seek to rewrite the definition of marriage, and seek to perpetuate Margaret Sanger's horrid views of using abortion to limit the populations of undesirables?  Since the passing of Proposition 8 last September, even the Left has it in for us now.  
In future political contests, let us choose worthy individuals instead of voting for the lesser evils placed before us. If we feel as though we are throwing our votes away, then know that a prophet of God has told us that it is the more noble course of action.

[BeNotDeceived]

I'm a slightly separated cousin of Toby Keith's. I wonder if he approved of the use of his song for that segment. Don't know him well enough to call him up and ask.

YouTube was such a stickler about copyright, no one could show even short segments, without them being deleted.

[BeNotDeceived]

Mormons are the only people on the planet who have been told by the Lord that He established the Constitution of this land, the blueprint for our government. Mormons are the only people who have been told by a living Prophet of God that they must learn the principles of the US Constitution in the tradition of the Founding Fathers. And Mormons are the only people who have been warned by the Lord thru both ancient and latter-day prophets of a secret combination intent on destroying our nations and our freedoms. Mormons had a tremendous responsibility to strive to rally the American nation to save its Constitution and freedoms. Mormons have failed America by not recognizing and acting on that responsibility.

It may be that the Lord wants us to let it go for now while the Church focuses on missionary and rescue work. But I do think I perceive the creation of a remnant that will re-establish the Constitution and our freedoms after the "cleansing".

Hello, sir. Guess what. Today I was called to be our ward's Gospel Doctrine instructor. We're studying the Doctrine and Covenants as you know. I will give those sections dealing with the Constitution a lot of importance and class time...in your honor.

Silver, I wish you well!

Via his contest he provided his return address, and without giving too much away, I'd visited his ward house and sat through a Testimony Meeting in Spanish. All because the unique name of his stake, and I had a free weekend in the same city, which remains one of my favorites.

[tdj]

Whether he wanted one or not, this has been building and festering for quite awhile. Long before Trump those of us who paid attention have been noticing for years our freedoms and privacy slowly but surely get chipped away. Slowly but surely we watched as regulation upon regulation and tax upon tax get heaped on our heads. It all added up until 4 yrs ago, along came a brash, rather obnoxious man who was none too skilled in oratory, give many the first real glimmer of hope and permission to be proud of America for the first time in decades. We saw RINO after RINO come along and take away parts of Americs over time. Bush was the absolute worst with the signing of that cursed patriot act.
For the next four years it was nothing but a ruthless onslaught of physical attacks and verbal insults against trumps cabinet, and his supporters. The hatred for Trump has been bizarre because of its demonic level. It is WAY above and beyond any reason and rationalization. Much of the left doesnt even bother to pretend to have any respect anymore for the average citizen that supports Trump. It has finally come to a head. You can't treat people like that and not expect them to blow up.