Iraq war not based on [proper] principle

[HeirofNumenor]

Didn't Joseph Smith once make a prophecy that if the American people didn't repent, one day they will find the "heathen Chinese" invading their west coast? Or something like that.

That is from the so-called "White Horse" prophecy which while parts of it seem to fit with either words of other apostles or with circumstances, it's validity has not been solidly confirmed.

You can find the full text and analysis in "Prophecy: Key to the Future" by Duane S. Crowther. (Appendix)

[sbenard]

I am told by a member of my Ward, who has a photographic memory, that this China prophecy is NOT from the white horse prophecy. He is quite certain of it.

I have never read the white horse prophecy myself, but I have read the China prophecy. It is my understanding that the white horse prophecy has been repudiated by the Church. It this correct?

[sbenard]

I thought it was interesting, in my scripture study today, I ran across these two verses:

25 And moreover they did say: Let us take up arms against them, that we destroy them and their iniquity out of the land, lest they overrun us and destroy us.
26 But behold, my beloved brethren, we came into the wilderness not with the intent to destroy our brethren, but with the intent that perhaps we might save some few of their souls.

(Alma 26:25-26)

This is taken from the story of the Sons of Mosiah. I was studying out of the Preach My Gospel manual, pg. 118, under the topic of charity. It referenced verse 30 of the same chapter, which says, "we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some."

I decided to study more of the character of these men, and what drove them to have this spirit of charity. I couldn't help but notice that the general population of the Nephites had the inclination toward the Lamanites to "take up arms against them, that we destroy them and their iniquity out of the land, lest they overrun us and destroy us."

But we are taught that the charity of Christ, as embodied in the lives of the Sons of Mosiah, was to instead reach out to the Lamanites in the spirit of love and service. Could (should) we learn something from their examples, as taught by ancient prophets reaching across time to speak to us in our day, about how to respond to our enemies who attack us?

Their fellow Nephites wanted to destroy the Lamanites, who were continually trying to destroy them as a people. The Nephites even justified their desires as a defensive measure, but the Sons of Mosiah instead had "the intent that perhaps we might save some few of /the Lamanites'/ souls." The contrast of a Christ-like character vs. the "natural man" character of their fellow Nephites is both telling and instructive.

Is it possible to have Christ-like charity in our hearts as we retaliate and pursue our attackers throughout the world? I think, in our hearts, we all know that the answer to that question is "no". Whose example are we following when we do such, either as individuals, or as a nation?

It is inconceivable that Christ would ever engage in such vengeful retaliation. Could we ever imagine Christ pursuing his enemies from house to house, or nation to nation, trying to destroy them?

Christ drove the moneychangers out of the Lord's house --- HIS house -- but He never pursued them beyond the walls of the temple. He simply drove them out. This, considering that the temple was His Father's house, was a purely defensive behavior. It was neither retaliatory nor vengeful in nature.

[HeirofNumenor]

It is in the White Horse Prophecy.

[AussieOi]

too many good posts in this thread to not revisit them