2010 Elections

Discuss principles, issues, news and candidates related to upcoming elections and voting.
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lundbaek
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Location: Mesa, Arizona

2010 Elections

Post by lundbaek »

I think there a few members and readers here who I’d like to see run for elected office in 2010, and who may be in position to do so. My own 2008 campaign for Congress (AZ 5. Congressional District) enabled me to bring to the attention of a lot of people the "awful situation" we are in, and in the case of LDSs, I had great opportunities to awaken many to 3 important facts:

I started with D&C 134:1, which tells us that God holds men accountable for their acts in relation to government, both in making laws and administering them. That verse alone should advise us that God definitely has an interest in our shaping of and administration of government. And therefore it would be wise for Latter-day Saints to determine, as best we can, just how the Lord would have us shape and administer government, and ultimately how we should decide whom to vote for.

Then I brought up D&C 101: 77-80, which informs us that the Lord established the Constitution of the United States by the hands of wise men whom He raised up for that very purpose. And I tell them that almost all of the latter-day prophets, as well as many latter-day apostles, have declared that the Constitution was created thru the inspiration of the Lord, and they have stressed the vital importance of defending, upholding and adhering to the Constitution. I let them know there exist recordings of many prophetic testimonies bearing solemn witness of this truth, and testify that there is no way around this responsibility if Latter-day Saints wish to remain a free people.

Then I socked 'em with D&C 98: 4-10, with special emphasis on Verse 6, which informs us that Latter-day Saints are to befriend the constitutional law of the United States.

I told them that in trying to come up with a good explanation of what the Lord meant by befriending the Constitution, I found a statement by President Ezra Taft Benson, spoken in the October 1987 General Conference. I cannot quote it all in conversation, but this is it: "How then can we best befriend the Constitution in this critical hour and secure the blessings of liberty and ensure the protection and guidance of our Father in Heaven?

"First and foremost, we must be righteous... Two great American Christian civilizations - the Jaredites and the Nephites - were swept off this land because they did not "serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ. (Ether 2: 12) What will become of our civilization?

"Second, we must learn the principles of the Constitution in the tradition of the Founding Fathers. Have we read the Federalist Papers? Are we reading the Constitution and pondering it? Are we aware of its principles? Are we abiding by these principles and teaching them to others? Could we defend the Constitution? Can we recognize when a law is constitutionally unsound? Do we know what the prophets have said about the Constitution and the threats to it?

"Third, we must become involved in civic affairs to see that we are properly represented....

"Fourth, we must make our influence felt by our vote, our letters, our teaching, and our advice. We must become accurately informed and then let others know how we feel....
If the person was still with me, (If you've read this far you'll know what I mean.) I’d tell them about D&C 109: 54, spoken in prayer by the Prophet Joseph Smith at the dedication of the temple at Kirtland, Ohio in 1836, which states that "the Constitution of our land be established forever." There are many Americans, and too many in the Church, who consider the Constitution out of date, meant for an earlier time when things were different, etc. They ignore the evidence that the Constitution’s role goes beyond providing a free nation in which the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His Church could be restored, and that it will become the governing system for the entire world during the Millennium. That evidence includes the statement by Melvin J. Ballard in the October 1918 General Conference that "...God’s word shall not fail when He predicted that the instrument known as the Constitution of the United States, the Spirit of Liberty established here by a few weak colonists, was His order of things for the government of men, and it should roll forth to fill the whole earth."

During the last month of our recent mission at the FHL the question came up what would I like to do as a 3rd mission. I said I would like to participate in a Church program to teach LDSs the importance of befriending the Constitution as we are commanded in D&C 98:6. Naturally, doing that as a Church mission was out of the question. But in having at it myself in my own way, at least I got a lot of LDSs thinking.. I think tihs may be one of the best ways LDSs can be awakened to thier responsibility to the Constitution.

lundbaek
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Location: Mesa, Arizona

Re: 2010 Elections

Post by lundbaek »

I think the Democrats must realize that a lot of Americans are angry about the current state of the economy and are blaming Obama & Co. and Democrats in Congress in general. I am aware of a lot of activity and action on the part of some citizens to support Republican candidates for Congress. In this here part of Arizona (Mesa, Gilbert, Tempe, Apache Junction) various individuals are fixing to run against Senator McCain, who is a RINO and evenn considered switching to the Democratic Party. I have listened to speeches by prospective candidates who plan and hope to unseat our Democrat Congressman Mitchell, and even Republican Congressman Jeff Flake. Granted, they talk of adherence to constitutional principles, while I don't recall ever hearing the Constitution mentioned by any of the incumbents.

I am not optimistic about any of these congrressional hopefuls getting elected. In the course of my own campaign for Congress in 2008 I was very unfavourably impressed with the majority of voters in these parts. Very, very few appreciate the US Constitution and its principles. Fact is, most would not want anything near a return to constitutional principles in government. Among LDS voters, with whom I naturally have more association, most by far will support Republican candidates simply because they think Republican candidates are "better", but cannot explain why they might be "better". Most do not see how Republicans in FedGov have betrayed our nation in various ways.

So I expect to see McCain re-elected and continue to talk like a Republican and perform like a Socialist when most people arn't looking, Jeff Flake re-elected and continue to support amnesty for illegals, and maybe a change or two elsewhere around Arizona.

But I will be watching with special interest the campaigns and election in Utah. We lived in SLC for a year and a half (2006-2008), and I was much impressed with the large number of candidates for office around the state who seemed to truly espoouse constitutional principles (and I will add "in the tradition fo the Founding Fathers.) Sadly, none that I know of were elected. And if a Constitution friendly candidate cannot get elected in Utah, where so many voters are under greater responsibility to "befriend" the Constitution, well, let's see how it goes this year. I hope to see a good line-up of Constitution friendly candidates.

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Original_Intent
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Re: 2010 Elections

Post by Original_Intent »

I hope we see an unprecedented cleaning house of both parties.
I hope we see principle matter more to people than party (for the first time in a long time)
I hope at the least that there is enough change to gridlock congress, and ideally have veto-proof majorities that can start undoing some of the damage of both the current as well as the last several administrations.

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SwissMrs&Pitchfire
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Re: 2010 Elections

Post by SwissMrs&Pitchfire »

We won't because nobody decent is running. That is the biggest problem we have.

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dougwalters
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Re: 2010 Elections

Post by dougwalters »

I may run for something local in 2010 as a test run for my bigger campaign in 2012, when I will be running for a seat in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. I'll keep all here apprised of how things are going. I attend all of my school board's meetings (partly because I provide technical support to them) and I will be teaching the Citizenship merit badge classes to local Boy Scouts...in addition I volunteer for two local organizations, so hopefully for the next few years I'll have plenty of opportunities to teach both LDS and non-LDS the message of freedom and get myself out amongst the public so they can know my name and I can earn their trust.

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SwissMrs&Pitchfire
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Re: 2010 Elections

Post by SwissMrs&Pitchfire »

Right on! And welcome!

lundbaek
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Location: Mesa, Arizona

Re: 2010 Elections

Post by lundbaek »

I know of some decent people who plan to run for elected offices, and also some decent members of the AZ and UT state legislatures, and a few congressmen in D.C. who have supported good constitutional and moral principles. They just happen to be outnumbered. That we don't have more decent elected legislators at the various levels of government is a sad reflection on the voting public. Even the supposedly most decent (by their own thinking, at least) blocks of voters cannot get more decent people into their state legislatures and into Congress. I've been asked a few times if I plan to run for Congress again this year. My reply is that the resources I would put into running again we are putting into preparedness. I believe it is too late to stop the train on Track One and in additon to preparedness I'm putting what I can into Track Two. New folks here might not understand the Track One - Track Two parable, but I'll let others explain.

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BlueSky
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Re: 2010 Elections

Post by BlueSky »

I'd like to hear the Track One - Track Two parable. :)

Some of the constitutional people I've met can be a little...well... nutty. That doesn't help the cause. People I want to see run are either on Track Two (if that's what I think it means) or just have zero interest in it.

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SwissMrs&Pitchfire
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Re: 2010 Elections

Post by SwissMrs&Pitchfire »

outnumbered is an understatement!

The track one, track two idea is extrapolated primarily from:
http://www.latterdayconservative.com/ar ... n-clark-jr
Track Two

But the Lord isn’t going to allow this government to be destroyed. Although administrations may destroy themselves, systems may destroy themselves, this country’s going to survive. J. Reuben Clark knew how it would survive: build track two. Don’t get in front of that train on track one, it will just run over you. You quietly build track two.

Sometimes people say, “Dr. Skousen, you spent your whole life studying these things that have gone wrong, with the attack on the Constitution and everything. Why are you so optimistic?”

I say to them, “I read the book, and in the end, we win.” Now, it’s on track two that we win. J. Reuben Clark never lost confidence in having a generation finally become alert, and finally doing its homework, and getting into a position where they would do what God and the Founding Fathers intended that we should have been doing all the time.
It is also an extrapolation from the many prophecies that say things like "When a curtain or gulf shall separate the church from babylon/the U.S." we, the elders "shall be found holding it up." Many prophecies show us "the book" that J. Reuben Clark had read in which we win. That is they speak of us saving it in an isolated condition or state to which (perhaps later) all nations should have to flow unto in order to escape anarchy and devastation to be found everywhere else (excepting Jerusalem perhaps).

lundbaek
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Location: Mesa, Arizona

Re: 2010 Elections

Post by lundbaek »

I think the building of Track 2 includes the educating and preparing the remnamt to create a government based on the principles of the US Constitution after the train on Track 1 wrecks itself. The "remnant" being mainly those who survive the "cleansing". That's the way I understand it.

I am starting to see more progress on Track Two being built. I just wish more of the local church leaders were involved and supporting this. But most seem to have neither time nor interest for it.

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Rose Garden
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Re: 2010 Elections

Post by Rose Garden »

BlueSky wrote:I'd like to hear the Track One - Track Two parable. :)

Some of the constitutional people I've met can be a little...well... nutty. That doesn't help the cause. People I want to see run are either on Track Two (if that's what I think it means) or just have zero interest in it.
I'll agree there are a few nuts out there, but there's also a great deal of totally sane people defending the Constitution who may come across as nuts because of their fervor. I've noticed the mainstream media make out virtuous people to be freaks and deviants. Those who embrace the law of chastity turn out to be crazed lunatics, those who practice their religion turn out to be overbearing tyrants in their homes, and those who defend the Constitution are the most extreme characters of all--outright terrorists usually. These stereotypes can't be farther from the truth.

In today's world, I think it's very difficult to defend solid principles and not come across as odd. Even in my own LDS family, I'm a little strange for not pirating software or putting schooling or moneymaking first before having kids, among other things. Sigh. This is the great difficulty of the last days--our modern world has made it easier than ever to believe a lie.

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