We Are In A Culture War: How Do We Fight?

[Fiannan]

You don't fight. Jesus Christ did not fight.

D&c 121 43

43 Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;

Well, Jesus did confront evil and wasn't always nice about it.

[Ezra]

You don't fight. Jesus Christ did not fight.

D&c 121 43

43 Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;

Well, Jesus did confront evil and wasn't always nice about it.

That would be within the rules.

[skmo]

D&c 121 43

43 Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;

Well, Jesus did confront evil and wasn't always nice about it.

That would be within the rules.

Would it be within the rules if I carved a really nice, heavy walking stick made out of hickory, and then named it "Sharpness" and used it? I could think of some rebuking I could do with that kind of sharpness. ;-D

[skmo]

It not only continues, it grows.

Google Home Mini Records 24/7

Google's new smart "Home Mini" was discovered to be recording audio right in someone's home, but they say it was an accident. The first time I heard about "Smart TVs" my mind went to "Never in my home."

[Ezra]

D&c 121 43

43 Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;

Well, Jesus did confront evil and wasn't always nice about it.

That would be within the rules.

Would it be within the rules if I carved a really nice, heavy walking stick made out of hickory, and then named it "Sharpness" and used it? I could think of some rebuking I could do with that kind of sharpness. ;-D

As long as you showed a increase in love afterwards.

[Seek the Truth]

You don't fight. Jesus Christ did not fight. He loved. How do we love? We do precisely what He taught us to do and not to do what He taught us not to do. He spelled it out plainly in His sermon on the mount on the shore of Galilee and then again at Bountiful. Those who do as He did, though they die, witness to heaven the kind of association they wish to have and are thus welcomed into that association. The rest just argue, fight, kill, die and go anywhere else.

He confronted and condemned those that deserved it, and at the end time will destroy the wicked himself.

[Thinker]

You don't fight. Jesus Christ did not fight. He loved. How do we love? We do precisely what He taught us to do and not to do what He taught us not to do. He spelled it out plainly in His sermon on the mount on the shore of Galilee and then again at Bountiful. Those who do as He did, though they die, witness to heaven the kind of association they wish to have and are thus welcomed into that association. The rest just argue, fight, kill, die and go anywhere else.

Jesus also whipped people out of the temple for using it to make money.
Jesus called religious leaders hypocrites & other blunt put-downs that many today would consider “hate speech.”

Peterson suggested as far as archetypes, Jesus represented free speech.
He said a lot that upset people but love based on truth was more important to him than platitudes based on lies.

I agreee that ideally, we live as Jesus did.
If enough of us stand up for what’s right, maybe we won’t have to die as he did.

[marc]

Personally speaking, I am more concerned about doing what Jesus said to do. "Turn the other cheek." "Resist not evil." "Love your enemies." "Bless them that persecute you." "Pray for them who despitefully use you." "Renounce war and proclaim peace." "If you do not abide in my covenant, you are not worthy of me." etc.

When I stand before Him at the last day, I'm not going to say, "But Lord, you whipped people, so I did, too."

So let the fighters fight. As for me, I will do what Jesus said to do. If I die doing what He said to do, I'm ok with it.

[EmmaLee]

Here's what Jesus said to do -

Proverbs 28:13
Isaiah 1:16–18
Luke 15:7
3 Nephi 9:13–14
Alma 34:17
Mosiah 4:1–3, 10–13
D&C 58:42–43

[skmo]

Personally speaking, I am more concerned about doing what Jesus said to do... "Love your enemies." "Bless them that persecute you."

If there's one thing my dating experience taught me (in retrospect, I mean) it's that sometimes you show love by slapping a hand rather than holding it.

[gardener4life]

Well, Jesus did confront evil and wasn't always nice about it.

That would be within the rules.

Would it be within the rules if I carved a really nice, heavy walking stick made out of hickory, and then named it "Sharpness" and used it? I could think of some rebuking I could do with that kind of sharpness. ;-D

As long as you showed a increase in love afterwards.

I thought about this for awhile actually; the part of Jesus confronting evil and not always being nice about it. I didn't always understand this growing up and it wasn't until later that I received an answer about this. (I wasn't hung up on it really. But It's an example that things we don't know will get answered in a way we understand if we stick it through.)

There are several reasons for Jesus confronting evil and not always being nice. Evil has victims. The victims are usually the righteous and good, and children too. That's heartbreaking when it's like that. The victims should not be the innocent or just. In Ether we read if the people ripen for destruction then the Lord will lead out the righteous from among them...and let them be destroyed. The money changers incident where Jesus went heroic is an example of him protecting the minds of the innocent and the just. (...shedding of innocent blood mentioned in Alma 39...and Jacob 2:6-7). There's also a parable in the Book of Mormon of the Nephite armies guarding the land and people of Jershon, who were pure and righteous to the point of willing to give up their lives to follow through with their testimonies of Jesus.

Another reason is simply that we can qualify for the Lord to protect us. This is also in Ether. The brother of Jared and the faithful while in the barges crossing the ocean were terrified because of the monstrously stormy seas and sea monsters. (It was more dangerous on the sea for them in the olden days for many reasons.) They prayed until the Lord for protection. It says they loved God and poured out thankfulness, gratitude, and prayer with love and loyalty unto him and received his protection.