Hatch to Retire - Possible Senator Romney?

[lundbaek]

I am very disappointed, frankly, at how shallow and naive LDS members can be in their political views.


By David M. Bresnahan, an award-winning investigative journalist and author who in 2002 lived in Utah, and is LDS.
June 18, 2002

"Romney is a master politician and public relations expert. He was asked to speak to a luncheon gathering of LDS public relations people who were preparing more than a year in advance of the Olympic Games for handling the anticipated requests for information they expected would come from the media of the world. Romney spoke about his public relations manipulations during his 1994 U.S. Senate campaign against Sen. Ted Kennedy.
Romney was candid about the methods he and his staff used to shape the views and thinking of the people, but he was defeated by his own faux pas and by the master manipulator, Kennedy. When he finished his presentation he excused himself from lunch and departed. The next speaker was Elder Henry B. Eyring of the LDS Church Twelve Apostles.
"Eyring made it clear, in a very nice way, that the methods described by Romney were not the methods to be used by the LDS Church Olympic volunteers gathered in the room. He wanted to be sure those present were not thinking that Romney was delivering a message on how the Church should manipulate the media of the world. Indeed, those volunteers, and many hundreds more, ultimately served the needs of 1,333 members of the world media who came to the News Resource Center of the Church during the 2002 Winter Olympics. That was done without using the tricks described by Romney to manipulate the press and the public.
"Members of the media were simply given the information and materials they asked for so they could file their stories. There was no effort to manipulate those stories by the public affairs volunteers.

[Arenera]

Source

(2012) Speaking at a campaign event on Monday, February 13 in Mesa, Arizona, Mitt Romney made a bold suggestion about the Constitution and Declaration of Independence: “They’re either inspired by God or written by brilliant people or perhaps a combination of both.”

Inspired by God? It sounds like just another sop tossed to Tea-Party constitutionalism, but Romney was in fact invoking a longstanding Mormon doctrine which views the U.S. Constitution as not only great, but literally divine.

A few years back, at the behest of a couple of fresh-faced missionaries, I read through the Book of Mormon. Its focus on politics surprised me. Of course, the Old Testament is a hugely political set of books, setting down God-given laws for Israel and directing her relationship with other nations, but Latter Day Saint scriptures carry accents quite distinct from the Bible.

A repeated theme is that this new “chosen land” of America is to be “the land of liberty” (Alma 46:17). Referring to America in 2 Nephi 10:11, for example, the text states that “this land shall be a land of liberty unto the Gentiles, and there shall be no kings upon the land.”

So, too, the identification of national “liberty” with republicanism in the book (or at least with anti-monarchicalism) explains what otherwise would be a striking oxymoron. In Alma 46:35, the LDS prophet Moroni puts to death those Amalickiahites “who would not enter into a covenant to support the cause of freedom.” The otherwise Pythonesque threat to kill someone unless he agrees to be free disappears if we understand the action is addressed to royalist rebels in a civil war. (Think of the loyalty oaths offered to defeated Confederates during and after the Civil War.) The “covenant to support the cause of freedom” is the repudiation of royalism for the nation.

A substantive commitment to republicanism is not controversial in the U.S. today. But our Constitution provides for republicanism not because it’s divine revelation, but because it’s consistent “with the genius of the American people” ( Federalist No. 39 ) and with the American experience. LDS political thought, then, stands in a very different relationship to the American experiment than does, say, orthodox Roman Catholic, Lutheran, or Methodist thought.

The divinization of the Constitution is explicit in LDS scriptures . The Doctrine & Covenants, which form part of LDS scripture, states as divine revelation that the U.S. Constitution was established by God by men whom God raised for that purpose.

And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood (D&C 101:80).
During the Revolutionary War, Whig pastors preached the need for and legitimacy of the conflict. These pastors often too easily conflated spiritual freedom in Christ with political freedom from Britain. But even by these standards, LDS scriptures ratchet up the degree of identification between God’s aspirations and the political aspirations of the American project. Given its teaching that the U.S. Constitution is a divine establishment, any “law of man” that is “more or less than” constitutional “cometh of evil” (D&C 98:7).

I am second to few people in my admiration for the U.S. Constitution. But the Electoral College? Six-year terms for Senators? The three-fifths clause? These are divine establishments it would be “evil” to violate?

In a 1987 article in The Ensign , then-LDS President Ezra Taft Benson discussed and celebrated an event recorded in LDS history”the deceased founding fathers of the United States ostensibly visiting then future-LDS President Wilford Woodruff, asking to be baptized by proxy through Woodruff. Benson relates:

President Wilford Woodruff spoke of it in these words: “Before I left St. George, the spirits of the dead gathered around me, wanting to know why we did not redeem them. Said they, ‘You have had the use of the Endowment House for a number of years, and yet nothing has ever been done for us. We laid the foundation of the government you now enjoy, and we never apostatized from it, but we remained true to it and were faithful to God.’”
Aside from the surreal picture of the spirits of deceased framers gathering in an LDS temple to plead for baptism by proxy, is it really true that adherence to the form of government of the United States is something that someone not metaphorically, but literally, apostatizes from?

The upshot to this credo is that LDS politicians serious about their beliefs have a significantly different understanding of the relationship of their religion to the U.S. government than almost any other religious politician in the U.S. I do not at all suggest that this disqualifies LDS members from holding political office. But it does raise honest and legitimate questions about unique implications of LDS scriptures for the U.S. Constitution, the American project, and the vocations of LDS politicians. What’s more, because of the highly political nature of these beliefs, these questions cannot be waved aside as unrelated to public life. Campaign reporters need to ask Romney to expand on LDS political theory and its implications when he suggests his belief in the LDS doctrine that the Constitution is divinely inspired.

Abraham Lincoln once called the United States an “almost chosen” nation. The adjective matters. There is a great difference between America being an “almost chosen” nation and its being a “chosen” nation, as LDS scriptures would seem to have it. In a wry turn of the phrase that he nonetheless meant seriously, Richard John Neuhaus would articulate his assessment that, “On balance, and considering the alternatives, the United States has been a force for good in the world.” It is difficult to see room in LDS revelation for a similarly nuanced understanding.

James R. Rogers is associate professor and department head in the Department of Political Science at Texas A&M University.

[Silver]

I am very disappointed, frankly, at how shallow and naive LDS members can be in their political views.


By David M. Bresnahan, an award-winning investigative journalist and author who in 2002 lived in Utah, and is LDS.
June 18, 2002

"Romney is a master politician and public relations expert. He was asked to speak to a luncheon gathering of LDS public relations people who were preparing more than a year in advance of the Olympic Games for handling the anticipated requests for information they expected would come from the media of the world. Romney spoke about his public relations manipulations during his 1994 U.S. Senate campaign against Sen. Ted Kennedy.
Romney was candid about the methods he and his staff used to shape the views and thinking of the people, but he was defeated by his own faux pas and by the master manipulator, Kennedy. When he finished his presentation he excused himself from lunch and departed. The next speaker was Elder Henry B. Eyring of the LDS Church Twelve Apostles.
"Eyring made it clear, in a very nice way, that the methods described by Romney were not the methods to be used by the LDS Church Olympic volunteers gathered in the room. He wanted to be sure those present were not thinking that Romney was delivering a message on how the Church should manipulate the media of the world. Indeed, those volunteers, and many hundreds more, ultimately served the needs of 1,333 members of the world media who came to the News Resource Center of the Church during the 2002 Winter Olympics. That was done without using the tricks described by Romney to manipulate the press and the public.
"Members of the media were simply given the information and materials they asked for so they could file their stories. There was no effort to manipulate those stories by the public affairs volunteers.

This is an awesome post. Thank you, Lundbaek! I hope those comments are engraved on Mitt's tombstone, if he doesn't repent. I further hope that Mitt's gushing admirers will never unsee what you've posted.

[lundbaek]

"Romney is a master politician and public relations expert."

"(2012) Speaking at a campaign event on Monday, February 13 in Mesa, Arizona, Mitt Romney made a bold suggestion about the Constitution and Declaration of Independence: “They’re either inspired by God or written by brilliant people or perhaps a combination of both.”" That right there shows ignorance of D&C 101:80 on the part of Mitt Romney. "Perhaps"? Give me a break!

[Arenera]

"Romney is a master politician and public relations expert."

"(2012) Speaking at a campaign event on Monday, February 13 in Mesa, Arizona, Mitt Romney made a bold suggestion about the Constitution and Declaration of Independence: “They’re either inspired by God or written by brilliant people or perhaps a combination of both.”" That right there shows ignorance of D&C 101:80 on the part of Mitt Romney. "Perhaps"? Give me a break!

64%+.

[lundbaek]

I'll say one good thing for Arenera's posts on this forum: They are enabling the exposure of serious weaknesses of a prospective candidate for federal office who could have encouraged people, especially LDS people, to learn the principles of the Constitution in the tradition of the Founding Fathers, but instead has likely misled/misguided many of them with his promotion of some egregious violations of the US Constitution. He had the chance to promote the special importance of the Constitution of the United States to Latter-day Saints, and instead, let it go for what looks to me like self-promotion among latter-day gadiantons.

Lots more than 64% of Lehi's progeny certainly goton the wrong train, eh what ?

[Arenera]

I'll say one good thing for Arenera's posts on this forum: They are enabling the exposure of serious weaknesses of a prospective candidate for federal office who could have encouraged people, especially LDS people, to learn the principles of the Constitution in the tradition of the Founding Fathers, but instead has likely misled/misguided many of them with his promotion of some egregious violations of the US Constitution. He had the chance to promote the special importance of the Constitution of the United States to Latter-day Saints, and instead, let it go for what looks to me like self-promotion among latter-day gadiantons.

Lots more than 64% of Lehi's progeny certainly goton the wrong train, eh what ?

Yes, it is like 10 to 1 against Romney on this forum. As such, you are getting plenty of time to promote your reasoning.

The mocking, name calling, D&C 112 in my opinion doesn’t help your side. Of course, Trump has shown that he can.

If Romney does run, it will be interesting to see how opponents and those at this forum try to dissuade the 64%+.

[lundbaek]

If you read the LDS Freedom Forum Purpose and Mission Statement you will note that the forum is designed to attract primarily LDS members who are concerned about maintaining our liberty and opposing those forces that are destroying it. Many forum members, past and present, have made the effort to learn the principles of the US Constitution in the tradition of the Founding Fathers, or as those who established it meant for it to be understood. Many are awake to the reality of our "awful situation" and are searching for ways to reverse the trend toward a socialist dictatorship and a global government. Speaking (or writing) for myself, when I see or hear any Latter-day Saint doing or saying anything that evidences support of actions that betray the principles of the Constitution I respond just as I have on this forum, sometimes fact to face as I have 3 times with Senator Flake, a number of times with other LDS members including local authorities, but more often I use email or this and other forums to just call 'em as I sees 'em with no apology.

[Ezra]

Mitt Romney's success as "Mission, Bishop, Stake President, Govenor, 2002 Winter Olympics, GOP Candidate for President" does not compensate for his failure to learn, uphold, and abide by the principles of the U.S. Constitution.

As for success in the political arena, just being elected to the U.S. Congress (both "House" and Senate) for as many years as AZ Senators McCain and Flake have been in Washington, D.C. (30 and 17 respectively) does not impress those of us Arizonans who watched them betray the U.S. Constitution year after year.

I realize that trying to help a person who does not understand the principles of the Constitution "in the tradition of the Founding Fathers", (as a Prophet told us we MUST do), to understand the failures of these and other legislators is like trying to teach calculus to someone who never learned algebra.

I have lived the principles of the constitution all my life. So does Mitt Romney.

You don’t like the federal reserve. Why can’t you get it changed? You don’t like income tax, why can’t you get it changed?

Why were we commanded to awaken to are awful situation?

If you can answer my question you have your answer to yours.

[Arenera]

Mitt Romney's success as "Mission, Bishop, Stake President, Govenor, 2002 Winter Olympics, GOP Candidate for President" does not compensate for his failure to learn, uphold, and abide by the principles of the U.S. Constitution.

As for success in the political arena, just being elected to the U.S. Congress (both "House" and Senate) for as many years as AZ Senators McCain and Flake have been in Washington, D.C. (30 and 17 respectively) does not impress those of us Arizonans who watched them betray the U.S. Constitution year after year.

I realize that trying to help a person who does not understand the principles of the Constitution "in the tradition of the Founding Fathers", (as a Prophet told us we MUST do), to understand the failures of these and other legislators is like trying to teach calculus to someone who never learned algebra.

I have lived the principles of the constitution all my life. So does Mitt Romney.

You don’t like the federal reserve. Why can’t you get it changed? You don’t like income tax, why can’t you get it changed?

Why were we commanded to awaken to are awful situation?

If you can answer my question you have your answer to yours.

Here is some context:

20 And now I, Moroni, do not write the manner of their oaths and combinations, for it hath been made known unto me that they are had among all people, and they are had among the Lamanites.

21 And they have caused the destruction of this people of whom I am now speaking, and also the destruction of the people of Nephi.

22 And whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed; for the Lord will not suffer that the blood of his saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto him from the ground for vengeance upon them and yet he avenge them not.

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; even that same liar who beguiled our first parents, yea, even that same liar who hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning; who hath hardened the hearts of men that they have murdered the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning.

26 Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved.

Gentiles is not just the United States. People are slain by these combinations. Did Hitler represent such???

[Fiannan]

[Ezra]

Mitt Romney's success as "Mission, Bishop, Stake President, Govenor, 2002 Winter Olympics, GOP Candidate for President" does not compensate for his failure to learn, uphold, and abide by the principles of the U.S. Constitution.

As for success in the political arena, just being elected to the U.S. Congress (both "House" and Senate) for as many years as AZ Senators McCain and Flake have been in Washington, D.C. (30 and 17 respectively) does not impress those of us Arizonans who watched them betray the U.S. Constitution year after year.

I realize that trying to help a person who does not understand the principles of the Constitution "in the tradition of the Founding Fathers", (as a Prophet told us we MUST do), to understand the failures of these and other legislators is like trying to teach calculus to someone who never learned algebra.

I have lived the principles of the constitution all my life. So does Mitt Romney.

You don’t like the federal reserve. Why can’t you get it changed? You don’t like income tax, why can’t you get it changed?

Why were we commanded to awaken to are awful situation?

If you can answer my question you have your answer to yours.

Here is some context:

20 And now I, Moroni, do not write the manner of their oaths and combinations, for it hath been made known unto me that they are had among all people, and they are had among the Lamanites.

21 And they have caused the destruction of this people of whom I am now speaking, and also the destruction of the people of Nephi.

22 And whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed; for the Lord will not suffer that the blood of his saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto him from the ground for vengeance upon them and yet he avenge them not.

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; even that same liar who beguiled our first parents, yea, even that same liar who hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning; who hath hardened the hearts of men that they have murdered the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning.

26 Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved.

Gentiles is not just the United States. People are slain by these combinations. Did Hitler represent such???

All is well in Zion right. Those warnings are for the Jews. Not us all is well. The Jews are the gentiles Who will never read the Book of Mormon. That is unless they are converted to the gospel. And as which point they would no longer be a gentile.Hitler was a Jew. So it was a warning to him about him. No wait that’s not right.

That is dead wrong. Who taught you that we are not the gentiles?? Do some study we have been called it by our own modem prophets. We have been taught that we are the gentiles unless we repent and become gods people.

[Arenera]

Who taught you that we are not the gentiles?? Do some study we have been called it by our own modem prophets. We have been taught that we are the gentiles unless we repent and become gods people.

I have and continue to repent, and am part of the Covenant People. See:

2 Nephi 30
2 For behold, I say unto you that as many of the Gentiles as will repent are the covenant people of the Lord; and as many of the Jews as will not repent shall be cast off; for the Lord covenanteth with none save it be with them that repent and believe in his Son, who is the Holy One of Israel.

[Ezra]

Who taught you that we are not the gentiles?? Do some study we have been called it by our own modem prophets. We have been taught that we are the gentiles unless we repent and become gods people.

I have and continue to repent, and am part of the Covenant People. See:

2 Nephi 30
2 For behold, I say unto you that as many of the Gentiles as will repent are the covenant people of the Lord; and as many of the Jews as will not repent shall be cast off; for the Lord covenanteth with none save it be with them that repent and believe in his Son, who is the Holy One of Israel.

Correct. But what about the rest of the people of this nation? Does your repentance wash over them and make them not the gentiles? And what about the people who are called and not chosen? Are they still the covenant people when god specifically says they fight against him in vs 38 of D&c 121?

We are the gentiles tell we become gods people. The warning still apply to us even when we are gods people. Because if we are not awake to our awful situation of secret combinations most likely we are being deceived by them and lending our support to them. Which takes us from being in service of god then being in service to them. And he said that we cannot serve two masters.

[Arenera]

Mitt Romney's success as "Mission, Bishop, Stake President, Govenor, 2002 Winter Olympics, GOP Candidate for President" does not compensate for his failure to learn, uphold, and abide by the principles of the U.S. Constitution.

As for success in the political arena, just being elected to the U.S. Congress (both "House" and Senate) for as many years as AZ Senators McCain and Flake have been in Washington, D.C. (30 and 17 respectively) does not impress those of us Arizonans who watched them betray the U.S. Constitution year after year.

I realize that trying to help a person who does not understand the principles of the Constitution "in the tradition of the Founding Fathers", (as a Prophet told us we MUST do), to understand the failures of these and other legislators is like trying to teach calculus to someone who never learned algebra.

I have lived the principles of the constitution all my life. So does Mitt Romney.

You don’t like the federal reserve. Why can’t you get it changed? You don’t like income tax, why can’t you get it changed?

Why were we commanded to awaken to are awful situation?

If you can answer my question you have your answer to yours.

Here is some context:

20 And now I, Moroni, do not write the manner of their oaths and combinations, for it hath been made known unto me that they are had among all people, and they are had among the Lamanites.

21 And they have caused the destruction of this people of whom I am now speaking, and also the destruction of the people of Nephi.

22 And whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed; for the Lord will not suffer that the blood of his saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto him from the ground for vengeance upon them and yet he avenge them not.

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; even that same liar who beguiled our first parents, yea, even that same liar who hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning; who hath hardened the hearts of men that they have murdered the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning.

26 Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved.

Gentiles is not just the United States. People are slain by these combinations. Did Hitler represent such???

Coming back to "awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you" (v 24).

Secret combinations in respect to the Jaredites caused bondage and murder. v21: they caused the destruction of the Jaredites and the Nephites.

v22: nations should not uphold secret combinations, because the saints are killed. Have we seen that? Certainly, World Wars 1 and 2 might fall into this. In the US, the Civil War certainly caused a lot of bloodshed.

v23: Repent, don't suffer murderous combinations to get above us, control us. I don't see where this has happened in the US. Romney warned about Russia. Trump has some kind of relationship with Russia. Is this a warning to us? China also has the power to cause a lot of bloodshed.

v24: "when ye shall see these things come among you". Are we seeing them? Where is the blood of those that have been slain? I'm thinking this hasn't happened yet.

v25: 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. Russia and China, North Korea, Iran???

While the Federal Reserve, Income Tax, and others are inconveniences, Saints are not being killed. Romney warned about Russia.

Interesting that Trump seems like buddies with Russia.

Don't let it come among us...

[Fiannan]

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.

¨

Prophets have said that all governments are controlled by Satan.

Interesting that Trump seems like buddies with Russia.

You hate Russia? Wish Hilary had been elected so we could have had a nuclear war? Liked that scene in "Beneath to the Planet of the Apes" where the mutant humans worshiped a doomsday nuclear weapon and sang hymns to it?

[Fiannan]

Hey wait a minute!

[Arenera]

Let's review D&C 121

34 Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?

35 Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—

36 That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.

37 That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.

38 Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God.

39 We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.

40 Hence many are called, but few are chosen.

41 No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;

42 By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—

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;

44 That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death.

45 Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.

Many are called, i.e. the whole world. Only a few are chosen. This is where 2 Nephi 30 comes in:

2 For behold, I say unto you that as many of the Gentiles as will repent are the covenant people of the Lord; and as many of the Jews as will not repent shall be cast off; for the Lord covenanteth with none save it be with them that repent and believe in his Son, who is the Holy One of Israel.

Most of the world won't make the covenant, and become the Covenant People of the Lord, hence "few are chosen".

If you have the priesthood, you still have to exercise it in righteousness.

[lundbaek]

The Federal Reserve and the Income Tax are not just inconveniences. They are both violations of the of the original intent of the US Constitution which infringe on the right of control of one's property.

[Arenera]

The Federal Reserve and the Income Tax are not just inconveniences. They are both violations of the of the original intent of the US Constitution which infringe on the right of control of one's property.

That happened over 100 years ago. Why didn't you stop it!?!

[lundbaek]

I was minus 25 years old when the Federal Reserve was founded in 1913. Since then the Fed has resisted/fought off numerous attempts to conduct an audit of its affairs.

Re. the income tax: "No Capitation, or other direct Tax shall be laid, unless in proportion to the Census or enumerated herein before directed to be taken." (From Article I, Sect. 9). The 16th Amendment, ratified 3 February 1913, modified that section 9 - "The Congress shall have the power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several states, and without regard to any census or enumeration." I believe this to be a legal change to the Constitution, but one that clearly violates original intent.

[larsenb]

. . . . Re. the income tax: "No Capitation, or other direct Tax shall be laid, unless in proportion to the Census or enumerated herein before directed to be taken." (From Article I, Sect. 9). The 16th Amendment, ratified 3 February 1913, modified that section 9 - "The Congress shall have the power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several states, and without regard to any census or enumeration." I believe this to be a legal change to the Constitution, but one that clearly violates original intent.

Except people have marshaled evidence and written books about it that the 16th Amendment was never properly ratified.

[Arenera]

"But the change in automobiles from gasoline to electric will be coming in about a decade, he said. "You’re going to see healthcare change, automobiles change — in my view, in about 10 years, I’ll bet 90 percent of the cars we buy are electric.”

Source

Also:

Source

Health care stocks came down with a bad case of competition-itis.
Shares of leading insurers and drug stores tanked after Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, and Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway announced they would enter the insurance business.

They didn't offer many details, but investors swiftly punished traditional health care companies anyway because of fears that the new venture could disrupt the industry.

Top insurer UnitedHealth (UNH) fell 3%, helping drive a more than 300-point drop in the Dow. Two other big insurers, Cigna (CI) and Anthem (ANTM), dropped more than 5%. Aetna (AET) and Humana (HUM) were each down about 3%.

Drug store giants CVS (CVS) and Walgreens (WBA) both declined more than 4%. Pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts (ESRX) plummeted nearly 7%.

The clear worry: The alliance of Buffett, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and JPMorgan Chase's Jamie Dimon is only the beginning of big changes for the insurance business.

"This is the start of a restructuring of the health care industry. This could be the catalyst for something bigger," said Chuck Self, chief investment officer with iSectors. "It's part of the Amazon-ization of the nation, but it's now clearly more than just Amazon."

[Ezra]

I have lived the principles of the constitution all my life. So does Mitt Romney.

You don’t like the federal reserve. Why can’t you get it changed? You don’t like income tax, why can’t you get it changed?

Why were we commanded to awaken to are awful situation?

If you can answer my question you have your answer to yours.

Here is some context:

20 And now I, Moroni, do not write the manner of their oaths and combinations, for it hath been made known unto me that they are had among all people, and they are had among the Lamanites.

21 And they have caused the destruction of this people of whom I am now speaking, and also the destruction of the people of Nephi.

22 And whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed; for the Lord will not suffer that the blood of his saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto him from the ground for vengeance upon them and yet he avenge them not.

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; even that same liar who beguiled our first parents, yea, even that same liar who hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning; who hath hardened the hearts of men that they have murdered the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning.

26 Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved.

Gentiles is not just the United States. People are slain by these combinations. Did Hitler represent such???

Coming back to "awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you" (v 24).

Secret combinations in respect to the Jaredites caused bondage and murder. v21: they caused the destruction of the Jaredites and the Nephites.

v22: nations should not uphold secret combinations, because the saints are killed. Have we seen that? Certainly, World Wars 1 and 2 might fall into this. In the US, the Civil War certainly caused a lot of bloodshed.

v23: Repent, don't suffer murderous combinations to get above us, control us. I don't see where this has happened in the US. Romney warned about Russia. Trump has some kind of relationship with Russia. Is this a warning to us? China also has the power to cause a lot of bloodshed.

v24: "when ye shall see these things come among you". Are we seeing them? Where is the blood of those that have been slain? I'm thinking this hasn't happened yet.

v25: 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. Russia and China, North Korea, Iran???

While the Federal Reserve, Income Tax, and others are inconveniences, Saints are not being killed. Romney warned about Russia.

Interesting that Trump seems like buddies with Russia.

Don't let it come among us...

You really want to wear blinders don’t you. Everybody’s else’s poop stinks but in the USA it’s just roses.


But our prophets disagree with you once again.


Satan has control now. No matter where you look, he is in control, even in our own land. He is guiding the governments as far as the Lord will permit him. That is why there is so much strife, turmoil, and confusion all
over the earth. One master mind is governing the nations. It is not the president of the United States; it is
not Hitler; it is not Mussolini; it is not the king or government of England or any other land; it is Satan
himself.
Joseph Fielding Smith, Prophet of the lds church in 1970-1972. He said that then. It’s only gotten worse as the years have gone by.

The fact that you and so many others are unable to see how this has happened in the USA is why it continues to happen.

Awake.

[Ezra]

Arenera you have stated.

If you don’t like what happened why don’t you change it. Federal reserve taxes and so on.

The reason is the majority of lds support those corruptions. We can’t even get a majority of saints to band together for a worthy cause. Our prophets can’t get a majority of lds to band together for a worthy cause. Hence many are called few chosen.