By Alan on May 05 in Blog tagged afraid, challenges, children, choices, courage, courageous, destructive behavior, discipline, Father, fear, Holy Ghost, Jesus Christ, liberty, listen, love, marriage, mother, motherhood, needs, Olive Osmond, parenting, peer pressure, permission, physically, pornography, protect, relationships, restraint, Satan, say no, speak up, spirit, spiritually, take a stand, temptations, time, warning | No Comments

What The World Really Needs . . .

What the world really needs is courageous parenting from mothers and fathers who are not afraid to speak up and take a stand.

 ”MOTHER”

A sacred title referring to a woman who bears or adopts children.

Mothers assist in God’s plan by providing mortal bodies for God’s spirit children.

“Mother” in Scriptures:

           Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living: Gen. 3:20; ( Moses 4:26; )

            Honor thy father and thy mother: Ex. 20:12; ( Eph. 6:1–3; Mosiah 13:20; )

            Forsake not the law of thy mother: Prov. 1:8;

            A foolish man despises his mother: Prov. 15:20; ( Prov. 10:1; )

            Do not despise your mother when she is old: Prov. 23:22;

            Her children and husband rise up and call her blessed and her husband praises her: Prov. 31:28;

            The mother of Jesus stood by the cross: John 19:25–27;

            Two thousand Lamanite warriors had been taught by their mothers: Alma 56:47; ( Alma 57:21; )

                        Our glorious Mother Eve was among the great and mighty whom the Lord instructed in the spirit world: D&C 138:38–39;

EVE – The First Mother:

Latter-day revelation makes clear that the Fall is a blessing and that Adam and Eve should be honored as the first parents of all mankind.

Courageous Parenting

LARRY R. LAWRENCE

I would like to speak today to the parents of teenagers. Your bright and energetic youth are the future, and for that reason they are a prime target of the adversary. Many of you faithful mothers and fathers are praying for answers to help you guide your children through these important years. There are no perfect parents and no easy answers, but there are principles of truth that we can rely on.

From the book of Joshua. It begins, “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid” (Joshua 1:9). This phrase from the scriptures would be a good theme for parents as well. In these last days, what the world really needs is courageous parenting from mothers and fathers who are not afraid to speak up and take a stand.

Imagine for a moment that your daughter was sitting on the railroad tracks and you heard the train whistle blowing. Would you warn her to get off the tracks? Or would you hesitate, worried that she might think you were being overprotective? If she ignored your warning, would you quickly move her to a safe place? Of course you would! Your love for your daughter would override all other considerations. You would value her life more than her temporary goodwill.

Challenges and temptations are coming at our teenagers with the speed and power of a freight train. As we are reminded in the family proclamation, parents are responsible for the protection of their children.  That means spiritually as well as physically.

There was a father named Alma who was counseling his wayward son Corianton. Alma loved him enough to speak very directly to the problem. He expressed his deep disappointment that his son had been immoral and explained to him the serious consequences of sin.  Alma said to his son,  “And now the Spirit of the Lord doth say unto me: Command thy children to do good … ; therefore I command you, my son, in the fear of God, that ye refrain from your iniquities” (Alma 39:12). This early intervention by his father became a turning point for Corianton. He repented and served faithfully thereafter (see Alma 42:31; 43:1–2).

Another father from the scriptures, Eli in the Old Testament. Eli served as the high priest in Israel during the childhood of Samuel the prophet. The scriptures explain that the Lord rebuked him severely “because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not” (1 Samuel 3:13). Eli’s sons never did repent, and all of Israel suffered because of their folly. The story of Eli teaches us that parents who love their children cannot afford to be intimidated by them.

Parenting is not a popularity contest. Sometimes we are afraid of our children—afraid to counsel with them for fear of offending them.

Years ago our 17-year-old son wanted to go on a weekend trip with his friends, who were all good boys. He asked for permission to go. I wanted to say yes, but for some reason I felt uncomfortable about the trip. I shared my feelings with my wife, who was very supportive. “We need to listen to that warning voice,” she said.

Of course, our son was disappointed and asked why we didn’t want him to go. I answered honestly that I didn’t know why. “I just don’t feel good about it,” I explained, “and I love you too much to ignore these feelings inside.” I was quite surprised when he said, “That’s OK, Dad. I understand.”

Young people understand more than we realize because they too have the gift of the Holy Ghost and can discern. They are trying to recognize the Spirit when He speaks, and they are watching our example. From us they learn to pay attention to their promptings—that if they “don’t feel good about something,” it’s best not to pursue it.

It’s so important for husbands and wives to be united when making parenting decisions. If either parent doesn’t feel good about something, then permission should not be granted. If either feels uncomfortable about a movie, a television show, a video game, a party, a dress, a swimsuit, or an Internet activity, have the courage to support each other and say no.

I would like to share with you a letter from a heartbroken mother about her teenage son. She explained: “All throughout my son’s teenage years, I worried and tried to stop him from playing violent video games. I talked to my husband and showed him articles in the newspaper that cautioned about these games. But my husband felt it was OK. He said that our son wasn’t out using drugs and that I should stop worrying. There were times that I would hide the controllers, and my husband would give them back. It began to be easier for me to give in … than to fight it. I really feel that gaming is just as addictive as drugs. I would do anything to prevent other parents from going through this experience.”

If your spouse doesn’t feel good about something, show respect for those feelings. When you take the easy way out by saying and doing nothing, you may be enabling destructive behavior.

Parents can prevent a lot of heartache by teaching their children to postpone romantic relationships until the time comes when they are ready for marriage. Prematurely pairing off with a boyfriend or girlfriend is dangerous. Becoming a “couple” creates emotional intimacy, which too often leads to physical intimacy. Satan knows this sequence and uses it to his advantage. He will do whatever he can to keep our youth from being worthy of having a pure and virtuous lives and worthy of sacred marriages.

It is vital that parents have the courage to speak up and intervene before Satan succeeds. President Boyd K. Packer has taught that “when morality is involved, we have both the right and the obligation to raise a warning voice.”

I have always believed that nothing really good happens late at night and that young people need to know what time they are expected to come home.

There is a great deal of wisdom displayed when parents stay up and wait for their children to return home. Young men and women make far better choices when they know their parents are waiting up to hear about their evening and to kiss them good night.

May I express my personal warning about a practice that is common in many cultures. I am referring to sleepovers, or spending the night at the home of a friend.  I discovered that too many youth violated the the law of chastity for the first time as part of a sleepover. Too often their first exposure to pornography and even their first encounter with the police occurred when they were spending the night away from home.

Peer pressure becomes more powerful when our children are away from our influence and when their defenses are weakened late at night. If you have ever felt uneasy about an overnight activity, don’t be afraid to respond to that warning voice inside. Always be prayerful when it comes to protecting your precious children.

Courageous parenting does not always involve saying no. Parents also need courage to say yes to the counsel of modern-day prophets. Our Church leaders have counseled us to establish righteous patterns in our homes. Consider five fundamental practices that have the power to fortify our youth: family prayer, family scripture study, family home evening, family dinner together, and regular one-on-one interviews with each child.

It takes courage to gather children from whatever they’re doing and kneel together as a family. It takes courage to turn off the television and the computer and to guide your family through the pages of the scriptures every day. It takes courage to turn down other invitations so that you can reserve that evening for your family. It takes courage and willpower to avoid overscheduling so that your family can be home for dinner.

One of the most effective ways we can influence our sons and daughters is to counsel with them in private interviews. By listening closely, we can discover the desires of their hearts, help them set righteous goals, and also share with them the spiritual impressions that we have received about them. Counseling requires courage.

Try to imagine what the rising generation could become if these five righteous patterns were practiced consistently in every home. Our young people could be like Helaman’s army: invincible (see Alma 57:25–26).

Parenting teenagers in these latter days is a very humbling assignment. Satan and his followers are striving to bring this generation down; the Lord is counting on valiant parents to bring them up. Parents, “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid” (Joshua 1:9). I know that God hears and will answer your prayers. I testify that the Lord supports and blesses courageous parents.

Several scriptures back up the role of being good parents and proclaim that worthy husbands and wives who have been properly sealed in marriage in a temple of God may fulfill their role as parents throughout eternity.

            Children, obey your parents:Eph. 6:1–3; ( Col. 3:20; )

            Adam and Eve were our first parents:1 Ne. 5:11;

            The cursing may be upon the heads of your parents:2 Ne. 4:6;

            Teach parents that they must repent and be baptized:Moro. 8:10;

            Parents are commanded to teach the gospel to their children:D&C 68:25;

            All children have claim upon their parents:D&C 83:4;

                        The sins of the parents cannot be answered upon the heads of the children:Moses 6:54;

Olive Davis Osmond

A mother’s influence extends from generation to generation.

We honor our mothers and their ever important responsibility to love and nurture our children.  Perhaps the reason we respond so universally to our mothers’ love is because it typifies the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Lord has placed upon parents the primary responsibility for the spiritual nurturing of their children. Sometimes this responsibility falls to a single parent. My own mother was relatively young when my father died, leaving her alone with four children. But she faced her adversity with faith and courage, promising us that if we stayed on the road of truth, the end would be better than the beginning.

As a rule the mothers are the very best women that live in the world, the best that can be found anywhere. … The good influence that a good mother exercises over her children is like leaven cast into the measure of meal, that will leaven the whole lump; and as far as her influence extends, not only to her own children, but to the associates of her children, it is felt, and good is the result accomplished by it.

You do not know how far your influence extends. A mother that is successful in raising a good boy, or girl, to imitate her example and to follow her precepts through life, sows the seeds of virtue, honor and integrity and of righteousness in their hearts that will be felt through all their career in life; and wherever that boy or girl goes, as man or woman, in whatever society they mingle, the good effects of the example of that mother upon them will be felt; and it will never die, because it will extend from them to their children from generation to generation. And especially do we hope for this in the Gospel of Jesus Christ he, who is the Son of God was indeed no other than the Only Begotten of God in the flesh, and that, therefore, no other than God the eternal Father is his Father and the author of his existence in the world.

Great responsibility rests upon the mothers.

Motherhood lies at the foundation of happiness in the home, and of prosperity in the nation. God has laid upon men and women very sacred obligations with respect to motherhood.

Women that have the same conception of wifehood and motherhood are not exclusively intended for just this life. … We live for time and for eternity. Our affections and our desires are found fitted and prepared to endure not only throughout the temporal or mortal life, but through all eternity.

We shall prosper and upon the earth; for this is our mission, and the work of your mothers and daughters. Great responsibility rests upon you. Upon you depend the training and the direction of the thoughts and the inspiration of the hearts of your children, for they drink into the spirit of their mothers, and the influence of the mother over the children is the most enduring impression that can be made. There is nothing so imperishable as the influence of the mother; that is when she is good and has the spirit of Christ in her heart, and she has brought up her children in the way they should go.

Our mothers, and the mothers of our children, whose hearts are filled with solicitude for the welfare of their children, having had conferred upon them the gift of the Holy Spirit, can go to their secret chambers and bow down before God and commune with Him as no other mothers on earth can do, if they will only observe the principles they have embraced and will live up to their privileges. By the influence that they will thus gain over the hearts of their children they will lead them in the path of righteousness and truth, and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, in the love of truth, in obedience to His commands, in such a way as others cannot do who are destitute of these privileges, blessings and endowments, so freely conferred upon our mothers.

There can be no genuine happiness separate and apart from the home, and every effort made to sanctify and preserve its influence is uplifting to those who toil and sacrifice for its establishment. Men and women often seek to substitute some other life for that of the home; they would make themselves believe that the home means restraint; that the highest liberty is the fullest opportunity to move about at will. There is no happiness without service, and there is no service greater than that which converts the home into a divine institution, and which promotes and preserves family life.

… The strongest attachments of childhood are those that cluster about the home, and the dearest memories of old age are those that call up the associations of youth and its happy surroundings.

In the home the mother is the principal disciplinarian in early child life, and her influence and discipline determine in a great measure the ability of her children to assume in manhood and womanhood the larger governments in church and state.

I most sincerely hope that our mothers today will guard very zealously and very carefully the lives of their daughters and of their sons. I would if I had it in my power make it possible for all mothers to have the joy and the unspeakable satisfaction of rearing their sons and their daughters above the reproach of men and above the power of sin.

The love of a true mother comes near to being like the love of God.

No love in all the world can equal the love of a true mother. … I have felt sometimes, how could even the Father love his children more than my mother loved her children? It was life to me; it was strength; it was encouragement; it was love that begat love or liking in myself. I knew she loved me with all her heart. She loved her children with all her soul. She would toil and labor and sacrifice herself day and night, for the temporal comforts and blessings that she could meagerly give, through the results of her own labors, to her children. There was no sacrifice of self—of her own time, of her leisure or pleasure, or opportunities for rest—that was considered for a moment, when it was compared with her duty and her love to her children.

When I was fifteen years of age, and called to go to a foreign country to preach the gospel—or to learn how, and to learn it for myself—the strongest anchor that was fixed in my life, and that helped to hold my ambition and my desire steady, to bring me upon a level and keep me straight, was that love which I knew she had for me who bore me into the world.

Only a little boy, not matured at all in judgment, without the advantage of education, thrown in the midst of the greatest allurements and temptations that it was possible for any boy or any man to be subjected to—and yet, whenever these temptations became most alluring and most tempting to me, the first thought that arose in my soul was this: Remember the love of your mother. Remember how she strove for your welfare. Remember how willing she was to sacrifice her life for your good. Remember what she taught you in your childhood. … This feeling toward my mother became a defense, a barrier between me and temptation, so that I could turn aside from temptation and sin by the help of the Lord and the love begotten in my soul, toward her whom I knew loved me more than anybody else in all the world, and more than any other living being could love me.

… The true mother, the mother who has the fear of God and the love of truth in her soul, would never hide from danger or evil and leave her child exposed to it. But as natural as it is for the sparks to fly upward, as natural as it is to breathe the breath of life, if there were danger coming to her child, she would step between the child and that danger; she would defend her child to the uttermost. Her life would be nothing in the balance, in comparison with the life of her child. That is the love of true motherhood for children. …

I have learned to place a high estimate upon the love of mother. I have often said, and will repeat it, that the love of a true mother comes nearer being like the love of God than any other kind of love.

Perhaps the most perfect ideal in the art of healing is the mother whose tender and gracious love asserts itself in taking away the sting of a deserved or an undeserved punishment. How her love heals every wound! How quick her caresses bind up and soothe! The example of her life is the wisdom which love teaches.

There is nothing between me and the heavens that would compensate for doing something that would grieve or hurt my mother. Why? Because she loved me, she would have died for me over and over again, if such were possible, only to have saved me. Why should I grieve, why should I disappoint her? Why should I take a course contrary to her own life and her life’s teachings to me, for she taught me honor, and virtue, and truth, and integrity to the kingdom of God, and she taught me not only by precept but by example.

I cannot express the joy I feel at the thought of meeting my father, and my precious mother, who gave me birth in the midst of persecution and poverty, who bore me in her arms and was patient, forbearing, tender and true during all my helpless moments in the world. The thought of meeting her, who can express the joy?

God bless the mothers.

God bless the mothers and the sons and daughters; and keep our children from the ways of the world, from transgression and from temptation that will lead them astray. May the power of God be over all the household of faith.

I believe that with the Holy Spirit, every mother has the right to know what to do in her family and in her sphere, over her children, in their guidance and direction; and that mother and every mother possessing that spirit has the gift of revelation, the gift of inspiration and the gift of knowledge, which is the spirit of prophecy, the spirit of discernment, a gift of God to them, to govern their households and lead their children in the path of righteousness and truth.

I feel in my heart to bless you, mothers and sisters, with all my heart and with all the power and right that I possess in the priesthood which is after the order of the Son of God. … I have the right and the authority in the priesthood to bless Israel, and to bless those who are faithful, especially; and I feel in my heart to say I bless you.

Joseph F. Smith

Happy Mothers Day!
From The Family

By Alan on Dec 09 in Blog tagged agency, atonement, blessings, choices, Christ, commandments, deternal life, execute, free, Freedom, God, good and evil, Jesus, knowledge, laws, liberty, obedience, ordinances, power, restraints, sin, the Fall, truth | Comments Off

THE BLESSINGS OF FREEDOM

  “Because they are redeemed from the fall
they have become free forever”. 
2 Nephi 2:26

Without the Atonement, there could be no freedom: “We proclaim the atonement wrought by Jesus Christ . . . is to all people; it is the message of deliverance from sin and its sorrow, the decree of liberty, the charter of freedom.” James E. Talmage

As with each of the other blessings of the Atonement, this one does not stand alone.  It complements, supplements, and overlaps others. 

In truth, the freest of all beings is God himself.  “God could not make men like himself without making them free,” said David O. McKay.

It is a greater manifestation of divine power to make beings that can make themselves than to make beings that cannot, for the former are men and the latter are puppets, and puppets after all are only things.” Dr. Iverach, a Scottish philosopher.

GOD MAKES MEN FREE

Freedom is described as the power or agency to act for oneself.  “The Lord god gave unto man that he should act for himself” (2 Nephi 2:16) (D&C 29:35) (Moses 4:3)

Man could never enjoy the full powers of agency without the intervention of God.  Samuel told the people of Zarahemla, “Ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves,” and then he added, “He [God] hath made your free” (Helaman 14:30).  Under Christ ye are made free.  “And there is no other head whereby ye can be made free” (Mosiah 5:8) The Savior taught that true freedom comes “if the Son . . . shall make your free” (John 8:36).  Paul urged the saints of Galatia to retain their “liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free” (Galatians 5:1).

THE FOUR COMPONENTS OF FREEDOM

How does God endow us with agency, and what part does the Atonement play in making us free?  This is best understood by dissecting freedom into its four principal components, namely the need for an intelligent being, a knowledge of good and evil, the availability of choices, and the power to execute or carry out such choices.

1. The need for an intelligent being.  Simply stated, there can be no freedom without a decision maker, an intelligent being.  Man is a conscious, thinking entity, thus fulfilling the first requirement for freedom.

2. The need for a knowledge of good and evil.  Man’s initial knowledge of good and evil was triggered at the time of the Fall.  The Lord said, “Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil” (Genesis 3:22)  Eve said, “Were it not for our transgression we … never should have known good and evil” (Moses 5:11)  Absent that grant of knowledge, Adam and Eve would have been confined to a state of innocence.  It was a vital link, but it was the beginning – the gateway to knowledge.  The scriptures reveal that “the eyes of them both were opened” (Genesis 3:7).  This was essential, but it was only the commencement, not the end of the road.  With increased knowledge comes the opportunity for increased freedom.  The Savior’s testimony to the scribes and Pharisees: “Know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).  They retorted, “We . . . were never in bondage to any man” (John 8:33).  How wrong they were.  They had secular knowledge, but not the spiritual truth that makes man free.  The essence of freedom is to know the Savior and obey his truths.  As we do so, we become free from prejudice, falsehood, sin, contention, and every other injurious practice or evil nature known to man.  The Fall opened the gate to the road of knowledge, but it was the Atonement that provided the vehicle to proceed through the Atonement where we are cleansed in the waters of baptism, making us eligible for the gift of the Holy Ghost.  It is such a gift that “will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).  As we come to know the Savior and his truths we enlarge our capacity for freedom.  This is so because knowledge is power; and power, in its consummate expression is godhood; and godhood is the quintessence of freedom.

3. The third element of freedom is the availability of choices.  Only to the human being did the Creator say, “…thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee . . .(Moses 3:17)  Were it not for the Atonement, there would have been no choice between eternal life and eternal damnation. The Fall would have opened the gate to one road and one road only.  The Atonement is the means of deliverance, the means of freeing our bodies from the grave and our spirits from hell, of offering another road, another choice, another option.  The message is clear.  We can accept the Atonement, a choice that leads to eternal life (the ultimate in freedom); or we can choose the way of the Evil One, a choice that leads to destruction, chains, and captivity (the ultimate in bondage).  As we choose the Lord, he gives us more rope; as we choose Satan, he tightens the noose until we are in his grasp.  “Ye are free to act for yourselves – - to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life” (2 Nephi 10:23).  That freedom of choice comes through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

4. The one element yet lacking for a fullness of freedom is the power to execute or carry out the choices before us.  We may have knowledge of good and evil; we may even have choices placed before us; but unless we have power to execute, the power to fulfill, then our freedom is but a façade.  The issue is not choice.  The issue is simply power – the power to see and hear and do without restraint.  While God is certainly a proponent of earthly knowledge, he also wants us to know that powers of a higher source flow from the acquisition of spiritual truths.  It is this spiritual power that parted the Red Sea. That caused the sun to “stand still,” rivers to change their course, and mountains to flee (Exodus 14:21-29; Joshua 10:12-14; Moses 7:13)  This power is of such magnitude that it has penetrated and softened even the hearts of those who were known to be “a wild and a hardened and a ferocious people” (Alma 17:14) Both earthly and spiritual power (which ultimately are but one power) constitute the power of godhood, for gods “have all power” (D&C  132:20)  With each new power acquired, we develop greater control not only of the elements but of our destiny.  In this way, we become the driver, not the driven – - the cause rather than the effect.  We act for ourselves rather than being “acted upon” (2 Nephi 2:26) ; and in this manner we become free.  While knowledge is essential to the acquisition of power, there is yet another ingredient, often ignored, and sometimes even ridiculed, that is a prerequisite to receiving the “higher” powers – -  those powers necessary to enjoy a fullness of freedom.  It is obedience.

OBEDIENCE – A KEY TO FREEDOM

Some might contend that freedom comes when there are no laws or restraints.  They contend that freedom in its purest form is the right to do anything, anytime, anywhere, without consequence.  About twenty-five hundred years ago it was prophesied of those misguided souls who would teach, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us” (2 Nephi 28:7)  Does it not seem ironic that such a philosophy is authored by the master slave himself?  It was he who was cast out of heaven, who was deprived of a body, who will be bound a thousand years, and who will ultimately be banished to outer darkness.  The freedom he promises is illusory; it is a mirage on the desert; it is the very condition that has always eluded his grasp.  It was the same lie promulgated by Cain after he slew his brother Abel: “I am free” he said (Moses 5:33)  In truth, he was never in more bondage.  He was the servant, even the slave of sin.

How then does the Lord propose to make us free?  The answer is obedience.  Contrary to the belief of many, obedience is not the antithesis of freedom, but the foundation of it. There are two freedoms; the false where one is free to do what he likes, and the true where he is free to do what he ought. Commandments are no more restrictive to the spiritual man than street signs are to the motorist.  Neither prohibits our progress; to the contrary, they enhance it by serving as guideposts or directional signs to help us find and reach our destination.  “We are too inclined to think of law as something merely restrictive; the opposite of liberty.  But that is a false conception.  God does not contradict himself.  He did not create man and then, as an afterthought, impose upon him a set of arbitrary, irritation, restrictive rules.  He made man free – and then gave him the commandments to keep him free.  We cannot break the Ten Commandments.  We can only break ourselves against them – or else, by keeping them, rise through them to the fullness of freedom under God.”  Cecil B. De Mille.

Freedom requires a knowledge of good and evil, the availability of choices, and the power to execute or carry them out. Each of these is enhanced by obedience to God’s will.  As we obey God’s laws we receive increased knowledge of God’s plan, and with increased knowledge comes increased capacity for freedom.   Obedience broadens the lost of our choices. It generates power; power comes by obedience. We gain power over the elements as we obey the laws of God. Obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel brings increased knowledge, a multiplicity of choices and an enhanced power to execute, all of which results in added freedom.

The difference between the righteous and the sinner, eternal life or death, happiness or misery, is to those who are exalted where there are no bounds or limits to their privileges.

Now that is freedom!

Excerpts from: The Infinite Atonement
By: Tad R. Callister

For The Family

By Alan on Oct 14 in Blog tagged a choice land, Abraham Lincoln, agency, Almighty, American, Columbus, conflicts, country, covenant, divine, divine purpose, first americans, founded, founding fathers, george Washington, God, God bless America, healing, homes, liberty, Lincoln Memorial, miracles, most important election, native Americans, Obama, one nation, personal salvation, proclamations, promises, Prosperity, protection, religion, return to God, Romney, schools, scourges, serve God, silences, spiritually, taken God out, temple, the people, thomas jefferson, tragedies, Under God, victories | 2 Comments

The American Covenant – One Nation Under God

cov·e·nant  (kv-nnt)
noun: A binding agreement;
verb: To promise by or as if by a covenant.

The Lincoln Memorial, often referred to as a temple, with it’s ninety-nine foot marble sculptured edifice spiritually manifests that the United States of America is truly “One Nation Under God” and set apart as a choice land commissioned with a divine purpose.

There is compelling evidence that America founded by the Almighty, is embedded in divine purpose through a national covenant between God and the people of this nation with specific obligations, promised blessings and divine instruction.

If we keep and obey Gods Commandments and live by His inspired Constitution, then God covenants with with us these three specific socio-political blessings:

1)   Liberty,
2)   Protection, and
3)   Prosperity.

It is a covenant that enhances and maximizes God’s gift of agency unto personal salvation by providing an environment where His children might choose freely, becoming who and what they desire to be and in providing the environment where freedoms of religion enables them to progress spiritually.

America “is a choice land” to “be free from bondage,” as long as we “serve the God of the land”. (Ether 2:12)

America has struggled through bloody conflicts, glorious victories, devastating scourges, healing redemptions, long silences, great proclamations, deep tragedies, and phenomenal miracles.
For example, ancient prophets saw the discoverer Columbus and that the first settlers and founders willfully received the land and nation under covenant; that George Washington’s scripture of choice was an ancient prophecy about the gospel destiny of America, and knew the many battlefield miracles he witnessed were connected to a covenant with the Almighty; that Thomas Jefferson testified that the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution profoundly reflect and codify the American Covenant; and how Abraham Lincoln fulfilled some of the greatest prophecies related to God’s kingdom on earth.

Additionally, it is the astonishing and miraculous relationship (forged in life and death) between the founders of this nation and the temple of God all the way throughout the present day with miracles, revelations, tokens, and symbols of God’s work throughout our history.

.
If we are to continue to have the freedoms that evolved within the structure that was the inspiration of the Almighty to our Founding Fathers, we must return to the God who is their true author.  If we keep our promises, God will keep His promises.

We have taken God out of our country, our homes and our schools!

America is essential for our freedoms and it was founded upon God!

WE ARE FACING THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION IN HISTORY!

LET”S FAST AND PRAY TOGETHER!

May we ACT and choose well the one who will best lead our nation into the future and
sustain the Constitutional principles of freedom and our promises to God.

WE MUST RETURN TO GOD! 

 … AND REMEMBER OUR COVENANTS!!!

May God Bless America

The First Americans – The Native Americans

Alan Osmond
For The Family

By Alan on Jul 03 in Daily Inspiration tagged country, forces, free, Freedom, give, give thanks, hot, land, liberty, lives, military, pledge, worth fighting | 1 Comment

You Think It’s Hot?

As we celebrate our freedoms and liberties that we so much enjoy today, lets be sure to give thanks to those who protect us and put their lives on the line; especially those who have given them up so that our nation may continue to be able a sweet land land of liberty.

It you think it’s hot, think about what our military have to go through.  Are you willing to take the heat and the bullet?  Freedom is never free.  Since the beginning of time, the opposite forces of liberty try to take them away from us.  It is something worth fighting for.

To all of our troops and those who serve this blessed country of ours, we salute you and pledge our allegiance to this nation for which we stand!

Gil Howe
For The Family 

By Alan on Jun 19 in Blog tagged Americans, apostles, beliefs, challenges of worshiping, conscience, convictions, faith, Joseph Smith, LDS, legal provisions, legal shifts, liberty, Mormons, organizations, priveliege, protection, religion, religious liberty, rights, social, statements, supress, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Thomas S. Monson | 2 Comments

 Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have great reason to revere religious liberty. From a history that at times has involved religious persecution, Mormons have a special appreciation for the freedom to speak and live according to their convictions and faith. Religious liberty, in fact, has been significant for Mormons since the beginning. Church founder Joseph Smith was a strong and generous proponent of this principle, and he recognized that it was critical for all parties to reciprocate in upholding it. “I am bold to declare before Heaven” he said, “that I am just as ready to die in defending the rights of a Presbytarian [sic], a Baptist, or a good man of any other denomination; for the same principle which would trample upon the rights of the Latter-day Saints would trample upon the rights of the Roman Catholics, or of any other denomination.”

In a 19th-century Mormon settlement, Smith also underlined the importance of religious freedom by introducing a city ordinance that guaranteed religious freedom for inhabitants of all faiths. Freedom of conscience and religion were incorporated into the Church’s Articles of Faith, which explain, “We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.” [2] Mormons are steadfastly committed to religious liberty and to its protection.

The mounting challenges to religious freedom

The condition of religious liberty and freedom of conscience in the United States is not as dire as it is in some areas of the world. Today, American people of faith and conscience do not generally face the physical violence or coercion sometimes experienced in other nations. However, freedom of religion and conscience in the United States are nonetheless at risk. Social and legal shifts are squeezing this liberty in new and deeply problematic ways. Americans who have long taken it for granted are being reminded of its value.

Challenges to religious freedom are emerging from many sources. Emerging advocacy for gay rights threatens to abridge religious freedom in a number of ways. Changes in health care threaten the rights of those who hold certain moral convictions about human life. These and other developments are producing conflict and beginning to impose on religious organizations and people of conscience. They are threatening, for instance, to restrict how religious organizations can manage their employment and their property. They are bringing about the coercion of religiously-affiliated universities, schools and social-service entities. They are also resulting in reprimands to individuals who act in line with their principles — from health practitioners and other professionals to parents. In these and in many other circumstances, we see how religious freedom and freedom of conscience are being subtly but steadily eroded. And of equal concern, the legal provisions emerging to safeguard these freedoms are often shallow — protecting these liberties only in the narrowest sense. In many aspects of public life, religious freedom and freedom of conscience are being drawn into conflicts that may suppress them.

Selected Beliefs and Statements on Religious Freedom of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

By Alan on May 15 in Blog tagged constitution, destruction, Freedom, God, history, laws, liberty, morality, prepared, rights, social, Today, truth, world | Comments Off

A Prophet of yesterday speaks truthful words for Today! – Ezra Taft Benson

Our past Prophets  knew our day, TODAY!

We must be involved in Civic Affairs! … AND VOTE!

For The Family

By Alan on Apr 21 in Blog tagged ability to assemble, choice, exemption from control, Freedom versus liberty, liberty, never contradicts or limits yours, speech, Spirit of the Lord, worship | Comments Off

Freedom is the exemption from control by some other person, or from arbitrary restriction of specific defined rights like Worship, or Speech 

Liberty is the sum of the rights possessed in common by the people of a community/state/nation as they apply to its government, and/or the expectation that a nation’s people have of exemption from control by a foreign power.

 

Freedoms are things that people EXTRACT from their government; 

Liberty is less derivative, more formative; a thing GRANTED by the people to the people in common. The ability to Assemble, for instance, while commonly thought of as a freedom, is really an aspect of liberty.

 

Freedoms end when they encounter a contrary freedom of another person. You are free to smoke, until you encounter my freedom not to inhale your smoke. 

Liberty lacks that distinction: my liberty never contradicts or limits yours.

  Conservatives traditionally support Liberty, but they may tend to be pliant about certain freedoms, aware as they are to the potentional dissonance.

“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”   2 Cor. 3: 17

Paul V. Hartman
For The Family 

By Alan on Mar 19 in Blog tagged choice land, contrary to the laws of God, free from bondage, Freedom the right, from all other nations, from captivity, good or bad, hath been manifested, liberty, live the laws of God, lose those liberties, make choices, serve the God of the land, The Family, thing which we have written, to act in any way, under heaven, whatsoever nation shall possess it, who is Jesus Christ | Comments Off

Freedom Versus Liberty

Freedom is the right to act in any way, good or bad.

If you want Liberty, you live the laws of God.

If you make choices contrary to the laws of God, you will lose those liberties.

May we choose well those who will lead our nation, our families, our future, and may they be aligned and unwavering in God’s will, with liberty and justice for all.

The Family

“And now, we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fulness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity.

For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off; for it is the everlasting decree of God. And it is not until the fulness of iniquity among the children of the land, that they are swept off.

And this cometh unto you, O ye Gentiles, that ye may know the decrees of God—that ye may repent, and not continue in your iniquities until the fulness come, that ye may not bring down the fulness of the wrath of God upon you as the inhabitants of the land have hitherto done.

Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written.”   Ether 2: 9-12

By Alan on Feb 24 in Daily Inspiration tagged Alan Osmond, Freedom, liberty, Obama, thought for the day, tomorrow's dreams, yesterday's disappointments | Comments Off

Thought for The Day!

“Never let yesterday’s disapointments overshadow tomorrow’s dreams!”

Alan Osmond
For The Family

By Alan on Feb 19 in Blog tagged agency, Alan Osmond, being forsaken, came into being, cherish, destiny of this nation, eternal life, Freedom, guaranteed, I know, I love, I stand up, I will abide, integrity, liberty, most basic part of our religion, preservation of life, protect, sincere faith, testimony principles, The Constitution, The Family, the principles, the pursuit of happiness, threatened | Comments Off

I Will Abide And Protect The Principles Of The Constitution

I love and cherish freedom.

The cause of freedom is a most basic part of our religion and eternal life.

I know how the Constitution came into being and the destiny of this nation. The preservation of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” can be guaranteed upon no other basis than upon a sincere faith and testimony of the divinity of these teachings.

Even though the principles and the integrity of the Constitution are being forsaken and threatened, I stand up for Agency, Freedom, Liberty and will abide and protect the principles of the Constitution.

Join Me!

Alan Osmond
For The Family

http://www.causes.com/causes/653515-protect-the-principles-of-the-constitution/about