LEST WE FORGET OR WANT NOT TO REMEMBER

PART OF OUR GENERIC UNBELIEF

AND OUR CONDEMNATION

INTRODUCTION

Since celebrating what we called the end of World War II, the world has not known a day of peace. Was this a contrived end of World War II and is it still in progress, or did we simply turn a page of history and initiate another world conflict not generally recognized but primarily orchestrated by conspirators in our own land as Moroni warns us in Ether Chapter 8?

18  And it came to pass that they formed a secret combination, even as they of old; which combination is most abominable and wicked above all, in the sight of God;

19  For the Lord worketh not in secret combinations, neither doth he will that man should shed blood, but in all things hath forbidden it, from the beginning of man.

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 (Ether 8:18-26).

OUR STATUS QUO

THE COLUMBINE TESTIMONY (Sent to the author by a friend)

Guess our national leaders didn't expect this,  hmm?  On Thursday, Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of  the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to  address the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee.  What he said to our  national leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully  truthful. They were not prepared for what he said, nor was it received  well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician,  every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert! These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply  personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the  wilderness. The following is a portion of the  transcript.

"Since the  dawn of creation there has been both good and evil in the hearts of men and  women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence.   The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that  heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain.  Their blood cries out for answers.

"The first recorded act of violence was when Cain  slew his brother Abel out in the field.  The villain was not the club he  used. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association.  The true  killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's  heart.

"In the days that  followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to  be pointed at groups such as the NRA.  I am not a member of the NRA. I am  not a hunter. I do not even own a gun.  I am not here to represent or  defend the NRA because I don't believe that they are responsible for my  daughter's death.  Therefore, I do not believe that they need to be  defended.  If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder, I  would be their strongest opponent. I am here today to declare that Columbine was not  just a tragedy _ it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at  where the real blame lies!  Much of the blame lies here in this  room.  Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers  themselves.  I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my  feelings best.  This was written way before I knew I would be speaking  here today.

Your laws  ignore our deepest needs,

Your words are empty air.

You've stripped away our  heritage,

You've outlawed  simple prayer.

Now gunshots  fill our classrooms,

And  precious children die.

You  seek for answers everywhere,

And ask the question "Why?"

You regulate restrictive laws, 

Through legislative  creed.

And yet you fail to  understand,

That God is what  we need!

"Men and women  are three-part beings.  We all consist of body, soul, and spirit.   When we refuse to acknowledge the  third part of our make-up, we create a void  that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and reek havoc.  Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation's history.

“Major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact.  What has happened to us as  a nation?  We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the  doors to hatred and violence.  And when something as terrible as  Columbine's tragedy occurs, politicians immediately look for a scapegoat  such as the NRA.  They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws  that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties.  We do  not need more restrictive laws.  Eric and Dylan would not have been  stopped by metal detectors.  No amount of gun laws can stop someone who  spends months planning this type of massacre.  The real villain lies  within our own hearts.

"As my  son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends  murdered before his very eyes,  he did not hesitate to pray in school.  I  defy any law or politician to deny him that right!  I challenge every young person in America and around the world to realize that on April 20,  1999 , at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools.   Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain.  Dare  to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that  violates your God-given right to communicate with Him.  To those of you  who would point your finger at the NRA,  I give to you a sincere  challenge.  Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first  stone!  My daughter's death will not be in vain!  The young people of this country will not allow that to  happen!"

WW III, ARE WE THERE YET

OR IS THIS WW II, PHASE TWO?

The Past is Prelude

"Having fought a world war, supposedly to protect Europe from Germany and to save China from Japan, at the end of that war, we gave the Soviets all of Eastern Europe, Manchuria, the Kurile Islands, the Chinese port of Darien, the northern half of Korea, and half of Germany. In Yugoslavia, we guaranteed the success of Communism by throwing our weight behind the Stalinist Tito in his fight against the pro-Western Mikhailovich. After the war, in a project called Operation Keelhaul, we used American troops to round up anti-Communist refugees all over Europe to be shipped back to Russia where they faced execution or slave labor in Siberia. This broke the back of the anti-Communist movement in Europe. We supported the Communist forces of Mao Tse-tung in their war against Chiang Kai-shek and actively worked behind the scenes to bring about the Communization of China. We created the United Nations and staffed the Secretariat with Communists from the State Department. We gave the Soviets three votes in the General Assembly, compared to one for us and agreed further that a Soviet national would always be in charge of U.N. military activities. We pushed Algeria into the Communist orbit by supporting Ben Bella. We helped Castro to power in Cuba and, later, betrayed the anti-Castro invasion force at the Bay of Pigs. In Korea and Vietnam, we denied our military forces the option of victory. We supported the Sandinista Communists in the takeover of Nicaragua. We gave the Panama Canal to a pro-Soviet dictatorship. We have bankrupted ourselves with foreign aid to our most bitter enemies around the world. We have built Soviet industry and have given them high technology for their nuclear strike force. When they could not pay, we cancelled their debts and passed them on to the American taxpayer.

"We condemn anti-Communist regimes in Africa and Latin America allegedly for violations of human rights, but we invite to the White House and publicly embrace every Communist dictator in the world, no matter how bloody his hands. And, while freedom fighters throw themselves against Soviet tanks in Hungary, Afghanistan and Poland, we give solemn assurances that we will not intervene and then send economic aid to the very Communist governments which the people themselves are attempting to topple.

"The hard reality is that Communism would not be a major force today without the massive help received from the United States government, and that America's retreat from victory since World War II is the result, not of a confusion factor, but of the subversion factor" (realityzone.com/subfac.html).

Personally, I take issue with one thing that seems to be missing in this, and that is the manipulation of the United States government by mostly conspiratorial American powers that build the Soviet Union into a formidable enemy in order to ultimately force Americans to accept a world government. -- RWH                                         

The Chinese Threat

“Communist China views the U.S. as an "inevitable foe" and is preparing for a military confrontation, warns an influential Pentagon adviser.

“Michael Pillsbury, who speaks fluent Chinese and has written three books on Chinese military strategy, has urged the Pentagon to take a wary view of China's global intentions. 'Beijing sees the U.S. as an inevitable foe, and is planning accordingly,' Pillsbury told the Wall Street Journal. 'We'd be remiss not to take that into account.' And he declared, 'We must acknowledge that we are facing in China what may become the largest challenge in our nation's history.' This China expert has amassed a large number of Chinese military texts and interviewed their authors in an effort to understand the country's long-term military aims. His conclusion has rattled many in Washington. China sees the U.S. as a military threat according to the Journal.

“A recent Pentagon report cautioned that the Chinese military has ambitions well beyond defending its historical claim to Taiwan, and said China could provoke small wars to secure its growing energy requirements. According to Pillsbury, Chinese writings show a military establishment obsessed with the inevitable decline of the U.S. and China's rise.  He says that after Beijing tried to blame the U.S. for helping foment the dissent that led to the Tiananmen protests, 'Even some friends in the Chinese military that I'd known for years began to describe us as a mortal enemy, an evil force' .

         “As NewsMax.com reported earlier, China's plan for "Unrestricted Warfare" was detailed in a manual written by two Chinese colonels. The manual cites the use of hackers and terrorism in a total war against the U.S. The CIA's translation of the manual reveals that China regards the U.S. as its main enemy

(newsmax.com/archives/articles/2005)

When China Invades (Ernest R. Emerson's Comments on newsmax.com)

The Biggest Threat to U.S. Security is our Friend?  Let me tell you something that you might find hard to believe.  China is not our friend: they are our enemy.  We will go to war with China.  I believe that it will be within one to two years after China hosts the Summer Olympics in 2008.  After gaining and garnering a huge amount of press and goodwill ambassadorship from the games and the world attention that they bring, China will invade Taiwan.  This will put us in the worst possible of positions. China will have brought themselves immeasurable amounts of Goodwill due to the games.  It will then use this as a forum to soften the rest of the world to their view that Taiwan is a breakaway state and needs to be united with Mainland China. This will serve the purpose of diminishing and isolating the United States and our commitment to defend Taiwan against invasion by China.  As a buildup and prelude to the invasion, China will attempt to turn world opinion in these three directions --

1.            China has the legal right to wrest back control of a renegade, breakaway state through use of force;

2.            It's a Chinese problem.  Let the Chinese handle it.  Why get involved?

3.            The U.S. has no right to get involved in a Chinese Sovereign domestic dispute.

Once the Chinese Government believes they have set this stage, they will invade Taiwan. The U.S. will respond with according force, and the Chinese will go nuclear. However, they will not send nuclear ICBMs against American soil.  They will  detonate a strategic nuclear warhead on one of our Naval vessels, perhaps a carrier.  By doing so it will allow them a negotiating chip to then play.  Depending on the U.S. response, it will allow China to say that it did not attack U.S. soil or U.S. civilians, which it certainly has the capability to do.  This will allow them the room to negotiate out of having used a nuclear weapon by saying that it was against threatening U.S. Forces.  This they believe can be sold as justified use of force to the rest of the world's governments.  Of course, this point of view, this strategy, will be based  upon the assumption that the U.S. will not enter into a full-scale nuclear war with another nuclear power capable of destroying U.S. cities across America. China will get Taiwan.  How can this happen?  The Chinese are huge trading partners with us.  We buy billions of dollars of goods from them each year. Yeah, we get cheap stuff, and they get American dollars; the most valuable  and powerful currency on this planet.  Where does this money go? The money, at least the vast majority of it, is going into the arming of China and its military.  The Chinese are arming to fight the United States.   Almost without exception every military weapon, every military tactic, and  every military strategy is designed and built to counter or overcome a  U.S. Weapons system.

Why would the Chinese do this?  Do they think that the U.S. is going to invade China?  Are you kidding?  It would put Wal-Mart, the nation's largest single employer, out of business along with thousands of other U.S. companies. Is China going to start a war with the U.S.?  Yes.  They have eroded the U.S  manufacturing base steadily over the last 20 years.  Has this been part of a master plan to weaken the U.S. manufacturing capability?  Don't sell them short.  If it wasn't a plan, the Chinese government certainly is now aware of the advantage this position has given and continues to give them. The Chinese have already hacked into our DOD computer networks and are confident that they can disrupt their capability when they need to.  Chinese General Zhu Chenghu stated in July of 2005 that China would use Nuclear weapons against the U.S. if we tried to intervene when China invaded Taiwan.  As the rest of the world watched and China watched back,  several days passed before the Chinese General stated that he had simply misspoken and was talking on his own.  Was the General called back to Peking?  Was he demoted?  Was he even reprimanded?  Did the Chinese Government repudiate the General's remarks?  No!  Was this just the idle ramblings of a high ranking Chinese General, a General in charge of the Chinese Defense University?  It was a test, a test to see how the U.S. would react; a test to see how the rest of world would line up.  A test to see how much work the Chinese had left to do_It was a probe to test our passivity. . . and it worked. In spite of all the trade.  In spite of all the diplomatic missions and cover fluff there is one underlying reality.  That reality is that China's war policy is being built upon the premise of a pre-emptive strike against the United States. In the spring of 2005 the Chinese government passed a law, the  anti-secession law, making it legal and lawful to attack Taiwan in order to reunite it with the mainland government.

The Chinese military has also been pursuing the acquisition and use of long range strategic bombers capable of reaching the U.S. with air launched warheads.  This is direct evidence of China's preparing for direct conflict with America on American soil.  China has plans to become the dominant player in the Pacific theater, Economically, Politically and Militarily.  A war with China would be a disaster.  We are now worried about the loss of life in Iraq and Afghanistan having just past the 2000 casualty milepost. If we are engaged in a hot War with China, 2000 deaths would be  expected on a daily basis. China is girding up for a fight and it will be with us.  Their entire economic, political, and military strategies are positioning themselves for this eventuality.  Now, in conclusion I would like to say the following.  It is almost impossible to not buy Chinese made products.  If the product itself is not made in China you can bet parts of it are.  But I will say this.  I will not buy any Chinese made product if I know it's from China.       Yeah, I know it's more expensive, and I know it takes Wal-Mart completely off my shopping list, but that's who I am.  I will not knowingly  put one more penny into their military and armament build up.  And I've got to make at least one comment about Knives.  I am approached at least twice a month by Chinese companies begging to build Emerson Knives in China.  [They claim that they] already make knives for this company and that company", etc. and my reply is?  No!  Also bear in mind that most companies both in Taiwan and Japan have a majority of their work done in Mainland China even though the U.S. Knife Companies are . . .  buying from countries other than China.  It's just cheaper.  Even the knives being sold as being made in Solingen Germany are really being made in China. The bottom line on knives is simply this.  Unless it is 100% made here in America you can bet it's being made in China.  You can fill in the blanks on the companies' names.   Hope to God that our gun companies do not fall the way of the knife industry or we could be totally at their mercy.  The more our manufacturing and production base goes to China, the weaker and more vulnerable we become. Think about this every time you buy a product -- any product -- and then make a conscious choice.  Like I said, it's virtually impossible to exclude buying things made in China, but you should be able to choose to do so or not.  And just for fun, next time you're at a knife show, Blade Show or SHOT Show, step up to the counter of your favorite Knife Company and ask, "Are any of  your parts produced or assembled in Mainland China?  Do any of your manufacturers have their parts made or assembled in Mainland China?”  Wait till you see the dance that you get. I will not knowingly put one more penny into the enemy's hands (Emerson, newsmax.com, September 9, 2005).

(The following two articles were sent to the author by a friend.)

BY COLONELS QIAO LIANG AND WANG XIANGSUI; INTRODUCTION BY AL SANTOLI

As incredible as it may be, three years before the Sept. 11 bombing of the World Trade Center a Chinese military manual titled Unrestricted Warfare touted such an attack – suggesting it would be difficult for the U.S. military to cope with.  Here is an excerpt from Unrestricted Warfare:

“Whether it be the intrusions of hackers, a major explosion at the World Trade Center, or a bombing attack by

           bin Laden, all of these greatly exceed the frequency bandwidths understood by the American military. . .”

Surprisingly, Osama bin Laden is mentioned frequently in this book.

Now NewsMax.com is making the CIA translation of this shocking book available to all Americans.

On Sept. 11, 2001, Americans and the world witnessed one of the most horrific acts ever to take place on American soil.

Our media and government were quick to declare the acts of that day as simply terrorism by a nationless group known as al-Qaeda.

In reading China’s military manual Unrestricted Warfare, you will learn that the events of Sept. 11 were not a random act perpetrated by independent agents.

Instead, Chinese military planners believe that terrorism is just one of the many tools at the hands of nations and their terrorist allies to wage total war against the United States.

You will be surprised to learn:

   * The two PLA colonels who authored Unrestricted Warfare have been hailed as heroes in China since Sept. 11

    * The Chinese state-run propaganda machine is cashing in on the terror attacks ... producing books, films and video games glorifying the strikes as a humbling blow against an arrogant nation.

   * Chinese Communist Party officials are saying that President Jiang Zemin has obsessively and gleefully watched and re-watched pictures of the aircraft crashing into the World Trade Center.

    * The CIA’s own translation agency reported that this book identifies the U.S. as China’s main enemy, and details how a weak nation can destroy America using unorthodox attacks – like the 9-11 attacks.

     * China is preparing itself and encouraging others to engage the U.S. in total war. The book is chock full of plans and strategies, from using computers, to smuggling illegal immigrants, to manipulating the stock markets, to influencing the U.S. media, to using weapons of mass destruction – all to destroy America.

Recent press reports indicate that China has assisted and continues to assist [both] militarily and economically the Taliban and al-Qaeda – even after Sept. 11.

The doctrine of total war outlined in Unrestricted Warfare clearly demonstrates that the People’s Republic of China is preparing to confront the United States and our allies by conducting “asymmetrical” or multidimensional attacks on almost every aspect of our social, economic and political life.

The media and Congress are keeping a lid on this book because of the implications of U.S.-China economic and trade relations.  But now you can bypass them by getting a copy yourself!

Here’s what [Adm. Thomas Moorer, Former Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff said] about Unrestricted Warfare:

“You need to read Unrestricted Warfare because it reveals China’s game plan in its coming war with America

. . . China thinks it can destroy America by using these tactics.”

The Muslim Threat

(By Dr. Vernon Chong Former Air Force Surgeon and past Commander of Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio. )

To get out of a difficulty, one usually must go through it. Our country is now facing the most serious threat to its existence, as we know it, that we have faced in your lifetime and mine (which includes WWII). The deadly seriousness is greatly compounded by the fact that there are very few of us who think we can possibly lose this war and even fewer who realize what losing really means. First, let's examine a few basics:

1.            When did the threat to us start? Many will say September 11, 2001. The answer as  far as the United States is concerned is 1979, 22 years prior to September 2001, with the following attacks on us:

* Iran Embassy Hostages, 1979;

* Beirut, Lebanon Embassy 1983;

* Beirut, Lebanon Marine Barracks 1983;

* Lockerbie, Scotland Pan_Am flight to New York 1988;

* First New York World Trade Center attack 1993;

* Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Khobar Towers Military complex 1996;

* Nairobi, Kenya US Embassy 1998;

* Dares Salam, Tanzania US Embassy 1998;

* Aden, Yemen USS Cole 2000;

* New York World Trade Center 2001;

* Pentagon 2001.

(Note that during the period from 1981 to 2001 there were 7,581 terrorist attacks worldwide).

2.            Why were we attacked? Envy of our position, our success, and our freedoms. The attacks happened during the administrations of Presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush 1, Clinton and Bush2. We cannot fault either the Republicans or Democrats as there were no provocations by any of these presidents nor their immediate predecessors, Presidents Ford or Carter.

3.            Who were the attackers? In each case, the attacks on the US were carried out by Muslims.

  4.  What is the Muslim population of the World? 25%.

5.            Isn't the Muslim Religion peaceful? Hopefully, but that is really not material. There is no doubt that the predominately Christian population of Germany was peaceful, but under  the dictatorial leadership of Hitler (who was also Christian), that made no difference. You either went along with the administration or you were eliminated. There were 5 to 6 million Christians killed by the Nazis for political reasons (including 7,000 Polish priests; see http://www.nazis.testimony.co.uk/7-a.htm ) Thus, almost the same number of Christians were killed by the Nazis, as the six million holocaust Jews who were killed by them, and we seldom heard of anything other than the Jewish atrocities. Although Hitler kept the world focused on the Jews, he had no hesitancy about killing anyone who got in his way of exterminating the Jews or of taking over the world -- German, Christian or any others. Same with the Muslim terrorists. They focus the world on the US, but kill all in the way __ their own people or the Spanish, French or anyone else. The point here is that just like the peaceful Germans were of no protection to anyone from the Nazis, no matter how many peaceful Muslims there may be, they are no protection for us from the terrorist Muslim leaders and what they are fanatically bent on doing–  by their own pronouncements killing all of us "infidels." I don't blame the peaceful Muslims. What would you do if the choice was shut up or die?

6.            So who are we at war with? There is no way we can honestly respond that it is anyone other than the Muslim terrorists. Trying to be politically correct and avoid verbalizing this conclusion can well be fatal. There is no way to win if you don't clearly recognize and articulate who you are fighting. So with that background, now to the two major questions:

Can we lose this war?  What does losing really mean?

If we are to win, we must clearly answer these two pivotal questions.  We can definitely lose this war, and as anomalous as it may sound, the major reason we can lose is that so many of us simply do not fathom the answer to the second question -- What does losing mean?

It would appear  that a great many of us think that losing the war means hanging our heads, bringing the troops home and going on about our business, like post Vietnam. This is as far from the truth as one can get. What losing really means is: We would no longer be the premier country in the world. The attacks will not subside, but rather will steadily increase. Remember, they want us dead,  not just quiet. If they had just wanted us quiet, they would not have produced an increasing series of attacks against us, over the past 18 years. The plan was clearly, for terrorist to attack us, until we were neutered and submissive to them. We would of course have no future support from other nations, for fear of reprisals and for the reason that they would see, we are impotent and cannot help them. They will pick off the other non_Muslim nations, one at a time. It  will be increasingly easier for them. They already hold Spain hostage. It doesn't matter whether it was right or wrong for Spain to withdraw its troops from Iraq. Spain did it because the Muslim terrorists bombed their train and told them to withdraw the troops. Anything else they want Spain to do will be done. Spain is finished.

The next will probably be France. Our one hope on France is that they might see the light and realize that if we don't win, they are finished too,  in that they can't resist the Muslim terrorists without us. However, it may already be too late for France. France is already 20% Muslim and fading fast! If we lose the war, our production, income, exports and way of life will all vanish as we know it. After losing, who would trade or deal with us,  if they were threatened by the Muslims.   If we can't stop the Muslims, how could anyone else?  The Muslims fully know what is riding on this war, and therefore are completely committed to winning, at any cost. We better know it too and be likewise committed to winning at any cost. Why do I go on at such lengths about the results of losing? Simple, until we recognize the costs of losing, we cannot unite and really put 100% of our thoughts and efforts into winning. And it is going to take that 100% effort to win. So, how can we lose the war? Again, the answer is simple. We can lose the war by "imploding." That is, defeating ourselves by refusing to recognize the enemy and their purpose, and really digging in and lending full support to the war effort. If we are united, there is no way that we can lose. If we continue to be divided, there is no way that we can win! Let me give you a few examples of how we simply don't comprehend the life and death seriousness of this situation.

President Bush selects Norman Mineta as Secretary of Transportation. Although all of the terrorist attacks were committed by Muslim men between 17 and 40 years of age, Secretary Mineta refuses to allow profiling. Does that sound like we are taking this thing seriously? This is war! For the duration, we are going to have to give up some of the civil rights we have become accustomed to. We had better be prepared to lose some of our civil rights temporarily or we will most certainly lose all of them  permanently. And don't worry that it is a slippery slope. We gave up plenty of civil rights during WWII, and immediately restored them after the victory and in fact added many more since then. Do I blame President Bush or President Clinton before him? No, I blame us for blithely assuming we can maintain all of our Political Correctness, and all of our civil rights during this conflict and have a clean, lawful, honorable war. None of those words apply to war. Get them out of your head. Some have gone so far in their criticism of the war and/or the Administration that it almost seems they would literally like to see us lose  I hasten to add that this isn't because they are disloyal. It is because they just don't recognize what losing means. Nevertheless, that conduct gives the impression to the enemy that we are divided and weakening.  It concerns our friends, and it does great damage to our cause.

Of more recent vintage, the uproar fueled by the politicians and media regarding the treatment of some prisoners of war, perhaps exemplifies best  what I am saying. We have recently had an issue, involving the treatment of a few Muslim prisoners of war, by a small group of our military police. These are the type prisoners who just a few months ago were throwing their own people off buildings, cutting off their hands, cutting out their tongues and otherwise murdering their own people just for disagreeing with Saddam Hussein. And just a few years ago these same type prisoners chemically killed 400,000  of their own people for the same reason. They are also the same type enemy fighters, who recently were burning Americans, and dragging their charred corpses through the streets of Iraq.  And still more recently, the same type enemy that was and is providing videos to all news sources internationally, of the beheading of American prisoners they held.

Compare this with some of our press and politicians, who for several days have thought and talked about nothing else but the "humiliating" of some Muslim prisoners -- not burning them, not dragging their charred corpses through the streets, not beheading them, but "humiliating" them. Can this be for real? The politicians and pundits have even talked of impeachment of the Secretary of Defense. If this doesn't show the complete lack of comprehension and understanding of the seriousness of the enemy we are fighting, the life and death struggle we are in and the disastrous results of losing this  war, nothing can.

To bring our country to a virtual political standstill over this prisoner issue makes us look like Nero playing his fiddle as Rome burned -- totally oblivious to what is going on in the real world. Neither we, nor any other country, can survive this internal strife. Again I say, this does not mean that some of our politicians or media people are disloyal. It simply  means that they are absolutely oblivious to the magnitude, of the situation we are in and into which the Muslim terrorists have been pushing us, for many years Remember, the Muslim terrorists stated goal is to kill all infidels! That translates into ALL non-Muslims -- not just in the United States, but throughout the world.  We are the last bastion of defense.

We have been criticized for many years as being 'arrogant.' That charge is valid in at least one respect. We are arrogant in that we believe that we are so good, powerful and smart, that we can win the hearts and minds of all those who attack us, and that with both hands tied behind our back, we can defeat anything bad in the world! We can't! If we don't recognize this, our nation as we know it will not survive, and no other free country in the world will survive if we are defeated. And finally, name any Muslim countries throughout the world that allow freedom of speech, freedom of thought, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, equal rights for anyone -- let alone everyone; equal status or any status for women; nor any Muslim countries that have been productive in one single way that contributes to the good of the world.

This has been a long way of saying that we must be united on this war or we will be equated in the history books to the self-inflicted fall of the Roman Empire. That is, if the Muslim leaders will allow history books to be written or read. If we don't win this war right now, keep a close eye on how the Muslims take over France in the next 5 years or less. They will continue to increase the Muslim population of France and continue to encroach little by little, on the established French traditions. The French will be fighting among themselves, over what should or should not be done, which will continue to weaken them and keep them from any united resolve. Doesn't that sound eerily familiar? Democracies don't have their freedoms taken away from them by some external military force. Instead, they give their freedoms away, politically correct piece by politically correct piece. And they are giving those freedoms away to those who have shown,  worldwide, that they abhor freedom and will not apply it to you or even to themselves, once they are in power. They have universally shown that when they have taken over, they then start brutally killing each other over who will be the few who control the masses.  Will we ever stop hearing from the politically correct, about the "peaceful Muslims"?

THE NEW WORLD ORDER

The Left and the Right of it

Since the Persian Gulf war of the early 1990's, there has been a great deal of rhetoric relevant to a new world order. For many this is not a new concept or even a new name. It was around before we became a nation and is promulgated by Satan. Those familiar with the scriptures know that God is, even now, preparing the way for his millennial world order in which all whose names are written in the Book of Life and who are sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise shall participate (Revelation 7:2-4, 13-14, 9:4). Whatever God sets his hand to do, the adversary is bound to imitate through the instrumentality of his organized conspiratorial forces here in the mortal world. Satan too has a millennial order in preparation to implement the same plan of absolute control he proposed in the primordial world (Ether 8:18-25). Those who submit to Satan's new world order will find every aspect of their lives subject to the mandate of the beast of Revelation Chapter13 –- the beast is both a governing world order and the man who heads it. The beast will promise temporal security to all who obediently accept his mark in their hands or foreheads (Revelation 13:16-18) and will assure us that his plan will resolve all the social and environmental problems we suffer under at present or can imagine in the future. There will be no more abused wives and children, homes will become democratic institutions, and children will be protected from parental abuse by the State. This may sound very good on the surface but what kind of malicious mischief lurks behind the promises? Government promise is always an instrument to garner power, to secure and enforce control.

The Satanic Option– the Left of it

The great Satanic conspiracy is the anti-gospel promulgated by the anti-gods. It has been with us since Cain covenanted with Satan and stands always in opposition to Zion, to God's new world order and plan of salvation. Therefore, it stands in opposition to our spiritual rebirth. Its appeal is temporal power and gain without spiritual obligation, faith, or spiritual sensitivity of any kind. One is not even required to believe in any particular thing. Satan honors those who deny God, whether they worship him or not. They can be their own gods, worshiping wood or stone or gold or sensual pleasures. Satan honors those who both knowingly and unknowingly serve him. He honors them with temporal power and gain, but they have no extended promise. When their demise is of more use to Satan than their continued existence, they have no promise, no joy in eternity.

This anti-gospel was abroad in other worlds and will be abroad in future worlds. It has continuity throughout the eternities and stands forever in opposition to the gods. There must be opposition in all things, for without it, there could be no progress. It is always there, but God is always in secure control-always! Satan is a usurper who is allowed temporal power in this telestial world, but he has no secure dominion of his own and nothing eternal to offer those who serve him.

In this telestial world, Zion is ever beleaguered by Satan's conspiratorial opposition. As we read about the conspiracy (secret combinations) in the Book of Mormon, we learn of things recognizable in our present society. We learn not only of its existence anciently but also of its prophesied existence in our own day. We learn of its general political and social impact, its secretive nature, and its commitment to murder for power and gain. However, since the Book of Mormon prophets were forbidden to elaborate on its religious aspects and ritual forms, we fail to realize the total depth and pervasiveness of Satan's highly secret intrigue. The true nature of the conspiracy is political, religious, ritualistic, covert, and devoted to murder as a ritual (ordinance) for power and gain as revealed in the scriptural narrative of its origin. Furthermore, as modern archeological study demonstrates, Satanic ritual has always involved sensuality and the blood of human sacrifice.

. . . to that being who beguiled our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness. (II Nephi 9:9).

We must ask ourselves what Nephi means when he says "all manner of secret works of darkness." It requires but little stretching of our imaginations to realize that the ritual and sexual abuses now being reported and uncovered in the communities of our nation and church are factual. We hear of a multitude of incidents of ritual abuse uncovered not only by court ordered investigations of certain daycare centers around the nation, but even discovered inside the Church, instances of which were reported to Elder Glen Pace. What has recently been discovered is almost more than a sane mind can grasp. Thoughtful analysis of the pertinent scriptures will persuade us that even unproven allegations are probably true and that Satanism is definitely entrenched in all aspects of our society.

The roots of Satanism are found in the creation narrative and expand from there to an elaborate complex in the Book of Mormon. Its modern culmination is prophesied and exposed both in the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. In these latter days, Satanism in one form or another virtually rules the world. Satan has control of the international economy, the power to make war and make or break nations, just as Moroni prophesied hundreds of years ago.

In Ether 8:18-26 quoted on the first page of this document, Moroni speaks directly to us of our day. He interrupts his work on the Jaredite record because he saw in the Jaredite destruction a color of thread very similar to what he observed in his own society and, as he was shown, to exist in ours. He warned us saying, “Behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing" (Mormon 8:35). He then records in the book of Ether a dire warning of the existence of modern day secret satanic combinations (cults and political associations). His warning is included again at this point for the purpose of emphasis.

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 shall 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  (Ether 8:22-26).

We have to admit that these secret combinations are even now at work in this and most other nation of the world, promulgating an insidious new world order. Moroni believed them to be even closer to us than we realize.

35 Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not.  But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.

36 And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts. 

37 For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.

38 O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God?  Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ?  Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies-- because of the praise of the world?

39 Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not?  

40 Yea, why do ye build up your secret abominations to get gain, and cause that widows should mourn before the Lord, and also orphans to mourn before the Lord, and also the blood of their fathers and their husbands to cry unto the Lord from the ground, for vengeance upon your heads? 

41 Behold, the sword of vengeance hangeth over you; and the time soon cometh that he avengeth the blood of the saints upon you, for he will not suffer their cries any longer (Mormon 8:35-41).

What did Moroni say in his father's record? Did he not directly accuse us of deceits,  of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, even  murders,  priestcrafts,  whoredoms, and of secret abominations?

Can anyone deny that the church is presently beleaguered by satanic practices in the face of findings by Glen Pace formerly of the Presiding Bishopric who discovered numerous instances of satanic cult activities in the church? Would Satan not do everything in his power to invade the Lord’s church if he is allowed even the slightest opportunity?

Here are the Lord's words issued directly to us and found in our own scriptures -- the Doctrine and Covenants.

7 But behold, verily, verily, I say unto you that mine eyes are upon you. I am in your midst and ye cannot see me; 

8 But the day soon cometh that ye shall see me, and know that I am; for the veil of darkness shall soon be rent, and he that is not purified shall not abide the day. 

9 Wherefore, gird up your loins and be prepared. Behold, the kingdom is yours, and the enemy shall not overcome.

10 Verily I say unto you, ye are clean, but not all; and there is none else with whom I am well pleased; 

11 For all flesh is corrupted before me; and the powers of darkness prevail upon the earth, among the children of men, in the presence of all the hosts of heaven— 

12 Which causeth silence to reign, (that infamous half hour of silence Rev 8:1 to 11:15) and all eternity is pained, and the angels are waiting the great commandment to reap down the earth, to gather the tares that they may be burned; and, behold, the enemy is combined.

13 And now I show unto you a mystery, a thing which is had in secret chambers, to bring to pass even your destruction in process of time, and ye knew it not; 

14 But now I tell it unto you, and ye are blessed, not because of your iniquity, neither your hearts of unbelief; for verily some of you are guilty before me, but I shall be merciful unto your weakness.

15 Therefore, be ye strong from henceforth; fear not, for the kingdom is yours.(D&C 38:7-15).

28 And again, I say unto you that the enemy in the secret chambers seeketh your lives. 

29 Ye hear of wars in far countries, and you say that there shall soon be great wars in far countries, but ye know not the hearts of men in your own land. 

30 I tell you these things because of your prayers; wherefore, treasure up wisdom in your bosoms, lest the wickedness of men reveal these things unto you by their wickedness, in a manner which shall speak in your ears with a voice louder than that which shall shake the earth; but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear. 

31 And that ye might escape the power of the enemy, and be gathered unto me a righteous people, without spot and blameless  (DC 38:28-31).

Immunity to apocalyptic harm is a matter of thrusting Satan out of our lives, out of our families. That effort will surely culminate in the fulness of our repentance, our spiritual rebirth and, therefore, our redemption. If we fail to achieve that requirement, we simply won’t see the day of the Lord’s return.

The Book of Mormon is true. Moroni truly saw our day (Ether 8) as did, John in the book of Revelation. The modern conspiracy is already at its zenith of power and control over national and world events and people. Can we see it? Can we deny it? Can we do anything about it?

Yes, we can do something about it. We cannot change the world nor the tide of latter-day events, but we can change ourselves, our own lives. We can repent and be born of the Spirit, and terminate our captivity in Babylon– Satan's kingdom. We can take our truth from the Holy Spirit and sever our dependency on Babylon's captive news media for understanding of what is happening in the world and all around us. We can place ourselves at the Lord's disposal and know that he will receive us, employ us full time in his Kingdom, supply our every need, and defend us in our hour of challenge, and he will do it with unimaginable promises from here through all the crises and to Zion.

When we are born of the Spirit, the world will no longer have access to us beyond what we ourselves allow. What else could ever deliver us from the slavery of the beast of the Book of Revelation, the false prophet of Rev 13:11, 16:13, and 19:20?

The Zion Option– the Right of it

Even at this moment we are choosing the path we will pursue. There are but two options:  1) We are preparing to accept the seal of our God and endure the vengeance and depredations of the beast for a little season, but with divine support, or 2) we are preparing, by default, to accept the mark of the beast when it is imposed, thus enduring the displeasure of God.  That means being deprived of the Lord's gifts and protection in the midst of a consuming chaos, and finally, the burning of the tares along with the beast and false prophet of the Book of Revelation (Revelation 19:20).

A great deal of emphasis is placed on laying away a year or two years' supply of temporal provisions, but that, by itself, will never secure anyone against the beast. Only the seal of God can secure us. If we are sealed his and are born of the Spirit, we have his promise; if not, we have no promise.

The plagues, chaos, and destruction of the latter days will descend primarily upon the unrepentant, while those who are diligent in their repentance will be spiritually reborn and thereby avoid the greater part of the depredations of the beast and the natural calamities prophesied for the times immediately ahead of us.

If talk of a world government, a new world order, a cashless society, bar codes, smart cards, individual registration and ID numbers, subcutaneous implants, and emergency executive orders imposing total control of humanity are a source of deep concern and consternation to you, then the things presented here should be of great value. The only way one can resist the beast is to be born of the Spirit and sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, thus acquiring the power of the spiritual gifts enabling one to defy the beast and survive.

Among members of the Church, there is a great tendency to believe that the Latter-day Saints are those who will be spared the holocaust of the Book of Revelation. But a review of early Church literature relevant to the remnant will definitely demonstrate the fallacy of that naive belief. It is clear that only a portion of the LDS people will come out of this church to establish Zion. During the late 1800's, this was a crucial concept extensively talked of in the Church.

Joseph Smith:

His words will go forth, in these last days, in purity;If Zion will not purify herself, so as to be approved of in all things, in his sight, he will seek another people (TPJS, 18).

Brigham Young:

God will preserve a portion of his people, the meek and the humble, to bear off the kingdom to the inhabitants of the earth and will defend his priesthood; for it is the last time, the last gathering time (The Contributor, 10:362).

The  concept that a portion of this people will be brought out of this people was expressed by a number of other early leaders.

Heber C. Kimball:

The day will come when the Lord will choose a people out of this people, upon whom he will bestow his choicest blessings. . . (JD 11:45).

Daniel H. Wells:

There will come up from the midst of this people that people that has been talked so much about... (Deseret News, Dec. 9, 1882).

George Q. Cannon:

There will be a people raised up, if we  will not be that people–  there will yet be a people raised up whose lives  will embody in perfection the revelations contained in this book (probably the D&C). . . and they will be raised up, too, in this generation, and such a  people will have to be raised up before Zion can be fully redeemed . . . (JD 24:144).

Jesus Christ:

To the righteous Nephite people, Jesus also spoke of a people to come out of the LDS people.

10 And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them.

11 And then will I remember my covenant which I have made unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them.

12 And I will show unto thee, O house of Israel, that the Gentiles shall not have power over you; but I will remember my covenant unto you, O house of Israel, and ye shall come unto the knowledge of the fulness of my gospel.

13 But if the Gentiles will repent and return unto me, saith the Father, behold they shall be numbered among my people, O house of Israel.

14 And I will not suffer my people, who are of the house of Israel, to go through among them, and tread them down, saith the Father.

15 But if they will not turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, I will suffer them, yea, I will suffer my people, O house of Israel, that they shall go through among them, and shall tread them down, and they shall be as salt that hath lost its savor, which is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of my people, O house of Israel (III Nephi 16:10-15).

The question which should challenge our minds at this point is how this choosing and separation is to be accomplished. The one sure way that this separation will be achieved is by the process of divine reclamation known as sanctification and spiritual rebirth which effects translation. The sanctifier is Christ and the process is the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost wherein we are born of the spirit (John 3:3-8). This spiritual process of sifting is a matter we generally know far too little about.

CITIZENSHIP IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD

An in-depth study of the Kingdom of God and its citizenship soon reveals a complex of related requirements, institutions, structures, and offices of which the Church is only the ecclesiastical portion. There are four very basic questions relevant to the Kingdom of God to which every person in quest of the truth must find answers:

1.             What is the Kingdom of God?

2.             What are the qualifications for citizenship?

3.             How is citizenship conferred?

4.             What are the blessings, powers, and privileges?

What is the Kingdom of God?

There is no simple answer to that question. We must define the Kingdom as it exists in various situations. There is always some representation of the Kingdom of God on the earth. In the depths of apostasy it could be no more than a single authorized person, in which case he could be viewed as the Kingdom of God on earth (TPJS, 271). He is not the whole Kingdom, however. He is only a fragment of it. And so it has been through much of the earth's history. Sometimes the extant part of the Kingdom has only been a small group of people, a hidden branch, a remnant, but one day the stone shall roll forth to fill the entire earth as Daniel foretold (Daniel 2:31-45).

Some say the latter-day Church is the Kingdom of God. It is; however, it is only the ecclesiastical portion of the Kingdom, even though at present it may be the only visible portion that exists on the face of the earth. One might ask what evidence there is for this conclusion. The evidence is as follows:

Revelation 12 speaks of a woman who brings forth a child. In Joseph's inspired revision of Revelation 12, the woman is identified as the Church and the child as the Kingdom of God. Why did Joseph add these identities if not to assure us that the Kingdom of God grows out of the Church and is a distinct entity?  In Jesus' discussion with Nicodemus (John 3:3-5), he makes it plain that one must be born of the water (baptism of water) and born of the Spirit (baptism of the Spirit or fire) in order to enter the Kingdom of God. Hence, simply becoming a member of the Church does not constitute citizenship in the Kingdom of God. Among mortals, only those who have been born again– born of the Spirit constitute the citizenry of the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God exists eternally and will eventually reign supreme on the earth. This will be Zion. For the present, however, Zion is confined to the pure in heart who have been baptized with fire and the Holy Ghost and are, therefore, born again to enter the Kingdom of God  (John 3:3-5). Zion, the full Kingdom of God, exists even now but is only tangible to those who are born again and to whom the Kingdom has been given as expressed in D&C 38:7-15.  When Joseph Smith implemented the fulness of the Kingdom of God (which he did, but which was soon lost to us), it was an entity organized with a presiding priesthood counsel and two essential arms: The ecclesiastical arm– the church. And the political arm known as the Council of fifty.

What are the Qualifications For Citizenship?

The qualifications for citizenship in the kingdom of God are few but irrevocable and are as follows:

First, Repentance: Jesus taught that the Kingdom of God is within us (Luke 17:21). Languishing in exile from this personal, individual Kingdom of God, there is a prince who longs to be repatriated and secure his birthright. This exiled prince is the intelligence, the rightful heir His domain is seized by a usurper, the spirit of the natural man, who corrupts that personal kingdom with worldliness. From his exile, the prince pleads with his dominion to cast out that usurper, repent, and accept the royal heir!

Repentance is the highway to the Kingdom of God (III Nephi. 9:22) As previously observed, repentance is not just a matter of abandoning the things we shouldn't do and adopting the things we should do, rather, it is a matter of changing our minds and desires to love everyone and loath the world, having no desire to remain born of the flesh but to have the mind and the will of God. Our personal desires must conform entirely to His.

Second, Knowledge of God: Joseph Smith once said, "If we do not know God, we do not know ourselves." And if we don't know ourselves, we certainly don't know what we will be or where we're going. We may have some vague or general idea like being celestial creatures in the celestial kingdom, but such vague, distant concepts have not the power to compel us beyond our worldly penchants. When we truly understand the revelations of the scriptures, we will throw away the world, strip ourselves naked of worldly stuff, see the world as the restraining prison it really is, and despise it. We will long for the Kingdom of God and pray unceasingly for its advent in our lives.

Third, A Broken Heart and Contrite Spirit: Inwardly, our feelings and attitudes must be reconciled with the divine nature. We must be humbled into awareness of our comparative nothingness before God (Mosiah 4: 5, II); viewing our worthless and fallen state for the nothingness it is, become broke hearted for our sins and repent. A broken heart and contrite spirit are the first of the two great sacrifices required.

But blessed are the poor who are pure in heart, whose hearts are broken and whose spirits are contrite for they shall see the kingdom of God coming in power and great glory unto their deliverance. (D&C 56:17-18)

And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost. (III Nephi 9:20; also 12:19; II Nephi 2:7; D&C 56:18)

Fourth, the Sacrifice Of All Things: The sacrifice of all earthly things (Lectures on Faith lecture 6, paragraph 7) is for many the ultimate test. This sacrifice applies to all material things, honors of men, and desires of the flesh. If the previously mentioned sacrifice of a broken heart and contrite spirit has been accomplished, this sacrifice will be accomplished without thought or calculation and it will not seem to have been a sacrifice at all. We shall loathe the world and its trappings and honors.

The sacrifice of all things is not of necessity a matter of relinquishing title to anything we possess. That may or may not be required of us at some point along the way, but in reality, the sacrifice of earthly things is an accomplished fact when we come to realize and acknowledge that it all belongs to God. When we accept that fact axiomatically, we cease desiring to own or possess anything, not even the stewardship the Lord delivers to us. Even that must be used as the Spirit directs.

It is apparent from the above that the qualifications for citizenship in the Kingdom of God, for the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, and for the spiritual rebirth are the same; and the gate to the straight and narrow path to eternal life spoken of by Nephi (II Nephi 31:13-21) is also the gate to the Kingdom of God just as Jesus assured Nicodemus (John 3:3-5).

How is Citizenship Conferred?

Citizenship in the Kingdom of God is conferred by ordinances, ordination, instruction and sealing.

Ordinances: the second anointings administered by mortal hands in the temple (or by the holy order of the church of the firstborn) and the baptism of fire administered by the Lord personally (III Nephi 12:1).

Ordination: for men and women: ordination as Kings and queens, priests and priestesses in the Holy Order of the Priesthood (II Nephi 6:2; D&C 76:52- 56 and the instructions preliminary to the endowment).

Instruction: God will personally teach us and administer the oath and covenant of the priesthood (D&C 84:38-42, 48).

Sealing: by the Holy Spirit of promise (D&C 76:52-53, 88:3).

What are the Blessings, Powers, and Privilege?

Marvelous benefits are to be realized by those to whom the Kingdom is given, who are born of the Spirit and reconciled with the heir– their intelligences.

￢            The spiritual gifts become common (Moroni10:8-26, D&C 84:62-76, 35:8-14).

￢            The truth of all things is theirs (John 14:26; I John 2:20, 27; D&C 39:6, 93:28).

￢            They possess all things (D&C 50:26-28, 76:55-59, 78:19-22).

￢            They have a place in the church of the firstborn (D&C 76:52-54).

￢            They labor under Zion's economy, even while in this world (D&C 64:33-36).

The Lord admonishes us to seek the Kingdom where all of our temporal needs shall be fulfilled (Matthew 6:19-34). But the laborer in Zion must labor for Zion (II Nephi 26:31), for we cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:19-24; III Nephi 13:19-24).

Citizenship in the Kingdom of God is worthy of our deepest and most ardent desire. There are those who contemplate Zion with great anticipation. When Lehi's family was threatened, they left everything and fled into a vast wilderness. They came to an even greater wilderness where they were free of any impinging divergent society. But there is no physical wilderness left to us today.

Babylon holds the entire earth in her iron grip, but there is one remaining frontier. That final frontier is not "out there," however; it is within our hearts and in our commitment to the presently invisible spiritual dimension of Zion and the Kingdom of God.  We tend to believe that there is presently no way to get there from where we are, but Zion must flourish in the hearts of a valiant remnant before it can become a tangible reality.

Before the Lord can return, there has to be a place and a people to receive him. Zion will be redeemed by this present generation even if the Lord must whip us into shape with affliction. There is a better way, however– a demanding but rewarding quest for spiritual rebirth.