"Privatized Morality"

Warning voices
 from the ARC

If you tuned into the recent ARC (Alliance for Responsible Citizenship¹) conference in London, England, you may have heard David Brooks² use the phrase "privatized morality" which struck me as the perfect two-word summary for a major trend of the past 50-odd years — perfect for the repeating pattern of every person, group, or nation that adheres to the ideology of Korihor³ where:

every man fared in this life according to the management of the creature; therefore every man prospered according to his genius, and that every man conquered according to his strength; and whatsoever a man did was no crime (Book of Mormon | Alma 30:17; bold emphasis added).

"Privatized morality" also summarizes my post of one-year ago: Moral Orientation: Part III - Self-as-Sovereign.⁴

The moment David Brooks CHALLENGED world leaders at ARC 2025
(Alliance for Responsible Citizenship | Feb 18, 2025 | Time 14:17 min.) at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSa52TR9tCA

There were many truth-tellers at this third-annual ARC conference. They didn't all agree on current events and personalities, but they felt free to speak their minds. As it stands, the mix of good and bad is unfolding so rapidly that hindsight may prove the only true understanding of the justice and judgments of our time. Yes, (finally!) much long-standing, pervasive corruption is being rooted out, but are we seeing 360, 180, or less? Where is the Constitution headed in this rout? And if history repeats itself, undoubtedly, so will this observation:

39 We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.
(Doctrine & Covenants 121:39; bold emphasis added)

Let us not be so locked into what is being made visible from the past that we do not observe the present. Let us observe all things 360 and remember the persistence of déjà vu.

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1. https://www.arcforum.com/
- https://www.youtube.com/@arc_conference/featured
The Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) is an international organisation whose aim is to unite conservative voices and propose policy based on traditional Western values. It is associated with psychologist and political commentator Jordan Peterson. It was founded in June 2023, with a London conference held in October of that year.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliance_for_Responsible_Citizenship
- https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2023/11/time-to-board-arc.html
2. David Brooks (born August 11, 1961)[1] is a Canadian-born American book author and political and cultural commentator. Though he describes himself as an ideologic moderate, others have characterised him as centrist, moderate conservative, or conservative, based on his record as contributor to the PBS NewsHour, and as opinion columnist for The New York Times[2][page needed][3][better source needed]. In addition to his shorter form writing, Brooks has authored six non-fiction books since 2000, two appearing from Simon and Schuster, and four from Random House, the latter including The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement (2011), and The Road to Character (2015). Beginning as a police reporter in Chicago and as an intern at William F. Buckley's National Review, Brooks rose to his positions at The Times, NPR, and PBS[1] after a long series of other journalistic positions (film critic for The Washington Times, reporter and op-ed editor at The Wall Street Journal,[4][full citation needed] senior editor at The Weekly Standard, and contributing editor at Newsweek and The Atlantic Monthly).[when?][citation needed]
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Brooks_(commentator)
- https://heroes-and-hydras.blogspot.com/2025/02/58-david-brooks-author-political.html
3. Book of Mormon character: "Korihor, antichrist who was successful in Zarahemla and Gideon, but was run out of Jershon. Debated Giddonah2 and Alma2, was struck dumb, then trodden down by Zoramites (c. 74 BC).[157]" [Book of Mormon | Alma 30] by
4. https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2024/02/moral-orientation-part-iii-self-as.html

Invitation to Pray for the Cardston Alberta Temple

Cardston Alberta Temple
Image source below footnotes

Last year I posted two blogs concerning the Cardston Alberta Temple here¹ and here.² Having just received notice of the planned 2027, 6-month open house for the Salt Lake Temple (now converted from a progressive pattern to single-room instruction), I was reminded of the massive de- and re-construction of the interior of that iconic building following costly seismic reinforcement despite its dedicatory prayer of preservation against seismic events.³ I cannot imagine a similar fate of single-room instruction being forced upon one of the few remaining progressive temples of the Church, if that is the plan.

Cardston, too, has its own preserving dedicatory blessing,⁴ yet the rumor is that seismic upgrade is also planned for Cardston. Who could have imagined what seismic "reason" would result in for the Salt Lake Temple? Yes, the end result for Salt Lake may be beautiful when it is finally seen, but was it done with the knowledge and required  consent of the people⁵?

Cardston is one of the few remaining temples maintaining the progressive pattern of early temple building by the restored church. Is it important to preserve that pattern? Let us  pray that if it is, it will be preserved in its present beauty.  The destruction that would be required to convert it to single-room instruction is beyond comprehension. As to seismic necessity? can we not trust in its re-dedicatory prayer of 1991?

As a side note: the structure of the Cardston Temple is unique in that its capstone can be seen from the ground, uniting the corners in a single peak; into a chief or head cornerstone as it were, symbolizing the unifying, overarching mission of Christ.

19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation* of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit (Ephesians 2:19-22).

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1. https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2024/08/saving-restored-cardston-alberta-temple.html
2. https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2024/10/a-slippery-seismic-slope.html
3. see footnotes 1 & 2
4. Paragraph from the Cardston Alberta Temple Dedicatory Prayer | June 22, 1991
“We dedicate the structure from the footings and foundation to the highest elevation of the roof that it may stand firm and immovable against any trembling of the earth and against the storms of nature that may beat upon these walls. We pray that thou wilt preserve it from desecration at the hands of any with evil intent.” (https://www.thechurchnews.com/1991/6/29/23260491/cardston-alberta-temple-touch-the-hearts-of-thy-people-with-the-spirit-of-elijah-the-prophet/)
5. Doctrine & Covenants 26:2
    2 And all things shall be done by common consent in the church, by much prayer and faith, for all things you shall receive by faith. Amen
Doctrine & Covenants 28:13
    13 For all things must be done in order, and by common consent in the church, by the prayer of faith.
(See also Doctrine & Covenants 104:21)

* Which foundation do we look to (30-34 AD? 1830-1844 AD?) if foundational things change?

Image:

Page URL: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cardston_Alberta_Temple.jpg
Attribution: Kim Siever, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons