Yes, there is little doubt from newscasts and social media that the Americas, North and South, need to turn back to God, BUT how is that to be achieved? by government mandate? edict? Are our civic leaders to “make America pray again” as Trump says (2:30 min. mark)? OR are we all to freely “invite and encourage” Americans [and all people] to pray again? to encourage scripture reading as a daily endeavor? Of course, in a free and open society (as ours should be), civic leaders should be able to also invite and encourage the living of moral principles and to express their beliefs and grounding, but never to impose religious belief or practice on others; and never to discriminate based on differing religious belief.
We Are Bringing The Bible BACK To America‼️
(CMFI-USA Miracle Center | Nov 9, 2024 | Time 3:14 min.) at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnupISwtEB0
But the question is: If Christian Nationalism is going to take hold in this administration,2 are we setting ourselves up for a regression into sectarian tyranny via civic powers? the kind that ruled for so many centuries in Europe, and even in the early Americas? Do we think such regressions are impossible in today’s enlightened world? But who ever imagined what happened to conscience and worship during COVID-19, or with today’s censorship, mandates, persecutions, prosecutions, cancelling, etc.
In the latter half of 2023, I wrote a 5-part Déjà Vu II series about Church and State,3 so I will keep this post brief.
We are entering a dangerous time: on the Right, a rising Christian Nationalism; on the Left, an aging Fwokism4 and DEI-ism.5 Yes, the dogma of the Left was rejected by the majority on November 5th, but many of the disappointed Left are doubling down and vowing to aggressively resist the “old” ways that Trump represents to them. Meanwhile on the Right, many seem to be championing the ideology of Christian Nationalism, even if they do not know it. So what are Christians to do when they believe that Jesus Christ is the God of this land and are distressed that so many have inverted, abandoned, or never accepted His ways? — distressed that justice and judgment must come if the People do not awaken and repent? What do we do when Trump seems to say good things in one hour and not so good things in another?
Here are few guidelines:
Remember what Christ said about Caesar (civic authority):... Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar's; and unto God the things that are God's (New Testament | Matthew 22:21; D&C 63:25-26).Remember that conscience and worship are not under civic jurisdiction. As Joseph Smith wrote:11 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.Be alert to encroachments into matters of conscience or worship and protest them. Even a cursory reading of ardent Christian Nationalists should put us on high alert.
Remember:Please, let us be on alert because the adversary of all good has a proverbial forked tongue: one tactic to the right, another to the left.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 and Covenants | Section 121:39).Remember:In our probation and agency,6 Christ is in the Godhead of Heaven and Earth, and nowhere does He approve coercion of conscience or worship. When man attempts it, it is not of Christ; it is unrighteous dominion. And if men or women claim rights of conscience and belief to justify infringing upon the rights or liberties of others, that also is unrighteous dominion, not justified, and thus subject to civil penalty.7 Infringing acts of harm or violence always fall under civil authority for justice, judgment, and punishment.
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1. @jrutt2675 - 4 days ago (A comment appended to the above video.)
M= Make
A=America
G=Godly
A=Again
2. Not that Trump is a committed Christian Nationalist; but there are CNs who are and have been maneuvering since 1776 to breach the wall of separation that history had convinced the Founders to erect.
https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2023/09/5-church-state-christian-nationalism.html
3. https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/search/label/Church-State
4. https://dejavu-times.blogspot.com/2023/04/correction-fwoke.html
5. https://dejavu-times.blogspot.com/2023/03/dei-ology-great-pretense.html
6. https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-plan.html
Book of Mormon | 1 Nephi 10:20 21
20 Therefore remember, O man, for all thy doings thou shalt be brought into judgment.
21 Wherefore, if ye have sought to do wickedly in the days of your probation, then ye are found unclean before the judgment–seat of God; and no unclean thing can dwell with God; wherefore, ye must be cast off forever.
Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 2:21
21 And the days of the children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became a state of probation, and their time was lengthened, according to the commandments which the Lord God gave unto the children of men.
Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 9:27-28
27 But wo unto him that has the law given, yea, that has all the commandments of God, like unto us, and that transgresseth them, and that wasteth the days of his probation, for awful is his state!
28 O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.
Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 33:9
9 I also have charity for the Gentiles. But behold, for none of these can I hope except they shall be reconciled unto Christ, and enter into the narrow gate, and walk in the strait path which leads to life, and continue in the path until the end of the day of probation.
Book of Mormon | Alma 12:24
24 And we see that death comes upon mankind, yea, the death which has been spoken of by Amulek, which is the temporal death; nevertheless there was a space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead.
Book of Mormon | Alma 42:3-4, 10, 13
3 Now, we see that the man had become as God, knowing good and evil; and lest he should put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat and live forever, the Lord God placed cherubim and the flaming sword, that he should not partake of the fruit—
4 And thus we see, that there was a time granted unto man to repent, yea, a probationary time, a time to repent and serve God. ...
10 Therefore, as they had become carnal, sensual, and devilish, by nature, this probationary state became a state for them to prepare; it became a preparatory state. ...
13 Therefore, according to justice, the plan of redemption could not be brought about, only on conditions of repentance of men in this probationary state, yea, this preparatory state; for except it were for these conditions, mercy could not take effect except it should destroy the work of justice. Now the work of justice could not be destroyed; if so, God would cease to be God.
Book of Mormon | Helaman 13:38
38 But behold, your days of probation are past; ye have procrastinated the day of your salvation until it is everlastingly too late, and your destruction is made sure; yea, for ye have sought all the days of your lives for that which ye could not obtain; and ye have sought for happiness in doing iniquity, which thing is contrary to the nature of that righteousness which is in our great and Eternal Head.
Book of Mormon | Mormon 9:28
28 Be wise in the days of your probation; strip yourselves of all uncleanness; ask not, that ye may consume it on your lusts, but ask with a firmness unshaken, that ye will yield to no temptation, but that ye will serve the true and living God.
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 29:43-45
43 And thus did I, the Lord God, appoint unto man the days of his probation—that by his natural death he might be raised in immortality unto eternal life, even as many as would believe;
44 And they that believe not unto eternal damnation; for they cannot be redeemed from their spiritual fall, because they repent not;
45 For they love darkness rather than light, and their deeds are evil, and they receive their wages of whom they list to obey.
7. Doctrine and Covenants | Section 134:4-5
4 We believe that religion is instituted of God; and that men are amenable to him, and to him only, for the exercise of it, unless their religious opinions prompt them to infringe upon the rights and liberties of others; but we do not believe that human law has a right to interfere in prescribing rules of worship to bind the consciences of men, nor dictate forms for public or private devotion; that the civil magistrate should restrain crime, but never control conscience; should punish guilt, but never suppress the freedom of the soul.
5 We believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments in which they reside, while protected in their inherent and inalienable rights by the laws of such governments; and that sedition and rebellion are unbecoming every citizen thus protected, and should be punished accordingly; and that all governments have a right to enact such laws as in their own judgments are best calculated to secure the public interest; at the same time, however, holding sacred the freedom of conscience.
