We live in an age of deceit. It is alarming to hear the elected leaders of this great nation resort to falsehoods and what is tantamount to treachery in their communications with the citizenry. Upon taking office the President takes an oath to uphold the Constitution:“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” {1} Members of Congress and other officers are “bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution…”{2} May I say then that we must trust no man or woman in high office, except he or she be bound by, and abide by the limits set for him or her by the Constitution. Thus we look on with alarm when the occupant of the highest office in the land, a self proclaimed Constitutional scholar, brazenly declares his plans to over ride the Constitution. We have no duty to stand by such a man when he ventures outside the bounds of the Constitution and his duty to the citizens of this nation. Given his actions, we find inspired truth in the declaration 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.” {3} Except such be checked, tyranny is then in the offing. And when those in their elected place as representatives of the Congress refuse to censure his actions, where can we turn? Our recourse is to support good and conscientious candidates, of whatever party, men and women aware of the great dangers facing our nation. And it is expedient that we educate ourselves in, and labor to save the Constitution, for it is imperiled by evil combinations and conspiracies within high offices of government. You may take askance at the next statement, but I shall declare it anyway, for it is prophetic and written for this very day, “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.” {4} Awake to a sense of your awful situation? The book from which that verse of scripture was taken declares that the greatest threat facing us today are secret combinations and their conspiracy of godlessness! There is no mistaking the threat, nor has the Book of Mormon failed to warn of it. Is this not what is happening in our nation today, as well as around the world? Can we not all agree that there is a war against God in our schools, our public buildings, and even in the halls of Congress? We hear of conspiracies and conspiracy theories, with the latter derided as the figment of active imaginations. Former Secretary of Agriculture and Church leader Ezra Taft Benson made the following statement, “There is no conspiracy theory in the Book of Mormon —it is a conspiracy fact.” How widespread is the conspiracy? We can begin to gauge it by the number of cover ups our government is presently involved in, any one of which would have spelled impeachment for former presidents. But a more ominous omen, a more accurate gauge of the danger we are in, can be seen by the refusal of the press to actively pursue the numerous misdeeds presently occurring in government. On the way to the writing of the First Amendment, Madison put forth the idea of a healthy and free press, stating that “freedom of the press, as one of the great bulwarks of liberty, shall be inviolable.” So it is that when a free press refuses to function in what can be regarded as their constitutional duty to accurately, and without bias, report the news, they become part of the conspiracy! Indeed, it is time to awake to a sense of our awful situation. I will go one step further. Given that I believe the Constitution of the United States to be inspired of God, it follows that those who will be empowered to save it and this great nation, will be righteous men and women who cannot be corrupted and bought; men and women inspired, supported, and ultimately commissioned by God to perform this great labor, by the shedding of blood if necessary. Repentance is in order, for “thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.” And then, there is prophetic warning: “Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.” {5} That is, we invest with little return on our investment; we eat food so refined it is of little nutritional value; we drink drinks which do not satisfy our thirst; and finally, inflation is devaluing our wages. Our country, and the Constitution, and our way of life, are in danger. Is it not time to consider our ways, and heed the call to repentance?
{1} The U.S. Constitution, Article ll, section 1, para 8
{2} Ibid, Article VI, para 3
{3} Doctrine and Covenants 121:39
{4} The Book of Mormon, Ether 8:14.
{5} Haggai 1:5-6