On Becoming Joint Heirs with Christ

What a marvelous and wondrous thing it is to have one of my sons at my side in front of a sacred edifice over whose portals is inscribed the legend, “HOLINESS TO THE LORD, THE HOUSE OF THE LORD.” I desire to do so with all of my children. During my lifetime, it has been my lot to be present when men, women, and children have died, often violently. I have closed the eyes of the pure and innocent as they departed from this mortal existence. I know something of death. And more than most, I know something of that which awaits us as we cross the veil. Having confronted violence numerous times, I am grateful for the tender prayers of my angel mother. With prophetic insights she prayed, nearly 50 years ago, that I would never be compelled to take a life. “Should that happen, you will not be able to work in the House of the Lord.” In that day, half a century ago, the nearest temple was a thousand miles away. Today there is a temple forty five minutes away. How could she have known? On this day, my greatest desire is that my beloved children, all of them, might be redeemed. It is my prayer that each might strive to be worthy of entrance into the House of the Lord. Where repentance is needed, we remember the words of Ezekiel: “If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.” (Ezekiel 33:14,15) What a marvelous promise! Having repented of our sins, when in a future day we appear at the bar before our Lord, none of our sins will be mentioned! Indeed, the promise is sure: “Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.” (Doctrine and Covenants 58:42) On the other hand, should we be remiss, and cross the veil in our sins, how dreadful shall be that meeting, when we will view with Him, as on a movie screen, our filthy thoughts and shameful acts, and are consigned to a lesser place, because we would not have better! Of our own selves, we would not enter a better, knowing ourselves not worthy of such. How great, and how tragic, shall be our regret over what might have been! All will be resurrected, of that I have no doubt. But only those who have become pure through repentance will be worthy to live with their families, and in the presence of God. “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” (Romans 8:17) Let us not be like the man who is invited to festivities at the mansion of the king, Along the way he crosses a muddy field. By the time he reaches the mansion, his shoes, his clothing, are covered in mud. He may look in the window and view the beauty of the interior, and the elegantly dressed guests, but he will in no way enter in. Such will be our lot except we repent. Let us then make ourselves worthy, that we might exit from this life to greater living. If we will do so, the day will come when we will hear a voice saying: “… lift up thy head and rejoice, for thou hast great cause to rejoice; for thou hast been faithful in keeping the commandments of God…” ( The Book of Mormon, another testament of Jesus Christ, Alma 8:15)

On the use of violent and overwhelming force

 

They give so much, our military forces do, and in return receive so little. To ask them to do more, is heartrending, but to suppose that there will be no more boots on the ground because our President has given a speech assuring us of that, is to be somewhat naive. Though we Americans are loath to send our warriors to retake a hill unwisely abandoned, we ask the question; if our Armed Forces will not go after ISIS, what Army will?  There are the British, who have already begun to lead the way, but their military has not the strength nor the resources this nation does. Nonetheless, after the beheading of a British citizen yesterday, the British Prime Minister headed home immediately for an emergency meeting with his cabinet. There is the possibility of a coalition, but except Americans lead the way, it will not suffice. Ah, hindsight, oft grievous and burdensome hindsight! Politicians ought listen to those called upon to shed blood in behalf of their country. But the deed is done. Now, would that our President come to the understanding that, having once abandoned a hard won objective, such grievous happenings as the beheading of any American citizen require an immediate, violent, and overwhelming response, the likes of which only the American Military is capable of. Except this is done, there will rise up other forces, which, were it possible, will be as evil, or more, then the present foe, in their contemptuous and unbridled scorning of a now impotent America. Four days have passed since our President’s speech. He said many of the right things, of that which people needed to hear, except to tell us “we are at war.” I said at the time,  “We shall see if the President’s resolve is equal to his rhetoric.” But instead, Mr. President, you vacillate, for four days have passed! Not now, but at the conclusion of your speech, massive bombing runs should have been authorized. Instead, your people measured the polls. With deep concern for our country and our children who will live in it when we are gone, we pray you will step down, for our nation is in danger, which fact you will not acknowledge.

Scorpions and ISIS

When we prepare for the worst, we lessen our fears of such. We batten the hatches, so to speak, against the oncoming storm, and then commend ourselves to God. Scorpions are undesirable within any home, so one hunts them out and kills them, wherever they may be found. ISIS ventures out of Syria to kill and conquer. It is logical to suppose that one goes to the nest and cleans them out. But if this administration cannot take so logical a step in Syria, which is half a world away, what will it do should terrorists strike out at the United States from their nesting place just across the border in Mexico?

Speak little, do much

The President will be addressing the nation the evening of 10 September regarding ISIS. One would put himself for a moment, into the mindset of the enemy. With the anniversary of 11 September the following day, are you throwing down the gauntlet, Mr. President? It is not wise to appear to challenge a bitter foe except one is up to meeting the threat. One may occupy a large enclosure with a wildcat, and eventually the wildcat may attack, but it is folly to provoke it, unless one has the means AND the will to kill it. The means, being the mightiest military in the world, have been available since ISIS first was brought to your attention twelve months past. The will, the backbone, a sense of expediency, as well as the humility to take counsel from your military advisers? Ah, to that sir, you have been a stranger! Mr. President, for the sake of our citizenry, beware of 11 September, for were it possible, on that day ISIS would blow up the world had it the means to do so. You have left open our Southern border for too long, allowing much unknown contraband and peoples to come across. Russia, China,  Iran, North Korea, and other hostile states are viewing your handling of this matter intently. It is our hope that during this ill advised press conference, you will not inform ISIS too completely of what our military intends to do. Stifle the  tendency to give out too much information. A little suspense before lowering the boom can be good for our side and terribly destructive to theirs. The United States Military holds firmly to the tactics of shock and awe, and you must not interfere in what you know little of.  Nor should you tell our enemies what we are not going to do, for such only encourages them. Much is at stake here, sir. Two Americans have been publicly beheaded. Ought not such a horrific murder be answered? Mr. President, the citizens of this nation, Democrats and Republicans alike, are united in their concern for the future of our beloved nation. These are grievous times, sir, and we pray for our nation. Yes, we pray for our nation, for after all that has been said to the contrary, by those who would see our destruction, we are a free and Christian nation. We will remain free as long as we recognize the only true God, and His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and adhere to their commandments. Therefore our prayers are in your behalf, that in the time left in your presidency, you will act wisely and firmly, putting the nation’s interests before your own. We invite your prayers as well, for so have other great leaders done before you. It would be folly to enter into so terrible a crisis without having consulted with our God. And then, having prayed earnestly, arise. Go forward. Speak little, but do much.   .

Will we not learn from history?

We are led by ineffectual weaklings who have not understood history. An assistant spokesperson for the administration extols the “harshness” of the sanctions imposed on Russia. “They need to know that we can be tough…” Please! We have not understood Putin, the thug who learned viciousness with the old Russian secret police agency, the KGB, within which he was an up and coming leader. In listening to the spokesperson explaining the President’s stand in the matter, one is reminded of the febrile breathings Neville Chamberlain, as he agreed to Adolph Hitler’s annexation of the Sudetenland in 1938. What followed in September of 1939 was Germany’s invasion of Poland. Why will we not learn from history? I am no admirer of John McCain, but he bears listening to in this instance. He berates the White House for their unwillingness to call what is taking place in the Ukraine as a Russian invasion, prefering to define it in a kinder, gentler way, calling it an “incursion.” McCain tells us, “…we in the West cannot say clearly that what Vladimir Putin is doing to Ukraine constitutes an invasion of a sovereign country…!” McCain pleads for the Administration to help the Ukranians by supplying them with heavy weaponry, and the means to take the fight to the Russians. “I beg of you to listen to me, President Obama!” He speaks with the frustration of one who knows his requests will fall on deaf ears. Indeed, we are led by weaklings. Consider, yesterday, (3 September 2014) Secretary of State John Kerry’s remarks: “…the United States has a biblical responsibility to confront global warming…to protect vulnerable Muslim majority countries…” Oh my! We may (or may not) understand his catering to Muslims, but to speak of global warming at this time? Please! In contrast, consider the words of the British Muslim, “political activist” and critic of British Society, Anjem Choudary:”We come here to civilise people, get them to come out of the darkness and injustice into the beauty of Islam.” He is speaking of Sharia Law, with all its brutality! Choudary, today a supporter of ISIS, called the 11 September terrorists “magnificent martyrs”, and in 2003 endorsed terrorist attacks by British Muslims, saying that a terror attack on British soil was “a matter of time.” We can expect the same here. To the Choudary’s of radical Muslim society, whether in Britain or America, or elsewhere, John Kerry will speak of global warming? What have we learned from history?

The case of the rowdy gym class

Back in the mid 1950’s, my junior high gym class was a rowdy bunch, with some tough kids in that class. Coach Bob Maddox was just the man to handle the class. He was all man, impressive in appearance, trim and fit, with his slightly graying brown hair combed straight back. With Coach Maddox in charge, everybody toed the line. When Zeke Torres, a tough 8th grader, got very out of line one day, Coach Maddox didn’t hesitate, applying his big wooden paddle on Zeke’s posterior with due diligence. Zeke got the message, and so did the rest of us.

The girl’s coach, Ms Sippel, on the other hand was tall, gangly, and uncoordinated. A vindictive person, given to talking too much, she was too weak to carry out her threats personally. However, her vituperative utterances to members of her following were clearly divisive, splitting her class in two factions.

When Coach Maddox left the class one week, Coach Sippel was left to handle things. The boy’s class quickly got out of hand, with the tougher, bigger kids taking over, and the wannabe tough kids following their lead. The bullying miscreants were first encouraged by Coach Sippel’s weakness, and then by her inexplicabe coddling up to, and eventually caving to them. Where discipline was clearly necessary, her aim was instead to manage the situation through passivness. Sheer bedlam was the result, with the smaller boys bearing the brunt of much bullying! Then, to make matters worse, rather than face up to what her spinelessness had created, Coach Sippel withdrew from the scene. She was present, but she was not, busying herself in myriad and mostly unimportant, and certainly less vexing problems.  Oh, if only she didn’t have to think about that rowdy boy’s gym class! Maybe, just maybe, things would get better if the class were left unattended. The smaller boys, wondered if they could last out the week, till their deliverance came.          

“All the world’s a stage,”  trumpeted Jaques, in William Shakespeare’s play, “As You Like It,”  and we might suggest that the rowdy gym class is symbolic of our world today. Coach Maddox may then be likened unto the influence of the United States on the world stage, and the leadership role it played, until recently. Things were not perfect, but the bullies knew their place. With Coach Maddox (the United States in all its military might) absent from the scene, the bullies are out in force, and the world is in turmoil.

I am no learned scholar, therefore accept my writings at your own risk, and judge them by your own readings of the goings on around you. I am a dreamer of dreams, and I begin to understand the dream of thirty five years past, of a civilian plane being flown deliberately into a building.

Immediate and decisive action is needed. Let us put politics aside, and unitedly pray for the good of our nation. Except we have strong leadership, we shall flounder, and as goes the United States, so goes the world.                                                                                             Our military is the mightiest in the world, but it has been much abused of late, fighting at the whim of political leaders, who repeatedly discount the advice of the military commanders on the ground. No terror group in the world can stand up to them, IF they are allowed to do their job. The hostages who have now been beheaded, were located in Syria. A Special Ops group of several dozen men was ready to move. Permission was requested from the President. It took him two weeks to make a decision, to give a green light to a mission which required immediate action! Nonetheless, the group found the location, but by now the hostages had been moved.                                                                                 Military operations rely on speed and overwhelming force. Thus, as in the case of the terrible Benghazi fiasco, such operations are hampered by civilian leaders who have no idea of the importance of striking hard and violently, and in virtually every instance, within a window of opportunity which is extremely small. That this nation’s warriors, the best in the world, should be required to wait for two weeks to take action, and this at the whim of a man who has never been in so much as a fist fight, is ludicrous.

And so it has been been in dealing with the savages of ISIS. The commander in chief has known about them for a year. Options have repeatedly been set before him by his military commanders, to include the total decimation and annihilation of the ISIS terrorists.                                                                         He has done that which is anathema to fighters; he has dawdled, finding the golf course and political fund raising more to his liking than giving his military commanders permission to wipe ISIS off the map. He has bragged about the 150 air strikes contucted by the US Air Force in the past month. We may understand how greatly he differs in thinking from his mlitary commanders, when we realize that they have suggested 200 air strikes a day!  We understand that air strikes alone will not get the job done.                                                                         With the Russians on the move, and China pushing the envelope in the Far East, and North Korea breathing threats; with Mexican Cartels and ISIS at our open Southern border, and with some Central and South American countries leaning toward Communism, America MUST retake the initiative, and regain its place as the foremost and most exceptional nation in the world.                                                                           Experts warn of pending attacks within this country. Close the Southern Border! In the face of threats within this country, we might show concern regarding the rationality of his thought, in the President’s assignment of forty Department of Justice investigators to Ferguson, Missouri, to make a case against a police officer in the shooting of a young Black man. Given the rising threats facing this country from within, (with September 11 on the horizon) thirty nine, if not all, of those investigators would be better used elsewhere.

Dear reader, it is time to make our voices known. We must, if we are going to save our country and avoid the possible eventuality of a world wide conflagration.

Let us come to the realization that ultimately this nation will be saved only when we recognize Jesus Christ as the God of this land. We must stand firm against those who would deny us our right to worship God. Where necessary, let us repent of our sins, and dedicate ourselves to keeping His commandments, all of them! Only then can we go before His throne of mercy with any expectation of having our prayers heard in behalf of our families and our country. Only then will we know the sweet comfort of standing in Holy places.

Let me close with counsel given by church leader Thomas S. Monson, “ communication with our Father in Heaven—including our prayers to Him and His inspiration to us—is necessary in order for us to weather the storms and trials of life. The Lord invites us, “Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me.” As we do so, we will feel His Spirit in our lives, providing us the desire and the courage to stand strong and firm in righteousness—to “stand … in holy places, and be not moved.”

Losing ourselves in service

I felt impressed, late one evening, to call a man I had great respect for. He was weeping, this strong man carrying many burdens, this great leader in righteousness, some tweny years my senior in age. As we spoke I assured him of the love I had for him, and of the love and admiration of so many who knew him, because of his kindness and life of unselfish service to others. Between sobs, he thanked me. Oh yes, he was a man who understood the value of gratitude; he was grateful I had called! Later his wife told me that I would not know in this life how much that call meant to him. He is gone now, but his memory is forever engraved in the hearts of so many who were touched by his example. And I shall ever be grateful, that to me was extended the privilege of calling him in his moment of need, and in that moment, to lighten his load. How blessed we shall be, if we do not ignore the promptings to reach out to another in need. In that moment, we are on the Lord’s errand. 

Weakness displayed, Mr President

Briefly, addressing our President’s media current meeting (August 22, 2014) regarding the beheading of an American citizen. Not the President, nor the Vice President, nor the National Security Advisor, but instead a deputy addresses the media. Weakness is displayed. Mr Rhodes is doing his best, but he is not qualified to speak when the President ought do so. In the President’s defense, we understand, with deep sadness, that another prisoner’s life is at risk. We pray this President and those around him be granted the wisdom to bring him home safely. However, our concerns are heightened by such behavior as that on the eve of the beheading, when the President returned to the game of golf immediately after his brief remarks. The world is burning, and the President of these great United States, purportably the most powerful nation on earth, is on vacation! Even your liberal supporters are concerned about the message this sends, Mr. President! Further, suggesting criminal prosecution for the perpetrators of this evil deed in lieu of removing such evil from the earth via military action? This is weakness displayed. Such weakness only fans the flames. There comes a time when evil must be confronted and eradicated. The horrible death of one American citizen, and the very real threat of horrible death to any American taken captive by ISIS is an indicator; the time is NOW.

The malignancy that is ISIS

Most forms of the dread disease, cancer, can by cured if caught early enough. However, If the malignancy is not treated immediately, it kills. In the Middle East, a malignant cancer is growing, with no effort being made to stop its growth. This malignant growth, we know as ISIS, and it has vowed to plant its flag on the White House lawn. So urgent is the need to act while the cancer is treatable, that even Pope Francis is appealing for action. Is there not a Doctor in the house?

Strength invites peace

????????????????????The bayonet, Australian soldiers WWI

It was the Roman emporer Hadrian (76-138 AD) who first coined the phrase “peace through strength.” [1] He added, “failing that, peace through threat.” Our MS missile system of the 1970’s was meant to be the threat behind our desire for peace. With the deterrent factor of the missile defense system in mind, in an article written in April 2010, I voiced my dismay at Mr. Obama’s dismantling of Europes missile defense system. [2] His reasons were specious, foolishly so; he was breaking with a Bush administration policy which had long soured relations with Russia! [3] The foolishness of that decision is now apparent for all to see. Putin was not long in taking advantage of such foolishness. And that is not all. Like falling dominoes, tyrants worldwide have fallen in step, quick to pounce, in the knowledge that the American eagle’s talons have been clipped.  

In view of of the perilous times we live in, our disadvantage is one of leadership. Most of those in leadership positions in Washington have no military experience. They have never experienced violence on a personal level. Modern day Neville Chamberlains, in the face of pure evil, they seek “peace for our time,” and follow it up verbally as did Chamberlain after his meeting with Hitler, “now go home and get a nice quiet sleep.” [4]

Consider the euphemisms now in use by this administration: Not war, but “kinetic military action.” Military steps, they tell us, can be “kinetic and non-kinetic.”  Oh my! Perhaps the reader may recall, nearly two years ago, the administration’s absurd announcement that they would no longer use the phrase “global war on terror” but instead replace it with the term “overseas contingency operations?” Or, Janet Napolitano attempting to downplay the harshness of the term “terrorist attack” with the softer, gentler, phrase, “man-caused disasters?”  [5]

Those who would coin the exigencies of war with gentler, softer, terms only exacerbate the dangers this nation is facing. The terror group “ISIS” for instance, ought never have been allowed to form. The commander in chief was warned repeatedly of such by his general officers on the ground, to no avail. How many American lives have been lost, fighting on foreign soil, and for naught, because of the unwillingness of the commander in chief to listen to his commanders on the ground!

Americans are made of sterner stuff than our civilian leadership supposes. The American soldiers, marines, sailors, and airmen, recoil in disgust when their leaders in Washington resort to wimpish, delicate, enfeebled, and pansylike language to describe what our warriors know to be war against an enemy who knows not the meaning of mercy; an enemy who hides behind women and children, and then kills them without pity.

No greater insult was rendered our warriors than the President’s retort to Mitt Romney during the presidential debates in 2012:  “Well, Governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets, because the nature of our military has changed.”[6]
Nonsense! The nature of our military has changed? A little more than two years prior to that 2012 debate, a platoon of marines battling insurgents at Now Zad Afghanistan, was given the order “fix bayonets!” and in that manner carried the field. [7]

Nothing prepares warriors for battle better than the command, “fix bayonets!” The bayonet, within gutting distance, can certainly be injurious to the morale of those against whom it is employed. It is the bayonet, and not political prattle, which epitomizes the nature of this nation’s warriors, this despite the efforts of our current civilian leadership to cripple our military.

God bless our the men and women of our military. We pray for their welfare. We owe them so much. So many of them have given so much. So many have given their all.

[1] Wikipedia “Peace through strength”

[2] “Obama gave enemies the advantage” NB Herald, April 10, 2010

[3] “Obama abandons missile defense shield in Europe” dtd April 9, 2010

[4] Wikipedia “Peace for our time”

[5] “This isn’t war, it’s a kinectic military action”  Ed Morrissey

[6] “Presidential debate: Sharp reaction to Obama’s bayonets”

[7] ibid, “Presidenial debate”