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| Christus Statue |
Then many – including many major
business owners, lawyer establishments, and government officers (3) – grew proud of their newfound
station in life and belittled those who they felt were inferior. All the people
then began to be characterized by their job positions, wealth, and prestigious learning
degrees.(4) As part of that
growing cancer, they began to reject their Christian heritage (5) and persecute the believers.
Not many years passed before the people were again pitted
against each other: those who still clung to their Christian beliefs, and those
who – like a dog returning to his vomit (6) -- had turned away from those beliefs, thinking
them to be archaic and restrictive to a worldly lifestyle.
Sin was rampant as the people yielded themselves to the
enticements of Satan (7) –
in their homes, places of entertainment and even their fanciful houses of
worship.(8) At the heart
of their evil was their secret covenant to bring down and then transform their
own government.(9) Part
of that covenant included plots to take down the chief judge.(10)
Those who held tight to their hope in Christ and his coming
were thus targeted for all types of physical abuse and slander.(11) Rioting, plundering, and
killings were part of the tools the anti-Christians used in targeting their own
government and those who still believed in their government and in that God,
who they believed, was the author of their rights and privileges.(12)
Finally, a day was set for all to decide on their rights and
their future form of government.(13)
On the one side in this conflict, was a man who flattered his
followers (14) and
promised them virtually everything they desired, including sweet pies in the
sky. So desirous were his promises, that many Christian believers were swept up
in the euphoria.(15)
In opposition, was a man who had led the people to great
victories over their enemies,(16)
and who had helped his people to the greatest post-war prosperity they had ever
known. In his efforts to persuade the people, he hoisted a flag of liberty that
was emblazed with the words: “In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom,
and our peace, our wives, and our children.”(17) With that Flag of Liberty, he rallied the people in
all parts of the land to help retain God’s anointed form of government for this
Chosen Land, and impress those ideals in the hearts of all the people and their
children.
Thus, the two sides advanced their charge, looking forward
to that special date: Nov. 3, 2020.
Over and over, the Nephites in the Book of Mormon rode the
rollercoaster of repentance, prosperity, pride, rebellion, and suffering. All
the while the faithful looked forward to the coming of our Savior, Jesus
Christ.
In our era as Gentiles in the Chosen Land (18), the Dark One has enticed people
to turn evil into normal, normal into evil, false into truth and truth into
false. (19) We are in the
last of The Last Days. Will our nation survive? Will our God-inspired
Constitution and Bill of Rights endure?
1. 2 Nephi 10:19, 23-24 2. Alma 62:48-51 3. 3 Nephi 6:11
4. 3 Nephi 6:12 5. Alma 46:14-15 6. 3 Nephi 7:8
7. Moroni 7:12 8. 4 Nephi 1:26 9. Helaman 2:8
10. 3 Nephi 1:1 11. Alma 11:20 12. Mormon 2: 27-28
13. 3 Nephi 1:9-10 14. Alma 46:5 15. Alma 46:7-9
16. Alma 44:2-4 17. Alma 46:12 18. 2 Nephi 10: 11
19.
2 Nephi 15:20
