Author: Sagacity

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Jewish Jerusalem

There is one subject that always draws the attention of any Christian, well one that knows any Old Testament and New Testament history is the restoration of the Jews.  For the most part, restoration has ceased to be a naughty word in our generation.  While most Christians now use the term ‘revival’ it has a similar meaning.  But the restoration of the Jews is one most Christians are well aware.  They and we know that the Savior’s second coming will come after their restoration to Jerusalem.  It is one of those signs we are supposed to know.  Accordingly, most have watched for the day and have even done what they could to expedite the process.  In that vein, here is a scripture I find revealing in the Book of Mormon.
“But because of priestcrafts and iniquities, they at Jerusalem will stiffen their necks against him, that he be crucified.  Wherefore, because of their iniquities, destructions, famines, pestilences, and bloodshed shall come upon them; and they who shall not be destroyed shall be scattered among all nations” (2 Nephi 10:5-6).
There is little debate this part of the sermon by Jacob has taken place.  They have surely known destruction, famine, pestilence, and the most horrid bloodshed.  The latest of which took place in the past century.  Even before then, the scattering was well under way.  If it were not for the scattering, Hitler probably would not have had so many opportunities to shed their blood.  We see the Crusades and innumerable other attacks on Jerusalem from a variety of people. Christians through the ages have recognized the need of the restoration of the Jews to the Holy Land.
Over the centuries attempt after attempt has been made to relocate them back.  The Crimean war is a great example.  The French and Russians claimed it their prerogative to convert them and protect them. The Latter-day Saints recognized a different responsibility upon their shoulders.  They were to gather in Israel.  However, the Jew was to be last.  2 Nephi gives us another twist on the take from normal Christianity.
“But behold, thus saith the Lord God: When the day cometh that they shall believe in me, that I am Christ, then have I covenanted with their fathers that they shall be restored in the flesh, upon the earth, unto the lands of their inheritance” (vs 7).
An interesting question arises here.  Who, or which of their fathers was this covenant made to?  What is more interesting is that this restoration is not supposed to start until they shall believe in Christ.  How much do they have to believe?  How many have to believe to start this gathering?  Who will start this process?  They don’t appear to believe yet, so have we really seen much of a gathering yet?
Then comes something more instructive, “And it shall come to pass that they shall be gathered in from their long dispersion, from the isles of the sea, and from the four parts of the earth; and the nations of the Gentiles shall be great in the eyes of me, saith God, in carrying them forth to the lands of their inheritance.  Yea, the kings of the Gentiles shall be nursing fathers unto them, and their queens shall become nursing mothers; wherefore, the promises of the Lord are great unto the Gentiles, for he hath spoken it, and who can dispute?” (2 Nephi 10:8-9).
They shall be gathered in from their scattering by the nations of the Gentiles.  America and Britain definitely fall into this category.  Indeed, the leaders of these Gentile nations shall nurse them because the Lord has so abundantly blessed these nations.  What an interesting observation.  We certainly know many nations have aided in the return of the Jew to their inheritance lands.  How much has this been completed?  We do not know.
On a tangent, Jacob then goes on to say there will be no kings over this nation or land, and that this land is the decreed land of Zion.  None, Jew or Gentile, shall fight against this land and prosper.  A most interesting light considering the scriptures where different nations may lead this land, but there will be no kings, and nobody will ultimately conquer it.  He also states how the seed of Lehi will be afflicted in the land. Anyhow, back to the Jews, I cannot help but think of some comments by Brigham Young.
“The decree has gone forth from the Almighty that they cannot have the benefit of the atonement until they gather to Jerusalem, for they said, let His blood be upon us and upon our children, consequently, they cannot believe in him until his second coming.  We have a great desire for their welfare, and are looking for the time soon to come when they will gather to Jerusalem, build up the city and the land of Palestine, and prepare for the coming of the Messiah.  When he comes again, he will not come as he did when the Jews rejected him; neither will he appear first at Jerusalem when he makes his second appearance on the earth; but he will appear first on the land where he commenced his work in the beginning, and planted the garden of Eden, and that was done in the land of America.  When the Savior visits Jerusalem, and the Jews look upon him, and see the wounds in his hands and in his side and in his feet, they will then know that they have persecuted and put to death the true Messiah, and then will they acknowledge him, but not till then.  They have confounded his first and second coming, expecting his first coming to be as a mighty prince instead of as a servant.  They will go back by and by to Jerusalem and own their Lord and Master.  We have no feelings against them.  I wish they were all gentlemen, men of heart and brain, and knew precisely how the Lord looks upon them” (JD 11:279).
The restoration of the Jews had not commenced yet when Brigham stated those words.    They will return to rebuild Jerusalem before he will return.  The Gentiles will take them back, but their conversion will not start.
“Jerusalem is not to be redeemed by the by the soft still voice of the Preacher of the Gospel of Peace.  Why?  Because they were once the blessed of the Lord, the Chosen of the Lord, the promised seed.  They were the people from among whom should spring the Messiah; and salvation could only be found through that tribe.  The Messiah came through them, and they killed him; and they will be the last of all the seed of Abraham to have the privilege of receiving the New and Everlasting Covenant.  You may hand out to them gold, you may feed and clothe them, but it is impossible to convert the Jews, until the Lord God Almighty does it” (JD 2:142).
“This American continent will be Zion; for it is so spoken of by the prophets.  Jerusalem will be rebuilt and will be the place of gathering, and the tribe of Judah will gather there; but this continent of America is the land of Zion” (JD 5:4).
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The role of music?

Here are two scriptures which caught my eye.  One of my greatest desires is the establishment of Zion.  It is with particular interest I read Isaiah and latter day scriptures about it.  These scriptures give us some insight into that celestial city.
“For the Lord shall comfort Zion, he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord, joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody” (2 Nephi 8:3).
“Therefore, the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy and holiness shall be upon their heads; and they shall obtain gladness and joy; sorrow and mourning shall flee away” (2 Nephi 8:11).
There are a couple of points from those two scriptures alone which are similar.  They both point out joy, gladness, and music.  It is very telling that these characteristics are what will be brought to Zion or shall be found of those who reside there.  The question is, how are we doing on our joy, gladness and music (voice of melody and singing)?
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Scourging?

I promise I do not have a preconceived idea of what I am trying to do here.  This is not solely meant as a series of political treatises.  Perhaps these topics are on my mind and that is why the are jumping out at me.  Who knows.  Tonight’s will be one somewhat in the same vein.

Yesterday I dealt with a land that was to be one of promise.  If the people who possess the land are not righteous and keep the commandments, then the land would be given to another nation.  While that has some scary implications, I find this scripture to be a bit more troubling.

We find the Nephites have now left the Lamanites.  Of course, they are not called by those names yet, but they will be.  There is something fascinating here.  They were those who followed the Lord, kept the commandments, and had to leave their brethren due to the stress they brought upon them.  As they broke away, they did not take on the name of Jesus, or even that of Christ because these people did not know that yet.  They took on the name of Nephi, prophet.  They did not take on the name of the Almighty, Yahweh, Lord, or even Lord God.  They took Nephi.  Due to the tradition this would start, we know this would cause the disputations that would arise in 3 Nephi.  We take it for granted that the name of the church would be after Jesus Christ, but I can sense what their frustration might have been when they were trying to figure out what to call the church after Christ’s coming.  I can see some of the difficulty even in our day.  Anyhow, I am on a tangent.

Nephi takes his people and teaches them to be industrious.  They build buildings, even a temple, and a host of other occupations.  There are the smiths, the carvers, the carpenters, the miners, and the farmers.  Then they give the contrast of those who are not righteous, those who keep not the covenants/commandments.

“…they did become an idle people, full of mischief and subtlety, and did seek in the wilderness for beasts of prey.” (2 Nephi 5:24).  There are other scriptures that give us more explanation of those who keep not the covenants.  “…after they had dwindled in unbelief they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations” (1 Nephi 12:23).  “…their hatred was fixed, and they were led by their evil nature that they became wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people, full of idolatry and filthiness; feeding upon beasts of prey; dwelling in tents, and wandering about in the wilderness with a short skin girdle about their loins and their heads shaven; and their skill was in the bow, and in the cimeter, and the ax.  And many of them did eat nothing save it was raw meat; and they were continually seeking to destroy us” (Enos 1:20).  “…after their dissensions they became more hardened and impenitent, and more wild, wicked and ferocious…giving way to indolence, and all manner of lasciviousness; yea, entirely forgetting the Lord their God” (Alma 47:36).  “….who delighted in murdering the Nephites, and robbing and plundering them; and their hearts were set upon riches, or upon gold and silver, and precious stones; yet they sought to obtain these things by murdering and plundering, that they might not labor for them with their own hands.  Thus they were a very indolent people, many of whom did worship idols, and the curse of God had fallen upon them…” (Alma 17:24-25).

While I don’t want to give an expose on the characteristics of the ungodly, we do see some of these which are in society and which Latter-day Saints are expressly told to avoid.  The Word of Wisdom is most pronounced.

The contract of the wicked are given to us.  But then comes the clencher.

“And the Lord God said unto me: They (the Lamanites) shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in remembrance of me; and inasmuch as they will not remember me, and hearken unto my words, they shall scourge them even unto destruction” (2 Nephi 2:25).

That gives a scary scenario!  These less than obedient individuals are allowed to remain.  Moreover, they will be the one’s who will afflict the righteous when they become not so righteous.  Even more, they will scourge them unto destruction.  That sounds like a pretty good incentive not to lose your blessed and promised state.  Remember, the Lord promised them this land in safety forever if they would remain faithful.  If not, then the promise is they will be scourged, even to destruction.  We see this take place with the Jaredites, we see it with the Nephites later.  The scenario plays out throughout the Old Testament too.

Like most scriptures in the Book of Mormon, this is not the only instance where this counsel is given.  Here are a few more.  “And if it so be that they rebel against me, they shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance” (1 Nephi 2:24).  “…the Lord will deliver them up, that thereby they become weak like unto their brethren; and he will no more preserve them by his matchless and marvelous power, as he has hitherto preserved our fathers” (Mosiah 1:13).  “…the great slaughter which was among them, would not have happened had it not been for their wickedness and their abomination which was among them; yea, and it was among those also who professed to belong to the church of God” (Helaman 4:11).  “…because of iniquity amongst themselves, yea, because of dissensions and intrigue among themselves they were placed in the most dangerous circumstances” (Alma 53:9).  “…for it has been their quarrelings and their contentions, yea, their murderings, and their plunderings, their idolatry, their whoredoms, and their abominations, which were among themselves, which brought upon them their wars and their destructions” (Alma 50:21).  “…Surely God shall not suffer that we , who are despised because we take upon us the name of Christ, shall be trodden down and destroyed, until we bring it upon us by our own transgressions” (Alma 46:18).  “But behold, I say unto you that if ye persist in your wickedness that your days shall not be prolonged in the land, for the Lamanites shall be sent upon you; and if ye repent not they shall come in a time when you know not, and ye shall be visited with utter destruction ;and it shall be according to the fierce anger of the Lord” (Alma 9:18).  “…I will suffer my people, O house of Israel, that they shall go through among them, and shall treat them down, and they shall be as salt that hath lost its savor, which is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of my people…” (3 Nephi 16:15).

If we should think this is something only Mormon, it is also Biblical.

“Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before  you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you” (Joshua 23:13).  “…he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.  Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed” (Judges 2:14-15).  “If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.  But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge” (Job 36:11-12).  “Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations.  Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hands of their enemies, who vexed them…they did evil again before thee: therefore lettest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them…yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give year: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands” (Nehemiah 9:26-30).  “Wherefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.  Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far…” (Jeremiah 5:14-15).

You get the picture.  Also take a look at Chapter 28 of Deuteronomy and Chapter 26 of Leviticus.  The Lord even tells of the time he used Israel for the destruction of another nation because of their wickedness in Deuteronomy 9:4-5, “Speak not thou in thine heart, after the Lord thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord doth drive them out from before thee.  Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

We see how yesterday we described how the Lord would supplant a nation with another nation.  A scourge could certainly be so great so as to replace a nation by violence.  It doesn’t seem that would be the plan for this nation, just that other nations are being allowed to scourge us.  It is an entirely different treatise to show that the Lord will protect and fight the battles for the righteous, perhaps I can cover some of those later (See D&C 98 for a good start).  But here we are showing that other nations can scourge us due to not being valiantly obedient.

These promises are also against those who are being allowed to scourge us.  This scripture shows that God is no respecter of persons.  Those doing the scourging can be scourged if they later reject great obedience to eternal law.

“And they shall be a scourge unto the people of this land.  Nevertheless, when they shall have received the fulness of my gospel, then if they shall harden their hearts against me I will return their iniquities upon their own heads, saith the Father” (3 Nephi 20:28).

So we are to be faithful or else have the chances of scourging.  Just how disobedient a people have to be for scourging I am not sure.  After all, one of the scriptures I referenced earlier (Helaman 4:11) stated that just having blatant disobedience AMONG them could bring upon these problems.  A bit of a Lot scenario.  Just because there are a few righteous won’t save the rest of them.

The righteous will have some scourging on no account of their own.  What are we to do then?  “…if men will smite you, or your families, once, and ye bear it patiently and revile not against them, neither seek ye revenge, ye shall be rewarded.  But if ye bear it not patiently, it shall be accounted unto you as being meted out as a just measure unto you” (D&C 98:23-24).  You go on being obedient and faithful.

I should be wrapping this up.  I cannot help but see what applications this could have to us as a people, a church, and as a nation.  As we are faithful, the Lord will fight our battles for us and keep us from harm.  I do believe this could be by giving us warning and by thwarting the adversary himself or through us.  When we find we are more and more vulnerable, perhaps we should not be so quick to point fingers, find vengeance, but to look inward.  Find out what we are doing that appears to be lessening our promises from heaven.  Does it appear we are being scourged?  9/11 looks like a scourge of some type.  The scriptures don’t say the people who scourge us are always wicked, half the time they are only ignorant of God’s laws.

Remember, if we bear it not patiently, it is meted out as just measure unto us.  Like President Kimball told of the story of the last summer.  When they found out one was going to betray them/Christ they looked inward and asked, “Is it I?”  Perhaps we should do the same.  When we are afflicted and scourged by other nations, however small, we should ask, “Is it I?”  Rather than looking at them who did the scourging with a condescension and looking for revenge, we should look inward and repent.

I know of only one politician currently running for President who subscribes to this idea.  Perhaps we should seek them out and learn more of their ideas.  After all, they appear to be the most Christian.

“But behold, the judgments of God will overtake the wicked; and it is by the wicked that the wicked are punished; for it is the wicked that stir up the hearts of the children of men unto bloodshed” (Mormon 4:5).

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Giving the nation over?

The last blog entry I wrote dealt with those who come to this nation.  It appears all who come will be brought by the hand of the Lord, regardless of whether we want to do anything about it or not.  This entry seems to go along those lines.  There are several verses from the same chapter (2 Nephi 1) which give a scenario which doesn’t play well in American Manifest Destiny.
“Therefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring…it shall be a land of liberty…wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity…unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever” (vs 7).
When I visit with people, this is what it seems they read from the scripture.  However, the same verse also contains the following verbage, “…if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments…never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes…”
This land will only be a land of liberty if those who have been brought here (by the hand of the Lord; or born) keep the commandments.  But if they do not, the land will be cursed.  Let us make sure we understand there is an ‘if’ clause in the contract.  Then we see an example of how this took previously in verse 9.
“Where, I, Lehi, have obtained a promise, that inasmuch as those whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of Jerusalem shall keep his commandments, they shall prosper upon the face of this land; and they shall be kept from all other nations, that they may possess this land unto themselves.  And if it so be that they shall keep his commandments they shall be blessed upon the face of this land, and there shall be none to molest them, nor to take away the land of their inheritance; and they shall dwell safely forever.”
It is interested to read these comments concerning the family of Lehi and others who come from Jerusalem.  The promise was that they would dwell safely FOREVER!  That seems like a great space of time.  Not just a few years, the cycle of democracy, or even a millenium.  It was to be forever in safety if they kept the commandments.  What a great promise.
The feeling toward this nation, even before Joseph Smith, was that this society was different.  It was the light on a hill.  It was to be the example to the rest of the world.  I see no reason why these promises would not hold the same for us.  After all, God is no respecter of persons.  Even if it did not apply, I see no reason why we as a people could not obtain the same promise to apply to us.  Then comes the next verse, 10.
“But behold, when the time cometh that they shall dwindle in unbelief, after they have received so great blessings from the hand of the Lord-“
I will resume to verse, but these are some pretty remarkable blessings (promises) from the Lord.
“…having a knowledge of the creation of the earth, and all men, knowing the great and marvelous works of the Lord from the creation of the world; having power given to do all things by faith;”
This scripture would seem to apply many more times to us in our day than to those in their day.  Our knowledge of all men, of the creation of the earth, seems to be many times what they would have possessed.  Moreover, we seem so much more capable to do such marvelous and wonderful things in our day compared to theirs.  Indeed, even to do ALL things, and we know that anything we do it is by faith.
“…having all the commandments from the beginning, and having been brought by his infinite goodness into this precous land of promise-behold, I say, if the day shall come that they will reject the Holy One of Israel, the true Messiah, their Redeemer and their God, behold, the judgments of him that is just shall rest upon them.”
With such great blessings and promises given, of course there would be a consequence if we should reject them.  Well, what would they be.  The next verse gives us a haunting thought, which may be happening some even now.
“Yea, he will bring other nations unto them, and he will give unto them power, and he will take away from them the lands of their possessions, and he will cause them to be scattered and smitten.
He will bring other nations unto them, and give them power.  Doesn’t look like it will matter much what those current possessors will try to do to curb the tide of immigration, these other nations are going to come unto them.  We know we have other nations which are moving in whether we want them to or not.
Lastly, verse 12, the fate seems sealed for the nation which had promises to live safely forever if they would but live the commandments.  But if not, “Yea, as one generation passeth to another there shall be bloodsheds, and great visitations among them; wherefore, my sons, I would that ye would remember; yea, I would that ye would hearken unto my words.”
Not only will another nation come in and take over, there will be bloodsheds and great visitations.  I don’t know exactly what a great visitation is, it certainly doesn’t sound pleasant.  Could the Trade Towers be a great visitation?  Who knows.
Definitely something to think about.  Are we in this cycle?  Does it apply to us?  If it does, where are we in the cycle?
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Immigration guided?

The immigration issue has been a topic of importance lately.  What is the proper decision, policy, and attitude we should take?  Open borders?  Closed borders?  Monitored immigration?  Initially when the nation was founded, immigration was open.  Any and all were welcome.  Slowly we began to regulate and require certain things of those who came into the nation.  Citizenship requirements have changed.  By the 1880’s we were numbering and giving minimums for those coming into the country.
What is the proper way to administer immigration?  If we go for the Founder’s view, it would be a pretty loose interpretation.  Basically, anything goes (or anything comes).  That certainly doesn’t seem to be anything the majority of American’s would be willing to accept at present.  Anyone’s opinion is really valid now when it comes to historical pretext.  We have covered the entire field.
What is the role of immigration with regards to what God would prefer?  I am not entirely sure.  Here is our scripture for thought.
2 Nephi 1:6
“Wherefore, I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord.”
This scripture seems to be pretty straight forward.  NONE shall come UNLESS the Lord has brought them.  This is a Prophet speaking.  What is more, it is another Prophet who is recording the comments of another.  In a sense, we have two witnesses of this statement.  Moreover, Lehi himself states it is a prophecy.
That doesn’t leave a whole lot of room for play.  Two prophets state, in positive terms, ALL who come to this nation will be brought by the Lord.  The question is then, what about our immigration policy?  If we try to limit it, are we acting against God’s will?  For all these who come in still, even illegally, should we hold such a vindictive attitude towards them?  Are we in a sense an Uzza reaching forth to steady the ark?
The statement seems like it would be still in effect?  There doesn’t appear to be anything in the previous or following verses that would limit it to 1492 to 1827.  Certainly, the LDS would not hold such a view.  The LDS would hold this immigration lead by the hand of the Lord continued en mass at least through 1910.  Why the change?
The gathering is to Stakes of Zion rather than to a central location now.  But this doesn’t appear to be talking about a gathering, or even the covenant people.  NONE seem so be a pretty exclusive statement for those who are covenant or not.
I suppose the real question is should we open the borders and allow all to come?  Or is the Lord inspiring our politicians to limit the immigration while at the same time inspiring others to break that limiting?
LDS are expected to keep the laws of the land, but will the Lord inspire others to break those laws the Saints are expected to uphold?  We hear cries all over against the Hispanic influx.  Is this inspired and is man putting forth his puny arm to stop the flow that God has decreed?  None shall come save it be by the hand of the Lord.
I really don’t know.  But it certainly makes me think.  Personally America is the idea of a tent of charity and of good will.  To me it seems that all are welcome and we will welcome them with open arms.
In the Old Testament, the immigrant went by another name; stranger.  Reminds me of the old western movies.  Do a search of the Old Testament and you shall see quite a few laws and regulations concerning strangers.  They were expected to hold the rest of Israel’s laws faithfully.  Those out of the covenant were treated equally, but were restricted from covenant promises and practices.
One of the first scriptures that come to mind is the reminder the Lord gives to Israel.  Strangers are to be treated well, after all, all Israel was a stranger in the land of Egypt.  It is the old golden rule.  Do unto others as you would have done unto you.  “Also, thou shalt not oppress a stranger, for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Ex 23:9).
Strangers could buy and sell unfettered.  They could even take some of those under the covenant as slaves (Lev 25).
Strangers were to be given the same laws as the covenant folk.  Additionally, they were to be treated equally before the law.  Even in breaking the law, the stranger was to be treated the same as the children of Israel (Num 15).
Strangers could even offer up burnt offerings.  They were expected to live the same law of health (Lev 22).
Remember, Israel after wandering went into Canaan to take possession of the Land.  The Lord even told them they were being given a land wherein they were going to be the stranger.  The Lord was going to give them the land, despite what the residents thought.  It was when the current residents fought back, and the residents along the way, that they lost their lives (Gen 17:8)  They could very well have assimilated as many other societies have done.
This always brings new meaning to the stranger referenced Matthew 25.  Whatsoever you have done to the least of these, you have done to me.  But he uses the phrase ‘Stranger’ several times.  “I was a stranger and ye took me in” (vs 35).  “When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?” (vs 38).  “I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.  Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?” (vs 43-44).
“Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the Land of Egypt” (Deut 10:19).
“And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you.  When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled; Then thou shalt say before the Lord thy God, I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house, and also have given unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all thy commandments which thou has commanded me: I have not transgressed thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them:” (Deut 26:11-13).
Indeed, the stranger is even classified among the widows and orphans in a requirement for Israel to reach out to them (Deut 24).
Strangers could not take part of temple worship or passover.  Unless, they were willing to be circumcised, then they were no more strangers (similar to citizenship??) (Ex 12).
I will leave it there.  I have turned from the degree of immigration to how we should treat the immigrant.  There doesn’t seem to be a qualification of whether they were living among Israel legally or not.  God seems no respecter of persons.  Why would we treat with harshness the stranger in our midst, legal or not?
Turning back to the original question, I would definitely lean towards open borders and open communication.  It seems most arguments against open borders are for selfish reasons.  Our jobs, our land, our territory and more.  Perhaps we should re-evaluate.
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Inlande Futures

I have been pretty slow to mention anything on here about the recent change of venue for employment.
My newest employment is with Inlande Environmental Resources, Inc. based out of Pasco, Washington.
As most of you know, I was laid off from Bank of America on 31 December 2007.  They were divulging themselves of the entire Wholesale division.  I was one of the fortunate few.  I applied for a number of positions within the bank but I later found out HR and a Hiring Manager had messed up.  They thought I was a closer instead of an assistant underwriter.  I was not seriously considered for the jobs I applied for.  I fought it some, but there are only so many positions and they were already filled.  Once again, Bank of America screwed something up.  I won’t even go into how they messed up my pay and severance package.  They withheld the equivalent of 32 hours of pay for some hiccough they had on their end.  I think I am glad to be done with them.
In the meantime of applying for different jobs, my Dad gave me a lead for Inlande.  I thought it couldn’t hurt to apply.  In the end, I ended up getting that job for 1/3 more salary, plus commission.  So I could not refuse it.  No other jobs offered employment in Richmond.  It was one of the only options open to me.
Part of the problem applying for a job in Richmond was the fact Amanda graduates in May.  With that, I would effectively quit my job to move west.  Who is going to hire somebody for 4 months?  I could not be dishonest when they asked how long I intended to stay with the company.  Add to that, the fact Amanda and I have already booked our tickets to Europe for 6 months from 4 June to 16 July.  Who wants to hire me then?  As soon as we arrived at the town I would be attending law school, I would then have to find employment for a month or two until school started.  The whole situation was not favorable.
Along came Inlande Environmental.  We made a trip for the interview.  It was more of a visit to the family.  I was interested in the job but it was so far away.  When would they want me to start and how long would Amanda and I have to live apart?
When I found out it was 1/3 more salary, plus commission it was more interesting.  It would be a change of industry from mortgage/finance to infrastructure/public utility.  That industry will not go away as long as humans need to consume water and remove their waste.  I was forthright about our 6 week vacation for the summer, the good chance of my getting in to law school, and attending law school in the fall.  They still thought I was worth the risk.
It looked fascinating to me to have a job that got me back into some chemistry.  That was an area I have been interested in for a long time.  (I took a chemistry book on my mission!  I never got around to studying or reading it though.)  Plus with the recent changes in the mortgage and finance industries I wanted to get out of such a shifting environment.  Add to the fact my new job would not keep me confined in an office and I was definitely hooked.
The major difficulty was in the distance.  Amanda would have to remain in Richmond while I moved to Idaho.  The position is for a Regional Sales Manager for Utah and Southern Idaho.
Amanda has a number of rotations coming up in which she would be gone for several days at a time.  In addition, she wanted to start studying for her boards a couple hours every night.  With my being gone, she could study for long hours without the need to be concerned about me.  I also would not be the constant distraction I am for her.
After the offer, we determined it was not an offer we could pass up.  Nothing else came as close to looking as good.  Richmond is expensive and we could not afford a drop in pay.  I really didn’t want to spend a month job hunting because the loss of income would really cut our options for our trip to Europe for the summer.  Employment had to continue for us.
This put one of us closer to scope out places to live when we decide where we will be moving for the fall.  It helps me get out some more of the traveling bug that constantly haunts me.  The requirement to travel and a company vehicle with fuel had me jumping with excitement.  This job will have me traveling all over the entire state of Utah, Southern Idaho, and Western Wyoming.  Not to mention the occasional trip to Washington.  I certainly have a few places to stop as I am traveling through.
Amanda can focus solely on school and I can really do the heavily traveling required to lay some foundations.  Even if I decide against law school or am not accepted, I will have done the initial legwork so I won’t be required to travel as much when Amanda joins me.
It will not be an easy task.  I have no worries that Amanda and I will make it through it.  We will get to see each other about once a month until that time.  Anything we may lose in 4 months apart I certainly am sure we will make up in 1 1/2 months of traveling through Europe.
Most people look at me like we are crazy.  Like I have left my wife and this will be the end of it all.  For some reason I feel more pity on the people who feel that way.  I am not concerned for my marriage like they seem to indicate they would be for theirs.  Sure, I don’t want to be away from my wife.  However, we both recognize this as our best option and felt that heaven was directing us this way.  We can talk daily.  We can e-mail.  All is not lost.  Our engagement we spent equivalent time apart and were able to overcome that obstacle.
I now find myself in Idaho.  What does the future hold?  I am not entirely sure.  A couple of law schools have declined me already.  There are a few more to hear from.  We shall wait and see.  At any rate, Amanda and I will be reunited this summer and pressing forward for whatever life presents then.  This job could be one with definite long range potential.  More doors are opening than are closing with this time apart.
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Lillian Coley’s Journals

I am happy to now make available the journals of Lillian Coley Jonas.  I know I have mentioned them earlier, but this blog site did not have the capacity to link a file at that time.  They were too big to place the entire journal’s text online.
Lillian Coley Jonas was born in Lewiston, Utah in 1898 and died in Layton, Utah in 1987.  She married Joseph Nelson Jonas in Logan, Utah in 1916.

Lillians 1961 Journal

Lillians 1962 Journal

Lillians 1963 Journal

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FairTax Concerns

There seems to be quite a few little plans on how to reform government floating around.  So, I thought I would take a moment to comment on one of them.

I finished reading the FairTax book that was published in 2005.  If you are interested more in the book, there is a link to the book in my books section.

There were a few points of thought I wanted to put out there for the record.  There is a discussion group here in Richmond who are going to pick it up and discuss it next month.  I thought I would make my thoughts available since I will not be present.

Generally, I love the idea of revolutionizing government.  I want refreshing new ideas in government.  Solving our problems with the same thinking seems asinine to me.  Something is wrong, and new ideas are going to be required to correct them.  I am quite happy to throw the whole tax code out the window and go for all new.  However, the problem of moving the establishment to the new house is that I am afraid the same people might be running the household.  So what difference does it make if we have a new heating and air conditioning system if the fools don’t know how to manipulate the thermostat to keep things comfortable?

The FairTax generally seems like a great idea.  I like the idea of making the tax code simple and straight forward.  Who could possibly be against that?

One of the points they bring out is the fact that the tax code is so completely mind boggling.  After all, it does take teams of experts to figure out exactly what it says and even then the IRS is not completely sure how it all comes out in the end.  It seems like every little political, special interest, lobbyist wants to come along and tweak it in a certain way.  That is the nature of the game of our government.  I am not going to get into the aspects of how we have brought this upon ourselves; just the fact is everyone wants to tweak the system to favor them or their buddy.  It is a tremendous drag on resources and time in our economy and anything to remove half this burden is probably worth it.

My first problem with the FairTax is why in the world would we think this is going to change?  There is nothing in the FairTax that seems to indicate it will require citizen approval or even cognition of what is going on.  In fact, it seems the majority of citizens of this country really don’t care about the tax code or anything politically.  Running for President is really a popularity game where you say anything to make people your friend.  Say the nicest, most far reaching, and promise the most in bonuses and you can have the job.  Depending on the mood current, we find ourselves with different parties or sway.  If we fear our security, we tend to think Republican; if we feel charitable, we tend to go Democrat.  Despite what they say, nobody seems to care much about accountability or proper stewardship.

The fact remains, even with a completely new tax system, if it made it through intact like Linder and Boortz suggest, the lobbyists will still remain.  Yes, they will certainly have to recoup and plan a new attack but I am convinced they will be working much harder at working this system than the citizens will be in protecting it.  It just seems like it would be another 10-15-20 years before we end up pretty much where we started.  If we could get it passed taxing the health care industry, it seems they would find the buttons to press to get themselves some exceptions, exemptions, or exclusions.  Perhaps they could even keep the bill from touching them at all.  They are a pretty strong lobbying group.  But they will keep knocking on representative’s doors until the little tweaks over time amount to big breaks.

To me it seems we should work out the representation of the people and fix the problems leading to this problem first before we trying reforming the system already broke.  The infamous “Iron Triangles” will continue until they wear down any bulwarks this system might have.  Honestly, I don’t see much in the way of protection to keep the system from being changed back to favoring those who pay for insider links and favors.

Take a look at all the states that have consumption taxes.  Most states have different rates for food, medical, or other areas.  There is the sin tax, and many other consumption taxes which all have different rates.  We have these debates taking place right now.  Utah just worked out lowering the consumption taxes for food.  Idaho is thinking about it.  Why would a federal sales tax be any less inclined to face all these pressures?

My second problem lies in the fact of the prebate.  If Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid don’t already smack of intrusion into the market and private realms, let’s start sending a prebate check to every single consumer household in the United States.  Last time I checked, there don’t appear to be any households without consumers.  We are going to wipe out the IRS, but what about the bureaucracy that will have to replace it to keep track of where a family sits in relation to the poverty line and cut them a check every month for prebate against a consumption tax.  We think the government has sway over us due to our taxes, just wait until they are in a sense returning our money to us for basic essentials.  Even better, those illegal aliens, those drug meisters, and others who pay their consumption taxes would be mapped if they wanted their prebates.  What about the homeless without a bank account or mail address, would it go through the local benefits office continuing to give them money to spend on whatever they spend it on (which is stereotyped as alcohol and cigarettes).  Shoot, lets just return the cash to them on a debit card (only for those with mailing addresses) they can only spend on groceries which are healthy, don’t pollute the environment, are not genetically modified, and can sing opera to boot!  Oh, we certainly cannot forget to let them pay their heating and air conditioning, but only if they have the new thermostat the State of California can manipulate by remote control.  Linder and Boortz want to minimize government intrusion then introduce this which seems to be 3 times the devil the IRS ever was, despite the current abuses.  I am pretty sure the lobbyists will find their perks.

What if they cannot find somebody?  I am sure the government is not going to set aside in some trust fund their money until the missing people can be found.  I very much doubt they will pay them their back prebates when they are found.  Doesn’t this seem a bit like the Big Brother scenario the communists scared us about for so long?

Thirdly, another issue brought up in the book is the fact our government, politicians, and lobbyists found ways to sneak the money away from us.  Rather than sitting down and writing a check once a year where we know exactly what we are spending and demanding accountability because it hurts, we have implemented withdrawal.  Now, we pay a portion of our paycheck without ever having received the money to begin with.  Most of us are just excited when we get back a grand or two when in fact we paid many thousands more.  If I wrote out a check for the $6,000 I aid in taxes this year to the federal government I would dang sure want to know what they were doing with that painful check.  Now, most of us are just myopic enough to be excited to get $1,500 back.  Boy, talk about hoodwinked.

Boortz is definitely going to fix it isn’t he?  Let’s make a consumption tax where every single person pays every single time they make a purchase.  That $5 I spent on lunch now is also paying federal taxes.  So at the end of the year, there is absolutely no way for me to account how much I paid in taxes for the year.  Sounds like a great idea to me.  At least now, I can find out how much I pay in the end, even though I might be excited to get a portion of it back.  They make fun of and mock the VAT in the book because of how well the tax is hidden and then propose an inclusive tax?  I could swallow this to a degree if it was an exclusive tax, meaning you saw the price of the good and then the tax was added on.  If I was a diligent individual, I could know at year end how much I paid in taxes.  However, if it is inclusive, there is absolutely no way I would know.  That sounds heretical in a society that professes glasnost (openness and transparency), although we can debate how much we actually have.  I really don’t mean to keep waving the Communist/Socialist flag it just keeps eking out.  You cannot tell me the sin tax would not be re-instituted.

Lastly, this is a point which doesn’t hold as much weight, but certainly seems to be of concern to me.  I don’t understand all the aspects really, but this still seems to linger.  This consumption tax would supposedly be only on new products or on services.  I will pay taxes on the lawyer, the doctor, the hamburger, and the new home.  Taxes will be paid on food, daycare, gasoline, cigarettes, and prescription drugs.  However, used items will not be taxed.  If I purchase a home built 50 years ago, I will pay for the supplies to renovate it, and the services, if employed, to renovate it.  This sounds great.  What happens when we get to a point, perhaps like some of these European countries where new growth is slower.  What happens when we confined the growth of cities and require redevelopment?  No taxes would be purchased on the buying of these homes, but on their renovation or decoration.  At that point, the housing market which seems such a boom to the economy and especially government coffers would slow considerably.  However, the need for revenue’s will drop.  When people figure out to purchase that new car and really save thousands.  Doesn’t this seem that at some point in the future, this would not be a valid source of income since it will be the big ticket items that will be the money maker?  This might be 25, 50, 100, 200 years in the future.  But if we are trying to look for long term solutions, this doesn’t really seem like one to me.  Like I said, I know this is the weakest point simply because there is so little I know about where most of our current revenues come and projected growth.  I would have to really get into some numbers of Europe and see.

There are my issues and problems with the FairTax.  I am more than happy to have someone explain how they would get around these.  In the end, it seems the problems with our tax system are really only a symptom of some problems with our current government structure.  It appears our system is missing some transparency already, the contact with constituents only becomes more distant, and that our desire to force others to live in a certain way is emblematic of deeper problems in government.  Yes, taxes, especially income taxes are intrusive and obnoxious, but it is only the fruit of a tree much larger and in need of pruning.  After all, why else would I be a Ron Paul supporter?