America and Restoration of Priesthood Talk

The following was a talk I gave around the 4th of July time.

• The Harvest is Great and the laborers are few, but if we’re UNITED we ALL things can do.
• The United States of America. Named after the Chief Navigator and Cartographer Amerigo Vespucci of Italy.
• Our former prophet Gordon B. Hinckley said of this land “You belong to the greatest nation on the face of the earth.” He went on to say many great things about our Founding Fathers and many others in his book “Standing for Something.”

“The hand of the Almighty was manifest on this continent even before the United States of America came into being. Before even disembarking from the Mayflower and stepping ashore after their long and grueling voyage, our Pilgrim fathers drafted and signed the Compact that became the instrument of the governance, the first such document drafted on this continent. It began with these words: “In the name of God, amen.”… (Now) envision the scene at the Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia in the muggy June of 1776. There was drafted a Declaration of Independence, which concluded, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” Those who signed that document gave their lives; some of them literally rotted away as prisoners of war. They gave their fortunes. But they kept their sacred honor. The war for independence followed…The God of Heaven fought its battles…When the war ended, the bickering continued. But our Founding Fathers were men whom the God of Heaven had raised up, men who saw with a greater vision and dreamed a better and more inspired dream…On September 17, 1787, thirty-nine of the fifty-five attendees signed the document. It began with this remarkable preamble:

We, the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common Defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

The Constitution and Bill of Rights form the keystone of our nation.

It is my conviction that they came not alone of the brain and purpose of humans, but of the inspiration of the Almighty—that God Himself directed the founding of this nation.” (Introduction pages xiv-xvi)

• America was founded by courageous men who worked and fought and died for their freedoms. There were wars, many wars and rumors of wars, just like we read about in the Book of Mormon.

• The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) or American War of Independence (13 years long) began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen former British colonies in North America, and concluded in a global war between several European great powers.

o The War of 1812 was a war fought between the United States of America and the British Empire. Lasting from 1812 to 1815, it was fought chiefly on the Atlantic Ocean and on the land, coasts and waterways of North America. Although it was a fight for rights of sea trade it was also another fight for Americas independence from Great Britain.

o The Battle of Fort McHenry was no battle at all. British guns had range on American cannon, and stood off out of U.S. range, bombarding the fort, which returned no fire. All the lights were extinguished in Baltimore the night of the attack, and the fort was bombarded for 25 hours. The only light was given off by the exploding shells over Fort McHenry, illuminating the flag that was still flying over the fort. The defense of the fort inspired the American lawyer Francis Scott Key to write a poem that would eventually supply the lyrics to "The Star-Spangled Banner".

o Mexican American War, Civil War, Spanish American War, WWI, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom.

• Before this Nation, there were the Nephites, Lamanites, Zoramites, Amalekites, Jershonites, Zeniffites, Kingmen, Gadianton Robbers, Stripling Warriors, Shiblonites, Ammonites, and Jaredites and many other ites. Many wars were fought between the people of the American continent.
• Read Book of Mormon excerpt by Ezra Taft Benson

...in the Book of Mormon we find a pattern for preparing for the Second Coming. A major portion of the book centers on the few decades just prior to Christ’s coming to America. By careful study of that time period, we can determine why some were destroyed in the terrible judgments that preceded His coming and what brought others to stand at the temple in the land of Bountiful and thrust their hands into the wounds of His hands and feet.

From the Book of Mormon we learn how disciples of Christ live in times of war. From the Book of Mormon we see the evils of secret combinations portrayed in graphic and chilling reality. In the Book of Mormon we find lessons for dealing with persecution and apostasy. We learn much about how to do missionary work. And more than anywhere else, we see in the Book of Mormon the dangers of materialism and setting our hearts on the things of the world. Can anyone doubt that this book was meant for us and that in it we find great power, great comfort, and great protection?

• If we will read the Book of Mormon we will know what we must do to defend our rights and privileges.
• Read 2 Nephi 1:5-8 Who was this land promised to?

We have obtained a land of promise…choice above all other lands: a land which the Lord God hath covenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed…there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord. Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him, whom he shall bring…It is wisdom that this land should be kept as yet from the knowledge of other nations; for behold, many nations would overrun the land, that there would be no place for an inheritance.

• Apostasy: A puppy and a cake are left alone together. What will happen? Can you put the cake back together? No. You must make a new one to restore it to its original.
• Restoration
• DC 65:2 Gospel Shall roll forth

2The ^akeys of the ^bkingdom of God are committed unto man on the earth, and from thence shall the ^cgospel roll forth unto the ends of the earth, as the ^dstone which is cut out of the mountain without hands shall roll forth, until it has ^efilled the whole earth.

• God only had a small window of opportunity to restore His Church.
• JSH 1:5, 10. Such a place of religious freedom!

5Some time in the second year after our removal to Manchester, there was in the place where we lived an unusual excitement on the subject of religion. It commenced with the Methodists, but soon became general among all the sects in that region of country. Indeed, the whole district of country seemed affected by it, and great multitudes united themselves to the different religious parties, which created no small stir and division amongst the people, some crying, ^a“Lo, here!” and others, “Lo, there!” Some were contending for the Methodist faith, some for the Presbyterian, and some for the Baptist.

10In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be ^aright, which is it, and how shall I know it?

• Through Joseph Smith the priesthood was restored to the earth. The Aaronic Priesthood through John the Baptist, the Melchezedek through Peter, James, and John.
• Why did the priesthood have to be restored?
• Our Heavenly Father has great power. This power is the priesthood by which the heavens and earth were created and the universe is kept in perfect order. Heavenly Father shares this power with His children. It is given by the laying on of hands.
• Power to baptize, confirm the HG, Administer Sacrament, Temple ordinances, bless the sick, consecrate graves, bless our infants, preside in church and home.
• 73 temples in America.
• DC 121:45-6 Blessings

45Let thy ^abowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let ^bvirtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy ^cconfidence wax strong in the ^dpresence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the ^edews from heaven.

46The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant ^acompanion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of ^brighteousness and truth; and thy ^cdominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.

• Deacon, Teacher, Priest, High Priest, Seventy, Patriarch, Apostle.
• Greatest country on Earth where freedom of religion and chance to practice our free agency is so immense.

• Our founding fathers were amazing men and leaders. Read Wilford woodruffs testimony of Baptizing our Founding Fathers.

“Every one of those men that signed the Declaration of Independence with General Washington called upon me, as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the Temple at St. George two consecutive nights, and demanded at my hands that I should go forth and attend to the ordinances of the house of God for them… Would those spirits have called upon me, as an Elder in Israel, to perform that work if they had not been noble spirits before God? They would not.” (p. 90, Temples of the Most High, Lund)

• Righteous Men today hold priesthood to govern Gods Church in these Latter Days.