Constitution

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Dallin Oaks on Religious Freedom

October 14, 2009 in Constitution by Greg | 4 comments

Yesterday, Dallin H. Oaks of The Quorum of Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gave a landmark talk on religious freedom at Brigham Young University – Idaho. Elder Oaks reiterated the importance of preserving and maintaining religious liberty and stated,

Dallin H OaksIt was the Christian principles of human worth and dignity that made possible the formation of the United States Constitution over 200 years ago, and only those principles in the hearts of a majority of our diverse population can sustain that constitution today.

Previously, it was noted that a vote against last year’s Prop 8 in California would create a “tyranny of tolerance” which would lead to “inevitable clashes between religious liberty and free speech.”1 Elder Oaks said,

. . . there are other reasons why the public square must be open to religious ideas and religious persons. As Richard John Neuhaus said many years ago, “In a democracy that is free and robust, an opinion is no more disqualified for being ‘religious’ than for being atheistic, or psychoanalytic, or Marxist, or just plain dumb.”

The transcript of his talk – in addition to links to many of the sources cited – can be found at Religious Freedom. As with previous articles, please leave your comments below.

Sources:

  1. David A. Bednar on Proposition 8 Video.↩

Article on U.S. Constitution

September 18, 2009 in Constitution by Greg | No comments

Yesterday, an article about the United States Constitution was posted in the new Articles section of Believe All Things. We plan to use this section of the site to post information that will have a longer “shelf-life” than the normal blog post and commentary.

New Articles section of Believe All Things We hope you take a look at these articles. As we add new information, we’ll post a note here announcing them so you can review them.

This first article attempts to explain why members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints attach a special significance to the Constitution and why preserving these principles in society is important. We hope you enjoy it. Feel free to leave your comments to this article below.

Constitution to Hang by a Thread

November 10, 2008 in Constitution by Greg | 11 comments

The “constitution to hang by a thread” is a statement often attributed to Joseph Smith. The following is the “only known contemporary account of this well-known prophecy of Joseph Smith”:

Constitution and the U.S. Flag A few Item from a discourse delivered by Joseph Smith July 19 1840

Read a chap in [Ezekiel] concluding with this saying and when all these things come to pass and Lo they will come then shall you know that a Prophet hath been among you

Afterwards read the parable of the 12 olive trees and said speaking of the Land of Zion that It consists of all N. & S America but that any place where the Saints gather is Zion which every righteous man will build up for a place of safety for his children that The olive trees are 12 stakes which are yet to be built not the Temple in Jackson [County, Missouri] as some suppose for while the 12 olive stakes are being built we will be at peace but the Nations of the Earth will be at war.

our cry from the 1st has been for peace and we will continue pleading like the Widow at the feet of the unjust judge but we may plead at the feet of Majistrates and at the feet of Judges At the feet of Governors and at the feet of senators & at the feet of the Pre[s]idents for 8 years it will be of no avail. We shall find no favor in any of the courts of this government.  The redemption of Zion is the redemption of all N & S America and those 12 stake must be built up before the redemption of Zion can take place and those who refuse to gather and build when they are commanded to do so cease to be Saviours of men and are henceforth good for nothing but shall be cast out and trodden underfeet of men for their transgression as Reed Peck was when he aplied in the name of an apostate for business in a store in Quincy They told him that they wanted no apostates round them and showed him the door At this same store the Authorities of this Church could have obtained almost any amount of credit they could have asked—

We shall build the Zion of the Lord in peace untill the servants of that Lord shall begin to lay the foundation of a great and high watch Tower and then shall they begin to say within themselves what need hath my Lord of this tower seeing this is a time of peace &c—Then the Enemy shall brak come as a thief in the night and scatter the servants abroad when the seed of these 12 Olive trees are scattered abroad they will wake up the Nations of the whole Earth Even this Nation will be on the very verge of crumbling to pieces and tumbling to the ground and when the constitution is upon the brink of ruin this people will be the Staff upon which the Nation shall lean and they shall bear away the constitution away from the very verge of destruction—Then shall the Lord say go tell all my servants who are the strength of mine house my young men and middle aged &c come to the Land of my vineyard and fight the battle of the Lord—Then the Kings & Queens shall come then the rulers of the Earth shall come then shall ail saints come yea the Foreign saints shall come to fight for the Land of my vineyard for in this thing shall be their safety and they will have no power to choose but will come as a man fleeth from a sudden destruction—But before this the time shall be when these who are now my friends shall become my enemies and shall seek to take my life and shall be m there are those now before me who will more furiously pursue me and the more dilligently seek to my life and be more blood thirsty upon my track than ever were the Missouri Mobbers You say among yourselves as did them of old time it is I & is it I  But I know these things by the visions of the Almighty.

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