“Swords of Rebellion--Buried!” GET TO THE POINT™ Come Follow Me: Alma 23-29

Get a copy of my book: https://www.amazon.com/Consider-Servant-Kendal-Brian-Hunter/dp/1555177522

Opening Hymn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIfZVmFIspg

"Swords of Rebellion--Buried!"
 
I. Intro
i. You're looking good today and it feels good to be with you.
ii. Patter
II. Housekeeping
i. No  merchandising. Here's bobble head
ii. Post come Follow Me Plans, created a channel on Rumble
III. News:
i. https://www.psypost.org/youtubers-can-fulfill-emotional-needs-better-than-casual-friends-study-suggests/#google_vignette
ii. BOM perspectives on current events:
1. "The prophets, particularly of the Book of Mormon, saw our day. You will learn more from studying and reading the Book of Mormon (about our current problems) than you will by reading the daily paper or the slick magazines." The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson , p.62
2. You notice that when King Benjamin got old, he knew it was time to step down.
3. 3 Disputed elections Amlici, Amici,Kingman, 3 Sons: Does this pattern fit January 6th
4. 33% for Biden, same war in heaven (https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/28/politics/debate-poll-cnn-trump-biden/index.html)
IV. Theme: "Swords of Rebellion--Buried!"
V. Events:
i. Religious Freedom
1. Accounting:1000's converted
2. Need for religious freedom: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/search?facet=all&lang=eng&query=religious+freedom&page=1
3. Utility of Religion: "that his people might be convinced concerning the wicked traditions of their fathers, and that they might be convinced that they were all brethren, and that they ought not to murder, nor to plunder, nor to steal, nor to commit adultery, nor to commit any manner of wickedness." (Book of Mormon | Alma 23:3)
a. Atheists are happy to discuss the negatives of religion, but ..
b. Are the positive benefits (social utility) of religiosity sufficient to allow freedom?
ii. Correspondence (Openness, USA and states)
iii. Name: Anti-Lehi-Nephi's
1. Not against, by next to city--city name, like Mormon.
2. Lamon's brother, possibly elder brother, heir to father
iv. Bury weapons
1. Weapons of Rebellion, Weapons of war for peace
2. Depth of conversion
3. RGS:
a. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2013/10/personal-strength-through-the-atonement-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng
b. Inclination to violence that children didn't have
4. so is the gospel Pacificist?
v. Lamanites, egged on by neo-apostates (Amulonites, Amalekites) invade
1. Why these control issues?
2. Anger
3. As attack, ANL offer no resistance, and 1005 killed, and a thousand converted
vi. More aggression, but Lamanites realize Amulonites, hunted to extinction
1. Generation curse
vii. Ch 26, After Action Report
1. Praise vs boasting
2. 2 Cor. 11:16
viii. Ch 27, Flashback comes full circle
1. Go to Zarahemla
2. Slavery among Nephites vs Law of Moses
ix. Ch 28 Battles, thus we see
x. Ch 29, Alma felt left out
1. Desires of heart
2. DHO Desires: April 2011
VI. Questions and Issues
i. Need for Religious Freedom
1. Arguments against
a. 9/11, "Under the Banner of Heaven," "Mountain Meadow," Lafferty, Chad Daybell
b. oppression, inquisition, child abuse, feminism, LGBTQ
c. The First Amendment Is Out of Control - The New York Times, hhttps://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/02/opinion/supreme-court-netchoice-free-speech.html
2. Principles
a. Freedom in general is essential to existence, prosperity, and worship
i. Political, economic, social, relationship,  and religious all logically necessary subsets. Freedom for personal health choices,
ii. Venn diagram, larger circle, and smaller subsets.
iii. Political, and speech, but no religious? Incoherent.
iv. You say, dangers of faith--but this apply to economics and speech. Person has freedom to express beliefs about sex identity, but not express personal conviction of faith?
b. Double Effect
i. Good and bad effects, if you intend good, but not the bad, okay
ii. Are hazards and negative, but throwing baby out with the bathwater
c. Abusus non tollit usum
i. Abuse does not cancel use
ii. Good principle done wrongly doesn't invalidate it
iii. Abuse of faith or free speech, still good principle
iv. Fraud, slander, libel , not part of free speech.
3. RDH April 2015 "Preserving Agency, Protecting Religious Freedom"
a. The first is freedom to believe.
b. The second cornerstone of religious liberty is the freedom to share our faith and our beliefs with others.
c. The third cornerstone of religious liberty is the freedom to form a religious organization, a church, to worship peacefully with others.
d. The fourth cornerstone of religious liberty is the freedom to live our faith—free exercise of faith not just in the home and chapel but also in public places.
e. First, we can become informed. Be aware of issues in your community that could have an impact on religious liberty.
f. Second, in your individual capacity, join with others who share our commitment to religious freedom. Work side by side to protect religious freedom.
g. Third, live your life to be a good example of what you believe—in word and deed. How we live our religion is far more important than what we may say about our religion.
4. The devil wanted to silence freedom and remove freedom of faith
ii. Utility of Faith, versus truth claims
1. Are false principles useful? short term vs long-term.
iii. Is the doctrine of Christ pacifist?
1. Pro:
a. Prince of Peace, Christ and Melchizedek and Abraham
b. RMN
i. RMN April 2023, Peacemakers needed
ii. RMN October 2002 Blessed are the Peacemakers (context of 9/11)
2. Con:
a. Sword of Laban
i. Nephi
ii. King Benjamin
b. Zeniff
c. Captain Moroni
d. Alma 43; D&C 98
e. War in heaven
f. ANL didn't impose covenant upon children, not a universal principle.
3. Modern pacifism: Problem of pacifism, extreme such as Mennonites.
a. Tolstoy, Ghandi, MLK, Ahisma
b. Wars and Church leaders, GBH and 9/11
i. October 2001
ii. April 2003 "I believe that God will not hold men and women in uniform responsible as agents of their government in carrying forward that which they are legally obligated to do. It may even be that He will hold us responsible if we try to impede or hedge up the way of those who are involved in a contest with forces of evil and repression."
iii. Sept 1, 1987, Vietnam vet Brian Wilson laying on train track to stop a train, Concord Navel Weapons Station. Lost both feet.
iv. Issue of Generational curses & Amulonites
1. Con
a. 2nd A of F, punished for other peoples' sins (corruption of blood)
2. Pro
a. Obvious effects. Moses Thatcher great grandchildren.
b. Ancestor Austin Cowels, Isaac Haight, William Dame
c. Opportunities in this or next life for balancing things out.
v. Issue of slavery
1. Always had slavery, not invented by USA or George Washington, always existed.
2. Law of Moses regulated preexisting condition
3. Lesser law
4. D&C 136, painful trade-off.
5. Church couldn't have changed slavery, took a bloody war: 360K on union side, and 258K on the Confederacy
6. Fought war, amended the constitution. Yes still issues, but we are progressing.
vi. Refugees versus immigration
1. I was a Stranger for refugees.
2. Immigrants is different category: staying put, versus temporary situation. These were a mix of both.
3. Wisdom and order, strength and means.
vii. Why so sluggish--not baptizing at these rates?
1. "one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion" Jeremiah 3:14
2. Thousands, but what we are doing?
3. Why different? Lamanites acculturated to hat Nephite, same issue with other faiths and systems.
4. DAB April 2012
a. My dad continued, “David, your church teaches that the priesthood was taken from the earth anciently and has been restored by heavenly messengers to the Prophet Joseph Smith, right?” I replied that his statement was correct. Then he said, “Here is my question. Each week in priesthood meeting I listen to the bishop and the other priesthood leaders remind, beg, and plead with the men to do their home teaching and to perform their priesthood duties. If your church truly has the restored priesthood of God, why are so many of the men in your church no different about doing their religious duty than the men in my church?” My young mind immediately went completely blank. I had no adequate answer for my dad.
b.  
c. I believe my father was wrong to judge the validity of our Church’s claim to divine authority by the shortcomings of the men with whom he associated in our ward. But embedded in his question to me was a correct assumption that men who bear God’s holy priesthood should be different from other men
d. God's Debris, Genuine Belief.
viii. Why ANL so solid?
1. What caused the depth of conversion
2. Social structure, of social pressure
3. But ...???
ix. Our conversion, your conversion
VII. Christ Quotient
i. Recognize Christ's ability to deal with these thorny questions
ii. Are you burying your weapons of rebellion at Christ's feet?
iii. Letting Christ give you the answers you need?
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