Oh Canada

I am hearing rumors of bank runs in Canada. The government’s heavy handed response may have triggered their descent into a real banana republic.

@PH: were/are the truckers _actually_ blocking roads and border crossings, or are they merely being accused of it?

Everyone who doesn’t do exactly what the left demands is a terrorist, so freedom assembly, speech, etc is fake.

I’m not making any judgements either way, but I think it’s worth mentioning that when Lord North tried freezing out Boston Harbor it didn’t work so well for him.

Just to be clear, the Savior wouldn’t be blocking parliament.

I don’t like that idea very much, but the Romans were surely worse than the Canadians. Everytime I get worked up by governmental injustice I think of the Saviors response — focus on his mission and purpose.

That’s a hard pill to swallow, because the the scriptures don’t have any record of the Savior crusading for abused children. He taught about what would happen to the perpetrators. But he didn’t let the evil djstract him from his mission.

Should we follow the same example? Or be social (or government) justice warriors?

I struggle with this because my passion would want me to offer some kind of resistance. And yet that feels like it perpetuates rather cycle.

The same advice we give to socialists in church who think we can cure poverty with more taxes applies in a way. Focus on personal righteous, teaching christlike charity, and work, responsibility and accountability. And then Zion can come.

Nowhere in that suggests Zion starts with petitions and assemblies. Make a credible case I’m wrong. I’d like to be.

This is coming up in my Isaiah discussion, but this is too topical to wait, when I see nations like Iran or China indignant at the hypocrisy of Fidel Jr. Of course, Fidel Jr is just the fool of the moment. These curses are coming for the West, and the US in particular.

This is from Isaiah 10, and the entire chapter is relevant.

5 ¶ O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.
6 I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

@sute

You may be right. It’s definitely worth some thought.

Lately, I find myself flinching whenever someone suggests that we need to be more kind and submissive to be more Christlike, as this, too often, seems to be employed to manipulate believers (just to be clear, I believe your comment is in earnest). I greatly resent what appears to me to be the wicked’s ever-increasing call for more “Christlike kindness” in the effort to propagate sinfulness— ever-increasing, because it’s effective.

As for some examples in contrast, in the Book of Mormon, the people opposed to the Gadianton robbers fortified themselves together to starve out their enemies, and then destroyed them in their weakened state. While I’m not saying that this is applicable now, that course of action, along with chasing money changers out of the temple falls appears to fall within the realm of Christlike behavior, when appropriate.

As it stands, I am too often torn and confused about what the right course is. There is no more frontier to which to retreat. The choice appears to be reduced to resist or submit. The Lord uses both the wicked and righteous to accomplish His work, but what role should we play? I wish I knew. Although I know what my heart says, whether it is right or not, I do not yet know.

TBuffalo – we must become truly Christ-like, but that does not mean push-overs or cowards. It means like Christ, who made the powers angry enough, that they crucified him. How? We can only learn this by personal revelation.

But it seems clear to me that every negative opinion I have had about activism has been verified.

Does this mean we are doomed to failure? No.

It is prophesied that the elders of the church would save the Constitution when it hangs by a thread. So the question isn’t if. It is how. And again, this requires personal revelation.

Of course, why are we acting like this is our first Rodeo?

Read D&C 101

81 Now, unto what shall I liken the children of Zion? I will liken them unto the parable of the woman and the unjust judge, for men ought always to pray and not to faint, which saith—
82 There was in a city a judge which feared not God, neither regarded man.
83 And there was a widow in that city, and she came unto him, saying: Avenge me of mine adversary.
84 And he would not for a while, but afterward he said within himself: Though I fear not God, nor regard man, yet because this widow troubleth me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
85 Thus will I liken the children of Zion.
86 Let them importune at the feet of the judge;
87 And if he heed them not, let them importune at the feet of the governor;
88 And if the governor heed them not, let them importune at the feet of the president;
89 And if the president heed them not, then will the Lord arise and come forth out of his hiding place, and in his fury vex the nation;
90 And in his hot displeasure, and in his fierce anger, in his time, will cut off those wicked, unfaithful, and unjust stewards, and appoint them their portion among hypocrites, and unbelievers;
91 Even in outer darkness, where there is weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth.
92 Pray ye, therefore, that their ears may be opened unto your cries, that I may be merciful unto them, that these things may not come upon them.

Top notch comment, T. Buffalo

Elder Bednar keeps emphasizing meekness, and I think we could use a healthy dose of that. As I’ve thought of that attribute and how it differs from humility, I’ve been concluding that meekness comes from the quiet confidence of knowing who you are and being in complete control of yourself.

Two book of Mormon stories are suggested to me by this post and the comments; we extoll the virtues and strength of the 2000 stripling warriors, as well as the virtues and strength of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies. They took very different approaches to oncoming societal danger. And we cite them both as examples of how to act. I suspect that means how we act/react to trouble coming down the pike depends on the situation, and on our own private promises to and covenants with the Lord. I so often wish things could be more black and white, but they seldom are.

Annie, and TBuffalo,
I think the BoM stories tell how righteous people *can* act and still be good people. But I’m not sure if the stories of stripling warriors or fighting gadianton robbers are triumphs or in the end tragedies.

Indeed, I consider the lesson of the anti nephi lehis, wouldn’t fight, and won the day with less losses and more gains than if they had fought — and surely there could not be a more happier people, who were said to be honest and upright in all things with a zeal towards God and man.

And their children eventually fought for them and indeed won their battles. But remember it was Gadianton who followed up very shortly after Helaman passed away. One lesson the Book of Mormon clearly teaches is that cycles of war perpetuate destruction of generations.

And again, was the Savior less of a man than Helaman? Was he not the right example for Helman to follow (I realize Helaman is BC)?

If Helaman or Moroni were in Jerusalem, would they have followed the path of Christ or acted as they did in the Book of Mormon? Is to be a disciple of Christ to know when to act as he never did? Or to interpret how others acted unlike him did so in a way that fully honors his example?

These are hard questions for me. But I’ve learned more in my life by looking to Christ than warrior prophets. And I do not discount them, but I look at their victories as tragedies perpetuating the cycle that necessitates Christ.

I can’t think of Helman triumphing with the sword on a field of battle over enemies who wish to destroy without thinking of Christ triumphing over all on the cross at the hands of such enemies.

As I said. Tough doctrine if accurate (and surely incomplete as I’ve described it).

Regarding kindness… well, I agree. I prefer the word consideration. Treat others with consideration. Not rashly (which is usually the basis for cruelty). And by what measure would you consider them?

The measure of one who took the blow to the face from religious authority without retaliation. One who was judged by the mob and a stood in silence; who was beaten, tortured, and mocked by sadistic soldiers and had words of forgiveness. No Abinidi like statement that they would suffer like he did in agony (and perhaps they truly did). But an example of mercy and forgiveness until the end.

Now consider the how the Jews responded to the Roman oppression within a generation of Christs death. They won the day, and then the streets eventually ran with blood and some places are still ruins

Huh. Thats deeper than we give it credit.

Sute,

Now that I see your full argument, I believe you are wrong. Let me say that I respect the very contrary-to-the-world wisdom you have. But it doesn’t quite work for me. Here’s why.

Nothing in the book of Mormon works out in the end. The book is a tragedy. Every type of response failed temporally in the long run.

Temporally, the anti-nephi-lehies were quite successful at their pacifism, except for the ones that died, but the longer the situation went on the more the process of people killing them became refined until the killers were full of the hard of heart, the ex nephites and so on, who were not going to be swayed by innocent martyrdom. So the Lord’s solution was that they flee to the protection of nephite arms.

Even during his time in mortality the Lord was not extraordinarily mild-mannered, he cursed and vituperated the Pharisees and assaulted the money changers, but we have the records of thousands of years of his dealings outside that ministry and how he will do in the future and it seems to be full of, ah, extremely vigorous policy responses.

We are also Americans, heirs to what seems to be a divinely approved experiment in ordered Liberty that was brought into being by shooting people.

I have to say, what Trudeau has done is impressive. Any time people talk about the Mark of the Beast, it is rare that I take them seriously. But not anymore!

Trudeau is like a child who gets to play at the adults table, but tips his entire hand.