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Chapter 13: Secret Combinations
Division Between the Just and the Unjust
The Lord has decreed that in the next life, those who are just will be separated from those who are not. There will be a resurrection of the just, and another of the unjust. The concept of justice is summed up by the Lord in these words from the Sermon on the Mount:
Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. (Matt. 7:12; 3 Ne. 14:12)
The importance of obeying this law which has come to be known among men as THE GOLDEN RULE, cannot be overemphasized, for the Lord has declared it to be the law and the prophets. Its coverage then is very broad. It forms the basis or the foundation for all human action. If one does not treat his fellow man as he would be treated, he has violated this universally known rule and subjected himself to the penalty of being placed with all others who do not obey it. These will be the unjust.
The Lord measures to every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man. (D&C 1:10; Alma 41:3-7) The Lord can use this law to judge all mankind because everyone knows it, even from childhood. It is universally known, thoroughly understood, even by the young and the simple, and easily applied. Each normal person knows what harms him and this knowledge lets him know what harms others. It is quite simple for men to apply this rule of justice in their personal relationships. Those who fail to give it observance are excluded from polite society. They are labelled as rude, impolite. Our desire to be accepted by others induces most of us to obey it on a personal basis.
But that which is understood so clearly on a personal basis, is ofttimes not seen when men act in groups and especially when they act in the name of government. Regardless of that fact, the rule should still [p. 86] apply and when it is not applied, the government becomes corrupt and wicked to the same extent. Those who approve, support and favor unjust laws, although they may not be criticized here, will surely be condemned by the Lord and branded as unjust. On the other hand when a government adopts unjust laws, those who oppose them are ofttimes criticized and condemned by those who favor them.
When such unjust laws become common, they will completely corrupt the morals of the society and it is almost impossible for parents to keep their children from going along with the crowd.
1. The secret combination has destroyed every civilization which has lived on this promised land. That includes the antediluvians, the Jaredites, and the Nephites. The inhabitants of the land today have been specifically warned against them and threatened with destruction unless we repent.
2. That the secret combinations destroyed the people in the days of Noah is indicated not only by the books of Moses and Abraham, but also by the Book of Mormon. The secret combinations got started among the Jaredites when the daughter of Jared, seeing the sorrow of her father at the loss of his kingdom, suggested to him the following plan:
. . . Whereby hath my father so much sorrow? Hath he not read the record which our fathers brought across the great deep? Behold, is there not an account concerning them of old that they by their secret plans did obtain kingdoms and great glory?
And it was the daughter of Jared who put it into his heart to search up these things of old, . . .
And it came to pass that they formed a secret combination, even as they of old; which combination is most abominable and wicked above all, in the sight of God.
And they have caused the destruction of this people of whom I am now speaking, and also the destruction of the people of Nephi.
Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain—and the work, yea, even the work of destruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be.
Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up. (Ether 8:9, 17, 18, 21,23, 24) [p. 87]
The secret combination has largely achieved its deadly work in these latter days in that the Great and Abominable Church of the Devil has spread over all the earth and has dominion over every nation kindred, tongue and people.
We will be wiped out just as the other three civilizations were unless we recognize this monstrous evil and take steps to prevent it from bringing us down to destruction spiritually and physically. (1 Ne. 14) Fathers must turn their hearts to their children and teach them to love the Lord before they can be corrupted by this terrible evil. Only those who do this or who are beyond reach of the Great and Abominable can expect to survive the great destruction.
Why is the Secret Combination so objectionable to the Lord? For one thing it kills the prophets and does so through the use of government. Such murders go unpunished and
. . . the Lord will not suffer that the blood of his saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto him from the ground for vengeance upon them and yet he avenge them not. (Ether 8:22)
But another reason is that the secret combination corrupts the hearts of all the people so there are no righteous left. Little children growing up in a society which has been corrupted by the secret combinations have no opportunity to learn the truth and so the Lord puts an end to such a people. Only eight adults survived the flood; two survived the Jaredite destruction and only one righteous man survived the war which destroyed the Nephites.
The secret combinations among the Jaredites corrupted the hearts of all the people until there were only thirty individuals which survived the destruction which came to that group.
Violence fills the earth because governments refuse to carry out the death penalty for murder as the Lord has commanded and because corrupt governments have taught the people to be corrupt. They have destroyed faith in God, in moral law and have taught that there need be no need to respect the right of private property. Corrupt governments teach their people to steal.
Several instances of the awful consequences of a corrupt government are given in the Book of Mormon. In one case the Jaredite nation almost became extinct because of the spread of these murderous combinations. Let the record tell the story: [p. 88]
For so great had been the spreading of this wicked and secret society that it had corrupted the hearts of all the people; therefore Jared was murdered upon his throne and Akish reigned in his stead.
And there began to be a war between the sons of Akish and Akish, which lasted for the space of many years, yea, unto the destruction of nearly all the people of the kingdom, yea, even all, save it were thirty souls, and they who fled with the house of Omer. (Ether 9:6, 12, See also Ether 11:7, 22)
The secret combinations corrupted the hearts of nearly all the Nephites at one time to the extent that only the prophet Nephi and his brother, Lehi were left to warn the people. Even the more part of the righteous had come down to believe in the works of the secret combinations and partake of their spoils. (Hel. 6:38)
Secret Combinations During the Patriarchal Reign
When the whole earth was filled with violence the Lord destroyed the people. Obviously there was not then a righteous government punishing violence.
During Book of Mormon times, large bodies of people were condemned to eternal misery for supporting Satan’s political programs. Very often they divided over the issue of enforced priestcraft. (Alma 3:26, 27; 28:10-14; 34:34, 35; 50:21, 22) Other times it was over the issue of total Communism. (3 Ne. 3:7; 1:27-30; 2:11-19; Mor. 9:14)
Unless the Fathers Turn Their Hearts to Their Children and Teach Them to Reject Satan’s Plan, All Flesh Will Be Wasted at the Lord’s Coming
1. The Gentiles have been warned repeatedly that we will be destroyed as a nation unless we repent. (1 Ne. 14; 2 Ne. 6:12; 3 Ne. 16:10-15; 20:15-16; 21: 14; 30:1, 2; Morm. 5:22-24; 8:34-41; Ether 2:9-12; 4:6-19; 8:23-26; D&C 84:54-59)
2. These scriptures admonish us to repent of our pride, priestcrafts, secret combinations, and adultery among other sins. While many may assume that they are not guilty of these sins, if we approve of, or fail to disapprove of laws through which these sins are being committed by our governments we are guilty. [p. 89]
Unless We Apply the Golden Rule to Government Action, We Almost Certainly Will Be Deceived
This rule is the law and the prophets. It is God’s law, and unless we use it to help us to avoid exercising unrighteous dominion through government, we will find ourselves classified among the many who are guilty of this sin. (D&C 121:34-40)
The Scriptures Indicate That When Civilizations Come to this Chosen Land and Ripen in Iniquity, the Lord Wipes Them from the Face of the Earth
Indeed this is the decree of the Lord repeated four different times in as many verses in Ether 2. The examples given by the scriptures indicate that at least three civilizations have suffered this fate. The Lord has threatened this civilization with extinction unless we turn our hearts to our children and our fathers. We are told how this might be done and are also warned that unless we do so, we will be moved out of our place.
When a society becomes wicked it is almost impossible for children growing up therein to avoid accepting the false beliefs of their fathers and becoming proud unless special measures are taken by parents in the home to prevent this. Fortunately we have been given the remedy and unless this is applied, another civilization will disappear because of wickedness. [p. 90]
The Constitution Requires Our Loyalty and Support
I reverence the Constitution of the United States as a sacred document. To me its words are akin to the revelations of God, for God has put His stamp of approval on the Constitution of this land. I testify that the God of heaven sent some of His choicest spirits to lay the foundation of this government, and He has sent other choice spirits—even you who read my words—to preserve it. (Ezra Taft Benson, The Constitution, A Heavenly Banner) [p. 91]
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