Destiny Foretold

I shall not take time to go back and prove to you the truth of Elder Talmage’s remarks of yesterday. This country in which we live had been declared by the prophets thousands of years ago to have been given by God our Father to the covenant people of Israel. The coming of Columbus was not a thing of chance. The prophets predicted his coming ages ago. He came here under the inspiration, the impulse, unknown perhaps to him, of the Spirit of the Lord, just as we are led to do many things without just knowing the reason why, for the accomplishment of a divine purpose. The establishment in this country of a government to which the oppressed of all nations should come for refuge, for freedom. He declared that no kings should ever rule here, centuries before Columbus sailed from the port of Spain. He told the history of this country, its past, its present, and declared its future destiny, just as definitely as he declared its past history.

What is that destiny? It is that this government of ours shall persist; it shall continue; it shall never be thrown down; no enemy that comes against it shall ever triumph—upon this one condition, that the people to whom the Lord has given these bounteous blessings; these miracles which have come to the earth during my lifetime, these people who have grown from an exceedingly small beginning to be the wealthiest, perhaps the most important in influence—I believe I am justified in saying it—that there is in the world—upon condition that they serve the Lord of the land, who is Jesus Christ.

Source: President Anthony W. Ivins
General Conference, October 1932

Topics: America, Destiny; America, History

God, The Author Of It

Where much is given much is expected. This land, to God our Father, is a chosen land, dedicated as I have said to the principle of liberty and freedom, not license.

Our fathers, under His inspiration, gave us the constitution of our country, the bill of rights which defines our privileges and places limitations beyond which we may not go. Liberty, when carried to the extreme, results in license. I want to impress upon this congregation, my brethren and sisters who are here, that the Lord our God has been the author of it all. It was he who led you from your native lands. You people from the green fields and lanes of England, you did not leave your homes because you did not love your native land. You had fought for it, defended it, and were ready to fight for it again. You people from Scotland, you people from Ireland and Wales, from Germany and the islands of the sea, oh if I only had the time to go back and tell you I could show you that the whole story of your lives had been written by the finger of God.

So we are here; here, thank the Lord, citizens of the best government in the world. We are here, members of the Church of Christ our Lord which has been restored through the medium of heavenly messengers who had authority to give to men upon earth, the keys of the holy priesthood. What for? For the redemption of the human family. Whether men believe it or not these things are true, and ultimately they will believe it, and there is no power either in earth or hell that can stay the progress of the Church, unless its people prove recreant to the covenants that they have entered into with our Father who is in heaven. Just so, there is no power that can wreck the government that God has established in this country unless it be the people themselves, and that I do not expect nor believe can occur.

Source: President Anthony W. Ivins
General Conference, October 1932

Topics: Heavenly Interest in Human Events

By the Spirit of the Lord

The Lord in his scripture tells us that no one can come to this land unless he be brought or directed by the Spirit of the Lord, and so he has brought this people here. He brought the faith of the devoted Puritans of New England; he brought the patriotism of the Dutch at New York; he brought the gallantry of the cavaliers of Virginia; the light-hearted energy of the French of New Orleans. Just the kind of composite body of men to establish a government that could not be dominated by any particular race or tongue, but made composite, that all men might be welcomed to it, live under and enjoy its privileges.

Source: President Anthony W. Ivins
General Conference, October 1932

Topics: America, History

Army Threatens

And so the government has struggled on. From the very beginning the ship of state has been at times upon a stormy sea. With the dismissal of the army after the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown the soldiers were discharged. There was no money with which to pay them. They were in open revolt. Generals in the army accused Washington of being the author of all their troubles. They would have made him king and disregarded the confederacy of states which formed the Union. They threatened to march against the Congress which was in session at Philadelphia, and it became necessary to remove it to Princeton. Now let me read something that I want you to hear. While these men were assembled together in secret conclave, Washington unexpectedly walked into the room where they were seated. Fiske says: “Washington suddenly came into the meeting and amidst profound silence broke forth in a most eloquent and profound speech. All were hushed by that majestic presence and those solemn tones. He pleaded for tolerance, for patience, for trust in the newly born government which would in the end pay them that which it owed. They listened, the soldiers listened, hesitated and yielded to the irresistible presence of the man who more than any other had made the establishment of the nation possible.” I revere this man. To me he has been a man of destiny, a prophet if we have ever had one. I read frequently his last address to the American people. It is a treasure house of wisdom, of prophecy, of political philosophy.

Source: President Anthony W. Ivins
General Conference, October 1932

Topics: America, History

Perplexing Situations

Our government is now very much in the condition that it was at that early time. Demands are made upon it which are exceedingly difficult to comply with. The soldiers of our country are in an ugly mood because their requests are not granted. The resources of the country are not sufficient to meet the demands made upon it, notwithstanding the great increase in taxes which has recently been levied. The bulletin boards, while this conference has been in session, have announced that the budget of the government is still five hundred million dollars short of balance. What is the result going to be? I do not know; I do not want to assume the responsibility of indicating, but I do know that there are some things which will help. I do know that Elder Richards this afternoon has declared to you in plain terms some of the things that must be accomplished. There is about ten billions of dollars of gold in the world. Our national debt is twenty billions of dollars. What the debt of other nations of the world is I do not now, I have not taken the time to determine, but this I do know, that the World war cost about two hundred billions of dollars, and that does not take into consideration the amount which was paid for the restoration of property destroyed, nor does it take into consideration the fact that I believe nearly ten millions of men, if I remember the figures correctly, were either killed or permanently disabled and taken away from the forces which create the industries of the world. So that altogether I calculate that at least two hundred and fifty billions of dollars was the cost of that great war. Will the debt ever be paid? It never will. That goes without saying. Some part of it may be, I do not know. No one will deny the fact that the government at present is confronted with perplexing situations, questions of great import. How they are to be solved men appear not to know, and I do not know. One thing that I do know, is that the American people are capable of solving these problems if the voice of the people coud be heard. I have faith in the sold of these American people which God has brought to this land. He has said, and I am only repeating his words, that the nation shall persist, that it shall be able to meet any emergency that shall arise if it will only, as I have stated, have faith in the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ.

Source: President Anthony W. Ivins
General Conference, October 1932

Topics: Debt; Taxes; War

Disregard For Law

It appears to me that three things are more responsible than all else for our present condition. The first is the unusual disposition upon the part of many of the citizens of our country to disregard the obligation of obedience to civil law. I do not need to quote these notes that I have here to show you that in the opinion of the best thinkers of our country, chaos hangs over it unless something can be done to restrain crime and the open violation of law which exists in the United States today. Criminals sit upon juries where their own friends are being tried, while business men and others who should be there decline or avoid such service. Murder is committed in the light of day. Murderers and thieves are released from jail or from courts by habeas corpus many times before the prisoner ever reaches the bar of justice. Lawlessness is in every city of the land. Wicked men go out in the darkness at night like animals of prey, here in our own city, seeking whom they might devour, preying upon the innocent and unrotected. The officers of the law do the best they can to prevent it. We who are citizens pay too little attention to it and give them too little support. Just as long as prominent men in our nation, bankers, merchants, business men, congressmen and legislators ignore the law themselves, how can they expect that this condition can be overcome? Do I exaggerate when I say that men are elected to office who are unworthy, and never should have been chosen? Every man who goes to the Congress of the United States holds up his hand and covenants with God that he will obey the Constitution of our country, and then frequently he goes right out and violates it. It applies to men who are sent up to our legislature. They enter into that covenant and then disregard it. I know how I should feel if I did a thing of that kind. I would know that I was a perjurer and I would expect to be impeached and sent home where I belonged. Some such method as that will have to be adopted before our house cleaning will be complete.

Source: President Anthony W. Ivins
General Conference, October 1932

Topics: Law, Respect For

Disregard For Religion And Pursuit Of Wealth

In conclusion, let me read some quotations that I have made from this man whom we refer to as the father of our country. I said there were three things responsible for this spirit of lawlessness. Another one is the disregard of religion that is gradually but surely manifesting itself among the people. Enough has been said in this conference to satisfy you that this is not an idle statement that I am making. These sheets that I have before me are covered with statistics that corroborate the truth of what I say. The next thing to be avoided is the unbridled and unreasonable pursuit of wealth which has characterized the people of the United States ever since the World war terminated.

Source: President Anthony W. Ivins
General Conference, October 1932

Topics: Law, Respect For

Quotes Washington

Washington in this address to which I have referred, and I wish every member of the Church would read it—not only read it but make it a part of the governing rule of his life—says:

“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked—”and I ask it of you—“Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”

Source: President Anthony W. Ivins
General Conference, October 1932

Topics: Law, Respect For; Morality

Responsibility of Citizenship

I am going to ask you this question, and ask it in plainness, because it appears to me to be a vital one, and if I stand here and express a thought that is wrong, nevertheless believing it to be solemnly right, then I have justified myself as Ezekiel did when he went down to the house of Israel. I am asking myself this question: Is there not some responsibility resting upon the citizenship of the United States because of the indifference they have manifested, particularly during the past decade, in regard to those who are to represent them in the Congress of our nation, the legislatures of our states and the boards of direction in the municipalities of those states and counties?

I believe I will say it—I believe that in many instances we have become so accustomed to and so committed to party rule, to arrangements made by professional politicians, regardless of the real voice and desire of the people, that we have felt it our duty to follow them whether they are right or wrong. Just a word of solemn warning: I say to you regardless of party politics, regardless of your past affiliations, in this time of extremity, and it is a time of extremity, see to it that honest men, wise men, capable men are sent to represent you in the organizations of the country, the bodies which formulate our laws and appoint the men who administer them. You know that the constitution of the United States gives Congress certain privileges and rights. There are certain other sacred privileges and rights that it does not confer upon them and that they should not be permitted to overstep. They formulate and pass the laws which govern our lives, control our property, proclaim peace or war. The administration of those laws that they pass is limited. The administration goes to the administrative bodies.

Source: President Anthony W. Ivins
General Conference, October 1932

Topics: Citizenship; Voting

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