Chapter 23
Indictment to Bear
"He that is not with me is against me;
and he that gathereth not with me
scattereth abroad."
— Matthew 12:30

Edmund Burke, the English orator and statesman, once said, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Apathy, as we just pointed out in the previous chapter, does not please the Lord, for in the Bible we are told that if we are "neither cold nor hot," He will "spue" us out of his mouth. (Rev. 3:16.) And what is it we are told in the Doctrine and Covenants?

"For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward. But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned." (D&C 58:26-29.)

Many of us know we need to be anxiously engaged in a good cause but we often rationalize our way out of such involvement. Can we expect results where we do nothing? Can we expect to remain free if we leave our freedom in the hands of someone else? By now, from what we have studied, we know we cannot. President Kimball put it this way:

"In faith we plant the seed and soon we see the miracle of the blossoming. Men have often misunderstood and have reversed the process. They would have the harvest before the planting, the reward before the service, the miracle before the faith. Even the most demanding labor unions would hardly ask the wages before the labor. But many of us would have the vigor without the observance of the health laws, prosperity through the opened windows of heaven without the payment of tithes. We would have the close communion with our Father without fasting and praying; we would have the rain in due season and peace in the land without observing the Sabbath and keeping the other commandments of the Lord. We would pluck the rose before planting the roots; we would harvest the grain before sowing and cultivating." (Faith Precedes The Miracle, p. 4.)

And many would have their freedom without the desire to learn or the ambition to get into the battle. We cannot afford to stand idly by, or to make the wrong choices. Ezra Taft Benson said that we had to make choices in the pre-earth life, and that we must make the right ones here:

"As important as are all other principles of the gospel, it was the freedom issue which determined whether you received a body. To have been on the wrong side of the freedom issue during the war in heaven meant eternal damnation. How then can Latter-day Saints expect to be on the wrong side in this life and escape the eternal consequences?" (CR, April 1965, p. 122.)

"Do we teach people to avoid alcohol and tobacco by pointing out its evil effects? Of course we do. ". . . 'Just preach the gospel — that will stop [socialism],' is another neutralizing argument used by some. Did teaching the truth stop the war in heaven or convert Satan and his hosts?" (AEHDT, pp. 316-17.)

"It was the struggle over free agency that divided us [in the pre-earth life] before we came here; it may well be the struggle over the same principle which will deceive and divide us again." (CR, October 1963, p. 16.)

Read the Book of Mormon
President Benson has endlessly encouraged us to read the Book of Mormon. One of the reasons he has done so is because of the great amount of scripture relating to our day and Satan’s battle against the saints of the latter days. In speaking of President Kimball’s counsel to "lengthen our stride," President Benson said, "We need that direction, for the Book of Mormon warns us of the tactics of the adversary in the last days. . . ." (CR, April 1986, p. 4.) And in his book, Title of Liberty, he writes:

"When all of the trappings of propaganda and pretense have been pulled aside, the exposed hard-core structure of modern communism [socialism] is amazingly similar to the ancient Book of Mormon record of secret societies such as the Gadiantons. In the ancient American civilization there was no word which struck greater terror in the hearts of the people than the name of the Gadiantons. It was a secret political party which operated as a murder cult. Its object was to infiltrate legitimate government, plant its officers in high places, and then seize power and live off the spoils appropriated from the people. (It would start out as a small group of ‘dissenters’ and by using secret oaths with the threat of death for defectors it would gradually gain a choke hold on the political and economic life of whole civilizations.)

"The object of the Gadiantons, like modern communists, was to destroy the existing government and set up a ruthless criminal dictatorship over the whole land.
"One of the most urgent, heart-stirring appeals made by Moroni as he closed the Book of Mormon was addressed to the gentile nations of the last days. He foresaw the rise of a great world-wide secret combination among the gentiles which ‘seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; . . .’ He warned each gentile nation of the last days to purge itself of this gigantic criminal conspiracy which would seek to rule the world. The prophets have said that these threats are among us." (TL, pp. 184-185.)

What have we done with the urgings of our modern-day prophets, and those of the scriptures? Have we followed their advice? President Benson tells us that "the whole Church is under condemnation" because we have neglected our duties in this matter. In conference of April 1986, he said, "Unless we read the Book of Mormon and give heed to its teachings, the Lord has stated in section 84 of the Doctrine and Covenants that the whole Church is under condemnation: ‘And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.’ (D&C 84:56). The Lord continues: ‘And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written’ (D&C 84:57)." (CR, April 1986, p. 4.)

An Indictment
Not only is the Church under condemnation, but the elders are also, for their sluggish acceptance of the Lord’s commandments. In the previous chapter we covered six arguments that might be used as excuses for such lethargy. We will now present another, which is part of that same series:

"And now as to the last neutralizer that the devil uses most effectively — it is simply this: ‘Don’t do anything in the fight for freedom until the Church sets up its own specific program to save the Constitution.’ . . . Maybe the Lord will never set up a specific Church program for the purpose of saving the Constitution. Perhaps if he set up one at this time it might split the Church asunder, and perhaps he does not want that to happen yet, for not all the wheat and tares are fully ripe. The Prophet Joseph Smith declared it will be the Elders of Israel who will step forward to help save the Constitution, not the Church. And have we been warned? Yes, we have. And have we elders been given the guidelines? Yes indeed, we have. And besides, if the Church should ever inaugurate a program, who do you think would be in the forefront to get it moving? It would not be those who were sitting on the sidelines prior to that time or those who were appeasing the enemy. It would be those choice spirits who, not waiting to be "commanded in all things," used their own free will, the counsel of the prophets, and the Spirit of the Lord as guidelines and who entered the battle ‘n a good cause’ and brought to pass much righteousness in freedom’s cause." (CR, April 1965, p. 125.)
"We don’t need a Prophet — we have one — we need a listening ear. And if we do not listen and heed, then, as the Doctrine and Covenants states, ‘. . . the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people’ (D&C 1:14)." (CR, October 1961, p. 71; "The American Heritage of Freedom - A Plan of God," pp. 9-10.)
"In the crisis through which we are now passing, we have been fully warned. This has brought forth some criticism. There are some of us who do not want to hear the message. It embarrasses us. The things which are threatening our lives, our welfare, our freedoms are the very things some of us have been condoning. Many do not want to be disturbed as they continue to enjoy their comfortable complacency." (GFC, pp. 358-359.)

And because of this comfortable complacency, President Benson says there is an "indictment we will have to bear" because we are not ready to do what the Lord has asked: "Brethren, if we had done our homework and were faithful, we could step forward at this time and help save this country. The fact that most of us are unprepared to do it is an indictment we will have to bear. . . . The war in heaven is raging on earth today." (CR, April 1965, p. 125.)

We Cannot be Neutral
The Book of Mormon tells of secret combinations that destroyed the Nephites and their government. It sounds much like the scenario of our day. Perhaps as we read about it we can consider our situation here in the United States, and see if it sounds familiar.

"And it came to pass on the other hand, that the Nephites did build them up and support them, beginning at the more wicked part of them, until they had overspread all the land of the Nephites, and had seduced the more part of the righteous until they had come down to believe in their works and partake of their spoils, and to join with them in their secret murders and combinations. Thus they did obtain the sole management of the government, insomuch that they did trample under their feet and smite and rend and turn their backs upon the poor and the meek, and the humble followers of God. And thus we see that they were in an awful state, and ripening for an everlasting destruction." (Hel. 6:38-40.)

In the Millennial Star, 1853, as it speaks of the last days, the great power that Satan will have, and the crisis that will exist, it tells us that we cannot be "neutral," but that we must choose our sides, get involved, or perish: "Oh man, you cannot be neutral. You must choose your side and put on your armor. Those that come not up to the help of the Lord in that day of battle, will be sorely cursed . . . thereby those who take refuge in the name of the Lord and in immediate revelation from heaven, will be safe, and no others." ("The Coming Crisis: How to Meet It," from The Millennial Star, April 30, 1853.)

Have We Apostatized?
Not only must we choose a side and be spiritually attuned to immediate revelation, but it seems that we must also be so living that we are persecuted for our religious beliefs. Brigham Young made a very interesting statement to this effect when he said, "And when the spirit of persecution, the spirit of hatred, of wrath, and malice ceases in the world against this people, it will be the time that this people have apostatized and joined hands with the wicked, and never until then; which I pray may never come." (JD, 4:327.)

If we consider our position in the world today compared to a hundred years ago, we find that the Church and its members are well received; the gospel is spreading into forbidden countries; other churches are adopting some of our LDS programs such as Family Home Evening. The Church and its members (generally speaking) have never been so well received and respected in the world. This is good in many ways and for many reasons. BUT — have we (collectively speaking) drifted into and accepted the many ways of the world to qualify us for such a "positive" acceptance. As the world "ceases" in its persecution, are we becoming more apostate in our attitudes? This may be a rather indicting question. But isn’t there an indictment against the Elders of the Church, according to President Benson? And as we take into consideration the position that we Latter-day Saints have put ourselves into, and the stance we have taken in regard to our spirituality and liberties, is there any question that the Lord might be displeased with modern Israel?

With these thoughts in mind, let us turn once again to Ezra Taft Benson as he addressed the subject of secret combination and the anti-Christ. In general conference he asked: "Assuming we are living a life so we can know, then what does the Holy Spirit have to say about it? We are under obligation to answer this question. God will hold us responsible. Let us not be deceived in the sifting days ahead." (Conference Report, October 1963, p. 19.) It may be good to remember President Benson’s words when he said, "As members of the Church, we have some close quarters to pass through if we are to save our souls." (AEHDT, p. 317.)