The Cause of Our "Awful Situation"

A couple weeks ago, on the day America celebrated the 233rd Anniversary of the signing of our nation’s birth certificate, namely the American Declaration of Independence, I participated in an activity in  which many people had opportunity to express their frustrations and concerns about the “awful situation” they perceive that our country is in.  In some cases they even described “awful situations” in which they were finding themselves and their families.  Blame for the “awful situation” was thrown about in any number of directions by people carrying signs and speakers, including myself.  The “awful situation” that I and many others whom I associate perceive is that which Moroni wrote of in the 24th verse of the 8th chapter in Ether.

I believe that the current challenging situations many of us fear, or are already facing, have been brought about largely by failure or refusal to heed a very important commandment of the Lord.  In D&C 98:6 we are told “the Saints are to befriend the constitutional law of the land.”

But before I go any further with this, I’d like to tell you about a man who I find to be one of the most interesting General Authorities of the church.

His name is J. Reuben Clark.  As a member of the First Presidency, he was a counselor to three Church Presidents over a period of 28 years. We’ve never had another individual in this Church serve in the First Presidency longer than J. Reuben Clark.

The following information comes from two books: “This is J. Reuben Clark: The Public Years” and “This is J. Reuben Clark: The Church Years” by Michael Quinn and Frank Fox which were published by the Brigham Young University Press in 1983.

President Clark was initially very disturbed that he would be called to the First Presidency of the Church. One needs to know a little bit about the background of J. Reuben Clark to appreciate what a shock this was to him and probably others as well. He had not lived where he could be active in the Church for 20 to 25 years.  In Washington, D.C., where he lived and worked from 1906 until 1930, you could go to a little Sunday evening affair that Senator Smoot held but that was all. He paid his tithing, but there wasn’t any Church, very often, to go to. Then from 1931 to 1933 he served as a U.S. Ambassador to Mexico.

He had never been a Bishop nor Stake President and then suddenly found himself telling Bishops and Stake Presidents how to do their jobs.

Concerning his calling to the First Presidency, J. Reuben Clark reportedly said to President Grant, “Don’t you make these choices by inspiration?”

President Grant responded, “Yes, we do.”

J. Reuben Clark said, “I can understand why a lawyer of international prominence and so forth, like myself, may add to the prestige of the Church. But I don’t know what I am doing here. I am doing things that I never was trained to do. I’m instructing people. I feel very inadequate.”

According to the story, President Grant said, “That’s not why you were chosen as a counselor.”

Brother Clark asked, “Well, why was I chosen?”

President Grant told him, “You were chosen because the Constitution of the United States is in jeopardy. The Church needs to be aroused, the country needs to be aroused, and we’ve got to start training our people to defend that Constitution before it’s shredded and lost.”

“Oh, really?!”

“You are the best Constitutionalist in the Church.”

Those of you who might remember President Benson’s talks and writings about our Constitution should be impressed by his having once referred to President Clark as “The eminent Constitutional authority”.

President Clark’s speeches about the importance of the US Constitution in General Conferences and in public were received with derision and contempt by many.  Of all his statements in support of the U.S. Constitution, the one that he made in the April 1935 General Conference stands out the most in my mind.   He said: “To me…that statement of the Lord, ‘I have established the Constitution of this land’, puts the Constitution of the United States in the position in which it would be if it were written in this book of Doctrine and Covenants itself. This makes the Constitution the word of the Lord to us. That it was given, not by oral utterance, but by the inspiration of his mind and spirit upon the minds of men, inspiring them to the working out of this great document of human government, does not alter its authority”.

In a similar fashion, President George Albert Smith once said: “I am saying to you that to me the Constitution of the United States of America is just as much from my Heavenly Father as the Ten Commandments.”

If there is one single verse of Scripture that has been ringing like a clarion call in my head in recent years, it is Verse 6 of the 98th Section of the Doctrine and Covenants. “Therefore, I, the Lord, justify you, and your brethren of my church, in befriending that law which is the constitutional law of the land”. Given by the Lord Jesus Christ thru the Prophet Joseph Smith, at Kirtland, Ohio, August 6, 1833, its message is clear:  “The saints are to befriend the constitutional law of the land.”  This is stated in the Preface to the 98th section as well. That message is preceded in Verse 4 by the statement “it is my will that my people should observe to do all things whatsoever I command them”.

In trying to come up with a good explanation of what the Lord meant by befriending the United States Constitution, I found that in the October 1987 General Conference, the Prophet, President Ezra Taft Benson, told us how to “befriend” the US Constitution. He said “How then can we best befriend the Constitution in this critical hour and secure the blessings of liberty and ensure the protection and guidance of our Father in Heaven?”

Now understand this is a prophet of God speaking in a Church General Conference, not just me.

“First and foremost, we must be righteous… Two great American Christian civilizations – the Jaredites and the Nephites – were swept off this land because they did not “serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ. (Ether 2: 12) What will become of our civilization?

“Second, we must learn the principles of the Constitution in the tradition of the Founding Fathers. Have we read the Federalist Papers? Are we reading the Constitution and pondering it? Are we aware of its principles? Are we abiding by these principles and teaching them to others? Could we defend the Constitution? Can we recognize when a law is constitutionally unsound? Do we know what the prophets have said about the Constitution and the threats to it?

“Third, we must become involved in civic affairs to see that we are properly represented….

“Fourth, we must make our influence felt by our vote, our letters, our teaching, and our advice. We must become accurately informed and then let others know how we feel….”

But why should Latter-day Saints even concern themselves with upholding and abiding by the United States Constitution now, in a time when a late night talk show host would suggest we give our Constitution of another country because we don’t use ours any more?  Here are four good reasons:

1.) The Lord Himself has stated unequivocally that He is the Constitution’s Author. Almost all of the latter-day prophets have declared that the Constitution is a document that was created through the inspiration of the Spirit. The Lord stated, as recorded in D&C 101: 80, that “I, established the Constitution of this land by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose.”

2.) Almost every prophet in this dispensation has emphasized the vital importance of defending, upholding and adhering to the Constitution. Those who have spoken on this particular subject have warned us that there is simply no way around this duty if we wish to remain a free people and that our collective future will be affected radically by our decision to adhere to this counsel.  President David O. McKay said “Next to being one in worshiping God, there is nothing in this world upon which this Church should be more united than in upholding and defending the Constitution of the United States.”

3.) Several prophets have warned that we have apostatized in various ways from the Constitution and have spoken of that day of destiny when the Constitution will be on the very verge of destruction or  hang by a thread. In that connection, President McKay stated: “…there has been an alarming increase in the abandoning of the ideals that constitute the foundation of the Constitution of the United States, and of the American home, and you will agree with me that there is real cause for apprehension.”

4.) The Constitution’s role goes beyond just providing a free nation in which the gospel and true Church could be restored to the Earth. The Constitution will become the governing system for the whole world during the Millennium. In that regard, the Lord has told us in D&C 98: 5 “And that law of the land which is constitutional, supporting that principle of freedom in maintaining rights and privileges, belongs to all mankind,…”.  D&C 101:77 states “The laws and constitution of the people, which I have suffered to be established….should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh.”

But, as Ezra Taft Benson once stated, “For years we have heard of the role the elders could play in saving the Constitution from total destruction. But how can the elders be expected to save it if they have not studied it and are not sure if it is being destroyed or what is destroying it?”

Active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in general have many demands placed upon them, including providing for their families, spending quality time with their families, making time for personal and family prayers and Gospel study, engaging in missionary work, conducting family history research, attending the temple, going home and visiting teaching, and participating in other worthy activities. In spite of all these responsibilities, it appears we are also under obligation to defend and promote the freedoms that the Lord intended us to have.

So where does that leave us? Where do we stand?

Imagine, if you would please, a group of rafters paddling and cruising down a river. Their guide calls to them it’s time to turn around and paddle back upstream. It gets dangerous up ahead. But the current is flowing faster now, and the ride is much more fun and exciting, so most of the rafters just ignore the warning and keep on going.

Pretty soon, the current becomes swifter and the guide shouts a second warning to the people in the rafts.  “Too late now to get back upstream, just get to the shore” he cries out. A waterfall is just around the bend.

Again, most of the rafters are enjoying the ride so much that they ignore the guide’s warning and elect to continue to enjoy the ride as long as they can.

Suddenly they hear the roaring sound of the waterfall and it comes into sight. In panic, the rafters try to paddle for the shore. Their guide no longer shouts to them to paddle ashore.  It’s no use.  All he can tell them now is to rig the rafts for the safest possible splashdown.

So I certainly hope we are all doing our best to follow the Prophet’s admonitions of preparedness and food storage. That may well be a major key now to OUR safest possible splashdown.