61 points about Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormon

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61 points about Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormon

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61 points about Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormon

Are these indicators to be made aware of? Are they pertinent for today? Are these a warning for our day?

1.Secret combinations existed in times of old (2 Nephi 26:22)

2.They have secret oaths, covenants, agreements, signs, wonders, and plans (Alma 37:27,32)

3.Alma commanded his son not to reveal their secret oaths and covenants to the general public (Alma 37:27)

4.They murdered the prophets (Alma 37:30)

5.The object of all those who belonged to the secret society was to murder, rob, and gain power (Helaman 2:8)

6.They were established in the more settled part of the land (Helaman 3:23)

7.Those at the head of the government for a time did not know they existed (Helaman 3:23)

8.Many were baptized into the church while the secret society was being established (Helaman 3:24) 43 BC

9.After the people had been blessed so long with riches and were not engaged in wars, the people started to set their hearts on riches, so they began to murder and steal as part of a secret combination (Helaman 6:17)

10.They murdered chief judges (Helaman 6:19)

11.When the Lamanites found out that there were secret combinations among them, they tried to destroy them out of their midst (Helaman 6:20)

12.The Nephites united with the secret combination (Helaman 6:21) 25 BC

13.The members of the secret combination covenanted with each other that they would protect and help each other, and not let each other be brought to punishment (Helaman 6:12)

14.They had secret signs and words to identity each other (Helaman 6:22)

15.They covenanted with each other that they should not do wickedness to each other (Helaman 6:22)

16.They would punish any member of the secret combination that would reveal their wickedness (Helaman 6:24)

17.Gadianton had the same oaths and covenants in his secret combination that existed in the secret combinations of the Jaredites, yet Gadianton did not get those oaths and covenants from the plates, but from the devil (Helaman 6:26)

18.The Lamanites destroyed the secret combination from among them by teaching the word of God to them (Helaman 6:37)

19.The Nephites built them up (Helaman 6:38)

20.The secret combination among the Nephites started with the more wicked people, but eventually spread over the whole land. (Helaman 6:38)

21.The more part of the righteous of the Nephites to believe in their works and to partake of their spoils and join with them in murders (Helaman 6:38) 24 BC

22.The secret combination did obtain sole management of the government (Helaman 6:39)

23.Once in power, they began to abuse the poor and humble followers of God (Helaman 6:39)

24.Nephi asked the Lord to send a famine to get the people to repent of supporting the secret combination and performing wicked deeds. Many died, and they began to repent. (Helaman 11:4)

25.The Nephites swept the secret combination out from among them, and the famine ended (Helaman 11:10)

26.Nephite dissenters searched for the plans of Gadianton (Helaman 11:26)

27.They hid in the mountains (Helaman 11:31)

28.At first the Nephites started to repent, but then the just grew more wicked (Helaman 11:37)

29.Many dissenters of the Nephites joined the secret combination, and many of the children were flattered into joining them (3 Nephi 1:28-29)

30.The Nephites continued to fight the secret combination, even though the Nephites remained wicked (3 Nephi 2:10)

31.The leader of the secret combination invited the leader of the Nephites to become equal brothers with them in the secret combination, and equal in all their possessions (3 Nephi 3:7)

32.The leader of the secret combination declared his society and its works to be good and of an ancient date and that it has been handed down to them (3 Nephi 9)

33.The leader of the secret combination accused the Nephites of having retained the rights of government from the people (3 Nephi 3:10)

34.The leader of the secret combination demanded that the Nephites yield all their possession to them (3 Nephi 3:10)

35.The Nephites defeated the secret combination and attributed their victory to their humility and repentance (3 Nephi 4:33)

36.The Nephites put an end to the secret combination (3 Nephi 5:6)

37.Judge secretly were putting to death those that were testifying to the people about their wickedness. Only the chief judge was legally allowed to put someone to death (3 Nephi 6:23)

38.The judge formed a secret combination among themselves to avoid punishment from their crimes, using the same covenants of previous secret combination (3 Nephi 6:28)

39.This new secret combination sought to kill the people of god, kill the chief judge, and establish a king (2 Nephi 6:30)

40.They murdered the chief judge and the Nephites split into tribes (3 Nephi 7:2)

41.They caused a great contention in the land so that almost all the righteous had become wicked (3 Nephi 7:7)

42.They put a man over them as their king (3 Nephi 7:10)

43.After Christ came and the the Nephites and Lamanites were righteous for many years, they began again to build up a secret combinations (4 Nephi 1:42)

44.The Book of Mormon will be brought forth in a day when the blood of saints shall cry unto the Lord, because of secret combinations (Mormon 8:27)

45.The Jaredites brought with them a record of secret combinations (Ether 8:9)

46.The daughter of a Jaredite king used an ancient account of a secret combination obtaining a kingdom and great glory as a model for a plan to get her own father's kingdom back (Ether 8:9,18)

47.Moroni purposefully did not write the oaths of the secret combinations because they are already had among all people (Ether 8:20)

48.Secret combinations have caused the destruction of the Nephites (Ether 8:21)

49.Whatsoever nation that upholds secret combinations shall be destroyed (Ether 8:22)

50.Moroni wrote about the secret combinations for the benefit of the Gentiles, so that they could repent and not be overpowered by the secret combinations (Ether 8:23)

51.The Lords commands that when we see secret combinations come among us that we should awake to a sense of our awful situation (Ether 8:24)

52.Those who build up secret combinations seek to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and all people (Ether 8:25)

53.The kingdom of Omer was overthrown because of secret combinations (Ether 9:1)

54.The hearts of all the Jaredites had become corrupt because of the secret combinations (Ether 9:6)

55.The son of a king sought after secret plans of old to dethrone his father (Ether 9:26)

56.A secret combination cause the people to rebel against the king and the kingdom was split (Ether 11:15)

57.The Lord decreed that another people would possess the land because of the wickedness of the people and the secret combinations (Ether
11:21-22)

58.Mighty men rose up and tried to use their secret combination to destroy the king (Ether 13:15)

59.The secret combination killed many people in their effort to obtain the kingdom from the king (Ether 13:18)

60.A king received great strength because of secret combinations (Ether 14:8)

61.A king's high priest murdered his king, and then that high priest was murdered by a member of that secret combinations (Ether 8:9-10)

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marc
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Re: 61 points about Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormo

Post by marc »

Great post! Did you compile those on your own?

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Re: 61 points about Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormo

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coachmarc wrote:Great post! Did you compile those on your own?
Negatory. I could not find the source, but will keep looking. I certainly would like to give credit where credit is due. Perhaps someone can give reference to them. I saw them somewhere, copied them and pasted them into a word doc. for future reference.

I can say, nevertheless, that my wife heard that we can know what to expect for our present day by reading all of Helaman and part way into 3 Nephi, so this was very fitting to me when I realized I had it in my word processor.

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Re: 61 points about Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormo

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See: http://www.ldsfreedomportal.net/WakingU ... ations.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What Do The Scriptures Teach Us About Secret Combinations?

Secret combinations existed both in the Old and New World in ancient times. Below is a list of some of the things we learn from the scriptures concerning the nature, purpose and methods of these secret combinations:

1. Cain founded the first secret combination and became known as Master Mahan.[2] This title and the oaths and covenants were passed down to subsequent leaders of the secret combination (Moses 5: 31, 49; Helaman 6:30).

2. Secret combinations are “most abominable and wicked above all” in the sight of God (see Ether 8:18).

3. Secret combinations are Satanic in nature, receiving revelation from, and being founded and held up by, the devil (Moses 5:29-30; 2 Nephi 26:22; Helaman 6:26; 3 Nephi 6:28; Ether 8:16, 25) who transforms himself into an angel of light and stirs up men to contention whereby wickedness and thus secret combinations increase (2 Nephi 9:9; Helaman 6:21; 3 Nephi 7:7).

4. Secret combinations administer secret ancient oaths handed down from Cain (Ether 8:15-16), taken by swearing by the God of heaven, the heavens, the earth, the throat and the head (Moses 5:29-30; Ether 8:13-14).

5. The manner of their oaths and combinations are had among all people (Ether 8:20).

6. Secret combinations have secret signs and words (Helaman 6:22), protect one another (Helaman 6:21, 23), and mingle into society in a manner whereby they cannot be found (Helaman 1:12).

7. Members of secret combinations are punished by the combination if they reveal the wickedness of their co-conspirators (Helaman 6:24; Ether 8:14).

8. One of the purposes of secret combinations is to murder (Moses 5:31; Helaman 2:8); they also seek to murder the prophets of God (Alma 37:30). These combinations cause slaughter (3 Nephi 1:27, 2:11), war and millions of deaths; the Jaredites and Nephites being destroyed because of them (Helaman 2:13-14; Ether 8:21).

9. Secret combinations are established to rob and get gain (Moses 5:31; Helaman 2:8). They store up gold and silver in abundance and traffic in all manner of traffic (4 Nephi 1:46). The Book of Mormon refers to them as “robbers” over fifty times, which suggest that theft was their chief activity or the activity for which they were most notorious.

10. Gadianton Robbers prefer to plunder rather than working for themselves (3 Nephi 4:1-5).

11. Members of secret combinations regard each other as brethren and appear to have a communal attitude toward property (3 Nephi 3:6-7).

12. The teachings and practices of the robbers are tempting and corrupt the hearts of the people as they spread, eventually even seducing most of the righteous into believing in their works, partaking of their spoils, and even becoming involved in their secret murders and combinations (Helaman 6:38; Ether 9:6).

13. Pride, the desire for money, and seeking the praise of man make people susceptible to uniting with secret combinations; such go on to murder, plunder, and bear false witness against their neighbor (Helaman 7:21, 25-26).

14. Secret combinations help those who seek for power to gain power as well as to murder, plunder, lie and commit wickedness and whoredoms (Ether 8:16).

15. Secret combinations keep the people in darkness (Ether 8:16) and use fair promises to lead people away (Ether 8:17).

16. Secret combinations flourished first in the more settled parts of the land (Helaman 3:23) and among the wicked (Helaman 6:38; 4 Nephi 1:42).

17. One of the purposes of secret combinations is to gain power (Helaman 2:8; Ether 8:23, 11:15) by usurping power and authority over the people (Helaman 7:4). They seek to gain sole power over the government and, in the Book of Mormon, were successful in doing so (Helaman 6:39).

18. Secret combinations retain power so that they and their supporters may get gain and glory, and so that they may more easily steal, commit adultery, kill and do according to their own will (Helaman 7:5).

19. Secret combinations break the laws of God and the laws of their country (Helaman 6:23).

20. Secret combinations stir up rebellion (Ether 11:15) and dissent, and use lies and flattery to lead people to join with them (3 Nephi 1:28-29), targeting the rising generation (3 Nephi 1:29-30).

21. The members of secret combinations believe their secret works and society to be good (3 Nephi 3:9).

22. Secret combinations pretend to act on behalf of their people in reclaiming their rights (3 Nephi 3:10), believing they have been wronged and hating the righteous (3 Nephi 3:4).

23. Secret combinations seek to overthrow government (3 Nephi 7:6), establish kings - or oligarchies (see Mosiah 29:21-22) - and destroy the liberty of a republic (3 Nephi 6:30, 7:10); the king-men believe they have the blood of nobility (Alma 51:21).

24. Secret combinations, once in government, lay aside the commandments of God, corrupt righteous laws, and administer no justice to the people (Mosiah 29:22; Helaman 7:4), condemning the righteous for their righteousness, allowing the guilty to go free because of their money (Helaman 7:5).

25. Secret combinations shed the blood of the saints and oppress them (Helaman 6:39; 3 Nephi 6:29; Ether 8:22), threatening not only the rights and liberty of the people but also the Church (3 Nephi 2:12).

26. When any society has suffered such combinations to spread over them they will be destroyed (Ether 8:22).

27. One of the purposes of the Book of Mormon is to show us the work of ancient secret combination so that we may repent and suffer not that these same murderous combinations should get above us (Ether 8:23), and that we should awake to a sense of our awful situation when we see these things among us (Ether 8:24).

28. Speaking of a secret combination built up by the devil, the master of lies, in our day, the Book of Mormon tells us that those who build it up do so to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations and countries (Ether 8:25).

29. In the last days the gentiles shall build up secret combinations which shall spill the blood of the saints and seek to destroy the people (2 Nephi 26:22; Ether 8:25; Mormon 8:27).

30. Preaching the word of God destroys secret combinations (Helaman 6:37).

See: http://www.ldsfreedomportal.net/WakingU ... ations.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Re: 61 points about Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormo

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Thanks for sharing.....good stuff!

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Re: 61 points about Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormo

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uglypitbull wrote:Thanks for sharing.....good stuff!
Glad to do it.

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Re: 61 points about Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormo

Post by LateOutOfBed »

There's a great book out about this exact topic. I'm reading it now and it is absolutely wonderfully put together. It's called "The Hidden Things of Darkness" by Bentley. When I start reading it I don't want to put it down. It's a fast, great read!

-- Geoff

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Re: 61 points about Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormo

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I cannot find a source for my first posting. Must have been a long time ago when I first saw it. Given time, I suppose most anyone could compile an extensive list similar to the ones posted, however, credit should go where it is due. And so far I cannot.

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Re: 61 points about Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormo

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LateOutOfBed wrote:There's a great book out about this exact topic. I'm reading it now and it is absolutely wonderfully put together. It's called "The Hidden Things of Darkness" by Bentley. When I start reading it I don't want to put it down. It's a fast, great read!

-- Geoff
It is the same Bentley that compiled "A Glorious Standard: For All Mankind"? If you have not read it, it is real good; it has quotes from many church leaders in it. I want to get the book you are reading.

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Re: 61 points about Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormo

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freedomfighter wrote:It is the same Bentley that compiled "A Glorious Standard: For All Mankind"? If you have not read it, it is real good; it has quotes from many church leaders in it. I want to get the book you are reading.
Author is Christopher S. Bentley... I don't know if it's the same author or not, and I'm not in a location where I can check it out. However, it's chuck full of quotes from prophets and scriptures as well. It's organized beautifully and really puts into perspective where we are now with the level of secret societies we have, how they achieve their goals, how to identify them... etc. Amazing work if you ask me!

-- Geoff

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Re: 61 points about Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormo

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LateOutOfBed wrote:
freedomfighter wrote:It is the same Bentley that compiled "A Glorious Standard: For All Mankind"? If you have not read it, it is real good; it has quotes from many church leaders in it. I want to get the book you are reading.
Author is Christopher S. Bentley... I don't know if it's the same author or not, and I'm not in a location where I can check it out. However, it's chuck full of quotes from prophets and scriptures as well. It's organized beautifully and really puts into perspective where we are now with the level of secret societies we have, how they achieve their goals, how to identify them... etc. Amazing work if you ask me!

-- Geoff
Sorry for the confusion. My post reads "It is the same." The two books may contain the same info, I don't know. Christopher did a fantastic job of compiling all those quotes. He even had a small staff of researchers to verify that each quote was authentic in content and author.

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Re: 61 points about Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormo

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"A Glorious Standard: For All Mankind" is similar to "The Great And Abominable Church Of The Devil" by H. Verlan Andersen, only it goes further and deeper.

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Re: 61 points about Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormo

Post by buffalo_girl »

Thank you, for all the great scripture references to Secret Combinations.

I'll keep them in my file.

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Re: 61 points about Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormo

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jeanpierre wrote:"A Glorious Standard: For All Mankind" is similar to "The Great And Abominable Church Of The Devil" by H. Verlan Andersen, only it goes further and deeper.
Here is a link to the book you made reference to:
http://www.inspiredconstitution.org/hva ... index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Re: 61 points about Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormo

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Another good book is Prophets, Principles and National Survival:

http://www.inspiredconstitution.org/ind ... index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Re: 61 points about Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormo

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freedomfighter wrote: Sorry for the confusion. My post reads "It is the same." The two books may contain the same info, I don't know. Christopher did a fantastic job of compiling all those quotes. He even had a small staff of researchers to verify that each quote was authentic in content and author.
Haha, thanks for the clarification... either I can't read, or it's been a really long day... or both! Either way, he's an amazing author for compiling scriptures of the similar context.

-- Geoff

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Re: 61 points about Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormo

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freedomfighter wrote:Another good book is Prophets, Principles and National Survival:

http://www.inspiredconstitution.org/ind ... index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Got that hard cover on my night stand to read as well... so much info, so little time. Wish I had awakened to this information YEARS ago.

:)

-- Geoff

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LateOutOfBed wrote:
freedomfighter wrote:Another good book is Prophets, Principles and National Survival:

http://www.inspiredconstitution.org/ind ... index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Got that hard cover on my night stand to read as well... so much info, so little time. Wish I had awakened to this information YEARS ago.

:)

-- Geoff
Me too. But, guess what? We're here now learning and yearning to do better, and to inform others. We can be pleased that we are considered pioneers in the "awakening." And I don't think for a moment that very many of us were "compelled" to do this.

Doctrine and Covenants 58:26
26 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.

Doctrine and Covenants 58:27

27 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;

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Re: 61 points about Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormo

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You'd think more members would be alert to this danger, given how many times the Book of Mormon warns us to beware of massive secret combinations in our day, to watch out for conspiracies that will seek to overthrow the freedom of all peoples and nations.

It's interesting that most of our news media and so much of "academia" summarily dismiss any suggestion of conspiracy as baseless "conspiracy theory." Never mind that history is replete with examples of large-scale conspiracies that were only exposed long after the fact.

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Mike Griffith wrote:You'd think more members would be alert to this danger, given how many times the Book of Mormon warns us to beware of massive secret combinations in our day, to watch out for conspiracies that will seek to overthrow the freedom of all peoples and nations.

It's interesting that most of our news media and so much of "academia" summarily dismiss any suggestion of conspiracy as baseless "conspiracy theory." Never mind that history is replete with examples of large-scale conspiracies that were only exposed long after the fact.
The sad thing is that members of the church will not act until it is too late. Something has to be swarming over them like a tsunami before they wake up and start to run. Then they don't know where to run or what direction to take. And sometimes they will run right into the tsunami...because they did not recognize it as one. It was only something they may have read about that happened century's ago, so why worry about it? Socialism is our tsunami of the day and its gaining momentum every day. Satan has the media locked up in his clutches and too many people say "all is well in Zion". I guess that makes the rest of us fanatics, or as some call it...zealots. But you know what is said...it is a nasty job, but somebody has to do it.

For all who are actively seeking to awaken a sleeping and apathetic people------KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK! We are doing what the Prophets have counseled, and I'm sure God is pleased.

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Re: 61 points about Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormo

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Thanks for that list, freedom fighter. I would boil it down to two points that pertain to us specifically:

1. Secret combinations are not obvious to us and don't have to be visible to exist. (Kind of obvious since they are called "secret combinations" but you know, some people don't get that.)

2. Righteousness destroys secret combinations, so all we need to do to fight them is increase our righteousness and encourage others to do so as well (unless the Lord commands a more specific role for you personally).

This is how I personally apply the scriptures on secret combinations to myself. I can't do much to fight them myself, but I can be righteous, teach my children to be righteous, and set a good example for others. Doing so, I can trust the Lord that He will set things right. He has the power to topple the secret combinations,though I don't have that power myself.

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Re: 61 points about Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormo

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Called to Serve wrote:Thanks for that list, freedom fighter. I would boil it down to two points that pertain to us specifically:

1. Secret combinations are not obvious to us and don't have to be visible to exist. (Kind of obvious since they are called "secret combinations" but you know, some people don't get that.)

2. Righteousness destroys secret combinations, so all we need to do to fight them is increase our righteousness and encourage others to do so as well (unless the Lord commands a more specific role for you personally).

This is how I personally apply the scriptures on secret combinations to myself. I can't do much to fight them myself, but I can be righteous, teach my children to be righteous, and set a good example for others. Doing so, I can trust the Lord that He will set things right. He has the power to topple the secret combinations,though I don't have that power myself.

Absolutely positively 100% correct here CTS. That is why I have to chuckle when people here lament about how the church leadership are not doing enough about fighting secret combinations ala Moroni's warnings in Ether 8 etc etc. By them preaching righteous living and encouraging us to keep our covenants the Brethren are doing EXACTLY what the Lord and the scriptures tell us is most important in fighting against these combinations. There is nothing more important than to bring the Spirit of the Lord into our lives to the point that Satan cannot continue to run the show. The Lamanites found this out when they became righteous and drove the combinations out of town through gospel preaching and righteous living. You can't restore righteous govt to a wicked people. It is just not possible. #-o

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Re: 61 points about Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormo

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Called to Serve wrote:Thanks for that list, freedom fighter. I would boil it down to two points that pertain to us specifically:

1. Secret combinations are not obvious to us and don't have to be visible to exist. (Kind of obvious since they are called "secret combinations" but you know, some people don't get that.)

2. Righteousness destroys secret combinations, so all we need to do to fight them is increase our righteousness and encourage others to do so as well (unless the Lord commands a more specific role for you personally).

This is how I personally apply the scriptures on secret combinations to myself. I can't do much to fight them myself, but I can be righteous, teach my children to be righteous, and set a good example for others. Doing so, I can trust the Lord that He will set things right. He has the power to topple the secret combinations,though I don't have that power myself.
I think the Book of Mormon clearly teaches us that personal righteousness alone, as vital as it is, will not always do away with secret combinations. Even when the bulk of the Nephites were righteous, there were times when they had to take action against the secret combinations in order to destroy them.

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Re: 61 points about Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormo

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Yes, there were times when it was necessary for them to use other means for fighting the secret combinations, but I think this was necessary because of the wickedness of the people. It seems to me that living and preaching the gospel only didn't work sometimes because of the wickedness of the people as a whole, or because they had been wicked and the secret combinations had gotten above them before they repented.

The examples of the times when preaching the gospel was enough to change the situation suggests that it could be the same for us now. Unfortunately, I don't have enough faith in the goodness of my fellow man at present to believe that could happen right now. What I do believe, however, is that if I personally am righteous, then I can place my activities in the hands of the Lord and He can let me know whether it is time to fight with the sword of my mouth or the sword of steel.

I would note that it does say somewhere in the Book of Mormon that it will be righteousness that delivers us in our day. How exactly we will be delivered, I do not know.

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Called to Serve wrote:Yes, there were times when it was necessary for them to use other means for fighting the secret combinations, but I think this was necessary because of the wickedness of the people. It seems to me that living and preaching the gospel only didn't work sometimes because of the wickedness of the people as a whole, or because they had been wicked and the secret combinations had gotten above them before they repented.

The examples of the times when preaching the gospel was enough to change the situation suggests that it could be the same for us now. Unfortunately, I don't have enough faith in the goodness of my fellow man at present to believe that could happen right now. What I do believe, however, is that if I personally am righteous, then I can place my activities in the hands of the Lord and He can let me know whether it is time to fight with the sword of my mouth or the sword of steel.

I would note that it does say somewhere in the Book of Mormon that it will be righteousness that delivers us in our day. How exactly we will be delivered, I do not know.
Who knows when another in-country war will break out? But I think that when it does that's when a lot of members and others will get into the fight. We're also told that those who do not want to fight will seek refuge in a safe place. I and many others are in their sixties. If this war breaks out ten years from now I can't imagine very many 75 year olds grabbing a gun and hitting the front lines, so to speak. But who knows for sure, it is definitely up to each individual at that point whenever it happens.

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