Ensign promotes war?

[Mahonri]

Someone left a post on another site saying that the Ensign had an article talking about how Wars have helped to spread the Gospel. I must have missed that one. Anyone know which issue that was?

[shadow]

Wars have helped spread the gospel, that's a fact, but it doesn't mean the Ensign or the church promotes war.

[Mahonri]

not what I asked. thanks though

[Nan]

Don't remember which issue, but it was talking about how the gospel was taken to korea during the korean war with the soldiers. It was a very interesting article.

[Fiannan]

Wars have done more to promote medical technology and aviation technology than any other social condition has. Does not make it nice, but it is a fact that good things have developed out of bad things.

[Mahonri]

Then let's promote more war then. The Gospel will spread, medical advancements will skyrocket, we can spread democracy....

[buffalo_girl]

Then let's promote more war then. The Gospel will spread, medical advancements will skyrocket, we can spread democracy....

How much more advanced would we be spiritually and temporally without war?

I agree with Alex Jones in his definition of 'democracy': "democracy is two wolves and one sheep voting on what to eat for lunch."

What we want is rule of law - law being God's Law.

I honestly do not believe the only way for civilization to advance is through war. Of course, we must make the best of the worst situations in life. I'm just not sure the Lord wants us to go so far out of our way to create 'worst situations' just to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Somehow that doesn't make much sense.

[Mahonri]

Then let's promote more war then. The Gospel will spread, medical advancements will skyrocket, we can spread democracy....

How much more advanced would we be spiritually and temporally without war?

I agree with Alex Jones in his definition of 'democracy': "democracy is two wolves and one sheep voting on what to eat for lunch."

What we want is rule of law - law being God's Law.

I honestly do not believe the only way for civilization to advance is through war. Of course, we must make the best of the worst situations in life. I'm just not sure the Lord wants us to go so far out of our way to create 'worst situations' just to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Somehow that doesn't make much sense.

AJ is an idiot. It was Ben Franklin that coined that term, which I agree with as well. I don't believe it either, I was being sarcastic.

[buffalo_girl]

AJ may well be an idiot. Thanks for the correct source.

I knew you were being sarcastic. Sometimes that's the only thing left. Otherwise we might become totally unhinged.

[Mahonri]

AJ may well be an idiot. Thanks for the correct source.

I knew you were being sarcastic. Sometimes that's the only thing left. Otherwise we might become totally unhinged.

[Jason]

If AJ's an idiot.....I'd take a thousand of them at this point in time......shove their bullhorn's in the ears of the complacent and rattle their brains!!!

[shadow]

Has the gospel been spread because of war? Yes. Does that mean war is good? No. Does the church promote war? No. Does the church look for ways to spread the gospel? Yes. Is this hard to grasp? For some!

[JerL]

My wife came across this article today while looking for something. It is entitled "Arms control in the 70's" it was published in the Ensign in March of 1971. Written by

Dr. Firmage, professor of law at the University of Utah, has published articles in leading law reviews on international law, arms control, and the United Nations. A former White House Fellow, he is now visiting scholar to the United Nations and will attend the twenty-five-nation arms control negotiations in Geneva in March. He is presently serving on the University Second Stake high council in Salt Lake City.

Though the scriptures speak of the last days in terms of wars, pestilence, and devastation, it does not follow that our duty to oppose conflict is lessened. The injunction from the Master is to maintain personal righteousness and to work for its propagation. To argue that since war is inevitable, we have no duty to seek honorable and peaceful alternatives is the epitome of illogic, just as would be the proposition that since evil will triumph in the short run, we should join the winning team. Both propositions contain the same non sequitur.

Brigham Young once observed: “Of one thing I am sure: God never institutes war; God is not the author of confusion or of war; they are the results of the acts of children of men. Confusion and war necessarily come as the results of the foolish acts and policy of men; but they do not come because God desires they should come.”

As a side note it was interesting to see which weapons he included.

Other weapons systems include chemical weapons, from blister and blood gases to anticrop and antivegetation chemicals and psychic poisons capable of producing temporary or permanent schizophrenia. Biological weapons include those resulting in bubonic and pneumonic plagues, anthrax, smallpox, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, with genetic mutations to organisms to insure that vaccines given as civil defense will be of no use. Delivery systems are sufficient to affect large portions of the populations of nations.

Weapons systems of the near future may include geophysical techniques to alter weather, cause earthquakes or drought, and perhaps alter the nature of the atmosphere.

[Shabako]

Satan is the author of war, but does not understand the mind of God. Satan constantly gives lemons, and God constantly makes lemonade. Perhaps that is not the best analogy, but the Lord can always use Satan's actions against him. Satan creates war by stirring up anger and hatred in the minds of men, but the Lord can still use those horrible circumstances to bring about good.

[Mahonri]

Satan is the author of war, but does not understand the mind of God. Satan constantly gives lemons, and God constantly makes lemonade. Perhaps that is not the best analogy, but the Lord can always use Satan's actions against him. Satan creates war by stirring up anger and hatred in the minds of men, but the Lord can still use those horrible circumstances to bring about good.

yes, and too many members use that lemonade to promote war

[shadow]

yes, and too many members use that lemonade to promote war

I don't see it and I certainly haven't seen it in the Ensign.
The biggest reason a member might be for war is because they believe it's for our own defense, that the boogey men in other countries are going to take us out unless we take them out first. That's what's been sold to us.

I have yet to see an article in the Ensign promoting war and I've been looking in my spare time today. Have you??

[Mahonri]

yes, and too many members use that lemonade to promote war

I don't see it and I certainly haven't seen it in the Ensign.
The biggest reason a member might be for war is because they believe it's for our own defense, that the boogey men in other countries are going to take us out unless we take them out first. That's what's been sold to us.

I have yet to see an article in the Ensign promoting war and I've been looking in my spare time today. Have you??

Almost every member of the Church I know says it. As for the Ensign, I was just told about it and started this thread to see if anyone knew what it was. One example was given above.

[shadow]

As for the Ensign, I was just told about it and started this thread to see if anyone knew what it was. One example was given above.

The example above was an article that did NOT promote war as your thread title insinuates, quite the opposite. I'll quote it below.

Though the scriptures speak of the last days in terms of wars, pestilence, and devastation, it does not follow that our duty to oppose conflict is lessened. The injunction from the Master is to maintain personal righteousness and to work for its propagation. To argue that since war is inevitable, we have no duty to seek honorable and peaceful alternatives is the epitome of illogic, just as would be the proposition that since evil will triumph in the short run, we should join the winning team. Both propositions contain the same non sequitur.

Brigham Young once observed: “Of one thing I am sure: God never institutes war; God is not the author of confusion or of war; they are the results of the acts of children of men. Confusion and war necessarily come as the results of the foolish acts and policy of men; but they do not come because God desires they should come.”

So the answer to your question of does the Ensign promote war? is NO!

[InfoWarrior82]

Wars have helped spread the gospel, that's a fact, but it doesn't mean the Ensign or the church promotes war.

not what I asked. thanks though

Thread topic = Ensign promotes war?

Are you sure that's not what you were asking?

[pritchet1]

I can remember survivors of the Viet Nam "Conflict" who had stirring, soul-wrenching testimonies given of their spiritual experiences while serving in that country. I heard the claim that more joined the church during those years via the good members of the church who were faithful as soldiers, than by the full-time missionaries worldwide during the same period of time.

I have also heard by church authorities that wars humbled people so they would listen to the fulness of the gospel and that wars opened borders to the gospel where it was not allowed previously.

How large are the stakes of the church in Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and the Sudan, Israel, Egypt, Turkey, etc.?

Saints do not promote war. We pacify it. We are peacemongers. Are we at war? Yes. How do we win wars? By use of the priesthood power of God and His love.

[pritchet1]

Look here -

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?v ... dByAuthor=

[blondenblueeyed]

The Lord doesn't need a war to spread the gospel. At the same time I don't believe the Lord wants the opportunity to spread to gospel during or after the war to be wasted.

[Mahonri]

Someone told me it did, so I was asking the question if anyone knew if there was an article that could be construed in that manner. That's all

[shadow]

Someone told me it did, so I was asking the question if anyone knew if there was an article that could be construed in that manner. That's all

No problem. I misunderstood you, my bad 8)

[Mahonri]

Let's hug