The discussion turned then to illegal immigrants, Hispanics. Most were distrustful of Hispanics and said very negative things about them.
The discussion turned to blacks -- you guessed it, Most were distrustful of blacks and said very negative things about them.
In all likelihood, the blacks, Hispanics and muslims don't like or trust whites, either... Are we being "carefully taught", Amalackiah-style, to fear each other? by whom?
I brought into the discussion the 2006 talk by Pres. Packer that urged us to "build bridges of understanding" with Muslims, and said NICE things about them quoting their Qur'an, emphasizing the positive.* (see below) Pres. Hinckley's counsel that we avoid prejudice* also came into the picture...Alma 46: 6 Thus they were led away by Amalickiah to dissensions, notwithstanding the preaching of Helaman and his brethren, yea, notwithstanding their exceedingly great care over the church, for they were high priests over the church.
7 And there were many in the church who believed in the flattering words of Amalickiah, therefore they dissented even from the church; and thus were the affairs of the people of Nephi exceedingly precarious and dangerous,
Slowly a new idea emerged -- that the powers-that-be (the "elite" who basically control the media) are trying to get us to distrust and fight each other -- whereas the Brethren are urging us to avoid malice/prejudice and instead "build bridges of understanding."
Why are the elite-controlled media doing fear-mongering and prejudice-building, Amalackiah-style? Perhaps leading to an explosive situation where we will go from words of fear/malice to actual use of weapons on each other, hurting or killing both body and soul? civil war? depopulation with chaos so they can step in and be the 'saviors' with their new world order?
OK, we can discuss motives of the powers-that-be, but the fact that we are being taught or "propagandized" to distrust/hate each other is quite clear, is it not?
Hmmm... We concluded -- to try to adhere to the counsel of the Brethren, to come out of Babylon which is teaching us to distrust/fear even hate each other, and instead try to build "bridges of understanding"! How about you?
1. President Hinckley:
Note that he did not identify any particular race and his counsel seems general to avoid "strife"."I have wondered why there is so much hatred in the world. We are involved in terrible wars with lives lost and many crippling wounds... Racial strife still lifts its ugly head. I am advised that even right here among us there is some of this. I cannot understand how it can be...Brethren, there is no basis for racial hatred among the priesthood of this Church. If any within the sound of my voice is inclined to indulge in this, then let him go before the Lord and ask for forgiveness and be no more involved in such..” (President Gordon B. Hinckley, LDS General Conference, April 2006.)
I do not mean to be offensive to anyone, but I do think it important that we all consider President Hinckley's sound advice and warning to us all.
2. Pres. Boyd K. Packer at a BYU forum in October 2006: http://www.byub.org/talks/Talk.aspx?id=2989
Christianity and IslamBuilding Bridges of Understanding:
The Church and the World of Islam
President Boyd K. Packer, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‐day Saints, gave this introduction of
Dr. Alwi Shihab prior to Dr. Shihab's forum address on 10 October 2006.
…Ahead of us, indeed already all around us, is
the world of Islam. Christianity and Islam
will clasp hands in cooperation and
understanding or clench fists in
confrontation and prejudice….
The Doctrine and Covenants has this very
interesting prophecy: “For after your
testimony cometh the testimony of
earthquakes, that shall cause groanings in
the midst of her, and men shall fall upon the
ground and shall not be able to stand.
“And also cometh the testimony of the voice
of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings,
and the voice of tempests, and the voice of
the waves of the sea heaving themselves
beyond their bounds” (D&C 88:89–90;
italics added).
Knit together by world history and by Old
Testament history and doctrine, the Church
and the Islamic world can see each other as
People of the Book, indeed Family of the
Book.
The First Presidency called a special fast for
funds to aid the victims of the tsumani. The
money flowed in—several million dollars.
Part of our purpose in traveling to Indonesia
was to review the significant Church
humanitarian relief to those hardest hit. The
assistance began flowing immediately, and it
continues today.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints expresses “special love and concern
for the eternal welfare of all men and
women, regardless of religious belief, race,
or nationality, knowing that we are truly
brothers and sisters because we are sons and
daughters of the same Eternal Father.”1
We believe that “the great religious leaders
of the world such as Mohammed, Confucius,
and the Reformers, as well as philosophers
including Socrates, Plato, and others,
received a portion of God’s light. Moral
truths were given to them by God to
enlighten whole nations and to bring a
higher level of understanding to
individuals.”2
]It is important that we in the West
understand there is a battle for the heart,
soul, and direction of Islam and that not all
Islam espouses violent jihad, as some
Western media portray.
]It is as well important that friends in the
Islamic world understand there is a battle for
the heart, soul, and direction of the Western
world and that not all the West is morally
decadent, as some Islamic media portray.
Church members and Muslims share similar
high standards of decency, temperance, and
morality. We have so much in common. As
societal morality and behavior decline in an
increasingly permissive world, the Church
and many within Islam increasingly share
natural affinities.
Muslim scholars point out that the Quran
does not restrict Paradise to Muslims. The
Quran rewards all those of faith who
perform righteousness and believe in the
after-life. The Book calls Jesus Christ
Messiah, Son of Mary, and by the names
Messenger, Prophet, Servant, Word, and
Spirit of God.4
Alwi, a devout Muslim of Arabic ancestry,
and I, a Christian and devout Mormon, have
agreed to symbolically walk arm in arm into
the future. Together we hope to build a
bridge. Except what that symbolizes is
accomplished, all of us face a very dark and
very dangerous future.
Now I introduce Dr. Alwi Shihab with a title
which I borrow from another venerable
Islamic leader and cleric (whom we both
know and love), Abdurrahman Wahid,
former president of Indonesia—Gus Dur. I
apply that title to you, Alwi. You know that
by interpretation it means “Dear Friend.”
will clasp hands in cooperation and
understanding or clench fists in
confrontation and prejudice…. -- which do we choose?
Shall we follow the Brethren? I pray that we will.
(Dr. Steven Jones)
(question is, do we?)
