The U.S. Constitution—An Inconvenient Document

By Kellene Bishop

Our U.S. Constitution. When I hear those words I swell up with pride and a sense of reverenced awe to realize that men from such diverse backgrounds and beliefs could have come up with such an inspired document. Yes, it is not perfect in light of the many unprecedented ails that our country experiences today, but I firmly believe that it is a heavenly inspired document. Just as the parting of the Red Sea, so did God cut through the clutter of biases, prejudices, and paradigms of those rather ordinary men to come together and create a guiding document that attempted to express and ensure universal fairness and a nation of true freedom. Sadly, today that document is condemned by the very persons who take an oath to uphold it as irrelevant, archaic, and outdated.

Many believe that to recognize our nation as unique is narcissistic and prideful. It simply is not. The fact that our nation was founded on the principles of true freedom—to act according to our own conscience so long as such actions did not tread on the freedoms of others—was based on the recognition of the true value of human life. As such this nation was indeed the first and still is the most unique nation in the world. No other nation has ever attempted to convey such freedoms to its citizens. No other nation has ever believed enough in its citizens to acknowledge that such freedoms even belonged to its citizens. The United States of America attempted to do that which had never been done before; to believe that a people would choose good over bad if permitted to make decisions for themselves, and as such to prosper in the pursuit of life, liberty, the pursuit of property, and happiness. This belief was so fundamental to the birth of our nation that the millions of those who toiled and plowed for such a standard gave their lives in the selfless sacrifice of time, money, and even blood to seal their belief of such a notion.

Have the history books ever mentioned any other document which has inspired such consistent goodness, sacrifice, and virtue before which influenced so many? When it was first created, was there evidence of any evil intent to have tyrannical power of the people of this nation? Even if the Constitution had conveyed a desire for power over the people at the time, it could not be enforced upon a people who were passionately ready for the responsibilities of freedom. They could fathom nothing less at that time and they would accept nothing less.

Today however, many attempt to dismiss the merits of the Constitution, not because its doctrines are faulty, but because such doctrines are seriously inconvenient to the duplicitous and tyrannical desires of those who are expected to uphold it.

For example, it wasn’t convenient for President G. W. Bush to wait until “probable cause” was evident prior to him taking down a suspected terrorist. So he simply created various acts to eliminate such needs so long as the government agents were willing to “claim” that their investigations “may” benefit the results of a terrorist investigation.

The government was greatly inconvenienced by not being able to spend as much as they wanted to. And according to the Constitution’s requirement of taxation WITH proper representation they were handcuffed. So, “inconvenience be damned”, they claimed to have ratified an amendment that enabled them to tax the citizens of this nation egregiously. (They never did ratify such an amendment, but they sure do like to pretend they did in hopes that we won’t pick up on it.)

Certain political parties are shackled with the merits of the 1st Amendment of the Constitution, so they seek to create another bill, ironically called the “Fairness Doctrine” in an effort to eliminate those who would dare express any opposing views of the government with any semblance of influence.

And so it continues…

Unfortunately, the people as a whole are starting to get wise. Their freedoms are starting to be seriously inconvenienced by a government that was supposed to working FOR them for no other purpose than to uphold and protect the U.S. Constitution. Essentially, this inconvenient document is the ONLY thing that ensures our government officials even have a job! So the only way they can get around this is to attempt, with the help of the complacent media, to appropriately color that which is good, bad, and that which is truly bad, good. They are attempting to usurp the foundations of this country by completely ignoring the laws of the Constitution. Our government officials are also looking to other nations in hopes to uphold their decisions based on the improper popular decisions of foreign nations who never entertained our value system. (That’s like a doctor wanting to get surgical advice from a mortician.) “Well, the French courts ruled this way, so let’s try that,” or, “The U.N. seems to think like this, so let’s do that.”

Sadly, the U.S. Constitution has clearly become inconvenient to those who value freedom as well. We work all day, everyday to pay our taxes so that those we’ve elected to office take care of ensuring such freedoms, only to find that these stewards of the people have been asleep on the job. And they’ve slept through some of the most critical legislation in the history of our nation, to the point that they couldn’t even be bothered to read most of this legislation. So now, not only do we have to work to pay our government to do their jobs and provide for our own families, we have to take what precious time we have left to make our voices heard, let them know that we are indeed monitoring them, and in some instances, even doing their job for them. (see CNN article here) Talk about an inconvenience, right?

This nation was indeed founded on that which is good. It IS indeed unique—unique in that we were formed for the purpose of giving true freedom to the people, and empower the people to hire government officials to work for them to aid in ensuring such freedoms are upheld. I agree, it isn’t convenient to have to make decisions for ourselves and not have everything dictated to us. And it’s not convenient to have to take time to get educated about issues and candidates. But it’s our freedom to do so just as much as it’s our freedom to fail in doing so. While the constitution may be an inconvenient document for both good and evil causes, only a proactive inconvenience will ensure that it stands for that which we truly want. Freedom.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved.
You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Your Title of Liberty

Our nation was not founded by the hearts of hateful, mean, or insulting men. Rather these men were brave, in love with their fellow men in the purest sense of the word and fearful of meeting with their God should they not comply with their conscience. While our nation did indeed come to a situation of all out war in order that our freedoms could be secured again and again, no machine of war would be strong enough to win were it not for the influence and support of the citizens it aimed to protect and the support of our God to direct. We, the citizens of this nation can only protect ourselves now and our future, as well as right the wrongs of the past, through by a concerted, conscious effort by making our voices heard by our government leaders. In doing so we are actually well armed with the fact that our Lord desires it. We actually have ideal “weapons” if you will do make our voices heard as well. We can play on the fact that our leaders A) either lust for power of which they will have none if they are not re-elected of B) truly do want our freedoms restored to our land. Either way our voices must be heard. Write letters. Send faxes. Keep abreast of the issues. Your freedom is truly as risk otherwise.

The Lord’s commandment to us concerning our responsibilities to preserve the government He caused to be established are just as binding as any other commandments of the gospel. It was necessary that the Lord establish a government of freedom before He could restore His Church to the earth and establish it in this land (3 Nephi 21: 4). Is it not just as critical now that we fight for the sustainment of freedom in this land that the gospel may remain in full force?

Consider your letters, blogs, emails, faxes, and proactive voices as your modern-day Title of Liberty. Who can read Alma, chapters 48 through 58 of the Book of Mormon and not be stirred with admiration for such a leader as Captain Moroni? But even more importantly, how can we not be stirred with the same desire to protect our lives, our liberties, our wives, our children and our freedoms when reading of how much Moroni sacrificed unflinchingly under such dire and antiquated circumstances. Surely this part of the scriptures was not preserved for us by the loss of many lives that we may simply sit back in admiration. Surely we are to apply the scriptures to our day and act accordingly? While we have all of the beautiful amenities of modern technology, let us not be lulled into apathy, compliance, and ignorance as the result of such blessings, Let us use them to wave our Title of Liberty tall and proud and EARN the blessings of this nation which He has afforded us. Are we simply waiting for someone else to heed the call, or to give the signal that now is the time? What if that is what Moroni had done?

Pray for knowledge. Pray for guidance. Pray to see the true state of our nation and our freedoms clearly, and then “go and do” as prompted by the Spirit. I am certain that as you are prompted, and as you heed to such promptings, that you will see and hear clearly and be provided with the strength to comply exactly as you have been endowed to do.


Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Our Modern-Day Swords of Justice

“Behold the Lord saith unto me: If those whom ye have appointed your governors do not repent of their sins and iniquities, ye shall go up to battle against them.” (Alma 60: 33)

In today’s world, if Moroni had written such a missive to one of our government leaders, he would have found his house attacked by Secret Service agents and held in jail for making threats against a government official. Given how our 1st Amendment rights have been shredded bit by bit today, it’s very unlikely that the even 1st Amendment would have shielded him from strategic persecution at the hands of the government were he to state the following:,

“Behold I wait for assistance from you; and, except ye do administer unto our relief, behold, I come unto you, even in the land of Zarahemla, and smite you with the sword, insomuch that ye can have no more power to impeded the progress of this people in the cause of our freedom.”

But certainly there is something we can learn and apply for our lives today from his heartfelt letter to Pahoran.

As countless prophets have taught us, as followers of Christ we are not to indulge in a dole system as established in our government. There is very little that we are entitled to from our government. Their sole purpose is to protect and preserve our rights of freedom, life, and property.
“We believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man;” (D&C 134:12)

It’s interesting to note that Moroni’s letter to Pahoran clearly assumes that he is 100% entitled to something from the government and that something is all of the necessary support he requires in order to preserve and protect the freedom of the people. That same assumption is still valid today.

Under the Constitution and in accordance to Gods law, we have every right to expect and even demand that our government protect our freedoms as they were laid out in the heavenly inspired document, the U.S. Constitution. Moroni’s conviction of these rights were so firm, he unabashedly calls Pahoran out on what he fears is a dereliction of the duties of the Governor. He questions whether or not Pahoran is a traitor to his country. (Alma 60:18) He even questions whether or not Pahoran has become so comfortable in a life of luxury that he’s forgotten the struggle and sacrifice of the soldiers fighting on his behalf. (Alma 60: 19) He blames the suffering of tens of thousands on the lack of response from Pahoran, who he suspects may simply suppose that the Lord will save the people while he sits back and waits.

The good news is that if we act now while we still can, we still have some luxury to bask in while we make a difference in our government today. Thus it’s unlikely that we are in a present state of needing to physically fight with a sword or other weapon to find true freedom. Even better news is that in this account, Pahoran turns out to not be a corrupt public official. He truly has an earnest desire for righteousness, so much so that he’s not even offended by Moroni’s accusatory letter. But for the most part, we are not so fortunate today.

As Americans we have the right to expect our government to support, enforce, protect, and preserve the freedoms that are laid out in the U.S. Constitution. Understanding that while they are laid out in this “heavenly banner” does not grant them unto us in entirety, for many of them are our rights inherently as humans, otherwise acknowledged as UNALIENABLE rights. For example, I have a right to breathe whether the law states that I do or not. God himself created my body to function as such. And no other legislation can take that away from me.

If you have made yourself informed of the U.S. Constitution as well as the laws that have infringed upon the rights outlined in this document, you are aware that the time is NOT coming in which the Constitution WILL be hanging by a thread, but that time is already here. As possessors of the Gift of the Holy Ghost, the truthfulness of the Gospel, and the scriptures which are replete with examples to show us EXACTLY what we must do TODAY to ensure that the Constitution does not become completely destroyed, as did the law of the land in 3rd Nephi, then we must follow Moroni’s example today.

Here’s just a sample of what jumped out at me as applicable for us now:

“We shall go up to battles against them.” Alma 60: 33

“ I do not seek for honor of the world, but for the glory of my God and the freedom and welfare of my country.” Alma 60:36

“ Yea, behold I do not fear your power nor your authority, but it is my God whom I fear; and it is according to his commandments that I do take my sword to defend the cause of my country,…” Alma 60:28

“Or do ye suppose that the Lord will still deliver us, while we sit upon our thrones and do not make use of the means which the Lord has provided for us?” Alma 60:21

“Can you think to sit upon your thrones in a state of thoughtless stupor, while your enemies are spreading the work of death around you? Yea, while they are murdering thousands of your brethren--” Alma 60:7

As you read Chapter 60 in Alma, there is a great deal to correlate with our times today, and more importantly with our solemn responsibility today. There is much that can be accomplished by the power of righteousness, prayer, revelation, and “make use of the means which the Lord has provided for us”—such as the internet, 24 hour news stations, abundance of informative resources, e-mail, fax, telephones, social groups, the justice system, our voices of testimony, our talents, and so much more—that we may wield our modern-day swords to bring justice and God’s law back to our nation that it may be preserved.

“ Behold it is time, yea, the time is now at hand, that except ye do bestir yourselves in the defence of your country and your little ones, the sword of justice doth hang over you; yea, and it shall fall upon you and visit you even to your utter destruction.” (Alma 60:29)

May we no longer sit in stupor, but study our situation and act in righteousness now.

Yours in Freedom,
Kellene Bishop

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Are We Accessories to a Crime?

(In the interest of full disclosure, for today’s topic I have drawn heavily from the scriptures, H. Verlan Anderson’s book “Many Are Called, Few Are Chosen” and President Benson’s talk, “The Constitution—A Heavenly Banner.”)

In Doctrine and Covenants 104: 17 it reads “For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea I prepared all things, and have given unto children of men to be agents unto themselves.”

There is so much in this one verse that is relevant to many of the policies and laws that we are seeing today. And as they relate to the Constitution I felt that it was important to discuss.

The elements of freedom which we must possess in order to accomplish our purposes are 1) life, 2) liberty, 3) property and 4) knowledge.

Wealth, or organized raw materials, is an essential ingredient of freedom: First, because our very survival depends upon access to such things as food, clothing, and shelter; secondly, because the right and control of property permits us to increase our physical and mental powers almost without limit. By utilizing tools, machinery, equipment, and harnessing electrical, nuclear, and other forms of energy, our ability to achieve our purposes is raised to the ‘nth’ power.

If you deny a person access to the necessities of life, of course he will die. If you deny him these necessities unless he does what you say, you can make him your slave because most of us will obey nearly any command to remain alive. As Alexander Hamilton has said: “A power over a man’s subsistence amounts to a power of his will.” –Federalist Papers No. 79

The Lord makes it clear that we have plenty on this earth for ALL and even some to spare. Considering that our Creator loves us more than we can ever fathom, has unfathomable mansions and kingdoms prepared for us, and desires us to be happy, stating that He has enough for us ALL and them some is not to be taken lightly. It is clear that the right to and the control of property is a basic element of freedom and is vital as life and liberty, neither of which are of any value without it.

When we deprive another of this element by stealing, destroying, or otherwise denying him the right to control what he owns, we have to this same extent diminished his freedom and violated the laws of God and man. On the other hand, when we use the strength of our minds and bodies to organize wealth and provide ourselves and others with the necessities of life, or the means of achieving life’s goals, we are obeying God’s commandments to work and be charitable with what we produce.

So, do WE as members of the Church of Jesus Christ deprive another of one of the most basic elements of freedom, that of the control of that which he owns? As stated in my post this past Monday, the prophets have made clear that we cannot be neutral with regards to the behavior of our government. If we can elect our leaders then we are responsible for their actions which protect and endorse freedom or destroy it. As such, if there are actions which we do not endorse, we must use “all our influence” to wash our hands clean of such actions. So, as long as our government is not stealing, destroying, or otherwise denying our citizens the right to control and protect what he owns, we’re innocent. The problem, such actions are being perpetuated by our elected officials, and unless each and every one of us has made it perfectly clear with all our influence that we do not endorse such actions, then the sin is upon our individual heads. In fact freedom IS the power and opportunity to affect the freedom of others.

I realize that this is indeed an inconvenient truth for us to embrace. There is so much that we would rather be doing other than “babysitting” our government. But who will contend that the Lord uses one moral law when the individual acts alone and still a different law when he acts jointly with other whether in a gang, a mob, OR a government.

Doctrine and Covenants 134: 2 reads: “We believe that no government can exist in peace, except such laws are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience, the right and control of property, and the protection of life.”

Property is derived from labor. Moral man has always recognized that the wealth produced by a person belonged to him. (At least that’s what Apostle Verlan Anderson says, but I’m afraid that there are very few government leaders who truly believe that now.) Theft, robbery, arson and all other forms of TAKING or DESTROYING another’s property have always been regarded as both evil and criminal. If government uses force to accomplish the immoral purposes of depriving another of his property, and we do not stand up to promote an act to the contrary, then our hands are not clean before our Lord.

While I had intended to explore some examples of our government leaders stealing and plundering, I found that each instance required an entire synopsis on it’s own. Thus it was far too lengthy to be a “part” of this exploration. Instead I have chosen to provide you with the fundamental counsel from our prophets and simply allow you to connect the dots. As you do so, consider this… If there is an instance in which the lawful possession and protection of property of any kind is being compromised, then it is indeed a criminal act. So consider certain taxes, threats to eliminate possession of guns or any other like property, actions of The Federal Reserve, funds allocation for “bail outs,” not protecting our borders from incoming criminals which would rob us of our safety, property or lives, etc. Decide what you need to voice your opposition or support on an issue and then “go and do” in order that your hands may be clean.

The right and duty of self-government provides a rare opportunity to labor for the cause of freedom, to learn firsthand the operation of the law of retribution and to cooperate with the Lord in enforcing it.

If the Lord is going to hold each of us morally accountable for every coercive act of government of which we approve, it is of the utmost important the we be able to accurately discern the good from the evil in government action. We accomplish this through a test of conscience.

On of the most approved and righteous of all callings is to INCREASE freedom by disseminating truth, thereby increasing men’s ability to reach their goals. Are you willing to accept such a calling?

Yours In Freedom,

Kellene

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.