Conditional Freedom of the Promised Land

(Ether 9:20; Prov. 14:34; Heb. 11:16; This Nation Shall Endure, Benson, p. 145; Doctrines of Salvation, Smith, 3:321-322; Conference Report, Oct. 1916, pp. 69-70; The Way of the Master, Peterson, p. 172, refer in this text to 2 Ne. 1:7, 20, 30-32; 1 Ne. 1:20)

“The Lord’s law for this land is declared in the Book of Mormon, where we read that this land is a ‘land of promise’ that ‘the Lord God had reserved for a righteous people… . And whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off.’ The only power strong enough to withstand a fulness of ini-quity is the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” (Joseph B. Wirthlin, Ensign, Nov. 1994, p. 77)

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to govern any other.” (John Adams)

“It is the duty of nations as well as men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon, and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.” (Abraham Lincoln, quoted by Ezra Taft Benson, Righteousness Exalteth a Nation, p. 5)

“Our government rests upon religion. It is from that source that we derive our reverence for truth and justice, for equality and liberality, and for the rights of mankind. Unless the people believe in these principles they cannot believe in our government. There are only two main theories of government in the world. One rests on righteousness and the other on force. One appeals to reason, and the other appeals to the sword. One is exemplified in the republic, the other is represented by a despotism. The government of a country never gets ahead of the religion of a country. There is no way by which we can substitute the authority of law for the virtue of man. Of course we endeavor to restrain the vicious, and furnish a fair degree of security and protection by legislation and police control, but the real reform which society in these days is seeking will come as a result of our religious convictions, or they will not come at all. Peace, justice, humility, charity—these cannot be legislated into being. They are the result of divine grace.” (Calvin Coolidge, as quoted in Doctrines of Salvation, Smith, 3:317-318)

“The success, which has hitherto attended our united efforts, we owe to the gracious interposition of Heaven; and to that interposition let us gratefully ascribe the praise of victory, and the blessings of peace.” (George Washington, To the Executive of New Hampshire, Nov. 3, 1789, Writings, 12:175)

[Pres. Benson adds this to aforementioned quote by G. Washington] “Yes, it was this faith in God that sustained them in their hours of extremity. We too will need this same faith to sustain us in the critical days ahead.” (Ezra Taft Benson, This Nation Shall Endure, p. 44)

“We must protect the soul of America—we must return to a love and respect for the basic spiritual concepts upon which this nation has been established… . God rules this world—It is the duty of nations as well as men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow … and to recognize the sublime truth that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.” (Ezra Taft Benson, A Nation Asleep, pp. 15, 43)

“We must study and learn for ourselves the principles laid down in the Constitution which have preserved our freedoms for the last two hundred years. If we do not understand the role of government and how our rights are protected by the Constitution, we may accept programs or organizations that help erode our freedoms. An informed citizenry is the first line of defense against anarchy and tyranny. We must teach our children about the spiritual roots of this great nation. We must become actively involved in supporting programs and textbooks in the public schools that teach the greatness of the early patriots who helped forge our liberties. We must teach our children that it is part of our faith that the Constitution of the United States was inspired by God. We reverence it akin to the revelations that have come from His hand. The great heritage of freedom bequeathed to us by our forbears must be handed on to each succeeding generation with great care.” (Ezra Taft Benson, Righteousness Exalteth a Nation, pp. 5-6)

“This is a Christian nation. Before the Revolution it was so in accord with law; since the Revolution it has remained so in fact. We, the people of the United States, guarantee full religious freedom to all within our jurisdiction, whether they be non-Christian or Pagan. But the nation itself is a Christian nation. Our standards and principles are Christian. Thus we of America can stand for no cause which would dethrone Christianity here and put in its place any other creed, whether non-Christian or Pagan… .” (J. Reuben Clark, Jr., Conference Report, Oct. 1939, p.10)