The Scope of Secret Combinations
In April, 1975 Conference, President Benson spoke on the threat to America from Secret Combinations:
"Our Nation will continue to degenerate unless we read and heed the words of the God of this land, Jesus Christ, and quit building up and upholding the secret combinations which the Book of Mormon tells us proved the downfall of both previous American civilizations."
Ezra Taft Benson, CR, April 5, 1975, also “The Book of Mormon Is the Word of God,” Ensign, May 1975, 63.
Sometime between 1975 and 1988 when the talk was republished in the Ensign as the First Presidency Message (Elder Benson became President Benson in November, 1985) the phrasing was changed from this being a national problem to being a global problem.
"The situation in the world will continue to degenerate unless we read and heed the words of God and quit building up and upholding secret combinations, which the Book of Mormon tells us proved the downfall of ancient civilizations."
"The Book of Mormon Is the Word of God," Ensign, Jan. 1988, p. 5.)
(see comments for rest of article)
posted by ChssAddct @ 12:15 PM
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1 Comments:
This may reflect the fact that the audience (the Church) was becoming more global, or it may reflect a change in perspective that the entire world is in jeopardy to real conspiracies, and not just America.
It has been reported, but I have not confirmed that when President Benson became the prophet he repeated this talk at least 37 different times, at every Regional Conference he attended, The Regional Representatives Seminar, at talks he gave at different wards he attended, etc. As time permits (and it doesn't much permit) I will passively be watching for alternate versions of this statement with dates to narrow down when the change in perspective from "our nation" to "the world" occured. Since I feel the date of perspective change is more a 'curiosity' item and not of any great importance, I may never get to it. So, if someone else has research cycles to spare, maybe their curiosity is also piqued and they can help out.
Notice that President Benson is accusing those who should be reading the Book of Mormon (members of the Church) as being guilty of both building up and upholding secret combinations. For a discussion of the ways we may be doing this, even unknowingly, with the government leaders and legislation that we support, see H. Verlan Anderson's Many are Called but Few are Chosen, or The Book of Mormon and the Constitution, or The Great and Abominable Church of the Devil.
Regarding this direct accusation of members, John Taylor said:
Note that "Secret Combinations" was not the thrust of the article. Rather, it was on the importance of the Book of Mormon. The thrust can probably be summed up in this quote from the article:
"Every Latter-day Saint should make the study of this book a lifetime pursuit. Otherwise he is placing his soul in jeopardy and neglecting that which could give spiritual and intellectual unity to his whole life."
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