The Lord Jesus Christ
On Memorial Day we remember and respect with honor anyone whom we love and respect who has died. I begin by respecting and showing love for my Savior Jesus Christ. He died for all that we may live again. He suffered for all that our sins be forgiven. He created this world and looks after us daily. There is no greater person in my memory this day than the Lord Jesus Christ.
My Parents and Ancestors
Next my memories go to my wonderful Parents who have both passed. They taught me the true principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They are loved and I think of them daily. They knew just how to love and teach me, so that I would one day grow up from being a silly boy to a blessed man with a wonderful eternal wife Stacy, and two wonderful children and two beautiful and special granddaughters.
I have a wonderful Ancestor who many of you know named John Howland, who was saved from drowning during the Mayflower voyage. John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley are my 10th great grand parents through their oldest daughter Desire. Blog Here: Joseph Smith is also John Howland’s 5th grandson through John Howland Jr. and Emma Smith is John Howland’s 5th great granddaughter through Hope Howland.
John Howland probably had a greater impact on the history of the United States than many. Hundreds of thousands of Americans are unaware that they owe their very existence to Howland as they celebrate Thanksgiving, a holiday that commemorates a feast shared between Native Americans and the Pilgrims of the Mayflower. Howland boarded the ship as a servant of Carver, the first governor of the New Plymouth Colony, but he almost never made it to the New World. He fell overboard in the middle of the Atlantic during a gale but grabbed a trailing rope and was hauled back aboard by sailors using boat hooks. I am in some very blessed ancestry as I remember those who have died before me this Memorial Day.
I love the United Stated of America and feel so blessed to have been born here. I don’t take it for granted as I try often to share my blessings with others. I remember all the fallen heroes of any previous war or conflict, men and women who died in the line of duty to protect the freedom of our great country, our country that has been call a Promised Land, a Land Choice above others and the Land of the Book of Mormon events.
I love Fiji and Kiribati
I don’t love the people of the USA more than anyone else. I served the Fijians and Kirabati people and love them very much. I was the first mission companion of Elder Naborisi (left) in 1975 and I baptised Paul Whippy in 1977. I sure love them and know that Fiji is a blessed place. I love the Native Americans as my parents served the Navajo, Hopi and Apache in New Mexico. My son served the Inuit’s of Alaska. I have always admired and loved the Jews very much as our brothers from Judah. The fact remains the Lord chose the USA, not because it’s better but because it was His choice just as choosing Israel was His choice. I love the world but I also love the USA the most, just as others from their country should love it the most. I believe exactly as Pres Hinckley said here, “I should like to say a few words about America…No land is without its beauty, no people without their virtues, and I hope that you who come from elsewhere will pardon my saying a few words concerning my own native land, America…surely this is a good land, a choice land, a chosen land. To me it is a miracle, a creation of the Almighty.” Gordon B. Hinckley Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled”, BYU Speeches of the Year, October 29, 1974, pp. 267-68 ) Notice he said “CHOSEN” because it was chosen, no other reason.
Places I Visited
President Thomas S. Monson/Joseph Smith
“Our Heavenly Father inspired Christopher Columbus in his discovery of America. Our Heavenly Father inspired the leaders of the renaissance period. Our Heavenly Father inspired men and caused that they would dream dreams and see visions and discover marvelous instruments and inventions which would enable them to set forth upon the oceans and to be led to the place where our Father in Heaven would have them led. Our Heavenly Father inspired the man who invented movable type, that His holy word, as found in the Bible, could be printed and disseminated widely to the people. Our Heavenly Father inspired the leaders of . . . the United States of America, that they might together, under His direction, having been raised up by God for the purpose, establish the Constitution of this country and . . . Bill of Rights, that . . . by the year of our Lord 1805 [there would be] a climate (USA) where our Heavenly Father could send into this period of mortality a choice spirit who would be known as Joseph Smith, Jr. His life’s mission would alter the course of all future events. Thus, came Joseph into the world.” Teachings of Thomas S Monson 2011 (Twenty-First Annual Joseph Smith Memorial Sermon, December 11, 1963) I love Joseph Smith who I praise this wonderful Memorial Day.
Adam to Americans – All in North America
I also this memorial day reflect on all that God has done for our country. First Adam was placed here near Adam-Ondi-Ahman. He allowed Noah to protect this Promised Land by ridding North America of all it’s evil except 8. The Lord always reserved America to those who would covenant with Him and stay righteous. That’s why the Lord sent the Jaredites back to this Promised Land because of their righteousness. They sadly died as evil at the Hill Ramah in upstate New York. Then the Nephites were brought to live in America, but they were here only 1,000 years and their wickedness saw them destroyed at the same hill as the Jaredites, but they called it Hill Cumorah. Then almost 1,000 years later the Lord sent Columbus to this Promised Land as He inspired Columbus to discover a route to the Bahamas which had a group of natives called the Taino’ who had came from Florida living here. He guided the Puritans and Pilgrims to come to America and in 1620 they established Plymouth. Now today we thank the Lord for allowing the Gentile nations of Europe to come back here to America where we have gone full circle from Adam in about 4,000 BC to today in 2021, and the same place we will end up in the New Jerusalem here in America in Missouri. What a choice land we have been blessed to live in. And all those immigrants who come here legally are welcomed with open arms to enjoy America with us.
Lehi’s People and Mulek
Speaking about Lehi’s people, “Joseph wrote, “They were principally Israelites, of the descendants of Joseph.” It is possible that Joseph Smith was referring to Zoram after all, clarifying he was not a Jew. He may have been referring to those who accompanied the Mulekites (presumably Phoenicians). But it is also possible that he was referring to others who accompanied Lehi… To summarize: I think Lehi brought servants and landed in a mostly uninhabited area in Florida, among a small population of hunter/gatherers who lacked a well-organized society. Moroni’s America page 84-86
Jonathan Neville More on Columbus
“Here’s a map showing Columbus’ route of discovery. Nephi does not describe the “man among the Gentiles” making multiple voyages. He refers only to the first voyage that took him to “the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land.” For that reason, I focus on the first voyage.
The green line in the map is Columbus first journey to the Americas. The pink line is his route home. The yellow line is the route of the Mulekites from Moroni’s America. The orange line is Lehi’s route from Moroni’s America.
I think Lehi landed in Florida for all the reasons I’ve explained in Moroni’s America. He may have sailed south of Cuba to get there because of ocean currents and wind, but it’s interesting that Mulek, Lehi and Columbus converge on the same areas.
Of course, the first people Columbus encountered were from Florida (they had inhabited the Bahamas). So if you want to believe Columbus was the man identified by Nephi, then the first people he encountered were not from Mesoamerica or South America; they were from North America, not far from where Lehi originally landed (in Florida).
If you have Mesomania, you’ll ignore Columbus’ first voyage, the only one Nephi described, and instead focus on his later voyages where he sailed along the coast of Honduras. Then you’ll say Honduras is “close enough” to Guatemala and southern Mexico.
You’ll also claim that although Lehi landed on the west coast of Central America (or Chile, or Baja, or Panama), and Columbus sailed by the east coast, they both went to the same promised land.
For me, Nephi’s description makes far more sense if Lehi, Mulek, and Columbus converged on the same basic place in the Caribbean. I even think Nephi’s vision of “Columbus,” which he had before they left the old world, helped him recognize the promised land once he arrived there.”
But that’s just me.” Source: Book of Mormon Wars
“In the next part of his article, Brother Clark sets forth the Columbus argument that so many M2C writers have relied upon. I engage this just to show how easy it is to support one’s argument by attacking an easy target and ignoring arguments that contradict what you’re advocating.
Fortunately for Brother Clark, Brother Curtis is an easy target. Brother Clark quotes him as writing, “Columbus didn’t actually come to North America…” Of course, that’s factually wrong. The Bahamas and Cuba are north of southern Mexico and are part of North America.” Moroni’s America
“Here’s a map above showing Columbus’ route of discovery. Nephi does not describe the “man among the Gentiles” making multiple voyages. He refers only to the first voyage that took him to “the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land.” For that reason, I focus on the first voyage. The red line in the map is Columbus first journey to the Americas. The black line is the route of the Mulekites all the way up the Mississippi River and was stopped by the the Des Moines Rapids so the Mulekites landed near Montrose Iowa (Zarahemla). I believe that be cause of the following scripture in Omni 1:15-16.
“Behold, it came to pass that Mosiah discovered that the people of Zarahemla came out from Jerusalem at the time that Zedekiah, king of Judah, was carried away captive into Babylon. And they journeyed in the wilderness, and were brought by the hand of the Lord across the great waters, into the land where Mosiah discovered them; and they had dwelt there from that time forth.” Omni 1:15-16
In other words Mosiah met the Mulekites in Zarahemla (Montrose, Iowa) the same place they had always been . If the Mulekites would have traveled up the St Lawrence seaway how would they have landed in Iowa, the place they had always been? I know Wayne and others believe the Atlantic route for the Mulekites and it could be either way.
The blue line is Lehi’s route. I think Lehi landed in Florida for all the reasons I’ve explained in Moroni’s America. He may have sailed south of Cuba to get there because of ocean currents and wind, but it’s interesting that Mulek, Lehi and Columbus converge on the same areas.” Jonathan Neville Moroni’s America.
Jonathan Neville continued, “I’ve shown previously that, in fact, the first place Columbus landed (probably–the location remains open for debate) was the island of San Salvador in the Bahamas. This is less than 400 miles from Florida. (Many LDS tbelieve Lehi landed in Florida.) On that first voyage, Columbus also visited Cayo Cruz in Cuba, which is only 134 miles from Florida.
By contrast, San Salvador is 1,400 miles from the east coast of southern Mexico. M2C intellectuals think Lehi landed on the west coast of southern Mexico or Guatemala, which of course is even farther away from San Salvador, Cayo Cruz, and the other places Columbus visited in 1492.
M2C intellectuals like to invoke all of Columbus’ voyages, because on his fourth voyage in 1502 he visited Trujillon on the east coast of Honduras, which is closer to their Mesoamerican setting. But it’s still far away. In addition to being the wrong coast, Trujillo is 300 miles away from Guatemala City.
Plus, before Columbus’ fourth voyage in 1502, Cabot landed in Newfoundland (1497) and Cabral landed in Brazil (1500), so it’s difficult to justify Columbus 4th voyage as the one Nephi described in 1 Nephi 13:12. Before the time of the events in verse 13, when “other Gentiles” are coming, the man in verse 12 had already sailed upon the many waters “unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land.” This means the Bahamas and Cuba, not Mesoamerica. Columbus’ fourth voyage to Honduras was too late to qualify.
If, as I believe, Lehi and Nephi crossed the Atlantic and landed in Florida, they would have sailed roughly the same route Columbus did through the Caribbean. (The Mulekites also sailed along a similar route, as I explain here.)
There’s another important point. Assuming Lehi sailed all the way to Florida through the area Columbus visited, it’s not surprising that Nephi, having had a vision of the promised land, recognized the place when they sailed through the area on their way to the landing site in Florida. The M2C theory requires that Lehi landed on the west coast of Mexico, an area Columbus never saw or even came close to, which raises the question of how Nephi would have recognized it from his vision.
I realize all of this is getting in the weeds, but when M2C scholars insist Columbus visited Mesoamerica and not North America (meaning the U.S.), we have to assess their claims. No matter how you look at it, Columbus and Nephi are aligned with Caribbean voyages but not with a theory that has Lehi landing on the west coast of Mesoamerica.
This is a digression from Cumorah, obviously, but Brother Clark’s Columbus discussion fails to take into account these critical elements. As do the Columbus arguments of all the M2C proponents.” Jonathan Neville
See another blog here about Columbus
Abraham Lincoln Loved America and Niagara
“When Columbus first sought this continent—when Christ suffered on the cross—when Moses led Israel through the Red-Sea—nay, even, when Adam first came from the hand of his Maker—then as now, Niagara was roaring here. The eyes of that species of extinct giants, whose bones fill the mounds of America, have gazed on Niagara, as ours do now. Co[n]temporary with the whole race of men, and older than the first man, Niagara is strong, and fresh to-day as ten thousand years ago. The Mammoth and Mastadon—now so long dead, that fragments of their monstrous bones, alone testify, that they ever lived, have gazed on Niagara. In that long—long time, never still for a single moment. Never dried, never froze, never slept, never rested, Abraham Lincoln
Mark E. Petersen
“We know that various explorers discovered America anciently, well before Christopher Columbus. The Norsemen came over to what they called Vinland, as you remember, and there were others. It is interesting to read about them, but, mark you, not one of them established permanent colonies. God would not allow them here. Colonization was reserved for the people whom the Lord himself would bring to this country. Even though there were earlier discoveries of America, none of them counted so far as God was concerned because he had his eye upon Columbus.
I hope that when you read the Book of Mormon you will read carefully the last chapter of first Nephi, which refers to the day in which we are living. In this chapter Nephi talked about this land and the gentiles who in latter days would be brought here. Then he said:
And it meaneth that the time cometh that after all the house of Israel have been scattered and confounded [the scattering of the ten tribes and the Jews to all parts of the world], that the Lord God will raise up a mighty nation among the Gentiles, yea, even upon the face of this land [the United States]; and by them shall our seed be scattered. [Through the Indian wars the Indians were scattered by the early Americans.]
And after our seed is scattered the Lord God will proceed to do a marvelous work among the Gentiles, which shall be of great worth unto our seed; wherefore, it is likened unto their being nourished by the Gentiles and being carried in their arms and upon their shoulders.
And it shall also be of worth unto the Gentiles; and not only unto the Gentiles but unto all the house of Israel, unto the making known of the covenants of the Father of heaven unto Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. [1 Nephi 22:7–9]” The Great Prologue by Mark E. Petersen.
Ezra Taft Benson Great Words about America from Joseph Smith Foundation
“When this nation was established, the Church was restored and from here the message of the restored gospel has gone forth-all according to divine plan. This then becomes the Lord’s base of operations in these latter days. And this base-the land of America—will not be shifted out of its place. This nation will, in a measure at least, fulfill its mission even though it may face serious and troublesome days. The degree to which it achieves its full mission depends upon the righteousness of its people. God, through His power, has established a free people in this land as a means of helping to carry forward His purposes. It was His latter-day purpose to bring forth His gospel in America, not in any other place. It was in America where the Book of Mormon plates were deposited. That was no accident. It was His design. It was in this same America where they were brought to light by angelic ministry. [1]. It was here where He organized His modern Church, where He, Himself, made a modern personal appearance [2]; [3]. It was here under a free government and a strong nation that protection was provided for His restored Church. Now God will not permit America, His base of operations, to be destroyed. He has promised protection to this land if we will but serve the God of the land [4]. He has also promised protection to the righteous even, if necessary, to send fire from heaven to destroy their enemies [5]. No, God’s base of operations will not be destroyed. But it may be weakened and made less effective.
How to Win World War III
One of the first rules of war strategy-and we are at war with the adversary and his agents-is to protect the base of operations. This we must do if we are to build up the kingdom throughout the world and safeguard our God-given freedom. We must protect this base of operations from every threat-from sin, from unrighteousness, from immorality, from desecration of the Sabbath day, from lawlessness, from parental and juvenile delinquency. We must protect it from dirty movies, from filthy advertising, from salacious and suggestive television programs, magazines, and books. We must protect this base from idleness, subsidies, doles, and soft governmental paternalism which weakens initiative, discourages industry, destroys character, and demoralizes the people. To protect this base 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. We must study the Constitution and the writings of the Founding Fathers. If we are to protect this American base, we must realize that all things, including information disseminated by our schools, churches, and governments, should be judged according to the words of the prophets, especially the living prophet. This procedure, coupled with the understanding which will come through the Spirit of the Lord, if we are living in compliance with the scriptures, is the only sure foundation and basis of judgment. Any other course of action leaves us muddled, despondent, wandering in shades of gray, easy targets for Satan. If we fail in these pressing and important matters, we may well fall far short of the great mission the Lord has proffered and outlined for America and for His divinely restored Church. [6] I testify to you that this is a choice land, that God held this hemisphere, as it were, in the palm of His hand for hundreds, yea, thousands of years in order that the great mission of this land might be undertaken and might be accomplished. [7] This is a great country and certainly this greatness was foreshadowed and foreseen by ancient prophets who lived here, prophecies made by the brother of Jared [8], by Lehi, by Jacob [9], and by Nephi of old [10]. It is enough to know that this nation has a prophetic history. All of the great events that have transpired here, including the coming of Columbus and of the Pilgrim fathers, were foreseen by ancient prophets [11]. It was predicted that those who came to this great land would prosper here, that they would humble themselves before the Almighty, that the power of God would be with them, and that this nation would move forward to its great destiny. [12]. [13] I bear witness that America’s history was foreknown to God; that His divine intervention and merciful providence has given us both peace and prosperity in this beloved land; that through His omniscience and benevolent design He selected and sent some of His choicest spirits to lay the foundation of our government [14]. These men were inspired of God to do the work they accomplished. They were not evil men. Their work was a prologue to the restoration of the gospel and the Church of Jesus Christ. It was done in fulfillment of the ancient prophets who declared that this was a promised land, “a land of liberty unto the Gentiles,” and that is us [15]. [16]
I testify that America is a choice land. (See 2 Nephi 1:5.) God raised up the founding fathers of the United States of America and established the inspired Constitution. (See D&C 101:77–80.) This was the required prologue for the restoration of the gospel. (See 3 Nephi 21:4.) America will be a blessed land unto the righteous forever, and is the base from which God will continue to direct the worldwide latter-day operations of His kingdom. (See 2 Nephi 1:7.)
The restoration of the gospel and the establishment of the Lord’s Church could not come to pass until the Founding Fathers were raised up and completed their foreordained missions. Those great souls who were responsible for the freedoms we enjoy acknowledged the guiding hand of Providence. For their efforts we are indebted, but we are even more indebted to our Father in Heaven and to His Son, Jesus Christ. How fortunate we are to live when the blessings of liberty and the gospel of Jesus Christ are both available to us. 2
The coming forth of the Constitution is of such transcendent importance in the Lord’s plan that ancient prophets foresaw this event and prophesied of it. In the dedicatory prayer for the Idaho Falls Temple, President George Albert Smith indicated that the Constitution fulfilled the ancient prophecy of Isaiah that “out of Zion shall go forth the law” (Isaiah 2:3). 3
History is not an accident. Events are foreknown to God. His superintending influence is behind the actions of his righteous children. Long before America was even discovered, the Lord was moving and shaping events that would lead to the coming forth of the remarkable form of government established by the Constitution. America had to be free and independent to fulfill this destiny. 4
Before the gospel could again shine forth its resplendent light, religious and political freedom first had to be restored. This land had been preserved as a continent apart from the religious oppression, tyranny, and intolerance of Europe. In time, emigrants came to the new land and established colonies. By and large, they were a God-fearing people. A war was fought for their independence, and by God’s intervention, victory was achieved (see 1 Nephi 13:16–19). By that same omnipotent power the Constitution was born (see D&C 101:80), which guaranteed religious and political liberty (see D&C 98:5–8). Only then was the time propitious for the kingdom of God — that “stone cut out without hands” — to be restored (see Dan 2:34). 5″ Ezra Taft Benson, This Nation Shall Endure Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson; “I Testify”, General Conference, October 1988 “Responsibilities of Citizenship,” BYU, Provo, Utah, 1954
- ↑ Book of Mormon Introduction
- ↑ D&C 20:1
- ↑ Joseph Smith-History 1:17
- ↑ Ether 2:12
- ↑ 1 Nephi 22:17
- ↑ Ezra Taft Benson, Title of Liberty, pp. 88-91; Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 571
- ↑ Ezra Taft Benson, CR October 1954, Improvement Era 57 [December 1954]: 922; Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 574
- ↑ Ether 13:8
- ↑ 2 Nephi 10:18-19
- ↑ 1 Nephi 13:13-20
- ↑ 1 Nephi 13:12-13
- ↑ 1 Nephi 13:15-19
- ↑ Ezra Taft Benson, “Responsibilities of Citizenship,” BYU, Provo, Utah, 22 October 1954; Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson p. 575
- ↑ D&C 101:80
- ↑ 2 Nephi 1:7
- ↑ Ezra Taft Benson, This Nation Shall Endure, p. 23; Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 578
- Ezra Taft Benson, “I Testify”, General Conference, October 1988
- Ezra Taft Benson, Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson 604; from an address given at the Bicentennial Ball, Salt Lake City, UT, 18 Sep 1987
- Ezra Taft Benson, CHB 16; Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson 595
- Ezra Taft Benson, CHB 10; Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson 587
- Ezra Taft Benson, This Nation Shall Endure 116; Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson 109
- John Quincy Adams, Independence Day speech, Newburyport, MA, July 04, 1837
