Offer Unto God Thanksgiving

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By Zack Strong
November 27, 2025

This Thanksgiving, many have legitimate reasons to grumble and feel sour. Stress is running high in society. Nations are marshalling for war or are actively engaged in that tragic melee of death. Justice seems to have been denied as both common criminals and predators in high places run free. Crime is exploding. Civil strife is increasing. Families are tearing themselves apart. Innocent babies continue to be sacrificed in their millions on the altars of expediency and egotism. Hedonism is raging through humanity like a wind-whipped inferno. Certain segments of society seem to have forsaken their connection to morality and decency. Many average folks have abandoned all hope and do not know where to turn for relief.

A selfish, tribalistic spirit is emerging, replacing any pretense to unity and a shared vision for life. The forces of anti-Christ have ripped off their masks and parade openly, mockingly, brazenly, viciously, and violently in the streets, on TV, in your social media feed. Our world is at a breaking point and the Biblical horrors prophesied to purge mankind prior to the Lord’s return in glory portend to burst forth at any moment. Nevertheless, all of us – every single precious soul – has a list of things for which to be genuinely grateful.

This Thanksgiving let us be grateful to the Lord. Let us carefully count our blessings. A sacred hymn urges:

“When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings; name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Count your blessings;
Name them one by one.
Count your blessings;
See what God hath done.
Count your blessings;
Name them one by one.
Count your many blessings;
See what God hath done.”

You are blessed. Never give into the lying whisperings of evil spirits who want to convince you that God is not real and, that, if He is, He doesn’t care about you and isn’t actively trying to help you in your life. He is real – I bear my personal testimony of that fact to the world and to you. He does hear your prayers, though in His wisdom He does not always answer them in ways you want or expect. He is keenly aware of your circumstances. There is absolutely nothing you can teach Him about trials and hardships that He doesn’t already know from firsthand personal experience. A favorite poem by Leona B. Gates illustrates this principle:

“The road is rough, I said,
Dear Lord, there are stones that hurt me so.
And he said, dear child, I understand,
I walked it long ago.

“But there is a cold green path, I said,
Let me walk there for a time.
No child, He gently answered me,
The green road does not climb.

“My burden, I said, is far too great;
How can I bear it so?
My child, He said, I remember its weight.
I carried my cross, you know.

“I wish I had friends with me,
Who would make my way their own.
Ah, yes. . . He said, Gethsemane
Was hard to face alone.

“And so I walked the stony path,
Content at last to know,
That where my Master hath not gone,
I would not have to go.

“And strangely then I found new friends,
My burdens grew less sore.
For I remembered long ago,
He walked the way before.”

Be grateful that the Lord knows every stubbed toe you have ever had, every heavy burden you have ever carried, every false friend that has ever hurt you, and every trial, sorrow, temptation, and catastrophe that you have ever experienced. Know that He cares and that His holy hand is endlessly extended to you no matter how many times you have slapped it away. He said, “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands” (Isaiah 49:15-16). How can He forget you when His hands still bear the nail marks of His crucifixion when He died for you? Yes, He died for you. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

We can each be thankful for our lives. The fact of our existence is not happenstance. We were begotten by our Father in Heaven and are His precious spirit sons and daughters. We have been given a chance to leave our heavenly abode to live on a planet, possess physical bodies, and learn by our own experience the love of the Lord, the joy of service, the beauty of righteousness, and the unsurpassable happiness of creating and living in families. Our Father has arranged this grand opportunity for us out of His infinite love for us and His desire to see us grow, progress, and become like Him.

We can be grateful that we live on a magnificently beautiful earth. Every part of it has something stunning to behold, from majestic mountains to serene deserts to lush plains. This stunning globe is furnished with abundant resources for everyone; there is absolutely no danger of us running out of anything we need to sustain life and be comfortable. Indeed, there are resources to spare when selfish greed does not get in the way. It is only when man artificially manipulates and attempts to curtail, hoard, or destroy it that there is want. This wickedness has the potential to bring upon us famine and disaster, but the Lord’s Plan provides all of this for us, for which we ought to be daily grateful.

There are so many things for which we can and should be grateful, including mellifluous music, alluring art, exquisite food, and captivating nature with its vibrant colors especially in this autumn season. We can add to this list almost indefinitely. From technology which allows for ease of communication, writing, travel, work, business, banking, agriculture, construction, healing, study, and investigation, to the mindboggling amount of entertainment and education options at our fingertips, to the human imagination and ingenuity of which we see endless examples from the architectural wonders of the ancient world to fine literature that brings characters to life and makes them our very real friends and confidants. There is so much magic in the world that we only need enough humility and gratitude to see and appreciate.

These are mostly material things, but we can also count our greater blessings – the ones that are perhaps more intangible. These include our national heritage of Liberty here in America, to the unprecedented compilation of knowledge available to modern generations, to the beneficial examples of good people, to our own individual families. Allow me to briefly comment of each of these in reverse order.

Not everyone has an ideal family, and some are downright abusive, sometimes destroying the notion of a happy family for the victim. Yet, most of us have at least someone in our families that loves us, cares for us, and has our back, whether a mother, father, siblings, spouse, or children. I am personally grateful that I have such a wonderful family – parents who are unfailingly supporting and loving, siblings who are awesome, and my own wife and daughters who mean more to me than anything. Family ties can be the strongest bonds we develop in this life and the source of our greatest joys and triumphs.

Outside of our families, in society, and in the annals of history, we find shining examples of goodness, strength, and excellence. For me, personally, great men like Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, John Wycliffe, Joseph Smith, . We can draw strength from the collective example of the Pioneers who hazarded the wild plains to live according to the dictates of their conscience or the faithful Pilgrims who crossed an ocean to create a new world where they could worship God or the founding generation of America which risked everything to be free. I am personally grateful for the examples of good people I have found recorded in books – the same books which also hold a place of honor on my gratitude list.

In modern times, we are blessed with an unprecedented array of knowledge. The wisdom of the ages is now at our fingertips because of the internet. On our phones and on our laptops, we can access the erudition of Aristotle, Francis Bacon, and James Madison, the art of da Vinci, Jenny Nyström, Vladimir Volegov, and Jon McNaughton, the comedy of Jerry Seinfeld, Brian Regan, and Studio C, and the sermons of Ezra Taft Benson, R.C. Sproul, and Dallin H. Oaks. Websites like the Internet Archive (archive.org) have attempted to make much of the world’s wisdom available. I hope we take time to thank the Lord that we live in such blessed circumstances.

Finally, Americans can and ought to vociferously thank the Lord on bended knee for their unrivaled heritage of Freedom. Political Liberty is a blessing not many nations have enjoyed. Most who have tasted its richness have not enjoyed it for long before losing it to corruption or oppression. America began with God-fearing Pilgrims and Puritans who established a Christian society in the New World. They founded their institutions, laws, and customs on God’s law. They built their education system on the Bible. Their families and social norms were based on Christian doctrine.

The United States was founded, and its Constitution crafted, by avowed Christians who were humble, noble, worthy men. They bequeathed to us, with the grace and approval of God, a bounty of personal and institutional Liberty that no other nation has ever enjoyed to this extent. Do we take it for granted? I hope we don’t. I pray that we will praise the Lord and thank Him for what we have left of our Freedom, and then show our gratitude by going to work with our might to restore what we have lost and to extend the blessings of Liberty to our posterity. God be thanked that we have stalwart men like Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Madison, the Adamses, Henry, Wilson, Morris, Mason, Sherman, Baldwin, Boudinot, Gerry, Strong, Paine, Wythe, Greene, Allen, Marion, Morgan, Knox, Jones, and their inspired compatriots to guide us and ride with us to the victory.

This blessed Thanksgiving, I cite your minds to two pieces of Biblical counsel which you may apply today. First, the inspired Asaph wrote in Psalm 50:

“Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me” (Psalm 50:14-15).

Second, the Apostle Paul wrote:

“Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:14-24).

The Lord Jesus Christ is the ultimate reason why we can and should be immensely thankful. He has power to deliver you if you find yourself in negative circumstances. He has power to redeem you if you do those things He has asked you to do. He is faithful and will fulfill all His promises and will bless you as He has blessed you. Count your blessings and be assured that no matter how hard the road, He is with you. Recognize His blessings today and thank Him publicly in your families and privately on bended knee for His kind goodness, unfailing mercy, and radiant love. May the Lord bless you and may you be sincerely thankful. Happy Thanksgiving!

Eternal Hostility to Tyrants

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By Zack Strong
November 5, 2025

“Remember, remember! The fifth of November, The Gunpowder treason and plot. . .” – The Fifth of November, 1870.

Guy Fawkes may have been a Catholic terrorist attempting to blow up the Protestant British Parliament in real life, but I celebrate his on-screen adaptation in the 2005 film V for Vendetta. I celebrate what he stood for, rebellion to tyrants and the destruction of corruption. Despots who lord over others as if they were entitled to such authority by birth are the scum of the earth. They are the real enemies of all mankind no matter their stripe, party, race, gender, or nationality.

The great Thomas Jefferson declared, “I have sworn upon the altar of god eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man” (Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Rush, September 23, 1800). I have made a similar oath in my own life. Whatever it may cost, I reject and oppose tyranny.

“Thomas Jefferson’s Oath” by Arthur Szyk, 1951

Tyranny grows out of an elitist assumption. That assumption is that mankind are stupid sheep who need to be herded together and ruled by men of superior intelligence. It was Plato’s damnable philosopher-kings idea, which found its fulfillment in modern Illumined communism-socialism, that has plagued mankind since the beginning.

This prideful, self-serving philosophy originated with the Father of Lies who the word of God tells us sought to dominate others and “ascend into heaven” and dethrone God. “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God,” Lucifer boasted. “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” For his sedition, the Heavens lamented, “Thy pomp is brought down to the grave. . . . How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground” (Isaiah 14:11-14).

It is not surprising that like their Dark Master, “the servants of Satan that do uphold his work” seek to ascend above others and sit on golden thrones (Doctrine and Covenants 10:5). Thomas Jefferson countered this poverty of thought when he said, “[T]he mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately, by the grace of god” (Thomas Jefferson to Roger Chew Weightman, June 24, 1826).

Freedom is the birthright of every man and woman. Rights are God-given and are claimed at birth. This is the American creed articulated in the Declaration of Independence, that God exists, that He created all men equal and endowed them with rights, that it is the primary purpose of government to secure these rights, that whenever government fails in defending these rights the People may alter or abolish the government, and that people are accountable to their Creator. Fundamental to this Freedom philosophy is the principle of individual agency and free will. The U.S. Constitution later affirmed this fact, securing to each individual his God-given rights and made him a free agent and, thus, accountable to God for his actions.

Those who denied this philosophy of personal Freedom and political Liberty were rightly considered enemies. There have only ever been two classes of people, according to Jefferson, “wolves and sheep.” The wolves come out of the shadows when people become inattentive. “Cherish therefore the spirit of our people, and keep alive their attention. Do not be too severe upon their errors, but reclaim them by enlightening them. If once they become inattentive to the public affairs, you and I, and Congress, and Assemblies, judges and governors shall all become wolves. It seems to be the law of our general nature, in spite of individual exceptions; and experience declares that man is the only animal which devours his own kind” (Thomas Jefferson to Edward Carrington, January 16, 1787).

Near the end of this life, Jefferson remained steadfast in this view. He said, “[I]n every country these two parties exist, and in every one where they are free to think, speak, and write, they will declare themselves. call them therefore liberals and serviles, Jacobins and Ultras, whigs and tories, republicans and federalists, aristocrats and democrats or by whatever name you please; they are the same parties still and pursue the same object” (Thomas Jefferson to Henry Lee, August 10, 1824). He also observed that “tories are tories still, by whatever name they may be called” (Thomas Jefferson to Martin Van Buren, June 29, 1824).

In every generation and age, demagogues and despots rise to grasp for power and lord over others. They seek to deceive and devour the sheep. Mafias, gangs, and cartels do great destruction, but government is the chief mechanism that the worst conspirators use to enslave, pillage, rape, and destroy God’s sons and daughters. Their principles are eternally the same, with only inconsequential variations in form and hue. These disastrous ideas are merely given new window dressing and updated branding. The Tories, the vicious wolves who stalk the sheep, are the same in principle today as in 1824.

Yes, these wolves seek power by infiltrating and controlling government. The French philosopher Frederic Bastiat, in this book The Law, which is required reading for every patriot, correctly identified the evil that faces mankind as “legal plunder.” As wicked as they are, it is not mafiosos and narco-terrorists that threaten society most, but politicians and bureaucrats and those who vote them into office and stare blankly as they usurp more and more power. Bastiat pinpointed the problem, “The law become the tool of every kind of avarice, instead of being its check! The law guilty of that very iniquity which it was its mission to punish!” (Frederic Bastiat, The Law (Auburn, Alabama: Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2007), 1, 13).

Tories, Democrats, Republicans, communists, socialists, Marxists – the name matters not. They are traitors who violate God-given rights, who seek authority over others, and who use government to oppress, swindle, and deceive. Like their faux god who sought God’s throne and fell, they will fall; their doom is sealed. The outcome of the war is known, yet the fighting rages. Individuals can still fall even though we know Freedom will triumph in the end. The Lord of Liberty guarantees it and has already paid the price of victory with His holy blood.

In 1605, Guy Fawkes recoiled against laws restricting the rights of Catholics in England. However, his intention was as evil as the laws he sought to overthrow. He wanted to assassinate King James I and Parliament, kidnap the princess Elizabeth and use her as a puppet monarch, and bring England back under Roman Catholic rule. He was caught in the act preparing to light the fuse on 36 barrels of gunpowder stored beneath Parliament, if the accounts can be trusted, and, after torture, confessed. Others, after torture or persuasion, also confessed. The capture of Guy Fawkes was commemorated by English Protestant as Bonfire Night when Guy Fawkes was burned in effigy.

In the 2005 movie adaption of the story, England is a dystopian prison state – much as it is today. One man, V, stands up to the tyranny. V blows up the Central Criminal Court of England, the Old Bailey, and then hacks the nationwide TV system that usually broadcasts propaganda messages into every home, North Korean style. The prerecorded message that V broadcasts is reproduced almost in its entirety here. Its prescience and applicability to our current situation cannot be doubted:

“I expect even now orders are being shouted into telephones and men with guns will soon be on their way. Why? Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn’t there? Cruelty and injustice, intolerance and oppression. And where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who’s to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you’re looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror. I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn’t be? War, terror, disease. There were a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense. Fear got the best of you. And in your panic, you turned to [insert name of current or past leader]. He promised you order. He promised you peace. And all he demanded in return was your silent, obedient consent.”

The real-life echoes of this speech are chilling. I have long used a similar phrase when assigning blame for the nightmare in which we are living: If you want to know who is to blame, simply look in the mirror. In the American context, those who vote Republican and Democrat are to blame. Both parties are wings of the same bird of prey. Both are teeming with ravenous wolves. Both are overflowing with tyrants and would-be dictators. Both violate the Constitution with impunity. Both take us to war. Both spend, spend, spend, and drive us deeper into debt. Both pass more laws than they repeal. Both prop up the privately-owned and predatory Federal Reserve banking cartel. Both coverup crimes and lie to the public (Epstein Files and Charlie Kirk, anyone?). And, sadly, both continue to be voted into power by Americans in spite of their crimes.

During the Coronahoax, you complied with illegal and unconstitutional government demands to stay inside your homes, social distance, wear oxygen-inhibiting masks, and threw a window as grandma died (was murdered) on a ventilator. You obeyed, lined up, and offered up your arm to receive a poisoned experimental bioweapon billed as a miracle “vaccine.” You did nothing when Democrats, aided by foreign actors and domestic criminals, stole the 2020 election. You did nothing when our hijacked government and other complicit conspirators blew up the Twin Towers and lied to send our boys to die on foreign soil. We, collectively speaking, have allowed our nation to be bled dry, raped, savaged, brutalized, gaslit, and enslaved. We have no one to blame but ourselves. Until we learn that fact, we can never restore the Republic.

The statesman Ezra Taft Benson was prophetic when he warned in his 1968 sermon “Americans Are Destroying America”:

“If America is destroyed, it may be by Americans who salute the flag, sing the national anthem, march in patriotic parades, cheer Fourth of July speakers—normally good Americans, but Americans who fail to comprehend what is required to keep our country strong and free—Americans who have been lulled away into a false security.

“Great nations are never conquered from outside unless they are rotten inside. Our greatest national problem today is erosion, not the erosion of the soil, but erosion of the national morality—erosion of traditional enforcement of law and order.”

Elsewhere in the sermon, he warned, “Our priceless heritage is threatened today as never before in our lifetime: from without by the forces of Godless Communism, and at home by our complacency and by the insidious forces of the Socialist-Communist conspiracy, with the help of those who would abandon the ancient landmarks set by our fathers and take us down the road to destruction.”

Benson continued, “The facts are clear. Our problem centers in Washington, D.C. And this applies to the administration of both political parties. In the words of James Madison, “Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpations.” (Elliot’s Debates, Vol. 3, p. 87.)

Again, he said, “Those of us conscious of the seriousness of the situation must act, and act now. It has been said that it takes something spectacular to get folks excited, like a burning house. Nobody notices one that is simply decaying. But in America today we not only have decaying but burning before our very eyes.”

If America was on fire in 1968, it must be an absolute inferno now – an inferno of immorality, ignorance, complacency, corruption, contention, conspiracy, and chaos. Despite his dire warnings, Ezra Taft Benson gave us encouragement and marked the path forward:

“If America is to withstand these influences and trends, there must be a renewal of the spirit of our forefathers, an appreciation of the American way of life, a strengthening of muscle and sinew and the character of the nation. America needs guts as well as guns. National character is the core of national defense.

“Could many of our ills today have resulted from our failure to train a strong citizenry from the only source we have—the boys and girls of each community? Have they grown up to believe in politics without principle, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without effort, wealth without work, business without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice? . . . .

“We can never survive unless our young people understand and appreciate our American system, which has given more of the good things of life than any other system in the world—unless they have a dedication that exceeds the dedication of the enemy. Character must become important in this country again. The old essentials of honesty, self-respect, loyalty, and support for law and order must be taught the younger generation. . . .

“As American citizens who love freedom, we must return to a respect for national morality—respect for law and order. There is no other way of safety for us and our posterity. The hour is late; the time is short. We must begin now, in earnest, and invite God’s blessings on our efforts.

“The United States should be a bastion of real freedom. We should not support the world’s greatest evil, the Godless, Socialist-Communist conspiracy that seeks to destroy all we hold dear as a great Christian nation and to promote insidiously the breakdown of law and order and the erosion of our morality.

“With God’s help we must return to those basic concepts, those eternal verities, the rule of law and order upon which this nation was established. With an aroused citizenry and the help of Almighty God it can be accomplished. God grant it may be so, I humbly pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.”

America could salve her wounds by repentance and by embracing the constitutional, republican principles of 1776. An awakening is growing across America as the corruption becomes so blatant, and as traitors wearing the “conservative” mask reveal their true allegiances. Yet, there is no evidence we are, as a whole, returning to our forefathers’ Freedom philosophy. There is little being done to save the Constitution or preserve – and not even to teach – the principles of the Declaration of Independence. The American Creed laid out above is unknown to the average American who could not articulate it to save his life.

Still, the embers of Freedom’s fire glow red in the fireplace. The ideas of our noble founding, those glorious ideals of 1776, cannot be annihilated. The fire of Freedom cannot be extinguished. In The American Crisis, the fiery patriot Thomas Paine said:

“I once felt all that kind of anger, which a man ought to feel, against the mean principles that are held by the Tories: a noted one, who kept a tavern at Amboy, was standing at his door, with as pretty a child in his hand, about eight or nine years old, as I ever saw, and after speaking his mind as freely as he thought was prudent, finished with this unfatherly expression, “Well! give me peace in my day.” Not a man lives on the continent but fully believes that a separation [between England and America] must some time or other finally take place, and a generous parent should have said, “If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace;” and this single reflection, well applied, is sufficient to awaken every man to duty. Not a place upon earth might be so happy as America. Her situation is remote from all the wrangling world, and she has nothing to do but to trade with them. A man can distinguish himself between temper and principle, and I am as confident, as I am that God governs the world, that America will never be happy till she gets clear of foreign dominion. Wars, without ceasing, will break out till that period arrives, and the continent must in the end be conqueror; for though the flame of liberty may sometimes cease to shine, the coal can never expire.”

Liberty’s flame has dwindled, but the coal can never expire. It merely needs the right spark. If we give the goal a spark and vigorously fan the flames, we can create a roaring blaze. The ferro rod and fan are in your hands. What will you do with them?

Like V, Benson recognized the source of the problems – the People. The cruelty, injustice, intolerance, and oppression of our day may be attributed to ignorance, apathy, and fear. Complacency abetted criminality. Weak men created hard times. Fortunately, hard times create strong men, who, after much sacrifice, make good times.

Strong men must act. Wise men must act. Freemen must act. As General George Washington told his warriors on the eve of battle in 1776:

“The time is now near at hand which must probably determine whether Americans are to be freemen or slaves; whether they are to have any property they can call their own; whether their houses and farms are to be pillaged and destroyed, and themselves consigned to a state of wretchedness from which no human efforts will deliver them. The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army. Our cruel and unrelenting enemy leaves us only the choice of brave resistance, or the most abject submission. We have, therefore, to resolve to conquer or die” (George Washington, General Orders, July 2, 1776).

Conquer or die – those are the stakes. We can only win by uniting ourselves with the correct principles. Those are the principles of 1776, the doctrines of Christ, the laws of the Lord of Liberty. These ideas cannot be killed, silenced, or smothered. With them, we will rise to the top triumphantly.

In the climactic battle of V for Vendetta, an astonished Mr. Creedy, one of the chief bureaucratic mini-tyrants and commissars of the show, exasperatedly asked V, “Why won’t you die?” V’s response should be lodged in our souls: “Beneath this mask, there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask, there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof.”

Yes, ideas are bulletproof! Freedom, Liberty, Independence! These ideas cannot be contained. The fire of Freedom cannot be extinguished. Victory cannot be daunted. The only thing left to decide is whether you will be on the winning side, and how much more we will put up with before we force the issue, rout the tyrants, and restore our embattled Liberty.

Days before his graduation to immortality on the 50th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson voiced confidence in our eventual victory over tyrants when he said:

“[M]ay [the American Revolution] be to the world what I believe it will be, (to some parts sooner, to others later, but finally to all.) the Signal of arousing men to burst the chains, under which Monkish ignorance and superstition had persuaded them to bind themselves, and to assume the blessings & security of self government. the form which we have substituted restores the free right to the unbounded exercise of reason and freedom of opinion. all eyes are opened, or opening to the rights of man. the general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth that the mass of mankind has not been born, with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately, by the grace of god. these are grounds of hope for others. for ourselves let the annual return of this day, for ever refresh our recollections of these rights and an undiminished devotion to them” (Thomas Jefferson to Roger Chew Weightman, June 24, 1826).

So, on this Fifth of November, the 420th Anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot, let us burst our mental chains. Let us fully engage in the fight for Freedom. Let us rally against traitors and tyrants. Let us swear eternal hostility against them. Let us act the part of patriots and freemen and sacrifice, if we must, to destroy despotism in our day and exercise our God-given rights of self-government. Let us proclaim in the strength of God, Sic Semper Tyrannis! Long Live Liberty!

Patrick Henry, a Forgotten Argument, and the Necessity of Morality and Religion to a Free Society

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By Zack Strong

*This article is a repost of the same article, by the same title, which I wrote for the Independent American Party of Utah on May 31, 2014. Though there are many things I would say differently or clarify were I to write it anew today, I have decided to keep it as-is.*

It is well known that Patrick Henry was among those who opposed the proposed Constitution in 1787. However, most do know know why Anti-Federalists like Henry opposed the new system. Anti-Federalists cited their belief that the Constitution “squints toward monarchy” or that it is foolish to think that a republic can be extended over a large territory. They criticized the provisions allowing for an army and thought the power of taxation could potentially be abused. Among the many reasons they gave for their opposition, however, one is often overlooked. Henry and others scoffed at the fact that the Framers were staking their whole experiment upon the goodness and morality of the People and upon the honesty of office holders in government. Henry believed this was a ludicrous idea, but others of the Founders proclaimed that only a moral and religious People were capable of Freedom and that an immoral and irreligious People would inevitably collapse under the weight of their own corruption.

Below is a lengthy quotation from an address by Patrick Henry wherein he discusses why he opposed the Constitution. In particular, this quotation highlights Henry’s incredulity towards the notion that our Constitution could only work if people were moral, honest and good. I will contrast Henry’s thoughts to those of other prominent Founders and then add some thoughts of my own regarding how this applies today:

“Where are your checks in this Government? Your strong holds will be in the hands of your enemies: It is on a supposition that our American Governors shall be honest, that all the good qualities of this Government are founded: But its defective, and imperfect construction, puts it in their power to perpetrate the worst mischiefs, should they be bad men. And, Sir, would not all the world, from the Eastern to the Western hemisphere, blame our distracted folly in resting our rights upon the contingency of our rulers being good or bad. Shew me the age and country where the rights and liberties of the people were placed on the sole chance of their rulers being good men, without a consequent loss of liberty? I say that the loss of that dearest privilege has ever followed with absolute certainty, every such mad attempt. If your American chief, be a man of ambition, and abilities, how easy is it for him to render himself absolute: The army is in his hands, and, if he be a man of address, it will be attached to him; and it will be the subject of long meditation with him to seize the first auspicious moment to accomplish his design; and, Sir, will the American spirit solely relieve you when this happens?” (Patrick Henry, June 7, 1788, “The Anti-Federalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention Debates,” Ralph Ketcham, ed., p. 214)

Patrick Henry is very clear that the only real check on government usurpation and tyranny that he can find in the Constitution is the goodness and honesty of its administrators, and the “spirit” of the American People. Peppered throughout Anti-Federalist arguments against the Constitution is the apprehension that the new system can only work if the People are virtuous and if their representatives are honest and unambitious. They were cynical and thought that history proved that people, and particularly their rulers, could not be virtuous. According to this view of mankind, such a Constitution as ours would be pointless because it could only lead to ruin.

Other Founders, however, believed that the American People in fact had the potential to break the historical cycle and create a Zion-like society. The book “The Majesty of God’s Law” by W. Cleon Skousen does a marvelous job of showing, through their own writings and quotations, how our Founders were anxious to found a Biblical society which they often called a “New Jerusalem” (Skousen, 24). So strong was this sentiment that Hebrew became a required language in some colleges and there was even a push to make Hebrew the official national language (Skousen, 23). But at any rate, many of the Founders believed that a moral and religious society was not only possible, but absolutely necessary.

On September 17, 1787, the day of the signing of the Constitution in Philadelphia, Benjamin Franklin anticipated many of the arguments that would be made against the Constitution. We would do well to review some of his comments on that occasion:

“I agree to this Constitution with all its faults, if they are such; because I think a general Government necessary for us, and there is no form of Government but what may be a blessing to the people if well administered, and I believe farther that this is likely to be well administered for a course of years, and can only end in Despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people become so corrupted as to need despotic Government, being incapable of any other . . . Much of the strength and efficiency of any Government in producing and securing happiness to the people, depends, on opinion, on the general opinion of the goodness of the Government, as well as of the wisdom and integrity of its Governors.”

Benjamin Franklin wisely observed from history that when the People become corrupt and decadent and immoral, their governments become despotic. Therefore, said he, no system of government can survive unless the People are good. Consequently, Franklin and his fellow Framers were staking the success of the Constitution on the People being good. They hoped that America could become something different, something unique – a shining city on a hill. Henry and several of his fellow opponents to the Constitution thought this was madness. Yet, it seems to be the prevailing view among our Founders that morality and religion are indispensable to Freedom. I will discuss some of these sentiments below, but for a more in depth discussion on this subject, please see my previous article: http://www.independentamericanparty.org/2014/05/morality-and-religion-pillars-of-free-society-by-zack-strong/.

In his memorable Farewell address in 1796, George Washington declared: “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of man and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them.” Indispensable is a strong word, yet the Father of Our Country was definitive in his view that morality and religion were absolutely essential to free government.

In that same address, Washington firmly stated: “And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle . . . It is substantially true, that virtue or morality is a

necessary spring of popular government. The rule, indeed, extends with more or less force to every species of free government. Who, that is a sincere friend to it, can look with indifference upon attempts to shake the foundation of the fabric?” Only the most ignorant of history can conclude that morality and religion are not essential to free society.

Signer of the Declaration of Independence, Charles Carroll, flatly stated: “Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime & pure, which denounces against the wicked eternal misery, and insured to the good eternal happiness, are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments” (Charles Carroll to James McHenry, November 4, 1800).

Like Carroll, John Adams bluntly said: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other” (John Adams to the Officers of the First Brigade of the Third Division of the Militia of Massachusetts, October 11, 1798). There is no misunderstanding Adams – morality and religion were absolute necessities to free society in his view. And, furthermore, the Constitution was calculated to compliment just such a society.

John Adams’ cousin Samuel Adams, the Father of the American Revolution, was even more dire in his predictions of what would befall an immoral People. He wrote: “He who is void of virtuous Attachments in private Life is, or very soon will be, void of all Regard for his Country. There is seldom an Instance of a Man guilty of betraying his Country, who had not before lost the Feeling of moral Obligations in his private Connections . . . No People will tamely surrender their Liberties, nor can any be easily subdued, when Knowledge is diffusd and Virtue is preservd. On the Contrary, when People are universally ignorant, and debauchd in their Manners, they will sink under their own Weight without the Aid of foreign Invaders” (Samuel Adams to James Warren, November 4, 1775). Think of how many individuals have betrayed their country in our generation alone! In every case, we can point to their lack of character and morals. And, tragically, it is self-evident that America is sinking under her own weight of corruption, just as Adams predicted.

John Witherspoon was also convinced that morality was necessary to our national survival. He wrote: “Nothing is more certain than that a general profligacy and corruption of manners make a people ripe for destruction. A good form of government may hold the rotten materials together for some time, but beyond a certain pitch, even the best constitution will be ineffectual, and slavery must ensue. On the other hand, when the manners of a nation are pure, when true religion and internal principles maintain their vigor, the attempts of the most powerful enemies to oppress them are commonly baffled and disappointed” (John Witherspoon, “The Dominion of Providence over the Passions of Man,” May 17, 1776). Indeed, nothing is more certain nor more proven by history.

Finally, I quote once more from the illustrious George Washington. Said he, “Religion and morality are the essential pillars of civil society” (George Washington to the Clergy of Philadelphia, March 3, 1797). Long ago I adopted the similar term “pillars of free society” to describe morality and religion. I believe them so very important to our existence as a free country. I believe the wholesale violation of the eternal laws of right and wrong, or morality, or basic human decency, and of true religion will be America’s final undoing if we persist on this path.

Unless we repent as a People, we will collapse, crumble, and fall as every empire of the past has done. We will be hated by posterity for not salvaging this, the greatest, freest, most prosperous nation in the history of the world. Unfortunately, the seeds of our destruction were sown well over a century ago, with multiple generations carefully cultivating them. And now we are reaping the horrid harvest by perpetuating this moral corruption. This country may not last long enough to see another generation before America sits in ruins and is but a painful memory of what could have been had we the integrity and sense to humble ourselves before our Creator and simply follow His eternal laws of justice, truth, goodness, and happiness.

America might not be salvageable, but individuals certainly are. A remnant of God-fearing, humble, moral, decent individuals will always be preserved no matter which path society as a whole chooses. We must make it our job to be among that group and to enlist as many people as we can into our ranks. A “tireless minority,” as Samuel Adams said, will eventually prevail and the brushfires of Freedom will spread over the face of the globe. If we stand on God’s side and follow the eternal laws of morality, nothing can shake us.

Study the Constitution

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Zack Strong
September 17, 2025

Do we comprehend how blessed we are because we have the Constitution as our system of government? The federal Constitution of the United States is the most inspired work ever created by human wisdom. Indeed, it was not created by human wisdom at all, but was inspired by the Lord through noble, wise, and worthy men who loved by the Lord and the Liberty wherewith He had made them free. This Constitution Day, a long-neglected holiday by ungrateful and unthinking Americans, I plead for you to show gratitude to our inspired national charter of rights, to the men who fought and labored for it, and to the Lord Jesus Christ who blessed us with its bounties.

It must be admitted that America in 2025 is a vastly different place than it was in 1789 when George Washington became the first President of these United States. Not only have technology and social norms evolved, but our understanding of republicanism has evolved. Sadly, our comprehension of republicanism, federalism, constitutionalism, and sound governmental principles has lapsed. The average American knows practically nothing about the Constitution – most have never read it and wouldn’t understand it if they did. America is also a less free place in 2025 than it was in 1789.

Some balk at the idea that we are a less free nation now than in the past. What about slavery? What about women’s rights? What about this or that or whatever ideological talking point you remember from your government education? Even though slavery has been formally abolished, for U.S. citizens, Liberty has in fact decreased. A very quick overview looks like this: Government has ballooned in size (starting primarily with Abraham Lincoln), an unelected bureaucracy reigns regardless of changes in administration, intelligence agencies spy on everyone and collect our data without warrant or just cause, the Federal Reserve and Congress have utterly destroyed the purchasing power of the dollar while racking up unheard of debt totaling $37.5 trillion as of this writing, free speech is under withering attack and socialistic “hate speech” laws plague us, all fifty states have gun laws in blatant disregard of the Second Amendment, crime so often goes unpunished by corrupt judges and district attorneys, private property is being seized left and right by federal and state agencies, and we are being nickled and dimed to death by insane fees and taxes far exceeding those that enraged our forefathers and caused them to rebel against the tyrannical British. The list could go on and on. The fact is that the U.S. Constitution is hanging by a brittle thread and the Republic, which functions more like an empire, is on the blink of collapse.

Why have we fallen so precipitously? The prophetic patriot Ezra Taft Benson told us exactly how we would fall in 1968:

“I do not believe the greatest threat to our future is from bombs or guided missiles. I do not think our civilization will die that way. I think it will die when we no longer care, when the spiritual forces that make us wish to be right and noble die in the hearts of men, when we disregard the importance of law and order.

“If American freedom is lost, if America is destroyed, if our blood-bought freedom is surrendered, it will be because of Americans. What’s more, it will probably not be only the work of subversive and criminal Americans. The Benedict Arnolds will not be the only ones to forfeit our freedom. . . .

“If America is destroyed, it may be by Americans who salute the flag, sing the national anthem, march in patriotic parades, cheer Fourth of July speakers–normally good Americans, but Americans who fail to comprehend what is required to keep our country strong and free – Americans who have been lulled away into a false security.

“Great nations are never conquered from outside unless they are rotten inside. Our greatest national problem today is erosion, not the erosion of the soil, but erosion of the national morality – erosion of traditional enforcement of law and order.

“In this blessed land we have exalted security, comfort, and ease above freedom. If we dwelled at length on the many things that are disturbing in the life of America today, we might well become discouraged. I mention only a few of the reported startling evidences of our national illness, our moral erosion.

“There is a decline of U.S. morals and moral fiber, a turning to pleasure and away from hard work and high standards of the past. . . .

“America is the biggest market for narcotics.

“Although we consider ourselves a people who believe in law and order, we have seen much evidence of the passion of the mob. . . .

“The sky-rocketing cost of the welfare state. . . .

“Inflation has struck a serious blow to the value of the American dollar.

“We continue to move in the direction of more federal intervention, more concentration of power, more spending, more taxing, more paternalism, more state-ism. . . .

“The facts are clear. Our problem centers in Washington, D.C. And this applies to the administration of both political parties. In the words of James Madison, “Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpations.” (Elliot’s Debates, Vol. 3, p. 87.)

“If America is to withstand these influences and trends, there must be a renewal of the spirit of our forefathers, an appreciation of the American way of life, a strengthening of muscle and sinew and the character of the nation. America needs guts as well as guns. National character is the core of national defense.”

Benson was correct. Our biggest problems – and we have many – are our immorality and apathy. We are shockingly complacent. As our national house burns down around us, we sit absentmindedly scrolling on social media. We perpetuate a cycle of pride, contention, sacrilege, hedonism, and both political and spiritual blindness. Most Christians are Christians-in-name-only but do not follow the teachings of the Savior of the world. They certainly do not follow His laws governing morality and sexual relations. We have become a nation of porn-addicted, degenerate, self-centered pleasure-seekers instead of seekers of God, goodness, and the general welfare.

Separation of Church and State by Jon McNaughton

Because we have abandoned the God of this land, who is Jesus Christ, He has left us to our own devices – or, if you will, to our own vices. These vices, apathy, and ignorance have been our undoing as we have allowed – usually by electing them – vipers and monsters into office at all levels of government. The Lord has given us what we deserve – and what we deserve is pedophiles, adulterers, liars, Satanists, and corrupt self-aggrandizers in our government. These wolves in sheep’s clothing come in two sizes – Republican and Democrat. Neither fights for the American People. The fact that so many conservatives still believe that the Republican Party is on their side is indicative of how low we have sunk as a nation. If we want to have moral, upright, and good people restored to offices in government, we must do what the Lord told the Israelites through His prophet Isaiah and repent. I quote the inspired words:

“Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.

“Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

“From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

“Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

“And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.

“Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah. . . .

“Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

“Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

“If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

“But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

“How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

“Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:

“Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

“Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:

“And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:

“And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.

“Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.

“And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed.” (Isaiah 1:4-9, 16-28).

If you care about America, repent. Turn to the Redeemer Jesus Christ. Rid yourself of unworthiness and of the corruption and demoralizing taint of the world. The Savior stands with open arms ready to save. Everyone is welcome – none are forbidden to partake of His mercy. He bled in Gethsemane for your sins, suffered scourging, an unjust mock trial, and endured crucifixion as the great and last blood sacrifice, for you. No matter what you have done, you may repent. You cannot merely claim Jesus and think that cleanses you. It does not. Neither does deathbed repentance benefit you. Only a sincere, abiding repentance – that is, a turning away from evil and a turning to good – has the power to save you, cleanse you, and make you reborn sons and daughters of the Lord of lords. I repeat, if you love America, repent.

Washington’s Prayer by Jon McNaughton

This Constitution Day, it is imperative to drink deeply from the wells of wisdom of our ancestors. Our forefathers were paragons of truth and political brilliance. In my studies of world history, I find no comparable group of men – men who understood so thoroughly the principles of Liberty, the dangers of tyranny, and the price required to both obtain and maintain Freedom. It is incumbent upon you to study our national documents – the Declaration of Independence and Constitution – and learn their holy and just principles.

James Wilson, one of the legal geniuses among the Founding Fathers, gave us important advice when he said that we cannot truly comprehend or love Liberty if we do not also comprehend and love law. We lie to ourselves if we claim to love Liberty but do not understand law – in our context, if we do not understand the Constitution. Wilson recommended that we all study the science of law through which we gain Liberty. He observed:

“Were I called upon for my reasons why I deem so highly of the American character, I would assign them in a very few words—That character has been eminently distinguished by the love of liberty, and the love of law. . . .

“In free countries—in free countries, especially, that boast the blessing of a common law, springing warm and spontaneous from the manners of the people—Law should be studied and taught as a historical science. . . .

“. . . Before we can be distinguished by the same honours [as illustrious men like Benjamin Franklin], we must be distinguished by the same virtues.

“What are those virtues? They are chiefly the same virtues, which we have already seen to be descriptive of the American character—the love of liberty, and the love of law. But law and liberty cannot rationally become the objects of our love, unless they first become the objects of our knowledge. The same course of study, properly directed, will lead us to the knowledge of both. Indeed, neither of them can be known, because neither of them can exist, without the other. Without liberty, law loses its nature and its name, and becomes oppression. Without law, liberty also loses its nature and its name, and becomes licentiousness. In denominating, therefore, that science, by which the knowledge of both is acquired, it is unnecessary to preserve, in terms, the distinction between them. That science may be named, as it has been named, the science of law.

“The science of law should, in some measure, and in some degree, be the study of every free citizen, and of every free man. Every free citizen and every free man has duties to perform and rights to claim. Unless, in some measure, and in some degree, he knows those duties and those rights, he can never act a just and an independent part.”

If we want to regain the same level of Liberty our forefathers enjoyed, we must love and study law as they did. We must study the workings of our federal Constitution. We must study the principles of the Declaration of Independence. We must know what are our God-given rights and what are the responsibilities and delegates powers of government. We must become truly engaged patriots, not merely sunshine or armchair patriots.

As I said before, if you truly love America, repent. If you have not read the Constitution, acknowledge your fault, repent, and read it. If you are a parent, read it together with your spouse and children. Study it. Inculcate the principles into your children. Live them and hold your elected representatives accountable to that which they hypocritically swear an oath every two, four, or six years. There are many marvelous resources for comprehending the principles therein written if you do not trust in your own native reasoning ability.

Resources for better understanding the Constitution include:

W. Cleon Skousen, The Making of America: The Substance and Meaning of the Constitution
Paul B. Skousen, How to Read the Constitution & the Declaration of Independence
David Barton, Original Intent: The Courts, the Constitution, and Religion
Philip B. Kurland and Ralph Lerner, ed., The Founders’ Constitution series
Connor Boyack, The Tuttle Twins series, for the kids
Madison, Hamilton, and Jay, The Federalist Papers
Paul B. Skousen, The Federalist Papers Made Easier: The Complete and Original Text Subdivided and Annotated for Easier Understanding
W. Cleon Skousen, The Miracle of America video lesson series

One Nation Under God by Jon McNaughton

However you choose to study and learn the Constitution, learn it. Internalize it. Live it. Freedom was purchased with blood. It may require blood to fully restore. But Liberty is worth it. The alternative – high-tech feudalism and oppression – is unacceptable. No good parent would put their children through a future of slavery and oppression and life in a decadent, godless society. Be a good parent. Turn to Christ. Be an example of the believers for your children, for your community, and for the world. You just might save your country, but you will certainly save your soul.

Happy Constitution Day. God be praised for sending the Founding Fathers to earth to carve out a haven of Liberty for the oppressed of the world and to institute the wisest document of Freedom ever seen in world history, the U.S. Constitution.

Let Us Live to Make Men Free

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“As [the Lord Jesus] died to make men holy, let us die to make men free.” – Battle Hymn of the Republic

Happy Belated Independence Day! Cherish this sacred day. Honor it. Teach your children to honor the sweet principles of Liberty that make life worth living, and those who risked their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to hand down such blessings.

Independence Day is not just another holiday. It is special. It is sacred. It stands in a league alongside the other redemption-centered holidays Easter and Christmas.

I spent most of the day completing my final research paper for a Civil War seminar as part of my doctoral program in history at Liberty University. My topic was the secession of my current state of residency, Alabama, and the influence of neighboring states and the propaganda-pushing press on that fateful decision. As my mind wandered from my paper to Independence Day, and I reflected on what Independence and Freedom truly mean, the stark immorality of many of the Southern secessionists’ self-righteous claims about standing for God and upholding a higher law while simultaneously urging the dissolution of the Union and war, if necessary, to keep a race of people enslaved, struck me as especially abhorrent.

The right of secession cannot be doubted; it is the very right invoked by the Founding Fathers in their rebellion against their tyrannical government in 1776. It is the natural right of all peoples and groups who are oppressed or who choose to separate themselves from any society. Birth does not bind us inexorably to one piece or land or to one political allegiance, especially when that allegiance is antithetical to one’s God-given rights and responsibilities. Yet, the morality of splitting apart a God-joined Union to preserve the sovereignty of states that relied upon slavery for existence and for their political power can be doubted. In reality, the Civil War was a counterrevolution against the American Revolution, which in turn was a revolt against 6,000 years of human misery, deception, and thralldom.

The principles of 1776 were and remain revolutionary. They set at defiance six millennia of despotism and bad political theory. The Southern “revolution,” as many of the secessionists called it, was a reversal of the rising tide of Freedom initiated by the American Revolution. It was a repudiation of the Declaration of Independence, of Washington, of Jefferson, of the U.S. Constitution’s plain and noble intent. The sacred Constitution of the United States means nothing, and can scarcely be understood, without the Declaration of Independence. Understanding the foundational principles and ideals espoused in the Declaration is critical to every American who hopes to be a benefit rather than a hindrance to his country

The Declaration of Independence is the most revolutionary single statement ever produced by man outside of the holy scriptures. The second paragraph of that document is the most revolutionary part of a revolutionary document. It begins:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it. . .”

In these immortal words is the core of Americanism. It is what our People chose as their common creed. Whatever diverges from this creed is political heresy and justly deserves to be shunned, opposed, and defeated. To be specific, the above words: 1) acknowledge God as the source of human rights; 2) assert the equality of rights of all people in all ages of time; 3) specify the rights of life, Liberty, and personal free will and stewardship as guaranteed and immutable; 4) proclaim that the purpose of government is to secure Liberty; 5) acknowledge that the source of political power is the People and that their explicit consent in the acts of their representative government is necessary; and 6) affirm the right of revolution and rebellion against corruption and tyranny.

 If one wishes to deny the reality of God and instead assert that rights are derived from nature and one’s humanity, then so be it; each person is entitled to make mistakes and believe falsehoods. I testify, however, that God our Father exists, that His Son Jesus Christ walked the dusty paths of ancient Israel and atoned for the sins of the world, and that America must repent or perish. We will either worship the God of this special land, who is Christ the Lord, or we will be chastised and scourged until we repent or perish. Regardless of one’s personal convictions about God, however, the other points in the American creed are undeniable and universal; they are political Gospel.

One of the genius aspects of the American Revolution is that its principles are eternal and apply to all groups at all times. This can never be overstated. Rights come from God. They do not come from governments, constitutions, majority opinion, consensus, science, studies, laws, charters, or any man-made invention. Each person is entitled to equal rights under the law, including the right to life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness through stewardship. The purpose of government is to secure rights and leave the People unmolested to worship their God, work as they choose, and live life to the fullest. The People are the only source of political power and must give their consent to all laws made in their name and under their authority. And therefore the People may rightfully overthrow or alter their government when that government abuses its original intent and becomes an enemy to their rights.

For most of American history, our Republic has fulfilled its purpose admirably. Perfectly? No. But more nearly perfectly than any other system in any other nation and in any other period of time. Our People were once upright and just, learned and intelligent, moral and righteous. They took their responsibility for self-government seriously and were taught how to govern themselves. Our problems have come not because of flaws in our constitutional system but because we have lost our understanding of our core values, our national creed, and the principles of Liberty. We have decreased in our righteousness and fidelity to truth, goodness, hard work, and honor.

Simply look at the corrupt, power-hungry, warmongering, bloody, vicious, wicked men we have selected to be our presidents through the years and you will see how far we have fallen from grace. Without knowing it, we uphold a secret band of robbers, liars, criminals, murderers, and pedophiles to represent us in government, in the courts, and in Congress. Even worse, we are blind to their existence closer to home – in our schools, on schoolboards, in our churches, in the HOA, and so forth. We have become a debauched and hedonistic People and have consequently lost the spirit of discernment and truth. We are completely guilty of the Lord’s rebuke to the Israelites in Isaiah chapter 1:

“I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. . . .

“Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. . . .

“How is the faithful city become an harlot! It was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. . . .

“Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them” (Isaiah 1:2, 4, 21-23).

America is still the greatest nation on earth. I love America! I love our legacy and heritage of Freedom. I love the general goodness and willingness to help exemplified by most of our citizens. I love the opportunities, hobbled as they are by socialistic government regulations, that still abound. Yet, if we are honest, we know that we have fallen. We know that we are not as righteous, faithful, hardworking, dignified, or knowledgeable as we once were. Fortunately, the Lord’s merciful promise is available to our sinful and rebellious generation:

“Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

“Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

“If you be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

“But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it” (Isaiah 1:16-20).

Let us not rebel but repent! To repent simply means to change. It is to acknowledge the truth that we are imperfect and that we are often selfish and do things that we know are wrong. We may change. On a personal level, we can break any shackles of sin that we have placed on ourselves by crying out to the Lord, exercising faith in Him and His redeeming power, and changing our behavior to conform to His eternal laws and commands. We may prove our repentance by the way we treat others, by the way we honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy, by the way we pay tithes and offerings to help the poor and to assist in God’s effort to expand His Kingdom, and by the way we diligently study what is right and good in all fields, including citizenship in the greatest nation on earth.

If we individually, and collectively repent, our nation will be restored to its former goodness and even surpass it. The Lord has promised:

“And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy sin.

“And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.

“Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness” (Isaiah 1:25-27).

If we want good leaders, sound national policy, prosperity, and peace, our course is clear – we must repent and serve Jesus Christ. If we do not, and continue in our rebellion against His laws, our course is also clear – He will purge us. This will either lead to our humility and repentance or to our devastation by the sword, plagues, strife, famines, and all the horrors foretold by the Lord and His prophets.

I urge us to “live to make men free,” as the Battle Hymn of the Republic implores. This includes not only our Freedom from civil bondage and tyranny, but from sin and evil. Evil is entrenched around us. It is in our government, in Hollywood, in the controlled media, in Wall Street, in banking, in academic, in Congress, in the Supreme Court, in the intelligence community, in big business, in the medical industry, in professional sports, in churches, and in our own homes. If we want to be true Americans, we must cling to the creed of our fathers – the Declaration of Independence. We must also honor the God of our fathers, who is Christ the Lord. Only by doing this may we purge ourselves of sin and thereby purge our society of its ignorance, apathy, hedonism, pedophilia, drug abuse, murder, hate, unbelief, pride, and malignant criminality.

I close with a quote and my second of its sentiments. The statement was made by one Mr. Clark, one of the delegates chosen to attend the Montgomery Convention of January 1861 as Alabama debated whether or not to secede from the Union. Mr. Clark, a Unionist, gave an impassioned plea for reason, reminding his fellow delegates of the advantages of the Union:

“I have loved, honored and revered the Union of our fathers. I have cherished it for the good it has accomplished – the liberty it has secured, and the public and private prosperity it has dispensed. The treasure expended in its defence, the privations patriotically endured, and the many heroic lives voluntarily sacrificed to purchase the blessings it affords, I have never forgotten, and can never forget” (Mr. Clark, in William Russell Smith, The History and Debates of the Convention of the People of Alabama (Montgomery: White, Pfister & Co., 1861; reprint Legare Street Press, 2021), 103-104).

This Independence Day season, we should love, cherish, honor, and revere our Union and the Freedom for which it stands. We should remember the extraordinary sacrifices made to obtain and maintain our Liberty, Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and prosperous society. Our society has fallen from its pedestal not because of adherence to the principles of our glorious Founding, but out of neglect and sometimes outright repudiation of them. We should therefore seek to rekindle the flame of faith in Christ, loyalty to the Constitution and Declaration, and fidelity to the principles of truth, justice, and personal righteousness.

May God grant us the faith and strength to repent and not perish. The Savior stands with outstretched arms ready to receive us, if we will.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” – Matthew 23:37

“[W]ill ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?

“Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.” – 3 Nephi 9:13-14

“O ye house of Israel whom I have spared, how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart.” – 3 Nephi 10:6

Zack Strong,
July 8, 2025

I Have Chosen You, and Ordained You

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The Marxist pope has died. Pope Francis brought greater division and confusion to the Catholic Church, and more agitation for socialist politics to the world. He was hardly a role model or an example of the believers. Now, he is gone, and another will fill his shoes. This provides us a perfect opportunity to discuss divine authority, that issue that has been central to nearly every major schism in Christendom for almost two millennia.

Who has the authority to choose the next leader of the Church of Jesus Christ? It should be an obvious answer: Jesus Christ. If it is His Church, He chooses who presides over it and who represents Him as His mouthpiece, oracle, and prophet. And how does Christ reveal His will? Answer: Through revelation. Sadly, most Christians today don’t even fathom that there should be a prophet at the helm, let alone have any conception of how that prophet ought to be selected to preside; most reject the idea of continuing revelation.

I give my personal witness from the Holy Ghost that God directs the affairs of His Church through prophets. Period. Scriptural history provides no clear exceptions to this rule. From the time of Adam down through Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Amos, and again with John the Baptist and Peter, the Lord has always operated through prophets. Always.

If you belong to a denomination (one of 45,000 splinters that constitutes the jumble of confusion that is Christendom today) that is not led by a prophet – let alone one that does not believe a prophet is necessary – you absolutely do not belong to the true Church of Jesus Christ. You ought to hurry to discover where that prophetic guidance is and join yourself to the singular organization that represents the Savior, and which is appointed by Him to gather Israel.

Let’s dispense with the unBiblical, schismatic dogma which pretends that God is the author of confusion, and that He permits people to belong to thousands of contrary organizations all claiming His name. He has never operated that way. To believe He does is to disbelieve the Bible. Rather, the Holy Bible states that there is one Church of Jesus Christ governed by Him through revelation to an ordained prophet:

“Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

“All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. . . .

“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. . . .

“. . . there shall be one fold, and one shepherd” (John 10:7-9, 11, 16).

The Lord is the Shepherd. There is “one fold.” He stands at the door and is the gate by which the sheep enter. All others who create other organizations are robbers and are not approved of Him. The Lord made it abundantly clear that He did not envision a myriad of different churches all professing His name when He taught:

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

“And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23).

Among the wicked who will be cast off at the Judgment Day are those who profess Christ’s name yet are not joined to His true fold. He is not their Shepherd, and they are not His sheep though they lamely bleat His holy name. Of the more than 45,000 Christian churches in existence, only one is His true fold and all others profess His name in error. Let’s be clear, these souls often profess the Lord’s name in total sincerity and accompany their professions with good works. The are nonetheless in error and do not belong to His Church.

The Lord’s apostles, especially Paul, reaffirmed what their Master had so plainly taught. There was no schism among them, but they all belonged to one unified Churcher under the direction of the prophet Peter. The keys of Priesthood authority were held by the Twelve Apostles, and exercised by its presiding officer, Peter. All lesser authorities answered to them, and they answered to the High Priest of the Faith who is Christ the Lord. There is no other Church structure but this one found in the New Testament. None. In vain do men seek for a church to fit their needs when they should be seeking the Church – the one and only Church of Jesus Christ set up, sanctioned, and led by Him.

The Apostle Paul taught of this unified Church:

“There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

“One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

“One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).

Again, we read, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12). A body is not divided. Our limbs are attached to our torso, our head is attached to the neck, the feet are attached to the legs, the fingers are attached to the hands, and so forth. All these parts constitute one body. So, too, the individual members who have faith in Christ, repent of their sins, and are baptized into His Church are unique members with individualized gifts and personalities, yet are part of one single body. They cannot possibly be part of disparate organizations and claim to be one body. That is illogical and defies the plain meaning of words, reason, and common sense. Yet, people torture the text, twisting it to justify thousands of different churches, claiming that each of these is part of the “body of Christ,” despite the often-contradictory doctrines and practices held by the various organizations professing Christ’s name. What a freakish, deformed body!

If Christians truly believed the Bible, they would know that there is but one Church of Jesus Christ. As a result, they would inherently understand that most of Christendom is in apostasy and needs to find the Lord’s Church, not just any church. A careful student of the Bible knows that merely professing Christ’s name means nothing – absolutely nothing. Either Christ is a liar, or many who profess His name and generally lead good lives will be cast off at the Judgment bar because they were careless in finding the one true Church of the Lamb.

The student of scripture knows that the followers of Christ are one – one not only in belief, doctrine, and ordinance, but in name, organization, and affiliation. Paul taught the Ephesians:

“[Y]e are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

“And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

“In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

“In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22).

Can members of different organizations with different views, dogmas, creeds, and covenants be considered “fellowcitizens?” Of course not! They are not “fitly framed together,” but grow apart and wander in strange paths, seeking after a God who has not claimed them as His because they will not enter the true sheep fold. This is especially true, even redundantly so, if they belong to any organization not built explicitly “upon the foundation of apostles and prophets.”

The Lord personally selected and ordained Twelve Apostles to lead His Church and oversee global missionary effort (Luke 9:1-2). He then chose Peter to preside over the Apostles and exercise the sealing power to bind in earth and in Heaven (Matthew 16:15-19; Acts 1:15-26). He next selected quorums of seventy elders (Luke 10:1). Additional offices were later added, such as evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Ephesians 4:11). The Lord never changed this organizational structure. Full stop. Let’s repeat that fact: The Lord never changed this organizational pattern for His Church.

Whoever changed this structure had no authorization from the Lord Jesus Christ to do so, and whoever denies the need for this hierarchical Priesthood structure established by the Author of our Faith is going outside of the Bible and preaching another Gospel than the one laid down in the sacred text. Let such a person be accursed! (Galatians 1:8)

All of this brings us back to Pope Francis and the papal election process. In a mockery of what the New Testament teaches, popes are determined by men, not by God. They are elected by ballot, not selected by divine revelation of the Holy Spirit. This damning indictment can be leveled even more forcefully at Protestant churches that merely hire a pastor, discount the need for a prophet, and more often than not deny the reality of continuing revelation and the direct guidance of Jesus Christ. At least the Roman Catholic Church has a College of Cardinals, a structured priesthood, ordered procedures, and holds formal conclaves to choose their next pope (an office not established in the Bible, and surely not a prophetic mantel, thus defying Paul’s teachings and the Lord’s pattern).

Let’s review what the Bible says about how a prophet is chosen by the Lord to represent Him and preside over His Church. When Moses was tending a flock on Mount Horeb, “God called unto him” (Exodus 3:4). God called him, he didn’t petition God for the position. The call was unexpected. It was unearned. Moses did not ask for the office or the burden of leadership. The One whose right it is to choose His representatives selected Moses, as He selects all prophets who preside over His Church.

All the prophets were called the same way – by revelation from God. It was not always as dramatic as God’s voice issuing from a burning bush, but it is always the literal voice of the Lord or the voice of His Spirit. Either way, authority only comes from one source – Him. Noah operated under this authority, as did Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Elijah and Elisha possessed it, performing some of the most remarkable miracles in Christ’s name that have ever been performed. Isaiah wielded the Priesthood authority, as did Daniel, Malachi, and others. Amos, one of those men called by God, affirmed the eternal necessity of prophets in the Lord’s economy when he said, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).

This revelatory process was followed by the Apostles after the death of Judas and the opening of a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The manner in which Matthias was chosen to replace the betrayer is illustrative. The account states:

“And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said . . . .

“For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let [Judas’] habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.

“Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

“Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.

“And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

“And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,

“That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.

“And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles” (Acts 1:15, 20-26).

Who chose the new apostle? It wasn’t Peter. It wasn’t John. It wasn’t James, Matthew, or Philip. Nor was it the collective group of Apostles acting as a quorum. Rather, the Lord showed the Apostles who was to be the next apostle. Peter went through a process before selecting Matthias. He prayed for guidance. He counseled with his brethren. And the will of the Lord was revealed. Notice, there was no debate, no dissent, and no divided vote tally – it was a unanimous decision because it was the Lord’s will transmitted by the Holy Spirit.   Recall Peter’s teaching that prophecy comes not by the will of man, but “as they [are] moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21). The Lord alone has authority to select His Apostles and direct His Church.

Indeed, to His Apostles, the Redeemer had previously affirmed, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you” (John 15:16). Peter did not choose himself. He did not ordain himself the presiding officer of the Church of Jesus Christ. James and John did not select themselves. None of the Twelve Apostles earned, chose, or petitioned for their callings. Rather, these men were chosen by the Master to represent Him. Thus, He ordained them, empowered them, and authorized them to perform His work.

Any man who calls himself to a religious office is a liar and a fraud and does not represent Christ. Such a man has no power to baptize or officiate in ordinances. Any pastor or priest who starts his own ministry acts on his own temporal authority and without divine authorization or sanction. No man has a divine commission unless he has been divinely commissioned by the One who governs all things. This commission is not theoretical or metaphysical, but procedural and literal. The Lord put His holy hands on the Disciples heads and ordained them to their special callings, bestowing upon them Priesthood authority to officiate and act in His name. In this way, and this way only, is the Priesthood authority to preside over Christ’s Church bestowed.

No conclave or group of leaders, no matter their sincerity, earthly degrees, understanding of scripture, or popular approval, may direct the affairs of God’s Church or select the man who will preside over them. The Church is not a democratic institution; it is theocratic with God ruling in an unquestioned, uncompromising manner. Christ is King, no one else.

The Roman Catholic Church is founded upon a monstrous lie. That lie is that Peter’s authority – which was not his to give – somehow transferred to Linus, thus granting authority to the popes. Where is the scriptural revelation confirming this monumental change to the system established by the Lord? It’s certainly not in the Bible. And what of the Apostle John who, after Peter, was the ranking officer of the Church? For the authority to have transferred from Peter to Linus, it had to have circumvented John and ignored the order of succession. The simple fact is that Linus usurped John’s rightful authority.

In other words, the line of Priesthood succession supposedly skipped over the Twelve Apostles and devolved upon a bishop who was lower in rank. What honest person can believe that tall tale? Certainly, no one who believes scripture and who reads the New Testament can countenance it. Perhaps that is one of the many reasons why Bible translators and Reformers who attempted to get the word of God into the hands of commoners so that they did not need to live on blind faith alone were so doggedly persecuted. After all, an honest reading of the text destroys the legitimacy of the Catholic Church by stripping it of its authority. Without authority, all its offices, ordinances, and programs mean nothing. Without having been chosen and ordained by the Lord, the popes stand in opposition to Christ and His Kingdom.

For that matter, all other Protestant organizations that splintered off from the Roman Catholic Church are likewise wrong and lack authority. The progeny of error can never be truth. A restoration – the very thing prophesied by Isaiah, Paul, Daniel, and other prophets – of proper Priesthood authority and the organizational structure of the true Church of Christ was therefore required to remedy the rancorous and apostate state of Christendom. Thankfully, graciously, joyfully, the Lord has restored His Church and the keys of the apostolic offices! He has again chosen and ordained prophets and apostles, raised up quorums of seventy elders, evangelists, teachers, and so forth. He has again clarified His doctrine and invites all to come to Him and be saved. He again leads and directs His Church through revelation as He did through Peter.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s restored Church. It is led by a prophet, seer, and revelator who has been duly called by revelation and ordained by the Lord to his position. He is assisted by a Quorum of Twelve Apostles who have the same keys of ministry and presidency. They are aided by Quorums of Seventy elders, a presiding patriarch, a presiding bishop, local stake presidents, bishops, elders, priests, and teaches. Ordained, full-time volunteer missionaries are sent into the world two-by-two to preach Christ and Him crucified, and to share the good news of the Atonement of our Lord and of the Restoration of His Church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only truly Biblical Church – the only one that rests firmly upon the foundation of apostles and prophets, with Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone and the One who established this Church through His instrumentality and the revelation of the Holy Spirit.

Joseph Smith was the prophet called of God to perform this restorative work. He testified of Christ, that He lives, that the Father lives, and that the Holy Ghost testifies of truth. He testified that he saw Them with his own eyes and that They called him to fulfill their ancient promises of the restoration of Israel. He testified that John the Baptist appeared to him and Oliver Cowdery, conferring upon them the rights and powers of the Aaronic, or Levitical, Priesthood. He witnessed that Peter, James, and John appeared to himself and Oliver Cowdery, laying their hands upon them and ordaining them elders and officers in the Lord’s Church. He testified that Moses and Elijah appeared to confer their keys and offices upon him. He testified that an angel named Moroni delivered to him a sacred record to support the Bible’s witness of Christ which he translated by God’s power that became The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy of a new book being delivered to an unlearned man (Isaiah 29:10-14), Ezekiel’s word regarding the stick of Joseph (Ezekiel 37:15-19), and John’s prophecy that another angel would deliver the everlasting Gospel to a man in the last days (Revelation 14:6). All of this and more was part of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ – a marvelous work and a wonder! I testify, because I know it is true through the Holy Spirit, that the Prophet Joseph Smith was a true prophet called of God and ordained by Him to preside over the Church of Jesus Christ in these final days prior to the Lord’s return in glory.

It ultimately matters little whom the cardinals in Rome select to succeed Pope Francis; he has no authority anyway. It matters little that Protestants denounce The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because they have more light and knowledge than they do, just as the Pharisees in Jesus’ day condemned Him for giving them new teachings to add to what they had assumed was a closed canon of scripture. It matters not that the world rejects Christ and His representatives now as they always have. What is from God will not fall unless through apostasy and wickedness the Lord revokes the authority that is His to give. “[I]f it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God” (Acts 5:38-39).

I again proclaim my personal witness that the Savior Jesus Christ is Lord over the earth. He governs creation. He established His Church in the meridian of time and has reestablished it through Joseph Smith the Prophet in modern times. I testify that prophets are called, not elected, and that they are either ordained of God or they possess no authority to do His work. I witness that the Holy Priesthood authority of God has been conferred by angels and authorized beings in our day through Joseph Smith, connecting us, through him, and through Peter, James, and John, to the Master who presides in all things. I testify of the work of the Lord and of His Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is currently led by the prophet, seer, and revelator, President Russell M. Nelson. This work is true! It is marvelous! It is the Lord’s work.

I invite all to come to Christ. Come to Him, investigate His Church, and join yourself to the fold of the Good Shepherd. There is but one sheep fold, and if you think The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not the Lord’s Church, then which one has its foundation built upon prophets and apostles, claims divine revelation and conferred Priesthood authority under the hands of the men last authorized to hold it, restores Biblical doctrines neglected throughout Christendom, is structured the way the Lord structured His Church during His Ministry, fulfills the Bible’s myriads of promises of a restitution of all things, builds temples to worship God per the ancient pattern, and sits in full harmony with the Bible? Thankfully, I have my own personal testimony from the Holy Ghost of this all-important proposition, and I know whereof I testify. Come what may, I will stand as a witness for Christ and for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which is His. I invite you to receive your own testimony and then to stand boldly in the light.

Zack Strong,
April 21, 2025

Declare the Words Which I Have Spoken

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The resurrected Lord Jesus Christ, in His momentous visit to the Israelites then living in ancient America where the Lord had led them when He scattered the tribes, expounded His doctrine in these clear words:

“And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me.

“And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God.

“And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned” (3 Nephi 11: 32-34; emphasis added).

Summed up, we may say that it is the Lord’s doctrine that God the Father commands us to come to Christ, believe in Him, repent of our sins, and be baptized. This is the way. It is what the Bible teaches. It is what the prophets have always taught. It is true doctrine and comes from the lips of the Savior of mankind.

Furthermore, the resurrected Redeemer told these same Nephite disciples in ancient America:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the Father; and whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost.

“And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me; for the Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost are one.

“And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things.

“And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.” (3 Nephi 11:35-39).

The Lord’s Gospel is from the Father; Jesus is the Father’s perfect representative. He is the “author of eternal salvation unto all them who obey him,” and the High Priest of the Church which bears His holy name (Hebrews 5:9-10). We are told to believe in Him, and to believe Him. If we do, and do so in humble sincerity as a child, the Father will send the Holy Ghost to confirm precious eternal truths to our souls, just as He confirmed to Peter the truth that the Man with whom He walked the dusty valleys of the Holy Land was really the Son of God and the promised Messiah (Matthew 16:15-17).

The Holy Ghost, the Son, and the Father are three separate Beings, yet totally united – or one – in their eternal purpose of saving and exalting the Father’s children (Moses 1:39). The singular path that leads to this blessing of salvation and exaltation in the Kingdom of Heaven is believing in Christ, receiving an irrefutable witness of the truth through the Holy Spirit, repenting of and forsaking our sins, being baptized in Jesus’ name, and building upon the rock of the Gospel of Christ while continuously humbling ourselves like little children before our Eternal Father. I testify that this is the way; it is the “way of holiness” (Isaiah 35:8), or the “covenant path.”

The Lord Himself has given us His assurance – and He does not lie – that if we build upon His rock, we cannot fall. Christ is the only sure foundation. The ordinances of His Gospel, of which baptism is the first, link us to Him. Each ordinance we enter into, and each covenant we make with Him, adds another link to the chain that gratefully binds us to our Savior and to His eternal love, grace, and salvation. This salvation that He extends to us on conditions of repentance, baptism, and obedience to every ordinance and law of the Gospel, was made possible through His atoning sacrifice for us in Gethsemane and on the Cross of Calvary, and is ensured by the Resurrection from the powerless tomb.

This Easter season with its all-important Holy Week is the perfect opportunity to focus on Him, to hear Him, and to make or renew our covenants with Him. We can hear His voice in many ways, including through the quiet but sure voice of the Spirit, the words of holy scripture, and the teachings of duly commissioned and authorized representatives. I testify that prophets, apostles, patriarchs, elders, bishops, priests, teachers, and deacons who hold and exercise the Lord’s Holy Priesthood as delegated to them through the proper order of succession leading back directly to the Savior Himself, who bestowed it upon the Twelve Apostles anciently, walk the earth.

The Lord’s representatives come together in a grand conference twice a year to conduct the general business of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to expound doctrine, to fortify the faith of the Saints, to warn against pernicious and Satanic influences, to defend families and moral principles, and to edify each humble hearer who invites the Holy Spirit into the experience. These conferences are some of my favorite events of the year. I have a vibrant personal witness of the reality of living prophets, and that sacred and unshakable witness was gained at the end of the October 2006 General Conference. It was there that I learned what I had already believed; namely, that the Lord Jesus has again called living prophets in modern times and endowed them with His authority to officiate in saving ordinances and to direct the work of salvation.

To His Apostles in Galilee, the Lord instructed, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). In slightly more detail, Matthew records the instruction thus:

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:19-20).

To the Nephites, after teaching them the above-quoted instruction concerning believing in Him, repenting, being baptized, and building upon His rock, the resurrected Lord commanded, “Therefore, go forth unto this people, and declare the words which I have spoken, unto the ends of the earth” (3 Nephi 11:41). Again, He taught:

“And as I have prayed among you even so shall ye pray in my church, among my people who do repent and are baptized in my name. Behold I am the light; I have set an example for you. . . .

“Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do. . . .

“And ye see that I have commanded that none of you should go away, but rather have commanded that ye should come unto me, that ye might feel and see; even so shall ye do unto the world” (3 Nephi 18:16, 24-25).

Because I am an unashamed disciple of Jesus Christ, and because I possess an absolutely sure testimony that Jesus is the Savior and that His Church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which is led by living prophets and apostles, I raise my voice to encourage each of you to come, feel, and see. Tune into General Conference on this April 5th and 6th, or spend time later in the vast archives of this and past conferences. You will be edified, instructed, uplifted, and drawn closer to your Redeemer.

I testify that President Russell M. Nelson, a one-hundred-year-old man of humility and wisdom who stands as the chief prophet, seer, and revelator of the Church of Jesus Christ today, is the Lord’s current mouthpiece. I testify of President Nelson’s counselors, Presidents Oaks and Eyring. I give my witness that the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are likewise inspired and hold the authority of the Holy Priesthood, exercising it under the direction of President Nelson and the Lord who is the true Head of His Church. If you have ever wondered what the Lord might say if He were to speak today, stop wondering; come and see.

Rivet your eyes on the Savior. Immerse yourself in His word which is obtained through personal revelation, holy writ, and the teachings of authorized apostles and prophets. God be thanked that He has given mankind apostles and prophets in our day! We don’t need to “wander from sea to sea” and “run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord” (Amos 8:11-12) – it is generously before us set out on the table like a feast. Those who “hunger and thirst after righteousness” (Matthew 5:6) may satiate their spiritual cravings by “feasting upon the word of Christ” (2 Nephi 31:20).

I testify that at the General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, inspired apostles of the Lamb of God will declare the words which He has spoken. They will “enlarge [your] soul . . . enlighten [your] understanding,” and “be delicious to [you]” (Alma 32:28).

Zack Strong,
April 5, 2025

Learn how to watch April 5th and 6th General Conference addresses here.

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The Bible in School

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The Holy Bible once held a spot in every school in America. It was the chief textbook and source of truth, wisdom, and history. From the time the Pilgrims landed in New England, Americans have based their governmental structures, constitutions, laws, public standards, and expectations on God’s word. The dramatic increase in society’s manifold problems correlates directly to society’s departure from the Bible and Christian norms in both public and private. Now, and rising group of patriots is attempting to once again enshrine the Bible in schools and Christianity in society.

Several states are making significant strides to bring America back to her Christian roots. And her roots are in fact Christian. William J. Federer has done amazing work on the question of America’s Christian heritage. His books The Original 13: A Documentary History of Religion in America’s First Thirteen States and The Ten Commandments & their Influence on American Law – a study in history use primary documents and statements to shatter the myth that American law and jurisprudence were based on anything other than Biblical Christianity.

A page from The New-England Primer, America’s first schoolbook used for generations.

David Barton and his WallBuilders organization have also done phenomenal, perhaps unsurpassed, work in this field, bringing to life firsthand sources that show how deeply grounded in faith our forefathers were. Barton’s books Original Intent: The Courts, the Constitution, & Religion, The Founders’ Bible, Separation of Church & State: What the Founders Meant, and Education and the Founding Fathers are worthy additions to any patriot’s library. His research meticulously demonstrates how integral Christianity and Biblical precedent were in the lives, philosophies, policies, lawmaking, and decision of our Founding Fathers and other early Americans.

W. Cleon Skousen, whom I consider the greatest scholar and historian of modern times, has provided three texts that are of critical importance on the topic of religion in American history: The Majesty of God’s Law, The Making of America: The Substance and Meaning of the Constitution, and The 5,000 Year Leap. These texts reveal the reality of America’s godly past in which our forefathers worshipped the Lord, used the Holy Bible in public policy, and espoused the inseparable link between religion, morality, and Freedom.

In general terms, our ancestors saw religion and morality as the indispensable supports for civil society and Liberty. President George Washington testified of this truth in his Farewell Address:

“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.

“It is substantially true that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government. The rule, indeed, extends with more or less force to every species of free government. Who that is a sincere friend to it can look with indifference upon attempts to shake the foundation of the fabric?” (George Washington, Farewell Address, 1796).

The idea that free government could be maintained without religion and morality was preposterous to the Father of our Country. This is why, another time, he called these twin agents “the essential pillars of civil society” (George Washington to the Protestant Clergy of Philadelphia, March 3, 1797). Anyone who would undermine them would also undermine society. This was the general view at the time, and I submit that it is true today.

George Washington praying, setting an example for the rest of us

Dr. Benjamin Rush, another Founding Father, placed particular emphasis on education and championed schooling. In his influential tract, “A Defence of the Use of the Bible in Schools,” Dr. Rush gave a sweeping overview of the benefits of using the Bible as a textbook. At eleven pages, the tract is too long to reproduce here, and it is a pity to break it into pieces. However, the good doctor spoke plainly about the “constitution of the human mind” and the fact that “the influence of early impressions are very great upon subsequent life; and in a world where false prejudices do so much mischief, it would discover great weakness not to oppose them by such as are true.” He noted that “knowledge is most durable, and religious instruction most useful, when imparted in early life.” Dr. Rush also argued that “the Bible, when not read in schools, is seldom read in any subsequent period of life.”

Few would debate that the information given to a child when his mind is most malleable from birth until the age of eight sticks the longest and has a guiding influence over the remainder of his life. This has been a self-evident truth for millennia. Perhaps it is for this reason that the Lord instructed ancient Israelite parents to so diligently teach their children:

“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

“And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

“And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

“And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9).

Unfortunately, today, many grow up without ever cracking the Bible, without ever hearing a sermon, without knowing the Ten Commandments, and with religious feeling at all. This is dangerous. It is also the deliberate design of those who would undermine and radically transform our society, removing Christ as our King, Lawgiver, and Judge. Dr. Rush foresaw this happening if the Bible was removed from schools. He predicted:

“The present fashionable practice of rejecting the Bible from our schools, I suspect, has originated with the Deists. They discover great ingenuity in this new mode of attacking Christianity. If they proceed in it, they will do more in half a century in extirpating our religion, than Bollingbroke or Voltaire could have effected in a thousand years.”

If Dr. Rush could see our society today, he would no doubt be appalled at the immorality, hedonism, and anti-Christian mockery in every corner of society, from schools to entertainment to courts. Generations are growing up without any fear of God, knowledge of His attributes, or understanding of His teachings. Instead, the values of crass materialism and me-centered hedonism rule the modern mind. To reverse this course, we must again educate children from a young age in God’s word. The home is the best place to do this, but school is a failsafe. What is taught to one generation becomes the policy of the next. If we want a brighter future, we must teach a brighter doctrine – the doctrine of Jesus Christ.

Martin Luther nailing his 95 Theses to the church door

In my high school, I recently concluded teaching a unit on the Reformation, Renaissance, and Medieval Europe. I taught my students Catholic ideas like works and purgatory, the five solas of Martin Luther and his ideas on grace vs. works, the concept of predestination as taught by John Calvin, the Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrate promulgated at Magdeburg and beyond, and more. It is utterly impossible to discuss Medieval European history without speaking of religion and the Roman Catholic Church. It is impossible to talk about Europe from the 1500s to the present without discussing Protestantism, the wars of religion, and the revolutionary impact of groups like the Lutherans, Anabaptists, and Calvinists. It is also impossible to properly discuss the Scientific Revolution, Renaissance, the birth of modern society, the Pilgrim and Puritan voyages to America, or the establishment of the United States, without also discussing God, the Bible, and Christianity. Anyone who attempts it is a fraud and teaches insufficient and lopsided history.

Even the sciences cannot be taught effectively without religion. Most of the major thinkers in science were men of God who compared their findings to God’s word. On this point, Dr. Rush noted:

“The sciences have been compared to a circle, of which religion composes a part. To understand any one of them perfectly, it is necessary to have some knowledge of them all. Bacon, Boyle, and Newton included the Scriptures in the inquiries to which their universal geniuses disposed them, and their philosophy was aided by their knowledge in them.”

To deprive students of the knowledge that the great thinkers of the past often attributed their discoveries to God and relied upon the Bible as a source of knowledge is to deprive them of truth and to hurt them in the long run. So, too, by stripping them of the ability to learn directly from the world’s most printed and read book, the book upon which our society is inarguably founded, is to strip them of true educational opportunities and chances for growth, reflection, and understanding. Indeed, it is to destroy the field of history entirely, converting it into secular state-sanctioned talking points.

As a teacher, I see the delinquency that is rife in schools. Much of this could be corrected by universal instruction in the Bible and its doctrines and by teaching Christian standards. Something as simple as exposure to the Ten Commandments and God’s basic expectations for righteous conduct would contribute greatly to improving behavior. Boyd K. Packer, late leader in the Church which I attend, gave this poignant observation back in 1986:

“True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior.

“The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior. Preoccupation with unworthy behavior can lead to unworthy behavior. That is why we stress so forcefully the study of the doctrines of the gospel” (Elder Boyd K. Packer, “Little Children,” General Conference, October, 1986).

An interesting correlation exists between our nation’s decline in religious observance and the proliferation of self-help books, therapy, crime, and sexual immorality. We have taken away from generations of Americans the greatest self-help book of them all – the Bible. We have severed – even criminalized – this important link to divine wisdom, leaving people to grapple with man-made philosophies that so often contradict each other, lead to detrimental behavior and thought patterns, and erode Freedom.

An easy solution is to simply introduce children to scripture from a young age. Yes, they ought to learn it at home; their parents are primarily responsible for teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and inculcating in them good morals and worthy habits. However, that is not happening. An alternative check, therefore, must be the reintroduction of the Holy Bible in schools.

Several states are making great efforts to resurrect religion in schools. Oklahoma as just ordered 500 copies of the Bible be issued for use in AP American Government courses. An additional 55,000 Bibles are being ordered to be placed in every classroom alongside the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights. The Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Ryan Walters, issued an official statement on November 14, calling the move “the first in the nation Bible purchase explicitly for use in schools as an academic and literary resource and is the first step toward providing Bibles for every classroom in the state.” He further explained:

“We are focused on ensuring we get Bibles available in every classroom in our state as quickly as we can. I will take every step possible to ensure Oklahoma students have the resources they need to fully understand American history. By acting now, Oklahoma is leading the country on a path toward greater focus on academic excellence by providing critical historical, cultural, and literary context for our students. We are not going to change our history, and the Bible is a major part of that.”

Of course, the anti-religionists have filed lawsuits and complaints to counter this action, with some school districts outright refusing to comply. Powerful forces like the ACLU and lobby organizations that hate God are trying to overturn Walters’ decision. Let us pray that their attempts fail and that God has at least one state that honors Him in its schools.

Louisiana has also mandated that the Ten Commandments be displayed in their public schools. However, one activist federal judge, John W. DeGravelles, has attempted to block the move, calling it “discriminatory and coercive” and “unconstitutional,” despite the long history of displaying the Ten Commandments in schools for most of U.S. history, using the Ten Commandments in court cases, and using them as a basis for crafting laws. The state, however, is pushing forward. May they succeed.

In my home state, the Idaho Family Policy Center is readying a bill that would bring back a former statute requiring Bible readings in the classroom. Read this recent editorial by IFPC head Blaine Conzatti making the case that history and tradition, both in Idaho and throughout the United States, supports bringing the Bible back to schools. Conzatti reasoned:

“Even the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the practice [of using the Bible as a textbook] in Vidal v. Girard’s Executors (1844): “Why may not the Bible, and especially the New Testament, without note or comment, be read and taught as a divine revelation in the [schools] — its general precepts expounded, its evidences explained, and its glorious principles of morality inculcated?”

“Likewise, our Idaho founding fathers wanted the Bible to be read in public schools — and they intentionally crafted our state constitution to allow the practice.

“James W. Reid, D-Nez Perce, vice president of the Idaho Constitutional Convention, aptly captured the sentiments of Idaho’s founders when he said, “It is because the Bible is read, preached, and taught in the schools that this country is great and glorious.””

If we truly wish to make America great again, we must bring the Bible back to schools and repent in humility before the Lord Jesus.

The final example of a state-wide effort to bring the Bible back to school occurred last week in Texas when the State Board of Education approved a Bible-based curriculum for students K-5 called the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) Bluebonnet Learning program. Governor Greg Abbott praised the program, stating:

“The passage of Bluebonnet Learning is a critical step forward to bring students back to the basics of education and provide the best education in the nation. These transformative educational materials are voluntary and free for schools and teachers to use. And with parents also able to access these materials online, we will ensure young Texans have access to high-quality, grade-level appropriate curricula that will provide the necessary fundamentals in math, reading, science, and other core subjects and boost student outcomes across Texas.”

Tyndale’s last words before being burned at the stake were, “Lord, open the King of England’s eyes.”

It says a lot about the unions and lobbies that they would attack a voluntary program that does not even mandate, but merely allows, the Bible to be taught as one option among many. They love to use the word “choice,” yet vehemently oppose choice whenever it involves something with which they disagree. The true agenda, of course, is to convince students that God is dead and snatch souls away from Christ. And they will burn at the stake every modern William Tyndale they must to achieve this nefarious purpose because they know that their agenda withers and dies when the word of God gets into the hands, minds, and hearts of the People.

Those in favor of broader educational opportunities and school choice applaud Texas’ move. Christians who see the Bible as fundamental to proper education, and morality and religion as the indispensable pillars of free and civil society, see it as a first step in the right direction. But it is only one step; more work must be done.

However, those in favor of broader educational opportunities applaud Texas’ move. And Christians who see the Bible as fundamental to proper education, and morality and religion as the indispensable pillars of free and civil society, see it as a first step in the right direction.

I was privileged to be raised by a history teacher who also happened to be a real Christian. We read the holy scriptures in our home every day. We prayed together. We gave service together. We went to Church each Sunday. Religious imagery, quotes, and Bible verses abounded in the house – in the kitchen, in the living room, in our bedrooms, in the bathroom. One of the first books I ever remember opening was a gigantic illustrated copy of the Bible. The colorful image of Jonah being swallowed by the fish has always stayed with me. I served a two-year mission to Russia to spread the Gospel and have held callings in several congregations precisely because of my witness of Christ which was kindled in my early years at home and later confirmed by the Holy Spirit.

I can therefore testify from personal experience of the positive influence having the symbols of Christ and His teachings constantly around you. It is necessary in every Christian home. It is equally necessary in the public square. As a teacher, I can’t think of anything that would improve behavior, principles, motivation, and academic output better than using the Bible in the classroom. Our eminently literate and wise Founding Fathers studied from the Bible, quoted it more than any other source in their writings and speeches, and sought to base American society on scripture.

The National Monument to the Forefathers

American history supports placing the Bible back in the classroom, using it as a textbook, and teaching God’s law to the youth. This is our past and it will be our future. It will be an uphill battle, though, because systematic evil exists and has a stranglehold over the current Marxian iteration of the education system. Patriotic Christians throughout the country, however, are rising up and exercising their power and pushing hard to make Christ King once more in America. Join the fight. Pray for our success. Use the sword of the Spirit to slash falsehoods and repel our enemies. And may the Lord grant us repentance and wisdom that we might turn to Him once more.

Zack Strong,
November 29, 2024

Gratitude – Personal

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Happy Thanksgiving! This piece is profoundly personal. I ask your indulgence.

I would be a liar if I told you that my heart is brim to the top with gratitude this year. I have a lot to be bitter and angry about. I am facing numerous serious challenges that have afflicted me and weighed me down. Truly, I have much to grumble about. Don’t we all? Life is hard, and we all suffer setbacks and trials, pain and heartache, sorrow and the fire of affliction.

That said, I would also be a liar if I claimed I have nothing for which to be grateful this Thanksgiving. I do. So do you. Every person, regardless of circumstances, has much for which to express gratitude to the Almighty. We should each be grateful for at least the following: 1) Life; and 2) the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

If you are alive, then you have access to the Atonement of Christ which can help you improve, become better, blot out your sins, repair your broken parts, heal your wounds, make your weaknesses into strengths, and draw you closer to God. If you are alive, it means there is more for you to do, to learn, to teach, to experience, or to witness. Be grateful for life, the chief blessing of all the blessings of God.

Next to life is the gift of Liberty, or free will. For all those with proper mental faculties, we have the right to choose. Even in terrible circumstances, we may react or act according to the dictates of our conscience. No one – no government, church, friend, family member, of crowd – can deprive you of your God-given right to choose. Even God will never twist your arm and force you to choose. Thanks to your Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ, you are totally and truly free; the tyranny of man be damned. Be grateful for that superlative blessing. It is the very blessing that Satan sought to destroy before this earth began; an inestimable privilege that makes life worth living.

I am grateful for more than just my life and my Savior’s Atonement. I am grateful for my wonderful family. I love them and miss them and I’m thankful for their prayers and kind acts and support. My parents are amazing. I love my siblings. My wife is so hardworking and faithful. My daughters are indescribably beautiful and stunning in every way; just seeing them or hearing their little voices makes me happy. That they can sing and dance and talk and run and jump and play and draw and say “I love you” injects me with joy. I thank the Lord for them! I sure miss them. . .

Additionally, I am grateful for my Freedom as vouchsafed under the inspired U.S. Constitution. No nation has a constitution like ours. If we would simply follow it, we would remain the freest and most prosperous society in the world in perpetuity. I am grateful for the Pilgrims, Founding Fathers, and Pioneers of America’s past who settled this savage but sacred land, raised the greatest nation in world history upon it, and extended the blessings of civilization across it from sea to shining sea. Many breathe out vile dissent against our forefathers, claiming they were wicked men, cruel conquerors, genocidal maniacs, brutal enslavers, racists, bigots, and imperial tyrants. That is a devilish lie. I am sincerely grateful for a true understanding of our incredible history and a knowledge of our noble ancestors whom God chose out of the world and placed here to accomplish the work of building the first free nation in modern times and creating an asylum for the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ to be restored and take root.

I am grateful to know such illustrious names as William Bradford, John Winthrop, Benjamin Franklin, James Otis, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Caleb Strong, James Wilson, James Madison, Patrick Henry, Samuel Davies, John Parker, Jonas Clark, James Barrett, Samuel Whittemore, Mercy Otis Warren, Elias Boudinot, Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone, William Travis, Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, John Moses Browning, and too many more to list. These were stalwart, hardy, adventurous souls who did special work and who ought to be remembered for their service to God and country.

I am also more grateful than I can express for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have testified time and time again that I know this is the Lord’s Church. I have lost so many followers and friends for bearing this testimony, but what can I do, deny what I know is true? I will not deny it. I will testify of it until my dying breath because my knowledge comes from God through the Holy Spirit, not from books, family, my own intellect, hypothesis, or mortal sources. I did not have an “emotional experience,” as some like to dismiss my spiritual witness, but an authentic and personal revelation from the Holy Spirit to my spirit. As Paul was “not disobedient unto the heavenly vision” he received, so will I stay faithful to the spiritual witness I have received (see Acts 26). I am thankful for the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in these latter days as was prophesied throughout the Bible from Isaiah to Daniel to Paul to John. I honor the Prophet Joseph Smith and his contributions to the Kingdom of God. This truly is the Dispensation of the Fulness of times, and I’m part of it. What a blessing!

There are many other things for which I am grateful: The immaculate beauty of nature; the songs of birds; the breeze on a warm day; the sunshine; peaceful and quiet locations; the color green; majestic mountains and sprawling forests; good books; clean comedy; tasty food; spices like garlic, cayenne, cumin, curry, and black pepper; raw honey; pecan pie; the beauty and nutrition of dandelions; colorful flowers; a home in which to live; firearms; the crackle and smell of a campfire; writing; music; poetry; the internet with its store of generational wisdom; general health and physical strength; ad infinitum.

All of us have things to gripe about, sometimes even extremely serious things. But all of us also have things for which to give thanks. Sometimes, we are guilty of emphasizing the bad and downplaying the good. I am certainly guilty of this, especially as the days and months fly by without my family nearby. My youngest daughter is now talking and I can only witness it from a distance. Nevertheless, there is much I thank God for and for which I feel in my soul deeply grateful. Today, I choose to express my gratitude to my Father in Heaven for my life, for the Atonement of His Son and my Savior Jesus Christ, and for the gift of agency.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Zack Strong,
November 27, 2024

Election Victory Without Repentance Means Nothing

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Donald J. Trump has won the presidency, for the third time. One online commentator called the massive victory a “ray of hope.” That it is, but it will remain an unfulfilled and hollow hope for America without one crucial addition – repentance.

Repentance is the only remedy to our nation’s problems. We were once a godly People. We worshipped the Father in the name of His holy Son, Jesus Christ. Christ was our King. His law was our standard. We read the Bible, used it as our textbook, and proudly posted the Ten Commandments in public. Unless we elevate Christ as our Sovereign and take His law for our law yet again, Donald Trump’s reelection is a deceptive victory that will ultimately change nothing.

In all our celebrations over Trump’s victory, we must fall on our knees and thank God. We must pray from the heart that Trump’s life will be sustained and that the Satanic Ruling Elite will be thwarted in its attempt to retain illicit control over this nation. We must pray for forgiveness, for it our sins and wickedness that have allowed so many evil people to come to power over us for so many years.

Trump is merely a reprieve – not a savior. He is a half measure, though a positive step forward. To wayward and sinful Israel, the Lord promised:

“Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:

“And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:

“And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.

“Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.

“And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed” (Isaiah 1:24-28).

Our righteous judges, that is, good leaders, will only be restored to us if we repent. Trump is the best leader we have had in a generation, yet in all honesty he doesn’t hold a candle to the wisdom, competence, and principled integrity of men like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Andrew Jackson. Our good “judges” have been taken away because we forsook the Lord and stopped walking in His ways. If we repent, however, and continue down the path we have indicated that we want to pursue as a People, legitimately good, righteous, and competence leaders will eventually be restored to us. The path forward is repentance.

In the same word given to Isaiah, the Lord implored and promised all of us:

“Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

“Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

“If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

“But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it” (Isaiah 1:16-20).

Those are the stakes – we will repent or perish. Unless we humble ourselves in sackcloth and ashes beginning from this moment and moving forward, we will be devoured by the sword and our Republic will be broken up, guaranteed. We must repent, cleanse ourselves, purge our sins, and turn to the Lord. Repentance means “to turn,” as in turning from evil to good. We must turn from evil to the Lord who is Christ our King, our Savior, our Redeemer.

We must forsake our hedonism and sexual immorality, our drunkenness and drug abuse, our criminality, our profane language and contentious quarreling, our murdering of babies in the womb, our human trafficking, our bastardization of the Constitution, our occultism and New Age religious blasphemy, and all other points on which we offend the Almighty and break His commandments. We must restore Faith, Family, and Freedom to their rightful places, protecting them, cherishing them, and promoting them. Unless we stop doing the evil things we are doing and begin doing those things we are supposed to do, political victories mean absolutely nothing.

Dear reader, we must maintain the moral high ground as a People. The American People was once the most Christian, moral, honest, and hardworking people on earth. Because of Marxist subversion, our culture has rotted and now stinks, per the enemy’s agenda to defeat us from within, discredit our institutions, and demoralize us. Repentance is the remedy.

Let us have faith in our Savior Jesus Christ. He has the power to save us, heal us, and restore us to our former glory; we can’t do it without Him. He has the power to make our weak patches strong; we won’t become strong without Him. He has an abundance of mercy and earned the right to bestow His grace upon us as He shed His blood in the Garden of Gethsemane and gave His life voluntarily for us on the cross.

Isaiah prophesied of Jesus Christ’s Atonement for the penitent in these terms:

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4-5).

He bore all of our sins and afflictions, yet His redeeming grace only extends to us and cleanses us if we repent in humility, turn to Him, enter into the ordinances of His Church, and walk the “way of holiness” to the end of our lives (Isaiah 35:8). As a nation, if we purge out the evil from among us from infanticide to immorality and repent and exalt God as our Judge, Lawgiver, and King, He will restore our judges.

If we do this, Donald Trump will be only a beginning; it will get better from there. As it is, the next three months could be precarious. If the Satanic Ruling Elite allow Trump to take power – they have threatened to not certify him and to twist the Constitution to prevent him taking the office he has now been elected to three times – I foresee them tearing down society around him as revenge or to scapegoat him. They could pull the plug on the economy immediately, driving us into a global depression. They could start or provoke war in any number of places around the world. They could carry out a false-flag attack on the government, blaming it on Trump and using it as a pretext to cancel the election victory. They could assassinate Mr. 47 as they nearly accomplished twice this year. They could attempt to throw him in prison at his bogus sentencing later this month (which he should not attend). They could unleash their nihilistic mobs to burn the country to the ground like they did in 2020. They could release another virus – a real one this time, claiming millions of lives. They could attempt to use the courts to steal the election away from Trump. They could use a cyberattack or EMP to take down the grid. Israel could stab us in the back again and embroil us in one of their wars. There are any number of things these murderous, tyrannical demons could do to retain power or pour down revenge up the bitter clingers, deplorables, and garbage.

If we want to be sustained through the war until we finally win, we must repent and increase our faith in Jesus Christ, our Master. Christ is King. God’s law is our law; we must enshrine it from coast to coast. The Constitution is inspired and was set up by God through the hands of wise men who deserve our praise. We must embrace our American heritage of Faith, Family, Freedom. Enjoy Trump’s third victory tonight, but know that it means nothing unless we also repent. If we repent, this will only be the beginning and, no matter the trials, we will come out on top. If we don’t, the Lord’s word will be verified and we will perish as a nation in a bloody spectacle that will shock the entire world.

Zack Strong,
November 6, 2024