We Lost More Troops in Afghanistan, and This is a Reason for our Country to Be Even More Divided?

We Lost More Troops in Afghanistan, and This is a Reason for our Country to Be Even More Divided?

We lost more troops in Afghanistan, and this is a reason for our Country to be even more divided? Facebook responses show that we are not one nation, but several with differing opinions. There are the humble who are saddened and turn to God in faith, praying for the welfare and peace of the soldiers’ families, especially during this Christmas season. There are those who condemn people of belief, saying that God is their make-believe friend. There are those who either blame God or question a God who would allow this to happen. There are those who readily blame Obama, because he promised that he would hurriedly bring our soldiers home. This was during his campaigning periods; but, while in office, he’s been faced with the complexities of the situation. There are those who defend Obama, because they view him as beyond scrutiny, and they always have, and they always will. In turn, they call all those who do not favor Obama conservative sheep who just follow a conservative news media. There are others who claim that there is no such thing as a conservative news media. There are those who are still blaming Bush because he’s the one who first took our troops into Iraq and Afghanistan. They claim that the war was all about oil, not about atrocities committed against our nation, other nations, and even the people of the nations with which we went to war (in hopes of establishing a degree of freedom for those people). Most everybody supported Bush in his decision; but, then most readily dismissed that they did so. It must be remembered that Obama did not start this war; neither did Bush start this war. There was a terrorist attack on our nation! The saddest thing of all is that there are those who think that the soldiers received their just and due reward. To be so blind that you cannot see the great love of country and people that these men and women have, that they sacrifice their daily lives, putting personal and family pursuits on hold; that they even offer the ultimate sacrifice of life and breath, is ingratitude in its deepest depths. Why do the people of this country choose to be divided?

There is a great sifting process happening now in the world. People have been richly blessed in this generation, and most in the United States have really seen nothing of war, except what the media chooses to show. But there are those who have valiantly served our Country, and they have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. Not all is bad, but news ratings thrive on sensationalism. There are people in the world who have looked to God for understanding and direction in their lives, and they have felt a measure of peace, even while living in the great confusion that surrounds them. They are often condemned as ignorant and blind by those who exercise their right to claim personal superiority, because they see no need for a God in their lives. They constantly tell those who have faith that they lack reasoning and that they make no sense. Just remember, faith never makes sense to the faithless. But for those of faith, we do have hope for the better world of promise that is not out of reach to those who believe and put their trust in God.

Most United States citizens have not seen much of war since World War II. I believe that because the people of the United States united in a common purpose during that war, it became a time of great growth for the country. We became stronger as a people and stronger as a country and a world power. But that strength was founded in a common purpose and a united faith. Today, many feel too superior to work towards unity in any degree. The backlash in Facebook posts and responses show the extreme lack of unity and the justifications for remaining in disharmony.

When you write on Facebook, you are exercising your freedom of speech. When others respond, they are doing the same thing. You can't expect to just write and not have responses. All are entitled to their opinions. Sometimes we agree, sometimes we don't agree. I just wish that people didn't think that they are displaying intelligence by stating that others are stupid. We are so lacking in common courtesy and diplomacy as an entire nation, and then we wonder why we are at war. It’s not Bush’s fault or Obama’s fault; it goes much deeper than that. If we cannot learn to be civil in our communications with each other, why would we expect civility among differing nations and peoples. It's all right for someone to have an opinion without others attacking his or her intelligence and/or integrity. So strange. You would think that when troops are lost, we could all agree that it is sad the troops have been lost. If we had less hate in our own country, we might begin to have less hate in the world.

I am no politician or political scholar, so I have no proposals for change, other than this: “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.” If each of us were to develop a love of God and a love of fellowmen in our own hearts, not only would we transform ourselves into children of the Highest, but we would transform the world. I cannot do much, but I can have influence in my own life, in the life of my family and my neighbors to some degree; I can have influence in my church congregation and in my community. So can you. If individuals (and families) would decide now as Joshua did of old (when he said that as from him and his house, they would serve the Lord), we would have a promised change, and it would begin with a change of heart, and it would be the change that would unite us as a people and as a world; and it would prepare us for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. As we sing, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” this season, let us also pray that we will have the strength to rise up and prepare for a peaceful world so that we may take part in His return. Our Country’s unity, and world unity, depends upon each of us developing a unified relationship with our Maker. To become one nation under God, we must begin to live the motto, “In God is our trust.”

Times of War and Blood Redemption

Those who would throw away our freedoms, do not understand freedom and the price that's been paid. Loss of freedom is not easy to regain; and redemption often requires the shedding of much blood.

Our Founding Fathers were willing to help this Country gain her Independence. Being united was essential to their success. Like Benjamin Franklin said, "We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately." And with trust in Israel’s God and with trust in the rightness of their cause, they brought about our freedom. But, there had to be bloodshed.

Then, in the Civil War, brother fought against brother. We couldn’t allow the Southern States to remain separate, or our country would not survive. As time went on, Abraham Lincoln knew that it was most certainly time for slavery to be completely abolished. For this country to survive, we all must be brothers and sisters, not slaves and slave owners; not industrialists and farmers, not workers and non-workers. The cost in blood was great; but the country was again redeemed.

Then the World Wars came. And we continued to see that freedom for all versus power of the few is really an issue of good versus evil. The Great War, or the War to End All Wars, failed. There was so much hate still alive, so much greed, and so much desire to prove superiority, that the Second World War was even bigger. The cost in human suffering and bloodshed was enormous. But our own Country was strengthened as we banded together to preserve our freedom and protect the freedom of others.

Then the Cold War ran hot. And with the ever present threat of devastation, we witnessed another kind of warfare, intellect posed against intellect in a race to see who was bigger and badder.

And all the other wars. Petroleum. Greed. Real Estate. Greed. Political machines. Greed. Power. Dishonesty. And those who are willing to fight and die for freedom are called blood-thirsty. Why? They are the ones that love their brothers and sisters the world around. They are the ones who understand our Country’s history and her divine destiny and love it. The blood-thirsty ones are the ones who are seeking to make the Country weak by enslaving us economically and morally. Lovers of freedom love the truth; while lovers of power love the lies that weaken the masses and feed their greed.

Where is the strength that we need? It can only be found in turning to our Country’s God, the Lord Jesus Christ. When we follow Him, He will lead us! He will lead us through every crises and every battle. He will sustain us in our weaknesses, and He will make us become strong in Him. But then must be a return to morality and honesty. When we are whoring in our personal lives, we are warring against Him and against each other in our public lives and in our Country. And we must be united in righteousness and in following the commandments. We will never be able to see eye-to-eye without every person being committed to personal integrity. And that wholeness can only be found in Christ.

Blood redemption. Jesus Christ is our Redeemer, and He has paid the price for redemption for every human soul: those who have passed on, those who live now, and those yet to be born. Yes, His sacrifice was in response to a war, the war waged in heaven. Lucifer was fighting for our souls then; and he continues to fight for our souls now. But Jesus has won the victory through His atoning sacrifice for us. We all have the gift of redemption if we so desire it. Through repentance, we can rely on His sacrifice instead of paying the debt ourselves. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:13-14). So to win this war, Jesus laid down His life, hoping that some of us would choose to be His friends. He also commissioned “That ye love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12).

So in these winding up scenes, let us make certain that we are doing what we can to bring about the Lord’s purposes. The battle really is to those who are swift to be righteous. We can help to build up Zion, and we can work to tear down evil and hate through a righteous outpouring of love. “Brethren [and sisters], shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren [and sisters]; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free” (Doctrine and Covenants 128:22). Winning the battle ultimately depends upon us being washed clean through Jesus Christ, whose blood was spilt for all humanity. Winning the battle depends upon us living the gospel and keeping our covenants, and hastening the work by spreading the gospel among the living and the dead. We are in the winding up scenes. Let’s be on the Lord’s side. His blood is sufficient for our salvation individually, and His help is needed for the salvation of this Country.