Make America Humble Again

[tesuji]

I was looking at all the signs "Make America Great Again" at the convention last night and pondering that slogan. I like that idea, but it's also a very general statement.

Think of all the differing meanings that "make my country great" had for the following leaders in history: Enoch, Moses, Buddha, Confucius, Plato,  Alexander of Macedon, Julius Caesar, Jesus Christ, Constantine, Henry VIII, Napoleon, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Joseph Smith, Lincoln, FDR, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Kennedy, Reagan, Obama, and ISIS/ISIL.

I think an even better goal would be to "Make America Humble Again." I remember an old-timer looking at our nation and saying, "What this country needs is a Great Depression." I'm not wishing for that, but I think we were stronger when we were humble after the Depression and WWII.

The Book of Mormon teaches that true national security and greatness comes from righteousness and submission to the God of this land, who is Christ:

Quote

6 Wherefore, I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord.

7 Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever.

-- 2 Nephi 1

Quote

10 But behold, this land, said God, shall be a land of thine inheritance, and the Gentiles shall be blessed upon the land.

11 And this land shall be a land of liberty unto the Gentiles, and there shall be no kings upon the land, who shall raise up unto the Gentiles.

12 And I will fortify this land against all other nations.

13 And he that fighteth against Zion shall perish, saith God.

14 For he that raiseth up a king against me shall perish, for I, the Lord, the king of heaven, will be their king, and I will be a light unto them forever, that hear my words.

-- 2 Nephi 10

 

I invite you to listen to this classic talk by a modern prophet, and ponder how well we are doing:

"Beware of Pride," Ezra Taft Benson
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1989/04/beware-of-pride?lang=eng

 

Edited July 19, 2016 by tesuji

[LeSellers]

4 minutes ago, tesuji said:

I think we were stronger when we were humble after the Depression and WWII.

The Lord has promised that He will preach His own sermons at one point.

That said, we are commanded (or warned) that He will hold us accountable for our acts in regards to government. I take that to mean that we must seek honest men, good men, to lead and command (the president is, after all, the commander-in-chief), and if we choose someone other than His choice (whether the one voted for wins or not), one of the questions we will answer is "What did you do with the freedoms I gave you, when I cleansed the land by the shedding of blood?"

Lehi

[Guest MormonGator]

Actually America doesn't need to be humble. We are the greatest county in the history of the world and one of the few countries that gives our citizens the freedom to pursue lives that they want to live. So no, America doesn't need to be humble. America can brag. 

[Guest Godless]

"I think I am actually humble. I think I am much more humble than you would understand."

-actual Trump quote

#MakeAmericaHumbleAgain

[LeSellers]

11 minutes ago, MormonGator said:

Actually America doesn't need to be humble. We are the greatest county in the history of the world and one of the few countries that gives our citizens the freedom to pursue lives that they want to live. So no, America doesn't need to be humble. America can brag. 

We are only as great as we are humble.

Does not the prophet tell us that the promise of the Lord to make this a great country holds only as long as we, the people, worship the God of the land, which is Jesus Christ. Is it possible to worship Him in arrogance or pride? If so, I bow to your superior understanding, but in nearly seven decades on His earth, this here guy ain't never seen a single instance hereof.

Lehi

[Guest MormonGator]

3 minutes ago, Godless said:

"I think I am actually humble. I think I am much more humble than you would understand."

-actual Trump quote

#MakeAmericaHumbleAgain

Remember in high school meeting those kids who didn't mature past age eight and said they "didn't care what people think?" If they didn't, they wouldn't say it. Same with humble people. Humble people don't say they are humble, and we all know this. 

Well, all of us except Trump. 

(And for the record, I'm the farthest thing from humble as well) 

[LeSellers]

4 minutes ago, Godless said:

"I think I am actually humble. I think I am much more humble than you would understand."

-actual Trump quote

#MakeAmericaHumbleAgain

Humility is the attribute of being teachable, of doing the right thing at the right time for the right reason.

While I do not support Trump, it is appalling that his quotes are so frequently taken out of context. No one can be as successful as he is in so many fields of endeavor, without being teachable, and doing the right thing at the right time. You may question whether he's done them for the right reasons, but that is largely a matter of perspective.

Lehi

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, Godless said:

"I think I am actually humble. I think I am much more humble than you would understand."

-actual Trump quote

#MakeAmericaHumbleAgain

This made me laugh. Then I wanted to cry a little. #PickTheBetterDisease

[Guest MormonGator]

3 minutes ago, Eowyn said:

This made me laugh. Then I wanted to cry a little. #PickTheBetterDisease

That's the worst part about this election. Both options require a penicillin shot. Yuk, yuk, yuk.  I don't go so far as to thinking it's between two fatal diseases-just two very unpleasant ones. 

[Guest Godless]

3 minutes ago, MormonGator said:

That's the worst part about this election. Both options require a penicillin shot. Yuk, yuk, yuk.  I don't go so far as to thinking it's between two fatal diseases-just two very unpleasant ones. 

I'm normally not one to go third party, but Gary Johnson keeps looking better and better every day.

[Guest MormonGator]

8 minutes ago, Godless said:

I'm normally not one to go third party, but Gary Johnson keeps looking better and better every day.

I'm not a third party guy either. They have absolutely no chance (no, not even this cycle. Sorry third party people). In fact, the hardcore third party cats remind me of people who are convinced that the world will end-in 1992, 1994, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2008, 2014-see my point? They are always wrong but don't have the capacity to change their tactics, so they just scream at you street corners. Or online. I pat them on the head rr ignore them, it's literally the only way to deal with them. 

For me the decision is to choose between which the greater evil is. Voting for Hillary or Trump or not voting at all?  

Edited July 19, 2016 by MormonGator

[anatess2]

2 hours ago, MormonGator said:

I'm not a third party guy either. They have absolutely no chance (no, not even this cycle. Sorry third party people). In fact, the hardcore third party cats remind me of people who are convinced that the world will end-in 1992, 1994, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2008, 2014-see my point? They are always wrong but don't have the capacity to change their tactics, so they just scream at you street corners. Or online. I pat them on the head rr ignore them, it's literally the only way to deal with them. 

For me the decision is to choose between which the greater evil is. Voting for Hillary or Trump or not voting at all?  

 

I still believe that if a 3rd party candidate could bust through the ceiling, this year would be it.  But it wouldn't happen with Gary Johnson.  He is weak.  It is not just the platform, it is also one's ability to successfully bring that platform to fruition.  A 3rd party candidate has to be "larger than life".

[Guest]

21 hours ago, tesuji said:

"Make America Great Again"

"Make America Humble Again."

"What this country needs is a Great Depression."

The Book of Mormon teaches that true national security and greatness comes from righteousness and submission to the God of this land, who is Christ:

I invite you to listen to this classic talk by a modern prophet, and ponder how well we are doing:

"Beware of Pride," Ezra Taft Benson
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1989/04/beware-of-pride?lang=eng

I'd invite you to look at how these statements contradict each other.

[Guest MormonGator]

18 hours ago, anatess2 said:

 

I still believe that if a 3rd party candidate could bust through the ceiling, this year would be it.  But it wouldn't happen with Gary Johnson.  He is weak.  It is not just the platform, it is also one's ability to successfully bring that platform to fruition.  A 3rd party candidate has to be "larger than life".

I doubt it for the foreseeable future. Until then, they'll just have to settle with playing spoiler. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, MormonGator said:

I doubt it for the foreseeable future. Until then, they'll just have to settle with playing spoiler. 

Well, there is the apocryphal "Boys from the Mountain" prophecy.

[Blackmarch]

I think it's going to take quite a bit more than 9/11 to humble us.

 

[tesuji]

8 minutes ago, Blackmarch said:

I think it's going to take quite a bit more than 9/11 to humble us.

I've always thought that modern terrorists seem a lot like our modern Lamanites, to prick us into repenting like the Lamanites did for the Nephites.

[Blackmarch]

Just now, tesuji said:

I've always thought that modern terrorists seem a lot like our modern Lamanites, to prick us into repenting like the Lamanites did for the Nephites.

in one aspect yes.... altho if that's not enough, then there are plenty of hostile nations rabidly pursuing nuclear weapons technology, or upping their nuclear defense rhetoric if they already have that tech.