If I list out a timeline of an American civilization, could you conclude which civilization I referred to? Give it a try. This American civilization started when a group of people left the old world for the new world in order to worship their God. They felt that God led them to America.
This civilization discovered golden plates which contained the history and ultimate destruction of the previous inhabitants. The prophet of God translateed the plates by the gift of God and by using the Urim and Thummim.
Their government was based on equality and that no group should be able to terrorize another. They feared tyranny and so decided to not be governed by kings, but instead decided to elect officials and disperse power in the hopes of stifling corruption. In addition to elected officials, they provided checks on their power in order to further resist a corrupt, tyrannical group of elected officials.
Their governmental foundation in religious freedom allowed for an intense missionary effort to spread the gospel and preach righteousness; to grow from a small band of followers into a righteous nation.
Following that era, war dominated their history. Several wars erupted, threatening to defeat the very rights and freedoms they established. Out of these wars grew heroes, not only from their steady leaders, but from their youth as well. Youth who elected to fight and fulfill their duty rather than watch those they loved be destroyed.
During this war era opportunists arose. Whereas for a substantial amount of time the people were happy with their freedoms, a political group surfaced which believed that the nation should trade freedom for more government power. Perhaps unknowingly, this political group yearned to be subjected to the government and consolidate power into fewer hands. While this group did not totally succeed at first, they returned later and became so disruptive that the military was no longer able to win wars and battles that they otherwise would. Thus, without the backing of the people and the government, without the will to win, the war effort halted and the army was left weak.
From war, the attention switched to politics. Elections are no longer accepted, and factions break out. Those seeking power attempt to steal elections and take power by deception. There is a growing intensity between the wicked and the righteous.
While they become increasingly polarized, there is a renewal or remembrance that the Coming of Christ is nigh. The righteous are persecuted and hunted by the wicked as the signs of the coming of Christ are manifest. This polarization culminates into war between good and evil.
This intense period occurs right before the Coming of Christ. Just before Christ comes to this people, there is great destruction. Natural disasters appear in every part where wickedness thrives and ultimately the most wicked are destroyed.
Once the wicked are destroyed, Christ manifests himself and descends from the heavens. Even though He has been preached and prophesied, not all understand who He is. Christ presides over His people and they accept His teaching so much that they become a unified people who live in holiness.
This state of righteousness will exist for a substantial length of time before there will be one last rebellion before the end arrives.
Which civilization did I describe? If you answered it was the story of the United States of America, you would be right. If you answered it was the story of the Book of Mormon, you would be right. The Book of Mormon is the story of a group of people who live righteously among the worldly, awaiting the coming of their Lord. Those of us in the United States are people living righteously among the worldly, awaiting the coming of our Lord too. This puts a new light on Ezra Taft Benson declaring that, “the Book of Mormon… was written for our day.”[1] God inspired the prophet – historian Mormon to take their 1,000 year history and record the most pertinent information for our day. Moroni saw our day[2] and no doubt his father Mormon did too. President Gordon B. Hinkley confirms this. “In its descriptions of the problems of today’s society, [the Book of Mormon] is as current as the morning newspaper, and much more definitive.”[3]
The Book of Mormon reveals the history and future of America. Just like a patriarchal blessing, it warns against wrong and reveals what is right. It paints a picture of what can be if she is faithful. It provides the roadmap for her life. We would do well to study it thoroughly and pay specific attention to our present circumstances and dangers as well as the examples set by those faithful heroes of that parallel time. We presently sit somewhere in the book of Helaman, as best I can tell. Below is a chart of the parallels I mentioned above with the examples from the Book of Mormon and the United States. May each of us hearken to patriarchal blessings.
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