Elders of Israel and Freedom (Benson)

Excerpt from a President Benson Talk in a 1965 at General Conference. The whole talk is good, but here specifically is things Satan will tell the elders of Israel to keep them from doing their duty to protect freedom.

*The devil knows that if the elders of Israel should ever wake up,
they could step forth and help preserve freedom and extend the gospel.
Therefore the devil has concentrated, and to a large extent
successfully, in neutralizing much of the priesthood. He has reduced
them to sleeping giants. His arguments are clever. Here are a few
samples:
*First: "We really haven't received much instruction about freedom,"
the devil says. This is a lie, for we have been warned time and time
again. NO prophet of the Lord has ever issued.more solemn warning
that President David O. McKay. Last conference I spoke of a book
embodying much of the prophets' warning on freedom, from Joseph Smith
to David O. McKay, which I commend to you. It is entitled Prophets,
Principles, and National Survival.
*Second: "You're too involved in other Church work," says the devil.
But freedom is a weighty matter of the law; the lesser principles of
the gospel you should keep but not leave this one undone. We maybe
have to balance and manage our time better. Your other Church work
will be limited once you lose your freedom, as our saints have found
out in many other nations.
*Third: "You want to be loved by everyone," says the devil, "and
this freedom battle is so controversial you might be accuse of
engaging in politics." Of course the government has penetrated so
much of our lives that one can hardly speak for freedom without being
accused of being political. Some might even call the war in heaven a
political struggle - certainly it was controversial. yet the valiant
entered it with Michael. Those who support only the popular
principles of the gospel have their reward. And those who want to
lead the quiet, retiring life but still expect to do their full duty
can't have it both ways.
*Said Elder John A. Wistsoe:
*"The trouble of the world may largely be laid at the doors of those
who are neither hot nor cold; who always follow the line of least
resistance; whose timid hearts flutter at the taking sides for truth.
As in the great Council in the heaven, so in the Church of Christ on
earth, there can be no neutrality."
*Fourth: "Wait until it becomes popular to do," says the devil, "or,
at least until everybody in the Church agrees on what should be done."
But this fight for freedom might never become popular in our day.
And if you wait until everybody agrees in this Church, you will be
waiting through the second coming of the Lord. Would you have
hesitated to follow the inspired counsel of the Prophet Joseph Smith
simply because some weak men disagreed with him? God's living
mouthpiece has spoken to us - are we for him or against him? In
spite of the Prophet's opposition to increased federal aid &
compulsory unionism, some Church members still champion these
freedom-destroying programs. Where do you stand?
*Fifth: It might hurt your business or your family," says the devil,
"and besides why not let the gentiles save the country? They aren't
as busy as you are." Well, there were many businessmen who went
along with Hitler because it supposedly helped their business. They
lost everything. Many of us are here today because our forefathers
loved the truth enough that they fought at Valley Forge or crossed the
plains in spite of the price it cost them or their families. We had
better take our small pain now than our greater loss later. There
were souls who wished after wards that they had stood and fought with
Washington and the founding fathers, but they waiting too long - they
passed up eternal glory. There has never been a greater time than
now to stand up against entrenched evil. And while the gentiles
established the Constitution, we have a diving mandate to preserve it.
But unfortunately, today in this freedom struggle, many gentiles are
showing greater wisdom in their generation than children of the light.
*Sixth: "Don't worry," says the devil, "the Lord will protect you,
and besides, the world is so corrupt and heading toward destruction at
such a pace that you can't stop it, so why try." Well, to begin
with, the Lord will not protect us unless we do our part. This
devilish tactic of persuading people not to get concerned because the
Lord will protect them no matter what they do is exposed by the Book
of Mormon. Referring to the devil, it says, "And others will be
pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, and they will say:
All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well - and thus the
devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to
hell."
*I like that word "carefully." In other words, don't shake them, you
might awake them. But the Book of Mormom warns us that when we
should see these murderous conspiracies in our midst that we should
awake to our awful situation. Now why should we awake if the Lord is
going to take care of us anyway? Now let us suppose that it is too
late to save freedom. It is still accounted unto us for
righteousnesss' sake to stand up and fight. some Book of Mormon
prophets knew of the final desolate end of their nations, but they
still fought on, and they saved some should including their own by so
doing. For, after all, the purpose of life is to prove ourselves and
the final victory will be for freedom.
*But many of the prophecies referring to America's preservation are
conditional. That is, if we do our duty we can be preserved, and if
not, then we shall be destroyed. This means that a good deal of the
responsibility lies with the Priesthood of this Church as to what
happens to America and as to how much tragedy can be avoided if we do
act now.
*And now as the last neutralizer that the devil uses most effectively
- it is simply this: "Don't do anything in the fight for freedom
until the Church sets up its own specific program to save the
Constitution." This brings u right back to the scripture I opened
with today to those slothful servants who will not do anything until
they are "compelled in all things>' Maybe the Lord will never set up
a specific Church program for the purpose of saving the Constitution.
Perhaps if he sets up one at this time it might split the Church
asunder, and perhaps he does not want that to happen yet, for not all
the wheat and tares are fully ripe.
*The Prophet Joseph Smith declared it will be the elders of Israel who
will step forward to help save the Constitution, not the Church. And
have we elders been warned? Yes, we have. And besides, if the
Church should ever inaugurate a program, who do you think would be in
the forefront to get it moving? It would not be those who were
sitting on the sidelines prior to that time or those who were
appeasing the enemy. It would be those choice spirits who, not
waiting to be "commanded in all things," used their own free will, the
counsel of the prophets, and the Spirit of the Lord as guidelines and
who entered the battle "in a good cause" and brought to pass much
righteousness in freedom's cause.
*Year ago Elder Joseph F Merrill of the Council of the Twelve
encouraged the members of the Church to join right-to-work leagues and
President Heber J. Grand concurred. For our day President David O.
McKay has called communism the greatest threat to the Church, it is
certainly the greatest mortal threat this country have ever faced.
What are you doing to fight it?
*Brethren, if we had done our homework and were faithful, we could
step forward at this time and help save this country. The fact that
most of us are unprepared to do it is an indictment we will have to
bear. The longer we wait, the heavier the chains, the the deeper the
blood, the more the persecution, and the less we can carry out our
God-given mandate and world-wide mission. The war in heaven is
raging on earth today. Are you being neutralized in the battle?
*Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do
many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much
righteousness:
*For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves...
(D&C 58:27-28)

****Address by Ezra Taft Benson 1965 at General Conference