In the previous post, I said that we receive knowledge a little bit at a time. When we act on knowledge, we prepare ourselves to receive more knowledge. Knowledge has been described in the scriptures as light and truth. Light has a strong metaphor for seeing. We use the word "enlightened" to denote a high level of understanding.
The truths that are most important are the truths that help us fulfill God's purposes. His main objective is to enable us to become like Him. We do not need to have all truth to do accomplish this. Our limited minds could not comprehend all truth anyway. We only need certain truths (such as the knowledge of the Atonement) that will lead us to do certain things (repent and be baptized). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only church to have every one of these truths. God leads the church through prophets to keep the truths pure because man is easily confused by mixing these doctrines with the philosophies of man. (Ephesians 2:20) No other church has prophets authorized to speak on behalf of God. Though they may have leaders that are partly inspired by God. The fact that the LDS church contains all of these truths does not mean that it has every truth, nor does it mean that it is the only one with truth.
God gives light and truth to all nations, but he gives them as much as they are ready to receive. (Alma 29:8) A 1978 First Presidency message of the church states: "the great religious leaders of the world such as Mohammed, Confucius, and the Reformers, as well as philosophers including Socrates, Plato, and others, received a portion of God’s light. Moral truths were given to them by God to enlighten whole nations and to bring a higher level of understanding to individuals." Many religions and philosophies have parts of the truth. Any truth that they have belongs to us, the Mormons. We claim all truths found in any religion whether it is Hindu, Buddhist, or Islam.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
The Process of Knowledge
Knowledge is a process. God is a powerful source of truth. We can gain knowledge when God reveals it to us. The process of receiving truth from a divine source is called revelation. Different types of revelation include: (1) testifying, (2) prophesying, (3) comforting, (4) uplifting, (5) informing, (6) restraining, (7) confirming, and (8) impelling. Recently my very close friend had a spiritual experience where she was comforted during a time of great despair. This spiritual experience was essentially a form of revelation—knowledge.
Sometimes we will receive unconditional revelation. Alma's spiritual experience in the Book of Mormon is an example of this. But most of the time we receive revelation upon certain conditions. One condition is the willingness to act upon the knowledge that we are given. Therefore, we increase knowledge through an integration of knowledge and behavior. The root of the word integration is the same for the word "integrity". Having integrity means speaking, thinking, and acting in harmony. This is essential to developing character. Character and knowledge have a reinforcing pattern. Acting on knowledge develops our character and strengthening our character leads to more knowledge by preparing us to receive revelation.
If we are not willing to incorporate new knowledge into our lives, new knowledge will only condemn us. We are accountable for the knowledge that we receive. Those with more knowledge are more strictly judged than those with less knowledge. Alma 32:19 says, "And now, how much more cursed is he that knoweth the will of God and doeth it not, than he that only believeth, or only hath cause to believe, and falleth into transgression?"
God has given us faculties of logic and reason to expand our knowledge. Logic is the ability to generate conclusions based on premises or assumptions. For example:
(1) All Asians eat rice.
(2) Vanny is Asian.
(3) Therefore, Vanny eats rice.
(1) and (2) are premises; (3) is the conclusion. If the premises are true, reason confirms that the conclusion is true and we have increased our knowledge. But reason cannot validate its own premises and therefore it is only as good as its premises. If one starts with false premises reason is useless in the pursuit of expanding knowledge. Truth can be rendered reasonable, but it does not arise from reason alone.
Revelation from God provides premises from which we can discover more truth. We can receive this revelation personally or impersonally through witnesses. The first thing that investigators of the church are asked to do is to read the Book of Mormon and to ask God if it is a true book. If the Book of Mormon is true, then it must follow that Joseph Smith (who translated the book by the power of God) was a prophet. If Joseph Smith was a prophet, then The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints must logically be the only true church—meaning that it accurately represents the state of things as they really are. One must also conclude that IF the Book of Mormon is false, then Joseph Smith was one of the greatest liars and charlatans who ever lived. The church he started is a lie, which means that the members of the LDS church are grossly mistaken about their convictions.
God cannot contradict himself, therefore 2 religions that contradict each other cannot both be true. Various churches may share many great and important truths, but only one church can be directed by God Himself—everything else is a human counterfeit.
Those who honestly seek for knowledge will receive it. According to 2 Nephi 28:30 " thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have."
Sometimes we will receive unconditional revelation. Alma's spiritual experience in the Book of Mormon is an example of this. But most of the time we receive revelation upon certain conditions. One condition is the willingness to act upon the knowledge that we are given. Therefore, we increase knowledge through an integration of knowledge and behavior. The root of the word integration is the same for the word "integrity". Having integrity means speaking, thinking, and acting in harmony. This is essential to developing character. Character and knowledge have a reinforcing pattern. Acting on knowledge develops our character and strengthening our character leads to more knowledge by preparing us to receive revelation.
If we are not willing to incorporate new knowledge into our lives, new knowledge will only condemn us. We are accountable for the knowledge that we receive. Those with more knowledge are more strictly judged than those with less knowledge. Alma 32:19 says, "And now, how much more cursed is he that knoweth the will of God and doeth it not, than he that only believeth, or only hath cause to believe, and falleth into transgression?"
God has given us faculties of logic and reason to expand our knowledge. Logic is the ability to generate conclusions based on premises or assumptions. For example:
(1) All Asians eat rice.
(2) Vanny is Asian.
(3) Therefore, Vanny eats rice.
(1) and (2) are premises; (3) is the conclusion. If the premises are true, reason confirms that the conclusion is true and we have increased our knowledge. But reason cannot validate its own premises and therefore it is only as good as its premises. If one starts with false premises reason is useless in the pursuit of expanding knowledge. Truth can be rendered reasonable, but it does not arise from reason alone.
Revelation from God provides premises from which we can discover more truth. We can receive this revelation personally or impersonally through witnesses. The first thing that investigators of the church are asked to do is to read the Book of Mormon and to ask God if it is a true book. If the Book of Mormon is true, then it must follow that Joseph Smith (who translated the book by the power of God) was a prophet. If Joseph Smith was a prophet, then The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints must logically be the only true church—meaning that it accurately represents the state of things as they really are. One must also conclude that IF the Book of Mormon is false, then Joseph Smith was one of the greatest liars and charlatans who ever lived. The church he started is a lie, which means that the members of the LDS church are grossly mistaken about their convictions.
God cannot contradict himself, therefore 2 religions that contradict each other cannot both be true. Various churches may share many great and important truths, but only one church can be directed by God Himself—everything else is a human counterfeit.
Those who honestly seek for knowledge will receive it. According to 2 Nephi 28:30 " thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have."
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Individualism and the Gospel
Today in church the sunday school teacher shared a story about when he was investigating the gospel. Even though he was starting to change his life for the better, his family was completely opposed to his interest in the Gospel. His family was Catholic. As he described it, there was war in his family. His Aunts wrote him negative letters, his parents and siblings yelled at him for his interest. As he was thinking about being baptized, he wondered why there was so much contention surrounding his decision. He was frustrated and tossed his brand new scriptures on his bed. They happened to flip open to Matthew 10:34-37 which said.
"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me."
From this verse, he realized that he had to make his own decision despite the consequences.
These verses emphasize individual salvation. We are not saved by our culture or community. We are saved individually by living the principles of Christ. As Jeffrey R. Holland said in the October 2010 confererence, "The personal value, the sacred splendor of every one of you, is the very reason there is a plan for salvation and exaltation. Contrary to the parlance of the day, this is about you."
"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me."
From this verse, he realized that he had to make his own decision despite the consequences.
These verses emphasize individual salvation. We are not saved by our culture or community. We are saved individually by living the principles of Christ. As Jeffrey R. Holland said in the October 2010 confererence, "The personal value, the sacred splendor of every one of you, is the very reason there is a plan for salvation and exaltation. Contrary to the parlance of the day, this is about you."
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Finding Good Books
The other day, my friend Matt Lind asked me how I choose books to read and/or purchase. Since then, I have thought more about this question. I post it here because of the oft-quoted scripture in section 88 of the Doctrine and Covenants that reads, “… seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom. …” (D&C 88:118.) Here are my thoughts:
I first found out about my favorite author, Thomas Sowell, by reading his columns in the Deseret News. I liked some of his columns so much that I would cut them out and save them, though I never owned a book of his until there was a free book givaway online—it was "Applied Economics: Thinking Beyond Stage One" which was a great read though I can't remember what I had to do to get the free book.
If I really love an author, I read whatever else that author has written. For example, since I started reading Thomas Sowell I have purchased over 15 of his books. I own some of his books in both audiobook format and traditional paper. I use this same effect for college courses and online videos. I do a lot of research about the professor before I take their class. If I have some extra time or if I need some filler credits, I will retake a course from a good teacher no matter what the subject.
As for videos, if I find great speaker, I scour the web searching for any other videos that feature that speaker. When I first saw Bjorn Lomborg's TED talk, I immediately looked for other videos about him. From that point, I purchased his book "Cool It: The Skeptical Environmentalist's Guide to Global Warming (Vintage)" which is one of the best book purchases I have made. Another TED speaker is Steven Pinker. I now have 3 of his books. His books are not only fun but provide good cerebral exercise even though I disagree with much of what he writes. Milton Friedman is another great speaker whose videos persuaded me open my wallet. I have since purchased 4 books by Milton Friedman among which is Capitalism and Freedom: Fortieth Anniversary Edition—a great read. On the website Uncommon Knowledge—where great authors and thinkers are interviewed—I found out about "Victor Davis Hanson" who mainly writes about war and war history.
Sometimes my professor or teacher will recommend or require books to read for the course. Dr. Kearl, my econ 110 teacher had us read "Armchair Economist: Economics & Everyday Life" by Steven Landsburg. I now have 3 of Landsburg's books, 2 of which (including Armchair) were awesome. One of my design teachers, Eric Gillett, recommended "The Brand Gap: Expanded Edition" by Marty Neumeier. I liked it so much that I bought "Zag: The Number One Strategy of High-Performance Brands" by the same author.
Blogs and websites are a great way to find good books and authors. I found Tyler Cowen's blog by simply looking for the best blogs on economics. I have been interested in books that he has recommended which I may read in the future, but I really loved his own book, "Create Your Own Economy: The Path to Prosperity in a Disordered World" which is one of the most original-feeling books that I have ever read. I first heard about it on his blog, but I wasn't convinced to purchase it until I heard him talk about it on a youtube video. I think I got it the day it came out.
Recommendations or gifts from friends are always great. I still remember my friend Andrew Cottle saying, "You have got to listen to this" when he lent me the audiobook "Atlas Shrugged". I had never heard of Atlas Shrugged until then. I am currently rereading it and blogging about it chapter by chapter on the Gentlemen's Renaissance Man's Book Club for Men blog. One of the founders of the GRMBCFM and close friend Scott Lind has recommended some great books—among them are "The Theory of the Leisure class" and "Writing with Style: Conversations on the Art of Writing (3rd Edition)."
Listening to live speakers gives me added energy and interest in books. When Arthur Brooks came to speak at BYU for a devotional, he talked about his book, "Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism". It gave such fascinating facts and figures that I also bought "Gross National Happiness: Why Happiness Matters for America--and How We Can Get More of It." Both books are great references for writing.
Radio talk shows interview authors that interest me. I can't think of any books that I really loved, that I first heard about on a radio talk show. Though many times my interest in books has been strengthened after I hear about an author or book a second or third time on a radio talk show.
I find many good books simply cited or quoted in the books I read. I will eventually read "Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention" by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi since he was quoted in at least 6 of the books that I read this year.
Browsing Barnes and Nobles or Borders is always fun. I usually find books that relate to topics that I have been thinking about for a long time.
Part of finding books to read is simply finding the time to start books. The best advice that I have ever heard about reading books is by Tyler Cowen who said, “We should treat books a little more like we treat TV channels.” Many readers have the urge to finish whatever they start. This urge is non-productive. “People have this innate view — it comes from friendship and marriage — that commitment is good. Which I agree with,” he says. That view shouldn’t, he says, carry over to inanimate objects.” If we find that the book we are reading is uninteresting or has low relative value, we should immediately stop and read something else. What we have read is a sunk cost as they say in economics. We should begin reading with the question, "Is this the best available thing in the world that I could be reading right now?" It is okay to start a lot of books and not finish most of them.
I first found out about my favorite author, Thomas Sowell, by reading his columns in the Deseret News. I liked some of his columns so much that I would cut them out and save them, though I never owned a book of his until there was a free book givaway online—it was "Applied Economics: Thinking Beyond Stage One" which was a great read though I can't remember what I had to do to get the free book.
If I really love an author, I read whatever else that author has written. For example, since I started reading Thomas Sowell I have purchased over 15 of his books. I own some of his books in both audiobook format and traditional paper. I use this same effect for college courses and online videos. I do a lot of research about the professor before I take their class. If I have some extra time or if I need some filler credits, I will retake a course from a good teacher no matter what the subject.
As for videos, if I find great speaker, I scour the web searching for any other videos that feature that speaker. When I first saw Bjorn Lomborg's TED talk, I immediately looked for other videos about him. From that point, I purchased his book "Cool It: The Skeptical Environmentalist's Guide to Global Warming (Vintage)" which is one of the best book purchases I have made. Another TED speaker is Steven Pinker. I now have 3 of his books. His books are not only fun but provide good cerebral exercise even though I disagree with much of what he writes. Milton Friedman is another great speaker whose videos persuaded me open my wallet. I have since purchased 4 books by Milton Friedman among which is Capitalism and Freedom: Fortieth Anniversary Edition—a great read. On the website Uncommon Knowledge—where great authors and thinkers are interviewed—I found out about "Victor Davis Hanson" who mainly writes about war and war history.
Sometimes my professor or teacher will recommend or require books to read for the course. Dr. Kearl, my econ 110 teacher had us read "Armchair Economist: Economics & Everyday Life" by Steven Landsburg. I now have 3 of Landsburg's books, 2 of which (including Armchair) were awesome. One of my design teachers, Eric Gillett, recommended "The Brand Gap: Expanded Edition" by Marty Neumeier. I liked it so much that I bought "Zag: The Number One Strategy of High-Performance Brands" by the same author.
Blogs and websites are a great way to find good books and authors. I found Tyler Cowen's blog by simply looking for the best blogs on economics. I have been interested in books that he has recommended which I may read in the future, but I really loved his own book, "Create Your Own Economy: The Path to Prosperity in a Disordered World" which is one of the most original-feeling books that I have ever read. I first heard about it on his blog, but I wasn't convinced to purchase it until I heard him talk about it on a youtube video. I think I got it the day it came out.
Recommendations or gifts from friends are always great. I still remember my friend Andrew Cottle saying, "You have got to listen to this" when he lent me the audiobook "Atlas Shrugged". I had never heard of Atlas Shrugged until then. I am currently rereading it and blogging about it chapter by chapter on the Gentlemen's Renaissance Man's Book Club for Men blog. One of the founders of the GRMBCFM and close friend Scott Lind has recommended some great books—among them are "The Theory of the Leisure class" and "Writing with Style: Conversations on the Art of Writing (3rd Edition)."
Listening to live speakers gives me added energy and interest in books. When Arthur Brooks came to speak at BYU for a devotional, he talked about his book, "Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism". It gave such fascinating facts and figures that I also bought "Gross National Happiness: Why Happiness Matters for America--and How We Can Get More of It." Both books are great references for writing.
Radio talk shows interview authors that interest me. I can't think of any books that I really loved, that I first heard about on a radio talk show. Though many times my interest in books has been strengthened after I hear about an author or book a second or third time on a radio talk show.
I find many good books simply cited or quoted in the books I read. I will eventually read "Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention" by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi since he was quoted in at least 6 of the books that I read this year.
Browsing Barnes and Nobles or Borders is always fun. I usually find books that relate to topics that I have been thinking about for a long time.
Part of finding books to read is simply finding the time to start books. The best advice that I have ever heard about reading books is by Tyler Cowen who said, “We should treat books a little more like we treat TV channels.” Many readers have the urge to finish whatever they start. This urge is non-productive. “People have this innate view — it comes from friendship and marriage — that commitment is good. Which I agree with,” he says. That view shouldn’t, he says, carry over to inanimate objects.” If we find that the book we are reading is uninteresting or has low relative value, we should immediately stop and read something else. What we have read is a sunk cost as they say in economics. We should begin reading with the question, "Is this the best available thing in the world that I could be reading right now?" It is okay to start a lot of books and not finish most of them.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Doing Well to silence the ignorant
I just read a profound verse. 1 Peter 2:15: "For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men".
There is much ignorance in the world. I myself am very ignorant even though I study daily. When I read the above verse, I thought of the ignorant arguments of modern-day atheists such as Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Dan Dennett, Steven Pinker and others. Even though these men are very learned, their arguments against religion are ignorant because they have never given religion a fair trial. They rightly attack many false beliefs that too many religious people hold, but they commit the fallacy of composition by supposing that all religious people hold the same erroneous views. Their suppositions about the world lead them to believe that faith and revelation are foolish things. They have influenced many people—sometimes for better, but mostly for worse.
There are many people who are persuaded by atheist arguments. Sometimes these people (atheists, agnostics, secularists) are our very good friends and acquaintances. However if they are honest, these people cannot help but see that we have achieved what they want if we live the gospel. Here are some examples of the differences between religious people and non-religious people.
There is much ignorance in the world. I myself am very ignorant even though I study daily. When I read the above verse, I thought of the ignorant arguments of modern-day atheists such as Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Dan Dennett, Steven Pinker and others. Even though these men are very learned, their arguments against religion are ignorant because they have never given religion a fair trial. They rightly attack many false beliefs that too many religious people hold, but they commit the fallacy of composition by supposing that all religious people hold the same erroneous views. Their suppositions about the world lead them to believe that faith and revelation are foolish things. They have influenced many people—sometimes for better, but mostly for worse.
There are many people who are persuaded by atheist arguments. Sometimes these people (atheists, agnostics, secularists) are our very good friends and acquaintances. However if they are honest, these people cannot help but see that we have achieved what they want if we live the gospel. Here are some examples of the differences between religious people and non-religious people.
• A 2004 study has shown that 43% of religious folks said they were "very happy" with their lives as opposed to 23% of secularists.
• When you account for variables, a religious person is 13 percentage points more likely than the nonreligious person to say he or she is very happy. The difference is even higher for Mormons.
• 36% of people who prayed everyday (regardless of whether they attended church services) said they were very happy versus 21% of people who never prayed.
• Religious people are significantly happier than atheists and oddly enough atheists are happier than agnostics of which only 12% are happy.
• Religious people are more educated and less ignorant of the world around them than people who do not go to church.
• When accounting for variables a college graduate is 7% more likely to be a churchgoer than the nongraduate.
• A religious person is 38% more likely than a non-religious person to give charity and they give away 4X more money per year.
• Religious people are 52% more likely than non-religious people to volunteer.
• They are 16% more likely than non-religious people to give explicitly to nonreligious charities and 54% more likely to volunteer for these causes.
• They are far more likely to donate blood.
• More likely to give food or money to a homeless person.
• More likely to return change mistakenly given by the cashier.
(These figures and accompanying explanations are found in the book Gross National Happiness by the economist Arthur Brooks.)
If we are engaged in "well doing" we will silence the ignorance of foolish men. If they really want what our lives embody, they will be persuaded to learn about our faith. Reasoning with these people will not budge them, but what you are, if you are what you ought to be, will call into question all they have come to believe about religion. I personally want to live my life in such a way that people will say, "There must be something special about Mormonism because Gavin is a Mormon."
If we are engaged in "well doing" we will silence the ignorance of foolish men. If they really want what our lives embody, they will be persuaded to learn about our faith. Reasoning with these people will not budge them, but what you are, if you are what you ought to be, will call into question all they have come to believe about religion. I personally want to live my life in such a way that people will say, "There must be something special about Mormonism because Gavin is a Mormon."
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Destruction and our connection with the future
I was just reading Helaman 13 about Samuel the Lamanite. Samuel, like Isaiah, prophesied of destruction to the people in their day. They not only prophesied of short-term destruction, but long-term—very long-term destruction as a result of wickedness. Samuel prophesied of the destruction that would happen to the Nephites 400 years after the coming of Christ. It seems a bit odd to prophesy about something that would not happen for another 400 years. If the people truly are wicked, which they were in Samuel's time, why would they care about something so far in the future?
It is probably the case that Samuel's prophecies were mainly for us in the Latter-days. The prophecy teaches us that the Lord is consistent with His word. He knows what will happen and we should not doubt that the prophecies will eventually come true. For us, we should prepare for the second coming, which will surely happen. But, the most important point, I think is that even if the second coming is still centuries away we should repent not only for our sakes, but for the sakes of those who we will influence in this life especially our own children.
In the Book of Mormon, the lamanites caused much sin and wickedness because of the tradition of their fathers. In D&C 93 we learn that, "that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers." What we do today will leave a legacy, regardless of whether it is noticed or unnoticed, positive or negative. Repenting not only saves ourselves, but affects our children. Our examples will turn into traditions by which the next generation will be influenced. Therefore, we must repent in order to strengthen our eternal family who will be alive at the second coming. We are connected to those in the past, the present, and the future.
On a related note, we must also preserve a righteous laws to pass on to our children. Righteous laws help people stay righteous. In Helaman 4 and 5, "they saw that their laws had become corrupted, and that they had become a wicked people." Preserving righteous laws will not only help us in the short term, but will help our children in the long term as well. This is one of the reasons why the Lord chastened us to preserve the Constitution. Personal repentance and the righteousness of government are interconnected.
It is probably the case that Samuel's prophecies were mainly for us in the Latter-days. The prophecy teaches us that the Lord is consistent with His word. He knows what will happen and we should not doubt that the prophecies will eventually come true. For us, we should prepare for the second coming, which will surely happen. But, the most important point, I think is that even if the second coming is still centuries away we should repent not only for our sakes, but for the sakes of those who we will influence in this life especially our own children.
In the Book of Mormon, the lamanites caused much sin and wickedness because of the tradition of their fathers. In D&C 93 we learn that, "that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers." What we do today will leave a legacy, regardless of whether it is noticed or unnoticed, positive or negative. Repenting not only saves ourselves, but affects our children. Our examples will turn into traditions by which the next generation will be influenced. Therefore, we must repent in order to strengthen our eternal family who will be alive at the second coming. We are connected to those in the past, the present, and the future.
On a related note, we must also preserve a righteous laws to pass on to our children. Righteous laws help people stay righteous. In Helaman 4 and 5, "they saw that their laws had become corrupted, and that they had become a wicked people." Preserving righteous laws will not only help us in the short term, but will help our children in the long term as well. This is one of the reasons why the Lord chastened us to preserve the Constitution. Personal repentance and the righteousness of government are interconnected.
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