No Sunday School This Weekend

If you are anything like me, there is anticipation in advance of General Conference. I always wonder what great announcements might be made. In the upcoming conference, I am reasonably certain that both a new counselor in the First Presidency and a new apostle will be named. I sometimes wonder if there will be great and momentous announcements such as the building of the temple in Jackson County or that we have six months to get our year’s supply in order. I know that sometimes I am guilty of looking for the “big” announcement. In doing so, I may miss the real substance of the conference, that which is meant to guide and prepare us for whatever may lie ahead.

Consider the last the April 2007 General Conference. At the Priesthood session, President Hinckley began by reciting statistics regarding Church progress since he became prophet. These numbers show remarkable growth in the Church, particularly when compared to the previous 165 years of Church history. He then stated, “Now, while all of this has been tremendously significant, I am convinced that with a little more dedication this wonderful recent past can be but prologue to a greater future. Let us all put our shoulders to the wheel and push along, do our duty with a heart full of song. This cause needs work; let no one shirk.” We are reminded that this is not a time to rest on previous successes, but to continue to move forward with optimism in doing the great work of the Lord.

President Hinckley continued his priesthood address by relating an account from the Hawaiian mission of young Joseph F. Smith. Young Joseph dreamed that he encountered Joseph Smith and other great ones from Church history and was able to declare himself clean before them. We are then reminded, “In modern revelation the Lord has said: ‘Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord’ (D&C 133:5). In a world that wallows in filth, be clean—in language, in thought, in body, in dress.” President Hinckley then discussed cleanliness in each of those areas and concluded by stating, “You are His chosen servant; you have been ordained to something holy and wonderful. You cannot live in the world and partake of the ways of the world. You must be above all of that.” As bearers of the priesthood, we are reminded that its power and authority is dependent on our worthiness.

In his Sunday morning address, President Hinckley bore his testimony and reminded us of several great truths: the true nature of Heavenly Father, the reality of Jesus Christ and his atonement, the restoration of priesthood authority, and the blessings of the temple. His testimony stands as a beacon of truth reminding us that there is only one true path to happiness. As the spirit bears witness, we are reminded that there is much to do to improve our relationship with Heavenly Father, in following the teachings of Jesus Christ, to honor our priesthood, and to serve more faithfully in the temple.

As President Hinckley closed the conference, he stated, “We hope that you will use the May edition of the Church magazines as a text for your family home evenings, to review that which has been spoken in this conference. What has been said by each of the speakers represents his or her prayerful attempt to impart knowledge that will inspire and cause all who have heard it to stand a little taller and be a little better.” We are reminded that the teachings spoken throughout the conference are for our benefit and to be studied and used, not to be forgotten when the closing prayer is concluded.

There might not be any Sunday School this weekend, but we will be taught and instructed by the Lord’s servants in magnificent ways. We may not learn when the call to Jackson County will come, but if we listen, study, and ponder, we will be filled with those things that are most important for us to do at this time in the history of mankind.

Proclamation on the Family & Prophetic Fulfillment

I recently completed reading America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It by Mark Steyn. Much of the book discusses changing world demographics. Steyn reviews demographic changes in Europe due to two major factors: 1) declining birth rates among the native populations; 2) Immigration, primarily from Muslim nations. According to Steyn, by mid-century many European nations will have a Muslim majority.

Steyn states that by “2050, Italy’s population will have fallen by 22 percent, Bulgaria’s by 36 percent, Estonia’s by 52 percent—or more. Seventeen European nations are now at what demographers call ‘lowest-low’ fertility: 1.3 births per woman. In theory, those countries will find their population halving every thirty-five years or so.”

I was startled by what I read. As a high school student we were taught about the exploding world population. Steyn points to a different scenario, with falling birth rates throughout the world, many nations are below the replacement rate of 2.1 children per woman. I wondered if Steyn was spinning a tale for political purposes. I checked Wikipedia and found an article that supports Steyn’s claim (see Wikipedia: Sub Replacement Fertility). For hard statistics see Field Listing - Total Fertility Rate in the CIA World Factbook.

As I read through Steyn’s American Alone, it hit me that I might be seeing evidence of prophetic fulfillment of the warning found in the Proclamation on the Family. Consider the following statements from the Proclamation:

Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is Central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force.

We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.

Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity.

It occurred to me that many of the nations or nationalities with birth rates below replacement levels are those with the most liberal lifestyles, moving away from basic principles found within the Proclamation. Many of these countries have minimized the importance of marriage, in that many of their citizens live together out of wedlock and allow for gay marriage or civil unions. Abortion is easy. Consider the projected population loss by 2050 in some of these nations: Spain = 22.7%, Bulgaria = 34.8%, Germany 14.4%, Italy 20.3% (see NationMaster.com). The list goes on. Amazingly, these statistics include immigrant growth. In addition, the population will be aging as there are fewer and fewer young people, thus placing social programs, such as health care and retirement, into a crisis. These are statistics from 2001. It appears to have changed for the worse since that date.

Near the end of the Proclamation we find this warning:

We warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

It would be interesting to take the time to search the prophecies and find that which has indeed been foretold. However, based on the demographic changes which are occurring due to liberal lifestyles, we can guess at some possibilities. If the demographic trends in Europe continue, many of those nations could lose their historical identity. The Italians, the French, and the Spanish peoples may become a minority in their own nations as immigrants from Muslim nations, along with their natural born children, become a majority. With Muslims in the majority, they would be empowered to enact their own, more conservative laws. Might the Muslim majority choose to be ruled by Sharia law (see Sharia - Wikipedia)? Could there be European civil war?

The Old Testament and Book of Mormon provide many examples of what happens to nations when the people turn away from time honored traditions and the teachings of the Lord’s prophets. Other civilizations, such as the Greek and Roman empires, provide further evidence of what happens to those nations that sacrifice basic values. The Lord’s modern prophets have issued a proclamation to the world reminding all people of the importance of morality, marriage, family, and the sanctity of life. Based on the limited evidence noted above, it appears that the world has failed to hear and heed. As a consequence, we are beginning to see the fulfillment of “the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.”