My Mormon Third Eye: I See… A Mormon President

Sunday, May 20, 2012

I See… A Mormon President

The Mormon Third Eye usually does not delve too deeply or dangerously into the murky realm of politics; it can be very hard to see clearly through the clouds of compromise that crowd politicians’ skies. However, with the ascendancy of Mitt Romney’s run for President, at least more than one of the mass of our readers has asked for the MTE perspective. The Mormon Third Eye sees dimensions of this issue too often hidden by layers of traditional LDS assumptions and culture. History is a great teacher, and MTE recommends analyzing the long record of capable church members who have led other nations in the Americas as source of perspective in assessing how a Mormon White House might affect the church’s present and future. We may have to reach farther back into the past than we expected, but the lessons are there.

While there were many righteous men who ruled over the rise and fall of successive Jaredite nations, the first national religious leader in the Americas we have enough information about to liken it to our current situation is King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon. King Benjamin did not take a salary, lowered taxes, and established a welfare system where both the rich and the poor humbly gave and received assistance according to their ability and capability. Likewise, it is possible that a President Romney could honor his ancient American doctrinal heritage and implement the first and second actions, but would definitely be challenged by the current nanny state to establish the Nephite welfare program.

Another Church member who led a great nation was Lachoneus. It may be easier to liken his situation to our nation today. He, like Mitt Romney, was a just man who became the leader of his Nephite nation by the voice of the people around 0 A.D. Lachoneus faced circumstances not unlike today’s current geopolitical environment. He wrestled with dissent from within in the form of persecution towards members of the church and an excess pride among the citizenry that nearly cost them their national identity as one nation under God. Externally, when the secret society of Gadianton tried to blackmail the Nephites into giving up their lands, possessions, and eventually their freedom in exchange for avoiding costly bloodshed, Lachoneus found some backbone and went about preparing the people to execute a clever unite and conquer strategy; he also had the masses turn their hearts towards God in prayer and faith.

A President Romney will face slightly similar circumstances. He will inherit a precarious economy prone to ignite the sparks of class warfare, and external threats from shapeless quasi- nation state terrorist organizations. Hopefully he would follow the Lachoneus model and inspire Americans to unite against a common threat while warning against material excesses at home that can corrupt the system.

Or….

We could just strategically ignore over-analysis of his religious roots, and just believe that he would apply the same compassion and resolve that brought him so many blessings in his ecclesiastical and vocational pursuits to serving the public interest as President. Either way, his successful election will transform the church and its members into magnets of extraordinary attention to our beliefs and how we live them.

I want to believe.

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The Mormon Third Eye Quote of the Week

"As men of the priesthood, we have an essential role to play in society, at home, and in the Church. But we must be men that women can trust, that children can trust, and that God can trust. In the Church and kingdom of God in these latter days, we cannot afford to have boys and men who are drifting. We cannot afford young men who lack self-discipline and live only to be entertained. We cannot afford young adult men who are going nowhere in life, who are not serious about forming families and making a real contribution in this world. We cannot afford husbands and fathers who fail to provide spiritual leadership in the home."

Elder D. Todd Christofferson
Priesthood Session Conference, October 2012

Why My Mormon Third Eye?

When I politely excused myself in the middle of dinner to make a bathroom stop, how did Mom know that I had uneaten peas in my pocket to flush down the toilet? When I came home late from a youth dance and slid quietly into bed to avoid waking parental units, how did Dad know, without looking at the car, that I smashed in the front bumper? When I watch my daughter play a video game, how do I know that she's not ready for her Geometry final?

Its the Third Eye. The notorious eye in the back of the head, the extra view of life that God blesses parents striving to do the right thing so they can see more of life than the children they chase after.

Our third eye also permits us to see things and feel emotions that are too refined, too far on the edge of our standard two-eyed peripheral vision to enjoy in its fullness. I've learned that I have a Mormon Third Eye; that is, as a life-long, fully-dedicated member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have unique perspective on how the doctrines of the gospel and the demands of my faith in them intersect every other part of my mortal existence to create the entertaining, self-deprecating kaleidoscope of my life.

So... for those of you bold and bored enough to read this far, every so often I'll be sharing here what my Mormon third eye sees. Third eyes are relatively huge; they see the humorous, the entertaining, the embarrassing, the beautiful, the inspirational, and even the moral and political; however, they tend to ignore the evil, depressing and destructive: there is enough of that in world already!

The Four Secrets to Successful Living

Always Go Where There is Free Food - This includes ward and work parties, wedding receptions and missionary open houses; the money you spend to buy the ingredients for the world-famous triple chocolate cake you bring doesn’t count.
Never Pay Full Price for Anything – See my posts on Black Friday escapades for more information on this.
Never, Ever Press the Red Button - Usually, if you are faced with a red button somewhere, don’t press it – it usually means trouble. For example, the red button launches the missiles. Do yourself a favor and don’t press it.
Any Problem You Face Can Be Solved With Bungee Cords and Duct Tape - Bungee cord and duct tape technology has saved many marriages and ward parties. I’m not just talking about problems with plumbing or keeping groceries from bouncing around the trunk; I know of relationship and family issues that have been solved with creative applications of these two substances.