Monday, July 09, 2012

The Harbinger...

I finished this book on Saturday. It is really a research paper that was written in a narrative so that more people would read it. It worked. The writing is terrible, really terrible, but the research makes you read on. This book is a NYT best seller. So, maybe you should read it.
The book is all based on a prophecy in Isaiah 9:10 that tells about America's future as a nation. By the time I got to the part about John Edwards' speech, I was amazed. Except.. the premise that it is rebellion to say that you are going to come back stronger after a tragedy, I could never get that to feel so wrong. But, all the plans for that have been frustrated in a way that is truly astonishing.
The perspective of someone from another faith tradition is always interesting to me. I am usually impressed more by the similarities. I loved the message at the end about the love of God, which is something I truly believe.
If you have read the Book of Mormon, you know this basic story with even more details. Nations are great when they love God, when they stop obeying his commandments, they become wicked and they either destroy themselves or God allows them to be destroyed.
I wonder if he has read the story of Captain Moroni and Pahoran that I taught my class yesterday? I love those verses in Alma chapters 60-61 where the desires of those two good men to unite their nation with it's liberty are written in the most soul stirring language.
It was Jonathan Cahn's perspective on this that was my favorite part of the book. He understands that God does all things out of love. He would not have precious children born into a world with no chance at all for love or happiness. He knows that like people, nations can repent and make themselves right with God again. His hope is that America will heed the many warnings that have been given and return to God. That is my hope too.

5 comments:

Nicole said...

Hi Tiffany! I love checking out your site, you are such a talented artist. I was interested in your review of this book... I'm also interested in various people's faith traditions and curious about people's points of view. When you say you believe God prospers people when they follow Him and when they turn from Him they destroy themselves or God destroys them... I'm curious how people such as yourself explain the dominance of non-Judeo-Christian mega-cultures throughout history. For example, the classical Egyptian culture, the Mayans, the Greeks and Romans, the Edo Period Japanese, the Persians, the ancient Chinese...these massive and long-lasting civilizations dominated their known worlds and gave us the fundamentals of astronomy, physiology, architecture, algebra, etc etc as well as the printing press, the compass etc. How do you interpret that these very non-Judeo-Christian cultures were somehow forsaken by or destroyed by God? I'm just curious in your point of view.

love.boxes said...

Thank you Nicole. It always surprises me that someone is actually reading this stuff. Thank you.
Any civilization or even any individual that recieves and then lives by any principle of truth will benefit from that truth to the extent that they live by it.
Pythagoras may have had no concept of the Judeo-Christian God, but it would be an unjust and unfair God that would withhold the benefits of the truth he discovered.

Mormons believe that all light and truth has the same source.

An even simpler example would be the example of honesty. Honesty is a principle of truth. To the degree that a person or society practices honesty is the degree to which that person or society will benefit from that true principle.

Going further with that, God does not have to destroy a society that sets that truth aside. A dishonest society will suffer a break down of families, a difficulty in keeping property, failures of economy and war. By not keeping Gods laws, written out of love, it is easy to see how a society destroys itself.

When a person accepts any particle of truth and puts it in to practice, they are then ready for more light and truth. When someone rejects truth and lives contrary to that truth they will lose it and the benefit of it. Many times they will be worse off than had they never learned it at all.

I hope that makes some sense.. :)

Jennie said...

Tiff, thanks so much for the book suggestion. Is this one of yours to pass around or should I hit up the library. I too am interested in other religions and how they view society and choices. I think the last phrase you mentioned is the hardest.... faith that nations and people will once again make themselves right with God. You can have faith that it will happen, but when you see choice after choice going in the opposite direction, it is tough. It makes my heart hurt to see loved ones make choices that will impact their relationship with God - not that I'm perfect either. I'm working on my own salvation each day. Anyway.... I'll have to pick this one up. See ya soon.

love.boxes said...

Jennie, I have a copy on CD which you can borrow as soon as my neighbor is finished with it. :)

Alicia said...

Sounds pretty cool!