Did You Come “for Such a Time as This”: Esther”?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to the book of Esther in a lesson titled “Thou Art Come … for Such a Time as This.” The following information introduced the lesson. 

Many events in the book of Esther might seem like luck or coincidence. How else do you explain how an orphaned Jewish girl became the queen of Persia at just the right time to save her people from slaughter? What are the chances that Esther’s cousin Mordecai would happen to overhear a plot to assassinate the king? Were these coincidences, or were they part of a divine plan? Elder Ronald A. Rasband noted: “What may appear to be a random chance is, in fact, overseen by a loving Father in Heaven. … The Lord is in the small details of our lives” (“By Divine Design,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 56). We might not always recognize the Lord’s influence in these “small details.” But we learn from Esther’s experience that He can guide our path and prepare us “for such a time” (Esther 4:14) when we can be instruments in His hands to fulfill His purposes.

This scripture block teaches several principles, including (1) The Lord puts me in situations where I can bless others (Esther). (2) Pride and anger can lead to downfall (Esther; 5:9-14; 7). (3) Fasting Shows that I trust and rely on the Lord (Esther 3-4; 5:2-3; 8:11-12). (4) Doing the right thing often requires great courage (Esther 3:1-11; 4:10-17; 5:1-4; 9:17-19). This essay will discuss principle #4 about doing the right thing and exercising courage.

When Mordecai and Esther stood up for their beliefs and their people, they put their lives at risk. Our choices might have less severe consequences, but doing the right thing can still require courage. What can we learn from Esther about having courage to do the right thing?

The short story is that an evil man by the name of Haman was promoted by the king, and he thought that Mordacai, Esther’s uncle, should bow to him as commanded by the king. However, Mordecai did not, which made Haman angry. Haman learned that Mordecai was a Jew and decided that all the Jews should die. He convinced the king to decree the massacre.

Mordecai heard of the king’s decree and got word to Esther, and she asked him what she should do. He explained that she needed to get word to her husband, the king. When Esther expressed fear, Mordecai said, “… who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). Knowing that she could die if the king refused to see her, Esther agreed to do as her uncle suggested and asked that Mordecai and all the Jews throughout the kingdom join Esther and her maidens in fasting for three days and three nights. Here is the rest of the story as found in Esther 5:1-8 and 7:1-6, 10.

1 Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, over against the king’s house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.

2 And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.

3 Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.

4 And Esther answered, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him.

5 Then the king said, Cause Haman to make haste, that he may do as Esther hath said. So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

6 ¶ And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.

7 Then answered Esther, and said, My petition and my request is;

8 If I have found favour in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do tomorrow as the king hath said.

1 So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.

2 And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.

3 Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request:

4 For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king’s damage.

5 ¶ Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?

6 And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.

10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.

Esther showed great courage because she knew that she was on a life-or-death mission. However, both Mordecai and Esther also knew that God could protect her if He so chose, and they put their trust in Him. What opportunities has God given to you for you to bless other people.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then-Second Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, taught that each of us “stands at a unique place and has an important task that only [we] can perform…. The Lord gave you your responsibilities for a reason. There may be people and hearts only you can reach and touch. Perhaps no one else could do it in quite the same way” (“Lift Where You Stand,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2008, 56). 

 

How Can I Teach Respect for American Citizenship?

Families, communities, states, and nation are strengthened when the federal government protects the “meaning and value of American citizenship.” That is exactly what the Trump administration is attempting to do by the latest Executive Order “Continuing to Protect the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship, signed at the White House on August 6, 2026, by President Donald J. Trump. 

The purpose of this Executive Order, as explained in Section 1, is to explain that the “privilege of United States citizenship remains a priceless and profound gift” and to guard against “malign foreign actors who attempt to swindle American citizens by taking advantage of the generosity of our Nation.”

After the U.S. Supreme Court decision on June 30, 2026, in Trump v. Barbara 609 U.S. ___, 146 S. Ct. 2438, 2449 (2026) that all children born to parents in the United States “for whom no extra territorial fiction applie[s],” the Trump administration decided to write this order. “This order identifies, non-exhaustively, and prescribes action concerning certain categories of children of aliens who do not fall within the rule of birthright citizenship as announced by the Supreme Court.”

Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States that no executive department or agency shall issue documents recognizing United States citizenship to, or accept documents issued by State, local, or other governments or authorities purporting to recognize United States citizenship regarding, persons when neither parent of that person is a citizen and any of the following applies:

(a) either parent of that person is an alien enemy, defined to include any member of a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization under 8 U.S.C. 1189 or Specially  Designated Global Terrorist, consistent with the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, 50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq., and Executive Order 13224 of September 23, 2001 (Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions With Persons Who Commit, Threaten to Commit, or Support Terrorism), as amended;

(b) either parent of that person is a foreign government employee, defined to include:

            (i) ambassadors;

(ii) persons employed by a foreign embassy or consulate who are nationals of that foreign country;

(iii) persons employed by a foreign government in an official capacity; and

(iv) persons employed by an international organization that possess international-organization immunity.

(c) either parent of that person engaged in a commercial transaction to purchase or access birthright citizenship for the person, or engaged in fraudulent activity to obtain citizenship, to include:

(i) when the parent(s) of the person engage in a commercial transaction to ensure that the person’s mother is present in the United States, or a territory of the United States, to give birth; or

(ii) when the parent(s) engage in a commercial transaction with a surrogate present in the United States, or a territory of the United States, to give birth;

(d) the person is born in a territory or territorial waters of the United States where citizenship is not conferred by Federal statute.

Sec. 3. Enforcement.

(a) The Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Commissioner of Social Security shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the regulations and policies of their respective departments and agencies are consistent with this order, and that no officers, employees, or agents of their respective departments and agencies act, or forbear from acting, in any manner inconsistent with this order.

(b) The heads of all executive departments and agencies shall issue public guidance within 30 days of the date of this order regarding this order’s implementation with respect to their operations and activities.

Sec. 5. General Provisions.

(a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations

(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

(d) The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of Justice. [Emphasis added; paragraphing changed.)

While the U.S. Government with its departments and agencies strives to “protect the meaning and value of American citizenship, parents and teachers should be instructing the children and youth of America to value the blessing of being an American citizen. I asked Google how parents can complete this task and received this answer from AI: 

Parents are the first and most powerful teachers of citizenship, shaping children’s values long before they enter school…. Teaching respect for U.S. citizenship is about modeling the behaviors, attitudes, and habits that reflect the nation’s ideals.

1. Model Respect and Responsibility at Home

Children learn citizenship through daily actions – how you speak, keep promises, handle conflict, and treat others….

·       Be respectful: Use polite language, listen actively, and acknowledge other’s feelings.

·       Keep promises: Show reliability and integrity in commitments.

·       Respect rules: Demonstrate understanding of laws and community norms.

·       Serve others: Volunteer, help neighbors, or participate in community events.

2. Teach the Meaning of Citizenship

Explain that citizenship is more than a passport or voting right – it’s about participation, responsibility, and belonging.

·       Discuss the U.S. Constitution and the rights/responsibilities of citizens.

·       Talk about elected officials and how they serve the public.

·       Share stories of U.S. history and heroes who contributed to the nation.

3. Encourage Active Civic Engagement

Help children see citizenship as action-oriented.

·       Join them in voting, signing petitions, or attending town halls.

·       Involve them in school or community projects.

·       Discuss how small actions (like recycling or kindness) contribute to a stronger society.

4. Build Respect Through Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)

Respect is a core SEL skill that supports good citizenship.

·       Practice listening without interrupting and valuing different opinions.

·       Teach kindness in small acts – letting someone go first, apologizing when wrong.

·       Use SEL activities like “Random Acts of Kindness” or community-building games to reinforce respect.

5. Use Everyday Opportunities

·       Role-play scenarios like resolving a disagreement or voting.

·       Read books about U.S. values, diversity, and civic duty.

·       Discuss current events in a respectful, open way.

6. Be Consistent and Patient

Children trust what they see daily more than what they hear in a single lesson. Be consistent in modeling respect, and correct disrespectful behavior gently but firmly.

In short: Teach respect for U.S. citizenship by living it yourself, explaining its meaning, encouraging participation, and using everyday moments to reinforce the values of fairness, service, and community. This builds the habits and mindset that make strong, engaged citizens.

 

Why Are Secure Borders Essential to Maintain Sovereignty?

The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday concerns the value of sovereign nations maintaining secure borders. The invasion of 60,000 people into Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the Moroccan border is one example of what happens when First World nations open their borders. It is also an example of what the United States would be like if Kamala Harris had been elected as President of the United States. All Americans with any common-sense at all should be thanking heaven that Donald Trump won the election.

Rep. Paul Gosar, Rep. Lauren Boebert, and Rep. Mary Miller authored an article published by Blaze Media. Here is their explanation for this week’s liberty principle. 

The Permanent Trump Secure Border Act would turn today’s restored deterrence into lasting law and block another Biden-style border disaster.

Spain is offering the United States a warning we would be foolish to ignore.

For years, Democrats have pursued an immigration agenda built around weak enforcement, mass amnesty, and the surrender of national sovereignty to globalist priorities. Americans who want to see where that agenda can lead should look at Ceuta.

Codify secure borders now or prepare to watch the crisis return under the next Democratic administration.

In recent days, an estimated 60,000 migrants – many military-age men – attempted to overwhelm the small Spanish enclave on the Moroccan border. They arrived by land and sea, swamping local authorities and producing deadly chaos.

This was not an isolated event. It followed Spain’s moves toward amnesty for illegal immigrants, effectively signaling that unlawful entry might eventually be rewarded.

Spain’s Civil Guard described the border as totally collapsed. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez rushed to the enclave, denounced the surge as a violation of Spain’s territorial integrity, and deployed the military.

Articles of Faith: What Do Latter-day Saints Believe About the Fall of Adam 2?

Article of Faith 2

   We believe that men will be punished for their own sins,

                    and not for Adam’s transgression.

 This essay will continue a discussion started last week about the Fall of Adam and Eve as stated in the second Article of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I laid a foundation for discussing this Article of Faith by discussing moral agency, or the freedom to choose good or evil. This essay will discuss sin and punishment for sin using the words of Elder James E. Talmage (The Articles of Faith [1890], 57-61).

Sin – What is the nature of sin? To this question the Apostle John replies: “Sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4) …. As God is the embodiment of perfection, such opposition is rebellion against the principles of advancement and adherence to the practices that lead to degradation. Sin is any condition, whether omission of things required or in commission of acts forbidden, that tends to prevent or hinder the development of the human soul. [Emphasis added.] As a righteous course leads to eternal life, so sin tends toward the darkness of the second death. Sin was introduced to the world by Satan; yet it is by divine permission that mankind are brought in contact with sin, the contrast between evil and good thus being learned by experience.

According to the technical definition of sin it consists in the violation of law, and in this strict sense sin may be committed inadvertently or in ignorance. It is plain, however, from the scriptural doctrine of human responsibility and the unerring justice of God, that in his transgressions as in his righteous deeds man will be judged according to his ability to comprehend and obey law. To him who has never been made acquainted with a higher law the requirements of that law do not apply in their fulness. For sins committed without knowledge – that is, for laws violated in ignorance – a propitiation has been provided in the atonement wrought through the sacrifice of the Savior; and sinners of this class do not stand condemned, but shall be given opportunity yet to learn and to accept or reject the principles of the Gospel….

Punishment for Sin – As rewards for righteous deeds are proportionate to deserving acts, so the punishment prescribed for sin is made adequate to the offense. But, be it remembered, both rewards and punishments are natural consequences. Punishment is inflicted upon the sinner for disciplinary and reformatory purposes and in accordance with justice. There is nothing of vindictiveness or of desire to cause suffering manifest in the divine nature; on the contrary, our Father is cognizant of every pang, and permits such to afflict for beneficent purposes only. God’s mercy is declared in the retributive pains that He allows, as in the blessings of peace that issue from Him…. Comparison with physical pain, such as the tortures of fire in a sulphurous lake, serve to show that the human mind is incapable of comprehending the extent of these penalties. The sufferings entailed by the fate of condemnation are more to be feared than are any possible inflictions of physical torture; the mind, the spirit, the whole soul is doomed to suffer, and the torment is known by none in the flesh.

Consider the word of the Lord regarding those whose sin is the unpardonable one, whose transgression has carried them beyond the present horizon of possible redemption; those who have sunk so low in their wickedness as to have lost the power and even the desire to attempt reformation. Sons of Perdition they are called. These are they who, having learned the power of God afterward renounce it; those who sin wilfully in the light of knowledge; those who open their hearts to the Holy Spirit and then put the Lord to a mockery and a shame by denying it; and those who commit murder wherein they shed innocent blood; these are they of whom the Savior has declared that it would be better for them had they never been born. These are to share the punishment of the devil and his angels – punishment so terrible that the knowledge is withheld from all except those who are consigned to this doom (emphasis added), though a temporary view of the picture is permitted to some. These sinners are the only ones over whom the second death hath power….

The Duration of Punishment – As to the duration of punishment, we may take assurance that it will be graded according to the sin; and that the conception of every sentence for misdeeds being interminable is false. Great as is the effect of this life upon the hereafter, and certain as is the responsibility of opportunities lost for repentance, God holds the power to pardon beyond the grave. Yet the scriptures speak of eternal and endless punishment. Any punishment ordained of God is eternal, for He is eternal. His is a system of endless punishment, for it will always exist as a place or condition prepared for disobedient spirits; yet the infliction of the penalty will have an end in every case of acceptable repentance and reparation. And repentance is not impossible in the spirit world (emphasis added). However, as seen, there are some sins so great that their consequent punishments are not made known to man; these extreme penalties are reserved for the sons of Perdition.

The false doctrine that the punishment to be visited upon erring souls is endless, that every sentence for sin is of interminable duration, must be regarded as one of the most pernicious results of misapprehension of scripture. It is but a dogma of unauthorized and erring sectaries, at once unscriptural, unreasonable, and revolting to one who loves mercy and honors justice. True, the scriptures speak of everlasting burnings, eternal damnation, and the vengeance of eternal fire, as characteristics of the judgment provided for the wicked; yet in no instance is there justification for the inference that the individual sinner will have to suffer the wrath of offended justice forever and ever. The punishment in any case is sufficiently severe without the added and supreme horror of unending continuation. Justice must have her due; but when “the uttermost farthing” is paid, the prison doors shall open and the captive be free. But the prison remains, and the law prescribing punishment for offenses is not to be repealed….

 

 

 

Will the Senate Confirm Todd Blanche as AG?

President Donald Trump’s nominee for Attorney General, Todd Blanche, has been on old for a few days because Republican Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina refused to advance Blanche for official confirmation, according to Virginia Grace McKinnon. 

Cornyn and Tillis were opposed to a planned anti-weaponization fund, and the DOJ and Blanche officially rescinded the fund. However, Cornyn and Tillis wanted a written document that addressed their concerns on the IRS audit agreement and the anti-weaponization fund.

The $1.8 billion fund was part of President Trump’s settlement with the IRS, a settlement that came from the IRS unlawfully published his tax returns. Trump has threatened to put the fund back on the table if Blanche does not get confirmed. The purpose of the fund is to help American citizens who were unfairly targeted by the Biden administration. Trump denies that the fund was meant to benefit his friends and allies.

The bottom line is that Blanche’s nomination could advance out of the committee on Tuesday and his confirmation approved or disapproved on Saturday. The Senate needs to act on this nomination to enable Americans to have an Attorney General?

 

Who Is Nell Stevenson Bright?

My VIP for this week is Nell Stevenson Bright, female pilot of World War II. According to Lee Benson at the Deseret News, Nell was 21 years old in early 1943 when she saw an article in an issue of Flying Magazine about a new program. 

The article said that the U.S. Army was recruiting female pilots to make more men available for combat duty. The female pilots would work behind-the-scenes where they would test planes, ferry aircraft, transport cargo, and train new pilots. The name of the squadron was Women Airforce Service Pilots, better known as WASP.

Nell Stevenson looked at the requirements: Female. Check. Twenty-one years of age or older. Check. Five-foot-4 or taller. Check. Pilot’s license. Check. Thirty-five hours of flight time. Check. (She had 75.)

At a time in history when women weren’t allowed to serve on juries in many states or even open their own checkbooks – let alone fly in combat – Nell now had her chance to help America win the war.

More than 25,000 women applied to be WASPs, 1,830 were admitted and 1,074 completed the six-month course that included schooling in navigation, physics, Morse code, meteorology, military law and mechanics.

Nell was one of the select few. In the critical years of 1943 and 1944, through D-Day and beyond, she trained on and flew almost every plane in the U.S. Army Air Corps fleet, from bombers to fighters to everything in between. She was one of the first women chosen to pilot a B-25 bomber.

All while wearing her lipstick (the Army insisted its women flyers look ladylike).

The closest she got to the front was Biggs Field in El Paso, Texas, and Mather Field in Sacramento, California. But there’s no way of calculating the enormous impact her out-of-the-limelight service, and that of her fell WASPs, had on the men they trained, the planes they tested and the outcome of the war.

These days, [she] can be found living at the Legacy Village retirement home in Sugarhouse….

This past June 20, she celebrated her 105^th birthday.

She is the last living WASP….

 

What Did John Adams Say About Defending Constitutions?

The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday concerns communism, Democratic Socialists of America, and the youth group of the Democrats. Daniel McCarthy recently shared his thoughts on this topic in an article published in The Daily Signal. 

The Democratic Socialists of America don’t like being called communists….

Yet, however the group self-identifies, its agenda is openly revolutionary.

It plans call for, among other things, abolishing the United States Senate and making the executive branch and the Supreme Court subservient to the House of Representatives.

Like many a revolutionary organ, the DSA acts as a party within a party, and it increasingly represents the youth wing of the Democrats….

Yet DSA’s ideas are remarkably old-fashioned – so old, in fact, they were refuted by John Adams in 1787.

That was the year he began publishing a multivolume work called “A Defence of the Constitutions of the United States of America.

It was so long ago Americans still spelled “defence” with a “c.”

The book refers to “constitutions,” plural, because Adams hadn’t seen the new U.S. Constitution drawn up in Philadelphia that year.

He was actually defending the state constitutions against French intellectuals who insisted they should be more radical.

That was just two years before the outbreak of the French Revolution, with all the murder and mayhem it would bring.

The old French versions of today’s DSA schemers condemned bicameral legislatures for the same reason Mamdani’s and AOC’s fans do now: Their idea of “democracy” called for centralizing power in a single body.

No checks, no balances, and certainly no federalism – the whole nation was to be personified in an omnipotent unitary legislation.

Adams, who had been one of the first American revolutionary leaders to call for independence from Britain, was no enemy of popular self-government.

But pure democracy would be as bad as any other kind of centralized despotism – so he defended the “mixed” constitutions of the states, almost all of which had separate upper and lower legislative chambers and divided legislative, executive, and judicial power.

The federal Constitution was drawn up on the same principles – and combined them with a division of powers between the states and national government.

A glance at how the Constitution has performed for the last 239 years, compared to the chaos and bloodshed that engulfed revolutionary France once the proto-DSA types started getting their way there, shows who was right.

But DSA, not content with dreaming of an end to capitalism, wants to end constitutionalism as well.

Revolutionary parties, like Russia’s Bolsheviks, have often had such farfetched goals – the point isn’t to achieve them so much as it is to wreck whatever already exists.

DSA’s first step is to radicalize the Democratic Party, making previously outrageous ideas like packing the Supreme Court seem mild by comparison to the Democratic Socialist program. Abolishing the Senate may be politically impossible, but de-legitimizing it is a way to delegitimize obstacles to centralized power – not just the Senate itself, with its equal representation for all states, large or small, but the very principle of federalism.

 

… DSA wants to make the whole country like California, only worse. That’s their idea of democracy – the socialist version.

It’s the revolutionary French version as well, and it’s as un-American as anything can be. Yet it’s a magnet pulling the Democratic Party hard to the left.

Notoriously, DSA has a disproportionate number of members who are highly educated but low-paid or unemployed.

Like the Marxists of the last century or the French philosophes of the century before that, they’re sophisticated enough to seem like they know what they’re talking about, if you haven’t learned how disastrous their ideas have proved to be in practice.

But American education doesn’t teach much about the horrors of communism or France’s Reign of Terror.

Radicals occupied the educational establishment early on, and now they’re reaping political rewards for the ignorance they’ve fostered in the public.

According to recent Cata Institute polling, Generation Z – Americans between ages 14 and 29 – favors socialism over capitalism by 53% to 45%, though the “Democratic Socialist” label polls less well.

Despite having “democratic” in its name, however, DSA doesn’t need majority support to bring about revolutionary change for the worse: A motivated minority is enough when the majority is unaware of its danger.