Can Americans Trust Their Government?

The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday concerns how much trust the citizens can have for their government. The Founders of the United States of America organized and set up the foundation for a democratic republic. The U.S. Constitution divided governmental power into three branches – executive, legislative, and judicial – to provide checks and balances against a tyrannical government.

Such steps were taken to enable the citizens to maintain control of their government. The Bill of Rights was added to guarantee certain freedoms for the citizens. The Constitution did not provide rights, such as freedom of religion and Second Amendment rights, but guaranteed protection of rights from abuse by the government. As Abraham Lincoln stated, it was to be a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

The government set up by the Constitution was nearly perfect, or as perfect as it could be made by mere mortals. Where there was less perfection, amendments were made to make corrections. If the three branches had remained as separate entities, there would be fewer problems for our day. Instead of being checks and balances against abuse in other branches, executives, congressional members, and judges joined together to take power from the people.

This weakening of the Constitution has brought our republic to the constitutional crisis that we have today where one administration works against a future administration and/or prosecutes a previous administration.

With declassification of records taking place on nearly a daily basis, Americans are being told that the Obama administration set traps for the first Trump administration and that Obama even ordered the assassination of Trump. Then the Biden administration prosecuted Trump and members of his administration, some of whom spent time in prison. Now the second Trump administration is claiming that Obama led a coup against Trump, and the Department of Justice is investigating to determine if prosecution is in order.

What is the truth? Are there any governmental authorities that Americans can trust, or is the Constitution truly in danger of being destroyed? The best thing to do – usually – is to wait to hear all the evidence. However, it may be too late if evidence continues to trickle out and people are saved from prosecution by time.  After all, some of the so-called evidence coming out now is about nine years old.

Americans should not jump to conclusions, but neither should they believe everything that they are told. They should understand that ancient prophets foretold that secret combinations would be in every land in the latter days, seeking to destroy governments and to bring citizens under the control of evil people. The trick is to figure out who is evil and who are mere mortals trying to do the best job that they can to sustain the Constitution and keep America free. The absolutely best thing that any of us can do for America is to pray for God’s protection over the nation.

Is Barack Obama Immune to Prosecution for Russiagate?

Last week National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard declassified a bunch of Russiagate documents and referred former President Barack Obama and officials in his administration to the Department of Justice for potential criminal investigation. There are some legal “experts” who claim that Barack Obama has immunity, while others claim that he has immunity only for certain behaviors.

Experts in the first group point to Trump v. United States (July 2024). According to an article by the Blaze TV staff, the Supreme Court held in this case that “former presidents have absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within their ‘core constitutional powers’ and presumptive immunity for other official acts with the ‘outer perimeter’ of their responsibilities. However, they have no immunity for unofficial or private acts.” 

Mark Levin is of the second group of legal “experts” who believe that Obama does not have immunity in the Russiagate. This site gave the following information on Levin’s legal background. 

Mark Levin is a well-known name in the political arena, but his legal career is equally noteworthy. After graduating with a J.D. from Temple University Beasley School of Law, Levin embarked on a path to see him rise to significant positions within the U.S. government. His role as chief of staff to Attorney General Edwin Meese in the Reagan administration was a crucial period in his legal journey, allowing him to engage with complex legal and constitutional matters.

Levin’s involvement in legal cases during this time gave him substantial experience, and his contributions have been recognized in various conservative legal circles. He also worked with the Landmark Legal Foundation, a conservative legal organization focused on public interest law, further solidifying in his reputation as a constitutional expert.

Levin’s legal background has always been the foundation of his commentary, particularly on issues related to constitutional law, federalism, and individual liberties. His understanding of the law enables him to dissect and analyze policies and court decisions with precision. This legal expertise has also influenced his numerous best-selling books, which often revolve around constitutional principles and the preservation of liberty.

Moreover, Levin continues to use his legal knowledge to influence public policy through his media platform….

The Blaze TV staff interviewed Levin for their recent article. The following information comes from that article. 

Mark Levin recalls the time when President Obama ordered the killing of Al-Qaeda terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki, who was an American citizen.

“He can’t be charged for killing that person, nor should he have been,” says Levin, “but ladies and gentlemen, if the president of the United States … is embezzling funds or he’s running some kind of a drug racket while he’s president of the United States, those are not his official duties, and so after he leaves the presidency, he can be charged with that.”

Orchestrating Russiagate – a “treasonous conspiracy” as Director Gabbard called it – would most certainly fall into the latter category if Obama was found guilty.

If “Barack Obama, is involved in a scheme, the purpose of which is to interfere with a presidential election because he wants Hillary Clinton and the Democrats to win, and subsequent to that, if [he] is involved in a scheme to usurp the new president’s role or to sabotage the new president’s role, that’s not an official duty,” says Levin, “and certainly [he] can be charged with that.”

“There are criminal statutes for making false claims … and hoaxes. And it actually uses the word hoaxes,” he explains. “Donald Trump has called [Russiagate] a hoax from day one, and he’s exactly correct.”

In a recent press conference, President Trump, when asked about the Russiagate developments, was crystal clear: “This is, like, proof – irrefutable proof – that Obama was seditious, that Obama was trying to lead a coup, and it was with Hillary Clinton, with all these other people, but Obama headed it up … and it says so right in the papers.”

If the DOJ conducts its criminal investigation and concurs that the papers indeed incriminate Obama, the Constitution, specifically the separation of powers doctrine and Article II, as well as SCOTUS’ ruling on Trump v. United States, should not protect him from prosecution.

Further, considering all the lawfare waged on President Trump, “Why shouldn’t Barack Obama be criminally investigated, put under oath … in order to determine the extent to which he was involved in a silent coup?” Levin asks.

“So Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (who I like very much), are you prepared to subpoena Barack Obama?”

It is a sad day when one President of the United States (POTUS) presides over an administration that prosecutes a former President of the United States. It may even be called a danger to the Constitution. However, America has already been through several cases where a current administration prosecutes a former POTUS.

This site gives specific information about the various cases when the Joe Biden administration prosecuted Trump. 

·         Classified Documents Case

Special counsel Jack Smith led two federal probes against Trump. The first probe [June]resulted in Trump being indicted for mishandling top secret documents at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida estate. The indictment alleged that Trump enlisted aides and lawyers to help hid records.

The second indictment [July]charged Trump of trying to delete surveillance footage at Mar-a-Lago.

Trump faced 40 felony charges in the classified documents case with the most serious charge carrying a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

·         Election Interference

Smith unveiled a second case in August when Trump was indicted in Washington on felony charges that he tried to overturn the 2020 election results before the violent mob at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

This indictment carried four counts that included charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States government and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding (congressional certification of Joe Biden’s victory).

In addition to the two federal cases, there were two state cases – New York (Stormy Daniels case) and Georgia (election case). In all, there were about 90 charges against Trump. After Trump was re-elected in 2024, Smith dismissed the two federal cases before inauguration day, and the two state cases were put on hold until after Trump leaves the Oval Office.

The bottom line is: If the Biden administration can prosecute Trump for so-called crimes, then the Trump administration should be allowed to investigate possible crimes of Barack Obama. 

Are Controlled Burns Good or Bad?

Fire, like water and numerous other things in our lives, can be good or bad. We all understand that fire is good for cooking food or providing warmth, but fire is bad when it burns out of control. Many Americans have watched in awe as well as fear and concern as numerous fires have burned out of control in recent months. Who can forget the fires that burned a large part of the Los Angeles area just a few months ago? Many homes and burnings were lost as well as too many lives.

Victor Joecks a columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, recently published an article at The Daily Signal in which he discussed the fall out of the Dragon Bravo Fire at the Grand Canyon that started on July 4 from a lightning strike. A few summers ago, he and a friend took their sons to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. He considers the North Rim to be “more breathtaking than the heavily trafficked South Rim.” He was impressed with the “historic Grand Canyon Lodge.” 

Naturally, Joecks was dismayed when “the National Park Service announced that the Dragon Bravo Fire had destroyed the lodge and dozens of other structures.” However, he rejoiced that “all guests and staff had been evacuated, and there were no fatalities.”

The “North Rim” will be closed for the rest of the year, but Joecks believes that the “political fallout from this fire will likely last longer.” Joecks reported that the federal officials’ decision to manage the fire was a mistake because “Unexpected wind gusts spread the fire rapidly.” In addition, firefighters were forced to retreat because chlorine gas was leaking from the water treatment plant, resulting in "devastating loss of this landmark.”

Politicians in Arizona attacked the actions of the federal government. Arizona’s Senators – both Democrats – Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly sent a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum questioning “why the fire was allowed to continue burning.” Joecks stated that searching for answers about this fire would be productive, but it would “be destructive to use this tragedy as a reason to limit controlled burns in the future.”

Forest fires are natural. There are two primary ways to respond to this uncomfortable reality. The first is to proactively use good fire – prescribed burns – to eliminate the buildup of dead vegetation and obtain other ecological benefits. Intentionally setting fires is especially common in the Southeast. As of mid-July, more than 1.3 million acres have burned in Georgia from more than 61,000 controlled burns. It’s had less than 23,000 acres burn from wildfires, according to federal data. It had similar numbers last year. The downside is what happened in Arizona.

In contrast, forest fires in the West are usually suppressed as soon as possible, the second response. The benefits of this policy are obvious. You stop fire as soon as possible and avoid high-profile failures like the one at the North Rim. But there’s a long-term cost. The fuel that controlled burns would have eliminated builds up over years or decades….

The original Grand Canyon Lodge opened in 1928, but burned down in a 1932 kitchen fire. It was rebuilt, as this one should be. Once it reopens, officials should proactively use controlled burns to protect it.

The fact is that fire only burns when it has something to burn. Using controlled burns is one way to starve future fires. In Alaska, wildfires are allowed to burn unless they threaten life or property. Many of the fires start from lightning strikes and are located in wilderness areas. Such fires are watched even though they are not actively fought, and they usually burn out before threatening life or property. Of course, fires closer to civilization are actively fought as they should be. By allowing most fires to burn, the fuel for future fires is naturally controlled.

Who Were the Bystanders Who Stopped an Assault?

In a knife attack in Traverse City, Michigan, on Saturday afternoon, an intentionally unnamed assailant stabbed 11 victims. As of Sunday, all victims were out of critical condition, according to the hospital treating them. Four victims are in “serious conditions,” and seven victims are in “fair condition,” according to Olivia Pero in an article at The Daily Signal. 

The assailant made his move with a folding knife just before 5:00 p.m. when he began to randomly stab customers at Walmart. One customer said that he saw the assailant slit a woman’s throat. Within about five minutes, a group of customers surrounded the assailant, and one brave soul “tackled and subdued” him until the arrival of the police.

According to Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael She, the attacks were random and independent of any assistants. FBI personnel were assisting in the investigation.

According to my studies, this group of bystanders is different. Psychologists say that onlookers usually withhold help from those in need and give such action the title of “bystander effect.” Psych Central reported the following: 

In short, the bystander effect is the name given to the phenomenon where people in a group fail to offer help to someone during an emergency, even though they are witnesses to the event.

In fact, research from 2014 suggests that the bigger the group, the less likely it is that anyone will come to help….

This includes some groundbreaking research by John Darley and Bibb Lata Latané.

In a series of experiments, Darley and Latané found that people tend to feel a moral responsibility to help someone in distress if they believe they are the only witnesses. But if they’re surrounded by others, they’re significantly less likely to feel like they have to intervene.

In fact, in 1969, Latané found that while 70% of people would help a woman in distress if they were the only bystander, only 40% would come to her aid if other people were present.

More recently, studies have found that people are less likely to speak up if they witness cyberbullying that takes place in larger online group forums, according to a 2015 review. Examples of the bystander effect [are]:

·         Ignoring bullying or cyberbullying

·         Filming an assault instead of calling 911

·         Assuming someone else will help

·         Walking past a person lying on the street

·         Apathy toward climate change [really!]

Researchers think that there are two group dynamics at work in the bystander effect, which is why we’re less likely to act when we’re surrounded by others.

In a group, we can feel less individual responsibility to help others….

It happens for a simple reason: When we’re in a group, it’s easier to assume that someone else will step up and do something, so we don’t do anything ourselves. This leads to the bystander effect. The problem is, when everyone assumes that someone else will act, no one actually does.

When we’re in a group, we can look to others to decide what is appropriate behavior and what’s not.

So if there is a crisis – and it’s not clear what we should do because of the confusion – we often look at what everyone else is doing to get social cues.

If we don’t see anyone doing anything, we might assume there’s a reason for the inaction and draw a false conclusion that no action is needed….

So what made the onlookers in Michigan act when most would not? Research from 2011 Trusted Source showed that the level of danger could have caused them to intervene.

Why? Well first of all, if the situation is dangerous to you and the victim, you’re more likely to pay attention to what’s going on. And second, in a dangerous situation, being in a group might help you feel more empowered and like you can actually help….

For example, if you see someone attacking another person with a knife and you’re alone, you might be tempted to run away rather than help. But if you’re with a group, you might be more confident that you – and the group as a whole – can stop the knife-wielder if you work together. [Interesting how this random example fits the Michigan scenario exactly.]

The article shared some theories on ways that we can “wake from the bystander effect” and be more like the bystanders in Michigan.  The first suggestion is to know what to do in such a case.

If you’re an onlooker, you’re more likely to feel empowered to intervene if you know strategies to do so safely. Depending on the situation you encounter, you can choose to:

·         Intervene directly

·         Distract the attacker, if there is one

·         Delegate (bring in others to help)

·         Delay (offer follow-up resources and emotional support to the affected)

You can also take steps to be more prepared for emergencies, like taking first aid classes or getting CPR training.

Some psychologists believe that simply being aware of the bystander effect could make us all more likely to react.

After all – if we know it can happen, we might be more determined to make sure we aren’t the ones that stood by and let something horrible occur.

Shame and guilt … can be powerful motivators, so being observed in a group might make you feel like you have to help….

The bystander effect happens more than we’d like, but there are some things we can all do to overcome it and help others – and it all starts with knowing that this phenomenon even exists.

What Would Trump’s Report Card Show for His First Six Months in Office?

 The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday is a “report card” for the first six months of President Donald Trump’s second administration. According to Josh Hammer in an article published at The Daily Signal, Trump “intuited a key life lesson” from his various experiences over the past four years, including his “four years’ banishment to America’s political wilderness,” “would be assassin’s bullets,” and “humiliating and unprecedented spectacle of criminal prosecution by his political opponents.” 

Hammer compared Trump’s second administration to “a thoroughbred bursting out of the Kentucky Derby starting gate” and stated that Trump “has been racing full speed ahead” since the day of the inauguration of his second term.” He claimed that “this has surely been the fastest six months in modern presidential history.” Then Hammer gave the Trump administration a “report card” for their first six months in office.

Economy: B+

There has been much in the way of genuinely great news on the economy. The stock market is considerably up since Trump resumed office, Trump’s tariffs are bringing in substantial revenue to the Treasury, the president renewed his landmark 2017 tax cuts and cut taxes on tips and overtime pay, he has finalized historic trade deals with major powers, inflation has stayed relatively consistent, and blue-chip companies have announced massive domestic investments in the U.S. economy.

On the other hand, inflation stubbornly remains a bit high, the tariff rollout has been bumpy at best,  and the “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” while a net positive piece of legislation, only exacerbated America’s glaring debt problem….

Domestic policy: A

The administration’s broader domestic agenda has been, from a conservative perspective, extremely successful. Trump’s war against the higher education establishment is long overdue and is already paying huge tangible dividends. Trump … has taken meaningful steps to curtail the administrative state Leviathan and consolidate executive power where it properly belongs: with the president himself.

He has protected women’s sports and female federal inmates from intimate exposure to biological males, protected vulnerable and confused children from the irreversible depredation of transgender “medicine,” and crushed the modern racism that is “diversity, equity, and inclusion….

Immigration: A+

Trump has not disappointed on his longstanding signature political issue, immigration. Illegal border crossings and “gotaways” have impressively dropped to historic lows as Trump, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and “border czar” Tom Homan have overseen the most effective border security and mass deportation operation in American history. There are no signs of slowing down, either….

Law: A-

Lower-court judges have tried to nip the administration’s agenda in the bud with ludicrous “nationwide injunctions,” but most of those acts of judicial hubris will be

Brought to heel by Trump’s recent U.S. Supreme Court victory in the CASA case.

The administration has secured other crucial Supreme Court victories….

Finally, the Jeffrey Epstein saga, while not the monstrous scandal-in-the-making some even on the MAGA Right make it out to be, has clearly not been handled particularly well.

Foreign policy: A

The Trump administration has reversed the Joe Biden-era approach of rewarding geopolitical enemies and punishing geopolitical friends by returning to the more familiar approach he deployed during his first term: rewarding friends and punishing enemies.

Trump’s limited incursion in last month’s 12-day war between Israel and Iran achieved the decades-sought-after goal of severely hampering Iran’s nuclear program, while also not suffering a single American casualty or even a boot on the ground.

In Europe, NATO nations are already committing to spend more money on defense….

Trump has brought peace to India and Pakistan and Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A Russian-Ukraine peace deal remains elusive….

There is undoubtedly much work left to be done. Trump would probably be the first to say that himself. But his second administration is off to a very strong – and fast – start….

Why Does God Give So Many Commandments?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to Doctrine and Covenants 81-83 in a lesson titled “Much Is Given Much Is Required.” The lesson was introduced by the following information. 

In March 1832, the Lord called Jesse Gause to be a counselor to Joseph Smith in the Presidency of the High Priesthood (now called the First Presidency). Doctrine and Covenants 81 is a revelation to Brother Gause about his new calling. But Jesse Gause did not serve faithfully, so Frederick G. Williams was called to replace him. Brother Williams’s name replaced Brother Gause’s name in the revelation.

That may seem like a minor detail, but it implies a significant truth: most revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants are addressed to specific people, but we can always seek ways to apply them to ourselves (see 1 Nephi 19:23). When we read the Lord’s counsel to Frederick G. Williams to “strengthen the feeble knees,” we can think of people we might strengthen (Doctrine and Covenants 81:5). When we read the Lord’s invitation to members of the United Firm to “bind yourselves by this covenant,” we can think of our own covenants. And we can read His promise, “I … am bound when ye do what I say,” as if He’s speaking to us (Doctrine and Covenants 82:10, 15). We can do this because, as the Lord declared, “What I say unto one I say unto all” (verse 5).

This scripture block contains the following principles: (1) “Thou will do the greatest good unto thy fellow beings” (Doctrine and Covenants 81:4-5; 82:18-19), (2) The Savior has given me much and requires much of me (Doctrine and Covenants 82:3), (3) Commandments are evidence of God’s love for us (Doctrine and Covenants 82:8-10), (4) The Lord blesses us in His own marvelous ways (Doctrine and Covenants 82:10), and (5) “Widows and orphans shall be provided for” (Doctrine and Covenants 83).

This essay will discuss principle #3 “Commandments are evidence of God’s love for us, which is discussed in Doctrine and Covenants 82:8-10. For anyone who has ever wondered why the Lord gives so many commandments, the following verses may help.

8 And again, I say unto you, I give unto you a new commandment, that you may understand my will concerning you;

9 Or, in other words, I give unto you directions how you may act before me, that it may turn to you for your salvation.

10 I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.

In the above verses, the Lord explains that commandments are His will for us and give us directions about how we should act to work toward obtaining salvation. Verse 10 tells us that the Lord must fulfill His promise IF we are obedient to His commandments. Elder D. Todd Christofferson gave further counsel in his message “our Relationship with God” (Liahona, May 2022, 78-80). Our Relationship with God

Some misunderstand the promises of God to mean that obedience to Him yields specific outcomes on a fixed schedule. They might think, “If I diligently serve a full-time mission, God will bless me with a happy marriage and children” or “If I refrain from doing schoolwork on the Sabbath, God will bless me with good grades” or “If I pay tithing, God will bless me with that job I’ve been wanting.” If life doesn’t fall out precisely this way or according to an expected timetable, they may feel betrayed by God. But things are not so mechanical in the divine economy. We ought not to think of God’s plan as a cosmic vending machine where we (1) select a desired blessing, (2) insert the required sum of good works, and (3) the order is promptly delivered.

God will indeed honor His covenants and promises to each of us. We need not worry about that. The atoning power of Jesus Christ—who descended below all things and then ascended on high and who possesses all power in heaven and in earth—ensures that God can and will fulfill His promises. It is essential that we honor and obey His laws, but not every blessing predicated on obedience to law is shaped, designed, and timed according to our expectations. We do our best but must leave to Him the management of blessings, both temporal and spiritual….

Our repentance and obedience, our service and sacrifices do matter. We want to be among those described by Ether as “always abounding in good works.” But it is not so much because of some tally kept in celestial account books. These things matter because they engage us in God’s work and are the means by which we collaborate with Him in our own transformation from natural man to saint. What our Heavenly Father offers us is Himself and His Son, a close and enduring relationship with Them through the grace and mediation of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer.

We are God’s children, set apart for immortality and eternal life. Our destiny is to be His heirs, “joint-heirs with Christ.” Our Father is willing to guide each of us along His covenant path with steps designed to our individual need and tailored to His plan for our ultimate happiness with Him. We can anticipate a growing trust and faith in the Father and the Son, an increasing sense of Their love, and the consistent comfort and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Even so, this path cannot be easy for any of us. There is too much refining needed for it to be easy….

 

Will Government Make Travel Easier for Parents with Small Children?

Wise parents provide more opportunities and experiences to their children and fewer toys and other objects. One way to provide such occasions for knowledge is to travel, whether it be domestic or foreign travel or by car or airplane. Travel can provide knowledge that is difficult to teach in any other way. Knowledge strengthens families, and strong families strengthen communities, states, and nations.

There are advantages to traveling by car or recreational vehicle and other advantages that come from traveling by air. However, wrangling children through airports and security lines is usually difficult. Therefore, it is good news that the Transportation Security Administration has a plan to make the experience a little more bearable for parents and children as reported by Emma Neff at The Deseret News. 

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem recently announced a campaign titled “Families on the Fly” She said, “This means that when families come into our airports and enter our TSA security checkpoints, they will have dedicated lanes specific for families.”

Noem continued: “they’ll be expanded areas that will give them the benefit of recognizing that they have children with them, and will help make sure that we have the ability to take care of them and their families as they go through this expedited process with their kiddos.”

This initiative is “designed to enhance hospitality for families during the airport security screening experience,” per TSA.

The announcement included benefits for families, including dedicated family lanes, discounted TSA PreCheck fees for families and dedicated TSA PreCheck lanes for service members and their families.

The “Families on the Fly” program was piloted in Orlando given its close location to Disney World, Noem announced, and the program will continue to be rolled out in areas where families often travel with small children.

Current airports participating in this initiative include Orlando International and Charlotte-Douglas International.

The TSA press release detailed plans for future airports to have the “Families on the Fly” program, which include Charleston International Airport, Jacksonville International, Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport, Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport and Tampa International Airport.

Additional airports will be added to the program in coming months.

Another initiative launched by TSA is “Serve with Honor, Travel with Ease” that expedites “access for military members in TSA PreCheck lanes at airports near major military bases.” or considered. This gives military members and their families “dedicated screening lanes or front-of-line privileges” both of which reduce wait time.

A third initiative recently announced and started in July is that passengers no longer need to remove their shoes during screening at certain checkpoints. Having recently traveled, I noticed that some passengers had not received the good news.

A potential change hinted at by Noem is in the amount of liquid allowed to be carried in luggage. Currently, passengers can pack in a carry-on bag travel-sized containers that hold 3.4 ounces or less per item. Larger sized items must be placed in checked luggage. The only exceptions are medications or “infant and child nourishments.”

Travel is a good activity for families, but it can be difficult for both parents and children. However, travel can strengthen families, and strong families strengthen communities, states, and nations.

Is Barack Obama a Traitor to the United States?

The liberty principle for this freedom Friday concerns national leaders with loyalty to our nation. Americans must understand that there are national leaders, such as president, vice presidents, senators, and representatives, who may not put the good of the nation above their own benefit.

I, along with many other people, have believed for a long time that former President Barack Obama is the power behind the political assaults on President Donald Trump, including impeachments and assassination attempts.

We have all been accused of believing in a secret conspiracy, but the latest information has come to light. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released declassified documents last week that show that the so-called conspiracy may be true.

In his article published at The Daily Signal, Lorenzo Prieto stated that the declassified documents claim, “the existence of a secret conspiracy led by the Obama administration to undermine President Donald Trump with the Trump-Russian Collusion hoax, according to Fox News.” 

“The implications of this are frankly nothing short of historic,” Gabbard said on this week’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” “Over 100 documents that we released on Friday really detail and provide evidence of how this treasonous conspiracy was directed by President [Barack] Obama just weeks before he was due to leave office after President Trump had already gotten elected. This is not a Democrat or Republican issue. This is an issue that is so serious it should concern every single American because it has to do with the integrity of our democratic republic,” she continued.

The released documents show that before the 2016 election, Russia had shown no intent of meddling with the voting system. Yet, members of the intelligence community would later conspire to accuse President Vladimir Putin of directly interfering with the election to help Turmp win.

“Creating this piece of manufactured intelligence that claims that Russia had helped Donald Trump get elected contradicted every other assessment that had been made previously in the months leading up to the election that said exactly the opposite, that Russia had neither the intent nor the capability to try to ‘hack the United States election,’” Gabbard continued. “So the effect of what President Obama and his senior national security team did was subvert the will of the American people, undermining our democratic republic and enacting what would be essentially a years-long coup against President Trump, who was duly elected by the American people.”

The evidence also incriminates former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former CIA Director John Brennan, former FBI Director James Comey, and former National Security Advisor Susan Rice, as well as Obama. Gabbard stated the intent to file the records with the FBI and the Department of Justice with the hope DOJ would criminally prosecute those involved in the hoax.

Democrats and other liberal supporters are, of course, calling the Gabbard disclosures as “utter nonsense” (Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn.). They claim that Gabbard is using the information to divert the attention of the public away from the Epstein Files case. They use the fact that no one – neither then-CIA Director Pompeo nor any of the six DNIs – in the first Trump administration said anything about it. However, new classified material was found.

In late May, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino revealed that his team had uncovered what he called “bags” of classified material related to the Trump-Russia investigation that had been “hidden” during the Comey’ regime’s tenure at FBI.

How did Comey and other alleged co-conspirators hide information, not only from congressional oversight, but even Special Counsel John Durham, who was investigating the FBI and DOJ role in the Trump-Russia hoax? As The Daily Signal reported: “They labeled anything they didn’t want anyone to see as ‘Prohibited Access.’ This classification meant that the information wouldn’t show up in the bureau’s Sentinel case management system. Not just ‘inaccessible,’ The Federalist’s Margot Cleveland explains, but ‘invisible.’”

Durham would not even have known this information existed.

Even if all this information is true – and I have no reason to doubt its truthfulness other than “politics,” I will not fully believe it until I see people arrested, convicted, and sent to prison. If it is true, those involved in actions as well as the cover up of the actions are traitors to America – even worse than Benedict Arnold.

Gabbard promised that more information would be released because whistleblowers are “coming forward now after we released these documents.” The whistleblowers are people “who were working within the intelligence community at this time who were so disgusted by what happened.” 

Will ‘Press 1 for English’ Go Away?

In March, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that designated English as the official language of the United States. According to Andrew Chapados at Blaze Media, Trump “declared that it is long past time to do so to create a cohesive society and push immigrants into adopting American culture and joining the American tradition.” 

Trump’s Department of Justice is now putting his order into action by “making sweeping changes to the federal government – and its services – to make the aggravating experience of dealing with government agencies a lot simpler.”

As part of new guidance, the DOJ said it was in Americans’ best interest for the federal government to have one official language: English.

[DOJ] said the new policy would streamline federal processes, including forms, notices, websites, and advisories, to make them consistently clear and cost-effective. The guidance also said federal agencies will need to determine which of their programs, grants, and policies might better serve the public if they operated exclusively in English.

This effectively means that wherever possible, federal agencies will be providing services only in English.

The Justice Department is also looking to eliminate initiatives from a Clinton-era executive order which introduced limited English proficiency programs.

The Trump administration said that LEPs often prioritized “multilingualism over English proficiency among new Americans” and “could impede assimilation and strain resources.”

Therefore, the government is suspending operations of the LEP.gov website and will stop any letters, videos, or other training materials from being produced. These are likely to be replaced with new ones that reflect Trump’s executive order….

The DO left room for the idea that some federal agencies could deem it “mission critical” to have some second-language services. If that were the case, they would need to include a “clear note that English is the official language and authoritative version of all federal information.”

Morgan Sweeney, a staff writer for The Center Square, authored an article that was published at The Daily Signal. Her article also discussed Trump’s March 1 executive order designating English as the official language in the United States and the guidelines recently issued by the Department of Justice. 

DOJ instructions directed federal agencies to “enhance access to federal programs for less proficient English speakers.” The instructions were also to “consider English-only services and embrace translation-assistance technologies where possible to save on the cost of translation services.”

“Where allowed by law, agencies should determine which of their programs, grants, and policies might serve the public at large better if operated exclusively in English,” reads the DOJ memorandum.

Where another language is necessary, agencies must include a disclaimer that English is still the official language of the U.S. and “the authoritative version of all federal information.”

The order has been touted as a streamlining and unifying measure, reducing the need for translation services across the whole government and bringing people together through a shared language.

“The Department of Justice ensures that while we respect linguistic diversity, our federal resources will prioritize English proficiency to empower new Americans and strengthen civic unity,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon.

Where agencies find savings, they’re to consider redirecting those funds to programs furthering English language learning and assimilation.

I support Trump and his administration in this decision. Long before Barack Obama and his henchmen tried to “fundamentally transform” America, I heard Dr. Michael Savage discuss the phrase “Borders, Language, & Culture” on his radio show. In October 2023, Greg Marks Martinsburg discussed the motto of Savage and why it is important. 

In his motto, Savage contended that without borders, anyone can come into America and take up residence (illegally) and expect the same benefits as legal citizens and natural-born citizens. He said, “Without borders, there is no country!” [We saw the truthfulness of this statement over the past four years of the Joe Biden administration.]

As far as language is concerned, he indicated that without a clear and common language (and I would most wholeheartedly assume he meant English), there is at best – confusion. I would add that without a common language there also is a diminished quality in clarity and mutual understanding. [I would add that allowing multiple languages increases the costs because all forms, sites, etc. would have to be produced in multiple languages.]

Savage’s view on culture refers to a long existing (since America’s founding) Judaeo-Christian society with the keeping of biblical principal (and all that goes with it).

To paraphrase, without God, there is no freeman.

I, for one, hope that “press 1 for English does go away” because of Trump’s executive order. In a nation with English as the official language, messages should appear in English. If other languages must be available, they should be the ones that someone needs to “press 1” to use.

Did Trump Make the Correct Decision in Operation Midnight Hammer?

On June 22, 2025, seven B-2 Spirit bombers traveled about 36 hours round trip from Whiteman AFB, Missouri, and dropped 14 bunker buster bombs – officially known as GBU-57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrators – on Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordo nuclear sites. The sites were softened by Israeli strikes in preparation for the bombs, and the bombers were supported by 30 Tomahawk Attack Missiles fired from an Ohio-class guided-missile nuclear submarine. 

Mark Levin recently claimed that Trump made the correct decision when he ordered bomb’s to be dropped on Iran’s nuclear facilities. If Operation Midnight Hammer did not completely destroy the nuclear facilities, the “military strikes successfully crippled Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons,” according to an article by the Blaze TV staff. However, the Iranian regime continues to threaten the West because the hatred cannot be eliminated. The following comments are from Levin: 

“Their mindsets don’t change. They’re in a forever war against us,” says Mark Levin.

On July 4, this was proven when Iranian cleric Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami delivered a prayer sermon in Tehran, during which he explicitly called for the execution of President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under Sharia law, framing it as a religious obligation….

“The ruling regarding Trump and Netanyahu, according to the Sharia, is that the pair of them should be executed,” Khatami said to a crowd that roared back, “Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Khamenei is the leader! Death to those who oppose the rule of the jurisprudent! Death to America! Death to England! Death to the hypocrites and the infidels! Death to Israel!”

“They deserve the death penalty according to three articles of the Sharia. First, they have murdered: 55,000 people have been killed in Gaza, and you killed our martyr Qasem Soleimani. You are murderers, and you need to be punished. Second, you are  oppressors, and third, you are sowing corruption upon the land, and you are fighting God and His messenger,” Khatami added.

“So death to England, death to America, death to Israel, death to anybody who doesn’t agree with them,” sighs Levin.

“We’ve never heard that before, have we?” he asks sarcastically.

As for the claim that 55,000 have been killed in Gaza, Levin calls it a baldfaced lie.

“Of course, 55,000 have not been killed in Gaza, and those who have been killed, you have a significant percentage of them who are terrorists, and then most of the rest have been killed because of what Hamas has done,” he corrects. “And of course, if [Hamas] hadn’t started a war in the first place, nobody would be dead.”

Even though Iran is poised to negotiate with the United States about restricting its nuclear program, Levin warns that we need to be prepared for what is essentially inevitable: They will try to rebuild because while their nuclear power can be quelled, their hatred for the West cannot.

Who Is Charlie Kirk?

My VIP for this week is Charlie Kirk, conservative political activist, author, and media personality who is best known for founding Turning Point USA, a prominent conservative student organization. He was only 18 years old when he co-founded Turning Point USA (TPUSA), an organization that promotes conservative values among students on college campuses. Turning Point USA operates on 3,500 campuses and has a membership of more than 650,000 students. Kirk was instrumental in turning out the young adult vote for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

I chose Kirk for my VIP for this week because he is active in a movement to replace “Shallow, performative politicians” with conservative leadership” that loves America more than “the money or accolades associated with” politics. Blaze TV recently interviewed Kirk who made the following statements. 

“When we’re constantly trying to be held captive by ideology, it would be prudence, which would be practical judgment, and I think JD Vance embodies that incredibly well,” Turning Point USA CEO Charlie Kirk tells Blaze TV host and Blaze Media editor in chief Matthew Peterson on “Blaze News: The Mandate.”

“When you’re in elected office, you have to be prisoner to the party dogma and the political expectations of the time. For example, when President Trump entered into the political space 10 years ago,” he continues, “you would never be able to talk about a border wall, let alone mass deportations.”

“So, a true statesman is able to identify the problems and then, with the proper amount of moral courage and with precision, rhetorically be able to address these things and then move the Overton window,” he adds.

This is what separates the likes of Trump and Vance from the rest of the Republican Party, as they are “unafraid to challenge their own political dogma if it’s actually benefitting the nation or the body politic.”

And while many RINO politicians only take action for the optics, statesmen like Vance do it out of real concern for the country and the people – and young people are among those making the difference….

“If you’re young and you want to get involved in politics or being a [statesman], that means that you are likely forsaking making more money and more wealth in another field,” Kirk says. “The high-IQ, high-driven, virtuous people are now saying, ‘You know, okay, fine. I could go make $200 million at Goldman Sachs, but that’s not deep. That’s not fulfilling. Instead, I would rather go be a statesman.’”

            “These are people that could go make a ton of money elsewhere, which means that just                            monetary gain is not the most important. It’s not the driving factor or motivator of so many in                 this generation,” he continues…. 

Is It Moral to Deport Illegal Aliens from Our Nation?

The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday is the necessity to remove illegal immigrants in order to maintain national sovereignty. The Left – Democrats as well as others – are upset because the Trump administration is vigorously deporting illegal aliens, particularly criminal illegal immigrants. According to Virginia Allen at The Daily Signal, “mass deportation of illegal aliens is not new.” Allen continued as follows. 

The U.S. has been removing thousands of illegal immigrants every year since the 1800s, according to official Department of Homeland Security data.

Prior to the second Trump administration, the highest annual illegal immigrant-removal numbers reported were under the Obama administration, according to DHS figures.

During President Barack Obama’s eight years in the White House, about 3 million illegal aliens were deported from the U.S., with the highest number of removals in fiscal year 2013 at 432,334, averaging more than 36,000 a month.

Between being sworn in on Jan. 20 and June 30, more than 239,000 illegal aliens have been deported under President Donald Trump, Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary, told The Daily Signal in an email Monday [July 14, 2025]. On average, about 47,000 illegal aliens have been deported each month since Trump took office, breaking Obama’s record.

“Removals” constitute the “compulsory and confirmed movement of an inadmissible or deportable noncitizen out of the United States based on an order of removal,” according to the DHS.

Under the leadership of border czar Tom Homan and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, the Trump administration has arrested more than 273,000 illegal aliens, according to DHS. Numerous lawsuits and court ruling have, however, slowed removal.

“In the face of historic opposition from activist, liberal judges, President Trump is committed to carrying out the largest mass deportation operation in history to remove the millions of unvetted, illegal, criminal aliens that Joe Biden welcomed into our country,” Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, told The Daily Signal.

The recently passed “One Big, Beautiful Bill” will turbocharge the president’s deportation efforts by funding more ICE agents, expanded detention facilities, and more,” Jackson said, adding that illegal immigrants “should self-deport while they still have the opportunity.”

DHS is encouraging illegal aliens to self-deport, offering $1,000 to those who do and the hope of a potential legal path back to the U.S….

According to the latest polling [from] the Napolitan News Service, 57% of voters support Trump’s deportation efforts, while 39% disapprove.

How Does the Lord Lead Us?

My Come Follow Me Studies for this week took me to Doctrine and Covenants 77-80 in a lesson titled “I Will Lead You Along.” The lesson was introduced by the following information. 

Less than two years after the Church of Jesus Christ was restored, it had more than 2,000 members and was growing quickly. In March 1832, Joseph Smith met with other Church leaders “to discuss Church business”: the need to publish revelations, purchase land to gather on, and care for the poor (see Doctrine and Covenants 78, section heading). To meet these needs, the Lord called on a small number of Church leaders to form the United Firm, a group that would join their efforts to “advance the cause” of the Lord (verse 4) in these areas. But even in such administrative matters, the Lord focused on the things of eternity. Ultimately, the purpose of a printing press or a storehouse—like everything else in God’s kingdom—is to prepare His children to receive “a place in the celestial world” and “the riches of eternity” (verses 7, 18). And if those blessings are hard to comprehend right now, in the midst of the busyness of daily life, He reassures us, “Be of good cheer, for I will lead you along” (verse 18).

The scripture block contains several principles, including: (1) God gives knowledge to people who seek it (Doctrine and Covenants 77), (2) What was the United Firm? (Doctrine and Covenants 78), (3) I can help “advance the cause” of Christ and His Church (Doctrine and Covenants 78:1-7), (4) The Lord will lead me along (Doctrine and Covenants 78:17-18), (5) I can receive all things with thankfulness (Doctrine and Covenants 78:19), and (6) The call to serve God matters more than where I serve (Doctrine and Covenants 79-80).

This essay will discuss principle #3, “I can help ‘advance the cause’ of Christ and His Church” discussed in Doctrine and Covenants 78:1-7. Here are the applicable scripture verses.

1 The Lord spake unto Joseph Smith, Jun., saying: Hearken unto me, saith the Lord your God, who are ordained unto the high priesthood of my church, who have assembled yourselves together;

2 And listen to the counsel of him who has ordained you from on high, who shall speak in your ears the words of wisdom, that salvation may be unto you in that thing which you have presented before me, saith the Lord God.

3 For verily I say unto you, the time has come, and is now at hand; and behold, and lo, it must needs be that there be an organization of my people, in regulating and establishing the affairs of the storehouse for the poor of my people, both in this place and in the land of Zion—

4 For a permanent and everlasting establishment and order unto my church, to advance the cause, which ye have espoused, to the salvation of man, and to the glory of your Father who is in heaven;

5 That you may be equal in the bonds of heavenly things, yea, and earthly things also, for the obtaining of heavenly things.

6 For if ye are not equal in earthly things ye cannot be equal in obtaining heavenly things;

7 For if you will that I give unto you a place in the celestial world, you must prepare yourselves by doing the things which I have commanded you and required of you.

These verses reference caring for the poor and how the Church should be organized to help the poor. The cause of Christ and His Church refers to the purpose, plan, or mission of serving Christ and is the reason for our actions and service to God. The mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is four-fold: (1) perfecting the Saints, (2) preaching the gospel, (3) redeeming the dead, and (4) caring for those in need. You and I can advance the cause of Christ by laboring in the four areas of the mission of the Church of Jesus Christ.

I can help to perfect the Saints by teaching the principles of the gospel to my children, grandchildren, and other family members. I can also help to perfect the Saints by preparing faithfully to teach my Sunday School class composed of 15-18-year-old young men and young women and by fulfilling any other calling given to me through the bishop of my ward. In addition, I can work to perfect myself by prayer, scripture study, attendance at Sunday meetings, and temple attendance.

I am not able to go into the mission field to preach the gospel – a formal mission, but I can share the gospel in informal ways, such as sharing information about the Church of Jesus Christ in this blog or by answering questions from neighbors, medical personnel, or business associates. For example, a man and a woman came to my home last week to take measurements and pictures in preparation to redo our bathrooms. I have several Lego temples in my living room, and they had some questions about those temple replicas as well as the temple being built about one mile from my home.

I can help to redeem the dead by searching for family members who did not accept the gospel of Jesus Christ during their mortal life. Once I have the information, I can take their names to a temple and then function as a proxy in performing the necessary temple ordinances in their behalf. Serving in a temple helps to perfect me as well as to redeem family members.

I can help the poor and others in need by sharing my blessings with them. I do this best by paying tithes and offerings to the Church of Jesus Christ to be used in proving food and other necessities to those in need. I make my donations through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because I know that 100% of my donation will go to help those in need.