Watchmen on the Towers

            We live in a strange and wicked world, and we are seeing things happen that have never happened before in our nation. Never before has a former President of the United States set up camp in Washington, D.C., with the intent to make governing difficult for the new President. Never before has a President of the United States charged a former President with spying on him. Yet, these things are happening right before our eyes. What do they mean?

            I believe they are examples of the wickedness of the last days. Many men and women have worked in the dark to benefit themselves and their cronies. Now their actions are being brought into the light for the entire world to see. Of course, they do not want their shameful works to be known and are doing all in their power to keep their evil acts secret. They are not concerned that their actions may be destructive to the Constitution or the nation. They are simply working to save their own skins. It. will be interesting to see what kind of muck will be found when the swamp of Washington, D.C., is drained.

            Meanwhile, we have “watchmen” on the “towers” to warn us of dangers. One such watchman is President Thomas S. Monson. Fifty years ago then-Elder Monson said, “Today, we are encamped against the greatest array of sin, vice, and evil ever assembled before our eyes” (“Correlation Brings Blessings,” Relief Society Magazine, April 1967, 247).

            Another watchman on the tower, even President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor to President Monson, quotes the above statement and then states, “Would you be surprised to learn that President Monson uttered those words 50 years ago? If we were encamped against an unprecedented array of wickedness back then, how much more so does evil threaten us today? For good reason, the Lord has proclaimed of our dispensation, `Behold, the enemy is combined’ (Doctrine and Covenants 38:12).” 

            President Eyring continues by reminding his readers that this war against “unprecedented” wickedness is not a new war, but one that started in our pre-earth life. Satan lost that battle and was kicked out of heaven. The influence of Satan and those who follow him are in our world today, and they are still fighting against righteousness. “He wars against the prophets and apostles. He wars against the law of chastity and the sanctity of marriage. He wars against the family and the temple. He wars against what is good, holy, and sacred.”

            A third watchman on the tower, even President Gordon B. Hinckley, shares some ideas on how to oppose evil in our lives and in the world around us. His first suggestion is that we start with ourselves. “Reformation of the world begins with reformation of self…. We cannot hope to influence others in the direction of virtue unless we live lives of virtue. The example of our living will carry a greater influence than will all the preaching in which we might indulge. We cannot expect to lift others unless we stand on higher ground ourselves.” This is a great idea. Even though we can be influences for good in others, we can control only ourselves.

            President Hinckley’s second point is: “A better tomorrow begins with the training of a better generation. This places upon parents the responsibility to do a more effective work in the rearing of children. The home is the cradle of virtue, the place where character is formed and habits are established.” God knows – and so does Satan – that the way to change the world is to teach the rising generation the principles they need to become the world that you want.

            With his third point President Hinckley teaches: “The building of public sentiment begins with a few earnest voices.” He continues by explaining that “we should earnestly and sincerely and positively express our convictions to those given the heavy responsibility of making and enforcing our laws.” “The Silent Majority” is a term coined years ago to include a large group of American citizens who did not protest and make themselves heard. According to President Hinckley, we can no longer be silent. If the majority does not make their voices heard, the minority will appear to be the majority.

            President Hinckley’s fourth point is: “Strength to do battle begins with enlisting the strength of God. He is the source of all true power.” He quotes the Apostle Paul’s statement to the Ephesians:

   Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

   For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

   Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand (Ephesians 6:10-13).

            Then-Elder Monson issued his warning in 1967, President Hinckley issued his warning in 2004, and President Eyring issued his warning this month. The warnings are all the same. We live in a world with ever-increasing wickedness, even “spiritual wickedness in high places.” It is flooding all around us. How do we battle such wickedness? We take upon us the full armour of God and live our lives as He would have us do. We let our voices be heard in opposing wickedness and supporting righteousness. We are no longer the Silent Majority, but we are soldiers for righteousness and truth. We are on the Lord’s side in this battle against the creatures who work in darkness in an effort to destroy goodness.

Watchmen on the Towers

                A certain parable from the scriptures has been on my mind for a number of days and is still haunting me today.  I decided that there must be a good reason why I continue to ponder this parable about watchmen on the towers and decided to share my thoughts about it.  I first studied this parable many years ago but was aware of its principles before studying it.  Isaiah wrote about the importance of having watchmen on the towers (Isaiah 52:8) as did numerous other prophets.  This parable was revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1833 at a time when the newly organized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was suffering great persecution in Missouri.

                “A certain nobleman had a spot of land, very choice; and he said unto his servants:  Go ye unto my vineyard, even upon this very choice piece of land, and plant twelve olive-trees;

                “And set watchmen round about them, and build a tower, that one may overlook the land round about, to be a watchman upon the tower, that mine olive-trees may not be broken down when the enemy shall come to spoil and take upon themselves the fruit of my vineyard.

                “Now, the servants of the nobleman went and did as their lord commanded them, and planted the olive-trees, and built a hedge round about, and set watchmen, and began to build a tower.

                “And while they were yet laying the foundation thereof, they began to say among themselves:  And what need hath my lord of this tower?

                “And consulted for a long time, saying among themselves:  What need hath my lord of this tower, seeing this is a time of peace?         “Might not this money be given to the exchangers?  For there is no need of these things.

                “And while they were at variance one with another they became very slothful, and they hearkened not unto the commandments of their lord.

                “And the enemy came by night, and broke down the hedge; and the servants of the nobleman arose and were affrighted, and fled; and the enemy destroyed their works, and broke down the olive-trees.

                “Now, behold, the nobleman, the lord of the vineyard, called upon his servants, and said unto them, Why!  What is the cause of this great evil?

                “Ought ye not to have done even as I commanded you, and – after ye had planted the vineyard, and built the hedge round about, and set watchmen upon the walls thereof – built the tower also, and set a watchman upon the tower, and watched for my vineyard, and not have fallen asleep, lest the enemy should come upon you?

                “And behold, the watchman upon the tower would have seen the enemy while he was yet afar off; and then ye could have made ready and kept the enemy from breaking down the hedge thereof, and saved my vineyard from the hands of the destroyer” (Doctrine and Covenants 101:45-54).

                This parable refers to spiritual safety.  We have been blessed with prophets, apostles and other spiritual leaders who warn us of spiritual dangers.  Over the past couple of weeks I have come to realize that there are other watchmen on towers to whom we should listen.  We can use the above parable as a pattern in finding some of the watchmen of our day.

                God preserved America, a “spot of land” that is “very choice.”  He inspired his “servants” – the Founders of this nation and the Framers of the United States Constitution – on how to keep his “olive-trees” – the inhabitants of this land – safe.  The Founders and the Framers did their work, and they did it well.  They established a brand new kind of government that put “watchmen” on the “towers”  - our Constitution and honorable leaders.  These “watchmen” have shouted out warnings over the years, and the United States has withstood its “enemies” for over two hundred years.

                The problems of our day were caused by people – Presidents and Congresses – who should have been watching for enemies and doing those things necessary to protect us.  It appears that they have forgotten their purpose and are colluding with the enemy or simply looking out for themselves.  They are definitely “asleep” or have already “fled.”

                There are however still watchmen on the towers trying to warn us of danger and lead us to safety.  Some of these watchmen are Senators Mike Lee and Ted Cruz.  Other watchmen are on duty in the House of Representatives.  Still other watchmen are in non-governmental towers such as Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, and Glenn Beck who are sending their warnings over the Internet and airways.  There are many other watchmen who see the “enemies” all around us – Obamacare, the national debt, the open borders, etc. – and are crying out their warnings. 

                To which group of watchmen do we listen?  Do we listen to the ones who are calling out the dangers or do we listen to the other group mocking those who are trying to save our nation?

                Cindy Simpson believes that Ted Cruz is our Tilly Smith.   Tilly was on vacation in Thailand in 2004 when she recognized the signs of the approaching tsunami and called out a warning.  She saved over one hundred lives because they listened to her.

                “We can imagine that many of the sunscreen-lathered beachgoers were at first annoyed by Tillie’s bold interruption, and might even have called her a `wacko bird.’  Some may have been initially so irritated by her family’s warning, ruining their little slice of paradise in the sand – that they saw not a heroine, but an impudent little girl; or worse, called her names like `short-sighted fraud,’ `terrorist,’ `extremist,’ or `snake-oil salesman.’  Even though others could have observed the very same signs, they may not have recalled their own geography studies, and likely hesitated to heed Tilly’s alarm – wanting first to take a quick opinion poll from the rest of the in-crowd.

                “One doesn’t need to recall simple math or economics lessons from school to hear and recognize the ugly sucking sound emanating from our nation’s 17-plus trillion dollar debt clock….

                “Rather than look out beyond their microphones, up from opinion pieces, or outside the beltway cocktail party circuit to glance at that clock – many who should know better were annoyed at Senator Cruz’s interruption of their fantasy world.  And a fantasy it is – to believe that everything would be just swell if Cruz and his Tea Party fans would only shut up and get with the establishment program.

                “Even worse, although Cruz is armed with much more wisdom and credentials than a ten-year-old who aced a geography quiz, he didn’t receive much assistance form his family of fellow GOP-ers in the Senate.  Most were embarrassed at his audacious rocking of the boat and strived to distance themselves from him.  Instead of echoing his warnings, they huddled with the opposition and flung out a few insults of their own.

                “Along with the mainstream media, even some conservative pundits insist Cruz’s strategy and the shutdown resulted in a failure for Republicans and a political win for Obama and the Democrats.  Practically all the coverage and articles focused on that spin and the political fallout.  Rare has been the speaker, commentator, or writer who looks up and out over the horizon, past their noses and laptops, to notice, much less address – the very real disaster lurking there:  a tsunami that will spread well beyond Washington politics, reaching deeply into our pocketbooks and those of generations to come, while flooding the private spaces of our doctor’s examining rooms….”

                Tilly Smith was a “watchman on a tower” and was able to save many people from the tsunami.  There are watchmen on the towers of our nation who are warning us about the economic and political “tsunami” that is quickly approaching.  Will we listen and run to safety – or will we join the mockers?