By USN Columnist Morgan Philpot / Jul 6, 2020

Regardless of a person’s religious belief and conviction, ancient scripture holds a uniquely prophetic ability to predict the future through the observations and stories of past religious societies and cultures who have tried to live up to their highest ideals. For this reason, reading ancient scripture today can sometimes feel like reading an intellectually-honest contemporary op-ed.

These ancient stories teach us that these past societies have, through great struggles and trials, built new governments, conquered lands and obtained great prosperity. However, over time, great blessings can often lead to great pride, corruption and DENIAL.

Often, in these stories, God’s judgments begin to fall upon corrupted and recalcitrant societies; and He will almost always bring these judgments upon His own people first. The Latter-day Saint people unabashedly claim to be God’s chosen people of the last days. I also believe that this is true. However, being called as God’s people is NOT a calling to great power, fame and wealth. It is a calling to be the servant of all as represented in the Savior’s willingness to literally wash the feet of his disciples on the eve of the Crucifixion and Atonement.

Latter-day Saints of Utah – We are supposed to be the salt and stewards of this refuge in the top of the mountains, and our savor is almost gone. Isn’t is apparent that the scriptures we profess are calling us (LDS Utahns) to repentance for our failure to maintain this refuge in liberty found in the Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi?

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