Border Control

Hmmm... its funny to think of writing on my blog about border control issues. However, last night I had a dream. In my dream someone was trying to kill us, so we were trying to flee the country and establish a home in South America. I instantly woke up from the dream (which I have come to learn, usually means the dream meant something). As I let my mind be open to the meaning of the dream, I had 4 thoughts on the subject.

1. In my mind I envisioned a very large wall being built around the borders of our country, to keep out evildoers and illegal immigrants, of course. I envisioned more security being placed on the wall, guards with guns, and electric fences. I then saw those guards and guns turn from fighting a battle outside of the wall, to fighting a battle within. It reminded me of Germany, it reminded me of days gone, but not forgotten, where people are prisoners in their own country. If we build such strong borders that no one can get in, what will happen if things in our country go sour and we can't get out! I also realized that the Patriot Act was just this sort of thing. We give up freedoms in order to protect ourselves. But we cannot always guarantee the virtue of our leaders, and so we may be giving ourselves to the enemy slowly by giving up our freedoms to "protect our country from terrorists". What if terrorists find their way to the top of our country, in the white house, and we have hemmed ourselves in, in the name of "protection".

2. I thought of the Nephites in the Book of Mormon. Specifically, the story of Moroni and his wonderful city fortifications. Obviously, this story has many meanings and spiritual dimensions, but what if one meaning is to remind us of the risks of hemming oneself in. Moroni had the cities fortified so well that it was extremely difficult to get in, and when the Laminates came they couldn't figure out how to get into the cities. But what was the greatest risk in fortifying the cities so well? It was the people within, more specifically, the king-men. When cities did fall prey to the Lamanites, it was very difficult to re-enter the cities and take them back. Maybe the Lord is trying to teach us something here.

3. Maybe as Americans we have forgotten who truly fights our battles. Our righteousness will determine the outcome of our battles. Righteousness is the real protection. Just as He fought the battle of the American Revolutionary War. A war fought by farmers. Sick and eating moldy, disgusting food, no armor, not much to protect them. While the British came with their uniforms and weapons. Don't you think the British should have won????? Why didn't the British win??? They had already taken so many other places in the world... Why could they not overtake these poor farmers??? Being righteous and having the Lord on your side is true protection. We are starting to look too much to the government to protect us and not enough to the Lord. He won the American Revolutionary War. He protects His own. There is no such thing as luck, this was a true miracle in history.

4. The founding fathers of our country understood the risks of having human leaders. People change from one day to the next, they change from one thought to the next. They can appear one thing, but be another. Our founding fathers took this into account as they formed the new inspired American government. We need to look to them for guidance and understanding. Their goal was to institute a government that not only protected the people from the world, but from itself. We should study their words and seek understanding from the Lord. He guided them and He will guide us.

Let us not give up so easily the freedoms afforded us by the lives of those gone before, the freedoms the Lord has given us.... for we are in the land of promise. Remember - Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence. 2 Nephi 4:4

If Zion will be terrible, and her enemies will fear to fight with her, yet she will not take up arms against her neighbor, it will be because she is righteous, she will have the Lord on her side. That is where I want to be. We don't need walls, we need the Lord, we need to be righteous.