You know, it's interesting you mention the KKK. I was thinking of them when I wrote the part about "Laws". The Grand Dragon Wizard, or whatever the big conehead is called, lives not 5 miles from where I live. The first weekend in August, they hold their White Pride Festival. This year, they had planned to march to town hall (it's in a little town called Osceola) in order to burn a cross. The residents of that community have zero tolerance for hate. So they had a year ago filed for a permit to hold a Tolerance Rally. There were vendors, a blood drive going etc. Because the residents had already gotten permission for their rally, the KKK was ordered, by the court, to NOT burn their cross. Of course, the old Loy boys threatened violation of their Constitutional right to free speech, but no one bought it.
Then, in the paper the next day, the media reported the lower than usual attendance at the White Pride thing. Not even 100 people showed up, but those who did came from all over the country. Their compound is right on the county line between St. Joseph and Elkhart County. I live in St. Joe, and teach in Elkhart, so the kids I teach, many whom are biracial, Hispanic, and black, have been harrassed and persecuted by these idiots. One family, who adopted all their kids, even got threats because of their biracial son. I'll tell you, when I heard that, I was shocked. I'd had the kid in 6th grade and didn't even realize he was anything but an ornery kid. Hate is learned. Period. In order to change one's thinking, one has to really want to. I grew up in a very racist home. My dad, whom I consider to be an elect man, was extremely prejudice. I never understood it and even questioned it as a child. My dad died 23 years ago. Then, a couple years ago, my aunt (Dad's sister) died, and my cousin moved back here from San Diego. She filled me in on many family stories. The most horrifying to me was finding out that when my grandfather died, the KKK came to collect his robes. He was one of them. Then it all made sense. My father, in spite if his imperfections, had improved my lot, because he was not KKK, even though he was still racist. Tom and I raised our children to be less racist than we were raised. It was a conscious thing. I still have thoughts and sometimes, when I'm angry, words slip out. I don't like it. Fortunately, my children, now, call me to repentance. They are better than I. Hopefully they will raise their children to be even less racist and eventually the cycle of prejudice will end for my line. I can only hope and pray. This is the same pattern we see repeated in the Book of Mormon. The sins of the fathers. . .in the case of our local KKK, it is a father/son thing. Railton Loy and Richard Loy. I had a Loy child in my class who, last time I saw her, was in alternative school and trying to make sense of her life. Sad. At one time, one of the Loy's jumped on one of the school busses that his child was supposed to ride. He ordered all black and Hispanic kids off the bus because his kid wasn't going to ride with anything but white kids. Of course, he was removed and arrested because the bus driver refused his request. I know this is long, but I guess what I'm trying to show is that, yes, even with laws, it will still happen. I don't think, though, that the persecution will have the backing of the government as it did in the days of Boggs. At least not overtly. In fact, I think the persecution this time will be more subtle, and because of the subversiveness, potentially more destructive than the mobs. Satan is no fool. He had the mobs attack the earlier Saints where it hurt--food, housing, clothing etc. Now, he uses media etc. to attack families, our youth, etc. Read President Hinckley's priesthood address from October 2000. It left an impression on me. Here's the link http://www.lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-138-22,00.html That is why we must prove ourselves by exercising faith, gaining testimony, standing firm on the rock of the gospel. Our pioneer ancestors have already proven that we can stand together as a people, now we have to prove we can stand alone as a covenant people of Christ. val On Fri, 8 Aug 2003 21:52:07 -0500 [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > Even though our country has laws against certain forms of > persecution > (would it fall under "hate crimes"?), I believe that when it comes > to the > Saints, those laws will be ignored. I believe that any breaking of > those > laws will be overlooked, much as KKK activities were overlooked for > so > long. Laws or no laws, we are going to be persecuted. I believe > that it > has already begun, though not yet widespread. > > Faith, like Pres. Hinckley said, is the key. With faith, I can feel > pity > for those who have persecuted the Saints and will yet persecute > because > eventually they are going to have to pay a terrible price and they > don't > even know it. What a terrible surprise that will be. If I have > faith, if > I truly live the gospel, what of any eternal significance can happen > to me? > > Just my two cents' worth... > Heidi the fair > > > > > > [Original Message] > > From: Valerie Nielsen Williams <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Date: 8/8/2003 4:32:27 PM > > Subject: Re: [ZION] The Exodus from Nauvoo > > > > The feelings then are still present today. I have been to Nauvoo > twice > > in the past year, and both times met up with people who absolutely > hate > > us. I'm not sure they even know why they do, except it has been > taught > > to them to hate. As I stood looking across the mighty > Mississippi, I > > tried to imagine the Saints crossing with wagons and horses. It > was > > incomprehensible to me. I get nervous driving over that river on > a > > bridge. Then, on the Iowa side, I looked over and saw what the > Saints > > must have seen--the beautiful Nauvoo temple, shining and > beautiful. I > > cannot begin to imagine what it must have been like to work so > hard to > > build that edifice, only to have to leave it behind. In fact, it > was > > finished and dedicated after many Saints had already left Nauvoo. > I > > can't be so sure that I would not have stayed behind with > Emma--she had > > already suffered so much loss. > > > > It is unfortunate that such hatred exists--but it did then and it > still > > does. If anyone read the article link I sent the other day, then > you > > know that such hatred still exists. A few months ago we discussed > here, > > briefly, Pres. Hinckley's allusion to our season of relative > comfort > > coming to an end. At the April 2001 General Conference, he > mentioned the > > relative peace we lived in, and the fact there were no big wars. > Of > > course we know what happened less than a month before the Oct > 2001 > > conference. At that conference GBHinckley talked very strongly > about the > > evil that still exists in the world today. He emphasized over and > over > > the value of our testimonies and faith. Especially our faith. > > > > I still remember hearing him speak and thinking to myself that we > are > > going to, again, be a persecuted people. I doubt it will be in > the same > > manner it was then--our country has laws now against such things, > but I > > believe it will happen nonetheless. I still have people who have > known > > me for years give me the strangest look and turn their backs when > they > > find out I am a Mormon. I much prefer those who find out and joke > with > > me about which wife I am. At least I have something on which to > build. > > But those who say nothing and just walk away. . . > > > > my 2cents > > val > > > > > > On Fri, 08 Aug 2003 11:48:36 -0800 "John W. Redelfs" > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > > I've been reading THE STORY OF THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS by James B. > > > > Allen and > > > Glen M. Leonard, and I just read the part where the saints were > > > > forced to > > > leave Nauvoo in February, 1846, months before their planned > > > departure in > > > April. I was especially moved by the story of the saints who > were > > > too poor > > > to make the trek, but who were forced across the river > > > nevertheless. Reading this history, I just can't help feeling > a > > > deep > > > resentment towards the American people who either persecuted the > > > > saints or > > > looked the other way while they were persecuted. > > > > > > Over a thousand saints died on the trail that first winter, the > > > > winter of > > > 1846-47. Disgusting. > > > > > > > > > John W. Redelfs [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > =========================================== > > > "There is no place in this work for those who believe only > > > in the gospel of doom and gloom. The gospel is good > > > news. It is a message of triumph." --Gordon B. Hinckley > > > =========================================== > > > All my opinions are tentative pending further data. --JWR > > > > > > > > > ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > > ///// > > > /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// > > > /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// > > > > > > ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > > //// > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. > > 互户互户互户互户互户互 > > > > ________________________________________________________________ > > The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! > > Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! > > Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! > > > > > ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// /// > // > > /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// > > /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// > > > ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// /// > / > > ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ///// > /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// > /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// > ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// //// > > > > > .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. 互户互户互户互户互户互 ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// --^---------------------------------------------------------------- This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aaP9AU.bWix1n.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html --^----------------------------------------------------------------
