The Standard of Truth

I have always loved keeping up on current events. Since my 10^th grade Social Studies class I have made a habit of checking the top local and world news stories almost every day.  I feel doing this has helped shape a bit of who I am today. Over the past year, the two most reoccurring news stories that have really affected me are the fight to redefine marriage and the effects of ISIS. These two issues may seem unrelated to some but for me, they have come together and I will explain why.

I memorized “The Standard of Truth” when I was 15 years old and it has been something that has stuck with me word for word, many years later. The Standard of Truth was written by the prophet Joseph Smith and it reads:

 “The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done” (History of the Church, 4:540).

I feel The Standard of Truth applies to every single one of us in many aspects of our lives today. Currently, there are hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world who are living in fear for their lives and experiencing great persecutions due to their religious beliefs. The words “mobs may combine, armies may assemble” have a whole new meaning to me when I hear of the countless stories of radical Islamist groups terrorizing Christians in the Middle East and Northern Africa and the Christians in North Korea who are experiencing crimes against humanity similar to the unthinkable tortures that occurred to the Jews in Auschwitz. Hundreds of thousands of Christians have been misplaced and have fled persecution and it is all happening right before our eyes! 

Vatican spokesman Monsieur Silvano Maria Tomassi said while addressing the United Nations Human Rights Council, "Credible research has reached the shocking conclusion that an estimate of more than 100,000 Christians are violently killed (annually) because of some relation to their faith every year." 

Andrew White, an Anglican priest known as the “Vicar of Baghdad,” has seen violence and persecution against Christians unprecedented in recent decades and tells a story of a family in Iraq. This story is not an isolated event but exemplifies what so many Christians are experiencing daily in certain regions of the world. White told of a Father who called him crying wondering if Jesus would still love him after he made the decision to say the words of converting to Islam. ISIS showed up at this father’s door and told him to convert to Islam or all his children would be killed. The father said he couldn’t see his children killed so he said the words the group of radical Islamist men wanted to hear. A few days later, ISIS showed up and spoke directly to the children, 4 of them all being under the age of 15. They were told to say the words of conversion and the children’s responses were, “No, we love Yeshua (Jesus). We have always loved Jesus. We have always followed Jesus and Jesus has always been with us.” ISIS then, beheaded all 4 children. These children were truly converted Christians.

I know these things are hard to read but the fact is, these stories are happening daily. I have so much respect for these Christians who remind me of the believing men, women and children in the Book of Mormon who were taught by Alma and Amulek and were cast into a fire and burned for their beliefs.

 

We are living in similar times as the scripture stories we have known since our youth. Now is the time to stand and do all we can to show our faith in our Heavenly Father’s plan. We may not have to worry about ISIS showing up at our doors to give us an ultimatum of denouncing our Christian beliefs or die but we will face persecutions of our own. We will be persecuted for our beliefs in the importance of keeping the word of wisdom and staying true to our moral values. We will also face great persecution from people on our beliefs in upholding the sanctity of marriage. The question is, will we be strong enough in our convictions and firmly planted in our knowledge of the doctrine of the gospel to withstand the persecutions that surely will come? 

I can only hope the next time we feel too tired or busy to study the scriptures, attend church meetings or serve someone in need that we can remember those people who would do anything to have a safe place to worship and attend religious meetings without facing serious persecutions or death. Many people throughout the world need our prayers and support. It’s time to show our bravery in defending the leaders of our church and the teachings of the scriptures. Persecutions are raging. Calumny and lies are attempting to defame. But in the years to come, the truth of God must go “forth boldly, nobly, and independent.”