LDS Church Changes Pres Benson's Talk

Post Reply
User avatar
F-35
Posts: 240
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2021 11:44 pm

LDS Church Changes Pres Benson's Talk

Post by F-35 »

This post was taken from another forum. The original is here: https://ldsfreedomforum.com/viewtopic.p ... 5#p1342115

LDS Church Changes Pres Benson's Talk
Post by investigator » January 18th, 2023, 3:08 pm

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/stu ... s?lang=eng

I was doing some research on the great conspiracy and was told that President Benson gave a talk on it in the 1972 April Conference (see link above) as I was told it contained statements against communism. When I searched the text of the talk I found no mention of communism. I then listened to the talk as I followed along with the text. It was then that I discovered that the text of the talk had been completely changed deleting many references to communism and many other very important things and references to books Pres Benson recommended reading. I have copied the relevant portions of the text and underlined the words that were added and put in red the words that were taken out. The part where the significant changes are made starts at 10:12 of the video. I guess he died before they had him redo the video of his talk.. Do you think this is an honest retelling of history?
Another guideline given by the First Presidency was “to support good and conscientious candidates, of either party, who are aware of the great dangers” facing the free world. inherent in communism. The position of this church on the subject of communism has never changed. We consider it the greatest satanical threat to the peace prosperity and spread of God's work among man that exists on the face of the earth. Deseret News, November 2, 1964.)

Fortunately we have materials to help us face these threatening dangers this great threat such as President McKay's booklet of the statements on communism and the constitution of the United States, Cleon Skousen's book The Naked Communist which we are advised to read. in the writings of President David O. McKay and other church leaders. Some other fine sources books by LDS authors attempting to awaken and inform us of our duty are: Prophets, Principles, and National Survival (Jerreld L. Newquist), Many Are Called But Few Are Chosen (H. Verlan Andersen), and The Elders of Israel and the Constitution (Jerome Horowitz).

But the greatest handbook for freedom in this fight against communism and other evils is the Book of Mormon.
This leads me to the second great civic standard for the Saints. For in addition to our inspired Constitution, we have the scriptures.

Joseph Smith said that the Book of Mormon was the “keystone of our religion” and the “most correct” book on earth. (DHC, vol. 6, p. 56.) This most correct book on earth states that the downfall of two great American civilizations came as a result of secret conspiracies whose desire was to overthrow the freedom of the people. “And they have caused the destruction of this people of whom I am now speaking,” says Moroni, “and also the destruction of the people of Nephi.” (Ether 8:21.)

Now undoubtedly Moroni could have pointed out many factors that led to the destruction of the people, but notice how he singled out the secret combinations, just as the Church today could point out many threats to peace, prosperity, and the spread of God’s work, but it has singled out the greatest threat as the godless conspiracy. There is no conspiracy theory in the Book of Mormon—it is a conspiracy fact. And along this line I would highly recommend to you an new book entitled None Dare Call it Conspiracy by Gary Allen.
Then Moroni speaks to us in this day and says, “Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you. …” (Ether 8:24.)

The Book of Mormon further warns that “whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold they shall be destroyed. …” (Ether 8:22.) [By the way, after the word destroyed you hear a clap of thunder on the video audio]

This scripture should alert us to what is ahead unless we repent, because there is no question but that our Nation is increasingly upholding the communist conspiracy today. as people of the free world, we are increasingly upholding many of the evils of the adversary today. By court edict godless conspirators communists can run for government office, teach in our schools, hold office in labor unions, work in our defense plants, serve in our merchant marines, etc and so forth. As a nation, we are helping it would seem to underwrite communist many evil revolutionaries in our country.
Now we are assured that the Church will remain on the earth until the Lord comes again—but at what price? The Saints in the early days were assured that Zion would be established in Jackson County, but look at what their unfaithfulness cost them in bloodshed and delay.

President Clark warned us that “we stand in danger of losing our liberties, and that once lost, only blood will bring them back; and once lost, we of this church will, in order to keep the Church going forward, have more sacrifices to make and more persecutions to endure than we have yet known. …” (CR, April 1944, p. 116.) And he stated that if the conspiracy communism “comes here it will probably come in its full vigor and there will be a lot of vacant places among those who guide and direct, not only this government, but also this Church of ours.” (CR, April 1952.)
Post Reply