They, the Builders of Our Nation

They, the builders of our nation—
What nation will they build?
Will it be as good as promised?
Will it be as good as billed?

There are those of us who doubt.
There are those of us who fear.
We look at the current builders of our nation
And know they will not take us there.

To Make It a Beacon City, Do the Things That Will Make It a Beacon City

    I wrote and posted this six years ago:

  Do we look at scripture and suggest that Utah might become a place where all nations will come? I wonder, if we were to want to help bring this to pass, what would we do to bring the world to the Salt Lake Valley?
  That passage in Isaiah, where it says that in the last days, "the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains," does it not end with, "and all nations shall flow unto it"?
  I don't know that it is doctrine -- this belief that Isaiah 2:2-3 is speaking of the Salt Lake Valley -- but, it is certainly a common belief among the people, whether official doctrine or not.
  In our modern world, much of the travel -- when you are going from one nation to another -- is by airplane. So, if you are to have all nations flowing unto you, many of them are likely to be arriving by plane.
  If you were to want all nations to flow unto you, then build the things that bring the air passengers, do the things that will cause all the world to fly into Salt Lake City International Airport.
  Maybe they will come naturally. Maybe they will come simply because the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is here, simply coming to see it, to learn its ways.
  But, I see no wrong with planning. I see no wrong in laying plans to make this valley the world's beacon city. Planning is a plus. Sometimes, goals aren't achieved unless you make the plans that get you there and do the leg work that allows your goals to be achieved.
    So, the world's visitors largely travel by airplane in these latter days? And, surrounding our airport we have a vast stretch of undeveloped land? In all the time since Brigham Young arrived here, the land to the west has gone undeveloped. Such a happenstance; Such a fortune. Has ever a city thought to place the things that bring visitors right next its airport? Convenience, they call it. Location, location, location.
   Decide who you want to attract, and built the things they will come for. Tourism? Surely, surely so. All of the world's visitors are tourists, of sorts. But, sort them out. Just as Las Vegas attracts one set of tourists and Branson a little different set, set your sights on who you want.
  Maybe you just want to attract them, and then let them hear your message once they arrive. If so, make the Salt Lake Valley the home of sporting tournaments, hobby festivals, and conventions. Have the facilities necessary, and go after the gatherings of bird-watchers, chess players, fiddle players and all else. Invite associations to have their conventions here, and create your own events. No reason Salt Lake City needs to wait for the United State Chess Federation to bring a tournament here. It can set up its own chess tournaments.
   And, quilting gatherings, and horseshoe tournaments and model train confabs.
   The scripture says the latter-day location will be "exalted above the hills." Why not seek to make this area a place the world comes for commerce, and government, and education?
   One possible idea is to make this a place where issues are discussed. Bring in authorities and experts and politicians and scientists to discuss the world's issues and needs. Bring in, as well, the common people for similar discussions and studies. Make it so convenient to come and participate that all the world comes. Have it so convenient that they can fly in one day, and take a walk or a shuttle to a symposium just to the west of the airport -- and then fly out that very same day. No taxi or hotel required. The price of your airfare is the price of your visit.
   Say a news story breaks -- as it did this past week -- suggesting that one of the most effective ways of fighting greenhouse carbons is to plant trees in every spot worldwide that you can. Bring in the experts who are suggesting this. Invite a few Congress members. Invite other experts. Invite in those who do not believe in climate change. Have them all sit down and discuss the proposal. Have a large auditorium (separated from the stage by bullet-proof glass to protect the participants) where public from around the world can come in and listen and perhaps even offer input.
   Utah can become a place where governing matters are weighed. It can become a beacon city in so many ways. But, becoming a city such as I've described is not likely to happen unless you plan it to happen.

In Utah, There Is This Controversy Over Water

In Utah, there is controversy. It's dry. Little moisture is being released from the sky above. The governor seeing the problem, has asked the people to fast and pray for rain. 

And in that setting, there comes an editorial from the Salt Lake Tribune. Seventy-five percent of the water is swallowed up by agriculture concerns. Seventy-five percent! 

"We could let every lawn turn brown, every golf course and park dry to a crisp, drink imported beer instead of water and wash our clothes in turpentine and we would have only a tiny impact on our water situation," says the editorial

I am not among those who think it wrong to fast and pray. Appealing to God is a worthy thing. I try to remember the outcome the last time Gov. Cox asked us to pray. If memory serves, it seems we did get the moisture we petitioned the Lord for. 

Still, the Tribune is correct. We do live in a desert. Agriculture is necessary for the survival of the planet, but that doesn't mean every place on earth is suited for farming. We should be wise enough to realize Utah might not be such a place. Thanks to the Trib for the solid nudge that direction.

I appreciate the editorial pointing out the old adage: 

“Pray as though everything depended on God; act as though everything depended on you.”

All I have said leaves one important fact undiscussed: As LDS people, we have been taught that the desert will blossom as a rose. That is scripture (Isaiah 35:1). It is prophecy. Does it apply to Utah? I think it does. Does it mean we should go ahead and cultivate the land and trust the Lord to supply us with water? Perhaps, perhaps.

 In 24 Hours

In 24 hours ending on July 1,
Almost a thousand soldiers were killed.
These were Russian soldiers,
And that much of their blood was spilled.

Bless the human beings,
Those of every land.
We mourn and cry in anguish
When they're buried in the sand.

Nine hundred seventy lives were lost,
Nine hundred seventy laid in their graves.
War is diabolical,
And those who bring it on are knaves.

Russia has a president—
Vladimir Putin, you know.
He's responsible for all these deaths,
Responsible for every soul.

 The Gun Wears a Badge

The gun wears its own badge
And that isn't the way it should be.
The gun thinks it's the sheriff,
And the bullet, its deputy.

The man with a gun administers justice,
Or the justice as he sees.
But he can't see what's right and wrong,
Because he can't see through the trees.

He pulls the trigger and calls it just—
He lays a person down.
He thinks just because he has a gun,
He's the sheriff in that town.

But trigger-happy sheriffs,
Who suppose the gun is a badge,
Often don't do what's right—
That never was their pledge.

So if a gunman comes a-calling,
And he thinks he is the law,
Tell him to get out of here.
Tell him to withdraw.

They March Them Home

They march them home—
The immigrants.
Turn them out,
Hiss at them and shout,
Scorn, condemn, and flout.

But there is another march
Awaiting the immigrants:
The march into Heaven.
Heaven’s gates will welcome them;
They are God’s diadem.