Hanging By A Thread

From My Perspective - - -

Dana Milbank, Political Reporter for the Washington Post, wrote a column with the Headline: “Mormon Prophecy Behind Glenn Beck's Message.” The column states: “In one of his first appearances on Fox News, Glenn Beck sent a coded message to the nation's six million Mormons -- or at least those Mormons who believe in what the Latter-day Saints call the White Horse Prophecy.” The coded message was: “We are at the place where the Constitution hangs in the balance, Beck told Bill O'Reilly on November 14, 2008, just after President Obama's election. I feel the Constitution is hanging in the balance right now, hanging by a thread unless the good Americans wake up." Milbank’s “coded” phrase is: “hanging by a thread.”

Milbank continues: “The Constitution is hanging by a thread” - - Most Americans would have heard this as just another bit of overblown commentary and thought nothing more of it. But to those familiar with the White Horse Prophecy, it was an unmistakable signal. The phrase is often attributed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormon Church. Smith is believed to have said in 1840 that when the Constitution hangs by a thread, elders of the Mormon Church will step in -- on the proverbial white horse -- to save the country. When the Constitution of the United States hangs, as it were, upon a single thread, they will have to call for the Mormon Elders to save it from utter destruction; and they will step forth and do it, Brigham Young, Smith's successor as head of the church, wrote in 1855.

If this coded phrase is supposed to activate the Mormon elders who will preserve the Constitution of the USA – How will they be able to do it? Worldwide, there are less than 14 million Mormons – almost half of them – 6.3 million live in the USA. Milbank gives no hint as to how this coded phrase – “hanging by a thread” – would trigger a national takeover in order to preserve the US Constitution.

One is caused to wonder if Milbank misunderstands the distinction between colloquialisms and conspiracies. A “colloquialism” is: “a word or phrase appropriate to conversation & other informal situations…” A “conspiracy” is: “an evil, unlawful, treacherous, or surreptitious plan formulated in secret by two or more persons; a plot; a combination of persons for a secret, unlawful, or evil purpose…” The phrase: “Hanging by a thread” is an Idiom that has varied meaning. The Idiom-Free-Dictionary illustrates with the following examples: “(1) if something hangs by a thread, it is likely to fail in the near future - Peace and democracy hang by a thread in this troubled country; (2) to be in danger of having something unlucky or bad happen - Roberta was told that her job hung by a thread, and she needed to be more serious about it. For several days after the accident, his life hung by a thread; (3) to hang by something very thin, such as a thread or a hair. The tiniest part of the mobile hung by a thread, the rest are on plastic cords.”

The Bible records the rise and fall of armies and nations. An interesting conspiracy theory appears in II Kings 6:8-13, “Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said: I will set up my camp in such and such a place. The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there. So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places. This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them: Will you not tell me which of us is on the side of the king of Israel? None of us, my lord the king, said one of his officers, but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom. Go, find out where he is, the king ordered, so I can send men and capture him." Conspiracy? No! Divine Revelation? Yes!

One of the dangers for our nation is the absence of God being our frame of reference within our culture. The Church has diminished its responsibility and message. The Schools have abandoned Prayer and Bible Reading. Government Officials are hesitant to reference God and Biblical Standards! This brings us to the precipice where Psalm 14:1 states: “The fool says in his heart – There is no God.” Will you be among those who are wise and put on the “whole armor of God” and “Stand”? Consider these things with me!