Themes of Divine Intervention: A Latter-day Saint Perspective

The academic world might expect that a religious group with a distinctive religious philosophy and way of life would sooner or later develop a distinctive brand of providential history. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is no exception; in fact, its major message—that of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ—is anchored in a view of history which includes a falling away from original Christianity and a divinely orchestrated sequence of developments in European and American history, as preparation for the Restoration. The embryo of Latter-day Saint providential history is embedded in the story of the Restoration. Likewise, the post-restoration mission of spreading the gospel to all the earth requires certain divinely ordained developments, such as the spread of religious freedom across the world, as a pre-condition for the realization of that mission and the outpouring of technological knowledge for its accomplishment. This chapter examines themes of divine intervention in world history from a Latter-day Saint perspective. The chapter that follows this one will attempt to place the study of Latter-day Saint providential history within the broader academic framework of other varieties of providential history.

Joseph Smith and the Restoration

For Latter-day Saints concerned with the divine role in the unfolding of human history, attention is almost immediately drawn, as in almost all matters of spiritual understanding, to Joseph Smith, the prophet of the Restoration--for at least two important reasons. First, the events of the Restoration of the gospel, with the establishment of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1830 and subsequent historical events, mark the most dramatic documented manifestation of divine intervention in human affairs since the early Christian era. Secondly, Joseph Smith revealed so much of divine purposes and intents that the focus is almost immediately directed toward him for additional knowledge and understanding beyond that of the traditional Christian world, as found in the Bible.

In the revelations of this new dispensation, the supremacy and dominion of God and his interest in the whole human family are fully reiterated, as recorded in Latter-day Saint scripture. The Lord told Abraham, “I rule in the Heavens above, and in the earth beneath, in all wisdom and prudence, over all the intelligences. . .” (Abraham 3:21). Nephi declared that God is the “creator of all men,” that He “rules in the Heavens above and in the earth beneath” (2 Nephi 29:7). Christ himself, when he appeared to the Nephites, reaffirmed that He is the “God of Israel and the God of the whole earth” (3 Nephi 11:14).

Man’s journey on earth, furthermore, as Joseph Smith revealed, was fraught with purpose from its inception. In the foreknowledge of God, the plan for the salvation of Heavenly Father’s children was prepared from before the foundation of the earth. In a statement, the theme of which reverberates in several chapters of this book, Joseph Smith declared that “The great Jehovah contemplated the whole of the events connected with the earth . . . before it rolled into existence. . . He knew of . . . the depth of iniquity that would be connected with the human family, their weakness and strength, . . . the situation of all nations and . . . their destiny . . . and has made ample provision [for mankind’s] redemption.”[1] That statement and many others leave little doubt that God has a long established plan for the ultimate redemption of his children. The thesis which flows naturally from this and other prophetic statements is that God, since the beginning of man on the earth, has shaped and continues to shape human affairs for the accomplishment of divine purposes.

From this knowledge stems the frustration of many faith-filled Latter-day Saint students of secular history. What they have learned in the spiritual side of their education does not correspond with what they are learning in secular historical studies, and they lack the ability to bridge the gap. This volume and the one preceding it are an attempt to bridge that gap, by starting with the revealed knowledge of the divine role from the scripture and statements of Latter-day prophets and apostles, so far as it has been revealed, and applying it to secular developments. It is an attempt to draw the two historical worlds together, the great underlying concept being that all truth, when properly understood, is consistent within itself.

The Latter-day Saint Paradigm

As Latter-day Saints, our paradigm of religious development, focusing on Jesus Christ and his mission, has very strong historical connotations. We believe that Jesus Christ was the most important figure of human history, and that His atoning sacrifice opens the door to the exaltation of mankind, for all those who follow the path of righteousness (D&C 59:23). Because He was resurrected, we shall be resurrected. His teachings guide our footsteps, and His life and ministry are a perfect example to us. We also believe that He organized His Church on the earth with a foundation of apostles and prophets, and that this Church, after a short time, fell into apostasy. Saving truths were lost, and divine authority was no longer present.

But we also believe that the original Church was restored through the instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and, as a part of its eternal destiny, this Church will ultimately prevail over earthly kingdoms and prepare the way for the ushering in of Christ’s millennial reign (see D&C 65:2-6). The millennial reign will be the culmination event, which will provide for the salvation through vicarious ordinances of those myriads of people since the beginning of time who have lived without a knowledge of the gospel. Implicit in this doctrine is an interpretation of history associated with the apostasy of the Christian church and the restoration of the gospel in the latter-days: that God, following the great age of apostasy, shaped the history of the world in preparation for the restoration of His gospel, and will continue to shape human affairs to prepare for the spread of His gospel to every nation in preparation for its ultimate triumph over worldly kingdoms.

Scriptural Foundations

From 1830 onward, with the publication of the Book of Mormon, Nephi's prophetic vision of American development has provided the scriptural foundation and set the stage in terms of doctrine on the role of God in the history of the Americas. His prophetic insights, so crucial to this discussion, are worth rehearsing: “And it came to pass that I looked and beheld many waters; and they divided the Gentiles from the seed of my brethren. And it came to pass that the angel said unto me: Behold the wrath of God is upon the seed of thy brethren. And I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land” (1Nephi 13:10-12). Several modern prophets and apostles have identified the man in question as Christopher Columbus, who in 1492 set out from European shores with three small ships in quest of new lands beyond the western seas.[2] Columbus attributed his success to divine influence. In his own account he related: “With a hand that could be felt, the Lord opened my mind to the fact that it would be possible to sail from here to the Indies, and he opened my will to desire to accomplish the project.”[3]

The subsequent colonization of America was also accomplished under divine auspices as Nephi foresaw: “And it came to pass that I beheld the Spirit of God, that it wrought upon other Gentiles; and they went forth out of captivity, upon the many waters. And I beheld the Spirit of the Lord, that it was upon the Gentiles, and they did prosper and obtain a land for their inheritance; and did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them” (1 Nephi 13:13, 15-16).

The First presidency reaffirmed in a 1930 statement: “It was not by chance that the Puritans left their native land and sailed away to the shores of new England, and that others followed later. They were the advance guard of the army of the Lord, [foreordained] to establish the God-given system of government under which we live . . . and prepare the way for the Restoration of the Gospel of Christ.”[4]

Nephi further saw in vision that the American colonists would obtain their independence as a nation with divine assistance. His record states: “And I beheld that their mother Gentiles were gathered together upon the waters, and upon the land also, to battle against them. And I beheld that the power of God was with them, and also that the wrath of God was upon all those that were gathered together against them to battle. And I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles that had gone out of captivity were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations” (1 Nephi 13:16-19). In his first inaugural address, George Washington, who led the revolutionary armies to victory against incredible odds, declared: “No People can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand, which conducts the Affairs of men more than the People of the United States. Every step, by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation, seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency.”[5]

Nephi further saw that the new nation “did prosper in the land, and I beheld a book, and it was carried forth among them” (1 Nephi 13: 20)—the coming forth of the Bible, so powerful in early American life. Nephi also saw that many people stumbled because of the plain and precious things which had been taken from the Bible, and that the Lord would restore His Church and take away their stumbling block in the coming forth of the Book of Mormon (1 Nephi 13: 34-36). He affirmed that the scriptural record of the house of Joseph would come forth to complement the Bible, the scriptural record of the house of Judah, and confirm its teachings and bear witness of Christ (1 Nephi 13: 35-41, 2 Nephi 27; cf. Ezekiel 37:15-20, Isaiah 29).

In prophetic vision, Nephi thus saw the divine hand in several chapters of European and American history, including the discovery of America, its colonization and the liberation of a new nation under divine intervention, in preparation for the restoration of the gospel and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. Latter-day Saints also believe that God caused the American Constitution to be established for the protection of the rights and freedoms of all mankind, preparatory to the restoration of the gospel. In 1833 the Lord revealed to the prophet Joseph Smith that "that law of the land which is constitutional, supporting that principle of freedom in maintaining rights and privileges, belongs to all mankind, and is justifiable before me" (D&C 98:5). The Lord further declared that “the laws and constitution of the people, which I have suffered to be established, . . . should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles; . . . And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood” (D&C101:77, 80). The belief in the inspired role of the US founding fathers and in an inspired constitution has been fundamental. Succeeding modern-day prophets have affirmed to one degree or another the inspired origin of the Constitution of the United States of America.[6]

Prophetic Witness and Scholarly Literature

In sum, Latter-day Saints have long held that the Lord thus prepared the conditions for the Restoration of the gospel, and provided the framework of freedom necessary for the Restoration. That set of fundamental ideas, dating from the early days of the Church, has remained part of the Latter-day Saint heritage, informing the accepted view of historical development, and has been amplified in various degrees by Church authorities and scholars.

On important occasions the Church has reiterated these beliefs. On the 100^th anniversary of the Church in 1930, the First Presidency reaffirmed the divinely inspired rise of freedom in America as preparation for the restoration of the gospel,[7] and, on the celebration of the US bicentennial in 1976, issued four special home evening lessons on the same theme for use in the United States.[8] Likewise, on the bicentennial of the US Constitution in 1987, two addresses by President Ezra Taft Benson and another series of family home evening lessons celebrated the inspired origins of the Constitution.[9]

These themes have been further elaborated in the writings of various Apostles and other General Authorities. In his Outlines of Ecclesiastical History, first published in 1893 as an approved priesthood manual, B. H. Roberts of the First Council of the Seventy set the stage. Decrying the lack of religious freedom in the Middle Ages, he noted a remarkable rebirth of learning in the Renaissance, the inspired mission of Columbus in the discovery of America, the religious transformation of the Reformation as “the first glimmerings of the dawn which heralded the approaching day,” and the coming of the Pilgrim Fathers to America to escape persecution. The colonization of America was followed by the eventual development of religious freedom, the deliverance of the American Revolutionaries, and the establishment of the Constitution under divine auspices—all in preparation for the Restoration.[10]

In the early 1920s, Joseph Fielding Smith of the Quorum of the Twelve, in his Essentials in Church History, briefly reaffirmed the points made earlier by Roberts,[11] and, in other sermons and writings, he emphasized the role of technological development in furthering the divine plan.[12] In the second half of the twentieth century Apostle Ezra Taft Benson wrote extensively on the rise of freedom in America in preparation for the Restoration, and he reaffirmed the divinely inspired nature of the United States Constitution as the guarantor of a free system of government. Speaking out against the evils of communism and socialism, he strongly cautioned Church members to avoid dependency on government.[13] Mark E. Petersen, of the Quorum of the Twelve, in preparation for the commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, wrote a book, The Great Prologue (1975), which elaborated on many of the traditional themes, drawing on additional historical material from secular sources.[14] The scholarly literature by high-ranking Church authorities on the subject nonetheless has been relatively sparse.

Scholarly writing and research on the preparation of America for the restoration of the gospel by Latter-day Saint scholars has likewise been sporadic. In 1965, Milton V. Backman Jr., in his American Religions and the Rise of Mormonism, traced the development of religious freedom among various religious groups in America as a preparation for the restoration of the gospel.[15] In 1992, on the 500^th anniversary of Columbus’s arrival in America, Arnold K. Garr produced a volume, Christopher Columbus: An LDS Perspective, which underlined the inspired role of the great discoverer,[16] and Douglas Clarke published The Grand Design: America from Columbus to Zion, which assembled many prophetic statements on several aspects of American historical and constitutional development.[17]

Studies on the US Constitution, on the other hand, have been more abundant--at BYU and elsewhere. Indicative of the sustained scholarly interest in constitutional studies, BYU Studies has published several articles since the 1970s exploring the inspired nature of various aspects of the Constitution.[18] Donald Q. Cannon, in Latter-day Prophets and the United States Constitution (1991), has compiled the statements of all the Church prophets (up to the date of publication) on the inspired character of the Constitution.[19] The J. Reuben Clark Law School at BYU continues to focus on themes of religious freedom and the Constitution, sponsoring projects and expositions,[20] and hosting an annual conference since 1994 on International Law and Religion, to which foreign guests have been invited.

Richard O. Cowan, Donald Q. Cannon, and several others, moreover, have carried the history of the Church into the twentieth century, a previously neglected field.[21] Important regional studies and Ensign articles have sketched in many of the gaps in that area.[22] Faithful Latter-day Saints, in the words of Joseph F. Smith, believe that the divine hand has been manifest “in every hour and in every moment of the existence” of the Restored Church.[23] While church leaders are imperfect humans and make no claim to infallibility and even acknowledge having made mistakes, God has nonetheless been able to use them to accomplish His work (see D&C 1: 19).[24]

Major Themes since the Restoration

But the restoration of the gospel is only the beginning of the “marvelous work and a wonder,” with the great unfolding of its ultimate destiny only partially accomplished and yet to be fulfilled. How then has God shaped human events in the rise and progress of the Church toward the realization of its ultimate goal of preparing the world for the Lord’s Second Coming? This is a topic which has not been well studied in the literature and is worthy of further consideration.

Until recently, the question of divine influence on the broader canvas of human affairs has been relatively neglected. Non-professional historians such as Robert R. Newell and Dan Hunter have written texts for LDS home-schooling which have attempted to define the field of Latter-day Saint providential history. [25] The most recent academic work in the field has been the multi-author volume, Window of Faith: Latter-day Saints Perspectives on World History, the prequel to this volume, published at BYU in 2005[26] (posted online at https://rsc.byu.edu/book/window-faith ). Based on rigorous academic research, the authors of this pioneer study, mostly BYU professors, have attempted to cover some of the major issues in Latter-day Saint providential history and place the discipline on a sounder academic foundation by opening a discussion on themes and methods.

As the several authors in this book have attempted to understand God’s intervention in the history of the world in preparation for the accomplishment of the mission of His Church, four themes have emerged, as those most clearly stated by prophets and apostles. The first is the rise of freedom around the world, with a special emphasis on the role of America. The second is the role of modern science and technology in facilitating the mission of the Church. The third is preparation of the world, especially since World War II, for receiving the gospel, and the accelerated growth and development of the Church in that period--in preparation for its ultimate mission of taking the gospel to all the world. The fourth and final theme is that, as the divine plan for the redemption of His children becomes more visible in the latter-days, His guiding influence has been felt by all people, over the entire earth, and not just the people of the covenant. This latter theme, universal in nature, is a reflection of God’s love for all His children and His interest in their salvation. These themes, the first two of which correlate closely with major themes in the secular history of the modern world, deserve further consideration.

The Rise of Freedom. The extension of the Church across the world, as seen in the following map, has been closely correlated with the extension of religious freedom around the world. The incidence of religious freedom and that of Latter-day Saint presence are almost identical.[27] As indicated on the map, in several countries, including China and some areas in Africa and the Middle East, which have limited religious, the Church has a recognized presence, with branches and members, but without missionaries and proselyting. In other countries, without religious freedom, there is no recognized Latter-day Saint presence. The spread of freedom among the nations of the earth is a necessary prerequisite for preaching the gospel.

Modern prophets and apostles have provided us insights on the divine role in the extension of freedom. President John Taylor affirmed that “There is an inherent principle of right planted in the human bosom, which God has placed there . . . an innate, inalienable principle of justice and equity, in every age and among all nations, and the records of the Babylonians, the Medo-Persians, the Greeks, Romans, and more modern nations bear ample testimony to this fact.” The constitutional development of the United States, in particular, he attributed to divine inspiration.[28] President Joseph F. Smith likewise declared that God has inspired “all who have in ages past contributed to the progress of civil and religious freedom.”[29]

By prophetic witness, the rise and spread of freedom has involved many nations, several of which have been identified by name. At the rededication of the London Temple in 1992, President Gordon B. Hinckley acknowledged the divine hand in the development of British liberties which have spread worldwide: “We recognize that it was at Runnymede, in this county of Surrey, in the year 1215, that the Magna Charta was signed. . . . Through all of the centuries that have followed, these rights have been preserved, implemented, and enlarged. They have spread from here and have been incorporated in the constitutions and charters of other nations across the earth. . . . Freedom to think, to speak, to assemble, and to worship is basic to the happiness of mankind. We acknowledge thy divine hand in the establishment and preservation of that freedom in this the United Kingdom.”[30]

But, one may ask, what has been the role of the United States? Does America have a special mission to perform in the spread of freedom? With amazing prophetic insight, Joseph F. Smith answered this question in a 1903 General Conference statement on the future destiny of America, at a time when the United States had not yet entered the realm of the great powers. Said he: “This great American nation the Almighty raised up . . . . His hand has been over this nation, and it is his purpose and design to enlarge it, make it glorious above all others, and to give it dominion, and power . . . to the end that those who are kept in bondage . . . may be brought to the enjoyment of the fullest freedom and liberty of conscience possible . . .”[31] One can recognize the realization of this prophecy by degrees in the course of the twentieth century, as the United States evolved from an emerging great power to a world superpower and championed the cause of freedom around the world. But, as the Book of Mormon has revealed, alternate blessings and cursings are upon this land, “choice above all other lands.” For the inhabitants to be “free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations,” they must “serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ.” The warning is severe. Should the inhabitants of the land sink to “the fulness of iniquity,” they will be “swept off” (Ether 2:10-12).

The United States and others of the “great democracies” alluded to by President Hinckley, such as Britain and France, have played a significant role in the spread of freedom across the world.[32] Highlighting France as a purveyor of freedom in the world, John Taylor observed that the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was “almost verbatim” to the inspired American Declaration of Independence, which affirmed the eternal truth that “all men are born free and equal and have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”[33]

The countries of Latin America have likewise been favored of God. In 1979, Elder Ezra Taft Benson taught the Saints in Bolivia that “God raised up wise leaders among your progenitors which afforded Latin American countries political freedom and independence. . . . I believe it was very significant that when independence came to the countries of South America, governments were established on constitutional principles–some patterned after the Constitution of the United States. I believe this was a very necessary step which preceded the preaching of the gospel in South America.”[34]

While the prophetic record does not allow us to identify specifically the spread of freedom to every country around the world as divinely inspired, we do have the general reflection of President David O. McKay, that “The history of the world with all its contentions and strife is largely an account of Man’s effort to free himself from bondage and usurpation.”[35] Obviously there are no perfect purveyors of liberty among the nations of the world, and the histories of those which have been so identified are sometimes fraught with much injustice and oppression. But God appears to have used imperfect nations, just as He has used imperfect people, for the accomplishment of His purposes.

While evil is frequently rampant in the world, God, with foreknowledge, has been able to turn evil to good in many instances, proving that his “wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil” (Doctrine and Covenants, 10:43).

President Spencer W. Kimball further expounded on the theme of the theme of freedom in relationship to missionary work.[36] The extension of freedom in the world, he asserted in the mid-1970s, at a time when much of Europe and Asia was under the control of Communism, would follow the efforts of the members of the Church to preach the gospel. “The Lord has indicated that we can expect His power to be with us when we proclaim His word,” he said. “There are no impenetrable ‘iron curtains,’ or ‘bamboo curtains’ or national curtains or neighborhood curtains so far as teaching the gospel is concerned. I see no good reason why the Lord should open doors we are not prepared to enter, but I believe He will open every missionary door we are prepared to enter.”[37]

The fall of the Iron Curtain and the spread of freedom in Eastern Europe in the almost bloodless revolutions of 1989 was a dramatic manifestation of this principle. The miraculous fall of the Iron Curtain and the consequent extension of freedom, allowing populations previously under communist rule to hear the gospel, was lauded in 1990 by President Gordon B. Hinckley, then First Counselor in the First Presidency, as a manifestation of the divine will. “The Spirit of Christ is brooding over the whole earth,” he said. “We have witnessed miracles undreamed of only a short time ago. Like a glorious sunburst through dark clouds, there is emerging freedom of worship, freedom of assembly, and freedom of expression.”[38]

The last two decades of the twentieth century also saw a resurgence of freedom in Latin America and Africa as a bevy of authoritarian regimes were swept aside and more democratic regimes were installed. The culminating event was the official end of apartheid and the granting of equal rights to all citizens in the Union of South Africa in 1996. While the 1978 revelation on the priesthood opened missionary work in much of Africa and hastened it in Brazil, the Caribbean and elsewhere, the spread of freedom facilitated the spread of the gospel in Eastern Europe in the former Soviet bloc, in Russia and in the former domains of the Soviet Union, and in Latin America and Africa.[39]

Research done in 2000 by Freedom House, a pro-democracy group based in Washington, DC, found that by that date “almost 60 percent of the world's population live[d] in free societies, where basic rights and religious freedom flourish. . . that whereas 100 years ago, no nation on earth had universal voting rights for its citizens, now 119 of 192 nations have elected representatives. The group could find only 18 nations in which civil liberties were suppressed the year previous (1999) by the military or their rulers.”[40] David Gergen, editor at large of U.S. News and World Report, who, in 2000, reported on this same research, indicated that "when the Berlin Wall fell a decade ago, 69 countries were democratic; in January 2000 Freedom House reported the number has grown to 120."[41]

Widespread popular uprisings in Northern Africa and the Middle East dating from early 2011 forced autocratic rulers in Tunisia, Yemen, Egypt, and Libya to relinquish power, but many of these countries have returned to autocratic rule. The struggle for freedom in the Middle East and elsewhere is an unfinished story with much still to be done. Those areas where there is no formal Latter-day Saint presence, as shown on the map, which include much of North Africa and the Middle East under Islamic control, still lack the necessary freedom for preaching the gospel, although small groups of Latter-day Saints are found in several of these countries.

Advances in Technology. The outpouring of technological and scientific knowledge has been equally impressive. In terms of the source of modern scientific and technological development, President Brigham Young affirmed: “The construction of the electric telegraph and the method of using it, enabling the people to send messages from one end of the earth to the other, is just as much a revelation from God as any ever given. The same is true with regard to making machinery, whether it be a steamboat, a carding machine, threshing machine, or anything else . . . the Lord has revealed them to his children.”[42] President Joseph F. Smith taught a similar doctrine: “I believe that the Lord has revealed to the children of men all that they know. I do not believe that any man has discovered any principle of science, or art, in mechanism, or mathematics, or anything else, that God did not know before man did. Man is indebted to the Source of all intelligence and truth, for the knowledge that he possesses.”[43] Apostle Joseph Fielding Smith taught as early as 1926 that the outpouring of scientific and technical knowledge of the modern era pertained uniquely to the dispensation of the fullness of times and was for the advancement of the Lord’s work in the latter-days.[44]

President Kimball likewise envisaged a wider scope of action through technological development. “We need to enlarge our field of operation,” he said in 1974, prior to the information revolution. “I believe that the Lord is anxious to put into our hands inventions of which we laymen have hardly had a glimpse. . . .Our Father in Heaven has now provided us mighty towers [alluding to the tower of King Benjamin]--radio and television towers with possibilities beyond comprehension--to help fulfill the words of the Lord that 'the sound must go forth from this place unto all the world.’”[45] Already in 1970, he foresaw exchanges similar to the internet, more than two decades before its development. “We shall use the inventions the Lord has given us to awaken interest and acquaint people of the world with the truths, to ease their prejudices and give them a general knowledge. We shall need to answer specific questions, and perhaps that can be done by two-way radio and TV perfected to a point beyond our present imagination.”[46] Technological developments since that time have fulfilled that desire.

Indeed, modern prophets and apostles have pinpointed several modern inventions as supportive of various aspects of what was until recently defined as the fourfold mission of the church. On the need to proclaim the gospel, President Spencer W. Kimball said: “I believe that the telephone and telegraph and other such conveniences were permitted by the Lord to be developed for the express purpose of building the kingdom.”[47] He further declared, “I believe that the airplane was inspired by the need for quick and far away transportation for the missionaries and the Brethren of the church.”[48]

In the area of redeeming the dead, President Howard W. Hunter testified, that “In recent years we have begun using information technology to hasten the sacred work of providing ordinances for the deceased. The role of technology in this work has been accelerated by the Lord himself, who has had a guiding hand in its development and will continue to do so.”[49] The vast genealogical resources now available online as the result of digitization and indexing, which make available billions of names for genealogical research and which continue to expand daily, have vindicated that promise. That names can now be cleared for temple work without duplication though advanced computer technology is a major stride. The involvement of Latter-day Saint youth in family history research has now become widespread, as a result of computer technology.[50]

Likewise, in terms of perfecting the Saints, training sessions, such as worldwide Priesthood leadership training sessions broadcast via satellite, which were begun in January 2003, could ultimately reach 95 per cent of the Church membership in real time. “The Lord has made possible the technology by which this training is going forward,” observed President Gordon B. Hinckley. [51] He thus shared President Kimball’s vision on the use of modern technology and the rise of freedom in hastening the Lord’s work.[52] Since then, the availability of General Conference and other Church communications on the internet have widened even further that coverage. The fourth mission of the Church, to seek after the poor and needy, added in 2009, has likewise benefitted from the advance of modern technology, particularly communication, transportation and computer technology.[53]

It may be noted that the rise of freedom[54] and the impact of science and technology[55] are major themes which prominent secular historians have identified in the development of the modern world. These themes blend significantly with the rise of western society and the spread of it political and social values, technology, economic models, and in many instances the Christian religion, across much of the world. While the imperialistic spread of western society over the centuries has entailed many injustices, and sometimes suffering, death and destruction on a massive scale, the residual effects have in many instances been positive, especially in the establishment of parliamentary government, democracy and human rights.[56] In the long term, the establishment of the more positive aspects of western society, it may be argued, has in large measure prepared the way for the accomplishment of the Lord's work of salvation.

Acceleration of the Lord’s Work since 1945. The acceleration of the Lord’s work in recent times is a subject of particular interest. As one contemplates the growth and development of the Church since the Second World War, one is struck by the internationalization and globalization of the Lord’s work. The Lord declared, “Behold, I will hasten my work in its time” (D&C 88:73). President Brigham Young confirmed this when he predicted, “We believe, as the time draws near, the Lord will hasten his work, and nations [will] soon be gathered into the fold for Christ. The work urges and is becoming very much enlarged and extended, and requires a commensurate accumulation of men and means, and expansion of mind and energy, ability and perseverance.”[57]

The growth and internationalization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints since World War II has been phenomenal. The graph below showing total Latter-day membership by region since 1830 shows an ever-rising curve as growth has accelerated from a million members in 1947 to more than 16 million at the end of 2016. But equally impressive are the shaded area on the graph showing the international component of Church growth by region. In 1955, only 11 per cent of the Church membership of 1.36 million resided outside of the Untied States and Canada. By 2000 that number had increased to more than 50 per cent. In 1999, a whopping 77 per cent of new converts came from outside the United States and Canada, reflective of the growing internationalization of the Church.[58] By 2014, almost 57 percent of Church membership resided outside the United States and Canada, and Latin America accounted for slightly more than 38 per cent of the total Church population, with Mexico and Brazil each having over one million members.[59]

In terms of geographic distribution, the globalization of the Church has been remarkable. As historian Richard O. Cowan has pointed out, the Church at the end of World War II was essentially a North American Church with outposts in Europe and the Pacific. Most of the growth in Latin America, in Asia and Africa has taken place since World War II.[60] The map, “Latter-day Saint Presence,” underscores the fact that the Church has now a foothold, albeit with small numbers, in virtually every country where there is religious freedom.

The increase in the number of temples has followed a similar pattern of expansion worldwide since 1945, but growing slowly at first, and then at an accelerated pace, with an unparalleled burst of temple building at the end of the century. The Idaho Falls Temple, dedicated in 1945, marked the eighth operating temple in the Church with none beyond the borders of the Unites States and Canada. By 1974, nearly 30 years later, that number had doubled to 16 with the dedication of the Washington Temple, with just three of these outside the United States and Canada. The construction of temples accelerated in the next two decades, with an increasing number being built on other continents, so that by 1996 there were approximately 50 temples in operation worldwide.[61]

But, the great impetus for “taking temples to the people” came in 1997 when President Gordon B. Hinckley was inspired to launch a massive program of constructing smaller temples to make the blessings of the temple more readily available to the worldwide membership of the Church. Thirty-six temples were dedicated in 2000 to reach the goal of 100 operating temples by the end of that year. Many of these were in distant lands.[62] By the end of 2017, there were 159 temples in operation worldwide[63] and with the announcement of twelve new temples at October 2018 General Conference,[64] the number announced (31) or under construction (12) totaled 42, bringing the grand total to 202. Of this grand total, 109 (or 54 per cent) were outside the United States and Canada.[65]

While the Lord has opened the doors of the nations and provided the technological resources for the vast expansion of the Church, He has also blessed the Church with the resources and organizational structure to carry out that mission. These have multiplied not only in terms of administrative structure but also in terms of economic and other resources which have allowed and enhanced humanitarian outreach on an international scale and the establishment of Church programs and facilities worldwide.[66]

But there is more! “Behold, I will hasten my work in its time,” the Lord told Joseph Smith in December 1832 (D&C 88: 73). Since President Thomas S. Monson announced in October 2012 General Conference the reduction of the missionary age of eligibility from 19 to 18 for young men and from 21 to 19 for young women, the Church’s missionary force burgeoned from 58.5 thousand to a contingent of more than 80 thousand full-time missionaries and led to the anticipation of a further hastening of the Lord’s work.[67] That number has since stabilized at approximately 67,000 at the end of 2017.[68]

Lord of all Nations. The fourth theme, which has become more and more evident as the gospel has spread over the earth, is that God, who is “the God of Israel and the God of the whole earth” (3 Nephi 11:14), works with all people everywhere, and not just covenant people.[69] Space will not permit in this summary chapter on the themes of divine intervention to deal with all the issues of God’s intervention in human affairs, and when He will and will not intervene.[70] That God has provided the light of Christ as a guide to all of His children and that the Holy Ghost works among them in varying degrees, whether or not they in the gospel covenant, has been shown in the last chapter; also that God has raised up inspired teachers among all people “to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have” (Alma 29:8). Whom he has sent to fulfill each specific role is of the utmost importance.

The love of God is universal in its application and all of His children of whatever nation or people are heirs of salvation through the atonement of Jesus Christ upon “obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel” (Articles of Faith, 3; D&C138: 1-4). All of whatever nation or people invited “to come unto Christ, and be perfected in him” (Moroni 10:32; also 2 Nephi 26: 35). Provision has been made for those who have not had the had the opportunity to hear the gospel in this life to hear it in the next (D&C138:29-37).

The grand plan for the restoration and spread of the gospel in the latter day, as enunciated by the Savior during his visit to the Americas, was that a great nation should be established among the Gentiles in America and that the gospel, including the Book of Mormon, should go forth from the Gentiles to the remnants of the House of Israel, that they should be gathered, and also that the Gentiles, if they repent, could be numbered among the house of Israel (2 Nephi 21:1-9). President Russell M. Nelson has declared that the gathering in of the house of Israel is the “greatest work on earth today.[71]

To accomplish the work of salvation in this final dispensation, the Lord has declared that He “shall make bare his holy arm in the eyes of all nations” (1 Nephi 22: 8-11; D&C133: 2-3). Certainly, one of the ways in which this has been accomplished is in the spread of freedom throughout the world, so that more and more people will have the opportunity to hear the gospel. It must be noted also the outpouring of information and communication technology, making that possible, is of universal application. The plan of God for the salvation of His children is all encompassing, which helps us to more fully appreciate the statement of the Prophet Joseph Smith that God “contemplated the whole of the events connected with the earth. . . before it rolled into existence, . . . and made ample provision [for mankind’s] redemption.”[72]

Destructions. A further manifestation of God’s power and influence among His children is through selective destructions, which appear to be largely a last resort when all other methods have failed to draw them closer to Him.[73] God is a God of both mercy and justice, principles which apply not only to individuals but also to groups of people. When there is great wickedness among the people, His guiding and protecting influence may be withdrawn. The Lord told Joseph Smith, “My Spirit shall not always strive with man, saith the Lord of Hosts” (D&C 1:33). “And when the Spirit ceaseth to strive with man then cometh speedy destruction,” declared Nephi (1 Nephi 26:11; see also Mormon 5:16–18). When people become “ripened in iniquity” and will not hearken to the prophets and Saints sent to preach repentance—but persecute them, cast them out, and kill them—they bring upon themselves His wrath and their destruction. This applies in this dispensation as well as in those past (see Helaman 13:13–14; D&C 1:7–14; 136:34–36).

The above discussion applies mainly to people of the covenant. But the principle has wider application among all people. God not only gives life but He may also take it away. As Nephi learned, “the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes” (1 Nephi 4:13; see also Alma 19:22–23; Genesis 38:6–10). As Nephi further observed, “He raises up a righteous nation, and destroyeth the nations of the wicked” (1 Nephi 17:37). According to the scriptural record, God allows, even ordains, that the wicked destroy the wicked (see D&C 63:33). Mormon wrote, “The judgments of God will overtake the wicked; and it is by the wicked that the wicked are punished; for it is the wicked who stir up the hearts of the children of men unto bloodshed” (Mormon 4:5). Examples of this are found in the modern period. The Civil War in the United States, for example, appears to have come as the promised retribution for having “killed the prophets” and “driven” out the Saints (D&C 136:34–36). The prophecy that war and destruction would be poured out upon all nations following the American Civil War (see D&C 87:3) has been accomplished in the two world wars and in numerous other armed conflicts.

Some lands, such as the American continents given to Lehi for his posterity and others of the house of Joseph, have alternate blessings and cursings upon them. God has decreed that this land (the Americas), “choice above all other lands,” is to be a land “free from bondage, and from captivity.” But if the inhabitants of the land do not serve Jesus Christ, who is the God of the land, when they are fully ripened in iniquity, they shall be “swept off” (Ether 2:9–12). The latter-day inhabitants of the Americas are particularly warned against the rise of secret combinations among them, since it was secret combinations which led to the destruction of both the Jaredite and Nephite nations (see Ether 8:18–25).

Natural disasters such as earthquakes, thunderings, lightnings, tempests, and “waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds” may serve to reinforce the testimony of God’s servants (see D&C 88:90). Great and terrible destructions, some by hail, some by pestilence, some by war, some by famine, are yet to be poured out upon the children of men, until the final burning preceding the Second Coming (see D&C 29:9, 14–21; 45:25–33; Joseph Smith—Matthew 28–31). Regrettably, those destructions are to begin at the Lord’s house among those who professed to know Christ but “have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house” (D&C 112:24–26). The voice of warning is unto all. Members of the Church will not be exempt from either natural disasters or other destructions, but “the righteous need not fear,” for, in large measure, they shall be delivered “even if it so be as by fire” (1 Nephi 22:15). The future cleansing of the earth will be preparatory to the inauguration of a thousand-year reign of peace (see Malachi 4:1–3), the great millennial reign of Jesus Christ upon the earth.

Further Study Enjoined/Unanswered Questions

The brief overview above does not deal with crucial issues for the development of Latter-day Saint providential history such as the use of sources, approach or methodology, the discussion of which is reserved for a later chapter.[74] But it does suggest some themes which derive from the commingling of the insights of modern-day revelation and an appreciation of the secular record. It should be observed that within the paradigm of the Restoration, discussion of divine influence for the fulfillment of divine purposes has just begun (see Mormon 8:22).

The scope is expansive. Little attention, for example, has been paid to the contribution of the more than one million missionaries who have served around the world.[75] The role of Christian missionaries of other denominations across the world in laying the groundwork for the fuller acceptance of the gospel has hardly been appreciated. Exploration of the divine influence (and the opposing influence of evil) has not been undertaken extensively in literature, music, or art; and cultural, attitudinal, political and economic transformation in preparing the way for preaching the gospel has not been fully studied. While some effort has been made to explore the divine influence in transportation, communications, electronic communications and computer technologies,[76] vast fields of inquiry beckon further research. Every field of human endeavor in fact bears scrutiny for divine influence. The study of the panorama of human history from the perspective of modern revelation has hardly begun.

There also remain many troubling questions for those who wish to consider the role of God in history, such as, “Why doesn’t He intervene to obviate suffering, injustice and human misery?” “How can God countenance such horrible events as the Holocaust, ethnic cleansing, the ravages of war, and such natural disasters as famine, disease and the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia?” To these and other disquieting questions, the reader may find answers or at least tentative explanations in the relevant chapters in the book, Window of Faith: Latter-day Saint Perspectives on World History, as indicated. In it faithful Latter-day Saint scholars from a wide range of disciplines give answers within the context of gospel understanding. In some cases, however, attempted explanations, particularly in the area of human suffering, may not be totally satisfying. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell has so eloquently observed, “The arithmetic of anguish is something we mortals cannot comprehend. We cannot do the sums, because we do not have all the numbers. We are locked in the dimension of time and are contained within the tight perspective of this second estate.”[77] Some things we shall never understand fully until God chooses to reveal them to us (see Jacob 4:8).

Preparing for the Future

While secular historians feel inadequate to deal, with any degree of assurance, with subjects within the recent past of 30 or more years, until the archives are open, they are even more loath to project findings or the trends they have identified into the future. The empirical record simply does not lend itself to those kinds of projections. Their history therefore only allows a condensation of the wisdom of the past; other tools are required to look into the future. While providential history has many of the same limitations, the benefit of prophecy allows the providential historian--if he or she is hardy enough to venture--into consideration of the future in at least a limited way. With the benefit of the insights of modern revelation, that vision is enhanced, but, even so, we see as “through a glass, darkly” (1 Corinthians 13:12). The general guidance, therefore, is to proceed with extreme caution. Some preliminary observations of a general nature may nevertheless provide at least some connecting link between the past, present and future.

Latter-day Saint scriptures declare that while the great mission of the gospel is to “sweep the earth as with a flood” (Moses 6:62). The last days in which we live also include the great winding up scenes prior to the Lord’s Second Coming. The scriptures are replete with prophecies and warnings, including such things as wars and rumors of wars, pestilence, famine and disease, thunderings, lightenings, and other natural disasters (see D&C 1:4-17 28:1-28, 45, 88:84-116, JS-M). The cataclysmic Southeast Asian tsunami in 2004, the hurricane Katrina disaster in the Gulf Coast in 2005, the catastrophic Japanese tsunami in 2011, and the 2012 devastations of hurricane Sandy on the Eastern US seaboard, and subsequent natural disasters, have been particularly poignant reminders of the latter-day prophecy that after the testimony of the Lord’s servants “cometh the testimony of earthquakes, . . . the voice of tempests, and the voices of the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds” (D&C 88:88-90). The massive earthquake disasters in Haiti and Chile in 2010 are further reminders that we are living in the last days (Matthew 24:7; JS-M 29).

The rapid decline of moral and ethical values across the world is also a source of grave concern. Family values, in particular, have been undermined to the extent that in the United States in 2007, nearly 40 per cent of children were born out of wedlock, a level at which it continues to hover. This decline up to 2007 was more than a 25 per cent increase over the previous 5 years.[78] In many western countries, homosexuality has become a human right, with gay marriages seeking and obtaining recognition. According to President Gordon B. Hinckley, the evil in the world may now be as bad as it was in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah.[79] "Further we warn," declared the First Presidency and Council of Twelve Apostles in 1995 in a Proclamation to the World on the Family, "that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets."[80]

In a troubled world, the best hedges against personal disaster are following the counsels of the living prophets and living righteous lives, so that we can be constantly guided by the Holy Spirit (D&C 45: 56-59). In the April 2018 General Conference, President Russell M. Nelson, reflecting with prophetic insight on future events, declared: “I am optimistic about the future. It will be filled with opportunities for each of us to progress, contribute, and take the gospel to every corner of the earth. But I am also not naive about the days ahead. We live in a world that is complex and increasingly contentious. The constant availability of social media and a 24-hour news cycle bombard us with relentless messages. If we are to have any hope of sifting through the myriad of voices and the philosophies of men that attack truth, we must learn to receive revelation.”

He further stated: “Our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, will perform some of His mightiest works between now and when He comes again. We will see miraculous indications that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, preside over this Church in majesty and glory. But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.”[81]

It is a time to shore up our spiritual resources. To prepare ourselves to receive revelation, President Nelson in the same conference said: “Nothing opens the heavens quite like the combination of increased purity, exact obedience, earnest seeking, daily feasting on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon and regular time committed to temple and family history work.”[82] Several scriptures declare that “now is the time to stand in holy places and be not moved” until the Second Coming arrives (D&C 54:32-33, 87:8, 101:22-23). Those who walk in obedience before the Lord, who keep their covenants, who strive for personal worthiness and put their main effort into building up Zion have little cause to fear. While the Saints have not been promised that all will escape the ravages of the last days,[83] the “righteous [as a group] need not fear” for as Nephi affirmed, “they shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire” (1 Nephi 22: 17, also7-26).

We live in perilous times surrounded by evil. But, as President Gordon B. Hinckley observed, this is also one of the most exhilarating of times to be alive in the history of the earth, in this the “dispensation of the fulness of times,” the culmination of all previous ages of human progress, when God’s great purposes are unfolding. This is indeed “the dawning of a brighter day” in the history of the world.[84] It is our great privilege to labor in the Lord’s vineyard, preparatory to the Second Coming of the Lord, which will usher in the Millennial reign (see D&C 43:28-30). Acquiring a sense of our place in history, as President Hinckley urged,[85] will help us cope better with the world in which we live, and also to understand our mission in it, as basic principles and patterns of development will assuredly continue to apply in the future.

Conclusions

God’s plan of human progress and salvation is carried forth by those whom he has appointed for specific purposes.[86] The history of the world could indeed be written from the point of view of whom God sends at each juncture and also the extent to which He instructs, inspires and directs them while on earth. What happens on both sides of the veil is thus of vital importance for human history. While God’s hand may not be immediately visible in the day-to-day unfolding of events, in the long term His desires will be accomplished. The wisdom and foreknowledge of God are greater than the cunning of Satan, and God's plan for the redemption of His children is more powerful than the evil designs of the adversary (D&C 10:43). A people is indeed being prepared for the Second Coming of the Lord.

Endnotes

[1] Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1976), 220.

[2] See Arnold K. Garr, “Christopher Columbus: Man of Destiny” in Roy A. Prete and others eds., Window of Faith: Latter-day Saint Perspectives on World History (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center Brigham Young University, 2005), 291-93.

[3] Delno C. West and August King, The “Libro de las profecias” of Christopher Columbus (Gainesville, FL: University of Florida Press, 1991), 105, cited in Ibid, 302.

[4] Messages of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1833-1964, comp. James R. Clark, 6 vols. (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965), 5:279-80.

[5] George Washington, First Inaugural Address, April 30, 1789, cited in James L. Hutson, The Founders on Religion: A Book of Quotations (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2005), 17.

[6] Donald Q. Cannon, ed., Latter-day Prophets and the United States Constitution (Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1991); “Bountiful Utah Temple Dedicatory Prayer,” Ensign, March 1995, 76; “News of the Church,” Ensign, August 1999, 74.

[7] Messages of the First Presidency, 5:279-80

[8] “The Great Prologue: A Prophetic History and Destiny of America” (Four Family Home Evenings in Commemoration of the Bicentennial of the United States of America) (United States of America: The First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1976).

[9] “Family Home Evening Lessons for the Bicentennial of the Constitution” (Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1987); Ezra Taft Benson, "The Constitution: A Glorious Standard," Ensign, September. 1987, 6-19; "Our Divine Constitution," Ensign, November 1987, 4-7.

[10] Elder B. H. Roberts, Outlines of Ecclesiastical History: A Text Book, 5^th ed., (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1927), 221-22, 284-86, 289-91. The quotation is from p. 286. The bulk of his treatment focused on the Reformation. Roberts saw a parallel between conditions in the Roman Empire at the time of the Apostles, facilitating the preaching of the gospel, and that in America at the time of the Restoration. (Ibid, 286).

[11] Joseph Fielding Smith, Essentials in Church History (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1979 [c. 1950, first published 1922]), 13-18.

[12] Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation: Sermons and Writings of Joseph Fielding Smith, compiled by Bruce R. McKonkie, 3 vols. (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1977-1978 [c.1954-56), 175-83. Bruce R. McConkie, of the First Council of Seventy, also developed similar themes in his gospel exegeses. (See, Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 2d ed. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966]).

[13] See, Ezra Taft Benson, Title of Liberty (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1964); God, Family, Country: Our Three Great Loyalties (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1974); , This Nation Shall Endure (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1977); , The Constitution: A Heavenly Banner (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1986).

[14] Mark E. Peterson, The Great Prologue (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1975).

[15] Milton V. Backman, American Religions and the Rise of Mormonism, rev. ed. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1970 [1st ed. 1965]).

[16] Arnold K. Garr, Christopher Columbus: a Latter-day Saint Perspective (Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1992).

[17] E. Douglas Clarke, The Grand Design: America from Columbus to Zion (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1992).

[18] For more details, see Prete, “Merging the Secular and the Spiritual,” in Prete and others, eds., Window of Faith, 132.

[19] Latter-day Prophets and the Constitution, ed. Donald Cannon.

[20] For example, joint sponsorship with BYU Studies of a Library of Congress exhibition at BYU on the American Founding in January/February 2003. BYU Studies prepared bibliographies: “Selected Publications in the Harold B. Lee Library Relating to Religion and the Founding of the American Republic,” and “Selected Articles in BYU Studies relating to Religion and the Founding of the American Republic.” For lectures given in conjunction with a January-April 2002 exhibition co-sponsored by BYU Studies and the Harold B. Lee Library at BYU, see Lectures on Religion and the Founding of the American Republic, ed., John W. Welch with Stephen J. Flemming (Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press, 2003).

[21] Richard O. Cowan, The Church in the Twentieth Century (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1987) ; Donald Q. Cannon and Richard O. Cowan, Unto Every Nation: Gospel Light Reaches Every Land (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2003) ; Out of Obscurity: The Church in the Twentieth Century, The 29^th Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2000).

[22] For a fuller discussion, see Prete, “Merging the Secular and the Spiritual,” 133.

[23] Joseph F. Smith, Conference Report, April, 1904, 2; see also Dallin H. Oaks, “Miracles,” Ensign, June 2001, at http://www.lds.org/ensign/2001/06/miracles?lang=eng (consulted February 22, 2014).

[24] Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Come Join with Us,” Ensign, November 2013, 22-23.

[25] See Robert R. Newell, World History for Latter-day Saints, 3 vols., (Orem, Utah: Granite Publishing and Distribution, 2001-02); Dan Hunter, The World Before Christ: An LDS Perspective, 2 vols.; The World after Christ: An LDS Perspective, 2 vols.; United States History: An LDS Perspective, 3 vols., (Grantsville, Utah: Archive, 2001-03).

[26] According to non- Latter-day Saint reviewer Mark R. Woodward, “This is a faith-affirming volume presenting Latter-day Saint perspectives on a broad range of historical and theological issues.” While suggesting that the “sophisticated understand[ing] of Church teachings” which lie at the base of the book’s interpretation may make it “totally opaque” to a non- Latter-day Saint audience, Woodward, nonetheless, affirms that “many of the papers make meticulous use of a wide range of primarily LDS, sources” and that “there is much to be learned from them about LDS interpretations of history and contemporary world events.” (Mark R. Woodward, review of “Roy A. Prete, ed. Window of Faith: Latter-day Saint Perspectives on World History. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center, 2005. . .,” The Journal of Mormon History, vol. 33, no. 2. [2007], 251, 254-55).

[27] W. Cole Durham, “The Doctrine of Religious Freedom,” Clark Memorandum, Fall 2001, 7

[28] John Taylor, Gospel Kingdom, ed. by G. Homer Durham (Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, 1987), 30-310.

[29] Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 1989, [c. 1919]), 31.

[30] Gordon B. Hinckley, “News of the Church,” Ensign, January 1993, 75.

[31] Joseph F. Smith, Conference Report, 1903, 73-74, cited in Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 409.

[32] See Louis B. Cardon chapters, “Champion of Freedom in the Modern World: Britain,” “Champion of Freedom in the Modern World: France,” and “Champion of Freedom in the Modern World: The United States.” in Prete and others, eds., Window of Faith, 349-424. Cardon writes, “There is little doubt that these nations [The United States, Britain and France] were among those which President Gordon B. Hinckley had primarily in mind in the petition with which he closed the October general conference of 2001: ‘We pray for the great democracies of the earth which Thou hast overseen in creating their governments, where peace and liberty and democratic processes obtain.’” (Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, November 2001, 90), in Cardon, “Britain,” 351.

[33] Taylor, Gospel Kingdom, 308-09, cited in Cardon, “France,” 369

[34] Ezra Taft Benson, “The Righteous Need not Fear,” La Paz, Bolivia, 10-18 January 1979, in Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 695

[35] David O. McKay, Conference Report, 1965, 8.

[36] See, President Spencer W. Kimball, "When the World Will Be Converted,” Ensign, October 1974, 3-14, address delivered at a Regional Representative Seminar, 4 April 1974; President Spencer W. Kimball, “It Becometh Every Man,” Ensign, October 1977, 3-7.

[37] President Spencer W. Kimball, First Presidency Message “It Becometh Every Man,” Ensign, October 1977, 3ff.

[38]First Presidency Christmas Devotional, “News of the Church,” Ensign, February 1990, 75.

[39] See Robert S. Patterson and Dale E. LeBaron, “Preparing for Preaching the Gospel Worldwide since 1945,” in Prete and others, eds., Window of Faith, 499-502, 505-07.

[40] Viewpoint, Blessing of Liberty,” Church News, 8 January 2000, 16, cited in Merrill J. Bateman, “The Dawn of a New Millennium,” address delivered at BYU, January 11, 2000, https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/merrill-j-bateman_dawn-new-millennium/ (consulted 31 0ctober 2018).

[41] David Gergen, “Roaring into 2000,” 96, Bateman, “The Dawn of a New Millennium,” https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/merrill-j-bateman_dawn-new-millennium/ (consulted 31 0ctober 2018).

[42] Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, comp. John A. Widstoe (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1966), 40

[43] Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 5-6.

[44] Joseph Fielding Smith, Conference Report, October 3, 1926, 117-18.

[45] Kimball, "When the World Will Be Converted, Ensign, October 1974, 10.

[46] Spencer W. Kimball, The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball (Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, 1982), 588. This was as an Apostle before his call as Church President

[47] Spencer W. Kimball, Regional Representatives Seminar, April 3, 1975, 19, typescript manuscript, Brigham Young University, Harold B. Lee Library, Americana Collection.

[48] Regional Representatives Seminar, April 3, 1975, 19.

[49] Howard W. Hunter, “We Have a Work to Do,” Ensign, March. 1995, 65.

[50] For more details, see chapter by Sherilyn Farnes, Technology and the Fourfold Mission of the Church.” herein.

[51] President Gordon B. Hinckley, Priesthood Leadership Training Broadcast, January 2004.

[52] See, for example, Gordon B. Hinckley," Look to the Future," Ensign, November 1997, 68.

[53] See chapter by Sherilyn Farnes, “Divine Influences in Technology: The Fourfold Mission of the Church,” herein.

[54] R. R. Palmer, Joel Colton and Lloyd Kramer, A History of the Modern World (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2001); John P. McKay and others, A History of World Societies, vol. 2, Since 1500, 5th ed., (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2000).

[55] William McNeill, A World History (New York, London, Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1967); Richard W. Bulliet and others, The Earth and Its Peoples: A Global History, 2nd ed. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2001).

[56] See trilogy of chapters by Louis B. Cardon on the role of Britain, France and the United States in the rise and extension of freedom, in Prete et al, eds. Window of Faith, 348-408.

[57] “Brigham Young to Samuel Richards, in Spencer W. Kimball, “When the World Will be Converted,” Ensign, October 1974, 13, as quoted in Patterson and LeBaron, “Preparing for Preaching the Gospel Worldwide,” 496.

[58] See Patterson and LeBaron, “Preparing for Preaching the Gospel Worldwide,” 498-99.

[59] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Newsroom, 26 February, 2014, ”Facts and Statistics” at http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/facts-and-statistics/ (consulted February 27, ,2014); see also “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints membership statistics” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints_membership_statistics (whose statistics are given as of January 1, 2012, but correspond with those posted on Newsroom on February 26, 2014 and are presumably those of January 1, 2013) (consulted February 27, 2014). Calculations of percentages are my own.

[60] Richard O. Cowan, summation of his research findings on Carole Mikita talk show `People of Faith” broadcast on KSL Radio, January 26, 2014.

[61] See, “Temples” at http://www.lds.org/church/temples/find-a-temple?lang=eng (consulted 31 October 2018).

[62] Ibid; Bateman, “The Dawn of a New Millennium,” https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/merrill-j-bateman_dawn-new-millennium/ (consulted 31 0ctober 2018).

[63] “2017 Statistical Report for 2018 April Conference,” https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/2017-statistical-report-april-2018-general-conference (consulted 31 October 2018)

[64] President Russell M. Nelson, “Becoming Exemplary Latter-day Saints,” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/10/becoming-exemplary-latter-day-saints?lang=eng (consulted 31 October 2018).

[65] “Temples” at http://www.lds.org/church/temples/find-a-temple?lang=eng (consulted 31 October 2018).

[66] For a fuller discussion, see Patterson and LeBaron, “Preparing for Preaching the Gospel Worldwide,” 495-617.

[67] Thomas S. Monson, “Welcome to Conference,” Ensign, November 2013, http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/welcome-to-conference?lang=eng

(consulted February 22, 2014); cf. S. Gifford Nielson, “Hastening the Lord’s Game Plan,” Ensign, November 2013, http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/hastening-the-lords-game-plan?lang=eng (consulted 22 February 2014).

[68] “2017 Statistical Report for 2018 April Conference,” https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/2017-statistical-report-april-2018-general-conference (consulted 31 October 2018)

[69] This theme, though implicit in the previous volume, Window of Faith, was not fully enunciated as a dominant theme (see “Preface “ix—x). But see, in particular, Alexander B Morrison, “God in History” 1-12, Roy A. Prete, “How Has God Intervened in History?” 175-195, Roger R. Kellor, “Why Study World Religions?” 213-30, and the entire suite of chapters and “Epilogue” following, 231-539

[70]See chapters, LeRoy E. Whitehead, “The Mighty Acts of God: The Scriptural Witness of God’s Involvement in Human History,” and Scott C. Esplin, “‘God of the Whole Earth’: The Scriptural Foundation for Providential History,” herein.

[71] “Hope of Israel,” President Russell M. Nelson and Sister Wendy W. Nelson

Worldwide Youth Devotional, June 3, 2018, Conference Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, https://www.lds.org/languages/eng/content/broadcasts/worldwide-devotional-for-young-adults/2018/06/hope-of-israel (consulted 31 October 2018)

[72] Joseph Smith, Teachings, 220.

[73] This segment on destructions is an edited version of my earlier reflections. See Roy A. Prete, “How Has God Intervened in History?” Prete and others, eds. Window of Faith, 191,

[74] For questions in writing LDS providential history relating to the use of evidence, methodology, approach, and related issues, see Roy A. Prete, “Latter-day Saint Providential History: The Way Forward,” herein.

[75] Newsroom, The Official Resource for News Media, Opinion Leaders, and the Public, “One Million Missionaries, Thirteen Million Members,” Provo, Utah, 25 June 2007, on website, http://www.newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/one-million-missionaries-thirteen-million-members (consulted July 21, 2009).

[76] See, James B. Allen, “Technology and the Church: A Steady Revolution,” 2007 Church Almanac (Deseret Morning News: Salt Lake City, 2006), 118-158; Thomas L. Erekson, “Preparing the Way: Technological Development in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries” in Prete and others, eds., Window of Faith, 409-26.

[77] Neal A Maxwell, All Things Shall Give Thee Experience (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1979), 37.

[78] Jessica Ravitz, “Out-of- wedlock births hit record high,” April 8, 2009, CNN.Com/living, http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/04/08/out.of.wedlock.births/index.html and http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/04/08/out.of.wedlock.births/index.html#cnnSTCOther1

(consulted August 12, 2010); Roger Clegg, “Latest Statistics on Out-of-Wedlock Births,” The Corner, October 11, 2013 at http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/360990/latest-statistics-out-wedlock-births-roger-clegg (consulted February 22, 2014)

[79] President Gordon B Hinckley, “Standing Strong and Immovable,” Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting, 10 January 2004, 20.

[80] The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles, "The Family: A Proclamation to the World," read by President Gordon B. Hinckley, General Relief Society Meeting, 23 August 1995.

[81] President Russell M. Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” Ensign, May 2018, 96.

[82] Ibid, 95.

[83] Joseph Smith, Teachings, 162.

[84] Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Dawning of a Brighter Day,” Ensign, May 2004, 81ff.

[85] Hinckley, "At the Summit of the Ages," Ensign, November 1999, 72ff.

[86] For a fuller development of this concept, see Roy A. Prete, “From Joseph to Joseph: Divine Foreknowledge and the Fulfillment of The Divine Plan,” herein.