My thoughts about immigration. It isn't as cut and dry as many suppose. One LDS perspective.

In light of our recent election, I thought it might be interesting to those unfamiliar to LDS doctrine to know how the Book of Mormon came to be and who we believe the ancient inhabitants of North and South America were at the time of Christ’s resurrection.    We believe that Christ visited the American continent after his resurrection.  Christ, after his resurrection, had shared with his apostles in Jerusalem that he had other sheep, which were not of that fold, with whom he would soon visit.

 John 10:16, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. 

Latter-day Saints believe that Christ came here to this, the American continent, and visited the Lamanites and Nephites who originated in Israel.  We believe a man, Lehi, and his family and some close associates crossed the ocean and landed in the Americas.   We believe that he was a prophet who, among many, raised a warning voice about the need for repentance or they would be destroyed by their enemies.  After raising that warning voice, they traveled in the wilderness and eventually built a boat and came to what we believe to be a promised land. They kept a record of their history and passed it on from generation to generation.  That record, abridged by one of their prophets, Mormon, was the book that Joseph Smith was led to by divine revelation.  This book would become a second witness of Christ.  We believe this group of people had prophets among them, that let them know of Jesus Christ who would come to earth following his resurrection and that He would visit this righteous branch of Israelites, who were descendants of Joseph, one of the sons of Jacob.  We believe Christ did come and while he was here, he established more fully his doctrine and he gave them this land for their inheritance, the whole of North, Central and South America.  He then explained what would befall them until He would come again in the last days.  He explained that they would be dispersed by a Gentile nation.  The definition of a gentile nation according the LDS bible dictionary explains why America is considered a gentile nation in the Book of Mormon. 

Immigrants, starting with the discovery of America by Columbus, committed many vile acts against the original inhabitants of North, Central and South America.  In North America they were often forced to live on the most undesirable of lands.  Even in modern history the dispersion continues.    As our economy expanded we needed immigrants to work at jobs that Americans couldn’t or wouldn’t fill and so allowed immigrants from Mexico, Central and South America to come here to work.  We turned a blind eye to the fact that many came without visas because we enjoyed the cheap labor and resultant low price for goods and services.  Up to the present day, they continue to be seen in the most negative of postures.   Contrary to popular beliefs, even undocumented workers pay taxes more than they ever receive in benefits from the government.  Our government counts on funds they provide, which exceed $5 billion dollars a year to the social security fund alone, even though undocumented immigrants will never draw from it.

It is popular to believe that society spends lots of money on them for social services and that they are the major source of our crime element.  If you take time to actually look at the statistics you will find that immigrants, both legal and illegal, have a lower rate of crime than the rest of the population.  Much of our industry, even here in Utah, depends on them to survive.  Those immigrants I know personally have strong family values and good work ethics.  Many of them who live in the shadows were brought her as small children and don’t even speak Spanish well.  Often they don’t even know they aren’t legal until they try to get a driver’s license, a job when they turn 16 or they try to enter college. 

It is easy to say that they should just do things legally and they would if there were actually a way that they could do it but current law requires that they leave the country, friends and family and then wait a minimum of 10 years before they can apply for an immigrant visa.

The following article explains some of the difficulties they face. 

https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/addressing-common-questions-immigration

President Obama did many things that I didn’t agree with, but one thing he did do that was humane and much needed was implement DACA.  This program allows certain youth to come out of the shadows by going through a criminal background check and getting identified so that they are able to attend school and work for a period of two years while we wait on Congress to reform our immigration laws.  DACA does not give legal residency, much less citizenship, it just allows those who are already here, through no act of their own, to work legally so they can provide for themselves and their families while we wait on Congress to act. 

The only way that some other undocumented immigrants can stay here legally is to first be the victim of a qualified crime, which if they report and cooperate with authorities they are able to get a work visa for 4 years.  After 3 years they can apply for residency if they maintain a clean record and meet certain other requirements.  Congress passed this law as a matter of public policy because it recognized that the undocumented community would not come forward to help apprehend criminals if they thought they would be deported.  Thus, crimes went unreported and the perpetrators were free to commit other crimes against the community as a whole.

There is another program that allows undocumented immigrants a “Waiver” for having entered and remained in this country for more than a year without permission but first they must leave the country for an interview in their country of origin.  When they leave they are immediately subject to a 10 year bar wherein they cannot apply for a resident visa.  Obtaining a waiver is the only way to avoid that 10 year bar.  To get the waiver they need to show extreme hardship for a qualifying family member if the waiver is not granted.  Being separated from your family for 10 years is not considered an “extreme hardship” according to immigration laws.  Doing things “legally” is easy to say but actually doing it is something else entirely.  If you were born in Mexico, Central or South American and your very survival and that of your family depended on your taking great risks to come to this country to avoid starvation or death, would you take those risks?  If you were brought here as a child and grew up here would you want to be forced to leave and return to your country of birth, whose language and culture you aren’t familiar with, and where you have no family? 

Consider the words of Christ as contained in the following scriptures in 3 Nephi, one of the books of the Book of Mormon.  

 10 And it came to pass that when they had all given glory unto Jesus, he said unto them: Behold now I finish the commandment which the Father hath commanded me concerning this people, who are a remnant of the house of Israel.

 11 Ye remember that I spake unto you, and said that when the words of Isaiah should be fulfilled—behold they are written, ye have them before you, therefore search them—

 12 And verily, verily, I say unto you, that when they shall be fulfilled then is the fulfilling of the covenant which the Father hath made unto his people, O house of Israel.

 13 And then shall the remnants, which shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth, be gathered in from the east and from the west, and from the south and from the north; and they shall be brought to the knowledge of the Lord their God, who hath redeemed them.

 14 And the Father hath commanded me that I should give unto you this land, for your inheritance.

 15 And I say unto you, that if the Gentiles do not repent after the blessing which they shall receive, after they have scattered my people—

 16 Then shall ye, who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, go forth among them; and ye shall be in the midst of them who shall be many; and ye shall be among them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he goeth through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.

 17 Thy hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.

 18 And I will gather my people together as a man gathereth his sheaves into the floor.

 19 For I will make my people with whom the Father hath covenanted, yea, I will make thy horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass. And thou shalt beat in pieces many people; and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth. And behold, I am he who doeth it.

 20 And it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that the sword of my justice shall hang over them at that day; and except they repent it shall fall upon them, saith the Father, yea, even upon all the nations of the Gentiles.

 21 And it shall come to pass that I will establish my people, O house of Israel.

 22 And behold, this people will I establish in this land, unto the fulfilling of the covenant which I made with your father Jacob; and it shall be a New Jerusalem. And the powers of heaven shall be in the midst of this people; yea, even I will be in the midst of you.

These scriptures describe that these descendants of Jacob, those Lamanites who were scattered by our ancestors and we are oppressing once again, these same people were given this land as commanded by God, see verse 14.  So many of these people are being gathered and told who they are.  These are those who we are told by prophecy shall be gathered and blossom as a rose.   They are a part of your future if you intend to be a Zion people. 

Even Senator Sanderson, who was responsible for tougher laws against immigrants here in Utah has since repented of his posture.  Once he actually met with and got to know some young people who were brought here as children he realized that something needed to be done to provide a way for them to adjust their status and remain in this country legally. 

Maybe it is because I am not perfect and know I have need of repentance that my heart fills with compassion towards immigrants.  I know many of them personally and they are among the finest people that I know.  I support the posture the LDS Church takes which is to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to save souls.  They look upon undocumented immigrants with compassion, send them on missions and give them positions of responsibility within the church.  It is time for our government to take the same posture and to provide a way for undocumented workers to come out of the shadows, to treat them with dignity and to provide them with a reasonable path to become legal residents so that they can more fully participate in society and contribute to this country that they love.   To discount a significant population, that by in large has no legal or feasible avenue to citizenship, who actually contribute far more than they take away from our society, who we believe were the original inhabitants of North and Central America and have a prophesied major role in the establishment of Zion, does not seem charitable.

What does their future look like?

 

 

 

Many people were sad about our two main contenders for President of the United States.  There was something that concerned me more, it was the parties, made up of individuals, who chose them.  It concerns me that there are men and women who call themselves moral who rallied behind individuals that they knew were questionable in either their ethics or behaviors, in an effort to protect their political own interests and agendas. 
 

The election is over and where do we go from here?
 

I want to be law abiding and go forward in faith.  I will try to be more informed and let my thoughts be known to my elected representatives.  I will get involved.  I will seek to keep the Sabbath Day Holy and prepare myself to be more worthy to hear and discern the voice of the Spirit of Truth.  I will try to be just and true, and sensitive to the downtrodden.  I will do my part to make a better America.  I will teach my children truth.  We will read scriptures at night and discuss them during the day.  We will seek to not watch television that is unwholesome, even if that means not watching television.  We will not view unwholesome media or listen to music that fosters sexual impurity, drugs, lust or vigilantism.   We will seek to repent of our own pettiness, our own selfishness and our own sins. We will dress modestly and we will pray as a family and if we do these things, I believe we will be okay.   

We may eventually have war at our own front door.  We may become victims to terrorists or to gangs, but we don’t have to be like them.  We can believe that there are things worse than death, because we believe in life after death and a Creator who has the power to redeem the repentant.  This is a great time to be the best we can be.  This is a great time to set our hearts and homes in order.