Chaos or Purpose?

Is God really in charge of the current world, or will men mess it up as they always have in the past?

To the believer, the world has purpose despite the paradox of troubled times. For the faithful, we are living in the prophesied last days, when “men’s hearts will fail them” because of the turbulence of the world both from natural disaster and human causes. But, placed between the bookends of past and future, do we always, as President Gordon B. Hinckley urged in the October 1999 General Conference, “recognize our place in the great drama of human history"? (v).

This new volume can help. In the Lord’s plan, the Restoration of the gospel, its spread around the globe, and the preparation of the earth for the Second Coming have been major priorities of the modern era (see D&C 65) (232).  God, working through human agents, has shaped the history of the world for the accomplishment of his purposes. . . . The millennial  reign will thus be ushered in”  (ix)

History, he avers, has purpose, despite the ravages of human folly, and will culminate in the realization of the foreordained plan of God for the redemption of the earth.  In the second half of this new book, several scholars, mostly from BYU, deal with important themes in the preparation of the world for the Restoration and subsequent spread of the gospel.  Largely historical in nature, Part 3, “Preparing the Way” and Part 4, “To All the World,” trace themes in modern history from Columbus’s discovery of America, through the cataclysmic events of the twentieth century to the fall of the Iron curtain. Drawing on prophetic insights, the editor, in the “Epilogue” (also excerpted briefly), offers suggestions on how to live in peace and with a minimum of fear in a troubled world. For a treatment of earlier sections of the book, click here.

Thematic Overview to Part 3 : “Preparing the Way”  (excerpts)      

 “Part 3 . . .  deals with themes in the period up to the Restoration of the gospel and since then that reflect the guiding influence of the Lord in the unfolding of modern history. . . .  The quest for knowledge and the taste for discovery of the [Renaissance age, ca. 1350-1550], coupled with technological developments, such as the compass and better sailing ships, and the rising power of the new nation-state monarchies, laid the foundation for the great oceanic discoveries of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Gutenberg's invention of moveable type printing in the mid- fifteenth century was a key development of the period, which allowed for the dissemination of knowledge to a wider range of people, making possible the subsequent religious Reformation and the rise of modern science.  Modern apostles and prophets have indicated that the Spirit of the Lord had already begun to move on the people at the end of the Middle Ages, hastening subsequent developments, to prepare the way for the Restoration of the gospel.

 “ De Lamar Jensen, internationally recognized scholar of the Renaissance and the Reformation, breaks new research ground in his chapter, ‘Renaissance: The Beginning of Religious Reform.’  In exploring the reflections of Petrarch, Valla and other Italian humanists on such topics as ‘human dignity, freedom of the will and the immortality of the soul,’ Jensen demonstrates that their approach was not secular, as often depicted,  but focused on the dignity and perfectibility of man. . . .  He has thus identified underlying concepts and exciting new relationships in what he has called the ‘Religious Renaissance,’ which preceded and shaped the Reformation, providing evidence that the hand of God was already preparing the way for the later movement. . . .

“De Lamar Jensen, in his second paper, ‘Reformation and Pre-Restoration,’ shows that Martin Luther, Calvin and others well-known reformers developed ideas that partially resembled those of the Restoration, but he has noted an even more striking resemblance in concepts developed by the Anabaptists and Spiritual Reformers. . . .  But the fact that the Anabaptists were hunted out by their fellow Protestants and massacred leads Jensen to believe that the Restoration was not possible until the establishment of freedom in America.

“The expansion of Europe to other shores in the great Age of Discovery changed forever the course of European history, and that of . . .  the Americas.  In the chapter entitled, ‘Columbus: Man of Destiny,’ Arnold K. Garr, specialist in Columbus studies and Latter-day Saint History, highlights the pivotal role of Columbus in the discovery of America.  Drawing on the spiritual record of scriptural and prophetic statements and on Columbus' record of his proceedings, Garr affirms that the great discoverer was divinely inspired in his first voyage to the Americas. The fortuitous choice of route and change of course at crucial moments bear witness to the providential nature of his endeavor. . . .

“In the next chapter, Robert R. Newell, Carma T. Prete and Roy A. Prete trace the ‘European Origins of Freedom in America’ from early Greek and Roman foundations, through the first intellectual glimmers of the Middle Ages, to its religious underpinnings in the Reformation, to the philosophical formulation of liberty in the Enlightenment. They then detail the British heritage of representative and constitutional government, individual rights and liberties, and the rule of law, to which the American colonist fell heir prior to the Revolution. . . .

“In his chapter,  ‘The Rise of Freedom in America,’ Milton V. Backman, a noted expert on the religious history of the United States, shows that the progress of religious freedom in America made its greatest strides in the revolutionary era, giving rise to the disestablishment of traditional religions and the development of a new attitude of religious toleration. He also details the recognition by George Washington of the interposition of divine providence in the success of the revolutionary armies against far stronger forces, and notes that some framers of the Constitution recognized the influence of a kindly providence. Backman identifies as divine preparation for the Restoration not only the rise of freedom in the new republic, but the availability of an unoccupied territory as a potential place of refuge.

“But the advance of freedom was not limited to the United States. Indeed, one of the remarkable developments of Western society has been the rise of freedom generally and its extension, in a variety of forms, to the peoples of many parts of the earth. Drawing on his expertise as long-time professor of modern European and diplomatic history, Louis B. Cardon traces important aspects of that development in a trilogy of chapters for three ‘Champions of Freedom in the Modern World’: Britain, France and the United States.  In these chapters, he emphasizes the providential role of these ‘great democracies’ in the rise and spread of freedom over the last three centuries. . . . While God has no perfect instrument on earth for the accomplishments of His purpose, these three nations, Cardon argues, have made remarkable strides in the development of freedom and its extension across the earth in the modern era. . . . The happy results in the modern era, despite all the violence and suffering, is that now approximately two-thirds of the world's population lives under a system of religious toleration.  A comparison of a map of those countries that have meaningful religious freedom with a map of those areas to which the gospel has been taken [pp. 500-501] shows them to be almost identical.

 “Taking up the theme of the divine role in the disbursement of technical  knowledge as a preparation for the preaching of the gospel, Thomas L. Erekson, Chair of BYU's School of Technology, has contributed  an important chapter, ‘Preparing the Way: Technology in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries’ .. . .  Erekson . . .  focuses on the development of modern transportation and communication systems including the current information technology, which have facilitated the Lord's work of preaching the gospel and administering an ever-expanding church. The role of the computer in hastening the work of redeeming the dead by facilitating family history research has surpassed all expectations” (257-60).

Thematic Overview to Part 4: “To All the World”

“The final section of this book is focused largely on the twentieth century. . . [T]his concluding section deals with the preparation of the world and the preparation of the church for the divine mission of taking the gospel to the entire world. The twentieth century has been a century of great turbulence, the most violent of all centuries to date. Was the troubled era of the two world wars and the Great Depression part of the ‘chastening hand of the Almighty God’ upon the inhabitants of the earth, which Joseph Smith prophesied? (D&C 87:6)  Brian Q. Cannon explores this topic in his chapter, ‘Chastisement of the Nations, 1914-45,’ through the prism of the statements of modern prophets, apostles and other church leaders. His conclusion is that mankind brought these predicted evils upon itself by its failure to comply with correct principles. . . .

“How do other providential European historians. . .  see the hand of God in the historical process? Malcolm R. Thorp, a recognized expert on Butterfield, in his chapter, ‘Herbert Butterfield on Tragedies and the Promise in the Twentieth Century Historical Experience: A Reappraisal,’ compares the views of  Butterfield on God's intervention in the historical process with those of the Latter-day Saints . . . Basing his interpretation of world history on a paradigm derived from the covenant relationship between God and man in the Old Testament, [Butterfield] develops a model not far removed from Latter-day Saint views, in which human failure to live up to divine potential and promises leads to calamity, but a calamity from which God derives higher purposes.

“The further review, from a Latter-day Saint point of view, of God's seeming non-intervention in all the dark and macabre events of the twentieth century is the task of Douglas F. Tobler's chapter, ‘Good from Evil in the Twentieth Century: Transcending Totalitarianism, Wars and the Holocaust.’ Tobler's reflections are the distillation of a life-long consideration of German and intellectual history and the [consequences related] to the violation of gospel principles. Europeans, he concludes, brought these destructions upon themselves by their departure from Christian principles and the espousal of ideologies that denied human rights and freedoms. Tobler argues that God’s purposes have been served, nonetheless, in that the post-war situation is much better than that before the Second World War in terms of freedom and human dignity.  He views the fall of the Iron Curtain and the extension of freedom to the lands of Eastern Europe as a particular manifestation of the hand of God. God is ultimately in charge, he concludes, and can extract good from evil, despite the ravages of human folly.

“Noted scholars, Robert S. Patterson and E. Dale LeBaron, in their chapter, APreparing for Preaching the Gospel Worldwide since 1945,@ link the preparation of the world to receive the gospel and the growth and progress of the Church, which enables it to undertake the worldwide mission of taking the gospel to all the earth. . . . The development of the Church has occurred administratively, in simplified and correlated programs; doctrinally, with the revelation on the priesthood in 1978; . . .  organizationally, with the establishment of the Quorums of Seventy; and geographically in accelerated temple building and in other ways. These changes have helped it cope with the exponential growth experienced since the end of World War II.  From 1947 to 2004 Church membership, as a result, has grown from one to twelve million as the Lord has accelerated His work.

           But one should remember that ‘by small means the Lord can bring about great things’ (1Nephi 16:29). In the final chapter, [“‘Unto Every Nation’:  Scenes of Church Growth Worldwide,’], Richard O. Cowan. . .  provides support for the view that in specific cases God has worked through a rich and manifold variety of  ‘small means’ in establishing a foothold for his church in many locations, and in preparing people and circumstances for its growth in many regions of the world” (425-26). Cowan draws attention to numerous such instances, such as the establishment of branches in both Montevideo,Uruguay and Lima, Peru around the family of American diplomat, Frederick S. Williams (530-31); and the conversion of  Paul Thiruthuvadoss of Coimbatore, India, following his discovery of a Latter-day saint tract in a used book, and the subsequent establishment of a thriving branch in his city (523). 

Epilogue (brief excerpts)

“This volume is an attempt to place [the] divinely attested role and mission [of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] in the context of the wider history of the world. Drawing on the statements of scripture, ancient and modern, and those of modern prophets and apostles, it has attempted to show that this mission can only be accomplished within the broader context of the unfolding of human events as guided by the divine hand. The theme of the past several hundred years of history has been to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Son of God. This dispensation has been ushered in not only for the salvation of people living in this age and future generations, but also for the salvation of all previous generations. . . .  The preparation period for the Second Coming is indeed the prophesied age in which we live, the dispensation of the fulness of times, when all things shall be brought together in Christ (see Ephesians 1:10).

“When these gospel insights are applied to world history, we see a phenomenal unfolding of events, which suggests that the history of the world is teleological in nature, i.e.,  that it is going in a certain direction, and has ultimate purpose. Is it marching forward inexorably in a foreordained direction?  It is clear that "the works, and the designs, and the purpose of God cannot be frustrated” (D&C 3:1), and that "the eternal purposes of the Lord shall roll on, until all his promises shall be fulfilled" (Mormon 8:22). .  . [God]  guides all that is good. But, He allows his children their agency to choose how they will respond to His counsels. Each must prove his or her individual merit out of His presence. The troubled course of the history of man on the earth which has resulted should not be confused with the notion that God is not in charge or does not care about His children.

“God’s plan of human progress and salvation is carried forth by those who strive to do good. The history of the world could indeed be written from the point of view of whom God sends at each juncture and 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. . . .  A people is being prepared for the Second Coming of the Lord. . . .   “[Future calamities preceding the Lord’s Second Coming] may include the ravages of war, and related social and economic disruption, which, as President Gordon B. Hinckley observed after the tragic events of 11 September 2001, can disrupt and challenge the work of the Lord. 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, Joseph Smith Mathew. . .).  The hurricane disasters and the Southeast Asian tsunami of 2004 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) . . . .

“Following the counsels of the living prophets [such as that recently of President Gordon B. Hinckley, to read the Book of Mormon, “to stand in holy places,” and to put in adequate food storage!] and living righteous lives so that we can be constantly guided by the Holy Spirit are the best hedges against personal disaster in such a troubled world (D&C 45: 56-59). Those who walk in obedience before the Lord, who keep their covenants, and who put their main effort into the building up of Zion have little cause to fear. We live in perilous times surrounded by evil. But, as President Hinckley has 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.  As we Latter-day Saints, come to a better understanding of our place in history, we are better able to cope with the world in which we live.” (535-39)

The Book

Roy A. Prete, ed., Brian Q. Cannon, Richard O. Cowan, D. Mark Prescott, Craig J. Ostler, Associate Eds., Window of Faith: Latter-day Saint Perspectives on World History (Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center Brigham Young University, 2005), 585 pp., ISBN  0-8425-2610-2, [distributed by Covenant Communications, American Fork, Utah; Deseret Book, Salt Lake City, Utah, $49.95; and Seagull Books (discount available)]

Public Lecture at BYU, October 31, 2005

Roy A. Prete, PhD, Assoc. Professor of History, “Providential History:  A Latter-day Saint Perspective,” Monday, October 31, 2005, 3:00- 3:50 pm, Harold B. Lee Library Auditorium, BYU, Provo, Utah.