My brother-in-law, may I just say, he's a totally awesome BIL, and I had an in your face debate loving family discussion about the Beatles song Imagine. He contended that it was atheistic, my contention is that it is a description of heaven. Being the know it all big sister that I am, I couldn't put it down until I had proved, to myself at least, that I am right.
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...
Article of Faith 10 ...Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisaical glory.
Heaven, hell it's all here baby; always was always will be.
"If you wish to go where God is , you must be like God, or possess the principals which God Possesses, for if we are not drawing towards God in principle, we are going away from Him and drawing towards the devil (HC 4:588)
Heaven or hell is not a destination it's a way of life. And as we know that that same spirit that possesses us in this life shall rise with us in the next we will continue to create heaven or hell for ourselves eternally.
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...
We need not doubt the wisdom and intelligence of the Great Jehovah; He will award judgment or mercy to all nations according to their several deserts, their means of obtaining intelligence, the laws by which they are governed, the facilities afforded them of obtaining correct information, and His inscrutable designs in relation to the human family; and when the designs of God shall be made manifest, and the curtain of futurity be withdrawn, we shall all of us eventually have to confess that the Judge of all the earth has done right. (Joseph Smith)
Every government, from the creation to the present, when it ceased to be virtuous, and failed to execute justice, sooner or later has been overthrown. And without virtuous principles to actuate a government all care for justice is soon lost, and the only motive which prompts it to act is ambition and selfishness. (HC 2:11)
Aren't all faiths seeking world peace and government under one supreme being?
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...
"The people were all converted unto the Lord, upon all the face of the land, both Nephites and Lamanites, and there were no contentions and disputations among them, and every man did deal justly one with another. And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift" (4 Ne. 1:2-3).
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one.
DC 29:6
And, it is written--Whatsoever ye shall ask in faith, being united in prayer according to my command, ye shall receive.
I have no idea what John Lennon's politics were I don't know if he was a screaming, phsyco, socialist or a pinko commie or just some British kid who made a lot of money looked around at the world and said, "hmm, I think things could be a little better." Whatever he was he wasn't advocating establishing peace by force or coercion or law not in this song anyway. He invites us to join him in oneness, hmm, sounds like others I know.
As far as I can tell the only difference between peace on earth, or heaven, or Zion, and socialism or communism is force vs. choice.
I love this quote on peace from Joseph Smith:
If the nation, a single state, community, or family ought to be grateful for anything, it is peace. Peace, lovely child of heaven. Peace, like light from the same great parent, gratifies, animates, and happifies the just and the unjust and is the very essence of happiness below and bliss above. He that does not strive with all his powers of body and mind, with all his influence at home and abroad, and to cause others to do so too, to seek peace and to maintain it for his own benefit and convenience and for the honor of his state, nation, and country, has no claim on the clemency of man, nor should he be entitled to the friendship of woman or the protection of government....But the peacemaker, Oh give ear to him! For the words of his mouth, and his doctrine, drop like rain and distill as the dew. (commentary, 81)
I seek peace, the peace left by the Savior, "The of peace of God which passeth all understanding" Philippians 4:7
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...
Article of Faith 10 ...Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisaical glory.
Heaven, hell it's all here baby; always was always will be.
"If you wish to go where God is , you must be like God, or possess the principals which God Possesses, for if we are not drawing towards God in principle, we are going away from Him and drawing towards the devil (HC 4:588)
Heaven or hell is not a destination it's a way of life. And as we know that that same spirit that possesses us in this life shall rise with us in the next we will continue to create heaven or hell for ourselves eternally.
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...
We need not doubt the wisdom and intelligence of the Great Jehovah; He will award judgment or mercy to all nations according to their several deserts, their means of obtaining intelligence, the laws by which they are governed, the facilities afforded them of obtaining correct information, and His inscrutable designs in relation to the human family; and when the designs of God shall be made manifest, and the curtain of futurity be withdrawn, we shall all of us eventually have to confess that the Judge of all the earth has done right. (Joseph Smith)
Every government, from the creation to the present, when it ceased to be virtuous, and failed to execute justice, sooner or later has been overthrown. And without virtuous principles to actuate a government all care for justice is soon lost, and the only motive which prompts it to act is ambition and selfishness. (HC 2:11)
Aren't all faiths seeking world peace and government under one supreme being?
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...
"The people were all converted unto the Lord, upon all the face of the land, both Nephites and Lamanites, and there were no contentions and disputations among them, and every man did deal justly one with another. And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift" (4 Ne. 1:2-3).
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one.
DC 29:6
And, it is written--Whatsoever ye shall ask in faith, being united in prayer according to my command, ye shall receive.
I have no idea what John Lennon's politics were I don't know if he was a screaming, phsyco, socialist or a pinko commie or just some British kid who made a lot of money looked around at the world and said, "hmm, I think things could be a little better." Whatever he was he wasn't advocating establishing peace by force or coercion or law not in this song anyway. He invites us to join him in oneness, hmm, sounds like others I know.
As far as I can tell the only difference between peace on earth, or heaven, or Zion, and socialism or communism is force vs. choice.
I love this quote on peace from Joseph Smith:
If the nation, a single state, community, or family ought to be grateful for anything, it is peace. Peace, lovely child of heaven. Peace, like light from the same great parent, gratifies, animates, and happifies the just and the unjust and is the very essence of happiness below and bliss above. He that does not strive with all his powers of body and mind, with all his influence at home and abroad, and to cause others to do so too, to seek peace and to maintain it for his own benefit and convenience and for the honor of his state, nation, and country, has no claim on the clemency of man, nor should he be entitled to the friendship of woman or the protection of government....But the peacemaker, Oh give ear to him! For the words of his mouth, and his doctrine, drop like rain and distill as the dew. (commentary, 81)
I seek peace, the peace left by the Savior, "The of peace of God which passeth all understanding" Philippians 4:7
2 comments:
I could say several things in rebuttal, but the truth is you are right. What you have said is perfectly true. But, you are probably one in a billion people able to see it that way.
You can read some of Lennon's comments on the song here:
Wikipedia: Imagine (song)
Notice he specifically says that it is "virtually the Communist Manifesto." Which sums up my whole argument about it. But like I said, everything you said is true. You just tend to see the positive, and the spiritual side of things, while the negative is more blatantly apparent to me.
Rob,
Thanks for the comment I read up a little on John Lennon. I also read up on the world events in 1971. I won't go into any boring details just will say that given the events of life around him and the fact that many were looking to the concepts of socialism and communism without the advantage of 20/20 hind site or the knowledge of force vs. choice I get where he was coming from. I wonder what he would be promoting and how if he had lived longer. I laugh a little at how unaware of how our American lives look from the outside looking in. We have so much and want so much more. I hope I can live my life in a way that reflects peace and awareness of the human condition and hope in God for the future of all mandkind.
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