Out of Zion shall go forth the law

The Prophet Isaiah was shown the establishment of the United States Constitution. He prophesied that the U.S. Constitution would be the pattern of government for the whole world, "for out of Zion shall go forth the law." (Isaiah 2:3.)

Harold B. Lee explained: "I have often wondered what the expression meant, that out of Zion shall go forth the law. Years ago I went with the brethren to the Idaho Falls Temple, and I heard in that inspired prayer of the First Presidency a definition of the meaning of the term ‘out of Zion shall go forth the law.' Note what they said: ‘We thank thee that thou has revealed to us that those who gave us our constitutional form of government were men wise in thy sight and that thou didst raise them up for the very purpose of putting forth that sacred document [the Constitution of the United States—see D&C 101:80]....

"‘We pray that kings and rulers and the peoples of all nations under heaven may be persuaded of the blessings enjoyed by the people of this land by reason of their freedom under thy guidance and be constrained to adopt similar governmental systems, thus to fulfil the ancient prophecy of Isaiah that "out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."'" (Ensign, Nov. 1971.)

Ezra Taft Benson, as President of the Church, affirmed that Isaiah did prophesy about the U.S. Constitution: "The coming forth of the Constitution is of such transcendent importance in the Lord's plan that ancient prophets foresaw this event and prophesied of it. In the dedicatory prayer for the Idaho Falls Temple, President George Albert Smith indicated that the Constitution fulfilled the ancient prophecy of Isaiah that ‘out of Zion shall go forth the law' (Isaiah 2:3). He said:

"‘We thank thee that thou hast revealed to us that those who gave us our constitutional form of government were wise men in thy sight and that thou didst raise them up for the very purpose of putting forth that sacred document [the Constitution of the United States].'" (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson.)

Dallin H. Oaks has pointed out that "the United States Constitution was the first written constitution in the world [and] it has become the United States' most important export. After two centuries, every nation in the world except six have adopted written constitutions, and the U.S. Constitution was a model for all of them. No wonder modern revelation says that God established the U.S. Constitution and that it 'should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh.'" (Ensign, Feb. 1992.)

Are we maintaining the U.S. Constitution and keeping it where the Lord put it, for the rights and protection of all flesh?

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