In the Old Testament, we read of one King Nebudchadnezzar, the great Babylonian king of the 6th century BC, who beseiged Israel and exiled her upper class citizens to Babylon in the east. Among these exiled Israelites was Daniel, who was chosen to be trained by the wise advisors of the king in his own Court. One night, Nebudchadnezzar had a dream he did not understand. When his wise advisers and magicians could not reveal the dream or meaning to him, he ordered all wise men and the like (including Daniel, a wise man in training) killed.
When Daniel found out the cause of his impending execution, he implored the king give him time and he would interpret the vision. Parenthetically, it is interesting to me that he asked the king for time, which was, by the way, granted him. Revelation does indeed take time. It is hard to accept that fact when it seems like we need a inspiration immediately, but the Lord won't leave us in our time of need and can "lengthen...time", "soften...hearts", and otherwise allow our faith to be tested and strengthened even while the whole time He knows that we will be fine.
Daniel went home, prayed, and asked his companions in the Lord that were with him to also pray. That night, the Lord revealed the dream and its meaning to Daniel, who then revealed these to the King. Everyone's lives were spared; Daniel, praised and revered.
That's the general story, and explains the bottom half of the drawing. The crux of the message is in the dream itself.
The king sees a great and curious image or statue, with a head of gold, breatplate and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron, and feet of iron mixed with clay. Each of these represented an earthly kingdom or empire (Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman, and an unknown subsequent group of kingdoms). A stone is somehow cut out of a mountain, "without hands," rolls down and strikes the latter kingdom, toppling and destroying to powder the whole image. The stone then rolls on, becoming a mountain and filling the whole earth.
If there is a God, and that God will return to us one day--or rather us to Him--then it is perfectly logical and expected for all temporary earthly kingdoms to then have an end; His kingdom and glory will fill the whole earth. We would all do well to seek out that God, the King of kings, and to do it in this life. I for one want my heart to be with God and His kingdom, which will last forever, and not set on the world or its kingdoms.
This does not discount patriotism in any way--it simply prohibits the worship of anything worldly or temporary, really anything which will have an end. Or as scripture affirms, "Wherefore, be subject to the powers that be, until he reigns whose right it is to reign, and subdues all enemies under his feet."
I believe in God, and in His justice and mercy. He justly gives authority to men, priesthood, to set up His kingdom on earth. He requires all who desire to unite with Him that they join His earthly kingdom or Church through baptism. But He mercifully leaves no one out. If there is one unique diamond of truth that sets the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints apart, it is this: all must be baptized as Christ Himself taught, but all men and women who did not have that chance in this life to accept that baptism and gospel, are not lost, and will be given that opportunity still. They are not saved in ignorance, but through learning and accepting the gospel at a later time, in a very special way which the Lord has revealed.
I pray as did the Savior so long ago, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."
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