Survival and Success

by Gary Van Horn (Utah)

Speech given at the Restaurant Social and Speakers Forum of the IAP National Conference, January 17, 2003, Taylorsville (Salt Lake City), Utah.  Gary Van Horn is a former U.S. Senate and Utah Gubernatorial candidate, and party State Chair.

Brothers and Sisters – I hope I can call you Brothers and Sisters – it’s my conviction that we are all children of a common Father. The topic tonight really would be much easier to cover in one hour than in fifteen minutes. If you’ve ever admit I’ve given a talk you know that’s true.

Survival! Look at the situation we are in right now. We have a sick land, economic and military weakness, rampant immorality, abortion, run-away illegal immigration, out-of-control government. But there is hope for us if we will return to the words of our Father in Heaven. “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

What are our wicked ways? Now, I am going to say a few things – I hope I don’t I offend you, but I don’t know what else to do except tell the truth as I see it. I include myself in these comments – I don’t stand above any of you.

What are the wicked ways that we are guilty of? In fact, the prophet Isaiah foresaw our day and here are some of the things he said. We are guilty of mainly three very serious sins: idolatry, injustice, and Sabbath breaking.

Idolatry. Well how on heaven’s name are we guilty of idolatry? What is idolatry? Idolatry is a concentration, a worship, and a devotion to something in exclusion of God. And that can be a devotion and an idolization of sports figures (you know anyone who is a sport’s idolater?) who idolizes life in the outdoors and camping, who idolizes a political figure (Clinton groupies maybe?) – even vehicles. The man who devotes great time and energy polishing that new car – and he doesn’t seem to realize that it’s a depreciating asset. 

Riches – people are devoted to riches. Do you ever notice the richer a person gets, the less willing he is to help others. The less willing he is to help others, the more he holds on to it. The odd thing about it is those who are wealthy, who have great material assets, have the most to lose in this counterrevolution that’s occurring and has been occurring for the past 70 years. And yet they are the least willing to risk what they think they already have. Idolizing movie actresses – I know somebody, and you should know somebody, who idolized the Playboy centerfold.

Injustice. Now that one’s a little easier. We can identify injustice. Unjust laws, unjust actions. Everyone here probably has a story of things they’ve seen done that were unjust and we’re letting it happen. Isaiah quotes God when he says, “Demand justice!” And we don’t. And whose fault is that? I would include all of us here to some extent or another, unfortunately also our parents, grandparents for a while back.

Well what are the threats we must survive? Overthrow of our Constitutional government. Loss of sovereignty of our country. Invasion by immigration. Loss of economic freedom. A chemical or biological attack by terrorists or terrorist-sponsoring states. A surprise nuclear attack (I could go for an hour on that and tell you the real danger we have with that as we are becoming militarily weaker). Also, attempts to destroy our political freedom and deny us the franchise. Well, how is that being done? How is denying us the right to vote, the ability to choose our political officials being denied to us. 

I’ll tell you how: Raising the requirements to gain and retain ballot status. The Independent American Party knows where of we speak when we say this has been done to us. Will Christensen [former Utah IAP State Chair] can give you details. News blackouts of Independent American Party candidates. I can give you details on this – it’s very difficult to get recognition. Carlton Bowen – Senator Hatch (some fellow referred to him as “Escape Hatch” – he escapes responsibility for what he has done) couldn’t get Hatch to debate Carlton here. News fixing political polls. 

I got on the debate with Senator Bennett merely because the Deseret News was not clever in wording their polls. They listed, “Now who would you favor in the upcoming election for United States Senator?” and they actually had my name on this poll. Much to their surprise and chagrin I got above 5% which they had to include me in the debate up at the University of Utah. Boy, were there red faces. I’m sure somebody got taken to the woodshed for that lapse. I had 6%. And I had to call down and embarrass some people at BYU [Brigham Young University] to get on the program down there to debate Senator Bennett in front of mostly students of the Political Science Department who were all predictably mostly to the left. In fact, so far that I understand they can’t make a right hand turn – they have to go down one block and make three left hand turns. 

Manipulation of political nominations to deny us any real choice at the polls. This has been going on for thirty years – that’s what got me originally into the search for a party that represented the best of American independence, freedom, the opportunity, the great heritage that we are gradually losing. I realized that being active in the Republican Party was a loss of time. I don’t have time to tell you all the details about this but I got firmly convinced by having my face pushed in it a couple times, that the control behind the scenes was very powerful, and it was time to look for something else.

Also, restriction on exposure of the voting records of the incumbents. Recent law passed – and Will Christensen can give you the name of the bill and the details on that – has become difficult now even to tell our neighbors what the bad things are being done by our so-called representatives in Congress, much less people on the hill up here in the Utah State Legislature.

Now we will survive, and we will gain (and by the way, if you want a very good exposure of what has happened, how have we come to this position, how have our enemies – some people refer to these as the Conspiracy, some call them a secret combination, and somebody I heard was very much more direct and said, “Well, they’re a bunch of Gadianton robbers!” – well, how did they get this control of the news media? Read Ken Bowers' book Hiding in Plain Sight. He points out all it takes is 8 to 10% - sometimes less that that – of the stock of a communications company, radio station, series of TV stations, whatever it is, and you have operating control of that corporation, whether it’s communications or something else. Frankly his book is one of the best overall  descriptions). Well, the problem that we have (I am going to go back to idolatry for a minute) it creeps up on you. I had somebody tell me this. Lost his family, everything, because he opened a package that came in a brown paper wrapper one day, filled with  pornography.

Alexander Pope, from the 19th century, wrote this (you’ve probably heard this): "Vice is a monster of so frightful of mien, That to be hated needs only to be seen, But seen too oft, familiar with her face, We first endure, then pity, then embrace."

Now we’ve got to survive what’s happening here. And we can. I have a very good friend, he’s very prudent. He’s been storing food and clothing and water and things like this, learning by his mistake. He stores what he eats and eats what he stores. His wife is very good at this and knows how to make whole-wheat bread, on and on. This is a familiar topic of some of you here. It is very wise and effectively absolutely necessary.

Well, how do we gain success? We’re going to survive first. First we need to cleanse the inner vessel, then we can call upon God for His help. Look into our hearts. I’m going to ask some rhetorical questions – that means you don’t have to answer them. What are we doing wrong? What should we be doing that we’re not doing? Let’s be honest with ourselves. Every night, have a little consultation. Ask Father in Heaven, “Father in Heaven, are you pleased with what I’ve done this day? If You’re not, please help me to know what I did wrong, what I need to change, what I should be doing that I’m not doing.” Be sincere about this. And then we should inform ourselves about our Constitution, the issues, our solutions, etc. No man can be saved in ignorance, nor can a people or a nation. And then we need to inform our friends, inform ourselves first. A great man once said – his last name is Welch – that information, study without action is futility, but action without information, education is fanaticism.

Inform our friends and neighbors, relatives and acquaintances of the threats to our lives, liberty, and property. Let them know (as it says in the scriptures) “my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Tell them about the Independent American Party after they’re ready, as those who are really interested respond to the information you are giving them. We are the Constitution solution! We’re the only ones talking about it! Some political parties give it lip service, but in their actions they ignore it or despise our God-given Constitution.

And then get signatures on the petition to put us back on the ballot. Remember they can’t get what they don’t see. Contribute of our time, talents, and money to grow the Independent American Party. Time is all we have left in a tyrant’s prison if we don’t! Pray as if everything depended upon God, but then we should work as if everything depended upon us. Remember that “faith precedes the miracle.” Let us remember too, “put on the whole armor of God … having done all, to stand.” We must be squeaky clean, morally upright, honest in our dealings with all men, without guile, wise as serpents, harmless as doves. Men who face the issues squarely and honestly, and most importantly, men in whom the Spirit of God dwells. I thank you.