The words used in Daniel chapter 12, “to scatter the power of the holy people” describe the actions of the “little horn” and help us understand the primary nature of the opposition the saints shall endure leading up to the appearance of the Ancient of days.

What does it mean, “to scatter the power of the holy people”, how is it done, what is “the power… of the holy people? To find our answer we go back to the early days of this nation and even before that. Conditions needed to be just right for the restoration to take place. We turn to a statement made by Mark E. Peterson who wrote:

“The restoration of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in these latter days, together with the advance preparation of conditions which made it possible, was indeed a divine drama which had many stages and many scenes, some of which were world shaking.” (Ensign, May 1978, 12–13.)

But was the establishment of the constitution and in particular Amendment I which reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” which codified religious liberty into law. Joseph Smith stated:

“the Constitution of the United States is a glorious standard; it is founded in the wisdom of God. It is a heavenly banner; it is to all those who are privileged with the sweets of liberty, like the cooling shades and refreshing waters of a great rock in a thirsty and weary land.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 147.)

Elder Peterson further stated “under the Constitution the Lord could restore the gospel and reestablish his church. … Both were part of a greater whole. Both fit into his pattern for the latter days.” (The Great Prologue, p. 75)

So we see that “the power of the holy people” was long in coming and was only incorporated into law with the signing of the Constitution, it forming a foundation upon which the Lord could establish his latter-day kingdom. No wonder the Lord has declared in 2 Nephi 10:

11 And this land shall be a land of liberty unto the Gentiles, and there shall be no kings upon the land, who shall raise up unto the Gentiles.
12 And I will fortify this land against all other nations.
13 And he that fighteth against Zion shall perish, saith God.
14 For he that raiseth up a king against me shall perish, for I, the Lord, the king of heaven, will be their king, and I will be a light unto them forever, that hear my words.

From the above passage we conclude, “he that raiseth up a king against me” is also “he that fighteth against Zion” and the same “shall perish, for I, the Lord, the king of heaven, will be their king.” A reference to the cleansing of America and the Lord’s millennial reign as well.

As Ezra Taft Benson has said:

“if the gentiles on this land reject the word of God and conspire to overthrow liberty and the Constitution, then their doom is fixed, and they “. . . shall be cut off from among my people who are of the covenant”. (1 Nephi 14:6; 3 Nephi 21:11, 14, 21; D&C 84:114-115, 117) (Oct. general conference, 1961)

So we come full circle, back to Daniel 12:7 and read:

“it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.”

The truth of the matter is simple, if we are truly in the 42 months it shall not be long before “all these things shall be finished”!

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