Sign 43 – The Beat Generation Emerges

Year:1959

Scriptures:

Alma 51:2-3, 5-7, 13

2 Nevertheless, they did not long maintain an entire peace in the land, for there began to be a contention among the people… for behold, there were a part of the people who desired that a few particular points of the law should be altered.

3 But behold, Pahoran would not alter nor suffer the law to be altered… therefore there arose a warm dispute concerning the matter, but not unto bloodshed.

5 …[They} were called Kingmen for they were desirous that the law should be altered….

6 And those who were desirous that Pahoran should remain chief judge over the land took upon them the name of freemen; and thus was the division among them, for the freemen had sworn or covenanted to maintain their rights and the privileges of their religion by a free government.

7 And it came to pass that this matter of their contention was settled by the voice of the people. And it came to pass that the voice of the people came in favor of the freemen….

13 And it came to pass that when the men who were called king-men had heard that the Lamanites were coming down to battle against them, they were glad in their hearts; and they refused to take up arms, for they were so wroth with the chief judge, and also with the people of liberty, that they would not take up arms to defend their country.

In 67 BC (1959) a contention arose among a group of people called king-men who wanted to change parts of the law. One of the things they were opposed to was their participation in war. They did not want to go into the military to defend their country.

In the late 1950’s the beatnik generation emerged. They wanted to live an unorthodox antiestablishment political and social lifestyle. Their goal was to seek the physical pleasures of life. They wanted to change the law to legalize the use of drugs and also do away with any moral laws regulating non-marital sexual relations. They also opposed serving in the military. The beatnik lifestyle of the late 1950’s evolved into the hippie and peacenik cults of the 1960’s. This brought on the “perilous times” of wickedness spoken of by Paul in 2 Timothy 3:1-7.