Category Archives: Spirituality

LOGOS – A Very Important Name for Christ

Spirituality, ,

There is an unfamiliar name for Christ of great importance. It is LOGOS.  It is the Greek term for Christ. The translation is: “The Word, Message, Teaching, The News. Christ himself is the Reason and the Grand Creator.” Most Christians are not familiar with this name for Christ.  In the Book of the Gospel of John, in the first verse, Christ is described as the “Word,” or LOGOS; then, John goes on to explain.

Understanding the Name LOGOS

Our son, Nathan, gave me the link for Jordan Pederson’s visit to the Bible Museum in Washington D.C. in a podcast format.   In this podcast, the word LOGOS is explained very well. I was so impressed with this 44-minute podcast that I pulled it up on the big screen for my Sweetheart, who is also my wife of 64 years, to watch with me as well. Jordan paints this profound picture of how this most important book has enlightened the world on God’s literacy and ethics far more than any other book and explains LOGOS.

The Greek word, LOGOS, has a much deeper meaning than its English translation, the WORD.  Along with Jordan Pederson’s podcast, we will see why and how the LOGOS has blest the world so enormously. As a major example for us Americans, the LOGOS gave us our inspired Declaration of Independence, US Constitution, and Bill of Rights. No other book influenced these documents more than God and the Bible. It is the LOGOS that provides the all-encompassing infinite atonement–perfecting Heavenly Father’s Plan of Joy for each of us and the promise of eternal life.

Newton’s Discussion of LOGOS

I share Sir Isaac Newton’s discussion of LOGOS in Chapter 3 of my new book, Time & Eternity; the End-Times & Beyond Revealed. Newton shows why the Gospel of John 1:1-17 is so profound in explaining LOGOS. Satan knows God’s Bible ethics and enlightened literacy is premaramente [Spanish, the first], and helps us to know the LOGOS with the promise of eternal life and a fullness of joy. (Read the Gospel of John, Chapter 17)

That is why Satan is trying so hard to stop the promulgation of God’s Bible ethics and the LOGOS. We see the satanically driven theory of evolution (Darwin’s), theory of social evolution is expressed in Powell’s belief that the American Indians are savages which justified destroying them and taking away their lands, in this the “Promised Land,” of America.  And we see the theory of political evolution (communism and its cousin, socialism) saying that there is no God, no prayer, and no Ten Commandments. The satanically driven LGBTQ+ and Woke movements prevail today.

Importance of Parables in the LOGOS–Deeper Meanings

I had a really interesting conversation with Nate this morning (10 March 2023). He shared a couple of recent insights that he had regarding the scriptures. He believes the parables are much more than being able to help people at all levels of spirituality, but also helping those who have been trapped in delusion in a major way.

A classic example is shared in 2 Samuel Chapter 12: the Prophet Nathan tells King David the parable of the little ewe lamb, which the poor man loved, “and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.” The rich man chose not to take from his own flock to feed a guest, but instead took the poor man’s ewe lamb from “his bosom.” David was angry and said, “the man that hath done this thing shall surely die.” Nathan responded, “Thou art the man.” This response cut David to the very core of his heart because he had taken Bathsheba from Uriah.

I believe the scriptures, which are an important part of the LOGOS and are of infinite depth. Peter tells us that the scriptures are given when “they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Peter 1:19-21) Since we are all different, we will naturally read each scripture differently, and that is why we need the Holy Ghost to know how to apply the scriptures to our needs and for our enlightenment. Because of God’s infinite love for each of us in our mortal journey, as we truly seek Him, we have the great promise that the Holy Ghost will help us know the “truth of all things.” (Moroni 10:5) It is up to us to humbly ask, and God will guide us to those truths best fulfilling our needs and requests for enlightenment, and how to best apply them and share them in our lives and in the lives of others we may be privileged to serve.

Be Ye Therefore Perfect

Nate also shared his insight on the Sermon on the Mount and Matthew 5:48, “Be ye therefore perfect…” His epiphany was that the Savior is saying to us, “these teachings I have given you are the recipe for perfection. This is the model to emulate.” Following His teachings will put you on the path to perfection. The commandment to be perfect is impossible for us mortals and is often discouraging to people. But Christ can and will perfect us, as we come unto Him and internalize His teachings (Moroni 10:31-32).

The Sermon on the Mount

The 3rd season of “The Chosen” does a great job of showing the importance of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5, 6, and 7). It is these chapters that the Savior gave to the Nephites here in “This Promised Land” of America that moved them into becoming an ideal Zion society for over 200 years. We have the promise that He will do the same in our day, as the LOGOS brings forth the ideal Zion society in our day and time.

That sermon is a major part of LOGOS–providing POWERFUL WORDS: LOGOS. He is the way and the truth and the life (John 14:6)—the Grand Creator. It is fascinating that the early Church after the “Passion” called the church “The Way,” and the LOGOS was and is the way. See Drama of Lost Disciples | It’s About Time (itsabouttimebook.com).I find it particularly interesting that as Jesus sums up the Sermon on the Mount, He says, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock.” (Matt. 7:24) I love the French translation of the phrase from this verse, les met en pratique: put these sayings into practice. If you are a true believer, you will be a doer of His word—living and sharing the LOGOS. Helaman’s counsel to his sons is most apropos.

“And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a
sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.” (Helaman 5:12)

Knowing that Jesus is the LOGOS (the WORD), in Jesus’ great High Priest’s prayer, he proclaims to the Father, “Thy word is truth.” The Father made Jesus LOGOS, as the “Son of Righteousness”–deriving His LOGOS from the Father (2 Nephi 26:9; 3 Nephi 25:2; Ether 9:22). These three scripture references interestingly tie to our day, to the Nephites and to the Jaredites—three major civilizations in the history of the world.

The Druid’s motto, who were descendants of the Hebrews, was, “Truth against the world.” Pilot asked Jesus, “What is truth?” To Pilot’s earlier inquiry, Jesus had told Pilot that His kingdom is not of this world. “Thou sayest I am a king To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice.” What is the truth? We have an excellent explanation by the Savior of “truth” in John Chapter 8:12, 31, 32, 36:

“I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life…

“If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free…

“If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

Ultimate freedom and liberty only come from the LOGOS.

Be Humble Recipients of Truth

In 1930, D&C 33: 5 shares that the church was established and called forth out of the wilderness. Later, In September 1831, in the Doctrine and Covenants in Section 1, which is the preface section, the Lord proclaims, “my church” is “the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth… speaking unto the church collectively and not individually (D&C 1:30).” Notice, the Lord qualifies with the adverb, “collectively.”

Less than a year later after this preface of the Doctrine and Covenants was received, the Lord said that “the whole church [is] under condemnation for treating the message of the Book of Mormon too “lightly.” President Benson said that condemnation remains. Until that condemnation is lifted, members of the Church should not say, “the Church is true.” The Book of Mormon is designed to bring us to Christ (the LOGOS). It can only do that if we have internalized its marvelous message of hope and salvation by truly coming to the LOGOS. Clearly, the members have not done what is needed to remove this condemnation. It is critical that the members move out from under that condemnation by fully coming unto Christ (the LOGOS), as the Book of Mormon message so clearly teaches us to do.

Even though President Benson has given us this poignant and extremely important reminder that because we have treated the message of the Book of Mormon “lightly,” the condemnation remains, however, we know the Lord will set things right in due process, as He brings for Zion and we can be part of it. (Isa. 51:3; 3 Nephi 16:18; D&C 85:7; 103:1-19)

Who Are We To Follow?

As individuals, we are to follow the LOGOS. It is not the Church that saves us. The Church is the Lord’s vehicle to bring us to Christ, who is the “WAY”–the LOGOS.  Notice, again that the Lord qualifies with the adverb, “collectively.” As individuals, we are to follow the LOGOS.  We often hear members of the Church stand up and testify that they know the Church is true. Given that the Church is under condemnation, they should not say that, and also considering the logical implications of this declaration that all other churches are to a degree false because they have doctrines and teachings contrary. Truth cannot contradict truth.

As the humble recipients of the truth, we need to realize, “For behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true (Alma 29:8).” We need to pray for everyone regardless of their religion to grow in light and truth as they come unto Him—“the WAY” and the true LOGOS. God has given them what they need to find the WAY (the LOGOS).

I look at the Church, which has the best choir in the world, which has the biggest and most successful women’s organization in the world, which has a very effective missionary program, and the most effective welfare system, as it readily reaches out across the globe when disasters occur. By their fruits, ye shall know them. We see much good from the nearly 17 million members and the inspired doctrines and teachings that have come forth with the restoration of the fullness of the gospel. Let us embrace the good in it and in all churches and turn from the bad.

As the late, Hugh Nibley has succinctly said, “The Church is not Zion!” One cannot have one toe in Babylon and have Zion, and what do we observe today with Babylon’s massive encroachment on the world, on Christianity, and especially on the Church membership? Satan knows where the truth is and is doing everything he can to subvert it. We know that Babylon the Great will fall (Revelations Chapter 18). Let us not be any part of it.

The Success of the Sermon on the Mount Elsewhere

Outside of the Church, the Sermon on the Mount is having great success as well. Some examples: not only with the Session 3 of “The Chosen,” but some time back, our dear friend, Delta Bement, loaned us a book. It is a must-read: “Blood Brothers” by Elias Chacour. He is Palestinian-Arab and was raised in the little village of Biram in the upper Galilee in Israel. He was blessed with very wise parents, and in his tender years had grown up in peace with his Jewish neighbors. He was raised with a very strong Christian heritage dating back to the first century.

His wonderful Christian upbringing was in stark contrast to the horrible treatment they received under the hands of the Israeli government Zionists as they were driven out of their village. Shortly after this, at the age of 12, he was given the opportunity to study with a Bishop in Haifa, and as his father sent him off, he told him, “If you become a true man of God you will know how to reconcile enemies, how to turn hatred into peace. Only a true servant of God can do that.” And Elias Chacour did that with amazing and miraculous success. Through Him, the Sermon on the Mount touched and changed his whole community where he labored as a Priest.

I hope and pray that we will become humble, Christ-centered people so that the Lord can bring about Zion—a pure in-heart people, who are ONE with Him. We know the Lord will bring a Zion people out of the Church membership, but it will be a subset, who are truly pure in heart. The key is to be Christ-centered and fully embrace the LOGOS, as the “Way, the truth, and the life.” (John 1:1-7, 14:6)

I pray that the LOGOS may become intimate in all our lives, see His smiling face as we hearken to His voice, call upon His holy name, Adonai, keep all His commandments, and fully come unto Him. (D&C 29:1-2; 93:1) His offering is peace, love, and joy in this life, and eternal life and a fullness of joy in the life to come.

David W. Allan

The Most Important Temporal Warning

Spirituality, , ,

What is the most important temporal warning in the Book of Mormon? The most important temporal warning? What a value judgment! But there are reasons why it might be so.

“And now I, Moroni, do not write the manner of their oaths and combinations, for it hath been made known unto me that they are had among all people, and they are had among the Lamanites.

And they have caused the destruction of this people of whom I am now speaking, and also the destruction of the people of Nephi. And whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold they will be destroyed; for the Lord will not suffer that the blood of the saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto him from the ground for vengeance upon them and yet avenge them not.

Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby you may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain—and the work of destruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be.

Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that you shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of the secret combinations which shall be among you; or wo be unto it because of the blood of those who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up.

For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies; even that same liar who beguiled our first parents, yea, even that same liar who hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning; who hath hardened the hearts of men that they have murdered the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning.” (Ether 8:20-25)

One of the Main Tactics

One of its main ploys is to ridicule conspiracy theories.

The Theosophical Society of America offers this comment on a book about conspiracy theories: “Conspiracy Theories, then, are far from harmless. Such wrongheaded thinking can be pernicious, and ultimately downright destructive. Cassam runs down a list: antivaxxers; anticredentialism in general; “the death of expertise”; Brexit; anti-Semitism on both the left and the right.

“Therefore Conspiracy theories promote symbols and beliefs that have consequences unforeseen by moderates. Furthermore, they “diminish the credibility of legitimate criticisms” and are also a “distraction from big-picture social issues.” Review of Conspiracy Theories by Quassim Cassam, Cambridge, U.K.: Polity Press, 2019.

In other words, public, just believe what you are told.

This Movement is a Religion

This movement is actually a religion, with all the trappings of a religion.

This religion has its temples (universities), priestly vestments (cap and gown), ordinances (graduation ceremonies), a theology (there is no God, all things are natural, there is no right and wrong).

This religion is behind getting rid of public displays of the Ten Commandments. It is behind the LGBT+ movement. It encourages “living together” instead of marriage. It promotes abortion and euthanasia. This movement is the great and abominable church mentioned in the scriptures.

This threat is organized from the Spirit world, inspired and guided by Satan. It will be a major player on the world scene until the Savior comes in his Second Coming. Those who cooperate and participate in this programmed evil are the tares of the earth who will be burned at the Second Coming of Christ.

Control Over All Culture

The humanist movement is the dominant force and idealogy in the world today.

It is the philosophy behind communism and socialism. It has quietly taken control of our education systems, threatens scientific objectivism, controls our media, and is behind the “woke” movement.

Politics in the United States mostly concerns how much socialism we shall allow, with socialism gradually increasing and taking over our politics. Socialism, the governing of the masses by those “most intelligent” human beings, is the antithesis of what the true disciples of Christ seek, which is Zion, a people so pure in heart that they all do only the will of Christ.
They spend their time blessing others in his name and through his power.

Zion is a people who do not take their instructions from any human being unless those instructions are confirmed by the Holy Spirit, which is the will of Christ. The will of Christ is that they become fully honest, true, chaste, and benevolent, having all things in common out of a pure heart.

These latter days are a showdown between the cause of Christ (Zion) and humanism. Humanism seeks to govern all mankind by a socialist world order. Moroni would have us be fully aware of this confrontation and make sure we promote the cause of Christ and do not give power to the cause of Satan.

Chauncey C. Riddle
“Guest Post”

P.S. Chauncy C. Riddle and I have been very good friends for a long time.  His understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ and his political awareness is unmatched.   Chauncey C Riddle is a Professor Emeritus of Philosophy from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. He is a religious leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has written many articles for the Ensign, Sunstone Magazine, and BYU Studies. He has also written countless articles and has published the milestone book entitled, “Think Independently,” which everyone should read.

You may be interested in additional “Guest Posts” by Chauncey C. Riddle.

“Two Hearts and Two Minds”
“The Most Important Verse in the Book of Mormon”
“The Great And Abominable Church”

His website has several fascinating articles: chaunceyriddle.org

 

 

The LDS Church and Ensign Peak Investments

Spirituality, ,

This week the Securities Exchange Commission fined the LDS Church and Ensign Peak Investments for apparent misfilings of its holdings.

The Lord has promised those living here in America, “Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land;” (2 Nephi 1:20) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has become the richest per capita church on the planet. Is this why? Or, is there more to the story—given what just happened with the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) imposing a $5,000,000 fine on the Church and its holdings (Ensign Peak Investments)? Many are now leaving the Church, as the Church’s financial handlings are being revealed. It reminds me of when many of the early saints left the Church with the collapse of the Kirtland Safety Society.

Statement by the LDS Church

The Church released the following statement on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.

“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its affiliated investment manager, Ensign Peak Advisors, Inc., have settled a matter with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Investment managers who oversee a portfolio of public equities above a certain threshold are required to file Forms 13F with the SEC quarterly. These forms publicly disclose the names of the securities and their values.

Since 2000, Ensign Peak has received and relied upon legal counsel regarding how to comply with its reporting obligations while attempting to maintain the privacy of the portfolio. As a result, Ensign Peak established separate companies (LLCs) that each filed Forms 13F instead of a single aggregated filing. Ensign Peak and the Church believe that all securities required to be reported were included in the filings by the separate companies.

In June 2019, the SEC first expressed concern about Ensign Peak’s reporting approach. Ensign Peak adjusted its approach and began filing a single aggregated report. Since that time, 13 quarterly reports have been filed in full accordance with SEC requirements.

This settlement relates to how the forms were filed previously. Ensign Peak and the Church have cooperated with the government over a period of time as we sought resolution.

We affirm our commitment to comply with the law, regret the mistakes made, and now consider this matter closed.”

As I look at the Church’s portfolio, it appears to be about making money, which they have been very successful in doing, and not about principles. I wonder if they had followed Alma’s counsel to his son Helaman, they would have avoided the problems that have arisen, ” Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good;” (Alma 37:37) We have the great statement from the Prophet Joseph Smith on how he governed  the Church members, “I teach them correct principles and they govern themselves.”

Two Men of Principle

Nathan Eldon Tanner, who was one of our favorite general authorities—brilliant and with impeccable integrity. He had been a member of the Canadian legislature and had a major impact on their infrastructure helping to bring about many improvements. Our youngest son, Nathan, was named after Nathan Eldon Tanner who also demonstrates impeccable integrity.

Tanner was called an Apostle in 1960 and went on to be a counselor in the First Presidency for four different presidents of the Church. During that time, he helped improve the Church’s financial structure, which he was gifted to do.

Nathan Eldon Tanner is a descendant of John Tanner, who joined the Church in 1832.  John also came with wonderful gifts.  John’s conversion, healing, and perfectly timed contributions saved the Kirtland Temple; he used his wealth to build the kingdom and gave the sum of about $50,000 to the Church.

I highly recommend you watch, The John Tanner story on YouTube. The 22-minute video tells his remarkable and inspiring story of “Coming Unto Christ”: “Treasure in Heaven; the John Tanner Story.” John lost all his wealth with the financial crash of the Kirtland Safety Society (KSS) and he was left to beg for bread for his family.

Rather than being bitter and leaving the organization, he accepted a mission call because of his testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Joseph Smith promised John, “Your children shall never again beg for bread.” We are greatly blessed to this day because of the faithfulness of John Tanner and Nathan Eldon Tanner. Their successes came because of following correct principles and adhering to “The Gospel of Jesus Christ”

What is Happening Now

What is happening now reminds me of what happened when many left the Church after the collapse of the Kirtland Safety Society.  Perhaps we should follow the example of John Tanner, which is to move forward in the gospel of Jesus Christ as he did.  We need to understand the differences between the Church organization and the Kingdom of God, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It is Christ, not the Church that saves us. The organization is simply the vehicle to bring us to Christ. Not knowing the differences, I am concerned that many may be “throwing out the baby with the bathwater.” Let us look at the big picture from the Lord’s perspective as best we can and where we are in God’s timetable.

1.  The Church is simply an organized corporation to Interface with the world in its goal to bring souls to Christ.

The organization is an inspired model for all other Christian churches in providing fellowship, a feeling of community, opportunities to serve, learning from one another truths of eternal life, and how to be true Christians.

Because of mortality, the Church is made up of imperfect people helping imperfect people to perfection. And it works, because it is Christ who perfects those who come unto Him (Moroni 10:32-33).

We cannot expect perfection of the Church’s membership or leadership since we are not perfect as well. The only perfect Christian is Christ. Our focus is to trust in the Lord and not the arm of the flesh.

2.  Christ said, His kingdom is not of this world. His kingdom is not the same as the Church. The Lord’s prayer gives us guidance, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

The Kingdom of Heaven is perfectly organized. The Lord is asking us to pray so that the Kingdom of God on earth will also be perfect like the Kingdom of Heaven, as we truly come unto Him.

D&C 65:1-6 – Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. The keys of the kingdom of God are committed unto man on the earth, and from thence shall the gospel roll forth unto the ends of the earth, as the stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands shall roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth. Yea, a voice crying—Prepare ye the way of the Lord, prepare ye the supper of the Lamb, make ready for the Bridegroom. Pray unto the Lord, call upon his holy name, and make known his wonderful works among the people. Call upon the Lord, that his kingdom may go forth upon the earth, that the inhabitants thereof may receive it, and be prepared for the days to come, in the which the Son of Man shall come down in heaven, clothed in the brightness of his glory, to meet the kingdom of God which is set up on the earth. Wherefore, may the kingdom of God go forth, that the kingdom of heaven may come, that thou, O God, mayest be glorified in heaven so on earth, that thine enemies may be subdued; for thine is the honor, power and glory, forever and ever. Amen.

The Lord shared through the Prophet Daniel that His Kingdom was to be set up in the latter days, ”and it shall stand forever” “And filled the whole earth.” (Daniel 2:44-45, 33)

Again, the gospel is separate from the Church and from the Kingdom of God, as well. It is best defined in Third Nephi 27:13-22. As Apostle John saw in vision this Everlasting gospel will go to the ends of the earth. (Rev. 14:6-7).

The Lord’s promise is:  For it shall come to pass in that day, that every man shall hear the fulness of the gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language, through those who are ordained unto this power, by the administration of the Comforter, shed forth upon them for the revelation of Jesus Christ. (D&C 90:11)

Mistakes Are Made

Have our Church leaders made some mistakes?  Yes!  They are members of the imperfect human family. I know that while I was serving as a Bishop and Stake President, I made mistakes.  Many wonderful people around me lovingly compensated for errors, and we moved the Lord’s work forward in spite of my weaknesses and mistakes.

It is easy for people to find fault. For us, we should be watchmen on the tower (D&C 101:12) and to treasure up His word that we be not deceived (JS_M 37). It is not our job to fix an imperfect Church. The Lord will do that in His own time (D&C 85:7)

Why I Stay A Member

I enjoy fellowship with the Saints and do my best to use my time and talents to serve Heavenly Father’s children. I cannot do anything about mistakes that may have been made by our Church leaders or their investment advisors. Letting these things bother me, makes me unproductive in things that are much more important—helping to do the work of the Father (Moses 1:39) and helping bring souls to Christ. (John 15:8)

In spite of its imperfections, the Church is the Lord’s. For a person to bail out is short-sighted, because, as I explain in my book, Time & Eternity; the End-Times & Beyond Revealed, the events yet to unfold are greater than anything the world has seen.  A Zion, pure in heart people, will come out of the Church’s membership, who are living celestial lives.
We want to be part of this ideal society that is coming motivated by the pure love of Christ

Our Greatest Opportunity

It is the greatest opportunity in our mortal journey to live and share this “Message of Gladness,” which is the fullness of the gospel. As the Savior so profoundly said, “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bring for much fruit; then are ye my disciples” (John 15:8) Then are we true disciples of Christ.

Finding fault and creating contention are tools of the devil and are not the way of the Lord. Many are leaving the Church and losing faith because they don’t understand how important their mission is in living and sharing this “message of gladness.”

Circumstances Change Quickly

Regarding the Church, the Lord said to the Prophet Joseph Smith, “lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually–” (D&C 1:30) Then only ten months later the Lord said,

And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation. And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all. And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written—That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion. (D&C 84:54-58)

Condemnation Remains

I was in the Tabernacle at General Conference and heard President Benson say that the condemnation has not been lifted. The key then is to do as Moroni counsels the world, as he summarizes the message of “The Everlasting Gospel”.

“Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.” (Moroni 10:32-33)

We Live in Exciting Times

In looking at the Lord’s timing, as I share in both of my books, we live in that exciting time where the Lord is bringing the FIRST (ISRAEL) to be LAST, as we come to the end of the LAST (GENTILES) becoming first with the restoration.

We will see a ZION—pure in heart people—come forth in this epoch, as the FIRST becomes the LAST. And we can be part of it as we look continually to Christ.

As Zenos shares in his allegory in Jacob Chapter 5:66-67 “For it grieveth me that I should lose the trees of my vineyard; wherefore ye shall clear away the bad according as the good shall grow, that the root and the top may be equal in strength, until the good shall overcome the bad, and the bad be hewn down and cast into the fire, that they cumber not the ground of my vineyard; and thus will I sweep away the bad out of my vineyard. And the branches of the natural tree [true Israelites who have put their hand in the hand of the Lord] will I graft in again into the natural tree;”

Notice, the pruning will be top to bottom. The key is to be Christ-centered — true Israelites–putting our hand in the hand of the Lord! In this epoch, we will see one “Mighty and Strong” “to set in order the house of God.” (D&C 85:7) If things were in order, that would not be needed. Trust in the Lord and not the arm of flesh.

I pray that we may also follow this counsel from Doctrine and Covenants 29:

  • 1 Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, the Great I AM, whose arm of mercy hath atoned for your sins;
  • 2 Who will gather his people even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, even as many as will hearken to my voice and humble themselves before me, and call upon me in mighty prayer.

David W. Allan

Photo: CC Investment – Flicker

 

 

There is Enough and to Spare

Spirituality, , ,

Therefore, if any man shall take of the abundance which I have made, and impart not his portion, according to the law of my gospel, unto the poor and the needy, he shall, with the wicked, lift up his eyes in hell, being in torment.”  These two profound verses come from the Doctrine and Covenants, Section 104:17-18.

As we see the world spiraling down in apparent wickedness, we can ask the question, “Is it because the world—given the abundance—has not been taking care of the “poor and the needy?” And we have not been using our God-given “agency” to chose to live the “law of my gospel.” Is the Lord wrong and “there is not enough and to spare?”

Agenda of the Global Elite

Let us compare the lies in the agenda of the global elite with what is really happening based on reliable data to answer that question. You will see some amazing surprises, as the Lord works with His children in spite of the devils’ deceitful ways working through the globalist elite. For my data, I have found two fascinating books: Ten Global Trends every smart person should know by Ronald Bailey and Dr. Marian L. Tupy, and Superabundance: The Story of Population Growth, Innovation, and Human Flourishing on an Infinitely Bountiful Planet by Dr. Marian L. Tupy and Dr. Gale L. Pooley.

Bailey is the author of the book The End of Doom: Environmental Renewal in the Twenty-first Century (Thomas Dunne Books, 2015) and Liberation Biology: The Moral and Scientific Case for the Biotech Revolution (Prometheus, 2005), and his work was featured in The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2004. Dr. Tupy is the editor of HumanProgress.org, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity, and co-author of The Simon Abundance Index. He specializes in globalization and global well‐being and politics and economics of Europe and Southern Africa. Dr. Pooley is an associate professor of business management at Brigham Young University-Hawaii. He has taught economics and statistics at Alfaisal University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Brigham Young University-Idaho, Boise State University, and the College of Idaho.

The more we can expose the lies of the global elite while sharing the truth the better. Let’s be like the Druids, “Truth against the world.” Mainly because of the global elite’s propaganda, 66% of the world population believes the world is getting worse off, and only 6% believe we are improving. The following data will help you be counted with the optimistic 6%, as we look beyond the devil’s deceitful tactics and look at the ways of the Lord. Consider the following seven  points:

1. Regarding Population

1. A. The global elite are saying there are too many people and we need to decrease the population.
1. B. The data show just the opposite. The Master Creator, created us to be creators. Because of our creative abilities, an increased population brings about more creativity to produce more wealth and abundance along with a decrease—because of creativity—in basic global commodity prices. Between 1980 and 2018 it costs 70% less of a person’s work time to buy the same commodities.

When Jordan Peterson interviewed Dr. Tupy and Dr. Pooley, he said that this was so important it should be “said 50 times!” It seems counterintuitive, but when you take into account the human creativity factor that makes all the difference. They, of course, didn’t talk about the Master Creator. Since I know He is there, I added that, but this is their data.

2. Regarding Carbon Dioxide Emissions

2. A. The global elite are saying we need a carbon tax to get people to decrease their carbon footprint because of too many Carbon Dioxide emissions.
2. B. The data show that any changes we make in carbon-dioxide emissions are masked by that coming from volcanoes and other uncontrollable  sources. Any impact we could make is negligible compared to the natural variations. Plants love CO2 and there has been a significant increase in greening across the planet over the last few decades because of CO2 emissions and reforestation. Between 1982 and 2016 there has been a 35% increase in reforestation across the US and Europe.

3. Wealth

3. A. While the global elite are planning to make of us slaves with them having most of the wealth…,
3. B. From 1820 to 2017 there has been a hundred-fold increase in wealth, as people have moved from farms to creative enterprises and productive activities using our God-given creative abilities.

4. Poverty

4. A. While the global elite are claiming that overpopulation is causing poverty…,

4. B. From 1820 to 2018 poverty across the world has decreased from 84% to 8%.

5. Personal Resource Abundance

5. A. While the global elite are planning to make the state sovereign and take away or personal freedoms because they believe there are too many people,
5. B. In the book, Superabundance, they have a fascinating and extremely insightful chart. On the vertical axis is a measure of “Personal Resource Abundance” and on the horizontal axis is “Population.” Between 1980 and 2018 the chart displays an increase in personal resource abundance of 252% while there was a 71.2% increase in population—giving a 503% global increase in overall personal abundance during that time period for the whole world population.

6. Regarding Food

6. A. While the global elite are creating food shortages,
6. B. In 1961 the global average food consumption was 2,191 calories/day; that increased by 721 to 2,912 calories/day in 2017. And now we have an obesity epidemic.

7. Regarding lighting for our homes and electricity

7. A. The global elite have been putting up these costly big windmill farms, which kill birds and there are 20 times cheaper ways to generate wind energy, as I share in my book, It’s About Time.
7. B. In 1800 it took 5.4 hours of human resources for 1 hour of light in our homes; now it takes less than 1 second. That is a 20,000 times improvement in efficiency for getting electricity into your home. Now with nanotechnology, minuscule electrical currents in electronics are doing amazing things–like in your cell phones–and the end is not in sight.

The Best Time to be Living

We live in the most exciting time in the history of the earth. Let us join with the optimists with faith and trust in the Lord, and share our creativity and what we know to be true, while exposing their lies. Because of the pessimism generated by the global elite’s atheistic propaganda, the heavy veil of atheism is on the increase, and many people are losing hope and suicides are now epidemic.

As we listen to the Spirit, it will help us sort out truth from error. We move into gratitude for the creative abilities the Lord has given us to continue to help make the world a better place and in deep appreciation for the beautiful earth He has given us to live on and make our mortal journey back to Him.

We also have His promise that all things will be revealed in the end times. As described in my new book, Time & Eternity; the End-Times & Beyond Revealed, the transition into the millennial epoch will be marvelous and beyond our mortal comprehension. Imagine what our creativity will do in the millennium and the technology, beyond our imagination, that will come forth, as we seek to do His will and to be ONE with Him.

Doctrine & Covenant’s Message

D&C 101:32-34

  • Yea, verily I say unto you, in that day when the Lord shall come, he shall reveal all things—
  • Things which have passed, and hidden things which no man knew, things of the earth, by which it was made, and the purpose and the end thereof—
  • Things most precious, things that are above, and things that are beneath, things that are in the earth, and upon the earth, and in heaven.

The Lord is Going to Bring Forth the Ideal Society

And we can be part of the creativity process inspired by Him to bring it about. It will happen in spite of the global elite’s massive efforts to stop it:

 And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb; and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be. (1 Nephi 13:37)

The key is:

  •  1 Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, the Great I AM, whose arm of mercy hath atoned for your sins;
  • 2 Who will gather his people even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, even as many as will hearken to my voice and humble themselves before me, and call upon me in mighty prayer. (Doctrine and Covenants 29)

Those who will not listen to His voice will be “cut off” at His Coming. That includes all who get caught up in the global elite’s agenda. Great will be the fall there of. (Revelations 18)

He is the way, and the truth, and the life (John 14:6), and HIs Divine invitation is: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavily laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matt. 11:28-30)  I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)

I pray that we may be part of the creative optimist’s club as humble followers of Him, and as we hearken to His voice while exposing Satan’s deceitful lies.

David W. Allan

 

Photo:  CC Public Domain Vectors

Don’t Pass Up History Study

Spirituality, ,

Why should we study history? Learning about the past provides us with the opportunity to learn about cultures, governments, social systems, and religious understanding. It gives us the opportunity to comprehend the world at large.

Unfortunately, we sometimes find history being modified to fit current biases or ignoring various important subject matter.  The bottom line is, all history can provide great lessons if we will. We need to take into account the biases and the paradigm of the historian who wrote it. Let us look at a major example, the Bible.

Great Value of Biblical History

Sir Isaac Newton, the greatest scientist in history, declared, “We account the Scriptures of God to be the most sublime philosophy. I find more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history whatever.” And he found mistakes in the Bible translations. Most people don’t know that Isaac spent more time studying religion than science, and as I share in my new book, he knew where we are in God’s timing, with his proper and inspired historical perspective. Our study of the scriptures is one of the best things we can do to come to know the author of them. He lovingly provided them for us. Accept the gift and feast upon His word.

The scriptures are given by the Spirit to the prophets. If we seek that same Spirit, the Lord  will open their true meanings appropriate to our needs. The amazing infinite depth of the scriptures allows that to be; what a wonderful gift the Lord has given in His word.

Important Histories not well known

Some history has been ignored by those who have an agenda so the full story is lost.  For instance, the Apocrypha contains a number of spiritual teachings of significant value to learn from.  These accounts were left out of the Bible because they were thought to not be sufficiently canonical and would be too costly to print. But we have them readily available now.

The Book of Jasher is an amazing book and is just one of the many books of spiritual teachings that is not included in the Bible. However, it is mentioned in the Bible because of its significance (2 Samuel 1:18; Joshua 10:13). Jasher means “the correct record,” and covers 2,500 years from Adam and Eve down to the Judges parallel to the Bible history. It is an authentication and amplification of the Bible record. It is like a second witness to the Bible’s validity. The Book of Enoch is a “gold mine” as well.

Unfortunately, we now have 93% of the leading American scientists disbelieving in the Bible. If all of the books of the Apocrypha were part of the Bible, perhaps we would not be in the “unbelieving” state we find ourselves in. In other words, reaching beyond the Bible in our religious studies can be very worth while. When the Tribes of Israel return, they will bring their records with them, and that will be exciting to learn from them.

How Can We Know the Validity of Written History?

Winston Churchill said, “History is written by the victors.” Very often the victors destroy the history of the victims or alter the history to the advantage of the “winners,” and we often miss learning from the victims. Victor Frankel and Man’s Search for Meaning is a classic example of a surviving victim.

Philip Beale is an excellent present-day historian researcher, and a remarkable ancient shipbuilder. He builds replicas of ancient ships and sails them to various locations.  His expeditions are proof of ancient Phoenician ship travels. Beale had found out from ancient records and stone writings that the Phoenicians had traveled around Africa and had crossed the Atlantic Ocean some 2,000 years before Christopher Columbus.

I just finished reading Philip Beale’s amazing book, Atlantic B. C.  His description of Columbus’ four voyages to the Caribbean raised significant questions in my mind, as to whether historians have the wrong man discovering America. Beale has researched records before the Romans made the Phoenicians the victims.

My good friend, Wayne May, asked that question in a talk I heard him give some years ago. I was impressed with his insights and wondered at the time if the world had it right by celebrating 12 October 1492 as Columbus Day. He shared the data on how John Cabot was first. I was impressed with his presentation.

I felt to call Wayne—remembering his insightful talk. We had an enjoyable visit and he told me about his new magazine, The Promised Land. He asked if I would write an article for it. He kindly sent me his power-point slides to review. Gratefully, he has given me permission to use his research, which is quite unique and thorough.

In my search for truth, which has served me well over the years, I have three basic criteria:
1.       If God says it, I know it is true. We have His promise that if we will “treasure up [His] word [we] shall not be deceived.” (JS-M 37) He is the WORD, and His words are designed in love to bring us the greatest joy in this life and a fullness of joy in the life to come. Feast upon them (2 Nephi 31:20-21) and reap the enormous blessings promised. His promises are sure.

2.       We cannot prove a theory or hypothesis true; we don’t know enough. Only God knows enough. Data correlation does not provide validation. This is a common mistake many people make. If something agrees with their paradigm then they take that as validation when it is not, and this can be and often is very misleading for many.

3.       On the other hand, if we have valid falsification data, then we can prove a theory or hypothesis false. This is a very powerful tool. Then we can move away from that falsehood and move forward in our search for truth and be not deceived by that false theory or hypothesis.

Let’s See What the Lord Says about the Discovery of America

We have in God’s word the following in First Nephi Chapter 13:

12 And I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land.

13 And it came to pass that I beheld the Spirit of God, that it wrought upon other Gentiles; and they went forth out of captivity, upon the many waters.

Verse 13 clearly describes the Pilgrims. Read, Tim Ballard’s Pilgrim Hypothesis to give you a good feel for that being the case.

We have an Apostle clarifying what is meant by the “Promised Land” spoken of in verse 12:
The United States is the promised land foretold in the Book of Mormon, a place where divine guidance directed inspired men to create the conditions necessary for the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ…” (Elder L. Tom Perry, The Tradition of Light and Testimony, Ensign [Dec. 2012, 29)

President Russell M. Nelson shares, “The Book of Mormon reveals the inheritance of Joseph, son of Israel, who was not forgotten when the land was distributed to the tribes of Israel. This was promised in the Abrahamic covenant. Because… Joseph’s inheritance was to be a land choice above all others. Choice because it was chosen to be the repository of sacred writing on golden plates from which the Book of Mormon would one day come. Choice because it would eventually host the world headquarters of the Restored Church of Jesus Christ in the latter days. And it was chosen because it was a land of liberty for those who worship the Lord and keep His commandments.” (Yes, Mormons are Christians, Legends Library [2017], 60)

Webster’s English Dictionary of the American Language

From Noah Webster’s famous 1828 English Dictionary of the American Language, Christopher Columbus did not discover the “Promised Land,” as we read his definition of AMERICA:

AMER’ICA, noun [from Amerigo Bespucci, a Florentine, who pretended to have first discovered the western continent.]

One of the great continents, first discovered by Sebastian Cabot, on June 11, 1498…,

From Wayne’s maps, we can see what Columbus discovered. It was not the “Promised Land” that the Lord speaks of. That which Cabot visited is.

Philip Beale’s Amazing book –  Atlantic B. C.

I have learned much from Philip Beale’s very accurate historical documentation regarding Christopher Columbus. While John Cabot fits the scriptural description, Columbus does not for two fundamental reasons: 1) He did not go to the “Promised Land,” and 2) he did not have a Christain Purpose. The Savior said, “By  their fruits, ye shall know them.” During his four voyages, he went after gold and was brutal to the natives. Bartolome’ de las Casas in his account, The Destruction of the Indies, summarised what he witnessed, writing: “Such inhumanities and barbarisms were committed in my sight as no age can parallel. My eyes have seen these acts so foreign to human nature that now I tremble as I write.” Casas wrote that across the Caribbean in total, the Spanish were responsible for the deaths of 12 to 15 million indigenous people.

His brutal behavior got back to some of his sponsors and they sent Francisco de Bobadilla as a replacement, and he was tasked to investigate the accusations. Bobadilla reported that Columbus “used torture and mutilation to govern” and his two brothers (Bartholomew and Diego) were complicit.

“Columbus had put down native revolts by ordering brutal crackdowns in which many natives were killed and their dismembered bodies were paraded through the streets to discourage further unrest.” (P199 Atlantic B. C.) Many of the natives chose suicide to avoid the brutality of Columbus’s torturous tactics. He congratulated his brother Bartholomew for “defending the family against a woman who had said Columbus was of lowly birth. She was paraded through the town and had her tongue cut out.”

Hence, we see that the theory Columbus discovered the “promised land” is proven false. He discovered the Caribbean, but that is not the America the Lord was talking about. We only need one valid falsification data set to prove a theory false. We have two, and more could be easily added.

There are those who purport that Leif Erickson, as a Norse explorer, may have been the first man spoken of in 1 Nephi 13:12 as a Christian convert, but his missionary work was mainly in Greenland. There is a question of the accuracy of the historicity of his saga. For the Lord, it is not who came first because the Jaredites, Lehites, and Mulekites came before the explorers with a Divine purpose to this “promised land.”

The Revolutionary War is a massive fulfillment of verse 18 of First Nephi Chapter 13, “And I beheld that the power of God was with them, and also that the wrath of God was upon all those that were gathered together against them to battle.” In that war, the American soldiers were outnumbered 10/1 against the greatest army in the world and won! As George Washington summarized, America won by “Divine intervention.” In the Divine details of the Lord’s workings, we have Joan of Arc giving the French back their freedom so that they could assist the Colonies in winning that war. She in turn was following a two-hundred-year-old prophecy of Merlin, who outlined her mission to bring about Frances’ freedom. I believe John the Beloved was that Prophet Merlin, and this is a beautiful detail one finds by studying the history of important significance.

Another indicator of John Cabot being the man the Lord was talking about is the floodgate that opened up following his exploration, people came from many countries in Europe—descendants of Ephraim, son of Joseph in Egypt, who were a Bible-based people. The Bible had more influence on the founding documents of the United States than any other book. Our founders gave the world the best republic-inspired US Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Bill of Rights with the most freedom-loving people on the earth. The United States of America provided the fertile ground for the restoration of the fullness of the gospel and for the Lord to restore His Church, as He had it anciently. America became the “Ensign” to the nations spoken of by Isaiah (Isa. 11:12; 18:3) and to take the gospel to all peoples per John’s prophecy in Revelations 14:6-7

The Phoenician Navy largest In History for nearly a Thousand Years

This piece of the world history of the Phoenician Navy is largely unknown. The Romans as the victors destroyed much of the records of the victims. Philip Beale in his amazing book, Atlantic B. C., has contributed greatly to helping the world understand this important part of world history.

Not only is Philip Beale an excellent history researcher, but he is also a most unusual ancient shipbuilder. His passion to repeat what the Phoenicians did in 600 B. C. by both going around Africa and crossing the Atlantic is totally unparalleled. Not only did he draw on the authentic technology of that epoch to build a ship, but he also pulled together the crew to do both voyages and to be their captain. His passion occupying much of his life is in large measure because he researched the Phoenician history

As I share in the following blog article, my Jewish convert friend, David Doane has evidence that the Phoenicians brought the Mulekites to Zarahemla, here in the “Promised Land.” Zarahemla is a Phoenician word, as is Sidon, which is their name for the Mississippi River. The Lord told Joseph Smith to name the city across from Nauvoo Zarahemla for good reason. (D&C 125:3). https://itsabouttimebook.com/the-firm-foundation-expo-highlights-oct-2022/ 

It seems that Divine Providence was moving in the desires of Philip Beale’s life to have him replicate with 600 B.C. technology the Lehites’ trip around Africa and the Mulekites’ trip across the Atlantic to the “Promise Land.” Being born in South Hampton in the UK, he knew nothing of these trips when he was moved upon to design, build, and be the Captain using this ancient technology.

It is wonderful that the LDS community is so excited about what he has accomplished that they are going to put the ship he built, called the “Phoenician,” in a special museum across from Nauvoo, ILL, close to where the Mulikites landed. How is that for Divinely orchestrated significance, and it is happening as we speak?

The Great Importance of  Knowing Book of Mormon Geography

When the Jaredites were led to the “promised Land,” just after the Tower of Babel and the confusion of tongues, the Brother of Jared was given extremely important guidance that we should internalize today in order to survive the days ahead: See Ether Chapter 2:
7 And the Lord would not suffer that they should stop beyond the sea in the wilderness, but he would that they should come forth even unto the land of promise, which was choice above all other lands, which the Lord God had preserved for a righteous people.

8 And he had sworn in his wrath unto the brother of Jared, that whoso should possess this land of promise, from that time henceforth and forever, should serve him, the true and only God, or they should be swept off when the fulness of his wrath should come upon them.

9 And now, we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fulness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity.

10 For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off; for it is the everlasting decree of God. And it is not until the fulness of iniquity among the children of the land, that they are swept off.

11 And this cometh unto you, O ye Gentiles, that ye may know the decrees of God—that ye may repent, and not continue in your iniquities until the fulness come, that ye may not bring down the fulness of the wrath of God upon you as the inhabitants of the land have hitherto done.

12 Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written.

These historic words written 4,200 years ago have incredible significance to us today!

If North Americans in this “land of promise” chose not to repent and are destroyed, they cannot tell the Lord they didn’t know this was the “promised land.” His Word is clear and true. Let us be counted among those who “hearken to His voice” and are privileged to be with Him when He comes again.

Thank you John Corbet for listening to the Spirit and showing the way to the “Promised Land” with the enormous blessings that have come to her since your arrival in 11 June 1498.

When the Prophet Lehi arrived in the “Promised Land,” he was given a great promise by the Lord that applies to all Americans today: (See Second Nephi Chapter 1)

6 Wherefore, I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord.

7 Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous, it shall be blessed forever.

How do we spend our time? Rejoice in His WORD and bask in His LOVE, and share it with the world, who critically need His WORD, and to know of His LOVE. Learn the history or else!

David W. Allan

Photo: Education – CC Pxfuel

Does a Scientist Need Faith?

Spirituality, , ,

Does a Scientist Need Faith?  In this connection, a very fascinating and remarkable stipulation is imposed upon mathematics by the famous theorem of Kurt Godel. The “…formal systems with which Godel worked are sufficiently rich in syntax for the derivation of all of classical mathematics (and presumably of much of mathematics yet to be developed).” (1) Godel’s theorem proves that for a system to be consistent it must contain “undecidable” propositions; i.e. the scientist has to have faith — even the atheist! Faith in what? Hopefully, most would say, “That which works well and brings about good in the world.” Einstein said, “…the deeper that I delve into the sciences of the universe, the more firmly do I believe that one God, or force, or influence, has organized it for our discovery.” Clearly, Einstein was a believer in his own right and had faith.

Sir Isaac Newton

Sir Isaac Newton—the greatest scientist in recorded history—studied religion more than science and came to know the Creator of it all. Unfortunately, his religious writings have never been published. Fortunately, my good friend, Steven Jones—Emeritus Professor of Physics at BYU—went to the Cambridge library where Newton’s writings have been archived and he, his wife Lezlee, and their daughter copied down significant portions of Newton’s religious writings. Steve prepared a power-point presentation and shared it in a fireside in our home. I took copious notes and Steve let me borrow his slides. I have used these significantly in preparing an Isaac Newton religion Principia in Chapter 3 of my new book, Time & Eternity: The End-Times & Beyond Revealed. Steve’s material has been most helpful in writing the Chapter in that book on, “Where We are in God’s Time.”

Louis Agassiz

Louis Agassiz (1807-1873), considered the greatest natural scientist in his day, declared, “It is the job of prophets and scientists alike to proclaim the glories of God.” He was greatly respected by his contemporary, Charles Darwin. In fact, Darwin shared his feelings with the poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “What a set of men you have at Harvard! Both universities put together cannot furnish the like. Why, there is Agassiz — he counts for three.” All of Agassiz’s peers knew he was a giant intellectually and spiritually, and he had proven Darwin’s concept of natural selection invalid at the time based on fossil data, showing that there was direct evidence of intelligent design behind the “explosion” of the several different species coming forth, which could not have evolved. Agassiz’s goal was to understand the mind of the Divine–to have faith.

W. H. Murray

W. H. Murray profoundly stated:

Until one is committed
There is hesitancy, the chance to draw back,
Always ineffectiveness.
Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation),
There is one elementary truth,
The ignorance of which kills countless ideas
And splendid plans:
That the moment one definitely commits oneself,
Then Providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help one
That would never otherwise have occurred.
A whole stream of events issues from the decision
Raising in one’s favor all manner
Of unforeseen incidents and meetings
And material assistance,
Which no man could have dreamt
Would have come his way.

God is in the details for those who have eyes to see and who have faith.

When powered by faith Goethe’s couplet can bring forth exciting results:

 “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”

I have seven major inventions the Lord has given me powered by faith that have been a blessing to many and have affected the world community for good.

Gustaf Stromberg

In 1961, Gustaf Stromberg of the Franklin Institute proposed a fifth dimension based on some experiential information. He suggests that this fifth dimension called the “eternity domain” gives to time elasticity while maintaining sequence. He further explains that this eternity domain can…

“...be described as an Almighty, Wise and Living Person, the Creator of all things, physical, mental, and spiritual. In our mind, we have an “image” of this Person and an idea of His existence and nature. We are created in His image,… We can also understand that this Person in His wisdom may select one or more souls to carry important messages and admonitions to other human souls,… Some of these messages we can also hear directly when we listen to the voice of the “Cosmic Conscience.” They tell us unequivocally that the essence of Divine law can be expressed in the simple admonition: “Love ye one another!”

In our Unified Field Theory research, we discovered a fifth dimension and we used Stromberg’s name for it–the Eternity Domain–and learned about diallel-field lines. This is how prayer works. We each have a diallel-field line connection to God. Not limited by time and space, the Eternity Domain is where God and His angels do their Divine orchestration where the Kingdom of Heaven is perfectly organized and each of us have been given angels to help us in our mortal journey. It is up to us to have faith and to pray; God loves you and is there for you (Matt. 7:7-8).

Truth Against the World

With eight billion people on this planet, we have eight billion world views. Living the Law of Love means that we respect each view. Be humble and love and learn from others as the opportunity arrives. My goal is like the Druids, “TRUTH against the world”–exposing Satanic deceits and finding and enjoying the glories of God’s infinite goodness. Life gives us challenges and choices to follow our conscience, which is the Spirit of Christ to do good, or not.

Matthew 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 

I love the French translation from this verse: ‘les met en pratique’–be a wise person and put His sayings into practice. Be a doer of His Word. In our day, we have the extremely important prophecy: “they who would not hear his voice should be cut off from among the people.” (JS-H 40) The logical equivalent of that prophecy is: “If you want to be with Him at His coming, hearken to His voice.”

The Book of Mormon – Lehi

The Prophet Lehi said it most profoundly in Second Nephi Chapter 2:25 – 27 “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

“And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.

“Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.”

Regarding faith in the Book of Mormon–Alma shares:

Alma gives us his fundamental definition of faith, “faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.” (Alma 31:21) Hence, you cannot have faith in something which is not true. All things that are true come from Christ. Christ is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). As we ask, seek, and knock, (Mt. 7:7-8) He is there for us to find the TRUTH. Then He gives us the great promise in John 8:12, 32, 36: If we follow Him we will not walk in darkness, and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free; then when He sets you free, ye are free indeed. But, it is our choice.

Whether the world wants to believe it or not, all truth is found this way, and religious truths cannot contradict scientific truths. We move to a grand harmony between true science and true religion as we come to Christ, who is the author of and knows all truth. This is my experience. God is the grand Creator; He created us to be creators also. In so doing, as we look to Him who is the Way, (John 14:6) we find joy in fulfilling our missions in mortality.

Wisdom Society

Much of this article is extracted from one I wrote years ago for the Wisdom Society in San Diego. That article can be viewed at this link. The references are available there as well.

David W. Allan

Reference:

(1) Frank DeSua, “Consistency and Completeness – a Resume'” American Mathematical Monthly, 63 (1956); 305

Photo: CC Faith & Science – Pixabay

The Torah a Law of Love

Spirituality, ,

This quote came from the article,  “An Elder Among the Rabbis” by Rasmussen, which was published by BYU Studies. I found the article when I was researching the “Law of Love” while teaching for the Institute of Religion for the Moroni Stake.  Dennis Rasmussen’s story is a fascinating one and worth sharing.

The Beginning

Over the years, he had become fascinated with Judaism and Rabbinic traditions. He learned of an institute, to be held at The Jewish Theological Seminary of America, entitled, “Institute for the Teaching of the Post-Biblical Foundations of Western Civilization.” It was to last for eight weeks during the summer of 1978 (with one additional week the following summer) and would be taught by five rabbis on the faculty.

College teachers in the humanities and social sciences were invited to apply. Twenty would be selected as fellows of the Institute. Rasmussen applied and was delighted to be chosen as one of the twenty.
Continue reading The Torah a Law of Love →

The Great Plan of Joy

Spirituality, ,

The world with all its ugliness makes it difficult to see the “Plan of Joy.” We hear of the plan of salvation, the plan of happiness, but seldom of the “Plan of Joy.”  The Book of Mormon, states,  “Adam fell that men might be, and men are that he might have joy.” (2 Nephi 2:25)

Satan’s Plan

Satan is successfully getting many to act according to his promptings.  His intention is to create contention, hate, envy, wars, rumors of wars, depression, and that suicide is a way out.  Instead of Sabbath worship, sports, and leisure activities take precedence over keeping the fourth commandment.  There are all kinds of sexual distortions and deviations that take away from the sacredness of the husband-and-wife relationship. The great importance of family is being diminished, which is the most precious and most important unit in time and eternity.

The Fullness of Joy

The Savior descended below all and then ascended above all to open the door to the greatest joy in this life and a fullness of joy in the life to come.  His glorious resurrection, the seventh step and capstone to the infinite atonement, brings us back into the presence of God and opens the door to receive a fullness of joy for all those who will embrace the grace and mercy offered by His infinite atonement. It is hard for most to look through the ugliness—all pain and suffering—and see through the clouds of darkness to the fullness of joy offered. They fail to see the beautiful full colors of the rainbow and the abundant life extended by the Savior and the joy and sunshine that shines so brightly in God’s presence.

Scriptural References to Joy

Let’s look at some of the beautiful references to Joy.  The fruits of the spirit are love, joy, and peace. As we come to Christ, we find this most delicious fruit, and we know nothing is more desirable. The Prophet Lehi describes: “And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.” (1 Nephi 8:12)

Just before working out the infinite atonement, the Savior said: “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” (John 15:11)

“For man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fullness of joy; And when separated, man cannot receive a fullness of joy.” (D&C 93:33-34) The glorious resurrection opens the door to fullness of joy. The resurrection, as the capstone to the infinite atonement, offers this “fullness of joy.” “Wherefore, fear not even unto death; for in this world your joy is not full, but in me your joy is full.” (D&C 101:36)

“The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.” (Isa. 29:19)

As the Prophet Nephi shares a Hebrew Midrash on Isaiah discussing our day he proclaims: “And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. And the meek also shall increase, and their joy shall be in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.” (2 Nephi 27:29-30)

In the same midrash on Isaiah chapters 2-14, Nephi shares many major insights about our day, and we know that Satan and all who follow him will be destroyed, as the Lord comes to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords during HIs glorious millennial reign.

At the birth of the Savior, the angel proclaims the glad tidings of great joy. “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” (Luke 2:10) The promise is “to all” who will come unto Him.

Just before working out the infinite atonement, He said to the Twelve Apostles, “And ye now, therefore, have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.” (John 16:22)

The Apostle Paul enumerates: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Gal. 5:22-23)

Love is the first law of heaven, and those who live that law of love will have a “fullness of joy.” We cannot imagine a better plan. All the imperfections of mortality will be made right through His infinite atonement while opening the door to all who will receive Him a fullness of joy.

Nephi does a Hebrew Midrash on Isaiah 50, 51, 52:1-2 in Second Nephi 9—giving us one of the best treatments of the infinite atonement. There Nephi shares, “But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and their joy shall be full forever.” (2 Ne. 9:18

King Mosiah promises: “And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness [fullness of joy]. Oh remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.” (Mosiah 2:41)

We have the remarkable conversion story of King Lamoni’s father: “And it came to pass that after Aaron had expounded these things unto him, the king said: What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy.” (Alma 22:15)

Following his complete conversion example, thousands of Lamanites followed the king’s complete conversion as well—anticipating the fullness of joy the Lord promises.

Alma in his exuberance to share the glorious gospel message states, “Oh that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people! …  But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; …  for I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire… whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction…

“For behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true.  I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, …yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy. And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy;” (Alma 29:1-10)

Alma, in sharing his own conversion experience with his son, Helaman. He describes the joy that filled his soul: “And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain! Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.” (Alma 36:20-21)

And the Lord promises, “And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!” (D&C 18:15-16)

Glorious Anticipation

We live in that day in glorious anticipation of the return of our Lord and Savior. Satan, knowing it is his last hour, is pulling out all stops to turn people away from the Lord. Atheism is on the increase. Suicide rates are epidemic. Satan has cleverly made the ethics of the Bible unteachable—turning the masses to his worldly ways. He does everything he can to cover up the “Great Plan of Joy” available to all who come to Christ.

At the same time, many are waking up to the fundamental importance of liberty, of truth, of true love, and to the Lord’s light. “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (Jn. 8:12) Further, the Lord warns and promises, “ Wherefore, fear not even unto death; for in this world your joy is not full, but in me your joy is full.” (D&C 101:36)

Who is Jordan Peterson?

Jordan Bernt Peterson, 60, is a clinical psychologist, author, and major media personality from Alberta, Canada.

Recently,  Peterson shared his profound insights as he came to know God: Jordan Peterson’s INCREDIBLE Journey To GOD | Heartbreaking Moments on His FAITH – YouTube. Jordan is the world’s best psychologist, and in his pursuit of truth is doing an enormous amount of good in the world that is spiraling down. In spite of not having the blessings of the fullness of the restored gospel, his accomplishments are incredible. However, he lacks the vision of the “fullness of joy” the Lord has in store for the righteous.

Help the Father’s Work

The best thing we can do is to help the Father in His work, “This is my work and my glory (Joy) to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39) “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” (Jn. 15:8) Then we can join with all the other great missionaries saying, “This is my joy.” In His infinite love, He offers “The Great Plan of Joy.

David W. Allan

PS You can reach me at gospelquestions7@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t Be Destroyed at His Coming

Spirituality, ,

The Apostle Peter, quoting from Moses, prophesied that the Lord would “raise up” a “prophet,” “Him shall ye hear in all things.” Those who “will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed.” (Acts 3:22-23)

The Book of Mormon Prophet Moroni, who saw our day more clearly than any other, referred to that scripture and “He said that that prophet was Christ, but the day had not yet come when “they who would not hear his voice should be cut off from among the people, but soon would come.” (JS-H 40)

We are in that “day.” In the Book of Mormon, the Prophet Nephi shares: “And it shall come to pass that all those who will not hear that prophet shall be cut off from among the people. And now I, Nephi, declare unto you, that this prophet of whom Moses spake was the Holy One of Israel; wherefore, he shall execute judgment in righteousness. And the righteous need not fear, for they are those who shall not be confounded. In other words, those who will “hearken to His voice” shall not be “destroyed.”

To the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord shared: “Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, the Great I AM, whose arm of mercy hath atoned for your sins; Who will gather his people even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, even as many as will hearken to my voice and humble themselves before me, and call upon me in mighty prayer.”

Hearken to His Voice

“Hearken to His voice” is throughout our scriptures; we see how important it is for each of us to repent and to come unto Him and hear His voice for what He would have us best do to prepare for His Coming and the establishment of Zion.

We have the great promise: “And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb; and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be.” (Book of Mormon – 1 Nephi 13:37)

The Power of Prayer

We may hear His voice as we invoke the Law of Heaven regarding prayer (Mt. 7:7-8): “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”

He promises He will answer if we ask not amiss, and it will be in His time as to when it is best for us. For us, it is to be patient and trust in Him. He is the Word, and His words are His voice declaring the glorious gospel message.

As we feast upon His word (Book of Mormon – 2 Nephi 31:20-21), as we read the scriptures, we can hear His voice coming through to us personally as we reach out in humble prayer and by listening to the Holy Ghost share His word designed just for us as orchestrated by the perfectly organized Kingdom of Heaven, where His angels speak His word according to the righteous desires of our hearts. (2 Nephi 32: 2-5)

Bringing Forth His Word

In spite of our weaknesses, one of the beautiful manifestations of God’s love is how he works through us to bring forth His Word in miraculous ways. His loving fingerprint becomes evident to build faith for those who have eyes to see. Consider, the book that has done more good in the world than any other is the King James Bible.

It holds the record for the most printed copies by a factor of ten with two billion copies across the globe to bless people’s lives. About 76% of the King James Bible is William Tyndale’s translation, who died as a martyr 75 years before the King James scholars did their work to bring it forth in 1611. God raised him up to work that marvelous miracle.

Most believe that the New Testament describes how Christianity was launched. In the following, I will share how God orchestrated some major miracles to bring forth His Word through Britain much more effectively than is described in the New Testament with many remarkable miracles.

Percentage-wise, for all who read it, the Book of Mormon has brought more people to Christ than any other book, and both the translation and printing were major miracles. The Lord raised Joseph Smith up to work these miracles.

Validating The Scriptures

Glottology is the science of linguistics. Using linguistics one can validate the scriptures in how God has them laid out in a way that humankind could never do.

As Brian D. Stubbs, a BYU linguistics scholar shares, “Written records unearthed in the Americas are often labeled hoaxes … but… languages… show specific ties from ancient to modern time, and thousands of speakers of the related languages are beyond fabrication.”
I have made friends with Brian Nettles, who is becoming an expert in reading from several of the artifacts in the Great Lakes area of North America where the Hebrew descendants used ancient Egyptian, as this was their language when they left Jerusalem in 600 B.C. to come to America.

The Miracle of the Drama of the Lost Disciples

Most believe the New Testament is the basis of Christianity. I share here God’s miracles in bringing forth His Word to the world separately and more rapidly than that described in the New Testament. Drama of Lost Disciples | It’s About Time (itsabouttimebook.com)
I share the page number from the amazing book by George F. Jowett, The Drama of the Lost Disciples, some miraculous events the Lord orchestrated as He brought the gospel to Britain and the world.

P 9 AD 36 Joseph of Arimathea and Christ’s family and dear friends were cast into the seas by their “remorseless enemies, in an open, oarless boat without sails…” and miraculously ended up in Marseilles.

P 13 “The only man who the Sadducees dared not oppose was Joseph, the great uncle of Jesus, known scripturally and in secular history as Joseph of Arimathea.”
“He was the protector of that valorous little band of disciples during the perilous years following the crucifixion…”

“Startling as it may appear to most Christians, and particularly to the Anglo-American world, the dominant role he performed in laying the true cornerstone of our Christian way of life should thrill our hearts with undying gratitude. His story is exclusively the story of Britain and, in consequence, America, and all Christian people wherever they may be.”
He “was the Apostle of Britain… with twelve other disciples of Christ erected in England the first Christian church above ground in the world…”

Pp 35-36 “…philologists assert that the Keltic or Cymric tongue is the oldest living language. Its root words have a basic affinity with ancient Hebrew.”
P 43-44 In the old Cymric language British means “covenant man or woman,” and Britain means a covenant land. Britain is the foreordained land to “be the advance guard of Christianity, to evangelize the world…” They “held fast to the patriarchal faith of the Old Testament.”

Abraham’s wife Sarah was promised that her seed should be called the sons of Isaac. So, we have Saxon, as derived from Isaac’s-son. And her descendants fulfills the prophecy in England and the coming later to America.

Truth Against the World

The Druid’s battle phrase was and is “Truth against the world,” which is basically my theme.

P77 Like in the Book of Mormon, “the Druidic Priesthood knew the consecrated name [Jesu] long beforehand…” Christ’s ministry and infinite atonement. The Celtic name for Jesu never changed to this day. This translated inspiring Celtic Triads tells a lot:

The Lord our God is One.
Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be
Ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the
King of Glory shall come in.
Who is the King of Glory? The Lord Jesu;
He is the King of Glory.

 P 44 “Julius Caesar wrote, 54 BC: The Druids make the immortality of the soul the basis of all their teaching, holding it to be the principal incentive and reason for a virtuous life. (Gallic War, VI, 14)”

P 77 “The Druidic circle embracing the Cross is the symbol of eternity.”
Only six years after the family of Christ had arrived miraculously at Gaul and then on to Britain, their Christian missionary effort exploded as they joined with the Druids. “In the year AD 42 Claudius, Emperor of the Romans, issued the fateful decree to destroy Christian Britain, man, woman, and child and its great institutions and burn its libraries.

To this purpose, Emperor Claudius equipped the largest and most efficient army ever sent by Rome to conquer a foe and led by its most able generals.” We will see how the Lord turns this massively evil decree into an amazingly fruitful opportunity to spread His word, so that more people can “hear His voice.”

Claudius could not believe the skill and zeal of the Christian military led by two cousins: Caractacus and Arviragus, who were beating Rome’s best army. The Romans met women warriors fighting alongside their men in righteous combat. After two years, Claudius, recognizing the futility of the struggle and the terrible drainage on his finest Legions, called for a six-month truce, and invited the two Christian generals to Rome.

We see the hand of the Lord in two major marriages that happened during this truce: 1) “Hoping to clinch the peace, Emperor Claudius offered to Arviragus, in marriage, his daughter, Venus Julia,” who then becomes a Christian. 2) Also, during the truce period back in Britain, the “Roman Commander-in-Chief, Aulus Plautius, marries Caractacus’s sister, Gladys (Celtic for Princess). Then Plautius becomes a Christian. Emperor Claudius “honorably” brings Plautius back to Rome—relieving him of his military obligation to Britain.

His wife, Gladys, is “A brilliant woman of wide cultural learning, she was a past scholar in classical literature and wrote a number of books of prose and poetry in Greek and Latin as well as in her native language, Cymric. Their home was a meeting place for the talented and they were to be as intimately acquainted with the Apostles, Peter, and Paul, as Gladys had been with Joseph, Lazarus, Mary Magdalene, and the rest of the missionaries at Avalon” in Britain.

After these two Divinely orchestrated marriages crossing enemy turf and bringing about major Christian conversions and opening the door in Rome for Christianity to be promulgated, we see again the hand of providence after Caractacus defended for nine years the Christians in Britain with the Romans suffering several military defeats, Caractacus is betrayed.

Like Judas betrayed Christ helping to bring about the completion of the infinite atonement for all of Father’s children, this betrayal brings about an amazing chain of events helping the Christian purpose to be amplified greatly in Rome and throughout the world.

Caractacus and his whole family are taken as prisoners to Rome, and he in chains with his family walks in dignity with freedom of spirit behind the Emperor’s chariot through the crowded streets of Rome as he is tried before Claudius and the Roman Senate. Probably no Roman enemy military leader was more highly respected by the Romans in the bloody history because of how he “seriously decimated the crack Roman Legions in combat.” (p 104)

Contrary to Roman law, Caractacus’s daughter Gladys walked by his side into the Senate. Again, orchestrated by the Divine, his speech before the Senate turned the tide. It turned the heart of Claudius and he gave him and his family their freedom. It was a speech like Lincoln’s Gettysburg address. The children in Britain used to put it to memory, it was so profound.

“The only restriction imposed in the pardon of Caractacus was that he must remain at Rome, on parole for seven years, and neither he nor any member of his family was ever to bear arms against Rome. To this Caractacus agreed and never once thereafter did he break his pledge. When he returned to Britain seven years later, even though the war was then raging between Briton and Roma led by the unrelenting Arviragus, Caractacus and his family remained aloof, honor bound.

While he remained in Rome he enjoyed all the privileges of a freeman.  With his family, he resided at the Palatium Britannicum—‘the Palace of the British’—which was soon to become world famous in Christian deeds and history.” (p107)

The pagan Emperor Claudius was so taken by Gladys that he adopted her and gave her the name of Claudia. This opened up enormous doors for bringing forth God’s word to the world then and has rippled down to our time in God-inspired miraculous ways.

His Word Blesses Our Lives

Our hearts need to be full of gratitude for the countless ways God has miraculously brought forth His word to bless our lives.

Now we live at that day, when if do not hearken to His voice, we will be “cut off” or “destroyed” at His Coming. The positive rephrasing of those scriptures tells us that, “If we want to be with Him at His Coming, we WILL HEARKEN TO HIS VOICE.”  Then we will not be deceived and will have joy as we totally come unto Him. May we do so, I pray.

David W. Allan

Christ the Redeemer CC Wikipedia

The Most Important Verse In the Book of Mormon

Spirituality, , ,

Guest Post: Chauncy C. Riddle

This is the most important verse in the Book of Mormon. That is a strong value judgment. But there are some reasons why it might be so.

The verse is 2 Nephi 26:24:

“He (God) doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation.”

“Benefit” means doing good, blessing, and ministering to others. God does this because of his heartfelt love for each human. The totality of all human beings is “the world” in the scriptures. Christ has suffered for the sins and pains of each and every human being in order to be able to bless each one with forgiveness of sins, resurrection, and glory.

He hopes to bless each human will all, with exaltation in eternity. But he respects each person and will put upon each only that which each has shown he or she wants to receive and does follow the covenant path to become able to receive. Not everyone can stand to receive all that God tries to give them. The reasons why this verse is the most important verse come under three headings:

1. This verse gives us a most important feature of our knowledge about our God.

2. This verse solves the problem of evil in the world.

3. This verse sheds great light on the commandments God has given us

Knowledge About Our God

1. This verse gives us a most important feature of our knowledge about our God.
Usual discussions of the nature of God sometimes focus on how much he knows, what he can do, and where he is.

Our God is said to be omniscient, that he knows everything that can be known, past, present, and future. In the Book of Mormon, Jacob exclaims: “Oh how great the goodness of our God. For he knoweth all things and there is not anything, save he knows it.” (2 Nephi 9:20). This means God is never puzzled or in the dark about anything. He knows and understands all things. Therefore he knows how to bless each of his children.

Usual discussions also emphasize the power of God, that he has all power. This means that he can do anything that can be done. The Savior said: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in the earth.” (Matthew 28:18). Thus he is never frustrated by the inability to bless each human being.

Our God is also present everywhere in the universe. “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.” (Psalms 139:7-10) This is to say that wherever any of his children are in the universe, God finds and blesses them.

And our God is also good, which is to say that he blesses or helps each of his children to enjoy as much blessing as each can stand to receive. And this is where our special verse from the Book of Mormon quoted above applies. It is well understood by mankind that God blesses his children. What is not as well known is what this verse explains: God only blesses his children. Some persons are wont to attribute curses to God, and the scriptures actually use that word.

But this verse in the Book of Mormon tells us that any so-called curse from God is actually a blessing and will result in some great benefit and opportunity for the recipient. Thus, God only blesses. Everything he does is to advance the happiness, power, and well-being of his children. But again, he will not put upon any child of his any blessing in eternity that a person cannot profit from. Thus some are damned to spare them blessings which would cause them to regress. And this damnation itself is a blessing.

The Problem of Evil in the World

2. This verse solves the problem of evil in the world. Anything is evil if it is not as good as it could or should be. Every human sin is evil, something which need not and should not be.

For every human sin shortens the blessings and welfare of the sinner’s fellow beings. God’s commandments are given so that we will have guidance and power not to do evil, but to bless only, even as God does. God holds each human being accountable for all evil each has done, and our Savior counts any evil we do to any person as if we had done it unto him. If we repent of doing evil, our Savior forgives us. But if we will not and do not repent, he must hold us accountable on the day of judgment.

But there is a lot of evil in this world that is not the doing of any human being. There are diseases, natural disasters such as storms and volcanic activity, opposition from wild animals, heat and cold that devastate, etc. The point of this special scripture from the Book of Mormon is that all so-called evil in this world is the hand of God delivering something to his human children which will eventuate blessings that they will eventually recognize and be grateful for.

For God’s hand is in all things. Nothing happens in this universe except with his permission. He lets what we call evil treatment by humans and by natural disasters in nature function as avenues for blessings greater than the evils humans suffer. Thus each human should be grateful for any suffering he or she undergoes, understanding that if he or she will turn to God as a little child and humbly submits to the so-called evils that come upon them, that paves the way for greater blessings from God.

“For the natural man (a man without Christ in this mortal world) is an enemy (does not love) to God, and has been since the fall of Adam (because of the influence and temptations of Satan) and will be forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit (accepts Jesus Christ as his father and guide), and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint (having the companionship of the Holy Spirit) through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love (for Christ and for all of God’s creation), willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him (to bless him), even as a child doth submit to his father (for that person who comes unto Christ counts Christ as his father)” (Mosiah 3:19)

This discussion of evil makes no sense to those who do not believe in the immortality of the human soul: no pre-mortal and no post-mortal human existence. For only in the post-mortal life do all the evils of mortality become known as blessings.

Thus everything God brings to pass happens because God is using it to bless his children, to help each enjoy all the blessings and powers of God himself if they can stand to receive such magnificence.

Shedding Great Light on God’s Commandments

3. This verse sheds great light on the commandments God has given to us, his mortal children. Salvation in Christ is to change our personal character from the way we were, as the natural man in this mortality, into the character and nature of Christ himself. This is done by the individual exercising faith in Christ unto repentance from everything we are and do that is not like him, to “come unto the measure of the fullness of the stature of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13)

This explains why our Savior commands us to: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven, for he maketh his sun to shine upon the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust … Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect.” (Mathew 5: 44-48) This is what Christ himself does, and he bids us to follow his example.

This verse in the Book of Mormon is the most important verse because it clarifies for us the most important characteristic of our God: that his heart is filled only with unmixed, pure love for all of his children and for all creation. Knowing the most important thing about God our Father is the most important thing any human could know. And gaining and using that pure love from him in order to purely minister to others is the most important thing any human will ever do.

Guest Post: Chauncy C. Riddle  

Author of  “Think Independently”.