The Transcendency of Mother’s Love

Spirituality, ,

I view a mother’s love as being the most important contribution to pure love on this planet outside the manifestation of God’s love. For me, a mother’s love and that of a caring-loving teacher are the preeminent positions of all. Yet, they are paid the least. They do more to distribute the pure love of Christ in this world regardless of their religion. A mother’s “Pure Love” for her offspring is like the pure love of God.

The impact of caring-loving teachers in my life is enormous. My mother and grandmothers were great role models of God’s pure love in my life. My wife’s pure love for our children is a great blessing in my life.

A Unique Gift

I learned from Ralph Jensen’s near-death experience (NDE) that our intelligences have gender Our intelligences are eternal. The female intelligence has this unique gift of pure love for each of her offspring. Heavenly Mother has infinite and perfect love for all of Heavenly Father’s children. God’s pure-perfect and infinite love is the passion for God’s marvelous creations and for each of us. This is why God is always there as we reach out to God in prayer. Because of God’s perfect and infinite love for us, He answers every sincere prayer in the timeframe that is best for us.

The Bible’s Portrayal of a Mother’s Transcendent Love

Some men were discussing which translation of the Bible was best. One of them said, “I like my mother’s translation the best. She translated it into life!” We set aside the second Sunday in May to celebrate “Mother’s Day.” I believe this should be a year around opportunity. I hope and pray that we will have deep-loving appreciation to all mothers—especially including our own mothers and on both sides of the veil.

In the movie, A Man Called Peter, based on the book written by his wife, Catherine Wood Marshall, she shares a beautiful message. Catherine paints a picture of how Peter shared in a sermon that Christ elevates women above men in their most important role in life. It is fascinating that in apocryphal literature we read that the resurrected Lord first appeared to His mother, Mary. Can you imagine the trauma Mary went through because of what her Son, our Savior, went through as He was falsely accused, tried, and crucified?

We read in the gospel of Joseph of Arimathea transliterated from Old English by Dezert-Owl; fortunately, I have become friends with him. This gospel describes Mary’s anguish: “SHE STOOD OUT-SIDE Ov TOMB, CRYING BITTERLY (25:74).” Thinking Him dead, she didn’t recognize Him, as He appeared before her, “DRESSED in A BRYGHT-WHITE ROBE Ov LYGHT (25:110).” He asked her, “Why Are YOU BURSTING-OUT In TEARZ Ov A-Fection [over an] “Empty-Tomb (25:112).” “I [have] RELEASED All Ov Thoze Who Were [in the Spirit-world] Who ARE WORTHY [all the way back to Adam and Eve] (25:158).” “THEN SHE ROZE-UP, AN SHE GAVE HYM A GREAT EMBRACE (25:163).” “Then THE VIRGIN-MOTHER Looked Be-Hind HYM, An She Saw The GREAT-NUMBERZ THAT HE HAD TAKEN-UP, Out-From The Grave, ALL DRESSED-UP, IN THEIR PURE-WHITE ROBEZ (25:167).” He told her, “I Am Now PRESENTING Them Az THE GREAT-OFFERING BeFore… Father Az I DELIVER Them To PARADISE (25:166).” Mary’s heart was overwhelmed with joy when she realized what her Son had accomplished. Yet, she saw only a touch of His infinite atonement.

Mary Magdalene, His wife, saw Him immediately after. She went from the depts of despair to the heights of ecstasy when He called her name, “Mary (John 20:16).” In some translations, she also embraced the Lord.

Givers of Life

Ralph Jensen, a dear friend, in his NDE, was taught by Christ. He wrote a book by that title. In it he shares that when the Lord showed him the events in the Garden of Eden, everything was in awe as Eve entered the Garden—”the mother of all living.” In another blog article, I share much more of what the Lord taught Ralph. Ralph points out why Satan hates women so much. They are the “givers of life.” Satan is about depopulation and abortion—to destroy life. Righteous mothers are the great givers of life. Let us do everything we can to honor them in that most sacred role.

Our Mortal Birth is a Grand Opportunity to Learn TRUTH

It is fascinating that Heavenly Father needed the virgin Mary to give birth to His Son–the Son of God (Luke 1:35). For God so loved the world that He did so, and Mary was the virtuous channel. This opened the door for the Savior to give the world His perfect life, and teachings, and the most important gift of His infinite atonement. He is the way and the truth and the life (John 14:6). It is Christ who opens the door for us to partake of the greatest gift of God—eternal life (D&C 14:7). As we come unto Christ, He provides the opportunity for the greatest joy in this life (John 10:10) and a fullness of joy in the world to come (Ps. 16:10; D&C 93:33-34). His path is the path to LIGHT and TRUTH (D&C 84:45).

Further, the Savior profoundly said, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32).” And “If the Son therefore shall make you free ye shall be free indeed (John 8:36).” “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).”

The Will of the Father in the Midst of the Challenges

Doing the will of the Father, Mary gave birth to her Son, the Son of God, in the most-humble of circumstances (Luke 2). Jesus’ life, teachings, and infinite atonement perfected Heavenly Father’s perfect plan of happiness. As we think about Jesus’ incomprehensible contributions, we need to look back to the pre-mortal epoch. Then, under the direction of the Father, He created the heavens and the earth for us to live on. We cannot offer sufficient praise for all He has done, is doing, and will be doing in helping Father “bring to pass the immortality and eternal life [of all of us] (Moses 1:39).”

In the midst of all the challenges of life, we cannot imagine a better plan. It is these challenges that give us the opportunity to grow and to learn from them. As we look to Him in every thought—life becomes a grand experience to grow in TRUTH and LIGHT (D&C 84:45). He is the way and the truth and the life, and Mary gave Him birth to do the will of the Father perfectly because of His and Heavenly Mother’s infinite love for us.

We cannot comprehend God’s incomprehensible and infinite love for each of us. A mother’s transcendent love for each of her offspring is type and shadow of this pure-love of God.

I extend my love to you and yours and to all you wonderful mothers.

David W Allan

Photo:  Free Mother’s Day Clip Art

The Book of Mormon Printing Miracle

Spirituality, , ,

No one now living in our generation knew better than Gordon Weight what happened in detail back in 1829-30 when the Book of Mormon was first printed. We are so fortunate that his family and his students convinced him to write a fascinating booklet detailing his experience, the year before he passed. “Miracle on Palmyra’s Main Street, an ‘Old-Time’ Printer’s Perspective on Printing the Original Copies of the Book of Mormon.”

David Hocking

Author, David Hocking is known for his Annotated Sacred Texts. He presently has seven annotated books. Hocking’s recent publication, The Revelations of Joseph Smith Jr., The Chronological History of the Restoration as Recorded in his Journal, includes Gordon Weight’s perspective on the major miracle that occurred in printing the Book of Mormon.

Documented Timeline of Events 

June 11, 1829 – A copyright was obtained for the Book of Mormon.
July 1, 1829 – The translation was completed for the Book of Mormon.
July 10, 1829 – Oliver Cowdery began the “Printer’s Manuscript” from the “Original Manuscript.”
August 17, 1829 – A contract was made with the Grandin Print Shop to print 5,000 books.
August 24, 1829 – The first 24 pages were delivered to the printer by Hyrum Smith, and the typesetting by John Gilbert was begun.
March 26, 1830 – Printed copies of the Book of Mormon were available for sale.
April 6, 1830 – The Church of Christ was organized in Peter Whitmer Sr.’s log home in Fayette, New York.

Book of Mormon – Printing Miracle

Gordon Weight documents that it should have taken at least 17 ½ months to type set, print, and bind 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon. Yet, as one can see from the “timeline,” that in six months and two days the Book of Mormon was ready to be distributed to the world. How was this accomplished in such an incredible short time? It was accomplished in the Lord’s compressed timetable and not man’s time. The Lord wanted this record to go, “to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people (Rev. 14:6).” And He wanted it before His Church was organized on the 6th of April 1830. Thus, we see that this is the greatest sixth month miracle in the history of the Church in bringing about the Lord’s purposes. The visitation of the Lord himself along with many angelic visitors at the dedication of the Kirtland Temple perhaps made that a greater miracle. But those miraculous events happened in just a few days.

I find it also fascinating that the printing and binding were completed on 26 March 1830. This date is exactly ten years after Joseph Smith had his first vision—seeing the Father and the Son—and calling him to this great work (26 March 1820): The Date of the First Vision | It’s About Time (itsabouttimebook.com). Joseph was called by the Lord to head the greatest of all the dispensations of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As prophesied by the Apostle Paul, this is the glorious “dispensation of the fullness of times (Eph. 1:10).” In this dispensation, the Lord will “gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth: even in him.”

Miraculously, the Book of Mormon was ready in time for the Lord to organize His Church on the 6th of April 1830. The 5,000 copies were printed and bound in a little over 6 months—a clearly documented miracle–done in the Lord’s compressed time frame.

As I share in Chapter 21 of It’s About Time, the Lord and His angels are not limited by time and space. This documented compressed timeframe miracle is a direct manifestation of this fact. This compressed timeframe miracle is very different from the Kirtland Temple miracle. The Lord’s acceptance of the Kirtland temple and all the events there were indeed a major coupling to the heavens. The compressed timeframe miracle for printing the Book of Mormon is also but is unknown by most. Hence, the purpose of this blog article and the documentation of it in David Hocking’s new book.

Printing Details – Gordon Weight

Joseph stipulated that the book be printed with a “new” type. Gordon Weight estimates that six to eight fonts of type were needed per page, or approximately 96 to 128 fonts of type for the 16-page signatures—eight pages on each side of a sheet of paper (see p. 317 of David Hocking’s new book). That much type would weigh approximately 760 pounds—an amount that would be unheard of. In addition, a font of type has no spacing material to justify the text. Where did they get the “new” type and how did they get enough of it?

To typeset a page required that each letter be manually picked up and set with its image facing upwards in a row, letter after letter, at a pre-determined length done by adding small copper and brass pieces to the spaces between words.

The time to justify each line was tedious. The estimated time to typeset the Book of Mormon would take about two hours per page. Since there were a total of 570 printed pages in the book, roughly 1,140 hours were required to typeset the entire book. This would equate to 19 weeks or 4 ½ months to only just set the type.

After the presswork to print the 16-page signature was completed, the type and spacing material were cleaned and redistributed back into the type-case for use in the next signature of 16 pages. This required an additional 1 hour of time per signature for a total of 570 hours. A total of 7 months would be needed to just perform the typesetting. Another consideration is that the Book of Mormon contained many unfamiliar words, with strangely spelled names and places. The proofreading and punctuation were performed with the type being set upside down and backwards! Gordon Weight was very skilled at doing that, as was John Gilbert.

According to Mr. Gilbert’s recollection of time, 37 forms multiplied by the six days each to print both the front and back, required a total of 222 days to do the presswork. Using a basis of 26 workdays per month, 10 hours each day, it would have taken a minimum of 8 ½ months to print the entire book. With 4 ½ months to perform the typesetting, 2 ½ months to redistribute the type, and 8 ½ months to do the presswork, it took a minimum of 15 ½ months just to do the typesetting and presswork!

Yet the original 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon were completed in a little more than 6 months. The hand-folding of the signatures, collating and combining, then binding and sewing 37 of the 16-page signatures was slow and highly laborious. Without divine intervention, the printing would never have come about—in just over six months. Again, Gordon Weight’s conservative estimate was 17 ½ months to typeset, print, and bind 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon. Gordon is the only one living in our generation who could authentically document the time needed.

Under the direction of Moroni, the Lord’s angels were very busy helping in the printing of the Book of Mormon in the Lord’s compressed timeframe. Many unusual miracles occurred. For example, Joseph specified both the kind of type and the kind of paper for the Book of Mormon, but the printer had neither or access to the same, but they were provided miraculously. The massive amount of ink for the printing of the 5,000 copies was also miraculously provided. Gordon Weight, who had the expertise to say so, estimates a minimum of 17 1⁄2 months to print and bind these first 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon, and Grandin Press had other printing responsibilities in addition—a newspaper and other customer jobs. Yet it was done in the “Lord’s compressed timeframe” in just over 6 months, as Gordon Weight documents.

The people working at Grandin Print shop witnessed these miracles, but for the most part they were reluctant to say anything that would align them in agreement with Joseph Smith’s work. Joseph’s persecution was enormous. The type setting, printing, and binding over the next six months proceeded without interference. Clearly, Moroni and those angelic hosts working with them were standing guard. One can be assured that there were those motivated by Satan who were wanting to destroy the Lord’s Devine work here.

David Hocking’s New Book


In his new book, David includes only the revelations given to the Prophet Joseph in the Doctrine and Covenants as well as those not canonized and excluded in the Doctrine and Covenants. With the annotations he has made, I see this as a landmark contribution to our sacred literature. Having everything lined up chronologically along with the Prophets Journal entries related to each revelation, helps one better appreciate the enormous contribution the Prophet Joseph Smith made, guided by the Lord. David includes this most important and unique miracle in Church history on pages 315-17 of his new book.

I see David Hocking—using modern technology–as our modern John Gilbert in how he has configured his seven annotated editions of sacred scriptures. How blessed we are to have these as part of our sacred literature. Now, his last book documents the Lord’s time compressed miracle in bringing forth 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon in just over six months.

This dispensation commenced with Joseph Smith’s grand theophany when he saw Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son on the 26th of March 1820: The Date of the First Vision | It’s About Time (itsabouttimebook.com). There, Jesus gave him his commission as a prophet of God to head this greatest of all dispensations of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This reminds one of the Lord’s commission to Paul to take the gospel to the Gentiles. However, when Jesus appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus, Paul was wanting to destroy Christians (See Acts Chapter 9). That made his commission very different than Joseph’s. Joseph went into the woods to pray to ask, “Which church should I join?” He had no clue that he would be heading the greatest of all dispensations of the gospel.

The Book of Mormon was needed to launch this most important dispensation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Exactly, ten years after Joseph Smith’s First Vision on the 26th of March 1830, miraculously the Book of Mormon was completed. Gordon L. Weight stated, “To bring forth 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon in the Lord’s compressed timeframe, a little over six months, from typesetting the first word to trimming the last page, is an absolute impossibility. It just couldn’t happen—yet it did.” Gordon, who passed away in 2004, is the only person living in our time, who could tell us the details of why it happened as “it did!”

Picking the Grandin Print Shop Miracle

It is incredible to realize after Hyrum Smith presented the ‘Printer’s Manuscript’ to the E. B. Grandin Print Shop in Palmyra, New York in August 1829, that a little more than six months later five thousand books were printed. Indeed, this is the most significant sixth month and unique miracle in the history of the restoration of the Lord’s Church. This major miracle is unbeknownst to most because of the little-known pamphlet of Gordon Weight’s documenting this miracle.

Mr. Egbert B. Grandin of Palmyra, the publisher of the Wayne Sentinel, was originally asked to print the book, but he refused, stating that his print shop was inadequate, with little experienced help, as his print shop was only a secondary source of income. He had limited equipment, very little type, and felt that he would not be able to obtain enough of the right kind of paper to print five thousand books. After being turned down, later, Joseph Smith, Jr. approached Mr. Grandin again, and miraculously, Mr. Grandin “after thinking it over,” finally agreed to print the book. Undoubtedly, the Lord’s angels prompted his “thinking!”

This Book of Mormon printing miracle provides further evidence that this book is the Lord’s–containing the “fulness of the gospel (D&C 42:12).” Again, a most important and unique miracle in Church history, as the Lord’s Church was being restored to the Earth. As it was revealed to the Apostle John (Rev. 14:6-7): “And I saw another angel [Moroni] fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”

Martin Harris had agreed to pay for the printing by selling part of his farm. It sold for $3,000 just exactly when it was needed, and the exact amount needed. Another miracle. Also, read about how Martin Harris gets to witness again in our time across the veil to Lynn “Doc” Cleland with his testimony of the validity of the Book of Mormon. Doc shared with me Martin Harris’ testimony revealed to his third-great grandson by the same name, and it is awesome and most inspiring.

Martin was one of the three witnesses who both saw the Angel Moroni, was shown the golden plates, and heard the voice of the Lord bearing witness to their validity. The three witnesses’ testimony is in every copy of the Book of Mormon. All three of them left the Lord’s Church for various reasons, but never denied their testimonies. Their testimonies are additional validation of the authenticity of the Book of Mormon. The title page reads, “…to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, manifesting himself unto all nations.”

Book of Mormon – Prepares World For The Lord’s Coming


I find it fascinating that Moroni saw our day and time more clearly than any other prophet.  How blessed we are to have the Book of Mormon–this “marvelous work and a wonder (Isa. 29:14).” I believe David’s first Annotated Edition with Rod Meldrum of the Book of Mormon is the best book in the world to bring people to Christ and to know where it took place. North America is the “promised land” spoken of in the Book of Mormon. It is the “everlasting decree” of God that we serve Him or be “swept off” at His Coming (Ether 2:10; JS-H 40). David Hocking documents this “printing miracle” on pages 315-317 of his new book. And it is so inspiring, and the Lord has much more coming. We live in the most exciting time in the history of the Earth.

David W. Allan (15 May 2024)

PS – Another miracle with this printing of the 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon is that the height (7 ½ inches) and width (4.635 inches) are in the Divine ratio: 1.618. David Hocking documents this miracle as well in his new book.

By the way, I initially wrote this blog article was 29 April 2024–our daughter Jeannette’s birthday. Copies of Gordon Weight’s pamphlet can be obtained from Gordon’s wife, Dorotha, at (801) 262-9290, or email: palmyramainstreet@gmail.com. Or send $6 to 4649 South 345 East, Murray, Utah, 84107. I just talked to her to get permission for this information. She is now 91 years old.

Photo: 

The Book: THE LIGHT AFTER DEATH

Spirituality, ,

We have had our raising of Lazarus from the dead experience here in Orem, Utah in 2003. Vincent (Vinney) Todd Tolman shares his well-documented story in this incredibly enlightening and well-written book. During the time he was dead and while being brought back to life, he had an amazing tour guide. Vinney’s Great-great-great Grandfather, Drake. Drake took him step-wise through ten heavenly realms. He teaches him ten life-changing principles while in the spirit world. And he teaches him of the significance of the world religions—including the atheistic “religion of darkness.” This book was life-changing for me.

These ten principles–most appropriate for our day and the–“End-Times” are:
1. Be authentic.
2. Understand the purpose of life.
3. Love everyone.
4. Listen to your inner voice.
5. Use technology responsibly.
6. Release prejudice.
7. Exercise the power of creation.
8. Avoid negative influences.
9. Understand the purpose of evil.
10. Know that we are all one.

Reading this short 162-page book, I learned some very valuable lessons. It was definitely a life-changing experience for me and for the better. I was so impressed with the book that I have written a book report—sharing some of my insights as well.

This book really resonated with me because I have had several life-changing spiritual experiences in my career path.  Back in 1956, I took a five-hour missionary preparation class at BYU from Professor Ellsworth. Our text for the class was the New Testament, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. This class also changed my life. I fell in love with these books and the author of them—our Creator, God.

This turned me into a praying physicist. Many of the inventions I am credited with bringing forth came as a result of an answer to prayer. Some of these are documented in the IEEE’s ORAL HISTORY of my life.

The New York Times best-selling author, Richard Paul Evans, wrote the forward to The Light After Death. He said the book was life changing for him as well. His The Christmas Box, novel has been turned into a movie by the same title. He sells Vinney’s book on his website. I have arranged for my publisher, Boyd Tuttle, to sell the book: digitalegend.com. It is also available on Amazon. I was so impressed with the book that I bought several copies for family and friends. As a result of reading the book, everyone worldwide is my friend!

In my 88th trip around the sun, this book is helping me in my fundamental goal in life—to help bring people to Christ. I know He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). The above ten principles are all Christ-centered. In my new book, Time & Eternity, the End-Times & Beyond Revealed, I share that all who accept Christ will make it into the millennium. I believe this book is helping people on that path. And all will have a chance to hear the fullness of the gospel before His Second Coming (D&C 90:11). Those who reject Him will be “cut off” at His Coming (JS-H 40).

Vinney’s spiritual sensitivity grew tremendously because of what he learned on the other side of the veil. He shares an inspiring example of his sensitivity to others’ needs on page 154. He and a friend were going to a cafe to have lunch. Vinney noticed a homeless man walking, who looked tired and hungry. He reached out in prayer for him.

“I sent my thoughts to the man’s guides and asked, ‘Is he going to the same cafe we are?'”

“I felt the reply, ‘No, he’s going to keep walking past it.'”

“Can you urge him to go inside?” It’s a hot day, and he can cool off for a minute.”

“Yes.”

When Vinney ordered he got another order for the homeless man. They sat down and when the homeless man walked in and sat down, Vinney took his tray of food and drink to him and said to him, “Here’s your lunch.” The homeless man looked at him with a puzzled look and with a smile of gratitude. Vinney’s friend sat there “in wide-eyed surprise at what had just happened.”

Vinney shares, “I have learned that the more we are mindful of the needs of those around us, the happier we are, and the fewer needs we feel for ourselves.”

Notice how Vinney honored the man’s agency (free choice).

David W. Allan    –    For The Detailed Book Report  –  Click Here (Scroll to the bottom of the page for a PDF copy)

Easter and The Heart Of The Earth

Spirituality,

What did Jesus mean when he said in Mathew 12:39-40, “The Heart of the Earth“?  Jesus said, “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (Matt. 12:39-40).”  Again, what did he mean?

In a podcast, I share a picture of a stone found by Russell Burrows here in North America describing Jesus’ atonement: His crucifixion, three days in the tomb. During those three days, His spirit went to the spirit world to open up missionary work there in the “heart of the earth” as He said. This was the sixth step in His infinite atonement. Did you know the spirit world is the “heart of the earth?” The stone also depicts His glorious resurrection overcoming Satan. Further, it depicts the eleven Apostles as well as Judas’ betrayal. I share the link to the podcast below.

As described in my book, It’s About Time, there are neurons in the heart and in the gut. You have heard the expression, “I have a gut feeling…” It is our heart that communes with God’s angels as we ask, seek, and knock (Matt. 7:7-8) Our heart is them communing with the “heart of the earth”—those commissioned by God to teach us His eternal truths.

This is why the Lord asks us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The Kingdom of Heaven is perfectly organized in the spirit world to assist us we sincerely pray. Our hearts are then communing with the “heart of the earth,” as He did during those monumental three days.

The Easter most Christians celebrate follows the Catholic tradition. The Catholic tradition also has the crucifixion happening on “Good Friday.” In the podcast, I share from the Burrows’ Stone that both traditions are false. He was crucified on Thursday, and His spirit went to the “heart of the earth” (paradise in the spirit world) to open up the preaching of the gospel there. There are about ten times more folks there—in the “heart of the earth” — than here on earth. The Lord revealed this insight to my heart!

The Eastern and Russian Orthodox have Easter on the right date. I am editing this on Saturday (6 April 2024)–the Savior’s birthday. It was known and celebrated by the Jaredites and the Nephites, as shown in their earthworks near Newark, Ohio. Good Thursday was last Thursday, and this Sunday is the proper date for Easter. Please join me in celebrating what should be the most important annual celebration rejoicing in the glorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior. And let us think about and rejoice with the countless saints who have also been resurrected, and who are greatly rejoicing with their resurrection as well because the Lord overcame death and hell.

David W. Allan

PODCAST LINK

Photo:  DeviantArt

 

When is Easter?

Spirituality

When is Easter? In my opinion, Easter should be the most celebrated annual event in our lives. There is nothing more important than the infinite atonement of our Lord and Savior. The Lord’s glorious resurrection capstone is the most important event in history.

Most of the Christian world follows the Catholic tradition of Easter being on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the 21st of March. They take the 21st of March being the Vernal Equinox. Thus, this year the Christian world generally celebrates Easter Sunday on the 31st of March.

I am writing this on Thursday the 28th of March 2024, which following the Catholic dating for Easter, is for me Good Thursday. Their tradition indicates that Christ was crucified on Friday, and they call that Good Friday. But we know this is wrong from John 19:31 and from apocryphal literature. In the Hebrew calendar, the Lord had orchestrated two Sabbaths in a row for this most important event.

Thursday – Fulfilling Prophecy

He was crucified on Thursday fulfilling His prophecy to the Jews. He gave them a sign: Jonah spent three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, He would spend three days and three nights in the heart of the Earth (Matt. 12:40). I document the three days in a podcast and in a blog article. Good Friday is a false tradition that originated with Catholicism and the world has followed.

What we know of in the scriptures is that He was crucified on Thursday. Crucified at noon He endured indescribable suffering for the sins of the world for those three hours (Matt. 27:45; 3 Nephi 8:5-19). The Earth, which He had created mourned with him with enormous destructions and tempest. We also know that it happened on the fourth day of the 34th year after His birth. This is described in Third Nephi, Chapter 8, verse 5. What we don’t know is if the Nephites counted their years as the earth went around the sun. They may have followed a Hebrew tradition for their calendar.

His Glorious Resurrection

His glorious resurrection, the first Easter, occurred that Sunday morning, the 7th day after the 34th year after His birth. Because of the vision of the brother of Jared (Mahonri Moriancumer), he knew the end from the beginning. The Jaredites constructed 4 ½ square mile earthworks mapping out the plan of salvation near Newark, Ohio. They made them so that the moon would align with the Divine ratio, 51.8 degrees—coming up at the time of his birth. At the time of His birth, the moon aligned perfectly with the line going through the millennial epoch and the celestial kingdom. These earthworks were refined by the Nephites, who knew the same.

Dr. John Lefgren, the historian, documents this nicely in a booklet he prepared. On the front cover of his booklet, he has an author’s conception of what the Jaredites constructed. The picture denotes the lunar rising moment of the birth of our Savior occurred at 6:29 P.M. Tuesday evening in Ohio. This was Wednesday morning on the 6th of April in Bethlehem, Judea. Bethlehem means the “House of Bread.” He is the Bread of Life for all of us.

English Word – Easter

The English word Easter, which parallels the German word Ostern, is of uncertain origin. It likely derives from the Christian designation of Easter week as in alibis, a Latin phrase that was understood as the plural of alba (“dawn”) and became eostarum in Old High German. The Latin and Greek Pascha (“Passover”) provide the root for Pâques, the French word for Easter.

Our son, Nathan, and I wrote a paper sharing that the Tropical year is 20.4 minutes shorter than the Sidereal year. The Tropical year is defined as the time from one Vernal Equinox to the next. The Sidereal year is the time it takes the Earth to go around the sun with respect to the celestial sphere. The celestial sphere is nominally the fixed stars. If anyone wants a copy of that paper, send me your email address. It is entitled: “Uncovering Unknown Long-term Periodicities and Variabilities in the Earth’s Spin Axis using Time-Domain Analysis Techniques.”

Christ – Center of our Lives

What is most important for us is to have Christ be the center of all that we do. As we lose our life for Him, we find it! He did and is doing the will of the Father perfectly. His angels are there for us to help us do the same in fulfillment of our divinely appointed missions. That is the path to the greatest happiness in this life and a fullness of joy in the life to come. THANK YOU, LORD, for Your infinite atonement. This year Easter Sunday should be on the 7th of April. The day after is the solar eclipse crossing over Missouri. With the two other eclipses this one completes an “A” (Alpha and Omega) over America. It crosses seven cities in the United States by the name of Nineveh. Is the Lord telling us that if we repent, we can be like Nineveh after Jonah reluctantly went and preached to them.

David W. Allan

Photo:  Christ Resurrection – CC Flicker

What is Your Mission?

Spirituality

Did you know that God sent you forth on Earth with a grand mission. Do you know what your mission is?  Everyone’s mission is different, and all are important. Our infinitely loving Father in Heaven provides angelic assistance. As we listen and obey the still small voice of the Spirit, we learn of our mission. We learn that we are helping his Kingdom come on Earth as it is in Heaven. We are helping the Kingdom on earth move toward heaven’s perfection.

In pre-mortal time our infinitely loving Heavenly Father gave us our life’s plan. We helped choose the plan that would best help us get back home to Him. We knew there that life’s challenges were growth opportunities, and surprisingly, we chose them. The Lord has asked us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” This request has far-reaching implications. The Kingdom of Heaven is perfectly organized to help us. The Lord’s angels are ever ready to respond to our prayers—ever respecting our free choice. As we reach out in humble-sincere prayer, they are there to help us fulfill our missions.

Jordan Peterson Fulfilling His Mission

On March 5th we went to listen to Jordan Peterson at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. I believe Jordan Peterson is doing a good job in fulfilling his mission. There were probably fifteen thousand people enthusiastically there to hear him speak.  Jordan’s wife introduced him, and her loving and enthusiastic spirit came through.  They shared a clip of how Jordan and his son have created this program to better help people communicate. It is called, “Essay.” Family is most important to Jordan–to be a good father and husband.

Jordan shared the story of Abraham and made a profound point about Abraham’s life. As Abraham trusted in God and looked up to Him in all he did, the amount of good coming from his life is beyond comprehension. His offspring are now a blessing to all nations. He left his father’s idols and wealth and followed God’s guidance. He was humble and kind and serving—opening his home to strangers. His life reminds me of the scripture in Alma that I paraphrase here: “Look to God and live your incredible-unfathomable missions.” (Alma 37:47)

He is about the truth and lives what he teaches. He has impacted for good a countless number of lives. Professor Christipher Kaczor has written a book, Jordan Peterson, God, and Christianity: The Search for a Meaningful Life: He discusses the “Jordan Peterson phenomenon.” Jordan is getting over a hundred million views on his YouTube videos. He has over a million followers. He is appealing to young people. Wherever he goes in any country, people come up to him and tell him how their lives have changed for the better. His philosophical biblical insights are profound and bringing people to God; to truth; to responsibility; to being intelligent contributors to a better world. He has several profound books. He takes his wife, Tammy, with him when he travels.

Different Talents and Gifts

Each of us is given different gifts, talents, and abilities. Our Creator made us to be creators. Magnifying those as we exercise faith in Him is our grand opportunity in our mortal journey. We will have joy in our journey and bear the fruit of love, service, creativity, and blessings to others. That joy is best magnified, as we lose our life for Him in unselfish service. Do what we do with an eye single to God. This is living the perfect and divine law of love. In the ideal ZION society, everyone will each use their time and their different talents optimized for the good of the whole. This society is coming, and the main motivation there will be the pure love of Christ.

As past major examples, Noah had never built an ark before. Nephi had never built a ship before. Instructed on high, they did what seemed impossible to those around them. As we trust in the Lord, miracles will happen, and we will see His loving hand in our lives. Our creative abilities will be amplified. As we pray, we tap into the Lord’s omniscience, helping us to do what may seem impossible. As we do our best, the Lord will do the rest. Faith in Him can literally move mountains. As we do His will rather than ours, we often see unexpected results and blessings beyond what we may have anticipated.

Comparing ourselves with others is fruitless. The Apostle Paul says it well:
“We must not be conceited, challenging one another to rivalry, or jealous of one another. If a man should do something wrong, my brothers, on a sudden impulse, you who are endowed with the Spirit must set him right again very gently. Look to yourself, each one of you: you may be tempted too. Help one another carry these heavy loads, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ. If a man imagines himself to be somebody, when he is nothing, he is deluding himself. Each man should examine his conduct for himself; then he can measure his achievements by comparing himself with himself and not with anyone else. For everyone has his proper burden to bear.” (New English Bible, Gal. 6:1-5)
All of us are nothing compared to God. But in Him, we can do all things good. As He asked, “But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you (Matt. 6:33).” In so doing, we are helping Him build His Kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven.

Prayers and Gratitude

We learned a very valuable lesson from our departed and dear friend, Rebecca Lee. She taught us that after saying her evening prayers, she goes to bed in a spirit of gratitude. She thinks of all those things she is grateful for. This peaceful mentality puts her mind in a receptive mode. Often, in the early morning hours, she would receive guidance. She would get up and write down whatever came to mind. The next morning, she would often be impressed with what the Lord had shared with her. We have a copy of her journal entries in that regard, and they are inspiring. Her love and fulfillment of her mortal mission are amazing to all who knew her.

I have made this a practice—going to bed in a spirit of gratitude. Many of the impressions I have received from the Lord have come in those early morning hours. As an example, recently, I was pondering about the importance of our intelligence. Over the next several days I received some wonderful insights. Therefore, I updated the following blog article to share what God taught me: The Glory of God is Intelligence.

The best thing we can do during our mortal missions is to use all dimensions of our Divine intelligence to choose to pattern our lives after the Son of Righteousness—Jesus the Christ. Elohim is Righteousness in all dimensions of infinite love, goodness, and all the characteristics of godliness. As C. S. Lewis aptly says, as we follow Christ, we become “Little Christs.” Jesus said, that as we lose our life for Him, we will find it. This means surrendering our will to the will of God. Living the perfect Law of Love is where the joy is. This path is the most fulfilling, because of God’s infinite love for each of us. It is the path to the greatest happiness here, and a fullness of joy in the eternities: eternal life. What is better than life with God?

Christianity Explodes

After Christ’s resurrection, Christianity exploded across the then-known world. Christians were greatly motivated to share with the world what they were enjoying in the peace and love of Christ. Still today, two thousand years later, there are more Christians than any other religion. The King James Bible has been printed ten times more than any other book—over two billion copies. It has done more good in the world than any other book. Jordan Pederson does a great job pointing out how important the Bible is. He shares how it is both a most valuable historical and religious document, but also a fundamental message of what life is all about.

Now there are thousands of Christian churches coming out of the great apostasy that occurred during the Dark Ages. In Zeno’s allegory of the olive tree, he described it as “all sorts of fruit did cumber the tree.” (Jacob 5:30) I find the Eastern Orthodox Church the closest to the original; they baptize by immersion and value the Bible greatly.

We see a fundamental need for the restoration of the original gospel and Church. How blessed we are to live in the Dispensation of the fullness of times (Eph. 1:10) as prophesied by Paul. And, to know that all things will be restored (Acts 3:19-21) before Christ comes again, as prophesied by the Apostle Peter.

 Impact of Christianity

Look at how Christianity has impacted music, art, science, mathematics, symbology, and glottology,  the list goes on. The greatest scientist in history is Sir Isaac Newton. In his testimony of the Bible, he says, “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 “No sciences are better attested than the religion of the Bible,”

During the Renaissance, all the early scientists were devout Christians. The Bible had more impact on the founding documents of the USA than any other book. With the invention of digital computers, fractal geometry was discovered: God’s beautiful mathematics was hidden therein. The Allan variance unveils spectral colors in noise. The Lord says all things testify of Him, and if we look, we see that is true. (Moses 6:63)

Messianic Jews

The number of Messianic Jews is increasing rapidly. There are now over 350,000. Most don’t realize that all who accept the Messiah (Jew or Gentile) will make it into the Millennium (Terrestrial Kingdom). All who reject the Messiah will be “cut-off from among the people” (JS-H 40) at His Coming. They will have to wait until after the millennium for their final judgment. They then will see God’s perfect plan and bow the knee in gratitude. Through the Lord’s infinite atonement, they will be placed where they will be the happiest. This is shown in the Newark, Ohio, earthworks mapping out the plan of salvation, and the perfection of God’s Plan.

In the infinite and perfect love our God, we will be where we will be the happiest in the eternities. Working to fulfill our life’s mission will bring us there. We will be judged by our thoughts, and words, and deeds.

The Blessings of the Lord

In the infinite love of God, there are degrees of glory. The blessings the Lord has in store for celestial folks are most inspiring. We cannot imagine a better plan. Their promises and great blessings are listed in Doctrine and Covenants 76:50-70 for the righteous. They are “made perfect” through Christ’s “perfect atonement.” In the End-Times, they are promised “the righteous need not fear, for they are those who shall not be confounded (1 Nephi 22:22). They are pure in heart and shall see God. Being of one mind and one heart, they will be in the ideal ZION society. They will be part of the Bride to meet the Bridegroom at His Coming. It is exciting to know we can be part of it.

David W. Allan

Photo:

Gold in LAND OF PROMISE Magazine

Spirituality, , ,

This issue alone of the magazine shares (Vol. 2, No. 5, Mch. 2024): The Tribe of Zebulun is in North America; The Book of Mormon cure for artificial intelligence having no soul—avoiding AI’s negative impact; 1,800 Adamic phrases validating the scriptures; and much, much more. You can order the magazine by calling (715) 962-1422. And you can order back issues, which are loaded with good information as well. The maps and picture quality of this magazine are awesome.

Ojibwe Native Americans are of the Tribe of Zebulun

On pages 44-47 of this issue of LAND OF PROMISE, Uncovering Ancient America, Wayne May shares that Brian Outinen contacted him to tell his story. Brian lives in Canada and is an Ojibwe Native American. In this issue, Brian shares his belief that they are of the Tribe of Zebulun. Their tradition is that they came from the East. They have maps telling their story. They came from the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland to the St. Lawrence River.

It is fascinating when you think of Brian’s story in conjunction with Jacob’s (Israel) blessing to his son Zebulun: “Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea, and he shall be for a haven of ships, and his border shall be unto Zidon.” (Genesis 49:13) The Ojibwe DNA ties to Israel as well. The Ojibwe language has significant similarities to Semitic languages. Their calendar is similar to the Enoch calendar.

Correlation does not provide validation, but the DNA tells us the story. Glottology (the history or science of language) also tells us the true story. This is fascinating information, Brother Wayne May. Thanks for sharing.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has no Soul.

Also, in this issue of LAND OF PROMISE, Uncovering Ancient America, Magazine, (Vol. 2, No. 5, Mar 2024) Jeff Downs opens with an article: “ARTIFICIAL Intelligence and the Very REAL Book of Mormon.” Brother Downs’, well-written article using no AI software, makes some extremely useful points. He tells of his son’s friend using his smartphone and AI to prepare his talk for church, which included a testimony. This he did in seconds. With no additional effort on his friend’s part, his friend read the whole talk from his smartphone. His soulless talk felt that way. It had no soul.

Life is a grand opportunity for growth without AI. Looking at what Joseph Smith accomplished in his short 38 ½ years is astounding. The Lord fully used Joseph Smith’s incredible mind with the help of the Urim and Thummim to perform the miraculous translation of the Book of Mormon. It is estimated that he did twenty words a minute over about 65 days from these ancient unknown languages. TOTALLY MIRACULOUS.

In the infinite love of our Lord, He has given us a virtual Urim and Thummim, as His angels are ever there to teach us His will (2 Nephi 32: 3-5). This virtual Urim and Thummim is much better than AI will ever be! But, we need to do our part of spiritual work and preparation. The Lord promises that as we do this spiritual WORK, we will hear the “still small voice (1 Kings 19:11-12).” Joseph taught us that faith is a principle of action. It takes effort to grow our faith. Just like being a concert pianist takes hours and years of practice. My personal joke is that I try to learn faster than I forget. Soulless AI can get in the way unless we use it wisely.

Mountains are Moved by Faith; not by AI

The Lord gave Immaculée Ilibagiza an amazing insight. She was hiding for her life in a tiny bathroom for 91 days with seven other ladies. She was struggling with her faith and praying to the Lord with a mighty heartfelt prayer. The Lord told her, “Mountains are moved with faith, Immaculée, but if faith were easy, all the mountains would be gone. Trust in me, and know that I will never leave you. Trust in me, and have no more fear. Trust in me, and I will save you. I shall put my cross upon the door, and they will not reach you. Trust in me, and you shall live.”

AI is Both Good and Bad

AI is both good and bad. It is an incredibly powerful tool. Now AI is being used by the global elite to take away our freedoms.  They are atheists and see AI becoming dominant over humans and would “be the next stage of evolution.” They miss who is really and lovingly in charge of the Universe. They are about “profit and power,” as Moroni prophesied (Ether 8:15-26). The quotes in this paragraph are taken from the 11 March 2024 Bloomberg Business Week telling of “Musk takes OpenAI to Court.” The trillionaires are fighting about who gets the most power and gain using AI.

On the good side, our son, Nathan, is a computer architect. He uses AI for those mundane but useful computer tasks that he can build upon in designing computation systems. For him, AI is a very powerful and efficient tool. I have a similar story when I went to work at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) in 1960. Digital computers were not available. We used analog computers back then. We designed a very effective and precise timing system using an analog computer. We then brought it into reality to generate time for the nation. and https://tf.nist.gov/general/pdf/180.pdf.

At the Bureau, we bought our first digital computer in 1968 for timekeeping—a PDP-8S with 5k of memory! The Lord inspired me to write the digital AT-1 timescale algorithm. It optimally combines the readings of an ensemble of atomic clocks and keeps time for the nation. During each measurement cycle, the algorithm asks the question of each clock regarding its performance. The algorithm then optimally adjusts the weight of each clock for generating time. With significant improvements by my outstanding colleagues, AT-1 is still being used today to help generate official time for the USA. It is effectively using AI-like optimization for the timekeeping output.

A very popular artificial intelligence (AI) software is ChatGPT. I asked our son, Nathan, to ask ChatGPT the following question: “What language did Joseph Smith translate the Book of Mormon from?” It gave us this very secular answer: “Joseph Smith reported that he translated the Book of Mormon from a language called ‘Reformed Egyptian’ by the use of seer stones or the Urim and Thummim, according to the accounts related to the origin of the book in the Latter Day Saint movement.” Clearly, AI has no soul and lacks important linguistic and spiritual sensitivity.

Regarding the same question, consider the soul and linguistic capabilities of the late Professor Felix Mijnhardt. He was an incredibly gifted linguist and God-fearing as well. He knew eighty languages! I would call him the most gifted glottologist that I have ever heard of. As a gifted linguist, he was asked to translate the Book of Mormon into Africans. When he got the book, he immediately recognized that it was translated from another language. He deduced that it was translated from ancient Eqyptian with Hebrew nouns added, and he knew that it was scripture. He taught linguistics at Pretoria University. He tried to get his university and his church to accept the Book of Mormon as scripture. He was a member of the Dutch Reformed Church; his outstanding ontological skills brought him to know the Book of Mormon was true. Not surprisingly, they both declined.

1,800 Scriptural Phrases tying back to the Language of Adam

Also, in this issue is my article, “Don’t Bypass, ‘And it came to pass.'” I thank Professor Felix Mijnhardt for leading me to this phrase. I began to study the occurrence of the phrase, “And it came to pass.” “And it came to pass,” occurs 1,523 times in the canon of LDS scriptures. When I looked at the distribution of this phrase over time and space, I deduced that it had its origin in the Adamic language. I further deduced that it tied to important historical events in God’s doings. To test this hypothesis, I decided to study the Jaredite record, since they didn’t have their language confounded. On average every other verse in the Jaredite record starts with “And it came to pass.” This clearly validated this hypothesis and the importance of this phrase.

Lee Nelson told me of the remarkable book, The Secret Doctrine of the Kabbalah; Recovering the Key to Hebraic Sacred Science by the late Professor Leonora Leet. She shows from this ancient sacred science that sounds, numeric (Gematria), and symbols all tie together.  The phrase “And it came to pass” ties to EL = God and significant past events. I had deduced that already as I looked at the distribution and use of the phrase “And it came to pass.” From the ancient Hebrew Kabbalah, she came to the same conclusion I had obtained from our LDS canon of scriptures. This was an exciting finding for me.

The phrase “And it came to pass” seems to have been lost in all modern English translations of the Bible. Seventy-six percent of the King James Bible is from the inspired translation by William Tyndale, and he preserves the phrase.

Furthermore, Professor Leet shows that the phrase “And it shall come to pass” ties to the most sacred name of God, Jehovah, and future events. “And it shall come to pass,” occurs 173 times in our LDS scriptures. When I learned this from Professor Leet, I excitedly went to our LDS scriptures and was delighted to see that all of them align with her model. Most all of them are relevant to the latter days and the Second Coming. The prophets using “and it shall come to pass” are Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Micah, Joel, Amos, Zachariah, Nephi, King Benjamin, Abinadi, Samuel the Lamanite, Jesus, Peter, Paul, Mormon, and Joseph Smith. These are – the prophets telling of the restoration in our day and the events leading up to the coming of Christ.

The most significant users of “And it shall come to Pass” are Isaiah(22), Jeremiah((7), Ezekiel(4), Hosea(3), Joel(2), Zachariah(6), Nephi(23), Abinadi(8), Jesus(7), Peter(2), Paul(1), Mormon(2), and Joseph Smith(25). They are all prophecies of our day and the Second Coming.

It is fascinating to see in the Book of Mormon, the Savior does not use the phrase “And it shall come to pass” while ministering to the Nephites (Chapters 11 – 19 of Third Nephi). But as soon as He starts prophesying of our day, (Chapters 20 onward) He uses it. We see that this perfectly aligns with Professor Leet’s model for the phrase.  All 32 Book of Mormon occurrences prophecy of our day and of the gathering of Israel – fitting her model, exactly. DIVINE DESIGN with 100% consistency. (We witness both inductive and deductive reasoning validating God’s word)

Interestingly, in the Book of Mormon, there are seven usages by the Savior of “And it shall come to pass,” as He prophesies of our day. Notice the inspired expanse of His usages of these 7 phrases.  Seven (7) is the number of perfection or completeness in God’s arithmetic.

1. 3 Nephi 20:20  And it shall come to pass… sword of my justice shall hang over… the Gentiles… except they repent;

2.  3 Nephi 20:21  And it shall come to pass that I will establish my people, O house of Israel;

3. 3 Nephi 20:23  And it shall come to pass that every soul who will not hear that prophet [I am he] shall be cut off from among the people; [Moroni gave this prophecy to Joseph Smith saying, “…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.”

4. 3 Nephi 20:30  And I will remember the covenant… gather them [to] Jerusalem… And it shall come to pass that… the fulness of my gospel shall be preached unto them;

5. 3 Nephi 21:19  And it shall come to pass that all lyings, and deceivings, and envyings, and strifes, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, shall be done away [Zion];

6. 3 Nephi 27:6    And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall bring forth unto you the words of a book… sealed… revelation… from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof.

7. 3 Nephi 27:16  And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world.

In 2015, as I was re-reading the Book of Mormon, I discovered a third phrase: “And now it came to pass.” “And now it came to pass,” occurs 104 times uniquely in the Book of Mormon. These three phrases reminded me of the Lord’s definition of truth: “And truth is a knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come (D&C 93:24).”

•       And now it came to pass                  corresponds with things as they are;
•       And it came to pass                            corresponds with things as they were; and
•       And it shall come to pass                 corresponds with things as they are to come.

You will be surprised, as was I, these 1,800 phrases are a direct finger-print of the Lord. They give scientific validation of the existence of the Adamic language. They indicate a hidden book of scriptures in our scriptures preparing us for the Great Day of the Lord. [See Chapter 6 of my new book, Time & Eternity, the End-Times & Beyond Revealed] These 1,800 data points validate the Bible as prophesied by Joseph in Egypt and by Nephi (2 Nephi 3:11; 1 Nephi 13:38-41). And these three phrases harmonize all of the scriptures. That they occur as they do without Divine design and guidance has a probability of zero. I know the Lord is in the details of our lives, as He is in Holy Writ.

I am so pleased that Brother May published my article on this critically important topic for our day. As wokeism takes the masses down empty roads, this information beautifully harmonizes science and religion. Don’t Bypass “And It Came To Pass”. I am also pleased that LDS Living picked up on this valuable information.

David W. Allan

Photo:  Approved – Wayne May

Love Your Enemies

Spirituality, , ,

We want to be children of our Heavenly Father in celestial realms of glory. This means we live the Divine Law of Love, which includes loving our enemies.

Michael Hart in his book, The Ranking of the Most (100) Influential Persons in History, found that most Christians do not love their enemies. So, Jesus was listed third in Hart’s ranking. His ranking is based on the person’s influence on the world community. Issac Newton and Mohammad were listed above Jesus. We know Hart’s ranking is wrong, because Jesus is the God, Jehovah, of the Old Testament. Jesus, clearly, should be first, because the Torah is the Law of Love, given to the world by Jehovah.

We are commanded to “Love Your Enemies”.  Matthew 5:43-48: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. ‘ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.”

Two Profound Examples of Loving Your Enemies

Louis Zamperini came to the Lord and immediately overcame his drunkenness and horrible nightmares. In learning the great importance of forgiveness, the Lord taught Louis to love his enemies. This totally changed Louis’s life.

Zamperini’s inspiring story is profoundly documented in Laura Hillenbrand’s bestselling book, Unbroken. The movie by the same title is both inspiring, unforgettable, and lifechanging. Louis may have been the first one to beat the record for the famous “four-minute mile” had it not been for WWII. Surviving 47 days in a life raft in the Pacific Ocean was a miracle. Then the beyond-comprehension cruelty he received in Japanese prisons caused him later to become an alcoholic and have horrible nightmares. His wife led him to a Billy Graham revival, and the Lord healed him.

During his conversion process, his mind went back to his time on the life raft. He had promised God, that if He would save his life, he would devote his life to God. The Lord then taught him how to forgive and to love his enemies. Louis spent the rest of his life in ministry work and had a great influence on a lot of people.

Immaculée Ilibagiza’s incredible story of how she learned to love her enemies is shared in her book, Left to Tell. Immaculée internalized the following three profound messages as part of her surviving the 1994 Rwandan Holocaust. She and seven other women hid for 91 days cramped in a bathroom of a local pastor’s home. They were hiding from those who would kill them. After learning these lessons, miracles occurred, and they were preserved against all odds while a million Rwandans were murdered.

Three Powerful Lessons for Living the Law of Love

1. Keep fear, doubt, hate, and worry out of your lives; these are Satan’s tools and are not of God.



2. Pray every waking moment; the power of prayer is beyond our comprehension. He is always there for us if we will but reach out to Him. Through Him, we have power over Satan and his minions. Through her fervent prayers, the loving Lord visited her.

3.  We need to forgive and love everyone – especially our enemies. The Lord will teach us, as we ask, how to love this intently. By loving her enemies and by forgiveness Immaculée gained power over her enemies. The power of love is greater than any other.

Book Report

I was so impressed with Immaculée Ilibagiza’s book, Left to Tell, that I wrote a book report:  Book Report.

I highly recommend you read her book or my report, because in the days you will need what your learn there. Truly loving your enemies gives you power over them. You can walk by them and their eyes will not see you. They will drop their weapons in light of that power. Repeatedly, Immaculée witnessed that kind of loving power, as she and her friends escaped the holocaust.

I Share some Highlights from my Book Report:

Her highly respected and very intelligent father, anticipating the holocaust, asked a pastor friend to hide Immaculée. All of Immaculée’s family were killed in the holocaust, except her brother who was attending a university outside the country.

The killers were pressuring the pastor: “Where are the Tutsis? You know what we’ll do if we find them. Where is she, Pastor? Where is Immaculée? This is the last place she was seen. Where are you hiding her?”

Immaculée shared, “My spirit tumbled back into the arms of fear and doubt, and I was even more frightened than I’d been the first time the killers came. Their voices clawed at my flesh, and I felt like I was lying on a bed of burning coals. A sweeping wave of pain engulfed my body, and a thousand invisible needles stabbed my flesh. Yet I tried again to pray: Dear God, forgive me for my lapse of faith… I trust in You, God… I know that You will save us. You are stronger than the evil in this house…”

“Oh, God, please! I screamed silently. Why do You want me to go through this? Why? What else can I do to show You my love? I want to believe that You will save us, God. How can I have more faith? I’m praying so hard, God, so hard… but they’re so close, and I’m so tired! Oh, God… I’m so tired.
I felt faint – consciousness slipped away from me until the killers’ thundering voices were only a soft, distant rumble.”

“Then I was sleeping… and dreaming a sweet dream of Jesus.
I floated like a feather above the other women. I saw them trembling below me on the floor, holding their Bibles on their heads, begging God for mercy. I looked up and saw Jesus hovering above me in a pool of golden light, and his arms were reaching toward me. I smiled, and the constant aches and pains that had become part of my body after weeks of crouching disappeared. There was no hunger, no thirst, and no fear – I was so peaceful… so happy.”

“Then Jesus spoke: ‘Mountains are moved with faith, Immaculée, but if faith were easy, all the mountains would be gone. Trust in me, and know that I will never leave you. Trust in me, and have no more fear. Trust in me, and I will save you. I shall put my cross upon the door, and they will not reach you. Trust in me, and you shall live.’”

Many Miracles

Many amazing miracles followed as she saved the other women and herself from the holocaust.

During the 91 days, the Pastor would feed them scraps of food to keep them alive. He did that in the early morning hours so that the Hutus would not get suspicious of them hiding there. The Lord prompted her to learn English. Immaculée asked the Pastor for a French-English dictionary and some English books for her to read. He did that for her, and she had them read before they got out – a miracle all by itself.

Her dedication and devotion to the Lord are most inspiring. She went from 115 to 65 pounds during the 91 days in hiding with gnawing hunger as her continual companion. She kept her focus on the Lord’s will and her desire to be faithful to Him. Now she is circling the globe, inspiring countless thousands – fluently speaking in English or French.

In His Love and Timing

In the Lord’s infinite love, in His timing, He turns every evil into good. This horrible Rwandan holocaust – cost over a million lives. But it opened the door for many more than a million Rwandan Tutsi refugees from the 1959 and 1973 genocides to return to Rwanda from around the world. And they brought their children, grandchildren, and all manner of new cultural heritage and strange languages with them.

Immaculée’s above messages will help us abide in the days ahead, if we will internalize these messages as she did.

As horrible as was the 1994 Rwandan genocide, good things are continually coming out of it. Immaculée has written more books. She is now circling the globe with her most inspiring message of loving your enemies and loving and trusting the Lord. She has her own website.  In 2007, she was the recipient of the Mahatma Gandhi Reconciliation and Peace Award. See also her Wikipedia information.

Be One With The Lord

Now, learning to love our enemies is essential if we desire to be ONE with the Lord. As horrible as the 1994 Rwandan holocaust was, much more dynamic will be the future cleansing of the earth. Before the Lord comes, the wicked will destroy the wicked, and great suffering will occur. This would not happen if people would repent and turn to God.

After it is over, we will know that He was with us through it all – like Immaculée. And we will see that it was all worth it. We will be caught up in the incredible joy and incompressible love in His presence. We will be privileged to be part of the love, peace, joy, and communion in that ideal society called Zion. As we move into the millennial epoch, we will enjoy His Divine leadership as He becomes our Lord of lords and our King of kings.

His presence will fill our souls with unspeakable love and joy.

May we learn from Immaculée’s lessons. Let us love the Lord with all our hearts, minds, strengths, and souls and our neighbors as ourselves. That love includes loving our enemies. Let us prepare for the great day of the Lord is my prayer. I know God loves you and is there for you. As we truly come unto Him, He will teach us how to love that intently and to love our enemies.

David W. Allan

Photo:  CC Flicker

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Summary

Spirituality

In summary, I share three aspects of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1.  Its origin and growth.  2. Highlights of its Plan of Salvation.  And 3. Recent significant events. This article has a lot more information than the one I wrote in 1990. I wrote that one for a comparative religion debate that year at the University of Colorado. I was asked to represent our church at that time.

Count Leo Tolstoi’s Prophetic Perspective

A perspective can be gained from the following interview, which occurred in 1892. Dr. Andrew D. White, former president of Cornell University, was at the time serving as U.S. Ambassador to Germany. Dr. White, a frequent visitor of Count Leo Tolstoi, related the following conversation.

“Dr. White,” said Count Tolstoi, “I wish you would tell me about your American religion.”

“We have no state church in America.” replied Dr. White.

“I know that, but what about your American religion?”

Patiently then Dr. White explained to the Count that in America there are many religions, and that each person is free to belong to the particular church in which he or she is interested.

To this Tolstoi impatiently replied: “I know all of this, but I want to know about the American religion, Catholicism originated in Rome; the Episcopal Church originated in England; the Lutheran Church in Germany, but the Church to which I refer originated in America and is commonly known as the Mormon Church. What can you tell me of the teaching of the Mormons?”

“Well,” said Dr. White, “I know very little concerning them…”

Then Count Leo Tolstoi, in his honest and stern, but lovable manner, rebuked the ambassador. “Dr. White, I am greatly surprised and disappointed that a man of your great learning and position should be so ignorant on this important subject. The Mormon people teach the American religion; their principles teach the people not only of heaven and its attendant glories but also how to live so that their social and economic relations with each other are placed on a sound basis. If the people follow the teachings of this Church, nothing can stop their progress — it will be limitless. There have been great movements started in the past, but they have died or been modified before they reached maturity. If Mormonism is able to endure, unmodified, until it reaches the third and fourth generation, it is destined to become the greatest power the world has ever known.”

Upon his return to the States, Dr. White purchased a set of the Church’s canonical works and placed them in the Cornell University Library. Harold Bloom in his book, The American Religion, shares that changes have occurred over time in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I will discuss that later.

Church Beginnings

Ironically, the Church had its beginning only some 60 miles north and west of Cornell near the little town of Palmyra. And it was only 72 years before this Tolstoi conversation,

In this vicinity in 1820, there was a significant religious revival. Joseph Smith, then in his 15th year was seeking to know which Church to join. In answer to his humble supplication, he was given a marvelous vision. Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ visited him. You can read his personal account in this link. In answer to his question, he was given an answer he did not expect.  He was told to join none of them. He was told that the Lord would use him to restore the fullness of the gospel and the Lord’s Church.

With this First Vision to Joseph Smith, the heavens were opened again, as anciently. There followed a series of angelic ministrations. Many glorious truths were revealed. The next major heavenly manifestation resulted in the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.

The Word “Mormon”

The word “Mormon” is the name of a prophet who was born about 311 a.d. in ancient America. He was commanded by the Lord to make an abridgment of his people’s history. He made his record on gold plates, which record covered the previous one thousand years. His prophet-son Moroni added significant contributions to the record. Moroni abridged the Jaredite record covering about 1700 years. The Jaredites were led by the Lord to America just after the confusion of tongues. In about 421 a.d. he buried the record in a stone box in the Hill Cumorah. The Hill Cumorah was close to Joseph’s home near Palmyra, New York.

In the year 1827, as an angelic minister, Moroni gave the gold plates to Joseph Smith to translate by the gift and power of God. He finished the translation of the abridged portion in Harmony, PA. Then the Lord instructed Joseph to go to Fayette, New York, where he was given a small set of unabridged gold plates. These plates were taken from a separate repository in the same Hill Cumorah. In Fayette, Joseph finished what we now have as the Book of Mormon. This included the abridged and unabridged portions. Both the translation and the printing were major miracles.

The Resurrected Lord came to America.

After the Savior’s crucifixion and resurrection in the old world, He descended out of heaven to the Nephites in the “Promised Land” of America. He gave the ancient Americans the same church and the fullness of the gospel, even as He had done in Judea. This fullness of the gospel is contained in the Book of Mormon. So, the Bible and the Book of Mormon stand as two witnesses of the divinity of Christ’s mission in both the eastern and western hemispheres. The most important event in human history, the Lord’s full infinite atonement is beautifully described in the Book of Mormon.

Book of Mormon Beginnings and Teachings

The beginning of the Book of Mormon tells of a people who in 600 B.C. came from Jerusalem to America. They were the descendants of the tribe of Joseph. Jacob (Israel) had given each of his twelve sons a blessing. In Joseph’s blessing, the Lord prophesied that the seed of Joseph would be given the Americas. “Joseph is a fruitful bough… whose branches run over the wall… unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills:” (Genesis 49:22-26)

The teachings of the Book of Mormon and the Bible are consistent and complementary with each other. Among many other truths, they state that the first principles and ordinances of the gospel are First, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Second, repentance, Third Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; Fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

1800 Adamic phrases

The Book of Mormon language led me by the Spirit to 1,800 phrases. These distributed phrases tie back to the language of Adam and Eve. The Prophet Nephi and Joseph in Egypt both prophesied that in the last days the Bible would come into disbelief. And, the Lord’s fingerprint is in these 1,800 phrases–giving validity to all of God’s word. That these phrases occur as they do could only be by Divine design. They are distributed both over time and space. They go from Adam to modern time. And they occur independently in both the eastern (in the Bible) and western hemispheres of the earth. The Jaredites didn’t have their language confounded and spoke the Adamic language. The Adamic phraseology is by far most prevalent in their record–the Book of Ether.

The cannon of scriptures added by the Prophet Joseph Smith to the Bible are profound. More than any other prophet, they cover more than four thousand years of the Earth’s history. And amazingly, their inspired histories cover both hemispheres of the Earth.

My write up about these 1,800 phrases is here: Don’t bypass and it came to pass. I am pleased that LDS Living picked up on this amazing and inspired information. The Lord has brought forth these modern scriptures to not only validate the Bible, but to help us prepare for His glorious Second Coming. How blessed we are to have them.

The Lord’s Church and His Resurrection

In 1830 Joseph was guided to organize the Church of Jesus Christ as it was anciently constituted. It was to be a church with Twelve Apostles and Prophets and with the same organization and teachings. The number of coverts to Christ’s ancient Church exploded following His glorious resurrection. He organized the same church when He came to America after his resurrection, and everyone joined. Because his disciples in America faithfully obeyed his teachings, they were able to create the ideal ZION society. They had two hundred years of peace. As Mormon abridged their history, he shared that, “…surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.” (4 Nephi 1:16)

As explained in the Book of Mormon, many righteous persons were resurrected following the Savior’s glorious resurrection. His infinite atonement overcame death and hell. So, all the righteous from Adam and Eve down to His resurrection were also resurrected.  This world-wide incredible event is little known (Matt. 27:52) and is clearly revealed in the pages of the Book of Mormon.

His resurrection is capstone to His infinite atonement and makes possible the resurrection of every human being. Because He is perfectly merciful and perfectly just, He also opened the prison doors in the spirit world. His three-day visit there gloriously included organizing missionary work there as well. We see that Heavenly Father’s perfect plan gives an opportunity for everyone to hear the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We believe the ancient Church went into apostasy. The Apostles were martyred, and the divine priesthood was lost. Apostate pagan teachings crept in. The Lord told Joseph Smith in his First Vision that, “the creeds were an abomination” in His sight. This is why there needed to be a restoration of His priesthood powers, of His Church, and of the true nature of the Godhead.

After the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized in 1830, the membership has also exploded. The true nature of God was restored; the fullness of the gospel was restored; the Church, as it was anciently, was restored; and priesthood powers were restored.

We Believe

We believe that all mankind are the literal spirit offspring of a loving Heavenly Father. (Ps 82:6; Acts 17:28-29) And we lived with Him in a pre-mortal existence even before this earth was created. Father laid out a plan of eternal progression and eternal happiness for each of us. His plan shared that we would come to earth and gain a physical body to house our spirit body. Here in mortality, we would gain earthly experience. And the Lord said to Abraham, “And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;” (Abraham 3:25). Living the Law of Love is the highest and most joyful commandment. In John 14 we learn that celestial obedience is equivalent to celestial love. (John 14:15, 21). Valiant faith in Jesus Christ opens the door to receive further blessings because of our infinitely loving Lord’s promises.

A veil was placed over our memory regarding our pre-mortal epoch so that faith could be operative here in mortality. As we heard the plan, we shouted for joy (Job 38:7) as we anticipated this growth opportunity. We fully knew that the trials, the pains, and the sufferings would be short compared to eternity. We saw that life’s challenges would give us experience. If we endured our trials well, we would be exalted on high. We saw that love, peace, and a fullness of joy were achievable goals. God’s love is the prime mover for His perfect plan of happiness. And it is our greatest opportunity here to learn to love as He loves. Christ-like love fulfills the whole law. (Matt. 22:36-40).

We further believe that those who die without hearing the fullness of the gospel in this life will have a chance to hear it in the spirit world (which is the place all of us go upon death). We believe that through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. The final judgment and resurrection will not come until everyone has had an opportunity to hear the fullness of the gospel.

Family is the Most Important Unit in Time and in Eternity

The importance of family was part of this great restoration of light and truth. The Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, the understanding of priesthood powers and the purpose of temples. With that came the focus on the importance of family. In contrast to the typical civil ceremony “until death do you part,” marriages are performed in the temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by priesthood power for time and eternity. We believe that family love transcends the grave, and a fullness of joy is the blessing of eternal life with loved ones and with Elohim.

The Word of Wisdom

In 1833 the Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith a remarkable health code. It is known as the Word of Wisdom. The Lord promised both physical and spiritual blessings for those who would follow it. It has affected my life greatly: “And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;” (D&C 89:18-21). I am the recipient of countless outpourings of the Spirit as a result of the Lord’s marvelous promise. And I have witnessed the same in the lives of countless associates.

Free Choice

Individual agency is fundamental to God’s plan to bless His children. The Lord respects our desires. We are accountable for our own sins and not for Adam’s transgression. Because of the atonement of Christ, we are freed from the bands of death, and all mankind will be resurrected. His atonement also provided that through faith in Him, we can overcome spiritual death. According to our faith and obedience, we will be rewarded one of three degrees of glory. These three are likened unto the sun (Celestial), the moon (Terrestrial), and the stars (Telestial). As one star differs from another star in glory, so also is the resurrection of the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:40-42; Doctrine and Covenants sections 76 and 88) Each person receives all the blessings he or she can stand to receive, because of God’s perfect mercy and justice.

Celestial glory with Heavenly Father and with our loved ones is the chosen goal for many. This we are assured as we live the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As mentioned before, this gospel includes faith in Jesus Christ, repentance from all our sins, participation in sacred gospel ordinances. Those who are faithful in Christ may enjoy temple ordinances, where we learn how to enter His presence. We then need to endure to the end. As the Apostle Paul shares, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17);” This is the path of joy as we live the Law of Love.

Choosing to follow Christ makes all the difference, as we are perfected by Him (Moroni 10:31-32). We believe in sharing the love, joy and peace the gospel brings. A large percentage of members – especially our young men and young women – voluntarily serve missions. They serve throughout the world – many of them at their own expense.

My wife and I had a wonderful experience serving a mission in West Africa (Cote d’Ivoire (1997-1999)). Learning French at age 61 was a challenge.

The prophetic nature of Tolstoi’s comments is seen in the graph below. The graph shows the growth of the Church from the time it was organized in 1830 up to the year 2,000. Around the year 2,000, worldly influences on the members of the Church has had significant impact on the growth. I’ll discuss that below.

In this graph, I plot four parameters. Notice, that the number of members correlates with the number of Book of Mormon languages. When the hearts of a language group are ready to receive the truth, then the Book of Mormon language is provided. 200 million copies of the Book of Mormon have been printed in 115 languages.

Decline in the Growth of the Church Membership

Satan, knowing the Lord’s Second Coming is close at hand, and knowing this is the Lord’s Church, has infiltrated the Lord’s Church. Fellow Christians are being persecuted by Satan and his minions as well. Young people are leaving Christianity because of the satanically driven woke movement. Satan’s influence on the members of the Church has caused the converts per thousand members to decline. That number went from 47.5 in 1981 down to 7.6 with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Now, we are seeing that number significantly turn around—going from 7.6 to 10 in 2021 and to 12.5 in 2022. The Lord is getting ready to bring forth the ideal society—the pure in heart–a ZION society, as described in the Book of Mormon.

The Lord is now gathering His children into the fold from all over the earth. Indeed, we are seeing the signs of the times, and it is exciting to be part of sharing this Message of Gladness. While Satan is spiraling the world down, the Lord’s work is spiraling up and there are glorious signs of the second coming. 

Summary

In summary, we see that the gospel plan as restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith is designed to bring great blessings to body, mind and spirit. And fullness of the gospel offers a fullness of joy in the world to come. The truths of the restoration are unique, in that it is the only plan that offers an equal opportunity for every human being to have eternal life. We see that the gospel message is indeed a message of gladness. It is not just for America but for the whole world. In its design, it has the potential to provide the ultimate righteous society. And it offers the greatest of all the gifts of God–the gift of Eternal Life. (Doctrine and Covenants 14:7)

We believe that this righteous society and the divine gifts are obtainable as we look to Christ. We build our foundation on the rock of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. We have the sure promise that as we do so, we shall not fall. (Helaman 5:12) As we come unto Him, He can and will bring us totally out of “Babylon,” wherein, we become “new creatures” in Christ (Mosiah 27:25-26). We seek to follow His perfect pattern to do the will of the Father in each of our personal missions. We desire to have you share in the fullness of joy promised by our infinitely loving Lord. And share this article with others as you feel to do so.

David W. Allan

PS    At the 1990 language debate at CU, I met the Rabbi, the Catholic Priest, and had a good conversation with them after. There were two Protestant ministers, also an atheist, who shared their beliefs. They gave each of us seven minutes to share our beliefs. They then opened it up to the students for questions, and that went on for three hours. It was a most interesting evening. After, the Catholic priest said to me, “May I ask you a question?” I said, “Certainly,” He said, “I understand that you believe that you can become a god?” I responded with a question, “Did the Savior say, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48) He said, “I have never thought of that scripture in that way.

Photo:  CC Flicker

Global Elite Censorship

Politics, ,

The global elite are rapidly eroding free speech. They censor what they don’t like. Using the internet and artificial intelligence (AI), they take down that contrary to their agenda.

Their agenda is global control. Along with The Military-Industrial Complex, they are the elite; we are the pawns. They look at us as cannon fodder for they are warmongers as well. They make massive amounts of money by promoting war–funding both sides of a conflict.

In the big picture, it is a battle between God and the devil, as most of them are atheists. We know who will win in the long-term, but exposing their tactics reduces their effectiveness now. Let us be Christ-centered, seek His wisdom, and do His will in going forward. Our fundamental goal is to bring as many as will to Christ and expose the devil’s nefarious ways. Mormon’s counsel is most profound here:

  •  For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night.
  • For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.
  • But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him. (Moroni 7:15-17)

Mike Benz seems to be the foremost expert on the censorship industry around the world. Benz does a great job exposing the global elite’s tactics for censorship on his website. Tucker Carlson was blown away by the many insights of Mike Benz when he interviewed him. Mike doesn’t share any religious perspective, which for me is important. Benz and Carlson’s interviews are below along with Benz’s website.

Individual sovereignty is a fundamental God-given attribute given each of us, and censorship of that is of the devil. Opposition is a necessary part of God’s perfect plan for our growth. The Prophet Lehi says it extremely well.

“For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things…  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 that 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.”   2 Nephi 2:11, 25-27)

So, we “are free,” as a great gift from God. And, the elite’s censorship is inspired of the devil. In contrast, the inspired USA Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights recognizes that great gift. The First Amendment gave us freedom of speech, which is rapidly being eroded by the strategies of the elite. They are using the internet and AI to censor our freedoms across the globe.

Michael Shellenberger was raised as a Mennonite, but then later became irreligious. However, while writing his book Apocalypse Never, he turned back to Christianity. He could see Christianity was the answer to the elite’s censorship of free speech. He has become a major fighter in exposing the censorship by the global elite. Links to some of his work are below as well.

Alma is a major prophet in the Book of Mormon. Brian Nettles shows that the epidemiology of the word Alma ties back to ancient Egyptian. And, Alma means “Stone of truth and justice.” www.BookofMormonHeartland.com Alma has this profound simple statement regarding life and censorship, “Look to God and live.” (Alma 37:47) We know further that as we treasure up His word, we will not be deceived. (JS-M 37; JS Matt. 24:30; JS Mark 13:26; in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. (2 Corinthians 13:1))

David W. Allan

Photo:  CC Wikimedia Commons

Links for more information:
Mike Benz Website
Tucker Carlson Interview with Mike Benz
Michael Shellenberger
Michael Shellenberger and Free Speech