Here was a thoughtful comment by a regular reader, Big Matt:
So will you go away also? There are so many people that are loosing their faith. Why? Could it be a modern day Kirtland safety society? I can tell this vaccine has really gotten under your skin. Pun intended…. I have read almost all of your posts and i was afraid you might some day join the likes of Julie Row, Hector Sosa Chad Daybell, Denver Snuffer. The slide is always slight at first and then it intensifies. I recommend reading some church history especially what some of the apostates have said. “Joseph is now a fallen prophet” replace Joseph with Russel M Nelson and fast forward a few years and here we are. Will you go away also?
The answer to that is heck no! I have two friends who have been Bishops. Both are slip-slidin away. One has completely gone off the cliff and no longer believes even in a God. The thing that took him down was the lack of ability to even vent when his oldest daughter decided she is a bi-sexual (how do you decide that if you are chaste and a teen??!?? Maybe I am just naive....). The wife who I always knew as very straight-laced, decided to follow the daughter. The hubby decided to follow the wife. The other is dangerously close to the precipice - but I feel he will be okay. He is as frustrated as I am with those who appear a little too chummy with Babylon and he is openly critical of President Nelson. He is also very Snufferesque in his beliefs about Brigham Young, but fiercely loyal to the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon (core beliefs).
Fact is this: people will let you down. We are all mere mortals. No matter how you slice it or dice it, there will be mortal failings. The secret is to not let it affect you negatively. Please do not let anything on this blog affect you negatively. I am likely wrong in my musings - though I really hate it when I am wrong. My disclaimer is - and it always will be - take nothing I say at face value and find out for yourself. I am an authority of nothing. A few things I honestly can say and that is that God, through ministrants/angels/HG and otherwise, is intimately associated in the details of our lives. He is a God of love. I found that out with a surety in losing our child to SIDS. God has an intimate dealing with His chosen people the House of Israel. They have been carefully shepherded to where they are today. The things that have occurred historically with them is beyond question, the most amazing story. We are on a collision course with destiny with His Son, Jesus Christ coming to rescue a beleaguered people who will go through terrible trials in order to be perfected of Him. We are headed towards Millennial glory, that will arrive after the entire earth has gone into commotion. I can feel it. I think we all can feel it.
All other details, are just the details. They do not really matter in the bigger picture. People tend to get lost in the details of life. My Bishop friend who is struggling with polygamy is caught up on details about one statement by one person 150 years ago, etc. The secret is to maintain a macro view of it all. In the bigger picture, does it really matter? No, probably not. So don't sweat it, is always my response. That is what got me past the statement by President Hinckley when he threw plural marriage under the bus on a 60 mins interview. A definite lapse that did not lead to many being under condemnation (of physical or spiritual death). This jab is different, as it attacks on both of those fronts. It is pivotal both spiritually and also physically. Time will tell.
But I will never let it affect my testimony of the truth. I see it as a mortal making a bad decision - one that I refuse to be a part of. One that could also come off as benign in just about any other scenario. So, hang in there Big Matt! I do not expect you will see me go full Snuffer or Daybell. I never liked beach weddings anyway - and I don't have any good places to put the bodies, even if I did!
Isaiah was clear. The apostles and prophet at the time of the abomination of desolation would not be following God's will. They have to call a solemn assembly to get back on track. That happens after 90 percent of the population in North America is eliminated. So this gentleman has a way to go to get past ever learning and never able to come to a understanding of the truth. We are in the greatest apostasy to date.
ReplyDeletei agree with iraq. you cant say anything unless it tows the churches line. i have a problem with the church cozening up to the naacp, that organization is extremely racists. how close can the church get to Babylon before God gives it a smack down, Christ never joined the sadducees or the pharisees to become popular so he could convert more people, this is not a good situation
ReplyDeleteCan someone show or help me find the quote, (paraphrasing here) “and in my house it (meaning a cleansing) will begin first.” I tried to look it up but my efforts were futile. Where is that quote? Is it just something that I have heard so many times, it has become a truth? I have learned so much lately about “trusting in the arm of flesh”, and to recognize what that term truly means and to be more aware of not leaning on leaders to the point of blindly following. Never realized how much I did until after reading this blog and started finding out my own answers for things that the leadership has taken upon themselves that are contrary to my promptings for myself and my family. (Especially like “the shot”.) Noting that in doctrine and in covenants that have been established by the Lord or in His name I do not have problems with accepting.
ReplyDeleteThis learning, has definitely given some growing pains and much reflection with lots of prayers and I am grateful for the experience.
Back to the subject, if a cleansing is going to happen in the church before it spreads out to the nations...wouldn’t there be a reason for it? Are we headed or in that direction? And how close are we?
Finally, I believe that the Lord does everything for a reason and purpose. Thank you Iraq for doing this blog and the introspection that it has illuminated.
D&C 112:24-26
DeleteCan someone show or help me find the quote, (paraphrasing here) “and in my house it (meaning a cleansing) will begin first.” I tried to look it up but my efforts were futile. Where is that quote? Is it just something that I have heard so many times, it has become a truth? I have learned so much lately about “trusting in the arm of flesh”, and to recognize what that term truly means and to be more aware of not leaning on leaders to the point of blindly following. Never realized how much I did until after reading this blog and started finding out my own answers for things that the leadership has taken upon themselves that are contrary to my promptings for myself and my family. (Especially like “the shot”.) Noting that in doctrine and in covenants that have been established by the Lord or in His name I do not have problems with accepting.
ReplyDeleteThis learning, has definitely given some growing pains and much reflection with lots of prayers and I am grateful for the experience.
Back to the subject, if a cleansing is going to happen in the church before it spreads out to the nations...wouldn’t there be a reason for it? Are we headed or in that direction? And how close are we?
Finally, I believe that the Lord does everything for a reason and purpose. Thank you Iraq for doing this blog and the introspection that it has illuminated.
One of the hardest things to wrap your mind around is Jesus Christ is the God of war. He kills people by famine, wipes out entire civilizations through war, kills all the people of the earth by a great flood. Destroys entire cities by earth quake. He is not what people think he is. Most people see a rosie picture, however, if you actually read the D & C it should scare the crap out of you. The first time I read the Miracle of Forgiveness, I thought to myself, this doctrine is so foreign to what is taught in church. The great awakening happens after it is too late. The trap is set and people will be caught in a snare that God set. Think about that, if you have spent any time in the B of M you know what I mean. Nephi's parting words were 'And I MUST OBEY'. But I digress, sadly all is well in Zion, YEA Zion prospers.
ReplyDeleteHey Guy! Here is a very interesting article concerning some of the things you've talked about in the past concerning the temple closures - which, by the way, I completely agree with you.
ReplyDeletehttps://doctrinalessays.com/the-temple-is-defiled/
Doctrine and covenants 112:23-26
ReplyDeletewhen reading don't try to say what every other blinded LDS person does, ie. (oh he must be talking about the earlier saints, or the prophet will warn us first of anything bad like this to happen, barf.)
23 Verily, verily, I say unto you, darkness covereth the earth, and gross darkness the minds of the people, and all flesh has become corrupt before my face.
24 Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord.
25 And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord;
26 First among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord.
Isaiah reinforces the words and meaning of these versus. If you read Isaiah seeking to learn and prayerfully, you cannot miss this. If you have read the Book of Mormon, Nephi, Moroni, Samual the Lamanite, and our Savior himself, Jesus Christ lauds Isaiah's words. Jesus says, "Study the words of Isaiah, for great are the words of Isaiah." And he says to do that is a commandment he gives unto us. We are commanded by the son of God to study the words of Isaiah. And who has challenged us to read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover specifically? President Hinckley challenged us to read it by a specific date, so did President Monson, and President Nelson asked us sisters read it by a certain date as well. We really have no excuses. The first time I read Isaiah beginning to end, I used only my interpretation and the footnotes in the scriptures. Wow! As limited as my understanding was, I got a lot out of it.
DeleteThere are other helps you can buy, but the one so far that has helped me the most (and is free)is someone who was a convert to the Jewish faith and learned their history, geography, and the manner of the Jews. Then he was converted to Jesus Christ as he learned about the doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Translation from direct Hebrew to English has personally helped me to understand a little more than the King James translation, although that first time I read the Spirit taught me so much for being as ignorant as I was.
I feel Isaiah is like a code, and I am trying to unlock it....
I'm so glad you are staying around. I really like your blog even when I believe it might be a little off. You come up with some stuff that is really hard to find. There is plenty that I take issue with about our current church leadership but there is a bunch that I just don't know. When I can't fully reconcile stuff like the vaccine I just take a pause. I don't feel like I have to take the vaccine and more than likely I probably wont die from this pandemic anyway according to the CDC because I'm 55 I have about a 2% chance of kicking the bucket. If I die its probably just my time to go... good riddance Sleepy Joe would be your problem. I have advised all of my kids, some who will eventually serve missions to not get the vaccine. If that disqualifies them that is fine they can still serve in so many other capacities and possibly do more good. There is no point for anyone under the age of 35 to get this vaccine. It just doesn't kill very many people in that age group so why even go there. If that disqualifies one from serving a mission so be it. At least they can still make babies which is 'THE MISSION' as I can see it.
ReplyDeleteAs for the NAACP stuff and United N*** College Fund that the church has donated money to, boy that bugs me... a lot! I would be against the church donating money to United white boys college fund. There is just no good reason to segregate any funds to any specific race of people. Alas is the church going woke? Now that bugs me and there are other church policies that bug me. I still think the doctrine is sound. Even though my opinion differs from the leadership I'm not going anywhere until the doctrine takes big left turn I hope I never see that day.
-Big Matt
To me church and gospel have never been the same, although they overlap or intersect. I view the scaffold as a temporary structure (some like a vehicle analogy) for the purpose of building the Kingdom of God on earth and that is the good news or the gosple. Eventually the scaffolding will have served its purpose and it will be just the kingdom of God which will have been built by the scaffolding. To me gospel does not equal church.
DeleteWhatever happened to Hector Sosa? Has he really gone off the deep end, too?
ReplyDeleteI hear (and read) people talking about feeling like the church leaders are trying to stay in with the world too much. I have thought about it and I wonder if by doing it the way they are doing it they are (and will) have more of a chance of bringing people to Christ. I think there will probably come a day when they will do things differently but for now maybe more people might be willing to listen to our message with the leadership doing things the way they are. I don't have all the answers but I think someday we will see a reason for all of this.
ReplyDelete