I still remember as a kid going for that biggest of all Santa Rosa plums out in the plum thicket and finding that the branch I was on was not up to my weight. Gravity became my enemy and my radius and ulna the victims of my ill-conceived efforts.
After narrowly missing several silver dollar-sized plum tree stumps with my head and a fence post that would have impaled me, I jumped up and immediately felt the jolting pain in my left wrist as I told my little sister to shut up and quit howling with laughter over my mis-fortune. She had not seen that the bones were mis-aligned by about 1 inch. I had never seen a broken bone before and kept telling myself that it must just be sprained. I could not believe that such a misfortune could happen to me. I was smarter than that. I was more prepared than that. I had tried to follow all the basic rules of engagement in the tasty game of plum swatting. How could it have all gone wrong? The delta (distance) between what is coming (the stark reality of the near future) and what is in our minds, is the basis of cognitive dissonance. The coming to a realization of the awful state of our situation, so to speak.
Many a anti-Mormon have used this term derisively to describe the "deluded", "cultish" members of the Church, saying that we are not grounded in reality in our fantasies and wild beliefs. Of course, I turn that argument on their heads and begin to point out the folly of their thinking based on the prophecies that have come about and those that are aligning perfectly right now. Classic examples of "cognitive dissonance" the anti's have tried to use against us are things like "they never wrote on metal plates in ancient times", trying to make Joseph out for a story teller. That one was blown away rather quickly in the archealogical record. Then there was the "there were no elephants in the Americas" argument. Dismissed. Then the "there was no cement used in the Americas" argument. Dismissed handily. Each one of these false arguments being dismissed not by theory, but by FACT created within the community of naysayers, their own special cognitive dissonance - in that they would just move along to the next straw man that would later be disproved by the very science or illogical reasoning they were clinging to. These same folks often clinging to the fantastic theories thrown out there by Darwin and many other false prophets of this last dispensation. The whole time, NEVER once acknowledging the mounting pile of failed arguments strewn in the path of their journey (to hell). The very cognitive dissonant mindset that they accused the Saints of, they were themselves, of all people, guilty of. Thus the accuser, becomes the accused. The modus operandi of the devil himself - the grand poombah accuser - as he and countless million minions receive final judgment, accused by fact and by love to depart to their journey into outer darkness.
There is one form of CD that most members of the Church ARE guilty of. This is spoken of in the Book of Mormon wherein it decries the state of mind of the members of the Church who are asleep as to the awful state they have slid into by complacency and by lack of deep study and concern for our doctrine. I think this sums up many nay-sayers (trolls) on this blog. Those who, reading what has clearly been said, still deny that we are there or nearly there - and that the strident warnings of 2 Nephi 28-31 could apply to them (or us members of the Church). If they do come to the conclusion that it could apply to us as members of the Church, then quite likely, it would be some other generation. Or that Christ will come - but it will be at some other time and to some other group of people who have fallen to a much lower state of sin and depravity.
The greatest difficulty EVER is finding that you, yourself are the one guilty of a crime of some sort. We, almost at any cost, will maintain ourselves in a state of denial stating that it could never happen to me. Being the first one in my family to break a bone, though I was seventh of eight children, I found myself in a state of denial. "Not me!! I am too smart for that. I am too careful for that!!" Had the x-ray not proven it (and some of the shock having worn off), I might have still denied having gotten myself into that state to this day.
So, for those who are deluded into thinking that the events in Visions of Glory or so many other testimonies could never happen - I define for you, the state of mind you are in. For those who think it will be a cold day in hell before much of what is on this blog will come to pass (after the much testimony that has been dredged up and shared here), or before you will find your wife or your daughter or your sister joined to another man after their existing situations have come to a jolting halt due to circumstances (definitely not by choice), welcome to a world filled with CD.
The world we used to know is about to change drastically. For those who are awake, they will embrace this fact and will then have the mental and emotional wherewithal to at least make the transition with some form of grace and wisdom. Not kicking and screaming angry rhetoric at their God for having "abandoned" them.
I simply present the facts so that the landing into the new paradigm is a softer one than it otherwise might have been.
IRAQ.
I completely agree that we are on the brink of major things happening. But you need to understand that we have had a prophet actually address a congregation and tell them they would be alive when Christ returned. There is so much inconsistency that it isn't a wonder why so many people are confused. That is why one needs to be in a close relationship with Christ and deep study of scripture. That way the inspiring feelings of the spirit will come to you to warn you of the impending finish. And, you more then likely cannot get that in your regular old 3 block sessions on Sunday. Holy moly, that stuff is kindergarten. It is information that caters more to converts that need the basics. As a lifelong member you are responsible for your understanding of what is to come. That is why so many people just can't fathom the things they are hearing in books like Visions of Glory. When I read it it made complete and logical sense. When my sister read it she was extremely agitated and said it was a work of fiction backed by Satan. No offense to my sister, but when the full scope of your knowledge of the gospel is read your scriptures, pray, go to the temple, and have family home evening, what should we expect? The prophesies and revelations are yours to find. Just don't rely on Brother so and so in your ward, with his limited information, to guide you to the real meat of the gospel. That being said, we are all on our own journey and path of progression. Try to be kinder to the ones that are not so evolved just because their progression may be a bit slower.
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