THIS BLOG ATTEMPTS TO SHOW HOW SCIENCE IS CATCHING UP WITH REVEALED RELIGION

THIS BLOG IS AN ATTEMPT TO PUT ALL THE COOL STUFF THAT I BUMP INTO ABOUT THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST AND EVENTS THAT LEAD UP TO IT INTO ONE LOCATION.
THE CONTENTS WILL BE FROM AN LDS PERSPECTIVE. IF YOU DISAGREE WITH ANYTHING IN HERE, I DO NOT PARTICULARLY CARE TO ARGUE, UNLESS YOU CAN ADD TO THIS BODY OF WORK. I HAVE AN OPEN MIND, THAT IS WHY I READ STUFF FROM ALL DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND SEEK LEARNING FROM THE BEST BOOKS. I JUST AM NOT HERE TO ARGUE ABOUT IT - BUT TO PUT IT OUT THERE WHERE OTHERS CAN PERUSE/PURSUE IT. I TAKE PARTICULAR INTEREST IN HONEST SEEKERS OF TRUTH AND BELIEVE THAT SCIENCE IS REVEALED RELIGION'S BEST ALLY. YOU WILL SEE ALOT OF TOPICS IN THIS BLOG THAT SHOW SCIENCE BACKING - AND SLOWLY CATCHING UP WITH - REVEALED RELIGION.
ENJOY!!

Monday, October 21, 2024

A COHEN

 An amazing experience of God leading a wayward son home


https://www.facebook.com/notes/10159427620038538/


I just love stuff like this.  A fascinating story back to God's grace and presence.  We will be saved, one way or another - not by force, just force of circumstance:


My Most Requested Story

(revised on the First Day of Elul 5775 . . . 16 August 2015)

While I was working as a pharmacy technician in Sacramento, Bruce Cohen was a patient who tried my patience.


This hunched over man, with his fist clenched tight to his chest, was ornery, gruff and angry in almost all circumstances.  I learned that he had suffered a massive stroke in 1996 at the age of 36.  He had few words - possibly 100 - in his vocabulary.  He could no longer read or write - he has Aphasia.  He had been born and raised in Los Angeles to Jewish parents and was raised in a kosher home.  When Bruce was 15, his parents divorced and soon thereafter his mother died of lung cancer.  Bruce became a "juvenile delinquent" and his father gave him the option to join the military or go to "juvenile hall".  Bruce chose the Army.  While there he fell into addictive behaviors including alcoholism and drug use.


As a heavy user of "crank" (a low purity, crystallized Methamphetamine), Bruce suffered a hemorrhagic stroke and he lay in a coma for six months.  When he awoke he was paralyzed on the right side, could not speak and could not walk.   Most remarkably, he did not know who he was.

By the time I met Bruce in 2001, he was able to walk and talk again.  He was living alone in a low-rent apartment, working at Burger King and Toys 'R Us doing menial jobs.  He couldn't read or write, which limited his ability to function in society.  He rode a bus wherever he went and it is there that I saw him most frequently. 


In the beginning, I found Bruce to be annoying, aggravating and downright miserable to associate with.  After a few years I became more capable of tolerating him.  Occasionally, we would see each other on the bus and would acknowledge each other on the days Bruce remembered he knew me. I continued to respect his efforts to overcome the obstacles of living with the limitations of his handicaps but in all honestly, I would generally avoid interaction, as he frequently appeared to be angry and surly.


Over the next three years, I began to notice a softening and a kindness develop in him. I didn't try so hard to avoid him. He began to encourage me when he would see me in a depressed state of mind.

In the summer of 2004, I encountered Bruce at a bus stop and we talked as we waited for a very late bus. He shared that he was doing all right but was beginning to consider finding himself a wife to help him. Bruce had relinquished his financial affairs to SSA appointed administrators and they did not allow him many choices.


He said, "Dad said I should go back to the synagogue and meet people so I am. I'm trying to find a good Jewish wife who can help me with these things."


I chuckled and responded, "Seems we're in about the same boat. I'm looking for a good Mormon husband to help me with things!"


Shortly after that meeting - it seemed that Bruce was more frequently on my morning bus. When I was getting on the bus to head for work, he was getting off that same bus to go to his job.


One morning, as Bruce got off the bus, he handed me a yellow piece of paper on which he'd written his name and number. He beamed and said "That's my number" and he asked if I'd call him.


I took the paper . . . verging on the edge of confusion and consternation and stepped on the bus. I looked up to show my pass to the bus driver and turned to take my seat. My spiritual eyes were opened and for a brief moment . . .

. . . I was standing before an exalted or perfected Bruce Cohen . . . and his appearance was breathtakingly perfect. My gaze paused on his glory and it took me a moment to recognize that Bruce was standing at the right hand of God . . . and I was being told that Bruce was mine if I'd have him.

Though, perhaps the words were "take this man unto yourself".

When the vision closed, I took my seat . . . slumped in exhaustion yet exhilerated that I had received the choice of my Lord for the remainder of my existence . . . for eternity.

My mind was racing . . . as I quickly rehearsed all that could . . . should . . . and would come from this moment. The next step in the story was in my hands and I began to consider making the phone call that Bruce had requested.

When should I call? What would I say? If I said, "HI, this is Sharon" would he know who I was? How embarrasing that would be. I shouldn't call.


I couldn't.  I imagined the conversation and the difficulty he would have just trying to identify who was calling.  I knew of nothing I could say that would help him remember who I was. He never had learned my name. I'd never told him, he couldn't read my name badge and now years had passed. He was accustomed to living in a world of nameless friends and strangers.


I had learned that he could read numbers enough to place phone calls, find the right bus and even find addresses. So, I decided to slip him a note when we crossed paths at the bus stop again. I was in the process of addressing little children's Valentine cards to share with my office-mates. I took one of those juvenile cards and wrote a little note with my number on the back.


The next day, as he stepped from the bus, I gave him the Valentine's card.


His eyebrows raised, eyes wide open, his head dropped and he stared at it in his hand. He then looked at me completely bewildered and ashamed.


"I can't read", he said, seeming humiliated because he didn't know if that would be all right with me. I watched fear, hope, despair and anticipation cross his face in milliseconds.


"I know."  I responded with a smirk on my lips and a twinkle in my eyes. "But you CAN read numbers. That's mine.  You call me!"


Two days later, he did and, after identifying himself, got straight to the point.


"You're a church lady, aren't you?"


Bruce's question was charming.


"If you mean am I a Christian?  Yes, I'm a Christian.  Why?"


"Well.  My mom came to me in a dream.  She's dead, you know.  She died in 1975.  My mom told me to ask you about your church.  She said your church has what our family needs to be saved.  Do you know what she's talking about?"


Of course, I did!  As a Mormon, I believe that church members can offer the blessings of salvation to deceased ancestors by performing the necessary ordinances vicariously.  I had done the work for ancestors myself but I had never personally had anyone visit from beyond the veil to request that their work be done.  Fortunately, the magnificence of the question did not render me speechless.


We talked for hours, sharing about ourselves. He talked of his commitment to Alcoholics Anonymous, the twelve step program, and The Big Book. He explained what he had done for the 'steps' that required repentance and restitution. He spoke of his commitment to progress, to service and of his devotion to God, and to prayer. He had spent seven years focusing his energies on self improvement, much of it in response to his personal conversations with God.

He became curious about my commitment to the gospel, to repentance, to progress, and to my hopes for eternal exaltation. I was engrossed in a personal improvement program and it monopolized the description of myself. What I was saying was so familiar to him. He could remember learning similar things in AA. His curiosity grew to the extent that he accepted my invitation to meet the Mormon missionaries.

He agreed that they could come to his apartment if I would join them to act as translator.  When the elders arrived they began the first discussion with a question.


"So, Bruce. Tell us what you know about God. Who is He?"

And Bruce, the Jew, responded, "Oh - that's easy. He's the guy with the holes in his hands."


It was obvious by the way that he spoke that he had actually "met" God or conversed with Him. He had seen the Holes in His hands.


When we asked what he knew of the "guy with holes in His hands", he told us that He was the only man who could understand him when he woke up from the coma - He was the only guy Bruce could understand, too.  Bruce shared that when he did as the "Guy with holes in His hands" told him, "everything worked out right".  But, when Bruce did what Bruce wanted to do, it all went wrong.

Bruce shared more of the story like this:

 

When I had my stroke, I had to start going to places for school. And as I was walking to go to school I had to turn around because I thought somebody was talking to me and there was nobody there.

 

And I turned around and I started walking back to Easter Seals in the area where I was at and again ... it happened again. And I had to turn around and I tried to find out who it was that was talking to me. And I didn't know who it was.

 

And then as I was walking further to Easter Seals, all of a sudden God smacked me in my head and said "This is God, Bruce. Pay Attention" and He helped me to understand.


Bruce shared that he learned to pray at AA. He did as he was asked and prayed frequently. He discovered that he could hear answers to his every question whenever he "shut up and listened". When Bruce speaks, people usually have a difficult time understanding him. He has aphasia. But he was always understood when he prayed. He learned to trust the answers. He knew that he was talking to God and he knew that God was answering. He knew what God wanted him to do and he was doing the best he could.


Everything developed quickly from there. Within six weeks of giving me that little yellow piece of paper - with his name and number - he was baptized on March 26, 2005. On March 27th, Easter Sunday, he was confirmed and ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. More importantly, that same day, Bruce proposed marriage. On April 15th, 2005 we were married.




In 2011, Bruce came to me as I arrived home and told me that God had told him we had to move to Nauvoo.


I blurted out.  "Do you even know where Nauvoo is?" 


It was a reasonable question as Bruce is not able to read anything about church history, had never left California and had little comprehension of American geography. 


"No.  But God says we have to go there."


He prayed for a timetable and God gave us five months to organize ourselves and move to Nauvoo.  With the help of incredible people in and out of the church and all around the globe, the way was paid, a job and a home secured.  We arrived in Nauvoo in May of 2011. 

Monday, October 14, 2024

THE NEW JERUSALEM SCROLL

 One of the ancient writings discovered with the Dead Sea Scrolls is the New Jerusalem Scroll. A prophecy written on the manuscript is a description of a city. A researcher named J. J. Brown has pointed out that it seems to be describing Salt Lake City.  The ancient writing describes a place called the New Jerusalem that would be built in a later date. This is a translation of the text:


"The city itself was divided into square blocks like a checkerboard. Each block was surrounded by a spacious street, and the city as a whole was divided by larger streets, three passing from east to west, and two passing from north to south."


It goes on to say the city was laid out according to the compass. It also describes how the streets begin at a temple and specifically a street to the north named after it. It even mentions the large sidewalks.  In the scrolls it pdescribes a city of 18.67 miles by 13.33 miles. This is much too big to be any ancient city. It describes a large area that is oblong. The land set aside for Salt Lake was quite large right from the beginning.


Brown measured the size of Salt Lake using Google Earth. He found the length measured at 18.72 and the width at 13.36 miles. These are within 0.05 off from the size written in the New Jerusalem Scroll. Here is a link to the presentation of his findings.  I am not claiming that SLC is the New Jerusalem.  But, patterned after the New Jerusalem?  Isn't it amazing how inspired the Prophet Brigham Young was (in the which I believe he had gone over the plans for this city with Joseph Smith before his martydom)?  By their fruits ye shall know them.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFT1pE_6eY0


Enjoy!!

Saturday, October 12, 2024

ZION!!!!



Tonight I want to cover Zion, Enoch’s Zion, and its return and the Sign of the coming of The Son of Man. Or the sign of Christ’s return. Now the reason for my covering this particular subject is there are many misconceptions around this subject. One is that when Enoch’s Zion was taken up that earth and buidling were taken up with it. I will show that there is zero scriptural base or prophetic base to back it up. One man said Joseph Smith told him that Zion would return as the sign of the coming of the Son of Man and that it was a swath of land that was taken. I will show with scriptures and prophetic quotes that this is incorrect. I will quote Joseph Smith himself as well as others. First there is zero evidence, apart from this one man to support the theory that land, brick and mortar, was taken versus just the people. First I will show that the Sign of the Coming  of the Son of Man  is the The Second Coming itself. First we will start with Joseph Smith in the book Teachings of The Prophet Joseph Smith compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith the bottom of page 286- 287. “ There will be wars and rumors of wars, signs in the heavens above and on the earth beneath, the son turned into darkness and the moon to blood, earthquakes in divers places, the seas heaving beyond their bounds; then will appear one grand sign of the Son of Man in heaven. But what will the world do? They will say it is a planet, a comet, ect. But The Son of Man WILL COME AS THE SIGN of the coming of the Son of Man, which will be as the light of the morning cometh out of the east. ( April, 6 1843) caps added. 


So what did Joseph Smith say, well he said the sign of the coming of the Son of Man is his actual coming. Not the City Of Zion Coming but Christ’s official coming. Now we can reiterate this was some scripture from the Bible and D&C.

I will start with Mathew 24:30


30 And then shall appear the "sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.


So we read here the sign of the Son of Man in heaven is us seeing the Son of Man coming in the coulds of Heaven with power and glory. Says nothing about a city. To reiterate what this verse means if you pull it up and hit the word sign it takes you to D&C 88:93 

And immediately there shall appear a great sign in the heaven, and all people shall see it together. 


So we are talking about the same sign. It cross references tropical guide The Second Coming. No reference point to a city returning. Now cross reference D&C 88:93 word “great sign.” That takes you to Mathew 24:30 of course and Luke 21: 25-27


25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;


26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.


27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.


Which again talks about the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and glory. Again no mention of a city. Zip, zilch, nada. 


In verse 27 of the above scripture hit the word cloud and it takes you to Daniel 7:13


13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.


Again talking about a coming of Christ. Although here he comes to the Ancient of Days. This is talking about Adam-Ondi-Ahman and his appearance there. Again no city.


It also takes you to D&C 34:7


7 For behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, the time is soon at hand that I shall come in a cloud with power and great glory.


And again the Coming of Christ himself. No mention of a city. So we have all these scriptures talking about the sign and all cross reference to The Second Coming except one that talks about his appearing to Adam at Adam-Ondi-Ahman. Not a single mention of a city. 


So now let us talk about the scriptures that cover Enoch’s people being taken up. You may be surprised that there is actually very little mention of Enoch in the book of Gensis Chapter 5: 21-24


21 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:


22 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:


23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:


24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.


Which just talks about Enoch’s righteousness and that Enoch was taken up. Zero mention of a city at all here. So I hit Enoch and cross referenced to the book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price 6:21-68 zero mention of them even being taken up. So moving forward to Chapter 7:18


18 And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.


So in this verse it says the Lord called his people Zion. Yes, the city was called Zion as well but here he makes a point to call the people Zion.


Moving forward to verse 21


21 And it came to pass that the Lord showed unto Enoch all the inhabitants of the earth; and he beheld, and lo, Zion, in process of time, was taken up into heaven. And the Lord said unto Enoch: Behold mine abode forever.


Zion is taken up, note it doesn’t say city it says Zion. And we see from the other verse the Lord referred to the people as Zion. So no real evidence of a swath of land being carved out and taken up. 


We also have D&C 38:4


4 I am the same which have taken the Zion of Enoch into mine own bosom; and verily, I say, even as many as have believed in my name, for I am Christ, and in mine own name, by the virtue of the blood which I have spilt, have I pleaded before the Father for them.


Interesting wording here, The Zion of Enoch, he doesn’t call it a city. Interesting.


Then Moses 7 68-69


68 And all the days of Zion, in the days of Enoch, were three hundred and sixty-five years.


69 And Enoch and all his people walked with God, and he dwelt in the midst of Zion; and it came to pass that Zion was not, for God received it up into his own bosom; and from thence went forth the saying, Zion is Fled.


Interesting wording here, we know God called the people Zion, this says Zion was not for God took it up. But he didn’t even call it a city. He said Zion was fled. Sort of like the people just up and left.


So in all these scriptures we get no idea that an actual city was taken up. Let’s see what some Apostles have said on the subject.

James E Talmage 


“of course you are at liberty to believe that the removal of Enoch and his city from the earth because of the righteousness of the people meant the taking away of an actual piece or block of the rocky earth upon which the city stood;


but I find nothing in Scripture to warrant any such assumption. I understand that Enoch and his city as an expression means Enoch and his people.”


Bruce R McConkie


Please note: Zion is people; Zion is the saints of God; Zion is those who have been baptized; Zion is those who have received the Holy Ghost; Zion is those who keep the commandments; Zion is the righteous; or in other words, as our revelation recites: “This is Zion-the pure in heart.” (D&C 97:21) (Elder Bruce R. McConkie, Ensign, May 1977, 115-18)


So people not buildings.


Also McConkie


The righteous people described in Moses 7:27 were translated and “caught up” to join those in the city of Zion. Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wrote:


“After those in the City of Holiness were translated and taken up into heaven without tasting death, so that Zion as a people and a congregation had fled from the battle-scarred surface of the earth, the Lord sought others among men who would serve him. From the days of Enoch to the flood, new converts and true believers, except those needed to carry out the Lord’s purposes among mortals, were translated” (The Millennial Messiah: The Second Coming of the Son of Man‍ [1982], 284).


“After the Lord’s people were translated —for it was people who were caught up into heaven, not brick and mortar and stone, for there are better homes already in heaven than men can build on earth —after these righteous saints went to dwell beyond the veil, others, being converted and desiring righteousness, looked for a city which hath foundation, whose builder and maker is God, and they too “were caught up by the powers of heaven into Zion.” (Moses 7:27.)” Bruce R. McConkie, Come: Let Israel Build Zion, April 1977


 

So Zion as a people and a congregation fled the surface of the earth. No mention of land or buildings. 


So we have zero scripture references to actual land, or brick and mortar being taken up. We have two Apostles saying people not land not buildings. One says there is zero scriptural evidence that actual land was taken. I feel I have established the points that the Sign of the Coming of the Son of Man is The Coming of The Son of Man himself. As well as there will be no swath of earth returning to earth but a congregation of Saints. So the Sign cannot be an actual swath of land zooming through space as a massive sign of the Second Coming. Do with the info what you will.

Monday, October 7, 2024

Tuesday, October 1, 2024

PREPAREDNESS - GREAT COUNSEL

 This is the kind of stuff that folks in the hurricane zone probably could be in need of.  As Israel invades Lebanon, and we get embroiled in the whole Russia thing, I can only say that time is short.  Something has to give pretty soon.  I have been following this guy for years and he is completely legit:

https://youtube.com/shorts/dh7G3eyJUmc?si=pFr1D9JzN8v1WFps

Act accordingly.