OBEDIENCE - THE FIRST LAW OF HEAVEN

This is a talk by a woman who I have gotten to know thru the blog - and who is an amazing gem.  I have kidded with her that I will use the blog to find her a worthy man, if my end of 2016 predictions fizzled and I had to turn this thing into a "dating service for 'end-of-the-world' freaks" that need to find other people who know how to shoot, can veggies, dry some meat on bug netting in the sun and otherwise be do-it-yerself Macguyvers..... 

Well, I am not quite ready to throw the proverbial towel in on this blog and remake it into a Mormon Meetup site, as we are still having a fabulous year in terms of doom and political intrigue.  But I will pass along your information to her, if you are in a dating mode.  No creepers....lol    Just leave a comment with your info (I will not publish) and I can pass it along.  She comes from incredible stock whose pioneer stories I have published on this blog - so I can guarantee a good outcome in any kids that may result from my match-making efforts.  Her uncle was my wife's Stake President when we were dating and I met him years ago at our reception 25 years ago.

Here is her talk.  I really liked the dam spillway analogy; appealed to my inner engineer:

OBEDIENCE BRINGS BLESSINGS

 

For those of you who don't know me, it's because I'm currently serving the young women.  For those who do know me, you know I'm that crazy lady that lives on the corner of Spencer and Nielson.  I'm usually pretty happy.  And the reason I love life so much - even with the ups and downs - is that I find I am so richly blessed.

 

Doctrine & Covenants 130:21 reads, "And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated," or in other words it is by obedience to that law upon which it is based on.

 

Preach My Gospel says this about the Christlike attribute of Obedience:

 

"Obedience is the first law of heaven.  It is an act of faith.  You may sometimes be required to do things you do not completely understand.  As you obey, you increase in faith, knowledge, wisdom, testimony, protection, and freedom."  That's pretty amazing that from doing one thing - obeying - we receive 6 blessings of increased faith, knowledge, wisdom, testimony, protection and freedom. 

 

President Monson said this, "when we keep the commandments, our lives will be happier, more fulfilling, and less complicated.  Our challenges and problems will be easier to bear and we will receive [God's] promised blessings."

 

I think my first experience with obedience was learned in the home.  I learned that when I did as my parents asked, they were a lot happier.  I also learned that when they asked me to do something, they didn't mean in a few minutes, or when I was ready, it was right now.  It's that Nephi - I will go and do attitude.  And to be honest that takes awhile to really figure out.  Even now I sometimes struggle with obeying the Lord or the Spirit immediately.

 

When I first heard about the Dam in Oroville, California, my interest was piqued because of the danger of flooding thousands of residents.  And of course when I think of flooding my mind casts back to the flooding we had in our own neighborhood a few years ago.  So those of you who experienced flooding in your home knows how devastating it can be. 

 

About 150 miles northeast of San Francisco, Lake Oroville is one of California's largest man-made lakes, and the 770 foot tall Oroville Dam is the nation's tallest.  On February 12, over 188,000 people were ordered to evacuate.  While the dam had not given way, the emergency spillway, which prevents the water from overflowing, was discovered to have a hole in it and it was eroding.  If the structure failed, it would result in an uncontrolled release of flood waters.

 

As you may recall, California had been in a drought for several years and there was no thought that there would be any danger with this particular dam as the waters had receded during the years.  Recently, however, California had some major storm systems come through that deluged many areas with a lot of rain in a very small period of time.  So the result was just like the primary song we like to sing, "the rains came down and the floods came up."

 

At that time California Governor Brown said, "I've been in close contact with emergency personnel managing the situation in Oroville throughout the weekend, and it's clear the circumstances are complex and rapidly changing."

 

The California Department of Water Resources said it was releasing as much as 100,000 cubic feet per second of water from the main damaged spillway to try to drain the lake.  The spillway was rated to handle 250,000 cubic feet per second, but the spillway began to show weakness and unexpected erosion sent chunks of concrete flying and created a 200 foot long, 30 foot deep hole that was growing.

 

Crews began working around the clock to reinforce the two damaged spillways at the Oroville Dam before more storms came in.  Here are some of the resources involved in the repair effort:

 

·        More than 125 construction crews

·        40 truckloads of aggregate rock

·        1,200 tons of rock deposited in eroded or damaged areas per hour

·        Two helicopter drops of rock, concrete and other materials every minute and a half

·        A California National guard Black Hawk helicopter also assisted with drops

 

Scott Cahill, an expert with 40 years of experience on large construction and development projects on hundreds of dams explained how this crisis was easily avoidable.  "The points of failure in Oroville's infrastructure were identified many years ago, and the costs of making the needed repairs was quite small - around $6 million.  But for short-sighted reasons, the repairs were not funded; and now the bill to fix the resultant damage will likely be on the order of magnitude of over $200 million."

 

Now you may be asking yourself why I'm giving you this information on the Oroville Dam and what if anything does it have to do with obedience.  I have been thinking about how the Oroville Dam is much like our own lives.  There are a lot of routine things we do or can do on a weekly and daily basis like attending church meetings, keeping the Sabbath day holy, reading scriptures, serving in callings, saying prayers daily, going to the Temple, serving others, treating others with kindness, repentance, forgiveness and so on.  I like to call these types of things the $6 million dollar repairs.  It takes work, discipline and practice.

 

I like to think of the water in our lake or reservoir as the many blessings that we have in our life - that lake of increased faith, knowledge, wisdom, testimony, protection and freedom.  Things like that.  But as life tends to happen, sometimes a lot of pressure builds up in our lives and if we have not kept up on our $6 million routine maintenance, we are likely to run into trouble.  What happens when there is sin or trials or lack of faith that cause erosion?  We start to lose some of those blessings and we even sometimes cause problems for those around us who may have to evacuate.  The damage in our lives starts to lean toward the $200 million bill for damages.  It's not impossible to fix, but it takes much longer and can be a lot harder.

 

The lesson of the Oroville Dam is found in Doctrine & Covenants 58:32: "I command and men obey not; I revoke and they receive not the blessing."  And remember President Monson's words that "when we keep the commandments, our lives will be happier, more fulfilling, and less complicated."  What a contrast to Governor Brown's words that the situation was complex.

 

The second story I want to talk about is the story of Abraham found in the Old Testament, Genesis Chapter 22.  It is here where God tests Abraham to the fullest extent.  God said, "Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of."

 

I'm not sure what was going through Abraham's mind.  He and Sarah were already well aged by the time they were blessed with Isaac.  We know he cherished his son, so this wasn't going to be easy.  He also had no idea why the Lord was requiring him to sacrifice his son.

 

We do know that Abraham obediently took his son, and went to the place God had shown him.  He placed the wood and his son upon an alter.  "And Abraham, stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.  And the angel of the Lord called unto him.....And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou has not withheld thy son, thine only son from me."

 

So what a huge relief on the part of Abraham.  He not only passes this test of obedience, but he is given a remarkable blessing: "that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;" and then listen to this, "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou has obeyed my voice."

 

Isn't that amazing?  Just think of how God blesses us for the most amazing things we do - - and how God blesses us for the smallest things we do.  Blessings are based upon the laws of heaven.  Every time we obey the commandments of our Heavenly Father, every time we follow the example of our Savior, every time we obey our earthly parents, every time we obey the laws of the land - we are blessed.  And those blessings lead to happiness - - especially if we recognize those blessings.  And I've had days when I really have had to sit down to find those blessings.  And I've had days when the list of blessings seemed never ending.

 

If you want to take the blessings of Abraham a step further - think about the blessings Heavenly Father receives as He is obedient.  Think about the sacrifice of His only begotten son.  Now think about the blessing of His posterity.  Surely His seed is as the stars of the heaven and the sands upon the sea - endless.  God has created worlds without number.  He created this world for us.  Heavenly Father wants us to be happy and have joy in our lives as He does.  And Heavenly Father does that by constant obedience. 

 

For the natural man, constant obedience is something we work towards, because it's just not going to happen in this life.  And that's okay.  That's why we do our best each day, and seek grace through the atonement.

 

Unlike the dam in Oroville, California, the dam that Christ created has the highest integrity. (I hope my Mia Maids caught that I just used the word Integrity, because we are working on that in personal progress)  Because of the integrity of Christ's dam,  it does not bear cracks, nor is the pressure too great for him.  He maintains His life perfectly through obedience.  Thankfully, Heavenly Father allows us to have cracks, and to sometimes cave in on some of the pressure, because He loves us.  And He lovingly allows us to repent and repair - and Christ is the foreman on that job helping us to make our structure stronger.  It is that same mercy that Abraham was given to spare his son Isaac from being sacrificed. 

 

Even if that blessing of protection completely fails, and a whole new dam must be rebuilt, little by little, through faith and obedient acts, it can be rebuilt.  And that thought, Brothers and Sisters, is pure joy to me.  Heavenly Father doesn't care about how much it costs to repair structural damage.  He doesn't check to see if you have any insurance that will cover even a part of the cost.  He only asks for a broken heart and a contrite spirit from his sons and his daughters.  That makes me think about how important it is to partake of the sacrament and why we have been encouraged to obey the commandment to keep the Sabbath Day Holy. 

 

At this point you may be thinking, I've been maintaining this dam that I have built, but I don't feel like I am receiving the blessings.  And that's a fair point. 

 

Sometimes while we are doing routine maintenance, we neglect to see the water or blessings that are filling our lake or reservoir.  I believe that sometimes we have to take a look back to see our blessings in the proper perspective.

 

When I was in my twenties I was doing some serious building and maintenance on my personal dam.  I fully expected that in so doing I would be blessed with a husband and my own posterity.  You can image my surprise that year after year neither of these blessings came to fruition.  I was determined to do more maintenance - maybe put in a hydroelectric plant, and maybe add some really cool architecture to my structure.  It seemed like regardless of what I did, the result was still the same.  No spouse, no kids.  This lead to some soul searching.  I know that sometimes the blessings we are blessed with are not given to us in this life.  I totally get that.  However, I still felt like there were blessings I would receive in this life. 

 

I can tell you that I have received blessings for not marrying outside of the Temple.  I can also tell you that I have received blessings for not having children outside the bonds of marriage.  But I can also tell you that I have received the same blessing of posterity that Abraham was given.  I would have never thought this possible in my twenties.  I didn't have the foresight.

 

On my mission I served 9 months at the Naval Base in Great Lakes, Illinois.  If you joined the navy, I saw you.  I had the opportunity to affect the lives of so many navy recruits and those that were there for additional schooling and training.  I met hundreds of sailors.  I also met lots of people on my mission and taught them in their homes and on the street.  When I came home from serving a mission I found myself in a few different singles wards, where I was able to meet hundreds more people.  It was a great experience.  I served them, planned activities for them, prayed for them and befriended them.  I became an Aunt to nephews and nieces and an Aunt to some of my close friends' children.  I have since had the opportunity to serve in wards and stakes.  I have been able to teach in primary, Sunday school, served in different capacities in the Relief Society and Young Women.  I have been able to plan Girls Camp for hundreds of young women on several occasions.  I love it all.  Every time I have the opportunity to serve Heavenly Father's children, they become my own children. 

 

To help put this into perspective, consider this scripture in Mosiah 5:7 where we become the sons and daughters of Christ: "And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters."

 

Brothers and Sisters, you are my posterity.  I care about your welfare, I pray for you, I want you to be happy, I want to celebrate with you, I want to mourn with you, I want to teach you and I want to learn from you.  Can you see how Heavenly Father blessed me and multiplied my seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore in this life?  It is a blessing that is sometimes overwhelming to me.  It has taken me a long time to realize the blessings from my obedience to the fullest extent.  I'm still discovering them. 

 

There is true happiness in obedience.  And as we learn to obey, God will not be able to withhold the blessings, because when "we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated."  I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

LINCOLN'S FAVORITE PAINTING - THE VISION OF GEORGE WASHINGTON

My wife turned me onto this interview.  I think it is great stuff if you have the time.  We set up the computer to live-stream thru the computer onto a big-screen and surround sound system in the great room, so she can listen to this stuff while she works at home.  One of the best things we have done in a place where there is no tv:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ90M6CzSLg

In it, this fellow (who appears to be a godly man) talks of Lincoln's favorite painting that was over his bed in Pullman Car One (the predecessor to Air Force One....).  While I have my issues with Lincoln as a President (not as a man), I present this as further evidence that the vision is and was a real thing (and was purportedly of Moroni coming to George Washington in his hour of distress and need) - and further that it was a stamp of approval on Lincoln's mission to unite the US (even by blood) and bring it back together to fulfill it's destiny to take the gospel to the all nations and to be the nursing mother of Israel and so much else (fighting back Germany and then Russia - as they drove the Jews within their borders to their homeland).  I believe it was so important to Lincoln - because of the comfort which he derived from it (knowing the cause of the North was just) and also, because he was IN the vision as a key player (or his role).

Here is the picture:

http://www.uprrmuseum.org/museum/exhibits/lincoln/010318.shtml

This was at the Union Pacific RR museum.  It is now the newest thing on my bucket list to go see it - and find out more about it's background, and the painter that was inspired by something to paint it.  Remember that the first thing that was recorded on this subject was in 1857 in a military museum.  I have a friend of a friend who was a lobbyist in DC for Boeing, and a solid historian, who traced it back to the first copy he could find in the Stars and Stripes in an 1857 edition in the Library of Congress.

Remember, when I first heard of this vision, it was through the gift of tongues giving me something that I heard the 2nd Counselor of my Stake Presidency say - but that he had no knowledge of when I asked him.  I have shared that before on the blog.

SO I STALKED MY STALKER.....

Things are WAY slow at work today.  I am a parasite - just like a dentist, doctor, lawyer (especially divorce lawyers....) and so many others - that rely on the misfortune of others to earn my living....  No, seriously!  My plate is only full when others screw up.  I can be swamped out of my mind one day and twiddling my thumbs the next.  If I have a hard deadline, line a plane to catch; and I tell not a soul, the problems will always pile up and I am literally out of my mind racing around trying to put fires out like a mad man in a red hat....

People are not breaking enough stuff for me to have any good fun at work - but I can always have fun on the blog.  Well today, someone from Spring Creek, NV (Elko) has been having fun with me in the comments.  I am guessing she is female - or a severely suppressed male.... probably the jealous type.  Well, I just happened to be moderating comments when her comment popped up.  I was able to snapshot the meta-data on her and pinned who it is down.  Always the same not-quite-snide cutting comments on my character or what I have to say.  Fact is this person probably likes me (or what I have to say, at least) a lot....  No one attacks a guy over every single thing they say in regards to another female unless they have some feelings for them.  Some women cannot help themselves.  No, seriously.  Probably a bored house-wife who is in danger themselves in their own relationship.  I have observed it countless times.  Remember - everything to me is a pattern.  I really get my jollies out of picking them out - and pointing them out.  I even have a great time pointing out my own flaws and patterns.  People are predictable - and this is why the devil has a leg up on us since we are still in discovery mode in our second estate....  One of the best injunctions out there (inscribed on the Temple at Delphi) is, "Know Thyself" and "Nothing in Excess".  Not quite like "Holiness to the Lord" and "The House of the Lord" - but it works for a "freedom-from-religion", pagan high school lit class, I guess.....



So here I go with my Trump-style callout to set the record straight.  And it is about the only time you will ever see me give a troll the time of day.  Even if their intentions appear to be good....

First of all:  If you don't like it - no one forces you to read my drivel.  Most of it is just that.  So, leave it alone.  It has always baffled me how people choose to persist in it.  I watched the President the other night.  First time in years - prolly since the days of Bush that I even wasted a moment on that stuff.  Prior to that, I saw one part of a speech by the socialist in chief and never went back there.  I have the same advice for you, if you are put off by what I have to say.

Second of all:  A prophet of the Lord once said that if you look once, you are a man.  Look twice you are a sinner....  Declaring that I have a smoking hot co-worker to my wife is no big deal when I think the same thing of her.  If you only knew....  Neither of is smoke-worthy any more as we both start to sag and bulge a little more than we would like, but at the time - yowsa!  For the both of us.  If you persist in your Victorian-ness, you will likely find your man to be so stifled as to run from you.  Holy smokes - some women can be so emotionally fragile as to have ZERO confidence that their man is going to run off on them, that they get clingy and actually end up driving the man away (my MIL was a prime example).  A man likes a confident woman who takes care of herself, first of all and one who knows her worth to God and to any man worth his salt.  My wife has always had the confidence to tell me when I am out of line and to know that if I had any problem with her (other than fixing issues related to her abuse), that I could go pound sand.  I like a confident woman.  I am confident in her fidelity - and I expect the same confidence in mine, from her even as we are apart for weeks at a time.  One reason we can - is because we both waited and never pushed the boundaries the Lord set for us for each other.  First test of a relationship (if your sweetie will cheat on you later, is if he/she wants to cheat the Lord prior to the relationship).  No stripping cream before the last teat is dry, I always say....

Jealous women never have been for me.  I routinely tell my wife if I think another woman is beautiful - and she the same on handsome men to me.  I have no problem that she thinks that her favorite actor (Matthew McConaghey), is smoking hot.  She says I used to look like him prior to my present dough-boy days....  First of all, I have confidence that she would not run off with him if she had the chance, because he is not me - and because she is not that way despite a poor track record of women in her near-term genetic line-up....  She has confidence - which is precisely what my mother did NOT have in her relationship in my father - and the VERY reason she was sent back on a special mission to come back to tell my dad that she was WRONG for being this way.  I tell people ALL the time that they are beautiful, if I think they are.  I was in the Air and Space Museum in DC a few summers ago and there was a woman in front of me with the most amazing long, straight brown hair.  Could have been a Vidal model...  I tapped her on the shoulder and told her that I thought her hair was amazing.  In front of my girls.  They have learned to be confident when they talk to others - and overcome their shyness because they see me just state what I think.  It is a good thing.  I say the same thing to men when I see something I like.  People sense my genuine-ness and respond quite well to it.

One time, I actually told another married woman, "I luv ya".  Well, that DID back-fire on me.  She must have had feelings for me.  After I pointed out that I loved her like a sister (agape love, not romantic love), I then pointed out that she needed to go back to the dwg board on her marriage and work some stuff out.  I think she may have had some daddy issues from decades ago.  So - people need to get over it.  Calling me out as an adulterer or having that spirit because I actually believe Section 132 is still doctrine (though not practiced right now), is laughable.  I have the spirit about me that will persist in the Millennium.  You can admire a person of the opposite sex for their beauty - and not want to copulate with them.....  Seriously.  At least I can.  Maybe it is just the engineer in me.....  I know it did not work out so well for King David and others....  I happen to HEAVILY identify with Joseph of Egypt - and have lost a few coats in the process.

My guess is that people who sowed their wild oats in their youth can't comprehend normal, decent relationships because they went "there" every time someone paid them a compliment or was actually something other than genuine (had predatory, ulterior motives).  Joseph Smith was genuine.  So was the Savior.

So, I sense that you are a decent person - and your intentions are good.  But please get over yourself and your hang-ups.  Spencer takes appointments most afternoons.  He is in SLC - if you don't mind the drive across the West Desert....  Also, you can thank me later when your husband gets to see the change in you.  Jealousy is ugly - confidence is beautiful.  The devil waxes off, God waxes on (See D&C 121 and watch the Karate Kid, if you did not get the hint).



Ok - rant off over and out.  Charity back on.... :)

SMH - A RESPONSE TO A LAUGHABLE COMMENT

Complete and total ignorance to the doctrines of God.....

I have a pretty solid policy of NOT responding to contrarian comments on my blog.  I despise wasting energy on trolls.  Most are a complete waste of time - and I lol at them.  But - I am afraid that this very attitude may be shared by many GD attending, milk drinkers who have seriously no clue - so I have to lay it to waste.

Right now, I have a very nice GD teacher who teaches at about the Gospel Principles (or lower) level.  I think she is well-meaning - but just has no depth to her stuff.  Even though she is an RM from many moons ago.  It is because of milk-teaching that we have the spiritually anemic state that we have in the Church.  Too many blind guides attempting to lead the flock.  Calling milk meat - and I just have to bide my time dreaming of hard-hitting teachings the whole time.

Here is one of the rare comments you will see me comment on.  Normally, I will read something like this and shake my head (breathe or think a prayer on behalf of the future of our existence as a people) and delete it, so that falsehoods or ridiculous ideas are no longer perpetuated or given the time of day more than they already have been - and then move along:

Israel will be a nation when GOD establishes it with a temple, His presence and protection, and the Sons of Levi once again making offerings in righteousness in said temple, and not until then.

You seriously think a bunch of Jews who STILL REJECT AND DENY THEIR MESSIAH, JESUS CHRIST, are a nation currently established by God with all of His attending blessings? If anything, God is protecting THE LAND "haaretz", covenanted to Avraham, from it's enemies. Hardly any Jews are going to be alive after Jerusalem is overrun before Jesus Christ sets His foot on the Mount of Olives to rescue what's left.

It is the nation of Zion that will be established in a day, not the U.N. man made state of Israel.

This is why you're so off MUCH of the time on your dates/predictions/rants.

And what CALL went forth to make Israel a nation? From who? By what authority other than the satanic U.N.?

Revelation from God through a prophet? What modern day PROPHET went forth in the power and authority of God and called a nation out of obscurity and established it as the nation of Israel in 1947-1948?

You think communism is gone? WHAT?????? LOL What planet are you living on? It's alive and quite well in Russia and China these days and has its evil roots in America.

The two jews you met on the plane were right. This is a SHABBAT year, NOT a Jubilee. And shame on you if you did not testify to them boldly and WITHOUT FEAR of the only name given under Heaven by the Father whereby salvation may come, JESUS CHRIST.
I have to agree that the UN is satanic.  So was hitler and stalin - both of whom CLEARLY fulfilled God's mandate to bring Israel home.  Or better - having driven them home - as a "dumb ass" before his master.

Let me fill you in on a clue here; God's servants HAVE made TWO quite clear and clarion calls to bring His chosen people home.  Once in 1844 by our first Jewish Apostle and then later in 1878 (I believe).  If you were paying attention to the blog, two apostles were just over there at that site where Orson Hyde did the deed back in the day on the Mount of Olives - and we had our most influential US Senator over there with our modern Apostles.

The temple WILL be rebuilt when God mandates it.  I would be VERY careful of stating when it will happen (says the Wood Zone guy).....  We have our traditions of how we BELIEVE it will all go down.  How it actually DOES is a whole new thing - and a complete guess aside from the few shafts of personal revelation sent down (as this blog has also proven).

As far as testifying that Jesus is the Christ to those two fellows - that would have been grand.  The Spirit always lets me know my role.  In this case, it was to testify that the Messiah is coming shortly - and that THEIR Prophet, Rabbi ben Samuel was spot on.  The additional role was to be a second witness for that Stake President - who has built a relationship of trust with this brother - to do his job of testifying of Christ when that is appropriate - and at the right place; quite not likely on a 20 minute convo on a flight with someone that a true relationship had not been built with...

We get a little TOO insular and only see truth as coming from SLC.  I hate to break it to you - but God loves ALL of His children and will send whom he will to those that He will, when He will.  Your thinking is the reason that Christ spoke only in oblique references to the people in Jerusalem when He said that there were other sheep that were not of that fold.  The arrogant and self-righteous Jewry of the day would have flipped out to think that God had anyone else in mind over in a "promised" land - because they were so "spot on, and so had their crap together" as to drive any other possibility out of existence.  The Nephites were humble enough to accept just a portion more of the truth that they were told of Christ coming to their brethren in Jerusalem as well as His visit to their lost brethren in the North Countries - who have their own Prophets.

So - as far as my stuff being off - I think you are WAY too premature on that one.....  Much like the anti's that rant that Joseph Smith was off on D&C87 with the Civil War and the people rising up against their masters (which most likely will happen with the coming CWII).  I invite you to close your trap (shut up), sit down - and then wait before opening it up again until after the dust has settled.  We are VERY much still in the middle of it.  I still maintain that Dewey Bruton called it correctly when he said that the false prophet would arise in 2013, followed by an act of the a/C and that this culminates in some big things going on over in the Holy Land. The piece of work we used to call our prez is now at the head of an army of paid goons and he is hell-bent on doing mayhem in this land.  He is NOT going away any time soon.  Nor hitlery - nor podesta the molesta; their common piece of excremental fusion (as Chief of Staff and also as director of hitlery's campaign).  Jarrett just set up shop in DC - their 'pentagon', so to speak:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4271412/Obama-confidante-Valerie-Jarrett-moves-Kaloroma-home.html

Their message is in LOCKSTEP with that of our Jesuit-controlled pope over in Rome - the city of seven hills.  They are all acting in concert with the NWO and many other "leaders" of nations to bring about their hellish agenda.  Trump is in direct conflict with this agenda.  And the trolls are out in force in the media and even on this blog.  And that is where I will end this piece.....  You might as well not waste your precious keystrokes on attempting to troll this blog.  I end up trashing about 50% of the comments that come in.  I love thoughtful comments - but just lol at the other ones and dump them.

TRUMP TAKES DOWN THE ELITE PEDOPHILE NETWORK IN DC - IVANKA

Man, I sure love this gal.  She is full of grace and beauty and goodness, I believe.

If we were to ever have a first female President - why not have it be her, as opposed to the evil and disgusting hitlery.  What a breath of fresh air:

http://www.neonnettle.com/features/762-ivanka-trump-my-dad-is-now-destroying-elite-pedophile-network

And maybe one that will take on evil, nose to nose.  Never cease to pray for Trump and his family!

HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

Got this from a FB pal, Connie - who is just slightly more rabid than I am.  I love people that are on fire:

Scriptural Perspectives on How to Survive the Calamities of the Last Days:
Within Chapter 21:
"It will be a terrible time, with “wars..., and rumors of wars” (JS—M 1:28), with world unrest; “nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes” (JS—M 1:29). “And again, because iniquity shall abound, the love of men shall wax cold” (JS—M 1:30). Yet at that very time “this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come” (JS—M 1:31). A thick pall of dust and smoke shall cover the earth, “the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light” (JS—M 1:33).
⚠️The GENERATION in which these things happen WILL SEE the FINAL END ⚠️(see JS—M 1:34): unlike all the other great destructions, this one involves the entire globe, when “all the tribes of the earth mourn” (JS—M 1:36). Then the Son of Man shall come, ⚠️ but first “he shall send his angels before him with the great sound of a trumpet” for a last gathering—”and they shall gather together the remainder of his elect from the four winds”⚠️ (JS—M 1:37). “As it was in the days which were before the flood,” it will be business as usual right up until the end, which shall come suddenly and unexpectedly: “They were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage; and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be” (JS—M 1:42–43). Again an interesting comparison occurs when the Lord likens himself to a thief in the night. There are no criminal connotations; the metaphor is used purely to describe the manner of his coming—it will be a complete surprise. How does one prepare for it, then? One does not. Jesus makes it very clear that the only preparation is to live every day as if the Lord were coming on that day. In striking contrast to the Jerusalem situation, he gives no specific instructions but explains that “then shall be fulfilled that which is written, that in the last days, two shall be in the field, the one shall be taken, and the other left; two shall be grinding at the mill, the one shall be taken, and the other left” (JS—M 1:44–45), which means that there is no point in devising ingenious schemes for survival. There is but one real course of escape. What you should do is to watch yourself at all times (see JS—M 1:46); to be found doing good all the time (see JS—M 1:49); to not act as if it were going to be business as usual indefinitely, as if the great event belonged to a vague and indefinite future (see JS—M 1:51). The one thing you can be sure of is that it will be “in such an hour as ye think not” (JS—M 1:48). So the only preparation is to do what? To abstain from taking advantage of others, oppressing the poor, and living in luxury (see JS—M 1:52)."

http://publications.mi.byu.edu/fullscreen/?pub=1112&index=23

I like being in good company!

THE STORY OF ALLENBY CONQUERING JERUSALEM IN 1917

I wanted to dig in a little on this guy's life and see if I could glean something from him:

http://www.haaretz.com/jewish/this-day-in-jewish-history/.premium-1.630999

I did not hear the account of his plane and the flyers that basically won him the victory.

I was quite interested to know that he died in 1947 - which was the year that the CALL went forth to make Israel a nation.  I love it when the Lord allows a visionary to stay on this orb long enough to see the successful conclusion to their warnings and life's work.  Same thing with President Benson and the fall of communism in 1989.

NATURAL NEWS RESPONDS TO GOOGLE'S ATTEMPT TO SHUT THEM DOWN

NN is one of those sites that puts the truth out there most of the time.  I respect them greatly.

If you did not hear, google pulled hundreds of thousands of pages of their news from the search engine because it was "fake news".

Usually - any time there is massive vilification by the msm - there is a source of truth.  If the msm is pushing it, it is usually something to avoid.  Those are the rules I live by:

https://www.facebook.com/theagenda21/videos/661660934022145/

There is a massive war for your mind going on right now.  Unless you have the gift of discernment and the Holy Ghost as your guide, you will not survive this war.

SAVIORS ON MOUNT ZION - THE ANTITHESIS; BULLYING

When I say that "All is not well in Zion", this is one of the things I am talking about:

http://www.ldsliving.com/The-Sad-Truth-About-Bullying-at-Church/s/76598?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=social_button

To be fair and to give the whole picture, my MIL and some of my BILs were bullied or shunned after her divorce.  This led to a downward spiral in the living of gospel principles.  It is nearly impossible to recover from that "death spiral" once you are in it.  Especially if you are already struggling with WoW or other (outward) issues that people can easily judge you for.

I will be clear here - once again.  I do not care what someone's sins are (we all have our own) - but I will fight viciously against those who seek to normalize their sins as routine or take me or mine down that prim-rose path.  My MIL has done just that - and others within my own family circle - and I will call them out until the cows come home and the chickens are in the roost.

I have seen vicious bullying amongst my siblings and have seen them turn it on each other and even on my father.  It has been eye popping to witness.  In each case, I believe, it has been to gratify their own pride or cover for their own sins.  In each case, the bullying was not done in any way to suppress any kind of attempt by the "oppressed" to normalize their own bad behavior.  Again, I do believe in social pressure to attempt to maintain the "status quo" of good living - where the person is clearly attempting to sway the flock to a bad outcome.  I do not give a rip if a person shows up at church fully tatted out - and then tells stories of how they were deceived into it.  That witness is one of the greatest out there - and will lead to many living without that ill in their lives.  I DO however, have a serious problem with someone showing up and talking up how great their tats are and attempting to influence vulnerable youth into going there.  I will run them out on a rail in a heartbeat - and may even appear to be a "bully" in my own right to the wrong people, as I know I have in the past to several people.

I have read the comments in the article - they are above and beyond telling of the health of the people in the Church in general.  There is a social reason for bullying - to keep the herd moving along down the road without too many deviations to the left or to the right, but there is a clear line where it simply is NOT appropriate.  ALL members who would attempt to call themselves members of the Church of Christ need to examine themselves against this evil.

If this is not addressed - then surely we deserve what Spencer says is coming to the main body of the Saints.  The Book of Mormon backs this squarely.....

And I will say here - and I have only told my wife and two youngest kids - I have NEVER felt so alone in a situation that I felt I might take my own life; except due to bullying - and as an adult.  True story.  I am baffled to this day how I felt that way because I have always been an incredibly strong person and just tell people to go screw themselves if they do not like what I have to offer them.  BUT - somehow, I managed to go there when I was a newly wed with my first kid, a fixer-upper and a marriage that was doing marginally to moderately well at the time.  I had just switched jobs into pharmaceuticals and my new lead who was a burned out Jewish hippie from Jersey, had developed an impenetrable culture of fear and allegiance in my new group.  I was the newbie - and this guy made it known that he did not like "one of those", referring to my BYU references in my resume.  I was marginalized and, had I not had the support of my manager, I am not sure what I would do.  Well, that suddenly came to a crashing halt when the hippie Jewish guy found out about this manager's affair with the HR gal - and he blackmailed him into basically running me out of the group and tried to get me out of the company.  This guy was more cunning than the serpent himself - Brett Kalish, if you really wanted to know....  I hold his name in some form of pity and derision all at the same time to this day. Anyway, I appealed to the two LDS people in the group (both about my age - and the female in the RS presidency in her ward).  I appealed to our common background and was basically told that they could do nothing for me.  I was then given the cold shoulder in greater measure.  I grew to hate a state (Utah) where you could be fired for any reason at will.  I realized, they loved their job more than they loved good principle.  They knew if they backed me - they would end up on the wrong side of the equation and end up out the door, as well.  I cannot remember exactly when I had the thought - and it did not persist for longer than a day or two - but I actually had the thought that the "best way out" might be to take my life.  I am not proud that I thought that - but I did.  And it really still baffles me to this day - to the point that I would like to go and re-live the experience with perfectly clarity of mind to see what led me there.  My guess is that the stress of the situation at work was likely causing stress in our home - and the relationship with my wife was not particularly close at that time??  Normally, I would tell her anything and we could work through it.  We are pretty open in our marriage.  I remember a few years later telling her that the smoking hot, gorgeous woman that I had to share an office with was having an effect on me (I was developing feelings of physical attraction to her - and she was the fuse on that interesting situation, without getting jealous or over-reacting to my confession to her).  So, I am not completely sure why a few years earlier, I may have felt truly completely alone.  My guess is that I was not regularly going to the temple and my relationship to my God was in a depleted state, as well?  I think I may have been worried about my wife giving up her teaching job at some point and me having to fight the financial wolves alone while trying to stay on the treadmill that society has placed us on??  The fact is - my well was reaching dangerous levels.  Mud was coming up in the dipping bucket..... otherwise I doubt I would have gone there, based on past precedents.

Anyway - that is my story.  The fact is; bullying can affect people for their entire lives.  Mine was incredibly minor compared to most - but it was incredibly poignant for that short time I was in it.

I had a short bout of it in middle school.  I hit my growth spurt late in life - but I came back my 8th grade year a beast.  I went from 155 in 7th grade wrestling to 185 and remember quitting wrestling that year because they put me in the Heavy Weight class - and the only other kid in it, "Big Jim" who was pushing 100 lbs more than me, literally picked me up, body slammed me to the mats and jumped on me, cracking several ribs.  I still cannot serve a serve in tennis without feeling that cartilage pop every time.  Needless to say - coming back that fall eliminated any shoves into lockers after that.  And it led me to likely get elected as Freshman class prez because I always looked out for the thin, geeks who they resorted to pushing around.  I had my own voting bloc that paid me back in political favors....  I was then an Uncle Rico-sized guy - but with a Napoleon D. perspective.....  I sold no protections - but gave away the mean stares to the bullies freely....lol

Now it will sound like I am simply tooting my own horn.  And I say this for the sake of people that probably feel that I am harsh for some things I say on this blog.  I love all men and women.  I truly am a lover of my fellow beings.  BUT - take that same human being who wants to do physical harm - or worse - spiritual harm; and I will turn them into hamburger.  I will shred to pieces with no compunction....  Not a bit.  Even my comments about phaggery - only directed at those who attempt to push the deviancy onto others.  I have nothing but compassion for those who struggle with SSA issues.  I have not - thankfully, but have talked about my OSA issues.... :)  I have even had to defend my current boss, who is gayer than a three dollar bill, from attacks by others because he is different.  I actually like him immensely - precisely because he marches to his own drum and throws societal conventions out.  It is refreshing to be around him.  A gayer version of my attitude....

I am grateful for the bullying that I received - because it has made me the person who drives the agenda in a group setting where people are able to be open to admit mistakes and be human.  I cannot recall the number of times I have had people in my group come to me and personally ask me if they could remain in our group because it felt "safe".  As new-hires, they felt they could finally be open about not "knowing everything" and that they felt that I had offered a respite from the professional need to know everything, even though they were on rotation in a mentored capacity.  Making people feel stupid because they do not know the answer to stuff they should not be expected to necessarily know is a form of bullying.  It is rampant at my company - and there are major attempts to positively mold the culture in a better direction - because that insular attitude can cause dozens or hundreds of deaths in a worst-case scenario.

SAVIORS ON MOUNT ZION - STOPPING THE ABUSE CYCLES

I am a witness that this is true.  God sends strong ones into lineages to attempt to stop the cycles and expose evil where it is hidden.  I have played that role in my situation - and my wife in hers, as well.  I would rather have my situation over hers any day - but the pull of evil people to continue in evil practices/lying/covering up is quite strong once it becomes embedded in families.

Jesus himself was born into the lineage of Judah - who suffered from MAJOR character flaws when it comes to the law of chastity and then the seeking of signs that is an off-shoot of that particular flaw.  He lived a sinless and flawless life - and then became a victim to his "family" who eventually put him to death for the sin of "being too good for this world". 

For the crime of standing up to perversity in my family, I have had my character 'crucified' by a few individuals who love sin more than they love the truth.  It is okay - I have always stood alone and just simply done my own thing; regardless of the consequences.

In my wife's family, I have observed an intergenerational thing going on where faith has failed in almost all her family members who have succumbed to a lineal burden of chastity and WoW issues.  It is painful to read family history and see it played out over and over again.  Oddly, her mother has persecuted her son in law the most who seems to have broken the cycle the best (on both sides of his family tree).  Truly - it has been crabs in the bucket when it comes to this individual who has attempted to shoot down those who have broken the cycle the best - while assisting those who have chosen to let it slide, down the slippery slope to the abyss.  For this, I am sure there will be a double measure in the judgment.  And deathbed repentance does NOT work.....  At 70 years of age, you would think people would have gotten their crap together.  Seriously.....

There is a form of spiritual amnesia and retardation that seems to reside with some individuals in spades.  It is baffling to me - other than it is the result of years of spiritual neglect and layers of unrepented sin that has built a suffocating layer upon suffocating layer over the delicate spirit until it is snuffed out of existence - and then where baser layers and sensibilities take complete possession of the soul to cheat it down to a hellish existence.  I wish people could see what their future holds - as it was in the case of Cain, Moses and the three witnesses.  All shown what their future would be if they chose to back down from the mission that lay before them.  But then - some would simply carry on in the life of sin and debauchery, even with this knowledge - as Cain proved (and I am sure we could throw satan himself in that pot of stew).

Over those I have stewardship over, I am shown an extrapolated version of what their current actions will bring.  It is a gift (or a curse, of sorts) that I have been given.  I have, on more than one occasion, given the warning of "If thou doest not well...." to these folks - and it has been painful to watch the ensuing wreckage they bring on themselves and those they have direct influence over.  Some days, I think to myself, ignorance would almost be blissful compared to the pain of watching them trip and crash and burn.  This is the burden of the Father of us all, to be sure.  I love the new endowment representations of Father with an almost exasperated look, casting the thorn in His side to the curb (yet again).  He had to do so, in order to preserve a good remnant for himself - and for the good of the rest of the family.  I have seen many a family do the same thing - literally give the rebellious one a time-out from the rest of the crew in order to preserve not only their sanity, but to prevent further spiritual harm to the rest.  We do the same thing in herd quarantining when dealing with stock animals.  I have been there and done that on both levels.....

In the final assessment, this will be done again as Zion is established (a form of reverse quarantining), and the rest of the flock is destroyed (if you remember what happened to millions of sheep in the hoof and mouth disease outbreak in Europe over a decade ago).  God does not do it to be cruel or harsh or psychotic - He does it to give the rest of those who have spiritual proclivity, a shot for nearly 1,000 BLESSED years where the dysfunction is stamped out and expunged from the record (and then rises briefly and then is finally and eternally cast off forever more to rise again NO MORE).  For me, what a blessed day that will be!!  I have spent my entire life fighting evil - and while I still have a lot of fight left in me, it is tiring to be a witness to it all.  A nice rest from it will be just what the doctor ordered.....  Maybe a nice massage or two thrown in there, as well.....

Enough rambling - here is what got me spun up:

https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/sperry-symposium-classics-old-testament/obadiahs-vision-saviors-mount-zion

Great article for those who suffer in dysfunctional situations.  And remember - the anti-dote to dysfunction is repentance on a continual basis and submission of our wills in all things, to that of the Father.  There is no other path than through the Atonement of Jesus Christ!