185: MARKETING, PERSONAS, and SOCIAL MEDIA

To begin this post I wanted to share this quote by Hugh Nibley:

"An extremely important lesson [is] driven home repeatedly in the Book of Mormon,  that righteousness does not consist of being identified with this or that nation, party, church, or group.  When you find a particularly wicked society in the story, look back a few pages and you will probably find that not many years before those same people were counted righteous. Or, when you find a particular godless and ferocious lot of Lamanites, if you look a few pages ahead you may find them among the most blessed and favored of God's people." Hugh Nibley, The Prophetic Book of Mormon (1989), 337

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Marketing is the process of communicating the value of a product or service to customers, for the purpose of selling the product or service. It is a critical business function for attracting customers. To better understand the "customers", surveys and focus testing are conducted as well as market segmentation analysis are performed. Personas are created, and vast amount of money is spent on advertising.

In the NEW YORK TIMES, it was reported that the Church hired two big-name advertising agencies Ogilvy & Mather and Hall & Partners, to find out what Americans think of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints using focus groups and surveys.

 The Church has been spending a vast amount of time, money, and resources around the world to "market" The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.. or affectionately called, the Mormons, including the creation of "personas". One of the goals of this particular marketing campaigns is to portray the members of the Church as normal, everyday people who are happy, successful and all have beautiful smiles.

Here is a news report of this marketing campaign happening in London, England. LINK TO VIDEO

The main purposes of marketing is to influence someone's decision. The best way to do this is through their emotions. My wife coined the term POPE.... (Playing On People's Emotions). Beautiful ads and videos are created which affect our thoughts and hopefully our actions.

Most are aware of billboards, television commercials, radios ads, and print advertising to influence others, but most are not aware that  "personas"  that are also used in marketing. Personas are fictional characters created with the purpose to generate positive comments and start a buzz about the product. These comments will give the real people impressions that this is something of value. However, it is an artificial means to create hype. It appears real, and a way to influence the public. It creates buzz as if it were spontaneous. Even though it makes the product look hot, hip... it is fake and phony. It dismisses bona fide real people. It manipulates by influencing the impressions/comments written by real people

The Church can use personas to generate reactions to new stories and other things to influence real people by the contrived comments/"reactions" of the personas.  For example, if you put up an announcement that for instance about the dedication of City Creek mall in the Deseret news, or for the continuing support of the Boy Scouts, and you have personas generating comments who made sure that the first comments are positive.. (those are the personas).. These comments by "personas" help influence others to what would otherwise be a negative responses.

Another way of marketing is using social media like Facebook, blogs, Twitter and other forms of online digital media.

I have always been somewhat leery of Facebook. I prefer that my children do not have a Facebook Account. Now that President Monson, as well as the other apostles have Facebook's accounts, it will be hard to discourage them from having an account.. I can just heard it now, "But Dad, our prophet has a Facebook account"

click on news article LINK

"First Presidency members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently launched their own Google+ pages. President Thomas S Monson, President Henry B. Eyring and President Dieter F. Uchtdorf will soon have their own Facebook accounts."

In the World Wide Training Meeting held on Sunday, it looks like all the missionaries will now be able to have Facebook accounts as well.

 “As missionaries enter this new age where they will use computers in the work of the Lord, we invite the young and the old, the adults, the young adults, the youth, and the children everywhere to join with us in this exciting new work by becoming Facebook friends with the missionaries in your area on your own computers and sharing their gospel messages online and by becoming involved in missionary work yourselves,” Elder Perry said.

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184: A DESCRIPTION OF THE LORD

We are approaching the Summer Solstice in a few days, as mentioned in the previous post.  It is a good today to draw closer to Heaven.  It is a good day to ascend. The word ASCEND derives  from ad- "to" + scandere "to climb". Ascend literally means “to climb”. It also means “to rise, to proceed from an inferior to a superior degree; to move upwards; to mount; to go up; 

The legacy that Joseph Smith left is a drive for knowledge, to ascend. He taught the importance of seeking after knowledge…seeking after the mysteries of God…seeking after the things of heaven. Joseph Smith taught the importance of the ascent through the heavens back to the presence of the Father. This is a spiral ascend upward. It is a belief that man can become a God. “As man is now, God once was. And as God is now, man may become.” Eternal progression is what it is all about, which is man's destiny is to become like God. It is the process of ASCENDING.

 

Below are some thoughts that were shared with me.

There are two statements that are repeated in scripture that describe the Lord. (Three times in the Book of Mormon and also in the Doctrine and Covenants,) This two part description says that "His paths are straight and His course is One Eternal Round." 

"For God doth not walk in crooked paths,

neither doth he turn to the right hand nor to the left,

neither doth he vary from that which he hath said,

therefore his paths are straight,

and his course is one eternal round."

Doctrine and Covenants 3:2

Two different things are being described,  His path and His course. It is not the same thing. The path is Him. The path is what He is. The path is straight. If He were not to fulfill everything that He says, then he would deviate from his path. Whatever He takes into his heart to do or to say, that is what he does, that is why his words are endless, and His path is straight, that is why he can not deviate from it.

 

His course is the One Eternal Round. His course is what we are on. In other words, his curriculum, his manner of teaching.. is one Eternal Round. That is why He can be straight, but the course that we take is one eternal round. And the reason why it is one eternal round is because … if you are going to ascend the mountain,.. not by walking straight up.. but go back and forth and back and forth.. in order to reach up. And that process requires cycles of upward movement in incrementally stage by stage. We move by degrees and increments. We are invited to walk in the path, but the way that we get to his path for us , is by following or taking the course that He offers. The course does narrow the higher you get.

 

 

 

Furthermore, we read another description of the Lord. Neither does the Lord  have a shadow…of turning to the right or the left.

"neither doth he vary from that which he hath said;

neither hath he a shadow of turning from the right to the left,

or from that which is right to that which is wrong;

therefore, his course is one eternal round."

Alma 7:20

Imagine yourself perpendicular to the sun, on the longest day of the year, standing at the equator. With the Sun directly overhead, there is no shadow except beneath your feet. There is none. Likewise, the Lord and His path is so reliable that he doesn’t even cast a shadow by leaning to the right or to the left.  There is no shadow between him and being true to the path itself.  He doesn’t cast a shadow,.. neither hath he a shadow of turning from the right to the left, or from that which is right to that which is wrong; therefore, because that is who He is… his course is one eternal round. And that is what we do… And we are expected to improve, and increase and grow incrementally… but like what Joseph said,… it will a great while after we have departed from this world before we will have learned all you need to learn in order to know enough to be saved and know enough ultimately to be exalted.. because that course it just continues.

 

 

183: SUMMER SOLSTICE

SEVEN days from now, it will be the Summer Solstice. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Sun is higher in the sky throughout this day, and its rays strike Earth at a more direct angle, creating more sunlight on this day then any other. In North America, summer solstice begins on June 21, 2013 at 1:04 A.M. EDT

 As a major celestial event, the Summer Solstice results in the longest day and the shortest night of the year. Sol + stice derives from a combination of Latin words meaning sol = "sun" and stice =  "to stand still." It is said that  the sun rises higher and higher until it seems to stand still in the sky.

Above is a photo of Mount Timpanogos. It is the second highest mountain in Utah's Wasatch Range and the 47th most prominent mountain in the United States. The name translates as "rock" (tumpi) and "water mouth" or "canyon" (panogos). It would make for the perfect hike to ascend on the Summer Solstice.

A wise friend of mine said:

"Observing the Vernal, Autumnal and Solstices was something done from ancient times, in ceremony and in ritual. Whole cities were built aligned to the cardinal directions of the compass and the lights of heaven. The lights of heaven were given to us first as “signs” and secondly as “seasons.” Don’t let them pass by unnoticed. Otherwise you note less than even the plants and the animals whose life cycles and behavior acknowledge the passing of such events.

"Nature testifies endlessly of the Lord. It also invites us endlessly to turn back to Him. This continuing patience and enduring invitiation shown in nature is a reminder of how loving and patient, how persistent and committed the Lord is to our salvation. Salvation is predicated upon the same, universal standard for all who would return to Him. In that respect it is as exact and unchanging as the cycles of nature. Despite its exacting requirements, it is endlessly inviting and continually encouraging us to accept that standard and to live it. Not just to say, but to do."

"In this world, we are always in motion. Always either growing or receding in light."

"So also with the sun. From solstice to equinox, to solstice to equinox, it grows, then dims. Never static. It is impossible to freeze the light. It will grow or it will fade, It is not possible for an individual, nor a collection of individuals, to remain static. They are either involved with restoring truth or in apostasy from it; never merely "preserving". All great truths are simple, and they are testified of in nature as well as in scripture."

 It would be good to plan accordingly if you intend to do something, then, to show Him that you want to return to the Light. The Summer Solstice is a symbolic day to be in more direct alignment and a day of "most light".


Sidenote:

Summer Solstice is believed by many to be the day that the Savior was conceived. In an article by John Pratt (see link HERE) he has pinpointed the conjunction of the constellations Jupiter and Venus - the two constellations representing Father and Mother coming together as a sign,and that the Son of the most light, was conceived on the day of the most light.

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182: HE AGAIN FORBADE ME TO JOIN WITH ANY OF THEM

Does it matter which Church we belong to?

  Joseph Smith had the same question. So, he prayed and asked the Lord. He received an answer. We can read the answer in Joseph Smith History 1: 18-20.

"My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join.

I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”

He again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write as this time."

Multiple times the Lord forbade Joseph to join with any of the other church.

So, the reason for this post is that I am a little surprised that the Restored Church that Joseph Smith put into motion, namely, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, is the same church that is creating a new campaign with the message: "Come to church, Whatever church you choose, Just Come".

Here is the link on the LDS Casting website posted Monday June 3, 2013, under the Project entitled: "Faith, Families, and Freedom".

http://ldsavdcasting.blogspot.com/

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MESSAGE:  “Come to church: Whatever church you choose.  Just come!”

SEEKING:   Young Adults, age 17-25, who are actively practicing adherents of any religion.  Specifically, we would like to interview those who are not of the LDS faith.

 

Dear Talent,

 Please see listed below the main emphasis of our casting efforts this week.  All these roles require some very high-level acting talent.  These are not throw-away roles.  The director will linger on faces and take the time to gather and express the emotion of the moments captured herein. 

 This project is a prototype under the umbrella of a much larger “Faith, Families and Freedom,” project.  While it is being created by the LDS Church, the project is designed to air as national commercial spots for a unified group of many faiths; not just LDS.  As such, all of these pieces have requested ETHNIC MINORITY DIVERSITY.  If a specific ethnicity isn’t listed, “White/Caucasian” is acceptable, although preference will most likely be given to those of color.  (Just sayin’.)

 _________________________________________________________________________

  Joseph Smith restored a completely different religion that any other church on the earth. The underlying theology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is to ascend, and to become like the Father in order for us to dwell with Him. The teachings of the Restored Church should center around us getting back to the Father. The teachings of the Restored Church are meant to save us.

So, yes, it does matter which Church we choose. I am puzzled that we would be sending out a message to the world opposite to this.. and tell people to just choose any church.. Just go to Church.

This concept will not save anyone, and possible damn those who teach it, as well as those who believe it.

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181: PRIESTHOOD

Is it better for a man to have great faith WITHOUT priesthood, than a man to have priesthood WITHOUT faith?

It probably is better to have great faith.

Faith is the foundation of all righteousness. Faith and only faith is the moving cause of all action. Faith is not only the principle  of action, but of power also, in all intelligent beings, whether  in heaven or on earth. It is the principle by which God works, and through which he exercises power over all temporal as well as eternal things. (Lectures on Faith)

It is even better to have a man with faith and with priesthood. Having both, that man has the ability to get the attention of Heaven and perform mighty miracles.

How does the priesthood work?  It works “only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned and  by kindness, and pure knowledge, D&C 121: 41-42

The Priesthood has only one main purpose… IT IS TO BLESS.   The priesthood should never be used to curse, nor is it required . We are better off in enduring, suffering ..rather than curse. The safest way to proceed under this fallen world with man in it.. is to refuse to curse anyone at anytime, and endure all things and bless when you can.

All too often when men suppose they have the Priesthood, if not narrowly circumscribe.. men will forfeit their priesthood.   Men have a tendency to aspire to the honors of men, set their hearts upon the things of this world, cover their sins, gratify their pride, have vain ambition, exercise control or dominion or compulsion. Because of this, the heavens withdraw themselves.

Once a man gets even a little authority, he will IMMEDIATELY begin to exercise unrighteous dominion. This is the case in almost ALL men, and because of this, the Spirit of the Lord is grieved, and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.

180: FEEDING SHEEP?.. OR AMUSING GOATS?

An essay was written in the 1800's by a man named Charles Haddon Spurgeon from England. While it is referring to the Church of England,  I think is very interesting and has parallels to our own Church today. The title of the article: Is the Church feeding sheep or amusing goats?  Feeding and amusing are polar opposites, as well as sheep and goats. Feeding sustains life, while amusing gradually leads to damnation.  Feeding would include preaching repentance, amusing might include telling feel good stories or maybe even wiggling your ears. To amuse means to divert the attention, beguile, delude. The primary meaning of amuse is to deceive or cheat.  Here is the article:

IS THE CHURCH FEEDING SHEEP?.. OR AMUSING GOATS?

"An evil is in the professed camp of the Lord, so gross in its impudence, that the most shortsighted can hardly fail to notice it during the past few years. It has developed at an abnormal rate, even for evil. It has worked like leaven until the whole lump ferments. The devil has seldom done a cleverer thing than hinting to the church that part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them. From speaking out as the Puritans did, the church has gradually toned down her testimony, then winked at and excused the frivolities of the day. Then she tolerated them in her borders. Now she has adopted them under the plea of reaching the masses.

My first contention is that providing amusement for the people is nowhere spoken of in the Scriptures as a function of the church. If it is a Christian work, why did not Christ speak of it? "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). That is clear enough So it would have been if He had added, "and provide amusement for those who do not relish the gospel." No such words, however, are to be found. It did not seem to occur to him.

Then again, "He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers .., for the work of the ministry" (Eph. 4:11-12). Where do entertainers come in? The Holy Spirit is silent concerning them. Were the prophets persecuted because they amused the people or because they refused? The concert has no martyr roll.

Again, providing amusement is in direct antagonism to the teaching and life of Christ and all his apostles. What was the attitude of the church to the world? Ye are the salt" (Matt. 5:13), not the sugar candy---something the world will spit out not swallow. Short and sharp was the utterance, "Let the dead bury their dead" (Matt. 8:22) He was in awful earnestness.

Had Christ introduced more of the bright and pleasant elements into his mission, he would have been more popular when they went back, because of the searching nature of His teaching. I do not hear him say, "Run after these people Peter and tell them we will have a different style of service tomorrow, something short and attractive with little preaching. We different style of service tomorrow, something short and attractive with little preaching. We will have a pleasant evening for the people. Tell them they will be sure to enjoy it. Be quick Peter, we must get the people somehow." Jesus pitied sinners, sighed and wept over them, but never sought to amuse them.

In vain will the Epistles be searched to find any trace of this gospel of amusement! Their message is, "Come out, keep out, keep clean out!" Anything approaching fooling is conspicuous by its absence. They had boundless confidence in the gospel and employed no other weapon.

After Peter and John were locked up for preaching, the church had a prayer meeting but they did not pray, "Lord grant unto thy servants that by a wise and discriminating use of innocent recreation we may show these people how happy we are." If they ceased not from preaching Christ, they had not time for arranging entertainments. Scattered by persecution, they went everywhere preaching the gospel. They turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6). That is the only difference! Lord, clear the church of all the rot and rubbish the devil has imposed on her, and bring us back to apostolic methods.

Lastly, the mission of amusement fails to effect the end desired. It works havoc among young converts. Let the careless and scoffers, who thank God because the church met them halfway, speak and testify. Let the heavy laden who found peace through the concert not keep silent! Let the drunkard to whom the dramatic entertainment has been God's link in the chain of the conversion, stand up! There are none to answer. The mission of amusement produces no converts. The need of the hour for today's ministry is believing scholarship joined with earnest spirituality, the one springing from the other as fruit from the root. The need is biblical doctrine, so understood and felt, that it sets men on fire."

179: LETTING GO OF ANGER

I wanted to share a few things. A Native American story about 2 wolves, a symbolic story about 2 eagles.. and a few passages of scripture.

 

TWO WOLVES:

 

An old Grandfather said to his grandson, who came to him with anger at a friend who had done him an injustice, “Let me tell you a story”.

  

“I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken, so much, with no sorrow for what they do.

  

But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggles with these feelings many times.” He continued, “It is as if there are two wolves inside me. One is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him, and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way.

 

But the other wolf, ah! He is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger, for his anger will change nothing.

 

Sometimes, is it hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit.”

 

The boy looked intently into his Grandfather’s eyes and asked, “Which one wins, Grandfather?”

 The Grandfather smiles and quietly said, “The one I feed.”

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TWO EAGLES

There was a crash landing Sunday at the Duluth International Airport, but it didn’t involve airplanes. Rather, it was two bald eagles, which were fighting in midair when they locked talons. In a rare spectacle of nature, they were unable to disengage in time before crashing to the runway.

“Apparently, mature eagles will sometimes fight over territories,” Randy Hanzal, a Minnesota conservation officer said. “They will do battle in the air, crashing into each other and grabbing an intruding eagle with their talons. See photo below of two eagles with their talons intertwined.

“Usually, they will let go of each other before hitting the ground, but in this case, they had the talons so deeply imbedded in each other they may have been unable to let go.”

Because neither Eagle would let go.. they both came crashing to the ground which could have killed both.

link to article

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How often do we fight and do not let go. In the last days, it will be the wicked who destroy the wicked. What is our role as disciples of Christ? 

One of my favorite stories in scripture is the conversion of Paul.  He is first referred to as Saul of Tarsus. He was born a Jew, "circumcised on the eight day, of the race of Israel, or the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrew parentage, in observance of the law a Pharisee". He grew up in a strict Pharisee environment. He would have been considered "a righteous man".  Yet, he helped murder and imprison followers of Jesus Christ including the disciple Stephen.

On the Damascus Road, Saul was struck down by a blinding light. The men with Saul heard the sound but did not see the vision of the risen Christ that Saul did. Saul was blinded. For three days Saul was blind and did not eat or drink anything. Meanwhile, Jesus appeared His disciple Ananias and told him to go to Saul. Ananias laid his hands on Saul, and restored his sight. Paul then became one of the greatest teachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

He is an example of once one has a testimony of Jesus Christ,  anger can be changed to love and the importance of possessing charity.

 

"And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 

 

• Charity suffereth long, and is kind;
• Charity envieth not;
• Charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
• Charity doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked,
• Charity thinketh no evil; 
• Charity rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
• Charity Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 
• Charity never faileth:

 

 

178: UNION OF MALE AND FEMALE: MARRIAGE

“Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman,
neither the woman without the man,
in the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 11:11
( I think there is symbolism to the  chapter and verse numbering of this scripture)
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This week my wife and I have noticed a pair of collared doves in our yard. Below is a photo of them on our lightpost. I have never seen a white collared dove which I assume is the female. She is beautiful. Doves themselves represent "motherhood".. and they are a symbol of nurturing, gentleness, and wisdom. Here is an interesting fact: Doves often cease their foraging for food just before their babies are born. This temporary starvation insures a pure formulation of "crop milk" *(otherwise their offspring could not digest bits of solid food in the "milk"). This is great example of maternal attributes as well as self-sacrifice for the sake of their progeny.

*Members of the pigeon family (pigeons and doves) are the best known of the birds that produce a substance called " crop milk" for their babies, with the others being the Greater Flamingo and Emperer Penguin. This is not a true milk, such as the milk produced in the mammary glands of female humans and other mammals.
 

 Sidenote: I first saw these doves appear on Sunday evening, the night that the three planets (Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury) were to align. Little did I know that it would be cloudy that evening and I was unable to see the planets. Instead  that evening, a male dove and a female dove stayed for about 20 minute on top of our lamp post in front of our home. It was symbolic. The male dove symbolized Jupiter, the female dove Venus (Venus is often featured with a dove.) and the light post represented the planet Mercury.

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In contrast to the last post on the direction the world is headed, the following are some thoughts on Gods Ways; The Dyad which is the way of progression, procreation, order and unity. It is:

...
MAN and WOMAN
MALE and FEMALE
ADAM and EVE
HUSBAND and WIFE
...

Some brief history. Instead of waiting for further instructions, Eve was beguiled, did not wait for further instruction, and thus partook of the fruit prematurely. Adam was then faced with a dilemma or in other words, a priority problem. To partake or not to partake, that was his question. He could either remain faithful and obedient to the Lord and not partake of the fruit, causing him to be a lone man in the Garden by losing his helpmeet who had been given to him by the Father, as well as disobeying the commandment to multiply and replenish the earth OR he could partake of the fruit, stay united with the Mother of All Living. He could not do both. Either way he was going to be "disobedient" to something. Either way he was going to lose something. A choice between the Garden and his helpmeet, he chose to lose the Garden and keep his helpmeet. He chose to stay with his wife and to keep the commandment to multiply and replenish the earth rather than to remain separate and single. Smart man.

“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife,

and they shall be one flesh.”
Abraham 5:18

...

If you read the verse with substituting man with Adam and wife with Eve, as well as capitalizing father and mother. It would then read..

“Therefore shall Adam leave his Father and his Mother,  and shall cleave unto Eve,

and they shall be one flesh.”

(The word cleave means to adhere closely; to cling, to remain faithful, to stick or hold together and resist separation.)

While many are concerned, and rightfully so, of the ills of our society, I believe it has to do with the breakdown of the union of the husband and wife. Selfishness, Greed, Addictions, Lack of Patience. Currently, there are many who are progressing individually. Yes, progression can be individual. But there's a point beyond which you cannot go…without having dyadic progression (male/female unity). Perfect oneness with God involves a marriage that is the development of both husband and wife. Not the product of one person pulling it off. It requires joint development, joint progression and joint effort.

Progression involves multiplying and replenishing. The wife can not have children except through the husband, the Husband can not have children except through the wife.  Unfortunately in this world, we’ve turned marriage into just romance, when the more God-like way is self sacrifice. Having children is gift from God to become and learn to be like a God. It is not easy to have children. They turn your life upside down. Children can be the cause for many marital problems. However, if their are problems that arise in marriage.. work it out jointly… together…. If you can’t work it out.. it is failing jointly. Divorce destroys families.. and it snowballs and effects the children. It has irreversible consequences. The dissolving of a marriage is devasting to the children. It creates chaos in their lives, a life of pain.. almost impossible to repair. The scars remain longer than we might think.

We live is a corrupt, immoral, confused, fallen, sensual world. What is right is wrong and what is wrong is right. We more than ever need to stand for truth even if our leaders don't. Marriage between a man and woman is order. It is harmony. It produces life, peace and "fulfills the measure of creation" which "brings joy." Unfortunately, when it is employed in other ways, it produces pain, misery and sometimes catastrophic results. It is a right of every child to come into a family where they have the benefit of the family as established by God. The father and mother are literally symbols of God. They are in His image and likeness. We can either conform to God's pattern or be destroyed.

 Sidenote: Part of why America has been blessed is that for the most part, the men all have the mark of the covenant, even though the ordinance has been changed to being performed as infants. While for centuries we have received divine favor. It is being lost now. Circumcision was originally connected with marriage. It was to be performed a month before the man would marry his wife. (giving time to heal) Both the husband and wife would be sealing the betrothal with blood. (the wife on the night of the marriage) It is in obedience to the role as a father.. going back to the covenant made by Abraham.

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177: HARMONIZING WITH THE WORLD

Unfortunately, we are gradually compromising with the world. Whether it is from the desire for a wider acceptance, or for keeping our tax-exempt status, or from responses to opinion-polling and focus testing.

We are led to believe that God has become more broad minded, and loving and that the Christian thing to do is to accept all. Many would think it is okay to now accept now gay marriage. This is completely false and in error. However, We are culturally being lined up for this possibility to happen, it will be a self-fulfillment. Potentially, the laws of the country will eventually require Churchs to perform gay marriage in their meetinghouses.

A letter signed by the First Presidency of the Church will be read in Sacrament Meetings which has been sent to all Latter-day Saint congregation leaders throughout the United States. The letter will include the reaffirmation of Church to support the Boy Scouts of America’s recent decision.

“As in the past, the Church will work with BSA to harmonize what Scouting has to offer with the varying needs of our young men. We trust that BSA will implement and administer the approved policy in an appropriate and effective manner. “ (emphasis mine)

The word ‘harmonize’ is a concern to me. The word means to bring or come into agreement, to blend or bring into accord with.

The Associated Press noted that many religious organizations are upset with the decision. Assembly of God, which had a strong partnership with the Boy Scouts over the years, said that it could no longer support the BSA, and would encourage churches dropping Scouting programs. Many Southern Baptist churches which have sponsored scouting programs would look for alternatives. “Frankly, I can't imagine a Southern Baptist pastor who would continue to allow his church to sponsor a Boy Scout troop under these new rules,” said Land. “I predict there will be a mass exodus of Southern Baptists and other conservative Christians from the Boy Scouts. Christian values must take priority over what is ‘politically correct.’ ”

On front page of MSN announcing the decision by the Boy Scouts, there was a photo of a Boy Scout holding a sign that read “Gay, Mormon, Eagle Scout for Equity”. Here is a screenshot of how it appeared online:

I wonder if we are taking tolerance and turning it into accepting abomination? I am not sure how far this will go before the Lord does something about this.

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176: ALIGNMENT OF THE PLANETS: A CELESTIAL SHOW

 

"Three planets are coming together in the evening sky this weekend, putting on a celestial show that won't be seen again for more than a decade."

LINK

 

 

Tonight if the weather is clear, it will be possible to see an alignment of the planets: Jupiter, Venus and Mercury in the western horizon. They'll form the tightest grouping that won't be see until 2026. The celestial show peaks tonight, Sunday, May 26, 2013, when  these three planets will appear as a bright triangle of light in the western sky beginning about 30 minutes after sunset. Venus and Jupiter are the two brightest planets in the solar system. They've been aligning and  approaching each other in the evening sky for weeks, and faint Mercury is now joining them, appearing below and to the right of Venus.

 

Why is this so usual? There's a legend/tradition that Copernicus (the astronomer who formulated the heliocentric model of the universe which placed the Sun, rather than the Earth, at the center.) never saw the planet Mercury in his life. Whether that is true or not, Mercury is a tough planet to spot because it never gets very far from the sun. Tonight would be the best night to see it. Below is a photo I took last night. There was a brief moment that I was able to see all three planets before the cloud coverage. 

 

 

I think there is some beautiful symbolism in this alignment. First of all, Venus is the female symbol. The mother whose functions encompassed love, beauty, fertility and prosperity. Jupiter is a male symbol. In Greek theology, Jupiter is the reigning God, Zeus. Both of these planets have been coming together closer for weeks, and now this weekend...the planet Mercury appears below them, possibly a symbol of a son. It is interesting that Mercury was named after the winged messenger of the gods. These three planets (Father, Mother, son or messenger) will create an inverted triangle pointing toward earth.

Zoomed up photo of the planet taken last night.

175: GADIANTON ROBBERS and THE gOD OF THIS WORLD

"And behold, in the end of this book ye shall see that this Gadianton did prove the overthrow,

yea, almost the entire destruction of the people of Nephi."

Helaman 2:13

 "And now it had come to pass that there were many,

even among the Nephites, of Gadianton's band."

Helaman 6:18

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In the next few days, the Who's Who in the world of power, control, money will be in Salt Lake City for some important events.  Financial Executives and Corporate Stockholders of Goldman Sachs will hold their meeting tomorrow, and Zion's Bank will be holding their annual meeting on Friday. Next week there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Utah Data or "Spy" Center that is being built just south of the Salt Lake Valley.


It is very unusual to have all of the Goldman Sacs stockholders to come to Salt Lake for their annual shareholders meeting. It will be held in their 2nd largest corporate office in downtown Salt Lake located on Main Street. In a national news article entitled "How Salt Lake City won over Goldman Sachs, it was quoted: “When the world’s biggest investment bank, Goldman Sachs, holds its annual shareholder jamboree this week, it will not be in the financial centers of New York or London, where most of its traders work. It will be in Salt Lake City, home of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the largest Mormon population in the world." Link to article

I took a walk during my lunch break today and took some photographs of some of the buildings in downtown Salt Lake. Most of these buildings are newly built within the past few years, with some of them still under construction.  Above is the Goldman Sachs new office building on Main Street just a few blocks away from the Salt Lake Temple. 

It was reported in the above article that Utah leaders has been trying to persuade the banking giants that it is the “Wall Street of the West”, by offering them tax incentives.

Goldman’s senior bankers earned an average of $2,900,000 each last year, led by its chief executive, Lloyd Blankfein, whose $21,000,000 milion  pay package made him the most highly paid banker in the world.  In November 2009, the chief executive of Goldman Sachs declared in an interview, as a banker: "I'm doing God's work." Link to article

I think it is important to mention that Goldman Sachs was sued on April 16, 2010, by the SEC for the fraudulent selling tied to subprime mortgages, a product which Goldman Sachs had created. With Blankfein at the helm, Goldman has also been criticized "by lawmakers and pundits for issues from its pay practices to its role in helping Greece mask the size of its debts. Blankfein earned a total of $54.4 million in 2006 as one of the highest paid executives on Wall Street. His bonus reflected the performance of Goldman Sachs, which reported record net earnings of $9.5 billion.  Also, Lloyd Blankfein is the Gala Chairman of the Rockefeller family's Asia Society in New York.

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This is a photo of West Temple which is directly across from the Salt Lake Temple. It could be called the "Wall Street" of Salt Lake. Most of these building were built to "protect" the beauty and surrounding of the temple. Since when does Babylon protect Zion?

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Here are couple of other interesting buildings that are currently under construction in downtown Salt Lake. I am not sure where all the money is coming from to build these buildings. Salt Lake already has a Federal Court house, but is now building a new 10 story glass building.

LINK to article

Here is a photo of the new State-of-the-Art Police Department called the "Public Safety Building"

Link to article

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Also, a massive construction just south of Salt Lake is the US Government "Spy Center" supposedly to keep us also "safe".   It is called Utah's Data Center. A special ribbon cutting ceremony will be held next week on May 30th. Invited to attend is the "most loyal partners at the local, state, and federal level who have had the vision and fortitude to enable us to build this powerful Intelligence Community data center "for the good of the Nation". LINK to article

A new exposé in Wired Magazine reveals details about how the National Security Agency is quietly building the largest spy center in the country in Bluffdale, Utah, as part of a secret NSA surveillance program codenamed "Stellar Wind." An investigative reporter James Bamford, says the NSA has established listening posts throughout the nation to collect and sift through billions of email messages and phone calls, whether they originate within the country or overseas. The Utah spy center will contain near-bottomless databases to store all forms of communication collected by the agency. This includes the complete contents of private emails, cell phone calls and Google searches, as well as all sorts of personal data trails — parking receipts, travel itineraries, bookstore purchases and other digital "pocket litter."

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I want to mention more about this building that is across the street from the Beehive House and close to the Temple. I need to do more research, but I have always felt this to have a strange feel to this place. It is a "Gentlemen's Club". Members include LDS members Spence Eccles (banker) and Senator Orren Hatch, as well as Senator Bennett.

From the website: "For more than 120 years, the Alta Club has been the gathering place for Utah's business, educational and political leaders. Originally modeled after the private clubs that flourished on the east and west coasts in the late nineteenth century, we've retained our traditional spirit while embracing the present. Located in the beautifully restored and historically significant Alta Club building in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City, we've recently completed a $4.2 million renovation of our four floors." Link

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 A few scriptures:

"And seeing the people in a state of such awful wickedness,
and those Gadianton robbers filling the judgment-seats
—having usurped the power and authority of the land;

 laying aside the commandments of God, and not in the least aright before him;

doing no justice unto the children of men."

Helaman 7:4

 Yea, wo be unto you because of that great abomination which has come among you; and ye have united yourselves unto it, yea, to that secret band which was established by Gadianton! 

Helaman 7:25

46 And it came to pass that the robbers of Gadianton did spread over all the face of the land; and there were none that were righteous save it were the disciples of Jesus.

4 Nephi 1:46

174: WHO WILL BE GATHERED AND DWELL IN ZION?

Who will be gathered and dwell in Zion?

It will be those most like the Savior himself.  They will demonstrate that they are most like the Savior through their everyday service that they render to all others who stand in need. The Savior served the lowest, the poorest, the most outcast of all the people throughout the land of Israel. The angels will gather those who likewise attend to the poor, the outcast, the unwanted, the unloved, and the unappreciated in our midst. The angels will NEVER gather those who seek the spotlight; the honors and the praise of men; the glory and the attention; or even the acknowledgement and praise for their service or their work. Instead, the angels will gather those who silently serve others and do so because they love their fellow man and only wish to help however they can.

It will be difficult in our society, yet the Lord promised that He would do it. What happens when you have people with various degrees of ability to contribute in Zion. Zion will have the elderly, the young etc who can not contribute but yet consume. Everything is held in common…so how can this society function?  It is because everyone will know the Lord, and have a great love for one another. It will not bother those who will work more and others less.  It works because everyone has love for one another.

Everything depends on how we treat others. It is only within us. That no matter what others do, we react to them without condition and without expectation (love). Faith and Love are the most powerful forces in the Universe.

Love is all that God does. Love does drive Creation itself. Love is God’s view of creation. That is why we can have all trust and all confidence in Him. He is a loving God.

I heard this song the other day. I think it is powerful. The message is that nothing can separate us from the love of God. God's love never ends.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-lvu54wBOU

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers,

nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God,  which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8: 38-39

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173: OUR JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE

"And it came to pass that Enoch journeyed the land, among the people;

and as he journeyed, the Spirit of God descended out of heaven, and abode upon him."

Moses 6:26

(Photo of  a friend on top of the Parawon Gap) 

A Journey is a defined course of traveling; it is one's path in life. Just like there are not two people created exactly alike, so to, one's path in life in mortality is not exactly the same as someone elses. What we do have in common is that our soul's journey started from a premortal home,  we all pass through mortality, and then we hopefully return back safe to Heavenly parents.

There is a poem that I think very few Latter-day Saints are familiar with. It is called the Hymn of the Pearl. It is found within the apocryphal work called The Acts of Thomas. It is said to have been spoken by the apostle while he was in prison.  Interestingly, it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the apostle’s life, but speaks of a journey of an individual who lived in the glorious kingdom of his parents, where he enjoyed the abundance of glory and light. His parents decide to send him on a journey to retrieve a special treasure, The Pearl, which is guarded by a terrible serpent.

The parents remove their son's glorious robe and royal vestments and prepare him to go on his mission. If he was successful in his mission, this glory would be restored to him.

But as he began to mix with “mortals,” he began to forget his earthly mission and Whose son he truly was. The Royal Parents do not forget their child, but send him a letter to remind him of who he is and what his mission is. He remembers his mission and goes on to conquer the serpent dragon and obtain the pearl, then returns to his royal home.

When he reaches his (heavenly) home, he regains his royal robe and mantle and is crowned with glory. He is welcomed home by his Parents, his elder Brother, and the rest of the Royal Court.


Sidenote:

Some close friends of mine are currently hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. The Pacific Crest Trail  is a long-distance hiking trail which travels along the highest portions of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges. The trail starts on the US border with Mexico and ends on the US/Canada border. It is 2,663 miles long and will take them around 5 months to complete. They will experience elevation gains from sea level to 13,153 feet. It is quite the journey for them.  I coorrespond with them and they have mentioned encountering "Trail Angels" and also what is called as "Trail Magic"... or what I would call...Ministers and Miracles.

Here is an exerpt that my friend shared:
"Day 4 was spent traversing mountain top to mountain top overlooking the desert we were about to descend into. The view got me thinking about the origin of the word temples. The greek word Tempulem and similarly the Hebrew word for temple.... both mean the sacred cut. It comes from when the Greeks who would go away from society (cut off from the everyday world) and on a hill or mountain (exactly like we were) look up at the stars and contemplate man's role in the cosmos. Temples are sacred spaces cut off from the mundane, and consecrated to the divine."

172: BLOCKING OUT THE "SUN" : ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER

 Today is a significant day. The date is Friday, May 10, 2013. The One World Trade Center in New York City was crowned with it's spire today. The height of the building is now complete and reaches its symbolic height of 1,776 feet.

Now topped with it's spire, this building is now the tallest structure in the US, and the 3rd tallest in the world. It was built on the northwest corner of the site where the twin World Trade Center towers were destroyed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. 

The northwest corner is the opposite to the southeast corner. There is significance to corners. When building sacred structures,  it is the southeast corner that is significant.. not the northwest.  The cornerstone of temples is always placed at the southeast corner. The southeast corner is the only corner that sunlight will hit 365 days a year no matter where the sun's location is in the sky.

In a news report I read the following quote:
"It's going to have a light that you can see from tens of miles away," said Port Authority Vice Chairman Scott Rechler. "And that light will change colors and in the next few months we are going to be activating that light, and it will be a beacon of hope just like the Statue of Liberty."
LINK

This "Light" of Hope on top of the One World Trade Center is a man-made and artificial light. It is said that it will change "colors" as well. There is only ONE LIGHT that can give HOPE. It does not change, it is not artificial and will never go out. It can always been seen no matter the distance, not just tens of miles away.. but from anywhere in the universe. The Light is Jesus Christ.

Doctrine and Convenants 50:24: "That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day."

The reason why I posted this picture is because I think it is highly symbolic and actually is reflection of the state of our country. This new building is blocking out the sun. More could be said about other things this building represents.

Isaiah 5:20: "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness"

Sidenote:
In the southern hemisphere, there was a total solar eclipse today. Here is the link:
SOLAR ECLIPSE TODAY

171: POLAR OPPOSITES

Part of our mortal experience is comprehending that everything has an opposite. For example: good and evil,  light and darkness, health and sickness, pleasure and pain. Another part of living in this world is discerning between truth and deception.  What is real and what is an imitation.

A few days ago, I was down in the Mojave Desert. Below are a few photos I took in a conservation area called Red Rock Canyon. It is a beautiful protected area of land including the wildlife. It is not uncommon to see tortoises roaming the trails as well as other endangered species.  I took my daughers out here on an evening hike and took a few of these photos. If I had to describe it, I would use words like: serenity, peace, beauty, calm, and tranquil.

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After our hike we drove through Las Vegas, which is only a few miles away from the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. These two locations are polar opposites of each other. The one appeals to the spirtual man, the other to the carnal/physical man.  Nature elevates the spiritual man,  Materialism appeals to the carnal man with the over indulgence of money, food, and other pleasures of the flesh.  One is Zion like.. the other is Babylonian.

Polar opposites are found all through the scriptures for example the Tree of Life versus the Great and Spacious building. While the list could be extensive, here a few other pairs of opposites.

• Spiritual and Ascend       vs    Carnal and descend
• Clean and Reborn           vs    Impure and Dying
• Blessed and Annointed    vs    Cursed and Cut off
• Multiply and Replenish     vs    Desolate and Perish
• Faith and Hope                vs    Fear and Despair
• Love and Charity             vs   Envy and Selfishness
• Miracles and Healing        vs   Terror and Sickness
• Humble and Repentant     vs   Prideful and Wicked
• Gathered and Preserved   vs   Bundled and Destroyed
• Natural and God created   vs   Counterfeit and Man Made

  

From a familiar blog to many of you, the difference between two men in the Book of Mormon is described. Lehi and Korihor. A true prophet vs a false prophet

• Lehi followed Christ. Korihor did not.
• Lehi was a disciple of the Lord's. Korihor was an enemy of His.
• Lehi propounded a true message, Korihor a false one.
• Lehi was Christ-like. Korihor was an anti-Christ.
• Lehi spoke the truth. Korihor was a liar.

"They were polar opposites. But the question illustrates that the god of this world is immitative. The difference between truth and error does not lie in the difference between religion and irreligion, but instead between true religion which will save, and false religion which cannot save. If it were any less a test, the very elect would not be deceived in the last days. Unless there are false prophets claiming they are authorized by God to preach false and idle messages, God cannot send true ones to declare the truth. The opposition of the one is required for the other. The enemy of your soul does not create a new religion, but immitates the true one. The Lord's messenger will be mirrored by the adversary's, but the reflected image will be reversed. Those who follow the image will find themselves descending, while they think they are ascending to God. Hence the name: "the Deceiver." He deceives, and even mirrors God's angels by the claim to be an "angel of light" while spreading darkness. The Deceiver's false prophets will point you to themselves, to their great works, wonderful accomplishments, and the pride you should take in following them. The Lord's will point you to Him and preach repentance. The false prophets will speak of riches here, and suggest God's favor can be measured by success in this world. The Lord will speak only of riches in another world which are only obtained through the sacrifice of all things here."  LINK