Dont just #givethanks... Remember the GIVING part after the THANKS

 

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. All week faithful members have followed the prophet's "fast-acting and long-lasting" spiritual remedy for the world by posting on social media with what they are thankful for. Keeping a gratitude journal has been great advice from self-help experts and psychologists for decades to help people suffering from problems, depression and anxiety. This tool for writing down the good things in your life no matter how difficult and defeating the world becomes offers alot of benefits. 

With that being said, here is an additional suggestion to the #givethanks movement this week, especially the day before we celebrate Thanksgiving. Look above at the word, thanks-giving. It can be divided into two action verbs. Thanks and then Giving. Don't just stop at gratitude and saying thanks. We should then Give. It is a natural law that once you have received, one should then give. One of the best hymns we sing is "Because I have been given much, I too must give." For all of those who have been given more than your share, blessed with wonderful families, find someone who is alone this holiday. For those who have posted photos about how fortunate you have been, go give to those who have little to nothing.

Truly the "fast-acting and long-lasting remedy" is to forget yourself and do something for someone else. In essence, Follow Christ!  Serve the downtrodden, the lonely, the depressed, the forsaken. 

Sidenote:

For those who have been studying from the Come Follow Me Manual, the past chapters have been from the book of Ether. There are strong warnings give to us who live here in America, the Land of Promise. 

Whoso should possess this land of promise, from that time henceforth and for ever should serve him, the true and only God, or they should be swept off when the fullness of his wrath should come upon them. And now we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God or they shall be swept off when the fullness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fullness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity.. Behold, this is a choice land; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under Heaven if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who has been manifested by the things which we have written.  Ether 1:6-7 

 Truly that it the message that has been passed down from prophet to prophet for us today.  Repent and Serve the True and Only God... or face being swept off this land. Being "swept off" is much worse than being destroyed. 

"In the Book of Mormon, to destroy did not necessarily mean annihilation. It merely meant to end the organized existence of a people or to terminate their government, deprive them of a land, and end their cultural dominance. In the Book of Mormon, a people were destroyed when they lost control over their government and land. Their ability to preserve their own values and choose the way they were governed was taken over by others. Once people were destroyed, they were oppressed and suffered. Often they were oppressed with grievous taxes and had religious liberties removed. Then they faced a choice: either repent, in which case they came through the period of oppression with another chance; or if they were angry and rebellious, they would then be “swept away.” Being destroyed is not at all the same as being “swept away.” It is possible for people to have been destroyed and not even realize it. But when they are “swept away,” they face extinction and cannot help but notice it." from the glossary of Gospel Terms

Social Media - The New Rameumpton? #givethanks

In the last blog post, I shared a chart showing the difference between a Global Faith Leader and a Prophet of God. There were many more differences that could have been added to the list, but I didn't have room on the chart. However,  I wanted to share one more that was brought to my attention from one of my friends. It is the difference in opinions about social media. 

One says social media should become your journal. Which takes you TO the social media daily, and leads to daily habits of engaging with it. That along with deliberately stated uncertainty as to whether this fulfills promises made to Abraham. The other clearly says to turn from it, as it will fill you with lies, emotional and mental deficiencies, misinformation, vanity and foolishness.

I do think that there can be much good shared on social media. However, this is one documentary that needs to be seen before making social media your journal. It is called The Social Dilemma.  

Sidenote: 

Here is a meme that was posted on the Church's website after the worldwide talk that was given yesterday. I listened to the talk and unless I missed something, I only heard the first two on the list. mentioned as the solution to our current problems.. I think it is unfortunate that the third was never mentioned.  I wonder why that was edited out from the talk. Personally, I believe it is the most important and should be the first one the list. 

btw: I hope that over the next seven days that social media doesn't become the New Rameumpton of our day.

Gratitude

 "Now the place was called by them Rameumptom, which (being interpreted) is the holy stand. Now from this stand they did offer up, every man, the selfsame prayer unto God, thanking their God that they were chosen of him, and that he had not led them away after the tradition of their brethren, and that their hearts were not stolen away to believe in things to come, which they knew nothing about. Now when the people had all offered up thanks after their manner, they returned to their homes, never speaking of their God again, until they had assembled themselves together again to the holy stand to offer up thanks after their manner. Now when Alma saw this, his heart was grieved, for he saw that they were a wicked and a perverse people.... 

Behold, O God, they cry unto thee, and yet their hearts are swallowed up in their pride. Behold, O God, they cry unto thee with their mouths while they are puffed up, even to greatness, with the vain things of the world. Behold, O my God, their costly apparel, and their ringlets, and their bracelets, and their ornaments of gold, and all their precious things which they are ornamented with. And behold, their hearts are set upon them, and yet they cry unto thee and say, We thank thee, O God, for we are a chosen people unto thee, while others shall perish." Alma 31:17- 28

GLOBAL FAITH LEADER vs PROPHET OF GOD

"He's treated them all"... latest promotional video by the LDS Church

Recently my family watched all eight episodes of the first season of The Chosen, a television drama based on the life of Jesus Christ. It is the first multi-season series about the life of Christ and portrays Jesus "through the eyes of those who met him." 

Christ is portrayed as personable, good-natured, accessible, and even funny. Never have I seen our Savior  depicted with a sense of humor. 

He treats those like Simon Peter who do not feel worthy as someone who has great worth. He has treated those like Lilith (Mary Magdalene), who have felt hopeless, scared, with emotional and mental difficulties. He has treated those like Nicodemus who have doubts, and who have been a coward, stuck in false traditions. The Lord has treated those like the man with leprosy who suffers from rejection and physical pain. He has treated those like Matthew and the Samaritan women at the well who are outcast, lonely and judged.

Christ has healed each one of them. He's treated them all.

For those who have not watched the Chosen, you can access the episodes here: https://studios.vidangel.com/the-chosen

In contrast, yesterday, the LDS Church released a new video. It is a 30 second promotional video for an upcoming 11 minute video that will be uploaded on President Nelson's social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) on November 20, 2020 at 11:00 am. 

Click on this link to watch: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6TUaXoT3oE&feature=emb_logo

Below is a still frame from the video describing President Nelson as the one who has treated them all: the Sick, the Sad, the Diseased ,the Disappointed, the Infected. the Instable, the Heart Failures, the Failing Hearts. He's treated them all. No mention at all of Jesus Christ in this promotional video. There seems to be alot more emphasis on this "Global Faith Leader", instead of Jesus Christ, the One who truly has treated them all. 

Awake to a sense of your awful situation - The Downfall of America as we know it.

Below are two painting from a series of five created by Thomas Cole (1801-1848) called  The Course of Empire. He painted these in the years 1833–1836 just a few years after Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon. The five paintings depicts the growth and fall of an imaginary city that after years of freedom and prosperity, corruption would begin which would lead to inevitable decay. History repeats itself despite warnings to us from those who saw our day. In order, Thomas Cole's series of five paintings is The Commencement of the Empire, The Pastoral State, The Consummation of the Empire, The Destruction and lastly, The Desolation.

While these are just paintings of an imaginary city, these events happened to two different civilations in the Book of Mormon. We are on track to repeat their same fate. 

Moroni who saw our day addresses his words to us later generations and speaks of secret combinations in the Book of Ether: "When ye shall see these things [secret combinations] come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation."

The Book of Mormon denounces secret combinations as "most abominable and wicked above all, in the sight of God." They are also considered to be one of the signs that a people is ripe for the Lord's vengeance, and in the last days, they will be prevalent on the earth. Moroni goes on to warn that anyone who builds up a secret combination "seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies."

After finishing the account, Moroni tells of the effect the secret combination had upon the nation: "They have caused the destruction of this people of whom I am now speaking, and also the destruction of the people of Nephi. 

Sobering words indeed.

Sidenote:

The headlines today declare that Joe Biden has been elected  President of the United States along with the first black female Vice President, Kamala Harris despite many reports of voting irregularities and voter fraud. 

Maybe the only positive thing that I can think of from Biden declared the winner is that there has not been any reported protests in the country. No destruction of property, spray painting, broken windows, violence toward the police etc. Most likely if Trump had been declared the winner, the "blue donkeys" would have been outraged and violently protested across the country. Many of the cities were planning on a Trump victory and prepared for potential protesting.  Our own LDS owned City Creek Mall in Salt Lake boarded up their store fronts. It is a good indicator on which of the two parties is more destructive.