Counting the Omer

I dont know but President Hinkley got me thinking about a 7-year pattern after declaring the opening of the 7th seal on April 6, 2000 General Conference. President Hinkley referenced Joseph in Egypt and the 7 years of famine in 1998 and again 7 years later in 2005.

The Tribulation may have a connection with Feast of Shavuot/Pentecost or Weeks or 7's. Tribulation could be 7x7 or 49 (50) years. 7 Trumpets sound after the opening of the 7th seal. Pentecost is named for the 50 days (omer) following Passover (Pesach). Are we currently counting the omer?

Trumpet 1, 2001, 9/11

Trumpet 2, 2007, Housing Crisis

Trumpet 3, 2014, Russia in Crimea

Trumpet 4, 2020, COVID

Trumpet 5, 2027-8, (Locusts, Woe 1)

Trumpet 6, 2035, (Armageddon, Woe 2)

Trumpet 7, 2042, (7 Vials Wrath, Woe 3)

There is likely a connection between the completion of the Lord's House in 2027 before the Wedding Feast. (Andrea W). In ancient hebrew wedding tradition, the bridegroom spends a year away from his betrothed building her a home. The day of the wedding is not appointed until the Father of the groom accepts the home as completed. The House of the Lord is the Salt Lake Temple which will be rededicated in 2027 after an extensive seismic upgrade.

Reverence for Sacred Things

https://youtu.be/WPPPFqsECz0?si=cZ1TSELZFSTLF8Tf

The following video discusses gratitude as an antidote for dissatisfaction. The video describes gratitude as an expression, feeling, and behavior. The video discusses ways in which we can "feel" more gratitude and satisfaction in our lives by expressing and showing more gratitude.   I suggest that "reverance" is exactly how we "show" gratitude. Reverence is the scripturally defined "behavior" of gratitude. 

Therefore, if we wish to feel more satisfied, positive, and grateful for someone or something, we can begin by both expressing gratitude for them, as well as showing gratitude towards them.  Service is a way we show reverence to God and others. 

Mos. 5:13 For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?

We may fall into a trap thinking if we are not feeling love for our spouse, it is because they aren't doing enough.  We may think that the only way to feel more love and gratitude for our spouse or others is for them to do more or serve us than they are currently doing.  In reality, the opposite may be true. Maybe the key to feeling more love and gratitude for another is for us to serve, express gratitude, and reverence them more than we are doing. Maybe we need to be doing more for them. 

Remember that Jesus Christ loves us with a perfect love not because of anything we have done for Him, but because of what He has done for us. 

A key point of the research is that gratitude affects how we interpret the intentions of others.  It may be that Jesus taught His disciples to do good to them that use them and dispitefullty abuse them.  This may be because in some cases, (other than outright physical abuse) we might actually mistakenly think that people are being mean to us or victimizing us when they are not.  We may harbor delusions of victimization by interpreting neutral expressions and neutral responses as negative or feeling intense feelings of abandonment when others disagree with us, say no, or maintain a boundary.  We may even be tempted to treat others in the same negative manner in which we feel we have been treated (eye for an eye) instead of always overcoming petceived evil with good and always treating others in the way we wished they had treated us (golden rule). 

Reverence for Sacred Things

https://youtu.be/WPPPFqsECz0?si=cZ1TSELZFSTLF8Tf

The following video discusses gratitude as an antidote for dissatisfaction. The video describes gratitude as an expression, feeling, and behavior. The video discusses ways in which we can "feel" more gratitude and satisfaction in our lives by expressing and showing more gratitude.   I suggest that "reverance" is exactly how we "show" gratitude. Reverence is the scripturally defined "behavior" of gratitude. 

Therefore, if we wish to feel more satisfied, positive, and grateful for someone or something, we can begin by both expressing gratitude for them, as well as showing gratitude towards them.  Service is a way we show reverence to God and others. 

Sometimes we may fall into the trap thinking test we will feel more love and gratitude for our spouse or others if they do more or serve us more than they are doing.  In reality, the opposite may be true. Maybe the key to feeling more love and gratitude for another is for us to serve, express gratitude, and reverence them more than we are doing. 

Remember that Jesus Christ loves us with a perfect love not because of anything we have done for Him, but because of what He has done for us 

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Gates of Hell

The region of Bashan, which includes the area of Caesarea Philippi, near the city of Dan, was associated with the underworld or Sheol or Hades, where the spirits of the dead, including the Rephaim (ancient kings), were believed to dwell.  Mount Hermon (Transfiguration), a prominent feature in the landscape of Bashan, was also seen as a place of evil and a gateway to the underworld. 

Caesarea Philippi, the Grotto of Pan, a deep cave with a spring at its mouth, (Spring of B[P]anias) was believed to be an entrance to the underworld, or "the gates of hell" by the pagan inhabitants. The spring, believed to be a path for gods to travel between earth and the underworld, was a central feature of their beliefs. Pagans grusomely offered infant baby sacrifices into the pool.  If the baby or other animal was mutilated and blood seen flowing the lower waters the offering was considered rejected.  If the infant or animal simply sank and disappeared it was considered accepted. 

This juxtaposed to the temple baptism for the dead which is performed in fonts on the back of 12 oxen (bulls of Bashan or 12 tribes of Israel) . Instead of throwing in your child to be killed, Latter-day children are being baptized in pools of water spiritually saving our children and others whose work is performed in sacred temples.  

Psalm 22:12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.

Place where Abraham rescued Lot.(Gen 14:14) Place where Joshua defeated 5 tribes (Joshua 11:3). Place were Israel intermarried with pagan tribes. (Judges 3:3). Place were Jereboam built a false temple (1 King 12:29-30). Mount Herman (Transfiguration) was the place were Peter Janes and John were given sealing keys. Ceserea Philippi is located in the uncoincidently contested area of the Golan Heights.

Aristotle's God

Mainsteam Christianity doesn't consider members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be Christian because we don't subscribe to the Trinitarian conception of God. However. the Trinity in many aspects sounds a lot like Aristotle's and the Greek Hellenistic conception of diety. Must LDS be Greek to be Christian? Aristotle's god sounds a lot like the god of Thomas Aquinas. 

Aristotle conceived of God as the Unmoved Mover, the ultimate final cause of all motion and change in the universe. This "God" is not a personal, intervening deity but rather the source of order and purpose in the cosmos, a purely intellectual and immaterial being engaged in perfect contemplation of itself. 

Unmoved Mover:

Aristotle argued that everything in the universe is in motion, and each movement must be caused by something else. This chain of causes can't go on infinitely, so there must be a first mover that is itself unmoved, the Unmoved Mover. 

Final Cause:

This Unmoved Mover is the ultimate purpose or end toward which all things in nature are striving. It is not a causal force in the way that a person might move an object, but rather it is the motivating force that gives things direction and purpose. 

Divine Nous:

Aristotle also described God as Divine Nous, meaning "divine intellect." This Nous is the perfect actuality of thought thinking itself, the most perfect form of being. 

Immaterial and Eternal:

God is not a material being but rather a pure spirit, incorporeal and without any physical attributes. God is also eternal, meaning that God has always existed and will always exist, as there would be no time without change and God is the cause of all change.

 

Contemplation:

God's activity is primarily one of contemplation, reflecting on itself in a state of perfect self-knowledge. 

Not a Personal God:

It's important to note that Aristotle's God is not a personal, anthropomorphic deity in the way that God is often conceived in the Abrahamic religions. God is not concerned with the affairs of the world or with human beings' actions. 

A Source of Order:

Aristotle believed that God's existence and nature explain the order and intelligibility of the natural world. All things in nature are ordered and strive towards a specific goal, and this order is ultimately traceable to the influence of the Unmoved Mover. 

Microcosms of Creation

The Bible reveals divine patterns that are reflected in creation as well as all throughout scripture. Symbolic elements in Creation can be seen in the biblical feasts, prophetic history, as well as pointing to and prophesying details of the coming of Messiah, the Son of God.

Day 1, light/dark, sin/death,

Dispensation: Adam.

Exodus: Plagues of Egypt

Tabernacle: Altar of Sacrifice

Ministry: Temptation of Christ

Passion: Christ enters Jerisalem

Gospel: Faith and Resurrection

Feast: Passover (Pesach) 

7 Churches: Ephesus, Adam, Apostolic Church, Labor, Secret Combinations, Tree in Paradise

1 Nephi: Feast of Trumpets, Zedekiah is King. Lehi is Shofar, 9 Prophets in Israel. 

Book of Mormon: Vision of Tree of Life

Restoration: First Vision 

Genesis: Adam has dominion in garden

Day 2, sky/water, flood.

Dispensation: Noah,

Exodus: Isrsel passes through Red Sea

Tabernacle: Bronze Laver

Ministry: Christ changes water to wine

Passion: Christ purifies the temple and curses the fig tree.

Gospel: Repentance and Atonement

Feast: Unleavened Bread

7 Churches: Smyrna, Enoch. Martyr Church, 10 week calender.

1 Nephi: Yom Kippur, Casting Lots. Laman cast out, Nephi (high priest) kills Laban (white one)

Book of Mormon: Crossing the Ocean

Restoration: Joseph Smith killed, Brigham Young flees into wilderness 

Genesis: Cain slays Abel and is cast out. Noah and thr Flood leaves Promised Land to Middle East. 

Day 3, water/land, plants/seed, covenant.

Dispensation: Abraham

Exodus: manna given

Tabernacle: Table of Showbread

Ministry: Christ gives the Sermon on the Mount

Passion: Christ teaches the Parable of the Tenants and the Olivet Discourse

Gospel: Baptism, Obedience and Knowledge

Feast: Fistfruits

7 Churches: Pergamon, Compromising Church, Moses, Balaam, manna.

1 Nephi: Sukkot,  Nephi marries, dwell in tents, vision of tree of life: stick (lulav) and fruit (citron), spacious building (sukka)

Book of Mormon: King Benjamin's Sermon.

Restoration: Church planted in Utah

Genesis: New Covenant, Joseph in Egypt

Day 4, sun, moon, stars appear, scripture, Dispensation: Moses.

Exodus: Israel given 10 Commandments

Tabernacle: Golden Lampstand (menorah)

Ministry: Christ heals the sick, blind and deaf.

Passion: Christ is anointed at Bethany.

Gospel: Gift of Holy Ghost, Sacrifice and Increase 

Feast: Pentacost

7 Churches: Thyatira, Catholic Church, rod of iron, star. 

1 Nephi: Shemini Atzeret, Liahona given, broken Bow, righteousness, God provides rain. 

Book of Mormon: Abinadi's Testimony 

Restoration: LDS Church spreads

Genesis: Abraham teaches Phaoroh to interpret stars, Joseph interprets dream. 

Day 5, fish/birds. Disciples spread gospel and bestow the Holy Ghost.

Dispensation: Peter

Exodus: Israel given the Tabernacle

Tabernacle: Insense Altar

Ministry: Christ multiplies the loaves and fishes

Passion: Christ celebrates the Last Supper, washes feet, suffers at Gethsemane

Gospel: Initiatory, Gospel and Second Conforter

Feast: Trumpets

7 Churches: Sardis, Reformation Church, white reinment, 

1 Nephi: Passover, judgement by water, Nephi in bondage, yizkor.

Book of Mormon: Alma Organizes Church of Christ.

Restoration: Gathering of Israel

Genesis: Joseph gathers wheat. 

Day 6, Man created from dust, apostasy and restoration,

Dispensation: Joseph Smith.

Exodus: Isreal wanders 40 years in desert.

Tabernacle: Veil of the Temple

Ministry: Christ raised Lazarus

Passion: Christ is tried, crucified and dies

Gospel: Endowment, Chastity and Divine Presence 

Feast: Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)

7 Churches: Philadelphia, Revival Church, Peter, key of David

1 Nephi: Firstfruits, plants seed in Promised Land.

Book of Mormon: Rise of Gadianton Robbers

Restoration: Tribulation 

Genesis: Famine in Israel

Day 7, God rests, All enemies subdued.

Dispensation: Jesus Christ

Exodus: Isreal enters promised land.

Tabernacle: Ark of the Covenant

Ministry: Christ triumphantly enters Jerusalem and clenses temple.

Passion: Christ rests, preaches to the world of spirits

Gospel: Sealing,  Consecration and Deification 

Feast: Tabernacles (Sukkot)

7 Churches: Laodiceans, Joseph Smith, Worldly Church, rich and need nothing, lukewarm

1 Nephi: Shavuot, Pentecost, Nephi is listing and counting. gathering of Israel. 

Book of Mormon: Appearance of Jesus Christ in America

Restoration: Adam-ondi-Ahman 

Genesis: Israel rests in Egypt

Day 8,

Passion: Christ's resurrection, Olam HaBa

Judgements in Revelation can be seen as a kind of anti-creation.  There may be a pattern that follows the curse of the earth, sea, rivers, sun, locusts, and air. The Fall of Rome is an example.  First, Rome was invaded by Alaric and the Goths by land.  Second, Rome was invaded by Geiseric and the Vandals by sea. Third, Rome was invaded by Attila the Hun who followed the rivers. Fourth, Rome was divided from within by Odoacer and the Barbarian Foeterati. Fifth, Roman cities were overrun by Arab Muslims like locusts (arbeh and locust share a common Hebrew root).  Sixth, Constantinople was finally conquered in 1453 by the Ottoman Turks which moved their caliphate to Iraq and controlled the Euphrates river. Seventh, the curse of the air with the Thirty Years War and Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 and then the Battle of the Third Coalition and the Treaty of Pressburg in 1805 marking the final end to the Holy Roman Empire. 

10 Plagues of Egypt are also an anti-creation. God speaks 10 times over 7 days. 

1. Water to Blood, Pharoah sin killing male babies of Israel. Water to Egypt was like light to creation. 

2,3.4 Frogs, Lice, Flies = water, earth air = undo separation of water and land as frogs inhabit both. Flies from the dust decreate man created from the dust. Flies multiply and fill the earth. 

5,6 pestilence and boils  = illness and uncleaned. decreate animals

7, 8 hail and locusts decreate grass, trees, and vegetation

9 Darkness the can be felt decreates light

10 Death of firstborn decreates man created in image of God. 

Creation Patterns and Parallels

The Bible reveals divine patterns that are reflected in creation as well as all throughout scripture. Symbolic elements in Creation can be seen in the biblical feasts, prophetic history, as well as pointing to and prophesying details of the coming of Messiah, the Son of God.

Day 1, God divides the light/dark. In the first 1000 years man falls, sin and death is introduced. Dispensation of Adam, Pesach.

Day 2, God divides the sky/waters. In the 2000 years the flood destroys the Earth. Dispensation of Noah. Firstfruits.

Day 3, God divides the water/earth and causes the plants/seed to grow. In the 3000 years, God covenants to bless the seed of Abraham with a promised land. Dispensation of Abraham, Unleavened Bread.

,

Day 4, God causes the sun, moon, stars to appear. In the 4000 years, Law of Moses is given. Dispensation of Moses, Shavuot.

Day 5, God createa the fish/birds and causes them to multiply, In the 5000 years Jesus Christ is born as the Messiah and Son of God. Disciples spread the gospel and give the Holy Ghost. Dispensation of Peter, Rosh Hashanah.

Day 6, God creates mankind and commands them to multiply and take dominion, subdue all animals (including serpent), In the 6000 years Israel was to subdued all enemies but failed and were overcome. The Great Apostasy, Day of Atonement.

Day 7, God rests and creates Eve. In the 7000 years, all enemies are subdued, The Earth enjoys its Millennial rest. Israel receives its full promised inheritance.  

Dispensation of Joseph Smith, Sukkot.

Testimony of Christ in Biblical Feasts

The holidays or feasts in the Old Testament look backward and commemorate aspects of the Exodus of Israel from bondage in Egypt while at the same time point forward to the coming of the Messiah; the Son of God.

Most Christians recognize the parallels between the Jewish feasts and the first and promised second coming of Jesus Christ. The Spring feasts corresponds to Christ's first coming in the Meridian of time, while the Fall feasts point to events which are to occur as part of Christ's Second Coming.

Spring Feasts

1. Passover (Pesach) = angel of death passed over the firstborn if lambs blood was placed over the doorway = Faith = Christ's crucifixion

2. Unleavened Bread (Hag ha-Matzot) = Israel left with haste from Egypt eating flat bread = Repentance = Christ's burial

3. Firstfruits (Hag ha-Besht) = giving of manna, barley harvest, Baptism = Christ's resurrection.

4. Pentecost/Weeks (Shavuot) = giving of the 10 commandments, wheat harvest, Gift of Holy Ghost = Coming of Holy Ghost.

Fall Feasts

5. Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Teruah) = trumpets sounded before the fall of Jericho. Initiatory = 50 year tribulation period preceeding fall of Babylon and Christ's Second Coming.

2001 = 9/11 (earth)

2007 = housing crisis (sea)

2014 = crimea (rivers, wormwood)

2020 = covid-19 (darkness)

2027 = ??? (locusts)

2035 = ??? (euphrates)

2042 = ??? (wrath)

2050 = ???

6. Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) = Israel punished for worshipping golden calf. Endowment = Moral corruption punished prior to Christ's Second Coming.

7. Tabernacles (Sukkot) = Israel dwelt 40 years in the wilderness. Sealing = Saints will again dwell in tents at Adam-ondi-Ahman before Christ's Second Coming.

Employment Theory of the Atonement

The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the real mystery.  While, I am profoundly grateful and striving to appreciate and accept the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for me; I cannot ever claim to fully understand it. Many Protestant and Evangelical Christians understand the nature of the atonement in terms of what is called the "penal substitution theory".  

The penal substitution theory of the atonement is illustrated in the story of the school-age kid who takes the punishment for his hungry classmate who was caught stealing food.  While the kid taking the beating is noble, the teacher in the scenario ends up concluding, "someone's got to get a whipping to pay for the crime".  While this attempts to address the justice vs. mercy paradox, it feels inadequate. 

Another inadequate theory is illustrated in Cleon Skousen's, "Meaning of the Atonement" which presents an "injustice theory" where the atonement situation was such an injustice,  who could possibly accuse Christ of being unjust for saving a sinner considering the injustice Christ faced and overcame.  

However, when it comes to the teaching that "mercy cannot rob justice;" justice is not a monster that God is forced to appease. God's justice is God doing exactly as He has said.  Likewise, God's mercy is doing, exactly as He has said.  Accordingly, as God has said, the consequences of sin is death, but there has been prepared a way for mercy based on faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and the "conditions of repentance".  The conditions of repentance is the good news of the gospel. (Hel 5:11)

The atonement theory I prefer comes from the scriptures called the "employment theory of the atonement". In the employment theory, as we all fall short from the glory of God and sin in this life, we are serving the devil.  Consequently, we will then all receive the wages of sin, which is death.  

Romans 6:23  "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord". 

However, a way has been prepared whereby we can resign from our fallen employment and get a higher and holier calling as a disciple of Christ.  As we labor for God, strive to continually repent and improve to the end of our lives, we are promised to be saved. As we serve God, we come to know Him and become like Him.  Our repentance and sanctification makes us more fit for His service. 

Alma 3:27 "For every man receiveth wages of him whom he listeth to obey"

Rom 6:16 "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"

2 Tim 2:16 "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"

#1 The Moral Influence Theory

#2 The Ransom Theory

#3 Christus Victor

#4 The Satisfaction Theory (Anselm)

#5 The Penal Substitutionary Theory

#6 The Governmental Theory

#7 The Scapegoat Theory

Romans 4:4 - "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt."   

Paul is talking about circumcision and the non-moral requirements of the Law of Moses. Yes. we are unprofitable servants, and our employment by Christ is an unmerited gift of grace. 

Book of Mormon is a Type of Christ

I love the symmetry between the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. If you look close, you will see that the Book of Mormon is a type of Christ. First that the book contains the word of God just as Christ. Second, that it was sealed in a stone box (cyst, ossuary, ark) and came forth out of the Earth just like Christ rose from the dead from the Garden Tomb. Third, that the coming forth of the Book of Mormon was accompanied by angelic beings. You will remember that angels who attended the tomb at Christ's resurrection. Fourth, that both the body of Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon were in the custody of a Joseph: Joseph of Arimathea and Joseph Smith respectively, and Fifth, that Both the Book of Mormon and Jesus Christ had 12 special witnesses of their divinity. 3 of which were given a more powerful spiritual manifestation while the others a more physical witness (idea from CRAIG R. FROGLEY, CES).

First divine witness of the golden plates and angel was Mary Whitmer before the 3 and 8 witnesses.The stone box contained golden plate containing the covenant. Anciently, the Ark of the Covenant was a gold box carrying stone tablets and other artifacts. The golden plates with the other artifacts (urim and thummin,  breasrplate, Liahona, sword of Laban) in a stone box constitute an ark of the new covenant. - Don Bradley

Latter-day Prophet on the Latter-days

"Our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, will perform some of His mightiest works between now and when He comes again. We will see miraculous indications that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, preside over this Church in majesty and glory. But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost." 

—Russell M. Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” April 2018

“I plead with you who have distanced yourselves from the Church and with you who have not yet really sought to know that the Savior’s Church has been restored. Do the spiritual work to find out for yourselves, and please do it now. Time is running out.”

—Russell M. Nelson, “Come Follow Me,” April 2019

"You were taught in the spirit world to prepare you for anything and everything you would encounter during this latter part of these latter days. That teaching endures within you!"

—Russell M. Nelson, Facebook, September 12,  2019

“This is not the end of the world but merely a test. A trial run for the Second Coming if you will—physically and spiritually. If you’ve been following the counsel from the prophet about ministering, emergency preparedness, and at-home Church, you have no need to fear, you passed the test.”

—President Dallin H. Oaks on March 14, 2020.

“Of course, we can store our own reserves of food, water, and savings. But equally crucial is our need to fill our personal spiritual storehouses with faith, truth, and testimony."

—Russell M. Nelson, “Opening Message,” April 2020

—Russell M. Nelson, “Let God Prevail,” October 2020

“[I]t is now time that we each implement extraordinary measures—perhaps measures we have never taken before—to strengthen our personal spiritual foundations. …"

“My dear brothers and sisters, these are the latter days. If you and I are to withstand the forthcoming perils and pressures, it is imperative that we each have a firm spiritual foundation built upon the rock of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.”

—Russell M. Nelson, “The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation,” October 2021

“We have never needed positive spiritual momentum more than we do now, to counteract the speed with which evil and the darker signs of the times are intensifying. Positive spiritual momentum will keep us moving forward amid the fear and uncertainty created by pandemics, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and armed hostilities. Spiritual momentum can help us withstand the relentless, wicked attacks of the adversary and thwart his efforts to erode our personal spiritual foundation.*

“Many actions can ignite positive spiritual momentum. Obedience, love, humility, service, and gratitude are but a few.”

—Russell M. Nelson, “The Power of Spiritual Momentum,” April 2022

“As I have stated before, the gathering of Israel is the most important work taking place on earth today. One crucial element of this gathering is preparing a people who are able, ready, and worthy to receive the Lord when He comes again, a people who have already chosen Jesus Christ over this fallen world, a people who rejoice in their agency to live the higher, holier laws of Jesus Christ."

“I call upon you, my dear brothers and sisters, to become this righteous people. Cherish and honor your covenants above all other commitments. As you let God prevail in your life, I promise you greater peace, confidence, joy, and yes, rest.”

—Russell M. Nelson, “Overcome the World and Find Rest,” October 2022

—Russell M. Nelson, “Think Celestial!” October 2023

—Russell M. Nelson, “Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys,” April 2024

“Using a baseball analogy, we are in the last half of the ninth inning,” President Nelson declared. “Our Heavenly Father and His Son chose you to be on Their team when the game is on the line. This means They know you, They trust you and will help you fulfill your personal mission on this earth.”

—Russell M. Nelson, FSY 2024

“Brothers and sisters, now is the time for you and for me to prepare for the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Now is the time for us to make our discipleship our highest priority."

—Russell M. Nelson, “The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again,” October 2024

The Reason for God

"If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said; if he didn't rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead."

Timothy Keller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism

“Each of us has to face the matter — either the Church is true, or it is a fraud. There is no middle ground. It is the church and kingdom of God, or it is nothing.” —President Gordon B. Hinckley

Faith and Trust

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

We talk about having faith and trust in Christ.  What is trust?  I think trust comes down to who I trust to look after my dog while away on vacation or who I trust to babysit my daughter on datenight.  

Charles Blondin was a French acrobat and tightrope walker in the who was famous for walking across Niagra Falls Gorge first in 1859. On one occasion he carried his manager Harry Colcord across. 

Blondin gave his manager the following instructions: “Look up, Harry.… you are no longer Colcord, you are Blondin. Until I clear this place be a part of me, mind, body, and soul. If I sway, sway with me. Do not attempt to do any balancing yourself. If you do we will both go to our death.”

I think this is exactly the kind of faith and trust Jesus Christ is asking of us. Or in other words, this is exact kind of reliance we can have on our Savior to get us safely across the chasm of mortality. 

Smithsonian Magazine

Jonathan Browning: The Covenant of Virtue Over the Sword

Jonathan Browning, a 19th-century American gunsmith renowned for his innovative firearms, presents a striking paradox: a man who crafted instruments of defense yet insisted that true preservation lay not in weapons, but in *covenants of virtue and righteousness*. His life and work, deeply rooted in his faith as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), offer a profound lesson on the interplay between moral integrity and societal survival. Here’s an exploration of his philosophy and its enduring relevance:

1. The Gunsmith and the Gospel: A Paradox Resolved**

Browning’s firearms, including early repeating rifles and the iconic "Harmonica Gun," were tools of survival in an era of frontier violence and westward expansion. Yet he engraved his weapons with the phrase **“Holiness to the Lord Our Preservation”**—a declaration that physical defense was secondary to spiritual and moral fidelity. For Browning, even tools of war were sanctified only when wielded by a people bound to divine principles.

Browning’s craftsmanship was not a contradiction to his faith but a reflection of it. He recognized that weapons, while necessary in a fallen world, were ultimately *secondary* to the covenant-keeping that ensured divine protection and societal cohesion. As the Book of Mormon teaches, “The Lord would preserve a righteous people” (Alma 62:41)—not through firepower alone, but through righteousness.

2. Covenants vs. Carnage: The LDS Framework

In LDS theology, **covenants** are sacred agreements with God that bind individuals and communities to holiness. These include commitments to honesty, charity, chastity, and consecration. Browning’s emphasis on covenants reflects a broader LDS worldview:

- **Moral Foundations**: A society grounded in virtue (e.g., integrity, self-reliance, and mutual aid) fosters trust, stability, and resilience.  

- **Divine Preservation**: Covenants invite God’s favor, as seen in the LDS pioneer exodus to Utah—a community that survived hardship through collective faith and discipline.  

- **Accountability**: Covenants reject narcissism and entitlement, demanding personal responsibility. Browning’s guns, in this light, were tools for defending *principles*, not indulging pride or aggression.

3. Lessons from Rome: Why Weapons Fail Without Virtue

Browning’s warning echoes the fall of Rome, where moral decay—not military weakness—precipitated collapse. The Roman legions, once invincible, became reliant on mercenaries (*foederati*) as citizens abandoned civic duty for decadence. Similarly, Browning foresaw that societies prioritizing weapons over virtue would crumble from within.  

**Modern Parallel:**  

Today’s debates over gun rights, social fragmentation, and technological dependency mirror this tension. Advanced technologies like photolithography (essential for AI) require not just technical skill but a society disciplined enough to sustain them. Moral decay—drug abuse, apathy, or corruption—erodes the social capital needed to maintain such systems.

4. The Balance: Defense and Devotion

Browning’s philosophy does not reject practical defense but subordinates it to higher principles:  

- **Weapons as a Last Resort**: Firearms protect life and liberty, but their ethical use depends on a people trained in self-restraint and justice.  

- **Virtue as the First Line of Defense**: A covenantal community deters conflict through unity, trust, and moral authority. As Proverbs 16:7 states, “When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.”  

5. A Warning for the 21st Century

Browning’s engraving speaks directly to modern crises:  

- **Technological Fragility**: AI, microchips, and photolithography depend on a society disciplined enough to maintain cleanrooms, honor contracts, and educate engineers. Moral decline threatens these foundations.  

- **Cultural Narcissism**: A society obsessed with victimhood, entitlement, or hedonism cannot sustain the virtues required for long-term survival.  

Browning’s Prescription:

- **Renew Covenants**: Prioritize family, faith, and community accountability.  

- **Sacred Stewardship**: Treat technology, defense, and labor as holy callings.  

- **Reject Exception Culture**: No one—elite or “victim”—is exempt from moral duty.  

Conclusion: Holiness as Preservation

Jonathan Browning’s legacy transcends firearms. He reminds us that *true preservation*—whether of a frontier settlement or a digital civilization—flows from holiness, not hardware. Weapons may defend a people, but only covenants can sustain them. In an age of AI, climate crises, and geopolitical strife, Browning’s message is urgent: **Societies survive not by the weapons they wield, but by the virtues they keep.**  

As the LDS hymn declares, “Do what is right; let the consequence follow.” For Browning, and for us, righteousness remains the ultimate safeguard.   (DeepSeek R1)

Kindergarten Recess

I really appreciate Jared at Christian Homestead for making this comparison. Jared compared this mortal life to kindergarten. There is a saying and a book entitled "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" by Robert Fulghum. That list includes:

1. Share everything

2. Play fair

3. Don't hit people

4. Put things back where you found them.

5. Clean up your own mess.

6. Don't take things that aren't yours.

7. Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.

8. Wash your hands before you eat.

9. Warm cookies and cold milk are good.

The point of the Book is that these basic kindergarden rules are really the same basic rules for a good life.

The point I appreciated by Jared was that, all the many worldly pursuits we get wrapped up in is like kindergarten recess. Like kindergarten recess, it's important to take a break from the lessons and get some fresh air and run around, but the running around is not the point or purpose of it all. Accordingly, we should be careful as we make career, vacation, expenditures plans and sacrifices that we are not wasting all our effort trying to "win" at kindergarten recess.