"There are those among us who are recognized as members of this Church who take a vast amount of pains to be favorably known by those around them, but whose real character, or the inwardness so to speak, of such people, is veiled or disguised, being to all outward appearance reputable Latter-day Saints, but whose inward character, the character that is written indelibly upon their own hearts, would, if known, render them unfit for the association and fellowship of the people of God." -Lorenzo Snow
0 Comments
"Among the prophecies antedating the birth of Christ the following may be noted. Isaiah beheld in vision the condition of the earth in the era of spiritual darkness, a period in which all classes would be involved in a general condition of unrighteousness, a time when the world of mankind would be in a helpless and practically hopeless condition. He pictures the earth as mourning and languishing in desolation and assigns the reason for the sad condition as follows: "The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant." -James E. Talmage "Life needs a chance to happen. And we are preventing life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, when we cut it off at life. We are denying a soul life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. There's nothing more disgraceful than that - in preventing another life from having the very three things that we get in this life." -Kate Dalley The golden idols of Hollywood given to award the servants of modern Babylon.
"The Lord of Hosts devised it, to make all glorying in excellence a profanity, and the world's celebrities an utter execration." Isaiah 23:9 "...Private fortunes are destroyed by public as well as by private extravagance. And this is the tendency of all human governments. A departure from principle in one instance becomes a precedent for a second, that second for a third, and so on, till the bulk of the society is reduced to be mere automatons of misery, to have no sensibilities left but for sinning and suffering. Then begins indeed the bellum omnium in omnia which some philosophers, observing it to be so general in this world, have mistaken...for the natural instead of the abusive state of man. And the forehorse of this frightful team is public debt. Taxation follows that, and in its train wretchedness and oppression." -Thomas Jefferson "Taxes are merely the cost of government. Taxes are not too high; government is too big! ...Ever since the progressive income tax was instituted, the American people have been misled into believing that such a system would "soak the rich" and reduce the tax burden of the poor and the middle class. It has never worked out that way. ...The progressive income tax does not reduce the tax burden of those in the lower income tax brackets. What it does accomplish, however, is to weaken the incentives of the wealthy to risk in new business ventures what money they already have. ...The progressive income tax is also an obstacle to private capital formation, the building of personal fortunes that could be used to finance new business enterprises. ...The only way to reduce taxes is to reduce the size and scope of government." -Ezra Taft Benson "The natural form therefore, of the art of acquisition is always, and in all cases, acquisition from fruits and animals. That art, as we have said, has two forms: one which is connected with retail trade, and another which is connected with the management of the household. Of these two forms, the latter is necessary and laudable; the former is a method of exchange which is justly censured, because the gain in which it results is not naturally made, but is made at the expense of other men. The trade of the petty usurer is hated most, and with most reason: it makes a profit from currency itself, instead of making it from the process (i.e., of exchange) which currency was meant to serve. Currency came into existence merely as a means of exchange; usury tries to make it increase (as though it were an end in itself). This is the reason why usury is called by the word we commonly use (the word tokos, which in Greek also means breed or offspring); for as the offspring resembles its parent, so the interest bred by money is like the principal which breeds it and it may be called 'currency the son of currency.' Hence we can understand why, of all modes of acquisition, usury is the most unnatural." -Aristotle "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God, which before was preached by the mouth of the holy prophets; for they testified of me. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." -Jesus Christ (John 3:17-21). The world thinks that the Latter-day Saints will be destroyed; they think that the Latter-day Saints will be scattered; they think that the time will come when the Latter-day Saints will be disunited and become like the sectarian world, and they have foolishly set to work to accomplish this purpose. Well, now, ...we know better. We understand that this is the kingdom that was spoken of by Daniel, the Prophet, that should be set up in the last days, that should be no more thrown down, nor given to another people. -Lorenzo Snow "Yea, wo be unto the Gentiles except they repent; for it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Father, that I will cut off...thy graven images...and thy standing images out of the midst of thee, and thou shalt no more worship the works of thy hands" (3 Nephi 21:14 & 17).
"Deity manifests wrath as one of his attributes. It is an accompaniment of anger; indignation is its emotional basis; inherent in it is the purpose and intent of meting out a just punishment upon those whose acts have caused it to be aroused. The wrath of God does not fall upon the righteous, but upon the wicked. (D&C 1:9; 59:21.) 'Instead of blessings, ye, by your own works, bring cursings, wrath, indignation, and judgments upon your own heads, by your follies, and by all your abominations, which you practice before me, saith the Lord.' (D&C 124:48.) "When men are 'ripened in iniquity,' then the fulness of the Lord's wrath comes upon them, and they are destroyed in the flesh. (Ether 2:8-9; 14:25.) Such was the case with the Jaredites, the Nephites, and the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, for instance; such will be the case with the wicked at the Second Coming. The 'fiery indignation of the wrath of God' will continue to be poured out upon the wicked in hell until the day of their resurrection. (Alma 40:14; Rev. 14:10; D&C 19:15; 76:106-107.) Then, to all eternity, those subject to the second death shall be 'vessels of wrath, doomed to suffer the wrath of God, with the devil and his angels in eternity.' (D&C 76:33, 38.)" -Bruce R. McConkie "I published a portion of a revelation, showing the authority of the First Presidency of the Church, composed at first of Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams. When this revelation was given, the two last-named brethren were Joseph Smith's counselors, and this First Presidency possessed the power and authority of building up the Kingdom of God upon all the earth, and of setting the Church in order in its perfection. You read in the revelation alluded to that when the Twelve were called and ordained, they possessed the same power and authority as the First Presidents; and in reading further you find that there must needs be appendages and helps growing out of this Priesthood." "In the setting forth of items of doctrine which pertain to the progress and further building up of the Kingdom of God upon the earth, and the revealing of his mind and will, he has but one mouth through which to make known his will to his people. When the Lord wishes to give a revelation to his people, when he wishes to reveal new items of doctrine to them, or administer chastisement, he will do it through the man whom he has appointed to that office and calling." -Brigham Young "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God" 1 Cor. 6:9-10 "Many of you have traveled long in a personal quest for that which rings true. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sends forth to you an earnest appeal. Open your doors to the missionaries. Open your minds to the word of God. Open your hearts, even your very souls, to the sound of that still, small voice which testifies of truth. As the prophet Isaiah promised: 'Thine ears shall hear a word ...saying, This is the way, walk ye in it.' (Isa. 30:21.) Then, ...you too will, on bended knee, say to your God and mine: 'I'm home!'" Thomas S. Monson (1927 - 2018) Pres. Monson you are home now. Thanks for leading the way for so many of us. "We are to multiply and replenish the earth. One of the first commandments that God gave when He introduced the human family upon this little globe upon which we dwell was that they should multiply and replenish the earth. That was a matter of the highest importance, or God would never have given that commandment. It was of the utmost importance that the earth should be peopled with the sons and daughters of God." -Lorenzo Snow "The difference between a dream and a goal. A goal is a dream with a deadline. Having a deadline on your dream will take it out of the limbo of "someday." The dream will acquire a life of its own, a time frame within which it will be accomplished. Your mind can envision its completion and how you will feel and how life will be different when its purposes have been implemented. The simple act of writing down a goal starts to unleash power and momentum that will help you see it accomplished." -Hyrum W. Smith December 21st is the first day of winter. It is the Winter Solstice. The time wherein the sun reaches its furthest decline at the horizon of the earth. Which is at the point of the Southern Cross in the night sky. It is symbolic of the decline and death of the sun or the death of Christ upon the cross. We are currently in the period of time (December 23, 2017), wherein it appears, that the sun is stationary in this position. This stationary period lasts for three days. It's symbolic of the death of Christ and his body being in the tomb for three days. December 25th is the first day that it is noticeable that the sun is beginning it's trek back north, bringing forth longer days and shorter nights. It is the sign of rebirth of the sun as it moves towards Spring and the generation of new life. This rebirth is symbolic of the birth of Christ who is the light of the world and the God of Creation. Jesus Christ being the God of Creation, designed the heavens and earth and he has declared, "all things bear record of me" (Moses 6:63). It is not surprising to see such symbolism of Christ within Creation itself. Merry Christmas!
"The wicked shall mourn. For behold, and lo, vengeance cometh speedily upon the ungodly as the whirlwind; and who shall escape it? The Lord's scourge shall pass over by night and by day, and the report thereof shall vex all people; yea, it shall not be stayed until the Lord come; For the indignation of the Lord is kindled against their abominations and all their wicked works." I will visit them "according to all her works, with sore affliction, with pestilence, with plague, with sword, with vengeance, with devouring fire." D&C 97:21-26 Heroic Christopher Columbus, during August 1492, began his voyage across the ocean to the Western Hemisphere from Europe. Armed with courage and determination, Columbus supplicated the help of Almighty God and was guided and enlightened by His Holy Spirit. Columbus sailed beyond the realm of what was perceived by the peoples of his day as almost certain...read more here If Church leaders are concerned about the family destroying economics of the day, then why does the Church support usurious institutions (the charging of interest on debt) that places members of the Church under economic bondage? The Lord has said in plain terms that his people are not to practice usury (Luke 6:35; Ezek. 18:17; Deut. 23:20). The vanquishment of Satan and his hosts shall be complete. The dead, small and great, all who have breathed the breath of life on earth, shall be resurrected - every soul that has tabernacled in flesh, whether good or evil - and shall stand before God, to be judged according to the record as written in the books. So shall be brought to glorious consummation the mission of the Christ. "Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet." Then shall the Lord Jesus "deliver up the kingdom, and present it unto the Father spotless, saying - I have overcome and have trodden the wine-press alone, even the wine-press of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God. Then shall he be crowned with the crown of his glory, to sit on the throne of his power to reign for ever and ever." The earth shall pass to its glorified and celestialized condition, and eternal abode for the exalted sons and daughters of God. Forever shall they reign, kings and priests to the Most High, redeemed, sanctified, and exalted through their Lord and God Jesus the Christ. |