Who Was Joseph Smith?

 

 

 Who Was Joseph Smith?

Joseph Smith was born to Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith, on 23 December 1805, in Sharon, Vermont. The Smiths lived for a time on a farm near Sharon, then move to several areas before settling in Norwich, Vermont, where they obtained another farm and strove to make a living from it.  Three years in a row the weather was so cold they could not harvest a crop, so they were forced to look for a better location.  In 1816, when Joseph was ten years old, his father moved the family to the small town of Palmyra, in upstate New York.  Eventually he purchased land and built a log house in the nearby community of Farmington, which later became Manchester.

The Smiths were soon caught up in the religious revivals that were sweeping through the area at that time.  They frequently attended camp meetings where they made a little extra money selling refreshments among the hundreds of people who gathered for the revival meetings.  After listening to sermons given by various traveling preachers of Baptist, Methodist, or Presbyterian persuasion, the family was caught up in the question of which religion they should join.  Joseph Smith Sr., held himself aloof from all churches, but Mother Lucy, Sophronia, and Hyrum joined the Presbyterian Church.  Fourteen-year-old Joseph sincerely wanted to know which of all the contending denominations was right and which he should join in order to receive salvation and forgiveness for his sins.

While reading the Bible, Joseph came across the words, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and unbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.”^[5]  The words struck deep into his heart, and he concluded that he would do as the scripture advised.

One morning, early in the spring of 1820, intent on finding out the truth for himself, Joseph set out across the meadow behind the log cabin.  Entering the wood lot he found a grove of trees where he could be alone; there he knelt down to offer a heartfelt prayer to God.   As soon as he began to pray, a terrible darkness came over him.  He felt as though he were being smothered—crushed by some invisible power.  In horror and despair, he called upon god for deliverance.  Suddenly, he saw a brilliant light descending out of heaven.  He said it was so bright he wondered that the leaves in the trees were not consumed.  In the shaft of light he saw two personages. One of them spoke to him saying, “Joseph, this is my Beloved Son, hear ye him.”^[6]

 

 

 

Later, Joseph would refer to this experience as his “first vision” –the first of many face-to-face communications he claimed with heavenly beings, including his Heavenly Father, his Savior, Jesus Christ, and many prophets and apostles of old, who tutored him in his awesome responsibility of laying the foundation for the dispensation of the fullness of times.  In this first vision he was told not to join any of the contending religious groups. The Lord said, “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.”^[7]  Joseph was told to wait and he would be given further instruction. He left the grove satisfied, as he had been assured that his sins were forgiven; and in a future time the Lord would have a work for him to do.

In due time, Joseph told his family of his experience; they believed him.  He also told a minister with whom he had become well acquainted.  This minister was enraged and told Joseph his vision came from the devil—that God did not talk to mortals in these latter days.  Soon Joseph and his family became subjects of ridicule and furious efforts to persuade Joseph to denounce his claim.  His response reveals his sincere conviction that what he had seen was real.

I had seen a vision.  I have thought since, that I felt much like Paul, when he made his defense before King Agrippa, and related the account of the vision he had when he was a light, and heard a voice; but still there were but few who believed him; some said he was dishonest, others said he was mad; and he was ridiculed and reviled.  But all this did not destroy the reality of his vision. . . .  So it was with me.  I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me, and speaking all manner of evil against me falsely for so saying, I was led to say in my heart:  Why persecute me for telling the truth?  I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand god, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen?  For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that god knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation.”^[8]

Over the next three years, Joseph worked on his father’s farm, and also as a laborer wherever he could to help earn a living for the family.  On the night of 21 September 1823, Joseph retired to his bed in the loft he shared with his younger brothers, determined in his heart that he would pray to know what the Lord might expect of him.  He said he fully expected to receive a vision, as he previously had, and so he prayed, anticipating an answer.  He was not disappointed.

As he prayed, a shaft of light suddenly came into the room, and there stood a glorious personage, an angel, who introduced himself as Moroni.  He told Joseph he had lived ages ago upon the American continent, and was now resurrected, and had been sent from God to give him the information he was seeking.  Moroni told Joseph God had a work for him to do; and that Joseph’s name “should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindred and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people.”^[9]

Joseph learned that many centuries ago, Moroni had been charged to complete a sacred record which had been engraved on gold plates by his father, Mormon.  Moroni told Joseph this record contained “an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang. . . .  That the fullness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants.”^[10]  Moroni had been commanded to hide the record in the earth until the time came for it to come forth.  Moroni said Joseph was chosen to translate and publish this record in the latter days to re-establish the gospel on the earth, and he indicated that these things were about to take place.  Joseph was to be that prophet.

The vision was repeated two times, and before Moroni left him the last time, he told Joseph to relate this experience to his father.  Joseph feared that his father would not believe him so he ignored the angel’s directive and attempted to work in the field.  He felt ill and started back to the house, but fell to the ground.  There, Moroni came to him a fourth time telling him he must tell his father.  He also showed him in vision the place where the record was buried.

 

 Joseph Smith fails to tell his father about this experience. Moroni tells him his father will believe him.

Now the seventeen-year-old boy went to his father.  Father Smith listened to his son’s amazing experience, then urged him to go and do as the angel directed.  Joseph went to a place near the top of a large, bare hill, a few miles from the Smith farm.  He recognized the place as the one he had seen in vision.  Moroni met him there, showing him the golden plates and an instrument called the Urim and Thummim which he was told would be used for translating the record.  He forbad Joseph from taking the plates at that time.  Everything was returned to the stone box buried in the ground and hidden under a large stone which was pulled over the top.  This pattern was followed for the next four years, during which time the young prophet was given much instruction concerning his future work.  Each year he went, expecting to receive the plates, but he did not obtain them until the fall of 1827.

 

Emma and Joseph were married in January 1827.  They went to live with Joseph’s parents at Manchester, New York.  Joseph and Emma had been married about eight months when the time finally came for him to obtain the record.  Emma was with him the night he went to obtain the plates from the hill.  She did not ascend the hill with him, but waited at the bottom of the hill while Joseph went to receive the plates from the Angel Moroni.  She became his companion in the difficult task of keeping the record safe from those who wanted to take it away from them—she also became the first scribe when he made his first attempt to translate the record into English.  This record, when published, became The Book of Mormon.   For more than sixteen years of their lives they endured relentless persecution, privation, and at times serious poverty, but neither Emma, or Joseph, denied the truth of the work they were engaged in.

 By her marriage to Joseph, Emma had unwittingly become the wife of the man God had chosen to head the dispensation of the fullness of times.  No record has been found to reveal what Emma’s feelings were concerning Joseph’s prophetic gifts at the time of their marriage.  However, the record does show—by her constancy through trial—Emma’s steadfast conviction that he was a prophet of God.

- - - - - - - - 

5. Joseph Smith---History, 1:17, Pearl of Great Price

6. Ibid, 1:19

7. Ibid, 1:24-26

8. Ibid, 1:27-33

9. Ibid, 1:34

10. Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 5:399-400

 - - - - - - - - 

Source & to learn more: https://www.josephsmithjr.org/joseph-and-emma-share-a-common-heritage/  

 - - - - - - - -  

I have a personal testimony given me of the Holy Spirit in a very sacred experience that Joseph Smith is truly the Lord's prophet of the Restoration. I know that his successor today, Russell M. Nelson, is the Lord's mouthpiece on earth today. I cannot deny this fact, for it was given me in my soul. When you have such an experience, there is no denying it. I likewise was given to know that the Book of Mormon is the truly the world of God - an ancient scripture, translated in modern day (1800's) by Joseph Smith the prophet, and that it contains the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It has helped me understand the Bible better and has drawn me closer to Christ than any other book. I am thankful to know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's Church, His 'vehicle' through which His gospel is administered and applied in today's world. I share this personal and sacred testimony with you, the reader,  in the name of our Savior and Redeemer, even Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

Review: The Great Reset: Joe Biden and the Rise of Twenty-First-Century Fascism

 

 

The Great Reset: Joe Biden and the Rise of Twenty-First-Century Fascism by Glenn Beck
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Worth the 5 stars!  READ. THIS. BOOK.  Analog, not digital. Trust me on that.

This is an uncovering of "the men behind the curtain" in regard to The Great Reset, where and how it started, what it is, who is involved, their methods, their lies, their truths, their M.O. This is a must read for any one who wants to be on top of what is happening in the world, and what will continue to happen, unless We The People wise up.

I wanted to underline the entire book, but of course didn't. I cannot do it justice here in a mere review nor in sharing quotes - though I will share some just to offer a taste of the type of information the book contains.

The book is heavy. Some may not want, nor be able, to read the entire thing, or even most. It sheds light on so much evil that is taking place, and the lies we're being told, but for all those who are strong enough to handle it, we MUST know this information  in order to fight against it, as well as in order to learn how 'live with it' in the interim. We must be wise and knowledgeable. In this case, what we don't know WILL hurt us.

That being said, the book gets a bit "lighter" as it moves on - if one can even say that. And at the end, I very much appreciated Beck sharing the answer we're all dying to know after reading of such awful things taking place: What can we do about it!?

Here are some sample quotes:

CHAPTER 2:
I know, you have heard this infamous "Never let a crisis go to wast" quote from Rahm Emanuel before.... However, rarely have I taken the time to read the full quote..... Emanuel made the "crisis" comment way back in November 2008, just after Barack Obama won the presidential election. The United States was still in the midst of what was at that time the most significant economic crash in modern American history.... Emanuel said, 'You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before. I think America as a whole in 1973 and 1974, and not just my view but obviously the administration's, missed the opportunity to deal with the energy crisis that was before us. For a long time our entire energy policy came down to cheap oil. This is an opportunity, what used to be long-term problems, be they in the health care area, energy area, education area, fiscal area, tax area, regulatory reform area, things that we have postponed for too long, that were long-term, are now immediate and must be dealt with. This crisis provides the opportunity, for us, as I would say, the opportunity to do things that you could not do before. The good news, I supposed, if you want to see a silver lining, is the problems are big enough that they lend themselves to ideas from both parties for the solution.'

"You might not have picked up on it, but there are a few important parts of Emanuel's statement that often get overlooked. First, Emanuel does not say, "Never let a crisis go to waste." He says, "you never want a serious crisis to go to waste." That might seem like a small difference, but the "serious" part of the statement is important. Small crises happen all the time. That is how most of the news industry makes its money. But it is the serious crises that present real opportunity for radical change.

"Emanuel reiterates this point later in his statement, when he says, "The good news, I suppose, if you want to see a silver lining, is the problems are big enough that they lend themselves to ideas from both parties for the solution." See, Emanuel's argument is not that any small problem can be transformed into a large issue that leads to change but rather that big alterations to our existing system - the kinds of radical things Barack Obama and Emanuel wanted to achieve - are not normally possible without serious crises.

"There is also another important part of the statement worth thinking about more carefully. Emanuel does not say that the 2008 financial crisis provided Democrats with a chance to enact their own reforms, but rather he says that the crisis allowed *both* parties to provide the solution. Now, you might be tempted to dismiss that part of his statement as pandering, but if the coronavirus pandemic has taught us anything, it is that many Republicans are just as eager to find ways to expand the power of government and their corporate friends as their more left-wing rivals on the other side of the aisle.

"The only difference between many Republicans and Democrats in Congress is no longer *whether* government should be intricately involved in economic and societal decision making but rather the *extent to which this should occur.* A party deeply devoted to many traditionally conservative ideas - including "crazy" policies like "don't spend more money than you take in" - no longer exists in Washington D.C.

"Although millions of American have been complaining about the gradual shift toward soft authoritarianism that has occurred in both major U.S. political parties over the past couple of decades, the problem has never been more serious than it is now. Those of us who believe in free markets and individual liberty have few champions in government, and the problem appears to be getting worse. It seems that just about everyone in Washington is now looking for ways to use "serious crises" to expand their power and make American families increasingly dependent on government - just as Rahm Emanuel suggested.

"This destructive tendency has been perfectly illustrated by governments' reaction to the coronavirus pandemic, which will play a central role in how supporters of the Great Reset plan to implement their radical reforms over the next decade and beyond. Understanding how policymakers have reacted to COVID-19 and taken advantage of this important "opportunity" for creating change provide a vital road map we must understand if we are going to fight back against the Great Reset and other attempts to centralize power in the hands of the ruling class."


CHAPTER 3

"In several of my previous books, I spent a great deal of time showing that the so-called climate crisis we are always hearing about from the mainstream press is not nearly what it has been cracked up to be....We have not - contrary to the claims of so many elitist environmentalists - experienced substantially more wildfires in recent years. According to the National Interagency Coordination Center, which is responsible for tracking wildfires in the United States, there were more wildfires during the 2005-2009 period (406,614) than there were from 2010-2014 (324,762). And there were more wildfires from 2010-2014 than from 2015-2019 (315,953).

"We have not experienced any significant increase in the number or severity of hurricanes either. In 2018, a study of hurricane activity published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society found that despite some modest warming in the United States, there has been "no significant trends in land-falling hurricanes, major hurricanes, or normalized damage consistent with what has been found in previous studies."

"Further, and perhaps most important, crop production has not been in decline. It has been dramatically increasing. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) database shows worldwide production of cereals, wheat, coarse grain, and rice are all at or near record highs. And in February 2020, the United Nations reported, "FAO's forecast for world cereal production in 2020 has been revised upward by 9.3 million tonnes this month and now stands at almost 2,790 million tonnes, with the global output set to surpass the record-high reached in 2019 by as much as 3% (81.3 million tonnes). Global wheat production is pegged at 761.5 million tonnes, up 3.2 million tonnes from the previous month and now at part with last year's above-average outturn.

"Unfortunately, because of the great influence that elites have over the mainstream press, these facts are lost on most of the American public, which is routinely battered with dire and disturbing reports about famine, fires, and storms that are allegedly linked to climate change. Fueled by shoddy, ideologically motivated reporting and propaganda, tens of millions of Americans now think climate change poses a grave danger to human civilization and all life on earth.

"When Senator Elizabeth Warren...said that climate change "is the existential threat...the one that threatens all life on this planet," millions of people believed her.

"When Joe Biden - a man who came to Washington *ten presidents ago* - said, "Climate change poses an existential threat to our future, and we are running out of time to address it," millions believed him, and then voted for him to be president.

"When well-read publications like the Washington Post - a newspaper owned by Amazon's billionaire CEO Jeff Bezos - repeatedly frames climate change as a "emergency" and an "existential threat" and says it is likely to cuase an "indescribable catastrophe," millions of people believe it.

"This does not mean, of course, that climate has not changed in recent decades, won't change in the future, or isn't changing now. Climate, by definition, is always changing, and there are some highly respected, well-intentioned scientists who believe that climate change is being drive, at least in part, by human activity. And there are other well-qualified scientists and economists who believe that those changes to the climate are going to create economic problems and some environmental problems. (There are many scientists who disagree with these claims, by the way, but we'll address that later in the chapter.) But here's what virtually no reasonable scientist believes: that humanity is in grave danger because of climate change or that the human race and "all life on this planet," as Elizabeth Warren said, is facing the possibility of extinction.

"The constant, false drumbeat that because of global warming, human life could soon be wiped out - the meaning of "existential threat" - has deeply impacted an entire generation of young people worldwide, including in the United States. This has opened the door to the radical changes to society and the global economy that supporters of the Great Reset are now calling for. Without the wide-spread fear fo climate change and its impacts, shifting economic and social power into the hands of elites would be considerably more difficult under the Great Reset's framework."

CHAPTER 3

"One of the most famous and influential doomsayers of the past century was Stanford scientist Paul Ehrlich....(he) said "the 'time of famines' is upon us and will be at its worst and most disastrous by 1975."

"He (Ehrlich) said the population of the United States is already too big, that birth control may have to be accomplished by making it involuntary and by putting sterilizing agents into staple foods and drinking water [ever notice how common it is today for young women to be sterile? Coincidence?], and that the Roman Catholic Church should be pressured into going along with routine measured of population control."

Toward the end of Chapter 3, Beck discusses and compares the differences between going "green" and nuclear power. Some of this info was eye-opening as well as reaffirming for me. Such as how most Americans think of environmentalism as saving the pandas, but the truth is that the elites have become corrupted in their once-good intentions (power corrupts fully over time) and in that corruption they are attempting to push the Great Reset on us via the environmental issue. While nuclear power is expensive relative to existing conventional energy sources like natural gas, it "provides tremendous environmental benefits, such as when compared to "green energy" sources, primarily wind and solar power, nuclear energy is significantly MORE reliable, cost-efficient, and environmentally friendly. Plus, it produces almost no carbon dioxide emissions, the very thing environmentalists are always touting as the most important issue when it comes to building energy infrastructure."

Beck goes on to discuss how wind and solar power sources are not nearly as reliable as nuclear power because they don't generate any energy when the wind isn't blowing and the sun isn't shining. Duh? They have huge intermittency problems that quickly become a pain and it is "catastrophic for a nation the size of the United States, if that nation were to try to run mostly on these unreliable sources of energy."  The lifespan for these 'green' sources are no more than 20-30 years, whereas nuclear is not only much more reliable and much safer for the environment, but it lasts twice as long, AND it's up to 3 times cheaper!  Isaac Orr, an expert on energy policy at the Center of the American Experiment noted, "When the shorter operating lifespans for wind and solar are accounted for...the total cost of rebuilding wind turbines every 20 years brings the cost to $13.5 million PER MegaWatt, and replacing solar on 30-year timescales results in a total cost of $21 million PER MegaWatt," compared to less than $7 million per MegaWatt for nuclear. Huh....  And I will simply say that in order to make solar/wind power successful, if all these other issues could be resolved, there would need to be 1/3-1/2 of the entire territory of the U.S. available in order to place the billions of solar power panels and wind turbine - and that's not even mentioning the horrific damage these would do to the environment AND wildlife in those areas. We're talking upward of 400 times more land than the nuclear power plants require and land the size of Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon and W. Virginia combined.  But moving on.....

The book then turns to how these elite rulers plan on "helping" us with such problems as poor education, joblessness, homelessness, lack of healthcare, etc,etc,etc,... and one inevitably comes to the concluding question: Who will pay for this?

And THAT is where the Great Reset really comes in - with the "solution" called MODERN MONETARY THEORY.   I will end my review with the nutshell-description of what MMT is and you'll have to read the book to experience the greatest eye-roll of your life. You never knew your eyes could roll SO FAR BACK to the back of your head. I promise.

CHAPTER 4

"Modern Monetary Theory might sound complicated, but it is actually very simple. According to MMT theorists, everyone should stop worrying so much about the national debts and deficits, because the U.S. government can print and spend as much money as it wants to in order to achieve the goals set by the federal government's bureaucratic masterminds and political elite. That's pretty much it."

This book has a total of 7 chapters. Chapters 5-6 are where you really get into the details of the incredibly corrupt, deceitful, and I'd say evil plans of what is The Great Reset and now much we have already implemented it. Chapter 7 is the "What to do about it if you want to save our nation" chapter.

Chapter 1: A brave terrifying new world
Chapter 2: Never let a global pandemic go to waste
Chapter 3: Climate change: The catalyst for a "New World Order"
Chapter 4: Modern Monetary Theory: Fuel for a global economic takeover
Chapter 5: The Great Reset: Building a twenty-first century fascism machine
Chapter 6: Joe Biden and the Great Reset of America
Chapter 7: Derailing the Great Reset

The book then ends with the "Endnotes" where you find 511 references where you can read and learn all about each of these items Glenn Beck mentions and read the proof (not just evidence) for yourself.

As Glenn says, as I say, as anyone who is  honest says: DO YOUR OWN HOMEWORK. Don't just take my word for it. If you do, you will see how Beck hits the nail on the head with this book. A book that EVERY American needs to read and understand and then we need to  stand TOGETHER to fight this Great Reset - or it will be the death of America.

(P.S. It is late, and I'm too tired - so please forgive any typos!)

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Review: Love Boldly: Embracing Your LGBTQ Loved Ones and Your Faith

 

 

Love Boldly: Embracing Your LGBTQ Loved Ones and Your Faith by Becky Mackintosh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really really enjoyed reading this book. The story of a mother, a family, and their son who came out as gay, who left the church, married his husband, and yet how this mother and father continue to embrace their son AND the church and their faith.

The biggest take-away for me was two-fold:
1- Christ asks us to love all people - and while there are different kinds and levels of love, when it comes to our FAMILY it is even more important to provide that pure love that only we, as parents, can provide. That doesn't necessarily mean (I am speaking from personal experience here, not the book's message) that the child will accept that love - sometimes the child has their own issues that perhaps impedes them from accepting that love - but not matter, we can still OFFER it.
2- We will never have ALL the answers to ALL of life's issues. We don't really know why or how people turn gay. And those things should not matter when it comes to loving our child/that other person/whomever that identifies as gay or any LGBTQ+. Christ simply says "I understand the details, I'm simply asking you to trust in me, I'll take care of the rest by the time it's all said and done."  So really it comes down to: Do I REALLY trust (have faith) in Christ? If I do, then I will find a way to continue loving this person, no matter what their life looks like.

The only issue this book DIDN'T answer for me, personally, was this: What if that child/other person is someone that you cannot trust, and someone who lives in such an opposite universe than you? Well, I've come to the conclusion that without trust, that honest communication, there can be no true relationship, because a true, deep, meaningful relationship MUST have trust at its foundation. But the other part, about them living in a opposite universe than you - I still haven't come to a solid conclusion - I think for now I've realized that we can still love that person, but that perhaps this love will not be the kind that includes a deep, trusting kind of relationship, but rather one that will need some boundaries. And I think that's ok too.

As I have a desire to be understanding, compassionate and Christlike, and above all else I have a desire to follow Christ and obey His commands, then obeying His 2nd greatest command of all (Love thy neighbor as thyself) is of greatest significance, and this book helped me understand even more so than before that I CAN do that even while not having ALL the answers and while not being able to understand ALL things. Each person wants to be loved above all things. Offering that love does not include things like agreeing in all areas, or enabling or being permissive - but it does include not judging wrongly and it does include leaving room to have SOME kind of relationship with that person and offering love, not criticism, not judgment, not correction, etc.

One other thing I really appreciated about this book - is the openness and honestly with which the parents shared their innermost questions, fears, apprehensions, thoughts and even prayers as they went through this experience. As a reader I felt I could really feel the stretch and pull of the growing that they had to go through - sometimes 'endure' - as they grew to become who they are today. Certainly this was not an easy trial to have their lives turned inside out, and head into a new direction - but they faced it with FAITH, and LOVE and they were MEEK : allowing themselves to be taught and guided by the Spirit. They never once questioned their FAITH in God and that was a big example to me. Instead of questioning their faith, which is what too many people turn to all too quickly these days, I think, they went to God and asked Him to TEACH THEM how to understand this, how to deal with this, how this all fit into His plan. That is a lesson I've learned in my own life, and one that I really appreciated them sharing in this book. I think it is a crucial lesson for any believer.... especially in today's Latter-days!

I would highly recommend this book for anyone 12+. Lots of good insights.

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Review: Anna Karenina

 

 

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! Excellent! Highly recommend!

I started reading this many years ago but never really got into it at the time. I always heard it was a book about adultery. So it didn't draw my attention. However, recently I read some good reviews and recommendations on this book - and knowing it's a classic, I decided to give it another shot. I am glad I did.

This book is about everything. It's about LIFE. It touched on the distinctions between Marxism, Capitalism, Fascism, etc. both economically and politically. It touches on faith, religion, God, atheism, society's rules for behavior, dreams, expectations, relationships, mental and emotional health, Interpersonal relationships, marriage, parenting, education, finances, and more.

When I say it "touches on...." I mean there is full-on dialogue, with views from various sides of the issues, which cause the reader to ponder these things (if reader is paying attention). It is fabulous! I loved it. I loved getting into the relationships and issues they discussed.

Anna Karenina at once is crazy, I think, but also bright and intelligent and deeply emotional. Each character is deeply developed - not just a surface character, but an individual with deep thoughts, desires, emotions, and reactions.

This book was so so good. I cannot recommend it enough!  

And it's rated G. Even though there is adultery - it never gets into the 'sex' area - which I appreciated.

Tolstoy truly did write a masterpiece. I can see why so many consider this THE book of all ages when it comes to writing.

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Review: The Holy Covenants: Living Our Sacred Temple Promises

 

 

The Holy Covenants: Living Our Sacred Temple Promises by Anthony Sweat
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Excellent book. Highly recommend for those who have made covenants, wish to remember them and ponder them more deeply and their meaning/effect in our lives. It was a short and very nice book to read. I felt like it was somewhat of a "spiritual oasis" that I needed at this particular time in my life as well - with all the crazy stuff going on in the world!

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Review: The Holy Invitation: Understanding Your Sacred Temple Endowment

 

 

 The Holy Invitation: Understanding Your Sacred Temple Endowment by Anthony Sweat
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very good book that has some great thought-provoking messages in it regarding the Temple, what it is, what it means, what it doesn't mean, how to prepare, etc. It's very short, and to the point without being overly disclosing of sacred matters. Really loved it and am now reading the second book, The Holy Covenants! Highly recommend! Great read to learn or re-learn what the temple is and should be about.

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Review: Beyond the Lavender Fields

 

 

 Beyond the Lavender Fields by Arlem Hawks
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book was ok. It wasn't something that had me super caught up in the story line - French Revolution times - and your average love story with complications and discoveries along the way.

It was a nice read and good to veg with, but nothing I'd say is superb.

It is G-rated - all books I read are G-rated, so you're safe there.

I did enjoy learnign a TINY BIT about the French Revolution, but whereas some books that take place during certain historical periods of time tend to 'teach' the reader more about that period of time, this one only touched on the Revolution a bit, and focused a lot more on the main characters. Which is fair, and that's not a bad thing. Being a history buff I was hoping for more interesting F. Revolution facts. Oh well.



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Review: The Dog That Talked to God

 

 

The Dog That Talked to God by Jim Kraus
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this one. Cute book that lays out great truths. It is especially fun if you have ever loved a dog. :) In a nutshell, and without giving spoilers, dog helps woman through life in a miraculous way by being able to "talk" with her - even though no one else can hear him. Lots of lessons learned and lots of experiences shared between the two.

It's very light reading - quick read too - but it can make you stop and think too. I would recommend this for anyone 12+.  Fun and good book!

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Review: One by One

 

 

One by One by David A. Bednar
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Really good book that helped me refocus on the fact that we ARE our brother's keeper, and we are to be mindful of others more so than the "what to do's". I love his calm and steady teaching that is filled with love. Just as we should travel this path of life: calm and steady, with faith in Christ and focused on loving others as we love God and realizing He loves US that way too. So we should love ourselves in the way He loves us - see ourselves as He sees us - at least try our best to do so. This book is about reminding us that we are all individuals and we each travel our paths differently - but that does not mean we should love everyone differently. We should be patient, understanding, kind, helpful and concerned about each of our 'neighbors' - whether they are part of our immediate family, our nextdoor neighbor, our coworker or someone we meet the local corner gas station. Each of us has eternal potential. Each of us is loved profoundly and perfectly by our Father in Heaven. Each of us has goodness in us - even those in prison - we all want the same thing: love, belonging, acceptance, and understanding of who we are and how we fit in to the big picture.

This book reminded me that we each lived in the preexistence with Heavenly Father, so we each recall, in a spiritual sense, the pure love, the "fitting in" the "belonging" that we each enjoyed there- and here on earth we constantly seek for the same thing, as a "remembering" of that preexistence and we want it back. So many of us seek it in the wrong places and the wrong ways, but that is still what we are seeking.

So for those who understand the Lord's great plan of salvation, we know better than to brush people off. We know what they are truly seeking and we know where they can truly find it. Of course we can't force. Nor should we. But we can LOVE. we can WELCOME and ENCOURAGE. We can offer friendship and a listening ear. We can offer patience as other people try to find their own ways through this life. After all that is nothing more than we, ourselves, are seeking too. We want God to be welcoming, encouraging, patient, friendly, offer a listening ear, and we want Him to love us no matter what. Therefore we cannot do anything less for others unless we want to be utter hypocrites.

Our Church is truly one to welcome all. Member, non-member, it doesn't matter. All are welcome. And anytime a member of the Church, in whatever position, does the opposite of this - they are living in contradiction to what the Lord has asked them and indeed to the covenants they made at baptism to do exactly this - care for others, mourn with those who mourn, by happy with those who are happy, etc.

Essentially - love one another as the Lord has love us each. Period.

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Prepare for Time of Imminent War

 I'm just copying and pasting from my journal entry today. Hope this will help someone out there.

 This is not to scare anyone. This is simply sound advice to be prepared. We all recognize the world situation continues to heat up - whether it's race games, inoculation games, war games, religious games, political games, you name it. People are so far from God that they are devolving into animals again, as are the government who are supposed to lead by example. We all recognize the 'end times' are near, at least those who are paying attention, and we sense there is a need for preparation perhaps like never before. So, here are what I believe are the top TEN ways to PREPARE.

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I just watched  three great videos on YouTube from the account: Prepsteaders

I like the lady that does these - her focus is on CALM and FAITHFUL preparedness and it is organized, logical, and methodical in is instruction.

So I wanted to keep the notes on her step-by-step suggestions, because I feel they are spot-on.

PREPARE:

Part 1 - https://youtu.be/2qs9P8E71Xg

1) Prepare Your Soul (we have to be right with God)
        -- Our physical body is not as important as our spirit: prepare your spirit
        -- have my scriptures with me at all times
        -- pray, study scriptures and journal daily

2) Prepare You Mind (the psychology of preparedness - it is crucial to our survival - otherwise our ‘world’ within our minds falls apart, then the real world falls apart)
        -- what are my strengths?
        -- what are my weaknesses?
        -- what are my beliefs about life? About giving up? Above enduring in Faith/strength?
        -- Be sure you have a reason for living - a purpose

3) Get Physically in Shape (we need this - even thought, yes, we should have been preparing all along, it’s best to at least start today and do what you can, rather than do nothing)

Part 2 - https://youtu.be/yADYgDw5_zU

4) Go have a 3-legged race ( https://www.resilience.af.mil/Portals/57/Airmanship%20200_Trust.pdf )
        -- where are you weak in trusting and falling in step with someone else?
        -- we must trust each other - and learn to work together
        -- we will NOT survive ALONE - form a group that will support each other in emergencies
        -- we will NOT survive by just knowing what to eat and how to cook and stay warm/cool

5) Read Selco Begovic’s book “The Dark Secrets of SHTF Survival “ or a podcast by him
        -- he survived 1 yr in Balkan War in 90’s - eye-opener to survival preparedness

6) Get and read The US Army Survival Manual - excellent ideas to prepare and IN THE ORDER needed ( https://www.amazon.com/Official-U-S-Survival-Manual-Updated/dp/1510764925?crid=3O58NSGFS15HW&keywords=us+army+survival+manual+fm+21-76&qid=1645122229&sprefix=US+army+survival+manual,aps,144&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyQjlKUzdYWTVMUUMyJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNDA0MTM4MjFYWDJMQ01JRzc4QSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNjc0NDA3VUk3WTFYMU1HUE5CJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ%3D%3D&linkCode=sl1&tag=utlivife-20&linkId=6375fe553b99378e6e87f606f0357e24&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl )

“How can I know the will of God? Do what you know to do right now.” - Don’t get so big and lofty and crazy that you lock down and don’t know what to do. Especially in times of stress, stop breathe and take the next right step. If you know to pick up your socks or buy one extra canned good, then do it.

Part 3 - https://youtu.be/i-vAf0p1KTo

7) Fuel Sources
        -- buy as many gas cans and Kerosene lamps as you can
        -- there will be long lines of people trying to buy gas - you ‘ll need to hold/carry gas
        -- put stabilizer in them
        -- Buy a Kerosene oil lamp and extra clean-burning oil and enough matches
        -- AA batteries
        -- Propane & grill? Wood? (Strong recommendation, esp for fireplace), fire pit, sanitation!

8) Containers - Don’t Throw Them Away!
        -- find all we have: save them, even milk jugs and water bottles: fill with oil (glass container) and beans, peas, rice, wheat, barley, lentils, etc. (good for handing to any who might steal them/barter with)

9) Water Catching
        -- plan on how you can catch rain water - no matter ow big-small
        -- fill empty containers with water when possible

10) Stay in prayer and keep your faith!

Psalm 91:5-7 -  
    5) Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
    6) Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
    7) A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.”

The world is getting so dark out there - Go out! And GLOW! :)