Comforting Words

Marion G. Romney said:

"I am convinced that if we are to have peace in our hearts, we must learn how to preserve it in our hearts in the midst of trouble and trial. I know that if we lived the gospel, we would not have war. We would have peace. I do not, however, expect enough people to repent to spare the world from serious trouble. But I return to the Savior’s words. When he had made the above-quoted statement to his disciples, he saw that they were troubled, and he said unto them:"

“Be not troubled, for, when all these things shall come to pass, ye may know that the promises which have been made unto you shall be fulfilled …

“And it shall come to pass that he that feareth me shall be looking forth for the great day of the Lord to come, even for the signs of the coming of the Son of Man.

“And they shall see signs and wonders, for they shall be shown forth in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath.

“And they shall behold blood, and fire, and vapors of smoke.

“And before the day of the Lord shall come, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon be turned into blood, and the stars fall from heaven.

“And the remnant shall be gathered unto this place—[Jerusalem];

“And then they shall look for me, and behold, I will come; and they shall see me in the clouds of heaven, clothed with power and great glory; with all the holy angels; and he that watches not for me shall be cut off.”

And here is the key.

“And at that day, when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins.

“For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived … shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day.” (D&C 45:35, 39–44, 56–57.)

“They that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived.” (Ibid; italics added.) I think we are not safe because we say we intend to do what’s right. I think the people who are safe are those who have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide and have not been deceived. These are they who shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day.

“The earth shall be given unto them for an inheritance.” This earth isn’t going to be inherited by our enemies.

“The earth shall be given unto them—“who have ‘taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived’ ” (D&C 45:57.)—for an inheritance; and they shall multiply and wax strong, and their children shall grow up without sin unto salvation.

“For the Lord shall be in their midst, and his glory shall be upon them, and he will be their king and their lawgiver.” (D&C 45:58–59.)


sb: I am grateful for the understanding the brethren provide us that there are difficult times ahead. The knowledge of this need not cause fear, but can help us to strengthen our resolve to face what may be uncertain times ahead.

Sobering....

Food Riots, Tax Rebellions By 2012...Trend forecaster, renowned for being accurate in the past, says

The man who predicted the 1987 stock market crash and the fall of the Soviet Union is now forecasting revolution in America, food riots and tax rebellions - all within four years, while cautioning that putting food on the table will be a more pressing concern than buying Christmas gifts by 2012.

Gerald Celente, the CEO of Trends Research Institute, is renowned for his accuracy in predicting fut More..ure world and economic events, which will send a chill down your spine considering what he told Fox News this week.

Celente says that by 2012 America will become an undeveloped nation, that there will be a revolution marked by food riots, squatter rebellions, tax revolts and job marches, and that holidays will be more about obtaining food, not gifts.

"We're going to see the end of the retail Christmas....we're going to see a fundamental shift take place....putting food on the table is going to be more important that putting gifts under the Christmas tree," said Celente, adding that the situation would be "worse than the great depression".

"America's going to go through a transition the likes of which no one is prepared for," said Celente, noting that people's refusal to acknowledge that America was even in a recession highlights how big a problem denial is in being ready for the true scale of the crisis.

Celente, who successfully predicted the 1997 Asian Currency Crisis, the subprime mortgage collapse and the massive devaluation of the U.S. dollar, told UPI in November last year that the following year would be known as "The Panic of 2008," adding that "giants (would) tumble to their deaths," which is exactly what we have witnessed with the collapse of Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns and others. He also said that the dollar would eventually be devalued by as much as 90 per cent.

The consequence of what we have seen unfold this year would lead to a lowering in living standards, Celente predicted a year ago, which is also being borne out by plummeting retail sales figures.

The prospect of revolution was a concept echoed by a British Ministry of Defence report last year, which predicted that within 30 years, the growing gap between the super rich and the middle class, along with an urban underclass threatening social order would mean, "The world's middle classes might unite, using access to knowledge, resources and skills to shape transnational processes in their own class interest," and that, "The middle classes could become a revolutionary class."

In a separate recent interview, Celente went further on the subject of revolution in America.

"There will be a revolution in this country," he said. "It's not going to come yet, but it's going to come down the line and we're going to see a third party and this was the catalyst for it: the takeover of Washington, D. C., in broad daylight by Wall Street in this bloodless coup. And it will happen as conditions continue to worsen."

"The first thing to do is organize with tax revolts. That's going to be the big one because people can't afford to pay more school tax, property tax, any kind of tax. You're going to start seeing those kinds of protests start to develop."

"It's going to be very bleak. Very sad. And there is going to be a lot of homeless, the likes of which we have never seen before. Tent cities are already sprouting up around the country and we're going to see many more."

"We're going to start seeing huge areas of vacant real estate and squatters living in them as well. It's going to be a picture the likes of which Americans are not going to be used to. It's going to come as a shock and with it, there's going to be a lot of crime. And the crime is going to be a lot worse than it was before because in the last 1929 Depression, people's minds weren't wrecked on all these modern drugs – over-the-counter drugs, or crystal meth or whatever it might be. So, you have a huge underclass of very desperate people with their minds chemically blown beyond anybody's comprehension."

"When CNN wants to know about the Top Trends, we ask Gerald Celente."
— CNN Headline News

"A network of 25 experts whose range of specialties would rival many university faculties."
— The Economist

"Gerald Celente has a knack for getting the zeitgeist right."
— USA Today

"There's not a better trend forecaster than Gerald Celente. The man knows what he's talking about."
- CNBC

"Those who take their predictions seriously ... consider the Trends Research Institute."
— The Wall Street Journal

"Gerald Celente is always ahead of the curve on trends and uncannily on the mark ... he's one of the most accurate forecasters around."
— The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"Mr. Celente tracks the world's social, economic and business trends for corporate clients."
— The New York Times

"Mr. Celente is a very intelligent guy. We are able to learn about trends from an authority."
— 48 Hours, CBS News

"Gerald Celente has a solid track record. He has predicted everything from the 1987 stock market crash and the demise of the Soviet Union to green marketing and corporate downsizing."
— The Detroit News

"Gerald Celente forecast the 1987 stock market crash, 'green marketing,' and the boom in gourmet coffees."
— Chicago Tribune

"The Trends Research Institute is the Standard and Poors of Popular Culture."
— The Los Angeles Times

"If Nostradamus were alive today, he'd have a hard time keeping up with Gerald Celente."
— New York Post

sb

We MUST HOLD To The Rod

sb

The Twelve Apostle Song

sb

"Community Basketball" or "Communist Basketball"?

Today I went to register my daughter for a community girl's basketball league. I requested a certain coach. The conversation with the man at the registration office played out like this.

Him: "I can't promise you you will get that coach. Several people have reqested him."

"Me: "So are you saying that all the positions on the team are full?"

Him: "No, we having actually have not filled the spots yet, but we will probably only place half the people who requested him on the team and fill the remaining half of the spots with other children."

Me: "Why would you do that?"

Him: "Because we think it is more fair that way."

Me: "How is that fair?"

Him: "Because if we put everyone who requested that coach on one team, it could end up with a stacked team, and they could end up better than the other teams."

Me: "And that is a problem?"

Him: "It's just not fair. Every child should have the opportunity to succeed."

Me: "Can I ask you a personal question? Are you a socialist or a capitalist?"

Him: (Not amused) "I believe in healthy competition in a free market...but these are kids we are talking about."

Me: "And you don't think that the entire generation of kids who got a trophy (no matter how they performed) that are adults now have ANYTHING to do with our country's economic problems?"

Him: "I think they are kids and should be treated that way."

Me: "And so we should raise them with socialist principles until they are 18...and then expect them to embrace capitalist principles? You don't see a flaw here?"

I AM SOOOOOO NOT GETTING THE COACH I REQUESTED.

Any thoughts?
sb

Thanking The LDS Church

Good News: Hundreds Thank Mormon Church for Supporting Marriage

www.citizenlink.org

The National Organization for Marriage has launched a petition drive in response to incendiary attacks from gay activists in California and around the U.S. AboveTheHate.com has collected nearly 1,500 signatures of people thanking the Mormon Church for its support of Prop. 8, California's marriage-protection amendment.

The list includes Dr. James Dobson and Tom Minnery of Focus on the Family, Chuck Colson, Tony Perkins, Gary Bauer, Bishop Harry Jackson and other marriage advocates. The public is invited to sign on, as well.

Since Prop. 8 passed Nov. 4, gay activists have vandalized property, disrupted Sunday services and mailed threatening letters to marriage advocates around the country. The Mormon Church has been a primary target.

Maggie Gallagher, president of the National Organization for Marriage, said: “The answer is to organize together in defense not only of marriage, and God’s truth about marriage, but in defense of basic, American decency about how we treat each other when we disagree.”

Bishop Harry Jackson, chairman of the High Impact Leadership Coalition, said the petition makes an important statement "that we are going to operate with Christian integrity no matter how the other side operates.”

— Family News in Focus

We're All Hugging Pandas Now!

(This article is taken from rightwingnews.com)
As you're reading this story, you're going to be tempted to laugh, but you might want to hold your chuckles for a few minutes,


A college student in southern China was bitten by a panda after he broke into the bear's enclosure hoping to get a hug, state media and a park employee said Saturday.

The student was visiting Qixing Park with classmates on Friday when he jumped the 6.5-foot (2-meter) -high fence around the panda's habitat, said the park employee, who refused to give his name.

...The student was pale as he was taken away by medics but appeared clear-headed, he said.

"Yang Yang was so cute and I just wanted to cuddle him. I didn't expect he would attack," the 20-year-old student, surnamed Liu, said in a local hospital, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

Liu underwent surgery Friday evening and was out of danger, but will remain in the hospital for several days, Xinhua said.

...The same panda was in the news in 2006 when he bit a drunk tourist who broke into his enclosure and tried to hug him while he was asleep.The tourist retaliated by biting the bear in the back.


You may think this is just a story about a complete moron and a panda, but to me it's a metaphor for much of modern civilization. There are people, not just in this country but across the West, who've been shielded from real danger for so long that they can't even identify a threat when it's looking them in the face.

They believe that the government can run large deficits from now until doomsday without any consequences. They believe the government can force banks to lend people with almost no money the capital for $500,000 homes without it coming back to bite them on the behind. They think unions can be empowered to get so much money for their members that they bankrupt the companies that are paying them. They think we can talk out any difference we have with our enemies. It goes on and on and on.

And who's really more foolish: someone who doesn't understand that it's dangerous to hug a wild animal or someone who doesn't understand that it's dangerous to our future to have the government giving away so much taxpayer money that we go hundreds of billions of dollars deeper into debt every year? At least the moron who tried to hug the panda was only hurting himself...

sb

This Is The Kind Of Thing That Occurs When Government Declares Themselves "Parent"

Excerpts from article By Drew Zahn
© 2008 WorldNetDaily 11/17/08

The Homeschool Legal Defense Association is helping a family with an unusual, first-of-its-kind application: political asylum in the United States from Germany's oppressive homeschooling laws.

The Uwe and Hannelore Romeike family fled their native Bissingen, Germany, to escape persecution under a Nazi-era law requiring all children to attend public school to avoid "the emergence of parallel societies based on separate philosophical convictions" that could be taught by parents at home.
WND reported two years ago on the day police knocked on the Romeike's door and forcibly escorted their children to public school.

The family fled Germany and this summer arrived in Tennessee, where they hope they will be permitted to make a permanent home.

Speaking of their new life in Tennessee, Mrs. Romeike told HSLDA, "The freedom we have to homeschool our children is wonderful. ... We don't have to worry about looking over our shoulder anymore, wondering when the youth welfare officials will come or how much money we have to pay in fines."

Mr. Romeike added, "We left family, our home and a wonderful community in Germany. But the freedom is worth it. We hope that our example may pave the way for other families. It is wrong for Germany to persecute homeschoolers.

"German homeschoolers, of which there are few because of the persecution, are fined thousands of dollars, sent to prison or have the custody of their children taken away," says Michael P. Donnelly, HSLDA's contact attorney for Germany, on the organization's website.

"Many of these families have fled Germany when threatened with the custody of their children," he says. "Some have told me that they are willing to go to jail for their beliefs if they have to, but they will not allow the state to take their children. This year alone, nearly a dozen families have fled this in the face of this harsh persecution."

WND has reported on German homeschoolers who have been fined the equivalent of thousands of dollars, have been threatened with jail and have even watched their children be confined to a psychiatric hospital, diagnosed with "school phobia."

sb: While I am not currently homeschooling my children, I would DEFINITELY choose this option if I felt the locals schools did not reflect my own values. I TRULY hope that this right of parents to school their own children remains intact in our own country!

WOW....Is Life Constantly Changing!

(Remember to turn off the music.)

Being born in the sixties and seeing just how much things have changed in the last 4 decades blows me AWAY!



sb

If Ye Are Prepared, Ye Shall Not Fear...

(Remember to turn off the music.)


sb

Elton John Was An Ally On Prop. 8

Article taken from the L.A. Times:

Elton John is enlisted as an unlikely ally for pro-Proposition 8 fundraising efforts. Protests and vandalism mounted by advocates of same-sex marriage are being used by promoters of Proposition 8 as a fundraising tool.

Jeff Flint, manager of the Yes-on-8 campaign, the proposition that banned gay marriage, also is using an unlikely ally -- Sir Elton John.

Flint sent out an e-mail solicitation decrying the tactics by some foes of the initiative and citing a USA Today article that quotes the performer as describing his partner and him as being in a civil partnership, not marriage, and how he prefers it that way.

Prominent on the e-mail is a large red button that says: Donate.

“We want our supporters to know that we’re not going to stand by while they are harassed and intimidated when we asked them to support us,” Flint said today.

There have been numerous protests and some vandalism since voters approved the measure by a margin of 52.25% to 47.8% on Nov 4.

“It shows the so-called forces of tolerance are the most intolerant force in politics,” Flint said. “I can’t believe politically it is helping them.”

Money raised by the measure will be used in the coming court battle over Proposition 8. More than 40 Democratic legislators have filed a friend-of-the-court brief urging that the California Supreme Court overturn the initiative. Arnold Schwarzenegger also has called on the court to intervene.

-- Dan Morain

sb

Maybe Under The New Administration He Will Be Vindicated!

(AP)Police say a central Pennsylvania man tried to rob a bank -- but tellers' empty cash drawers thwarted his attempt. Springettsbury Township Police Lt. Scott Laird said the tellers were waiting for their cash drawers to be filled when a man entered a Susquehanna Bank branch Thursday morning and demanded money. The first teller fainted and the next two showed him their empty cash drawers.

Laird says the robber then threatened to file a complaint with bank management before leaving.

A customer at the drive-through called 911. A 48-year-old man was arrested about 10 blocks away and was held in the York County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bail. He was charged with criminal attempt to commit robbery.

sb

Clinically Mad?

Liberals clinically mad, concludes top psychiatrist
Eminent doctor makes case leftist ideology is a mental disorder
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: November 12, 2008
6:33 pm Eastern

© 2008 WorldNetDaily
(Excerpts from article)

"Based on strikingly irrational beliefs and emotions, modern liberals relentlessly undermine the most important principles on which our freedoms were founded," says Dr. Lyle Rossiter, author of the new book, "The Liberal Mind: The Psychological Causes of Political Madness." "Like spoiled, angry children, they rebel against the normal responsibilities of adulthood and demand that a parental government meet their needs from cradle to grave."

"A social scientist who understands human nature will not dismiss the vital roles of free choice, voluntary cooperation and moral integrity – as liberals do," he says. "A political leader who understands human nature will not ignore individual differences in talent, drive, personal appeal and work ethic, and then try to impose economic and social equality on the population – as liberals do. And a legislator who understands human nature will not create an environment of rules which over-regulates and over-taxes the nation's citizens, corrupts their character and reduces them to wards of the state – as liberals do."

Dr. Rossiter says the liberal agenda preys on weakness and feelings of inferiority in the population by:

creating and reinforcing perceptions of victimization;
satisfying infantile claims to entitlement, indulgence and compensation;

augmenting primitive feelings of envy;

rejecting the sovereignty of the individual, subordinating him to the will of the government.

sb

And Now For Something Completely Different: An oldie but a GOODY!

(Remember to turn the music off on the blog.)


sb

Food For Thought

"The fostering of full economic freedom lies at the base of our liberties.”
— David O. McKay
ab

White Powder Sent To LDS Temples In Utah And California

LOS ANGELES - Authorities are investigating after letters containing white powder were sent to Mormon temples in Utah and California.

A temple that was the site of a recent gay rights protest in Los Angeles was closed Thursday after receiving the envelope. The package was being inspected.

Powder spilled from an envelope onto a clerk's hand Thursday at the temple in downtown Salt Lake City. The room was decontaminated and the envelope taken by the FBI for testing.

The clerk showed no signs of illness, but the scare shut down a building at Temple Square for more than an hour.

Protests in recent days have targeted the Mormon church, which encouraged its members to fight the recently passed amendment banning gay marriage in California.

msnbc.com

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
sb

Hee Hee...

sb

Understanding Our Mission...

Ex-Hitler youth's warning to America
'Every day brings this nation closer to Nazi-style totalitarian abyss'

--------------------------------------------------------
Posted: November 13, 2008
1:00 am Eastern

© 2008 WorldNetDaily




WASHINGTON – Because it has abandoned moral absolutes and its historic Christian faith, the U.S. is moving closer to a Nazi-style totalitarianism, warns a former German member of the Hitler Youth in a new book.

"Every day brings this nation closer to a Nazi-style totalitarian abyss," writes Hilmar von Campe, now a U.S. citizen, and author of "Defeating the Totalitarian Lie: A Former Hitler Youth Warns America."

Von Campe has founded the national Institute for Truth and Freedom to fight for a return to constitutional government in the U.S. – a key, he believes, to keeping America free.

"I lived the Nazi nightmare, and, as the old saying goes, 'A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument,'" writes von Campe. "Everything I write is based on my personal experience in Nazi Germany. There is nothing theoretical about my description of what happens when a nation throws God out of government and society, and Christians become religious bystanders. I don't want to see a repetition. The role of God in human society is the decisive issue for this generation. My writing is part of my life of restitution for the crimes of a godless government, of the evil of which I was a part."

Von Campe grew up under the Nazis, served in the Hitler Youth and fought against the Red Army in the Yugoslavian theater as a tank gunner in the German army. He was captured at the end of the war and escaped five months later from a prisoner of war camp in Communist Yugoslavia.

"It took me a long time to understand and define the nature of National Socialism," says von Campe. "And, unfortunately, their philosophy continues to flourish under different labels remaining a menace to America and free human society."

He writes: "The most painful part of defining National Socialism was to recognize my own moral responsibility for the Nazi disaster and their crimes against humanity. It boiled down to accepting the truth that 'as I am, so is my nation,' and realizing that if every German was like me, it was no wonder that the nation became a cesspool of gangsters. This realization is as valid today for any person in any nation as it was then, and it is true for America and every American now."

Von Campe's message is that political freedom and democratic rules alone are not sufficient to govern humanity justly.

"Democratic procedures can be subverted and dishonest politicians are like sand in the gearbox, abundant, everywhere and destructive," he writes. "What I see in America today is people painting their cabins while the ship goes down. Today in America we are witnessing a repeat performance of the tragedy of 1933 when an entire nation let itself be led like a lamb to the Socialist slaughterhouse. This time, the end of freedom is inevitable unless America rises to her mission and destiny."

Von Campe says he sees spiritual parallels among Americans and his childhood Germany.

"The silence from our pulpits regarding the moral collapse of American society from within is not very different from the silence that echoed from the pulpits in Germany toward Nazi policies," he explains. "Our family lived through the Nazi years in Germany, an experience typical of millions of Europeans regardless of what side they were on. We paid a high price for the moral perversions of a German government, which excluded God and His Commandments from their policies. America must not continue following the same path to destruction, but instead heed the lessons of history and the warning I am giving."

Specifically, von Campe warns Americans their political leaders are on the wrong footing, "denying our cultural and traditional roots based on our unique Constitution and Christian orientation as a nation. Christians don't understand their mission."

sb

He Meant It When He Said CHANGE

(Turn off the music to hear this!)


In light of this, take into consideration the words of Xia Deren, Mayor of Dalian in 2004, in COMMUNIST China:

Speaking about the current generation in China he said,"...they are not as ambitious as my generation. Because our generation, before they got into university and colleges, were sent to distant, rural areas, and factories, and military teams, and went through a very hard time" in MANDATORY CIVILIAN SERVICE.

sb

In Honor Of Our Veterans...

I am ETERNALLY GRATEFUL for all of the veterans who have given their ALL, many even their LIVES, for FREEDOM. Their sacrifice helps me to see that it is the LEAST I can do to speak up in defense of it.


(Remember to turn off the music when viewing.)



sb

"Rule?"

I'm HOPING she meant to say "govern!"
(Remember to turn off the music to hear her words.)



sb

This is A SERIOUS Concern For Me

Web faux pas: Plan leaked for 'civilian security force'?
Before blogs caught it, Obama site told of requiring students to serve

-----------------------------------------------------
Posted: November 08, 2008
3:36 pm Eastern

© 2008 WorldNetDaily

The official website of President-Elect Barack Obama, Change.gov, originally announced that Obama would "require" all middle school through college students to participate in community service programs; but after a flurry of blogs protested children being drafted into Obama's proposed youth corps, the website's wording was softened.

Originally, under the tab "America Serves" Change.gov read, "President-Elect Obama will expand national service programs like AmeriCorps and Peace Corps and will create a new Classroom Corps to help teachers in under served schools, as well as a new Health Corps, Clean Energy Corps, and Veterans Corps.

"Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by developing a plan to require 50 hours of community service in middle school and high school and 100 hours of community service in college every year," the site announced.

The language of requiring students to serve and the creation of a "Classroom Corps" sparked a surge of criticism from bloggers for bringing back memories of the much-publicized video of marching Obama youth and Obama's "civilian national security force," which the candidate said in July would be just as powerful and well-funded as the U.S. military.


sb: I am all for public service, but this country was founded on volunteerism, and not forced charity--which REALLY isn't CHARITY after all! Forced sacrifice is oppression.

An Open Letter To Sarah Palin

Dear Sarah,

I just wanted to personally thank you for your courage and convictions as a strong, intelligent, conservative woman. Thank you for being willing when offered the opportunity to stand up and speak out on the national front as a strong conservative voice.

And, although the media saw the opportunity... and took it...to send a WARNING to ALL strong conservative women that we are not welcome, you have inspired me.

I thank you, Sarah, for your courage, your convictions, and your voice. Regardless of the media's attempts to discredit, humiliate, and dishearten you, and to paint the picture that conservative women's views are archaic, uninformed, and insensitive, your example has been influential for good to MANY. I applaud you for this.

The media's choice to turn their interviews with you into a game of Trivial Pursuit only made it more evident to me the reality of things. You impressed me, not by the ability or inability you may have had to recite history or policy, but by the framework of principle that you know and understand. Facts and policy can be learned, but without a strong foundation of sound principle, no matter how beautiful the detail work may be, a building will crumble.

And isn't it ironic that in the media's attempts to proclaim Obama as the "Messiah," they have forgotten that the true Messiah was crucified. His message wasn't wanted either. Thanks for going through this for me. Thank you for being the voice of many conservative women. You should be proud!

Sincerely,
1 LDS Mom

I AM MORTIFIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I like to blog...though technologically I am totally inept. This fact was evident, yet again, last night.

Several of my friends are on Facebook. Some of them have been encouraging me to get on as well. And so I did...however, in the process somehow an invitation was inadvertently sent to every person in my e-mail contact list to join me. This includes over 200 ADDRESSES. These addresses include business contacts, as well as the contact information of people like my children's teachers, school counselors, and PRINCIPAL!

I am MORTIFIED! I am hoping that the kid's principal so doesn't think I am hitting on him! I COULD DIE...........

After realizing what happened this morning, I immediately began sending "I'm sorry" notes to as many people as I could.

My funny Uncle sent me this in return.

In reply to my invite for him to join me on Facebook he wrote:

this invitation came just in the nick of time to keep me from ending it all.... I have been totally isolated and severely depressed for months now, and I was on my way to jump off of the city and county building..... I had nothing left to live for..... as I was leaving the house, I stopped by to tell my one friend, the computer, goodbye forever...
and there it was, glowing warmly, invitingly, from the screen....
your INVITATION to me , saying you would be my friend and invite me into your warm circle of special e.mail friends, including Glenn Beck and John McCain, no less ...... .... how can I ever thank you sufficiently???.... without this invitation, I would be now dust in the wind.... ...... this invitation will give me the strength to carry on...
what would I do without it???
thank you, thank you. thnx


In reply to my "I'm sorry it was an accident letter." He replied:

oh, crap !

**



Thanks, Uncle......, for helping me laugh at a VERY EMBARRASSING situation!
sb

Clarifying The Socialist/Communist Agenda

Writer/Historian Cleon Skousen wrote a book in 1958 called "The Naked Communist." In it, he defined the goals of the Communist party at that time based on statements made from Communist leaders. These goals were set with the objective of spreading communism. It's fascinating and frightening to see how many of these objectives have been met today. Especially, in light of the fact that at the time these were written many of these things seemed an impossibility.


1958 COMMUNIST PARTY GOALS

U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war.

U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war.

Develop the illusion that total disarmament (by) the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.

Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war.

Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites.

Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination.

Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N.

Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N.

Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress.

Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N.

Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.)

Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party.

Do away with all loyalty oaths.

Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office.

Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.

Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.

Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks.

Gain control of all student newspapers.

Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack.

Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions.

Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.

Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms."

Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art."

Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.

Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.

Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."

Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch."

Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the grounds that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."

Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.

Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man."

Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the grounds that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.

Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture -- education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.

Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus.

Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities.

Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI.

Infiltrate and gain control of more unions.

Infiltrate and gain control of big business.

Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand (or treat).

Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.

Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.

Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.

Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems.

Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government.

Internationalize the Panama Canal.

Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over domestic problems. Give the World Court jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike….."
sb

So Here Is How I Do It...

Those who know me know I am a bit of a spaz in the sense I always have some kind of project going on. Just today someone asked me how it is that I make things happen. At the moment I wasn't sure how to answer them, other than to say I have a lot of passion for life.

Further reflection has given me this answer. There is a necessary process that is required to move from daydreaming to a finished product or project. In my mind, it looks something like this:







I'm no Einstein, but Albert Einstein did say:
"It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer."

For me, the secret of success is making each step of the process fun! Hope this inspires someone today.
sb

Dear Family and Friends:

I do not have everyone's email, so if you'd like access to my personal blog please send your email to :

contact1LDSmom@yahoo.com

Thanks a million!

"Obamanation" of Desolation...

Let me begin by saying that I think it is a wonderful thing we have crossed a racial barrier in this nation in the election this past week. That IS something to celebrate. However, the ideology of the President-Elect runs completely opposite of my own views as a Capitalist. The following thoughts are my own, and perhaps will be food for thought to others.


The Book of Daniel speaks to the events of the last days prior to the Second Coming of Christ. It speaks of this time as the Abomination of Desolation. It reads:

"And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strenth, and shall take away the daily SACRIFICE(sb: the personal accountability required by capitalism), and they shall place the abomination (sb: principles espoused by Obama's agenda)that maketh desolate." (sb: socialism)

"And such as do wickedly against the covenant(sb: those who turn away from God) shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits."

"And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days."

"Now when they shall fall, they shall be hopen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries." (sb: the majority will cleave to the voices that flatter and speak not of repentance)

"And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white (sb: not speaking of race here, but of righteousness), even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed."

"And the King shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done."

"Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all."
Daniel 11:31-37

sb: Keep in mind what Karl Marx said was his ENTIRE purpose for socialism. In his own word: "My object in life is to dethrone God and destroy capitalism."



And when being taught by the Lord of the words you have just read which prophesy the events leading up to the Second Coming of Christ, Daniel said:

"Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river."

"And one said to the man, clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?"

"And I heard the man clothes in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished."

"And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?"

"And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end."

"Many shall be purified, and made white (again, referring to righteousness), and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand."

"And from the time that the daily SACRIFICE (sb: capitalism) shall be taken away, and the abomination (sb: Obama's agenda) that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days." (sb: just over three and a half years)

"Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days." (sb: close to four years)

"But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days."
Daniel 12:5-13



"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book."

"And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, come to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."

"And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever."
Daniel 12:1-3



And so, Brothers and Sisters in Zion, the counsel is there for us in D&C 84:117-120:

"And verily I say unto you, the rest of my servants, go ye forth as your circumstances shall permit, in your several callings, unto the great and notable cities and villages, reproving the world in righteousness of all their unrighteous and ungodly deeds, setting forth clearly and understandingly the desolation of abomination (sb: Obama's agenda) in the last days."

"For with you saith the Lord Almighty, I will rend their kingdoms; I will not only shake the earth, but the starry heavens shall tremble."

"For I, the Lord, have put forth my hand to exert the powers of heaven; ye cannot see it now, yet a little while and ye shall see it, and know that I am, and that I will come and reign with my people."

"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. Amen."


Marion G. Romney said:
"We have a classic example of the loss of economic
freedom by the misuse of free agency in the
book of Genesis. The Egyptians, instead of exercising
their agency to provide for themselves against a day of need, depended upon the government. As a result, when the famine came they were forced to purchase food from the government. First they used their money. When that was gone, they gave their livestock, then their lands; and finally they were compelled to sell themselves into slavery, that they might eat." (See Gen. 41:54–56; Gen.
47:13–26.)

"We ourselves have gone a long way down this road
during the last century. My counsel is that we beware of the doctrine which encourages us to seek government-supported security rather than to put faith in our own industry." (sb: that we cling to capitalism)

Abraham Lincoln said "We all declare for liberty, but in using the same word we do not mean the same thing. With some, the word liberty may mean for each man to do as he pleases with himself and the product of his labor; while with others [liberty] may mean for some men to do as they please with other men and the product of other men’s labor.” Lincoln was speaking of true principles as relating to slavery. Under socialism the government becomes the slave owner.

In our country's attempt to exemplify an equal and diverse nation, ironically we have chosen a leader that professes the very ideology that enslaved blacks only decades before.

I have no way to know what specific events God was speaking of to Daniel, but I know that my heart tells me that there is much change and much that will be seen in the promises made to the gathering of Israel and this nation in the near future.

May God bless those Americans who Bless God.
SB

sb: Sorry, but your great comments got deleted by accident when I was separating my blog content!

Blessings Come In Unexpected Ways!

This article is from article6.com a Christian Online Ezine


What A Long Strange Trip It’s Been
Posted by: John Schroeder at 07:09 am,
November 6th 2008

Proposition 8 is now a part of the California constitution!
That is probably the best news from an otherwise difficult election for conservatives and Republicans. In very large part, we Evangelicals must thank our Mormon cousins for that fact. They, along with our Catholic brethren, were better organized than us and that provided a base from which we could ALL work together to get this job done. What more, as we have chronicled here, Mormons took the brunt of the abuse, derision, and even threats of physical harm that came with this effort.

And like us, they have given thanks to the Almighty that is ultimately in control, even if their understanding of that Almighty is a bit diffrent than ours.

I cannot help but wonder how much more thankful we ALL might be today if we had been more willing to embrace these religious cousins a few months ago - but alas, politics is always about governing today and looking forward to the next election.

Said John Mark Reynolds:

In the battle for the family, however, traditional Christians have no better friends than the Mormon faithful. It would be wrong if that support were taken for granted. We are intolerant of the false attacks on Mormon faith and family. We stand with our Mormon friends in their right to express their views on the public square. We celebrate the areas, such as family values, where we agree.

A heart felt thank you may not win points from other friends who demand one hundred percent agreement from their allies, but it is the decent and proper thing to do.

Thank you to our Mormon friends and allies!

Hard to do better than that. The “Ruth Youth” ministry proclaimed yesterday “International Mormon Appreciation Day.” Very appropriate, yet still inadequate.

In addition to our thanks, Mormons deserve our protection. They have been oppressed in ways during the Prop 8 campaign that this nation has not seen since the 1960’s and the civil rights movement. The rhetoric has been deplorable, but moreover. we have seen instances of vandalism, property destruction, and some leaders in the fight currently find themselves with armed protection because of the threats made against them and their families.

Our nation will not and cannot tolerate this sort of behavior - it is incumbent on all of us to stand against it, and the best way to do that is to stand between the Mormons and the forces that would perpetrate such evil.

Now I am sure the Mormons can, and probably want, to take care of themselves, but as a Christian, it is my duty to protect the innocent and free the oppressed. To turn a blind eye in this circumstance is not only ungracious, it is simply unChristian.

Make all the theological distinctions you want, but in the political arena we are yoked with the Mormons (he said borrowing some religious imagery) and it is darn well time we started acting like it.

Absolutely, positively thank the Mormons - but don’t stop there. Stand up and be counted against the evil that has been perpetrated towards them in this campaign.

As Christians we can do no less.
Sphere: Related Content

sb: Wow, how exciting to see bridges being built in our Christian communitiy!

Every Mother Should Endeavor To Be A True Artist...

Francis E. W. Harper said:

“Every mother should endeavor to be a true artist. I do not mean by this that every woman should be a painter, sculptor, musician, poet, or writer, but the artist who will write on the table of childish innocence thoughts she will not blush to see read in the light of eternity and printed amid the archives of heaven, that the young may learn to wear them as amulets around their hearts and throw them as bulwarks around their lives, and that in the hour of temptation and trial the voices from home may linger around their paths as angles of guidance, around their steps, and be incentives to deeds of high and holy worth.”

Come Listen To A Prophet's Voice...

It is so very comforting to have Prophets in turbulent times to remind us of important eternal truths. Although this is an older speech, I LOVE it. It is an AMAZING talk from President Benson, given on April 12, 1977 at BYU. It is entitled, "A Vision and a Hope for the Youth in Zion." You can read it or download the mp3 here: http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=85

Here are some notes from the lecture:

Socialism--a Philosophy Incompatible with Man's Liberty

Another notable counterfeit system to the Lord's plan is collectivized socialism. Socialism derives its philosophy from the founders of communism, Marx and Engels. Communism in practice is socialism. Its purpose is world socialism, which the communists seek to achieve by revolution, and which the socialists seek to achieve by evolution. Both communism and socialism have the same effect upon the individual--a loss of personal liberty. As was said so well by President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., "The two are as two peas in a pod in their ultimate effect upon our liberties."

Why is socialism incompatible with man's liberty? Socialism cannot work except through an all-powerful state. The state has to be supreme in everything. When individuals begin to exert their God-given rights, the state has to suppress that freedom. So belief in God must be suppressed, and with that gone freedom of conscience and religion must also go. Those are the first of our liberties mentioned in the Bill of Rights.

There are some among us who would confuse the united order with socialism. That is a serious misunderstanding. It is significant to me that the Prophet Joseph Smith, after attending lectures on socialism in his day, made this official entry in the Church history: "I said I did not believe the doctrine" (Joseph Smith, History of the Church 6:33).

Socialism Disguised under Welfare State Measures

As citizens of this noble land, we have marched a long way down the soul-destroying road of socialism. If you question that statement, consider the recent testimonial from the Nobel prize-winning economist, Milton Friedman. He indicated that government spending in the United States at all levels amounts to over forty percent of today's total national income. If we continue to follow the trend in which we are heading today, two things will inevitably result: first, a loss of our personal freedom, and second, financial bankruptcy. This is the price we pay when we turn away from God and the principles which he has taught and turn to government to do everything for us. It is the formula by which nations become enslaved.

This nation was established by the God of heaven as a citadel of liberty. A constitution guaranteeing those liberties was designed under the superintending influence of heaven. I have recounted here before what took place in the St. George Temple when the Founding Fathers of this nation visited President Wilford Woodruff, who was then a member of the Twelve and not president of the Church. The republic which was established was the most nearly perfect system which could have been devised to lead men toward celestial principles. We may liken our system to the law of Moses which leads men to the higher law of Christ.

Today, two hundred years later, we must sadly observe that we have significantly departed from the principles established by the founders of our country. James Madison opposed the proposal to put Congress in the role of promoting the general welfare according to its whims in these words:

If Congress can employ money indefinitely to the general welfare, they may take the care of religion into their own hands; they may appoint teachers in every state, county and parish and pay them out of their public treasure; they may take into their own hands the education of children, establishing in like manner schools throughout the Union; they may assume the provision of the poor. . . . Were the power of Congress to be established in the latitude contended for [and it was an issue then], it would subvert the very foundations, and transmute the very nature of the limited Government established by the people of America. [quoted in Donald L. Newquist, Prophets, Principles, and National Survival, p. 342]

That statement, given as a warning, has proved prophetic. Today Congress is doing what Madison warned about. Many are now advocating that which has become a general practice since the early 1930s: a redistribution of wealth through the federal tax system. That, by definition, is socialism!

Americans have always been committed to taking care of the poor, aged, and unemployed. We have done this on the basis of Judaic-Christian beliefs and humanitarian principles. It has been fundamental to our way of life that charity must be voluntary if it is to be charity. Compulsory benevolence is not charity. Today's socialists--who call themselves egalitarians--are using the federal government to redistribute wealth in our society, not as a matter of voluntary charity, but as a so-called matter of right. One HEW official said recently, "In this country, welfare is no longer charity, it is a right. More and more Americans feel that their government owes them something" (U.S. News and World Report, April 21, 1975, p. 49). President Grover Cleveland said--and we believe as a people--that though the people support the government the government should not support the people.

The chief weapon used by the federal government to achieve this "equality" is the system of transfer payments. This means that the federal governments collects from one income group and transfer payments to another by the tax system. These payments are made in the form of social security benefits, Medicare and Medicaid, and food stamps, to name a few. Today the cost of such programs has been going in the hole at the rate of 12 billion dollars a year; and, with increased benefits and greater numbers of recipients, even though the tax base has been increased we will have larger deficits in the future.

Today the party now in power is advocating and has support, apparently in both major parties, for a comprehensive national health insurance program--a euphemism for socialized medicine. Our major danger is that we are currently (and have been for forty years) transferring responsibility from the individual, local, and state governments to the federal government--precisely the same course that led to the economic collapse in Great Britain and New York City. We cannot long pursue the present trend without its bringing us to national insolvency.

Edmund Burke, the great British political philosopher, warned of the threat of economic equality. He said,

A perfect equality will indeed be produced--that is to say, equal wretchedness, equal beggary, and on the part of the petitioners, a woeful, helpless, and desperate disappointment. Such is the event of all compulsory equalizations. They pull down what is above; they never raise what is below; and they depress high and low together beneath the level of what was originally the lowest.



sb: I am so very grateful to have inspired leaders who shed light and knowledge on such critical issues in a day when these truths have been so twisted by the doctrines of men mingled with holy scripture, in attempts by the adversary to give them validity and lead God's children into captivity.

THIEVES AMONG US!!!

Frederic Bastiat (1801-1850) was a French economist, statesman, and author. He did most of his writing during the years just before – and immediately following — the Revolution of February 1848. This was the period when France was rapidly turning to complete socialism. As a Deputy to the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Bastiat was studying and explaining each socialist fallacy as it appeared. And he explained how socialism must inevitably degenerate into communism. But most of his countrymen chose to ignore his logic.

I have selected some of my favorite excerpts from Bastiat's “The Law.” It isn't light reading, but I PROMISE it is worth understanding: (The summary above, and excerpts below come from www.fee.org which is the Foundation for Economic Education.)


“Each of us has a natural right—from God—to defend his person, his liberty, and his property.”

“These are the three basic requirements of life, and the preservation of any one of them is completely dependent upon the preservation of the other two. For what are our faculties but the extension of our individuality? And what is property but an extension of our faculties?”

“Thus, since an individual cannot lawfully use force against the person, liberty, or property of another individual, then the common force — for the same reason — cannot lawfully be used to destroy the person, liberty, or property of individuals or groups. The law has placed the collective force at the disposal of the unscrupulous who wish, without risk, to exploit the person, liberty, and property of others. It has converted plunder into a right, in order to protect plunder. And it has converted lawful defense into a crime, in order to punish lawful defense.”

“But it is also true that a man may live and satisfy his wants by seizing and consuming the products of the labor of others. This process is the origin of plunder.”

“Now since man is naturally inclined to avoid pain — and since labor is pain in itself — it follows that men will resort to plunder whenever plunder is easier than work. History shows this quite clearly. And under these conditions, neither religion nor morality can stop it.”

“When, then, does plunder stop? It stops when it becomes more painful and more dangerous than labor. It is evident, then, that the proper purpose of law is to use the power of its collective force to stop this fatal tendency to plunder instead of to work. All the measures of the law should protect property and punish plunder.”

“But it does not always do this. Sometimes the law defends plunder and participates in it. Thus the beneficiaries are spared the shame, danger, and scruple which their acts would otherwise involve.”

“Sometimes the law places the whole apparatus of judges, police, prisons, and gendarmes at the service of the plunderers, and treats the victim — when he defends himself — as a criminal. In short, there is a legal plunder, Legal plunder has two roots: One of them, as I have said before, is in human greed; the other is in false philanthropy.”

“You say: "There are persons who have no money," and you turn to the law. But the law is not a breast that fills itself with milk. Nor are the lacteal veins of the law supplied with milk from a source outside the society. Nothing can enter the public treasury for the benefit of one citizen or one class unless other citizens and other classes have been forced to send it in. If every person draws from the treasury the amount that he has put in it, it is true that the law then plunders nobody. But this procedure does nothing for the persons who have no money. It does not promote equality of income. The law can be an instrument of equalization only as it takes from some persons and gives to other persons. When the law does this, it is an instrument of plunder.”

“With this in mind, examine the protective tariffs, subsidies, guaranteed profits, guaranteed jobs, relief and welfare schemes, public education, progressive taxation, free credit, and public works. You will find that they are always based on legal plunder, organized injustice.”

“But what do the socialists do? They cleverly disguise this legal plunder from others — and even from themselves — under the seductive names of fraternity, unity, organization, and association. Because we ask so little from the law — only justice — the socialists thereby assume that we reject fraternity, unity, organization, and association. The socialists brand us with the name individualist.”

“Clearly then, the conscience of the social democrats cannot permit persons to have any liberty because they believe that the nature of mankind tends always toward every kind of degradation and disaster. Thus, of course, the legislators must make plans for the people in order to save them from themselves.”

“This line o