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I just wish that I knew HTML better to embed it into my website.

There is tons of great stuff. Enjoy!

The Common Denominator

I was recently (ok it was a long time ago) looking at Mythica and got curious as to how many religions had 'THE' common ancestor (a.k.a. our first parents) and the tree of life. That of course lead to the legend of the boat of Noah and other such stories as I am an avid admire of legends and folklore.
The big kick I get is watching Discovery Channel or the Travel Channel and watch as they attempt to decipher ancient pictographs or hieroglyphics only to notice symbols that are common to our religion.
The Hebrew religion (or life style, as I think of it) is more common and in plain view then I originally believed. There are hidden remnants through all theology. I know that implies that there is really only one religion but I think that there is one true religion and the copies that have similar true points or a theological point that is pointed out that previously was not thought of.

(You like the bumper stickers?)
So now I am attempting to find out the meaning of the symbols of religion and their ties to my faith (cool huh!).

Daniel's king and the dream

I recently was listening to a Protestant radio show and they made an analogy of the statue that was in Nebuchadnezzar's dream. In the discussion they compared the statue to the progression of government built on a foundation of clay (people). In it they showed that initially government is built with a gold ideal and a golden viewpoint. Given time that golden viewpoint turns to a stronger and denser government that abandons its gold and settles with a stronger government that controls the clay but is still valuable and desirable (silver). Time passes again and the silver is now not strong enough or the clay surrenders their freedom for a stronger government and then something as strong as bronze comes along. The golden viewpoint is now distant and the less then imposing government of silver is shrouded by the skirt that is bronze. Given the weight of the golden ideal, the strength of silver and the overpowering power of bronze the clay eventually shatters bringing down the government that was once very desirable.

As I contemplated that, it occurred to me that we have been through that change. At first we were a golden government envied by everyone around us and even some wanted to destroy our golden government. Then along came our silver age where the country began to splinter and war with itself. We the clay called for a stronger government to control the pieces that were splintering. That did well for us but special interest groups and minority groups wanted more than the general public and demanded that the government take away freedoms that capitalism offered us all in the name of segregation and racism. The powers that were the government become hungry and greedy for power and money and watered down the control that the states shared equally and voluntarily surrendered.

And now, the question is are we are destined to collapse under the weight that was once a golden government because of our departure from our golden origin? Will it stop? As soon as the clay steps out from under the weight and reorganizes again or war again breaks out in this country. I just pray to God that we will survive this change.

The secrets of the Kingdom

Personally there I believe that there are tons of secrets of the kingdom and I personally wanted to seek the new gems that make up the deep dark secrets of the kingdom or at least some new revelation to the saints. In hindsight I realize that there are dozens of secrets that always in plain view.
For instance what I have learned is to look at our Jewish cousins and see how we parallel each other in our religious views and beliefs. My wife, before she was mine, dated (man I hope so, gesh) other men. One such fellow was a Rabbi's son. At first she just saw a different religion but in hindsight she began to realize that we had the same sacred rituals and I thought to myself, "What? I though that they had separated themselves from God because they wanted to know the deeper points of the gospel of Jesus Christ and because they veared farther from the root that they 'fell' from grace".
Now I realize that they hadn't forgotten the core elements of the gospel but had changed their viewpoint of the gospel and thus had missed the mark when Jesus came.
So do they know the secrets of the kingdom? Well to some extent, yes. Will they tell anyone? No, not in a million years because of the sacred oaths and covenants that they made to learn those sacred secrets.

We too make those same sacred covenents to keep those sacred secrets of the kingdom and turely they are the root secrets and all others are just babble (don't kid yourself about Adam's belly button. We don't need to know).

At any rate thats the rant for now. Still haven't found about the decenters but I am looking. I did find out that there are desenters from the desenters so that's just odd. That would make a different post.

God bless all the Saints and Angels. You know who you are!

One more thing remember to keep your covenents no matter what your faith is. God will reward your faithfulness.

The church off the record

Image is located at the Joseph Smith site

I have had questions about revelations that have occurred when the Prophet and his Apostles are not behind the pulpit. I have noticed that when they are off the record that it seems that there is more revelation and more insight and I know that they are addressing smaller groups and that it might apply to the group more then the world but I then look at the Bible and see where the Apostles addressed the smaller groups and that was published but not the "General Conferences" of their time.
Oh I know that they were in a different time and that travel sucked and the prosecution was great but time is now repeating itself. The people are being persecuted for their political/social/moral view in parts of this country and that needs to stop but will not as long as morality declines and the secret combination's are running rampant, but I digress.
The point that I am driving at is I would like to see more 'off the record' talks that really talk to the people and convey the spirit that I have seen in these talks that are in fact off the record and put those talks in the Church magazine. Personally I think that this would get the Mormons back on track.

Temperal Beings in a Spiritual World

There has been now roughly 6000 years of waiting for the incredible world of ours to change and in that time the gospel of Jesus Christ has conme and gone. Now its at risk of leaving because once again the children of god are a temporal bunch of biggits bent of flexing their spritual muscles at each other and at the Gentiles.
Now I am no better as I am just a big of a biggit as the rest of them and my constant nagging on the fact that its become less about be accountable of our behavior and more about what we must be told to read, write and believe.
For instance, the church magazine is run by the General Relief Society and several of their helpers. It has be come less and less of a resource of spirituality's and more of a regurgitation of what once was a inspiration to both men and women.
Anther thing that has got my goat is the spreading of spiritual insight that has pushed into things like the book clubs that have snuck into society of the Mormons and again thats just an other example of the power of the Church stepping in where they have neglected or changed because (I feel) politics that were roosting in the church attempting to make their own echo and toot their own horn. Has it been forgotten that God runs his church and that no man should stand in the way of its structure. Don't get me wrong I love the church and sustain the leadership but I think that the unhappiness has become as thick as the times of Jacob when he had to deal with polygamy and harlots. The church may be feeling a strain that could break it and cause desertion at a new maganatude.

God help us all.