Brother Andrew:  Smuggled Bibles into communist countries during the Cold War.

          en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_van_der_Bijl

          www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c61kQzYAa8

          www.youtube.com/watch?v=whNniTKaIF4

          www.youtube.com/results?search_query=brother+andrew

          en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Doors_(charitable_foundation)

Daniel: Distributed Bibles in the U.S. wherever he was inspired to go.

          www.snopes.com/fact-check/the-day-i-met-daniel/

Ezra Taft Benson: Literally, a prophetic injunction.

          www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1988/10/flooding-the-earth-with-the-book-of-mormon?lang=eng

Parley Pratt and Vincenzo di Francesca, in the film How Rare a Possession: Were converted just by reading.

          en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincenzo_di_Francesca

          www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0_1JcUnsX8

1 Nephi 13:40 : Prophecy of distribution in multiple languages.

Alma 37:4 : Another prophecy of the record of the Nephites, as well as the Brass Plates, going to all nations, kindreds, tongues and people.

Bruce Charlton’s latest post made me wiser than I was.  It is as pithy as it is true.  (In it, he is also, if I may so so, at his most JG).

We want significance in our lives; but we fear it too. Significance implies that what we think, say and do have permanence and universality; but that clashes with a sinful desire that we can act without consequences, avoid responsibility.

-thus Bruce Charlton.   (more…)

From Dan Peterson’s blog:

Two passages from the great John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801-1890), who is something of a hero:

“God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons.

“He has not created me for naught. I shall do good; I shall do His work. I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it if I do but keep His commandments.

“Therefore, I will trust Him, whatever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him, in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him. If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me. Still, He knows what He is about.”

“God has created all things for good; all things for their greatest good; everything for its own good. What is the good of one is not the good of another; what makes one man happy would make another unhappy. God has determined, unless I interfere with His plan, that I should reach that which will be my greatest happiness. He looks on me individually, He calls me by my name, He knows what I can do, what I can best be, what is my greatest happiness, and He means to give it me.”

Time is always included in any ultimate analysis, which means (to jump a few steps) that every ‘thing’ is ‘defined’ as a lineage, extending through-time.

-thus Bruce Charlton

One of the themes of this blog is something we call “integration.”   It is a real insight (though we now only perceive through a glass darkly, and though  the word ‘insight’ falsely implies its our genius, instead of the work of the Holy Ghost).

Let me explain.

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“I am convinced that each of us, at some time in our lives, must discover the scriptures for ourselves—and not just discover them once, but rediscover them again and again.” – Pres Spencer W Kimball

Nathan Oman, at a recent FAIR conference gave a talk that puts into words a lot of what I have been feeling. We, as a Church, need new inspiration. We need to be revitalized. We need to rediscover the Gospel all over again.

Welding Another Link in Wonder’s Chain

I think this is much of the reason Jordan Peterson is so popular. He has breathed fresh life into the scriptures. He may not literally believe them, and he may not believe in God, but what he is, is such a step above the mainstream, that he is accomplishing a lot of good. He pulls useful life lessons out of them, to tell people what they need to hear. And people are hungry for that.

We need to rediscover the scriptures for ourselves and our unique times.

For some reason I like this lady, and her videos.

Brought to remembrance by a side-bar link to the Possum Society of the USA at this guy’s blog.

This should make MC smile. I saw a stack of these on a table in the foyer of a neighboring stake center. They are a robust bunch in that stake. Three years ago, I wrangled an invitation for my son and myself to join with them for the 184 and a half mile bike ride of the C&O canal towpath that their young men do every four years.

THE ART OF WAR
Strategies for Overcoming Adversity in Your Life
Seneca Stake High Adventure
Aug. 1-3, 2019

THURSDAY
How do you get there from here?
Can you counsel with your “presidency” to accomplish a task?
The Spirit – The greatest weapon in your arsenal

REMEMBER THERE ARE NO MISTAKES, ONLY LESSONS

FRIDAY
Target practice
Can you work as a team to achieve your goal?
Will you become a casualty of the Adversary?

“Every battle is won BEFORE it is fought.” Sun Tzu

SATURDAY
Service – Immunization techniques against the tools of the Adversary

(Click on the photo for a larger picture.)

From the Daily Universe: https://universe.byu.edu/2019/07/30/the-church-and-byu-an-evolution-of-evolution/

The only claim they made is that Adam was the first man.

I like how these articles are less about  building a bridge of faith between science and religion, but about rubbing the putative “losers” nose in it.  This isn’t about evolution.  It’s about creating a narrative where church leaders used to be mildly retarded and now we’re just so much more advanced.

Although I’m not sure that bothers me as much as the smug “anti-science” epithet thrown out by a journalism major.  She probably didn’t even mean it as an insult, its just completely obvious to her that the old white guys were anti-science and now we know better.

I believe in evolution, but I like people who don’t believe in it more.

Note: Generally speaking, I’m not including Evangelical and Pentecostal churches. Though, some Protestant churches with those descriptors may be included. And some portions of the mainline Protestants which lean Evangelical/Pentecostal may not be included.

I discovered the Anglican Unscripted videos via Dr. Charlton’s blog.

I’ve come to respect the regular hosts/panelists. I take them to be sincere, inspired and godly men, who are just one personal revelation away from discovering the Restored Gospel. They could be some of the people, who I’ve previously speculated upon here at the JrG, who might be the “elect” whom the Lord is keeping in other churches for the great amount of good which they are doing in those flocks.

The episodes that I am recommending that you watch are: 513, 516, 518, 519, 520, 521. About 40 minutes each. There are apps/websites which can convert Youtube videos to MP3 files so you can download and listen on your phone/mp3-player.

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