The best things in life are not things. It does not require many words to speak the truth. People often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. However, when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I did not have it in the beginning. The sure way to miss success is to miss the opportunity. Be fearless and bold in your actions. Know what you want and go for it. Just what the ritual means, in detail, is not as important as feeling that here, human passion is possible in ways that are impossible when life hinges upon religious faith. Society has its rituals and taboos. Many people I know are who they are because they are outcasts, not because they are perfect members of society. Alienation seems to be the origin of identity. People get time to figure out what they are and what is important. Pain and self-analysis are necessary evils that allow some I know to align themselves with the right people and beneficial causes. However, much damage can be done to society when people do not understand that this material World is just as important as the spiritual. It is not okay to hurt people and destroy their property with the justification that God will bless them in the next life. They still have countless years to life in this World and have to endure the pain and loss that they have sustained. #RandolphHarris 1 of 21
However, on the bright side, we know that hardship and conflict produce friendships that last a lifetime. Still, there are limits to friendship. The limits are defined by the cultures from which people come from. Sometimes when people reveal their inmost thoughts about their love, they may clash violently because of their different attitudes. So many deeply significant social factors have influenced the marriage relationship that it is virtually impossible to isolate the specific impact of a person-centered approach. Each of these factors has made a difference in the “politics” of marriage. First of all there is the effect of greatly improved methods of contraception. The tremendous impact of contraception was brought home to me in reading Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate Biography, by Fawn Brodie. Jefferson and his wife, Martha, were very much in love, and very close to each other. During their marriage, according to Jefferson, he lived “ten years in unchecquered happiness.” However, it is hardly an exaggeration to say that she was killed by their love. She was physically fragile, pregnant most of the time, had serious difficulties in childbearing, and died from the complications of childbirth a few months after the birth of their sixth child. Three of the six died before she did. Jefferson was thirty-nine, she was thirty-four at the time of her death. #RandolphHarris 2 of 21
The story is not unusual. Martha’s mother had died three weeks after Martha’s birth. Her father than took another wife, who lived only a few years, and a third, who survived for only eleven months. After this her father turned to one of the mixed race African/European-American women he had enslaved, who, seemingly less vulnerable to infections than his European-American wives, bore him six children. These are not isolated stories. With variations, they are repeated throughout Brodie’s book, and involve the families of Jefferson’s relatives and friends. Being a wife was certainly one of the most hazardous occupations of the time. Wives were sometimes viewed as expendable because there seemed no other alternative. Only celibate or infertile women had a reasonable life expectancy. Now all that is changed. The availability of effective contraception means that marriage can become more of a partnership, since the wide is no longer fully occupied with pregnancy, nursing, and child-rearing. It also means that physically she is as free as her husband to explore relationships, of the platonic kind, outside of marriage. However, as a result of contraception, premarital pleasures of the flesh and pleasures of the flesh outside of marriage have increased markedly among women. #RandolphHarris 3 of 21
Women also have a chance to choose between family and career, or to balance the two. For the first time in history she is physically a free agent. Effective contraception has made possible the release of woman from her subjugated role. The impact on the politics of the family has been incalculable. A second circumstance has also greatly affected marriage. This is the lengthened life span of both men and women and the consequent lengthening of the potential span of marriage. In the less than one hundred and fifty years, the life expectancy of many people in developed nations has doubled. In the United States, the average person is expected to live to be nearly ninety years old. The actuarial expectancy for the length of any marriage was over thirty-one years in 1971. Compared to the historical past, this is an unheard-of span. A marriage of the past, with a possibility of lasting ten to fifteen years before being broken by death, is very different from a marriage of today, where it is possible that the two may live for fifty years before death takes either one. The flaws in a relationship which might be endured for ten years will not be endured for fifty. The number of elements that can change lives and make a relationship unstable is multiplied, unless the couple grows together and adjusts well to a continually changing relationship. #RandolphHarris 4 of 21
Another social factor that has entered in is the increasing social acceptance of divorce. No longer does either partner necessarily feel bound to the other “till death do us part.” Neither partner any longer has lasting power or control over the other. Each individual always has the power of choice over whether to preserve the marriage. Family mobility and transiency have had a profound effect on the interpersonal relationship of marriage. This puts the emphasis of the marriage on the quality of the relationship between two people. No longer is there an extended family to buffer the strains. Hence any deficiencies in the relationship become highlighted. One little-recognized factor deserves mention. In 1940, 17 percent of wives held jobs. In 1972, it was 42 percent, with 7 percent earning more than their husbands. In 2020, nearly 77 percent of married women are employed, and 40 percent of women earn more than their husbands. The woman is more independent of her spouse, and she is much more likely to be in contact with other men work, and with traveling and social media, the possibilities of strain in the relationship are decidedly increased. Increased freedom in pleasures of the flesh has profoundly affected marriage. #RandolphHarris 5 of 21
It is reported that 90 percent of the young people approaching their first marriage have engaged in pleasures of the flesh, though only 37 percent of the population believe such behaviour is permissible. Furthermore one study shows that where the partners in a first marriage are from twenty to twenty-five years of age, they engage in more extramarital pleasures of the flesh during the first two years of marriage than during an entire married lifetime for more mature individuals. The significance of these facts for the future of marriage patterns can hardly be exaggerated. All these factors make a person-centered marriage or partnership more possible. However, they also make marriage more risky, more open to tensions, less likely to endure. We face the dilemma that the more person-centered the pleasures of the flesh partnership becomes, the more it is open to disruption; on the other hand, the more person-centered it becomes the more it is open to fulfilment and enrichment for each of the partners. Each of these social circumstances gives the woman more options, more chance for dignity, more possibility of discovering her own self-worth. #RandolphHarris 6 of 21
All of these factors have come together in one of the most rapid and effective “quiet revolutions” of our time—the women’s liberation movement. Here we find an insistence on doing away with discrimination against women—in job opportunities, in property laws, in civil rights, in pay. Even in less obvious situations like our language—mankind, chairman, homage to Him—we are being made sensitive to the subtle way of holding down the self-esteem of women. In its consciousness-raising efforts, as well as in its political and legal activities, the women’s liberation movement is essentially person-centered. At its philosophical best it carries with it a deep trust in the capacity of the individual woman to live a life of her own choosing, to become an independent and creative person, if society will only create an acceptant climate for growth. The individual man may also become much more of a whole person—tender, loving, and emotional as well as intellectual and achieving—if the social climate can make room for this. Yet a small percentage of men, who think they are baby gods, see “women’s lib” as nothing but a threat—to their masculinity, to their position in the family, to their jobs. #RandolphHarris 7 of 21
It is possible that some people only have learned the tragedy of love and the romantic idealization of the beloved, but not the reality of love. Sometimes the World of superficial happiness is never as exciting or heroic as a World of pain and suffering. It is thus obvious that the women’s liberation movement and its implications constitute an extraordinary force in altering the dynamics and the politics of marriage. God manifests himself in different ways for differ times. We are experiencing a new revolution where the unreal news media and primarily the democratic party are focused on controlling the minds of the people in the name of social stability. This national radicalism, where compromise is impossible and people are hurrying to rush into the confines of strict and rigid doctrines is a threat to humanity and national security. This will pay the way for a centralized totalitarian government that will force humans to conform. In this totalitarian state no force will be necessary because its slaves will love their servitude, they are already begging the government to take away their rights. Government will then dictate the nature of happiness and the means of achieving it. The people who have money will be able to buy their way out of certain situations. Therefore, not only is it important to learn how to read, but also to understand what you are reading. #RandolphHarris 8 of 21
The World is advancing into the Age of Over-population. Some scientists thought the World could only sustain a population of 5 billion, and it is now at 7.58 billion. It is clear that something is wrong when human garbage is killing animals, and causing massive plastic waste islands to form in the ocean. It is clear to see something is wrong when we have people sleeping on the street, tent cities and hypodermic needles and human waste on the streets and in front of restaurants and outside of government buildings and homes. Perhaps that is why the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has manifested, to greatly reduce the strain of the human population on our living Earth and only home. It is important to take social distancing seriously, not only to save lives. Worsening economic conditions will require increasing government measures and control, and dictatorial control of underdeveloped nations might cut off the flow of raw materials to industrialized nations, which could cause a supply shock. We could see food shortages, an energy crisis, or the price of building materials could sky rocket so high it makes building a home unaffordable. That is why president Trump is trying to manufacture all good and services, including the beef we eat in America. #RandolphHarris 9 of 21
Individual liberty and democratic government are in danger because of the lower Intelligent Quotient standard. The unreal news media is the opioid of the masses. As long as these faces with their fake smiles pop up on the tell-a-vision and feed them propaganda, many people turn reality out. However, these TV news reporters do not even know who they work for. They just read scripts. Medical advances have left overcrowding and malnutrition in their wake, and there has been a progressive contamination of the genetic pool. The quality as well as the quantity of people is threatening the political institutions that will allow of individual freedom. The longer it takes to get COVID-19 under control, the more power the government will have over our lives and restrictions to our freedoms. Humankind is really paying a price for technological advances. Society has become abnormal, sick. Humans are forced into inhumanity, uniformity, and individuality is being destroyed. Humankind desires order, but the Will to Order operating on politics or economics is dangerous to our freedom. Totalitarianism and machine-like beings are the fruits of this reduction to uniformity. Yet, society needs to achieve a balance between uncaring and control. Individuals have become functions without ultimate meaning in modern society. #RandolphHarris 10 of 21
Like social insects in some respects, humans are too concerned with being part of an organization for its own sake because it gives them a sense of power and control. And people are bad. The only reason they pretend to care or have sympathy is because the unreal news media tells them it is the right thing to do. However, if a cause is not sanctioned by the media, no one will care, they may even think your pain and suffering is funny, and inflect more injury and pain if that is what news panels at certain corrupt news stations pay them to do. For many people, life is becoming so fake because relationships are sponsored as well as products on social media. Loyalty to the group and wanting to belong are the qualities valued in the new social ethic. Pain is becoming the substitute for power. People thing ganging up on a person and making them hurt means that they are power. Most people cannot even be trusted with the destiny of their own lives because the propaganda spewed out like raw sewage by the unreal news media is so passionate and bestial that it speaks to the minds of grim soulless mortals. True or false, news is but an unreal or irrelevant distraction. The government should be broadcasting information about pandemics, not opinion leaders. #RandolphHarris 11 of 21
A person who sits down to watch TV news for entertainment is most likely to be manipulated by the social engineers of the future. Freedom of the press now means the right to obstruct justice. All of the media have swelled to a vast network of stimuli that surrounds people with propaganda. Emotional engineers are permitted to work as news anchors and tell you what to care about or what is important, and like I said, they may not be entirely aware of why they do what they do, or for whom. Political merchandisers market politicians and news they want the democratic media to support. They use trigger words and images and play upon deep fears and hopes. Rationality is excluded from the process and the truth is excluded because it has little to do with marketing. The society in the future will be in two tiers—the guardians and the domesticated animals. If the guardians get out of line, there will be brainwashing or some prison exile. The news media is turning people into a vast herd of domesticated animals, they are your masters and you are their dogs. You do whatever the tell you to do without thought. The media has led you to believe that your wildness needs taming and they are in place to brainwash you because the news is an essential ingredient of your value. You all follow the media like you all are Mary’s sheep. #RandolphHarris 12 of 21
It is better to be boldly decisive and risk being wrong than to agonize at length and be right too late. The last of the human freedoms is to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances. Be thankful for life and be kind to others. It is possible COVID-19 is references in Revelations. “A third of humankind was killed by the three plagues,” reports Revelations 9.18. Most high God, our loving Father, infinite in majesty, I humbly beseech Thee for Thy servants, that Thou wouldest give us a pure mind, perfect love, sincerity in conduct, purity in heart, strength in actions, courage in distress, self-command in character. May their prayers ascend to Thy gracious ears, and Thy loving benediction descend upon them: that they may in all things be protected under the shadow of Thy wings, and my prayers for them, though Thy mercy, may not be rejected in Thy gracious presence. Grant them pardon of their sins; perfect their work, and accept their prayers. Protect the by Thine own Name, O God of Jacob! Send the people Thy saving help from Thy holy place, and strengthen the out of Sion. Remember their offering, accept their sacrifice, give them the grace of devotion, fulfill their desire with good gifts, and crown them with mercy. #RandolphHarris 13 of 21
When people serve Thee with faithful devotion, pardon their sins; and lest one should commit the things to be repented of, correct them with Fatherly tenderness. Grant that being delivered from all adversity, and both here and eternally justified, one may praise Thee forever with the Angels, saying, Holy, Holy, Holy. The wicked take the truth to be hard—Lehi’s sons marry the daughters of Ishmael—the Liahona (a beautiful brass ball operated as a compass with two spindles) guides their course in the wilderness—messages from the Lord are written on the Liahona from times to time—Ishmael dies; his family murmurs because of afflictions. About 600-592 before Christ. “And now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end of speaking to my brethren, behold they said unto me: Thou hast declared unto us hard things, more than we are able to bear. And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew that I had spoken hard things against the wicked, accord to the truth; and the righteous have I justified and testified that they should be lifted up at the last day; wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center. And now my brethren, if ye were righteous and were willing to hearken to the truth, and give heed unto it, that ye might walk upright before God, then ye would not murmur because of the truth, and say: Thou speakest hard things against us. #RandolphHarris 14 of 21
“And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did exhort my brethren, with all diligence, to keep the commandments of the Lord. And it came to pass that they did humble themselves before the Lord; insomuch that I had joy and great hopes of them, that they would walk in the paths of righteousness. Now, all these things were said and done as my father dwelt in a tent in the valley which he called Lemuel. And it came to pass that I, Nephi, took one of the daughters of Ishmael to wife; and also, my brethren took the daughters of Ishmael to wife; and also Zorman took the eldest daughter of Ishmael to wife. And thus my father had fulfilled all the commandments of the Lord which had been given unto him. And also, I, Nephi, had been blessed of the Lord exceedingly. And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord spake unto my father by night, and commanded him that on the morrow he should take his journey into the wilderness. And it came to pass that as my father arose in the morning, and went forth to the tent door, to his great astonishment he beheld upon the group a round ball of curious crafts; and it was of fine brass. And within the ball were two spindles; and the one pointed the way wither we should go into the wilderness. #RandolphHarris 15 of 21
“And it came to pass that we did gather together whatsoever things we should carry into the wilderness, and all the remainder of our provisions which the Lord had given unto us; and we did take seed of every kind that we might carry into the wilderness. And it came to pass that we did take our tents and depart into the wilderness, across the river Laman. And it came to pass that we traveled for the space of four says, nearly a south-southeast direction, and we did pitch our tents again; and we did call the name of the place Shazer. And it came to pass that we did take our bows and arrows, and go forth unto the wilderness to slay food for our families; and after we had slain food for our families we did return again to our families in the wilderness, to the place of Shazer. And we did go forth again in the wilderness, following the same direction, keeping in the most fertile parts of the wilderness, which were in the borders near the Red Sea. And it came to pass that we did travel for the space of many says, slaying food by the way, with our bows and our arrows and our stones and our slings. And we did follow the directions of the ball, which led us in the more fertile parts of the wilderness. And after we had traveled for the space of many days, we did pitch our tents for the space of a time, that we might again rest ourselves and obtain food for our families. #RandolphHarris 16 of 21
“And it came to pass that as I, Nephi, went forth to slay food, behold, I did break my bow, which was made of fine steel; and after I did break my bow, behold, my brethren were angry with me because of the loss of my bow, for we did obtain no food. And it came to pass that we did return without food to our families, and being much fatigued, because of their journeying, they did suffer much for the want of food. And it came to pass that Laman and Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael did begin to murmur exceedingly, because of their sufferings and afflictions in the wilderness; and also my father began to murmur against the Lord his God; yea, and they were all exceedingly sorrowful, even they did murmur against the Lord. Now it came to pass that I, Nephi, having been afflicted with my brethren because of the loss of my bow, and their bows having lost their springs, it began to be exceedingly difficult, yea, insomuch that we could obtain no food. And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did speak much unto my brethren, because they had hardened their hearts again, even unto the complaining against the Lord their God. And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make out of wood a bow, and out of a straight stick, an arrow; wherefore, I did arm myself with a bow and an arrow, with a sling and with stones. #RandolphHarris 17 of 21
“And I said unto my father: Wither shall I go to obtain food? And it came to pass that he did inquire of the Lord, for they had humbled themselves because of my words; for I did say many things unto them in the energy of my soul. And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came unto my father; and he was truly chastened because of his murmuring against the Lord, insomuch that he was brought down into the depths of sorrow. And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord said unto him: Look upon the ball and behold the things which are written. And it came to pass that when my father beheld the things which were written upon the ball, he did fear and tremble exceedingly, and also my brethren and the sons of Ishmael and our wives. And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the pointer which were in the ball, that they did work accordingly to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them. And there was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave uno it. And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things. And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did go forth up into the top of the mountain, according to the directions which were given upon the ball. #RandolphHarris 18 of 21
“And Laman said unto Lemuel and also unto the sons of Ishmael: Behold, let us slay our father, and also our brother Nephi, who has taken it upon him to be our ruler and our teacher, who are his elder brethren. Now, he says that the Lord has talked with him and also that Angels have ministered unto him. However, behold, we know that he lies unto us; and he tells us these things, and he worketh many things by his cunning arts, that he may deceive our eyes, thinking, perhaps, that he may lead us away into some strange wilderness; and after he has led us away, he has thought to make himself a king and a ruler over us, that he may do with us according to his will and pleasure. And after this manner did my brother Laman stir up their hearts to anger. And it came to pass that the Lord was with us, yea, even the voice of the Lord came and did speak many words unto them, and did chasten them exceedingly; and after they were chastened by the voice of the Lord they did turn away their anger, and did repent of their sins, insomuch that the Lord did bless us again with food, that we did not perish,” reports 1 Nephi 16.1-36. O Thou that hearest prayer, please teach me to pray. #RandolphHarris 20 of 21
I confess that in religious exercises the language of my lips and the feelings of my heart have not always agreed, that I have frequently taken carelessly upon my tongue a name never pronounced above without reverence and humility, that I have often desired things which would have injured me, that I have erred both on the side of my hopes and also of my fears, that I am unfit to choose for myself, for it is not in me to direct my steps. Let thy Spirit help my infirmities, for I know not what to pray for as I ought. Let one produce in me wise desires by which I may ask right things, then I shall know Thou hearest me. May I never be importunate for temporal blessings, but always refer them to Thy fatherly goodness, for Thou knowest what I need before I ask; may I never think I prosper unless my soul prospers, or that I am rich unless rich toward thee, or that I am wise unless wise unto salvation. May I seek first Thy kingdom and its righteousness. May I value things in relation to eternity. May my spiritual welfare be my chief solicitude. May I be poor, afflicted, despised and have Thy blessing, rather than be successful in enterprise, or have more than my heart can wish, or be admired by my fellow-beings, if thereby these things make me forget Thee. May I regard the World as dreams, lies, vanities, vexation of spirit, and desire to depart from it. And may I seek my happiness in Thy favour, image, presence, service. #RandolphHarris 21 of 21
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Randolph Harris II International 