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Good Life Consists of Learning Answers and Following them to the Letter
A hallmark of totalitarian societies is that the people are apprehensive about being overheard or spied upon. The person who lives by oneself and for oneself is apt to be corrupted by the company he or she keeps. Humans are limited by society, economic conditions, laws, history, the church, and especially by God. Human beings are classified, defined, and fixed by a hundred institutions and a thousand conditions. Humans, however, do not want to be defined and limited; they want to be free and want to be totally free. Humans are right in wanting to be free, for freedom is the essential attribute of their identity. Human beings have to refuse to be what society and economic conditions have made of them: stuck in a certain rank of a job, which is not paying well, living on the street with a servant; someone not poor and not rich; something of a bootlicker, a bit of a hypocrite, and a social bore. By letting go of all of our undesirable traits, we are able to make in our mind a new identity: good, brave, intelligent, and heroic. In our own minds we can define who we are. When our ideas of who we are and what others see come into conflict, we can defend our freedom by rejecting what the past conditions have made of us, and we have a right to create our own identity. If individuality has no play, society does not advance; if individuality breaks out of all bounds, society perishes. “People are instructed sufficiently that they know good from evil. And the law is given unto people,” reports 2 Nephi 5. #RandolphHarris 1 of 7
Finding one’s own, intimate identity can be a great blessing in the life of every human being. Everyone can obtain it if he or she realizes it comes only through the light of truth or, the light of life. “I am the light of the World: one that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life,” reports John 8.12. As we endeavour to understand what it means to have the light of life, which is a most important tool to discovering our identity, we have to figure out if we are some infinite calculus, or if we are free to follow the sweet curve of our foolish will. In the scriptures human beings find that we belong to a whole, of which God is a part. Belonging to such a whole gives one a sense of the value of one’s own soul, but seen in relation to God reveals one’s dependence and hence one’s subordination. Thus, a devout use of the scriptures nourishes the spiritual life with a calm that displaces the doubts and anxieties which paralyze human kind. This statement leads some to believe humans are not really free. For this freedom implies an implacable and terrible truth about the actions of humans and their treatment of others. If there are no law to one’s nature—and there cannot be if one is to be free—then humans alone are their own law. And if one is one’s own end, one will make everything else serve that end, including other people. Even more, every a priori truth becomes illusion. Otherwise, the truth would be a prior to our choices, and our choices would be determined by it. #RandolphHarris 2 of 7
Truth as something absolute, timeless, and pre-existent to our choices would be impossible in this concept of freedom. Truth, like everything else in this kind of World depends on our wills. The implication of the are terrifying: every action of principle, every act of unselfishness, every good, beautiful, virtuous, reasonable act is only an appearance. No matter how much naïve and tender romantic souls may want to believe in them, they are really deceptions, for the reality is human’s free will and one’s deadly duel with others free wills. The total freedom brings us to the total terror of a Universe without truth or principle, good or evil, virtue or vice. This nihilistic version of the Universe sends some philosophers into dark ecstasy over the naked power of the will, and it creates an irresolvable dilemma: Freedom is the supreme good because humans are not humans unless they are free, but freedom is also a supreme evil because humans are free to do anything, including illimitable destruction. People think that God threatens to restrain the destructive aspect of free will by destroying freedom. That is probably because some people only explore, with incredible creative skill and dramatic power, the destructive implications of free will. Total freedom does not lead to destruction because human nature is thought to be good by law. The freedom that kills life is not the only possibility, for there is a freedom that gives life. God has made humans a little lower than Angels, and has crowed them with glory and honour. #RandolphHarris 3 of 7
In this capacity humans have been given characteristics which are unique to the human race. We have an awareness of our own personality and the ability to strive for self-realization. We have the ability to extend our knowledge, to become aware of the nature of humanity and the nature of things about us. We have the power of abstract reasoning by which we compare facts and determine the relationship between them and their relevance in our lives. We have the ability and the right to make choices. This is one of the greatest gifts of God to us. We have a will to master. By this power, we can control thoughts, emotions, appetites, and passions. We have a right to worship God and can seek power from him to fulfill our destiny. With this unique capability and emphasis on the worth of souls in sight of God also comes the opportunity for confusion. We live in a materialistic World. Some become confused and seek identity through riches or the accolades of humans. The Saviour makes it very clear in his teachings that it is not possible to realize our divine identity through such means. To inherit eternal life, we must not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honour they father and thy mother. Superhumans are shaken to their roots when involved in graft, intrigue, and scandal. “While you have light, believe in the light, that you may be the children of light,” reports John 12.35-36. #RandolphHarris 4 of 7
When people experience life as meaningful, they tend to express that meaning. We must be familiar with the mental process through which meaning is experienced and conveyed. If we did not know what it was to love or abhor something, to have an intention, or to express something, we could not begin to understand anything; of course we need not abhor spiders to understand Miss Muffet’s abhorrence of them. Because we are human beings and because all expression ultimate derive from the activity of individual human beings, this requisite of familiarity with mental processes is always at least partially fulfilled. Understanding expressions is knowledge of the particular concrete context in which they occur. A word is better understood, sometimes only understood, in its verbal setting; and action, in the situation that gave rise to it. To understand an expression, we must systematically explore the context in which it stands. For example, to understand a religious movement or a philosophic doctrine better, we must relate it to the climate of opinion and the social conditions of the time. To further highlight this illustration, the philosophy of Spinoza can be better understood against the background of the rise of science and the conflict between different religious sects in the sixteenth and seventeenth century. Much like some of the stuff we read on social media might not seem like things the people we know would say, and does not reflect their real personality, unless what understand what it is they are responding to. #RandolphHarris 5 of 7
Knowledge of the social and cultural systems determine the nature of most expressions. To understand a sentence we must know the language; to understand a chess move, the rules of the game. Two problems arise about the way we understand such systems. First, we are theoretically involved in a circle. To understand a word we must understand the language, yet to understand a language we must have come to understand the words that constitute it. In practice we solve this problem by a kind of shuttlecock movement. From approximate knowledge of individual words an understanding of the language grows; this, in turn, make sour understanding of individual words more precise; and so on. Tis procedure is characteristic of the human studies. The second problem in understanding cultural systems is more general; understanding a legal code is different from and more complex than understanding what Aunt Tori feels. Legal systems or works of literature are, of course, the products of individual minds, empirically given in physical signs (such as marks on paper) and in the psychological experiences that they precipitate. Yet it is methodologically convenient, as well as in conformity with common usage, to treat them as independent entities belonging to a sphere of their own and confronting the individual: Brown’s life, we say, has been affected by Milton’s poetry. #RandolphHarris 6 of 7
Philosophy assists the human studies in the achievement of methodological clarity and receives from the, in return, the factual insights into life which are grist to its mill. Some ideas are mental, meaning that they cannot be derived from experience and must be synthesized operationally from a few unequivocal ideas used as building stones. We satisfy the desire for our own happiness in part, but only in part, by seeking the happiness of others. A person who inhibits these desires of their own which find their satisfaction in achieving the happiness of others will not in fact make oneself happy. By refusing to be benevolent, one damages one’s own self-interest and disobeys the call of self-love. Cool and reasonable self-love consists in guiding our actions by reference to a hierarchy of principles; supreme among these is moral reflection or conscience, by means of which human nature is defined and the good that will satisfy it discerned. Thus, self-love itself refers us to the arbitration of conscience, which in turn prescribes that extent and degree of benevolence which will satisfy the needs of self-love. If there were in the World today any large number of people who desired their own happiness more than they desired the unhappiness of others, we could have a paradise in a few years. Superiority to fate is difficult to learn. It is not conferred by any, but possible to earn. A pittance at a time, until, to one’s surprise, the soul with strict economy subsists till Paradise. The words you left behind have rippled the serenity and brought about some mysterious dream to my heart. #RandolphHarris 7 of 7
Intelligence Means Applying the Knowledge We Obtain for Righteous Purposes
The real value of learning is that it enables an individual in any situation to be resourceful—to figure out what to do when we have no idea. Life should elicit excitement, joy, and pleasure as we come into our journey and experience the World. The approach to living should be based firmly on our intrinsic nature to listen and observe from the foundation of our soul as we pressure inspiring and purposeful works of spirituality through the refinement of ideas which respond to specific factors we endeavour to reflect in the personality and lifestyle we desire. Personal identity, the unified self is thus assured by the nervous system, and the brain plays the role of both organ and organist. Self-awareness, however, depends entirely on the remembering function of the human brain. Memory furnishes the continuity in time, the imaginative combination of artistic integrity, and graceful elegance. The personal history that is created through this craft is fundamental to self-consciousness and personal identity. We are inclined to believe that all we have seen, known, perceived, or heard—even the trees of a great forest, all the concerts we have ever heard—exists within us unknown to us. They are stored by neural mechanisms as vibrating string and harmonic intervals, which possess the association of images and memory, the passage from sense perceptions to comparisons, reflection, judgment, and thought. #RandolphHarris 1 of 7
In sleep, control is relaxed and make dream-formation possible by reducing the endopsychic censorship. While many dreams are simply the results of the brain processing information, others send messages directly to the soul. A random recall in the central organ may then be referred to the subordinate organ, or the procedure may be reversed, from organ to brain. In dreams, random combinations may be formed and dragons created. Only personal past experience is available, however, for such imaginings. God uses dreams to communicate—and he may do so for anyone who is paying attention. The impressions can be so strong that the some realize these are important spiritual messages. “God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, you young men will see visions, your antiquate men will dream dreams,” reports Daniel 1.17. Jacob’s Ladder is the connection between the Earth and Heaven that the Biblical Patriarch Jacob dreams about during his flight from his brother Esau, as described in the Book of Genesis. This portal symbolizes prayer traveling across dimensions between God and people. When Jacob was dreaming about Angels going back and forth between Heaven and Earth, that beautiful image was a message of encouragement to Jacob, a man who was seriously discouraged. The spiritual dream was from some dense part of entanglement of the intellectual World. It arose from some dense part of fabric in the form of a dream-wish, like a mushroom from its mycelium. #RandolphHarris 2 of 7
We never know when God may reach out to us through a dream; it could happen anytime. If we believe it is possible, and if we are seeking God, we are in the best position to notice divine dream messages when they do grace our sleeping state. God or one of his Angels may send us an innovative idea or inspiration through a dream. Dreams have been responsible for some major creative and scientific discoveries in the course of human history. The father of quantum mechanics, Niels Bohr, often spoke of the inspirational dream that led to his discovery of the structure of the atom. One night when he was dreaming about atoms, Niels saw the nucleus of the atom, with electrons spinning around it, much as planets spin around their Sun. After reflection and allowing the involuntary ideas to come to the surface, Niels vision of the atomic structure, upon investigation, so perfectly covered an explained the directing ideas that it turned out to be one of the greatest breakthroughs of his day. He was later awarded a Noble Prize for Physics as a result of this leap in creative thinking while asleep. “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, and purify your hearts,” reports James 4.8. If we teach and learn in the manner the Lord has prescribed, he will spend his Spirit to edify and enlighten us as we do so. #RandolphHarris 3 of 7
In life, we often meet people who have studied engineering, computer science information, health, medicine, religion, philosophy and metaphysics, World history and languages, science and arts. Some of these people are better educated than we are. In view of that, if we do not have the Spirit of the Lord how can we expect the direction of the Spirit to help us effectively socialize and communicate. We cannot always compete with the World on its terms. If we are to fulfill our calling, we must teach the Lord’s way. God is always communicating—and we may hear from him while we are awake, as well. During our dreams we surrender ourselves entirely to the involuntary phantasy, yet always other leading interests, dominant feelings and moods prevail at one time rather than another, and these will always exert an influence on the association of ideas. In semi-conscious dreams there always appear only such ideas as correspond to the (unconscious) momentary main interest. The unconscious mind is open to all information, so we are constantly open to learning something new. If we have the Spirit of the Lord to guide us, we can tech any person, no matter how well educated, any place in the World. The Lord knows more than any of us, and if we are his children, acting under his Spirit, he can deliver his message of salvation to each and every soul. #RandolphHarris 4 of 7
The Spirit of God speaking to the spirit of human beings has the power to impart truth with greater effect and understanding than the truth can be imparted by personal contact even with Heavenly beings. Through the Holy Ghost, the truth is woven into the very fiber and sinew of the of the body so it cannot be forgotten. The strong emotions are the chief source of the good, the true, and the beautiful. Life is not merely the biological fact that humans share with other beings on this Earth, but human life, experienced by us in all its distinctive complexity. It is the agglomeration of innumerable individual lives, which constitute the social and historical reality of the life of humankind. The hopes and fears, the thoughts and acts of individuals, the institutions which people have created, the laws by which they guide their conduct, the religions they believe in, all art, all literature, and all philosophy are part of that life. So is all science, because although it considers inanimate nature, it is still a human activity. All reflections on life, all valuations and moral principles, are the product of a pure knowing mind, and particular individuals who are living at particular times in a particular place, are all influenced by these circumstances and ideas around the, by the horizons of the age. All such reflections and valuations are, therefore, tinged with the Spirit of God. “Glory of God is intelligence,” reports Doctrine and Covenants 88.41. #RandolphHarris 5 of 7
We actually experience life in its whole wealthy and variety. We see things and people, listen to music and poetry, observe the workings of the law, experience religious awe, patriotic enthusiasm, or aesthetic satisfaction. All these, not merely the sensation of blobs of colour or twinges of pain, are part of the experience from which the true empiricists must start—although we may later analyze it into its components. Life is not a mass of disconnected facts; it is encountered everywhere as already organized, interpreted, and therefore meaningful. The philosopher starts from the meanings that human beings have given to their World. The philosopher is part of human life, a human being affected by the circumstances of one’s age like our fellows, and becomes an asset. The processes by means of which life becomes organized and meaningful are familiar to us from our own experiences. We are aware of the working of our mind, of how ideas give rise to feelings and feelings turn into intentions; we are familiar with the temporal quality of our lives, with the succession of moments in which the present is filled with experience and coloured by recollection of the past as well as with anticipation of the future. In common with our fellow people, the philosopher also uses principles for the organization of our experience. These are called the categories of life. #RandolphHarris 6 of 7
What we call experience is already intellectualized, that is, thought processes have gone into the organization of raw material. Intelligence has several meanings. It is the light of truth that gives life and light to all things in the Universe. It has always existed. The word intelligences also refers to the spirit children of God. “All intelligence is independent in that sphere in which God has placed in,” reports Doctrine and Covenants 93.29. We organize and interpret life consciously and deliberately. It is not that we see the rose, the frown, or the wall and then infer the rose is beautiful, the man angry, or the wall an obstruction. We see the beautiful rose, the angry man, or the obstacle. However, we do not stop there; impelled to make experience meaningful, and using the categories by which this can be accomplished. “If a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through one’s diligence and obedience, one will have so much the advantage in the World to come,” reports Doctrine and Covenants 130.19. There is in humankind a persistent tendency to achieve a comprehensive interpretation, or a philosophy, in which a picture of reality is combined with a sense of meaning and value and with principles of action. Knowledge, both temporal and spiritual, comes in steps. This awareness, combined with the consciousness of the relativity of all interpretations and valuations, liberates the spirit for open-minded acceptance of reality and creative endeavour. #RandolphHarris 7 of 7
One Must Still Have Chaos in the Soul to Possess the Ability to Produce a Dancing Star!
The stomach is the only part of a person which can be fully satisfied. The yearning of a human’s brain for new knowledge and experience and for more pleasant and comfortable surroundings never can be fully met. It is an appetite which cannot be appeased. Half of our mistakes in life arise from feeling when we ought to think, and thinking when we ought to feel. Our choices are reasonable to the extent that they reflect our developed habits of intelligence. Choice is the purest expression of free will—the freedom to choose allows us to shape our lives exactly how we wish (provided we have the resources to do so). Choices are made to satisfy five basic needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun. Individual actors choose whichever option will maximize their interests and provide them with the greatest utility or benefit. However, if they are made on the basis of prejudice and ignorance, choices will be perverse or irrational. In this life we have to make many choices. Some are very important choices. Some are not. Many of our choices are between good and evil. The choices we make, however, determine to a large extent our happiness or our unhappiness, because we have to live with the consequences of our choices. Making perfect choices all of the time is not possible. It just does not happen. However, it is possible to make good choices we can live with and grow from them. How do we engage in this process of valuation? #RandolphHarris 1 of 9
We must analyze the situation as carefully as we can, imaginatively project possible courses of action, and scrutinize the consequences of these actions. Those ends or goods that we choose relative to a concrete situation after careful deliberation are reasonable or desirable goods. When God’s children live worthy of divine guidance they can become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon. There are always practical limitations to our deliberations, but a person trained to deliberate intelligently will be prepared to act intelligently even in those situations that so not permit extended deliberation. When we confront new situations, we must imagine and strive for new goals. As long as there are internal conflicts that demand judgment, decision, and action, sometimes we make poor choices when we yield to peer pressure. In this sense, the moral life of human beings is never completed, and the ends achieved become the means for attaining further ends. However, lest we think that human beings are always striving for something that is to be achieved in the remote future, or never, there are consummations—experiences in which the ends that we strive for are concretely realized. In our moral life, there is a great deal of emphasis placed on intelligence. Some people, objects, experiences have an attraction for us. We desire, want, need them. They attractive like the side of a magnet. Since they attract us, we tend to approach them. #RandolphHarris 2 of 9
Other objects, people, or situations repel, disgust, frighten, or turn us off. We view them not as attractive, but as negative and we tend to avoid them. Faith in the power of intelligence is to imagine a future which is a projection of the desirable in the present, and to invent the instrumentalities of its realization. It takes a certain kind of courage to stand back rather than leaping forward, foolishly allowing someone else to make our choices for us. When we have a clear idea of our identity as children of God, and having a bright potential for a meaningful future, we can more readily take firm stands. Valuation, like all inquiry, presupposes a community of shared experiences in which there are common norms and procedures, and intelligent valuation is also a means for making such community a concrete reality. We are always trying to understand or make sense out of our own and others’ actions. It has been said that human beings have a will to meaning. People strive to find meaning everywhere, and usually succeed. What we are doing when we interpret something, when we find meaning, is not entirely clear. There will always be conflicts, problems, and competing values within our experience, but with the continuous development of creative intelligence humans can strive for and realize new ends and goals. Unfortunately, some of our poor choices are irreversible, but many are not. Often we can change course and get back on the right track. #RandolphHarris 3 of 9
Getting back on the right track may involve the principles of repentance: first, recognizing the error of our ways; second, forsaking the wrongful conduct; third, never repeating it; and, fourth, confessing and making restitution where possible. Learning by experience has value. And the source of education consisting of real World experiences, especially adverse experiences is unfortunate, but also a part of life. Progression comes faster and easier by learning from our parents, those who love us, and our professors. We can also learn from the mistakes of others, observing the consequences of their wrong choices. Some choices present good opportunities no matter which road we take—for example, when deciding which career path to follow or which University to attend, making the right decision or the best possible choice will open doors for an individual. There was a gifted young man, named T. Randolph Harris, who wanted to become a doctor, but that opportunity did not open up for him; so he chose to follow the law. After graduating from Princeton University, he then went to New York University of Law, and became a one of the city’s most powerful lawyers, at a white-shoe law firm, called McLaughlin and Stern LLP Attorneys. He is also an adjunct professor of law. God opens the right doors for us. And if you do not believe in God, you should pretend to believe, because in so doing you might come around to genuine belief in time. #RandolphHarris 4 of 9
Behaviour is the mirror in which everyone shows their image. The prediction of social behaviour significantly involves the way people make decisions about resources and wealth, so the science of decision making historically was the province of economists. And the basic assumption of economists was always that, when it comes to money, people are essentially rational. It was largely inconceivable that people would make decisions that go against their own interests. Some of our important choices have a time line. If we delay a decision, the opportunity is gone forever. Sometimes our doubts keep us from making a choice that involves change. Thus, an opportunity may be missed. When we have to make a choice and do not make it, that in itself is a choice. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. Some choices have greater consequences than others. We make no greater voluntary choice in this life than the selection of a marriage partner. This decision can bring eternal happiness and joy. To find sublime fulfillment in marriage, both partners need to be fully committed to the marriage. Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you will help them to become what they are capable of being. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius power, and magic in it. “The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to say. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing,” reports Zephaniah 3.17. #RandolphHarris 5 of 9
Strangely, doing the wrong thing often seems reasonable, possibly because it seems to be the easiest course. We often hear as justification for wrong behaviour, “Well, everybody is doing it.” Hasty generalizations(overgeneralizing) happens when people draw conclusions (generalizations) from too few or atypical examples. This evil distorts the truth, and its author is the adversary. The adversary will cheat your souls, and lead you away carefully down to hell. No matter how many people in our society are involved, none are justified in being dishonest, lying, cheating, using excessive profanity, especially taking the Lord’s name in vain, engaging in immoral sexual relationships, or not respecting the Lord’s day. Other people’s actions do not dictate what is right or wrong. One person having the courage to make the right choice can influence many others to choose wisely. We are responsible for the choices we make. If we choose to disobey God’s commandments, we cannot blame our circumstances, our family, nor our friends. Do not fall victim to the Talk Show Syndrome, which is when people stand up and generalize on the basis of their individual experiences. We are children of God with great strength. We have the ability to choose righteousness and happiness, no matter what our circumstances are. #RandolphHarris 6 of 9
We also have to be careful when making our decisions because right now the fake news media is trying really have to confuse people by using manufactured or questionable statistics. They are also practicing a misuse of authority by hiring experts to provide testimony, which is usually useful for supporting material for claims because experts draw on a larger data and knowledge base than do nonexperts. However, experts are not always correct, but they generally are more reliable than someone who is uninformed or only marginally knowledgeable, especially about a highly technical subject. There are also examples of incomplete citation when reference to the authority is neither specific nor complete. Sometimes the fake news media uses biased sources—special-interest groups or individuals who stand to gain money, prestige, power, or influence simply be taking a certain position on an issue or crusaders for a cause are all biased even though they may have expertise. In other cases, the media has been providing us with authorities quoted or of his or her field—expertise is not generic. We have also seen cases of false analogies (which they like to call comparing apples to oranges) where two items, events, or phenomena with similarities are viewed as identical. What is true of one is or should be true for the other, so goes the claim, even when a significant point or points of difference exist between the two things compared. #RandolphHarris 7 of 9
There are also false dichotomies employed by the media when a false choice between only two opposites is allowed when there are other choices that fall between the extremes exist. Also, the media is not presenting the public with issues that we need to know about. For example, when wild fires or explosions happen in communities, just because there are powerlines or gasolines in the area, the utility company is blamed for the catastrophe, even when it may not be their fault, just because their powerlines or gasolines are in the area. This is costing corporations who provide us with energy or fuel billions of dollars and bankrupting them. In the process thousands of jobs are being terminated, and these are jobs that teach people skills and have allowed 45,000 people to become promoted to middle and upper management, where they can afford to live middle-class and upper-class live styles because of the training and experience they have received. Furthermore, the local fake news media is especially guilty of only reporting crime reports, but never any scientific information or research, and they are not even educating communities on ballots that can impact our future. For example, we have not heard anything about Senate Bill 10 (SB10), which would eliminate bail in California for the accused waiting trial, and it would be replace cash bail with a risk assessment of an individual and nonmonetary conditions of release, which some report could lead to mass incarceration. #RandolphHarris 8 of 9
How do we make correct choices? A choice involves making a conscious decision. To make an intelligent decision, we need to evaluate all available facts on both sides of an issue. However, that is not enough. Making correct decisions involves prayer and inspiration. We must study things in our mind, and then ask God if it is right, and if it is right, God will let us know, and when we make a decision we will know it is right. As we look into the future, we are going to need to be stronger and more responsible for our choices in a World where people call evil good, and good evil. If we do not use our agency and check with God, we do not choose wisely. Tomorrow’s blessings and opportunities depend on the choices we make today. Collectively, we have the responsibility to set the example of righteousness to all of the World. The power of choice is ours. May we all use our God-given agency wisely as we make these eternal choices. Let the Sun, blue Sky and could wake up the hidden memory. Each of us has come to this Earth with all the tools necessary to make correct choices. We cannot be neutral; there is no middle ground. Our Heavenly Father did not launch us on our eternal journey without providing the means whereby we could receive from him God-given guidance to assist in our safe return at the end of mortal life. Modest, let us walk among it, with our faces veiled, as they say polite Archangels do, in meeting God. With love and affection, we will build an impeccably happy life. #RandolphHarris 9 of 9
The Winchester Mystery House
As Mrs. Winchester discovered, sometimes the rift between the paranormal world and the human world opens, allowing supernatural entities to cross. https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/
Affluent Lace Curtain Suburbs—We Cannot Afford to Neglect this Heaven Inspired Home!
Love is a great happiness to humans. Philosophers have not carelessly misunderstood ordinary language; it is waiting for them with bewitchment and illusion. In the emancipation that is achieved when one is able to command a clear view of the functioning of language, everything is left, but seen to be, as it is. A house means many things to people. The ultimate beauty in the home is its emotional and spiritual wealth. It is a place of wonderful memories. And with all of these things, that house becomes a home. Many of our homes are a shrine. It is a part of our self-definition, which is why we do things like decorate our houses with beautiful patterns, embrace amazing colours to impress our company and take care of our shimmer waves green grass. A beautiful lawn is one of the most desired features in gardens all around the World. These lush, emerald green grassplots serve a great purpose of keeping the environment cool, cleaning the air, and is a public displaying of our houses as an extension of ourselves. A strong attachment to the place that we live results in greater satisfaction with our home and expectations of future stability in that place. These feelings transcend attachments to other people in the area and represent a genuine affection for the physical location itself, and the passage of time strengthens out attachment to the place we live. The home can bring spiritual growth to each member of the family. The Almighty will descend upon them as the dew from Heaven, and the Holy Ghost will be theirs. #RandolphHarris 1 of 6
Home is where the heart is and the heart always makes us feel the beauty and life and hope for the future. Because of physical surroundings play such an important role in creating a sense of meaning and organization in our lives, it is not surprising that our sense of the place we live is closely connected to our sense of who we are. Our family homes are where we should feel most comfortable in the World. It determines how we make our life decisions, shapes out attitudes, and awareness, our self-esteem. A family homes life is obviously a vital ingredient in the pursuit of a meaningful life. There are some key elements to building a peaceful home life: the relationship between the family members, the atmosphere of the home itself, and the way the home is run. When a family shares principles and values, they grow together. The home because a foundation for the family’s shared sense of purpose while providing a springboard for each member to pursue his or her own goals. In such homes, families stay up ate talking heart-to-heart about what is on their minds. Children gather around their parents to hear their stories. The whole family gets together—and not just on holidays—for evening of songs, games, and reminiscing. The home become alive with a soul, a source of energy and hope, of urgency and love. It is not the tranquility of a home that makes it peaceful; it is the life within. “The stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God’s house,” reports Genesis 28.22. #RandolphHarris 2 of 6
There should be sweet love in the home like a song of happiness. Beautiful melody and notes filled with joy. We make our houses even more beautiful by talking with of families about our responsibilities as good-hearted people. Parents and caregivers offer their children love, acceptance, appreciation, encouragement, and guidance. They provide the most intimate context for the nurturing and protection of children as they develop their personalities and identities and also as they mature cognitively, emotionally, and socially. Our children will grow up wo remember their home as a place of warmth and kindness, where people felt comfortable to gather and talk about things that matter to them. In all likelihood, these children will grow into adults who will create the same sort of home. Parents and caregivers make sure children are healthy and safe, equip them with skill and resources to succeed as adults, and transmit basic cultural values to them. Family rituals are also instrumental in the healthy development of children and teenagers. There is emerging evidence that good communication between family members at mealtimes is associated with reduced anxiety symptoms and better respiratory conditions. Family mealtimes also provide the settings in which to strengthen emotional connections. And the value that family places on regular mealtimes may improve nutrition habits and healthy weight in youth. “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,” reports Joshua 24.15. #RandolphHarris 3 of 6
Families are often the first organization to take stock of everyone’s psychological wellbeing due to their involvement in and monitoring of their children’s lives. Once a normal child’s needs are satisfied on a regular basis, he or she will become bored, no longer interested in staying at the level. There is a growth force in each of us that pushes us to reach for higher levels of motivation. As the children grows through childhood, the individual moves from being dominated by the need to learn and maintain one’s safety and security to the stage of testing out one’s abilities in a more social area. In this stage, which comes in middle childhood and early adolescence, he or she needs assurance that one has a permanent place in the family, and that his or her parents value the child. Children will spend more and more time out of the hose, as one goes to school and outside to play, but the child still needs as a base the sense that home and the family’s love are always there, whenever he or she decides to return. Many children test this out by running away, pushing parents to declare that their love is flexible and stretchable. Parents may fail to recognize that running away is a testing of the quality of their love, not a rejection of that love. During this time, a child often adopts new adults into his or her life: teachers, friends, others’ patents, playground supervisors, or scout leaders. An insecure parent faced with this situation may think he or she has failed and the child has abandoned him or her for another seemingly more competent or more loving adult. We should not be at a loss of love and departing. Honest hearts are a vast sea keep the image of the sail in your heart. #RandolphHarris 4 of 6
Our families are where we experience our biggest triumphs and our deepest vulnerabilities—and they are where we have the greatest potential to do good. Of course, if parents really are not giving enough love or feeling of belonging, the child may actually be going outside the home to satisfy those needs. However, usually this is not the motivation. A child who finds that one’s parents are threatened or angered by such testing often panics. Many a child assumes that love has a price tag on it—is subject to conditions, as in a contract. And unfortunately, there are parents who attach strings: “I will love you if you will just work hard and get good greats.” “I do not love you when you run away.” These may seem like fairly innocent comments to a parent, but they can be a real source of fear for children. The family is divine in nature and God designates it as the fundamental building block of society, both on Earth and through eternity. As such, it becomes the foundation for civilization and a sanctuary for the individual. It should be a place of social graces of loyalty, cooperation, and trust. The family is the place we learn to love ourselves and each other, to bear one another’s burdens, to find meaning in our life and to give purpose to others’ lives, and to feel the value of being part of something greater than ourselves. There is a universal desire for oneness among people—we want to belong. It is why we collaborate, support common causes, cheer for sports teams, feel nationalism. #RandolphHarris 5 of 6
The desire to belong is also why we build villages, towns, and cities. When we have a home life that reflects what we previously had in Heaven, we have more of an innate propensity to get ourselves noticed, and noticed favourably, by our kind. And a spirit of unity, devotion, and faith prevails. One evening a week, for home family recreation, improvement and enjoyment, parents and children should gather around the family hearth in social and religious communion. It furnishes an opportunity for the parents to become better acquainted with their children and for children to know and appreciate their parents. If the home evening could be a fact, under the influence of the Spirit of the Lord, at our own firesides surrounded by those whom the Lord has given unto us, and told us, particularly that we should instruct them, how many happy homes there would be where today there is sorrow and discord and distress. Great blessings come to those who carry out this responsibility. Family home evening brings many families closer to one another, and have brought a great measure of peace and harmony in many homes. We feel with our love and earnest assurances, that the Lord will grant rich blessings to all who will prayerfully and sincerely carry out this program. There is no greater legacy that parents can leave to their children than the memory and blessings of a happy, unified and loving home. Our love is shining with the Sun and Moon in our hearts. #RandolphHarris 6 of 6
Good Sense is the Most Evenly Shared thing in the World
There is no such thing as chance or accident; the words merely signify our ignorance of some real and immediate causes. Some people are not honestly looking for guidance. They may in fact pray for guidance, but they almost always imagine the answer they want to hear. Their hearts may not really be open. If they would only stop to think about what they planned and give serious thought to the counsel they revived, they would know their decision did not make much sense. The truth is, some decisions are so obviously bad that we do not need the Lord or the bishop to tell us that they are. The development of critical thinking skills is an important and lasting benefit of a college education. Such skills enable people to evaluate, compare, analyze, critique, and synthesize information so they will not accept everything they hear at face value. Perhaps the most glaring need for critical thinking is in how we evaluate things we hear on television and in the news. For example, people spend billions of dollars every year on natural dietary supplements based on marketing claims that in fact may not have been tested. So when a salesperson or journalist tells you that, for example, echinacea helps presents colds you should ask if that statement has been scientifically tested, how was it tested, when, and by whom. #RandolphHarris 1 of 11
Similarly, when politicians make claims in 30-second sound bites, check those claims before you accept them as truth. Be skeptical. And if you can do check on the validity of advertising and political statements, you will find that they are frequently misleading or just plain wrong. Many people have confidence that the Lord will somehow intervene if they get into trouble. However, they overlook the fact that we are here on Earth to learn—often from our mistakes. We make decisions, then like by the consequences. The Church is not a substitute for intelligent thought or plain, common sense. Whatever other aspects of meaning the word sense may retain in the compound “common sense,” it has prominently the force of sense as opposed to nonsense. In what is contrary to common sense there is always something more or less—but obviously—nonsensical. It produces the feeling, varying in strength according to circumstances, that argument is only precariously in place in dealing with it. For to deploy arguments at all directly against the manifestly absurd is to invest it with some intellectual dignity and to muffle its self-annihilating character. It is, moreover, to invite the suspicion that one has failed to recognize absurdity, and such failure has a very foolish look. #RandolphHarris 2 of 11
Many of our ideas about the World come from personal observation. We check these conclusions out with other people, and if most people agree with us we assume our ideas are true. Such agreements become our common-sense fact. Common sense can be a good source of information for making day-to-day decisions. However, sometimes it is based upon little evidence, limited information, and personal bias. When this happens, it can hinder our perception of reality. Psychology bases its theories on objective and systematic investigation, not common sense, though its findings often agree with our common-sense notions about behaviour. However, psychology attempts to eliminate facts based on insufficient evidence or personal bias. Furthermore, there are questions and actions that show a lack of maturity and an unwillingness to accept responsibility. Still others indicate a serious misunderstanding of how life works. Since the issues concern mainly the World of perception, the element of common sense means that a person should trust their own sense, and not tolerate the suggestion of things that are ridiculous, not real of mere representations. #RandolphHarris 3 of 11
Common sense is a mental endowment, ordinary understanding—without which a person is out of his or her mind, or feeble-minded; ordinary, practical good sense in everyday affairs; and the faculty of private truths. What we need in unimpeachable authority for the fundamental convictions shared by all normal people about matters of fact with respect to which consciousness can give no guarantees. Common sense supplies it. It outs us into assured possession of such first truths as that there is an external World, that our minds are incorporeal, that we are capable of free agency. First truths have characteristic marks: No attack upon them, and no attempt to prove them, can operate from premises that surpass them in clarity or evidence. They are, and always have been, acknowledged by the vast majority of humankind. Those who imagine they reject them act like all other people in conformity with them. If truths of common sense are self-evident, how can they be denied? And again, if they are self-evident, how can they me made evident when denied? The truths of common sense cannot be made evident by deductive proofs, but there is always absurdity in opinions contrary to its dictates. In defending common sense, we admit it has control over us. Therefore, we all need to stay close to our Father in Heaven and seek his guidance through daily prayer. #RandolphHarris 4 of 11
At the same time, we need to acknowledge our own responsibility. The Lord’s plan gives us our agency. In return, we are expected to think and act. Even prayer is not a substitute for wisely taking care of our everyday responsibilities. The convictions of common sense come to us with the backing of our entire cognitive nature. They are tests of truth; their own must be presumed, for they are too elementary to have antecedents from which they could be derived. The only possible falsification of common sense would be demonstrated inconsistency in its deliverances, and this would bring epistemological chaos. “God grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. He guards the path of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. The you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe,” reports Proverbs 2.7-11. Therefore, our common sense is a God given natural ability to make good judgments and to behave in a practical and sensible way. An internal sense, which is believed to be the sense by which information from the other five sense is understood and interpreted. Common sense is a sensible understanding, or one’s basic intelligence which allows for plain understanding and without which good decision or judgment cannot be made. #RandolphHarris 5 of 11
Human’s gods and demons have not disappeared at all: they have merely got new names. Those who do not believe in God or who believe that they do not believe in him, believe nevertheless in some little pocket of god or devil of their own. Religious agnosticism is not a psychological fact, but a self-deception. It is an essential law [ein Wesensgesets] that every finite spirit believes in either God or an idol. These idols may very greatly. So-called unbelievers may treat the state or a woman or art or knowledge or any number of things as if they were God. “The laws of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statues of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple,” reports Psalm 19.7. God has significantly affected the masses. What needs explanation is not belief in God, which is original and natural, but unbelief or, rather, belief in an idol. God gave us our brains, the apparatus we need for making sound judgments, and he does not want them standing idle. He expects us to use them. Certain decisions are right simply because they make good sense. God will remove every obstacle that presents us from doing his will. He does things we cannot do, but expects us to use the good sense he has given us. #RandolphHarris 6 of 11
When God delivered Saint Peter from prison, the Angel supernaturally removed the chains and led him past two guards, then miraculously opened the iron gate before him. However, once they were out in the street, the angel departed and left Saint Peter to use his brain. God is not going to do for us what he has endowed us to do for ourselves. God may want us to gather facts on which we can base a sound judgment, or list the advantages and disadvantages of the various alternative. For instance, if you are trying to decide what house to buy, you may need to compile some data. How much money do you have available? Which elevation fits your budget? What are some features you want in your house? Which elevation offers the features you like and is in your price range? We must trust God to guide us, but we must also take the responsibility for making an intelligent choice on the basis of the information we have. Insist on good reasons for the decisions you make. Remember, however, that human reason is fallible. We can never be sure that we have obtained all the relevant facts, nor that we are interpreting them correctly. We must, as in all other cases, set the observed facts before us and, after first discussing the difficulties, go on to prove, if possible, the truth of all the common opinions about these affections of the mind, or, failing this, of the greater number and the most authoritative; for if we both refute the objections and leave the common opinions undisturbed, we shall have proved the case sufficiently. #RandolphHarris 7 of 11
Common sense is thought of as changeless, the same for all people at all times. It s rightly thought of common sense as having a kind of instinctive character—but instincts can undergo modification. These beliefs show some modification as people become civilized and civilization develops. They are not, as ordinarily held, beliefs that have been up for acceptance or rejection; they exist as lifelong belief-habits. And they possess a logical feature in virtue of which they are double-resistant when criticized. The Scriptures teaches that basic moral values are inscribed on the soul of every human being. Those values may differ from person to person or from culture to culture, but there is in every person a sense of ought, called conscience, which evaluates one’s behaviour and either accuses or defense the individual. God can use that conscience to lead us. It is true that a conscience can be seared or branded by the effects of sin. That happens when we regularly ignore its voice and neglect to heed its warnings. A conscience may also become overly sensitive and restrictive, prohibiting things which God permits. Each person’s conscience is conditioned by knowledge, experience, and training, so it too must always be measured by the Word of God. However, there is still that innate compulsion or restraint which must be reckoned with. #RandolphHarris 8 of 11
Bring all the very general first premises to recognition and develop every suspicion of doubt of their truth. However, the doubt one is looking for must be the real thing, not paper doubt; we can no more induce genuine doubt by an act of will than we can give ourselves a surprise by deciding to. Strong thinkers are apt to be great breath-holders, but holding one’s breath against belief is not doubting. However, in claiming indubitability for a belief of common sense, we are not declaring its truth—propositions that really are indubitability, for the time being may nevertheless be false. The future holds possibilities of surprise for all our beliefs. Yet, though any one of our indubitable beliefs might turn out to be false, they could not all do so. Still, prayerfully heed the voice of conscience. It may express the will of God. Closely linked to conscience is the plain sense of duty. Certain things are obviously God’s will simply because they are rightfully expected of us. “Anyone, then, who knows the good one ought to o and does not do it, sins,” reports Apostle James. Common sense is a great mass of roe, rich in valuable metals, that need philosophical smelting. It must have removed inadvertences, confusions, and contradictions. However, the procedures by which is this done—rigorous reflection, the adjustment of its beliefs to the assured results of science are not alien to it. #RandolphHarris 9 of 11
Common sense has been self-correcting in its evolution and is still to some extent modifiable. The man in the street is not to be taken as a representative; the common sense of philosophical importance resides in the consensus of ignorant and educated belief. This unanimity is the result of a long development, during which idiosyncrasies of opinion have been worn down by mutual attrition, and mistakes—which common sense itself can see to be such—have been corrected. Common sense is less a matter of particular beliefs than the persistence of plastic tendencies to certain most general and comprehensive beliefs. We are constantly predicting human behaviour. If we could not predict the instructor would be there, we would not come to class. On a date, we observe the behaviour of our companion and predict the best moment to express our affection. Each of us engages in prediction every day, based on past experience and present observation. In the same way, psychology tries to study behavior systematically to make predictions based on the best empirical evidence. However, praying for guidance when duty is clear can lead to grave sins, deep delusions, and pathetic regrets. Fix that leaky toilet your wife has been after you about. Pay back that money you borrowed. You do not need to pray about it. It is your duty. #RandolphHarris 10 of 11
Doing out duty has another application as well. When we face difficult choice and honestly cannot decide what to do, just faithfully perform the next thing that is expected as part of one’s daily responsibilities. Guidance may come and greater opportunities may open to one while one is carrying out those obligations. The idea of predicting behaviour is a frightening one to many people. You might be afraid that if you can predict your own behaviour that you will have no choice as to how you will act. However, this is not necessarily so. Suppose you know that having your mother nag you about studying bugs you so badly that you are likely to refuse to study at all. When she does so, you can make some choices. You can avoid seeing her when you know you have to study. You can ask her not to nag you on the subject. Or you can try to change your own reaction to her nagging, somehow. All of these choices grow out of your own awareness of the pattern: Mother nags = I refuse to study. You predict what your future reactions will be if they follow past patterns, and only then can you decide you will change the pattern somehow. The way to be used of God to our greatest capacity, and to enjoy the assurance that he will keep us in the center of his will, is to be steadfast and dependable in what he has given us to do. Keep doing what you are doing, and do it well until new guidance comes. #RandolphHarris 11 of 11
The Only Normal People are the Ones You Do Not Know Very Well
Most of us need to be liked and accepted by others. We may enjoy meeting different people, whose background and attitudes are vastly different from our own, but we tend to feel more comfortable around those who share our assumptions and general backgrounds. There really does not seem to be much truth to the old saying that “opposites attract.” A number of psychologists have expressed this idea in the theory of the looking glass self, the theory that one’s self-concept is significantly affected by what one imagines others think of him or her. If they appear to approve of you, then you value yourself, and vice-versa. If someone you like and /or respect gives you a compliment and at that moment you are asked to rate yourself on a scale of one to ten, your stock will probably be higher than usual. To be a human being means to possess a feeling of inferiority which constantly presses towards its own conquest. The paths to victory are as different in a thousand ways as the chosen goals of perfection. The greater the feeling of inferiority that has been experienced, the more powerful is the urge to conquest and the more violent the emotional agitation. However, meanings are not determined by situations, but we determine ourselves by the meanings we give to situations. We must never neglect the patient’s own use of his or her symptoms. The science of the mind can only have for its proper goal the understanding of human nature by every human being, and through its use, brings peace to every human soul. #RandolphHarris 1 of 11
We share a common concern for the environment and a common desire to draw others unto the Creator of Heaven and Earth. The human soul and the environment are interconnected, each affects and influences the other. Therefore, there is an inherent complexity of human interaction with the environment. Our approach to the environment must be prudent, realistic, balanced, and consist with the needs of the Earth and of the current and future generations. It cannot be reasonably disputed that we depend on this Earth to sustain life, and the quality of the Earth and its environment will directly affect the quality of our life—and that of future generations. We understand who we are, the purpose of our existence, and the reason the Earth was created—and we have to keep these things in mind. If we do our conduct will rise to a higher, nobler level, and that is where religion and faith plays a major role. If we have to point to one single challenge facing humanity, a problem which virtually all others are tied, it would have to be population growth. We currently are trapped in a destructive cycle of our own making. Human population size has skyrocketed as we have increased our ability to produce food surpluses. As population size increases, more and more land is converted to crops, pasture, and building sites, providing more opportunities for yet more people. #RandolphHarris 2 of 11
God desires that humankind progress, improve, and receive eternal reward—and the Lord created this Earth for that purpose. Additionally, through medical advances of the twentieth century, we have reduced mortality at both ends of the life cycle. Thus, fewer people die in childhood, and having survived to adulthood, they live longer than ever before. The World average life expectancy is 69 years (may be higher or lower depending on country). Although these medical advances are unquestionably good for individuals (who has not benefited from medical technology?), it is also clear that there are significant detrimental consequences to the species and to the planet. Population size, if left unchecked, increases exponentially, that is, as a function of some perfect, like compound interest on a bank account. Currently, human population increases Worldwide at an annual rate of about 1.8 percent. Although this figure may not seem too startling at first, it deserves some examination. It is also useful to discuss double time, or the amount of time it takes for population size to double. God explained in practical terms why he created this World for his children to live on as mortal being and those who choose to follow and serve God in this life upon this Earth will have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever. #RandolphHarris 3 of 11
The creation of this Earth affords us the opportunity to choose to seek and someday receive all that God offers. However, one cannot, and should not be forced to follow God; indeed, real growth and development in an individual occurs only when one has the opportunity to choose for him or herself. Nonetheless, scientists estimate that around 10,000 years ago, only about 5 million people inhabited the Earth (not even half as many as life in Los Angeles County today). By A.D. 1650, there were perhaps 500 million, and by 1800, 1 billion. In other words, between 10,000 years ago and A.D. 1650 (a period of 9,650 years), population size doubled 71 times. On average, then, the doubling time, for population increase, between 10,000 years ago and 1650 was about 1,287 years. However, from 1650 to 1800, the population doubled again, which means that doubling time had been reduced to 150 years. And in 37 years between 1950 and 1987, World population doubled from 2 billion to 4 billion. Dates and associated population estimates up to the present are as follows: mid-1800s, 1 billion; 1930, 2 billion; mid-1960s, 3 billion; mid-1980s, 4 billion; 2000, 6 billion, and in 2018, 7.6 billion. To state this issue in terms we can appreciate, we add 1 billion people to the World’s population approximately every 11 years. That comes out to 90 to 95 million every year and roughly a quarter of a million every day! #RandolphHarris 4 of 11
The rate of growth is not equally distributed among all nations. Although the World’s rate of increase has ranged from 1.7 to 2.1 percent since the 1950s, it is the developing countries that share most of the burden (not to be interpreted as blame). During the 1980s, the population of Kenya grew at a rate of a little over 4 percent per year, while India added a million per month, and 36,000 babies were born every day in Latin American. Fortunately, by the end of the twentieth century, rates of human population growth began to decline. Moreover, by 2000, the replacement rate of 2.1 children per female required for population size to stabilize had been achieved in all western European countries, Thailand, and the nonimmigrant populations of the United States. The decrease in family size Worldwide is attributed to several factors, including the shift to a global economy, the migration of rural populations to urban centers with concomitant shifts in employment from agriculture to manufacturing and service sectors, and, at least in some countries, the increasing empowerment of women that has meant better education, increased opportunities in the workplace, and access to family planning. However, by the year 2020, human numbers could approach 10 billion. Japan is pretty much the only nation experiencing a population decline, which is leading to better education and employment opportunities, higher pay and more places to live. #RandolphHarris 5 of 11
The Earth was created to provide a place for the children of God to be tested, to learn and gain necessary experience in a place where they would have the opportunity to choose whether they will, or will not, do all things that the Lord commands. Once the process of the creation of this Earth was completed, God was pleased. He was pleased, for he saw that this Earth would serve his purpose for his children. God’s plan was—and is that his children come to this Earth through marriage between a man and a woman, who are to procreate, form a family, and tech children to choose the good part in a World with real moral choices and consequences. The Lord created the Earth to be inhabited; and he created his children that they should possess it. Men and women are not ere interlopers or a side-show on this Earth; rather, they and the children they bring into this World are central to its propose. However, we believe that God has commanded that the Earth and all things thereon be utilized responsibly to abundantly sustain the human family. We are just stewards of this Earth, God owns everything. So, how we care for the Earth, how we utilize and share in its bounty, and how we treat all life that has been provided for our benefit and use is part of our test in mortality. When God gave us dominion over everything, it was not without boundaries or limits. #RandolphHarris 6 of 11
God intends human’s dominion to be a righteous dominion, meaning one that is guided, curbed, and enlightened by the doctrine of his gospel—a gospel defined by God’s love for us and our love for him and his works. The unbridled, voracious consumer is not consistent with God’s plan of happiness, which calls for humility, gratitude, and mutual respect. In other words, as stewards over the Earth and all life thereon, we are to gratefully make use of that which the Lord has provided, avoid wasting life and resources, and use the bounty of the Earth to care for the less affluent. Yes, the Lord gave to men and women agency, or the capacity to choose; however, we must bear in mind that he cares deeply for all life and especially for his children, and will hold us accountable for what we choose to do (or not do) with the bounties of his creation. “It pleases God that he has given all these things unto humans,” report Doctrine and Covenants 59.20. Humankind is promised that if we choose to follow the Lord and judiciously use the resources of the Earth with thanksgiving and respect, the fullness of the Earth would be ours, and that Good things would come of the Earth, and would benefit humans and strengthen the body and enliven the soul. #RandolphHarris 7 of 11
The United Nations plan to control population growth is to emphasize women’s education, health, and rights throughout the World, but it still has met with stiff resistance from religious groups (primarily the United States) opposed to abortion and contraception. The United Nations goal is admirable and ambitions, but achieving it will be a formidable task. Although the average number of live births per woman has declined, it will still be next to impossible to prevent huge population increases in the next century. Bear in mind that approximately half of all people currently living in the developing World are less than 15 years old. These young people have not reproduced yet, but they will. The concern is can we continue forever to make technological changes sufficient to feed ever-growing numbers of humans? Is there enough land to support an endless demand for housing, crop cultivation, and grazing? Is there enough water? We probably can develop technologies to meet our species’ increasing needs for a while. However, can we do so and still meet the requirements of thousands of undomesticated species? The answer for the immediate future is: probably not. For the long term, without major changes in human population growth, the answer is: absolutely not. And that is one of the reasons people are in an uproar about unlawful immigration. #RandolphHarris 8 of 11
With resources being scarce and prices climbing, people are concerned how will they afford to live? They are worried that their culture will be replaced. The massive problems facing our planet reflect an adaptive strategy gone awry. Indeed, it would seem that we no longer enjoy a harmonious relationship with culture. Instead, culture has come the environment in which we live, and every day that environment becomes increasingly hostile. All we need to do is examine the very air we breathe and look at the traffic on the roads to realize that we have overstepped our limits. However, it was intended by God that all creatures should be happy in their several elements. All forms of life have great value in the eyes of God, for they are his production, and will be blessed by his redeeming power. If there is any real chance of reversing current trends, everyone will have to sacrifice. In the developing World, family planning must universally be adopted to halt population expansion. Large, single-family dwellings are luxuries many enjoy, and it would be a good idea to buy property while it is still available. We must also encourage our children to conform and get educations so they can afford the expensive cost of living in their countries. Our two feet have carried us not only across the plains of Africa, but also onto the polar caps, the ocean floor, and even across the surface of the Moon! #RandolphHarris 9 of 11
God cares and gives humankind a dominant role on this Earth as evidence that humankind is special, a little lower than Angels. Surely, if we can accomplish so much in so short a time, we can act responsibly to preserve our home and the wonderous creatures who share it with us. Not only did God create a beautiful World of mountains, valleys, rivers, streams, seas, Sunsets, and Sunrises, but he also adorned it with plant and animal life. And the scriptures inform us that each form of plant and animal life has a spirit. God created all things spiritually, before they were naturally upon the Earth. Out of the ground God made every tree grow naturally, that is it pleasant to the sight of humans, and it also became a living soul. God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air, and they are living souls. Since both planet and animal life are living souls, they are capable of experiencing happiness as they fulfill the measure of their creation. Yes, we have been provided this beautiful and bountiful World, teeming with life and resources to bless and strengthen and enliven humankind, and we are to use them joyfully—but we must do so as careful, grateful stewards over God’s handiwork. We are to use these resources with judgment, gratitude, prudence, and with an eye to bless our fellow man and woman and those of future generation, and in that way help the Lord accomplish his purpose to help humankind. #RandolphHarris 10 of 11
In the mind of God there is no such a thing as dividing spiritual from temporal, or temporal from spiritual; for they are one in the Lord. God wants to help us progress, improve, and receive his blessings in time and eternity. Even if you do not believe in God, he wants to help you and he loves you. However, suffocating selfishness of humankind makes God sad. This Earth is God’s creation. When we make it ugly, we offend the Lord. Faith and religion should have the capacity to stretch, enlarge, and change the human soul beyond self, and to inspire love of God and his creations, to think of others, and to consider the needs of future generations, even to the point of relinquishing personal desires. We need that soul-stretching, for the state of the human soul will directly impact the condition and health of the environment—which, in turn affect the quality of life. Religion can change how we will treat the Earth and all things thereon. As the human soul is changed, the environment is better cared for. The doctrine and commandments of God lead us beyond the suffocating, self-limiting weight of selfishness, the blinding press of self-gratification or aggrandizement. Keep your valley pure, keep your towns as pure as you possibly can, keep your hearts pure. It is not our privilege to waste the Lord’s substance. #RandolphHarris 11 of 11
The Quality of the Earth and its Environment Will Directly Affect the Quality of Our Life
This beautiful Earth and all things in it are the creations of God. However, virtually every day we read or hear something about global climate change, endangered species, environmental degradation, or one of the many problems facing humanity today. We are living during a critical period in the Earth’s history. Indeed, the future of much of life as we know it will be decided in the next few decades, and these decisions will be irrevocable. Therefore, it is crucial that we, as individuals, cities, and nations, make wise decisions, and to do this we must be informed. We also think it is important to consider these problems from an anthropological perspective. This is something not usually done in the media and certainly not by politicians and heads of government. However, if we are truly to comprehend the impact that human activities have had on the planet, then such discussions surely must consider our biological and cultural evolution. And we must also emphasize our place in nature and focus on how, since the domestication of plants and animals, we have altered the face of our planet while at the same time shaping the destiny of thousands of species, including our own. The way to discover the original nature is calmness and wisdom. This means not being carried away by thought in the process of thought and being free from characters whole in the midst of them. When the mind is unperturbed by selfishness or deliberate effort and deliberate effort and is left to take its own course, it will reveal its pure nature, and enlightenment will come suddenly. #RandolphHarris 1 of 9
We humans tend to view ourselves as separate from all other life forms, and we generally regard our species as the masters of the planet. In Western cultures, this view has been reinforced by the conventionally held Old Testament assertion that humans shall have dominion over all other species. “Let us make humankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground,” reports Genesis 1.26. However, this also means that we are supposed to have stewardship over the animals. Stewardship is the job of supervising or taking care of something, such as an organization or property. We are also supposed to protect and take care of our land and waterways. However, in the Late Bronze Age peoples (circa 4,000-3,500 years ago), many of England’s forest were disappearing. Today, the majority of European woodlands exist as discontinuous patches, the results of process that continued until fairly recent times but originated with prehistoric farmers. Unfortunately, humans began to exploit, and increasingly depend on, non-renewable resources. Forests can be viewed as renewable resources, provided they are given the opportunity for regrowth. However, in many areas, forest clearing is virtually complete and is inevitably followed by soil erosion, frequent overgrazing, and overcultivation, which leads to further soil erosion. Therefore, in those areas, trees become a nonrenewable resource, perhaps the first resource to have this distinction. #RandolpHarris 2 of 9
Also, the archaeological reports that around 15,000 years ago, influenced in part by climate change and extinction of many large bodied prey species, some human groups began to settle down, abandoning their nomadic lives. That shows that climate change is natural and it happens so that other species have a chance to flourish. Humans are members of a group that includes about 4,000 species. And this is a group that has been on the decline for the last several million years. And in truth, it would be inaccurate to assume that human activities have only recently come to have environmental consequences. In fact, human impact on local environments increased dramatically as soon as people began to live in permanent settlements. Many of the Earth’s features we think of as natural actually came about as the result of human activities. For example, prior to the Neolithic, when people began to live in permanent settlements, much of Britain and continental Europe was blanketed with forests and woodlands. The moorlands and, to some extent, the peat bogs that have provided evocative settings for so many English novels are the result of deforestation that began more than 5,000 years ago. #RandolphHarris 3 of 9
It would not be inaccurate to say that since the advent of settled life, and to some extent prior to it, humans have virtually waged war on trees. Early European explorers and settlers recorded extensive burning of woodlands and forest by indigenous groups of hunter-gatherers in North America and Australia, presumably to clear undergrowth and drive animals from cover. The effect of such burning was not inconsequential, and as people began to live in agricultural communities and later in towns and cities, the impact on forests became devastating. In fact, only about 20 percent of the Earth’s original forests remain intact today, and much of the clearing occurred centuries and even millennia ago. There are many reasons for cutting forests, and the earliest of these were to clear the land for cultivation and grazing and to provide firewood and lumber for construction. As small communities grew into towns and cities, wood came to be used for shipbuilding, fortifications, and even the construction of temples and palaces. In short, the human experience over the last 10,000 to 15,000 years would not have been possible without the exploitation of woodlands and forests. One of the earliest documented examples of humankind’s appetite for lumber is the cutting of the famous cedars of Lebanon. Over 3,000 years ago, the eastern Mediterranean (modern-day Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria), southern Turkey, and Mesopotamia (in present-day Iraq) had become major sources of valuable cedar, fir, cypress, and other woods. #RandolphHarris 4 of 9
However, by far the most highly prized wood was Lebanese cedar, which was cut and shipped throughout the eastern Mediterranean, where it was used in the construction of buildings and ships. The Old Testament tells us that King Solomon’s temple was made of cedar from Lebanon, and numerous other texts, written over several centuries, document the extensive use and desirability of this precious wood. Not surprisingly, the deforestation of the mountains of Lebanon was eventually so complete that the forest of today consists of small patches of trees. Just to prove the ancient adage “The more things change, the more they stay the same, it is informative to note that classical scholars (most notably Plato and Aristotle) bemoaned the effects of deforestation and other forms of environmental degradation in Greece and other areas of the Mediterranean basin. They warned that the cutting of forests and overuse of land led to soil erosion and agricultural decline, disrupted water supplies, and even caused climate change. Their views, expressed some 2,400 years ago, are verified by combined archaeological and geological data that show sequences of soil accumulation followed by intense human occupation, then soil erosion, and finally abandonment of archaeological sites throughout Greece. Furthermore, this sequence of episodes dates to around 5,000 years ago. #RandolphHarris 5 of 9
However, given the relatively small size of human populations, even by the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans, the human impact on ecosystems mostly remained a localized, not global, phenomenon. Nevertheless, these impacts were in some cases significant. The barren (but enchanting) landscape of Greece and much of what is now desert in the Middle East and the Sahara Desert in Africa are the legacies of deforestation, overgrazing, and subsequent erosions over the last few thousand years. Destruction of natural resources in the past has also had severe consequences for the people living today. In 1,990, a typhoon and subsequent flooding killed over 100,000 people in Bangladesh, and the flooding was at least partly due to previous deforestation in parts of the Himalayas of northern India. There is also evidence that continued erosion and flooding in China are partly the results of deforestation that occurred in the past. Many scientists have long speculated that the collapse of the Maya civilization of southern Mexico around 1,000 year ago was at least somewhat due to climate change, overcultivation, and depletion of nutrient-poor tropical soils. So, it is very important to protect the trees in the Sierras and throughout California and Nevada to prevent it from becoming a desert. #RandolphHarris 6 of 9
As beneficiaries of this divine creation, we should care for the Earth, be wise stewards over it, and preserve it for future generations. The Earth and all things on it are part of God’s plan for the redemption of his children and should be used responsibly to sustain the human family. “We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an Earth whereon these may dwell; and we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them,” reports Abraham 3.24-35. However, all are stewards—not owners—over this Earth and its bounty and will be accountable before God for what they do with his creations. “For it is expedient that I, the Lord, should make every person accountable, as a steward over Earthly blessings, which I have made and prepared for my creatures. I, the Lord, stretched out the Heavens, and built the Earth, my very handiwork; and all things therein are mine. And it is my purpose to provide for my saints, for all things are mine, Reports Doctrines and Covenants Section 104.13-15. All humankind should gratefully use what God has given, avoid wasting life and resources, and use the bounty of the Earth to care for the less affluent. “And wo be unto humans that sheddeth blood or that wasteth flesh and hath no need,” reports Doctrines and Covenants Section 49.21. #RandolphHarris 7 of 9
To truly reverence the Creator, we must appreciate his creations. God intends is creations to be pleasing to look upon and to enliven the mind and spirit. “All things which come of the Earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of humans, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart; yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul,” reports Doctrines and Covenants 59.18-19. For that reason, making the Earth ugly offends God. It is important to see and appreciate the glory and grandeur of God in everything about us because the state of the human soul and the environment are interconnected—each affects the other. The Earth, all living things, and the expanse of the Universe all eloquently witness of God. Accounts and portrayals of the Creation show that God cares about all he has made—his children, the Earth and all living things on it. The Earth and its fullness were first created spiritually. “I, the Lord God, created all things, of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the Earth,” reports Moses 3.5. The great variety of life forms God created give the Earth its beauty and diversity. The Earth and its creations are eternal. The Earth will be sanctified and receive celestial glory. It will be the home of the righteous, who will enjoy God’s glory. #RandolphHarris 8 of 9
The Earthy is the place where God’s children experience mortality, exercise agency, learn from their experiences, improve and progress. As a reminder, God has made us accountable for the care and preservation of the Earth and the wise use of its resources. As stewards, we avoid complacency and excessive consumption, using only what is necessary. We make our homes, neighborhoods, and cities beautiful. We preserve resources and protect for future generations that spiritual and temporal blessings of nature. If we all follow the universal principles given to us by God, the nature and destiny of humans and things will be correct. When the principles of the scriptures are endowed in human beings, it becomes their nature. The human purpose is originally good because its principles are good, and principles are good because they are from the source of God. Evil arises when feelings are aroused and deviate from the principles taught in the scriptures. One’s knowledge will be extended, one’s will sincere, one’s feelings correct, and one’s personal life cultivated only when the mind is clam—that is, free from selfishness, cunning, and deliberate—effort can it be peaceful. When this is done, one will have fully developed one’s nature and fulfilled one’s destiny. The development of human nature does not stop with personal perfection, but involves all things. #RandolphHarris 9 of 9
Nature of Perfect Reality has True Existence
The World seems to have lost much of its innocence. Formality, respect for authority, dignity, and nobility are mocked. Modesty and neatness yield to slouchiness and shabbiness in dress and grooming. The rules of honesty and integrity and basic morality are not ignored. Conversation is laced with profanity. We have decisions almost every day as to whether we will follow those trends. We have many tests ahead. The main factors that lead people to a life of cowardice seems to be a lack of belief within themselves and fear of the unknown. We have to believe in a greater future for ourselves and see ourselves achieving our goals, and we have to stop being afraid to take action. Fear is not real, it is just false negative assumptions that the mind tries to make us believe. “For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer,” reports 1 Timothy 4.4-5. We have to stop living small, stop being afraid, and live an extraordinary life as we pursue what we truly want. We can live our whole life in a state of resignation to life that we are in now or we can take responsibility for our lives and make things happen. If we do not take action we will never discover what we are truly capable of becoming and achieving. The Holy Ghost will comfort us and we will be able to feel the influence of the Angels, and this will help us feel our ways through life. #RandolphHarris 1 of 5
Our dreams and visions should have special meaning to us. We have to rekindle the desire within our hearts that we once had growing up to live the life we imagined. It is important to dream like we have never dreamed before. With the dream at the forefront of our mind taking the massive action in the direction that we want to go. Whatever is produced in a person, that is, whatever is inborn in an individual, is his or her nature. In its original, tranquil state, human nature is neither good nor evil. The distinction arises when human nature is aroused and manifested in feelings and actins and when these feelings and actions abide by or deviate from the mean. The chief task of moral and spiritual cultivation is to calm one’s nature though absolute impartiality and the identification of internal and external life. Since principle is code of creation and since life-giving is good, principle is the source of goodness. To be good is to obey principle. Thus, principle is both natural and moral and both general and specific. It has meaning as an abstract reality, but more so as the moral law of human beings. The pursuit of learning depends on the extension of knowledge, self-cultivation requires seriousness. The superior person is one who develops one’s mind to the utmost and nourishes his or her nature. If we will take control of it, magnificent is our future. There is something greater within us that is greater than any obstacle that we shall encounter. #RandolphHarris 2 of 5
We have to believe in ourselves, we have the capabilities to live the life we want to life. We can also be of service of the World, be the one to achieve our dreams so that we can help others to stand up and take charge of their lives, do away with the mediocre life, sacrifice for success, sacrifice for dreams, and sacrifice for what matters must. The harmony of the individual and society rests on several basic ideas. Foremost of these is humanity. Humanity is connoted particular virtues, such as kindness, benevolence, and affection. Humanity is the moral character, which enables people to attain true humanhood. The moral character is developed in oneself and in one’s relations with others. Wishing to establish our own character, also establishes the character of others. Rectification allows of to correct errors in our heart (moral errors). We have to see ourselves as the person that we truly want to be, the superior versions of ourselves who is ambition, drive, disciplined, focused, action-orientated and making our dreams a reality. Some people do not do all that they can because they have sold themselves short within their minds that they are not good enough and they do not have what it takes. However, when God put dream in your heart, it also came with a date of completion. #RandolphHarris 3 of 5
Success is a journey of growth, personal development, and action. The more we persist towards our dream with confidence, the stronger we will become in all areas of our lives. We should speak of the future, and it is bright with promise. There is hope and faith and achievement manifesting. Goodness and love and peace will attain their proper order and all things will flourish in a harmonious universal operation. The significance is the there will be a profound influence on the World. We are people of divinity; the people of the Almighty. Limitless is our potential. The ideal life of the individual, the ideal order of society, and the ideal type of government are al based on the Supreme Being and guided by God. Therefore, we must honor our heritage and not let our lives drift into an unproductive and worthless manner. It is the will of Heaven that we should practice humanity and righteousness, be economical, and practice universal love, and it is our duty to obey the will of Heaven. We can life vibration by our thoughts. High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectations. These patterns of behaviour will yield success and happiness and peace. There must be cleanliness, for immorality will blight our lives and leave a scar that will never entirely leave us. There must be purpose. We are here to accomplish something, to bless society with our talents and our learning. #RandolpHarris 4 of 5
There can be fun in life, but there must be recognition of the fact that life is serious, that the risks are great, but we can overcome them if we will discipline ourselves and seek the unfailing strength of the Lord. Memory of mistakes will likely linger, but the deed can be forgiven, and we can rise above the past to life a life fully acceptable unto the Lord where there has been repentance. God promised that he will forgive our sins and remember them no more against us. We have to stay on the Lord’s side of the line. We have within us instincts, powerful and terribly persuasive, urging us at times to let go and experience temptation. However, we cannot do it. We must not do it. We are men and women of God with tremendous potential. God has great expectations concerning us, as do others. We cannot let down for a minute. We cannot give into an impulse. There must be discipline, strong and unbending. There is nothing in all this World as magnificent as virtue. It glows without tarnish. It is precious and beautiful. It is above price. It cannot be bought nor sold. It is the product of self-mastery. We have to find purpose in our lives and choose the things we would like to do, and educate ourselves to be effective in the pursuit. Centrality in the individual is the state of equilibrium in one’s mind before the feelings are aroused, and harmony s the state after they are aroused. We must dream like we have never dreamed before and make our dreams a reality. #RandolphHarris 5 of 5
A Nice Summer Day with Leo Making Tennessee Peach Pudding
God lives and possess intelligence, an omnipotent intelligence. Given there is something humans cannot build, the one who builds it is superior to humans; the World is such a structure; and so God, who is superior to humans, exists. Archetypes of created things are formed in the Divine Understanding and the human mind, intimately untied with God, perceives created, extended things by the way of idea in one. The true cause of both sensations and voluntary movement is God, who instituted laws for the union of mind and body. Whatever understanding we can have of life and the human spirit hinges upon observation of how universal unconsciousness, the unknown Divine, becomes conscious. Universal unconsciousness is not teleological in itself; it achieves purpose only as it becomes conscious through conscious individual like people. Consciousness is not more permanent than thing; it is a moment between past and future. As a moment, it can maintain itself only through sleep or a return to the unknown. It is imperative that we awaken from mundane awareness into full spiritual remembrance of who we are. The problem is that even when most people are physically awake, they are still mentally asleep, unaware of themselves and entirely absorbed in whatever mechanical impulse or external stimulus captures their attention. This state of confluence, or mental absorption, keeps many people in an unproductive dream state. #RandolphHarris 1 of 16
The television news media is a powerful force in the World and the information has become increasingly more deceitful, especially when it is produced by certain networks and local stations. Much of the information in the local media is no longer informative, they are sending a message—obey, or be punished. That is why little of the local news is actually research and informative reports, it is most crime reports and gossip, delivered by people most of us have a hard time taking seriously because they are frequently caught lying, saying things that sound incoherent or off topic, and laughing as if they have just smoked a dangerous and illegal marijuana cigarette. The media is indoctrinating our youth who are at their must impressionable by telling them that they should revolt, ignore than laws, and abolish law enforcement and authority figures who try to keep our society safe and civilized. Even judges are refusing to uphold the laws because they are getting pressure from the community not to obey them. The media knows that families—private, cohesive groups not usually under political sway—are an obstacle to their goals. So the news is being used to get this rebellious, anarchical ideology into the family unit, and some members of the community have even denounced their parents when they advocate to uphold the laws of the land or speak of for accountability in the community. #RandolphHarris 2 of 16
The news media knows that college students are extremely vulnerable and do not know much about the World, feel they have been oppressed by their teachers and their parents, who are actually only trying to protect them, and these kids are outraged and ready to take a stand for anything. Instead of advocating to reduce the noise and pollution made by leaf blowers, or convincing people to use public transportation to reduce traffic and pollution, or demanding that plastic junk islands that are polluting the ocean be cleaned up, they are being indoctrinated by the media to smoke marijuana and stop law enforcement from doing their jobs. This rebellion gives the youth a sense of purpose. The reporters are getting the youth to recite pledges of outdated slogans like, “This is the land of opportunity” and “We are a nation of immigrants” meanwhile California, and much of the nation is having a housing crisis, and an issue of paying for college because it is so expensive. Instead of addressing things that impact our people and environment, the youth are being taught by the fake news media to rebel. The media is dangerous and imposing military-like order on members of the community, which include hefty doses of propaganda that encourage an almost religious devotion to things like allowing illegal immigration and eroding boarder security, while they forget over 3,500 people lost their lives in the attack on the Trade Centers and many more died after the fact from issues related to being exposed to poison and undue heartbreak and stress. #RandolphHarris 3 of 16
There are so many fires burning in California right now, over 500,000 acres are concurrently burning, we are seeing the histories largest fires in California. There is smoke blocking out the sky and ashes landing on cars and dinning room tables, causing them to need to be washed and dusted every day, and we are also breathing that ash into our lungs and getting it into our eyes, and that cannot be a good thing. Meanwhile, instead of advocating desalinating seawater to water the forest, which would reduce wild fires, save lives, and property, the youth are selling their souls to the TV news, the fake news media owns their mind and body and they refuse to step away from the indoctrination and realize our ways of life are being destroyed, while they rally to support illegal immigration, but ignore other important things we need to be paying attention to. We are a nation of laws, and that is why people love America. If illegal immigration is a problem, people need to look at what these people are running from because bad behaviour is contagious, it spreads and it will come to our nation and end our way of life. If these other nations cannot help their own people, maybe they need to seek the help of a foreign government to partner with them and help them enforce laws so their people do not have to flee. It is safe to say society is indoctrinated by the media. They cannot even think for themselves and go around repeating phrases, and keywords, and cannot even back up what they are saying. #RandolphHarris 4 of 16
The media is implanting their values, and molding your self-image, feeding you implicit biases, and getting you to idolize people who probably think you are of little value. Do you every see these reporters out in the field having a friendly conversation, inviting you to high tea, or even eating at your local restaurants. No. Like a den of thieves, they hide and only socialize with others in their work environment, but yet, you want to look like them, behave like them, and allow them to determine who you are as a person. Politically, the reporters are deceiving the public. They are getting paid by politicians to generate fake news to keep the public out of their business and unaware of their true agenda. The fake news media is becoming the sole influence on society, every generation included. Whether ninety years old, twenty-two years old, the fake news media has the public in a culturally conditioned state of hypnosis. People are subjected to deceptive information which they consciously accept as truth and images and sounds which are then subconsciously allowed to dictate their perception of themselves and others. Whether it is a news story, a fictional television series or an advertisement—it is permeating your minds and distorting your perceptions or judgment which in turns affect your behaviour. People have become human drones, and losing their own freedoms and natural ideas. #RandolphHarris 5 of 16
When was the last time you have a profound thought about anything you have not seen in the news? Do you thin cats are cruel when they play with mice before killing them? Or have you ever been tossed off a horse, when she leaped for no apparent reason? If so, did you think she threw you deliberately just to be obnoxious? Behaviour, has been shaped over evolutionary time by interactions between genetic and environmental processes and for this reason it is extremely complex. However, most people do not give this much thought, and even those who may do not necessarily accept this basic premise. For example, whole most social scientists agree that genetic factors influence nonhuman behaviour, many object to the suggestion that they might also affect human behaviour. This is because of concerns over implications that genetically influenced behaviors are fixed and cannot be modified by experience (i.e., learning). Furthermore, most people assume that there is a fundamental division between humans and all other animals. However, at the same time, they often judge other species as if their motives were entirely human. Of course, this is not a valid thing to do simply because they are not human. For example, cats do sometimes play with mice before they kill them because that is how, as kittens, they learn to hunt. Cruelty does not enter into it, since the cat has no concept of cruelty and no idea what it is like to be the mouse. #RandolphHarris 6 of 16
Likewise, the horse does not necessarily throw you off deliberately when she hears leaves rattling in a shrub. In fact, at that moment, you may be the farthest thing from her mind. Her bahviour has been shaped by thousands of generations of horse ancestors who jumped first and asked questions later. Horses evolved as prey animals, they used to have claws, and their evolutionary history is littered with animals that did not jump at a sound in a shrub. In many cases, they learned, too late, that the sound was not caused by breeze at all. This is a mistake that prey animals do not usually survive, and those that do not leap first do not leave many descendants. Therefore, it is clear to see that basic behaviours have been shaped by the evolutionary history of species. Much like everything some people in TV news say is a lie. They lie like it is their mission in life. “You belong to your father, the adversary, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a lair and the father of lies,” reports John 8.44. And the same factors that have influenced many behaviours in nonprimate animals also apply to primates. Consequently, if we want to discover the underlying principles of behavioural evolution, including that of humans, we first need to identify the interactions between a number of environmental and physiological variables. #RandolphHarris 7 of 16
Behaviours are adaptations to environmental circumstances that exited in the past as well as in the present. Since behaviours are influenced by genes, they are subject to natural selection in the same way that physical characteristics are. (Remember that within a specific environmental context, natural selection favours traits that provide a reproductive advantage to the individual who possess them. Therefore, behaviour constitutes a phenotype, and individuals whose behavioural phenotypes increase reproductive fitness will pass on their genes at a faster rate than others. However, this does not mean that primatologist think that gene code for specific behaviours, such as a gene for aggression, another for cooperation, and so on. Studying complex behaviour from an evolutionary view point does not imply a one gene—one behaviour relationship, nor does it suggest that behaviours that are influenced by genes cannot be modified through learning. We can know our children are beginning to understand the doctrine when we see it revealed in their attitudes and actions without external threats or rewards. As our children learn to understand the gospel doctrines, they become more self-reliant and more responsible. True doctrines of the gospel will improve behaviour quicker than a study of behaviour will improve behaviour, and the proportion under genetic control will be reduced. #RandolphHarris 8 of 16
However, at the same time, we also know that some behaviour is at least partly influenced by certain gene products such as hormones. For example, you are probably aware that elevated levels of testosterone increase aggression in many species. And you may also know that conditions like depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorders are caused by abnormal levels of certain chemicals produced by brain cells. Behaviour is a complex trait and is a product of interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Among species, there is considerable variation in the limits and potentials for learning and for behaviorual plasticity, or flexibility. In some species, such as humans, the potentials for learning are extremely broad while, in others, they are not. Ultimately, those limits and potentials are set by genetic factors that have been favoured throughout their evolutionary history of species. That history, in turn, has been shaped by the ecological setting not only of living species, but also for their ancestors. That is why for some people who have mental distress, and they are still doing evil things, gospel alone may not help them. You might think, how could this person have read the Bible from cover to cover twice and still be so evil? Well, that individual may have a chemical imbalance that a medical doctor needs to treat and then the scriptures will be more effective in the remediation of their actions and thoughts. #RandolphHarris 9 of 16
As our mission progressed and we continued to focus on teaching doctrine, their hearts changed and so did ours. Because we understand doctrine, we understand the why of obedience, not simply that what and how. The Word of God is the revealed Spirit-filled words, and our faith grows, our desires to repent and obey increase, and we are changed. The power to change hears is not in the teacher, but in the virtue of the word of God. Letters on a page or sound waves coming out of a mouth have no inherent power to change hearts, but when true words are charged by the Holy Spirit of Go, they can bring about a mighty change of heart. When we teach his word by the Spirit, the Holy Ghost carries light and truth unto the heart of the learner. When learners open their hearts to receive the word, the Spirit enlightens their minds and changes their hearts—their motives and behaviours. Energy manifests as an atom from the basic building block of this entire physical Universe. Energy cycles around itself, and as we have discovered, atoms have enough harnessed energy to blow up the World when that energy is released. However, unless forced otherwise, the energy will stay harnessed because of its equilibrium states. This process of cycling energy is exactly what happens when we are a powerful witness to the true doctrine of the Church. #RandolphHarris 10 of 16
As we understand, we change our attitudes and behaviours because we understand where the blockages within the heart come from, we have learned the structural questions of how the heart gets blocked. “No more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually,” reports Mosiah 5.2. We can certainly see the potential for impressions to build up to the point where very little energy can make it through. If they build up sufficiently, one will find oneself in a state of depression. In that state, all becomes dark. This is because very little energy is coming into one’s heart or mind. Eventually, everything appears negative because the World of the senses must past through that depressed energy before it gets to one’s consciousness. However, even if one is not prone to depression, the heart still gets blocked overtime. It just builds up. It does not stay blocked, however. The heart is the place through which energy flows to sustain an individual. This energy inspires and raises one. It is the strength that carries people through life. It is the beautiful experience of love that pours through the being. “Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God. Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word; yea, they were encircled about by the bands of death, and the chains of hell, and an everlasting destruction did await them. They were loosed, and their souls did expand, and they did sing redeeming love. And I say unto you that they are saved,” reports Alma 5.7 and 9. #RandolphHarris 11 of 16
This is meant to be going on inside of a person at all time—unending inspiration, unending love, unending openness. That is the natural state of a healthy heart. To achieve this state, simply allow the experiences of life to come in and pass through your being. If former energies come back up because you were unable to process them before, let go of them now. It is that easy. To understand the function of one behavioural element, it is necessary to determine how it is influenced by numerous interrelated factors. If we speak by the Spirit and we listen by the Spirit, we will hear things better than you or I can say them. I pray that this can happen today. We have to be honest in the things we are saying. God lives and he cares about us. Through prayer we know the Lord will guide us and show us the right way through his prophets, who we know are called of God. We know the Lord loves each of us in a very special way. When individual members and families immerse themselves in the scriptures regularly and consistently, areas of our lives activities will automatically come. Testimonies will increase. Commitment will be strengthened. Families will be fortified. Personal revelation will flow. “Angles speak by the power of the Holy Ghost. Receive the Holy Ghost, and it will show unto you all things what ye should do,” reports 2 Nephi 32.3 and 5. Many people associate with other individuals for various reasons, including predator avoidance. When they do share habitats with others, they exploit somewhat different resources. #RandolphHarris 12 of 16
There is no more beautiful sight than a person who glows with the light of the Spirit, who is confident and courageous because he or she is virtuous. Life history traits are characteristics or developmental stages that typify member of a given group and influence potential. The Lord has blessed us with a very clear understanding of who we are and why we are here on the Earth at this time. The Lord loves you, and I know you love him. It shows in your countenance, in your modesty, in your desire to choose the right, and in your commitment to remain virtuous and pure. This is a magnificent time to be on the Earth. Our vision remains the same. It is to be worthy to make and keep sacred covenants and to receive the ordinances of the temple. However, we should also reflect on how virtually all nonhuman primate populations are now impacted by human hunting and forest clearing. These activities severely disrupt and isolate groups, reduce numbers, reduce resource availability, and eventually can cause extinction. We must continue to care for animals and the environment and lead the World in return to virtue—a return to chastity and moral purity. We will continue to do all we can to help each other stand in holy places and receive, recognize, and rely on the Holy Ghost. “O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you,” reports Isaiah 33.2. #RandolphHarris 13 of 16
Youth of the noble birthright, be strong and of good courage be not afraid, neither thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. You are not alone! Though you may be the only member of the Church or your group of friends or even your family, you are not alone. You can rely on the strength of the Lord. We simply cannot do the work we have been reserved and prepared to do unless we can access the strength and confidence that comes by living a virtuous life. “The Lord will be the sure foundation of our times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure,” reports Isaiah 33.6. Care should be taken to distinguish between two different uses of this word. The fear of the Lord is frequently spoken of as part of our duty. It is equivalent to reverence, awe, worship, and is therefore an essential part of the attitude of mind in which we ought to stand and toward the All-holy God. Sin destroys that feeling of confidence God’s child should feel in a loving Father and produces instead a feeling of shame and guilt. Fearing God is good because it saves us from caving into our own sinful nature. God loves us, but he can destroy both soul and body in hell. That is why hearing someone is God-fearing actually makes us trust that person more. If they fear God, they are more likely to keep their word and treat others with kindness. However, remember we can still ask for forgiveness when we make a mistake with full confidence of receiving it. #RandolphHarris 14 of 16
Also, remember communication is universal and includes scents and unintentional, autonomic responses that convey meaning. Such attributes as body posture convey information about a person’s emotional statue. For example, a purposeful striding gait implies confidence. Moreover, autonomic responses to threatening or novel stimuli, such as eyes that look like bulging saucers, or enhanced body order, indicate excitement. Many intentional behaviors also serve as communication. These include a wide variety of gestures, facial expressions, and vocalization. Mild threats are indicated by an intense stare, prolonged eye contact with strangers is very uncomfortable. (For this reason, people should avoid eye contact with unknown people.) Exposed teeth, bobbing back and forth in a crouched position; and wild hand gestures are also signs that a person may be hostile. Communication is important, for it truly is wat makes social living possible. Some people have a beauty that cannot be compared. It comes from years of seeking the best gifts, becoming well educated, seeking knowledge by studying and also by faith. It is allowed to flourish by years of hard work, of faithfully enduring trials with optimism, trust, strength, and courage. It is a product of devotion and fidelity to the ones we love. That is deep beauty—the kind of beauty that shines from the inside out. It is a beauty of spiritual attractiveness. Deep beauty springs from virtue. It is the beauty of being chaste and morally clean. It is the kind of beauty that you see in the eyes of virtuous people. It is beauty that is earned through faith, repentance, and honoring covenants. #RandolphHarris 15 of 16
When we are worthy of the Holy Ghost, we are confident and our inner beauty shines brightly. And so let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion. The Holy Ghost has a gift that quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands and purifies all the natural passions and affections. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness, and charity. It develops beauty of person, form and features. Time goes by slowly, but your eyes are in my heart forever: they are as pure as crystal, as light as the Moon, as deep as abyss, and as white as snow. Recollection is cherishing the old good days. Open the seal of the memory and look for the evidence of years. May in encourage our new ideal and passion more strongly. Perhaps you would like to buy a flower? However, I could never sell. If you would like to borrow until the daffodil unites her yellow bonnet beneath the village door, until the bees, from clover rows their hock and sherry draw, why, I will lend until just then, but not an hour more! Take care, for God is here, that is all. Enjoy an amazing Tennessee Peach Pudding served warm from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. #RandolphHarris 16 of 16
Give Your Faith to No One Undeserved
We desire to possess a beauty that is worthy pursuing, worth fighting for, a beauty that is core to who we truly are. We want beauty that can be see; beauty that can be felt; beauty that affects others; a beauty all our own to unveil. Egyptians worshipped God in all things, and they believed they possessed a profound magic by which they were able to draw down cosmic powers into the statues of their gods, and that they reflect the divine mind behind the Universe. The idea behind it was they could turn from thinking about God to addressing him, and that way they were able to communicate with the living God, as distinct from merely giving intellectual assent to the God of philosophers. Intelligent, loving devotion to God has always been important with through eternity, it will never become obsolete. Because of the way different cultures channel God, it becomes obvious why scholars have long maintained that each era has a unique spirit, a nature or climate that sets it apart from all other epochs. Another remarkable and apparently pleasant feature of the spiritual existence is the absence of the measure of time and space as we know it here on Earth. God sent his word to heal us, and there is no time or distance in their spirit. Divine love permeates every part of our lives because God is greatly concerned with the quality of character we are building. The future the Lord has planned for us will be built on the strength of character we forge by his grace. #RandolphHarris 1 of 8
It is God’s intention that our lives should be a seamless manifestation of his Spirit. God’s qualities are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The Lord has made abundant provisions for his indwelling our lives here and now. A fundamental aspect in our caring for our souls is to understand that we are always in the presence of God and it is important to redirect our minds constantly to the Lord. God is the great longing focus of our souls, and we are privileged to walk in this profound reality. God provided for human freedom through a doctrine of self-creation: humans are free even in the act by which they come into existence, for God allows human to collaborate in their own creation. God makes available a distinctively authentic and free mode of existence to all humanity. Only through practice of virtue are we able to transcend the barriers that separate the mental life of one age from that of another. “If you fully obey the LORD, your God, and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, The Lord, your God, will set you high above all the nations of Earth. If you obey the Lord, all these blessings will come upon you and accompany you. You will be blessed in your city and blessed in your country. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you,” Reports Deuteronomy 28.1.1-3 and 6-7. #RandolphHarris 2 of 8
Most people experience a rush of pleasure the moment a puzzling solution comes to them. When God puts a promise in our hearts, we have to come to the place where we believe in that promise so strongly no one and no circumstance can move us. Beauty grows in us to the extent that love grows, because charity itself is the soul’s beauty. As the soul is the life of the body, so God is the life of the soul. As spiritual knowledge unfolds, it must be understood, valued, obeyed, remembered, and expanded. The greatest achievement humankind can make in this World is to become familiarized with the divine truth, so thoroughly, so perfectly, that the example or conduct of no living creature in the World can ever turn us away from the knowledge that we have obtained. Of all treasures of knowledge, the most vital is the knowledge of God. The role of obedience in gaining spiritual knowledge is crucial. The Lord gives us gifts. He will quicken our minds. God will give us a knowledge that is so deeply rooted in our souls that it can never be rooted out. All we have to do is seek for the light and the understanding which is promised to us, and which we can receive, as long as we are true and faithful to every covenant and obligation, will become a treasure we are allowed to possess. “We trust God will deliver us, and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies,” reports Alma 58.37. #RandolphHarris 3 of 8
The satisfaction of performing a benevolent action will certainly encourage acts of benevolence in someone who desires the advantage of society. We must acknowledge the place of God in our lives, as we are already under his government. Our discoveries in nature have already prepared us to accept the main claims of revelation about God as a creator and judge. I do not like to see things on purpose. I like them to soak in. A friend asked me to go to the top of the state capitol castle once, and I told him that he should not treat park as a sight—it is a feeling, an emotional experience. And the same with every place. When you slow down and have a moment to reflect on everything, it is very beautiful. Some people go to watch people, I enjoy looking at the nature and the architecture. When there are not many people around, you can get a sense of how majestic everything is. It is like sensing God. There is perhaps no better evidence of the psychological impact nature can make than to look at the landscape and just be at peace. It is a warmth so powerful that even the blue sky is barely perceptible through the all-consuming, healing, green atmosphere. It is as if, the trees, grace, flowers, the statues, and the architecture of the castle cols the atmosphere, like rain in a time of drought, or shade at an oasis in the desert. It can be a very spiritual experience to reflect on the living memorial. Happiness should be all one feels. Just like a sunny autumn day. #RandolphHarris 4 of 8
Profound spiritual truth cannot simply be poured from one mind and heart to another. It takes faith and diligent effort. Precious truth comes a small piece at a time through faith, with great exertion, and at times wrenching struggles. The Lord intends it to be that way so that we can mature and progress. As packets of knowledge unfold, they must be understood, valued, obeyed, remembered, and expanded. As each element of truth is encountered, we must carefully examine it in the light of prior knowledge to determine where it fits. Ponder it; inspect it inside out. Study it from every vantage point to discover hidden meanings. View it in perspective to confirm one has not jumped to false conclusions. Prayerful reflection yields further understanding. Such evaluation is particularly important when the truth comes as an impression of Spirit. This awareness of age had a halo of innocence around it, and it also enjoys a measure of nobility. Spiritually sensitive information should be kept in a sacred place that communicates to the Lord. That is how we are to treasure it. Gaining spiritual knowledge is not a mechanical process. It is a sacred privilege based upon spiritual law. We can receive inspired help, as long as we humbly ask our Eternal Father. We must also seek the divine light, exercise faith in the Savior, and strive to live righteous lives. God will bless us and lead us as we move through this wonderful World. #RandolphHarris 5 of 8
Our Father in Heaven loves all of his children equally, perfectly, and infinitely. The Lord’s love is an advantage and brings out the flavours of the personality. The Lord’s love can carve out an interior space where wisdom can take up residence. Character strengths and virtues are brought into existence by God. We love virtue. It is always nice to have people in our lives who are good in some important way. Good people make us laugh, support us in hard times, and inspire us. Virtuous actions are better than ordinary behaviours because virtues integrate ethics and health, are embodied traits of character, are sources of human strengths and resilience, are embedded within a cultural context and community, contribute to a sense of meaningful life purpose, and are grounded in the cognitive capacity for wisdom. We are expected to wait calmly in the face of frustration, adversity, or suffering because we are connected to something bigger than the self and the present circumstances. As we endure, God will give us the gift of acceptance, which is unconditional. Given that charity or supernatural love is paramount in our spiritual life, it is clear why we have a high level of devotion to God. When we accurately reflect on ourselves, we realize the excellence of our natural gifts. There is no knowledge of self without knowledge of God. “It is the Lord, your God, you must follow, and him you must revere,” reports Deuteronomy 13. 4. #RandolphHarris 6 of 8
The human person recognizes an intimate unity of the body and mind and understands that they are held in unity by the spiritual soul (as secondary formal and efficient causes) and by God (as ultimate first, formal, efficient, and final causes). People who use both reason and will in finding the standard moral knowledge are guided by well-ordered love, which is associated with healthy physiological and psychological functioning. The divine being is nothing else than the human being, or, rather, the human nature purified, freed from the limitations of the individual human. Our knowledge of God is our acknowledgment of his attitude toward us, especially his attitude of benevolence and love. The character strengths of this virtue include love, kindness, and social intelligence. Humanity relies on doing more than what is only fair—we must show generosity when an equitable exchange would suffice, kindness even if it cannot (or will not) be returned, and understanding even when punishment is due. “Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better World, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope comes of faith, makes an anchor to the souls of people, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God,” reports Ether 12.4. Intelligence exists and we interpret it. Justice, as a civic strength, is the underlying foundation of healthy community life. #RandolphHarris 7 of 8
We need to recognize the hard mortal realities in all of this and must use common sense and guidance by personal revelation. We need to remember that trials and temptations are an important part of our lives. When people are faced with adversity or affliction, we are advised not to criticize others for the way they choose to exercise their moral agency. “Pray for them that repentance may come unto them,” reports Moroni 8.28. We each also have the privilege to carefully and prayerfully seek the Lord’s will for regarding our individual challenges and dilemmas. Personal revelation is personal, indeed. It is not based on gender or position, but on worthiness. It comes in response to sincere inquiry. “And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and humbleness of heart and because of our meekness and humbleness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God,” reports Moroni 8.26. When our lives are in balance, before we realize it our lives will be full of spiritual understanding that will confirm that our Heavenly Father loves us and that his plan is fair and true and we should strive to understand and enjoy it. We should be worthy of trust, and always keep confidences. #RandolphHarris 8 of 8
Randolph Harris II International Institute 