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Souls Will Not be Saved by Brute Force
Each person has his or her own faith, and it is the true religion. Each individual has one’s own faith, and every person’s conscience is entitled to the same respect. Seed sown in faith day by day is the nightly harvest of the soul, and with the soul we work. With the soul, we see. We have in history durable testification that our seasons come in the souls of humans, as a planet that we have set in motion. No matter what happens in the World, or in our individual lives, there is a place we can turn for stability. We can look toward the future with hope, regardless of life’s and the World’s circumstances. These days, many people are seeing the value of God as their constant. The yearning of our souls, formed by God in a peculiar mould, for communion with those to whom it bears a resemblance. The World around us is ever-changing, but God does not change. The soul needs air; a wide sweep and frequent change of it. Morbid influences, in a thousand-fold variety, gather about hearths, and pollute the life of households. However, God is always there. He can be counted on. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And God can make himself known giving us peace of mind through him, setting our hearts securely at rest. #RandolphHarris 1 of 8
Faith and revelation must rely upon the evidence of faith. Mystery does not designate what cannot be known by humans but, rather what is revealed only to the chosen few. Faith, the hallmark of Puritanism, is consequently of no avail without the confirmation of reason. Priestcraft introduced mysteries and then fostered them by ceremonies and discipline. To be in a real-life relationship with God is an extraordinary and beautiful daily reality. There is a cosmic companionship that we will not trade for the World. We are deeply known and loved by God. No matter what happens in this life, it is not the end of the World because this World is not the end. God has shown me love, security, forgiveness, support, comfort, acceptance, and a purpose for living. He is my strength, and I would not be here today if it were not for God. Who knows what the future holds? The church exists to save people’s souls, and it can fulfill this mission only by persuasion, by essentially nonviolent means. The state, on the other hand, exists to protect human rights—their lives, liberties, and estates—so that the use of force as an ultimate sanction is a necessary part of the state’s function, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and to secure the blessing of liberty to ourselves and prosperity for the United States of America. The state has no concern with the salvation of human’s souls, just as the church has no concern with the use of force. #RandolphHarris 2 of 8
The most fundamental reasons for the existence of the state is the preservation of human’s natural right to liberty, and the government is entitled to use force against an individual only when it is necessary to protect the rights on others. Liberty, freedom from external or foreign rule, is essential to existence. Liberty, individuality, and peace are of the highest ethical values; they are what made humans nobler to contemplate. Goodness is varied, but that does not mean that variety itself is good; a nation in which half the population is criminal would be more diversified than a wholly honest one, but it would not be a better nation. It is far better to be alone than in bad company. We should observe good faith and justice toward all and cultivate peace and harmony with all. The purpose of the human spirit is to merge itself in God by merging itself in other beings: human beings are not as valuable as an individual and are truly alive only as manifestations of the divine impersonal force, which is love. We must therefore renounce the personal life, in which we love ourselves alone and seek maximum enjoyment for ourselves, and learn to love all people. This does not mean to give up our personal being or space, but to be a conduit of the spirit of God and show compassion to others. #RandolphHarris 3 of 8
We become immortal through merging our personalities into humanity as such. Our real or special self is immortal. All are free to choose, of course, and we would not have it otherwise. Unfortunately, however, when some choose slackness, they are choosing not only for themselves, but for the next generation and the next. Small equivocations in parents can produce large deviations in their children! If we are obedient, faithful, and earnest, the Lord helps us reflect our dedication and skill. We are ready to step over that threshold into a new dimension of spirituality and light. Looking forward to the future with a perfect brightness of hope to the plan God has in store for us. Our joy in the gospel of Jesus Christ and our place in his plan will draw people to us and change lives. We will lift and inspire a World so desperately in need of goodness. This new faith will build an even greater sense of purpose and contribution to society. We should not look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose of profiting by dearly bought experience. True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and withstand the shocks of adversity, before it is entitled to the appellation. #RandolphHarris 4 of 8
Many people have a new perspective in life know that they have a loving and eternal friend, God, a Heavenly Father, on their side. There is nothing that we cannot handle together with God. With God involved in our lives, we can rest easy. As we get to know God and listen to what he reports in the Bible, he brings about that peace of mind in our lives, because we know him. We see life from his vantage point, aware of his faithfulness and ability to take care of us. So, no matter what the future holds, we can place our hopes in God as our completeness. God is waiting to prove himself in our lives if we will turn to him and seek him. The physiological systems of humans and other living organisms require certain stable conditions—physical, chemical, psychological, and environmental—to survive. These systems also allow for the maintenance of these conditions even in the face of ever-changing circumstances; stability in living organisms is generally in a state of dynamic and adaptive equilibrium. Stability also provides basic information about the overall developmental course of a given in life. It is generally proven that it is meaningful to show substantial consistency across time. #RandolphHarris 5 of 8
Psychological stability affects the environment: Interactants often adjust to match a consistent in another individual. Personality traits tend to be stable across time and can serve as examples of a develop-mentally stable individual. That is why God does not want us to engage in conflict with others and having faith in God stresses that we have free will and are able to control our own behavior even when others are going through great means to provoke us. Stability itself varies, and variation in stability depends on individual (some may be more stable than others). The age of the individual when stability assessed may not be in infancy, but stabilize in adulthood—people are thought to become increasingly consistent in relation to one another as they age. Why might stability fail? If not stable, there are two possible explanations: Either an individual is not stable, or the individual has not been assessed adequately. Barring measure imprecision, we attribute instability to genetic and biological as well as environmental and experiential forces. The timing of biological phenomena is partially driven by genetic factors and tends to happen within a specific period of the life course for most people in any particular population. #RandolphHarris 6 of 8
Many of us grow and will continue to grow through steady efforts, as we quietly do our part. We may struggle with daily challenges, but we remain humble, patient, and long-suffering. Our hearts fill with joy when we are dedicated to our faith in God. Many of our hearts are full of gratitude and great joy. Change also rises because people engage in normative life tasks and roles, such as leaving home, establishing a family, and starting a career. The life span perspective in psychology specifics that human beings are open systems, and the plastic nature of psychological functioning ensures that people exhibit both stability and instability in many individuals throughout the life course. As we invest our time, talents, and means to build the kingdom of Heaven, our hearts are purified, our wisdom increases, celestial habits begin to form. Surely God is pouring his spirit in rich abundance upon his Earthly kingdom. We declare to the World that the Lord’s kingdom is by no means a closed community. The Lord invites all people to travel this perfecting pathway of divine truth. He promises joy and everlasting happiness as the reward. The entry fee: a broken heart, a contrite spirit, and a willingness to continue to purse Godly ways. #RandolphHarris 7 of 8
God, we come to you with heavy hearts. You have felt our pain and suffering and only you know the hardships and pain that we feel. God, please take control and be the compass of our lives. Walk with us and become a major part of us as we are on this journey in life. Always be by our side as you have been, for we know that with you, your love and promises will bring salvation. We are able to face everyday life because of you, God, and will never falter in our trust for you. God, please shower us with your blessings so that we may be living examples of love and grace. Make us a conduit of your gospel so that other may see what a wonderful God you are. Bless those who have lost their way and lead them onto the path you have set for your children. We are human and we sin and we thank you, God, that you sent your love and understanding so that we may be forgiven with deep love. The Lord’s kingdom should be the prime focus of our lives. It seems reasonable to suggest that we each agreed to that in our premortal life. God’s kingdom is becoming perfected. As we invest our time and talents, our hearts are purified, our wisdom increases, and celestial traits start to manifest. The Holy Spirit prepares us to receive the presence of God. #RandolphHarris 8 of 8
The Winchester Mystery House
TRUE STORY: The Winchester Mystery House is a location which holds a history of several different types of paranormal activity. https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/
The Light had Dawned on His Soul
We are heirs to a very special heritage, with that comes a great responsibility. Love your family and your country. We must remember that science cannot always give us truth. For truth lies in the singular, uncontrollable, incomprehensible and fortuitous. We live, surrounded by an infinite multitude of mysteries. In deliverance for yourself, you must go before God in Heaven and repent at all times. God is ready to change your heart and mind and deliver you from suffering of any kind. Faith assumes contingency and makes freedom possible. Rationalists recognize an eternal structure of being, a system of necessary laws which antedates any possible cosmic lawgiver. The necessity of such laws requires obedience. What is nonnecessary, whether contingent or arbitrary, admits of free decision and creativity. It has been repudiated that all obedience to necessity in the sense of acceptance of necessary evil, injustice, and inhumanity. There are scales upon which human suffering weighs heavier than all the necessities of theoretical reasons; such are “Job’s balances.” When we seek deliverance from God, ultimately, we are seeking eternal life to escape this dreadful law which inseparably links death to birth. God is a rescuer, our loving kindness, fortress, stronghold, and path to eternal life. #RandolphHarris 1 of 8
The two great movements of the soul are the desire of honor and the fear of shame. In human’s existence, thought has discovered something improper, a defect, a sickness, or sin, and has demanded that this be overcome at its root by a renunciation of existence. Love may express God’s pleasure that existence exists at all. God’s architecture of creation generates experiences in humankind. Lord, we want to be aligned with you, and be with as you intended. Let us know this constantly. Make a plea of self-deliverance and put your Father in Heaven in remembrance of his Word, so that we make be justified. As saints of God, we must not let the unclean spirits back in our lives. If unclean spirits came before in the battle of life and you become weak, they will enter back in, stronger than before. We must go before God in prayer for the spirit to be cast out. God is the one who can cast out Devils. We as saints must keep our body and spirit peaceful. We must keep the spirit that has come back under the Word of God at all time. When one is going through trials the spirits may surface at any time, the function is to limit and repress creativity, and we must keep it under submission until the unholy spirit is cast out of our realm. And it is important to never give up on God, Jesus, the Holy Ghost or yourself. #RandolphHarris 2 of 8
In purity and love have we genius; the Gospel gives us beauty and holiness to the soul. Unless we can find some evidence for the existence of a moral power that will repay self-sacrifice and punish transgression, we will be unable to bring all our practical beliefs and methods into any coherent system. The mere fact that the existence of a power that rewards and punishes behavior is needed to make our practical beliefs coherent, is a necessary condition for some, but we do have free will. Many are called to serve not from human beings, it is a trust from God, and the service is not simply to perform a task. Every call is an opportunity and an obligation to watch over and strengthen the children of our Heavenly Father. Many people, including myself, believe that we will never see death while on this Earth because we have hope that the Savoir will return before we pass from this Earth into Heaven. The Savior’s work, after all, is to bring pass our immortality and eternal life (Moses 1.39). Who knows when this will happen, but it is great to have optimism that this could happen in our lifetimes on Earth. God called us to serve so that we could strengthen our own faith as well as theirs. He knows that by serving him we will come to know him. The Holy Ghost will tell you what to do when your own abilities and efforts are not enough. #RandolphHarris 3 of 8
The Holy Ghost will prompt you to bear testimony with conviction. The Savior will let you feel the love he feels for those you serve. The call is an invitation to become like him. The repair of evil has two parts. God must appear to exist, and no longer be hidden. Then humankind must repair the evil conclusions about the nature of existence itself. God, please let all people see your glory, power, love, and abundance. May all know you are for what you are. We pray for others, for healing of attitudes and errors of thought. Let all humankind believe in you. At the core of evil, which humans can harbor within consciousness, is the conclusion: I am alone. The cure is to believe: We are with God. When the Holy Spirit comes, the aloneness ends. A person, before accepting the Holy Spirit, feels alone and so his or her thinking is of aloneness. Humankind has developed very elaborate dramas to act out of aloneness. God, we are with you in truth. Let us be with you in attitude also. The dramas of aloneness are mundane; evil is simple to understand. Evil lacks the light of truth. Evil is banal, commonplace, predictable, and boring. Evil loves itself and prefers its own company. Evil keeps itself for self, sharing nothing. #RandolphHarris 4 of 8
Evil persons flatter themselves. Evil persons constantly feel under attack because they give self such a value that evil persons suspect others of trying to steal their value. An evil person becomes more evil when attacked. Evil has built-in limitations such that the best way to fight evil is to enjoy the goods of relationship. John 13.35 reports: By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. The more love and respect we have for each other, the less likely the enemy is to attack us. Moroni 8.17 reports: I am filled with charity, which is everlasting love; wherefore, all people are alike unto me; wherefore, I love all people with a perfect love; and they are all alike and partakers of salvation. Stopping evil is not possible for humans. Avoiding evil is a better choice. Evil is a stage of development between birth and the donation of self to God’s purposes. Followers love others, including those who have not yet offered self and do not yet follow Jesus. Who can predict which persons will later join the Kingdom of Heaven? The best approach to evil may be to love them—or to treat them with benign indifference. Hating evil persons merely confirms their beliefs in aloneness. Matty 5.44 reports: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in Heaven. #RandolphHarris 5 of 8
Fighting a perceived evil carries a great peril to the combatant. Participants attempting to fight evil by being vigilantes, tend to resume ego-based, separateness-tainted thinking. Warriors against evil can begin self-congratulating about how much God will thank the warrior. Amendment XIV, Section 1 of the United States of America Constitution reports: All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States of America and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any laws which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States of America; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. People need to be wary of the temptations, as evil is out like a wolf in cheap clothing, and continues to be subtle. Those who want to battle against evil, without using the appropriate means or authority, usually harbor an unconscious need to get attention. The cure is a spiritual cure and comes through efforts to offer love within all relationships. The absence of the soul is far more terrible in a living person than in a dead one. #RandolphHarris 6 of 8
The pressures of daily life—the demands of our situations—sometimes mislead many to falsely confirm aloneness as a truth. God, you have caused us to have powerful urges to love ourselves, and yet you want us to love you and others, please show us the way. Spiritually, love has a lot to do with giving attention. Lord, we want to join with you, and be with you as you intended. Let us know this constantly. Let us embrace you with our hearts. Let this our heartfelt desire, to be with you, Lord. Let oneness with you become our sincere intention forever, Lord. 2 Corinthians 7.2 reports: Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles, my joy knows no bounds. God protect and shield us all. Manifestations reveal the enemy in his or her true form. When you pray to God, he will uncover the enemy; that is why Jesus said people are to always pray and to have faith. #RandolphHarris 7 of 8
The enemy may learn their art at the hazard of our lives, and make experiments by our deaths. However, Psalm 37.1-6 reports: Do not fret because of evil people nor be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like dawn, the justice of your case like the noonday Sun. You better do a lot of praying is good counsel for all of the Lord’s servants, new or seasoned. It is what God’s wise servants do. They pray. Our Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, and may your will be done, as in Heaven, so in Earth. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. God placed trust in us. God is gracious and powerful and he works in our lives. Deliverance is a kind of spiritual rescue, rescuing us from judgment, from sin. God has delivered us from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of his dear beloved Son. #RandolphHarris 8 of 8
Work in Us What is Pleasing in God’s Sight
Drawing near to God is what qualifies us for the eternal saving work of our High Priest. God’s gifts are precious beyond words, and we will sing of them forever. The most precious gifts lead to God himself. Ultimately, that is what all his gifts are for. The unique and absolute infinity of God is the attribute that best distinguishes him from creatures and constitutes his absolute perfection. Life and the World around us is a painted veil, an illusion through which we must penetrate to the reality behind (this reality being the one that remains when the many change and pass). We see life as if through a veil—the veil of our own prejudices, which are imposed by social institutions. Humans must transcend these prejudices in order to understand their love of fellow humans. Once the veil is removed, the World will be seen as a unity—both in the sense in which science may be said to be a unity (the truth about one field of study cohering with an illuminating the truth about another), and in the sense that a true understanding of our fellow people will give rise to virtuous behavior. This is what we have in mind when we speak of the indestructible order. #RandolphHarris 1 of 7
It is the function of coupling poetry and religion to provide humans with a coherent view of the World that will help them to understand both themselves and their fellow beings, and to provide it in a form that will kindle the imagination as well as the intellect. There is a natural order in the Universe, which science and philosophy reveal; there is also a moral order, which humans themselves must impose. When Christ became our servant as a ransom, he took away the curse of the law and the threat of punishment for all who believe. However, to what end? That we might enjoy sin with impunity? No. That we might enjoy God for eternity! Forgiveness is precious because it brings us home to God. Why does anyone want to be forgiven? If the answer is just for psychological relief, or just for escape from Hell, or just to have more physical pleasure, then God is not honored. The selfish picture of human nature cannot be the whole story, for if selfishness were the only natural feeling, there would be no society. The rise of a nation, the pressing forward of a social class, means a bitter struggle, a hard and soul-sickening battle with the World such as few of the more favored classes know or appreciate. #RandolphHarris 2 of 7
What is more, since the existence of a social feeling is sufficient to account for the origin of society, appeals to the religious sanctions for society are necessarily subsequent to the actual foundation of society and are therefore of secondary importance. Romans 15.9 reports: The aim of Christ’s serving us is the glorifying of God for his mercy. However, if we exploit God’s mercy as a ticket to enjoy sin—or even just to enjoy innocent things—God gets no glory from that. God gets glory for showing his mercy when his mercy frees us to see him as the best gift of his love —as the most enjoyable person in the Universe. It is good for us that Christ came on behalf of the truth of God, because his coming this way shows that God is true first and foremost to himself; and he confirms the promises of God, and that the promises are promises of love; and he shows that the essence of the love he promised is himself. Virtue is the pursuit of the public interest. There is no real love of virtue without the knowledge of a good public. We are disposed to act virtuously by our affection for God. Virtue is called the moral sense. Moral sense is like a sense of harmony in music and a sense of proportion in architect and art. #RandolphHarris 3 of 7
The voice of the Lord is unto the ends of the Earth, that all that are willing to listen will hear, and the day will come that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his children, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people; for they have strayed from their ordinances, and have broken God’s everlasting covenant. People who knowingly and willfully do wrong seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every one of them walks in their own way, and after the image of their own God, whose image is in the likeness of the World. If you seek him, God will waken your heart to your deep need for mercy as a sinner! And then ravish your heart with a great Savior, Jesus Christ. And then release your tongue to praise him and your hands to make his mercy shine in yours. A Vietnam Veteran called Roger Harris just knew that he was going to die and would never make it home from the war. And his mother told him that he would make it back alive, but he did not believe her. In fact, many of the veterans thought they would never see America again. #RandolphHarris 4 of 7
Roger Harris considered himself a sinner and saw many young men who had never had an adult relationship, were honest, Christian, and did not swear get killed right before his face. However, the day came for Roger Harris and his team to come back to America, and as they were getting ready to board the helicopter, an attack broke out and it he just knew he would never make it home and that he attracted the calamity because he was supposed to die and so many good people lived and died, but he made it back to America safely and was able to tell his story. Perhaps Roger Harris made it come because someone loved him and kept him in their prayers and God knew he had more to learn about the miracles of God. And maybe the other guys passed away because they were pure and God wanted them to come home to Heaven because they learned all they needed to know and their mission was complete. Furthermore, it is possible other good people also stayed alive so they could testify and share the gospel of God with others and help to save their souls. God has a purpose for all of us and he employees our talents and abilities for different reasons. Therefore, release your faith and praise God and use your hands to make his mercy shine in yours. #RandolphHarris 5 of 7
God is benevolent and his love reinforce the affection. Also, virtuosity is an inherent part of human nature. God is really good. This morning I was asleep and I was awakened a few days ago by the fire alarm in the high-rise building going off. Usually, when the crews test the alarm, they tell us on the loud speak, but they started the test first, and in a low voice told of they were testing the alarm. I was going to stay in bed even if it was a real alarm because usually there is never a fire. The has only been once serious fire since I lived here. So, Sunday morning, I was laying in bed and my mother called and I did not answer the phone because I was not in a great mood. Then about an hour later, the fire alarm went off again, and I stayed in bed, and was not going to get up. However, my neighbor screamed from outside to tell me to get out of the building, it was a real fire. If my mother’s call had not woken me, I might have slept through the fire alarm, and who knows what would have happened. The fire department got here and put the fire out and there was no significant damage. As you see, God is always looking out for us, and even if you do not feel like talking, always answer the phone when your parents call. #RandolphHarris 6 of 7
God owns and controls all things. And there is nothing that he would not give you. God has the power to provide redemption, restoration for past losses, and liberation from future enemies, forgiveness and freedom, pardon and power, healing the past and sealing the future. There is a revelation from God the Father, opening the eyes of the heart so that it cries out, like a person who stumbles onto an incredible treasure. Oh, I totally forgot to tell you. I have been experiencing a lot of hardships in life, so I cut certain people out of my life, stop swearing, gave up mature movies, I am celibate and have been, do not smoke, nor do drugs, and I do not drink. The purpose is so that I may have the favor of God. Maybe this will cause Satan to flee from my life completely. Now, may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom by glory forever and ever. Amen. One of the things pleasing in God’s sight is that his people keep on drawing near to him forever and ever. And so, he is working in us this very thing. #RandolphHarris 7 of 7
Where is My God in Shinning Amour?
I call upon the Gods above, the ones of benevolence and of love, come down to me from above, come to this place and come to me from time and space. No one is to blame for suffering an evil he or she cannot avoid. Some people are under spiritual attacks and have been for years and spend hours praying for God to deliver them. Life can be hard when you have no one to turn to for comfort, but the good thing is God is always there. If you begin to see that everything you have counted on, may be taken away, it becomes much harder to take for granted. In the battle of life, the adversary takes enormous numbers of prisoners, and many who know of no way to escape and are pressed into his service. Every soul confined to a concentration camp of sin and guilt has a key to the gate. The adversary cannot hold them if they know how to use it. The key is labeled Repentance. The twin principles of repentance and forgiveness exceed in strength the awesome power of adversary. Having a grateful attitude is essential when going through spiritual warfare. It is precisely under crisis conditions when we have the most to gain by a grateful perspective on life. I am tired, in pain, and would like nothing more than to rest and not have my daily life feel like it is a job of which I cannot seem to take a day off and rest. However, in the face of demoralization, gratitude has the power to energize and heal and bring hope. Being thankful for life can help us cope with hard times. #RandolphHarris 1 of 7
It is a great challenge to raise a family in the darkening mists of our moral environment. Our words, like our deeds, should be filled with faith and hope and charity. No one feels good about losing a job, home, or when good healthy has taken a devastating hit on his or her retirement portfolio. However, trials and suffering can actually refine and deepen gratefulness if we allow them to show us not to take things for granted. Our national holiday of being thankful, Thanksgiving, was born and grew out of hard times. The first Thanksgiving took place after nearly half the pilgrims died from a rough Winter year. We have been entrusted with the most sacred gift God can give us, which is life. We should be full of love and joyful about waking up every day. In times of uncertainty, though, people realize how powerless they are to control their own destiny. God grant that we will come to our sense and protect our moral environment from this mist of darkness which deepens day by day. The fate of all humanity hangs precariously in the balance. And may we have the protection of God who is our father and our Savior, and may we merit the love and blessings of his Son, our Redeemer, in whose name, even the name of Jesus Christ, I bear witness, amen. #RandolphHarris 2 of 7
The great work we will do will be within the walls of our houses. No other success can compensate for the failure in the house. Nevertheless, with great conviction, many of us believe that one day the wicked influences will be overruled. The eternal sealings of faithful and divine promises made to us will save us, and our posterity. Sooner or later, we will feel the tentacles of Divine Providence reaching out after us and invading our lives with blessings. However, people who are knowingly involved in evil and refuse to repent and find great joy in making others suffer will have to pay their debt to justice; they will suffer for their sins. Consciously cultivating an attitude of gratitude builds up a sort of psychological immune system that can be a source of support when we go through hardships. Even the wicked, if their path leads them to our loving Heavenly Father’s heart and home, the painful experiences will not be in vain. Pray for the careless and disobedient; hold on to them with your faith. And for those who are living right, but experiencing undue hardships, trust on and you will see the salvation of God. There is scientific evidence that grateful people are more resilient to stress, whether minor everyday hassles or major personal upheavals. #RandolphHarris 3 of 7
The contrast between suffering and redemption serves that the evil idea has been more destructive of happiness, no philosophy has produced more sorrow, more heartbreak and mischief; no idea has done more to destroy the family than the idea that we are not the offspring of God, only advanced animals, compelled to yield to every carnal urge. No greater ideal has been revealed than the supernal truth that we are the children of God, and we differ, by virtue of our creation, from all other living things. Romans 8.14-17 reports: For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to children of God. The Spirit testifies within our spirit that we are God’s children. Now, if we are God children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his suffering in order that we may also share in his glory. Gratitude maximizes happiness in multiple ways, and one reason is that it helps us reframe memories of unpleasant emotional impact. We look for beneficial consequences in negative events. We may look at how a stressful event has shaped who we are today and has prompted us to reevaluate what is really important in life. #RandolphHarris 4 of 7
Processing a life experience through faith in God does not mean denying negativity. It means realizing the power we have to transform an obstacle into an opportunity. Reframing a loss into potential gain, recasting negativity into a channel of optimism. 2 Thessalonians 1.3-4 reports: We are bound to thank God always for our family and friends that our faith grows exceedingly and the charity of every one of us toward each other will be around us. So that we ourselves glory in us in the churches of God for our patience and faith in all our persecutions and tribulations that we endure. The spirit of God testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. When we cry out to God, the Spirit of God somehow comes alongside us with our spirit, and gives us assurance that we are truly God’s family. This testimony appears to be an inner witness in the heart, a sense that yes, God really loves us. We know we trust God. We have his promises. We see our lives changing and growing. All these pieces of evidence lead our spirit, our hearts, to have a measure of confidence that we really are his. God’s immediate presence and love comes to us when we increase of faith and gratitude in life. We find ourselves deeply assured that we love life and we love ourselves. #RandolphHarris 5 of 7
While we pass laws to reduce pollution of Earth, any proposal to protect the moral and spiritual environment is shouted down and marched against as infringing upon liberty, agency, freedom, the right to choose. Interesting how one virtue, when given exaggerated or fanatical emphasis, can be used to batter down another, with freedom, a virtue, invoked to protect vice. Those determined to transgress see any regulation of their life-style as interfering with their agency and seek to have their actions condoned by making them legal. The adversary is jealous toward all who have the power to beget life. He cannot beget life; he is impotent. He and those who followed him were cast out and forfeited the right to a mortal body. His angels even begged to inhabit the bodies of swine. And the revelations tell us that Satan seek that all people might be miserable like himself. The rapid, sweeping deterioration of values is characterized by a preoccupation—even an obsession—with the procreative act. It is never too late to enter into the Kingdom of God through the promises of God. Your Earthly inheritance awaits. At this point, you should know who you are and who God predestined you to be. Others may have become very successful without acknowledging the fact that the Lord allowed them to obtain wealth. Refocus and use your God-given talents under the direction of our loving, Heavenly Father. #RandolphHarris 6 of 7
Now, if we are children of God, then we have an incredible future. With limited knowledge, we know we must be faithful and diligent in carrying forward our duty to be good children of God and to obey the laws of the land. Remarkable and miraculous things happen when we do so. God works in us and through our circumstances so that we will be conformed and he implants Christ’s nature in us. We become more grateful in our character and attitudes. We are able to talk to God and relate to him as a loving Father, and our Heavenly Father loves us deeply. 1 John 3.1 reports: See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. He understands us and has compassion on us as his children. As his children, God promises to take care of our needs. Many of the benefits of that inheritance await us in the future. This inheritance includes the new Heaven and Earth, our glorified and resurrected bodies, and residence in God’s coming kingdom. “I have learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave person is not the one who does not feel afraid, but one who conquers that fear,” says Nelson Mandela. As long as God is with us, we will never be alone. #RandolphHarris 7 of 7
The Human Heart is so Fond of Happiness
The human heart is so fond of happiness, that we give easy credit to what we wish. Happy are they who are blessed with the power of making happy. When I was a child, I remember my parents would take me and my sister Toy R Us, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. We would pull up and see the colourful letters on the building all lite up, bright and glittering. Then the interior of the store was bright and smelled good and as we walked through the door, we were greeted by Geoffrey and then were allowed to go pick out a toy or two. Opening the toys and the smell of the plastic was always a joy. It was fun to go through this big amusement park of toys, the shelves were so tall, and there was every toy a child could ever dream of and the people are the cash register were always nice and smiled. My dad used to say, “I see the light shining in your faces. That light comes from the Lord, and as you radiate that light, it will bless you and many others.” Nevertheless, I was so sad to hear that Toy R Us is going bankrupt and the younger generation of children will not get this same opportunity. They are losing business because people are ordering things online instead of going to the store and buying them. #RandolphHarris 1 of 8
I do not think patience is something that any of us grow up with in a large dose. It is a World of instant gratification. Nothing is more idle than to inquire after happiness, which nature has kindly placed within our reach. Instead gratification is great, especially when it is for good behavior. A dream is a wish fulfilled. There was this intelligent lady patient, and she had a dream where her wish was not fulfilled. She wanted to give a supper, but had nothing available except some smoked salmon. So, she thought about going shopping, but then remembered it was a Sunday afternoon, when all the shops were closed. The lady then tried to ring up a few caterers, but the telephone was out of order. Accordingly, she had to renounce her desire to give a supper. The human mind, in its eager, though too often unavailing, struggle for happiness, will still make the most of its means. Agreeable circumstances, arising in a disagreeable prospect, convey the greatest happiness that can be imagined. #RandolphHarris 2 of 8
These are people of great promise. They have much to do in their lives. They will do great work in their homes, in the Church, and in the community. The patient’s husband, an honest and capable meat salesman, had told her the day before that he was growing too fat, and that he meant to undergo treatment for obesity. He would rise early, take physical exercise, keep to a strict diet, and above all accept no more invitations to supper. She proceeds jestingly to relate how her husband, at a table d’hote, had made the acquaintance of an artist, who insisted upon painting his portrait, because he, the painter, had never seen such an expressive head. However, her husband had answered in his downright fashion, that while he was much obliged, he would rather not be painted; and he was quite convinced that a bit of a pretty young girl’s posterior would please the artist better than his whole face. (To sit for the painter. And if he has no backside, how can the nobleman sit?) She is very much in love with her husband, and teases him a good deal. She has asked him not to give her any caviar. What can that mean? #RandolphHarris 3 of 8
To do all of this, one needs to develop a testimony and have faith in Christ, to focus on Christ rather than the World. They are righteous children of God, and he loves them and want to help them. As a matter of fact, she had wanted for a long time to eat a caviare sandwich every morning, but had grudged the expense. Of course, she could get the caviar from her husband at once is she had asked for it. However, she has, on the contrary, begged him not to give her any caviar, so that she might tease him about it a little longer. However, this explanation seems thin. Unconfessed motives are wont to conceal themselves behind just such unsatisfying explanations. We are reminded of the subjects hypnotized by Bernheim, who carried out a post-hypnotic order, and who, on being questioned as to their motives, instead of answering: “I do not know why I did that,” had to invent a reason that was obviously inadequate. There is probably something similar to this in the case of the patient’s caviar. It is clear that in waking life she is compelled to invent an unfulfilled wish. Her dream also shows her the non-fulfillment of her wish. However, why does she need an unfulfilled wish? #RandolphHarris 4 of 8
One wants to make their own decisions, but one ought to make those decisions with an eternal perspective. With age, experience, and faith, one will have the wisdom to make good decisions and also to make the rights one. People know where to get the right answers. The ideas elicited so far are insufficient for the interpretation of the dream. I press for more. After a short pause, which corresponds to the overcoming of a resistance, she reports that the day before she has paid a visit to a friend of whom she really is jealous because her husband is always praising this lady so highly. Fortunately, this friend is very thin and lanky, and her husband likes full figure. Now of what did this thin friend speak? Of course, of her wish to become rather plumper. She also asked my patient: “When are you going to invite us again? You always have such good food.” Now the meaning of the dream is clear. I am able to tell the patient: It is just as though you had thought at the moment of her asking you that: Of course, I am to invite you so that you can eat at my house and get fat and become still more pleasing to my husband! I would rather give no more suppers! #RandolphHarris 5 of 8
You know the light by which you may judge, which is the light of Christ. The dream tells you that you cannot give a supper, thereby fulfilling your wish not to contribute anything to the rounding out of your friend’s figure. Your husband’s resolution to accept no more invitations to supper in order that he may grow thin teaches you that one grows fat on food eaten at other people’s tables. Nothing is lacking now, but some sort of coincidence which will confirm the solution. The smoked salmon in the dream has not yet been traced. How did you come to think of salmon in your dream? She replied: “Smoke salmon is my friend’s favorite dish.” It happens that I know the lady, and am able to affirm that she grudges herself salmon just as my patient grudges herself caviar. This dream admits of yet another and more exact interpretation—one which is actually necessitated only by a subsidiary circumstance. Sometimes dreams dovetail into one another, and furnish an excellent example of the usual ambiguity of dreams, as of all other psychopathological formations. #RandolphHarris 6 of 8
In our society today, many people blame others for their failures. We have observed that those who accept personal responsibility for their actions are more successful than those who blame their shortcomings and lack of accomplishments on someone else. Her friend, too, had expressed a wish, namely, to get fatter, and it would not surprise us if our patient had dreamt that this wish of her friend’s—the wish to increase in weight—was not fulfilled. Instead of this, however, she dreamt that one of her own wishes was not fulfilled. The dream becomes capable of a new interpretation if in the dream she does not mean herself, but her friend, if she has put herself in the place of her friend, or, as we may say, has identified herself with her friend. I think she has actually done this, and as a sign of this identification she has created for herself in real life an unfulfilled wish. However, what is the meaning of this hysterical identification? To elucidate this more exhaustive exposition is necessary. Identification is a highly important motive in the mechanism of hysterical symptoms; by this means patients are enabled to express in their symptoms not merely their own experiences, but the experiences of quite a number of other persons; they can suffer, as it were, for a whole mass of people, and fill all the parts of a drama with their own personalities. #RandolphHarris 7 of 8
We can let the light within us show in many differ ways. Maybe someone is jealous because you are more heavy set than they are. Sir Peter Paul Rubens was a Flemish artist in the 17th century. He is considered the most influential artist of Flemish Baroque tradition. Ruben’s highly charged compositions reference erudite aspects of classical and Christian history, which included full figured women, and some of his paintings are now worth millions. They were known as women clothes with the Sun, and the Moon under her feet. So, you have to learn to love and accept yourself for who you are. As you see, some people are paying millions for art that is considered beautiful. Thin people are also beautiful. It is a good idea to be comfortable with yourself. Sometimes a smile goes far. Your effort to be friendly may give someone’s day a good start and it might be something they look forward to. A person who smiles every day, even when it is raining might change someone’s life. Each one of us can be a friend to someone, even if it is only by smiling. You can let the Sunshine that is in your heart show in your face. #RandolphHarris 8 of 8
Star Struck: Be Perfect Like Your Father in Heaven
Stronger thinkers are apt to be great breath-holders, but holding one’s breath against belief is not doubting. As children, many of us are taught that the voice of conscience is the voice of God and, hence completely reliable. It is akin to reason which enables us to distinguish right from wrong. On the romantic comedy Three’s Company, the tall, thin, smart, pretty, and successful nurse called treated a man called Brett Wade in an episode called Star Struck. Brett Wade is tall, handsome, blonde and a charming actor on a soap opera called County Hospital, and ironically, he injured himself and had to go to the hospital and that is how he met Terri. Brett’s manager sees that Terri is a nice girl and thinks she is just what Brett needs as a facelift for his sleazy reputation. Brett is against dating Terri because she is not his type, but his manager tells him that if he does not, then the studio will cancel his contract because they do not want to represent someone with a reputation for being a troubled man. So, Brett takes Terri out on a date and of course she is star struck, then he asks her to marry him, and she agrees. Terri’s roommate Janet is all excited for the wedding, but Jack is suspicious because he knows that Brett has a bad reputation. #RandolphHarris 1 of 9
Every prohibition must conceal a desire. The next night, Brett shows up at Jack’s restaurant called Jack’s Bistro with Shirley, a beautiful blonde, who like furs, expensive jewelry and likes to drink. While eavesdropping, Jack hears Brett telling Shirley that he is going to marry Terri and as soon as his contract is renewed, he is going to rush to Mexico and annul his married to Terri. Jack phone’s Terri and has her come down to the restaurant to see Shirley and Brett, which would expose the plot that Brett is cheating on Terri, but Shirley wanted some hard alcohol and has Brett rush to go get her some from a liquor store. When Terri arrives, Brett is gone, but Shirley is still there. Eventually she gets up and leaves, then Brett comes back and Jack outs him in front of Terri, and he denies everything. As Brett is clowning Shirley behind her back to Terri, Shirley walks back in to the restaurant as she realizes she left her purse on the coat rack. She hears Brett talking trash about her, and then breaks up with him. She is about to give him the diamond ring he gave her back, then asks herself, “What am I, stupid?!” and walks out of the restaurant. Terri then realizes Brett was just using him, and also break up with him. #RandolphHarris 2 of 9
Brett experiences a terrible sense of guilt which is self-evident because he loses both of his girlfriends and his job. Mormon 8.40 reports: Why do you build up your secret abomination to gains and cause that a woman should mourn? Conscience is the inner perception of objections to definite wish impulses that exist in us; but the emphasis is put upon the fact that this rejection does not have to depend on anything else, that it is sure of itself. This becomes even plainer in the cause of a guilty conscience, where we become aware of the inner condemnation of such acts which realized some of our definite wish impulses. When one has been conditioned to respond in certain standard ways which are widely and strongly approved, one tends to find that one can break with such approved behavioral norms only after a genuine struggle and a stiff volitional conflict. In any case, whether we speak of the voice of conscience or the voice of our group or of learned blockage and interference patters, we often find that there are inhibitions to overcome before we can break with the mores of our peers. Jesus Challenges us to strove for excellence in all that we do—to develop our talents and abilities—and above all to live in accordance with his teachings. #RandolphHarris 3 of 9
The pursuit of excellence should be major work of our lives. Many people, however, give little attention to it. Perhaps they feel that it is not possible for anyone to reach perfection in this life, and so they let the immediate pressures dominate their actions like Brett Wade did. While it is true that we cannot attain perfection in a total sense in this life, it is also true that we can attain perfection in many specific areas of activity. Furthermore, if we fail to do what we can and should do in this life, we may deprive ourselves forever of the opportunity to do those things later on and thus lose great eternal blessings. Although God gave us free will and does not infringe upon our freedom of choice, he nevertheless continues to lend us moral support. He gives us, through conscience, a means for distinguishing right from wrong. If we follow the guidance of conscience, we shall do our duty and act rightly. If we act contrary to its deliverances, we shall surely act wrongly. Heaven is not reached at a single bound, we build the ladder by which we rise, from the lowly Earth to the vaulted skies, and we mount to its summit round by round. #RandolphHarris 4 of 9
Success is pretty much a matter of attitude, knowledge, and skill. Inherent ability is important, but that alone is not enough. Extraordinary people think optimistically. They dream the impossible dreams; they reach for the unreachable stars; and their achievements at times are unbelievable. This indomitable spirit also characterizes many people who have physical limitations because of war injuries, unfortunate accidents, or for other reasons have to face life against what seems to be impossible odds. There are people who strive diligently to do their best in all they do and then try to make their best better. Aaliyah Haughton participated in many outstanding presentations over the years and millions of the people who have listened to her sin know that the unreachable star of perfection has been reached in her perhaps as well as it can be here in mortality. God blessed her for her dedicated, committed service. With respect to spiritual matters, we can be perfect in this life in being honest in our dealings with others; having personal and family prayers; abstaining from the use of alcohol, tobaccos, and drugs; holding family home evenings; and in reading the scriptures daily. We can if we really want to. #RandolphHarris 5 of 9
Our conscience is prescriptions reminding us of the moral views which have been taken by other members of our peer group. No one is perfect, but everyone should be striving for perfection. If we should stumble or fall as we travel life’s journey, it is important to remember many problems that we confront as so complex that we frankly have very little idea, and certainly no confirmed judgment or deliverance of conscience, as to which alternative is most worthy of being chosen. Many people are spending more money, enjoying more freedom, and driving more cars than ever before, but are also unhappy. Some of them have never know the satisfaction of doing their best at work, the joy of excelling in the class, the wonderful feeling of completing a job, any job, and looking back on it and know that they have done their best. In many such cases, where getting adequate knowledge in time available before a decision must be reached is impossible, we know in advance that we would be only too happy to do what is right if we could identify, with some reasonable degree of probability, the right alternative. A situation of this wort must frequently arise for people who cannot pass the decision on to someone. I dare you to look up at the stars, not down at the mud, and set your sights on them that, up to now, you thought were unattainable. #RandolphHarris 6 of 9
There is plenty of room at the top, but no room for anyone to sit down. Who knows? You may be surprised at what you can achieve with sincere effort. Every valid moral principle must hold universally so that you will act on the maxim or principle of your action to be a universal law, binding on the will of every rational being. The Church is engaged in the greatest work in all the World—saving the souls of our Father’s children. That is really profound when someone is trying to teach you the love of God and show you how to life right so you can go to Heaven. The World is so full of others trying to hurt and take advantage of anyone they can by any means necessary. Exodus 10.17 reports: Pray to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague (sin) away. The wages of sin are death. That means the more we sin, the closer we get to forfaiting our eternal life with God. It is important that as children of God, each one of us knows his or her duties and be dedicated and committed in carrying them out in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord. It is important that we marshal our resources and get them working together in a correlated way so that, as a family and community, we can reach our full potential in helping the Lord bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of human beings. Our goal is perfection for all of God’s children who listen, accept, and live the gospel. #RandolphHarris 7 of 9
Assuming that a being cannot suffer means that one need not give that creature any consideration when it comes to how that being is treated. And that is wrong, and can lead to a great deal of suffering being inflicted. 2 Thessalonians 6 reports: God is just, he will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. Do not keep silent. Remind God of his promises again and again. Then eventually you will see what God said come true in your life. Nephi 1.13 reports: And it came to pass that there was no contention among all the people, in all the land; but there were mighty miracles wrought among the disciples of Jesus. Keep moving forward, being your best, honoring God, being determined and persistent, and God will bless you. Ezra 8.22 reports: The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him. The eye of the spirit cannot be dimmed, neither can it be limited in its ability to see. Our eyes are the vision of our indwelling Lord; they are the windows of our inner spirit and are always open to the vision of truth. We are free from all illusions of weariness. Our whole being responds to the thought of life. We are alive with the great vitality of the spirit. We are alive with the spirit. #RandolphHarris 8 of 9
Emotions are important sources of moral decision-making. Conscience is squarely within the rational faculty, specially part of our practical reason since it is connected to the will as well as the other emotions. The conscience cannot be lost to any person no matter how morally corrupt they become, but it can be mistaken since the very general principles may be misapplied through ignorance or faulty reasoning. The misapplication explains, to a certain extent, how conscience, oriented to good, can be involved in the performance of evil actions. However, human beings have a general drive to do good. Conscience is an implementation of a human being’s desire for good. Because we naturally have a desire for the good, we also desire the means to that goal. God will take the scars of your life and turn them into stars, and give you beauty for ashes, and will pay you back double for anything you lost. Make up your mind to endure to the end and live a good life, knowing your health will be restored, and you will get new opportunities and new perspectives. Even though it is painful for a time, it is not the end. An eternal life of love and happiness is in front of you. Believe that. May we be successful in this, our greatest responsibility, is my humble prayer, in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen. #RandolphHarris 9 of 9
She Went with Her Date to Get Some Coffee
We are all different. Each of us has been given talents as well as challenges. Some of us may have physical or mental limitations; others may be lonely or come from homes that do not teach gospel principles. Every physical and psychological problem is well worth the effort of investigation for its own sake, but for other reasons as well. Dr. Sigmund Freud would have thought Goldie Locks with a nymphomaniac because she liked to sleep in a different bed every night, but Dr. Freud thought all problems were related to the sex and childhood disorders. Much like the information on labels of paintings can affect, half unconsciously, our estimate of them, the same is possible when we label people without truly understanding or talking to them. Like the labels on paintings, the outward appearances of some people is often misleading. Some disabilities are more obvious than others. Many are immediately apparent, especially if someone relies on a wheel chair or cane. However, others—known as invisible disabilities are not. People who live with invisible injuries that are not mental, often times cannot take a pill and functional normally and they face particular challenges in the workplace and in their communities. Some people have debilitating fatigue and pain. #RandolphHarris 1 of 13
Desire disorders, like most intimacy problems, must be defined in relation to a person’s age, gender, partner, expectations, and sexual history. It is not at all unusual for a person to briefly lose sexual desire. Typically, erotic feelings return when anger towards a partner fades, or fatigue, illness, and similar temporary problems end. Some people do not merely lack sexual desire; they are repelled by sex and seek to avoid it. A person who suffers from sexual aversion feels fear, or disgust about engaging in the sex. Often, the afflicted person still has some erotic feelings. For example, he or she may still masturbate or have sexual fantasies. Nevertheless, the prospect of having the sex with another person causes panic or revulsion. Sexual desire disorders are common. Possible physical causes include afflictions, fatigue, hormonal difficulties, and side effects of medicines. Desire disorders are also associated with psychological factors such as depression, fearing loss of control over sexual urges, strict religious beliefs, fear of pregnancy, marital conflict, fear of closeness, and simple loss of attraction to one’s partner. It is also not uncommon to find that people with desire disorders were sexually mistreated as children. #RandolphHarris 2 of 13
Because Heavenly Father loves each of us, he has provided us with a source of comfort and strength—the scriptures. While growing up, I was blessed to come from a home where scriptures were an important part of our lives. I have gone to many Church activities and heard friends and family bear testimony of the power of the scripture. It gave me a desire to gain personal testimony of the power and truthfulness of the scriptures, and I am still in the process of building my faith and learning to see the blessings in my life. I know some of you say that there are bad people in the church, and there are, but imagine how bad they would be if they did not go to church. Then I have seen good people stop going to church and become the biggest sinners in the World, committing sins even against their own family for profit, while smiling in their face and acting like they do not know why an individual is going through Hell, but quick to tell that person he or she is bearing a generational curse. Some people have physical disabilities that you cannot see and they do not want to admit that, and it can be frustrating. They look normal, but there are things they should be able to do, and cannot. So, harassing them and making life hard on them can be more destructive than you even care to realize. #RandolphHarris 3 of 13
When you have physical limitations, it also limits the types of jobs you can do and for how long. Many people pray for help. Moroni 7.33: Christ reported if you will have faith in me, you shall have the power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me. What a wonderful promise. If we are to put our faith in the Lord, he will help us. Just take one day at a time and do your best. Some of us may face challenges every day, but daily scripture study will remind us to have faith in our Heavenly Father and focus on him, magnify God in our lives and not our problems and life will improve. What we tend to focus on, we magnify. I do not want to focus on my problems every day and only magnify them and make them worse. I want to focus on God and see the promises in the scriptures fulfilled in my life. No matter where you live or what kind of family you come from, Heavenly Father loves you and will be there to help and strengthen you whenever you need him. There is a power in goodness that is often learned in families. There is a void when it is lacking. We have to develop greater reverence for the sanctity of life, and realize all people are not the same. #RandolphHarris 4 of 13
We need to stand tall and be firmly fixed in perpetuating Christlike virtues. Who does not have need of assurance in times of uncertainty and testing? Who is so self-confident that there is never a want for stabilizing influence in life? A fundamental purpose of Earth’s life purpose is growth and attainment. The level of importance people place on the sex is unbelievable! How are you supposed to get to know a person if all you are thinking about is what is in between their legs or in the place where the Sun does not shine? The reality of sex is that some people have it, some people do not, and life does not revolve around avoiding it or chasing it. There is no such thing as a normal sex life, even though many people consider sex a normal part of life. And it probably does not deserve the amount of attention it gets. Most of the push for people to have the sex is pressure that we get from the outside World. However, the sex can be damaging to our culture and self-esteem. Have you noticed since the 1990s, the style of dancing has changed, people used to dance face to face, but not their face is looking at the back of someone’s head when they dance. #RandolphHarris 5 of 13
Not only that, but as homosexuals became more accepted in the community, more and more people became obsessed with butts and anal penetration. There are songs glorifying butt. Whereas, in the past, people used to talk about other features of a person like their intelligence, their pillow soft lips, their dreamy eyes, cute nose. You know, parts we can visibly see. Also, it is important to have someone who can carry a conversation and actually wants to see you. And, the butt problem is not all to blame on homosexuals because many men are just looking for more traction and that is what most obsession is about. However, companionship is the most important part of a relationship, you want to be with one person, someone you really like and can build a house with. Companionship is that state of being friends, but it goes deeper than even a friendship. It is a closeness or familiarity, a true fellowship among two people, who for whatever reasons, have truly connected. Strong couples are able to be good companions, sharing their day to day lives, personal histories, and interest together. They give verbal and physical affection like hugs, compliments, provide emotional support, and are able to help each other through tough times. It is also important to have someone to validate you. #RandolphHarris 6 of 13
Also, people who are not in relationships need to have their requirements for companionship met in other ways. It is important for them to have strong bonds with their friends and family, people who know them well, and are able to understand them. We all need to know that we have an important place in someone’s life. And, some people have different needs for amount of control in a relationship, or have specific requests to feel balanced and comfortable in. Gratefully, for people who do not have support systems, and even those who do, in his perfect love, God has provided a way for us to resolve challenges while growing in strength and capacity. The sustaining power of faith in times of uncertainty and testing is a God given way that we may find peace, joy, and purpose in life. Faith is like high energy particles that cannot be seen. When we generate more of these particles, through trust in God no matter how challenging the circumstance, that energy travels in waves. It is part of the electromagnetic spectrum called radiant energy. And when we increase of faith in God, we are picking up on more of his radiant energy, which should counteract much of the negative energy that we have been receiving. #RandolphHarris 7 of 13
Radiant energy is the energy of electromagnetic waves. It is a form of energy that can travel through space. For example, we receive the heat from the Sun, which is located 92.96 miles from Earth. As you may know, when there is a solar flare, which is basically the Sun emitting more energy, the Earth tends to get hotter, and it can disrupt communication devices on Earth. So, think of an increase of your faith in God like a solar flare, you are attracting more radiant energy from God, and those electromagnetic waves are blocking out things that may be bad for you and drawing more things to you that may be good. It will take time, but you will start noticing that people are nicer to you, they are more protective of you, they want to talk to you, and eventually they will have new and exciting opportunities from God to offer you. When you change your energy, the type of energy you attract will also change. You notice that many suburban housewives are always happy and smiling when they go out and public and how people seem to worship them? Well, that is because of the energy they are putting out. And in the suburbs people talk and word gets around, so you want to be painted in the best light and have people like you. It does not mean being fake, it just means putting out good radiant energy of electromagnetic waves. #RandolphHarris 8 of 13
I met a few couples, and they do not say much, but they are always nice and smile and say hi when I see them and that makes me feel good. That is the type of community I grew up in. A place where you treat everyone with respect, and you do not have to get deeply involved with people, but respect them, out of the love of God, so you can attract that same energy back to you. These people are well balanced and consistent, and they care about their reputations and would never do anything to hurt anyone on purpose. Therefore, trust in God and in his willingness to provide help when needed, no matter how challenging the circumstance. Obey his commandments and live to demonstrate that he can trust you. Be sensitive to the quiet prompting of the Spirit. Act courageously on that prompting. Be patient and understanding when God lets you struggle to grow and answers will come one wave at a time over an extended period. Motivating faith is centered in trust in the Lord and in his willingness to answer your needs. For the Lord does bless and prosper those who put their trust in him. The consistent, willing exercise of faith increases your confidence and ability to employ the power of faith. God loves everyone, we are all his children. 2 Nephi 2.29 reports: And choose not eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which gives the spirit of the Devil power to captivate, to bring down to Hell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom. #RandolphHarris 9 of 13
The most important thing to God is to save our souls for everlasting life. The consistent, willing exercise of faith increases your confidence and ability to employ the power of faith. Electrical energy, a flow of charged particles along a conductor or the flow of ins across a membrane is much like God sending energy through your body and brain to fortify your soul. Faith is energy which is hoped for and not seen; therefore, do not dispute faith because you cannot see it. You may not know how you are going to make it, you may not know where your next blessing is coming from, but do not say it is impossible that you can press on because after the trial of faith, the blessings that come your way will be so amazing that you will receive that confirming evidence of Spirit. And those feelings will fortify your faith. As you repeat that pattern, your faith will become stronger. The Lord knows your needs. When you ask honestly and with real intent, he will prompt you to do that which will increase your ability to act in faith. With consistent practice, faith will become a vibrant, powerful, uplifting, inspiring force in your life. As you walk to the boundary of your understanding, exercising faith, you will be led to find solutions you would not obtain otherwise. I testify that I know that is true. #RandolphHarris 10 of 13
Another thing is we may not always get what we want, but God will respond with what in his eternal plan is best for you. Faith is not just about instant gratification, it is an energy that will act as a conduit to get us through life, help continue to practice divine laws, and help us to go out and earn the things we want. You cannot just walk in Walmart and come out with a cart of goods and services without paying for them. You have to do something to earn that money so you can go and buy what you want. Our faith in God gives us understanding and strength. Some vital decisions many have experiences, come through sustaining through the grueling, anguish, and struggle that precedes a confirming answer. And, those experiences are edifying. It is comforting to know that God will never try you more than you can manage with his help. God uses your faith to mold your character. And there are people out there living the high life, who wished they could have held back and been isolated because some of the afflictions that are suffering with. This is not where you will always be in life. Strong moral character results from consistent correct choices in the trials and testing of life. You can use your faith to guide you. What you think and do will determine what you are and what you will become. #RandolphHarris 11 of 13
We have to have courage to make the right decisions. This is done through contemplation and prayer, and exercising faith to willingly make choices consistent with the teachings of God. Such choices are made with trust in the electronic energy of God. Worthy character will strengthen your capacity to obediently respond to the direction of the Spirit. Righteous character is what you are becoming. It is more important that what you own, where you live. Right character enables you in times of trial and testing to make difficult, extremely important decisions correctly even when they seem overpowering. Neither Satan nor any other power can weaken or destroy your growing character. Only you can do that through disobedience. So, behaving is important. The more character is fortified, the more enabled you are to exercise the power of faith that will help you successfully grow so you can complete your purpose on Earth. A mother recently expressed to me that her daughter was killed on the way home from work, but because of her daughters love and support, the mother was able to continue living. That is so important because that woman gave up her career and free time make her daughter a success. Sometimes we are not living for ourselves, but we are here to support others. The power of the Lord will bless us. #RandolphHarris 12 of 13
And I also lost someone who means the World to me, but much like that woman’s daughter, I feel in my heart and soul that our loved ones are still alive on this planet. And I truly believe that and we will see them again. That is my testimony of faith. And you may have had people pretend to be your loved one, but you could tell by their actions it was not them. We know our loved ones so well and that if they were here, and could come to us that they would. The Father in Heaven loves you no matter what your circumstance, no matter what winds of trial, turmoil, or tribulation whip you like a hurricane. God and his guidance through the Holy Spirit will sustain you in an increasingly more challenging World. However, I want you to believe that your loved one is not lost, like I know mine is not, and we will someday see them again. Keep your sustained power of faith. Help others understand how faith in God and his teachings can bless their lives. I know there has been something that you have believed in your life with a strong conviction and it has come to be, use that same faith and know whatever it is you are missing, if you have the faith, one day you will find it and know it is right. #RandolphHarris 13 of 13
The Windows of Heaven Illuminate the Soul
Eternal life is the belief that people can return to live in God’s presence and continue as families. The World is God (the only substance) under his attributes of thought and extension. The windows of Heaven allow spiritual illumination and perspective is poured out through the windows of Heaven and into our lives as we honor God. Everything follows from his essence by a logical necessity. Things could not have been produced by God in any other manner or order than that in which they were produced. All things must have followed of necessity from a given nature of God, and they were determined for existence or action in a certain way by the necessity of the divine nature. “And this the Lord did pour out his blessings upon this land, which was choice above all other lands; and he commanded that whoso should possess the land should possess it unto the Lord, or they should be destroyed when they were ripened in iniquity; for upon such, says the Lord: I will pour out the fulness of my wrath,” reports Ether 9.20. God has given life and then sustained it. He described a fact which is true for every human being: unforgiven sin will bring us unending torment. And he described the gift we all have been offered: those whose faith in Jesus Christ leads them to repentance and forgiveness will live in never-ending happiness. #RandolphHarris 1 of 7
A grateful person is rich in contentment. An ungrateful person suffers in the poverty of endless discontentment. The full Christian doctrine does not restrict God’s creative act to an initial moment in the cosmic process. All things owe their being continuously to his power. He is a first cause in the order of existence, not of time, for he himself is supratemporal. What is to be said about time and its relation to eternity derives from the fact that eternity is also before time. This expresses the fact that eternity is the element which embraces time on all sides. Eternity faithfully accompanies time on high, just as on a journey we are accompanied from one horizon to another by the vault of Heaven which begins and ends beyond every horizon. Or to be more precise it consists in the fact that eternity does not will to be without time, but causes itself to be accompanied by time. God is as we are. God endures in his pure and perpetual duration as we have our confused and fleeting duration. It is not that God merely was and will be. This is also true, and everything depends on whether eternity is understood as the divine perfectum and futurum, and our past and future as surrounded by God’s eternity. God’s eternity is time. Time itself is in eternity. Its whole extension from beginning to end, each single part of it, every epoch. #RandolphHarris 2 of 7
We have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if we have known of his goodness we are able to influence our audience. If we can remember and so remain grateful, we will retain a remission of our sins through all the losses and the gains of life. When we taste God’s love, and have received a remission of our sins, which causes such exceedingly great joy in our souls, even so we should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and our own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards us, unworthy creatures, and humble ourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel. “For it comes to pass that whoso build it up and seek to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it brings to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the Devil, who is the father of all lies; even that same lair who beguiled our first parents, even that same lair who beguiled our first parents, even that same lair who has caused humans to commit murder from the beginning; who has hardened the hearts of people that they have murdered the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning,” reports Ether 8.25. #RandolphHarris 3 of 7
Nationalism is based on the divine election of a people and a land for the proclamation to all humankind of those demands that God makes of all people, but for the special representation of which God has chosen one nation, whose suffering derives from its unfaithfulness to its mission. How can you and I remember, always, the goodness of God, that we can retain a remission of our sins? The Holy Ghost brings back memories of what God has taught us. And one of the ways God teaches us is with his blessings; and so, if we choose to exercise faith, the Holy Ghost will bring God’s kindness to our remembrance. You could test that in prayer today. You could follow the command to thank the Lord, your God, in all things. For, one of the greatest sins which some are guilty of is the sin of ingratitude. Presumably, most of us have not thought of that as a great sin. There is a great tendency for us in our prayers and in our pleadings with the Lord to ask for additional blessings. However, sometimes we need to devote more of our prayers to expressions of gratitude and thanksgiving for blessings already received. We enjoy so much. #RandolphHarris 4 of 7
God provided the human soul with infinite worth, and the ethical ideal of the kingdom of God. If you exercise faith, and with the gift of the Holy Ghost, you will find that memories of other blessings will flood into your mind. If you begin to express gratitude for each of them, your prayer may take a little longer than usual. Remembrance will come. And so will gratitude. The Holy Ghost has helped with that since the beginning of time. “Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the World not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is take from them in me, that is has no power over them,” reports Moroni 8.8. Ask yourself how did God bless you today? If you do that long enough and with faith, you will find yourself remembering blessings. And sometimes, you will have gifts brought to your mind which you failed to notice during the day, but which you will then know were a touch of God’s hand in your life. God is still on the throne and he has promotion and increase already lined up for you. His favor surrounds you like a shield. Goodness and mercy are following you. #RandolphHarris 5 of 7
Eyes and ears of faith are needed to recognize the spiritual gift of enhanced discernment that can empower us to identify opportunities that other people may overlook. There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect. We should be thankful and express appreciation for all favors received—and surely we receive many. The chief objects of our gratitude, however, should be, and are, God, our Heavenly Father, and his son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer. To the Lord Jesus we own an undying debt of gratitude, for he bought us with a great price. It is impossible for us, weak mortals as we are, to fully comprehend and appreciate the sufferings he endured on the cross that he might gain for us the victory over death. Jesus is the Christ, he atoned for our sins, and he is the keys which unlock the doors of eternal life. Remembrance is the foundation of gratitude which is the foundation generosity. Gratitude for the remission of sins is the seed of charity, the pure love of Christ. And so, God has made possible for you and me this blessing, a change in our very natures. God will comfort and will our hearts with hope and perfect love, which love endures by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come. #RandolphHarris 6 of 7
The blessing of greater personal determination is a virtue for purposefully fulfilling life. Cultivating happiness, courage, humanity, and altruism provide a strong foundation for those bound to a cause that is considered worthwhile, even against tremendous odds. Sometimes we may wonder why no one is helping us with situations we are enduring, but the blessings that comes to us through the Heavenly windows may be greater capacity to act and change our own circumstances rather than expecting our circumstances to be changed by someone or something else. We must pray earnestly that God will strengthen and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies. And God will deliver us and give peace to our souls. Assurance, peace, faith, and hope are precisely the blessings we need to press forward and prevail physically and spiritually. God will give us physical and mental stamina. Along with an enlarged perspective and increased patience and grace. God will bestow upon us conviction and confidence as we strive to achieve worthy goals. And when we plead for relief from physical, mental, and spiritual difficulties, God will increase our resolve and resilience. #RandolphHarris 7 of 7
All Really Delightful Things are Sudden
The Spirit renews our minds, and writes God’s writes law of love in our hearts, and we are given the power to live an honorable life. Abiding in him we become partakers of the divine nature and have the assurance of salvation now and in the judgment. It is obvious and generally admitted that we can have knowledge only of what is true. Truth, the most powerful of all things, is the strongest friend of innocence. God’s presence in the human mind enables it to recognize eternal truth. We live in a wonderful World that is fully of beauty, charm, and adventure! A wonderful era! There are so many choice people, such lovely things, and so much that is desirable. Just to live a normal, useful life is a priceless blessing. Each one of us has a choice: to focus our energy on obstacles or opportunities. What we focus on is magnified. However, there is also a time when certain God-given standards and true principles that have long been accepted and respected are being rejected by many. Indeed, it is a day when there is distress of nations, with perplexity. The Lord speaks of a time when the love of people shall wax cold, and iniquity shall abound. Has that time come? The wages of sin should be considered. The price of everything going up. To sin is really expensive, with inflation and all. It is most disturbing to learn of the degradation that exists today. Crime and contention are a daily diet to the reader and the listener of news. #RandolphHarris 1 of 6
What are you believing God will do in your life? Out of love to yourself, you should confine yourself to truth, for by doing otherwise, you injure the noblest part of yourself, your immortal soul. The scriptures tell us that the Devil is the foundation of murder and works of darkness, and he has great power, unto the stirring up of the people to do all manner of iniquity, and to the puffing them up with pride, tempting them to seek for power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the World. Such people seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every person walks in their own way, and after the image of their idols, whose image is in the likeness of the World. And they deny the power of God, the Holy One; and they say to people that they are gods, and that there is no real Lord in Heaven today, for the Lord and the Redeemer has done his work, and he has given his power unto them. However, these people who claim they are god and the Father in Heaven does not exist are liars. They are of their “father the devil, and the lusts of their father will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not speak the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own, for he is a liar and the father of lies,” reports John 8.44. It is truly painful to be thus requested to renounce one’s originality. #RandolphHarris 2 of 6
Crises and violence the World over are arising one after another, and they come to no satisfactory conclusion. Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma prove that humans are not the ultimate power. They cannot stop these storms. Some may ask why does not God, with that superior power, put an end to all evil doings? Because all people have the power to evaluate the right against the wrong. All people have the right to direct the course of their own lives, and the Lord will not deny that. Some people may be suffering from a lunatic infection and do not seem to mind. The Lord’s purpose in all of this is to bring to all the opportunity to prepare for the greatest gift of God: eternal life. Human progress is to a great degree dependent upon his or her willingness to remain steadfast and immovable, especially when faced with opposition and adversity. However, no person will ever be given more opposition than one has the potential to overcome or to endure. Some have a battle with infirmities, some with lust, some with addiction, some with envy, or selfishness, some with sorrow. “Let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold God is mightier than all the Earth,” reports 1 Nephi 4.1. This is a time of sifting, a time when, more than ever in the history of the modern World, the adversary and his followers have sown themselves to be enemies of God. However, we need not fear the fiery darts of the adversary, because each of us has the power to avoid becoming entangled in sin more definitely than ever before. #RandolphHarris 3 of 6
Someone I know is so spiritually ugly, that when people ask the parents which one of them this person resembles, they flip a coin to decide because they do not want to take responsibility for raising such a monster. We must purify our lives and sanctify our homes. We must teach our children to be loyal, obedient, honest, to respect the law (and to appreciate protective laws), to have respect for all people, and have a deep love of the Lord and his church. We must live and act with courage, espouse and uphold God-given truth and principles, because to follow the whims, enticements, and the faithless philosophy of people is to risk losing that which is more precious and desirable—peace, liberty, and salvation. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resists the Devil, and he will flee from you. “It is wisdom in God that we should obtain these records, that we may preserve unto our children the language of our fathers; and also that we may preserve unto them the words which have been spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets, which have been delivered unto them by the Spirit and power of God, since the World began, even down unto this present times,” reports 1 Nephi 3.19-20. We are sons and daughters of a living God, in whose image we have been created. Think of that truth: Created in the image of God. #RandolphHarris 4 of 6
God is always trying to give good things to us. This is a wonderful era, primarily because in the restored gospel we have the light of truth which, if applied, will bring sweet peace and serenity into the lives of those who do so. The Lord has made the World a crucible for testing us, a place of sifting from which may come the blessings of a joyous life here and a glorious life to come. “My God has been my support; he has led me through my afflictions in the wilderness; and he has preserved me upon the waters of the great deep. He has filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh. God has confused my enemies, unto the cause of them to quake before me,” 2 Nephi 4.20-22. Blessed is the person that trusts in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. God controls the whole Universe and nothing is too hard for him. He has given us talents and gifts that will take us to new levels of our destiny. We are living in a time that is unexcelled. Let us make sure that we do progress as we should. God has blessings in your future that if he showed you now, you would not believe it. It is exceedingly great. Your dreams will come to pass and the promises God has made will be fulfilled. Negativity will become optimism, as we soar beyond our meager accomplishments. #RandolphHarris 5 of 6
Truth is always bold. We cannot sincerely understand how powerful it is to be created in the image of God, without experiencing a profound new sense of strength and power, even the strength to live the commandments of God, the power to resist the temptations of Satan. I want to know God’s thoughts. The rest are details. As we keep our covenants we will be happy, more successful, loved, and respected even by those who do not believe as we do and who may ridicule us. They expect us to keep our covenants and out commitments, to stand up for our beliefs, and to be different. Let people know that you love them and will do all in your power to help them succeed and be happy, but remember to be living worthily and be prepared to continue to live worthy of the gospel which God has embraced and magnified in your life. And because you honor God, he will do in a fraction of the time what should have taken you a lifetime to accomplish. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you if you heed the voice of the Lord your God. When we accept God’s grace and salvation, the Holy Spirit reveals our need for Jesus and recreates us. The Spirit builds our faith and helps us leave our broken lives behind. #RandolphHarris 6 of 6
God Turned Out Liberty Jail and Made it a Temple!
Although it is not customary for one to seek out the difficult or unpleasant experiences, it is true that the trials and tribulations of life that stand in the way of a person’s growth and development become circumstances, or experiences that serve to assist one in reaching or progressing toward a goal or desired outcome. These tumultuous situations help us to reach greater heights, providing, of course, that we do not allow adversity to discourage us. The story of most men and women who attain a degree of greatness and achievement is generally the story of a person overcoming hardships. It appears that there are lessons that can only be learned through overcoming of obstacles. Eduard von Hartmann believed that the Earth is not the worst of all possible Worlds; indeed, the infinite purposiveness of the particulars in it makes it the best of all possible Worlds. Nevertheless, he believed that it can be shown that the Universe would be better if Earth had never been created and, paradoxically, the purposiveness of this World is moving to that end. North Korea is launching missiles just about every few weeks that have nuclear capabilities, and they even have submarine weapons. The Media spends its time attacking the president and encouraging disharmony, while there are serious issues that need attention. #RandolphHarris 1 of 11
We all must battle with some fierce despair. Artem Kolesov just turned 23 years old. He is the fourth of six brothers, and grew up in a small town near Moscow, where his father was a deacon and his mother was a church youth pastor at the Pentecostal church. He allegedly grew up hearing that all he should be killed. This made young Artem fear for his life and have suicidal thoughts, as he prayed to God for the courage to live. Artem thought life in Russia was dangerous and could be a death sentence. Artem is a thin young man, with bright eyes, a head full of silky brown hair, and a perfectly symmetrical face. However, he was lucky enough to make it to Chicago, and was taken in by a nice couple. But anyway, it is amazing that Artem is a violinist and is using his talents to raise money to help pay for his legal expenses as he goes through the process of becoming as citizen of the United States of America. I love story of people who, instead of just creating a donation page online and begging for money, actually use their God given talents to work for money. Best wishes to Artem Kolesov. Nothing worthwhile ever comes to a person except by the anguish of his soul and the sweat of his brow. #RandolphHarris 2 of 11
Another journey that is amazing is the life and career of Aaliyah Haughton. Although she went on Starsearch, a show which showcases talent in hopes of awarding someone with a prize, which will launch their career as a celebrity, and did a great job performing, there were dissensions within and hostile demonstrations from without. Aaliyah ultimately did not win, although many thought she did a great job. The young girls gracefully accepted the lost and was very sweet and professional about, but when he got home she cried and cried and cried. However, Aaliyah was determined to become a star. There were hardships and disappointments, but she came out with her first record at the age of 15 and it was a success. From there she used her talent to build the careers of other stars and produced many great records, one of the most successful being the red album known as Aaliyah. Aaliyah went on to be a successful actress, and many were saying she was going to be a mega star. However, her career became inactive in 2001 because of some unforeseen circumstances. #RandolphHarris 3 of 11
Although Aaliyah has been missing in action for 16 years, these experiences has some real value because she is still breaking news and making headlines. Recently, Aaliyah signed a deal with MAC cosmetics and her own makeup line is coming out. Fans fought hard to get this makeup line for Aaliyah. They petitioned, called radio stations, news outlets, and gathered thousands of signatures and MAC cosmetics finally agreed to the production. Therefore, the trials and tribulations endured by Aaliyah, her family, friends, and fans were not in vain, and it was the will of God that allowed this project to come to fruition. These experiences were of immense value to both the individuals involved and the Church. Because it that no matter what God is in control, and even in your absence, when God wants things will happen to extend your legacy. There are two ways of getting out of a trial. One is simply to try to get rid of the trial, and be thankful when it is over. The other is to recognize the trial as a challenge from God to claim a larger blessing than we have ever had, and to hail it with delight as an opportunity of obtaining a larger measure of divine grace. #RandolphHarris 4 of 11
Life is a hard fight, a struggle, a wrestling with the principle of evil. Every inch of the way must be disputed. The night is given us to take breath, to pray, to drink deep at the fountain of power. One of the darkest periods in the history of the Church was the Winter of 1838-1839. The Saints had been persecuted, robbed, and murdered. The Prophet and his associated had been betrayed and were imprisoned in Liberty jail. Dissension and apostasy were rampant, and the Church appeared to be faces with disintegration and ruin. However, emerging from this dark period were people who led the Church through trying experiences as well as amazing growth and development. Do not let your happiness depend on something you may lose, but only upon the Beloved God who will never pass away. It was during these dark days that the Lord gave to the Prophet Joseph Smith, while in Liberty jail, a great revelation. God armed him with the strength for this battler and told the Prophet that he could do all things through Christ who infused him with inner strength. The prophet was more than a conqueror, a victor, and not a victim, and Liberty jail for a time became a center of instruction. #RandolphHarris 5 of 11
Real satisfaction comes not in understanding God’s motives, but in understanding his character, in trusting in his promises, and in leaning on him and resting in him as Sovereign who know what he is doing and does all things well. The eyes of the saints turned Liberty Jail into a place where they could encourage people, counsel, and preach the word of the Lord. It was more of a temple than a prison, so long as the Prophet was there. Liberty Jail became the House of God, a place of prayer. God never said he would prevent life storms, but he did promise he would use every storm for his divine purpose. A temple, first of all, is a place of prayer; and prayer is communion with Go. It is the infinite in humans seeking the infinite in God. Where they find each other, there is holy sanctuary—a temple. Joseph Smith sound God in this rude prison, and found him. Having faith does not exempt us from difficult times. The storms of life come to every person. However, out of the midst of his tribulations, he called upon God in passionate earnestness. Here is the key: God will direct the winds of the storm to blow you where he wants you to go. #RandolphHarris 6 of 11
We see storms as being negative, but God uses the storm to move you from point A to point B. The winds may be stronger than tropical storm Harvey, the planet may quake, mountains may explode into the sky, the circumstances may look catastrophic, but these same circumstances are also responsible for why we are here in the first place. We can call it nature’s fury, but it is really just nature’s way. If you will stay in faith, not get bitter, not start complaining, the violent nature that has raged all about this little sphere of ours for billions and billions of years, will blow you to a new level in your destiny. Earth has been buffeted and flooded, frozen and thawed, burned and blown up, and at the end of the long, long day, nature has delivered us these gifts: our precious planet and life itself. Even as we bewail tragedies that occasionally afflict us—the killer storms the fiery lava flows may have been meant for your harm, but God knows how to shift the winds. Instead of blowing you backward, he can use them to blow you forward where you will come out better, stronger—and that storm will also move you to a place of greater blessing and greater influence. #RandolphHarris 7 of 11
Instead of using your faith to pray away difficulty, you should use your faith to believe that when the winds stop blowing and when Harvey and Sabrina get back together, you will be exactly where God wants you to be. May peace be unto your soul; your adversity and your afflictions shall be but a small moment. And then, if you endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high. The Prophet Joseph was told that if great tribulation should beset him and even if the very jaws of Hell shall gape open the mouth wide after him, know you are a child of God, and that all these things shall give you experience, and will be good for you. The Son of Man has descended below them all. Are you greater than he? One of the greatest truths that came from the so-called prison temple, Liberty Jail, has to do with priesthood and Church government. This is found in the 121st section of the Doctrine and Covenants, a part which reports: Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen? Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this World, and aspire to the honors of men and women, that they do not learn this lesson. #RandolphHarris 8 of 11
The rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of Heaven, and that the powers of Heaven cannot be controlled nor handled, but only upon the principled of righteousness. On one occasion, the Prophet Joseph Smith was asked how he governed his people. His replay was, there is a delivering faith and a sustaining faith. God keeps you from the fire. God keeps you out of the adversity. However, most of the time we need sustaining faith. Sustaining faith is when God takes you through the storm, through the difficulty, and the wind is blowing. You are filled with stress, fear, and angry. You will be discouraged, but when you know that God is in control of the storm, you will not be worried. He will put you in the armor of God. God has put an orb of protection around you and you will come out stronger, increased, promoted, and without smelling like smoke, just like those teens. These are the correct principles and the children of God govern themselves. We believe that one of the important purposes of this life is to be proved, tried, and tested. Love comes again. Just when you break out of love, you have to believe that love can come again. #RandolphHarris 9 of 11
The Liberty Jail experience truly constituted a refiner’s fire for those who participated in it and it truly empathizes the necessity of experiencing difficult and complex situations in life in order to properly develop and draw closer to our Heavenly Father. These experiences certainly give us a better understanding and appreciation of greatness of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the early leaders of the Church. Liberty Jail teaches us that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and loyalty to our leaders and the Church is important, and we need to endure to the end regardless of how many difficulties we have to surmount. Why? Almighty God is in control of the furnace. He is in control of the winds. God is even in control of our enemies. Dinosaurs were the kings of the food chain until, for whatever reason, they were not. God told Noah that a food was coming and asked him to save the animals. The summit of New Hampshire’s Mount Washington, which today stands more than a mile above sea level, was buried under ice 18,000 years ago, and Most of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois was blanketed by a large white sheet. The Earth is always in the forge, or on the anvil; by trials God is shaping us for higher things. #RandolphHarris 10 of 11
We should be at peace today because God is in control of the winds and the storms of our lives. The writers of the Scripture knew what a torrential flood looked like and the power it possessed to destroy all in its path. We must believe that instead of defeating us, God will promote us. We have to commit ourselves to follow the counsel of our leaders, accept every opportunity to serve, and complete each assignment well—yes, endure to the end. Let us avoid setting our hearts upon the things of the World, and as we exercise our priesthood, let us incorporate the great principle of righteous dominion. By so doing and keeping the commandments of the Lord, we shall have joy, happiness, and development and eternal life, which is the greatest of all gifts of God. Like those who participated in Liberty Jail episodes, I can bear witnesses that God lives and the Jesus is the Christ—the Holy Ghost has borne this witness to me and that Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of God, and that through him the power to act in the name of God and the gospel in it fullness has been restored on Earth. Let us never forget the Liberty Jail and remember that when trials and tribulations, and hardships come to us, as they will, these are the tests that we must meet in order to enjoy eternal life. May we meet them successfully, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. #RandolphHarris 11 of 11
Randolph Harris II International Institute 