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Miraculous and Blessed Manifestations of God
I once told someone I know God’s first and last name. She asked me what is it? I said his first name is God, and his last name is Almighty. She disagreed with me, but I realize not everyone will always share the perspectives we have about life and that is fine. It is necessary to be as certain about things as we can be in our own Worlds. Our expectations and assumptions—whether generous or hopeful, pitiless or woebegone—constantly bend and even wrap the World we see. Uncertainty is a lack of information about an event and is characterized as an aversive state that people are motivated to reduce. Uncertainty during an emotion event makes unpleasant events more unpleasant. We have all been there at one time or another, stuck in uncertainty. It is an uncomfortable place to be, and can leave an individual feeling out of control, hopeless, and helpless. Humans love a sense of order and predictability, chaos and the random nature of life can be very scary. By gaining information, organisms learn to predict and control their environment, conferring an adaptive advantage. Consequently, uncertainty is generally viewed as an aversive state that organisms are motivated to reduce. The state of curiosity, for example, in which people desire more information about something in their environment, is viewed as a negative drive state that produces pleasure only when it is satisfied. The more people that understand an event—what it is, why it occurred, how it fits into their self-concepts—the more quickly they adapt to it. #RandolpHarris 1 of 9
Thus, anything that impedes understanding, including uncertainty about the nature of the event, will prolong affective reactions to the event. Researchers typically induce uncertainty by depriving people of information. There are well-documented associations between job insecurity and health issues. The University College London looked at the effects of changes in job security in more than 3,300 civil servants. There were three groups of participants (those who lost job security during this period, those who gained it, and those for whom employment prospects remained uncertain), and found that of the three groups the worst health problems were reported by the participants whose work status remained uncertain. Sadly, even those whose jobs became secure still reported lingering problems two years later, particularly psychiatric disturbances such as low moods. This is not surprising, psychologist have noted that individuals are more likely to suffer lasting psychological disturbances—in particular, low self-esteem and depression when formed to live with aversive events they feel they cannot control. All the of the health problems were not mental either. Some people got sick, suffered severe headaches, bone fractures, loss of appetite, hair falling out, insomnia, bruises, chronic fatigue syndrome, digestive issues, inflammation, bruises, felt more pain that they had in the past, and a few of them even passed away because they lost their purpose to live and/or the stress was too great to endure. Some even attempted suicide, which is not surprising. During the Great Depression 1929-1941, 324,000 Americans committed suicide. At that time, the population was only 123,000,000 people in America. When a person is uncertain how they will care for themselves or support their household, their families also suffer because they love the individual and see how hard the stress is on them and it impacts the lives of others who care. The stress was also detrimental to relationships. #RandolphHarris 2 of 9
When you are living with uncertainty and feel like some of your power in life has been taken from your hands, how do you cope? How do you manage to live in that ambiguous place without falling apart or dissolving into stress or worry? Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in Heaven and in Earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in Heaven and in Earth; believe that humans do not comprehend all things which the Lord can comprehend. Try to be good and follow protocols so one can make sure that one has done everything in one’s power to prevent an adverse reaction from happening. Later on, if the matter is not addressed in a reasonable or timely manner, also pray about a good resolution every day, for hours, and thank God for the blessings that have been provided. It helps to reduce a great deal of stress. You do not have to experience the sorrow caused by sin, the pain caused by others’ actions, or the painful realities of morality alone. Authentic faith is not about easy answers. Rather, it is about finding the courage and wisdom to live with uncertainty. Faith can help turn uncertainties into blessings. In fact, uncertainty can ultimately sustain and make our faith even stronger. Sometimes we compartmentalize. We pray about one thing and worry about something else. We seem to limit the ability of the Lord to help us in every aspect of our lives. #RandolphHarris 3 of 9
God has overwhelming love for human beings, and we need to receive this love. There is a sense of an infinite loving kindness in the World, and we can tune into this more as we develop our faith. The original creations of the Heavenly Father constitute a truly wonder-filled World. Our greatest advocate is Jesus Christ. He is like our lawyer and is correcting barriers in our lives and creating opportunities as we pray and thank him. Faith is the assurance which people have of the existence of things which they have not seen, and the principle of action in all intelligent beings. As the key to our salvation, our individual faith, then becomes of absolute importance to us. Faith is the realization that the Lord can help us with all things. We are living in a time in which we shall see things both wonderful and awful. When we find ourselves in stressful circumstances, we should still be cheerful. If our attitude towards life depends upon the praise of people, the level of interest rates, the outcome of a particular election or athletic contest—we are too much at the mercy of humans and circumstances. Nor should our gratitude for the gift of mortal life depend on appearances. Jesus calls on us to have a deliberate trust in God’s unfolding purposes, not only for all humankind, but for us individually. And we are to be of good cheer in the unfolding process. #RandolphHarris 4 of 9
The Lord knows our bearing capacity, both to coping and to comprehending, and he will not give us more to bear than we can manage at the moment, though to us it may seem otherwise. God is the absolute maximum or infinite being, in the sense that he has the fullness of perfection. There is nothing outside of God to oppose him or to limit him. He is the all. God is the infinite being, all opposition is reconciled in perfect unity. Creatures add nothing to divine reality; they are simply limited and partial appearances of it. As a face reproduces itself more or less perfectly in a number of mirrors, so God reflects himself in various ways in his creatures. In this case, however, there are no mirrors. God transcends the Universe, but is also immanent in it, as a face is present in mirrored images. Each creature is also present in every other, as each image exists in every other. The love of God is the reason for joy. This love of God is precisely what the first Christians did feel. God is love and love is meaningless except between persons. Almighty God, we bless you for our lives, we give you praise for your abundant mercy and grace we receive. We thank you for your faithfulness. #RandolphHarris 5 of 9
Where there is great love there are always miracles. A miracle is merely some event which astounds the speaker, with perhaps some presumption that others will or should react to it in the same way. The wonder is that a miracle will consist in an overriding of the order of nature. A miracle is something which would never have happened had nature, as it were, been left to its own devices. A miracle can be worked only by God or by his specially deputed agents. Lord Jesus, we ask you to give us all around peace in our mind, body, soul, and spirit. We want you to heal and remove everything that is causing stress, grief, and sorrow in our lives. Please guide our paths through life and make our enemies be at peace with us. Let your peace reign in our families, at our places of work, businesses and everything we lay our hands on. Please let your Angels of peace go ahead of us when we go out and stay by our side when we return. Please build systems of miracles in our lives that are larger than truth. Produce miraculous events in our lives. Heavenly Father, open our hearts wide to receive the love of God. As we receive God’s love as universal supply, may all our affairs be healed. We realize and accept the healing power of the Universe as love, and allow the healing power of love to penetrate our lives. #RandolphHarris 6 of 9
Miracles come as we yield to the enticings of the Spirit, put off the natural humans, and are filled with the love of God. We accept the healing power of love in our lives and know that as love, God is our limitless and abundant supply made manifest. We feel the outpouring of God’s love in our bodies and mind. Bless us with the faith to always believe, to affirm the Supreme Power of Your miracles, be they physical, financial, or spiritual in nature. Grant us the aptitude to instantly perceive the source of all supernatural occurrences, so only your excellence shall be glorified. Lord, we are praying for only what you can do. We are praying for a miracle. The source from which it will come is from you, great God. We trust you to send us a sign. Teach us, dear Lord, to know your wonder and splendor. And, if you are willing, we are waiting, ready to receive our miracles today. We ask that you come against negative influences, spiritual attacks, and bondages. We believe you have the miraculous power and strength to conquer the darkest enemy, break the strongest barrier, and silence the greater deceiver. God, you are worthy, glorious, almighty in power and we claim victory today in your name. #RandolphHarris 7 of 9
Miracles are not differing from nature, but only contrary to what we know about nature. Send us a miracle which will create faith. God, help us to remember the reason we began. Help us to see the purpose behind your place. Please provide the necessary grace. Keep us set upon your face, to find strength for the next step, to discover faith to keep increasing and to believe that miracles are possible today and in all circumstances. Send your mightiest warriors to fight this battle for us. God, to you, the darkness shines as bright as day. Shine your light upon us, free us, give us peace, and snatch us back from the enemy’s grip. Impossible situation can become possible miracles. Seeing, hearing, and feeling are miracles, and each part of us is a miracle. We believe in a God of miracles. We can all bear witness to miracles. We know children who pray for help to find a lost item and find it. We know of young people who gather the courage to stand as a witness of God and feel his sustaining power. We know friends who pay their tithing with the last of their money and then, through miracles, find themselves able to pay their tuition or their rent or somehow obtain food for their family. #RandolphHarris 8 of 9
In this beautiful time of year, we remember that restorations and renewals are gifts from God. There are multitudes of little miracles every day: a collapsed lung heals, and then, despite the odds, continues to function properly. God of miracles loves his children and desires to bless them. Our family also has faced the passing into Heaven of loved one, serious illness, the trial of divorce, and children and adults who are choosing another path. We do not always under the reason behind the tests that come with morality. However, our faith has grown, and perhaps yours has too, as we have watched loved ones, friends, and people we know only by reputation endure with faith in the Lord the most severe trials. They, too, know the God of miracles and witness in their extremity that whatever the future holds for the, the Lord knows them and loves them and is blessing them. We are all sealed to God and to each other forever, and are willing to submit our wills to God’s. God can heal us of our sins, and he can and will bless us, his children, in our daily lives. God lives and loves. God is a God of miracles. Among the signs of the evidences of God’s work in the World, which are the manifestations of his power which we are unable to explain, but we know they are divine acts and special blessings. #RandolphHarris 9 of 9
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God Almighty is Just and Gracious
A Godlike power is that of doing the right thing. Any person that has seen the Heavens opened knows that there are three personages in the Heavens who hold the keys of power, and one presides over all. God quiets all other sensations, or rather absorbs them all in the love of Him. God’s psychology differs from the of human’s psychology because human beings cannot understand the things of God. This is because God is a Spirit, and only those who are born again and have the Holy Spirit in them can understand God. God’s wisdom is a mystery, even considered a hidden insight, because it was ordained before the World came into glory. Freedom still faces a difficulty as it is to be reconciled with the mechanism of nature in a being that belongs to the World of sense, a difficulty which, even after all the foregoing has been consented to, nonetheless threatens freedom with its utter demise. However, in this danger, one circumstance nonetheless also gives us hope for an outcome still favorable to affirming freedom, we make war that we may live in peace. Nevertheless, a vision of our Heavenly Father’s incredible promised blessing must be the central focus before our eyes every day. Human intuition is to do good and to be good, and as we follow the Holy Spirit, our moral authority and influence will grow. Some are drawn by love, others are drive by terrors, to their Divine refuge. #RandolphHarris 1 of 11
We are to bring into the World a certain virtue, a divine gift that makes us adept at instilling such qualities as faith, courage, empathy, and refinement in relationships and in cultures. God graces our lives so naturally that we are scarcely aware of it. These lovely people radiate a moral authority, born of goodness, that influences all around us. Many of us are able to sacrifice a number of pleasures and possessions for our higher priorities, seemingly without a second thought. The ability of community members and those in positions of authority to perform feats of tremendous love and compassion is superhuman. The demands on many of you are tremendous and it is impressive that several of you attend to these duties with a beautiful serenity, a sense of being about God’s work. As with the Savior, qualities of great love, understanding, honesty, truth, and compassions has ennobled you by blessing, allowing you to be love personified. We have been remarkably blessed by the moral influence of several of you, who go out of your way to provide charity to your fellow human beings. It is amazing to see you all work so tirelessly to be accepting of others and establish the kingdom of God on Earth, which will make the community a better place for all parents to raise their children. As spirit children of God, in existence prior to morality, we desired a destiny of eternal life, but had progressed as far as we could without a mortal experience in a physical body, so we came to Earth. #RandolphHarris 2 of 11
The confidence expressed in many of your abilities and potential, will inspire others to reach high—higher than some would have without your encouragement. And your influence will continue to be felt and reflected in the lives of your descendants and countless others for many generations to come. While some human beings, even with the same upbringing that is simultaneously profitable for others, nevertheless show from childhood such early villainy and increase it so continuously into their years of adulthood, they are considered to be born villains and entirely incapable of improvement as far as their way of thinking is concerned; yet they are just as much tried for their doing and refraining, just as much reprimanded as guilty of their crimes and indeed they (the children) themselves find these reprimands [just] as well-based, as [would be the case] if regardless of the hopeless natural constitution of their minds which is attributed to them they remained just as responsible as any other human being. This could not occur if we did not presuppose that whatever arises from one’s power of choice (as every deliberately performed action does) has as its basis a free causality, which from the early youth expresses its character in its appearance (the actions). Heavenly Father presided over the Creation of this World, where, deprived of our memory of what preceded our mortal birth, we could prove our willingness to keep his commandments and experience and grow through the other challenges in mortal life. #RandolphHarris 3 of 11
The reality of the existence of both God and the Devil is conclusively established by the scriptures and by human experience. The devil was before Adam, for he rebelled against God, saying, “Give me thine honor, which is my power;” and also a third part of the hosts of Heaven turned away from God because of their agency. These actions, because of the uniformity of conduct, make recognizable a natural connection; this connection, however, does not render the malicious constitution of the will necessary, but is rather the consequence of the voluntarily assumed and immutable evil principles, which only make the will all the more reprehensible and deserving of punishment. Satan was an angel of God and the most beautiful, he wanted to take control of God’s creation and save all souls by making them slaves and forcing them to obey him. Satan will come upon you like a chief at night looking to devour all the strawberry soda. That angel of God, Satan, who was in authority in the presence of God, who rebelled against the Only Begotten Son, was thrust own from the presence of God and the Son. The contention in Heaven was—Jesus said there would be certain souls that would not be saved; and the Devil said he could save them all, and laid his plans before the grand council, who gave their vote in favor of Jesus Christ. The Heavenly Father’s plan anticipated and provided ways to overcome all of those barriers. #RandolphHarris 4 of 11
Because Satan rebelled against God and sought to destroy the agency of humans, he was cast down to Earth, and Satan became the Devil, and the father of all lies, to deceive and blind humans with his fake news and distorted information, and to lead them captive at his will. Satan was in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve before the Fall of Man. Not only so, but he continued to tempt them and their children after they have been driven from the Garden. When Adam and Eve received the gospel, they rejoiced in it, “Blessed the name of God,” and made all things known unto their sons and their daughters. And Satan came among them saying, “I am also a son of God.” He commanded them “Believe it not.” And they believed it not, and they loved Satan more than God, and people began from that time forth to be carnal, sensual, and devilish. Satan is evil: totally and always. He ever seeks to defeat the gospel plan and destroy the souls of humans. He persuades no person to do good, no, not one; neither do Satan’s Angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him. Satan seeks to darken the minds of people and then offers them falsehood and deception in the guise of truth. Knowing the purpose of God’s great plan, we now consider the respective roles of the three members of the Godhead in that plan. #RandolphHarris 5 of 11
Satan will seize upon you by some power which entirely will overcome you, and will have such an astonishing influence over you to bind your tongue so you cannot speak. Thick darkness will gather around you, and it will seem to you for a time as if you are doomed to sudden destruction. Thus, there came about the repression of the unconscious hostility through projection, and the formation of the ceremonial in which fear of punishment of demons finds expression. The projection of their own evil impulses upon demons is only a part of what has become the World system. If Satan is not checked, he will bring this generation to destruction. The kingdom of the Devil must shake, and they which belong to it must needs to be stirred up unto repentance, or the Devil will grasp them with his everlasting chains, and they be stirred up to anger, and perish. He shall put rage in the hearts of children and adults, and stir them up to anger against that which is good. And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, and thus the Devil cheats their souls, and leads them away carefully down to Hell. However, they do not know Satan is the Devil because he tells them he is not a devil, but he is good. Yet, they have become so corrupt that they cannot see what he is leading them to do and the hate and lies that he puts in their heart is ungodly because they are lost souls. In the ultimate and final sense of the word, there is only one true living God. #RandolphHarris 6 of 11
However, do not become worried, the Spirit of Christ and the power of his priesthood are ample shields to the power of Satan. We know that there is available to each of us the gift of the Holy Ghost—the power of revelation which embraces the gift of discernment by which we may unerringly detect the Devil and the counterfeits he is so successfully foisting upon this gullible generation. Our course is clear and certain. It is to strictly obey the commandments of the Lord, as they are recorded in the scriptures and as they are being given by the living prophets. God lives. Through my own experiences I have come to know of his Spirit and his power. I know that Satan also lives. I have detected his spirit and felt of his power. Nevertheless, Satan will be bound and have no place in the hearts of the children nor adults. Sometimes when you are faced with difficult situations, you can question your faith. Yet, it is important to remember that the power of God is working on your behalf, even when you cannot see it. When you learn to trust, despite your circumstances, you will see that your faith is still intact—you just have to hold on. God the Father is the Father of our spirits. We are his children. He loves us, and all the he does is for our eternal benefit. He is the author of the plan of salvation, and it is by his power that his plan achieves its purpose for the ultimate glory of his children. Make the choice to believe. #RandolphHarris 7 of 11
No individual will rest satisfied with a conquest that fails to secure the conscious acknowledgement of other people. Here, there is a struggle for both power and recognition. In this struggle, some will take greater risks than their competitors; those who risk the least will become the salves or bondsmen of those who face death by risking their lives. In order to preserve one’s life, the slave submits to the master, who regards the slave as nothing but a means to one’s own design. The slave is forced to work, whereas the master can enjoy leisure in the knowledge that the slave is reshaping the natural World to provide the products of his or her labour for the master to consume. Thus, the master’s leisure protects him from experience of the negativity of nature, whereas the slave, in struggling with nature’s recalcitrance, learns its secrets and put mind into it. The master, in consuming, destroys; the slave, in working, creates. However, the master’s consumption depends upon the slave’s labour passes into things that have a permanent existence. The slave’s work in transforming the natural World is a consequence of his or her fear of the master, who can kill that individual. However, because we have the truth about the Godhead and our relationship to them, we have the ultimate road map of our journey through mortality. This supernal sacrifice is called the central act of all human history. God will resurrect us through Christ’s Atonement for our sins. #RandolphHarris 8 of 11
Death is overcome by the works of civilization. The person who will risk his or her life and becomes the first master breaks the bonds of nature and starts the process that will incorporate mind into it. The individual has to find his or her place in the natural World and in society, but in religion one gains consciousness of the Absolute Being. This first approached in the primitive religions of nature, in which people worshipped trees, streams, or animals. Next to come those forms of religion in which the Absolute Being is approached through such works of art as temples and statues. This type of religion reached a high level in ancient Greece, but when God was represented in human form, he came to be regarded as merely human and was lost sight of in the tragic heroes of Greek drama. As the religious element was discarded from tragedy, it gave way to comedy, in which the contingencies of human life were paraded and criticized, and God was completely ignored in favor of human self-knowledge. The individual self is the negative force through and in which the gods disappear. This skeptical and sophisticated humanism is succeeded by Christianity, in which God is revealed to humans in Christ. The Holy Ghost helps us discern between truth and falsehood, guides us in our major decisions, and helps us through the challenges of mortality. #RandolphHarris 9 of 11
In Christianity, the human and the divine are no longer sundered, and God is seen to be present in the World. It is a spiritual revelation in the attempt to uncover the often-commonplace ideas of the early Christians and to gain knowledge of the mere externality and particularity of Jesus. In serial orders, the varieties of experience are at once character of the general evolution of the higher intellectual life. Thus, no religious experience, not even that of Christianity, can bring absolute knowledge. Christianity’s goal is to avoid regarding the Absolute Being as apart from the World, is inseparable from our modern souls. The events of the Gospels are, so to speak, pictured or represented movies, television shows, and legends of God. It allows us to recollect of the Absolute Mind and its graveyard, the actuality, truth and certainty of its throne, without which it would be forever alone and devoid of life. The incarnation of the Absolute Mind is manifested every time you pray and read the scriptures. Apart from the history of human beings, God would be alone and lifeless (das lebolse Einsame). It would seem, indeed, that without the historical development of humans and their freedom, there would be no God. Because we have the truth about the Godhead and our relationship to them, the purpose of life, and the nature of our eternal destiny, we have the ultimate road map and assurance of our journey through mortality. #RandolphHarris 10 of 11
Prayer is the key that unlocks the door to God. Give God some one-on-one time. Have faith in what you are praying about, and believe it will happen. Pray for your family, your community, and for the World’s well-being. I thank God for the opportunity to come before his saving throne of grace. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to him, in Jesus’s name. The Lord is the Light of my life and the strength of my salvation; of whom shall I be afraid? As I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, I am saved from my enemies. I will fear not because the Lord is with me; I will not be dismayed, for the Lord is my God; he will strengthen me, he will help me, he will uphold me with his righteous hands. Thank you, Father in Heaven for being my refuge and castle; my God in whom I trust. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for your hand of protection on my life. God is with us to rescue us and save us; he will save us from the hands of the wicked and redeem us from the grasps of the cruel. The gates of Hell will not prevail against me and my family. We shall not die, but live to declare the glory of God. When enemies come like a flush flood, with their fake news and distorted information, the Spirit of the Lord will lift us up a standard against them. Thank you for watching over us, God. We need to know God’s laws and live them. We need to receive his saving ordinances because only by doing so will we obtain true, eternal happiness. From the depths of my soul and in all humility, I testify of the great gift which is our Father’s path to peace and happiness both here and in the World to come. And, if you see Johnny Football Hero in the hallway, tell him he played a good game and you liked his article in the newspaper. #RandolphHarris 11 of 11
I Saw this Miracle of Comfort
Quality is not an act, it is a habit. One of the most familiar traits of our time is the tendency to revise tradition, to reconsider the foundations of old beliefs, and sometimes mercilessly to destroy what once seemed indispensable. This disposition, as we all know, is especially prominent in the realms of social theory and of religious belief. We are constantly faced with difficult choices. These problems are not new, but they are intensified. We are subjected to temptations that are attractive and appealing. We represent the future of this World, and the adversary of truth would like to injure us, would like to destroy our faith, would like to lead us down paths that are beguiling and interesting, but deadly. However, we believe in being true. How very important it is to be true to ourselves. Some have lived and died and never knew the value of this World because they never knew God. We recognize our greatest problem is our rapid growth. Our population increase in numbers is phenomenal, for the population has doubled in the past few years. We are obsessed first to see that all people obtain eternal life. Our precious relationships with families, friends, the Lord and his restored Church are among things that matter most in life. Because these relationships are so important, they should be cherished, protected, and nurtured. #RandolphHarris 1 of 6
Now, it all ages of civilized life there have been people who have won in some form a consciousness of loyalty, and who have held to such a consciousness through life. Such people may or may not have been right in their choice of cause, but at least they have exemplified through their loyalty one feature of a rational more life. They know what it is to have unity of purpose. And again, the loyal have known what it is to be free from moral doubts and scruples. Their cause has been their conscience. It has told them what to do. They have listened and obeyed, not because of what they took to be blind convention, not because of a fear of external authority, not even because of what seemed to themselves any purely private and personal intuition, but because, when they have looked first outwards at their cause, and then inwards at themselves, they have found themselves worthless in their own eyes, except when viewed as active, as confidently devoted, as willing instruments of their cause. Their cause has forbidden them to doubt; it has said: “You are mine, you cannot do otherwise.” And then they have said to the cause: “I am, event of my own will, thine. I have no will except they will. Take me, use me, control me, and even thereby fulfill me and exalt me.” Our patriots, soldiers, law enforcement, and many parents and teachers are devoted to the speech above. They realize that loyalty tends to unify life, to give it centre, fixity, and stability. #RandolphHarris 2 of 6
Character may almost be called the most effective means of persuasion. People loyal in this sense have surely existed in the World, and, as you all know, the loyal still exist amongst us. And I beg you not to object, at this point, that such devoted people have often been loyal to be very concerned with the challenges we must face in this life, as they are extremely personal in nature. The nature of the challenges we face in this life are not nearly so important as what we choose to do about them. When we have the courage and faith to live up to the best we know, we fulfill the purpose for which we came to this Earth, and we provide an incentive for others to do the same. In the medieval World, the underlying assumption is that human’s self-fulfillment is discovered in the love of God and the rest of the divine creation. God has contrived the afterlife that only if we obey the fundamental moral rule will we in the long run, that is, in the eternal run, secure our own happiness. It is clear that we could find no good reason to be moral if God did not exist, but God’s function in bringing the gulf between self-interest and morality is veiled in conventional theological terms. A spirit eternal penetrates through Earth, Sky, and Ocean, mounts to the Moon’s lucid orb, and Stars in countless abundance; one soul all matter invigorates, gives life to the system, over each particular member diffuses alertness; the burdens faithful servants in God must carry in life are made lighter by the Atonement of Jesus. #RandolphHarris 3 of 6
Happiness is a waking dream. The burden of sin can be taken away, but the trials of mortal life for good people can still be heavy. This is why you have a feeling to want to help a person struggling to move forward under a load of grief and difficulty. You promised that you would help the Lord make their burdens light and be comforted. You were given the power to help lighten those loads when you received the gift of the Holy Ghost. We have seen miracles time and time again. It is nice to feel in people’s voices and see in their eyes that the Holy Ghost is within them. In words of simple testimony, people speak of what happened and how they felt, and it is clear that the Holy Ghost has already given them the peace that comes with hope of eternal life. The Comforter had come, bringing hope, courage, and increasing strength for all of us. That is why the Lord included in our charge to comfort others, and the command to be his witnesses at all times and places. We may be strengthened. However, the burden of grief may not disappear, but we are made able to bear the sorrow. Our faith will increase and our strength will continue to grow as we ask for it and life for it. For all that we know, our redeemer lives, and he shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth. #RandolphHarris 4 of 6
The energy of the mind is the essence of life. Most people have a feeling of unity with their fellow humans and a natural want to live in harmony with others. It is often overshadowed by selfish emotions, but those who do possess it know that they would be worse off if they did not possess it. The reason for this conviction is that the best prospect of realizing such happiness as is attainable is a willingness to sacrifice the prospect of one’s own present and immediate happiness to an ascetic devotion to altruism and benevolence. We beg you Lord, to help and defend us. Deliver the oppressed. Pity the insignificant. Raise the fallen. Show yourself to the needy and heal the sick. It is also important to bring back those of your people who have gone astray. God, we pray that you feed the hungry and left up the weak. May every nation come to know that you alone are God, that Jesus is your son, and that we are your people. God, please provide us with public good, promoting of peace, harmony, and order in society. Give us the independent power of sympathy and of sense love. It is the witness of the Spirit that gives us the strength to endure. God, thank you for allowing us to see the joy that comes to the faithful after passing faithfully through their trials. #RandolphHarris 5 of 6
The one exclusive sign of thorough knowledge is the power teaching. Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work. Departure will weaken the superficial feeling but deepen our friendship like wind blowing out candle light, but making the fire lighter. We meet when are strangers, but depart when we are familiar with each other. Time goes by slowly, but your eyes are in my heart forever, they are as pure as crystal, and light as the moon, as deep as abyss and as white as snow. There will be violent storms and waves in the sea of life. We row with resolution and wisdom, brave the winds and waves, sailing for the ideal tomorrow. The voyage of life is very long and we do not know where we meet again. Your generous smile impresses me most and I never forget it. Now, I gaze at your eyes and you are so quiet that there is only hope for the future. I complain you do not cherish our friendship, while you say I am too sentimental of departure—we have no choice and the departure time is a sad autumn. We must recognize the power of mind, definitely, specifically, concretely and consciously speak from our objective minds. Love cannot be afraid, it is fearless and strong, and is mighty in its works. It can accomplish all things through the inner light of that faith in God. #RandolphHarris 6 of 6
Inspire us to Work Together in Perfect Love
My first wish is to see this plague of humankind, war, banished from the Earth. Faith is a source of authority upon which beliefs can rest. The basis for a person’s faith usually is understood to come from the authority of revelation. Revelation is either direct, through some kind of direct infusion, or indirect, usually from the testimony of another. Each of us has problems that we cannot solve and weaknesses that we cannot conquer without reaching out through prayer to a higher source of strength. Access to our Creator through our Savior is surely one of the greatest privileges and blessings of our lives. No Earthly authority can separate us from direct access to our Creator. There is no limit on the number of times or how long we can pray each day. The ultimate purpose of Christian education is to bring glory to God. The more immediate purpose of Christian education is the reconciliation of the World to our Heavenly Father. 2 Peter 1.3 reports: God’s divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and Godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence. In addition to a natural knowledge of God, there is a supernatural knowledge revealed by Christ and received through faith. #RandolphHarris 1 of 5
When an individual has faith, one does not care what the odds are, or who the opponent is; we expect to win. Ranking or standing is something that is an explanation of what has already happened, not as a declaration of what is to be. One does not have to let the opinions of others define us because when we have faith, we believe we will write our own script. When God placed humans on the Earth, prayer became the lifeline between humankind and God. If we keep faith, keep trust, and keep a good attitude, if we are grateful, we will see God open up new doors. Having faith is one of the highest activities of ordinary mental powers; many have assigned possessing faith in God to a special faculty of the soul. Some describe it intellectually as an insight or intuition; others testify faith is a volitional character calling in a confrontation or encounter. Our source of strength is God in Heaven of whom we pray in the name of Jesus Christ. As we pray, we should think of our Father in Heaven as possessing all knowledge, understanding, love, and compassion. We become aware of God as eternal through the contingency of finite things and as holy through the demands of the moral law. #RandolphHarris 2 of 5
Even the divinity of Christ is experienced, in the first place, through the meditation on his human life and on the impact which it made on his disciples. There is also an immediate, purely spiritual experience that is called mystical. God is transcendent as well as immanent, and a union of love and will in which the distinction between the Creator and the human is permanently retained. Take the gift God has entrusted to you, and use it in the service of Christ and your fellow humans. God will make it glow and shine like the stars in Heaven. 1 Ne. 7.12 reports: The Lord is able to do all things for people if they exercise faith in him. Our prayers truly become the song of the heart and a prayer, not only reaching God, but touching the hearts of others as well. We should pray with all our heart and soul. Sometimes my heart hungers for God and I pray all day long. Prayers vary in their intensity. Even the Savior prayed more earnestly in his hour of agony. Some prayers are simple expressions of appreciation and requests for continuation of blessings on our loved ones and us. However, in times of great personal hurt or need, more may be required than mere asking. #RandolphHarris 3 of 5
Blessings sought through prayer sometimes require work, effort, and diligence on our part. When we humble ourselves, this brings us more in tune with God and his holy purposes. We are privileged to pray daily for the small and great concerns of our lives. In our houses over our households, morning, midday, and evening, we should pray against the power of our enemies and the Devil; to cry unto God to pour out our souls in secret and the wilderness. When we are not crying directly unto God, we should let our hearts be drawn out in prayer unto him continually. God, thank you so much for bringing us all here together today. Thank you for the wonderful blessing of family. Thank you for the similarities we have and the differences we enjoy. Thank you for the wisdom of age and the energy of youth. Thank you for the way you watch over us as individuals and the way you release your love into us as a unit. Come bless our time together. Grant that we may fully comprehend and faithfully imitate the virtues of the Holy Family so that we may be untied with them one day in their Heavenly glory. God, you create balance both night and day. Show us how to support and encourage one another. #RandolphHarris 4 of 5
Inspire us to work together to become a picture full of your perfect love. Think about the moments in the day when your family naturally comes together and consider taking a minute to pray at these times. God promises power through faith. Lord Jesus, we come to you today and thank you for the privilege of praying for others. Please cleanse our hearts and show us if there is any unconfessed sin in our own lives and how we can recover and repent from them. Lift up those in our lives, and help us influence others for good. Deepen our love for you and for the people around us. Guard us from hypocrisy or from giving in to temptations that could harm the cause of Christ. Raise up leaders who will serve you faithfully, God. Turn the hearts of parents toward their children, and families toward you. Help us to exemplify your values, and make us bold in your faith. Strengthen our families. May our love for you help us to love and forgive others and make a difference in our World. God, give us your mind, and surround us with Godly counselors who exercise integrity and work for justice, morality, and freedom. Happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected. #RandolphHarris 5 of 5
Love is a More Wonderful thing than Art
God’s eternity signifies an everlasting, endless time. God created humans to think, act, and to feel and to be in a relationship with other humans. God is in all things, transcendent, and above all things. God is the unity of all aspects of like, as he is unchangeable, eternal, and independent. The nature of God is manifests in our consciousness. God, or the One, stands in the same relation to the manifold produced by it as does our mind to its thoughts, feelings and decisions. Our consciousness pictures the Absolute One. God’s mercy illuminates human understanding and reveals thing about human nature through human reflection, research, and insight to lead us to greater knowledge of God. From a careful study of the Bible, the exegete can affirm with bold confidence that the human brain is a product of the creative work of God. As we grow older, we are more aware of mortality and better able to solve highly emotional problems. We may be seeing a larger group of people who can get along with a greater number of people. They are care more and are more compassionate about problems, and that will lead to a more stable World. The valiant among us keep moving forward in life because they know the Lord loves them, even when they do not know the meaning of all things. #RandolphHarris 1 of 13
God actually possess the perfection we ascribe to him and those coalesce in an unimaginable unity. The courageous cope successfully with severe and relentless trials, we applaud and celebrate their emerging strength and goodness. The very essence of religion is to adjust the mind and soul of human beings healing means, bringing the person into a right relationship with the physical, mental, and spiritual laws of God. It stands to reason that God’s magnificent creation required thinking, planning, artistry, and execution—all qualities that men and women share with their Creator. As God reveals more of himself apart from the creative order (general revelation) and into the redemptive order (special revelation), we find a person with personality, love, mercy, and grace—again, qualities that are share in limited quantities with the human race. Christianity acknowledges the existence of the supernatural, including a consciousness within us that is more than an epiphenomenon of the brain. The Bible’s statements regarding body, breath of life, soul, spirit, heart, and mind suggest a dualist ontology (or study of the being), that is, the view that human nature consists of two fundamental kinds of reality: physical (material or natural) and spiritual (supernatural). #RandolphHarris 2 of 13
God is wholly good and perfect. Christ’s statement about fearing the one who could put both soul and body in Hell suggests we should find a way out through which moral principles are correct. One ought not to disrupt the unity of the family. The Father in Heaven’s plan provided humans the right of choice, that though it exercises the humans might become strong and advance in learning, wisdom, and righteousness by conquering weaknesses and by resisting the temptations to do wrong. Now, the truth is that Satan lives! Indeed, some have seen his satanic majesty in spirit form. It may too late to fix some communities, but not to help those individuals and families willing to fix themselves. It is not too late, either, for some to become pioneer disciples in their families and locations, or for individuals to become local peacemakers in a World from which peace has been taken. Proverbs 2.2-5 reports: Make your ear attentive to wisdom and include your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and gold and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand fear of the Lord and find knowledge of God. #RandolphHarris 3 of 13
The most attractive solution to the problems of human existence, to the tragic sense of life, is the hope for eternal life expressed in human’s perennial human for immortality. This hunger has two dimensions—it refers either to the nondestruction of the soul or the merger of the soul with the universe or the totality of being. The hope for immortality is supported by the notion of God. The traditional arguments for the existence of God prove that the heart craves God. Everyone has heard of loyalty, most prize it, but few perceive it to be what it is in its true spirit. Loyalty is to heart of all the virtues, the central duty amongst all responsibilities. Loyalty is the central spirit of the moral and reasonable life of humans. Be loyal to the best that is in you. Be faithful and true to the covenants that are associated with the fellowship of God. We are children of God, honored to hold his divine authority, but we live in a World where there is evil. There is a constant power pulling us down, inviting us to partake of those things which are totally inconsistent with divine law which we hold. It is amazing how the father of lies that was cast out of Heaven always has the means and capacity to entice, invite and convince others to partake in his ways because they are not strong and alert. #RandolphHarris 4 of 13
As we are purifying our souls for everlasting life, we understand that every loss is a tragedy. The kingdom of the Lord needs you. Be worthy of it. Be loyal to your best selves. Never stoop nor bend to anything which would take from you the strength to abstain. Run from the tide of sleaze that would overcome you. Flee from the evils of the World. Be faithful and true to the covenants that are associated with God. You cannot wallow about in lasciviousness, cannot lie, cannot cheat, cannot take advantage of others in unrighteousness without denying that touch of divinity with which each of us came into this life. One learns a great deal about ethics as one matures. The relation between the practical and the eternal. The goal of the eternal is to win the heart. Conventional morality has been required in company with religion and also in company with exact science to endure the fire of criticism. If our moral standards themselves are questioned, the iron of doubt so some of us feel seems to enter our very hearts. The foundation of the moral life is a timely undertaking. In many ways, our traditional moral standards ought to be revised. We need a new Heaven and a new Earth. We do well to set out to seek for both, however hard or doubtful may be the quest. #RandolphHarris 5 of 13
Many of us believe in the eternal. We are in quest of the eternal. As to moral standards, in particular, we do not like that mere homesickness and spiritual estrangement, and that confusion of mind about moral ideals, which is nowadays too common. We can sometimes see in the World of opinion of sort of resurrection of the dead, a resurrection wherein what was indeed justly sown in dishonor is raised in honor, glorified, and perhaps incorruptible. Therefore, revision does not mean mere destruction. What we want is its glorified body and its immortal soul. Among spiritual gifts, we believe in the gift of healing. The gift extends to the healing of both the body and the spirit. The Spirit speaks peace to the soul. This spiritual solace comes by invoking spiritual gifts, which are claimed and manifested in many ways. The Lord has restored the temple work to the Earth. It is an important part of the work of salvation for both the living and the dead. Our temples provide a sanctuary where we may go and lay aside many of the stresses of the World. Our temples are places of peace and tranquility. In these hallowed sanctuaries God heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds. #RandolphHarris 6 of 13
In loyalty, when loyalty is properly defined, is the fulfillment of the whole moral law. One can truthfully centre one’s entire moral World about a rational conception of loyalty. Justice, charity, industry, wisdom, spirituality, are all definable in terms of enlightened loyalty. This very way of viewing the moral World—this deliberate centralization of all the duties and of all the virtues about the one conception of rational loyalty is of great service as a means of clarifying and simplifying the tangled moral problems of our lives and of our age. The spirit of reverence will increase, mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. We will be counseled in greater love and wisdom. People will be more responsive and submissive to that counsel. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity—the pure love of God—will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness. The willing and practical and thoroughgoing devotion to God, a person, and a cause means that we will express our devotion in some sustained and practical way, by acting steadily in the service of a mutual cause. We choose what we are loyal to, as a patriot to one’s country, when this devotion leads us to actually live and perhaps to die for our country. #RandolphHarris 7 of 13
Loyalty is never a mere emotion. Adoration and affection may go with loyalty, but can never alone constitute loyalty. Furthermore, the devotion of a loyal individual involves a sort of restraint or submission of our natural desire to our cause. Loyalty without self-control is impossible. The loyal person serves. We do not merely follow our own impulses, we look to our cause for guidance. This cause tells us what to do, and we do it. Our devotion, furthermore, is entire. The promises for those who keep the Word of Wisdom continue. Those who observe this law shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures. Each one of us is a living, breathing miracle—far too often we forget that. That is something we need to celebrate before God. When we pray for ourselves and others, we bring the mysterious power of God into their lives. Prayer also has psychological benefits, but it is not just a psychological exercise. Intercessory prayer is when we have a period of prayer where we do not stop. Some people will pray every day, for hours, over a period of months and years. It is far better than complaining after you have taken all the actions you can to correct a problem. Intercessory prayer changes things, circumstances, and people for the better. #RandolphHarris 8 of 13
We are asking God to work on our hearts and we thank God for our faith, humbleness, and whatever gifts we have that may bless other people. When we pray for others, our concern for them grows, our love for them grows. Prayer strengthens our relationships and connection to Jesus Christ and God. Moses won a battle because he was behind the scenes praying. And intercessory prayer is really hard work precisely because it is by nature behind the scenes work. People channel all their energy to behind delivered from a problem or situation and they spend hours praying night and day, which feeds the mind and keeps an individual balanced. The World is created for every person who loves. There is therefore this constant miracle of a new Heaven and a new Earth. Our prayers can not only change things for ourselves, but they can significantly improve the lives of others. Prayers move the heart and hands of God to take action on behalf. Through our prayers, others can receive most of the same benefits we receive when we pray from comfort, protection, freedom, healing, and more. It allows us to also stir up slumbering faith in others and causes miracles to happen and increases their relationship with God. #RandolphHarris 9 of 13
We cannot buy loyalty, we cannot buy devotion of hearts, minds, and souls. We have to earn these things. Whoever is loyal is devoted, is active, surrenders one’s private self-will, controls oneself, is in love with one’s cause, and believes in it. The loyal person is thus in a certain state of mind which has its own value for oneself. To live a loyal life, whatever be one’s cause, is to live in a way which is certainly free from many well-known sources of inner dissatisfaction. Thus, hesitancy is often corrected by loyalty; for the cause plainly tells the loyal individual what to do. Loyalty, again, tends to unify life, to give in centre, fixity, stability. When we spend time in prayer with God, he fills us with the gifts of Spirit, which include love, joy, peace, endurance, temperance, faith, gentleness, meekness, and goodness. As we receive more of God’s Spirit, others will see the Lord and his gifts reflected in our everyday lives. Our duty in life is simply our own will brought to our clear self-consciousness. That which we can rightly view for us as good is simply the object of our own deepest desire set plainly before our insight. For our own will and desires, once fully brought to self-consciousness, furnish the only valid reason for us to know what is good and right. #RandolphHarris 10 of 13
God’s will is that in which, and in which alone, our wills can find rest and peace, and God’s will is the rule of life. If enlightened recognizes the divine will as right, God has made us for himself that our own wills are by nature inwardly restless until they rest in harmony with God’s will. Our restlessness, then, so long as we are out of this harmony, gives us the reason why we find it right, if we are enlightened to surrender our self-will. If you want to find out, then, what is right and what is good for you, bring your own will to self-consciousness. Your duty is what you yourself will to do in so far as you clearly discover who you are, and what your place in the World is. This is, indeed, a first principle of al ethical inquiry. This is the principle of the autonomy or self-direction of the rational will of each moral being. Many of us have the desire to escape from pain and to get pleasure. In accordance with the desire, means relief from tension; and that is usually accompanied with pleasure. On the other hand, a thwarted activity gives us pain. Of all that we might do to find solace, prayer is perhaps the most comforting. The very act of praying to God is satisfying to the soul. There is never a time when the spirit is too young or too old to approach God. All are in reach of pardoning mercy. #RandolphHarris 11 of 13
In the celestial glory, we are told that God will provide everyone with pleasure and healing and cure death and there will be no more pain. Faith and hope will replace heartache, disappointment, torment, anguish, and despair, and the Lord will give us strength that we will suffer no manner of afflictions. Find your happiness with one another. Give your family, friends, and companion the opportunities to grow in their own interests, to develop their own talents, and also experience their own sense of accomplishment. The only people I owe my loyalty to are those who never made me question theirs. Loyalty is essential to the most basic things that make life livable. Without loyalty, there can be no love. Without loyalty, there can be no family. Without loyalty, there can be no friendship. Without loyalty, there can be no commitment to community nor country. And without those things, there can be no society. To learn the will of God is one of the largest of your human undertakings. No outer authority can ever give you the true reason of your duty. We need God. Left to ourselves, we would never find a plan of life. By nature, many simply go on crying in a sort of chaotic self-will, according as the momentary play of desire determines. #RandolphHarris 12 of 13
May the joy of our fidelity to the highest and best within us be ours as we keep our love and our family, our society and our souls, as pure as they are meant to be. Cultivate and be where the Spirit of the Lord is. Make sure that includes your own home or apartment. You do not want to be left crying, “What was I thinking?” Be good people and ask God for guidance. Have a real hope and real intent that God will step in and act for the beneficial advancement of whatever you are praying about. Trust God to act, even if it is not in the manner or timing we seek. God wants us to ask, even urgently. We are casting our thanks and requests before God. Intercessory prayer opens our souls, gives us a healthy play to God’s sympathies, constrains him to feel that he is special and this this wide World and this great Universe were made by a great God, and everything will bend to his will, and all the creatures respect him. Thank you, Father, that you are looking at us with your grace, and that you have provided and protected us. Thank you that no matter what difficulties arise in our lives, our hope and trust is in you. Thank you that we have nothing to fear, when you are with us. Thank you, God, in Jesus name, Amen. May the rest of our lives be the best of our lives. #RandolphHarris 13 of 13
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
The Divine Incognito in the Incarnation
The will is the most immediate reality of consciousness. Altruism is a necessity, since isolation is impossible; moral choice is explained in terms of the attractive or repulsive power; and ethical conduct is defined in terms of social beneficence. It is not difficult to see that the character even of a well-behaved child is not the character we should wish to find in an adult. A child is absolutely egotistical; children feel their wants acutely, and strives remorselessly to satisfy them, especially against their competitors, other children, and first of all against their brothers and sisters. Eventually, altruistic impulses and morality will awake in the little egoist. Morality, of course, does not develop simultaneously in all its departments, and furthermore, the duration of the amoral period of all childhood differs in different individuals. This can be compared to the mediating presence and activity of God and explains how people undergo a religious mode of experiencing, and other choose not to. We have probably all had the opportunity to do a puzzle. Each small piece has its place in the final picture, even when we do not know where it fits at a given moment. The Lord knows where each piece belongs so that it all fits into the plan. #RandolphHarris 1 of 8
All the commandments are of eternal importance in the context of the great plan of the great plan of happiness. As with our fellow humans, a venture of faith on our part may be necessary if we are going to establish any beneficial relationship. To respond as a person to another person involves showing a certain trustfulness and willingness to make a concession that a person is regarded as being correct or justified, as long as the contrary has not been proven, and thereby anticipate proof and verification based on our trust of that individual. In every advance from sense data to the perception of an ordered World or from the projection of a scientific hypothesis to its observational verification, as in every successful voyage of discovery or in the invention of some new kind of machinery, there must be not only an act theorizing or of insight, but also a sustained effort of will which carries the operation through to completion. It may be that God can or will disclose himself only to one who shows such an initial faith and is willing to venture in trust beyond what has been established by scientific proof or philosophical demonstration. #RandolphHarris 2 of 8
It is possible that in order to gain the religious knowledge upon which our personal good depends, we must give rein to our passional desire to believe. Some day we will be in God’s presence forever if we know Christ, and we will see God in all of his greatness and glory. In Matthew 5.8, Jesus Christ reported: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Many of us have called our humble communities a World, and so we covet them; and yet there is among us but a half-awakened common consciousness, sprung from a common joy and grief, at burial, birth, or wedding; from a common hardship in destitution, scarcity of land, and meager wages; and, above all, from the sight of the veil that hangs between us and opportunity. All this caused us to think some thoughts together, may we experience the fullness of God. May we be given the strength to comprehend the love of Christ in its height and depth and length and breadth. This is remarkable: the fullness of God is the spiritual comprehension (experience) of the satiety of the love of Christ. Everything that God does make me believe in him. All the things that he says makes me feel this way: Look at the World and tell me what you see. If you ever need someone, you can count on me. The fancy World of Heaven, in your eyes, you are the cure to make me smile. #RandolphHarris 3 of 8
Give yourself time and quietness in this Advent season and seek this experience. Pray to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. It is a blessing that we would know in our heart the outpouring of grace upon grace, and that the glory of God would shine into our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the splendor of God in the face of Christ; that as people, we can be amazed that Christ can be so real to us. God will be the cure to make us smile. Everything that we eat is to believe in God. All that we want is for God to spread his love over us. Look at the sea, and tell me what you feel. If you ever need someone, you can always count on God. For decision that affect eternity, having a gospel perspective is essential. In a revelation given to Moses, we are told of our Heavenly Father’s declared intention: For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of human beings. God’s desire is to give everyone the opportunity to receive a fullness of joy. Our Heavenly Father created a great plan of happiness for all his children, a very special plan so that we can return to live with him. #RandolphHarris 4 of 8
Heaven will be far greater than anything we presently know. In some ways, Heaven may be like our lives right now; we may even live in a World somewhat like our own—although one without sin nor decay. However, in other ways it will be far more glorious than anything we have ever experiences—and one reason is because we will be in the presence of God forever. Like the shepherds to whom the angels came on that first Christmas night, when we first glimpse Heaven, we will surely be overwhelmed by the glory of the Lord. Understanding this plan of happiness provides us with an eternal perspective and helps us to truly value the commandments, the ordinances, the covenants, and the trials and tribulations. The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost. The word advent means coming. In this season, we focus on the coming of the Son of God into the World. And the spirit of our celebration should be joyful and happy. A very important connection has long been recognized between faith and what may be called the cognitive freedom of the human mind in its relation to God. And not merely in works, but also in faith, has God preserved the will of human beings free and under their own control. #RandolphHarris 5 of 8
Faith is a sufficiently free act to be meritorious. God’s self-revelation in the Incarnation to a deliberately veiled from, so that no one could be compelled to find God in Jesus Christ, and yet so that all who were willing to find God there might do so. God is willing to appear openly to those who seek him with their hearts, he so regulates the knowledge of himself that he has given signs of himself, visible to those who seek him, and not to those who seek him not. God, having created human beings as personal, always acts toward them in ways which respect and preserve their personal freedom and responsibility. In the United States of America, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, to reinforce God’s desire for freedom. The Emancipation Proclamation provided that all enslaved humans in states still in active rebellion against the United States of America would be freed automatically on 1 January 1863. Complete abolition of slavery occurred with the congressional passage and ultimate ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865. The divine presence is always mediated through the events and circumstances of a World which God has created to be a relatively independent sphere of interaction with his human creatures. #RandolphHarris 6 of 8
Human’s personal autonomy is protected by the fact that one can become conscious of God’s activity toward him only by an uncompelled response of faith. Thus, people are not only free to obey or disobey God; they also have the prior and more fundamental freedom to be conscious of God or to refrain from being conscious of him. The human mind displays a natural tendency to interpret its experience religiously, but this tendency acts only as an inclination which can be resisted and inhibited. Humans thus cognitively free in relation to God. Faith is the correlate of freedom and is related to cognition as free will is to conation. This is a great truth. Understanding the plan will help people keep the commandments, make better decisions, and have the right motivation. Many of us have witnessed the devotion and faithfulness of Church members in different countries, some of which have political, social, or economic conflict. One common factor that is found in these faithful members is the perspective that they have of eternity. The eternal perspective of the gospel leads us to understand the place that we occupy in God’s plan, to accept difficulties and progress through them, to make decisions, and to center our lives on our divine potential. #RandolphHarris 7 of 8
Perspective is the way we see things when we look at them from a certain distance, and it allows us to appreciate their true value. Moroni 8.18 and 26 reports: For I know that God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being; but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity. And the remission of sins brings gentleness, and humbleness of heart; and because of gentleness and humbleness of heart comes from the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filled with hope and perfect love, which endures by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God. It is extremely important that we do not make decisions of eternal value from the perspective of mortality. For decisions that affect eternity, having a gospel perspective is essential. Faith in the Heavenly Father’s plan gives us endurance even amid the wreckage of such proximate hopes. Hopes keeps us anxiously engaged in good causes even when these appear to be losing causes. Not having an eternal perspective, or losing it, can lead us to have an Earthly perspective as our personal standard and to make decisions that are not in harmony with the will of God. Look at life as a journey that expands from the premortal past to the eternal future, and focus on happiness. The rest of your life will be the best of your life. We are eternal beings and life goes on. #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
Out Upon the Deep Over Seventy Thousand Fathoms of Water
The torment and torture was so painful that even the innocent would confess. A human being must care for one’s soul more than anything else. We all make mistakes. It is then in our nature to feel guilt and humiliation and suffering, which we alone cannot cure. That is when the healing power of the Atonement will help. Many people care more for wealth, reputation, and their bodies while neglecting their souls. We must give our first and greatest care to the improvement of our soul. The care for the soul means to become a thoroughly ethical human being. The soul exists prior to its life in the body, and it is immortal. Therefore, we must make ourselves good and wise as possible. Wealth does not bring about human excellence nor virtue, but virtue makes wealth and everything else good for human beings. Of the many illnesses of the intellect humans must cure themselves of, the most pressing are in ethics. Matthew 16.26 reports: What does it profit a person to gain the whole World, but lose one’s soul? The soul is the distinguishing mark of living things, as something that is the subject of emotional states and that is responsible for planning and practical thinking, and also as the bearer of such virtues as courage and justice. #RandolphHarris 1 of 7
All of us sometime, and some of us much of the time, suffer remorse of conscience from things we did wrong or things left undone. That feeling of guilt is to the spirit what pain is to the physical body. However, guilt can be harder to bear than physical pain. Physical pain is nature’s warning system that signals something needs to be changed, or cleansed, or treated, perhaps even removed by surgery. Guilt, the pain of our conscience, cannot be healed the same way. If one is burden with depressing feelings of guilt or disappointment, of failure or shame, there is a cure. The intent is not to hurt one’s tender feelings, but to help one and help those you love. The prophet Alma reports: I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins. Racked means to be tortured. A harrow is a frame with spikes through it. When pulled across the ground, it rips and tears into the soil. The soul is not only responsible for mental or psychological functions like thought, perception and desire, and is the bearer of moral qualities, but in some way or other accounts for all the vital function that any living organism performs. #RandolphHarris 2 of 7
Faith then must clearly be a trusting and confident attitude toward God. Faith is belief in revealed truth. Not only is the soul immortal, but it also contemplates truths after its separation from the body at the time of death. The disembodied souls enjoy lives of thought and intelligence. It is natural for the soul either to be altogether indissoluble, or nearly so, but in any case, the souls is less subject to dissolution and destruction than the body. The soul is like intelligible being on the grounds that it is not visible and, in general, not perceptible, and it shares it natural function with the divine, namely to rule and lead the body in one case, mortals in the other. Religion supports people’s need to feel personal control over events in their lives and reduces stress over events that are out of our control or that simply do not meet our expectations. However, it is not only belief in personal control that helps protect people against feelings of randomness, disorder, and chaos, but also the belief that the World is under the control of God. Thus, a belief in a controlling God may be interchangeable with a sense of personal control and helps one deal with events that are genuinely beyond our control. #RandolphHarris 3 of 7
Ultimately the object of faith is God himself, who is not, however, known by the human mind in his divine simplicity, but only discursively and by means of propositions. These revealed truths are authoritatively presented in the creeds. Thus, to have faith means to believe the articles of faith. We believe in God, the Eternal Faith, and in his Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost. People will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression. Through the Atonement of Christ, he paid the price to make up for the fall of man, and all humankind may be saved, by ordinances of the Gospel. We are to have faith in the Lord first, Jesus Christ second, practice repentance. We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly. We claim the privilege of worshiping the Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all humans the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may. It is important to be honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and to do good to all people. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things. Alma 37.7 reports: And the Lord God does work by means to being about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord does confound the wise and bring about the salvation of many souls. #RandolphHarris 4 of 7
Suppose there was no cure, no way to ease spiritual pain or to erase the agony of guilt. Presume each mistake, each sin, was added to the others with the racking, the harrowing up, the torment going on forever. Too many of us needlessly carry burdens of guilt and shame. For some reason, we think the Atonement of Christ applies only at the end of mortal life to redemption from the Fall, from spiritual death. It is much more than that. It is an ever-present power to call upon in everyday life. When we are racked or harrowed up or tormented by guilt or burdened with grief, Jesus Christ can heal us. The gospel plan is the great plan of happiness. Happiness is what I found yesterday when I saw my father and he told me that I was blessed. It was nice to see him, he was wearing a nice suit, and it good spirits. And what a joy, and what marvelous light I did behold. My soul was filed with joy as exceeding as my pain. Under the influence of divine grace, to certain external evidence, it was a miracle. A supernatural virtue, by which was guided and assisted by divine grace, and it what true what God revealed because the authority of God can neither deceive nor be deceived. #RandolphHarris 5 of 7
Faith is an act of the intellect assenting to divine truth at the command of the will moved by the grace of God. That is to say, whereas in knowledge the intellect is moved to assent by the object itself, known either directly or by demonstrative reasoning, in faith the intellect is moved to assent through an act of choice, whereby it turns voluntarily to one side faith the other. When we have faith, it is a firm and certain knowledge of God’s benevolence toward us, founded upon the truth of the freely given promise in Christ, both revealed to our minds and sealed upon our hearts through the Holy Spirit. There is a permanent relationship between faith and the Word, which is why 85 percent of people in the World believe in God. I can testify that if you have an undying faith in something, something good, if you believe hard enough, long enough, and keep praying to God it will come true. The important thing to remember, we magnify what we focus on, so let us magnify God in our lives. The objective uncertainty of the religious realm, can be entered only by a leap of faith. It is a tremendous risk involved, like being out upon the deep, over seventy thousand fathoms of water. #RandolphHarris 6 of 7
One must decide to believe or to disbelieve; and regarding the decision as a wager, it is prudent to decide to believe. One will then gain eternal life and felicity if God indeed exits, which he does. Whereas if one decided not to believe, one will gain nothing and may forfeit eternal life. Alma: 37.12 and 14 reports: They are preserved for a wise purpose, which purpose is known unto God; for he does counsel in wisdom over all his works, and his path are straight, and his course is one eternal round. And now remember, my son, that God has entrusted you with these things, which are scared, which he has kept sacred, and also which he will keep and preserve for a wise purpose in him, that he may show forth is power unto future generations. Physical pain requires treatment and a change in lifestyle. So, it is with spiritual pain. There must be repentance and discipline, most of which is self-discipline. Religion has survived for over 100,000 years and the findings are getting strong. It is hard to then build the case that religion is a pathology. Go through each day of your life and find something that you are thankful for. Acknowledge and give thanks for all the abundance your life has brought you. #RandolphHarris 7 of 7
The Winchester Mystery House
Stories about The Winchester Mystery House being haunted are different than most because there is evidence that is difficult to ignore. These are not myths and fables, but events and individuals whose existence can be proven. https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/
Randolph Harris II International Institute 