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The Importance of a Good Reputation
We should do all we can to establish for ourselves a worthy reputation, for such is of priceless worth. It is often the key to influencing others for good, and can be the means of bring the gospel into their lives. It can take years to build a good professional reputation, but it can also be destroyed in an instant. Regardless of one’s background or which career one chooses to have, what people think and hear about you, even before they meet you, is extremely important. A good reputation is not a superficial façade, attempting to indicate depth where there is only shallowness, honesty where there is deceit, or virtue where there is unrighteousness. An exemplarily reputation is earned and is a window, clearly exhibiting the integrity of one’s soul. It is through this integrity of thought and veracity of conduct that we become pure and holy before the Lord. It is in this state that we can be most effective in serving humanity. Having a good reputation brings many business opportunities. One is highly recommended for jobs, invited to participate on esteemed research. And when one is known as someone who is skillful and professional, one will be introduced to others who can help advance one’s career. People like good people and they will want to help and be associated with those who have good reputations. #RandolphHarris 1 of 5
It is not enough for us to live the gospel inwardly; we need to be shining examples to all with whom we come in contact. One major mistake can significantly damage your reputation, lead to missed opportunities and make it difficult for others to have confidence in you. It is not only what we are that is important: what others think of us is also important. In order to be truly effective, we need to be known for our good qualities, to have an unspotted reputation in all things. Overpromising, overextending, overestimating and overdoing does not allow a person to be responsive to others, live a balanced life, take care of oneself, nor develop a healthy professional identity. It is important to be known for being dependable, being honest, and upright in all of our dealing. It is great to be known as an individual who can meet one’s financial obligations on due dates or prior thereto, a person whose work is as good as one’s bond. It is important to be known as trustworthy, and as one whose loyalty is unquestionable. And above and beyond all else, we must be known as people who keep the commandments and as people who are fully committed in helping build the kingdom of God. Also, selecting your activities and opportunities carefully is one of the most important skills. #RandolphHarris 2 of 5
It may be true that we are the ones most affected by our own actions. However, every mortal’s life is intertwined with others’ lives. It is important to be professional because influential people could be forming impression about you as a result of your tone, language, assertions, or assaults. Also, every individual represents certain other people or groups of people as well. For instance, we are all representatives of our own families, and the reputation of a family is established through the actions of individual family people. Honor the names that you bear, because some day you will have the privilege and the obligation of reporting to them (and to your Father in Heave) what you have done with their name. Genuine people are credible. Credibility breeds trust. And trustworthy people are loyal. A credible people is an expert due to his or her experience, qualifications, intelligence, and skill set. Not only do we represent out families, but each of us belongs to a community, state, province, or nation whose collective reputation is based on the actions of individuals. Many of us represent the business or organization from which we earn our living. Students represent the schools which they attend. As members of the Church, we all represent the Church through or actions. What is our message? #RandolphHarris 3 of 5
We have a special sacred responsibility. Someone who is trustworthy is honest, fair, unselfish, and caring. Loyal people are valued because they are faithful to a cause, ideal custom, or institution. The possession of these characteristics will enhance your reputation, while omission of the same are noticed and detrimental. We represent our Heavenly Father on Earth, as members of his kingdom. We have the privilege to represent him to others, to bear his message to his children throughout the World. We have the responsibility to be worthy of his name, to represent him well in every way, to every person we meet—so we must live our lives are Christians. The reputation of an organization can enable them to become a preference. For example, research shows that due to an increased demand for healthier foods, organic products, and more environmentally friendly food, companies have begun to distinguish their products through food labeling, and are noticing that consumers are willing to pay a premium price for labels that are considered to have more of a prestigious reputation than others. Also, the organization that behaves ethically, is worthy of respect. You are the light of the World, and a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. As we build our character, our light will shine brighter, and our outward reputation will become but a reflection of our inward self; then our reputation be one, both before God and before humanity. #RandolphHarris 4 of 5
Someone with many years of experience in the Church and business affairs taught me that it is highly important to maintain a good and worthy reputation in all that we do. Keeping your word, no matter what in terms of providing services, paying vendors when they are due, and keeping promises to the people you service is a way to establish trust. This will help you solidify and build credibility with the community. It is very important to resolve errors and mistakes. Never make excuses or place the blame on someone else if it is an issue that is your fault or the fault of the organization you represent. An irate person can become your biggest ally if you make an effort to resolve errors or mistakes as quickly as possible. Furthermore, it is important to be sensitive to privacy. With rampant identity theft and hacking, being aware of the sensitive nature of financial information and other personal information is more important than ever. In order to obtain real joy and happiness in this life and be effective servants of the Lord in helping to build his kingdom, we must build and maintain a good reputation. This can only be accomplished by repenting of our sins and living the principles of the gospel, thereby keeping the commandments of God. May we all do this, I humbly pray, in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. #RandolphHarris 5 of 5
We Should Go Forward in a Spirit of Faith and Not Be Fearful
Heavenly forces rising and descending, their golden urns reciprocally lending. Not until I rise above the Earthly to the Heavenly, not until I cease to cleave to the Spirit of the Earth can I understand humans. The soul of humans lived in an element by which the sounds of speech themselves were formed and moulded. However, a blitz of sin comes when communication lines are down—it always does, sooner or later. Deeply disturbing are the numerous signs of dwindling faith are in our World. The whip leg in spiritual conviction is frightening. Morale is often low even among employees in their jobs—Selfish “gimme” tactics. “How much can I get?” “How about a raise?” More holidays. Fewer hours. Poor morale among the employers. We are too affluent. We have too much money and other things. We have so many things. Even many poorer people have things, and “things” become our life, and our vocabulary has been invaded with, “Let me do my thing.” Yet the Lord has said, “Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Too often, though, we want the “things” first. We have a great generation of youth, but many of them are experiencing a blind side of prayers, especially those who are in sin. Many have nearly ceased to pray. Their communication wires are bootleg. Also, the numerous young people in their early married days cease to pray with regularity; their lines of communication are on the chop block. #RandolphHarris 1 of 10
We have intellectualism—which is also a factor in the education of the human race—but out of our way of viewing the World, based as it is on the principles of measure, number and weight, another must unfold. Two young couples from the Northwest came, bowed in sorrow. The husband of one and the wife of the other had lost themselves in frustration arising out of disloyally finding comfort where no association should have been tolerated. Their problems reached the maximum, and sorrow resulted. It is generally the same. The two young people, unfaithful to their spouses, has conversed and confided too much; then secret meetings followed, then disloyal disclosures concerning the spouse of each. And finally, that which surely could not have been dreamed of—the transgression. Both couples had reduced their activity, become casual in their church-going. They had joined a social group who were also turning to spiritual casualness like themselves. Their new ways of living was beyond their means, and debts crowded out tithing. Too busy they were for homes in the evenings and too rushed for family prayer, and when it came to temptation, they were not prepared. They experienced a real slobber knocker for coveting someone else’s spouse. Recognize that some of you think of yourselves as daredevils, ready to take on almost any challenge. However, some of these excursions for excitement will inevitably take you down into the Devil’s Throat. #RandolphHarris 2 of 10
Spiritual Science must come to our assistance here, for ordinary history can tell us nothing. Our emotions are compacted. Sometimes we do not even have the words to express accurately the way we are feeling. This lack of emotional language can be very difficult. The only safe course is to stay well away from the dangers of the Devil’s Throat. If you cross to the Devil’s side of the line of scrimmage once inch, you are in the tempter’s power, and if he is successful, you will not be able to think or even reason properly, because you will have lost the spirit of the Lord. Some people are letting others set standards for them. You have a nickel defense for yourselves by saying, “Who said we should not do this or we should not do that?” There are many shades of right and wrong that each of you have to decide where the line of scrimmage will be. If there is any question in your minds or hearts about whether your personal conduct is right or wrong, do not do it. Each of us has a moral agency of pass protection, and the gift of the Holy Ghost will sharpen our impressions of what is right and wrong, true and false. It is the responsibility of the prophets of God to teach the word of God, not spell out every joy and tittle of human conduct. Naturally, within the relationships into which they are brought by the intellect, the things will behave in accordance with their nature. #RandolphHarris 3 of 10
Pure experience is the reality in which reality appears to us when we confront it to the complete exclusion of what we ourselves bring to it. What is happening at the time you come of age becomes a stamp of who you are, and you carry it forward. If we are conscientiously trying to avoid not only evil, but the very appearance of evil, we will act for ourselves and not be acted upon. Much of what comes from the Devil is alluring and enticing. It glitters and is appealing to the sensual parts of our nature. You will lose half a pound just dreaming about it. Satan’s message sounds so reasonable and easy to justify. His voice is usually smooth and intriguing. If it were harsh or discordant, nobody would listen, nobody would be enticed. Some of Satan’s most appealing messages are: Everyone does it; if it does not hurt anyone else, it is all right; if you feel there is no harm in it, it is okay; it is the “cool” thing to do. Satan is the greatest imitator, the master deceiver, the arch counterfeiter, and the greatest forger ever in the history of the World. He comes into our lives as a thief in the night and crackback blocks our blessings. His disguise is so perfect that it is hard to recognize him or his methods. He seems to be a good person, but is really bad. Such a phenomenon, now, in which the character of the process follows directly and in a transparently clear way out of the nature of the pertinent factors, called an archetypal phenomenon. #RandolphHarris 4 of 10
When we trace any one of the major streams of present-day spiritual life back to its sources, we always encounter one of the spirits of our classical spirit. There have always been two great competing forces in the World. These began before the World was created. These opposing forces are the forces between good and evil. Between these two powerful forces each of us is caught in a scrimmage. In simple terms, that which is good comes from God, and that which is evil comes from the Devil. You cannot coffin corner or have it both ways and find true happiness; some have tried, but in the long run all have failed. If any of you people think you can have it both ways, you are only deceiving yourselves. It does not work that way. It never has. There is another great truth that you must learn. It is that everything has a price. There is a price to pay for success, fulfillment, accomplishment, and joy. Opportunity costs, nothing is free. There is loss of potential gain from other alternatives when one alternative is chosen. If you so not pay the price that is needed for success, you will pay the price for failure. Preparation, work, study, and service are required to achieve happiness. Disobedience and lack of preparation carry a terrible price tag. Everyone is conscious of the fact that our thinking is kindled in conflict with reality. The objects in space and in time approach us; we perceive a highly diversified outer World of manifold parts, and we experience a more or less richly developed inner World. #RandolphHarris 5 of 10
As believers in God, part of the price we need to pay is by living differently from the World. God is pure reason. Jesus Christ himself brought elements of optimism into the rational morality that it was his prime aim to teach. Jesus demands attention for his teachings, not because they are adapted to the moral needs of our spirit, but because they are God’s will. The followers of Jesus Christ, from a natural interest in the details of his life, developed these beneficial elements into Christianity. They appealed to miracles as proofs of Jesus’s divinity and virtue, and instead of revering him for his teaching about virtue, they revered his teaching about virtue because of the miracles he was supposed to have performed. However, wicked emperors chased the human spirit from the Earth and spread a misery, which compelled people to see and expect happiness in Heaven; robbed of freedom, their spirit, their eternal and absolute element, was force to take flight to the deity. The doctrine of God’s objectivity is a counterpart to the corruption and slavery of human beings. No thing or event can claim to play a greater role in the functioning of the World than experience of God. If it is to become clear to us that this or that fact has greater significance than others, we must then not merely observe God, but we must already bring God into our thought-relationship. #RandolphHarris 6 of 10
Jesus makes a general demand on his hearers to surrender their rights, to lift themselves above the whole sphere of justice or injustice by love, for in love there vanish not only rights, but also the feeling of inequality and the hatred of enemies which this feeling’s imperative demand for equality implies. Matthew 5.44 tells us to, “Love our enemies, and pray fr those who persecute us.” Jesus is a beautiful soul. Jesus retained his dignity by refusing to defend himself or to uphold his rights. The possible consequences for the individual and for other people of resistance to evil, on the one hand, and of withdrawal from conflict, on the other. If one were obliged to look back to an age when human beings were quite differently constituted in their life of soul, it would be impossible to understand them. Humans can have a living experience of the plant World around them when the word is as full of life as it was among the ancient Greeks. We are the possessors and custodians of these commanding powers which can and do roll back the power of Satan on the Earth. With all my heart, I urge you to please help us push back the World. We must stand against the wind. Sometimes we must be unpopular, and simply say, “This is not right.” All of us want to find out who we really are and what our place is in the World. #RandolphHarris 7 of 10
Easily influenced individuals are trying to find their identity by being different from their parents and families in what they stand for. God made each of us to be different from anyone else in the World, as our DNA and fingerprints prove. You do not have to work at having a separate identity; you already have one. Some people want to rebel against restraints. Several even think it is not cool to obedient to their parents, the law, or follow the counsel of your bishop or quorum president. Many may have been deceived by thinking that they can find excitement by dabbling in drugs, alcohol, pornography, and the illicit sex. Be warned that such enticements as these are slippery and dangerous like the rocks by the Devil’s Throat, and they will only lead you into a tackle box of Satan’s territory. The way out of that kind of danger is difficult and will leave you with far more than a slobber knocker, scrapes and scratches. We are working out our eternal destiny at an interesting time. In the future, there will continue to be an increase in scientific discoveries and inventions which will make life more comfortable and easier for many. No doubt medical science will continue to find new treatments and cures not available now. In contrast, the Worldly influences of evil will likely increase, and more people will become vulnerable to the deceit and enticement of Satan’s trap play. #RandolphHarris 8 of 10
We need to become stronger spiritually and morally in order to withstand the temptations and snares of the World. Perhaps this is why such special spirits have been reserved for this time with the Statue of Liberty Play. In the future, the opposition from Satan will be both more subtle and more open. While in some ways it may be more blatant, it will be masked with greater sophistication and cunning. We will need greater spirituality to perceive all the forms of evil and greater strength to resist it. Many countries now face the dangerous of attacks from foreign enemies. War exposes people to bodily harm, but there is also exposure to moral harm. Those of us who have served in the military in the wartime have experienced the disruption in life that comes from being uprooted from the home and family, wholesome associations, and the influence of the organized Church. Disruptions can take us into a dive play for the vary jaws of the Devil’s Throat. Many of the activities we will be engaged in are group situations where we cannot always choose our own company. However, we can always choose our standards. In any association, there needs to be one or more who stand up and say, “What we are doing is not right.” It takes moral courage to do this. We all know it takes courage to face fears. #RandolphHarris 9 of 10
Whatsoever is good comes from God, and whatsoever is evil comes from the Devil. We are living in a challenging time, and it is a time for us to stand firm and steady in meeting our family and Church responsibilities so we do not experience offsetting penalties. We should not be blown like a wave in a White Squall. Children of God should go forward in a spirit of faith and not be fearful of anything expect being too close to the Devil’s throat. We will be strengthened and preserved if we follow God. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the Heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. So, do fear, for God is with us. Do not be dismayed, for God is our God. God will strengthen us and help us, he will uphold us with his righteous right hand. Recognize that God’s ways our better than our ways. Resist the desire to take matters into your own hands and instead trust God for questions or problems that we may face. I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is clear that obedience to God’s Word is paramount to experiencing the Blessings. I pray the Lord’s blessing to be with us all, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. #RandolphHarris 10 of 10
God Turned Out Liberty Jail and Made it a Temple!
Although it is not customary for one to seek out the difficult or unpleasant experiences, it is true that the trials and tribulations of life that stand in the way of a person’s growth and development become circumstances, or experiences that serve to assist one in reaching or progressing toward a goal or desired outcome. These tumultuous situations help us to reach greater heights, providing, of course, that we do not allow adversity to discourage us. The story of most men and women who attain a degree of greatness and achievement is generally the story of a person overcoming hardships. It appears that there are lessons that can only be learned through overcoming of obstacles. Eduard von Hartmann believed that the Earth is not the worst of all possible Worlds; indeed, the infinite purposiveness of the particulars in it makes it the best of all possible Worlds. Nevertheless, he believed that it can be shown that the Universe would be better if Earth had never been created and, paradoxically, the purposiveness of this World is moving to that end. North Korea is launching missiles just about every few weeks that have nuclear capabilities, and they even have submarine weapons. The Media spends its time attacking the president and encouraging disharmony, while there are serious issues that need attention. #RandolphHarris 1 of 11
We all must battle with some fierce despair. Artem Kolesov just turned 23 years old. He is the fourth of six brothers, and grew up in a small town near Moscow, where his father was a deacon and his mother was a church youth pastor at the Pentecostal church. He allegedly grew up hearing that all he should be killed. This made young Artem fear for his life and have suicidal thoughts, as he prayed to God for the courage to live. Artem thought life in Russia was dangerous and could be a death sentence. Artem is a thin young man, with bright eyes, a head full of silky brown hair, and a perfectly symmetrical face. However, he was lucky enough to make it to Chicago, and was taken in by a nice couple. But anyway, it is amazing that Artem is a violinist and is using his talents to raise money to help pay for his legal expenses as he goes through the process of becoming as citizen of the United States of America. I love story of people who, instead of just creating a donation page online and begging for money, actually use their God given talents to work for money. Best wishes to Artem Kolesov. Nothing worthwhile ever comes to a person except by the anguish of his soul and the sweat of his brow. #RandolphHarris 2 of 11
Another journey that is amazing is the life and career of Aaliyah Haughton. Although she went on Starsearch, a show which showcases talent in hopes of awarding someone with a prize, which will launch their career as a celebrity, and did a great job performing, there were dissensions within and hostile demonstrations from without. Aaliyah ultimately did not win, although many thought she did a great job. The young girls gracefully accepted the lost and was very sweet and professional about, but when he got home she cried and cried and cried. However, Aaliyah was determined to become a star. There were hardships and disappointments, but she came out with her first record at the age of 15 and it was a success. From there she used her talent to build the careers of other stars and produced many great records, one of the most successful being the red album known as Aaliyah. Aaliyah went on to be a successful actress, and many were saying she was going to be a mega star. However, her career became inactive in 2001 because of some unforeseen circumstances. #RandolphHarris 3 of 11
Although Aaliyah has been missing in action for 16 years, these experiences has some real value because she is still breaking news and making headlines. Recently, Aaliyah signed a deal with MAC cosmetics and her own makeup line is coming out. Fans fought hard to get this makeup line for Aaliyah. They petitioned, called radio stations, news outlets, and gathered thousands of signatures and MAC cosmetics finally agreed to the production. Therefore, the trials and tribulations endured by Aaliyah, her family, friends, and fans were not in vain, and it was the will of God that allowed this project to come to fruition. These experiences were of immense value to both the individuals involved and the Church. Because it that no matter what God is in control, and even in your absence, when God wants things will happen to extend your legacy. There are two ways of getting out of a trial. One is simply to try to get rid of the trial, and be thankful when it is over. The other is to recognize the trial as a challenge from God to claim a larger blessing than we have ever had, and to hail it with delight as an opportunity of obtaining a larger measure of divine grace. #RandolphHarris 4 of 11
Life is a hard fight, a struggle, a wrestling with the principle of evil. Every inch of the way must be disputed. The night is given us to take breath, to pray, to drink deep at the fountain of power. One of the darkest periods in the history of the Church was the Winter of 1838-1839. The Saints had been persecuted, robbed, and murdered. The Prophet and his associated had been betrayed and were imprisoned in Liberty jail. Dissension and apostasy were rampant, and the Church appeared to be faces with disintegration and ruin. However, emerging from this dark period were people who led the Church through trying experiences as well as amazing growth and development. Do not let your happiness depend on something you may lose, but only upon the Beloved God who will never pass away. It was during these dark days that the Lord gave to the Prophet Joseph Smith, while in Liberty jail, a great revelation. God armed him with the strength for this battler and told the Prophet that he could do all things through Christ who infused him with inner strength. The prophet was more than a conqueror, a victor, and not a victim, and Liberty jail for a time became a center of instruction. #RandolphHarris 5 of 11
Real satisfaction comes not in understanding God’s motives, but in understanding his character, in trusting in his promises, and in leaning on him and resting in him as Sovereign who know what he is doing and does all things well. The eyes of the saints turned Liberty Jail into a place where they could encourage people, counsel, and preach the word of the Lord. It was more of a temple than a prison, so long as the Prophet was there. Liberty Jail became the House of God, a place of prayer. God never said he would prevent life storms, but he did promise he would use every storm for his divine purpose. A temple, first of all, is a place of prayer; and prayer is communion with Go. It is the infinite in humans seeking the infinite in God. Where they find each other, there is holy sanctuary—a temple. Joseph Smith sound God in this rude prison, and found him. Having faith does not exempt us from difficult times. The storms of life come to every person. However, out of the midst of his tribulations, he called upon God in passionate earnestness. Here is the key: God will direct the winds of the storm to blow you where he wants you to go. #RandolphHarris 6 of 11
We see storms as being negative, but God uses the storm to move you from point A to point B. The winds may be stronger than tropical storm Harvey, the planet may quake, mountains may explode into the sky, the circumstances may look catastrophic, but these same circumstances are also responsible for why we are here in the first place. We can call it nature’s fury, but it is really just nature’s way. If you will stay in faith, not get bitter, not start complaining, the violent nature that has raged all about this little sphere of ours for billions and billions of years, will blow you to a new level in your destiny. Earth has been buffeted and flooded, frozen and thawed, burned and blown up, and at the end of the long, long day, nature has delivered us these gifts: our precious planet and life itself. Even as we bewail tragedies that occasionally afflict us—the killer storms the fiery lava flows may have been meant for your harm, but God knows how to shift the winds. Instead of blowing you backward, he can use them to blow you forward where you will come out better, stronger—and that storm will also move you to a place of greater blessing and greater influence. #RandolphHarris 7 of 11
Instead of using your faith to pray away difficulty, you should use your faith to believe that when the winds stop blowing and when Harvey and Sabrina get back together, you will be exactly where God wants you to be. May peace be unto your soul; your adversity and your afflictions shall be but a small moment. And then, if you endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high. The Prophet Joseph was told that if great tribulation should beset him and even if the very jaws of Hell shall gape open the mouth wide after him, know you are a child of God, and that all these things shall give you experience, and will be good for you. The Son of Man has descended below them all. Are you greater than he? One of the greatest truths that came from the so-called prison temple, Liberty Jail, has to do with priesthood and Church government. This is found in the 121st section of the Doctrine and Covenants, a part which reports: Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen? Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this World, and aspire to the honors of men and women, that they do not learn this lesson. #RandolphHarris 8 of 11
The rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of Heaven, and that the powers of Heaven cannot be controlled nor handled, but only upon the principled of righteousness. On one occasion, the Prophet Joseph Smith was asked how he governed his people. His replay was, there is a delivering faith and a sustaining faith. God keeps you from the fire. God keeps you out of the adversity. However, most of the time we need sustaining faith. Sustaining faith is when God takes you through the storm, through the difficulty, and the wind is blowing. You are filled with stress, fear, and angry. You will be discouraged, but when you know that God is in control of the storm, you will not be worried. He will put you in the armor of God. God has put an orb of protection around you and you will come out stronger, increased, promoted, and without smelling like smoke, just like those teens. These are the correct principles and the children of God govern themselves. We believe that one of the important purposes of this life is to be proved, tried, and tested. Love comes again. Just when you break out of love, you have to believe that love can come again. #RandolphHarris 9 of 11
The Liberty Jail experience truly constituted a refiner’s fire for those who participated in it and it truly empathizes the necessity of experiencing difficult and complex situations in life in order to properly develop and draw closer to our Heavenly Father. These experiences certainly give us a better understanding and appreciation of greatness of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the early leaders of the Church. Liberty Jail teaches us that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and loyalty to our leaders and the Church is important, and we need to endure to the end regardless of how many difficulties we have to surmount. Why? Almighty God is in control of the furnace. He is in control of the winds. God is even in control of our enemies. Dinosaurs were the kings of the food chain until, for whatever reason, they were not. God told Noah that a food was coming and asked him to save the animals. The summit of New Hampshire’s Mount Washington, which today stands more than a mile above sea level, was buried under ice 18,000 years ago, and Most of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois was blanketed by a large white sheet. The Earth is always in the forge, or on the anvil; by trials God is shaping us for higher things. #RandolphHarris 10 of 11
We should be at peace today because God is in control of the winds and the storms of our lives. The writers of the Scripture knew what a torrential flood looked like and the power it possessed to destroy all in its path. We must believe that instead of defeating us, God will promote us. We have to commit ourselves to follow the counsel of our leaders, accept every opportunity to serve, and complete each assignment well—yes, endure to the end. Let us avoid setting our hearts upon the things of the World, and as we exercise our priesthood, let us incorporate the great principle of righteous dominion. By so doing and keeping the commandments of the Lord, we shall have joy, happiness, and development and eternal life, which is the greatest of all gifts of God. Like those who participated in Liberty Jail episodes, I can bear witnesses that God lives and the Jesus is the Christ—the Holy Ghost has borne this witness to me and that Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of God, and that through him the power to act in the name of God and the gospel in it fullness has been restored on Earth. Let us never forget the Liberty Jail and remember that when trials and tribulations, and hardships come to us, as they will, these are the tests that we must meet in order to enjoy eternal life. May we meet them successfully, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. #RandolphHarris 11 of 11
I Love Friendly Deeds Better than Fair Words
Friendship begins at home. Money can only give happiness where there is nothing else to give. True faith rests upon the character of God and asks no further proof than the moral perfections of the One who cannot lite. It is enough that God has said it. We must rise above the plateaus we have been on. Understand that mortal life is purposefully designed to place us in circumstances where we can be individually tested and where, by the exercise of the agency God has given us, we can determine what our future possibilities will be. Humans have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon. On one occasion, the Lord explained that it was his desire that every person may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency given unto him or her, and that every person be made accountable. When we understand what is right and what is wrong, we are in a position to exercise our freedom in making choices. We must stand accountable for our decisions, and we cannot escape the inevitable consequences of these choices. Such freedom to exercise moral agency is essential in an environment where people have the highest prospects for progress and development. #RandolphHarris 1 of 9
The darkest and most contemptible ignorance is that of not knowing oneself. Self-consciousness comes into being out of the unconscious. Ideas that define the “what” of the World; Will determines its “that.” The opposition of Will to the ordering of the Ideas brings about the emergence of consciousness and individuals. Individuation results from the conflict of purposes into which the universal Will is driven through its resistance to its logical counterpart, the Ideas. Consciousness is required to emancipate the Ideas from bondage of the Will and its torments. Since space and time are the sole principium individuationis known to us, the result is a phenomenal but real evolutionary process of nature involving the greatest possible emergence of purposes. Consciousness, when it attains its maturity, will suffice to hurl back the total actual volition into nothingness, by which the process and the World ceases without any residuum whatever. The undifferentiated, substantial Will might continue to proliferate other orders of consciousness after this destruction. By our very endowment as children of an Eternal Father, we have had implanted within our souls the urgency to be free. #RandolphHarris 2 of 9
Instincts are unconsciously purposive, for example, and unconscious ideation in the nerve endings must be assumed to explain the slightest voluntary bodily movements. It is natural for us to want to be accountable for our own fates, because there is a whispering within us confirming that this accountability is absolutely essential to the attainment of our eternal destiny. The infinite purposiveness of the particulars in it makes it the best of possible Worlds. There is a remarkable combination of neurological and psychological considerations with commonsense considerations about the misery in the World. The existence of laws, regulations, and procedures has never been sufficient to compel people to obedience. Productive obedience comes through the exercise of free will. The first stage of happiness has already actually been attained in the present state of the World; the second is that happiness can be attained in transcendent life after death; and the third is that happiness will be attained in a future state of this World. The goal of the absolute religion of the future must be to save God, as Will, from the agony involved in his own inevitable creativity. #RandolphHarris 3 of 9
The essence of vital Christianity lies in its pessimism about the present World, and liberal Protestantism is the last dying phase of Christian ethics because, by adhering to faith in social progress, it has lapsed into the first stage of optimism. Because supernatural beliefs are at odds with a scientific understanding of the World, tension may arise between religious individual who believe that a belief in God, which is a supernatural force, serves psychological functions. Many people who enslaved the Africans were surprised to find that they were not suicidal nor depressed because they had faith in God. In fact, in ancient text it was recorded that the only time the enslaved people were depressed is when they were first kidnapped from their homes and subjected to relentless physical and mental abuse, but then their faith in God increases and they matured and developed a sense of security and stability. Many people who do not believe in God would like you to think that they own you and that their money is your master, they do not want you to have faith in God because it shakes their foundations to realize that there is someone more powerful than they are and they are not in control. #RandolphHarris 4 of 9
Also, people who view themselves as highly desirable and celebrated individuals do not often cope will with the fact that people move on. Some parents raise their children to understand that celebrities and politicians are just people. In fact, some may argue that a religious belief in a supernatural force is antiquated and inferior to a more scientific, technological Worldview. They may even consider our devotion to that ancient religion sad because it has not helped us conjure up stolen data tapes or given us the clairvoyance enough to physically escape. They even brag that the computer skills, money and technology make their superior to God. However, the testimony in the scriptures conveys that prior to the creation of this Earth, fully thirty three percent of all the hosts who contemplated the challenges of mortal life allowed themselves to be deluded into thinking that there were acceptable alternatives to the essential risks that accompany the exercise of agency and free will. The price they paid is beyond comprehension. Today, we are being encouraged to accept greater responsibility for the allocation of our times, for our spiritual development through personal and family study of the gospel, and for giving loving Christian service. Chemistry is an explanation of the supernatural. For instance, why do balloons float. Well, gaseous hydrogen and helium are lighter than air, and when contained in a small space, like a latex balloon, it makes it float. To many that seems like magic. Also, because helium is much less dense than regular is, it can affect the sound quality of your voice (its tone or timbre) by allowing sound to travel faster and thus change the resonances of your vocal tract by making it more responsive to high-frequency sounds. So, as you see technology and science are finding ways to explain things that at one time seemed supernatural. #RandolphHarris 5 of 9
We must be willing to respond to this new challenge, our willingness to accept this add accountability will exert an influence that will reach far beyond our worship service, strict moral code, and religious life rooted in God. It is amazing that people who force the public to loan them $300 million dollars to build a gentrification center do not see the fact that they are the biggest welfare recipients in the community. Unless we retain a vibrant desire to be free, and unless we understand and practice the principles that give life to essential freedoms, we have little reason to hope they will endure. If we allow ourselves to accept dependency and regulation and to cease valuing independence and self-accountability, then we are vulnerable to the forces that destroy freedom. If righteousness is judged primarily by the degree to which one responds to programmed activity, then a condition develops within which opportunities for progress decline. The resulting tragedy affects the mortal potential of human beings and has a profound effect on our eternal possibilities as well. When people are exposed to religious themes or call to mind their religious beliefs, they are better able to endure discomfort, delay gratification, and follow through on challenging tasks. #RandolphHarris 6 of 9
God loves with a great love the people whose heart is bursting with a passion for the impossible. All our difficulties are only platforms for the manifestations of God’s grace, power, and love. Self-control is at the core of Christian lifestyle. Psychologist have proposed that religious-inspired practices can benefit mental and physical health by helping people exercise willpower. Studies have revealed that self-control promotes adaptive psychological functioning because it helps people regulate their emotions and behavior. Religious doctrines include prescriptions for taking care of one’s own body (your body is the temple of God), and support psychological traits that are associated with self-control, such as humility, patience, mindfulness, and compassion. In addition, religious doctrines offer behavioral techniques, including prayer, which helps people regulate their emotions and actions. Programed behavior cannot produce the level of spiritual development required to qualify one for eternal life. A necessary range of freedom and self-determination is essential to one’s spiritual development. While we rely on technological advancements and medical interventions, we believe that there are metaphysical forces beyond science at work in the World. #RandolphHarris 7 of 9
If you are to become all God created you to be, you cannot let a hurt, a loss, a bad break, or disappointment cause you to sit inactively and not be involved in something advantageous. With an understanding of correct principles and an intrinsic desire to apply them, one must be motivated within oneself to do many good things of his or her own free will. The revelation says, the power is in the person who is an agent unto oneself. In preserving our freedom for self-determination, we cannot ignore the need for carefully ordered structure and procedure within government or any other organization. A careful balance must be maintained between that which is ordered for the well-being of the group and that which is reserved for the conscience and the incentive of the individual. This necessary balance of freedom and restraint is essential to right relationships within families and communities, and it cannot be ignored in our assignments within the Church. Our individual spiritual growth is the key to major numerical growth in the Kingdom of God. We must also exercise the necessary degree of freedom and self-accountability. Anything less will guarantee stunted spiritual growth. #RandolphHarris 8 of 9
Our friendships and intimacies are only calculated for strong life and health. To scrutinize and ascertain our own principles is abundantly difficult. To exhibit those principles to the World with absolute sincerity can scarcely be expected. However, our obedience to God preserves for us the elements of individual life which makes individual progress possible. What then are we to do about our problems? We must learn to live with them until such time as God delivers us from them. We must pray for grace to endure will without murmuring. Problems patiently endured will work for our spiritual perfecting. They harm us only when we resist them or endure them unwillingly. Faith in God makes life purposeful and full of promise and will lead us to eternal progress. Humanity cannot fulfill its destiny when these truths are disregarded and abused. I cherish them with all my soul and am unreservedly committed to their promulgation among all the peoples of the Earth. There is no happiness like that of being loved by your fellow-creatures, and that feeling your presence is an addition to their comfort. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. #RandolphHarris 9 of 9
Ignorance and Prejudice are the Only Real Evils
Material force exists after physical form and is therefore with it whereas God exists before form and is therefore without it. Until our minds are blank, naked, and ready to receive the divine revelation on faith alone, our own capacities are so limited and unreliable that it is doubtful that we could really know anything in either the natural or supernatural realm. God’s nature is infinite and therefore surpasses all attempts to define or limit it. Skepticism is a means of destroying the enemies of the true faith while preparing the soul for salvation. No philosophy can ever absolutely hope to reach the truth, for the truth is discovered not necessarily by reasoning, but by some inner light, a kind of feeling (sentiment), perhaps what is called the heart. God is considered to be the form of all being, a view which has been called pantheistic. The sense of individuality induces an absence of all distinct thoughts and feelings, a kind of mystical union with that God who is nature itself. The spirit of life is in all things. This creative quality is the highest good and becomes humanity and love, which makes humans the moral beings that they are. It enables us to embrace all things and Heaven and Earth as one body. May we so live that we may always have the companionship of the Holy Spirit and be blessed by these beautiful spiritual gifts. #RandolphHarris 1 of 12
Being humans, we would expel from our lives physical pain and mental anguish and assure ourselves of continual ease and comfort, but if we were to close the doors upon sorrow and distress, we might be excluding our greatest friends and benefactors. Suffering can make saints of people as they learn patience, long-suffering, and self-mastery. Evil is due not to one’s nature, but to a bad environment, lack of education, and casting oneself away. The superior person is one who develops their mind to the utmost and nourishes one’s nature. The effectual and fervent prayer of a righteous person will avail much. Walk upright before God and you will not be seduced by evil spirits, nor doctrines of devils, nor the commandments of humans; and so, you may not be deceived, seek earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given. Both the one receiving the blessing and the one given it should be in tune with the Spirit through their worthy lives. The accounts of miraculous healing are numerous. They warm one’s soul and give great strength of testimony as to the divinity of this great work. They come by faith, not the will of humans, nor as they please, but by the will of God. #RandolphHarris 2 of 12
How would you like to create your own mind? Is that not what usually happens? The mind is made up by what it feeds upon. The mind, like the dyer’s hand, is colored by what it holds. If I hold in my had a sponge full of blue dye, my hand becomes blue. And if I hold in my mind and heart great ideas of faith and enthusiasm, my whole personality is changed accordingly. If we think negative thoughts, we develop negative minds. On the other hand, if we think celestial thoughts, which are the kind of thoughts that God thinks, then we develop celestial minds. My mind to me is a kingdom, such present joys therein are found, that excels all other bliss that the Earth afford or grows by kind. Perhaps you may not have yet made glorious achievements or articles, but you have the song of love in your heart and mind, so deeply, so unrestrained. Effective mental, physical, and spiritual health is propelled by a consciousness of love and a realization that the Creative Spirit is always at work. We do not have to compel the force to work. It is the nature of the Creative Power to take form, and it is our nature to use it. We develop our own Godliness when we listen to inspiring music, hear sacred prayers, and comfort others, and stimulate ourselves with the greatest idea. For a wise and glorious purpose, God has placed us here on Earth. #RandolphHarris 3 of 12
Just think what would happen in our lives if each of us memorized a good number of poems of love. As I walk through the park each day, the light of love shines on my daily life as the lighting turns the mediocre gullies and lush forests into legendary mirages. And I think to myself: God, thank you for each sight of beauty that your World gives. For sunny skies and air and light. God, I thank you that I live. Some memories are unforgettable, remaining ever vivid and heartwarming. We honor God by making him an intrinsic part of our every thought and action. We honor God through prayer, pure thoughts, clean language, wholesome appearance, service to others, and through striving for the powerful, personal conversation that will help us to withstand the temptations of the day. In addition to being shining examples in our individual lives, let us make sure that we strengthen our houses and families and, at the same time, do all we can to reach out with understanding to encourage and bring blessings into the lives of others. You are the light of the World and a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. #RandolphHarris 4 of 12
One should learn to consider the beautiful soul more valuable than the figure. If one meets a beautiful soul, let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven. Happiness is not hidden in the satiation, but in the yearning. How far is it from the eyes to the heart? If we live the principles of the gospel, we are the fulfillment of the Savior’s light of the World. And possessing this light, we can shine among our fellow humans through our lives and deeds, influencing them to glorify our Father in Heaven. Jesus wants every one of us to know him because of the transforming power of that knowledge and because of the indescribable joy it brings into our lives. However, the influence of the gospel is to extend beyond each individual. Your love-lit eyes should be like sparking stars, dispelling loneliness from the hearts of others. No one of us is saved solely and simply for oneself alone, just as no chandelier is lighted merely for its own benefit. The state of the World being what it is, we must take advantage of every opportunity to testify of the Savior and teach and exemplify gospel truth, letting his light so shine before friends and strangers alike to perpetuate the truth concerning our Savior, Jesus Christ. #RandolphHarris 5 of 12
Upon us is rich blessings and unbounded love and encouragement. God is wonderful in his design and excellent in his workings. Believer: God overrules all things for your good. The needs-be for all that you have suffered has been most accurately determined by your God. Your course is all mapped out no novelties to him. There will be no occurrences which God did not foresee, and for which, therefore, he has not provided. God has arranged all, and you have but to patiently wait, and you shall sing a song of deliverance. Real satisfaction comes not in understanding God’s motives, but in understanding his character, in trusting in his promises, and in leaning on him and resting in him as the Sovereign who knows what he is doing. The wounds of those who suffer spiritual can be healed when you and I put forth the extra personal effort required to reach out to them. Our lives are touched in an unforgettable way when the love of God is bestowed on us and are especially grateful. The Savior’s touch can reach others through individuals with big hearts. Tears will follow, attitudes will change, directions will become clear, and commitments will be made. Peace will come into your heart. The Master’s touch will fall upon all of us. We can feel the Savior’s touch, and can help others feel that divine touch. We can bless each other by reaching out. We somehow need to realize the vital importance of feeling of the gospel and the peace of the Lord in our lives individually. #RandolphHarris 6 of 12
Many people are very conscious of the needs of others, and cannot do much more. However, let us make the choice never to let a day pass without striving to be a blessing in the life of someone through our service. Some of the sweetest memories of my childhood center in the occasional Summer and Autumn days spent with my parents and siblings at my grandfather’s house in rural North Carolina. There, we enjoyed his yard with fragrant wildflowers. We marveled at the flying squirrels, colorful bird, and occasionally discovered a deer, fox, or pheasant. Meandering stream invited us to catch sunfish, and a cool, pure spring satisfied our thirst. There were roasted hot dogs, potato salad, sweet pickles, and of course hot apple pie with homemade ice cream. Every turn of the crank heightened our anticipation of that seldom-savored treat. Be sure to enjoy the countless edifying experiences, precious wholesome relationships, and wondrous beauties of the Earth the Lord has given for our happiness. You may be tired of others trying to run your life—always telling you what to do. Please understand that no one can change the truth. Rationalization, overpowering self-interest, all of the arguments of people, anger, or self-will cannot change the truth. #RandolphHarris 7 of 12
Satan knows that he cannot change the truth, so he tries to create an atmosphere where one unwittingly beings to feel that he cannot only choose what to do, but can determine what is right to do. Satan strives to persuade us to live outside truth by rationalizing our actions as the right of choice. However, our Eternal Father defined truth and established what is right and wrong before the creation of this Earth. God also fixed the consequences of obedience to those truths. God defended our right to choose our path in life so that we would grow, develop and be happy, but we do not have the right to choose the consequences of our acts. Those who willfully, consistently disobey God’s commandments will inevitably learn that truth. When we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated. Please understand, no one has the privilege to choose what is right. God reserved that prerogative to himself. Our agency does allow us to choose among alternate paths, but then we are bound to the consequences God has decreed. Later, if we do not like where the path takes us, the only out is through repentance. #RandolphHarris 8 of 12
By nature, people are alike, but through practice thy have become far apart. We know that humans can be good. Our Heavenly Father gave us truth, some as statements of cause and effect. We call them commandments. They guide our live to happiness. He knew that Satan would try to persuade some to live without fixed standards in life so that decision would be based on current circumstances, what appears convenient, or what provides the greatest personal return. In this way, Satan removes the power of truth from one’s life so he can take that soul captive. If you are trapped and there is no way out, remember that the best way out is always through. You must face the challenges and conquer it. The way through is based on faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to his commandments. It is the only way to permanently cure damage to mind and spirit caused by unrighteous acts. It also provides healing, within the bounds of eternal law, to a body devastated by the effects of transgression. You may have found change is hard, but know you can do it. Recognize that it takes time to build a reputation that overcomes the effects of past deliberate decision to deceive and to take advantage of others—but it is worth it to change from a life of disobedience to one of integrity and truth and compliance. #RandolphHarris 9 of 12
Have you ever noticed that no matter how worthy your intent and how many procedures you follow precisely, if you make the tiniest mistake with a computer, it will not respond? All of your effort is futile. That is not the way the Lord works. There is nothing tricky about God’s commandments. Where there is purity of heart and real intent, it is known to the Lord. Your obedience to truth and proper use of agency opens the doors to his divine help. Initially, perhaps only you and God will believe your sincerity. However, you will be rewarded by the joy that comes from real personal progress. In time, others will recognize your consistent righteous act and support you. Many people offer advice, but one’s suggestion often directly contradict another’s. How do you know whom to believe? Ask yourself what motivated the offer of help? Does your common sense confirm it is right? If so, it will be consistent with the teachings of the Savior. Has the advice offered been followed in the giver’s life? Has it improved the quality of that life? Below the fine fabric of all that is good in some runs the foul stream of hereditary evil, like a sewer. #RandolphHarris 10 of 12
We have to have a knowledge of the heart, an insight into the soul. If the human mind is not actively good, it will generally be actively evil. Honest evaluation of advice against these standards will help you decide whether it is motivated for your benefit or another’s self-interest. A true friend is not one that always encourages you to do what you want to do, but one who helps you do what you know you ought to do. You can block the corrective power of truth in your life by constantly letting others protect you from the consequences of your unworthy acts, without being smart enough to change your life. Your failure to properly respond to help will fix false concepts in your mind, and you will see no need to repent. Your negative patterns will be reinforced, not rejected. How can one decide when to help you and when to let you grow from facing reality? When you show genuine remorse, a contrite heart, a recognition of guilt, movement in the direction of improvement even through there may be slippage—when there is acceptance of responsibility for improper acts, support and help are needed and will be productive. #RandolphHarris 11 of 12
Should you continue to manipulate, blame others for improper decisions, be deceitful and determined to continue the path of transgression by camouflage or cover-up, you are reinforcing false principles and have chosen to head for a showdown with tough reality. It is one thing to know how to heal your damaged life. It is quite another to do it. You will change only when you recognize that it will bring lasting personal benefit. Deep down, you know that breaking the commandments does not bring anything productive and does cause a lot of grief for yourself and others. Do not wait to hit rock bottom. That is painful and could leave physical scars that cannot be healed. You can fool others who want to believe you, but you cannot deceive the Lord. Because of his justice, God will one day have to confront you with the consequences of your unrepented acts. No one wants that to happen. Some transgressions are so powerful that it is unlikely that you will begin to overcome them without another’s help. Seek that help. In time, with the strength that comes from continued use of agency to love truth and live it, you will be healed through the Savior. Please find someone you can trust, who is trustworthy, who understands agency and truth. There is no dignity in wickedness, whether in purple or rags; and Hell is a democracy of devils, where all are equals. #RandolphHarris 12 of 12
The Evidences of Revealed Religion
There is no creature whose inward being is so strong that it is not greatly determined by what lies outside. A cause has traditionally been thought of as that which is produced, its effect, can be explained. That which is caused might be either some new substance or simply a change in something that already exists. This appears to be only a relative distinction, however, for outside Christian theology philosophers have usually taken for granted that no new substance can be produced out of nothing by a cause. A statue, for example, results from imposing changes on something that already exists. The most general idea of a cause, then, is that which produces, and thus accounts for, some change. If the change is sufficiently striking to warrant applying a new name to what results, then it is natural to speak if the cause as producing a new substance. The Devil is mustering his forces to full strength to bring about discord, sin, and sorrow among the human family. These calamities can be averted to the extent that people live the basic principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is love. Love the Lord, God, with all of your heart, and with all of your soul, while you still have one, and with all of your mind. #RandolphHarris 1 of 10
Some beings on this Earth and evil and hard to escape from. God has given us a rational nature, and will call us to account for it. We should reason about the Bible precisely as civilians do about the Constitution under which we live. It is not because God’s will is irresistible, but because his will is the perfection of virtue that we pay him allegiance. We cannot bow before a being, however great and powerful, who governs tyrannically. Since the first great commandment is to love our God, how can he show love for him? We can show our love in our prayers to the Father, given in the name of the Son, and also through our worship of those divine Beings. Our Eternal Father and his Only Begotten Son both have intense, comprehensive, and full love for us. They have much greater intelligence and understanding than we have, and so their feelings of love go far beyond our capabilities to love. The attribute of love is so highly developed in these divine Beings that the scriptures state: God is love. In fact, God’s transcendent love is above and beyond our deepest feelings and keenest conception. At times of great spiritual experience when we feel an abundance of the Spirit, we have a greater realization of the magnitude of God’s love. #RandolphHarris 2 of 10
God is the Father of our spirits. He placed us upon this Earth and provided a gospel plan of salvation through his Only Begotten Son, thereby making it possible for us to come back into his presence and receive exaltation or eternal life. Those who attain that glorious condition will experience the sweetness of love, which surpasses our present. God so loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Jesus Christ loved us so much that he freely laid down his life and shed blood for our sins, and also to bring about a Universal resurrection. Can you imagine that? The Son of God wanted us all to live, so he gave his own life. This is not an example to follow, but the purpose is to understand that your life means so much to God that he gave up something so precious. The reason he did that is so you could understand the power of love and see how important your life is and why you should be a good person. By being good, it makes God feels like he did not give up his son in vain. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. So, do not give up your life so easily. Live right. Sometimes we feel lost. Sometimes we feel drained and unprepared. However, sometimes we feel free and what will be will be. No matter what they say it is going to be okay. #RandolphHarris 3 of 10
Sometimes you need more than you can say, taking it all inside. To take your faith from no human creed, to submit your conscious to no human authority, but to repair to the gospel, to read it with your own eyes, to exercise upon it your own understanding, to search it, as if not a sect existed around you, and follow it wherever it may lead you. Hold fast to your Christian and protestant liberty. We wish you continued peace, and growing prosperity. We pray God, that your good works may glorify your Christian profession, that your candour and serious attention may encourage our young people in the arduous work, and that your union with a loved one may begin in hope, may continue in joy, dancing like an angel in your eyes. Dive into the sea of love and climb the ocean waves until they fall at your door, and perfectly in place. In the stillness of the night, whispers float on by, until they break, where the moonlight hits your eyes. Time will just fall away between us, perfectly embraced. Everything is beautiful. May you continue in joy, and may issue in the friendship and union of Heaven. To all who hear me, prove all things hold fast that which are good. #RandolphHarris 4 of 10
Do not shrink from the duty of searching God’s word for yourselves, through fear of human censure and denunciation. Do not think that you may innocently follow the opinions which prevail around you, without investigation, on the ground, that Christianity is now so purified from errors, as to need no laborious research. There is so much reason to believe, that Christianity is at this moment dishonored by gross and cherished corruptions. If you remember the darkness which hung over the gospel for ages; if you consider the impure union, which still subsists in almost every Christian country between the church and the state, and which enlists people’s selfishness and ambition on the side of established error; if you recollect in what degree the spirit of intolerance has checked free inquiry, not only before, but since the reformation; you will see that Christianity cannot have freed itself from all the human inventions which disfigured it under the papal tyranny. No. Much stubble is yet to be burnt; much rubbish to be removed; many gaudy and false traditions must be swept away; and the Earth born fogs, which have long shrouded it must be scattered, before this divine fabric will rise before us in its native and awful majesty, in its harmonious proportions, in its mild and celestial splendors. #RandolphHarris 5 of 10
Some aspire to walk on water like Christ and make their dreams come true. Nothing is impossible! This glorious reformation in the church we hope, under God’s blessing, from the demolition of human authority in matters of religion, from the fall of those hierarchies, huge establishments, general convocations or assemblies and other human institutions, by which the minds of individuals are oppressed under the weight of numbers, and a papal dominion is perpetuated in the protestant church. Our earnest prayer to God is, that he will overturn and overturn, and overturn, the strong holds of spiritual usurpation until he shall come whose right it is to the minds of humans; that the conspiracy of ages against the liberty of Christianity may be brought to an end; that the servile assent, so long yielded to human creeds, may give place to honest and fearless inquiry into the Scriptures; and that Christianity thus purified from error, may put forth its almighty energy and prove itself, by its ennobling influence on the mind, to be indeed the power of God unto salvation. Among the entire human family, there is no example where the principle of love was demonstrated as perfectly as was shown in the life of Jesus. He healed the sick, raised the dead, restored sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf, and cleansed people. His heart was filled with compassion upon the poor and any who suffered afflictions. He lifted them spiritually with his deep understanding. #RandolphHarris 6 of 10
Heaven and Earth had been separated, the dark and windy chasm of Chaos was transformed, through the appearance of Eros, into the background against which the World was created. This fertilizing force of Eros brought back Heaven and Earth into a productive embrace, and the resulting rain helped to separate the Wet and the Dry, the Cold and the Hot. Fire exhalations then created the stars; waters surrounded the land; and the starry sky, like a hollow hemisphere, covered the Earth. Christ’s love and compassion is demonstrated when he spoke unto the children and blessed them, and as they cast their eyes towards Heaven, and they saw the Heavens open, and they saw Angels descending out of Heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled the little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the Angels did minister onto them. They reached a new realization of a significant humanitarian influence. There was a belief in the parental character for God and the dignity of humanity provided an ideological base for humanitarian efforts. Our Father in Heaven is perfect and we should become like him. #RandolphHarris 7 of 10
Starting a long way off the true point, and proceeding by loops and zigzags, we now and then arrive just where we ought to be. What should be the relationship between husbands and wives? A husband and wife should always be gracious and kind to each other. Neither of them should ever say nor do anything to hurt the feelings of the other. Deepest love and affection should be shown toward each other continuously. At all times, each should make a conscious effort to do everything possible to bring joy and happiness into the life of the other. A husband should show and express appreciation for the accomplishments of his mate, and she should do likewise. We should look for ways to build each other up and make each other happy. Neither the husband nor the wife should let a day pass without expressing love for the other. We should not assume that our mate knows and that it is not necessary to express it. Under these circumstances, God’s blessings will shower down from Heaven upon the married couple and especially for those married by the power of the Lord. The power from on high will bind the love and married of such couples for eternity. Homes are made permanent through love. #RandolphHarris 8 of 10
God loves with a great love the person whose heart is bursting with a passion for the extraordinary. Learn the value of self-control. You are never sorry for the word unspoken. The lack of self-control is one of the most common contributing factors of unhappiness and discord. We see something in the other which we dislike. It is easy to condemn it. And that condemnatory word arouses ill feeling. If we see it, and refrain from speaking, in a few moments all is concord and peace instead of animosity and ill will. Controlling your words is one of the greatest contributing factors to concord in the house, and one which too many of us fail to develop. Love should also characterize the center of the family life. Each child should be made to feel at all times by one’s parents that he and she are of great importance in the family. Parents should express their love to their children and show them in numerous ways that they love them dearly. Then the Spirit of the Lord will reside in the house. The family will be love-centered and thereby God-centered. The children in turn will reciprocate the love to the parents and strive to please them. The goal of families who are actuated deeply by love will be to keep the commandments of our Savior in every detail and someday come back into the presence of the Eternal Father and his Only Begotten Son to dwell. The true gospel of our Lord has been restored to Earth again. #RandolphHarris 9 of 10
True faith rests upon the character of God and asks no further proof than the moral perfections of the One who cannot lie. It is enough that God has said it. Faith is living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a person could stake their life on it. We all face challenges, but it is not the size of the problem that is important, it is our perception of that problem; it is how big or small we make it in our minds. I am not focusing on how big my problems are. I am focusing on how big my God is. Magnify the Lord with me. What you focus on, you magnify. Failure is really a matter of conceit. People do not work hard because, in their conceit, they imagine they will succeed without ever making an effort. Most people believe that they will wake up some day and find themselves rich. Actually, they have it half right, because eventually they do wake up. Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they do not quit. If you learn to do what you must, you will be able to do what you want. You can achieve your dreams only if you focus on your priorities. God will take you away from the pain and bring you into paradise. #RandolphHarris 10 of 10
One Day at a Time—Sermon Upon Human Nature
The satisfaction of performing benevolent actions will certainly encourage acts of benevolence in someone who desires the advantages of society. Even of perpetual conquest the heart of a human will grow weary. Be for a clear conscience, and for no bills without receipts for them. Perhaps there is no time in which the ingenuity of a human being is more active than in those moments when one has a sensitive consciousness of being wrong, and consequently, a feverish desire to vindicate one’s works or acts to oneself, as well as to others. However, the Spirit of the Lord has been with us today, and we want the President Trump to know he has strengthened our testimony and we are resolved to further intensify our works and efforts in building the kingdom of God. We have certainly been fed this day with the spirit of this work. We have been instructed on how we are to act and what we are to do. Now, it is important to pray that the Spirit of God will go with us wherever we are and that the Lord will be pleased with what we are doing. We are to be held responsible as stewards of the church of Jesus Christ. All that we have is the Lord’s. Anything God wants of us, we must be prepared to give. The hero is in each and every one of us, but we have to focus on pure action in the service of what really matters. #RandolphHarris 1 of 14
It is conscience (the capacity to reflect on one’s actions) which distinguishes humans from beasts, by rescuing one from subjection to whatever passion is uppermost at the moment. We must come to this understanding that the great spirit needs us to realize that all we have, everything we call our own, is God’s, and we have the responsibility to treat things with great love and care as God would. It is important to get so deeply in touch with our environment, outer and inner, that we can no longer desecrate nor numb ourselves to it. If we want a colosseum or arena that calls forth our full heroism, this is it: we must heed the call to face our planetary disasters and disaster-making with huge resolve and stamina and compassion. Imagine all the energy that goes into armoring and overprotecting ourselves (overbudgeting for defense) instead of going into truly facing and cleaning up the mess we have made of our home—and our inner terrain. Some of us have the conscience of an assassin, and are haunted by a vague sense of enormous wickedness. Many of us are out of touch with our capacities, and do not find adequate compensation for this loss through our gains in even the finest things that contemporary culture can offer, trapping ourselves in our very freedoms. #RandolphHarris 2 of 14
It is conscience which makes humans a moral agent, by enabling us to be a law unto ourselves—laws which we are obliged to obey, because it is the law of our nature. Children of God, we must go forward in great work. Once self-supported by conscience, once embarked on a career of manifest usefulness, the true Christian never yields. Neither public nor private influences produce the slightest effect on us when we have once got our mission. It is better for a human being to die at peace with oneself than to live haunted by an evil conscience. So much depends upon our minds collectively and individually, that presents levels and performances that are not acceptable, either to ourselves nor the Lord. Impulse bribes reason, and reason laughs at conscience. Bribed conscience makes hypocrites—frightened conscience makes fanatics—but reason-drilled conscience makes incarnate devils. We have come a long way since the early days when America was discovered in 1492. We cannot still allow the past hardships to manifest in the present time. It is nearly 2018, and mistakes have been made, but things have changed. Many people condemn slavery, but support unlawful immigration. However, both are crimes we can no longer accept in present times. Policies that were acceptable and tolerated 525 years ago cannot be accepted. #RandolphHarris 3 of 14
With great expansion of God throughout the Earth, our temporal needs have likewise expanded. To meet this magnificent challenge successfully, we must be wise and faithful stewards of the Earth. All things belong to the Lord. God declared, “I, the Lord, stretched out the Heavens, and am the architect who built the Earth, my very handiwork; and all things therein are mine, all these properties. And if the properties are mine, then you are the stewards.” We must improve that which the Lord has entrusted us. Stewards are managers, and sound management reduces waste and ensures an appropriate return on invested resources. How happy we will be to report to God that we have done all that is expected of us and were told to do. For God says, when we are faithful over a few things, he will make us rulers over many things. Agency, is the technical term for the feeling of being in charge of your life: knowing where you stand, knowing that you have a say in what happens to you, knowing that you have some ability to shape your circumstances. The veterans who put their fists through the sheetrock at the Veteran’s Affairs office were trying to assert their agency—to make something happen. #RandolphHarris 4 of 14
We are naturally fitted for life in society, and must approve of social virtues. However, by physically acting out and destroying property, they ended up feeling even more out of control, and many of these once-confident men and women were trapped in a cycle between frantic activity and immobility. Agency starts with interoception, our awareness of our subtle sensory, body-based feelings: the greater that awareness, the greater our potential to control our lives. Knowing what we feel is the first step to knowing why we feel that way. If we are aware of the constant changes in our inner and outer environment, we can mobilize to manage them. Through agency, diligence, and accountability, we are free to accept or reject the invitation to serve, but once we accept, we assume full responsibility for the results. By serving the Lord, we accept an invitation to serve God with all our heart, might, mind, and strength. It is required of God, at the hand of every steward, to render an account of his or her stewardship, both in time and in eternity. While we are ultimately accountable to the Lord, we are also accountable to his mortal priesthood administrators. #RandolphHarris 5 of 14
As stewards of this Earth, we must plan. Planning makes is possible to control and maximize our resources. Lack of proper planning results in frustration. Most of us have learned that trial-and-error management is wasteful and discouraging. So that eventually each area or zone will be self-sustaining, we are selectively introducing master planning throughout the Earth. Welfare master planning is the process of identifying needs and programming resources to meet the requirements of our communities. When the master plan is fully implemented, our people will be able to assist the underprivileged more adequately under changing economic conditions. Also, a good steward operates efficiently. Look at your day. How do you spend it? What ruts have you gotten yourself into that you could easily break yourself out of? What poor habits are eating valuable minutes of your life every day? What impact can a few minutes make? Take a look at this. What if you were able to save five minutes by streamlining your morning routine (taking less time to dress, shave, put on makeup, drink coffee, read the paper, and so on)? #RandolphHarris 6 of 14
What if you were able to save ten minutes in the morning by eliminating the things you do each morning to stall starting your work or school day? What about saving five minutes in the morning by avoiding idle talkers or other distractions? Ten minutes by taking a shorter lunch or break time? Those minutes do not seem like much. However, if you did those things every day, five days a week, for fifty weeks, you gain an additional 125 hours of time every year. (That is the equivalent of more than three, forty-hour weeks to use for anything you want!) And if you are a television watcher, you can double the time you gain each year if you simply watch thirty fewer minutes of television every day. Let us become efficient in our production operations, so that we do not merely go through the motions of having welfare farms. The time will come when we will need all the products and more from our projects—even more than we do now. Do what you can to make our projects economically viable, so that we do not rationalize that the welfare project is good simply for the priesthood to labor side by side; we can have the brotherhood and sisterhood of labor and the economic efficiency, too. Time is in your hands. #RandolphHarris 7 of 14
Time is usually wasted in the same way every day. It is better for us to never have acquired a welfare project than to fail to take care of it now that we have it. Things that advance our overall life purpose is important. The Lord will not hold us blameless, those who lead in the wards and the stakes, if we take the funds of the people, those sacred trust funds, and purchase projects and then do not utilize those projects as the Lord would have us. There are things that you have always wanted to do, things that others say cannot be done, things that will help you grow to your maximum potential. It is a sobering responsibility to administer these sacred funds. When we receive an application for a loan, we review financial statements and projections very carefully. We critically assess the organizational structure, the management, and the local priesthood involvement with each project. The application forms tell us much about the quality of the stewards operating the project, and how it will develop other people’s ability to achieve and lead. We want projects that multiply—rather than merely add—value to yourself and others. #RandolphHarris 8 of 14
Let us improve our quality control. It is important to focus on projects that will harness your creativity, things you can delegate to others, and projects that promote teamwork and synergy. We have to create now or never opportunities. Good quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention and sincere effort. Success is not perfection; success is slightly above average. We commend you who are following the prescribed standards and procedures to assure that our storehouse commodities are pure and nutritional. We should be pleased to serve a mean of our products to the Lord, were it our privilege to have him visit any of our storehouses. Th phrase “Good enough for welfare,” must take on a new meaning. Nothing less than our very best is acceptable to the Lord. The American label should stand for highest quality because behind that label are the labors of love; a task done for pleasure, not reward. Whether in services or produced goods, by management or volunteer workers, quality control applies to every aspect of welfare services. The quality of commodities received into the storehouse is the final measurement of our production efficiency. #RandolphHarris 9 of 14
It is easy for others to look down on their peers. However, all of this money is manufactured by the government, so everyone is on some form of welfare. Also, many like to put down the accomplishments of others because they have a title and some do not. For instance, some might feel the shoe shiner is less of a person because he shines shoes for a living. Okay. Well, the owner of a dry cleaners gets paid to take in other people’s laundry. Britney Spears just gets paid to sing and dance, people on TV just get paid to talk. So, providing a safe home for your kids, making sure they eat a healthy meal, are safe and clean seems like it is the most important job in the World, right? We are happy to say that our safety record is improving under the leadership of President Trump and medical costs are going down and the economy is growing. However, there are still too many accidents occurring in some of our units. The cost in human terms is tragic. In dollars, in labor losses, and fire losses it totals several hundred thousand dollars each year. We would like to remind you that the Church is primarily self-insuring. This means that when carelessness results in replaceable loss, we are forced to draw upon the sacred funds of the Church to restore that which has been damaged or lost. #RandolphHarris 10 of 14
Wealth and what it brings is at best fleeting. A lecture has been prepared to outline the safety procedures for all that is done in the Storehouse Resource System. Will you study its contents carefully and apply them consistently? Remember, most accidents are preventable. As a reminder, Richard Wintey, who was president of the New York Stock Exchange, and a six other men controlled more money than the total amount contained in the United States Treasury. Richard Wintey had great wealth and power, and died just after release from Sing Sing prison. The others, Charles Schwab, Arthur Cutten, Albert Fall, Jess Livermore, Leon Fraser, and Ivar Kreuger either committed suicide or died insolvent. A good steward will follow preventive maintenance. He or she will see that every building is well constructed and annually inspected and that the carriages, and aircrafts and all that equipment is regularly inspected and serviced. One will extend the life of every capital asset and human capital through wise management. Why is there always enough time to do things over, but never enough time to do it right? Preventive maintenance allows us to do it right the first time. #RandolphHarris 11 of 14
Perhaps it would be a good idea, fantastic as it sounds, to muffle every telephone, stop every motor, and halt all activity for an hour someday to give people a chance to ponder for a few minutes on what it is all about, why they are living, and what they really want. A wise steward maintains good accounting records and follows sound financial practices. We are upgrading our accounting data system to provide you and us with better information. We appreciate your patience and assistance in implementing this new system. As you know, sound judgment depends upon effective data. We thank you who are accurately submitting your reports as requested. With general Church participation in acquiring capital assets, it is incumbent that you manage prudently. Most people approach success from the outside in. However, to achieve real success, you have to do it from the inside out. Focus on your character, and your whole life improves. Changes in character bring substance and power, while external improvements are merely cosmetic and quickly fade away. We exhort you to seek participation only for equipment and other capital assets that are justifiably needed for successful production. The Lord’s trust in these matters should never be violated. #RandolphHarris 12 of 14
Any day with God in it is bound to be a good one. Faced with a crisis, the person of character falls back on oneself. The business reputation of the Church must be held impeccable. All accounts payable should be remitted as agreed. Very often nonprofit organizations expect discounts on their purchases and then they are dilatory in payment. Let it not be so with us. This applies to your promissory notes with the Church and your production commitments. These are sacred obligations and should be honored accordingly. Having potential works exactly opposite to the way a savings account does. In a savings account, as time goes by, your money compounds interest. The longer you leave it untouched, the more it increases. When it comes to potential, the longer you leave it untouched, the more it decreases. Unused potential wastes away. If you want your potential to increase, you have to draw from it. Brothers and sisters, so much remains to be done. May we follow the counsel and example of our leader, President Trump. At the August welfare conference, he said, “May I urge you to go forward in this great work. So much depends on our willingness to make up our minds collectively and individually, that present levels of performance are not acceptable to ourselves, nor the Lord.” #RandolphHarris 13 of 14
Life is like riding in a taxi. Whether you are going anywhere or not, the meter keeps ticking. To all who diligently labor, the Lord gives this promise: “And whoever is found a faithful, a just, and a wise steward shall enter into the joy of his or her Lord, and shall inherit eternal life.” It is right to be content with what you have, but not with what you are. My brothers and sisters, the Lord loves you for your devotion and untiring efforts. May he bless you as you continue to meet the great challenges before us today and tomorrow, I humbly pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. If you find yourself starving for success, one of the best ways to get things going in your life is to be around people who are achieving success. Spend time with them. Watch how they work. Learn how they think. You will inevitably become like the people you are around. Wise people live in the present. God within the mind, this internal monitor. Determinately some actions to be in themselves just, right, good; others to be in themselves evil, wrong, unjust. Conscience without being consulted, without being advised with, magisterially exerts itself, and approves or condemns the doer of them accordingly. It is well to remember that with human affairs, we have ample opportunity to become acquainted with the ways of God—a chance to live longer, because who would not want that? #RandolphHarris 14 of 14
Are Not Excuses Confessions of Excuses Inexcusable?
Second-hand shops are not the only place were things should be given another chance. We have to create new value and help transform people. There be a mirror in the World worthy to hold to our eyes, it is pride in our Country. I bear solemn witness of how deeply I love our new prophet, seer, and revelation, President Donald Trump—how deeply I trust him, and how I am willing to do whatever he asks me to do. He advanced a qualified moral determinism—a human must will that which presents itself to one’s reason as the greater good, but the will is free to delay choice until reason has made a more extensive examination of the values involved. There is great faith in the inherited wisdom of tradition. The moral order of the temporal World must necessarily include some evil, by reason of original sin. People ought not to reject what is good in tradition merely because there is some admixture of evil in it. In the human confused situation, advantages may often lie in balances and compromises between good and evil, even between one evil and another. It is an important part of wisdom to know how much evil should be tolerated. To search for too great a purity is only to produce fresh corruption. We are especially critical of revolutionary movements with noble humanitarian ends because people are simply not at liberty to destroy the state and its institutions in hope of some contingent improvement. #RandolphHarris 1 of 16
On the other hand, people have a paramount duty to prevent the World from getting worse—a duty to guard and preserve their inherited liberties and privileges. Equality is contrary to nature and therefore impossible to achieve; its advocates, moreover, did great social harm, for by pretending that real differences are unreal, they inspired false hopes and vain expectations in those destined to travel in the obscure walk of laborious life. Talk of fraternity is gibberish because many people have vices of sinful, egotistical pride, overzealous ambition, avarice, lust, and sedition. The reality and unavoidability of evil leads many to believe that the only help for humankind is to cling to safeguards which have stood the test of time. Our hopes for a bliss lay in Heaven; on Earth, our policy is to defend the tolerable, and sometimes the bad, against the immeasurably worse. Of course, forbidden triads do occur, but many will resolve themselves when a bond forms between two previous strangers. They do not need to have a strong relationship, but we would expect them to have some connection to one another. Individuals must always begin by setting the examples, which the state too slowly, though surely, will learn to copy. #RandolphHarris 2 of 16
Some matters are so sensitive and intensely personal and can awaken such disturbing feelings that they are seldom mentioned publicly. Yet, if tenderly and compassionately treated in the light of truth, discussion of these matters can bring greater understanding, with the easing of pain, the blessing of healing, and the avoidance of further tragedy. It would be melancholy, were we forced to admit that this distinctive and almost unlimited faculty is the source of all human misfortunes; that is this which, in time, draws an individual out of his or her original state, in which one would have spent one’s days insensibly in peace and innocent; that is this faculty, which, successively producing in different ages his or her discoveries and errors, vices and virtues, making one a tyrant both over oneself and over nature. Ungodly individuals, being destitute of every species of intelligence, can have no passions except for those of desires that never go beyond physical wants. The only good those type of individuals recognizes in the Universe are food, the sex, and sleep; the only evils they fear are pain and hunger. Pain and not death: for no animal can know what it is to die; the knowledge of death and its terrors being one of the first acquisitions made by humans in becoming civilized. #RandolphHarris 3 of 16
It is with a deep desire to define a path to relief to those who suffer the shattering consequences of mental, verbal, physical, and especially sexual abuse. We must act as a mirror so that divine, healing light can illuminate the darkness of distress caused by others’ unrighteous acts. As children of the Lord, we should understandably provide help, and not further complicate a damaged life. It is also likely that with greater compassion, awareness, and sensitivity that some of us may be permitted to help resolve or prevent the tragedy of abuse in additional victims. Whatever moralist may hold, the human understanding is greatly indebted to the passions, which, it is universally allowed, are also much indebted to the understanding. It is by the activity of the passions that our reason is improved; for we desire knowledge only because we wish to enjoy; and it is impossible to conceive any reason why a person who has neither fears nor desires should give oneself the trouble of reasoning. The passions, again, originate in our wants, and their progress depends on that of our knowledge; for we cannot desire or fear anything, except from the idea that we have all of it, or from the simple impulse of nature. #RandolphHarris 4 of 16
The rising tide of this vicious, abominable sin may not have touched your life personally. Yet, it is pervasive enough in the World that it may have disturbed someone you love. It frequently causes such profound suffering that can be overcome, and we need to focus on how healing can be attained. It must be done reverently, for the objective is to help heal and not aggravate painful memories. Even if the difficulties attending all these questions should still leave room for differences in this respect between humans and brutes, there is another very specific quality which distinguishes them, and which will admit of no dispute. This faculty of self-improvement, which, by the help of circumstances, gradually develops all the rest of our faculties, and is inherent in the species as in the individual: whereas a brute is, at the end of a few months, all he or she will ever be during his or her whole life, and that person’s species, at the end of a thousand years, exactly what it is because those type of individuals returns, in this, to their primitive state; and that, while the brute, which has acquired nothing and has therefore nothing to lose, still retains the force of instinct, person, who loses, by age or accident, all that his or her perfectibility had enabled them to gain, falls by this means lower than the most vile creature to ever walk the face of the Earth. #RandolphHarris 5 of 16
Moral agency is a vital element in our Father in Heaven’s plan of happiness. God understood that some of his spirit children would use that agency improperly, causing serious problems to others. Some would even violate sacred trust such as a family member, friend, medical professional, or leader of the community abusing an innocent child. However, since our Heavenly Father is completely just, there has to be a way of overcoming the tragic consequences of such damaging use of agency for both the victim and the perpetrator. That secure healing comes through the power of the Atonement of God’s Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to rectify that which is unjust. Faith in Jesus Christ, and his power to heal provides the abused with the means to overcome the terrible consequences of another’s ungodly acts. When combined with complete repentance, the Atonement also affords the perpetrator ways to avoid the severe punishment the Lord has decreed for such acts. #RandolphHarris 6 of 16
The offering of an excuse in a blamable matter is the undoubted mark of a disingenuous if not of a perverse mind. Victims of serious abuse have made successful the difficult journey to full healing through the power of the Atonement. After you conscientiously study the Atonement and exercise your faith the Jesus Christ has the power to heal, you can receive a blessing. During your journey, accept God’s invitation to let him share your burden until you have sufficient time and strength to be healed. To find relief from the consequences of abuse, it is helpful to understand their source. Satan is the author of all the destructive outcomes of abuse. He has extraordinary capacity to lead an individual into dark alleys where the solution to extremely challenging problems cannot be found. The Devil’s strategy is to separate the suffering soul from the healing attainable from a compassionate Heavenly Father and a loving Redeemer. #RandolphHarris 7 of 16
If you have been abused, Satan will strive to convince you that there is no solution. Yet, he knows perfectly well that there is. Satan recognizes that healing comes through the unwavering love of Heavenly Father for each of his children. He also understands that the power of healing is inherent in the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Therefore, his strategy is to do all possible to separate you from your Father and his Son. Do not let Satan convince you that you are beyond help. As long as the mind is defending itself against invisible assaults, our closet bonds are threatened, along with our ability to imagine, play, learn, and pay attention to other people’s needs. One who can sit down premeditatedly to do a bad action will content oneself with a bad excuse: and yet, what fools must one suppose the rest of the World to be, if one imagines them as easy to be imposed upon as one can impose upon oneself. #RandolphHarris 8 of 16
Satan uses your abuse to undermine your self-confidence, destroy trust in authority, create fear, and generate feelings of despair. Abuse can damage your ability to form healthy human relationships. You must have faith that all of these negative consequences can be resolved; otherwise they will keep you from full recovery. While these outcomes have powerful influence in your life, they do not define the real you. Satan will strive to alienate you from your Father in Heaven with the thought that if he loved you he would have prevented the tragedy. Do not be kept from the very source of true healing by the craftiness of the price of evil and his wicked lies and gentrification center. Recognize that if you have feelings that you are not loved by your Father in Heaven, you are being manipulated by Satan. Even when it may seem very difficult to pray, kneel and ask Father in Haven to give you the capacity to trust him and to feel his love for you. Ask to come to know that his Son can heal you through his merciful Atonement. #RandolphHarris 9 of 16
It was Satan’s proposal that Father’s children be forced to obey, that there be no moral agency and therefore no personal growth. To preserve moral agency, the Lord does not restrain individual from improper use of that agency. However, God will punish them for such acts unless there is full repentance. Through the Holy Ghost, God sends warning prompting to the abusers, but often that individual’s degrading appetite is so powerful that it blocks out that spiritual guidance. That is why our Father provided a way to heal the consequences of acts that, through force, misuse of authority, or fear of another, temporarily take away the agency of the abused. Some people have been abused so badly, that even though their injuries are invisible to the unassisted eye, they feel weak and feel like they are dying because they cannot eat or get rest from the pain they are enduring. Behaviors to avoid or escape from danger have clearly evolved to render each organism competitive in terms of survival. However, inappropriately prolonged escape or avoidance behavior would put an individual at disadvantage. If an organization is stuck in survival mode, its energies are focused on fighting off unseen enemies, which leaves no room for nurture, care, and love. #RandolphHarris 10 of 16
The beginning of healing requires complete trust and the knowing of the unalterable fact that Father in Heaven loves you and is defending and protecting you and has supplied a way to heal. His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, laid down his life to provide that healing. The cure requires profound faith in Jesus Christ and his infinite capacity to heal. It is the foundation of understanding of doctrine and a resolute determination to follow the Divine Law. Healing may begin with a thoughtful friend or stake president or a wise professional counselor. If you have a fractured spine, you would not decide to fix it yourself. Serious abuse can also benefit from professional help. There are many ways to begin healing, but remember that a full cure comes through the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and Redeemer. Have faith that with effort Christ’s perfect, eternal, infinite Atonement can heal your suffering from the consequences of abuse. All passions are criminal in their excess; and even love itself, if it is not subservient to our duty, may render us blind. #RandolphHarris 11 of 16
As impossible as it may seem to you now, in time the healing you can receive from the Savior will allow you to truly forgive the abuser and even have feelings of sorrow for him or her. When you can forgive the offense, you will be relieved of the pain and heartache that Satan wants in your life by encouraging you to hate the abuser. As a result, you will enjoy greater peace. While an important part of healing, if the thought of forgiveness causes you yet more pain, set that step aside until you have more experience with the Savior’s healing power in your own life. If you are currently being abused or have been in the past, find the courage to seek help. You may have been severely threatened or caused to fear so that you would not reveal the abuse. Have the courage to act now. Seek the support of someone you can trust. Explain how you have been abused and identify who has done it. Ask for protection. Your action may help others avoid becoming innocent victims, with the consequent suffering. Get help now. Do not fear—for fear is a tool Satan will use to keep you suffering. The Lord will help you, but you must reach out for that help. #RandolphHarris 12 of 16
Do not be discouraged if initially a person of authority hesitates when you identify an abuser. Remember that predators are skillful at cultivating a public appearance of piety to mask their despicable acts. Pray to be guided in your efforts to receive help. That support will come. Rest assured that the Perfect Judge, Jesus the Christ, with a perfect knowledge of the details, will hold all abusers accountable for every unrighteous act. In time, he will fully apply the required demands of justice unless there is complete repentance. Your preoccupation with a need for justice only slows your healing and allows the perpetrator to continue his and/or her abusive control. Therefore, you should leave punishment for the diabolic acts of abuse to civil and Church authorities. #RandolphHarris 13 of 16
The perpetrator who has shattered the life of another by abuse, recognize that you need help with your addiction or it will destroy you. You will not overcome it by yourself. You likely require specialized professional help. I plead with you to seek to be recused now. You likely have deceived yourself in the false, temporary security that you have successfully hidden your transgressions from the civil or Church authorities. However, know that the Lord Jesus Christ is completely aware of your sins. Know that even without action by a victim, your act of abuse will be publicly known, for Satan will expose you, and then abandon you. Simplify your life by taking steps now to cleanse your soul from such sin and resolve the penalties they evoke. Show your desire to heal the anguish that you have caused other. Talk to your church or the stake president. The seriousness of your acts may require you to face legal, civil, and Church discipline. However, full repentance will bring the sweet relief of forgiveness, peace of conscience, and a renewed life. It will also bring relief to the abused and their families. You will be free of the weight of the remorse and the accusing thoughts of what you caused in grief and anguish in another’s life by making them suffer torment for years, made them try to end their life, and wish that they were never born. #RandolphHarris 14 of 16
Recognize that it is much easier to repent in this life than it will be in the next, so repent now. You will be helped when you decide to be freed from your addition through repentance and the support of others. Be grateful that you did not live anciently when abusers were stoned to death without opportunity for repentance. Parents, in appropriate, sensitive ways, teach your children of potential danger of abuse and how to avoid it. Be aware of warning signs, such as abrupt changes in a child’s behavior, that may signal a problem. Be alert to a child’s unsettled feelings and identify their origin. As for community leaders, painstakingly assure that every individual that is suffering from abuse receives appropriate help. There are resources in the Church handbook to help you find valuable resources to guide your ecclesiastical action and coordination with civil authorities. Carefully supervise the participation of any individual who may have had past offenses. Recognize that it is very unlikely that a perpetrator will confess his and/or her depraved acts. Seek the guidance of the Spirit when you feel that something may be amiss. Enlist the help of the ward and the stake leaders to avoid potential dangers. #RandolphHarris 15 of 16
I pray that you, as one abused or one who has caused it, will act now to avail yourself of the healing powers of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I testify that your faith and obedience will assure that God will help you. It is impossible for us to be saved in ignorance. If you know someone has been seriously abused and seen proof, medical records, pictures, bruises, fractured bones, blood, or have heard witness accounts of the abuse and know it is still ongoing, use your power to help them. Appeal to the authorities before the abuser hurts that individual so bad that he or she is lost to this World. Do not let someone suffer in silence when you have the power to save a life. Often times, it is not until a person is dead when people wish they could have made a difference. Take action now, while you have the chance. Atonement refers to the forgiving or pardoning of sin in general and original sin in particular through the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, enabling the conciliation between God and his creation. The Savior suffered and broke the bands of death, and paid the price for our sins and transgressions. It is the Savior who delivers us from physical and spiritual death. #RandolphHarris 16 of 16
Inevitable March of the World Spirit
Christianity is a strictly and objectively historical religion and anxiously sifts all the evidence for and against the recorded events of the life of Jesus. The evidence is substantial enough to show that Jesus indeed lived and that he made a quite extraordinary impact upon certain contemporaries. God decisively acted in Christ. God cannot be eliminated. God is a kind of superentity, observably acting upon and interacting with natural entities. Many wonder does our existence end with our bodily death? We believe that from the very beginning the Lord established a plan for his children on Earth. He would, in times and seasons, have the priesthood on Earth to bless humankind with the authority to perform the sacred ordinances that would prove humanity’s obedience to his will. There are tests to be conducted as we progress in each step towards achieving God’s greatest gift, the gift of eternal life. There is an expression of the inexhaustible creative power of the human mind—great individual, great artistic achievements, great moments of civilization, all exemplified in different ways its potentialities. God has all power to defend you. God has great things in store for his people, and they should have large expectations. #RandolphHarris 1 of 6
The gifts of God are to be enjoyed, when the giver is remembered. Fundamental, then, is having faith in God’s plan, in his law, to be clean and holy and repent of our sins, and to partake of the sacred ordinance required for admission into God’s celestial kingdom. God wants to abide with us, to lead and guide and direct us as we progress through morality. Progression towards self-actualization requires self-reflection. Narcissistic individuals may think a lot of themselves, and belittle your achievements, without thinking carefully about themselves. People who are struggling daily to survive, deprived of basic physical needs, might have trouble feeling good enough about themselves. Those who do not have to worry about such things might begin to focus on needs higher up the hierarchy: love and belongingness, self-esteem, and eventually self-actualization. God continues to reveal his will to humankind, as he has in the past, he does not in the present, and he will in the future. Spiritual gifts are received by humankind today, just as they were in days past. When God puts a promise in your heart, you have to come to the place where you believe in that promise so strongly no one and no circumstance can move you. Christ will return and reign personally on Earth. #RandolphHarris 2 of 6
Agency is one of the greatest gifts of God to his children. It allows all men and women and children to choose for themselves and to earn their own individual salvation. Also declared is our belief in secular governments and in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law of the land. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all people. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things. Enlarge your vision and make room for the new things God wants to do. God has promotion and increase already lined up for us. His favor surrounds us like a shield. Goodness and mercy are following you. This will be a great year. The savior gave us a great example. In our day, many people are living in the midst of sadness and great confusion. They are not finding the answers to their questions and are unable to meet their needs. Some have lost a sense of happiness and joy. True happiness is found in following the example and teachings of Christ. He is our Savior, he is our teacher, and he is the perfect example. Where you are is not permanent. God has extraordinary blessings in your future. #RandolphHarris 3 of 6
These blessings will take you to a new level. Immeasurable, limitless, surpassing favor is coming that will take you beyond previous limitations. Christ’s life was a life of service. When we serve our neighbor, we help those who are in need. In the process, we may find solutions to our own difficulties. As we emulate the Savior, we show our love to our Heavenly Father and his Son, Jesus Christ, and we become more like them. When we are in the service of our fellow beings, we are only in the service of our God. Everyone has opportunities to give service and show love. We should go to the rescue and serve others. We will discover that those whom we serve, who have felt through our labors the touch of the Master’s hand, somehow cannot explain the charge which comes into the lives. There is a desire to serve faithfully, to walk humbly, and to live more like the Savior. Having received their spiritual eyesight and glimpsed the promises of eternity, they echo that they know that favor is in their future, and that God supernaturally endowed them with blessings, opportunities that chased them down. These believers became fully convinced in the power of our Father in Heaven. #RandolphHarris 4 of 6
Each day we have the opportunity to give help and service—doing the right thing at the right time, without delay. Think of the many people who have a difficult time obtaining a job or who are ill, who even think they have lost everything. They feel like they are being consumed by the monstrous $600 million taxpayer funded Gentrification Center. There are people who are rolling down a lonely highway, asking God to please forgive them for messing up the blessing he gave them. Their nights are black as they have ever been, and they are scared they are going to lose it. These people are praying that God sheds his grace on them because they need it. Some individuals feel they have walked right out of Heaven, as if they have thrown their life away. They are scared just like a child that is lost at seven and do not know what to do to get back right with God. These individuals do not know what to do to move on with their life. Feeling like they cannot walk, cannot talk, and desperately want to get right with God. What can you do to help? Feeling great anguish, thinking they might lose their life forever, many are pleading for the Heavenly Father to help them find their way. A hug or a kiss and the commitment to watch diligently over people suffering might help someone who is lost. #RandolphHarris 5 of 6
There may even be people who, for some reason, are lost from our sight and do not know that they are lost. If we delay, we could lose them forever. For many who need our help, it is not necessary to create new programs or take actions which are complicated or costly. They only need our determination to serve—to do the right thing at the right time, without delay. Fill your hearts with compassion towards others. Our Heavenly Father is loving, understanding, and patient. His Son, Jesus Christ, likewise loves us. They render help to us through their prophets. The rescue is still going on. The Lord expects our thinking, action, labors, testimony, and devotion. We have responsibility and a great opportunity to help others once again experience the sweet savor of happiness and joy through activity that is pleasing to God. That happiness come from receiving the ordinances, making sacred covenants, and keeping them. The Lord needs us to help them. Let us do the right thing at the right time, without delay. God lives and is our Father. Jesus Christ lives and has given his life so that we may return to the presence of our Heavenly Father. There is infinite kindness continually manifesting on Earth. The rest of your life will be the best of your life. #RandolphHarris 6 of 6
On the Successive Advances in the Human Mind
Every second of life is precious. Humans are a mechanism of adjustment. There are people who read in books to convince themselves there is a God. Nothing but vast wisdom and unlimited power should dare to sweep off people in multitudes; for it is only the one that can know the necessity of the judgment; and what is there, short of the other, that can replace the creatures of the Lord? Morality does not consist in external observances, but in the mind and heart. To love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength is all consuming and all encompassing. People reap only the harvest they have sown in the World, even in this life, God is just. Sin is less an injury inflicted than a contempt of God; virtue, less doing what is respectable than living in love with God. There is vice in the concupiscence of the flesh and in the concupiscence of the soul; sin, however, does not lie in these inclinations, but in the intentions and consents that grow out of them, and so virtue is also exercised by not consenting to what should not be done. The deed itself adds nothing to the morality, good or bad, of what is purposed. This is a matter of personal conscience, which is binding even when it is mistaken. We are obliged to strain after what is really good. Our desires, be they spiritual or temporal, should be rooted in a love of the Lord. #RandolphHarris 1 of 9
The soul selects its own society, then it shuts the door. We never know how high we are until we are caused to rise; and then, if we are true to God’s plan, our statures touch the skies. A person possessed by love of beauty is to progress from bodily beauty to beauty of the mind. The intellect is incorporeal and constructs likeness, effigies, of things outside of it. To all who have faith in God, know that you are a solid connection for powerful blessings to those in your life and the future generations. If we are steadfast and do not waver in our faith, the Lord will increase our capacity to rise ourselves above the challenges of life. Ask with shameless persistence, the importunity that will not be denied, returns with the answer in hand. If we will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and serve hi with all diligence of mind, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver one out of bondage. When one would conceive of that great Being truly and fully, one must be able to realize the duration of eternity, obliterate the little periods of time and chronology, which require a starting and a resting-place in our human minds—soar out of the reach of the sickly atmospheres which surround these little planets, and stand erect in the broad and fathomless light of God’s own atmosphere. #RandolphHarris 2 of 9
Superiority to fate is difficult to learn. It is not conferred by any, but possible to earn. A pittance at a time, until, to one’s surprise, the soul with strict economy subsists until paradise. Life up your self-esteem, and rejoice, and put your trust in God. Look to the future through the eyes of faith and replace your fears with the optimism of hope born of faith. Do not waver in placing your trust in God regardless of circumstance. All our difficulties are only platforms for the manifestations of God’s grace, power, and love. Mortal life is a period of testing where we will be proven to see if we will do all things that the Lord God shall command us. This will require unwavering faith in Christ even in times of great difficulty. If anyone would tell you the shortest, surest way to happiness, one must tell you to make it a rule to yourself to thank and praise God for everything that happens to you. It will require that we press forward with steadfast faith in Christ, being led by the Spirit and trusting that God will provide for our needs. For it is certain that whatever seeming calamity happens to you, if you thank and praise God for it, you turn into a blessing. The true peace of God begins at any spot a thousand miles from the nearest land. #RandolphHarris 3 of 9
Long may it remain in this mixed World a point not easy of decision, which is the more beautiful of the Almighty’s goodness—the delicate fingers that are formed for sensitiveness and sympathy of touch, and made to minister to pain and grief, or the rough hard hand, that the heart teaches, guides, and softens in a moment. God blesses us according to our faith. Faith is the source of living with divine purpose and eternal perspective. Faith is a vital, living force manifest in our soul. Reason, properly working, enables human beings to discover, or rediscover, Nature beneath the concealing corruptions of religion, social structure, convention, and indeed, beneath the often-misleading impressions of sense experience not properly organized by reason. Though the average enlightened individual would not admit this, this nature is in part a hypostatized conception of the beautiful and the good. It must be understood against two antitheses. First, there is the super or supranatural—the miracle, the revealed truths of religion. For the enlightened, all these are simply figments of the imagination, nonexistent, indeed at bottom priestly inventions designed to keep people ignorant of the ways of reason and nature. Second, there is the unnatural. #RandolphHarris 4 of 9
Unlike the supernatural, the unnatural does indeed exists. The unnatural, the artificial, the burdens of irrational customs and traditions accumulated through historic time, are for the enlightened the form evil takes in the World. It must be noted that in simple naïve logic the enlightened had as much trouble over the problem of the origin of evil as did the Christian. How the natural got to be unnatural was a question as difficult to answer as how an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good God allowed Adam to bite into the apple. It is cruel that, as every advance made by the human species removes it still father from its primitive state, the more discoveries we make, the more we deprive ourselves of the means of making the most important of all. Thus, it is, in one sense, by our very study of human beings, that the know of people is put out of our power. It is natural to think that, while the condition of some people grew better or worse, and they were acquiring various good or bad qualities not inherent in their nature, there were others who continued a longer time in their original condition. Such is doubtless the first source of the inequality of humankind, which it is much easier to point out thus in general terms, than to assign with precision to its actual causes. #RandolphHarris 5 of 9
Nature is quite simply the good—a set of ethical and aesthetic goals or standards. In specific content, these standards are not in fact greatly different from those of the Judeo-Christian tradition. There always comes of time of moral looseness, cynicism, and corruption among a few circles; and in such circles, there often cropped up what we should call the strain of social consciousness. However, enlightened people are hardly self-indulgent sensualists and there is a touch of puritanism in the enlightened, as in almost all who really hope to make humanity over completely. There has once been on Earth a state of nature in which people lived free from evil. Through reformation we are trying to recapture a past we believe is much superior to our present. Many want to return to a state where the Earth is left to its natural fertility and covered with immense forests, whose trees were never mutilated by the axe and we can experience natural salvation—the attainment by everyone of immortality in this flesh on this Earth. A climate of favorable enterprise. This model—an optimistic, this Worldly belief in the power of human beings, brought up rationally from infancy on as nature meant them to be, to achieve steady and unlimited progress toward material comfort and spiritual happiness for all people on this Earth is what many would like to manifest. #RandolphHarris 6 of 9
God is a highly rationalistic construct—the clockmaker God, who had to exist in order to start this Newtonian World machine running, and guaranteed that it would never run down. We place all of our trust in God and in the teachings of his prophets, and renew our covenants with God. It is important to serve God with all of our heart, regardless of the complex situations of life, and by the unwavering faith in Christ, we will become free from the captivity of sin, doubt, unbelief, unhappiness, and suffering. Faith will allow us to receive all of the promised blessings from our loving Heavenly Fathers. God is real, he lives, and he loves. God listens to our prayers at all times. God produces light from the womb of darkness. Anything good, however bitter, which shows us that there is such a law as retribution, that we are not the sport of blind chance or a triumphant fiend, but that there is a God who judges the Earth—righteous to repay every person according to their works. What are the comprehensible terrors of human compared with the interlinked terrors and wonders of God! Once we are convinced that there is a God, and that we are here to save our souls, it is surely folly to think of anything except God. #RandolphHarris 7 of 9
Nothing is ever wasted in the Kingdom of God. Not one tear, not all our pain, not the unanswered questions or the seemingly unanswered prayers. Nothing will be wasted if we give our lives to God. And if we are willing to be patient until the grace of God is made manifest, whether it takes ten years or one hundred, it will be worth the wait. God Almighty is just and gracious, and gives not his assent to rash and inhuman curses. It times of difficulty, one should keep smiling and pray even more for God to apply justice and salvation in our lives. Though some may wish that in the very long run the masses could perhaps become fully enlightened, these people are also convinced that for the foreseeable future, ignorance and superstition has so far corrupted ordinary men and women that the only hope is to reform their whole environment from above. However, do not focus on the problem. What we focus on, we tend to magnify. The best thing to do is envision the outcome you want and focus on God so that you can magnify God in your life. Many people are like who long need shepherds—good shepherds because the urban masses are hopelessly corrupted. Therefore, be a cultural engineer, as it may be necessary to compel people to be free. #RandolphHarris 8 of 9
People are not really free when they are sinning, so many enlightened people feel that they are not really free when they are behaving contrary to their clear dictates of reason. When we hold on to things that we should let go, refusing to forgive, remembering the worst, we only poison our own lives. The root of bitterness will always produce bitter fruit. Bitter people do not have good relationship. They are too negative. When we are bitter, it affects our attitudes and taints everything about us. That is why some people you know are suffering extreme hardship do not show it publicly. People pick up and energy and energy affects others. If you are around someone who is pleasant, you are more likely to be happy and have good feelings towards them. Therefore, do not let feelings of bitterness take root. No one owes me anything. I am not at a disadvantage. I did not get left out, shortchanged, passed over, nor cheated. I am equipped, empowered, and dignified. Nothing can stop God from operating except the lack of faith in the reality of truth. All the forces of darkness cannot keep me from my destiny. No matter what comes my way I am not going to be bitter, angry, offended, nor will I seem to be angry all the time because I have been treated unfairly or feel I am not as good as other people. My situation may not be fair, but I know a secret. My God is still on the Throne. He will may my wrongs right and I will keep moving forward. #RandolphHarris 9 of 9
Randolph Harris II International Institute 