Home » Japan (Page 65)
Category Archives: Japan
We are Perfect the Way God Made Us
All life is sacred. Human life is especially so. Sacred means worthy of veneration and respect. By designating something as sacred, the Lord signals that it is of higher value and priority than others things. Sacred things are to be treated with more care, given greater deference, and regarded with deeper reverence. Sacred ranks high in the hierarchy of Heavenly values. God sends light and knowledge from Heaven and he invites us to receive and treat it as sacred. “Protecting human life is of utmost importance to God. He takes this so seriously and personally because he made humanity reflect him. We are his Earthly representatives, made in his image. To murder another person is to mount an attack on the One who created him or her,” reports Genesis 9.8-10. Moral reciprocity—doing to others as one would have them do to oneself and giving an equal return for benefits received—is closely linked to impartiality, for to be impartial between oneself and someone else would mean doing nothing to profit at his or her expense. We believe in being honest, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all people. Traits of virtue, broadly practiced, can loosen and derail Satan’s firm and insidious grip on the hearts, minds, and spirits of mortal humans. #RandolphHarris 1 of 7
How does this spoiling of God’s initially good creation come about? Evil has entered into the Universe through the culpable violations of free creatures, angels, and people. Their sin consisted, not in choosing positive evil (for there is no positive evil to choose), but in turning away from the higher good, namely God, to a lower good. For when the will abandons what is above itself, and turns to what is lower, it becomes evil—not because that is evil to which it turns, but because the turning itself is wicked. Natural evils, such as disease, are divinely ordained consequences of the primeval fall of humanity, and thus all traces of evils are directly or indirectly linked to a wicked misuse of creaturely freedom. God is the highest, richest, and most intensely real being, is the supreme good, and everything that he has brought into existence is ipso facto good. For this reason, the corruption which we call evil can never be complete; for if a thing becomes so vitiated in nature that it ceases to exist, the evil which is parasitic upon it must also crease to exist. The Divine Mind is like an infallible calculating machine, surveys all possible combinations and selects the best, to which it then gives existence. We are perfect the way God made us and all here to learn our own nature, which will determine where we spend eternity. #RandolphHarris 2 of 7
The sacred cannot be selectively surrendered. As we seek answers from God, we feel the still, small voice whisper to our spirits. These feelings—these impressions—are so natural and so subtle that we may overlook them or attribute them to reason. Those who choose to abandon even one sacred thing will have their minds darkened. There is a generally recognized right to be left alone. An invasion of privacy occurs when someone unjustifiably intrudes on this right. If your privacy has been invaded by intrusion, misappropriation, public disclosure of private facts, or false light, an individual may have suffered physically and emotionally, or otherwise and may wish to bring a civil lawsuit to recover from this harm. The harm to one’s intertest in privacy depends on which form of privacy invasion an individual suffered. If private facts were publicly disclosed, one would be entitled to economic compensation for the harm that came from the disclosure, such as harm to your reputation and standing in the community. Mental or emotional distress that one has suffered from is also recoverable. And, if the invasion caused one to incur any special damages (specific quantifiable damages, such as medical expenses one has incurred) an individual may also recover those. #RandolphHarris 3 of 7
Daily reflecting upon and recording the impressions that come from God help us recognize our personal encounters with the divine and preserve them for ourselves and our posterity. Confidentiality is a respected part of the medical code of ethics. Doctors understand that people need to feel comfortable talking about private and revealing private information, they need a safe place to talk about anything they would like, without fear of that information leaving the room. They take your privacy very seriously. Laws are also in place to protect your privacy. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) contains a privacy rules that creates national standards to protect individuals’ medical records and personal health information. The right to control other’s access to one’s personal World, whether psychologically or physically can be attained by physical barriers or by communicating boundaries verbally. Privacy is important to not only a person’s psyche, but also the sense of self-worth. No one wants to live in a community where the government and media has violated their privacy and spread around rumors and sensitive information, and every time you meet someone, they feel like that know you, but actually have no idea who you are. They only know things that they have heard about you, which they may take as facts. #RandolphHarris 4 of 7
Light and knowledge from Heaven is sacred. It is sacred because Heaven is its source. It can be deeply disturbing when you meet people for the first time and they are talking about things you shared in confidential messages, and you know they would have no access to unless they are hacking into your personal messages. Sometimes the media will stoop to levels you cannot believe and work like witches over a cauldron to create a story. In 2013, police arrested six journalists because of phone hacking and suspicion of corruption charges that caused the News of the World newspaper empire to close. The reporters were accused of phone hacking, police bribery, and exercising improper influence in the pursuit of stories. Scotland Yard investigators found evidence of a further suspected conspiracy—above and beyond the scope of the original phone hacking probe that led to the paper’s demise. The journalist intercepted viocemails (answering machines messages on a mobile device). The board reach of the scandal became even more evident when Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Paul Stephenson, announced his resignation. There was ongoing speculation and accusations relating to the Metropolitan Police and with the News International at a senior level and in particular in relation to Mr. Neil Wallis, who was editor of News of the World, until 2009. He was also arrested as part of the scandal. #RandolphHarris 5 of 7
The news media swooped down on innocent people like a plague of crows and felt that they were above the law as they violated privacy laws. It was even revealed that Milly Dowler, a teen murdered in 2002, allegedly had her voicemail hacked and messages deleted by a reporter from the newsroom. The owner of the news agencies went on record and apologized. There was also a connection to September 11, 2001, as allegations surfaced that reporters tried to tap the phone of 9/11 victims in search of yet more sensational headlines. “Many, many innocent men, women, and children their private tears bought and sold by News International for commercial gain,” reported Gordon Brown the former British Prime Minister. As a result, the government established a judicial inquiry to look at criminal activity, media ethics, and media ownership. The media is very helpful at being a voice of the community, and getting justice for some people, but they can also be a very dangerous criminal organization and ruin the lives of people by targeting them in an effort to profit from “Breaking News.” No matter which way you turn, you get it right between where the Sun does not shine because so many people are morally adrift in a secular white squall. #RandolphHarris 6 of 7
Salvation is free. The sacred cannot be selectively surrendered. Money is not the root of all evil, it was new in Biblical days, they did not know much about it. Those who choose to abandon even one sacred thing will have their minds sulked in darkness as if they are in the bowels of the Devil. And unless they repent, the light they have will be taken from them by a theft in the night, allowing Satan to take root in their souls. Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it. Studying history is important because it allows us to understand our past, which in turn allows to understand our present. If we want to know how and why our World is the way it is, we have to look to history for answers. History does not repeat itself, people do. If we study the successes and failures of the past, we may, ideally, be able to learn from our mistakes and avoid repeating them in the future. Studying history can provide us with insight into our cultures of origin as well as cultures with which we might be less familiar, thereby increasing cross-cultural awareness and understanding. People know good from evil and the law is given to them. God is light, and people that receive the light, and continue in that light grow brighter and bright until the perfect day. May the Lord bless us to ever and always recognize, remember, and hold sacred that which we have received from above. As we do, we will have the power to endure the trials an overcome the challenges of our day. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. #RandolphHarris 7 of 7
The Windows of Heaven Illuminate the Soul
Eternal life is the belief that people can return to live in God’s presence and continue as families. The World is God (the only substance) under his attributes of thought and extension. The windows of Heaven allow spiritual illumination and perspective is poured out through the windows of Heaven and into our lives as we honor God. Everything follows from his essence by a logical necessity. Things could not have been produced by God in any other manner or order than that in which they were produced. All things must have followed of necessity from a given nature of God, and they were determined for existence or action in a certain way by the necessity of the divine nature. “And this the Lord did pour out his blessings upon this land, which was choice above all other lands; and he commanded that whoso should possess the land should possess it unto the Lord, or they should be destroyed when they were ripened in iniquity; for upon such, says the Lord: I will pour out the fulness of my wrath,” reports Ether 9.20. God has given life and then sustained it. He described a fact which is true for every human being: unforgiven sin will bring us unending torment. And he described the gift we all have been offered: those whose faith in Jesus Christ leads them to repentance and forgiveness will live in never-ending happiness. #RandolphHarris 1 of 7
A grateful person is rich in contentment. An ungrateful person suffers in the poverty of endless discontentment. The full Christian doctrine does not restrict God’s creative act to an initial moment in the cosmic process. All things owe their being continuously to his power. He is a first cause in the order of existence, not of time, for he himself is supratemporal. What is to be said about time and its relation to eternity derives from the fact that eternity is also before time. This expresses the fact that eternity is the element which embraces time on all sides. Eternity faithfully accompanies time on high, just as on a journey we are accompanied from one horizon to another by the vault of Heaven which begins and ends beyond every horizon. Or to be more precise it consists in the fact that eternity does not will to be without time, but causes itself to be accompanied by time. God is as we are. God endures in his pure and perpetual duration as we have our confused and fleeting duration. It is not that God merely was and will be. This is also true, and everything depends on whether eternity is understood as the divine perfectum and futurum, and our past and future as surrounded by God’s eternity. God’s eternity is time. Time itself is in eternity. Its whole extension from beginning to end, each single part of it, every epoch. #RandolphHarris 2 of 7
We have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if we have known of his goodness we are able to influence our audience. If we can remember and so remain grateful, we will retain a remission of our sins through all the losses and the gains of life. When we taste God’s love, and have received a remission of our sins, which causes such exceedingly great joy in our souls, even so we should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and our own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards us, unworthy creatures, and humble ourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel. “For it comes to pass that whoso build it up and seek to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it brings to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the Devil, who is the father of all lies; even that same lair who beguiled our first parents, even that same lair who beguiled our first parents, even that same lair who has caused humans to commit murder from the beginning; who has hardened the hearts of people that they have murdered the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning,” reports Ether 8.25. #RandolphHarris 3 of 7
Nationalism is based on the divine election of a people and a land for the proclamation to all humankind of those demands that God makes of all people, but for the special representation of which God has chosen one nation, whose suffering derives from its unfaithfulness to its mission. How can you and I remember, always, the goodness of God, that we can retain a remission of our sins? The Holy Ghost brings back memories of what God has taught us. And one of the ways God teaches us is with his blessings; and so, if we choose to exercise faith, the Holy Ghost will bring God’s kindness to our remembrance. You could test that in prayer today. You could follow the command to thank the Lord, your God, in all things. For, one of the greatest sins which some are guilty of is the sin of ingratitude. Presumably, most of us have not thought of that as a great sin. There is a great tendency for us in our prayers and in our pleadings with the Lord to ask for additional blessings. However, sometimes we need to devote more of our prayers to expressions of gratitude and thanksgiving for blessings already received. We enjoy so much. #RandolphHarris 4 of 7
God provided the human soul with infinite worth, and the ethical ideal of the kingdom of God. If you exercise faith, and with the gift of the Holy Ghost, you will find that memories of other blessings will flood into your mind. If you begin to express gratitude for each of them, your prayer may take a little longer than usual. Remembrance will come. And so will gratitude. The Holy Ghost has helped with that since the beginning of time. “Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the World not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is take from them in me, that is has no power over them,” reports Moroni 8.8. Ask yourself how did God bless you today? If you do that long enough and with faith, you will find yourself remembering blessings. And sometimes, you will have gifts brought to your mind which you failed to notice during the day, but which you will then know were a touch of God’s hand in your life. God is still on the throne and he has promotion and increase already lined up for you. His favor surrounds you like a shield. Goodness and mercy are following you. #RandolphHarris 5 of 7
Eyes and ears of faith are needed to recognize the spiritual gift of enhanced discernment that can empower us to identify opportunities that other people may overlook. There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect. We should be thankful and express appreciation for all favors received—and surely we receive many. The chief objects of our gratitude, however, should be, and are, God, our Heavenly Father, and his son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer. To the Lord Jesus we own an undying debt of gratitude, for he bought us with a great price. It is impossible for us, weak mortals as we are, to fully comprehend and appreciate the sufferings he endured on the cross that he might gain for us the victory over death. Jesus is the Christ, he atoned for our sins, and he is the keys which unlock the doors of eternal life. Remembrance is the foundation of gratitude which is the foundation generosity. Gratitude for the remission of sins is the seed of charity, the pure love of Christ. And so, God has made possible for you and me this blessing, a change in our very natures. God will comfort and will our hearts with hope and perfect love, which love endures by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come. #RandolphHarris 6 of 7
The blessing of greater personal determination is a virtue for purposefully fulfilling life. Cultivating happiness, courage, humanity, and altruism provide a strong foundation for those bound to a cause that is considered worthwhile, even against tremendous odds. Sometimes we may wonder why no one is helping us with situations we are enduring, but the blessings that comes to us through the Heavenly windows may be greater capacity to act and change our own circumstances rather than expecting our circumstances to be changed by someone or something else. We must pray earnestly that God will strengthen and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies. And God will deliver us and give peace to our souls. Assurance, peace, faith, and hope are precisely the blessings we need to press forward and prevail physically and spiritually. God will give us physical and mental stamina. Along with an enlarged perspective and increased patience and grace. God will bestow upon us conviction and confidence as we strive to achieve worthy goals. And when we plead for relief from physical, mental, and spiritual difficulties, God will increase our resolve and resilience. #RandolphHarris 7 of 7
All Really Delightful Things are Sudden
The Spirit renews our minds, and writes God’s writes law of love in our hearts, and we are given the power to live an honorable life. Abiding in him we become partakers of the divine nature and have the assurance of salvation now and in the judgment. It is obvious and generally admitted that we can have knowledge only of what is true. Truth, the most powerful of all things, is the strongest friend of innocence. God’s presence in the human mind enables it to recognize eternal truth. We live in a wonderful World that is fully of beauty, charm, and adventure! A wonderful era! There are so many choice people, such lovely things, and so much that is desirable. Just to live a normal, useful life is a priceless blessing. Each one of us has a choice: to focus our energy on obstacles or opportunities. What we focus on is magnified. However, there is also a time when certain God-given standards and true principles that have long been accepted and respected are being rejected by many. Indeed, it is a day when there is distress of nations, with perplexity. The Lord speaks of a time when the love of people shall wax cold, and iniquity shall abound. Has that time come? The wages of sin should be considered. The price of everything going up. To sin is really expensive, with inflation and all. It is most disturbing to learn of the degradation that exists today. Crime and contention are a daily diet to the reader and the listener of news. #RandolphHarris 1 of 6
What are you believing God will do in your life? Out of love to yourself, you should confine yourself to truth, for by doing otherwise, you injure the noblest part of yourself, your immortal soul. The scriptures tell us that the Devil is the foundation of murder and works of darkness, and he has great power, unto the stirring up of the people to do all manner of iniquity, and to the puffing them up with pride, tempting them to seek for power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the World. Such people seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every person walks in their own way, and after the image of their idols, whose image is in the likeness of the World. And they deny the power of God, the Holy One; and they say to people that they are gods, and that there is no real Lord in Heaven today, for the Lord and the Redeemer has done his work, and he has given his power unto them. However, these people who claim they are god and the Father in Heaven does not exist are liars. They are of their “father the devil, and the lusts of their father will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not speak the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own, for he is a liar and the father of lies,” reports John 8.44. It is truly painful to be thus requested to renounce one’s originality. #RandolphHarris 2 of 6
Crises and violence the World over are arising one after another, and they come to no satisfactory conclusion. Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma prove that humans are not the ultimate power. They cannot stop these storms. Some may ask why does not God, with that superior power, put an end to all evil doings? Because all people have the power to evaluate the right against the wrong. All people have the right to direct the course of their own lives, and the Lord will not deny that. Some people may be suffering from a lunatic infection and do not seem to mind. The Lord’s purpose in all of this is to bring to all the opportunity to prepare for the greatest gift of God: eternal life. Human progress is to a great degree dependent upon his or her willingness to remain steadfast and immovable, especially when faced with opposition and adversity. However, no person will ever be given more opposition than one has the potential to overcome or to endure. Some have a battle with infirmities, some with lust, some with addiction, some with envy, or selfishness, some with sorrow. “Let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold God is mightier than all the Earth,” reports 1 Nephi 4.1. This is a time of sifting, a time when, more than ever in the history of the modern World, the adversary and his followers have sown themselves to be enemies of God. However, we need not fear the fiery darts of the adversary, because each of us has the power to avoid becoming entangled in sin more definitely than ever before. #RandolphHarris 3 of 6
Someone I know is so spiritually ugly, that when people ask the parents which one of them this person resembles, they flip a coin to decide because they do not want to take responsibility for raising such a monster. We must purify our lives and sanctify our homes. We must teach our children to be loyal, obedient, honest, to respect the law (and to appreciate protective laws), to have respect for all people, and have a deep love of the Lord and his church. We must live and act with courage, espouse and uphold God-given truth and principles, because to follow the whims, enticements, and the faithless philosophy of people is to risk losing that which is more precious and desirable—peace, liberty, and salvation. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resists the Devil, and he will flee from you. “It is wisdom in God that we should obtain these records, that we may preserve unto our children the language of our fathers; and also that we may preserve unto them the words which have been spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets, which have been delivered unto them by the Spirit and power of God, since the World began, even down unto this present times,” reports 1 Nephi 3.19-20. We are sons and daughters of a living God, in whose image we have been created. Think of that truth: Created in the image of God. #RandolphHarris 4 of 6
God is always trying to give good things to us. This is a wonderful era, primarily because in the restored gospel we have the light of truth which, if applied, will bring sweet peace and serenity into the lives of those who do so. The Lord has made the World a crucible for testing us, a place of sifting from which may come the blessings of a joyous life here and a glorious life to come. “My God has been my support; he has led me through my afflictions in the wilderness; and he has preserved me upon the waters of the great deep. He has filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh. God has confused my enemies, unto the cause of them to quake before me,” 2 Nephi 4.20-22. Blessed is the person that trusts in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. God controls the whole Universe and nothing is too hard for him. He has given us talents and gifts that will take us to new levels of our destiny. We are living in a time that is unexcelled. Let us make sure that we do progress as we should. God has blessings in your future that if he showed you now, you would not believe it. It is exceedingly great. Your dreams will come to pass and the promises God has made will be fulfilled. Negativity will become optimism, as we soar beyond our meager accomplishments. #RandolphHarris 5 of 6
Truth is always bold. We cannot sincerely understand how powerful it is to be created in the image of God, without experiencing a profound new sense of strength and power, even the strength to live the commandments of God, the power to resist the temptations of Satan. I want to know God’s thoughts. The rest are details. As we keep our covenants we will be happy, more successful, loved, and respected even by those who do not believe as we do and who may ridicule us. They expect us to keep our covenants and out commitments, to stand up for our beliefs, and to be different. Let people know that you love them and will do all in your power to help them succeed and be happy, but remember to be living worthily and be prepared to continue to live worthy of the gospel which God has embraced and magnified in your life. And because you honor God, he will do in a fraction of the time what should have taken you a lifetime to accomplish. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you if you heed the voice of the Lord your God. When we accept God’s grace and salvation, the Holy Spirit reveals our need for Jesus and recreates us. The Spirit builds our faith and helps us leave our broken lives behind. #RandolphHarris 6 of 6
A New High in Lowness–Involuntary Television Intoxication
We are all of us, more or less, subject to the delusions of vanity, or hope, or love. Each person will face the record for his or her life, and all will see the true justice and fairness of God. Then God will destroy sin and sinners forever. A man was urged by his wife to attend a social function in which he really took no interest. Yielding to his wife’s entreaties, he began to take his dress-suit from the trunk when he suddenly thought of shaving. After accomplishing this, he returned to the trunk and found it locked. Despite a long, earnest search, the key could not be found. A locksmith could not be found on Sunday evening, so that the couple had to send their regrets. On having the trunk opened the next morning, the lost key was found within. The husband had absent-mindedly dropped the key into the trunk and sprung the lock. He assured me that this was wholly unintentional and unconscious, but we knew that he did not wish to go to the social affair. This mislaying of the key therefore lacked no apparent motive. Threatening situations are often accompanied by an unpleasant emotion. A person who feels tense, uneasy, apprehensive, worried, and vulnerable might become defensive. Psychological defense mechanisms allow us to reduce stress. Many of the defenses, like misplacing the key, are operated unconsciously. #RandolphHarris 1 of 9 
Often, defense mechanisms create an area in which one’s ability to understand is weak or lacking. One of the most basic defenses is denial (protecting oneself from an unpleasant reality by refusing to accept it or believe it). Refusal on our part to sustain or follow the Lord’s anointed servants is a form of rebellion, which is open or willful resistance to and defiance of God’s authority. This is extremely serious. Rebellion is the opposite of obedience and leads to expulsion from the kingdom. This is what happened to Lucifer. He refused to sustain the Lord in that he would not follow and do the thing which he had seen the Father do before him. When we fail to do what we know we should, having the light before us, but refusing to obey, notwithstanding the covenants, we become rebels. Some even seem to delight in their rebellion. They brag about it; if they only knew that the Lord’s anger is kindled against all the rebellious, and they shall be pierced with much sorrow and they shall fail. Deliverance from sin a much greater blessing than deliverance from affliction. “Marvel that all humankind, all nations, kindreds, languages, people must be reborn again; born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God; becoming his sons and daughters,” reports Mosiah 27.25. In this Earth-life probation those who are converted will succeed. #RandolphHarris 2 of 9
The kingdom is not going to fail. It is the stone which the prophet Daniel saw was cut out of the mountain without hands, and it rolled forth down the mountain side, gaining momentum as it went. It broke down all other kingdoms; it filled the whole Earth and stood forever. Mosiah 27.14 reports, “The knowledge of the truth, therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith. And Now behold, can you dispute the power of God? For behold, does not my voice shake the Earth?” The kingdom of God is a winner. Is it great to be part of a winner? Do you not love a winner? Will you lose your keys to the mysteries of the kingdom of God? God wants to make clear and transparent to the watching Universe that no one reaps a fate they did not choose. “My soul has been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but now I behold the marvelous light of God. My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more,” reports Mosiah 27.29. Only God is inherently immortal, yet the free gift of salvation is eternal life. We came to this Earth to win, and we will win if we stick with the Lord, because the Lord is not going to lose. He cannot lose. #RandolphHarris 3 of 9
The kingdom is a winner, and when we do it his way, we will win with him. The promise is sure, if we endure to the end, we will be saved. The Lord requires the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat of the land of Zion in these last days. As God recreates the Earth, love, joy, and harmony will at least be restored to the Universe. Fear, suffering and death will only be a memory. We will know God face to face, and be free to create and explore without end. “And now I speak unto all the ends of the Earth—that if the day comes that the power and gifts of God shall be done away among you, it shall be because of unbelief,” reports Moroni 10.24. The rebellious shall be cut off out of the land of Zion and shall be sent away, and shall not inherit the land. There is a story of enlightening that we should recall so you can see it is still not too late to repent. Blessings build upon following the teaching of righteous parents. Enos has a father who was a just man. He taught Enos in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and the words he heard his father speak concerning the eternal life, and the joy of the saint, sunk deep into his heart. The continual teachings of a just father caused Enos’ soul to hunger, and he went before the Lord in mighty prayer and supplication for his own soul. #RandolphHarris 4 of 9
Enos had also learned the value of continuing in righteousness, for he reports that he prayed all day long, and when the night came, he still raised his voice high that it reached the Heavens. His continuous and fervent humble prayer resulted in a marvelous declaration from on high. And there came a voice onto him, saying that his sins had been forgiven, and he shall be blessed. Enos had built upon the righteous teachings of his father as the base for his own search for the Lord. He had continued as he commenced. God allows us to be in uncomfortable situations where we are not getting our way, not being treated right, or things are not happening as fast as we would like, so this pressure brings light to impurities in our character. Things like egotistical pride, selfishness, being critical, or easily offended are traits we need to get rid of. God allows difficulties to help us grow. To continue means more than to endure or tolerate something. It means to maintain a steady course of action with unshaken faith in Christ. Go forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and all people. Wherefore, if you shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, God promises you shall have eternal life. #RandolphHarris 5 of 9
If you have no hope, you must be in despair; and despair comes because of iniquity. To continue in righteousness takes personal courage and strength of commitment. We must recognize that there is an opposing force to that which is right. Sometimes hardships come our way or fatigue dims our vision in decision making. It may be a selfish motive or carnal desire that needs to be overcome before we can continue. In every situation, however, the answer which leads to happiness is to press forward. When we have done all we can do in a situation, the Lord will find a way to open doors. The forces in you are greater than the forces trying to contain you. In order to become all that God has created you to be, keep expanding your faith and looking for new opportunities, new ideas, and new ways to expand your influence. You are meant for great things. God will take you to places you never dreamed of and will bring opportunities that give you amazing influence. “And Christ truly said unto our fathers: If you have faith you can do all things which are expedient unto me,” reports Moroni 10.23. The Lord will give you strength to face the challenges of the day. God will bless your continued efforts and faith and open doors of homes and hearts to the message of restoration. #RandolphHarris 6 of 9
Those who remain loyal to God will receive the kingdom. However, Satan has vowed to thwart the purposes of God and uses all sorts of devices and deceptions to mislead us. All too frequently today we read or hear about dishonesty in government, in business firms, in trade unions, and in other areas of endeavor. In every case there has been a violation of some moral code or disobedience to law. Moreover, there is little or no remorse. In addition, there are too many who have little regard for human, plant, nature, and animal life. Some criminals today even go on lecture tours or star in movies at great financial gain. This is most appalling indeed. Too many parents are leaving their responsibilities to television sets, which act as baby-sitters, and often do irreparable damage. The 1982 Florida case Zamora v. State was unusual. A fifteen-year-old boy was accused of murdering his elderly next-door neighbor in cold blood, and his attorney was pleading an insanity defense because he committed the crime while under the influence of involuntary television intoxication. Ellis Rubin attempted to argue that as a result of television intoxication, the fifteen-year-old was insane when he shot and killed his elderly neighbor after she discovered him burglarizing her house. #RandolphHarris 7 of 9
A pretrial brief stated that through the excessive and long-continued use of this intoxicant [television], a mental condition of insanity was produced. That condition was a disease of the mind, and left the young man incapable of realizing the criminality of his conduct and unable to conform to the law. However, because the expert witness, Dr. Thomas could not conclusively link any particular TV show or amount of TV violence directly to the homicide perpetrated by the defendant (or to any defendant in a homicide case), the testimony was excluded and the charge of murder was upheld on appeal. Children must learn obedience, and parents must exact obedience from them. Love your children, let them know that you love them; but remember that it is no favor to a child to let that being do things one should not do. Research indicates that youth want some direction and control in their lives and want to live up to the expectations of those who are responsible for directing their lives. The laws of God and the laws of nature and the laws of the land are made for the benefit of humans—for our comfort, enjoyment, safety, and well-being—and it is up to the individual to learn these laws and to determine whether or not one will enjoy these benefits by obeying the laws and by keeping the commandments. #RandolphHarris 8 of 9
To be happy and successful we must obey the laws and regulations pertaining to our activities. These laws will function either to our joy and well-being or to our detriment and sorrow, according to our actions. Some people are fed up with being told what to do. However, people are free to do exactly what they choose to do (as long as it does not infringe upon the rights of others), but there are certain consequences which follow all our actions, and we must be prepared to take those consequences. I know it is sometimes difficult to accept philosophy when we see prominent and seemingly successful people reach the top when we know they are not thoroughly honest nor dependable and have used devious means to gain their status and success. However, they are or will eventually be brought to justice, with their names often splashed mercilessly before a critical public; and I feel sure there will come a time when they will feel that the humiliation for them and their often innocent family was not worth their disobedience to law and order and sound moral behavior. Therefore, we must control our actions. “Let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven,” reports 3 Nephi 12.16. #RandolphHarris 9 of 9
What do I Look Like, an Inferior Decorator?
God made our World with brilliant creativity and tender care. He created humanity to take care of and take pleasure in the planet, with rest and recreation in perfect balance. Achieving eternal life is a personal obligation. To save the World is a great responsibility. This responsibility rests no only on church members, but also on us. We cannot rebel against God and be in harmony with him. There is open rebellion all over the World against the established order of decency and obedience to the laws of God and man. However, the only way Satan can be bound is for people to forsake his temptations and enticements to do evil, and to walk uprightly and circumspectly before the Lord. Satan and his followers are constantly looking for weakness in our armor of spiritual protection, and when it is found, every pressure and subterfuge is placed upon it to infiltrate our souls and destroy us. Our only hope of Heavenly protection is in establishing righteousness and humility in the heart of people everywhere. It takes real courage and purpose to live a saintly life. At the root of your lifestyle is your commitments and what you are dedicated to forges your life and the lives of the people around you. The Spirit of God is one of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, and faith. If we have been taught and determined always to choose the right and resist evil, we will have the strength to overcome obstacles. #RandolphHarris 1 of 5
We must be honest with ourselves and others. In the Control of morals, there must be self-mastery, self-discipline, and self-control. If you do not like your lifestyle, look at what you are doing that could be throwing your life out of balance. Some people might be involved in things that are leading to the destruction of moral, ethical, and spiritual values of life. Look at your life with pure honesty and focus only on the results. We must be morally clean and not live a double moral standard. We must not have two personalities—one for Sunday and another for the other six days of the week. A lot of people are always searching for something better in life. They do not want to commit to some things because they see it as giving up their freedom and think that something better may come around, and want to keep their options open. In doing so, these individuals are giving up the joy of life. Real freedom comes from commitment. When you commit, you allow your mind the freedom to be relaxed and not worry about that aspect of life anymore and your mind is able to be more creative and move forward. The Lord says, “After you have arrived in the promise land, you will know that I, the Lord, am God; and that I, the Lord, did deliver you from destruction,” (Nephi 17.14). Overcoming temptation will provide us with deliverance and continued faith will have the promise of receiving blessings. #RandolphHarris 2 of 5
Possessing the word of God and having an understanding of it, no member should every yield to the temptation of evil. We have been properly taught, but we are not all living as we are taught. How many of us because of our failure to keep the commandments of God take the devil with us into our lives, into our homes, into the temples of God, into sacrament and other church meetings? We must be special people to God by being committed to him; and we must prove our commitment to God through our conduct and behavior and obedience to his commandments. In the family home, there, one should find high standards maintained with confidence, peace, companionship, and happiness. Also, obedience goes beyond that of Earthly parents. It obligates all of us children of our Heavenly Father to be obedient to his laws and commandments. “Mighty God shall deliver his covenant people. For this says the Lord: I will contend with them that content with thee. And I will feed them that oppress thee, with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood as with sweet wine; and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Savior and the Redeemer,” (2 Nephi 6.17-18). We must realize that it is our duty and privilege to be good neighbors, especially to those who have no families. #RandolphHarris 3 of 5
The image of God is within us. It is a joy to recognize the great gift that God has given to us all. It is time to bring out the likeness of God in all believers. The Holy Spirit shows us our need for God and assures us that we are saved and forgiven. The spirit writes a new script in our hearts, empowering us to live in freedom, service and joy. God treats us as if we had never sinned, never doubted, never gone our own way. God claims our hearts and transforms our outlook. Our spiritual life grows as we talk with God, ponder his word, share our faith and worship him. We are taught the glory of God is intelligence, or, in other terms, light and truth. We are taught to seek wisdom, seek learning; even by study and also by faith. Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his or her diligence and obedience than another, that individual will have so much the advantage in the World to come. “The final state of the souls of humans is to dwell in the kingdom of God, or to be cast out of that justice,” (1 Nephi 15.35). It is my earnest prayer that all of us will be firm, steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of our Lord, and this will keep Satan out of the Church. #RandolphHarris 4 of 5
Common sense suggest ability without sophistication or special knowledge. It is just good, sound, practical sense in judgment. All have been born with a measure of common sense. It is a matter of using it, of thinking things through instead of actin in too much haste. “And it came to pass that they did humble themselves before the Lord; insomuch that I had joy and great hopes of them, that they would walk in the paths of the righteousness,” 1 (Nephi 16.5). Wickedness never was happiness, but to the contrary, it is depressing; it destroys conscience and ultimately the spiritual life of the constant, erring individual. A child improperly taught and improperly trained by parents is apt to succumb to the temptations of evil and thus contaminate and ruin his or her life, both now and eternally. We must remember that no unclean thing can enter into the presence of God. One cannot win by following the path of evil. The earlier in life we learn to commit to God, the more rewarding and fruitful our lives will be. “Behold, the Lord has created the Earth that it should be inhabited; and he has created his children that they should possess it. And he raised up a righteous nation, and destroyed the nation of the wicked,” (1 Nephi 17.36-37). May God so bless us, I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. #RandolphHarris 5 of 5
Wickedness Never was Happiness
It is better to condescend to be happy than to aspire to be miserable. The civil function of religion is recognized on the basis of the correspondence between the Heavenly and Earthly city. The Heavenly cut is the norm or the ideal of human’s civil life; and precisely because it is such, its recognition means the commitment of human beings to realize, as much as possible, its characteristics in the Earthly city. Many of you are not just ordinary men and women, you are choice spirits, many of you have been held back in reserve for almost 6,000 years to come forth in this day, at this time, when the temptations, responsibilities, and opportunities are the very greatest. God is love, power, and splendor—and God is a mystery. The Christian Bible is not only the proclamation of superterrestrial happiness, but also of Earthly happiness. Religion is the confidence in the value of human’s work, in success of this work, and in the reward that humans will find in the future life. The fundamental function of religion is to support human beings in the work of civil life, in political work, and activity. #RandolphHarris 1 of 11
Would you have an inconstant God, since we count a human foolish that is inconstant? God’s ways are beyond us, but he still reaches out to us. God is infinite yet intimate, all-knowing yet all-forgiving. We will spend eternity cherishing an ever-deepening relationship with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Bible is the story of God striving to reconnect with his children, and is a major method God uses to reach us. God the Father reached out to us most dramatically through his Son Jesus, who chose not just to visit us, but to become one of us. Born human so we can be reborn in the Spirit, Jesus showed us God’s love and character—and how far God was willing to go to save us from self-destruction. What we could not do for ourselves, he did for us, paying the price for our sins, dying in our place so we can live forever. He conquered death through resurrection, and promised to return to take us home to the Kingdom of God. Meanwhile, God has not left us alone. The Holy Spirit is here to comfort us, guide us and transform us to live as witnesses for God’s love. The same Spirit who inspired prophets and empowered Jesus, who shaped scripture and created the World, enables and empowers each one of us. #RandolphHarris 2 of 11
The broadening of our existence and of our knowledge is possible historically only through the contemplation of previous existence. The study of Christian culture in its broadest aspects will promote a true philosophical knowledge of humanity, including the know of the manifold intellectual, sentient, and moral human powers. The World is a unity of diverse forces, a cultural unity which will be regained through a comprehensive study of Christianity. We should study the moral character of different human types; a great variety of sources will provide the data for establishing an ideal norm, which is not adequately represented by any specific individuality. To comprehend the wholeness in the diversity of human types requires aesthetic insight, which is fundamental to the art of the historian. The condition of the soul which gives rise to the necessity of history (in the truest and highest sense of the word) is similar to that out of which an epic is produced with the help of imagination and art. Everything that is active in World history is also stirring in the inner being of human. The ideas in history have preserved human experience in the mind. #RandolphHarris 3 of 11
The eternal original ideas of everything conceivable provides existence and value, the beauty of all physical and spiritual forms, the truth in the unalterable working of every force according to its indwelling law, the justice in the inexorable course of events which are eternally regulated and meted their just reward. The goal of history is the realization of the idea representing itself through humanity from all sides and in all forms in which the finite forms can be connected with the idea. The task of the historian is therefore to represent this process of the ideas being actualizes in history. God loves you as he loves each and every one of his children, and his desire and purpose and glory is to have you return to him pure and undefiled, having proven yourselves worthy of an eternity of joy in his presence. Your Father in Heaven is mindful of you. He has given you commandments to guide you, to discipline you. He has also given you your agency—freedom of choice to see if you will do all the things whatsoever he shall command. It implies a deep-rooted subjective view of the World, a spiritual attitude, that controls the formation of concepts. #RandolphHarris 4 of 11
God’s kingdom here on Earth is well organized, and your leaders are dedicated to helping you. May you know that you have the constant love, concern and prayers of the Church. It is evident that the languages are not really means of representing the truth that has already been ascertained, but far more, means of discovering a truth not previously know. Their diversity is not a diversity of sound, but of World outlook. However, Satan is also mindful of you. He is committed to your destruction. He does not discipline you with commandments, but offers instead a freedom to do your own thing—the freedom to smoke, to drink, to misuse drugs or rebel against the counsel and commandments of God and his servants. Satan knows that you are young, at the peak of physical vigor, excited by the World, and consumed by new emotions. It is curious to observe how good and bad are mingled in human institutions. Satan knows that youth is the Springtime of life when all things are new and young people are most vulnerable. #RandolphHarris 5 of 11
Youth is the spirit of adventure and awakening. It is a time of physical emerging when the body attains the vigor and good health that many ignore the caution of temperance. Youth is a period of timelessness when the horizons of age seem too distant to be noticed. No one falls like Lucifer from Heaven—the progress of evil is slow and not easily perceived. This, the now generation forgets that the present will soon be the past, which one will look back upon either with sorrow and regret or joy and cherished experiences. Satan’s program is play now and pay later. He seeks for all to be miserable like unto himself. The Lord’s program is happiness now and joy forever through gospel living. Out of love for God, we must live a morally clean life, as wickedness never was happiness. You cannot do wrong and feel right. It is impossible! Years of happiness can be lost in the foolish gratification of a momentary desire for pleasure. Satan would have you believe that happiness comes only as you surrender to his enticements, but one only needs to look at the shattered lives of those who violate God’s laws to know why Satan is called the Father of Lies. #RandolphHarris 6 of 11
From the depths of a broken heart, many hope to warn others never to partake of the bitterness that has come on them from living foul. Many people would give all that they have or may acquire if they could go back to the happy carefree days before the first little taint of sin creeped into their heart and soul. Some scarcely realize that they were slipping into something that would bring much sorrow and ruin into their lives. Much anguish and regret fills the hearts of those who follow Satan, as they lose self-respect as life’s most priceless gift is fleeting. Because many individuals reach out too eagerly for the excitements and thrills of life, they have turned to ashes in their hands. This is what happens when people discover the burden of sin. However, you can avoid that burden and all the attending heartaches if you will but heed the standards laid down for you through the teachings of the Lord’s servants. One of the standards on which your happiness is based, now and in your future, is moral purity. The World would tell you that this standard is old-fashioned and out of date. #RandolphHarris 7 of 11
The World would also have you to accept a so-called new morality, which is nothing more than immortality. However, the eternal standard of chastity has not changed. The eternal standard means keeping yourselves clean in body and mind. The Church has no double standard of morality. The moral code of Heaven for both men and women is complete chastity before marriage and full fidelity after marriage. Be careful of the sexual behavior, and even necking and petting, as they lead to fornication and it is often difficult for youth to distinguish where one ends and another begins. They awaken lust and stir evil thoughts and the sex desires. Maintain your self-respect. Do not engage in intimacies that brings heartache and sorrow. You cannot build happy lives on immortality. The first condition of happiness is a clean conscience. Also, stay close to your parents. There are some things which come only with mature adulthood, and one of these is wisdom. Young people, you need the wisdom of age, just as some antiquated people need the youth’s enthusiasm for life. #RandolphHarris 8 of 11
There is much to live for this lovely autumn morning. Your parents may become somewhat strict and stern from caring for you and your brothers and sisters. However, just remember, your parents are mature and have years of experience you have not had, can provide wisdom, knowledge, and blessings to help you over life’s sweetest experiences come when you go to Mom and Dad for help. There will be a bond of gratitude and love in your home. Do your part to develop real family unity and family solidarity. In such houses, there is no generation gap. This is another tool of the adversary—to drive children and parents apart. Satan wishes to have you, that he may run through you like Hurricane Harvey, leaving a path of pain and destruction after he is done. However, if you will earnestly seek guidance from your Heavenly Father, morning and evening, you will be given the strength to shun away temptation. Supplicating the Lord for the guidance of his Spirit places around us a safeguard, and if we earnestly and honestly seek the guidance of the Spirit of God, we can be assured that we will receive it. God is the eternal Father, is the Creator, Source, Sustainer, and Sovereign of all creation. #RandolphHarris 9 of 11
God will pour love into our souls like that of the morning mist pours over the hills into our valley. The name of God must be engrained in our hearts, and imprinted in our souls. When you pray—when you talk to your Heavenly Father—do you really talk out your problems with him? Do you let him know your feelings, your doubts, your insecurities, your joys, your deepest desires—or is prayer merely a habitual expression with the same words and phrases. Do you ponder what you really mean to say? Do you take time to listen to the prompting of the Spirit? Answers to prayers come most often by a still voice and discerned by our deepest, innermost feelings. You can know the will of God concerning yourselves if you take the time to pray and to listen. Yes, beloved people, you will have your trials and temptations through which you must pass, but there are great moments of eternity which are ahead. You have love and confidence. You can live in the World and not partake of the sins of the World. You can live life joyously, beautifully, unmarred by the ugliness of sin. Beyond the darkness is the glow of rays of endless light. #RandolphHarris 10 of 11
If deep within your heart you keep the vision—the dream that nothing can erase or mar, the promise of a fairer day tomorrow, will be for you a compass and a star. Look to this day, arise in all your splendor, and bear the standards of the World-to-be. However, when hate and war, distress and desolation are near, give place to justice, love, and liberty. I pray that you—the young and rising generation—will keep your bodies and minds clean, free from the contaminations of the World, that you will be fit and pure vessels to accept the kingdom of God. Do not feel badly because you are not where you want to be right this minute. Do not focus on the disappointment, the failure, or the mistakes. They were all a part of God’s plan to prepare you for the future. Keep moving forward, being your best, honoring God, being determined and persistent, and God will provide for your future. God is going before you to fight your battles and help your overcome obstacles. You will accomplish your dreams because Almighty God. #RandolphHarris 11 of 11
The Winchester Mystery House
The Winchester Mystery House is among the most haunted places in the world. https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/
Let Him without Sin be the Rolling Stone
It is so hard to forget pain, but it is even harder to remember sweetness. We have no scar to show for happiness. We learn so little from peace. As clever as human beings are, we rely on social groups for survival. We evolved to live in cooperative societies, and most of human history we depended on those groups for our lives. Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and captivity, and from all other nations under Heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ. In 1492, in harmony with the Lord’s vision, Christopher Columbus was divinely led to America. Christopher Columbus, himself, corroborated the fact that he was divinely led to this land. Because Christopher Columbus was led, we are here in this choice land. God gave us victory in the Revolutionary War. We are indebted to him for our nation’s independence. He has prospered us in every righteous endeavor. He established the Constitution of the United States of America. The issues we face are clear and well defined. We can repent and obey and thereby qualify to receive the blessings promised to the righteous in this land. The phenomenal population growth in these days is by divine power with divine purpose. #RandolphHarris 1 of 8
Remember, the worth of souls is great in the sight of God. Peace can be settled in the heart of each who turns to the scriptures and unlocks the promises and protection and redemption. Perhaps the greatest reason for our lives is to teach others the love of God, to show the World that it is possible to heal from hardships of the past. Below us lie the deserts of sin and the forest of evil; below us stretch the swamps of carnality and the plains of passion; below us rage the roaring rivers of war and hate and crime, through all of which we have struggled to reach this summit. The turbulent and awesome conditions of the last days of mortal existence, some of which we now observe, have been spoken of my many of the prophets. Hydrogen bomb tested in North Korea created an Earthquake a magnitude 6.3, it was so strong it shook buildings in China and Russia. However, we shall not fear, for the Lord said as long as we follow his divine law, we will have refuge from against the awesome conditions which we must face. The Lord has given us the pattern in all things, that we may not be deceived, for Satan is abroad in the land and he goes forth deceiving nations. However, we know that Jesus is the Christ, and the message of restoration is true. If we are faithful, we need not fear that which must come about. #RandolphHarris 2 of 8
Christianity is an intellectual despair to find stability in an eternal and infinite God. Happiness, and the happiness of future generations depends upon living those standards established by the Savior and set forth in his scriptures. Parents today wonder if there is a safe place to raise children. There is a safe place. It is in a gospel-centered home. We are supposed to focus on the family in the Church, and to raise our families in righteousness. Evil people and seducers shall wax worse, deceiving, and being deceived. These verses serve as a warning, showing which patterns to avoid. We must be ever watchful and diligent. We pray that evil may be done away, and that the time may come the Satan may have no power upon the hearts of humans, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved. When we think of the future, we should be overwhelmed with feelings of optimism. The scriptures hold the keys to spiritual protection. Soon the feeling of peace and inspiration will come, and a solution will present itself to any problems one may be suffering from. #RandolphHarris 3 of 8
Happiness is never in fruition, but always in prospect of pursuits. Make scripture reading a part of your regular routine, and the blessings will follow. There is in the scripture a voice of warning, but there is also great nourishment. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine. The cure for most mistakes can be found by seeking forgiveness through personal prayer. However, there are certain spiritual illnesses, particularly those dealing with violations of the moral law, which absolutely require the assistance and treatment of a qualified spiritual physician. Some people have made mistakes and in their antiquated ages, the memories come back to haunt them. They are sometime unable to shake the feelings of guilt. Often times, one cannot go back and undo the problems of their youth on their own. If you awake to a sense of your awful situation, repentance is individual, and so is forgiveness. The Lord requires only that one turn from their sin and God will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. With sincere repentance, the effects of our transgression can be erased through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. That promise applies in every case. #RandolphhHarris 4 of 8
God is looking for people who have faith that he can see, a faith that is demonstrated. The gospel teaches us to be happy, to have faith rather than fear, to find hope and overcome despair, to leave darkness and turn toward the light of the everlasting gospel. Even in the trials of our time and the days yet to come, peace can be settled in the heart of each who turns to the scriptures and inlocks the promises of protection and redemption that are taught therein. When God sees you doing what you can to get well that is when extraordinary things will happen. 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. Virtuous traits form the foundation of a Christian life and are the outward manifestation of the inner being. Virtue includes integrity, humility, charity, spirituality, accountability, civility, and fidelity. We need only to look around us to see what is taking place in our communities to realize that personal traits of virtue are in steep decline. Reflect on the behavior of drivers on crowded highways; road rage happens too often. Civility is all but absent in our political discourse. #RandolpHarris 5 of 8
As countries around the World face financial and economic challenges, fidelity and honesty seem to have been replaced with greed and craft. A visit to a shopping mall will often subject you to crude language and immodest dress. Some athletes display poor sportsmanship and seldom show humility, even when exposed for legal or moral infidelities. A large segment of our population feels little personal responsibility for their own temporal well-belong. On occasion, our generosity in support of good causes wanes as our appetite to acquire more than we need prevails. We need not be a part of the malaise that is penetrating and infecting society. If we follow the World in abandoning Christian-centered virtues, the consequences may be disastrous. Individual faith and fidelity, which have eternal consequences, will diminish. Family solidarity and spirituality will be adversely impacted. Religious influence in society will be lessened, and the rule of law will be challenged and perhaps even set aside. The seedbed for all that plagues the natural human being will have been planted, to the sheer delight of Satan. #RandolphHarris 6 of 8
If you want your strength renewed, the right way to wait is to give God praise, to talk about his greatness; you will go through the day expecting him to turn it around. God promises he will renew your strength. God is breathing strength, energy, passion, vision, and vitality back into your spirit. You will come out of your hardship stronger, higher, better off than you were before. You could not kill my appetite for God with silver bullets and a wooden stake. Teaching virtuous traits begins in the home with parents who care and set the example. A good parental example encourages emulation; a poor example gives license to the children to disregard the parents’ teachings and even expand the poor example. A hypocritical example destroys credibility. It is difficult for a person to display virtuous traits if he or she lacks a firm adherence to a code of moral values. Without integrity, honesty is forgotten. If integrity is absent, civility is impaired. If integrity is not important, spirituality is difficult to maintain. Most people will not commit desperate acts if they have been taught dignity, honesty, and integrity; honesty and integrity are more important than revenge or rage. #RandolphHarris 7 of 8
If people understand that respect and kindness ultimately gives one a better chance at success, they will be blessed and go further in life. If virtues are lost, families will be measurably weakened, individual faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will soften, and important eternal relationships may be jeopardized. Traits of virtue broadly practiced can loosen Satan’s firm grip on society and derail his insidious plan to capture the hearts, minds, and spirits of mortal human beings. Now is the time for us to join in rescuing and preserving that which is virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy. As we allow virtue garnish our thoughts unceasingly and we cultivate virtuous traits in our personal lives, our communities and institutions will be improved, our children and families will be strengthened, and faith and integrity will bless individual lives. The love of God binds to us, and we shall journey through life hand in hand. We shall sit in God’s presence and learn the wondrous things he will tell us for he is God. The heart of God, the Most High, is within. Our Heavenly Father expects his children to exercise integrity, civility, fidelity, charity, generosity, morality, and all the virtues. May we have the humility to take the opportunity to act upon our responsibility to demonstrate our ability to do so, I pray in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen. #RandolphHarris 8 of 8
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
My Sunshine Darts but Through Drizzly Clouds
Happy are they who are blessed with the power of making happy. In recent months, peace has been a paramount thought in the minds of many people throughout the World. When World peace is threatened, many countries find themselves engaged in wars. The new media has shown vivid images of missile testing, ravages, suffering, floods, fires, and destruction of wars and the turmoil it causes in individuals. Current theories attribute war to external factors such as overpopulation and scarcity, or, conversely, to something inside people—emotions, drives, sex hormones, or instincts. War is a dysfunction, or a temporary aberration in global political relations. War causes deep stress and disrupts families, employment, and schooling. It consumes resources that could be used to better advantage elsewhere. Is it the good, or the evil fortune of mortals that the comic side of life, and the serious side of life, are perpetually in collision with each other? When it comes to war, our hearts are filled with compassion for families on all sides who lose loved ones and for the innocent victims of war, especially the children. We pray now for a lasting peace when people shall learn war no more. #RandolphHarris 1 of 7
Peace is neither the absence of war nor something fixed and permanent. Rather, peace is a process by which politically organized groups develop and maintain positive, constructive, and mutually beneficial relationships that enable them to transcend collective violence. Peace involves nonviolent and constructive means of conflict management, as opposed to those methods at the opposite end of the continuum that rely on coercion and violence. Peace is sustained by numerous factors, including cultural compatibility, beliefs by each side that the relationship is fair and just, and structural mechanisms that promote cooperation, positive reform, and the peaceful resolution of conflicts. In the scriptures, peace means either freedom from strife, contention, conflict, or war, or an inner calm and comfort born of the Spirit that is a gift of God to all of his children, an assurance and serenity within a person’s heart. Peace is a state of tranquility or quiet, freedom from disquieting thoughts or emotions, and harmony in personal relations. This is the ultimate state sought by all seekers, whether they are religious, humanist, or have no spiritual or philosophical identification at all. #RandolphHarris 2 of 7
While we yearn for peace, we live in a World burdened with hunger, pain, anguish, loneliness, sickness, and sorrow. We see divorce with all of its attendant conflict and heartache, especially among the innocent children caught in the middle. Wayward, disobedient children cause their parents grief and anxiety. Financial problems cause distress and loss of self-respect. Some loved ones slip into a fortuitous fumble, deep into sin and wickedness, forsake their covenants, and walk in their own way, and after the image of their own god. In peace, there is no longer any conflict. There is a total absence of negativity and an all-encompassing lovingness that is experienced as serenity, tranquility, timelessness, completion, fulfillment, stillness, and contentment. There is inner quiet and light, a feeling of oneness, unity, and total freedom. The peace is imperturbable. The value of peace within our hearts cannot be measured. When we are at peace, we can be free of worry and fear, knowing that with the Lord’s help, we can do all that is expected or required of us. We can approach every day, every task, and every challenge with assurance and confidence in the outcome. We have freedom of thought and actions, freedom to be happy. #RandolphHarris 3 of 7
There can be no real happiness without peace, yet honest men and women in all parts of the World are seeking personal peace and know not where to find it. Even those incarcerated for lengthy periods of time as war prisoners can be at peace in their own minds. Many of them have learned from their captors that they cannot deprive them of freedom to think, even when the most harsh limitations are imposed. Few, if any, blessings from God are more valuable to our spiritual health than the reward of peace within. Once the experience of peace has occurred, we are no longer a victim of the World. We are no longer at its effect as we once were, for we have had a glimpse of the truth about it and of what we really are. Peace is an ever-increasing frequency. At times, they may become quite profound and of greater and greater duration. When a person is in the state of peace, they test strong with kinesiology, and nothing makes them weak, whether it is mental, emotional, or physical. There is no longer identification with the body as our self, and physical disorders may or may not be healed, but we are indifferent to them; physical concerns have lost any significant meanings. With the experience of inner peace comes great strength. #RandolphHarris 4 of 7
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is called the Prince of Peace, and his message is a message of peace to the individual and to the World. It is the peace that makes us really appreciate mortal life and enables us to bear heartbreaking tribulation. The mission of the church of Jesus Christ is to establish this peace in the hearts and homes of the people. Many people have related how the gospel has brought peace, joy, growth, and development into their lives. The most beneficial thing is we pick up the vibration by being in the physical presence of that state of peace and complete surrender. This energy of peace is transmitted outward into the World that it keeps humankind alive. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God. Have you ever wondered how you can be a peacemaker? Really, our opportunities are unlimited. Certainly, in our homes we can all be peacemakers by exhibiting love and goodwill, thus offsetting the evil of contention, envy, and jealousy. Where misunderstandings exist between children and parents, we can encourage adjustments on the part of both. We can pray together for the spirit of peace. #RandolphHarris 5 of 7
We can be a peacemaker by avoiding criticism. We can be a peacemaker by practicing and teaching forgiveness. If you want peace, yours is the responsibility to obtain it. Our homes should become warm sanctuaries where children may be protected and grow into noble men and women; where people of antiquated age may find repose where prayer will find an altar, where they can be safe, comfortable, and enjoy peace and quiet. For one month, be a peacemaker in your home. Do not say anything about this to your family, but be thoughtful, kind, and considerate. Be an example. Where there is quarreling, or bickering among members of your family, do whatever you can to overcome these faults by creating an atmosphere of love, harmony, and happiness. When you are irritated, and irritations arise in most every family, control yourself and help the others to control themselves. You really have to work at it to have the spirit of peace in your home, but it is possible. People feel better when they are being peacemakers, and a wonderful feelings of harmony comes over them. Those who do works of the righteousness shall receive one’s own reward, even peace in this World, and eternal life in the World to come. #RandolphHarris 6 of 7
Happiness must be something solid and permanent, without fear and without certainty. The Lord will take care of our needs and help us overcome those things that worry us when we do our part, put our faith and trust in him, and concern ourselves with serving him by serving humanity. I have seen this in my own life, and in the lives of those close to me, and in the lives of hundreds of others all over the World. It is the only way to personal peace, that peace that is not of this World and is beyond our understanding and comprehension, but yet so sweet to us. We need more peacemakers in the World to prove to people that they are loved and their is hope for humanity. When one knows peace, they enjoy harmony that surpasses all understanding, relief from their inner tensions, bliss and happiness contentment, growth, and development. All emotions and events are interconnected, and there is a profound state of inner stillness beyond anything imaginable. Many know this to be personally true. May each of us in our daily lives assume the role of a peacemaker and enjoy the peace that surpasses understanding, I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. #RandolphHarris 7 of 7
Randolph Harris II International Institute 