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Matsuri Takahashi’s Employer Decides it was Time for her to Die
Hard work and sacrifice have long been synonymous with Japan, and strong social expectations make people work hard to be successful. However, Matsuri Takahashi (age 24), a beautiful young lady, promising graduate of Japan’s top university, leapt to her death 25 December of 2015, leaving being a trail of letters relentlessly begging for help. She worked over 265 hours in October of 2015. That is a total of 13.25 hours a day, five days a week, for a month. Matsuri Takahashi’s death was labeled “Karoshi” or death by overwork. The government warned her employer, Dentsu, and others that some of their employees were in danger of dying from being worked to death. In one year, 191 people have died from being overworked. Dentsu was reported to have worked Matsuri Takahashi so hard at their advertisement firm because they wanted more revenue. Because Dentsu ignored government regulations, their offices were raided, and Dentsu’s President Tadashi Ishii took full responsibility and resigned as president at a board meeting in January of 2016. Tadashi Ishii reported that Dentsu and a company employee had been referred to prosecutors by the Japanese labor ministry’s, Tokyo labor bureau on suspicion of violating labor standards. #RandolphHarris 1 of 5
Many people wondered why did Matsuri Takahashi just not quit her job? Well, employees often feel a debt of gratitude for being hired and are reluctant to quit even if conditions are bad. Others, especially new hires, feel they have to work longer hours than their colleagues to get promoted. A Tokyo court ruled that the advertising giant made staff work beyond legal limits, and could not forget the death of Matsuri Takahashi, especially because the company ignored warnings that the employees were in danger of dying, and had been asking for help, but were ignored. Dentsu was fined just 500,000 yen ($6,050). At the very least, it must be granted that the knowledge of death depends not only upon experience, but also upon a level of mental culture that makes it possible to interpret experience accurately. It is just tragic that this young lady thought that the only way she could escape was through sacrificing her life on Christmas day. She kept asking for help and clearly felt her life was in danger and was stressed out and decided to end it on her own terms. She probably sat up at night thinking about how much she wanted to live and what would happen if she killed herself and finally gave up her life. #RandolphHarris 2 of 5
Death reminds us that there is a spirit in humans. As we viewed the remains of our young friend, Matsuri Takahashi, it was obvious that more than blood had left her body. The light of her spirit no longer animated in her facial expression, nor the twinkle in her eyes. The smile that would light up the room was gone. She had her life taken from her at a tender, young age. However, it is important to remember that Matsuri Takahashi was good young lady and very successful. Just as we are born to parents to greet us, we also have eternal families. There are caring family members to greet her spirit, and other spirits in Heaven, and they will assist her in the adjustment to a new life. While standing before the casket, we thought that the separation was not only a shock for her mother, friends, family, colleagues, but also for the community and the World as well. We are sure she wishes should could tell her mother once more how much she loves her. This is just a reminder that the purpose of life is to teach and show others the love of God. If you know someone is truly suffering and has no way out, one should try to help them solve the problems they are having, even if you have to talk to their boss or report the person who is terrorizing them to the proper authorities. #RandolphHarris 3 of 5
Death, even if accidental, must be part of the plan. Perhaps Matsuri Takahashi gave her life to be a voice for those who are being abused and cannot get help. Developing faith in and coming to know one’s Creator is at the core of the plan. Having hope with regard to one’s eternal destiny and experiencing joy must also be part of life’s purpose. Death teaches that we do not experience a fullness of joy in mortality and that everlasting happiness can be achieved only with the assistance of God. God will help grieving parents and loved ones have faith in his plan, death’s void is softened just a little as we understand that our loved one’s have passed into Heaven and are no longer suffering in pain. This realization will help broken hearts and give peace. A divine prescription for this healing has been given by our Heavenly Father, which has eternally significant implications. Remember to plead to the Lord for mercy, strength, and forgiveness until one receives it through the Holy Ghost. You will be blessed with peace of conscience. The moment God put a dream in your heart, the moment the promise took foundation, know that God will bring your dreams to come true. #RandolphHarris 4 of 5
Just know that you will go beyond your barriers and become everything God created you to be, and you will have everything God intended for you to have. Ultimate forgiveness comes from the Lord to the repentant individual. He or she knows by the power of the Holy Ghost when forgiveness has come. God, our Father, your power brings us to birth, your providence guides our lives, and by your command we return to Heaven. Lord, those who die still live in your presence, their lives change, but do not end. I pray in hope for our families, relatives, friends, and for all the dead known to us. Those who have died may they rejoice in the Kingdom of God, where all our tears are wiped away. Unite us together again in one family, to sing your praise forever and ever. Wait on God, and he will work, but do not wait in spiritual sulks because you cannot see an inch in front of you! Are we detached enough from our spiritual hysterics to wait on God? To wait is not to sit with folded hands, but to learn to do what we are told. God never made a promise that was too good to be true. #RandolphHarris 5 of 5
God Almighty is Just and Gracious
A Godlike power is that of doing the right thing. Any person that has seen the Heavens opened knows that there are three personages in the Heavens who hold the keys of power, and one presides over all. God quiets all other sensations, or rather absorbs them all in the love of Him. God’s psychology differs from the of human’s psychology because human beings cannot understand the things of God. This is because God is a Spirit, and only those who are born again and have the Holy Spirit in them can understand God. God’s wisdom is a mystery, even considered a hidden insight, because it was ordained before the World came into glory. Freedom still faces a difficulty as it is to be reconciled with the mechanism of nature in a being that belongs to the World of sense, a difficulty which, even after all the foregoing has been consented to, nonetheless threatens freedom with its utter demise. However, in this danger, one circumstance nonetheless also gives us hope for an outcome still favorable to affirming freedom, we make war that we may live in peace. Nevertheless, a vision of our Heavenly Father’s incredible promised blessing must be the central focus before our eyes every day. Human intuition is to do good and to be good, and as we follow the Holy Spirit, our moral authority and influence will grow. Some are drawn by love, others are drive by terrors, to their Divine refuge. #RandolphHarris 1 of 11
We are to bring into the World a certain virtue, a divine gift that makes us adept at instilling such qualities as faith, courage, empathy, and refinement in relationships and in cultures. God graces our lives so naturally that we are scarcely aware of it. These lovely people radiate a moral authority, born of goodness, that influences all around us. Many of us are able to sacrifice a number of pleasures and possessions for our higher priorities, seemingly without a second thought. The ability of community members and those in positions of authority to perform feats of tremendous love and compassion is superhuman. The demands on many of you are tremendous and it is impressive that several of you attend to these duties with a beautiful serenity, a sense of being about God’s work. As with the Savior, qualities of great love, understanding, honesty, truth, and compassions has ennobled you by blessing, allowing you to be love personified. We have been remarkably blessed by the moral influence of several of you, who go out of your way to provide charity to your fellow human beings. It is amazing to see you all work so tirelessly to be accepting of others and establish the kingdom of God on Earth, which will make the community a better place for all parents to raise their children. As spirit children of God, in existence prior to morality, we desired a destiny of eternal life, but had progressed as far as we could without a mortal experience in a physical body, so we came to Earth. #RandolphHarris 2 of 11
The confidence expressed in many of your abilities and potential, will inspire others to reach high—higher than some would have without your encouragement. And your influence will continue to be felt and reflected in the lives of your descendants and countless others for many generations to come. While some human beings, even with the same upbringing that is simultaneously profitable for others, nevertheless show from childhood such early villainy and increase it so continuously into their years of adulthood, they are considered to be born villains and entirely incapable of improvement as far as their way of thinking is concerned; yet they are just as much tried for their doing and refraining, just as much reprimanded as guilty of their crimes and indeed they (the children) themselves find these reprimands [just] as well-based, as [would be the case] if regardless of the hopeless natural constitution of their minds which is attributed to them they remained just as responsible as any other human being. This could not occur if we did not presuppose that whatever arises from one’s power of choice (as every deliberately performed action does) has as its basis a free causality, which from the early youth expresses its character in its appearance (the actions). Heavenly Father presided over the Creation of this World, where, deprived of our memory of what preceded our mortal birth, we could prove our willingness to keep his commandments and experience and grow through the other challenges in mortal life. #RandolphHarris 3 of 11
The reality of the existence of both God and the Devil is conclusively established by the scriptures and by human experience. The devil was before Adam, for he rebelled against God, saying, “Give me thine honor, which is my power;” and also a third part of the hosts of Heaven turned away from God because of their agency. These actions, because of the uniformity of conduct, make recognizable a natural connection; this connection, however, does not render the malicious constitution of the will necessary, but is rather the consequence of the voluntarily assumed and immutable evil principles, which only make the will all the more reprehensible and deserving of punishment. Satan was an angel of God and the most beautiful, he wanted to take control of God’s creation and save all souls by making them slaves and forcing them to obey him. Satan will come upon you like a chief at night looking to devour all the strawberry soda. That angel of God, Satan, who was in authority in the presence of God, who rebelled against the Only Begotten Son, was thrust own from the presence of God and the Son. The contention in Heaven was—Jesus said there would be certain souls that would not be saved; and the Devil said he could save them all, and laid his plans before the grand council, who gave their vote in favor of Jesus Christ. The Heavenly Father’s plan anticipated and provided ways to overcome all of those barriers. #RandolphHarris 4 of 11
Because Satan rebelled against God and sought to destroy the agency of humans, he was cast down to Earth, and Satan became the Devil, and the father of all lies, to deceive and blind humans with his fake news and distorted information, and to lead them captive at his will. Satan was in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve before the Fall of Man. Not only so, but he continued to tempt them and their children after they have been driven from the Garden. When Adam and Eve received the gospel, they rejoiced in it, “Blessed the name of God,” and made all things known unto their sons and their daughters. And Satan came among them saying, “I am also a son of God.” He commanded them “Believe it not.” And they believed it not, and they loved Satan more than God, and people began from that time forth to be carnal, sensual, and devilish. Satan is evil: totally and always. He ever seeks to defeat the gospel plan and destroy the souls of humans. He persuades no person to do good, no, not one; neither do Satan’s Angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him. Satan seeks to darken the minds of people and then offers them falsehood and deception in the guise of truth. Knowing the purpose of God’s great plan, we now consider the respective roles of the three members of the Godhead in that plan. #RandolphHarris 5 of 11
Satan will seize upon you by some power which entirely will overcome you, and will have such an astonishing influence over you to bind your tongue so you cannot speak. Thick darkness will gather around you, and it will seem to you for a time as if you are doomed to sudden destruction. Thus, there came about the repression of the unconscious hostility through projection, and the formation of the ceremonial in which fear of punishment of demons finds expression. The projection of their own evil impulses upon demons is only a part of what has become the World system. If Satan is not checked, he will bring this generation to destruction. The kingdom of the Devil must shake, and they which belong to it must needs to be stirred up unto repentance, or the Devil will grasp them with his everlasting chains, and they be stirred up to anger, and perish. He shall put rage in the hearts of children and adults, and stir them up to anger against that which is good. And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, and thus the Devil cheats their souls, and leads them away carefully down to Hell. However, they do not know Satan is the Devil because he tells them he is not a devil, but he is good. Yet, they have become so corrupt that they cannot see what he is leading them to do and the hate and lies that he puts in their heart is ungodly because they are lost souls. In the ultimate and final sense of the word, there is only one true living God. #RandolphHarris 6 of 11
However, do not become worried, the Spirit of Christ and the power of his priesthood are ample shields to the power of Satan. We know that there is available to each of us the gift of the Holy Ghost—the power of revelation which embraces the gift of discernment by which we may unerringly detect the Devil and the counterfeits he is so successfully foisting upon this gullible generation. Our course is clear and certain. It is to strictly obey the commandments of the Lord, as they are recorded in the scriptures and as they are being given by the living prophets. God lives. Through my own experiences I have come to know of his Spirit and his power. I know that Satan also lives. I have detected his spirit and felt of his power. Nevertheless, Satan will be bound and have no place in the hearts of the children nor adults. Sometimes when you are faced with difficult situations, you can question your faith. Yet, it is important to remember that the power of God is working on your behalf, even when you cannot see it. When you learn to trust, despite your circumstances, you will see that your faith is still intact—you just have to hold on. God the Father is the Father of our spirits. We are his children. He loves us, and all the he does is for our eternal benefit. He is the author of the plan of salvation, and it is by his power that his plan achieves its purpose for the ultimate glory of his children. Make the choice to believe. #RandolphHarris 7 of 11
No individual will rest satisfied with a conquest that fails to secure the conscious acknowledgement of other people. Here, there is a struggle for both power and recognition. In this struggle, some will take greater risks than their competitors; those who risk the least will become the salves or bondsmen of those who face death by risking their lives. In order to preserve one’s life, the slave submits to the master, who regards the slave as nothing but a means to one’s own design. The slave is forced to work, whereas the master can enjoy leisure in the knowledge that the slave is reshaping the natural World to provide the products of his or her labour for the master to consume. Thus, the master’s leisure protects him from experience of the negativity of nature, whereas the slave, in struggling with nature’s recalcitrance, learns its secrets and put mind into it. The master, in consuming, destroys; the slave, in working, creates. However, the master’s consumption depends upon the slave’s labour passes into things that have a permanent existence. The slave’s work in transforming the natural World is a consequence of his or her fear of the master, who can kill that individual. However, because we have the truth about the Godhead and our relationship to them, we have the ultimate road map of our journey through mortality. This supernal sacrifice is called the central act of all human history. God will resurrect us through Christ’s Atonement for our sins. #RandolphHarris 8 of 11
Death is overcome by the works of civilization. The person who will risk his or her life and becomes the first master breaks the bonds of nature and starts the process that will incorporate mind into it. The individual has to find his or her place in the natural World and in society, but in religion one gains consciousness of the Absolute Being. This first approached in the primitive religions of nature, in which people worshipped trees, streams, or animals. Next to come those forms of religion in which the Absolute Being is approached through such works of art as temples and statues. This type of religion reached a high level in ancient Greece, but when God was represented in human form, he came to be regarded as merely human and was lost sight of in the tragic heroes of Greek drama. As the religious element was discarded from tragedy, it gave way to comedy, in which the contingencies of human life were paraded and criticized, and God was completely ignored in favor of human self-knowledge. The individual self is the negative force through and in which the gods disappear. This skeptical and sophisticated humanism is succeeded by Christianity, in which God is revealed to humans in Christ. The Holy Ghost helps us discern between truth and falsehood, guides us in our major decisions, and helps us through the challenges of mortality. #RandolphHarris 9 of 11
In Christianity, the human and the divine are no longer sundered, and God is seen to be present in the World. It is a spiritual revelation in the attempt to uncover the often-commonplace ideas of the early Christians and to gain knowledge of the mere externality and particularity of Jesus. In serial orders, the varieties of experience are at once character of the general evolution of the higher intellectual life. Thus, no religious experience, not even that of Christianity, can bring absolute knowledge. Christianity’s goal is to avoid regarding the Absolute Being as apart from the World, is inseparable from our modern souls. The events of the Gospels are, so to speak, pictured or represented movies, television shows, and legends of God. It allows us to recollect of the Absolute Mind and its graveyard, the actuality, truth and certainty of its throne, without which it would be forever alone and devoid of life. The incarnation of the Absolute Mind is manifested every time you pray and read the scriptures. Apart from the history of human beings, God would be alone and lifeless (das lebolse Einsame). It would seem, indeed, that without the historical development of humans and their freedom, there would be no God. Because we have the truth about the Godhead and our relationship to them, the purpose of life, and the nature of our eternal destiny, we have the ultimate road map and assurance of our journey through mortality. #RandolphHarris 10 of 11
Prayer is the key that unlocks the door to God. Give God some one-on-one time. Have faith in what you are praying about, and believe it will happen. Pray for your family, your community, and for the World’s well-being. I thank God for the opportunity to come before his saving throne of grace. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to him, in Jesus’s name. The Lord is the Light of my life and the strength of my salvation; of whom shall I be afraid? As I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, I am saved from my enemies. I will fear not because the Lord is with me; I will not be dismayed, for the Lord is my God; he will strengthen me, he will help me, he will uphold me with his righteous hands. Thank you, Father in Heaven for being my refuge and castle; my God in whom I trust. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for your hand of protection on my life. God is with us to rescue us and save us; he will save us from the hands of the wicked and redeem us from the grasps of the cruel. The gates of Hell will not prevail against me and my family. We shall not die, but live to declare the glory of God. When enemies come like a flush flood, with their fake news and distorted information, the Spirit of the Lord will lift us up a standard against them. Thank you for watching over us, God. We need to know God’s laws and live them. We need to receive his saving ordinances because only by doing so will we obtain true, eternal happiness. From the depths of my soul and in all humility, I testify of the great gift which is our Father’s path to peace and happiness both here and in the World to come. And, if you see Johnny Football Hero in the hallway, tell him he played a good game and you liked his article in the newspaper. #RandolphHarris 11 of 11
Work in Us What is Pleasing in God’s Sight
Drawing near to God is what qualifies us for the eternal saving work of our High Priest. God’s gifts are precious beyond words, and we will sing of them forever. The most precious gifts lead to God himself. Ultimately, that is what all his gifts are for. The unique and absolute infinity of God is the attribute that best distinguishes him from creatures and constitutes his absolute perfection. Life and the World around us is a painted veil, an illusion through which we must penetrate to the reality behind (this reality being the one that remains when the many change and pass). We see life as if through a veil—the veil of our own prejudices, which are imposed by social institutions. Humans must transcend these prejudices in order to understand their love of fellow humans. Once the veil is removed, the World will be seen as a unity—both in the sense in which science may be said to be a unity (the truth about one field of study cohering with an illuminating the truth about another), and in the sense that a true understanding of our fellow people will give rise to virtuous behavior. This is what we have in mind when we speak of the indestructible order. #RandolphHarris 1 of 7
It is the function of coupling poetry and religion to provide humans with a coherent view of the World that will help them to understand both themselves and their fellow beings, and to provide it in a form that will kindle the imagination as well as the intellect. There is a natural order in the Universe, which science and philosophy reveal; there is also a moral order, which humans themselves must impose. When Christ became our servant as a ransom, he took away the curse of the law and the threat of punishment for all who believe. However, to what end? That we might enjoy sin with impunity? No. That we might enjoy God for eternity! Forgiveness is precious because it brings us home to God. Why does anyone want to be forgiven? If the answer is just for psychological relief, or just for escape from Hell, or just to have more physical pleasure, then God is not honored. The selfish picture of human nature cannot be the whole story, for if selfishness were the only natural feeling, there would be no society. The rise of a nation, the pressing forward of a social class, means a bitter struggle, a hard and soul-sickening battle with the World such as few of the more favored classes know or appreciate. #RandolphHarris 2 of 7
What is more, since the existence of a social feeling is sufficient to account for the origin of society, appeals to the religious sanctions for society are necessarily subsequent to the actual foundation of society and are therefore of secondary importance. Romans 15.9 reports: The aim of Christ’s serving us is the glorifying of God for his mercy. However, if we exploit God’s mercy as a ticket to enjoy sin—or even just to enjoy innocent things—God gets no glory from that. God gets glory for showing his mercy when his mercy frees us to see him as the best gift of his love —as the most enjoyable person in the Universe. It is good for us that Christ came on behalf of the truth of God, because his coming this way shows that God is true first and foremost to himself; and he confirms the promises of God, and that the promises are promises of love; and he shows that the essence of the love he promised is himself. Virtue is the pursuit of the public interest. There is no real love of virtue without the knowledge of a good public. We are disposed to act virtuously by our affection for God. Virtue is called the moral sense. Moral sense is like a sense of harmony in music and a sense of proportion in architect and art. #RandolphHarris 3 of 7
The voice of the Lord is unto the ends of the Earth, that all that are willing to listen will hear, and the day will come that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his children, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people; for they have strayed from their ordinances, and have broken God’s everlasting covenant. People who knowingly and willfully do wrong seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every one of them walks in their own way, and after the image of their own God, whose image is in the likeness of the World. If you seek him, God will waken your heart to your deep need for mercy as a sinner! And then ravish your heart with a great Savior, Jesus Christ. And then release your tongue to praise him and your hands to make his mercy shine in yours. A Vietnam Veteran called Roger Harris just knew that he was going to die and would never make it home from the war. And his mother told him that he would make it back alive, but he did not believe her. In fact, many of the veterans thought they would never see America again. #RandolphHarris 4 of 7
Roger Harris considered himself a sinner and saw many young men who had never had an adult relationship, were honest, Christian, and did not swear get killed right before his face. However, the day came for Roger Harris and his team to come back to America, and as they were getting ready to board the helicopter, an attack broke out and it he just knew he would never make it home and that he attracted the calamity because he was supposed to die and so many good people lived and died, but he made it back to America safely and was able to tell his story. Perhaps Roger Harris made it come because someone loved him and kept him in their prayers and God knew he had more to learn about the miracles of God. And maybe the other guys passed away because they were pure and God wanted them to come home to Heaven because they learned all they needed to know and their mission was complete. Furthermore, it is possible other good people also stayed alive so they could testify and share the gospel of God with others and help to save their souls. God has a purpose for all of us and he employees our talents and abilities for different reasons. Therefore, release your faith and praise God and use your hands to make his mercy shine in yours. #RandolphHarris 5 of 7
God is benevolent and his love reinforce the affection. Also, virtuosity is an inherent part of human nature. God is really good. This morning I was asleep and I was awakened a few days ago by the fire alarm in the high-rise building going off. Usually, when the crews test the alarm, they tell us on the loud speak, but they started the test first, and in a low voice told of they were testing the alarm. I was going to stay in bed even if it was a real alarm because usually there is never a fire. The has only been once serious fire since I lived here. So, Sunday morning, I was laying in bed and my mother called and I did not answer the phone because I was not in a great mood. Then about an hour later, the fire alarm went off again, and I stayed in bed, and was not going to get up. However, my neighbor screamed from outside to tell me to get out of the building, it was a real fire. If my mother’s call had not woken me, I might have slept through the fire alarm, and who knows what would have happened. The fire department got here and put the fire out and there was no significant damage. As you see, God is always looking out for us, and even if you do not feel like talking, always answer the phone when your parents call. #RandolphHarris 6 of 7
God owns and controls all things. And there is nothing that he would not give you. God has the power to provide redemption, restoration for past losses, and liberation from future enemies, forgiveness and freedom, pardon and power, healing the past and sealing the future. There is a revelation from God the Father, opening the eyes of the heart so that it cries out, like a person who stumbles onto an incredible treasure. Oh, I totally forgot to tell you. I have been experiencing a lot of hardships in life, so I cut certain people out of my life, stop swearing, gave up mature movies, I am celibate and have been, do not smoke, nor do drugs, and I do not drink. The purpose is so that I may have the favor of God. Maybe this will cause Satan to flee from my life completely. Now, may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom by glory forever and ever. Amen. One of the things pleasing in God’s sight is that his people keep on drawing near to him forever and ever. And so, he is working in us this very thing. #RandolphHarris 7 of 7
Our Sure Knowledge of a Resurrection to Immortality
Resurrection is much more than merely reuniting a spirit to a body. The resurrection is a restoration that brings back carnal for carnal and good for that which is good. I am not the one who is so far away, when I feel the snake bite enter my veins, never did I want to be here again, and I do not remember why I came. Who is this irresistible creature, who has an insatiable lust for the dead? Living dead girl. Candles raise my desire why I am so far away, no more meaning to my life, no more reason to stay. Freezing feeling. Hazing clouds rain on my head, as empty thoughts fills my ears, and find my shade by the moon light. Why my thoughts are not so clear? Demons dreaming. Breathe in, breathe in because I am coming back again. Never did I want to, did I want to be here again. You know I cannot believe you, all the things you say, they are not true. However, I fear I cannot just leave you. All I feel is that I need you my love. This is all my spirit can take, anymore and I will surely meet decay. Will you not reach out and touch my heartache, feel it beating, please do not throw it away. I cannot believe your careless speech, your burning eyes, pass through me. I never thought our love would die, but how could I, I could not see. #RandolphHarris 1 of 6
Our sure knowledge of a resurrection to immortality also gives us the courage to face the unknown. Baby girl you know that I need you, cannot believe that you would leave me this way. If my pain will not appease you, so it please you I have got nothing to say. I now begin to realize, you are not the girl I once knew. However, deep beneath those hollow eyes, reasons that die in part of you, of you. Come on though you shut the Moon out, as though it were bright as Sun in the day. I would crawl through a dementia in your head, you would show me a way. I never thought our love would die, but how could I, I could not see. See for you, I will cry, cry for you, for you. Rage in the cage and piss upon the stage. There is only one sure way to bring the giant down. Defunct the strings of cemetery things with one flat foot on the Devils wings. Crawl on me, skin into me, die for me, living dead girl. Raping the geek and hustling the freak like a hunchback juice on a sentimental noose. Operation filth. They love to love the wealth of an S.S. whore making scary sounds. Cyclone jack hallucinating hack do you think Donna Reed eats dollar bills. Gold foots machine creates another fiend so beautiful they make you, kill. Blood on her skin, dripping with sin. Do it again living dead girl. They were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. #RandolphHarris 2 of 6
And I said unto them, why are you troubled? And why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Despite these Biblical witnesses, many who call themselves Christian reject or confess serious doubts about the reality of the resurrection. The possibility that a mortal who has died will be brought forth and live again in a resurrected body has awakened hope and stirred controversy through much of recorded history. Relying on clear scriptural teachings, it has been affirmed that God has broken the bands of death and that death is swallowed up in the victor. We readily accept the numerous scriptural doctrines that a similar resurrection will come to all mortals who have ever lived upon this Earth. The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; now, this restoration shall come to all, both antiquated and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not be so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but everything shall be restored to its perfect frame. We should all praise God for the assured resurrection that makes our mortal separations temporary and gives us the hope and strength to carry on. #RandolphHarris 3 of 6
Many living witnesses can testify to the literal fulfillment of these scriptural assurances of the resurrection. Many, including some in my own extended family, have seen a departed loved one in vision or personal appearance and have witnessed their restoration in proper and perfect frame in the prime of life. Whether these were manifestations of persons already resurrected or of righteous spirits awaiting an assured resurrection, the reality and nature of the resurrection of mortals is evident. What a comfort to know that all who have been disadvantaged in life from birth defects, from mortal injuries, from disease, or from the natural deterioration of antiquated age will be resurrected in proper and perfect frame. For thou who sleeps in stone and clay, heed this call, rise up and obey, trek on through the mortal door, assemble flesh and be raised in immortality unto eternal life, reunite the spirit and the body. This is the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death. In our eternal journey, the resurrection is the mighty milepost that signifies the end of mortality and the beginning of immortality. We are living in a glorious season of temple and this is a consequence of our faith in resurrection. May our understanding be enlarged. #RandolphHarris 4 of 6
It will here be objected that this is the well-known hysterical imitation, the ability of hysterical subjects to imitate all the symptoms which impress them when they occur in others, as though pity were aroused to the point of reproduction. This, however, only indicates the path which the psychic process follows in hysterical imitation. But the path itself and the psychic act which follows this path are two different matters. The act itself is slightly more complicated than we are prone to believe the imitation of the hysterical to be; it corresponds to an unconscious end-process, as an example will show. The physician who has, in the same ward with other patients, a female patient suffering from a particular kind of twitching, is not surprised if one morning he learns that this peculiar hysterical affection has found imitators. He merely tells himself: The others have seen her, and have imitated her; this is psychic infection. Yes, but a psychic infection occurs somewhat in the following manner: As a rule, patients know more about one another than the physician knows about any one of them, and they are concerned about another when the doctor’s visit is over. #RandolphHarris 5 of 6
The is how the psychic infection happens. One of them has an attack today: at once it is known to the rest that a letter from home, a recrudescence of lovesickness, or the like, is the cause. Their sympathy is aroused, and although it does not emerge into consciousness they form the following conclusion: If it is possible to suffer such an attack; but it is formed in another psychic region, and consequently ends in the realization of the dreaded symptoms. Thus identification is not mere imitation, but an assimilation based upon the same etiological claim; it expresses a just like, and refers to some common condition which has remained in the unconscious. In hysteria identification is most frequently employed to express a sexual community. The hysterical woman identifies herself by her symptoms most readily—though not exclusively—with persons with whom she has had sexual relations, or who have had sexual intercourse with the same persons as herself. We believe in the literal, universal resurrection of all humankind because of the resurrection of the Holy One called The Living Christ—the immortal Son of God. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the World to come. #RandolphHarris 6 of 6
そして私は彼らに言った、なぜあなたは悩んでいますか？あなたの心にはなぜ思考が生まれますか？これらの聖書の証人にもかかわらず、キリスト教徒と呼ぶ者の多くは、復活の現実について深刻な疑念を拒否したり告白したりします。死んだ死人が復活した体で再び生き返って生きるという可能性は、記録された歴史の多くを通して希望を起こし、論争を巻き起こした。明確な聖句の教えに依拠して、神が死の団を壊し、死が勝利者に呑み込まれたと断言されました。私たちは、これまでにこの地球に住んでいたすべての人に同様の復活が起こるという多くの聖句の教義を容易に受け入れます。精神と体は完全な形で再び再会される。四肢と関節の両方は、現時点でさえも、その適切な枠組みに復元されなければならない。今、この修復は老いも若も、絆と自由の両方、男性と女性の両方、邪悪な者と義人の両方に来るはずです。彼らの頭の髪の毛が紛失するほどではない。すべてが完全な枠組みに復帰しなければならない。私たちは、私たちの死の分裂を一時的にし、私たちに遂行する希望と強さを与えてくれる、確かな復活のために神を賞賛すべきです。
Ryan Phillippe is Withstanding Extortion and Financial Assault
The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress. Every morning when we wake up, we face a new day filled with the challenges of life. These challenges come in many forms: physical challenges, financial setbacks, difficulties with relationships, emotional trials, and even struggles with our faith. Many of these tests we face in life can be solved and overcomes. However, there are also some difficulties in life that we do not understand and they seem impossible to overcome and may be with us until we pass on to our next life. As we temporarily endure the challenges we cannot solve, it is important to remember that the spiritual strength we develop will help us successfully endure all the challenges we face in life. Ryan Phillippe is beautiful. He is strong. As a man, Ryan Phillippe has the physical bearing and the inner self-confidence of a born aristocrat. When people meet Ryan Phillippe, they sense a man who cannot be had for any price—a man unreservedly committed to the cause of liberating humanity, and a man who deeply loves himself, his children, and his friends and family. May God protect Ryan Phillippe and his family, strengthen their relationships, and give them personal confidence before the Lord. #RandolphHarris 1 of 8
Forces in a developing social struggle are frequently buried beneath the visible surface and make themselves felt in many ways long before they burst out into the open. These generative forces make themselves felt through the power of an idea long before they burst out into the public eye. It is important that we give a high priority to the power of ideas in a social and financial struggle. It is our weakness to confuse truth with the numerical strength and allegations people use for publicity, attached to individuals and organizations starving for fame and fortune, as they germinate the forces that sow the seeds of social upheaval in our community. Pornography is more vile, evil and graphic than ever before. Recently, a fairly unknown prostitute, sex actress, and compulsive liar called Elsie Hewitt (age21), who has done sex advertisements in a sleazy pornographic magazine called Playboy, accused legendary actor Ryan Phillippe (age 43) of assaulting her on 4 July 2017, and she is now suing him for $1,000,000.00 USD. These allegations just recently made the celebrity gossip news and online fan magazines, and they are false. Elsie Hewitt is known for being manipulative and cunning. She will do anything for money and lying is Elsie’s reflexive ways of responding to questions. #RandolphHarris 2 of 8
This is why we are increasingly concerned about the destruction that pornography is causing in the lives of Church members and their families. Satan is attacking us with unprecedented fury. One reason we are here on Earth is to learn to manage the passions and feelings of our mortal bodies. These God-given feelings help us want to marry and have children. The intimate marriage relationship between a loving couple that brings children into mortality is also meant to be a beautiful, loving experience that binds together two devoted hearts, unites both spirit and body, and brings a fulness of joy and happiness as we learn to put each other first. I was deeply disturbed when I got home and had accidentally seen startling and disturbing images and actions of Elise Hewitt on my computer after doing an internet search. I felt horrible about what I had seen and wished I could get it out of my mind. However, I was grateful that I could confide in a member of the church, she was able to sooth my innocent and aching heart and helped me know how to get relief through our Savior’s Atonement. We sat together and petitioned the help of our Heavenly Father. #RandolphHarris 3 of 8
The allegations made against Ryan Phillipe are all lies. I saw Ryan Phillippe on 4 July 2017, at 7.09pm, and he seemed peaceful, and told me to drink some coffee. He was sobbing because he was afraid that his mother, and his children would be hurt by the vicious lies. We said a prayer. Then I saw him again the next day 5 July 2017, at about 8pm, and he was on his way home. It is more likely that a jealous friend and the gossip magazines conjured up this assault allegation to ruin Ryan Phillippe’s life and career. Elsie Hewitt is unknown and she is trying to use Ryan Phillippe’s name to launch her career. Ryan Phillippe is a pretty peaceful guy and he actually seems kind of shy. He tends to keep to himself and like to be quiet. He enjoys time to himself and does not socialize too much. Since his divorce from the beautiful Oscar winning actress Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Philippe has been heartbroken and likes the single life and he has not been in a relationship for a while. He says that the mother of his children is the second most beautiful and talented woman he knows, second to his mother, and that most women are not cut from the same cloth. It is hard for him to become interested other women, when they are not on the same level as your first love. #RandolphHarris 4 of 8
Elsie Hewitt is like a master salesperson, she used her charisma to get your attention, flattery to make you feel special, seduction to lift you off your feet, and persuasion to get you to give her what she wants. Elise Hewitt is a hard prostitute, she smokes marijuana, uses cocaine, crystal meth, pops ecstasy pills and loves champagne, she called an ecstasy tablet in a glass of champagne and energy drink. She is what some older men dream of, young, fake silicone breast, and other parts that she has tightened from time to time to give the clients they traction they like. The hallways and stairs of her apartment are busy any hour of the night with White and Black men coming and going. It is no more than one would expect in a building out of which a prostitute was working. However, what is astonishing is the full-house crowd that rushes in between, say six and seven-thirty in the morning, then rush away, and about nine, the house is empty. Many married men leave home in time to stop by Elise Hewitt’s house before they go to work, she calls them her clients. Many of her clients are in frustrating marriages and they have kids and their wives will not have the sex with them, so they get up early and go to the well-known prostitute, Elsie. #RandolphHarris 5 of 8
Elise has an inflated sense of herself. She craves approval, and is highly sensitive to criticism, and tries very hard to perform in bed. This is especially turn during the initial phases of a relationship with her clients, when she is seeking to impress them and win them over. Many man mistake Elise’s elaborate performance for true passion, but she is merely acting. However, after a while some men catch on. Inevitably, they can tell something is missing in her performance—the genuine human emotions. Her clients can tell by her style of love making that she does not really have an interest in her partner and that they are nothing more than an object to her. Elise lets her guard down and the caring, passion, tenderness, and vulnerability tends to seem as artificial as her breast. These are qualities that can only come from the heart. It is more than likely, if Elise Hewitt was assaulted, it by one of her clients she manipulated with her sexual prowess. She fools men into believing that she is interested in them, but only wants to extract money for them, and perhaps one of them was deeply offended when they found out about the army of men, and sometimes women, leaving her bed chambers. Perhaps she lost some of her traction and that is why she needs the money. #RandolphHarris 6 of 8
Many children, youth, and adults are innocently exposed to pornography, but a growing number of both men and women are choosing to view it and are drawn back repeatedly until it becomes an addiction. These individuals may desire with all of their hearts to get out of this trap but often cannot overcome it on their own. Elsie Hewitt is deeply in need of prayer. She uses her body to make money and traps men for profit. We need to counsel with our children, families, and youth on an ongoing basis, listening with love and understanding. They need to know the dangers of pornography and how it overtakes lives, causing loss of the Spirit, distorted feelings, deceit, damages relationships, loss of self-control, and nearly total consumption of time, thought and energy. Young people and adults, if you are caught in Satan’s trap of pornography, remember how merciful our beloved Savior is. Do you realize how deeply the Lord loves and cherishes you, even now? Our Savior has the power to cleanse and heal you. He can remove the pain and sorrow you feel and make you clean again through the power of his atonement. We are so greatly concerned about how destructive pornography is, and we are deeply saddened at how Elise Hewitt is lying about Ryan Phillippe and extorting him for money. #RandolphHarris 7 of 8
If you are free of serious sin yourself, do not suffer needlessly the consequences of another’s sins. You can feel compassion, but you should not take upon yourself a feeling of responsibility for those acts. Know that you are not alone. There is help. We pray that Elise Hewitt will seek addiction recovery and that the Lord will show her the error of her ways. When we face challenges with life, and are desperate for help, we pray and plead to the Lord. In my home, our focus has become talk, rejoice, peach, and testify of Christ by striving to pray daily and study the scriptures and have weekly family home evening. Frequently, I am up praying from midnight until four in the morning because it is that serious to me. These are the very practices that help take away stress, give direction in our lives, and adds protection to our home. Then, if pornography or others challenges like Elsie Hewitt strike our family, we can petition the Lord for help and expect great guidance from the Spirit, knowing that we have done what our Father has asked us to do. Remember, as we search out our ancestors and prepare our family names for the temple, we will be protected now and throughout our lives as we keep ourselves worthy of God. #RandolphHarris 8 of 8
Corruption is the Enemy of Development
No program should set out to create failure or humiliate participants. The divide-and-conquer method might have been contrived in the religious and political realms, sharpened on the battlefield, and perfected in the dating game, but this technique can also be used to the individual’s advantage it is meant to harm. The divide-and-conquer may seem fruitless in modern times because the problems it creates become much more complicated as the input grows. There will always be resistance. Though power may tend to corrupt, there will always be those who believe in righteousness. Also, self-control and self-mastery leads to self-governance, and the realization that we do not necessarily need membership in a group we cannot trust. We do not need a chain of obedience or a corrupt hierarchical system. We only need leaders: preferably self-leadership that leads by healthy example. When we are isolated, we are better able to focus on our areas needing development. Our flexibility and resilience depends on the meaning we make out of a disappointing experience, and the strength of the relationships that shape, even transform, that experiences. #RandolphHarris 1 of 6
One reason many leaders never make it to the top is because they never fail, leaving them at a loss when they do. It is not failure alone, but the ability to put failure to good use that creates endurance and success. When a person is able to make good things out of bad experiences, this allows one to transcend or recast painful experiences—or at least endure them with good humor. Good leaders develop good attitudes and lead to speak to people’s hearts, and not only will that individual, but also their audience will emerge from their caves of doom and gloom, like one awakened from sleep, to the World in which we live again. A collective force of free individuals living with the mindset that cosmic laws based on health, wellness, and survival are the keys to well-being. The goal is to not only ease one’s own pain, but to heal wounded feelings and mitigate the disappointment of others. This will allow us to find a common ground and cultivate a society of compassion and fraternity, as we withstand adversity, and persevere and develop relational sensibilities. #RandolphHarris 2 of 6
It is important to actually get to know people and expose individuals to ideas that challenge their current ways of seeing. This will develop the ability to read people and situations with greater acuity; and help them reframe how they see difficult experiences. Sometimes a walk through a dark forest (do not try this) is exactly what we need to lead us to the light and refresh and recharge. Our feelings are a joint venture—a product of our interactions and the way we frame them, given our repertories. When we question our current way of seeing things, it also frees us to work together to map and alter the pattern. Maybe, even if it is risky, taking a new path is what we need because it will allow us to see something else, something that will illuminate our vision. The Anatomy Framework will turn our attention away from labeling people and toward what they are doing, how they feel, and how they interact. This will make it easier to make new sense of old situations in which we will caught. When we tether new actions to new ways of seeing, we will integrate new behaviors more quickly, and these behaviors will feel more natural to us and less artificial to others. #RandolphHarris 3 of 6
We can be negative and look for the ugly in life and the faults and failings of those around us, or we can develop optimistic attitudes and see the beautiful in life and the good, the strong, the decent, and the virtuous in people, which brings joy and happiness. It is a matter of attitude. Many of us have an even greater interest in the creation of beautiful people—the type of radiant beauty that comes from righteous living and acceptance of God. I have observed many people who have a beauty and spiritual glow. The Lord has told us that we can be beautiful. 1 Corinthians 3.16 reports: Know you that you are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you. Love yourself. It is more important to stay optimistic because beauty comes from the inside out. Peace is the beauty of life. Beauty is Sunshine. The togetherness of a family. Beauty is the advancement of humanity, the victory of a just cause, the triumph of truth. The doorway of your heart is the place where loves resides for you are the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6.16). A solid foundation is the most important part of a building or of a person. We are to be the light to others, to control our anger, and reconcile bad feelings with others. #RandolphHarris 4 of 6
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. As we live with the principles of God in our hearts, we are building a rock-solid foundation upon which our lives can safely be constructed. The Lord, the great Master Architect, have given us perfect plans and specifications to guide us in the building of our lives. These are the sacred scriptures. They contain the words of the Lord and should frequently be read and considered. By seeking the Lord through prayer and through his holy scriptures, we learn to look for the beautiful and to develop great attitudes. We achieve guidance in the building of our foundations and our lives. Beauty is when you can appreciate yourself. When you love yourself and others, that is when you are the most beautiful. As we live righteous and unselfish rights, the Spirit of the Lord enters our souls and then radiates from us. We become beautiful, even as a holy temple is beautiful because we are happy with ourselves. Happiness is the greatest beauty secret. 2Nephi 4.16 reports: Behold, my soul delights in the things of the Lord, and my heart ponders continually upon the things which I have seen and heard. #RandolphHarris 5 of 6
Greed gives births to many ills—Crime and Corruption. The cancerous spread of corruption has been a matter of great concern to all people. Power is primarily being sought for amassing wealth, perks, and privileges. People’s welfare has become a thing of secondary importance on the agenda. Political ethics, values, ideology, policy issues, have been forgotten. Shockingly, the struggles for power has created divisions in government, businesses, and families. There is an iron rule in economics, it is Stein’s Law. If something cannot go on forever, it will stop. While divide-and-conquer seems like a great idea, the longer it goes on and the more people that get involved, the obvious it becomes, and it makes the corruption harder to hide. One may kill mosquitoes in a room by spraying insecticides, but many more will come inside from the breeding ground, the hole needs to be plugged. The breeding ground of corruption deserves to be cultured and the cause has to be located and removed. You cannot go on investigating corruption month after month, and year in and year out. There has got to be a point where the Government is able to say: “We have enough information.” #RandolphHarris 6 of 6
One Who Falls in Love May go Unnoticed
The greatest thing that can be known in the human experience is the ability to love and be loved. One who falls in love may go unnoticed by the casual observer, but the act of being in love can be examined by what events or conditions led to the agent’s believing he or she was in love: this may include the theory that being in love is an overtly strong reaction to a set of highly beneficial conditions in the behavior or presence of another. Some may consider love to be an expression of a state of affairs towards a beloved, which may be communicated through language (words, poetry, music) or behavior (bringing flowers, giving up a kidney, diving into the proverbial burning building), but which is a reflection of an internal, emotional state, rather than an exhibition of physical responses to stimuli. Others may claim love is a spiritual response, the recognition of a soul that completes one’s own soul, or complements or augments it. The divinity of the love of God consists and confirms itself in the fact that in himself and all his works God is gracious, merciful, and patient, and at the same time holy, righteous, and wise. No matter how seemingly magnificent and grand anything else in human life may appear to be, it is but a shallow substitute at best for the knowing and experiencing of love. #RandolphHarris 1 of 10
As one passes through life, so many types of experiences are given priority position in the human mind. Some of these areas are indeed important, in terms of human life experience, but none is as important as love. As with so many things in life to which people may be accustomed, loves true value is never fully understood or comprehended by most until such time as a particular expression of love is lost. Our son has a small toy robot. It can walk and perform other simple function. Should it fall, it can, with some difficulty, right itself. It performs its programmed function mechanically, without feeling. Yet, it has no capacity to grow or to alter its destined course. It responds immediately to any external force that satisfies its needs, and ceases to function when its internal spring is spent. Satan would have all of the children of Father in Heaven behave like robots. If humans are to enter into a genuinely personal relationship with one’s Maker, one must first experience some degree of freedom and autonomy. For only a relatively independent being can enter into a relationship of love and trust with one’s Creator, and man’s fall is seen as a fall into this independence. It is thus analogous to the phase of disobedience which signals a young child’s assertion of his or her own individuality in relation to one’s parents. #RandolphHarris 2 of 10
If God had created a World in which natural law were continuously adjusted for the avoidance of all pain, the more heroic human virtues would never be evoked. You notice how when a great disaster hits the Earth, people come together and are loving, and supportive, and giving? When the 2010 Earthquake hit Haiti, this person told me it is because the people are bad and it was punishment, but you noticed that Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma are major cataclysms happening in the United States of America, and these violent conditions, hardly fit for human nor beast, beset our country in a lethal fashion, not once, but twice in just a week, and more are expected. If you notice, many of these storms follow the Transatlantic slave trade’s path. We are just blessed they are happening now, when it is hot. On January 12, 1888, the temperatures in the Great Plains, from South Dakota down to Texas, suddenly plummeted, the winds began to howl, and the snow started to fall. Hundreds of children were trapped in their one-room schoolhouses, giving the storm its name: The Schoolhouse Blizzard. Many of those who tried to make back to the house never did and were among the 235 who perished. Some people were buried under snowdrifts and not found until Spring. #RandolphHarris 3 of 10
Bad as that storm was, it was not the worst storm of ’88. The so-called Great White Hurricane hit the Eastern Coast of the United States of America on March 12, 1888 and lasted for three days. Fifty inches of white powder, fresh snow, fell in Massachusetts, and there were drifts as high as 50 feet in places from Maryland to Canada. Two hundred ships went down, and more than 100 seaman were among the 400 people who were ultimately killed in the storm. New York City, where another 200 of that total died, was the apex of the disaster. Fire damage in cities hit by the storm totaled over $609,477,272.73 because wagons and horses were unable to leave the firehouses. The Great White Hurricane is still, 130 years after the fact, considered the worst blizzard in United States history. The World is alive and always changing. We cannot really control the climate no matter how many electric cars we produce or gas taxes we pass. Not only that, but using a leaf blower for a year produces as much pollution as a car driving 1,000,000 miles, and they are very loud and disturb the peace. We cannot control the Earth, but we can control ourselves. “Because the children of God are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God has given,” reports 2 Nephi 26. #RandolphHarris 4 of 10
Because there is suffering in the World, people have a chance to develop and display qualities such as courage, fortitude, loyalty, honesty, and the caring and protective aspects of love. The plan of the Lord created people to be independent spirits. The spirit is created by God and matured in the premortal existence, tabernacle in a body of flesh and bones. A mother and father participate with God in this sacred experience. These parents loved, guide, and inspire the growing child. With proper understanding of an obedience to the teachings of the Savior, the child learns, and by practice of the truth, is converted into a self-reliant, loving, serving son or daughter of God, whose potential for growth and accomplishment is limitless; whose destiny, if he or she is fully obedient, is to return to the presence of God to partake of his glory and to share in his exalted work. Such an individual can have great happiness in this life as well. The eternal happiness of human beings in society with one another and in communion with God is symbolized by the Kingdom of Heaven. The final fulfilment of God’s purpose for his creatures in his Heavenly Kingdom constitutes a good so great and enduring that it justifies all the pains which have been experiences just to reach it. #RandolphHarris 5 of 10
Many of our strongest beliefs are either based on or confirmed by our own experience. There is no species of reasoning more common, more useful, and even necessary to human life, than that which is derived from the testimony of people, and the reports of eye witnesses and spectators’. However, testimony varies in its reliability and so needs to be used critically. Mortal life is a proving ground, and our proving grounds vary. Some of us are born with physical limitations; others are lonely or do not enjoy good health. Some are challenged by economic conditions, the lack of good parental example, or a myriad of other things that test our mettle. While much of the pain and sorrow we endure is the result of our own stubborn acts of disobedience, many of the things that appear to be obstacles in our path are used by a loving Creator for our own personal growth. Life never was intended to be easy. Rather, it is a period of growth. It is interwoven with difficulties, challenges, and burdens. We are immersed in a white squall of persistent, Worldly pressures that could destroy our happiness. Yet, these very forces, if squarely faced, provide opportunity for tremendous personal growth and development and redevelopment. #RandolphHarris 6 of 10
If God’s primary purpose for humans was to evoke in them a free and uncompelled love and trust in relation to himself, would this purpose be frustrated by his creating people so that they could not do other than make this response? The conquering of adversity produces strength of character, forges self-confidence, engenders self-respect, and assures success in righteous endeavor. Some of us at one time or another let the pressures of life or the false teaching of humans cloud our vision, but when we see with clarity, the difference between the plan of God and that of Satan is unmistakable. Satan would convert divinely independent spirits into creatures bound by habit, restricted by appetite, and enslaved by transgression. He would persuade us to improperly use the divine gift of free agency. Through subtle, tempting influence, he encourages us to gratify desire for personal power and influence or to succumb to appetite. He progresssively binds those that follow carnal desire. Unless they repent, they are effectively converted into robots who no longer exercise control over their eternal destiny. In contrast, God is a loving, patient, understanding Father deeply interested in our personal well-being, anxious for our happiness, and totally committed to our eternal progression. #RandolphHarris 7 of 10
Our happiness on Earth, as well as our eternal salvation, requires many correct decisions, no one of which is difficult to make. Together they forge a character resistant to the eroding influences that surround us. Noble character is a great beauty and priceless worth. Yet, it can be broken in a moment through transgression. When protected by self-control, righteous character will endure for eternity. As we read and ponder the scriptures, with deep faith, we must earnestly seek our Father in prayer, and peace will envelop our beings. With sincere repentance and obedience to the commandments of God, coupled with genuine concern for and service to other, fear will be purged from our hearts. We are conditioned to understand it is our divine right to learn to be at peace and be happy, and know that life is rewarding, productive, and meaningful. We are individuals not a robot enslaved by adversity, nor need we be as we wisely use our free agency to follow the teachings of the Savior. Divine love can surpass and be of far greater importance than all other experiences of love because it is the eternal love which one can have throughout childhood and into antiquated age or latter years of life. It is the ultimate source or essence from which all other forms of love in human experience come forth. #RandolphHarris 8 of 10
Do not fear the challenges of life, but approach them patiently, with faith in God. Good can come from trouble, Trauma can enliven the heart and enrich the soul. God’s love can fill the human soul with peace when one’s life may seem to be in helpless turmoil. God’s love is powerful, as it can heal the emotions, and the physical body by exerting the presence of divine love through the mortal or human side of the mind. This divine love has the authority that affects the mind and chemistry of the body, and through such an effect, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual healing is experienced. With all the love in my heart, I extend an invitation to all to obtain a fulness of an understanding of the plan of happiness and exaltation provided by the Savior. In every living person, there is another kind of knowledge, an unreasoning one, but which gives a possibility of living—faith. Faith is the force of life. Believing in God and seeking to live his law provides the power to successfully overcome the testing challenges brings us. We can overcome personal challenges we encounter an actually find joy in living. We can solve any problem by putting our lives in harmony with God and being kind to each other. With the help of the Lord, there are no problems, only challenges. Faith in God develops a personal love for him, which is reciprocated through his blessings to us in times of need. #RandolphHarris 9 of 10
God will reward your faith with power not only to endure, but also to overcome hardships, disappointment, trials, and struggles of daily living. Through diligently striving to live the law of God and with faith in him, we will not be diverted from our eternal course either by the ways or the praise of the World. May each of us develop faith in God sufficient to fight the battles of life victoriously with the strength of God, with his miraculous strength; and mighty power. We will then find the happiness we so much desire in our lives. The Spirit of the Lord has been with us. We have every reason to be grateful. We have been refreshed in our testimonies and strengthened in our faith. All of us will be the stronger as we implement in our lives and in our homes the things we have learned. We thank God for his mercies and blessings. His power and wisdom has brought his people more fully into the knowledge and favor of the intelligent people of the Earth. Our business is to work righteousness in the Earth, to seek for development of a knowledge of God’s will and of God’s ways, and of his great and glorious truths which he has revealed through the scriptures. We shall lower our voices of criticism and negativism; that we look for good in the World, and that we will be honest with our employers in giving our time and talents and deal honestly with everyone we meet. God will wash away your pain, take away your tears, and wait alone for you. God will listen to you talking because he wants you to believe and have faith and change what is coming through. #RandolphHarris 10 of 10
One Wants His Heart and the Other Wants His Soul
If the great Sun move not of himself; but is as an errand-boy in Heaven; nor one single star can revolve, but by some invisible power; how then can this one small heart beat; this one small brain think thoughts; unless God does that beating, does that thinking, does that living, and not I. By Heaven, man, we are turned round and round in this World, like yonder windlass, and Fate is the weapon. Some men are cowards and run from their responsibilities. Others sit back and complain. However, you have no right to dispose of your future destiny whilst there is the least probable chance you may be reclaimed. While weak souls are crushed by fortune, the brave mind makes the fickle deity afraid of it. It is not what is done to us, but what is made of us, that wrongs us. No man can be really injured but by what modifies himself. Existence is a great pot, and the old Fate who stirs it round cares nothing what rises to the top and what goes down, and laughs when the bubbles burst. The privilege of free action belongs to no mortal man. In doing and suffering, we play but the part allotted by Destiny. Amidst his most swift and easy pace the rider must guard himself against a fall, and it is when prosperity is at the highest that our prudence should be awake and vigilant to prevent misfortune. #RandolphHarris 1 of 6
The freedom crucial to human existence is untenable if the individual is dependent for his existence upon any other being. Look far into eternity, with those bright eyes, and tell me what you see. Being the son and the grandson of veterans gives me a sense of honor. They eyes are the casements at which the heart generally looks out. Knowing that I am a descendant of two generations of men who essentially gave their lives for our country and our freedom provides me with a sense of pride that some may not be able to understand. My family did not sit around protesting nor complaining, they served their country. Real men, who stood up for what they believe in, while others sit around crying and complaining about why they deserve hand outs and freebies. My father and grandfather provided me with hope, Heaven’s own gift to struggling mortals; pervading, like some subtle essence from the skies. People may heckle me because my father served in the army and gave his life for his country, and because of the price he paid, I live with an eternal reminder of his service. However, I have the honor of knowing my father is a real man. At one time, I regretted the fact that he died, and I miss him, but to me, he is a titian. #RandolphHarris 2 of 6
When enough good deeds are accumulated to constitute a high virtue, spiritual enlightenment naturally arrives and the heart of the warrior is there at hand. I see my father as a one hundred foot all marble statue, a God, and will always remember his smile, kind heart, and the fact that he was always happy and a nice guy. What we know as nature and evolution is the product of the various kinds of self-active beings, moved ultimately by the final causes of their inner beings toward a common goal. The employment and harnessing of Heaven for the advancement of human welfare. It feels good to come from a line of warriors. Reality is a republic of self-active, self-defining spirits, each moving toward the Ideal exemplified by God, changelessly attentive to every other mind, rationally sympathetic with all experiences, and bent on its spiritual success. The exaltation of freedom should be exercised in nature and society. All the material and spiritual goods to which man can aspire (from daily nourishment to truth) derive from the order to which he belongs, the hierarchies which are the interpreters and custodians of the cosmic order. In exalting freedom, man exalts his capacity to form his World, to vary it, ad to better it absolutely. #RandolphHarris 3 of 6
There are limitations through your own decision and choice. You shall determine your own nature without constraint from any barrier, by means of the freedom to whose power you have been entrusted with. God has placed us at the center of the World so that from that pint one might see better what is in the World. We have been made neither Heavenly nor Earthly, neither mortal nor immortal so that, like a free and sovereign artificer, we might mold and fashion ourselves into the form one oneself shall have chosen. Wisdom confers on human beings’ powers which prefect one’s nature. The only thing left is for hecklers to swallow their insults in silence. Mockers are derided as careless and thoughtless persons who become comical because the truth escapes their lips automatically, as it were. The humanists exalted the soul of man for its powers of freedom. Humans are a part of nature—that nature is our realm, the features which tie us to nature (our bodies, our needs, our sensations) are essential to us to the point that we cannot abstract from them or ignore them. If the best people do not draw great prizes in life, we know it has been so settled by the Ordainer of the lottery. #RandolphHarris 4 of 6
The life of Christ is not followed only by those who belong to religious orders but by all those, inside and outside of clerical circles, dedicate their activities to God. Moral philosophy is our territory. Those who betray it, and give themselves over to physics, seem in a way to occupy themselves with foreign affairs and to neglect their own. Never give your neighbor you last. The value of money is an indispensable item for the well-being of the individual and for the life of the society, and those who have a contempt for money are expressing a manifestation of the medieval asceticism which is based on ignorance of human nature. In the interesting of defending the value and freedom of humans draws us into discussion of the traditional problems of God and providence and of the soul, its immortality, and its freedom—these discussions frequently lead us to recognize the basis of the correspondence between the Heavenly and Earthly city. The Heavenly city is the norm or the ideal of man’s civil life; and precisely because it is such, its recognition means the commitment of humans to realize, as much as possible, its characteristic in the Earthly city. #RandolphHarris 5 of 6
In our own hearts, we mould the whole World’s hereafters; and in our own hearts, we fashion our own Gods. The Good Book (Christian Bible) is not only the proclamation of superterrestrial happiness but also of Earthly happiness. Religion is the confidence in the value of humans being able to work, and in the success of this work, and in the reward that we will find in the future life. Those which are the forces of the outer World are as shadows to the power we have created within us. The fundamental function of religion is to support people in the work of civil life, in political work and activity. The inalienable value of the individual—the goal is the highest and most proportional development of our powers to a complete and consistent whole. Reason must guide this development, as true knowledge of humanity depends on the cultivation not of pure analytical reason, but of deep-lying intuitive faculties. Christianity simply brings to fulfillment the wisdom that ancient philosophy has elaborated, because reason, which has supported and guided this philosophy, is the same which became incarnate in the Word. Do your children think highly of you? The broadening of our existence and of our knowledge the soul is infinitely precious and possess information of the manifold intellectual, sentient, and moral human powers. Although we may suffer several material setbacks in the course of our travels, it is actually a driving faculty, as we make spiritual advance and will triumph over adversity. #RandolphHarris 6 of 6
Mystery and Magic at the Winchester Mansion
Whoever has been so fired in one’s own spirit by the overwhelming thought of the Divine Being as to kindle the flames of faith in their heart of their fellow humans, has thereby proved oneself to be a prophet of the living God; and thus every great historic religion dates from a genuine inspiration by the Eternal spirit. The Winchester mansion attracted a recorded 27.5 million visits in 1923, when the state of California only had a population of 4 million (3.991 million to be exact). On its best day, the mansion drew more than 700,000 visitors. That the mansion was built at all, however, was something of a miracle. To build it, the Sarah and William Winchester confronted a legion of obstacles, any one of which could have—should have—killed it long before it was completed. Together, the Winchesters’ and their architects had conjured a dream castle, whose grandeur and beauty exceeded anything each singly could have imagined. The house was furnished with the finest materials and was a showcase of Victorian elegance and taste. It is a maze of Victorian craftmanship—there were gold and silver-plated chandeliers, imported Tiffany art glass windows, German silver and bronze inlaid doors, Swiss molded bathtubs, rare precious woods like mahogany paneled walls, and rosewood and parquet floors. Cabinets and fireplaces made of teak, maple, oak and white ash. #RandolphHarris 1 of 8
Believe or not, the key to the massive front door was made of solid gold. Early in her residence, Mrs. Winchester planned a grand reception and sent hundreds of gold-engraved invitations to all the prominent valley residents. Visitors wore their best clothes and most subdued expressions, as if entering the great Winchester cathedral. Some wept at its beauty, others rejoiced as if they have a revelation of God, as the moonlight cascaded through the beautiful art glass windows. At that time, the Winchester mansion had 600 rooms, was 100,000 square feet, bisected with a ten-story tower and sat on 161 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens, with spouting fountains and blossoming orchards. A sumptuous midnight banquet was the main feature that night, guests were served beef bourguignon, tartiflette, and quiche on honeycomb platters of crystal glass, 12 inches in diameter made by Tiffany & Co, along with the table being set with a $800,000.00 solid-gold dinner service (which was counted at the end of the night to make sure every piece was put away in one of the mansion’s six huge safes). The dinner was supported by a famous orchestra for added entertainment. The mansions was patrolled by a pack of ferocious Hell Hounds, plus, of course she had her staff or armed bodyguards. #RandolphHarris 2 of 8
The crowing feature of which was the wine. A 1787 Chateau Lafite, was served out of a Tiffany & Co. refresher set in handblown glass with a 68-ounce pitcher and of course, 13-ounce glasses. For dessert, they tasted a new snack called Cracker Jack and a new breakfast food called Shredded Wheat, and brought elegance and tradition to the table by serving the treats out of 12-inch harmony bowls made of crystal glass by Tiffany & Co. The mansion employed two hundred Egyptian and German employees, who were paid in gold coins. There are still more than 10,000 windows, nine kitchens, 47 fireplaces, which are all hand carved and no two alike. And while no one claimed to like gossip, girl, they gossiped about Mrs. Winchester more than any Wendy interview—and everyone enjoyed it. Talk begat rumors and as the years passed and new towers and gables rose behind the 16-foot hedge of Llanda Villa, the rumors grew to established legend. There were also twenty-five distinct Victorian guest houses on the property. Everything about the Winchester mansion was exotic and, above all, immense. Mrs. Winchester also had a sacred blue séance room, where her secret rendezvous with the spirits took place. #RandolphHarris 3 of 8
The house was over a square mile, and some people were more impressed with the Winchester mansion, so much so that it eclipsed the tower of Alexandre Eiffel, Madison Square Garden. Mrs. Winchester is reported to have had dinner with Susan B. Anthony, Thomas Edison, Henry Adams, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, Nikola Tesla, Jane Addams, Francis Ellingwood Abbot, and his wife but when President Theodore Roosevelt’s entourage passed, he expressed desire to visit the greatest event in the history of this country since the Civil War, at the World famous mansion, but at the great front door, our nation’s leader was more than astonished to be coldly told by the Butler, “Mrs. Winchester is not home!” The Winchester mansion was one of the first in the World to utilize wood insulation. Mrs. Winchester used brass cornerplates on many stairways to prevent dust pocket, and she invented an inside crank to open and close the outside shutters. Her 46 fireplaces were the first hinged iron drops for ashes and concealed wood boxes. The tier of tubs in her immense laundry had moulded-in wash boards. Mrs. Winchester also rode in regal splendor. First with a Victoria with livered coachman. Then a French Renault, a Buick Town-Car and two Pierce-Arrows, one done in stunning lavender and gold. #RandolphHarris 4 of 8
Mrs. Winchester had a remarkable memory and knew location of every piece of material in the mansion, even in the vast store-rooms. Some of the built-in innovations were decades ahead of the times. Annunciators installed in all rooms could signal her whereabouts to the servants. Illuminating gas was manufactured by a new process directly on the grounds. She improvised a window catch patterned after the Winchester rifle trigger and trip-hammer. Mrs. Winchester was very strong minded and firm, but always fair and kind. Laziness, theft, gossip or revealed confidence met with instant dismissal. Something magical had occurred in that mansion, and it was beyond doubt, but darkness, too had touched the house. Scores of workers had been hurt or killed in building the dream, their families consigned to poverty (for looting the mansion). And a fire had killed more, and an assassin had allegedly gone on a rampage targeting members of elite classes. Worse had occurred, too, but these revelations emerged only slowly. A murdered had moved among the beautiful things the Winchesters had created and the mansion was so large that he would sneak in and out at night killing guests. #RandolphHarris 5 of 8
Mr. Abbot’s young wife was drawn to the Winchester mansion by the prospect of business and she and many other young women had disappeared, last seen at the mile-long Winchester mansion. Later, Francis Abbot and his colleagues learned of the anguished letters describing daughters who had come to California and had fallen silent. The press speculated that scores of people must have disappeared within the building. After completing “The Syllogistic Philosophy,” Francis Abbot allegedly committed suicide at his wife’s grave. Even Lizzie Halliday was startled by what the fact that such grisly events could have gone undiscovered for so long, and people started to suspect that there really was supernatural activity going on inside of the Winchester mansion and that the Winchester family was being stalked and killed by ghost. Enough strange things began happening to people to make the claim seem plausible. For the supernaturally inclined, the death of the butler alone offered sufficient proof. America is every whit as sacred as Judea. God is as near to you and to me, as ever he was to Moses, to Jesus, or to Paul. Wherever a human soul has uttered its sincere and brave faith in the Divine, and this bequeathed to us the legacy of inspire words, there is the Holy Bible. #RandolphHarris 6 of 8
Humans impose their own way of life on nature, and transforms it into something with a human shape. There are in consequence two levels of nature: an upper level of human nature and a lower level of physical nature. We are born into the latter World, but do not really belong to it. It is natural to people to be moral, civilized, and socially disciplined; it is unnatural to live like wild beasts. Human’s present relation to nature can hardly be expressed except by paradox. Certain human qualities, such as chastity, are natural, on the human level of nature. The nature God had originally planned for humans was that of the Golden Age or the Garden of Eden: this was lost at the Fall, but in some measure, is recreated by the disciplines of civilization, morality, religion, and the arts. People are subject to death, and on the physical level of nature there can be no more natural event than death. Yet death was not a part of the order originally planned for humans and in that context death is unnatural. Witchcraft, a perceived facility to summon evil spirits and demons to do harm to others, was linked to religion to the extent that the medieval Church had powers to punish those who dabbled in magic and sorcery. Its priests were able to exorcise those who had become possessed by malign spirits. #RandolphHarris 7 of 8
During the 16th century, many people believed that witchcraft, rather than the workings of God’s will, offered a more convincing explanation of sudden and unexpected ill fortune, such as the death of a child, bad harvests, or the death of cattle. Witch-hunting became an obsession in some parts of the country. An estimated total 60,000 people were executed during the witch trials. Those accused of witchcraft were portrayed as being worshipers of the Devil, who engaged in such acts as malevolent sorcery at meetings known as Witches’ Sabbaths. In 1552, Parliament passed the Witchcraft Acts which defined witchcraft as a crime punishable by death. It was repealed five years later, but restored by a new Act in 1562. The circling of the immortal Heavenly bodies in the sky is the most eloquent symbol of the order and harmony of the nature that was originally intended for human beings. In 1736, Parliament passed an Act repealing the laws against witchcraft, but imposing fines or imprisonment on people who claimed to be able to use magical powers. At the level of society (or at least the groups of human beings that existed in the evolutionary past), religious belief promotes cooperation, mutual respect, and solidarity, and these features help the group to survive. God wants us to love our neighbors, as we love ourselves, which means show respect. #RandolphHarris 8 of 8
The Bedroom Scale
Our minds shine not through the body. She managed his correspondence and kept his books, while he concentrated on getting his building ready for the World’s fair. They dined together in his office, on meals brought in from the across the street. He touched her and caressed her and let his eyes fill with tears of adoration. Then they sat down to pray: Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us today, our daily nourishment. Forgive our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but delivers us from the evil one. Can the mind forget the history of its own life? For if you forgive people when they sin against you, your Heavenly father will also forgive you. However, if you do not forgive people their sins, your father will not forgive you. As deep cries unto deep, so my thoughts cries unto thee and you do answer. I am renewed and refreshed; my whole being responds to your love, and I am complete in thee. All my ways are guarded and guided, and I shall live with thee eternally. #RandolphHarris 1 of 5
The road to misery is often through the most pleasing paths. When God breathed his life into you, he put something in you to give you an advantage. There is something about you that makes you stand out, something that draws friendly people and opportunity, something that causes you to overcome obstacle, to accomplish dream. Sometime I wonder how did I get to where I am? This is not just my own ability. All of our knowledge is based on our experience. I have good fortune to meet with success, I shall proceed to the examination of morals, politics, and criticism. All of our simple ideas in their first appearance are derived from simple impressions, which are correspondent to them, and which they exactly represent. I first make myself certain, by a new review, of what I have already asserted, that every simple impression is attended with a correspondent impression. The application of ideas beyond their nature proceeds from our collecting all their possible degrees of quantity and quality in such an imperfection manner as may serve the purpose of life, which is the proposition I proposed to explain. #RandolphHarris 2 of 5
The skeptic who maintains that we cannot know there are other persons is already contradicting oneself by supposing in referring to the plural, we. If such-and-such is not instance knowing, then no one has ever known anything and there cannot be such a thing as knowing. When these norms are arranged I order of their indefeasibility, it would seem that where observation unequivocally reveals just that when we look at an inkwell we directly perceive a sense datum and that is claim is indefeasible in that observation unequivocally presents us with a sense datum. The image in the mind is only that of a particular object, though the application of it in our reasoning be the same, as if it were universal. The postulation of God and immortality can by no means insure that the ultimate moral goals will, in fact, be reached, even though it was precisely to insure their attainment that the postulates were made. The moral order is an objectively valid order, that moral values belong to the nature of reality, and the history of the World process is fitted to realize this order. If we were to assume that the goal of World-process is the realizing of happiness, there would be the weightiest empirical evidence against us. #RandolpHarris 3 of 5
With moral worth and goodness, it is different. Conditions that work against happiness may work for, not against the developing, trying, and testing of moral fiber. The very imperfection of the World is an argument pointing to the theistic conclusion. There remains yet a gap between the claim that the Universe works toward a moral purpose and the full claim that God exists. Belief in God is presupposed by belief in an objective and eternally valid morality. If the moral law is eternally valid, and valid whether we recognize it or not, how could this eternal validity stand alone, not embodied in matter and neither seen nor realized by finite minds, unless there were an eternal mind whose thought and will were therein expressed? One can readily agree that the World as we experience it is better adapted to be a vale of soul-making than a hedonistic holiday camp. Yet, there are difficulties about even the soul-making view. Some human suffering (the unmerited suffering of young children, for instance) cannot always be treated plausibly as developing moral fiber, or as realizing any other moral value. #Randolphharris 4 of 5
The natural environment can figure as the destroyer of moral personality as well as its preserver and nourisher. The validity of the law to an eternal mind, surely contains a confusion of the logical and psychological. Christianity provides a uniquely helpful way in which we can see the unlovable neighbor, admit one and about our neighbor, we bring our view of one into relation with God’s action—his action in creating our neighbor and his constant and costly redemptive action on our neighbor’s behalf. Good and evil are relative to the person who uses these words; and when people are joined together in a commonwealth, then good and evil are subject to the determinations of the commonwealth. As for our motives for pursuing good and avoiding evil, they may be summed up as self-interest. Were it to our own interest to purse what others, or the commonwealth, have designated as evil, we certainly would. Our observation of an instance of virtuous action is the occasion for a feeling of pleasure or satisfaction, which enables us to distinguish that action as virtuous. The rest of your life will be the best of your life. #RandolphHarris 5 of 5
Randolph Harris II International Institute 