There are many events throughout history that have profoundly the destiny of nations and peoples. We are surrounded by divine wisdom, love, and intelligence. The principle of divine guidance is the gift of God forever made and forever delivered. We need evidence to justify our belief in the existence of the soul. Spirituality emanates from the ordinariness of this human life made transparent by lifelong tending to its nature and fate. We already believe in the soul that we hope and expect to find evidence of paranormal phenomena. Ironically, it was the skeptical World of science that has helped prove the theological doctrine of the spiritual World. The moment of astral disembodiment in which the energy of the soul leaves the body has been captured by legendary Russian scientist, Konstantin Korotkov. A bioelectrgraphic camera was utilized to photograph an individual at the exact time of death. Using the gas discharge visualization method, an advanced technique of Kirlian photography shows the life force of the person leaving the body gradually. The navel, and the head, are the first parts of the body to first lose their life force, or rather their soul. The groin and the heart are the last two areas of the body where the spirit resides before finally heading onto the great unknown. No wonder, then, that the majority of people are so well disposed towards the field of parapsychology in general and so eager to listen to particular stories. #RandolphHarris 1 of 8
The human history is the working of the infinite mind on this planet. We are, of necessity, inlets to the divine mind, but since we are individuals we become outlets to the degree that we permit ourselves to become. It is no more impossible in principle that a dead person should come back to life than an unborn person should achieve life in the first place. Which is harder, to be born or rise again? Konstantin Korotkov has speculated that the soul of those who suffer a violent and unexpected death, may manifest itself in a state of confusion in your power settings and return to the body in the days post death. Although this is a frightening notion, the surplus of unused energy must find a home before it can gradually enter the energy fields that surround us. The health and wellness movement has emerged over the last decade as millions of believers have come to practice disciplines structured around the notion that our soul is a manifestation of measurable levels of energy flowing through the human body and the space it occupies. We all die. No matter how young, beautiful, healthy, or cautious we are, someday our body will become lifeless. Friends and family will mourn us. However, they cannot bring us back. Nevertheless, our death will be temporary. Our spirit one day will reunite with our body. This resurrected body will not be subject to death, and we will live in the eternities, free from pain and physical suffering. #RandolphHarris 2 of 8
We have all sinned. Our sins would forever keep us from living with God, because no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom. However, because of our Lord and Savior, we are granted a most precious and priceless gift—regardless of our past, we can repent and follow the path that leads to celestial light and glory, surrounded by the faithful children of Heavenly Father. We will rise from the despair of death and embrace those we love, shedding tears of overwhelming joy and overflowing gratitude. We will exist as eternal beings, Worlds without end. Our sins will not only be erased; they will be forgotten. We can become purified and exalted. Because of our beloved Savior, we can forever drink from the fountain of water that springs up into eternal life. We can dwell forever in the mansions of our eternal King, in unimaginable glory and perfect happiness. Those who find a way to truly behold God find the doorway to life’s greatest joys and the balm to life’s most demanding despairs. So, when we are encompassed by sorrows and grief, behold God. When we feel lost or forgotten, behold God. When we are despairing, deserted, doubting, damaged, or defeated, behold God. He will Comfort us. #RandolphHarris 3 of 8
God will heal us and give meaning to our journey. He will pour out his spirit and fill our hearts with exceeding joy. God gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increases strength. When we truly behold God, we learn of him and seek to align our lives with him. We repent and strive to refine our natures and daily grow a little closer to God. We trust God. We show our love for God by keeping his commandments and by living up to our sacred covenants. In other words, we become his disciples. God’s refining light saturates our souls. His grace uplifts us. Our burdens are lightened, our peace deepened. When we truly behold God, we have the promise of a blessed future that inspires and upholds us through the bends and bumps in life’s journey. Looking back, we will recognize that there is a divine pattern, that the path is real. Nothing is more important than the realization that since we are surrounded by infinite intelligence we are immersed in limitless wisdom. We are surrounded by a principle of mind and intelligence which will become divine guidance to us provided we permit it to do so. Our part is to realize that divine guidance is a principle, and to accept this principle as operating in our everyday life. The answer to every problem is in the problem itself. It is usually so self-evident that its very obviousness conceals it. #RandolphHarris 4 of 8
The most important day in our lives is the day when we behold God; when we see him for who he truly is; when we partake with all our heart and mind of God’s atoning power; when with renewed enthusiasm and strength, we commit to follow God. May that be a day that recurs over and over again throughout our lives. As we behold God, we will find meaning, joy, and peace in this Earthly life and eternal life in the World to come. So divine guidance is ours for the asking, and no matter how crude that asking may be, or may have been in the history of religious evolution, there has always been an answer. God has answered every request at the level of the mentality from which the request was made. When the scientist listens, the artist imagines, the mathematician calculates, or the poet waits for muse to guide one’s fancy into word pictures, all are praying for divine guidance. Each in one’s own sphere of action receives as much guidance as one is capable of perceiving. Why not, then, consciously specialize the law of divine guidance, for surely this would be a practical thing to do. It is not enough to believe that divine guidance can guide; we must know that divine intelligence is guiding. We must know that there are no mistakes in the divine plan, and we must know that we are all part of the Universal scheme of things. #RandolphHarris 5 of 8
Consider the case of resurrection. If we cannot absolutely disallow the possibility that a human might in fact rise up from the dead, can we nonetheless absolutely disallow certain potential explanations of what casual process could lie behind it? The undertaker suggests to us, for example, that the explanation for his client’s rising from the dead is that once the man was removed from the ice box, the warmth of the radiators made his bodily functions return to normal. While there might be much else that we would like to know about what went on here, there would be nothing obviously incoherent or self-contradictory about this explanation—and it would not be one we could rule out in advance on purely logical grounds. However, suppose the undertaker suggests instead that the explanation for the man’s rising from the dead is that at five past two his biological clock started to run backwards and caused his body to revert to its predeath state. Any effect is miraculous when it exceeds the natural powers of the means employed. Thus, it is called miraculous when infirmary is cured by touching a sacred relic, when a person possessed is healed by invoking the name of God, and so on, because the effects exceed the natural powers of the words used to invoke God or the natural powers of a relic. #RandolphHarris 6 of 8
There may be miracles that are supernatural in substance, quoad substantiam, where the phenomena in themselves are indeed beyond the limits of nature, so that there very existence is miraculous. For example, when a single body is in two places at the same time—the very point being that in this cause the phenomenon as such could never come to pass in the natural course of things. We must specialize any law which we wish consciously to use, and the principle of divine guidance is no exception to this general rule. We must believe that there is a divine guidance, we must deny every tendency to disbelieve in divine guidance. If law is mind in action, and if we specialize this law through the activity of our thought, which we most certainly do, then we must consciously know that we are daily guided and directed into right action. We must know that there is an intelligence which goes before us and makes our way plain and immediate. Whenever any problem confronts you, take it into the silence of your own contemplation and declare that there is no problem and announce the belief in the answer. Mentally act as though the problem were an argument trying to convince you that you do not know the answer, and then through the conscious activity of your thought destroy the argument either by picking it apart a bit at a time until there is nothing left, or by the complete realization that dissipates it as the Sun dissipates the mist. #RandolphHarris 7 of 8
We are surrounded by such an astonishing wealth of light and trust that I wonder if we truly appreciate what we have. It seems to be human nature: as we become more familiar with something, even something miraculous and awe-inspiring, we lose our sense of awe and treat it as commonplace. Sadly, we sometimes take for granted the eternal and soul-expanding gospel of God. When you dissolve the problem and seek divine guidance you are announcing that there is no problem. Announce that there is a complete answer and that this answer is made known to your mind right now, today. In this way you wait upon your indwelling Lord, the Supreme One, the Creator and the Sustainer of your destiny. Divine guidance is just as definite a principle in the Universe as is the law of attraction and repulsion. Your use of divine guidance must be just as conscious as an architect drawing a plan; just as certain as a mathematician solving a problem; and the answer is just as definite. The power is real and can bind you to your loved ones for time and for all eternity. Our hearts have to experience the gratitude and awe for the sacred and sublime gifts God has granted us. Life-changing truths are before our eyes and at our fingertips. If we seek the truth, develop faith in God, and sincerely repent, we will receive a spiritual change of heart which only comes from our Savior. Our hearts will become new again. #RandolphHarris 8 of 8
In the heroic struggle to be someone, to make life work and to find happiness, things we do may inflict wounds on something much deeper than me. The very foundation of existence can be affected, and so infirmary and ailments arise as from some profound, mysterious place, very much as a divine apparition. We know that the battle for the right to live happily through the will to live rightly is half won when we have correctly diagnosed the trouble. And if we have been walking down a road that leads nowhere, where the trail runs out and stops, all we have to do is reverse our steps and remember that the power which took us down the wrong road can just as easily lead us back on the right one. Pursuing divinely appointed responsibilities in righteousness, unity, and equality will prepare us to meet God. It is eternity-shaping. We know who we are and we know what God expects of us. God has armed us with righteousness, in his power, and with great glory. The ceremonies of dedication may be rehearsal, but no mortal language can describe the Heavenly manifestations of these memorable days. The soul exists because its nonexistence would lead to an absurdity. It would be wrong to pretend that this is something absolutely everybody does not stop to think about—of that the mind-body problem, as modern philosophers conceive of it, is a burning issue for all human beings. #RandolphHarris 1 of 6
Still, I doubt in this contemplation of mortality that there is anybody who has not at least noticed that there really is a puzzle here, hardly a person who has not observed that their own mental life is on the face of it too good to be true, and therefore, I would guess, hardly anyone who has not been drawn to dualism as at least some sort of a solution. Ordinary people are likely to get not a little outside cultural help. We have to plough the furor for ourselves, clearing our minds of every external influence before finding the answers to the puzzle. As I am sure you realize, the whole trend of modern psychology and neuroscience is in fact totally antithetical to dualism and will not admit to there being even a hint of paranormal interaction between the mind and the brain. While the problem of consciousness remains a problem even for the experts, ordinary people can be forgiven for supposing that they have (and always have had) the essence of the answers already in their pockets: the simple, easily graspable, patently obvious, and metaphysically comforting idea that mind and body belong to different spheres and may in principle lead relatively independent lives, even while the mind has effects on the body and the body effects on the mind. Once a person has arrived at this dualist model of what it is to be a human being, it is certain to be a powerful enabler of paranormal beliefs across the board. #RandolphHarris 2 of 6
Angels appear to some, while a sense of divine presence is realized by many, and each heart is filled with joy inexpressible and full of glory. This life is the time for all of us to prepare to meet God. After an individual has arrived at this model of what goes on quite naturally inside of oneself when one wills, acts, perceives, and so on, the way is open to legitimizing paranormal action in the World beyond. The case of mind-over-matter interactions occurring within the brain ought perhaps to be regarded as exceptional. If things can happen inside of the brain, why not outside? In fact could it not be argued that, compared to what happens every day inside our heads, when our minds lead our bodies the amazing dances that they do that are considered miraculous, once we admit that mind-over-matter effects can and do occur in a single case, the absolute taboo on non-physical causation has been broken. The World is then the paranormal’ oyster. Several professional parapsychologists have openly acknowledged that it is their faith in mind-body dualism that justifies and motivated their search for paranormal phenomena in general. Parapsychologist alone constitute a professional group where dualism is still the most popular assumption. #RandolphHarris 3 of 6
Normally, psychic phenomenon (psi) arises from the fact that mind can directly influence matter and matter mind. These interactions usually would be confined to the mind-brain system where they would be going on all the time. Once in a while, however, they may spill over into the environment and it is only then that they would count as paranormal within the terms of the accepted definition. If psi phenomena occur we must adopt some other conception of the way the mind works, for example that the mind generates ideas and that these ides somehow fulfill themselves in the real Word. This many smack uncomfortably of magic but only observation can tell us whether or not such magic is a fact. Probably everyone will half agree with this “only observation can tell.” However, it is strongly suspected that for many people it is nonetheless their basic belief that the mind must be magic to be a mind at all that encourages them, to begin with, to go out and look. For me personally, life can be difficult, but I keep my faith in God and keep praying and praying and keeping my faith because I have seen God do wonderful things in my life, and people have so much faith in his power and have these amazing testimonies about how God has helped them. I feel that there are much greater things in store for my life because that is what is reported in the scripture, and I want my testimony. I want to be able to see my dreams come to fruition and be able to lift someone else up by telling them how my faith in God got me here. #RandolphHarris 4 of 6
And I believe that by focusing on God every day, it creates a kind of mind storm where he is all around you and active in your life, and you can feel the Sun is about the shine. In your heart, when you have faith in God and are living right, you just know he is going to turn your pain into blessings. As for people who violate the covenants of chastity, who abuse spouses or offspring [or, for that matter, anyone else] will one day stand accountable before God. It takes less energy to live constructively than it does to live destructively. It takes no energy to have faith, while fear devastates such energy we have. It takes no energy to love; it is hate that is destructive. It does not take mental or physical energy to be happy, but unhappiness and morbidity consumes so much energy that it devitalizes us mentally and physically. It does not take mental of physical energy to build up hope; it is despair that blocks us. All it takes is faith. As we look around, we see the devastation of wickedness and addiction at every turn. If, as individuals, we are really concerned about the Savior’s ultimate judgment of us, we should seek repentance. It sometimes seems strange that life should have delivered such power into our keeping, such a will and imagination, and then let us alone to make the great discovery for ourselves. Sometimes we wonder why God did this? God never made any mistakes and never can. This is the only way he could have created us as free people, for the very idea of freedom carries with it the obligations of ignorance and the rewards of understanding. #RandolphHarris 5 of 6
And now it is high time that we awake from our sleep and come back to a direct and intimate relationship to the power greater than we are and to a law of God acting creatively on our prayers of affirmation, our meditations of faith, and our hymns of praise. The science of the mind conspires with us because it has lead us back through the dim and dark caverns of our own thinking to the original source of our being, which it has hesitated to call God but which it knows is a power greater than we are. No one can travel the new road for us but ourselves. Science may put up a sign: This is the way; walk in it. So we must take our journey into the promise land. A person without a spiritual conviction cannot hope to make the same use of the creative power of our though as the one who has it. We must deliberately play with the idea that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, that the Kingdom of God is within. We must reorganize our thought on this basis, taking as our central theme the conviction that pure spirit is every at the center of our being. We should keep the door of our thoughts open to the invisible guest who would enter with us. God is the resurrection and the life. One may end one experience and be born into another in this World. We are learning how to do this by mentally letting go of the old and taking hold of the new. We know that the spirit triumphs over everything, love is all-conquering, joy becomes supreme. #RandolphHarris 6 of 6
If we persevere, then somewhere in eternity our refinement will be finished and complete. The ratiocination in and of itself can be a major cultural force, and in particular that human beings might be expected to have found their way to believing in the paranormal by what starts out as a non-paranormal route. However, there has always been a still more obvious route to take. For, if people can reason their way towards the paranormal on the basis of the experiences of unusual phenomena like dreams and visions, all the more should they be able to do so on the base experiences of ordinary, waking, mental life. In fact if there were ever a good reason for believing in an immaterial soul with potential paranormal powers, it is arguably the incontestable, universally experienced, continuing miracle of human consciousness. How comes it that we have such astonishing powers of perception, intelligence, language, imagination, will-power, strength of purpose, skill in action? How can the mental and the physical Worlds interact in such coherent and purposeful ways? How can we be so lucky as to be blessed with self-awareness? Why ever should it feel as it does feel to be each of us? The magnitude of our calling can seem overwhelming and the responsibility may be frightening. However, our Heavenly Father did not leave us to wander in darkness and in silence, uninstructed or uninspired. In his own way he revealed the lessons he would have people learn. #RandolphHarris 1 of 6
Look into a human mind from the inside and all you find is thoughts and feelings, look into a human body from the outside and all you find is flesh and blood. How can two such entirely different kinds of things keep such consistent company? What possible explanation can there be for these minds belonging to these bodies? Can anyone deny—unless they resort to some very special pleading—that human mental life seems to be simply too good to be true? Some philosophers taught the conscious mind and the physical body really must be independent entities, belonging to different qualitative realms—the former made of what is called, in Latin, res cogitans or thinking stuff, the latter of res extensa or extended stuff. Neither entity absolutely requires the existence of the other: bodies without minds are possible in principle, and minds without bodies are possible in principle. In human beings, however, God has so arranged it that the two do in fact coexist in a wonderfully intimate relationship. This relationship is made possible because—but only because—there is a special channel in the human brain (located in the pineal gland) that is capable of carrying causal influences in both directions. These influences involve the direct effect of mind on matter and matter on mind. These normal psychophysical interactions are therefore, strictly speaking, paranormal. #RandolphHarris 2 of 6
The World is filled with beautiful people who are uncertain. The sad part is many of them have not learned to fully use their abilities. Perhaps the word of God, giving them proper examples, has not sounded in their ears or found lodgment in their hearts. Some are young people who do not know who they are, what they can be or even want to be. They are afraid, but they do not know of what. They are angry, but they do not know at whom. They are rejected, and they do not know why. All they want is to be somebody. Others are stooped with age, burdened with care, or filled with doubt—living lives far below the level of their capacities. So many people are prone to excuse their own mediocre performance, and blame their misfortunes their lack of ability to persevere. Others can become victims of their own rationalizations. And there are some who soar beyond their meager accomplishment. Envy and discouragement then take their toll. Can we not appreciate that our very business in life is not to get ahead of others, but to get ahead of ourselves? To break our own records, to outstrip our past by our present, and to bear our trials more beautifully then we ever dreamed would could and do our work with more force and a finer finish then ever—the true idea is to accomplish more than we thought was possible. #RandolphHarris 3 of 6
To live greatly, we must develop the capacity to face trouble with courage, disappointment with cheerfulness, and triumph with humility. We can achieve these goals by getting a true perspective of who we really are! We are children of a living God, in whose image we have been created. Think of that truth: Created in the image of God. We cannot sincerely hold this conviction without experiencing a profound new sense of strength and power, even the strength to live the commandments of God, the power to resist the temptations of the adversary. Sometimes there are blocks and conflicts, repressions, inhibitions, which go under the names of inferiority complex, or superiority complex, or a sense of rejection or guilt. And our minds have to be taken straight back to life and come to an understanding that it does not matter so much what had happened in the past because we can get complete clearance from it. What matters is that we should forgive ourselves and others, know that we are forgiven, and that, no longer indulging in what is wrong, we will feel a new will to live surging up within us. God wants us to place great emphasis on the will to live creatively and enjoy life. Life does not hold anything against us, nor does it condemn us, nor judge us. At any hour of the day we can get a complete clearance. “God has filled us with his love,” reports 2 Nephi 4.21. #RandolphHarris 4 of 6
What if you have been lurking in the dark or damp shadows of previous experience until you are so depressed that you do not know what to do because you are surrounded by darkness? The very moment you step out into the Sunshine you are in the light. Just place yourself in the position so that all shadows will be cast behind you, so there will be nothing between you and the Sun, and let its warmth and energy fill you with a new will to live. No person has the will to live unless he or she feels that life is worth living. And one cannot have a deep sense of the will to love unless one feels that one is going to live forever somewhere. It is impossible to divorce this will to live eternally, this belief that we are important beings from the best possible mental hygiene. This is why we focus on eternal life so there is always something to look forward to. It does not mean that we have to suffer on Earth until we pass into Heaven. Eternal life is just a way of letting us know there is something to look forward to in the future and to life the best life possible so we can get there. The play has just begun and will never end. There is not a single person on this Earth who can heal from their neurosis without a restoration of spiritual faith, and it is impossible to get the most out of life while we are here unless we believe in immortality. #RandolphHarris 5 of 6
Today, I was at Starbucks, a team of young lawyers came in. There were to men, and two women, and they were all dressed in their fancy suits and dresses with their computers, and their faces just beamed of youthful vigor, vitality, intelligence, and happiness. It was clear that they had found something in life that make everyday worth living. There is nothing complicated about this. We can all be so happy. We should stop thinking it is so difficult to get our thought straightened out, and begin to realize how easy it must be, for there is no mystery about it. We know that thoughts are things, and we know that our inward emotional reactions to our ways of thinking do produce inward states of harmony and well-being, which in turn gives rise to our disposition. And we know that this happens because our thoughts are focused on the optimistic things in life and not weighed down by pessimism. When we learn to focus on faith instead of fear, on fulfillment instead of disappointment, and on the love of God, we have the power to gleam with happiness. Our dreams do not have to frequently present images of dark power in which we are either the wielder of weapons or their victim. The worth of souls is great and we should be intensely interested in the future because we expect to send the rest of our days there. We have to learn to be around people who we can love and trust. #RandolphHarris 6 of 6
I do not presume to know the timetable of God’s plans and purposes, but I do know that with each of us the time to turn and begin to go where we ought to go is not later than now. Where are we really going? As we come again to the season that celebrates the coming forth of our living Lord and Savior, we would well remember that divine plan and purpose that in due time would take us from this swift passing life to a real and personal everlastingness of life, with limitless eternal possibilities, and with our loved ones with us, always, and forever. This is God’s plan and purpose. Many people try to tell us suffering is part of God’s plan, but I do not believe that. I think that is just a consequence of human being having free will. God wants us to be happy and safe and that is why we have commandments to teach us how to live. That is why it really matters where we are going and why we need his gospel to tell us how to get there. If there is any condemnation or animosity in me, I gladly lose it. I lose it and let it go as I turn to that silent presence within me which gives all and withholds nothing. As we enter into the harmony of eternal peace, into the joy of knowing that we are now in the Kingdom of God, from which no person is excluded, take time to realize that we are stretching forth into an endless future of pure delight. #RandolphHarris 1 of 6
We are born wit a will to live and an almost equal will to die; when we look forward to more pain and unhappiness than to peace and joy in living, the mind begins to destroy the body so we shall not have to suffer the pain we unconsciously anticipate. The will to live and to be happy is necessary to our physical well-being. The more we study the way the mind works the more we realize that most of our physical infirmaries, and perhaps all of our unhappiness, come from certain deep-rooted reactions to life that generally are built around the idea that we are not wanted or needed or loved. We feel some deep sense of guilt, and this gives rise to a feeling of insecurity and stress. Thus we reject ourselves and suffer because of this self-imposed condemnation. Idea, thoughts, and psychic formations in general become localized between the organic elements of the nervous system, where resistances and association-tracks form the correlate corresponding to them. Everything that can become an object of internal perception is virtual, like the image in the telescope produced by the crossing of light-rays. The unconscious psychic process leads to the justified expression for the morbid race, which goes on in the inner conflicts of the mind, until finally the frustration is so great that the mind begins to destroy the body because of impressions it has received are destructive. #RandolphHarris 2 of 6
When the unconscious process of self-destruction reaches a point where there is no longer a will to resist it, the person loses their will to love and so even nature cannot restore that individual, and generally in such cases he or she passes on. The physician, it is true, does not learn of these unconscious processes until they have produced an effect on consciousness. The unconscious is the larger circle which includes the smaller circle of the conscious; everything conscious has a preliminary unconscious stage, whereas the unconscious can stop at this stage, and yet claim to be considered a fully psychic function. The unconscious is the true psychic reality; in its inner nature it is just as much unknown to us as the reality of the external Word, and it is just as imperfectly communicated to us by the data of consciousness as is the external World by the reports of our sense-organs. What we need is a deep, underlying faith or conviction about life that will remove this inner conflict and frustration and let the original divine patter come to the surface, for we are all rooted in God, the living spirit. There would have to be perfection at the center of our being or we should not be here. You are therefore perfect, even as our Father which in Heaven is perfect. #RandolphHarris 3 of 6
Our roots run deep into the creative soil of the infinite mind, and if we have not stopped drawing straight from the roots of our being we should be all right. The same God and Father who made us in his own image, wants to show us the way of life and redeem us from death; that the Heavens have been opened and the fullness of the gospel brought again, to save and exalt us all, if we are willing, which is God’s purpose: to being our immortality and eternal life to pass. If we are on the wrong path, it is important to find out where and when and how we started to deviate—that pathway that leads to destruction rather than life, the pathway that leads to unhappiness and frustration rather than joy through self-expression. Humans are born to be happy, to live creatively, to love, to sing, to dance, and to express themselves to the full capacity of their humanity. When they do not do this they feel unhappy, sad, and alone, and wish they were dead—they no longer have the will to live. However, we can go back to that which is more fundamental. We can go back to God, the creative spirit, and understand that we are born of God. There is only one life, that life is God, that life is perfect, that life is our life now. Nothing has interfered with that life, nothing can interfere with it. #RandolphHarris 4 of 6
There is nothing in the Universe that holds anything against us. We have to learn to forgive ourselves and forgive everyone else. The past is gone and it no longer affects us. This is April, this glorious time of the year when nature again comes alive. It is a season of promise, a time of beauty. It is a time for falling in love. This morning I noticed a handsome young man and a beautiful young lady walking hand in hand toward this building, a diamond ring on her finger, and I surmised that they will be married, as will scored of thousands of others across the land when April turns to May and May to June. To those of you who, with glad hearts, dream of marriage and the establishment of a home, expect the Lord to build that house. Know that God holds nothing against us, and if we have done anything to hurt others, or they have done anything to hurt us, we now forgive ourselves and them. Therefore we are conscious that we have complete clearance. There is no judgment, no condemnation. We must know that there is no fear. Perfect love casts out all fear. Therefore, we have confidence in life. We have a deep faith and a complete conviction that God is all there is and that we are wanted and needed and loved, not only by the divine spirit but by everyone we meet. We belong to life, it belongs to us, and we are going to enter it with joy. Life is ready to give us everything that is good, and we are ready to pass it on to others. #RandolphHarris 5 of 6
We are a channel through which good flows in every direction. Giving and receiving, and receiving and giving, the channel is never stopped. Respect for one another, the kind of respect that regards one’s companion as the most precious friend on Earth and not as a possession or a chattel to be forced or compelled to suit one’s selfish whims. Love cannot be forced, it comes out of Heaven, unasked and unsought. This respect comes of recognition that each of us is a son or daughter of God, endowed with something of his divine nature, that each is an individual entitled to expression and cultivation of individual talents and deserving of talents and deserving of forbearance, of patience, of understanding, of courtesy, of thoughtful consideration. True love is not so much a matter of stressful concern for the well being of one’s companion. We have no sense of insecurity nor stress. We feel secure in God. We know that we will be guided and guarded and loved into fulfillment. We have no stressful thoughts for tomorrow, for we shall know what to do when tomorrow comes. We have to be educated into our ignorance or else the full presence of the divine will be kept at bay. #RandolphHarris 6 of 6
Realizing that Love is the great motivating power of life, and knowing that Gog must be at the center of everything, let us take the time to turn and begin to go where we ought to go not rather than later. Without a felt connection to things we become numb to the World and lost that important home and family. Sometimes we set our hearts on things we feel we have to obtain, and when we get them find they do not mean as much as once we thought they would. We assume that our loneliness has to do with other people, but it comes from our estrangement from a World that we have depersonalized by our philosophies. And so the years move by—and even while yet young we feel like our souls are old. Life intends and wants us to give every good thing, but when the circulation is stopped at any point it is slowed down at every point. A good enough illustration is the circulation of our blood in our physical bodies. Stop the circulation anywhere and it is decreased everywhere, and whenever the circulations is stopped stagnation sets in, and infection is likely to follow. We never drink from stagnant pools because we know they are poisonous. We seek the free-flowing water which purifies itself as it flows. Our minds are psychological pools through which flow the thoughts of God, which are thoughts of love and generosity, good will and peace, poise and power. Whenever there is stagnation in our psychological lives we shall discover that the reason is because we have not permitted this flow. #RandolphHarris 1 of 8
Everything moves in circles. This is the way of life, and what we refuse to give we refuse to accept. Nothing is more important than that we learn how to forgive both ourselves and others. It seems that forgiveness is one of the greatest lessons in life. The human mind has a necessity to relieve itself of the burden of condemnation, and the lesson to all humanity is that even God cannot give us what we refuse to accept. It is impossible for us to feel relief and release from self-condemnation while we bear condemnation towards others. We long to be free from burdens. How we yearn for a sense of release from fear and doubt and uncertainty. How greatly we long for a security which takes fear from our lives. We pray for a certainty and a faith that will make us whole. The physician and the surgeon can patch up this physical body of ours, and the psychologist or psychiatrist can help us to straighten out our emotional tensions, for all of which we should be grateful. However, only life can give life. Beyond this body and deeper than this mind there is a perennial wellspring of life which can flow through us to eternal givingness and to everlasting forgivingness. Beloved friends, where are you really going? What do you really want? Every day is part of eternity. What happens here and now is forever important. #RandolphHarris 2 of 8
Prepare yourselves for opportunities that await you here and now, as well as for a future that is forever. Who would not be in paradise? If we felt that someone beside us had the power to say to us, today shall thou be with me in paradise, in the Garden of Eden of the soul, in the fields that blood forever, beside the still waters—if we knew that there was someone who could do this for us, would we not exchange everything we have for this gift? Of course we would. The laws of nature, the laws of God, the laws of life, are one and the same and are always in full force. We live in a Universe of law. Spring follows Winter. This we can count on. The Sun will show itself on time again tomorrow morning. This we can count on. The Universe remains to the heart unhurt, it is your Heavenly Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. The Kingdom is something we do not earn; it is the gift of Heaven. This heart is unhurt is the heart that God gave us. We alone have refused to receive the gift; it has never been withheld. From the day we are first ushered into this World, until the last moment when the soul takes it silent flight into the unseen, our life is drawn from an invisible source. #RandolphHarris 3 of 8
The moral laws and spiritual laws are also in full force. This also we can count on. All of us will realize the results of how we live our lives. And do not let anyone say that mere humans have right or power to repeal God’s commandments or ever set them aside—commandments that are so practical and essential, a part of life, dealing as they do with health and happiness and peace, with honesty and morality and cleanliness, and excellence, and all else that pertains to life. If someone tells you, my beloved friends, that you can set the commandments of God aside without realizing the results—if someone tells you that, then you may know that you are listening to someone who does not know, or is not telling the truth. These minds, these bodies God has given, with their wondrous physical functioning, must last a mortal lifetime—and to impair or dull the sense, or damage their physical functioning, or abuse or fail to care for them—to indulge in body-destroying, mind-dulling, spirit-blighting substances is not the best use of our resources and could lead to unwisdom. Whatever is not good for humans should not be used by humans—nor done by humans. It is intended that we should be happy. It is meant that we should live to the full; that we should sing and dance and be sober; that we should love and be loved in return. #RandolphHarris 4 of 8
However, in our ignorance we have inhibited the action of God in our lives, and so we have cut ourselves off from the only power than can help. And it is not only physical punishment that comes from departing from the laws of life, but also psychological and spiritual punishment, and the anguish of the soul inside. The worst punishment of all is that in the court of one’s own conscience, no guilty person is acquitted. The only sensible thing to so it retrace our steps and start all over again. We should not do this with any sense of morbidity nor fear, but rather with the feeling of an explorer or navigator who knows that there is an undiscovered country in our own minds. It is the World the way God made it. There is a humanity that we have not yet met. It is the divinity hidden within each one of us. There is a God who exists everywhere. We shall never see this God until we look through the eyes of our own divinity. Well, we ought to live as we ought to live, not only because it would please our parents, but as a favor for ourselves—for every commandment, every requirement God has given is for our happiness, for our health, and for our peace and progress. My beloved friends, even selfishly it is smart to keep the commandments God has given. The human penchant for thinking things through from first principles could be the key factor in turning people towards belief in paranormal powers. #RandolphHarris 5 of 8
Recognizing that similar beliefs in paranormal powers have been characteristic of all known human societies throughout history, it is possible that there origin lay not in anybody’s direct observation of paranormal phenomena as such but rather in what inevitably happens wen thinking people start reflecting on the meaning of certain relatively familiar facts of life. First of all, what is it that makes the difference between a living body and a dead one; what causes working, sleep, trance, infirmary, and death? Secondly, what are these human shapes which appear in dreams and visions? The obvious inference is that every human has two things belonging to them, namely life and a phantom. Now, along with the physical side there must be concern also with pollution of the mind and soul—concern for the purveyors and exploiters of pornography, those who profit or for other purposes would fill people’s minds with vile, debasing pictures and impressions. We have an obligation to safeguard children in their innocence and honesty. And besides the rising cry to clean up pollution, let there be like concern to clean up physical pollution of mind and manners and morals. #RandolphHarris 6 of 8
Life or the animating principle can leave a person’s body, as it does in death or dreamless sleep, so that although the body persists the conscious self is gone; and second that a ghostly version of this conscious self can wander and go visiting, as may happen when it turns up in another person’s dream or vision. From which they might well have drawn the reasonable conclusion that the ghostly self that sometimes turns up elsewhere is one and the same entity as the animating self that sometimes leaves the body. If the self returns to the body the human wakes or escapes from one’s trance; if it stays away, one dies and one’s body corrupts, although as a ghost it may continue to haunt other people’s lives. From this it would surely have been but a short step to believing in the possible occurrence of a variety of more exotic paranormal phenomena. Once the premise of immortality, immateriality and transcendence is granted, every magic act on the part of the transcending self becomes possible: after all, it belongs to a different World, one that is not bound by the limitations of gravity, density, and time and space in general. Psychic action at a distance, telepathic communication, reincarnation, messages from the dead, and so on—all would become not merely real possibilities but, with just a little imagination, real probabilities. #RandolphHarris 7 of 8
So much that is these phenomena were not in fact to be encountered in real life, it might seem quite reasonable to invent them: which is, arguably, what in culture after culture actually transpired. Now, as we go along in life, two things should surely be considered: the power of prevention and the power of repentance. Why run against the laws of life? Why run headlong into ill health and unhappiness? Why life contrary to conscience? Think of the heartbreak and waste and regret that could be prevented by living as we ought to live. No one can set aside consequences. The heavy weight of wrongdoing is too big a burden. The heaviest burden in all the World is the burden of sin. It is not a happy sight to see those in the anguish of carrying that weight around, wishing to Heaven they had done differently. However, thanks be to God for the principle of repentance, for a Father who understands us and who has assured us he will accept our repentance so long as it is sincere. This you can count on. O turn from those ways which will take you where no one really wants to go. Turn to that which will bring you peace and self-respect and cleanliness and a quiet conscience. God is all there is. God is love. Love is the motivating power of the whole Universe. God is in everything; God is in everyone. #RandolphHarris 8 of 8
We have been given divine attributes that allow us to navigate through life, in order to fill the measure of our creation. If we knit our hearts together, we will make the World a more beautiful and fruitful place, and God will protect us. We are on this journey together, and in order to reach our sublime destiny, we need each other, and we need to be unified. The very nature of the Law of Cause and Effect, and the reality of personal volition, compels us to see that divine forgivingness is a principle in nature and that this principle is the essence of love. People who have sensed the love of God have also experienced divine forgivingness and, through the alchemy of thought, have transmuted the energy of despair into the energy of hope. Thus, they have been reborn. The Lord’s followers are one in purpose, in love, and in works. They know who they are, they know what they have to do, and they do it with love for God and for each other. They are part of a magnificent kaleidoscope of redemption from the vast hosts of fears and doubts. The spirit of the human species is some part of God and cannot be lost. The soul, always drawn inward, seeks contemplation and the more shadowy, mysterious of the underworld. #RandolphHarris 1 of 6
With the clamour of voices asking to be believed about their spiritual experiences, their pedigree, their number, and their framing—it is hardly surprising that the majority of people end up believing at least some part of what they are being told about the paranormal. With so much smoke, even a dispassionate observer could hardly fail to assume that somewhere there is a roaring fire. Some of the blessings they received were that they were filled with the Holy Ghost, miracles took place among them, the Church grew, there was no contention among the people, and the Lord blessed all of them in all things. We can suppose that the reason why they were so united is because they knew the Lord personally. They had been close to him, and they have been witnesses of his divine mission, and of the miracles that he performed. Believer know that God is the source of all healing, peace, and eternal progress. As we draw closer to God, as we seek to receive a personal witness through the Holy Ghost of his divine mission, we will have a better understanding of our purpose; the love of God will dwell in our hearts. A miracle may express some unfathomable truth about the ways of the soul. #RandolphHarris 3 of 6
Belief in God is not hard to ascertain. Most people have never been to the Nile River before, nor do they know anyone who has, but they are quite convinced that there has to be a source for the river. If we have been sinners we can become saviors, and the first thing we should save it our own thought. We should elevate our lives upon the divine love of God, and there, where the love of God blows free, we should permit the soul to be purified. As we accept God’s love and learn to forgive and exercise compassion, which are eternal in the nature of reality, the shackles of bondage shall be broken and we will experience more freedom. This should be done consciously definitely, and scientifically. Only in the concept of the infinite love transcendent over all human error does the World find a mental equivalent, a spiritual perception adequate to meet its need. Miracles happen when the children of God work together guided by the spirit. Everyone of our paths is different, yet we walk them together. Our journey in life is not about what we have done nor where we have been; it is about where we are going and what we are becoming, in unity. The Holy Ghost gives us a vision that our natural eyes cannot see, because revelation is scattered among us, and when we put that revelation together, we can see more. #RandolphHarris 4 of 6
We all are human beings and we all have made mistake. Many of us carry an unconscious burden of guilt and we all need a sense of being forgiven. One of the most revealing things in our soul is our need to feel that we are right with God, with life, and with each other. We know that a continuous state of resentment can produce many types of physical ailments. This does not mean just infirmaries of the imagination. It means aliments that the imagination creates in the body through psychosomatic relations between the mind and the body. A continuous state of resentment against others can badly affect the digestive system. It can produce many forms of physical irritation. It can suppress our whole style of living and block the spontaneous flow of enthusiasm, without which there is very little joy in life. Much of our inability to forgive others comes from a deeply rooted inferiority complex. Often our antagonistic attitude toward others rises from a need within our own minds to be relieved of our unconscious sense of self-condemnation, as though we have such a burden of guilt within our minds that we can hardly bear it. And so we project it to others just for the relief it gives. This brings us back to one o the fundamental covenants with God: Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. #RandolphHarris 5 of 6
Let us continue on our journey together in life. Sometimes our soul work is exciting and inspiring, but often it is also challenging, requiring genuine courage. This work will make our lives more beautiful and harmonious in the World. We can be sure that we will all continue to smile. Some of us will do it more than others; others will give the impression that they twinkle, smirk, grin, or beam, touching different nerves as the case may be. Babies will continue to delight us with their precious smile. Above all, we will not hesitate to read the smiling face, or its reflection in art, as we always have done, with profound interest in the progress and possibilities of the unique moment in which we watch it break through, like a ray of Sunshine projecting through the clouds as if it were practicing a perfect spiritual science. The smile makes it feel like people are able to look inside of us, and allows part of their radiant life to flow through us. We all have a need for a feeling of being one with God. God is life and love, and how can life and love flow through us if we stop them at any point? It is then and only then when we unblock the stream of life which so freely flows to all and through all, when we permit it. #RandolphHarris 6 of 6
Our ancestors have recommended that we are carefully exposed to specific kinds of music, art, food, landscapes, cultures, and climates. Things are rich in what they can offer the soul, but in order to enjoy that richness we must learn to enjoy things in moderation and use them with great discernment. When we gather our family histories and go to the temple on behalf of our ancestors, God fulfills promised blessings simultaneously on both sides of the veil. Family relationships can be some of the most rewarding yet challenging experiences we encounter. Many of us have faced a fracture of some sort within our families. However, when your heart is frozen, it has to melt, and there must be a determination to repair the breach. We know that God, our Father, is involved in the influential plan to heal our relationships. Despite our unshakable testimonies, our love for our ancestors has to be the catalyst to heal a rift, mend a hurt, and seek and extend forgiveness. It is the nature of spirit to give. Spirit is the essence of life as well as the intelligence back of everything. It is complete and perfect within itself. It is all-powerful and all-presence. When God directs us to do one thing, he often has many purposes in mind, which can be a blessing for the living, and provide the power to heal that which needs healing. #RandolphHarris 1 of 6
As we care for our souls, it might include a recovery of formal religion in a way that is both intellectually and emotionally satisfying. We have nothing to offer nature other than a willingness to cooperate with her laws. If we are to demonstrate that the divine gifts are a principle in the Universe, then we must increase influence of the Holy Ghost to feel strength and direction for our own live and learn the motivation to repent. An understanding of who we are, where we come from, gives us a clearer vision of where we are going. It is also important to exercise an increased refining, sanctifying and moderating the influences of our hearts. The divine gift is from eternity to eternity. Many great souls have, through faith, increased assistance to men troubled, broken, or stressed hearts and make the wounded whole. They have received blessings directly and constantly from the divine bounty. The spirit of God not only gives but it also creates the channel through which we are blessed with increased personal revelations and peace, which will fortify our commitment to stay on the covenant path. Meaningful growth occurs going backward and forward through the generations as sealing ordinances weld families together. We need have no sense of unworthiness, nor should we fall under the illusion that it is spiritual to be poor, nor the equally wrong thought the people who happen to possess enough of this World’s goods to make life comfortable are unholy. #RandolphHarris 2 of 6
Beliefs in paranormal powers—or echoes of them—remain central to our cultural institutions at every level. They are there as an elite opinion, there en masse. They continue to run right through our art and entertainment, our music, painting, literature, architecture, theatre, and cinema. They dominate or calendars. They are invoked in all our rites of passage—at weddings, births, and funerals. Paranormal beliefs follow us to school, on to the sports field, on the battle ground, in and out of love. Our beliefs in the spiritual even creep into our beds and keep us wide eyed in the night. Many, probably the majority, of the public figures whom we look up to—the princes, presidents, popes, pop stars, parliamentarians, press barons, prime-time presenters, prima donnas, premier league players, and so forth, who act as society’s opinion formers—acknowledge by words or actions their own acceptance of paranormal ethos. So many people are interested in the supernatural because they have an interest in there being two domains—that beyond the World of what s visible lies the possibility that there might be something else, if only we could one could get the right entrance. Before our request was made—in the beginning—the state of being already existed which made possible the fulfillment of our desires. There were no prior conditions to impose themselves upon the creation of our desire. #RandolphHarris 3 of 6
What is rare indeed is to find any public figure disavowing paranormality entirely. At the level of more everyday interactions with our peers, the weight of popular opinion is heavily pro-paranormal. Indeed, with at least two-thirds of ordinary people being confirmed believers in spiritual powers, the likelihood that a person will come under pressure from one’s friend and family is very high. One the basis of the figure from the opinion polls, we can estimate that in Britain the chance, for example, of a man marrying a woman who is a believer is 79 percent, the chance of his having at least one parent who is a believer is over 90 percent, and the chance of one finding oneself sitting with a believer when one joins two other couples at a café table is 99 percent. The spirit is absolutely without limit; nothing has ever imposed any restriction upon it; God knows no limitation, no limiting circumstances. And since those who believe are more likely to speak up than those who do not (it is the believers, after all, who have all the best tunes) the probability that a lunchtime conversation will be biased in the paranormal direction remains overwhelming. As thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. The law of faith tells us we will receive a direct benefit by believing in God even though some of us many not completely understand its intricate mechanics. Blind faith is based more or less on superstition which is still an affirmative attitude in the law. #RandolphHarris 4 of 6
The law of God is perfect, freedom, charity, and must reply to faith. However, it is better when faith becomes understanding, for it is then that faith becomes perfect. We have to have faith in God, and this allows us to fulfill the divine abundance. Law and faith come together. The bowl of acceptance is held up and the outpouring of the spirit is measured into the individual experience according to the law of mental equivalents, which says that whatever we inwardly conceive, we outwardly experience. This is because the externa is merely a reflection of the internal. Faith is not trying to compel the mind to accept something which it denies. It is merely causing the mind to see why it may believe in that which it affirms. All we have to do is to look about on nature to reassure ourselves that there is a creative power at work and that the entire physical Universe proceeds from an invisible source, which it God. God, in his infinite capacity, seals and heals individuals and families despite tragedy, loss, and hardship. We sometimes compare the feelings we experience in temples as having caught a glimpse of Heaven. Mortals say of some temporal sufferings, no future bliss can make up for it, not knowing that Heaven, once attained, will work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory. The blessed will say, “We have never lived anywhere expect Heaven.” #RandolphHarris 5 of 6
In our case the instrument is our faith, belief, acceptance, mental equivalent, spiritual embodiment, understanding of the meaning of the words we use in prayer. Our mental attitude toward the divine gift should be one of acceptance. We are to look forward to it with anticipation and with enthusiastic attention. We are to maintain an inner joy. And why not—if we are to realize that the divine energy is a gift of perfect laws of liberty, forever made, and if the divine will is the outpouring of the spirit into self-expression through us–? Let us, then, receive the gift! God will strengthen, help, and uphold us; and he will sanctify to us our deepest distress. When we gather our family histories and go to the temple on behalf of our ancestors, God fulfills many of these promised blessings for mortals and those now living eternal life. Although we can be inspired all day long about temple and family history experiences others have had, we must also do something to actually experience the joy ourselves. As we draw closer to God, we will discover, gather, and correct our family and ourselves. Additionally, blessings will flow to us and open up our hearts to the divine love that is radiating from God, and we will find healing for whatever needs to be healed. Because of these blessings, we find that, spiritually, we have never lived anywhere expect Heaven. #RandolphHarris 6 of 6
Because, as we mature, our mantle of authority gets extended: from parents to teacher, doctors, law enforcement, priests, and so, in time to others we get to know on a personal level. However, not that the faith that most of us have eventually come to put in these high status people need never is absolute nor without verification. We learn to trust, but verify. It may be that as children we had no choice but to believe our parents, and even now that as adults we have little choice but to believe the newscaster or the meteorologist: but even so, we have never had simply to take their authority for granted. Whenever we find people we can actually trust, are able to check up on it, we have discovered that putting faith in the specialized knowledge can really work. If people consistently tell the truth, it is likely they because they care about their reputation, they will continue to feed us with impeccably verified information. These highly placed individuals are, however, not the only sources we are likely to consider we have good grounds for treating as authoritative. However, because peer pressure and money can lead some to change their mind, even about such a seemingly unarguable matter as the colour of the sky, it may not be advantageous to trust popular opinions. It was found that when, for example, a group of twenty reporters (under instruction from the experimenter) all said the sky looked green, there was a strong tendency for a twenty first (uninstructed) group member to say the same. #RandolphHarris 2 of 9
Because there are so many uninformed opinions, and fake news floating around, 58 percent of subjects agreed with this statement “Free speech being a privilege rather than a right, it is proper for a society to suspend free speech whenever it feels itself threatened.” That is because we cannot rely on the good faith of those who invite us to believe them—however high in status or however numerous. Sometimes even when we have opinions that may offend others, we should not express them because they could hurt someone’s feelings, and it is not even necessary for us to speak up. People who are always running their mouth and trying to use propaganda to convince people of certain things may find inclusion in pack mentality, but they may actually find their comments are so upsetting that they offend the general community. Popular delusions and the madness of crowds following the lead of others, whether in matters of risky business investments or launching moral crusades long hair have found themselves in bad situations. “Mists of darkness in vision are temptations of the adversary,” reports 1 Nephi 12.17. #RandolphHarris 3 of 9
A panic terror of the end of the World seized the good people of Leeds and its neighbourhood in the year 1806. A hen, in a village close by, laid eggs, on which were inscribed the words, Christ is coming. Great numbers visited the spot, and examined these wondrous eggs, convinced that the day of judgment was near at hand. Presumably, if these good people had been encouraged to make up their own minds on this usual event, few would have take it to be an absolute truth—because it would likely have occurred to them that an egg which comes out might be an egg which had been put in. However, when great numbers around were acclaiming the miracle, it was apparently much harder to resist. In the past, news anchors did not always smile, laugh, and clown around on air. They clung to the idea of authority, which naturally filtered down to distinguished-looking, paternal or maternal anchors who, summoned for people, events, and images at will, speaking in tones of certainty, fulfilling the role of a great Sybil with whom all things begin and end. These news anchors for generations were paragon, and did not smile often. Nor would their audience have expected them to. When the doctor talks to you, it is usually in a serious manner because they are dealing with serious information that is extremely important. People know if you are expected to take them seriously, they need to act professionally. #RandolphHarris 4 of 9
However, the electronic media may no longer depend on this type of omniscient authority, though despite widespread cynicism (and much better knowledge about how the system works), many people obviously still thirst for it. Today, many feast on the outrageous opinions that spill copiously from the fake news media, as if it is some kind of comedy central parody. As it is well known, the professionals have been replaced by supposedly persuasive personalities, and alternative formats have transformed news into new entertainment. Some of these were deliberately made to resemble a family, who tedious banter putatively makes more plausible the information purveyed between coffee breaks. Elsewhere, in more conventional formats, it became fashionable for a man and a woman to read the news together, looking (at least in theory) not unlike a married couple. This had the advantage of providing each with another person to debate with or smile seldomly at in lighter moments and, it was thought, engage the sympathies of suburban millions. Further latitude was given to the person reading the weather forecast, who is allowed to engage in drollery, even when warning of hail or blizzards. We may be perfectly aware that the winning smile of the news anchor is part of a seamless performance, but we are also aware that it conforms to wider expectations in respect of public behavior. #RandolphHarris 5 of 9
The person behind a desk whose smile flickers in the ghostly blue light of the television set would presumably look rather similar if we found ourselves sitting in the same room on opposite sides of a boardroom table, or being interviewed by him or her for a job. Not for one moment do we suppose the this individual’s posed smile is in any of these situations a sincere expression of fondness directed to us personally, but we have some difficulty locating the precise degree to which he or she depends upon its masking function. Is the simile of the newsreader a highly evolved version of the mask of comedy, primarily a piece of theater, or is it inherently deceitful? Does the truth lie somewhere in between? You have no idea who is talking to them through that nearly invisible ear piece they are wearing while on set. It was also discovered when we suspect that a statement is deceptive, we tend to concentrate on the quality and consistency of the information contained in it, rather than on the wealth of signals carried by behavior that might better alert us to the right answer. However, the typical liar fools 86 percent of would-be detectors. #RandolphHarris 6 of 9
Misplaced trust in the reliability of the group consensus has undoubtedly played a part in many scams. It is why conjurors find it easier to perform their tricks before a crow than before a single individual—a hundred pair of eyes working together being paradoxically less observant than one pair that is free to roam. It is why spiritualist mediums try to make sure of having a majority of regular attenders and confirmed supporters in their seances before introducing a new member. It is why television comedy shows lay on canned laughter from the audience, why gurus have an entourage of people are willing to agree with them even when they are lying or wrong, and why publishers cover the backs of their books with puffs from friendly Very Import Persons (VIPs). And, an old technique from transient communities is people will come up to you with information and say, “He” or “She” told me this and that. They purposely do not say names because they do not want you to confront their source and the information traced back to them and want you to infer who told them. Sometimes these people even pretend to be your friend and are part of some plot and pretend to show you sympathy by saying things like, “I know what he did” after you have been a victim of crime in an effort to gain your trust and create dialogue and run back to their master with the information. Therefore, do not get involved with people who are pretending to be investigators or know things they should not. It is just unnecessary drama. #RandolphHarris 7 of 9
Even so, the dangers of listening to other people should not be exaggerated, and for the most part will almost certainly be outweighed by the rewards. You know how it is, when someone comes up to your girlfriend with some gossip, she just flips her hair and be like “Girl, please.” Human social arrangements are such that the risk of being the target of deliberate disinformation is relatively small. In ordinary life there really are often solid reasons for allowing expects who because of their expertise know better, or groups who because of their numbers know more, to do the research and think for us. Yet, we must always pray for great discernment from God. Those who have been to previous sittings with the spirit medium or a journalist (you might well assume) more chance than yourself to detect fraud, those who provide the puffs for the book have (you might well assume) actually read the book and thought about it. Life is too short to go round doubting all the time. If we are to get on in the World, we have to learn what experts to trust. We all experience tragedy during which we need the reassurance of the spirit. We must pray with all of our heart that we will hear the voice of the spirit, which is sent to us so generously. The Holy Ghost has spoken to our minds and hearts about the truth—not just once but often. #RandolphHarris 8 of 9
Obedience to God may mean to move quickly. It may mean to prepare. Or it may mean wait in patience for further inspiration. We should also prey to know the needs and hearts of others and how to help them for the Lord. God is at this moment aware of us, our feelings, and the spiritual and temporal needs of everyone around us. God is sending the Holy Ghost to all who have the gist, ask for that blessing, and seek to be worthy of it. We are all free to choose. It is good to pray with all our heart that we will hear the voice of the spirit, which is sent to us so generously. And it is also important to pray that our hearts will open always to receive God. If we ask with real intent and with faith for inspiration, we will receive it in the Lord’s way and in his time. What God has whispered in our hearts is more powerful than anything we have ever heard. May God be our companion constantly. May God bless our fathers and mothers and siblings and everyone who we have ever depended on. We love and appreciate them. We recognize the good we have received from the at the time when it was necessary that we receive that good. However, now, without thinking any less of them, we know that we are whole within ourselves. There is finally only God. We love everyone but depend upon no one. Nothing can rob us of the love we have for others. We have a deep gratitude of knowledge. The souls has no room in which to present itself if we continually fill all the gaps with bogus activities. #RandolphHarris 9 of 9
We all have emotional biases, and this is why we think it unusual when someone we hold to be highly intelligent seems to be irrational on certain points. The centre of the table is an uncommon expression, which she admits; but here, of course, she cannot be questioned more directly. In order to get a true understand, the young lady has to be allowed to express her own thoughts without any suggestions about the symbols being made. In the course of the analysis her reserve gave way to a distinct interest in the interpretations, and a frankness which was made possible by the serious tone of the conversation. To my question as to what kind of flowers they had been, her first answer was “expensive flowers; one has to pay for them”; then she adds that they were lilies-of-the valley, violets, and pinks or carnations. The word lily represents in its popular sense, a symbol of chastity; she confirmed this, as purity occurred to her in association with lily. Valley is a common feminine symbol. The chance juxtaposition of the two symbols in the name of the flower is made to emphasize the preciousness of her virginity—expensive flowers; one has to pay for them—and expresses the expectation that her husband will know how to appreciate its value. The comment, expensive flowers, cetera, has, a different meaning in every one of the three different flower-symbols. #RandolphHarris 2 of 8
When we understand things we shall become more tolerant, more kind, more compassionate, because we shall realize that we are all on the pathway of evolution, not of the spirit, which is already perfect, but of the mind which so often is blindly groping in the dark. A venturesome explanation of the hidden meanings of the apparently quite asexual word violets by unconscious relation to the French viol. However, the association for this young lady has to do with the English word violate. The accidental phonetic similarity of the two words violet and violate is utilized to express in the language of flowers the violence of defloration (another word which makes use of flower-symbolism), and perhaps also to give expression to a masochistic tendency many young women feel they have endured when losing their virginity. An excellent example of the word bridges across which run the paths to the unconscious. “One has to pay for the” here means life, with which she has to pay for becoming a wife and a mother and that her husband must also pay for her taking her virtue by supporting her and his children. #RandolphHarris 3 of 8
This kind of reminds me of one of the topics we discussed in the past where another young lady dreamed she was throwing up all over herself and “wanted” to become pregnant by of harem of men, but feared she would ruin her figure and no longer be attractive to men. What that probably means, because virginity was so valued in the Victorian era, pregnant, or women who had lost their virginity, had a harder time finding husbands because everyone wanted a virgin due to the fact that in noble families you had to basically buy your bride with a dowry. Therefore, if a man was going to buy a bride, he wanted to be her first. And because it was hard to find rich men, if you were not a virgin, it made chances even harder. Now, back to the young lady in question. In association with pinks, which she then calls carnations, it could mean carnal. However, her association is colour, to which she adds that carnations are the flowers which her fiancé gives her frequently and in large quantities. At the end of the conversation she suddenly admits, spontaneously, that she has not told the truth; the word that occurred to her was not colour, but incarnation. Moreover, even the word colour is not a remote association; it was determined by meaning of carnation (exempli gratia flesh-colour)—that is, by the complex. #RandolphHarris 4 of 8
We will be helped over many a difficulty if we realize that an emotional bias does create a mental blind spot. Then if we learn to overlook the differences because we understand them, we shall no longer bring condemnation, or judgement, and our own lives will become enriched as they always must with new knowledge. This lack of honesty shows that the resistance here is at its greatest because the symbolism is here most transparent, and the struggle between libido and repression is most intense in connection wit this phallic theme. The remark that these pinks or carnation flower were often given her by her fiancé is, together with the double meaning of carnation, a still further indication of their phallic significance. The occasion of the present of flowers during the day is employed to express the thought of a sexual present and a return present. She gives her virginity and expects in return for it a rich love-life. However, the words “expensive flowers; one has to pay for them” many have a real, financial meaning, as we anticipated. The flower-symbolism thus comprises the virginal female, the male symbol, and reference to feeling violated by defloration. It is to be noted that sexual flower-symbolism, which, of course, is very widespread, symbolizes the human sexual organs by flowers, the sexual organs of plant; indeed, presents of flowers between lovers may perhaps have this unconscious significance. #RandolphHarris 5 of 8
More than likely she feared he would not love her if he knew she was with child because in Victorian times so much emphasis was placed on women being below average weight, and wearing dresses which displayed their unusually thin waist. This is an expression of thoughts hardly known to her husband; thoughts which deal with the love of the senses and its organs; she is prepared for a birthday, exempli gratia she has coitus; the fear of defloration and perhaps the pleasurably toned pain find expression; she admits her physical defects and over-compensates them by means of an over-estimation of the value of her virginity. Her shame excuses the emerging sensuality by the fact that the aim of it all is the child. Even material considerations, which are foreign to the lover, find expression here. The affect of the simple conversation—the feeling of bliss—shows that here strong emotional complexes have found satisfaction. Abiding in the midst of ignorance, thinking themselves wise and learned, fools go aimlessly hither and thither, like the two ships clashing in the night. Therefore, no person should set oneself up as the great example, but humbly following the pathway of truth as one sees it, with a good-natured and flexible tolerance for oneself and others, learn to overlook all mistakes and feel one’s way through confusion back to the central flame from which everyone’s life is lighted. #RandolphHarris 8 of 8
One of the greatest and enduring achievements of the Enlightenment in Europe was to uphold the right to what the pursuit of temporal happiness as the summum bonum (the highest good). How fortunate we are to have inherited this noble idea; how few of us recognize its value and take advantage of it when in so many other places it is denied to so many. Yet it seems our quest for happiness is fraught with difficulties. Many people who are healthy and relatively rich in material comforts find themselves inexplicably dissatisfied and unhappy because they have not figure out what they enjoy about modern life. Many find real happiness in pleasure like homeownership, Sunshine, good food, and fresh fruit. We know that we cannot rely on the smile worn by another person as an infallible gauge of their happiness any more than we may conclude from the exhausted panting of a construction workers that he is disappointed with the record-breaking performance that won an award in construction and not, in fact, deeply elated. Yet we will be reluctant to think a person who absolutely beams with pleasure is deeply unhappy. In our time we have made a concerted effort to exploit the powerful effects of the smile to make other people happy, with mixed success. We may deploy a sympathetic smile to alleviate the distress of a sad person, or someone in trouble or in need. #RandolphHarris 1 of 7
The Heavenly Father constantly reminds us that righteousness is happiness. There are terrible themes in life of disobedience or the innocent suffering from terrible wrongs. We must express Heavenly Father’s love for the individual and a desire that they understand that God loves them. God pleads with us and offers us repentance. What a wonderful gift! Repentance is not punishment; it is a privilege. It is a privilege that leads and guides us. To truly guide people, we must connect them with Heaven. The time always comes when each must stand alone. Only Heavenly Father can be there to guide at all times and in all places. Our youth must know how to seek Heavenly Father’s guidance. There will be times in our lives when the blessings or guidance seems distant or lacking. For such times, we must let our covenants be paramount and let our obedience be exact. Then we can ask in faith, nothing wavering, according to our need, and God will answer. God will sustain us as we work and watch. In his own time and way, God will stretch forth his hands to us letting us know he is here. The Heavenly Father really does care and listens to and answers every prayer. The answers to our prayers will come in the Lord’s time. And through that experience, we will understand more than every before that we are children of God and that he has sent us here so that we can feel his presence now and return to live with him someday. #RandolphHarris 2 of 7
It is easy enough to see how one who is surrounded by confusing situations might feel inadequate to cope with them, and unconsciously might seek some place of peace or retirement where nothing could bother the individual. Regressive behavior can be simple or complex, harmful or harmless to the individual showing the behavior and to those around them. Regression could be an attempt to achieve something important (exempli gratia, a Universal feeling of childhood innocence, a sense of security, reciprocated love, and trust). Many psychoanalysts have observed that behaviors associated with regression are correlated with the psychological stage at which the person is fixated. For example, an individual fixated at the oral stage might suck on a pen, eat impulsively, vomit, or become verbally aggressive, while an individual fixated at the anal stage might be messy or untidy and an individual fixated at the phallic stage would revert to physical symptoms or to a state of conversation. In contrast, a completely integrated person is one who has learned to meet everything as it comes along and to make the best of it. In our science this is not a hopeless situation. When we say one should make the best of things, we do not mean that one should grin and bear it, or even suffer it to be so, for we know there is a way to meet every situation through the use of the power greater than we are. #RandolphHarris 4 of 7
However, we should not close out eyes to reality if there is a tendency toward regression in ourselves or in those we seek to help. We must recognize it just as we would any other error, and meet it with quiet but optimistic determination. The first step in managing regression is to address any underlying medical, neurologic, or psychiatric problem. Depending on the etiology, several interventions (behavioral, pharmacologic, nonpharmacologic) can be employed. Behavioral interventions include empathizing with patients regarding their perceived stress (exempli gratia, being in the hospital; dealing with pain, loss, anxiety, fear, loneliness). It is also useful to ask how the patient is feeling and to name some of the suspected emotions he or she could be experiencing. In some cases, taking a parental position of authority and nurturance could de-escalate the behavior. Some psychologist advocate for joining patients in the child place for alignment building, and outline expectations to create structure for the patient as a means of preventing regression. Confidence and faith in God is also helpful to get the patient to realize that there is noting to be afraid of because something has happened to the individual to make him or her revert to some former existence where there were no cares or burdens or obligations. #RandolphHarris 5 of 7
There is nothing to be afraid of in the past, the present, or the future. Our faith should be based on the only rock of salvation there is, which is that God is all there is, there is nothing else. In God we live, and move, and have our being. There is nothing to be afraid of. Underneath are the everlasting arms. We are cradled in love. That is a proclamation that the mind finds sanctuary in the Spirit, and that there are no burdens when we unify ourselves with life. In a certain sense, amnesia, or suddenly forgetting one’s identity is a form of regression because it is a means of getting away from reality. However, at the base of amnesia there is fear, a sense of separation, a disunion which faith alone can heal. The psychological approach can uncover the cause of regression, but we also need the spiritual faith to supply what is needed to make on more completely whole. Spirituality will clear the track of the mind straight back to the eternal source of life, where there are no fears, doubts, or uncertainties. God is our protector, we shall not want; God dwells in the secret place of the Most High and we shall dwell in the light of the Almighty. Keeping thoughts like this in mine is wonderful in helping to establish faith and stability, without which life is but a shambles of frustrated hopes and unsatisfied yearnings. #RandolphHarris 6 of 7
We never should ignore negative emotional states because any condition which is psychologically avoided becomes buried in the unconscious. And unfortunately it is buried alive. Thus, the conflict goes beneath the surface of consciousness, where it does more damage than it would if left objective. How can one arrive at a pre-existent aim by following an arbitrarily and aimlessly maundering chain of thoughts—since we shall be able not to solve the problem, it is true, but to get rid of it entirely. An unregulated stream of thoughts, devoid of directing ideas can occur in the realm of hysteria and paranoia. We must meet every situation as it comes with faith and trust, thereby avoiding regressions, escapes, and frustrations. Even the most cynical commentators could not dispute that there must be at least some contexts and occasions when faith in authority pays off: contexts where, if we are offered information about God, we can and should gratefully accept it and believe it, which will stir the angel of healing. In fact, this is obviously the primary route by which people acquire most of their basic beliefs during the first part of their lives and also many of their more in-depth beliefs later on. Pure love is the true sign of every real child of God. Heavenly Father knows what you and I need better than anyone else. It is God’s work and glory to help us at every turn, giving us marvelous temporal and spiritual resources to help us on our path to return to him. #RandolphHarris 7 of 7
Randolph Harris II International Institute 