The powerful concept of innocence makes a tremendous difference to the way we read the smile of an individual, and saves the day at times when something is needed to lighten our impression of what is happening in the World. Unsolved problems, harassing cares, overwhelming impressions, continue the activity of our thought even during sleep, maintaining psychic processes in the system which we have termed the preconscious. We need not underrate the psychic intensities introduced into sleep by these residues of the day’s waking life, especially those emanating from the group of the unsolved issues. The more domineering the worry the more forced could be the connection to be established. Painful dreams may also be punishment dreams. The unconscious wish-impulses evidently strive to assert themselves even during the day, and the fact of transference, as well as the psychoses, tells us that they endeavour to force their way through the preconscious system to the consciousness and the command of motility. Thus, we must recognize and respect the guardian of our psychic health. However, it is not carelessness on the part of this guardian to diminish his vigilance at night, and to allow the suppressed impulses of the unconscious to achieve expression, thus again making possible the process of hallucinatory regression? Probably not, for when the critical guardian goes to rest—and we have proof that his slumber is not profound—he takes care to close the gate to motility. #RandolphHarris 1 of 9
No matter what impulses from the usually inhibited unconscious may bustled about the stage, there is no need to interfere with them; they remain harmless, because they are not in a position to set in motion the motor apparatus which alone can operate to produce any change in the outer World. Sleep guarantees the security of the fortress which has to be guarded. The state of affairs is less harmless when a displacement of energies is produced, not by the decline at night in the energy put forth by the critical censorship, but by the pathological enfeeblement of the latter, or the pathological reinforcement of the of the unconscious excitations subdue the preconscious, and from the preconscious, they dominate our speech and action, or they enforce hallucinatory regressions, thus directing an apparatus on the distribution of our psychic energy. We call this condition psychosis. A hysterical symptom originates only where two contrary wish-fulfillments, having their source in different psychic systems, are able to meet in a single expression. There is an example of that does not prove anything, but is an illustration. The hysterical vomiting of a female patient proved, on the one hand, to be the fulfilment of an unconscious phantasy from the years of puberty—namely, the wish that she might be continually pregnant, and have a multitude of children; and this was subsequently supplemented by the wish that she might have them by as many fathers as possible. #RandolphHarris 2 of 9
Against this immoderate wish to get pregnant by a harem of men arose a powerful defensive reaction. However, as by the vomiting, in her mind, the patient might have spoilt her figure and beauty, so that she would no longer find favour in any man’s eyes, the symptom was also in keeping with the punitive trend of thought, and so, being admissible on both sides, it was allowed to become a reality. This is the same way of acceding to a wish fulfilment as the queen of the Parthians was pleased to adopt in the case of the triumvir Crassus. Believing that he had undertaken his campaign out of greed for gold, she caused molten gold to be poured into the throat of the corpse. “Here thou hast what thou has longed for!” The dream can provide expression for a wish from the unconscious by means of all sorts of distortions, once the dominant system has withdrawn itself into the wish to sleep, and has realized this wish by producing the changes of cathexis (the connection of mental energy on one particular person, idea, or object) within the psychic apparatus which are within its power; thereupon holding on to the wish in questions for the whole duration of the sleep. #RandolphHarris 3 of 9
Most people most of the time are all too well aware of how their senses can trick them, their emotions can get the better of them, their wishes distort, their judgments let them down. Now tis persistent wish to sleep on the part of the preconscious has a quite general facilitating effect on the formations of dreams. Let us recall the dream of the father who, by the gleam of light from the death-chamber, was led to conclude that his child’s body might have caught fire. One of the psychic forces decisive n causing the father to draw this conclusion in the dream instead of allowing himself to be awakened by the gleam of light was the wish to prolong the life of the child seen in the dream by one moment. Other wishes originating in the repressed have probably escaped us, for we are unable to analyze this dream. However, as a second source of motive-power in this dream we may add the father’s desire to sleep, for, like the life of the child, the father’s sleep is prolonged for a moment by the dream. The underlying motive is: “Let the dream go on, or I must wake up.” As in this dream, so in all others, the wish to seep lends its support to the unconscious wish. We learn from these sources how to understand and deal with the soul in special circumstances, and also how to understand similar images when they appear in dreams. #RandolphHarris 4 of 9
There is relevance of the symbolic life of our dreams to the yearnings of the soul. Perhaps we are too down to Earth and sensible at times—to ready to dismiss a strange experience as “just one of those things” or to explain it away by some mundane hypothesis. Walter Scott, for example, recorded in his diary in 1828: “At dinner-time, I was strangely haunted by what I would call the sense of preexistence—a confused idea that nothing that passed was said for the first time, that the same topics had been discusses, and the same persons had stated the same opinions on the same subjects…I think the stomach has something to do with it.” We have to make our experiences a matter of consciousness and knowledge. The first great commandment of all eternity is to love God with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength. However, the truth of all eternity is that God loves us with all of his heart, might, mind and strength. That love is the foundation stone of eternity, and it should be the foundation stone of our daily life. Being the foundation stone of our daily life, pure love is a requirement for every child of God. We must pray unto our Heavenly Father with all the energy of heart, that we may be filled with this love, which he has bestowed upon all who are blessed. #RandolphHarris 5 of 9
If people have a general philosophical prejudice in favour of getting all their information from the original source or personal experience, why is it when they are asked about the source of their evidence, they refer to someone not directly involved. And in those cases, we do not have the background information that might lead us to reassess the situation and find a more normal explanation. We have no way of telling how many times this has happened before, or what was subsequently learned about it. We can never be sure whether the other person genuinely believes what he or she is saying or is merely speaking for effect. We do not know whether he or she has perhaps got their fingers crossed when speaking. In general we lack the sobering insight that might helps us, if it were our own case, to restrain belief. There is nothing like distance-generated ignorance to raise a person up. This distance effect, this honouring of strangers, is not of course in any way unique to the area of the magical or paranormal. It is characteristic of how we react to other people’s experiences across the spectrum. And in some contexts it even serves us well. #RandolphHarris 6 of 9
When, for example, we look at an actor weeping with joy, or a ballet dancer standing on her points, or a politician kissing a baby, or a photographic model showing off his body, we seldom, if ever, then ask: “What are they really experiencing? What is happening in and around them?” Instead we actually take advantage of the lack of insight, occasioned and permitted by our distance from them, to invent just so much or little as we please. We need not acknowledge that the actor has no real engagement in the plot. We need not be aware of the dancer’s pain, or the politician’s duplicity, or the model’s indifference. We are free, as we would never be if we ourselves were centre stage, to ignore all qualifications, riders, and complications and to think the best. It is precisely because we do not know all there is to know about these strangers that we can readily go in for the willing suspension of disbelief that constitutes poetic faith. Then, equally, when it comes to assessing the stories we are told about the paranormal, we need not think of all the reservations we would make if it were us. We may be quite well aware that if it were in fact ourselves telling the tale, all would not necessarily be what it seems. #RandolphHarris 7 of 9
We tend to listen to what other people say, and believe or accept that something is true, of course, because we like to hear these stories, especially when they supply us with the evidence of soul-power. And so—be it a report of the Virgin appearing to a child in a Yugoslavian village, or of a young woman being abducted by an unidentified flying object, or the name of the winner of the Grammys appearing in the tea-leaves, or of an experiment on psychokinesis yielding wildly significant results—we are only too ready to receive the news of a gospel. We are therefore highly impressionable, not to say vulnerable. We may become absolutely eager to give the benefit of the doubt to reports of experiences that we would never consider seriously if they were ours. And all it may take, then, to finally convince us, is that these stories should be attractively and authoritatively packaged. The vulnerability that faith demands could then be matched by an equal trust in oneself, the feeling that one can survive the pain of betrayal. To respond trustingly to the challenges of life and to the stirring of the soul’s waters is to bring faith to completion. True disciples love to forgive. They know that the Atonement of the Savior covers all spiritual taxes, fees, commissions, infrastructure fees, and charges related to sins, mistakes or wrong doings. #RandolphHarris 8 of 9
We are not going to have a soulful spirituality until we begin to think in the ways of the soul. True disciples love to submit themselves to the Lord with peace in their heart. We are humble and submissive because they love him. We have faith to fully accept God’s will, not only in what he does bit also in how and when. Real blessings are not always what we want, but what the Lord wants for us. As children of God, we love the Lord more than the World and are steadfast and immovable in our faith. This allows us to stay strong and firm in a changing and confusing atmosphere. Therefore, a soul-oriented spirituality begins in a reevaluation of the qualities of soul: subtlety, complexity, maturing, as we love and keep our covenants, renewed are our hearts and very nature. May we begin now, this very day, to express love to all of God’s children, whether they be our family members, our friends, mere acquaintances, or associates. As we arise each morning, let us determine to respond with love and kindness to whatever might come our way. May our hearts be filled with the pure love of God, the true sign of every child of God. #RandolphHarris 9 of 9
The smile is a very potent emblem of wisdom. The holy smile of divine radiance enlivens our humanity. Many of us can think of people whose smile seems to reflect wisdom. We will do our best not to think of it as something that is worn for our benefit. We will gladly see it as radiant. For many people the most radiant smile of all is that of an infant. Is there anything so liable to reduce healthy adults to a state of incoherent rapture than the sight of an impromptu smile illuminating the face of a baby? More importantly, is there any more profound sign of the potential for intelligence than the smile of a baby, which in the first six months of human life offers us a glimpse of incipient cognition? The spontaneous or endogenous smile that animates the face of a newborn baby, then through the first twenty-six weeks gradually and seamlessly develops into a sophisticated mechanism of affective interaction, has always fascinated parents, who are themselves naturally and deeply stimulated by their own infant’s smile. And we surely look for more in the smile of the newborn infant than signs of comfort or happiness. The smile also provides welcome evidence of the primitive stirrings of a future mind, a new personality. Babies learn how valuable their smiles are and how numerous intangible benefits may result from flashing it, and, in due course, deploy it strategically. #RandolphHarris 1 of 7
The social function of the smile is thus gradually established by association or conditioning, rather than as a consequence of any innate sensations of satisfaction or well-being that one might be tempted to read into the spontaneous, endogenous, or reflect smile. Most parents find this view unsustainable and are extremely reluctant to interpret the smile of their own baby as anything others than the outward manifestation of contentment or happiness. This is entirely understandable, yet it is also a valuable reminder that the baby’s perceptual hold over the parent is surprisingly strong and that the exchange of smiles between parent and baby is a complex transaction, or at the very least a situation in which both side put forth an equal amount of effort to achieve a desired result. Thankfully, we have been blessed with clear vision and understanding of our true identity from the beginning. God said, “Let us make humans in our own image, after our likeness. Each human being is a beloved spirit son or daughter of Heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny.” Coming to know these truths with certainty helps us overcome trials, troubles, and afflictions of every kind. God can feel our pains, sorrows, and guilt and in return he gives us pure love so powerful that it is like nothing we have ever experienced. #RandolphHarris 2 of 7
Knowing that we are children of God is the most powerful knowledge we possess. Is it not possible that the belief in a devil or devils and in a future judgment from which one must shrink in horror are themselves a result of projecting our own unredeemed lives into the Universe, judging God by our own misfortunes, our own lacks, our own fears, doubts, and uncertainties? Perhaps the unconscious imagination of human beings have made this projection, for there can be nothing to fear from God. Human’s problems are within oneself alone, and to oneself alone, and from oneself alone. Suffering is not designed by the all-creative wisdom. There is a veiled statement of an immutable Law of Cause and Effect and the philosophy is not easy. It is the toughest that ever confronted the mind and imagination of humans. Many people may have been under the mistaken concept that God is good and everything is all right; therefore there is nothing to fear. However, this is far from the truth. What it says is this: Do you wish to be loved? Then stop hating. Do you want to be happy? Then be sure that you are never the occasion for unhappiness in others. Do you ever wish to stop shedding tears? Then be sure that you are never the instrument which causes others to shed them. #RandolphHarris 3 of 7
The evidence seems to be showing that even though most people are believers in the spiritual, yet some are still holding out faith that they will eventually have a spiritual experience of their own. Psychologist who study how the human mind works are no longer greatly surprised by the occurrence of psychic-like experiences. Indeed, it has become almost a cliché of experimental psychology that, whether or not there are any genuinely psychic or spiritual phenomena, it is more or less inevitable that most individuals will think they are experiencing them every so often—simply because of the vagaries of perception and memory and the mind’s capacity for imaginative recreation. However, for instance, with all our commerce with the World being constructive, interpretative, and tentative, once this view is accepted, many of our anomalous experiences seem much less sinister and inexplicable. We need not invoke reincarnation to explain why we recognize something we have not previously encountered. We need not rely upon spiritualism to explain why we occasionally “see” somebody who is not there or “hear” our name called when no living person has called it. Our cognitions are dynamic, and each of us is continually constructing one’s own models and arriving at decisions according to his or her experiential history and one’s personal schemata. #RandolphHarris 4 of 7
An understanding of the psychology of human perception, cognition and behavior suggests that, even if spiritual phenomena were not to exists, the kinds of experiences that people report under the rubric of psychic or spiritual should be expected to occur intermittently. Indeed, far from being abnormal or crazy, the powerful urge to see paranormal causes everywhere is actually an expression of the very same capacities that enable us to develop some of our most important and profound insights about the World. Psychics and other credulists are typically engaged seriously in that most characteristic of human enterprises: the attempt to capture our chaotic and fragmentary experiences in a network of meanings and to discover the hidden connectedness that (we hope) underlies all the disorderly and recalcitrant happenings in the World. Why do so many people believe in spiritual and psychic phenomena? Because they have psychic and spiritual experiences. And why do they have spiritual and psychic experiences? Because such experiences are some inevitable consequences of the way we think…like visual illusions, they are the price we pay for a generally very effective relationship with a massively complex World. Increased faith in God always leads to a desire to change or repent. So it is logical that they are open to spiritual experiences. #RandolphHarris 5 of 7
When we are despairing, deserted, doubting, damaged, or defeated, behold God. God will comfort us. God will heal us and give meaning to our journey. God 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, God will increase their strength. When we truly behold God, we learn from him and seek to align our lives with him. Are we certain there is nothing in us which can hurt anyone? Then as surely as God is God and justice is justice nothing can harm us, but harm we would do to another we ourselves must suffer. Only from a cleansing of the self comes redemption. 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 God’s disciples. God’s refining light saturates our souls. His grace uplifts. 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 changes and difficulties in life’s journey. Looking back, we will recognize that there is a divine pattern, that really corresponds with reality. #RandolphHarris 7 of 7
The body is more spiritual than mechanical. It is a rhythmic representation of the spirit of life and a result of all things resonating together to create a harmonious system. The body is referred to with respect, kindness, and love, and it is not seen as an entity separable from its environment. It is viewed as one of the many manifestations of the human soul and therefore must be dealt with as sensitively and caringly as possible. A long and joyful life derives from the loving experience of connection with all the bodies around us, including people, planets, and animals. Total fitness means not just keeping the body in shape but taking pleasure in keeping the whole World in good health. The body is a primary communication system for maintaining and experiencing connection. It is a part of the ecosystem and should be cared for just as one cares for planets and fish. Philosopher A.J. Ayer found it impossible to resist the blandishments of his own personal near-death experience. During a severe bout of pneumonia, having lost consciousness, he found himself entering the presence of a red light which was “responsible for the government of the Universe” and with which he could debate the laws of time and space. In a newspaper article, following his recovery, he wrote: “On the face of it these experiences are rather strong evidence that death does not put an end to consciousness.” #RandolphHarris 1 of 7
The Lord has made important adjustments in the way we care for each other. Some people have insisted that for them their personal experience does and should rank above any other evidence, even objective scientific evidence—and have gone on to demand that it should be granted equivalent respect by others. Eventual exaltation requires our complete fidelity now to covenants we make and ordinances we receive in the house of the Lord. We are blessed with greater harmony and love in our homes and a deeper desire to care for our eternal family relationships. Many people stand by all the data reported; it is a matter of utter indifference to them whether their accusers or anyone else believes them are not. These individuals know the results of their faith is real because they were their and their experience tells them so. How can each of us experience the power of understanding our divine identity? If we have learned anything about parapsychology, it is that results and statistics and data never change anyone’s mind about anything; experience is the only arbiter. We have to seek to know God, our Father. Let us be faithful to what we have believed and know. When we endure we remain firm in a commitment to be true to the commandments of God despite temptation, opposition, and adversity. Even those who have had powerful spiritual experiences and have given faithful service could one day go astray or fall into inactivity if we do not endure to the end. #RandolphHarris 2 of 7
Obviously there is need to be careful. May we always and emphatically keep in our minds and hearts the phrase, “I will not lose my Faith in God or eternal life.” Let us be faithful to what we have believed and know. If we have not been living according to our knowledge, let us change. When asked is a spiritual or psychic experience had changed their life, 35 percent of those who had had experiences said “Yes”. And when asked to elaborate, they cited such explanations as that “It has made me realize there is more to life than I thought before,” or that “There has to be something else other than just life; I no longer believe that w live all this time and just finish”, or that “We do not use the power of our mind to its full extent and there are greater forces than we know of, a superior power we can tap and utilize”. Sinners who persist in their sins, and do not repent, skin deeper and deeper into filthiness, until the adversary claims them for oneself, significantly jeopardizing their opportunity to repent, to be forgiven, and to be blessed with all the blessings of eternity. Has everyone who believes in the reality of paranormal phenomena had some kind of direct experience of them? It was found that 68 percent of the general population definitely believe in spiritual and psychic experiences, but only 26 percent admit that they had had any psychic or spiritual experience themselves. #RandolphHarris 3 of 7
If we persist in our sins, we forget the covenants we have made with the Lord, even though we keep capsizing because of the imbalance that those sins create in our lives. Like the cracks in the Oroville dam needed to be fixed before they lead to catastrophic flooding putting millions of lives, property, and livestock in danger, the cracks in our lives need to be dealt with. Some sins will require more efforts than others to repent of. We must strive to obey all the commandments and pay close attention to those that are hardest for us to keep. The Lord will be at our side, helping us in times of need and weakness, and if we demonstrate a sincere desire and act accordingly, God will make weak things become strong. Among members of the American Parapsychological Association, 90 percent of them have a belief in spirituality, and 59 percent said they had at least some experience of it themselves. Obedience to the laws of God will give us the strength to overcome sin. We must also understand that the trial of our faith requires us to obey, often without knowing the results. We must keep the great truths of the gospel steady in our minds, and may we keep our lives free of the cracks that can impede our safe journey through the sea of this life. Success in the Lord’s way has a price, and the only way to achieve it is to pay that charge. Life is different for each of us. #RandolphHarris 4 of 7
We all have a time of trials, a time for happiness, a time for making decisions, a time for overcoming obstacles, and a time for taking advantage of opportunities. Occasionally there have been doubts about whether the Gothic smile worn by saints and angels is a smile at all. The Cambridge scholar Paul Binski wondered if these smiling faces did not carry a special menace, while the smile worn by a queen on a statue-column from Saint-Thibaut, Provins, was for a time thought to have been the product of skillful restoration in the early twentieth century and not, in fact, an original feature of the work. This how now been refuted by the scholar Pamela Z. Blum, who nevertheless in 1990 made the following remarks about the statue of a queen in the right embrasure of the central portal of Chartres Cathedral: “Although not a true smile, a look of awareness enlivens her face. Her lips, parted, slightly pursed, and tucked in at the corners, complete the lifelike response suggested by her observant gaze from under partially lowered lids.” If this is not a faint smile, it is difficult to imagine what facial expression worn by the anonymous queen would match this description. The queen smiles, and the more puzzling question is what might count as a true smile. But we believe there is more to it than this. The phenomenon of smiling seems at odds with the expressive character of the Christian religion as charted in the Gospels, apocryphal and hagiographic literature, and indeed much Christian art. Human beings are rooted in pure Spirit; they are some part of Life. #RandolphHarris 5 of 7
Humans are an incarnation of God, and no matter what the inward conflicts may be or what may have occasioned them, there is a way for a person to get a complete clearance from them without the elaborate process of analysis. If people could forgive themselves for all the mistakes they may have made, if they could get clearance in their mind from the fear that there is some God condemning one, that some terrific evil awaits him or her hereafter, one would get complete relief. There would be an overwhelming impression conveyed in one’s formality, grandeur, power, and distance. The Gothic smile is connected to language, there is also some kind of recognition that the smile functioned as a sophisticated metaphysical sign, a natural channel of holy wisdom. The glory of God is intelligence. If it is true that at the core of every neurosis there is a sense of being rejected, attended by a consciousness of guilt from which arises a feeling of insecurity and an attitude of stress, the starting point for clearance of the inward burdens that are too heavy to bear and the conflicts that tear so many people apart is to get a clearance in our own mind about ourselves and our relationship with God. Some might think that this is a way whereby one excuses oneself from doing wrong. Nothing could be further from the truth. #RandolphHarris 6 of 7
While the sense of condemnation for others may remain in our minds, we have to understand that a consciousness of love is the basis for the assurance we need, a feeling that divine love gives of itself, that we give of ourselves, and that there is nothing in us that can project anything but love and peace and joy to others. Whenever an individual arrives at complete self-forgiveness, while also understanding that any cause one sets in motion toward others will react upon oneself, one has reached a place where his or her judgments are no longer harsh. The individual becomes a kind and loveable person and has peace within one’s own mind. There can ne no peace until this clearance is made. Forgiving and being forgiven, loving and being loved, living and letting live, is the simple basis for it all. Just to be yourself in God. Just to be simple and spontaneous. Just to live as though today is God’s day and you may rejoice in it. Measured by this celestial standard, it is apparent that those who impulsively drop out and cut short their education not only disregard divine decree but frustrate the realization of their own potential. Participating in ordinances and honoring the associated covenants will bring you marvelous light and protection in this ever-darkening World. Regardless of the time the Lord, in his wisdom, determines to grant each of us, one thing we can be sure of: we all have today to live, and the key to making our day successful is to be willing exercise faith. #RandolphHarris 7 of 7
Personal experience, where it is available, is bound to be by far the most persuasive influence in established belief. Thus, you will find it confidently stated in just about every commentary on the origins of the paranormal mind-set that most people who believe in the paranormal cite personal experience as their primary reason for doing so. True believers in the paranormal almost always report having had a confirmatory incident at some point in their lives, “Thou knowest greatness of God,” reports 2 Nephi 2.2. From one’s own experience, exposure to miraculous phenomena can be effective in changing people’s minds where nothing else is. Because in many cases, only if you see signs and wonders, you will not believe. Much like a jury in a trial, when they pass judgment on a crime they did not witness, can never be sure their verdict is the right one. Only an eye-witness could know (in some cases that is even not a sure bet because of perception bias). Still, the only way of acquiring knowledge of the World is to do it entirely by oneself. We are full of spiritual power, and this is surely noted in Heaven, as our covenant is with God, and our action is recorded in the book of life. There is no campaigning, no debates, no posturing for position, no dissension, distrust, confusion, nor commotion for the power of Heaven is with us and encircling each individual with the undeniable approval from the Lord. #RandolphHarris 1 of 6
In general, only facts about the World we can ever know absolutely and for sure are those we have observed with our own bodily sense. Those who believe without seeing may be blessed. Is this blind faith? No, it is not. We each have a spiritual witness of the truthfulness of gospel. By our own will and choice, we raised our hand this morning, declaring our desire to sustain the Lord’s prophet with our confidence, faith, and prayers and to follow his counsel. And we presumably ought to place greatest faith in our own observations. In modern times people’s insistence on the superiority of direct sensory knowledge has if anything grown stronger, and they have correspondingly become more and more demanding of it. Miracles are still necessary because we have not learned to live forever. Anchoring our souls to the Lord requires a distinction to be made between witnessing an event ourselves and being informed about it. Some experiences are obviously more unique than other, and we presumably ought to place greatest faith in our own observations, as we live in a World of reason, debate, conversation, logic, and explanation. In Western culture, the cult of personal experience has come to seem ever more natural and reasonable, even virtuous. Our age wishes to have actual experience in psychic life. It wants to experience for itself, and not to make assumptions based on the experience of other ages. #RandolphHarris 2 of 6
In so many aspects of our lives, allowing the power of our intellect to guide a multitude of choices and decisions we face, makes us not want to make assumptions based on the experience of other ages. It is, however, undoubtedly true that is and when people do see signs and wonders they very often will believe—especially if they themselves are the subject of the sign or wonder. Even if in reality seeing is not a necessary condition for believing, it is certainly sometimes a sufficient one. The Lord’s voice often comes without explanation. Beyond relying on the intellect alone, we treasure the gift of the Holy Ghost. It asks, spoken kindly, for us to change, to repent, and to return to the Lord. When correction is needed, let us not delay. Down the ages people have repeatedly testified that it was indeed a particular events, of which they themselves were either the subject or a first-hand witness, that converted them to a belief in the reality of paranormal powers: a voice from the clouds, a visitation by a ghost, a remarkable example of precognition, an oceanic feeling of unity with all of nature, a demonstration before their very eyes of a physically impossible feat, a coincidence so meaningful yet so outrageous as to defy chance explanation. #RandolphHarris 3 of 6
Let us note the frequency with which extraordinary, miraculous, mystical, or born-again type experiences have played a pivotal role in our beliefs. Everyone pays homage to the psychological persuasiveness and epistemic priority of first-person experience. Sometimes we might feel as if the whole framework with which we view the World has been suddenly destroyed. We may seem very naked and vulnerable, surrounded by a hostile and incomprehensible Universe. And it may be days before we are able to come to terms with it. However, these are moments of learning, of humility, when we go to our knees in prayer. We walk forward in faith, trusting in God, knowing that with time we will receive more spiritual clarity from our Heavenly Father. The mysterious allure is strengthened by our desire to build our faith, the change of our actions to righteousness, and the sense of accomplishment we feel for repenting. The surrender of our will to God’s will is, in fact, not surrender at all but the beginning of a glorious victory. There is an uninhibited display of gleeful humor, as we are grounded in the higher realm of divinity. When we realize that the spiritual purity of human beings is not contained by something as artificial nor arbitrary as mere geographical boundary, it is unnecessary to be dismayed or distraught. Here, humor, wisdom, and holiness achieve a kind of balance, which strikes us as very beautiful. #RandolphHarris 4 of 6
The smile of reason may seem to betray a certain incomprehension of the deeper human emotions, but it does not preclude some strongly held beliefs—belief in natural law, belief in justice, belief in toleration. Not bad. In the future day, looking back on our mortality, we will rejoice that we walked the Earth at the time we are living. We hold in balance regal splendor, poise, grace, and simplicity. Having peace, freedom, and love is more important than the gorgeous Cullinan Diamond or the Koh-i-Noor Diamond, and the Star of Africa Diamond combined. The Almighty has sent down his wisdom so that we may live sweetly. God breaks the bands of death. However, when the infant or the adult suffers from an unconscious sense of being rejected, not wanted, needed, nor loved, the individual unconsciously receives the impression that there must be something wrong with oneself. Without the objective faculties being aware of it, one argues with oneself somewhat after this manner: “Nobody likes me, no one wants me around; I am in everyone’s way. There must be something wrong with me or this would not happen.” Thereafter an individual develops an unconscious sense of guilt and self-condemnation. And out of this sense of rejection, guilt, and insecurity, a feeling of stress is generated. #RandolphHarris 5 of 6
Talking to people can easily prove that your fear of self-doubt and rejection are true. It does not get rid of tensions, for inward conflicts as they are the result of the manifestation of the desire for self-expressions which has been crowded back upon itself through repression. However, it takes faith to believe that the Lord is watching over the daily details of his Kingdom and that he is quietly working out your situation. It takes faith to believe that God calls imperfect people into positions of trust. It takes faith to believe that God knows the people he calls perfectly, both their capacities and their potential and so makes no mistakes in his calls. We are all on this Earth for a reason and each and every person is desired by the Lord or he would have not created you. Even those who do not spend much time on the planet serve some purpose, but they just did not require as long as a journey as others before returning to Heaven with God. Have the capacity to receive revelation and to act on it fearlessly. It takes faith to do so. It takes even greater faith to believe that the Lord has called you to inspire you and others. Allow confidence and peace to flow in your lives. #RandolphHarris 6 of 6
The idea that psychic powers exist, once planted, will not be easily shifted. It is inevitable that there will be an acceptance of the reality of psychic phenomena. I am not exactly sure what will cause it, basically it is just a case of making everyone wake up. Great intelligence, shining like a beacon, also indicates one’s infinite compassion and endurance. According to the ancient Hebrew text of Exodus (34. 29-30), after Moses received the Ten Commandments at the summit of Mount Sinai and brought the stone tablets down to the people, the prophet’s face shone bright like a diamond in the Sunlight, and literally sent forth beams. We recognize what a powerful source of mystification this can be. Suppose someone were to set out on a search to prove the existence of rainbows. (Yes, rainbows.) And moreover, that he or she found oneself having to prove it in the face of the raillery of sceptics who have been firmly maintaining that the whole idea of rainbows is riddled with paradox (you can just hear them: ‘Why has no one ever brought a rainbow home, why do rainbows always recede as you approach them, why is a rainbow visible from one side but not the other?’ and so on). These three main lines of discussion would be likely to offer in defense of one continuing commitment to search. #RandolphHarris 1 of 10
Three reasons for supposing that one’s advanced belief in the phenomenon was and is justified is respectively the debate from the seminal personal experience, the discussion from external authority, and the conversion from a priori reasoning. First, of course, the debate from the seminal personal experience, where the discussion is based on what was been experienced by the believer at first hand: I saw a rainbow myself last June. I watched it for a full two minutes while it arched radiantly over the wheatfield. It was a key moment in my life. I felt as if Nature were reaching out to me to reveal the perfect laws that underlie the seeming chaos of existence. Having personally witnessed it, I can never doubt again. When we exercise even the smallest amount of real faith in God, life can be filled with faith, joy, happiness, hope, and love. We should never get discouraged, whatever difficulties might surround us. If we are sunk in the lowest pit of Nova Scotia and all the Rocky Mountains piled on top of us, we ought not be discouraged, but hang on, exercise faith, and keep up good courage and we should come out on the top of the mountain. ‘I can do all things though God which strengthens me,’ reports Philippians 4.13. Knowing this is another precious gift from God, which allows us to experience the delight, joy, and warmth of the spirit of the Lord without any kind of distraction. #RandolphHarris 2 of 10
Next, the discussion from the external authority, where the argument is based on what other people, whose opinion the believer has reason to respect, insist is true for them: Even though I myself have never been privileged to see a rainbow, my professor, whom I absolutely trust, tells me he saw one last year and so did my wife’s father. What is more, I have seen pictures of them in books and read descriptions of them by some of our best poets. The weight of other people’s testimony is overwhelmingly convincing. However, too many people allows themselves to almost live online with their communication devices—blue light from the screens illuminating their faces day in and day out. Hearing assistant devices in their ears blocking out the still, powerful voice of the spirit. If we do not find time to relax and enjoy the natural beauty of life, we may miss opportunities to hear the voice of the Lord, who said, ‘Be still, and know that I am God.’ Now, there is nothing wrong with using a little social media and our communication devices when there is no one around for us to share our precious time with because these advances in the technologies are inspired by God, but we must be wise in their use. Remember, the day is a gift from God. #RandolphHarris 3 of 10
Furthermore (but in many cases, if not this one, crucially important), the debate from a priori of reasoning, where the discussion is based on what can be worked out from first principles: What I already know about the nature of light and the shape of raindrops allows me to reconstruct how rainbows are produced and why they behave the way they do. Ever since I first wondered what would happen if the Sun shone through rain in a certain way, I have been anticipating that rainbows must occur. I believe, in short, that rainbows are a logical and practical outcome of the way the World is made. Such an attitude amounts to a kind of paranormal fundamentalism. Those who think like this know in their bones that psychic phenomena have to be genuine. Though they may reluctantly admit that the public proof which they themselves have so long been seeking has not yet come to light, they have absolute faith that the phenomena must be lurking somewhere. May the Lord help and bless us to treasure our many precious gifts from God. Let us pray that we will be filled with love for our Heavenly Father’s children and be able to see their needs and be willing to answer their questions and concerns about the gospel in clear and kind ways that will increase understanding and appreciation for one another. And may the joy and peace of the Lord abide with each one of us. #RandolphHarris 4 of 10
Morbid thought that there is some deific power that is always testing us to see how much we can stand, or always restricting us lest we fail to recognize its overlordship, is one of the great psychological crimes of the ages. It really is human against human. However, some have come to interpret it as though it were God operating against humanity; as though it were the creator seeking to blot out his own creation. The people who have learned to forgive themselves, simply and directly, and who has come to believe that God eternally forgives, and who had learned to forgive all other (at least in their own minds because it may be important to stay away from people who are not trustworthy) finally comes to a place where one knows that the divine is for us and not against us. We reach a place where we know that love is the great reality. If we want to get rid of fear we need not take the time to consider each separate fear we may have—the fear of people, the fear of things, the fear of conditions, the fear of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. For all these varying forms of fear are rooted in one fundamental negation: We do not know that we belong to the Universe in which we live. We do not realize that God needs us or he would not have put us here. #RandolphHarris 5 of 10
Right now, there is a real tragedy going on in African American communities. They noticed people are more willing to redeem an aluminum can for a couple of nickels, before they even take the time to value the power of the Black community. There are corrupt officials who are trying to price Black people out of their neighborhood’s, make it impossible to get an education, and other look the crimes of others, but go out of their way to set up and take down the Blacks that are doing well, and that is why it can be hard for Black people to retain their wealth. While it is true that we can trace specific fears to certain incidents that transpire in life, and while it is true that if we do this we can remove them, most fears finally resolve themselves into a very few attitudes of mind, most which are base on the belief ‘No one wants me, needs me, or loves me; probably I am unworthy, unnecessary, and useless; I am inadequate to meet life, I have not the strength nor the power nor the will to overcome obstructions, and I do not fit anywhere.’ #RandolphHarris 6 of 10
These are the types of unconscious fears the adversary wants to put in our unconscious attitudes of mind and cause to rise from our repressed desires to live more abundantly because the adversary has an inward sense of inferiority because they are uncertain about their future. The adversary also thinks they can create cases off of spectral evidence and get you to ‘Go off’ so they can justify violating your rights and bring you up on real criminal charges, which will act as sort of a means to justify an end. Basically, their argument is they violated your civil rights because they knew you were a dangerous criminal, which gave them the right to do what they did. And when the adversary cannot get you to act like a militant savage, they will then infiltrate your family and friends with deals and offers to get them to set you up. That is why we have to be smarter and get our educations, stay out of trouble. If someone offers to help you and they have never done anything kind for you before, it might be best to pass up their assistance, it might be a trap to generate the spectral evidence and to start manipulating you. The way we get rid of demonic energy is through the cultivation of faith. Faith founded on the thought that God is all there is. #RandolphHarris 7 of 10
If we learn to see God in people, in circumstances and situations, we shall find him—seek, and ye shall find. When we turn in complete confidence, with a simple, innocent trust and faith, to life itself, it will always respond to us. It does not matter what the history of any evil experience may have been, or how long we may have harboured fear or resentment or doubt. Nor your race or gender or position because the adversary looks to take down anyone they fear. In the very moment when we turn from the distractions of evil, it will depart from us. You see, eternity is here and now. God is everywhere. The divine spirit is in every person. And the movement of the law of God is in all human events. We alone block our good, and we alone reaffirm it. We alone can readjust our lives to a new way of thinking until all out patterns of thought are changed. In doing this we shall be making the best bargain we have ever made, for we shall be swapping fear for faith, doubt for certainty, Hell for Heaven. It is destined that we shall do this, sooner or later, so why delay the day of our freedom from fear? This is the day that we should accept that Kingdom which is forever given. This is the day that we should get complete clearance form all of our past. This is the day God has made. Let us be glad in it. #RandolphHarris 8 of 10
Many communities currently are experiencing hardships, the average mortgage payment in major cities has gone up by 20-25 percent, and a lot of people want to buy houses because rents are unreasonable. The rents in some cities have increase by 50 percent. People do not want to keep throwing away money on something they will ever own. However, people feel like because they have a foreclosure on their credit report, bankruptcy, a credit score near 500, self-employed with limited income, high assets and large down payment that they will not be eligible for a mortgage loan. Where there is a will there is a way. With a nonprime mortgage, borrowers lower credit ratings can get a loan at a higher interest rate than a traditional loan or they may have to put down a higher down payment. People who are self-employed can use their bank statements as proof of income. And theses nonprime mortgages are responsible due to all the regulations and laws passed in the past several years. An example of some of those changes are: The Ability to Repay law (ATR), Appraisal Independent Regulations (AIR), and borrower needs to have power in the market by putting down a larger payment. Therefore, have faith and know no matter what your situation is, the American Dream is possible through faith in God. #RandolphHarris 9 of 10
Today shall contain joy and happiness, be filled with peace, and through it all there will be running the silent power of spiritual force, that which harmoniously and happily governs our thoughts and decisions and acceptances, so that everything will be done without effort. We are rational and while spectral evidence is accepted in regards to religion and faith, we know that when it comes to legal and financial matters, we need facts and real evidence. There are also Constitutional laws which will call for cases to be thrown out if it was found that there was something improper done. So, we lay all weariness aside and accept that the life-giving, invigorating, dynamic power of the spirit, knowing that it vitalizes every organ of our body, it flows with strength and purpose through everything we do, even as it leads us gently down the pathway of life. There is also a statute of limitations on crimes so the government cannot hunt its people like a bounty hunter indefinitely. Today is the day that God made, and we are glad in it. And when the evening time comes, the cool shadows of peace shall fall across our pathway and the quiet of the night shall enter into our souls, the beatitude of the spirit shall flow through us as a river of life. We shall sleep in peace, and wake in joy, and live in a consciousness of good, for God is over all, in all, and through all. Maybe someone did bring a rainbow home, open your eyes. #RandolphHarris 10 of 10
It is these morbid fears that we wish to rid ourselves of, and not the ordinary caution that is necessary to intelligent living. For instance, a person standing on top a high cliff would naturally exercise the caution of not getting too close to the edge. However, if one has a dread of high places for fear one might fall or be seized with an irresistible impulse to leap, then one has a morbid fear of altitudes. And if we could trace this fear back to its original cause we might possibly find that sometime in a previous experience this individual in a previous experience may have had a threatening experience with heights. Perhaps this is why we have a great reason for faith. We should not be afraid what is going to happen tomorrow. But rather, we should live today in a sense of confidence and peace and joyful expectancy. When tomorrow comes, it will take care of itself. Today is the only day in which we can live for. For when tomorrow comes it will be another today, and so on through all of eternity. When we feel hurt, lost, scared, upset, sad, hungry, or hopelessly abandoned in life’s extremities, it is important to realize that God will never desert us. He never has, and he never will. God cannot leave us. It is not his character to do so. However, always, as it has from the beginning, the spirit of God inspires worthy souls. #RandolphHarris 2 of 6
True, few if any thoughtful people can be unaware of the human potential for giving false reports: of succumbing to delusions in themselves or to design to deceive others. We accept—even expect—that respected figures in business and politics will withhold vital information or make misleading statements without turning a hair. We are not shocked to hear the definition of a diplomat as a person sent abroad to lie for his or her country. However, coming to know our Heavenly father changes everything, especially our hearts, as his gentle spirit confirms our true identity and great worth in his sight. Unless we live without fear today we shall dread tomorrow. Those who live in the dread of tomorrow generally live in morbid thoughts of what happened in the past. Their minds are filled with things that were unpleasant in their previous experience and the unhappy events that they fear will transpire in the future. By living like that, the present day in which they live is robbed of all peace and joy, and becomes a torture chamber of eternal pain and suffering. This disposition so disturbs the mind that restful sleep is impossible. Such people seldom rise in the morning filled with buoyant hope, joyful expectation, and the natural enthusiasm and zest for living which we all need if we are going to get the most out of life. #RandolphHarris 3 of 6
When it comes to some people we cannot say we are surprised when we hear that lying is so habitual to them that, if they ever find themselves telling the truth, they would be obliged to tell a lie to set the record straight. We know too, probably from our own experience, some of the temptations that may lead to such semi-casual deception. The desire to please, to show off, to draw attention, to win favours. However, especially perhaps in the context of the paranormal, the desire to gain what we call witness power is one of the basic principles of social life that society accords a special place to the person who has something to say. God walks with us along the covenant path as we seek him through prayerful pleadings, scriptural searchings, and obedient strivings. Through God, we become a valuable resource to the community. One becomes the person who was there, who has information to impart. However, it comes as something of a shock if and when we are forced to recognize that some particular person has actually been deceiving us about a matter we care about. Even if we can argue that it is been doing in a good cause, we shall be reluctant to acknowledge it. Still we must learn to forgive others. This is not always the easiest thing to do, but it can be done. If a person can be made to see that one must forgive in order to be healed of unhappiness, one generally will make an effort to do so. #RandolphHarris 4 of 6
In all, while it is certainly not news in general that people cheat, it can be very bad news in particular. And if and when it becomes clear that someone has been cheating us about the reality of miraculous phenomena, we are sure to feel a deep sense of disappointment. Maybe there will be some, who, on reflection, choose to class it as a forgivable exaggeration, a white lie, even as compensation for all the materialist propaganda that we have to live with. Even so there will be no escaping that the same evidence that had first been seen as evidence for a remarkable and desirable human characteristic, paranormal soul-power, has become instead further evidence for an unremarkable and undesirable one, normal human untrustworthiness. Nonetheless, we still attempt to establish a more hopeful picture of what we are, so as to permit a more promising vision of where we are going. The true search for the soul will lead to exceeding great and precious promises. Meekness is a defining attribute of the Redeemer and is distinguished by righteous responsiveness, willing submissiveness, and strong self-restraint. The Holy Ghost will teach and enlighten us as we learn together about a vital aspect of the Savior’s divine nature that each of us should strive to. #RandolphHarris 5 of 6
Meekness is an attribute developed through desire, the righteous exercise of moral agency, and striving always to retain a remission of our sins. It is also a spiritual gift for which we appropriately can seek. Meekness is strong, not weak; active, not passive; courageous, not timid; retrained, not excessive; modest, not self-aggrandizing; and gracious, not brash. A meek person is not easily provoked, pretentious, nor overbearing and readily acknowledges the accomplishments of others. We are the product of the Universe; we are the offspring of the divine spirit; we are some part of its life shaped and formed and acting as humans, as individuals, as people. And how could the great divine cause of our being seek to destroy or in any way harm that life which is the offspring of its own being? As we come unto and follow the Savior, we increasingly and incrementally are enabled to become more like him. We are empowered by the spirit with disciplined self-restraint and a settled and calm demeanor. Thus, meek is what we become as disciples of the Master and not just something we do. If we have faith we must have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope. God will guide, protect, and strengthen us as we walk in the meekness of his spirit. #RandolphHarris 6 of 6
Their faces are more beautiful than flowers and the Moon! Their real features look so lovely, more so than synthetic ones, as there is a curious balance which enhances, softens, defines, and accentuates the structure of their faces. The thing we wish to do is to find faith greater than our fears, whether they are fears of people, of conditions, of life or of death. Such faith is born out of a complete conviction of the eternal destiny of one’s own soul and of all other souls. We should base our remarks upon a divine truth that explains “For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life,” reports Proverbs 6.23. A commandment is a lamp to shows us the right course, and indeed the law defines that course that we are to follow. Some people look upon laws in general as impediments to them—obstacles—and there are good people in every segment of life who believe that the laws of God, even the great Ten Commandments, are intended only for certain people—for those whom they describe as being extremely religious or for the less fortunate. They believe that while it is essential to observe the laws of the land, it matters little or none if one observes the laws of God. However, while he is a God of love, he is also a God of order. He does not deviate from the established principles and laws, because they are right in the first place. And he and they are the same yesterday, today, and forever. #RandolphHarris 1 of 8
The laws and conditions prescribed for the welfare of humankind cannot be changed nor circumvented, because they are divine and were established before the foundation of the World was laid. They are, in fact, the only means by which we can have peace of mind here and gain eternal life hereafter. Nature made teeth for the purpose of enclosing the tongue, so never poke it out. It is important to spit out phlegm that may from time to time arrive in the mouth. Never swallow it. And never spit noisily, nor publicly, nor anywhere other than on the ground or into a handkerchief, if it can possibly be helped. Aim carefully, and try to conceal the fact that you have spat by stepping quickly on the spittle. In the 1900s a law in France and London was designed to prevent the odious habit of expectorating in public because not only was it disgusting, but what women suffer cannot be easily expressed, for however careful they are they are bound to get their skirts contaminated, due to the fact that they were in the habit of wearing dresses that trail along the ground. In fact, the modern objection to spitting, which led to laws prohibiting it in covered places of public rest, grew out of research into the spread of disease, principally tuberculosis. “For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions thereof, as were instituted from before the foundation of the World,” reports The Doctrine and Covenants 132.5. #RandolphHarris 2 of 8
The laws of God are not given to us to burden us nor to limit us. They are not impositions. They are the statutes through which, if observed, the purpose of life and existence is to be realized. Even those who are called to go through trials, sorrow, tribulation, and adversity are promised that if they are faithful in tribulation and adversity that “the reward of the same is greater in the Kingdom of Heaven,” reports The Doctrine and Covenants 58.2. It is also thought to be entirely consistent with the demands of decorum for boys to conduct an entertaining after-dinner conversation such as might be expected to generate laughter—laughter being good for the digestion, and the hiatus at the end of a hearty meal being good for very little else. However, funny stories should never be vulgar, irreverent, impure, nor cruel nor imply that the teller takes pleasure in anyone else’s misfortune; instead, they should be uplifting and informative. Never laugh at your own jokes, at death, nor at the Church. Never laugh so hard that you lose your breath, nor make rude gestures, for, reports Ecclesiasticus, “the fool raises one’s voice in laughter, but the wise individual scarcely laughs at oneself.” #RandolphHarris 3 of 8
While there are pupils who are scruffy, bad-tempered, and disobedient, there is hope that children will somehow absorb high ideals and respond appropriately to noble sentiments, and that they may be prevailed upon not to behave like deranged beings. The expectations of decorum—not just in a seventeenth century French school but in any other context—may aim at a higher standard of behavior than is achievable by anyone other than the small minority who define it for the rest of us, at the same time preserving for itself some latitude. However, these lessons, as well as the example of people we admire, inevitably take root. And having taken root, they equip us with the capacity to wear our smile like a mask. Blessed is one that keeps God’s commandments, whether in life or in death; and one that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the Kingdom of Heaven. You cannot behold with your natural eyes for the present time the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore, the day comes when you shall be crowned with much glory, the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand. We cannot fail to realize that fear and the inferiority complex are always a turning of thought back on itself. This is why it has so often been called a form of selfishness, but it is more than this. #RandolphHarris 4 of 8
It is a self-centeredness rather than selfishness in the ordinary sense of the term. We have all known many unselfish persons who have made a complete sacrifice of themselves to good causes but who have felt martyred in so doing, persons who have devoted their entire lives to others but who have been very conscious of doing so. This self-centeredness often accompanies the inferiority complex and it too must be healed. It is healed by realizing that there is but one God who we all must answer to. Now if one is inclined to question the wisdom of observing the law—whether it be the laws of human, the laws of nature, or the laws of God—one should consider all vindictiveness, hate, and animosity disappear, and one will find oneself merging with the spiritual atmosphere of others. One learns to respect and admire others, and expects that others will respect and admire one. One overcomes one’s fears of life by understanding life, not by fighting it. One overcomes one’s fears of people by coming to understand rather than shun them. This type of understanding is beyond the ordinary concept of tolerance. One does not learn to tolerate people; we learn to understand them. There is a vast difference. We see through the weakness and frailty and inconsistency of human life, even its fears and morbidities. We no longer cringe. #RandolphHarris 5 of 8
With calm placidity we face our inevitable exit from this World, knowing that as glorious as this life has been, we are certain to go to a better. If we would eliminate fear and morbidity this is what we must realize. Human experience has never found a better way. Indeed, it is the only way which is certain to produce the desired result. That which breaks a law, and abides not by law, but seeks to become a law unto itself, and wills not to abide in sin, and altogether abides in sin, cannot be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice, nor judgment. Observance of law brings harmony, peace, order; while without observance of law there is found confusion, and sorrow, remorse, failure—whether it be the laws of God or the laws of human, or whether it be nations or whether it be individuals, it is the same. People ask, “If the Lord loves us, why does he then give so many commandments, some of them restrictive in their nature?” Well, the answer is he gives us commandments because he loves us. God wished to save us from sorrow and remorse and failure, and the worst of all, regret, and from losing our blessings. Laughter is evidently infectious, but it can also be stimulated in other ways. Laughing gas, nitrous oxide, N2O, was discovered at the turn of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by the chemist Thomas Beddoes of Bristol, in partnership with the engineer James Watt and his apprentice Humphry Davy. #RandolphHarris 6 of 8
The original idea was that this gas, a weak anesthetic, might benefit sufferers of consumption, which it did not. Soon, however, its amusing side-effects, lightheadedness and stupor, led to its consumption as a form of a carnival entertainment. By the 1830s laughing gas parties had become popular in the United States of America. Today the practice is illegal in many places, including California, where, according to penal code, “Any person who posses nitrous oxide or any substance containing nitrous oxide, with the intent to breathe, inhale, or ingest for the purpose of causing a condition of intoxication, elation, euphoria, dizziness, stupefaction, or dulling of the sense or for the purpose of, in any manner, changing, distorting, or disturbing the audio, visual, or mental processes, or who knowingly and with the intent to do so is under the influence of nitrous oxide or any material containing nitrous oxide is guilty of a misdemeanor.” That is because abuse of nitrous oxide can produce a form of oxygen starvation called hypoxia, brain damage, a serious vitamin B12 deficiency that can lead to nerve damage, significant morbidity or even death can result from this phenomenon. It can also damage DNA and produce haematological, immune, neurological issues and reproductive system can be affected, regardless of if the exposure to the gas is either acute or long term. #RandolphHarris 7 of 8
Nitrous oxide can also lower and alter white blood cell production and function and many anesthesiologists feel that the use of nitrous oxide should be restricted during the first two trimesters of pregnancy because of its effects on DNA production and the experimental and epidemiological evidence that nitrous oxide causes undesirable reproductive outcomes. It can even cause frost bite. And because nitrous oxide affects white blood cell production and function, it has been recommended that nitrous oxide not be administered to immunosuppressed patients or to patients requiring multiple general anesthetics. Many anesthesiologists believe that the potential dangers of nitrous oxide are so great that it should no longer be used at all for routine clinical anesthesia. In the same way, wise parents often find it best to deny a child his or her wishes or to instruct the child at act in a certain way, even though it is contrary to what the child desires, this is done because of the parental love and is done for the interest of the child’s welfare. If the child responds as he or she should, it results in lasting benefits and satisfaction for both. You know the laws and God is the author. These eternal principles are from our Father in Heaven because he desires to save humankind, and to love, honor, empower, give us glory, and even exaltation. #RandolphHarris 8 of 8
How low and unbecoming a thing laughter is. Some intrepid races like to mock at everything which inspires a person with a feeling of gear. Illness, death, the hangman, the gibbet, the terrors of the natural and supernatural World, become to some a subject for buffoonery in conversation and on the stage. Some ever laugh, as if in defiance, and ridicule everything. The existence of this inclination to aggression, which we can detect in ourselves and justly assume to be present in others, is the factor which disturbs our relations with our neighbour and which forces civilization into such a high expenditure of energy. In consequence of this primary mutual hostility of human beings, civilized society is perpetually threatened with disintegration. The interest of work in common would not hold it together; instinctual passions are stronger than reasonable interests. How low and unbecoming a thing laughter can be. Not to mention the disagreeable noise that it makes, and the shocking distortion of the face that it occasions. I am neither of a melancholy nor a cynical disposition, and am as willing and apt to be pleased as anybody; but I am sure that, since I have had the full use of my reason, nobody has ever heard me laugh. #RandolphHarris 1 of 12
Having mentioned laughing, I must particularly warn you against it; and I could heartily wish that you may often be seen to smile, but never heard to laugh, while you live. Frequent and loud laughter is the characteristic of folly and ill manners: it is the manner in which the mob express their silly joy at silly things, and they call it being merry. In my mind there is nothing so illiberal and so ill-bred as audible laughter. I think many of these schools and places of employment teach the morals of a whore and the manners of a dancing-master. To smile on or upon someone or something meant to look upon it with favor, approval, or encouragement; this meaning is still current, though gradually passing out of use. To smile could simply mean to have or present an agreeable aspect, again, whatever that may mean. To smile could mean to answer or respond or repeat by smiling, or else to exhibit, indicate, or express by smiling. For example, if I go to the Hilton Hotel and the representative asks, “Do you need a double room?” Another way of saying yes would be to reply, “I should smile.” Or to decline something I could say, “I should worry,” meaning “I am certainly not worrying about that!” In these respects laughter is an entirely different proposition from the smile and has long been thought to have beneficial or therapeutic effects as a kind of valve to release nervous tension. #RandolphHarris 2 of 12
Dr. Freud thought of the smile as a way to discharge of a sum of psychic energy. If the mind is strongly excited by pleasurable feelings, and any little unexpected event or thought occurs, then, a large amount of nervous energy, instead of being allowed to expend itself in producing an equivalent amount of the new thoughts and emotion which were nascent, is suddenly checked in its flow. The excess must discharge itself in some other direction, and there results an efflux through the motor nerves to various classes of the muscles, producing the half-convulsive actions we term laughter. Modern science has not entirely dispensed with this notion. Some acoustic studies of laughter continue to differentiate between types of laughter produced by tickling, jokes, ordinary conversation, and what is described as release of tension. During the recent crises in the Middle East an electronic letter was circulated to all BBC television presenters reminding them to look grave throughout the coverage. As one seasoned journalist remarked at the time, instructions of this nature ran the serious risk of prompting a sudden burst of manic laughter—a release of tension. #RandolphHarris 3 of 12
It is always possible to bind together a considerable number of people in love, so long as there are other people left over to receive the manifestations of their aggressiveness. As a general principle, however, the idea that laughter constitutes a pressure valve bears little or no relation to the way our nervous system actually works, but there are still plenty of doctors and therapists who regard laughter as a useful remedy for depression, or even as a kind of placebo. Certainly the appreciation of humor, as distinct from laughter, is now thought to have generally beneficial effects upon the immune and central nervous systems. The right frontal lobe of the brain seems to be essential to this process. Medical scientists have observed that patients with injuries to that part of the brain are most likely to find it difficult or impossible to react to basic attempts to stimulate their sense of humor. Common sense and our own experience of laughter, together with the languor that follows a sustained burst of it, must tell us that, beyond the appreciation of humor, the physical experience of laughter constitutes at least some kind of catharsis, good or bad, mostly good. That catharsis can come as an intimate experience as a large group, most commonly nowadays as an audience in the theater, where, clearly expecting to laugh, we willingly respond to simple cues and laugh like mad, sometimes even when upon reflection we cannot recall exactly why we laughed at all. #RandolphHarris 4 of 12
Children do not like it when there is talk of the inborn human inclination to badness, to aggressiveness and destructiveness, and so to cruelty as well. God has made them in the image of his own perfection; nobody wants to be reminded how hard it is to reconcile the undeniable existence of evil—despite the protestations of Christian Science—with God’s all-powerfulness or God’s all-goodness. The Devil would be the best way out as an excuse for human’s not taking responsibility for their behaviour. It is in sadism, where the death instinct twists the erotic aim in its own sense and yet at the same tie fully satisfies the erotic urge of the blindest fury of destructiveness, it is clear that we recognize that sadists have an extraordinarily high degree of narcissistic enjoy when inflicting pain on others because there is fulfilment of their wishes for omnipotence. The instinct of destruction, moderate and tamed, and, as it were, inhibited in its aim, must, when it is directed towards objects or people, provide the ego with the satisfaction of its vital needs and with control over nature. There can also be examples of groups of sadists due to the fact that they suffer from an eerily synchronized mass hysteria explained by a trigger mechanism in the brain that easily replicates a powerful behavioral prompt, making the sadist unwilling, or even powerless to stop their destructive and evil behaviour. #RandolphHarris 5 of 12
Though deeply disruptive, a group of sadists may not have a pathological condition in the sense that a neurological disorder such as Tourette’s Syndrome harnesses that same trigger mechanism in the otherwise respectable little old lady and makes her mutter obscenities, or indeed shout them from the teleprompter in the newsroom. Anyone who has observed that bizarre symptom at first hand is not likely to forget it. These people are, in fact, engaged upon a terrible plot to ensnare others, and to kindle a fire and flame of lust in the hearts of those who cast their eyes upon them. They use their cosmetics and fictitious hair to hide their age and unattractiveness, and they only smile for two reasons: to show respect, in spite of their inability to understand what an individual is saying; or because they are embarrassed at not understanding or at not being able to respond helpfully as the situation required. This struggle is what all life essentially consists of, and the evolution of civilization may therefore be simply described as the struggle for life of the human species. And it is this battle of the giants that our nurse-maids try to appease with their lullaby about Heaven. #RandolphHarris 6 of 12
And we may probably add more precisely, a struggle for life in the shape it was bound to assume after a certain event which still remains to be discovered. If all people are made in the image and likeness of the Divine Being, then surely one person should not be afraid of another. And if life itself is a unity of good, then why should we be afraid of life? Experience has proved to us that some people are afraid of life; they are afraid of each other, and seldom do we find anything which even resembles a kingly attitude. Moreover, in those rather rare instances where we do find a kingly attitude it is too often attended with arrogance. It is of the utmost importance to solve this perplexing problem which every priest, physician, metaphysician, and psychologist meets in their daily contact with people. Under analysis it has been found that an inferiority complex is based on the fear of life. The basic fear is an inability to properly adjust to everyday living. An oversensitive person is always handicapped and too often assumes an attitude of arrogance or blustering bravado to cover up his or her inward hurt. Generally speaking, one will not admit that such a hurt is there. And even though he or she trains one’s will and studies every psychological method known with which to combat life, unless the individual has overcome the fundamental fears of life, one has only covered them that much deeper by his or her mental maneuvering. #RandolphHarris 7 of 12
Anyone who is familiar with mental reactions knows that a person who goes blustering around saying he or she has no fear, asserting loudly that one is just as good as anyone, and who always demands the attention of others, is sick inwardly. Those types of individuals are attempting to cover up some part of themselves, although that is impossible. Though we crowd all of our emotions back into the unconscious, they always come up in another form. It is impossible to bury a living spring. We can merely change its course. It is just as impossible to destroy that dynamic urge which some call the libido, some the will to power, and others—more rightly perhaps—designate as the life force seeking self-expression. If we would heal the inferiority complex we must arrive at conclusions more basic than merely teaching our student or patient to shout that he or she is self-sufficient. For the louder he or she screams the more frightened that individual becomes, until finally his or her screams are a shriek and that individual’s attitude toward life becomes hysterical. Inferiority complexes often arise from youthful frustration and early childhood repressions, or from emotional reactions which have shocked the finer sensibilities when one first comes in contact with the hard realities of life. #RandolphHarris 8 of 12
Sadists have a tendency to cause pain to an object of their focus, usually another person, so they can act out the pain they went through as a child. They will usually attach themselves to someone who reminds them of an authority figure in their youth and try to hurt that person for not protecting them. Sadists also find victims to inflict their pain and suffering on. The concept of sadism fluctuates in everyday speech from a mere active or impetuous attitude towards the sexual object to an absolute attachment of the gratification to the subjection and maltreatment of the object. Therefore, it becomes necessary to uncover the psychic stream of previous experiences and unconscious memories in the sadist. In this process of uncovering, this analysis of the soul or psyche, if the incident which started the stream of consciousness in the wrong direction (which turned back upon itself) is brought to the surface and self-seen, it is generally dissipated. With the help of religion, there are innumerable persons who have been what we call twice born. Through religious convictions their whole lives have been instantly transformed and the entire psychic stream of previous experiences reversed. #RandolphHarris 9 of 12
Fear has been overcome through faith and through spiritual conviction, and morbid neuroses have given way before some spiritual force which we cannot completely analyze but which no person who has investigated the facts would think of denying. All religions have helped people because it makes them understand that there is one common denominator running through each, and that is faith in something grater than the isolated self. Equally, all psychological processes which have been beneficial in removing fear and the inferiority complex have been able to do so because of the giving back of the self to the self-followed by the re-education of the self and the readjustment of the self to life, in confidence, in faith, and in self-assurance. It is now widely recognized by the medical community that the course of many kinds of illnesses, of the body, as well as the mind, can be influenced by the patient’s hopes and expectations and thus by the suggestions given to one by an authority figure whom one trusts. Not only can the patient’s own mental state, guided by another, profoundly affect the way he or she perceives his or her symptoms, but is can also help mobilize one’s immunological defences to help achieve a more lasting recovery. It is unfortunately true that only certain sorts of illness benefit, and that in any case the effects are not always permanent—so that the pain or stiffness or the depression tends to return. However, at least in the short term, the cure can be dramatic. #RandolphHarris 10 of 12
To say that these cures have a normal explanation, however, is not to deny that they may often rely on the idea of a paranormal explanation. In fact, it is often quite clear that they do rely on it. It is for most people, including the healer, extremely hard to imagine how the voice or the touch of another person could possibly bring about a cure unless this other person were to have paranormal powers. It follows that the more the patient believes in these powers, the more he or she will be inclined to take the suggestions seriously—and the better they will work. Equally, the more the healer oneself believes in one’s powers, the more one can make one’s suggestions sound convincing—and again the better they will work. However, it is important that you deal with people who have the education and experience to treat your condition because with medical malpractice a person could actually make your health worse and this could leave them liable for civil and criminal penalties. So, if you are suffering, it is not only important to seek spiritual healing, but also see a doctor to make sure there are no complications in your treatment and that your health improves, not gets worse. Also, success in bring about a cure feeds back to the healer, boosting his or her image in the eyes of the World and in themselves, so they want their patients to get better. #RandolphHarris 11 of 12
And thereafter nothing succeeds like more success. The process must of course be launched in some way. There has to be some degree of faith present initially, or otherwise the process cannot be expected to get going. However, all that this requires is that there should already be some small reason—however unsubstantiated—why people should consider the healer a special person. Given their reputations, some doctors are potential miracle workers by facts that have been established in their careers and have run ahead of them wherever they go. They discover that they have surprisingly well-developed capacities for healing, and as word spreads, they still are getting better at it. As a supplement, having religious faith is a certain superiority over the psychological, for it naturally follows that is a person can be brought to have faith in God, that faith in God will be greater than any faith one could have in an individual or group of individuals. “I can do all things through God who strengthens me,” reports Philippians 4.13. #RandolphHarris 12 of 12
There are people whose smiles are quite startlingly attractive in the sense that it augments the natural beauty of their face. That kind of smile is effortless and untactical, it is obviously quite different from the cold maneuverings that take place in the realm of the stock in trade of the material World. Change comes by substituting good habits for less desirable ones. We mold our character and future by good thoughts and acts. The future we seek is a life motivated by good thoughts, expressed in good works, and sustained by an inner peace and determination of righteous doing. The destiny we desire is an inheritance in the celestial mansions prepared by our Savior for the faithful children of God. We are not born into this World with fixed habits. To some extent the shared energy of disinhibition is a warm oasis in the dark, drab wasteland of daily routine and, laughing, we will the warmth to continue—loudly, publicly, in restaurants, theaters, and town squares. It leads to a good deal of energetic movement, sweaty brows, music, and vigorous socializing. Good habits are not acquired simply by making good resolves, though the thought must precede the action so we do not slip on a banana skin. Extreme merriment can all too easily conceal improper or indecent jokes under a veil of seemliness and dignity, the better to corrupt the young and innocent. #RandolphHarris 1 of 12
Good habits are developed in the workshop of our daily lives. It is not in the great moments of test and trial that character is built. That is only when it is displayed. The habits that direct our lives and form our character are often fashioned in the often uneventful, commonplace routine of life. They are acquired in practice. The smile is more than a chemical reaction, a series of muscular contractions, or a mechanism. It is a highly sophisticated concept, an expression of the emotions, a mode of communication, a beacon of desire, a ritual—an occasion, in other words, of intense psychological, anthropological, and social interest, the product of acute observation, cognition, and interpretation. In the West, the smile is also embedded in the Romantic tradition of poetry. There, it is constantly deployed as an expression of love and celebrated for its capacity to radiate beauty from the face of the wearer. The poets thus endowed it with the power to attract and fascinate, to stimulate pleasantness. Indeed, most adults have some idea of what it means when the smile is shining through your very heart. The game of love is perhaps the most obvious context in which the smile receives the tribute of art, poetry, and music. That is probably why a genuine smile has so much power. #RandolphHarris 2 of 12
We do not always know what lies ahead, but there is strength and safety in righteous conduct. In the conduct of our lives we learn that good character building habits mean everything. It is by such behavior that we harvest the real substance and value of life. The way we live outweighs any words we may profess to follow. The image a person has of oneself is bound to have a crucial influence on one’s psychological development. Not only will it shape one’s choices as to what one attempts to make of one’s own life, but—because of that—it will frequently be self-confirming. “Train up a child in the way he or she should go: and when he or she is old, that child will not depart from it,” reports Proverbs 22.6. Admittedly, it is the privilege of many a human infant to be, for a time at least, the apple of his or her parents’ eyes. So that the fantasy of being a uniquely favoured human being is not uncommon among little children. For a good many it is a fantasy that, unless the World has been peculiarly unkind to them, is based in the reality of their family relationships. The child lives in a situation of utter dependence; and when his or her needs are met it must seem to that child that he or she has magical powers, real omnipotence. #RandolphHarris 3 of 12
If a child experiences pain, hunger or discomfort, all that baby has to do it to scream and he or she is relieved and lulled by gentle, loving sounds. The child is a magician and a telepath who has only to mumble and to imagine and the World turns to one’s desires. Although most children must, of course, soon discover that their powers are not all that they imagined, for many the idea will linger. It is probably quite usual for young people to continue to speculate about their having powers that no one else possesses. And it is certainly a common dream of adolescents that they have been personally cut out to save the World. The Lord has given parents time to teach and train their children to form good habits and develop noble characters. The persons who knows oneself to have been selected from all the other children in the family to go to an Ivy League college will allow oneself to grow into the part. Children of Hollywood parents who have the opportunity and privilege to achieve fame and fortune on stage will sometimes be dramatically successful (provided they are not, by having too much of it, dramatically hurt). This kind of moulding of a person’s character to match an imposed standard can be effective even when the pressures are relatively conservative. Still, no one can survive entirely on prophecy and promise. #RandolphHarris 4 of 12
In this mortal life we have two choices: the good, which is the desire of our Heavenly Father; or the evil, which is the adversary’s plan and constant persuasion. Our great challenge is to learn how to control ourselves. We must learn for ourselves and act for ourselves, being careful not to follow those who are not divinely led. We have a responsibility to seek—privately as well as publicly—confirmation of the reputation that is building up around us. The human will is naturally inclined toward the right. We are spirit children of God and have born within us the power to overcome all evil practices. Almost every child probably seeks in small ways to test one’s fantasies, and conducts minor experiments to see just how far their powers extend. ‘If I stare at that woman across the street, will she look round?’ (yes, every so often she will.) ‘If I pray for my parents to stop squabbling, will they let up?’ (Yes, it usually works.) ‘If I wear this ring wherever I go, will it keep the wolves away?’ (Yes, almost always.) An ancient proverb states that good habits result from resisting temptation. Such resistance often takes the form of a persevering struggle. When bad habits become a part of our lives and we desire to overcome them, we must seek spiritual help. We all know what fear can do; how it can shrivel up hope and dampen the ardor of living, and how finally it can close up the avenues of self-expression. #RandolphHarris 5 of 12
Fear, when carried to an extreme, leaves one a wreck, physically and mentally. And we have observed what faith can do. We have seen people so filled with fear that nothing in life seemed worthwhile to them, and we have seen them learn to have faith in life, and have watched the transformation that has taken place in their lives. The psychologist might say that such a person has a phobia—an inferiority complex—which means that the individual feels unable to cope with life. Or the psychiatrist might say that the individual is neurotic. However, we look at the individual and say, “Here is a spiritually complete person who is doing nothing that one has not been trained to do. This individual has had the intelligence and the emotional capacity to learn these lessons of fear, and to learn them well.” If it is possible for us to learn to be afraid, we can reverse the process and learn to have faith. In the study of mental suggestion it has been discovered that if a mother fears that her child’s food will not digest, it will affect the child’s digestive processes. If she is afraid that the child will not sleep well at night, the child’s sleep will be disturbed. If the mother is surrounded with thoughts of irritation and emotions of anger, they will register in the child. #RandolphHarris 6 of 12
Times without number the child has listened to such warning as “Keep away from that dog, he may bite!” or “Do not go too close to the edge, you may fall!” or “Be sure to wash your hands, there are germs on them.” The signposts on the road to fear are too numerous to mention, but each leaves its imprint upon the growing mind and plastic memory of the child. It is little wonder that he or she arrives at maturity in a state of perpetual fear. One has learned it in one’s home, school, news, and community. It is unfortunate that the idea of a future state of punishment should have been so emphasized in our lives. For out of it have come the most morbid fears the human mind as ever entertained. How can we believe that good people, people of love as well as wisdom, would seek to destroy us for no reason? This does not mean that we are not responsible for out acts. We cannot escape the logical result of our thoughts and acts. The punishment for any act flows out of the act itself. It religion, we find masterful principles of justice, but not retribution. The moment we forgive we are forgiven. God is the eternal forgiver. There is no condemnation, no judgment. Suppose a room has been in the darkness for years and we bring in a light. What becomes of the darkness? It is just not there. It would make no difference how long the room may have been dark; when the light appears, the darkness disappears. We have a gracious, kind, and loving Father in Heaven who stands ready to help us. #RandolphHarris 7 of 12
There is no moral or spiritual code that grants permissiveness of conduct nor condones selection of evil nor bad habits as a way to joyful living. Perhaps our ideas of being good and doing good have been based on the expectation of reward or the fear of punishment instead of common sense. Goodness should be natural and spontaneous. Goodness is normal; evil is abnormal. We should live by faith and not by fears. However, because we have had so many fears and because we have built up such an unconscious sense of guilt, we seek a release from the emotional tensions of this guilt feelings by projecting the thought that we need to be punished for our mistake. Self-mastery, self-control, and self-discipline are required strengths that enable us to set aside temptations to do wrong. It is a wonderful feeling to conquer wrong practices and to be free and unencumbered from their detrimental effects, both physically and spiritually. When we have conquered our bad habits and replaced them with good ones, living as we should, obedient and faithful, then we are on our way to the presence of God. We should become so involved in acquiring good quality traits and participating in character building activities that there is no time to engage in anything worthless or harmful. Our habits should be those that make us susceptible to faith and testimony. The Bible teaches that all unkind and negative reactions must be purged from the mind. #RandolphHarris 8 of 12
If our minds are filled with hatred towards others, we really hate ourselves. If we lack confidence in life, it is because we first lack confidence in the self. And if we are afraid of God and the future, it is because we are not acquainted with love and confidence. Unfortunate as it may be, there is no question but that one of the great fundamental fears of the whole human race is the belief in hell and in future punishment. And probably more sorrow, human suffering, and morbidity have come from this one belief than all others combined. It is time for us to clarify the situation and realize that God of love cannot hate, the God of life cannot destroy, the God of good cannot desire evil, and that is why we have to be careful about what we do and focus on. One of the best habits to be cultivated is that of reading the scriptures to become knowledgeable of our responsibilities. By learning God’s commandments and keeping them, we develop the ways of righteousness that are an expression of our faith. With good habits we prepare ourselves for excellence. Dear God in Heaven, God of the brightest days, send our troubles all to flight, burn them in thy sacred fires and replace then with our heart’s desires! Keep us whole, and let thy wisdom fill our souls. May the circle never be broken, may the Earth always be whole, may the rattle never be shaken, may God live in our souls. Blessed be the God within, for he brings courage and freedom, love and life, intelligence and understanding. May our purposes be blessed. At the gate of dawn we stand, God, on either hand, guard us with your power, guide us through the crossroads hour. From the beauty of the night and glory of the light. #RandolphHarris 9 of 12
It is on this basis that we should create a great hope and faith. We should be willing to admit that we are punished by our mistakes, and in common sense recognize that while we continue our mistakes we must of necessity continue to suffer; but always with the certainty in mind that when light comes darkness disappears, when forgiveness comes to our own mind we are forgiven, when we are willing to give we shall receive, when we learn how to enter into Heaven we shall leave everything unlike Heaven behind. We need to ask ourselves, “Are my usual thoughts and present actions worthy of eternal life? Am I setting my sights on eternal goals and working to obtain them?” Anything short of our best is not good enough, especially in the service of the Lord. The divine peace is not disturbed by any hymn of hate, nor is the majesty and might of the eternal presence disturbed by our thoughts of discord. The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand; it is here and now. It is not something to wait for, something that is going to happen by and by. It is at hand. The question is, are we seeing it? Are we actually beholding? Think things over again until you finally realize that God is love, God is life, God is peace, God is joy, God is givingness, God is forgivingness. The Lord has counseled us to repent and adhere to strict moral principles and honesty of purpose. We are instructed to make our home an adobe of righteousness. #RandolphHarris 10 of 12
Our destiny is determined by our character, and our character is the sum and expression of our habits. Character is won by hard work. Someday, as surely as we live, this is the God that will be presented to humanity—one Universal Divine Presence forevermore blessings his creation; one infinite ocean of love in which all are immersed; or Father which are in Heaven, the one and only God, who is not a God of wrath nor rettribution but a God of peace and joy and wholeness. The day will come when the other God will be forgotten, and humanity will learn to live as though this Earth were the Kingdom of Heaven, with God himself the host. Yes, the character required to attain eternal life must be formed in this life with hood habits supplying the building material. When the qualities that are desirable in individuals become Universal in the people of a nation, that nation also will have good character. Goodness either in a person or in a nation is not simply the absence of wrongdoing. It is a love of and practice of all things that are true, honest, lovely, and of good report. Let us set high goals for ourselves and work to achieve those goals by making God the center of our lives. God is all truth, justice, and peace. Let us remember that God’s laws are eternal.”God divides wicked from righteous,” reports 1 Nephi 15.30. #RandolphHarris 12 of 12
Randolph Harris II International Institute 