"One of the questions we must ask of our Heavenly Father in private prayer is this: 'What have I done today, or not done, which displeases Thee? If I can only know, I will repent with all my heart without delay.' That humble prayer will be answered." (Henry B. Eyring, “Do Not Delay,” Ensign)
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Friday, June 7, 2013
STOP SEARCHING FOR HAPPINESS!
I remember a time when I was getting a haircut and someone said, “Will you look at that?”
At first I thought they were looking at my bald head. Instead, they were staring out the window at one of the most spectacular sunsets I had ever seen. Everyone in the place stopped what they were doing and walked outside, aprons and all, to take in that amazing, unbelievable sunset.
It reminded me of what the psalmist David said: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1 NKJV).
As spectacular as a sunset or a sight like the Alps or some other natural wonder might be, God’s greatest work of art, his greatest masterpiece, his crowning achievement is humanity. The apostle Paul wrote, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT). The term “God’s masterpiece” also could be translated, “God’s work of art.” God has been working in your life and is still working in your life.
Do you realize how intricate the human body is? Consider these facts. Your nose can recognize up to 10,000 different aromas. Your tongue has about 6,000 taste buds. Our brain contains 10 billion nerve cells, and each of those nerve cells is connected to as many as 10,000 other nerve cells throughout the body. Our body has so many blood vessels that their combined length could circle the planet two-and-a-half times.
God has also customized each of us with our own unique DNA blueprint, which is contained within every single cell. It has been estimated if our individual blueprint were written out in a book, it would require 200,000 pages to contain all of the information there. Of course, God knows about every word on every single page.
Not only that, but God has wired us uniquely with a special desire and drive in life. The Bible says that God has placed eternity in our hearts (see Ecclesiastes 3:11). And because we were uniquely created in the image of God, he has given us this drive, this desire to achieve and do something.
Do you think you are the only one who, before you go to sleep, dreams of doing something big with your life? Maybe you see yourself as a professional athlete or musician. Maybe you see yourself achieving in the business world or in some other endeavor. You think, One of these days I would like my life to count. I would like to do something significant. God made us that way.
The Bible is speaking approvingly of those who seek the glory, honor and immortality that God offers: “To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life” (Romans 2:7 NIV). There is something in us that says, I want to make my life count. I don’t want to be another blip on the screen, just another statistic. I want to make a difference. God himself uniquely created us that way. We are made by God with an express purpose:
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:26–27 NIV)
We have been made in the image of God, and he created us for his glory.
This flies in the face of conventional wisdom. Most people believe the reason they exist is to find fulfillment, to find their own purpose or happiness in life. Whatever it takes, get it, they say. All that matter is you. You deserve a break today.
But I have found that usually the most unhappy people are those who constantly try to be happy. One writer has commented that one of the chief sources of unhappiness is the search for happiness.
Have you ever walked by a bar during “Happy Hour”? Did the people inside look happy to you? We are not going to find happiness in drinking. We are not going to find happiness in drugs. We are not going to find purpose and meaning in sex, especially outside of God’s order, which is marriage. We are not going to find the purpose and meaning we are looking for in life in a great career or in making a lot of money or in what kind of car we drive. We are not going to find it in how great we look. We are not going to find it in any of those things. None of those things will bring us the happiness we are looking for.
The Bible tells us that we should not seek happiness; it tells us that we should seek God instead. If we seek God and put Him first in our lives, we will find the happiness we wanted all along – not from chasing after it, but from chasing after Him.
So seek to live a life that pleases God. One day you will wake up and realize that you are a happy person – not because you only have been thinking about yourself and doing what you want, but because you have been living the way God wants you to live. You have been putting the needs of others above your own needs. You have been trying to do something good with your life and make it meaningful and purposeful. You will realize that you are the happiest you have ever been. This can happen for you if you will get your priorities in order.
First Corinthians tells us, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (10:31). We were created to glorify God with our lives.
Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/06/stop-searching-for-happiness/#d8sZsGTPPEXZivgd.99
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Licorice Shown To Kill SARS And Other Lethal Viruses
Licorice Shown To Kill SARS And Other Lethal Viruses
Sayer Ji, Contributing Writer
Activist Post
Licorice has a rich and ancient history of use as a medicine, being rooted in Indian, Chinese, Greek and Egyptian traditions, alike. Technically a legume, related to beans and peas, its sweetness results from the presence of glycyrrhizin, a compound 30-50 times sweeter than sugar. This compound is what gave licorice its name, which derives from the Greek word γλυκύρριζα (glukurrhiza), meaning "sweet” (gluku) “root” (rrhiza). But glycyrrhizin’s properties don’t end with its sweetness; it is also one of the most powerful antiviral compounds ever studied.
A study on glycyrrhizin’s inhibitory activity against SARS-associated coronovirus published in Lancet in June of 2003, received little mainstream media coverage, despite its profound importance to human health. Mind you, only a few months before this the World Health Organization issued a press release (April 16, 2003) stating the recent outbreak of lethal Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Asia was caused by the same coronoviruses used in this study. With the world still reeling from global SARS hysteria and “preparedness,” i.e. stockpiling pharmaceuticals like Ribavirin despite their well-known lack of effectiveness, you would think more attention would have been paid to promising research of this kind...
In the groundbreaking Lancet study, titled “Glycyrrhizin, an active component of liquorice roots, and replication of SARS-associated coronavirus,” German researchers summarized their intention in the following manner:
The [recent] outbreak of SARS warrants the search for antiviral compounds to treat the disease. At present time, no specific treatment has been identified for SARS-associated coronavirus infection.
And here is what they found:
We assessed the antiviral potential of ribavirin, 6-azauridine, pyrazofurin, mycophenolic acid, and glycyrrhizin against two clinical isolates of coronavirus (FFM-1 and FFM-2) from patients with SARS admitted to the clinical centre of Frankfurt University, Germany. Of all the compounds, glycyrrhizin was the most active in inhibiting replication of the SARS-associated virus. Our findings suggest that glycyrrhizin should be assessed for treatment of SARS. [emphasis added] View Study Abstract
Licorice’s potent antiviral properties are not limited to SARS-associated coronaviruses, but have also been studied in connection with another epidemic/pandemic capable and potentially lethal virus: influenza.
In an animal study dating all the way back in 1997 and published in the journal Antibacterial Agents and Chemotherapy, titled: “Glycyrrhizin, an active component of licorice roots, reduces morbidity and mortality of mice infected with lethal doses of influenza virus,” researchers found that when mice were administered glycyrrhizin at 10mg/kg body weight (the equivalent of 680 mg for a 150lb adult), they all survived a series of ten 50% lethal injections. The control group, on the other hand, only survived an average of 10.5 days, with no survivors by day 21, the end of the experiment.
Even more remarkable, when the splenic T cells from the glycyrrhizin-treated mice were transferred to mice exposed to the same lethal doses of influenza virus, 100% survived, compared to 0% for the control mice inoculated with naive T cells or splenic B cells and macrophages from glycyrrhizin-treated mice. The researchers discovered that glycyrrhizin’s powerful, life-sparing effects against lethal doses of influenza were a result of the compound increasing interferon gamma production by T cells.
In order to fully understand these findings, we must look at the question of safety first. Licorice is still commonly perceived as a “dangerous herb,” due to its ability to stimulate blood pressure elevations in susceptible individuals when consumed excessively; but considering the relatively higher toxicity of most drugs, this perception must be taken with a grain of sea salt. On the other hand, it is important to exercise caution when using licorice, or any herb, for medicinal purposes, and ideally obtaining the assistance of a medical herbalist who can work with conventional health practitioners, whenever possible.
In the United States glycyrrhizin is still classified as “Generally Recognized As Safe,” when used as a flavoring agent, but not as a sweetener. It has also been removed from most “licorice” candies, substituted with with the similarly-tasting but taxonomically unrelated anise. In the European Union the recommendation is for people to consume no more than 100 mg a day, which is the equivalent of 50 grams of licorice sweets, and in Japan, where glycyrrhizin is often used as a sugar substitute, a recommended limit is set at 200 mg a day. This should give you a sense for what a commonly considered safe, daily dose is, and puts a 600 mg “therapeutic” dose in perspective.
Also, it is important to consider that even when the glycyrrhizin is isolated and concentrated pharmaceutically, its relative toxicity is extraordinarily low, when compared to antiviral drugs like Ribavirin.
According to the federally mandated Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) provided by the manufacturers on pharmaceutically extracted glycyrrhizin and the drug Ribavirin, the former is 30 times less toxic than the later (the mouse oral 50% lethal dose is 9818 mg/kg versus 300 mg/kg for Ribavirin). It is important to understand, also, that when complexed in the whole root or powdered root form, glycyrrhizin will be treated differently by the body. It will be released slower, will have naturally occurring factors which may attenuate adverse effects, and therefore should be considered safer than the MSDS on isolated glycyrrhizin reflects.
Consider, also, that glycyrrhizin is much cheaper...
A 200 mg dose of Ribavirin from an online discount pharmacy costs approximately 4 dollars.
Let’s take a 1 pound bag of Frontier brand Licorice sticks, which costs $10, and which contains approximately 7% glycyrrhizin or the equivalent of 13,440 milligrams of glycyrrhizin per pound. This is also the equivalent of sixty-seven 200 mg servings. If I bought sixty-seven 200mg pills of Ribavirin it would cost me 268 dollars. So, that’s 26.8 times the price of the glycyrrhizin found in licorice. In both cases, the natural compound is approximately 30 times less toxic and less expensive, and let us not forget, in the SARS/licorice study, Ribavirin didn’t even work. So, it is potentially infinitely more effective. Hmmm. I wonder which I would choose if faced with an impending pandemic virus? A drug with low availability, exceedingly high costs and toxicity, and which doesn’t work, versus a time-tested, safe, affordable and highly effective herb?
The reason, of course, why licorice will never be used as an FDA-approved medicine is because it would take at least 800 million dollars of upfront capital to fund the preclinical and human clinical studies necessary to get it to that point.
Sayer Ji, Contributing Writer
Activist Post
Licorice has a rich and ancient history of use as a medicine, being rooted in Indian, Chinese, Greek and Egyptian traditions, alike. Technically a legume, related to beans and peas, its sweetness results from the presence of glycyrrhizin, a compound 30-50 times sweeter than sugar. This compound is what gave licorice its name, which derives from the Greek word γλυκύρριζα (glukurrhiza), meaning "sweet” (gluku) “root” (rrhiza). But glycyrrhizin’s properties don’t end with its sweetness; it is also one of the most powerful antiviral compounds ever studied.
A study on glycyrrhizin’s inhibitory activity against SARS-associated coronovirus published in Lancet in June of 2003, received little mainstream media coverage, despite its profound importance to human health. Mind you, only a few months before this the World Health Organization issued a press release (April 16, 2003) stating the recent outbreak of lethal Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Asia was caused by the same coronoviruses used in this study. With the world still reeling from global SARS hysteria and “preparedness,” i.e. stockpiling pharmaceuticals like Ribavirin despite their well-known lack of effectiveness, you would think more attention would have been paid to promising research of this kind...
In the groundbreaking Lancet study, titled “Glycyrrhizin, an active component of liquorice roots, and replication of SARS-associated coronavirus,” German researchers summarized their intention in the following manner:
The [recent] outbreak of SARS warrants the search for antiviral compounds to treat the disease. At present time, no specific treatment has been identified for SARS-associated coronavirus infection.
And here is what they found:
We assessed the antiviral potential of ribavirin, 6-azauridine, pyrazofurin, mycophenolic acid, and glycyrrhizin against two clinical isolates of coronavirus (FFM-1 and FFM-2) from patients with SARS admitted to the clinical centre of Frankfurt University, Germany. Of all the compounds, glycyrrhizin was the most active in inhibiting replication of the SARS-associated virus. Our findings suggest that glycyrrhizin should be assessed for treatment of SARS. [emphasis added] View Study Abstract
Licorice’s potent antiviral properties are not limited to SARS-associated coronaviruses, but have also been studied in connection with another epidemic/pandemic capable and potentially lethal virus: influenza.
In an animal study dating all the way back in 1997 and published in the journal Antibacterial Agents and Chemotherapy, titled: “Glycyrrhizin, an active component of licorice roots, reduces morbidity and mortality of mice infected with lethal doses of influenza virus,” researchers found that when mice were administered glycyrrhizin at 10mg/kg body weight (the equivalent of 680 mg for a 150lb adult), they all survived a series of ten 50% lethal injections. The control group, on the other hand, only survived an average of 10.5 days, with no survivors by day 21, the end of the experiment.
Even more remarkable, when the splenic T cells from the glycyrrhizin-treated mice were transferred to mice exposed to the same lethal doses of influenza virus, 100% survived, compared to 0% for the control mice inoculated with naive T cells or splenic B cells and macrophages from glycyrrhizin-treated mice. The researchers discovered that glycyrrhizin’s powerful, life-sparing effects against lethal doses of influenza were a result of the compound increasing interferon gamma production by T cells.
In order to fully understand these findings, we must look at the question of safety first. Licorice is still commonly perceived as a “dangerous herb,” due to its ability to stimulate blood pressure elevations in susceptible individuals when consumed excessively; but considering the relatively higher toxicity of most drugs, this perception must be taken with a grain of sea salt. On the other hand, it is important to exercise caution when using licorice, or any herb, for medicinal purposes, and ideally obtaining the assistance of a medical herbalist who can work with conventional health practitioners, whenever possible.
In the United States glycyrrhizin is still classified as “Generally Recognized As Safe,” when used as a flavoring agent, but not as a sweetener. It has also been removed from most “licorice” candies, substituted with with the similarly-tasting but taxonomically unrelated anise. In the European Union the recommendation is for people to consume no more than 100 mg a day, which is the equivalent of 50 grams of licorice sweets, and in Japan, where glycyrrhizin is often used as a sugar substitute, a recommended limit is set at 200 mg a day. This should give you a sense for what a commonly considered safe, daily dose is, and puts a 600 mg “therapeutic” dose in perspective.
Also, it is important to consider that even when the glycyrrhizin is isolated and concentrated pharmaceutically, its relative toxicity is extraordinarily low, when compared to antiviral drugs like Ribavirin.
According to the federally mandated Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) provided by the manufacturers on pharmaceutically extracted glycyrrhizin and the drug Ribavirin, the former is 30 times less toxic than the later (the mouse oral 50% lethal dose is 9818 mg/kg versus 300 mg/kg for Ribavirin). It is important to understand, also, that when complexed in the whole root or powdered root form, glycyrrhizin will be treated differently by the body. It will be released slower, will have naturally occurring factors which may attenuate adverse effects, and therefore should be considered safer than the MSDS on isolated glycyrrhizin reflects.
Consider, also, that glycyrrhizin is much cheaper...
A 200 mg dose of Ribavirin from an online discount pharmacy costs approximately 4 dollars.
Let’s take a 1 pound bag of Frontier brand Licorice sticks, which costs $10, and which contains approximately 7% glycyrrhizin or the equivalent of 13,440 milligrams of glycyrrhizin per pound. This is also the equivalent of sixty-seven 200 mg servings. If I bought sixty-seven 200mg pills of Ribavirin it would cost me 268 dollars. So, that’s 26.8 times the price of the glycyrrhizin found in licorice. In both cases, the natural compound is approximately 30 times less toxic and less expensive, and let us not forget, in the SARS/licorice study, Ribavirin didn’t even work. So, it is potentially infinitely more effective. Hmmm. I wonder which I would choose if faced with an impending pandemic virus? A drug with low availability, exceedingly high costs and toxicity, and which doesn’t work, versus a time-tested, safe, affordable and highly effective herb?
The reason, of course, why licorice will never be used as an FDA-approved medicine is because it would take at least 800 million dollars of upfront capital to fund the preclinical and human clinical studies necessary to get it to that point.
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Find Your Direction By The Moon
The moon rises in the east
If you are lost at night, or simply wish to navigate at night, the moon can be an important indicator of general direction if you understand its shadows and how it moves across the sky.
Here’s how…
These basic principles are for those living in the northern hemisphere, but is is possible to apply these same principles in the southern hemisphere; however, the north and south compass points will be the opposite.
The reason that we can see the moon’s light at night is because it reflects the light of the sun. The relationship of the moon to the sun can help us use moonlight to determine general direction.
Similar to the sun, the moon will appear to move in a east to west direction as it moves across the night sky, so, the moon moves across the sky in an east to west direction, just as the sun does during the day. Watch where the moon first appears in the sky, and watch where it sets, as the moon will rise in the east and set in the west.
The light of the moon (the reflection of the sun onto the moon) will generally be facing west between sunset and midnight (because the sun sets in the west and is where the light source is originating during this time period).
The light of the moon (the reflection of the sun onto the moon) will generally be facing east between midnight and sunrise (because the sun rises in the east and is where the light source is originating during this time period).
Another rough guide for direction by moonlight is the following…
If the moon is in a crescent phase, simply draw an imaginary line or hold a stick through the tips of its “horns” (from one moon crescent point to the other) down to the horizon.
The point where it touches the horizon is roughly South for the northern hemisphere and North for the southern hemisphere. The higher in the sky, the more accurate this method.
Find your direction by the moon
If you are lost at night, or simply wish to navigate at night, the moon can be an important indicator of general direction if you understand its shadows and how it moves across the sky.
Here’s how…
These basic principles are for those living in the northern hemisphere, but is is possible to apply these same principles in the southern hemisphere; however, the north and south compass points will be the opposite.
The reason that we can see the moon’s light at night is because it reflects the light of the sun. The relationship of the moon to the sun can help us use moonlight to determine general direction.
Similar to the sun, the moon will appear to move in a east to west direction as it moves across the night sky, so, the moon moves across the sky in an east to west direction, just as the sun does during the day. Watch where the moon first appears in the sky, and watch where it sets, as the moon will rise in the east and set in the west.
The light of the moon (the reflection of the sun onto the moon) will generally be facing west between sunset and midnight (because the sun sets in the west and is where the light source is originating during this time period).
The light of the moon (the reflection of the sun onto the moon) will generally be facing east between midnight and sunrise (because the sun rises in the east and is where the light source is originating during this time period).
Another rough guide for direction by moonlight is the following…
If the moon is in a crescent phase, simply draw an imaginary line or hold a stick through the tips of its “horns” (from one moon crescent point to the other) down to the horizon.
The point where it touches the horizon is roughly South for the northern hemisphere and North for the southern hemisphere. The higher in the sky, the more accurate this method.
Find your direction by the moon
Friday, May 24, 2013
Survival Priorities
LEVEL-1
Attitude. Before all else, I believe that the right attitude is necessary to survive, especially to survive while also making better decisions. This means a positive attitude of adaptability.
LEVEL-2
Oxygen. We need air to breath.
Water. Three days without it, and you will meet your maker.
Clothing. Hypothermia will end your life sooner than you may think.
Sleep. Without it, your decision making abilities will rapidly decelerate.
LEVEL-3
Food. Three weeks without it, and you will meet your maker.
Shelter. Protection from the elements, a barrier for security, home for you and your ‘stuff’.
Sanitation. Without it, disease will rapidly set in, shortening your lifespan.
LEVEL-4
First Aid. The fact is, injury and health issues will shorten lifespan without treatment.
Fire/Cooking. Required for some foods, and a source of heat, security, and comfort.
Energy/Lights/Communications. To harness external energies for efficiencies.
Transportation. Enable broader survival from people and goods further away.
Attitude. Before all else, I believe that the right attitude is necessary to survive, especially to survive while also making better decisions. This means a positive attitude of adaptability.
LEVEL-2
Oxygen. We need air to breath.
Water. Three days without it, and you will meet your maker.
Clothing. Hypothermia will end your life sooner than you may think.
Sleep. Without it, your decision making abilities will rapidly decelerate.
LEVEL-3
Food. Three weeks without it, and you will meet your maker.
Shelter. Protection from the elements, a barrier for security, home for you and your ‘stuff’.
Sanitation. Without it, disease will rapidly set in, shortening your lifespan.
LEVEL-4
First Aid. The fact is, injury and health issues will shorten lifespan without treatment.
Fire/Cooking. Required for some foods, and a source of heat, security, and comfort.
Energy/Lights/Communications. To harness external energies for efficiencies.
Transportation. Enable broader survival from people and goods further away.
Lectures on Faith
Lecture One 1. Faith [is] the first principle in revealed religion, and the foundation of all righteousness. 9. Faith is the assurance which men have of the existence of things which they have not seen and…the principle of action in all intelligent beings. 12. As faith is the moving cause of all action in temporal concerns, so it is in spiritual. 13. But faith is not only the principle of action, but it is also the principle of power in all intelligent beings, whether in heaven or on earth. 15. The principle of power which existed in the bosom of God, by which he framed the worlds, was faith.
Lecture Two 55. Let us here observe that after any members of the human family are made acquainted with the important fact that there is a God who has created and does uphold all things, the extent of their knowledge respecting his character and glory will depend upon their diligence and faithfulness in seeking after him, until, like Enoch, the brother of Jared, and Moses, they shall obtain faith in God and power with him to behold him face to face.
Lecture Three 2-5. Let us here observe that three things are necessary for any rational and intelligent being to exercise faith in God unto life and salvation. First, the idea that he actually exists; Secondly, a correct idea of his character, perfections, and attributes; Thirdly, an actual knowledge that the course of life which one is pursuing is according to His will.
Lecture Four 11. Without the knowledge of all things God would not be able to save any portion of his creatures. For it is the knowledge which he has of all things from the beginning to the end that enables him to give that understanding to his creatures by which they are made partakers of eternal life. And if it were not for the idea existing in the minds of men that God has all knowledge, it would be impossible for them to exercise faith in him. 13. It is also necessary that men should have the idea of the existence of the attribute justice in God in order to exercise faith in him unto life and salvation. For without the idea of the existence of the attribute justice in the Deity, men could not have confidence sufficient to place themselves under his guidance and direction. For they would be filled with fear and doubt lest the Judge of all the earth would not do right, and thus fear or doubt existing in the mind would preclude the possibility of the exercise of faith in him for life and salvation. But when the idea of the existence of the attribute justice in the Deity is fairly planted in the mind, it leaves no room for doubt to get into the heart; and the mind is enabled to cast itself upon the Almighty without fear, and without doubt, and with the most unshaken confidence, believing that the Judge of all the earth will do right.
Lecture Five 2. There are two personages who constitute the great, matchless, governing, and supreme power over all things, by whom all things were created and made…. They are the Father and the Son: the Father being a personage of spirit, glory, and power, possessing all perfection and fulness. The Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, is a personage of tabernacle, made or fashioned like unto man, being in the form and likeness of man, or rather man was formed after his likeness and in his image. He is also the express image and likeness of the personage of the Father, possessing all the fulness of the Father, or the same fulness with the Father; being begotten of him, and ordained from before the foundation of the world to be a propitiation for the sins of all those who should believe on his name. He is called the Son because of the flesh…possessing the same mind with the Father, which mind is the Holy Spirit that bears record of the Father and the Son. These three are one; or, in other words, these three constitute the great, matchless, governing and supreme power over all things. Q & A 15. Do the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit constitute the Godhead? They do.
Lecture Six 2. It is essential for any person to have an actual knowledge that the course of life which he is pursuing is according to the will of God to enable him to have that confidence in God without which no person can obtain eternal life. 4. Such was and always will be the situation of the Saints of God. Unless they have an actual knowledge that the course they are pursuing is according to the will of God, they will grow weary in their minds and faint. 7. Let us here observe that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation. For from the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things. It is through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life. And it is through the medium of the sacrifice of all earthly things that men do actually know that they are doing the things that are well pleasing in the sight of God. 12. But those who have not made this sacrifice to God do not know that the course which they pursue is well pleasing in his sight. For whatever may be their belief or their opinion, it is a matter of doubt and uncertainty in their mind; and where doubt and uncertainty are, there faith is not, nor can it be. For doubt and faith do not exist in the same person at the same time. So persons whose minds are under doubts and fears cannot have unshaken confidence, and where unshaken confidence is not, there faith is weak. And where faith is weak, the persons will not be able to contend against all the opposition, tribulations, and afflictions which they will have to encounter in order to be heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ Jesus. But they will grow weary in their minds, and the adversary will have power over them and destroy them.
Lecture Seven 19. All things which pertain to life and godliness are the effects of faith. 20. When faith comes, it brings its train of attendants with it-apostles, prophets, Evangelists, pastors, teachers, gifts, wisdom, knowledge, miracles, healings, tongues, interpretation of tongues, etc. All these appear when faith appears on the earth and disappear when it disappears from the earth. For these are the effects of faith and always have attended and always will attend it. For where faith is, there will the knowledge of God be, also, with all things which pertain thereto: revelations, visions, and dreams, as well as every other necessary thing, so the possessors of faith may be perfected and obtain salvation
Lecture Two 55. Let us here observe that after any members of the human family are made acquainted with the important fact that there is a God who has created and does uphold all things, the extent of their knowledge respecting his character and glory will depend upon their diligence and faithfulness in seeking after him, until, like Enoch, the brother of Jared, and Moses, they shall obtain faith in God and power with him to behold him face to face.
Lecture Three 2-5. Let us here observe that three things are necessary for any rational and intelligent being to exercise faith in God unto life and salvation. First, the idea that he actually exists; Secondly, a correct idea of his character, perfections, and attributes; Thirdly, an actual knowledge that the course of life which one is pursuing is according to His will.
Lecture Four 11. Without the knowledge of all things God would not be able to save any portion of his creatures. For it is the knowledge which he has of all things from the beginning to the end that enables him to give that understanding to his creatures by which they are made partakers of eternal life. And if it were not for the idea existing in the minds of men that God has all knowledge, it would be impossible for them to exercise faith in him. 13. It is also necessary that men should have the idea of the existence of the attribute justice in God in order to exercise faith in him unto life and salvation. For without the idea of the existence of the attribute justice in the Deity, men could not have confidence sufficient to place themselves under his guidance and direction. For they would be filled with fear and doubt lest the Judge of all the earth would not do right, and thus fear or doubt existing in the mind would preclude the possibility of the exercise of faith in him for life and salvation. But when the idea of the existence of the attribute justice in the Deity is fairly planted in the mind, it leaves no room for doubt to get into the heart; and the mind is enabled to cast itself upon the Almighty without fear, and without doubt, and with the most unshaken confidence, believing that the Judge of all the earth will do right.
Lecture Five 2. There are two personages who constitute the great, matchless, governing, and supreme power over all things, by whom all things were created and made…. They are the Father and the Son: the Father being a personage of spirit, glory, and power, possessing all perfection and fulness. The Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, is a personage of tabernacle, made or fashioned like unto man, being in the form and likeness of man, or rather man was formed after his likeness and in his image. He is also the express image and likeness of the personage of the Father, possessing all the fulness of the Father, or the same fulness with the Father; being begotten of him, and ordained from before the foundation of the world to be a propitiation for the sins of all those who should believe on his name. He is called the Son because of the flesh…possessing the same mind with the Father, which mind is the Holy Spirit that bears record of the Father and the Son. These three are one; or, in other words, these three constitute the great, matchless, governing and supreme power over all things. Q & A 15. Do the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit constitute the Godhead? They do.
Lecture Six 2. It is essential for any person to have an actual knowledge that the course of life which he is pursuing is according to the will of God to enable him to have that confidence in God without which no person can obtain eternal life. 4. Such was and always will be the situation of the Saints of God. Unless they have an actual knowledge that the course they are pursuing is according to the will of God, they will grow weary in their minds and faint. 7. Let us here observe that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation. For from the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things. It is through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life. And it is through the medium of the sacrifice of all earthly things that men do actually know that they are doing the things that are well pleasing in the sight of God. 12. But those who have not made this sacrifice to God do not know that the course which they pursue is well pleasing in his sight. For whatever may be their belief or their opinion, it is a matter of doubt and uncertainty in their mind; and where doubt and uncertainty are, there faith is not, nor can it be. For doubt and faith do not exist in the same person at the same time. So persons whose minds are under doubts and fears cannot have unshaken confidence, and where unshaken confidence is not, there faith is weak. And where faith is weak, the persons will not be able to contend against all the opposition, tribulations, and afflictions which they will have to encounter in order to be heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ Jesus. But they will grow weary in their minds, and the adversary will have power over them and destroy them.
Lecture Seven 19. All things which pertain to life and godliness are the effects of faith. 20. When faith comes, it brings its train of attendants with it-apostles, prophets, Evangelists, pastors, teachers, gifts, wisdom, knowledge, miracles, healings, tongues, interpretation of tongues, etc. All these appear when faith appears on the earth and disappear when it disappears from the earth. For these are the effects of faith and always have attended and always will attend it. For where faith is, there will the knowledge of God be, also, with all things which pertain thereto: revelations, visions, and dreams, as well as every other necessary thing, so the possessors of faith may be perfected and obtain salvation
Aim Higher. Reach Farther. Attain Greater.
Aim Higher. Reach Farther. Attain Greater.
I invite you to not only see, but also feel, what He is saying to you:
“Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you.” (D&C 88:63)
“Seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” (D&C 88:63)
“Sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will.” (D&C 88:68)
“Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am;” (D&C 93:1; emphasis mine)
I invite you to not only see, but also feel, what He is saying to you:
“Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you.” (D&C 88:63)
“Seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” (D&C 88:63)
“Sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will.” (D&C 88:68)
“Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am;” (D&C 93:1; emphasis mine)
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