Share The Light

This just may spill the beans.(coffee beans that is)  In the early days of the church there was a very pointed directive given to the members about the use of things such as hot drinks, alcohol, tobacco and the excessive use of meat.  It is known as the Word of Wisdom and although not many folks practice it, they would do well if they did so. I have smiled over the years at how many folks re-interpreted the Word of Wisdom to suit themselves. There was so many differences that it was better than watching a good show to listen to the debate. Not to downplay the directive nor to make any excuses for the abuses but the Word of Wisdom was not given by commanment or constraint and I am sure that means that it is entirely up to the user or abuser to make the call. The biggest reason that most flds people drink coffee was that President Barlow drank it and Uncle Roy drank it. Two good prophets of our people.

I was once in conversation with an aspiring “prophet in the making” and he told me that he had tried coffee enema’s and suggested that I try it. I thought he was joking but he assured me that he wasn’t. Now I have some advice for anyone that thinks that coffee is better going in the bottom than going in the top. Tests on “prophets” have shown that you will think more clearly if you drink your coffee.

I would say that the Bishop is probably not thinking very well if things are as you say. This isn’t about the Bishop though. I am not questioning you nor taking sides with him. He should be minding his flock and tending the sheep. Adultery is a grave sin in the sight of God.

Don’t quit your faith over some minister that is a disappointment to you. Pay your tithing, help on your projects, say your prayers, keep the commandments of God, take your family to church and this bishops term will soon be up. Back in the early days of the church some of the meanest people in the the society of the saints were called to responsible positions. I am sure mostly to see how the people would react.

I served so many years as a Bishop that it was probably too many. There was twice the demand on means as there was means available. If your community is like that then don’t withhold your tithes, give them and God will bless you.  I have taught my family that they need to pay their tithing. I will show them how we can take all their tithing money and make it multiply on a project for a widow, a grandmother, or a needy family. I want them to see what kind of good that they can do with a little money and their labor  and I want them to feel that feeling in their heart that no one can buy. Besides all that, tithing is a requirement of God. Go read the third chapter of Malachi  in the Old Testament.

Now brother be faithful! Maybe you will be called to serve next. You will then know what not to do and you will be able to make a greater difference than the last fellow.

Since you are a virtuous Christian woman by admission, then you should remember to pray each and every day that God will lead and guide you to where you should go. Go read the story of Ruth in the Bible. You will find that others have had the same quest.  I detect a certain anxiety in your note as well as the resolve that you are not just going to hook up with the first family that will take you. That is good because this is your life and you don’t want to end up being just the nanny. You want to be the wife, the mother, the sister, the friend, of a God fearing Christian couple who is not ashamed of who and what you are. You want to check out the other woman(women) just as much as you check out the man. Check them out as a couple, look at the kids, see where they worship, what they do for a living, how they work together as a family unit. Ask about how they discipline their children because, that will be what your children will be up against. Find out if they hit each other, if they do the bar scene, do drugs; ask the questions that mean so much to you. Ask if they care about the disadvantaged and if they contribute to helping the needy.

It sounds like to me that you have been very careful. In all this process don’t turn down a God fearing Christian single man just because he has no family to offer. Grab him, love him, start a family and then when someone just like you are comes along looking for the loving Christian couple that will welcome her just as you want to be welcomed, loved, cherished, you will know exactly what you should do. May God bless you dear sister with all the wonderful blessings that he has in reserve for those like you are.

I have known many different ministers of many different faiths in my life. They have all functioned within their seperate and different mandates(priesthood) given them by the governing body of their particular churches. Acting under this authority is what makes them a minister of their faith and to them a legitimate preacher of the gospel. I think that this concept can be applied also to the “fundamentalist” believing people.

I was never a member of the present LDS Church organization. I have family that belong to it and they are as sincere in their faith and priesthood as ever anyone was. I am sure that each and every Elder there can operate within their church guidelines for the membership that they serve and minister for.

I met a member of a group in Mexico that are fundamentalists and I listened to one of their brethren tell of how their leader once suspended the priesthood in their organization. I have seen the Priesthood of the group that became the FLDS Church give and take away, arrange and re-arrange under authority of their church mandate.

I watched the Priesthood Council of old days work under their mandate, saw folks come and go, heard testimonials, felt the spirit of it all, and my “priesthood” authority came from God through President Johnson of that era.  As Mormons we believe that a man must be called of God by prophecy and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority to preach the gospel and administer in the ordinances of it. A simple article of our faith. However, some have claims from the inspiration of a holy woman, the interpretation of tongues by another, a miraculous vision while going down the highway, testimonials of siblings and spouses, deathbed personal appointments, or some other equally convincing to the masses medium to support their claims. All of these are perfectly legitimate in the minds of the seperate churches or groups to be reason enough to carry right on within their organization. In many cases they are the only support that their priesthood has.

The priesthood has always been to me the authority that God gives a person to administer in the sacred saving ordinances of salvation.  Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins. The laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.  John the Baptist had a priesthood given him which was authority to baptize, but Christ brought a greater one in giving the Holy Ghost. Both were equally important and both were legal administrators.  The Prophet Joseph Smith said that where you find a legally called and ordained administrator you will have then found the Kingdom of God.  The very thing that all the different groups claim to have found.

How can you tell if a person is legally called of God to administer in the saving ordinances of the gospel? Christ said that by their works ye shall know them. He also said that no power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the Priesthood only by gentleness and meekness and by love unfeigned. The attributes and characteristics of God will be present in a man called of God. He will be just, true, unchangeable, merciful, and not a respector of persons.

In the  relatively short but long history from the mandate of 1886, so many different things have been preached that it becomes difficult if you try and sift through all the stuff to find the penny. Each group denounces the other, claims the holy priesthood, does what they do, and life goes on. The real question is though, is the Priesthood in you? Do you know that what you do will be approved by the God of our fathers? Do you have any confidence that your sacred work will be recorded in heaven? It is one thing to look and act holy but entirely another to get God to approve of your work.

The conclusion. If a man has been called of God as was our father Abraham, and commissioned to administer in the ordinances of the gospel then he will do what Abraham did. His revelations will not contradict the revelations of the old prophets, his writings will not contradict the writings of the old prophets, his actions will not contradict the teachings of Christ, and his life will not be one of confusion. He won’t preach one thing and practice another, nor will he have to make any claims to prop up his authority. His teachings will be simple and edifying, he will speak of Christ, teach of Christ, and Christ will be the head and model of the church. After all, we are of the Church of Jesus Christ!  By doing so you will find the way the prophets went that lived in days of old!  Oh, by the way, his authority will have come from Christ by prophecy and by the laying on of hands. You know that article of our faith?

This sounds like a question for the Ann Landers column. However, since you didn’t say what kind of abusive relationship it was then I will generalize, and thank you for your question.

If this abuse is physical such as hitting, hurting, bruises, hair pulling and so on, I think you should report it to the police, and put some distance between you and the abuser. Find a good counsellor and make a good effort to get this fixed.  If you have children and they have seen this abuse happen then get them some help as well.  Make a big effort to help the abuser get some help.  Who knows what they are going through? A good counsellor will help get this resolved.

I didn’t see that article. If everyone remains safe in their homes then the way things are is just fine with me. What I am against is for those who have spent their entire lives building this place up worrying that someone will require them to leave because they will not change their religion. I don’t think that was ever the intention of the founding fathers of our faith.

When Grandma Thomas received an “eviction notice” back in the days, I took that thing to three other Trustees and they knew nothing about it. Uncle Rulon, Uncle Fred, LeRoy and myself knew nothing about it at all. I don’t care how you say it, that was just wrong.

You say that Mr. Wisan has fifty eviction notices outsanding! I think someone should go and talk with him about it. If you are issued one of those notices then hurry and go talk. It has been my experience that he will be more than willing to have a discussion about it. Remember this, you may not be getting all the facts from the news, the spokespeople, the blogs, or your neighbors.

Wow! In the first place the UEP is no more your property than it is mine. Your group is so far replaced from the original organizers of the trust that only the blind leading the blind would make an argument  against that fact. If Uncle Roy was still around Dan Barlow would still be Mayor, Joe Barlow would not have been used so, Truman would be collecting the land taxes, Louis and Con and Erwin would not have been stripped, 101 damnations wouldn’t have happened, thousands of kids would still know who their dads were, there would have been no raid in Texas, the Berry Knoll Farm would already have been turned into building lots, with the exception of a portion that would have been used as a massive community garden, there would have been no defiled temple in texas because there would not have needed to be as there wouldn’t have been so many defiled people, LeRoy Jeffs would still be doing his fathers work, Richard Holm would have still been loved by the Priesthood, The Book of Mormon would still be the greatest book we have ever known, the schools would be full, Alvin still the superintendent, and the Plateau bulging with happy educated kids. Oh yes, the cops would still be honest, Willie would probably still be gone, and maybe the only guy that would have been corrected(not sent away) was Warren and that would have been for writing new scriptures that did not square up with the three in one.

In the lore of old Mormondom it was the senior member that was next in line. That being the case then the Centennial Folks are just about ten years senior as a group than the Warren Church. Face the fact, Warrens church is nothing at all like Uncle Roy’s church was! I do hope that the Judge has enough wisdom to not give all our lifes work back to the persecutors of our faith.

I cannot resist in saying that perhaps you should try some forgiveness and decency for a change. Why don’t you go and read the sermon on the mount?  Take your pick and read it either in the Bible or Book of Mormon. Then go read the Ten Commandments. Then go read Uncle Roy’s experience of buiding seven houses in Mexico and being told that they could not use them unless they honored a certain aspiring man as the head of the kingdom of God in the earth. Don’t be as dumb as that!

Slow down there. If I hurt your feelings then I am sorry for that. Here is the problem as I see it. Firstly, we aren’t talking about the culture of the old Priesthood Council. That divided into subcultures in the early 80’s. Just think about it for a minute before you blow a gasket. Those subcultures have every right to exist. Around the creation of the present FLDS mandate, another culture mutated from the original. That is the present FLDS group. Think about it again before your blow another gasket. It was nothing at all like the original culture. No trials, no compromise, no keeping the peace, no everlasting marriage, no reclaiming the wrongdoer, big hair, different dresses, just a different culture. It has just as much right to exist as the other ones do.  

No, I never presented a proposal to the judge. Perhaps I should have. Maybe if five of you other guys want to get together to write a proposal for the judge, then let me know. I will be glad to put some input into a proposal but it has to be more than just a volcano session. You know what I mean. This is how one person that was at court summed it all up for my sister. “It sounds just like the judge wants to shoot us all and throw dirt over us”. Now where on earth did that come from? I was at court. I heard the judge. The whole hearing was about the sale of a piece of property that is rented to one fellow, grazed by an flds adrarian, and fringe pasture for the spokesman. It was not subsidized since the late 1990’s, the irrigators were removed by someone in the night, and unless we could find sale for polygamist pocket gophers, well, you be the judge. We all contributed our thousand dollars for the purchase of it in the first place. If we all bought it then it seems like we could find a solution for it. I was once a trapper. I studied the habits of fur animals. The wolverine was a prized fur animal. It was also one of the nastiest little beasties in the forest. Not much bigger than a badger but in its own mind it was the size of a Grizzly Bear. When they made a kill they would eat their fill and then urinate on the rest so that no one else could enjoy it. Surely we are smarter than that!

I am sorry that I was not at the rally. I didn’t know if it was really a rally until afterwards. There really is no sense in a rally on a false pretense. The issure here was not if polygamists should exist. It was about the sale of a piece of property. I heard that lots of apostates were at the rally. If sticking with the vision of the original founding fathers is apostate then I may as well talk to a brick wall about this. Fundamental to the Mormon faith is the truth. The truth of the matter is that the judge did not talk about exterminating anyone and throwing dirt on them. Willie mentioned it in his presentation. Is that just what you want to hear? If so then you just want to believe a lie. Uncle Roy was “apostate” because he called attention to the fact that the gospel was being changed, the ordinaces changed, and the scripture changed. So was I!

I want to know the truth. Both sides of the story. I want to be judged by the truth. I want to live by it. I am not for a group that is not interested in the truth. That is what a mob does. They don’t give a ratso about the truth. In history the Prophet Joseph Smith was hauled into court time after time. When both sides of the story was told and the facts were presented, he was free upon the principles of the truth. Some judge freed him! When he was killed it was by a mob of people that once held sacred the saving principles of the gospel but no longer cared about the truth. How ironic! Fundamental to our faith is discovering the Truth!

It was Jesus Christ that said something like if they are not against us then they must be for us. I am for Christ!

I am sorry, but I don’t exactly know the significance of the poof hairsyle and the matching dress design. All matching colors and all. I can only tell you what it means to me. I think it says, “we will do whatever our prophet tells us even if he says to leave our husbands and go marry their brothers. If that is not good enough then we will move on to their brothers brothers. Our religion is not about honesty, virtue, or doing good to anyone. It is about our prophet and nothing will stand in the way of that, no nothing. Not our sacred covenants, not our husbands, not the teachings of Christ, or Joseph Smith.  Who is Jesus Christ? Who is Joseph Smith anyway?”  And the men! They help them do it!

I think the men have a different style than any other people.  After all, who could watch your brother totally destroyed, sanction it, praise it, participate in it,  and then pretend that you care about him on his deathbed? Or who could take his brothers family, turn the children from their father, pretend they were his own, all the while knowing that you yourself are no better of a man than your brother was? A different style indeed.

I don’t think anything should be sold that will do us any good. What good is this farm doing? One thousand dollars a year rent is not worth keeping it for. The UEP had plans on making it into city lots and using the water for domestic water rights. Perhaps we should just subdivide it into city lots, develop the water or put in wells and sell them off for whatever they are worth. Would anyone buy them? I don’t know!

We have sold all kinds of UEP property in the past.  We sold Uncle Rulon’s property in SLC. That place was more precious than anything that we are squawking about here. We sold the Emack property, the Steed property, the Rohbock, other Jeffs, Keate, and you name it properties. We paid off the debts, the attorneys, and then relocated the people elsewhere. Selling property is not a new concept for the UEP.

In the peace process, it is important to have peaceful people be a part of the negotiations. In the war process you put forward the bully’s, fly the flag of no compromise, and fight until the last mother and child have nothing to eat.  All along the bloody road you see the carnage.

This isn’t about the Berry Knoll property!   Wendell, send some peacemakers to the negotiations. This is all really valiant but oh, so unnecessary.