The King Follett Sermon

(awesome)

By Joseph Smith, Jr. (1805–1844)
First President, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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Joseph Smith Jr., “The King Follett Sermon,” Ensign, May 1971, 13

This is the conclusion of the King Follett Sermon, delivered by the Prophet Joseph Smith at the April 7, 1844, conference of the Church in Nauvoo, Illinois. The first part of this classic was reprinted in the April Ensign (page 12). Readers should be reminded that the account of the talk was reconstructed from longhand notes taken by four brethren. It is also important to know that the Prophet’s enemies were within just a few months of bringing about his death. This reprint was taken from the Documentary History of the Church, volume 6, pages 302–17.

The Immortal Intelligence
I have another subject to dwell upon, which is calculated to exalt man; but it is impossible for me to say much on this subject. I shall therefore just touch upon it, for time will not permit me to say all. It is associated with the subject of the resurrection of the dead—namely, the soul—the mind of man —the immortal spirit. Where did it come from? All learned men and doctors of divinity say that God created it in the beginning; but it is not so: the very idea lessens man in my estimation. I do not believe the doctrine; I know better. Hear it, all ye ends of the world; for God has told me so; and if you don’t believe me, it will not make the truth without effect. I will make a man appear a fool before I get through; if he does not believe it. I am going to tell of things more noble.

We say that God Himself is a self-existing being. Who told you so? It is correct enough; but how did it get into your heads? Who told you that man did not exist in like manner upon the same principles? Man does exist upon the same principles. God made a tabernacle and put a spirit into it, and it became a living soul. (Refers to the Bible.) How does it read in the Hebrew? It does not say in the Hebrew that God created the spirit of man. It says, “God made man out of the earth and put into him Adam’s spirit, and so became a living body.”

The mind or the intelligence which man possesses is co-equal [co-eternal] with God himself. I know that my testimony is true; hence, when I talk to these mourners, what have they lost? Their relatives and friends are only separated from their bodies for a short season: their spirits which existed with God have left the tabernacle of clay only for a little moment, as it were; and they now exist in a place where they converse together the same as we do on the earth.

I am dwelling on the immortality of the spirit of man. Is it logical to say that the intelligence of spirits is immortal, and yet that it has a beginning? The intelligence of spirits had no beginning, neither will it have an end. That is good logic. That which has a beginning may have an end. There never was a time when there were not spirits; for they are co-equal [co-eternal] with our Father in heaven.

I want to reason more on the spirit of man; for I am dwelling on the body and spirit of man—on the subject of the dead. I take my ring from my finger and liken it unto the mind of man—the immortal part, because it had no beginning. Suppose you cut it in two; then it has a beginning and an end; but join it again, and it continues one eternal round. So with the spirit of man. As the Lord liveth, if it had a beginning, it will have an end. All the fools and learned and wise men from the beginning of creation, who say that the spirit of man had a beginning, prove that it must have an end; and if that doctrine is true, then the doctrine of annihilation would be true. But if I am right, I might with boldness proclaim from the housetops that God never had the power to create the spirit of man at all. God himself could not create himself.

Intelligence is eternal and exists upon a self-existent principle. It is a spirit from age to age and there is no creation about it. All the minds and spirits that God ever sent into the world are susceptible of enlargement.

The first principles of man are self-existent with God. God himself, finding he was in the midst of spirits and glory, because he was more intelligent, saw proper to institute laws whereby the rest could have a privilege to advance like himself. The relationship we have with God places us in a situation to advance in knowledge. He has power to institute laws to instruct the weaker intelligences, that they may be exalted with Himself, so that they might have one glory upon another, and all that knowledge, power, glory, and intelligence, which is requisite in order to save them in the world of spirits.

This is good doctrine. It tastes good. I can taste the principles of eternal life, and so can you. They are given to me by the revelations of Jesus Christ; and I know that when I tell you these words of eternal life as they are given to me, you taste them, and I know that you believe them. You say honey is sweet, and so do I. I can also taste the spirit of eternal life. I know that it is good; and when I tell you of these things which were given me by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, you are bound to receive them as sweet, and rejoice more and more.

The Relation of Man to God
I want to talk more of the relation of man to God. I will open your eyes in relation to the dead. All things whatsoever God in his infinite wisdom has seen fit and proper to reveal to us, while we are dwelling in mortality, in regard to our mortal bodies, are revealed to us in the abstract, and independent of affinity of this mortal tabernacle, but are revealed to our spirits precisely as though we had no bodies at all; and those revelations which will save our spirits will save our bodies. God reveals them to us in view of no eternal dissolution of the body, or tabernacle. Hence the responsibility, the awful responsibility, that rests upon us in relation to our dead; for all the spirits who have not obeyed the Gospel in the flesh must either obey it in the spirit or be damned. Solemn thought!—dreadful thought! Is there nothing to be done?—no preparation—no salvation for our fathers and friends who have died without having had the opportunity to obey the decrees of the Son of Man? Would to God that I had forty days and nights in which to tell you all! I would let you know that I am not a “fallen prophet.”

Our Greatest Responsibility
What promises are made in relation to the subject of the salvation of the dead? and what kind of characters are those who can be saved, although their bodies are mouldering and decaying in the grave? When His commandments teach us, it is in view of eternity; for we are looked upon by God as though we were in eternity; God dwells in eternity, and does not view things as we do.

The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us is to seek after our dead. The apostle says, “They without us cannot be made perfect”; for it is necessary that the sealing power should be in our hands to seal our children and our dead for the fulness of the dispensation of times—a dispensation to meet the promises made by Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world for the salvation of man.

Now, I will speak of them. I will meet Paul half way. I say to you, Paul, you cannot be perfect without us. It is necessary that those who are going before and those who come after us should have salvation in common with us; and thus hath God made it obligatory upon man. Hence, God said, “I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”

The Unpardonable Sin
I have a declaration to make as to the provisions which God hath made to suit the conditions of man—made from before the foundation of the world. What has Jesus said? All sins, and all blasphemies, and every transgression, except one, that man can be guilty of, may be forgiven; and there is a salvation for all men, either in this world or the world to come, who have not committed the unpardonable sin, there being a provision either in this world or the world of spirits. Hence God hath made a provision that every spirit in the eternal world can be ferreted out and saved unless he has committed that unpardonable sin which cannot be remitted to him either in this world or the world of spirits. God has wrought out a salvation for all men, unless they have committed a certain sin; and every man who has a friend in the eternal world can save him, unless he has committed the unpardonable sin. And so you can see how far you can be a savior.

A man cannot commit the unpardonable sin after the dissolution of the body, and there is a way possible for escape. Knowledge saves a man; and in the world of spirits no man can be exalted but by knowledge. So long as a man will not give heed to the commandments, he must abide without salvation. If a man has knowledge, he can be saved; although, if he has been guilty of great sins, he will be punished for them. But when he consents to obey the gospel, whether here or in the world of spirits, he is saved.

A man is his own tormentor and his own condemner. Hence the saying, They shall go into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. The torment of disappointment in the mind is as exquisite as a lake burning with fire and brimstone. I say, so is the torment of man.

I know the scriptures and understand them. I said, no man can commit the unpardonable sin after the dissolution of the body, nor in this life, until he receives the Holy Ghost; but they must do it in this world. Hence the salvation of Jesus Christ was wrought out for all men, in order to triumph over the devil; for if it did not catch him in one place, it would in another; for he stood up as a Savior. All will suffer until they obey Christ himself.

The contention in heaven was—Jesus said there would be certain souls that would not be saved; and the devil said he would save them all, and laid his plans before the grand council, who gave their vote in favor of Jesus Christ. So the devil rose up in rebellion against God, and was cast down, with all who put up their heads for him. (Book of Moses—Pearl of Great Price, Ch. 4:1–4; Book of Abraham, Ch. 3:23–28.) [Moses 4:1–4; Abr. 3:23–28]

The Forgiveness of Sins
All sins shall be forgiven, except the sin against the Holy Ghost; for Jesus will save all except the sons of perdition. What must a man do to commit the unpardonable sin? He must receive the Holy Ghost, have the heavens opened unto him, and know God, and then sin against him. After a man has sinned against the Holy Ghost, there is no repentance for him. He has got to say that the sun does not shine while he sees it; he has got to deny Jesus Christ when the heavens have been opened unto him, and to deny the plan of salvation with his eyes open to the truth of it; and from that time he begins to be an enemy. This is the case with many apostates of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

When a man begins to be an enemy to this work, he hunts me, he seeks to kill me, and never ceases to thirst for my blood. He gets the spirit of the devil—the same spirit that sins against the Holy Ghost. You cannot save such persons; you cannot bring them to repentance; they make open war, like the devil, and awful is the consequence.

I advise all of you to be careful what you do, or you may by-and-by find out that you have been deceived. Stay yourselves; do not give way; don’t make any hasty moves, you may be saved. If a spirit of bitterness is in you, don’t be in haste. You may say, that man is a sinner. Well, if he repents, he shall be forgiven. Be cautious: await. When you find a spirit that wants bloodshed,—murder, the same is not of God, but is of the devil. Out of the abundance of the heart of man the mouth speaketh.

The best men bring forth the best works. The man who tells you words of life is the man who can save you. I warn you against all evil characters who sin against the Holy Ghost; for there is no redemption for them in this world nor in the world to come.

I could go back and trace every object of interest concerning the relationship of man to God, if I had time. I can enter into the mysteries; I can enter largely into the eternal worlds; for Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2.) Paul says, “There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead.” (1 Cor. 15:41.) What have we to console us in relation to the dead? We have reason to have the greatest hope and consolation for our dead of any people on the earth; for we have seen them walk worthily in our midst, and seen them sink asleep in the arms of Jesus; and those who have died in the faith are now in the celestial kingdom of God. And hence is the glory of the sun.

You mourners have occasion to rejoice, speaking of the death of Elder King Follett; for your husband and father is gone to wait until the resurrection of the dead—until the perfection of the remainder; for at the resurrection your friend will rise in perfect felicity and go to celestial glory, while many must wait myriads of years before they can receive the like blessings; and your expectations and hopes are far above what man can conceive; for why has God revealed it to us?

I am authorized to say, by the authority of the Holy Ghost, that you have no occasion to fear; for he [Brother Follett] is gone to the home of the just. Don’t mourn, don’t weep. I know it by the testimony of the Holy Ghost that is within me; and you may wait for your friends to come forth to meet you in the morn of the celestial world.

Rejoice, O Israel! Your friends who have been murdered for the truth’s sake in the persecutions shall triumph gloriously in the celestial world, while their murderers shall welter for ages in torment, even until they shall have paid the uttermost farthing. I say this for the benefit of strangers.

I have a father, brothers, children, and friends who have gone to a world of spirits. They are only absent for a moment. They are in the spirit, and we shall soon meet again. The time will soon arrive when the trumpet shall sound. When we depart, we shall hail our mothers, fathers, friends, and all whom we love, who have fallen asleep in Jesus. There will be no fear of mobs, persecutions, or malicious lawsuits and arrests; but it will be an eternity of felicity.

A question may be asked—“Will mothers have their children in eternity?” Yes! Yes! Mothers, you shall have your children; for they shall have eternal life, for their debt is paid. There is no damnation awaiting them for they are in the spirit. But as the child dies, so shall it rise from the dead, and be for ever living in the learning of God. It will never grow [in the grave]; it will still be the child, in the same precise form [when it rises] as it appeared before it died out of its mother’s arms, but possessing all the intelligence of a God. …

I will leave this subject here, and make a few remarks on the subject of baptism. The baptism of water, without the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost attending it, is of no use; they are necessarily and inseparably connected. An individual must be born of water and the spirit in order to get into the kingdom of God. In the German, the text bears me out the same as the revelations which I have given and taught for the past fourteen years on that subject. I have the testimony to put in their teeth. My testimony has been true all the time. You will find it in the declaration of John the Baptist. (Reads from the German.) John says, “I baptize you with water, but when Jesus comes, who has the power (or keys) He shall administer the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost.” Great God! Where is now all the sectarian world? And if this testimony is true, they are all damned as clearly as anathema can do it. I know the text is true. I call upon all you Germans who know that it is true to say, Eye. (Loud shouts of “Aye.”)

Alexander Campbell, how are you going to save people with water alone? For John said his baptism was good for nothing without the baptism of Jesus Christ. “Therefore, not leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God, of the doctrine of baptism, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit.” (Heb. 6:1–3.)

There is one God, one Father, one Jesus, one hope of our calling, one baptism. All these three baptisms only make one. Many talk of baptism not being essential to salvation; but this kind of teaching would lay the foundation of their damnation. I have the truth, and am at the defiance of the world to contradict me, if they can.

I have now preached a little Latin, a little Hebrew, Greek, and German; and I have fulfilled all. I am not so big a fool as many have taken me to be. The Germans know that I read the German correctly.

The Second Death
Hear it, all ye ends of the earth —all ye priests, all ye sinners, and all men. Repent! Repent! Obey the gospel. Turn to God; for your religion won’t save you, and you will be damned. I do not say how long. There have been remarks made concerning all men being redeemed from hell; but I say that those who sin against the Holy Ghost cannot be forgiven in this world or in the world to come; they shall die the second death. Those who commit the unpardonable sin are doomed to Gnolom—to dwell in hell, worlds without end. As they concocted scenes of bloodshed in this world, so they shall rise to that resurrection which is as the lake of fire and brimstone. Some shall rise to the everlasting burnings of God; for God dwells in everlasting burnings and some shall rise to the damnation of their own filthiness, which is as exquisite a torment as the lake of fire and brimstone.

I have intended my remarks for all, both rich and poor, bond and free, great and small. I have no enmity against any man. I love you all; but I hate some of your deeds. I am your best friend, and if persons miss their mark it is their own fault. If I reprove a man, and he hates me, he is a fool; for I love all men, especially these my brethren and sisters.

I rejoice in hearing the testimony of my aged friends. You don’t know me; you never knew my heart. No man knows my history. I cannot tell it: I shall never undertake it. I don’t blame any one for not believing my history. If I had not experienced what I have, I would not have believed it myself. I never did harm any man since I was born in the world. My voice is always for peace.

I cannot lie down until all my work is finished. I never think any evil, nor do anything to the harm of my fellow-man. When I am called by the trump of the archangel and weighed in the balance, you will all know me then. I add no more. God bless you all. Amen.

"A woman's place is in the kitchen"

ok before you start sending me hatemail and baching on my page the reason for the title is I feel the actual reason for the saying. I was in my kitchen today doing dishes and looking to bake some muffins for the family (who had gone on a walk while I was suppose to eat Breakfast) ... well I thought to myself "wouldn't it be a nice surprise for the dishes and the muffins to be ready and waiting when my family walks back into the home" .. thinking of the thoughts of my childhood of coming into the house with pleasantry of baking or cooking filling my nostrils... so anyway I get my breakfast started, oatmill, and get the muffins started as well ... while baking the miffins a thought comes to mind that I need to be following the directions, so where are they and I'll follow them... well I didn't find them so I went ahead without and got it all finished and was waiting for the oven to heat up. It dawns on me that I must have thrown the package away (as I'm a cleaning freak at times) so I dig in my trash and sure enough there it is. ... reading to my horror I have put in a cup of milk when the directions only call of 1/4 cup, and my family come walking in the door right as I am sitting down to eat my overly dry oatmill that I aparrently didn't do correct either.

Long story longer, I confessed my fault of the over milking the miffins, and screwing up (somehow?) the oatmill. The wife, like an old pro at things of this nature, starts to inform me, as I tell her my process, where and when I made the mistakes and it again dawns on me the title of this blog. It's not that a woman's ONLY place is the kitchen, because it certainly isn't, but the saying should be: a Man's place is definatly not in the kitchen, without the supervision and direction of the wife.

So the muffins didn't overflow as feared, but the are just overly weighted down unlie miffins, the baby ate most of the oatmill anyway, and next time I'll read the directions BEFORE I throw out the package, and cereal is a pretty good breakfast anyhow. (cereal in bowl, pour on milk, enjoy... I CAN do that ;)

A Man, his boy, and a Donkey (an Aesop tale)

Taken from the site http://www.pagebypagebooks.com

A Man and his son were once going with their Donkey to market. As they were walking along by its side a countryman passed them and said: "You fools, what is a Donkey for but to ride upon?"

So the Man put the Boy on the Donkey and they went on their way. But soon they passed a group of men, one of whom said: "See that lazy youngster, he lets his father walk while he rides."

So the Man ordered his Boy to get off, and got on himself. But they hadn't gone far when they passed two women, one of whom said to the other: "Shame on that lazy lout to let his poor little son trudge along."

Well, the Man didn't know what to do, but at last he took his Boy up before him on the Donkey. By this time they had come to the town, and the passers-by began to jeer and point at them. The Man stopped and asked what they were scoffing at. The men said: "Aren't you ashamed of yourself for overloading that poor donkey of yoursu and your hulking son?"

The Man and Boy got off and tried to think what to do. They thought and they thought, till at last they cut down a pole, tied the donkey's feet to it, and raised the pole and the donkey to their shoulders. They went along amid the laughter of all who met them till they came to Market Bridge, when the Donkey, getting one of his feet loose, kicked out and caused the Boy to drop his end of the pole. In the struggle the Donkey fell over the bridge, and his fore-feet being tied together he was drowned.


"That will teach you," said an old man who had followed them:

"Please all, and you will please none."

Small and simple

I was pondering in my bed tonight and was overcome by the truthfullness of this scripture found in Alma, in which the prophet Alma records "...behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass;"

Thinking back about my life in general nothing exeptionally stupendus in a single event have moved me to where I am right now, which is a place of relitive peace and a sure hope for my future, but a culmination of very small and simple things all taken together.

For instance I have strugled with an obsession to video game playing as well as an addiction to pornography both of which are in a state of controled abstinance.

I believe that all of life can be like this as we follow and listen to our hearts, or conscience, or whatever you want to call that inner you that tells you what is right and wrong. One small correct choice after another, built upon each other over time, can move your life into a state of calm and control.

Do times of panic or stress disapear forever? no not all together. Hard times will probably still present themselves to you, but in taking the same, small simple steps of seeing a situation as it actually IS (IE no false forcasting or unrealistic worrying), and moving according to your own inner self's directions. In the end you come out on top once again. As you practice and overcome more and more, it becomes easier than the last 'time of hardship' till your life becomes one big habit of peace.

Be careful of your thoughts they may become your actions, Be careful of your actions they may become your habit, Be careful of your habits they may become your charactor. -unremembered at the moment, but once I re-find the quote I'll give credit where credit is due.

She didn't post it so I'll post mine

The Marriage Box


Most people get married believing a myth;
that marriage is a beautiful box
full of all the things
they have longed for;
companionship, romance, sexual fulfillment,
intimacy, friendship, laughter, financial security.


The truth is that marriage,
at the start, is an empty box.
You must put some things into it
before you can take anything out of it.

There is no love in marriage;
love is in people,
and people put it into their marriage.
There is no romance in marriage;
people have to put it into their relationship.

A couple must discern what things work
to improve their relationship and form
the habits of communicating,
giving, sacrificing, sharing, loving, touching,
serving and praising.

In other words,
keeping the box full.
If you take out more that you put in,
the box will be empty!

~author unknown~

Open

my jaw unhinges when it is open to an extreme measure. I went to a second Dr/Dentist and he was able to force/hold/manipilate the jaw to a position that was (more) correct (at least that what I believe he did) and he commented on how I probably should get help fast for the problem. I told him it has been 6+ years and I feel that the TMJ mis-alignment is what is causing my neck, shoulder, spine, and even hip pain. He agreed, but failed (as most Medical people do today) to commit to a sure yes/no that that was the cause.

However later that day my right shoulder muscle erupted in a new kind of pain (at least to this body/brain) and that (for me at least) confirmed the pain and tension in my TMJ joint IS causing the muscle sensitivity.

Problem now is choosing which Dr./Dentist to go to in order to have my situation addressed...

Just an update

.. The first picture is the left side of my jaw and second is right... you can see right back, left forward... update other then that...

So I've moved now back to Orem and Im' closer now to my University, UVU, and I'm going to get some help with my TMJ syndrome. Turns out that my Temporal Mandibil Joint becomes unhninged when my mouth is clenched or it is open all the way... my guess is it happenes when it my jaw is clenched as that is what I was doing as I feel asleep in the hospital 6 years ago when my hearing became completly ringing and gone without hearing aides. After that the tinitus (ringing in the ears) never stoped again. ... I remember in the hopital I was given some mouth wash, or something, that would open up my ears, I think, and the ringing would go away and I could hear... but not after the night I fell asleep with my mouth clenched... ... so here is hoping that TMJ treatment will FIX my TMJ problem and not only will the pain in my back and shoulders leaving, but perhaps my hearing will come back too... If that doesn't happen then I will continue to go forward and do the best I'm able.

See this talk or This talk

I love YouTube now that I found the Mormon Message area of it

this is a link to one of the movies presented on the LDS area of YouTube.. it's quite a movie ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naqX9iYE0V0

a RE-POSTING for my readers, especially the LDS ones

Yeah just read it cause it'll make you smile.. oh but first I need to testify to you that President Monson, the new leader of our church, has been raised to fill the mantle placed upon him. I watched his first ever talk during the Priesthood General Conference right after he had been set apart and sustained by all the members and I saw and felt the moment that (for me at least) the mantle was his to wear now .. I don't know if any of the other brethren saw and felt the same, but I hope we all have felt it since.

BUT!!!

the re-post must go on so set your minds with these words.... Gordan Hinckley ... then think of him for a moment and just feel your emotions when his name is mentioned as you remember every ones' step-grandfather Prophet... then read the poem about him in all it's creative, loving beauty....

"Prophetic Passing

I imagine he's running to Marjorie now,
Yes, running, not waving his cane.
I see him embracing his father and mother
While they keep repeating his name.

I see him now meeting his forebears,
Brother Brigham and Joseph are there.
Sweet reunion of prophets, united by service
That only such noble men share.

I see him embraced by the Savior
While Father says, "Good and well done.
So faithful in stalwart endurance, I welcome
My noble, most excellent son."

I then hear the ripples of laughter
As he says the reception's just fine,
But he hopes that he'll get an assignment or two
Since there's no need to waste any time.

I can hear his clear voice in the stillness
At the close of this sweet Sabbath day,
Have faith and move forward - there's work to be done.
President Hinckley would want it that way. "

Anna M. Molgard
January 27, 2008


...that will do...

Written by a 15 year old from Ohio:

(From one of my emails with to many fwd: or Re: in them, but it's good.)


New Pledge of Allegiance (TOTALLY AWESOME!) Since the Pledge of Allegiance & The Lords Prayer Are not allowed in Schools anymore Because the word 'God' is mentioned... A Kid in Ohio wrote the attached...



NEW School prayer :

Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.
If Scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.
Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offense; it's a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.
For praying in a public hall
Might of fend someone with no faith at all.

In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the state.
We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks..
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.
We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong.

We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.
It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take! Amen

Jesus said, as recorded by Mark 8:38 -Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.


Qianna Martin Senior. AT&T Staffing Assistant Human Resources Southeastern Region
(404)927-2142 Atlanta, Ga.

This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm

Jarrad Fancy hat boy

Turns 10 and developes new talents overnight.

Spencer Walk and pick up and cruise

Sorry for all the offended types and my loud burb on the movie... I can never hear it, but the spose shoots me an angry look every time she is reminded.

I need to remove the ad-counter as it doesn't ad-true

(of course I need to figure out how first) ...Why? .. I was browsing through the ads that were being advertised and one stating www.mormon.org "truth" then linking to a different site all together "www.4mormon.org"... that is blatant false advertising and slander against my church. You got to love people and organizations that are so against others that they make idiots out of themselves to prove nothing but they know how to act like idiots. It's too bad that some people see stuff like that and use it to support their already biased and ignorant information IE ... "'I heard from my friend who heard it from a girlfriend that she was dating, before they met them, a guy that was in the Mormon church who told her (insert slander here)___________' which I always suspected anyway which proves I was right so now it's true" (in my eyes)

I guess to each his own agency and their own choosing of ideas and such, but don't people see the holes in that kind of logic?

Oh no....

So I'm home today after church and Julie is at the church in a meeting... Weston and Spencer are home being kids and in my attempt to occupy their time Spencer starts walking ON HIS OWN ... so Julie walks in right after his first 2 steps and I show her his new found talent. After dinner (and a nap for the little guy) we attempt to get him on camera.... this is what happened.....




Aparently Weston on the ground was a distraction and going from Dad to Mom was more comfortable? .. here is some more ....




OK last we learn to fall and then STAND back up and keep going... it's a long(er) one as he tries to walk to Weston first but it's showing such improvement!

They sing it perfect but in the spotlight...

looks like the kids are getting it. And I'm sure they'll be less embarassed in front of the camera as they growing older, I suppose. Good kids :)

First Steps!! ...

ok the first ones weren't captured on the cam, but I got it up and we got some of his 3rd or 4th steps...

LDS church supporters post Prop 8

Anti-Defamation League Condemns Criminal Activity Targeting Religious Institutions That Supported Proposition 8

"Although we strongly opposed Proposition 8, its passage does not justify the defacement and destruction of property. We urge Californians to channel their frustration and disappointment in productive and responsible ways to work towards full equality for all Americans. To place anyone in fear of threat to their houses of worship or their personal security because they have expressed deeply held religious views is contrary to everything this nation represents. Our Constitution's First Amendment protects freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of religion for all of us."



Dallas Morning News Editorial: Protest and Civility in a Democracy

“But a vicious minority is not satisfied with that. Some gay rights protesters have voiced sentiments about Mormons, whose church was active in advocating Prop 8's passage, that if said about gays would be condemned as hate speech. Vandals have struck a number of Mormon temples. Bash Back, a pro-gay group in Olympia, Wash., trashed a Mormon temple there, then issued a statement saying, ‘Let this be a warning to the Mormon church: Dissolve completely or be destroyed.’

“Gay rights extremists should ask themselves the same question. A cause, no matter how just, can only be harmed by thuggish tactics. Our pluralist democracy depends on a citizenry committed to working out differences with civility.”



Michael Barber, Professor of Theology, Scripture & Christian Thought at John Paul the Great Catholic University

“… we found it appalling that in the final days of the campaign, opponents of Proposition 8 ran an ad in which Mormon missionaries were presented as barging into a same-sex couple’s home, gleefully rummaging through their personal possessions and violating their rights. The ad attempted to ridicule people of the Mormon faith, even implying that it was wrong that they contributed money to the election. As a Catholic school, we stand beside our friends in the Mormon Church and of people of faith who work tirelessly to preserve the freedom of religion in America. We also strongly oppose any attempt to ridicule another person’s faith, even faiths with which we have strong historical and theological disagreements.”



The First Amendment Center — Charles Haynes: When the Marriage Debate Turns Ugly, No One Wins

“Mormons are taking the biggest hit from the opposition. But as protests, boycotts and blacklists targeting Mormons proliferate, it’s worth pausing to think about where this collision is headed. … Before this clash escalates further, both sides should exercise caution and reconsider their battle plans going forward.”



The Christian Post — Chuck Colson: So Much for Tolerance

“Two days after the election, 2,000 homosexual protesters surrounded a Mormon temple in Los Angeles chanting ‘Mormon scum.’ Protesters picketed Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church, holding signs reading ‘Purpose-Driven Hate.’ Calvary Chapel in Chino Hills was spray painted. Church members’ cars have been vandalized, and at least two Christians were assaulted. Protesters even hurled racial epithets at African-Americans because African-Americans voted overwhelmingly in favor of traditional marriage. What hypocrisy from those who spend all of their time preaching tolerance to the rest of us!”



Beliefnet.com — Rod Dreher: Stand By the Mormons

“Now is the time for traditional Christians — Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox — to come to the aid of our Mormon friends. They put themselves on the front line of the traditional marriage battle like no other church group. And now individual Mormons are paying a terrible price for standing up for something we all believe in. I don't know how we can stand with them from afar, but at least we can thank them, and speak out when we see them being abused. We might also think again about how we view them. … I have deep disagreements with Mormon theology. But they are our friends and allies and fellow citizens, and they deserve our thanks and support.”



John Mark Reynolds, Philosophy Professor at Biola University – California and Thank-a-Mormon Day

“In the battle for the family, however, traditional Christians have no better friends than the Mormon faithful. It would be wrong if that support were taken for granted. We are intolerant of the false attacks on Mormon faith and family. We stand with our Mormon friends in their right to express their views on the public square. We celebrate the areas, such as family values, where we agree. A heart felt thank you may not win points from other friends who demand one hundred percent agreement from their allies, but it is the decent and proper thing to do. Thank you to our Mormon friends and allies!”



The Volokh Conspiracy — Dale Carpenter: An Alternative to Anti-Mormon Protests

“Here's my advice to righteously furious gay-marriage supporters: Stop the focus on the Mormon Church. Stop it now. We just lost a ballot fight in which we were falsely but effectively portrayed as attacking religion. So now some of us attack a religion? People were warned that churches would lose their tax-exempt status, which was untrue. So now we have (frivolous) calls for the Mormon Church to lose its tax-exempt status? It's rather selective indignation, anyway, since lots of demographic groups gave us Prop 8 in different ways — some with money and others with votes. I understand the frustration, but this particular expression of it is wrong and counter-productive.”

"I'M ON THE PC!!!!!!!"

Weston finally gets some alone time with the camera and he can see himself ON the computer screen... let's watch and see how this effects him....












OK since Weston was either jumping out of focus or to shy to hold still FOR the camera. Here is a picture of him so you can see that he's a good looking boy, and not a blurrr.

The sounds of Spencer

He gargles, he tongue clicks, he blah, lah, lah's, he is silly eating with his overly-hyper brother Weston on the Web-cam ... with SOUND!

I've Heard It All Before

by Cherie Call
June 30, 2008



I went visiting teaching this week, and I was really inspired by the June message. How amazing it is to know that we lived before we came here! And how even more amazing it is to know a little about what happened in the premortal life. We all know that we chose to be here, because, well, we're here. But here's how it happened.

Now, Satan probably phrased it better than this, otherwise he wouldn't have had so many followers. But here's the jist of his argument:

"These people are not strong enough, and they're mostly too stupid to be able to handle earth life if they have challenges. It's too risky! Let me just make it easy, take away the choices, and take all the credit."

On the other hand, God REALLY believed in us and knew we could do this. And we ALL believed enough in Jesus that we knew he'd help us on the times when we might actually be weak and stupid. Not so risky when you think about it that way.

So here we are. Sometimes I get little thoughts in my head that say, "You might not be able to handle this. You're not good enough." It really helps me to remember who the author of that idea is. Come on Satan, haven't you come up with anything new?

I try hard to listen more carefully for a different voice. "I believe in you. You're smart, you're strong, and you're MINE. You can't fail with that combination."

I get a warm feeling inside and I smile when I realize, I've heard all of that before, and here I am.

© 2007 Deseret Book Company