Our Suspension Bridge

 

During the Sunday afternoon session of the April 2024 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave a talk entitled, Bridging the Two Great Commandments.  He was referring to how Jesus responded to a trap set as he answered a question designed to make him stumble.  What is the greatest commandment?  To which Jesus responded, “To Love God with all thy heart, mind and spirit.”  Then he added, “…and the Second is like unto it. Thy shall love thy neighbor as thy self.”

Elder Stevenson then expressed his observation, “Jesus’ two great commandments, to “love the Lord” and “love your neighbor,” are like the two towers — or “engineering genius” — of a bridge.”  He went on to display images of suspension bridges, pointing out the massive towers as marvelous examples of the need to be secure in your footing on both ends to support the roadway.

We’d purchased our property with a ‘shell house’ already built; but prior to installing sheet rock on the ceilings, we noticed the rafters showed signs of sagging.  A friend of ours did an inspection to see if the house had been properly structured.  He advised adding a support beam to solve the issue of sagging rafters.  That support beam would have been expensive, so I held off on that item.

I came up with a novel solution, install a suspension bridge in the attic, one with support ties going down to each of the rafters.  I’ve since learned that what we constructed is actually a cantilever bridge, not a suspension bridge; but I never claimed to be an engineer.

By using a jack and a two by four, each rafter was lifted to the exact height while a two by four support was attached to the rafter and the bridge to hold it at that height.  We already had the lumber and a skilled carpenter to carry out the idea.  The bridge was firmly anchored on each side to prevent the bridge from expanding as the weight of the ceiling pulled down on it.

I had Bowen Nell, my neighbor’s son, go into the attic to take pictures of the bridge.  I probably should have taken these photographs back when the bridge was newly completed.  I’d saved a bunch of money by being creative; but didn’t consider the oddity of having a cantilever bridge in the attic holding up the den ceiling.  It would have been much easier and been able to get a better idea of how it actually looks, but since installing the bridge we’ve added an air conditioning unit, heater and all the air ducts in the attic. 

 

 

Going Towards a Cashless Society

 

The elite, the masters of the world, have a plan which includes controlling the lives of every individual and business on this planet.  The key word is Control if you hadn’t figured that out.  They’ve declared, by virtue of their extraordinary economic powers, that it’s necessary to make all our decisions for us to ensure the planet is run properly, or at least according to their whims and wishes.

(Image courtesy of Ramsey Solutions)

At the risk of relying on religious tradition, I’ll compare the elitist’s totalitarian solution with a scriptural situation.  To bypass individuals making poor choices, Satan proposed his plan during the great council in Heaven, a plan which was in conflict with God’s  Plan of Salvation .  In God’s plan, He gave every individual his or her agency as a means of testing their resolve to obey His commandments; but Satan had other plans.

Regarding the term Agency, Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints shared the following during his General Conference talk in October of 2010:                                               

 “…Of the 10 definitions and usages of the word agency, none expressed the idea of making choices to act. We teach that agency is the ability and privilege God gives us to choose and “to act for [ourselves] and not to be acted upon.”1 Agency is to act with accountability and responsibility for our actions. Our agency is essential to the plan of salvation. With it we are “free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil.”

Satan wanted to make sure not one soul would be lost, that every individual would, after having experienced an adulterated version of mortality, one without the ability to make good or bad choices, after obtaining a body in mortality; they would all return to be with God. They’d never have a chance to do anything stupid; but they would never learn lessons needed to progress through eternity.  And all it would cost mankind is their agency, a gift from God.  Instead of giving the glory to God, whose desire was to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man, Satan wanted to keep that glory.

Isn’t that too familiar sounding when you compare the plans coming from the elite, the folks running the World Health Organization and the World Economic Forum, those who with the leverage of the world’s economy are telling nations to obey or be denied banking privileges?  Nations are no longer sovereign, in other words, they have given up their ability to determine and implement the will of the people and be accountable to those people.

We’ve been told to prepare for major changes in how money is used.  The Dollar has outlived it usefulness we’ve been told.  If we go on the World Economic Forum’s mandate, then all currency has outlived its usefulness. Folks have far too much flexibility when it comes to purchasing items, especially items which the elite have reserved for themselves, or which might not be appropriate for use by the lower class of individuals living from paycheck to paycheck.  

You must stop eating real beef, use some manmade lookalike replacement or ground up bugs; real beef is reserved for the elite segment of society.  Better yet just die of starvation and help the planet achieve sustainability.

The age of digital money, or whatever they plan to call it, is almost upon us.  To prepare us for the shift in thinking many companies have already stopped accepting cash as payment for normal transactions, being pressured by the banking industry, a process called “redlining”, to comply or having their accounts closed.

The banking industry, at the behest of the United States Department of Justice, pressured businesses tied to the firearms industry, gun manufacturers, ammunition manufacturers and sporting goods outlets into compliance with the desires of the anti-gun crowd.  They called it  Operation Choke Point .  It didn’t matter that this sort of “redlining” was determined to be unconstitutional since it deprived lawfully operating businesses equal banking services.

This same basic method of getting rid of businesses, ones the elite have determined are undesirable, that same method is being applied to the coal, oil, and gas industries.  According to an  article in The Hill ,

“Banks are creating a new version of redlining, this time against legal industries, for political and ideological reasons and blaming it on vague risks to the banks’ reputations.”

Businesses which violate the catechisms of Climate Change religion can expect to be targeted.  The elite don’t care that the scare tactics of their Climate Change religion are built on lies and deception; they have enough scientists on the payroll who’ve publicly placed a stamp of approval on the propaganda being put forth as if it were scientific data.

I used the term catechism a moment ago; if the shoe fits…  There’s a new litmus test being applied to banking practices, not much different than the unconstitutional use of Operation Choke Point; but goes even deeper.  The term being applied now is Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) and it’s defined by Wikipedia:

“Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG), is a set of considerations, including environmental issues, social issues and corporate governance that can be considered in investing.  Investing with ESG considerations is sometimes referred to as responsible investing or, in more proactive cases, impact investing.”

Large successful businesses are in essence being told, “Get with the program or good luck finding a banker to support you because your ESG score isn’t high enough. 

Now apply the acceptable environmental and social governance (morality) codes against individuals who have expressed doubts as to their conversion to the catechisms of Climate Change. 

Do you still drive a vehicle dependent on gasoline or diesel?  Do you believe citizens have an inalienable right to own and carry a firearm?  Do you think citizens should be permitted to grow their own vegetable gardens or even own private property?   Will the banking industry be pressured to limit the use of digital currency assigned to undesirable individuals, those who don’t agree with the powers that be?  Before you respond, this is already being done in Europe and China.

There’s a conscious effort to have folks believe the notion that only individuals or businesses operating outside the law use cash because cash makes it possible to avoid detection for their criminal acts and to avoid paying taxes.  Criminals like waiters and waitresses pocketing tips, the fellow who mows the yard and pulls weeds from the flower bed, and the worst of these criminals takes money from the Tooth Fairy and places those coins in a piggy bank.

So, what is a cashless society?  The answer given by Ramsey Solutions :

“A cashless society is one where all physical money (cash and coins) is totally replaced by a digital currency. In a cashless society, you can’t spend or save paper dollars, because they aren’t accepted as payment. And the money in your bank account only exists in digital form—no driving through an ATM to withdraw a fresh stack of Andrew Jacksons.”

Checks are not acceptable either since folks have been trying to write them for debts incurred without having sufficient funds to cover the check.  The solution, according to the elite, makes everyone use a credit or debit card that is instantaneously verifiable.  At first glance such a system doesn’t seem like a terrible idea.

Freeing up businesses from having to count money or worry about bad checks, no more worrying about being robbed since there won’t be anything to rob; Wow, all our worries are gone.

Our medical provider, Kelsey-Seybold, recently notified us that as of April 1, 2024, they no longer would accept cash or personal checks at their clinics.  In the back of my mind the question popped up, “Is this the result of being pressured by the banking industry as a step towards the eventual use of digital currency?  Or is this something they came up with to streamline the operations within their business? Maybe this is simply an April Fools prank, sorry, it’s not.

The cashless society that’s being foisted on us looks more and more like Satan’s doing with each passing day.

 

Being Converted

 

I’ve a healthy respect for the efforts of our Full-time Missionaries as they go about finding and teaching the principles of the gospel to individuals who are unfamiliar with the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  But what about those who, for one reason or another, have joined the Church and no longer feel a desire to be among us?

 

While going over the membership list of the Madisonville Branch, those individuals I’ve never met, who’ve, for one reason or another have chosen not to meet with us, the thought occurred to me, could it be they are not truly converted yet?  What more could we be doing to invite these individuals, to impress upon them the importance of the covenant they entered into when they were baptized?

 

Then a more sobering idea occurred to me.  A similar thought was expressed by the disciples during the Last Supper upon learning one of them would betray the Lord. 

 

“Is it I?”  Am I the individual who has yet to be converted, to achieve the level of discipleship the Lord would have me attain?

 

Have I been sharing the gospel with friends or even strangers, asking them if they were familiar with our beliefs.  Beyond that, are my actions in accordance with my beliefs, enough so that others would recognize me as a follower of Christ?

 

I heard Henry B. Eyring cautioning those listening, not sure if it was during General Conference or elsewhere.  This was some while back, so this is from memory:

 

“There is a danger in saying, I’ll do it Someday.  I’ll read my scriptures more, someday, I’ll pay a full tithing, someday.  I’ll attend the temple, someday.  I’ll develop a better relationship with the Lord, someday. 

 

Then when all those somedays become lost, you’ll weep, and the Lord will weep for the lost opportunities of someday”.  (paraphrased)

 

Isn’t this the same as saying, I’ll strive to be more like the Savior, someday?  Someday I’ll be truly converted to His ways.

 

The following quote was by Richard C. Edgley, Presiding Bishop of the Church.

“The strength of the Church is in the millions of humble members striving every day to do the will of the Savior—day by day, one step at a time. These humble members come from all nationalities, all social strata, and every economic background. They include those of the highest educational backgrounds as well as those of the humblest who live in the smallest hamlets in the most remote areas of the world—all having hearts throbbing with a vital testimony of Jesus Christ and a desire to serve the Lord.

As I have pondered these faithful members, I am struck by two qualities they all seem to have. First, regardless of social or economic status or position, their humility leads to submissiveness to the Lord’s will. And second, in spite of the difficulties and trials of life, they are able to maintain a sense of gratitude for God’s blessings and life’s goodness. Humility and gratitude are truly the twin characteristics of happiness.”

 

There are all sorts of wise sayings posted on social media, items which can be applied to our lives as we strive to improve.  This one fits the criteria:  

 

“If we are not careful, we will begin to chase after the temporal more than the spiritual.  Our pursuit of the spiritual and eternal will then take a backseat.”  Michael John U. The, a member of the Quorum of the Seveny

 

The Lord reminded Peter of this important aspect of discipleship.

 

“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.”  John 21:15

 

In a talk, The Great Commandment, given during the October 2007 General Conference by Joseph Wirthlin he asked:

 

“Do you love the Lord?

Spend time with Him. Meditate on His words. Take His yoke upon you. Seek to understand and obey, because “this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.”  When we love the Lord, obedience ceases to be a burden. Obedience becomes a delight. When we love the Lord, we seek less for things that benefit us and turn our hearts toward things that will bless and uplift others.”

 

Elder Wirthlin could easily have asked, “Have you been converted to the Lord?”

 

President Russell M. Nelson in the April General Conference back in 2017 stated:

 

 “When you reach up for the Lord’s power in your life with that same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air, power from Jesus Christ will be yours.  When the Savior knows you truly want to reach up to Him when He can feel that the greatest desire of your heart is to draw His power into your life you will be led by the Holy Ghost to know exactly what you should do. 

 

When you spiritually stretch beyond anything you have ever done before, then His power will flow into you. And then you will understand the deep meaning of words we sing in the hymn “The Spirit of God”.

 

Think about that statement, ponder on how it applies to each of us.  Does this kind of spiritual expansion occur all at once; say for example, when we decide to accept the gospel in our lives and be baptized?  Or… does it happen when we have our Endowments bestowed upon us at the temple?  To some degree, yes; but as the disciple Simon Peter was reminded, having given his life over to the bidding of our Lord, his conversion process was on going… and required a fresh commitment with each day.

 

“…Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.”

Your family and friends will likely be more open to the gospel and of your own conversion by observing your actions rather than your words. 

As mentioned earlier, “… I am struck by two qualities ... First, regardless of social or economic status or position, their humility leads to submissiveness to the Lord’s will. And second, in spite of the difficulties and trials of life, they are able to maintain a sense of gratitude for God’s blessings and life’s goodness. Humility and gratitude are truly the twin characteristics of happiness.”  

 

May humility and gratitude be manifest to those around us as expressions of our love of the Savior and serve as evidence of our conversion to the gospel.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

The Snowplow Song

 

Growing up when we lived on Long Island we had the opportunity to experience an occasional winter storm.  This didn’t happen all that often since the winters were tempered to a certain degree by the waters of the Atlantic; but every once in a while, a blizzard would blow through covering the roads and making things difficult.

While thumbing through Facebook I spotted a cartoon drawing which sparked a memory.

My mother had a small car at the time, I believe it was a Renault.  This was before anyone developed a desire to call them Ray-know, considering them a kin to a later Yugoslavian POS called the Yugo; but that’s not important to this story.

While attempting to navigate through the neighborhood streets which were covered with quite a bit of snow, with my little sister happily singing to herself in the back seat, my mother tried to figure out the tune my sister was singing so softly to herself.  It was a pleasant-sounding tune that bounced cheerfully within the confines of the small car as mom carefully stayed within the tire tracks left by the last vehicle that had made it down the road.

“Mommy, there’s a snowplow coming, mommy, there’s a snowplow coming…” the words of the song sounded so sweet as they…

“MOMMY THERE'S A SNOWPLOW COMING!”, the meaning of the song landed abruptly on mom’s ears as she noticed a flashing blue light in her rearview mirror.  With a watchful eye mom was able to spot an indention in the snowbank ahead where a driveway had recently been cleared.  She pulled into the safe spot and the snowplow drove past indignantly covering the car with a blast of freshly cleared snow.