Shaun Messick's Blog

Banishing God from Our Classrooms

I urge you to read the above article. It exemplifies just how far we have come from our country’s Christian roots.

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Over the 4th of July weekend, I took my daughter and son to an Idaho Falls Chukars baseball game. This is a tradition I began a few years ago. There is nothing better than enjoying our nation’s past time on our nation’s birthday. During the game, I contemplated just how great our country is; where I have the freedom to take my children to a baseball game.

The game was a fast-paced pitcher’s duel and before we knew it we were in the seventh inning stretch. As many baseball fans know, this is the time to stand up and stretch and to partake in baseball’s national anthem, Take Me Out to The Ballgame. In near perfect unison the entire crowd stood up and sang with joy this carefree sacred song of baseball. I belted out the words (at least the ones I could remember) with as much fanfare as I could muster. I glanced at my son whose grin seemed to spread from earlobe to earlobe. Each person seemed connected with America’s past time.

After we sang this illustrious anthem, the PA announcer asked everyone to stay standing and to take part in the singing of God Bless America. I thought to myself, this is perfect. In a game that at times can be filled with contention, we are acknowledging the Creator of all. He, who has given us this great country, even the game of hot dogs, swinging sticks, and warm summer evenings. This was heaven.

But my American baseball utopia quickly turned to disappointment and sadness. When the music began to blare, I noticed that there was a small contingent of baseball fans who sat down and stayed seated throughout the playing of God Bless America. I was proud of the teams, however, the players on both teams stood in reverence with their hats off and on their hearts (some of whom aren’t even American citizens).

But at a game, where we as Americans celebrate the freedoms we have because of God, why would some of America’s own sit down in defiance of this great song? Could it be because the word “God” is used? Are these the same people who support taking “God” out of the Pledge of Allegiance?

I don’t know. It’s not my right to judge them. They can sit if they want. That is what is great about America. These fans who sat in defiance have a right to do so. But what upsets me is that if we mention God in anything, the atheist, the agnostic, and the Godless are offended. Well…sorry…I am offended when we fail to mention God in all that we do! He is the creator of all. He is the reason why we have this great country. This nation is the promised land as stated in 2 Nephi Chapter 1, Verses 9-10:

9 Wherefore, I, Lehi, have obtained a apromise, that inasmuch as those whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of Jerusalem shall keep his commandments, they shall prosper upon the face of this land; and they shall be kept from all other nations, that they may possess this land unto themselves. And if it so be that they shall keep his commandments they shall be blessed upon the face of this land, and there shall be none to molest them, nor to take away the land of their inheritance; and they shall dwell safely forever.

10 But behold, when the time cometh that they shall dwindle in unbelief, after they have received so great blessings from the hand of the Lord—having a knowledge of the creation of the earth, and all men, knowing the great and marvelous works of the Lord from the creation of the world; having power given them to do all things by faith; having all the commandments from the beginning, and having been brought by his infinite goodness into this precious land of promise—behold, I say, if the day shall come that they will reject the Holy One of Israel, the true Messiah, their Redeemer and their God, behold, the judgments of him that is just shall rest upon them.

Verse 10 illustrates what we as a nation are facing today. We are destroying our country by taking God out of the picture! The Constitution is definitely hanging by a thread. It is up to us, as God-fearing American citizens, to take a stand. To acknowledge God in all that we think, do, speak, and write. Only by not turning way from our Creator will our beloved country be saved.

Banishing God from Our Classrooms – Part 1

Banishing God from Our Classrooms – Part 2

Banishing God from Our Classrooms – Part 3

The post One Nation Under…umm…Can I Even Say the “G” Word Anymore?…Indivisible appeared first on Empyrean Books.

One of the most highly anticipated movies of the year came out today – Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Entertainment Inc. produced the film. It is a continuation of the storyline that Director Zack Snyder began with from 2013’s Man of Steel. Warner Bros. hoped to compete with the blockbuster successes of Disney’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the surprising blockbuster of Marvel’s Deadpool, which smashed box office records in February.

Unfortunately, early critic reviews of Batman vs. Superman have not been good, leaving Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment Inc. to wonder if they will be left with a giant flop rather than a film that will launch Batman and Superman into the planned Justice League movies. One critic review states, “This is a movie that, to its detriment, takes itself very, very seriously for most of its running time” (Scott, 2016). Despite what some of the early critic reviews say, what matters is what the fans think. After all, that’s who buys the tickets.

By no means do I consider myself a movie critic. This review comes solely as a fan of science fiction and super hero films, both Marvel and DC alike. In fact, I am to this day a Superman fan through and through, admitting that I even dressed in my Superman under-roos with the red underwear pulled up over my blue pajama bottoms and red, knee-high socks, along with my Superman t-shirt and red cape. Yes, I am man enough to admit it. And I ran around the neighborhood like a weirdo too.

Without giving away any spoilers, Batman vs. Superman begins eighteen months after the setting for Man of Steel. As we’ve seen from the previews, the movie begins with the final battle between Superman and General Zod. Fortunately for the fans, we get to see the battle through the eyes of the iconic Bruce Wayne, giving the audience an understanding for the animosity he begins to feel toward the alien god from Krypton.

Click here to watch the trailer.

Meanwhile, the rest of the world is left to decide who they want Superman to be. Some consider him to be a god, a savior of mankind. While others see him as a threat needing to be held accountable for the path of destruction he has left behind in his crusades to save others.

In steps the puppet master, a.k.a. Lex Luthor, played by Jesse Eisenberg. In Snyder’s version of the evil billionaire, Lex comes across as a brilliant yet psychotic nemesis, resembling the characteristics of The Joker or The Riddler. Throughout the film, Luther pulls the strings on Superman and Bruce Wayne, feeding the rage that is building inside Batman for the threat that Superman could be.

This conspiracy draws out what the DC Comics Universe calls Meta Humans, such as Wonder Woman with glimpses of Aquaman, The Flash, and Cyborg, setting up what is obviously going to be the Justice League movie scheduled for release in 2017. I’ll be the first to admit, the moment Wonder Woman was introduced on-screen with Batman and Superman a sense of nostalgia pierced my heart, nearly bringing me to tears. How long have DC fans longed to see these characters in a live action film rather than the cartoon Justice League films? The film does a fantastic job of introducing these iconic characters with emotion and a stirring soundtrack.

In my judgement, I rate a film for myself if I want to see it again. Just like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice is a movie I could go and see again tomorrow. As a result, I give this film 5 out of 5 stars. I felt every emotion as I watched the movie. Granted the humor isn’t there like the Marvel movies, but DC doesn’t need it. I felt Snyder stayed true to the comic book universe of DC and didn’t stray for whom Batman and Superman represent. There are also some surprising twists and turns along the way. Plus, I thought the writing was spectacular, leaving us with an ending I didn’t expect and longing for Justice League Part One.

References:

Scott, M. (2016, March 23). ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ movie review: Warner Bros. takes page from ‘Avengers’ playbook. Retrieved March 25, 2016, from http://www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/2016/03/batman_v_superman_dawn_of_just.html

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“And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;”

~Revelation 6:12, The Holy Bible

Today, I contemplated about what my next blog article was going to be about. I decided that I needed to identify the signs of the last days. This will give many of you who have been reading my blog a basis for coming articles. There are many other signs associated with the last days that I have not listed below. Some are incorporated into other signs. The following is the list that I compiled through the study of the scriptures and other books.

So, without further ado here are the 79 Signs of The Last Days as referenced from the scriptures and Understanding the Signs of the Times by Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry, and in no particular order:

A mighty prophet comes forth.
The gospel is restored.
The priesthood keys are restored.
The Book of Mormon comes forth.
Angelic visitations assist in the restoration.
Spiritual gifts are restored.
The latter-day kingdom is established.
The Lord gathers Israel.
The Lord restores the keys of the gathering.
The gathering involves missionary work and conversion.
Ephraim will be gathered first.
A Voice of warning goes forth to all people; after the Lord’s warnings come his judgments.
The Lamanites will blossom as a rose.
The Lord calls 144,000 high priests to help in the gathering.
The Saints are commanded to flee Babylon.
The Saints gather at the temples.
The Jews gather to the land of Palestine.
The ten tribes are brought in from their long dispersion and are blessed to return to the lands of their inheritance.
The Saints gather to Zion, where the New Jerusalem is built.
A temple is built in Jerusalem.
All nations visit the temple of Jerusalem.
Water flows from the temple and heals the waters of the Dead Sea.
Two prophets work miracles and prophesy in Jerusalem.
The Messiah battles against the Jew’s enemies and stands on the Mount of Olives, and some ask Christ, “What are these wounds in thine hands?”
Judah and Jerusalem are redeemed.
The New Jerusalem is built in Independence, Missouri.
Zion is redeemed after she fulfills certain conditions.
Zion flourishes and blossoms like a beautiful flower before Christ’s coming.
Zion is a place of safety for the Saints.
Zion and her stakes serve as a refuge from the world’s wickedness and God’s judgments on sinners.
God blesses Zion with great blessings; she shall never be destroyed.
The Lord blesses Zion with his glory and light.
Zion, or the New Jerusalem, prepares the Saints for Christ’s coming.
A great temple is built in Independence, Missouri.
The Lord appears in glory to Zion; the Lord loves Zion and its inhabitants: it is his city, and its inhabitants are his people.
The last days are a time of apostasy.
It is a time of false churches, false prophets, and false Christs.
It is a time of the antichrist.
Iniquity abounds.
The love of many waxes cold.
The Saints are persecuted.
Secret combinations are built up.
The United States Constitution hangs by a thread.
Mens’ hearts fail them.
Despite God’s judgments, men refuse to repent.
Scoffers mock at the signs of the times.
Eventually, the Lord’s Spirit ceases to strive with mankind.
Wars and rumors of wars.
War is poured out on all nations.
Slaves rise up against their masters.
The “remnants of the land” vex the Gentiles.
A five-month war torments mankind.
A war with two hundred million soldiers kills one-third of mankind (Armageddon?)
All nations gather to battle against Israel in the valley of Armageddon.
The Saints receive a degree of protection.
All nations come to an end.
Babylon, the mother of harlots, or the wicked world, gains great power on earth.
The Saints must flee Babylon and go to Zion.
Babylon falls by the power of God; the wicked world is destroyed.
God send plagues and other judgments to the earth to encourage the wicked to repent.
A scourge goes forth upon the earth to encourage the people to repent.
God sends his first judgments to Zion’s hypocrites.
As Zion’s inhabitants are faithful, they escape God’s judgments.
The Lord’s servants “seal up the law” after they have warned the world.
Those who escape God’s judgments are purified.
The earth is harvested by angels.
God shows great signs and wonders in the heavens.
The sun is darkened and the moon becomes “as blood.”
The absence of the rainbow is a sign that the end is near.
The sign of the Son of Man appears in the sky shortly before Christ’s second coming.
The great council at Adam-ondi-Ahman meets to prepare the Saints for Jesus’ coming.
Jesus Christ comes “suddenly” to his temples and to the earth.
The Second Coming is a time of darkness and trouble for sinners.
Righteous people from all ages of the earth will accompany Jesus Christ at his coming.
Sinners are burned with fire when Christ appears again.
Jesus joins the righteous in a joyous reunion at his coming.
Many unbelievers deny the signs of the times.
Many cities are destroyed before Christ’s coming, similar to the manner in which Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed anciently.
The waters shall turn to blood just as in Moses’ time.

Within the coming weeks, I will write articles describing each of these 79 signs. Keep plugged in, and I hope you will enjoy reading and discussing the signs of the last days.

The post 79 Signs of The Last Days appeared first on Empyrean Books.

After 3 years of on again and off again writing, as well as meticulous rewrites and edits, I am pleased to announce the official release date of the 3rd book in the Worlds Without End series, The Prophecy.

The Kindle and Smashwords editions of the book will be released on Christmas day 2015. The paperback and hard cover editions will follow within a few weeks of this release date.

I want to thank everyone who made the writing of this third book possible, from my wife, to the fans of the series, and to my editor for helping make this series a success. My editor stated that she believes this is the best book in the series so far.

It is my hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it.

The post Christmas Day Release Date Scheduled for The Prophecy appeared first on Empyrean Books.

I have exciting news for all of my patient and wonderful fans of the Worlds Without End series. Today, I completed the manuscript of The Prophecy. Now I know why writers write, a great sense of accomplishment pours over you when you write those last words to a book. It is the accumulation of all that you have worked so hard to achieve.

Now the real work begins. Below is a list of tasks that need to be completed before the novel is officially ready for release:

Read the manuscript, editing, deleting, and adding scenes.
Prepare the manuscript for my editor.
Once the edited manuscript comes back, format the Kindle edition of the book.
Format the Smashwords edition of the book.
Format the paperback edition.
Format the hardcover edition.
Create the paperback and hardcover covers.

Once I get the manuscript back from my editor, I will set a release date for the novel. My plan is to have the rough draft of the manuscript ready for my editor by the end of August. It usually takes my editor 3 to 4 weeks to edit the book, which will be roughly by the end of September. This will give me all of October to complete steps 3 through 7. Again, I will set a release date when I get the edited manuscript back from my editor.

I am so excited to share The Prophecy with all of you. I thought Aftermath was good and gave myself a good pat on the back for that novel. But The Prophecy, I believe, is the best so far and more exciting. It also ties up a lot of the loose ends and questions from the other books in the series. While my editor edits The Prophecy, I plan to prepare The Mission and Aftermath for audiobook versions (more information coming on that soon).

In the meantime, help spread the word that the Worlds Without End Universe is growing.

How excited are you for the release of The Prophecy? How much have you enjoyed the Worlds Without End series so far? Post your comments below.

The post The Prophecy Manuscript is Finished appeared first on Empyrean Books.

A Latter-Day Prophet

Probably the most significant and important prophecy of the last days is the foretelling of “a mighty prophet” that would come forth amongst the Gentiles. This prophecy was first foretold by Isaiah who lived and prophesied among the Israelites sometime between 792 and 715 BC.  Isaiah states:

10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek; and his rest shall be glorious.

~Isaiah 11:10

Now there have been many adversaries of the Church that have scoffed at this prophecy. But let’s take a closer look at the language of the scripture. We also have to remember the context from which the prophets of antiquity spoke to us.

“…in that day…” In many ancient writings, the prophets would use this phrase in reference to the last days. It is comparable to when we say “someday”.

“…there shall be a root of Jesse,…” The meaning of this phrase was revealed to us in the Doctrine & Covenants. When he was studying and contemplating the Book of Isaiah, Joseph Smith asked the Lord the following question:

5 What is the root of Jesse spoken of in the 10th verse of the 11th chapter?

~ D&C 113:5

In response, the Lord answered:

6 Behold, thus saith the Lord, it is a descendant of Jesse, as well as of Joseph, unto whom rightly belongs the priesthood, and the keys of the kingdom, for an ensign, and for the gathering of my people in the last days.

~ D&C 113:6

Little did Joseph Smith know that the very question he asked was about himself.  According to Donald W. Parry (1999), “Latter-day scholars generally agree that the root of Jesse refers to the Prophet Joseph Smith. He is a descendant of both Jesse and Joseph” (p. 27).  Therefore, Isaiah who lived two-thousand years before our time spoke of Joseph Smith personally. Moreover, it was Joseph Smith’s calling to be an ensign to the Gentiles. It was he who restored the priesthood keys upon the earth in the last days.

Lehi, the ancient Book of Mormon prophet also confirms the authenticity of Joseph Smith’s calling:

24 And there shall rise up one mighty among them, who shall do much good, both in word and in deed, being an instrument in the hands of God, with exceeding faith, unto the remembering of my covenant which I made unto thy fathers.

~2 Nephi 3:24

John Taylor, the third President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, had this to say about the root of Jesse, “Joseph Smith,…, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it” (D&C 135:3).

It is through the Prophet Joseph Smith that many of the ancient prophecies concerning the last days have been clarified.  It was through his unique relationship with the Lord and his priesthood authority that this prophecy has been fulfilled.

References:

The Old Testament

The Doctrine and Covenants

The Book of Mormon

Understanding the Signs of The Times

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I would like to introduce the all new Worlds Without End series lineup. With the coming release of The Prophecy, I wanted to recreate the covers to match the style, characters, and settings for which the story arc is turning. Plus, I wanted to play with my newfound Photo Shop skills, which are getting better.

Worlds Without End: The Mission (Book 1)

For a lot of years, I thought the cover for the first book in the series was basic. I wanted to add some mystery too it. In this new version the background represents Terrest with its two moons. I placed the wormhole in the upper right corner and an image of Celeste in the upper left corner. I think with just one character, the cover adds intrigue, which will grasp the attention of more readers. Plus, the cover looks like it was created by a professional graphic artist. I stayed with the same fonts for the title, Book Antiqua, because . . . well I think it looks great. In addition, I’ve added glow and 3D elements to the main and subtitle of the book.

Worlds Without End: Aftermath (Book 2)

The new Aftermath cover, in my humble opinion, is one of the best covers in the series. Along with the Redemption cover, I think this one looks the most like a big budget movie poster. The new Aftermath cover is the only cover that is completely different from the original. I photo-shopped in images of Jake Palmer and Celeste Chast in the top left and right corners of the cover. Jake is looking at Celeste and Celeste seems to be looking past him, almost as if she is concerned for his safety. The background is of Earth under attack and represents the meteor shower from one of the scenes of the book.

Worlds Without End: The Prophecy (Book 3)

The cover for Worlds Without End: The Prophecy is the one that had the least amount of changes. This is because, well, just because I thought the cover was already cool. In this new cover I photo-shopped in the characters representing Koroan Chast and Macaria, the two primary antagonists of the books. The background is of Earth with the forces of evil and good clashing over the planet in search of the elusive golden plate of Earth. In the previous cover, I placed three gold plates on the planet. In this new version, I thought one would work the best, adding mystery and intrigue. After all, one of the great qualities of an awesome book cover is that you don’t want give too much away.

Worlds Without End: Redemption (Book 4)

The updated Redemption cover experienced a few changes. With my newfound skills, I photo-shopped the characters representing Koroan Chast, Celeste, and Jake in the top of the cover. I continued with the red theme because of the book’s title. Christ spilled his blood and redeemed our souls from sin if we accept His gospel. In this cover the red doesn’t represent Christ’s blood, but represents the redemption of several key characters and groups of people. The background represents the planets of Terrest and Gnolom. The image in the background is of the dark prince. It depicts a scene in the book, which will be surprising to say the least. Click on the book cover or here to see the full size cover.

In addition to the updated and new covers, the first two books will be getting somewhat of a makeover. I will be deleting some scenes and adding others in the first two books to match the story arc of The Prophecy and Redemption. These new versions will be released about the same time as The Prophecy.

Worlds Without End: The Prophecy Update:

The Prophecy is coming along nicely. I am writing in it everyday and just finished chapter 13. I am almost finished with chapter 14. I’ve outlined 20 total chapters for the book. My hope is to have the rough draft of the manuscript completed by August 31, 2015. From there, it will go to my editor. Then the formatting work begins.

What do you think of the new covers? Let me know in the comments below.

The post Introducing the All New Worlds Without End Series Lineup appeared first on Empyrean Books.

When one proposes to put forth the study of the signs of the times, one will find hundreds of books and internet sites dedicated to the topic.  These sources are written by all different sorts of denominations within Christianity.  This wealth of information can be a daunting task to comb through, not to mention frustrating to understand.

Of course, the best source we have pertaining to the signs of the times is the scriptures.  But even if you are an avid reader of scripture, understanding the metaphorical language past seers used can be extremely mind numbing…especially if you have tried to read Isaiah.

With that, I don’t claim to know everything about the events and signs that will and are currently unfolding in our day.  Everything that I will write in this blog has been and will be researched even further using our best source, the scriptures, and other books and publications.  Probably the best book that I have read on the topic of identifying and comprehending the signs of the times is Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry’s book, Understanding the Signs of the Times.

In order to avoid any plagiarism and to give credit where credit is due, I will always refer to the scriptures, books and other publications in my posts.  This also will give credence to my opinions and speculations on the topics discussed.

The book above identifies 103 specific signs that have taken place, are currently taking place, and will take place before Christ’s return.  Each of these signs is classified into 11 distinct categories.  The categories, with the number of specific signs, is listed below:

Preparing for the Second Coming – 7 signs
The Gathering of Israel – 16 signs
The Holy Land – 9 signs
New Jerusalem and Zion – 11 signs
The State of Affairs on the Earth Prior to The Second Coming – 12 signs
Wars and Rumors of Wars – 8 signs
Today’s Babylon – 3 signs
The Judgments of God upon the Wicked – 8 signs
Wonders and Signs in the Earth and in the Heavens – 4 signs
Christ’s Second Coming – 12 signs
Scriptural Parallels of the Signs – 13 signs

Studying and recognizing the signs of the times is a passion of mine. I hope to share this knowledge with the world and hope you enjoy Signs of the Last Days blog posts on Empyrean Books.

The post Introducing Signs of the Times appeared first on Empyrean Books.

I wanted to write an article that is dear to my heart and one that exemplifies just how much this country means to me. Too often, we as American citizens take July 4th for granted. We look at this day as a day for barbecues, parades, and fireworks. It should be a day for celebration. But do we really understand what we are celebrating?

My full-time career is as an educator in the public education system. About three years ago, I taught United States History. One thing that surprised me when I taught was the absolute ignorance students had in regards to our nation’s history. By my estimation, about two-thirds of the students that I taught had never read The Declaration of Independence or The United States Constitution. How can this be? These two documents serve as the foundation for which freedom is established in our country.

Many of my students believe that history is boring and isn’t important. However, we need to understand our history in order to understand the world we live in. For instance, if we don’t understand the arrogance and utter disdain King George III and England’s Parliament had toward the American colonists prior to and during the American Revolution, we won’t be able to see the parallels that today’s U.S. Presidency and Legislative branch have toward American citizens.

Some of today’s politicians even consider the Constitution outdated and that it needs to be changed. This is called progressivism. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “[A progressive is] one believing in moderate political change and especially social improvement by governmental action.” How is this done? Through gradual changes, edits, and/or deletions to the U.S. Constitution. The key words in this definition are “social improvement.” Is it really the job of the government to demand social improvement?

Woodrow Wilson (the 28th U.S. President) and Franklin D. Roosevelt (the 32nd U.S. President) were progressive presidents who overstepped their executive power and issued wide-sweeping changes to the constitution in order to promote “social justice” – Woodrow Wilson with his “14-Points Doctrine” and League of Nations proposal, promoting a New World Order and FDR with his New Deal. Many will argue and have argued that it was Roosevelt’s New Deal that got us out of the Great Depression. No…it wasn’t the New Deal that lifted us out of the Great Depression, it was World War II. His policies just prolonged the depression until war pulled us out.

As a student of history, I have learned a common pattern. History repeats itself! I ask you, the reader, the following questions:

Is it the government’s job to control health care?
Is it the government’s job to bail poorly and mismanaged businesses out of their financial mess?
Is it the government’s job to control the economy (i.e. the Economic Reform Bill – a.k.a. Socialism/Communism)?
Can the government use a tragedy, such as the BP oil spill to pass a Cap and Trade Bill that could skyrocket taxes on any carbon based products that we use?

You know my answer to the preceding questions. Of course not. The United States Constitution was written to protect the people from the government, not to be changed to meet the secular standards of the day. In the words of Benjamin Franklin:

“When the people fear the government, there is tyranny…When the government fears the people, there is freedom.”

Is the Constitution hanging by a thread today? Joseph Smith foresaw this day. He states:

Even this Nation will be on the very verge of crumbling to pieces and tumbling to the ground and when the constitution is upon the brink of ruin this people [(all good God-fearing people, not just Mormons)] will be the Staff up[on] which the Nation shall bear the constitution away from the very verge of destruction. . . (Ehat & Cook, p. 416).

How will this happen? Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook (1980), authors of The Words of Joseph Smith, state the following:

President J. Reuben Clark Jr. warned that if we continued on the course that allowed “one man, or . . . a small group of men, . . . [to] amend the Constitution, ” [referring perhaps to amendment by interpretation of presidents or government regulators or inappropriate judicial decree] “then we shall lose the Constitution.” He continued, “I say unto you with all the soberness I can, that we stand in danger of losing our liberties, and that once lost, only blood will bring them back; and once lost, we of this Church will, in order to keep the Church going forward, have more sacrifices to make and more persecutions to endure than we have yet known, heavy as our sacrifices and grievous as our persecutions of the past have been” (p. 416).

In other words, the shredding of our Constitution will happen and is happening through subtle changes in philosophies and ideologies with past and current legislation.

Ezra Taft Benson, who served as the Secretary of Agriculture in the Eisenhower administration, described the dangers we are facing today. Please view the video below. They put into context the dangers that exists right now:

Despite the threats to our freedom and Constitution, there is hope. Benson (1987) states:

I have faith that the Constitution will be saved as prophesied by Joseph Smith. But it will not be saved in Washington. It will be saved by the citizens of this nation who love and cherish freedom. It will be saved by enlightened [citizens] – men and women who will subscribe to and abide by the principles of the Constitution (pp. 43-44).

Many progressives have stated that their goal is to transform America. Let me ask you this, why does America need to be transformed? Didn’t our founding fathers provide us with a road map to follow in the Constitution and Declaration of Independence? If you ask me, we need to restore America back to what it was. Today’s America is not what it was meant to be. We need to restore our honor.

In conclusion, whether you agree that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God or not, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that God-fearing and loving citizens from all denominations and sects stand together to uphold the freedoms and liberties that our loving Heavenly Father gave to us in the God-inspired documents of The United States Constitution and The Declaration of Independence. To stand up to the progressive/communist agenda of a nationalized economy, national health care system, promotion of sexual promiscuity, etc. Therefore, we must stand for the values we hold to be true…

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,…(Declaration of Independence)

I urge you as fellow American citizens who value freedom to share this article with your friends, families, and acquaintances. Freedom is a God-given right, so long as we abide by the principles and commandments of God.

Sincerely,

Shaun F. Messick

References:

Benson, Ezra Taft. “The Constitution – A Heavenly Banner.” In Brigham Young University Devotional and Fireside Speeches, 1986-87. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University, 1987.

Declaration of Independence

Ehat, Andrew F., and Lyndon W. Cook, eds. The words of Joseph Smith. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center, 1980.

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If success were easy, we’d all be where we want to be in life. We would have the best job, the perfect husband or wife, and of course we would be rich beyond our wildest dreams (that is if you measure success with money). Unfortunately, life likes to throw us curveballs, instead of 90 mile an hour heaters down the middle of the plate. What’s more, many of us aren’t equipped with the right strategies or tools for overcoming obstacles.

“If you’re trying to achieve there will be roadblocks. I’ve had them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it. Go through it, or work around it.”

~ Michael Jordan

Click here to order the motivational poster for this quote.

Back in the day, I was a descent baseball player. One roadblock to my success, however, was in fact those dang curveballs. I couldn’t hit them to save my life. The reason for this was that I wasn’t a patient hitter. And when it came to overcoming obstacles like hitting a breaking ball, I didn’t have the tools needed. In life, like baseball, I like to go up to bat, swinging for the fences. The key to hitting curveballs, however, is patience. Baseball experts often say that hitters need to sit on the curveball in order to hit it successfully. Sitting on a curveball though requires patience. Why? Because a curveball comes at the batter deceptively slow, then without warning is curves downward toward the plate, often leaving batters swinging early, over the top of the ball.

In order to hit a good breaking ball, a batter needs to wait to hit the ball right after it curves downward toward the plate. If a batter does, he’s likely to get a hit or even a home run. That’s why great batters in Major League Baseball know how to hit the curveball. And usually, when they do, they often hit this pitch for towering 450 foot home runs. Talk about overcoming obstacles.

The curveball analogy is akin to obstacles that every person faces in life. After all, it’s human nature to be impatient, wanting success immediately. To make matters worse, we live in a word of instant gratification. We can download music, movies, and games instantaneously. We can pull up to a drive through window and in minutes get our evening meal. Unfortunately, success hasn’t caught on to the trend. No. She’s old-fashioned, and likes to take her time. Consequently, we have forgotten the tools needed for overcoming obstacles.

In today’s society, overcoming obstacles is something that we have not been trained to do. As a result, we often throw our hands up into the air or delve into depths of depression when curveballs are thrown our way. With the right tools, however, an individual can overcome any obstacle he or she faces in life. With that, here are 5 strategies for overcoming obstacles

5 Strategies for Overcoming Obstacles

1. Be positive. Of course, this is cliché. When the tough gets going and the going gets tough, everyone always says be positive. Despite this overused tidbit of advice, being positive actually works. Research has even shown that people with positive attitudes are better able to deal with adversity. Rather than looking at a problem with gloom and doom, look at it as an opportunity to learn and grow.

2. Understand the problem. Before you can solve a problem, you must first understand it. Just like the Major League hitter. He understands how a curveball works. Therefore, he knows how to attack it. This is true with any obstacle we face. Overcoming obstacles will be much easier the better we comprehend what we are facing.

3. Be open-minded. The way you handled problems in the past may not be the best solutions for overcoming obstacles. As the old adage goes, “If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything becomes a nail.” Unfortunately, a hammer is useless when it comes to mowing the lawn. Consequently, you will have to be open-minded for new solutions to the problem or problems you’re facing. Just remember to be open to all possibilities.

4. Take one step at a time. Would you eat an entire pizza in one sitting? No, you wouldn’t. You’d eat it one slice at a time. (Granted, if you’re like me, you’d still end up eating the entire thing in one sitting). Similarly, some problems are just too big to eat. One way to solve large or complex problems is solve a piece of the puzzle at a time. For instance, let’s say your obstacle is weight. So you set a weight-loss goal to lose 20 pounds in four months. What’s important to keep in mind is that you’re not going to lose all of that weight in one week, let alone in one month. Therefore, you need to take it one week at a time, maybe even one-day at a time. Break that 20 pound weight loss goal into smaller chunks – maybe down to 1 pound per week. If you focus on these small, incremental goals, then the overall goal doesn’t seem so daunting.

5. Keep the end in mind. Even though focusing on the small objectives within the overall goal will lead to success, it is still important to keep visualizing the solution or end goal. Mastering small objectives are like reaching checkpoints on a map. Before you know it, you’ve arrived at your destination.

In summary, obstacles lead many to give up before they have even tried. It’s not that we can’t or are not capable of overcoming obstacles. It’s simply a matter of what we have in our toolbox and how we use those tools to help us succeed. As Michael Jordan states, if you face an obstacle, find a way around it. If your first try is unsuccessful, then try a different tool and find a another way around, over, or through it.

 

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