My life has been filled with trials. I grew up in poverty. I’ve been homeless on multiple occasions. My family broke apart when I was young. My father was an alcoholic. I’ve lost everything I’ve owned and everyone I knew on multiple occasions. Yet, through it all, I have discovered a sublime truth about God’s power and how our deepest trials lead to our greatest blessings. This is that story.
What Mormon Teaches Us About War And Loving Our Enemies
Whenever I point out that Captain Moroni’s example doesn’t justify modern Saints going to war because he lived the Law of Moses and we live the Law of Christ and that modern revelation commands us to renounce war completely the response is inevitable. I always get some version of, “What about Mormon and his son, Moroni? They were baptized Christians who fought in wars. If they can do it, why can’t we?” By looking at what the scriptures, I answer this question and show why Mormon and Moroni do not justify us joining modern day wars.
Cancel Culture Is Nothing New. Neither Is Its Solution.
I was watching “Seinfeld,” recently and made a shocking discovery. Not only did the show directly take on the topic of abortion (and deliver a more pro-life message than is commonly known and maybe even than was intended), but it also took on what we call cancel culture today and showed us how to handle it. When the PC mobs are foaming at the mouth at anyone who dares utter something not already on the 3×5 card of allowable opinion while also destroying the lives of many people who never stray from the Approved Beliefs, it can be hard to know what to do in order to survive as an intelligent and independent human being. But “Seinfeld” showed us how to do it decades ago – call the cancel culture cultists out as the morons they really are and expose their beliefs for their fundamental idiocy.
What To The Latter-day Saint is the Fourth of July?
I find nothing to celebrate on the Fourth of July. It, like all nationalist holidays, is nothing more than the largest, loudest, and obnoxious propaganda program that has ever existed. Through all the parades, fireworks, and barbeques, people rarely ask what exactly are they so effulgently praising and whether or not the should be doing it. As a result, they reaffirm their loyalty to and love for one of the most violent, bloody, and dangerous regimes in the world, one responsible for murdering over 6 million civilians in the last 20 years. The great William Lloyd Garrison called such devotion, “the latest and the most terrible form of idolatry,” and he was correct. As this article explains, it is in direct opposition to the commandments of God and the direction of His prophets.
The Government is the Enemy of Privacy, Safety, and Freedom
The government is the worst danger to human safety and liberty in every single nation on the planet. In this address, Glenn Greenwald cuts through the partisan propaganda and government lies to directly explain how the actions of those in political power directly threaten, violate, and destroy the basic human liberties and safety that we value so much.
Schools Shootings and The Lies of Gun Control
The tragedy of the Uvalde school shooting and the actions (or inactions) of the police during it disprove the claims of gun control advocates once and for all. In school shootings we see the exact claims of gun control advocates put to the test. We see unarmed defenseless individuals threatened by dangerous criminals. And we see just how capable the government is of protecting people. Which is to say, the government is utterly incapable of protecting anyone. The spilt blood of the victims of the Uvalde shooter are proof of this and are proof that gun control only leads to more dead people, not less.
The Human Side of the Book of Mormon
Why are there so many biblical quotations and allusions in the Book of Mormon? Why are there errors in the Book of Mormon’s grammar, spelling, and language? How did Joseph Smith translate the Book of Mormon? How did the Urim and Thummim work? How did the Seer Stone work? Why would Joseph need either in the first place? What impact did the knowledge and mind of Joseph Smith have on the Book of Mormon and its translation? Why would God choose an ignorant ploughboy from upstate New York to be His prophet when much more educated, enlightened, and respectable men existed? What does the answer to these questions say about the authenticity of the Book of Mormon?
Professor N.L. Nelson answers all these questions and more in this excellent essay and explains why the answers to those questions should only increase our faith in the Book of Mormon as Christian scripture.
The Science and Ethics of Abortion
Abortion is one of those “hot topics” that really shouldn’t be that “hot.” None of the ethical, scientific, or moral questions people raise about abortion are really relevant – they’ve all been answered multiple times. Yet, many of the same people who will lecture you about how you should “trust the science” and “believe the experts” actually do those things regarding abortion. When abortion comes up it is all unscientific, nonsensical, unethical, and insane nonsense.
But what do “experts” – actual biologists – say about when human life begins? In this article I establish what the actual scientific consensus is on this subject. Then, informed by the real science, I use that knowledge to evaluate the ethical arguments surrounding abortion – such as the issue of bodily autonomy, the concept of “personhood,” the argument concerning dangerous illegal abortions, cases of rape and incest, and medical necessity.
Bioshock 2 and the Redeeming Power of Mercy
I recently completed by playthrough of the Bioshock Trilogy Remastered with 2010’s Bioshock 2. After playing the original Bioshock and then its pre-sequel, Bioshock Infinite, both by Ken Levine, Bioshock 2 is like a breath of fresh air. Both the gameplay and the storytelling in Bioshock is far superior to the other games. But the best thing about the game is that it has an actual message – about the importance of family, the power of mercy, the strength of love, and the possibility of redemption. in its own weird, dystopian way, Bioshock 2 is really about Zion.
Heaven Is Real, Hell Is Real, and Why Life Matters
Why does Pascha, Easter, matter?
The story of Pascha is phenomenal, but why does it matter that Christ atoned for Death and Hell? Why does it matter that salvation and exaltation are open to all? What really is worth celebrating at this time of year?
This forgotten LDS Classic by N.L. Nelson on the reality of Heaven, the reality of Hell, and the richness, depth, and meaning these truths imbue into our lives answers these questions and more.
This is why Pascha matters and why it is the pinnacle of Christian holy days.