Getting a Grip on History?

53 And, verily I say unto you, that it is my will that you should ... obtain a knowledge of history, and of countries, and of kingdoms, of laws of God and man, and all this for the salvation of Zion. (Doctrine and Covenants 93:53).

But how do we get a grip on history "for the salvation of Zion" when we have statements like these?

William "Bill" Casey (CIA Director 1981-1987)
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false."¹

Mike Pompeo (CIA Director 2017-2018, Secretary of State 2018-2021)
"We lied, we cheated, we stole ..."²

The Doctrine and Covenants counsels three times to "seek learning even by study and also by faith" from the best books,³ but where can we find the best books on history when deception has become so normalized? And why study history anyway? Because history is a repeating deja vu? Because history teaches pattern recognition? Because history exposes the ubiquity of deception and secrecy? Because lamentation⁴ in our day is as needed and justified as in the days of Noah, Moses, Ether, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Nephi, AlmaX2, Mormon, Moroni, et al. al. al.?

In my experience, one of the best resources for the exposure of deception and secrecy is The Duke Report.com and his substack. Duke's recent inaugural series called "The Explainer"⁵ presents dozens of book summaries that seek to expose "what really happened" and to encourage further study with critical thinking. His introductory vlog explaining the series and his use of AI can be found here.⁶ The topics are eclectic, but here is a representative sample of five:

Wall Street and FDR Explainer
(The Duke Report | Nov 10, 2025 | Time min. 6:49 min.) at
https://thedukereport.substack.com/p/wall-street-and-fdr-explainer
https://youtu.be/eKykRDTHkWM?si=v-ri3Gg9SyaS-u8C



The Mythology of American Democracy Explainer
(The Duke Report | Nov 21, 2025 | Time 6:25 min.) at
https://thedukereport.substack.com/p/the-mythology-of-american-democracy-c2b
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfN2I6zZeF0



Bitten Explainer
(The Duke Report | Oct 20, 2025 | Time 7:14 min,) at
https://thedukereport.substack.com/p/bitten-explainer
https://youtu.be/5krRUA6BVDg?si=jHqH0-zBlR7ehLKG

The Empire of 'The City' Explainer
The Duke Report | Nov 21, 2025 | Time 6:24 min.) at
https://thedukereport.substack.com/p/the-empire-of-the-city-explainer
https://youtu.be/SWcKOZUrVz4?si=S8YrazQQiZrwxiVx

Banking and Currency and the Money Trust Explainer
(The Duke Report | Nov 23, 2025 | Time 6:50 min.) at
https://thedukereport.substack.com/p/banking-and-currency-and-the-money
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4IFGB-5t1w&t=5s

We probably won't ever get a grip on history until we admit our susceptibility to believing "colossal untruths" cooked up by those "who conspire together in the art of lying,"⁷ but there is hope. Many people are awakening to how colossal and "grossly impudent" lies can be.

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1. *SOURCE: Greg Smith, ... Answered September 22, 2014
Originally Answered: Did William Casey (CIA Director) really say, "We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false."?
Ex-DCI Bill Casey's quote was attributed online as reported only by Mae Brussell, and so, I bounced it off Barbara Honegger because I knew she worked for Mae B back in the day, and here's what I got on the ACTUAL SOURCE (talk about luck! - I extracted actual email addresses):
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Barbara Honegger
Date: Sun, Sep 21, 2014 at 11:19 PM
Subject: Re: Conference on THE WARREN REPORT AND THE
JFK ASSASSINATION : FIVE DECADES OF
SIGNIFICANT DISCLOSURES
To: Greg Smith
I told Mae about it when we worked together ...
On Sun, Sep 21, 2014 at 10:32 PM, Greg Smith wrote:
Thanks Barbara! That's priceless. The web attributes it to Mae B only, and therefore, it's discounted in chat and group conversations on social media. You might want to give it better street cred? Your call! On Sep 21, 2014, at 8:59 PM, Barbara Honegger wrote:
» Seriously -- I personally was the Source
» for that William Casey quote. He said it
» at an early Feb. 1981 meeting in the
» Roosevelt Room in the West Wing of
» the White House which I attended, and
» I immediately told my close friend and
» political godmother Senior White House
» Correspondent Sarah McClendon, who
» then went public with it without naming
» the source ...
from https://www.quora.com/Did-CIA-Director-William-Casey-really-say-Well-know-our-disinformation-program-is-complete-when-everything-the-American-public-believes-is-false
2.


Ex-CIA director Pompeo: 'We lied, we cheated, we stole' (GrayZone: April 24, 2019; 0:26 from Q&A at Texas A&M University) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPt-zXn05ac
(also Secretary Pompeo:"Lying, Cheating, & Stealing reminds you of the glory of the American experiment" (10Beads: Time: 0:1:50) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE9zczFARuM
To hear the whole answer to the last question, go to minute 28:22 of the full Q&A:
“Secretary Pompeo Participates in Q&A Discussion at Texas A&M University” (U.S. Department of State, Time: 32:31) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6wbfjspVww
3. Doctrine and Covenants 88:118
    118 And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.
Doctrine and Covenants 109:7, 14
    7 And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom, seek learning even by study and also by faith; ...
    14 And do thou grant, Holy Father, that all those who shall worship in this house may be taught words of wisdom out of the best books, and that they may seek learning even by study, and also by faith, as thou hast said;
4. https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2014/01/gods-lament.html
https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2024/03/isaiahs-lamentations.html
https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2024/03/where-are-lamentations.html
5. https://www.youtube.com/@TheDukeReport/videos
https://thedukereport.substack.com/archive
6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv9O_fAy2qU
https://thedukereport.substack.com/p/let-me-splain-you?utm_source=publication-search
7. Hitler: "[T]he broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods. It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and will continue to think that there may be some other explanation. For the grossly impudent lie always leaves traces behind it, even after it has been nailed down, a fact which is known to all expert liars in this world and to all who conspire together in the art of lying."
Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf, vol. I, ch. X[1] at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_lie (bold emphasis added)

Patterns and Pathologies*

Do we have a sufficient knowledge of history, countries, and kingdoms¹ in order to discern the repeating patterns and pathologies of the thief who, in every age, “cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy”²?

How many unread exposés do we have on library shelves or e-readers that unmask the thief and his servitors? How many truths cast into the black hole of “conspiracy theory”? How many ubiquitous nefarious distractions so we do not awaken, as commanded, to those patterns and pathologies?

24 Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things [murderous combinations] come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up (Book of Mormon | Ether 8:24).

As it presently stands, with each new exposé, we have (as the conspirators allege) “a tale told by an idiot, signifying nothing of import”; but what if we linked ten exposés together? or one-hundred? or more? Do we know where to find them, scattered, as they are, over time and space? Do we have the time to digest them even if we could gather them?

Well, maybe there is a space. Maybe many single exposés are already woven into a phalanx of exposés. Maybe even time and space have already been distilled for rapid access. Maybe this place is

The Duke Report.

Peter Duke is not part of our faith community, but his life experiences have prepared him to see and hear the agendas and patterns in history that so many do not see or refuse to see; and with his other gifts, he has created an exceptional site of exposure and insight condensed for maximum accessibility. Consider his:

Web Site: The Duke Report | https://thedukereport.com/

“The Duke Report was started out of Peter Duke’s frustration to explain to individual publishers how sharing RSS feeds can be mutually beneficial. This site is a collection of INDEPENDENT journalists, working to expose the lies perpetrated by mainstream media ALL OVER THE WORLD. It’s not perfect, it get better each day, but if you want to know the truth about the world around you, these sources can help you figure it out.”

Book Table: https://thedukereport.com/books/

• Click on any book to find a summary as well as other related videos and books
• Click on the right hand indices that list Book Series, Book Genres, Book Authors (by first name) for a wealth of information.

Two-Page University: https://thedukereport.com/tpu/

“Two-Page University is designed to foster Cognitive Liberty — the freedom to think critically, ask questions, and challenge the dominant narratives. In a world filled with surface-level content and media manipulation, these two-page editions provide a much-needed antidote: concise, insightful explorations of ideas that matter.

“But we’re not just asking you to read — we’re asking you to take action. Download these PDFs, print them, and place them in Little Libraries, community centers, coffee shops, or any venue where curious minds might stumble upon them. By doing this, you’re spreading the message of Cognitive Liberty and helping others discover the power of independent thought.”

“For those seeking answers to today’s pressing questions, Two-Page University distills the wisdom of the greatest thinkers from the past 3,000 years into concise, thought-provoking segments that resonate with young minds.

“Our mission is to inspire The People to reclaim their cognitive liberty in a society dominated by mindless social media and authoritarian voices. True critical thinking comes not from blind obedience to so-called experts but from engaging with diverse ideas and trusting one’s own reasoning. Two-Page University empowers readers to challenge the status quo, question deeply, and think independently.

“ What sets us apart is our grassroots approach. By leveraging crowd-sourced distribution and the dedication of volunteers worldwide, we’re building a movement of informed, free thinkers. This unique distribution model ensures Two-Page University reaches every corner of the globe, thanks to those who believe in peace, prosperity, and liberty for all.”

Channels:

• https://www.youtube.com/@TheDukeReport/videos
• https://rumble.com/user/TheDukeReport/videos
• Twittertwitter.com/thedukereport
• Instagraminstagram.com/dukereportnews
• Facebookfacebook.com/thedukereport
• https://t.me/+9CRlV9bHNsE1ODAx

One does not need to agree with everything another believes or shares, but single threads of exposure and truth can weave into powerful cables; and since it appears now (to many watchers) that the Constitution is almost hanging by a (disputed³) thread, maybe we would be well advised to know and help unify the many threads of truth about the thief and his servitors.

As always, we seek to use discernment and critical thinking as Paul advises:

21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
      (New Testament | 1 Thessalonians 5:21)

And may we earnestly seek to get past any biases and hard priors⁴ that deny the reality and prevalence of the natural man.⁵

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* https://dejavu-times.blogspot.com/2023/07/the-garden-path-to-pathocracy.html

1. Doctrine and Covenants | Section 93:53
   53 And, verily I say unto you, that it is my will that you should hasten to translate my scriptures, and to obtain a knowledge of history, and of countries, and of kingdoms, of laws of God and man, and all this for the salvation of Zion. Amen
2. New Testament | John 10:10
   10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:
Pearl of Great Price | Moses 4:3-4
   3 Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down;
   4 And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice.
3. Various opinions on the disputed “Thread” Prophecy
• https://bookofmormonevidence.org/are-we-hanging-by-a-thread-yet/
• https://mormonr.org/qnas/xLOJnc/white_horse_prophecy?gad_source=5&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrdCWkZDaiAMVdgytBh0s7hYTEAAYASAAEgJk-_D_BwE
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Horse_Prophecy
• https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/answers/The_White_Horse_prophecy
• https://ia800304.us.archive.org/31/items/ViewpointOnMormonism/2012.10.17.JODConstitutionHangingByAThreadPart1.mp3 (Note: This writer, at this time, does not think the White Horse is the Church)
• https://ia800304.us.archive.org/31/items/ViewpointOnMormonism/2012.10.18.JODConstitutionHangingByAThreadPart2.mp3 (Note: This writer, at this time, does not think the White Horse is the Church)
4. The science writer Sharon Begley gives insight into such motivated reasoning: “If you have a strongly held belief with an emotional component, the brain defends information that reinforces those ‘priors’ and is skeptical of information that challenges them. … People who hold these hard priors filter information to support their perceptions.” (Bold emphasis mine.)
These observations are from the work of political scientist Hank Jenkins-Smith of the University of Oklahoma as quoted, in Newsweek, October 13, 2010, pp. 29-30 by science writer Sharon Begley about voter tendencies—observations that seem applicable to almost everything that requires choice or discernment. We all do it, (even this writer) and without awareness of a “priors” bias, are we not all more prone to biased judgment—whether pro or con? Shouldn’t 360° honesty in dealing with all the facts help control that bias?
5. https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2010/05/natural-man.html