Anatomy of Disaffection

(An escalating, global epidemic?)

Disaffection
noun
~ a state of dissatisfaction or alienation ~ the growing disaffection between players
Source: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/disaffection

Some patterns seem so repetitive—so easy to initiate by the enemy of all that is good. One such pattern is the four-step path of relationship breakdown (as discussed in the previous post¹). In recent years, it seems that relationship breakdown has exploded on a global scale. The adversary appears almost in panic mode with the shortness of time left to him.² So behold, the abbreviated micro- / macro-pattern of relationship breakdown between nations, kindreds, tongues, and peoples:

First come feelings and/or thoughts, like:

disagreement, dissatisfaction, discontent, resentment, antagonism, alienation, dislike, unfriendliness, hostility, aversion, antipathy, estrangement, ill will, animosity, repugnance.

As the feelings and thoughts remain unchecked and undisciplined, they expand and deepen until
2) they begin to manifest in words of derision and demand.
As the words expand and deepen, they reinforce the feelings and thoughts until
3) the motives, agendas, morals, and worth of the other are questioned and condemned.
As this third phase expands and deepens, the whole cycle is reinforced until
4) the relationship is abandoned (sometimes in favor of new associations), though all too often, the disaffected relationship becomes the focus of an angry, destructive obsession.

So the question is: Do we ever monitor (are we even aware of) where we are in the recycling disaffections of our lives?—disaffections with people/s? institutions? governments? circumstances? God?

It is so easy to begin the process of disaffection—with just a single, small thought or feeling. Is that why Jesus said:

Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, and it is also written before you, that thou shalt not kill, and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment of God; But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of his judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire (Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 12:21-22)?

Is that why some scribe added the phrase, “without a cause,” to the New Testament version³ because anger and disaffection are so common—so easily justifiable—so in sync with the will and ways of the “Natural Man”?⁴

Is that why Jesus told Peter:

Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven (New Testament | Matthew 18:21-22)?

Yet, even in the face of these words, we must ask: Is disaffection ever justified?

And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him. And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins. (Old Testament | Numbers 16:25-26)

But can this really be called disaffection in light of Jesus’ other words?

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (New Testament | Matthew 5:43-48)

I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men. And ye ought to say in your hearts—let God judge between me and thee, and reward thee according to thy deeds. (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 64:10-11)

So perhaps disaffection and most of its synonyms are not justified even when the will of God is that we move on or away from a place of oppression, corruption, or iniquity.

What did God expect of those called to move on—those like Abraham, Moses, Lehi, Nephi, Mosiah, Alma the elder, Mahonri & Jared, Mulek, and so forth?⁵ For the most part, it seems they were called to bear their witness without rancor or hostility and  then let God take care of the consequences of choice in His own time and way. They were not to dwell or labor in disaffection. They were to live, love, and forgive according to the mind and will of God.

Yet, no matter where we are in the world today, we increasingly hear words (from atheists to ministers, from politicians to Zionists, and everywhere in-between) promoting disaffection—against and amongst Christians, Muslims, Arabs, Jews, immigrants, refugees, nations, leaders, police, opponents, the poor, and on and on.

And so we begin to fear—to become angry, suspicious, paranoid, even violent—the perfect set-up to escalate more disaffection and chaos (the hidden agenda) in furtherance of  a “new order.”

But why should we fear? If we have clean hands and a pure heart—if we live in Christ and He in us—there is NOTHING to fear—especially not death. Why can we not take example from the trusting reply to a King’s arrogant challenge of “who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up (Old Testament | Daniel 3:15-18, bold emphasis added).

Please, let us remember:

▪  we are all brothers and sisters—children of a supreme and sovereign God;
▪  we all sin and desperately need daily repentance;
▪  God alone knows “degrees of difficulty” and degrees of accountability;
▪  the degrees of manipulation, mind-control, and deception inspired by Lucifer are almost beyond comprehension, so how can we be sure we know the truth of a matter if we are not in tune with the mind of God;
▪  the greatest degree of manipulation, mind-control, and deception is being perpetuated upon those who think they are the manipulators and controllers;
▪  because of pervasive wickedness in the world,⁶ Jesus counseled, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (New Testament | Matthew 10:16);
▪  the individual permutations of God’s mercy, justice and judgment are, and will be, perfect;
▪  generalized disaffections are unwise and unjust because God has a remnant within every nation, kindred, tongue, and people who stand for truth and righteousness;

In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance (Old Testament | Isaiah 19:23-25; bold emphasis added).

Let us not be drawn into disaffections. Let us live the compassion that Jesus preached, whatever the perceived cost. Only God knows the truth of every heart. And only in Him will we have the strength to endure the disaffections of others.

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1. “Prologue to Divorce” at http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2015/11/prologue-to-divorce.html which reviews the steps outlined by Russell M. Stendal in Appendix 4, entitled, “The Fatal Tailspin,” from his book Rescue the Captors: Written from within a Marxist guerrilla camp in Colombia, the true story of a kidnapped jungle pilot Life Sentence Publishing. Kindle Edition (2011-04-21). I thank Stendal for sparking my further reflections and thoughts.
2. New Testament | Revelation 12:12 ~ Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
3. New Testament | Matthew 5:21-22 ~ Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire; (underline emphasis added).
4. Book of Mormon | Mosiah 3:19 ~ For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.
5. Abraham ~ Pearl of Great Price | Abraham 2:6 ~ But I, Abraham, and Lot, my brother's son, prayed unto the Lord, and the Lord appeared unto me, and said unto me: Arise, and take Lot with thee; for I have purposed to take thee away out of Haran, and to make of thee a minister to bear my name in a strange land which I will give unto thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession, when they hearken to my voice.
Moses ~ Old Testament | Exodus and Deuteronomy 1:19 ~ And when we departed from Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness, which ye saw by the way of the mountain of the Amorites, as the LORD our God commanded us;
Lehi₁ ~ Book of Mormon | 1 Nephi 1 and 1 Nephi 2:2 ~ And it came to pass that the Lord commanded my father, even in a dream, that he should take his family and depart into the wilderness.
Nephi₁ ~ Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 5:1-2, 5 ~ BEHOLD, it came to pass that I, Nephi, did cry much unto the Lord my God, because of the anger of my brethren. But behold, their anger did increase against me, insomuch that they did seek to take away my life. … And it came to pass that the Lord did warn me, that I, Nephi, should depart from them and flee into the wilderness, and all those who would go with me.
Mosiah₁ ~ Book of Mormon | Omni 1:12 ~ Behold, I will speak unto you somewhat concerning Mosiah, who was made king over the land of Zarahemla; for behold, he being warned of the Lord that he should flee out of the land of Nephi, and as many as would hearken unto the voice of the Lord should also depart out of the land with him, into the wilderness—
King Limhi ~ Book of Mormon | Mosiah 22:2 ~ And it came to pass that they could find no way to deliver themselves out of bondage, except it were to take their women and children, and their flocks, and their herds, and their tents, and depart into the wilderness; for the Lamanites being so numerous, it was impossible for the people of Limhi to contend with them, thinking to deliver themselves out of bondage by the sword.
Alma₁~ Book of Mormon | Mosiah 23:1 ~ NOW Alma, having been warned of the Lord that the armies of king Noah₂ would come upon them, and having made it known to his people, therefore they gathered together their flocks, and took of their grain, and departed into the wilderness before the armies of king Noah.
Mahonri & Jared ~ Book of Mormon | Ether 1 and Book of Mormon | Ether 2:5-7 ~ And it came to pass that the Lord commanded them that they should go forth into the wilderness, yea, into that quarter where there never had man been. And it came to pass that the Lord did go before them, and did talk with them as he stood in a cloud, and gave directions whither they should travel. And it came to pass that they did travel in the wilderness, and did build barges, in which they did cross many waters, being directed continually by the hand of the Lord. And the Lord would not suffer that they should stop beyond the sea in the wilderness, but he would that they should come forth even unto the land of promise, which was choice above all other lands, which the Lord God had preserved for a righteous people.
Mulek ~ Book of Mormon | Mosiah 25:2 ~ Now there were not so many of the children of Nephi, or so many of those who were descendants of Nephi, as there were of the people of Zarahemla, who was a descendant of Mulek, and those who came with him into the wilderness. Book of Mormon | Helaman 6:10 ~ Now the land south was called Lehi and the land north was called Mulek, which was after the son of Zedekiah; for the Lord did bring Mulek into the land north, and Lehi into the land south. Book of Mormon | Helaman 8:21- 22 ~ And now will you dispute that Jerusalem was destroyed? Will ye say that the sons of Zedekiah were not slain, all except it were Mulek? Yea, and do ye not behold that the seed of Zedekiah are with us, and they were driven out of the land of Jerusalem? But behold, this is not all— Our father Lehi was driven out of Jerusalem because he testified of these things. Nephi also testified of these things, and also almost all of our fathers, even down to this time; yea, they have testified of the coming of Christ, and have looked forward, and have rejoiced in his day which is to come.
6. New Testament | Matthew 10:17-22 ~ But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Prologue to Divorce

Interesting how information often comes in clusters. Ten days ago I posted “Sins & Secrets”¹ after encountering, without intention, several bits of information that moved my thoughts in that direction. In studying those bits of information, a pattern characteristic of marital infidelity revealed itself. Then yesterday, a more concise pattern was unexpectedly encountered in a memoir, entitled, Rescue the Captors: Written from within a Marxist guerrilla camp in Colombia, the true story of a kidnapped jungle pilot. The author, Russell M. Stendal, added several appendices to his memoir and in the fourth one entitled, “The Fatal Tailspin,” he wrote:²

Jesus describes three steps to the break-up of a personal relationship. First, anger is allowed to build in our mind against our brother (or [spouse]). Second, our bottled up angry thoughts spill out as words of insult to the other person’s intelligence. … Finally, the inner motives of the other person are questioned and condemned. This causes heart to heart communication with the other person to abruptly cease  (p. xxxviii, bold emphasis added).

If there is an unresolved, unreconciled problem in a home, similar to the one that Jesus has been describing here in Matt. 5: 27–30 and if we are on the outs with our spouse even temporarily, it opens us up to a very dangerous temptation. As we walk down the street, all the other members of the opposite sex that we see take on added attraction. The thought occurs to us: “Hey, why didn’t I marry one of these beautiful people instead of the ‘old grouch’ that I left back at home.” As the mental fantasies build in our mind, our eyes start roaming onto any opportune target that presents itself. Sooner or later chance presents us with the possibility of actually living out one of our fantasies. The transition from mental adultery to physical adultery is surprisingly smooth provided that the relationship with the original spouse remains interrupted  (p. xlii, bold emphasis added).

The point that I believe Jesus wants to make is that seemingly innocent little impure thoughts wreak tremendous havoc on our lives and cause us permanent loss. If we allow impure thoughts such as anger, malice, unforgiveness, or impure sexual fantasies a place in our minds, they are seeds that we will be unable to prevent from germinating and translating themselves into actions. If this happens we might bear the scars of our folly for all eternity  (p. xliii).

Divorces start out with little, seemingly insignificant details and fester until they are out of control. Even a minor little grudge, if nursed long enough, can develop into a full-fledged divorce. Once adultery has taken place, all it takes is one more minor spat with the spouse, and bags are packed, bridges are burned, and the family destroyed in favor of beginning marriage anew with the “someone else” who is available and waiting (p. xliii). God can forgive and restore us after a divorce, but something is irrevocably lost whenever a marriage is broken  (p. xliv).

In Jesus’ description of the vicious cycle of how personal relationships can be destroyed, starting with a buildup of anger and ending in a divorce, the place that he tells us to watch out for the Evil One is at the very end when the Enemy would like to help us rationalize our problem and pretend that it really wasn’t our fault. If at any stage during the breakup of a personal relationship, we are able to honestly face our share of the blame and come to God with the broken attitude of the “poor in spirit,” throwing ourselves upon his mercy, it is possible to break the vicious circle of evil feeding on itself and replace it with the positive, opposite, upward spiral of mercy and love described by Jesus in his beatitudes. Remember: Good can also feed on itself and get better and better the longer we spend planting seeds of mercy, forgiveness, love, and justice. In the Kingdom of God the sky is, literally, the limit. Unlike evil, which can only corrupt and destroy that which was once wholesome and pure, good is creative and knows no upper bounds. There is no upper limit to what God can do with a human life if we are willing to co-operate with him  (pp. xlv-xlvi, bold emphasis added).

Oh, that we could see the pattern at its beginning; that we could acknowledge faults within ourselves; that we knew and lived the Beatitudes; that we were always willing to co-operate with Him.

And how déjà vu this pattern when we begin to divorce ourselves from God.

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1. http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2015/11/sins-secrets.html
2. Stendal, Russell, Rescue the Captors: Written from within a Marxist guerrilla camp in Colombia, the true story of a kidnapped jungle pilot LIFE SENTENCE Publishing. Kindle Edition. (2011-04-21).
Additional Stendal quotes:
How can such “beautiful people” have such horrible divorces? How do personal relationships fall apart? Jesus says it all starts the minute we begin to harbor a grudge against someone else in our family  (p. xxxvii).
When our conscience begins to make us feel uneasy and insecure, due to a damaged personal relationship in our life, how easy it is to head for church to salve our conscience instead of swallowing our pride and going to see the person we have wronged. Jesus says that he doesn’t want to see us in church, or even receive an offering from us, until we have tried our best to reconcile any broken relationships with those around us. Even if the problem seems to be only 1% our fault and 99% the fault of the other party, we are still required to seek the other person out  (pp. xxxix-xli).
Most patients requiring psychiatric treatment have, at the root of their problem, an unreconciled hatred for someone, coupled with bitterness and unforgiveness  (pp. xli-xlii).

His Precious Blood1

Source: footnote 5

When we look at world history and scripture—at all the déjà vus of sin, selfishness, and sacrilege that characterize the ways of the natural man,² do we ever reflect:

▪  on how much of the natural man we personally, stubbornly cling to?
▪  on how many times Christ is denied every day—even re-crucified through our actions, feelings, and attitudes?
▪  on how every old and latter-day village, town and city might fit the description within New Testament Revelation 11:8: “the great city [town, village] which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified”?³

Do we, by treating the things of Heaven with lightness,⁴ crucify Him unto ourselves?

O FOOLISH Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? (New Testament | Galatians 3:1)

For he hath made it impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to be renewed again unto repentance; seeing they crucify unto themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. (New Testament | Hebrews 6:4-6 JST)

Having denied the Holy Spirit after having received it, and having denied the Only Begotten Son of the Father, having crucified him unto themselves and put him to an open shame. (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 76:35)

Do we ever ask ourselves whether, in our choices and decisions, we “assent unto his death”?

The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, which shall not be forgiven in the world nor out of the world, is in that ye commit murder wherein ye shed innocent blood, and assent unto my death, after ye have received my new and everlasting covenant, saith the Lord God; and he that abideth not this law can in nowise enter into my glory, but shall be damned, saith the Lord. (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 132:27)

BUT, above all the noise of the natural man, can we hear?

Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Old Testament | Isaiah 1:16-18)

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1. New Testament | Ephesians 2:12-13 ~ That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
New Testament | Hebrews 9:14 ~ How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
New Testament | 1 Peter 1:18-20 ~ Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
New Testament | 1 John 1:7 ~ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
New Testament | Revelation 1:5 ~ And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Book of Mormon | Mosiah 3:18 ~ For behold he judgeth, and his judgment is just; and the infant perisheth not that dieth in his infancy; but men drink damnation to their own souls except they humble themselves and become as little children, and believe that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.
Book of Mormon | Mosiah 4:2 ~ And they had viewed themselves in their own carnal state, even less than the dust of the earth. And they all cried aloud with one voice, saying: O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men.
Book of Mormon | Alma 5:27 ~ Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins?
Book of Mormon | Moroni 10:32-33 ~ Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 35:2 ~ I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was crucified for the sins of the world, even as many as will believe on my name, that they may become the sons of God, even one in me as I am one in the Father, as the Father is one in me, that we may be one.
2. Book of Mormon | Mosiah 3:19 ~ For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.
3. New Testament | Revelation 11:8 ~ And their dead bodies [of the two witnesses] shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
4. Old Testament | Deuteronomy 32:15 ~ But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 84:52-58 ~ And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me. And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world groaneth under sin and darkness even now. And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received— Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation. And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all. And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written— That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father's kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion.
*(All bold emphasis has been added above.)
5. From bing.com; titled, "Precious Blood Jesus" from thegoodheart.blogspot.com

Sins & Secrets

If there was ever a pattern of recycling déjà vu it might be in all those cases of infidelity. We do not have to look far to see the repetitious pattern in the famous. Remember Paula Broadwell, Kobe Bryant, Bill Clinton, John Edwards, Newt Gingrich, Jennifer Lopez, David Petraeus, LeAnn Rimes, Meg Ryan, Mark Sanford, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Eliot Spitzer, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Anthony Weiner, Tiger Woods, et al., al., al.

So what is the pattern? Does it manifest in the not-so-famous—the man or woman next door? Apparently—and by many reports¹—increasingly so. History is full of “infidels.” God’s recurring lament was that His covenant people had gone a whoring (His words) after other gods—had become covenant-breakers.

So here is a short checklist for marital infidels—for covenant-breakers with both God and spouse:

□  Have I checked values and principles at the door of “my feelings”?
□  Do I claim my infidelity is someone (everyone) else’s fault?
□  Have I become cold, angry, cruel or fake with my spouse?
□  Do I lie about or attempt to keep secret my comings and goings and whereabouts?
□  Am I paranoid about someone reading my texts or answering my phone?
□  Do I flare up at any suggestion or suspicion about my behavior?
□  Am I addicted to the drama (and the “fix”) of it all?
□  Do I acquiesce to uncomfortable things so my paramour won’t betray me?
□  Have I let my sins and secrets turn me into a sociopath?²
□  Is my whole life a lie?

If you haven't heretofore recognized the pattern, know this: others have. And know this: The perennial déjà vu is that every infidel will be exposed. If not in this life (though the odds may favor it), it will come at the Judgment when all former pleasures and passions will be as nothing to the pain and anguish of confronting one's own stupidity(?), duplicity(?), pride(?), narcissism(?), myopia(?).

Know this too. All those warning voices of “end-times”; of getting things right with God; of repenting before it is too late; of taking full responsibility for sins and clearing secrets—all these are not pie-in-the-sky. The time we have to get things right is unbelievably short.

Know also: No secret is safe with other sinners; and no secret is safe from omniscience.

For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. (New Testament | Luke 12:2-3)

For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear, neither heart that shall not be penetrated. And the rebellious shall be pierced with much sorrow; for their iniquities shall be spoken upon the housetops, and their secret acts shall be revealed. (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 1:2-3)

P.S. “Why is it, that when [we] can supposedly seduce any person in the world into liking [us], [we] still don't like [our]self?” (Quoted from D B.³)

BUT, above all, know this: There is help, healing, and forgiveness when we turn our life back to Him.

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1.  Listen, read, understand how tragic this all is:
◦   http://beyondaffairs.com/suspicion-confrontation/signs-of-infidelity/
◦   http://womensinfidelity.com/adultery_wife.html
◦   http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/podcasts/current_20151112_50275.mp3 - Neil Strauss rethinks his pickup artist past confessing 'The Truth' about relationships - Nov 12, 2015 (2/3)
◦   http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ashley-madison-data-1.3196636
◦   http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/podcasts/spark_20151108_19183.mp3 - Spark #299: Spy-on-your-spouse apps, ...   (begin at minute 32:45)
◦   http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/how-technology-is-lifting-the-covers-on-infidelity-1.1144992
◦   do a google or book search on infidelity, if you need additional witness beyond these articles, mp3s, and the AshleyMadison scandals.
2. http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/search/label/Sociopath
3. Quote from D B post of October 13, 2015 from Customer Reviews for Strauss’s book The Truth: An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships at http://www.amazon.com/Truth-Uncomfortable-Book-About-Relationships-ebook/dp/B00ICN31SA/ref=sr_1_13?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1447866175&sr=1-13&keywords=neil+strauss&pebp=1447866193036&perid=1J00DE8C9WJG7QYMAKN7

In Vain ?

“Come one, come all

for a fee you can be

taught Higher Laws”

Definition: to no avail; fruitlessly
Synonyms: useless, to no avail, unsuccessful, fruitless, wasted, vain, ineffectual, without success, to no purpose, bootless
(Source: http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/in-vain)

To all those who have taken the pilgrimage to be instructed in “higher laws” that (purportedly)  promise wealth and the realization of personal agendas, I refer you to the recent Déjà Vu ~ Time II post entitled, “Priestcraft?”¹ and share these words from Russell M. Stendal²:

If we take our God-given gifts and start using them for our own benefit, we are taking the anointing of God and pouring it over our own heads. We will short circuit the blessing of the Lord and will be guilty of taking the name of the Lord in vain. If we are just trying to stamp the Lord’s name all over the top of our own selfish plans and ambitions (individual or corporate) to dress them up and make them look nice and acceptable, we are taking the Lord’s name in vain. We may not have any literal idols, but if we are spending our time and money on good things that keep us from pursuing God’s best, these things become our idols. God wants to write His laws on the tablets of our hearts. God wants to write the essence of the Ten Commandments that the Jews could not keep on the tablets of our hearts. He wants to change our hearts. He wants to give us His feelings. He wants to motivate us from within to hunger and thirst for His righteousness, so He can fill and satisfy us. He wants to fill us with Himself. When we are full of the Lord and begin to get a little inkling of how God feels about sin, it has a tremendous impact on our behavior (Kindle Locations 876-884).

We cannot take promises that apply to His will and use them for personal gain, any more than a business manager can take the corporate funds and pocket them for whatever He pleases. The Christian church is full of people asking for everything under the sun in Jesus’ name when really it is in their own name (Kindle Locations 872-874).

Remember that the simplest definition of sin according to the Word of God is “going our own way, instead of going God’s way” (Kindle Locations 245-246).

Babylon is a type of the religious humanism that attempts to conduct the church of God according to the ways of the world, the world that according to the Scriptures is at enmity with God (James 4:4) (Kindle Locations 96-97).

Religious persons and organizations are doing their own things in the name of God, expecting God to bless them, and He won’t. He can’t  (Kindle Locations 84-85).

How much sad experience must we endure before we come to accept that there is a God-ordained Plan³ for our life and our churches and it is not to pursue the things and agendas of this world? How many times will we let ourselves be deceived by those pursuing power and gain? How long are we going to claim we are God’s good people when most of our time and efforts are focused on pursuing status and comfort in this world?

Stendal writes:

Those who truly surrender to God and submit to the authority of Christ will grieve at the status of the world around them (Kindle Locations 491-492).

His words are so déjà vu Ezekiel:

And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side; And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. (Old Testament | Ezekiel 9:3-4)

How many times must we hear and read this before we truly self-reflect?

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (New Testament | Matthew 7:21-23; bold emphasis added).

Please, please, let us open ourselves to the real purpose of Higher Laws.

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1. http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2015/09/priestcraft.html
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 63:58, 61-62 ~ For this is a day of warning, and not a day of many words. For I, the Lord, am not to be mocked in the last days. … Wherefore, let all men beware how they take my name in their lips— For behold, verily I say, that many there be who are under this condemnation, who use the name of the Lord, and use it in vain, having not authority.
2. Stendal, Russell M., God’s Plan for Spiritual Battle: Victory over Sin, the World, and the Devil (Free eBook Sampler). LIFE SENTENCE Publishing. Kindle Edition (2014-11-27). “Russell Stendal was … raised on the mission field in Colombia, South America. He … heads up the work of Colombia Para Cristo which operates 12 radio stations involving more than 100 staff and coworkers and covering much of Latin America with the Gospel.” … Connect with the Stendal Ministry Website www.cpcsociety.ca  (Kindle Locations 1054-1067). Find additional biographical information at the website.
3. http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2015/03/the-plan.html ; see also http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2014/11/the-flesh.html ; http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2015/08/gods-will.html

Words ? Works ?

Are mere words, such as—“I believe” or “I accept Jesus as my Savior”—sufficient to get us into heaven? Even otherwise thoughtful evangelists and pastors seem to promise salvation (i.e., heaven) with the mere recitation of words. Yes, there are passages that seem to give “faith in Christ” exclusivity,¹ but what of the scriptural gestalt? And has this “doctrine” of mere words become a form of Christian vaporware?² a near déjà vu of the old-time “sale of indulgences”?³

Perhaps we could ask ourselves if there is a Christian parallel to this quote:

Network World magazine called vaporware an "epidemic" in 1989, and blamed the press [read: truth-seeker]  for not investigating whether developers' [read: evangalists'/pastors'] claims were true. Seven major companies issued a report in 1990 saying they felt vaporware had hurt the industry's credibility.⁴

Have promises of formulaic salvation become epidemic? Does such salvation hurt the credibility of the gospel message? Do we really think we can “coast” up an incline?

Sure our good works will NEVER get us into heaven, but what if good works are essential to get us to the edge of that unbridgeable chasm over which Christ’s atonement will carry us if we have followed the way, the truth and the light?

Here are a few scriptures that perhaps we should investigate (and remember) when considering faith, works, and salvation.⁵

O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways. (Old Testament | Ezekiel 33:20)

... shall not he render to every man according to his works? (Old Testament | Proverbs 24:12)

For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. (New Testament | Matthew 16:27)

They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. (New Testament | Titus 1:16)

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (New Testament | James 2:14-26)

… all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. … And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: (New Testament | Revelation 2:23-26)

And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. (New Testament | Revelation 14:13)

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. (New Testament | Revelation 20:12-13)

And it is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works; and if their works were good in this life, and the desires of their hearts were good, that they should also, at the last day, be restored unto that which is good. And if their works are evil they shall be restored unto them for evil. (Book of Mormon | Alma 41:3-4)

And these things doth the Spirit manifest unto me; therefore I write unto you all. And for this cause I write unto you, that ye may know that ye must all stand before the judgment–seat of Christ, yea, every soul who belongs to the whole human family of Adam; and ye must stand to be judged of your works, whether they be good or evil; (Book of Mormon | Mormon 3:20)

And even unto the great and last day, when all people, and all kindreds, and all nations and tongues shall stand before God, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil— If they be good, to the resurrection of everlasting life; and if they be evil, to the resurrection of damnation; being on a parallel, the one on the one hand and the other on the other hand, according to the mercy, and the justice, and the holiness which is in Christ, who was before the world began. (Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 26:4-5)

And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works. (Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 27:15)

Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do; (Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 27:21)

Write the works of this people, which shall be, even as hath been written, of that which hath been. For behold, out of the books which have been written, and which shall be written, shall this people be judged, for by them shall their works be known unto men. (Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 27:24-25)

If thou lovest me thou shalt serve me and keep all my commandments. (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 42:29)

Surely we can see that mere words are not sufficient:

He that receiveth my law and doeth it, the same is my disciple; and he that saith he receiveth it and doeth it not, the same is not my disciple, and shall be cast out from among you; (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 41:5)

and that many of our “wonderful works” will not be viewed as so wonderful:

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (New Testament | Matthew 7:21-23)

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1. New Testament | Romans 3:27; 9:32; 10:9; 11:6; Galatians 2:16; 3:2-5; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5-7
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaporware
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indulgence
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaporware
5. Additional supporting scriptures re works:
  New Testament | 2 Timothy 3:17 ~ That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
New Testament | Matthew 5:16 ~ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
New Testament | Titus 2:7 ~ In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
New Testament | Titus 3:8 ~ This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
New Testament | 1 Corinthians 3:13-14 ~ Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
Book of Mormon | 1 Nephi 15:32-33 ~ And it came to pass that I said unto them that it was a representation of things both temporal and spiritual; for the day should come that they must be judged of their works, yea, even the works which were done by the temporal body in their days of probation. Wherefore, if they should die in their wickedness they must be cast off also, as to the things which are spiritual, which are pertaining to righteousness; wherefore, they must be brought to stand before God, to be judged of their works; and if their works have been filthiness they must needs be filthy; and if they be filthy it must needs be that they cannot dwell in the kingdom of God; if so, the kingdom of God must be filthy also.
Book of Mormon | Mosiah 5:15 ~ Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above all. Amen.
Book of Mormon | Mosiah 16:10-11 ~ Even this mortal shall put on immortality, and this corruption shall put on incorruption, and shall be brought to stand before the bar of God, to be judged of him according to their works whether they be good or whether they be evil— If they be good, to the resurrection of endless life and happiness; and if they be evil, to the resurrection of endless damnation, being delivered up to the devil, who hath subjected them, which is damnation—
Book of Mormon | Alma 7:24, 27 ~ And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works. … And now, may the peace of God rest upon you, and upon your houses and lands, and upon your flocks and herds, and all that you possess, your women and your children, according to your faith and good works, from this time forth and forever. And thus I have spoken. Amen.
Book of Mormon | Mormon 6:21 ~ And the day soon cometh that your mortal must put on immortality, and these bodies which are now moldering in corruption must soon become incorruptible bodies; and then ye must stand before the judgment–seat of Christ, to be judged according to your works; and if it so be that ye are righteous, then are ye blessed with your fathers who have gone before you.
Book of Mormon | Mormon 8:19 ~ For behold, the same that judgeth rashly shall be judged rashly again; for according to his works shall his wages be; therefore, he that smiteth shall be smitten again, of the Lord.
Book of Mormon | Moroni 7:5 ~ For I remember the word of God which saith by their works ye shall know them; for if their works be good, then they are good also.
Book of Mormon | Alma 12:28-30 ~ …[God] saw that it was expedient that man should know concerning the things whereof he had appointed unto them; Therefore he sent angels to converse with them, who caused men to behold of his glory. And they began from that time forth to call on his name; therefore God conversed with men, and made known unto them the plan of redemption, which had been prepared from the foundation of the world; and this he made known unto them according to their faith and repentance and their holy works.
Book of Mormon | Alma 13:3 ~ And this is the manner after which they were ordained—being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith, are called with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such.
Book of Mormon | Alma 26:22 ~ Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing—unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance.
Book of Mormon | Alma 40:21 ~ … the time which is appointed of God that the dead shall come forth, and be reunited, both soul and body, and be brought to stand before God, and be judged according to their works.
Book of Mormon | Ether 12:4 ~ Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.
Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 27:32 ~ But behold, it sorroweth me because of the fourth generation from this generation, for they are led away captive by him even as was the son of perdition; for they will sell me for silver and for gold, and for that which moth doth corrupt and which thieves can break through and steal. And in that day will I visit them, even in turning their works upon their own heads.
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 59:23 ~ But learn that he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world and eternal life in the world to come.
JST New Testament | Matthew 7:23-35 ~ Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. And, again, beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing; but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits; for do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit; neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Verily I say unto you, it is not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, that shall enter unto the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. For the day soon cometh, that men shall come before me to judgment, to be judged according to their works. And many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name; and in thy name cast out devils; and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I say, Ye never knew me; depart from me ye that work iniquity. Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock, and the rains descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand; and the rains descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it.

In Remembrance of John Huss

~ in this 600th anniversary year of his martyrdom • 1415 ~

John Huss was born … in Bohemia, about the year 1380. … In 1398, Huss commenced bachelor of divinity, and was after successively chosen pastor of the church of Bethlehem, in Prague, and dean and rector of the university. In these stations he discharged his duties with great fidelity; and became, at length, so conspicuous for his preaching, which was in conformity with the doctrines of Wickliffe, that it was not likely he could long escape the notice of the pope and his adherents[.]¹

Eventually he was arrested, tried for heresy, and cruelly mocked when he would not recant. He was burned at the stake, 6 July 1415.

But why should we remember John Huss AND the other hundreds-of-thousands (if not millions) who have given their lives in standing² for truth (as they understood it through prayer, study, and obedience to the Word of God)?

Perhaps we should remember for these reasons:

▪ because, in these latter-days, we seem too content to subsist on “likes”, worldly pursuits, skimmed milk,³ and “smooth things”;⁴
▪ because we seem unaware that there have been innumerable martyrs and that their stories can help prepare us to stand strong in our own convictions. (Read: John Foxe’s, Fox's Book of Martyrs Or A History of the Lives, Sufferings, and Triumphant Deaths of the Primitive Protestant Martyrs)
▪ because in our distractions, pursuits, and entertainments, we seem devoid of the depth and conviction that carried so many martyrs through tortures and death;
▪ because we don’t seem to be preparing for prophetic fulfillments:

And I saw the woman [BABYLON THE GREAT] drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: (New Testament | Revelation 17:6)

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; (New Testament | Revelation 20:4)

▪ because we don’t seem to care enough about the lessons and déjà vus of history;⁵
▪ “… lest the wickedness of men reveal these things unto you by their wickedness, in a manner which shall speak in your ears with a voice louder than that which shall shake the earth; but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear. And that ye might escape the power of the enemy, and be gathered unto me a righteous people, without spot and blameless—” (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 38:30-31)
▪ because fear is the forerunner of deception, impulsivity, confusion, violence, and chaos;
▪ because we shall fear if we do not have the Word of God firmly planted in our minds and hearts, to give us the peace and assurance that we can endure all things in Christ:

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. (Old Testament | Isaiah 41:10-13)

▪ because too many of us seem to live as if we shall inherit all things on the wings of Babylon.

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1. Foxe, John, Fox's Book of Martyrs Or A History of the Lives, Sufferings, and Triumphant Deaths of the Primitive Protestant Martyrs (Kindle Locations 2981, 2984-2987). Public Domain Books. Kindle Edition (2009-10-04). See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Hus
2. As in standing before idols instead of bowing down as exemplified by Shadrach, Meshach, & Abed-nego; as in the Savior’s words: “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) (New Testament | Matthew 24:15)
3. http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2010/10/skimmed-milk.html
4. Old Testament | Isaiah 30:8-11 ~ Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever: That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.
5. Doctrine and Covenants | Section 88:77-82 ~ And I give unto you a commandment that you shall teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom. Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand; Of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land; and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms— That ye may be prepared in all things when I shall send you again to magnify the calling whereunto I have called you, and the mission with which I have commissioned you. Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor. Therefore, they are left without excuse, and their sins are upon their own heads. [Bold emphasis added.]