#080: “Cunning Plan of the Evil One”

Self-Reflection: Have I fallen for the cunning plan?

28 O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men [and women]! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.
29 But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.
30 But wo unto the rich, who are rich as to the things of the world. For because they are rich they despise the poor, and they persecute the meek, and their hearts are upon their treasures; wherefore, their treasure is their god. And behold, their treasure shall perish with them also.

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Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 9:28-30

#079: Changing the Truth of God Into a Lie

Reflection: Does this nigh 1000-year old observation indict our present world?

21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

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New Testament | Romans 1:21-25

#078: Of the World or Not?

Reflection: Does the world love me or hate me? Am I a star? or a pariah?

18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

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New Testament | John 15:18-19

#077: “Why Are They Not Chosen?”

Self-Reflection: Do verses 35 and 37 describe me? If so, what are the consequences?

34 Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?
35 Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—
36 That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.
37 That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.
38 Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God.

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Doctrine and Covenants | Section 121:34-38

#076: A Lost and Fallen State

Self-Reflection: What are my doings that might be found to be unclean?

6 Wherefore, all mankind were in a lost and in a fallen state, and ever would be save they should rely on this Redeemer. ...
20 Therefore remember, O man, for all thy doings thou shalt be brought into judgment.
21 Wherefore, if ye have sought to do wickedly in the days of your probation, then ye are found unclean before the judgment–seat of God; and no unclean thing can dwell with God; wherefore, ye must be cast off forever.

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Book of Mormon | 1 Nephi 10:6, 20-21

#075: Waxing Gross

Reflection: Do these words from the past describe the ubiquitous gas-lighting that plagues our present narcissistic-affirming culture​?

25 ... Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers,
26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:
27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

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New Testament | Acts 28:25-27

#074: Full of Idols

Reflection: Does this describe the alleged “most powerful” nation on earth today? 

7 Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots:
8 Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made:
9 And the mean man boweth not down, and the great man humbleth himself not: therefore forgive them not.

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JST Old Testament | Isaiah 2:7-9 (JST corrections in bold.)

#073: Gross Darkness?

Reflection: Could these words apply to our present culture and medical experimentation?

23 Verily, verily, I say unto you, darkness covereth the earth, and gross darkness the minds of the people, and all flesh has become corrupt before my face.

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Doctrine and Covenants | Section 112:23

#072: Full of All Manner of Evil

Self-Reflection: Do we see any of these in ourselves? in our culture?

3 But behold, they have not learned to be obedient to the things which I required at their hands, but are full of all manner of evil, and do not impart of their substance, as becometh saints, to the poor and afflicted among them;

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Doctrine and Covenants | Section 105:3

#071: Strong in Their Perversion

Reflection: Have small pockets of perversion now become almost universal? How long till this describes our world if we do not stand strong against the perversions?

19 And they have become strong in their perversion; and they are alike brutal, sparing none, neither old nor young; and they delight in everything save that which is good; and the suffering of our women and our children [and our men] upon all the face of this land doth exceed everything; yea, tongue cannot tell, neither can it be written.

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Book of Mormon | Moroni 9:19

#070: “The Way to Judge”

Reflection: What is the judgment our present culture is making?

13 But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.
14 Wherefore, take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye do not judge that which is evil to be of God, or that which is good and of God to be of the devil.
15 For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night.
16 For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.

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Book of Mormon | Moroni 7:13-16

#069: Trusting in Wickedness

Reflection: Could this assessment be levied against many of our “elites”? against ourselves?

10 ¶ For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me.

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Old Testament | Isaiah 47:10

#068: As your Fathers Did ...

Reflection: Do we really think human nature has changed over time?

51 ¶ Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.

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New Testament | Acts 7:51

#067: Evils and Designs in the Last Days

Self-reflection: How healthy is my diet? Do I count on Pharma to cover my food sins?

4 Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom [concerning foods and health] by revelation—

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Doctrine and Covenants | Section 89:4

#066: “Agents Unto Themselves”

Self-reflection: How am I exercising my agency?

48 And [Enoch] said unto them: Because that Adam fell, we are; and by his fall came death; and we are made partakers of misery and woe.
49 Behold Satan hath come among the children of men, and tempteth them to worship him; and men have become carnal, sensual, and devilish, and are shut out from the presence of God.
50 But God hath made known unto our fathers that all men must repent.
...
55 And the Lord spake unto Adam, saying: Inasmuch as thy children are conceived in sin, even so when they begin to grow up, sin conceiveth in their hearts, and they taste the bitter, that they may know to prize the good.
56 And it is given unto them to know good from evil; wherefore they are agents unto themselves, and I have given unto you another law and commandment.
57 Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous Judge, who shall come in the meridian of time.*

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*Pearl of Great Price | Moses 6:48-50, 55-57 (Bold emphasis added.)

#065: In the Beginning of the World ... unto the Ends Thereof

Reflection: Any déjà vu here?

27 And he heard a voice from heaven, saying: Enoch, my son, prophesy unto this people, and say unto them—Repent, for thus saith the Lord: I am angry with this people, and my fierce anger is kindled against them; for their hearts have waxed hard, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes cannot see afar off;
28 And for these many generations, ever since the day that I created them, have they gone astray, and have denied me, and have sought their own counsels in the dark; and in their own abominations have they devised murder, and have not kept the commandments, which I gave unto their father, Adam.
29 Wherefore, they have foresworn themselves, and, by their oaths, they have brought upon themselves death; and a hell I have prepared for them, if they repent not;
30 And this is a decree, which I have sent forth in the beginning of the world, from my own mouth, from the foundation thereof, and by the mouths of my servants, thy fathers, have I decreed it, even as it shall be sent forth in the world, unto the ends thereof.*

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*Pearl of Great Price | Moses 6:27-30 (Bold emphasis added.)

#064: Secret Works Seeking for Power

Reflection: An I one of those refusing to acknowledge the repeating patterns of history?

14 And Seth lived, after he begat Enos, eight hundred and seven years, and begat many sons and daughters.
15 And the children of men were numerous upon all the face of the land. And in those days Satan had great dominion among men, and raged in their hearts; and from thenceforth came wars and bloodshed; and a man's hand was against his own brother, in administering death, because of secret works, seeking for power.*

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*Pearl of Great Price | Moses 6:14-15 
Also: Lutes, Kenneth and Lyndell. Joseph Smith Translation (p. 34). Lutes Publishing. Kindle Edition. | JST-OT Genesis 6:13-14

#063: Loving Satan More Than God?

Self-Reflection: Can I recognize this same pattern in current events? Do I have anything carnal, sensual or devilish in my life?

12 And Adam and Eve blessed the name of God, and they made all things known unto their sons and their daughters.
13 And Satan came among them, saying: I am also a son of God; and he commanded them, saying: Believe it not; and they believed it not, and they loved Satan more than God. And men began from that time forth to be carnal, sensual, and devilish.

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Pearl of Great Price | Moses 5:12-13 (JST Old Testament | Genesis 4:12-13)

#062: Destroying the Agency of Man

Reflection: Can we observe this agenda in our present culture and governments? Are we playing any part in resisting the destruction?

4 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, and he became Satan;
5 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.

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Lutes, Kenneth and Lyndell. Joseph Smith Translation (p. 24). Lutes Publishing. Kindle Edition.  (Pearl of Great Price | Moses 4:3-4 | JST Genesis 3:4-5 )

#061: Remaining in Sin?

Self-reflection: Do any of these describe something in my life?

30 But wo unto the rich, who are rich as to the things of the world. For because they are rich they despise the poor, and they persecute the meek, and their hearts are upon their treasures; wherefore, their treasure is their god. And behold, their treasure shall perish with them also.
31 And wo unto the deaf that will not hear; for they shall perish.
32 Wo unto the blind that will not see; for they shall perish also.
33 Wo unto the uncircumcised of heart, for a knowledge of their iniquities shall smite them at the last day.
34 Wo unto the liar, for he shall be thrust down to hell.
35 Wo unto the murderer who deliberately killeth, for he shall die.
36 Wo unto them who commit whoredoms, for they shall be thrust down to hell.
37 Yea, wo unto those that worship idols, for the devil of all devils delighteth in them.
38 And, in fine, wo unto all those who die in their sins; for they shall return to God, and behold his face, and remain in their sins.

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Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 9:30-38

#060: “In the Pride of Their Hearts”

Reflection: Does we see this in our churches? In ourselves?

35 Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.
36 And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts.
37 For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.
38 O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God? Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies—because of the praise of the world?
39 Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not?
40 Yea, why do ye build up your secret abominations to get gain, and cause that widows should mourn before the Lord, and also orphans to mourn before the Lord, and also the blood of their fathers and their husbands to cry unto the Lord from the ground, for vengeance upon your heads?

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Book of Mormon | Mormon 8:35-40