Jan. 2022: When the Church Doubled Down on Advising Members to "Trust in the Arm of Flesh"

SUMMARY: 

• In the last two weeks, Elder Ballard and BYU-I President Henry Eyring both doubled down on the church's advocacy of following the "the wise and thoughtful recommendations of medical experts and government leaders" 
• Both leaders said we would win the "war" against Covid by following said recommendations, whereas there was no mention whatsoever of Jesus Christ, who has offered to win the war for us. 
•  Both leaders presented statements with significant errors which do not square with facts and could easily mislead others. 
• This has set up a situation where the church's leaders are clearly "Denying the Lord." 
• One could even say that by the actions and statements of the Brethren, a new church has formed at "the Altar of Covid," complete with saviors, gospel, temple recommends and more. 
• In turning to man instead of God for solutions, leaders have effectively become idolatrous, which always has and always will result in a cursing. 
• Contrary to popular belief that the Brethren are simply "urging" members to take the jab, they are allowing local-level leaders to coerce members to get the jab or not allowed to worship inside church buildings (video proof included in blog post).

(Note: Since my last post, I've been wanting to publish something other than the Church and its responses to the Covid issue. However, the situation is such that if I don't address this issue now, this post will lose its timeliness. Maybe we should pray that there's a brief respite in Covid so I can get on to some other juicy insights).

This last week, the church doubled down in encouraging members to trust in the arm of flesh.

First Up: Elder Ballard

In referencing the First Presidency's August 12, 2021 announcement to the world, [1] Ballard said on January 6th:

"Following the guidelines of the federal and state medical advisers has proven to be a wise thing for members of the Church to do. The Church invites its members to be wise and prudent and do the wise thing for their families."  [2]

(While it is true that church leaders "invite" members to get the jab, as we'll see below, it's doing more than inviting; it's constraining (forcing "by imposed stricture, restriction, or limitation") [3]  -- which is a synonym of compelling or compulsion (see D&C 121:37) - members to take the jab).

The rest of the article on Ballard raises more questions:

• Ballard tells readers to "Just keep smiling" and that "things will be OK." 
• How can he pronounce these reassurances when prophecies of the future found in 1 Nephi, 3 Nephi, Mormon, Moroni, Jeremiah, Daniel and Revelations paint a diametrically opposite (a very frightening and violent) picture of the future?
• "We've been dealing with it [the pandemic] wisely." 
• Is trusting in the arm of flesh - and encouraging members to do the same - a wise course of action? 
• Where in the scriptures do we read that it's OK to trust in the arm of flesh (which includes medical experts and government leaders)?
• Are those scriptures (which instruct us not to truth in the arm of flesh) now invalidated? If so, what else has been invalidated?
• "The Church has not stopped; the Church has gone forward. We've used wisdom and good judgment" and "The Restoration has not stopped. Missionary service has not stopped. The Church hasn't stopped. We're moving forward - all in preparation for the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ." 
• If the Church really has "gone forward" and is "moving forward", then why does the church's own 2020 statistical report [4] show that in April 2020, the convert baptismal rate was 0.6% -- the lowest in recorded recent history?

• If the Brethren truly have "keys" of the priesthood, then where are their fruits with respect to the church's first mission - "to proclaim the gospel"? [5] 
• How is this "moving forward"? 
• How does this decline in convert baptisms reflect "wisdom and good judgment"? 
• Is this what the Savior wants - nearly zero convert baptisms?
• "President Ballard pointed to state and national statistics that indicate vaccines are helping to quell the spread of the virus." How can this be said when:
• Hospital databases show a huge increase in "vaccine"-related injuries. [6] 
• The U.K. is reporting that 4x more "vaxxed" than "unvaxxed" people are dying. [7] 
• Fully "vaccinated" surpass "unvaccinated" in Australian hospitals. [8] 
• Australia now admits Covid "vaccines" are harming people, offers up to $600,000 in compensation for the seriously injured. [9] 
• "All of the Church's general authorities and their wives have chosen to be vaccinated, not only to protect themselves but to protect others."
• This establishes a dichotomy within the church's membership: The "vaxxed" (who "protect themselves" and "protect others") and the "unvaxxed" (who do not). This has been a prime source of frustration to many members, as evidenced in many social media groups. 

Ballard's statements may sound optimistic and encouraging, but with a miniscule amount of digging, they don't hold up in light of true facts. What kind of leader encourages others with statements based on outright lies?

Second Up: Pres. Eyring (the other one)

Five days later, BYU-Idaho President Henry J. Eyring doubled down on the "trust in the arm of flesh" rhetoric:

"COVID, it appears, is testing our resolve to follow the guidance of governmental and Church authorities. But, rather than seeing an unfair and perhaps even needless intrusion on our freedom, we can embrace the trials, tests and potential victories to be had." [10] 

He then quoted the First Presidency's August 2021 letter, which states:

"We know that protection from the diseases they cause can only be achieved by immunizing a very high percentage of the population ... We can win this war if everyone will follow the wise and thoughtful recommendations of medical experts and government leaders."

Three points regarding Eyring's address:

1. "the wise and thoughtful recommendations of medical experts and government leaders" - I have yet to see any recommendations which have been wise, because many of them have changed or been proven wrong during the Covid crisis. If they were truly thoughtful, they would not be unjustifiably shunning alternative treatments (which has led to many lawsuits and even more deaths). Instead, they would be emphasizing boosting the body's God-given natural immune system (which they have publicly neglected and rejected).
2. Church leaders have often equated battling the Covid pandemic with a war. Yet in Pres. Kimball's famous June, 1976 Ensign article, "The False Gods We Worship," he states,

"We forget that if we are righteous the Lord will either not suffer our enemies to come upon us-and this is the special promise to the inhabitants of the land of the Americas (see 2 Nephi 1:7)-or he will fight our battles for us (Exodus 14:14; D&C 98:37, to name only two references of many). This he is able to do, for as he said at the time of his betrayal, "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matthew 26:53.)

What are we to fear when the Lord is with us? Can we not take the Lord at his word and exercise a particle of faith in him?" 

3. Eyring quoted the First Presidency's announcement:

"We know that protection from the diseases they cause can only be achieved by immunizing a very high percentage of the population." 

"Immunization" is the "only" way? The same immunization that's proven ineffective even to those who have received the jab? The same immunization that's caused catastrophic adverse effects among those who received the jab?

The church has never mentioned Matthew 26:53 during the entirety of this pandemic. Nor has it mentioned the power of prayer, the Word of Wisdom and/or the role of faith in healing and preventing disease. In fact, Jesus has been found nowhere in the church's public pronouncements.

Instead, it is now proven that the Church is relying on the mistaken notion that "we can win this war" if "everyone" follows "the wise and thoughtful recommendations of medical experts and government leaders" (who themselves have never quoted the Lord in their public pronouncements. Ever.) and endorse turning only to what? "Immunizing."

This is called "Denying the Lord" (see the 2 Nephi 28 quote below).

"The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh." [11] 

"It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man." [12] 

In fact, not any ordinary men. According to the church, the wars that are to be won over Covid rely not only on mortal men, but men who (as is agreed upon by both sides of the political aisles, and as history amply demonstrates) are very likely prone to self-aggrandizement and corruption (hence the statement "evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days" in the Word of Wisdom). [13] 

Because of this wholesale (and now very deliberate) denial of the Lord, and because there is no mention by the Brethren whatsoever of the power of faith or in the scriptures, I'm concerned - as is Dr. Scott Bradley of freedomsrisingsun.com - of the following (found in the video below, at the 8:25 mark):

"I'm so worried about so many other things one is that central to everything that's happening nowadays is a new god. I'm sorry to say that it's an altar that people have come to worship at called "The Altar of Covid," and the saviors in this new religion have become the physicians, the scientists, the researchers, the politicians and the big pharma companies." 

Carried further, I would also add that in this new religion: 

• Fear has replaced faith.
• Youth suicides have replaced youth activities.
• Adverse reactions (like death) have replaced healings.
• Loyalty to men has replaced trust in God.
• Cover-ups and redacted public documents have replaced transparency.
• "Vaccine" stations could be considered this new religion's temple.
• "Vaccine" passports are the recommend cards.
• Booster shots the new sacrament.
• The guidance of the CDC as the new gospel and, 
• The new garment to prove your devotion? You guessed it: masks. 

The Church is Now Worshipping Idols

Pres. Kimball continues in his article, "The False Gods We Worship":

"in all ages when men have fallen under the power of Satan and lost the faith, they have put in its place a hope in the 'arm of flesh' and in 'gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know' (Dan. 5:23)-that is, in idols."

"Whatever thing a man sets his heart and his trust in most is his god; and if his god doesn't also happen to be the true and living God of Israel, that man is laboring in idolatry."

"In spite of our delight in defining ourselves as modern, and our tendency to think we possess a sophistication that no people in the past ever had-in spite of these things, we are, on the whole, an idolatrous people-a condition most repugnant to the Lord."

Pres. Kimball said that in 1976. Here we are 44 years later. Do you think that "we are, on the whole, an idolatrous people" statement still applies? In speaking of our time - right now -- the Lord said in D&C 1:16 (italics added):

"They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall."

The Result of all this Idolatry? Cursing.

There should be nothing safe nor reassuring about trusting in the arm of flesh to "win this war." Without the Lord of Hosts as the church's battle cry, a disastrous outcome is assured.

I find it interesting that the August 19, 2021 letter was only sent out by the First Presidency and not the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (which would have been even more powerful and convincing to church members). This may be because not all of the Twelve concur with the First Presidency's message. One of those may be Elder D. Todd Christofferson. Although I'm not a big fan of his October 2020 General Conference talk "Sustainable Societies", he did have this to say:

"I think it safe to say that when people turn from a sense of accountability to God and begin to trust instead in the 'arm of flesh,' disaster lurks. Trusting in the arm of flesh is to ignore the divine Author of human rights and human dignity and to give highest priority to riches, power, and the praise of the world (while often mocking and persecuting those who follow a different standard)."

Pres. Kimball also said,

"We must leave off the worship of modern-day idols and a reliance on the 'arm of flesh,' for the Lord has said to all the world in our day, 'I will not spare any that remain in Babylon.' (D&C 64:24.)"

Are they right? Without question. The scriptures contain a curse on those who follow man or put their trust in man's arm. In 2 Nephi 28, Nephi's final address warns the gentiles how vulnerable they are to this mistake, and how they will be cursed as a consequence. He offers hope, however, conditioned on repentance and return to following the Lord. 

"Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Wo be unto the Gentiles, saith the Lord God of Hosts! For notwithstanding I shall lengthen out mine arm unto them from day to day, they will deny me; nevertheless, I will be merciful unto them, saith the Lord God, if they will repent and come unto me; for mine arm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord God of Hosts." [14] 

"Oh Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yes, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm." [15] 

How this affects the local levels of the church

Pres. Ezra Taft Benson once said,

"Sometimes from behind the pulpit, in our classrooms, in our Council meetings and in our church publications, we hear, read or witness things that do not square with the truth. This is especially true where freedom is involved. Now do not let this serve as an excuse for your own wrong-doing. The Lord is letting the wheat and the tares mature before he fully purges the Church. He is also testing you to see if you will be misled. The devil is trying to deceive the very elect." [16] 

These days, what are we hearing or witnessing that does not square with the truth?

1. Members saying, "I know that taking the jab is wrong, but it's a 'Spiritual Obedience Test,' so I'll take it."
   
   Many members equate taking the jab with the Israelites' looking at the brass serpent on a pole. The serpent represented Jesus Christ -- the very same Jesus Christ who is never mentioned by medical experts, government leaders nor church brethren regarding Covid. Looking to Jesus should heal you. Instead, the jab has accumulated more adverse events than all other "vaccines" combined over the last 20 years, and many more who have taken it have still contracted Covid. Those aren't the same results as those who looked to the brass serpent and lived.

2. "Those who don't take the jab/wear a mask shouldn't attend church with those who have."

When Alma and Amulek visited the Zoramites, they observed that the people were not included in their services: 

"Therefore they were not permitted to enter into their synagogues to worship God, being esteemed as filthiness." [17] 

Later, Jesus instructed the Nephite disciples, 

"And behold, ye shall meet together oft; and ye shall not forbid any man from coming unto you when ye shall meet together, but suffer them that they may come unto you and forbid them not;" [18] 

And also warned his disciples, 

"They shall put you out of the synagogues" [19]  

In encouraging members to get the jab and wear masks, The First Presidency's usage of the word "urge" should not be considered as a simple recommendation or advice. Since the announcement's release, many wards and stakes have adopted it as an actual policy governing members' attendance to temples and local church meetings. I have received reports that non-adherence to these local policies has denied some members’ ability to worship alongside other church members. 

Because Church Headquarters has not clamped down on these restrictive actions, but has instead let them perpetuate, its silence and inactivity is a tacit approval of these local measures. Indeed, while the church's worldwide leaders hide behind the word "urge," many local leaders aren't. And the Brethren just let it continue.

One communication I have received was from a member who lives in a ward and stake whose leaders make it abundantly clear that people are not welcome at church if they don't mask up.

Other wards and stakes have taken things a step further.  Here is one church member's report:

"This is New Zealand, This is MY Stake .. Yes, we have mandates but other Stakes and Wards have found ways around it, so this segregation and exclusion doesn't happen,  for example; getting smaller groups of people in different parts of the chapel , holding meetings outdoors or even continue Zoom meetings for everyone until everyone can meet face to face. (It doesn't have to be this way) 

Yes, these are the NZ government mandates and rules but no the majority of people are accepting these, we have signed petitions, we have being protesting on the streets ( all religious and non religious denominations) but nobody is listening, the Main Stream Media ignore us.. nobody shows what is really happening. We are loosing our jobs (especially health workers and teachers) lots of businesses have been force to close and we are being excluded from services and some retail shops.

No, This is not the Church doings!! These are some local leaders who have chosen this way.  The Church has to abide by the law of the land. Some other leaders have chosen to find ways to abide by the law and still don't add or promote the segregation and discrimination. 

I thought to show this, so we don't "normalise" or accept this as a norm! I want to make this clear "This is not the Church" just some leaders."

Here's the video proof:

When church members feel they can no longer worship God at church/their "synagogue", and/or feel shamed into having to wear a mask or get the jab, then they will often choose to worship God at home. [20] 

"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life." [21] 

Sources

 1.   https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/first-presidency-message-covid-19-august-2021
 2.   https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2022-01-06/covid-19-pandemic-two-years-president-ballard-message-of-optimism-238887
 3.   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constrain
 4.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints_membership_history
 5.   https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1982/04/remember-the-mission-of-the-church
 6.   https://alexberenson.substack.com/p/internal-hospital-data-confirm-a
 7.   https://dailyexpose.uk/2021/11/17/covid-deaths-ratio-vaxxed-to-unvaxxed-41-corporate-media-should-be-censored-for-spreading-disinformation
 8.   https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_morningbrief/fully-vaccinated-australians-in-hospital-with-covid-19-surpass-unvaccinated_4207135.html
 9.   https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/human-body/pfizer-boss-says-two-doses-provides-limited-protection-if-any-against-omicron/news-story/9d76126d080e2010f05eb0b4ae5e0c45
10.   https://www.byui.edu/radio/interview-with-president-henry-j-eyring-and-kelly-c-eyring-about-their-devotional-address; https://www.rexburgstandardjournal.com/news/the-eyrings-welcome-byu-idaho-students-back-to-campus/article_6a2773f6-b598-526b-8060-07882394a0a4.html
11.   D&C 1:19.
12.   Psalm 118:8.
13.   D&C 89:4.
14.   2 Nephi 28:31-32; italics added.
15.   2 Nephi 4 :34; italics added.
16.   "Our Immediate Responsibility", BYU Speeches, October 25, 1966.
17.   Alma 32:3.
18.   3 Nephi 18:22.
19.   John 16:2.
20.   Alma 32:5-11; 1 Corinthians 3:16
21.   2 Nephi 31:20. Italics added.

A BOLD CLAIM: The opening verses of "Upon My House" are now underway

Yesterday, news outlets reported that 91 of the church's 588 missionaries in the Provo MTC have Covid. They're now implementing additional precautions there in Provo. [52]

This raises a few questions for me:

1. Aren't the Brethren supposed to be "prophets, seers and revelators"? If so, and they foresaw this happening to the MTC, then why would they let their own missionaries get so sick? If they didn't foresee this happening to their own missionary workforce, then that raises a ton more questions.
2. Aren't missionaries supposed to have received the jab prior to entering the MTC? How can this be? Isn't the jab supposed to be "safe and effective"? With 1/6 of the already-jabbed missionaries down with Covid, it doesn't sound like the jab is very effective to me.

So, in light of these developments, I thought now might be a good time for a reality check into just how "safe and effective" the jab is which the Brethren recommended we get:

In an announcement sent to the world in August 12, 2021, the First Presidency made the first of two claims:

Claim #1: "Vaccines have proven to be safe and effective"

"To provide personal protection from such severe infections, we urge individuals to be vaccinated. Available vaccines have proven to be both safe and effective." [1]    

Let's examine both the safety and effectiveness of the Covid-19-related vaccines so far. 

"Safe"

• (12/5/21) Pfizer document concedes that there is a large increase in types of adverse events to its vaccine. [2]
• Document released by Pfizer apparently as a result of a Freedom Of Information court order in the USA reveals a vast array of previously unknown vaccine adverse effects compiled from official sources around the world.
• Pfizer concedes this is 'a large increase' in adverse event reports and that even this huge volume is under reported.
• Over 100+ diseases are listed, many very serious.
• This document was compiled by Pfizer in the very early days of the vaccine rollout in NZ but was possibly not supplied to our government.
• (11/8/21) CDC director admits to "people dying from vaccine" during an interview [3]
• (10/10/21) An excellent compilation of events surrounding Covid-related deaths [4]
• (9/28/21) Whistleblower: Nearly 50k Medicare patients died soon after getting COVID shot [5]
• United Kingdom
• (12/6/21) A still-staggering 81% of hospital deaths in the UK are of the vaccinated. [6]  [7]
• (9/24/21) UK hospital data shocks the world: 80% of COVID deaths are among the vaccinated… COVID deaths up 3,000% after vaccine wave [8]
• (11/11/21) U.K.: 4x more vaxxed people are dying than unvaxxed [9]

"Effective"

Studies

• (11/23/21) Swedish study of 4 million people found that the vaccine (1) doesn't offer protection at all, (2) its so-called protection plunged significantly after six months, and (3) those who are vaccinated are more likely to be infected and suffer severe disease than people who aren't vaccinated. [10]
• (9/30/21) Comprehensive study: Higher vaccination rates DO NOT result in lower COVID-19 infection rates [11]
• Published in Sept. 2021 in the European Journal of Epidemiology, a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal
• Examined 168 countries and 2,947 counties in the United States

US

• (10/8/21) Most vaccinated state in America now seeing massive surge in Covid hospitalizations [12]
• Biden's own administration advises against traveling to high vaccination countries because of surging Covid outbreaks there. [13]

Israel

• "Most of the population [in Israel] is vaccinated, and 90%...85-90% of the hospitalizations here are "fully vaccinated" people. Yes, unfortunately, the vaccine…as they say, the effectiveness is waning. Outbreaks in hospitals, one patient infects a large number of people. It is not just here and there." [14]
• (8/16/21) "Israel has among the world's highest levels of vaccination for COVID-19, with 78% of those 12 and older fully vaccinated, the vast majority with the Pfizer vaccine. Yet the country is now logging one of the world's highest infection rates, with nearly 650 new cases daily per million people. More than half are in fully vaccinated people." [15]

Singapore

• (9/13/21) It has already reached 81% vaccination rate (ages 12+; one of the fastest in the world to reach that level of compliance). [16]
• Still seeing chronic illness explosion [16]
• The number of patients requiring oxygen doubled [16]

Scotland

• (12/3/21) Fully vaccinated account for 9 in every 10 Covid-19 deaths since August in Scotland. [17]
• (9/14/21) 80% of Covid deaths in Scotland are occurring among VACCINATED residents. [18]

Ireland

• (11/5/21) Ireland experiencing highest number of new Covid infections in Europe despite also having highest percentage of adults "fully vaccinated" [19]

Australia

• (9/30/21) 6 out of 7 new COVID-19 deaths in New South Wales were vaccinated [20]

Africa

• (11/22/21) Africa is only 6% vaccinated, and Covid has practically disappeared. Scientists are "baffled" [21]

Schools

• (9/27/21) Almost fully vaccinated Harvard Business School shuts down after massive COVID-19 outbreak [22]
• (9/16/21) Cornell University [23]
• It has a strict vaccine mandate
• Has a 95% FULL vaccination rate
• The mandate has done little to control infections at the school
• COVID-19 cases are spiking
• The shots are not stopping the virus from spreading

"Ye shall know them by their fruits." [24]

"Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." [25]

"You assist an evil system most effectively by obeying its orders and decrees. An evil system never deserves such allegiance. Allegiance to it means partaking of the evil. A good person will resist an evil system with his or her whole soul." [26]

Claim #2: "Follow the wise and thoughtful recommendations of medical experts and government leaders."

"We can win this war if everyone will follow the wise and thoughtful recommendations of medical experts and government leaders." [1]

What is the most underreported story of 2021? The horrific COVID policies (developed and promoted by said medical experts and government officials) that are hurting young people.

“They will be paying for our generation’s decisions the rest of their lives”: @JanCBS explains why she thinks 2021's biggest underreported story was the devastating impact of COVID policies on children pic.twitter.com/AUU1f6AFNi

— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) December 26, 2021

What do the "medical experts and government leaders" actually do (or not do)?

Here's Rep. Jim Jordan interviewing Dr. Marty Makary (Professor of Surgery, John Hopkins School of Medicine) on Dec. 21, 2021 during a meeting of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis:

"We have we have the head guy, Mr. Fauci,  Dr. Fauci, saying "I represent science," but he's afraid to actually do the science and do the studies that need to be done to answer this question [about natural immunity] and we have to rely on international studies and your private study to get the truth to the American people."

"They [the U.S. federal government] knows the answer and don't want the American people, uh, they they know the answer and don't want the American people to know or they do know the answer and are trying to hide it." [27]

What do the scriptures and church leaders say about trusting in the arm of flesh?

(Unless the First Presidency, medical experts and governments are not mortal, the following applies to them):

"For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us. In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah." [28]

"Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils" [29]

"Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders." [30]

"Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord." [31]

"O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm." [32]

"Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost." [33]

“The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh” [34]

"For, behold, you should not have feared man more than God." [35]

"And now I command you, my servant Joseph, to repent and walk more uprightly before me, and to yield to the persuasions of men no more;" [36]

Click here for General Authority statements which condemn trusting in the arm of flesh. 

My Opinion: We are now witnessing the opening verses of "Upon My House"

Are church leaders telling us to follow the wise and thoughtful recommendations of medical experts and government leaders? Yes.

Are these same medical experts and government leaders ignoring a course which prioritizes natural health (and enhancing the body's innate, God-given immunity capabilities) and instead promoting a man-made remedy (that's neither safe nor effective)? Yes.

Are we in the last days? Yes. 

Did the Lord say there would be evil, designing, conspiring men in the last days? Yes. 

Are these men linked to our health? Yes, via D&C 89 (aka the word of wisdom):

"Given for a principle with promise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints, who are or can be called saints.

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 by revelation" [37]

What did the Lord promise those who took his word of wisdom seriously?

"And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;

And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;

And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.

And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen." [38]

Wow! What promises! I believe them with all my heart and soul. I rejoice, and am thrilled, that they totally supersede and are superior to anything man can develop! I cannot praise his name loud enough, nor long enough, for these awesome promises the Lord made to you and me.

Now let's see what General Authorities have said about the word of wisdom, its awesome promises of health (and more!) and Covid:

The answer is: Nothing.

That's right: Not once has the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve nor any general authority mentioned D&C 89 in any General Conference talk nor official public pronouncement regarding Covid. They have ignored it. [39]

This is baffling because there has been a genuine, bona fide, worldwide health crisis for the last couple of years, and yet the church treats God's word regarding health with utter silence? What's the deal? 

Isn't this a prime opportunity to invite the world to put the Lord's words regarding health to the test? An opportunity to testify of the mercy and the truthfulness of his words? Isn't this an opportunity to show the world what the power of faith, and the power of true priesthood, can do to those stricken with Covid?

What an utterly blown missionary opportunity.

The words of the "wise and thoughtful recommendations of medical experts and government leaders" are always changing. How can you possibly trust "wise and thoughtful recommendations" which are inconsistent?

Yet God's words never change. They are always consistent. You can always count on them.

"Verily I say unto you, he that is ordained of me and sent forth to preach the word of truth by the Comforter, in the Spirit of truth, doth he preach it by the Spirit of truth or some other way? 

And if it be by some other way it is not of God.

And again, he that receiveth the word of truth, doth he receive it by the Spirit of truth or some other way?

If it be some other way it is not of God." [40]

Now let's look at the implications of the LDS church members' desire to "follow the prophet" and trust the medical experts and government leaders (instead of the neglected/ignored words of the Lord). 

In this quote, Joseph Smith directly links "depending on the prophet" with having a darkened mind:

"Prest. J. Smith rose, read the 14th Chap. of Ezekiel— said the Lord had declar’d by the prophet that the people should each one stand for himself and depend on no man or men in that state of corruption of the Jewish church— that righteous persons could only deliver their own souls— app[l]ied it to the present state of the church of Latter-Day Saints— said if the people departed from the Lord, they must fall— that they were depending on the prophet hence were darkened in their minds from neglect of themselves— envious toward the innocent, while they afflict the virtuous with their shafts of envy." [41]

Interestingly, there's another scripture that mentions the loss of one's spiritual light (and quite likely ties in with Covid):

"And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived." [42]

• "And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee"
  • Is literally kai phOs luchnou ou mE phanE en soi eti, or "And light of lamp not no may be appearing in you." [43]
  • This cross-references with Jeremiah 25:10: "I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle"
• "the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee"
  • The spirit of the bride (righteous, faithful mortals) and the spirit of the bridegroom (the Lord) no longer resonate within them. [44]
• "for thy merchants were the great men of the earth"
  • The Greek word for merchants is emporoi (plural of emporos) [43] [45]
  • They -- the great and important of the earth -- are selling something. What are they selling? Keep reading...
• "sorceries"
  • Is pharmakeia (far-mak-i'-ah) - the root word for words we commonly use today, like pharmacist and pharmaceutical.
  • It not only means "drugs," but also "poisoning" and/or “the use or administering of drugs” and/or an "enchantment" [46]
• "were all nations deceived"
  • Is eplanEthEsan panta ta ethnE, or "all the nations were strayed/deceived" [43]

Next, let's move things forward a bit into D&C 112:

"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." [47]

Here, we see many associations between Revelation 18:23 and D&C 112:23 AND the Joseph Smith quote from above:

And the ultimate result of all this darkness?

"Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord." [48]

(Interestingly, according to the National Institute of Health, "COVID-19 infection is accompanied by an aggressive inflammatory response with the release of a large amount of pro-inflammatory cytokines in an event known as a “cytokine storm.” The host immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus is hyperactive resulting in an excessive inflammatory reaction.") [49] A "whirlwind" is a type of "storm."

Where will these punishments emerge?

"And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord;" [50]

Where will it start?

"First among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord." [51]

Or, in other words,

"depending on the prophet" --> 

means you are following the ever-changing "wise and thoughtful recommendations of medical experts and government leaders" -- "conspiring men" -- instead of the never-changing words of the Lord -->

means that "the people" are "darkened in their minds" --> 

because of that, "vengeance cometh speedily"

which begins "upon my house"

"First among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me"

I wonder who these people are "who have professed to know my name and have not known me"…

Sources

1. First Presidency, August 12, 2021; https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/first-presidency-message-covid-19-august-2021
2. https://dailytelegraph.co.nz/news/pfizer-document-concedes-that-there-is-a-large-increase-in-types-of-adverse-event-reaction-to-its-vaccine
3. https://www.infowars.com/posts/slip-of-the-tongue-cdc-director-says-people-dying-from-vaccine-before-quickly-correcting-herself
4. https://www.stopworldcontrol.com/downloads/en/vaccines/vaccine-death-report.pdf
5. https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/nearly-50k-medicare-patients-died-soon-after-getting-covid-shot-whistleblower
6. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1036047/Vaccine_surveillance_report_-_week_47.pdf
7. https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/11/report-fully-vaccinated-account-81-covid-deaths-uk
8. https://humansarefree.com/2021/09/covid-19-deaths-higher-than-this-time-last-year.html
9. https://dailyexpose.uk/2021/11/17/covid-deaths-ratio-vaxxed-to-unvaxxed-41-corporate-media-should-be-censored-for-spreading-disinformation
10. https://alexberenson.substack.com/p/another-major-red-flag-about-covid
11. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10654-021-00808-7
12. https://www.theepochtimes.com/us-state-with-highest-vaccination-rate-hit-by-virus-surge_4032144.html
13. https://www.naturalnews.com/2021-07-28-government-advises-against-traveling-high-vaccination-countries.html
14. https://grandmageri422.me/2021/09/15/israeli-doctor-kobi-haviv-fully-vaccinated-account-for-85-90-of-hospitalizations-and-former-vice-president-of-committee-from-who-professor-christian-perronne-yesterday-said-that-all-v/comment-page-1
15. Dr. Kobi Haviv, https://www.science.org/news/2021/08/grim-warning-israel-vaccination-blunts-does-not-defeat-delta
16. https://news.trust.org/item/20210913112754-w5k94
17. https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_morningbrief/who-no-evidence-booster-vaccines-offer-greater-protection-to-healthy-populations_4137217.html
18. https://citizenfreepress.com/breaking/check-the-covid-death-chart-in-karl-denningers-new-piece
19. https://www.naturalnews.com/2021-11-05-ireland-highest-covid-infections-adults-fully-vaccinated.html
20. https://bigleaguepolitics.com/australian-public-health-official-admits-that-6-of-7-recent-covid-19-deaths-had-been-vaccinated
21. https://news.yahoo.com/scientists-mystified-wary-africa-avoids-074905034.html
22. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/27/harvard-business-school-temporarily-moves-some-mba-classes-online-to-curb-covid-outbreak.html
23. https://www.ithaca.com/news/coronavirus/cornell-sees-spike-in-cases-no-severe-disease-sticks-to-status-quo/article_95b11d7e-0ce1-11ec-bb9d-a728f02c2e99.html
24. Matthew 7:16; 3 Nephi 14:16
25. Matthew 7:20; 3 Nephi 14:20
26. Mahatma Gandhi
27. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJE7Tc8YGsc
28. Psalm 44:6–8
29. Isaiah 2:22; 2 Nephi 12:22
30. Jeremiah 9:4
31. Jeremiah 17:5
32. 2 Nephi 4:34
33. 2 Nephi 28:31
34. D&C 1:19
35. D&C 3:7
36. D&C 5:21
37. D&C 89:3-4
38. D&C 89:18-21
39.   https://www.google.com/search?q=%22word+of+wisdom%22+%22covid%22&newwindow=1&rlz=1C1FHFK_enUS980US981&tbs=cdr:1,cd_min:1/1/2020,cd_max:12/31/2021&sxsrf=AOaemvLx9-39kElN2zm4_8v82P8Xh6zcIg:1640158647743&source=lnms&tbm=nws&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiD7MqM8_b0AhVMmWoFHVBVBU0Q_AUoBHoECAEQBg&cshid=1640158672297106&biw=1920&bih=937&dpr=1
40. D&C 50:17-20
41. https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/nauvoo-relief-society-minute-book/48#full-transcript
42. Revelation 18:23
43. https://www.scripture4all.org/OnlineInterlinear/NTpdf/rev18.pdf
44. See Jeremiah 7:34; Jeremiah 16:9
45. https://biblehub.com/greek/1713.htm
46. https://biblehub.com/greek/5331.htm
47. D&C 112:23
48. D&C 112:24
49.   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7308649
50. D&C 112:25
51. D&C 112:26
52.   https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2021-12-30/provo-mtc-implements-additional-covid-19-protocols-after-91-of-588-missionaries-test-positive-238390

The Covid-19 "vaccines": A "godsend from heaven" "to gather Israel" "on both sides of the veil"?

Yesterday, an audio interview with Elder Rasband was published to YouTube. In it, he ties the Covid-19 "vaccine" to church priorities "to gather Israel" and then calls the "vaccine" a "godsend from heaven":

"In the presence of the prophet, we have prayed that we would have a vaccine not just for the sake of making us healthy and resilient to this Covid-19, but also to allow the church to gather Israel on both sides of the veil. I mean we all know through this prophet, President Nelson, that that's the mission of our era: to gather Israel.

He has said to the youth before the most important work that we're involved with is to gather Israel. And so when you put that as the overlying need for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you can understand that with the prophet and others who have prayerfully considered this, that a vaccine is actually a godsend from heaven. And we view it that way. We view it as a miracle the time that it took to develop it the speed at which it was made available in record time compared to other worldwide pandemics."

I think it's interesting to note that the Brethren didn't ask for repentance (the historically-proven antidote to plagues and pandemics), nor a turning to God or better hearing him. I wonder why not.

Is the Covid-19 "vaccine" truly a "godsend from heaven" "to gather Israel" "on both sides of the veil"?

Let's ask BYU basketball player Richard Harward and his family (here's a YouTube to introduce him to you; he seems like a really great guy to me):

 

Richard Harward is the 6-foot-11, 256-pounder from Orem who's a Senior and plays starting center on BYU's basketball team. [1]

At least, he used to.

On November 4th, five minutes into an exhibition game against Colorado Christian, Richard Harward appeared to have injured his knee. He stood on the court resting his hands on his knees. After nearly collapsing on the bench, he was promptly taken to the locker room, where he sat out the rest of the game.  [2]

On November 9th, BYU's basketball team beat Cleveland State 69-59. Sitting on the bench, in his street clothes, was none other than Harward. In an interview,  BYU coach Mark Pope said of Harward, "He has a cardiovascular issue right now. Doctors haven't given a definitive timetable for his return." [3]

"He's in the best shape of his life, he's playing the best basketball of his life. He is the emotional leader of this entire team over the last two years. His emotional leadership is even a bigger loss than his body on the floor. We miss him. We're hoping he gets back as soon as possible. But we just don't know. It could be days, weeks or months. We're just not sure," Pope told the Deseret News [4]

So let's get this straight: Harward is in the best shape of his life, but he has a cardiovascular issue? Huh? For a young healthy male with no previously disclosed, underlying conditions, it just doesn't make sense that he would suddenly have a cardiac issue.

But apparently, sudden cardiac conditions -- and even deaths -- are mysteriously a prevalent thing in the world of sports these days, especially male sports which features players in their 20s:

Meanwhile...

• Avi Barot, 29, Saurashtra cricketer, suffered cardiac arrest, passed away
• Abou Ali, 22, professional footballer, collapsed on pitch during game
• Fabrice NSakala, 31, Besiktas defender, collapsed on pitch during game
• Jens De Smet, 27, footballer, collapsed on field, passed away of heart attack
• Jente van Genechten, 25, footballer, collapsed on field due to heart attack
• Frederic Lartillot, French footballer, collapsed in changing room, passed away due to heart attack after game
• Benjamin Taft, 31, German footballer, collapsed after game, passed away due to heart attack
• Rune Coghe, 18, Belgian footballer, suffered cardiac arrest on pitch
• Sergio Aguero, 33, Barecelona star striker, admitted to hospital for cardiac exam after match
• Emil Palsson, 28, Sognal midfielder, collapsed due to cardiac arrest during game
• Antoine Méchin, 31, French triathlete, suffered pulmonary embolism
• Luis Ojeda, 20, Argentine football player, unexpectedly passed away
• Greg Luyssen, 22, Belgian pro cyclist, ends career due to heart issues
• Pedro Obiang, 29, ex-West Ham star, suffered myocarditis post vaccine [5]

So, what brought Richard Harward from awesomely healthy to indefinitely down due to a cardiovascular issue?

Well, what hasn't been reported by any media (yet was confirmed to me via a second-hand source who knows Richard's family) is that Richard was given the Covid-19 "vaccine" 8 days prior to the Colorado Christian game.

Another source, who has been in contact with Richard's mom, independently confirmed the fact that Richard recently received the jab. She posted this information online which remains unverified (yet I'm confident that if it were inaccurate, parents Bradley and Alice Harward [1] would set the record straight):

  

I find it incredible that both "coaches and doctors" are telling Richard that "these unfortunate things (pericarditis AND myocarditis) just "randomly happen to people sometimes" and that "sudden blood clots all over his body are basically "inevitable at some point in life for some people."

What a pack of lies.

Compounding the situation is the fact that there has been zero media follow-up on Harward's condition. Neither the Deseret News, KSL, the Salt Lake Tribune, BYU University Communications, BYU Athletics nor the Daily Universe have said anything about Harward's status since Coach Pope made his comments on November 10th.

So I return us back to Rasband's definitive statements that the Covid-19 "vaccine" is a "godsend from heaven" "to gather Israel" "on both sides of the veil":

• Do you think Richard Harward would agree that it's a godsend?
• Do you think Bradley and Alice Harward would agree that it's a godsend?
• How about this lady, who took the Pfizer jab a week before she experienced Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis, which doctors have attributed to the vaccine (she had "no previous medical history," too) [6]

Look! A bona-fide godsend for this lady?

• How about Sweden and Denmark, which (on 10/6/21) paused Moderna’s COVID vaccine for younger age groups citing reports of myocarditis? [7]
• In fact, how about all these people who suffered excruciating, and even lethal, after effects of the jab? Do you think they'd heartily endorse the "vaccine's" "godsend" status?

Speaking of godsends: Let's see something God has sent us to help beat back Covid-19, and see how it's been embraced by the Brethren...

The Brethren's Proven Disbelief in the Word of Wisdom

Found on a Facebook page about a year ago:

"Faithful Latter-day Saints claim they obey the Word of Wisdom, yet they generally don't.

We focus on some of the thou-shalt-nots almost entirely—abstaining from drugs and the like, including coffee and beer, despite the former not actually being named, and the latter being actually authorized to use (to a degree).

But we completely ignore other things, like having to eat meat only sparingly—and totally sidestep the broader set of principles.

Someone is deemed compliant if they don't smoke or drink alcohol, yet they can guzzle mind-altering medications, energy drinks, and binge on junk food and be "fine."

This misses the point entirely.

Similarly, during Covid, all we hear is a slanted subset of mandates whose purported purpose is to protect public health.

Poppycock.

Why? Because if we actually cared about health—physical and mental—we would be hearing calls for getting good exercise, sunlight, physical contact with loved ones, and eating nutritious foods to boost our immune system and overall health.

But that's not what we're hearing—not at all.

Instead, everyone's salvation apparently rests in a hastily created chemical concoction to be injected into our bodies.

Until then, physical and mental health continues to decline, with scant attention paid to higher principles that might actually help.

So we're compliant in protecting health by isolating ourselves and masking up, just like we're compliant with God's health code if we just avoid drugs and such.

Both levels of compliance are superficial and fake."

Here's a comment re: the above post:

"I've been saying this! They don't care about our health. Not once have I seen any official mention the importance of strengthening our immune system."

Three head scratchers

1. In its August 12, 2021 message to the world, the First Presidency endorsed the "wise and thoughtful recommendations of medical experts and government leaders" for all "individuals to be vaccinated." Why have we not been given the actual words from God regarding medical and health strategies (and very likely spiritual strategies) during the pandemic?
2. We are told in D&C 89:21 that "the destroying angel shall pass by" you if you keep the Word of Wisdom. In all the First Presidency's public pronouncements regarding Covid-19, why has there been no mention of healthy habits (a la the "Word of Wisdom")? 
3. Doesn't Pres. Nelson hold "all the keys" of the priesthood? If so, can't he just rebuke the virus and make it go away? Just where is the power of God in all of this?

Sometimes I think we are left to ask the same question that Elisha the prophet asked when he looked towards the heavens and exclaimed, "Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted?" [8]

We've heard far more from the Brethren about the "wise and thoughtful recommendations of medical experts and government leaders" than we have about the Word of Wisdom. And so far, we haven't heard one word from God, nor his revealed scriptures, nor the word "repent", nor seen any manifestations of healing miracles by and upon those with true faith to heal and be healed. 

Not. Once.

Or maybe it's as simple as one fact:

Maybe the government is now the Brethren's God and religion.

Sources

1 https://byucougars.com/athlete/m-basketball/1289841/richard-harward

2      https://www.deseret.com/2021/11/4/22757328/byu-basketball-the-cougars-fight-through-frustration-in-63-45-victory-over-colorado-christian

3 https://twitter.com/Mitch_Harper/status/1458338356274733056

4 https://www.deseret.com/2021/11/10/22774606/byu-cougars-suffer-a-huge-blow-to-team-with-center-richard-harward-out-indefinitely

5 https://www.broadsheet.ie/2021/11/03/fourth-quarter/

6 https://www.dailyveracity.com/2021/08/19/covid-vaccine-causes-womans-skin-to-rot-according-to-doctors

7 https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/sweden-denmark-pause-moderna-covid-vaccine-myocarditis

8 Deut. 32:37

Hot Chocolate - A Word of Wisdom Violation

As a mortal, I believe I am afforded the opportunity to have a few indulgences which I know I will have to answer for at the pleasing judgment bar of God someday. 

Some may have indulgences like porn, video games, gambling, drinking and knowingly voting for socialists. I don't judge these people, and with the exception of the latter category, I tend not to avoid them, either. But if you want to avoid me after reading my #1 indulgence, I'll understand (I'll be sad, but understanding).

My #1 indulgence: I. Love. Hot. Chocolate.

I also confess that as Fall progresses and the advent of Winter is nigh, my wife and I plan to totally indulge in copious amounts of hot chocolate until next Spring. In fact, we plan to get some half-n-half, pour in 1-1/2 packets of hot chocolate, mix and nuke that sucker up until there is steam wafting from the chocolately deliciousness. 

Sinful? Decadent? Degenerate? Corrupt? Immortal? Damn straight it is, boss! It's a genuine, bona-fide Word of Wisdom violation: 

Yes, D&C 89:9 says my drinking hot chocolate runs contrary to the Word of Wisdom (ditto for soup, warm broth, Ovaltine, Postum, Japanese mugi-cha and herbal teas such as, chamomile, ginger and peppermint, which contain no caffeine at all, but let's just stick with hot chocolate for now).

I know there are many who would say "But…but…" and begin giving me interpretations of that scripture. BUT BUT do you see an asterisk or exception anywhere in or around "hot drinks are not for the body or belly"?  

Here, let's go back to the Joseph Smith Papers to see if there's an asterisk there:

[1]

Nope, no asterisk nor explanation there. There is an explanatory footnote (#15) in the right-hand panel, which says "Several other early nineteenth-century authors argued that any liquid taken at a high temperature could cause injury." But that provides no exception to the scripture. [2]

Explanations about Hot Chocolate's Sinful Status

In Bush's article (here), he admits that "The subject of "hot drinks" is a little more complicated. "While he admits that "Both tea and coffee were considered mild stimulants," here in the 20th and 21st centuries, drawing a conclusion that caffeine is the culprit is a little complicated. A cup of Swiss Miss cocoa mix has 5 mg of caffeine [3] - far less than a can of Diet Pepsi (35-38 mg). [4]

But I diverge from the issue of hot-ness. Bush's article correctly points out that at the time the Word of Wisdom was written (Feb 1833), liquids (such as soup, tea, and coffee, taken at a very high temperature) were considered "injurious." I always knew there was something about Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup that was injurious!

For more insight, I turned to the General Handbook of Instructions, which says:

Saying that Prophets have clarified that the teachings in D&C 89 include abstinence from hot drinks (tea and coffee) really doesn't tell me anything new. 

It may have started with Hyrum Smith, who said, "Again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly. There are many who wonder what this can mean, whether it refers to tea or coffee, or not. I say it does refer to tea and coffee." "I say" is hardly a definitive doctrinal statement per the Law of Common Consent. [5]

I found 22 references to "hot drinks" in the Scripture Citation Index. In a 1963 talk, Boyd K. Packer once said that "hot drinks -- understood by the Church to mean those with habit-forming potential, specifically coffee and tea" is the perpetuation of an unofficial interpretation of D&C 89:9. [6]   

In 1945, Joseph F. Merrill took things a step further, saying "hot drinks is enjoined, because they are not good for man. By hot drinks was meant primarily tea and coffee, though subsequent researches found that any drinks at high temperatures, such as hot water and soups, are harmful. The ideas voiced in the Word of Wisdom were expressed in words having the meaning current at the time. In those days hot drinks were commonly understood to be tea and coffee." [7] 

Yet Merrill's statement that "hot water and soups, are harmful" isn't accompanied by any double-blind, placebo-controlled studies (the kind which wise and thoughtful medical experts and government leaders gravitate to). It is, in fact, pure speculation ("the forming of a theory or conjecture without firm evidence"), which Ronald A Rasband recently denounced when it comes to seeking answers concerning our health. [8]

In the April 7, 1868 General Conference, George Q. Cannon gave us a definitive interpretation: "Almost every elder who has spoken from this stand has felt the necessity and importance of calling the attention of the people to this subject (the Word of Wisdom). We are told, and very plainly too, that hot drinks-tea, coffee, chocolate, cocoa, and all drinks of this kind are not good for man." [9]

But then again, a forgetful Apostle Mark E. Peterson said in 1962 that "At no time has cocoa or chocolate been included in the prohibitions of the Word of Wisdom, and at no time has the Church said that cocoa is as harmful as coffee. Those who make these claims do so on their own responsibility, and obviously without knowing the facts of the matter." [10]  So much for "clarification."

I've thought about writing a letter to Pres. Nelson and asking him for guidance. After all, who better than a worldwide cardiac expert / global faith leader / revelator all in one to answer my question about hot chocolate? But alas, I know that the Brethren would refer my inquiry back to my stake president. He would call me in for a meeting just to refer me back to the General Handbook of Instructions. This is known as an "endless loop" (which is very common among members seeking answers).

Luckily, Pres. Nelson's 1st Counselor has come to the rescue. Dallin H. Oaks said, "The shield the Lord gives to the faithful also protects us against our own harmful impulses. The revelation that commands modern Saints to refrain from alcohol, tobacco, hot drinks, and other harmful things promises the faithful that "the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them (D&C 89:21)." [11]

If what Oaks says is true (and knowing that the church's prophets, seers and revelators would NEVER mislead us), I am now praying that the destroying angel has mercy on me and won't slay me…

…all because I drank hot chocolate.

Homework Assignments

Today: Please leave me a comment (below) with the best hot chocolate brand/recipe, and why. I figure if I'm going to sin and even be destroyed by an angel for sipping hot chocolate, I might as well do it with style and panache.

Whenever: The next time you're having some casual conversations with a member, ask them if they think it's important to obey the Word of Wisdom. (They'll likely say yes). Then ask them about abstaining from hot drinks. Then ask them about hot chocolate. If they say it's allowed, ask them where it says so in D&C 89. If they say church leaders have said it's just tea and coffee, then ask them when that revision to D&C 89:9 was voted on by church members. Let me know how it goes!

Sources

1.   https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/revelation-27-february-1833-dc-89/1
2.   Bush, Lester E. "The Word of Wisdom in Early Nineteenth-Century Perspective." In The Word of God: Essays on Mormon Scripture, edited by Dan Vogel, 161-185. Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1990.
3.   https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/does-hot-chocolate-have-caffeine
4.   https://cspinet.org/eating-healthy/ingredients-of-concern/caffeine-chart
5.   "The Word of Wisdom," Times and Seasons 3 no. 15 (1 June 1842), 801.
6.   April 1963 General Conference
7.   October 1945 General Conference
8.   https://ldtruths.blogspot.com/2021/09/elder-rasbands-divinely-inspired.html
9.   Journal of Discourses V.12:221-223
10.   Patterns for Living, 1962, p. 235-37; https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1973/04/our-readers-write?lang=eng
11.   "Bible Stories and Personal Protection", October 1992 General Conference

Now you can get your Covid shot at church!

If anyone ever doubted the church's commitment to ensuring everybody gets the Covid injection, here's proof. 

On July 2, 2021, this video was published on Rumble showing a local pharmacist using an LDS Church building (at 200 W. Brigham Rd, St George, UT) offering free Covid injections. 

Now, a good church member wouldn't be offering these injections at the church building without permission. He had to have asked for and received permission. From church authorities. And likely (because of the Covid injection's controversial nature), pretty high up.

Administering the shots: Cliff Holt, Hurricane (UT) Family Pharmacy Owner. As you can see on Cliff's website, his company's goal is to "Help the people in our community achieve their very best health possible."

The company's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/utahfamilypharmacy) also displays this bit of information:

(To read real, documented facts about the Covid injection's 
safety and effectiveness, head on over to JabUpdate.com).

Even though Hurricane Family Pharmacy offers Moderna shots, Moderna and Pfizer's injectables are similarly manufactured. Here are recent photos of a woman from New York who took the Pfizer jab a week before. Now she is experiencing Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis, which doctors have attributed to the vaccine. She had "no previous medical history." (source)

Safe and effective, huh?

The sad thing is, this woman isn't alone. Millions worldwide are suffering a variety of adverse events, even deaths. But you, on the other hand, continue to be fed a steady diet of "Safe and Effective." 

LDS Church leaders stand at the forefront of the "Safe and Effective" movement, telling all to trust the man-made vaccines. "Trust in the arm of flesh?" Why, of course! 

This brings to mind several questions. Why are the LDS Church's leaders:

• Encouraging millions to take injections which have undergone ZERO drug interaction studies, ZERO single-dose toxicity studies, ZERO toxicokinetic studies, ZERO genotoxicity studies, ZERO carcinogenicity studies, ZERO studies on pregnant women, and ZERO studies on pre-or post-natal development?
• Saying the vaccines are safe when they actually have an Absolute Risk Reduction of 1-2%, are rapidly declining in effectiveness and rapidly making immune systems impotent?
• Spending tithing dollars to buy up billions in stocks of those very same injection manufacturers (who have paid billions in fines because they committed felonies) then, telling us to trust and use those very same companies?
• Telling millions to trust government leaders?
• Ignoring the adverse events these injections are inflicting on those who have received them?
• Omitting even one mention during this pandemic of the health benefits of the Word of Wisdom?
• Never mentioning Jesus Christ in their latest Covid-related news release?
• Never mentioning repentance -- not even once -- in the last year and a half as *the* *only* means of getting out of this pandemic?

Some may say these are mistakes. Oh really? With so many lives hanging in the balance, how can any sane, rational person simply whisk these issues away as mere "mistakes"?

Do these sound like actions that God approves of? 

Are any one of these mere "imperfections", the actions of well-intentioned leaders? What are we to conclude about their divine authenticity when all of these bullet points are combined?