No Coincidences

Tag: research

  • Are We Living in the End Times?

    Are We Living in the End Times?

    A simple Google search led to something I found very funny. My attention was caught by a headline for a link, “Do you believe Jesus will return to Earth?”

    Yes, yes, I do. But do others?

    This article was from December 2022, and it was a Pew research poll asking U.S. adults that simple, yet complex and extraordinarily important question: Is Jesus returning to Earth? (You know, just the question, is the Creator and God of this Earth gonna, you know, come back, ever? Not a big deal).

    What I came across was so funny I had to share it. The Google search was “are we in the end of times?”

    The fact that others believe we’re close to the end, as I do, did not surprise me, or make me laugh.

    What made me laugh, was this:

    That’s one confused atheist.

    For the record, “Atheist – a person who disbelieves or lacks belief in the existence of God or gods.”

    “Agnostic – a person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God or of anything beyond material phenomena; a person who claims neither faith nor disbelief in God.”

    So I guess the agnostic through some mental gymnastics could say they believe Jesus Christ is coming back to earth.

    But man, do I want to meet that atheist! I have a lot of questions.

    So, are we living in the “End Times?”

    I think undoubtedly, we are. I go back and forth on how soon that will be. For the record, we’ve been in the “end times” for decades. This is the last dispensation, and we know it will happen soon. Soon is a relative term and whether soon is 5 years or 100, it will still be soon. I have a hard time believing this system we find ourselves in can last much longer. How much longer can greed, corruption, war, and famine last before the system falls apart?

    I’ll stop there. Beth tells me I’m being depressing with this topic again. Until next time.

  • Letter to a Lost Testimony

    Letter to a Lost Testimony

    Someone close to me once said, “I hope you never lose your testimony.  I’ve lost almost everything in life.  I’ve lost a wife, jobs, money, houses, cars, friends; but none of it, none of it, compares to losing my testimony.  I wouldn’t wish it upon my worst enemy.”

    This person, I’m very close with, I love him very much.  This person has completely “fallen away” from the Church, as we say. 

    He is a great person.

    I could have been him.

    I could have gotten confused by doctrine, church history, and the plethora of other things to get confused by.  I could have lost sight of the most important thing – Jesus Christ.  It could happen to any of us.

    I’ve long thought and pondered to myself ‘how can I help him return?’ Maybe I’m starting to learn I can maybe help him return, but I won’t be able to make him return.  I’ve thought about lectures on DNA, elephants, steel, and horses.  I’m prepared to discuss it all.  But in the end that doesn’t matter.  It really doesn’t.  The Book of Mormon will have its day.  Every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is the Christ. 

    Getting into the discussions that led him away from the church – DNA, horses, elephants – that’s not going to help him return.  Only the spirit, which I know he once felt, can help him return.

    So, here is my letter to you.  This is to a particular person in my life, but I think it can apply to so many people, to so many lives.

    Thank you.  Thank you for that quote you told me once above.  I think about it often.  Thank you for your kind heart, thank you for being an example to me.  Thank you for reminding me that Christ’s Church is sometimes only as good as we make it.  Thank you for encouraging me to read, and study, and KNOW it’s true.  Your study of the gospel is legendary.  I’ve heard of it not just from others.  I know you studied.  At some point you were deceived.  No more flattering words or trying to softly deliver this message to your ego.  You were deceived.

    It’s not too late.  It’s not too late to remember.  It’s not too late to regain your testimony.  You talk as if a testimony, once lost, can never return.  As if you know too much and you can’t go back.  I’m here to remind you, as I know God has over the past decades, that you know nothing.  Try to read again, please.  That’s all I ask.  If only to prove me wrong.  I know where peace comes from, and I want to remind you.

    I know maybe The Church isn’t for everybody in this life.  Or maybe that’s something I think so I don’t feel as bad when I can’t help someone see what I see and find the peace I’ve found.  I know you’re happy.  I know you’re OK.  But I also know you can come back to so much more.

    Finally, you were and are a good dad.  You made mistakes.  Your children love you immensely, I know that.  Don’t ever confuse your mistakes to be unforgivable.  I know life as a father isn’t always perfect.  You have children as stubborn and as difficult as you are (I’m looking at all of you).  Another thing you said about my dad has stuck with me since you said it roughly 9 years ago.  I am lucky to have him, but I want to remind you that your family is lucky to have you too.  We’re all lucky to have you.

    I love you and so does He.

  • I Voted

    I Voted

    This is the fourth time I’ve voted for a President of the United States.  My enthusiasm for politics has ebbed and flowed every four years for each election. 

    This is the first time I’ve voted since I’ve been developing a politically focused mobile app and for that reason the first time I’ve voted while having serious thoughts about our political system, especially the flaws in it.

    As I voted, one flaw screamed in my face: the two party system.

    From what I’ve read, seen, and studied about George Washington there are two things I know about him.

    George Washington | Facts and Brief Biography
    1. He was one of the most extraordinary individuals to ever walk this planet.
    2. He HATED the two-party system.

    I believe some historians credit the development of a two-party system in his time as the reason he left the presidency after two terms.  That and his out of this world humility (see point 1 about his extraordinary nature).

    As I went down my ballot I was struck by the amount of research I’d have to do to be an educated voter.  I was discouraged at the thought that very few people are putting in that much effort.

    After all the protests, outrage, and anger over the past few months, are people voting?  Are they just voting for the President?  The President is important but he’s one piece to a huge puzzle. Albeit a bigger than average piece.  What do I know about my congressman?  My Attorney General?  My local officials?  Nothing.  I go to the internet, look up their page where they give themselves a portrayal of only smelling like flowers, decide I like their smile, and they get my vote.

    That’s the best-case scenario.

    What scared me the most was my own biases. 

    I won’t write here what my political affiliation is.  What I will say is, as I went down my ballot, the desire to simply choose the person from my party, with no research whatsoever, was terribly tempting.  It was going to be so much work to truly vet these people.  Who has the time?

    I desperately wanted to make voting easy.

    The way to make it easy was to blindly support a party.

    How many others fall into this category?  How many millions voted for all Democrats because that’s their party.  How many millions voted all Republican without any knowledge of the ethics or morals of those they were voting for?

    The two party system is a great danger to our democracy.  It has created so much hate and vitriol in the political system, which I’ve written about often. See The Social Dilemma and -ites: Politics for two examples.

    The slogan of our app is: “We believe good government starts with informed voters!”

    How many of us are informed?

    I don’t know how to fix America.  I don’t know how to fix our political system.  I wish I did.  I do know there’s a problem when we blindly vote for those, we *think we agree with.

    I’m as guilty of this flaw as the rest of America. 

    If anyone has suggestions or answers about ways to actually fix this, I’d love to hear it.  Not hypothetical “tear the system down!”  No, how can we actually start tomorrow to try to fix this?

    The app I’m working on will work to keep us more informed about our local leaders so we can hopefully keep them more accountable.  Does anyone even know who their local officials are?

    If you’re interested in the app please let me know.  Looking for feedback on it now. The web version can be viewed here: https://politikilocal.com/

    If you have thoughts on how to fix politics, please let us all know.  Something has to change.