No Coincidences

Tag: Savior

  • God Loves a Returned Sinner

    God Loves a Returned Sinner

    Luke 15:7 reads:

    “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”

    Why does heaven rejoice over a returned sinner?

    Why does Christ love a returned sinner? This should be obvious. Christ loves a returned sinner because they’re utilizing His Atonement, the great gift He gave them. He suffered for that gift. Why wouldn’t He rejoice over it being used?

    It’s very important to point out that this doesn’t make the returned sinner any better than the constantly faithful. Do you think God is up there thinking, “you were always upright. Too bad you didn’t sin some more so I could have increased joy”? Of course not. God loves the consistently faithful. I think another important point here is that we’re all sinners. So, by this scripture we can know, that God loves all who repent of sins. We all sin.

    An individual from history who was a clear sinner, making evil choices, even if he didn’t realize it, was Paul. Paul ended up being one of the greatest missionaries ever but started as the greatest persecutor of the church. Paul received a miraculous visit from Jesus Christ. This converted him and he instantly changed his ways. As we read the scriptures, Paul’s change seems instant. But I believe there was a reason he had to travel blind for three days. I believe his change was actually slow and required a lot of humility.

    Paul became an obvious example of Luke 15:7, heaven rejoicing. Paul was such a go-getter of persecution; the Heavens must have been excited to have him on their team once he converted. Imagine how the angels rejoiced when Paul turned to the Lord because they now knew how ferocious he would be for the Lord.

    Peter can be seen as another example of someone who didn’t always make the right choices. Isn’t it amazing to read the New Testament and consider how flawed the individuals were who Christ chose to spread His word and be His ministers? Peter was no exception. You can look to Peter’s three denials of Christ as a great scriptural moment representing needing to learn a lesson, repent, and double down on conversion and commitment.

    Peter made a huge, and life-altering mistake by denying Christ those three times. It was life-altering for how it helped Peter change his life. It could have been life-altering in how it turned Peter away from Christ. He could have gone the other way. Christ knew He wouldn’t. That’s why Christ picked Peter.

    The show “The Chosen” does an interesting job of depicting Peter. What if Peter was kind of a bad guy? Not a bad heart, but did some bad things. A rough guy. A guy that made a lot of mistakes before he met Jesus and fell in as one of his apostles. Then, slowly, over much time around the Master, Peter became His primary apostle. Peter eventually became the president of Christ’s church.

    The student manual for the book of Mark notes:

    “Mark, more than the other Gospel writers, recorded the disciples’ shortcomings (see Mark 4:36-41; 6:52; 8:14-21). The disciples’ weaknesses stand in contrast to their greath faith and successes, which are depicted in the book of Acts, helping us appreciate the transformation brought about by the Resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Ghost.”

    Never judge a sinner. They can become the most kind, most gentle, most Godly person. We all have Godhood in us. One day our sins will be in great contrast to our faith and successes when we ultimately attain our full potential.

    The Bible Dictionary definition of “conversion” states:

    “Denotes changing one’s views, in a conscious acceptance of the will of God (emphasis added, Acts 3:19). If followed by continued faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism in water for the remission of sins, and the reception of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, conversion will become complete and will change a natural man into a sanctified, born again, purified person-a new creature in Christ Jesus (see 2 Cor. 5:17). Complete conversion comes after many trials and much testing (emphasis added, see Luke 22:32; D&C 112:12-13). To labor for the conversion of one’s self and others is a noble task, as in Ps. 51:13; Dan. 12:3; James 5:19-20; Alma 26; D&C 18:15-16.”

    The part that stood out to me most from that definition was that complete conversion comes after many trials. I know it did for me. I had to experience the bitter to appreciate the sweet. I had to see how dark life could feel to appreciate Christ’s light. I know my testimony is stronger because I had to learn how dark it can be.

    Did Peter experience his change through trials? Did Paul? I think they did. Those who go through the greatest trials and then turn to the Lord become his most devout followers. Paul was blind. That’s quite a trial. But when he saw the light, he never turned away from it again.

    We all don’t receive miraculous visitations from Jesus Christ like Paul did, or get to work with Christ side-by-side like Peter, but we can still feel His presence, serve Him, and feel what it’s like to have Him by our side. Imagine how different your actions would be day-to-day if Christ was with you? Well, He is.

    Sometimes I worry that faithful, day-one-never-wander latter-day saints are missing this. This devotion to the cause. This understanding of how much you need Him. It’s why trials happen. Otherwise, we’d all walk merrily through this life, never understanding the true depth of the Atonement and how desperately we need Him.

    Now, trials come in all shapes and sizes. Just because someone appears to never have gone through “it”, doesn’t mean they’ve never gone through it. We never know the internal struggles, challenges, and difficulties someone faces in their faith. It’s usually not on the outside. But if you see a devoted person to God, you can assume they’ve been through something. It’s those somethings that bring us to Him.

    God loves a returned sinner. Remember that whenever you make a mistake. While we don’t want to make mistakes, we always want to do our best, God will welcome us back with open arms when we make mistakes and repent. It’s a comforting thought whenever we mess up. God knows our heart. Part of making mistakes and repenting is truly regretting it. This doesn’t mean beating yourself up about it or getting too down on yourself, but it does mean truly feeling regret and remorse for mistakes. This can’t be faked. God knows your heart.

    I think we can learn something really neat from examples like Peter and Paul. No matter how far we stray, God has a place for us. God doesn’t look at what we’ve been or what we are, but what we will be. He knows what we will be. He sees that in us. I’d guess it’s His greatest desire that we see in ourselves what He already knows is there.

    Be like Peter and Paul. Be someone Christ can pick.

    God loves a returned sinner.

  • Beth’s Talk on Mosiah 3:19 (January)

    Beth’s Talk on Mosiah 3:19 (January)

    This is a talk, exactly as written, by Beth, that she gave in church in January. She rehearsed the talk verbally to me multiple times before I heard it in church. Of course, through hearing it I knew it was a great talk, but it wasn’t until proofreading and preparing to post this that I was struck by how phenomenal a talk this really was. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as much as I did. And now, Beth –

    Mosiah 3:19 Talk
    January 9, 2022
    Good morning brothers and sisters.
    I wanted to start by introducing my family as we are one of the families that were blended into this ward with the recent changes in the stake. My name is Elisabeth Quackenbush. My husband is Brayden Quackenbush. We met in the Scottsdale Young Single Adult Ward in 2017 and have been married for over 2 years. We have a one year old daughter named Ivy. You’ll see her running around Sunday School for another 5 months but she is very excited to start nursery after that.

    The topic I was given to speak on this morning is the scripture Mosiah 3:19. When I was informed this was my assignment I wasn’t really surprised. This scripture comes into my mind a lot and is brought up in conversations about life all the time when I’m chatting with my husband. I think it sticks in my mind because it stands in such contrast to a lot of the attitudes of the world these days.

    For those of you that memorized scripture mastery back in the day you may remember this scripture, but as a reminder, this scripture is King Benjamin speaking to his people in the Book of Mormon. It reads,

    “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.”

    When we break down this verse, we can derive meaning in a variety of ways. The first that I noted is that the natural man is inherently selfish. The second is the importance of change to the Eternal Plan of Happiness.

    Boyd K Packer stated in his 1990 talk, “Put Off the Natural Man, and Come Off
    Conqueror”:
    “Unchecked selfishness [of the natural man] stubbornly blocks the way for developing all of the divine qualities: love, mercy, patience, long-suffering, kindness, graciousness, goodness, and gentleness. Any tender sprouts from these virtues are sheared off by sharp selfishness. Contrariwise, I cannot think of a single gospel covenant the keeping of which does not shear off selfishness from us.”

    Through the influence of the Holy Ghost, and the atonement of Jesus Christ, we can and should change from the narrow focus of the natural man and become, “submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, and willing to submit to the will of God.”

    This idea of our ability and strength to change stands in stark contrast to the pervasive attitude of our society. This attitude states that we are born a certain way. We can’t change, and even shouldn’t want to change. If we do change, we are inauthentic. On the surface, this has a false sense of empowerment, I think. However, this idea that change is bad and that we must only be one way for the rest of our life is truly limiting, almost an eternal purgatory of mediocrity. Compare this to the freedom and growth permitted to us through Jesus Christ’s suffering, that we may improve and become like our Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ.

    My husband and I have had the opportunity to have many deep, religious
    conversations with friends of a variety of backgrounds. We often come across
    criticism of our faith’s belief that we can take steps, including repentance, baptism, and participating in temple ordinances, to change and become like God. We are accused of valuing works and forgetting the grace provided through Jesus Christ. On the contrary… His grace is the key element that permits us TO become new beings.

    In 2 Corinthians 5:17 we read, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new
    creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

    Brad Wilcox does a beautiful job in his BYU talk, “His Grace is Sufficient” at outlining how the Atonement of Jesus Christ, through His death and resurrection, provides us the need to change… (forgive me for this lengthy quote but as many of you know, this talk is incredible…)

    “[Yes, we are saved by Grace but] Have you been changed by grace? [We] are so excited about being saved that we are not thinking enough about what comes next. We are so happy the debt is paid that we may not have considered why the debt existed in the first place. Latter-day Saints know not only what Jesus has saved us from but also what He has saved us for.

    “A life impacted by grace eventually begins to look like Christ’s life. While many Christians view Christ’s suffering as only a huge favor He did for us,
    Latter-day Saints also recognize it as a huge investment He made in us.

    “As Moroni puts it, grace isn’t just about being saved. It is also about becoming like the Savior. The miracle of the Atonement is not just that we can live after we die but that we can live more abundantly. The miracle of the Atonement is not just that we can be cleansed and consoled but that we can be transformed.“

    Again, just think for a minute… how does that compare to what we are being taught by the world? I can’t change, I shouldn’t change…

    HOW DO WE PUT OFF THE NATURAL MAN AND BECOME LIKE CHRIST?

    We can actively seek this positive change…

    In her 1998 BYU Speech, Wendy Watson, now well known as Wendy Nelson, lists some ways. One is reflection. She notes how Alma directs this type of reflection:

    “Just how does Alma invite these change-inducing reflections? One way is through his use of questions. In Alma 5 alone, more than 40 questions are offered—questions like:
    ‘Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts? . . .
    . . . If ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?‘ [Alma 5:14, 26]. Through the process of persistent questioning, Alma invites us to reflect over and over again: on our status with the Lord, on our spiritual growth and development, on things that need to change or have changed—and before we know it our desire for more change increases.”

    Another idea is to listen to the uplifting voices of authority in your life remembering, “As helpful as human voices of authority are, none can or should replace the ultimate voice of authority—the Word himself: the Savior Jesus Christ. What are you doing to hear his voice in your life? What are you doing to establish his voice as the voice of authority for you?”

    Other ways we can develop this change to become more like Him… Consistently and earnestly repent, seek out holy places, take steps of faith, pray to Him daily.”

    Sometimes change finds us…whether it be through loss, grief, depression, or trials in life, change is often thrust upon us in this mortal life. Again, the world finds few answers as to why there is such suffering and grief in the world. His eternal plan of growth and development is sometimes the only answer that makes sense. If we are to become like Christ, our innocent brother that felt all the sufferings of the world, how can we expect to be truly changed without some suffering of our own?

    Peter in speaking of [trials], said: “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”

    When we endure this life, put off the natural man, and develop into more Christ-like beings, we set ourselves up to feel an even greater degree of joy in this life and in eternity.

    This topic makes me think of a time when I came back to church after living a life that was not in line with what I knew to be right. I made many positive changes when I started coming back and attending the Scottsdale Young Single Adult ward. I starting observing the sabbath day, stopped a lifestyle of college partying, broke off a serious relationship, and made several other difficult but important decisions.

    However, with all this positive change and shunning of the enticings of the natural man, I still felt like I wasn’t receiving the blessings I thought I would. I wallowed in self pity over my own suffering for a while because of this and even wondered if all of my change was for nothing.

    However, I eventually decided I would stop focusing on what I needed and instead turned outward. I made it my mission to seek anyone in my ward that seemed lonely as I was. I sought opportunities to serve those that were also going through a variety of trials. And a miracle happened! The less I focused on my pain, my loneliness, my loss, and focused on loving those around me as Christ did, I really came to find true joy.

    I couldn’t believe how sincerely I loved everyone around me. I didn’t feel lonely. I developed new, Christ-like attributes. And ultimately, I shunned the ultimate trait of the natural man – selfishness. What a blessing that lesson was for my life.

    I know how hard it can be to put off the feelings we have as humans in a difficult mortal journey. It is something we will actively have to work for as long as we live. However, I know that when we let ourselves change and take on the characteristics of Christ we will prepare ourselves to find real joy in eternity. We will truly have cause to rejoice in his second coming.

    I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

  • TRUTH about Heaven

    TRUTH about Heaven

    On November 19, 1823, a young man named Alvin Smith died.  The Smith family asked a Presbyterian minister to officiate at Alvin’s funeral.  “As Alvin had not been a member of the minister’s congregation, the clergyman asserted in his sermon that Alvin could not be saved.  William Smith…recalled: ‘[The minister]… intimated very strongly that [Alvin] had gone to hell, for Alvin was not a church member, but he was a good boy and my father did not like it.” (Teachings: Joseph Smith, 401, 403).

    On January 21, 1836, while in the temple at Kirtland, Ohio, the heavens were opened up to a still young man named Joseph Smith.  It was recorded:

    1 The heavens were opened upon us, and I beheld the celestial kingdom of God, and the glory thereof, whether in the body or out I cannot tell. 

    5 I saw Father Adam and Abraham and my father and my mother; my brother Alvin, that has long since slept;

    6 And marveled how it was that he had obtained an inheritance in that kingdom, seeing that he had departed this life before the Lord had set his hand to gather Israel the second time, and had not been baptized for the remission of sins.

    7 Thus came the voice of the Lord unto me, saying: All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God; 

    8 Also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom;

    9 For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts.

    10 And I also beheld that all children who die before they arrive at the years of accountability are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven. 

    Matthew 7 of the Joseph Smith translation has an important clarification:

    1 Now these are the words which Jesus taught his disciples that they should say unto the people.

    2 Judge not unrighteously, that ye be not judged; but judge righteous judgment.

    What is, righteous judgement, then? From the New Testament Student Manual:

    “President Dallin H. Oaks explained these teachings and their application, basing his comments on the principle “that there are two kinds of judging: final judgments, which we are forbidden to make, and intermediate judgments, which we are directed to make, but upon righteous principles:

    “First, a righteous judgment must, by definition, be intermediate. It will refrain from declaring that a person has been assured of exaltation or from dismissing a person as being irrevocably bound for hellfire. It will refrain from declaring that a person has forfeited all opportunity for exaltation or even all opportunity for a useful role in the work of the Lord. The gospel is a gospel of hope, and none of us is authorized to deny the power of the Atonement to bring about a cleansing of individual sins, forgiveness, and a reformation of life on appropriate conditions.

    “Second, a righteous judgment will be guided by the Spirit of the Lord, not by anger, revenge, jealousy, or SELF-INTEREST(my emphasis added). …

    “Third, to be righteous, an intermediate judgment must be within our stewardship. We should not presume to exercise and act upon judgments that are outside our personal responsibilities. …

    “Fourth, we should, if possible, refrain from judging until we have adequate knowledge of the facts. …

    “A fifth principle of a righteous intermediate judgment is that whenever possible we will refrain from judging people and only judge situations. … We can set and act upon high standards for ourselves or our homes without condemning those who do otherwise. …

    “Sixth, forgiveness is a companion principle to [this] commandment. … In modern revelation the Lord has declared, ‘I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men’ (D&C 64:10).

    “Seventh, a final ingredient or principle of a righteous judgment is that it will apply righteous standards” (“‘Judge Not’ and Judging,” Ensign, Aug. 1999, 7, 9–12).”

    I will refrain from judging that minister at Alvin’s funeral who failed in almost all these points laid out by President Oaks.  I will leave that judgement to God for such behavior.

    What I will say is this:  the hateful, vengeful God that condemns young children and the ignorant to eternal hellfire, is not my God.  My God doesn’t create someone, give them a body, send them to earth, only to condemn them to eternal damnation because they never committed to a God they never heard of.

    Where is the justice, mercy, and LOVE of that God?  There is no love in that God.  That is not my God.

    My God loves all His children.

    1 Peter 4:6 “For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” 

    How can it be, then? How can men be judged in the flesh when their flesh has long since been laid in the ground and returned to the dust from which it was formed?

    Salvation for the dead through ministering to the dead.  Baptisms and ordinances for the dead.  Ordinances that the dead cannot, once dead, perform for themselves.  For we, without them, cannot be made perfect, as they, without us, cannot be made perfect (Hebrews 11:40, D&C 128:18).

    Truth.

    Pure.

    Simple.

    If this doesn’t make sense to you, please, re-read it.  Then read it again, then read it again.  New wine is difficult to fit in old bottles.  Then ask me, and maybe I can explain in better.  I know the missionaries can.

    God doesn’t condemn you or your loved ones to hell because you haven’t met or been taught of the true Him.  This is the great evil that Satan has perpetuated throughout Christianity.

    THAT IS NOT GOD.

    God is love.  You, your father, your father’s father.  He loves all of you.  And you will all be able to hear the truth before any judgement is made.  I love that God, and I am grateful for Him.  And I am grateful for Joseph Smith for these pure, simple truths that he restored.  And I am grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ, who affords me all this: forgiveness, love, peace, eternity with my family.  Because He suffered for me.  Again, and again and again and again I say, thank you.

    To learn more about TRUTH:

    CLICK HERE

  • Am I a Christian?

    Am I a Christian?

    I was told I’m not a Christian.

    I was looking to attend a Christian University and when the counselor I was speaking to heard I was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints she got kind of upset.  She seemed truly disappointed to break the news to me.  “You can’t attend this university if you are not Christian.”

    Yes!

    I was so excited to respond to that.

    “I’m sorry if there’s confusion, but I am very Christian.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” I emphasized.

    She didn’t seem convinced.

    “I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, He is the Savior of the world, He is my Savior.  He died so I can live.  He came to this earth to sacrifice His mortal life for me.  Christ has always been and will always be my Savior.”

    We went around in circles like this for a bit.

    Finally, she said with exasperation, “Do you believe Jesus Christ visited the Americas?”

    An emphatic, “Yes, I do.”

    Her reply, “Oh you see, we don’t believe there is any evidence of this in the Bible.  I’m sorry.  You don’t believe in the same Christ we do.”

    The same Christ?

    Speaking of “evidence” in the Bible that Christ may have visited the Americas leads me to Ezekiel 37:16 which reads:

    “Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, for Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his companions.”

    These sticks are the Book of Mormon and the Bible.  One from Judah and one from Joseph. 

    More “evidence” in John 10:16:

    “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”

    I put quotes around “evidence” because evidence is a funny thing.  Anyone can read those two scriptures and explain them away.  The real evidence is in the Book of Mormon.  Read it.

    How can someone who has never read the Book of Mormon with its constant references to Jesus Christ, its beautiful and simple doctrine of Jesus Christ, and its eloquent teachings of Jesus Christ, tell me I’m not Christian?  By their fruits you shall know them.

    Do other Christians think Christ wouldn’t visit all His children across the globe?  Do other Christians think Christ didn’t have time to show love to His other sheep?  Do other Christians think Christ only loved the Jews in Israel?

    Maybe we don’t believe in the same Christ.

    But I do know that we believe in the same Christ.  I know other Christians are confused about the nature of Jesus Christ and I know the Book of Mormon can shed light on His true nature and teach “Christianity” so much about our Savior whom they profess.  He is everyone’s Savior.  That is why I was so anxious to tell her about the Book of Mormon and explain to her that the Bible DOES testify of the Book of Mormon and show evidence that Christ visited the Americas.

    I know she didn’t hear all of what I was trying to say that day.  I know she was clouded by biases and preconceived notions.  That’s ok.  I know she’ll get a chance to learn about Jesus Christ’s love for all His children and His visit to the Americas.  Someday.

    Read the Book of Mormon for yourself.  Let me know if it’s not the purest, most beautiful, most amazing description of the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth today.

  • Israel–Palestine Conflict

    Israel–Palestine Conflict

    I recently went about educating myself on the current conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Palestine.  It was briefly a popular subject in the news recently.  Then, as the news is wont to do, the next hot topic came, and we didn’t hear about this issue anymore.  That doesn’t mean this is no longer an issue, only that we’re not hearing about it as much.  This problem has been ongoing for decades.

    First, a disclaimer before broaching this subject:  what is happening in the Middle East is a complex issue today, has been for a very long time, and will continue to be.  As is often the case in multi-decade feuds between different cultures, this isn’t a simple movie plot – bad guys vs good guys.  No superlatives will properly express how complex this issue is, so I won’t use any.  I’ll leave it at the statement:  this is a complex issue.

    Before I get into this complex issue, I must state something of vast importance.  It is important we don’t hate anyone, on either side.  That includes hating the Jews, which is becoming a “hip” thing to do lately.  It is of critical importance that we don’t completely vilify and blame the Jewish people for the atrocities that have been performed.  Yes, atrocities are being performed.  But, if we hate and vilify and discriminate against the Jewish people for the acts of a few or even of many, we are doing exactly what we’re so angry at the Jews for.  We are mistreating people.  Whether people are right or wrong, mistreating them is never an acceptable response.

    A little historical background on what has happened and has been happening in Israel/Palestine, for those like me who have kept themselves blissfully ignorant of the topic.

    At the end of World War II many Jewish people were displaced, their homes destroyed, they had nowhere to go.  As these refugees wondered where they should go, a natural gathering to their ancient homeland started to occur.  The only problem was their homeland was already home to a new group of people.  The area of “Israel,” the land gifted to Abraham and his Jewish descendants by God, had become Palestine.  New people had been living there for centuries.

    The Bible has long prophesied of the gathering of Jews back to their homeland.  The 20th Century has seen many Jewish people gather back to the land of Israel, making it a nation again, for the first time in 2,000 years.  Did this gathering fulfill prophesy?  In part.  That prophesy won’t be completely fulfilled until Christ returns and shows the Jewish descendants of Abraham the prints in his hands and feet and they accept the Lord as their Christ.

    Since we are witnessing, in our time, a prophesy fulfilled only in part, it’s obvious why this topic is so important to study and understand.  It fascinates me that something prophesied of for centuries has been happening right before our eyes, in our time, our parents’ time, and our grandparents’ time.  Yet we all act like this isn’t a big deal.  Prophesy fulfilled in the dispensation of the fullness of times.  Another reminder of the significance of the time we now find ourselves in.

    When I heard of the issues in Israel, I realized I needed to pay attention.  I’m aggressive in my avoidance of news and current affairs.  I know I should do better.  When I heard about Israel in the news, and as a studier and believer of the Bible, I was ashamed and embarrassed to be so ignorant on such an important topic.  My ignorance needed to be rectified.  The events in the Middle East are prophetic and important.  Which led to my study of the subject. 

    What has happened as part of this 20th century gathering is what has happened anytime a people travels to an inhabited land in hopes of making it their own.  This mass migration of the Jewish people back to Israel/Palestine has led to war, contention, and oppression.  The Jewish people have established a Jewish state: Israel exists again.  This establishment has shown little regard for the previous inhabitants.  As the Jews have established some dominance and control in the region, naturally they exert some pressure on the previous people.  The oppressed from history and particularly World War 2 have become the oppressors.  Due to a lot of outside support, the Jewish state of Israel has been given much leeway in human rights violations.  Public opinion has always been on the side of Israel, largely due to the support of Bible believing Christian countries (see documentary The Occupation of the American Mind).

    The Occupation of the American Mind | Kanopy

    There is wrongdoing on both sides.  The Jewish people/Israel are not blameless.  The Arabs/Palestine are not blameless.  There is blood on the hands of both sides.  This is in large part what makes this issue so complex.  When conflict becomes decades of conflict, an eye for an eye becomes 100,000 eyes for 100,000 eyes.

    That’s the million-foot view.  The difficulty I’ve found in researching this subject is the bias you get from both sides.  I’ve found it difficult to find completely impartial, factual, and historical information.  The best and most impartial documentary I’ve watched so far is Two Blue Lines.  That’s where much of my thoughts on this topic will come from.  That documentary really made me think about this problem from different angles.

    My hope is that I can give some thoughts on this issue, in the simplest and most layman terms, to help others realize how important it is we pay attention to what’s happening in the Middle East.  Instead of saying too much in a breakdown of this topic, I’ll just share some interesting thoughts that developed from the documentaries I’ve watched.  At the end of this, I’ll list out these documentaries if you’d like to further educate yourself on the important events happening in Palestine.

    One topic that developed in the documentary Two Blue Lines was the idea that the Jewish people had become grounded in the land and not in the people.  I believe it was a Jewish rabbi that pointed out it isn’t the land of Israel that makes Judaism, it is the people, no matter where they are.  He talked about how Judaism is confused.  God wants love.  Judaism is one with all people.  Judaism should be love and peace and brotherhood.  What’s happening in the nation of Israel is the people are becoming grounded in land, and not religion.  They have linked themselves to the earth, to something temporal.  Judaism is more than a land, it is bigger.  Judaism has survived as a people, a religion, and a culture through centuries of persecution and attempts at eradication because of their strong roots in God.  Jews believe they are God’s chosen people.  Rooting themselves to the land of Israel weakens what has always been their strength.  The issue in Israel has become a people linked to a land instead of to God.

    As a studier of the Bible, I realized I fell into this grounded in land and not in people thinking.  My first thought (when completely ignorant of the issue) was – “of course the Jews are coming back to Israel by any means necessary.  The Bible said it was rightfully theirs, the Bible tells us they would return to it, of course this is happening.”  That, though, doesn’t excuse oppressive or unloving behavior.  Prophesy told us the Jews would be scourged from generation to generation for what was done to Jesus Christ (2 Nephi 25:16), this didn’t make the Holocaust rightful in anyway.  In a similar way, just because the Jewish return to Israel was prophesied doesn’t make Jewish mistreatment of Palestinians acceptable.    

    Other thoughts, mostly from Two Blue Lines and The Gatekeepers:

    1. This is quickly going to become a more relevant issue in the United States. 
    2. A girl talked about how the Jews are repeating history.  Similar to what was done to them so recently in the Holocaust they are now doing to others.  She talks about how it’s hard to stop because it’s not one person, it’s like a movement.  It’s gaining momentum and it’s happening.
    3. One Jewish lady said that history will not look kindly on what is happening in Israel.  Live by the sword die by the sword.  They are committing war crimes.  History takes note.  Maybe not today, but one day.  She said this ~30 years ago.  We’re seeing that day come.  As mentioned, the public shift against the Jews and the state of Israel is happening now, right before our eyes.
    4. A fascinating point was made about segregation.  Israel was established in 1948.  At that time, they modeled after and looked up to the United States which was the pinnacle of the western world.  At that time the US was still a segregated country.  70 years later Israel hasn’t had a civil rights movement.  They still live in segregation, but instead of black people being discriminated against it’s Palestinians who are being mistreated.  For a real-world picture of this watch the fictional movie A Borrowed Identity.
    5. These are quotes from individuals In Two Blue Lines
      • “It’s clear that there will not be peace if we continue to demolish innocent peoples’ houses….”
      • “What is more dangerous is what this (mistreating Palestinians) does to Israeli people… as Israeli soldiers and citizens we become, from year to year, more animals.” 
      • “What’s worse is what is being done to Israeli people, we are becoming animals.” 
    6. The Gaza Strip (the most fought over land in possibly all the world) is the size of Mobile Alabama with 10x the population.
    7. As you watch this, don’t villainize the Jewish people.  Then you are perpetuating the evil.  Understand they are confused, and they are wrong.  They do need to be held accountable.  It needs to stop.  They need to stop treating others how they have been treated.  They need to treat others how they WANT to be treated.
    8. One individual pointed out that the Palestinians don’t have a state or an army.  This “war” is against a people.  You can’t have ethnic democracy, or “Jewish democracy.”  Either you believe in democracy, or you believe in a Jewish state.
    9. From The Gatekeepers – all former Shin Bet (Israel’s internal security service, think the FBI) leaders were unanimous; Israel must talk with the terrorists.  They must talk with anyone that might talk to them.  Peace cannot come through military or tactics or fighting or intelligence.  Another of the Shin Bet leaders, the oldest one in the last 7 min of the documentary talked about how the occupation is making young Israelis cruel.  They’re becoming like Germany when they occupied territories.  Not how Germany was towards the Jews, but how they were to all the others they occupied (Polish, Danish, Norwegians, etc.).  He said, “We win every battle, but we lose the war.”

    That’s some of what I learned from conflicts in the Middle East.  I’ll now present some scriptural evidence of the prophesy being fulfilled.

    From a commentary on Doctrine and Covenants section 133 (items in parentheses are my own insertions): “The Gentiles who obeyed the Gospel were commanded (v. 12) to gather in Zion (Utah/America), and those of the house of Judah were to flee to Jerusalem (seen in 20th century, as discussed) (v. 13).  This is in harmony with the prediction of Isaiah and Micah, that out of Zion (America) shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord (Bible) from Jerusalem (Micah 4:2). For from both these centers the Lord shall judge.  Jerusalem shall be re-built and become a holy city, the capital for Judah, and Zion shall be the capital and city of our God, for Ephraim and his fellows (why so many of the tribe of Ephraim are already in America).  Both shall be seats of government in unison with each other, and the Lord shall dwell in both.” (Smith and Sjodahl commentary).

    Zechariah 14:1-5 reads:

    Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.

    2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

    3 Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

    4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

    5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.

    This what the Jews expected from their Savior, the Messiah.  They expected a warrior.  A soldier to redeem them from the occupation of the Romans.  Instead, they got the Lamb of God.  That phrase had largely been removed from their scripture.  Search for it in our current Old Testament and you will not find “Lamb of God” referenced.  Why?  Because it did not fit the image the Jewish people wanted from their King.  They wanted and expected a king more akin to David, not Solomon.

    Zechariah 14:1-5 is a yet to be fulfilled prophesy.  As I heard of the hate and vitriol being pointed towards the Jews in the news and on social media, I realized it was starting.  It’s long been a question: with the state of Israel so favored worldwide, how would this prophesy come to be?  When would the armies encompass them about?  As we see time and time again, political alliances and mutually beneficial allegiances turn quickly when public opinion starts to turn.  Public opinion against the nation of Israel is changing right before our eyes.  Prophesy is beginning to take its shape.

    Luke 12:54-56:

    54 And he (Christ) said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is.

    55 And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass.

    56 Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?

    The Jewish people must turn to their Savior and accept that He has already come before them.  They can’t rely on alliances with the United States any longer.  They must trust in the Lord their God.  They are the chosen of the Lord, even despite their great mistakes.  He still loves them; they are still His people.  They must turn to Him and trust in Him.  Political alliances are fickle.  The Lord’s covenants with the people of Israel are eternal.

    Tragedies have occurred in the Palestine/Israel conflict on both sides.  Inhumane treatment abounds.  The opposite of love has been shown for God’s children.  We are all God’s children.  The Jewish people know this.  They must turn from their obsession in obtaining their homeland and instead make the world a promised land.  They must repent for the sins of few or many.  They must correct wrongs currently being done in the Middle East.  When they do this, they will continue to have the favor of the Lord Jesus Christ, and no one can come against them. 

    For more on the signs of the Second Coming see this link:

    https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-principles/chapter-43-signs-of-the-second-coming?lang=eng&adobe_mc_ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchofjesuschrist.org%2Fstudy%2Fmanual%2Fgospel-principles%2Fchapter-43-signs-of-the-second-coming%3Flang%3Deng&adobe_mc_sdid=SDID%3D7302279A4CD5BB72-09C549BA4C3CA027%7CMCORGID%3D66C5485451E56AAE0A490D45%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1642517792

    Documentaries watched:

    1. The Zionist Story (2011)
    2. The Occupation of the American Mind (2016)
    3. Two Blue Lines (2015)
      • Can be found for purchase on Amazon Prime Video, Youtube, Apple TV.
      • Best, most impartial documentary I’ve seen.
    4. A Borrowed Identity (2015)
      • Can be found for purchase on Amazon Prime Video.
      • Fictional account of a Palestinian living in occupied territory.  This one teaches less general facts as it’s not a documentary, but teaches a lot, nonetheless.  It gives a real life feel to how this has impacted individual, real people, for generations.
    5. The Gatekeepers (2012)
      • Can be found on Hulu, Starz, Amazon Prime Video, and others.
      • Documentary of the intelligence agency in Israel.  Very powerful.