My Story
Posted: April 29th, 2011, 1:36 pm
I joined this forum this past summer after googleing for LDS sites that were sympathetic to Ron Paul and political liberty. Since then, I have been greatly enriched and learned more about how "awful" our situation really is. However, I never really introduced myself, so I'm now going to bore those who decide to read past this sentence.
I grew up in a large family on the east coast. My parents were and are typical Republicans who watched/read the "news" every day, and always voted Republican. I learned about the values of the free market, and how big government impeded economic prosperity. Growing up, I didn't really care much about politics. I was mostly apathetic to current events and never took a deep or interested look into politics. I never had much interest in reading books or increasing in knowledge; I was a typical high school kid who played sports, video games, and hung out with friends.
Spiritually, I was touched by the Spirit from an early age. My parents and older siblings were great examples, who believed and paved the way. All went to BYU and served missions. I immediately believed the Gospel was true and paramount, but the charge to "gain your own testimony" weighed on my mind. Early morning seminary piqued my interest to study deeper. One night, I went to bed like any other weeknight at an early hour, and out of the blue I woke up in the middle of the night (which I never do), wide awake, with the strong prompting to "read the scriptures." So I did. I read for about 45 minutes in the D&C (following along with seminary), and I had the prompting to get on my knees and settle the issue: is this really true, and would I receive an answer/communication from above? I prayed fervently for about 15 minutes, almost as if to prove to myself how seriously I wanted to know... what followed was a supernatural experience: one characterized by extreme enlightenment and clarity as well as pure, uninhibited joy, which swelled my whole person. Mind and heart, they told me, but I had no idea it would have been that powerful. I was blown away by the experience. I knew I couldn't have produced that experience on my own mind. I knew it was external, it was intervention, it was from the Lord. Although I had a somewhat rebellious string to me (what kid doesn't, right), and fell into sin a bit (though not very grievous), this experience, I believe, always kept me grounded and reminded me of the power and joy that comes from staying close to God.
I then went to BYU and was called on a mission (2003). It's funny... I always wanted to go to Africa, and I was confident I would be going there. I'm not sure why, I just was. Sure enough, I was called to South Africa. My mission was absolutely life-changing. I developed an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. I had a mission president that allowed and encouraged us to read all types of books. I was blessed to have parents who said they'd buy me any doctrinal book I wanted. I ordered tens of books, read and devoured them all. Mostly, I concentrated on books of doctrine from the early brethren. My thirst was so unquenchable that I decided to start waking early on my mission to study more. At first it was an hour early, then it evolved to around 90 or 100 minutes early. I had some amazing experiences in those mornings, as well as teaching others. I wanted to progress as much as I possibly could in those short 2 years. I loved my mission more than anything else.
When I came home and got back to school at BYU (2005), I found it difficult to maintain that spiritual fervor (as anyone does) with less time studying and less time serving others. I still didn't have much interest in current events or politics, thinking they were trivial in the grand scheme of things. I would rather spend my time reading Orson Pratt talks!
I met my wife within 6 months of coming home, and got married about a year and a half of dating.
However, living in the world, it can sometimes be necessary to at least keep up with what's going on in the world. I decided to major in economics, and picked up a few books (Freakonomics, Milton Friedman books, etc). My daily dose of news was Bill O'Reilly. (I know, how embarrassing!) My thought was, I would like some news, his is the most popular cable show, so why not? I bought into quite a bit of what he said, other than his statist tendencies on economic matters. I was a big Romney supporter in the primaries (2007). I brushed off his "flip flops," rationalizing that that happens sometimes in politics, or he really did change his mind. My parents are actually friends of Mitt Romney, and I met him many different times. He is a good man who means well, but he also wants to be president very, very badly. I even gave $100 (which is a LOT to a college kid) to his campaign. Oh, don't I wish I had put that in silver instead! =)) I believed he could win and was quite crushed by McCain winning. As far as the other candidates went, I hated them all except Fred Thompson. My only experience with Ron Paul was in the debates. I thought he was an anti-war liberal. I was confused why he was in the debates. I knew nothing about his other views. I went about my way, reading sites like Hot Air, National Review, Townhall, etc and listening to Rush Limbaugh. (Don't worry, I get cured eventually!) I knew Obama would be terrible for our country, but I wasn't too enthused about McCain. I was too lazy to register to vote and didn't think my vote mattered anyways.
Then, in 2008, the financial crisis hit, my senior year of college. With my major being economics, I had a deep interest in the issue. I wanted to know the causes and cures. The idea of handing over trillions of dollars to banks just didn't bode well with me. I didn't think Romney would support this bailout, but he did. So it begins. To make a long story short, I discovered the only school of thought within economics that properly explained the causes of the crisis: Austrian Economics. They are commonly associated with "libertarianism." I read Thomas Woods' book, Meltdown, which changed my world-view of economics, particularly money and banking. The forward was written by, none other, the anti-war liberal, Ron Paul. Huh? I started reading his books. Oh wait, maybe this guy is completely right! Okay, he's right on everything except foreign policy, I told myself. I dug deeper. I discovered Lew Rockwell, Murray Rothbard, Henry Hazlitt. The pure logic was just music to my ears, and slowly but surely, I came to learn they were also right about foreign policy.
I started to learn some real history. I had to almost un-learn what school taught me about American history, the CIA, our presidents, and the host of wars with which we were involved. I had bought into that patriotic mumbo jumbo before. To put it mildly, I guess I was a neocon, but only because I was naive and had not been exposed to the real history and explanation. My source of news/info was FOX and mainstream Republicanism. (Thank goodness for the internet.)
I became a die-hard Ron Paul supporter by 2009. I started reading libertarian websites, still clinging to a few libertarian-leaning 'conservative' sites. As time moved along, I eventually discovered the LDS Freedom Forum in 2010. A friend suggested I read "None Dare Call it Conspiracy," as encouraged by Elder Benson. I knew our government was screwed up, but I had thought it was good intentions. Little did I know. And then I started to wake up. I learned about the banking cartel, the military-industrial complex, and the history of the Rothschilds, Rockefellers, and so on. Things started to make a lot more sense. It was people on this forum (people like Col. Flagg, Dr. Jones, Mazal, LoveIsTruth, Mahonri, LukeAir, moonwhim) that opened my eyes about 9/11. A few years earlier, I thought the "Truthers" were crazy crack-pots. But then again, I had also, at one point, thought Ron Paul was as well. I saw Col. Flagg's documentary, Dr. Jones' lectures, 9/11 Mysteries, Loose Change, etc. The evidence was clear that there is something sinister going on here. More importantly, all of this "waking up" has led me to pray more fervently, love my family more, and prepare temporally and spiritually for tumultuous times to come. I enjoy this community and look forward to learning even more. So, thank you.
I now temporarily live in the Midwest, I have twin girls (now 10 months old), and being a father is one of the most fun and entertaining things I've done. I love reading (mostly Economics/Libertarianism & Church Doctrine/History). I almost wish I could move to the mountains, and just read Gospel books all day long. I could read hundreds of them. I've become somewhat of a news junkie now - read sites like LRC, ZH, DP every day. I'm sure I will be addicted to following RP's 2012 campaign. I still enjoy "getting away" through the avenues of movies and college/pro basketball and a few other sports. I'm a die-hard BYU basketball fan and get genuinely upset when they lose.
I'm glad I discovered this forum, because I enjoy associating with others who love and defend liberty, both temporal and spiritual. Thanks to all of you, and looking forward to more growth and progression!
And that's my story, in a nutshell.
I grew up in a large family on the east coast. My parents were and are typical Republicans who watched/read the "news" every day, and always voted Republican. I learned about the values of the free market, and how big government impeded economic prosperity. Growing up, I didn't really care much about politics. I was mostly apathetic to current events and never took a deep or interested look into politics. I never had much interest in reading books or increasing in knowledge; I was a typical high school kid who played sports, video games, and hung out with friends.
Spiritually, I was touched by the Spirit from an early age. My parents and older siblings were great examples, who believed and paved the way. All went to BYU and served missions. I immediately believed the Gospel was true and paramount, but the charge to "gain your own testimony" weighed on my mind. Early morning seminary piqued my interest to study deeper. One night, I went to bed like any other weeknight at an early hour, and out of the blue I woke up in the middle of the night (which I never do), wide awake, with the strong prompting to "read the scriptures." So I did. I read for about 45 minutes in the D&C (following along with seminary), and I had the prompting to get on my knees and settle the issue: is this really true, and would I receive an answer/communication from above? I prayed fervently for about 15 minutes, almost as if to prove to myself how seriously I wanted to know... what followed was a supernatural experience: one characterized by extreme enlightenment and clarity as well as pure, uninhibited joy, which swelled my whole person. Mind and heart, they told me, but I had no idea it would have been that powerful. I was blown away by the experience. I knew I couldn't have produced that experience on my own mind. I knew it was external, it was intervention, it was from the Lord. Although I had a somewhat rebellious string to me (what kid doesn't, right), and fell into sin a bit (though not very grievous), this experience, I believe, always kept me grounded and reminded me of the power and joy that comes from staying close to God.
I then went to BYU and was called on a mission (2003). It's funny... I always wanted to go to Africa, and I was confident I would be going there. I'm not sure why, I just was. Sure enough, I was called to South Africa. My mission was absolutely life-changing. I developed an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. I had a mission president that allowed and encouraged us to read all types of books. I was blessed to have parents who said they'd buy me any doctrinal book I wanted. I ordered tens of books, read and devoured them all. Mostly, I concentrated on books of doctrine from the early brethren. My thirst was so unquenchable that I decided to start waking early on my mission to study more. At first it was an hour early, then it evolved to around 90 or 100 minutes early. I had some amazing experiences in those mornings, as well as teaching others. I wanted to progress as much as I possibly could in those short 2 years. I loved my mission more than anything else.
When I came home and got back to school at BYU (2005), I found it difficult to maintain that spiritual fervor (as anyone does) with less time studying and less time serving others. I still didn't have much interest in current events or politics, thinking they were trivial in the grand scheme of things. I would rather spend my time reading Orson Pratt talks!
I met my wife within 6 months of coming home, and got married about a year and a half of dating.
However, living in the world, it can sometimes be necessary to at least keep up with what's going on in the world. I decided to major in economics, and picked up a few books (Freakonomics, Milton Friedman books, etc). My daily dose of news was Bill O'Reilly. (I know, how embarrassing!) My thought was, I would like some news, his is the most popular cable show, so why not? I bought into quite a bit of what he said, other than his statist tendencies on economic matters. I was a big Romney supporter in the primaries (2007). I brushed off his "flip flops," rationalizing that that happens sometimes in politics, or he really did change his mind. My parents are actually friends of Mitt Romney, and I met him many different times. He is a good man who means well, but he also wants to be president very, very badly. I even gave $100 (which is a LOT to a college kid) to his campaign. Oh, don't I wish I had put that in silver instead! =)) I believed he could win and was quite crushed by McCain winning. As far as the other candidates went, I hated them all except Fred Thompson. My only experience with Ron Paul was in the debates. I thought he was an anti-war liberal. I was confused why he was in the debates. I knew nothing about his other views. I went about my way, reading sites like Hot Air, National Review, Townhall, etc and listening to Rush Limbaugh. (Don't worry, I get cured eventually!) I knew Obama would be terrible for our country, but I wasn't too enthused about McCain. I was too lazy to register to vote and didn't think my vote mattered anyways.
Then, in 2008, the financial crisis hit, my senior year of college. With my major being economics, I had a deep interest in the issue. I wanted to know the causes and cures. The idea of handing over trillions of dollars to banks just didn't bode well with me. I didn't think Romney would support this bailout, but he did. So it begins. To make a long story short, I discovered the only school of thought within economics that properly explained the causes of the crisis: Austrian Economics. They are commonly associated with "libertarianism." I read Thomas Woods' book, Meltdown, which changed my world-view of economics, particularly money and banking. The forward was written by, none other, the anti-war liberal, Ron Paul. Huh? I started reading his books. Oh wait, maybe this guy is completely right! Okay, he's right on everything except foreign policy, I told myself. I dug deeper. I discovered Lew Rockwell, Murray Rothbard, Henry Hazlitt. The pure logic was just music to my ears, and slowly but surely, I came to learn they were also right about foreign policy.
I started to learn some real history. I had to almost un-learn what school taught me about American history, the CIA, our presidents, and the host of wars with which we were involved. I had bought into that patriotic mumbo jumbo before. To put it mildly, I guess I was a neocon, but only because I was naive and had not been exposed to the real history and explanation. My source of news/info was FOX and mainstream Republicanism. (Thank goodness for the internet.)
I became a die-hard Ron Paul supporter by 2009. I started reading libertarian websites, still clinging to a few libertarian-leaning 'conservative' sites. As time moved along, I eventually discovered the LDS Freedom Forum in 2010. A friend suggested I read "None Dare Call it Conspiracy," as encouraged by Elder Benson. I knew our government was screwed up, but I had thought it was good intentions. Little did I know. And then I started to wake up. I learned about the banking cartel, the military-industrial complex, and the history of the Rothschilds, Rockefellers, and so on. Things started to make a lot more sense. It was people on this forum (people like Col. Flagg, Dr. Jones, Mazal, LoveIsTruth, Mahonri, LukeAir, moonwhim) that opened my eyes about 9/11. A few years earlier, I thought the "Truthers" were crazy crack-pots. But then again, I had also, at one point, thought Ron Paul was as well.
I saw Col. Flagg's documentary, Dr. Jones' lectures, 9/11 Mysteries, Loose Change, etc. The evidence was clear that there is something sinister going on here. More importantly, all of this "waking up" has led me to pray more fervently, love my family more, and prepare temporally and spiritually for tumultuous times to come. I enjoy this community and look forward to learning even more. So, thank you.I now temporarily live in the Midwest, I have twin girls (now 10 months old), and being a father is one of the most fun and entertaining things I've done. I love reading (mostly Economics/Libertarianism & Church Doctrine/History). I almost wish I could move to the mountains, and just read Gospel books all day long. I could read hundreds of them. I've become somewhat of a news junkie now - read sites like LRC, ZH, DP every day. I'm sure I will be addicted to following RP's 2012 campaign. I still enjoy "getting away" through the avenues of movies and college/pro basketball and a few other sports. I'm a die-hard BYU basketball fan and get genuinely upset when they lose.
I'm glad I discovered this forum, because I enjoy associating with others who love and defend liberty, both temporal and spiritual. Thanks to all of you, and looking forward to more growth and progression!
And that's my story, in a nutshell.
Welcome anyway!