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marc
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Re: My blog-Updated 5/28

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h_p wrote: May 28th, 2017, 10:34 pm
marc wrote: May 28th, 2017, 7:41 pm Nothing Left to Give
Thank you for writing this, marc. The things you wrote about helping the homeless helped confirm some thoughts I've been having as I've been trying to help a woman I've met in similar circumstances. I'm pretty sure God told me to help her, but has not told me how. I think He's leaving that for me to figure out.
I have come to learn to let it happen naturally. Either the Lord shows you how or the solution will present itself and your love will be the means to accomplish it.

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Re: My blog-Updated 6/18/2017

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Re: My blog-Updated 5/28

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marc wrote: May 29th, 2017, 12:04 am
h_p wrote: May 28th, 2017, 10:34 pm Thank you for writing this, marc. The things you wrote about helping the homeless helped confirm some thoughts I've been having as I've been trying to help a woman I've met in similar circumstances. I'm pretty sure God told me to help her, but has not told me how. I think He's leaving that for me to figure out.
I have come to learn to let it happen naturally. Either the Lord shows you how or the solution will present itself and your love will be the means to accomplish it.
You were right, marc. I found out today what I was supposed to do. When I met her today, she said she'd found a place to live, and good lead on a job, but couldn't get the job until she had an address, and couldn't get the apartment until she got some money. We fed her dinner and paid her first two months rent. It was one of the easiest gifts I've ever given. She's off the street now, and will be sleeping in a bed tonight for the first time in I don't even want to think how long.

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Re: My blog-Updated 6/18/2017

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That was beautiful. Thank you for sharing your experience with me, h_p. My heart swells with joy to hear it.

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Re: My blog-Updated 7/4/2017

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I have translated the Lectures on Faith into Spanish to share with the world:

Lecturas Sobre la Fe

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Re: My blog-Updated 7/22/2017

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Re: My blog-Updated 7/22/2017

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marc wrote: July 23rd, 2017, 7:19 am New Post:

Lectures on Faith-My Witness
I've been working on it - quite a long blog entry, well worth reading, but I'm not done yet!

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Re: My blog-Updated 7/22/2017

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Finished. Very beautiful testimony, Marc. I loved what you included from Jacob 5, truly one of the beautiful chapters of the Book of Mormon.

I feel such a kinship for you and others on this forum. Thank you again for that testimony, I feel I know your heart and I don;t believe you share such things to attract a following or to exalt yourself.

I do agree with you on the importance of equality and no one exalting themselves, but I'm not sure I agree with you on every detail. There are requirements to be part of such a community. I think "the poor" that we are to share with is not just anyone who wants what we have, and most certainly not those who seek to take and redistribute by government force. I believe those poor also need to sacrifice their all - their time, talents, and all else to the building of Zion. It would be an interesting discussion to have with you if you disagree.

Love you, brother!

Kevin

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marc
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Re: My blog-Updated 7/22/2017

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I'd be happy to discuss anything. I don't know everything and am happy to learn from you. As for requirements, I think they can be distilled to the two greatest commandments, which Jesus gave, and then expounded upon in His sermon on the mount. What should prevail is freedom to choose, freedom to sacrifice, but most importantly freedom from compulsion, coercion, etc. (D&C 121). The poor are typically compelled to be humble, but like the rest of us, must be willing to offer a broken heart and contrite spirit, just like the poor of the Zoramites who were gladly taken in by the Anti-Nephi-Lehis at Jershon. The only way such a society ever works (Zion) is where all become one of their own free will. And that happens not because of correlation or compulsion, but because each person willingly sacrificed their all to become one. If one is compelled, then it isn't a sacrifice born of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. If the law of the gospel isn't written in one's heart, then one has failed to become equal with the others who do, regardless of being rich or poor.

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Re: My blog-Updated 7/22/2017

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Hey Marc!

Mostly I feel that too many interpret the "all things in common" and all equal as, essentially socialism. Of course socialism isn't truly equal, but I feel that many read the scriptures on equality and they envision a socialist ideal where conspiring men don't mess it up.

I think that there is a lot more to it than that. This isn;t inspiration per se, but more of an exercise I have gone thru. If all of the saints decided to sacrifice their all to the poor and it was distributed worldwide, we *might* feed the poor for a day. The next day all of our possessions would be gone and the poor would be as poor as they were two days prior, and we would have added ourselves to their number.

My feeling is that most in the world are poor, not to disability but simply lack of education and lack of opportunity. And honestly, in today's world I have no more clue how to solve that problem than the next guy.

Here are my thoughts on living as one, all equal.

All must be welcome to participate, but they must be active participants, not passive recipients. Sacred covenants of sacrifice.

There is a great beauty to this, I think. There should be no job that is "beneath someone's dignity" - if a job needs to be done, and a person is capable of doing it, they should do it, gladly. There should be no idle hands, no retirement in old age to live in comfort from the labors of others. I would say that if one wants to retire, they need to provide for their own retirement, but in a society that has all things in common, how can one provide for one's own retirement? One answer is that everyone continues to be useful and productive until the luncheon of their own funeral. Another answer is that things are not had in common, there is private property but it si more equitably distributed. And that presents its own problems, as history shows us that when men are left in charge to redistribute things equally, some people are always more equal than others (specifically, those doing the redistribution.) Any thoughts on that?

In short, as I am sure you gathered, my biggest issue with all being equal is that no one should be participating looking for an easy means to provide for themselves. Somehow selfishness needs to be overcome, but not ONLY the selfishness of the wealthy, but also the selfishness of those who covet and desire food, clothing and shelter without working for it. To address the former without addressing the latter is to create a system that has already proven itself a failure numerous times.

What do you think? A plan cannot function on warm fuzzies, and for every person that is a net "beneficiary", others must over-produce to provide that benefit. And for the FEW who are literally incapable of doing any productive work, of course they should be admitted and cared for - and pitied. What a sad life to be literally incapable of producing anything or serving others in any capacity.

I hope I have kind of outlined my concerns/thoughts - I'd love to hear yours or anyone else's thoughts. Certainly charity is going to be central to such a proposition - overlooking each others faults and rooting judgement out of our own breast is going to be important. But it also need to logistically work. I know the Lord would pour out blessings on everyone who attempted to make this happen.

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Re: My blog-Updated 7/22/2017

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Socialism is a counterfeit of Zion. With Socialism, nobody is redeemed for their "redistribution of wealth" and there still exists the few elite who manage it. But this is not how Zion works either. With Zion, all who "have all things common" among them, become blessed and redeemed, with the windows of heaven opened and also the abundance of the manifestations of the Spirit are experienced. And all walk with God. There is a vast difference between the enforced construct of man and the voluntary system of Gods.

Note: Having all things common is the not same thing as having all things in common.

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Re: My blog-Updated 12/28/2017

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Re: My blog-Updated 1/31/2018

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Re: My blog-Updated 1/31/2018

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Re: My blog-Updated 1/31/2018

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Re: My blog-Updated 1/31/2018

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marc wrote: May 30th, 2018, 4:48 pm To the Lamanites, Part 2
Lehi was Manasseh, he also had daughters. Ismael was Ephraim, he had sons and daughters. Don’t know about Mulek and his group.

Many of us are from European ancestry and could be pure lines of Ephraim. Supposedly Joseph Smith was.

Much of the US Mormons are Ephraim from patriarchal blessings, so if we aren’t pure we are adopted Ephraim.

As Ephraim we are Children of Joseph, and also Children of Jacob.

Don’t know what all that means.

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Re: My blog-Updated 1/31/2018

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Arenera wrote: June 1st, 2018, 5:55 pm
marc wrote: May 30th, 2018, 4:48 pm To the Lamanites, Part 2
Lehi was Manasseh, he also had daughters. Ismael was Ephraim, he had sons and daughters. Don’t know about Mulek and his group.

Many of us are from European ancestry and could be pure lines of Ephraim. Supposedly Joseph Smith was.

Much of the US Mormons are Ephraim from patriarchal blessings, so if we aren’t pure we are adopted Ephraim.

As Ephraim we are Children of Joseph, and also Children of Jacob.

Don’t know what all that means.
Yup, Joseph Smith taught that Ishmael was of Ephraim. Mulek, being the son of Zedekiah, would have represented the tribe of Judah. As for Zoram, we don't have that information, though a friend of mine (former Mormon Rabbi on this forum) postulates that Zoram, being a servant, was a Levite and would have represented that tribe to minister to Lehi's family according to the Law of Moses. But you do bring up a good point. I think the following prophecy covers it:
D&C 49:24 But before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose.
It's interesting to me that Jacob covers all covenant people. The Lamanites blossoming as a rose is a nod to the Lord's promise made to Lehi. What really piques my interest is the use of the word "wilderness" in that passage. It implies outside civilization.

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Re: My blog-Updated 1/31/2018

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marc wrote: June 1st, 2018, 6:59 pm
Arenera wrote: June 1st, 2018, 5:55 pm
marc wrote: May 30th, 2018, 4:48 pm To the Lamanites, Part 2
Lehi was Manasseh, he also had daughters. Ismael was Ephraim, he had sons and daughters. Don’t know about Mulek and his group.

Many of us are from European ancestry and could be pure lines of Ephraim. Supposedly Joseph Smith was.

Much of the US Mormons are Ephraim from patriarchal blessings, so if we aren’t pure we are adopted Ephraim.

As Ephraim we are Children of Joseph, and also Children of Jacob.

Don’t know what all that means.
Yup, Joseph Smith taught that Ishmael was of Ephraim. Mulek, being the son of Zedekiah, would have represented the tribe of Judah. As for Zoram, we don't have that information, though a friend of mine (former Mormon Rabbi on this forum) postulates that Zoram, being a servant, was a Levite and would have represented that tribe to minister to Lehi's family according to the Law of Moses. But you do bring up a good point. I think the following prophecy covers it:
D&C 49:24 But before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose.
It's interesting to me that Jacob covers all covenant people. The Lamanites blossoming as a rose is a nod to the Lord's promise made to Lehi. What really piques my interest is the use of the word "wilderness" in that passage. It implies outside civilization.
Native Americans have been “shuttled” outside the general US civilization. South Americans could be more in the wilderness, maybe hidden with Europeans that settled there. What about those that took off in ships?

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Re: My blog (Updated 5/30/2018)

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I don't know. I have pondered this a long, long time. What I do know is my mother is of Ephraim and my father is of Manasseh. Last year the Spirit whispered to me that I descend from Lehi. I am clueless about my genealogy beyond a few generations, but this week as I continued studying and pondering, the Spirit whispered to me again that I am a Lamanite. That is all I do know. So I continue to do my best to bring to light these things that the BoM prophets have written to us.

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Re: My blog (Updated 5/30/2018)

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Re: My blog (Updated 5/30/2018)

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Your blog is awesome Marc. I have read everything you posted. Thank you for your time and thoughts. Please continue.

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Re: My blog (Updated 5/30/2018)

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solonan wrote: July 31st, 2018, 2:57 pm Your blog is awesome Marc. I have read everything you posted. Thank you for your time and thoughts. Please continue.
Thank you for your kind words, solonan. My next update will probably be about Moroni chapter 7. There is so much depth in this chapter.

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Re: My blog (Updated 5/30/2018)

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marc wrote: August 1st, 2018, 3:30 pm
solonan wrote: July 31st, 2018, 2:57 pm Your blog is awesome Marc. I have read everything you posted. Thank you for your time and thoughts. Please continue.
Thank you for your kind words, solonan. My next update will probably be about Moroni chapter 7. There is so much depth in this chapter.
Marc, you clearly invest a ton of time in studying all of the standard works, but I'm curious as to what your scripture study routine is like, if you are willing to share. For example, did you only read Isaiah over your two year period, or did you cross reference and concurrently study from the Book of Mormon? How do you balance good scripture study time with all of life's other obligations? Sometimes I feel as Latter-day Saints we are so abundantly blessed with scriptures, it's overwhelming. And to think there's even more to come!

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Re: My blog (Updated 5/30/2018)

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Tbone wrote: August 1st, 2018, 4:35 pm Marc, you clearly invest a ton of time in studying all of the standard works, but I'm curious as to what your scripture study routine is like, if you are willing to share. For example, did you only read Isaiah over your two year period, or did you cross reference and concurrently study from the Book of Mormon? How do you balance good scripture study time with all of life's other obligations? Sometimes I feel as Latter-day Saints we are so abundantly blessed with scriptures, it's overwhelming. And to think there's even more to come!
There was a period of time between about 2011 and 2017 that I spent listening to the scriptures for eight hours straight while I was at work. At the time, I was working in production, which is very monotonous. This makes it possible to listen to music, audio books, etc. Most people choose to listen to music or audio books. I chose to listen to the standard works, primarily the BoM over and over again. Before this time and since, I would spend my free time at home digging deeper into some of the things that I learned as I listened to the scriptures earlier that day. Sometimes I would spend days on just one thing I had listened to, and write all the information I could find about that subject, including every reference available, whether general conference talks, historical accounts, quotes, etc from books out of print or still in print, etc.

As for studying Isaiah, after I got home from work, I would read his words and then study as much about what I read by pondering them deeply, cross referencing other sources such as many of Gileadi's works and also Skousen. I liked correlating what others had to say who have studied the subject with my own thoughts and then draw my own conclusions. I spent at least two years doing this during the evenings at home.

Every time I learned something new, I typically shared it here on the forum and on my blog. I have also spent time looking through publications and commentaries at Deseret Book, but I found myself disappointed in most of them. Almost all books today discussing scriptures are good for people like newly baptized members or older members who want to study but don't know where to begin. That is why I spent so much time looking for books that have long been out of print. There are some real gems out there, but they are few. I really can only recommend compilations of Joseph Smith's writings. Besides this, doctrinal commentaries worth studying would be the journal of discourses series, though, again, the best come from Joseph Smith. The rest are essentially built on his teachings from his revelations. That's why scholars can do only what they can do and that is to comment on the revelations of prophets. Take for example Hugh Nibley and Avraham Gileadi. Both are scholars worth noting, though I don't know of any of their own revelations. But that doesn't mean their commentaries aren't worth studying. I find Hugh Nibley to be quite insightful in many of his books, especially Approaching Zion. I really found Gileadi's book Decoding Isaiah to be very fascinating, though he built upon a thesis suggested by his own mentor. Still, his treatment of Isaiah is worth at least studying.

I'm not sure how I balanced my studies with all my obligations. But I can say this--after having given up all the worldly things I pursued, I found out just how much free time I actually freed up. By putting aside all my idle activities, a considerable amount of free time opened up for me to spend studying and pondering and communing with the Lord. It gave new meaning to the scripture, "be still and know that I am God." The only real obligations are family, work and church callings. And it is entirely possible to "multi-task" with these obligations taking up so much "free" time. Hope this answers your question. And yes, there's more to come, but if we can't or don't make time to understand what foundational doctrine we now have, we won't be ready for more. Line upon line and precept upon precept is key. Otherwise one will become weighed down in unbelief with more light than he is capable of seeking.

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Re: My blog (Updated 5/30/2018)

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