The Thinnest Veneer of Civilization
To be able to eat, to move about, to have shelter, to be free from state or tribal coercion, to be secure abroad, and safe at home - only that
«So, we are in a great experiment in which regressive progressivism discounts all the institutions, and the methodologies of the past that have guaranteed a safe, affluent, well-fed and sheltered Amer... View More«So, we are in a great experiment in which regressive progressivism discounts all the institutions, and the methodologies of the past that have guaranteed a safe, affluent, well-fed and sheltered America.
Instead, we arrogantly are reverting to a new feudalism as the wealthy elite - terrified of what they have wrought - selfishly retreat to their private keeps.
But the rest who suffer the consequences of elite flirtations with nihilism cannot even afford food, shelter, and fuel. And they now feel unsafe, both as individuals and as Americans.
As we suffer self-inflicted mass looting, random street violence, hyperinflation, a nonexistent border, unaffordable fuel, and a collapsing military, Americans will come to appreciate just how thin is the veneer of their civilization.
When stripped away, we are relearning that what lies just beneath is utterly terrifying.»
The Thinnest Veneer of Civilization
To be able to eat, to move about, to have shelter, to be free from state or tribal coercion, to be secure abroad, and safe at home - only that
25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.
I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We believe and teach that the prophets of the Bible are not th... View More25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.
I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We believe and teach that the prophets of the Bible are not the only prophets that ever were or ever will be. We believe that God's wisdom and knowledge are infinite and cannot be totally expressed in a finite body of written works. Rather, we believe that he has inspired many more prophets to write and preach and that he continues to do so to add to our understanding.
The scripture I cited at the beginning is from The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, a book that takes its name from the prophet who compiled and abridged the book from writings of other prophets in the American continents. The first point in the citation is worth study and exposition, but I wish to focus on the second point, that man exists in order to achieve joy (taking into account that the use of "man" is the inclusive of both sexes so that "him" also includes "her").
Given that this was pronounced by one prophet and endorsed by inclusion by another prophet, we can consider that this is God's distillation of the reason for our existence, for his commandments and dispensations for us, and for the particular experiences of this life and that it is to be the condition achieved by man in following God's plan.
Lucifer, Satan, will have a different idea about what we believe or even insist should be the purpose of our existence in order to thwart the purposes of God for us. He will work tirelessly to get us to place other purposes for life in the phrase and replace "have joy" with things that are not durable, things of little importance, or things that are actually antithetical to the achieving of joy.
I have made a partial list of some of the common replacements that fallen man will tend to use or is readily convinced to make their reason for existence. Some of them are good things that can be part of achieving joy when placed in their proper context. Others are purely distractions from the true purpose we have. Some are actually destructive of joy.
Ponder these for yourselves and see if you might add something. Do you live believing "men are that they might" one of these or do you quickly see the reason why "men emphatically are NOT that they might" seek one of these as an end in itself?
I hope you will see why achieving joy far transcends any item in the list and shows many of them to be vanity and self-centered and thus self-limiting despite declarations to the contrary. I look forward to your comments.
Man is NOT that he might:
Have pleasure
Be accepted
Fit in
Accumulate stuff
Have fun
Save the world
Feel good about himself
Have a positive attitude
Be whatever he wants to be
Demonstrate his virtue
Have sex
Flaunt his body
Find himself
Find his inner power
Have good vibes
Find his own truth
Define himself
Empower himself
Be self-fulfilled
Be beautiful
Accept himself as he is
Be radical
Be strange
Be different
Explore possibilities
Indulge himself
Presume
Try to be superior
Glut himself
Just be a good person
Seek adventure
Create his own truth
Be catered to by others
Be indulged by others
Be safe
Be protected
Be provided for
Not be offended
Not be excluded
Be included
Belong
Have as much as others
Be equal to others
Not experience tragedy or disaster
Seek delights
Rest
Engage in a spiritual journey
The only place it's worth worrying about being included is in the Kingdom of Heaven. Worrying about anything else will only produce bitterness.
If you don't feel included by someone or by some group... View MoreThe only place it's worth worrying about being included is in the Kingdom of Heaven. Worrying about anything else will only produce bitterness.
If you don't feel included by someone or by some group, you include them in your group of people you love and are ready to bless. (Focusing on obliging someone to make you feel included darkens your ability to do this, by the way.) Include yourself in the group of people who follow the Savior, the prophets, and the Holy Ghost. Include yourself in the group of those who pray and study the scriptures daily. Include yourself in the group of people who invite others into their presence. Include yourself among those who repent of their sins and strive to become clean and sanctified. You won't have time for feeling excluded.
Does God care about your identity?
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