Again, if you're not LDS, please be respectful. That's all I can ask.
I sat in our ward council, and I was flabbergasted. Fear had taken hold of some of our hearts. Fear of the "delta variant". Fear of what happens when kids pick each other's noses. Fear of the vaccine, or not getting the vaccine.
The prophet's message that "urges" us to get vaccinated and wear masks, and we see a significant number of the members outright refusing? What does that mean? Is the church going to fall apart because the prophet has given advice that people don't want to hear?
And then we hear of people staying home because they are afraid of getting sick, or of getting others sick...
Folks, FEAR is the enemy. FAITH is the solution.
- The delta variant will kill us, or grandma, or our babies? I can tell you 100 things way more dangerous than the delta variant. I don't know if the story of my dad's heart stopping after getting a bad case of the flu and then pneumonia helped people put things in perspective: There are dangerous things out there and they WILL kill you, eventually. And most of them are not called COVID.
- Am I going to get sick? The answer is always yes. The question should never be "will I get sick" but "how will I respond?" Or rather, how can I prepare my body for the diseases that are out there? Well, we have Section 89 the Word of Wisdom for a reason, right? And if that doesn't work, you can always get medical help and a priesthood blessing. And doesn't the Lord promise us that if the righteous get sick and die, that they die in the Lord?
- Am I going to get others sick? The answer is always yes! So should we cower and hide ourselves from each other? NO! I remember a time when people would rather see their friends and get sick than live isolated lives. We know that living in isolation is not healthy, and socially distancing, mask wearing -- at best SLOWS the spread, but it cannot stop it.
- What about those who won't "follow the prophet"? Of all the things to worry about... I just have no words for people like this. Don't you think people who have made decisions seemingly contrary to the will of God haven't spent time on their knees and searching and studying to discern for themselves what is best for them? Are we supposed to nitpick and second-guess each other, or put each other in hierarchies of who is more righteous than whom? Guess what: the world is full of "wicked" people, and you have to learn to deal with it.
FEAR is the enemy. What if? What about? What will happen next? WHO CARES? We KNOW how it all ends. We KNOW what we have to do. So let's do it, and let God worry about the details while we do the best we can with what limited information we have.
I am not LDS but am of The Lord....I was born without fear. You are correct in that fear is crippling... especially when fed by evil.
God and we here on earth MUST deal with evil....only by fighting can a war be won, only by faith can we fight with the armor of God and go into battle unafraid.
I am completely against the vaccine but God gave us each the gift of free will, it (free will) is both a blessing and a curse. Choose wisely frens...
Faith, prayers and humility is what God has asked of us. Strength of spirit is what we must demand of ourselves at this, the great awakening...
Blessings for all who struggle, know that God wins. NCSWIC, it will get worse before this ends. WWG1WGA.
I'm not part of your faith community, but am active in a different one. I absolutely agree with the basic premise of your note - "We have nothing to fear but fear itself". I have called out fear porn and group paranoia, but no one can hear what he doesn't want to hear. In our current situation, on one can hear what he is not permitted to hear and must work independently.
We on this forum also need to be more consistent with our actions. We rail against mandates and demand individual freedom, but demean those who choose - for whatever reason - to observe more conservative personal measures. Freedom must work both ways.
Thank you for your thoughts Fren!
A Prophet can’t usurp the Word of God. Come out of that false religion please. Find a good Full-Gospel Church, these are the only churches I know of today who no masks, no vaxx, totally relaxed. Was just in a service with 400+ people. No mask or fear in sight. Everyone happy praising The Lord shoulder to shoulder. Let the fear of LDS be a sign to you to come out of that demonic religion. I say this with love.
AMEN!!!!! I argue with people at work all of the time - about NOT letting fear run my life!!! I just won't do it. We are human beings - doing things that can kill us EVERY day!! How many people drove to church or to the store this weekend? How many people went tor a walk down a street today? How many people ate a piece of fried food this weekend? I could go on and on - but the final answer is - DO NOT LIVE IN FEAR!!!! God has a plan for each of us - wearing a mask or taking a fake vaccine will NOT change His plan!! Go out and live! God Bless!
I am not LDS. However, I wanted to share this with you. It is long, but powerful.
Note that the "gold" is 60 cubits high and six cubits wide -- 666. I feel this message speaks to today.
Let your light, your faith, and your courage lead others to Christ and God Almighty, where there is nothing in this world to fear.
Daniel 3
The Image of Gold and the Blazing Furnace
3 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. 3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.
4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”
7 Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8 At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever! 10 Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, 11 and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”
13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”
They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”
25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”
So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
Lots of good points.
Many of the feared dangers now in the front of peoples' minds HAVE ALWAYS existed. You could, at any time, be sick with something and infect others.This has ALWAYS been true, but we never tried to lockdown the world because of that, until NOW. Why?
Propaganda. That's why. Who benefits?
My husband said it was a PR/PSA, recommend but it’s wasn’t the “proclamation of the covid” will make no difference what he chooses one way or the other in his salvation.
THIS.