Friendly Fire

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, one of the Lord's current 12 apostles, gave a talk at BYU to faculty and staff last week.  I was aware of this talk and read a few quotes from it.  Then I heard that there was controversy and uproar from some members of the Church.  I thought back and couldn't think of anything that was controversial in what I had read.   

Yesterday after watching my usual devotional for the Come Follow Me lesson next week, Elder Holland's talk automatically started playing so I was happy to watch it.

Knowing there was controversy, I listened to it carefully for anything that might be offensive.  Interestingly, Elder Holland was quite unusually emotional during the whole talk and the vibe that I got was that Elder Holland was more meek and loving than in some of his talks.  I didn't hear anything that anyone should be offended by.

Ironically, Elder Holland mentioned the "friendly fire" from BYU students and members of the Church attacking the school and it's policies based on the doctrine of the Church which sponsors it.  And attacking church leadership.  Seems to me that friendly fire is the most deadly.  At least when it comes to those attacking the Church.  It seems to be the members and former members of the Church who are the most critical and fierce in their attacks.

Elder Holland quoted Elder Neal A. Maxwell, a former member of the quorum of the 12 apostles, which apparently offended the easily offended pansy liberals.  Here's his quote:

“In a way (Latter-day Saint) scholars at BYU and elsewhere are a little bit like the builders of the temple in Nauvoo, who worked with a trowel in one hand and a musket in the other. Today scholars building the temple of learning must also pause on occasion to defend the kingdom. I personally think this is one of the reasons the Lord established and maintains this university. The dual role of builder and defender is unique and ongoing. I am grateful we have scholars today who can handle, as it were, both trowels and muskets.” 

In the early days of the Church, members faced much hostility, including violence against which they had to defend themselves.  Thus the mention of a trowel in one hand and musket in the other.  The members weren't on the offensive, on the contrary, they were merely ready to defend themselves should they be attacked.

Elder Holland went on to say:

“Musket fire? Yes, we will always need defenders of the faith, but ‘friendly fire’ is a tragedy — and from time to time the church, its leaders and some of our colleagues within the university community have taken such fire on this campus. And sometimes it isn’t friendly — wounding students and the parents of students who are confused about what so much recent flag-waving and parade-holding on this issue means.  Beloved friends, this kind of confusion and conflict ought not to be. There are better ways to move toward crucially important goals in these very difficult matters — ways that show empathy and understanding for everyone while maintaining loyalty to prophetic leadership and devotion to revealed doctrine.”

So of course the easily offended pansy liberals immediately took offense claiming that Elder Holland is encouraging gun violence against LGBT++'s.  These people are so ridiculous, delusional even.

All Elder Holland was doing was pointing out that as members of the Church we should be defenders of the faith.  But for those who have left the Church or who don't like the doctrine for whatever reason -- usually because it no longer aligns with their lifestyle -- they are always quick to attack the Church, it's doctrines, leaders, and faithful members.

Ironically, it was Elder Holland who prophetically declared in April 2014 General Conference, “that if you haven’t already, you will one day find yourself called upon to defend your faith or perhaps even endure some personal abuse simply because you are a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” 

Now, he is facing "friendly fire" backlash for merely speaking the truth in defending doctrine.

The easily offended don't like hearing the truth.  They want to change doctrine to align with their chosen lifestyles.  I'm sorry to inform them but doctrine will never change.  It can't.  Homosexuality will always be a sin.  Fornication will always be a sin.  Adultery will always be a sin.  Murder will always be a sin.  Lying will always be a sin.  Stealing will always be a sin, and so forth.

Just because someone sins doesn't mean that we shouldn't love them.  In fact, that's the greatest commandment -- to love God and to love our neighbor.  But we don't have to embrace their sinful lifestyle to love them.  Just because God loves everybody unconditionally doesn't mean they won't be held responsible for breaking His commandments.

Here is my favorite quote from Elder Holland's talk last week:

“As near as I can tell, Christ never once withheld His love from anyone, but He also never once said to anyone, ‘Because I love you, you are exempt from keeping my commandments.'”

I can promise you that Elder Holland, along with all of the members of The First Presidency and Quorum of the 12 Apostles want nothing but joy and happiness for all of God's children.  But they cannot change doctrine.  They are loving, caring men who follow God's greatest commandment to love Him and all of His children, our neighbors. But they are also God's representatives here on earth, and are charged with teaching and defending the doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It is precisely because they choose to defend the faith that they constantly face "friendly fire".

Back in 2010, then president of The Quorum of the 12, President Boyd K. Packer prophesied:

“Atheists and agnostics make nonbelief their religion and today organize in unprecedented ways to attack faith and belief. They are now organized, and they pursue political power. You will be hearing much about them and from them. Much of their attack is indirect in mocking the faithful, in mocking religion.

"The types of Sherem, Nehor, and Korihor live among us today (see Jacob 7:1–21; Alma 1:1–15; 30:6–60). Their arguments are not so different from those in the Book of Mormon.

"You who are young will see many things that will try your courage and test your faith. All of the mocking does not come from outside of the Church. Let me say that again: all of the mocking does not come from outside of the Church. Be careful that you do not fall into the category of mocking.” 

We are certainly seeing those who make nonbelief their religion pursuing political power and attacking faith and belief.  And we are increasingly seeing these attacks coming from within the Church.

“Surely the angels of heaven wept as they recorded this cost of discipleship in a world that is often hostile to the commandments of God."-- Jeffrey R. Holland, 2014

It saddens me that those who have dedicated their lives to serving God, and all disciples of Christ who try to follow God and His commandments are persecuted and attacked by not only enemy fire, but sadly also by "friendly fire".

That's my two cents.

My Experience with Covid

Today marks four weeks ago that I started experiencing flu-like symptoms.  High fevers (105°F) and body aches. I knew I was coming down with what Lisa had, whose symptoms started 3 to 4 days prior to mine.  Interestingly though, Lisa's symptoms were more severe than mine.

On day two of my symptoms, Lisa convinced me to go get tested for the man-made bio weapon, covid.  At urgent care that day my vitals were normal.  Clear lungs.  No respiratory symptoms.  Perfectly normal except for the positive covid test.  They did the rapid test which takes about 15 minutes.  But the doctor was done with me before results came so they said they would call with results.  They called before we got home so I called them back when we got home and had to leave a message.  Got on my computer and saw my results on MyChart.  Never did hear back from the clinic.  My paperwork even said they would call in 2 days to see how I'm doing.  Never heard a word from them.

Anyway, the illness progressed exactly like the flu.  In fact, the symptoms were so similar that I would have thought I had the flu, had I not tested positive for the China made virus.  The only difference for me was the anosmia -- which I never got with the flu.  In fact, that's the only symptom that I still have.  I read that it may take up to a year to recover my sense of smell/taste.  So annoying! I sure hope it doesn't take that long.

So it started out with the high fevers and body aches and fatigue.  After a few days it progressed to respiratory symptoms starting with productive upper respiratory infection including runny/stuffy nose.  Then a day or two later progressing to lower respiratory infection including bronchitis/productive coughing.  But for me, the respiratory symptoms were much more mild than the flu.  With the flu I would have to get quad coughed many times a day.  With covid, thankfully, it was only once or twice a day. The fatigue and body aches seemed to linger longer than the flu -- approximately 2 weeks.  

But, considering that I am high risk being highly susceptible to pneumonia caused by respiratory bugs (what us highly trained professionals call viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites -- anything that causes infectious disease) I did very well against the lab created made in China bio weapon, covid.

Granted, I have superior genetics, but covid is not the devastating killer that the government and media want you to believe it is.  Death rates have been grossly exaggerated. In fact, death rates have been dropping rapidly because of prophylactic treatment with ivermectin, etc.  I know in India alone thousands if not millions of hospitalizations and lives have been saved with prophylactic ivermectin.

Speaking of which, I was diagnosed with covid on a Friday, on Monday I messaged my doctor to ask for a prescription for ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine.  Which I know are effective in saving lives from covid.  Well, apparently my doctor was out of town that week so his colleague filling in took my case.  He refused my request. In fact, here are his exact words from my message on MyChart. "Tell patient I do not recommend hydroxychoroqruine or ivemectin for Covid. Continue supportive measures including OTC cough remedies but will need to go to ER if hard to breathe or high fever.Dr. Nam".

So I wrote back citing evidence of how these drugs work well against covid, and are safe.  Asking again for the prescriptions.  Here is the second reply: "Just wanted to follow up with you and let you know Dr. Nam still declined to fill the requested medications. He does not feel comfortable prescribing these to you." 

Oh, he doesn't feel comfortable prescribing me something that could possibly keep me out of the hospital and save my life?  Whatever happened to the Hippocratic oath that all doctors take upon graduation from medical school?  Even I took it.  Heaven forbid they actually try to help patients get well and keep them from getting more sick.  Like I said in my second reply, these drugs are used worldwide and are safe.  A lot safer than the vaccine they keep pushing on everybody.

Anyway, I did find an online prescriber to give me the prescriptions for a price.  I didn't get them until day 8 for me.  Pretty much when the respiratory symptoms started.  But, I didn't notice any improvement at all after taking the ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine.  I don't know if it was because I started it late on day eight.  Or if it was because I didn't need them because my symptoms were more mild.  Or perhaps because of my superior genetics.  :-) But needless to say, I didn't suffer any adverse side effects from taking these drugs.  I think it's criminal that they are not prescribed more for people who could benefit greatly from them.

In summary, my experience with the Democrat sponsored, lab created, man-made Chinese bio weapon --covid was exactly like the flu plus anosmia.  For me it was like a milder form of the flu.  Obviously it wasn't fun, but it's certainly nothing to fear and panic over -- like the government and media want you to do.

I am high risk with any respiratory infection possibly leading to pneumonia which could easily cause my death; including, influenza, covid, or even the common cold.  Yet, I have never bought into the fear and panic over this lab created man-made pandemic. I have always thought of it as being similar to the flu in symptoms and death rate.  And now, having experienced it firsthand, I can attest that I was right.  But then again, I'm seldom wrong.  :-) 

With other respiratory infections such as the flu, we have not been brainwashed into lockdowns, mask mandates, social distancing, vaccine mandates, and all the other Draconian measures which have led to loss of quality of life for everybody and diminished health and healthcare and even loss of life for many more.  Not from covid, but from the irrational response to covid.

Coronavirus disease AKA covid is a man-made, lab created, Democrat sponsored and paid for bio weapon, created in a lab in Wuhan, China and unleashed on the world to stop President Trump from being reelected-- Or I should say from gaining a second term as President of the United States of America. (President Trump was reelected, but defrauded from his rightful office.)

The Democrat party commissioned our enemy, China, to create this coronavirus as biological warfare.  It was released from the lab in Wuhan China during the presidential election year.  That's no coincidence.  Everything was calculated and planned and executed to a T.  And unfortunately, it worked.  Even though it still took massive fraud to get rid of Trump, the evil Democrats succeeded.

And I, and everyone in our household, have had to suffer through the illness caused by the bio weapon, covid, all for political gain for evil, conniving, power-hungry Democrats.

Everybody on planet Earth has been negatively affected by this bio weapon -- either directly or indirectly.  Lives have been drastically changed. And for what?  So that evil people can gain and exercise power over others.

As mild as my case was of covid, it is never pleasant to be sick.  Especially with respiratory symptoms when you physically can't cough without help.  It angers me to know that I, nor any of my family members, would have had to suffer through this covid illness if it weren't for evil people deliberately creating and releasing this virus to the world.

Those evil people responsible for this should hang.

That's my two cents.

Dallas' Headstone

This is the original Headstone design I did for Dallas.  Knowing that the photo would be hand diamond etched by an artist, I didn't worry about the shirt too much.  This is what I submitted that I wanted it to look like.

This was their first proof.  Not even close!

After I explained that I wanted to look more like the design I submitted, this was the proof I got.

I told them much better but I would like the name up a little higher and the dates to the edge more.  And the year a little larger. The following is what I got.

I figured they had to have the margins, so this is as good as it's going to get.  Pretty close to my original design.  So this is what we approved.  They should start production now.  I think it turned out pretty nice.  The artist will hand diamond etch the photo.  I'm excited to see the final results!  8 to 12 weeks from now.  :-(  
 

Don't Be Frightened

I'm so sick of this man-made coronavirus disease being politicized.  First of all, it wouldn't even exist if it were not for evil Democrats paying our number one enemy to develop it.  It's absolutely absurd that our so-called leaders use our hard-earned tax dollars to create such biological warfare.

I don't believe in coincidences.  This virus was released just in time to prevent President Trump from winning reelection.  And the fact that the media is completely obsessed with this virus proves its politicization.  I have never trusted the media's narrative.  Everything they say is a lie.  They are using this coronavirus disease to put fear into people so they can control them.  And it's working.

I never thought I would live to see the day that The United States of America became communist.  It's happening right now.  The government should have no power to force people to be vaccinated.  That is communism.  My cousin just wrote me and said if he's not fully vaccinated by September 30, he will lose his job.  It's just plain wrong.  All under the guise of public health protection.  It does not protect people to make them do things they don't choose to do.  God's plan is to let people make their own choices.  And suffer the consequences whether good or bad.

If someone chooses not to receive a vaccination and subsequently acquires the disease -- then they will pay the consequence of that choice. But people should be able to decide for themselves.  No one should be forced, shamed, or frightened into doing something they don't want to do.

Now about this vaccine.  The media is now targeting unvaccinated individuals demonizing them claiming that it is the pandemic of the unvaccinated.  Well, once again they are liars.  The vaccine targets one protein.  This actually drives the mutation of the virus.  So in essence, it's actually the vaccinated who are keeping the pandemic going.  Our immune systems actually work quite well.  Naturally acquired immunity is obviously the best form of immunity.  Which means actually acquiring the disease and building antibodies towards it.  It's a longer-lasting immunity and targets multiple proteins.  Therefore you will be immune to likely many different variants or mutations of the virus.

A very strange thing about this coronavirus disease obsession is that this COVID-19 disease is no worse than the average flu.  We have never obsessed about the flu like this.  The numbers are very similar in terms of hospitalizations and deaths per capita.  Yet all the media wants to harp on is how deadly it is and how many cases there are.  Who cares?  I mean maybe an epidemiologist might care, but the average person on the street doesn't care about epidemiological numbers.  Especially in a disease with such a low death rate.  It's insane.

The CDC is no longer a legitimate organization.  Maybe they never were.  I used to trust them.  Now they are only politically motivated.  They keep flip-flopping on their recommendations to satisfy the Democrats.  Forcing children to wear masks is child abuse.  If anyone chooses to wear a mask to protect themselves, then go for it.  But don't force people to wear masks under the guise of protecting their fellow man.  I did a one-month rotation in infectious diseases and was exposed to many highly contagious infectious diseases.  Interestingly though, it wasn't the sick people who had to don the gowns, gloves, masks -- it was the healthy people visiting them.  We were protecting ourselves.  That's how it should be.  Let people make their own choices on risks they want to take. Governments should have no say in mask and vaccine mandates.  They are only used as a means of controlling people, not protecting them.

This is pure communism.  It's not right.  This is supposed to be a free country where we can all make our own choices.  The evil Democrats are drunk with power.  And the US citizens are suffering at their hands.

I am considered high risk.  And I happen to be working on my naturally acquired immunity to COVID right now.  In the end, my immunity will be much better than those who are vaccinated against one protein.  Shortly, as the virus continues to mutate, the vaccine the evil Democrats are pushing so much will be useless.  And those of us with naturally acquired immunity will sit back and watch everybody come down with different mutations of the coronavirus.

People need to learn to live with infectious diseases.  They are everywhere.  There's no stopping them.  You get sick, you recover, and you acquire natural immunity.  That's how life works. It's been this way for tens of thousands of years and the human race is still around.

I don't understand why people don't see through the charade of the Democrat operatives who are obsessing over coronavirus.  It's obvious it's been politicized to the nth degree.

They have never been able to scare me. COVID-19 is basically another form of the flu.  Don't be frightened.  My philosophy has always been that if the good Lord decides to take me home, then he will.  I'm certainly not going to live my life in fear.

In a free country, people make their own choices.  In communist countries, governments make choices for people.  I have always treasured my freedoms in this country.  But every day we are losing more and more of our freedoms and the government is gaining more and more control over the people of this great nation. It's very sad.

That's my two cents.