Posted in Apologetics Book of Mormon Books Communism Evidence freedom government MIssionary work politics Scholarship Scripture Social Issues Society War

Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormon, Part 4: Modern Scholarship and First-hand Sources on the Workings of Secret Combinations

  “And it [the Book of Mormon] shall come in a day when the blood of saints shall cry unto the Lord, because of secret combinations and the works of…

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Posted in Apologetics Book of Mormon Evidence freedom government Scholarship Scripture Secret Combinations Society War

Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormon, Part 3: Circumstantial Evidence of Further Secret Combinations

  In Part 1, we considered the question of why secret combinations, one of the most prolific themes in the Book of Mormon, are so rarely discussed. In Part 2,…

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Posted in Apologetics Book of Mormon Books Evidence government politics Scholarship Secret Combinations Social Issues Society War

Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormon, Part 2: Identified Secret Combinations

In Part 1 of this series (available at Meridian Magazine and in my recent post here), we considered why secret combinations, one of the most pervasive themes in the Book…

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Posted in Apologetics Book of Mormon Books Communism Evidence government politics Scholarship Secret Combinations Social Issues Society War

A Practical Guide to Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormon, Part 1: Conspiracy Theories vs. Corruption Reality and Our Unjustified Reluctance to Apply the Book of Mormon

This post provides Part 1 of a four-part series for Meridian Magazine (https://latterdaysaintmag.com/) on secret combinations in the Book of Mormon. The series is based on a recent post here at…

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Posted in Asia Europe Inflation Islam Missionaries Provident Living Travel

Preparing for Inflation and Yearning for Zion: Thoughts From My Visit to Turkey

The New Mosque (Yeni Cami) in the Eminönü quarter of Istanbul, on the Golden Horn at the southern end of the Galata Bridge. Thoughts on Freedom in Two Grand Cities:…

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Posted in Business Christianity Communism COVID Europe freedom government health Media News War

Preparing for War: The Folly of Trust

Some of my more painful experiences in life have come from trusting people in authority, ranging from the promises of a business to the assurances of a medical authority or other persons I respected. While I continue to be an optimistic and trusting person, I increasingly recognize the reality that people often cannot be trusted, especially when there is an opportunity for personal gain at the expense of their personal integrity. I’ve also learned that there are red flags  I should have heeded more in my life, such as the words “you’ll just have to trust me” when claiming that an agreement could not yet be put in writing…. Can we trust what we are being told about Ukraine?

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Posted in Secret Combinations Society War

Secret Combinations: Should We Care What the Book of Mormon Says?

Ether 8 and many other parts of the Book of Mormon warn against the great dangers of powerful secret combinations whose members gain great power and wealth and eventually cause…

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