It doesn't matter why. We like to give ourselves a break because of how we feel, what we think, or because of our special difficulties in life. We think we can excuse ourselves for our sins, shortcomings, and weaknesses. We can't. There is no excuse. We can find all the reasons why we were unable to complete our mission, fulfill our purpose, or do good, but in reality, it doesn't matter!
Excuses don't excuse us from obeying laws. If we don't obey the laws, we're going to get hurt, there's no way around it. We will fall if we lose our support. We'll be poor if we don't work. We will remain ignorant if we don't study. If we don't exercise we aren't going to have muscles. If we walk off the edge we're going to fall. We don't learn without experience. Everything happens for a reason, based on laws and principles. If we don't obey them for any reason, then we don't get the benefits. It doesn't matter why.
Doing Good
I often try to excuse myself from doing things I know I should do because I'm so busy doing other good things. All too often I find the most important things are at the mercy of urgent, but unimportant, things. I don't meet a deadline for an article because I'm cooking dinner, or cleaning the kitchen. I find so many other things to do when I really need to be doing the most important things that are hard and I don't want to do them.
Likewise, I see people try to excuse themselves from taking care of their bodies because they are too busy to cook good food, or exercise daily. They have so many other things to do that they end up with illnesses from disobedience to the laws of health. It doesn't matter at all why they fail to take care of themselves, they get sick anyway, there is no excuse.
Handicaps
Handicaps don't give you any benefit, or excuse us from doing right. It doesn't matter that you're blind if you walk off a cliff. The cliff, and gravity, don't care. You don't get a pass because of your handicap.
Being lame doesn't excuse us from the benefits of exercise. Being hungry, or having a sweet-tooth doesn't excuse us from dietary laws of health. Being blind does not excuse us from crashing the car. There is no handicap that laws will allow a pass.
We like to give a pass to people because of their handicaps. We give children a pass because they are ignorant. We give sick people a pass because of their illness. We give them benefits they don't earn. We give the poor money that they didn't work for because they are lazy, or ignorant. We automatically feel like mercy is giving others the benefit of laws they do not keep. But, it doesn't work in the long term. We may be able to skirt the law for a short time, but allowing a blind person to drive can only end in disaster -- it's the law!
Safety and Growth
There are two kinds of laws -- those that if we obey we grow, and those that keep us safe from harm. These are at odds with each other. Safety laws are needed for the ignorant. These rules keep us safe from harm that might happen when we disobey the laws of physics. A child with a key will first try to put it in something he can reach -- like an electrical outlet, causing disasters to happen. We "childproof" the house, keeping all chemicals and dangerous substances out of reach so they cannot hurt themselves in their ignorance.
It doesn't matter that the child was young and ignorant -- the laws of physics will still apply, so we protect them in their ignorance with random and arbitrary rules. These are not the laws that govern the Universe, but rather just rules to protect and preserve those who are ignorant of such laws.
However, the rules of safety also keep us ignorant. Growth doesn't come from obedience to the rules of protection, they are only there to protect us from harm. Most don't realize that the commandments of God are given to protect us in our ignorance -- they are the rules of safety. Adam and Eve broke the rule in order to learn and grow. It is only by breaking the rules of safety that we learn as we suffer the consequences of our actions. Electricians know what it's like to be shocked with varying voltages. Engineers need to break the rules to find out the laws of material strength. Surgeons needed to break the rules of cutting living people open, and killing lots of them, before they could understand the laws of living physiology and anatomy. Very often, a parent will stand by and watch their little child step off a curb and fall so he can learn the laws of physics. It is by breaking the rules of protection that we learn the laws.
Intelligence and Ignorance
The greatest benefits in life come from knowing the laws. Facts does not equal knowledge, only truth is useful. Laws are always true no matter what. An engineer knows laws of physics and the use of materials to create useful things. The doctor, knowing the laws of biology, is able to repair the body. The farmer is able to produce ten, or a hundred, times more food by knowing the laws of the plants he works with. Laws make life better. Life is hard when we don't know the rules, and becomes so easy when we do.
Lack of intelligence doesn't excuse the engineer for building a faulty bridge when it collapses. It doesn't excuse the doctor for killing his patients. Nor does the farmer get a pass for not knowing how much water his crops would need. People will starve, die, or get hurt because of ignorance.
The purpose of life is to learn and grow, gaining intelligence. It is to gain knowledge and wisdom through our experience. It is to experience as much as possible so we can have more knowledge, and thus more power. If we fail, we don't get a pass. Staying in the safety zone may keep us safe, but doesn't bring intelligence.
The laws are fixed, and we fail to follow them at our own peril despite our ignorance. Ignorance is the only evil, and doesn't excuse anyone. It doesn't matter why we're ignorant, we'll suffer the consequences just the same. If we don't understand the rules of business, our business will fail. If we don't understand the laws of physics, our bombs won't blow up. There is no excuse. However, if we do understand the laws, and abide them perfectly, then we will gain tremendous wealth, knowledge, wisdom and power. Eventually knowing all things.
Heaven and Hell
Heaven is those who know all the laws, or all truth. They are free from rules because they don't need protection. They can perform all "miracles." It is easy to create galaxies, stars, worlds, and life with all knowledge. Knowing everything gives complete power, the power to organize and understand. An engineer organizes his bridge in a certain way to take advantage of the materials he has chosen. He knows the properties of each material, and knows how to put them together to build a strong bridge. Knowledge is the only power. Two thousand years ago a miracle happened -- an infant was born to a woman who had never had a sexual relationship. Now we have the knowledge of biology that allows us to perform this miracle every day. It's simple. Today, we have institutionalized many "miracles." We make the blind to see, the lame can walk, and the deaf hear every day. We have power because of knowledge. Continuing on will bring all knowledge -- and all power. This is Heaven.
There are two ways to end up in Hell, or permanent ignorance. We can remain ignorant by being "safe," or simply by failing to seek knowledge. The first group are those who would do good by preventing failure. This is the plan of Satan -- safety. People who seek safety remain ignorant because they fail to discover the laws of the Universe. The rest are just lazy, seeking gratification of desires instead of knowledge of laws. Without understanding of the laws that govern the Universe, all things appear to happen randomly and magically.
Those in hell are severely limited by rules to protect them in their ignorance. There is no power because there is no knowledge. It doesn't matter why we fail. Wasting time on entertainment such as movies, television, and video games doesn't bring knowledge. There is no excuse, we just don't have knowledge. Nobody gets a pass for any reason. We are what we are irrespective of how it happened. It doesn't matter why. There is no excuse.
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Saturday, August 13, 2016
The Ultimate Gift
There are two kinds of gifts in the world, those that are given to us to help us to grow, and those that are given to us that we may help others grow. Not that there is no overlap in all things, however, there is a primary purpose for each gift.
Those gifts that we call "strengths" are the ones we have to help others to grow. We bless the lives of others with our "strengths" such as knowledge, wealth, administration, cheerfulness, and love. Our service to them connects us with them.
Those gifts we call "weaknesses" are primarily to help us to grow. We gain humility, wisdom, understanding, compassion, and charity as we suffer through our weaknesses. The stress of our weaknesses strengthens us, and helps us to grow. Suffering within ourselves connects us with God.
Jesus Christ had all strengths. He had all power. He was strong in every area such that He could bless the lives of all. He had the gift of healing, knowledge, wisdom, discernment, angels, prophecy, revelations, tongues, and so forth. He had all He needed to "succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees." (D&C 81:5) He gave freely to all who desired, Jew or gentile, rich or poor, male or female.
Jesus Christ also had all weaknesses. He suffered pain, temptations of every kind, loneliness, despair, hatred, rejection, and so forth. These taught Him. The Apostle Paul explained this concept to the Hebrews, "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;" (Hebrews 5:8)
However, in all of this, there is one gift that is superlative, charity. Charity is the gift of Christ. It is the essence of Christ, and is all that the Word, the office, and the mission of Christ entails. It is all strength and weakness. It is all gain and loss. Charity is the spectrum of life, the gift of Eternal Life. This is the one gift that is required by all who would take upon themselves the name of Christ, to become Christ.
The term "Christ" is the center and circumference of all things. It is pure love. It defines creation and all that exists, because without Christ there is nothing. Growth, happiness, and all that defines life is found in this one word because without love there is no good, only evil, darkness, loneliness, and loss. Pure love gives meaning to all things. There is a general term, and a specific person called Christ. Generally, it is a name given to all those who receive the gift of charity, the pure love of Christ. Specifically, there is One who is the Christ because He encompasses all that is Christ. He is our example to follow.
The prophets assure us that there is one gift that we must seek if we are to become one with God. This gift is not given lightly or easily. It is the gift of Christ, called charity. It is given to those who take upon themselves the name of Christ and suffer the will of the Father in all things. They give their heart and will to God, letting go of all things of the world. These are they to whom the following scriptures apply:
"...believe in Christ, and view his death, and suffer his cross and bear the shame of the world;" (Jacob 1:8)
"...come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end;" (Omni 1:26)
"Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;" (Matthew 5:44)
"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." (Matthew 16:24-25)
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." (Matthew 10:37-38)
"And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life." (Matthew 19:29)
The gift of charity comes with a price -- to follow Jesus Christ into death and hell, rejection and hatred, loss and mourning. The heights can only be reached by those who are willing to go into the depths. This brings balance to life. We cannot have compassion on what we don't experience. Only those who are true followers, who do as He did, who become as He is, can take His name and receive His gift of love. While all are loved equally, no matter what we do, charity is reserved for those who are true followers of Jesus Christ.
Receiving the gift of charity makes us one with Him. We possess His name, the name of Christ, being born of Him, or born into His family. We are Christ.
Of necessity, all prophets are a type of Christ. They are HOLY prophets because they are, in at least one way, like Him. In order to be with Him, we must be like Him, as they are. We are holy as He is holy. We are set apart from the world. We take upon ourselves the sins of the world. We take up our cross and bear the shame of the world. We do not complain, we do not even flinch. We have been called to weakness, to humility, to meekness, to loneliness, to loss, to mourning, to suffering, and to pain. We allow it all. We take it all in as He did. We remember Him in all things, taking upon ourselves His name, following Him into whatever we are given by the Father. Our path is set. We accept our calling. We focus only on our mission that must be performed by us. By so doing, we suffer (allow) the will of the Father in all things. We love the Father more than the world. We love the Lord whom we follow into the depths of death and hell. We saw Him do it, and we follow Him -- willingly, lovingly, hopefully, and happily suffering the will of the Father as He did. We take Him into ourselves. We eat His flesh, and drink His blood.
The flesh is the pain and suffering all manner of deprivation, loneliness, and a broken heart. All that we hold dear in this world is given up, sacrificed on the altar. The flesh is burned, and discarded. The flesh is lost. All of the desires of the flesh are given away, sacrificed, lost, and wasted. Opportunities to satisfy the flesh are ignored. The focus is entirely on the mission, and nothing can deter or distract from that. He was offered food for His hunger, satisfaction for His soul, and glory for His ambition, but paid no heed. He was focused on His mission, and nothing could tempt Him to turn from it.
The blood is death. We must die, as He did. We must be willing to die the death, both spiritual and physical. If we are to follow Him, we must be willing to allow our blood to be shed a martyr for Him. We must also be willing to face spiritual death and hell in order to bring out those who have strayed, wandered off into forbidden paths, and are lost. Some are lost to all that is righteousness, and have no light. These must also be gathered with the elect. They must be given the option, and we are willing to face their death with them in order to bring them to life. We have compassion, to suffer with them, as He did for us and all others.
Those who are willing to follow Him are given weaknesses to bring them into the depths of humility. They willingly take their cross and follow Him. After they are proven through patience and long suffering, they are given the gift of charity -- and the name of Christ. It is a possession worth more than all the riches, honor, glory, and love of the world. It is necessary, and sufficient. It is eternal. It fills, and fulfills all needs. It is our purpose, our all. It is life Eternal. It is connection with God and all people. It is compassion. It is true love. It is light. It is clarity. It is peace. It is joy and happiness. By following Him we become like Him and receive all that He has. It is a gift, the gift of Charity, the gift of pure love, or the gift of Christ.
Mormon implores the faithful: "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen." (Moroni 7:48)
Those gifts that we call "strengths" are the ones we have to help others to grow. We bless the lives of others with our "strengths" such as knowledge, wealth, administration, cheerfulness, and love. Our service to them connects us with them.
Those gifts we call "weaknesses" are primarily to help us to grow. We gain humility, wisdom, understanding, compassion, and charity as we suffer through our weaknesses. The stress of our weaknesses strengthens us, and helps us to grow. Suffering within ourselves connects us with God.
Jesus Christ had all strengths. He had all power. He was strong in every area such that He could bless the lives of all. He had the gift of healing, knowledge, wisdom, discernment, angels, prophecy, revelations, tongues, and so forth. He had all He needed to "succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees." (D&C 81:5) He gave freely to all who desired, Jew or gentile, rich or poor, male or female.
Jesus Christ also had all weaknesses. He suffered pain, temptations of every kind, loneliness, despair, hatred, rejection, and so forth. These taught Him. The Apostle Paul explained this concept to the Hebrews, "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;" (Hebrews 5:8)
However, in all of this, there is one gift that is superlative, charity. Charity is the gift of Christ. It is the essence of Christ, and is all that the Word, the office, and the mission of Christ entails. It is all strength and weakness. It is all gain and loss. Charity is the spectrum of life, the gift of Eternal Life. This is the one gift that is required by all who would take upon themselves the name of Christ, to become Christ.
The term "Christ" is the center and circumference of all things. It is pure love. It defines creation and all that exists, because without Christ there is nothing. Growth, happiness, and all that defines life is found in this one word because without love there is no good, only evil, darkness, loneliness, and loss. Pure love gives meaning to all things. There is a general term, and a specific person called Christ. Generally, it is a name given to all those who receive the gift of charity, the pure love of Christ. Specifically, there is One who is the Christ because He encompasses all that is Christ. He is our example to follow.
The prophets assure us that there is one gift that we must seek if we are to become one with God. This gift is not given lightly or easily. It is the gift of Christ, called charity. It is given to those who take upon themselves the name of Christ and suffer the will of the Father in all things. They give their heart and will to God, letting go of all things of the world. These are they to whom the following scriptures apply:
"...believe in Christ, and view his death, and suffer his cross and bear the shame of the world;" (Jacob 1:8)
"...come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end;" (Omni 1:26)
"Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;" (Matthew 5:44)
"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." (Matthew 16:24-25)
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." (Matthew 10:37-38)
"And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life." (Matthew 19:29)
The gift of charity comes with a price -- to follow Jesus Christ into death and hell, rejection and hatred, loss and mourning. The heights can only be reached by those who are willing to go into the depths. This brings balance to life. We cannot have compassion on what we don't experience. Only those who are true followers, who do as He did, who become as He is, can take His name and receive His gift of love. While all are loved equally, no matter what we do, charity is reserved for those who are true followers of Jesus Christ.
Receiving the gift of charity makes us one with Him. We possess His name, the name of Christ, being born of Him, or born into His family. We are Christ.
Of necessity, all prophets are a type of Christ. They are HOLY prophets because they are, in at least one way, like Him. In order to be with Him, we must be like Him, as they are. We are holy as He is holy. We are set apart from the world. We take upon ourselves the sins of the world. We take up our cross and bear the shame of the world. We do not complain, we do not even flinch. We have been called to weakness, to humility, to meekness, to loneliness, to loss, to mourning, to suffering, and to pain. We allow it all. We take it all in as He did. We remember Him in all things, taking upon ourselves His name, following Him into whatever we are given by the Father. Our path is set. We accept our calling. We focus only on our mission that must be performed by us. By so doing, we suffer (allow) the will of the Father in all things. We love the Father more than the world. We love the Lord whom we follow into the depths of death and hell. We saw Him do it, and we follow Him -- willingly, lovingly, hopefully, and happily suffering the will of the Father as He did. We take Him into ourselves. We eat His flesh, and drink His blood.
The flesh is the pain and suffering all manner of deprivation, loneliness, and a broken heart. All that we hold dear in this world is given up, sacrificed on the altar. The flesh is burned, and discarded. The flesh is lost. All of the desires of the flesh are given away, sacrificed, lost, and wasted. Opportunities to satisfy the flesh are ignored. The focus is entirely on the mission, and nothing can deter or distract from that. He was offered food for His hunger, satisfaction for His soul, and glory for His ambition, but paid no heed. He was focused on His mission, and nothing could tempt Him to turn from it.
The blood is death. We must die, as He did. We must be willing to die the death, both spiritual and physical. If we are to follow Him, we must be willing to allow our blood to be shed a martyr for Him. We must also be willing to face spiritual death and hell in order to bring out those who have strayed, wandered off into forbidden paths, and are lost. Some are lost to all that is righteousness, and have no light. These must also be gathered with the elect. They must be given the option, and we are willing to face their death with them in order to bring them to life. We have compassion, to suffer with them, as He did for us and all others.
Those who are willing to follow Him are given weaknesses to bring them into the depths of humility. They willingly take their cross and follow Him. After they are proven through patience and long suffering, they are given the gift of charity -- and the name of Christ. It is a possession worth more than all the riches, honor, glory, and love of the world. It is necessary, and sufficient. It is eternal. It fills, and fulfills all needs. It is our purpose, our all. It is life Eternal. It is connection with God and all people. It is compassion. It is true love. It is light. It is clarity. It is peace. It is joy and happiness. By following Him we become like Him and receive all that He has. It is a gift, the gift of Charity, the gift of pure love, or the gift of Christ.
Mormon implores the faithful: "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen." (Moroni 7:48)
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Legitimate Business
Throughout history mankind has based his wealth on plunder. When all gains were made by the sweat of the brow, it was impossible for people to become wealthy by their own efforts. Wealth required taking the labors of others. Thus, kings and walled cities protected the people from invasion and plunder by their neighbors. Governments were instituted to protect people from fraud and theft, allowing ownership without fear of being plundered. However, the governments themselves give in to the need for money and easily become part of the problem. Caveat Emptor was never so relevant as it is today, unfortunately.
Today, we have business as a form of legal plunder. These government-approved businesses "sell" people things that they don't need in order to get money. Marketing techniques are mastered and used to motivate more people to buy goods and services that may even bring harm. The government today is beginning to mandate that we buy useless goods and services such as insurance, chemotherapy, and vaccines. All too often they don't give real value in exchange for money. In this sense, a great deal of business and government in the world is fraud.
Info-tainment
Information is so cheap that we place little value on it. We think we can watch TV for free and get information. As Wormwood in the movie Matilda, said, "There's nothing you can get from a book that you can't get from a television faster." But is TV free? We must spend the most valuable asset we have in order to watch television -- time. Besides, everything that is on TV is a message paid by sponsors. Even the news is of questionable benefit, at best, offering people what they want to hear without giving any real information.
Most books are filled with things people like, but don't offer information of any value for the money. Information is sold rampantly in books, or on the internet, promising health, wealth, and happiness in every way possible, taking money and offering only lies. People pay for what they want to hear, not necessarily what they need. Thus, they spend their money and get nothing in return.
Sometimes, a college education is useless. We are told that the majority of what we learn in college is not true, that we need to go out into the world and begin to learn reality. People spend hundreds of thousands on an education to get a degree, and find only a worthless piece of paper and an empty head. In medical schools across the country, our future doctors are being taught that drugs help people to get well, when the research says otherwise. They are told they are getting a first-rate education, but really only learn to be an agent of drug companies. On the bottom-line, it's fraud.
Drugs
People spend large amounts of money on all sorts of drugs to feel good for a few minutes, and only receive harm. While it may be obvious that meth, heroin, marijuana, and cocaine are a problem, alcohol and caffeine have been the drugs of choice for millennia, and those who sell it are perpetrating fraud on those who buy it, even though they do it willingly. Like prostitution, street drugs or prescription drugs that only bring temporary relief of symptoms, and cause harm are not of any benefit. They take money, but don't offer value in return.
The patent drug business is, on the whole, based on fraud, giving harm instead of value. More than 99% of drugs are sold to people who don't need them, or who won't benefit from them, and might even be harmed by them. Money is exchanged for nothing of value as health is damaged by the toxic medications. It's worse than just stealing, where nothing is offered in exchange for money, it is actually giving ill for good.
The greatest marketing fraud perpetrated on the people of the world is found in the patent medicine industry. Since people don't generally want to take toxic medications, the drug companies have spent billions of dollars to create a perceived need. Using fear tactics to address health concerns, they advertise that drugs are the solution to a problem that they created. In most cases, there is no problem at all. Hypertension is a symptom that was made into an illness through marketing. We were told it is "The silent killer!" and in order to avoid death, we needed to take a drug to lower the pressure. The research shows this isn't true, but even the doctors remain ignorant of this fact because they are trained by the drug companies. People spend billions of dollars every year on these toxic medications that do more harm than good -- for an illness that doesn't exist!
Cholesterol is another creation of marketing drugs. We are told that high cholesterol causes heart disease and strokes, and that we can avoid these if we use drugs to lower cholesterol. The doctors are sales agents of the drug companies, doggedly telling everyone to take their statin drugs, or else! I had one patient with heart disease who was given a stent for a narrowed artery in his heart, and put on a statin drug. Two years later he had to get another stent for another narrowed artery, causing chest pain, and given a higher dose of statin drugs. A year later he was given another stent for further arterial disease in his heart, and more chest pain, and was changed to a stronger statin drug. This continued until he had five stents and very high doses of statin drugs. He came in to see me because of terrible side-effects (toxicity) of the statin drugs. It was obvious he had inflammatory issues so I took him off the statin drugs in order to treat the cause of his problem. His cardiologist called me, and literally yelled into the phone that it was "malpractice" to take a person with heart disease off of statin drugs, even after they have failed four times!
Fake Food
Like drugs, most food that is bought does more harm than good to the body. All those who sell junk food are stealing money from people, taking their money and offering nothing of value in return. In reality, for their money they only get illness and death. This is not to mean only "fast food" or "junk food" but all processed foods, drinks, restaurants, or packaged foods that are eaten for taste, but don't nourish the body. These foods are the greatest cause of disability and death in the world. Those in the business are perpetrating a fraud on unsuspecting innocent people, just like the drug industry. In fact, the most toxic substance known to man is sugar, the basic staple of most food sold. More people die from sugar toxicity than all of the drugs combined, illegal or legal. Those who sell it are doing more harm than good, taking money, but giving no value.
Marketing
Marketing is the art of legal plunder -- getting people to part with their money, taking something of value and giving nothing in return. In some cases, it's giving people what they want, instead of what they need. In other cases it's creating a perceived need where there really isn't one. We could go down the list of drugs that are fraud, but the picture is clear. People are sold a bill of goods, getting no value for their money. The patent drug industry is mostly fraud with brilliant marketing to trick people into thinking they are getting value for their money. Nobody notices that people are still getting the illnesses that the drugs are supposed to be preventing. Likewise the food industry is mostly fraud. In fact, just about everything we see advertised is selling something of little or no value for high prices. This is the art of marketing. Marketing is all about motivating people to spend money on what they want, but all too often it is a bait-and-switch game of getting them to spend their money, but not actually giving them what they want, or what was promised. These businesses prey on the weak, lonely, needy and ignorant people of the world.
More than two millennia ago, Jacob is talking to us when he says, "Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy." (2 Nephi 9:51)
Win-Lose
Plunder just as readily happens the other way, when people take advantage of businesses, looking for a win-lose deal. Those who are looking for a bargain, to pay less for something than everyone else, are often trying to receive goods and services at the expense of others. A perfect example is found in the "gaming" industry (AKA gambling). Near my house is an Indian casino where so many people go to get something for nothing. They hope to provide the smallest "investment" to get the largest gains for themselves, while everyone else in the house loses (except the House, of course). These are all forms of plunder, taking something and not giving value in return. There is no exchange, and is always a win-lose situation.
Legit
A legitimate business provides value for the money they receive. They will often give more than what they receive, a lot more. A legitimate business sells goods and services that improve people. There are thousands of businesses that give a real exchange of value. Real estate is based on the desirability of the property. Cars add value to people's lives. The business of connecting people through communication like phones and the internet is a real service. Those businesses that supply energy such as gas and electricity are valuable. Most stores that sell goods are giving value for the money. Restaurants and stores that sell nutritious foods also give value.
Legitimate businesses don't need to use marketing to create fear or false need. People come to them with a real need, and the business fills the need. There is a real exchange of value that benefits both parties. One of the most important principles of business was elucidated by Stephen R. Covey in his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, that is the principle of "Think Win-Win -- or no deal!" If either party was aware that the other is losing on the deal, they would call it off. Every exchange must benefit both parties, and neither would go through with a deal that would harm the other party. We are our brother's keeper, and we have an obligation to look out for everyone, especially those who are needy or ignorant. A legitimate business must offer value in exchange, and not consider taking money without offering at least an equivalent value in return.
Legitimate Marketing
Marketing for a legitimate business allows people to know that a service or product is available so those who need it can have access to it. The business provides good, quality, useful goods and services at a price that provides a fair exchange so there is no need to use tricks or manipulation to get people to spend money on products or services that will not benefit them. There is, instead, a fair exchange of value.
Many stores offer a return policy for defective merchandise, or even for "buyer's remorse!" The consumer can even reverse the deal after they take the goods home. Of course, this sometimes leads to an unfair exchange, where the buyer uses the goods, and still asks for money back.
Some businesses negotiate with customers. Negotiation is a way for us to determine the best exchange where both will gain. Negotiation may lead to creative ways to provide the service or pay for goods that wouldn't otherwise have made the exchange possible, especially with large purchases, such as real estate.
My own legitimacy
I need to assess my own business continually to see that I provide a valuable service. I need to be sure that I am giving real value for the money on an general and individual basis. I would continually examine the value of the services I provide, and be sure others receive that value. I could offer a guarantee policy, but that is difficult in a health care setting because people feel better and forget that they felt bad so the perceived value changes as the consumer gets more benefit. Moreover, we cannot judge any form of prevention because we cannot know if an individual would have become disabled with arthritis, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, or some other chronic degenerative ailment. If we teach them how, they just continue to be healthy.
For this reason, I believe the best health care is education. Teaching people how to care for themselves on an individual and general basis allows them to be independent and healthy all their lives. "Health is the first wealth," said Mahatma Gandhi. Without health all of our wealth is worthless. Health allows us to live. Prevention of illness has more value than money. The knowledge of how to avoid all of the worthless food, drugs, and other life-stealing products is priceless! The savings will be many times more than the cost of the education. This is all-around a tremendous value -- definitely a win-win for all!
Today, we have business as a form of legal plunder. These government-approved businesses "sell" people things that they don't need in order to get money. Marketing techniques are mastered and used to motivate more people to buy goods and services that may even bring harm. The government today is beginning to mandate that we buy useless goods and services such as insurance, chemotherapy, and vaccines. All too often they don't give real value in exchange for money. In this sense, a great deal of business and government in the world is fraud.
Info-tainment
Information is so cheap that we place little value on it. We think we can watch TV for free and get information. As Wormwood in the movie Matilda, said, "There's nothing you can get from a book that you can't get from a television faster." But is TV free? We must spend the most valuable asset we have in order to watch television -- time. Besides, everything that is on TV is a message paid by sponsors. Even the news is of questionable benefit, at best, offering people what they want to hear without giving any real information.
Most books are filled with things people like, but don't offer information of any value for the money. Information is sold rampantly in books, or on the internet, promising health, wealth, and happiness in every way possible, taking money and offering only lies. People pay for what they want to hear, not necessarily what they need. Thus, they spend their money and get nothing in return.
Sometimes, a college education is useless. We are told that the majority of what we learn in college is not true, that we need to go out into the world and begin to learn reality. People spend hundreds of thousands on an education to get a degree, and find only a worthless piece of paper and an empty head. In medical schools across the country, our future doctors are being taught that drugs help people to get well, when the research says otherwise. They are told they are getting a first-rate education, but really only learn to be an agent of drug companies. On the bottom-line, it's fraud.
Drugs
People spend large amounts of money on all sorts of drugs to feel good for a few minutes, and only receive harm. While it may be obvious that meth, heroin, marijuana, and cocaine are a problem, alcohol and caffeine have been the drugs of choice for millennia, and those who sell it are perpetrating fraud on those who buy it, even though they do it willingly. Like prostitution, street drugs or prescription drugs that only bring temporary relief of symptoms, and cause harm are not of any benefit. They take money, but don't offer value in return.
The patent drug business is, on the whole, based on fraud, giving harm instead of value. More than 99% of drugs are sold to people who don't need them, or who won't benefit from them, and might even be harmed by them. Money is exchanged for nothing of value as health is damaged by the toxic medications. It's worse than just stealing, where nothing is offered in exchange for money, it is actually giving ill for good.
The greatest marketing fraud perpetrated on the people of the world is found in the patent medicine industry. Since people don't generally want to take toxic medications, the drug companies have spent billions of dollars to create a perceived need. Using fear tactics to address health concerns, they advertise that drugs are the solution to a problem that they created. In most cases, there is no problem at all. Hypertension is a symptom that was made into an illness through marketing. We were told it is "The silent killer!" and in order to avoid death, we needed to take a drug to lower the pressure. The research shows this isn't true, but even the doctors remain ignorant of this fact because they are trained by the drug companies. People spend billions of dollars every year on these toxic medications that do more harm than good -- for an illness that doesn't exist!
Cholesterol is another creation of marketing drugs. We are told that high cholesterol causes heart disease and strokes, and that we can avoid these if we use drugs to lower cholesterol. The doctors are sales agents of the drug companies, doggedly telling everyone to take their statin drugs, or else! I had one patient with heart disease who was given a stent for a narrowed artery in his heart, and put on a statin drug. Two years later he had to get another stent for another narrowed artery, causing chest pain, and given a higher dose of statin drugs. A year later he was given another stent for further arterial disease in his heart, and more chest pain, and was changed to a stronger statin drug. This continued until he had five stents and very high doses of statin drugs. He came in to see me because of terrible side-effects (toxicity) of the statin drugs. It was obvious he had inflammatory issues so I took him off the statin drugs in order to treat the cause of his problem. His cardiologist called me, and literally yelled into the phone that it was "malpractice" to take a person with heart disease off of statin drugs, even after they have failed four times!
Fake Food
Like drugs, most food that is bought does more harm than good to the body. All those who sell junk food are stealing money from people, taking their money and offering nothing of value in return. In reality, for their money they only get illness and death. This is not to mean only "fast food" or "junk food" but all processed foods, drinks, restaurants, or packaged foods that are eaten for taste, but don't nourish the body. These foods are the greatest cause of disability and death in the world. Those in the business are perpetrating a fraud on unsuspecting innocent people, just like the drug industry. In fact, the most toxic substance known to man is sugar, the basic staple of most food sold. More people die from sugar toxicity than all of the drugs combined, illegal or legal. Those who sell it are doing more harm than good, taking money, but giving no value.
Marketing
Marketing is the art of legal plunder -- getting people to part with their money, taking something of value and giving nothing in return. In some cases, it's giving people what they want, instead of what they need. In other cases it's creating a perceived need where there really isn't one. We could go down the list of drugs that are fraud, but the picture is clear. People are sold a bill of goods, getting no value for their money. The patent drug industry is mostly fraud with brilliant marketing to trick people into thinking they are getting value for their money. Nobody notices that people are still getting the illnesses that the drugs are supposed to be preventing. Likewise the food industry is mostly fraud. In fact, just about everything we see advertised is selling something of little or no value for high prices. This is the art of marketing. Marketing is all about motivating people to spend money on what they want, but all too often it is a bait-and-switch game of getting them to spend their money, but not actually giving them what they want, or what was promised. These businesses prey on the weak, lonely, needy and ignorant people of the world.
More than two millennia ago, Jacob is talking to us when he says, "Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy." (2 Nephi 9:51)
Win-Lose
Plunder just as readily happens the other way, when people take advantage of businesses, looking for a win-lose deal. Those who are looking for a bargain, to pay less for something than everyone else, are often trying to receive goods and services at the expense of others. A perfect example is found in the "gaming" industry (AKA gambling). Near my house is an Indian casino where so many people go to get something for nothing. They hope to provide the smallest "investment" to get the largest gains for themselves, while everyone else in the house loses (except the House, of course). These are all forms of plunder, taking something and not giving value in return. There is no exchange, and is always a win-lose situation.
Legit
A legitimate business provides value for the money they receive. They will often give more than what they receive, a lot more. A legitimate business sells goods and services that improve people. There are thousands of businesses that give a real exchange of value. Real estate is based on the desirability of the property. Cars add value to people's lives. The business of connecting people through communication like phones and the internet is a real service. Those businesses that supply energy such as gas and electricity are valuable. Most stores that sell goods are giving value for the money. Restaurants and stores that sell nutritious foods also give value.
Legitimate businesses don't need to use marketing to create fear or false need. People come to them with a real need, and the business fills the need. There is a real exchange of value that benefits both parties. One of the most important principles of business was elucidated by Stephen R. Covey in his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, that is the principle of "Think Win-Win -- or no deal!" If either party was aware that the other is losing on the deal, they would call it off. Every exchange must benefit both parties, and neither would go through with a deal that would harm the other party. We are our brother's keeper, and we have an obligation to look out for everyone, especially those who are needy or ignorant. A legitimate business must offer value in exchange, and not consider taking money without offering at least an equivalent value in return.
Legitimate Marketing
Marketing for a legitimate business allows people to know that a service or product is available so those who need it can have access to it. The business provides good, quality, useful goods and services at a price that provides a fair exchange so there is no need to use tricks or manipulation to get people to spend money on products or services that will not benefit them. There is, instead, a fair exchange of value.
Many stores offer a return policy for defective merchandise, or even for "buyer's remorse!" The consumer can even reverse the deal after they take the goods home. Of course, this sometimes leads to an unfair exchange, where the buyer uses the goods, and still asks for money back.
Some businesses negotiate with customers. Negotiation is a way for us to determine the best exchange where both will gain. Negotiation may lead to creative ways to provide the service or pay for goods that wouldn't otherwise have made the exchange possible, especially with large purchases, such as real estate.
My own legitimacy
I need to assess my own business continually to see that I provide a valuable service. I need to be sure that I am giving real value for the money on an general and individual basis. I would continually examine the value of the services I provide, and be sure others receive that value. I could offer a guarantee policy, but that is difficult in a health care setting because people feel better and forget that they felt bad so the perceived value changes as the consumer gets more benefit. Moreover, we cannot judge any form of prevention because we cannot know if an individual would have become disabled with arthritis, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, or some other chronic degenerative ailment. If we teach them how, they just continue to be healthy.
For this reason, I believe the best health care is education. Teaching people how to care for themselves on an individual and general basis allows them to be independent and healthy all their lives. "Health is the first wealth," said Mahatma Gandhi. Without health all of our wealth is worthless. Health allows us to live. Prevention of illness has more value than money. The knowledge of how to avoid all of the worthless food, drugs, and other life-stealing products is priceless! The savings will be many times more than the cost of the education. This is all-around a tremendous value -- definitely a win-win for all!
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