The Blue Pill

In the movie The Matrix there is a scene where the protagonist, Neo, is offered two pills, a blue one or a red one. It is explained that if he takes the blue pill he will go back into the matrix of the computer program and continue to be a virtual entity, not knowing what is outside, not understanding his own physical reality. However, if he takes the red pill, he will know the truth of all that is outside the simulation. This is analogous to our lives on earth. We are in a state of probation, a temporary state of time and have no clue what exists outside of the physical Universe. The world and all we see, feel, hear, taste and smell are in a “matrix” of sorts where we live out our lives oblivious to the reality that is all around us. The way we know this is because everything is temporary: the sun, the earth, the stars, our lives, the lives of others, the animals, plants, and everything we build and everything we know will go away and cease to exist. 

All good things must come to an end

There is an end to the things of the world. A beautiful day will end. Time with my children will end as they grow up. All my relationships will end. My money will not hold out forever. My job will end; I will retire and do something else. I will die and leave everything behind. Nothing in the world is forever. I must accept the temporary nature of all things. I hate that! I don’t like the concept of “temporal” or the transient nature of life. Yet, I took the blue pill. 

Taking the blue pill is believing that the things of the world are real, embedding myself in the temporary pleasures of the flesh in a fantasy of finding fulfillment in the things of the world. Every time I use anything physical to feel better, I am taking the blue pill; all that the world has to offer keeps me in the “matrix” of the world. It is a ball-and-chain I wear, and drag around everywhere I go. I am stuck, imprisoned, and helpless against my physical needs because I have taken the blue pill, which consists of whatever I do that makes me believe the fantasy. 

• Seeking money, lands, houses, power, business or "success"
• Eating for taste 
• Trying to feel better with drugs, caffeine, or alcohol
• Any extramarital sex, including masturbation, or pornography 
• Looking for stimulation in dances, parties, events, or amusements
• Movies, games, and other media

The comforts and temptations of the world require continual replenishment, and can never satisfy for long. When I am hungry, and eat a big meal I am satisfied for only a few hours, after which I am hungry again -- as if I had never eaten. So I eat again, and, again, I am satisfied for a few hours, but then I get hungry again, and need to find more food. Everything of the world is like that: some is never enough, I need more. However, the problem is that more does not satisfy for long. It seems like more would be better, but it makes things worse. More drugs do damage. More food causes illness. More alcohol causes liver disease and a host of social problems. More sex is less satisfying. More of anything can be too much, doing harm. It’s impossible! Like Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones, “I can’t get no satisfaction!” 

Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness.

2 Nephi 9:51

The reason God tells us not to indulge in buying temporary stuff, or anything of the world is because we might find something in the world we want, that brings temporary satisfaction. We may find that we need it. That need is a bond that keeps us in the world and prevents us from coming out and knowing truth, or the reality that is outside. Finding temporary relief from loneliness, hunger, thirst, or pain is taking the blue pill. The blue pill keeps us in the “matrix” of the world.

Taking the red pill

On the other hand, the spiritual things of eternity are not plagued by this issue. With the things of the world, more is less, meaning as I get more my life is worse, but with the things of God more is better -- my life improves as I get more. There is no end to how much more you can have to gain improvement. More light is always better, and satisfying for eternity. More joy is fulfilling forever. More knowledge improves my existence forever. More love increases my happiness forever. More faith is always better than less. More hope increases my existence. More gifts of the Spirit are better than less. All that is spiritually fulfilling can have eternal increase.   

This is the good of being good -- it’s always good, and lasts forever. It is fulfilling. Fullness is forever. It is being complete, whole, or perfect. It is being filled with peace, joy, happiness, love, and power. The things of the world no longer have any allure. They are meaningless. I have real fulfillment. I have what I really want, what will give me my dreams -- my real dreams -- forever. My dreams will not come to an end. It remains good -- always. God doesn't take away our pleasures in life to make us miserable, but rather so we can have permanent fulfillment. 

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

John 15:11

The simple answer of how to “take the red pill” is to disbelieve the things of the world. It is to reject everything you know, everything you feel, and everything you see that is not permanent. Banish everything that is temporary. Let go of all you want, need, and desire that is of the world, that does not permanently fill a need. Refuse to live in a fantasy world. Neo had to learn to disbelieve in the world of the Matrix. He had to reject the bullets that went through his virtual body. He needed to understand that his experiences in the Matrix were not reality. Eat the bitter herbs. Drink the bitter cup. Eschew all that is temporal. In other words, take all the fun out of life, leave all the “blue pill” things, and seek for permanent things instead: 

• Knowledge, truth, and intelligence
• Wisdom
• Charity
• Faith
• Hope 
• Family and other relationships
• Love
• Mercy
• Grace

Knowing God opens up a whole new world of finally finding satisfaction. God takes away our pleasures in life so we can get beyond the temporary things that bind us to “the matrix” and see reality so we can have real fulfillment -- eternally. 

Satisfying hunger -- All the spiritual food you want. Get fat. Eat a feast, continually. You never feel like you have over-eaten, but always feel satisfied. The food of the Spirit never goes away, you will never be hungry, but will have all you want, and so much more. 

...feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness.

2 Nephi 9:51

Eternal Sweetness -- what is sweet that continues to be sweet and lasts forever is the love of God. This is so much better than an “Everlasting Gobstopper.” It doesn’t just taste sweet, it also fills the soul -- forever. 

And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted.

1 Nephi 8:11

Satisfy thirst forever -- Those who thirst for the word of God will be given all they desire, and more. They will never thirst again. 

Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

John 4:13-14

Riches and wealth beyond measure -- Those who have the riches of eternity always have enough. Their riches are not transient. They own everything, including worlds without number. The wealth that God gives is forever. 

And if ye seek the riches which it is the will of the Father to give unto you, ye shall be the richest of all people, for ye shall have the riches of eternity;

Doctrine and Covenants 38:39

Beauty that lasts -- To be beautiful forever is to be holy. Those who do the will of the Lord are always beautiful. 

For Zion must increase in beauty, and in holiness; her borders must be enlarged; her stakes must be strengthened; yea, verily I say unto you, Zion must arise and put on her beautiful garments.

Doctrine and Covenants 82:14

Endless love -- Having a connection with God satisfies the deepest holes in the heart. He makes a connection that both fills completely and lasts forever. There is no loneliness at all. The love of God is both filling and fulfilling, forever. 

...ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God,

Mosiah 4:12

Complete Knowledge -- Those who know God know all things, comprehending everything that exists from every angle, where no part of it a mystery. These are truly filled with knowledge forever. Once something is known, there is no going back to ignorance. 

And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things.

Doctrine and Covenants 88:67

Unlimited power -- The righteous are given the power of God. They can do all things in Him. There is power in knowing God, the power that created the Universe and all things in it. Access to this power is not limited, it does not end, it is forever and ever. 

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Philippians 4:13

Glory and Honor -- People want to be honored by others. Glory is the honor other independent beings give to others, to listen and obey. This is not just having your fifteen minutes of fame, but rather it is forever and ever. 

I will bear him up as on eagles’ wings; and he shall beget glory and honor to himself and unto my name.

Doctrine and Covenants 124:18

Ultimately, the “red pill” is knowing God, including Jesus. 

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

John 17:3

Knowing God gives permanent satisfaction, peace, joy and happiness. The Lord has provided for His children, and given us everything we need to find eternal satisfaction. Don’t take the blue pill. Don’t take the easy path. Don’t stay in the fantasy. Take the red pill and know the truth. The beginning is hard, giving up the things of the world. Neo had to die in The Matrix so he could live in reality. Likewise, we all must die, as exemplified by Jesus, and our own baptism. We die in the world so we can live in reality having permanent fulfillment and freedom. The struggle is temporary, but the reward is endless. 

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 

John 8:32

The Definition of Truth

Truth is knowledge. 

And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come; (Doctrine and Covenants 93:24)

Knowledge of things as they are for all time, not as I think they are, as I perceive them, nor as I wish them to be. 

Knowledge requires light; light exposes truth, allowing me to see, and know, the truth.

Intelligence is the light of truth. Intelligence is the ability, or light, to know things as they were, as they are, and as they are to come, or truth. Intelligence exists independent of truth.

Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be. (Doctrine and Covenants 93:29)

Intelligence always exists, each entity being either more or less intelligent, meaning more or less ability to know truth. There is a hierarchy of intelligence, from those who are completely ignorant, to God -- He is the most intelligent, knowing all things, or all truth.

...if there be two spirits, and one shall be more intelligent than the other, yet these two spirits, notwithstanding one is more intelligent than the other, have no beginning; they existed before, they shall have no end, they shall exist after, for they are gnolaum, or eternal. And the Lord said unto me: These two facts do exist, that there are two spirits, one being more intelligent than the other; there shall be another more intelligent than they; I am the Lord thy God, I am more intelligent than they all. (Abraham 3:18-19)

God is the greatest of all intelligent spirits because He has all truth. He knows all things as they are, as they were, and as they are to come. “Things” refers to existence. Thus, truth is a knowledge of things as they exist. 

Existence is truth

All things are created by Him; He planned and made them with His own hands.

He is in all that exists. Without Him there is no existence. 

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:3)

Things are created by Him as they are, and therefore exist outside of intelligence. Existence requires that truth be independent of those who can know it. Intelligence is also independent in the discernment of truth.

All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence. (Doctrine and Covenants 93:30)

God put all truth in its own place, independent from intelligence. 

Truth must be independent of me, of my feelings and desires.

I do not determine truth. 

I act for myself, independent of truth. 

Existence happens because I can choose truth, or not. 

He created all things to be independent of truth to allow options, which allows existence. 

Christ is truth

Christ created all things so He knows things as they were, as they are, and as they will be. He has knowledge of all things as they are, as they were, and as they are to come. 

He comprehendeth all things, and all things are before him, and all things are round about him; and he is above all things, and in all things, and is through all things, and is round about all things; and all things are by him, and of him, even God, forever and ever. (Doctrine and Covenants 88:41)

He knows all things. 

Truth is knowledge, and He has knowledge of all creation. 

He comprehends all things, having complete and total understanding.

He possesses all truth.

There is nothing that He does not know. 

He is everything that is true.

All truth is contained in Him. 

All truth is circumscribed in Him. 

With Him is all truth. 

Without Him there is no truth. 

He is the embodiment of truth. 

He is the unity of truth. 

He teaches truth. 

He receives truth. 

He is truth. 

All that is true is in Him. 

Christ is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. 

Jesus said: “I am the... truth...” (John 14:6) 

There is no truth that is not of Him. 

No truth exists without Him. 

He is the truth. 

He is all truth. 

Lies are not True

Everything can be divided in to two: Truth and “not truth.” 

Truth must remain and never changes, past, present, and future. 

And whatsoever is more or less than this is the spirit of that wicked one who was a liar from the beginning. (Doctrine and Covenants 93:25)

Anything more or less than what exists is a lie. 

Lies are whatever is not true. 

Lies exist independent of truth.

For every truth there are infinite possible lies. 

Lies disappear when truth is known as light dissipates the darkness. 

Liars avoid the truth to hide their lies. 

Fantasy is not truth because it avoids Christ, maintaining a belief that there is existence outside of Him. 

Fantasy is a desire to be worshipped as if you were Christ, as Satan screamed to Moses: 

Satan cried with a loud voice, and ranted upon the earth, and commanded, saying: I am the Only Begotten, worship me. (Moses 1:19)

This fantasy came from Lucifer, who opposed Christ. He wanted to be God, and demanded the power of God without Christ, or without submission to the will of God. Satan tells everyone on earth: “You are gods,” the same boast which caused the fall of Lucifer.

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. (Isaiah 14:12-14)

The fantasy is that I have power, independent of Christ. It is a lie, but is so close to the truth that people believe it, they want to believe it. All lies have a truth in them, refer to a truth, or bend the truth. It is true that we are all children of God, and we can grow up to be like Him. We may inherit all He has. We are God’s, and we are gods, as the Psalmist says: 

I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. (Psalm 82:6)

But, liars love the lie. They want to have that power of God in themselves and not in Christ. They don’t want to submit to Him so they seek to be independent of Him, and yet have power, like Lucifer. They will not turn to Christ, so they persist in living a lie. They cannot be saved because they will not seek the truth in Him. 

...all liars, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie... shall have their part in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone... (Doctrine and Covenants 63:17)

Taking Christ out of any idea, philosophy, thought, doctrine, or theory, makes a lie. 

Satan always tries to separate Christ from the truth, which is why he is a liar from the beginning.

There is no truth outside of Christ. 

Everything outside of the sphere of truth, or Christ, is a lie.

The Path of Truth

Christ is the truth. 

Take upon yourself the name of Christ; make His name your name by doing what He did. 

Be like Him - submit to the will of God.

Let go of fantasies to learn the truth. 

Believe all things. 

Believe in Him.

Believe Him. 

Seek Him.

Worship Him -- seek to be like Him, to emulate Him.

Remember Him always. 

Seek light, intelligence, and knowledge of Him in the scriptures. 

Be with Him in constant prayer. Pray always.

Seek charity, the pure love of Christ, being completely unselfish. 

Be meek - not using power for your own desires. 

Be lowly in heart -- not putting your own needs, wants, or desires above others. 

Be humble - accept your place. 

Trust in Him.

Trust Him. 

Let the injustice of the world be, do not resist evil or fight against it -- instead, do good. 

Sacrifice everything of the world -- render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s. 

Sell everything you have, give to the poor, and follow Him. 

Accept suffering as He did. Suffer all things the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon you, when you come to Him, He will test you, and correct you through suffering. 

    Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; (Hebrews 5:8)

Love your enemies. 

Be merciful to all who hurt you -- do not seek revenge or justice for yourself. 

Have grace -- give to those who hate you. 

Teach truth -- teach Christ, bring others to Him as He brings them to God. 

To accept truth is to accept Christ. To seek truth is to seek Christ. To teach truth is to teach Christ. Every philosopher, doctor, teacher, and seeker of truth throughout history must eventually come to this conclusion: Christ is truth. There is no other truth. He is the definition of truth. 

A Straight Course

Moses, through the grace of God, led the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt. They went straight to the Promised Land, and waited outside while they sent spies in to see about the inhabitants of the land. The spies returned and said that the people were strong, and the children of Israel would not be able to conquer them. Moses explained that the Lord would fight their battles and they would win, but they believed the report of the spies more than the prophet of God. For this, they were not able to go into the Promised Land and wandered in the wilderness for forty years. They could have rested in the Promised Land, overflowing with milk and honey, but they did not trust the Lord.  

I have had a similar experience that changed my life completely. When I was just starting out in medical school, I was praying one morning and the Holy Ghost asked me to promise God that I would only marry in the temple. For me, that was obvious, I couldn’t even consider an alternative at the time. I promised the Lord that I would only marry in the temple. Days later, I met a girl who was also a medical student, but not a member of the church and after a while we started dating. In time, she asked to speak with the missionaries and soon asked me to baptize her. After a few months, we started talking about getting married, and because of the medical school curriculum and other factors, she wanted to get married before she qualified to go to the temple. I relented, and I did not keep the promise I had made to God. I got married outside the temple. That decision to put my girlfriend in front of the Lord has had the greatest effect on my life. Twenty years later, she decided she didn’t want to go to church or be married to anyone who did, so she left. She took the kids, physically and spiritually. I was crushed! 

MERCY

Because of this I have “wandered in the wilderness” for many years. I have fasted and prayed for forgiveness. I have cried to Him daily, shedding many tears. Over time, I repented of all my sins such that I have been forgiven. I am different because I repented. I would no longer make that decision. I would be strong and have courage. I now put my covenants and promises to the Lord on top of everything and everyone of the world. I know the mercy of God. He has been merciful to me and has forgiven me of all I have done. He has suffered for my sake. I will not have to suffer for what  I have done. He laid down His life for me. I am blessed to know His love and mercy. 

Mercy means not making me pay the price for my mistakes and rebellion. I know His mercy because I had sinned against Him, and repented. I had never before considered myself a sinner because I was like the rich young ruler who came to Jesus asking what he could do to have eternal life. The Lord told him to keep the commandments and he said, “All these have I kept from my youth up.” (Luke 18:21) That was me. I had nothing of which to repent. I could not understand the need for a savior because I didn’t know of my need to be saved. I had kept the commandments, so I thought I wasn’t a bad person who needed to repent. 

I had to learn the hard way. I wanted to know the mercy of the Lord but I just didn’t understand the need for a Savior. Before I was married, I knew a girl who was staying with a foster family near my home because she was pregnant. She was from a different part of the state, but had been sent away to live with my friends through her pregnancy and delivery. She would give the baby up for adoption to a couple who was not able to have children, after which she would go home and continue high school. I got to know her well, and knew something of how much she suffered through this time. Once when I was blessing the sacrament, facing the congregation, I noticed that as the tray passed by her she had a tear in her eye. I thought about how lucky she was to understand first-hand the mercy of the Lord, Jesus Christ. I thought, “better to have sinned and repented, then never to have sinned at all!” what I thought was echoing the Lords statement, “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” (Luke 15:7) Now I know that my idea is not right -- there are no “just persons,” only people who believe they are just.

It most certainly is not necessary to commit sin to find the need to repent. It is not necessary to break promises with the Lord to understand repentance. Everyone born on the earth is born in sin. What that means is that we are all cast out of heaven because of rebellion. We are here on the earth, in hell with the devil and His angels, or, rather in a half-way house between heaven and hell, because we ate the fruit, we did that which was forbidden, every man and woman is, respectively, Adam and Eve. I did not need to go off the path to repent and come back on the path. I can know I need the Lord just because I am with all the outcasts in the lone and dreary world, cast out of heaven. None can return to be with God unless there is sincere repentance. There is only One who did not “eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Jehovah was not cast out of heaven, but came down at the will of the Father to bring us out of prison. Everyone else is a sinner, as the Apostle Paul said, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23)

LOST BLESSINGS

Every blessing of God has a contingency. There are no free blessings, not one. All blessings are received by keeping a specific law. 

There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated. (Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21)

The corollary being if I don’t obey the law, I cannot receive the blessing, or a blessing that I might have had is lost. Promised blessings are sacrificed by not keeping covenants, promises, or commandments. I know what I lost by breaking my promise to the Lord -- my eternal family. I have no children who are on the covenant path. All have gone astray and are wandering in the wilderness. I have no eternal companion. I asked the Lord about this, and He showed me what my life might have been like if I have listened to the Spirit and kept my promise. I saw exactly what I thought my life should be. I know why I always feel like something is missing. Now I know what I have lost. That blessing will never come back. I am forgiven, but what might have been is gone forever because of a broken promise. Such an example is found in the Scriptures in the story of king David, the ancestor of the Lord, after whom the Jesus Christ is named by the prophets: the Son of David. He went off the covenant path, and committed sin, but repented and turned to the Lord. The Lord explained what was lost: 

...in none of these things did he sin against me save in the case of Uriah and his wife; and, therefore he hath fallen from his exaltation, and received his portion; (Doctrine and Covenants 132:39)

In eternity David has lost his exaltation. It will never come back. What is his portion? The scriptures don’t say. I don’t know what my “portion” will be, but knowing what I lost in the world still makes me sad. I know that every sin or transgression makes me lose what I might have had if I had kept the commandment or covenant. What is lost is never re-gained. It is gone forever. I can never go back, I must move on from where I am. I am sad for what I lost, but happy for the mercy and grace of God. 

GRACE

Whatever King David’s “portion” is, I know it is great because I know that the Lord gives grace. Grace is giving gifts that are not deserved. He will give all He can to anyone who desires and will prepare themselves to receive them. Though I never deserve or earn the gifts, I must actively receive them. Every gift is conditional upon qualifying to receive it, but all the work done does not pay for the gift. For example, if, when I turn 16, my parents come to me and say, “we will give you a car if you get your driver’s license,” I would be really excited and work hard to get my license. The license qualifies me to drive a car. Without the license a car would be a useless gift; it would just sit there, unused. However, obtaining a license, for all the work it entails, such as taking driver’s education, hours of practice, preparing for and passing the tests, does in no way pay for the car -- not a penny! Likewise, the gifts of God are not paid in any form by keeping the commandments, repenting, or making and keeping covenants. The gifts of God are pure grace. I qualify myself to receive them by following His Spirit, remembering Him, keeping His commandments, repenting of all my sins, and staying on the covenant path. If I keep my covenants, I qualify to receive His gifts. 

For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift. (Doctrine and Covenants 88:33)

In repenting and turning to Him, the Lord has given me grace. I have been given a foster family with a faithful wife and children. They have accepted me as their husband and father as we journey together on the earth. The relationships we form are forever. I have joy in them. I love them. I receive other gifts because of the connections I have with them. I am learning and growing in many ways because I have a family to serve and care for. The Lord is truly gracious. Though I have lost my family, I have been given some of the blessings of having a family. 

NEVER SIN

The Lord will be merciful. “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;” (Isaiah 1:18) He will forgive every sin if we repent. But we don’t need to sin while here, our presence here is a probation for sins committed before we came. We are born in sin. We can live a “perfect” life, and still be sinners if we don’t repent of our rebellion that got us into this worldly prison in the first place. That is repentance. Don’t even think that there is a need to commit some sin to repent and receive the Lord. Everyone can instead go on the direct path to the Promised Land. I wish I could convince everyone to keep every covenant with God, as Alma pleaded with his son, Helaman: 

And now, my son, I have somewhat to say concerning the thing which our fathers call a ball, or director—or our fathers called it Liahona, which is, being interpreted, a compass; and the Lord prepared it. And behold, there cannot any man work after the manner of so curious a workmanship. And behold, it was prepared to show unto our fathers the course which they should travel in the wilderness. And it did work for them according to their faith in God; therefore, if they had faith to believe that God could cause that those spindles should point the way they should go, behold, it was done; therefore they had this miracle, and also many other miracles wrought by the power of God, day by day. Nevertheless, because those miracles were worked by small means it did show unto them marvelous works. They were slothful, and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence and then those marvelous works ceased, and they did not progress in their journey; Therefore, they tarried in the wilderness, or did not travel a direct course, and were afflicted with hunger and thirst, because of their transgressions. And now, my son, I would that ye should understand that these things are not without a shadow; for as our fathers were slothful to give heed to this compass (now these things were temporal) they did not prosper; even so it is with things which are spiritual. For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land. And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise. O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would look they might live; even so it is with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever. (Alma 37:38-46)

Like the children of Israel with Moses, the people of Lehi wandered in the wilderness for many years because they were not diligent. With trust in the Lord, they might have traveled a direct course to the Promised Land. Alma says how easy it is to remain obedient. It’s easy to stay on the covenant path and keep all your covenants, taking the straight course to eternal life. Don’t go off the path and wander in the wilderness for forty years. It’s not worth it. There is no need for the “rich, young ruler” who came to Jesus to have sinned. He didn’t need to have killed, stolen, nor committed adultery. He had kept the commandments, but Jesus explained that repentance required that he sacrifice the things of the world upon which his heart was set. He depended on his wealth to save him from suffering. He could not imagine being a pauper with no money. I had the same sin with my heart set on a girl. She was going to save me from my loneliness. She was my comfort. She was my salvation. I did not trust in the promises of the Lord. I needed to repent, the same way the rich, young ruler did. 

In each case, the Lord gives a direct course to happiness. The children of Israel could have gone directly to the Promised Land. Likewise Lehi and his family could have followed a direct course; the rich, young ruler might have come directly to the Lord. My pregnant friend did not need to commit adultery, and I did not need to break my promise to understand the mercy and grace of the Lord. I could have trusted in the Lord, kept my promise, and had a wonderful life without ever going off the path. I would still come to know the mercy of God, who saves me from death and hell, who paid the price to get me out of prison and bring me back to the His presence. I would have also understood grace, that He offers gifts that I do not earn. That is true salvation and redemption. All the little sins like stealing, adultery and murder only deviate from the path and bring heartache, loss, grief, and pain. It’s easier to repent first and keep all the covenants and promises and go directly back to God. Repentance is not about what I did so much as what I am. I can repent just by living and trusting in the promises of God, letting go of the things of the world. It’s simple. Just let go of the things of the world. There is no need to break covenants or commit sins. It is better to repent by turning to the Lord immediately and trusting in Him to bring me directly to the Promised Land. The “straight course” is much easier. Stay on the covenant path. 

LIES

Why do lies exist?

Why not truth?

Why would anyone ever lie?

Who would want to know a lie? 

It makes no sense to lie. 

Lies create pain and suffering. 

Lies do not help anyone. 

How could lies exist?

Why would anyone even want to lie?

Truth is easy.

Truth creates peace, joy, and comfort. 

Why choose anything but truth?

IGNORANCE

Ignorance is evil. 

Ignorance creates lies by allowing them to exist. 

When I don’t know, I am susceptible to lies. Someone could lie to me, but I don’t know the truth. 

If I know the truth, then lies are irrelevant, stupid, foolish, and dumb. 

Only ignorance allows lies to exist. 

Those who want lies need to remain ignorant. Thus, they feel the need to silence truth.

Some people love darkness more than light. 

Most people prefer darkness to light because light exposes fantasy.

FANTASY

I want to live a fantasy. 

Why do I want what cannot exist?

Why do I want to know without suffering?

Why do I not desire to sacrifice what I have so I can have more?

Why do I want to eat my cake, and still have it? 

I want what is not true.

I want things to be easy. 

I want health in a pill, so someone can lie to me. They promise to give me what I want, and I believe the lie because I want to believe. 

I want to be nourished by food that tastes good so someone can lie to me and I believe that chocolate frosting is healthy. 

I want to feel good always so I go to health practitioners who tell me what I want to hear. 

The lies are what I want to hear. 

I like lies: You don’t have to die. You don’t have to suffer. You don’t have to sacrifice. You don’t have to work. You can have it all with no cost. 

Play the lottery. 

DESIRE

Lies are born out of desires. 

I want things to last.

I can have what I want of the world forever. 

I need to be filled. 

I need comfort. 

I don’t want to be cold.

I don’t want to be hungry. 

I don’t want to be tired. 

I don’t want to have pain. 

I don't want sorrow. 

I don't want to die. 

I don't want to lose what I need in the world. 

Everything in the world is temporary, but I want my needs to be filled forever. 

I want my temporary life to go on forever. 

I want to be loved. 

I want sex to go on forever. 

I want an endless supply of food. 

I want my needs to be filled eternally. 

I don’t want to sacrifice anything. 

Wants, needs, desires that are of the world are temporary.

It is the temporary nature that leads to lies. 

The lie is that it can be forever. 

The lies come from all those things I want that are not forever. 

SELFISH

Me. 

I want.

I need.

I like. 

Others should sacrifice for me. 

Advertisers promise to give me what I want. 

Businesses provide what people want. 

The lies are all based on desire. 

Eve wanted to have knowledge so Satan lied to her “you must eat the fruit.” 

Adam wanted to be with Eve. 

STEALING

Cain wanted the flocks of Abel. 

Plunder, loot, pillage -- taking what belongs to others is a lie that I earned it. 

Stealing in any form is a lie. 

Whatever can be stolen is not real, including money, and everything it can buy. 

Everything real is earned, or received by keeping a law. 

In truth, nobody gets anything we don’t earn -- EVER! 

Every blessing from God is conditional on a temporal sacrifice. 

Everything real has existential conditions that cannot be faked or stolen. 

GOD

God is not with me, but I need God. 

Why would anyone lie about God?

Why do people create gods of wood and stone? 

Why would anyone believe in the false gods? 

Why would anyone bow to gods that are deaf, dumb, blind, ignorant, and impotent? 

If I create an ignorant god, that makes me a god. 

I create the god I want. 

I want a god that is like Superman, who has the power to do anything I want. 

I want a god like Santa Claus, that will give me gifts just because I’m good. 

I turn to false gods because I want, I need, I like. 

The true God makes me sacrifice my wants and needs and likes. 

A false god gives me what I want. 

The trade is horrible -- I must sacrifice everything I have now for something I cannot see, cannot know, and do not understand. I must sacrifice first, and then learn the truth. 

Truth comes only when I am ready to receive it, when I am willing to give up what I want. 

People live a lie because they want, need, and like. They want the fantasy to be true. They want to believe in temporal things. They want to believe that it is forever. They want the fantasy to go on. They want to have what they like. They want. Desire for temporal things causes all lies. 

FOREVER THINGS 

Those things that I seek that are forever are the truth. 

God is true. God is forever. 

Family is true, Family is forever. 

Heaven is true, Heaven is forever. 

Jesus is true. Redemption is forever. 

To be redeemed from this temporary world, everything must be sacrificed. 

All things of the world are on the chopping block. 

Family, friends, and all relationships that are temporal must be relinquished. 

Money, houses, lands, and career are sacrificed. 

Repentance is the heart turning from lies to truth by giving up the fantasies of the heart. 

Repentance is forever, turning my heart, my wants, needs and desires, to the Lord, the God of truth. 

The Zombie Apocalypse

 Virtual Reality is an oxymoron. There are things that are virtual, and things that are real. There is nothing in virtual that is real. Things that are virtual are not real, they are fake, made-up, fraud, deception, or just representations of reality. The real thing is so much better than what is in a book or movie. I am going to separate "virtual" from "reality." It seems like everyone is moving to a virtual life, becoming Zombies. 

Watching the Normandy invasion in Saving Private Ryan from the safety of your living room is not the same as being in that battle. Reading about a sexual encounter, watching sex on your phone, or even masturbation is not the same as connecting with someone you love. Seeing and smelling the food at a great restaurant is not the same as eating there. I have assisted in over two hundred deliveries, but I don’t know what it’s like to have a baby because I have never experienced it. Human beings cannot understand what we don’t experience. We must feel the whole variety of human experiences to live, learn, grow, and understand.

We can sometimes be in the experience and not understand it. I had a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Harbor General Hospital in Los Angeles whom the students and residents called The Dragon Lady. She felt it was her duty to teach all doctors about abortions and birth control so no unwanted child would ever be born. I told her I did not want to participate in abortions so she tricked me by telling me to go into a D&C procedure. During the procedure I felt dark, depressed, and grief, like a loss. I didn’t know why until I saw a tiny arm going through the clear plastic suction tube. Then I knew what it felt like to abort a baby. We didn’t talk about it; nobody said anything. We just filed out of the room after the procedure and wrote down all the stats -- just check the boxes. Blood loss, sponges, heart rate, blood pressure... numbers. That’s how Zombies deal with feelings.

On the other hand, I also experienced the deliveries of many beautiful babies. The joy that is felt at the delivery is palpable. Everyone smiles, even the nurse assistant walking past the room starts to smile, and doesn’t even know why. The Dragon Lady did not smile. She probably didn’t even feel the joy of birth, nor did she feel the grief of abortion. She was numb, dead, a Zombie. She used drugs to manipulate her feelings.

There are all sorts of drugs to imitate real experiences, creating Zombies. Doctors are told to be sure nobody is having a bad day. Everyone should feel good. Thus, there are drugs for every feeling:

• ·        Drugs to calm you down
• ·        Drugs to lift you up
• ·        Drugs to comfort your sorrow
• ·        Drugs to soothe your pain
• ·        Happy pills to relieve depression
• ·        Drugs to make you sleep
• ·        Drugs to wake you up
• ·        Drugs to calm your fears
• ·        Drugs to relieve anxiety

Drugs are virtual reality. Sleeping pills knock you out and make you unconscious, but do not give you rest. Caffeine can pick you up and allow you to pretend you are awake, but you are still half-asleep all day; it’s not real. Thus, most people in the world are half-asleep all day, and half-awake all night. In reality, they are dead -- Zombies. The Zombie Apocalypse is already happening right in front of us, as people live virtual lives, and take drugs to suppress feelings. 

Feelings

The idea that people should not feel pain, sorrow, grief, or suffering is completely misguided. We need to feel every human experience. Life is in the experience of it. Going through life sitting on a couch watching others have virtual, made-up, and fake experiences is not living. It is death. As virtual reality becomes more common, there are more zombies in the world. Their world is not real. They live in a fantasy. There is nothing there to experience for real. It is in the struggle that life is found. Life comes from the extremities. Hot and cold. Sorrow and joy. Pain and pleasure. Light and dark. Awake and asleep. Work and rest. If all we ever experience is peace, rest, happiness, and comfort, then we are always lukewarm, not living life.

For example, spiritual life is filled with imitations. Many say there is no such thing as a spirit because you can take psychedelic drugs and simulate a spiritual epiphany. They don’t know the difference between the counterfeit and reality. The experience of knowing God is not the same as taking a drug. I don’t want the drug. I want to know God. Eating a lollipop when you really hungry is not the same as having a steak dinner. The candy is like a virtual meal, it has flavor and calories, but without substance. It does not satisfy the hunger. The candy is one-dimensional, giving a semblance of being able to satisfy, but without anything substantial. I don’t want candy, I want real food. I don’t want Disneyland, “The Happiest Place on Earth,” with its perfectly-groomed lawns and actors with perfect smiles painted-on. I want real happiness. I only want real experiences. I want to feel real pain, grief and sorrow, as well as true love, joy and happiness. I want to know reality on an intimate level, the highs and the lows.

WHAT IS REAL?

Family is real. Blood is thicker than water. We maintain a relationship with family because they are family, not because we like them. We can be real with family, there is no pretense, no need to impress, no airs or facing. It is real. You know all their faults and weaknesses. You know and you are known, being accepted as you are.

A marriage is real. There is a real person to whom you are committed, and must learn to love entirely to become one.

Children are real. The baby needs. Parents learn true love by getting outside of themselves, sacrificing for their child.

Business is real. You must produce something that others want, requiring you to think of other people, and what they want.

Injuries are real. Blood, broken bones, and pain are real. Living can be painful sometimes.

Illness is real. People get sick. Those who are trying to avoid illness, will be zombies, which never get sick.

Grief is real. Loss is a part of life. All who live life will experience loss of what they love the most, and know grief first-hand. Some people say their parents tell them life isn’t fair. My mom used to tell me: Life is perfectly fair, sooner or later it breaks everyone’s heart.

Evil is real. There are people who are bent on the destruction of others, who only think of themselves at the expense of others.

God is real. All that exists allows us to see God.

The Holy Ghost is real, the Comforter is so much more rich and fulfilling than drugs for comfort.

Joy is real. Those who are willing to make sacrifices will experience pain, and joy. Having children is a great example of knowing pain, and joy.

My mom also told me that God does not want us to have good experiences, He wants us to sacrifice what we think is good so we can have the best. Virtual experiences are good, but real experiences are the best. After seeing pictures of the Parthenon in Greece for many years, I finally went to visit. The experience of being there was so much different than seeing pictures and even movies. It was awesome! It filled me with awe!

BE REAL

• ·        Turn off the TV.
• ·        Put away the VR set.
• ·        Avoid theme parks.
• ·        Stop gaming.
• ·        Don’t eat candy, or pastries.
• ·        Stay away from processed foods.
• ·        Shelve the fantasy novels.
• ·        Ditch social media.
• ·        Shun watching sports.

 

• ·        Be there for others, in person, hang-out, talk.
• ·        Hug everyone.
• ·        Get married.
• ·        Stay married.
• ·        Have children.
• ·        Love your children.
• ·        Play sports.
• ·        Learn to play the piano.
• ·        Take care of your aging parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles.
• ·        Create or work in a business that provides real goods and services (not drugs, ha ha!).
• ·        Learn languages and experience cultures.
• ·        Ask about the beliefs and ideas of others.
• ·        Learn a new skill.
• ·        Eat nourishing food, learn to cook real, living food.
• ·        Seek God, truth, reality, and ye shall find.
• ·        Ask God for wisdom, and it shall be given.
• ·        Knock on Heaven’s door frequently, and it shall be opened.

 Why reject tasty junk food? So you can experience real food, and live a healthy life.

Why give up porn? So you can have real intimacy and have fulfillment.

Why sacrifice video games? So you can use your muscles and have energy.

Why give up coffee? So you can be fully awake.

Why fast? So you can have a clean spirit and body.

Why go to bed early? So your body can rejuvenate.

Why get married? So you can have a real relationship.

Why have children? So you can grow up with them.

Why sacrifice the things of the world? So you can know God.

The best experiences are available to everyone who is willing to make the sacrifice of the things they like, want, and need.

DON’T BE SAFE

Anyone who tells you to be safe does not care about your life. The purpose of life is to have the best, to be your best, to live and learn and grow. There is so much good that can be done in the world, there is no excuse for living a virtual life, or being a zombie. Zombies are safe. Those who are dead only watch others live life. They watch videos of people crashing on their One Wheels, laughing at people who are living life. They pretend to live through virtual means. Their activities are virtual, their entertainment is virtual, their exercise is virtual, their relationships are virtual, their intimacy is virtual, their fun is virtual -- they only pretend to live, but they are safe.

Those who live life are not safe. Rich came into my office one day with full protection gear on -- helmet, wrist braces, elbow pads and knee pads. It was surprising to me because I knew him to be a conservative man in his 60’s. “Are you riding around on a skateboard these days?” I asked. He explained that he got a One Wheel motorized skateboard and goes everywhere on it. “You’re going to fall, so it’s important to wear protection.” In spite of the “protection” he showed me his injuries and scars from falling. “It’s a great way to get around town, I go all over Santa Barbara and Goleta on my One Wheel!” He continues to ride it in spite of the danger (or, perhaps, because of it!) knowing he is going to fall, protecting himself as best he can, while still living life. This is real. He will have great balance when he’s a hundred years old because he rides a One Wheel around instead of driving a car.

There is a way out of the Zombie world: Live life! Life is taking chances. Jump in. Don’t even think about it, “Just Do It!” Life is to be lived blindly. You never know until you try. You cannot understand before you experience it, so just go for it, experience it, do something real, try something unsafe. Safety is death. Climb a mountain. Take up a new sport. Sing for an audience. Open that restaurant you’ve always wanted to do. Odds are good that it will fail within five years. It’s not safe, but you will learn, especially when you fail. The point is not to be stupid, but rather to stop shrinking into the safety of your virtual, pretend Zombie world. Get out and do something real! By taking chances, your life will become real, and you will be real.

 

The Good Samaritan

Jesus describes my situation and His grace in the parable of the Good Samaritan. In only six verses He describes the entire plan of salvation, including: 

• Premortal life and the glory I had before coming to earth. 
• The fall of man
• The earth being half-way between heaven and hell
• Satan and his followers and their effects on my mortal existence. 
• The purpose of life and mortality. 
• How and why religion cannot save me
• How and why the law cannot save me 
• The coming of Christ and His mission of healing and salvation
• The love of Christ
• Jesus carries us 
• There are only two churches: the religions of the world, and the church of Christ
• The church of Jesus Christ and it’s mission
• Washing or cleansing of sin
• Anointing of fallen man to become kings and queens
• Gifts that are given to the church to take care of each other
• How we love one another
• The second coming of Christ
• The final judgment
• The reward of the righteous

And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

        Luke 10:30-35

A certain man... The “certain man” is each person who comes to earth -- all of mankind -- it is me. 

went down... To go “down” is to descend from a higher plane, to a lower one, like coming to earth from heaven. 

from Jerusalem... “Jerusalem” represents the Holy City, or the place where God dwells. It represents heaven. 

to Jericho... “Jericho” represents the world, the east, the middle-ground between heaven and hell.

and fell... “fell” refers to the fall of Adam. Adam is each man and Eve is each woman. They are the parents of all mankind. We all “fell” to come “down” to earth. I am a fallen man. 

... for all mankind, by the fall of Adam being cut off from the presence of the Lord, are considered as dead, both as to things temporal and to things spiritual.

         Helaman 14:16

among thieves...“Thieves” are Satan and the spirits who follow him who are not in the presence of God, but are in the world.  They are also fallen, cast out of heaven, where they will never return. They take all they can from those who are on the journey though the world to return to the Holy City. They steal. They offer no exchange. They are thieves and robbers of the heart. 

...the power of the devil, to lead away and deceive the hearts of the people; and thus did Satan get possession of the hearts of the people again, insomuch that he did blind their eyes and lead them away...

                 3 Nephi 2:2

which stripped him... They take anything. They strip everything from me. They even take my memories of my home in heaven. I am stripped bare of intelligence, power and glory. The poem Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood, By William Wordsworth is a wonderful account of how I am stripped by the evil of the world of all I had before. One verse has many parallels with the parable of the Good Samaritan: 

Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:
The Soul that rises with us, our life's star
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar:
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home:

of his raiment... “Raiment” is the clothing of power and authority that I had when I was with God. I had glory, but am stripped of it. This concept of clothing with power and authority is found in many parts of the word of God. Priests had certain clothing which gives them authority to minister in their office as representatives of God. John describes the white robes of those who have followed Christ. Also, Jesus will come back to earth clothed with glory: 

I will come; and they shall see me in the clouds of heaven, clothed with power and great glory;

    Doctrine and Covenants 45:44

And wounded him... I am “wounded” by Satan, meaning I have suffering that leaves me dysfunctional. I suffer pain and grief in the lone and dreary world. I suffer loneliness and separation. I have weakness from my wounds. It is as Paul explains: 

...there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me...

            2 Corinthians 12:7

and departed... They wound me and leave. After they have taken all they can, Satan and his followers depart leaving me alone and wounded.  

...and thus we see that the devil will not support his children at the last day...

    Alma 30:60

leaving him half dead... “Half dead” is not all the way dead. The evil spirits take my power and glory, and wound me and leave half dead. There I am, lying on the side of the path. Because I am half dead, I cannot make it back to the Holy City. I am lost. I cannot remember my life with God. Though I still live, I am human -- I have a mortal body with an eternal spirit so I am half dead, as Adam was promised if he ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, mortality is being half dead. 

...in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

    Genesis 2:17

And by chance... There are chance happenings. Some happen to run into others.  This does not mean God doesn’t know it’s going to happen. God is in all things, and the priest happened to be there at the same time when the wounded man was dying. The religions of the world happen to be in your time and place. 

there came down... The priest also comes down from heaven to sojourn on earth at the same time. They are on the same road together. They are in the world together, but not in different parts. They are both “down” or fallen, leaving heaven, at the same time. 

a certain priest... The “priest” signifies religion, or those who represent God to the people. The priest stands in the place of God if he is authorized to do so. It is like a lawyer who is called to represent a client, in this case the “client” is God. The priest represents all religion that has a man in between mankind and God. 

that way... The priest is going the same way, on the same road. We are fellow wayfarers on the earth. The go-between is just one of us. He is as I am, fallen, wounded, and half dead. 

and when he saw him... Religious people see me wounded and dying on the side of the road. They see a sinner. They see a fallen man. They know I am bad because of my wounds and I am stripped naked. I have no glory. I am mortal. I have weaknesses. They see my wounds and fallen nature. 

he passed by on the other side... Religious people do what they are supposed to do, and they must avoid the appearance of sin and stay away from sinners. Religion cannot help me in my half-dead state. All the religions of the world are just made up of half dead people. Jesus spoke often against religion, forgiving the sinners, but condemning the religious leaders as hypocrites. 

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.

    Luke 11:44

And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him... The Levites represent the Law of Moses, or the rules and laws that surround our lives. The “Levite” is the keeper of the law, who cannot touch a dead person or body fluids like blood or they become unclean. The Levite is not being mean, he is doing what the law requires of him, to avoid dead people. He keeps the law. Jesus also condemned the lawyers. 

Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also. And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

    Luke 11:45-46

and passed by on the other side... The rules are given to me in my wounded and half-dead state, but I cannot keep them. I am wounded, and don’t know what I’m doing. I do not have the glory and intelligence I possessed before. The laws are therefore dead. The law is useless in my condition. The law cannot save me, only Christ can save me. 

For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

                    Galatians 2:19-21

But a certain Samaritan... “A certain Samaritan” represents the Lord, Jesus Christ. A Samaritan is an outcast. When Jesus was accused by the leaders of the Jews of being a Samaritan, He did not deny it, but did deny having an evil spirit. He then explained that He was the only one who could help them to live. 

Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.

    John 8:48-51

as he journeyed... This Samaritan, Christ, is on a “journey,” away from home. Jesus is Emmanuel, or “God with us.” He left His home in heaven where He is worshipped and honored as creator and king, to come to earth on a journey of salvation and redemption of all mankind. He came down to save me. 

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.

    Matthew 1:23-25

came where he was... He comes to where I am, leaving heaven to come to earth where I am wounded. He is rejected by His own, but has come to save those who are wounded and half dead. The Lord comes to me. He is on the Earth with me and comes to where I am. He is love. 

Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

    Matthew 20:28

and when he saw him... The Lord comes near to me and sees me in my lost and fallen state. 

he had compassion on him... The Lord has compassion. He is the One with compassion. He is the Outcast with “compassion.” Compassion means “to suffer with.” He has compassion on every person in the world, suffering for them so they can live again. 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

    John 3:16-17

And went to him... Jesus comes to me, He actively seeks each person who is half dead, as he explained to the Apostles: 

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,

    John 15:16

and bound up his wounds... He binds up the wounds, meaning He gives grace to those who are weak, and wounded. 

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

    2 Corinthians 12:9

pouring in oil... He pours in oil. Oil represents an anointing. This wounded and half dead person is anointed to become a king, as King David in his youth was anointed. 

And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren:

    1 Samuel 16:12-13

and wine... The wounds are also washed with wine which represents cleansing. The sacramental cup of wine represents the blood of Christ which makes my garments white and spotless. Moreover, alcohol is for cleansing the body. The physical washing is symbolic of the spiritual cleansing. 

And, again, strong drinks are not for the belly, but for the washing of your bodies.

    Doctrine and Covenants 89:7

and set him on his own beast... Jesus carries me personally. He takes me out of danger to safety. 

and brought him to an inn... The inn represents a safe place where I can heal. It is the church. The Lord gathers His people into a group. They are His. He takes the wheat and gathers it into the garners. He brings them. He brings me to the church. Nobody comes into the church unless He brings them there. 

And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

    Acts 2:47

and took care of him... The Lord personally takes care of me in the church. 

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

    John 14:21

And on the morrow, when he departed... The Lord is martyred and resurrected, returning to heaven, leaving the earth, leaving His wounded people in the hands of the church. 

he took out two pence... Money represents the gifts God gives to His servants on the earth. This is like in the parable of the talents. They are gifts of the Spirit. Paul explains that there are different gifts given to each of God’s servants so they can all profit by them. 

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

    1 Corinthians 12:4-7

and gave them to the host... “The host” represents the keepers of the church, or the leaders. They are the ones who are charged with maintaining the people of the church. They administer the ordinances, and see that all things are done in order, according to the will of the Lord. They receive revelation from the Lord to direct the work of the church. 

But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.

    Mark 10:43-44

and said unto him, Take care of him... The Lord tells the church to take care of the wounded man. As He leaves, He gives the church a commandment to take care of each other, to love one another. I become a member of the church, and I take care of those the Lord brings to the church, who are wounded and half dead. 

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

    John 13:34-35

and whatsoever thou spendest more... The members of the church are supposed to do whatever it takes to care for the people. We will sacrifice to help the new members grow up. We will help them to be converted so the Lord can heal them. We simply minister to them, and keep them in the church. 

Nevertheless, ye shall not cast him out of your synagogues, or your places of worship, for unto such shall ye continue to minister; for ye know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal them; and ye shall be the means of bringing salvation unto them.

    3 Nephi 18:32

when I come again... The Lord will come again. 

Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

         Acts 1:11

I will repay thee... He will come to give recompense to all. He will judge all when He comes again, to give everyone what they have given to others. 

Unto the day when the Lord shall come to recompense unto every man according to his work, and measure to every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man.

    Doctrine and Covenants 1:10

There is so much more in this parable than meets the eye. It is dense with meaning. Each of these concepts represented by a single word could be expanded into a book. It is so easy to understand the last words of John in his gospel: 

And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.

    John 21:25

There is a plan. Each step is spelled-out in the scriptures for all to see. Jesus is the only means of salvation. He personally works with each of the children of God to bring them back to heaven to be with Him. The parable is all about Him and His relationship with us. As we all lay wounded and half dead we may call to Him for salvation, and He will save each one. 

The God of the Gaps

Whatever we think of as random is really our own ignorance of how things work. Once we understand how things work we can understand that there is a cause and effect for everything. We have “random number generators” that are not random. They have a complex algorithm that is not readily apparent, but when the process is understood, it is obvious that there is a cause and the number can be predicted every time. Throwing dice and tossing coins are thought to be random because we cannot measure or even know all the factors that control the outcome. Complexity does not equal random. 

Having children is not random. The exact sperm that enters into the exact egg can be known, if all the factors were known. It was always thought that God determined the fertility of couples. For example, for many centuries the idea of an “immaculate conception” was amazing to everyone. It would be like growing a garden without any seeds. Mary had a child without any seeds being planted in her womb. Everyone agreed that it had to be an act of God. Now that we know how to do it, we don’t consider it miraculous anymore. Thousands of children are born every year through “immaculate conception,” so we don’t think of it as a miracle. Once we know how creation happens, and can duplicate it, then that knowledge precludes the need for God. God is defined as ignorance, or what happens that we do not understand -- the power of God is the gap in our knowledge. This “god of the gaps” goes away with knowledge so that when we know everything, we are told that God would cease to exist entirely. 

But this is an illusion. For example, I could be amazed at the span of the Golden Gate bridge, and think it’s miraculous because it holds itself up. However, If I learn the principles of engineering and understand how it is done, and even build one just like it, then it is no longer a miracle. Nevertheless, that does not preclude the need for the original engineers of the bridge. They still exist. They still created the bridge. Knowing how something is done does not cause someone who uses that knowledge to cease to exist. That is ridiculous. True scientists such as Sir Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein often said they were wondering how God thought, or created, trying to elucidate how God works to understand the knowledge of God. Knowing how does not preclude His work. The traditional concept of “god of the gaps” is not real because gaining knowledge only increases our understanding of God. Knowing how Mary could have had a child without knowing a man doesn't negate that fact that she did bear the Son of God, being a virgin. 

Random = Ignorance

The real “god of the gaps” is found in modern religion. Ironically, the foundation of all modern religions is “random.” These are seen in many terms such as: abiogenesis, random mutation, and natural selection. So the foundation of the Humanist/Naturalist/Atheist/Scientism religions is not based on science, which means "knowledge," but on ignorance -- the gap in knowledge. That which is not understood is the god that is worshipped. It is just like any other religion that worships ignorance, or the “god of the gaps.” It uses the word “science,” but is not based on science. Science is a process of discovery, not a cadre of dogmatic beliefs. There is no way for science to ever come to truth because we don’t know what we don’t know. So the Humanist religion must rely on superstition, false suppositions, and randomness to fill in the gaps in their knowledge. Thus, the god of random is the actual “god of the gaps.” It is a great irony, that humanists criticize other religions for having a “god of the gaps,” while having a worse issue -- their” god of the gaps” actually is annihilated by knowledge. Once I know how life is created, abiogenesis ceases to exist. Once I understand how the species of life came to be, random mutation and evolution becomes just another false theory, the way darkness goes away when a light is turned on. The humanist religion falls apart as knowledge increases and we find out that nothing is random. 

Satan instituted religion in the world to maintain ignorance. Jesus did not condemn a single "sinner" but forgave them all; He only condemned the purveyors of the official religion of His day. The reason God hates religion is because all their gods are deaf, dumb, blind, and ignorant. Throughout the Old Testament the Lord is continually chastening the Children of Israel for going after “dumb idols.” People prayed to their favorite gods, danced, made sacrifices, and worshipped in ignorance. Elijah got mad at Israel for their stupidity and proposed a contest between Baal and the one true God. When the priests of Baal could not call down fire for their burnt offering he mocked them.

And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.

1 Kings 18:27

After their failure, Elijah prayed to God to show the people the power of God and the Lord burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the altar, the stones, and licked up the water around it. Elijah then killed the priests of Baal to illustrate the end of all those who worship false gods. The point was to seek God, who brings life, and not the false gods of the state religion, who can only bring death. 

The official state religion today is sometimes called “humanism.” You must believe to receive many of the benefits of society. Those who do not espouse the official doctrines are censored, or removed. “Scientists” who do not do “research” to “prove” the doctrines are not funded, or are not able to get their work published. The official word comes from “peer-review” which assures the false doctrine remains pure and unsullied by anyone who might want to publish the truth. Those who do publish truth are marginalized, excommunicated, from fellowship in the official state religion, and de-funded. Censorship is rampant as corporations pay for ads on media to gain editorial control over them. Thus, propaganda is assured, and everyone must join in the worship of the gods of the state if they want to participate in the economy, science, education, or other business of the world. It’s not just another religion, it is the official religion of the political and corporate world. 

In spite of being advertised as "secular," and "scientific," the Humanist religion is just another religion of ignorance and superstition. The god of random must use dogmas to fill the gaps. The dogmas you must believe to be part of the religion are exactly the same categories as ALL other religions -- creation, justice, and salvation -- including: 

• Creatio ex nihilo
• Spontaneous generation (abiogenesis)
• Random mutation
• Natural evolution
• Life begins at birth and ends at death
• Random existence of everything
• Doomsday predictions such as the ice age, global warming, or climate change
• The technology of scientism will save us from overpopulation, limited resources, or excessive waste 
• Patent medicines, surgery, radiation, and vaccines will save us from death and disease. 
• Gender confusion is not a mental illness
• Minorities are defined and suppressed by other people who learn and grow
• the linear progression of mankind

None of these are true. It’s all just a belief system. There is no foundation. In reality, Humanism is just an ancient nature religion (nature is god) mixed with New Age (humans are god), and it adds a new twist of “science” that seems to impart credibility to the ignorance. But true science cannot ever know truth. Thus, the very foundation of Humanism is a series of contradictions: 

• Decrying ignorance while being ignorant
• Defining Humanism as a religion while saying religions are bad
• Saying they use “science” to know truth
• Doomsday predictions as truth
• Having a random (ignorant) "god of the gaps"

Religion is false

Truth is not found in religion. Religions may contain truth, but they also have false beliefs and philosophies. Every organization of man that includes beliefs of origin, creation, and salvation are false religions. Religion isn’t the answer; either an individual is seeking truth, or they join a religion. Those individuals who seek truth are found among all religions, sects, and organizations. They are part of the entire religious spectrum, but they do not accept the dogmas of the world, the philosophies of men, or political lies; they only seek truth. They take the truth out of all religions. They just want to know truth. They do not have an organization, they do not form a church. They are few in number, as the scriptures attest: 

I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:

Jeremiah 3:14

...strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Matthew 7:14

Jesus was talking to His disciples when He said few would find life, 

Faith allows me to tolerate gaps in knowledge. I believe God knows all things so if He says one little thing I know it is true. He is not going to be surprised by a "random" process. As Albert Einstein said, "God does not play dice." If there are any gaps in my knowledge, I have faith that I can fill them and be closer to knowing God. However, it is not required to be fully involved in a religion and accept the lies with the truth. I don’t need to ascribe to every philosophy of a worldly organization. Democrats believe they must accept the lies of the Democratic Party along with the truth. Republicans do the same, as do Muslims, Catholics, Jews, Atheists, and Humanists. Where do you draw the line? It’s simple, accept the truths contained in all of them, and the lies of none of them. There is no “god of the gaps” because there are no gaps -- whatever I don’t know, I can find out from God. The information is out there. God has made truth known to many people. There are real scientists who are looking for truth. It could be found in experts, organizations, science, religion, research, non-fiction, or even fiction literature. I don’t know where it is, so I seek it out. God will guide me to truth; it is everywhere around me, free for the asking.

And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Luke 11:9-10

An Easy Road to Truth

The prophet Daniel interpreted the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar saying that in the last days there would be a “stone cut out of the mountain without hands” that would fill the whole earth. This is not an organization of men for it was made without hands. 

Isaiah illustrated the same concept with a highway that would bring people to God, or truth. 

The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Isaiah 40:3

The desert represents those places where there is no truth to be found, a spiritual wasteland. A highway is a fast road that can carry a lot of people, making it easy to find the truth, and God. 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is such an organization. It is a political organization started by God through the prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. This is significant in that people can reliably find God, if they are seeking. There are members of this organization who are not seeking truth that use it as another religion, nevertheless the truth is still there. It is hidden behind the religious people who seek the philosophies of men, mingled with scripture. Each individual must seek, study, ponder, and pray to find it, moving past the religion and seeking instead God. In spite of the religious traditions, it contains the path of truth that leads to eternal life. The information is there, the covenants are there, and the authority is there. Baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost are true. There is more truth, more scripture, more prophecy, and more of the word of God. Those who seek the Holy Ghost start on the path to eternal life. This is a good path; it is much better than any religion. 

Even so, we don’t learn truth all at once, the gaps are filled a little at a time. 

For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.

2 Nephi 28:30

Truth does not come from being a member of the religion and going to church weekly. It comes from daily study, service, seeking, asking, and knocking on heaven’s door. Search the scriptures. Pray. No human can give me this knowledge, it must come directly from God. Over time, the gaps are all filled and my knowledge will be perfect, or complete. And, rather than disappearing, God becomes more real. Knowledge helps me to come to know Him. He is the God of knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom, He is not just a “god of the gaps.”