A THING OF NAUGHT: PROPHETS SPEAK

As I read the 19th Chapter of 1 Nephi, I was reminded of the story of the Brass Plates. Lehi's family was blessed in having the records of their fathers in a form not likely to decay in the climate of the new world to which they were going. Nephi and the prophets who followed him frequently quoted the writings of the ancient prophets. This included the writings of Isaiah as well as other prophets, some of whom are not mentioned in our Bibles.

What content was included in the Brass Plates? They contained much of what we have in the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible. They contained the writings of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, including the Law of Moses. They had some of the historical records of the House of Israel down to the days of Zedekiah. They contained the writings of the ancient prophets, including well-known prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah; three somewhat obscure prophets whose writings we do not have: Zenock, Zenos, and Neum; the genealogy of Lehi's family including the writings of his ancestor, Joseph who was sold into Egypt.

One can tell how important these records were by looking at the prophecies the Book of Mormon prophets chose to share. Inevitably, these verses dealt with Jesus Christ and the House of Israel.   Why was that important to the Nephites? Why are that important today?  Nephi explains: For the things which some men esteem to be of great worth, both to body and soul, others set at naught and trample under their feet. Yea, even the God of Israel do men trample under their feet  . . .. And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught . . .. (1 Nephi 19: 7, 9)

When my children were growing up, most people still accepted the Bible at one level or another. Most Christians who professed a belief in Christ, actually did believe for the most part.  That is not the case today.  Even some practicing Christians do not truly believe.  Some Christian scholars have degraded Him to an historical figure who, while being a good man, was not Divine.* The day has come when many people, including many Christians, regard Him as a thing of naught.

The Book of Mormon offers many things to clarify and support Biblical references to the Savior: the physicality of His resurrection, His baptism and wilderness experience, the Sermon on the Mount.  Nephi quotes Old Testament prophets from the Brass Plates and also corrects and supports the writings therein. Since the Plates date to the days of Zedekiah, last king of Judah, they are much closer to the original sources than anything we have today. This is especially true of the Prophet Isaiah.

Because of the Book of Mormon, men and women who esteem the Savior as naught are left without excuse.

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Jesus Christ with the Prophet Isaiah

Nephi quoted Isaiah copiously in these next few chapters we will be studying.  Someone once said that a man had a Book of Mormon in his breast pocket when he was shot.  The bullet lodged in the book and the man lived because nothing can get beyond 2 Nephi!

Actually, Nephi's quoting of Isaiah is important.  He wrote that it was hard for many of [his]people to understand; for they know not concerning the manner of prophesying among the Jews. (2 Nephi 25:1) Because of this, Nephi writes explanation and commentary on Isaiah for his people. He told his people to liken the scriptures unto themselves.  A prayerful study of the text he quotes and the commentary he gives can help us understand and liken the scriptures to ourselves and our circumstances as well.  Isaiah, of all ancient prophets, wrote more about the Savior and the gathering of Israel than any other.  His words are the most quoted in other scriptures. Even Christ Himself taught that we must study the words of Isaiah for great are the words of Isaiah.

©January 2020, Dr. Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson

* See the Search for the Historical Jesus by the Jesus Seminar, 1985 - 2006. Found in many books and sources on the web.

ATTITUDE LIKE A FLAT TIRE? CHANGE IT!

After the Lord shocked Laman, Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael, their attitude toward Nephi and his ship building project changed-temporarily-and they helped Nephi build the ship.  He didn't build after the manner of men; but as the Lord taught him.

We have no records, as far as I know, that Nephi had ever built a boat or even watched one being built.  He grew up in the desert around Jerusalem. He would have known about camels and donkeys and even horses as a means of transportation, but not sea-going vessels.

How do you begin doing something you know needs to be done without having the first idea how to do it.  If you are wise, you will do what Nephi did: he went often to the mountain to pray.  The Lord gave him instructions, step-by-step, which he could follow to build a sea-worthy craft. (1 Nephi 18:3)

It is interesting to me that most of the artists render picture a ship that looks quite European. But that is not what Nephi describes.  He said that he did not work the timbers after the manner which was learned by men, neither did [he] build the ship after the manner of men; but [he] did build it after the manner which the Lord had shown me; (1 Nephi 18: 2)

We cannot know for sure what the ship looked like when it was finished.  We know only that it was seaworthy and carried a large body of people, probably animals, and supplies across the Pacific Ocean, carried by the prevailing winds and ocean currents. Many of you probably remember Thor Heyerdahl's experiments in sailing the Pacific in a boat made of reeds, the Kon Tiki.

Polynesian Celestial Navigation

Many ancient peoples navigated amazing distances, people like the Egyptians, West Africans, Phoenicians, and Polynesians.  Anyone who saw the movie Moana saw her using her hand against the constellations to navigate the vast ocean.  This is an authentic portrayal of very ancient celestial navigational technique.

Nephi describes only one event on the passage. Again, it involved Laman and Lemuel.  They were all grateful that the ship was finished and that they were on their way that they decided to have a party onboard. I don't think the Lord frowns on having fun, but Nephi describes their language as being exceedingly rude. They were celebrating themselves, not the Lord who was protecting them. 

Nephi tried to warn them.  He feared exceedingly that the Lord would be angry with them. Nephi implies that He was because a storm developed, with high waves and killer winds, and it drove the ship backwards for three days.  The Liahona didn't work because the brothers had become angry with Nephi when he had spoken to them with soberness.  They had tied him to the mast saying, We will not that our younger brother should be a ruler over us.

By the fourth day, the storm had become such a tempest that they began to fear they would be swept into the sea.  They began to see that their attitude and behavior had brought this calamity upon them and they began to repent. The untied Nephi so that he could plead with the Lord.  The Liahona began to work again in the hands of Nephi and the storm was calmed.  

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I constantly marvel at how Laman and Lemuel keep making the same mistakes over and over again.  They were definitely slow learners! Nephi generously talks about them repenting, but they never really did.  Because they clung to their false beliefs, jealousy, hatred, their attitudes never changed.  They insisted on hardening their hearts before God and, therefore, He could not give them the new hearts - and attitudes - that they sorely needed.  Every time they said "We want to go back to Jerusalem," I secretly hoped that Lehi would say, "OK.  Pack your camels and don't let the tent flap hit you when you leave."  But, of course, he didn't.  The Lord had informed both Nephi and Lehi that the brothers were there for the very opposition they provided.

In 1983, President Ezra Taft Benson spoke about the consequences of an angry and unkind attitude.  Said he: I have spoken plainly. . . there needs to be a change of attitude and behavior on the part of some who claim membership in the Lord's church but who act in an un-Christlike manner. (Ensign November 1983)

Do I need to change my attitude? I certainly have in the past.  I still struggle some days now!  But I have learned that until we change our attitude, we will never permanently change our behavior.  Laman and Lemuel are prime examples of the damage done by having a bad attitude.

©January 2020, Dr. Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson

CHARTING REACTIONS TO ADVERSITY

One of the study suggestions in this week's Come, Follow Me, was to draw a chart with columns representing what happened, how Nephi reacted to what happened, and how the others reacted to what happened.  Then look at the results.

I did that and - shocker - there were no surprises.*

Nephi's reaction to adversity was always to 

• go to the Lord in prayer
• listen to his father
• obey the commandments
• do what the Lord told him to do

The result was that, instead of complaining and placing blame on anyone, he studied out the problems and then, following God's instructions, set about to solve the problem and do the work. Brigham Young always said he prayed as if everything depends on God, then worked like everything depended on him.  Nephi was a lot like Brigham.

Laman, Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael's first response was always to 

• murmur and complain
• blame Nephi and Lehi
• plan to hurt/kill Nephi and their father; many times they did attack their brother physically  
• their favorite thing was to claim once again that Jerusalem wasn't destroyed (which by then it had already been destroyed and they refused to believe it) and threaten to return to Jerusalem

The result was that they were often chastised by the Lord and by Nephi when under the influence of the Holy Spirit.  Sometimes they would humble themselves, especially after the Lord chastised them, sent angels, broke ropes, and shocked them, so that things could then move forward.

Nephi accomplished so much, but I'm sure he often felt like he was walking into a strong wind, with the weight of all the family responsibility on his shoulders, and heavy weights around his ankles.  They wandered in the wilderness for eight years, partly because the group would become sinful such that the Liahona would not work.  I can't help but wonder how quickly they could have moved without such lapses in faith?  How much more could the family have accomplished if they had all worked together? 

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What about my family? What about yours?  What role do we play in the family dynamic? Am I a Nephi or a Laman? Do I murmur, blame, and complain? Or do I l try to live worthy of the constant companionship of the Spirit so that I can identify the problem and take action to solve it and make things better for my family and not worse? 

With all of the amazing things happening in the Church as we prepare for the Second Coming, the Lord is expecting more than lukewarm attempts at obedience.  We need to straighten our shoulders, keep and eye on the Liahona, and move into the future.  Can we do it?  With God's help, you bet we can!

©January 2020, Dr. Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson

*It took time and effort, but it was so worth it.  I highly recommend this exercise.

THE LIAHONA - DECISIONS DETERMINE DESTINY

Lehi received a command from the Lord that it was time to leave their camp in the valley and travel forward to a destination unknown to Lehi, but known to God. They had the brass plates, Ishmael and his family had joined them, and his sons and Zoram were all married.  They were to take down their tents and pack their things and leave as soon as they were able.  Lehi must have felt a little apprehensive not knowing how they would find their way. The next morning, something miraculous had happened.

Nephi  recorded it in this way:

And it came to pass that as my father arose in the morning, and went forth to the tent door, it his great astonishment he beheld upon the ground a round ball of curious workmanship; and it was of fine brass.  And within the ball were two spindles; and the one pointed the way whither we should go into the wilderness (1 Nephi 16: 10)

The two spindles were pointers that showed them which way they should go, much as a compass does. The difference was that it also gave written instructions that changed according the Lehi's needs.

They soon learned that the ball only gave them instructions when they were being righteous. Nephi wrote that the pointers worked only according to the faith and diligence and heed which the family demonstrated (1 Nephi 16: 28)
There was also writing upon the ball which gave them an understanding of how to use the ball, and that writing changed according to their needs and faithfulness (See 1 Nephi16: 29)*

The family did pack their tents and belonging and traveled south-southeast into the wilderness.  The followed the directions given on the ball which led them to the most fertile parts of the wilderness, in the borders near the Red Sea.  The men provided food for their families along the way by hunting wild beasts.

When Nephi broke his bow and the company murmured against him and against God, the director didn't work.  Lehi and his family had to repent and humble themselves so that they could receive further directions.

Nephi made a new bow and asked his father where he might go to find game.  Lehi had to humble himself before the Lord and he was chastised because of his murmuring and the murmuring of the other sons. (16: 24, 25) The Lord directed Lehi to inquire of the Liahona.  The pointers directed Nephi to go the top of the mountain.  Nephi did and was able to find meat for the family.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Nephi learned from using the Liahona that through small things the Lord can bring about great things. (16: 29) He also learned that, even in adversity, if you are faithful and obedient, the Lord will direct your footsteps.

What is my Liahona?  It is the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  It, too, works according to my faithfulness.  President Thomas S. Monson told the Saints that our Decision Determine our Destiny.  I am not a product of what has happened to me in my life so much as I am a product of my decisions.  I have made good decisions.  I have also made poor decisions. Simple mistakes don't seem to stop my Liahona from working, but deliberate poor choices - when I knew better - do shut down the Spirit.

President Nelson has asked us all to develop a close relationship with the Holy Ghost and to live worthy of His constant companionship.  Our spiritual survival depends on it.

©January 2020, Dr. Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson

*Nephi didn't record a name for this instrument, simply calling it the director. It was several hundred years later that a descendant of Nephi, another Prophet name Alma, the Younger, recorded that the ball was called the Liahona. (See Alma 37: 38) It was passed down through the line of Nephite kings (see Mosiah 1: 16 for an example) and was ultimately buried by the Prophet Moroni when he his up the plates.  The three witnesses to the Book of Mormon reported that they had seen the Liahona when the angel showed them the plates. (Doctrine and Covenants)

WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE

Have you ever asked, "Why me, Lord?"  I have.  I always feel like the unprofitable servant whenever I do because I know God is not punishing me.  I think it is a fairly common reaction when confronted with an unexpected hardship.

Job, in the Old Testament asked the same question. Basically, he says that if he were wicked, he could understand God's punishing him, but he's not wicked and yet he still suffers. Even Lehi was known to ask, "Why me?"

Not long after Lehi's sons married Ishmael's daughters, Lehi received instructions from the Lord that it was time that they left the Valley of Lemuel and journeyed into the wilderness.

They took down their tents and packed their belongings a began traveling south and east. Without the stability of a semi-permanent camp and known hunting areas, trials began in earnest.

Ancient Egyptian composite bow

One of the major trials came about because of the climate changes between Arabia and Jerusalem.  Nephi and his brothers hunted with bows and arrows. Weather and climate have a big effect on the tensile strength of wooden bows (https://bowandarrowhq.com/weather-affects-archery/) The brothers found that their wooden bows were useless.  However, Nephi had a bow that he likely got from Egypt.  The Egyptians had developed a composite bow made if wood and sinew, but covered on the front by either animal horn or metal.  One of the metals they used was a tempered iron similar to steel.  The Book of Mormon refers to it as a steel-backed bow.

One day, while they were hunting, Nephi pulled his bow to shoot game and the bow broke.  This was a tragedy of monumental proportions because Nephi's bow was the only hunting weapon left, except for slings and stones. Laman and Lemuel began immediately to blame Nephi.  They did what modern psychologist called "awfulizing" by going immediately from broken bow to  starvation.

When the boys returned to camp, even Lehi began to murmur and ask God why He had forsaken them. Nephi later wrote:

. . . I Nephi, went forth to slay food, behold, I did break my bow, which was made of fine steel*; and after I did break my bow, behold, my brethren were angry with me because of the loss of my bow, for we did obtain no food.
. . . Laman and Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael did begin to murmur exceedingly, because of their sufferings and affliction in the wilderness; and also my father began to murmur against the Lord his God; yea and they were all exceedingly sorrowful, even that they did murmur against the Lord.
 (1 Nephi 16: 18, 20)

Complaining and blaming were so common with Nephi's brothers that he was not surprised, but when Lehi also spoke against God, Nephi could have rejected his father.  But he did not.  Instead, he found wood and constructed a new wooden bow that would work in the local climate.  Then in an act of great faith and respect, he went to his father as Patriarch and Prophet to ask where he should go to find game.

Nephi was successful and brought food to the family.  Lehi repented of his complaining to God and to his son.

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Many people are like Laman and Lemuel when trials arrive.  All they do is complain and look for someone to blame.   Others are like Nephi.  They look at the problem at hand and turn to the Lord.  Then they get off their knees and onto the feet and do what they can do in the situation.  They endure the test, recognizing, as Nephi did, that trials and tribulations are part of our earthly experience and not a punishment for anything we did. Some even, when they observed someone else in a difficult situation, tend to blame that individual for his own problems.  He didn't pray enough.  He didn't have enough faith.  He must be breaking the commandments.

Instead of asking why bad things happen to good people, perhaps we should be asking how good people respond in difficult trials. Smart people learn from their experiences; wise people learn from others experiences. Wise people recognize their own spiritual growth as they grow through their adversity.

©January 2020, Dr. Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson

* See other ancient mentions of steel bows in 2 Samuel 22: 35 and Psalms 18:22

PLAIN AND PRECIOUS

I have really enjoyed studying our weekly Sunday School assignment in Come, Follow Me: Book of Mormon.  Although I have been doing this for many years, it never ceases to amaze me how the Spirit can teach just what I need every day. It is like my own private spiritual university.  I am grateful to those of you who take time to read my blog. I hope the things that impress upon me might create a spark in you to seek what the Spirit can teach you.

We believe the Bible to be the word of God so far as it is translated correctly. Article of Faith 8.  The Book of Mormon gives us one of the reasons that we believe that. All of these verses below are found in 1 Nephi 13: 20-29.

Bible circa 1873

. . . I, Nephi, beheld that they  [the Gentiles] did prosper in the land; and I beheld a book, and it was carried forth among them. . . . [the angel said] Behold, it proceedeth out of the mouth of a Jew.  And I, Nephi, beheld it; and he said unto me: The book that thou beholdest is a record of the Jews, which contains the covenants of the Lord, which he hath made unto the house of Israel; and it also containeth many of the prophecies of the holy prophets; and it is a record like unto the engravings which are upon the plates of brass, . . . wherefore, they are of great worth unto the Gentiles;. ..

Many of the men and women who were led to America took very seriously what they saw as their call to take the word of God to those who didn't have it. While history testifies to the fact that not all men and women did things to help others, such as the native people, the black slaves brought against their will from Africa - even the indentured servants who lived only slightly better than the slaves, there were honorable men and women among the Gentiles who walked their talk to the best of their understanding.  The angel continued:

Thou has beheld that the book proceedeth forth from the mouth of a Jew; and when it proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew it contained the fulness of the gospel of the Lord . . . these things go forth from the Jews in purity unto the Gentiles according to the truth which is in God.

But as was the case in other dispensations, men built up churches unto themselves.  In choosing what to include in the canon and what to exclude, they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away.

First Century Christianity

The role of councils in the loss of many plain and precious truths            and in the loss of covenants of the Lord

In the 1st Century Christian Church, there were many additional books that were considered scripture to the saints.  Over time, some of these were simply lost to history.  Some made it into the Catholic Bible, but were excluded from the Protestant Bibles.  Just as the Council at Nicaea changed core doctrine by misinterpretation of the text, so also did councils meet together to decided which books of scripture to complete the canon.  Did you know that the Epistle of James was nearly excluded from the Bible?  Considering the influence this book would have in 1820 on a young man just 14 years of age, I can just picture the Adversary lobbying to keep it out of the canon.  Revelation was another book that was almost excluded as was Paul's letter to the Hebrews because many doubt that Paul wrote it.  The canon as we know it today was closed by Pope Innocent I. in 405 A. D. 

The Apostolic Fathers (in dark orange above) were just a generation behind the Apostles.

Their writings are much closer to Christ's original gospel than writers who followed.

Many of their writings have come to light in the last century.

The role of misinterpretation, deliberate or unplanned

As men, who had no priesthood authority and many who likely lacked the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, decided what the verses would mean.  There is nothing in the New Testament nor in the writings of the early Church or the Apostolic Fathers that allude to any doctrine resembling the Trinity, yet as early as Nicaea and perhaps earlier, men created that concept out of whole cloth.  Most of the world's Christians outside of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints still operate on that false doctrine.

Martin Luther called the Epistle of James and "epistle of straw" because it balances faith and work - both of whom are necessary for  grace.  Because of these ideas, most Protestant churches believe in grace only. While one cannot "earn" his way into heaven by good works, works are important as an expression of faith.  They help us become more like our Savior, which is the goal.

Because the Protestant churches have no priesthood authority, influential leaders of the Reformation came up with the concept of "the priesthood of all believers."  That is also non-Biblical.

Bible circa 1500

The role of mistranslations

The Bible has been translated hundreds of times.  It is logical that mistakes could creep in.  Most early translations were done by hand.  Some Bible translators were honorable men before God, such as Tyndale and Wycliffe, some were not do dedicated.  

The role of deliberate manipulation.

The angel told Nephi that this did, indeed, happen.  The great and abominable church . . . have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away. And all this have they done that they might pervert the right ways of the Lord, that they might blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the children of men. . . because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceeding great many do stumble, yea,  insomuch that Satan hath great power over them.

The Book of Mormon is the word of God

The Book of Mormon had one translator from it's original text to the English language and it was translate by the Gift and Power of God. Joseph Smith said it is the most correct book and that a man could get closer to God by following its precepts.  In a day when many people - even those who call themselves Christian - do not value the Bible, the Book of Mormon stands as another witness of Jesus Christ.  It supports the truths in the Bible and clarifies much that is obscure.  

I wrote a book a year ago titles Words of God: 8 Crucial Bible Themes Supported by the Book of Mormon (Cedar Fort Publishing) I love to study both books side by side until they truly become one in my hand (see Ezekiel).  For any of you living in or near the East Valley, I lead a group which studies the two books thematically.  We meet the second Thursday of each month at my home.  If you are ever close by, I would love for you to join us.

©January 2020, Dr. Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson

GREAT AND ABOMINABLE

And it came to pass that I saw among the nations of the Gentiles the formation of a great church.  And the angel said unto me: Behold the formation of a church which is most abominable above all other churches, which slayeth the saints of God, yea, and tortureth them and bindeth them down, and yoketh them with a yoke of iron, and bringeth them down into captivity. And it came to pass that I beheld this great and abominable church; and I saw the devil that he was the founder of it. (1 Nephi 13:4-6)

When I was growing up, I believed that the great and abominable church was the Catholic church. Now that I am older and more mature, I believe that the great and abominable is actually any group, whether religious, political, financial, or social, that leads people away from Jesus Christ or which offers some substitute form of salvation. This could include religious groups, Fascism, Communism, and those who deny there is any God. One could compare this church of Satan to the Whore of Babylon found in the Book of Revelation. In the Navajo language, the word for evil translates as the way to make money. Satan has his hands in so many things that his great and abominable church can be found almost everywhere.

After Jesus' Apostles were martyred, the Church He'd organized began to falter.  Seeds of apostasy were already being sown.  The Epistles of the Apostles already referenced dangerous trends in false doctrine.  The Judaizers felt that men should be held to the Law of Moses, including such rites as circumcision.  The Greeks believed that all matter was unclean and, therefore, Jesus could not have had a material body because He was God. The Gnostics under Simon Magus believed in a fallacious genealogy the lifted Magus and his followers higher than Jesus.  People began to worship angels and made other people (i.e., Mary, Jesus' mother and other "saints") mediators between mankind and God when only the Savior is our mediator with the Father.

These false traditions continued as the Church drifted away from its pure roots.  In 325 A.D., the Roman Emperor of the East, Constantine, desired to reunite the eastern and western empires under on leader. He knew that he would have to bring together the disparate sects within Christianity to create one universal Christian Church. He invited all known bishops to a council in what is now modern-day Turkey. While there were more 1,000 bishops in the church, fewer than 200 came to the council. None of these men had any priesthood authority.  Instead of divine revelation, the council relied on voting to decide points of doctrine.  Such false concepts such as the Trinity, infant baptism, deification of Mary, the concept of the Immaculate conception. Most damaging was the character of God.  They took away His body, His manhood, His fatherhood and left the church with a "god" who was 3 gods in 1 god, unknowable, incomprehensible, without body, parts, and passions, large enough to fill the universe but small enough to live in your heart. Like a wolf in sheep's clothing, the apostate ideas were not only taught in the Universal church but they continued through the millennia to those churches that broke away during the Reformation.

Other groups inspired by Satan include the Fascist and Communist movements. According to https://www.enotes.com:

The basic principles of fascism are nationalism and complete state control of society. All people must have the same ideas and the same values. There is no room for diversity.  Is any person or groups of person refuse to comply they are eliminated.  The Nazi's took it a step further to recognize superior and inferior races.

Communism is both an economic and a political system. In theory it sounds like Utopia where everyone is equal. In actual practice, it has failed everywhere it has been implemented. Both of these systems deny the importance of the individual and give precedence to the state.  They also do not recognize the concept that equal does not mean same.  It is no  coincidence that Satan's plan was to take away the agency of man as do these groups who govern by fear and force.  All are equal in value, yet still unique and individual. Jesus Christ saves us as individuals - one soul at a time.

One final note before I sign off and that has to do with the global economy.  The Book of Revelation refers to it as Babylon and the Apostle Paul told Timothy that the love of money is the root of all evil -not money, but the love of money. I like this image because it is easy to see the comparison between Satan's love-of-money tree and God's Tree of Life

The Lord blesses His children with the things of the earth.  We are told to love people and use things.  Satan's idea is to love things and use people.

How do we recognize the difference?  If something leads you closer to Jesus Christ, then cleave to it.  If something leads you away from Jesus Christ, avoid it.  It is the Great and Abominable.

©January 2020, Dr. Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson