Global Warming

Dear Readers,

I realize this is a delicate post. In the course of my life I have seen the media go into a panic over global warming. Living in Arizona, I never really noticed an increase of heat. However, I did notice some years of snow, which inspired many a "dad joke" from my father about seeing global warming in action. This might be why in this current great push from the media, they have changed it to climate change.

Now I am not denying that true climate is changing or anything like that. I do remember that with Global Warming I saw a documentary expressing how the earth was just coming out of an little ice age. There was a documentary in 2004 called "Little Ice Age: Big Chill" from The History Channel that illustrates just how harsh that little ice age was. This was followed by the documentary I watched many years ago that came out in 2007 called "The Great Global Warming Swindle". With the scientific evidence supplied in this documentary, they address the ideas of Glob Warming, in particular, the CO2 emissions. Some of their charts and stats are shown here: http://seawapa.org/climate/.

Though the CO2 myth appeared to be adequately debunked by this documentary, they did point out that generally, temperatures rise with the number of sun spots, and thus the sunlight and energy hitting the earth. By their own admission, the increased sunlight should warm up the greenhouse gasses which trap that form of heat. However, they found that the troposphere, where the greenhouse gasses of the ozone are located, it was surprisingly cool. This helped them disprove that ti was increasing CO2 because those gasses would collect more heat, however, it did not explain why the surface of the earth is so much hotter.

Deforestation and all of the dark pavement and concrete buildings that come with the grown industrial world can account for that. Less light is being reflected up into the greenhouse gasses, letting them be cooler, because the heat is staying in the ground, soil, and cities. Alas, this is merely my theory as to why there was this discrepancy, and it would lead to humans still being a contributor to the growing heat. However, both the increasing in sunspots and the evidence of our planet coming out of an ice age impact it as well.

It is also important to note that more CO2 would hold in more heat in our atmosphere, though the amount appears to be mostly negligible. However, that is based upon those 2007 studies.  As of 2014 NASA claims that the troposphere is heating up, but give no numbers as to how much (climatechange).Thus comes the biggest plot hole to the freaking out about Climate Change is how much of the changes are natural, and how much is man made. I have found no statistics or any studies that exhibit accurately these numbers.

Skeptical Scientist Global Warming Contributors graph

NASA claims that the rising of temperatures coming out of the Little Ice Age are not enough to account for the speed and temperature difference we are experiencing. Yet, even the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change acknowledges it as a factor (IPCC). Alas, though I have the inherent bias and skepticism towards this fear tactic the media is using, I have to admit that Skeptical Scientist appears to have some stats to back up their claims, and proper references... Yet their graphing as seen above clearly appears inaccurate, claiming that one study alone showed human's interference as being more than 150 percent of the contribution to Global Warming which is mathematically and rationally impossible given how little negative there is shown coming from other causes including natural.

Alas, I digress and allow for the clear statement that the earth is warming and the climate is changing. Now here comes a great question, is it necessarily a bad thing?

Bradley's presentation graph

Raymond S. Bradley's 2003 presentation "Climate of the Last Millennium" clearly illustrates that we are at the same temperature and even higher than during the Medieval Climate Optimum which, as expressed in "The Great Global Warming Swindle" was a period of great abundance and improvement for the human, and even animal, species. Crops flourished, people multiplied, and the world was looking up, though it was devastated when the Little Ice Age hit.

This further hints at the question, is more heating really that catastrophic? Dr. Patrick Moore, PHD in Ecology and founder of Greenpeace talked about this very issue on a talk show called Louder with Crowder. Though most of us think of intense heat, especially myself living in Arizona, that heat equals desert and terror. Thus none of us really wanting things to become warmer. However, Dr. Moore pointed out that at a point of regional heat, deserts transform into rain forests, like strolling down Mexico into Central America.

As the earth heats up, more water evaporates into the atmosphere, creating humidity, and more rainfall. Though I am not much of a fan for mugginess either, it was pointed out that humans might actually be tropical beings, meant to live in sweltering temperatures and regions.

This fascinating bit of information made me ponder about the earth during Adam and Eve's time in the Garden of Eden. It was a paradise. Indeed, it has been compared to a terrestrial world, "Edenic earth. Following its physical creation, the earth was pronounced good. It was a terrestrial or paradisiacal state. There was no death either for man or for any form of life, and 'all the vast creation of animated beings breathed naught but health, and peace, and joy.'" (Doctrine and Covenants Student Manuel section 38).

My second post I put on this blog was about a class I took about Heatstroke. In that post, I remarked about how Adam and Eve, being celestial beings (Journal of Discourses Volume 1 page 50), had no need for clothes, like they did not sweat. Yet, when they fell, they were given coats of skins (Genesis 3:21). As with ancient Jewish and Arabic cultures, they wear many layers because the sweat enters the inner layers of clothing holding in moisture and allowing air to be cooled.

I bring this up because also in the Doctrine and Covenants institute manual, it compares the Edenic earth to the earth during Christ's second coming. "Terrestrial earth. 'We believe... that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory' (Tenth Article of Faith.) Thus, the earth is to go back to the primeval, paradisiacal, or terrestrial state that prevailed in the days of the Garden of Eden. Accompanying this transition to its millennial status the earth is to be burned, that is, receive its baptism of fire. It will then be a new heaven and a new earth, and again health, peace, and joy will prevail upon its face."

Frederic Edwin Church - Morning in the Tropics

Which makes me wonder if the earth is just slowly preparing for Christ's second coming. As the earth heats up, the areas of humidity that cause rain forests would expand. Colder places where it is hard to grow food, like Canada, Northern England, and so forth, could be made more rich and sustainable. Yes the change would be uncomfortable for us in our mortal state, but the heat and humidity could benefit the earth more than it hurts it. Indeed, maybe our involvement with Global Warming is actually our terraforming it more into the ideal world for us to live on.

This would make Global Warming as part of God's Plan to help welcome Christ upon the earth again, which Satan definitely does not want. Interestingly, one of Satan's greatest weapons is fear because it is the opposite of faith. Maybe he just wants us to fear these changes, fear the unknown, fear the new.

Alas, we do know that in the last days, there are things that we should keep in mind. With the changing of the earth, more and more natural disasters will occur. "and great earthquakes shall be in diverse places..." (Luke 21: 7-13). Much like the strange earthquake in May of 2015 in Michigan. Or the earthquake in Montana July of this year.  Tornadoes, fires, and especially earthquakes are happening more frequently and in more locations. There is the possibility that with the expanse of media and information connectivity, that we are just learning more about natural events that were happening all along, however, unsubstantiated, I have my doubts about that. It really seems like the world is in turmoil and something is changing.

I leave you with this message, if these changes are of God, and are meant to happen, then there is nothing we can do about it anyway. If these changes are terrible, are something catastrophic, then why are those pushing the agenda using fear instead of logic and reason to figure out a solution. Again, realizing I am biased, I hope that at least someone became more open to new ideas concerning this matter.

Love,
Jacobugoth

Thoughts about Christ

Dear Readers,

Again, in my institute class, we had another lesson about the nature of Christ and why He had to be the way He was in order to be our Savior. Of course, this got me thinking and speculating again. To explain my thoughts, I think I will begin with referring to my Adam, Eve, and Lilith post.

In that post I talked about a quote from Brigham Young "One thing has remained a mystery in this kingdom up to this day. It is in regard to the character of the well-beloved Son of God, upon which subject the Elder of Israel have conflicting views... The question has been, and is often, asked, who it was that begat the Son of the Virgin Mary... Now, remember from this time forth, and forever, that Jesus Christ was not begotten by the Holy Ghost." (Journal of Discourses v1 pg 50-51). Thus we see that in the portions I quoted earlier in my other post, he was clearly comparing Adam's birth to Christ's. Also, since Jesus was not born of the Spirit of God or the Holy Ghost, Jesus was literally the offspring of an immortal Father and a mortal mother, the Virgin Mary.

Now, there may be many people and members of the church that might think that this means that God the Father had sexual intercourse with the betrothed Mary. However, I will declare unequivocally and irrevocably that God will not break His own commandments. My God is not an adulterer or a fornicator. Yet clearly Mary was not His wife. Therefore, I am lead to believe that the Father's divine genetics were infused into one of Mary's ovum. The genes could have easily been in the form of sperm, thus we would call this artificial insemination. Ironically, the television show of Jane the Virgin may have some enlightenment on this subject of how Mary the mother of Jesus could be a virgin who conceived the Son of God.

Nevertheless, we must remember why this was necessary. Christ had to be half-mortal half-immortal. Without those attributes, He could not suffer the eternal pains of all of our sins and yet live, for any mortal would either perish or faint before the full measure of the price could be paid (Doctrine and Covenants 19:18).

Nor could He die and raise himself from the dead, for if He were mortal, He would die just like us and like our bodies, remain in the earth, and if He was immortal, He could not die and bring to pass the resurrection for Himself or the rest of us. These two crucial and encompassing points of the atonement required the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the child of a true Immortal and a very mortal mother.

Now, with these things in mind, I became intrigued with the realization I had concerning Ectoplasm in immortal beings. What would a demigod hybrid have flowing through His body? Just blood like a mortal? Christ bled from every pore in the garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:44) and bled as he was beaten, scourged, crucified, and notably when His side was pierced (John 19:34). So He most certainly had blood, but did He have spirit in His veins too? Spirit which is too fine or pure to be seen with our natural eyes (Doctrine and Covenants 131:7).

Though He could die, Christ could not be killed, He would have to give up His life and relinquish His body, at least for a time. If He could not be killed, it implies that His spirit was connected to His body in a stronger way, like possibly flowing through His body. Maybe within even every cell of His earthly tabernacle.

In my Light of Christ post, I speculated about why Christ's resurrected "perfect" body still had scars. Maybe His scars were from parts of His spirit He had given us so that we could have the light of Christ in us. Though, what has satisfied my in query was the notion that Christ's atonement made Him suffer body and spirit, thus when He was nailed on the cross, the nails pierced His body and His spirit, scaring both.

The idea that maybe He had this spiritual connection to His body all along now makes me wonder if this was the reason why the scripture was written that angels would bear Christ up least He dash His foot against a stone (Psalms 91:11-12, Matthew 4:6), because maybe any damage His body received during mortality would forever scar His spiritual body and therefore resurrected immortal body as well.

This would also mean that the tokens, which we are taught about in the temple, were the signs of Christ that needed to be upon His body, His immortal body. Literally, like a lamb to the slaughter, He could have been spared from physical pain, or at least scaring incisions, until the end of His life. This would also explain why none of His bones would be permitted to be broken, because those breaks would forever disfigure His bones.

Alas, this is all fun to speculate, but when all is said and done, all that has been revealed about Christ's upbringing is that he grew from grace to grace (Luke 2:52, John 1:16, Doctrine and Covenants 93:12-14), and that His childhood is not talked about because of sacred reverence much like how we treat our Mother in Heaven.

Because of the silence and the holding of peace that is given to this subject, a friend gave me a different view. When I expressed these ideas I was having to him, he asked whether or not I thought that Jesus got splinters, or accidentally cut Himself while He was a carpenter working with His father Joseph. I don't know, it could go either way with the fallen world of mortality, or the subtle protection from harm that Joseph and Mary might have taken for granted, much like David Dunn (Bruce Willis' character in Unbreakable) who never realized his impervious powers until the Glassman blew up a train and David survived without a scratch. It is very likely that we can take health for granted, and Joseph and Mary could have taken Christ's the same way.

However, to compensate for the possibility for a normal childhood, what if His spirit was not merged with His body until He was at the mount of transfiguration (Matthew 17:2)? What if Christ's transfiguration was a activation of some of His Father's dormant genes inside of Him, preparing Him to suffer body and spirit during the atonement. Using a rough estimation, the transfiguration took place about halfway through Christ's three year mission (Harmony of the Gospels) which would mean that Christ would have been in this semi-immortal, yet vulnerable state for about a year and a half.

Ultimately, in either case, acknowledging both could be wrong, I consign that these are simply cool ideas and thoughts that I was having about Christ. Thoughts that I figured were worth sharing. I hope that they get you thinking, and might even inspire you in some new terrains of thought. Feel free to leave any comments, concerns, or ideas that you have below.

Love,
Jacobugoth

Language

Dear Readers,

Language is an interesting subject. Countless theories and speculation have come about this subject. Whether or not animals actually have a language from the calls of whales, to the chirps of birds. How much of it is an actual language and how much of it is instinct based upon sensory cues?

As I mentioned in my blog post about The Creation, I do believe that in the beginning, before the fall of Adam and Eve, that animals could speak. This would explain Eve's lack of shock as the serpent that Satan possessed spoke to her (Genesis 3:4, Moses 4:6-7). With the ancient understanding of this principle, we can also see why Balaam a prophet from Pethor was not surprised either when his ass (donkey) began to speak (Numbers 22:22-35) when the Lord opened its mouth.

Thus, it is not unreasonable to say that animals might have their own languages for they might simply be confounded with the fall like human language was with the tower of Babel (Genesis 11:4-9, Ether 1:33-37). With the confounding of tongues or languages at the tower of Babel, we have countless languages. I am not a linguist, though I do understand that many of the languages today have evolved from other languages. Like Portuguese from Spanish. English itself is a giant mix of Latin and Greek roots with some entire words stolen from other languages.

Then there are the non verbal behavioral communication between animals such as mating dances and the like. We too have non verbal languages like sign language. There are those, like the character Patrick Jane portrayed in The Mentalist who focus on body language. Facial expressions help to accent these languages, and with those have come the new evolution of emoji's.

Yet, as I talked about in my blog post about Light of Christ and the gift of the Holy Ghost, I recounted an experience I had with feeling the Holy Ghost when someone bore their testimony (witness of Christ) in American Sign Language. It was from that experience that I gained my own testimony of the universal language of the Spirit. The Spirit of God can communicate meanings, thoughts, and feelings directly from one individual to another.

However, if this powerful connection using the language of the Spirit were all that is necessary, why would we also have the gift of tongues and interpretation of tongues? Even from the beginning God gave Adam a language, a pure, unaltered, perfect language. "In the beginning God gave Adam a language that was pure, perfect, and undefiled. This Adamic language, now unknown, was far superior to any tongue which is presently extant... This first language spoken by mortals was either the celestial tongue of the Gods or such adaptation of it as was necessary to meet the limitations of mortality; and Adam and his posterity had power to speak, read, and write it." (Mormon Doctrine pg 15 Adamic Language)

"Deja Vu" scene from The Matrix

At very least this shows how important language and literacy is. Indeed, there is the theory that learning a new language changes the way an individual thinks. As with the word "deja vu" it is a purely French word that has no equal in the English language. The concept of deja vu is feeling like your are experiencing again, or reliving a moment. Creating and having a word for such a phenomena changes the way in which we are able to express that idea and that feeling. We are able to break it down and define it more and simply. This is why it is important to learn multiple languages, because often times, a word in one language will have slightly different connotations than another making it uniquely qualified to properly represent the message that someone is trying to get across.

Like with Spanish, all nouns are either male or female, even those for objects. This makes it more difficulty for native Spanish speakers to understand the concept of gender-less English words like "they", "them", or "it".

Now, briefly, I would like to point out that usually learning a language takes repetition, immersion, hard work and dedication. However, there are some exceptions, including the spiritual gift of tongues, and fictionally the Tamaranean kiss. I bring up the Tamaranean kiss simply because it was a fascinating concept from the DC comic book universe. When the Tamaranean Koriand'r (Starfire) came to earth, she kissed Robin (Batman's sidekick) and learned English, allowing her to communicate with the earthlings. Though pure, abstract magic exists within the DC universe, in my mind magic has always been a more spiritual science.

With the notion that maybe this could actually be possible, I have thought about how. I would imagine that some sort of electrical current could pass through the lips and map out the circuits from the brain to the mouth correlating thoughts and ideas to speech. This could be similar to a bio-electrical reading like the sensors that sharks have in their snouts helping them sense movement and animals nearby.

Though Starfire learned English in this manner, there were yet many cultural and understanding complications. Thus suggesting that with the speedy manner of learning some fundamentals of the language remained to be learned more manually.

A movie that created an interesting concept of spoken words was Pontypool. Pontypool is a Canadian "zombie" movie that I have found quite unique. It is a viral outbreak that makes people homicidal, however the dialogue pushes the notions that words themselves are infected, and only words from the English language. Though I like the outside-the-box thinking of the movie as a brain exercise, it inspired me to, like Starfire's language learning ability, think about how it could really happen.

In my mind, it would be an actual viral infection, however, everyone is infected already. The virus is simply dormant within the brain, likely nestled along a neural pathway associated with a word. From the movie, it seemed as though they were different words for different people, and they did not "infect" or rather activate with the use for everyone. With my manner of thinking, this would imply that the way in which the English language shapes the brain is the only corridors of neural activity that the virus attaches to.

The main word that we learn for sure is an infected word was "kill". The doctor talks about how it is only when the word is heard and understood that it activates, implying further that the neural connection expands to the auditory receptors as well. "Kill" itself as a spoken word, the vibrations of those sounds, cannot activate the virus without the continuing connection of the meaning behind the word.

Similarly, the individual who begins to activate begins repeating the word over and over. The doctor compared this to an auto-immune response. Saying the word allows the individual to hear it and comprehend it again, re-triggering the virus almost like they are trying to overheat that location with electrical energy. Much like a normal auto-immune response of swelling and heat.

Alas, and as further evidence of my hypothesis, the woman repeating the word "kill" did not infect the man with her using that word. This implies that any or certain words, certain mappings of neural connections, allow the virus to attach and it may not attach in the same location for each individual.

The cure was the cincher for my idea. With the woman repeating the word "kill" the man redirected the immune response. By disassociating the word slightly, it changed the neural pathway, allowing the virus to go dormant again before it fully activated. Grant Mazzy, the main character, tells Sydney Briar, the infected woman, that "kill means kiss". "K" being a strong, definitive sound, it triggered the same electrical pathway, but then derailed or detoured to a completely opposite meaning with "kiss".

Surprisingly, the notion of electrical pathways determining language and thought have been around for quite a while. With computers and their binary code coupled with Morse code for telegrams and emergency signals we see that circuits and space have a correlations with information.

Spoiler Alert!

As with the concept of languages being in different parts of the brain, Arrival took a turn with how learning languages changes the way one thinks.

In Arrival, the aliens brought their language, a very interestingly language, in which they need to know exactly what they were going to say before and after. They compare this to writing a sentence with both of your hands, one from the beginning of the sentence and the other from the end, and then meeting in the middle. The main suspense of the movie is caused with the communication of the idea of "weapon". For them, their language was the only weapon worth sharing because understanding it, being fluent in it, expands the human brain to be able to see through time. Similar to how Dr. Manhattan from the DC universe Watchmen timeline could only see his own direct future, this change only affects the individual, but they can then see their life as the sentence. From the beginning and the end, meeting in the present.

Remarkably, it is interesting how that language, that way of thinking allowed the aliens to anticipate a problem that would require the help of humans, and the humans must have this ability themselves in order to help. Like a continuing cycle for the betterment of life itself.

Yet, we must remember how important it was for God to teach Adam both a spoken language, and how to read and write. With the emphasis in Arrival with the written word, we have to acknowledge the remark-ability of symbols standing for words, sounds, and sentences. In Egyptian, the hieroglyphics represented sounds and yet the pictographs portrayed entire stories. Even in English, though we borrowed Roman lettering we also have braille, dots choreographed to stand for another symbol (a letter). Still, in Chinese, Japanese, and other oriental languages a symbol can represent an entire word, or part of a word.

Often times, cultures associate words with power and meaning. Like in the Chinese mythology Jiangshi (Chinese vampires) could be stopped with talismans. These talismans were originally based and predicated on sealed orders from a shogun or emperor (Chinese Talisman Demystified). Official documents like these became symbols in themselves of power and authority, like the wax seals of European kings on their important messages to troops or for diplomacy.

Episode 6 of a show called FreakyLinks took the idea of words having power one step further. In this episode entitled Subject: The Harbingers, there were inter-dimensional beings seeping through a barrier that we could call a veil. These beings were the Harbingers, and they would possess people, latching onto their backs and encouraging them to be angry and commit violence. However, the book about these creatures itself had power over them, to drive them out of this plane of existence. Much like the concept of a bible burning a vampire who touches it, the premise is that the words simply existing with their meaning has power.

In the church we learn that the scriptures have power and can recharge and even rejuvenate us and our spirits. Allowing us to truly "feast" upon the words of Christ (2 Nephi 32:3). There is even a certain power or special influence that comes from studying the scriptures from a physical book as opposed to simply reading them through electronics. This connection church leaders have acknowledge and is a part of the reason why they still push for people to have and study from an actual book.

Another movie that made an interesting metaphysical correlation between words and power was the 2001 remake of Thirteen Ghosts (Thir13en Ghosts). This movie used Latin words as seals or power to bind and prevent ghosts from passing through walls or floor.

Like irrefutable commandments that the spirits must obey. Even the summoning of the spirits to the center room was done with recorded spoken words commanding and demanding that the ghosts yield and obey.

In reality, the reason why I think that written word has so much more power than digital word is because of how elements and the light of truth work together. With words on a page, you have elements with their own spirits attached, all dedicated to being a substance that will either absorb light (the letters) or reflect light (the paper or material the words are printed on). That light, or lack thereof, portrays a message, the very word of God. Contrary, electronics emit light. Whatever source of florescence, whether light-bulbs or more high tech means, are only temporary. They lack that dedication, that solidarity of always testifying and revealing the truth written upon it. The same bulb that illuminates the name of Christ could deny Him the very next second.

Though that is simply speculation, there is another, less metaphysical theory that people have as to why it is better to study from an actual book. Our minds are designed to experience, not simply observe, and our eyes pick up the sides, the margins, and the location of the words on the page. With these other factors, studying from scriptures we can more easily find a scripture we liked because we vaguely remember where it was on a page. By limiting our field of view to a small screen, we are limiting the level of cementing a scripture or passage can have in our minds.

Summing up, language is fundamental in whatever form it takes, and does indeed have power. For it was by the power of God, His authority and honor (Doctrine and Covenants 29:36), that He was able to speak and the universe was created and organized (Genesis 1:3, John 1:1-3). What we say matters. How we think and what we think about matters. It is important that we gain as much education as we can, and ever reach towards truth, and God, and Christ.

Love,
Jacobugoth

Agency

Dear Readers,

I had a lesson in institute (a religion class) about "agency" and one of the articles we had to read for homework made me think.

Elder Robert D. Hales said in his October 2010 General Conference that sometimes we forget that most non LDS people only associate the word "agency" with a group, company, or firm. Which is very strange with how we use the word as our free will, or ability to choose and make decisions for ourselves. (Agency: Essential to the Plan of Life).

An "agency" is "an organization, company, or bureau that provides some service for another:" (Dictionary.com).

This makes an interesting bridge. First of all, we have our personal agency, our freedom to choose for ourselves. To provide services for ourselves and others. The only reason we have this agency is because we chose God's plan in our premortal lives.

In this state of life, we were spirit children of our Father in Heaven, who has a body. In order to become more like Him, we had to experience life, not only gaining a physical body, but learning how to use it. Yet, the ultimate test is that of faith. With God's plan, we were to fall and then learn the difference between good and evil, with the final result to determine for ourselves if we would choose God, choose righteousness and goodness, or choose the evils and enticing sins of this world.

However, Lucifer, a son of the morning, had another plan. He wanted to come down in Jehovah's place, becoming our savior and mediator. Despite what could have been a noble gesture, his plan came with some amendments, including making us all be good. We would not have choices, we could not fully think and act for ourselves.

I realize this could be a hard concept to grasp, but it could be as harsh as full mind control, like what Apocalypse tried to do with Professor Xavier's powers in X-men Apocalypse.

Or, more realistically and how I would imagine, it would be more like lesser animals. We would be bound by instincts. Obeying the laws of God only because chemicals in our bodies compel us to.

In either case, that was a turning point in Lucifer's plan, though he is recounted by Isaiah (14:12-14) mourning for him for the most crucial part, that the light bringer Lucifer himself would receive God's glory and replace Him as our god.

Even though there may be times in our lives that we wish someone else was in control, that we did not have to think and act for ourselves, then deal with the consequences, I believe it was that last drastic clause of Lucifer's plan that cinch our choices in choosing Jehovah over him. Yet, that idea of everyone being saved, and not having the burden of living life and not having to make hard choices, like between good and evil, drew away one-third of our Father's children away, choosing relatively for the last time to follow a being literally into the depths of hell in exchange for not having agency of their own. (Revelations 12:4)

Again, in my opinion, their wills became part of Satan's will, and thus all they seek as angels of the devil, demons in the darkness, is the misery of the rest of us (Moroni 7:17). We, of the human race, who have received physical bodies, are of the two-thirds that chose God, chose Jehovah who came down as Jesus Christ and paid for our sins. Because of Him and God's plan we have our freedom to choose, our agency.

Lastly, I would like to note how our agency plays in the grand scheme of things. We have our own agency, which means we are an agency. We can work services for ourselves and be agents for our own purposes, or we can be agents of evil, using our agency to ruin the lives of others, and our own in the process. Yet, by this same token, we can use our agency, the agency that God and Christ have given us to choose to do good, acting as agents and representatives of the Father. Thus we see why it was spoken that charity, the pure love of Christ towards another creature, is true religion (James 1:27, 1 Corinthians 13: 1-8) (religion being how we are tied back to God April 2014 General Conference "Let Your Faith Show" Elder Russel M. Nelson), because that is passing the test. That is using our agency to choose God. That is being Christlike and serving the Father, for inasmuch as we do it unto one of the least of our brothers and sisters, we do it unto God (Matthew 25:40).

These thoughts I leave with you in the name of Jesus Christ. amen

Love,
Jacobugoth