Mr. Nobody

Dear Readers,

This post is an interesting one. There is a 2009 movie called Mr. Nobody that, for a lack of a better term, is hard to keep up with. It is interesting how many ideas and concepts this movie goes through.

Angel of Oblivion sealing the children's mouths

Mr. Nobody talks about a pre-mortal life, when he was in heaven before being born. Though it is symbolism for the veil (ironically the veil being a symbol as well), it is describes as angels of oblivion touching the children's lips before they are born to keep them from remembering and talking about the pre-earth life. This is illustrated by the philtrum or medial cleft (the divot of the upper lip below the nose).

For me, this is the central key to the film. Because Nemo remembers his lessons in heaven, he is able to see the workings of God in his life, which is referred to as the butterfly effect. For those not familiar with this term, it is the theory that a butterfly flapping its wings can lead to a series of events that can drastically change history. In Mr. Nobody, this was illustrated by a butterfly flying away in Japan. It follow a breeze that picks up a leaf high into the sky. The leaf is carried into the atmosphere until it comes down in the US and Nemo's father slips on it, which causes Nemo's mother to come over to help him, and the couple meets.

Not only does the lack of the touch from the angels help Nemo see this butterfly effect, but also the future events. While on my mission, I talked to a member who seemed to be wise in the ways of ideas. In the church, we often say that God knows exactly what we are going to do because He knows us so well, like a parent can know when their child might be up to no good, stealing from the cookie jar etc. However, this never fully satisfied my mind on the subject. Thus, when that philosophical member talked to me about a kind of trial and error in our premortal lives, without consequences, I became rather intrigued.

He described this scenario: you are walking down a path in the forest, and suddenly get the feeling or prompting to go back. Unknown to you, there is a bear around the corner of the trail. Now, during your time as a spirit, as practice, you walked down the trail and saw that there was a bear. Yet, here in mortality, you don't have the memory of that, but the Holy Ghost can bring a feeling of remembrance and warn you, though you don't know what about.

Though this idea intrigued me, growth and full comprehension can only occur through mortality. Which is a big part of why we are here and why we shouted for joy at the opportunity to come down and receive a body (Job 38:7). Thus, for me, it was less of actually experiencing lesson in the spirit, but more of God explaining our lives to us. I feel as though He sat down with each and every one of us and talked to us about our mortal lives. He would calmly and lovingly tell us about different choices we will need to make. Of course, being there with God, we would say that we would make the right choice, but I imagine Him saying softly to us, but what would happen if you made this choice. I do not think that we would have our entire lives told to us at one time, so God might talk to others of His children for a while, and eventually come back to us and tell us what the repercussions of other people's choice might have on us. Therefore, during these early lessons we would make promises with each other, to help each other, as well as which choices we should make for ourselves.

Peter Bishop and September the Observer from Fringe

Like the wise man told me, when we feel that prompting, it is a reminder, either a reminder that we might be in danger, or a reminder that we have an obligation or opportunity to improve ourselves and/or help someone around us. Though I do not think that we experienced it quite like he explained, this does seem clearer to me now as to what our lessons were like. Yet, it should be mentioned that with my understanding of God's nature and how time works here in the physical plane (see my blog post about Gravity, Science, and the Spirit world) that time is set. We experience it fluidly because we are moving through time, moment by moment, but like an Observer from Fringe, God is able to see it as a solid whole. This is evident with the realization that in any given scenario, and opportunity to choose, we are limited by the knowledge we have, and thus must live with the choices we made. Even if we lived the same moment a hundred times, we would always make the same choice because we would always have the same knowledge, and same personality and desires.

Between knowing us as intimately as a family unit (knowing our personality and desires), and seeing exactly how we would live our lives before we even live them, I believe that God was perfectly able to know the end from the beginning (Abraham 2:8) and give us those first lessons to help us live the most honorable life we could. There may be some who ask, "If this is so, then why do we receive promptings from God that we will ignore? God knew that we would ignore it, then why send it?" My simple answer for this is that we must be accountable. In our ignorance of mortality, before this life, we probably pleaded with God to warn us of problems and to remind us to keep our promises to our brothers and sisters. Thus, being a perfect, honorable God, He always upholds His end of the bargain, even though He knows that we might not. This allows us to stand accountable for the choices that we made, for they were given to us, and many times, we probably even learn from those experiences. I know that in my own life I have had promptings that I wish I had heeded and that inspires me to heed the next ones more diligently.

Yet, many of you who have not seen the the movie Mr. Nobody might be wondering what this has to do with anything? Though we have these pretexts of pre-earth lessons and the butterfly effect, the majority of the movie consists of scattered scenes from several different timelines. Aside of setting each timeline on its own as its own movie, I found a video that helps depict the different timelines.

Sadly, this video is not complete to my standards, for it leaves out the timeline when Nemo rides his bike out in a rage and crashes, putting him into a coma. It also, for my own entertainment, had the space station destruction replaced with "Game Over". Thus leaving the "happy ending" as the timeline when Nemo was able to be with Anna and grow old to become Mr. Nobody, aka Mr. Craft (C.R.A.F.T. Can't Remember A [Freaking] Thing). 

Though I won't go over each and every timeline, I would like to point out some key insights from Mr. Craft. While telling the story of his life he would ramble on from one timeline to another, thus the cinematography of the movie jumping from scene to scene in great confusion. When the journalist asked him which timeline is real, he says that they are all real, and each one is worth living. Though most of us would like to find the woman or man of our dreams and grow old with them, sometimes our decisions lead us down other paths. The paths may include broken homes, unfulfilled lives, and premature death. However, these outcomes do not mean that these lives were not worth living. They are the reasons why we came down to receive our bodies. I believe that God explained the hardships, and the joys, all of the pros and cons, and yet we still chose these lives. 

Luckily, for everyone reading this post right now, you are still in a position to make choices that change your life for the better, or for the worse. I hope you gain confidence and strength in knowing that whatever choices you make, your life is one worth living. I hope you find the strength to accept the choices that you have made, and continue in life changing it as you see fit.

Jean, Elise, and Anna from Mr. Nobody

Mr. Nobody has a line when he talks about his child self, with the dilemma of choosing his father or his mother and thereby choosing which girl he will eventually marry. He remarks about how hard of a decision that is to make, especially for a child. Yet, knowing all of the possible outcomes, he makes the choice by sending the leaf up into the sky that will eventually bring Anna to him again. This brings him joy as in his final moments Anna's name is on his tongue. 

The Oracle from The Matrix

Because of the veil, we do not know every outcome of our choices due in part by the concept given to us by The Oracle from The Matrix movies, "No one can see past a choice that they don't understand." However, by aligning ourselves to God and His will, we can begin to see why we make our choices, because we love others, because we love God, and therefore we can see a brighter future ahead. 

Love,

Jacobugoth

BTVS: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Dear Readers,

This may be because I am a 90's child, but I have always liked the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Though, it should be noted, I actually preferred the Angel spin-off series. Being a young man growing up, I found the Angel character more relatable. Nonetheless, while watching both series I discovered some wonderful truths about the BTVS universe that I want to share. Before I begin, I should point out the obviousness that the true God of the BTVS universe is indeed the Christian God Jesus Christ.

BTVS Season 7 Episode 2 Spike embracing a cross

If the way crosses and holy water burn vampires didn't make that obvious to you, then I hope you take my word for it.

First up, in the beginning of the series Giles tries to paint a very dark, grim view of the world talking about how before humans, demons ruled the world. These demons were called The Old Ones, and were large monstrous creatures. Very little is mentioned about them in the series, yet we have some insight from the Mayor of Sunnydale's ascension.

BTVS Season 3 Episode 22 Mayor Richard Wilkins transforming

During the highschool graduation the Mayor ascended into a higher form, a "true" or "pure" demon. 

BTVS Season 3 Episode 22 Wilkins as the Olvikan demon

 This transformation turned him into an Olvikan demon that a volcanologist had discovered the remains of under a volcano. Easily mistaking the demon's corpse to be that of an undiscovered dinosaur, the scientist was unaware that he was being used by the Mayor to secured the transformation.

Maloker the Old One who created the first vampires

Now, especially with the comic, other Old Ones have been portrayed as simply enormous monstrous demons. Since the comic book series has been produced by the same director as the television series, I will admit this warrant's more investigation. However, my theory, for now, remains the same.

In Genesis, before talking about the creation of the world it says, "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." (Genesis 1:2)

This was mentioned in my Creation post where I mentioned that this "void" earth was likely made of at least partly by a planet that had been inhabited by dinosaurs. In that post, I also mention the pre-mortal life and how Lucifer and his one-third of the angels of God were cast down to the earth. It seems as though, at least in the BTVS universe that they were cast onto the "dinosaur" world, casting it in darkness.

Lucifer, having become Satan, the first to rebel against God and therefore he and those who followed him lost their first estate (their opportunity to receive bodies of their own). Yet, coming to this world with large creature, what would any angry disembodied spirit do? Posses the bodies for themselves.

However, and this is key in the BTVS universe, when these demons posses bodies they change them. Either genetic or cosmetic, the transformation is clear. Yet, the second half of that verse in Genesis adds depth. "And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." God, the one true God, was casting them out, casting them away to make room for His children.

Though, clearly they were not cast out completely by the time humans came to take the earth, else how could Maloker have created the first vampire, or the rest of the demonic generations be formed? As I say this, my mind is concocting another theory as to how it could have still happened.

Possessed snake from the movie Noah

Theory one: most of the Old Ones were banished and cast into their own dimensional worlds becoming the demonic gods of their worlds, however, Satan and a few lingered. When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, Satan possessed a serpent and beguiled Eve. That would be when God cursed Satan beyond eve his followers saying, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Genesis 3:15)

I think that it is this cursing that is the key difference between our world and the BTVS world. This would be where God would curse Satan that he could no longer truly possess a body, thus ever to remain incorporeal as The First. Yet in our world, God had enough foresight to take away nearly all of Satan's power. Though he could tempt us, we as beings with our own bodies will always have more power than he does. He may hurt us, but we can banish and destroy him.

Alas, because Adam and Eve partook of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they were cast out of Eden into a world of pain and confusions. This created the perfect breeding ground for the remaining Old Ones to influence and transfigure groups of humans into demons after their likeness.

Theory two: all of the Old ones were banished to their own dimensions, but because The First had not yet possessed a body, he remained. Then, like the first theory, he beguiled Eve and was cursed. Yet he was able to influence humans in the days of wickedness before the flood to worship these false demonic gods. Using their powers, they made portals to their dimensions and interdimensional migration occurred allowing humans to go there, be transformed into the demonic versions and then return and vice versa.

BTVS Season 3 Episode 5 Kulak demon (Note the stegosaurus dinosaur traits)

For both theories, I would say the reason for the distinction and enmity or dislike between demons and vampires is that the demons were people that the Old Ones corrupted.

However, Maloker took it a step further and would banish the human spirit by killing them and replace it with one of his own follower spirits. Again we see a change in their bodies, the "bumpy" forehead and sharp teeth, however because the bodies are actually those of humans, they are able to revert back.

Angel Season 1 Episode 9 Lucas the Bracken demon

For vampires, it is more of human body, demonic face. Yet for the Bracken demons their human appearance is more of a camouflage.

Turok-Han

Though I think that the first vampires were like the current BTVS vampires, where does that place the uber vamps or Turok-Han?

The Master

There are clear similarities between the uber vamps and The Master vampire. However, The Master maintained his high thinking, while the Turok-Han are primal beasts. Giles said of them, "As Neanderthals are to human beings, the Turok-Han are to vampires. They're primordial, ferociously powerful killing machine, as single-minded as animals. They are the vampires that vampires fear."

Most of us would take that statement to say that vampires came from these Turok-Han, which could be true. Yet, I would purpose an alternate theory. With my ideas about neanderthals and how the relate to humans, being another race of humans rather than a separate species that we somehow emerged from, I think that the Turok-Han are the vampires that vampires fear because they are what becomes of a vampire that has been starved of blood for millennia. This could place them anciently as the first vampires that Maloker created in his dimension without a fresh source of blood their minds degenerated into the simple need to feed. The demonic influence in their bodies over the longer period of time makes them more bat-like just like Maloker, and how being ancient made The Master more bat-like as well. However, unlike the Turok-Han, The Master was able to feed continually in the BTVS world and thus retain his sanity. To reiterate, vampires fear the Turok-Han because that is what they will become when all that makes them sentient, or human is taken away by starvation.

This would also explain why the Turok-Han have so much more immunity to vampire traits. The "modern" vampire is susceptible to holy water and crosses because they are yet human bodies and atoning power of Christ's sacrifice on the cross and in the garden of Gethsemane tries to purify the evil from their bodies, as the atonement is there to free us from sin if we use it. Yet, being around so long and having that demonic spirit slowly change their bodies over time, the human flesh becomes less human, preventing the atonement of Christ to work as well as it did or could.

Angel as a demon in Pylea

Alas, it is important to note that when Angel went to a hell dimension called Pylea, he found that with the nature of the dimension, it made his human side human while his demonic side demon. As they explained that the demonic form he took was what the demon inside of him actually looks like. The reptilian nature hints that it is likely that Maloker does not have any actual demons of his own. The demons that posses the bodies are likely the spirit of other fallen demons that Maloker either gives a second chance to, or are only able to escape their hell dimensions by entering a human host and become a vampire.

Sadly, this about sums up my theory about the history of the nature of demons and vampires in the BTVS universe, however, there are yet points to mention.

As I brought up briefly with the second theory of the humans using the demon's powers to make portals for the dimensional migration, it should be noted what witch craft in the BTVS universe is.

Amy casting a love spell

Whether it is Amy praying to the goddess Diana.

Willow calling upon Osiris to raise Buffy back from the dead. 

Or Willow praying to Osiris, they are calling upon the powers of the demonic demi-gods. Their powers are not their own, only lent to them by demons seeking to corrupt them.

Charmed power of three Celtic knot. 

I should point out that this is also different from the witchcraft in Charmed, which is more spiritual and cosmic in nature. Much like the power Giles used to bind Dark Willow, it comes from the world itself, or even from a righteous higher plane. Like with Charmed, the power of three is a clear reference to the trinity and the power of God, which is why the Elder and White Lighters or heavenly beings were charged to watch over and help them.

BTVS Season 7 Episode 22 White Willow

This is why White Willow was created when Willow activated the potential slayers and released the power. Though the words of her prayer cannot be really heard with her muttering, it is not too far of a leap to say that she might have been praying to the one true God, or at very least performing His will.

The Shadow Men infusing the shadow spirit or "heart" of a demon into Buffy or the First Slayer

Though witchcraft appears to be generally evil in the BTVS universe, it was interesting how the Shadow Men tried to use that power to help humanity. By infusing the first demon's spirit into the First Slayer, they created a warrior to combat the evil, though they limited it to one warrior so that they and their followers the Watchers, could maintain a hold of the situation.

Thus we see the graphic battle over good and evil that would take place in a world where fallen angels or demons would be permitted to have a bit more influence over the bodies their possess. In our own lives, the devil's influence over may be lessened, but it is also subtler too. I testify that Satan is real, but so is Christ and His infinite mercy. There is real evil in this world and it is created by the absence of God and His influence.

Lastly, when Buffy died by jumping into Glory's portal, she said that she felt like she went to heaven. She described that place, "Wherever I was, I was happy. At peace. I knew that everyone I cared about was all right. I knew it. Time didn't mean anything, nothing had form, but I was still me, you know? And I was warm and I was loved and I was finished. Complete. I don't understand about theology or dimensions, or any of it really. But I think I was in heaven." (BTVS 6:3)

Tucson Temple

Though the notion of nothing had form made it seem more like the was in the spirit world, the paradise of spirit world, I had an interesting experience where I found myself participating in a form of the true method of prayer. It was the Hosanna shout (Doctrine and Covenants 109:79) of the Tucson temple dedication. The mingling of voice all in one accord made me feel like I was simply one of many, yet I was still myself. I think that is what Buffy was trying to describe, at least in part, billions upon billions of the children of God all shouting His praise, uniting themselves and their will to God. I think that was a taste of what pre-mortal life was like, living for an eternity as spirits with our Father in Heaven and then, when we will return to Him, praising Him again for the plan of salvation is complete. I never quite understood that before, the repeating of words simultaneously often seemed a bit like cultish chanting which I had dismissed with the notion that cults and even Satan himself had to get it from somewhere, even a pollution of true doctrine and practice.

As strange as it is to say, I don't think that I would have the appreciation or as ripe of an experience as I had with the Hosanna shout and prayers in the temple without having watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer and had that realization from pondering upon her words. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is God's true church on the earth today. I am thankful to be a member of it, and I am thankful that I live in a world where the only corruption Satan and his angels can reap upon our bodies are those temptations that we choose to give in to.

Love,
Jacobugoth

Talents

Dear Readers,

I would like to talk briefly about the parable of the talents. Now, I had always thought that a Roman talent was a coin. As I have come to discover, I was wrong. A Roman talent is actually a gold bar.

1 kg Canadian gold bar

However, unlike the gold bar shown above, a Roman talent was about 33 kg or 75 lbs of gold. These were large gold bars, not to be taken lightly (pun intended).

This is incredible when compared to what I thought a talent was, a gold coin, like an aureus. Yet, an aureus is much smaller. About 44 aureus coins made 1 lbs of gold. This means that 3,300 aureus weighed as much as a talent.

So, what is a talent compared to the time period. A denarius was a silver coin that was used to pay a mercenary for one day's labor. Comparatively, a talent was worth 6,000 denaril equal to nearly 17 years pay. Lets compare this to modern day. Imagine you only made $10,000 a year. 17 years pay would be $170,000. Though, it should be noted, that as of 2016 a talent's weight of gold is worth $1.25 million, which, in comparison would be equal to someone earning almost $74,000 a year. I don't know about most of you, but I do not earn nearly that much, thus I will use the $170,000 talent for the parable.

Matthew 25:14-30

"For the kingdom of heaven is a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and deliver unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents [$850,000], to another two [$340,000], and to another one [$170,000]; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents [$850,000] went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents [total of $1,700,000]. And likewise he that had received two [$340,000], he also gained other two [total of $680,000]. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

"After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents [total of $1,700,000], saying, Lord, though deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them [total of $680,000]. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usery [this is like interest in a bank which today is usually 5% which after 5 years would bring the worth to almost $217,000. Though it does not say how long the "lord" was away, if he was only gone for 5 years then he is saying that servant basically robbed him of $47,000 or almost 5 years pay]. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents [Since the guy who had $170,000 didn't do anything with it, give it to the guy that I trusted with $850,000 and doubled it to $1,700,000 and he will actually use it.].

"For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.[Basically saying that those who have faith and works, they are doing their best to follow God, shall have abundance when they are in God's kingdom. However, those that have not faith and do not do righteous things will have no place in God's kingdom.] And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

For a moment, lets view this from the the traditional perspective. Usually this parable is compared to actual talents given to us from God, and from this passage of scripture is where we gained the word talent as applicable to abilities and gifts. These talents could include abilities like: athletic skill, musical proficiency, creativity, scientific inquisition, writing ability, public speaking, et cetera. These are very similar to the gifts of the Spirit, which I talked about here. All of these gifts, whether talents or gifts of the Spirit of God are given to us from birth, but can also be learned with payer and hard work on our side.

Thus the important lesson of if we don't use it we loose it. If we do not use our gifts, like a talented pianist never playing piano they bury their gift into the ground and will eventually loose that gift. While even giving it to the "money changers" or "bank" by practicing and keeping their skills ready, they at least increase the blessing upon their heads. Yet for those who are blessed with a gift and use that gift to procure more like applying their dancing skills onto the football field, they increase their abilities and make them more suitable and useful within the kingdom of God. Therefore proving that God can trust them with more strength and ability.

I hope that you enjoyed this post, I know that I learned much especially about the true nature of what a Roman talent is. Let me know some of your talents and how you plan on using them to better improve the world around you.

Love,
Jacobugoth