The judge ordered 18 year old Joe to 1-15 years in the Utah State Prison.
I completed plenty of testing and record reviewing on Joe prior to sentencing. His measured IQ was average. He had some minor learning disabilities but qualified for an IEP during junior high and high school. He had an obvious problem with aggression and touching girls. Because of his IEP and No Child Left Behind regardless of his behavioral problems or refusal to do homework – – In 18 years Joe never received any substantial consequence for any of his disruptive or lazy behavior. The school just continued passing him on to the next grade even though he had problems with reading and writing. In a similar fashion, the parents had consistently protected Joe from experiencing failure and withheld any type of penalty for his misbehavior. (And influenced others to do the same.) Joe had never had a job or been held accountable for any of his behavior and yet he seemed to have it all!
He had …
a place to live,
food to eat,
an Eagle Scout (his mom did it),
a high school diploma,
a cell phone,
a car,
spending money,
a girlfriend,
etc etc
On his 18th birthday he inappropriately touched his underage girlfriend.
Now, he was on his way to prison.
THE GREATEST WAR EVER FOUGHT!
Remember in 2011 Conference when Dieter F. Uchtdorf said “…you could pile up the accumulated currency of the entire world and it could not buy a loaf of bread in the economy of heaven.”(You Matter to Him, Conference Oct 2011) Well what about a war in heaven?
How does one fight a war with spirit beings?
the accumulated weapons of the entire world
all the bombs, guns, suicide bombers, terrorists
they could not kill
one spirit
in the war in heaven.
So with what weapons was the Greatest War- the war in the pre-existence – fought?
Remember “Lucifer” at one point “was in authority in the presence of God” (D&C 76:25-26). He was a leader. A chosen one. Lucifer with his compelling personality and influential words, persuaded “many” to follow after him (Abr. 3:27-28). He did not use force or weapons of mass destruction … such weaponry would have been useless against spirits!
Millions followed after Satan….
because they wanted what he had to offer!
What makes Satan’s success even more impressive is the fact his campaign recruited one third of Father’s children (D&C 29:36) to rebel against God – while they (we) were living with the all-powerful God and his son Jesus Christ!
would have had to have been
WHY LUCIFER’S PLAN IS SO ALLURING
Satan’s political party platform features Guaranteed Salvation.
Satan promised salvation without effort, without excellence, without hard work, without individual responsibility. Think of it Exaltation Without Effort! This shortcut to salvation obviously captivated many gullible and lazy spirits. They wanted something for nothing.
Satan’s campaign consisted of telling us what we wanted to hear and giving us what we wanted. What could motivate a crowd more than promising us exactly what we wanted, with no charge or personal effort?
We learn more about Satan’s Plan of Salvation by studying his followers. Here are some samples:
Samuel the Lamanite pointed out that the Gadiantons used this method with the Nephites: “If a man shall come among you and shall say … do whatsoever your heart desireth…ye will receive him and say that he is a prophet” (Helaman 13:27). The prophet Jacob wrote that Sherem “began to preach among the people, and to declare unto them that there should be no Christ. And he preached many things which were flattering unto the people; and this he did that he might overthrow the doctrine of Christ.” (Jacob 7:2) Nehor, another anti-Christ, “testified unto the people that all mankind should be saved at the last day, and that they need not fear nor tremble… for the Lord… had also redeemed all men; and, in the end, all men should have eternal life” (Alma 1:4).
And perhaps the most popular of all, Nephi’s teaches:
“Yea, and there shall be many which shall say: Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us. …” (2 Nephi 28:7-8)
It begins to make sense how so many could be lured away when salvation is offered regardless of sin or personal effort – with freedom from accountability. Think of it -a promise of receiving the reward –salvation– with nothing required.
See blog: Satan Exposed
Satan’s easy, effortless plan is a stark contrast to the Father’s plan which requires accountability, obedience, repentance, etc etc.
By Satan’s eloquence and flattery he would blind us to the end result of sin and bondage. He would make it seem attractive, even though he knows that its wage is death.
THE LONGEST WAR EVER FOUGHT
The war that commenced in the premortal realm of God continues here on earth. The participants are the same. Satan’s political platform remains unchanged-for he continues to seek to destroy our agency through influential words and philosophies to follow after him.
Joseph F. Smith identified several dangers that threaten the Church within – he begins First with
and the war now on earth.
If we were to know the enemy’s most powerful weapon
we would be more prepared to battle.
CHALLENGE
True or False– Satan’s most powerful weapon of war are influential words – persuasion, flattery, and deception.
Talk to a loved one about your thoughts.
dr rick
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The next obvious question is, “How does unaccountability destroy agency?” See: Stuck on an Escalator.