Hard Times Create Strong Men and Teaching Resilient Children

 Contrary to widespread belief, the quote “Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times” is not an ancient proverb or classical philosophical insight. Instead, it originates from the mind of G. Michael Hopf, an American author and U.S. combat veteran born in 1970, who included this line in his 2016 post-apocalyptic novel “Those Who Remain,” the seventh book in his “New World” series.

In the early 1970s, scientist John B Calhoun conducted his famous “Universe 25” experiment, creating a “mouse utopia” with unlimited food, water, and shelter.  In these ideal conditions, the mouse population grew rapidly before collapsing as social behaviors deteriorated and reproduction ceased.  While not a literal prediction, the experiment serves as a powerful metaphor for how prosperity and social disconnection can erode purpose and cohesion in human societies.

American society is not yet in collapse, but fragmentation is evident: deep political polarization, eroded trust in institutions, and fading shared norms.  Many retreats into online echo chambers, curating realities that shield them from real-world friction.  This produces phenomena resembling Universe 25’s “isolated females” (seen in aggressive or entitled behaviors like “Karens”) and “beautiful males” (withdrawn, self-focused, feminized men).

Both on the left and the right, good times have allowed us to forget what we learned in the hard times that got us through those hard times into the good. Should we not soon turn back, both the left and right will have to relearn.

 

Hard times have a lot of complications for the weak that created them.  Particularly for the LDS priesthood holder.  It’s more than just being a wimp.  It’s being afraid of change and your shadow.  It’s dealing with “woke” ideas and becoming self-sufficient so that you can raise self-sufficient children.

 

Brothers it doesn’t take that much to change the men in the church.  Don’t accept woke ideas.  Call out those leaders who are trying to make this church like our government.  Remind everyone of the doctrine behind “The family a proclamation to the world.”  I’m not saying we should be unkind or mean, but we need to be bold about the truth and about our lives.

Years ago, I lived in a District and a Branch.  I was called to the District High Council.  I had a District President who was from Minnesota.  He and I did not agree politically.  But we were friends and enjoyed talking with each other to get that other view. In one particular meeting he would not stop talking about a particular political subject.  He wanted to debate and I kept telling him that this was not the time or place for such a discussion.  He would not let up and so I finally said some rude things that silenced the room.  (The good brother sitting next to me whispered to me, “Now you’ve done it!  Good job!”) Most people would not talk to a priesthood leader that way.  I would normally not talk that way to my priesthood leader either but I had to jar him back into reality so he would stop trying to talk about inappropriate things in a meeting where other things should be happening.  My tactic worked!  Later on, I apologized and he said, “You had to shock me back into reality.  I know you didn’t have a choice because I was not listening.”  I was glad he understood and our relationship was not damaged.  Over the years you have learned that you can stand up to a priesthood leader if you do it in a respectful and kind way.  Many people will not do this, but a left-leaning leader can do a lot of damage in a ward.  Politics doesn’t belong in Church.  But many people let their extreme views, left or right leaning, spill into their teaching and speaking at Church.  If that view is in opposition to gospel doctrine it must be corrected. The Church has solid stances on Gay marriage, abortion, and gender.  I don’t have a problem with the people that believe in opposition to this doctrine, but these points are non-negotiable.  And they have no place at Church.  Many believe the Church will “come around” concerning these doctrines and that the Church will change.  My contention is that will never happen.  Policy changes, doctrine does not.

Learning to be a man and then stepping into that role is something that seems to be lacking in some generations.  My kids were given responsibility early in their lives.  We have a large family and we all needed to help to care for ourselves, and our home.  Kids have an amazing capacity.  They can do a lot!  At 8 our kids learned, and were responsible for, their own laundry.  When our Grandkids visit they are given the same responsibility at the appropriate age.  Our kids also had chores they got allowance for but also some they had to do out of duty being a member of the family.  I made sure they understood that because we do have an obligation to each other as family members.

 

 Teaching boys to be men and raising resilient kids so they don’t have to take resilience classes should be every parent’s goal.  The Church now offers resiliency classes, I understand why.  It’s taught in seminary now. What the heck?  I’m an LDS Seminary graduate but I never had a class or a lesson in being resilient.  My Dad fought in WWII.  My parents went through that world war and through the Depression.  They could handle whatever was put before them. So, they raised us kids to weather whatever storm they were put through.  My wife and I were children of the 60’s and 70’s.  We were taught how to work and how to survive.  

 

The men of the church need to stop being “nice” and start being men. Being nice is not the same as being kind. We should be kind. Families need to be resilient because Christ is coming. Looking at the signs we know life is poised to be worse. Certain prophecies must be fulfilled and that means things will get worse in this world. We need men who will bear up the church and the gospel. We should be defenders of the faith. It’s hard to defend from a safe space. LDS men should be meek but not push overs. That’s why boys need to be taught to be men. 

 

“Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times”

 

We are moving into those “hard times”. LDS men and boys need to learn what the 3 P’s are from the Proclamation on the Family. 

What does it mean to preside, provide, and protect?

That’s what we can talk about and teach. Dirty Civilian focus on the Christian preparedness side. The LDS perspective is similar, but with the priesthood comes a higher responsibility.

Boys (and girls for that matter) need to learn physical work.  One of my sons is a computer developer.  One is a welder.  They grew up the same, but the welder likes physical work for his mind and body.  The developer takes care of himself and exercises, but he prefers the more cerebral work of working on software.  Both of them (and our daughters and other brothers) moved rocks.  When we bought our property there was a large pile of stone with rocks about the size of 2 bricks.  We seemed to need this rock pile moved for construction projects and other reasons to move the location of the stone.  So, our kids were given so many rocks to move when they got in trouble.  We did spank our kids but not that often and even less as they got older.  They were given work in addition to the chores they already had.  They were given other tasks sometimes and not always rock moving.  It was physically hard work, but they knew if they complained they could get more rocks.  All my kids know how to work.  It’s interesting because the guys my girls married aren’t necessarily DIY guys.  So, my girls have tool bags, and they work on things as they need to.  Their spouses are getting better, but my girls are hard workers.

One of our family’s sayings is actually from my son-in-law.  “Suck it up, cupcake!” With this mindset our children were not raised to need safe spaces and could handle most everything that has been thrown at them.  They are resilient. I believe it’s our responsibility as parents to bring up our children to handle life and what it throws at you.  To learn from adversity and to become stronger from trials.

There are generations that are soft because their parents wanted things better for them.  I understand that feeling but fight it and teach them how to navigate life themselves.

I had a Stake President growing up who was a millionaire.  His children did not know until they were young adults.  The kids had work at home and jobs to pay for cars and college.  Dad could have just paid for it all, but he and his wife wanted resilient, prepared children.

I hope the men in the church can figure this problem out and stop producing unprepared, dependent children.  I also hope they can change the way the church does things and stop being so timid about running the Lord’s Church.

 

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn

How Much Ammo Should You Store?

 Whenever I get asked, “How much ammo should I have?”  I then start asking questions of my own.  How often do you shoot?  What are your shooting goals?  What types of shooting do you do?  Are you stockpiling for prepping?  How much space do you have?

These questions let me be better in my understanding of the shooter and their needs before recommending how much they should stockpile.

So, how much ammo should you have? The shooter in me says you can never have too much, but my penny-pincher side sees that as a problem. 1,000 rounds for each firearm you own is a good minimum in most instances.

Let’s get a little more specific.

Things to Have in Mind Before Stocking Up on Ammo

I've found it best to implement a restocking system. That keeps me from panic-buying when prices skyrocket during an ammo shortage and saves me a lot of money. Buying in bulk is a significant portion of my restocking system. It helps me save more money than I would by buying in smaller quantities.

Here's how much ammo I like to have for each gun.

Handguns        5,000 rounds per firearm

Battle rifles     5,000 rounds per firearm

Shotguns          1,000 rounds per firearm

Hunting Bolt action rifles 1,000 rounds per firearm

I've always been a fan of keeping things as simple as possible, and my stockpiling system is no exception. The initial cost stings the most because I like to get started by buying in and then slowly building toward my stockpiling goal. I'm also a fan of doubling up on the savings by catching ammo when it's on sale. But I never buy all the rounds at once, unless it's just a deal I can't pass up.

Start with 500 to 1,000 rounds of the ammo you use the most and gradually grow your stockpile over time. I prefer to use the oldest ammo first, just to ensure I have fresh ammo, but I've stored ammo in a cool, dry place and used it decades later. My father-in-law recently gave me some shotgun shells he had in storage for longer than I've been alive (30+ years). They still fire, but I don't recommend waiting that long to use them.

Having a restock threshold is a great idea. Once you hit a specified minimum number of rounds, it's time to buy more. Personally, I don't like to dip below 500 rounds for most of my guns. I'd ideally have no fewer than 1,000 rounds before I start looking for the best ammo deals. I stockpile less self-defense and hunting ammo, as I don't use those rounds as often, so I'm comfortable with only 100 to 250 rounds of either.

• Step 1: Buy 500 to 1,000 rounds of your most-used ammo.
• Step 2: Slowly build your stockpile by timing bulk purchases and ammo sales.
• Step 3: Restock as needed when you reach your minimum number of rounds.
• Step 4: Repeat the process for every type of ammo your firearms are chambered for.

You should have as much ammo as you can afford and have room for.  I suggest storing your ammo in a fire-resistant safe to protect it from the elements and thieves. At the very least, you should have 1,000 rounds for each firearm you own.

Having ammo on hand is slightly different than having long term ammo. I consider "ammo on hand" to be easily accessible: not locked in a safe or buried under boxes. Whether they're preloaded in magazines or still in their boxes, these rounds are intended to be quickly loaded into your firearm and used for practice etc.

I like to keep 50 to 100 rounds handy at all times. Ninety percent of those are home defense ammo for my pistols and shotguns.

Long term is another topic altogether. You would ideally have thousands of rounds of ammo during an end-of-the-world situation.  But the above goals are sufficient.

Self-defense ammo is much more expensive, and you're less likely to use it, so I don't see a need to have thousands of rounds.

I do like to keep a couple of hundred rounds on hand and purchase more whenever I see an unbeatable price, though. My home defense ammo consists of 20-gauge, and 9mm, though I could narrow it down to just shotgun shells and one of my pistol cartridges if needed.

Answering the question "How much ammo should I have?" is incredibly personal. A competitive shooter will go through thousands of rounds more per year than a hunter or someone training for self-defense.

For beginners, I recommend starting with 1,000 rounds and seeing how long that lasts for you. Then, based on how long that ammo lasts, begin building a stockpile that will last you one to two or more years.

Happy stocking!

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn

Tactical Training for Your Family

Family Training

Broad & Inclusive Training

No one is safe at all if they only learn how to protect themselves in one type of situation. That is why even if you are focusing on one specific discipline of tactical training you will find that it is both broad and inclusive of a variety of potential scenarios. Any good tactical training course will provide you with multiple situations to overcome, preparing you for a variety of both physical and psychological tasks associated with your survival. Yes, you can learn to shoot the same menacing looking targets in different orders each time at the gun range, but this only covers one scenario and is not effective tactical training. True tactical training will also call on more than one level of physical and psychological needs at any given time, to ensure you are well rounded and prepared for any situation. A good tactical training session might even appear chaotic, but they are highly structured to call on multiple skills to test a trainee. If you can use your range of skills to make sense and survive the situation, the chaos melts away, which is exactly what you are hoping to be able to apply to a real-life scenario.

I had my family learn how to shoot, how to use pepper spray, and how to grapple.  We talked about tactical thinking and situational awareness all the time.  Try to be versatile. 

Drills

Remember you can help prepare your family with tactical training as well. There is a fine line between preparing and scaring your children, so always consider their age and understanding level in every training scenario. Drills, however, are important and can give you the lifesaving seconds you need in a disaster scenario. Many families have fire drills for instance, so considering a few potential events and outcomes that your loved ones can practice, increasing your chance of survival is a form of tactical training that can keep your whole family safe and better prepared.

Keys to Good Tactical Training

• Avoid highly specialized training classes and events. While it is good to practice in specific ways, broad range courses are best for beginners, so you can build a solid skill set. You can go on to more specialized training down the road.
• Look for a course with scenario-based training as it can help prepare you psychologically, as well as physically.
• Hone your instincts. One of the goals of tactical training is to take actions from being intellectual to instinctual. In high-stress situations, if you can rely on your instincts to help in your defense you have a higher chance of surviving a confrontation. Any few seconds you can spare in mental processing and decision making, due to effective, tactical training could be lifesaving.
• Self-defense is a lifelong journey. You must adopt it as part of your regular life and commit to continually practice if you want to truly become a master in the art of self-defense and be able to defend yourself no matter what the situation brings

·         One of the most popular forms of civilian tactical training  is with the use of firearms. Ranges offer tactical shooting courses that provide you situations that represent more realistic scenarios, rather than just standing at one end of a range and shooting at a stationary target. Classes are often the best course for many, however, if you do have the property, or can find a place where you can lawfully fire the rounds, you may consider setting up tactical training courses of your own. Remember that the element of surprise is a huge aspect of tactical training. If you do set up your own course, you will need a partner who can change the targets and situations to create a unique training experience every time.

 

Psychological Aspects of Tactical Training

·         Tactical training requires a level of psychological involvement that is simply not applied in ordinary self-defense training approaches. Of course, learning a specific technical skill for defense is extremely important. However, a technical skill that is only mastered in a controlled environment is only applicable to similar controlled environments, not to situations in the real world. In order to learn a technical skill that will be helpful in any situation, you must be conditioned psychologically as well as physically. With the psychological aspect of tactical training in mind, you will practice your technical skill in a variety of anticipated states, considering factors like stress or exhaustion.

·         Preparing your mind for the possibility of these stressful situations will enable you to perform with greater effectiveness when an actual disaster occurs.

 

Hoplology

·         Not all tactical training is physical in nature, and hoplology is a great place for many beginners to start. As with most things, research can be a huge asset to a person’s self-defense repertoire. Hoplology is the study of the development of human combative behavior and performance. It is in short, the relationship between different cultures in regards to how and why we fight. Becoming a student of hoplology opens you up to a slightly different tactical approach. Taking the knowledge of why and how we fight into consideration can give you a slight advantage when engaging in combat with a potential assailant. Studying other cultures and fighting techniques can also give you an advantage when approached with any self-defense situation as not only can you anticipate what might be coming, but you can take appropriate action to combat it as well.

There are many ways to improve your family’s training.  Tactical is just one of them.  Find a course, or person, who can teach tactical training in a simple way that is understandable to your entire family.  Develop or find drills that can be practiced easily.  Make it fun for the whole family and you will find that not only is your family prepared and safe, but healthy and happy.

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn

Spec Ops Truths You Can Use

 In the Special Operations world, there are many things to learn.  As civilians we can learn from these ideas and concepts too.

The five Special Operations Forces Truths:
1. Humans are more important than hardware.
2. Quality is better than quantity.
3. Special Operations Forces cannot be mass produced.
4. Competent Special Operations Forces cannot be created after emergencies occur.
5. Most special operations require non-SOF assistance.

John Collins, a retired Army colonel, authored truths. He enjoyed a second career in the Congressional Research Service, and in 1987 found himself writing a publication titled "United States and Soviet Special Operations" for a House Armed Services Committee.

Oddly enough, Colonel Collins was not a special operator. He wrote "had to do with what special operations are all about," he later said. The truths were born out of the "SOF Imperatives" and originally included a fifth truth: "Most special operations require non-SOF assistance." However, this truth was lost for about 20 years, until Adm. Eric Olsen, a former SOCOM Commander, resurrected it in September 2009. Ever since they were brought to light, the truths became the mantra for only our special forces teams and over time, the fundamental guidelines for all special operations forces from all the services to follow.

Humans are more important than hardware.

Sometimes we think that a new computer or a new tech system is the most important thing in the field, but it’s the humans we’re surrounded with that will accomplish the task regardless of the gear and equipment you give them. While the stringent selection process for special operations works to weed out the wrong people, the private sector doesn’t have the same safeguards. Most companies don’t have an intensive training regime that includes psychological evaluations and leadership tests for prospective candidates, so these values need to be cultivated in a different way. Simply put, it comes down to taking the time to select the right people for the job. One poor person, or whatever poor quality that he or she possesses, spoils it for everybody else.

Which leads to the second truth.

Quality is better than quantity.

You don’t need 12 people if two people can do it. Pick the right people, pick the right machinery, pick the right technology, get that quality that you need and the quality that you want. You might be paying more for it, but the added cost for performance is worth it every time. If you choose the right thing, and it maintains the standard that you’re looking for, you’re never going to go wrong with having the right quality person, or the right quality machinery, and technology. The thing about quality is that it’s a limited resource.

Special operations forces cannot be mass produced.

When you try a cookie cutter approach, you get cookies, you don’t always get the right thing. If you try to have unique thinkers, by that very definition it cannot be mass produced. When you try to mass produce things, typically you eliminate the uniqueness right out of it. Realizing you’ve got the wrong gear, or the wrong guy on your team when you’re already in a bad situation is too late so, you need to think ahead.

Competent special operations forces cannot be created after emergencies occur.

The word competent in the fourth truth is pretty telling. This means that you need to be looking toward anticipated needs, or in military parlance, you need to prepare for the next war, not the last one. You just must be proactive and not reactive. You’re always looking forward and learning lessons.

Most special operations require non-SOF support.

This is probably the most misunderstood of all the truths. The reason: Ego.  Ego comes into play quite a bit, and you get a lot of ego when you label something special or unconventional or different. Taking the ego out of play and saying, ‘Everybody stay true to what you can do.’ In the private sector, it comes down to putting the right people in the positions they're best suited for. Let your guys do what they’re best and most capable of doing and have other people do other stuff.

These truths are true for many things from military operations to business.  Many may find them a valuable tool.

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn

 

Please Listen With Spiritual Ears: Lovely Conspiracy (repost from 1 MAR 2016)

I know what you're thinking, "That Burn has finally gone off his rocker!"  Mostly I would agree but hear me out.  These are the last days.  Conspiracies do exist.  The crazy Epstein situation is a conspiracy come to light.  We need to be "awake to a sense of your awful situation."  Thus, I feel this way.  Defense is being aware of threats and fortifying against them.  If nothing else, I can entertain with my extreme ideas...

March 1, 2016

I love the show/movie The X Files. When I was young, I watched a show that was first aired in 1974 through 1975 called “Kolchak: The Night Stalker”. How I loved this show! This was about a newspaper reporter investigates strange supernatural occurrences in Chicago. It was the forerunner to the X Files. I liked these shows because I am somewhat of a nerd as my daughter likes to say. But mostly I liked the X Files because of the conspiracy behind the stories of space aliens. I have never been a fan of our government. Don’t get me wrong, The Republic is a wonderful form of government. But that kind of money and power is not to be trusted. That is why the founders gave us the 2nd Amendment. To keep our leaders in check a little bit. So, I am a conspiracy nut. I question some things that have happened. My wife is similar, but we don’t always agree on which events are conspiracies. When something significant happens in the world or this country, I usually default to whether a conspiracy was involved. Now to be truthful, I may joke about it or even have a passing wonder, but really for the most part, I don’t feel most things are a conspiracy. The problem is, some of them are. I can’t prove anything but it’s hard to believe that no events have a conspiracy behind them. Why do I think this way? Before you blame it on too much TV and movies, let’s look at things that I believe are true.
Apostle Ezra Taft Benson said this in Conference April 1972
“Now undoubtedly Moroni could have pointed out many factors that led to the destruction of the people, but notice how he singled out the secret combinations, just as the Church today could point out many threats to peace, prosperity, and the spread of God’s work, but it has singled out the greatest threat as the godless conspiracy. There is no conspiracy theory in the Book of Mormon —it is a conspiracy fact.”
In Ether 8:18 it says:
“18 And it came to pass that they formed a secret combination, even as they of old; which combination is most abominable and wicked above all, in the sight of God;”
This is why I believe as I do. These conspiracies, or secret combinations, will get above us.
Also in Ether 8
“23 Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain—and the work, yea, even the work of destruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be.
24 Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up.”
Have we as the LDS Church become “awake to a sense of your awful situation”? If now is not that time prophesied in those scriptures then I’m not sure when they will happen. I believe this is happening now. These are some more reasons for my thinking.
Secret combinations have secret signs and words (Helaman 6:22), protect one another (Helaman 6:21, 23), and mingle into society in a manner whereby they cannot be found (Helaman 1:12).
The teachings and practices of the robbers are tempting and corrupt the hearts of the people as they spread, eventually even seducing most of the righteous into believing in their works, partaking of their spoils, and even becoming involved in their secret murders and combinations (Helaman 6:38; Ether 9:6).
One of the purposes of secret combinations is to gain power (Helaman 2:8; Ether 8:23, 11:15) by usurping power and authority over the people (Helaman 7:4). They seek to gain sole power over the government and, in the Book of Mormon, were successful in doing so (Helaman 6:39).
Secret combinations seek to overthrow government (3 Nephi 7:6), establish kings – or oligarchies (see Mosiah 29:21–22) – and destroy the liberty of a republic (3 Nephi 6:30, 7:10); the king-men believe they have the blood of nobility (Alma 51:21).
“And do not think that these usurpations, intimidations, and impositions are being done to us through inadvertence or mistake; The whole course is deliberately planned and carried out; its purpose is to destroy the Constitution and our constitutional government; then to bring chaos, out of which the new Statism with its slavery is to arise, with a cruel, relentless, selfish, ambitious crew in the saddle, riding hard with whip and spur, a red-shrouded band of night riders for despotism.” (J. Reuben Clark, jr.,Church News, September 25, 1949)
“Gadianton robbers fill the judgement seats in many nations. An evil power seeks to overthrow the freedom of all nations and countries.” (Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, speaking in the April 1980 General Conference)
“It is the terrorist organizations that must be ferreted out and brought down. We of this Church know something of such groups. The Book of Mormon speaks of the Gadianton robbers, a vicious, oath-bound, and secret organization bent on evil and destruction. In their day they did all in their power, by whatever means available, to bring down the Church, to woo the people with sophistry, and to take control of the society. We see the same thing in the present situation.” (Gordon B. Hinckley, General Conference, October, 2001)
Because of these scriptures and quotes, and more, I believe this conspiracy is alive and well and doing the work of the adversary.
There are others who feel the same as I in, and out, of the Church.
http://www.nachumlist.com/deadpool.htm
I only bring this “crazy talk” up because it does affect you and your family’s security and defense. If you can get your own houses in order and prepare for the worse but hope for the best then you and your loved ones will weather the storm better and survive.
Here are books I would recommend to “corrupt your brain” (said with tongue in cheek) with information. Some members will try to wave you off of this kind of thinking. Do not let them. The scriptures and prophets are clear, we must become educated and awake to our awful situation.
None Dare Call It Conspiracy (Gary Allen) – recommended in Conference by Ezra Taft Benson
(I can remember my Dad having a case of these in his study. I guess he was spreading the word)
The Naked Communist (W. Cleon Skousen) – recommended in Conference by David O. McKay
The Naked Capitalist (W. Cleon Skousen) – important sequel to The Naked Communist
The 5000-Year Leap (W. Cleon Skousen) – perhaps the most well-read LDS work on liberty
The Elders of Israel and the Constitution (Jerome Horowitz) – Recommended in Conference by Ezra Taft Benson
The Book of Mormon and the Constitution (H. Verlan Andersen) – LDS General Authority and very close friend to Ezra Taft Benson
The Moral Basis of a Free Society (H. Verlan Andersen)
An Enemy Hath Done This (Ezra Taft Benson, compilation of political speeches)
The Law (Frederic Bastiat) – not an LDS author but quoted heavily by Ezra Taft Benson
Prophets, Principles, And National Survival (Compiled by Jerrald L. Newquist) Quotes of the brethren published in 1964
These are just a beginning. There are many talks and books on this subject out there. I would caution you to not go crazy with this. It can be scary or at least become obsessive. Also, many LDS members, including local leaders, have a problem with this thinking and with this information. If you feel compelled to share, do so prayerfully and with restraint. I have argued with members who can’t seem to give me an answer why these scriptures exist. Why was President Benson so adamant about all of this? Was he the “nutty” Apostle and Prophet? One thing I noticed about President Benson that I like to share is he worked in government. He was hand-picked by U.S. President Eisenhower to be the Secretary of Agriculture from 1952 to 1960. He had been ordained an Apostle in 1943. He saw government up close and personal. He knew how it worked intimately. As an Apostle he wrote and spoke extensively about conspiracy. In 1985 he became the Lords Prophet. His counselors were President Hinckley and President Monson. As Prophet I think he looked for a way to continue his warning and he found that way.
He said in April Conference 1986:
"The Book of Mormon has not been, nor is it yet, the center of our personal study, family teaching, preaching, and missionary work. Of this we must repent" (Ensign 16 [May 1986]:5-6).
This is how we can learn of secret combinations (conspiracies) and how to recognize them. I believe it is too late to stop them, but we can be prepared to fight them and help our families to survive their influence.
I will also add, vote. I know it seems useless sometimes, but vote anyway.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn

Merry Christmas and Trying to Not Offend

In the name of Christmas and peace on earth, I repost this little ditty that I believe promotes kindness and having thicker skin.  I hope you and yours has a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, or a Happy Holiday... Not that there's anything wrong with that..

 Everyone does it. Most people don't really want to offend anyone. Sometimes we try to clarify what we mean and sometimes that comes across as being politically correct. In some ways it is.

Do you remember the Seinfeld episode called “The Outing”? In this episode George and Jerry are mistakenly viewed as being gay. As they discuss this, they deny it by saying, “We’re not Gay! …not that there’s anything wrong with that…”
Well, this is a typical person trying not to be offensive. They are being politically correct.
I think that it’s not a horrible thing to not want to be offensive. We all should be more kind. But sometimes that can be to the extreme …not that there’s anything wrong with that…
Here’s the deal. There’s a fine line between political correctness and not being offensive. I think I may have been seen as being racist or sexist at times. I don’t think that I am. I don’t want anyone to be discriminated against because of race or gender. We should give people the benefit of the doubt. But I also think that we should not be stupid with this and call everyone who may not get along with other cultures a racist. There are times when all of us have a personality clash with another person. Sometimes the foundation of that difference may have to do with a cultural difference. Often cultural differences mean a different race. If I don’t agree with “Black Lives Matters” does that make me racist if I am a different race? I don’t think it does, but many people like to throw out their race card.
Today, we’re left to deal with the dangers of our politically correct society; one where society paints good guys as bad. If you choose to carry a firearm, defend yourself, or even consider taking another human’s life to protect a loved one, you’re demonized. It’s a sad state indeed, but we’re finally reaping what we’ve sowed.
Why is this such a hard concept to grasp and why is there so much push back? My gut tells me it’s simply about control. There are many groups within our country who don’t want life, liberty or the pursuit of happiness to be extolled. Instead, they want you to fall in line and live according to their ideas. If that notion doesn’t scare the crap out of you, then you’re probably on the wrong side of this discussion.
I loved growing up as a kid, sleeping with my windows open and sometimes even the doors open. It was a great time to be a kid for sure, but today we live in a drastically different world.
It shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out many crimes are targeted against defenseless or weak targets. I wonder why that is; I wonder if we could look at the animal kingdom and see a similar pattern? Could it be that the lioness is chasing after the weaker of the prey in order to guarantee a meal? If she fails to catch and kill her prey, she doesn’t eat. It really is that simple; in order to increase the chances of success, evil will choose the weaker or soft target.
A new study released by Stanford University entitled “Mass Shootings of America” or MSA has determined that most mass shootings were largely conducted in “gun free” zones. No kidding? I think I’ll fall over and die from that surprise (dripping with sarcasm). If anyone is still convinced gun free zones are safe, they’re ignorant.
“The definition of mass shooting used for the Stanford database is 3 or more shooting victims (not necessarily fatalities), not including the shooter. The shooting must not be identifiably gang or drug related. The motive typically appears to be indiscriminate killing.”
If we know they’ll more than likely target gun free zones, what can we do to help deter them from doing so? Many are quick to comment that the presence of armed, uniformed officers or security guards is enough and while I believe it’s a step in the right direction, it’s not the only solution.
Being politically correct gets people killed. I’m not advocating being racist, sexist, or just plain mean. But we should be able to speak plainly. We have been attacked by Islamic extremists. Is it too much to ask that we are careful with Muslims coming into this country? Is it too much to ask that an American Muslim do their best to show their patriotism and allegiance to the U.S.? I know this is not particularly fair, but it is reality. Black people have dealt with this unfairly for years. If you want change in this country, you must be patient. Sometimes a generation must pass away. I hope that is not the case with real change. My Grandfather fired hands on his farm in the 40’s because they were treating paid black farm hands horribly. He was from a generation where discrimination against blacks was very common, but he understood how wrong it was.
We can be this way too. We can recognize how wrong it is to profile people and to stereotype them into any type of pigeonhole. We can see people for who they are regardless of their culture or skin color. There are jerks and idiots of every color.
The First Amendment of the Constitution guarantees that I can say whatever I want in this country. There is a reason that this is the first amendment of the Bill of rights. Many of the other bills are connected to this free expression. But also, you will notice that the very first thing that the forefathers of this country wanted to establish was freedom of religion. Religion was before free speech in this amendment. I think that is significant.
Everyone has an opinion. Everyone should be able to express that opinion. I feel that illegal aliens in this country should not be able to enjoy the fruits of this country. My opinion is that what part of “illegal” do we not understand? If I do something illegal, I must pay the price of that broken law. Does this make me anti-Mexican? I don’t think it does. Talk to a Border Patrol agent and he will tell you he gets just as many OTM’s (other than Mexican) trying to enter this country illegally. Immigration is not just about Mexicans. Liberal thinking sometimes makes me want to be that “ugly conservative”. Liberal views often paint anyone against typical liberal causes, like immigration, as racists. I think President Obama has perpetuated this ridicules attitude. I’m not a Donald Trump fan, but he often says things that he feels and is labeled for it. Politically correct people often paint the first amendment as something that is limited to agreeing with them. Sometimes freedom of speech is not nice. This is where I think people should be kind, not politically correct.
There is a comic strip where a black boy says to his white friend “I like being black.” The white boy says “I like being white”. The last panel is the black boy saying, “Racist!” This is how it has become. There are times when I agree with the T-shirt slogan I saw the other day:
“Politically Correct
A term used to describe whiney, overly sensitive pansies who need the big, bad, real world all sugar-coated.” There is another that I will end this article with.
“You find it offensive? I find it funny. That’s why I’m happier than you.”
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn