Excerpt: Background on the Jaredites at the TowerFrom what we read in the Book of Ether, Jared and his brother Mahonri Moriancumer, lived near the Tower of Babel. Traditionally, the Tower of Babel was built by the great Babylonian King Nimrod. In ancient tradition, Nimrod inherited the garment of Noah, which Ham stole from his father when Noah was drunk in his tent. The garment, which caused animals to trust the wearer, was used by Noah to gather them into his ark. Nimrod is known in the Bible as a “mighty hunter” denoting this enhanced ability he received from wearing Noah’s garment.Nimrod built the Tower of Babel in order to obtain heaven. He was ruler over much territory and saw himself as a god on earth. He now desired to be god in heaven, and so organized his people to build the tower so as to overthrow God.
Pundits may talk about the differences between cities and countryside, but there are few places that exemplify that divide better than Virginia in 2020.
One of the reasons this city/country difference is so obvious in Virginia is because so many of the towns are designated as such in Virginia, where most the rest of the country is satisfied to count votes by county. As can be seen in the map above (from https://www.cnn.com/election/2020/results/president), the Virginia detailed map shows numerous dots of blue (democratic/liberal candidate leading) in what are otherwise red (republican/conservative candidate leading) counties. Almost all the dots that aren’t blue are for towns with less than 5000 people.[ref]The sole exception is Bristol, population ~30,000, which is on the border with the eastern portion Tennessee, which is voting strongly Republican.[/ref]
While the US presidential election will eventually be determined one way or the other,[ref]Either way, the democratic/liberal candidate will be able to claim to have won a majority of the popular vote.[/ref] it is worth discussing the differences between cities (or urban areas) versus the countryside (or rural areas). It’s been several years now since the majority of all humanity can now be found in urban settings, where all previous history involved a majority of humanity living in rural settings.
Rather than demonizing the “other” side, what are needs across rural and urban communities that we can agree on? Inasmuch as forces beyond our control are moving the world towards urbanization, how can we meet the needs of children of God in urban settings?
One of the very strange phenomena of the last few years is that people are increasingly living in alternate realities. Because of social media algorithms and the new business models of the mainstream media, people increasingly only receive the information they want to receive. As recently as a decade or so ago, people generally saw a lot of the same information — today people exist in at least two information silos, and one group of people (the left and the Democrats) do not usually see any of the same information as people in the other silo (the right and the Republicans).
For the last few months, people on the left have been told that Joe Biden will easily win today’s election. Biden is ahead in all of the battleground states and may even win Texas! Here is a sample of what many left-wing people seem to believe from today’s New York Times:
538.com, the Nate Silver-run election forecasting site, has Biden easily winning. Here is the thing: many of the polls results are CLEARLY FALSE and no professional political scientist worth his or her salt actually believes them. There is NO WAY, absolutely none, that Biden beats Trump by 11 points in Wisconsin (a state that Trump won in 2016). Biden might win by a point or two or even three, but there is simply no rational formula having Biden winning by 11 points. Similarly, there is no way Biden wins Michigan by eight points (another state that Trump won in 2016). Again, he might win by a point or two or even three, but not eight points. And the people who put together this poll know this is impossible, but yet they published the results.
The problem is that the media is clearly printing information that they know is false. Why would they do this? Because the business model of the media has changed. Much of the media world today is driven by people clicking on things on the internet. About 40 percent of the U.S. population is made up of people who despise Trump, and many of these people are highly educated and have higher than average earning potential. These people want to hear that Trump is going to be destroyed on election night and hopefully soon sent to jail. So the media, instead of printing what is actually happening, prints information that their readers want to see. The future of these media outlets depends on keeping these readers happy, so the media invents news that fits the expected narrative.
Of course we can see that this is extremely dangerous. Printing information that is obviously false leads to false expectations, and when the results do not fit the narrative, we get anger and claims of fraud and this year likely a lot of violence. This is why shop owners in city centers are boarding up their businesses this week — they can read the tea leaves and they know the left will be upset when things don’t go their way.
So, have charity for your left-wing friends this week and in the weeks ahead. They are mostly good people, and they have been manipulated by the media in a most cynical fashion. The information they are receiving has been twisted and falsified, and the people receiving that information do not know what they don’t know.
What will really happen today? I have been predicting a Trump win for many months now, just as I did in 2016. Trump will win the following states: IA, FL, NC, GA, TX, MI, AZ. I think those state result will be called by tomorrow, Nov. 4, and Trump will have enough electoral college votes to win. PA will also go to Trump, but the results will not be final for a few days. MN and WI are too close to call, but I am leaning Trump winning WI and maybe MN. Trump also possibly wins NV and NH and one vote from Maine. Trump will win the electoral college and come closer in the popular vote. The Republicans will keep 51 to 53 seats in the Senate and pick up a few seats in the House. I have friends who are convinced the Republicans will take back the House, but I am skeptical.
But here is the thing: no matter what happens, I have seen the other side’s predictions, and if things don’t go my way I will know that my models were wrong. I will not riot or claim the Russians stole the election. Life will go on. And to any left-wingers or other Trump haters reading this: life will go on if Trump wins as well. Stay joyful people.
Elder Dieter Uchtdorf and Sister Harriet Uchtdorf spoke with Young Adults in the North America NorthEast Area of the Church tonight. They are both such energetic and positive individuals!
In that vein, Elder Uchtdorf shared a suggested Quick Start Guide To Mortal Life:
Elder Uchtdorf his own recent experience, getting a new phone. There was a link to an detailed manual and a simple “Quick Start” guide. While there was much an expansive study of the full manual could impart, Elder Uchtdorf used the Quick Start guide to get his phone working in a matter of minutes.
Do not as so many in the world do, making a god in our own image. Instead, seek to know God, to learn of God’s ways, and follow God’s ways.
Knowledge, while good, is not sufficient. Reach out and do. Love and serve God and love and serve God’s children.
Life has always been challenging, since the time of Father Adam and Mother Eve. But while we learn from the pain and sorrow that comes into our own lives, let us cherish the moments of joy that also come.
In all things, give thanks to God. Let your heart overflow with gratitude.
Finally, let your life be filled with light and new information to guide your walk in life. Act to bless others in that purpose which is unique to your time and to your particular circumstances. Look at what you are doing with your time and fill your time with activities that will bring light and goodness to your life and the lives of others.
As always, the words of God and God’s prophets are available for us to study in more depth as our need dictates. But we need not wait until we have full mastery of every detail to start on a journey of love, faith, and hope. As Elder Uchtdorf concluded, may we find that we have lived a life that, while perhaps not perfect, was good enough.
The Nephites are destroyed as a people. They have been killed or absorbed into the Lamanite culture. Mormon and a handful survive for the moment. He has more to say. “…I would speak somewhat unto the remnant of this people who are spared, if it so be that God may give unto them my words, that they may know of the things of their fathers; yea, I speak unto you, ye remnant of the house of Israel…” (Mormon 7:1). The only one who is spared that will read his words is Moroni. The only other remnant will not read the words for 1400 years, when Joseph Smith translates and publishes the Book of Mormon. Mormon then shares the most important things he can share with them. “Know ye that ye are of the house of Israel.” They are a part of the covenant people of God. This is something they cannot escape, only run away from…
