Meditation on Truth

It's late and I must arise very early for our 7AM Priesthood meeting.  It's been a long week and one that has found me floundering spiritually on more than one ocassion.  Of course, if you're still here, the same is true for you though, right?  Every day, even every moment, is the key to progression and it's seems impossible in our current state to maintain perfect balance and control, but that is our ultimate goal as we strive toward perfection. 

Before I go to bed I leave you with the following quote about meditation.  I plan on studying the truth this week and meditating on my studies in order to ensure the coming week finds me moving in the right direction instead of staggering blindly through the moments.

"We pay too little attention to the value of meditation, a principle of devotion. In our worship there are two elements: One is spiritual communion arising from our own meditation; the other, instruction from others, particularly from those who have authority to guide and instruct us. Of the two, the more profitable introspectively is the meditation. Meditation is the language of the soul. It is defined as 'a form of private devotion, or spiritual exercise, consisting in deep, continued reflection on some religious theme.' Meditation is a form of prayer. . . . Meditation is one of the most secret, most sacred doors through which we pass into the presence of the Lord" (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, 31-2).

The eco machine that can magic water out of thin air

See original source HERE.

Water, Water, everywhere; nor any drop to drink. The plight of the Ancient Mariner is about to be alleviated thanks to a firm of eco-inventors from Canada who claim to have found the solution to the world's worsening water shortages by drawing the liquid of life from an unlimited and untapped source - the air.

The company, Element Four, has developed a machine that it hopes will become the first mainstream household appliance to have been invented since the microwave. Their creation, the WaterMill, uses the electricity of about three light bulbs to condense moisture from the air and purify it into clean drinking water.

The machine went on display this weekend in the Flatiron district of Manhattan, hosted by Wired magazine at its annual showcase of the latest gizmos its editors believe could change the world. From the outside, the mill looks like a giant golf ball that has been chopped in half: it is about 3ft in diameter, made of white plastic, and is attached to the wall.

It works by drawing air through filters to remove dust and particles, then cooling it to just below the temperature at which dew forms. The condensed water is passed through a self-sterilising chamber that uses microbe-busting UV light to eradicate any possibility of Legionnaires' disease or other infections. Finally, it is filtered and passed through a pipe to the owner's fridge or kitchen tap.

The obvious question to the proposition that household water demands can be met by drawing it from the air is: are you crazy? To which the machine's inventor and Element Four's founder, Jonathan Ritchey, replies: 'Just wait and see. The demand for water is off the chart. People are looking for freedom from water distribution systems that are shaky and increasingly unreliable.'

For the environmentally conscious consumer, the WaterMill has an obvious appeal. Bottled water is an ecological catastrophe. In the US alone, about 30bn litres of bottled water is consumed every year at a cost of about $11bn (£7.4bn).

According to the Earth Policy Institute, about 1.5m barrels of oil - enough to power 100,000 cars for a year - is used just to make the plastic. The process also uses twice as much water as fits inside the container, not to mention the 30m bottles that go into landfills every day in the US. But the mill also has downsides, not least its $1,200 cost when it goes on sale in America, the UK, Italy, Australia and Japan in the spring. In these credit crunch times that might dissuade many potential buyers, though Ritchey points out that at $0.3 per litre, it is much cheaper than bottled water and would pay for itself in a couple of years.

There is also the awkward fact that although there is eight times more atmospheric water than in all the rivers of the world combined, it is unevenly distributed. Those areas of the US that are most desperate for more water - such as the arid south-west where ground water levels are already dramatically depleted - have the lowest levels of moisture in the air.

The mill ceases to be effective below about 30 per cent relative humidity levels, which are common later in the day in states such as Arizona. To combat that problem, the machine has an intelligent computer built into it that increases its output at dawn when humidity is highest, and reduces it from mid-afternoon when a blazing sun dries the air.

Teachings of Joseph Smith on Truth

I loved reading this today and thought I'd share it, minus comments...it's late and I just finished a long email in which I detailed a great deal of information regarding some spiritual ideas and, frankly, I'm feeling taxed...also, I need to stop staying up so late because even though I don't have to work during this period, I'm usually up fairly early to help with the kids and to exercise, so something's got to give and it's not going to be my familial duties!


The gospel of Jesus Christ embraces all truth; the faithful accept the truths God has revealed and put aside false traditions.
“Mormonism is truth; and every man who embraces it feels himself at liberty to embrace every truth: consequently the shackles of superstition, bigotry, ignorance, and priestcraft, fall at once from his neck; and his eyes are opened to see the truth, and truth greatly prevails over priestcraft. …
“… Mormonism is truth, in other words the doctrine of the Latter-day Saints, is truth. … The first and fundamental principle of our holy religion is, that we believe that we have a right to embrace all, and every item of truth, without limitation or without being circumscribed or prohibited by the creeds or superstitious notions of men, or by the dominations of one another, when that truth is clearly demonstrated to our minds, and we have the highest degree of evidence of the same.”5
In January 1843, Joseph Smith had a conversation with some people who were not members of the Church: “I stated that the most prominent difference in sentiment between the Latter-day Saints and sectarians was, that the latter were all circumscribed by some peculiar creed, which deprived its members the privilege of believing anything not contained therein, whereas the Latter-day Saints … are ready to believe all true principles that exist, as they are made manifest from time to time.”6
“I cannot believe in any of the creeds of the different denominations, because they all have some things in them I cannot subscribe to, though all of them have some truth. I want to come up into the presence of God, and learn all things; but the creeds set up stakes [limits], and say, ‘Hitherto shalt thou come, and no further’ [Job 38:11]; which I cannot subscribe to.”7
“I say to all those who are disposed to set up stakes for the Almighty, You will come short of the glory of God. To become a joint heir of the heirship of the Son, one must put away all his false traditions.”8
“The great thing for us to know is to comprehend what God did institute before the foundation of the world. Who knows it? It is the constitutional disposition of mankind to set up stakes and set bounds to the works and ways of the Almighty. … That which hath been hid from before the foundation of the world is revealed to babes and sucklings in the last days [see D&C 128:18].”9
“When men open their lips against [the truth] they do not injure me, but injure themselves. … When things that are of the greatest importance are passed over by weak-minded men without even a thought, I want to see truth in all its bearings and hug it to my bosom. I believe all that God ever revealed, and I never hear of a man being damned for believing too much; but they are damned for unbelief.”10
“When God offers a blessing or knowledge to a man, and he refuses to receive it, he will be damned. The Israelites prayed that God would speak to Moses and not to them; in consequence of which he cursed them with a carnal law.”11
“I have always had the satisfaction of seeing the truth triumph over error, and darkness give way before light.”12

Rosicrucianism Is Very Intriguing

This comes from www.rosicrucian.org, lots of great content to stimulate the mind and spirit. There is a lot of mystery surrounding the Rosicrucians and no one is quite sure about their history and origins. Basically, they are a mystical group with Christian ideals and doctrines. Here is an excerpt from their site: The Journey into Self and The Mystical Path The Lost Self Is it any wonder the inner self becomes lost in the business of the outer world? From childhood we begin hiding our inner self away. We learn to adapt and survive in the outside world. Our families and peers teach us socially acceptable behaviour. Our educational system teaches us the technical and social skills we need to sustain a material life. As adults we are thrust into a society geared towards materialism, and maintaining the status quo. Rarely, especially in the early formative years, are we taught inner development; with an emphasis on intuition, the subconscious mind, independent thinking, self esteem, self-confidence, psychic or inner spiritual growth. Is it any wonder the inner self becomes lost in the business of the outer world? Yet despite all this the inner self does remain alive in everyone, and many are ready to heed its call. That is why the Rosicrucian Order is in existence today and has been for centuries, offering people a way to realize their own infinitely powerful and divine nature. Life is Difficult Life is a constant challenge of overcoming obstacles that stand in the way of creating a better family life, developing a successful career, securing material needs, maintaining one's health and even coping with death. This eternal struggle should not be cause for despair because it is through successfully overcoming challenges in life that you evolve. The purpose of the Rosicrucian teachings is to learn how to find the answers within yourself. Inspiration, energy, and even specific answers to all challenges of life are available when one learns the proper techniques. The Path of the Mystic As a Rosicrucian student, you will be walking along the path of the mystic. It is a path travelled by a relative few at any one time. Yet, it is the path that has given us many of our greatest minds, enriching the world with their physical inventions, scientific discoveries, beautiful works of art, music and books, but most importantly, their personal approach to life. And it is the path each must travel in their own time if they are to reach their ultimate personal evolution. Mysticism Demystified Just what is meant when we use the word 'mysticism'. A proper definition has always been elusive or vague. For the record, mysticism can be defined as an experience where one personally knows, through direct knowledge, the source of all being. Many call this source God; others, the cosmic. The point is, the experience is noetic. We know, not believe through faith or know only through scientific observation, but we simply and truly know. The art of mysticism can be learned. The work of the Rosicrucian Order is to initiate the student to the techniques where mystical knowledge can be readily attained. This knowledge when properly accessed is ultimately rational. In the end mysticism isn't a belief. It is simply an art of knowing. The mystical experience transcends nature. Often the person will receive a feeling that far surpasses anything which could be conveyed by words. Furthermore, this insight, devoid of ego, is thoroughly comprehended as truthful. <<> NEXT >>

The Cyclic "Depressions" of the Secular World

I excerpted this from a recent post by my friends over at Gnostic Teachings and I thought it was uplifting. While I may not be in agreement with all of their teachings, I truly enjoy studying their esoteric doctrine which, in the end, much like my own faith, they invite one to experience, not to believe (a key difference between many belief systems). The reason I excerpted this is because of the ridiculous way the media portrays the current economic "crisis," one they have definitely helped create and are surely exasperating:

At these moments, humanity is facing a tremendous psychological [spiritual- they use the terms interchangeably] battle, displayed by our governments and media as a financial “crisis” that they say is cause for grave concern. Subsequently, there is a great deal of fear and anxiety being spread infectiously throughout our communities and families, and the level of tension and uncertainty is rising everywhere. Everyone is worried about their money, the future, and what "might" happen. In these moments, it is helpful to remember the Gnostic teachings, which provide us with wonderful tools to overcome the many problems we face in life.

Rejecting Negative Emotions

Negative emotions are the most dangerous element we face, and we must protect ourselves from becoming infected by fear, excitement, or any kind of unconscious reaction. When we allow ourselves to be infected by negative emotions, we open the doors of our mind to suffering. To become free of suffering, we need to close our doors to negative emotions.

It is clear that humanity is deeply enslaved by a dependency upon money. Samael Aun Weor explained many times that while money is a tool that is useful in life, it becomes harmful when we develop psychological dependency upon it. In Gnosis, we define psychological dependency as slavery. A slave does not have free will. When we are enslaved by a psychological dependency of any kind, it is easy for us to be manipulated. Therefore, we need to free ourselves of our psychological dependency upon money. The result of such freedom is that we can be happy naturally, no matter if we are rich or poor. Is this not a desirable state of being?

When we close our doors to negative emotions and refuse to rely psychologically on money, we can place our trust in our own innermost Being (God, Allah, Buddha, etc). This is what Jesus taught when he advised:

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. - Matthew 6:19-21

Transformation of Circumstances

If we do happen to have poor personal circumstances, the Gnostic teachings emphasize that it is possible to transform them, but only if we truly want to change them. If so, then we need to work with the law of the balance. For example, if we are suffering financially, then we need to help others financially [through service]. In this way, we balance the scale in our favor, and everyone benefits.

This aspect of the teaching is particularly hard for the mind to grasp, which always complains that if we focus on others, we will not gain money to eat, to be clothed, or to pay our rent. We forget the teaching that Jesus gave:

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon [money]. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. - Matthew 6:24-34

It is upon the foundation indicated by these sublime words that we as a humanity can overcome the challenges that face us. Do we put our faith in paper money, government, banks, and television reporters? Or do we put our faith in the One who awaits us inside?

A Wicked Generation?

I often argue against the idea that the end is nigh (for what man knoweth the hour?), although I do agree that the world is steadily growing worse in that the average individual, at least in developed countries, relies less and less on the will and beneficence of God and, instead, relies more on their intellectual faculties. Actually, scratch that, the individual, currently classified as "Millennials" or Generation Y relies more on what they're told by Godless intellectuals and, instead, consumes endlessly in an attempt to fulfill desire which, as any slightly enlightened soul knows, is impossible. Anyway, here are some "Trends Among Members" of Gen Y according to the Wikipedia article about them as a group:

• They represent more than 70 million consumers in the United States. They earn a total annual income of about $211 billion, spend approximately $172 billion per year and strongly influence many adult consumer buying choices. They also face a greater degree of direct corporate marketing than any other generation in history.^[9]
• A 2008 survey by UK recruitment consultancy FreshMinds Talent in partnership with Management Today suggested that Generation Y are generally more ambitious, brand conscious and tend to move jobs more often than previous generations. The survey of over 1,000 people, entitled Work 2.0, also suggests several possible misconceptions about Generation Y, including that they are as loyal as their predecessors and believe that their job says something about them as individuals.^[10]
• There is more experience of family breakdown. The generation has seen high divorce rates, and homes with 2 working parents are much more common. This has greatly changed their relationships at home when compared to their parents and grandparents. This may have led them to be more peer-oriented and this may be a contributing factor to the premium that Gen Y workers place on workplace culture.^[11]
• A 2007 episode of the American news magazine 60 Minutes entitled The Age Of The Millennials proposed that members of the generation are exceptionally tech-savvy, are especially tuned to their own value in the job market, have limited loyalty to any particular employer, and insist on working in a stimulating job environment.^[12]
• More openness in regards to sexual and romantic life-styles than prior generations. Generally more openness to sexual expression and experimentation, but with less or even totally without romance or attachments.^[13][14]

I don't have time to go into great detail on this subject, but suffice to say that right now what we need is the strongest generation ever to fight against the increasingly large spiritual void that is opening up at one of the core hubs of our society: educational institutions. Sure, there are many "right wing Bible bashers" in the Midwest and the South, BUT the lion's share of secular leaders are being led astray at the major colleges and universities by a philosophy that doesn't outwardly seek to do harm but, because of its perverse and empty core, will inevitably lead to absolute disaster in the long run. So, we must strengthen ourselves and our families and FEAR NOT and be not shocked when the calamities befall us. I, for one, was and am not shocked at what has happened to our markets in the last few weeks and months. President Hinckley, amongst others, has cried out against consumer debt which, in the end, was inexorably linked into the deregulation of credit markets as the greedy, both in homes and in the office, sought to run faster than was meet.

Forgive my writing for I shall not edit tonight!

The Gospel’s Unchanging Core

The Church, with all its organizational structure and programs, offers many important activities for its members aimed at helping families and individuals to serve God and each other. Sometimes, however, it can appear that these programs and activities are closer to the center of our heart and soul than the core doctrines and principles of the gospel. Procedures, programs, policies, and patterns of organization are helpful for our spiritual progress here on earth, but let’s not forget that they are subject to change.

In contrast, the core of the gospel—the doctrine and the principles—will never change. Living according to the basic gospel principles will bring power, strength, and spiritual self-reliance into the lives of all Latter-day Saints.

Thank you and Verses from Timothy

First of all, I want to thank those of you who stop by here occasionally to check out the sporadic posts I put out. I am far too undisciplined in terms of actually blogging consistent, meaningful posts; that said, I enjoy posting some of my ideas and personal thoughts here occasionally.

I was watching "The Acts of Revelation" on BYU TV tonight and read/heard some great scriptures from to Timothy, a few of which I thought I'd share:

This is a true saying, and by all means worthy to be received, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. Tim. 1:15

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their consciencee seared with a hot iron. 1 Tim 4:1-2

The first scripture really sums up the Plan of Salvation while the latter speaks to the modern society in which we live. I think the image of the conscience being "seared" speaks directly to how desentized we are becoming in our modern society to graphic sexuality, violence, etc.

Just some food for your spiritual thought.

Deepak Chopra and the Human Organism

I was looking up some info regarding meditation when I came across this video from Deepak Chopra which I found compelling and I thought I'd share it with you.  Now, I am not a "follwer" of Chopra, nor do I believe in everything he espouses, BUT not believing in everything an individual or belief system or religion espouses does not make me entirely avoid everything he/she/it teaches or shares.  If that were the case, how could anyone in the world be able or willing to accept anything?  We'd all sit in our rooms and plug our ears and say, "Enough!  I have everything!"  Sharing, discussing, studying, praying, these are all methods of receiving truth and revelation from God.   Forunately we have the guidance of a the Bible and, as a Mormon, I believe in the guidance of other Holy Scriptures such as the Book of Mormon as well as a living Prophet.

Anyway, back to the brief video below. The human organism and the consciousness within it are endlessly fascinating to me and, I believe, if more people thought about the "real reality" we'd have far fewer social problems because we'd realize that the miracle is now and it's everywhere around us.

The Large Hadron Collider

I am fascinated by this and it's going to begin doing it's "thang" this month and next.

By Alan Boyle

Science editor

MSNBC

updated 11:12 a.m. PT, Mon., Sept. 8, 2008

Alan Boyle Science editor • Profile • E-mail

MEYRIN, Switzerland - In the beginning was the big bang.

God may have been around before then — but as far as scientists are concerned, the big bang is as far back as they can go. And to get back there, they're getting ready to blast subatomic particles so energetically that the extreme conditions of the freshly born universe will be re-created on Earth.

Will those "little big bangs" crack age-old scientific mysteries? Or, despite repeated assurances from the world's top experts, will they create black holes that could gobble up the planet? After decades of preparation, scientists are finally switching on a machine that will separate the facts from what is plainly science fiction.

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE HERE.

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Hybrid Medical Animation Videos

*Note:excuse the funky formatting of this post, strange things happen when you mess with HTML and are too lazy to fix it! I often think about the amazing machine that we call the human body. It is a testament to the wisdom of God and is the means whereby we, as eternal beings, live in this world and fulfill the purpose of our lives. A company called Hybrid Medical Animation is producing some of, if not the, best animation on the web designed to illustrate the human body and other organic phenomena. Click on the link below to check out the site.

Since we were recently sick, I was thinking about how we get sick and, in my mind, I was imagining this very thing: