Jeff Olsen

God, Family, Farm, Garden & the Ancient Covenant Children of Israel!

[Jeff Olsen @Jeff3Olsen]

@GadSaad @RebeccaSear I don't think it's true "Empathy." They don't really care for the well-being of people in Gaza.

I think it's more about their own reputation in the eyes of the world, to be seen as "empathetic."

"Suicidal Virtue-Signaling" may be more like it.

[Jeff Olsen @Jeff3Olsen]

Such a powerful message!
Not only can we be forgiven, but the Lord can change our hearts so that we even lose the desire to sin, especially those sins we tend to repeat.

Reminds me of:
"And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance."
- Alma 34:15

OVERPOWERETH JUSTICE! 🎉

[Jeff Olsen @Jeff3Olsen]

@DaleGRenlund Love this! This seems to be a theme to me recently that the "wisdom" of man is foolishness unto God.
Even today with "learned" scholars who focus on secular methods of finding truth, the methods of finding truth that God teaches us far exceed man's methods.

[Jeff Olsen @Jeff3Olsen]

No. Not the way you are suggesting. Although the scriptures clearly call us to defend against ravenous wolves (those who are clearly not coming unto Christ and demonstrate the intent to do harm.)

Consider Alma 5:57-52. Is there no proper balance to be had between these two principles?

Can we not recognize that the adversay often twists and distorts true principles to deceive many?

[Jeff Olsen @Jeff3Olsen]

I would largely agree with your description of a Big Tent.
The two thoughts can be (and are) true at the same time.
1) We have a big tent, for we invite all to come unto Christ "black and white, bond and free, male and female." Superficial differences do not matter.
2) We can recognize the adversay distorts this true principle to deceive many to think Big Tent endorses the idea of being saved IN our sins rather than FROM our sins, also to endorse moral relativity, false ideologies, and endorse alternate "lifestyles" in open rebellion to God's will.

Have you studied the passages I suggested? The Lord has given us a plethora of passages exposing the adversary’s cunning and sophisticated tactics. We would be wise to recognize these patterns of deception.

While we lovingly invite all to come unto Christ, the scriptures call us to also protect against ravenous wolves (those who are clearly not coming unto Christ and intend harm).

When we get these two counter balancing principles out of balance (all mercy and no justice or vice versa) then we are in an awful situation.

Consider Alma 5:57-62.

[Jeff Olsen @Jeff3Olsen]

"all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it..."

[Jeff Olsen @Jeff3Olsen]

@KimballCall Have you been reading Thomas Sowell? 🤔
Good on you!

[Jeff Olsen @Jeff3Olsen]

On the other hand the adversary goes around doing evil, while trying to gain the honors of men and boost his reputation.

"I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor."

[Jeff Olsen @Jeff3Olsen]

It strikes me as profound that the Messiah went about doing good, yet He repeatedly sacrificed His reputation in the eyes of the world.

- He flipped tables in the temple.

- He let a sinful woman wash his feet.

- He ate with tax collectors and sinners.

- He healed on the Sabbath.

- He called the Scribes and Pharisees a "brood of vipers."

- He touched lepers.

- He preached difficult truths that turned away followers.

[Jeff Olsen @Jeff3Olsen]

The Lord wants you. He does not want your counterfeit ideology:

“Communism introduced into the world a substitute for true religion. It is a counterfeit of the gospel plan. The false prophets of Communism predict a utopian society. This, they proclaim, will only be brought about as capitalism and free enterprise are overthrown, private property abolished, the family as a social unit eliminated, all classes abolished, all governments overthrown, and a communal ownership of property in a classless, stateless society established.”

“More recently, President Marion G. Romney, in the First Presidency Message in the September 1979 Ensign, wrote: “Communism is Satan’s counterfeit for the gospel plan, and … it is an avowed enemy of the God of the land. Communism is the greatest anti-Christ power in the world today and therefore the greatest menace not only to our peace but to our preservation as a free people. By the extent to which we tolerate it, accommodate ourselves to it, permit ourselves to be encircled by its tentacles and drawn to it, to that extent we forfeit the protection of the God of this land” (p. 5).”

“Through the instigation of Marx and Engels, a most successful counterfeit to the united order was introduced into the world. The declaration of principles found in their Manifesto to the World advocated the overthrow of capitalism and free enterprise, the abolition of private property, the elimination of the family as a social unit…”

“Another notable counterfeit system to the Lord’s plan is collectivized socialism. Socialism derives its philosophy from the founders of communism, Marx and Engels. Communism in practice is socialism. Its purpose is world socialism, which the communists seek to achieve by revolution, and which the socialists seek to achieve by evolution. Both communism and socialism have the same effect upon the individual—a loss of personal liberty. As was said so well by President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., “The two are as two peas in a pod in their ultimate effect upon our liberties.”

How socialism is even on the table for consideration for any Latter-day Saint to consider is baffling beyond belief!

[Jeff Olsen @Jeff3Olsen]

Seeking the honors of men by pretending to want to save everyone, yet placing the burden on the backs of others and reducing their freedom? 🤔
Sound familiar to anyone?

"I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor."

"Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man..."
- Moses 4:1 & 3

[Jeff Olsen @Jeff3Olsen]

@RealokpanachiNG Isn't there only one race, the human race? All children of Adam and Eve and all children of God, who happen to have various degrees of melanin?

[Jeff Olsen @Jeff3Olsen]

The divine principles taught in the Book of Mormon are much more compelling to me for the location of the Book of Mormon than man's methods of discovering truth (archeology, geography, geology, etc.)

The pattern throughout history is that men overwhelmingly lean unto their own understanding and set aside the Divine principles taught by God.

They place archeology over a land of liberty.

They place geography over a mighty nation unto the Gentiles.

They place geology over a land of no kings.

They place a narrow neck of land over the covenantal land.

If we focus on the divine principles taught in the Book of Mormon and taught by Latter-day prophets, the obvious answer is starring us right in our eyes. For example:

- The inheritance of Joseph (see 2 Nephi 3:4-15 and Ether 6 through 8)
- A land reserved and kept from other nations (2 Nephi 1:5-8 and Ether 2:7-10)
- A "choice land," (Nephi 2:20 and 2 Nephi 1:5)
- Land of Divine protection from foreign domination (1 Nephi 13:12-19)
- A mighty Gentile nation raised up (1 Nephi 13:12-20)
- A land of no kings among the Gentiles in the land (2 Nephi 10:11-14.
- A land of religious freedom and the restoration (1 Nephi 13:12-14 and 20-29)
- For the Book of Mormon coming forth through the Gentiles (1 Nephi 13:34-40 and Mormon 5:12-15)
- A land of Gentiles assisting in the gathering of Israel (1 Nephi 22:8-12 and 3 Nephi 20 and 21)
- For the establishment of Zion and the New Jerusalem (3 Nephi 21:20 and Ether 13:2-10)
- A land of prosperity and liberty conditioned on righteousness (2 Nephi 1:9, 20 and Ether 2:8-12.

Latter-day prophets teach these same principles:

"The United States is the promised land foretold in the Book of Mormon—a place where divine guidance directed inspired men to create the conditions necessary for the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was the birth of the United States of America that ushered out the Great Apostasy, when the earth was darkened by the absence of prophets and revealed light. It was no coincidence that the lovely morning of the First Vision occurred just a few decades after the establishment of the United States." - L. Tom Perry, BYU-Idaho Devotional January 2012

“We are grateful for this land of America, ‘choice above all other lands.’ The freedom vouchsafed by the Constitution of the United States, which guarantees to every man the right to worship . . . in accordance with the dictates of his own conscience, made possible the establishment of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” (“Thanksgiving 1968,” Church News, 23 November 1968, p. 9)
- David O McKay

"I should like to say a few words about America... I hope that you who come from elsewhere will pardon my saying a few words concerning my own native land, America. I know that she has problems. We have heard so much of them for so long. But surely this is a good land, a choice land, a chosen land. To me it is a miracle, a creation of the Almighty. It was born of travail. The Constitution under which we live is the keystone of our nation. It was inspired of God. Of it, the great Gladstone said, “As the British Constitution is the most subtle organism which has proceeded from progressive history, so the American Constitution is the most wonderful work ever struck off at a give time by the brain and purpose of man.”
- Gordon B Hinckley, 1974 BYU Devotional, Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

Many many more similar teachings by Latter-day prophets.

[Jeff Olsen @Jeff3Olsen]

@jesse_k_fox It would be good to study the passages in light of the fashionable big tent ideology.

[Jeff Olsen @Jeff3Olsen]

You're avoiding the question.
Does the adversay have a false and distorted ideology of universal salvation?

And is that distorted ideology being accepted by our culture?

Have you studied those passages I shared?

The conclusions seems overwhelmingly obvious when studying those passages.

- Moses 4 (Lucifer)
- 2 Nephi 28
- Jacob 7 (Sherem)
- Alma 1 (Nehor)
- Alma 11-12 (Zeezrom)
- Alma 30 (Korihor)

[Jeff Olsen @Jeff3Olsen]

Consider Mosiah 12:19-24.

The wicked priests of king Noah were essentially asking Abinadi, "Why are you causing contention?"

They used "peacemaking" as a cloaking virtue hide their wickedness in not teaching the Ten commandments and to avoid scrutiny.

Similarly, you use an appeal to authority saying "big tent" to avoid scrutiny of the idea.

It seems clear to me that one of the adversary's most notorious strategies is to teach a false universal salvation "big tent."

I'd recommend studying these passages:

- Moses 4 (Lucifer)
- 2 Nephi 28
- Jacob 7 (Sherem)
- Alma 1 (Nehor)
- Alma 11-12 (Zeezrom)
- Alma 30 (Korihor)

They all essentially teach a false big tent, universal salvation ideology. And it seems clear to me that this ideology is creeping into our culture.

There is a true sense of "Big Tent," but there is also a very prominent false & distorted sense of "Big Tent." Would you agree?

[Jeff Olsen @Jeff3Olsen]

@jesse_k_fox Seems to be you're dodging my questions by using cloaking virtues.

[Jeff Olsen @Jeff3Olsen]

You've hit that single key on the piano way too many times in your responses like you had planned it as a gotcha.

Same response to nearly everyone. You seem to be using the quote as a convenient cloaking virtue to avoid honest scrutiny of your ideology.

Big tent in the sense that superficial differences do not matter? Yes, very big tent. All are welcome.

Big tent in the sense that all roads (ideologies, life-styles, etc) lead to heaven or the false idea of universal salvation? No. This this a strategy the adversary has used from the war in heaven and continues to use today.

[Jeff Olsen @Jeff3Olsen]

It's amazing how closely illegal immigration parallels the patterns in Lucifer's virtue-signaling & empathy-weaponizing plan of false universal salvation.

"I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor." - Moses 4:1