Carborendum

Here are some numbers to fool around with: I'll give you the conclusion first. By cleaning up social security the budget gets whacked big time. There are 68.5 million people on social security. They believe there may be "tens of millions" on the rolls collecting benefits that are most likely dead. We've never had an American live over 120 (verified) in the entire history of the US. Only one person in the world (that I could find) has lived over 120 years old. Yet there are many on the rolls over 120. Gerentology experts estimate between 100 to 600 people in the US are over 110 years old. Early counting says there are "millions" of recipients on soc. sec. rolls who are over 110 years old. The budget is about 1.5 trillion (1500 billion). The data above indicate they could cut $300 Billion just by disenrolling dead people from benefits.

I do wish we'd have more information about this. I'm getting all sorts of unbelievable statements about this lately. It's gotta be fake news. I'm waiting for some real news about this.

Am I a lesser saint for not ministering to my ministering families? Am I a lesser saint for having not read my scriptures today? Am I a lesser saint for ...??? We all sin -- whether they be sins of omission or sins of commission. That's why there is an Atonement. We pick up an do the best we can from here on out. We press forward with a steadfastness in Christ.

That took me a while to realize what was going on. Then I realized it was "China's" AI.

Jesus wants me for a sunnnn,,, BEAM!!! I'm going to expose my inner-grandpa. This is the beginning of the end. Just like people of the 50s said TV would be the end. It was, BTW. It made people stupid. I'm going to expose my inner-negro. Those stif-a... white folks don't know how to dance, clap, and sway. They look like they had a pool stick up their ... and were being waved around like a picket sign.

That is as I recall as well. Yes, he was a witness to seeing the plates. But I had never heard that he was a scribe to the translation, nor eyewitness to the process. I'd have similar comments about his account. One or the other of us is mixing something up. I'm not sure what "Option 3" you're referring to. The #3 that I posted seems to be the reverse of... could you please clarify? The D&C Sections which state that they came through the U&T comes from Church History, Vol 1. By Joseph's own hand. Thusly: He also explicitly states that several other sections came by way of the U&T introducing those sections in similar manner. History of the Church. Written in the first person by Joseph Smith. I doubt he was being evasive, simplistic, and glib in this official history. Wouldn't this give more credibility to what I've been saying all along? Yes, but I'd think that if he had the U&T, and he did (as I pointed out) use them for revelatory purposes on more than one occasion, then it seems that there was no reason "not" to use them. Couple that with the fact you cited above that "he never explicitly referred to the seer stone again." It seems like, *maybe*, he was exclusively referring to them because that's what he exclusively used? Not today. It just doesn't feel right. This is a rather atheistic argument for miracles. "If your only explanation for creation is that God did it, then why didn't he make the universe where fish flew in outer space?..." I'm hoping you're familiar with that argumentation. My point was that there is an order to things that God does. And if He specifically prepared the interpreters AND preserved them for over 1200 years, then it seems an awful waste if the seer stone (which Joseph already had) was perfectly adequate. My point is that we know by ample descriptions about what the U&T can do (possibly more that was not described). But we don't have any scriptural knowledge of what seer stones are like. Why are we so quick to accept the stories about them without proper basis? I'm afraid I'll have to repeat myself. But I'll try to organize it better. Vocabulary. Joseph wasn't aware of the term U&T until later. So, he used what vocabulary he had to best describe it at the time. Demonstration. One of the theories among the U&T crowd is the demonstration narrative. Since he couldn't show anyone the U&T, he simply grabbed a stone and threw it into the hat he used. This means that the hat was used with the U&T. Bradley mentioned the beaver skin/badger skin parallel when using the U&T. Let me know if you haven't read that part yet. ************************** I was just trying to look up dates for the translation and printing. Based on my memory of having read the HC about 30 years ago, I remembered the date the manuscript was taken to the printer on June 10th or 11th. But I was just trying to verify that. And it appears that the closest thing I have is that HC says in June, "our translation drawing to a close, we went to Palmyra, Wayne county, New York, secured the copyright, and agreed with Mr Egbert... to print five thousand copies..." No specific date. My theory was partially based on the schedule. If that figure of the 10th or 11th is true, consider the schedule: IIRC, they moved to the Whitmer home in June (I suppose the 1st at the earliest). Multiple sections of the D&C were given and recorded. They also had several visions including the 3 witnesses. The 8 witnesses also had to do their thing. They had to put together the testimonies for them to sign their names. They put together a whole bunch of filler pages. They wouldn't have had much time for a dozen people acting as scribe to have seen how the translation process was done. That's what I was getting at with all the scribes. I don't think that happened. I think their scribal work was about converting the original manuscript into the printer's manuscript and putting together all the other documents. So, few, if any of the other parties actually participated in the translation itself. They only participated in the editorial work. That's what I get when I read the history.

I took a closer look at Jacob's wrestling/embracing the angel. Bruce Porter mentioned that the word "wrestled" should really mean "embraced." I don't know if the younger generation really appreciate this. Genesis 32 (KJV) - And Jacob was left alone; It seems that the entire verse is lacking proper background. Thus it was a poor translation. The dislocating of the hip is completely wrong. The thigh (not hip) is said to be "out of joint". How is a thigh out of joint? That's why people say "hip". But that would be wrong. The "hollow" is supposed to be "a bent part". That would be the knee. And the "hollow" of the man's thigh touched the "hollow" of Jacob's thigh. For those old enough to recognize the significance of this... Wow!!! This is why it is important to learn the original languages (or at least find a way to translate).

You may be right. The Jaredites did know how to forge steel. I stand corrected. Here's the story: I spoke to a glass blower about this claim about melting glass vs steel. He said "yes and no." The textbook melting temperature of silica is higher than that of iron or steel. A way to "cheat" is using a type of flux. This is a substance that will act similar to a catalyst and lower the melting temperature of the substance at hand. It was well known that they discovered an effective flux for glass (3rd millennium BC) long before they discovered flux for steel. Could Mahonri have known about silica flux? Possibly. But regardless of that, there is another thing going on with steel. Apparently, the earliest people who made steel were not the ones who made Damascus steel. The Hittites who lived around the time of the Tower of Babel/Jaredites are now believed to be the first peoples to have forged steel --not just iron, but steel. And linguists have analyzed Jaredite names and have discovered remarkable similarities to Hittite names.

No one saw this coming. Egypt reportedly will release details on plan to rebuild Gaza with no mention of US cooperation | Fox News 4d chess, indeed!

There was a problem with Trump's first administration with "regulations" (aka: rules). He declared that for every new regulation, they had to get rid of two existing ones. So, this led to people asking for interpretations of the laws. The "malicious compliance" deep state bureaucrat would respond: "I'm sorry, but I can't give an interpretation because that may be considered a "new regulation." So, in order to give you that interpretation, I'll have to first consider which two existing regulations need to be abolished before I can give you this interpretation." I haven't thought about this enough, nor do I comprehend the sinister mind of a government bureaucrat. So, I can't figure out a solution. But I'm of a mind to think that if there is going to be progress, the bureaucrats themselves will need to be good honest people with the welfare of the citizens in mind.

This wasn't Trudeau. It was Chrystia Freeland. And I've just read about this news release from the Dept of Finance .

Again, we have to be careful of these descriptions. Were they secondhand? Or did certain other individuals (other than Joseph or Oliver) see them firsthand? If so, what about the injunction to not allow any to see them?

I had understood that Joseph was not allowed to show the U&T to anyone except Oliver. Where did William and Joseph Sr get this information? I'm not aware of any lifting of the restriction. One principle that Bradley repeats is that when the further detached witnesses (2nd hand, 3rd hand...) begin to make claims that wander from 1st hand accounts, that is usually a sign of rumors rather than true testimony. It seems that the further we get from Oliver and Joseph, the more we hear about the stone rather than the intpereters.

Well, that seems like a difficult predicament. I hope the Lord can help you through that. I've heard some people have had that happen. But of all the people who have personally shared theirs with me (either generally or completely) none of them have had any gift of the Spirit mentioned in their patriarchal blessing. So, I wouldn't feel so bad about that. It has been my experience that the gifts of the Spirit come from the Gift of the Holy Ghost. That is to say, when we "receive the Holy Ghost" we generally receive at least one gift of the Spirit to some degree or other. Perhaps this blessing had nothing to do with your mission. It was a promise of a gift yet to be developed. And as you do, you'll find a purpose for using it that may be later in life. Yes, that's a pretty tough one. It is often difficult for a neurotypical mind to comprehend the differences between our own thought vs the impressions of the Holy Ghost. It would undoubtedly be more difficult for a schizophrenic. I can tell you that being able to "hear" the Spirit comes in stages. As you learn to hear the Spirit on very simple things, first, then you can eventually get more important and more nuanced things later. It is like developing a palet for fine foods. If all you've had is cheap bread, you may not know the difference in flavor of various breads. But with enough experience, one can recognize the difference between 50 cent store brand vs those fresh french bread loaves that they bring out to the checkout lines. It takes a lot of experience with many loaves and paying careful attention with each exposure. Slowly, you explore and experience, keep analyzing and comparing. Experiment. Pray and learn. It usually starts with the feeling of "I wonder if..." As you pursue and experiment, you'll know through experience which of those "I wonders" are from the Lord or not. As you learn and grow, your confidence in being able to discern will be greater. While you have the added difficulty of schizophrenia, you'll need to be even more cautious. For others, they only need to discern between their own thoughts vs the Spirit. But you have a third possibility - your schizophrenia. So, that added handicap is what requires the additional caution and experience. I can give you this advice: If you're hearing a "voice" early on, that is probably not correct. It is a rare individual that can hear the Spirit as a "voice" in early levels of familiarity with the phenomenon. That usually comes later. I say "usually" because I've known someone who heard the Spirit voice as a recent convert. I won't go into details, but I was witness to his ability to perceive things and hear verbal guidance from the Spirit. For me, I've rarely heard a voice. And the few times I did hear an actual voice was when the stakes were very high. I was much older and had prayed for many years to develop this gift. And it has never been "on demand" for me. It was when the Lord saw fit to grant me this boon because it was really necessary. Another factor is this: If you're getting a "voice" without the assurance of understanding and peace, that is probably your schizophrenia speaking. The voice tends to come only in a very dire need or for something very important. Garry, I'm going to make a guess based on what you've said in this final line. You seem pretty down on yourself. I'd encourage you to spend more time praying, pondering, and studying the scriptures for more talents and abilities that you have. Spend some time searching the internet for hobbies, talents, professions that seem to "speak to you." When you see/hear some profession where you think "I could see myself doing that." That is a signal that it is something to explore. It may not be "THE" thing you'll end up in. But maybe it will. For me, I delved into many different things. And many times, I thought "that didn't work out." But it turned out that while those episodes were not my final destination, they did contribute to my life and make me a better, more confident person overall. May the Lord bless and guide you on your journey.

Canada is complaining about our aluminum & iron tariff. Their proposed retaliation is to stop buying Teslas and American dairy products. I think they're going to lose that war. Their dairy purchases are barely over 1% of the US dairy market. We don't care. With their zero-emissions policy ramping up next year, the citizenry will revolt if they can't have Teslas. Do they think these things through before threatening?

I don't know why we'd want Ukraine in NATO. Half of the weapons we gave them were sold to enemies of the US. I'm for that. If it is at a good price and it is dependable, why not? This may be a way that Trump has of reducing commodity prices. Both Russia and Ukraine have a wealth of natural resources that we are somewhat short on. If we can get it for cheap... That will be a tough one. I'm not sure what Russia is looking for. They already have access to the Sea of Azov and the channel under the Crimean Bridge. I thought that was considered a neutral zone. But it seemed like he wanted the entire Azov Sea. Why? What's in there? What's on the other side of the bridge that is so important? I don't know. I'm asking. Not sure about this. Yup. Yeah, Ukraine will be forced to do as we say. This is what most US citizens want (including many Democrats). Yeah, they are stuck in the "buffer zone" mentality. But modern weaponry has gone beyond that. When small drones can be controlled from over 1000 miles away, a buffer zone is not as useful as it was in WWII.

Dolphins Led Boater to Rescue Naked Woman Floating in Ocean | Inside Edition A woman decided to go skinny dipping at midnight off the California coast. 12 hours later a college professor was taking a maiden voyage on his brand new boat and saw a pod of dolphins. As he went to get a closer look at the pod, he noticed the woman waving her arm. She suffered from extreme hypothermia and went to the hospital for recovery.

You might consider purchasing actual MREs. I don't know what your army offers or if surplus items are available to the public. But in the US, we can purchase surplus MREs that are past their expiration date. The thing is that they are prepped and sealed in such a manner that they should last a REALLY long time. But the military has put dates on them that are MUCH earlier than their theoretical freshness date. The meals are usually bigger than what the average person needs for 3 meals a day. When I've gone camping with them, I only at one meal and I was full all day. We even went hiking and had a bunch of activities. I still didn't need another meal. And despite my slight frame, I tend to eat more than most people.

What shall we do to testify to others? Let it be known that you are a Latter-day Saint. Then live an example of what a Latter-day Saint should be. Pres. Hinckley was asked about the lack of the cross in our faith. And what symbol do we used instead? For most people without a dog in the fight (and even most of our detractors) will admit that "however weird" our faith may be. We are good examples of citizens, good, smart, honest, hardworking, people who tended to do a good job and didn't have to worry about substance abuse. STORY: Most places I work require drug screening. The most allowed was every 6 months. 2 years max between tests. I was tested every 6 months for two years. Every 6 months. That's 5 times in a 2 year period because I had to be screened before I was hired. I went to the manager and pointed out the 2.5 hrs it took each time. And it was affecting my work. My manager went to HR and asked that I would only be tested every 2 years. He told me that he wasn't worried about me because I was an observant Mormon. Yes, they may think our religion is weird. But for the most part, we're respected for being good examples of the way human beings should be. Be the example.

I can't argue with that. And that is the main thing I was voting for. Trump certainly isn't an example of chastity.

Megyn Kelly recently "celebrated" the fact that "American Culture" seems to be returning to normal... well... The example she gave was that Carl's Jr. is going back to the NSFW type commercials like they have in the past (as shown at the Super Bowl). Is this a good thing? I'd suppose if we're left with only two options, it is a lesser of two evils. But it is still pretty bad.

What impressed me was the fact that he was outnumbered 100:1. He has no weapons. And he is as skinny as a rail. He proabably barely makes a living wage. But he stuck it out. After all the violence we've seen from the left in the past 8 years, if I were in his shoes, I think I would have run away with that angry mob right in front of me. I was never a soldier. There were no people who needed protecting. It was "just a job." Yes, kudos to him for sticking it out.

UnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione accepts $300k in donations | Fox News

It seems that the Dems are really getting their panties into a bunch for all the government organizations that are being shut down or diminished. They are really against Trump's shutting down government bodies. So Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim seem to have a plan of attack in protesting these shut downs... They're going to shut down the government to protest the shutting down of the government. ... I can't believe how much I love these guys. BTW, shutting down the Dept of Ed saves taxpayers over $200Billion/yr. I think DOGE is now at about 15% to 20% towards their goal of $2 Trillion. It hasn't even been a full month since inauguration.

Apparently, a fund was set up to pay for legal fees for the CEO's murderer. It has amassed about $300k as of this morning. The assassin has accepted the payment. Yeah, don't worry, it's just a bunch of people who feel sorry for such a poor college student who was attending an Ivy League school. They weren't at all paying him for services rendered. The left would NEVER take glee at the death of another human being, especially if they considered the victim a political rival (cough, cough).