Post 27 - The Three Josephs

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TODAY'S THEME

Joseph, Son of Jacob, is Sold Into Egypt -by Ted Henninger

In this painting  Joseph, the 11th son of Jacob, (Israel), is being sold by his jealous brothers to traders for twenty pieces of silver.

These traders then took Joseph to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officers, the captain of Pharaoh's guard."

Please Read this account of this Intriguing historical happening. You may want to Listen as well as read this: Genesis 37:1-36

Remember what you can of Joseph's dreams in that scripture you just read. His dreams indicated that Joseph would come to be like royalty of the highest degree. His telling of those dreams is what most likely caused his brothers to be jealous of him to the point that they were very desirous of "getting rid of Joseph."

I must remind you, however, that his oldest brother, Reuben, did not want his youngest brother harmed and when his plans to return him to their father didn't work out, Reuben was very upset. Reuben, you get high marks for that! You didn't always do what is right, but your intentions were right in this case.

Joseph Resists Advances Made by Potiphar's Wife -by Del Parson

If you have seen the popular musical, "Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat", you will have seen, with some alterations, the story of Joseph, Who Was Sold Into Egypt. Perhaps that musical has been produced in your country as well as in the United States of America. It has been very popular here.

Angry at Joseph for resisting her advances, this woman accused him of making advances on her. Potiphar had him imprisoned in the king's prison, a place where the king's prisoners were kept. Read about this in Genesis Chapter 39.

An additional scriptural account, (Genesis, chapter 41) tells us how Joseph, who was worthy to possess the gift of Prophecy and Revelation (or the testimony of Jesus), was brought, by the use of that gift, from the lowly status of a Hebrew slave and jail prisoner to becoming second in command over all of Egypt, just under Pharaoh.

Please go back to my blog Post 19 to review this spiritual gift: Prophecy and Revelation which has always been, and is still now, such a important part of God's work on the earth.

Through this spiritual gift Joseph had learned to use, God was able to lead him to the point where, as second in command to Pharaoh, Joseph was able to have the nation of Egypt fully prepared when a great famine struck all that part of the world including the land where his father, Jacob, and the rest of his family lived.

Many of you may have read in the Old Testament, the touching story of Joseph being reunited with his brothers and eventually with his father who had deeply, and for a long time, mourned the supposed death of his favorite son. (Please read, when you have time, Genesis Chapters 42 though 50.)

I'm sure you'll agree with me that seventeen year old Joseph's dreams about his family bowing down before him, were proven to be true. Those dreams had come to seventeen year old Joseph through the gift of God!

Lehi Preaching to Fellow Citizens of Jerusalem -by Del Parson

Now let's go back to the story of Father Lehi and his family which we touched on in Blog Post 26. Here again is the painting in which Lehi is preaching to others in Jerusalem.

Because unbelieving people in Jerusalem sought to kill Lehi, the Lord commanded him to take his family out of Jerusalem and would then lead them through the Arabian Peninsula and across a wide ocean on their way to the promised land (which was in the Americas).

Arriving at the Promised Land -by Arnold Friberg

Lehi didn't die until they had become firmly established in what is now Central America. As I mentioned several posts ago, before he died he gave blessings to each of his sons. Besides, Laman, Lemuel, Sam and Nephi, Lehi and his wife, Sariah, became the parents of two more sons, Jacob and Joseph, while still traveling eastward on the Arabian Peninsula to the seashore where through the Lord's guidance of Nephi a ship was built and they were guided to Central America.

I would like you to now to read the scripture found at the end of this paragraph to read the very significant blessing that Lehi gave to his youngest son, Joseph. I suggest you consider choosing the option to Listen as well as reading. II Nephi 3:1-25

Here are, as I see them, the key points Lehi made in his blessing of his youngest son, Joseph:

1. Lehi and his family are descendants of Joseph who was sold into Egypt.

2. The Lord promised Joseph that He, the Lord, would appear to Joseph's descendants in their promised land (Central America) after his death and resurrection.

3. The Lord promised to raise up a choice seer to help Lehi's descendants in the latter-days.

4. That seer would only do the work the Lord gave him to do.

5. That seer, would, like Moses, deliver his people Israel from bondage.

6. That seer would bring forth the Lord's word, the Book of Mormon which will confirm the truth of a first book of scriptures, the Bible.

7. Lehi told young Joseph that religious confusion would be stopped among his descendants in the last days, when those 2 scriptures are used together.

8. The Lord told that ancient Joseph that the efforts of others to destroy that seer would be prevented until that seer had finished his work.

9. That promised seer will also be named Joseph as will his father.

10. The work to be done by this promised seer will bring salvation to this ancient Joseph's descendants, and bring about the gathering of all Israel.

11. The Lord promised the ancient Joseph that his posterity would last forever.

12. The ancient Joseph's descendants' words shall "cry from the dust" to be heard by his descendants in the latter-days. The golden plates containing the Book of Mormon have done that.

According to what the Lord told Joseph who had been sold into Egypt, this mighty seer would become an instrument in the hands of God to bring much restoration to the House of Israel.

In my Blog Post 23 you were told how the Lord's angel, Moroni, personally prepared young Joseph Smith,Jr., son of Joseph Smith, Sr. to do the great work he had to do in translating the Book of Mormon, in preparation to the founding of the Lord's only true church on the earth, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Throughout these blog posts you have learned much about the Prophet Joseph Smith. Daniel Peterson in Post 8 (also in Post 4) in a You Tube video demonstrates that the Book of Mormon was actually translated by the gift of God by Joseph Smith.

The Book of Mormon is the word of God spoken of by Joseph who was sold into Egypt, before he died. He promised that this modern day Joseph would bring forth God's word which along with the Bible would stop religious confusion.

This blog post you are now reading really shows the tight bond between three Josephs, Joseph the Prophet who had been sold into Egypt, Lehi's son, Joseph and the latter-day prophet of God: Joseph Smith, Jr.

You have learned in earlier blogs how Joseph Smith, Jr. was prepared for the great work that Joseph who was sold into Egypt prophesied of as quoted by Father Lehi.

I will end this post by quoting again, as I did a number of blog posts ago, additional words of the Prophet Joseph Smith about whom the first Joseph prophesied from Egypt centuries ago and about whom Joseph, the sixth son of Lehi was told about.

Translation of the Book of Mormon Taking Place -by Del Parson

Joseph Smith's life mission was to significantly prepare the way for the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Joseph Smith was very successful in doing what the Lord wanted him to do in establishing His Church once again on the earth. However, he had to suffer much in the process.

When his father gave him a patriarchal blessing in which Joseph was told that he would be able to fulfill his mission on the earth fully before leaving this life, Joseph wept and asked if that were really to happen. His father assured him it would. That made Joseph very grateful.

Thanks, Joseph who was sold into Egypt, for your prophecies about the great work the Prophet Joseph Smith was to do, and thank you, Nephi, Son of Lehi, for recording this great information on your small plates.

Without the Book of Mormon which the Lord prepared Joseph Smith to translate and publish, through the sevice of the Angel Moroni, we would not have the blessings of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints numbers more than thirteen million members and is growing continually. It is led by a living prophet, Thomas S. Monson, along with all of those who serve under and with him.

The following is just an example of the extreme tribulations the Prophet Joseph went through while working diligently to fulfill the work the Lord had given him to do.

“Chapter 19: Stand Fast through the Storms of Life,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, (2007),227–37

“Stand fast, ye Saints of God, hold on a little while longer, and the storm of life will be past, and you will be rewarded by that God whose servants you are.”

From the Life of Joseph Smith

On the night of March 24, 1832, Joseph Smith had stayed up late caring for his 11-month-old son, Joseph, who was sick with the measles. The Smith family was then living in the John Johnson home in Hiram, Ohio. The Prophet had finally gone to sleep on a trundle bed when a mob of a dozen or more men who had been drinking whiskey broke into the home. The Prophet later described the events of that terrible night:

“The mob burst open the door and surrounded the bed in an instant, and … the first I knew I was going out of the door in the hands of an infuriated mob. I made a desperate struggle, as I was forced out, to extricate myself, but only cleared one leg, with which I made a pass at one man, and he fell on the door steps. I was immediately overpowered again; and they swore … they would kill me if I did not be still, which quieted me. …

The Prophet Joseph Smith -by Alvin Gittins

“They then seized me by the throat and held on till I lost my breath. After I came to, as they passed along with me, about thirty rods from the house, I saw Elder Rigdon stretched out on the ground, whither they had dragged him by his heels. I supposed he was dead. I began to plead with them, saying, ‘You will have mercy and spare my life, I hope.’ To which they replied, ‘… Call on yer God for help, we’ll show ye no mercy.’ ”

After some discussion, the mob “concluded not to kill me,” the Prophet related, “but to beat and scratch me well, tear off my shirt and drawers, and leave me naked. … They ran back and fetched the bucket of tar, when one exclaimed, with an oath, ‘Let us tar up his mouth;’ and they tried to force the tar-paddle into my mouth; I twisted my head around, so that they could not; and they cried out, ‘… Hold up yer head and let us giv ye some tar.’ They then tried to force a vial into my mouth, and broke it in my teeth. All my clothes were torn off me except my shirt collar; and one man fell on me and scratched my body with his nails like a mad cat. …

“They then left me, and I attempted to rise, but fell again; I pulled the tar away from my lips, so that I could breathe more freely, and after a while I began to recover, and raised myself up, whereupon I saw two lights. I made my way towards one of them, and found it was Father Johnson’s. When I came to the door … the tar made me look as if I were covered with blood, and when my wife saw me she thought I was all crushed to pieces, and fainted. …

“My friends spent the night in scraping and removing the tar, and washing and cleansing my body; so that by morning I was ready to be clothed again.”

Even after this ordeal, the Prophet stood fast in carrying out his responsibilities to the Lord. The next day was the Sabbath. “The people assembled for meeting at the usual hour of worship,” the Prophet recorded, “and among them came also the mobbers. … With my flesh all scarified and defaced, I preached to the congregation as usual, and in the afternoon of the same day baptized three individuals.” Joseph and Emma’s son, Joseph, died five days after the mob attack as a result of being exposed to the cold night air while suffering from the measles.

Wilford Woodruff, the fourth President of the Church, said: “The Lord told Joseph that He would prove him, whether he would abide in His covenant or not, even unto death. He did prove him; and although [Joseph] had the whole world to contend against and the treachery of false friends to withstand, although his whole life was a scene of trouble and anxiety and care, yet, in all his afflictions, his imprisonments, the mobbings and ill treatment he passed through, he was ever true to his God.”


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DISCLAIMER
This website is not owned by or affiliated with the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church.





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TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX: To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This BlogPost, (Or To Search The Index For Any Other Blog Post You Desire To Access), After You Have Read All of This Paragraph, Please Scroll Back Up And Click on the Following: (The)Three Josephs Each Proved Themselves Worthy . . . Post 27 When The Picture of Our Savior, Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy Comes Onto Your Screen, Please Scroll Down In The Index To Your Target Item Or Use the Alphabetical Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed).
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"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon?" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.

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I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested in it. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish:  Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch

Post 26 - The Keystone of Our Religion is: The Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Father Lehi's Key Role in Bringing it About

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TODAY'S THEME

At God's Command Father Lehi Preached to People in Jerusalem -by Del Parson

In this Blog Post I have chosen to focus on Lehi.

There is no doubt about it, if Lehi had not made the decision that he made regarding following the very challenging commandment the Lord gave him to preach in Jerusalem, there would never have been a Book of Mormon.

If there were no Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, there would never have been the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, because as the Prophet Joseph Smith said:

"The Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion."

This is the way it is regarding good outcomes, whether it is with a whole nation such as the Nephite-Lamanite nation or with you and me. It all starts with someone (even though that person has imperfections) making right decisions (even though they might be very difficult to make.)

Hasn't that been your own personal experience? Think of positive things that have taken place in your life that came about because you made right decisions. Now don't let those wrong decisions you might have made keep you from remembering those right decisions you also made.

Now you will have the opportunity of reading Lehi's faithful son, Nephi's record of the circumstances his father found himself in. Please read: I Nephi 1:4-15 

I hoped that you noticed in verses 8-11 that Father Lehi saw the pre-mortal Jesus Christ. (by the way, we all had a pre-mortal life where we lived as spirit children of our Heavenly Father).

Please now read: I Nephi 1:18-20

Please note that the other Jews mocked Lehi's prophesying which included the coming of a Messiah (Jesus Christ), and also of the redemption of the world.

From what you have just read you have seen clear evidence of the Book of Mormon being truly Another Witness of Jesus Christ with Lehi being the testator.

You will now read what the Lord commanded Father Lehi to do and that Lehi, true to form, did what the Lord commanded him. I Nephi 2:1-18

I encourage you to read through all of the Book of I Nephi in your own personal copy of the Book of Mormon.

When you do so you will find that Father Lehi, after his great faith and courage, being human, found himself angry at the Lord because being out in a desert on the Arabian Peninsula he and all those with him were starving. Please click on this link: I Nephi 16:17-25

Through this difficult experience, Lehi repented and again, like perhaps each of us, learned from his difficult experiences. I am personally very grateful that the Lord, Jesus Christ has opened the way by atoning for my sins thus enabling Him that He has forgiven me.

Now skipping over many chapters which I hope you will read before long, I want to focus on some of Father Lehi's words that were recorded by Nephi that he spoke not too long before his death. First, please read this: II Nephi 2: 26-30

Then there were additional statements that Nephi recorded of the words of his father, Lehi. These show the great spiritual insights this great and good man developed.

II Nephi 2:11 For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

II Nephi 2:15 And to bring about his eternal purposes in the end of man, after he had created our first parents, and the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and in fine, all things which are created, it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter.

II Nephi 2:27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator (Jesus Christ) of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself. (highlighted words in parenthesis added)

28 And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit;

29 And not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate, to bring you down to hell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom.

Those statements of Lehi from Nephi's record are great evidences that Lehi stayed faithful unto the end of his life.

His son, Nephi, after Lehi's death became the patriarch of the family. However, two of Nephi's older brothers, Laman and Lemuel chose not to follow their father's clear counsel and caused a significant division in the family. Nonetheless Father Lehi was a very significant factor in leading his family onward and upward, keeping careful records that would ultimately provide information the Prophet Mormon could record in his record which ultimately became "The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ" which is playing a very very important role in preparing the world for the Second Coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

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DISCLAIMER
This website is not owned by or affiliated with the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church.

____________



TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX: To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This BlogPost, (Or To Search The Index For Any Other Blog Post You Desire To Access), After You Have Read All of This Paragraph, Please Scroll Back Up And Click on the Following: (The) Keystone of Our (LDS) Religion - Post 26) When The Picture of Our Savior, Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy Comes Onto Your Screen, Please Scroll Down In The Index To Your Target Item Or Use the Alphabetical Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed).


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"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon?" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.

___________

I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested in it. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish:  Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch

Post 25 - Serving Our Fellow Man

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TODAY'S THEME

The Good Samaritan -by Walter Rane

I would venture to guess that most of you blog viewers recognize this painting to be of the Good Samaritan Jesus told about after a lawyer had asked Him, "Who is my neighbor?" Please read Our Savior's story that answered the lawyer's question: Luke 10:25-37  

It should not be surprising to you regular readers of this blog, that in the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, the principle of service to neighbors is taught as a principle that the Lord Jesus Christ would have all of us live, even before He was born in Bethlehem.

In about 124 BC a king of the Nephite Nation in ancient America, Benjamin, who was about to turn his kingdom over to his son, Mosiah, gathered all of his people from wherever they lived to the temple which was a religious edifice where events like this were held because of their strong religious beliefs.

King Benjamin Speaks to His People -by Gary L. Kapp

We are told in The Book of Mormon record of this event, that everyone came with their families and pitched their tents in front of the temple.

From the wall of the temple Benjamin could be easily seen as he delivered his address. The written words of his address were delivered by messengers of the king to each of the families present. Please read this important passage of scripture: Mosiah 4:6-27
Something as important as Jesus' teaching that we should serve our neighbors, most certainly should be an important part of His Church in our day. I refer you back to  review what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints accomplished during the year, 2007 regarding humanitarian service throughout the world. It will be found in the General Conference talk of Presiding Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His talk is entitled: Who is My Neighbor? Post 20 of this blog

This following article was found in the Deseret News of Salt Lake City, Utah sometime ago. forgive me I lost the title of the article and the name of the author while upgrading this post on September 19, 2011.

Less than three weeks from when she was to enter the Provo Missionary Training Center prior to serving in the Utah Salt Lake City South Mission, Alma Rosa Nava and her family were among the 106 members of Lehi (Spanish) Branch, Friendswood Texas Stake, forced by Hurricane Ike to evacuate their Galveston Island homes and relocate inland.

With the College Station Texas Stake hosting the evacuees from its sister stake for a dozen days, Sister Nava approached Bryan 1st Ward Bishop David R. Durda with questions about her travel itinerary to Utah.

During the ensuing conversation, Bishop Durda learned Sister Nava had begun purchasing and setting aside clothes and supplies for her mission. But the rushed evacuation leading up to Hurricane Ike hitting southeastern Texas on Sept. 13 resulted in her having to leave her preparations behind.

Uncertain if Sister Nava's family would be able to return to their home prior to her mission starting on Oct. 1, sisters of the Bryan 1st Ward stepped in.

"They are Saints in every sense of that word and are angels to our people," said Friendswood Texas Stake President Jonathan S. Schmitt of the College Station Stake, which ended up housing more than 150 evacuees. "When the members learned of Alma's missionary service, they provided everything on her mission list to ensure she would be prepared to serve."

But the story doesn't end there; the charitable service went full circle. In appreciation for the unsolicited assistance, Sister Nava's family found ways to reciprocate.

"The family wanted to provide service--they wanted to give back," said Lehi Branch President J. Thomas Westergard, with the Navas helping with housecleaning and other tasks in Bryan before departing.

"They gave service back," said Bishop Durda, "All of the Galveston members were very self-reliant,"

I Neil Birch include these matters regarding how we should show love to one another by being Good Samaritans as described by our Savior Jesus Christ in the scripture I provided you earlier in this post.

Jesus showed His love for us by suffering and dieing for us, so that we each may begin living this principle more fully than we perhaps have done in the past.

Again, the great service rendered by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to those in need, to non-members and members alike, is evidence that it is His true church. I want each of you readers to know that I know this church is directed in our day by living prophets who are led directly by Him through the power of Prophecy and Revelation. I also know the Book of Mormon was brought about by and is authorized by Jesus Christ. I know these things by the witness of the Holy Ghost to me on many occasions during my 76 (almost 80 now) years of life.

Also you can know the truthfulness of these things by following the counsel given by the last Book of Mormon prophet, Moroni. Please read his words:

Moroni 10: 3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

If you don't yet have your own copy of the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, please e-mail me and I will help you arrange to have your own copy to read.

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DISCLAIMER
This website is not owned by or affiliated with the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church.

____________
 
TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX: To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This BlogPost, (Or To Search The Index For Any Other BlogPost You Desire To Access), After You Have Read All of This Paragraph, Please Scroll Back Up And Click on the Following: Serving Our Fellow Man - Post 25. When The Picture of Our Savior, Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy Comes Onto Your Screen, Please Scroll Down In The Index To Your Target Item Or Use the Alphabetical Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed).

____________


"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est. 2008 Neil Birch

____________

I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested in it. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish: Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch

Post 24 - Are You Ready For The Second Coming?

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TODAY'S THEME

by Harry Anderson

If this great event, The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, should happen when you and I are still living, and it very possibly could, I'm sure we would be desirous of being worthy enough to have escaped the destruction the prophets have told us will come upon the unrighteous at that time.

For this reason I'm giving you the opportunity to learn from the Book of Mormon about what it is we are all facing in this life of good and evil.

The eighth chapter of First Nephi in the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, is one of the best sources in all of the holy scriptures for learning, very graphically, what it is we all are facing in life, this preparatory state we are now are in.

The Lord gave Father Lehi a dream/vision that helpfully summarizes what we are facing in life. After his righteous son, Nephi, heard his father's account of his dream, he desired to know its meaning and through prayer sought to find out the meaning of the dream.

You will first be given the opportunity of reading Nephi's record of his father's dream as he heard it from him. Afterwards you can learn more fully of the meaning of the dream from the record Nephi gives us of his meeting with the Spirit of the Lord on a high mountain.

Lehi's vision is a description of what we have to go through in life and shows how people handle it in different ways.

This Tree of Life vision is something that I'm sure various people have tried to re-create as a picture because it is very descriptive. I have found just the one painting and have placed it here.



Lehi's Dream -by Jerry Thompson

You are welcome to listen to this  as well as read it.  I Nephi 8

Now you will be learning what Nephi learned about the more full meaning of his father's vision.

I haven't given you the Internet version of this set of Book of Mormon verses and have instead copied them into this post in order that I could illustrate verses with paintings I have at my disposal which I feel match the events described to Nephi by the Spirit of the Lord.

I Nephi 11: 1 For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot.

2 And the Spirit said unto me: Behold, what desirest thou?

3 And I said: I desire to behold the things which my father saw.

4 And the Spirit said unto me: Believest thou that thy father saw the tree of which he hath spoken?

5 And I said: Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father.

6 And when I had spoken these words, the Spirit cried with a loud voice, saying: Hosanna to the Lord, the most high God; for he is God over all the earth, yea, even above all. And blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the most high God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired.

by Harry Anderson

7 And behold this thing shall be given unto thee for a sign, that after thou hast beheld the tree which bore the fruit which thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of heaven, and him shall ye witness; and after ye have witnessed him ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God. (emphasis added)

8 And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me: Look! And I looked and beheld a tree; and it was like unto the tree which my father had seen; and the beauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty; and the whiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow.

9 And it came to pass after I had seen the tree, I said unto the Spirit: I behold thou hast shown unto me the tree which is precious above all.

10 And he said unto me: What desirest thou?

11 And I said unto him: To know the interpretation thereof—for I spake unto him as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in the form of a man; yet nevertheless, I knew that it was the Spirit of the Lord; and he spake unto me as a man speaketh with another.

12 And it came to pass that he said unto me: Look! And I looked as if to look upon him, and I saw him not; for he had gone from before my presence.

The Angel Gabriel and Mary -by John Scott

13 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.

14 And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou?

15 And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.

16 And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?

17 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.

18 And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.

19 And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: Look!

20 And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.

by Ted Henniger

21 And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?

22 And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.

23 And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul.

by John Scott

by Harry Anderson

27 And I looked and beheld the Redeemer of the world, of whom my father had spoken; and I also beheld the prophet who should prepare the way before him. And the Lamb of God went forth and was baptized of him; and after he was baptized, I beheld the heavens open, and the Holy Ghost come down out of heaven and abide upon him in the form of a dove.

by Del Parson

28 And I beheld that he went forth ministering unto the people, in power and great glory; and the multitudes were gathered together to hear him; and I beheld that they cast him out from among them.

29 And I also beheld twelve others following him. And it came to pass that they were carried away in the Spirit from before my face, and I saw them not.

by Robert T. Barrett

30 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the heavens open again, and I saw angels descending upon the children of men; and they did minister unto them.

by Del Parson

31 And he spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Lamb of God going forth among the children of men. And I beheld multitudes of people who were sick, and who were afflicted with all manner of diseases, and with devils and unclean spirits; and the angel spake and showed all these things unto me. And they were healed by the power of the Lamb of God; and the devils and the unclean spirits were cast out.

32 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world; and I saw and bear record.

by Harry Anderson

My purpose in creating this particular blog post was to better prepare you and me and our dear families for the Second Coming of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. I hope that through what we have learned from Father Lehi's dream, we will be better prepared to make the right decisions in how we are living our lives. That is my hope and prayer!

33 And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world.

34 And after he was slain I saw the multitudes of the earth, that they were gathered together to fight against the apostles of the Lamb; for thus were the twelve called by the angel of the Lord.

35 And the multitude of the earth was gathered together; and I beheld that they were in a large and spacious building, like unto the building which my father saw. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Behold the world and the wisdom thereof; yea, behold the house of Israel hath gathered together to fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

36 And it came to pass that I saw and bear record, that the great and spacious building was the pride of the world; and it fell, and the fall thereof was exceedingly great. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Thus shall be the destruction of all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, that shall fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

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DISCLAIMER

This website is not owned by or affiliated with the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church.

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TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX: To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This BlogPost, (Or To Search The Index For Any Other BlogPost You Desire To Access), After You Have Read All of This Paragraph, Please Scroll Back Up And Click on the Following: Jesus Christ's Second Coming. Are You Prepared For That? -Post 24 When The Picture of Our Savior, Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy Comes Onto Your Screen, Please Scroll Down In The Index To Your Target Item Or Use the Alphabetical Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed).

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"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est. 2008 Neil Birch

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I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested in it. Please be advised that I have an additional blog. It is in Spanish: Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch

Post 23 - The Rolling Forth Of God's Kingdom

To Access This Blog's Index, Please Scroll Down To the Fifth Paragraph From the End of This Post!

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TODAY'S THEME

The Prophet Daniel Interprets King Nebuchadnezzar's Dream -by Grant Romney Clawson

"A Stone Cut Out of the Mountain Without Hands!"

The highlighted words above are a key part of the interpretation by Daniel, a prophet of ancient Israel, of the forgotten dream that troubled Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.

This painting shows Daniel as he interprets the kings' dream after having given him the details of his forgotten dream.

Daniel explained to the king that God had revealed the dream and its meaning to him, Daniel, in a night vision.

Daniel was one of the members of the House of Israel that had been brought forcibly to Babylon from Jerusalem not many years after Lehi and his family had been led by the Lord out of Jerusalem and were being led to their land of promise in ancient America. Please click on the scriptural link at the end of the next paragraph to read about Daniel's interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream.

Before doing so, please consider listening to this scripture while reading it. After clicking on the scriptural link, scroll up on the scripture and click on the word, Listen which is on the upper left hand side of the scripture. Listening while reading will make it more interesting.

Daniel 2:1-47

Let me emphasize verses 44 and 45 of that chapter by quoting them:

44. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.

45. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made it known to the king what shall come to pass here-after: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

You will now have the opportunity of reading the personal account of the individual who was chosen by God to begin the establishment of His latter-day kingdom that was foretold anciently in the prophet Daniel's interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream.

Please note the great care the Heavenly Messenger takes in preparing this young man, Joseph Smith who is almost 18 years of age for the huge task ahead of him. Please read all of the following.

 jstestimony

You have just learned about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, which in Joseph Smith's later years, he said was the keystone of our Religion.

Here are three paintings and a photo that depict important events you have just read about and perhaps listened to.

Moroni Appears to Joseph Smith -by Tom Lovell

The Hill Cumorah

The Golden Plates

Joseph Smith is Given the Golden Plates -by Kenneth Riley

You may want to review later my Blog Post 20 in which the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, H. David Burton, reviewed the many humanitarian projects this church accomplished during the year, 2007, through the voluntary efforts from among the thirteen million members of the Church.

I now give you the opportunity of reading a quote from a member of the First Presidency of this church, President Henry B. Eyring. It is from his speech given at the same general priesthood session of the Church's April conference in April 2008 where Bishop Burton gave his speech reporting the Church's Humanitarian efforts during the year, 2007.

"I have seen the miracle of that growth in charity in the hearts of priesthood holders, So have many of you. And so have many outside the Church. I was in the office of President Gordon B. Hinckley when he was asked to take a phone call. He spoke briefly on the phone and then returned to our conversation. But he took a moment to explain. He said that the call was from the President of the United States, who was flying over Utah in Air Force One on his way to Washington D.C.. The president of the United States had called to thank President Hinckley for what priesthood holders had done in the aftermath of a hurricane. The president of the United States* had said that it was a miracle that we were able to get so many people, so quickly, working together so well. He praised our people by saying that we knew how to do things." (*Reference above was to President George W. Bush of the United States of America.)

Air Force One

In ending this blogpost, I take the liberty of saying that what was accomplished in humanitarian services in 2007 and for many years before that and into the future is what we should expect from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with its population growing from thirteen million members to a much larger number in years to come. Of course, this is the Lord's latter-day kingdom which is striving to do all of those things our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ would have us do in preparation for His Second Coming.

You can expect my next blogpost in about one week from the date of this one. I'll look forward to sharing things again with you at that time.


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DISCLAIMER
This website is not owned by or affiliated with the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church.


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TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX: To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This BlogPost, (Or To Search The Index For Any Other BlogPost You Desire To Access), After You Have Read All of This Paragraph, Please Scroll Back Up And Click on the Following: God's Kingdom To Roll Forth In The Last Days. -Post 23. When The Picture of Our Savior, Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy Comes Onto Your Screen, Please Scroll Down In The Index To Your Target Item Or Use the Alphabetical Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed).


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"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est. 2008 Neil Birch

____________


I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested in it. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish: Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch

Post 22 - Does Christ Require Works of Us?

To Access This Blog's Index, Please Scroll Down To the Fifth Paragraph From the End of This Post!

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TODAY'S THEME

Christ in Gethsemane -by Harry Anderson

With the painting I have chosen to begin this post, it should be obvious that I am getting right to the very core of the Gospel - the atonement of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

In my second ever blogpost, entitled: "By Grace are We Saved After All We Can Do," One of my dear, close relatives said in a comment he inserted into that post:

"A couple of comments about 2 Nephi 25:23. If grace only applies after all you can do, how do you know when you have done enough? Have you truly done ALL you could do? If not then it would seem that grace would not apply. A Christian rejoices in grace as presented in the Holy Bible."

"Good works are a *result* of grace, not a way to achieve it. (Gal 5:22-23 and Eph. 2) You do not pay for a gift. Grace is not a license to sin, but if you truly love God, you will want to please Him."

The following is the full scripture he was referring to: (Book of Mormon)

In my blog post , Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon, Post 3, I made an effort to answer his question. However, a few days later, Richard K. Miller, a member of the LDS Church clarified this matter with this comment in the earlier blog.

II Nephi 25;23: For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."

To me, the question of doing "all that we can" seems to be about our willingness to keep the commandments, even if we fall short. The blessing offered on the sacrament each week asks for the Spirit to be with those who are "willing". Willingness drives us to try and will produce good works, even if the works alone don't matter.

What's more, I believe there's room for our "willingness" to improve, like the man who asked Jesus to help his "unbelief." In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Alma says that those who don't have faith but have a "desire to believe" can let it work within them and grow into faith. (Alma 32) To me this implies that even a "willingness to be willing" is a step in the right direction and qualifies us for the grace of Christ.

On the other hand, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matt 7:21)

Let's now refer back to the Book of Mormon. I think that Lehi's third oldest son, Sam is a person to now focus on in this discussion. Sam clearly supported his brother, Nephi, (who was just younger than himself) regarding the issue of whether or not he and his three brothers, Laman, Lemuel, and Nephi should go back to Jerusalem for a third attempt to obtain the scriptural records contained in the "Brass Plates" which the Lord had commanded Lehi to have his four sons obtain from the keeper of those records, Laban, a man of some importance in Jerusalem.

Sam supported Nephi to the extent that he was beaten along with Nephi by their elder two brothers, Laman and Lemuel, in their effort to keep Nephi from talking them into getting them to go back into Jerusalem to do what they knew was a very dangerous task.

As you may recall from your reading of the Book of Mormon, an angel of God appeared to the four young men and commanded Laman and Lemuel to cease and desist! They did and Nephi was led by the Lord to successfully obtain the Brass Plates.

At various times as recorded in I and II Nephi , Father Lehi made statements about his sons and gave blessings to them. In the following verse (I Nephi 8:3 ) Father Lehi mentions Sam.

3. And behold, because of the thing which I have seen, I have reason to rejoice in the Lord because of Nephi and also of Sam ; for I have reason to suppose that they, and also many of their seed, will be saved. (emphasis added)

Along with his other brothers, Sam was given a father's blessing not long before Lehi died. This is the blessing given Sam.

II Nephi 4:11 "And after he had made an end of speaking unto them, he spake unto Sam, saying: Blessed art thou, and thy seed; for thou shalt inherit the land like unto thy brother Nephi. And thy seed shall be numbered with his seed; and thou shalt be even like unto thy brother, and thy seed like unto his seed; and thou shalt be blessed in all thy days." (emphasis  added)

Through the Spirit of Prophecy and Revelation Lehi was able to say that. There is no further information about Sam or his descendants in the Book of Mormon. However we can say that this can be attributed to these words from the blessing "And thy seed shall be numbered with his seed; and thou shalt be even like unto thy brother, and thy seed like unto his seed;"

My point here is in answer to my dear relative's question: "If grace only applies after all you can do, how do you know when you have done enough?"

There is no record given of what good things Sam did throughout his life. Neither was there any word about him or his children having fallen by the wayside spiritually. The amount of good works Sam did aren't the key things. His willingness is a key thing, however.

Again referring back to Richard K. Miller's comment made at the end of the same blog post to which my relative responded, it is willingness which is really required. I am sure the Savior's grace applies to Sam and many others in this world who have done all they were able to do to further the Lord's work. Because so little was said about Sam I have supposed that he just didn't possess many of the leadership attributes that his younger brother and leader, Nephi, possessed. Despite that, his inspired father, Lehi, still indicated that Sam along with Nephi would be saved!

It is obvious that Sam kept the commandments of the Lord in showing us that he, at great personal risk, supported his younger brother Nephi in his decision to make that third attempt at getting the sacred records from Laban who had armed men to help him keep these sons of Lehi from getting them. Sam obviouslyknew the Lord had commanded their father, Lehi to have his brothers and him, Sam, obtain those sacred records and bring them back to their father in the Arabian desert.

Now continuing in my efforts to support Richard K. Miller who said it is willingness that really counts, not a certain calculated amount of good works that brings salvation along with the Savior's grace, I am going to remind you of Alma the Younger, the son of Alma who baptized at the Waters of Mormon as explained in a number of previous blog posts.

He, as those of you who have read blog posts 7 and 17, know well, was obviously possessed with many talents which he wrongly used to tear down the Church of Jesus Christ, that his father, Alma had painstakingly struggled, (as you have read about in previous blogs) with much success, to bring that church into being.

Remember that after the Angel of the Lord had appeared to him and his four friends, Alma the Younger had felt damned and severely condemned himself until he remembered his hearing his father, Alma teach about the redemption and salvation (grace)provided by the Son of God, Jesus the Christ, who was to come into the world in the future.

At that very moment Alma the Younger called out to that Jesus to save him. It was instantly done. The Lord did not wait for him to begin performing all of the deeds of service he eventually did! He could have thereafter slacked off in his efforts to serve others, but had he done so he would have lost that salvation or grace he had been given.

Alma the Younger became one of the most successful of all of the Savior's missionaries told about in the Book of Mormon, He was comparable to the Apostle Paul in his righteous zeal to do the Lord's work until the end, when his life was taken by the Romans.

I want you to read these particular words this younger Alma spoke some time later during his life of service rendered to others because of his great faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. These words demonstrate his willingness to do all that he could do.

Alma 29:1-10

Now back to Sam. We have no record of great service on his part, yet his inspired father, Lehi, states in this sacred word of God, the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, that he supposes Nephi and Sam will be saved. It was Sam's willingness to serve that qualified him to be saved through the Grace of Christ. It was after "all Sam could do" that qualified him to possess the precious gift of salvation. Maybe Sam's all he could do wasn't as much Alma the Younger's all he could do, but our Savior's grace applied to him equally.

So it is with each of us, my dear relatives and all of your dear family members, too. This applies to the rest of you readers of this blog also. The Lord Jesus Christ loves all of us!

The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ -by Harry Anderson

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DISCLAIMER
This website is not owned by or affiliated with the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church.


____________




TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX: To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This BlogPost, (Or To Search The Index For Any Other BlogPost You Desire To Access), After You Have Read All of This Paragraph, Please Scroll Back Up And Click on the Following: Works are Required of Us As Well as Grace - Post 22. When The Picture of Our Savior, Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy Comes Onto Your Screen, Please Scroll Down In The Index To Your Target Item Or Use the Alphabetical Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed).

_____________

"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est. 2008 Neil Birch

_______________

I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teaching, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested in it. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish:  Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch