45b: We Can Learn Directly From the Book of Mormon Some of the Significant Geography of the Specific Land Where The Nephites Settled in the Americas After a Lengthy Ocean Voyage. That Geography Tells Us Where in the Americas They Were Led To!

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


Dear Readers of this Blog, please note that Google advertisements will appear throughout this blog post. They were not solicited by me and I do not profit from any of them. I did request particularly that Google not place their ads within scriptures which I often use within each of my blog posts. Hopefully they have honored that request of mine.

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TODAY'S THEME:

Lehi and His People Arrive in the Promised Land -by Arnold Friberg

In this painting (used often by me in many of my previous blog posts) by famous artist, Arnold Friberg who created many artistic depictions of scenes used for the famous Cecil B. DeMill movie, The Ten Commandments, we view Father Lehi, his wife Sariah along with son, Nephi to their right and his just younger brother, Jacob, along with others.

They had been guided by the Lord on a long oceanic voyage from the East coast of Arabia and then most likely along the same tidal currents used by ocean voyagers for centuries afterward such as the Portuguese and Spaniards, closer to our time on earth, by sailing, most likely, in a Northeasterly direction and then eventually being propelled forward by those same prevailing currents in a Southerly direction, thus reaching their Promised Land to which the Lord their God had guided them.

In the above scene depicted by Arnold Friberg, Father Lehi and other members of his family along with some members of another family whose father was a relative of Lehi's,  are viewing their promised land to which the Lord God had just guided them:  Just exactly where in the Americas was that land to which they had been guided?

Later on this is what Father Lehi told his family about their promised land to which they had been guided by the power of the Holy Ghost:

2 Nephi 1: 3 And he (father Lehi) also spake unto them concerning the land of promise, which they had obtained—how merciful the Lord had been in warning us that we should flee out of the land of Jerusalem.

4 For, behold, said he, I have seen a vision, in which I know that Jerusalem is destroyed; and had we remained in Jerusalem we should also have perished.

5 But, said he, notwithstanding our afflictions, we have obtained a land of promise, a land which is choice above all other lands; a land which the Lord God hath covenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed. Yea, the Lord hath covenanted this land unto me, and to my children forever, and also all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord.

6 Wherefore, I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that there shall none come into this land (which I personally believe along with many other Latter-day Saints (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) has been extended by Latter-day prophets to refer to all of the Americas) save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord.

7 Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever.

8 And behold, it is wisdom that this land should be kept as yet from the knowledge of other nations; for behold, many nations would overrun the land, that there would be no place for an inheritance.

9 Wherefore, I, Lehi, have obtained a promise, that inasmuch as those whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of Jerusalem shall keep his commandments, they shall prosper upon the face of this land; and they shall be kept from all other nations, that they may possess this land unto themselves. And if it so be that they shall keep his commandments they shall be blessed upon the face of this land, and there shall be none to molest them, nor to take away the land of their inheritance; and they shall dwell safely forever. (between 588 and 570 B.C. emphasis and clarification added by Neil  Birch)

Now, just exactly where was this specific promised land located in the Americas to which Lehi was guided by the Lord God? Many of you who already are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which publishes the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, will say that Lehi and those with him arrived somewhere in the Americas in about 589 B.C.

But where exactly in the Americas did that ship built by Nephi with the guidance of the Lord God and through the labors of Nephi and his brothers, end up after their long oceanic voyage?

This has been at times perhaps a somewhat contentious question and many Latter-day Saints have offered their differing scholarly opinions as to exactly where Lehi and his family landed. Those opinions actually differ widely!

Through the much appreciated guidance of my oldest of nine children, Jane, I attended at her suggestion, along with her, a meeting several months ago on a Friday night where a father who is a professional, University trained geographer, who was assisted by one of his sons, led out in presenting on the subject of "Where in the Americas did the Nephites Settle." This occurred at a meeting held at a "Mexican-Mormon Museum" located not far from the Provo (Utah) Temple of their and my and my daughter, Jane's church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The professional geographer father provided the main, very interesting and in my view, a very beneficial presentation.

I have read a number of articles written by various other scholarly members of our church, in which their individual opinions of the actual landing sites of Lehi's ship have been expressed. I was impressed with some of their lines of reasoning, but was not compelled to fully accept any one of their opinions on the subject.

As you may have guessed by now I have become convinced that although this is still a disputed subject among some members of the Lord's restored church, the evidence is quite overwhelming, in my personal opinion now, as to where Lehi, his family, and some relatives and at least one unrelated friend landed in the Americas. I'm now convinced it was actually located in the Southern end of what is now Baja-California, which is part of the present-day nation of Mexico, thanks to the much convincing information gathered by the above mentioned geographer.

Although having viewed their videos a number of  times, after attending that meeting I became even more impressed with the great work done by the father, (the professional geographer) and his son along with others who worked with them.

I soon will invite each of you to involve yourselves in viewing an electronic presentation produced by them by which you will have the opportunity of trying to decide for yourselves, whether or not I,  J. Neil Birch am wise in supporting that which is presented in this presentation which makes up the bulk of this post.

Now before inviting you to view that electronic presentation, I ask a very pertinent (but out of necessity, a very long) question:

Inasmuch as some individuals in this world of ours feel that the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, was merely made up by Joseph Smith (and they most likely would list others who worked closely with him, supposedly, in their opinions, writing it all on their own or borrowing some of it from some unknown author or authors), would it not be a helpful additional proof of that book's solid truthfulness, (along side the spiritual witness that is promised each of us within the pages of that sacred book) if the Prophets Mormon and Moroni's alleged facts stated within the Book of Mormon have been substantiated as actual geographical truths, such as the electronic presentation you will soon experience at the end of this post, in my humble opinion, clearly does?

After viewing the videos presented below you will have to ask yourselves the question, how did Joseph Smith get all of that geography so accurately placed unless, as he told us, it was revealed to him by the God of Heaven as he translated that which was inscribed on plates of Gold by the Prophet Mormon along with other prophets who lived in the Ancient Americas.

I believe that with all of that precise geography being right on target (as I very firmly believe), we have solid evidence that the Book of Mormon was not made up by Joseph Smith or anyone else.

You are hereby invited to make comments regarding your stand on what you have learned in this blog post, in the Comments section which you will find at the very end of this blog post. There is quite a bit of information for you to consider but I feel you will find that it has been provided in a very interesting and informative manner.

Please remember that there are given limits set by Google as to how long your Comments can be. I will look forward to reading what some of you may write. Be sure to not overlook each of the sections of this following electronic link to which I will guide you. The videos will take some time to view and listen to, but they are very much worth the time it will take.

After attending the meeting this earlier this year on that Friday night in Provo, Utah I was very impressed with how the geographer father I mentioned above who presented appears to be very qualified in dealing with this very interesting and challenging subject because of his geographical skills.

There was no contention present during that meeting. I was very impressed with all those with whom I spoke  as to both of their honest characters and perhaps more especially with the father who is such an accomplished professional. After having read his conclusions regarding the actual whereabouts of the Book of Mormon lands, as I read the Book of Mormon now I have a mental map of those lands which makes a lot of sense and even helps me to more fully enjoy reading that Book of Books!

Please don't overlook any of the sections of that which is provided below (Under the title of: "A Choice Land" (the videos will take quite a bit of time to view fully but they are very worth the time it will take you.). You will be guided by the authors of this presentation you will be viewing as to the order in which you may view each of the sections of their presentation. You most likely will first choose to view their geography photos of portions of Baja California. Please do not overlook the videos. I found them very informative. However, it will take quite a bit of time to watch all of those videos, but you can come back later to view those you didn't have time for at first.

A Choice Land!

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DISCLAIMER
This Blog 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 Blog Post, (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: Geographical Location of the Book of Mormon Lands, A Strong Possibility -Post 45b. 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 45a: In my LDS Church Priesthood Class Several Sundays Ago, Our Instructor Asked Each of Us LDS High Priests In Attendance That Day To Tell Him Our Favorite Scripture! The One Which Was Our Teacher's Favorite Happens Also to Be Mine. Also (It is the Scripture I've Listed First, just below the Painting of Our Savior, Jesus Christ Wearing a Red Tunic.) I Decided to Model this Particular Post After Our Class Experience That Particular Sunday. I Have Begun it By Featuring Several Scriptures Which Illustrate Strikingly Different Ways in Which Jesus Christ's "Work and His Glory" is Being Brought About Today! I Do That By Showing Three Other Scriptures Which Aptly illustrate this too. I Have Also Used Selected Paintings and a Video Which Help Me Illustrate These! Next: I Give Each of You the Opportunity to List At Least One of Your Favorite Scriptures Which Also Illustrate How Jesus' Work and His Glory has been or is Now Being Brought About!. I invite You to do This by Using the Comment Feature of this Blog Post. (Please Just Use Your First Name When Using the Google Comment Feature of this Blog if You So Choose! I Intend then to Use What You Send Me Through Your Comments, in Next Week's Post. I Will Try to Match a Picture to Each Scripture You Provide. (You Are Welcome to Suggest a Matching Picture, If You Know of One and Describe it and by Giving it's Painter's Name, etc. I'm Really Counting on Some of You to Do This! (Don't be Timid! Please be Bold! Your Friend, Neil Birch

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

Dear Readers of this Blog, please note that Google advertisements may appear in this blog post. They were not solicited by me and I do not profit from them. I did request particularly that Google not place them within scriptures which I often use in my blog posts. It appears they have honored that request of mine. Thank you Google!

I discovered an add that was placed in a scripture I used in a previous blog. I respectfully withdraw my previous "Thank you."

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TODAY'S THEME

Jesus the Christ -by Del Parson

Moses 1:39  For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

That  most favorite scripture of mine (and that of at least one friend of mine) serves to lead me to begin presenting several other scriptures which illustrate our Savior's eternal work in bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. This present life of each of ours and and of that of the dear woman which is illustrated next is a key part of that sequence of saving events our Lord has brought about during His lifetime and forever after by His matchless power!

"Who Touched Me? "-Artist Unknown

Unknown Artist's Conception of  the Woman Who Touched Jesus  Desiring to be Healed of  Her Bleeding.

Just as I had found those two paintings above which illustrate this marvelous healing by our Savior, Jesus Christ, during His mortal lifetime, I was able to also find an applicable matching Mormon Messages (You Tube) Video. I decided to leave these two paintings of that same healing here in this post. That artist did his or her very best, however it is very difficult to match the illustrative power of a Mormon Messages video which has done in a part of Goshen, Utah which was made to appear like it is part of ancient Palestine during our Savior's life there. Before viewing that superb video please now read the New Testament scripture that so aptly describes that sacred event.

Luke 8: 43  ¶ And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,

44  Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.

45  And Jesus said, Who touched me?  When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

46  And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.

47  And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him and how she was healed immediately.

48  And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.

A Video: A Woman of great faith is healed without our Savior, Jesus Christ knowing it beforehand!

Now I introduce a subject which is a very integral part of our Lord Jesus Christ's effort to "Bring to Pass the Immortality and Eternal Life of Man."

Elijah Appearing in the Kirtland Temple -by Dan Lewis

Doctrine and Covenants 138: 46  And Malachi, the prophet who testified of the coming of Elijah—of whom also Moroni spake to the Prophet Joseph Smith, declaring that he should come before the ushering in of the great and dreadful day of the Lord—were also there.

47  The Prophet Elijah was to plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to their fathers,

48  Foreshadowing the great work to be done in the temples of the Lord in the dispensation of the fulness of times, for the redemption of the dead, and the sealing of the children to their parents, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse and utterly wasted at his coming. (The Second Coming of Jesus at the Beginning of the Millennium, Clarification by Neil Birch)

This will show you where temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are located through-out the - World which have already been erected and in which the Lord's work for both the living and the dead is being done constantly!

I will end this post by featuring the photos of just five of the LDS Temples which are special to me because I either live near them right now or in the past have lived near where they are located, except for the final one. It is  the Manaus, Brazil Temple which I included because it is the most recent temple to be dedicated. I have never been there and most likely never will!

Salt Lake City, Utah Temple - As a very young child,
I was sealed in this Temple  for All Eternity to my parents:
 Phillip John and Virginia Jensen Birch. I was also sealed to my 
present wife, Melva in this Temple.

Manti Utah Temple - I was endowed in this temple
and a number of years later sealed to Judy, the mother of my 
nine children here.

Sacramento, California Temple -I was born in Sacramento
and lived there a number of times earlier in my life. I grew up in 
Roseville located about 15 miles from where that temple is now located. 
It was dedicated sometime in this past decade.

Jordan River (Utah) Temple I Served as an Ordinance Worker for
Three and a Half  Years in this Temple. It is the temple LDS members
of our LDS Stake are presently assigned to attend.

Helsinki, Finland Temple - I Served Two Missions in Finland.
My Wife and I Lived Two Miles from it During My Second Mission there, 
When It Was Under Construction.

Kansas City, Missouri Temple - This New Temple is Located
Within the boundaries of the LDS Ward Where My Family and I lived for Five Years.

Manaus, Brazil Temple - This is the Most Recent LDS Temple and was just Dedicated this month, June 2012.

I hasten to remind you of the opportunity I gave you in the Introduction to this Blog Post to advise me of your most favorite scripture by using the Comments Portion of this Blog which will appear as you scroll past my name given at the usual end of each blog post.(Please re-read the introduction to this blog post to be reminded of what I'm intending to do with what you will have sent me. Thanks for having chosen to view this blog post.

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DISCLAIMER

This Blog 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 Blog Post, (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: Jesus Christ Tells Us: "This is My Work and My Glory to Bring to Pass the Immortality and Eternal Life of Man" (A video on the New Testament Healing of a woman with a severe bleeding problem is included.  -Post 45a 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, 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

44z: A Former General Authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Gary Coleman, Who is Now Honorably Released From that Church Calling, Addresses, in an LDS Church General Conference Talk, the Subject: Are Mormons Really Christians? That Video Presentation is Followed by Many Other Videos Which are also Presented by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Through these Video Presentations You Will Surely Learn that Mormons are Truly Christians!

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


Dear Readers of this Blog, please note that Google advertisements may appear in this blog post. They were not solicited by me and I do not profit from them. I did request particularly that Google not place them within scriptures which I often use in my blog posts. It appears they have honored that request of mine. Thank you Google!

I discovered an add that was placed in a scripture I used in a previous blog. I respectfully withdraw my previous "Thank you."

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TODAY'S THEME

Jesus the Christ -by Del Parson

Dear Blog Readers, please, after clicking on the following Internet Link, scroll down to the linked Title: "Are We Mormons Really Christians?"

Elder Gary Coleman, Former General Authority  of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

In a Video Which You Will Soon View, Elder Gary Coleman, a former General Authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (who was later honorably released from that calling)  delivers a General Conference address. I'm sure each of you will be deeply touched by not only what he tells us but also by the special spirit by which he tells us.

As you scroll down after clicking on the link found in the next paragraph, please read and view all of the material presented to you. You will soon see Elder Coleman, as a younger man, standing outside in front of a window of his house. Please click on the arrow you see in that picture.

(Internet Link) Elder Gary Coleman's LDS General Conference Talk Entitled: "Are We Mormons Really Christians?" Many Other Very Significant Videos on the Subject of Jesus Christ, The Savior of Mankind, can also be located through this very same link. After you have clicked on the link above you will see the Christus Statue, the original of which is in Denmark and a replica of it is found on Temple Square in Salt Lake City near the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Inside the link I've asked you to click on, underneath the picture of the Christus statue, you will see the words: "Are Mormons Really Christians?" Right under that is a "Table of Contents." Please use that table to locate those videos you would most like to view. There are a good number of them and you may have to return to this post a number of times to view all that you would like to view. I hope you return a number of times. This post of mine will always be available in the future. As new blog posts are added each Tuesday morning by me, you can still scroll down in my blog as far as you need to to find past posts of mine which will include this particular very intriguing post!

During the earlier part of my career in working full-time for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I had the very enjoyable assignment of being employed as an Indian Seminary Coordinator/Teacher with the Navajo Indians in Farmington, New Mexico, and the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indians out of Hardin, Montana.

At times I was assigned to attend regional instruction meetings with Indian Seminary teachers and coordinators who were assigned to teach in many different parts of the U.S.A. One of the many Indian Seminary professionals I met while attending those training sessions was Gary Coleman. I was told that he was part American Indian, however I do not now remember which American Indian tribe one of his parents may be from. I came to really appreciate the great man he is. I was not surprised years later when he was called to be a General Authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I hope that each of the readers of this most recent blog post of mine felt the Spirit of the Lord as you listened to Elder Coleman deliver that General Conference Address. I am fully convinced that what he said in that recorded General Conference Talk was inspired by the Spirit of the Holy Ghost.

I hope and pray that those of you viewers of this blog post of mine who are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, that if you have not yet been taught by the full-time missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you will consider doing so before long.

Of course, many, if not most of my blog readers are already members of that Church. In the case of those readers, I hope you felt the special spirit this fine man of most likely American Indian inheritance has! Perhaps there was something that he said in the General Conference talk you have just listened to which specially impressed you and caused you to think of things you ought to be doing to live more fully in accordance with that which is taught in the Lord's only true church!

My wish now is that each of you viewers will be blessed in special ways by the Spirit of Our Lord Jesus Christ in all that which you may be doing!

If you haven't yet viewed the other videos produced by His Restored Church that have also been made available to you in this post, in which is depicted much more of that which our Savior Jesus Christ has done for mankind, please scroll back up to the Gary Coleman Internet link above and click on it again. Scroll carefully through what comes on the screen. As you do so you will have the special opportunity of viewing a large number of additional videos in which is demonstrated clearly that Jesus is the Christ and that His Restored Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, teaches and bares sure witness of Him!

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DISCLAIMER

This Blog 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 Blog Post, (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: Elder Gary Coleman's LDS General Conference Talk Entitled, "Are We Mormons Christians?" along with other significant videos, is featured in Blog  -Post 44z 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 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, 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 44y: In each of the Holy Scriptures provided by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the subject of Human Health is dwelt upon by God. Our Lord Jesus Christ has provided in our day a very specific guide to His faithful Followers on that subject which is referred to by Him as "the Word of Wisdom" in which He instructs His followers regarding substances He wants them to avoid using and also those which He advocates our using in ways which will maximize our health!" Although most "active" Latter-day Saints live in accordance to those portions of that scriptural guide that have to do with the avoidance of the use of nicotine and alcohol, etc., it appears many of His Church members do not regularly live in accordance with each of the very specific instructions given in the "Word of Wisdom" regarding correct food usage. Not only do I refer to our Heavenly Father's direct guidance in this post regarding these very important matters, but I also quote in this post statements of an accomplished L.D.S. physician from his book written on the subject of Eating Correctly In Order to Have Healthy Bodies. I also provide video instruction by a non-LDS physician regarding the same matter.Then almost at the end of this Blog Post you will be treated to the opinions and observations of an LDS Couple who are professional journalists, regarding the very bad state of affairs in the United States of America and in many other Western countries regarding how their citizens eat. I also discuss a key related issue at the very end of this post.

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


Dear Readers of this Blog, please note that Google advertisements may appear in this blog post. They were not solicited by me and I do not profit from them. I did request particularly in several of my previous posts that Google not place them within scriptures which I often use in my blog posts. It appears they have honored that request of mine. Thank you Google!

I discovered recently an add that was placed in a scripture I used in a previous blog. I respectfully withdraw my previous "Thank you."

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TODAY'S THEME

The Prophet Alma the Younger Prayerfully Meditates -Artist Unknown

The Lord, Jesus Christ, assisted His people during the days of the Prophet Alma the Younger  in Ancient America in or about 72 B.C. by teaching them through His prophets to use health promoting plants and roots:

(Book of Mormon) Alma 46:40  And there were some who died with fevers, which at some seasons of the year were very frequent in the land—but not so much so with fevers, because of the excellent qualities of the many plants and roots which God had prepared to remove the cause of diseases, to which men were subject by the nature of the climate—

The Lord Jesus Christ now teaches similarly. On February 27, 1833 in a revelation given through His Prophet, Joseph Smith for His people who are members of His Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; are given a guide for living through a revelation of inspired scripture I have copied in full just below this next paragraph.

Strange as it may seem to you, a good number of members of His Church today overlook that part of His Word of Wisdom that has to do with eating the right kinds of food! Please pay particular attention to that which the Lord tells us in verses 10 through 16 of Section 89 of the book of Scriptures, entitled: Doctrine and Covenants.

"The Word of Wisdom" From The Book of Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

 SECTION 89
Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, February 27, 1833.  HC 1:327–329.  As a consequence of the early brethren using tobacco in their meetings, the Prophet was led to ponder upon the matter; consequently he inquired of the Lord concerning it.  This revelation, known as the Word of Wisdom, was the result.  The first three verses were originally written as an inspired introduction and description by the Prophet.

1–9, Use of wine, strong drinks, tobacco, and hot drinks proscribed;10–17, Herbs, fruits, flesh, and grain are ordained for the use of man and of animals;18–21, Obedience to gospel law, including the Word of Wisdom, brings temporal and spiritual blessings.

1  A WORD OF WISDOM, for the benefit of the council of high priests, assembled in Kirtland, and the church, and also the saints in Zion—

2  To be sent greeting; not by commandment or constraint, but by revelation and the word of wisdom, showing forth the order and will of God in the temporal salvation of all saints in the last days— 

3  Given for a principle with promise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints, who are or can be called saints. 

4  Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation— 

5  That inasmuch as any man drinketh wine or strong drink among you, behold it is not good, neither meet in the sight of your Father, only in assembling yourselves together to offer up your sacraments before him. 

6  And, behold, this should be wine, yea, pure wine of the grape of the vine, of your own make. 

7  And, again, strong drinks are not for the belly, but for the washing of your bodies. 

8  And again, tobacco is not for the body, neither for the belly, and is not good for man, but is an herb for bruises and all sick cattle, to be used with judgment and skill. 

9  And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly. 

10  And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man— 

11  Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving. 

12  Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly; (see definition of the word, sparingly, below, just after verse 21, the last verse.)

13  And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine. 

14  All grain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth; 

15  And these (the animals listed above) hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger. 

16  All grain is good for the food of man; as also the fruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground— 

17  Nevertheless, wheat for man, and corn for the ox, and oats for the horse, and rye for the fowls and for swine, and for all beasts of the field, and barley for all useful animals, and for mild drinks, as also other grain. 

18  And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones; 

19  And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; 

20  And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint. 

21  And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them.  Amen. (emphasis added by Neil Birch) 

Here is a Webster's Dictionary definition for an important word the Lord uses in the scripture above: sparing and its adverb sparingly: "That spares; hence, careful; provident. In Roget's College Thesaurus: "spare, v.t., abstain, forbear, withhold; exempt; give up, surrender, forego... "

About twenty years ago my wife, Melva Giles Birch bought a very interesting book without my realizing  that she had so done. It is entitled:

The Word of Wisdom Food Plan (a Medical Review of the Mormon Doctrine) 

I never even noticed a book by that name which was written by: Kenneth E. Johnson, M.D. (who is a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.) lying on shelf of a hinged two door cabinet in our kitchen which stands right next to our refrigerator! -Until!

In about January of this year (2012) my oldest daughter, Jane who has been employed for many years as a Trainer of new faculty members of the Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah introduced me to a new style of eating she has made a part of her life.

Realizing that my personal diet was close to being very much like her new diet which she was describing to me it didn't take long for me to make the diet she was living by, my own personal diet.

Jane helped me by loaning me about fifteen books/videos she has used which helped her implement the diet that she was following very avidly and successfully. She lost about 33 pounds after making that diet her own. She is about 5' 9'' tall and now weighs about 133 lbs. I am also 5' 9" tall and weigh 152 lbs.

One of the books she loaned me was the one mentioned above which was written by Dr. Kenneth E. Johnson, M.D. If  I had found our copy of it by searching the shelf where it had been laying for several decades I would have been benefited much earlier than I eventually was. I wish I had found it much earlier!

I now quote  from pages 14 and 15 of the above mentioned book written by Dr. Johnson. (By the way, I was given permission over the telephone by a female employee of its publishers, Cedar Fort, Inc.: 73 W. 700 S. Springville, UT 84663 that I could quote a total of only four paragraphs from it. She didn't specify which four paragraphs I could quote.)

Eliza R. Snow Young (I wish she were smiling in this photo,  but I  realize in those days that didn't often happen in photos.  I'm very sure she had a wonderful smile!

Here are those four paragraphs I chose to quote from "The Word of Wisdom Food Plan, A Medical Review of the Mormon Doctrine": 

"Eliza R. Snow was the most fascinating and dominant Mormon woman in the nineteenth century. Baptized in 1835, she became the wife of two prophets and was the sister of a third. Among her many accomplishments, she wrote the words for ten lovely hymns that still appear in LDS song books today. One of the hymns, "in Our lovely Deseret," was written more than a hundred years ago, but carries a vital message for us today. The second verse reads,

That the children may live long,  

And be beautiful and strong,

Tea and coffee and tobacco they despise,

Drink no liquor, and they eat

But a very  little  meat; 

They are seeking to be great and good and wise. ( Neil's note: emphasis was added in the official LDS Song Book itself by double spacing the key words: very  little  meat) 

How often do we and our children sing this hymn with gusto, but fail to obey one of its tenets?
 
Eliza's brother, Apostle Lorenzo Snow, discussed the Word of Wisdom in a meeting of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve in May, 1893. After reading D. and C. 89:10-16 and drawing "special attention to that part which relates to the use of meat, which he considered just as strong as that which related to the use of liquors and hot drinks," Apostle Snow "was convinced that the killing of animals when unnecessary was wrong and sinful, and that it was not right to neglect one part of the word of Wisdom and be too strenuous in regard to other parts. (Apostle Snow became the fifth president of the church in 1898." 

Unfortunately the book I'm referring you to is out of print now, but it is possible that copies are still available in some book stores and you should check your local library to see if they have copies of it there. I would be happy to ask Melva if she would loan her book to anyone in the ward wants to read it. In most of  the book medical evidence is presented by Dr. Johnson and other physicians proving how the word of wisdom and true medical information agree. Dr. Johnson and other physicians he quotes document their findings very professionally and very interestingly!

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Here is an Internet device you may want to use to determine how your personal biologic inheritance and personal living habits are effecting how long you will live. I received it through the Internet from friends of mine and of my wife, Melva; who live in Alaska. When I used the Longevity Calculator (which was produced by Northwestern Mutual Life) by answering all the questions asked in it, I was informed
that I should live until I am 105 years of age. I also noticed several things that I could work on which would
perhaps extend my life a little longer!

Longevity calculator. Watch your age in the upper right corner! Kinda fun to watch your age go up and down as you answer the questions! Now this is interesting, give it a try.... How long will you live? This is a calculator that estimates your life expectancy. It was developed by Northwestern Mutual Life.

http://media.nmfn.com/tnetwork/lifespan

Now I have the pleasure of inviting you to enjoy and learn from one or actually, two very intriguing and compelling videos which will help educate you in living by what I like to call: The Word of Wisdom Food Plan (using part of the title of the book to which I referred you to earlier in this post which I hope you can find in your local library.) 

I thank my dear daughter Jane whom I mentioned above in this post for providing the two Internet links several paragraphs below which present an intriguing  and compelling medical perspective on the subject of this blog post of mine:

Because you will surely find evidence in Dr. McDougall's (who is not a member of the LDS Church) video, or videos if you choose to view both of them, that there is sure medical evidence that that which the Lord tells us in the following verse of the Word of Wisdom is is true, I now remind you of Verse 4 of Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants:

4. . . In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation— (emphasis added by Neil Birch)

In these two videos you will be told that persons in the food industry perhaps could be about the Lord warned us about in the verse just above.  I believe strongly that true findings of medical science should match that which the Lord tells us about how to live healthy lives!  After viewing either one of these similar videos, but differing in length, I believe you will agree with me that you have viewed very good evidence that at least one very expert medical professional supports that which is told us in "the Word of Wisdom"! You can make a choice as to which one of these two very similar videos you choose to view. Maybe watching the shortest video first may lead you to take what extra time you may possibly have, to view the other also!

Dr. John McDougall's 2 Minute Video

Dr. John McDougall's 10 Minute Video

Just a brief footnote to the video or videos, you have just viewed: "The Lord Jesus Christ Doesn't Ever Need to View videos such as Dr. McDougall's Very Truthful Videos. Our Savior already is the source of all truth! However, I believe our viewing those two videos helps us see that the Lord's Word of Wisdom is right on target.

Please Re-read and also this time, please listen to:

Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be reassured of that truth:  

However, if you are short of time please read the following newspaper article before you read and listen to the scripture linked for you just above! You may then want to come back later to review that scripture more carefully!

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Just as I had thought I had finished putting together this blog post, I found this very pertinent article in the Deseret News (Salt Lake City, UT, U.S.A.) published today : June 4, 2012. Please take the time to read it. It is written by Linda and Richard Eyre whose column entitled: "Why the Family?" is known nationally!

"WE WENT TO dinner the other night in Poland with John and Kaisa, a couple we enjoyed meeting at one of our parenting events. The conversation turned to nutrition, weight gain and obesity.

They had visited the U.S. and were amazed at how many people seemed to be overweight.

We were sitting at a sidewalk café in a busy square,and they asked us to watch the people walking by and see how many of them were fat. Essentially there were none, and we asked them why.

It turns out it is a cultural thing as much as a dietary one. Kids grow up eating a lot of vegetables and fruits and fast food is essentially nonexistent unless you travel into a city center for the novelty of trying a McDonald's hamburger.

Kaisa told us of her Polish friend who had sent her child to school with a sack lunch that contained a candy bar and received a letter of reprimand from the school, which did not allow kids to have sweets on school grounds. We told her that was quite a far cry from our schools where there are candy and soda vending machines around every corner.

John, who was raised in New Jersey before he moved to Poland, told us he was now the only member of his extended family that was not overweight.

We mentioned that his family back home certainly represented the American norm and told him about a recent U.S.survey that showed a third of adult Americans are obese and another third are merely "overweight."

Kaisa suggested it is all about what kids get used to. Growing up in Poland, she said, meant that when she wanted a snack, her mother sent her out to pull up a carrot or down to the root cellar to find an apple. She says that to this day, she starts salivating when she sees a nice turnip. (And she wasn't kidding!)

Intrigued by Kaisa's bluntness, we asked, "But what if all your kids will eat is French fries or sugared cereal or fast food?"

Wide-eyed, as though she could not imagine something that horrible, she said, "Then the parent must forbid it!" She went on to make the compellingly logical point that if the only options kids have are fruits and veggies, they will pretty quickly learn to like them.

We told her and John we agreed, and that in fact our daughter from Ogden was proof of her point. Saren, our eldest daughter and the mother of five of our cutest grand kids, has fed them healthful food from Day 1, and there is something quite wonderful about hearing a 7-year-old say,"Oh, I just love lentils!"

John wondered how much it must cost the United States to have two-thirds of its adults overweight. "The medical costs of that must be huge," he said.

Kaisa was quick to point out that while it might be a financial problem and a medical problem, it was, at its root, a parenting problem. "I think," she said, "that American parents are making their kids fat."

Then, worrying that she might have offended us, she went on, "Or maybe a better way to it is that only the parents can fix this problem."

Neither John nor Kaisa was saying anything we hadn't heard before, but there was something wonderfully blunt and truthful about hearing them just tell it like it is.

They were not being critical or judgmental -- in fact, they were very sympathetic. They just felt bad for the problem we have in our country and were a little incredulous about how we Americans allowed it to happen and about why we aren't doing more to fix it.

Before our conversation changed directions, we tried to provide a little summary statement. It went something like this: "Like so many other problems in the world, there is only one way to change America's obesity problem' and that is one family at a time, one child at a time."

Richard and Linda Eyre are New York Times No.1 best-selling authors who lecture throughout the world on family-related topics. Read Linda's blog at www.deseretnews.com/blog/81/A-World-of Good.html and visit the Eyres anytime at www.TheEyres.com.

Just an afterthought right at the end of this post's message: Perhaps some of you may have wondered why the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do not require that members of that church  live  faithfully by that portion of the "Word of Wisdom" that has to do with the foods we eat as they do in requiring members to abstain from the use of nicotine and alcohol when judging whether or not they are worthy of a temple recommend? After all the Lord, in His Word of Wisdom advises strongly regarding both items.  Please carefully and prayerfully, if you will, study the following words of our Savior, Jesus Christ and then decide how you might respond to the question I pose at the beginning  of this paragraph.

Doctrine and Covenants 58: 26  For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.

27  Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

28  For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves.  And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.

29  But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned. (emphasis added by Neil Birch)

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DISCLAIMER

This Blog 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 Blog Post, (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 Word of Wisdom, Section 89   of the Doctrine and Covenants Contains a Food Plan Which Guides Our Eating (a medical video is included along with a Deseret News Article.) -Post 44y 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, 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