Maggie Jessop's Blog, page 27

How to Structure an Essay

It is essential to know how to structure your essay. Writing essays follows a specific structure, with the hook (first couple of lines) grabbing the attention of the reader. The hook is the foundation for each paragraph. The hook is demonstrated using an https://faircom.es/how-to-write-my-essay-for-me/ example. In academic essays, http://ihomeservice.com/?p=23851 avoid making use of the pronouns first person. These are some guidelines for structuring your essay. If you want to know more about the content and structure of essay, you can read on.

The process of brainstorming ideas

If you’ve never had the chance to try to brainstorm before, you’re losing out on an excellent approach to writing that will be beneficial to your writing for the rest of your life. Although brainstorming ideas to write essays can be daunting but this method can assist you to arrange your thoughts in such a way that they’re easy to recall and develop. Students can also use this to ease anxiety. It assists them in organizing their thoughts and relaxes.

It is essential to allocate enough time and space to come up with thoughts. It can be compared to the idea for compartmentalization. If you plan to write at least 2 hours a day, your brain will find it easier to generate concepts. While brainstorming for writing essays is typically done by teams, you can take it up on your own if you adhere to the right procedure.

AhaSlides is another tool that is free to brainstorm ideas. You can write your ideas on whiteboards with others, then let them decide which ideas are the most popular. When it comes to fictional characters, the exact same concept applies: draw their positive traits on the left and draw their negative traits on the middle. Mind-mapping software offers another option to get ideas for an essay. Mind-mapping software such as MindGenius is an excellent tool to visualize the world’s events in a visual way.

One method to come up with concepts for writing narratives is to utilize journalist dice. Each die is associated with a question term. Every time you roll the dice, write down your answers. After you’ve spun the dice 12 times your story will be compelling for essay writing for college. This technique can be utilized to come up with ideas and thoughts for the college essay. You can reap many benefits when you brainstorm ideas. Get started today.

Body paragraphs

The body paragraphs of an essay should have one or two supporting concepts that are in support of the sentence , or the thesis. Smooth transitions between paragraphs must be seamless. The aim of the transition is to eliminate any of the distracting aspects from the topic sentence, or the thesis. It isn’t required to be complex sentences it is essential to have transitions for the effectiveness of your essay. Vonnegut utilized a simple sentence in order to show his https://autocarebangladesh.com/?p=161 point. Yet, other writers use longer sentences.

It should be the topic sentence that signals the principal notion of in the body section. It should start in the middle of the paragraph, and should determine the contents of other sentences. The topic sentence should contain enough sweeping language to incorporate all the other supporting sentences. Furthermore, it should be a rephrase of the thesis sentence. The final sentence must include a prediction on what’s coming next. This will make the essay more structured.

The essay’s body paragraphs need to be organized logically and follow by a predetermined structure. Each paragraph begins with introduction and expands on that idea with supporting sentences. In accordance with the subject, the paragraph may include arguments, logic or even an expert’s endorsement. It ends with a repetition of the original idea. If you’re writing a formal essay, be certain to include transitions in the paragraphs as well as the body-centered format in each.

The body section of an essay is split in two sections. The first is an introduction followed by https://vaidikkitchen.com/who-can-write-my-essay-for-me-cheap/ the conclusion. The topic sentence is located in an introduction. This body section includes the main body paragraph. The body paragraph is the part that informs the reader of why the subject sentence is about. Use proof to justify your main notion. If the topic sentence cannot be substantiated, use quotation marks or subordinate clauses to back your arguments.

Conclusion

Making a good conclusion not as difficult as you think. The conclusion section of essays can be used as a summary or formality. It is supposed to give readers an overview of the entire paper. It can be structured by a number of different ways. Below are some suggestions.

As a final point, you can present new facts. But, this isn’t an appropriate time to introduce the latest sources or make significant updates. This portion of your essay should be used to summarize the primary concept of the essay. It is important for the reader to be able to comprehend your argument. The point isn’t to announce a conclusion or to dispel doubts. It is, however, appropriate to present new thoughts or arguments at the end of an article.

An effective conclusion must summarize the major elements of your essay. The conclusion must summarize the main points of the essay. It should also provide readers with a reason why they should go on reading. Write a few drafts, and then solicit help from professionals such as editors, writers centers, or trusted teachers to create a strong conclusion. Once you’re ready write, create strong conclusions. If you’re unsure what to write about, consider getting someone else to read the essay and give you some suggestions. These professionals are likely to offer you a unbiased and constructive advice.

The end of an essay is one of the most significant parts of an essay. Like you learned in the body portion of your essay, the final paragraph of an essay is the final page that the reader will read. If your conclusion is overly long, the reader could bypass the body entirely and go through the conclusion. Conclusions should not appear bulky or heavy. It’s a chance to summarize key issues and help make the paper more unforgettable.

Words that describe transition

Although transitional words can be beneficial in essay writing but there’s a risk that they could be misused. Most of the time, they are used for the same reason, however they become meaningless when applied inappropriately. The majority of writers place the words “because,” “and,”,” or “but” at the start of sentences. Although these words can be acceptable for certain situations but they’re not the best choice in academic writing. They can help you connect your thoughts to create an easy flow throughout your essay using transition words.

The words that transition connect two thoughts, and aid readers understand the meanings of the sentences that preceded them. Additionally, it makes the essay more accessible. These words help create a flow in the essay. It’s simple to make a essay look unfinished without these terms. Here are some instances of terms that are transitional. Take a look at each of these!

The function of a transitional word is similarto that of a transitional: it provides the foundation for https://theosophyindonesia.org/uncategorized/how-to-get-someone-to-write-my-essay/ new ideas. While many writers use the word “transition” throughout their sentences They aren’t required for each paragraph. A good transitional phrase is an essential piece of your essay’s puzzle. If used properly, it can determine the success or failure of your entire essay. It is possible to use words that transition to tie to the data you just wrote and keep your essay logically connected.

A conjunction is another type of word that is used to transition. If used properly, these words make an article flow easily by connecting two distinct things. These words are especially helpful when contrasting or comparing things. They’re especially useful in comparative essays, compare-and-contrast essays and narratives. If your essay is being written it’s possible to use transitional terms to help readers to follow the essay. The importance of a transitional list of words is in any essay.

Audience

It’s important to take into consideration whom your readers will be in writing essays. Your readers could be your teacher, classmates parents, classmates, or a completely stranger. The different groups will judge your writing in a different way. The perspective from each person in the audience in addition to the whole public. There are several ways to think about in writing to different kinds of audience. The primary reason to identify the audience you are writing for is to know if the piece is for particular people.

Know your audience. The audience you intend to address is the people who are going to read your essay. The audience could be different or even a more specific group. In the case of journalists, for instance, they are writing for the general public that is not limited to the college educated group. For this, you’ll need to use examples and images that will aid your readers in understanding the issue. Additionally, you must be in touch with your audience’s needs to make sure they are not wasting precious time reading information that is not needed.

Consider the reader you’re writing for. The majority of writing assignments are designed using an audience in mind. If, for instance, you’re creating a memo to a client the audience will likely be co-workers. The audience you target will be a greater number of professionals writing an article. You need to think about their audience and create content that is appealing to them.

Know your audience. By doing so, you’ll know what kind of content they’re interested in. It is possible to tailor your content in accordance with their preferences and enhance your efficiency. It is also possible to tailor your content to different types of audiences, such as college students and older people. Take into consideration the age range of the audience you are targeting If you’re writing for young people. The content you write for won’t reach the appropriate people if you do not know your intended audience.

Work area Management Online community – Boosts Your Work area Space Performance

Do you want to get involved in a workspace management community? If you are, you most likely already know that there are plenty of ways to do. You just need to take some time to look around over the internet. The reason why it’s so important to go searching is because you don’t want to miss out on any kind of valuable data. By engaging, you will be able to get all the tips and advice that your co workers may be applying in their unique offices.

A large number of workspace management forum sites allow you to require a brief survey for each work space management forum are really likely using. You can even use this time to content any ideas or reviews that you have which can help the entire workspace management discussion board experience all the more enjoyable for everyone involved. These surveys usually take just a few minutes to complete and therefore are very easy to do. Any individual can easily fill up them away once they will be prompted.

If you need to do a review to see the other users consider the work area management system that you use, you can do this too. You will need to login your work space management forum account if you want to take a survey. This way, you won’t have to go to each specific site to answer questions or make suggestions. You can always be able to submit a study whenever you need to do so.

One of the top elements that most persons do when on a work area management forum is usually to make suggestions or post queries. Here, you can expect to typically be able to access a comment type where you can produce a suggestion or perhaps post a question. If you want to determine other opinions made by different members, you will akronscore.org manage to search the forum by simply clicking on “posts” under the “general” tab.

Yet another thing that many members on a work area management message board do on a regular basis is to generate links. These kinds of links may be to different websites that the subscribers find interesting. If you are looking to get better business in your home workplace, you can make some by looking into making certain that those sites that have backlinks to options ones that folks have frequented already.

You might also find this kind of forum helpful if you are looking to discover more details about software applications that you can down load onto your pc for free. You can always search the forum for all those topics. The majority of people like to content questions about things that they have experienced and want answers for. You may also locate tips for employing such software program on your work space management community. Additionally , this will give you a chance to find out about software discounts that exist periodically by simply various corporations.

If you are interested in improving your output in your work area management community, you should make sure that you browse everything that you can discover on the subject. The more you learn about the subject, the much more likely you are going to achieve better group in your home business office. You may also realize that this is a great place to share thoughts with other employees who have similar concerns as you may. This message board can serve as an excellent place to discuss advice on how to make your work space operations efforts more appropriate.

If you are a person who has difficulty being organized quite simply workplace space, you may want learning even more about a good workspace management community forum available on the web. This kind of personal community forum can be a good way to gain access to ideas and info that you can use to be able to improve your business operations. If you are a person with very little spare time, you may want joining the biggest workspace supervision forum online. With this sort of community forum, you will get access to those who will be able to give you advice to be able to better utilize your work area at home. You might also gain access to a number of internet businesses that can offer you many alternatives for no matter what problems you are having in your own workplace space

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Reflections of an FLDS Lady

Who am I, anyway? I’ve been asked this question a number of times. Recently, this query has been posed by various voices in the media. In case they quote me, I write this article in my own words since most media personalities love to cut and splice and make a body say stuff she doesn’t actually say.

On this 215th birthday anniversary of the Prophet Joseph Smith, once again, I pause to reflect on the most important questions us human beaners ought to ask ourselves. Who am I? What do I stand for? Where am I going, and how do I get there? 

I was born and raised Fundamentalist Mormon. You might say I came from the “inside of the inside” of the FLDS. I was born to honorable parents, grew up in a safe, protected environment among many wonderful people, married into a noble family, mothered eight children, taught school over a span of two decades, managed a sewing manufacturing business, and had much more additional experience to enlarge my understanding of the foundational principles of faith, hope, charity, and love.

I survived the Raid on the YFZ Ranch in Eldorado, Texas, in 2008, when four of my eight children were stolen along with four hundred forty-two more FLDS children. I was a plural wife for twenty-five years and occupied a position of respect and prominence among my people. I have thousands of friends and acquaintances and am deeply familiar with Mormon belief and our myriads of lifestyle situations.

I lived among my people forty-seven years. About a decade ago, along with hundreds (perhaps thousands) of FLDS people, in answer to divine instruction, I was separated from my family and friends and embarked upon a solo mission for reasons I did not yet then understand. God doesn’t usually explain up front the details of His requirements. For decades our congregation had been advised by the prophets among us of coming tests and trials, severe and unprecedented, which would try us beyond our comprehension and cause our hearts to melt.

Having a believing nature since birth, I had read the Scriptures extensively over a period of four decades and studied thousands of sermons given by our religious leaders. Little did I realize that this knowledge and testimony, which had been developed and strengthened by example and precept in my days of peace, would serve as a vitally solid foundation which would be assaulted by greater turbulence—the proverbial winds of war that blow in mainstream society. Hard experience would reveal the deep-down desires of my heart, which don’t generally become entirely evident until one is faced with a crisis of faith.

To put it bluntly, we were taught how to fly and then pushed out of the nest to see if we could fly. Not only were we taught to fly, but also how to land safely. Tough love is sometimes the greatest manifestation of love. Some of us little birdies fly smoothly, and some of us flutter, dip, and dive and narrowly miss splattering on the rocks below. Some get eaten by wolves. Some birds harden into buzzards that stalk and circle other birds as they struggle with flying lessons.

Now, after considerable years of experience in mainstream society, I look back and marvel at the wisdom of God. In the absence of my customary support system, having endured indescribable heartache of separation from my people, I can say that this situation has accomplished, at least in part, exactly what my Creator intended—the discovery of myself and my relationship with Him.

Presently, I work as a truck driver and travel thousands of miles each week. During rest breaks and days off, I write books and blog articles, record songs and audiobooks, and dream up all kinds of new projects to keep myself busy. In my travels, I see many people, and I call many of them friends. Having met scores of wonderful folks in mainstream, I have observed their lifestyles and cultures, and I feel kindly towards everyone. But honestly, I haven’t yet seen anything to compare with the goodness and purity of FLDS society.

Some people ask why I exert the courage (and the audacity) to speak publicly of FLDS faith, which as you may know, is famously infamous. Popularity means nothing to me. I am far more interested in truth which can generally be found in a kernel or a nutshell underneath a mountain of illusion and supposition. Do I have authority to preach? Absolutely not. But I don’t mind sharing my testimony which has been earned through nearly six decades of faith-promoting experience.

The word obedience has a negative connotation in mainstream society. The devil has just about convinced the entire world that the true and living God is either absent or nonexistent. Most people who say they do believe in God keep him in a box. He is only God if he says and does certain things according to their limited understanding. If God comes out of his box and speaks and acts outside their traditions, then they doubt the existence of God or become angry with him because they want him to be a god of their own creation.

I believe that obedience to God and His authority is of crucial importance. I totally get why most people don’t want to obey anyone. Most haven’t ever known a qualified leader, or if they have, they prefer their own advice. Most aren’t able to recognize or accept legitimate authority because tradition has convinced them that obedience is a weakness. I certainly agree that submission to the wrong boss is indeed a weakness. Personal experience has taught me that obedience to God which includes the act of repentance and submission, is actually very rewarding.

It takes supreme diligence to recognize the voice of God. The devil is one heck of an impersonator. It’s mighty important to get the right Boss. If you are your own top dog and feel you can go far and high on your own, go for it and see where it takes you. I believe that anyone who says it’s a weakness to submit selfish will in preference to the will of God hasn’t tried it long enough or honestly enough to reap the rewards. If I wouldn’t have been obedient to the teachings, lessons, corrections, and opportunities offered by God through the Prophet, I would have turned into a bitter old bitch. I’ve seen a bunch of those, and it ain’t purty.

There are only two great powers in the earth—God and Satan. There are not three great powers, God, Satan, and the great big me. At any given moment, I am choosing which one of the two great powers I will listen to and follow. Yes, I can do much good (or bad) on my own power because I have free will. But I am always acting in subjection to one or the other of those two great powers.

God will not force, and the devil cannot force…unless we allow him. Therefore, we can’t blame our actions on either one of them. Jesus gave His life to allow us the gift of free will. We retain freedom as long as we choose God’s way. If we choose to follow Satan, we forfeit our freedom to a mighty mean master.

Whatever God sets up, the devil sets up a counterfeit. It’s the age old battle of good and evil. That is why both kingdoms can sometimes sort of resemble each other. As the Prophet Joseph Smith stated, “That which is wrong under one circumstance, may be, and often is, right under another. God said, “Thou shalt not kill;” at another time He said, “Thou shalt utterly destroy.” This is the principle on which the government of heaven is conducted–by revelation adapted to the circumstances in which the children of the kingdom are placed. Whatever God requires is right, no matter what it is, although we may not see the reason thereof till long after the events transpire….”

God‘s kingdom is a benevolent dictatorship. It is not a democracy or a republic. Besides being our Father and Creator, He is our King, our Sovereign, and He has the right to rule. We can’t get together and vote Him in or out. We may express negative opinions against the prophets He appoints until we are blue in the face, but it doesn’t change the mind of God one bit. You and your friends might even gang up against the prophets, speak against them, and do away with them. But in the end, it only hurts you.

It takes a good deal of personal faith and humility to attract enough of the Spirit of God to know who to trust and who to follow. Though Satan can present every conceivable form of temptation and contradiction imaginable, it is definitely possible to obtain this knowledge from God.

Dissenters and anti-FLDS activists, with the help of media, try to create a shroud of darkness and mystery around the FLDS, but they just don’t get it. The Gospel we believe in is actually very simple. There’s nothing dark or sinister about it. “We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men.” The challenge comes when people have contradictory definitions of all those adjectives I just mentioned—honest, true, chaste, benevolent, and virtuous.

The Gospel we follow is nothing new. It’s as old as the earth. The instructions we have received from the Prophet Warren Jeffs are similar to former tests and experiences required by God through the medium of His prophets in former ages of time. True, some of our experiences may seem more severe, but so also is a college exam more detailed and challenging than the entrance exam for kindergarten. As time marches on and the earth moves closer to a celestial state, so must our refinement also advance.

Obedience is the first law of heaven. It always has been and always will be. No matter what we go through, the bottom-line test in every test is always loyalty to God and His authority.

Most think of obedience as a horrible thing like groveling in fear before a screeching tyrant like Hitler. This type of demand for obedience is the devil’s counterfeit, and it is evil. Both God and Satan require obedience, but the asking and the doing are polar opposites.

The obedience which God requires is sweet, humble, child-like, joyful, submission to Him and His authority, which authority can sometimes seem abrupt, insensitive, and dictatorial. God’s word is sharper than a two-edged sword. I have never heard of Him humming and hawing and beating around the bush. Developing the ability to “take it straight” and not have to be coddled and cajoled into obedience will make you a much stronger person.

It takes a great deal of courage to submit to difficult requirements, but it always results in favorable circumstances in the end. Often, people give up before the test is over, before the benefits have become evident. Usually, those who give in to their own selfishness become discouraged. The greatest tool of Satan is discouragement. This tool is the molecule that can bring down the mountain.

Self-pity, anger, and revengeful feelings are effects of discouragement, and it all goes downhill from there. Over decades of time, we FLDS people have heard from the pulpit in great detail how to recognize and emulate the nature of God in order to recognize and reject the enemy of God. But people are people, and oh, how human we are. It’s ironic how quickly we humans turn our backs on God and run to the devil, and then turn and blame God for the unsavory results we get by cohorting with the devil.

FLDS people follow the First Two Great Commandments. The first is to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, might, mind, and strength. This means full and complete dedication. The second commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. Sometimes we let the second commandment interfere with the first commandment. If we don’t get our priorities straight and we care too much about what our neighbor thinks, says, or does, or we set our hearts upon our own opinions, we are not focused on the will of God and can be led astray

Love God most. That is the Gospel in a nutshell. It’s so simple.

The Prophet Joseph Smith said he did not control his people. He taught them correct principles and they governed themselves. I have known three prophets in my lifetime, and each of them has taught the same principles that Joseph did. Each prophet has encouraged each individual among our thousands to seek the will of God and learn how to recognize His voice. Possession of the Spirit of God is critical to our survival. The Spirit of God is the spirit of peace. That feeling and temperament employs neither blind obedience nor passive indifference. It is the vibrant joyful energy of the love of God.

FLDS people are often accused of being sheep. This is true…and not. Obedient people are the greatest transformers because they are both sheep and lions. When God is the Shepherd, they are sheep. When Satan tries to lead them astray, they turn into lions. FLDS people are the most sweet, humble, obedient people I know, yet they are also the most stubborn, determined, fearless, die-hards that walk the earth.

Although the devil would have you believe otherwise, true obedience to God produces true freedom and incomparable peace and joy. The disobedient have no clue what they are missing. I have never been forced to obey FLDS leaders. Obedience has been my privilege my entire life, though it has taken a great deal of trial and error and experience to understand the seemingly contradictory and mysterious workings of such an incredibly simple concept. I am a witness that we FLDS people have indeed been taught how to govern ourselves in righteousness that we might obtain happiness. Anyone who says differently has incorrectly interpreted the basic principles of our faith.

It is true that sometimes those who lead (both men and women) and those who follow (both men and women) get mixed up about the responsibilities of followship and the boundaries of leadership. Thankfully, God eventually corrects those in error. We have always been, and still are, a work in progress.

If you target the FLDS and look for dirt, you will probably find it. But let’s be fair. If the same magnifying glass was held to everyone else in our nation, and each petty offender was apprehended by the same iron hand that has all but strangled the life out of the FLDS people, the Land of the Free would have ten thousand times more criminals. If they turned every single gas station in America into prison cells, they might contain all the “bad” people who don’t strictly uphold the law of the land.

There must be a ton of folks who are completely without sin because they just keep on throwing rocks. I truly hope that someday you, too, may feel the love of God when He lays His hand upon your shoulder for offenses you may have committed against Him and your neighbors. I suggest caution when you try to fix others. When you persecute those you disapprove of, you are inviting trouble for yourself sometime in the future.

All of us from the smallest to the most seasoned are human and each is subject to human weakness. The most wonderfully stable thing is that we follow a perfect God, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We follow the prophets He has chosen, and we don’t look for iniquity in them. The prophets are human and subject to human weakness just as the rest of us are, but God is the only one qualified to guide and correct them. The more I hear of hateful propaganda against the Prophet Warren Jeffs, the more convinced I am of his true identity in the eyes of God. This kind of hate is old news. Satan has promoted a hate campaign against every prophet who ever lived since the beginning of time.

Quite a number of times, well-meaning people have inferred that they actually like us strange FLDS people for our honesty and work ethics, but they say they will like us better if only we will ditch our prophet. They want us to be good, but they require us to deny the source of our goodness. FLDS people who stick to their faith haven’t the slightest desire to sink the ship. On the Good Ship Zion, God is the Admiral, and the Prophet is the Captain. We can’t turn mutinous to the Captain and expect the Admiral to approve.

Several times people have said to me, “Maggie, I like you, but I don’t like your religion.” Well now, the fact is I am a product of my religion. It’s an interesting paradox. Some of my FLDS acquaintances have not only chosen to turn from their faith, but to fight against it, which revengeful retaliation has earned for them a blood-stained pedestal attended by public applause. They are honored for supposedly escaping an abusive cult and rising up in the world in spite of the so-called “destructive ideology” of their former religion.

The general public may suppose that this is the prevailing mindset of the people who once called themselves Latter-day Saints. Many believe the FLDS group is now practically extinct, but this is false. My voice likely expresses the sentiments of the silent majority. I don’t mind declaring that whatever degree of success and accomplishment I now enjoy as a result of the past decade of experience alone in mainstream is because of my religion, not in spite of it. Perspective is a big deal. Some women blame their faith for their failures while other women honor their faith for their successes.

So why do “ten thousand voices” claim to be hurt by FLDS Mormon culture? Easy answer. It’s the popular thing to do. You might agree that hordes of people in the world have angry tales to tell about their ex-husband, ex-wife, dad or mom, brother, sister, boss, co-worker, or anyone they consider to be a foe. Usually people won’t give these stories much credence because they are too commonplace in mainstream. But if you present a tale of abuse and include an unpopular religion and a despised prophet, then the do-gooders will sit up and take notice. They add fuel to the fire with supposed “righteous indignation” and heap on loads of sympathy for those seemingly innocent victims.

It’s obvious to me why stories of FLDS dissenters become popular and even manage to get on the best-seller list. The degree of popularity the authors enjoy is in direct proportion to the degree of unpopularity of the supposed perpetrators. I find it ironic that even to claim former connection to the FLDS gives those indignant authors a momentary flare of misplaced admiration from the public. Unfortunately, the authors’ notoriety is not based upon honor or personal merit or accomplishment. They enjoy a flame of fame granted by the identity of those they slander.

I am personally acquainted with many of those who speak against the FLDS prophet and people. Some of them are former students, and some are members of my extended family. I know these people. I am familiar with the circumstances they have defined as abusive. Hey, I believe in free speech, and I get how every soul is entitled to his or her own personal opinion. But when someone slanders another person and gets away with it because the person they accuse is unpopular, that’s downright despicable. They pose as victims while exercising free reign to accuse and harm those who will never retaliate.

Some write books and do talk shows. They sue and they sow…seeds of their own destruction. Twisting truth or presenting partial truths out of context is actually called lying. Dishonesty is a cancer that grows and destroys from within.

There is a particular fact that may not be understood by those who digest and accept inflammatory reports that defame the FLDS. You see, those who slander are fully cognizant that it’s against the principles of those they accuse to retaliate or seek revenge. Dissenters who feel free to accuse faithful FLDS members know full well that the public and the courts will not hold them accountable. This vulnerable situation produces cases like the un-mysterious RH, who brings the newest lawsuit against FLDS men. She is not required by the judge to reveal her identity because she says she fears retaliation. Seriously? Those who claim to be victims are sometimes the worst kind of predators.

There is a particular paradox I haven’t yet been able to figure out. When a woman stays true to her faith and refuses to compromise loyalty to her convictions, she is said to be brainwashed and manipulated by abusive men. When a woman turns against her faith and embraces mainstream philosophy and receives overwhelming support and sympathy, she is somehow viewed as independent and courageous. I find that most interesting.

It has been a popular assumption that FLDS women are brainwashed and illiterate. The truth is FLDS women are actually quite smart. Some of them have even figured out that all they have to do to get a lot of attention and support and financial assistance is to complain against FLDS men. If you take a woman with a gripe and you add to the mix an unpopular religion of a patriarchal society where obedience to the mandates of Heaven is required, you’ve got yourself one heck of a bonfire.

Scandals like that turn into witch-hunts. After all, if you read about it or see it on the news it must be true, right? Before you know it, lawmakers, law-enforcers, and biased judges get involved. They target a specific religion and create laws to annihilate that religion and those who live it when they don’t actually know or understand the culture or its people. Add in hearsay and gossip from the masses and keep the media fires raging with all the unsavory imaginations of the carnal mind, and you’ve got yourself a hellish situation. Every trick that can be devised by the devil himself is heaped upon those unfortunate people.

The only thing this nonsense proves is that advertising works. C’mon, admit it. You’ve seen so many Coke commercials over the years, that now your subconscious mind is convinced that if you drink barrels of that lethal concoction, you will somehow be thin and beautiful and make friends easily. You’ve heard rotten things about the FLDS so many times that now you just know those strange people are guilty of whatever sordid tale is marketed.

It doesn’t take a lot of brain power for FLDS dissenters to see the lucrative advantage of presenting to the sympathetic ear of mainstream their scandalous reports against FLDS men. As a result of this combined effort from forces within and without, innocent people have been harmed. Men have been imprisoned, women have been driven from their homes, and children have been stolen all in the name of law and under the guise of justice, freedom, and protection for the innocent.

The bottom line motive of the enemies of the FLDS is to do away with their Prophet. They don’t really care if they destroy women and children as long as they silence the Prophet. They call good evil, and evil good. The double standard is too Orwellian, and too predictable. It would be far better to leave the FLDS alone and let them live in their homes and tend their gardens in peace. Trying to “rescue” FLDS women and children from their men is like an environmentalist draining a lake because he’s afraid the fish are going to drown.

Recently, one of the women who testified against Warren Jeffs admitted to a college professor that she had lied under oath. If the prosecutors and the courts were actually interested in truth, they would uncover many more lies from many more liars. One anti-polygamy activist stated, “Well, even if the witnesses lied, they had to do it in order to accomplish the greater good. We had to get rid of Warren.”

Hmm. The greater good, is it? That sounds frightfully similar to the election scandal. The socialist regime will do anything—lie, steal, and cheat just to get rid of Donald Trump. You can’t accomplish good by doing bad. Have the oppressors forgotten that this is America, the land of freedom? Did they forget our Mayflower pilgrims came here seeking to escape religious and civil persecution? This country was founded on faith in God—the same God who created it. He owns the land, and He owns the country. I think we’re all going to find out soon enough what He thinks about it. As the American justice system fails to uncover the true criminals and grant redress to the true victims, the Owner of the country will judge the judges. It’s just a matter of time.

I have been challenged several times by certain individuals who demand to know if I will (quote) stop believing that Warren Jeffs is a Prophet when I find out that the accusations against him are true (end quote). I don’t usually waste brain power on foolish theoretical questions, so I will answer this question with a question.

Who is your idol? What ideology do you worship? I have seen with my own eyes the many idols of mainstream. I have watched as thousands grovel before the gods of the earth. I have seen hordes of people scream and swoon in the presence of music and media icons. They actually pay homage to those with morals that rank far below the gutter. They hang on every word their idols speak while worshiping their glittering golden images, no matter how depraved. Do you seriously want to accuse a homespun religious community of idol worship?

We all admire certain people for various reasons. Personally, I admire people like Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa. So, what if I hear that Gandhi was actually a secret member of the Italian Mafia? He lived in poverty, yet he was rich as Midas. Now what? Does that mean that Gandhi’s words have suddenly become irrelevant? The message of peace he gave to millions no longer means anything?

What if CNN reports that Mother Teresa, who has been honored by millions as a pure and virtuous Catholic nun, was actually married with children? Does that mean you would no longer respect her words or the honorable principles she stood for?

I have heard hundreds of sermons given by Warren Jeffs. I have personally seen and heard him interact with thousands of people over many years’ time. When I was a teacher for Alta Academy, I saw him almost every day for fourteen years. The most profound teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ I have ever heard in my life came from God through this Prophet.

So, if I hear rumors about him, does that mean I no longer believe in the undeniable worth of his teachings? No. You see, it isn’t the man I worship. I worship God and believe in His message through His messenger. Haters will hate and howlers will howl. It doesn’t change what I think and know of the Prophet.

What about Jesus Christ? Most of society believes He was an unmarried man. But what if you find out that not only was He married, but had multiple wives? Some of them might have even been rather youngish. Would you no longer respect the message of Christ, no longer believe that He died for your sins?

My goodness, will you still believe in God when you find out He is a bit more and different than what you suppose Him to be? What if you find out that He, too, is a man with many wives, maybe even boatloads of them? I mean, c’mon, do you really think all of us gazillion children came from just one mother? Poor, poor mother.

What will you do if and when you find out that your god is of your own creation? How will you react when you discover that the true and living God is different from your idea of God? Will you reject Him? Will you now say that His holy words are null and void?

I have lived long enough and seen enough to be convinced that the most courageous people on earth are the prophets. They are amazing examples of obedience. We ordinary people might whine about the idea of obedience to a prophet, yet we hardly know the meaning of the word. God expects perfect obedience from the prophets. He, alone, knows who has courage enough to face the mob and deliver His message, and only He can appoint a prophet.

The prophets are willing to risk life and limb to obey the commandments of God. The Bible and Book of Mormon record dozens and dozens of instances that show how the prophets are willing to face danger, privation, and death. A prophet is brave enough to face tyrants, kings, judges, and presidents, and even endure persecution from members of his own family.

When trials come, it’s too easy for people to point the finger and blame their leaders. We are happy to receive blessings, but when tests come, we suddenly develop spiritual dementia and can’t remember a single blessing of the past.

Where much is given, much is required in return. It’s no wonder that our entire flock has been tested and tried and received strong rebukes and corrections during the last decade. For many years, we were warned this would happen. The prophets apprised us repeatedly that the day would come when each of us would find ourselves alone to see if we have earned enough of the Spirit of God to know what to do without having to ask anyone else.

That day came…and still, it comes.

God chastens those whom He loves. I think that’s just wonderful. Those who are willing to accept chastisement are blessed. I am thankful for the wonderful mission of self-discovery and self-improvement life has brought to me. When we submit our will to our Heavenly Father’s and exercise self-denial and self-discipline, it opens the door to rapid character growth. The more truly humble a person becomes, the more they are blessed with self-worth and self-confidence. 

Our kind and loving Heavenly Father has invited the FLDS people to step up and become better, to be more aware, more thankful for our blessings, more focused on our relationships with Him. He has given experiences that should teach us how to better love our neighbors as ourselves. At His direction, many of us have experienced a mighty change, both physically and spiritually. I believe that many of us could say if we had lived a thousand years in our safe haven surrounded by our family and friends, we would never have realized the height and depth of personal growth that we now enjoy.

God has given us the opportunity to not just hear about it or talk about it, but to actually learn and earn the unconditional love exemplified by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. True love grows through godly suffering and sacrifice. Those who are willing to walk through the Refiner’s Fire will become pure gold. They will become joint heirs with Jesus Christ in His heavenly kingdom.

It takes a heap of faith to live as the Mormons do. What doesn’t take us down only makes us stronger. I suspect our country is in for a big upset. What goes around comes around. Many of those who have fought against the FLDS are arrogant Christian conservatives. Who is now under attack? The conservatives. You oppose tyranny, and rightly so. But you have confused the legitimate work of God with the devious entrapments of Satan. In so doing, you have invited your own imprisonment. What you send out shall return to you.

If you are bent on destroying the FLDS, the odds are against you. The only way to entirely eliminate true Mormonism is to kill off every last Mormon. As long as there is one left, we will keep on striving, keep on praying, keep on working, keep on loving, keep on keeping on. We forgive those who have fought against, lied about us, imprisoned us, and harmed us. We leave judgment to God.

Don’t feel sorry for us when we receive tests and corrections from God and go through hard experience. We have been and will continue to be tried by both God and Satan, the two great powers of this earth. God will win this battle, and we stick with Him.

Believe me when I say that FLDS women don’t want or need to escape our faith. We certainly appreciate kindness, but not false sympathy. I, for one, am thankful for challenging experience. Don’t feel bad if you feel left out. Hang on. Someday, your turn will come. Probably sooner than you think.

I have learned that faith in God and His program works far better than anything else. Perfect obedience produces perfect faith. As faith grows, peace distills upon your soul, and your power of love grows exponentially. The unconditional love of God is the most wonderful, beautiful gift imaginable. Perfect love casts out all fear. Imagine a life without fear. Imagine a life full of love and peace. You love God and you love yourself. You even love all those pesky people you didn’t think were possible to love. It’s awesome.

To conclude my reflections, I admit I am a proud determined woman. There’s no way in H…E…double toothpicks I would blindly follow anyone unless I am absolutely sure they have legitimate authority from God. He is my Best Friend, my Guide and Guardian, my Hero!

So, after all the opportunity of so-called freedom in mainstream, after years of doing what I please, saying what I please, and going where I please, would I ever want to return to a more secluded, more socially restricting environment? If God called me to gather with my beautiful, intelligent, faithful, devoted people, the very salt of the earth, could I give up ownership of my property? Would I sacrifice my job, wealth, and independence?

In a heartbeat.

View from my Window

I drive lots of miles. I go through sunshine and rain, desert and mountains, big cities and small country towns. Every day I observe many people bustling around involved in this busy business called life. I like to keep my windows clean so I can see clearly. Today as I scrub my glass, I think about mental vision and spiritual outlook. I think it’s a great question to ask ourselves, “What is the view from […]

Signs of the Times

Road Signs will go down in history as Great Literature from our very own DOT Dandies.

Flood of the Century

September 2014, I was living in Cache Valley in northern Utah, where my great-great-grandfather Joseph Smith Jessop settled after immigrating from England and walking across the Plains in his bare feet sometime in 1860.

A neighbor called and asked if I was related to Joseph Jessop, a man from Short Creek, whose two wives and seven children had drowned in a flash flood that very day.

My heart stopped. I locked my doors and closed the blinds and turned off my cell phone ringer and looked up every news article I could find. The terrible flood was big news. There right before my eyes were dozens of horrifying pictures of an incident never to be forgotten. It was one of the most sobering and heart-melting days of my life.

My brother Joe’s family which consisted of his two wives Josephine and Naomi, and their eight children had been out on a drive when a raging flash flood came tearing down from the mountain canyons bringing the Flood of the Century to the community of Short Creek.

Another FLDS family had experienced the same fate. Josephine and Naomi’s sister Della, wife of Sheldon Black, and their five children, were in an SUV following my brother’s family. Both vehicles had stopped near a waterway crossing. Without warning, they were swept into a destructive torrent which battered the vehicles as though they had been made of tinfoil.

It took rescue crews several days to locate the bodies. One of Sheldon Black’s children, a six-year-old boy named Tyson, was never found. Three mothers in their prime and thirteen children lost their lives that day. Two of Sheldon’s boys escaped the vehicle which his wife Della had been driving. The only member of Joe’s family who was spared was his eldest son, Little Joe. As the family’s fifteen passenger van was thrown about in the torrent, he had used his pocketknife to cut through an air bag and escape through a window.

I sat in shock far into the night as I gazed at the pictures of my family and friends. I remembered when Joe’s wives and children had been prisoners of the state of Texas in 2008. They had been numbered among those who were taken from the YFZ Ranch and crammed into makeshift shelters until the mothers were forced out and the children distributed to foster care facilities all over the state. I marveled at the almighty hand of God. Sometimes He requires His children to go through much experience. He gives, and He takes away.

I thought of my Grandfather Richard Seth Jessop when his two teen daughters had drowned back in the 1960’s. They had gone swimming at the reservoir in Short Creek and never came home. They were found holding hands under water. The family could only guess that when the girls realized they were in trouble, they had grasped hands for support as they accompanied each other into the next life.

 

Grandpa had looked at his beautiful daughters and said simply, “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

I watched the news and saw my dearly beloved brother Joseph Newel. I could see he had the same unquestioning unconquerable faith as had Grandpa Rich. I thought of my own children and the rest of our people in our scattered state. These are the times that try men’s souls…and women’s and children’s. Exactly what we had been promised was happening–experience that would shake us to the core. Experience…experience…and more experience.

As I read the news, I became more and more horrified. Even though so many sweet innocent people had just died in a traumatic event, the news stories were filled with hateful comments against FLDS people. Some said it was the retribution of God upon evil people. Some said that all FLDS people were lawbreakers and the sooner they were all killed off, the better. Some expressed pity, but it was tainted with hateful suggestions against the Prophet Warren Jeffs and those who supported him.

Some people suggested foul play as though mere humans could have power enough to cause a torrential flood. Some said it was my brother’s fault that his family had perished. They said if he was a real man, he would not have let his family live in Short Creek. They theorized that if he hadn’t been part of a religious “cult”, his family wouldn’t have died in the flood. Some even railed against Joseph Smith, the Prophet who had been murdered in cold blood nearly two hundred years previous.

I should have known that smurky comments are the common thing. I shouldn’t have read them, let alone feel sad or mad over them. I read enough to become aware of the terrible animosity against my people. I already knew it was there, but I didn’t realize how awful it really was. We had been warned by prophecy that hate would grow to the point of mobbing, plunder, and bloodshed just as it happened in the days of Joseph Smith. After reading the comments which obviously portrayed a hateful bloodthirsty prejudice, I needed no further witness.

I began to write. I couldn’t help myself. My people were not bad. In fact, after living alone in mainstream for years and meeting so many people from other cultures, I was even more convinced how dear was my faith and how wonderful my people actually were. My religion wasn’t an ideology of hate and abuse. It was the opposite. Our Prophet wasn’t what they said he was. I knew better. Maybe I could get people to listen.

The general public believed such terrible lies, but I could see why. The news was so rotten. The worst harm was coming from within. Dissenters had much influence with the public. People I had known all my life were telling loathsome stories of violence and abuse. Some spoke of events that I had witnessed same as them, yet their perspective compared to mine was completely opposite.

Something deep within urged me to pick up my pen and write. I had to do my part to speak up and tell the truth. Somebody needed to speak up in defense of truth, in defense of our Prophet and our people. Why doesn’t anyone speak up? I was perplexed.

I reasoned with myself. “Maggie, you can’t look around wishing someone else would speak up. What about you? It ought to be a woman. We are the ones who have been stigmatized as witless and spineless, victims of what they call abusive men and an abusive ideology. That someone needs to be you.”

Yes, I believed in turning the other cheek as Jesus did. Yes, I believed in patience and humility and waiting on God to intervene. I reasoned that there is definitely a time for silence, the test that all Christians have to pass. But I also believed there is a time to speak up. True Christians face that test also.

I believed that truth is truth and needs no defense. Truth would remain whether I spoke up  or not. I reasoned that the real test would be if I had the willingness to defend it and be condemned by the majority. I didn’t believe in debates or quarrels, and I didn’t believe in revenge. Reason told me that there comes a time in every person’s life when they must stand for what they believe even if they are all alone. Perhaps my time had come.

I picked up my pen and wrote a letter to my brother Joe. For hours I poured out my heart on paper filling sheets and sheets with my testimony, my experiences, my analogies, my convictions, my yearning, and my love. Then I put the letter in my filing cabinet. I didn’t have an address for my brother. Besides that, I couldn’t quite imagine that anyone would want to read my words.

As time went on and wounds healed, the aching void caused by the trauma lessened, though I never forgot. A couple years later, I found the letter and read it again. At first I thought, “Where did this come from? Did I write this? No, I’m not that good. This is actually pretty good writing.”

Back pat. Cheesy grin. I read it again and thought, “I should have mailed that letter. Now what should I do with it?”

I put the letter back in the file and closed the drawer. Months went by. But something about that letter nagged my conscience.

“What should I do with it?” I asked the invisible presence hovering patiently nearby.

“Turn it into a book,” came the answer.

“No way,” I replied with an incredulous laugh. “I’m nobody special. Nobody would give me the time of day except throw rotten tomatoes at me. That’s all I need…to make a public spectacle of myself and get a whole bunch of unwanted publicity from the haters in the world.”

I thought about the Prophet Warren Jeffs. I had known him for forty years. He is a quiet man by nature. I had never seen him promote himself or try to be the boss or make any effort whatsoever to outshine anyone else. He had never sought a public appointment or platform. Yet his name and his picture had been rudely flung to every corner of the earth. He had been likened to tyrants like Hitler and Stalin. Anti-FLDS activists had made several unflattering movies and documentaries about him. Even some of his own family members had publicly denounced him and accused him. I had never heard of him speaking ill of those who sought his harm. I knew him to be the kind of man who never retaliates, the kind who loves his enemies and prays for them.

I knew Warren Jeffs too well to believe the propaganda. More particularly, I knew his identity. I knew who and what he is in the eyes of God.

No true FLDS believer wants publicity. It’s just not part of our religion. We are simple people who would much rather be out of the public eye. We like to live quietly on farms and in harmonious communities. We believe in faith and home and family. We believe in gardens and fields and flocks and herds. We believe in working together and building beautiful things. God is number One with us.

I studied these deep-down feelings. Whose voice was speaking to me? I knew well that Satan has great power to impersonate and deceive. Me, write a book? All my former traditions protested loudly. But wait. Should my desire for anonymity override what could be a timely defense of truth which would likely bring the risk of publicity?

“Come now, Maggie,” I chided. “What good are you if you’re not willing to stick up for your friends and your faith?”

I knew there were plenty of mad people who were upset about losing their homes in Short Creek. Many were angry about the messages which had sent hundreds of our people on missions of solitaire all over the nation. I had heard boatloads of vehemence expressed by those who took offense at the reprimand of God which had been delivered to our people via the Prophet.

Mad people don’t like it when other people aren’t mad. Angry people want everyone else to join them and help them get revenge.

But that mindset of misery wasn’t for me. I would rather hear uncomfortable truth than a pleasant lie. I would rather look deep within to discover myself and not be popular than join group indignation and be accepted by the majority. I didn’t understand why people would condemn the Messenger just because they don’t like the message. Would I betray someone I know is good just because everyone else says he’s bad? No. I wouldn’t like myself if I did that.

“Am I a woman of faith,” I asked myself, “or am I just a spineless mouse? Do I have the courage to defend the unpopular truth and become a lonely outcast? Or am I just a coward with lots of friends?”

As the persistent idea of becoming a published author began to dawn upon my mind, I searched my heart for many days to discover and identify my motives. The story of Alma and the four sons of Mosiah came to mind. They had been so blessed growing up among the Nephites. Alma’s father was the Prophet—Alma, the Elder. Ammon, Aaron, Omner, and Himni were sons of King Mosiah.

In their youth, those five young men had been blind to their blessings. They were guilty of the sins of both commission and omission. They were complacent, idolatrous, and proud. History infers they were popular young bucks, guilty of light-minded sarcasm. They made fun of their parents and leaders and the church.

Both the Prophet and the King, Alma and Mosiah, mourned over their wayward sons. They prayed over them pleading with God to intervene. Because of the faith of their fathers, Alma, the Younger, and the four sons of Mosiah were visited by an angel with a flaming sword. The boys saw proof of the existence of God standing there speaking the truth of their sins. They shook in their shoes as they were severely chastised.

Alma was so shocked with fear and amazement that he fell to earth as if he were dead. It took his father and a group of faithful men fasting and praying for days before he woke up praising God for delivering him from misery.

Alma and the four sons of Mosiah went through the process of severe repentance. They became the most humble and faithful of all men in their day. After their conversion, they couldn’t stand to think of anyone else going to the awful hell they had nearly earned for themselves. They would do anything to rescue those who had been convinced by Satan that it’s okay to live in pride and rebellion. They thought if they could just convince a few servants or slaves, they would be content.

The story of their incredible success as missionaries among the Lamanites is one of the sweetest stories in holy writ. Makes me weep tears of gratitude and empathy every time I read it.

How similar this sacred story is to our day. Our people, the FLDS, have been severely chastised by God. We were guilty of sins of commission and omission. Our Prophet and other faithful men and women have exerted much faith and prayer yearning for the repentance of our people. We have been slow to obey the voice of God. Subsequently, our entire group has been severely chastised by Him. Every family has been affected. All of us should be in sackcloth and ashes.

I personally felt the chastening hand of God. It was as though I, too, had seen an angel with a flaming sword and had fallen to the earth. I had gone through the dregs of repentance. I had wandered through the valley of death. Through tribulation, I had earned an increase of faith in God and faith in myself. I had sought forgiveness for my trespasses and had forgiven the trespasses of others. Most difficult of all, I had forgiven myself. I was at peace with my own heart and at peace with the world.

Now, I could hardly bear to think of anyone being sad or fearful or hateful. It hurt to think of others living a lie. Those who were so quick to believe the worst and turn persecutor against innocent people would no doubt be punished someday. I pitied them. Why would they justify their hate and live in misery? Why would they bring condemnation upon themselves? The road to perdition is paved with bitterness and revenge and self-righteousness.

As I read again the letter I had written in response to hateful words from the public at the death of thirteen FLDS women and children, a flame of conviction ignited into fire. It wasn’t only a tiny spark of hope. The fire of indignation burned hot and bright. How could they be so wrong? How could they be so blind?

I thought if I could just write my story and my testimony, though it would only be a small splash in the ocean of conflict, maybe somebody would listen. Even if just one person in the world could read the story of an FLDS woman who had been through so much experience, maybe just one person would set aside their prejudice. Maybe they could finally understand that they cannot understand. Unless we have walked in the shoes of others, how can we judge them?

It took two more years of steady persistent reasoning from my inner voice before I published my first book. What began as a letter became FULL of BEANS. I didn’t expect that anyone would listen to me unless I spoke the language of mainstream—sarcasm. Full of Beans with all its faults and failings, its sass and satire, splashed onto a base of faith and testimony, would not only pester bent feelings, but also test my fortitude.

Did I get flack? You bet your boots I did. From the moment I pushed the publish button, I got hailstones and rotten vegetables. At first, it hurt. Now, I just laugh. The more people cuss, the more I write. I decided I wouldn’t write just one book. My life has been packed with much experience. My heart is full of faith and testimony that I hope will last throughout my life and beyond. I have no problem coming up with words. I could fill a library!

I write chiefly for the sake of history. I write hoping to influence someone, sometime, somewhere, that love is always the answer. Faith in God will never fail you, though it may take time and tears to see the rewards of faith. The humility of submission to His will, His way, brings grand results in the end.

I also write hoping to encourage men and women who have victimized themselves for any reason to stop blaming others for their losses. All of us have room for improvement. All of us can overcome mistakes of the past. None of us are qualified to throw stones. All of us can forgive one another and rise above conflict and animosity. All of us can SHINE today.

Come, Come Ye Saints

William Clayton

Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear, but with joy wend your way.Though hard to you this journey may appear, Grace shall be as your day.‘Tis better far for us to strive, our useless cares from us to drive. Do this, and joy, your hearts will swell. All is well! All is well!

Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard? ‘Tis not so, all is right.Why should we think to earn a great reward if we now shun the fight?Gird up your loins, fresh courage take; Our God will never us forsake.And soon we’ll have this tale to tell–All is well! All is well!

We’ll find the place which God for us prepared, far away in the West.Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid; There the Saints will be blessed.We’ll make the air with music ring, shout praises to our God and King.Above the rest, these words we’ll tell–All is well! All is well!

And should we die before our journey’s through, happy day! All is well!We then are free from toil and sorrow, too; with the just, we shall dwell!But if our lives are spared again to see the Saints their rest obtain,Oh, how we’ll make this chorus swell–All is well! All is well!From Stranger in a Strange Land

Eye of the Beholder

[image error]The man looked like a devil.

“How do you know how devils look?” I chided myself.

“Well, he looks like what I imagine a devil would,” I answered myself.

“Yes, of course I realize that looks can be deceiving,” I continued with my private analogy. “The perception of both devils and angels are in the eye of the beholder.”

He was late twenties with beefy muscles and his hair looked like a modern art project. Straw colored locks with long orange spikes erupted from his head reminding me of a scrub brush in a car wash.

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And he had jewels. Earrings, eyebrow rings, nose rings, and a dozen silver studs littered his face detaining the eye from noticing his Gucci designer clothing.

The poor fellow was scantily dressed but looked fully clothed since multitudes of tattoos covered his neck and arms and legs. His eyes were hard and dull, and his mouth twisted into a cynical smirk. He glanced at me and his head whipped back to look again. And he stared.

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“What planet did you come from?” the devil asked, not terribly unkindly.

I laughed. I’ve heard that a few times more than a hundred.

There I was clad from neck to wrist to ankle in a pale pink prairie dress. My long strawberry blonde hair was swept up into one of those old-fashioned pompadour do’s that were popular a couple hundred years ago.

I wore no make-up. I thought I was plenty gorgeous without the paint. Besides that, I had an aversion to the face spackle that covers the spots and cracks and makes a gal look like someone besides herself. Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder.

[image error]To the car wash scrub brush creature, I replied with a grin.

“I came from heaven. WHERE did you come from?”

Ah, yes. Where did we all come from? Why am I here, lost on the wrong planet wandering among devils in Purgatory? Where have all the angels gone?

This is not a ten minute story. Get yourself a cup of coffee and relax.

I was born and raised in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as the FLDS. I won’t tell you all about my own planet because I already told that story in my last book WHERE MUCH IS GIVEN.

This story is about your planet.

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History tells many stories of strangers in strange lands. Hadassah, the Jewess, became Esther, the queen of Persia. Ruth, a Moabitess, followed her mother-in-law Naomi to Bethlehem and gave her heart to Boaz, an Israelite.

Moses, a Jew, was claimed by Pharaoh’s daughter when she rescued him from a floating basket in the river Nile. He thought he was Egyptian until he discovered his identity and later led the Children of Israel out of Egypt.

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God called Abraham to leave his father’s house, and he lived as a nomad for many years. Adam and Eve were driven from the Garden of Eden. They had to establish a new home in a strange place that wasn’t nearly as lovely.

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Lehi and his family left Jerusalem, the land of their birth, and crossed a turbulent ocean to begin a new civilization in a far away land. As a mere youth, Joseph was torn from his parents, sold into slavery, and later became the ruler of Egypt and thus became the means of salvation for his father’s household.

I wonder how Abraham and Moses felt as they wandered and dwelt among strangers. It had to be terrifying for Lehi’s family to leave Jerusalem and trek into the wilderness, having no idea where they were going. Imagine the concern Esther must have felt when she left her guardian Mordecai and went alone into the king’s harem.

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It must have been a strange new experience for Ruth to come from a land of idol worshipers and transform into an Israelite. Can you imagine how Joseph felt, an untried innocent boy in an idolatrous land? Try to imagine what he must have experienced when Zelica, a seductress of renowned beauty, forced her charms upon him.

How true it is that beauty is only in the eye of the beholder.

[image error]Who can say where we shall go and what our sojourn will be? Where did we come from and where are we going? Can you foresee the distance your influence will travel? What home can you claim? To whom does this land belong? Who is the Master that governs all?

The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?

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Are we not all strangers?

They say you don’t have to be a Christian to be a good person.

I say it sure does help.

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From Stranger in a Strange Land

By Maggie Jessop

Where Is Heaven?

Just imagine…

You were born on another planet to a wise King Father and a beautiful Queen Mother. You grow up as a Prince or Princess and are treated like royalty.

The Kingdom where you live is lovely and peaceful. There are many noble princes, dedicated teachers, and learned judges who teach the King’s subjects and govern the land. Your beautiful homeland is thriving and orderly, and the sound of laughter reverberates through the homes and hills.

You grow up with many brothers and sisters and friends and neighbors. Everyone is human on your planet where human challenges exist. But because of the wise King’s faith and ecosystem which has existed in harmony for centuries, problems are efficiently and amicably resolved. You and your people live a certain way with particular customs. The Laws of the Kingdom are strict, and the subjects continue to learn and grow and thrive.

As you mature, you realize that not everyone on your little planet is the same. Thorns and thistles grow   among the roses. Weeds continually sprout in the gardens. The corn seed you plant turns out to be glass beads, unable to germinate. Your eyes are open to see there are goats among the sheep. And  there are wolves. You hear of other lands far away where there is war and terror. You cannot imagine  such darkness because you have been protected all of your life. You feel safe

Most of the King’s subjects are engaged in productive pastimes, but there are those who sit upon the fence and do nothing. Some walk the outside perimeter with their eyes upon the flickering lights from other worlds. Some take offense at the King’s rules. They listen to him speak and block their ears. They put their own interpretation on his laws. They twist the words and deeds of others to look like something dark and strange and unintended. Unrest stirs within the Kingdom and the wolves begin to howl.

You are unaware that your royal culture is loathed by creatures elsewhere in the galaxy. They fix their eyes upon your land and home and wealth. They lust after your fair ones. You have no idea that angry eyes watch you. The howling wolves within your own walls snarl and prowl as they conspire with outside forces. You do not realize there is an enemy from another planet at your gate.

You dearly love your home and your people with all your heart. You haven’t the slightest wish to be anywhere else. But the wise King who created your planet can see much farther than you can. He knows his subjects better than they know themselves. He knows about the thistles and the weeds and the goats and the wolves.

He knows that while his many subjects point their fingers at goats and wolves, each Princess has thistles in her hair, and each Prince has mold growing in his heart. This he cannot allow to remain in his Kingdom. He knows his enemies will conquer the land and take prisoners. He knows his innocent ones will be carried off to be wooed by strange people with strange customs in strange lands. He knows his Kingdom will be desecrated and despoiled by those within and by  those

without.The wise King can see far beyond today. Everything he does is for the good of his royal ones. He weeps. He mourns. And oh, how he loves.

One day the King calls one of his subjects to stand before him. It is you. Yes, you. With tears in his eyes and gravity in his voice, he commands you to leave your home, your family, your people, and your planet. Where must you go? You must take a journey to Hell.

Imagine the devastation you experience. In all your wildest imaginations, you never could have guessed that you, a royal Prince or Princess, would find yourself in hell.

How will you behave? What will you do?

Hell is full of all kinds of creatures. You find they are not all the same. Many are confused and sad. Some are angry. Many wander aimlessly. Most are unaware of life on other planets. Those who know of other civilizations elsewhere in the universe have twisted convictions about them. They cannot see past their noses.

They watch you with narrow eyes and painted faces. You are an intruder in their world. You are despised because you are alien.

You are a stranger in a strange land.

You discover there are sumptuous feasts and fine wine, raiment of silks, glittering palaces, and dazzling enticements there. And just as you suspected, there are many devils in hell.

You are amazed and gratified to find there are also a few angels. You recognize small havens of heaven in hell.

You discover that Hell is not so much a place as it is a state of mind.

You decide that if you must live in hell, you will turn the devils out of doors. You will make of hell, a Heaven.

How wise that King. He knew all along what you will do. But he wants you to know it too.

Just imagine…

What could happen if every person on our planet decides to make heaven instead of hell? Each person will overlook the faults in his neighbors, and focus on fixing himself.

What will be the result?

Eventually, there will be no anger, no fighting, and no evil. There will be peace within each soul. There will be good will in our homes and communities. There will be peace within our borders, and it will produce a ripple effect to reach far beyond our shores to other lands.

There will be world peace.

Soon the devils on our planet will out-devil each other and kill each other off. The only ones who remain will be those who are willing to make peace in their minds and hearts. They will make heaven in their little corner of the world. The earth will be renewed and redeemed. Our wise benevolent King will be pleased. This time, His tears will be those of joy.

He will call us once again to dwell in His Kingdom. Each Prince and Princess will have earned a priceless crown. Each one will be worthy to sit with the King at His table and partake of the choicest fruit from the Tree of Life.

That precious most desirable fruit is the pure love of Christ.

From Stranger in a Strange Land

FLDS Lady Book 3

Reality Versus Perception

Sometimes pictures are so eloquent, they speak ten thousand words.I believe nearly every person in our nation can find themselves somewhere in this unflattering cartoon.