Daron D. Fraley's Blog, page 2

Behold A Great Red Dragon

“…the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood…”, and that flood has never been deeper than it is now.

If the great red dragon could destroy all that is good, all that is full of light, all that is lawful according to the laws of God . . . he would. The flood has spewed forth. The lies, the treachery, the false accusations . . . are so numerous and constant that the barrage of filth which is rising like a tidal wave has the good men and women of this world scrambling into life boats, desperate for safety from the flood.

And still, the serpent’s mouth is open wide, the flood gushing forth with all its might.

In this battle for the souls of men, who will rise above the flood by recognizing their own dependence on He who has provided the life boats of safety? Who will succumb to the depths of darkness either through their own arrogance, or because they are too weighed down by the chains of their own sin and guilt?

What is this war all about? Is it really about government shutdowns, bankrupt entitlements, United Nations treaties, or food stamp cards with no limits? Is it about improving education, giving amnesty to illegal aliens, or giving special protections to vocal interest groups?

I don’t think so. These are just minor battles, and all of them symptoms of a much greater problem. A much larger war.

It’s really quite simple. This war is about agency.

AGENCY: “The quality of moving or of exerting power; the state of being in action; action; operation; instrumentality; as, the agency of providence in the natural world.” Websters Dictionary, 1828 Edition

Am I an agent unto myself? Do I have the right to choose my own path–to move, to exert power, to be in action–as long as it doesn’t interfere with the liberties of anyone else? Do I have freedom? Do I recognize that my agency, or my power to choose, comes from Providence?

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” (Preamble, Declaration of Independence)

Do we believe these words? Was our agency . . . and our Liberty . . . an unalienable right, endowed by our Creator?

This is a serious question . . . can I act for myself? Do I really have agency?

Or do I believe that the Government must make everything fair, according to whatever standard they come up with, so that nobody feels underprivileged?

Can my government force me to do something that takes away my own liberty and freedom to choose? Can my government force me to eat? Force me to work? Force me to live in a certain city or neighborhood? Can it force me to buy a product I don’t want? Can it force me to learn a language I have no desire learning? Can it give special privileges to one group while suppressing the free speech of another?

“Where there is force, there can be no choice.” –definition for Choice, Websters Dictionary, 1828 Edition

This is the whole problem. We live in a day when agency, the power to choose and act for ourselves, is under attack. The great red dragon who fought against Michael . . . both of whom had their own “angels” . . . is still attacking.

Agency is the prize.

Will we retain the freedom to choose, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States, or will we lose our individual sovereignty and forfeit our liberty to a nanny-state government that will tell us everything that we must do, should do, and cannot do, all under the guise of progress, when in reality the policies being implemented are the precursors to totalitarianism?

Do we sit back and take it? Do we turn the other cheek, taking great care to never offend our neighbor so that we might all just get along under the umbrella of all this progress? Or do we fight? What would the Lord do, if He were here? Would He fight?

“To deprive an intelligent human being of his free agency is to commit the crime of the ages. . . So fundamental in man’s eternal progress is his inherent right to choose, that the Lord would defend it even at the price of war.” (David O. McKay, Conference Report, 1942.)

Where are we in this war? Are we engaged, or are we sitting on the sideline watching? Which team have we chosen in this conflict? Will we stand up and defend agency, freedom, liberty?

“The scriptures make clear that there was a great war in heaven, a struggle over the principle of freedom the right of choice. In the war in heaven, what would have been your reaction if someone had told you just to do what is right—there’s no need to get involved in the fight for freedom? Of course, the war in heaven over free agency is now being waged here on earth, and there are those today who are saying ‘Look, don’t get involved in the fight for freedom. Just live the gospel.’ That counsel is dangerous, self-contradictory, unsound.” (Ezra Taft Benson, Conference Report, October 1966.)

Let’s remember that we were there during the great war in heaven. We fought in that war. And the tactics of the great red dragon on today’s battlefields have not changed:

“[The war in heaven], so bitter, so intense, has never ceased. It is the war between truth and error, between agency and compulsion . . . His enemies have used every stratagem in that conflict. They’ve indulged in lying and deceit. They’ve employed money and wealth. They’ve tricked the minds of men. They’ve murdered and destroyed and engaged in every kind of evil practice to thwart the work of Christ.” (Gordon B. Hinckley, An Unending Conflict, a Victory Assured, Ensign, June 2007.)

Is our participation in this war justified? Are we able to engage in this conflict, and do our best to set things right . . . to shout truth from housetops?

I say, “YES!” We must fight. We must protect our families from the evils of this world and teach them so that they also can keep their own agency. Liberty must be protected. We must remain free from bondage!

“(The) most universal subjugation in our day, as it has been throughout history, is ideology or political beliefs that are inconsistent with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Substituting the philosophies of men for gospel truth can lead us away from the simplicity of the Savior’s message. When the Apostle Paul visited Athens, he tried to teach of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Of this effort we read in Acts, “For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.” When the crowd realized the simple religious nature of Paul’s message, which was not new, they rejected it. This is emblematic of our own day, where gospel truths are often rejected or distorted to make them intellectually more appealing or compatible with current cultural trends and intellectual philosophies. If we are not careful, we can be captured by these trends and place ourselves in intellectual bondage.” (Quentin L. Cook, Lamentations of Jeremiah: Beware of Bondage, Conference Report, October 2013.)

Look at the world and behold the great red dragon who is deceiving with the philosophies of men!

Be wise! Beware of bondage!

That is our clarion call. The horns are sounding. Will you answer?

 

 

Additional References:

“…the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood…”–

America Might As Well Bomb Herself As Go To War In Syria

I firmly believe that the United States of America, and the Constitution that created the unified nation, were divinely inspired instruments designed to protect the God-given freedoms of all mankind.*

I really do believe that. I also believe that the founding fathers of this great nation were some of God’s finest sons . . . with their wives, mothers, and sisters, being no less important to the birth of America than they were.

When George Washington was inaugurated, he placed his hand in the book of Genesis, on the verses of the 49th chapter that describe Jacob’s patriarchal blessings to his sons. President Washington did this wittingly . . . he knew exactly what these verses meant for him as a person, and the nation for which he was now to be the first person to execute the powers of the Constitution. Washington was making a covenant. He, and America, would follow God’s commandments as long as he, George Washington, had anything to do with it. **

There is a covenant upon this land of America, and George Washington was not the first to make it. In The Book of Mormon we find this promise:

“But behold, this land, said God, shall be a land of thine inheritance, and the Gentiles shall be blessed upon the land. And this land shall be a land of liberty unto the Gentiles, and there shall be no kings upon the land, who shall raise up unto the Gentiles.And I will fortify this land against all other nations.” (

Mormon Authors Support Gay Author In Publishing Dispute

Some of my readers may have seen the news about the Cedar Fort book contract that was cancelled this week because the publisher refused to allow one of the authors of

The Relationship Between Conservativism And Popular Culture

Several months ago I was listening to Glenn Beck’s radio talk show and they were discussing the relationship between conservatism and popular culture. Dismayed by the politically liberal trends of movies, books, music, and art, they called for more conservative artists, musicians, and writers to step up and do their part to influence the minds and hearts of Americans toward conservative values.

That idea–that the political climate of America is mirrored by the entertainment sought out by the masses–greatly intrigued me. Whether Glenn and Pat and Stu linked the two or not (because I don’t remember the details of the discussion), I think that the arts are also a reflection of the spiritual capital of the country. Think about the quality (or lack thereof) of all of the most popular movies, books, and music currently being promoted. On the whole, are they Liberal? Conservative? And how is religion portrayed? Is it mocked?

Take any popular movie as an example . . . Is it genuinely patriotic? Are the heroes REAL heroes, or are they more like broken anti-heroes, or worse yet, are they all villains who achieve their goal through one momentary heroic act? Is God or religion mentioned in a positive light in any way? Is there a clearly portrayed distinction between right and wrong, or are all the decisions made by the protagonist in a gray area? Does the main character have to lower their standards in order to accomplish their mission, or do they actually improve themselves by keeping their character and their good name untarnished?

Is there doubt in any conservative’s mind where we stand on spiritual matters right now?

We’re not doing so good, are we?

The types of stories being told isn’t just because movie making technology has greatly improved in recent years, thereby making it more lucrative or exciting to tell dark and violent stories, because some stories don’t need a lot of technology for the telling. Imagine for a moment . . . would a show like Little House on the Prairie make it on a major network during prime-time today? I don’t think so.

I had an epiphany during that radio show I mentioned at the beginning of this post. I realized that one of the reasons none of my books had gotten much attention was because I’m having a hard time finding my audience. All of my stories so far have been clean, moral, and sometimes quite religious in theme. Is there an audience out there for those kinds of stories anymore?

I have to hope so. But if there’s only one book being read out there, I certainly hope it isn’t 50 Shades of Grey.

I prefer to read stories that promote conservative values, where characters are fighting for truth and right. Perhaps that makes me an idealist. I’m okay with that. I’m kind of the Little House on the Prairie type. I’m not afraid to say that the show caused me to shed a tear every now and then. I wish there were more shows and books like it.

If you’re politically conservative, and you’re a writer or an artist or a musician . . . won’t you consider joining me in helping to improve the relationship between conservatism and popular culture?

Whether I ever make a dime on my books or not, I’m hoping the stories will become important to somebody, someday. I’d like to think that I’ll influence somebody for good.

It would sure make my Pa proud, if I did.

Green to Deep Green by the Boy Scouts of America

A little while ago I posted an

Of Hens And Chicks And Governments

Dominus Flevit – Mosaic on the altar

Through an ornate window of the Franciscan church called Dominus Flevit which sits on the Mount of Olives, one can see across the Kidron valley to the Dome of the Rock and the old city Jerusalem.

The name of the church means “The Lord Wept”, and by tradition it is considered to be the place where Christ looked over the city Jerusalem and mourned for her wickedness:

“And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it.” (Luke 19:41)

In this church sits an altar, and on the front of the altar is a mosaic depicting a hen and her chicks—wings extended, chicks huddled underneath, their mother protecting them. In the ring around the mosaic, are the words:

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, quæ occidis prophetas, et lapidas eos, qui ad te missi sunt, quoties volui congregare filios tuos quemadmodum gallina congregai pullos suos sub alas et noluisti.”  (Latin)

Translated to English: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37)

This vivid imagery of a hen and her chicks appears six times in books considered scripture by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Obviously, the reference above from Matthew is the most well-known, and can be compared to the same event in Luke 13, verse 34. But there are four other instances of when this imagery is used by the Lord. Let’s take a look at them:

Israel will be Gathered

“For, behold, I will gather them as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if they will not harden their hearts; Yea, if they will come, they may, and partake of the waters of life freely. Behold, this is my doctrine—whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church.” – Doctrine and Covenants 10:65-67

What do we learn? The Lord wants to gather all to Himself. He offers the waters of life free to all who will partake of it. We simply need to not harden our hearts.

Mercy for the Repentant

“Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, the Great I Am, whose arm of mercy hath atoned for your sins; Who will gather his people even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, even as many as will hearken to my voice and humble themselves before me, and call upon me in mighty prayer. Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, that at this time your sins are forgiven you, therefore ye receive these things; but remember to sin no more, lest perils shall come upon you.”—Doctrine and Covenants 29:1-2

What do we learn? The Lord is merciful. He has atoned for our sins, and He invites all to be gathered, but we are to sin no more.

A Warning for the Last Days

“Yea, and again, when the lightnings shall streak forth from the east unto the west, and shall utter forth their voices unto all that live, and make the ears of all tingle that hear, saying these words-Repent ye, for the great day of the Lord is come?

“And again, the Lord shall utter his voice out of heaven, saying: Hearken, O ye nations of the earth, and hear the words of that God who made you.

“O, ye nations of the earth, how often would I have gathered you together as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, but ye would not!

“How oft have I called upon you by the mouth of my servants, and by the ministering of angels, and by mine own voice, and by the voice of thunderings, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes, and great hailstorms, and by the voice of famines and pestilences of every kind, and by the great sound of a trump, and by the voice of judgment, and by the voice of mercy all the day long, and by the voice of glory and honor and the riches of eternal life, and would have saved you with an everlasting salvation, but ye would not!

“Behold, the day has come, when the cup of the wrath of mine indignation is full.

“Behold, verily I say unto you, that these are the words of the Lord your God.”—Doctrine and Covenants 43:22-27

What do we learn? First of all, this is a last-days prophecy. It reminds us of the judgments foretold in Matthew 24 and the Revelation of St. John. Notice the highlighted phrase in verse 23 . . . it indicates that this declaration will come to pass as part of the Second Coming of the Lord.

Have these words ever been spoken before? Yes . . . as we already indicated, the Lord uttered the prophetic words as He descended the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem. But there is another time when these words were heard from the heavens . . .

The Appearance of Christ to the Nephites after His Resurrection

When Jesus was crucified, numerous scriptural witnesses indicate that there was a great upheaval of nature and the elements in Jerusalem. There were thunderings, lightnings, an earthquake that caused the veil of the temple to be rent, and an unnatural darkness that descended upon the land.

These signs of His death were not limited to the land of His nativity. In the Americas, the Book of Mormon records that many of the same events—some of them far worse—occurred among the Nephites living at the time. Once the general destruction ceased and the people were left to fumble in total darkness, a voice was heard, coming from the heavens. The voice was that of Jesus Christ, declaring His mission as Redeemer, and calling the people to repentance.

Astonished, the people ceased their mourning and there was silence in the land for many hours. But then, they heard the voice from the heavens again. This was the Lord’s declaration:

“O ye people of these great cities which have fallen, who are descendants of Jacob, yea, who are of the house of Israel, how oft have I gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and have nourished you.

“And again, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, who have fallen; yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, ye that dwell at Jerusalem, as ye that have fallen; yea, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens, and ye would not.

“O ye house of Israel whom I have spared, how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart.

“But if not, O house of Israel, the places of your dwellings shall become desolate until the time of the fulfilling of the covenant to your fathers.”—3 Nephi 10:4-7

A Pattern for Our Day

What do we learn? The most striking thing to me is that there is a pattern here. What we read in the Doctrine and Covenants about the Second Coming and the destructions that will occur, and about the words that will be spoken from the heavens . . . shows that the events in the Book of Mormon are a type and shadow for our day.

What will happen, has happened before. What has happened, will happen again with striking similarity to the way in which it occurred the first time.

In other words, the resurrection of the Savior, and His subsequent glorious appearance to His people, both in the old world and the new, is a pattern for what will happen in the last days. Christ will come again. He will make a glorious appearance. And preceding the moment in which He appears, there will be terrifying destructions that will cover the face of the land. Even the darkness is prophesied to happen again.

So if the events of the final appearance of Christ will so closely match what has happened before, even down to there being a voice from heaven declaring us to be His ungathered chickens, then what of the time and events that will happen leading up to the grand event? What happens right before the destructions begin?

Well, that is what should make us all tremble. See if this looks like where we are headed . . .

“And they did set at defiance the law and the rights of their country; and they did covenant one with another to destroy the governor, and to establish a king over the land, that the land should no more be at liberty but should be subject unto kings.”—3 Nephi 6:30 (last verse of the chapter)

“Now behold, I will show unto you that they did not establish a king over the land; but in this same year, yea, the thirtieth year, they did destroy upon the judgment-seat, yea, did murder the chief judge of the land.

“And the people were divided one against another; and they did separate one from another into tribes, every man according to his family and his kindred and friends; and thus they did destroy the government of the land.

“And every tribe did appoint a chief or a leader over them; and thus they became tribes and leaders of tribes.

“Now behold, there was no man among them save he had much family and many kindreds and friends; therefore their tribes became exceedingly great.

“Now all this was done, and there were no wars as yet among them; and all this iniquity had come upon the people because they did yield themselves unto the power of Satan.

“And the regulations of the government were destroyed, because of the secret combination of the friends and kindreds of those who murdered the prophets.”—3 Nephi 7:1-6

What am I trying to say?

I think the United States as we know it, may not survive. There are those who are actively trying to destroy America. Many of them, working at her destruction from within.

I think there is a very good possibility that the good people of this country may have to band together, to take care of each other, to support liberty and constitutional principles in as many states and territories that we can, even if it means that much of the country dissolves into anarchy or civil war. Knowing that there are so many God-fearing patriots in America gives me hope.

But that hope is tempered by some doubts . . . I have my doubts that we are going to make it to the Second Coming of the Lord with all fifty stars intact on Old Glory.

I could be wrong. But I believe we have seen a pattern for this. And the pattern doesn’t look good.

What do you think?

 

 

George Washington Was A Christian

In our day where a person can hardly trust anything you hear, see, or read, I really struggle at times to come to grips with the supposed “historical fact” that is so frequently waved in front of my face by the very vocal, liberal left.

I have heard that the Founding Fathers of this nation are barely worthy of our admiration because they were all significantly deficient in matters of moral character: Ben Franklin was a godless womanizer, Jefferson was a racist slave holder, and Washington was no more than a simple Deist, if he was a believer at all. This spring, the Sons of Liberty who participated in the Boston Tea Party were branded as “terrorists” in

The Boy Scouts Of America Just Made Me Want To Vomit

This blog post has nothing to do with their stance on homosexuals in scouting.

No . . . this news flash is something quite different. Did you know that the BSA has added a new merit badge, unveiled at the Jamboree? And the merit badge is REQUIRED? Actually it’s an option… you get to pick one of two required badges:

1. Environmental Science (every scout’s favorite)

or

2. SUSTAINABILITY.

Yeah. Sustainability. The code word for the United Nations Agenda-21 Program.

What? You don’t know what Agenda-21 is? Here’s a primer for you:

Update On Solar Dehydrator And Essay On Liberty

First of all, I wanted to share that I recently wrote an essay for the Libertas Institute website, about the providence of God, and how it relates to local government, the bill of rights, and our responsibility to protect liberty. The contest will be judged for two prizes, the Peoples Choice and the award for best essay from Libertas Institute.

If you read it and enjoy it, I would really appreciate if you share it on Facebook, and mark it as a “LIKE”.

Here is the link to the essay:

Turning Prepper – First Project – Solar Dehydrator

Some of my buddies say I have fallen off the deep end. Perhaps I have. But this much I do know: I have an apricot tree that is loaded with fruit this year, and I don’t want them to go to waste. So this is what I built…

SOLAR FOOD DEHYDRATOR

First of all, I would like to give kudos to the