January 1, 2009
To: My loved ones
From: Grandpa Richard Pratt
Re: God versus no God!
I hope you enjoyed the Christmas letter. Without our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ there is no Christmas and neither is there anything else as so beautifully expressed by that great prophet Lehi; “And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness and if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. Neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away.” 2 Nephi 2:13
For fear that you won’t turn to your Book of Mormon to read it, I am going to quote verse 14. “And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and learning; for there is a God. And HE hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon. In the next verse (15) but I’m not going to write it, open your Book of Mormon and read the whole chapter for yourself. It can not be refuted. Yet the great and prestigious universities with their professors of Psychology, sociology and other PSEUDO sciences try to prove there is no God and after centuries of postulating and guessing they have not one shred of evidence that they are right.
Notice how easily the great prophet Alma refutes one of these pseudo teachers. He (Alma) says to Professor Korihor: “and now what evidence have ye that there is no God, or that Christ cometh not? I say unto you that ye have none, save it be your word only. (And you’re a liar!)
But, behold, I have all things as a testimony that these things are true; and ye also have all things as a testimony unto you that they are true; and will ye deny them? Belivest thou that these things are true?...and now Korihor said unto Alma: if thou wilt show me a sign, that I may be convinced that there is a God, yea, show unto me that he hath power, then will I be convinced that there is a God, yea, show unto me that he hath power, and then will I be convinced of the truth of thy words.”
But Alma said unto him; “thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, show unto me a sign when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the Earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a supreme creator.
And yet do ye go about, leading away the hearts of this people, testifying unto them there is no God? And yet will ye deny against all these witnesses? And he said; yea, I will deny, except ye shall show me a sign.” Alma Ch. 30
well Korihor got his sign all right. He was struck dumb that he couldn’t speak nor hear and at a street crossing was run over by what ever kind of vehicle was being driven in 74 B.C. and became the first recorded traffic-pedestrian fatality in America.
“O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.
But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God... and WO unto the deaf that will not hear; for they shall perish. WO unto the blind that will not see; for they shall perish also. 2 Ne. 9: 28-32
Never has there been such a need for prayer both public and privately. Yet it seems like all the forces of hell are conspiring to see that prayer does not happen and they have pretty well succeeded in stopping prayer in public places from the halls of legislatures to the halls of education and where prayer ceases, visions cease for the public soon loses their appreciation for and need of a “God fearing (loving) future.”
As history amply testifies a Godless people soon destroy themselves. Twenty one civilizations have followed this course to their extinction. The current civilization is now teetering on the verge of becoming the twenty second civilization to follow the same course.
Consider the current hysteria on global warming ~ this false and foolish idea is so generally accepted that one hears and reads about it daily as if it was a foregone conclusion. Yet the bulk of true scientists attest that it is not true.
The scare - mongers would have us believe that we can reverse the prospect only by herculean measures at a tremendous cost and distress to the public.
Fact, of the gasses released daily in the air that could contribute to global warming less than 1% (one percent!) are emitted by modern civilization. And with the most stringent controls and extremely sacrificing efforts this could be reduced only about 50 % and 50 % of one percent is not going to make any significant change.
Why then is this all we hear on the news? Very simple, it sells and sells and sells. The truth would not make money!
YES! There is going to be global warming!! It may even have started but when it does it will not be man made. It will be by the hand and will of God, as he works out the salvation of his children. And man will be unable to stop it!
There is ample evidence, that the earth in its daily revolutions, spins on its axis at an angle of 23 ½ degrees. It’s like a wobbly top. And in its once a year orbit around the sun the poles alternately are tipped away from the sun for many months of almost continuous night and freezing temperatures.
It was not always so. There is ample evidence found at both poles, that they once enjoyed a moderate if not semi-tropical temperature. Both vegetable and animal life has been preserved indicating that this was so. Especially at the North Pole, in the last two hundred years perfectly persevered and frozen bodies of animals have been found, especially mammoths. Over thirty thousand. The flesh was still edible. In fact I remember as a teenager that an Alaskan restaurant featured mammoth steaks on its menu.
It can be easily demonstrated that the earth spinning perpendicularly on its poles instead of its current 23 ½ degree angle would furnish such a climate.
We know that at the morning of the creation the whole earth was pronounced beautiful. Wickedness has wrought many changes until of todays total surface only a very small percentage is livable I remember it as being only 6%. The rest is covered with ice, deserts, mountains, oceans etc.
God’s chosen people, chosen before the earth’s creation and put on earth with the name of Israel, have often failed in their divine mission as saviors of the world. And have been punished as a cleansing to prepare the world for the second coming of our Lord, which time is so very, very close.
Originally Israel was twelve tribes or states. And about 1000 B.C. under King David was the dominant nation of the Eastern world. At his death, Israel fought a terrible civil war over excessive taxation. The Southern tribe of Judah and part of Benjamin remained until 70 A. D., forty years after they had crucified the world’s only hope, even Jesus Christ. The other ten tribes had disappeared into the north countries about 150 years earlier around 722 B.C.
Judah was scattered through out the then known world by the Romans who figured they had destroyed them forever. But God had ruled otherwise and arranged for the Jews to be gathered home. Against impossible odds this has now happened and the Jews now are home as prophesied.
The ten tribes are to be brought forth from the North just prior to the Lord’s second coming or there abouts. It will be by a series of mighty miracles. The Old Testament, especially Isaiah talks about it much but the miracle of the restoration of the lost ten tribes is best summarized in D&C 133:5-74. But verses 22-34 are especially about the ten tribes and their return. I will note the high lights here. Verse 22 says that the voice of the Lord shall speak as with great thunder and the mountains shall fall down and the valleys raise up until the earth is restored to its original conditions on the morning of creation. He shall command the oceans and they shall be driven back to their original bed in the North and the islands shall become one land and the earth shall be like as it was in the days before it was divided.
“And the Lord, even the Savior, shall stand in the midst of his people, and shall reign over all flesh.
And they who are in the North countries shall come in remembrance before the Lord; and their prophets (the ten tribes) shall hear his voice, and they shall smite the rocks, and the ice shall flow down at their presence.” verses 25-26
yes, there will be global warming but it will not be man made only God has that much power (I don’t believe that time has come yet.) And man will not have power to stop this God caused warming and restoration of the ten tribes.
And an highway shall be cast up in the midst of the great deep. Their enemies shall become a prey unto them.
And in the barren desserts there shall come forth pools of living water; and the parched ground shall no longer be a thirsty land. And they (ten tribes) shall bring forth their rich treasures unto the children of Ephraim, my servants.
And the boundaries of the ever lasting hills shall tremble at their presence.
And there shall they fall down and be crowned with glory, even in Zion, by the hands of the servants of the Lord, even the children of Ephraim...behold, this is the blessing of the everlasting God upon the tribe of Israel, and the richer blessing upon the head of Ephraim and his fellows...and the gospel shall be preached unto every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.
And the servants fo God shall go forth, saying with a loud voice: Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgement is come; and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea and the fountains of water. Calling upon the name of the Lord day and night. For since the beginning of the world have not men heard nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, besides thee, how great things thou hast prepared for him that
And the graves of the saints shall be opened; and they shall come forth and stand on the right hand of the Lamb, when he shall stand upon Mount Zion, and upon the holy city, the New Jerusalem; and they shall sing the song of the Lamb, day and night forever and ever.” Verse 56
Pray, Pray like you have never prayed before to be worthy to see these things happen and be in the welcoming committee that will see these great miracles performed.
Now I feel to quote my favorite ancient prophet Isaiah as he comments on these great events:
“Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.
And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.
NOTE: No one will be left out. Verse 3 continues, “The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled; for the Lord had spoken this word.
The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away. The haughty (learned) people of the earth do languish.
The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.
Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell there in are desolate; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. Isaiah 24:1-6
Then in the concluding verses 19-23 read of the final destiny of the earth and the punishment that will be meted out to the hosts that are in high places, the kings, rulers etc.
But the Lord will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away the tears from off all faces who have waited for Him. What a glorious time to live. Jesus is the Christ the son of the Living God. I know this to be true! Believe and enjoy the peace it brings to you. You all are so important to me and I love you dearly.
A side note. I have spent a few days in the hospital and came home just before Christmas. My home was all cleaned and cozy. I told the girls I thought I was in the wrong house. I have had many cards and letters and visits even flowers and candies etc. In all of this I have felt very loved. I’m still baking bread and reading and enjoying the love of family. I am much weaker now but sitting still in my chair I feel great. It is a day at a time that we conquer life and I choose to enjoy it and be happy in it. Life is what we make it. And with the teachings of Jesus Christ life is good.
I send my love to all of you and my hope that your new year will be filled with wonderful blessings.
All my love,
Dad, Grandpa Pratt etc.
