It was raining out there but not here. Really something isn't this place?

These are very intelligent questions. So I'm staying up late to answer them. I answer each question as economically as possible. None of these answers can be complete. It is my view on LDS doctrine.

"You ask why we can't be Gods, but we can be gods?"

God, in the Godhead of three beings, is most exactly "God the Father". He is the God of us all. He is the supreme creator. While on Earth Jesus was subordinant to Him and did as God the Father required. However, now Jesus Christ is God with Him. Both are of the same mind and purpose. As a Godhead with the Holy Ghost they are unequaled by any other exalted being(s) that will be coming along. All light sources from them. When we are resurrected as a result of the grace provided by Christ, we go to them body and spirit. If conditions are right for us in terms of personal righteousness, we eventually, through the eternities there, become exalted but we can never be a God as Christ (Christ is the literal only begotten son of God the Father). We are spirit children of God the Father but are fully mortal, having sinned on this Earth. Christ never sinned. That is why.

Immortally we cannot become a perfect being as a God. Yet as spirit children created in the beginning by God the Father, we accomplished much because you and I have bodies...we got here. In the Spirit World walking with God and other mighty spirits we learned. That was called our first estate. We are here with bodies because we merited the challenge of coming to Earth where we agreed to be tried and challenged by mortal life. As mortal we are now in the second estate. The question is will be pass the second estate and return to our Father.

"What is exactly your definition of a god?"

A god is an exalted being formerly mortal. The Archangel Michael may be most prominently and closest to becoming a god. It is my view angels like Michael, as great as we know him to be, may be far from becoming a god. So much of the particulars have simply not been revealed. I personally do not feel it is important to my progress to know this any better than I do. But know this, in some way, gods rule worlds they have created. OR perhaps mortals have not become so exalted as have merited that YET.

"You indeed claim Christ to be the savior, exactly what are we being saved from if we can somehow immortally and magically become perfect?"

We are already eternal. But will we experience eternity in damnation or salvation? There is nothing magical about becoming perfect. To become perfect we must actually live as Christ did. None of us are doing that. None of what I have described is possible without Jesus Christ and His atonement. There are three events that are interconnected and must be considered: 1. The Creation, 2. The Fall, 3. The Atonement. Without the creation there would be no fall; without the fall there would be no atonement. Without the atonement there can be no exaltation of mortals who have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. The best Bible story I know of a man on the path to perfection in this world is JOB. He went through great pain and didn't flinch. Nothing magical.

"Is it different when we die? Is it easier to be perfect?"

It will be different when we die. It will be more difficult to become perfect. This is because mortality is the place for the test. We carry with us the knowledge we have gained into the eternities. But we also carry the baggage. We have opportunities here that we must accomplish or we will be blocked after death. In some cases Absolutely blocked. Number one is accepting the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and authentically living the laws He requires. If given the opportunity to learn certain things we turn our back on it, we put everything at risk.

"What is the deal with the baptism of the dead? So if I die, not being baptised, one of my living buddies could Tag me out of damnation simply by baptising me?"

The short of it is yes.
But the ugly twist is that you will need to be in the position after death to ACCEPT the work that has been done for you. As I understand it, if you had an opportunity here and you were not decieved, the path is very tough after death. And let me tell you, being baptised is only the gateway. Being married to your spouse for time and all eternity and to be sealed to your family with children as well....now that is an unspeakable blessing. What I am saying though, in round 2 you will probably fail if you failed here.

The world would have you believe you can always take the easy path and jump the low hurdles. Don't believe it one minute. That wasn't what Christ said. You can read about what God did to those kind of people in the Old Testament. With Jesus' atonement, God hasn't suddenly become soft on crime.

Now we should hear the grinding of teeth as the mainland wakes up and visits what I have written.

As I sit before my computer finally with Internet available, in the warmth of this wonderful climate in Hawaii, I have thanked the Lord for His great generosity while offering up a prayer for the safety and well-being of many of you who have been generous in visiting me at this site.


God is at the heart of all. He is the “First Cause”; by him all things are, and from him all things stream forth. He is the Creator of the full expanse of the heavens; Earth is the labor of his hands, and man is his ultimate design and creation. He is the originator of all life, the source of all power, the supreme director of the universe. To all He has created, our Eternal Father has been and will always be the Eternal Father, and our Blessed Lord is His Only Begotten in the flesh.

No expression in any language is known to man and no thought or spoken word can fully express the magnificence and honor and renown appropriately attributed unto the Father and the Son. The names and titles of the Father and the Son are the most revered and hallowed words that can be spoken in any tongue and by any tongue on earth or in the heavens.

Attesting to this we have the Song of the Redeemed which comes from the heavenly choir, composed of every creature on earth and in heaven; joining in this impressive tribute of eternal praise: "Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." (Revelation 5: 13.)

The life God creates is purposeful in providing the appointed time for men to work out their salvation. The Lord's own work and glory is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39.) And eternal life - salvation in the complete and highest sense - is reserved for those who worship the true God and who keep his commandments. True religion is the method he ordained to make possible our worship of Him in such a way where we may attain full salvation.

Consequently, a knowledge of God and of His laws is essential to salvation. No one can be saved in ignorance of God, of Christ, and of their everlasting gospel, the plan of salvation. For it is through the Gospel that He is known. A knowledge of God and His laws are foundational to becoming saved. Each of us is saved as rapidly as that knowledge is understood and those laws become incorporated into our lives.

In support of this we find in the words of Jesus in his great Intercessory Prayer: “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3; emphasis mine). Jesus stated the eternal law of worship, “Though shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him shalt thou only worship.” (Luke 4:8)

The woman of Samaria echoes so many voices of today: she asked Jesus whether men should worship according to the Samaritan way or according to the Jewish way in the temple in Jerusalem. Our Lord responded, “Ye worship ye know not what; we know what we worship; and salvation is the Jews.” This is to say that true religion, true worship, and a hope of salvation are all based on the knowledge of the truth about God through a Temple tradition.

There can be no salvation in worshipping a false god. The True God and His True Church can only be found through serious investigation. Families can be forever sealed in righteousness.

I imagine his name to be "Tes" as in testosterone. (those aren't knees)

The Big Island, Hawaii, in the state of Hawaii has the largest cattle ranch in the United States. The Parker Cattle Ranch is rivaled by one in Texas but the properties of the Texas Ranch are not contiguous. Still together all that land only rivals the Parker Ranch.

If you look carefully at this fellow you can get a sense of what he must think of himself. There was much pasture he could have roamed. The fence behind him is the only narrow area as far as the eye can see. Yet he chose this spot to be seen. When I stopped the car at the side of the road and walked toward him with my Canon, all he was inclined to do was turn his head in my direction. He wanted to keep his profile to me so I might be suitably rewarded for stopping. Of course, as he turned that wasn't what I was thinking. The singular movement of his head caused me to hesitate in my approach....right in the middle of the highway.

Aloha. Darn if we don't live here.

Am presently typing at a terminal at the Hilo, Hawaii Public Library waiting for Cable Internet to be installed at our home on the coast north of here TOMORROW. I found the drive to Hilo "awesome". That has not been a word in my vocabulary since, perhaps, my teen years when many other things were new to me. At every curve in the road there is something approaching breathtaking or very much breathtaking. My future pictures can only give you a glimpse. But when I get them up, you will enjoy.

This particular library is permananently open to the out of doors because the stacks are arranged in a large 0 around an inner garden that is completely open with the rest of the building to the weather (no inner walls). The windows to the outer perimeter of the building in the reference library where I sit are louvered without screens. I presume that is true for the rest of the library. Fresh air is not pumped in through air conditioners or even fans. The temperature is unknown but feels with the light humidity to be about 78- 83 at most at about 1PM. Air is blown in and constantly stirring due to the trade winds. The scent of flowers is everywhere with no flowers within eyeshot. The sounds of birds accompany the clicks of my typing.

I had a fresh pic taken of the library gardens but restrictions do not allow it to be posted through this terminal. Later.

At our home, especially in the evenings, Geckos come to visit following the few mosquitos that we have attracted to our lights. It is considered good luck to have one IN the home. It would seem we frequently do. However, they are lovely little lizards and bring a warm spirit when seen or heard. They travel the walls. At night they will make a distinctive clicking sound, from six to eight clicks in succession and can be heard inside and outside of the house as we roam the house or lay in bed. They are green on our side of the Island and are grey on the West (Kona) side. I have seen them as large as 5 inches in length. They are very shy.