My response to someone sharing [fake?] news with me

 A friend sent a video in which someone tells of people with evil intent taking HIV/AIDS treatments to countries in Africa with the intent to kill of masses, or to depopulate those countries. She had previously shared a similar thing about Global Depopulation in which vaccines, GMOs, and so many things are judged to have been introduced for evil intent.

  

 

Artificial Intelligence enables the production of amazing fake videos in which gorillas and babies speak or sing. 

It can sometimes be difficult to discern between true and fake news.

My response to this concern was:

It is always difficult to know what is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. 

I do not doubt that some of what they say is true, maybe most of what they say, but I know enough about science that I sometimes question the conclusions that are drawn. 

One of the reassuring things that I have experienced is eating with people whom the Lord has called as prophets, seers and revelators, and seeing them simply eating what is served in the hotel or restaurant, and not being particular about no GMOs, vegan, or any weird diet, other than the Word of Wisdom in D&C 89, given an about 1836. I know that the Lord knows perfectly what is truth about GMOs, vaccines, and all, and He would not allow His prophet to cause His beloved children, even the weak and simple shepherd, fisherman, carpenter, street-sweeper, or anyone who cannot be expected to fully understand everything that is shared so readily and widely on social media, to be injured by things like GMOs without making His will known. 

I always listen with interest to what they say in General Conference -  and what they do not say - about GMOs, vaccines, news of wars, and the sensational things that many people share, 

More people in any part of the world are those weak and simple children of God than are the sophisticated academics or 'the wise and learned'. Our loving Heavenly Father has clearly spoken out about some issues - and I obey His word. When He has not spoken, I try to be wise and prudent, but not fearful.

My response to the HIV/AIDS concern was:

This guy is not lying. But he is not telling the truth. 

Let me ask you. How many people do you know that have or had polio? How about smallpox, rubella, and many fatal or serious diseases for which you and I and our children were inoculated or immunised? 

We were injected with those viruses or diseases as children. The purpose was so that our bodies would develop a resistance to those diseases for the possibility that we might be exposed to it in our community. If we were exposed to it, as I have been because I know at least two people who had polio and had deformed legs as a result, our bodies had built up antibodies so that they fought off the virus or disease. 

The purpose of HIV/AIDS treatment was not to spread the disease but to help people to not die from the disease. I know at least one friend who contracted HIV because of exposure by helping someone who was infected. He was a chaste man who did not do the things that caused the disease, but was exposed to it when helping someone who had contracted it because of doing those unchaste things. My friend lived well and continues to live decades later because of the treatments that this video is saying were designed to kill people. 

I have flown in an aircraft many times. Many people have died in aircraft because of engine failure. Sally and I flew to Salt Lake City to be sealed in the Temple there.  On our way, our plane lost two of its four engines and we flew for hours over the sea before we could land on an island and wait for another plane to be sent to take us on to New York and then continue our journey. Was that plane built with the purpose of killing off passengers? Many people die in planes, taxis, cars, bicycles, even walking across roads. Were these vehicles and transport systems designed to depopulate our country? 

I think that the words of the Saviour apply here. 'Judge not, that ye be not judged. For, with that judgement that ye judge, ye shall be judged'. If we look for faults in people when they actually had the best intent to be a blessing to the nations, but are actually less than 100% perfect and some people suffer because of their failures - do we judge them as intending to cause suffering, or as trying to do good but being like you and me - imperfect people? 

God knows the intent of the people who developed the AIDS treatments. You can ask Him. 

God's prophet encouraged church members to receive vaccines. The Church has helped millions in underdeveloped nations to immunise their children. I know that our wonderful and loving Heavenly Father would not allow His prophet to suggest anything like immunisations that could negatively impact on any baby, child, carpenter, fisherman, shepherd, or any simple human or animal. He would not allow the weak and simple of the world to suffer because His prophet made a mistake. 

Please ask God if Russell M Nelson is His tue and living prophet in 2024, and when He confirms to you that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is His only true and living church in the face of the Earth with which He is well pleased, as He has confirmed to me, then please listen to the missionaries to see what Heavenly Father wants you to do.

I know that God will answer the prayers of even the simplest fisherman, goatherd, or carpenter. 'If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask if God'. That is the question that Joseph Smith had when he asked God, and that started the restoration of the only true and living church.

I hope that what I have shared might encourage the reader of this boring blog to ask God as counselled in James 1:5 because we all lack wisdom.

 

To share with anyone who doubts the prophets, seers and revelators.

I continue to be concerned about how it seems as though the faith of some of my beloved familial and gospel brothers and sisters has apparently been shaken.

I have been impressed by how Sheri Dew shared how prophets see around corners.

She points out the unanimity that arises as they counsel together – it is not Russell M Nelson that leads on his own, but it is this council of 15 prophets, seers and revelators that lead as one. This council counsels together, with their combined backgrounds, training and personal experiences that include medicine, law, managing law firms and healthcare systems, fitness, medical and research training, education, science, business administration, history, war, refugees, travel, mentoring, technology, international affairs, government, real estate, commerce, accounting and auditing. This council includes Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks Henry B. Eyring, M. Russell Ballard, Jeffrey R. Holland, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, David A. Bednar, Quentin L. Cook, D. Todd Christofferson, Neil L. Andersen, Ronald A. Rasband, Gary E. Stevenson, Dale G. Renlund, Gerrit W. Gong, and Ulisses Soares.

I know enough about science to question some arguments such as those that vilify vaccines, insecticides, fertilizers, and GMOs. I do not say that they are without fault, but their faults are almost certainly overemphasised or exaggerated. I have done enough in similar research to know that variables that are very applicable to some populations may not apply to other populations – but that does not negate the conclusions drawn in the first populations that were studied. As with our 24 000 species of plants in South Africa, what was perfectly valid for some species might have been very different for some other species, or even populations of the same species. Similarly, humans have different populations and genetics that might make some things that are fine for the general population be unsafe for other populations, but that does not necessarily negate the conclusions for the populations where those problems have been demonstrated to not exist.

I remember reading an amusing article at Gobabeb while working at the Namib Desert Research Station in about 1976. This article stated that carrots were to be avoided because almost everyone who had a variety of illnesses in the past year had eaten carrots shortly before dying; Almost everyone with eye problems had eaten carrots; And the list went on and on about negative things that happen to almost everyone, including the most certain outcome of life – death – and pointed to the truth that almost everyone who had suffered those fates had eaten carrots. The point of the article was that although there may be a strong correlation between people succumbing to those outcomes and the consumption of carrots, the carrots cannot necessarily be blamed for those outcomes. I acknowledge that some people may genuinely have problems that suggest that it would be wise for them to avoid carrots. The same can surely be said of milk, wheat, maize, sunlight, and all sorts of wonderful things given to us by a loving, gracious and merciful Heavenly Father. More importantly, it highlights how easily evil can be called good, and good can be called evil.

I know relatively little about law and legal matters, but I know that not all legal victories are righteous. When someone uses the millions of US$ charged in fines against pharmaceutical, pesticide, or other companies as evidence of their guilt in committing crimes against humanity, my mind goes back to the Gadianton Robbers and Secret Combinations and, quite frankly, raise more questions than give answers. To be fair, I believe that the inappropriate outcomes are rare exceptions, but they are there – I think of two cases – a friend who was evidently falsely accused by a spiteful woman of him abusing her daughter; and of Joseph who was in Egypt and falsely accused by the wife of his slave-owner of trying to assault her. These two examples help me to conclude that sometimes legal victories are not necessarily a true indication of guilt – that some convictions are not beyond reasonable doubt. Caution is essential in preventing abuse! I also know that in most instances those winning legal victories or promoting their arguments are earning a living. It is usually not altruism, charity, or a Zion spirit, that causes their activism, but self-success. One victory then provides precedents that help to gain victory over subsequent litigation over those things that they are opposing – but that does not necessarily mean that counter-arguments do not have their place. My mind turns to the injunction of the Saviour –he that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone. There are surely imperfections on both sides of every argument.

My faith is strongly in favour of following the prophets, seers and revelators – in the mouth of two or three witnesses – or fifteen in this case – shall the word of God be established. I witness that there will be far more value in following God’s prophets, seers and revelators than in doing things that are not in harmony with what the Lord leads them to say. As we well know, there are some who are allergic to gluten, milk products, groundnuts, and so forth. Those are very real, sometimes fatal, albeit relatively rare exceptions.

I am inclined to give most of my time to studying what the Lord’s council of prophets, seers and revelators is saying, and following that counsel, rather than looking for reasons why I, Les Powrie, might know more truth than all fifteen of God’s mouthpieces knows. God has lovingly called them to lead and guide us. Their set of combined knowledge, wisdom and understanding is amazing. God has chosen well – He knows perfectly what is needed to guide His people to safety in 2022 and as we approach the Second Coming.

If anything is not in harmony with what the council of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve say, I would doubt that before doubting my faith in God’s power over the Church. He would not allow His prophet and that council to lead the Church astray. He can easily allow any one of them to die from whatever cause – especially things arising from old age – so that His word will not be compromised by anything that is not for the best of His children. As out-of-place as anything that they say might sound in the philosophies of the world, I would place far greater trust in the word of God’s prophets, seers and revelators than in any other source.

There are so many kinds of voices, so many trumpets sounding, that I place my trust in my one landmark experience that told me as a missionary in 1973 that There are certainly individuals among all other faith groups that are outstanding in their contributions to good works, but God has declared to me, personally, that there is only one church – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – that is the only true and living church upon the face of the Earth with which He, the Lord, is well pleased, speaking to the Church collectively and not individually. I have a complete confidence that He will not allow His mouthpieces to lead us astray.

I share my complete faith and trust in God’s loving grace and mercy, and of His infinite power over all things such as the health problems arising from the evil intents of men, as we approach Him with a broken heart and contrite spirit, and His ability to cause any obstructive prophets, seers and revelators to die should they cause any problems to His saints, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Yeah - but, is it beyond reasonable doubt?

I had fun writing an article 'Beyond reasonable doubt' some years ago. That article is not in peer reviewed scientific literature, but was a 'popular article' in 'grey literature'. I had fun applying my mind to relating my experience in court with a friend who was on trial for what was apparently a fraudulent claim, to georeferencing...

I was thinking a lot this morning about my concerns about many of the 'conspiracy theories' in that, in my mind at least, they are not beyond reasonable doubt. 

When I do some fact checking I find all sorts of reasons to doubt many of the claims, and if many claims are not beyond reasonable doubt, then I wonder if each claim is beyond reasonable doubt?

I have been part of publishing many peer reviewed research papers and so I am not always confident with the outright derision of peer reviewed literature about vaccines or pesticides being biased - it might be true in many instances, but maybe not as many as some critics propose. 

I have been involved in computer modelling and know that there are usually many more variables involved than one can practically combine in a model, or for which values are known, and so conclusions are not absolutely conclusive, but simply suggestive. 

I have thought a lot about genetics and how many things might be far more prevalent in 2021 because we provide things like spectacles, wheelchairs, hearing aids and other things, and people live longer due to immunizations, and so there is more opportunity for genes causing disorders such as myopia, mobility challenges, and hearing challenges to be passed on because they are not 'selected against' or people reach an age when they can breed and they are more accepted by potential mates so that their genes have greater probability of being passed on than before these aids and immunizations. So - I do not deny the conclusions, but I do also recognise that there might be more variables involved than have been factored in the model and so maybe the conclusions are not beyond reasonable doubt. 

How many times have people sent me a sensational thing that they received on social media (especially when it says to 'pass it on to all of your contacts'!) and I send back a link to snopes.com or some other myth-busting post about that sensational thing that sheds doubt on it. I could send links to myth busting sites that debunk so many claims (I have not investigated all of the claims because that would simply take far more time than I deem appropriate), but I am not sure that the person who sent that item would read them with an open mind anyway. That person can do the same fact checking that I can do, perhaps better than I can do - I do not have tools available to me that are not available to them.

So - please accept that I look at what some of my friends send to me through my own filters and I have not been confident that the things with which they might be so passionately engaged are not beyond reasonable doubt. My wife Sal also looks at them through the filter of her personal experience seeing children that have died because they were not immunized. 

Let me share a scenario that came to my mind in the early hours this morning... Genes that lead to autism might be able to manifest themselves in 2021 when the condition is recognised and diagnosed simply because more people carrying those genes reach reproductive age because they were immunized, and they are not shunned by a potential mate who might also be a carrier of the genes because of things like spectacles, hearing aid, or some other life support aid, and so the genes are passed on to the next generation with more frequency than in previous years. So, double recessive genes manifest themselves more than they might have done, and they are discoverable, detectable, identifiable and describable, and so the frequency is more evident as well as more probable. If a computer model excludes certain variables, the conclusion can be drawn that there is a strong positive correlation between heavy metals in vaccines and the condition, whereas this might not be a causative, but simply a compounding factor. Then - people who do not consider the wider aspects of the scenario broadcast the conclusion of cause rather than coincidence and look for evidence to bolster their claims, and build up a really strong case that is accepted by hundreds of people who do not check the facts themselves, leading to stronger 'evidence' in favour of a misplaced conclusion. Then, the claim circulates widely on social media and fear is engendered where the whole claim really is not beyond reasonable doubt.

I hope that you will have a wonderful day and not be driven to fear by every one of those sensational scare stories that come to you. Please seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and I promise you that all those things that are of greatest value in this life and in eternity will be added unto you. I know that Heavenly Father has power to heal us should we have autism or whatever incidental problems might come because you or I might be one of the two or three out of a hundred people that is affected by immunizations or pesticides. If we are repentant and faithful, we can follow the prophet and put our trust in God's immeasurable divine power rather than putting our trust entirely in the arm of flesh. 

I hope that you are not offended by my being blunt in this. I hope that we can be one in Christ and agree to disagree... If you watched my YouTube  video about being one, then you will recall how passionate I am about the teachings of Jesus Christ in John17, John 15, Matthew 5-7, 3 Nephi 11, and so on 🙂