Pyreaux

I've tried to. Its just free A.I., it never anticipates what I'm going for. It never gives the information I want, until the 5th time asking, by then it's just littered piecemeal throughout. It quicky forgets or tells me something doesn't exist when I know it does. However, format-wise it gives me a starting point, but I'll have to flush out, or abridge, or pick out information I get. I basically craft my own A.I. reply that I would have wanted in the first place, but it never actually made for me. I recall you asked once how I have all these verses ready and formatted on the fly. I get them from my personal prewritten notes I keep. Along with assorted paraphrased lines or facts usually from books, they are always ready to go. Even when I don't have them, I parrot it off the top of my head. That's usually when you'll CFR me. I usually produce something near verbatim to it. Its like I'm writing a book I would want to read but doesn't actually exist as single book. Then rewritten again into a post. In a way it is and yet isn't original. Not intentionally, but I was trying to give a caveat, just like A.I. does. I often note or glean such notes and disclaimers to myself, to anticipate objections. If a caveat line sounds purely like A.I. wrote it, it could have, because I do often save and use those lines.

I find the news and information from A.I. searches, but I always have to check and entirely rewrite and reformat most everything it says. What you've noticed is while writing, I actively try to adopt A.I.'s format on purpose because it's something I already try to do. I always wrote and create subheadings for my posts on my own, long before A.I. existed, so I'd say A.I. copies me. I try to balance and space out paragraphs the same way it does. Notice how every post of mine is (edited)? Because it's not pasted, I'm always having to fix, rewrite, add to, and polish my posts. If you ever saw the original post, you'd see every error, and how the paragraph is actively being altered and polished. Though I do try to mimic or incorporate caveat lines like the A.I. makes.

The Proto-Uto-Aztecan (PUA) language, which later split into languages like Hopi, Shoshoni, and Nahuatl, has indeed been spoken for thousands of years. The theory suggests the linguistic influence (the loanwords and grammatical patterns) survived through oral transmission as the PUA language and its descendants evolved over millennia, but the written system did not. If a writing system existed for an early Uto-Aztecan language, why didn't the Spanish find any trace of it that they could "piggy-back" on? The answer lies in the nature of the proposed ancient writings and the tumultuous history of the region. The new theory suggests the written Teotihuacan script, which they believe recorded an early UA language, did not survive into the 16th century largely due to the collapse of the Teotihuacan civilization itself. Teotihuacan's political power and influence collapsed around A.D. 550. Writing systems, especially complex logophonetic ones like the one proposed, are often the domain of an elite class (priests, scribes, rulers). When the city fell, the specific intellectual tradition associated with that script was likely disrupted, abandoned, or intentionally destroyed. The language (the early UA/Nahuatl) survived and spread, but the writing system became extinct, similar to how the Egyptian hieroglyphic script died out long before modern times, even though Coptic (a descendant from Ancient Egyptian) continued to be spoken. If we assume the Book of Mormon language (Hebrew in Reformed Egyptian) was used by the ancestral group that influenced Proto-Uto-Aztecan speakers, there are a few reasons the writing wouldn't survive into the 16th century: Location: The primary events and records described in the BOM are associated with areas that were likely further north and were completely abandoned by its purported end date (A.D. 421). Format: While the primary records were on metal plates or hidden in the earth. If other records existed on more perishable materials (parchment, wood, paper), they would have naturally decayed over a millennium. Integration: If Semitic/Egyptian speakers were a small group who integrated with a much larger local population (the ancestral Uto-Aztecans), their unique, foreign writing system would have been quickly swamped out by the local preference for oral tradition or other, simpler indigenous writing forms (like pictograms). In essence, oral language is much more resilient than a formal writing system. The language survived and evolved (Uto-Aztecan), but the complex, elite-driven writing systems did not.

The arsons against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse in Wiggins, Mississippi, occurred on July 5, 2024, and again on July 7, 2024. Stefan Day Rowold (also referred to as Stefan Day or Stefan Pete Day Rowold), was found guilty by a federal jury in September 2025 on six counts, including federal arson and civil rights charges. Location: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building in Wiggins, Mississippi. July 5, 2024: Rowold used a cinder block to smash through a back door, broke into the building, vandalized the interior walls with hateful messages. He also piled hymnals, copies of the Book of Mormon, and religious paintings in the multipurpose room and set them on fire. July 7, 2024: Rowold returned two days later to "finish the job" and set another fire, using cardboard and a piece of firewood. He had forgotten to bring a lighter, so he turned on a stove burner inside the church and used it to ignite paper. He then set a fire near a wall with cardboard and wood, using gasoline as an accelerant. The church was badly damaged. He was convicted of six federal counts, including arson, intentional damage to religious property (a civil rights violation), and using fire to commit a federal felony offense. Rowold's sentencing is set for January 14, 2026. He faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of twenty years in prison for each of the arson charges. Motive: Anti-Mormonism The Department of Justice explicitly stated that the evidence at trial showed Rowold targeted the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints "because of his disagreement with what he believed to be their religious views." The full motive has not been publicly released, but the key to the prosecution's case was proving that the vandalism and arson were motivated by Rowold's animus toward their specific faith. The use of phrases in the graffiti described by officials as "hateful messages" (which led to the civil rights charges) were presented to the jury to demonstrate his specific intent to target that particular religion: making it an act of anti-Mormon bias. The civil rights charges were brought under 18 U.S. Code § 247 (Damage to Religious Property; obstruction of persons in the free exercise of religious beliefs). For a conviction under this section, the prosecution must prove the defendant acted because of the religious character of the property. In this case, Rowold's confessed motive of disagreement with their religious views proved the intent was specific to the LDS faith. Hypocrite Police testified during the trial that Rowold told investigators it “brought him joy” to cause the destruction, and that, when the building did not burn down the first time, he tried again. Testimony during the trial also showed Rowold told investigators he hated the LDS church and spray-painted slurs such as "Child Molesters," "Cowards," and "False Prophets" on the walls. This being 4 years after his own conviction for child molestation in Michigan in 2020 and has repeatedly failed to register in Mississippi and other states. Hateful, Inflammatory and Dehumanizing Rhetoric Though often handled quietly, LDS meetinghouses are regularly vandalized, often in concentrated bursts. The daily reality is there is a steady undercurrent of low-level property crime and vandalism affecting the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints across the country. Meanwhile, some "anti-Mormon" sources use inflammatory language, demeaning caricatures, or accusations of harm. This kind of rhetoric can normalize hostility and contribute to a climate where an act of vandalism is seen as acceptable or even justifiable by a small number of people. When vandalism includes specific anti-LDS slogans suggests perpetrators are motivated by a narrative they have encountered, which could come from media or online communities dedicated to criticism of the Church. We stay quiet thinking if a single act of vandalism or a more severe attack (like an arson) is widely reported, it can inspire "copycats." The theory is publicity gives an individual who is already predisposed to hostility an idea, a method, and a target. However, I think this only undermines the valid claim "anti-Mormon" media can translate into physical acts. It deprives us of the examples to point to. The Flaw in the Copycat Protocol When vandalism is a rare, freak occurrence, there is a need to worry about copycats hearing about it. But when vandalism is constant (endemic), the use of the copycat protocol only prevents us from exposing the inciters to deserved shame. In an act like anti-Mormon vandalism, the perpetrator is not seeking unique fame (the crime isn't unique). The perpetrator is seeking validation and a sense of belonging within the hate group or ideology that constantly justifies such actions. Then, the media's continued use of the "don't give them fame" rule might not be protecting against new crime but protecting the hateful ecosystem itself. The anti-Mormon media may not care about the criminal's arrest or fame, but they do care about being connected to violence in the eyes of "decent people." If the crimes are only reported vaguely as just "another incident of religious vandalism," the original rhetoric that created the climate of hatred is never brought to trial in the court of public opinion. https://www.sunherald.com/news/local/crime/article312150089.html

Not yet, but I'm sure he will react. Dr. Stubbs addressed a critique of his own work that was published by Magnus Pharao Hansen in 2019 before this discovery. In 2020, Dr. Stubbs published a response titled "Answering the Critics in 44 Rebuttal Points," where he directly engaged with objections raised by Hansen regarding specific Nahuatl (an Aztecan/Uto-Aztecan language) word comparisons in Stubbs's work on Semitic/Egyptian-Uto-Aztecan connections. Though Hansen's initial critique was not about the Teotihuacan writing system, but specifically challenged the validity of 14 Nahuatl items that Stubbs had compared to Old World words in his work, Exploring the Explanatory Power of Semitic and Egyptian in Uto-Aztecan. In his published rebuttal, Stubbs demonstrated a gracious but firm defense of his methodology. He noted that he appreciated the dialogue, which led him to re-evaluate and, in some cases, strengthen his arguments. He specifically mentioned that Hansen's and another critic's investigations, "together eliminated one item, maybe two, leaving 1,526 matches," suggesting the overall body of evidence for his Semitic/Egyptian hypothesis remained largely intact. Dr. Stubbs likely hasn't had a chance to formally weigh in on the Teotihuacan writing theory itself, he has publicly and positively engaged with Magnus Pharao Hansen's specific critiques on the linguistic data relevant to his own research on the Uto-Aztecan language family. The fact that both scholars work heavily with Uto-Aztecan languages and Nahuatl, and have publicly interacted on technical linguistic points, suggests an ongoing scholarly conversation in this specialized field.

There is some buzz over new archaeological details about the ancient city of Teotihuacan, and the work of Dr. Brian D. Stubbs in relation to the Book of Mormon narrative. Teotihuacan Linguistic Study A new archaeological study by Magnus Pharao Hansen and Christopher Helmke of the University of Copenhagen has deciphered the writing system in Teotihuacan murals, proposing it records an early form of the Uto-Aztecan language family. The researchers' study, "The Language of Teotihuacan Writing," published in the journal Current Anthropology in late 2025, proposes that the glyphs and symbols on Teotihuacan's murals and artifacts actually constitute a true writing system. They argue that this system uses a combination of logograms (representing entire words, like a depiction of a coyote for 'coyote') and the rebus principle (using the sound of a pictured object to represent a different word or sound). By reconstructing an earlier form of the Uto-Aztecan language (ancestral to Nahuatl—the language of the Aztecs—as well as Cora and Huichol), they have been able to align reconstructed ancient words with the visual symbols. https://archaeologymag.com/2025/10/teotihuacan-murals-reveal-uto-aztecan-language/ https://news.ku.dk/all_news/2025/10/researchers-on-the-verge-of-solving-mexican-mystery/ What Is the Significance? A Writing System Within the Book of Mormon Timeline If confirmed, this is a significant breakthrough in Mesoamerican studies. It would decipher a Writing System and establish that Teotihuacan, flourishing from approximately 100 BCE to 600 CE, had a true writing system, placing it alongside the Maya. It suggests that Uto-Aztecan speakers were present in the Valley of Mexico much earlier than previously thought, potentially making the builders of Teotihuacan the direct ancestors of the Aztecs, rather than the Aztecs being later migrants who arrived after the city's collapse. They correlate with Book of Mormon's Timeframe. A written, thriving period of a major Uto-Aztecan language with the timeline of the Book of Mormon (roughly 600 BCE–400 CE). Teotihuacan Language's Relationship with Semitic-Egyptian Latter-day Saints relying on the work of linguist Dr. Brian D. Stubbs propose connections between Uto-Aztecan and Old World languages. Dr. Stubbs, a specialist in Near Eastern and Native American languages, has published extensively on this topic, most notably in his book 'Exploring the Explanatory Power of Semitic and Egyptian in Uto-Aztecan'. His hypothesis posits that the Uto-Aztecan language family shows evidence of an ancient Semitic (specifically Hebrew/Aramaic) and Egyptian influence. Stubbs presents over 1,500 linguistic connections (cognates) between Semitic/Egyptian and Uto-Aztecan. Crucially, his work is claimed to move beyond mere word similarity by identifying systemic and consistent sound shifts (e.g., Semitic "b" sounds becoming "p" or "kw" in Uto-Aztecan) and morphological correspondences (grammatical structure) that meet or exceed the standards typically used by historical linguists to establish language relationships. While Stubbs's work is respected for its meticulous detail and vast scope among some scholars of the Book of Mormon, it is generally not accepted by the broader mainstream linguistic community. https://journal.interpreterfoundation.org/exploring-semitic-and-egyptian-in-uto-aztecan-languages/ https://scripturecentral.org/archive/periodicals/journal-article/was-there-hebrew-language-ancient-america-interview-brian-stubbs Its More Book of Mormon Mesoamerican Geography Evidence Latter-day Saints have been drawing a direct comparison between archaeological characteristics of Teotihuacan and descriptions of the "land northward" in the Book of Mormon, particularly the Book of Helaman (circa 50 BCE). There four specific parallels between the account in Helaman 3:3-11 and the archaeology of Teotihuacan. 1. Exceedingly Great Distance Northward: Teotihuacan is far north of the Mesoamerican regions often proposed for early Nephite civilization (like Southern Mexico/Guatemala). The city flourished around 100 BCE, consistent with the timeframe for the migration. 2. Large Bodies of Water and Many Rivers: The Valley of Mexico, where Teotihuacan is located, was historically a basin surrounded by a chain of large, interconnected lakes (e.g., Lake Texcoco). 3. Expert Working of Cement: The Book of Mormon mentions the people becoming "exceedingly expert in the working of cement." Teotihuacan is one of the earliest known cities in the Americas to use sophisticated, large-scale lime plaster and cement materials for structural construction, beginning around the first century BCE/CE. 4. Little Timber (Deforestation): Lime cement production requires vast amounts of wood to fire the limestone, which correlates with archaeological evidence suggesting Teotihuacan and the surrounding Valley of Mexico experienced significant deforestation during the city's rapid rise. This forced people to rely more on stone and cement as a building material, as the text describes. These correlations are frequently cited by proponents of a Mesoamerican geography model for the Book of Mormon as strong, specific, and unexpected archaeological evidence that aligns with the text's details.

D&C 115:6, 117:14, 118:2, 119:5-6 – is the reference to the land of Zion a reference to all of Missouri? No, it primarily refers to Jackson County, Missouri. In early revelation, Zion was specifically identified as the area centered in Independence, Jackson County, Missouri, where a temple was designated to be built (D&C 57:1-3). Stakes of Zion mentioned in D&C 115:6 are the surrounding areas and communities (such as Far West, Caldwell County, where this revelation was received) that would constitute the geographical, political, and spiritual structure of the larger cause of Zion. By the time of these revelations (1838-1839), the Saints had been expelled from Jackson County. Therefore, "the land of Zion" was both the specific, sacred location (Jackson County) and the broader ideal and goal of building up God's kingdom wherever the Saints gathered (the stakes). D&C 115:13 – Were these three [Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Hyrum Smith] the only ones restrained from entering into debt for that purpose? Not exactly, other Church leaders and members were also instructed to manage their affairs responsibly and to dedicate their means to building up Zion (D&C 117:5, 11-12), but the direct debt-restraint instruction for the temple was specifically aimed at the presiding leaders who had incurred the most significant financial liabilities in the previous efforts. D&C 115:13 restrains Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and Hyrum Smith from incurring further personal debt for the building of the designated house/temple. This specific command was addressed to them because they were the primary trustees or stewards managing the Church's financial affairs and the temple building effort at that time, and they had already accumulated significant personal debt in Kirtland for those purposes. This revelation was given in Far West in 1838, following the financial collapses and failures of the Kirtland period, which included great debt over the Kirtland Temple and associated ventures. The Lord was setting clear boundaries for the future work in Missouri. D&C 117:16 – Is the sin of moneychangers applied to individuals in Kirtland who corrupted sacred things by mixing spiritual leadership with greed, power-seeking, or financial manipulation involving church resources and the temple? Yes, this is the generally accepted interpretation. The term "moneychangers" clearly references the New Testament to describe financial corruption. In which many individuals, including some high-ranking Church leaders, had involved themselves in speculation, manipulation, and profiting off Church ventures or the temple's building efforts, ultimately leading to significant debt and loss of trust. Therefore, "overthrow the moneychangers" was a call for the faithful remaining in Kirtland to cleanse the Church of corruption caused by mixing sacred duties with unrighteous financial practices.

Yes, you are reciting the historical events surrounding the Salem trip, but still missing the crucial point about the nature and purpose of the revelation itself (Doctrine and Covenants 111). Yes, they were seeking money to pay temporal debts. (Confirmed by the Introduction and the Seminary Manual). Yes, they did not find the physical treasure. (Confirmed by Robinson’s account and the critic's conclusion). Yes, they returned to Kirtland. (Confirmed by the historical narrative). The revelation is not judged by whether or not they found a physical treasure. The revelation's purpose was to shift the focus of the leaders' immediate temporal need to the spiritual priority. Essentially a reproof and redirection from the Lord, turning the brethren's attention from a literal treasure hunt to the work of salvation. The successful fulfillment of this revelation is measured by a spiritual fulfillment, not the financial ones. "I have much treasure in this city for you" (v. 2), referring primarily to the souls of the people ("many people... whom I will gather out in due time"). "Concern not yourselves about your debts, for I will give you power to pay them" (v. 5). The Lord promises to solve the problem in His time and way. "Be diligent in declaring the word" and preach the gospel (v. 9). The brethren failed at their initial, self-directed goal. However, the revelation promises alternative treasure, the growth of the Church in that area and assures them that their temporal debts would eventually be paid through God's power and means, which, as discussed previously, did happen over time through the agency of faithful members. The revelation is not seen as a promise of a successful treasure hunt; hence the work Joseph Smith and his companions began through preaching during their time in Salem led to the establishment of important branches and provided key contacts for the Church's future missionary work in the eastern states and abroad.

Before you mentioned it, I thought all day I just had too many windows up, because closing some usually helps and I thought I had a virus. I don't think the 170 Guests on the forum are human. Now it definitely sounds like the forum is still under a cyber attack, specifically involving bots. What Happened: There was a Spam Bot attack or a malicious campaign using botnets to quickly create fake accounts and distribute unwanted content. The mod having to stop new joiners was a necessary action to mitigate this immediate threat. Now Being Very Slow to Log In/Open a Reply Window: following the initial bot attack, strongly suggests a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack or an Application Layer Attack. DDoS: The forum's server is being overwhelmed by a flood of traffic, requests, or connection attempts, making it slow or unavailable for legitimate users (like you trying to log in or post). Even if the spamming has calmed, a continuous, lower-level flood can still cause severe performance degradation. Application Layer Attack (e.g., Slowloris/R.U.D.Y.): The bots could be opening connections (like when you try to log in or open a reply window) and keeping them open by sending data very slowly, or they could be submitting complex, resource-intensive requests that tie up the server's processing power. 170 Guests That Aren't Human: This is a near-certain sign of ongoing malicious bot traffic. These are likely the bots or automated scripts, possibly part of a botnet, that are constantly hitting the site. They might be DDoS/Stress Testing Bots: Simply making repeated requests to keep the server overloaded. Initial mass bot spamming followed by persistent, unexplained performance slowdowns and a high count of suspicious "guests" is highly consistent with a sustained bot-driven cyber attack, most likely a form of a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack targeting the forum's application or server resources.

Double Incident: Mont-Dore, New Caledonia, Sunday evening, October 12, 2025. The same day that a fire significantly damaged an LDS meetinghouse in Te Hauke, New Zealand, Sunday morning. New Caledonia, New Zealand, and Australia are located in the Southwest Pacific Ocean, and while they are geographically connected in the broader context of Oceania. Though separated by a considerable distances of open water. New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade describes New Caledonia as its "closest geographic neighbour in the Pacific." The fire caused significant damage to the Church meetinghouse. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation by local authorities. Locally it is believed intentional because that this incident occurred amid a broader pattern of attacks against Catholic religious sites in New Caledonia. Since mid-July of 2024, there has been a documented trend of arson attacks against Catholic churches and missions in New Caledonia, including historic sites near Nouméa and on the Isle of Pines. These attacks have been highly symbolic, with fires ignited in multiple locations (e.g., the altar and entrance) and in some cases, walls have been tagged. These earlier incidents were reportedly linked to rioters and unrest, and were widely condemned by local leaders as "intolerable" and "criminal irresponsible acts." New Caledonia has experienced periods of civil unrest and violence, which have included buildings such as police stations and town halls being set ablaze. While the cause of the Mont-Dore LDS meetinghouse fire is officially unknown, the timing and the recent history of church burnings and civil unrest in New Caledonia will likely lead to rumors and strong suspicion within the community that the fire was criminally motivated (arson), possibly connected to either the ongoing local unrest or the recent fires targeting LDS churches globally (in New Zealand and Australia). https://news-pacific.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/fires-damage-church-meetinghouses-in-new-zealand-and-new-caledonia

Early morning on Sunday, October 12, 2025, the Te Hauke Church, near Hastings, in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand. The fire caused significant damage to the meetinghouse, with the main chapel area being engulfed in flames quickly. One report noted that the only item left untouched was a portrait of Jesus Christ... No injuries were reported because the building was empty. All the members were watching the Church's semi-annual General Conference from home. The cause of the fire is under investigation by authorities. No official determination of arson has been made. Similar to the fire in Australia, there is speculation in the community and media about the cause. The local community leader, Ngāti Kahungunu chairman Bayden Barber, stated, "I'm just like everyone else, wondering what happened" and commented on the timing in relation to international incidents, saying, "The church has been on edge... people are on alert around the world, it would seem. People are being emboldened by some of the rhetoric that's happening overseas, and we don't need that kind of behaviour here." This suggests a community fear that the fire could be linked to the events in Michigan and Australia, but this is a sentiment, not an official finding of motive or arson. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/te-hauke-hawkes-bay-church-fire-leaves-only-portrait-of-jesus-intact/GVRMEM3C3ZB47BJVXITQDJQTXE/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/te-hauke-hawke-s-bay-church-fire-leaves-only-portrait-of-jesus-intact/

An LDS meetinghouse in Hebersham, Sydney, Australia, was destroyed by a fire in the early hours of Monday, October 6, 2025, shortly after the Michigan attack. As of the latest reports, the cause of the fire is unclear and remains under investigation by authorities. Arson is suspected by the public and the media because the fire was reported to have started in three separate locations of the complex, which has led to speculation it was intentional, though no official confirmation of arson has been made. News reports that suspect arson explicitly state that they did not say whether arson is suspected by the authorities. https://gephardtdaily.com/local/fire-rips-through-lds-church-meetinghouse-in-australia/

Correct, nor should you, that is the introductory note that sets the historical context for later reframing by the Lord about what is of value in Salem. The Church leaders' concerns were only about debt and money which is then contrasted with the Lord's subsequent message focusing on assorted and more lasting treasures. There is a reframing of the concept of "treasure", "more treasures than one", which would benefit Zion more than any immediate money find. Therefore, the introductory note is interpreted as the triggering event for a revelation that ultimately teaches a spiritual principle: God's treasures includes souls, and His solutions to temporal problems come in His time and through His means.

What is the Church's philosophy of criminal justice? The proportionality in sentencing, sometimes called the "proportionality principle" or the "grading of offenses" is to reserve the most severe penalties, like a life sentence or the death penalty (where applicable), for the most egregious crimes, namely murder and sometimes other exceptionally heinous offenses like terrorism or large-scale treason. Without a clear hierarchy of punishment, the moral gravity and social condemnation attached to the most severe crimes are diminished. Then is the Marginal Deterrent Effect. If the penalty for a felony, is already a very long prison term (e.g., 50 years, effectively a life sentence), the marginal cost of elevating the crime to murder (by eliminating victims/witnesses) is perceived as minimal. If the bank robber is already facing a potential life sentence (e.g., 60 years or "three strikes" application), the marginal deterrent from committing murder (still a life sentence) is reduced to near zero. Why risk capture and a certain life sentence for robbery, only to not eliminate the witnesses when doing so carries little to no increased punishment risk but significantly reduces the chance of apprehension? The "Sound of Freedom Act" in Alabama illustrates a political and moral choice to prioritize "retribution" and "absolute deterrence" for child human trafficking, even at the expense of marginal deterrence principles. The underlying crime, Human Trafficking in the First Degree, was already a Class A felony, which previously carried a sentence of 10 to 99 years or life (all dependent on your record, your exact role in the enterprise, cooperating with law enforcement, etc). The central issue with the "Sound of Freedom Act," from a marginal deterrence perspective, is that it sets the punishment for child trafficking equal to or near the maximum penalty for murder. The apparent intent is to make the punishment for the exploitation of a child so severe (retribution) that it functions as an absolute deterrent to the initial crime of trafficking, regardless of the implications for marginal deterrence against homicide. The philosophy of marginal deterrence argues that if a trafficker is facing a guaranteed life sentence for the trafficking act itself, they have little to lose by eliminating the victim (murder) if they believe it would reduce the chance of capture and conviction. The maximum penalty is already reached by the lesser crime.

The SPEAR Fund's own press releases and official documents identify him in this role. The organization is described as one that funds and collaborates with a coalition of experts and organizations to end human trafficking. Court documents related to lawsuits also name him as being associated with The SPEAR Fund. https://thespearfund.org/montana-event/ There appears to be an anomaly. The Tim Ballard Foundation is a new iteration of his anti-trafficking work, but his current primary non-profit affiliation is with The SPEAR Fund. Tim Ballard's personal website says it was launched "Friday, September 26, 2025 at 4:32:46 PM" established in multiple countries, globally, where Tim continues to partner with government leaders and law enforcement in the fight against human trafficking." Without further information (like a registered 501(c)(3) status under this name or details on its activities beyond a website mention), it is hard to definitively confirm it exists as a fully distinct and operational entity separate from The SPEAR Fund, or if it is a rebranded or future name for his efforts.

So, Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.) is rebranded as Our Rescue, most "credible" sources, the few news outlets referring to these changes in focus and leadership is from several areas on their website, primarily in their Newsroom/Press Releases and About Us/Mission sections. "From Darkness to Light: The New Our Rescue" (A message from the CEO) provides a clear statement from CEO Tammy Lee on the organization's transformation, new board, and accelerated focus on law enforcement partnerships, technology like ESD K9s, and survivor care. https://ourrescue.org/education/statistics/from-darkness-to-light-the-new-our-rescue) "OUR Rescue Announces New Leadership Team Members to Expand its Global Mission and Impact" (Press Release) This is the official announcement of the new leadership team, including the Chief Mission Officer and others with extensive law enforcement and forensic backgrounds. https://ourrescue.org/resources/news-media/organization/our-rescue-announces-new-leadership-team-members-to-expand-its-global-mission-and-impact "About Our Rescue and our fight against sex trafficking" (General Mission/Strategy page): This page summarizes the organization's current approach, detailing how they work with law enforcement, provide technology, and integrate survivor care. https://ourrescue.org/about

While the claim to have done "more rescues" in the last two years than ever before is difficult to independently verify, especially since he is no longer with the organization he founded, Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.). Tim Ballard resigned as CEO of O.U.R. in June 2023. O.U.R. itself continues operations under new leadership, focusing on law enforcement collaboration, digital forensics, and survivor care. Tim Ballard is now a Senior Advisor in Rescue Operations for The SPEAR Fund, a different organization that funds and collaborates with anti-trafficking groups. If he is conducting "more rescues," it is presumably through this new network or independent efforts, although specific, verified details of these operations are not widely publicized. The claim of doing "more rescues" could be intended as a reference to his role in facilitating operations through a new funding organization, rather than necessarily performing a greater number of high-risk, face-to-face undercover missions himself.

Or maybe he found he gets more work done with less couple ruses nowadays... or more of them with less church nowadays.

I'm sure stuff happened, just he may be prone to Confirmation Bias or connecting unrelated incidents to create a preferred storyline. If the call about $10 million campaign "to destroy" him was a heads up about the subsequent press statement from the Church. My first thought was like yours, or it was such a vague psychic prediction any negative response the Church would have made would have confirmed it cost $10mil in Ballard's gullible mind or maybe I'm completely underestimating the sheer estimated cost of handling the legal and public relations fallout from a controversy that involved a high-profile member, a blockbuster movie, fundraising fraud, a political campaign, and allegations of assault. But then Ballard's narrative would only see it as a targeted, pre-planned assassination of his character. He might actually know a bit of the existence of migrant trafficking problems all over the west, including Utah, but his narrative connects it to the church's alleged PR response, and concludes it could only be because of a very specific, dark reason (a cover up) rather than simply a desire to distance the organization from a high-profile individual facing personal misconduct accusations. The church's institutional resistance could have been a defensive reaction to any perceived threat to its image, finances, or political stability, regardless of Ballard's odd and specific allegations. I'm willing to say a falling Jesus painting was probably indeed a dramatic event that had a non-verbal and open to subjective meaning. Being an otherwise mute object could just as easily have been interpreted as Jesus objecting to the High Councilman's defense of Ballard rather than agreeing. But he's the one telling the story.

Tim Ballard, the inspiration for the film Sound of Freedom, made explosive claims regarding a campaign to discredit him and his work, allegedly orchestrated by the "deep state" within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and others. In Ballard's recent appearances, he is now publicly admitting that he was excommunicated, after denying it for a long time. He has not been able to be rebaptized (maybe because he must wait a year following excommunication), but his recent denial is thought to led to a series of his current public rants. The Church booted him for his alleged immoral actions use of the "couples ruse" (convincing women to engage in undercover "married couple activities") in his anti-child trafficking operations and the unauthorized use of Apostle M. Russell Ballard's name. New Conspiracy Theories and Rants $10 Million Conspiracy Ballard claimed that in late August/early September 2023, he received a phone call from a credible insider informing him that $10 million had been invested to "destroy" him. He alleges the Church's campaign began with a statement from the LDS Church intended to derail the "Sound of Freedom Act" he was working on with members of Congress. "I get a phone call saying, '$$10 million has been has been sent to destroy you.' I said, 'What's it going to look like?' They said, 'A bag of bricks.' And that's all they would say. Three weeks later, it begins from the Mormon church." Getting A Sign from Jesus Ballard shared a dramatic anecdote from his recent excommunication proceeding, claiming it was conducted in violation of church policy. He described a moment when a High Councilman stood up to the Stake President in his defense. According to Ballard, as the High Councilman challenged the proceedings, "the big picture of Jesus that sits on the wall of the office comes crashing down." The High Councilman allegedly took this as a sign that "Jesus has weighed in on this." He's telling the story as "divine confirmation" that heaven is on his side. Prayer for Trump-like Resilience Facing the fallout of the controversy, which he said cost him a job, a book deal, and a sequel to Sound of Freedom, Ballard spoke about how he found the strength to continue his fight. Ballard stated that he regularly prays for the tenacity to withstand persecution: "I always said to myself I prayed to God and say 'Help me harness my inner Trump'... He's a great example for me like that's I literally say that in my prayers all the time." Ballard asserts that despite the attempts to silence him, these attacks have ultimately failed, leading him to do "more rescues" in the last two years than ever before and providing more content for the forthcoming film Sound of Freedom 2. Source: Interview with Tim Ballard on the Julie Green Ministries show. Supposedly, Tim Ballard is reportedly making other extreme claims about the church on various podcasts, repeating the Mormon church spent $10 million to destroy him. Alleging that the Church has been infiltrated by forces trying to prevent him from "uncover[ing] the worst thing happening on the planet," which he specifies as satanic ritual abuse of children happening in Utah.

Somewhat odd questions. In LDS doctrine, the term "tabernacle" is most commonly used to refer to the mortal physical body. Spirits are not often described as having a tabernacle of spirit. However, they do have a spirit body, which is described as being in the "form of God's physical body" and spirit matter is "more fine or pure" than matter the physical body. Perhaps in modern terms, he meant energy. The simplest, and perhaps most widely accepted, model is that a spirit is an intelligence that has been organized into a spirit body. Rather than an entity encased in spirit matter. LDS doctrine teaches that agency is an eternal attribute of all intelligent beings, which includes the earliest state of human existence. Intelligences refers to the eternal, uncreated part of humankind. Scripture states, "Intelligence... was not created or made, neither indeed can be" and that all intelligence is an independent agent, "independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself." (Doctrine and Covenants 93:30) This scripture is cited as evidence that agency (the ability to act and choose) is inherent to the very nature of intelligence, which has always existed. And spirits possessed and exercised their agency, as evidenced by the "War in Heaven." In summary, the principle of agency is understood to be just as eternal and uncreated as the fundamental intelligence itself.

This kind of reminds me of when 9/11 happened I first started watching news regularly. CNN had a 2-hours of news that basically was on repeat, I had to learn to stop watching after 2 hours. Then I discovered the 700 Club covered all 2-hrs of CNN news in the first 10-minutes. That was a long time ago, I knew then it would be bias, but it saved me a lot of time. I guess I wanted to say, just because something is biased, and you know its biased, can it not still inform you of true events, the bias being the opinion of whether it's good or bad? Or are we saying the Epoch Times lies? So, I looked for a specific example. China probably doesn't like the Conspiracy Theories related to specific claims about the COVID-19 pandemic. Though several initial statements and claims about COVID-19 have been vindicated or substantiated. The big one is Wuhan, China "lab leak" theory censored or dismissed as "misinformation," by various government entities. In 2025, some CIA reports have specifically stated that COVID-19 likely emerged from a laboratory. However, The Epoch Times has been cited for promoting conspiracy theories about COVID-19 include the idea that the virus was deliberately created as a biological weapon or that it was directed by global elites like Bill Gates. That might push things too far for a news story.

It is often interpreted by members in two primary ways: spiritual treasure of "people" via missionary work and temporal treasure which fulfillment is "in due time", with the latter not being tied directly to building millennial temples or the New Jerusalem in Missouri in common commentary. Why Spiritual Treasure is the dominant interpretation of the "treasure" in this section, is that the people of Salem are the greater treasure, "there are more treasures than one," (D&C 111:9-10). D&C 111:2 states, "I have much treasure in this city for you, for the benefit of Zion, and many people in this city, whom I will gather out in due time for the benefit of Zion." This promise of many people was later fulfilled through missionary efforts, notably by Elder Erastus Snow in the 1840s, leading to a significant number of converts who went on to benefit the Church's efforts, or "Zion." The reference to "gold and silver" in verse 4 could be seen as a dramatic literary device to redirect their attention from literal money to eternal souls. However, the reference to "wealth pertaining to gold and silver shall be yours" (verse 4) suggests a literal, temporal blessing of wealth. But since this wealth was not obtained during Joseph Smith's 1836 visit, commentary generally views this as a promise yet to be fulfilled "in due time," through whatever means the Lord chooses to employ for the benefit of Zion, rather than a specific undiscovered cache of gold. There is no prominent or official LDS commentary that specifically connects the eventual wealth from Salem mentioned in D&C 111:4 to the funding of Millennial temples or the building of the New Jerusalem (Zion) in Missouri. While the building of the New Jerusalem and its temple is the ultimate goal of Zion, the immediate concern of the leaders was their current debt, partly from building the Kirtland Temple, and the gathering of people (converts) for the Church's establishment. The Twelve's "Sins" Concerning whether the Twelve Apostles "sins" and rebellion in D&C 112 in July 1837, nearly a year later, was known in foreknowledge and is the reason the wealth in Salem was concealed, is not a standard interpretation found in LDS commentary. D&C 111:1 already explicitly addresses the current "follies" of Joseph Smith and his companions already traveling to Salem from rumors of hidden treasure and seemingly mercifully does not withhold such a blessing, though perhaps redirects their focus to greater treasures. The promise in D&C 111:4 does not seem conditional on the future behavior of the Twelve. Lord does say he will "order all things for your good, and for the preservation of my people, if ye are faithful and wise as serpents, and yet without sin" (D&C 111:11), making the fulfillment of the promises conditional on the faithfulness of the leaders, but primarily on the Lord's timing and purposes for Zion. The Lord's message in D&C 111 is one of mercy and redirection: He accepts their misguided attempts to solve their financial problems and assures them that the greatest treasure is the gathering of souls, a work that will ultimately ensure their financial deliverance (D&C 111:5, 10).

Each other or even yourself. I'm fairly certain temptation is not the sole providence of your devils, and it is not assumed the devil has a devil. Joseph Smith from January 19, 1841, as recorded in the McIntire Minute Book, infers a spirit is an inferior state of being, with limitations inherent in spirit beings, how in the pre-mortal state we were "subject to oppression" from the powers of darkness (Ehat & Cook, Words, McIntire Minute Book: 19 January 1841 (Tuesday), p. 62.) so even in the premortal world, opposition and temptation existed. The power to resist and choose remained, but in order for us to ultimately overcome evil, it was necessary for us to acquire a physical body which could later be resurrected into an immortal one. While I don't have a full text of that specific minute immediately available, but he does say in other places how spirits lack the power and protection of a physical body. In 1843: "All beings who have bodies have more power than those who have not. The devil has no body, and herein is his great limitation." (Discourse, 5 January 1841, as Reported by William Clayton). Latter-day Saints believing in the necessity of a physical body and the purpose of mortality. Having a body gives individuals a greater capacity to resist evil and exercise their agency. Brigham Young taught, "The spirit that the Lord puts into a tabernacle of flesh, is under the dictation of the Lord Almighty; but the spirit and body are united in order that the spirit may have a tabernacle, and be exalted; and the spirit is influenced by the body, and the body by the spirit." He noted that the Devil "does not hold any power over man, only so far as the body overcomes the spirit that is in a man, through yielding to the spirit of evil." This implies that the body acts as a defense for the spirit. However, if the spirit yields to the body's fallen nature ("of the earth"), then the Devil can gain influence over both. In LDS theology, temptation and evil come from not just the temptations of physical lusts of the natural body, but your own weaknesses and the devil's power of persuasion, convincing others to reject the Father and his plan. An evil spirit's power to oppress a spirit without a body is largely the power to whisper doubt and prideful alternatives. The oppression an evil spirit inflicts can be mental anguish, fear, or a sense of hopelessness, all of which are spiritual rather than physical sensations. From the spirit world, an evil spirit can teach a man that he "must not pray" (2 Nephi 32:8) or invite and entice him to do evil (Moroni 7:12). These are attacks on the spirit's spiritual core.

That explains why the theology seems different. So, my question is twofold: Is to proceed to insert the later doctrine of pre-mortality into Moses 7 purely anachronistic? Or is it fair to suggest the passage was intentionally worded to be ambiguous or contains layers, such that it could be read in retrospect as a reference to the War in Heaven/pre-mortal life, even if strictly it wasn't the meaning at the time? When do we avoid sin of reading later ideas back into earlier texts, and when is it okay to place progressive revelation in a living scripture?