This book tells the full inside story of the Bush Administration and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Written by a top National Security Council officer who worked at the White House with Bush, Cheney, and Rice and attended dozens of meetings with figures like Sharon, Mubarak, the kings of Jordan and Saudi Arabia, and Palestinian leaders, it brings the reader inside the White House and the palaces of Middle Eastern officials. How did 9/11 change American policy toward Arafat and Sharon's tough efforts against the Second Intifada? What influence did the Saudis have on President Bush? Did the American approach change when Arafat died? How did Sharon decide to get out of Gaza, and why did the peace negotiations fail? In the first book by an administration official to focus on Bush and the Middle East, Elliott Abrams brings the story of Bush, the Israelis, and the Palestinians to life.
This book tells the full inside story of the Bush Administration and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Written by a top National Security Council officer who worked at the White House with Bush, Cheney, and Rice and attended dozens of meetings with figures like Sharon, Mubarak, the kings of Jordan and Saudi Arabia, and Palestinian leaders, it brings the reader inside the White House and the palaces of Middle Eastern officials. How did 9/11 change American policy toward Arafat and Sharon's tough efforts against the Second Intifada? What influence did the Saudis have on President Bush? Did the American approach change when Arafat died? How did Sharon decide to get out of Gaza, and why did the peace negotiations fail? In the first book by an administration official to focus on Bush and the Middle East, Elliott Abrams brings the story of Bush, the Israelis, and the Palestinians to life.
While scientific knowledge is based on tested truths, religion is founded on blind assent to divinely revealed truths. Such is the gap between religion and science. It appears unbridgeable. Or is it? Upon close examination of the Scriptures, from "Genesis" to "Revelation", a mystical object (depicting the Nature and Kingdom of God) emerges as the central theme of Divine Revelation. Its structural features and attributes were described in different epochs, by different biblical personages. This Hidden Structure--Mount Zion (a Cryptogram)--is variously portrayed in the Scriptures as a rock or a mountain, and frequently associated with fire (combustion). Through a combustion experiment, the three dimensional picture of this Divine Emblem--a Pictogram-was made manifest, in the first edition, replete with a pair of mathematical functions. Thus, the authentication of the Scriptures no longer depends on blind faith, but on the systematic verification of this Structure with the testimonies of biblical personages who espied and described its features long before the dawn of science. The Structure together with the mathematical functions were later determined to be a particular solution. An in-depth examination of the experimental data resulted in a general solution, giving rise to a dual Complex Structure: a Mountain and a Valley. Thus, the (carbon monoxide) combustion process is, now, expressed as a system of competing matrices of energy hills and valleys. (These results challenge some of the currently held notions in quantum mechanics; notably, the idea that there is a wave function "collapse" or a "reduction" of the wave packet in the process of measurement.) The spiritual meaning of the Hill--Mount Zionwas the focus of the first edition. In the second edition, the ValleyDeath Valleyoften identified in the Scriptures as a Pit or the Netherworld, was established as a complementary Spiritual Form (Psalms 23:4 & 28:1). These metaphysical structures represent the Ultimate Reality. While Mount Zion relates to Goodness, Death Valley pertains to Evil; together, they constitute the Complex Whole. Even so, each embodies the attributes of the othera fractal feature. As determined from the combustion experiment, the Mountain is dominant over the Valley. And given the fractal properties of the Complex Whole, Mount Zion is, inherently, the Simple Whole Form: the Emblem of Ultimate Reality, and the exemplar of Occam's razor; as evidenced by the pervasive reference to this Structure in the Scriptures. The Complex Structure, however, enabled a fuller discussion of the relative attributes of the Divine. It is useful for addressing some of the ambiguities in the Scriptures. For instance, the Morning Star is an appellation of the Exalted Christ (Rev. 22:16), yet, it shares meaning with "Lucifer", the Evil One, who is, nevertheless, the Prince of Darkness (Isa. 14:12; Lk. 10:18). By virtue of the Cryptogram, the Model of Mount Zion, the Cosmic Atonement Sacrifice has, now, been shown to be a Tripartite Agency--the Sin-offering Bullock, the Sin-offering Goat, and the Scapegoat--reminiscent of the Judaic Day of atonement (cf., Lev. 16). As Cosmic Sin-offering Goat "for the Lord", Jesus ascended Mount Zion, and then entered into the Holy of Holies, through the loss of His body (that is, with His blood). Whereas, Muhammad, as Cosmic Scapegoat, ascended Mount Zion, alive, and with an escort, then rose to the Gate of the Heavenly Sanctuary, before being banished into the wilderness-valley "for Azazel". Having descended from Abraham, Jesus and Muhammad, each, identified with Abraham's lineage: Jesus through Isaac (the prototypical human sin-offering goat) and Muhammad through Ishmael (the archetypal human scapegoat). As for the Cosmic Sin-offering Bullock for the Royal, Heavenly, High Priest, He remained, like Melchizedek, a mystery until now. The Revelation of the Cryptogram enabled the authentic interpretation of the Third Part of the Secret of Fatima (Third Secret for short). Attention is called to the last section of this Book (13.4.h) which was first published in 1993 (Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 93-93712) and endorsed with the Divine Seal: the Cryptogram. It, especially, anticipated the Third Secret that was released in 2000; that is, to the extent that the theme and Principal Characters described in the Third Secret were portrayed there (and in other passages), presciently. Indeed, it is no coincidence that the scene of events in the Third Secret was an anonymous Mountain invested with God's Presence: towards whom the pilgrims streamed (as pre-portrayed by the Cryptogram). God's Presence on that Mountain establishes it as Mount Zion, God's Abode (cf., Ps. 74:2; 48:2; Isa. 18:8; Heb. 12:22). The Third Secret encoded a Spiritual War between two anonymous Combatants, with an ominous result: a frequent eschatological theme in the Scriptures. This edition reveals clues in the Third Secret which identify the Antagonists in the "Vision", and correlate them to those named presciently in the first edition; thus, facilitating the authentic interpretation of the Third Secret. So, the Author's foreknowledge of the Third Secret constitutes Divine ratification of the "Vision and Prophet", literally and figuratively, in fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy (Dan. 9:24). Evidence is presented in this Book, also, showing the fulfillment of several prophecies in connection with the transfer of Divine Authority from Judah to a foreigner. Indeed, several prophecies are cited pertaining to the relocation of the Messianic Capital: from the Old Jerusalem to a New City of God. In the Scriptures, Abraham paid tribute to the prototypical priest-king, Melchizedek: a foreigner to Abraham. This Personage is, often, identified in the Scriptures with the Messiah. Jesus's Messianism, however, is Abrahamic, through Judah. How, then, could He be likened to Melchizedek? Also, Jacob prophesied that the Scepter would devolve upon Shiloh (He to whom it belongs) from Judah. By the same token, Jesus cannot be identified with Shiloh, since Jesus is a descendant of Judah, through David (cf., Gen. 49:10). Furthermore, according to a Judaic tradition at Passover (commemorating a saving act): A place is usually set for (the phantom) Elijah on the ceremonial dinner table of a typical Jewish home, with the belief that Elijah would return to the house of Jacob as an unknown guesta stranger. Could these Distinguished OnesMelchizedek, Shiloh and Elijah; all of them strangers to Judahrefer to the same Personage? The implication of the foregoing discussion is the reality of another Messianic Personage (One distinct from Abraham). This issuethe idea of two Messiahsis raised, independently here, and implied in the Book of Daniel (9:24-27). The Qumran writings also made reference, explicitly, to two Messiahs. Consider the various appellations of these Messianic Personages in the Qumran texts: "Interpreter of the Law", "[Eschatological] Prophet", "Prince of Light", "Prince of the Whole Congregation", "Messiah of Aaron", "Messiah of Israel", "Heavenly Messiah", and "Priestly Messiah". And compare these with the information advanced in this Book. Other metaphysical systems are discussed also in context; and the Cryptogram is inferred to underlie them all: Heraclitus' Logos; Lao Tsu's Yang-and-Yin; and Zoroaster's Good-and-Evil. For more information go to www.mysteryofmountzion.com
This is Book 5 of The Pillars of Zion Series. This book describes the universal journey to our individual lands of promise-Zion! This book also describes the end of our journey, and what it really means to be pure in heart. This volume includes the following: Section 1: Come to Zion: The Universal Journey to the Land of Promise - Zion Is Our Heritage - The Fall - The Wilderness of Sin - The Awakening - The Cry for Help - The Lord's Wilderness - Experiencing Opposites - Strangers and Pilgrims - Separation from Babylon - Fleeing for Safety - The Crucible - The Tragedy of Murmuring - Finding Joy in the Journey - Conditions of the Lord's Wilderness - Living by Manna - Hard Work - Traveling by Revelation - Journeying According to the Lord's Will - Angels Attend Us - Safety and Security - Deliverance Experiences - The Fourth Watch - Lessons to Be Learned in the Lord's Wilderness - Preparation to Live the Higher Law - Putting Off the Natural Man - Learning the Formula of Obedience - Learning to Trust God: The Universal Lesson - Bountiful-A Reprieve - Confronting Satan - The Abrahamic Test - Taking upon Us the Name of Jesus Christ - Taking upon Us the Name of Christ through Baptism and the Sacrament - Common Ways of Taking upon Ourselves the Name of Christ - Born of God-The Mystery of Spiritual Rebirth - Fully Taking upon Us the Name of Jesus Christ - The Temple and the Name of Christ - The Name of Christ and Coronation - Coming to Christ - Deliverance - Giving Ourselves Free - Restoration and Exaltation - Sent Back as an Emissary of Zion Section 2: The Pure in Heart - Blessings for the Pure in Heart - Commanded to Seek the Lord's Face - Purification - Sanctification - Who May Seek the Lord's Face? - How Do We Come into the Presence of the Lord? - Knowing and Living the Correct Process - Knowing and Living the Higher Law and Its Principles of Progression - Receiving Power from on High - Receiving More Doctrine - Receiving More Doctrine by Choice - Receiving More Doctrine by Desire - Receiving More Doctrine by Faith - Receiving More Doctrine by Persistence and Improvement - Receiving More Doctrine by Service - Receiving More Doctrine by Seeking - Receiving More Doctrine by Treasuring Up - The Significance of the Temple Recommend - By What Power Might We Seek the Lord's Face? - Holiness to the Lord - A New Commitment - "It Is High Time to Establish Zion" - Priesthood Holders Must Set the Example - A Few Could Form the Foundation of Zion - According to Revelation - Our Duty to Individually Become Zion - 3 Nephi-Latter-day Guide to Establishing Zion - "Which We Might Have Received in One Year" - The Pure in Heart Shall See God - The Father's Testimony - The Savior's Testimony - Coming Forth to See and Know - Rejoicing, Worshipping, and Bearing Testimony - Receiving an Endowment of Knowledge - Healing - The Savior's Prayer for Us and Our Prayer to Him - Encircled About by Angels - Partaking of the Lord's Supper in His Presence - Receiving a Greater Endowment of the Holy Ghost - The Hundredfold Law - Revelations, Prophecies, and Explanations - Greater Commandments - The Greater Commandment to Pray Always - The Greater Commandment to Have All Things in Common - The Greater Commandment to Be "Even As the Lord Is" - Receiving a Special Gift - Beautiful Zion - Blessings for the Beautiful Ones"
An NPR journalist’s riveting exploration of religious fanaticism, terrorism, persecution, and confronting one’s own beliefs in a post 9/11 world. Soon after the World Trade Center towers fell on September 11 2001, it became clear that the United States would invade Afghanistan. Writer and This American Life producer Scott Carrier decided to go there, too. “In a series of remarkable essays, Carrier, raised among Mormons, noted similarities in the beliefs and practices of the Taliban and the Utah church, stressing the fundamentalist pledge of obedience to authority, and revelations and visions from God to a ‘Chosen people.’” Carrier needed to see and experience the Taliban for himself: who are these fanatics, these fundamentalists? And what do they want? (Publishers Weekly). Throughout these “engrossing stories of travel interspersed with historical vignettes and the author’s private struggles,” Carrier writes about his adventures—sometime harrowing, sometimes humorous, and always revealing—but also about the bigger problem. Having grown up among the resolute of the Salt Lake City church, he argues it will never work to attack the true believers head–on. The faithful thrive on persecution. Somehow, he thinks, we need to find a way—inside ourselves—to rise above fear and anger (Kirkus Reviews)
This is book 6 of the Pillars of Zion Series. This book questions our attitude toward wealth-seeking and accumulating and our treatment of those who live in poverty. In the end, how we answer these questions determines whether or not we are Zion people. The principles outlined in this book describe how to achieve unequalled abundance the Lord's way while not devolving into Babylon. This volume includes the following: Introduction: Dream of a Better World -Giving Opens the Doors to Blessings -Laying the Foundation -Lessons from the Good Samaritan Chapter 1: Ultimate Test-God or Mammon -Test of Riches -Only the Pure in Heart Can Pass This Test -Lord's Willingness to Be Tested -Consecration Is All about Love -A Coming Change of Orders -Conclusion Chapter 2: Thou Shalt Not Covet-Last Law -Covetousness-Last Law -Higher and Lower Laws of Prosperity -More Weighty Matters -Trying to Mix Mammon and Zion -Warnings Against Compromise -Making Mammon Holy -Mormon's View of the Last Days Chapter 3: First Commandments of This Dispensation -No Security in Mammon -Slippery Treasures -Lazarus and the Rich Man -Take Heed and Beware of Covetousness Chapter 4: Lessons in the Scriptures Concerning Wealth -Scriptural Description of the Last Days -Scriptures about Idolatry and Wealth -Scriptures about Seeking Wealth and Forgetting God -Scriptures about Mammon, Inequality, and Divisiveness -Scriptural Evidence That the Lord Despises the Selfish Rich Chapter 5: Persecuting the Poor -Wo unto the Rich Who Despise the Poor -They Rob the Poor -Building Personal Sanctuaries -Wealth-Seeking-Sin That Hinders and Destroys the Church -Ugliness of Inequality Contrasted with the Beautiful Work of Angels -Withholding from and Judging the Poor Harshly -Evil of the Age: Life for Money -A Curse on the Daughters of Zion -Blessings for Those Who Rescue the Poor -Poor of the Lord's People Shall Trust in Zion Chapter 6: Consequences of Seeking Wealth and Persecuting the Poor -Loss of the Providences of Heaven -Loss of Priesthood Power and Exaltation -Loss of the Spirit -Loss of Revelation -Loss of the Lord's Help -Loss of True Worship -Failure in Our Mission -Loss of Peace -Loss of National Security Chapter 7: Who Shall Enter? -What Doth It Profit? -Voice of Seven Thunders -Choosing God over Mammon -Obtaining a Hope in Christ -Freely Ye Have Received, Freely Give -Feeding the Lord's Lambs -Choosing God's Marvelous Work over Babylon's Charms -Invoking the Law of Asking to Receive -Conclusion Chapter 8: Becoming the Pure in Heart -Burning Out Impurities -Persecution of the poor -Charitable Service Propels Zion -Grace to Grace by Grace for Grace -Lacking for Nothing -If Any of You Lack Chapter 9: Charity-Lifeblood of Zion -Charity Defines Discipleship -Keeping and Feeding-Two Tests of Charity -Charity-Lifeblood of Zion -Charity Is Defined by Service -Charitable Service Saves and Exalts -Charitable Service Protects the Giver -Charity Is an Absolute -Charity Is a Gift-Greatest Gift Chapter 10: Without Charity We Are Nothing -Charity-Pure Love of Christ -Charity Emerges from Faith and Hope -Charity Transforms the Heart -Charity Promotes Equality, Unity and an Abundant Life -Charitable Service Saves and Exalts -Moroni's Prayer for Latter-day Charity -Patience and Charity -Charity and Virtue-Essential Elements of Priesthood Power -Charity Draws the Lord Near -Charity Empowers All Gospel Laws Chapter 11: Hundredfold Law -Law of Restoration -Struggling with Zion and Babylon Principles -New Math -What Doth It Profit to Cling to Our Property? -Safety and Perfection in Consecration -Hundredfold Law -Freely Ye Have Received, Freely Give Chapter 12: Ultimate Abundance, Safety, and Security -True Safety and Security -Obtaining an Abundance in All Things -Telestial and Celestial Wealth -Wealth-seeking is Strictly Forbidden -God or Mammon-Ultimate Test -Abundance and Personal Righteousness -Exceedingly Prosperous And Much More"
This is Book 4 in The Pillars of Zion Series. This book explores the Law of Consecration, the third pillar of Zion. This book casts this law as a "template," and answers questions about the law's origin, past attempts, and future glory. This book demonstrates this law's validity today and its power to create a Zion person, marriage, family or priesthood society. This volume includes the following: Section 1: What Is the Law of Consecration? -Consecration-the Principle of Exaltation -Condition of Babylon -Definition of Consecration -Law We Must Live to Achieve the Celestial Kingdom -Consecrating the Good and the Bad -Consecration Is Nonnegotiable -Sanctified by Consecration: Law of the Celestial Kingdom -Ultimate Consecration-To Sacrifice a Prepared and Purified Heart -Live Consecration or Lose Eternal Life -Laying Everything on the Altar -Consecration and the Atonement -Temporal and Spiritual Salvation Section 2: Consecration Results in Equality and Unity -Equality-"In Mine Own Way" -Equality and the Law of Prosperity -Esteeming All Flesh in One -Seven Points of Equality -Taking Equal Responsibility for the Cause of Zion -Unifying Power of the At-one-ment -Antagonism-Opposite of Synergy -Unity and Prayer -How We Achieve Unity -End Result of Unity -All Things Common among Them -Law of Common Consent -Love Leads Us to Eternal Life -Is Baptism Sufficient for Exaltation? -Two Purposes of the Law of the Gospel -Interwoven Covenants -Law of Sacrifice -Sacrifice and love Section 3: Guiding Principles of Consecration -Guiding Principles of Consecration -Agency and Truth -Riches of the Earth Are the Lord's -God Becomes Our Paymaster -Stewardship and Equality -Profitable and Unprofitable Servants -Accountability -Idle Poor -Idle Rich -Virtue of Labor Section 4: Ultimate Test-God or Mammon -Test of Riches -Only the Pure in Heart Can Pass This Test -Lord's Willingness to Be Tested -Consecration Is All about Love -A Change of Orders -Love of Money Is the Root of All Evil -Covetousness-Last Law -Higher and Lower Laws of Prosperity -More Weighty Matters -Trying to Mix Mammon and Zion -Warnings against Compromise -Making Mammon Holy -Mormon's View of the Last Days -First Commandments of This Dispensation -No Security in Mammon -Slippery Treasures -Lazarus and the Rich Man -Nothing Compares to the Danger -Lessons in the Scriptures Concerning Wealth -Persecuting the Poor -Wo unto the Rich Who Despise the Poor -They Rob the Poor -Building Sanctuaries -Wealth-Seeking-Sin That Hinders and Destroys the Church -Ugliness of Inequality Contrasted with the Beautiful Work of Angels -Withholding from and Judging the Poor Harshly -Evil of the Age: Life for Money -A Curse on the Daughters of Zion -Blessings for Those Who Rescue the Poor -Poor of the Lord's People Shall Trust in Zion -Consequences of Seeking Wealth and Persecuting the Poor -Loss of the Providences of Heaven -Loss of Priesthood Power and Exaltation -Failure in Our Mission -Loss of Peace -Loss of National Security -Who Shall Enter? -What Doth It Profit? -Voice of Seven Thunders -Choosing God over Mammon -Obtaining a Hope in Christ -Freely Ye Have Received, Freely Give -Feeding the Lord's Lambs -Choosing God's Marvelous Work over Babylon's Charms -Invoking the Law of Asking to Receive Section 5: Royal Law -Royal Law Explains the Principles of Consecration -Cornerstones of the Law of Consecration -Mutual Assistance -Faith and the Proper Use of the Priesthood -Consecrating a Sickness and a Life to the Lord -Administration and Forgiveness of Sins -Consecration Requires Faith -Reciprocal Love -Charity-Pure Love of Christ -Charity Strengthened by Faith and Hope And Much More!"
