What Can You Do to Help Gather Israel?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to the book of Jeremiah in a lesson titled “Before I Formed Thee in the Belly I Knew Thee” (Jeremiah 1-3; 7; 16-18; 20). The following information introduced the lesson. 

At first, Jeremiah didn’t think he would make a good prophet. “Behold, I cannot speak,” he protested (Jeremiah 1:6). But the Lord reassured him, “I have put my words in thy mouth” (verse 9). Jeremiah felt that he was an inexperienced “child” (verse 6), but the Lord explained that he was actually more prepared than he realized – he had been ordained to this calling even before he was born (see verse 5). So Jeremiah set aside his fears and accepted the call. He warned Jerusalem’s kings and priests that their pretended holiness would not save them. The “child” who thought he could not speak came to feel God’s word “in [his] heart as a burning fire” and could not be silent (Jeremiah 20:9).

Jeremiah’s story is also your story. God knew you, too, before you were born and prepared you for your mission in life. Among other things, that mission includes something Jeremiah foresaw; gathering God’s people, one by one, to “bring [them] to Zion” (Jeremiah 3:14). And even if you don’t know exactly what to do or say, you can “be not afraid …; for I am with thee, saith the Lord” (Jeremiah 1:8, 19).

There are four principles in this lesson. They are (1) Prophets are called to speak God’s word (Jeremiah 1:4-19; 7;1-7; 20:8-9), (2) God knew me before I was born (Jeremiah 1:5), (3) “They have forsaken me the fountain of living waters” (Jeremiah 2; 7), and (4) The Lord will gather His people (Jeremiah 3:14-18; 16:14-21). This essay will discuss principle #4 about God gathering His people.

Jeremiah compared the gathering of Israel in the latter days with the Exodus of Israel from Egypt. (See Jeremiah 16:14-15.) Jeremiah 3:14-18 says, “I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion.” Verses 15-18 tells us that pastors will “feed [them] with knowledge and understanding.” Jerusalem would be the “throne of the Lord” and “all the nations shall be gathered unto it.” In that day, “the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel” and come out of the north.

Jeremiah 16:14-21, tells us that God will gather “the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them.” He will “send for many fishers” and “many hunters” to hunt the people from every mountain and hill and out of caves. No one can hide their faces or their iniquity from God.

President Russell M. Nelson, like Jeremiah, taught that the gathering of Israel “is the most important thing taking place on earth today” (“Hope of Israel,” worldwide youth devotional, June 3, 2018, Gospel Library). In his address, he told the youth: 

My dear young brothers and sisters, these surely are the latter days, and the Lord is hastening His work to gather Israel. That gathering is the most important thing taking place on earth today. Nothing else compares in magnitude, nothing else compares in importance, nothing else compares in majesty. And if you choose to, if you want to, you can be a big part of it. You can be a big part of something big, something grand, something majestic!

When we speak of the gathering, we are simply saying this fundamental truth: every one of our Heavenly Father’s children, on both sides of the veil, deserves to hear the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. They decide for themselves if they want to know more. Those whose lineage is from the various tribes of Israel are those whose hearts will most likely be turned to the Lord. He said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” Those who are of the house of Israel will most easily recognize the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and will desire to be gathered into His fold. They will want to become members of His Church, make covenants with Him and Heavenly Father, and receive their essential ordinances.

The Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith that now, meaning our day, is the eleventh hour and the last time that He will call laborers into His vineyard for the express purpose of gathering the elect from the four quarters of the earth.

My question tonight to every one of you between the ages of 12 and 18 is this: Would you like to be a big part of the greatest challenge, the greatest cause, and the greatest work on earth today? Would you like to help gather Israel during these precious latter days? Would you, who are the elect, be willing to help find the elect who have not heard the message of the restored gospel? Would you like to be among those “swift messengers” of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke?

Now, participating in the gathering of Israel will require some sacrifices on your part. It may even require some changes in your life. It will definitely take some of your time and energy and your God-given talents. Are you interested?

Just think of the excitement and urgency of it all: every prophet commencing with Adam has seen our day. And every prophet has talked about our day, when Israel would be gathered and the world would be prepared for the Second Coming of the Savior. Think of it! Of all the people who have ever lived on planet earth, we are the ones who get to participate in this final, great gathering event. How exciting is that!

Our Heavenly Father has reserved many of His most noble spirits – perhaps, I might say, His finest team – for this final phase. Those noble spirits – those finest players, those heroes – are you!

I testify that the gathering is now, and it is real….

My dear extraordinary youth, you were sent to earth at this precise time, the most crucial time in the history of the world, to help gather Israel. There is nothing happening on this earth right now that is more important than that. There is nothing of greater consequence. Absolutely nothing. This gathering should mean everything to you. This is the mission for which you were sent to earth….

So, now I am inviting every young woman and every young man between the ages of 12 and 18 in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to enlist in the youth battalion of the Lord to help gather Israel.

What will help you? As you continue to read daily from the Book of Mormon, you will learn the doctrine of the gathering, truths about Jesus Christ, His Atonement, and the fulness of His gospel not found in the Bible. The Book of Mormon is central to the gathering of Israel. In fact, if there were no Book of Mormon, the promised gathering of Israel would not occur.

And now I invite you to prepare yourself by doing five more things – five things that will change you and help you change the world….

Now, let me summarize by reviewing my five invitations for you to enlist in the Lord’s youth battalion to help gather Israel:

1. Hold a seven-day fast from social media.

2. Make a weekly sacrifice of time to the Lord for three weeks.

3. Keep on the covenant path. If you are off, repent and get back on the path.

4. Pray daily that all of God’s children might receive the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

5. Stand out. Be different. Be a light. Give to a friend one copy of the booklet For the Strength of Youth.

My beloved younger brothers and sisters, you are among the best the Lord has ever sent to this world. You have the capacity to be smarter and wiser and have more impact on the world than any previous generation!

Why Are Family Bonds Essential to Creating Strong Families?

Strong families form bonds that hold them together through difficult days. Strong families strengthen communities, states, and nations. An article written by Owen Kessler and reviewed by Jennifer Schulz, LCSW, shares thirteen bonding activities that can strengthen families. 

Family bonding is the bedrock of emotional stability, social development, and the nurturing of values that guide us through life’s challenges. In a world where distractions abound, and schedules are packed, enabling meaningful connections within the family unit can sometimes be overlooked.

Yet, the importance of these connections cannot be overstated. Strong family bonds provide a sense of belonging and support, essential for personal growth and happiness. Hence, finding time and ways to create strong family bonding is more important than ever.

Family bonding is the key to creating memories, supporting each other, and experiencing love that can withstand the test of time. Finding meaningful ways to connect with our loved ones is more crucial than ever.

Our list of family bonding ideas is not just about spending time together; it’s about creating moments that enrich the family bonding meaning and relationships that provide a nurturing environment for all family members.

Here are 13 family bonding activities that can strengthen your familial ties and illustrate why investing in these connections matters deeply:

1. Engage in weekly family dinners.

Making time for regular family meals is a cornerstone of family bonding. These moments allow everyone to share their experiences, challenges, and successes…. The act of eating together and sharing food prepared with love reinforces the sense of unity and belonging among family members.

2. Plan family meetings.

Holding family meetings is a powerful way to encourage open communication and involve everyone in decision-making. It teaches children the value of their opinions, promoting a sense of responsibility and belonging….

3. Create and celebrate family traditions.

Family traditions are the glue that holds the family together through generations. Whether it’s a yearly camping trip, a weekly game night, or celebrating a unique family holiday, these traditions create a sense of identity and belonging….

4. Volunteer together.

Volunteering can offer a dual benefit: it contributes positively to the community and strengthens family bonds through shared experiences of giving back. Working together toward a common goal promotes empathy, gratitude, and a broader perspective of the world, all of which are essential components of strong family relationships.

5. Play and be active together.

Incorporating play and physical activities into your family life is not only beneficial for health but also for building stronger emotional connections.

Whether it’s a bike ride, a soccer game, or a dance-off in the living room, these activities spark joy and laughter, creating lasting memories and reinforcing family bonds.

6. Pursue hobbies as a family.

Sharing hobbies can allow family members to learn from each other and share the joy of discovery and creativity.

Whether it’s cooking, painting, or gardening, these shared interests provide a common ground for family members to connect and express themselves together, strengthening the family bond through shared passions.

7. Travel and explore new places together.

Traveling as a family opens up new avenues for adventure and learning, bringing family members closer as they try new experiences together.

Exploring different cultures, landscapes, and activities not only broadens horizons but also creates a shared repository of cherished memories that can strengthen the family bond.

8. Support each other’s interests and ambitions.

Taking an active interest in what each family member is passionate about is a wonderful way to show love and support. This stays true in romantic relationships as well….

Whether attending a child’s soccer game, supporting a spouse’s career move, or encouraging a hobby, showing up for each other in these personal endeavors strengthens trust and mutual respect….

9. Establish a routine of regular communication.

Open and regular communication is the cornerstone of any strong relationship, and this is particularly true for families.

Setting aside time to check in with each other, share experiences, and openly discuss feelings and challenges helps build a strong foundation of trust and understanding. This routine ensures everyone feels heard and valued, reinforcing the family bond through shared empathy and support.

10. Collaborate on home projects.

Working together on home improvement projects or simple tasks like gardening or decorating can be incredibly rewarding. It not only results in a tangible accomplishment that everyone can take pride in but also teaches valuable lessons about teamwork, responsibility, and the satisfaction of hard work….

11. Engage in educational activities.

Learning something new together can be both fun and enriching. Whether visiting a museum, attending a workshop, or simply watching educational documentaries at home, these experiences stimulate curiosity and conversation.

They offer a unique way to see the world through each other’s eyes, deepening the family bond through shared knowledge and discoveries….

12. Practice forgiveness and understanding.

In any relationship, misunderstandings and mistakes are inevitable. What is family bonding without the practice of forgiveness? …

Demonstrating understanding and offering forgiveness when issues arise not only resolves conflicts but also strengthens the bond by emphasizing love and respect over mistakes. It teaches family members the value of empathy and strength in moving forward together.

13. Prioritize quality time, regardless of activity.

The essence of family bonding lies not in the activities themselves but in the quality of the time spent together. Whether it’s a quiet evening at home, a walk in the park, or a spontaneous road trip, the key is to be fully present and engaged with each other.

These moments of togetherness are crucial for building strong emotional connections and ensuring that every family member feels cherished and important.

Will the U.S. Follow Europe into Destruction?

The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is that each nation must control its borders to protect and preserve its sovereignty. The rioting situation in France is an example of a lost nation. Riots are also taking place in Belgium, Italy, and Albania. The riots are so-called “student riots” – students upset about the condition of their schooling. The United States could follow in its footsteps if it does not control immigration, both legal and illegal. Victor Davis Hanson, in a discussion with Jack Fowler, discussed the situation in France. 

Well, it is kind of Orwellian, isn’t it? That you bring in millions of people, many of them illegally, you allow, and then 45% of your budget is social welfare, and you’re up to 125% [gross domestic product] in debt, and you’re giving people cradle-to-grave social support.

The unemployment rate of new immigrants is almost 50%. And with all that, life is heaven in France compared to Somalia, the Sudan, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Syria, Afghanistan, etc. And then you start to riot in league with students who are, I guess, upset about shoddy conditions in their high schools and all of that.

And then you get socialists fanning it on and there’s allegations there’s Chinese money involved. So you’re destroying this place, and you’re a guest in this country, even maybe you’re second generation, some of them. But compared to where you came from, it’s still heaven. And your attitude toward your hosts that welcomed you in is not magnanimity, it’s contempt.

And so, the host is getting very angry.

They are deliberately targeting iconic buildings. They went after a 19^th-century government building that was a historical monument in one French city. There was a really disturbing scene in Milan where they were very close to the Duomo, that historic Christian church, and there were flames and everything.

And when you’re at 16%, 10%, 30% in Sweden maybe, then you start to see things. And one of the things you start to see is that these NATO countries will not support the United States and not even allow us to use their airspace because we are at war with a Muslim nation, and that resonates.

And even though they say, “We are the avatars of democracy and we support democracy,” and then there’s this little democracy in the Middle East, and they never miss an occasion to damn Israel and they’re boycotting produce and goods that are supposedly outside the 1947 or ’48 borders, and they’re siding with these radical Palestinians.

Remember, Europeans, you and the U.N. and the Bush administration said, “Hamas, we’re going to get all the Jews out of Gaza, and you can have an election.” And they had an election. There were no Jews since 2005. And what did they do? They threw all their opponents off high-rises and killed them, the Palestinian Authority rivals.

And then, for nearly 18 years, they didn’t build anything. For $40 billion in foreign aid from the U.N. and Europe, the United States, they built 350 miles of tunnels, and then they hid there while their civilians were used as shields, and then they slaughtered 1,200 Jews. That’s their experiment with democracy.

And you side with that over a free society in Israel. And so that’s their problem.

And it doesn’t do them any good, Jack, because they’re so paranoid about these unassimilated un-integrated populations that they turn on their protector, the United States. The only reason they said you can’t land here was Iran told them that we’re going to go after you.

And they did. They did do it at the RAF base in U.K. And so, they’re so scared of their own population that are Muslim and they get to go, “Well, if we help the United States, the Muslims, they may be mad at us, and they may riot.”

Well, they’re going to riot anyway. What good did that do to offend the United States and say, “You can’t use our airspace. You can’t land in Sicily. You can’t land in Spain. Now, Muslim populations, see what we did for you?”

And they said, “No. No. No. That’s not on our agenda, just, you know, helping Iran out. We’re going to take over the country because you don’t want it or you can’t defend it or you don’t deserve it, and we’re taking it over.”

And that’s their attitude. They don’t get it.

You know, our friend Bruce Thornton in 2007. He wrote a book called “Rise and Fall: The Slow-Motion Suicide of Europe.” And Roger Kimball published it at Encounter. It was a great book. It predated Douglas Murray’s book of nearly the same title by 15 years.

And he said in the book, as Mark Steyn did in his, “If demography continues as it does, if immigration continues as it does, as politics continue as it does, within 20 years, Europe will be unrecognizable.” And it pretty much was a prescient – a prediction….

And so, you have to ask yourself, this is a Western disease, and we’re affluent in leisure at the end of history. We solved all the problems. We have our iPhones, our iPads. We got our Teslas. We got everything we want. And now we’re at the point where we can afford to feel magnanimous.

We have our security, we have our money, and we have our nice ZIP codes, and we have private schools for our kids. But the theories that we advance about revolving door criminality, no bail, and decriminalizing theft, letting murderers out, that will fall on people that unfortunately we don’t really care about….

And that’s true in Europe and the United States. It’s the same thing. The only good thing about this horrific thing that’s happening is that we still have almost three weeks to look at what’s going on in Europe. And we should say what is going on in Europe is about a year and a half of what’s going on here.

And we’ve already seen some of it on the campuses of Columbia, at Stanford, trashing the president’s office in Philadelphia, chasing Jews into a library at Harvard, roughing up somebody and then getting an award at graduation, even though you roughed him up. And George Floyd, you know, 14,000 arrests, 35 people killed, $2 billion in damages, arson, da, da, da.

And you should vote against that….

But my point is the Left always has to hide what they are, because if they told you what they are, nobody would ever want them.

And that’s what we should remember when we go into this election. What you’re seeing in Europe is what you’re going to get here….

So this unrest in Europe should be very didactic. It should really give us a glimpse of the future here if we continue down this path.

Articles of Faith: What Do Latter-day Saints Believe About the Atonement of Jesus Christ? 7

Article of Faith 3

We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved,

by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

This is the seventh essay about the Atonement of Jesus Christ as stated in the third Article of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first week, I discussed the importance of understanding how the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, as the third pillar of eternity, is essential to Heavenly Father’s plan for the eternal happiness of His children. The second week, the discussion was about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the nature of the atonement. The third week, the discussion concerned the Atonement of Jesus Christ as a vicarious sacrifice. The fourth week, the discussion was about Christ’s sacrifice being voluntary and love inspired. The fifth week, the discussion was about the Atonement being foreordained and foretold. The discussion for the sixth week was about extent of the Atonement of Christ. This week, the essay will use the words of Elder James E. Talmage to discuss the general effect of the Atonement of Jesus Christ (Articles of Faith [1913], 87-89).

The General Effect of the Atonement, so far as it applies to all who have arrived at years of accountability and judgment, has been demonstrated by the scriptures already quoted. Its application to children may properly receive attention. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches as a doctrine founded on reason, justice, and scripture, that all children are innocent in the sight of God, and that, until they reach an age of personal responsibility, baptism is neither requisite nor proper in their behalf; that, in short, they are saved through the atonement of Christ. To a degree, children are born heirs to the good or evil natures of their parents; the effects of heredity are admitted. Good and evil tendencies, blessings and curses, are transmitted from generation to generation. Through this divinely-appointed order, the justice of which is plain in the revealed light of knowledge concerning the antemortal state of the spirits of mankind, the children of Adam are natural heirs to the ills of mortality; but through Christ’s atonement they are all redeemed from the curse of this fallen state. The debt, which comes to them as a legacy, is paid for them and thus are they left free. Children who die before reaching the state of accountability for their acts are innocent in the eyes of God, even though they be the offspring of transgressors. We read in the Book of Mormon: “Little children cannot repent; wherefore, it is awful wickedness to deny the pure mercies of God unto them, for they are all alive in him because of his mercy…. For behold that all little children are alive in Christ, and also all they that are without the law. For the power of redemption cometh on all them that have no law” (Moroni 8:19-22).

The prophet Mormon, writing to his son Moroni, expressed in the following manner his conviction of the innocence of children: “Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them…. Behold I say unto you that this thing shall ye teach – repentance and baptism unto those who are accountable and capable of committing sin; yea, teach parents that they must repent and be baptized, and humble themselves as their little children, and they shall all be saved with their little children. And their little children need no repentance, neither baptism. Behold, baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the remission of sins. But little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world” (Moroni 8:8-12).

In a revelation through the Prophet Joseph Smith in this dispensation, the Lord has said: “But behold, I say unto you, that little children are redeemed from the foundation of the world through mine Only Begotten; Wherefore, they cannot sin, for power is not given unto Satan to tempt little children, until they begin to become accountable before me” (D&C 29:46, 47). President John Taylor, after citing instances of Christ’s affection for little children, and proofs of the innocent condition in which they are regarded in heaven, says: “Without Adam’s transgression those children could not have existed; through the atonement they are placed in a state of salvation without any act of their own. These would embrace, according to the opinion of statisticians, more than one-half of the human family who can attribute their salvation only to the mediation and atonement of the Savior” (Mediation and Atonement, p. 148).

 

What Is the Situation with Ilhan Omar?

Under the principles of the U.S. Constitution, all American citizens live under the same rules. Democrats used the refrain “no one is above the law” to justify the illegal treatment of Donald Trump. Now one of their own is being treated the same as the Left treated Donald Trump and numerous supporters of him. David Harsanyi reported on the situation in his article published at the Daily Signal. 

One of the foundational ideals of a free nation is that all its citizens live under the same rules. Democrats know this. They’ve been lecturing us for years that “no one is above the law.”

So, what happens if a federal investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., provides incontrovertible evidence that she obtained citizenship by lying? Should we ignore it? Should Omar be given an exemption from the law because she’s in Congress? Or because she’s a Democrat?

Those on the left carping about the investigation into Omar being politically motivated can’t be taken seriously. Not after they spent a decade engaged in blatant lawfare – first by attempting to annul the 2016 election of Donald Trump by concocting one lurid conspiracy theory after the next, and then by trying to stop him from running for the presidency in 2024.

When you spend your time stripping away norms, you can’t expect the other side to unilaterally disarm.

The New York Times reported that the court and the Justice Department debated the warrant to search Omar’s residences for weeks before it was finally issued. Courts are in a separate branch of government for an important reason, and they should be highly suspicious of any case that appears to involve abuse of the legal system for political reasons.

But the fact that a Biden-appointed U.S. magistrate judge in Washington, D.C., believed there was probable cause for a raid tells us that there is at least something worth investigating. Or, as Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif. once said, before “a grand jury indicts anyone, they need evidence. Searches are a way to get evidence. Get it?” We do.

There are two issues at hand. The more serious one is whether Omar’s father obtained his citizenship by lying about both himself and his daughter.

Nur Omar Mohamed brought his Somali family members from a refugee camp in Kenya in 1995. The late patriarch’s story about fleeing persecution looks dubious. Indeed, he may well have been a soldier loyal to Somali dictator Siad Barre and a participant in the persecution.

More pertinently, he or his daughter may have lied about Ilhan’s age on immigration documents when he was naturalized in 2000. “I became a citizen actually before I turned 18,” Omar said in a 2018 interview. “My father became a citizen and so I got my citizenship through that process.”

As a 17-year-old minor, Omar was automatically given citizenship. If, in reality, she was 18 or 19, she would have been compelled to go through the naturalization process herself.

Under the law, even a child who derived citizenship through a parent could lose that status if the parent concealed or willfully misrepresented facts to obtain naturalization. And the fact that Omar’s staff appears to have changed the congresswoman’s date of birth after her election in 2019 could also suggest that she knew about the discrepancy.

The Wall Street Journal reports that all of this is aimed at building a case to strip Omar of her U.S. citizenship and ultimately deport her. Until the Trump administration, the crime of willfully lying during the process of obtaining citizenship had rarely been prosecuted at all, which is a shame.

Stripping an American of citizenship should be treated as an extraordinarily serious matter. The problem is that we haven’t been very serious when handing out citizenship.

If Omar gained her citizenship by lying, she, at the very minimum, should not be serving in Congress.

The other ongoing investigation concerns whether Omar inflated her net worth on congressional forms. In her disclosures filed in 2025, Omar reported that she and her husband, Tim Mynett, were worth between $6 million and $30 million, an impressive jump from $15,000-$51,000 the year before. Omar later amended her disclosure to claim that her household’s net worth was between $18,004 and $95,000.

It is unclear why Omar would lie or whether there is any underlying criminal act being investigated, but how plausible is it that a 40-something, college-educated congresswoman doesn’t know whether she is worth $30 million or $95,000?

You might recall that New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a civil fraud lawsuit against Trump, claiming that his companies had fraudulently inflated their net worth. At the time, congressmen like Mondaire Jones pointed out that “no one is above that law, not even the former president of the United States and his crime family.”

Would Omar have been targeted if she weren’t in Congress? Probably not. Does that make her innocent? Hardly.

From my point of view, the argument that Omar would not be targeted if she were not in Congress is mute. Donald Trump would not have been targeted if he did not run for President of the United States. All of it would have gone away if he had been content to be a New York businessman. Also, I am quite certain that I would have known the difference between $30 million and $95,000.

  

Who Is Pope Leo XIV?

My VIP for this week is Cope Leo XIV, leader of the Catholic Church. There are two reasons for choosing him: (1) He holds a prominent position in the world and (2) his lung cancer.

According to an article by Lois M. Collins, Pope Leo XIV’s lung cancer diagnosis and surgery remind everyone of the dangers of lung cancer. Here are her three points to remember: (1) People who haven’t smoked can develop lung cancer. (2) Early detection can make a major difference. (3) Often there are no early symptoms of lung cancer. The article continued as follows. 

Friday, Dr. John Stringham, an Intermountain Health thoracic and oncology surgeon, briefed the media on other risk factors.

The American Cancer Society estimates just under 125,000 people die from lung cancer each year in the U.S., including smokers, former smokers and people who never smoked. While smoking is still responsible for most cases, between 15% and 20% of lung cancer cases are found in people who have never smoked, according to a 2025 JAMA study. [One of my brothers-in-law was not a smoker, but he had lung cancer.]

The pope’s cancer, which was pulmonary adenocarcinoma – a common form of non-small cell lung cancer – was found at the early stage and biopsied during surgery so those treating him said they were able to remove the lower lobe of his right lung.

It’s likely the surgeon removed nearby lymph nodes to make sure it hadn’t spread, as well, said Stringham, who was not involved in the pope’s treatment. He said reports suggest that surgery is likely the only treatment he will need. When cancer has spread to lymph nodes, “then we usually do talk about chemotherapy, sometimes radiation for those folks.”

In cases where the cancer is contained, Stringham said there’s an estimated 80% to 90% cancer-specific survival rate at five years. When lung cancer has metastasized, which means it spread to other parts of the body, the survival rate at the five-year benchmark drops.

Stringham also noted that the pontiff, who is 71, is physically active and known to swim and play tennis. “Most likely he’s going to have a good recovery if everything goes according to plan,” though he’ll be monitored. “most likely he’ll be going through CT scans for at least five years to make sure nothing comes back,” the doctor said.

Detected early, the recurrence rate is “actually pretty low,” he said. And those patients “recover from lung cancer surgery pretty well and pretty easily. I definitely have had patients where we take out a lower lob and t hey have gone on to do marathons, for example.”

About lung cancer and risks

But there’s a lot to know about lung cancer, which often is not diagnosed until it is much more advanced than that of the pope. Early cases are usually detected – as they were in his case – through an imaging test for something else.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the world, including in the U.S. Stringham said lung cancer is divided into two categories: small ell and non-small cell. Small cell lung cancers are more aggressive and spread more quickly, while non-small cell cancers are most typical and also more treatable.

The two main types of non-small cell are squamous-cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma – Pope Leo’s diagnosis – which is the most common among nonsmokers with lung cancer. Early-stage non-small cell lung cancers are typically treated with surgery as the mainstay, he said. A lobe is removed. If it had spread, there are other treatments that are “becoming more and more effective” due to better technology and better understanding of cancer. Early-stage non-small cell lung cancers are typically treated with surgery as the mainstay, he said. A lobe is removed. If it had spread, there are other treatments that are “becoming more and more effective” due to better technology and better understanding of cancer. It’s possible to look at the actual molecules cancers are expressing and use those molecules against them with immunotherapy, among other options.

Stringham urged smokers to stop smoking now and to stop “putting things in your lungs that shouldn’t be there.” However, there are other risks, including “secondhand smoke, exposure to substances such as solvents, chemicals, radon, and pollution.

“There are also genetic factors for lung cancer, including inherited mutations that pass down through the family.” Vaping is also a risk factor for lung cancer. Stringham suggested “wearing respiratory protection when working around pollutants, chemicals and irritants and keeping the area well ventilated. One should also “take care of yourself: exercise, eating well, seeing a doctor and other typical well-being advice all help ensure a person is as healthy as possible.

Detection and prevention

One of the challenges with lung cancer is that symptoms don’t really show up early. “Very often, lung cancer really doesn’t have any symptoms whatsoever,” according to Stringham, who noted maybe a cough sometimes or some sputum production. “But often it’s really quite asymptomatic until you actually get to a much higher stage….

When lung cancer spreads, it most often goes to lymph nodes in the middle of the chest, then outwards, though not always. After that, it can go “pretty much anywhere in the body,” he said, noting the spine and brain are not uncommon. Sometimes, it doesn’t go to the lymph nodes but does spread elsewhere….

Screening for smokers and former smokers

Lung cancer screening is now recommended for smokers and former smokers, using low-dose CT scan to make sure there are no nodules.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual screening for adults ages 50-80 with at least a “20 pack-year” smoking history who currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years. That means 20 cigarettes a day for 20 years or an equivalent amount.

It’s not recommended for others, who “don’t qualify for it at this time.” …

Will U.S. Totally End Birth Tourism?

The topic of discussion for this week concerns birth tourism. Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell explains the latest action taken by the Trump administration. “Trump’s Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force has revoked more than 700 visas held by Chinese nationals since its launched in August. 

“The Chinese birth tourism industry should not be allowed to profit from the privileges of American citizenship while undermining the integrity of our immigration laws,” a State Department spokesperson told the Daily Signal. “President Trump and Secretary Rubio are putting American interests first, strengthening enforcement, and making clear that the United States will not tolerate the deliberate exploitation of its visa process.”

The State Department established a task force to identify instances of birth tourism, revoke visas of those who engage in or facilitate it, and dismantle the networks that profit from it.

The task force’s largest crackdown has been on Chinese nationals accused of exploiting the immigration system to obtain U.S. citizenship for their children, according to the spokesperson. “We will not allow foreign nationals or commercial networks from any country to abuse our visa process for financial gain,” the spokesperson said.

More than 107 Chinese-owned surrogacy agencies operate in Southern California alone. Chinese nationals often pay women living in the United States more than $50,000 to serve as surrogates. Conventional birth tourism results in an estimated 50,000 to 100,000 annual U.S. births to Chinese nationals, according to investigative journalist Peter Schweitzer’s Senate testimony.

Surrogacy cycles commissioned by foreign intended parents surged 78% from 2014 to 2019, from 2,758 to 4,905 embryo transfers a year. Chinese nationals were the largest customer base at 41.7%, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s journal.

            “American citizenship is not for sale and President Trump has been unequivocal that his                        Administration will protect the meaning and value of American citizenship,” Eddie Vasquez,                    deputy assistant secretary for press, said. “At the State Department will use all the available                    tools to dismantle birth tourism networks and defend the integrity of U.S. citizenship. We are                seeing that promise and our actions speak for themselves.