How Do Fathers Teach Their Sons to Be Real Men?

Families, communities, and nations are stronger when parents set good examples for their children. People have long suspected that boys learn how to become men by watching their fathers, and girls learn how to become women by watching their mothers.

Researchers noticed that today’s “men express their maleness in different ways.” So they studied men to learn how “men develop their ideas, beliefs and behaviors in relation to masculinity.” They learned that young men “copy” the masculinity of their fathers. 

While the authors describe masculinity different than I do, they have actual evidence that young men copy their fathers and become like them. This shows that fathers are invaluable in the development of the rising generation.

The secret to developing young men who use their masculinity properly is for fathers to model good examples. Young men who watch their fathers protect women and children will automatically know that they should treat women and children with kindness and gentleness.

Over the past twenty years, I have watched my grandsons imitate their fathers. My study was purely observational and did not yield any scientific evidence. However, I recognize the power that good fathers can have with their sons.

One way to end many of the crime problems involving youth is for fathers to teach their sons how to be real men and use both words and actions to do so. As fathers take their rightful place as leaders in their homes, their sons and daughters will be blessed, and families, communities, and nations will be stronger.

 

How Do We End the Deep State?

The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is the fact that a faction known as the Deep State is controlling the government of the United States. Most of my long-term readers understand that I believe that the Deep State would be known as a secret combination(s) if we were living in Book of Mormon times.

Secret combinations were responsible for the total destruction of two ancient American civilizations – the Nephites and the Jaredites. Moroni wrote counsel for the people of the latter-days about the danger of secret combinations. In Ether 8:18-25, Moroni explained that the Jaredites “formed a secret combination” (v. 18) and that the Lord does not work in secret combinations (v. 19). He said that secret combinations “are had among all people” (v. 20).

21 And they have caused the destruction of this people of whom I am now speaking, and also the destruction of the people of Nephi.

22 And whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, behold, they shall be destroyed….

23 Wherefore, O ye Gentiles [He wrote to use!], it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain – and the work, yea, even the work of destruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be.

24 Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you….

25 For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people….

Moroni said that secret combinations are among all people and that we should not let them get control of our nation. Tyler O’Neil wrote that the next conservative president would have the great task to take down the Deep State. A group of conservatives are planning for that time in a project known as 2025 Presidential Transition Project, also known as Project 2025, and laying the groundwork for the task. 

O’Neil wrote that every new president goes through a transition. There are many people working for the federal government who support big government policies, so liberal presidents have many people helping to move their agenda forward. “President Trump faced stiff headwinds from a hostile federal bureaucracy he often referred to as “the deep state.”

While liberal presidents have many helpers, “Most good conservative presidents don’t really get it all figured out until the end of their second term,” said Rick Dearborn, former deputy chief of staff to President Donald Trump, in an interview with The Daily Signal. Dearborn gave four pillars of Project 2025 – “which does not just represent The Heritage Foundation alone but ‘the entire conservative movement.’”

Pillar 1: Mandate for Leadership

The book, “Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise,” represents the first pillar of the strategy, Dearborn explained. The book, to which more than 450 authors contributed, runs nearly 900 pages long, with in-depth explanations and recommendations for various aspects of the federal government, from the White House Office to the Department of Health and Human Services to the Intelligence Community, and so much more….

This in-depth treatment of the administrative state, peppered with major policy changes such as splitting the Centers for Disease Control into two separate agencies, represents merely one of the four pillars, however.

Pillar 2: People Are Policy

Project 2025 isn’t just publishing a book – it’s also compiling a list, and checking it far more than twice.

“I think it all starts with the people,” Dearborn said. “Conservatives have never had a large number collected in one spot of conservative scholars and academics and policy experts that you could just pull off the shelf and say, ‘Okay, if you’re going to populate the Department of Defense, here are the five people that really understand the conservative philosophy on how to promote and protect our national security.’”

Project 2025 does not just intend to compile a list of strong potential appointees; it also aims to train these people for the jobs they would take under a conservative president, Dearborn explained….

If the good conservatives who might fill the key political positions don’t know what they need to know, Project 2025 will step in and equip them.

Pillar 4: Executive Orders

Project 2025 is also compiling an appendix to equip a future conservative president on policy. “When you write an executive order, when you’re working on a regulation, if you want to roll back a regulation, if you want to promote a program, if you want to work with outside government-affiliated groups, how does this work?” Dearborn asked. The appendix aims to answer these questions and give “some game plans that they can use so that they’re not having to build them from scratch from day one.”

Dearborn said he wishes that the Trump transition team had a book like “Mandate for Leadership” in 2016.

He noted that Project 2025 will be meeting “with all of the different current announced conservative presidential candidates” and some who “may not have yet announced, providing them a book, and walking through what the different pillars are.”

A Call to Action

The former deputy chief urged conservatives to join Project 2025 in a concrete way….

There is a secret combination, or a combination of secret combinations, working within the government that will eventually destroy the government of the United States unless their power is destroyed. Project 2025 is one way that conservatives are preparing to destroy the Deep State and bring America back to compliance with the Constitution. If they are successful, they will save the Constitution and the American way of life. If unsuccessful, America will continue to slide further down the slippery slope to destruction. What choice do we have?

Is Pedophilia Normal Behavior?

There are people in this world who are working to make pedophilia normal behavior. If you do not believe me, check out this statement found in a March report released by the United Nations: “Sexual conduct involving persons below the domestically prescribed minimum age of consent to sex may be consensual in fact, if not in law.”

According to Jarrett Stepman at The Daily Signal, someone at the U.N. obviously believe that minors can consent to sex because it is a human right. Stepman continued: 

“Principle 16” of the global body’s March report, released for International Women’s Day, lays out the basis for what the U.N. considers “consensual sexual conduct.” It says:

The enforcement of criminal law should reflect the rights and capacity of persons under 18 years of age to make decisions about engaging in consensual sexual conduct and their right to be heard in matters concerning them. Pursuant to their evolving capacities and progressive autonomy, persons under 18 years of age should participate in decisions affecting them, with due regard to their age, maturity, and best interests, and with specific attention to non-discrimination guarantees.

Sorry, I have to say it. OK, groomer.

While not quite declaring outright that it’s a human right for adults to have sex with minors, the U.N. report suggests that a law preventing such a relationship is a violation of a child’s right to have sex with whomever the child wants.

Stepman reported that the United States currently pays 22 percent of the U.N. budget. There are numerous reasons why the U.N. is bad for the United States and the world. Its condoning of pedophilia just adds to a long list. For the record, pedophilia is NOT normal behavior. Children deserve to be treated with respect and allowed to mature in innocence.

  

Did China Release COVID-19?

Much is coming out about China and its relationship to COVID-19. The House Oversight and Accountability Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic held a hearing on the origin of COVID-19 despite a warning of disapproval of China.

During the hearing, several lawmakers questioned U.S. responsibility in funding gain-of-function research. Gain-of-function is “the process of making a disease more dangerous or contagious for the purpose of studying a response” according to Fred Lucas. 

The U.S. government looks guilty because it “gave about $600,000 to EcoHealth Alliance, a nonprofit that in turn used the money to pay for coronavirus research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.” Lucas listed “four takeaways from the hearing.”

1. Lab Leak ‘Only Explanation Credibly Supported by Intelligence, Science, and Common Sense’

The head of U.S. intelligence agencies under President Donald Trump told the panel that a leak from a laboratory is the only reasonable explanation for the rapid spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.

“My informed assessment, as a person with as much or more access than anyone to our government’s intelligence during the initial year of the virus outbreak and pandemic onset, has been and continues to be that a lab leak is the only explanation credibly supported by our intelligence, by science, and by common sense,” former National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe, who served from May 2020 until Jan. 21, 2021, testified….

If this were a trial, Ratcliffe said, “the preponderance of circumstantial evidence” from known intelligence would prompt a jury’s guilty verdict “to an accusation that the coronavirus research in the Wuhan lab was responsible for spawning a global pandemic.”

He added: “The Chinese Communist Party would be convicted of going to great lengths to cover up the virus’ origins.” …

2. ‘How-To Manual in Orchestrating a Cover-up’

House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., laid much of the responsibility at the feet of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the recently retired, longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

“These scientists have flipped 180 degrees with no new evidence, produced a paper not based on facts, and then may have used that paper to brief the intelligence community and suppress the lab leak hypothesis,” Comer said during the hearing.

“This is a how-to manual in orchestrating a cover-up by using some of the most powerful and influential institutions in our country,” he said. “If you ask me, this was set in motion by Dr. Fauci to hide U.S. funding of gain-of-function research and dodge accountability for a virus that has killed more than 1 million Americans.” ….

3. Wenstrup to China: ‘Intimidation Tactics Will Not Work’

The House select subcommittee will send a letter to the Chinese ambassador to the United States telling the Chinese government to stop trying to intimidate and obstruct the congressional investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

Rep. Brad Wenstrup, chairman of the subcommittee, referred to an email message to the panel last week from the Chines Embassy.

“I am reaching out to express our grave concern regarding the COVID-19 origins hearing to be chaired by Congressman Wenstrup next Tuesday,” Li Xiang, a counselor with the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said in the April 14 email.

“We firmly oppose it,” Li went on to say.

“We have some news for Beijing. These intimidation tactics will not work,” Wenstrup said early in the hearing Tuesday. “It will not slow down our work. And we will not cease. After the hearing, I’ll be sending a letter to the Chinese ambassador to the U.S. requesting that China cease intimidation tactics and cooperate with this investigation.”

The panel’s chairman also noted that this has been a pattern for the Chinese government, referencing an October 2021 report by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

“What is clear is that China does not want the globe to know the origins [of COVID-19],” Wenstrup said. “They dodge and duck every legitimate attempt to investigate this question. According to the fact sheet, China has systematically prevented a transparent and thorough investigation of the COVID pandemic’s origins. According to the ODNI report, China has hindered global investigations.”

4. ‘Hiroshima Event’

The gravity of a man-made virus should carry the same alarm as that of a nuclear bomb, noted Feith, the former State Department official in charge of East Asian and Pacific affairs, commenting on the COVID-19 death toll.

“If COVID emerged from a lab, particularly one conducting gain-of-function virology experiments with technologies invented only a few years ago, then this was akin to a Hiroshima event, revealing new and modern high-tech risks to human civilizations and even our species,” Feith told the select subcommittee….

Who Is Riley Gaines?

My VIP for this week is Riley Gaines, former All-SEC swimmer. She made national headlines last week when campus police were forced to rescue her from a mob of transgender activists. Gaines went to San Francisco State University to deliver a speech and spent time behind a barricaded door for her safety. Chris Enloe reported on the story. 

During appearance on HBO’s “Real Time” on Friday, Rep. Katie Porter (D-California) accused Gaines of using her platform to seek attention. Porter said that she “strongly” disagrees with Gaines for advocating against transgender athletes competing in women’s sports. She was immediately challenged by her host, Piers Morgan. When Morgan asked Porter what was wrong with what Gaines, Porter replied, “I think that what she has done is try to turn this – we talked about people becoming – using things to kind of get likes and get clicks. Morgan defended Gaines.

That’s not what she’s doing…. All I’ve seen her do is stand up for women’s rights to fairness and equality. She actually competed against Lia Thomas, and it was obviously unfair. Lia Thomas won one of the races in the NCA Championships by 50 seconds against a bunch of biological females who simply couldn’t keep up. That cannot be right. It cannot be fair.

Porter responded that Gaines was speaking only for herself, and Morgan corrected her. “I think she’s speaking for pretty much every female athlete in the world.”

Gaines most likely appreciated Morgan’s defense, but she could defend herself. “Hey @RepKatiePorter I’m not speaking up for myself. I’m done playing sports. I’m not fighting for me. I’m actually supposed to be in dental school this year. But I’ve changed my life plans because I see what’s at stake if someone doesn’t fight for the present and next generation.”

Like many other people including myself, Gaines does not understand why Porter and many other women fight against “sex-based protections.” Where are all the women who fought so fiercely for the rights of women in Title IX? Where are all the women who should be fighting for sex-based protections?

How Does Federalism Protect Americans?

The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday is federalism. The Framers of the Constitution of the United States organized a government using the principle of federalism. Federalism is a system of government that has two levels of government which both have control over the same geographic area. Federalism is an organized way to share powers between the federal government and the individual state governments.

The Constitution stated the specific powers allocated to the federal government. The Tenth Amendment explains the principle of federalism. “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

The principle of federalism is being used by governors of several states to pass laws aimed at fighting environmental, social and governance (ESG). Samantha Aschieris reported the following in The Daily Signal. 

The governors of Utah, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Arkansas have so far in 2023 signed legislation into law aimed at combating environmental, social, and governance policies. More than a dozen states have introduced or are considering taking action on similar bills, including Montana, Kansas, and Florida.

Other states across the nation are joining Utah, West Virginia, and Kentucky to legislate and enact laws that clarify fiduciary duty to combat the threat of the ESG movement on the livelihoods of Americans and to stop woke fiduciaries from abusing public retirement and investment funds.

Some of those states joining the effort are Florida, Oklahoma, Ohio, and Tennessee. They are joining the effort to protect jobs and investments from the extreme political agenda of the Left.

Where Are the Keys?

My Come, Follow Me studies for this week took me to a lesson titled “Thou Art the Christ” and Matthew 15-17 and Mark 7-9. The lesson was preceded with the following counsel: “Reading the scriptures invites the Holy Ghost into your life. One of the Holy Ghost’s important missions is to testify of Jesus Christ. As you read the scriptures this week, pay attention to spiritual feelings that strengthen your testimony of the Savior.” The lesson was then introduced with thisparagraph: 

Isn’t it strange that the Pharisees and Sadducees would demand that Jesus show them “a sign from heaven”? Weren’t His many well-known miracles enough? What about His powerful teachings or the multiple ways He had fulfilled ancient prophecies? Their demand was prompted not by a lack of signs but by an unwillingness to “discern the signs” and accept them. (See Matthew 16:1-4.)

Peter, like the Pharisees and Sadducees, witnessed the Savior’s miracles and heard His teachings. But Peter’s definitive testimony, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,” did not come through his physical senses – his “flesh and blood.” His testimony was revealed to him by our “Father which is in heaven.” Revelation is the rock upon which the Savior built His Church then and now – revelation from heaven to His servants. And this is the rock upon which we can build our discipleship – revelation that Jesus is the Christ and that His servants hold “the keys of the kingdom.” When we are built upon this foundation, “the gates of hell shall not prevail against [us]” (Matthew 16:15-19).

As with most scripture blocks, this one contains numerous principles that are important and should be discussed. However, this post will discuss one of the last principles discussed in the above paragraphs: “The keys of the kingdom of heaven” are on the earth today (Matthew 16:13-19; 17:1-9; Mark 9:2-9). The Savior promised to give to Peter the “keys of the kingdom of heaven,” which are priesthood keys (Matthew 16:19).

You may be asking “what are priesthood keys?” and “why do we need them?” Consider these two questions as you read the Savior’s promise (Matthew 16:13-19) and its fulfillment (Matthew 17:1-9; Mark 9:2-9).

13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

16 And Simon Peter answered, and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 16:13-19)

 

1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,

2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, an one for Elias.

5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.

8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.

9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. (Matthew 17:1-9)

Mark 9:2-9 tells the same story with similar wording as Matthew 17:1-9). However, Mark 9:4 has a footnote that links us to more information given in Joseph Smith Translation 9:3: “And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses, or in other words, John the Baptist and Moses; and they were talking with Jesus.”

Peter held the keys to the kingdom of heaven while he lived on earth. When the Apostles were all killed, they took the keys of the kingdom of heaven with them. The restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ to earth began on a spring day in 1820 when Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ appeared to fourteen-year-old Joseph Smith.

A few years later when Joseph reached adulthood, Moroni – a glorified prophet from ancient America – visited Joseph and began preparing him to translate the Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ. During the translation process, other heavenly messengers appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, his scribe. John the Baptist bestowed the Aaronic Priesthood on them, and Peter, James, and John later gave them the Melchizedek Priesthood.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized on April 6, 1830. The latter-day saints built the Kirtland Temple, which was dedicated March 27, 1836. A week later on April 3, 1836, the Savior appeared and accepted the temple. Then Moses appeared to Joseph and Oliver to restore “the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north” (Doctrine and Covenants 110:11). Then Elias appeared and gave them the keys of “the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham” for the blessing of all generations (v. 12). He was followed by Elijah who restored the keys of the sealing power – the power to bind on earth and in heaven and the power to loose one earth and in heaven – to “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse” (vv. 13-16).

We come back to the two questions: What are priesthood keys? Why do we need them? Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke about keys and authority of the priesthood in the April 2016 General Conference. He shared a family experience of losing the keys to the family vehicle at a ski resort and not being able to enter the vehicle until they found the keys. Without the keys, the vehicle was just plastic and metal with a fully charged battery and did them little good. He used this story to explain what priesthood keys are and why they are necessary.

First, an understanding of these terms may be helpful. The priesthood, or priesthood authority, has been defined as “the power and authority of God” and “the consummate power on this earth.” Priesthood keys are defined for our understanding as well: “Priesthood keys are the authority God has given to priesthood leaders to direct, control, and govern the use of His priesthood on earth.” Priesthood keys control the exercise of priesthood authority. Ordinances that create a record in the Church require keys and cannot be done without authorization. [These include blessings of babies, baptisms, confirmations, priesthood ordinations, and ordinances performed in the temples.] Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught that “ultimately, all keys of the priesthood are held by the Lord Jesus Christ, whose priesthood it is. He is the one who determines what keys are delegated to mortals and how those keys will be used.”

Young men as young as eleven years old are ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood, and most of them are ordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood at the age of eighteen years. However, only the presidents of the various quorums and men in leadership positions like Bishop, Stake President, Temple President, Mission President, or Apostle hold the necessary keys to administer in their assigned duties. Only the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds all the keys given to mortals on earth.

Priesthood keys are the authority to administer the ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The ordinances are necessary to prepare us to return to the presence of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.