“Be Not Deceived” – Misinformation and Conspiracies

"Sunday Sermon" The Lord has repeatedly warned: “Be not deceived!” We are admonished to “Be as wise as serpents and yet without sin.” (D&C 111:11) Use Multiple News Sources News sources are not only biased in their writing, but in their selection of stories. They “cherry-pick” and “card stack” their articles. To guard against news … Continue reading “Be Not Deceived” – Misinformation and Conspiracies →

“Be Wise as Serpents” (D&C 111:11) “Don’t be a Victim”

D&C 11:11 warns: “Therefore, be ye as wise as serpents and yet without sin.” The Lord is alerting us to the dangers of being naïve, gullible, and too trusting. “There’s a sucker born every minute.” (P.R. Barnum, 19th Century American showman.) Sadly, not every enough Latter-day Saint follows this counsel. For example, Utah has the … Continue reading “Be Wise as Serpents” (D&C 111:11) “Don’t be a Victim” →

“Founding Enemies” (Pt 1/4) – Thomas Paine versus George Washington

We assume that all Founders were life long friends. Wrong! The Founding Fathers were brilliant, outspoken men, with strong opinions. They disagreed on just about everything. Not surprisingly, many of these men became "Founding Enemies." The Key Founding Fathers: How Many Can You Name? It was a miracle that these “demigods” (Jefferson’s description) came together … Continue reading “Founding Enemies” (Pt 1/4) – Thomas Paine versus George Washington →

Beware: Conspiracy Theories

I quickly dismiss most conspiracy theories. But like other people, I am tempted to accept a few. For example, I suspect the Soviets and Cubans were behind the assassination of President Kennedy. They wanted revenge for having lost face during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the American assassin had stayed in Moscow and Cuba, which … Continue reading Beware: Conspiracy Theories →

More of “My” Dumb Criminals

“I’m the Criminal” I was in the middle of jury selection when a young man entered the courtroom. Since I had ordered all witnesses excluded during jury selection, I interrupted the proceedings, and asked, “Excuse me sir, are you a witness in this case?” He replied, “No, I’m the criminal.” The defense attorney asked me … Continue reading More of “My” Dumb Criminals →

More Entertaining Dumb Criminals

"We don't catch the smart ones." “Dumb and Dumber” and “Dumbest” Under California’s “three strikes” law at the time, if a defendant committed two serious or violent felonies in the past, if he commits a new felony, no matter how minor, he faces a mandatory 25 years to life in prison. (Some California DA’s Offices … Continue reading More Entertaining Dumb Criminals →