“Covering all my bases”

Yesterday a friend took me to lunch. During our Mexican feast he told me of a man he knew in Eastern Utah that had joined every church he could find. He had told my friend that he wanted to “cover all [his] bases.” You know, in case one of the many churches happened to be “right” and actually be of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I have a friend that told me he had been baptized by some group way up North.

He also told me these people had “Holy Ghosted” him, gave him priesthood and confirmed him a member of their church or group.

Upon hearing this I asked him why he had done such a thing, since he had been baptized in the LDS church as a youth, and into the remnant movement a few years ago. He stated that he just wanted to cover all his bases.

I then asked him if he was going to go to the Methodists and get baptized, then the Catholics, Presbyterians, Lutherans, etc. If it was that important to cover all your bases, then you had better cover all your bases don’t you think? Please don’t think that I am making light of him or this idea of covering your bases. I quite like him and think the world of him. For some it seems to be a legitimate concept and at least they are doing something, right or wrong.

Speaking of covering your bases, I have met people that go from one religious organization or energy worker/healer to many others seeking help for what ails them. In the past I called it “seeking the flavor of the week.” We saw it many times when we did the Ezekiel seminars where more than a few gifted people showed up. We’d watch people go from one gifted person to the next, to the next, and to the next……… (We also have seen where energy/healer workers come to events seeking people to work on. “Oh, you don’t look like you feel well. Can I work on you?” There seems to be no concern about agency, just a need to work on others. So what exactly drives this “need”?)

I met a man that had asked a member of his LDS stake presidency if the LDS church offered any advice or help on hauntings or possession issues. “Not that I know of,” came the reply. After not receiving any help there he went to his old church, the Catholic Church, to get help. There the priest told the man that he had no experience with possession or hauntings and gave him some holy water to use. Others just bring a bottle and get some Holy Water from the basin or whatever it is called. “Holy Water”, you know that good stuff they use to baptize infants. Is that an ordinance looked upon with favor by our Lord Jesus Christ?

“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; if not so, God is a partial God, and also a changeable God, and a respecter to persons; for how many little children have died without baptism! Wherefore, if little children could not be saved without baptism, these must have gone to an endless hell. Behold I say unto you, that he that supposeth that little children need baptism is in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; for he hath neither faith, hope, nor charity; wherefore, should he be cast off while in the thought, he must go down to hell. For awful is the wickedness to suppose that God saveth one child because of baptism, and the other must perish because he hath no baptism. Wo be unto them that shall pervert the ways of the Lord after this manner, for they shall perish except they repent. Behold, I speak with boldness, having authority from God; and I fear not what man can do; for perfect love casteth out all fear.” (Moroni 8:11-16, emphasis added)

The Lord Jesus Christ says, “Wo be unto them that shall pervert the ways of the Lord after this manner” and later in verse 23 states that “It is mockery before God.” Is that Priest mocking God by baptizing infants? And if so, does he have a “Wo” pronounced on him? And you want to use water that has been blessed by someone that is mocking God and has a wo pronounced on them? And now you rub it on your body or sprinkle it around your home in order to protect yourself? Protect yourself from what? If these are tools of hell, what will they bring into your home? Just wondering.

Z was woken up in the night and told to study holy water. It seems I wasn’t the only one bothered by people using it. Yes, I know most are completely ignorant and just seek relief from what was plaguing them. Anyway, she dutifully got out of bed, turned on the computer and started her studies. She later told me what she had learned from her studies and what the Savior called “Holy Water.”

The bottom line was a quote by our Savior. “Holy water should be called ‘portals in a bottle.'” Wahoo! We can now take a home that had been cleared of portals and instantly create new ones; no anger, yelling, fighting or screaming required. Or we can put it on ourselves after we’ve had a clearing, you know, to cover all our bases.

One person told us that he had used consecrated oil on himself and the windows and doorways in his home to protect against evil. I asked him if it was his oil or had been given to him and who had consecrated it. He indicated that the Elders had given it to him so it was good. Z spoke up and told him that they didn’t have any priesthood, Elders or not. Does this not beg the same questions as above?

Just because someone comes from a church, and I don’t care what church, does not mean they are always acting in the ways of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s suppose that the “Elder” that had consecrated the oil given to you was a district leader in the mission. Let’s suppose the he had just used unrighteous dominion on another Elder or Sister in his district. Does said Elder have any Priesthood? If you answer yes, please take out D&C 121 and read it real carefully. Direct your attention to where the Lord states “Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man”, do you suppose He really means it, or is it just idle chit chat. Do you want oil from that man? Could it have the same effect as “holy water?” Again, just wondering.

Just because a person, male or female, holds a title or position of authority in a church, fellowship, or group doesn’t mean they are of the Lord Jesus Christ. For some of you that won’t sit well. Good. Go ask the Savior what He thinks. Better yet, read His words in His scriptures. But most of all, pray about it. Take all emotion out, all preconceived ideas and notions out of it, and really pray to find out what He says.

Wow, I just had what might be a brilliant idea. Why don’t we cover our bases by asking our Lord Jesus Christ what He wants us to do, and then do just that? We might even ask about things like Holy Water, oil consecrated by whom, someone laying hands on your head, getting blessings, casting out, and every other thing that might affect your life. Now I can’t take credit for that brilliant idea, it’s in the scriptures, where by the way, it also states that we are not to trust the arm of flesh, well unless you prefer things Telestial.

Oh, one more thing. A woman contacted me many months ago asking for help. I emailed back and said we were several weeks to a month out on our schedule before we could get to her. She emailed back and said she had it covered, so not to worry. I was very grateful for that. She called again two weeks ago and asked for help. The problems have not gone away. We chatted for a while and I asked her to email what is going on.

I guess she was trying to cover all her bases because the last thing she asked me while on the phone was, “Do you have church priesthood?”

Now that’s a question, isn’t it?