Updated on May 29, 2023
Doug Tales 120: Sacrifice, Part Two
In his daily life, Doug Mendenhall took seriously Joseph Smith’s teachings about sacrifice. He emphasized that our Savior offers the covenants we need to sacrifice for. We do not initiate or make promises to God on our terms, only on His. Doug quotes Joseph’s teachings on sacrifice in I See…Awake! (2015) on pages 53-55, and then shares his own experience being asked to make a covenant by sacrifice on pages 55-61:
Joseph Smith explained the principle of sacrifice in the Lectures on Faith:
“Let us here observe that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation. For from the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things: it was through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life, and it is through the medium of the sacrifice of all earthly things that men do actually know that they are doing the things that are well pleasing in the sight of God. When a man has offered in sacrifice all that he has for the truth’s sake, not even withholding his life, and believing before God that he has been called to make this sacrifice because he seeks to do his will, he does know most assuredly that God does and will accept his sacrifice and offering, and that he has not nor will not seek his face in vain. Under these circumstances, then, he can obtain the faith necessary for him to lay hold on eternal life.
“It is in vain for persons to fancy to themselves that they are heirs with those, or can be heirs with them, who have offered their all in sacrifice, and by this means obtained faith in God and favor with him so as to obtain eternal life, unless they in like manner offer unto him the same sacrifice, and through that offering obtain the knowledge that they are accepted of him.
“It was in offering sacrifices that Abel, the first martyr, obtained knowledge that he was accepted of God. And from the days of righteous Abel to the present time, the knowledge that men have that they are accepted in the sight of God is obtained by offering sacrifice. And in the last days, before the Lord comes, he is to gather together his saints who have made a covenant with him by sacrifice. Psalms 50:3–5: Our God shall come and shall not keep silence. A fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above and to the earth that he may judge his people. Gather my saints together unto me, those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.
“Those, then, who make the sacrifice will have the testimony that their course is pleasing in the sight of God, and those who have this testimony will have faith to lay hold on eternal life and will be enabled, through faith, to endure unto the end and receive the crown that is laid up for them that love the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who do not make the sacrifice cannot enjoy this faith because men are dependent upon this sacrifice in order to obtain this faith, therefore they cannot lay hold upon eternal life because the revelations of God do not guarantee unto them the authority so to do, and without this guarantee faith could not exist.” (Lecture Sixth, paragraphs 7–10.)
I need to clarify that it is the Lord that makes covenants with us, we do not initiate them with Him. And as He says above, it is a “covenant with me by sacrifice.”
Several years ago I was plainly told by the Spirit to go outside in my yard and dig a hole. I was directed where to dig it. I wanted a second witness and a good friend happened to come over, and I asked him about dowsing. It just so happened that his father had taught him how to use a dowsing rod. He made one up and went over my yard and found the spot where I was shown to dig. I had my witness.
When I went out to dig, I said a prayer and consecrated my efforts to my Father. Please understand I had no idea why I was to dig this hole. As you will read in this book, the Spirit has directed me do many “different” things in the past and this was just another one, though I did hope to “find” something in the hole. (I once dug a hole and found a seer stone.) I was told the hole needed to be 4’ X 4’ in width and then ten feet deep. I kind of freaked, but started to dig anyway. I knew this wasn’t going to be a one day effort.
For many days I went out into the “hole” at about 4 pm and finished at 1:00 am. After many days of digging I encountered a rock that stuck straight out into the hole, and I couldn’t get it to drop. I’d jump on it, dig around it, and jump again. All to no avail. Then I heard the Spirit tell me: “I have received your sacrifice of sweat and labor. Now I require the sacrifice of your blood.”
“Really?” I said, quite incredulous.
Denise happened to come into my room later, and I asked her about this “requirement” of my blood in this hole I was digging. She witnessed that I’d heard right. So for two weeks I wouldn’t go outside and dig in the hole. Somehow I knew that this just wasn’t going to be a “small thing”, and it would be painful.
I actually went and asked Denise for her blood testing kit. I wanted the “finger poker” so I could go outside and poke my finger and drop several drops of blood into that hole.
“That won’t work Dad,” she replied.
A day or so later all of this escaped my mind somehow and I went out into the hole. I still had that rock sticking out way down there and wanted to get rid of it. I jumped on it again and again. Nothing happened. Then I sat under it with my legs crossed and was going to dig around it where it went into the side of the wall.
“Don’t sit under the rock,” I heard the Spirit say.
“Really?” I replied, “I will show you what this rock won’t do. It won’t budge.”
I got up and stood on the rock and jumped up and down again.
“See, Lord,” I said looking up, “it won’t move!”
I got back down and knelt beside this rock. I put the tool I was using to dig the dirt into my left hand and put my right hand onto the ground. I tapped once into the side of the wall and that rock came down onto my right hand.
It squashed my right index finger on both sides of the big knuckle, cutting it to the bone on each side. I pulled my glove off, and blood was going everywhere. The pain was intense. I crawled out of the hole, grabbed my finger with my left hand and went into the house, leaving a trail of blood in the snow on the ground. I was breathing quite hard.
I immediately went to my bathroom sink and started washing it with cold water to stop the flow of blood. Denise came in and asked if I was all right.
“Is this what He wanted,” I said through clenched teeth.
“Yes,” she said.
I was quite mad, since it just wasn’t two cuts I was dealing with; my finger was also broken at the knuckle.
I said, “I hope He’s happy.”
After I had calmed down, I realized that He had made a covenant with me. It did require pain and my blood. The Lord Jesus Christ makes covenants with us. My daughter would later tell me the Lord told her that I was going to come into the house breathing quite funny, but that I was all right.
Oh, I did find something in digging that ten foot deep hole. I found that Lord came with a covenant for me from Him. My reminder? Every time I point with my right index finger I see scars and how it is now bent.
There have been several people that have heard this story and have decided that they were going to make a covenant with the Lord. They went up the mountain or wherever and cut themselves so they would bleed a lot. That is not the way He does it. As I have stated, He makes the covenant, not us. It is done His way and on His time schedule….
My point with these examples is that God makes the covenant, not us. And yes, sacrifice is necessary. I related in Conquering Spiritual Evil, Volume One about going to Kitten’s house and being involved in a “spiritual” battle that took place there. What I didn’t mention was the question the Lord asked before I agreed to go. “Are you willing to give your life for her?” I thought about it for a few seconds and said “yes,” knowing that He wasn’t joking around.
The law of sacrifice works in all aspects of our lives. He probably will require food, service, money, time, blood, pain, suffering, and all you have. Whether we will receive new knowledge or light, make a covenant with Him, teach things, or give light, there is always sacrifice involved. If there is no sacrifice, there is not enough faith generated to show us that what we are doing is pleasing in the sight of God.
Updated on May 22, 2023
Doug Tales 119: Spiritual Shielding, Part Three
Doug Mendenhall learned quite a lot about the metaphysical world by experimenting again and again, and then asking questions of Christ about what happened. He talks about various experiences with spiritual shielding—both personal and historical—in Conquering Spiritual Evil, Volume One (2012), on pages 76-79:
Here are a few more examples of spiritual shields. We live in a rural area where the reception from some radio stations is hard to get at our house. So one winter evening I drove outside of town to get good reception so I could listen to a football game. I had turned the car off and was sitting there listening to the game when I noticed that all the windows had fogged up. But I could see something flying by the windshield. The city lights were off in the distance and made it easy to see this phenomenon. It was going from North to South, or from my left to right. It looked like “ghosts” or spirits flying by. If it was spirits, our city was being invaded by millions of them, I thought. I was soon to find out that I had jumped to the wrong conclusion.
I re-parked the car so that I could see the city lights out of the windows to my left, front, and right side. Whatever it was that was flying by was going around the car and not into the city as I had thought. Sitting there dumbfounded and amazed, I wondered what in the world it was, so I started praying and asking.
The Spirit told me, “As if by fire.”
“What do you mean, Father, as if by fire?”
My mind was directed to several scriptures. In the Book of Mormon, Nephi and his brother Lehi were cast into prison and had an astonishing experience.
“And after they had been cast into prison many days without food, behold, they went forth into the prison to take them that they might slay them.
“And it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi were encircled about as if by fire, even insomuch that they durst not lay their hands upon them for fear lest they should be burned. Nevertheless, Nephi and Lehi were not burned; and they were as standing in the midst of fire and were not burned.
“And when they saw that they were encircled about with a pillar of fire, and that it burned them not, their hearts did take courage.” (Helaman 5:22-24)
I realized that I was seeing a spiritual shield that looked like “white” fire encircling the car. Was it a “pillar of fire” around the car? There are many instances of “fire” or a “pillar of fire” in the scriptures.
“And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones.
“And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them.” (3 Nephi 17:23-24)
And once again:
“And it came to pass when they were all baptized and had come up out of the water, the Holy Ghost did fall upon them, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost and with fire.
“And behold, they were encircled about as if it were by fire; and it came down from heaven, and the multitude did witness it, and did bear record; and angels did come down out of heaven and did minister unto them.” (3 Nephi 19:13-14)
The Spirit helped me remember three men in the Old Testament named Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were cast into the fire by Nebuchadnezzar and were not harmed as they and the “Son of God” walked around inside of the furnace. Was it possible that a spiritual shield made it so that “the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.” (Daniel 3:27)
During another time I was listening late at night to the radio outside of town, the shield was there but not swirling around the car. It looked like a fire from the fireplace. In fact I could see its reflection in my glasses while looking in the rear-view mirror. It looked exactly like I was sitting in front of a fireplace, even had the yellow-gold color of fire. I watched it swirl one direction, then the other direction, then stop and not swirl at all. It is actually quite fun to watch.
A great story is related by L. Taylor Hansen in the book He Walked the Americas (1963):
“The city of Caba Clos first saw the Pale God when He stopped the tempest and jelled the sea for His ship’s landing, then easily walked across the waters. They remembered His strange magnetism for before Him the fiercest animals lay down and allowed Him to caress them.
“For His One God, the Divine Spirit, they built a temple. Then He left them to teach other nations, promising to return to dedicate the temple.
“Alas for man and his jealous priesthood. The Sacrificers were again in power when once more the Pale God, Sume, returned. The priests had busily told the people that this was a demon who had bewitched them. Accordingly when Sume returned along the highway in His long white mantle and His great staff, keeping His promise to the people to dedicate His temple, warriors lay in wait behind the bushes, their arrows already strung in their long-bows.
“The puzzled people, led by the black-robed Sacrificers came forward. Then at a signal from the Head priest the warriors sprang out of the foliage and a rain of arrows went toward the Prophet.
“Standing atop a slight mound, Sume raised His palms high over His head and called aloud in a foreign language.
“Then a curious miracle happened. A curtain of flame, fiercely whirling, came down upon Him from the heavens, clear up to now with a bright sun shining. This curtain circled all about the Healer. The arrows of the Caba-Clos warriors could not penetrate the curtain. They glanced off as if from hard rock and struck again through the bows which had sent them, burying their shafts deep in the breasts of the senders.
“When the people saw this they were stricken with terror, and the priesthood fell down sobbing.
“In the center of the curtain Sume stood waiting, and when it lifted He turned his back upon them and walked away sadly along the seashore. His footsteps were pressed deeply in the wet sand, where none have ever been able to erase them.” (pp. 147-148)
What a great story about the Savior shielding Himself against an attack with what apparently looked like fire. It is also a great reminder that He has proclaimed that what we give out to others will come back to us, though sometimes sooner than we expect.
Updated on May 15, 2023
Doug Tales 118: Spiritual Shielding, Part Two
What do we need to do to consciously have the “Spirit of the Lord” shield and protect us from the negativity and darkness in this world? Doug Mendenhall shares about shielding ourselves spiritually in Conquering Spiritual Evil, Volume One (2012), on pages 74-76:
The Book of Mormon relates a story about a Lamanite prophet named Samuel who went to the Nephites, stood on the wall of the city of Zarahemla, and called the people to repentance. Many of the people didn’t like what he had to say and were angry with him.
“But as many as there were who did not believe in the words of Samuel were angry with him; and they cast stones at him upon the wall, and also many shot arrows at him as he stood upon the wall; but the Spirit of the Lord was with him, insomuch that they could not hit him with their stones neither with their arrows.” (Helaman 16:2)
This is a great example of a spiritual shield around someone so that he could continue doing the Lord’s work without being harmed. It also tells us that spiritual shields are made of “the Spirit of the Lord.” Could that also mean the Lord’s “essence” or energy?
Perhaps a little story will illustrate the modern day use of spiritual shields. A friend and I were discussing this concept at lunch one day. I had heard of people putting “light” around themselves, but not a spiritual shield. We talked much about this concept, trying to understand it. Before we ate lunch, we asked that a shield be placed around us in the name of Jesus Christ. Then we forgot about it.
After we paid for our lunch and were standing near the register talking to each other, a man entered the restaurant that was dressed all in black, had black hair and black finger nails and he headed right for us. Then I saw the most astounding thing. When he was about two feet from my friend, he “tripped” and fell backwards. He got up, stepped back about ten feet, and just glared at us.
My friend said, “Did you see that? He tripped and fell into me.”
“No, he tripped and fell backwards,” I explained. “He never touched you. He was about two feet from you when he fell backwards.”
We quickly headed out of the restaurant while the dark man just stood and glared at us. Outside we realized that we had witnessed this man bounce off the spiritual shield we had just asked God to place around us. It looked like he tripped backwards. Don’t people usually trip and fall forward? He didn’t. Once we realized that he had bounced off the shield, we were quite amazed. It was incredible to talk about spiritual shields, ask for one, and then to actually see what it could do.
Updated on May 8, 2023
Doug Tales 117: Spiritual Shielding, Part One
Would a warrior or soldier consider going into battle without protective armor or shielding? Don’t football, hockey and other sports players wear all kinds of protective gear? To conquer spiritual evil requires defensive and offensive weapons, tools and shields, the whole armor of God.
One of the longest chapters in Doug Mendenhall’s main work, Conquering Spiritual Evil, Volume One (2012), is “Spiritual Shielding,” (chapter 8) pp. 73-89, and it is followed by “Emotions, Shields and Fiery Darts” (chapter 9), pp. 90-104. Chapter 8 begins with scriptures, quotes by Brigham Young, and a hymn on pages 73-74:
“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” (Ephesians 6:13-18)
Brigham Young said: “You may now see people with legions of evil spirits in and around them; there are men who walk our streets that have more than a hundred devils in them and round about them, prompting them to all manner of evil, and some too that profess to be Latter Day Saints, and if you were to take the devils out of them and from about them, you would leave them dead corpses; for I believe there would be nothing left of them.” (Journal of Discourses 3:369)
Brigham Young warned the saints that their sojourn on the earth is a continuation of the war commenced in heaven, and constant vigilance is demanded. He said “this probation (is) a continual warfare.”
There are many ways the Lord has given us to combat spiritual evil. One of the most effective ways the Lord has given us for protection that not many people seem to know about is the “spiritual shield” which is Him. “Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield.” (Psalms 33:20) As we become like Him, we have a natural shield against spiritual evil. As we gain or increase in His Light, evil has less influence over us. By obeying His commandments, we increase in that Light until the perfect day when we become like Him. “He suffered temptations but gave no heed unto them.” (D&C 20:22)
Individuals that do “energy work” know what shields are, but some don’t relate shields to Christ or say that He is our shield. Most of them will tell you to imagine putting a shield of light or a bubble around yourself or something to that effect. Since all things are to be done in the name of Jesus Christ, in our family we pray to our Father in Heaven for spiritual shields to surround us in the name of Jesus Christ. In our family and personal prayers we ask for shields to be around us for protection. Many times during the day I will also ask for them or ask that they be reinforced or strengthened, always in His name.
In our church we even sing a song about putting up shields through prayer.
“Ere you left your room this morning,
Did you think to pray?
In the name of Christ, our Savior,
Did you sue for loving favor
As a shield today?” (LDS Hymns #140)
Updated on May 1, 2023
Doug Tales 116: Pour Out My Spirit
On September 21, 1823, Joseph Smith was told that prior to the Second Coming the Lord will “pour out my spirit” as earlier prophesied by Joel in the Old Testament (JS-H 1:41). Years later, Doug Mendenhall experienced the literal fulfilling of that prophecy. He ponders such connections in Possibilities: Lessons From the Spirit (2002), pp. 61-63:
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids In those days will I pour out my spirit.” (Joel 2:28)
——-
I was so excited when the President of my church declared in an October 2001 conference that the above “vision of Joel (had) been fulfilled.” I knew it was a prophecy that had been quoted nearly 180 years earlier to Joseph Smith by an angelic visitor named Moroni.
A good friend of mine, Tom, had quoted the passage to me a month or two before when talking about some experiences my family and I had gone through. We chatted about the possibility of things happening to Denise and many others as a result of the Lord pouring “out (His) spirit upon all flesh.” Could it be happening around the world? What would the result be when God poured out His spirit upon ALL flesh, as He has stated He has done?…
We started doing our book review meetings [in 2001]. Looking back, I remember the first one we did. There were about thirty five people in the room and I was so scared to do it. If the truth be known, I didn’t want the book to be published and surely didn’t want anyone to read it. Now here we were doing “book reviews.” I would not have done them if I hadn’t felt like the Spirit had impressed me very strongly to do it.
After we did the first meeting, Denise, my friend and I were outside talking to some of the people that had been in attendance. There were three different women that came up to me, at different times, and told me they saw (perceived) that Christ was there, standing by me. None of these women knew each other. I was amazed. I asked them how they knew. They all said it was a gift they had been given. If it had been just one woman, I may have dismissed it outright. However, there were three different women that had all testified of the same thing. They were all active members of my church.
I found that I had been thrust into a world that I had not known existed before. Could it be true, that I was a witness to Joel’s prophecy being fulfilled? Had the Lord’s spirit really been poured out upon all flesh as promised? I wondered – even if the Lord had bestowed upon us the gift of His Spirit, does that mean that we as a people had in actuality “received” His gift? I remembered reading, “For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in Him who is the giver of the gift.” (D&C 88:33)
Updated on April 24, 2023
Doug Tales 115: Lizzy
Because Doug Mendenhall shared about his daughter’s metaphysical experiences, others contacted him about similar gifts of the spirit. One of the first he met was a young girl named Lizzy, and he tells a little about her in Possibilities: Lessons From the Spirit (2002), pp. 61-62:
The first part of July 2001, I received a phone call from Chris. She said she had met a woman who had several kids. One of them, a girl about eight years of age named Lizzy, had the ability to “see spirits.” Chris had told Lizzy’s mother Ann about my daughter Denise and her gifts. Lizzy’s mother wanted her to meet Denise. It seems that Lizzy was terrified of her “gift.” We set up a meeting at Chris’ house. We had a pleasant meal and afterwards I had a chance to talk to Ann about what her daughter could see.
“She sees spirits,” Ann told me. “She can see good ones and bad ones. But she is shy about it and doesn’t want anyone to know. We have encouraged her to keep the gift and develop it further. I was hoping that by meeting Denise, she would see that it is OK to see spirits and have gifts like this.”
Lizzy was very shy. She came over and sat by me for a minute. “Lizzy,” I said, “could I talk to you about your gifts? You see my daughter, Denise, sees spirits like you do and I have never met anyone before like her until now. Can I ask you a few questions?”
“Yes,” she responded.
“Good,” I said back to her. “Are you scared of the spirits sometimes?”
“Yes,” she shyly answered.
“Do they ever harm you?” I asked.
“No,” she said.
“After playing with Denise today, do you understand it’s OK to see them? That she sees them all the time?”
“Yes, I know it’s OK,” she answered.
“Do you see any here now?” I couldn’t help asking.
“Yes, there is one behind you,” she said.
I had felt someone there and had an idea of who it was, but wanted her to look and tell me, so I asked, “Who is it?”
She timidly looked up and said, “She has long brown hair and is wearing a dress.”
I was so pleased that she was willing to use her gifts. We saw her at one of our book review meetings and she was totally different. The shy, timid little girl was gone. She walked right up to me and told me who was standing next to me (from the spirit world). What a special little girl. I was so happy to meet someone that had gifts similar to my daughter.
I had a chance to meet Lizzy a year later. She said that since she turned eight her gifts don’t seem to be as pronounced as before. She still has seen her grandmother, who is on the other side of the veil, but not much more. It appears she is content to be where she is at with her gifts. Hopefully she will retain them and develop them even more.
Updated on April 17, 2023
Doug Tales 114: Just a Friend
This experience of Doug Mendenhall’s from his book Possibilities: Lesson From the Spirit (2002), pp. 59-60 was also talked about at his funeral services in December 2020:
One time Denise and I went to pick up my oldest son at work. It was around ten o’clock at night. He worked at a mini-mart in an area of town I didn’t enjoy being in after dark, so we sat in the truck waiting for him to come out after work. In front of the store was a man who looked homeless. He had his sleeping bag and backpack on the ground beside him. He was standing there preaching about God and calling everyone that walked by to repentance. Denise asked me what he was doing and why he was doing it. I told her he appeared to be a little drunk and seemed to be calling everyone to repentance. We sat and watched in amused silence.
All of a sudden he quit what he was doing, picked up his belongings and walked toward our truck. Just then my son came out of the store and got in the truck. The man came up to the window and asked if we had any money. We emptied our pockets, the ash tray, and looked on the floor. We came up with 63 cents. I handed it to him and said that was all we had. He looked at it and at us and said it wouldn’t even buy him a hamburger at the McDonald’s across the street. I apologized and said that was all we had. He just stood there.
I got out of the truck and talked to him a minute. He smelled of booze and had very bloodshot eyes. Finally, he asked if we could take him somewhere.
“Sure,” I said.
“Will you take me to the hospital?” he asked. I told him we would. I helped him get in the back of the truck and told him to scoot up to the front of the cab, as it was very cold outside. In fact it was snowing a little. He got situated and we took off.
We took him to the hospital emergency room. I got out and helped him get out of the truck. We talked for a minute. He told me he was from back East and down on his luck. He wanted to get off the booze and that’s why he asked me to be brought to the hospital. We stood there and chatted for a few more minutes. I found out he was “human.” I also found something I had only experienced a few times before, an unconditional love for him. I understood that he is a child of God, just like I am.
As I started to walk off, he stopped me and asked who I was. “Just a friend,” was the only response I could think of. He hugged me and said thanks. He said people don’t usually treat him nice. I gave him the only thing I had besides that 63 cents, my love in the form of a hug. Then I got in the truck and drove off as he walked into the hospital.
It was fun to be an “angel” for a few moments.
Updated on April 10, 2023
Doug Tales 113: The First Christmas
Easter or Resurrection Sunday was celebrated by Christians yesterday. Years ago, at Christmastime 1999, Doug Mendenhall learned his 10-year-old daughter had personally seen the birth, life and crucifixion of Jesus Christ while in her then-recent coma. He shares that first telling of the First Christmas in My Peace I Give Unto You (2001), pp. 119-123:
“Looks like it is just us.” I said to Denise and my youngest son.
Dianne had just left with our other two daughters to go to a women’s Christmas party at the church. My middle son was out with friends. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve and they wanted to get together before they all went their separate ways for the holidays.
“Can I watch a movie?” My son asked. He saw an opportunity to watch what he wanted and not what was forced on him by one of the older kids.
“You betcha.” I smiled at him.
He raced off to the family room with Denise hot on his heels.
“I’ll be in my bedroom if you kids need anything,” I yelled in their direction.
I didn’t often get the chance to relax and read in solitude, so I was looking forward to the next two hours. The two youngest would be occupied by a movie and everyone else was out and about.
I picked up a book and began to read. Within minutes I became lost in the words of the author as he opened up the world of the South American shamans, their unique way of obtaining knowledge and passing it on to subsequent generations….
“Ooo, Daddy, I never want to be a mommy.” Denise startled me.
“What? What are you talking about?” I was still half-immersed in that far away world of the South American shaman.
“It’s yucky to be a mommy. I don’t think I want to be one.” She contorted her face and stuck out her tongue.
I knew instantly, somehow, that she was talking about giving birth.
“When did you ever see childbirth? Are you watching the nature channel?”
“No, it just looks yucky.”
“When did you see a baby be born?” My mind instantly left South America. Denise had my full attention.
“Not very long ago.”
“Who did you see be born?”
“Jesus.”
“Jesus? When did you see Him be born?”
“While I was in my coma.” She came and sat next to me on the bed and looked into my eyes. “You can’t tell anyone, okay?”
“Okay, but can I tell just Mommy?”
“Well . . .” she thought for a moment, “just Mommy.”
She then proceeded to tell me about her experience while she was in the coma. How for those three days, she actually spent the time with Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. She then described in great detail the birth, life and crucifixion of the Savior. She mentioned things that only a ten-year-old would remember, but only a scholar would know.
When she finished her story she looked at me and smiled. I guess I smiled back, I don’t know. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, ideas and questions. I looked at the open book at my side and back to Denise. No book written could compare to what my little girl had to offer.
For the first time since I learned of her gifts I openly wondered what else she knew and what else she could do.
“Denise, how much did They tell you while you were with Them?”
“You mean Heavenly Father and Jesus?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged her shoulders and then gave me a big hug.
“I love you, Daddy.”
“I love you, too.”…
Later, handmade decorations covered the little Christmas tree while a host of teddy bears given as gifts to a little girl in a hospital surrounded it, replacing the bright and shiny wrapped gifts that would normally occupy the coveted space beneath the beautifully decorated branches. As the family enjoyed the comfort of each other’s presence, a little ten-year-old girl stood and began to tell the story of the first Christmas. The Christmas tree faded into the background as the story of Mary and Joseph came alive through her words. The family knew then, that truly, she had witnessed that humble event, the birth of the Savior of all mankind.
That Christmas Eve, all thoughts of sugarplums and tinsel willingly gave way to the little girl’s memory of the greatest gift of all.
Updated on April 3, 2023
Doug Tales 112: Can I Be a Minion? Part Two
Today’s blog post is the second half of an email by Doug Mendenhall from January 2, 2017 with the title, “Can I be a minion when I grow up Mommy?”
As the world continues to descend down the toilet I can see why the only safe place will be in locations where the Lord and his angels can dwell. There will be no other safe places, I don’t care what the sjw (social justice warriors) say. Is your church going to do that for you? Is your family? Is your government? Excuse me while I crack up for a minute. If you are truly with the Lord, chances are those institutions will be coming after you, as hell is doing now. They are about control, keeping you a slave, a dumbed down servant doing their bidding, paying them your money. Will it be in your fellowships as some call them? Many have just replaced their church with a fellowship. Is it our new social club? Is that offensive? I hope so.
Time to prepare now friends. There will be seminars or workshops this year. We really don’t want to do them but will do what He asks. I’m thinking it will be like school or college, where you come to really learn. For that reason I will pare down my email list even further. Many of you don’t participate much if at all so it would be best to not bother you anymore. If a blog or something shows up, so be it, as it is NOT something I want to be part of. Though there has been much I haven’t wanted to do and we end up being told to do it anyway. Bummer.
A good friend related his story about when he was about 3 1/2 years old he was riding in the family car when his father told his older brother that the back door wasn’t shut tight, that he was going to stop the car and have him close it tight. This friend heard a voice tell him that he should do it. Now the car had what was called suicide doors. He reached over and opened the door and of course the wind caught it and flung him out while the car was still going pretty fast. He woke up in the hospital covered in scrapes and bruises. They told him it was a good thing he had a winter coat on as it probably saved his life.
Does something like this open up your aura to other worldly beings that may want to cause mischief and harm? Would it have been his guardian angel that told him to open the car door? I highly doubt it. Fast forward some 70 years later and he came into our life. We have found a dark entity that has been with him since his youth that has controlled him all these years. He is in the process of eradicating himself from this entity and its friends.
A few days ago a friend called and told me to read a blog by some guy. It is about demons. He told me to think of all the people that have been helped by the book Conquering Spiritual Evil, all the seminars, etc. and how all the times that Kitten and I have gone to people’s homes to cast evil out of them and close portals. I read the blog and really didn’t think of any of those things. I mean really, who cares. I did think about how many people are so clueless it is amazing. In the comments someone actually mentioned the Conquering book, which I honestly was hoping would not happen. His comment was that he doesn’t know me but went to see Mel Fish, a “nice man.” But Mel was charging some money and he refused to pay it to learn to “raise his right arm to the square.”
From the guy’s blog:
“I have not read that book but I did read Mel Fish’s book and met with him once in his home. I don’t know Doug but I think Mel is a very nice man. I have come to the conclusion that such approaches complicate matters generally. I don’t question anyone’s sincerity or their personal experiences. But for me personally, I felt very uncomfortable paying $40 to be taught how to raise my arm to the square to cast out devils. I did see people there at Brother Fish’s who were happy paying the money and seemed to be enjoying the experience. I find, however, that the more I expand my sources that I listen to, the less room I have for Christ. There are so many gurus and so few true messengers. It doesn’t make someone evil or bad for trying to share their gift. But as I said, for me, my mind becomes less firm, and I find myself thinking I’m being enlightened when in fact I’m usually merely being titillated.”
Yet this man has a blog, so apparently he wants to us “expand (our) sources” and listen to him. Is he making his readers “less firm” in their minds? If we read his stuff are we “expand(ing) our sources”….so we have “less room” for “Christ.” Is he a “true messenger?” Or just a “guru.” Just wondering. I don’t know the man, I’m sure he is a good guy. But if you believe others shouldn’t seek out new things, then why should they listen to you? Some “guru’s” charge and some don’t. If they don’t does that make them more “worthwhile”?
He also mentioned in the blog:
“It is my current opinion that we, as mortals, are subject to being possessed. And that the only remedy is that we fast and pray that Christ casts out the evil spirits that dwell in each of us. I do not recommend paying for some person or for some conference that “teaches you” how to cast them out. I invite you to turn to the Master in fasting and in prayer. He and only He can assist you in overcoming these evil spirits.”
I agree it is important that we only turn to the Lord Jesus Christ. If it is always the case that only He can assist you in casting out evil spirits why in the world did the Lord Jesus Christ send out his disciples telling them to do such???? Did He get it wrong? Why does He declare that His disciples will do so now. Why didn’t He just tell them to turn to Him to take care of these things? Doesn’t it take a combination of mortal along with spiritual to accomplish these things? All of this makes my head spin. Now you know why I hide out in Mt Pleasant.
Many people are telling me stories of how the Ascend is helping them during these times with their health issues. Several days ago we received a call from a young woman in her 20’s. She is pregnant and went to the doctor quite ill. She was diagnosed with bronchitis and pneumonia. The doctor didn’t want to give her any antibiotics because of the baby and told her to go home, drink plenty of water and rest. We dropped a quart of Ascend off the next day. Just talked to her two days later and she is feeling much better. She said the sore throat started to go away immediately after starting with the Ascend. So there you go. We have plenty of that still available….
Hope you all have a great new year.
Take care,
Doug
Updated on March 27, 2023
Doug Tales 111: Can I Be a Minion? Part One
Doug Mendenhall writes about minions on pages 6-7 of I See…Awake! (2015). He says that if sinners “don’t repent then eventually they are taken to the bottom of hell, and if they choose to do evil are made into minions themselves.” He also expands on these concepts in an email on January 2, 2017 with the subject line, “Can I be a minion when I grow up Mommy?”
Minions—When we break commandments and don’t repent, minions are sent to put a chain around our ankles. They make sure it is very tight, and then they go back to hell to the generals and tell them what they did. If the general does not like something they did or they did it wrong, then they have to be tortured. Other minions get to come up and try. Then people walk around with that chain and when they die they don’t have the option to go to the good side because they will be pulled straight to hell where the little minions beat them up. They are taken to a room that is very, very cold. Minions won’t give them anything. They are made to sit in that room chained up to the wall. If they cry out, they are beaten. These people get tortured and finally are taken deeper into hell unless they repent of what they did—really repent. The Lord can then go into hell and get them back. If they don’t repent then eventually they are taken to the bottom of hell, and if they choose to do evil are made into minions themselves. The Lord said, “For behold, I God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I.” (D&C 19:16-17)
—–
There seems to be many “famous” people leaving this physical world to join the world of spirits. A singer that I really had never heard of passed away a few days ago. Seems he sold over 100 million albums or whatever they call them now days. That’s a lot of quid. I looked at his life a little on the internet. Many pictures of people “worshiping” him while he was on stage, pictures of him kissing other so called men, pictures of his boyfriends and I guess “husband.” (Yea, figure that one out….) What a life!!!
So when I saw Kitten the same day I mentioned this singer had passed and said his name. I do that because I know that her innate curiosity makes her “look” at where he is now. I then asked how he was doing in the world of spirits. “He’s already a minion,” she responded.
Now let’s review how we can become a minion. We disobey God, we follow men or a man, we worship at Babylon’s altar via our thoughts and actions, and so much more. Then when we transition (die) we are met by “angels.” These angels take us down towards our god’s kingdom. As we go further down into the many levels of hell our memory of who and what we were becomes foggy and goes away. We arrive in the kingdom of our god and we are like a newborn baby, just like when we come into mortality. We are then given to a master who teaches and trains us in what we are now going to do for the next millennia or until we are able to extricate ourselves from hell.
In the past I mentioned my former Stake President that passed away and how I had asked Kitten what happened to him upon his passing. She said he had been met by four angels who slapped him on the back and congratulated him on the fine work done for their and his god. They then took him to hell to continue working for his god. He is still a minion now several years later. This really bothered me, as I had felt him to be a “good man” that had been caught between a rock and a hard place. I even told Kitten that he had helped many people. Her response: “Yes, but what was his motive for helping them?” The Spirit whispered it had been self-aggrandizement, self-adulation, to be seen of men. I admit, things I didn’t want to hear, hard things. It’s easier not knowing the former “rock star” who is now residing in hell versus the man you had many interactions with. Finally, all I could say was that I pity those accepting a calling to any position of leadership with any kind of ego, or a huge lack of courage to not do the right thing, bowing to the pressures of “higher authorities” and their edicts. Though, I’m pretty sure those men also have a “position” waiting for them in their god’s kingdom. Hard stuff? It will be for all of us unless we repent now and get the heck out of Babylon. Though I agree, extrication can be hard, yet I’m sure we’ll all feel good once the surgery is over. Being in the Lord’s kingdom would beat the heck out of being a minion or even a general in the other direction.
I, like many was saddened when the woman that played the part of the Princess in Star Wars passed away yesterday. The world seems to be mourning the loss of such a wonderful and great woman–read the articles if you disbelieve me. Kitten happened to call today and I told her who had passed away. I knew she wouldn’t know as she doesn’t follow much of what happens in the world and I was right, she had no idea. So I asked her if I should now call this woman “Princess Minion”? “Probably,” was her reply. You see, she was in the middle of her world tour extolling her new book where she talks about her drug use, etc. and when she went to the set to film the first Star Wars movie she had determined to bed one of the cast. She snagged Harrison Ford. (Hope he doesn’t pass before repenting……) So then I thought about the following quotes from some men who were actually quite gifted with spiritual sight:
“Wicked compelled to act as evil spirits act.
“All the wicked who are entirely overcome by these malicious spirits will have the heavenly principle of love wholly Eradicated from their minds, and they will become angels to these infernal fiends, being captivated by them, and compelled to act as they act. They cannot extricate themselves from their power, nor ward off the fiery darts of their malicious tormentors.” Orson Pratt, The Seer, Vol. 1, October 1853, pg. 156
“Becoming an Unclean Spirit
Departed Spirits Continue With the Dispositions They Possessed on Earth
“God says, ‘My house is a house of order, and not of confusion.’ The Holy Ghost will not dwell where there is confusion. I do not ask you whether you know this or not, because everyone knows that confusion does not come from the Father, nor from the Son. Does it come from the Holy Ghost? Every one of you will answer, ‘No.’ Where does it come from? It comes from the author of confusion, and is produced by those who rebel against God and against His authority. There were many who did this formerly, and they form part of that hell which brother Wells was talking about. Although those men and women are dead, they have a good deal of power; their spirits have power over us when we render ourselves subject to them; their spirits are busy at work. They are diligent in performing the work of destruction and confusion; they go at that work the very moment their spirits leave their bodies. On the other hand, when righteous persons die, their spirits also go into the spirit world, but they go to work with the servants of God to help to do good, and to bring about the purposes of the Almighty pertaining to this earth; while wicked spirits, those who have been wicked in this probation, take the opposite course, just the same as they did here. I have said, a great many times, that that spirit which possesses us here will possess us when our spirits leave our bodies, and we shall there be very much the same as we are here.
“If you are subject to rebellious spirits, or to a spirit of apostasy here, will you not have the same spirit beyond the veil that you had on this side? You will, and it will have power over you to lead you to do wrong, and it will control your spirits. If, then, you are opposed to the truth while you are here, you will be occupied in that opposition hereafter, for the spirit that is opposed to the work of God here, will be opposed to that work when beyond the veil.” President Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses 4:273
Wow. Had enough yet? Is it time to get our lives in order? Do we want to pass the veil not knowing Him, the Lord Jesus Christ? Do we want to be met by angels, dark angels and become minions? Not a proposition I want to contemplate. Or how about just being taken to hell for a while for some fun and games? Now is the time to prepare. What are we doing about it? This is real, it is not something I lay awake at night making up. Are we going to tell the Lord that we didn’t know, we were ignorant? Then let’s put the emphasis on the “ignore” part of ignorant. That won’t cut it with Him. Ignorance is not an excuse. There are books a plenty, scriptures and many testimonies about what goes on with evil and in hell. I read where that singer that died left a huge estate. Are we to be impressed with that? With all his wealth, his worldliness, his singing? I wonder if his masters in hell are having him sing now to entertain the troops there? Are they impressed with his wealth and fame? Is Heaven? Please understand, I am not condemning this man. We just need to understand the importance of why we are here, and I don’t think it involves money, fame, and worldly glory. Hey, if you give me a few million bucks I’ll place your name on the side of my building! Everyone that drives by or comes to see a game will see how magnanimous you are!