The Cry of The Trumpet

The Rule of the Unrighteous: Sanctioned but Unholy Can a morally compromised leader still benefit a nation?   Does personal unrighteousness disqualify someone from doing good in leadership? Not necessarily. While moral integrity is deeply valued in those who lead, its absence does not always negate their capacity to govern wisely or serve the public good. Scripture does not shy away from this tension. Again and again, we see flawed rulers—some unrepentant, some redeemed—whose leadership nonetheless advanced divine purposes or relieved suffering. Their stories do not excuse unrighteousness, but they remind us that providence can work through imperfect vessels. Can a soul unaligned with heaven still bless the land it governs?   Does personal unrighteousness nullify the power to lead with wisdom or mercy?   No. Though righteousness is the crown we hope for in a ruler,   even flawed hands may plant seeds of peace.   Morianton, th...

There is a long history of saints carrying on and pushing forward with a calm determination in the face of opposition from the adversary. I see it in Nephi, who when his bow was broken could have railed at his fate and misfortune. Certainly it was an inconvenience and disappointment at the very least. But he did not turn to anger. Instead, he got to work. He calmly and purposely pushed on, determined not to be deterred or discouraged. He crafted a bow of wood and sought instruction regarding next steps from the Lord. He did not let the adversary win even a small part of his attention for frustration or anger. I know many pioneers crossing the plains did likewise. I admire that calm fortitude and wish more of us could pass by opportunities to become frustrated and instead just get to work, even when it requires rework.  1 Nephi 16

Some truths arrive like sunlight—warm, clarifying, welcome.   Others land like nettles—sharp, unexpected, and hard to hold.   Both are gifts. But in a culture that prizes comfort and performance, we often mistake discomfort for harm. We flinch at correction. We bristle at challenge. We label anything that stings as “unsafe,” and anything that confronts as “unloving.” This is not the way of growth. 🕊️ Truth Is Not Violence Truth, even when firm, is not aggression.   Correction, even when direct, is not cruelty.   Conviction, even when uncomfortable, is not abuse. There is a difference between being wounded and being refined.   Between being attacked and being invited to change. We must learn to tell the difference. 🔥 The Sting Is Sacred If a truth stings, pause.   Ask: Is this pain the result of harm—or the beginning of healing? Sometimes the sting is the Spirit.   Sometimes it’s our pride.   Sometimes it’s...

Job 27:5 "... till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me." Romans 12:19 "... Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." I'm coming to realize how these two verses are realized in my life...  today there is a lot of fear and concern about politics, to the point that good people are willing to compromise their values and engage in actions that they themselves feel are wrong.  They do this because they fear that the bad guys will win if they don't fight back to the point that they are willing to use the enemy's tactics and compromise their integrity.    I stand with Job because I am assured that all will be resolved in the end by the Lord as we are told in Romans.  I can maintain my integrity and not fight fire with fire, because I know that even if the bad guys seem to win, in the end they will fail.  Sometimes bad things happen to good people.  God allows it to be so because He honors our agency.  However, he counts ever...

Can we humbly accept our lot and endure quietly the burden we've been asked to bear without fighting, complaining or kicking against the pricks? If we can, I think the burden will lighten and we will be strengthened. Accept and press on with cheerfulness. 📜 Relevant Scriptures Bible (KJV) Acts 9:5 – “It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” Philippians 2:14–15 – “Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God...” Philippians 4:11–13 – “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content... I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9–10 – “My grace is sufficient for thee... for when I am weak, then am I strong.” Book of Mormon Mosiah 3:19 - "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a sai...

A reflection on discomfort, outrage, and the sacred sting of truth We live in a time when even the breeze of a differing thought is felt as a storm. Words, once bridges, are now barricades. And truth—especially truth that asks us to change—has become the unwelcome guest at the table of comfort. But truth was never meant to soothe the ego. It was meant to awaken the soul. --- 📖 Scriptural Anchors - “The guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center.” — 1 Nephi 16:2   - “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” — John 17:17   - “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” — John 8:32   - “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth.” — Ephesians 6:14 Truth is not a weapon—it is a mirror. And sometimes, what we see reflected is not what we hoped for. --- 🗣️ Prophetic Voices Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught:   > “Defend your beliefs with courtesy and compassion, ...