Author Archives: rameumptom

About rameumptom

Gerald (Rameumptom) Smith is a student of the gospel. Joining the Church of Jesus Christ when he was 16, he served a mission in Santa Cruz Bolivia (1978=1980). He is married to Ramona, has 3 stepchildren and 7 grandchildren. Retired Air Force (Aim High!). He has been on the Internet since 1986 when only colleges and military were online. Gerald has defended the gospel since the 1980s, and was on the first Latter-Day Saint email lists, including the late Bill Hamblin's Morm-Ant. Gerald has worked with FairMormon, More Good Foundation, LDS.Net and other pro-LDS online groups. He has blogged on the scriptures for over a decade at his site: Joel's Monastery (joelsmonastery.blogspot.com). He has the following degrees: AAS Computer Management, BS Resource Mgmt, MA Teaching/History. Gerald was the leader for the Tuskegee Alabama group, prior to it becoming a branch. He opened the door for missionary work to African Americans in Montgomery Alabama in the 1980s. He's served in two bishoprics, stake clerk, high council, HP group leader and several other callings over the years. While on his mission, he served as a counselor in a branch Relief Society presidency.

The end of Free Speech

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Gabriela Calderon de Burgos wrote an article at CATO regarding the end of free speech in Ecuador.  El Universo (The Universe) newspaper in Quito had a mostly blank page for its cover today.  The only thing on it was a quote from Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged:

When you see that trading is done, not by consent, but by compulsion–when you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing–when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors–when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don’t protect you against them, but protect them against you–when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice–you may know that your society is doomed.

Why is this on the front of El Universo?  Because the newspaper, its editor, and other contributors were sued in criminal court by the leftist president of the country for libel.  The newspaper’s directors and editor will spend 3 years in jail. Fines of $30 million were ordered, as well as $10 million to be given to Ecuador’s president.

Oh, this is the fifth judge on the court since February.  He became judge on Monday, and issued the order just minutes before his week long term ended!

We now see that liberal efforts in Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador is shutting down free speech and imprisoning innocent people that oppose tyranny. Continue reading →

No Greater Love than this- that a man sacrifice his toe for his grandchildren

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A week ago today, I was at a water park with two of my grandsons, who were visiting.  For their birthday (turning 7 and 11), I took them to a water park/ride place.  The plan was to do water park for the first half of the day, and then turn to the roller coasters, ferris wheels, etc., to finish off the day.

Being small and their first trip ever to such a park, I started them out on the slower water slides.  Quickly, they discovered the faster and curvier rides. As grandfather, I naturally had to accompany them on whatever water tube they chose to go down.  The faster tubes quickly became their favorites.
Continue reading →

New Testament Gospel Doctrine lesson 30

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Lesson 30 of the New Testament Gospel Doctrine is now available on my blog. In it is discussed the conversion of Cornelius the Roman Centurion, Peter’s vision of the clean and unclean, and the first missionary efforts among the Gentiles.  I discuss the early church’s issues with circumcision and the Law of Moses being imposed upon the Gentile converts by some Jewish Christians, and how this further moved Christianity away from its Hebrew roots.

http://joelsmonastery.blogspot.com/2011/07/new-testament-gospel-doctrine-lesson-30.html

Read it there / Comment here!