Shipwreck in Baltic Sea? A UFO? Mystery to Treasure Hunters

They know they're onto something big. If only they knew what that something was.

A group of treasure hunters based in Stockholm, using sonar, has found a strange disc-shaped object on the floor of the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Finland. From above, it looks a bit like the Millennium Falcon of "Star Wars" fame. It's large -- 197 feet in diameter -- and it's in about 275 feet of water. Leading to (or from) it is a churned-up track on the sea floor of about 1,600 feet.

"We need to know what we've found," said Peter Lindberg of Ocean Explorer, the group that made the sonar sweep while looking for more conventional shipwrecks. "Media has been speculating about everything from UFOs to Russian spaceships."


Peter Lindberg/OceanExplorer.se

Sonar image of an unidentified object on the... View Full Size



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What are the most realistic possibilities? "Let us put it like this: we have tried a lot of theories," Lindberg wrote in an email to ABC News. "The list is getting shorter and shorter with options, so for now we do not really know. We do not have anything that speaks more for one option or the other."

The treasure hunters would like to explore the wreck -- if it is a wreck -- with a small submarine, but they don't have the money to bring one in. If it were one of the conventional ships they've looked for in the past, they would hope to find gold or silver, but in this case they don't know what's actually there.

So they are talking to TV production companies, hoping one will fund them and make a documentary about their work. In the meantime, they are keeping the precise location of their find a secret, and waiting for spring and warmer weather.

"We are determined to successfully complete our mission of finding out what's at the bottom of the Baltic Sea," said Lindberg.

173. El primero que

Dichos, refranes y citas

Cita de hoy

El primero que comparó a la mujer con una flor, fue un poeta; el segundo, un imbécil. (Voltaire)
Dicho de ayer

El que nunca se equivoca, es porque nunca hace nada.

Tranlsation

The one who doesn't make mistakes, it's because he doesn't do anything.

Of Things That Matter Most

http://bit.ly/9T1j4w.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Second Counselor in the First Presidency

 

If life and its rushed pace and many stresses have made it difficult for you to feel like rejoicing, then perhaps now is a good time to refocus on what matters most.

It's remarkable how much we can learn about life by studying nature. For example, scientists can look at the rings of trees and make educated guesses about climate and growing conditions hundreds and even thousands of years ago. One of the things we learn from studying the growth of trees is that during seasons when conditions are ideal, trees grow at a normal rate. However, during seasons when growing conditions are not ideal, trees slow down their growth and devote their energy to the basic elements necessary for survival.

At this point some of you may be thinking, "That's all very fine and good, but what does it have to do with flying an airplane?" Well, let me tell you.

Have you ever been in an airplane and experienced turbulence? The most common cause of turbulence is a sudden change in air movement causing the aircraft to pitch, yaw, and roll. While planes are built to withstand far greater turbulence than anything you would encounter on a regular flight, it still may be disconcerting to passengers.

What do you suppose pilots do when they encounter turbulence? A student pilot may think that increasing speed is a good strategy because it will get them through the turbulence faster. But that may be the wrong thing to do. Professional pilots understand that there is an optimum turbulence penetration speed that will minimize the negative effects of turbulence. And most of the time that would mean to reduce your speed. The same principle applies also to speed bumps on a road.

Therefore, it is good advice to slow down a little, steady the course, and focus on the essentials when experiencing adverse conditions.

The Pace of Modern Life

This is a simple but critical lesson to learn. It may seem logical when put in terms of trees or turbulence, but it's surprising how easy it is to ignore this lesson when it comes to applying these principles in our own daily lives. When stress levels rise, when distress appears, when tragedy strikes, too often we attempt to keep up the same frantic pace or even accelerate, thinking somehow that the more rushed our pace, the better off we will be.

One of the characteristics of modern life seems to be that we are moving at an ever-increasing rate, regardless of turbulence or obstacles.

Let's be honest; it's rather easy to be busy. We all can think up a list of tasks that will overwhelm our schedules. Some might even think that their self-worth depends on the length of their to-do list. They flood the open spaces in their time with lists of meetings and minutia—even during times of stress and fatigue. Because they unnecessarily complicate their lives, they often feel increased frustration, diminished joy, and too little sense of meaning in their lives.

It is said that any virtue when taken to an extreme can become a vice. Overscheduling our days would certainly qualify for this. There comes a point where milestones can become millstones and ambitions, albatrosses around our necks.

What Is the Solution?

The wise understand and apply the lessons of tree rings and air turbulence. They resist the temptation to get caught up in the frantic rush of everyday life. They follow the advice "There is more to life than increasing its speed."1 In short, they focus on the things that matter most.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks, in a recent general conference, taught, "We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families."2

The search for the best things inevitably leads to the foundational principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ—the simple and beautiful truths revealed to us by a caring, eternal, and all-knowing Father in Heaven. These core doctrines and principles, though simple enough for a child to understand, provide the answers to the most complex questions of life.

There is a beauty and clarity that comes from simplicity that we sometimes do not appreciate in our thirst for intricate solutions.

For example, it wasn't long after astronauts and cosmonauts orbited the earth that they realized ballpoint pens would not work in space. And so some very smart people went to work solving the problem. It took thousands of hours and millions of dollars, but in the end, they developed a pen that could write anywhere, in any temperature, and on nearly any surface. But how did the astronauts and cosmonauts get along until the problem was solved? They simply used a pencil.

Leonardo da Vinci is quoted as saying that "simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."3 When we look at the foundational principles of the plan of happiness, the plan of salvation, we can recognize and appreciate in its plainness and simplicity the elegance and beauty of our Heavenly Father's wisdom. Then, turning our ways to His ways is the beginning of our wisdom.

The Power of Basics

The story is told that the legendary football coach Vince Lombardi had a ritual he performed on the first day of training. He would hold up a football, show it to the athletes who had been playing the sport for many years, and say, "Gentlemen, … this is a football!" He talked about its size and shape, how it can be kicked, carried, or passed. He took the team out onto the empty field and said, "This is a football field." He walked them around, describing the dimensions, the shape, the rules, and how the game is played.4

This coach knew that even these experienced players, and indeed the team, could become great only by mastering the fundamentals. They could spend their time practicing intricate trick plays, but until they mastered the fundamentals of the game, they would never become a championship team.

I think most of us intuitively understand how important the fundamentals are. It is just that we sometimes get distracted by so many things that seem more enticing.

Printed material, wide-ranging media sources, electronic tools and gadgets—all helpful if used properly—can become hurtful diversions or heartless chambers of isolation.

Yet amidst the multitude of voices and choices, the humble Man of Galilee stands with hands outstretched, waiting. His is a simple message: "Come, follow me."5 And He does not speak with a powerful megaphone but with a still, small voice.6 It is so easy for the basic gospel message to get lost amidst the deluge of information that hits us from all sides.

The holy scriptures and the spoken word of the living prophets give emphasis to the fundamental principles and doctrines of the gospel. The reason we return to these foundational principles, to the pure doctrines, is because they are the gateway to truths of profound meaning. They are the door to experiences of sublime importance that would otherwise be beyond our capacity to comprehend. These simple, basic principles are the key to living in harmony with God and man. They are the keys to opening the windows of heaven. They lead us to the peace, joy, and understanding that Heavenly Father has promised to His children who hear and obey Him.

My dear brothers and sisters, we would do well to slow down a little, proceed at the optimum speed for our circumstances, focus on the significant, lift up our eyes, and truly see the things that matter most. Let us be mindful of the foundational precepts our Heavenly Father has given to His children that will establish the basis of a rich and fruitful mortal life with promises of eternal happiness. They will teach us to do "all these things … in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that [we] should run faster than [we have] strength. [But] it is expedient that [we] should be diligent, [and] thereby … win the prize."7

Brothers and sisters, diligently doing the things that matter most will lead us to the Savior of the world. That is why "we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, … that [we] may know to what source [we] may look for a remission of [our] sins."8 In the complexity, confusion, and rush of modern living, this is the "more excellent way."9

So What Are the Basics?

As we turn to our Heavenly Father and seek His wisdom regarding the things that matter most, we learn over and over again the importance of four key relationships: with our God, with our families, with our fellowman, and with ourselves. As we evaluate our own lives with a willing mind, we will see where we have drifted from the more excellent way. The eyes of our understanding will be opened, and we will recognize what needs to be done to purify our heart and refocus our life.

First, our relationship with God is most sacred and vital. We are His spirit children. He is our Father. He desires our happiness. As we seek Him, as we learn of His Son, Jesus Christ, as we open our hearts to the influence of the Holy Spirit, our lives become more stable and secure. We experience greater peace, joy, and fulfillment as we give our best to live according to God's eternal plan and keep His commandments.

We improve our relationship with our Heavenly Father by learning of Him, by communing with Him, by repenting of our sins, and by actively following Jesus Christ, for "no man cometh unto the Father, but by [Christ]."10 To strengthen our relationship with God, we need some meaningful time alone with Him. Quietly focusing on daily personal prayer and scripture study, always aiming to be worthy of a current temple recommend—these will be some wise investments of our time and efforts to draw closer to our Heavenly Father. Let us heed the invitation in Psalms: "Be still, and know that I am God."11

 

Our second key relationship is with our families. Since "no other success can compensate for failure"12 here, we must place high priority on our families. We build deep and loving family relationships by doing simple things together, like family dinner and family home evening and by just having fun together. In family relationships love is really spelled t-i-m-e, time. Taking time for each other is the key for harmony at home. We talk with, rather than about, each other. We learn from each other, and we appreciate our differences as well as our commonalities. We establish a divine bond with each other as we approach God together through family prayer, gospel study, and Sunday worship.

The third key relationship we have is with our fellowman. We build this relationship one person at a time—by being sensitive to the needs of others, serving them, and giving of our time and talents. I was deeply impressed by one sister who was burdened with the challenges of age and illness but decided that although she couldn't do much, she could listen. And so each week she watched for people who looked troubled or discouraged, and she spent time with them, listening. What a blessing she was in the lives of so many people.

The fourth key relationship is with ourselves. It may seem odd to think of having a relationship with ourselves, but we do. Some people can't get along with themselves. They criticize and belittle themselves all day long until they begin to hate themselves. May I suggest that you reduce the rush and take a little extra time to get to know yourself better. Walk in nature, watch a sunrise, enjoy God's creations, ponder the truths of the restored gospel, and find out what they mean for you personally. Learn to see yourself as Heavenly Father sees you—as His precious daughter or son with divine potential.

Rejoice in the Pure Gospel

Brothers and sisters, let us be wise. Let us turn to the pure doctrinal waters of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Let us joyfully partake of them in their simplicity and plainness. The heavens are open again. The gospel of Jesus Christ is on earth once more, and its simple truths are a plentiful source of joy!

Brothers and sisters, indeed we have great reason to rejoice. If life and its rushed pace and many stresses have made it difficult for you to feel like rejoicing, then perhaps now is a good time to refocus on what matters most.

Strength comes not from frantic activity but from being settled on a firm foundation of truth and light. It comes from placing our attention and efforts on the basics of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. It comes from paying attention to the divine things that matter most.

Let us simplify our lives a little. Let us make the changes necessary to refocus our lives on the sublime beauty of the simple, humble path of Christian discipleship—the path that leads always toward a life of meaning, gladness, and peace. For this I pray, as I leave you my blessing, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

 

HTML Example

The cat flew over the candle stick. It was so hot, it burned the cat's tail to crispy.

 

 

Poor Gary, he must of missed us so badly.

 

1. Tacoma
   
2. Soup
   
3. Computer
   
4. Automobile
   
5. Semi Truck
   
6. Kansas City, Temple
   
7. Seattle Temple
   
8. Boston Temple
   
9. Utah
   

The Atonement

Russell
M. Nelson




Of
the Quorum of the Twelve Apostleshe








Humbly I join the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob, who
asked, “Why not speak of the atonement‍ of Christ?” 1 ‍ This topic comprises our third article of faith: “We
believe that through the Atonement‍ of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by
obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.” [A of F 1:3]




Before we can comprehend the Atonement‍ of Christ,
however, we must first understand the Fall of Adam. And before we can
understand the Fall of Adam, we must first understand the Creation. These
three crucial components of the plan of salvation relate to each other. 2






The Creation




The Creation culminated with Adam and Eve in the Garden
of Eden. They were created in the image of God, with bodies of flesh and bone.
3 ‍ Created in the image of God and not yet mortal, they
could not grow old and die. 4 ‍ “And they would have had no children” 5 ‍ nor experienced the trials of life. (Please forgive
me for mentioning children and the trials of life in the same breath.) The
creation of Adam and Eve was a paradisiacal creation,‍ one
that required a significant change before they could fulfill the commandment
to have children 6 ‍ and thus provide earthly bodies for premortal spirit
sons and daughters of God.






The Fall




That brings us to the Fall. Scripture teaches that “Adam
fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.” 7 ‍ The Fall of Adam (and Eve) constituted the mortal creation‍ and brought about the required changes in their
bodies, including the circulation of blood and other modifications as well. 8 ‍ They were now able to have children. They and their
posterity also became subject to injury, disease, and death. And a loving
Creator blessed them with healing power by which the life and function of
precious physical bodies could be preserved. For example, bones, if broken,
could become solid again. Lacerations of the flesh could heal themselves. And
miraculously, leaks in the circulation could be sealed off by components
activated from the very blood being lost. 9




Think
of the wonder of that power to heal! If you could create anything that could
repair itself, you would have created life in perpetuity. For example, if you
could create a chair that could fix its own broken leg, there would be no
limit to the life of that chair. Many of you walk on legs that were once
broken and do so because of your remarkable gift of healing.




Even though our Creator endowed us with this incredible
power, He consigned a counterbalancing gift to our bodies. It is the blessing
of aging,‍ with visible reminders that we are mortal beings
destined one day to leave this “frail existence.” 10 ‍ Our bodies change every day. As we grow older, our
broad chests and narrow waists have a tendency to trade places. We get
wrinkles, lose color in our hair—even the hair itself—to remind us that we are
mortal children of God, with a “manufacturer’s guarantee” that we shall not be
stranded upon the earth forever. Were it not for the Fall, our physicians,
beauticians, and morticians would all be unemployed.




Adam and Eve, as mortal beings, were instructed to
“worship the Lord their God, and … offer the firstlings of their flocks, for
an offering unto the Lord.” 11 ‍ They were further instructed that “the life of the
flesh is in the blood: … for it is the blood that maketh an atonement‍ for the
soul.” 12 ‍ Probation, procreation, and aging were all components
of—and physical death was essential to—God’s “great plan of happiness.” 13




But
mortal life, glorious as it is, was never the ultimate‍
objective of God’s plan. Life and death here on planet Earth were merely means‍ to an end—not the end‍ for which we were sent.






The Atonement




That brings us to the Atonement. Paul said, “As in Adam
all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” 14 ‍ The Atonement‍ of Jesus Christ‍
became the‍ immortal
creation.‍ He volunteered to answer the
ends of a law previously transgressed. 15 ‍ And by the shedding of His blood, His 16 ‍ and our physical bodies could become perfected. They
could again function without blood, just as Adam’s and Eve’s did in their paradisiacal‍ form. Paul taught that “flesh and blood cannot inherit
the kingdom of God; … this mortal must put on immortality.” 17






Meaning of Atonement




With this background in mind, let us now ponder the deep
meaning of the word atonement.‍ In the English language, the components are at-one-ment,‍ suggesting that a person is at one with another. Other
languages 18 ‍ employ words that connote either expiation‍ or reconciliation.
Expiation‍ means “to atone for.” Reconciliation‍ comes from Latin roots re,‍ meaning “again”;
con,‍ meaning “with”; and sella,‍ meaning
“seat.” Reconciliation,‍ therefore, literally means “to sit again with.”




Rich meaning is found in study of the word atonement‍ in the Semitic languages of Old Testament times. In
Hebrew, the basic word for atonement‍ is kaphar,‍ a verb that means
“to cover” or “to forgive.” 19 ‍ Closely related is the Aramaic and Arabic word kafat,‍
meaning “a close embrace”—no doubt related to the Egyptian ritual embrace.
References to that embrace are evident in the Book of Mormon. One states that
“the Lord hath redeemed my soul … ; I have beheld his glory, and I am
encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.” 20 ‍ Another proffers the glorious hope of our being
“clasped in the arms of Jesus.” 21




I weep for joy when I contemplate the significance of it
all. To be redeemed is to be atoned—received in the close embrace of God with
an expression not only of His forgiveness, but of our oneness of heart and mind. What a
privilege! And what a comfort to those of us with loved ones who have already
passed from our family‍ circle through the gateway we call death!




Scriptures
teach us more about the word atonement. The Old Testament has many references
to atonement, which called for animal sacrifice. Not any animal would do.
Special considerations included:



1. •
   
   the selection of a firstling of the flock, without blemish,22


2. •
   
   the sacrifice of the animal’s life by the shedding of its blood,23


3. •
   
   death of the animal without breaking a bone, and24


4. •
   
   one animal could be sacrificed as a vicarious act for another.25



The Atonement‍ of Christ fulfilled these prototypes of
the Old Testament. He was the firstborn Lamb of God, without blemish. His
sacrifice occurred by the shedding of blood. No bones of His body were
broken—noteworthy in that both malefactors crucified with the Lord had their
legs broken. 26 ‍ And His was a vicarious sacrifice for others.




While the words atone‍ or atonement,‍ in any of their forms, appear only once in the King
James translation of the New Testament, 27 ‍ they appear 35 times in the Book of Mormon. 28 ‍ As another testament of Jesus Christ, it sheds
precious light on His Atonement, as do the Doctrine and Covenants and the
Pearl of Great Price. Latter-day revelation has added much to our biblical
base of understanding.






Infinite Atonement




In preparatory times of the Old Testament, the practice
of atonement‍ was finite—meaning it had an end. It was a symbolic forecast of
the definitive Atonement‍ of Jesus the Christ. His Atonement‍ is
infinite—without an end. 29 ‍ It was also infinite in that all humankind would be
saved from never-ending death. It was infinite in terms of His immense
suffering. It was infinite in time, putting an end to the preceding prototype
of animal sacrifice. It was infinite in scope—it was to be done once for all. 30 ‍ And the mercy of the Atonement‍ extends not only to
an infinite number of people, but also to an infinite number of worlds created
by Him. 31 ‍ It was infinite beyond any human scale of measurement
or mortal comprehension.




Jesus
was the only one who could offer such an infinite atonement, since He was born
of a mortal mother and an immortal Father. Because of that unique birthright,
Jesus was an infinite Being.






The Ordeal of the Atonement




The ordeal of the Atonement‍ centered about the city of
Jerusalem. There the greatest single act of love of all recorded history took
place. 32 ‍ Leaving the upper room, Jesus and His friends crossed
the deep ravine east of the city and came to a garden of olive trees on the
lower slopes of the Mount of Olives. There in the garden bearing the Hebrew
name of Gethsemane—meaning “oil-press”—olives had been beaten and pressed
to provide oil and food. There at Gethsemane, the Lord “suffered the pain of
all men, that all … might repent and come unto him.” 33 ‍ He took upon Himself the weight of the sins of all
mankind, bearing its massive load that caused Him to bleed from every pore. 34




Later He was beaten and scourged. A crown of sharp
thorns was thrust upon His head as an additional form of torture. 35 ‍ He was mocked and jeered. He suffered every indignity
at the hands of His own people. “I came unto my own,” He said, “and my own
received me not.” 36 ‍ Instead of their warm embrace, He received their
cruel rejection. Then He was required to carry His own cross to the hill of
Calvary, where He was nailed to that cross and made to suffer excruciating
pain.




Later He said, “I thirst.” 37 ‍ To a doctor of medicine, this is a very meaningful
expression. Doctors know that when a patient goes into shock because of blood
loss, invariably that patient—if still conscious—with parched and shriveled
lips cries for water.




Even though the Father and the Son knew well in advance
what was to be experienced, the actuality of it brought indescribable agony.
“And [Jesus] said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away
this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.” 38 ‍ Jesus then complied with the will of His Father. 39 ‍ Three days later, precisely as prophesied, He rose
from the grave. He became the firstfruits of the Resurrection. He had accomplished the Atonement, which could give
immortality and eternal life to all obedient human beings. All that the Fall
allowed to go awry, the Atonement‍ allowed to go aright.




The Savior’s gift of immortality‍ comes to
all who have ever lived. But His gift of eternal life‍ requires
repentance and obedience to specific ordinances and covenants. Essential
ordinances of the gospel symbolize the Atonement. Baptism‍ by immersion is symbolic of the death, burial, and
Resurrection of the Redeemer. Partaking of the sacrament renews baptismal
covenants and also renews our memory of the Savior’s broken flesh and of the
blood He shed for us. Ordinances of the temple symbolize our reconciliation
with the Lord and seal families together forever. Obedience to the sacred
covenants made in temples qualifies us for eternal life—the greatest gift of
God to man 40 —the “object and end of our existence.” 41






The Atonement Enabled the Purpose of the Creation to Be
Accomplished




The Creation required the Fall. The Fall required the
Atonement. The Atonement‍ enabled the purpose of the Creation to be
accomplished. Eternal life, made possible by the Atonement, is the supreme
purpose of the Creation. To phrase that statement in its negative form, if
families were not sealed in holy temples, the whole earth would be utterly
wasted. 42




The
purposes of the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement‍ all converge on the
sacred work done in temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. The earth was created and the Church was restored to make possible the
sealing of wife to husband, children to parents, families to progenitors,
worlds without end.




This is the great latter-day work of which we are a
part. That is why we have missionaries; that is why we have temples—to bring
the fullest blessings of the Atonement‍ to faithful children of God. That is
why we respond to our own calls from the Lord. When we comprehend His
voluntary Atonement, any sense of sacrifice on our part becomes completely
overshadowed by a profound sense of gratitude‍
for the privilege of serving Him.




As one of the “special witnesses of the name of Christ
in all the world,” 43 ‍ I testify that He is the Son of the living God. Jesus
is the Christ—our atoning Savior and Redeemer. This is His Church, restored to
bless God’s children and to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the
Lord. I so testify in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.