"Flash/Bang-isim"

As a I have been pondering media and society in general(is that possible?) I have been noticing a pattern, that I will entitle "flash/bang-isim". I have been seeing very flashy and lucrative objects, philosophy's, and theology's, that all seem to be the right path to happiness that ultimately lead to a destructive end. It seems to note that the flash that is so inticing is the promise of Happiness, Peace, Love, Joy, Attention, Individuality, Neededness and Security. These seem to be a desire of the normal human, I will attempt in this blog post to give example, and the solution to the Flash/Bang-ism craz that is currently destroying humanity down to the individual soul.

The Flash:

The flash is the enticement factor, we as Humans are enticed to choose a numerous amount of things, if it where not so we would not exist. Example, we are enticed to eat food, if we choose to eat food we live, if we do not we of course die. We are invited by food to live. Taking this example one step further we are free to choose good food or bad food, to eat malnutritional food or eat healthy food that will prolong or mortal existence.

In order to make a choice we must be invited to use our agency(ability to choose) to do either good, or bad. 2 Nephi 2:16 states "Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other" acting takes enticement. 

So if action or use of agency takes enticement one way or the other, the question arises, What am I being enticed to do? Are my surroundings inviting me to do good? or bad? What am I choosing? 

These days there are many "enticements" that are placed in our way to do both good and bad. The age old phrase "the devil made me do it" is a complete and utter lie, the devil has no power to make us do anything, he may invite and entice is to use our agency to choose evil deeds all he wants. To believe this would be to say 1)God has a lack of power otherwise he would force us to obey him, or 2) God has created us to sin. Now Satan will use sophistry in order to deceive us into wickedness, "Sophistry; 1)A subtle, tricky, superficial pausable, but generally fallacious method of reasoning, 2)False argument". This is the Flash Factor, it looks good from the outside but the substance is bad. Have you ever seen a commercial and thought: "oh man if I had that life would be so much more bearable?" this is how the flash effects us. It may even temporally blind us from seeing clearly, or seeing at all.

The Bang
So after the Flash, what happens? Bang, the failment of what ever entices us. It may be a hair product that promised to fulfill our deepest desire of fitting in, it may be the car that everyone will oww and ahhh over, it may perhaps even be a miss guided philosophy that promises eternal peace. In the end the Bang ultimately dies, it fulfills its created measure and leaves as quickly as the Flash.

The substance is the ultimate determining factor in the evidence of "flash/bang-ism". It will leave us all that it can , and usually leaves a hole of apathy to filling the gap now in the soul. This usually leads to deeper and more fervent search for more flashes that will "quick fix" us back to normality.


So how do we find the remedy for Flash/Bang-isim? What does bring everlasting peace and happiness?

Seeing things as they really are, seeking not for the superficial answer, ie question the "Why? why do i need this? Why am I doing this?" Asking why will provide introspection and will reveal the flash of the unneeded and bad. This is how to stay away form the Flash.

So how do I find the peace and purpose that I am existing for? Helaman 5:17 "Peace, peace be unto you, because of your faith in my Well Beloved, who was from the foundation of the world" Faith in Christ is the ultimate healer and giver of purpose, the Who I am? the Why I am here? and the Where am I going? can all be answered by Faith in Christ, his Atonement. This is the How to find peace.

From personal experience I can bear testimony that Healing comes in and through Christ, the Flash Bang-ism can be seen through and be over come. As Christ invites so invite I "Come and see"(1 John 1:39) in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

(more answers here)
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