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Mormons publish photos of Smith’s ‘seer stone’
AP ^ | Aug. 5, 2015 | Brady McCombs

Posted on 08/05/2015 8:22:12 AM PDT by PROCON

SALT LAKE CITY — The Mormon church’s push toward transparency about its roots and beliefs took another step forward Tuesday with the first published pictures of a small sacred stone it believes founder Joseph Smith used to help translate a story that became the basis of the religion.

The new photos peel back another layer of secrecy for a relatively young world religion that has come under scrutiny as its numbers swelled in the Internet age.

(Excerpt) Read more at yakimaherald.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: cultists; magicrock; mormons; yesterday
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To: .45 Long Colt
They were very open about what they believed. Something seems to have changed because now many Mormons want to be considered Christian and they speak in what I consider a devious manner about what they believe.

Interesting. Since I've been a Christian I've only been aware of their bait and switch thing where they pretend to be orthodox Christians and hide all of their occultism. It must have been a corporate decision several decades back. They market their family values and nice looking aspect and good works. I wonder how the revelation of the Goddess and the fact that there are infinite Gods and Goddesses and that man will become God works.

41 posted on 08/05/2015 9:24:19 AM PDT by DungeonMaster (Of those born of women there is not risen one greater than John The Baptist.)
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To: .45 Long Colt

Ever see that episode of original Star Trek with Apollo? I watched that the other day and realized that it has more to do with Mormonism than the bible does.


42 posted on 08/05/2015 9:25:12 AM PDT by DungeonMaster (Of those born of women there is not risen one greater than John The Baptist.)
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To: W.

That was one of their funniest episodes! Really, it was just TOO easy!

http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0705893/


43 posted on 08/05/2015 9:26:52 AM PDT by Carthego delenda est
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To: Dr. Thorne

Who said they worshiped the stones? It’s not like the garlanded statues of Mary that get carried through the streets on the shoulders of Latin American worshipers, after all. That would be idolatry.


44 posted on 08/05/2015 9:28:34 AM PDT by sparklite2 (Voting is acting white.)
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To: PROCON

Apparently, only Mormons in good standing are permitted to see the stone.


45 posted on 08/05/2015 9:46:20 AM PDT by Tucker39 (Welcome to America! Now speak English; and keep to the right....In driving, in Faith, and politics.)
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To: Tucker39

Talk to the stone.


46 posted on 08/05/2015 9:48:47 AM PDT by MaxMax
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To: katana

gall bladder stone?


47 posted on 08/05/2015 10:03:59 AM PDT by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives.)
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To: PROCON

King James English in ancient text, right? Got it! Mormons fell for the lie!


48 posted on 08/05/2015 10:08:35 AM PDT by ForAmerica (Texas Conservative Christian *born again believer in Jesus Christ* Black Man!)
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To: DungeonMaster

I don’t recall that episode, but I’m not surprised.

I was born in the 60’s and when I was a boy I loved Star Trek. It was one of my very favorite shows. One day my father started paying attention to the show and it didn’t take him long to spot the occult symbolism and he warned me about it. I don’t think I’ve seen an episode since. I think I will look for the particular episode you referenced to see if the show is as I remember it.

I doubt my dad really believed Star Trek would make me an occultist, but even then he was concerned about the turn in society that was slowly conditioning Americans to accept occultic ideas and practices. It was the “dawning of the age of Aquarius” and all that. He understood what that meant historically and he recognized the unholy spirit behind it. And it scared him for his sons. He was way ahead of most Christians in that regard. He was highly educated and steeped in both history and the Bible, so he didn’t always think like my friends’ fathers. I didn’t always appreciate or understand it then, but looking back I see so many ways he protected me. His chief concern seemed to be the protection of his sons’ minds.


49 posted on 08/05/2015 10:09:37 AM PDT by .45 Long Colt
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To: Carthego delenda est

One of my fav SP’s, too! All one can do is shake your head and laugh in incredulity. [They believe this? YGTBFKM!] Oy!


50 posted on 08/05/2015 10:22:28 AM PDT by W. (Sex is like air; it is not important unless you are not getting any.)
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To: PROCON
The Mormon church’s push toward transparency about its roots and beliefs took another step forward Tuesday with the first published pictures of a small sacred stone it believes founder Joseph Smith used to help translate a story that became the basis of the religion.

BELIEVES?

Don't they KNOW??

51 posted on 08/05/2015 10:22:36 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Red_Devil 232

Bow down to the holy Pecan!


52 posted on 08/05/2015 10:23:15 AM PDT by GeronL
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To: PROCON
The Mormon church’s push toward transparency about its roots and beliefs took another step forward Tuesday with the first published pictures of a small sacred stone it believes founder Joseph Smith used to help translate a story that became the basis of the religion.

Do they have any 'sacred hats'; too?





"Now the way he translated was he put the urim and thummim into his hat and Darkned his Eyes than he would take a sentance and it would apper in Brite Roman Letters. Then he would tell the writer and he would write it. Then that would go away the next sentance would Come and so on. But if it was not Spelt rite it would not go away till it was rite, so we see it was marvelous. Thus was the hol [whole] translated."
---Joseph Knight's journal.


"In writing for your father I frequently wrote day after day, often sitting at the table close by him, he sitting with his face buried in his hat, with the stone in it, and dictating hour after hour with nothing between us."
(History of the RLDS Church, 8 vols.
(Independence, Missouri: Herald House,1951),
"Last Testimony of Sister Emma [Smith Bidamon]," 3:356.

"I, as well as all of my father's family, Smith's wife, Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris, were present during the translation. . . . He [Joseph Smith] did not use the plates in translation."
---(David Whitmer,
as published in the "Kansas City Journal," June 5, 1881,
and reprinted in the RLDS "Journal of History", vol. 8, (1910), pp. 299-300.

In an 1885 interview, Zenas H. Gurley, then the editor of the RLDS Saints Herald, asked Whitmer if Joseph had used his "Peep stone" to do the translation. Whitmer replied:

"... he used a stone called a "Seers stone," the "Interpreters" having been taken away from him because of transgression. The "Interpreters" were taken from Joseph after he allowed Martin Harris to carry away the 116 pages of Ms [manuscript] of the Book of Mormon as a punishment, but he was allowed to go on and translate by use of a "Seers stone" which he had, and which he placed in a hat into which he buried his face, stating to me and others that the original character appeared upon parchment and under it the translation in English."


"Martin Harris related an incident that occurred during the time that he wrote that portion of the translation of the Book of Mormon which he was favored to write direct from the mouth of the Prophet Joseph Smith. He said that the Prophet possessed a seer stone, by which he was enabled to translate as well as from the Urim and Thummim, and for convenience he then used the seer stone, Martin explained the translation as follows: By aid of the seer stone, sentences would appear and were read by the Prophet and written by Martin and when finished he would say 'Written,' and if correctly written that sentence would disappear and another appear in its place, but if not written correctly it remained until corrected, so that the translation was just as it was engraven on the plates, precisely in the language then used."
(Edward Stevenson, "One of the Three Witnesses,"
reprinted from Deseret News, 30 Nov. 1881
in Millennial Star, 44 (6 Feb. 1882): 86-87.)

In 1879, Michael Morse, Emma Smith's brother-in-law, stated:
 
 "When Joseph was translating the Book of Mormon [I] had occasion more than once to go into his immediate presence, and saw him engaged at his work of translation. The mode of procedure consisted in Joseph's placing the Seer Stone in the crown of a hat, then putting his face into the hat, so as to entirely cover his face, resting his elbows upon his knees, and then dictating word after word, while the scribes Emma, John Whitmer, O. Cowdery, or some other wrote it down."
(W.W. Blair interview with Michael Morse,
Saints Herald, vol. 26, no. 12
June 15, 1879,  pp. 190-91.)


Joseph Smith's brother William also testified to the "face in the hat" version:
 
"The manner in which this was done was by looking into the Urim and Thummim, which was placed in a hat to exclude the light, (the plates lying near by covered up), and reading off the translation, which appeared in the stone by the power of God"
("A New Witness for Christ in America,"
Francis W. Kirkham, 2:417.)


"The manner in which he pretended to read and interpret was the same manner as when he looked for the money-diggers, with the stone in his hat, while the book of plates were at the same time hid in the woods."
---Isaac Hale (Emma Smith's father's) affidavit, 1834.




53 posted on 08/05/2015 10:24:46 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: PROCON

Well that makes perfect sense now!

S/ s


54 posted on 08/05/2015 10:26:31 AM PDT by Ditter ( God Bless Texas!)
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To: fishtank; teppe; StormPrepper; Normandy; WilliamRobert
That way Jospeh Snith can get to REALLY be the second Muhammed, like he dreamed about....

“I Will Be a Second Mohammed”

In the heat of the Missouri “Mormon War” of 1838, Joseph Smith made the following claim, “I will be to this generation a second Mohammed, whose motto in treating for peace was ‘the Alcoran [Koran] or the Sword.’ So shall it eventually be with us—‘Joseph Smith or the Sword!’ ”[1]

It is most interesting that a self-proclaimed Christian prophet would liken himself to Mohammed, the founder of Islam. His own comparison invites us to take a closer look as well. And when we do, we find some striking—and troubling—parallels. Consider the following.

  • Mohammed and Joseph Smith both had humble beginnings. Neither had formal religious connections or upbringing, and both were relatively uneducated. Both founded new religions by creating their own scriptures. In fact, followers of both prophets claim these scriptures are miracles since their authors were the most simple and uneducated of men.[2]

  • Both prophets claim of having angel visitations, and of receiving divine revelation to restore pure religion to the earth again. Mohammed was told that both Jews and Christians had long since corrupted their scriptures and religion. In like manner, Joseph Smith was told that all of Christianity had become corrupt, and that consequently the Bible itself was no longer reliable. In both cases, this corruption required a complete restoration of both scripture and religion. Nothing which preceded either prophet could be relied upon any longer. Both prophets claim they were used of God to restore eternal truths which once existed on earth, but had been lost due to human corruption.

  • Both prophets created new scripture which borrowed heavily from the Bible, but with a substantially new “spin.” In his Koran, Mohammed appropriates a number of Biblical themes and characters—but he changes the complete sense of many passages, claiming to “correct” the Bible. In so doing he changes many doctrines, introducing his own in their place. In like manner, Joseph Smith created the Book of Mormon, much of which is plagiarized directly from the King James Bible. Interestingly, the Book of Mormon claims that this same Bible has been substantially corrupted and is therefore unreliable. In addition, Joseph Smith went so far as to actually create his own version of the Bible itself, the “Inspired Version,” in which he both adds and deletes significant portions of text, claiming he is “correcting” it. In so doing he also changes many doctrines, introducing his own in their place.

  • As a part of their new scriptural “spin,” both prophets saw themselves as prophesied in scripture, and both saw themselves as a continuation of a long line of Biblical prophets. Mohammed saw himself as a continuation of the ministry of Moses and Jesus. Joseph Smith saw himself as a successor to Enoch, Melchizedek, Joseph and Moses. Joseph Smith actually wrote himself into his own version of the Bible—by name.

  • Both prophets held up their own scripture as superior to the Bible. Mohammed claimed that the Koran was a perfect copy of the original which was in heaven. The Koran is therefore held to be absolutely perfect, far superior to the Bible and superceding it. In like manner, Joseph Smith also made the following claim. “I told the Brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding its precepts, than by any other book.”[3]

  • Despite their claim that the Bible was corrupt, both prophets admonished their followers to adhere to its teachings. An obvious contradiction, this led to selective acceptance of some portions and wholesale rejection of others. As a result, the Bible is accepted by both groups of followers only to the extent that it agrees with their prophet’s own superior revelation.

  • Both Mohammed and Joseph Smith taught that true salvation was to be found only in their respective religions. Those who would not accept their message were considered “infidels,” pagans or Gentiles. In so doing, both prophets became the enemy of genuine Christianity, and have led many people away from the Christ of the Bible.

  • Both prophets encountered fierce opposition to their new religions and had to flee from town to town because of threats on their lives. Both retaliated to this opposition by forming their own militias. Both ultimately set up their own towns as model societies.

  • Both Mohammed and Joseph Smith left unclear instructions about their successors. The majority of Mohammed’s followers, Sunni Muslims, believe they were to elect their new leader, whereas the minority, Shiite Muslims, look to Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, whom they consider Divinely appointed, as the rightful successor to Muhammad, and the first imam. (Ali was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad). Similarly, the majority of Joseph Smith's followers, Mormons, believed their next prophet should have been the existing leader of their quorum of twelve apostles, whereas the minority, RLDS, believed Joseph Smith's own son should have been their next prophet. Differences on this issue, and many others, have created substantial tension between these rival groups of each prophet.

  • Mohammed taught that Jesus was just another of a long line of human prophets, of which he was the last. He taught that he was superior to Christ and superceded Him. In comparison, Joseph Smith also made the following claim.

“I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him, but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet.”[4] In light of these parallels, perhaps Joseph Smith's claim to be a second Mohammed unwittingly became his most genuine prophecy of all.


[1] Joseph Smith made this statement at the conclusion of a speech in the public square at Far West, Missouri on October 14, 1838. This particular quote is documented in Fawn M. Brodie, No Man Knows My History, second edition, (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1971), p. 230–231. Fawn Brodie’s footnote regarding this speech contains valuable information, and follows. “Except where noted, all the details of this chapter [16] are taken from the History of the [Mormon] Church. This speech, however, was not recorded there, and the report given here is based upon the accounts of seven men. See the affidavits of T.B. Marsh, Orson Hyde, George M. Hinkle, John Corrill, W.W. Phelps, Samson Avard, and Reed Peck in Correspondence, Orders, etc., pp. 57–9, 97–129. The Marsh and Hyde account, which was made on October 24, is particularly important. Part of it was reproduced in History of the [Mormon] Church, Vol. III, p. 167. See also the Peck manuscript, p. 80. Joseph himself barely mentioned the speech in his history; see Vol. III, p. 162.”

[2] John Ankerberg & John Weldon, The Facts on Islam, (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1998), pp.8–9. Eric Johnson, Joseph Smith & Muhammed, (El Cajon, CA: Mormonism Research Ministry, 1998), pp. 6–7.

[3] Documentary History of the [Mormon] Church, vol.4, pp.461.

[4] Documentary History of the [Mormon] Church, vol.6, pp.408–409.




55 posted on 08/05/2015 10:27:43 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Dr. Thorne
Is there any more nonsensical crap that these poor mind-controlled people could do to make themselves a laughingstock?

What if they WHITEWASH their history a bit??



The following are the LYING images that MORMONism has produced, KNOWING that they represent something FALSE!!
 
 
   
                                 

56 posted on 08/05/2015 10:29:33 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Tennessee Nana
Elsie dear, youre an expert in this area..

You've spelled PLAGERIST wrong...

57 posted on 08/05/2015 10:30:50 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: rjsimmon

Where do people think that CAT scans come from?


58 posted on 08/05/2015 10:31:47 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Jan_Sobieski
This article has inspired me to stop at Palmyra to see if I can find evidence of Moroni, the last survivor of a great civilization that had inhabited the Americas since about 600 B.C., buried in this hill a set of gold plates on which was recorded the history of his people.

Good luck!


 
 
The BIGGEST battle EVER recorded; and not ONE even teeny bit of evidence of it can be found!!
 
 


The Book of Ether

Chapter 15

Millions of the Jaredites are slain in battle—Shiz and Coriantumr assemble all the people to mortal combat—The Spirit of the Lord ceases to strive with them—The Jaredite nation is utterly destroyed—Only Coriantumr remains.

 And it came to pass when Coriantumr had recovered of his wounds, he began to remember the awords which Ether had spoken unto him.

 He saw that there had been slain by the sword already nearly atwo millions of his people, and he began to sorrow in his heart; yea, there had been slain two millions of mighty men, and also their wives and their children.

 He began to repent of the evil which he had done; he began to remember the words which had been spoken by the mouth of all the prophets, and he saw them that they were fulfilled thus far, every whit; and his soul amourned and refused to be bcomforted.

 And it came to pass that he wrote an epistle unto Shiz, desiring him that he would spare the people, and he would give up the kingdom for the sake of the lives of the people.

 And it came to pass that when Shiz had received his epistle he wrote an epistle unto Coriantumr, that if he would give himself up, that he might slay him with his own sword, that he would spare the lives of the people.

 And it came to pass that the people repented not of their iniquity; and the people of Coriantumr were stirred up to anger against the people of Shiz; and the people of Shiz were stirred up to anger against the people of Coriantumr; wherefore, the people of Shiz did give battle unto the people of Coriantumr.

 And when Coriantumr saw that he was about to fall he fled again before the people of Shiz.

 And it came to pass that he came to the waters of Ripliancum, which, by interpretation, is large, or to exceed all; wherefore, when they came to these waters they pitched their tents; and Shiz also pitched his tents near unto them; and therefore on the morrow they did come to battle.

 And it came to pass that they fought an exceedingly sore battle, in which Coriantumr was wounded again, and he fainted with the loss of blood.

 10 And it came to pass that the armies of Coriantumr did press upon the armies of Shiz that they beat them, that they caused them to flee before them; and they did flee southward, and did pitch their tents in a place which was called Ogath.

 11 And it came to pass that the army of Coriantumr did pitch their tents by the hill Ramah; and it was that same hill where my father Mormon did ahide up the records unto the Lord, which were sacred.

 12 And it came to pass that they did gather together all the people upon all the face of the land, who had not been slain, save it was Ether.

 13 And it came to pass that Ether did abehold all the doings of the people; and he beheld that the people who were for Coriantumr were gathered together to the army of Coriantumr; and the people who were for Shiz were gathered together to the army of Shiz.

 14 Wherefore, they were for the space of four years gathering together the people, that they might get all who were upon the face of the land, and that they might receive all the strength which it was possible that they could receive.

 15 And it came to pass that when they were all gathered together, every one to the army which he would, with their wives and their children—both men, women and children being armed with aweapons of war, having shields, and bbreastplates, and head-plates, and being clothed after the manner of war—they did march forth one against another to battle; and they fought all that day, and conquered not.

 16 And it came to pass that when it was night they were weary, and retired to their camps; and after they had retired to their camps they took up a howling and a alamentation for the loss of the slain of their people; and so great were their cries, their howlings and lamentations, that they did rend the air exceedingly.

 17 And it came to pass that on the morrow they did go again to battle, and great and terrible was that day; nevertheless, they conquered not, and when the night came again they did rend the air with their cries, and their howlings, and their mournings, for the loss of the slain of their people.

 18 And it came to pass that Coriantumr wrote again an epistle unto Shiz, desiring that he would not come again to battle, but that he would take the kingdom, and spare the lives of the people.

 19 But behold, the aSpirit of the Lord had ceased striving with them, and bSatan had full power over the chearts of the people; for they were given up unto the hardness of their hearts, and the blindness of their minds that they might be destroyed; wherefore they went again to battle.

 20 And it came to pass that they fought all that day, and when the night came they slept upon their swords.

 21 And on the morrow they fought even until the night came.

 22 And when the night came they were adrunken with anger, even as a man who is drunken with wine; and they slept again upon their swords.

 23 And on the morrow they fought again; and when the night came they had all fallen by the sword save it were fifty and two of the people of Coriantumr, and sixty and nine of the people of Shiz.

 24 And it came to pass that they slept upon their swords that night, and on the morrow they fought again, and they contended in their might with their swords and with their shields, all that day.

 25 And when the night came there were thirty and two of the people of Shiz, and twenty and seven of the people of Coriantumr.

 26 And it came to pass that they ate and slept, and prepared for death on the morrow. And they were large and mighty men as to the strength of men.

 27 And it came to pass that they fought for the space of three hours, and they fainted with the loss of blood.

 28 And it came to pass that when the men of Coriantumr had received sufficient strength that they could walk, they were about to flee for their lives; but behold, Shiz arose, and also his men, and he swore in his wrath that he would slay Coriantumr or he would perish by the sword.

 29 Wherefore, he did pursue them, and on the morrow he did overtake them; and they fought again with the sword. And it came to pass that when they had aall fallen by the sword, save it were Coriantumr and Shiz, behold Shiz had fainted with the loss of blood.

 30 And it came to pass that when Coriantumr had leaned upon his sword, that he rested a little, he smote off the head of Shiz.

 31 And it came to pass that after he had smitten off the head of Shiz, that Shiz raised up on his hands and afell; and after that he had struggled for breath, he died.

 32 And it came to pass that aCoriantumr fell to the earth, and became as if he had no life.

 33 And the Lord spake unto Ether, and said unto him: Go forth. And he went forth, and beheld that the words of the Lord had all been fulfilled; and he afinished his brecord; (and the chundredth part I have not written) and he hid them in a manner that the people of Limhi did find them.

 34 Now the last words which are written by aEther are these: Whether the Lord will that I be translated, or that I suffer the will of the Lord in the flesh, it mattereth not, if it so be that I am bsaved in the kingdom of God. Amen.

 

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/ether/15

 

And yet the BOOK says...


Ether 14:22
And so swift and speedy was the war that there was none left to bury the dead, but they did march forth from the shedding of blood to the shedding of blood, leaving the bodies of both men, women, and children strewed upon the face of the land, to become a prey to the worms of the flesh.


59 posted on 08/05/2015 10:33:39 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: MeshugeMikey

Oh gosh, Mikey...I can’t stop laughing!


60 posted on 08/05/2015 10:34:11 AM PDT by bimboeruption ("Occupy till I come" ~ OPORD issued by CIC Jesus Christ)
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