“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” – Ecclesiastes 12:7

This past weekend, George Joseph Swank, or, as I called him, Uncle Joe, passed away from an apparent heart attack. The youngest of my Mom’s siblings, Uncle Joe walked into eternity at age fifty-four. He was surrounded by his family in China when his mortal probation ended and he went to a reunion with his parents and with his sister whom he’d never met. I want to pay a personal tribute to Uncle Joe and say a word or two about life and the afterlife.

I was likely closer to my Uncle Joe than any of my other uncles. I hunted, fished, and camped, watched him fix my family’s vehicles, enjoyed his assistance as my family packed and moved from place to place, attended BSU Broncos football games, and watched sports and movies and ate amazing ice cream at Leatherby’s together with him. He was almost always with my Grandma and Grandpa Swank when they visited my family and he was always willing to drop what he was doing to come help my family – or any relatives – when in need.

When I was young, I remember Uncle Joe talking about government corruption, conspiracy, and things that would make people call him a “conspiracy theorist.” As I grew into my own and learned more, I saw that he was generally right and that those who hurled around the label “conspiracy theorist” were generally wrong. Despite being perpetually outnumbered in debates, he stuck to his guns. Even in times I completely believe he was wrong, he still believed what he believed; and he believed it not because anyone told him to, but because it was his own rational deduction from researching. That’s one of the things I admired about him. Standing up for what you believe in, even when no one else does, is one of the greatest character traits a person can possess. And whatever else one may say about Uncle Joe, he stood by his beliefs regardless of the crowd.

And, so, without too much more blather from me, I want to share a few things my uncle either said, shared, or believed. Two weeks ago, Uncle Joe shared a Facebook post he had originally published eight years ago. His caption was: “Good message for any day and age.” I agree. Here’s the message:

“SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY:

Doctrine & Covenants 1:14-16

““And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people; for they have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant; they seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall.”

“QUOTE OF THE DAY:

Spencer W. Kimball

““By one means or another, the swiftest method of rejection of the holy prophets has been to find a pretext, however false or absurd, to dismiss the man so that his message could also be dismissed. . . . In multiple scriptures the Lord has indicated that he will perform his work through those whom the world regards as weak and despised. Of course, rejection of the holy prophets comes because the hearts of the people are hardened, as people are shaped by their society. . . .

““Prophets have a way of jarring the carnal mind. . . . Those prophets I have known are the most loving of men. It is because of their love and integrity that they cannot modify the Lord’s message merely to make people feel comfortable. They are too kind to be so cruel. I am so grateful that prophets do not crave popularity” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 466-467).”

Wise words. My Uncle Joe was a man who followed the Lord’s past and living prophets. Those who loved and respected him would do well in following his example in this aspect.

Another aspect that my uncle was often right about was politics. It may seem inappropriate to bring politics into a tribute, but bear with me; I’ll explain why I include this in a minute. My Uncle Joe was awake to the Coronahoax scam, or “Plandemic” as he called it. This is no small feat in a world that has been brainwashed by 24/7 lying via the major media networks. But Uncle Joe saw through it. He often shared information refuting the harmful narrative about global “pandemic” and decrying the “cure’s” adverse impact on humanity’s Liberty. The third-to-last thing he ever shared online was about this worldwide conspiracy and the fake “science” that has been used to deceive people into accepting slavery. The article in part reads:

“[I]f we do a PCR corona test on an immune person, it is not a virus that is detected, but a small shattered part of the viral genome. The test comes back positive for as long as there are tiny shattered parts of the virus left. Even if the infectious viri are long dead, a corona test can come back positive, because the PCR method multiplies even a tiny fraction of the viral genetic material enough [to be detected].

“The Question is Positive for What?? The PCR test does not detect the identity of the virus. According to Dr. Pascal Sacre, “these tests detect viral particles, genetic sequences, not the whole virus.”

“In an attempt to quantify the viral load, these sequences are then amplified several times through numerous complex steps that are subject to errors, sterility errors and contamination.

“Positive RT-PCR is not synonymous with COVID-19 disease! PCR specialists make it clear that a test must always be compared with the clinical record of the patient being tested, with the patient’s state of health to confirm its value.

“The media frighten everyone with new positive PCR tests, without any nuance or context, wrongly assimilating this information with a second wave of COVID-19. . . .

“What this admission of the WHO confirms is that most of the estimates of covid positive under the so-called “Second Wave” . . . are invalid, which means that the lockdown/economic measures which have resulted in social panic, mass poverty and unemployment (allegedly to curtail the spread of the virus) have no justification whatsoever.

“Moreover, the WHO is calling for retesting: “a new specimen should be taken and retested…”. That recommendation is pro-forma. I won’t happen. (It is there to sustain the legitimacy of the WHO). . . .

“At the time of writing (Second Wave) the test is being used extensively to hike up the numbers with a view to justifying a partial lockdown with devastating social and economic impacts including the engineered bankruptcy of tourism, air travel and the urban services economy.

“Both the WHO and the scientific assessments (quoted above) confirm unequivocally that the tests adopted by governments to justify the destabilization of their national economy are TOTALLY INVALID.”

I contemplated whether to include that excerpt and bring up politics at all. Perhaps it would throw off the spirit and flow of this tribute, I thought. But I finally decided in favor of it because I realized that if I was the one who had passed on, I’d want my beliefs and principles to live on. I’d want people to read and analyze the things I’d publicly shared, proposed, and written. I’d want a major part of my legacy to be my views on politics and Freedom issues.

Consequently, in remembrance of one who saw what most others don’t, and of one who had the courage to saw what most others don’t dare utter, I decided to tip my hat to my Uncle Joe who saw through the scamdemic and its lying, Freedom-destroying agenda. Having the discernment to see the truth is a blessing and a gift, and Uncle Joe had his fair share of discernment. I salute him and the legacy of truth-telling he left behind.

The last thing my Uncle Joe shared on social media was a testimony of Jesus Christ. This compilation has floated around the web for a while, but it’s worth sharing for any who may need the reminder. It’s fitting that this was the final thing Uncle Joe shared and witnessed to publicly. The “words of eternal life” should always be on our lips – and more particularly when we’re preparing to meet the Author of those words (John 6:68-69). Remember this testimony:

“Jesus from Genesis to Revelation

In Genesis, He is the Creator God

In Exodus, He is your Redeemer

In Leviticus, He is your sanctification

In Numbers, He is your guide

In Deuteronomy, He is your teacher

In Joshua, He is the mighty conqueror

In Judges, He gives you victory over your enemies

In Ruth, He is your kinsman, your lover, your redeemer

In 1 Samuel, He is the root of Jesse

In 2 Samuel, He is the Son of David

In 1 and 2 Kings, He is the King of kings and Lord of Lords

In 1 and 2 Chronicles He is your intercessor and high priest

In Ezra, He is your temple, your house of worship

In Nehemiah, He is your mighty wall, protecting you from your enemies

In Esther, He stands in the gap to deliver you from your enemies

In Job, He is the arbitrator who not only understands your struggles but also has the power to do something about them

In Psalms, He is your song and your reason to sing

In Proverbs, He is your wisdom, helping you make sense of life and live it successfully

In Ecclesiastes, He is your purpose, delivering you from vanity

In the Song of Solomon, He is your lover, your Rose of Sharon

In Isaiah, He is the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace

In Jeremiah, He is your balm of Gilead, the soothing salve for your sin-sick soul

In Lamentations, He is the ever-faithful one on whom you can depend

In Ezekiel, He is your wheel in the middle of a wheel—the one who assures that dead, dry bones will come alive again

In Daniel, He is the Ancient of Days, the everlasting God who never runs out of time

In Hosea, He is your faithful lover, always beckoning you to come back—even when you have abandoned Him

In Joel, He is your refuge, keeping you safe in times of trouble

In Amos, He is the husbandman, the one you can depend on to stay by your side

In Obadiah, He is Lord of the kingdom

In Jonah, He is your salvation, bringing you back in His will

In Micah, He is judge of the nation

In Nahum, He is the jealous God

In Habakkuk, He is the holy one

In Zephaniah, He is the witness

In Haggai, He overthrows the enemies

In Zechariah, He is Lord of hosts

In Malachi, He is the messenger of the covenant

In Matthew, He is King of the Jews

In Mark, He is the servant

In Luke He is the Son of Man, feeling what you feel

In John, He is the Son of God

In Romans, He is the righteousness of God

In 1 Corinthians, He is the rock that followed Israel

In 2 Corinthians, He is the triumphant one, giving victory

In Galatians, He is your liberty, setting you free

In Ephesians, He is the head of the church

In Philippians, He is your joy

In Colossians, He is your completeness

In 1 Thessalonians, He is your hope

In 2 Thessalonians, He is your glory

In 1 Timothy, He is your faith

In 2 Timothy, He is your stability

In Titus, He is God our Savior

In Philemon, He is your benefactor

In Hebrews, He is your perfection

In James, He is the power behind your faith

In 1 Peter, He is your example

In 2 Peter, He is your purity

In 1 John, He is your life

In 2 John, He is your pattern

In 3 John, He is your motivation

In Jude, He is the foundation of your faith

In Revelation, He is your coming King.”

I want to simply add my own testimony of the truth of everlasting life. Jesus really is our Redeemer, our hope, and “the one who assures that dead, dry bones will come alive again.” Death is a feeble fiction. No one ever truly dies. Our physical bodies molder in the ground, but our spirits continue on. And just as the Lord was resurrected with His own perfected, physical body (Luke 24:36-43), so, too, will each of us rise from the grave at the appointed time to become perfected souls. As Job anciently testified: “And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God” (Job 19:26).

Each of us will see God with our own two eyes. We’ll account for our time on earth, whether long or short. The record books will be opened and we’ll be judged according to our actions, words, beliefs, desires, and thoughts. We’ll also be accorded mercy and justice for the good and righteous things we’ve brought to pass. Truly our Savior is a graceful and loving Lord who takes care of all who love Him and call upon His holy name. No one will be shortchanged; no one will be overlooked; no one will miss out on what they should receive.

Knowing this, it becomes our duty to live in constant preparation to meet God. We never know when our mortal journey will end and our Father will call us back home. It might be today, tomorrow, or thirty years in the future. But this transfer into immortality that we call “death” comes to all of us eventually. When a loved one passes into eternity, it impresses upon you the reality of how fragile life is and how each moment could be your last, in this life, with your loved ones. It should also motivate us to do and be better. If nothing else does, at least death makes us yearn to be better so that our reunion with those who have moved on and who are anxiously watching us will be truly joyous.

See you on the other side, Uncle Joe. As you once told me: “Laters dude, love ya man.”

Zack Strong,

April 19, 2021