tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92126382370510392492024-03-13T20:02:01.914-07:00Views from the Crow's NestMY VIEWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358888281800202218noreply@blogger.comBlogger110125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212638237051039249.post-50911487809475326172012-06-16T11:56:00.001-07:002012-06-16T11:56:03.249-07:00Some Personal RefelectionsI'm 41 now. I've tried my best to be faithful my whole life, I often
feel overlooked or not included in a lot of church things. Recently in
CA there has been a big push for a Mid Single group for people 30 to 45
in the church. I think this is great but I wonder why this couldn’t have
happened back when I was 30 and not four years from being graduated
from it. I want to be married; I'd like to be a father. Most of my
friends are. I know that if I was to look at them and compare myself to
them I'd feel as if I had failed.<br /> <br /> At one point I realized I had
three choices. I could throw in the towel and "be happy." This wasn't
an option. Two, I could try to "adapt" the gospel and "adapt" a gay
lifestyle so that they could fit together in a way that I felt I could
justify them. You know, have one of those non-sexual type boyfriends, go
to clubs "just to dance" etc. But I realized that living with one foot
in the church and one in the world would end up with me not being a
whole person. I know that if I was honest to myself I'd realize that
this would: A. Make me feel guilty while I was in the world and B. Make
me not feel the spirit when I was in the gospel. At any rate I would always end up doing one thing to spite the other, kinda like serving two masters? My third option was to
stay strong and live what I believe. This hasn’t always been easy but I
have to have faith not only to as the saying goes “Not only Believe in
Christ but to BELIEVE Christ.” This isn’t always easy socially; there
isn’t a “program” for me to fit into socially, no dances or firesides
etc. I used to try to fit into the Student Ward group but after I turned
35 I felt out of place etc.<br /> <br /> I also need to never make the
mistake of comparing myself to others who seem to have it easy. I can’t
look at people who are good examples and start to resent them and say
“why me?” I also can’t look at people who choose to do the right thing
and feel like it’s an indictment of me. I remember reading some of the
really cruel things said and posted about Ty when he got married. I
think a lot of the hateful stuff was an attempt to deflect. Now suddenly
doing the right thing was seen as being “judgmental of those who
weren’t” even saying it was the right choice was wrong and some people
delighted in saying things like “well, let’s just wait a few years and
see how happy they are.” I need to never make that mistake of seeing
another person’s happiness as being attack on my own.<br /> <br /> I also
know that if I was to allow myself to become cynical or bitter, to feel
like I was owed something that God gave me the short end of the stick
etc. it would be very easy to let my guard down. I can’t ever do that. I
need to be responsible for myself, that’s why I have agency. I know
that the struggle is part of how I am to grow, life is just that.
Everything I am learning, feeling and doing weighed against what I
believe and have faith in. I have to put it into practice and have faith
that it will work out no matter what. I trust God and His promises and I
know that in the end He will come through in a way that will be more
amazing to me than what I could come up with to make me happy.MY VIEWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358888281800202218noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212638237051039249.post-76337465209060219772012-06-16T11:53:00.002-07:002012-06-16T11:53:34.113-07:00"What Paul Said . . ."This morning I was reading the first chapter
Romans. First off I know that this is the book often used as the most
condemning about the practice of homosexuality. And yes it is hard to
dispute some of the languages "men, leaving the natural use of the
woman, burned in their lust one toward another" etc. But leaving those
verse for a minute what occurred to me was the the rest of the book.<br /> <br />
I think most people need something to be "proud of," to identify with.
This helps them feel justified. I think some people whom like have been
said use the scriptures and avoid the very appearance of evil, which is
good advise, but feel justified in it. It also says that man isn't
"justified in the law," but through obedience. And that's the key.<br /> <br />
I think when people need to fly a flag in order to declare who they
are, they need to really think about what they are aligning themselves
with. For the most part I think the more close we become to the spirit
the less and less we need to find these worldly things to identify with
and the more sacred things are what we find definition in. And I don't
think having an interest in music, theater or dance makes you gay or is a
gay thing. I think that assigning those things to a "orientation" is
wrong. But I do think there are aspects of the "gay culture" which are
also in the hetro-culture that are just as bad. Paul writes of things
like "unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of
envy, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God,
spiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to
parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural
affection, implacable, unmerciful."<br /> <br /> The other thing that hit me
in this section of Romans was that Paul writes that in order to obtain
the fruits of the gospel a person needs to be obedient to it. He writes
that there are those who have had or have heard the gospel and may have
even claimed to have had it but have not used it in the way that God
would have them do. He writes that we shouldn't be ashamed to preach it,
to stand by it and to proclaim it. I take this to mean that this would
be the flag we fly outside our houses. That is should be what we
proclaim, not proudly but with love and hope that they will come to the
truth. Yes we need to tell people that "God loves them." But then we
also need not be afraid to tell them the rest of the story.<br />
<br />
Telling
someone that "God loves you just the way you are" implies that that God
is bound to save them no matter what they do. This removes any need for
obedience because God's love will save them. I think this is what Paul
was saying when he wrote: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they
glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in
their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing
themselves to be wise, they became fools.MY VIEWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358888281800202218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212638237051039249.post-18944407916518394702012-06-16T11:28:00.000-07:002012-06-16T11:28:51.184-07:00Choosing to do what's rightThe whole purpose of us being here on the Earth is to test us to see what we will do on our own given the correct principles. Satan's plan would have compelled us to "ACCEPT the right." Agency is a gift that allows us to CHOOSE and show our love to our Heavenly Father in "Choosing the right."<br />
<br />
I think you can judge a disciple of Christ by that persons actions when not commanded in all things given a knowledge of right and wrong.<br />
<br />
If we accept the that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the restored Church of Christ, led by Christ with a Prophet at the head, then we have to also accept the power and authority that He along with the other prophets and apostles have when speaking "officially" for the Church and therefore the Lord.<br />
<br />
Yes, I may not have wanted to flee Babaloyn myself. I may not have wanted to leave Jerusalem, it may have been a fun place to hang out with lots of fun people. I may have not wanted to flee Sodom and Gomorrah, it was probably fun also. I may have been perfectly happy in Egypt. I may have enjoyed myself and not have wanted to leave the comforts of my home to trek west with the Saints. But in all those cases, following the Prophet, while hard and while I may have not wanted to and even personally disagreeing with the choice to go, following the Prophet was the same as following God. I wonder if I would have been one of those who argued or murmured? Would I have looked back and longed for the things I felt good doing? Would I have resented Moses, or Abraham or Brigham Young?<br />
<br />
I also know what the Book of Mormon says about societies that turn their back on God and that turn a blind eye and even accept things that are immoral as natural and even encouraged. These societies eventually went so far as to accept other wicked things such as murder. I wonder if we were to ever vote on the legality of this that if someone would argue that the prohibition against murder comes from the Judeo-Christian law and we should separate church and state. So therefore its not a moral issue it too is a political issue. Sounds ridiculous? One only needs to think about the debate surrounding abortion to see shades of this.<br />
<br />
I know that we are ask to be good citizens and help participate in the process of government. This means standing for whats right. I also know that this is a moral issue that has been politicized.<br />
<br />
For the most part the Lord doesn't very often "command" us to do anything. When He does we should know He is serious. Yes, we have the Ten Commandments. Yes, because of those who would have us remove them from all public places, we may have to look extra hard to find them, but lets be honest here, We are free to choose to obey them. We aren't free to choose the effects of them or the consequences that follow.<br />
<br />
No, the Lord or even the church hasn't "commanded" us to vote or to think a certain way. But we have been taught correct principles, we know the plan. We know what is right and wrong. We know the gospel. We know the end result of what will happen to those who choose not to. If we apply them obedience would be the natural progression, if we honestly have a testimony of the truth of it.<br />
<br />
Being faithful to the Lord doesn't make us blind sheep or ignorant. It doesn't make us hateful or bigoted. Yes, when we attach hate and animosity to our actions it does and that isn't being Christlike. Yes, we need to keep it from going that way. We can stand for whats right without hating those who choose what's wrong. But on the other hand those who do fight against the church and its teachings aren't the most tolerant people either when it comes to acceptance of those who disagree with them. Who is normally yielding words "bigot and ignorant" as weapons? We can stand for what's right without being disagreeable. And if we know what the Lord has said is standing for it honestly being ignorant?<br />
<br />
I look at it this way. The Prophet has ask us to do something. I know what the Lord has said to be right and wrong. I have faith that if the Prophet in acting as the Prophet AND is directed by the Lord to ask us to do something then its not because he (the Prophet) wants us to do it, its because HE (the Lord), the one who is doing the directing wants us to do it.<br />
<br />
I don't know the exact reasons WHY this is such a big deal to them. But it is and that should be a sign no matter how I may personally see it. But like in all other things I have my own agency to choose what I will do and who I will follow and I will be judged accordingly.MY VIEWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358888281800202218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212638237051039249.post-3963050263160877322012-01-13T18:48:00.000-08:002012-01-13T18:48:26.444-08:00Something I Need to Work OnI’ve been pondering writing this for the past week. This past fast Sunday I prayed and fasted that I could be a better friend to my friends. When I was done one of the impressions I had was that one thing that I need to work on this year is to allow people into my life that want to be there and try to stop trying to appeal to those that I have to fight for attention, acceptance approval from. This also applies to racking my brain about how my beliefs, opinions, appearance, perceptions, and actions are perceived by others and how in turn it affects other's opinion of me. Also how I can be a better friend, when that’s all I’ve tried to be from the start. <br />
<br />
I don't know where in my childhood I ever picked up “people pleasing” but if I could stab it in the heart I think a huge burden would be lifted don't you? Maybe it's that I never moved past the pain of feeling like I was the "only one" (LDS) in high school or “the only one at church” (with SSA) Who knows? I know part of it is a constant battle between trying to be Christ-like and accepting and loving and tolerant vs. being co-dependent and needy. In the end I feel alone a lot as if I haven’t done enough.<br />
<br />
I also know what is often perceived as needy by some is often more a reflection of that persons lack of desire to be friends with me or some issue within themselves, maybe my issues mirror their own too much and I'm a painful reflection and most of the time I need to realize that it has very little to do with who I am. I need to stop allowing the acceptance of others to fuel my own self-acceptance. Maybe my opinions offend them. Maybe it’s just a personality thing. I need to stop obsessing over it and wanting to make it right if my efforts just make it worse and the other person is unwilling or perhaps unable to be open to it.<br />
<br />
I know my heart is in the right place when I try to make friends and offer support. I also know that sometimes these attempts are unwanted and seen as a violation of boundaries or protective walls. I need to respect others, and also accept this is more “them” then “me” and step away. I've been hurt in the process of trying to make friends and have often felt rejection in my efforts but I also need to realize that my friendship is just as valuable as that person’s acceptance and their rejection isn't an indication of a lack of my worth as a person. This isn't an easy lesson, but I think it’s one I need to work on applying to my life. <br />
<br />
In the end I think we are all going to feel a lot of sadness and regret over the things we wasted our times stressing about. I often worry if I’m wasting my time focusing on one thing when I need to put my energy towards something that is worth my time. If I’ve tried to reach out to someone and for some reason they reject that, I think the Christ-like thing to do is to not close the door, just don’t stand by the door waiting. I need to keep on my journey and if those people ever do want to be my friend they can come find me. The important thing is that I don’t close the door but that I don’t waste time in my own progression waiting.<br />
<br />
Sometimes the only way we can be close to someone is by praying for them. But I know that I need for my own emotional well-being to stop judging myself by the way others see me and start seeing myself as the Savior does and that is someone worth knowing and loving.MY VIEWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358888281800202218noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212638237051039249.post-44657447624099570012011-12-07T17:55:00.001-08:002011-12-07T17:58:01.833-08:00What Makes A Hero?The other day I was chatting with a friend and he told me that he felt I put him on a pedestal and thought of him as a hero and that this made him feel uncomfortable. He added that long as I thought of him as a hero that we could never really be friends that he wanted me to think of him as an equal. I told him we could compromise on this. What I really should have explained was how I define a hero.
Super heroes to me aren’t really heroes. While they are fictional, the concept is that they have these extra abilities that allow them to do all kinds of cool stuff like fly or bend things with their minds. For me the definition of a hero is a normal person who uses the abilities they have, the talents they have to do extraordinary things. Super heroes are just using the abilities they have to do things they should be able to do by virtue of their powers. Is this really that spectacular?
For me a hero is someone who falls down and gets back up. It's someone who knows what is right and does it. It's someone who may make a mistake and realize that their actions hurt someone and apologizes, not for the sake of repenting of their deed with God, but in making it better with the person they hurt. This will make it right with God, but the intention is selfless and not motivated by a desire to fix things for themselves.
A hero is that person who stands up for what is right when it seems like it’s not the PC or the accepted thing to do. He's the guy who may not show up on time to speak in Sacrament meeting but if he doesn’t it’s because he stopped to help someone change a tire on the way to church. They may not be perfect but they understand that perfection isn't about a state but a process, it’s about becoming complete and they are trying. They may not be able to recite scripture word-for-word but their lives are an example of the Gospel in action.
A hero to me is someone who may not write a book, who may not ever grace the cover of a fashion magazine or look good in their jeans or whatever. But they are an example and a reflection of what they believe. They may be the last to finish the race, but they didn't give up. They may fall down on their climb to the top and sometimes they may have to stop and sit for a while, and ponder if they really do want to keep climbing, but they do eventually get back up and look down only to see how far they have made it.
They may not always spell everything correct. Their ties don’t always match their shirt. Their hair may not always have product in it. They may have bad breath. They may not even be able to lift their own body weight.
Heroes for me are the ones who realize that sometimes holding on to the Iron Rod is possible only if they are holding and supporting someone who is also doing this. They aren't afraid to hold on tight to someone else while they cling desperately with their other hand. They don't give up on people, they forgive; try to see the best and the potential in someone and they love like Christ would.
Heroes don't stand on their pedestals, they get off them and they do something extraordinary with what they have. That is what makes the ordinary extraordinary.MY VIEWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358888281800202218noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212638237051039249.post-62572015580878235632011-07-28T10:49:00.000-07:002011-07-28T10:52:04.075-07:00The Worst Human TraitToday on North Star someone asked what they thought was the worst human trait. I have been talking with someone who has been open to being my friend while we don't agree on a lot of things. This has been refreshing because I see a chance to see things through another perspective. This led me to respond with this post.<br /><br />Honestly I think selfishness is the worst human trait there is. I also think intolerance bred from ignorance or from reacting to other peoples prejudices. I see a lot of this in the world but I also see a lot of it in the church. My institute teacher often says the only place gossip and gospel are close to each other are in the dictionary. I've also seen it within the LDS SGA community which is really sad because this should be the one place where we can turn for support from people who do really understand. Within the so-called Moho community that has come to mean guys who have an LDS background but don't always live it, it often manifest itself in hatred, resentment and intolerance towards anyone who does hold to the faith in the church as it is presented by the Lord through the prophet, and yes faithful members who struggle see their actions as apostate or trying to rearrange the gospel to fit their needs. It's funny because there is enough contention between these two sides that any kind of conflict between both of them and those who don't struggle seems sort of relative. I also think that even among those of us who struggle with this, just trying to stay faithful doesn't change some traits that I more and more think may be inherent in all of us. Things like being over emotional, over judgmental of anyone who may disagree with us, sometimes over concerned about things like age, looks, and status and judging a persons worth on those things. I don't think those are "gay" traits per say, but I do think they tend to be over emphasized withing that community. I think both cultures are in some way obsessed with different types of perfection that often seem like unobtainable goals. I think the major difference is that worldly perfection and eternal perfection are total opposites. One is prideful and has to do with being "better" then someone else and the other is only met by stripping ourselves of pride. I think when when I begin to see others the way God see them, then I may start to wonder if blocking that person, or ignoring that person was really the Christlike thing to do or if the things that annoy me about someone are just things that I see reflected in myself that I don't want to see and so I try to hide from them.MY VIEWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358888281800202218noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212638237051039249.post-53966162248502359852011-07-19T11:56:00.000-07:002011-07-19T11:57:35.482-07:00Can I be the change?Been thinking about something today. Sorry this is a bit rambling but I’d really like some input. This morning a friend of mine tweeted that article about the Matis family that I posted yesterday. As a tag he complimented them and said that they must be good people. I knew he was from Utah and that he struggled with SGA and I texted back "You really need to meet them. They are wonderful people." He texted back that he knew them, he just didn't want to out himself. I wrote back that I understand and felt the same way. I did end up putting it on my profile but I struggled with it. He added that he really didn't want to be labeled by the misconceptions that such an association might bring.<br /><br />I can't say that I don't totally understand and also struggle with that myself. I'm not really open to a lot of people. I am in this group and its 165 people and a couple other secret groups. But at work and at home and in my ward not really. I'll confide in people if I feel that it would be beneficial for me and also to them to know so they can better understand me. But in general I don't want to be defined by what I struggle with or worse be branded by stereotypes.<br /><br />I know this is going to upset a lot of people. I'm sorry. I thought about this all the way to work. Part of me really thinks that these misconceptions and stereotypes in some respect are justified by what people see, but I also wonder if maybe I'm also at fault because I'm not brave enough to stand up and say. Look not everyone who struggles with this, is that way. There are some of us who choose to stay faithful to the church and our temple covenants. Who don't do the things that those who define themselves as gay do. But even saying that in the realm of this group may piss a few people off because they will jump to the conclusion that I think people who use their agency to act out and live that way are bad people. But the fact is that a lot of people judge the whole of the group of people on both ended of the spectrum rather we want to like it or not by the actions of a few extremes.<br /><br />Who do we identify with? Who do kids see as examples? Are we providing them with good examples of good people?<br /><br />What kinds of role models do youth growing up in the church who deal with this have? Ty Mansfield and the Matis Book is really one of the only books I can think of. Are there really any positive examples of faithful SSA guys who are public? So where do our youth look for people "like themselves?" The world and look at the message it gives them. I think that is sad. The recent "It gets better campaign" for instance may provide some comfort but what is their real message? It gets better when you get older and act on your feelings and put behind you all that you've been taught? I think a lot of people see religion as hatred because popular culture has used it as a scapegoat for a few hateful bigots who do use religion to bully people. But isn't that just as bad as saying all gay people are like those guys in their underwear or leather chaps and boas at Pride festivals?<br /><br />Maybe our youth do need examples of real people who are trying. Who do make mistakes but who are doing their best. Most of us believe what we say in our testimonies right? But still sometimes while we may believe something our actions may not reflect that. Does that mean we don't believe it? Most of the time no, most of the times we are just being human and making mistakes and we need to repent. But are we telling kids that that's okay. Not so much that it’s okay to sin. But it’s okay to make mistakes. Do we put the fear of not being perfect in the way of their desire to repent or worse not give up?<br /><br />Because of this I also think we need to be very careful about what kind things we align ourselves, I was reading some posts in another group, one member has posted that he felt that if the "gay agenda" could align themselves with groups like churches when it comes to things like suicide prevention that they could get the message out that this isn't just "those people" but it’s their kids too. Now yes, I believe this is true. That these are our kids too. But what is their underlying motive here? Is it to prevent these tragic deaths or is it to change the accepted beliefs of those religions by shaming them in order to do so? Have you ever noticed that these groups will laugh at you when you say there is a "gay agenda?" It's there, it's real and one of Satan's biggest tricks is to convince you it's not. So while I do think something needs to be done, I'm very careful about who is doing it.<br /><br />On the flip side, are our best efforts maybe backfiring? Are our youth afraid so afraid of being imperfect that they hide stuff, repress stuff. Afraid that if they do confide in their parents or church leaders about how they feel, that they will be subject to church discipline and family shame? Just for those feelings? Are they so afraid of disappointing us that they don’t reach out. I honestly do think this is why teenagers do turn to things like drugs or seek out groups that provide the kinds of supports that make them feel better about themselves while advocating things that we know are wrong. This creates further conflict within the young person. Perhaps if we had some programs that we could implement or taught our parents things that they could do or say BEFORE their kids turned to these websites, chat groups or other sources of alternative information we could save a lot of kids from feeling this way.<br /><br />I wonder if I'm failing to "be an example of a true believer?" I think I need to ponder that. I don't think it should be "be an example of a true believer" who is perfect. Because I’m not perfect and if you want an example of perfection don’t look at me. I love our church leader and General Authorities, but that's often how the come off. Our youth need examples whom don’t seem so far off and perfect that they are unreachable. Maybe I need to do more to be an example of the person I'm trying to be. Does anyone understand what I'm trying to say? Let me know. I think the real answer is that we need to be the change.MY VIEWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358888281800202218noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212638237051039249.post-22302262119182763032011-06-26T07:23:00.000-07:002011-06-26T07:25:17.973-07:00Unbinding our TonguesThis weekend is Stake Conference here, one of the visiting speakers talked about one of Satan's biggest tools in thwarting the Lord's plan. He reminded us that when the Prophet Joseph Smith wanted to know truth he asked in faith that he would receive an answer. Later when he put that faith into practice in the Sacred Grove, before he got received the First Vision which would change the world as he knew it, Satan attacked him full force. Lucifer's method of attack is one that he commonly uses on us today. What he did to the young boy was what he often does to many of us. He attacked him which such fear so as to bind his tongue and prevent him from speaking.<br /><br />How many times have I been in a similar situation? Where I allowed fear to "bind my tongue" and prevent me from speaking? How many times have I been in a situation where I knew what was true but out of fear of sounding politically incorrect or bigoted or intolerant because the world has made those of us that do have standards based on the gospel and not the world out to be? Isn't it ironic how when we attack wickedness we are labeled wrong, while when they promote wickedness they are politically correct? He added that one of the Brethern's greatest concerns for the youth isn't so much to isolate them from the world but to protect them.<br /><br />I thought about that in view of recent events. I honestly don't think the Lord wants passive aggressive saints. While it is true that we can't allow pride to fuel our efforts, we can be confident and in fact we need to be bold in doing so, The fact that as the boy prophet was told not to join any of the other churches because they were incorrect, didn't make him any better then any other Christian at the time. But that doesn't change the fact that they were wrong and the Lord gave him clear directions to follow. When we follow the prophet we have the Lord's endorsement behind our efforts as well. Just like Joseph faced ridicule and persecution because he refused to deny his testimony of the truth even when it pitted him against the people in his town, state and in some cases family, while it estranged him from even his in-laws and eventually lead to his martyrdom, he didn't back down under pressure from other church denominations, civic leaders, and mobs. He stood for what was right and even at his death he stood for what was the will of the Lord. He sealed his testimony wit his blood. He did this with love, tolerance and even forgiveness for those who disagreed with him, but he never wavered in his conviction to the truth.<br /><br />Brothers and Sisters, we can't be ashamed or apologize for the gospel, and again we can't be prideful or puffed up, but at the same time just because the world or Hollywood or those who claim to be more "tolerant" or "socially open minded and progressive" think we are closed minded because we do follow Christ and not market research. We know we are right! Does the Pres Monson go around apologizing for the truth? We don't have to go about this with at martyr type attitude either. We have nothing to be ashamed of or need to apologize for, we have the greatest gift the world can ever have, we have what most of the world is searching for in desperation. What more we aren't being selfish with it, we want to give it to everyone. We know the truth, we can be happy about it. We should find comfort in it. We need to share it. We need to let that light reflect in us. Honestly our testimonies are least effective if we confine them to testimony meetings, while its a good thing to share them there, they can only really be effective in sharing the gospel once we leave the chapel doors.<br /><br />For those of you who like Christian music there is a song that I've always kept as a personal statement of faith. I'd like to share the lyrics at the close of this post. It's called "I'm Not Ashamed." by The Newsboys.<br /><br />I'm not ashamed to let you know<br />I want this light in me to show<br />I'm not ashamed to speak the name of Jesus Christ.<br /><br />What are we sneaking around for?<br />Who are we trying to please?<br />Shrugging off sin, apologizing<br />Like we're spreading some kind of disease<br />I'm saying "No way. No Way."<br /><br />I'm not ashamed to let you know<br />I want this light in me to show<br />I'm not ashamed to speak the name of Jesus Christ.<br /><br />This one (said) it's a lost cause<br />Save your testimonies for churchtime.<br />Other ones state you'd better wait<br />Until you do a little market research<br />I'm saying "No way. No way."MY VIEWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358888281800202218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212638237051039249.post-14631108247045712402011-06-06T12:24:00.000-07:002011-06-06T12:25:29.566-07:00Detox and Diet for the SoulI've been on a diet/cleanse deal, not so much to lose weight to "look good" but more because I've realized that I'm not healthy. I found myself getting winded doing things that shouldn’t wind me and there are other family health issues that I want to avoid. I also discovered that in holding my friends kids at church I was rapidly losing my lap. So it was time for a change.<br /><br />I think that its a big mistake to allow how the world perceives us or defines us to shade how we define ourselves if that isn't really what we are. But too often I think that's the case.<br /><br />A few months ago my brother got onto facebook and went photo wild, he started to post pics that were decades old of me when I was in college and post mission. The funny thing was that at the time I really thought I was huge, like really fat. Now looking at the pics I'm shocked at how sickenly thin and gaunt I looked. Growing up I was made fun of because I was the fat kid in school, I wore glasses and I was the only Mormon. So yes, this opened me up to all kinds of persecution. Because I didn't participate in all the partying and sex talk in high school I was defined as a fag. Looking at those pictures now and seeing that I wasn't anywhere fat makes me wonder if I've also allowed those people to influence my SSA, because honestly I don't remember a time before school when I felt that way.<br /><br />I have a good friend who is pretty into the whole gay scene and who is for lack of a better word what a lot of us would define as hot. However while there isn't an ounce of body fat anywhere on him, he is constantly on one fad diet after another to lose weight. I know that it’s because he has immersed himself in a club culture that does put more value on age and body appearance then what is really important. I know that he is covering up real issues with these body issues. Part of it comes with having people around that love you for who you are not what you are. I feel so bad for him because he says he's happy but I can tell he isn't.<br /><br />I think that part of our mortal struggle is to balance who we are with what we want against what we believe. I think at times when what we want is over shadowed by what we want at the moment we run into trouble. Again my doctor explained to me that appetite is of the mind and is an emotional need but real hunger is of the body. We need to feed the body to nourish it. When I started the cleanse I went cold turkey and stopped eating surgery, refined and processed foods and other things like that. Almost immediately my body rebelled and I went through four days of the worst headaches ever. After that though, I felt a lot more energy. But those four days were horrible. <br /><br />Isn't it funny how the things we crave can attack us if we don't bend to them? I think there is a moral lessen there. I know that the natural man is the enemy of God and that we need to strive towards the eternal and put away the natural man. But it’s not always easy when on one hand you really want to be faithful but on the other the sugary stuff really is good and will satisfy us for a short time. But in the end look at what it does to us. In the end it’s the stuff that provides the real nourishment, not the empty calories or the sugar rush that makes us healthy.MY VIEWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358888281800202218noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212638237051039249.post-33083441621514034742011-05-16T12:18:00.000-07:002011-05-16T12:27:27.529-07:00When "It Gets Better"The other day I was at home watching "The Office" when this ad came on. It was paid for by google and it was all about how "It Gets Better" for teens struggling with SSA as they grow up. After watching it I was left feeling empty and sick.<br /><br />I find nothing comforting or uplifting in something that may encourage a young person to turn their back on the gospel and pursue a lifestyle that will lead them away from Heavenly Father. <br /><br />So much has been said about the evils of "bullying" what hasn't been said is that these kind of messages, on the surface they seem good. We all want to ease the pain and the suffering of those who feel alone and isolated. But is the remedy that is being offered really the cure? Will this really lead to happiness? No, and this is how Satan uses the appearance of "good" to do "bad."<br /><br />In reality these messages add to the conflict which many point out lead to confusion, pain and teen suicides. If parents of a teen struggling with SSA are doing everything they can to love and support their child but are doing it within the gospel then these messages do conflict with that effort. What these messages are saying is that the only way for it "to get better" is to embrace your sexuality, make being gay part of who you, part of your identity, and act on it. This does run counter to the gospel, and so anyone who opposes that idea is now suddenly guilty of being a bully for advocating the opposite. Parents are now the bad guys because they don't "accept" who their child is. The church is now the bully because it rejects who they are. And anyone who believes that acting on it is a sin is a bully as well. On the other hand, if the child tries to stay faithful to the church and its teachings this group will attack them as not being true to themselves or being repressed.<br /><br />You know, Elder Holland spoke about how “it does get better,” at the last General Conference and this is the message we should share with our friends who struggle. He was right. When we accept that it is the gospel that makes us happy, not what the world or Google tells us, it will get bettter. When we accept the fact that we children of a loving God, it gets better. When we accept that our true self is eternal, it gets better. It gets better because of the atonement. It gets better because we know the truth of the gospel. Those are the truths that make everything better.MY VIEWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358888281800202218noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212638237051039249.post-37918981945784251952011-02-13T12:05:00.000-08:002011-02-13T12:17:24.231-08:00Reaching out for the right kind of supportSupport is a tricky word and it can mean a lot of things to different people. From personal experience I've learned that before I look for it, I need to first decide what I want it to be. <br /><br />Within the church it's often taken to mean unconditional love and encouragement to stay faithful to the doctrines and commandments. Forgiveness of our weaknesses while at the the same time encouragement to keep going. Understanding and comfort. This is all good and is what I consider support to be. To walk next to and hold up a friend. Someone to talk to and trust and confide in. In theory this should be easy to find within the church. In practice its often not.<br /><br />I sometimes see myself falling into that trap. It's hard to find support when everyone around you seems perfect and able to stand on their own. In a culture that holds perfection as our goal, reaching out often feels unconformable because we feel unworthy to ask for help or worse we feel those who are striving for perfection may not understand or worse reject those who need help. And those who struggle with SGA may not want the world to know of their struggles so they suffer in silence afraid or unwilling to bear to their burdens to others because it would mean having to admit them. Ironically it means putting on the facade of perfection where people look at you at you and feel the same way.<br /><br />Support from the world outside the church can be just the opposite, and at times the short term pseudo positive effects feel good. This is really dangerous when we are weak and searching. For some support means helping someone step away from what they view as repression. Helping someone "be themselves," helping someone be "true" to who they really are. Removing the conflict. Isn't that what gay pride is all about? To them this means leaving the church and acting out. This can often come from people who have little or no knowledge of the church other then what they have heard or seen in a movie or how the church is portrayed in the gay media. This is almost always bad. Because they have never had the real effects of the gospel they only see the rules and commandments, they don't understand the blessings. They only see someone who is not happy because of what they are denying themselves to make others happy and for them the pursuit of happiness is the goal of life. For them this is being a true friend is helping the person be happy.<br /><br />Now right off the bat I want to state that some of these people are genuine and well meaning. In their hearts I feel they think they are doing good because Satan has deceived them and they do feel that those of us who are trying are repressing ourselves. Part of this is the loss of the influence of the Holy Ghost that confirms truth to them. Lets face it, its hard to make a good choice when you don't have that anymore.<br /><br />Next to support, the term Safe is also one that can be misused or twisted. It's tragic but also telling when people who are in the world so to speak say they feel "unsafe" in environments that truth is taught and the Spirit is strong. Are they confusing the feeling of unease with the Holy Ghost? Ever attend a FHE or a Sacrament meeting, walk away full of strength and enlightenment and then hear or read a blog later from someone who also attended who felt "unsafe" and "attacked?"<br /><br />There is of course one type of support that is the most dangerous and that is support from someone with an agenda. It's most dangerous when it coming from someone who is a former or ex member of the church who has an ax to grind and sees bringing down another member as a way of striking out at something they feel has hurt them. Often times these people still deep in their hearts love the church, but have been hurt and want to punish or hurt it as badly as they feel. They often have horror stories about how badly they were treated and how unsafe they felt in church.<br /><br />A few years ago I came across a guy like this that had grown up in the ward north of me, I was feeling alone and searching and found myself on one of those websites. I started chatting with this guy and found out he was LDS or used to be. I thought cool, he'll get it. And at first he was very nice, very supportive and very cool with the church. But then he started to hammer away at it, just a little bit at a time. I was also happy to find out he was LDS and thought that maybe I could help him come back home.<br /><br />After a while he started to tell me horror stories about how terrible he had been treated and how he was almost violently kicked out of the church. I don't think he knew that I was familiar with the ward he was talking about and knew many of the same people. Out of curiosity I asked some these people and found out that they had bent over backwards for this guy. He had been baptized when he was was in his late teens. Members literally gave this guy everything he could ask for in order to help "bring him up to speed" so to speak in the gospel. Even to the point of offering to pay for his mission and his schooling. He had several members families who loved and supported him and even opened their homes to him. <br /><br />The truth was that the horror stories occurred when he choose to turn his back on the church and started to act out and he soon became a really negative influence on the other youth. Of course the parents where concerned. He had also developed a fascination with anti-Mormon items and was always in the mood to debate things and share them with others at times when it wasn't appropriate like in lessons. Apparently after talking to some of those involved the bishop asked him to cool it and he took that as rejection and moved in with a guy in the next town who was much older and started a relationship. There is always two sides to every story. Since then he's been really active in anti-Mormon, pro-gay groups and acts against the church as much as possible targeting those who are in search of support. To this day he works with a group in the next largest town south of me that serves as an outreach to young gay teen Mormons. For him its a ministry.<br /><br />Of course when I found this out I knew I had been called to save him. But sadly, once he found out that I wasn't going to be converted to his way of thinking he didn't say goodbye, he just wrote me off. I found myself rejected as a friend and blocked on his social networking deal. And I found out that he had bad mouthed me to mutual friends to try to discredit me. This hurt, but I also realized that after a lot of prayer that the Lord would never expose me to this kind of stuff when I was weak in order to save someone else. Yes, I guess I could have been a good influence on him, but when I tried it seemed to chase him off. I never preached to him.<br /><br />From personal experience the fact that I even met that guy online shows that to me how easy it is to find bad support. Brothers and Sisters, it is out there. Don't fall for it. <br /><br />Yes, the internet is a powerful tool, I've learned to be very careful about the places you look to make friends. A good rule is that you will almost always find the type of friends in the type of site it is. I know I always try to convince myself that there may be just that one other guy who is there to find friends, but that's also self deception and justification. I should know if I reach into a snake pit, I'll more then likely end up with a handful of snake.<br /><br />I also know that when we are down and low we often sometimes loose our judgment because we want to be around someone who understands so its easy to fall for these wolves in sheep clothing. We often will resent those who are really trying to help, we may lash out at those who have our best interests in mind and justify it by saying they just don't get. This has taught me a great deal. Real Christlike support will never end up with one person getting hurt or losing their faith. It will build not tear down. That's a good thing to ponder.MY VIEWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358888281800202218noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212638237051039249.post-63334926594328198232010-10-13T00:20:00.000-07:002010-10-13T00:23:57.902-07:00President Packer and 1 Nephi 16Ever since this whole thing has erupted I've been pondering 1 Nephi 16. I think this is a really good example of that. Yes, President Packer could have been more sensitive to the feelings of those who struggle with this and whose feeling ar...e close to the surface. These are hard things to listen hear. But this is no different then Nephi's brothers who: "Thou hast declared unto us hard things, more than we are able to bear." (V.1) I agree. But I also agree with Nephi's response. "And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew that I had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the truth; and the righteous have I justified, and testified that they should be lifted up at the last day; wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center." Notice that he did say "and the rightous I did justify?" That means those who may struggle with things but seek to stay faithful. Nephi didn't say these things out of hatred or intolernce. He said these things out of love, I truly feel in my heart that Pres Packer also feels this great love and urgency that we follow the Lord and am "willing to hearken to the truth, and give heed unto it, that ye might walk uprightly before God" we will be blessed. Pres Packer has a solemn responsibility to warn us and somethings what he warns us against may be things we have issues with.<br /><br />When I'm faced with a situation where I may feel offended I sometimes worry when I find something that I personally feel is out of line with what I may feel is right and its because it offends me even if it does line up with what is doctrinal, it's just not presented in a comfortable way. Honestly I guess in some ways its better to be offended now then not to be warned because the consequences could be far worse then the discomfort I feel at the moment.MY VIEWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358888281800202218noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212638237051039249.post-35361572159856696872010-08-10T22:05:00.000-07:002010-08-10T22:06:17.145-07:00I Thank Thee O God For a ProphetAll this week as I prayed about this whole Prop 8 situation, the one thing that keeps coming to mind is how grateful I am for my testimony in the gospel and the church. Over and over the words of the hymn "We Thank The O God For a Prophet" has filled my mind when I was feeling low. I don't have to go searching for the path to follow, if I listen the Holy Ghost confirms truth to me.<br /><br />It is so true and it wraps up this whole situation.<br /><br />"We Thank Thee O God For A Prophet, To Guide Us in These Latter-day."<br /><br />That really is what a Prophet does, if we heed his guidance he does "lighten our minds with its rays."<br /><br />He is not only the Prophet for the church but for the world. His message is that of the Savior Jesus Christ. When he and the First Presidency speaks as the First Presidency you can have faith its under the direction of the Holy Ghost. And its what God would have them say. <br /><br />When I read of the things that these people are working for, I know that as Pres Monson said, "Without him we won't be successful, with him we can't fail." I think of the last words of that hymn. "While they who reject his glad message will never such happiness know." These are the same people who as the hymns say "Fight against Zion," who "will surly be smitten at last."<br /><br />Now I'm not happy about this, some of these people are good friends of mine. I mourn that they are lost. I hope they will make the choice to come back. But I can't let my friendship with them prevent me from standing for what's right and I won't change what I believe just to make them happy or feel good about themselves.<br /><br />Now I know that gay marriage may very well be legal soon. Even if it does go against the mind and will of God. The world is full of things that are wicked and "legal."<br /><br />Abortion is legal and that also is a wicked thing. But I do know that as long as I do my best to stand for whats right I will be blessed for it. As the hymn says "When dark clouds of trouble hang over us and threaten our peace to destroy, There is hope smiling brightly before us and we know that deliverance is neigh."<br /><br />So that is why I "Thank Thee O God For a Prophet." Because I don't have to be confused. Because I know which side is the Lords side. It's the side that the Prophet is on. When he asked me to help support Prop 8, as the Prophet, I know it was the same as God asking me to. I have faith in that. I have a testimony of that.<br /><br />I don't think I follow blindly, but I also don't need to prove him time after time. However again "We doubt not the Lord nor His Blessings, we've proved him in day's that are past." The truth here is that because I know I don't have to doubt. I can move past this and as the song says "Thus on to eternal progression, the honest and faithful will go."<br /><br />In someways this is like the whole pioneer deal. The journey to the west wasn't easy. It was deadly for some. When they got to the Salt Lake Valley it wasn't the most welcoming place either. But they had faith and they persevered and they made the desert blossom like a rose. We can choose to be like those brave pioneers who moved forward in faith amid some of the worst hardships and yes SSA is just that. Or we can allow that challenge to define us and shade every choice and decision in our life and influence our relationship with God and the Spirit. I choose to to be the one who makes that choice, I'm not a prisoner to my challenges.<br /><br />I do "Thank Thee Oh God For A Prophet."MY VIEWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358888281800202218noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212638237051039249.post-79337109138283540222010-06-14T07:56:00.000-07:002010-06-14T08:11:15.230-07:00Civic Virtue: A Unique Knowledge and Sacred Duty<span style="font-style:italic;">Text of my talk given in Sacrament meeting on 13 June 2010. Source material is listed below.</span><br /><br />As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we have a unique knowledge of the divine nature of both the United States and of the Constitution.<br /><br />We know from scriptures found in the Book of Mormon that America is a land that was held in reserve for the last days in which a system of government could be established that would allow for the restoration of the gospel and for it to be spread throughout the world.<br /><br />Ezra Taft Benson, 13th President of the Church and U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower’s Secretary of Agriculture taught: “For centuries the Lord kept America hidden in the hollow of His hand until the time was right to unveil her for her destiny in the last days.”<br /><br />In 2 Nephi 1:8, Nephi reveals the Lords plan: “It is wisdom that this land should be kept as yet from the knowledge of other nations for behold, many nations would overrun the land, that there would be no place for an inheritance.”<br /><br />In the Lord’s due time His Spirit “wrought upon” Columbus, the pilgrims, the Puritans, and others to come to America. They testified of God’s intervention in their behalf. The Book of Mormon records in 1 Nephi 13:16 that they humbled “themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them.”<br /><br />Our Father in Heaven planned the coming forth of the Founding Fathers and their form of government as the necessary great prologue leading to the restoration of the gospel. The Lord spoke of this in D&C 101:80: “I established the Constitution of this land by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose.”<br /><br />Recall what our Savior Jesus Christ said nearly two thousand years ago when He visited this promised land: “For it is wisdom in the Father that they should be established in this land, and be set up as a free people by the power of the Father, that these things might come forth” (3 Ne. 21:4).<br /><br />America, the land of liberty, was to be the Lord’s latter-day base of operations for His restored church.<br /><br />With this unique knowledge come and equally unique and sacred responsibility.<br /><br />As members of The Church and as citizens of the United States what should be our role be? Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve has posed that question: Should not just believing, but knowing that we have an inspired Constitution affect our behavior toward law and government? It should and it does.<br /><br />Elder Oaks stressed that as U.S. citizens and faithful members of the church we should follow the First Presidency’s counsel to study the Constitution. We should be familiar with its great fundamentals: the separation of powers, the individual guarantees in the Bill of Rights, the structure of federalism, the sovereignty of the people, and the principles of the rule of the law. And we should oppose any infringement of these inspired fundamentals.<br /><br />We should be law-abiding citizens, supportive of national, state, and local governments.<br />The twelfth Article of Faith declares: “We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.”<br /><br />The Church’s official declaration of belief on this topic can be found in D&C 134 verse 1 and states: “We believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man; and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, both in making laws and administering them, for the good and safety of society.”<br /><br />The dedicatory prayer for the Kirtland Temple, as dictated by the Lord and found in the Doctrine and Covenants, contains these words: “May those principles, which were so honorably and nobly defended, namely, the Constitution of our land, by our fathers, be established forever.” (D&C 109:54).<br /><br />For those who would argue that the Founding Fathers didn’t have God as their inspiration or that the United States isn’t a Christian Nation, need only to read the words of our Founding Fathers.<br /><br />John Adams, the second president of the United States: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”<br /><br />Alexander Hamilton, famous as the originator of The Federalist papers and author of fifty-one of the essays, said: “For my own part, I sincerely esteem it a system, which without the finger of God, never could have been suggested and agreed upon by such a diversity of interest”<br /><br />Those who enjoy the blessings of liberty under a divinely inspired constitution should promote morality, and they should practice what the Founding Fathers called “civic virtue.”<br /><br />Elder Oaks noted that it is part of our civic duty to be moral in our conduct toward all people. There is no place in responsible citizenship for dishonesty or deceit or for willful law breaking of any kind. We believe with the author of Proverbs that “righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Prov. 14:34.) The personal righteousness of citizens will strengthen a nation more than the force of its arms.<br /><br />As Citizens we should also be practitioners of “civic virtue” in their conduct toward government. We should be ever willing to fulfill the duties of citizenship. For example, we value the right of trial by jury, we must be willing to serve on juries, even those involving unsavory subject matter. Elder Oaks added that: “Citizens who favor morality cannot leave the enforcement of moral laws to jurors who oppose them.”<br /><br />The Savior said “render unto Caesar what is Caesar.”<br /><br />A single word that best describes the fulfillment of the duties of “civic virtue” is patriotism. Citizens should be patriotic. As members of the Church we should be patriots.<br /><br />When the First Presidency asked members of the church in California to help support and actively participate with work on Prop. 8, locally, it served to open the eyes, as a sort of wake up call for many of us in what we could do if they got involved, and worse what could happen if we didn’t get involved. Prop 8 was successful, but I think even more meaningful is that many members have stayed involved.<br /><br />As part of my job as a field representative for our State Assemblyman one of the things I’ve had the privilege of doing is to travel throughout the North State visiting the many local patriot groups that have sprung up. I am please to report that many of these groups, especially the one here in this ward have many members of the church among their ranks both in members but especially leadership.<br /><br />In a letter to members read in Sacrament meeting in 1998 The First Presidency reiterated the divine counsel that members “should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things to bring to pass righteousness” while using gospel principles as a guide and while cooperating with other like-minded individuals.<br /><br />“We urge members of the Church to be full participants in political, governmental, and community affairs. Members of the Church are under special obligations to seek out and then uphold those leaders who are wise, good, and honest. D&C 98:10.<br /><br />“Thus, we strongly urge men and women to be willing to serve on school boards, city and county councils and commissions, state legislatures, and other high offices of either election or appointment, including involvement in the political party of their choice.<br /><br />“Members are counseled to study the candidates carefully and vote for those individuals they believe will act with integrity and in ways conducive to good communities and good government.”<br /><br />It is reassuring when you see members of the church heeding this call. We must remember that in a democracy, we all have the same. If we don’t stand up for what we believe we will have to accept what we are given, and we will receive exactly the sort of government we deserve.<br /><br />The Book of Mormon tells of many great and powerful nations that became that way because they were faithful to the Lord. We also read about the destruction of these people because of their own fall into disbelief.<br /><br />Two great American Christian civilizations—the Jaredites and the Nephites—were swept off this land because they did not “serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ” (Ether 2:12).<br />What will become of our civilization?<br /><br />The Book of Mormon warns us relative to our living in this free land: “Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever” (2 Ne. 1:7).<br /><br />I would be willing to bet that the first step in the fall of most of these people wasn’t a huge leap into immorality, but a slow loss of faith because of complicity. Faith without works is dead. Knowledge without action is wasted.<br /><br />The Proclamation to the World makes mention of this when its calls upon world leaders to take a stand on preserving the sanity of families. I think this warning can be applied to a lack of participation in the process as well.<br /><br />“We warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.”<br /><br />“We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.”<br /><br />We all have our agency, and even those who are members of the church who are active may not always agree with each other. The First Presidency states this in its statement on its role in Government:<br /><br />“Elected officials who are Latter-day Saints make their own decisions and may not necessarily be in agreement with one another or even with a publicly stated Church position. While the Church may communicate its views to them, as it may to any other elected official, it recognizes that these officials still must make their own choices based on their best judgment and with consideration of the constituencies whom they were elected to represent.”<br /><br />President Benson further warned us in 1997 that as a nation have apostatized in various degrees from different Constitutional principles as proclaimed by the inspired founders. We are fast approaching that moment prophesied by Joseph Smith when he said: “Even this nation will be on the very verge of crumbling to pieces and tumbling to the ground, and when the Constitution is upon the brink of ruin, this people will be the staff upon which the nation shall lean, and they shall bear the Constitution away from the very verge of destruction.”<br /><br />President Benson continued that “For centuries our forefathers suffered and sacrificed that we might be the recipients of the blessings of freedom. If they were willing to sacrifice so much to establish us as a free people, should we not be willing to do the same to maintain that freedom for ourselves and for future generations?”<br /><br />Only in this foreordained land, under its God-inspired Constitution and the resulting environment of freedom, was it possible to have established the restored church. It is our responsibility to see that this freedom is perpetuated so that the Church may more easily flourish in the future.<br /><br />The Lord said, “Therefore, I, the Lord, justify you, and your brethren of my church, in befriending that law which is the constitutional law of the land.” (D&C 98:6).<br /><br />How then can we best befriend the Constitution in this critical hour and secure the blessings of liberty and ensure the protection and guidance of our Father in Heaven? President Benson gave four suggestions.<br /><br />First and foremost, we must be righteous.<br /><br />Second, we must learn the principles of the Constitution in the tradition of the Founding Fathers.<br /><br />Third, we must become involved in civic affairs to see that we are properly represented.<br /><br />Fourth, we must make our influence felt by our vote, our letters, our teaching, and our advice<br />We, the blessed beneficiaries of the Constitution, face difficult days in America, as stated in Ether 2:10: “a land which is choice above all other lands.”<br /><br />A Christian nation, that will only stay that way if we choose to step forward and keep preserve it.<br />May God give us the faith and the courage exhibited by those patriots who pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.<br /><br />May we be equally as valiant and as free, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sources:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://scriptures.lds.org/en/bm/contents"><br />The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ</a><br /><a href="http://scriptures.lds.org/en/nt/contents">The Holy Bible: The New Testament</a><br /><a href="http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/contents"><br />The Doctrine and Covenants</a><br /><a href="http://scriptures.lds.org/en/a_of_f/1"><br />The Pearl of Great Price: The 12th Article of Faith</a><br /><a href="http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=632e79356427b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD"><br />"Our Divine Constitution" by Ezra Taft Benson</a><br /><a href="http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=729d94bf3938b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD">"The Divinely Inspired Constitution" by Elder Dallin H. Oaks</a><br /><a href="http://www.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/public-issues/political-neutrality">Political Neutrality - LDS Newsroom</a><br /><a href="http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&sourceId=1aba862384d20110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=e1fa5f74db46c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&hideNav=true"><br />A Proclamation to the World</a>MY VIEWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358888281800202218noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212638237051039249.post-66211353479847711442010-01-23T14:57:00.000-08:002010-01-23T15:21:48.543-08:00Looking Good vs. Fixing ThingsOne of the problems with Mormon culture is that we tend to live in a world of looking good instead of fixing problems, we tend to hide them. Now I'm not condemning "the church" what I'm saying is that we may not really understand the point here. We may not be emotionally or spiritually mature enough to put into practice what we preach, it happens. It's a by product of imperfection on the pathway to perfection.<br /><br />When I was serving as the secretary of the stake young men it always amused me how much effort we put into the dress code for stake youth dances. Now I'm the first to state that yes modesty is important, but I think sometimes some adults really believe that sticking a boy in a tie and a girl in a dress that goes under her knees is going to prevent them from having sex. I often thought that trying to dress the youth up like little adults wasn't really helping. Well they looked good but were they good?<br /><br />I remember also the discussion about boys and earrings and passing the sacrament. The rule stated that the boy needs to take the earring or whatever the piercing was out before he could participate. In the back of my mind I kept wondering if the boy had understood why he shouldn't have had the piercing in the first place this wouldn't have been an issue, is just taking it out so he can put it right back in really the answer? And I'm not judging the kid, I'm just judging the reasoning.<br /><br />I remember going to a number of Christian rock concerts were the youth were a little less well dressed, still modest, but they didn't look like little junior executives and how much they were enjoying themselves, even more none of their parents had to force them to go. It was amazing, yes they were feeling the Spirit without a tie on.<br /><br />Looking good sometimes helps us feel better when things aren't really good. Lets face it, we are striving for perfection and none of us really understands what that means. We say we believe in repentance, we say we are grateful for it in testimony meetings, we may even cry about it, but we shy away from it at times because the process may be to painful. I have a feeling that the chapel is full of lots of people in the church who want to come forward, who want to "do the right thing, make things right with God" but who don't because they feel what people will say if they do. I know because I've been there. <br /><br />Some could say they are leading double lives. Yes, the church is full of two camps those who are Saints and those who are pretending. But it's not really that simple is it? I think this is only half of the story. None of us are perfect. And that's not just an excuse its more of a fact. None of us are presently complete or we'd not be here trying to learn how to be. I honestly believe that most people are good and most people want to do the right thing. We can't even begin to understand why people do things they do, the feelings that are real and that motivate others to do things we would never think of. We've all been there I think.<br /><br />I fear also that it also allows us to judge others who may also be struggling. This is because we don't really know how to deal with it in person. It's like the uncomfortable awkwardness a lot of us face when we meet a handicap person. We don't want to admit it, but its true. We don't want to say the wrong thing and hurt their feelings. And yes some of us may be ignorant about that persons personal struggle or our feelings may be fueled with anger, guilt, misunderstanding or any number of things. <br /><br />I've often wondered about those who have been confessed, been through the process been excommunicated never come back. I understand why some may leave the church when they no longer feel their beliefs are inline with the church, but those who have submitted to this as part of the repentance process who then don't come back breaks my heart.<br /><br />I know that I've been taught that church disciple is supposed to be restorative and not punitive. But I also know that a startling number of those who have been through it don't come back. Those who have voluntarily endured it as part of the repentance process, who then stumble and fall are the most tragic because it took great faith to humble themselves to it.<br /><br />This is where I hope I can be better. Maybe I need to worry less about understanding and more about loving because loving can lead to understanding. Maybe the key is that to love doesn't always mean to understand but just to love.<br /><br />I think this is an area that the church needs to help teach its members to understand. This is why I think a lot of these good people don't come back, they feel alone, isolated, judged and ostracized. Pondering this I realize however that the church can only teach correct principles, its up to me to put them into practice in my own life. I need to do it myself.MY VIEWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358888281800202218noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212638237051039249.post-51248978716928452172010-01-23T13:58:00.001-08:002010-01-23T15:21:18.172-08:00Dancing with the BearsA wise man once wrote that there is a great definition for rationalization, it's legitimizing impropriety. He compared this to dancing with a bear noting that its easy to waltz our way into circumstance that we think we can control, when in fact just the opposite occurs and these circumstances end up controlling us.<br /><br />Personally I have noticed in that in my life when I'm on the dance floor with the bear, it's these times that I become acutely aware of the "gray" areas. Those areas help me justifying being there. Yes, I've been taught right from wrong, black and white, but as I dance with this bear, and as I move further and further from light to darkness, it seems like those dance moves cut off the input of the Spirit. I feel safe because I'm still in the gray, technically the light and I can still feel the light. When in reality, I'm finding it harder and harder to tell the difference. These are also the times when if called on it, I will tell you that things aren't always black and white.<br /><br />I think everyone has situations, personal "gray zones" so to speak, where we know in our hearts we can't be trusted and that we need to avoid. But then the opportunity presents itself and we begin to legitimize it.<br /><br />Hyrum Smith, founder of the Franklin Institute and author of the book "Pain Is Inevitable, Misery Is Optional" said that "I am firmly convinced that sin and transgressions are in almost every circumstance a result of some sort of self-deception."<br /><br />There is a great deal of truth to this. <br /><br />That's the hard part, being able to not just say it. It's easy to warn others, to preach and to tell others not to do stuff. But its harder to do it yourself. I've found in my life that if I took most of the advice I've given I'd be happier. And I think at times there is a lesson there. It's why we should blog and keep journals so that we can later go back and read it ourselves.<br /><br />That and admitting I'm not a very good dancer or at least I need to dance with the lights on.MY VIEWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358888281800202218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212638237051039249.post-62760748078034683022009-11-11T16:49:00.000-08:002009-11-11T16:51:45.992-08:00Church Supports Nondiscrimination Ordinances<span style="font-style:italic;">I think this is really interesting given that so much has been said by critics about how the LDS Church fosters discrimination and homophobia.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Church Supports Nondiscrimination Ordinances</span><br /><br />SALT LAKE CITY 10 November 2009 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has declared its support of nondiscrimination regulations that would extend protection in matters of housing and employment in Salt Lake City to those with same-sex attraction.<br /><br />The Church said the Salt Lake City Council’s new nondiscrimination ordinance “is fair and reasonable” and balances fair housing and employment rights with the religious rights of the community.<br /><br />The remarks, representing the position of the Church’s leadership, were read by Michael Otterson, managing director of Church Public Affairs, as part of a public comment period discussing the ordinances at a Salt Lake City Council meeting tonight. <a href="http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/statement-given-to-salt-lake-city-council-on-nondiscrimination-ordinances">(Read full remarks)</a>.<br /><br />Otterson told city council members: “The issue before you tonight is the right of people to have a roof over their heads and the right to work without being discriminated against. But, importantly, the ordinances also attempts to balance vital issues of religious freedom. In essence, the Church agrees with the approach which Mayor Becker is taking on this matter.”<br /><br />The Church said that while protections in housing and employment were fair and reasonable, the Church also remains “unequivocally committed to defending the bedrock foundation of marriage between a man and a woman.” Otterson also pointed out that this position was “entirely consistent with the Church’s prior position on these matters.”<br /><br />Otterson added, “I represent a church that believes in human dignity, in treating others with respect even when we disagree — in fact, especially when we disagree.”MY VIEWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358888281800202218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212638237051039249.post-54785693636229512982009-10-14T13:33:00.000-07:002009-10-14T13:44:20.277-07:00Apostle Says Religious Freedom Is Being ThreatenedThis was posted at the newsroom of the official church website. Elder Dallin H. Oaks gave this groundbreaking and thoughtful address at a fireside at BYU-I on Tuesday. It has been picked up by the Associated Press. In connection with his speech, he also gave the following interview.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/media/mediaplayer.swf?media=http://broadcast.lds.org/newsroom/video/flv/Elder_Oaks_BYUI_13Oct09.flv&type=FLV"></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque"></param><embed src="http://www.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/media/mediaplayer.swf?media=http://broadcast.lds.org/newsroom/video/flv/Elder_Oaks_BYUI_13Oct09.flv&type=FLV" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="opaque" width="425" height="300"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />SALT LAKE CITY - An apostle for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said religious freedom is being threatened by societal forces intimidating those with religious points of view from having a voice in the public square. <a href="http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/religious-freedom">(See the full text of the speech here)</a><br /><br />Elder Dallin H. Oaks made the comments today (Oct. 13) in a major address to Brigham Young University-Idaho students on the importance of preserving the religious freedoms guaranteed by the United States Constitution. <br /><br />Elder Oaks has had a front-row seat in observing what he calls the “significant deterioration in the respect accorded to religion” in public life. Prior to his appointment to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Oaks had an illustrious law career. He served as a justice on the Utah Supreme Court, was a professor at the University of Chicago Law School and Brigham Young University’s J. Reuben Clark Law School and clerked for Chief Justice Earl Warren of the United States Supreme Court.<br /><br />Although his address on religious freedom was not written in response to the Proposition 8 battle over same- sex marriage in California, Elder Oaks likened the incidents of outrage against those who prevailed in establishing marriage between a man and a woman to the “widely condemned voter-intimidation of blacks in the South.”<br /><br />He said members of the Church should not be deterred or coerced into silence by threats. “We must insist on our constitutional right and duty to exercise our religion, to vote our consciences on public issues, and to participate in elections and debates in the public square and the halls of justice.” <br /><br />Elder Oaks also said religious freedom is being jeopardized by claims of newly alleged human rights. As an example, he referred to a set of principles published by an international human rights group which calls for governments to assure that all persons have the right to practice their religious beliefs regardless of sexual orientation or identity. Elder Oaks said, “This apparently proposes that governments require church practices to ignore gender differences. Any such effort to have governments invade religion to override religious doctrines should be resisted by all believers.”<br /><br />Noting that the students he was addressing were among the generation that would face continuing challenges to religious freedom, Elder Oaks offered five points of counsel:<br /><br /> * Speak with love and show patience, understanding and compassion to those with differing viewpoints.<br /> * Do not be deterred or coerced into silence by intimidation from opponents, insisting that churches and their members be able to speak out on issues without retaliation.<br /> * Insist on the freedom to preach the doctrines of their faith.<br /> * Be wise in political participation, remaining respectful of those who do not share their religious beliefs and contributing to reasonable discussion.<br /> * Be careful to never support or act on the idea that a person must subscribe to a specific set of religious beliefs in order to qualify for public office.<br /><br />“Religious values and political realities are so interlinked in the origin and perpetuation of this nation that we cannot lose the influence of Christianity in the public square without seriously jeopardizing our freedoms,” Elder Oaks concluded. “I maintain that this is a political fact, well qualified for argument in the public square by religious people whose freedom to believe and act must always be protected by what is properly called our ‘First Freedom,’ the free exercise of religion.”MY VIEWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358888281800202218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212638237051039249.post-51674429956943265792009-10-07T12:25:00.000-07:002009-10-07T12:44:33.837-07:00The Ten Virgins, the 99 and the one and the Prodical Son: Waiting with a fatted cowGrowing up I have always wondered how the parable of the Ten Virgins fits with what Christ taught about the 99 and the one.<br /><br />I used to wonder why if Christ would leave the 99, whom I assumed are those who are faithful, to go after the one who wasn't, then certainly He would also leave the wedding feast and the five wise and prepared Virgins to go after the five who weren't.<br /><br />I also wondered about how in the the story of the Prodigal Son, the father killed the fatted cow when his wayward son returned.<br /><br />I used to think of these as conflicting tales. But over time I've come to see them in perspective. They all talk about various places we may find ourselves in the repentance process or even just in life.<br /><br />When I hear of dear friends who have been brought up in the gospel, much like in the story of the Ten Virgins wherein the five foolish virgins who have been warned to have their oil ready when the bridegroom arrives "throwing in the towel" and choosing to engage in aspects of the homosexual lifestyle such as dating men and getting into relationships that convinces them that they are being true to themselves and whatnot and then leaving the church - I find it a real tragedy.<br /><br />I think about what the father of the Prodigal must have felt. He had given him the means in which to be able to do what he did which led to him finally "dwelling with the pigs." I think about how God has given us things that are great blessings like sexuality and how some have misused this great blessing for selfish fulfillment.<br /><br />I've also had friends who have told me that they have a testimony, that they know the church is true BUT they just don't want to or aren't ready to be strong. <br /><br />Thinking back to the coming of the bridegroom, we don't know when that time will be. We have all been invited to that wedding. And yes, we are the ones who decide to RSVP by being ready for it. Unfortunately the invitation doesn't give the when, it just gives the how and that it's soon.<br /><br />When the bridegroom does arrive there will be no time to argue or debate his arrival, the fact of the matter will be that he has arrived, HE is here and those without oil after having been given sufficient time to gather it will be left behind, I do mourn for them because these are my brothers and sisters. I feel sorry for them and yes until then I will do everything within my power to support them in getting them to gather oil. But I can't make them. You can't give oil to them. It doesn't work that way. I think until the day does come I will be out searching for them.<br /><br />We all know his is not an easy life, its not easy to keep our lamps full of oil all the time, our wicks trimmed and ready for the time of the wedding feast. I think we all look for things that provide us comfort and that help us feel like we are normal. But I believe we are all challenged in some way or the other. It's part of the oil gathering process. It's not easy.<br /><br />But there is a time when we will have to be judged with the oil we do have, the oil we did gather. Until then we should be willing to share, to help other gather their oil. And I think those people who do advocate for the gospel are trying to do that, but its up to the individual to listen and to gather their own oil so to speak.<br /><br />There are lots of voices out there that would tell us not to bother gathering oil, or that if they didn't gather it that it's okay someone will give them some at the last minute, not to worry because it will be easy to get when its needed. Or that perhaps there is no wedding after all or that those who stock up are the foolish ones. Some would say there is probably no reason to even have a lamp.<br /><br />But if the gospel is true then one day when the bridegroom or in this case the Savior arrives, it will be too late to barrow and we will need to stand on our own. This is that time, this is the time for us to prepare to meet God, this is our preparatory state. This is mortality. That is why we are here. To make choices on temporal desires when we have a grasp of the eternal perspective is short sighted and much like choosing to put off gathering our oil until its too late.<br /><br />And this isn't to say that I know that when that day comes Christ will wonder were those Five Foolish Virgins are and where "the One" is. Hopefully they will realize that before the Savior returns that they must also return like the Prodigal Son. And yes when and hopefully they do, we need to be willing to greet them with our fatted cows.MY VIEWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358888281800202218noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212638237051039249.post-47157436745846590242009-09-29T14:14:00.000-07:002009-09-29T14:20:56.239-07:00Spiderman socks and a stuffed mouseIt occurred to me recently that yes it is entirely possible to be faced with challenges and temptations that if we attempt to face alone, on our own, without the Lord's help, will do us in.<br /><br />Without the atonement we are done for. That's the whole point. We can't do it alone, on our own.<br /><br />I firmly believe that if we seek the Lord's help when faced with temptation He will always provide a way out. But we also really need to want to avoid it. Not just say we do. And we also need to do all we can to avoid it.<br /><br />In sacrament meeting I usually sit with a couple who are good friends of mine. A few weeks ago I was sitting the back row and the microphone was broken. I also was helping them keep three kids quiet. This is actually one of my favorite parts of the week.<br /><br />I looked at the young couple. He's in the elders quorum presidency, she is a Primary teacher. They have a 1, 3 and 5 year-old. I don't know how much they really get out of Sacrament Meeting. They are usually late, but they are always there.<br /><br />I think its important that we always do our best to be there so to speak. I don't just mean be at church, but just be willing to be where we need to be, where the Lord wants us to be, even if we do mess up. Always try to be where we should be even if we feel the work to get there or stay there is an uphill battle. If we are just willing to do our best to be there, He will meet us there.<br /><br />While I know its often hard for them they do their best. I look at their struggles and responsibilities and I look at mine and I realize that we all need help but that's why we are friends. He is trying to run his own business. They know they can call me in a time of crisis to babysit or bring dinner over etc. I've taken the wife Christmas shopping when she wanted to get away and surprise her husband. When she was away in Utah I went over and brought him pizza and "did a few dishes" etc. They also help me.<br /><br />I think that's how we need to all be for each other. This is much like our need to stand by and support each other.<br /><br />I know its hard for them to always be there. Sometimes the 3 year-old ends up wear Spiderman socks or sandals because he didn't know where his left shoe was. Sometimes the 5 year-old turns up with his stuffed Fival the Mouse. Sometimes the father falls asleep because he was working until midnight. But they are there.<br /><br />I think God looks at that and smiles. They are always there even with a stuffed mouse and Spiderman socks.<br /><br />I find a lot of inspiration in that.MY VIEWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358888281800202218noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212638237051039249.post-52762740248259944992009-09-20T16:27:00.000-07:002009-09-20T16:45:27.272-07:00Elder Bruce C. Hafen Speaks on Same-Sex AttractionFor the complete text of Elder Bruce C. Hafen's address on same gender attraction click here <a href="http://www.newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/public-issues/elder-bruce-c-hafen-speaks-on-same-sex-attraction">Elder Bruce C. Hafen Speaks on Same-Sex Attraction</a><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Don't succumb to cultural confusion, Elder Hafen urges</span><br />Deseret News - By Lana Groves and Scott Taylor<br />Published: Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009</span><br /><br />Individuals struggling with same-gender attraction should not let their challenges define their entire identity nor succumb to the increasing cultural confusion swirling around the topic of homosexuality.<br /><br />That was Elder Bruce C. Hafen's message Saturday morning at the two-day annual conference for Evergreen International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Latter-day Saints diminish same-sex attraction. The organization, which has no affiliation with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, held its conference at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.<br /><br />"You are not simply a child of God. You are a son or a daughter of God, with all the masculine or feminine connotations of those words," Elder Hafen, a member of LDS Church's Quorum of the Seventy, told conference attendees Saturday.<br /><br />"That is your true, eternal identity," he said. "I urge you to seek a testimony, even a personal vision, of that identity. I ask you to take every possible step, each day, to align your physical and emotional life with the spiritual reality of who you really are."<br /><br />With his background in family law, Elder Hafen, the former dean of BYU's J. Reuben Clark Law School, listed four misconceptions that he said activists try to establish as facts to try to influence policymakers and the public:<br /><br />* That same-gender attraction is an inborn and unalterable orientation.<br /><br />* That therapy cannot treat, let alone change, same-gender attraction.<br /><br />* That most Americans favor same-gender marriage, which means the church is outside the mainstream in opposing it.<br /><br />* And that there are no rational, nonreligious reasons for opposing same-gender marriage.<br /><br />Of the latter, Elder Hafen said society and laws have long endorsed marriage between a man and a woman with an honored priority as a significant institution. The result is children of that marriage — the future society — thriving best in a formal family with their own father and mother in a setting befitting society's long-term interests and well-being.<br /><br />Elder Hafen encouraged conferencegoers to open themselves to God's influence in their lives.<br /><br />"Then your confidence will grow — not only in him, but in yourself," he said. "I am describing a process, not an event, and it can sometimes seem hopelessly long and difficult. But I promise you that as you learn to connect your righteous desires with his love, his power really will put you home — eventually, all the way home."<br /><br />Individuals struggling with same-gender attraction should not let their challenges define their entire identity nor succumb to the increasing cultural confusion swirling around the topic of homosexuality.<br /><br />"Sometimes that attraction may make you feel sinful, even though the attraction alone is not a sin if you do not act on it," he said. "Sometimes you may feel frustration or anger or simply a deep sadness about yourself. But as hard as same-gender attraction is … it does not mean your nature is flawed. Whenever the adversary tries to convince you that you are hopelessly 'that way,' so that acting out your feelings is inevitable, he is lying."<br /><br />Jesus Christ's atonement offers two healing blessings to those challenged by same-gender attraction, Elder Hafen said.<br /><br />"First, Christ helps us draw on his strength to become more at one with God, even while overcoming the attraction. He helps us bear the burden of the affliction," he said.<br /><br />"As a second healing and compensating blessing," he later added, "the atonement enables the grace that assures this grand promise: No eternal blessing — including marriage and family life — will be withheld from those who suffer same-gender attraction, if they do 'all they can do' to remain faithful."MY VIEWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358888281800202218noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212638237051039249.post-29585810334014493482009-09-07T13:08:00.000-07:002009-09-07T13:10:38.900-07:00Lessons from Liberty JailEach of us, at some time or another will have to spend some time in Liberty Jail. This is the message of Elder Jeffery R. Holland in his recent CES fireside address, "Lessons from Liberty Jail." (Sept 09 Ensign) Just like the Prophet Joseph Smith and his companions, who endured the cold winter months of 1838-39 in what could only be described as a miserable dungeon for crimes they didn't commit, each of us will face things that seem unfair and unjust. How I personally handle them and what lessons I learn from these experiences depends greatly on how I choose to endure them.<br /><br />While the conditions were bleak, it was during this time period that some of the most sublime passages of modern scripture were revealed to the prophet. It was during this time of desperation that Joseph pleaded with the Lord (see D&C 121:1-3). In response, the Lord replied that the purpose of our afflictions and the blessings we can obtain if we but endure (see verses 7-8). It was also during this time in what Church historian B.H Roberts calls "the prison temple"—noting the refining elements of the experience—that some of our most sacred spiritual instruction, including the Lord's teaching that "many are called but few are chosen" and the proper characteristics for exercising power in the priesthood, is set fourth (see verses 34-43).<br /><br />Speaking of enduring and learning, Elder Holland promises: "You can have sacred, revelatory, profoundly instructive experience with the Lord in the most miserable experiences of your life-in the worst settings, while enduring the most painful injustices, when facing the most insurmountable odds and oppositions you have ever faced."<br /><br />While personally I would never pray for bad things to happen in my life, I know I need to be prepared to face them. Elder Holland gives three keys to doing this: first, realize that everyone faces trying times; secondly, that even the worthy will suffer; and third, remain calm, patient, charitable and forgiving at all times. Finally, he concludes that we need to face all things with a cheerful spirit.<br /><br />For me there are times when I've felt almost overwhelmed by my personal struggles; times when I've felt unfairly judged by others; and worse, times when I've felt used and abandoned by the very people whom I loved and viewed as a friend. At times, I've wondered, "Why me Lord? I'm doing what you asked me to do!" But as Elder Holland points out, "Why not me?" The scriptures and Church history are full of people who have suffered and endured things that they clearly didn't deserve. The atonement is the supreme example of this. According to Elder Holland, our trials put us in good company.<br /><br />Ironically, the times when I feel the furthest from the Lord are the very moments when I am the closet to Him if I but reach for Him. This is one of the lessons of Liberty Jail. Sometimes these bad days are those humbling moments that I need to remind me that the same things I'm enduring now also happened to the Savior of the world as part of the great atonement—that when I plead, "Lord, how much worse can it get?", the answer is simple: "I died for you so that it won't get worse. I am with thee."MY VIEWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358888281800202218noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212638237051039249.post-5434262766054882172009-07-30T14:48:00.000-07:002009-07-30T14:50:04.945-07:00GossipThere are a few things in life I have control over. One of these are my actions. There are also a few things that I don't have control over and that's the things people say about me. I would rather people talk about how wonderfully talented I am or my keen sense of style and whatever but sadly not everyone does. I'd like to be viewed as good friend, as someone who cares and who love but again I'm not always. I would love to be sought after as a friend, but sadly that isn't always the case. Fair? Justified? No. Reality? Yes. I was once told that I can't control what people think about me, but I can control what I say or do to other people.<br /><br /> I fear at times that sometimes a person may have a lot of good to say but that they will never be heard because of gossip spread about them by others. Sometimes this is even second or third generation gossip that has evolved into something completely not true but that has lingered on to haunt that person. I've also found through my own experiences that at times the very people who should understand how hard it is will often be the most cruel, the most hurtful. The ones who give you the cold shoulder. This could be because I remind them of what they are trying hard themselves to overcome or perhaps they feel some sort of fear based on "what so and so has told them." But at the same time I don't think we ever progress along the path of salvation by climbing over another person and forcing them under. I hope and pray that I never do that to another person or that my actions never make another person feel that way.<br /><br /> We can be the greatest support to others who struggle with SGA because we know what it's like. We can also be the ones who make it worse for others when we do as you said and let gossip or other shallow things prevent us from reaching out.<br /><br /> It takes a very brave person to stand up to a friend we love who may be doing this and say "I've heard that." It takes an even braver friend to take it a step further and say, "Why do you think that is the way it is?" or "Have you actually talked to that person and know that that is the truth?" Challenging them to step back, to take a walk in the others shoes.<br /><br /> Joseph Smith taught that if we have an issue with someone, we should take it up with them personally and in such a way that we resolve it. We do this so that we don't become stumbling blocks to each other. Often times I know from experience that I may have slighted someone or done something to them in the past. I may have since then moved forward and have tried very hard to live the gospel. However, my past actions will always cloud that persons opinion of me and my new good actions may even come off as hypocritical, unless I take the time to make peace with that person and try to resolve things. And yes, I realize that that clouding could be the result of the other persons pride or whatever or maybe its easier to vilify me then to make amends.<br /><br /> There are times when no matter how hard you try to resolve those things, that person may never ever want to and before jumping to whatever conclusions we can come up with we should consider maybe there is something within their own space that prevents them from being able to do that. Once we have apologized sincerely in such a way that it should mean something to that person and not just makes us feel better we should consider walking away but as my grandma once said, leave the door open to them.<br /><br /> Yes, I do believe there are times when it is needed to reach out to warn another person if you feel that they may be getting involved with something or someone that we may know isn't going to be good with them. But there are ways to do that that are uplifting and that may even build up that person you think is dangerous so that they may become someone we don't fear. Why not try to reach out to them and build them up? Again going to that person personally, seeing them as a child of God first and foremost. We need to be careful that we do this out of love for that person. And yes maybe sometimes our fear are justified and we do need to stay clear of them. But I think those times are few and far between. Our motives need to be well meaning and not to tear down. Understanding why a person may be motivated to act or think a certain way goes a long way to developing empathy for them.<br /><br /> If people were less judgmental of each other over stupid things that don't matter, or if we were to let go of second or third generation gossip that we often cling to in order to justify the boundaries we throw up around ourselves, we may soon find that there are a lot of good people out there. Boundaries are there to help protect ourselves not to hurt others. I have found more times then any that there are a lot of human people out there, a lot of imperfect people. And a lot of people just like myself.MY VIEWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358888281800202218noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212638237051039249.post-78190590940621144382009-06-25T15:05:00.002-07:002009-06-25T15:11:07.658-07:00Highjacking a victims memoryIt also rubs me the wrong way the way these so called "LDS," gay affirming groups evoke the name of Stuart Matis to play their "political card" in their efforts to lobby the church to change doctrine so that acting on homosexuality is no longer considered a sin.<br /><br />This is just my opinion, but I don't know and I don't think anyone can really know what was going through Stuarts mind when he made that final tragic decision to end his life. For anyone to say they do is out of place. Yes, he may have left letters, but I don't think anyone can fully understand the thoughts that drove him to it. The closet thing that I can say is that I can relate to the frustration he felt as he struggled to live his life in a way that he believed pleased Heavenly Father, weighed against feelings and attractions that are real, but if acted on conflict with those beliefs. Many of us have been in that same desperate moment, but I think its also an individual experience. To say he did it because of Prop. 22 or anything else I think is really speculation or subjecture on the part of those who are trying to use him to lobby support for their own cause.<br /><br />It is out of place on many facets. First, because now its between him and Heavenly Father and the Savior, who is the only one who can fully understand him. Secondly, I think that it is really cruel to his family when his name is shanghai-ed by people who never met him or who have only had limited contact with him but claim to be close friends with him. I personally believe that common decency would dictate that it is inappropriate for these groups to post suicide notes and letters as a means to "fight for a cause" when one would wonders if he would really have supported them in the first place, but who have used him as a means to evoke sympathy for their cause.<br /><br />In addition, for these same groups to use the actions of a small misguided group of church members who do act inappropriately out of intolerance to judge the doctrine and main body of the church as intolerant is rather like judging every gay person by the sick displays of debauchery seen at many pride events.<br /><br />Yes, I do believe that the Prophet was speaking on behalf of the Lord when in both cases he asked us to give our time, talents and best efforts to support Prop. 22 and in Prop. 8. Just because it may make me uncomfortable because it hits a personal cord in me, doesn't make the voice of the Prophet any less real or valid. But I also do believe that in so doing we also needed to show forth as much love and compassion for those who do struggle and not to be motivated by hatred and intolerance for people who do choose to use their agency in a way that goes against what we have been taught by the Lord through the Prophet to be correct.<br /><br />I don't think anyone who struggles with SGA was happy that the church was involved in Prop. 22 or Prop. 8. in California. I'm not happy that the church has to get involved in anti-pornography campaigns or in programs that promote adoptions over abortions, but I also understand that sometimes it is necessary for the church to get involved in moral issues that do effect society as a whole and marriage is just that.MY VIEWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358888281800202218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212638237051039249.post-32156715586318773862009-06-11T19:34:00.000-07:002009-06-11T19:35:52.753-07:00The Storm Over the MormonsIt looks like the LDS Church has found itself in the pages of Time Magazine again. Enjoy!<br /><a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1904146,00.html">The Storm Over the Mormons</a>MY VIEWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358888281800202218noreply@blogger.com0