LDS Etcetera

Church Responds to HRC Petition

2010-10-13T03:58:00.000-07:00

Oct 12 2010 — Salt Lake City

News Release

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued the following statement through a spokesman following the delivery of a petition by the Human Rights Campaign

My name is Michael Otterson. I am here representing the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to address the matter of the petition presented today by the Human Rights Campaign.

While we disagree with the Human Rights Campaign on many fundamentals, we also share some common ground. This past week we have all witnessed tragic deaths across the country as a result of bullying or intimidation of gay young men. We join our voice with others in unreserved condemnation of acts of cruelty or attempts to belittle or mock any group or individual that is different – whether those differences arise from race, religion, mental challenges, social status, sexual orientation or for any other reason. Such actions simply have no place in our society.

This Church has felt the bitter sting of persecution and marginalization early in our history, when we were too few in numbers to adequately protect ourselves and when society’s leaders often seemed disinclined to help. Our parents, young adults, teens and children should therefore, of all people, be especially sensitive to the vulnerable in society and be willing to speak out against bullying or intimidation whenever it occurs, including unkindness toward those who are attracted to others of the same sex. This is particularly so in our own Latter-day Saint congregations. Each Latter-day Saint family and individual should carefully consider whether their attitudes and actions toward others properly reflect Jesus Christ’s second great commandment - to love one another.

As a church, our doctrinal position is clear: any sexual activity outside of marriage is wrong, and we define marriage as between a man and a woman. However, that should never, ever be used as justification for unkindness. Jesus Christ, whom we follow, was clear in His condemnation of sexual immorality, but never cruel. His interest was always to lift the individual, never to tear down.

Further, while the Church is strongly on the record as opposing same-sex marriage, it has openly supported other rights for gays and lesbians such as protections in housing or employment.

The Church’s doctrine is based on love. We believe that our purpose in life is to learn, grow and develop, and that God’s unreserved love enables each of us to reach our potential. None of us is limited by our feelings or inclinations. Ultimately, we are free to act for ourselves.

The Church recognizes that those of its members who are attracted to others of the same sex experience deep emotional, social and physical feelings. The Church distinguishes between feelings or inclinations on the one hand and behavior on the other. It’s not a sin to have feelings, only in yielding to temptation.

There is no question that this is difficult, but Church leaders and members are available to help lift, support and encourage fellow members who wish to follow Church doctrine. Their struggle is our struggle. Those in the Church who are attracted to someone of the same sex but stay faithful to the Church’s teachings can be happy during this life and perform meaningful service in the Church. They can enjoy full fellowship with other Church members, including attending and serving in temples, and ultimately receive all the blessings afforded to those who live the commandments of God.

Obviously, some will disagree with us. We hope that any disagreement will be based on a full understanding of our position and not on distortion or selective interpretation. The Church will continue to speak out to ensure its position is accurately understood.

God’s universal fatherhood and love charges each of us with an innate and reverent acknowledgment of our shared human dignity. We are to love one another. We are to treat each other with respect as brothers and sisters and fellow children of God, no matter how much we may differ from one another.

We hope and firmly believe that within this community, and in others, kindness, persuasion and goodwill can prevail.

See Thou Tell No Man

2009-02-18T15:57:00.000-08:00

"See thou tell no man"
Matthew 6:1

When you do a good deed do you later find yourself tooting your own horn to friends and family? Do you pride yourself on your willingness to be charitable, compassionate and altruistic?

Learning humility can be a complicated and lifelong task. Be as we have been told time and time again, it is impossible to get into the Kingdom of God without it.

People who fear that others will notice their weakness or imperfections will involve themselves in acts of kindness that appear, on the surface, to be Christ like charity. But they do so for the wrong reason. Perhaps unwittingly, they seek the approval of others and so they create scenarios in their life that casts them in a good light. They want the world to notice their good works so their flaws will go unnoticed.

The problem is that the Lord has told us that without humility our acts of kindness hold little value. Like the Pharisees who meticulously lived the Law of Moses in order to be seen as righteous in the eyes of the public, bragging about our good deeds comes from a place of insecurity and pride. We feel so good about ourselves that humility flies out the window.

Christ-like charity isn’t about us. It is about serving the Lord by serving others. Our needs for accolades and praise need to be left behind as we give of ourselves solely for the purpose of helping another.

It can be a fine line to follow, wanting to tell people how charitable we have been and needing to remain anonymous, but if we are to set our sights on righteous living, we need to find other ways to fill our emotional needs and allow our charity to be Christ like.

President Elaine Dalton - Choices in my Youth

2009-01-26T16:57:00.000-08:00

Pres. Elaine Dalton, general president of the young women spoke to the missionaries in Veracruz Mexico telling them about a choice she made in her youth. This is her story.

She said that when she was about 15, she was not attractive and not popular. She wanted so much to be popular like other girls in her high school. One day a group of seven girls approached her at school. They were among the most popular in the whole school. They invited her to a party on Friday night. She could hardly believe it! She was so happy! That night she went home after school and asked her parents permission to go. There was only one problem. The party was a sleepover. The party included spending the night at the home of one of the girls. Her parents did not allow that.

She talked about it with her parents. They told her that they would love her to go but that the rule was not to sleep at other people's homes. She pleaded and begged, but the anwer was, "No." So, she did what any normal teenaged girl would do. She went to her bedroom, slammed the door shut, and cried and screamed. Finally, her father came into her room.

He said the he and her mother had talked about it. They decided that Elaine should pray about it. If Heavenly Father said it was okay, then they would let her go. Elaine was so happy! She said that she offered the shortest prayer in history and then reported to her parents that it was alright with Heavenly Father. So, she went to the party.

When she got there, it was obvious that the parents of the hostess were not there. After a few minutes, all the girls went into the kitchen. Little glasses were lined up on the kitchen counter. Then, one of the girls brought out a bottle of whiskey and filled the glasses. Elaine counted and saw that there were eight girls and eight glasses. She didn't drink, never had, and never wanted to. As one of the girls filled the glasses with the alcoholic beverage, she prayed in her heart asking Heavenly Father what she should do. A voice came to her mind. "Go home."

"But," she argued, "I want to be popular. This is very important to me. One little drink won't hurt me." The voice said, "Go home, NOW." So, she did. She left the party. She walked home crying. She got home and her parents asked how the party was, She said, "Oh, just fine," and went to her bedroom and cried herself to sleep.

At school the next week, the girls were mean to her. They never let her forget and always treated her horribly. She was never popular with them. But, she was popular with her Heavenly Father. Her patriarchal blessing says that she would lift her voice in testimony to the nations of the world. Now, she knows what that means. Her patriarchal blessing is being fulfilled because she made the right choice and obeyed to the voice of the Spirit all those years ago.

May you obey the voice of the Spirit all the days of your life.

A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER

2008-12-09T22:57:00.001-08:00

Pa never had much compassion for the lazy or those who squandered their means and then never had enough for the necessities. But for those who were genuinely in need, his heart was as big as all outdoors. It was from him that I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not from receiving. It was Christmas Eve 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world had caved in on me because there just hadn't been enough money to buy me the rifle that I'd wanted for Christmas. We did the chores early that night for some reason. I just figured Pa wanted a little extra time so we could read in the Bible.

After supper was over I took my boots off and stretched out in front of the fireplace and waited for Pa to get down the old Bible. I was still feeling sorry for myself and, to be honest, I wasn't in much of a mood to read Scriptures. But Pa didn't get the Bible; instead he bundled up again and went outside. I couldn't figure it out because we had already done all the chores. I didn't worry about it long though; I was too busy wallowing in self-pity.

Soon Pa came back in. It was a cold clear night out and there was ice in his beard. "Come on, Matt," he said. "Bundle up good, it's cold out tonight." I was really upset then. Not only wasn't I getting the rifle for Christmas, now Pa was dragging me out in the cold, and for no earthly
reason that I could see. We'd already done all the chores, and I couldn't think of anything else that needed doing, especially not on a night like this.

But I knew Pa was not very patient at one dragging one's feet when he'd told them to do something, so I got up and put my boots back on and got my cap, coat, and mittens. Ma gave me a mysterious smile as I opened the door to leave the house. Something was up, but I didn't know what. Outside, I became even more dismayed. There in front of the house was the work team, already hitched to the big sled. Whatever it was we were going to do wasn't going to be a short, quick, little job. I could tell. We never hitched up this sled unless we were going to haul a big load.

Pa was already up on the seat, reins in hand. I reluctantly climbed up beside him. The cold was already biting at me. I wasn't happy. When I was on, Pa pulled the sled around the house and stopped in front of the woodshed. He got off and I followed. "I think we'll put on the high
sideboards," he said. "Here, help me." The high sideboards! It had been a bigger job than I wanted to do with just the low sideboards on, but whatever it was we were going to do would be a lot bigger with the high sideboards on.

After we had exchanged the sideboards, Pa went into the woodshed and came out with an armload of wood---the wood I'd spent all summer hauling down from the mountain, and then all Fall sawing into blocks and splitting What was he doing? Finally I said something. "Pa," I asked, "what are you doing?" You been by the Widow Jensen's lately?" he asked. The Widow Jensen
lived about two miles down the road. Her husband had died a year or so before and left her with three children, the oldest being eight. Sure, I'd been by, but so what? "Yeah," I said, "Why?" "I rode by just today," Pa said. "Little Jakey was out digging around in the woodpile trying to find
a few chips. They're out of wood, Matt."

That was all he said and then he turned and went back into the woodshed for another armload of wood. I followed him. We loaded the sled so high that I began to wonder if the horses would be able to pull it. Finally, Pa called a halt to our loading, then we went to the smoke house and Pa took down a big ham and a side of bacon. He handed them to me and told me to put them in the sled and wait.

When he returned he was carrying a sack of flour over his right shoulder and a smaller sack of something in his left hand. "What's in the little sack?" I asked. "Shoes. They're out of shoes. Little Jakey just had gunnysacks wrapped around his feet when he was out in the woodpile this
morning. I got the children a little candy too. It just wouldn't be Christmas without a little candy."

We rode the two miles to Widow Jensen's pretty much in silence. I tried to think through what Pa was doing. We didn't have much by worldly standards. Of course, we did have a big woodpile, though most of what was left now was still in the form of logs that I would have to saw into blocks and split before we could use it. We also had meat and flour, so we could
spare that, but I knew we didn't have any money, so why was Pa buying them shoes and candy?

Really, why was he doing any of this? Widow Jensen had closer neighbors than us; it shouldn't have been our concern. We came in from the blind side of the Jensen house and unloaded the wood as quietly as possible, and then we took the meat and flour and shoes to the door. We knocked. The door opened a crack and a timid voice said, "Who is it?" "Lucas Miles,
Ma'am, and my son, Matt. Could we come in for a bit?"

Widow Jensen opened the door and let us in. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The children were wrapped in another and were sitting in front of the fireplace by a very small fire that hardly gave off any heat at all. Widow Jensen fumbled with a match and finally lit the lamp. "We brought you a few things, Ma'am," Pa said and set down the sack
of flour. I put the meat on the table. Then Pa handed her the sack that had the shoes in it.

She opened it hesitantly and took the shoes out one pair at a time. There was a pair for her and one for each of the children---sturdy shoes, the best, shoes that would last. I watched her carefully. She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling and then tears filled her eyes and started
running down her cheeks. She looked up at Pa like she wanted to say something, but it wouldn't come out. "We brought a load of wood too, Ma'am," Pa said. He turned to me and said, "Matt, go bring in enough to last awhile. Let's get that fire up to size and heat this place up." I wasn't the same person when I went back out to bring in the wood. I had a big lump in my throat and as much as I hate to admit it, there were tears in my eyes too.

In my mind I kept seeing those three kids huddled around the fireplace and their mother standing there with tears running down her cheeks with so much gratitude in her heart that she couldn't speak. My heart swelled within me and a joy that I'd never known before, filled my soul. I had given at Christmas many times before, but never when it had made so much
difference. I could see we were literally saving the lives of these people.

I soon had the fire blazing and everyone's spirits soared. The kids started giggling when Pa handed them each a piece of candy and Widow Jensen looked on with a smile that probably hadn't crossed her face for a long time. She finally turned to us. "God bless you," she said. "I know the Lord has sent you. The children and I have been praying that he would
send one of his angels to spare us." In spite of myself, the lump returned to my throat and the tears welled up in my eyes again. I'd never thought of Pa in those exact terms before, but
after Widow Jensen mentioned it I could see that it was probably true. I was sure that a better man than Pa had never walked the earth. I started remembering all the times he had gone out of his way for Ma and me, and many others. The list seemed endless as I thought on it.

Pa insisted that everyone try on the shoes before we left. I was amazed when they all fit and I wondered how he had known what sizes to get. Then I guessed that if he was on an errand for the Lord that the Lord would make sure he got the right sizes. Tears were running down Widow Jensen's face again when we stood up to leave. Pa took each of the kids in his big arms and gave them a hug. They clung to him and didn't want us to go. I could see that they missed their
Pa, and I was glad that I still had mine.

At the door Pa turned to Widow Jensen and said, "The Mrs. wanted me to invite you and the children over for Christmas dinner tomorrow. The turkey will be more than the three of us can eat, and a man can get cantankerous if he has to eat turkey for too many meals. We'll be by to get you about eleven. It'll be nice to have some little ones around again. Matt, here, hasn't been little for quite a spell." I was the youngest. My two brothers and two sisters had all married and had moved away. Widow Jensen nodded and said, "Thank you, Brother Miles. I don't have to say, "'May the Lord bless you,' I know for certain that He will."

Out on the sled I felt a warmth that came from deep within and I didn't even notice the cold. When we had gone a ways, Pa turned to me and said, "Matt, I want you to know something. Your ma and me have been tucking a little money away here and there all year so we could buy that rifle for you, but we didn't have quite enough. Then yesterday a man who owed me a little money from years back came by to make things square. Your ma and me were real excited, thinking that now we could get you that rifle, and I started into town this morning to do just
that. But on the way I saw little Jakey out scratching in the woodpile with his feet wrapped in those gunnysacks and I knew what I had to do. Son, I spent the money for shoes and a little candy for those children. I hope you understand"

I understood, and my eyes became wet with tears again. I understood very well, and I was so glad Pa had done it. Now the rifle seemed very low on my list of priorities. Pa had given me a lot more. He had given me the look on Widow Jensen's face and the radiant smiles of her three children. For the rest of my life, whenever I saw any of the Jensens, or split a block of wood, I remembered, and remembering brought back that same joy I felt riding home beside Pa that night. Pa had given me much more than a rifle that night; he had given me the best Christmas of my life.

Gays, Marriage, Prop 8 and Tolerance

2008-11-09T02:19:00.000-08:00

Article from the Sacramento Bee in Sacramento, Calif. -- The following statement was released today by Bishop William Weigand, head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento and former Bishop of Salt Lake City, in response to attacks on the Mormon Church for supporting California's Proposition 8, defending the traditional definition of marriage:

"Catholics stand in solidarity with our Mormon brothers and sisters in support of traditional marriage -- the union of one man and one woman.

"The ProtectMarriage coalition, which led the successful campaign to pass Proposition 8, was an historic alliance of people from every faith and ethnicity. LDS were included -- but so were Catholics and Jews, Evangelicals and Orthodox, African-Americans and Latinos, Asians and Anglos.

"Bigoted attacks on Mormons for the part they played in our coalition are shameful and ignore the reality that Mormon voters were only a small part of the groundswell that supported Proposition 8.

"I personally decry the bigotry recently exhibited towards the members of the Church of the Latter Day Saints -- coming from the opponents of Proposition 8, who ironically, have called those of us supporting traditional marriage intolerant.

"I call upon the supporters of same-sex marriage to live by their own words -- and to refrain from discrimination against religion and to exercise tolerance for those who differ from them. I call upon them to accept the will of the people of California in the passage of Proposition 8."

_____________________________________________________________________

Well said Bishop Weigand.

How is it that so often those who become enraged at others for not "tolerating" their opinions are hypocrites who refuse to tolerate anyone who doesn't agree with them? Tolerance is tolerance. It does not apply only to those who think they are right.

And then, you have to ask why - once again - the church is being singled out when most Christian churches were actively involved in the passing of Proposition 8? Of course we know the answer.

The adversary wants to keep God's children from knowing and understanding the gospel. That is why a criminals' religious ties are only mentioned in the media when the LDS church is involved, and why an upstanding citizen like Mitt Romney is ridiculed and denigrated for his religious beliefs but Obama, with his highly suspect religious history, is elected to the presidency.

It seems that the prophesy about the last days that says that good will become evil and evil will become good, has been fulfilled. These are the days when we are ridiculed for having moral values, when chastity is seen as weird and all manner of sexually perverse activities are purported as natural.

Shoud We Support Obama?

2008-11-06T22:49:00.000-08:00

Abraham Lincoln once observed: “Bad laws, if they exist, should be repealed as soon as possible; still, while they continue in force, they should be religiously observed.”

Christ gave us the great example of a law-abiding citizen when the Pharisees, trying to entangle him - as the scriptures say - asked him if it were lawful to give tribute money unto Caesar. Jesus asked whose inscription was on the tribute money, and the Pharisees noted that it was Caesars' image on the coin. Then Jesus said:

“Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” (Matt. 22:21.)

in Conference Oct. 1987 Elder L. Tom Perry said: “All members of the Church should be committed to obeying and honoring the laws of the land in which they live. We should be exemplary in our obedience to the governments that govern us.

and Elder James E. Talmage explained: “It is the duty of the
saints to submit themselves to the laws of their country. Nevertheless, they should use every proper method, as citizens or subjects, to secure for themselves and for all men the boon of freedom in religious service. It is not required of them to suffer without protest the operation of unjust laws; but their protests should be offered in legal and proper order”

Protesting particular laws should be done within the laws governing protest. Resorting to violence or any behavior that is immoral or outside the law is offensive to the Lord.

So even though many of us may have difficulty giving our allegiance to Obama our soon-to-be Commander and Chief, we need to remember that as members of the church we are bound to follow the laws of the land as stated in the 12th Article of Faith. However if we believe that a political leader is attempting to take away our freedoms or abuse his/her power to oppress us we should do what we can, within the law, to change things.

The government is supposed to work for us, not be our nurse maid. We need to be an independent people, capable of providing for ourselves, and able to detect immoral and ungodly governmental constraints instead of blindly or ignorantly following narcissistic, power hungry leaders.

The LDS People's Obligation to Vote

2008-10-28T23:43:00.000-07:00

Freedom is liberty; it is not being under someone else's control. It is having the right, and the responsibility, to take a stand on issues that affect our nation. There is no greater way to exercise our freedom, to ensure that freedom, than to vote. Nevertheless, many Americans do not take that freedom seriously.

According to an article entitled, "Students Should take Advantage of Right to Vote in November," written by John Huffman, it is estimated that only 36 percent of eligible students aged 18 to 26 voted in the 2000 Presidential election.

It is the responsibility of members of the church to teach their children the importance of understanding their role in choosing their leaders, laws and taxable obligations. Of course the best way to get this lesson across is to be a proactive role model. Talk about laws and elections at the dinner table. Let them know how you felt about your choices on voting day.

Many people, yes, even members of the church, skirt their obligation to vote. They use a variety of excuses to rationalize why they don’t vote. Some say it is because courts select jurors from registered voters, and they don’t want to serve on jury duty. Some say that they are too busy to vote. Still others say they don’t vote because one vote won’t matter at all. There are also those Americans who do not vote, because they simply are not concerned about doing so. I say, if you don’t take part in the choice, you have no right to complain about the outcome.

Our beliefs regarding earthly governments and laws are summarized in section 134 of the Doctrine and Covenants

D&C 134: 1-2, 5
1 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.

In other words we are going to be held responsible for the making of the laws. we need to know what the ramification of a law will be before we decide whether or not we support it.

2 We believe that no government can exist in peace, except such laws are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience, the right and control of property, and the protection of life.

We need to ask ourselves “Does our preferred candidate support life? Do they Support our right to control our own property?”

5 We believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments in which they reside, while protected in their inherent and inalienable rights by the laws … and that all governments have a right to enact such laws as in their own judgments are best calculated to secure the public interest.

President Ezra Taft Benson wrote:
Unfortunately, we 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”

On voting day it is up to us to do our part to ensure righteous laws and leaders who have morals and ethics most in line with those of the gospel.

New Video on The Bread of Life

2008-07-31T01:49:00.000-07:00

What is meant by the bread of life?

For those who were fed on the Mount of Olives it may have meant merely being satiated by the abundance of bread and fish that was miraculously supplied by the Savior. For others however it means understanding that Jesus was and is the Christ - the Son of God, the Messiah promised by the prophets of old.

Many understood that it was through Him that we could be nourished by the fullness of the gospel. To the fishermen on the shore Christ explained that they had not fully understood His divine mission. He explained that it would be his flesh (represented by the bread) that would be sacrificed for their sins and that through him they would be offered eternal exaltation.

This video makes this lesson clear.

Abuse, Domestic Violence and LDS Families, Part 1

2008-07-13T19:40:00.000-07:00

Does domestic violence occur among members of the church? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Like any other group of people we are human and humans sin. In The Proclamation on the Family there is a paragraph condemning abuse. That alone signifies that domestic violence and child abuse does at times occur in LDS homes. Sometimes abuse comes in the form of one spouse denigrating the other for being overweight, not keeping the house clean enough or belittling the other for not having as much education as the abuser. In my profession I have seen all forms of abuse in LDS and non LDS homes.

Granted this is not a topic that we like to discuss, but it is one that must be addressed. In Alma, 37:29 When Alma is counseling his son Helaman, we are taught that secrets are sin and that speaking openly about abuse and sin is God's law. It reads, "their wickedness and their murders and their abominations shall ye make known unto them; and ye shall teach them to abhor such wickedness and abominations and murders; and ye shall also teach them that these people were destroyed on account of their wickedness and abominations and their murders. Keeping abuse a secret only serves to perpetuate it.

I once had a young couple come to me a week after their wedding. They were from differing cultures, He was from California and she was from a culture in which arranged marriages were common. Prior to marrying they had no intimate contact as was custom in her culture. However on their honeymoon the young groom expected much more intimacy than she had imagined. By the time they returned home they were sleeping in separate rooms. She had expected that intimacy would evolve over time, and he had expected that the wedding night would fulfill his dreams.

The problem was communication, or lack of it. Neither was comfortable talking about sex with the other and consequently neither realized the other's expectations regarding their honeymoon. When the frustrated husband tried to force the issue of sex the young bride became terrified and asked for a divorce.

Although all newly married couples have to go through a phase of learning about each other, sexual preferences and expectations are often left on the shelf because one or both partners are uncomfortable with the subject. In such cases unhappiness to some degree, is the result, in extreme cases, abuse can result.

In 2002 Utah reported 67 domestic violence murders. Of course not all of those were in LDS homes, but it would be naive to believe that none of them were. In fact one of my clients was a family member of one of the LDS victims from that year. Statistics show that those married in the temple have fewer incidence of domestic violence than civilly married people. However a temple marriage does not guarantee that abuse won't occur at some point.

Although both husbands and wives can be abusers, we generally hear about abusive husbands. That is because men are more often physically violent which is against the law. Women are more often verbally abusive which goes unreported. Both types of abuse are are sin. And both types of abuse can tear apart a family.

Some other forms of abuse recognized by the church are:

Any form of hitting
any unwanted touch
caustic criticism
nagging
belittling
sarcasm
Yelling
name calling
threatening
using profanity
unfaithfulness
lying
restricting finances
making fun of the other
spiritual intimidation
controlling
unrighteous dominion - using the priesthood as a means to control

In the doctrine and Covenants we are taught that using status or position to control others is a sin. D&C 121:37 reads, "but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.

The words "control, compulsion" and "dominion" in this scripture clearly refer to what we now know as abuse.

Some people clearly realize that they are an abuser, yet they don't care enough about their relationship to change their ways. Others are ignorantly mirroring their abusive upbringing. How does one come to understand whether or not they are being abusive in their relationships? First, you need to be willing to be honest with yourself. Start by asking yourself these questions:

Do I call my spouse names to belittle or shame them?
Do I believe that I "can't help" loosing my temper, and I lose it frequently?
Are my expectations for my spouse unrealistic?
Would my spouse say that my expectations are unrealistic?
For instance do I expect that my husband make plenty of money and keep up on home repairs and the garden and discipline the children appropriately and conduct FHE, family prayers etc.?
Do I allow my spouse to have privacy or do I check up on him/her frequently?
Do I discount my spouses abilities?
Do I insist that family members obey me because I have the priesthood?
Have I used emotional blackmail, emotional threats?
Do I allow other things like work, church callings, expectations of others to come before my spouse's needs?
Do I engage in sexual abuse or force?
Do I get physical with my spouse?
Do I control all the money?
Is my spouse helpless without me?
Do I insist on being the main source of inspiration for family members rather than let them rely on the spirit for their guidance?
Do I insist on making all the decisions for the family?

Getting someone to admit that they are abusing another is very difficult. Abusers are more often than not immature, selfish and insecure, traits that no one wants to admit to.

Those who have suffered abuse from a loved one often are damaged spiritually as well as physically and emotionally. A woman abused or betrayed by her husband may loose faith in the priesthood and even God. Her testimony may fade as she prays for relief but feels her prayers are not being answered. She may not feel trust enough in priesthood leaders to seek the guidance of her Bishop or home teachers.

Priesthood holders may believe that they have the power to move mountains, but the greater power they have is to effect the lives of those who love them, for good or for evil.

Let me make one thing clear; no one deserves to be abused, to any degree, by anyone, for any reason. All abuse is a reflection of the mentality of the abuser, not of the abused. Likewise God will not stop the hand of an abuser. He has granted each of us our agency; whether we use it for good or for evil is up to each individual.

The lives of those who have been abused will forever be altered, however that does not mean that they must remain damaged. Elder Richard G. Scott said "Know that the wicked choice of others cannot completely destroy your agency unless you permit it... you are free to determine to overcome the harmful effects of abuse." The abused will never be seen as the sinner in the eyes of God. He knows the heart of the abuser and blames not the heart of the abused.

For more in-depth information regarding abuse and domestic violence visit Psych-Net Mental Health at http://www.psych-net.com/abuse.html

Part 2 - dealing with abuse, will be posted in the near future.

The Joys of Being a Different Kind of Parent

2008-06-26T00:01:00.001-07:00

This article is from LDS Living and it was so good that i thought I'd reprise it here.

Can you imagine what the world would be like if all the mothers in the world were exactly alike in how they behaved, in their approach to motherhood, and in the strengths and talents they shared with their families? I confess I feel great relief in knowing that we can each be our own kind of mom, a complete original, unlike any other mother on the face of the planet.

My mom was certainly one-of-a-kind. Like most mothers, she sought to feed, clothe and shelter us well and to educate and raise us to be responsible adults. But, one of the things that set her apart in my mind from all the other mothers I knew was her talent for sewing and clothing design. She didn’t make herself do these things. She loved doing them and so wove them quite naturally into the fabric of motherhood and family life. She always had a project in progress—whether it was Easter dresses or play clothes for my three sisters and me. I never had to worry about wearing the same outfit as another little girl because my mom’s creations were each completely unique and made with just me in mind.

Because my mother loved sewing so well, the significant moments in my life, especially in my childhood, can be reconstructed, to a great extent, with the dresses she has made for me over the years—the powder blue Easter dresses for starters (powder blue, she felt certain, was my color) but also the royal blue, Swiss-dot gown trimmed in cream I wore to my first holiday ball, the pearly mauve southern belle dress she custom-designed for my senior prom and, of course, the simple but exquisitely bustled white cotton wedding dress she created when my husband and I married.

When I think of all the beautiful clothes my mother created for my sisters and me, I feel the tiniest twinge of regret that I haven’t spent more time sewing for my own children. My mother taught me to sew and encouraged me to sew and while I enjoyed sewing as a teen and felt very satisfied with some of the outfits I made, sewing hasn’t been one of my top priorities in my adult years.

As a woman and a mother, I find myself drawn most powerfully to a love of language and of reading and writing and sharing these loves with my children. I am definitely in sync with the school of thought that bemoans the state of “so many books, and so little time.” Even so, I try to make the most of the time I have with my kids and the books I love. I find great delight in rediscovering and sharing with my children some of the books I enjoyed as a child; among them—Go Dog, Go by P.D. Eastman and William Steig’s Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, as well as chapter books like The Twenty-One Balloons by Pene William du Bois and The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. And my children and I have enjoyed discovering some new and wonderful books together. We have become especially fond of Snuggle Puppy by Sandra Boynton and Walter: The Story of a Rat by Barbara Wersba

Just as a good portion of my childhood can be reconstructed by looking back at the dresses my mother made for me, my children’s childhoods are, in large part, being constructed with the books we read and love together. Inspired by the stories we’ve shared my children have, in their own imaginative play, lived as boxcar children, explored their own secret gardens and “survived” the Dustbowl of the 1930’s.

Given the beautiful clothes my mom has made (for her children and grandchildren) and the love of literature I have shared in my home, I think my children realize that it is not only possible, but preferable, that a mother pursue a great love—whether that love be sewing or reading and writing or sports or something else—while raising children she loves. If we as mothers do something we absolutely love with and alongside raising children we absolutely love, we will, I believe, almost guarantee our children being raised in an atmosphere steeped in joy.

As I write this, it is clear to me that our children need not share our exact same interests to the extent we feel them, but that by seeing us pursue and develop our particular loves and talents, they will receive the permission they need to discover and nurture their own great loves and talents too.

My mother loved sewing and her dresses were, for me, the intersection of her love for creating something beautiful and her love for me. I love the written word—reading it and writing it—and the books in our home and the stories I’ve shared with my children are, for me, the intersection of my love for the written word and my love for them.

As I think about this, I cannot help but contemplate what intersections of love might occur in my children’s lives when they someday become parents themselves. My oldest daughter, now seventeen years old and four years older than my next child, is very likely to be the first of my children to have children of her own.

To a great extent she shares my love of story and my mother’s love of creating with one’s hands (she draws and paints beautifully). In particular, she loves to write and illustrate children’s picture books. But, when I think of this daughter and think of what she might someday be like as mother, I think the thing that will set her apart, the thing that will, I’m sure, make her a mother like no other, is her love of fun and her penchant for being a ham. She’s long possessed the gift of an almost unbounded sense of humor. Unlike me, nothing embarrasses her. She’s prone to impromptu slap-stick comedy routines that leave the rest of us bellyaching with laughter. I’ve told her more than once that she’s part Lucille Ball and part Carol Burnett with a sprinkling of Drew Barrymore thrown in. And while she may, in some respects, remind me of these three women, she leaves me with no doubts but that she is very much her own woman, and will, most assuredly, be her own kind of mom. It is clear to me even now, that there will be no shortage of fun, love, and laughter in her home.

This same daughter, when she was about 8-years-old, wrote a picture book for me called MOMS. She illustrated it in her vibrant and boldly-colored signature style, filling it with pictures of moms in all sizes, shapes, colors and styles. Her short but sweet story reads, “Some moms are big; some moms are small. Some moms are short; some moms are tall. Some moms are cool; some moms are quiet (a picture of a rather bookish-looking mom here). Some moms are black, some moms are white but my mom is just right (meaning, of course, just right for me).”
All these years later, my daughter’s story reminds me that we moms need not be exactly alike, that each mother can have her special way of being in the world, of being with their children. And, if we will act on these truths, we can give ourselves the permission we need to use our unique gifts and talents to be our own kind of moms, the kind of moms who are themselves, and in being themselves, just right for the children in their care.

The Bridegroom is Coming - Are You Prepared?

2008-06-10T02:06:00.000-07:00

How long has it been sense you checked and refurbished your 72 hour kits? My guess is that most of us get excited about creating a new 72 hour kit and once it is complete we allow the secure feeling we enjoy to last far longer than the expiration dates on the products we packed.

A 72 hour kit is different from general food storage in that many of the items in it have to be rotated or thrown out every 6 months. Children grow and so clothing needs to be changed out every 6 months or so. And any stored over-the-counter drugs will need to be thrown out and replaced every 6 months. Packaging materials will eventually break down and crack and so it is important to replace older containers with fresh ones.

I put together our first 72 hour kit back in the mid 70's. We kept it in our garage where weather and rodents had their way with it. About 15 years later, the once strong, plastic, lid had cracked and disintegrated causing it to cave into the large bucket it had been protecting. Not only did I need a new container but I discovered that the stored food, water and medical supplies were no longer usable.

So I decided to think differently about our 72 hour kits and how to keep them updated and ready for any emergency, whenever and wherever it occurred. Here is what I came up with.

Write down what your immediate needs are. Do your children have kits under their beds, in their cars? Do you have one in your car, under your desk at work? Is there a large one for each person in the entry closet - on wheels? Do your kids know what they are for and when to use them?

If you had to be completely on your own for 3 days before getting back to your traditional food storage what exactly would you need? Most people think of a first aid kit, food, water and a blanket, but what about hygiene supplies including a toothbrush, tissue, tampons, condoms? What about 3 days worth of diapers, medications, both over the counter and prescription drugs? Will you be outside until you get permission to get back into your home? - you might need sunscreen.

All 72 hour kits need to have a whistle attached to it. There are specifically made whistles that you can get from your local fire or police department for free that are very loud. You need a solar or hand crank operated radio. Flash lights, a makeshift toilet, solar or fuel-can cooking equipment. Compact and healthy food choices like MRE meals and individually boxed water. You will need warm clothing and bedding other than the mylar reflective blankets. You may need a few dollars or phone change, especially if your cell phone runs out of battery.

Here is a more comprehensive list of things you need to have in each of the kits in your home, car and at work.

Food and Water
(A three day supply of food and water, per person, when no refrigeration or cooking is available)

* Protein/Granola Bars (or a 3-meal whole food bar from survival stores or online at www.emergencyessentials.com
* Trail Mix/Dried Fruit
* Crackers/Cereals (for munching)
* Canned Tuna, Beans, Turkey, Beef, Vienna Sausages, etc ("pop-top" cans that open without a can-opener might not be a good idea, read this warning from one site visitor.)
* Canned Juice
* Candy/Gum (warning: using mint gum might make everything taste like mint.
Sponsored Links

Bedding and Clothing

* Change of Clothing (short and long sleeved shirts, pants, jackets, socks, etc.)
* Undergarments
* Rain Coat/Poncho
* Blankets and Emergency Heat Blanks (that keep in warmth)
* Cloth Sheet
* Plastic Sheet

Fuel and Light

* Battery Lighting (Flashlights, Lamps, etc.) Don't forget batteries!
* Extra Batteries
* Flares
* Candles
* Lighter
* Water-Proof Matches

Equipment

* Can Opener
* Dishes/Utensils
* Shovel
* Radio (with batteries!)
* Pen and Paper
* Axe
* Pocket Knife
* Rope

Personal Supplies and Medication

* First Aid Supplies
* Toiletries (roll of toilet paper- remove the center tube to easily flatten into a zip-lock bag, feminine hygiene, folding brush, etc.)
* Cleaning Supplies (mini hand sanitizer, soap, shampoo, dish soap, etc.)
* Immunizations Up-to Date
* Medication (Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, children's medication etc.)
* Prescription Medication (for 3 days)

Personal Documents and Money
(Place these items in a water-proof container!)

* Scriptures
* Genealogy Records
* Patriarchal Blessing
* Legal Documents (Birth/Marriage Certificates, Wills, Passports, Contracts, etc)
* Vaccination Papers
* Insurance Policies
* Cash
* Credit Card
* Pre-Paid Phone Cards

Miscellaneous

* Travel Bags on wheels to put 72 Hour Kit items in (duffel bags or back packs, work great) Make sure you can lift/carry it! Children should have child sized packs on rollers that they can easily maneuver. They should be kept under their bed.
* Infant Needs can be added to a separate pocket on the baby bag you already use. For your complete kit including cooking supplies and large items you may want to invest in a large, heavy duty, Rubber Made Box on wheels. Each parent should have one of these with enough items to take care of the family for 3 days.

Notes:

1. Update your 72 Hour Kit every six months (put a note in your calendar/planner) to make sure that: all food, water, and medication is fresh and has not expired; clothing fits; personal documents and credit cards are up to date; and batteries are charged.
2. Small toys/games are important too as they will provide some comfort and entertainment during a stressful time.
3. Older children can be responsible for their own pack of items/clothes too.
4. You can include any other items in your 72 Hour Kit that you feel are necessary for your family's survival.

Start by going through your garage, closets and cupboards to find items you already have that can be utilized in your kits. You wold be surprised to find that you will have very little to purchase. Then look online at LDS focused emergency supply stores such as http://www.beprepared.com

Maddy's Dance Party May 2008

2008-05-13T09:54:00.001-07:00

At 23 months old she is already a dancing queen.

On Death, Fear and the Las

2008-03-22T23:30:00.000-07:00

I was reading Isaiah chapter 24 last week and after discussing it with my seminary students I realized that the topic of death is still a frightening one for many.

In Isaiah ch. 24 the prophet talks about his visions of the last days and the calamity that will befall the earth and it's inhabitants. We know that we are now in what some call the End Times, or the Last Days. We know that earth needs to be completely cleansed in preparation for the second coming of Jesus Christ. And we know that the majority of ancient and modern prophesy has been fulfilled.

For instance it is evident that verses 5-6 in Isaiah ch. 24 has been and is being fulfilled. It reads, "The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof... the curse devoured the earth." We know that we have not been good stewards of the earth, and it's resources are being depleted.

In verse 7 we learn that there will be food shortages as Isaiah prophesied, "the vine languisheth." And we will become lean from starvation as a result, as stated in Vs 16. "My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me!"

But it is the yet unfulfilled prophesies that frighten us, such as the first verse in ch. 24 which says: "Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof." And later in ch 20-21 he expounds saying, "The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard... and it shall fall, and not rise again. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth."

The destruction will be so devastating that those who survive will be emotionally and perhaps physically traumatized as is expressed in vs 7, 11 and 12 "the merryhearted do sigh... all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. In the city is left desolation."

In previous chapters of Isaiah we learned that the LORD had given the people of the earth much wisdom including the Book of Mormon and still the hard-hearted turned a blind eye. But now, after loosing everything, the hard-hearted are finally calling upon the LORD - isn't that just typical? Vs 14 reads, "They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD. And the Lords answer is this, that those who give into their fears will be swallowed up but those who praise the Lord and live faithfully, ignoring their fears, will be gathered up and blessed by the Lord (vs 11-23).

So it is made clear that regardless of all the frightening things that will happen to us the righteous will be those who do not run from their fear. He tells us "Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires." In other words we need to have faith that even if we or our loved ones parish in the calamity we need to keep our eye on the prize (the Celestial Kingdom) and remember to glorify God, even while in the midst of consuming fire.

How can this be? Why are we required to praise God even when He is allowing so much pain and suffering? The answer is easy, because we need to remember that this estate, this mortal life is only a temporary, minuscule part of our eternal existence. Death is not something to fear - unless we are unrighteous. Death, whether our own or that of a child is only a mode of transformation from one dimension to the next. Those who are left behind will mourn, but they need not loose faith or become consumed by fear. Doing so will only decrease their faith.

Isaiah tell us that those who give their fear power, instead of exercising their faith, will become environmentally paranoid (afraid that bad things will happen if you engage in rational activities), fear based, and even agoraphobic (so paralyzed by fear that you will not leave your home). In vs. 10 the ancient prophet attempts to describe the mental breakdown of the unfaithful in this way, "The city (people of the world) of confusion (fear) is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in." For not understanding mental illness, that is a pretty accurate description of what can happen to someone who has given fear power over their faith in the Lord.

Having faith in the Lord makes you courageous. It helps you to live fully, accepting that He will take care of you and your loved ones. Living according to faith is righteousness and giving your fear power over your life is the behavior of the wicked.

Isaiah continues to drive the point by adding in vs. 17-18 "Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee... he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit. In other words, the destruction, earth changes, wars, and other calamities, etc. will be noisy and frightening, the Lord understands that. He is also telling us that in spite of our desire to run - we need to make faith based, prayerful, decisions lest we fall into a spiritual pit. Instead we must be ever open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and make decisions accordingly.

The unrighteous - those who live according to their fear will remain in prison for a long time as is stated in Isaiah 22 - "And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit ), ... and after many days shall they be visited."

In the end, it mater's not that we avoid death or pain. The only thing that matters is that we live righteously enough to be able to rejoice with the Lord at His second coming. Isaiah concludes in vs. 23 saying, "the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously." The Millennium will be ushered in and all the righteous will be made whole.

Embrace your faith and allow it to relieve your fears.

Daily Arrogance and an Attitude of Gratitude

2008-03-02T23:44:00.000-08:00

We often hear people use the phrase "An attitude of gratitude," but what does that mean exactly? Aside from the obvious, I have been thinking lately about being picky, unsatisfied or covetous and how those traits relate to gratitude - or lack of it.

I was teaching a lesson in seminary a few weeks ago that had to do with people neglecting to express their gratitude to the Lord for everything and I began to think about some of the ways I have been ungrateful.

I can be picky at times. For instance, Once when given a gift for my birthday I wondered why the giver had chosen a less expensive model instead of one that was more exciting. I let this thought bother me for weeks feeling resentful at times. That was decades ago and I'd like to think I have matured some since then. But looking back it was incredibly ungrateful of me to feel anything but gratitude. No one is obligated to give me anything, regardless of the occasion. And the Lord has given me so much that I have no right to expect more from Him or anyone else. Being picky, and then resentful, kept me from being grateful.

I have a friend who often compares himself to others and ends up feeling deprived. Regardless of what he has, he can always find someone who he perceives as having more, bigger, better. Instead of being grateful for what the Lord has blessed him with, he feels like he is "less than" in the eyes of God for not having been given the biggest and the best. This keeps him from feeling grateful and appreciative for what he does have.

I have a relative who wants to be seen as part of the "in crowd." He has spent his life trying to obtain what his neighbors and colleagues seem to have. When a friend buys a fancy car he begins to covet that car as well as the lifestyle his friend seems to enjoy. Coveting blinds him to the wonderfulness of his own life. Believing that he just isn't good enough unless he is like everyone else keeps him from recognizing the talents and gifts he has been given. He sells himself short and he isn't able to sincerely give thanks to God for his life, family or material blessings.

These are obvious examples, but every time we get upset because the maid forgot to clean a window seal, or when we tell a child that they could have done a better job selling those chocolate bars, we are forgetting to be grateful. We forget that we have so much more than most people in the world. We take for granted that our children are healthy and able to participate in school fund raisers. We become narcissistic and arrogant, believing that we deserve even more than we have been granted. And we forget that everything we have - even our next breath, has been given to us by God.

Obama, End Times & the Apocalypse

2008-02-21T06:03:00.000-08:00

I'm afraid. When I let myself think about all of the frightening things that can happen in this country if the wrong person is elected president, I become very afraid. My own personal challenge is to allow myself to turn off the fear and lean on faith in the Lord. That is easier said than done.

This week Barack Hussein Obama took the lead in the race for the democratic nominee. Obama is charismatic and an engaging speaker, so was Jim Jones. He has been a life long community activist with little or no experience that would qualify him to run the most powerful country on Earth. And this week, his wife, the woman who would be our first lady said for the second time on the campaign trail that she has never been proud of her country. Only now that her husband is in the lead is she proud to be an American. I have heard both of her comments. Let me quote her on the latest one;

Michelle Obama said "Let me tell you something, I have never in my adult life been proud of my country until now." Her sentiments are supported by her husband - the would-be president of the United States of America. Is this the kind of family we want in the White House, people who are not proud of their country?

Yes it's true that he also has a brother who is a radical Muslim who supports Sharia Law - a system of Muslim laws that include the right to murder your wife, daughter or sister is she does not comply with the law. And although some rags state that Barack plans to enforce Sharia Law if elected president, I don't know that I agree with that. However it is common knowledge that his brother would support that.

I think the bigger problem is in trusting a president with strong Muslim ties to choose us, his country (which he has not been proud of) over his family and religious ties in the War on Terror. In fact he says he will instantly pull everyone out of Iraq. He isn't willing to be in a war against his family members.

So I'm afraid. I'm afraid that, this being the end times, we are in for a world of changes. I'm afraid that we are about to see a plethora of ancient and modern prophecies being fulfilled. And I fear for my family, my church family and our way of life.

But we all knew it would eventually come to this didn't we. President Hinkley regularly told us to be of good cheer. He told us that the fulfillment of prophecy was a good thing, that we need to be spiritually and physically prepared to deal with it. He often told us the importance of strengthening our families, our children and our homes so that we could stay close to the Lord during trying times.

So if I have faith in the Lord, if I am doing all that I can to live worthily, I should be able to replace my fears with faith. I know that one cannot live both in fear and faith at the same time, so I must choose which state of mind I will give my power to. The best thing I can do is to study the council of the prophets and to make all of the changes they have asked us to make.

Instead of worrying about how awful things might get, I need to make sure I and my family are prepared to endure whatever comes. I need to get my affairs in order, financially, spiritually and physically. That includes doing everything I can to strengthen my testimony. Because whatever happens, in the end, it is my testimony that will carry me through.

So, regardless of who is elected president, God knows how to take care of us. He knows what needs to happen in order for Jesus Christ to return to the Earth. He knows when each of us will return to him. And in the eternities, our little stay here on Earth will seem very far away. There will be joy in having our family with us for all eternity in the Celestial Kingdom. And that is nothing to fear.

Religious Bigots Come Out of Woodwork During Romney Campaign

2008-02-09T23:27:00.001-08:00

This is an AP article about Anti-Mormon attacks on Mitt Romney and the church.

Romney Bid Was a Crucible for Mormons

By RACHEL ZOLL – Feb. 8, 08

Mitt Romney isn't the only casualty in his failed presidential bid. The Mormon church, yearning for broad acceptance, also took a beating.

Extremists denounced Romney's campaign as a Mormon plot to take over the country. Some Evangelicals feared that a Mormon in the White House would draw more converts to his faith.

Mormon practices were picked apart, even ones that had been abandoned long ago such as polygamy. Romney tried to focus on politics, but was often asked about sacred Mormon undergarments.

"It is prejudice," said Richard Bushman, an emeritus professor at Columbia University, who is a leading historian and devout Mormon. "Underlying all these questions is that these beliefs are basically crazy so you've got to explain them to us."

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints anticipated some of the backlash and tried to get ahead of it. Well before the former Massachusetts governor officially announced his candidacy, Mormon officials started traveling the country, speaking with reporters and editorial writers about the LDS church and its political neutrality.

The goal was to protect the church. But nonpartisanship handicapped the denomination when it needed a vigorous defense.

"I'm not questioning the policy of neutrality. That's not in any doubt," said Michael Otterson, the church's media relations director. "But I think the very reality is that we've had to be very careful about choosing our words and not appearing to either be supporting or not supporting a particular candidate."

Before Romney ran, Mormons thought they were generally accepted in the mainstream, especially after their previous success in the world spotlight: the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics.

Yet, in November, half of respondents to an Associated Press-Yahoo poll said they had some problems supporting a Mormon presidential candidate. Among white evangelicals, more than half expressed reservations about backing a Latter-day Saint.

"I was surprised at the level of intensity and sometimes flat out animosity," said Lowell C. Brown, a Los Angeles attorney who is Mormon. "I had no idea. I'm in my 50s, I've been a Mormon all my life, I've lived in L.A. for 25 years, and it floored me."

Many Christians said they were raising legitimate theological concerns, not Mormon-bashing.

The news service of the Southern Baptist Convention, which considers the LDS church a cult, ran a six-part series through December explaining why they don't consider Mormonism to be Christian. (They also profiled a distant Romney relative who is Protestant and manages a Southern Baptist-affiliated bookstore in Salt Lake.)

In just one example of the practices that set Mormons apart, LDS church founder Joseph Smith revised — and in his view corrected — parts of the Bible.

Brown said it was "nonsense" to consider questions about Romney's faith simply a dialogue about religion. Mormons were especially outraged when GOP presidential contender Mike Huckabee, a Southern Baptist pastor, asked whether Mormons consider Jesus and the devil brothers. Latter-day Saints say Huckabee's question is usually raised by those who wish to smear the Mormon faith rather than clarify doctrine.

"If you're making a decision about whether or not to vote for someone because of their religion, you're flirting with bigotry," said Brown. He monitored the commentary on his blog Article VI, named for the constitutional provision barring any religious test for public office.

Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary, a prominent evangelical school in Pasadena, Calif., said some Christian conservatives consider Mormonism not just a questionable faith, but also a rival political force. He lived in Michigan in the 1960s, when Romney's father, George, was governor there. At that time, evangelicals weren't deeply involved in politics. Many supported George Romney.

"What's going on when his son runs and all of a sudden there's this overt hostility that came out, which did not come out toward his father," said Mouw, who is part of a group of evangelical and Mormon scholars who meet to discuss their theological disagreements. "I'm kind of ashamed of the way that a lot of traditional Christians have handled this."

Yet, Mormons say some good has come from the attacks. Romney's candidacy pulled the church even further into the public square.

Mormon leaders posted videos on YouTube explaining their faith. A church elder, recently speaking to Mormon college students, urged young people to post about the Latter-day Saints on blogs — a major move for a denomination with a history of quietly answering its outside critics. After Romney's Dec. 6 speech in Texas defending his faith, a Mormon leader went on al-Jazeera television, the Quatar-based network, to discuss the church.

"Gov. Romney has, perhaps without intending to do so, rendered the church a service," said Robert Millet, a scholar of the church and professor at the LDS-owned Brigham Young University. "It's served as a kind of wakeup call for Saints themselves to the fact that we're not as well understood as we think we are. How can it be the case that Gov. Romney and his feelings about Christ and his feelings about religion have been so little understood?"
On the Net:

* Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: http://www.lds.org/

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The Book of Mormon in 97 Days - A Tribute to President Hinkley

2008-02-08T00:18:00.001-08:00

Perhaps you have already heard but there is a website that is set up for those who want to honor President Hinkley by reading the Book of Mormon in 97 days - one day for every year of his life.

The website is nice and worth looking at whether you decide to join in the Book of Mormon challenge or not. Go to www.hinckleychallenge.com/warriors .php to log in and join the thousands who have already taken on the challenge.

President Hinkley understood how vital it is for each of us to gain our own testimony of the Book of Mormon. And those of us who took him up on his prophetic challenge to read the Book of Mormon before the end of 2006 have reaped countless blessings for doing so.

I teach seminary in my ward and I and my students have decided to take on this challenge as a way to keep President Hinkley's memory alive. It is giving us all a spiritual and fulfilling way to grieve the loss of someone we love so dearly.

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Thomas S. Monson Set Apart as new Prophet

2008-02-04T18:16:00.001-08:00

President Thomas S. Monson is now the President, prophet seer and revelator for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the world. Today the announcement was made to the church and to the press announcing that President Monson has called Elder Eyring to be his 1st counselor and Elder Uchtdorf as his 2nd counselor in the first presidency. President Boyd K. Packer, is the new president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

President Monson is the 16th president of the church. he has served the church for most of his life and was called to be a Bishop at the early age of 22. He was made an apostle and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve at age 37. In the press conference this afternoon he said that he has worked with President Hinkley so closely for so long that he believes that they both have the same goals and hopes for the church.

I loved President Hinkley so much, and like most members of the church, I trusted him with my eternal welfare. But I also love President Monson and I feel certain that he is led by the Lord. As with all loss, we need to grieve the loss of a wonderful family member. At the same time let's embrace President Monson and determine to keep on keeping on.
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Video Tribute to President Gordon B. Hinckley

2008-01-31T11:58:00.001-08:00

This is a touching tribute to our beloved prophet Gordon B. Hinkley.

I miss president Hinkley. My seminary students miss him. Every day since his passing they have wanted to talk about him, how they love him and what a fine example he has been for them. For my Seminary kids, he is the only prophet they have ever known. He is like family.

Thank You President Hinkly.

Gordon B. Hinkley, A Legacy of Love and Service

2008-01-27T22:12:00.000-08:00

At around 7:00 this evening our beloved prophet, President Gordon B. Hinkley died at the age of 97. Now President Thomas S. Monson will be set apart as our new prophet and president of the church.

We have lost a giant. President Hinkley's impact on the world is, I believe, beyond our comprehension. He has brought the church into the age of technology. He oversaw the building of our beautiful conference center. He is responsible for more temples being built around the world than any other leader in church history. He started the Perpetual Education Fund so that members from around the world could get a college education. He brought Rick's College from an LDS community college to a new BYU campus.

Membership has gone from 9 million to 13 million since President Hinkley has been the prophet. He brought the missionaries to Russia and other former USSR countries. He gave us The Proclamation to the World, and increased size and beautification of Temple grounds in Salt Lake City. And most important of all, he unceasingly gave us his unconditional love. He sanctioned the creation of Latter-day Saint Charities to distribute surplus goods worldwide to people in need. One crowning achievement was the rebuilding of the Nauvoo Temple in 1999.

A refreshing sense of humor is one of President Hinkley's most ingratiating talents. His quick, intelligent wit is as much a part of him as is his charismatic ability to make everyone he met feel special. Upon addressing a group of missionaries at the Mission Training Center in Provo Utah he said "You all look alike. I look at you in your white shirts and ties and think of your age and say to myself 'well your not much to look at but you're all the Lord's got.'"

Once when asked if he had aspired to become the president of the church he said "No I never expected to become the president of the church, but those who preceded me, those with more authority, all died."

President Hinkley never failed to express his deep love for the members of the church when he spoke at conference. It was not uncommon for tears to come to his eyes as he did so. He was like the warm, loving grandfather I never had. He reminded us that "the gospel is an anchor in a world of shifting values." He comforted us by reminding us that regardless of how intolerable the world becomes, we will always find refuge in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

God be with you 'til we meet again.

President Hinkley on Education

2008-01-24T09:02:00.000-08:00

Gordon B. Hinckley, “‘With All Thy Getting Get Understanding’,” Ensign, Aug 1988, 2–5

"I desire to share some thoughts having to do with education—specifically the education of our minds and hearts, for those are the instruments by which we obtain knowledge. Said the Lord to Oliver Cowdery, “Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart.” (D&C 8:2.)

I remember a day some years ago when I strolled about the campus of a great university. I was impressed with the splendor of the buildings, the immaculate laboratories, the teaching theaters, the magnificent library, the dormitories, the gymnasiums. But I was more impressed with the students. There were thousands of them—handsome young men and beautiful young women, seemingly serious and intent and earnest.

I am awed by the great forces of knowledge represented in our time. Never before have so many been educated in the learning of the world. What a powerful thing it is—the intensive schooling of a large percentage of the youth of the world, who meet daily at the feet of instructors to garner knowledge from all the ages of man.

The extent of that knowledge is staggering. It encompasses the stars of the universe, the geology of the earth, the history of nations, the culture and language of peoples, the operation of governments, the laws of commerce, the behavior of the atom, the functions of the body, and the wonders of the mind.

With so much knowledge available, one would think that the world might well be near a state of perfection. Yet we are constantly made aware of the other side of the coin—of the sickness of society, of the contentions and troubles that bring misery into the lives of millions.

Each day we are made increasingly aware of the fact that life is more than science and mathematics, more than history and literature. There is need for another education, without which the substance of secular learning may lead only to destruction. I refer to the education of the heart, of the conscience, of the character, of the spirit—these indefinable aspects of our personalities which determine so certainly what we are and what we do in our relationships one with another.

Over fifty years ago while serving in England as a missionary, I went to the London Central YMCA. I suppose that old building has long since gone, but I can never forget the words that faced visitors in the foyer each time they entered. They were the words of Solomon: “With all thy getting get understanding.” (Prov. 4:7.)

Understanding of what? Understanding of ourselves, of the purposes of life, of our relationship to God who is our Father, of the great divinely given principles that for centuries have provided the sinew of man’s real progress!"

Mitt Romney and the Future of the United States

2008-01-18T11:56:00.000-08:00

Well, as of today Mitt Romney holds more delegates than any of his republican colleagues in the race for the republican presidential nomination.

What is really interesting to me is how the media is trying to pretend that he isn't even in the running. I don't know what is going on where you live but here in California and on the CNN news channels they talk about all the other candidates at length - good or bad - but when it comes to Mitt Romney they don't seem to realize that he is running.

Obviously they feel threatened by a member of the church actually finding favor with the American public and they believe that any press will cause more to vote for him. He isn't their candidate - and in spite of their anti-Mormon propaganda he is earning his votes.

Now, I don't know if he will eventually win the presidential election or if he will even win the republican nomination but I do believe that he is serving a very important role in modern prophesy.

Ever since I became a member of the church in 1972 I have heard of the modern day prophesy talking about how one day the United States/constitution will be hanging by a thread, in near ruin. And in those days, as long as we haven't forgotten God, the Lord will raise up an Elder of the church to "save" the country from falling completely into ruin. (see quotes below)

In 1997, during Bill Clinton's last term as president I was not too surprised to hear President Hinkley tell us that we were in fact in the last days and that our government was now "hanging by a thread."

Now Mitt Romney is running for president. He has more business experience than all the other candidates put together. And he has been well trained in the aspects of government that is needed to bring this country back into some form of sanity. But he still may not be the "Elder" whom the Lord has in mind for this country. Even so, he has been laying a foundation for another member of the church to run for president and win.

Romney has single handedly brought "Mormonism" into the political spotlight. Sure there are many other LDS politicians but they have not brought on the media blitz that Romney has. He has opened up discussions, taken the flack and been the impetus for people of all faiths to entertain the idea of an LDS president.

So as far as I see it, even if Romney isn't our next president, he has allowed the bigoted members of society to release their venom, making their venom less toxic for the next LDS nominee. And that is a win-win situation for us all.

References:

The Words of Joseph Smith, 19 July 1840:
"The time would come when the Constitution and Government would hang by a brittle thread and would be ready to fall into other hands but this people the Latter day Saints will step forth and save it."

Elder L. Tom Perry, February 24, 1976, at BYU -
“‘The time will come when the destiny of this nation will hang upon a single thread."

Harold B. Lee, Conference Report, October 1952, p.18. "Joseph Smith who has been quoted as having said that the time would come when the Constitution would hang as by a thread and at that time when it was thus in jeopardy, the elders of this Church would step forth and save it from destruction."

Your New Year's Resolution and Repentance

2007-12-30T23:08:00.000-08:00

In Sunday School today someone mentioned that "a New Year Resolution is really another form of repentance." That made sense to me. After all, we change our life to improver it, to replace less-righteous habits with better ones. Even the most popular resolution - to loose weight - is really a decision to more fully keep the Word of Wisdom. That requires repenting of one's previously lax attitude toward the Word of Wisdom. A resolution to read the scriptures daily requires repenting of not following the Prophets previous counsel to read the scriptures daily.

Harold B. Lee once said that "a goal not written is only a wish." And after thinking about New Year Resolutions and repentance, I've come to the conclusion that a resolution without repentance is only a dream. The repentance process helps us to make the commitment required to change our behavior. By admitting our wrong doing, we can consciously make the decision to stop that behavior. By promising God that we will change our life we are enlisting him as our partner in making that change. Repenting enables us to put away our undesirable behaviour which in turn opens the door to pursuing a more righteous lifestyle.

Let's no longer allow our life to be consumed with wishes and dreams. If you truly desire to make a permanent change in your life, acknowledge your need to repent of the behavior you desire to change. Allow the Lord to be your partner and together you can make your resolution a reality.

The Coral Beads - Be Not Deceived

2007-12-18T18:42:00.000-08:00

A few years ago we took our family and my mother on a 3 week trip to the South Pacific. While in Fiji my mother bought some pearl and coral jewelry. By the time we arrived back home one of the tiny coral beads had fallen off of one of her earrings. She was devastated and because I was an armature jewelry maker she asked me if I could fix it.

I went to work using polymer clay, mixing textures and colors, attempting to create something that could be made into a bead that looked exactly like the other coral beads on the earring.

After several experiments I hit upon a perfect match. Lovingly, I shaped and baked the bead. I spent hours sanding, polishing and varnishing it so that it would take on the sheen of the genuine coral beads. Then I glued the little bead onto the earring.

The next day I took it to my mother. I asked her if she could tell which bead was the counterfeit coral. She took out her reading glasses and closely inspected the earring. Finally she said with surprise, "I can't tell the real ones from the one you made."

Afterward I thought about what I had accomplished and I wondered if this was exactly how the adversary worked his medium, used his tools, to create fakes. Heavenly Father created the real coral beads, but the fake bead was hone slowly, deceptively, with the intent of fooling those who looked upon it.

At first glance, and even upon closer inspection, it looked just as pleasing as the real thing. In fact, the only way to determine which bead was the counterfeit would be to take it apart, look deeper into its makeup and perhaps, to crush it. Applying pressure to the real beads would cause the molecules within its structure to coalesce, to work together to fend off the opposing force. But under pressure, the clay bead would break apart and become thousands of disorganized, worthless particles.

The adversary is a capable creator of the dark arts. He can produce deceptive fakes that at first glance look as pleasing as the truth. I'm sure that he first notices where we are weak, lost and broken, then he goes to work to hone and polish a deceptive gem to fill the hole in our sole.

In a world full of imitations we need to be ever vigilant, ever aware of the deceptions that confront us in our life. Those deceptions will come to us through our areas of weakness, and take advantage of our fear. The evil reproduction may appear pleasing on the surface, but underneath it is is filled with barbs that will hook our spirit and drag us into the depths of despair.

We must protect ourselves continually by staying close to the Lord, learning his will and doing everything we can to remain worthy to receive guidance from the Holy Spirit. Sometimes living the gospel feels like pressure, but if we remain true we will be strengthened for our faithfulness. We will be better able to distinguish between truth and deception.

Karen Dougherty

The Two Sides of Adversity

2007-12-10T01:05:00.000-08:00

“As ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort”(see Mosiah 18:8–9).

As members of a ward family we are often called upon to assist in caring for others in our ward who need physical, emotional and spiritual help. Doing so not only brings blessings to those who are in need but it helps us, the provider, deepen our compassion, feel needed, and live less selfishly.

All of us will experience the difficulties that this life can bring; surviving difficulty is a large part of our journey in this estate. Growing through those difficulties is not just about learning the lesson of the trial, but it is about humbling ourselves enough to ask for and to receive help from others.

Both sides of adversity can be a growing experience. In the long run, the adversity of one can benefit the lives of many as long as humility and compassion work together. Bishop Richard C. Edgley, First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric related the following in Conference last October:

"From bearing one another’s burdens as ward members, we have learned several lessons:

1. The Lord’s organization is fully adequate to know and care for those with even the most dire emotional and spiritual needs.
2. Adversity can bring us closer to God, with a renewed and enlightened appreciation for prayer and the Atonement, which covers pain and suffering in all their manifestations.
3. Members who suffer tragedy firsthand often experience an increased capacity for love, compassion, and understanding. They become the first, last, and often the most effective responders in giving comfort and showing compassion to others.
4. A ward, as well as a family, draws closer together as it endures together—what happens to one happens to all.
5. And perhaps most important, we can each be more compassionate and caring because we have each had our own personal trials and experiences to draw from. We can endure together."

I have experienced both sides of diversity and I have also been blessed with enormous growth from each side. Let's be grateful for our ward family and for the challenges the Lord gives us to work through. In the arms of our ward family we never have to tackle hardship alone.

Prophets, Perfection and God's Choices

2007-11-28T20:48:00.000-08:00

In seminary this year I'm teaching The Old Testament. Part of the lessons we have had this week are about Moses and his many moments of questioning God's instruction. The class decided that he must have had difficulty maintaining his faith in God and in God's power. I am inclined to agree.

I thought about this a great deal today. Moses was a prophet,led by God, and a talented leader. But he was human. He had grown up with the teachings of the Pharaoh, not the gospel. In essence, he was a convert and in spite of that he ended up being an incredibly righteous man.

He was given the opportunity to frequently commune with the Lord. He spoke with him face to face. He was transformed in order to withstand the immense presence of God, and yet he was not a perfect person. In fact no prophet in ancient or modern history has ever been perfect. All of them were and are human and are therefore fallible.

Being a prophet doesn't mean you are no longer tempted, or no longer make human mistakes. It does mean that for reasons only God knows, that person was chosen to receive revelation for the church and it's population. That individual was the one whom the Lord chose to carry out His plan at that particular time.

Was Joseph Smith perfect? Absolutely not. But he was a prophet. He was chosen by the Lord to receive the fullness of the gospel and to restore Christ's church on the earth with the proper priesthood authority and organization that Christ originally brought to the Earth. Jesus Christ is the only person to live on the earth from birth to death in a state of complete perfection.

Today President Hinkley is a prophet to the world. Is he perfect? Absolutely not. But he and he alone has been given all the keys to the priesthood as well as the authority to receive revelation for the good of the church.

When we are confronted by people who argue that a prophet has led an imperfect life, fill them in on the facts here. Imperfection is human. That is precisely why Christ came to the earth, to atone for our sins. That is why we are taught to forgive, and to repent for our misdeeds. The only real sin is to deny that the atonement pertains to all. The act of repentance is what makes the difference between righteous men (and women)and those who remain in sin.

Forgiveness - The Gift you Give Yourself

2007-11-22T23:05:00.000-08:00

The Holiday Season reminds us to be compassionate toward others. But what about someone who has offended you in some way? How can you be compassionate toward someone you feel has hurt you? Forgiving someone who has offended you is the best way to let go of negative energy and hurt feelings.

Forgiveness isn't about condoning the offending behavior, nor is it about forgetting that it ever happened. Forgiveness is a choice to no longer allow the offender's previous behavior to control your emotions. It is about letting go of your anger, and choosing to step out of the victim role.

What is forgiveness?

There's no single definition of forgiveness. But in general, forgiveness is a decision to let go of resentments and thoughts of revenge. Forgiveness is the act of releasing yourself from thoughts and feelings that keep you tied to the offense committed against you. Doing so can reduce the power these feelings have had over you. When you forgive, you can live a freer and happier life in the present instead of focusing on your negative past experience. Forgiveness can even lead to feelings of understanding, empathy and compassion for the one who hurt you.

Forgiving isn't the same as forgetting what happened to you. The act that hurt or offended you may always remain a part of your life. But forgiveness can lessen its grip on you and help you focus on other, positive parts of your life. And forgiveness doesn't mean that you deny the other person's responsibility for hurting you, and it doesn't minimize or justify the wrong. You can forgive the person without excusing the act.

There are also tangible benefits to forgiving?

Researchers have recently become interested in studying the effects of being unforgiving and being forgiving. Evidence shows that holding onto grudges and bitterness results in long-term health problems. Forgiveness, on the other hand, offers numerous benefits, including:

* Lower blood pressure
* Stress reduction
* Less hostility
* Better anger management skills
* Lower heart rate
* Lower risk of alcohol or substance abuse
* Fewer depression symptoms
* Fewer anxiety symptoms
* Reduction in chronic pain
* More friendships
* Healthier relationships
* Greater religious or spiritual well-being
* Improved psychological well-being

Help yourself - forgive your offender and live a happier, less stress-filled life.

Loving Thy Mormon Neighbor

2007-11-12T01:52:00.000-08:00

It seems to me that "Mormonism" is the latest media fad. But what really intrigues me is how hateful some self-proclaimed "Christians" can be. Ignorance I can understand. I can even understand vehemently defending one's belief system. What I have a hard time understanding is the hypocrisy and angry intentions of some of those professing to love and follow God and His son Jesus Christ.

I'm talking about the people who respond to blogs, news articles and other media saying that they follow the Bible or that they are the "true" Christians and yet they hold deep seated hatred for members of other faiths including members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) - often referred to as the Mormons.

So to those who feel self-righteous, who believe that they are endowed with the authority to determine who is a real Christian and who is going to Hell, let me just quote the following:

Mathew 7
1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye;

Mark 12
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these (the first being to love the Lord).

Luke 10 - (The Good Samaritan)
29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

If you are a true Christian and profess to live life according to the Bible then you must love Mormons, refrain from judging them and be compassionate toward them.

The LDS Church - A Worldwide Family

2007-10-24T21:54:00.000-07:00

I am in the midst of a month of traveling right now. I spent a week in Nevada, I'm currently in Florida and next week I'll be in Hawaii. Eventually I'll be back in California (if it hasn't been completely covered in fire and brimstone).

Whenever possible we attend church while we are away, and with over 12 million members throughout the world, and lessons and conference talks available on lds.org it is nearly always possible. And it is wonderful to know that wherever we are in the world, regardless of language and cultural differences, we will always be welcomed and always feel at home when we attend church elsewhere.

Every ward in the world is teaching the same lessons, albeit not always on the same week our ward does, but I love knowing that we are able to hear the word of the Lord in the way He wants us to hear it regardless of where we are.

And knowing that no matter where we are, the Americas, Europe, Asia, the South Pacific or wherever, we are never more than a phone-call away from new friends, brothers & sisters, who are willing to help us if we find ourselves in need.

I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love the instant love and acceptance we share with one another. I love the fact that God loves us so much that he is constantly giving us opportunity to understand that all of us - everyone on Earth - are His children. He loves all of us and knows us by name - regardless. I find great comfort in that knowledge.

Can you imagine a world filled with such?

Faith & the Pursuit of Spiritual Growth

2007-10-15T01:02:00.000-07:00

My daughter-in-law, son and I were talking today about spiritual planes, specifically if it is part of the human condition to have difficulty visualizing how your own life would be different if you were at a higher spiritual plane than you are now. That got me thinking.

My first thought was to answer in the affirmative. When we are living the gospel the best we know how it can feel like we are at times overcome with the spirit. We tend to remember those moments as long as we continue to live the gospel the best we can. But if we allow ourselves to drift away from the influence of the Holy Spirit then those sacred, spiritual memories of basking in the light of Christ can be removed from our conscious thought.

When we look at others who we admire in the church it is often difficult for us to imagine that we will ever be as "good" or as "spiritual" as they are. But that is because we cannot see around life's corners. We cannot predict with great accuracy how we will grow spiritually over a given period of time. We only have our past and present life to help us to predict our future.

But God can see around our corners. He knows just what trials we need to go through in order to grow in the direction that will benefit us and our family the most. And that is where faith comes in. We not only need to understand that we have lot's of spiritual grow-room, but we need to trust that the Lord will provide us a path on which to pursue a higher spiritual plane.

Those who are perhaps older and more experienced in life may seem to be on a higher spiritual plane, and perhaps they are; but it is more likely that their life experiences have enabled them to evolved spiritually over time. They are not better than the rest of us, they have just had time to smooth out a few more of their rough spots. And all of us will be given opportunities to do the same.

Halo-3 & Evangelical Churches Promoting Violence

2007-10-08T21:21:00.001-07:00

The video game Halo 3 was released just 3 weeks ago and already sales have topped 3 million dollars. That isn't my story.

The real story is about the hundreds of protestant churches, including many Baptist and Evangelical denominations, who are promoting the violent game of murder and bloodshed to the youth in their areas. Due to graphic bloodshed, violence and a focus on murder, the game has been rated M for mature players. In fact you have to be at least 17 years old to purchase it. But that hasn't stopped church leaders from promoting and offering it to any child who is willing to come to the church to play it.

In fact many of the churches have purchased more televisions so that they can accommodate more youth who want to play the game. Never mind if the reason the kids don't own the game is because their parents don't approve of it. The ministers are so desperate to bump up their youth attendance stats that, as one pasture stated to CNN today, they are willing to "use the Devil if it will get kids to go to church."

In fact the kids don't have to attend a religion class in exchange for being allowed to play the game, and most do not. In providing Halo, churches are permitting access to adult-themed material that young people cannot buy on their own.

“If you want to connect with young teenage boys and drag them into church, free alcohol and pornographic movies would do it,” said James Tonkowich, president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, a nonprofit group that assesses denominational policies.

The excuse that "everyone is doing it" doesn't make it right to use something as a missionary tool. However that is exactly the argument these church leaders are using to rationalize their decision to promote the "joy of killing" video game. In my opinion,when it comes to Christlike living, the end does not justify the means.

“It’s very pervasive,” said Mr. Palmer a Southern Baptist area leader. His organization recently sent e-mail messages to 50,000 young people about how to share their faith by using Halo 3.

At Sweetwater Baptist Church in Lawrenceville, Ga., Austin Brown, 16, said, “We play Halo, take a break and have something to eat, and have a lesson,” explaining that the pastor tried to draw parallels "between God and the devil. But I just like playing the game. It is just fun to blow people up.”

I am so happy to work with the youth in our ward. Boys and girls alike get up at dawn to attend seminary class before going to school. We pray, sing, study the scriptures and I teach a lesson. There are no video games involved, just a love for the gospel and the fulfilling presence of the Holy Spirit. You can't get that with violent, adult themed, video games.
quotes from: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/07/us/07halo.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1191903520-VuLkiQr74TDBijE5XJ3c3w

Catholics do Baptism for the Dead

2007-09-29T23:36:00.000-07:00

Perhaps this is common knowledge - I have been known to be ignorant from time to time - but because my Catholic friends seem perplexed by our baptism for the dead ordinance I guess I assumed that we were the only church who did it. Not so.

OK, some will say that I am taking this out of context, and perhaps I am, but basically I don't see much difference. The "this" I'm referring to is the tradition for Catholics to baptize babies who die before they are able to be baptized while alive. One of my boys went to South America on his mission and so did my daughter-in-law. She said that it was common for dead babies to be brought to the church and baptized before being buried.

So, I ask, what is the difference between baptizing someone who has been dead for several hours or a day and someone who has been dead for a hundred years? Dead is dead. The spirit has left the vessel and resides in heaven, or the spirit world or whatever word you refer to as the afterlife.

Of course there are differences. One being that when we baptize we believe that it is actually the person in spirit - not the flesh - who accepts or rejects the ordinance. Eventually that person will get their physical body back, but it isn't the body that the ordinance is done for. It is our spirit that is housed in our body that makes all of our choices in life, not our flesh. And it is our spirit in the afterlife that will be in control - not our flesh.

Perhaps some protestant churches baptize their dead before burying them, I'll have to look into that. But for now at least I understand how I can better explain our ordinances to others in a way they can accept and understand.

Can Mormons be Vegans?

2007-09-23T23:11:00.001-07:00

I remember years ago learning in some class or meeting that being a vegetarian was not living the gospel. The thought was that by following and understanding the Word of Wisdom we would eat meat when other fresh foods were not available. But when grains, fruits and vegetables were in season we should focus on them instead of on meat.

Well, for those of us who live in the United Stated and other countries where produce is available all year round, how do we reconcile eating meat at all? On the other hand, even those of us who profess to follow the Word of Wisdom, most of us don't truly follow it to the letter of the law. In our "1st world" of plenty we have all varieties of foods available to us nearly all year long. We can eat a meal with meat & grain & veggies & fruits any time we wish. I've yet to meet anyone who only eats meat during the coldest winter months. So how, in this modern era of food production, do we figure out how to best follow the Word of Wisdom so that when we are at our next temple recommend interview we can feel honest about the answer we give?

Because of the constant availability of legumes, lentils, whole grain products and soy products along with the regular fruits and fresh/frozen veggies, eating meat may not be necessary anymore in our culture. Hmmm...

About 20 years ago a friend of mine became a vegetarian and soon the whole family followed suit. At first I was terrified. Afraid that they would be scolded by the leaders of the church or that they were on the verge of apostasy. I was wrong on both counts. My friend's family members were all very obese, she had diabetes and other health problems and her new son-in-law talked them into trying the new lifestyle for just a few weeks to see how they felt about it. So they did.

They didn't become vegetarians because they were protesting the killing of animals to satisfy our gluttonous desires. They were doing it to see if their health would improve. Within just three months it became obvious to all who knew them that whatever they were doing was really helping them. They all lost weight slowly and healthfully. Their diabetes became so easy to control with the diet that they were able to go off their meds. It was like a miracle.

Now two decades later, I have diabetes and I've become obese (60 lbs overweight) and I am looking for help to get my health back, my stamina back and my figure back. So I started listening to lectures by medical doctors who were right on the forefront of learning exactly how to cure diabetes (even in the most ill patients) by healing their bodies from the inside out - strengthening their cell membranes, sloughing the fat off the cells that were preventing the body from utilizing insulin in the best way, and by healing the whole body rather than just treating a symptom.

The research has recently shown that by eating a completely vegan diet (no meat, dairy or eggs), one can see marked improvements in just two weeks and within a year they can be cured of type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Then the researchers started treating severely ill people with heart disease who were not expected to live long, and out of 100 people put on a strict Vegan diet, over 80 of them grew new, stronger veins to their hearts and their cholesterol levels went down so fast that they had to stop taking their pills. The other 20 people improved enough to be able to avoid surgery and all are still alive as of this writing. Surprisingly, their arthritis also went away and everyone lost weight even those who did not exercise. And one woman in the study who had cancerous polyps had a miraculous recovery as the cancer and the polyps disappeared.

So I am now a Mormon and a Vegan. It has nearly been a week now. I told my Bishop about it and he supported me 100%. The reason is because I'm not taking the stand that killing animals for food is a horrible thing. I am doing it because I want to do whatever I can, in a natural, God given way, to nourish my body the way it deserves to be nourished. I want to do my part to treat it like the temple that it is.

So far after less than a week, my blood sugar has gotten down to normal range for the first time in over 2 years, the arthritis in my fingers is nearly gone and I have lost 4 pounds without letting myself get the least bit hungry. Without exercise I should loose about a pound a week, but with exercise I will loose about 2 pounds a week. What a great perk!

If you want information or the books that I have read leave a comment and I'll get back to you.

Sibling Marriage and Other Tolerance Issues

2007-09-09T22:03:00.000-07:00

This afternoon in my RS meeting I helped teach the lesson on marriage and how the world is turning away from marriage and the nuclear family. Of course the issue of "gay marriage" is frequently in the media, but the other day I saw a news-type show featuring a brother and sister who were a "couple" and wanted sibling marriage to be legalized. Their premise was that if we authorized gay marriage then we should also legalize any union between two or more people without prejudice - even siblings.

I know, to most people this sounds preposterous. But when you look back just a few decades, so did the idea of gay marriage. Our Western European culture has for years stressed the importance of tolerance saying that we need to get over the Victorian belief that the only true marriage is between a man and a woman. However many who have professed this attitude would themselves be intolerant of sibling marriage, child marriage and say, pedophilia based marriages.

I suppose my point is that when people vehemently profess tolerance for all, they are really only wanting tolerance for their own deviant lifestyle. They would have us believe that a line should not be drawn, but they themselves would draw a line somewhere.

So where should we, the LDS community draw our line? Thank God, we have been given the sacred counsel from the first presidency in the form of the Proclamation on the Family to help us understand the sanctity of marriage and to whom it should apply. That is where the Lord drew his line and no societal changes should alter our opinion. It is a tried and true principle that works here on Earth and in the eternities. It may not make everyone in the world happy, but then, no righteous principle does.

There will always be those who want to write their own ticket to eternal life. But that just isn't the way the plan works.

Introducing a New Online LDS Store

2007-09-05T20:05:00.000-07:00

There is a new online LDS store where you can shop for everything from books and music to food storage and emergency preparedness supplies. There are wedding dresses for plus size women, children's games and books, and even ties for your man.

With Christmas just around the corner you can get most of your shopping done in just a few minutes at The LDS Mall

So check it out today. And because inventory will be updated regularly check back often to see what's new and what's on sale.

8.0 Earthquake in Peru & the LDS Church

2007-08-19T23:42:00.000-07:00

Several days ago Peru suffered a devastating 8.0 earthquake near Lima. At least 500 people died and some area and outlying areas are nearly obliterated. Of the 430,000 members of the church in Peru 7 were killed and 14 were injured. All missionaries are safe and accounted for.

Although the areas in the town around the temple were seriously damaged, the temple, the mission home and ward buildings were not damaged and many are being used as shelters for those who have been displaced from their homes.

Since the quake, missionaries have been helping with the cleanup and search through the rubble. Yesterday the church reported to the Deseret News that it had already sent
* $82,000 worth of medical instruments,
* $200,000 worth of pharmaceuticals
* a truckload of relief goods
* 3,000 family food boxes
* hygiene kits and tarps.
* 10,000 blankets
* tents and other emergency supplies

One Peruvian man stated that he was "so grateful for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints because they are always the first group to arrive on the scene with aid."

When we pay our fast offerings and other tithes & offerings we are doing our part in giving aid to people all over the world who are dealing with catastrophes we can only imagine. I have to say that I feel so happy to do what I can to relieve the suffering of others by paying tithes and offerings. Doing so helps me to remember how very blessed I am and how selfish I would be if I were to ignore those in need.

Mitt Romney and Media Induced Missionary Moments

2007-08-15T03:31:00.000-07:00

There seems to be a lot of media this summer regarding the LDS church and it's beliefs. Some believe that it is the liberal media's way of making sure Mitt Romney isn't the Republican choice for the Presidency. Others believe that the media is unwittingly helping his campaign and that the often one sided media is actually increasing public interest in the church.

Whatever the reason, I know that it has sparked questions from some of my friends who haven't previously been at all curious about what I believe. Suddenly people are asking me about what I think of the latest media story. Some have been enticed to participate in lengthy discussions about the gospel.

Although I have read and re-read the scriptures several times in my life, I am not a scriptorian. But I have found that when I ask God to help me answer their questions in a manner that would be pleasing to him, I am always blessed with the right words, and most importantly, the right spirit. Nervousness is excusable, contention and defensiveness is not.

These are times in which having a testimony is invaluable, and living well is the best way to show others who we are and what we stand for. Let's polish our testimonies, study the scriptures and pray that we will be a helpful tool for the Lord. That way you won't be caught totally off guard when someone asks you that golden question.

Should Dating LDS Couples Kiss?

2007-07-30T00:28:00.000-07:00

How much physical affection is demonstrated in an intimate relationship will be, and needs to be, different for every couple. However living the gospel can be a great foundation for couples who want, and or need, to set some limits.

Here are a few thoughts about what those limits should be.

1. The age and dating experience of the individuals involved plays a huge role in determining what those limits should be. Although physical attraction is universal regardless of age, the younger and less experienced a person is the more likely they will be to allow themselves to get caught up in the physical pleasures of an intimate relationship.

This is because the newness of physical affection and the power it can have on one's ability to put the breaks on makes it very difficult to say stop. Our brains aren't fully developed until around age 23. Before then we lack the ability to make the most rational decisions regarding the consequences to our behaviors. Consequently, prior to age 23 or so, your limits should be very conservative. A kiss goodnight, at the door, after a date, may be as far as you agree to go. Anything else can easily lead to behaviors that will later be regretted.

2. Rules often seem old fashioned, but physical attraction and sexual desire have been the same since Adam and Eve. That is the way God created us so that we would be able to reproduce. And since the beginning of the human race, couples who have not set firm boundaries and limits regarding their dating behaviors have ended up paying an enormous price for indiscretion.

Any time a couple allows themselves to become intimate to the point of spending their time together experiencing the physical pleasures of intimacy they are putting themselves at risk. Even "making out" can lead to crossing boundaries that would not be crossed if a limit had been agreed upon ahead of time. You can be sexual with any one, but getting to know another person for who they really are requires spending time together doing things that allow you to experience them in non sexual ways.

So if your goal is to get a short-lived thrill that you may later regret, spend your time together exploring each other physically. But if your goal is to get to know your date, or to determine if you want to pursue a long lasting relationship, set your limits to a single but meaningful kiss at the door.

The rule of thumb is to never allow yourself to engage in an activity that you would be embarrassed for your mother to witness.

Be an Imperfect Parent

2007-01-12T05:19:00.000-08:00

Around age 6-7 children begin to see their parents’ humanness. They begin to wonder why mom says “don’t take what doesn’t belong to you,” and then eats a grape at the grocery story while shopping. “Isn’t that stealing mom?”

We want our children to learn perfect principles and sometimes we mistakenly expect more from them than we expect from ourselves. But what should a parent do when they have done something so obviously wrong that even their little children notice?

Just as you tell your children that “honesty is the best policy,” when you do something wrong you have to be able to own up to it and come clean with your child. Admit that what you did was wrong. If the infraction was against them, apologize. If someone else was involved tell your child how you plan to make it right. And if there was no other injured party, tell your child that you know that what you did was wrong. Let them know that you make mistakes too and that you try very hard to make as few as possible.

In short, be an example. Being honest with your child about your own humanness will help them feel less troubled about their own. Showing them how you handle your mistakes shows them how to handle theirs. Yes, they will eventually figure out that you aren’t perfect but in the process they will learn valuable life lessons. And isn’t that what parenting is all about?

More parenting tips at http://www.psych-net.com

Living With Adversity Part 1

2006-12-17T01:53:00.000-08:00

This story was originally printed in the Manchester, England, Guardian and later reprinted in the Deseret News. And eventually it was told by President Hinkley in General Conference several years ago.
A hurricane had hit the West Indies, and a bricklayer was sent to repair the damage. He wrote to the home office as follows:
"Respected Sirs:
"When I got to the building I found that the hurricane had knocked some bricks off the top. So I rigged up a beam with a pulley at the top of the building and hoisted up a couple of barrels full of bricks. When I had fixed the building, there was a lot of bricks left over. I hoisted the barrel back up again and secured the line at the bottom, and then went up and filled the barrel with the extra bricks. Then I went to the bottom and cast off the line. Unfortunately the barrel of bricks was heavier than I was, and before I knew what was happening the barrel started down, jerking me off the ground. I decided to hang on, and halfway up I met the barrel coming down and received a severe blow on the shoulder. I then continued to the top, banging my head against the beam and getting my finger jammed in the pulley. When the barrel hit the ground it bursted its bottom, allowing all the bricks to spill out. I was now heavier than the barrel and so started down again at high speed. Halfway down, I met the barrel coming up and received severe injuries to my shins. When I hit the ground I landed on the bricks, getting several painful cuts from the sharp edges. At this point I must have lost my presence of mind because I let go of the line. The barrel then came down, giving me another heavy blow on the head and putting me in hospital. I respectfully request sick leave."

Suffering comes to all of us. Sometimes it is mental. Sometimes it is physical. Sometimes it may even be spiritual.

Adversity, in one form or another, is the universal experience of mankind. It is the common lot of all men [and women] to experience misfortune, suffering, sickness, or other adversities. Often our work is arduous and unnecessarily demanding. Our faith is tried in various ways—sometimes unjustly tried. At times it seems that even God is punishing us. One of the things that makes adversity so hard to bear is that we feel as if we alone have been chosen for this affliction while others presumably escape trial and adversity.

On one occasion, in the presence of the Prophet Joseph Smith, someone commented that a person was suffering affliction because of his sins. The Prophet Joseph responded that that was an unhallowed statement to make—that afflictions come to all.
Likewise, President Harold B. Lee related the story of a seriously ill infant who had just received a blessing; a man who was present observed: "This is one of our finest and most faithful families. I don't know why they should be thus afflicted."

Some misunderstand. It does not necessarily follow that righteousness immunizes us against adversity. President Lee taught us that living the gospel of Jesus Christ is no guarantee that adversity will not come into our lives; but living the gospel does give us the strength and faith and power to rise above that adversity and look beyond the present trouble to the brighter day.

Too often we are shortsighted as we view the effects of adversity in our life. We fail to see the purifying and refining effect wrought by the flames of adversity. These flames are not meant to consume, but to purify us. Disguised as adversity, blessings are showered upon us.

Henry Ward Beecher said, "Affliction comes to us all, not to make us sad, but sober; not to make us sorry, but to make us wise; not to make us despondent, but by its darkness to refresh us as the night refreshes the day; not to impoverish, but to enrich us.

I often counsel my clients to refrain from believing that their depressive mood or their current oppressive situation will last forever. In fact it will not. The good news is that all feelings are transient and so are the trials in our life. Our work is to grow past our defeatist moods and to discover the best way to survive our most harrowing trials. In so doing we are given the opportunity to turn our weakness into our strengths; and to then help others as they are faced with their most harrowing trials.
Thomas Carlyle wrote "Out of the lowest depths, there is a path to the loftiest heights."

Lives of great people teach us that many of them rose to significant achievement because of their adversities. We may never become great in worldly terms, but we are great in our Heavenly Father’s eyes, in the eyes of our children and we have been given the opportunity to become our own greatest ally in our pursuit of eternal glory if we determine to learn from our dark moments. Our capacity to endure suffering is a spiritual attribute.

Elder A. Theodore Tuttle Of the First Council of the Seventy offered this:
“Those who have been driven to their knees in weakness, grief, and humility commune with God not in the learned cliches of prayer, but in heartfelt, soul-revealing communion. And when our Father sustains and assures a tested faith and a tested love, they learn the sweetness of adversity.”

While living the gospel will not necessarily temper the elements, it will temper you so you can endure the trials. Come with patience to your afflictions.

Sweet indeed are the uses of adversity. If we bear adversity well, we can learn the principle enunciated by Moroni: “ wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." (Eth. 12:6.)

We need to have faith that the Lord is watching over us and He will not allow us to falter as long as we lean on him.

Credits: Photo named "We Shall Overcome" is by By Noel

Who's a Member of Your Ward?

2006-11-27T23:06:00.000-08:00

Mormons are just people, regular, human-type people. Sure, we have knowledge and opportunities that have been offered to us and we have a path to follow that not everyone understands, but other than that, we are just like anyone else.

Why do I bring this up? Because, while we have been given much, we sometimes forget that we, and the other members of our wards and stakes, are human too. So I have compiled some typical, ward statistics that I thought you might find interesting.

• One out of every 100 people in the average ward population has been diagnosed with schizophrenia.
• Ten percent of your ward population has experienced depression this year and half of them deal with a lifetime of depressive episodes. Forty-five percent of your ward members experience an episode of depression sometime before the age of 45.
• Fifteen percent of the general population has a diagnosable personality disorder.
• 0.5 – 2.5 percent of your ward population suffers with clinical paranoia.
• Two percent of your ward population has Antisocial Personality Disorder (formerly known as sociopaths)
• Two percent have incurable Borderline Personality Disorder
• One percent is diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and another 15% have significant symptoms of the disorder.
• Five percent have a schizoid or schizotypal disorder.
• Ten percent are significantly physically disabled.
• 2.6 to 3.4% are legally blind.
• 8.2% have significant hearing impairments – 0.8% have severe to profound hearing impairments.
• Three percent are mentally retarded.
• Between one and eight percent of children have specific learning disabilities.
• Between 0.5-1.5% have recurring seizures.
• Twenty-four percent have been divorced at least once.
• And 0.320% of all incarcerated people are LDS.

Let’s get about the business of loving our neighbors and spend much less time judging each other.

Spirituality can Improve Your Mental Health

2006-11-22T03:21:00.000-08:00

Here it is, nearly Thanksgiving already. This is a time of year that can bring on a roller coaster of feelings and moods. We have discussed in previous issues how to take care of yourself during the holidays, how to stay the winter blues and how to prevent yourself from falling into depression. But one thing that isn't much written about during the holidays is the increase of spirituality in the people around you.

Even those who don't attend church or Synagogue much during the year feel a heightened sense of spirituality during the holidays. People can be more understanding of one another, more thoughtful and generally more generous. So how, if at all, does this temporary shift in community spirituality effect those who suffer with depression or grief during this time of year?
Well a Study at the American Psychiatric Association reported: "Depressed seniors who believe their life is guided by a larger spiritual force have significantly fewer symptoms of depression than those who do not use religious coping strategies."

This is a pretty remarkable study and when you see these kind of data coming out from both medical and psychiatric populations, it s hard to continue ignoring religion as a variable in the recovery from depression. "These results indicate that clinicians should encourage reconnection with religion as a way of coping in patients whose spirituality has been important to them," concluded Dr. Bosworth.

Most of us have heard about studies about the positive effects of prayer for hospitalized patience. And until recently, those studies have gone unrefuted. However last month a group of Atheists conducted a study from which they concluded that praying for patience did neither harm nor good.

But one thing that has been made very clear in the last 20 years, is that we are not just bodies with a brain. In order to find balance in our life we need to attend to our physical, mental and spiritual health. If we neglect one, the others will suffer.

So during this holiday season, take advantage of the heightened spiritual feel in the air. Take in a deep breath of goodwill and soak in that warm refreshing feeling of peace. You always have a choice, you can bah-humbug your way through, or you can determine to do everything possible to make your holiday season as good as it gets.

Dealing with Holiday Stress

2006-11-20T19:26:00.001-08:00

How Stressed are You Really?

Stress is an unavoidable result of living. It is a necessary part of growing, learning, and relating to others. However, too much stress (distress) can cause serious consequences in one’s physical and mental health. Recent scientific research has found that people in the 1990s experience 45% more stress than what was reported by people in the 1965 (Miller and Rahe, 1997). If you are interested in comparing the stress in your life this research, take the Personal Stress Indicator by clicking below:
The point calculator for my tests is out of commission so add up your score and click the answer link at the bottom of the test page.

Effects of Stress
Stress Indicator Quiz
Articles on Stress
Stress Reduction
Dealing With Holiday Stress

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