See Thou Tell No Man

"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.

Gays, Marriage, Prop 8 and Tolerance

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?

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.

Daily Arrogance and an Attitude of Gratitude

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

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.

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

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

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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President Hinkley on Education

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

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."

The Coral Beads - Be Not Deceived

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

“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

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.

Loving Thy Mormon Neighbor

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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.