Gordon B. Hinkley, A Legacy of Love and Service

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.

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.

8.0 Earthquake in Peru & the LDS Church

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

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?

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

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

Who's a Member of Your Ward?

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.