Did you know?

Agency involves more than just the freedom to make choices. If offered without explanation the choice between a bar of chocolate or a bar of Ex-lax, an innocent, unsuspecting person could easily choose the Ex-lax. The person doing the offering may find it funny to deceive someone in that way but the recipient of the Ex-lax would be pretty unhappy about the choice made without having a full knowledge of the consequences.
With a concern to avoid making any kids feel bad, school have expanded award ceremonies to the point that the student who has barely managed to simply show up for class gets acknowledged for something as well as the diligent student who put forth his best effort. Lack of effort is rewarded as much as effort.
Either due to the well-meaning generosity of hard-working parents or enforced socialistic government programs, an able-bodied couple can have children, a house, car, and food supported by very little employment by their choice to not work (I'm not referring to someone who has been unable to find a job) while next door may be a couple who both work full-time and have little more than their neighbors. There is no accountability for lack of effort.
I am grateful to live in a country where I am free to enjoy my God-given agency to the fullest. Nearly every day I make choices to speak and do things that would not be allowed in some places, even though I always do my best to make considerate, helpful choices. I have chosen where to live and how to live without government interference. But the freedom to make choices is not all that matters. If I don't have knowledge of the consequences of my choices or I am not accountable for the consequences of those choices, my greatest enemy has scored another point. According to the scriptures, Satan's goal is to take away our agency. The devil is not a red-skinned evil demon with pointy horns and a pitchfork to prod us to do wicked things. He is a son of God who has the desire to have God's power and hopes to win the "war" by enticing us to join him. He does not rely exclusively on coaxing people to murder, steal, or rape. He is very good at deception to pacify us into thinking that things are just fine. "All is well." He lulls us into ignoring our conscience until we are willing to accept just about anything as long as it doesn't interfere with our own little happy world. He scores points when people look the other way while saying, "There are worse things than this" or "I would certainly never do that but I wouldn't interfere with someone else's choice". I don't claim we have to picket or demand laws or force people to do what our conscience would say is a better choice. By simply being willing to keep still.... to not speak up for fear of offending someone our silence is a vote. Does anyone truly think that the violence (sexual or otherwise) on tv, video games, or movies has nothing to do with the increase of looting (we have a right to be angry!), loosened sexual morals (there is no such thing as ultimate right and wrong, I can have sex with whoever I want), or disrespect of others (how dare you say what I like or do is unhealthy or immoral?). Does it really not matter if the entertainment figure or politician we support lives an immoral life? Do we really think someone could lead well if they are dishonest in their personal life? Do we idolize those who don't care about standards to the point that we help make them millionaires and more?
We have intelligence and freedom to choose. We don't have to be ignorant of consequences nor do we need to refuse to demand accountability. If we are seeing the world decay around us, maybe we need to recognize that if we are not thinking about it enough to care, if we are not striving to be a voice of reason, if we are not working at a solution,
then we are part of the problem.

Revealing

It was exciting to be in NY for my niece's "reveal" party. This is kind of like a baby shower, for those who may be clueless as I was. I loved being with these awesome women in my family to celebrate the expected arrival of JoAnne's SON and Deedie's grandson, my great-nephew.

Even if we do live far apart and don't see each other regularly, we are happy to be together when we can.

A Busy Summer, Con't.

Almost immediately after our lovely trip to Hawaii, we got to spend a couple of days with another two of our grandchildren, Aaron and Ellie. Their dad, Keith, had just returned from an overseas deployment in the Air Force. The kids were going to spend the summer with him in Spokane, WA so we met him at the Grand Canyon with the kids who had flown to Phoenix. We celebrated Aaron's 10th birthday as well as Keith's promotion. We spent a day hiking in the Grand Canyon and some time in our motel swimming in the pool then each went our separate ways.

Of all the things we saw and did in Hawaii, the most memorable was probably the Polynesian Cultural Center. It is a large area organized such that each nation of the Polynesian Islands is represented. We learned how to dance and watched many natives do a much better job!

We learned how to swing poi (not the food made from taro but the little balls on strings, kind of like the clacking balls that were popular with kids in the 80's) and play a game with sticks where you pound them and throw them back and forth. We paddled and outrigger canoe and we stuffed ourselves at a luau. We learned how to greet in Tahiti, Tonga, Samoa, Hawaii, Fiji, and New Zealand. But don't ask me because I have already forgotten most of them. I remember Malo e lele because I visited my parents in Tonga when they served their mission there. I also remember Mahalo (thank you) because it was on every trash can. I remember Aloha because doesn't everybody know that?
The bottom picture in this post is our tour guide who is from Thailand and his name is Stop. The guides call everyone cousins or brother or sister and since we were in Stop's group, we were Stop's "family". It's all very warm and friendly. Stop, like 75% of the employees here, is a student at BYU Hawaii. He works at the center 19 hours a week when school is in session and during the brief break between semesters he can work up to 40 hours a week.

What's really neat about this whole place? There are at least 4 reasons I am impressed with it.
1-It was founded about 50 years ago- longer than you might think. A prophet (David O. McKay) visited the islands and loved the collection of different cultures and people and recognized a need for availability of higher education and employment. BYU Hawaii was begun as a place to receive a college degree. A temple was built for Latter Day Saints to attend. And the Polynesian Cultural Center was built. Whether, as a prophet, he knew how hugely successful it would be, I don't know.
2-The Cultural Center not only teaches visitors about the island cultures, it also maintains and promotes the history and culture of all of the various Polynesian groups for the natives growing up in an ever-widening world. As for all kids, the pull of the western culture is strong but not always beneficial.
3- The Cultural Center provides an opportunity for island youth to pay for an advanced education they would not normally be able to afford. BYU Hawaii condenses a 4-year program into 3 years with the opportunity to show skills many of these kids have learned at home to visitors, provide them with experience that teaches confidence, and minimizes their time away from their native home and family. Travel among the islands is pretty expensive so most of them cannot afford to go home to visit. However....
4-The scholarship students are expected to return home after they complete their degree work. For each year they return to live at home, they "pay off" a quarter of their education expenses. Otherwise, if they choose to leave the islands, they must pay back their expenses. When they return home, they can use any and all of what they learned to help build their native island economy.
Stop was from Thailand, obviously not a Polynesian island. However, he gets the same deal. His education, something a poor young man from Thailand could not have afforded, is paid for as long as he returns home for a time. If not, the education is probably the best quality for the best price he could get anywhere in the world. It's a really good thing!

Hawaii vacation not for wimps!

Lest there be a misconception that Russ and I just spent a week lounging on beaches and sipping coconut milk in Hawaii, I wanted to post some of our activities. We were too busy to take pictures of our kayaking and snorkeling but here are photos of some of our hiking. The temperature there ranged about 70-90 degrees with the humidity about that same range! We hike to a point on the island of Oahu that you can't drive to and is now a bird sanctuary- mostly for a breed of albatross.

In the time we were there, we drove the equivalent of all around the island about 3 times. The scenery is breath-taking if you're not accustomed to lush, green with lots of ocean and other water. The waterfall behind me was the destination of one of our hikes and the photo above it is just part of the walk up to it. You'd think all that walking would have helped me lose some of my middle age spread but I guess enjoying the local treats just offset all the exercise!

Studying war

No visit to Hawaii is really complete without going to Pearl Harbor. There are lots of different reasons for going there. As we spent the day touring the USS Missouri, the Bowfin submarine, and riding out to the USS Arizona Memorial, I pondered the whole "war memorial" thing. I am more grateful than I can express for the suffering on all levels of the men and women who serve in the military. I have uncles that served in the Korean War, a brother that served in the Army in Viet Nam, a husband that served in the Navy, and sons-in-law that currently serve in the Air Force. They all have families who survived their absence as well as their return with all the inherent issues involved. 

 I had a line from an old spiritual repetitively run through my head, "ain't gonna study war no more". And I thought about the saying, "Those who refuse to study history are doomed to repeat it." Again, I say there are many reasons for studying war and many different feelings about doing so.

Personally, I go to war memorials to be able to better understand what serving in the military involves so I can better appreciate the efforts and sacrifices of others. I don't like the History channel on tv because it seems to focus primarily on war and I prefer to think there is more to the history of humankind than war, its machines, events, heroes, and villains. As I watched videos and looked at all the technology of war at Pearl Harbor I couldn't help but think, "It's all about death and destruction." We need to remember wars so we can remember the cost in suffering, loss, and rebuilding. I fear that often the study of war is for the purpose of "improving" it- trying to kill more of the other team and fewer of your own, rather than solidifying a determination to find other ways to resolve conflict. I am all for defending against bullies and am not  what might be called a pacifist. I believe in having weapons because there are lots of bad people who have weapons and they would be content to destroy the lives of every person on the face of the earth to gain more power and wealth. The ultimate answer, however, is not just to get more and bigger and better weapons. The answer is to reflect more seriously on our inner desires and justifications. If we lust after fame or money we are likely to justify some level of "war" on one or more human beings. If we desire peace and unity and can embrace diversity of culture, we will strive to live in such a way as to help rather than harass, learn rather than inhibit, and practice policies that avoid as much as possible the harm or offense of others. In other words, live by the Golden Rule- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It may sound trite. I wish we could just bury all weapons. But the reality is, we are far from the goodness and maturity necessary to be without defenses. If all the weapons were buried, there are far too many who would start all over with the sticks and stones graduating to clubs and spears and on to guns then bombs, etc. But I'm still determined to teach, preach, and encourage self-control and sincere self-analysis to build a people with the capacity and potential to live in peace and unity. That's why Jesus Christ is my hero.

Slave or Apprentice

I recently had a conversation reminiscent of one I had over 40 years ago, only this time I was on the other side. I grew up with a vague awareness of, but definite belief in the existence of God. In my late teens and early 20's I came in contact with people who had a greater faith than mine. They had "given their life to God and Christ" and encouraged me to do likewise. I was okay with just admitting a belief in God and a gratitude for the Savior's atonement. I hesitated at the thought of "giving" my life- my dreams, plans, and actions- away to ANYONE. I struggled for awhile with that concept. I'm not sure exactly when I came to the decision but I recognized that God was not there just for my occasional whim or desperation. I needed to trust Him, not just when I thought He could give me what I wanted, but all the time.
So in this more recent conversation, I was asked something like, "Doesn't it bother you to think that you won't ever  be able to do anything YOU want without having to get divine permission?" The person asking me had a similar perspective to what I had so many years ago, namely that if I were to give away my will or allow my will to be "swallowed up" in the will of God, I would lose my individuality. I wish I could explain to everyone who feels this way why it just doesn't work like that. God's greatest gift to us is our freedom to choose. His greatest desire is that we will choose Him. He wants us to be obedient, not because he wants to be able to boss us around. We are not indentured slaves to serve at the whim of a fickle master. He wants to give us ALL that He has and that is way more than diamonds or gold. He has greater power, wisdom, and knowledge than all of us puny humans put together. Despite that, we are His children and He loves us enough that He has declared that we are His work and His glory. His hope is that we will all choose to give Him the only thing we actually own independent of Him- our will. He could vaporize our homes, families, belongings, and even take away the air we breathe, or allow someone else to exercise their agency to do that. He has had to watch His children abuse, bully, murder, and hurt each other in monstrous ways. But He will never take away our will or our freedom to choose. He was so determined to allow us to choose for ourselves that He planned, knowing we would mess up a lot, to provide a way for the debts we would pile up beyond our ability to take care of, to be paid..... by someone also greater than we are- His Only Begotten Son. I can't believe that mighty as God is, He didn't weep to watch the abuse and suffering of His Perfect Son who never did anything to deserve the treatment He got. And to think, all that was for all of us- imperfect, disobedient, rebellious, self-centered, and bratty as we are. He is just waiting for us to finally repent, to finally realize that we are all those obnoxious things and start trying to listen and learn from Him. We are His children- made in His image. We are God's apprentices. He wants us to learn from Him to be like Him. He is just waiting for us to fill out the job application which includes (1) Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (acceptance of His atonement) , (2) Repentance (this is deep, heartfelt, genuine sorrow for all we do or say that is un-Godlike coupled with a sincere intent to avoid doing the same again), (3)Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins (this is how we make our apprenticeship covenant and the great thing about it is that it allows us to start with a clean slate!), (4) Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost (He gives us a gift that we can have with us all the time to guide us in everything we say and do so we can learn and improve). That's it. That's all we have to do. He will give us ALL that we have in exchange for our giving Him all that we have that is truly ours- a contrite heart and a willing spirit. I think it's a pretty good deal.