I hope this helps to understand...

Often when in public places, I look with awe at the number of people I don't know, don't know me, and are all different. I can only see what's on the outside- anything from hair color (which may or may not be natural) to height, skin color, or style of dress.
The outward appearance of our bodies is determined by DNA which is so very specific it can be used to identify individuals by a microscopic sample. We can alter our appearance in ways as simple as hair (cut, perm, dye) or body shape (exercise, diet, even gastric bypass to aid weight loss) to more elaborate like cosmetic surgery, colored contact lenses, or tattoos. But outward features are only what we look like as individuals, not an indication of who we are. They allow other people to identify us. If you have ever looked at a dead person, you realize there is something missing. The physical features are still there but the individual you might have known and could have a connection to is gone.
The mind, located in the physical brain, is the seat of emotions and thoughts that determine actions. DNA has some influence here as well in ways such as a pre-disposition to addiction, mental illness or handicap. More importantly, the mind is where we utilize the God-given agency to choose. It's who you are, not just what you look like. Drugs, recreational or prescription, can influence the electrical patterns and chemical movement to alter thoughts and emotions thereby even altering what is considered personality. However, that is still our choice, unless someone else forcibly injects a drug into our body. Since we are all as different on the inside as we are on the outside, we have differing aspects of our personalities and intellects. Some people are capable of great intellectual understanding but never pursue it. Some people may not have so much a natural ability to learn but decide to keep trying. What may be a weakness (like addition) for one may not even be an issue for another. I know and love some who have addictions or pre-dispositions to addictions. Some have chosen to fight addiction rather than give up their freedom to choose whether or not to partake thereby becoming slaves to a substance from alcohol or tobacco to caffeine or food. Addictions are formed when the choice is made to stimulate the limbic (reward) system in the brain because of a craving for an artificial thrill or calming. This can happen even from sexual stimulation which has always been a contentious issue for society. Since time began there have been questions about what is an appropriate way to engage in sexual relations. We seem to have at least a basic awareness of the sacredness or importance of sex organs because even in very primitive cultures, usually men and women cover their "private parts", if nothing else. From a non-moral standpoint, the stimulation of sex organs is a natural thing and as long as you can avoid feelings of guilt that may interfere or cause long-term issues, any stimulation is acceptable. It can include self-stimulation (masturbation), or stimulation with anyone else regardless of age, gender, or even species.
Most people have, somewhere deep inside, an aversion to to unlimited sexual stimulation. Some might say we are taught or nurtured in our standards as to who or when or under what circumstances to engage in sexual stimulation. Some even try the "as long as it's consenting adults" angle to determine what they feel comfortable with. For me, since I believe in God and recognize that He is wiser than any human being no matter how well educated, I look to Him for what might be the best way to set limits or standards on my behavior/choices.
I grew up in the 60's and tried to follow the "sex, love, dope" mantra of the upcoming society. I am a witness that it was a big mistake! Sex is NOT just a natural function of the body. It has emotional and mental ramifications which impact interpersonal relationships and self-esteem. Love is not appropriately exhibited through unlimited sex. Lust is NOT love. Dope may be temporarily fun but it's a bad idea. The recent changes in legality of marijuana will result in some unwanted consequences that will be seen not too far down the road. As for the constant efforts of people throughout the ages to remove limits from sexual activity, I have come to understand why the Lord has set the bounds He has set. Sex outside marriage causes unwanted pregnancy resulting in unwanted children or abortions which are simply the murder of yet-to-be born children. This amazing power to create life is essential to our survival and therefore destructive when used between those of the same gender, young children or with other species. Most groups of us have finally learned that sex between members of a family is disastrous. It is appropriate and even desirable to love all other people and God has commanded us to do so. It is a good thing to love animals. They are a part of the stewardship given to mankind since we are God's offspring and have been given the earth to take care of. I repeat, love is not lust. Loving someone else does not mean seeking sexual gratification with or from them. Whether or not a heterosexual relationship results in the bearing of children does not take away from its appropriateness. For the survival of the species of humans and for our eternal development, sexual relations are only appropriate between a man and a woman after they are married to each other. It's not that we will be "condemned to hell" or should wear a big scarlet "A" on our chest if we don't accept God's standard. God is a loving father whose greatest work and glory is to bring to pass the eternal life of His children. He wants us to avoid heartache and continue to grow and progress. Developing a marriage type of relationship with a person of the same gender will only cause heartache because it cannot go on forever. It is merely a temporary, temporal attraction. As such, it simply delays or interferes with our progression toward being as wise as our Father. What is referred to as the "natural man" and all associated impulses are the enemy of God and our progression to become like Him. That includes addictions, negative emotions (hatred, greed, envy, resentment, vengeance, lust, etc.), rebellion and pride, and  sloth or unwillingness to act. But the choice is ours. God gave that to us. He's just waiting to see what we choose, Him or the natural man. I say, as Joshua did, "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Israel or Israel??

I have been deeply impressed by my recent trip to what is known as the "Holy Land". I was excited for the opportunity to see places I have read about in the scriptures for years- to "walk where Jesus walked". I can't say whether the experience may have been different if I had gone with some kind of religious tour group. I don't think I lacked information enough about the specific sites. Susanne was very knowledgeable, she had a tour book that was informative, and there were sometimes signs or introductory videos to explain things. But I can certainly say that I had very little feeling of being on "holy" ground. Jerusalem was noisy, tense, and- although filled with religious zealots- not at all reverent or worshipful. It was crowded yet lonely, ancient yet worldly. There were pilgrims of all sorts with the deep desire to feel closer to God and/or Jesus Christ. There were residents who feel they are in the best place to be first with the Messiah when He comes (again). There were many different sects of Jews, many faiths of Christians, and different kinds of Muslims. They barely manage to co-exist and often they don't do very well. There were machine-gun toting men and women in uniform in various places, more on specific holidays than other days. Shopkeepers were generally relatively pleasant toward everyone, but they make a living best by not turning away potential customers whoever they may be.
I guess in general, Americans are considered "supportive" of Israel. I wonder exactly what that means. Certainly there is justifiable sympathy for the abuse Jews have suffered over the centuries. It seems like they have been forced out of nearly every country on the planet at one time or another! I have never read anything to indicate Jews as a group/religion have been aggressive or destructive to warrant such treatment in any country they inhabited. They have been fairly cohesive and separatist in their families and neighborhoods. (But as a Mormon, I'm aware of similar treatment for members of my chosen faith over the years and similar circling of the wagons for survival.) But is that a reason to hate them and expel them?
Since Israel was re-established as a separate political entity in 1948, they have gotten lots of flack and some support. I haven't made an exhaustive history study to understand all the treaties and battles. I have a general idea of how the area of "Palestine" was inhabited by tribal peoples, mostly nomadic, but without a centralized government. (much like native American Indians were) Jews had been dispersed and persecuted and were anxious to have a place to live their religion without persecution. (again the parallel to Mormons) Now, due to the high birth rate among Jews as well as other current residents of Israel along with the unending stream of immigrants wanting to live in the "Holy Land", it's getting pretty crowded over there. Palestinians resent being pushed out of their homes, with good reason. Since they are now under the political government of Israel and are not allowed weapons, they use what they have. Hence they make whatever weapons they can, buy whatever they can to smuggle in, or just throw rocks at their "oppressors". To protect themselves to allow citizens to live a relatively peaceful life, Israelis have built walls (physically and politically) and an army. Anxious to grab land when they can, settlements are erected as quickly as possible and squatters move in, even if it requires going against a treaty or agreement that was in place. (From what we saw in Egypt, a similar practice has resulted in many huge "illegal" apartment houses there, too, except I don't think any of them were built by Jews.)
So, I ask myself, what is to be done? Am I "in favor" of Israel? Do I support the sale of so much weaponry to a political entity that has grabbed land from "innocent" natives (Palestinians)? I guess I have to say that being in favor of the children of Israel as the chosen people of God is not the same as being in favor of the current political entity of Israel. I don't know if they are a theocracy today. I doubt they are receiving direct commandments from Elohim or Jehovah to build their armies and walls. I look forward to the day when "the sons of Aaron" again offer sacrifices to the God of Israel. I look forward to the Messiah/Jesus Christ standing on the Mount of Olives as it is split in twain. For now, I just have to shake my head and rue what a mess we have made of things on this beautiful planet our Heavenly Father made for us.

Musings from worldwide observations

I'm on a mental journey again, pondering something on which I hope to gain more wisdom- from somebody, anybody. When I went to Hawaii I was impressed by the number of homeless (mostly men) there. They weren't begging. They just seemed to want to live free and easy. I have always remembered an interview on a television program of a homeless man who said that he preferred not having to be tied down to a job and rent or mortgage. In Jordan and Israel I saw lots of Bedouin dwellings which could probably be likened to American Indian tepees. They live a nomadic lifestyle mostly, although maybe not as much as several generations ago. I have noticed comments about poverty and freedom to choose and lack of opportunity on social media. I have been trying to figure out what's fair and how to achieve it.
I have read lots of Benjamin Franklin and he made note of the Indian's disinterest in living a settled, ambitious life. I have heard (and even expressed it myself) sentiments of admiration for the relaxed lifestyle lived on Polynesian islands. Yet, living hand-to-mouth and just surviving is generally considered undesirable. It is considered "advanced" for a civilization to go from mere struggling for food and shelter to philosophy and fine art. Then there are scriptures like, "Succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need.." But also, "The idle shall not eat the bread of the laborer.,"
How do we know when what looks like poverty is a choice- either because someone prefers to be whatever you want to call it: lazy, carefree, having a simpler life, not tied down by material things, or maybe mental or health issues like addictions (you can't force anyone to give up an addiction- you can help them but only after they have decided they want help) or schizophrenia (they used to force people into lifelong institutions but have decided that's inhumane so often those people are on the streets often not taking prescribed medications that could help)?? Do you hand a homeless person at an intersection a candy bar out of your car window or put money into a Salvation Army bucket and call that good? Do you simply smile at a homeless person in a park, treating them like a "regular" person, and go on your way unless he/she actually asks for something? If you are approached by a beggar with a smartphone and you don't have one because you haven't felt like you could afford it, do you give money to them? When is it an insult to "help" someone who wants to live the way they are and isn't interested in changing? When is it an insult to pity someone who may be choosing to have "less" than they could have? How much is enough- a sandwich a day? 3 full meals? A house? A cardboard box? What if there are children and they would like a better life but their parent(s) is a druggy but has legal custody and doesn't want "help"?
Not only this, but I have learned that babies don't learn to walk if you never let them try, even if they stumble and do it poorly. On the other hand, lack of nurture and attention to babies stunts them for life. Older people move slowly but if you do everything for them then they don't move at all and soon lose the capability to move, even if they wanted to. Helping is not always helpful. I have tended to try to offer or even just help without being asked because I always thought it was the most thoughtful way. Sometimes people claim they don't need help because they just don't want to be a bother. How do you judge?
I realize these are all vague "what-if" kinds of questions. My heart is always drawn out to anyone who lacks things that I might be able to provide. However, I also (like Benjamin Franklin) dislike those who would choose to be indolent but would love to take whatever you would give them or do for them that they could do for themselves but choose not to. Do I walk around with blinders on so I don't feel bad for anyone in need until they are right in my face? Do I not assist until someone falls to the floor in front of me?
I sure feel like I lack the wisdom to be like Jesus Christ even a little bit. As in so many things, you can automatically eliminate the extremes of the spectrum. Truth always lies somewhere in the middle but it's so hard to figure out where to draw the line.

Qumran

Most people may not be aware of the name Qumran but most people have heard of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Russ and I have watched a DVD college course on the Dead Sea Scrolls so we were interested in seeing this place. Although we were hot and sweaty from being up on Masada, we wanted to stop on the way back toward Jerusalem to see Qumran.

 This is a picture of the first cave where a Bedouin sheepherder found the first of what has come to be known as the "Dead Sea Scrolls". They were fragments of animal skin and metal scrolls recorded shortly after the time of the mortal Jesus Christ, including most of the books of the Old Testament, especially Isaiah, as well as rules for a community.

 Once the first scrolls were found, there were other caves explored in the area looking for more. As archaeologists found out about them, they examined more of the area and found the ruins of a community most attribute to "Essenes"- a group of Jews who strove to be more pure than the Jews living in Jerusalem. This is just one of the many ritual baths. There were many places where there were steps down to a place that would be filled with water. The members of the community, primarily men, "purified" themselves several times a day in the water. The water was not particularly clean nor did they use any kind of soap as we might think. It was a ritual to be more clean in the sight of God.

Masada

Susanne, our diligent tour guide, drove us a couple of hours south of Jerusalem to see Masada. I have heard stories and seen photographs of Masada for a long time and wanted to see it. If you have many hours and much energy, you can walk up the "Snake Path" to the fortress Herod commanded to be built. (He did a LOT of that, that's why he was called Herod the Great- not the same as the guy who killed all the babies at the time of Jesus's birth.) We chose the cable car. The top picture is taken from an area at the top showing the receiving platform for the cable car.

 The next picture is from the top looking down toward the Dead Sea in the background. The stone diamond or square down below is one of 8 Roman camps from the time the Jewish rebels held out during the Roman siege.

 Just another view from the palace fortress toward the Dead Sea.

 Since the group of Jewish rebels lived here after Herod, this lower part called the Northern Palace had more left to see of the opulence it once exhibited. 200 steps down the cliff face from the fortress area was a smaller palace just for Herod and his beloved Miriamni. If you went a few steps even further down, also hanging to the side of the cliff was another small "palace" for Herod to have private time, including a Roman bath! Not everybody lived the same then just as not everybody lives the same now.

Bar Mitzvah

I have tried to explain how Jerusalem (and other ancient sites) are not where they were originally. They were many layers below. In the Jewish quarter of the old city, this is a cistern. There are cisterns all over for the collection then distribution of water in places where it was needed. This is in an area that has been fairly heavily populated for many centuries. I wish the photograph could be adequate to give an idea how deep it was due to the layers added at the top year after year.

 On our last day in the Holy Land with the Browers, we headed for the Western or wailing wall. We heard quite a ruckus, in several places, several times. Here is one of the traveling celebrations. There are balloons, music, shouting and singing with a young boy under the canopy. We asked a nearby resident and he told us that Thursdays were one of the traditional days for Bar Mitzvahs. (You can look it up in the encyclopedia or on Wikipedia if you want more information.)

 Here is another group as it neared the Wailing Wall. I had intended to get either the grandmother dancing or the men holding shofar horns at the sides of the boy's head to look like bull horns (for the purpose of taking memorable photos) but I wasn't quick enough with the camera. From what I hear, there is an unspoken competition her between Muslims and Jews for who can bear the most children. I'm sure it's just a rumor for the benefit of tourists.

 Here we are standing by the women's section of the Wailing Wall. Once again, we chose not to go beyond the partition because the line to enter the closer area in order to actually touch what is considered part of the old temple wall (not Solomon's original but later) was WAYYYYYY too long.

Gethsemane

James dropped Susanne, Bruce, Janet, Russ, and me off up on the Mount of Olives to walk down into the Kidron Valley. The hillside in this area is a large cemetery filled with the graves of Jews who are willing to pay what it costs to be buried here with the faithful who hope to be the first resurrected when Christ appears.

When we got to the bottom, we entered a small walled garden, surrounded by a church complex on two sides and traffic filled narrow streets on the other two sides. (No good places to park so James was willing to maneuver through traffic to pick us up at an appointed time and place.)

Once again, the place was not as we might picture it from the scriptures. But it was sheltered and fairly quiet so conducive to a moment of reflection in the shade. No matter where the Garden of Gethsemane actually was or how it looked at the time, the suffering our Savior went through for the benefit of millions of people, some who never consider much less appreciate it, it is a reason to ponder.

 This picture is about half of the garden as it is now. It was purchased by some faithful Christians from Eastern Europe several decades ago as Jerusalem was slowly being built up encroaching on what most Christians would consider holy spots. A large church was built and walls erected to protect the spot.

 It's olive harvesting time, even in the Garden of Gethsemane. There was a monk and 2 gardeners spreading drop-cloths and climbing ladders to pick the olives. Rumor has it that they are pressed, the oil sent to Rome to be used (sold???) as especially holy oil.