Anyone who has raised teenagers has experienced embarrassment. Teenagers tend to be very blunt and more outspoken even than younger children. Sometimes they challenge their parents "outdated" principles publicly. They can be concerned enough about the impression of someone as closely associated as parents that they don't want to acknowledge who they are. There can be similar issues with siblings. When remaining long-term in one town, teachers and administrators can either look forward to a student coming up a grade or dread it, depending on their experience with an older sibling.
Years ago, I was at a church meeting where we had a female police officer as a guest speaker. Our primary interest was advice on how to keep kids away from gangs and drugs. Her primary counsel has stayed with me over the 20 years or so since then. She said that the one thing we could do to best insure our kids would not be involved in gangs was to eat dinner together as a family. She said that kids ended up in gangs due to a desire to "belong". If they didn't have a strong sense of belonging to a family, they were more likely to be prey to joining gangs.
It can be totally unfair when someone has to "live up to" a high standard set by a parent, older sibling, or other family member. On the other hand, it is also unfair when someone has to "prove" themselves to be different than a relative who has had a bad reputation. No matter how unfair we think it is, it's the way it is. If we have had strong feelings, good or bad, toward someone and later encounter someone related to them that we have had little or no prior contact with, we will use our experience as a basis for what to anticipate.
I guess where I'm going is to reinforce the song/poem line; "No man is an island." We all want to be unique, some more than others. But we do not stand alone. Friendships may be sought or avoided based on an impression given by a close relative. How we behave has a greater affect beyond ourselves. Thinking it is unfair doesn't change that fact. If someone is considered obnoxious, their spouse will be looked upon with apprehension. If someone is known to be kind and honest, their other family members will likely be more easily welcomed than a total stranger.
I love the reaction I get from people who may not know me well when they have known my parents. I also love the reaction I get when meeting people who know my children. I don't have to work so hard to make friends because people already expect good things of me. I certainly hope that works the same way from the other direction. I'm sure there were times in my youth when my parents may have cringed when someone discovered I was their daughter, but I hope that was rare and would never be the case if they were alive today. And I don't think this is a negative thing. We all need help occasionally in trying to be the kind of person who contributes well to society. Being aware that we are setting a standard or precedent can give us a little boost in the right direction. I guess this is especially on my mind because for the past 18 months I have been wearing a label- a tag announcing my name and my identity as a representative for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. In only a couple weeks, I will remove that name tag when my mission is over. Wearing it has made me more conscious than ever of my behavior. I like to think that I am determined enough to continue exhibiting good behavior sufficient that when anyone anywhere learns my name or my religious affiliation, there gut reaction will be positive. I want to be an example to encourage others to be good people as I strive to be like my Savior.
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Sunday, September 25, 2016
He's real............
I looked back through a few old posts and couldn't find this specific topic that has been on my mind today so I will press forward attempting to share insights and thoughts I have. I am grateful that I am given understanding of some of God's principles, line upon line, one baby step at a time. I am also grateful that I can attempt to share what I learn. I know one of my posterity reads my efforts. That comforts me. I am willing to offer but I will not work at promoting myself in any way. In fact, recently Russ and I have presented a couple of firesides and Russ sang a song I wrote at a missionary meeting after which several people requested either just the words or a copy of the whole song. I was happily surprised at the enthusiastic response. The problem I have now is that I didn't keep a list of people to whom I promised a copy. I'm just going to hope that if they're really sincere, they'll attempt to remind me before we leave in 5 days.
It has been my observation, confirmed by others who have had some experience, that Satan exists and is eager to wield his power on his brothers and sisters. Before Earth was created, God wanted His children to have the opportunity to experience having a mortal body then be resurrected with a perfected body to dwell with Him forever. But He didn't want to force us. One of His sons, Lucifer, rebelled against our Father's plan and convinced 1/3 of God's children to follow him. Satan/Lucifer and his followers will never have the opportunity to gain a physical body. As a result, they seek to feel excitement, lust, revenge, and all kinds of feelings through those who have mortal bodies. Plus, Satan would like to convince more of us to follow him and rebel against our Father. One of the most disconcerting issues in these latter days prior to the Second Coming is that mortals, in all their wisdom, have not only challenged and warped the existence and personality of God, they have also begun to doubt the existence of Satan. If they don't believe he exists, he has the leverage of finding ways to influence them to listen to their "natural man" rather than the light of Christ (conscience) given to ALL of us. Once people stop giving heed to a standard of right and wrong, anything goes. I fully remember living in the 60's and 70's when the life motto was "If it feels good, do it!" Lest I give the impression that he has great power, I need to emphasize that Satan only has power if we allow it. If we resist greed, anger, lust, covetousness, dishonesty, and other "natural man" instincts (which always cause pain for SOMEONE), Satan can not get advantage over us.
Latter Day Saints wear special under garments. Critics have mocked them by calling them "magic underwear" implying they are going to protect us from evil. When serving His mortal ministry, Jesus was quite clear that outward things have almost no power. It's what's inside us, our character, our choices, that determine our quality. The garments we wear are a symbol to help us remember our covenants with the Lord. If we keep our covenants, then we will be obedient to God's principles. THAT will be what protects us. Anyone could murder, rape, or steal even while wearing garments if they wanted. Garments do not guarantee someone doesn't get sick, injured, or cheated. However, I can say from personal experience that any time someone is trying to do GOOD, they will face resistance.
Back in the fall of 1974, Russ and I were taught by LDS missionaries and had agreed to be baptized. The evening before we were scheduled to be baptized, we were driving to an interview with the local bishop (ecclesiastic leader of the local church unit/ward). Both of us had already read at least some of the Book of Mormon, attended church a couple of times, met with the missionaries several times, and prayed for and received a spiritual confirmation that our choice was right. But as we drove along, we were both feeling "uptight". We talked about it, trying to figure out why we were feeling testy toward each other and the kids and everything in general. There was really nothing wrong in our life at the moment. We realized that Satan probably didn't like our decision. As soon as we realized the source of our anxiety, I immediately bowed my head (while Russ kept driving with his eyes open of course) and said a prayer asking Heavenly Father to make the evil one go away. The relief was swift and undeniable. Over the years, since learning more and more about good and evil, God, Jesus Christ, and Satan, we have been able to recognize Satan's influence more readily. It got to be an expected circumstance that "all hell broke loose" whenever we planned a trip to the temple. Things would go wrong, often requiring unexpected expenditures to make us question whether we could afford the trip to D.C. Mormons have family home evenings on Monday nights and nearly every Monday afternoon, the kids would be fighting or something would threaten our plans to be together for a family home evening. But we were determined! The trips to the temple would work out just fine and our budget survived. By the end of the evening on Mondays, everyone in the family would be happy and getting along just fine.
I have a powerful witness that God exists. Jesus atoned for the sins of ALL people on the Earth. I also know that Satan is real and he seeks for all mankind to be miserable and disconnected from our Father. Each person, individually, has to make the choice and "endure to the end" but if we ever feel too weak or confused to fight evil, God will help. All we have to do is decide we WANT the help, and ask.
It has been my observation, confirmed by others who have had some experience, that Satan exists and is eager to wield his power on his brothers and sisters. Before Earth was created, God wanted His children to have the opportunity to experience having a mortal body then be resurrected with a perfected body to dwell with Him forever. But He didn't want to force us. One of His sons, Lucifer, rebelled against our Father's plan and convinced 1/3 of God's children to follow him. Satan/Lucifer and his followers will never have the opportunity to gain a physical body. As a result, they seek to feel excitement, lust, revenge, and all kinds of feelings through those who have mortal bodies. Plus, Satan would like to convince more of us to follow him and rebel against our Father. One of the most disconcerting issues in these latter days prior to the Second Coming is that mortals, in all their wisdom, have not only challenged and warped the existence and personality of God, they have also begun to doubt the existence of Satan. If they don't believe he exists, he has the leverage of finding ways to influence them to listen to their "natural man" rather than the light of Christ (conscience) given to ALL of us. Once people stop giving heed to a standard of right and wrong, anything goes. I fully remember living in the 60's and 70's when the life motto was "If it feels good, do it!" Lest I give the impression that he has great power, I need to emphasize that Satan only has power if we allow it. If we resist greed, anger, lust, covetousness, dishonesty, and other "natural man" instincts (which always cause pain for SOMEONE), Satan can not get advantage over us.
Latter Day Saints wear special under garments. Critics have mocked them by calling them "magic underwear" implying they are going to protect us from evil. When serving His mortal ministry, Jesus was quite clear that outward things have almost no power. It's what's inside us, our character, our choices, that determine our quality. The garments we wear are a symbol to help us remember our covenants with the Lord. If we keep our covenants, then we will be obedient to God's principles. THAT will be what protects us. Anyone could murder, rape, or steal even while wearing garments if they wanted. Garments do not guarantee someone doesn't get sick, injured, or cheated. However, I can say from personal experience that any time someone is trying to do GOOD, they will face resistance.
Back in the fall of 1974, Russ and I were taught by LDS missionaries and had agreed to be baptized. The evening before we were scheduled to be baptized, we were driving to an interview with the local bishop (ecclesiastic leader of the local church unit/ward). Both of us had already read at least some of the Book of Mormon, attended church a couple of times, met with the missionaries several times, and prayed for and received a spiritual confirmation that our choice was right. But as we drove along, we were both feeling "uptight". We talked about it, trying to figure out why we were feeling testy toward each other and the kids and everything in general. There was really nothing wrong in our life at the moment. We realized that Satan probably didn't like our decision. As soon as we realized the source of our anxiety, I immediately bowed my head (while Russ kept driving with his eyes open of course) and said a prayer asking Heavenly Father to make the evil one go away. The relief was swift and undeniable. Over the years, since learning more and more about good and evil, God, Jesus Christ, and Satan, we have been able to recognize Satan's influence more readily. It got to be an expected circumstance that "all hell broke loose" whenever we planned a trip to the temple. Things would go wrong, often requiring unexpected expenditures to make us question whether we could afford the trip to D.C. Mormons have family home evenings on Monday nights and nearly every Monday afternoon, the kids would be fighting or something would threaten our plans to be together for a family home evening. But we were determined! The trips to the temple would work out just fine and our budget survived. By the end of the evening on Mondays, everyone in the family would be happy and getting along just fine.
I have a powerful witness that God exists. Jesus atoned for the sins of ALL people on the Earth. I also know that Satan is real and he seeks for all mankind to be miserable and disconnected from our Father. Each person, individually, has to make the choice and "endure to the end" but if we ever feel too weak or confused to fight evil, God will help. All we have to do is decide we WANT the help, and ask.
Thursday, September 22, 2016
WWJD
I have explained some of the work I have been doing in the temple. Besides working in the office and performing sacred ordinances, I have spent a considerable amount of time in clothing rental. We basically wear white clothes in the temple and sometimes people need to "rent" (for a very nominal fee- mostly to cover laundry costs) appropriate clothing to perform ordinances. We have all been encouraged to have our own but sometimes people are traveling and don't want to take up luggage space with clothing specifically for the temple. We have slippers and dresses and pants and other items- all white and in all sizes. I have been working there enough now that I am fairly comfortable with how to keep it all very neat and orderly. I feel good about keeping shelves well-stocked and tidy.
Right now we have a couple serving in the temple who have purchased a house in Nauvoo (before they got their mission call) and for the past several weeks have had a daughter come to live with them. She is in her late 20's but has special needs. She is slow enough that she can't fully support herself or live independently but high functioning enough that she can learn certain tasks. She may not fully understand everything in the temple but that could be said of EVERYBODY who comes to the temple. God's ways are not man's ways, they're higher. Anyway, this young woman has been working as a "volunteer" in the temple, meaning she can do limited tasks. I was blessed to have her working with me in clothing today. As I worked with her, "training" her, I thought about how I usually work quickly and efficiently making sure things are in order. Then I thought about how Jesus would work with her. She is a cheerful, willing, sweet young woman. She truly wants to be making a contribution and you can tell. I realized that the tidiness of the clothing on the shelves was NOT the focal point. The people who come into the temple, including this young woman, are what matters most. I started being more concerned about teaching then allowing her to perform successfully and less about the appearance of "my work".
Then I realized that this is just a microcosm of the whole existence of the Earth and all that dwell upon it. It isn't about maintaining a pristine Earth. It's about God's children learning the results of their choices, good or bad. It's about our opportunity to choose what we want to be when we "grow up" to be like our Father. Just as we watch our toddlers make messes, God watches us make messes a LOT! Just as we love our children even when they make bad choices, God loves us even when we hurt each other and ourselves. What matters is who we are becoming. God is hoping we won't continue to "make messes" but gain some wisdom and maturity. He wants us to be able to live together, and with HIM, according to laws and principles that allow a pleasant, eternal existence. What would Jesus do? (That's the acronym in the title in case you didn't recognize it.) He would treat each of us the way He would like us to treat Him and each other. We can do that......... if we choose.
Right now we have a couple serving in the temple who have purchased a house in Nauvoo (before they got their mission call) and for the past several weeks have had a daughter come to live with them. She is in her late 20's but has special needs. She is slow enough that she can't fully support herself or live independently but high functioning enough that she can learn certain tasks. She may not fully understand everything in the temple but that could be said of EVERYBODY who comes to the temple. God's ways are not man's ways, they're higher. Anyway, this young woman has been working as a "volunteer" in the temple, meaning she can do limited tasks. I was blessed to have her working with me in clothing today. As I worked with her, "training" her, I thought about how I usually work quickly and efficiently making sure things are in order. Then I thought about how Jesus would work with her. She is a cheerful, willing, sweet young woman. She truly wants to be making a contribution and you can tell. I realized that the tidiness of the clothing on the shelves was NOT the focal point. The people who come into the temple, including this young woman, are what matters most. I started being more concerned about teaching then allowing her to perform successfully and less about the appearance of "my work".
Then I realized that this is just a microcosm of the whole existence of the Earth and all that dwell upon it. It isn't about maintaining a pristine Earth. It's about God's children learning the results of their choices, good or bad. It's about our opportunity to choose what we want to be when we "grow up" to be like our Father. Just as we watch our toddlers make messes, God watches us make messes a LOT! Just as we love our children even when they make bad choices, God loves us even when we hurt each other and ourselves. What matters is who we are becoming. God is hoping we won't continue to "make messes" but gain some wisdom and maturity. He wants us to be able to live together, and with HIM, according to laws and principles that allow a pleasant, eternal existence. What would Jesus do? (That's the acronym in the title in case you didn't recognize it.) He would treat each of us the way He would like us to treat Him and each other. We can do that......... if we choose.
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Standing on a wall
I have expressed more than once my consternation over people doing wicked things. I have a hard time reading about or watching films depicting war, prisoner of war camps, slavery, prejudice, abuse or anything like unto it. Recently I was reading in scriptures about a group of people who had recently made the choice to follow Jesus Christ. Living in the same area at the same time was a group of people called "Gadianton Robbers", because they made their living stealing but were also prone to other wicked behavior. They were a real plague to the general populace. They were kind of like the mafia in that you either supported them or they made your life miserable. When I noticed a part I hadn't considered before- "And it came to pass that the Lamanites did hunt the band of robbers of Gadianton; and they did preach the word of God among the more wicked part of them, insomuch that this band of robbers was utterly destroyed from among the Lamanites." (Helaman 6:37) Oh my gosh- they destroyed the wicked band of men among them by converting them! Most of my life I have heard things like "If you want to permanently get rid of an enemy, make him your friend", but here is an example of doing just that. It got me thinking seriously about what I should/could be doing. I have found that I avoid spending time with people who live a very different lifestyle than I do. I am uncomfortable with drugs, drinking alcohol, smoking, swearing, violence, rude behavior,etc. Those who choose those behaviors are generally uncomfortable with me, as well. When I was talking to my daughter, Angela, about this scripture, I mentioned my admiration for what the Lamanites had done and my quandary about how to help in encouraging people to change for the better when I tend to avoid their company. Her response was praiseworthy to say the least. She said, "You just need to love them enough." I really feel that I do love them, but I avoid contention and discomfort. I guess that's inevitable under the circumstances. However, there are people I know well and love very much who choose behavior that makes me uncomfortable. I know the world would be a much better place if everyone followed the example of Jesus Christ's behavior, even if they didn't actually believe that He is the Son of God. During His short mortal life, He was kind, helpful, loving, forgiving, yet he stood firmly for righteous choices even in the face of ridicule or hatred. I don't seek to be a martyr. I only want to help other humans to see a better way to live so we could have a better world.
One very memorable "Lamanite" was named Samuel. He tried to warn people that they were going to regret the way they were living. He tried to tell them what they could expect to happen. Most of them didn't want to listen, but a few did. He stood on top of a wall and spoke loudly crying repentance. That's what prophets do. But all of us who have chosen to be the Lord's followers are expected to share our testimonies. My Lord has said, "Feed my sheep." These days there aren't many city walls to stand on. If I did, I would be considered a looney-tune. All I can do is pray for opportunities to share my belief in living up to our divine potential as children of God. I keep writing this blog with the hope that someone, even just one, will read something that will help them to overcome whatever natural man in them is an enemy to God, repent, and choose the better way. The Lord has defined for us that we can know if a man repents because he admits his errors and forsakes them. What errors? That is up to each one to determine. A prophet/king in the Book of Mormon said, "I cannot tell you all the things whereby you may commit sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them." (Mosiah 4:29) If anyone is sincere about improving their relationship with Heavenly Father along with all of the good people who are striving for the same goal, they can find out what they have to change. God is happy to guide us and help us where we're weak. We only have to want to- and ask.
One very memorable "Lamanite" was named Samuel. He tried to warn people that they were going to regret the way they were living. He tried to tell them what they could expect to happen. Most of them didn't want to listen, but a few did. He stood on top of a wall and spoke loudly crying repentance. That's what prophets do. But all of us who have chosen to be the Lord's followers are expected to share our testimonies. My Lord has said, "Feed my sheep." These days there aren't many city walls to stand on. If I did, I would be considered a looney-tune. All I can do is pray for opportunities to share my belief in living up to our divine potential as children of God. I keep writing this blog with the hope that someone, even just one, will read something that will help them to overcome whatever natural man in them is an enemy to God, repent, and choose the better way. The Lord has defined for us that we can know if a man repents because he admits his errors and forsakes them. What errors? That is up to each one to determine. A prophet/king in the Book of Mormon said, "I cannot tell you all the things whereby you may commit sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them." (Mosiah 4:29) If anyone is sincere about improving their relationship with Heavenly Father along with all of the good people who are striving for the same goal, they can find out what they have to change. God is happy to guide us and help us where we're weak. We only have to want to- and ask.
Sunday, September 11, 2016
Naked came I into the world
Recently I read an article about a young man suffering from cancer. He asked for a blessing and the priesthood holder said something to the effect, "I know you have the faith to be healed if that is the Lord's will. Do you have the faith to NOT be healed?" (His cancer did go into remission at least temporarily but that's not the issue at hand.) The emphasis is on considering exactly how humble we are in accepting the Lord's will in all things. Do we really love, respect, and want to obey Him? Or is that only when He wants what we want? Today in church a returned missionary quoted the country song about "unanswered prayers". Do we sometimes think the Lord hasn't heard us or is testing our patience or too busy to answer?
Years ago I became acquainted with the book of Job in the Bible. I taught it as part of the course on the Old Testament to a group of teenagers. I must confess, I didn't like it very much. I mean, how can you really like a sad story where a really good guy loses everything? I have gained just a little more wisdom since then. I have come to realize how Job could say, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." When we truly love the Lord and trust Him, we know that His promise that everything can be turned to our good is true. We may not know how it can be turned to our good, but we can choose to feel peace because we trust Him.
Growing up, I loved to sing. As a young child, I learned to sing the Lord's Prayer and sometimes would sing it at night to my family in our cabin in the Adirondacks as we laid in bed to go to sleep. Later I took some voice lessons when we moved to Ithaca, NY and spent quite a bit of time singing to entertain organizations, on radio, on tv, at the World's Fair in NY, at the State Fair, and even at a banquet on Broadway for some vocal coaches. I considered the idea of having a whole career in singing! But it was not to be. My life took a different turn and I sang in church instead. But now, despite the lovely voice the Lord gave me, it is gone. Age along with the fact that one of my vocal cords is now paralyzed, "the Lord hath taken away" my lovely singing voice.
In 1978 Russ and I were anxious to have more children. I won't go into the lengthy details but we went to a great deal of trouble to add to our two children that we had at the time. To our delight, in Dec. l979, Ammon David was born. He wasn't always a delight, but he was a gift from God. Then in 2008 a stunning accident ended his life. Once again, "the Lord hath taken away" a great gift He had given us.
I can't say that in either case, we have been just smiling and happy, ready to willingly accept the Lord's choice for us. Neither was Job. But we continue to be blessed every day. We have been greatly blessed in so many ways throughout our life! The disappointment when Russ didn't get what we thought was a really good job he had worked hard to get later resulted in getting a much better job more perfectly suited to him with terrific long-term advantages we still enjoy 20 years after he retired. The wife and children Ammon left us, along with her choice of a wonderful "new" husband and father for the kids, have all greatly blessed our life. Our son, James, and daughter, Angela that we had before Ammon have enriched our lives in countless ways. Added bonuses have been our younger daughter, Lisa, and our unofficially adopted son, John, with their attached families. We have been blessed to live in a free and prosperous country, notwithstanding the current moral decline. We have been blessed with good health and lots of wonderful opportunities to travel and experience so many things. Our extended family and multitudes of friends have been so supportive and loving we couldn't ask for more.
I don't know about tomorrow. There could be tragedy just around the bend. I hope I can be humble and trusting as I feel right now in accepting whatever form the Lord's love takes in my life. I don't want to just be a "fair weather follower". He gave me more than I could even comprehend. He has continued to love me even when I have been very un-lovable. If I strive to be what He wants me to be, I may succeed in enduring well- to whatever end I meet whenever I meet it.
Years ago I became acquainted with the book of Job in the Bible. I taught it as part of the course on the Old Testament to a group of teenagers. I must confess, I didn't like it very much. I mean, how can you really like a sad story where a really good guy loses everything? I have gained just a little more wisdom since then. I have come to realize how Job could say, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." When we truly love the Lord and trust Him, we know that His promise that everything can be turned to our good is true. We may not know how it can be turned to our good, but we can choose to feel peace because we trust Him.
Growing up, I loved to sing. As a young child, I learned to sing the Lord's Prayer and sometimes would sing it at night to my family in our cabin in the Adirondacks as we laid in bed to go to sleep. Later I took some voice lessons when we moved to Ithaca, NY and spent quite a bit of time singing to entertain organizations, on radio, on tv, at the World's Fair in NY, at the State Fair, and even at a banquet on Broadway for some vocal coaches. I considered the idea of having a whole career in singing! But it was not to be. My life took a different turn and I sang in church instead. But now, despite the lovely voice the Lord gave me, it is gone. Age along with the fact that one of my vocal cords is now paralyzed, "the Lord hath taken away" my lovely singing voice.
In 1978 Russ and I were anxious to have more children. I won't go into the lengthy details but we went to a great deal of trouble to add to our two children that we had at the time. To our delight, in Dec. l979, Ammon David was born. He wasn't always a delight, but he was a gift from God. Then in 2008 a stunning accident ended his life. Once again, "the Lord hath taken away" a great gift He had given us.
I can't say that in either case, we have been just smiling and happy, ready to willingly accept the Lord's choice for us. Neither was Job. But we continue to be blessed every day. We have been greatly blessed in so many ways throughout our life! The disappointment when Russ didn't get what we thought was a really good job he had worked hard to get later resulted in getting a much better job more perfectly suited to him with terrific long-term advantages we still enjoy 20 years after he retired. The wife and children Ammon left us, along with her choice of a wonderful "new" husband and father for the kids, have all greatly blessed our life. Our son, James, and daughter, Angela that we had before Ammon have enriched our lives in countless ways. Added bonuses have been our younger daughter, Lisa, and our unofficially adopted son, John, with their attached families. We have been blessed to live in a free and prosperous country, notwithstanding the current moral decline. We have been blessed with good health and lots of wonderful opportunities to travel and experience so many things. Our extended family and multitudes of friends have been so supportive and loving we couldn't ask for more.
I don't know about tomorrow. There could be tragedy just around the bend. I hope I can be humble and trusting as I feel right now in accepting whatever form the Lord's love takes in my life. I don't want to just be a "fair weather follower". He gave me more than I could even comprehend. He has continued to love me even when I have been very un-lovable. If I strive to be what He wants me to be, I may succeed in enduring well- to whatever end I meet whenever I meet it.
Liberty or Security (Russ)
Benjamin Franklin is reported to have said, "any man who is willing to sacrifice liberty for security deserves neither." We LDS members believe this was the subject of the war in heaven before we came to earth. We also believe that all those who have come to earth chose the Father's plan of agency (liberty) over Satan's plan of no loses (security). We saw the wisdom of allowing us to make choices so we could learn to distinguish good from evil. We could not learn this if evil were not allowed to exist. I believe Satan proposed his plan with the best of intentions, "not one would be lost". I seems to me that many of us who once understood the wisdom of agency have now changed our minds. When faced with the reality of the risks involved, we have been frightened into wanting to surrender our agency in return for the promise of security. We have been warned repeatedly from the pulpit by our general authorities of the danger of socialism. (security) The church welfare system was begun to eliminate the curse of the doll. President David O. McKay said, " next to the bestowal of life itself, the right to direct that life is God's greatest gift to man."
Just as I don't believe that Satan had bad intentions, I don't believe that those who support socialism have bad intentions either. The problem is the promise is never fulfilled. LBJ was correctly motivated to provide aide to unwed mothers. What could be more loving and generous than that? The result? 73% of black households are of single mother parentage resulting in what we see in the streets today. Yes, there are many risks to giving men liberty and God knew this. That is why he provided a savior for those who saw the error of their ways and learned from them. My son was killed falling off a motorcycle without a helmet. I still do not support mandatory helmet laws. Would he be alive today if he had worn one? Possibly, but the choice was his to make and that is as it should be.
In the same way Satan said "give me thine honor". Socialists say, "Give me your resources". Conservatives give more of their personal wealth to charity than to liberals so it is not a lack of compassion. It is an understanding of the bigger picture. How can we learn the proper way to direct our lives if someone else does all the directing? Remember there is a safety net at the end called the atonement. Agency is the prime directive of the universe given by God himself. Don't allow Satan to scare you into giving it up.
I have tried very hard not to make this "political" but philosophical instead. I believe I am on solid gospel ground here. If God himself will not interfere with our freedom of choice who are we to do otherwise? Enough said, I have tried to make my point.
Just as I don't believe that Satan had bad intentions, I don't believe that those who support socialism have bad intentions either. The problem is the promise is never fulfilled. LBJ was correctly motivated to provide aide to unwed mothers. What could be more loving and generous than that? The result? 73% of black households are of single mother parentage resulting in what we see in the streets today. Yes, there are many risks to giving men liberty and God knew this. That is why he provided a savior for those who saw the error of their ways and learned from them. My son was killed falling off a motorcycle without a helmet. I still do not support mandatory helmet laws. Would he be alive today if he had worn one? Possibly, but the choice was his to make and that is as it should be.
In the same way Satan said "give me thine honor". Socialists say, "Give me your resources". Conservatives give more of their personal wealth to charity than to liberals so it is not a lack of compassion. It is an understanding of the bigger picture. How can we learn the proper way to direct our lives if someone else does all the directing? Remember there is a safety net at the end called the atonement. Agency is the prime directive of the universe given by God himself. Don't allow Satan to scare you into giving it up.
I have tried very hard not to make this "political" but philosophical instead. I believe I am on solid gospel ground here. If God himself will not interfere with our freedom of choice who are we to do otherwise? Enough said, I have tried to make my point.
Sunday, September 04, 2016
Who are you?
There have been times when I have been talking to people and they find out I know someone they happen to know. When they ask me questions like: Where do they work? or Where are they from? or How many kids do they have? I often don't know. I have felt awkward about it when they may be people I see at least weekly at church or maybe more often. On further thought, I don't feel so bad. It's not as important whether you are a doctor, electrician, fulltime parent, or teacher as it is that you are trustworthy, dependable, honest and hardworking in your chosen field. It's not as important where you were born as the character you have chosen to be. It's not as important how many children, or even if you have children, as it is how you treat children.
When we leave this life, or even earlier, when our kids are grown and gone or we are retired or we have lived in 10 places since the place of our birth, what remains will be our character. You are not defined by your occupation, that is just the way you have earned money to provide necessities and some level of luxuries. You are not defined by how many children you have had, adopted, natural birth or c-section or even if you have had any at all. You show what you are by whether you are irritated by, ignore, or treat with respect those who happen to start their earth life later than you did. You are not defined by the happenstance of the location of your birth. I did not choose to be born in the United States in a loving family but I sure am grateful that I was! There are millions who are born in places and under circumstances that may have been extremely difficult for them to survive, much less progress. Being born with the advantages I have had does not justify disdain for those less privileged. Being born without advantages does not justify hating those who happened to be born royalty or wealthy. You are not defined by whatever God-given talents you possess. Someone who plays the piano by ear is not in any way a superior person to someone who struggles for years practicing and taking lessons. Someone who is a good public speaker is not superior to someone who is painfully shy and stammers. You are not defined by your ancestry. If you had a horse thief, murderer, nun, alcoholic, king, or farmer in your family it doesn't pre-determine who you choose to be. You are not defined by your appearance. Besides being totally subjective (my body shape was much more attractive during the Renaissance than during the 1970's or even today), your appearance may influence how you are treated but not how you treat others. There are beautiful people who are whited sepulchres- lovely on the outside but full of rotten stuff: jealousy, greed, lust, sloth, hatred, etc. On the other hand, there are people who have deformities, are "too short" or "too tall" or "too fat" or "too skinny" but are really delightful to be around. We mortal creatures place WAAAAYY too much stock in what's on the outside. We do judge books by their covers. We could improve social relations by encouraging each other to develop who we are inside and not be so quick to categorize others in ways we don't like to be categorized.
When we leave this life, or even earlier, when our kids are grown and gone or we are retired or we have lived in 10 places since the place of our birth, what remains will be our character. You are not defined by your occupation, that is just the way you have earned money to provide necessities and some level of luxuries. You are not defined by how many children you have had, adopted, natural birth or c-section or even if you have had any at all. You show what you are by whether you are irritated by, ignore, or treat with respect those who happen to start their earth life later than you did. You are not defined by the happenstance of the location of your birth. I did not choose to be born in the United States in a loving family but I sure am grateful that I was! There are millions who are born in places and under circumstances that may have been extremely difficult for them to survive, much less progress. Being born with the advantages I have had does not justify disdain for those less privileged. Being born without advantages does not justify hating those who happened to be born royalty or wealthy. You are not defined by whatever God-given talents you possess. Someone who plays the piano by ear is not in any way a superior person to someone who struggles for years practicing and taking lessons. Someone who is a good public speaker is not superior to someone who is painfully shy and stammers. You are not defined by your ancestry. If you had a horse thief, murderer, nun, alcoholic, king, or farmer in your family it doesn't pre-determine who you choose to be. You are not defined by your appearance. Besides being totally subjective (my body shape was much more attractive during the Renaissance than during the 1970's or even today), your appearance may influence how you are treated but not how you treat others. There are beautiful people who are whited sepulchres- lovely on the outside but full of rotten stuff: jealousy, greed, lust, sloth, hatred, etc. On the other hand, there are people who have deformities, are "too short" or "too tall" or "too fat" or "too skinny" but are really delightful to be around. We mortal creatures place WAAAAYY too much stock in what's on the outside. We do judge books by their covers. We could improve social relations by encouraging each other to develop who we are inside and not be so quick to categorize others in ways we don't like to be categorized.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)