My wish

     I truly wish I could have the opportunity to share what I know with people who were willing to listen, ponder, search, and consider. Joseph Smith, Jr. was asked what is different about the Church he founded and what our beliefs are. He responded with what is now known as 13 Articles of Faith. In the 13th article, he included some of the words of Paul in explaining "if there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things." Early in 1843 he said, "We don't ask any people to throw away any good they have got; we only ask them to come and get more. What if all the world should embrace the Gospel? They would then see eye to eye, and the blessings of God would be poured out upon the people, which is the desire of my whole soul." Later that same year, he also said, "Have the Presbyterians any truth? Yes. Have the Baptists, Methodists, etc. any truth? Yes. They all have a little truth mixed with error. We should gather all the good and true principles in the world and treasure them up, or we shall not come out true..." His desire, and the desire of those of us who have chosen to embrace what he restored to the Earth, was to find truth- absolute truth- God's truth, which is above and beyond what we mortals understand. If one person thinks of moral, social, political, or even scientific and historic issues, he will find at least one person who totally disagrees with him. If there is truth, it cannot be different for everybody. Each person has their own opinion or perspective when describing an event they witnessed or expressing their moral standards- but they can't ALL be true. The world is a pretty overwhelming conglomerate of differing ideas and sometimes people can get violently angry when faced with someone who disagrees with them. If there is any hope for peace, there needs to be a diligent search for one truth and no man, alone, can claim that.
     A later president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, George Albert Smith, said, "Keep all the good things that you have, keep all that God has given you that enriches your life, and then let us share something with you that will add to your happiness and increase your satisfaction." In an editorial in the Church News in 2013: "We regard ourselves as a chosen or a covenant people, but we do not do so with a sense of elitism or superiority. On the contrary, it is with a feeling of humble gratitude to God and immense responsibility and love for Heavenly Father's children, both living and dead." I imagine the ancient children of Israel felt this way, and maybe still do. They got blinded by a kind of pride which prevented them from recognizing the Messiah when He was in their midst. There are many Jews today who are diligent in obeying what they have been taught that God expects of them. Much of what they embrace is true but they are lacking yet. We are all lacking when it comes to knowing all that God knows. Yet, He wants to share with us all that He has. Our first step in accepting His gift is to be humble, to repent, and to have faith- trusting God will show light to all and any who have a sincere desire to follow light.
     This is what I wish I could tell everybody.

NOT obedience

     In the Old Testament, the prophet Samuel chastised King Saul by saying, "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." It should be logical that inferior beings should be ready and willing to listen to and heed a superior being. God doesn't have any desire to scold or punish us but He does want us to learn and avoid harming ourselves as well His other children. I like even better Moses's words in Deuteronomy 30:20 "That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him, for he is they life, and the length of thy days". Just as children toward parents do, we often misinterpret and misunderstand obedience. On the surface it seems to be a concept of having our own will squashed in deference to someone greater imposing His will upon us. I wish I could help ALL of God's children, all over the earth, to better understand the concept of obedience to God. To begin with, I would explain what it is NOT:
     Obeying God is not the teeth-clenching, frustrated resignation as a recruit shouts at a drill sergeant "Yes, Sir!" God only wants us to feel "fear" to get our attention, much as when a parent shouts at a young child about to run into the road in front of a car or a parent threatens a wayward teenager who is making choices that could have disastrous consequences.
     Obeying God is not the frightened, over-eager desire to please as a fearful employee trying to appease a boss who might fire him. God loves us forever and unconditionally. He is not going to withdraw His love because we are foolish, rebellious, or even cruel. He will also not remove consequences received for disobedience to laws. If we jump off a cliff, He is not likely to send a sky-hook to catch us and prevent our crash landing. What would that teach us about choices? We are not here to increase His profit margin. He is all-powerful and all-knowing. He does not require us for His own selfish purposes. However, He does desire our love to Him in return and we show that love (and trust) by our desire to listen to Him and obey Him.
     Obeying God is not the whiny, insistent, desperate efforts of a spoiled child who keeps hoping that God will "love " him enough to let him do what he wants to do, promising future obedience or greater efforts and  hoping any potential undesired consequences could be averted. He will not give in to what we unwisely request just because we promise Him something He doesn't really need anyway. No matter how much we beg to have a puppy/horse/bigger house, etc.- we will still have to deal with whatever it is on our own. It is in our own best interests that God does not give us more than we can handle- and that includes blessings as well as curses. We think we want to "win the lottery" and have pains removed, have the weather always perfect, have our every lust fulfilled- but He knows this would destroy us. He wants us to be like His Son, and like Himself. He wants us to be able to comprehend the deeper, more peaceful happiness of caring, sharing, and serving.
     Obedience to God must originate from our love and trust toward Him. It is only through meekness and sincere humility that we must seek His face, His wisdom, His will to be made known to us. We are not perfect in His way. We cannot achieve that in mortality because being mortal is, by definition, being a "natural man" who, also by definition, is an enemy to God. We cannot be greedy, lustful, angry, cruel, lazy, or intolerant and be like Him. Our need to be repentant is not for Him to punish us but for us to gain wisdom and step closer to perfection. Our Father in Heaven has offered us His greatest gift, His Only Begotten Son, because He loves us and would have justice satisfied as we take steps to be with Him forever. This earth is a lovely creation of His but it is nothing compared to what He wants to share with us. Obedience to Him, to truth and eternal law, is the only way.

What I enjoy and look forward to

I posted a picture of the Washington, DC temple on Facebook because it's a beautiful building. Here I want to express my appreciation for belonging to a church of volunteers. During our 18 month mission in Nauvoo I mentioned "do-gooders" which Russ and I strive to be. I personally feel that I come from a long line of such good people. I am also delighted to have had the opportunity to join a world-wide organization which not only preaches the gospel of Jesus Christ but most of the people do their best to follow Him and do what He would do. Russ and I have served in lots of positions in the church since we joined in 1974, sometimes putting in multiple hours weekly in service to run programs for adults, youth, and children. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is NOT just a Sunday church. We strive to serve as the Savior served every single day of every single week of every single year. Currently Russ and I serve as a home teacher and a visiting teacher which means we watch over a few members of our local church unit, including a monthly visit with a spiritual message as well as offers to assist in any way. In addition, Russ serves on the Boy Scout committee and I am responsible for choosing hymns sung in our Sunday meetings and am choir director. We both have also volunteered to work in the temple one day a week. There are some people in our church who get paid, including some who have major daily responsibilities in our larger temples. Temples are our most sacred buildings and all have the label "House of the Lord   Holiness to the Lord" on them. Every effort is made to keep them immaculately clean and lovely. Though we have little in the way of fancy adornments, the materials used in construction are the finest available and the crucial maintenance is overseen by a paid employee who may have a small staff. The temple grounds are quite large and this small staff would not be able to maintain it all to the high standard expected for a House of the Lord.
So, another opportunity for volunteer service is offered to those who wish to help. Russ and I spent most of our morning helping to clean up the natural surrounds just outside the temple grounds. There were dozens of others there with us, all wielding rakes, shovels, pitchforks, wheelbarrows and willing hands. We were probably the oldest there today and there were families with children down to toddler age. Everyone worked in the heat and humidity to pick up large sticks and spread mulch. Such labor is a great equalizer. Children have the opportunity to feel they are making a contribution equal to what the adults are offering. We cheer each other on, help each other, and just cheerfully work side by side. It's uplifting, exhausting, and satisfying in every way. I am truly grateful to be a part of it.
Years ago, Joseph Smith was given the task of establishing Jesus's church once again on the earth, with apostles and teachers. He was given the responsibility to serve as a prophet, just as Moses or Peter or Elijah. That responsibility has continued down through the years so we are still led by a prophet and apostles. Although they speak for the Lord, we can (and are expected to) communicate with our Father in Heaven in the name of Jesus Christ to know His will in our own life. It is a privilege to know what goodness exists and what I can look forward to after this mortal life. I am hopeful that all my family will seek this knowledge for themselves and am grateful for those of my posterity who have already done it. I know where Ammon and my parents are and I look forward to whatever work the Lord would have me do when I cross the veil as they have.

Looking at the past differently

     Anyone who knows me well is aware that I have been reading a book called Man's Search for Meaning by psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl. It is one of several books that I would highly recommend for anyone to read. It is not for entertainment or recreation but for learning and gaining understanding, of oneself and others. One of the points he makes in the Postscript written in 1984 has been particularly eye-opening for me. He points out that the meaning of our life is not relegated to our future potential. He comments that our youth-worshiping culture misses a major point in each individual's search for the meaning of his/her life. In addition, he mentions that it is not great accomplishments that give us meaning but our everyday meeting of challenges and our attitude in facing them. Too often we talk about being "over the hill" meaning we are on a downward slope and there is no longer a need to strive for what could be in our future. Being older is considered a handicap, more tragic than satisfying. Frankl mentions that those things in our past are safely stored away and no longer a possibility that may or may not come to fruition. What we have done, what we have endured, what we have accomplished- these are all locked into place forever. I can consider the good things I may have done and be satisfied that I did them. I can remember pain I have suffered and, rather than regret or grieve, feel satisfied that I managed to endure. I can even think of mistakes I have made and realize that I recognized the error and chose to avoid it again rather than wallow in endless guilt now.  All of these things have contributed to my wisdom. This point of view must not be confused with a hopeless, "what's done is done and you can't change it" kind of attitude. Our past is a part of who we are- who WE have chosen to be, whether through our own creativity and determination or as a result of our personal choice of reaction to people and events not of our own choosing. We are never done until we either choose to quit or reach the end of our life. We can give up, as he mentioned observing in concentration camps. Death generally resulted from such a fatalistic attitude. Frankl points out that similar fatalistic attitudes stemming from lack of purpose/meaning in this age are exhibited in depression/suicide, aggression/violence, and addiction. There is really no cure for society's ills other than promoting a change in attitude. There is no target for the blame. As a line in the movie "Wonder Woman" points out, there is no hero we can wait for to change everyone and everything. I join millions of Christians worldwide who anxiously await the promised Second Coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. But He will not be coming to force everyone to be good. That will only be accomplished by removing evil. All those who choose to follow Satan will be cast out leaving only those who, by their own choices, have made their best efforts at being good and are humble enough to accept chastisement and counsel to become even better.  We truly are the captains of our own ships.

NO MORE SHALLOW THINKING!!

     Still in the mode of thinking about general behaviors, as we walk around this community, I frequently notice plastic bags of yard waste sitting at the ends of driveways, obviously having been there for more than a week. I wonder what, if anything, goes through the minds of the residents who have placed those bags there. If time is taken to investigate how waste is to be dealt with in the community, it is clearly explained for every item small or large, trash, recycling, yard waste, and occasional appliance or construction waste. So, maybe not everybody takes the time (as we did when we first arrived here) to find out what is expected. When taxes are paid to provide services, there should be some involvement in determining what to expect and when- snow removal, waste removal, vehicle registration and parking, building permits, etc. How long will the plastic bag residents leave the bags by the street before making the effort to find out why they have not been picked up? Will they just complain about how their taxes are being wasted if their stuff isn't picked up? By the way, yard waste here is collected only in open bins, tied bundles, recyclable paper sacks with stickers, or during the fall you can rake piles of leaves to the curb to be vacuumed on appointed days. There is already a need to pay drivers for the garbage trucks and can-handlers to pick up and empty the cans, the same for recyclables as well as people somewhere who sort metal, paper, plastic, etc. from the actual garbage that some people stick in rather than try to figure out what is actually recyclable. It's so much easier to gripe about things than to take the time to analyze why something is the way it is. and what responsibility one might be neglecting.
     Not exactly the same yet requiring the same level of thought, there are groups- recently in the news here in a little town in VA but also in existence all over the world- who claim superiority. Whether it's radical Muslims claiming all infidels should be slain or radical "whites" claiming superiority over other races/religions or simply angry individuals who find cause to accuse other drivers, neighbors, family members, or whoever with the implication that what they see in others is inferior to themselves and deserves punishment- is that really helpful? As I type this, I wonder if I am doing the very things I'm writing about. But I'm not demanding laws nor punishments. I only wish to remind people that it's important to take the time to think more deeply and thoroughly. The Golden Rule- do unto others as you would have them do unto you- as well as the Dutch proverb about everybody cleaning their own doorstep so the whole community can be clean or even the Kant philosophy of nobody having the right to do something that if done by all would destroy society, ALL different ways of expressing a very wise counsel to really think about what you are doing or saying. If everybody just does whatever they feel like or is convenient for them without thought for anyone else, chaos and contention ensue. It doesn't really require a certain religion with specific rules or even mandated civil laws! Can't we just be thoughtful and kind so society is more comfortable for everyone? Isn't it logical??

Rules are rules, Fair is fair

     Years ago I served as a director for a week-long camp for teenaged girls of our church. As is common whenever youth get together, getting enough sleep was a problem. In an effort to encourage quiet conducive to sleep, we offered the consequence that anyone talking after curfew would be assigned clean-up duties the next day. We had several adults as well as older teenagers who served as youth leaders in addition to all the young girls. One morning as we met to assign those who would serve clean-up duty, one of the youth leaders reported an adult in their cabin who was talking after curfew. (This had not been serious business connected with camp. It was just happy socializing.) So I took the brazen step of matter-of-factly assigning this adult to assist with clean-up. Adult voices are no more conducive to sleep than youthful voices and the goal was to allow everyone sufficient sleep so each day's activities could progress as cheerfully and on time as possible. Rules are not just for some but for everyone. To this day I'm not sure whether that adult feels that I was "fair" in not excusing her from consequences that were originally intended for the girls.
     It always bothered me to have adults tell children they couldn't have a beer or coffee because it was for grown-ups, not children. I guess grown-ups need coffee to pep them up and beer to relax but kids are on their own to figure out how to do that. I didn't think it was right for a kid to have his mouth washed out with soap for saying words he learned from adults in his own home. I still don't think it's fair that children are punished for being cranky when they're tired or sick but their parents regularly excuse their own poor behavior for such reasons. To this day I get queasy in my stomach when I read or see a movie about prejudice against any race or religion. There really isn't much about gender, age, race, or choice of religion or legal occupation that should provide limits across the board. I can think of 3 major privileges- not rights- that can justifiably be for some and not others: sex, voting, and driving. Sex in my opinion (and I'm not alone by any means) is a result of God's creation of two genders- men and women. They unite  under the contract of marriage to form a stable union for survival and happiness as well as for propagation. Voting is a serious duty and privilege that should be used by those who are intelligent and aware enough to take part in forming rules that all of society lives by as well as choosing candidates to work together to determine those rules. That should require a minimum maturity and consciousness. Driving requires a great deal of careful attention and judgment, more than children or those with impaired brains can provide. Other than those three, most rules apply to everyone.
     An issue currently being debated, at least by those NOT in public office, is having our elected leaders live with the same rules as their constituents. How to ever get it enacted by those who stand to lose the most is beyond me. Somehow it just doesn't seem right that anyone could "serve" their country in a political office for 4 or 6 years then receive a hefty pension for the rest of their life. It doesn't seem right for legislators to demand that the general population live with health care policies that they can be exempt from. The United States was formed by some very brave people who were determined to no longer live under the rule of an elite group of people who had different requirements and benefits. The idea was to allow freedom to work for what you are willing to work enough to receive without a government unjustly limiting you. (Capitalism and democratic republic) Even under "communism", an elite class forms that lives by different rules. The book Mao's Last Dancer was quite an eye-opener to what it can be like to live under communist rule. It's a given that there is no other person in the whole world exactly like me, or you, or each other anywhere. But it is fair for everyone to have the same potential to develop their own talents, abilities, and personalities. There are those who have severe handicaps of one kind or another. It's fair for those surrounding that person to be willing to do what they can to help that person be comfortable and reach whatever potential they might have. There are those who have greater motivation than others. It is NOT fair that those who are willing to work provide extra for those who are capable but unwilling in order to have the same benefits. There has been strain in the European Union caused by nations who tend to be willing to be industrious, like Germany or England, having an unfair share of responsibility for nations who have a more relaxed lifestyle, like Greece or Italy. Whether in a family, a community, a state, a country, or the world, rules should apply to everyone as equally as possible and consequences should be administered in the same way. We have a definite right and responsibility to assist those who have made bad choices and want to change or who have been forced to live under limitations not of their own choosing. That would be charity offered willingly, not to be demanded by anyone.
     Is there anybody listening? Does it matter? The whole world would have to be willing to live by this philosophy in order for it to work. I just don't see that happening. But it's good to gain wisdom, even if it's just one person at a time.

We need to remember who we are!

     There are basically three major weapons used to separate God from His children: Money (greed, theft, usury, bribery), Sex (adultery, perversion, lust, rape), and Power (pride, lies, abuse, murder, bullying, rebellion). When the children of Israel were led out of Egypt, the Lord reduced His expectations for their obedience down to the minimum, what we label "The Ten Commandments". It's surprising how often these simple rules are ignored even by those who profess to believe in God and even pray to Him occasionally. People may cheat on their taxes or steal from their workplaces. People have been known to put LOTS of things before God, twisting His commandments to allow whatever it is their favorite sin may be. Often, they don't even try to understand and know what God wants so they don't have to worry about whether or not they're obedient. Sex has been reduced from a sacred gift for uniting a husband and wife and provide offspring to being simply an animal appetite. There is no "wrong" in satisfying sexual urges- you don't have to be married and if you are you don't have to be faithful, you can have any kind of sexual satisfaction you want with anyone you want, you can be whatever gender you want to be. Even easy commandments like keeping the Sabbath day holy are completely ignored. The Sabbath is simply a weekend day- a day to sit in outdoor cafes and have a beer or ride boats on the lake and waterski or shop all day. Many people who may even go to church try to find a time more convenient in their schedule to fulfill this obligation to worship God. He never said anything about going to an hour meeting when you can. He said, "Keep the Sabbath day holy."
     As I have thought about some day leaving mortality (dying) and facing my Father in Heaven and my Savior, I have grieved for any justifications I may have made in my life for being so much less than I can be. I'm grateful for repentance, the opportunity to be sorry enough to change. I'm grateful for God's love and my Savior's atoning sacrifice, both of which allow me to improve. I wish I could shout to all the world that there is a better way than what we see in movies, read about in social media, and hear about all around the world. Some day FitBits and promotions at work and status and fashionable clothes and certificates we hang on our walls and yummy recipes and fancy houses or cars will all seem so inconsequential. We will be amazed that they ever took up so much of our time and energy. I am grateful for lovely flowers and those who take the time to nurture them. I am grateful for beautiful lakes and streams and for all those who respect them. I am grateful for those who seek to develop and share talents to uplift others. I am grateful for all of God's children who choose to show His love through their acts of kindness to God's creations and His children. I can only pray that I can know how to remind others how much He loves us and wants us to be like His Son. And I hope to do that somehow in ways that encourage rather than discourage, remind not judge.