Jan 2010 Elder's quorum ward newsletter article

On December 27th, Howard Fisher invited a former mission companion, Jeff Porter, to teach a lesson about charity and service.

Brother Porter started out by referencing Matthew 25 where the Lord tells the parable of the sheep and the goats and then asked us why the sheep were chosen when the goats were not. Someone said that the people who were the sheep had given service, and the people who were represented by the goats had not. Bro. Porter agreed and then asked what some of the possible reasons were as to why the goats hadn't given service. Someone else said that the goats had been selfish, unable to see beyond their own wants.

He then asked us to relate an experience when someone had provided service to us that was particularly memorable. I thought about how I appreciated it when Matt Johnson and Dewain Jenkins came over 2 weeks ago to help clear all of that heavy, wet snow off of my driveway!

Bro. Porter then referenced Moroni 7:45, singling out the phrase "...seeketh not her own". He said that this made reference to the natural tendency to seek out those who are like us, or with whom we feel the most comfortable. Conversely, charitable people will seek out those who need help, people whose interests are different, or people with whom they would not normally associate.

Brother Porter then talked about the poor Zoramites in Alma 32 and how they had been refused admittance to the synagogue that they helped to build because of how poor they were. Alma didn't care that they were poor, but he cared that their poverty had helped them to be humble. In chapter 34, Amulek further taught the people that unless they visited the sick and gave of what they had that their prayers were in vain, and that they were "as hypocrites who do deny the faith." (v.28) I thought that this was important, to realize that everyone needs to be giving and charitable, even when they think they have few means to do so.

In conclusion, Bro. Porter came full circle and again referenced the parable of the sheep and the goats; he challenged us to get out of our comfort zones and help those who we know need it, not waiting for our bishops or stake presidents to assign us to assist others, but to do so ourselves.

This was a very good lesson, coming as it did soon after Christmas. The tendency during the season is to be extra helpful, but then we allow our efforts to lessen as the new year goes on. Let's not let our good deeds diminish! I know that as we help others as much as we can, whether it is during the Christmas season or not, we will be blessed with the things that God knows we need, and we will cultivate patience and charity. 

--Jordan Fauver

John Paul the 2nd...

Tuesday 8Dec09  – “An excuse is worse and more terrible than a lie, for an excuse is a lie guarded.”

“Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.”

“As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.”

These quotes come from Pope John Paul II, who I somehow stumbled upon in my trawling of Wikipedia (it’s amazing to me how all things are interconnected). As I read through the things that he did, the ideas he espoused (not all of which I agree with, but most) and the example he was to millions of people, I was forced to conclude that, as Pres. Hinckley has observed,  there are many people of great faith and excellent works in all places of the world, and that truth is found in all places. A person can believe a lot of truth, not having all of it, and still be a good person who helps others, is charitable and Christ-like in every way that they can.

Now, those who know me well know that this realization doesn’t come easily. Where I went on my mission, the cities were full of people who were the antithesis of the ideas I was preaching. Such behavior on their part made it extremely easy for me to be frustrated and discouraged, and encouraged me to be bitter and hostile towards other religions. I thought of them as receptacles of lies and promoters of deceit who actively tried to keep people in spiritual darkness. As one who was trying (not that I think I ever completely did, or even came close [I was too afraid, I think, to have the faith necessary to ‘lose my ‘life...in order to gain it’. But that is another topic entirely!]) to dedicate their time, effort and life completely to preach the truth as I knew it is, these others who were, in my opinion, keeping souls from coming to the truth. I didn’t like that. I also thought the reference of the ‘great and abominable church’ referred to specific religions.

But I think that now I begin to understand just what the Prophet Joseph was saying: these people (even the ones who I think are trying to sabotage the truth and/or keep others from it) are looking for truth, but don’t know where to find it. All they need is someone with patience to help them feel the Spirit sufficiently to help them make the transition from their truth to the place where the fullness of all truth is- the LDS church.

            Truth is found everywhere and is with all people; some have more than others, and thus makes those with more truth responsible to help those with less. Good people are everywhere and are doing good things to help others. Some are closer to God and Christ than I am (which sadly, doesn’t hurt me as much as it should because I don’t think of myself as a very valiant, upstanding latter-day saint in the first place  :c ).

I also realized that the ‘great and abominable church’ refers to the general apathy towards things religious and spiritual, the nullification of God, and the necessity of faith in our lives; it doesn’t refer to any specific entity or organization.

            I begin to realize that I could take examples from John Paul’s life and do better myself: that someone who I didn’t think was worth emulating indeed has Christ-like attributes that I need to develop.

           

Something that isn't about anger! Whoo hoo!

Sunday 29Nov09 – How impressive the human body is! I was reading in Wikipedia about Genomes, naïve T-cells, negative T-cell selection, and other things, and I thought ‘How incredible, literally, is the fact that the human body will be able to do things like store DNA inside of cells, be able to keep one safe from infections after only one exposure to a disease, and that the body will do the best it can on any sort of food that we give it: the food may either still be alive and whole, or it may be cooked, irradiated, denatured and/or toxic, and the body will do the best it can!’ True, if we put sub-standard fuel into ourselves we will have many problems, but just the fact that a person could conceivably live 50+ years on non-living food and still exist is truly amazing.

            And then I thought ‘How much better will our lives be if we choose to eat living things, and reduce the amount of cooked food we eat?’ The body, I think, would hardly know what to do with itself. Probably the body would help one to lose weight because it wouldn’t have to deal with the toxic byproducts of metabolizing non-living food, and could thus continue removing the excess weight that most of us carry. I think this process is called the ‘elimination cycle’, and it is tasked with removing all the ‘crap’ that is left in our body after we eat. The sad part is that it is limited by how much activity we get and the amount of time it has in a day in order to work: usually 8 hours. The analogy I have heard, and that I really like, is that the elimination cycle is like a person tasked with shredding 20 boxes of paper (toxic byproducts of metabolic function) in a normal workday. If everything goes ‘normally’ the 20 boxes get shredded and life is OK. If we, by what we eat or drink, add more than 20 boxes to our ‘pile’, say 21, the body stores that excess ‘box’ as fat in order to try and get rid of it at a later opportunity. The really bad part is when we consistently add boxes to our pile and never give the body or the cycle a chance to get rid of its excess: it is constantly overworked and the toxic buildup increases steadily as we continue to add to our pile. Is it any wonder that so many people suffer from poor health as they are not exercising, thus not giving their lymph nodes an exponentially-increased chance of processing toxins, and are constantly eating more than they should or need and at extremely poor times (thanks, Taco Bell and your 4^th Meal garbage!) ?

            The great part is that as soon as the body has the chance, it will start to deal with the excess boxes we have stored! If we only contribute 19 boxes in a day, the body will take the shortfall and process 1 more box of our excess in order to make up the difference! Thus, the fewer bad things we add to our system, and if we don’t eat at inopportune times (stopping the elimination cycle in its tracks as energy is diverted from elimination to digestion and adding more ‘boxes’ to our pile), the more our body will help to clean us out.

            I know that this process works! I was 275 pounds before Val and I changed what we eat. As I started to eat things that were better for me and eliminated all animal products from my diet, I steadily started to lose pounds: I lost 50 pounds, without exercising (!), in 2 years. True, it wasn’t a fast reduction, but I didn’t even get out and jog once in order to permanently lose 1/5^th of my body weight. Besides, it was healthier for me to lose the weight slowly rather than drop all 50 in 3 weeks: I put it on slowly, and I lost it slowly.

            If you want more info, email Val and ask about the elimination cycle. I think it is found in one of Harvey Diamond’s books. She knows more about it than I do...

            I’m getting off of my ‘weight-loss/healthier-living’ soapbox now, but I know that these principles (veganism, the elimination cycle) are true, that they work. And thus can work for anyone if they will invest the effort to take care of their miraculous body.

 

            The 3 Witnesses and the 8 Witnesses all testified that the Plates were real, and the 3 testified that they had been delivered from an angel. And even though a lot of these men turned against the Prophet Joseph, never would they nor did they deny or refute their testimonies or statements concerning the reality of what they had seen... As I think about the awesome responsibility of proclaiming eternally to the world the reality of the Book of Mormon, my spirit is in awe of these men and their dedication to the truthfulness of the latter-day work. And yes, some did turn away, but others didn’t, and all stood by what they had seen, felt and heard.

            I have to ask myself: would I be able to do the same?

 

Your Star Wars laugh for the day...

http://www.basicinstructions.net/?p=1277

Man, I talk about anger a lot...

Wednesday 18Nov09– Book of Mormon title page – I didn’t know that this was actually a translation of the first ‘page’ of the gold plates, and that it was written by Moroni. ‘...And now, if there are faults, they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-set of Christ.’       

How often do we think that because something comes from God it must be perfect? Concerning this, I had an interesting conversation with someone here at work last night about how a lot of the members in the Church act selfishly and thus hurt those around them, especially if they are in a position of leadership and thus are able to receive revelation for others. We expect, as members, that those in leadership functions will act altruistically and unselfishly, but forget that they are no further along the path of perfection than we are; or if they are further, it’s only a couple of steps along the path. Sadly, even the leaders of wards and stakes are not above using their influence to affect others.

What I told this person last night was a maxim that I have developed in my relationship with my family: ‘if you realize that everyone (with very  few exceptions), LDS or not, is not logical, but is short-sighted and selfish (‘natural-man’-ish’, then you won’t be surprised and hurt when they act that way; parents, bishops, leaders of any kind are our spirit-siblings making their way along the path of perfection, and some are farther along than others.’ I know this sounds cynical, but it is, I feel, the basis for moving towards godhood.  I feel it even has some charity in it because I don't expect people to act in a way that they probably aren't prepared to act in.

If we are judging people, and their actions, as less than what they ‘should’ be, we are placing ourselves in the spot of Christ and His judgment. The problem is that we can’t know what sort of mental-process is going on and what sort of life experiences have happened to make the individual act the way they do. Only Christ can know those things. All we can see is that their actions are either disagreeable or deplorable, and we are angry because of what we think they ‘should’ have done.

Anger (and its derivatives: annoyance, impatience, intractability and their ilk) is the destroyer of spirituality and makes it impossible to be perfected and purified because we are not ‘full of charity’ and haven’t used that Atonement in ourselves to take away our hurts: our hurts are still there because we have kept the wounds open by dwelling upon them. Anger destroys people’s souls, lives, marriages and relationships. It (hand in hand with its brother ‘pride’) destroyed the Nephite and Jaredite nations and will do the same to anyone unwilling to let go of it.

Finally, how can we be generous to others when we feel that they are mean, uncaring or wrong? We are commanded to be generous and not to withhold our means because we feel/judge that the person is unworthy. So, if a bishop whom we disagree with, &/or dislike, asks us to contribute more to our fast-offerings in order to help those ward members who, perhaps, are not meeting all of their obligations, what is the right thing to do? Simply, to give as the Lord has asked us to give, and He will be able to bless us more. If we seek for the power of His Atonement in order to soften our hearts and to forgive ourselves, He will do so.

Good gifts...

Tuesday 17Nov09) – Moroni10.30 – ‘And again I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing.’ Hmmmm – good gifts...’Gifts’ refers to talents. So, I am commanded to seek out and enlarge my good talents, and shun those bad ones; bad ones being addictions to anger or pornography, laziness or other poor choices, and good ones being a desire to read, a good singing voice, a desire to be helpful, kindness (sometimes, as I am not always kind.  :C ), charity (again, sometimes), a knowledge of the scriptures, etc.

                I have good qualities (actually, I have lots of good qualities/gifts), but my ‘evil gifts’ seem to be so daunting and powerful to overcome that I quail inside to even try. I suppose that this demonstrates my lack of faith, because if I had faith, I would know that Christ will help me and make the surmounting of my obstacles possible, and I wouldn’t be afraid.

                Sometimes I wonder if I am the only one who suffers from a lack of faith: it seems like everyone I know goes on merrily through their days , rarely, if ever, voicing doubts about their abilities to rely on the arm of the Powerful One or if they should seek or even receive forgiveness through their repentance...Mine sure is a lonely feeling.

 

Sunday musings...

Sunday 15Nov09  - Joey Rapp gave a talk today about E’ Holland’s conference talk about holding on to the iron rod, and I thought about how one can ‘hold’ on to the rod. Merely reading scriptures seems so...ineffective. It’s like glancing at a paragraph and getting the gist of it, but no application of principle.

                Moroni9.23 – ‘And if they  [the Nephites] perish it will be like unto the Jaredites, because of the willfulness of their hearts, seeking for blood and revenge.’ I wonder how many people anger has killed? I remember Pres. Monson’s priesthood session talk about anger, and that it has a harmful effect upon spirituality. It’s too easy to do things that one will regret when they are angry.

I recognize that I have an anger problem, usually because I feel like I am not listened to, my opinion isn’t valued (or sought) or I am ignored. I dislike all of those things a lot (no, really, I hate those things- I think it is because I try to find out what others think and feel, and I want them to do the same), but that doesn’t mean I have to resort to the ‘last-Nephite’ tendency of trembling because of my anger and hardening my heart. Usually what I decide is best, when I remember to do it, is to go away, off somewhere alone and say a prayer (‘When your heart was filled with anger/did you think to pray...?) and then play computer for a bit. Then I can articulate myself better and I am not in the midst of the firestorm of my rage. And that is probably the best thing I can do for everyone involved.

                I know I have a long way to go, but I try to do better. It’s troublesome to be so easily beset by such a powerful emotion as anger.

Am I paranoid, or am I paranoid enough? (This is rhetorical)

I read this article (http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/24/justice.rape.19.years/index.html ) and I asked myself ‘What is wrong with people?’

The gist of the story is that 19 years ago an 8-year old girl was taken from her bedroom through her window, raped and then left for dead with her throat slashed. She lived, recovered and spoke out about what had happened to herself. The alleged perpetrator was arrested, with his wife in the car with him, because of DNA evidence. How would that be? ‘Sorry, dear, I should have told you about my abhorrent past.’ I feel bad for his wife, who probably had no idea what she was getting in to.

My paranoia that I speak of is this: when we get a house, people are either sleeping upstairs and all of the ground-floor windows will have rebar on the outside, or all of my windows will have bars on them. I don’t care if it is tacky, they are going up. I figure if it works in California, it’ll work for me. Of course, maybe there is a more efficient, or less unsightly,  way of barring windows from external entry, but I refuse to let my house be an easy target. I think to myself ‘ This was 19 years ago (1990). It has only gotten worse, not better, since then.’

 I’m not saying that the sky is falling, but the truth of it is that there are lots more people out there who don’t care about me, you, nor anyone else except for themselves, and will do whatever they want in order to get what they desire. There is nothing wrong with being aware and prepared to do something about that possibility.

I suppose I sound afraid, militant and worried. I suppose you might be correct in your assessment, but life is too precious to let some deviant, sociopathic scum try and take it from me or desecrate it, not to mention those I love and are sworn to protect. And I prefer to think of myself as aware, prudent and prepared. Doctrine and Covenants section 38, verses 29 and 30 say ‘Ye hear of wars in far countries, and you say that there will soon be great wars in far countries, but ye know not the hearts of men in your own land. I tell you these things because of your prayers; wherefore, treasure up wisdom in your bosoms, lest the wickedness of men reveal these things unto you by their wickedness, in a manner which shall speak in your ears with a voice louder than that which shall shake the earth; but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.’

So, time to weapon up gentlemen, and make your castles into fortresses, that we may protect that which God has entrusted to us. Hopefully we never have to do so, but I’d hate to be faced with the necessity of doing so and not be able to do anything about it except stare helplessly.

If I sound a bit defensive and unapologetic, I am. I feel like I am unpopular for my stance, but I feel like I am right in my desire to protect and defend those whom I love. Therefore I offer no regret for my thoughts.

 

Again, what is wrong with people? Why do we have to keep looking over our backs all the time [condition yellow- look at Wikipedia under Jeff Cooper (marine)]? Can’t all of us just do what is right and be kind to those around us?

Addictions and problems...

Text from here (Bad language therein, but a relevant message) ßYou have been warned!

 

This hurts on a few levels for me. As I read this and pondered it afterwards, I was struck by how many people search for ‘something’ to give their life meaning; it can be God, possessions, power, fame, anything.

   I found it sad that these people have, for whatever reason, given up on their belief in God, I find it equally distressing that they will, most likely, never want to try to find Him again because of their unanswered questions and bad experiences.

   And yet they feel like ‘something’ is missing. But it can’t  be God, or spirituality, or faith, because they have rationalized Him away. He can’t exist because they say so, and thus they won’t search for Him.

   I know from personal experience that addictions can’t be permanently overcome by willpower alone. Christ and His Atonement is the only way to find a way to become whole again. I feel bad for these people because they have cast aside the only real opportunity to change their situation that they have. I feel bad because the truth may come to them some day (or it already has) and they will reject it because they have told themselves that such faith is not rational, it can’t be proven, and thus is false, dangerous and not worth their time. Therefore they will remain mired in their problems, hoping for ‘something’ to come along and help them change.

   How powerful and destructive the mind can be, and how easily ensnared by cunning ‘logic’ it is!

   There is no problem with going on faith, on asking questions, on finding out the truth about things. However, to use the finite, imperfect mind to try and figure out Deity is ultimately a futile exercise. Worse, to become frustrated and disillusioned because we don’t have or can’t comprehend all of the answers leaves us, finally, to ourselves, to wallow in the slavery that Satan enjoins upon us because of the darkness of our supposedly ‘enlightened’ mind.

   I fail to understand why ‘faith’ is so derided by those who don’t believe in God. Even atheists and infidels work on faith: we have faith that if we work, then we will be paid, that the sun will rise tomorrow upon a new day, that those whom we love will love us in return and not hurt us. Why, then, is it so difficult to accept that there is a Supreme Being who directs the universe?

   To me it seems more simple to accept Authority and to find out whether or not what I have been taught is correct through prayer and study than it is to go it by myself. I see no weakness in that dependence.

   And finally: I am a sinner just as in need of the Atonement as anyone else. I am not superior, nor am I very far along in my purification and perfection process. In fact, I would classify myself to be among the few who are just barely past the starting line on the way to the Father. I just feel bad that there are those who have taken God out of their lives and yet are still searching for ‘something’.

 

OK, I can't just let this one pass by...

Your link : http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/07/obama.school.speech/index.html

 

Pres. Obama is set to give a speech to back-to-schoolers on the ‘Net Tuesday. Apparently lots of parents have their shorts in a knot over the possibility of the President pushing a ‘partisan agenda’. There are reports of school districts banning the speech, and some parents won’t be letting their kids go to school for fear that they will be ‘exposed’.

    Now that the text of the speech has been released, it must be a huge surprise that the President merely wants to encourage young people to get educated and to work hard.

   A quote from CNN: "The president's speeches tend to be [about] what's wrong with the country and what can we do to fix it," said Bill Hogsett, a parent from Dallas, Texas.

   "I believe this is the greatest country on Earth, and I try to teach that to my children. ... I don't want them hearing that there's a fundamental flaw with the country and the kids need to go forward to fix it."

   OK, sir, why is it wrong to tell children that there are problems that need to be dealt with? True, children shouldn’t have to fully shoulder the burden of fixing the problems that you/I/we have created, but if they are to be responsible citizens,  why shelter them from the truth? Isn’t the axiom ‘Knowledge is power’? So, why not empower the children instead of keeping their head buried in the sand along with your own?

   Let’s be honest: this country has serious problems. Welfare babies, addictions coming out of our collective orifices, apathy, dishonesty, rights being taken away wholesale, the excessive empowerment of the minority over the collective good are just a few of the problems that confront this nation. None have an easy solution. But to ignore the problems does nothing to aid in a recovery, and ultimately dooms those whom we seek to protect because they then become part of the problems because they have never been clued in that there are problems in the first place; or they are allowed to find out but not told how important it is to be responsible and how a person’s actions and choices can affect other people.

   I see this man’s  reaction as that of a parent who is not involved with his children. If he had been, his response probably would’ve been ‘I’ll talk it over with my child when they come home from school because I am involved and informed...’Instead he succumbs to political frothing, scared that someone might/will present ideas that might perhaps be at odds with what he believes. Instead of using this opportunity to teach and to listen, he has already made the decision to deny the right of information and the opportunity of logical thinking (how can we think logically if we never have differing points of view?) from someone just because of his political slant and because he doesn’t think his child should be exposed to other points of view.

   I don’t agree with a lot of the things that the President does. I don’t agree with a lot of the things that he and his political party stand for. For what it’s worth I think Republicans are just as bad as the Democrats, and that Republicans have just as many problems with their ideology as everyone else. However, I support his good desire to help children be educated and to work hard, and he is the President. We don’t have to like all of the things that he does, and we certainly don’t have to take the things he does that we don’t agree with lying down, but to presume ( a better word that is synonymous to assume) that he is going to push a leftist message on children as part of an agenda is ludicrous.

   It is not our duty to blindly support him and those who are in authority over us (ecclesiastically, politically, financially or otherwise).Our duty is to think about why we do what we do, to consider, logically, other options, and to divest ourselves of those things (thoughts, habits, feelings and problems) that keep us from progressing.

   Fearing new information that may conflict with the knowledge that we already have, and shunning it, is wrong. The largest reason as to why the Gospel of Christ hasn’t permeated every land is because people fear the truth. It is not wrong to consider the different sides to a topic.

   Heavenly Father wants all of His children to not be ‘sheeple’: those who follow because it is easiest and never think about why they do what they do. These people are quickly scorched by adversity. No, I think that He wants children who will ask the questions ‘Why’, ‘How’ and ‘What’. Those who ask and want to know will receive answers and will be better than those who have always had it and never bothered to ask in the first place.

   To bring it full circle: being aware that there are problems and clueing young people into them is no crime. The availability of information is both a blessing and a curse that can be tempered by interaction and discussion. Truth can come from any side, any political slant, any person. Don’t deny someone, no matter how old, the chance to broaden their understanding because you are afraid of the source. There is only one Source of truth, and no one mortal person has a monopoly upon it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weird will stipulations on CNN.com...

Subject: Weird will stipulations on CNN.com...

Here is the link: http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/08/31/bizarre.will.stipulations/index.html

The #9 guy sure didn’t like women very much, did he?

On why I think it's a good idea to carry/have a gun....

I realize it has been a while since I posted anything, and I hope there are still people who read this blog on the infrequent times when I do post. In this post I solicit your opinion and input, whether you agree with me or not; in short, tell me what you think, please.    About 6 weeks ago, I had very strong feelings (dreams, promptings and such) that I should start carrying a handgun. My first inclination was to dismiss such feelings. After all, I feel like I am a non-violent person, and I definitely don't want to hurt anyone; the most violent thing I think I do is play Counter-strike on the PC with my bros.-in-law. Also, being vegan has made me more aware than others of the amount of unnecessary violence perpetuated in the world.    ...then our church got set on fire. Admittedly, it was only a small fire that torched 1 bishop's office, but it was set at ~2 AM, and had been burning about half an hour before someone caught it. Whomever the person(s) is(are) who set fire to a place of worship, they live close to where I do, and may also be the one(s) who have broken multiple windows at our church building before this.    Because of this incident, I realized that whomever is causing this destruction, they don't care about the law, people's rights (except for their own), or the moral outrage caused by setting fire to a house of God. A person who does things like this are the type, I think, that will do whatever they want in order to get what they want. Personal death or injury of someone else in the pursuit of their goals is not a deterrent to them.    Because of my position as husband, and hopefully a father someday, one of my duties is to protect my wife and family. The Book of Mormon is replete with examples of defense of families and rights. So is the Old Testament. Because my duty is to protect, I feel I should have the tools and implements available so I may do so. If this means carrying a .45 pistol at all times except when I am sleeping, so be it. If it means a shotgun at home loaded with beanbag or other non-lethal ordnance, that is my choice. If it means doing these things and learning karate or ju-jitsu, so be it. I don't feel like I should be proscribed (limited) in my choice of defenses. Karate or other martial-arts seem, to me, to be less desirable (not less effective!) because of the proximity to the target that is required in order to be effective. That and I'd probably hurt or break a hand or a foot trying to do something. Besides, a person with a gun probably isn't going to let me get close enough to do anything to stop him. Hmmm. Maybe if I had Chinese stars or something...    Some may exclaim "But, a gun is dangerous! What if a child gets a hold of the gun and shoots themselves, or someone else?" That is a valid concern. I feel that if I take responsibility for my actions, and take care of the gun like I will be trained to, the danger will be minimal. A gun is a tool, and, in my view, isn't any more dangerous than a steak knife, a fork, a sword, a power drill, a hammer or a nail-gun. All of these things can kill a person. Forks and knives are in every kitchen and are not locked up.    Personally, I don't understand the irrational fear and stigma that surrounds guns. It is a tool, one that must be respected and taken care of, and carried and used responsibly. Safes (either combination, lock or both), gun locks and keeping the ammo away from the unloaded gun unless it is securely locked away are safe practices. Having a flashlight and a laser-pointer on my gun are also good things to have. Always following the rules for safe gun-keeping, and never deviating from them, will allow me to carry responsibly and minimize the danger others might be exposed to because of my carrying a firearm.    Someone might say "But surely it's enough to know how to use and shoot a gun safely, in case of an emergency. It's unnecessary to carry it everywhere." True, it is a good idea to know how to shoot it in case of an emergency. But the questions beg to be asked "If it's OK with you, in an emergency, to use a gun to kill someone, why do you have a problem with me carrying one all the time in order to be prepared? If you don't have a problem with it being in the safe with a clip inserted but not chambered, why do you have a problem if I carry it the same way?"    I don't feel like I am a violent person. I see a gun that is carried with me as a form of insurance: I don't want to have to use it, but I'll be glad to have it if the need arises. I would feel terrible, I'm sure, if I ever had to draw on someone and 'drop the hammer', killing them; I may never get over it. I accept that fact, and I hope I am prepared. But I would feel infinitely worse if I were ever in the situation where I could have done something in order to protect myself, those I love, or even innocent people, and couldn't because I wasn't prepared. I don't want to be one of those unfortunates who can only stand in shock, looking like this: 8-O . But if my wife or I is in danger and there is no other recourse, you're damn straight I'm gonna take someone down. I don't want to be a victim, and I can't live with myself letting someone else be a victim either.    Training exists in order to teach people skills they didn't have to start with. I plan to get trained as much as I can so I can use my gun in a safe and effective manner; this includes extensive practice-shooting at targets and classes on firearm safety. I don't want to be one of those people who get a gun and then do nothing to better their skills. Those are the sort of careless people whose kids get hold of their parent's gun and kill either themselves or others, due to negligence. Without the bravado inherent in such a statement, I want to be one of the law-abiding good-guys who carries a gun.    I would appreciate your comments, if they can be posed in a non-confrontational manner. No name-calling, please. Thank you.

On doing better...

4Nephi 1.16,18 talks about how happy the children of Lehi were after the Savior had appeared to them. Happiness comes because of obeying true commandments because we want to. Their happiness came about because they wanted to do what was right, and they were careful/strict in their obedience, I’m sure. Happiness doesn’t come about because of sloppy behavior, nor from laziness, nor apathy. To be happy, I have to be strict in my obedience and prayers, in my devotion, in my thoughts and in my actions. If I start to feel either complacent in my behavior or weary in doing good things that help me stay on the strait path, then I need to re-orient myself, and ask myself Why I feel complacent.

   I also have realized that I don’t take vague criticisms well. I guess I don’t take any criticism well, to tell the truth. But the vague, undirected barbs hurled at me make it hard to be rational. I don’t like to be called names any more than someone else does, nor to have my thought s be called self-righteous or condescending. I don’t know that I’ll ever feel good about attacking someone’s position (metaphorically speaking). I just want to try and learn from what others say so that I can be a better person. But, those people have to be both constructive and precise in their critiques...

   ...Because no one responds well when they are called names.

  

   Please help me to do better. Tell me how I can do better. I really do want to improve.

 

I got this gem today, unsurprisingly from 'Anonymous', in regard to my last post about sustaining the law...

“Who are you, and what happened in your life that made you so judgmental and self-righteous? There's not a bit of humor on this site - at least, I didn't find any before I gave up digging through older posts. I'd say you're a typical Mormon, but usually they're just uptight about everyone else. I guess if venting online helps you keep your cool in person, go for it.”

 

   How nice that someone doesn’t have the courage to write out, specifically, what it was that they disagree with, nor attach their name to their comments, so that there can be some sort of understanding or dialog. Anonymity is the shield of the ignorant, permitting them to sling their stones without fear of reprisal or response.

   Further, it is glaringly ironic that I am called uptight, self-righteous and judgmental by someone who is more obviously these exact adjectives themselves.

   Of course, you, sir or madam, may have mistakenly thought that this is a humorous site, dedicated to giving cheap ‘yuks’ to the populace. I’m not sorry to disappoint you. I rarely try to entertain anyone; rather, I attempt to bring my unique point of view to topics I find to be relevant. This site is more for myself, and to let those who know me know what I am thinking about.

   The only judgment I passed was that I said he, the return missionary, had lied. No vilification, no hate-mongering, no name-calling. I do still wonder what the Church’s response to this will be, but to me, it doesn’t matter. The Church should obey the law, which says that illegal immigrants are, by their very sobriquet, illegal. However, you can’t hold the Church responsible for the actions of people who either lie to hide their situation, or have rationalized their way out of it. Again, it is the principle that what the Church teaches is true, and not how the members choose to apply those principles.

   One of the principles that the Church teaches is responsibility for a choice: if you choose to lie about your citizenship status and you are caught in the lie, you have to be held responsible for it. Now, I know that ‘choice and accountability’ is a foreign concept to a lot of people, but it’s one I uphold and try to live: those who know me know the struggles I have had, and still have, in coming to terms with my poor behaviors.

   I am no better than anyone else, nor do I claim any moral superiority. We are all trying to move forward as best we can and know how. I only say that if a person lies that they be held responsible. And if the Church has to choose where it stands, make other religions do the same, so that all are on an equal footing. That is my position- equality for all, and not some sort of ‘Animal Farm’ where some are ‘more equal’ than others. Ultimately, if the law is selectively enforced, then anarchy can only be close behind.

 

If you are going to anonymously call me the same names that you yourself personify, being either unwilling or unable to back it up with proof or evidence, then you, sir or madam, have no place in calling for me to re-evaluate my position.

'...in obeying, honoring and sustaining the law.'

   A link for you today: http://www.sltrib.com/utahpolitics/ci_12267241

   Basically, an LDS missionary was trying to return home from his mission in Ohio, and was detained because he was/is an illegal immigrant.

   This brings up the obvious question: What should the Church do about illegal immigration? Until now, the Church seems to have straddled the fence quite nicely, not going one way or the other. The problem is that a growing percentage of members are Latin-Americans who might be here illegally. What is the proper course of action in dealing with them?

   Clearly, the 12^th Article of Faith says that we believe in following the law. This is a good thing, because how can a church be true if it breaks the law?

   The part that I don’t understand is that this man lied in his temple recommend interview, on multiple occasions, when he was asked whether he was honest in his dealings with his fellow men. Plainly, he was not, as he was an illegal immigrant.

   But what can the Church do, other than start asking specific questions about the citizenship of its members? Besides, we are already asked about our honesty. And if the member lies, what then, and it is found out? Excommunication? Disfellowship?  A lot of people tell lies frequently; whether it is a little white one, or horrendously black, it is still a lie. And what if the lie isn’t discovered? Should someone who is not a citizen be in a position of authority in a ward or stake, regardless of their other redeeming qualities? I would posit that no illegal person should be in those callings, because they would have to lie to get in to it, and having thus lied, would be unworthy of the confidences inevitably entrusted to them.

   In the end, does it really matter what the Church’s stance will be on this issue? Even if my life &/or job was dependent upon illegal immigration, or my job was lost because of it, the Church should follow the law and uphold it. As our leaders are responsible for notifying the authorities of abuse and other illegal activities, this is no different. The Church cannot preach righteousness and yet continue implicitly  supporting illegal immigration by not speaking against it.

   Ironically, only here in the Valley would this be an issue: that the LDS Church has to take a stance on illegal immigration. No other churches are being asked to make a stand, even though the Catholic Church would be the logical one to ask, since most latinos are Catholic.

   I suppose it would be easy for someone to fall away from the truth because of this situation. However, I see this, regardless of the present or future stance of the Church, as an example of how the revealed teachings and principles of the Gospel are true, and NOT the individual execution or application of those principles by the adherents, even if it is the Prophet or Apostles. My testimony isn’t dependent upon their righteousness.

On dying relatively well...

Wednesday 22Apr09 – Yesterday Val and I had someone from a mortuary come over so we could take time to plan ahead and plan out what caskets we wanted for when we die, what sorts of flowers, the program itself, etc. It was really educational, in many ways. For instance, dying with any sort of dignity is expensive: my choices totaled ~$11k, which is a lot for being dead.

   We looked over casket options, vault options (which are the concrete boxes they put the casket in in the ground), flower choices, favorite songs/hymns, living wills, last wills and testaments, cremation options- you name it, we probably looked at it.

   The great part about this is that we decided on our options, and started putting money towards these inevitable expenses. An insurance company gets the money and saves it for us. When we have paid off our term, our funeral expenses are paid for, and the financial and emotional burden won’t have to fall to a shell-shocked, grieving person who may not have the moolah to pay for all of the services necessary. Even better, the $ will gain interest, and will stay ahead of inflation, so even the flowers will be able to be paid for when the time comes.

   I think the best part is that we were able to make these choices objectively now, instead of leaving it to someone later to have to deal with. This, in my opinion, is the worst thing, besides repentance, to leave until it is too late- I mean, can you imagine the crushing weight of +$11k of services being dropped on your family, who probably can’t pay it anyway? Better to face my own mortality, make the choices now, make the payments, and then be done with it.

   So, it was extremely educational, and helped immensely with our peace of mind. I highly recommend that every person who reads this call up their local mortuary and plan for their future. Those people you leave behind, which there inevitably are, will thank you.

‘Don’t be afraid, but face your fears, that you may become stronger...’

When is love not enough?

Sunday 12Mar09 – At what point is love not enough? Say I decide to start doing things that are either morally wrong, are a bad example, or are not living according to the covenants I have made? Assuming that my spouse, or a concerned party, is trying to live the way they should, is it enough to only say to the person ’I love you’, and then not remind them of the bad things that they are willfully doing, and that you don’t like or approve of it? That seems, to me, to be the weak way out, as you are not really loving them/helping them to do better, but you are only enabling the bad behavior on their part by not reminding them of the things they have promised to do.

   ‘But Jordan’ you’ll surely say, ‘it’s not my place to nag the other person. Everyone knows what they should be doing; I shouldn’t tell someone else what to do. Besides, it’s not my place to remind them of what they should do, as I am imperfect and probably am not doing so hot myself.’ Well, dear friend, you are wrong. Every person, as a child of God, and especially baptized members of the Church, has a made a covenant to do what the Lord would do, if He were here, to help others make correct choices and to help them along the path. This help is to be given with patience, long-suffering and with kindness, but we are not told to let people do what they want, regardless of the consequences. This further assumes that the giver of the aid is willing to accept help in their own sphere. If I feel like I should tell someone I know that I don’t approve of their actions, then I have to be willing to take correction from someone else for myself. Furthermore, men who have been ordained to any office higher than a deacon have the solemn responsibility to watch out for the whole Church, to be Church police-officers of a sort. Pres. Eyring’s talk during the Apr 2009 Priesthood session spelled that out quite clearly. So does the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood. All 3 are excellent reading, and I recommend that you read them-sections 20 & 84.

   The people who say ‘It’s not your place to tell me what to do’ also say that ‘It should be enough for you to say that you love me’ and leave unsaid the ‘Don’t you tell me what to do!’ part. They don’t want to called to repentance, and they assume that those whose calling is to watch out for them, when they sound a warning voice, that those voices do not love them because they try to help them find the correct path.

   Eventually, a person grows beyond the reach-of-influence of their parents, and then is basically on their own. But, are they not to be held responsible ever again? If their path starts to, or has already deviated, from where it is supposed to be (and we all know where we could be), then is no one allowed to tell that person what they think? What if the person has children who are influenced by the behaviors of the parent?

   When is love not enough? Where is the line between letting a person make their own choices, and telling them how you feel about the choices that they are making, and the possible consequences of those actions?

   Saying nothing feels like I don’t really love the person, just that I am afraid of offending them, or that it is not my place to say anything to them (which amounts to the same thing). All of us have the calling to watch out for each other, and to warn, when it is necessary. To be too timid to tell someone of the concern we feel for the direction they are taking does a dis-service.

   Referencing Pres. Eyring’s talk, it is not the bishop’s sole responsibility to warn, but to be a judge. Ours is the calling to watch out for each other, and to help them along. Voicing our concern is not a judgment, but an act of compassion, even if the person we are worried about doesn’t see it that way. If we stand by and watch someone spiral towards destruction and only stand by, wringing our hands with dismay and concern but saying nothing, we will ultimately be held responsible by Jesus, and, most likely, by the one we watched annihilate themselves.

   ‘...persuasion, long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; by kindness, and pure knowledge...reproving betimes with sharpness when moved upon by the Holy Ghost, and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love towards him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be thy enemy; that he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death.’ D&C 121.41-44

 

I gave 2 lessons today: 1 in Sunday School about the ‘Gathering of Israel’, and in Priesthood about being ’Valiant in the Cause of Christ’. I thought the lessons were good because of the amount of participation I got. That always seems to help things move along, and I hope people learn more. The best part was that I didn’t feel nervous about either of my lessons.

   3Ne17 – How great would it be to hear Jesus, in person, praying for me, personally? I’m sure that He does so now, but my faith is insufficient to feel the full impact of that prayer.

 

Wednesday 8 Apr09 – I still have too much pride in me: I read scriptures that talk about the pride, lying, deceit, mischief, hypocrisy, murders, priestcrafts, whoredoms and/or secret combinations in the last days- and I am grateful that I don’t do those things, and that I am better, nominally, than they are. But in reality, I’m not. I have lied, frequently. I have deceived others. Thus I am a hypocrite. I know I have committed whoredoms in my mind. Not physically, but mentally.

   It’s hard for me to shake the feelings of superiority, because even though I know I’m doing OK right now, I have it better than a lot of other people in the world do. But, this is no cause for a feeling of smug superiority. On the contrary, I have to realize that my past and present sins make me just as unworthy and as in need of Help as the people who commit those heinous sins are.

 

Looking at the surface

Thursday 19Mar09 – Montel Williams, a talk-show host, was on Oprah while Val was watching the other day. He has multiple sclerosis, and it hurts him a lot. A comment that Oprah made was to the effect that ‘you don’t seem to be in pain or suffering too much, so you must be OK.’ He then said that he wasn’t OK, and that he had attempted suicide once by throwing himself in front of a car, and had at one time 5 guns sitting in front of him while he tried to decide which of them would make the smallest hole.

   I went to take a shower, and the hymn ‘Savior, May I Learn to Love Thee’ came to my mind: specifically the verse ‘Who am I to judge another when I walk imperfectly? In the quiet heart is hidden sorrow that the eye can’t see...’ That is so true that often we don’t know what other people are going through: we see the exterior and judge accordingly, forgetting that the superficial is only a small percentage of what is really happening.

   3Ne6 – The people of Lehi basically fall away from the truth again, and Satan inspires them to start up the secret combinations so that they may subvert the laws and justice of the land. It seems that this rebellion comes about due to the amount of learning that a person had, how much $ they had, and what their status/standing was in the community.

   Is education that conducive to pride: I get some knowledge and therefore think I no longer need the Lord? Obviously yes, since I have leaned and depended so much on my own strength in the past. But these knowledgeable, prideful people persecuted the more humble part of the believers because they were seen as inferior...I suppose I see some other people as inferior to myself, which is a bad thing. All are equal in the sight of God. There is no Animal Farm complex here- none are more equal than others. Winos, homeless people, even the proud are no better or worse than I am. They are just in a different situation than the one I am in.

 

I told you so!

Tuesday 10Mar09 – 3Ne1 – Why is it that wicked people, or even those who don’t believe, rejoice and are happy when they try to destroy the faith of believers? The Nephites were almost gleeful, prancing about those who were looking forward to the sign of Christ’s birth, because they thought the time had passed and nothing had happened. I can see it in my mind: ‘<Nelson>HA,Ha!</Nelson>You were wro-ong! What you believed in didn’t happen! You’re so stu-pid! We’re going to kill you!’ The obvious answer to the question ‘Does pride make this desire to prove others wrong happen?’ is yes. Why do they enjoy it so much? Does it give so much satisfaction to say ‘I told you so’ to someone?

   ‘Even with the great ability that he had, Jesus did nothing of himself. His whole effort was to do the Father’s will. All that he did, all that he spoke was given of the Father. If Jesus found it necessary to draw his course of action from God, how much more so do we have a need to be dependent upon the Father to determine the course of our lives in every detail! Those who would follow Christ cannot subscribe to the slogan “I did it my way.”’ (E. Richard Packham, Born of the Spirit, p.37) I hadn’t realized that the complete surrender of self comes because of an exercise of faith, and is a gift from the Father. I must desire the gift and exercise my agency in order to ask for it and act in accordance to get it, but it must come from God first.

 

On trust and faith...

Wednesday 4Mar09 – Helaman12.6 – ‘Behold, they do not desire that  the Lord their God, who hath created them, should rule and reign over them; notwithstanding his great goodness and mercy towards them, they do set at naught his counsels, and they will not that he should be their guide.’ OK, I am just as guilty of this as anyone else, but this has to be the definition of either insanity or stupidity, or both. A fundamental desire of humanity is to know what is to come, even if it is 2 minutes into the future. Another fundamental drive is knowledge. If anyone is capable of knowing what is to come, or has knowledge to impart, it is God the Father and His Son. Why would a person not trust the Lord to guide them? Sure, maybe doing the right thing isn’t always the easiest thing to do, and trusting can sometimes be difficult, but if I can have trust in any person, wouldn’t trusting the Lord be the best person? He can’t fail! He always does what He says He will do. He always cares for His children, and wants to guide and help them. All we/I have to do is trust Him, and do what He asks. Under the circumstances, why would I rely upon my own strength when I can’t even know if I’m going to make it home from work OK? I have no prescience, no foreknowledge, and I am constantly learning that I have an abysmal lack of knowledge that my humility compels me to admit to.

 

On generosity...

Tuesday 3Mar09 – An epiphany from last week: In Mosiah 4 (16-25) it talks about how we are supposed to give of our means if we have it. If we don’t, are our hearts willing to do so if we had the means? v.16 talks about the beggar putting up his petition in vain, that he perishes. Notice that the scripture doesn’t say anything about approving of what the $ is going to, but that we are to give, regardless of the circumstance. People may ask me for $. If I have it to give, I will give it. The requirement is more for the giver than the receiver: I become holier as I divest myself of selfishness and judging of others. OK, so he’s going to buy liquor with it. He will make his choice, and I will make mine. She’ll put the $ I give her to poor use because she can’t manage it. That’s fine also. It is better for me to give what I can than it is for them to receive it. I am only asked to give up part of what isn’t really mine anyway: the means that God has blessed me with. Isn’t it all His anyway? Besides, how can God be merciful with me if I put pre-conditions on how, what and why I will give, and still be merciless?

   Helaman 10-11 – Men are so quick to do evil, and extremely fast to return to their old, sinful habits. How long does the nuke-of-destruction have to hover over me before I wise up and repent? How long will God be merciful with me and give me time to shape up?

 

On the quickness of change...

Monday 2Mar09 – Reading Helaman 8-9 with Val today, I commented on how short of a time it took the previously righteous Nephites to allow themselves to be seduced by the Gadiantons: I think it was 3 or 4 years. Val brought up a good point: 1 year is 365 days, which is a lot. Lots of things can happen in a day, let alone 1095 or 1461 days (3-4 years). I realized that righteousness depends on deciding every day, both mentally and by the things I do, whom I will serve and follow. Some days I do better than others, and some days I don’t do well at all. Repentance can help me on the days that I stray to put me back on the path. Repentance isn’t something to be avoided, but the bad decisions I make, thus necessitating the repentance, are. Self-honesty and self-introspection are eternally necessary principles in order to not stray.

   The questions ‘Why do I make the decisions I do?’ and ‘What motivates me?’ are probably the most important questions I can ever ask myself. If I go through life never, or even rarely, evaluating my actions, I will inevitably fail to gain the celestial reward. As Pres. Uchtdorf has taught, we have to be on the right course, and corrections are always necessary. If I ever come to the point that I say I don’t need to change myself anymore, that I am just fine how I am now, then pride has taken over me and I am perilously close to failure. Humility allows one to inspect one’s self honestly and frequently, and to decide what to do next in order to progress. Humility also allows one to realize that a correction is always necessary, and to ask for Help in effecting that change.

 

Thursday 19Feb09 – Alma60 – Man, that chapter seems to go on forever: Moroni chastising Pahoran endlessly. A huge rant, all of it heart-felt and deserved. Fotunately for Pahoran, he was still a good guy and Moroni came and helped him.

   I told Dad tonight that I was grateful for his self-control in not killing his children when he was mad with us. I am grateful for his patience because it could have been so easy for him. It’s scary to realize that I have the ability to seriously injure or kill someone I love because I get out of control.

   Trust, faith and total humility are synonymous....I hadn’t thought of them that way, but it’s true. Trust -assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something. Faith -belief and trust in and loyalty to God. Humility -not proud or haughty : not arrogant or assertive. Reliance is based on faith and humility, because how can I trust someone I don’t have faith in? And if I am not humble, I ‘don’t think I need anyone at all’. ßPink Floyd reference. I suppose my problem is that I don’t keep a remembrance of the ability of God to deliver me. Or better said, I remember when I am in trouble. I’d be better served in always remembering His desire to help me, rather than only relying on Him when I need help. It’s one thing to be in constant contact and communion with Him, and another only to call out in my extremity. I’d rather try and do the fist one, that way I increase my protection/faith.

  

 

Alma52 – I think that if I had had possession of a Nephite city or 6, I wouldn’t have chased after Teancum’s decoy army. No, I think I’d’ve stayed there and waited for reinforcements.

   Mosiah 3.19 – ‘For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the Atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child: submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord sees fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.’ How old does this ‘child’ need to be? Anyone over 2 isn’t likely to ‘yield’ very well, or submit. Man, that seems really hard- dropping back to a point that I can’t even remember. Not able to take care of myself, total trust because I haven’t learned not to. Spiritually, I am finally realizing that I am unable to take care of myself, and to keep myself out of temptation’s path. But to reach this point of 100% reliance upon God and His Christ...my spirit almost seems to quail from the thought and effort it will take. On the other hand, how nice it would be to know that whatever happened, the Lord would be on my side, and I would trust, whole-heartedly, that whatever happened would be the best for me. I wouldn’t have to be perfect, but I would have to try, every day, to put off the ‘natural man’, the self-sufficient, reliable man.

   And that list! I’m not even close to it. I try to be humble, and not think that I am any better than anyone else, and that I don’t need Help to get through anything. Meekness (enduring injury with patience and without resentment) I have problems with. I am sensitive, and thus easily offended. Boo to me. I’m not too patient. I suppose I am not spoiled and demand instant gratification, but I’m not real patient yet. Full of love, to me, also means charity. I don’t think I’m too charitable either. Submissive/willing to submit – nope, not that either. I’m getting better about seeking spiritual strength and Help, but I don’t submit well.

   Once again, I am a good person, with weaknesses to work on.

   Good thing about me for the day: Culinarily speaking, I am not afraid to try new things.

 

Post #2

Tuesday 10Feb09 – Listening to E’ Bednar’s last conference talk, I realize that prayer has dual obligations: ask, and then do. Joseph Smith didn’t ask which church was true, but rather which church should he join. If I am not willing to do after I ask, I am lost. If I ask for strength to resist temptation, but am not willing to resist it, to exercise my agency by pleading for Help in order to resist or to do those things that will help lead my mind in the proper direction or fill it with righteous principles, what is the point in asking? By not doing, I bring trouble upon myself.

   Pres. Kimball ‘(paraphrase) Spiritual knowledge doesn’t come about merely by prayer. It requires persistence and patience.

   E’ Neuenschwander talked about crowds, and how the woman touched Jesus’ clothes in order to be healed. This brings to mind that there certainly are crowds of people, member and non-member alike, there to be with Jesus: to look at, possibly to mock or to entrap, to be with, but a few are there in order to be healed. They are the ones with the faith and the humility, that take full advantage of what the Lord offers: healing. Am I one of the ones of the ‘crowd’ searching for healing, but not looking with all the power I can?

   This life is short, deceptively so. I tend to think that my tomorrow will be much like my today is and has been. I like to put off what I can until tomorrow, because I am of a lazy bent. But, repentance isn’t one of the things that can or should be put off. Life is too short to put that off, or in putting off forgiving someone else. Indeed, repentance and forgiving others are pretty much the only requirements that we have in this life.

   Alma 51 – Amalickiah takes over many Nephite cities because of the dissensions of the king-men inside the Nephite nation. – Stupid dissenters. Why they gotta be that way? Supposedly they thought that they should get to be kings because of their ‘high’ and ‘noble’ birth. This shows to me what happens when people forget that it doesn’t matter who my forebears were, either kings or pioneers in the Church, it matters more what sort of a person I am now, and whether I am keeping the commandments, forgiving others and repenting.

   Jacob4.10 – ‘Wherefore, bretheren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from His hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that He counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all His works.’ The workbook says to write, in the form of a question, something that has been bothering me, and to put it to the Lord, and to write down my answer/His counsel. Here is my question: why am I so quick to forget the good things You have done for me, and why do I so easily give in to temptations and my appetites? The only answer I can feel is that I am not good at praying, and so I easily forget the Lord. By not praying, I am not reminded of the things He has done for me. I pray, but usually only in my times of need. Therefore, I am not consistent in my prayer. So, how can He therefore help keep me in remembrance of His goodness?

   Helpful/good thing – Thanks to the talent that God has given me, I can sing well. Not perfectly, but I can harmonize and sing parts.