tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12322847556890044182024-03-18T21:26:45.406-04:00This Member Musesby Krista Cook - A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsKristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344163281646499679noreply@blogger.comBlogger643125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232284755689004418.post-50244198859366052042024-02-27T09:00:00.002-05:002024-02-27T09:00:00.267-05:00Dating is Hazardous to Your Health!<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTECHRTg5CsDV-F0nNtEU0_IgUdoze62XaeY1qXle9yjDjhZ2X-XUf0iMzZoqq5ZamDeVwWRyXmWQc9FpsLiXihZZwd1S2xvqPYSFyrasw6EEypBfjSObZCfnivcCKWByx_r9kDARqVwlrm10c5DU-TygqLjqBKDpuUYR7j7B-pIu5gJbw40FFCw21vkU/s1920/Natural%20Hazards%20and%20Disasters%20Earth%20Science%20Presentation%20in%20Colorful%20Line-drawing%20Style.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTECHRTg5CsDV-F0nNtEU0_IgUdoze62XaeY1qXle9yjDjhZ2X-XUf0iMzZoqq5ZamDeVwWRyXmWQc9FpsLiXihZZwd1S2xvqPYSFyrasw6EEypBfjSObZCfnivcCKWByx_r9kDARqVwlrm10c5DU-TygqLjqBKDpuUYR7j7B-pIu5gJbw40FFCw21vkU/w640-h360/Natural%20Hazards%20and%20Disasters%20Earth%20Science%20Presentation%20in%20Colorful%20Line-drawing%20Style.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br />The recent Date Night held at numerous Church schools and
Institutes across the country were reputedly well attended and appreciated.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Elder Clark Gilbert, Church Commissioner of Education <a href="https://www.deseret.com/2024/2/24/24071354/church-education-is-promoting-dating">remarked</a>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">“This isn’t a silver bullet,”
he <a href="https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2024/2/2/24059903/ces-date-night-see-photos-read-summaries-byu-provo-idaho-hawaii-ensign-college-institute" target="_blank">acknowledged</a>, in reference to the CES date night events.
But he expressed hope that, despite strong societal trends in the opposite
direction, these efforts can be a catalyst to re-instill a positive dating
culture that will get people away from screens and help them connect together
often as fellow Christian disciples.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Pairing off, even in the Church, has become more and more
uncommon. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">What’s the Problem?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Since I’ve been out of this environment and element for so
long, I can’t hazard a guess. However, some issues are pretty universal and
exist throughout time and across cultures.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">“Dating” is hazardous to one’s health. It’s stressful,
emotional, heart rending and scary, for everybody.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Solution to a Positive Dating Culture?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I do have one idea to offer and it comes from my husband
with a throwback to my past.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When my husband was single he would go to Church conferences
for singles. Dancing was usually on the menu. Yes, he was often one of the few
men in the room. He told me he would dance every dance with a different woman
simply cycling around the room asking a different woman each time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">He’s not much of a dancer either. He told me, and I quote,
“I just wandered around the dance floor until the music stopped.” His big feet,
size 17 (yes, you read that correctly), were also a risk.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">He explained his actions thus, “The gals deserved to enjoy
the event. With a little effort on my part, I could help make that happen.” On
reflection, he added, “<b><i>VERY</i></b> little effort”.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I asked him how the women reacted to him. He said they just
brightened up when he approached them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In my opinion, his actions were sheer genius. It reminded me
of a ward dance I attended at BYU.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">There were two guys there, friends and roommates, who hammed
it up on the dance floor and had a blast. They were fun to watch but it was
their other action that made it memorable.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">They each asked every girl in the room to dance. They cycled
through us all many times, all night long. I remember getting hauled out
several times. It was fun. And, I’m certain that none of us were under any
illusion as to what they were doing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Those two guys made the evening a hit. Everyone had a good
time. Nobody felt targeted or uncomfortable and we all enjoyed ourselves. I’ve
felt grateful to them ever since and I’ve never forgotten them or the event.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Most dances aren’t that comfortable or fun.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Many Cheap and Simple Dates<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">If guys asked a lot of girls out on multiple dates that were
inexpensive and simple, dating wouldn’t be so expensive or fraught with angst.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The fact that most dates have become rare and expensive is
bad. Neither is conducive to really getting to know a person.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">One idea I ran across is “Tightwad Tuesdays”. The guys tried
to make the date as cheap as possible. Just going for a walk and getting an
inexpensive ice-cream cone would do the trick.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Women wouldn’t feel targeted if they knew the guys were
asking out every other girl on the planet. Pressure would be off and people
could just get acquainted and familiar with each other. If pairing off did
occur in the future, it would happen more naturally.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Remove Barriers<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Consider <a href="https://kristacook.blogspot.com/2020/04/part-9-tribute-to-my-husband-greg-cook.html">this
from my first husband’s past</a>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">One of my favorite stories is how
he got started dating. His father and stepmother were concerned that he had no
interest in dating even though he was 16.<br />
<br />
His father confronted him about it. [He] explained that he didn't have much
money for dates because he only had a part-time job. He had no vehicle and
buying gas would be difficult for him as well.<br />
<br />
Intending to remove these barriers, his father and stepmother told him that he
could have the car any day of the week and that they would pay for the gasoline
as well as the date.<br />
<br />
With all barriers removed and faced with almost too good to be true conditions,
[He] made the most of them.<br />
<br />
This system lasted exactly one week. After seven dates on seven consecutive
nights with seven different girls, [his] father confronted him again.<br />
<br />
He told him, "There's nothing wrong with you! From now on, you can have
the car one night a week and you can pay for your own dates and gasoline."<br />
<br />
Having the rug pulled out from under him so fast still bothered [him] all these
years later. He thought his Dad had been very unfair in setting up a system he
then dismantled almost overnight.<br />
<br />
Amused, I asked [him], "And you don't think your actions were ...
exploitation?" "No," he said defiantly, but rather
unconvincingly.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Interestingly, despite having to pay for his own dates, he
did start dating in earnest. It took a nudge with some barriers removed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Conclusion<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">There may be as many barriers as people but there are probably
some broad barriers that could be removed, like expense and the angst I
mentioned above.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344163281646499679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232284755689004418.post-50782990291900298542024-01-16T09:00:00.036-05:002024-01-16T09:00:00.148-05:00Temples and Controversy: A Return to Cody<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVeCCEQuxFg1wxhM9kid8rynoQQoTFlm3O-M80FRbe50dOrMuhwrwsbJKuC9h3Az4KjlSOxCKFJVL6dXK0LpnQeqKpnTycPqcgAo4S3a_-WB5VIS9gqEA8Oynr5C8J2_OnyMP1fiY4jamhJ1kma-ngfEaOgGI9r2_6Ydzh9z0TLGk00VoxciKR3jbx62g/s2048/04.-2022-10-24-Cody-WY-Exterior.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1621" data-original-width="2048" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVeCCEQuxFg1wxhM9kid8rynoQQoTFlm3O-M80FRbe50dOrMuhwrwsbJKuC9h3Az4KjlSOxCKFJVL6dXK0LpnQeqKpnTycPqcgAo4S3a_-WB5VIS9gqEA8Oynr5C8J2_OnyMP1fiY4jamhJ1kma-ngfEaOgGI9r2_6Ydzh9z0TLGk00VoxciKR3jbx62g/w640-h506/04.-2022-10-24-Cody-WY-Exterior.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: times; font-size: x-small;">An artist's rendering of the Cody Wyoming Temple.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: times; font-size: x-small;">©2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.</span></div><br />(I’m revisiting an issue I covered in a previous posting: <a href="https://kristacook.blogspot.com/2023/08/on-temples-controversy-and-cody-wyoming.html">On Temples, Controversy and Cody, Wyoming</a>) <br /><br />When I taught college, I always praised students who actually ended their papers on the same topic they began them on. Yes, this was rare. The tendency to get derailed off onto tangents was endemic. <br /><br />The whole Cody Temple controversy has also been derailed off onto tangents. I suspect the courts will reorient it onto the central legal and technical issues, much to the disappointment of the temple opponents. <br /><br />From reading in the news media about the controversy, my only source of information, there is a profound misunderstanding of legal procedure and legal issues. I’m going to try and cut through some of that and explain some basic things. <br /><br />The courts are not going to redecide the issue on the merits. What that means is that they aren’t going to substitute their judgment and redecide whether the temple is a good idea for Cody. <br /><br />They will decide if there is sufficient information to determine if the city was justified in approving it and issuing the building permit. <br /><br />In a talk I heard once from former Justice <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_M._Durham" target="_blank">Christine M. Durham</a>, she remarked, “Trial courts look for truth. Appellate courts look for error.” This can be a good guide on how to think about things, even for the Cody temple. <br /><br /><b>Procedural Legal Cases </b><br /><br />The cases before the courts from either the Church or the opponents, present procedural problems only. The city of Cody approved the temple and issued a building permit. The courts will decide if the city committed any errors in doing so. <br /><br />They will review the procedure the city and its employees used in approving the temple and issuing the building permit. They will look for any errors in procedure, interpretation of the city code, and so forth. <br /><br />This is one of the reasons why the judge is focusing entirely on the established record and not allowing the additional records Preserve Our Cody Neighborhoods wants to insert for his judgment. <br /><br /><b>What the Judge Said </b><br /><br />News organizations <a href="https://cowboystatedaily.com/2024/01/05/judge-rejects-emails-as-evidence-of-bias-in-cody-lds-temple-lawsuit/">reported</a>: <br /><blockquote>In a December filing, Johnson County Judge John R. Perry ruled that allowing the emails and texts as evidence would be wrong because it would allow the court to rule on information not available to the city prior to the Planning and Zoning Board making its decision to <a href="https://cowboystatedaily.com/2023/08/11/surprise-all-101-feet-of-cody-mormon-temple-has-green-light/">approve the temple</a> in August. <br /><br />“Certainly, the evidence advanced by POCN might give context to the discretionary political decisions made by city,” Perry wrote in his decision. “However, in the broad range of what is legally acceptable, admitting that evidence in these proceedings is neither required nor does it appear to advance meaningful application of the attendant legal tests.” </blockquote><b>The Real Technical and Legal Issues </b><br /><br />So, what are the real technical and legal issues the courts will review in the Cody temple case? I don’t pretend to have an exhaustive list, but I’ll hit the high points. <br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Does the proposed temple comply with city code, especially building codes?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Does the steeple violate any city codes?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Does approval of the temple violate zoning?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Did the city correctly interpret its own code when approving the temple?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Did the city use the proper procedure for approving the temple and issuing the building permit? </span></li></ul></span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Notice that these questions are separate from people and personalities. That is probably why the judge doesn’t consider the “context” from the additional materials important to his task. <br /><br />Who is biased or in favor of the temple, who worked behind the scenes, who agreed with it or didn’t, these are all irrelevant to the judge’s task. <br /><br />If the city planner, the board, and the city attorney don’t have the authority and expertise to make judgments on legal codes, building codes, and zoning, who does? <br /><br />If they don’t know the proper procedure for deciding these issues, who does? I suspect they tried hard to follow everything meticulously. <br /><br />Courts also won’t have any difficulty deciding whether the Cody Master Plan is legally binding. It either is or it isn’t, regardless of what temple opponents want it to be. Even the city’s website states it is just a “<a href="https://www.codywy.gov/135/Cody-Master-Plan" target="_blank">guide</a>”. <br /><br />News organizations reported <a href="https://www.codyenterprise.com/news/local/article_30c5b474-aa73-11ee-ac53-6b90f6848ca3.html">this comment in the judge’s decision</a>: <br /><blockquote>““All indications are that the City rendered its decision following hours of public hearings, an extensive opportunity for public comment, and specific findings made by the City,” he wrote. “The court further notes that members of POCN presented comments during the public hearings. <br /><br />“For that reason, the Court finds that all material evidence to decide the conditional use permit has been presented to the City and that there is sufficient evidence to determine the propriety of a … Preliminary Injunction as well as the ultimate issue on appeal.” </blockquote>The Judge is saying he has enough information to render a legal judgment on the issues before him. <br /><br />When procedural cases get reversed, it’s often because certain information wasn’t considered when the decision was made, certain procedures were scuttled or not conducted properly, and so forth in the decision-making process. In other words, the decision-making process was flawed in some way, especially if the law requires the decision to be based on certain criteria. <br /><br />The judge will review the criteria and look for evidence that the criteria were followed. If it wasn’t, he may order that the decision be made again and the excluded information considered and/or the necessary decision-making process conducted properly. <br /><br />It’s not uncommon for officials to go back and redecide the issue using the proper criteria and procedure and decide the same thing all over again. Courts accept this. Their role is to ensure proper criteria and procedures are used in the decision-making process, not to redecide the issues in the court system. <br /><br />I can’t imagine that happening with the Cody temple decision. From everything I’ve read, the city bent over backward to consider everything they were supposed to look at and consider. I don’t think anyone can accuse them of making a hasty, incomplete, or flawed decision without public comment and consideration. <br /><br /><b>Conflict of Interest and Bias </b><br /><br />Conflict of interest is a legal issue and the criteria are encased in law. Subjective opinions of ordinary citizens on who has a conflict of interest are not relevant to the courts. They’ll follow the legal definition. Too often the “conflict of interest” stigma is aimed at people’s opponents they don’t agree with and nothing more. The law isn’t that arbitrary. It requires a standard definition applied uniformly. <br /><br />Bias also has little relevance. Whether someone is biased in favor or against the temple is irrelevant to whether the proper city authorities made the decision using the proper procedure for doing so.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">As the judge said, it does give “context” but isn’t relevant to the legal issues. A decision on whether a building permit was legally issued doesn’t need to determine if individuals were biased in favor or against it. <br /><br />Multiple news articles established that the whole “conflict of interest” issue was carefully examined by the relevant officials in charge of doing so. Subjective opinions by individual citizens are not legally relevant however much temple opponents want them to be. <br /><br />Judges probably won’t be very concerned about whether individual citizens have subjectively determined that the temple steeple violates building codes. The requirements for determining this are clearly articulated in law. <br /><br />Throwing around accusations of city officials and employees of being corrupt and incompetent also isn’t legally relevant. It’s also incredibly unfair. Why this issue? If they really are corrupt, there would be evidence from other decisions and actions, not just this one. <br /><br />They are in the positions that endow them with the power and authority to make these decisions. Just because you don’t like the decisions they made doesn’t warrant these nasty accusations. <br /><br /><b>Irreparable Harm </b><br /><br />Opponents of the temple are saying they will experience “irreparable harm” if the temple is built. This is a very high legal standard. One the courts won’t take lightly. <br /><br />Here’s a legal definition of irreparable harm <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/irreparable_harm">from the LII</a>: <br /><blockquote>Irreparable harm is a legal term that refers to harm or <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/injury">injury</a> that cannot be adequately <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/compensation">compensated</a> or remedied by any monetary award or <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/damages">damages</a> that may be awarded later. Irreparable harm is a necessary requirement for a <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/court">court</a> to grant a <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/preliminary_injunction#:~:text=Definition,status%20quo%20before%20final%20judgment.">preliminary injunction</a> or <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/temporary_restraining_order">temporary</a> <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/restraining_order#:~:text=A%20restraining%20order%20is%20a,in%20cases%20of%20domestic%20violence.">restraining order</a>. <br /><br />The <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/movant">movant</a>, or <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/party">party</a> seeking the <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/injunction">injunction</a>, usually has to prove that they will suffer irreparable harm if the injunction is not granted. This is because the purpose of an injunction is to prevent harm before it occurs, and once harm has occurred, it may be too late to adequately compensate the injured party. </blockquote>Nothing I’ve read about the controversy suggests anything close to “irreparable harm” would occur to anyone. <br /><br />It’s easier to make this claim than it is to prove it. <br /><br /><b>City Officials Working With the Church </b><br /><br />Opponents of the temple point to all the interaction city staff had with the Church in preparing the materials and approvals for building the temple. They see something sinister in it. <br /><br />City officials and staff work with people seeking to develop and build in a community all the time. This is standard. There is no reason to have people go through the process and risk refusal when tips from staff can help those wishing to build comply with all legal requirements. <br /><br />It’s called efficiency and effectiveness. It’s good sense and it’s good procedure. It’s even called (drumroll) good government. <br /><br /><b>City Planner Todd Stowell </b><br /><br />I feel for the man. He undoubtedly knew that having to decide this issue could be career-ending or even life-ending giving the vitriol he knew would be aimed at him. Others undoubtedly knew this too, including the man who offered him a job if everything went south. <br /><br />It’s a no-win situation for him. One side or the other was bound to vilify him regardless of what he decided. The only rational and reasonable course of action open to him was to follow the law precisely as it is set up as well as utilize every inch of technical expertise he has. <br /><br />It’s his only safety. I suspect he knows this and conducted himself accordingly. <br /><br /><b>Reflections </b><br /><br />By carefully reading all of the news coverage I could find on the Cody temple, I was able to identify bits and snatches that got played down in the press: There was no legal reason to deny the building permit and there was no legal reason for the mayor to deny issuing the permit once it was approved. <br /><br />The judge could easily decide the same. Are opponents ready for these developments? <br /><br />As I stated before, if the roles were reversed, I suspect that opponents of the temple would be screaming that they have the right to build what they want on their own land with their own money as long as they aren’t violating any laws. Neighbors shouldn’t be allowed to control what they do with what they have and what they own. <br /><br /><b>Future Events </b><br /><br />How is all this going to play out? I think the likely scenario is this:<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Church will prevail in all the legal challenges. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The temple will be built. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The temple will be beautiful, an asset to the neighborhood, will not increase traffic, won’t affect “dark skies”, will protect property values, and won’t cause anybody any problems in the long run. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The opponents will continue to fight it but will not prevail so they will shift their persecution to individuals and possibly even resort to sabotage and vandalism. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">People will eventually wonder what all the hullabaloo was about because none of the sinister prognostications of the opponents ever develop. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">People will regret all the money they spent fighting it. </span></li></ul><b>My Disclosure </b><br /><br />I suspect that instead of addressing and considering any of the points I make, people will attack me and my motives. So, I’ll just be clear about my motivations and reveal my conflicts of interest. Here they are. <br /><br />I don’t like Wyoming. I don’t like the state, the terrain, or the people. I lived in southwest Wyoming in the 1970s for a short time. There might be a handful of people there who remember me or my family. I don’t have any relatives or friends living in Wyoming that I know of, perhaps just a few acquaintances or people I’ve once met. I don’t think I’ve ever been to Cody. I certainly have no wish to go there. I live in the Midwest. <br /><br />I DO care about the law, fairness, administration, religious freedom, and temples. <br /><br />I dare anyone to accuse me of bias, collusion, and/or conflict of interest.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">#ChurchofJesusChristofLatterdaySaints</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">#ChurchofJesusChrist</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">#LDS</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">#Mormon</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">#PreserveOurCodyNeighborhoods</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">#RelocatetheTemple</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">#CodyWyoming</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">#LDSTemple</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">#CodyTemple</span></div>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344163281646499679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232284755689004418.post-41565990439714367632024-01-02T09:00:00.008-05:002024-01-02T09:00:00.135-05:00We Should All Live Our Lives With "Exactness"!<div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJtDB1J8uz-FMtMBWe0VZzSUuTea0LtUHSlbLRy-S3SAwvVasL7Wa5dFl5ZvMFXWIUcLlLeyW8YFRhBcatQDDlRaOL13eZub34jUS3O35pGNqJQ8kqqXouMMMhYziVJLeRipg7UiqvlanQZgdu8nCBK2FGaQ4EPUJpn9YDhP9GmprxFgmgjRTAASUNZlU/s1920/Exactness!.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJtDB1J8uz-FMtMBWe0VZzSUuTea0LtUHSlbLRy-S3SAwvVasL7Wa5dFl5ZvMFXWIUcLlLeyW8YFRhBcatQDDlRaOL13eZub34jUS3O35pGNqJQ8kqqXouMMMhYziVJLeRipg7UiqvlanQZgdu8nCBK2FGaQ4EPUJpn9YDhP9GmprxFgmgjRTAASUNZlU/w640-h360/Exactness!.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="font-size: x-large;">Living Our Lives with Exactness </b><br /><br /><b style="font-size: x-large;">Introduction </b><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">One of the realities I faced as a professor was that almost nobody ever followed my instructions, at least not completely. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">For example, when I would start a new class, I would have the students introduce themselves telling them to, state their name, tell us where they were from, what their major was and why they were taking the class. Almost everybody invariably left something out. It just went downhill from there. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">In the instructions I gave my students throughout the semester, I did not want them to experience frustration, get stressed, spin their wheels, waste their time or anything else. So, I would give them explicit and detailed instructions on how to do assignments, papers, and projects properly. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">The older and more experienced the students, the better they were about following my guidance. I taught graduate school and I could depend on graduate students to do what they were told, most of the time. Freshmen were almost utterly hopeless. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">A </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/18/us/professor-syllabus-money.html" style="font-size: x-large;">story I read in the news</a><span style="font-size: x-large;"> a short time back really captures the problem. A music professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga put instructions on page two of his three-page syllabus containing the location of a locker on campus, the combination of the locker as well as the promise of a reward in the locker to the first student to retrieve it. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">At the end of the semester after class was over, the professor opened the locker and retrieved the 50 dollars, untouched. Seventy students missed it entirely. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">To me, it was dismaying that nearly all my students would try and find shortcuts or cut corners in their coursework. They often spent more time and more angst trying to find ways around my instructions than if they had just followed my instructions in the first place. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">In fact, when they did NOT follow my instructions, they actually spent more time and effort failing than it would have taken to succeed had they simply done what I told them to do in the first place. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Doing exactly what I told them to do resulted in the least amount of anguish, the least amount of time spinning their wheels, and the best possible results. </span><br /><br /><b style="font-size: x-large;">Recipe Analogy </b><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">I have heard cooks and bakers express the same frustration. Someone asks them for their recipe for something and then complains to them that it does not turn out the way it should. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">When quizzed, they discover that people have not followed their instructions. They have varied the recipe in all sorts of ways, substituted other procedures or ingredients and did a whole host of other things that altered the recipe and the careful instructions they had been supplied with. </span><br /><br /><b style="font-size: x-large;">Elder Renlund’s Story </b><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">In a recent General Conference address, Elder Renlund </span><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2022/04/36renlund?lang=eng" style="font-size: x-large;">expressed the same frustration</a><span style="font-size: x-large;">: </span><br /><blockquote style="font-size: x-large;">You may know that I used to treat patients with heart failure. Their best outcomes were obtained by following established, evidence-based treatment plans. Despite knowing this, some patients tried to negotiate a different treatment plan. They said, “I don’t want to take so many medications” or “I don’t want to undergo so many follow-up tests.” Of course, patients were free to make their own decisions, but if they deviated from optimal treatment plans, their results suffered. Patients with heart failure cannot choose an inferior course and then blame their cardiologist for inferior outcomes. <br /><br />The same is true for us. Heavenly Father’s prescribed path leads to the best eternal outcomes. We are free to choose, but we cannot choose the consequences of not following the revealed path.<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2022/04/36renlund?lang=eng#note19">19</a> The Lord has said, “That which breaketh a law, and abideth not by law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself, … cannot be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice, nor judgment.”<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2022/04/36renlund?lang=eng#note20">20</a> We cannot deviate from Heavenly Father’s course and then blame Him for inferior outcomes. </blockquote><b style="font-size: x-large;">Heavenly Father must feel the same way </b><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Heavenly Father does not want us spinning our wheels, getting stressed, wasting our time, etc. He does not present us with riddles and mysteries. He gives us exact instructions and then leaves us free to follow them. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">The problem is not in His instructions and guidance, it is with our being willing to follow exactly what we have been instructed to do. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Following instructions and guidance constructed by mere mortals can sometimes be a problem. It is not for Heavenly Father. Not once has he ever indicated that he missed a vital step and forgot to include it. Deity does not do that. Sometimes mortals do. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">We can be confident in following instructions and guidance from an omniscient, omnipotent being. </span><br /><br /><b style="font-size: x-large;">Lack of Exactness </b><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">The problem is we are all suffering from a lack of exactness. We are not living our lives with exactness. This can cause a whole host of problems but it is especially troubling when it comes to living the gospel. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">To get the results we have been promised, the gospel must be lived with exactness. Being exact can result in tremendous results and rewards. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">This is most evident in the story of Helaman’s 2,000 stripling youth and this is where I have taken the term from. </span><br /><br /><b style="font-size: x-large;">Helaman’s 2,000 Stripling Youth </b><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">The people of Ammon, formerly Lamanites, had taken an oath to give up the murders they had committed in their pre-gospel lives and buried their weapons of war. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Nephites did not want the people of Ammon to break their oath despite the need for soldiers to protect the people during a time of intense warfare and conflict. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Although the people of Ammon provided extensive provisions and support to the Nephite armies, they wanted to do more. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">They offered up their sons, most very young, as soldiers to augment the Nephite armies. Their story is a phenomenal story of faith and protection. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Led by Helaman, these 2,000 stripling warriors fought valiantly and none were ever killed. Verses in the book of Alma tell us how this was achieved. </span><br /><blockquote style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/57?lang=eng&id=21#p20">Alma 57:21 </a>Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them. <br /><br /><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/58?lang=eng&id=40">Alma 58:40 </a>But behold, they have received many wounds; nevertheless they stand fast in that liberty wherewith God has made them free; and they are strict to remember the Lord their God from day to day; yea, they do observe to keep his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments continually; and their faith is strong in the prophecies concerning that which is to come. </blockquote><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1981/05/obedience-full-obedience?lang=eng" style="font-size: x-large;">“They were totally obedient. Hence, they had unbelievable protection and success.”</a> <br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Elder Hartman Rector, Jr., </span><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1973/10/you-shall-receive-the-spirit?lang=eng" style="font-size: x-large;">pointed out that</a><span style="font-size: x-large;">: </span><br /><blockquote style="font-size: x-large;">Yes, they gave their mothers credit for teaching them, but they kept the commandments with exactness. </blockquote><span style="font-size: x-large;">Elder Ronald A. Rasband has </span><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2017/04/let-the-holy-spirit-guide?lang=eng" style="font-size: x-large;">counseled that</a><span style="font-size: x-large;">: </span><br /><blockquote style="font-size: x-large;">The Holy Ghost accompanies those who are “strict to remember the Lord their God from day to day.”6 Alma 58:40 </blockquote><b style="font-size: x-large;">Modern “Stripling Youth” in the Korean War </b><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">This story is not an anomaly. There is a more modern example. It comes from the Korean War. I am going to quote extensively from an article on this group of young men and the phenomenal results they experienced in one horrific battle. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Notice how often the word exactness and the concept of exactness crops up in the article. </span><br /><blockquote style="font-size: x-large;">The battle is called the “Miracle at Gapyeong.” The heroic incident took place on May 26, 1951, in South Korea when a small battalion of 240 brave young soldiers from small-town southern Utah Latter-day Saint homes found themselves suddenly under attack by 4,000 Chinese and North Korean soldiers. It was a terrifying and completely unexpected attack. They were given the understanding that they were to provide artillery support to allied soldiers positioned ahead at the North Korean enemy line. But there were critical miscommunications and in fact, there was no buffer between the Utah soldiers and the enemy. <br /><br />They were shocked and terrified to discover that they were being directly attacked, and drastically outnumbered. The battle is accurately described as “a ferocious hand-to-hand battle fought in the early morning darkness.” At dawn, Lt. Frank Dalley and Captain Ray Cox led their Latter-day Saint battalion into battle. They courageously fought their way through the Gapyeong Valley, destroying Chinese machine gun forts and inflicting hundreds of enemy casualties. “I just kept firing my .50 caliber (machine gun) until the barrel melted,” said artillery soldier Elmo Robinson. <br /><br />Despite having a better than 16x advantage (4,000 vs. 240), the Chinese/North Korean opposition finally gave up and attempted to retreat by climbing up the surrounding mountains to the north. In the end, more than 350 Chinese and North Korean enemies were killed, and another 830 were taken prisoner but not one of the Latter-day Saint soldiers was killed. <br /><br />Many of the Chinese and North Korean soldiers that had been taken prisoner were asked how they could be so completely defeated by a such small battalion of only 240 young men? Their reply was “we shoot them, but they don’t fall down.” <br /><br />One of the many spiritual aspects of this valiant group’s battle was that this 213th Battalion had been promised by the president of the St. George Utah Temple that they would return home safely if they lived true and faithful to their God. These young men rose to that occasion and were recognized as a standout group who lived their lives with exactness and courage. Many of the family and friends in St. George, Cedar City, Richfield, Fillmore, and Beaver accurately compared this group to Helaman’s stripling warriors (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/56?lang=eng">Alma 56</a>). <br /><br />Their leader, Lieutenant Colonel Frank Dalley, held many similarities to Helaman. He was a man of devout Latter-day Saint faith, who was old enough to be a father to these young boys age 17 to 23. He knew their families and felt a paternal responsibility to take care of them. He felt that if even one of those boys died, he wouldn’t be able to face their parents back home in Southern Utah. He spent hours in prayer pleading with the Lord to help him to know how to lead and protect them from harm's way. It was well known by all in Dalley’s battalion that when the flag was raised at his tent, he was in prayer and communication with God and that he was not to be disturbed. <br /><br />Regarding that terrifying attack in 1951, Dalley later said on CBS Evening News with Edward R. Murrow: "For moments I supposed I was almost dazed, then instinctively my thoughts turned to God, and I knew that our safety was in the hands [of] our Maker. I humbly asked for help. . . and I feel sure that I was guided by a Supreme Being." <br /><br />These young Latter-day Saints of the 213th National Guard Battalion became well known for their exactness and intelligence even before shipping out to Korea. Their initial training was held in a military training camp in Washington state. In their training, they were assessed and ranked as “Best in the Business,” the most consistent and accurate of all the battalions to come through that camp. Most other groups trained there were sent as “backup” to other non-combat locations in the US or Germany; but this battalion was sent directly to Korea because of their diligence in learning and executing exactly as they had been taught. A year later, this battalion was awarded President Harry Truman's "Presidential Unit Citation" for extraordinary courage and heroism under extremely hazardous conditions. </blockquote><span style="font-size: x-small;">From, “Latter-day stripling warriors: The Korea Seoul Mission’s touching visit to sacred ground,” By Brad Taylor December 11, 2020 in LDS Living. Accessed June 8, 2022 from <a href="https://www.ldsliving.com/latter-day-stripling-warriors-the-korea-seoul-missions-touching-visit-to-sacred-ground/s/93698">https://www.ldsliving.com/latter-day-stripling-warriors-the-korea-seoul-missions-touching-visit-to-sacred-ground/s/93698</a></span> <br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">At a special </span><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/elder-nelson-delivers-spiritual-thanksgiving-feast-to-mtcs?lang=eng" style="font-size: x-large;">Thanksgiving address back in 2013</a><span style="font-size: x-large;">, President Nelson told the missionaries at the MTC that: </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">“Obedience brings success; exact obedience brings miracles,” </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">He expanded on this guidance in a </span><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/04/revelation-for-the-church-revelation-for-our-lives?lang=eng" style="font-size: x-large;">General Conference address in 2018</a><span style="font-size: x-large;"> soon after becoming prophet when he said: </span><br /><blockquote style="font-size: x-large;"><span>Nothing opens the heavens quite like the combination of increased purity, exact obedience, earnest seeking, daily feasting on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon,</span><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/04/revelation-for-the-church-revelation-for-our-lives?lang=eng&id=p8-p11#note14">14</a><span> and regular time committed to temple and family history work. </span><br /><br /><span>To be sure, there may be times when you feel as though the heavens are closed. But I promise that as you continue to be obedient, expressing gratitude for every blessing the Lord gives you, and as you patiently honor the Lord’s timetable, you will be given the knowledge and understanding you seek. Every blessing the Lord has for you—even miracles—will follow. </span></blockquote><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Exact Obedience to What Exactly? </b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">My students achieved the best outcomes when they followed my instructions and conscientiously read the text materials. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">The scriptures are our textbooks for living life. To do well in life, you need to read and follow them, exactly. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">It can seem overwhelming. There is a lot of scripture. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">In a </span><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2022/08/united-states-and-canada-section/five-messages-we-all-need-to-hear?lang=eng" style="font-size: x-large;">recent Liahona article</a><span style="font-size: x-large;"> adapted from an address to BYU’s Education Week, Elder Uchtdorf cuts through some of this confusion. He pointed out that the Pharisees were very big on exactness. However, they got it wrong. This is what he says: </span><br /><blockquote style="font-size: x-large;"><span>When a Pharisee asked Jesus which was the greatest of the commandments, the Savior established once and for all what our priorities as individuals and as a Church should be: </span><br /><br /><span>1. Love God (see </span><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/matt/22.37?lang=eng#p37">Matthew 22:37</a><span>). </span><br /><br /><span>2. Love your neighbor (see </span><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/matt/22.39?lang=eng#p39">Matthew 22:39</a><span>; see also </span><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/matt/22.34-40?lang=eng#p34">verses 34–40</a><span>). </span><br /><br /><span>That is the center of the gospel. It should be the center of our every effort as a Church and as disciples of Jesus Christ. </span><br /><br /><span>The canvas of the gospel is so broad and rich that we could spend a lifetime studying it and scarcely scratch the surface. We all have topics or principles that interest us more than others. Naturally, those are the things we gravitate toward, speak about, and emphasize in our Church service. </span><br /><br /><span>Are those principles important? Certainly. </span><br /><br /><span>But we would do well to consider whether they are the most important. </span><br /><br /><span>The ancient Pharisees compiled hundreds of rules and commandments from sacred writings. They made a great effort to catalog them, comply with them, and enforce others to live by them with precision. They believed that exact obedience to the smallest of these procedures would lead people to God. </span><br /><br /><span>Where did they go wrong? </span><br /><br /><span>They lost sight of the center. </span><br /><br /><span>They lost sight of what was of most worth for their eternal purpose. </span><br /><br /><span>They saw the multitude of rules as ends in themselves instead of the means to an end. </span><br /><br /><span>Are we susceptible to the same mistake today? If we were to brainstorm, I’m sure we could compile a list of latter-day expectations that would rival or perhaps even surpass those amassed anciently. </span><br /><br /><span>It’s not to say these rules and gospel topics are not important or valuable. They have a purpose. They are part of the whole. </span><br /><br /><span>They can lead us to the center, but they are not the center. </span><br /><br /><span>They are branches of the tree, but they are not the tree. And if they ever become separated from the tree, they will have no life. They will wither and die. (See </span><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/john/15.1-12?lang=eng#p1">John 15:1–12</a><span>.) </span><br /><br /><span>When we meet the Savior at the judgment bar, we will account for how we lived the two great commandments.</span><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2022/08/united-states-and-canada-section/five-messages-we-all-need-to-hear?lang=eng#note1">1</a> <br /><br /><span>Did we truly seek God? Did we love Him with all our heart, might, mind, and strength? </span><br /><br /><span>Did we love our families, friends, and neighbors? How did we manifest that love? </span><br /><br /><span>We cherish all the principles of the gospel. We “live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God” (</span><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/84.44?lang=eng#p44">Doctrine and Covenants 84:44</a><span>). And yet we must always remember that “all the law and the prophets” point to the two great commandments (</span><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/matt/22.40?lang=eng#p40">Matthew 22:40</a><span>). </span><br /><br /><span>This is the bull’s-eye of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the foundation of who we are as His followers. </span></blockquote><span style="font-size: x-large;">[End of quote] </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">President Nelson has counseled: “Obedience brings success; exact obedience brings miracles,” </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Elder M. Joseph Brough, in a </span><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2018/12/young-adults/a-still-small-voice-among-big-decisions?lang=eng" style="font-size: x-large;">Liahona article aimed at Young Adults</a><span style="font-size: x-large;"> explained the following: </span><br /><blockquote style="font-size: x-large;"><span>Sometimes we will not understand why Heavenly Father asks certain things of us. Those times can be some of the toughest times to be exactly obedient. Remember when Adam, one of the greatest of all, was asked why he gave sacrifice: “And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me” (</span><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/moses/5.6?lang=eng#p6">Moses 5:6</a><span>). </span></blockquote><span style="font-size: x-large;">We need to follow the instructions we have been given with exact obedience, whether we understand them or not. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">It’s actually pretty easy to follow rules and guidance we completely understand and are committed to. It’s hard to follow rules and guidance we don’t completely understand and don’t fully comprehend why we should do what we are being told to do. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">My students did not always know why I told them to do things or to do things the way I did, but I knew why. And, I knew why it was critically important. Sometimes I could not explain why adequately because they did not understand enough at that time. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">We often assume that small deviations or being less than exact isn’t going to make much difference or have much of an impact. This is Satan talking. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">A small inexactness or series of inexactness’s will have a huge impact. </span><br /><br /><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2008/04/a-matter-of-a-few-degrees?lang=eng" style="font-size: x-large;">Elder Uchtdorf has explained</a><span style="font-size: x-large;">: </span><br /><blockquote style="font-size: x-large;"><span>But even small errors over time can make a dramatic difference in our lives. </span><br /><br /><span>Let me share with you how I taught the same principle to young pilots. </span><br /><br /><span>Suppose you were to take off from an airport at the equator, intending to circumnavigate the globe, but your course was off by just one degree. By the time you returned to the same longitude, how far off course would you be? A few miles? A hundred miles? The answer might surprise you. An error of only one degree would put you almost 500 miles (800 km) off course, or one hour of flight for a jet. </span></blockquote><span style="font-size: x-large;">Satan may not be able to get you to commit an overt sin or some obvious wrong-doing, but he can influence you to commit an inexactness and get you off course. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">We have been told that, “</span><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2022/10/33pearson?lang=eng" style="font-size: x-large;">Casual and inconsistent covenant keeping leads to spiritual casualty.</a><span style="font-size: x-large;">” </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Elder D. Todd Christofferson once counseled: </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">“Be wise with what the Lord gives you. It is a trust. ...” </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">“Rather than drifting into carelessness, may your life be one of increasing exactness in obedience.” </span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Elder D. Todd Christofferson, (“<a href="https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/d-todd-christofferson/sense-sacred/" target="_blank">A Sense of the Sacred</a>” [Church Educational System fireside for young adults, Nov. 7, 2004], 9, 10; <a href="http://speeches.byu.edu/">speeches.byu.edu</a>). </span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">“Obedience brings success; exact obedience brings miracles,” </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">It is my hope and my prayer that you can all catch the vision of the importance of exactness and qualify not just for blessings, but for miracles. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">In the name of Jesus Christ. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Amen</span></span><br /> Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344163281646499679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232284755689004418.post-15765972427525271042023-12-12T09:00:00.025-05:002023-12-12T09:00:00.136-05:00 Reverence = Respect & Love<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHcAbRhrcqnkg1Ab2Ys56CiU1VjPSYVZwahZxgHNVllZjeO6q2lcv_70Or55VC4Y0dcDYwIELl1M9_LUS9PV8AmXVw5pb-512UVq9TUxPrlIofCjdQly3l_y4iNV5IfydGD9eJXd6pEkRDvf7VPNaRK9AvIz_IOmzExS2Kn-FiBKzWCpZGNeTBY8KZ0Gs/s1920/Respect%20&%20Love.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHcAbRhrcqnkg1Ab2Ys56CiU1VjPSYVZwahZxgHNVllZjeO6q2lcv_70Or55VC4Y0dcDYwIELl1M9_LUS9PV8AmXVw5pb-512UVq9TUxPrlIofCjdQly3l_y4iNV5IfydGD9eJXd6pEkRDvf7VPNaRK9AvIz_IOmzExS2Kn-FiBKzWCpZGNeTBY8KZ0Gs/w640-h360/Respect%20&%20Love.png" /></a><br /><br />When I was young, my father was continually in leadership positions and a real stickler for protocol. As a result, we were disciplined and managed well, especially at church.<br /><br />We were under the threat of death (well, sort of) to NEVER leave Sacrament Meeting in order to go to the bathroom. We MUST go before or hold it until after. I was NEVER allowed to leave the meeting for any reason. My father had me convinced it was rude to other people to do so, the opposite of reverence, out of line with the tone of the meeting, offensive to the Spirit and to Jesus Christ personally. <br /><br />He grudgingly accepted that small children may need to be hauled out of the meeting for necessities sake, but he wasn’t happy about it. <br /><br />So, when I saw adults leave the meeting, sometimes more than once in one hour, I would ask, “But Daddy, how come they are leaving the meeting?!?” He would hiss down at me, “Because they can’t control themselves!” <br /><br />Well, I naturally observed these people very closely. I wanted to know what people that couldn’t control themselves looked like. <br /><br /><b>Reverence </b><br /><br />In our most recent Ward Conference in an address to the adults the Stake President told us what the number one thing on top Church leader’s minds was. He paused dramatically and then told us “Reverence.” Reverence was being described as respect and love. (If I remember correctly.) <br /><br />Reverence is a problem, no matter how you define it. <br /><br />What should we do about it? <br /><br />What can we do about it? <br /><br /><b>What Members Can and Should Do </b><br /><br />I’m assuming that reverence being defined as respect and love that love would go upwards as well as downwards. That would mean love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ as well as love for other people and respect and love for leaders. <br /><br />My list is not exhaustive. I’m sure things could be added. <br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Take care of necessities before or after the meeting so you don’t have to leave it. By not disrupting meetings, you show love and respect.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Train your children to be respectful during meetings, as much as you can.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Train your children to love and respect the meetinghouse by not littering, treating the facilities with care, and being respectful of others' presence.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Model reverence by confining energetic discussions to the foyer. Greet people quietly.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Arrive early and sit quietly and reflect, especially before the meeting starts.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Not talk during the meeting and listen attentively, especially to speakers and leaders.</span></li></ul></span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I’m not certain if my father was the instigator of this practice, but I think it was effective. As a kid, we could not color, read, or do anything during the meeting until AFTER the Sacrament was passed and concluded. Then, we were allowed our quiet Sacrament Meeting activities. <br /><br />In addition, we were instructed to keep our arms folded during the administration of the Sacrament unless we were physically partaking and/or the administration was concluded. <br /><br />What this accomplished was that even as a small child, it was impressed on me that there was something very special about the administration of the Sacrament. For decades after that, I was in the habit of folding my arms for the duration of the Sacrament. <br /><br />I cannot in good conscience lecture people on how to keep their children quiet in church. However, I do think my brother hit on a good idea. <br /><br />Instead of taking his little boy who was acting up in the meeting to the foyer to play (a reward for misbehaving), he would haul him out of the meeting … to the kitchen. While leaving the lights off, he would set up a chair facing a wall, and put the kid in a stranglehold in his lap while they both stared at the wall for a while. The mere threat of being taken out of the meeting was enough to make the little guy behave. <br /><br />For people with children, arriving early may strain the kids’ ability to endure for long without acting up. This is the parents’ call. For the rest of us, we can enter the meeting early enough to sit, reflect, and practice reverence so we are ready for the Spirit to reach us. <br /><br />We can confine our chatter to more appropriate times and places during the church time frame. We certainly can greet and acknowledge people, but we should do so quietly, in keeping with reverence. <br /><br /><b>What Teachers Can and Should Do </b><br /><br />Teachers could show reverence by respecting and loving one’s class members while respecting and loving Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. <br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Loving Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ would mean that a teacher would put their whole heart and soul into teaching the gospel the best they can. Loving class members would mean doing everything they can to teach them with the Spirit and in a way that would be most likely to reach them.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Being well-prepared, to teach as well as in tune with the Spirit through careful preparation can achieve a great deal. Having the classroom and any materials prepared ahead of time also helps.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Music can help set a reverent mood. This can be done in several ways. You can easily play music from audio files downloaded onto a flash drive over a church television. It works better than playing it on your phone. Trust me on this.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Teachers often set a casual or respectful/reverent atmosphere in how they teach. Chatter, laughter, casualness, and other light-mindedness are not particularly helpful in evoking reverence from anyone. It sets the wrong tone when it comes from the teacher. </span></li></ul><b>What Leadership Can and Should Do </b><br /><br />Administering the Church in a way that evokes respect and love for members as well as Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ could include the following. <br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Achieve a balance between formality and informality while conducting. Too little warmth and too much laughter aren’t respectful.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Work to be well-organized in conducting the Lord’s affairs on earth.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Be as efficient and effective as possible in what you are charged with doing.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Try and see people the way Heavenly Father sees them, a bundle of potential that can lead to becoming deity like our Heavenly parents.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Try to discharge and do one’s calling to the best of one’s ability. This would include carefully following scripture and the Handbook as well as local policy and procedure. </span></li></ul><b>Conclusion </b><br /><br />Showing love and respect for others could include so much. I hope the few ideas I’ve shared can inspire more in your own mind that you implement in your own life.</span><br /> </div>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344163281646499679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232284755689004418.post-90675881786807260172023-10-24T09:00:00.165-04:002023-10-24T09:00:00.164-04:00Palestinians and Israelis: Lessons From the Book of Mormon and Us<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2u6BKhplrd-W9v3yRt0ZS-IwMS_U0lIck4GKnUPb9DyjpNSAAzJt2_SZ9hokZ8V2XmhL49n4BLOBivOFWUSoBvASu49XtvYIi2Rmg9sVRuRJJrqlP9tT532RTAZsoEduevKCpQ6yFj4PAWGxjUKSI5AaOkIbjqtnygOFPbVIsmYrIotv181zYRiqjsbA/s1920/2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2u6BKhplrd-W9v3yRt0ZS-IwMS_U0lIck4GKnUPb9DyjpNSAAzJt2_SZ9hokZ8V2XmhL49n4BLOBivOFWUSoBvASu49XtvYIi2Rmg9sVRuRJJrqlP9tT532RTAZsoEduevKCpQ6yFj4PAWGxjUKSI5AaOkIbjqtnygOFPbVIsmYrIotv181zYRiqjsbA/w640-h360/2.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br />We often wish we could go back and change the past but we can't. We can only go forward from where we are right now. Where Israelis and the Palestinians are right now is not a good place.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Where can they go from here?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I don't have the answers, but I think some can be found in the <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm?lang=eng" target="_blank">Book of Mormon</a> and Latter-day Saint history. I have no illusions that either group will look in either place.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sahar Qumsiyeh's insights and experiences are helpful in trying to sort fiction from fact. She's a Palestinian who joined the Church and now <a href="https://www.byui.edu/directories/sahar-qumsiyeh" target="_blank">teaches at BYU-Idaho</a>.</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/commentary/2023/10/17/sahar-qumsiyeh-pray-everyone-holy/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sahar Qumsiyeh: Pray for everyone in the Holy Land, whether they be Israeli or Palestinian</span></a></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/mormonland/a-palestinian-latter-day-saints-view-on-the-israel-hamas-war-episode-308" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">A Palestinian Latter-day Saint's view on the Israel-Hamas war | Episode 308</span></a></p></blockquote><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Nation of Israel and the Israelis</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Jews have suffered much, throughout time and across cultures. The Holocaust was simply the latest and most extreme event connected to their suffering. Make no mistake, it was horrific.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It's not surprising that much of the world felt justified in facilitating the Jews's return to their ancestral homeland to recover and heal from their ordeal.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Those who already occupied the land resisted. Israelis didn't respond well. </span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Palestine and the Palestinians</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Palestinians are hostages in their own land and denied basic rights many of us take for granted. They haven't responded well, either, in general.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">They lost their lands, their homes, their belongings, and their rights.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Palestinians seem to sanction violence against Israel and Israelis because of what the Palestinians have suffered at their hands. This is how the world seems to interpret it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In condemning the violence by some Palestinians, especially Hamas, the world condemns all the Palestinians.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Lessons From the Book of Mormon </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Many peoples of the Book of Mormon had to leave their ancestral lands or were driven off. Some later went back to try and reoccupy them. Some were kidnapped, enslaved, and treated horrifically. Some were able to escape.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Some responded to their trials better than others.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>The People of Alma </b>(<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/17?lang=eng" target="_blank">Mosiah 17-Mosiah 24</a>)</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I think the closest parallel to the Palestinians was the people of Alma.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The people of Alma established what they thought would be their own homes and lands after having to leave their original homes because of persecution. Only, they were enslaved and abused by occupiers.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The people were told by Heavenly Father to submit to their burdens and they would be made light and they were. They were also told that they would be led to freedom and they were.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">They were led to freedom by Heavenly Father, leaving everything that they built and was theirs, behind. They merged with another civilization that embraced them.</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>The People of Ammon </b>(<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/23?lang=eng" target="_blank">Alma 23-Alma 27</a>)</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">After changing their religion and giving up their hatred of their traditional, ancestral, enemy, the people of Ammon had to leave their homes because their lives were in danger from their own people. They submitted to the killing without resistance and much of the killing stopped.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">However, living among their own people was untenable and their lives were continually endangered. They were embraced by another people and civilization and enabled to live freely among them after leaving their lands, homes, and presumably much of their belongings behind.</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>The People of Limhi </b>(<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/7?lang=eng" target="_blank">Mosiah 7-22</a>)</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">These people went back to try and reoccupy their former lands. They succeeded, for a time, but were then enslaved.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Trying to throw off their oppressors with violence did not work. It caused horrendous bloodshed and loss of life. Ultimately, they had to simply leave and merge with their former people.</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>The Latter-day Saints </b>(<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics-essays/peace-and-violence-among-19th-century-latter-day-saints?lang=eng" target="_blank">Peace and Violence ...</a>)</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We were driven off our lands and from our homes many times losing everything we had. We were tortured, raped and killed. We suffered extreme persecution. Much of this occurred without retaliation. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This happened in the United States which supposedly valued freedom, the rule of law, and everything that goes along with that. We suffered and no one cared.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Heavenly Father told us to work within the law for redress.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">There are multiple legal affidavits and historical records of people that document what they endured to little or no effect.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On reflection, these records do establish what did occur even though no legal remedy was ever applied. They are now part of an indisputable historical public record.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">You won't find Latter-day Saints demanding the return of our lands or repatriation of our belongings. You won't find us condemning our persecutors or seeking to persecute or prosecute them in any way.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Why?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The answer is complex but it boils down to "<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/rom/12?lang=eng#p19" target="_blank">vengeance is mine; and I will repay sayeth the Lord</a>". See also: <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/morm/3?lang=eng&id=15#p15" target="_blank">Mormon 3:15</a>, <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/morm/8?lang=eng&id=40-41#p40" target="_blank">Mormon 8:40-41</a>, and <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/29?lang=eng&id=17#p17" target="_blank">D&C 29:17</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In addition, <b><i>preoccupation with what we lost would have prevented us from building something now</i>.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It would have taken all our time and energy.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">No one can deny we have recovered from our early persecutions. Healing and thriving didn't hinge on having our lands, homes, and belongings returned to us.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We don't bear lifelong animosity towards Missourians or our other persecutors. The actual perps are long since dead as are the actual victims. We are merely descendants.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Restitution?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I doubt those who actually took homes from the Palestinians are the same ones occupying them now. To take them away from the present occupants would be just as much of an injustice now as it was then.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I don't believe it is possible to restore to the Palestinians what they have lost. It is possible to assist and empower them to build something now.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Violence/Revenge Problem</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Here in the West, we separate combatants into soldiers and civilians. This doesn't work for the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Everyone, male or female, is a current soldier, reserve soldier, or potential soldier because <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/14/opinion/gaza-hamas-israel-war.html" target="_blank">every Israeli citizen serves in the military</a> and has military duty.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Revenge and an inclination to return violence with violence are problematic. If you shoot at people, they shoot back. Violence breeds more violence.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The only way to stop it is if one person or group decides to not retaliate in kind.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This is not to say that the Latter-day Saints didn't resort to violence. It was somewhat rare but it always backfired, badly. The <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Massacre-Mountain-Meadows-Ronald-Walker/dp/0195160347/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1698082366&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Mountain Meadows Massacre</a> continues to <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Vengeance-Mine-Mountain-Massacre-Aftermath/dp/0195397851/" target="_blank">haunt us</a> and will probably continue to reverberate throughout the ages.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In addition, even in a just war, sadistic killers and other evil people will use it as an excuse to perpetrate their own evil acts. Conflicts attract these types of people. It allows their evil side to be expressed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">One side or the other will be held responsible for these <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/10/23/media/fox-news-war-reporter-limits-grisly-details-of-hamas-terrorists-confession-about-israel-massacre/" target="_blank">evil acts</a> by sadistic individuals even though they are ancillary to the conflict itself. Unfortunately, their sadistic, horrendous acts inflame passions further.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Revenge breeds more revenge. It's like <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067093/quotes/" target="_blank">Tevye said</a>, "the whole world will be blind and toothless."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It has to stop somewhere.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Safety and Security</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Defense is not revenge.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">How can Israel exist if terrorists intent on killing its citizens and obliterating Israel's existence continue to live within its borders? Answer: It can't. Terrorists have to go, one way or the other.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">No country or <a href="https://kristacook.blogspot.com/2021/05/sabotage-should-result-in-withdrawal-of.html" target="_blank">organization can exist if saboteurs are among its ranks</a>. I've said this before.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">From a recent <a href="https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/what-this-war-is-about/" target="_blank">Times of Israel editorial</a>:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Nor do I trust European sympathy for Israel that is based on the Holocaust. That support is unstable; today it is applied to dead Jews, tomorrow to dead Palestinians.</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The support I seek is based on the understanding that Israel faces a genocidal regime on its southern border, that that regime must be destroyed not only for our sake but for the sake of the region, and that the only way to destroy a terrorist infrastructure embedded in a civilian population is the way the IDF is proceeding.</span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It would be somewhat similar to Native Americans, existing on Reservations to start lobbing rockets at Americans outside the Reservation, <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/10/22/hamas-booby-traps-included-bomb-planted-in-childs-backpack-israel/" target="_blank">booby-trapping children's backpacks</a> in public parks, staging intentional and simultaneous attacks on people going about their civilian business and so forth. What would we as a country do? Chances are, we would react the same way Israel is reacting.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Captain Moroni </b>(<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/43?lang=eng" target="_blank">Alma 43-Alma 63</a>)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Captain Moroni was one of the most brilliant and righteous military commanders to have ever existed. He would probably have treated Hamas as he did the Lamanites under <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/triple-index/zerahemnah?lang=eng#title1" target="_blank">Zerehemnah</a> and <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/gs/amalickiah?lang=eng" target="_blank">Amalickiah</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When it was clear to the Lamanites that the Nephites under Captain Moroni were prevailing, he stopped the battle and told the Lamanites he wouldn't kill them if they would surrender their weapons of war and take an oath that they would stop trying to kill the Nephites. (Obviously, this occurred amongst people who valued oaths.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Zerehemnah surrendered his weapons of war but refused to take an oath. Moroni gave him back his weapons and said okay we'll have to end this the hard way.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The killing resumed and the Nephites prevailed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Captain Moroni wouldn't kill any soldier who was willing to surrender his weapons and take an oath to not do it again. He allowed them to depart home, in peace. Astonishing.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">However, and this goes back to my comment on sabotage, Captain Moroni put to death those who refused to come to the defense of their country. After securing the civil authority to do so, this was also extended to civilians who engaged in treason.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Gadianton Robbers</b> (See <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/gs/gadianton-robbers?lang=eng" target="_blank">Guide to the Scriptures</a>)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>After 9/11, President <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2001/10/the-times-in-which-we-live?lang=eng" target="_blank">Gordon B. Hinckley</a> likened terrorists, especially terrorist organizations, to the <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/triple-index/gadianton-robbers?lang=eng#title1" target="_blank">Gadianton Robbers</a> of the Book of Mormon.</span><br /></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Book of Mormon speaks of the Gadianton robbers, a vicious, oath-bound, and secret organization bent on evil and destruction.</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Also:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The terrible forces of evil must be confronted and held accountable for their actions. This is not a matter of Christian against Muslim. I am pleased that food is being dropped to the hungry people of a targeted nation. We value our Muslim neighbors across the world and hope that those who live by the tenets of their faith will not suffer. I ask particularly that our own people do not become a party in any way to the persecution of the innocent. Rather, let us be friendly and helpful, protective and supportive. It is the terrorist organizations that must be ferreted out and brought down.</span></p></blockquote><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Conclusion</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Jews deserve homes as do the Palestinians. If one or both are intent on killing each other then no resolution is possible.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Individuals in both groups seem to embrace two views:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Views that people deserve to die based on their identity, an "accident of birth."</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Views that violence is justified now and in the future because of what has happened in the past.</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I wouldn't want to live or associate with people who embrace these views because of what it would suggest about their future behavior.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">They wouldn't be safe to associate with on any level.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">As much as I would like to assist victims and/or refugees, I wouldn't want to empower them if they are intent on killing some group of people. I wouldn't want to empower <i>any</i> people who support groups that are intent on killing some other group of people.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I wouldn't want to allow people into my country who espouse these views, regardless of their ethnic, cultural, or religious identity.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It's just as disturbing to me to hear Palestinians condemn Israelis to death because they are Israelis as it is to hear Israelis vowing revenge on all Palestinians for the attacks from Gaza on Hamas. In recent days, I've heard both views expressed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>Defense is not revenge. </span>It can be separated. Unfortunately, with Hamas deeply embedded in Gaza, innocent people will become "collateral damage". They will die.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">From <a href="https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/what-this-war-is-about/" target="_blank">the editorial again</a>:<br /></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We are not engaged with the Palestinians in a competition for victimhood. The Palestinians will always win that competition, and rightly so. In opting for power, the Jewish people opted out of the victimhood competition. There is a price to pay for the loss of innocence. We have no choice but to own it.</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Also: </span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The challenge for outsiders to this conflict is to sympathize with the innocents suffering on both sides, without obscuring the difference between Israel and Hamas.</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Notice this final section is labeled a "Conclusion". I didn't, and couldn't, label it a "Solution."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span><b>Addendum: </b></span><b>The Middle
East Crisis</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Instead of
accessing news sources which can be problematic, I suggest the CRS.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The
Congressional Research Service (CRS) publishes reports for Members of Congress,
both parties. There are the most objective, non-partisan information source,
I’ve ever encountered, and beautifully written.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This is the information Congress uses to make decisions. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">As an intern in
Congress, I first learned to appreciate the value of these materials.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Traditionally
available only to Members of Congress, they are now available to regular folks
at <a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/">CRS Reports</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">My dream job
would have been to be a research analyst and topic specialist at the CRS. It is
housed in the Library of Congress. <o:p></o:p></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RL/RL34074#_Toc118122295">The Palestinians: Background and U.S.
Relations Updated October 27, 2022</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RL/RL33476">Israel: Background and U.S. Relations
Updated July 1, 2022</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R44245">Israel: Major Issues and U.S. Relations
Updated September 27, 2023</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IN/IN12262">Israel and Hamas: Major Conflict After
Surprise Attacks October 10, 2023</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R47754">Israel and Hamas October 2023 Conflict:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Updated October 20, 2023</a></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">If you want
news sources, read both of these: <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/">The Times of Israel</a> and <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/">Al
Jazeera</a>.</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344163281646499679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232284755689004418.post-52157940698225525062023-10-10T09:00:00.040-04:002023-10-10T09:00:00.155-04:00Don't Read This if You Have a Weak Stomach! It's Explosive!<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qvmkf_B4mRxMfDsnH96HBuWlSxeVjkEGo3vS28Cg35YQr_YR43cGZvI4JQRTrDa_3k79hviGikiH_iXDLR1KXLeRFaXFJHhrOp_x444_EwL5xdtBES2I9rArdVgCZX6Cw_-_e5kyOVVmtRVncmG6EPfibkYvfEn14DnwFj6RzR5YuBSeAiuqaRW2hVY/s1920/explosive.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qvmkf_B4mRxMfDsnH96HBuWlSxeVjkEGo3vS28Cg35YQr_YR43cGZvI4JQRTrDa_3k79hviGikiH_iXDLR1KXLeRFaXFJHhrOp_x444_EwL5xdtBES2I9rArdVgCZX6Cw_-_e5kyOVVmtRVncmG6EPfibkYvfEn14DnwFj6RzR5YuBSeAiuqaRW2hVY/w640-h360/explosive.png" width="640" /></span></a></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">One of the things I've learned from my blogging and writing is that the more inflammatory you are and the more drama you create, the more hits and readers you will get.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It is unfortunate that serious, important points and posts don't generate much interest. People flock to the drama.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Today's post is important but rather boring, so if you are one of the above, look elsewhere for your drama.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Today's topic? Church building cleaning.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Hear me out.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I have refused to do any building cleaning for years, not because I didn't want to but because of how it was handled in my various wards and branches. Too many barriers made it impossible for me to participate.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Willing But Wary</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It wasn't handled the same way in all my units, thus my problem. I've been in somewhere around 35-50 wards over the course of my life. I don't know exactly how many, but quite a number.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Everyone, everywhere seems to think that everyone knows how to clean the building, where everything is, and how it works. I don't. I never have.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Trying to find out the process has been mystifying. Usually, all I hear is a general announcement at church that we should all clean the meetinghouse. This is usually followed later by a guilt trip for not doing so.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It never seems to be accompanied by sufficient information for actually doing it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>The Cleaning Schedule</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Once, I was standing outside my small, rural branch meetinghouse. A woman I barely knew, came up to me and started jabbering away. She was incomprehensible. I finally stopped her and asked, "What are you talking about?" She replied, "We have to clean the building together next week." My response was, "We do?!?!" She said, "Yes, we're on the schedule." I asked her where the schedule was. She told me it was next to the Primary room on the bulletin board.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Great, there was no reason to go into that remote portion of the building unless you had kids or responsibilities in Primary. I had neither, and no reason to frequent that location. How on earth was I supposed to know the building cleaning schedule was there or that I was on it?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In another ward, I wanted to be more proactive having felt a little guilty over not performing any cleaning responsibilities so I asked about the cleaning schedule. I was told it was set a year in advance. We had just moved in. Great, I thought, I guess I wait a year.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When the year was up and I was actually on the schedule, I asked about how I was supposed to know what to clean, exactly. I was told, "Oh talk to Brother [name redacted], I think he has some ideas. Great, "ideas" just what I need.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In one ward I was handed a paper telling me I had been placed on the schedule and giving me the information I needed to know including where and when to show up and what to do once I got there. I was over the moon until we had an ice storm that scuttled things.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Some units simply do it via volunteers or sign-up sheets or it doesn't get done at all.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Every unit does things differently.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">However, you should never assume everybody knows anything about cleaning responsibilities.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">You are obviously free to set up any system you want for cleaning but you need to be transparent about how things are done and inform people as to the schedule and the process.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>The Cleaning Materials</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">One of the concerns I've always had is whether the cleaning materials will affect my clothing. Since I'm tall, pants, especially jeans, are hard to come by. Sometimes, it can take me up to two years to secure the jeans I wear with the inseam I need.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Soiling a pair of jeans is a serious issue for me. It is not something I want to risk. If I can do some other cleaning chore that doesn't endanger my clothing, I'll do it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Trying to find out anything about the cleaning chemicals involved and what risks I'm taking has been difficult.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Making it too difficult to find this information has always been a barrier for me to clean. I would imagine people with allergies are also hesitant for other reasons.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>The Cleaning Process</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Don't assume people know where the member closet (custodial) is. Tell them. For me, it is a no-brainer that they need to be told. For people who have been in the building since birth, it isn't.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It seems that the people called to be in charge of cleaning the building are often old-timers. They know everything. They forget that many of us are new, green, and uninformed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">One new brother who recently moved in from another area of the country told me that in a prior unit of his, they had everything organized into carts and baskets. There was a checklist of cleaning duties and the requisite cleaning materials in each one. All you had to do was pick one and go to work.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>What's Really Supposed to be Happening</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Church always has guidance for these tasks. Finding it online is not difficult.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">These are the links to the Handbook and the sites on the Church's website that deal with Meetinghouse Care.</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/35?lang=eng" target="_blank">Handbook guidance 35. Care and Use of Meetinghouse</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/callings/meetinghouse-care?lang=eng" target="_blank">Meeinghouse Care</a></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/meetinghouse-facilities-handbook/02-maintaining-meetinghouses?lang=eng" target="_blank">Maintaining Meetinghouses</a></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">There are "Cleaning Cards" for weekly cleaning as well as a checklist for non-routine cleaning. The non-routine cleaning should be done every three months.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Church doesn't leave these issues up to chance. It doesn't leave us to flounder either. C</span><span style="font-family: arial;">heck the website and the instructions there.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We just have to be motivated enough to look for the resources and training and help people, especially new members, navigate the nuances of a particular building.</span></p>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344163281646499679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232284755689004418.post-6821706457075366672023-09-26T09:00:00.014-04:002023-09-26T09:00:00.146-04:00Powerful Music to Lift Your Soul<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5EC9ybz9VnrT-BxVePPrruQ098rDwg5G1XgZV3b13KJon_s2fLauQIb9LqB6AXtO5iAfEDl45SqV4rUbkriT5BaFFn0G40QTwBl1lNl8BjjxXAHgj040DsgqGHVOoSQbpSS5BNzzztXiKYLT7zl97a_YCf0SMpEmJAgDiHnAqoJbK22XAmwrvDWsVe8/s1920/Colorful%20Bold%20and%20Quirky%20All%20The%20Girls%20I%20Love%20Fandom%20Fun%20Presentation.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5EC9ybz9VnrT-BxVePPrruQ098rDwg5G1XgZV3b13KJon_s2fLauQIb9LqB6AXtO5iAfEDl45SqV4rUbkriT5BaFFn0G40QTwBl1lNl8BjjxXAHgj040DsgqGHVOoSQbpSS5BNzzztXiKYLT7zl97a_YCf0SMpEmJAgDiHnAqoJbK22XAmwrvDWsVe8/w640-h360/Colorful%20Bold%20and%20Quirky%20All%20The%20Girls%20I%20Love%20Fandom%20Fun%20Presentation.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I'm not that big on music, but sometimes it moves me. I was intrigued enough by the news coverage to check out the two selections from President Reese's Inauguration event at BYU.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I've extracted the clips below. Unless you have an unusually slow connection, you should be able to access them. I really like Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. It sounds so much like the "iconic" arrangement performed some years ago by the Tabernacle Choir. </span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.byutv.org/64da4b52-6134-4fb5-b8ff-381fd08e2225?player-open=true&content-id=64da4b52-6134-4fb5-b8ff-381fd08e2225&s=652&e=903&utm_source=byub&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=share_2023&utm_content=clip" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">All Creatures of Our God and King</span></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.byutv.org/64da4b52-6134-4fb5-b8ff-381fd08e2225?player-open=true&content-id=64da4b52-6134-4fb5-b8ff-381fd08e2225&s=4120&e=4471&utm_source=byub&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=share_2023&utm_content=clip" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing</span></a></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Then, a friend of mine who sings with the Tabernacle Choir, drew my attention to an arrangement from last week's Music and the Spoken Word broadcast. I've extracted that clip too. </span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxanQeO2TgAYrshqhV0X1kmljwT52Zlg8d?feature=shared" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">O God Beyond All Praising</span></a></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Enjoy!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I hope the clips lift your spirits. They certainly lifted mine.</span></p>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344163281646499679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232284755689004418.post-45400072622496054792023-08-29T09:00:00.005-04:002023-08-29T09:00:00.137-04:00Let’s Hear it For the Men!<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Fq299RTSUiU-AjHQgW07l9qPQBqvZTgbQPTTR3IRUl4Llg62FKPvlCA7PoMgh5RuzO66XOw0RciwGOTSkcqd2_WMFvXIWcXLGjzvHXHvWjDmbecUHXjYgytheZmVyZXYebRaSiQfZUZ8KchBBwkT-AZsrmTOKSwcgSCu8VBPsoqHMER3ghDSdOJIO1A/s1920/Yellow%20Watercolor%20Organic%20Creative%20Project%20Presentation.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Fq299RTSUiU-AjHQgW07l9qPQBqvZTgbQPTTR3IRUl4Llg62FKPvlCA7PoMgh5RuzO66XOw0RciwGOTSkcqd2_WMFvXIWcXLGjzvHXHvWjDmbecUHXjYgytheZmVyZXYebRaSiQfZUZ8KchBBwkT-AZsrmTOKSwcgSCu8VBPsoqHMER3ghDSdOJIO1A/w640-h360/Yellow%20Watercolor%20Organic%20Creative%20Project%20Presentation.png" width="640" /></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">All this men bashing and slandering has me dismayed. I can’t
imagine what effect it has on the truly good and conscientious men of the
world, but I can imagine. I know it has a chilling effect on the young men who
aren’t responsible for any of the crap people, especially women, complain
about. They aren’t old enough to be responsible for any of it.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Barbie movie obviously isn’t going to help matters.
That’s a separate topic I don’t plan on addressing because I have no interest
in seeing the movie. Reading the plot summary and other analysis is horrifying
enough.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I want to profile three men who I know don’t deserve all
this bashing and slander. They are entirely unconnected with each other and unknown
to each other. All three exemplify what is good in this world and what is good
about men.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The three are my father, my first husband, and my second
husband.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">My Father<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It’s been nearly 50 years since his death but I still
remember him with fondness. He was a wonderful father. I don’t think I’ve
idealized him over the years because I remember his eccentricities and faults as
well as his other qualities.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">He had a demanding job that often took him from home
traveling. He called us frequently wanting to talk to us all. Picking him up at
the airport is a special memory. We had routines that we enjoyed. For example,
vending machines were a novelty at that time and he would allow us to pick out
a favorite candy bar and let us operate the vending machine, poking the buttons
and putting the coins in the slot.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">He took us everywhere with him when he was home, out to buy
milk, shopping, and running errands. He even took us to the Church when he
worked on his callings. In the hard-copy world of that time, work usually had
to be done at the chapel. We played in the halls and kept busy while he worked.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">He rough-housed and played with us outside. He helped us
with schoolwork and any other tasks we had. I remember being distraught and
crying over a math assignment I had right before he died. He stayed up late
with me and helped me finish it. Even then I realized what a sacrifice he made.
He had to get up early for work and got very little sleep that night. He didn’t
complain or chastise me. He just patiently and lovingly helped me.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">And he was loving. He constantly and consistently told all
five of us kids that he loved us. Those memories are still vivid.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">He was especially well-liked by church people. He served
selflessly. People were drawn to him, respected him, and sought his company.
This changed abruptly when he died. All this socialization and goodwill
abruptly stopped. It underscored that he was the reason it had existed in the
first place.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sadly, his character and reputation eventually got vilified
in our family. I’ve come to realize that some of my siblings, who didn’t know
him as well as I did, don’t view him the way I do. Slandering and character
assassination over the years have resulted in a very different view of him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">His flaws have been amplified over time and his good
qualities have been minimized, or forgotten entirely. Some even deny he had any
good qualities.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">However, I remember him well, and fondly.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">My First Husband<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I lost my husband to cancer a few years ago. The years have
allowed me to put a few things in perspective that I couldn’t see clearly at
the time, mostly how stoically he endured the physical pain and discomfort he
experienced.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">These physical challenges accumulated and amplified over
time. He adjusted to them and didn’t really complain. Because he wasn’t
generally vocal about them, I tended to forget about them. He only mentioned
them when they were extreme. Looking at them now in their entirety, I realize
the magnitude of what he dealt with and what horrendous difficulties he
endured.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Towards me, he was unfailingly kind, loving, patient and
thoughtful. As I reflect on our life together, I can now realize the enormity
of what he did, especially for me. He was so generous towards me as well as
others. He put others first, except when physical pain or the emotional pain of
being discounted and ignored for so long became too much. It wasn’t often.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">However, when it did, I realized that my own selfishness and
self-absorption had distorted my own behavior. Others occasionally took
advantage of his kind and generous nature. He endured it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">After we learned of his terminal diagnosis, he spent much of
his time and energy taking steps to ensure I was going to be comfortable and
taken care in every respect after he was gone.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">There were just four weeks between our move and his death. He
researched shower heads and bought me ones that suited the new apartment and my
needs better. He also researched, purchased, and installed room darkening
curtains to help me sleep better given how badly I was suffering from insomnia.
He did all of this while he was actively dying.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I miss him, his kindness, consideration, and his love. But
mostly, I just miss him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">My Second Husband<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I knew my second husband was a sweet and thoughtful man but
our first days, weeks, and months together really amplified it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I was sick on our wedding day. I couldn’t handle eating a
bite of wedding cake without almost retching. My temperature soared to 102
degrees F on our wedding night. It was awful. He tenderly nursed me through my
illness.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The day after we moved most of my belongings to a storage
unit and the house, I fell out of the moving truck and broke my right leg and
my right arm. Unable to do much of anything because I’m right-handed, he again
tenderly nursed me and attended to my every need. I couldn’t even go to the
bathroom without his assistance. He never complained when I woke him up out of
a sound sleep when I needed him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">He transported me everywhere I needed to go and even fed me
in those first few weeks when I couldn’t feed myself. As I healed and my abilities
increased, he still cut my meat for me because my strength was so limited.
Besides caring for me he did all the housework and farm work while enduring
the additional tasks my difficulties imposed on him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">He didn’t complain. He was gentle, tender, and loving. I have
ample reason to believe this is how he treated his prior wife, who also died
from cancer.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">My abilities have increased but this has not changed his
sweet and thoughtful behaviors. He tells me and shows me he loves me multiple
times a day. He punctuates this with kind and thoughtful gestures in so many
ways.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I don’t think this will change and I have ample evidence to
suggest his attitudes and behaviors are long-term, mostly because his son has
them too. He obviously learned them from his dad.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Conclusion<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Even my current husband will concede that “there are a lot
of jerks out there.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">However, my men aren’t among them and I’m not going to bash
men in general. The bashing doesn’t turn the jerks into thoughtful and kind
men. I don’t imagine the bashing has any effect on jerks whatsoever. I suspect
they’ll remain jerks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It does have a chilling effect on the men who are good men
and the young men and boys who aspire to be good men. They shouldn’t feel that
they will be vilified no matter how good they are or try to be.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In effect, they are being vilified for being male, not for
being jerks. It’s a losing proposition for them. They can’t change their gender
even if some in society suggest otherwise.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">There are good men. They exist and serve all around us. They
quietly go about the business of life, providing for and supporting their
wives, children, employers, colleagues, subordinates, communities, and others.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Often, they do all this while <a href="https://kristacook.blogspot.com/2020/09/we-have-witches-among-us.html">subordinating
their own wants and needs</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Good men do exist!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">So, let’s hear it for them!</span></p>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344163281646499679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232284755689004418.post-33292885911739576072023-08-01T09:00:00.002-04:002023-08-17T14:00:25.330-04:00On Temples, Controversy and Cody, Wyoming<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHNW7Xx1Nhf86ZEx2ZtTSjyQrRu6SB9Mo6RYdFcYtDZt3lnLGnVBwEe7xFYA18VEk9bVgBBd0kVqXkof6LCcPxlhjfIhoAtnTa0xbBDGxoO1Eo9wEKus2vTyqZZA1l4z17zrMFHPU20PcFwLFsw_4_A-X107_JzYahqLkPUkPRCNSOz4VIhQaVIC8dsI/s2048/04.-2022-10-24-Cody-WY-Exterior.jpg" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHNW7Xx1Nhf86ZEx2ZtTSjyQrRu6SB9Mo6RYdFcYtDZt3lnLGnVBwEe7xFYA18VEk9bVgBBd0kVqXkof6LCcPxlhjfIhoAtnTa0xbBDGxoO1Eo9wEKus2vTyqZZA1l4z17zrMFHPU20PcFwLFsw_4_A-X107_JzYahqLkPUkPRCNSOz4VIhQaVIC8dsI/w640-h507/04.-2022-10-24-Cody-WY-Exterior.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: times;">An artist's rendering of the Cody Wyoming Temple.</span><span style="font-family: times;">©2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.</span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Thoughtful and articulate responses to our critics often is
not warranted. Why? Because it suggests that we are taking their concerns more
seriously than they did in expressing them.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This may sound harsh. However, our critics often make stuff
up, throw it at us and hope something will stick.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sometimes it does, usually it doesn’t. Often, the
accusations are more aimed at convincing those outside the Church that are
totally ignorant on the subject. Church members can easily unmask the
accusations as being without foundation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Temple controversies often take this form. The Cody, Wyoming
temple is no exception.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The objections voiced against that temple are typical of
objections voiced against other temples throughout the years. A few objections
are Cody specific.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Research?!?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The same objections keep coming up. For example, that the
temple is inconsistent with the ambience of the residential neighborhood it is
proposed for, that it will lower property values, increase traffic, obstruct
views and have obnoxious and intrusive lighting.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This is the perennial list of complaints. It never changes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">There is never any evidence given for these assertions. No
one ever references past temples in other areas and how they have affected
their communities. There is never any evidence for anything. This supports my
contention that the assertions have no basis in fact.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Evidence such as this could probably be compiled. However,
I’ve never seen any hint of it. I suspect that if compiled, it would refute the
critics, not support them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Thus, the absence of it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Residential Location of Temples<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The assertion that temples are inappropriate in residential
neighborhoods is somewhat understandable as a concern, only because most people
are ignorant as to the temple’s mission and purpose.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I was discussing this issue with my brother once. I said,
people don’t think they should be located in residential neighborhoods. They think
they should be located in commercial areas. He finished the thought for me, “Along
with all the other businesses?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">His inference was that people assume that temples are
consistent with commercial buildings and commercial structures. They aren’t,
but that’s what people think.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Many churches do operate like businesses. People make money
out of them and off of them. We don’t. Temples are the opposite of businesses.
No money changes hands and there is no cost to attend them. They cost money,
they don’t produce it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This view is <a href="https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/open-spaces/2023-07-07/the-proposed-location-for-a-mormon-temple-causes-controversy-in-cody">evident
in the following</a> coverage of the Cody controversy:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Kaelberer and Skinner said they are
not against the temple in Cody, they just think it belongs somewhere else.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">“One might ask where can one put a
hundred foot tall tower church in an applicable zone where they wouldn’t have
to go through a conditional use permit or a special exemption for the height,”
Skinner said. “That answer’s pretty easy. It’s a D3 commercial zone.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">That would be anywhere in downtown
Cody, or where there are businesses already.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">There is nothing particularly sacred about zoning.
Exceptions do need attention and specific approval and that’s what the official
approval process is for. Some exceptions could imperil public safety and that obviously
needs consideration. It’s just difficult to imagine what a temple or temple steeple
would imperil.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Who made these people/critics experts on temple location
anyway?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Temples are unique structures and it is hard to argue they
“belong” or “don’t belong” anywhere. Those of us with knowledge of what they
are, how they function know they are best located in quiet, residential
neighborhoods.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">No master plan, zoning or guidelines are going to be set up
to address Latter-day Saint temples. It isn’t feasible or rational to do this
ahead of time. They have to be considered as a unique exception to planning and
zoning. This is what the approval and exception process is for. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I would never presume to inform church leaders as to the
best location for where temples should be. I’m amazed at the foresight and
inspiration that goes into location decisions. Often, events and situations
develop way down the road that shows the wisdom in the location choice.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">As for property values, this accusation is truly mystifying.
I can’t think of anything better to protect property values. Temples are
immaculate structures with meticulously manicured and beautiful landscaping.
Can you imagine a better neighbor?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Temples don’t go anywhere. They exist for the ages. They
aren’t going to be bought by some nefarious individual or group and left to
decay. They’ll remain in the same hands and continue to be breathtaking. You
take more of a risk having regular neighbors.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Why do these other people think they are experts on temple
location?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Have any of these critics actually talked to individuals
living near residential temples about their experience? If they do, I never
hear about it, or read about it. Although, I did see a church produced video
spotlight a man who was extremely grateful for the property value of his home
near the temple when he finally did sell it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Temples are different than any other structures. They will
always stick out as unusual no matter where they are located. There is no
getting around that. They can never be expected to blend in anywhere. They are
unique. However, they are crucial to the free exercise of our religious worship
and should not be impeded <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/chapter-21C">under federal law</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Traffic Concerns<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">What about increased traffic? What about it? There really
isn’t any, but people often don’t believe this. I can, I’ve lived around
temples.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">If all they are referencing for this accusation is the
notion of mega-churches perhaps this notion would be compelling. However, it is
wildly inaccurate when it comes to temples. You’ll have more traffic to worry
about if your neighbors have teenage kids.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I <a href="https://kristacook.blogspot.com/2012/05/you-really-cant-even-tell-theyre-there.html">pointed
all this out over 10 years ago</a> when the Connecticut temple was being
resisted. The article I focused on referenced the Belmont, Massachusetts
temple:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">”There really were some concerns
about noise and traffic, but it turned out to be nothing," said Lt.
Richard Santangelo of the Belmont Police Department. "You really can't
even tell they're there.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">If noise and traffic truly are problems with temples in
residential areas, this would be easily ascertained after-the-fact rather than
before. I know of no complaints after temples have gone in, just before. This
suggests there really is no merit to this assertion.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Again, critics never point to any actual data from other
temples. If it was there, I suspect they could find it if they went looking. I
would assume it either isn’t there or doesn’t support their conclusions.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">If temples were noisy and busy it would defeat their purpose
of being a calm, serene, spiritual entity where you can get away from the
hustle and bustle of the world. The Church is careful not to let that happen
and it can be controlled.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It can be controlled because numbers are so carefully
managed. Only a certain number of patrons can be accommodated at temples. Only
a certain number of known individuals have access to temples. Only a certain
number of individuals are assigned to a particular temple.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Church can make certain that these numbers are not
exceeded. If they come close, the Church builds another temple in another
location to accommodate the increased numbers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Aesthetics and Law<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Do people object to immaculate, picturesque landscaping?
Wouldn’t you want that in your neighborhood? With temples that have been around
for a while, the word gets around. The Oakland temple is a big draw for a
variety of groups and photographers per <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-quinceaneras-oakland-mormon-temple-20190622-story.html">this
Los Angeles Times article</a>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On any springtime Saturday, a
steady stream of quinceañeras can be seen promenading along the blooming rose
bushes and gushing fountains of Oakland’s Mormon temple.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It’s a favorite among the
15-year-olds, who travel from all parts of the Bay Area for a photo shoot among
the temple’s gardens, creating a unique blend of cultures. It’s not clear how
the temple photo shoot tradition got its start, or why certain segments of the
community choose the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Oakland
over any other locale.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">But Dulce Gutierrez, who owns and
operates Gutierrez Limo in between pre-med classes, has a pretty good guess:
“Its beauty,” she said. “That’s the main draw here.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Oakland temple is more urban and not as residential so
it is different than many temples. However, the beauty of the grounds is
something all temples share. The article continues:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">With an imposing modernist design,
five gold-crested spires reaching to the sun and the center point climbing 170
feet, the temple has a castle-like, even Disney-esque, appearance. Manicured
lawns surround rollicking waters that burble under footbridges. A rooftop
terrace rimming the temple treats visitors to sweeping views of the San
Francisco Bay.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Photographers tend to recommend the
location to their clients, Gutierrez said, and they pass along the tip to other
photographers. That’s how videographer Carmen Palacios heard about the temple,
she said. Her friend, who is also a photographer and videographer, recommended
it, and she’s been coming nearly every Saturday ever since. That was four years
ago, she said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">“It’s my favorite place to take
photos,” Palacios said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Not all temple grounds are that open to the public, but
anyone can enjoy how beautiful it is, if only from a distance. Temples make
excellent neighbors.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">One of the specific, but not uncommon, concerns for the
Cody, Wyoming temple is the height of the steeple. Although <a href="https://cowboystatedaily.com/2023/06/13/77-foot-steeple-for-mormon-temple-in-cody-not-part-of-roof-doesnt-violate-30-foot-limit-city-planner-says/">consistent
with law and precedent</a> , it may be inconsistent with the Cody Master Plan,
a document with no legal bearing that appears to have been dusted off and
utilized for objecting to the temple.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Cody temple would be <a href="https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/open-spaces/2023-07-07/the-proposed-location-for-a-mormon-temple-causes-controversy-in-cody">consistent
with law</a>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">During the second meeting in late
June, more than a hundred people came. One was Jessica Wille.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">“I am for bringing people to God in
any capacity,” Wille said. “And, I’m also for just following the laws. And when
I went to these meetings, I realized that everything is in accordance with the
laws.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">According to Sean Carter, who works
for the City of Cody Building Department, Wille is right.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In the latest Planning and Zoning
meeting, he told the board, “If they are constructing the Temple Tower out of
what we consider non-combustible construction, it can be unlimited in height.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">That’s because a rooftop structure
is exempt from Cody height restrictions. But, some of the board members
disagreed with Carter’s definition of the large tower as a rooftop structure.<o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The "non-combustible" clause makes sense. If it's non-combustible then the city doesn't have to worry about having the necessary equipment to put out a possible fire at that height. That would be a legitimate city and legal concern for objecting to height.</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This issue may ultimately be settled in the courts, regardless
of people’s personal interpretation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The notion that the height of the steeple is too high and
could obstruct people’s views seems almost laughable to me. I’ve lived and
traveled in Wyoming. I can’t imagine it being more than a toothpick in <a href="https://www.fodors.com/best-us-road-trips/big-sky-country-montana-wyoming-and-idaho">Big
Sky Country</a>. There is almost no view to obstruct.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">View some videos of Cody on YouTube and you’ll see what I
mean, especially <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgdawsw1Kug">this one
produced by the city itself</a>. I would think the dam there is less consistent
with the inherent beauty and terrain of Cody than the proposed temple.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Lighting and Lighting Issues<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I’m always astonished at how the Church is able to light up
the temples without lighting up the surrounding neighborhood or other structures.
They do a masterful job. You have to see it yourself to really appreciate it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">One way you can do so is to search Latter-day Saint or
Mormon temple at night on YouTube. There are a variety of videos posted, many
taken by individuals via drones. Judge for yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I do remember one instance, years ago, where the Church was
asked to mute the lights at night at a particular temple. They did so. They
were later asked to increase them back to what they were. Apparently, it wasn’t
that intrusive and it was beautiful. I don’t remember enough of the details to
search it and provide proof here but I do remember it occurring.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We also have <a href="https://www.deseret.com/2011/5/5/20372059/from-sharon-osbourne-to-jfk-what-famous-people-have-said-about-mormons">Sharon
Osbourne’s evidence</a>, the wife of rocker, Ozzy Osbourne:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">One example is Sharon Osbourne, a
television personality and the wife of rockstar Ozzy Osbourne. She built a hot
tub on the top terrace of her home so she could look out across Hollywood's
Santa Monica Boulevard and admire the Los Angeles LDS Temple.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">"One of the first things I
bought for the house was a big old-fashioned telescope, which I kept in the
living-room area. And the first thing I did every night when I came home was go
to the spyglass and look out across the city on the Mormon temple," she
said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The lighting is always exquisite at temples and it is
stunning as well as respectful to the neighborhood.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Conclusion<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">So, if all these assertions really are without merit, why
are people resisting temples? That is the million-dollar question.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I can’t help but think that if the situation were reversed
that these people would be screaming that it’s their land, their money and as
long as they aren’t violating any laws they should be able to do what they want
with it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">So, why do they want to control our temples?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Why are they trying to control what other people do with
their own money, their own land and their own resources. I find it mystifying
but you could probably query people who manage Home Owners Associations (HOA)
for some answers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I think it is more about power and control than anything. They
are trying to control how and where people worship according to their
definition of what is appropriate, despite having very few facts.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">One thing I’ve learned over the years is that the Church
thoroughly investigates the law – local, state and federal when doing anything.
Critics generally have to twist something obscure or borderline in order to
accuse it of any wrong-doing. Naïve or complicit journalists often help them
along. When you can truly obtain all the facts, you often get a very different
picture of what is happening.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Here are some quotes from <a href="https://mybighornbasin.com/lds-church-addresses-lawsuit-and-temple-controversy/">a
recent article</a>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">One of the concerns community
members have about the temple development is that the proposed Site Plan
violates city code and Cody’s Master Plan. The Church says, “That determination
is made by city leaders. We feel we are in compliance with both federal and
local law.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Church also stated, “We have
compromised on a number of items in good faith. The opposition only seems to
offer one option, no temple in Cody. We are hopeful we can find a mutually
agreeable solution for all of Cody and avoid the division being raised by
opponents to the temple.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The LDS Church remains hopeful that
the temple will be able to be developed at the proposed address of 555 Temple
View Lane, stating, “In addition, the Church has reached out to the
representatives of those expressing concerns and were told on several occasions
they were simply unwilling to meet or talk. We remain willing and anxious
to reach a mutually agreeable resolution.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When one side won’t talk or budge on anything, that’s
generally a sign they are not bargaining in good faith.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">My Advice to Cody Officials<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Those of you who must make decisions on this issue would
undoubtedly have an easier time of it if you can point to something being
technically illegal and saying your hands are tied.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I seriously doubt that is the case here.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Using your personal preferences and interpretation of the
law is problematic in making decisions on this or anything. You are setting
yourself up for future quandaries and dilemmas.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">If you do that, you open yourself up to pressure and
influence from any and all sources on just about any imaginable subject. It
will increase your problems in the future, not alleviate them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It’s like giving in to your children on a particular issue
that you’ve already set up established guidelines for. Exceptions are for
things you can’t or didn’t anticipate when you set up the guidelines. Abandoning
the guidelines once simply emboldens the kids to pressure you in the future on
additional things. It’s a quagmire.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Also, you could too easily argue yourself into something
that isn’t legally sound like denying the Church the ability to build on its
own land because you personally think the steeple is too high when there is no
legal restriction against it. Legal precedent, legal and technical advice is a
better guide to rely on.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Disputing the city planner’s determination on the steeple
because it doesn’t align with your view or because he is a Latter-day Saint is
an emotional decision if you would accept his determination if it supported your
view and he was a Methodist. He’s the city planner. Evaluate his view on the
basis of his technical expertise and the proof he offers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Having the courts decide will get you individually off of
the hook but it will cause extra expense for the city of Cody and ultimately,
its citizens. That doesn’t help anybody.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">So, make the decisions you were elected to make in a timely
manner with the best information you have. Paralysis by analysis is expensive
and it is just delay. You don’t need to review or study anything more. You have
the facts you need.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Don’t make up the rules as you go along. You must follow the
rules currently in existence, otherwise you are opening yourself to legal
challenges, which apparently you have done already. If you need to change the
rules in the future, do it in the future. Otherwise, you are being capricious
and arbitrary. History and the law will condemn you for it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Put your personal preferences aside and make the best
decisions you can consistent with law, fairness and equity uncluttered by
preferences or pressure. Your integrity is on the line.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Short-sighted decisions that are safe for you now can
imperil other people and other things down the road. History will hold you
accountable even if gets you off the hook for consequences in the short-run. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Yes, making these decisions could get personally unpleasant.
The controversy has turned into a power struggle. People could target you for
persecution if you decide something they don’t like.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The temple itself will last longer on the earth than the
people currently against it or for it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">However, what usually happens is that emotion eventually
dies down and reason prevails, at least in the long term. Ultimately,
you want to be on the right side of reason. Make your decisions without
emotion.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Remember, you are making decisions for the ages.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Addendum: 2023-08-17</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I've been reflecting on the "lighting" issues. It's hard for me to consider this a legitimate concern and not just a reason to scare people into resisting the temple. Concerns over lighting are certainly understandable. They are a reason to work something out with a property owner, not a reason to prevent them from building in the first place.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">A comment from Facebook: "In 1987 I spoke to a guy who didn't know I was LDS. He said he used to live in Oakland just below the Mormon Temple. I asked what that was like. He said, "The construction noise wasn't fun but I loved it when I sold my house for much more than even a few streets away.""</span></p>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344163281646499679noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232284755689004418.post-22673399659664667532023-07-25T09:00:00.003-04:002023-07-25T09:00:00.147-04:002 Catholics, 2 Perspectives, Both Consistent With Latter-day Saint Views<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="<a href="https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/rosary-cathloic-cross-isolated-white-background_24352999.htm#query=catholic&position=4&from_view=keyword&track=sph">Image by chandlervid85</a> on Freepik" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii56TF-Mt-0UD-ufGPBdfwv_GDwRuBiHAd1Vu0iUKFS7cvQgao-TxT0RNuAAMfHwEQjsQRhxKktgJUjWXwtk317z3PvLlN6O2ElXKeW06LqOqXdHX54DIHj89rD4ywT2J53TTgyMhVndgxXqIngqqFSrbanUnblhi0UCdHv7GF6wmyk-R9l5ltWC3YM3w/w640-h427/rosary-cathloic-cross-isolated-white-background.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #eef2f4; color: #5f7d95; text-wrap: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/rosary-cathloic-cross-isolated-white-background_24352999.htm" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">Image by chandlervid85 on Freepik</span></a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I encountered two articles recently, the ideas of which I quite like. I'll list them both and give my reasons.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://uscatholic.org/articles/202011/true-charity-calls-for-more-than-a-parish-toy-drive/" target="_blank"><blockquote>True charity calls for more than a parish toy drive: Christmas giving must go beyond toys on the side altar. by David Cloutier, published November 24, 2020 in U. S. Catholic.</blockquote></a>His ideas and arguments are quite nuanced and I don't want to reframe them here, especially in a way he may not support. The article is worth reading. Thinking about true charity is something we all need to contemplate.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">If you've ever been a recipient of charity, you know the efforts, however well-intentioned, can often fall short. I've mentioned before that you shouldn't assume someone needs something because it's what you want to give them or do for them.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Assessing their true needs and addressing that can be difficult and the personal aspect and interaction is often what is most important. As the writer states: "We feel we have done our part to help out the “less fortunate” without ever actually needing to encounter them." Encountering them may be the most important component of the charitable effort, though.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It made me wonder if the priest and Levite who passed by the suffering man on the road in the <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/luke/10?lang=eng" target="_blank">good Samaritan parable</a> gave generously to their local Christmas toy drive and called it good.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Do we do essentially the same?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">He concludes with an example from the film, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038650/?ref_=fn_al_tt_3" target="_blank">It's a Wonderful Life</a>:</span></div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When George returns from his joyous sprint through the snowy streets of Bedford Falls, he arrives home to find the whole community coming and pitching in their dollars to help his business out of a difficult situation. And the business itself, the old Bailey Building and Loan, is the instrument that has made possible homeownership for many of the poor in the community, pooling their resources and treating them humanely in managing their mortgage, by contrast with the tight-fisted and ruthless banker and landlord Mr. Potter. The Bailey Building and Loan represents an institution of justice. The line of Christmas givers at the Bailey home, pitching in their dollars, represents the true essence of charity: encountering and helping particular people directly in their time of dire need, just as the angel shows what George has done throughout his own life.</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The second article comes from a publication I receive from <a href="https://www.hillsdale.edu/" target="_blank">Hillsdale College</a>:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://imprimis.hillsdale.edu/the-most-important-decision-in-life/" target="_blank"></a></span><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://imprimis.hillsdale.edu/the-most-important-decision-in-life/" target="_blank">The</a> <a href="#">Most Important Decision in Life by Bishop Robert Barron, Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, published June 2023, Volume 52, Issue 6 in Imprimis.</a></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="#"></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I found his ideas on idol worship most compelling:</span></div><div><p></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">No one would get out of bed in the morning unless he believed in some value that is ultimately motivating his actions and decisions. This might be bodily pleasure or fame or material goods, or it might be one’s country or family, but if it is functioning as the prime mover of a person’s activity, it is playing the role of a god and it is being, in effect, worshiped.</span></blockquote><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> Also:</span></p><p></p><p></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The altar erected to Baal should be taken as standing for all the ways in which we order the infinite longing of our hearts to something less than God. When we do this, the fire never falls, because merely worldly things cannot, even in principle, satisfy our hungry souls. And when we persist in worshiping falsely, we find ourselves, in short order, caught in an addictive pattern, hopping obsessively, as it were, around the altar of pleasure, power, or fame, desperately seeking a satisfaction that will never come.</span></blockquote><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It's hard to wrap our modern minds around the idol worship so prevalent in the Bible. We have been assured time and time again that anything that displaces Jesus Christ and His gospel can serve as an idol and that is what is being condemned.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">However, it's hard to consider our seeking career advancement, material pleasures, travel, or some such an "idol" though it is.</span></p></div></div>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344163281646499679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232284755689004418.post-14851111360400251482023-07-12T09:00:00.003-04:002023-07-12T09:00:00.157-04:00Is Privacy Being Used as an Excuse to Escape Our Responsibilities to Fellow Human Beings?<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTB9EzR-agJoO36BjF4V_gRXBjUrnCNDV8WuE-aG2j4AXC6qFHtC8XJWO9ZXijgYLwQ-BpL5gcQjv7gklvOfNm2fo4enjtB3dMYI3z9YdIeGu5QO8x5ix5sGjek7408_kaJ28UbwOplEqGaq9yXz0gNk8hYpaKxSH3syapz4w4qIFOgU8dKFLxEWPqJg/s1920/Brand%20Pitch%20Presentation%20in%20Black%20and%20White%20Sleek%20Monochrome%20Style.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTB9EzR-agJoO36BjF4V_gRXBjUrnCNDV8WuE-aG2j4AXC6qFHtC8XJWO9ZXijgYLwQ-BpL5gcQjv7gklvOfNm2fo4enjtB3dMYI3z9YdIeGu5QO8x5ix5sGjek7408_kaJ28UbwOplEqGaq9yXz0gNk8hYpaKxSH3syapz4w4qIFOgU8dKFLxEWPqJg/w640-h360/Brand%20Pitch%20Presentation%20in%20Black%20and%20White%20Sleek%20Monochrome%20Style.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br />In a recent Sacrament meeting, a speaker cut his talk short and explained he was experiencing a health event and needed to sit down. He did so
and continued to look a bit fragile and tentative.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">That and the dynamics that I then observed had me concerned.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Some discussion with the man occurred between him and those
on the stand. A member of the Bishopric left the stand and consulted with a
health professional in the audience. He then went into the foyer and accessed
something on his phone. I wondered if he was summoning an ambulance.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The man’s wife joined him on the stand, looking concerned. After
the meeting was over, he was escorted off the stand into a side room down the
hall with more members who I know to be health professionals present as well as
others. I speculated he might be waiting for an ambulance and/or getting a priesthood
blessing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Another friend approached me later in the foyer asking if I
knew what had happened with this man. He had served in leadership capacities
with the man in question and was a good friend of his. He was anxious for news
and wanted to know what I knew. I knew nothing at that time. I spotted a
counselor in the bishopric and pointed my friend in his direction suggesting
that he may know something. He left to inquire of him and they had an extended
conversation in the hall.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">These are the highlights. Naturally, I was concerned. I have
known the man in question for over 25 years. He has been my local religious
leader, Home Teacher, and friend among other things.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">After arriving home and still wondering what all this meant,
I contemplated what I could and should do. If it was an active health situation,
I felt contacting him or his family directly would be intrusive and distracting,
especially if they were still dealing with whatever it was. Plus, they are not
good texters and I do not hear well on the phone.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I decided to contact the health professional, also a friend, and simply ask if the man was okay or would be okay, then I could go from
there.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Brother X, Is Bro. Y okay, or going
to be? We’re concerned and wondering. Sister [My name]<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I received back the following answer:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I cannot discuss medical details
with anyone without his permission. I suggest you call him and convey your
concerns/warm wishes<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It was unsatisfactory on many levels.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I did not ask for medical details.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I asked a mutual friend if a mutual friend was okay.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The incident of concern took place publicly in church not a medical environment.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The health professional is retired.</span></li></ol><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">If he is going to carry this viewpoint to its logical
extreme, he needs to carry around legal waivers in order to deal with incidents
like this that might come up.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">His suggestion that I call the man gave me the information I
needed anyway. Our mutual friend was alive and would have access to and the
ability to use a phone. Armed with this information, I did text him and he
responded back with thanks and a detail or two that put our minds at rest.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I think this interaction is symptomatic of a bigger problem,
one I have been thinking about for some time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The whole idea of privacy has been taken to a ridiculous
extreme and people are elevating their professions above their basic humanity.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Right to Privacy is Being Carried to Extremes<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I have got news for you folks. The Constitutional right to
privacy did not exist until 1965 when the Supreme Court decided <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griswold_v._Connecticut">Griswold v.
Connecticut</a>. The intent was to protect privacy in the marriage relationship
<i>from governmental intrusion</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">My, how things have changed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Now, privacy is being used as a reason to withhold information
from anyone for any reason regardless of the topic or context.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It is nearly impossible to find out anything about anyone
because people are always invoking the notion of privacy. It is being used as a
reason to deny information and feel justified and even noble in doing so.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">What Happened to Basic Humanity?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When I was in library school, I was taught that the
relationship between a librarian and a patron was sacrosanct. I should never divulge
what information someone accessed. We were told to never divulge to law
enforcement, for example, what materials someone had checked out, even if they
had a warrant.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This was used as a rationale to destroy circulation records
so that law enforcement or any governmental agent or entity could never get a
hold of them. Some libraries and librarians do this.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We were told that we were guardians of free speech and
uniquely qualified to protect it. For this reason, we needed to acquire what
most would consider pornography to ensure it was available, otherwise, democracy
was in jeopardy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I did not buy any of this nonsense. Most did, though,
including Latter-day Saint members.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We were told that we should never interfere, judge, or
evaluate why someone might need or want information. This included a depressed
person who wanted to check out a book or seek information on how to commit suicide.
We should simply provide it and let the chips fall where they may.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Not me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I am a human being first, a child of God, a moral being, etc.
Librarian is way down the list. I am not going to stand by and let someone kill
themselves if I can do something to help them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Soon after I was taught all this an incident occurred at a
local public library. A patron had sent a friend a suicide note via a library
computer terminal. The friend reached out to law enforcement who worked with the
local librarians to identify the patron and get them help before they went
through with their suicide plans.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It was gratifying to read this. The actions of these local
librarians did not comport with what I was being taught in library school. I
decided the viewpoint probably was not universal, in the library world at
least.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">However, I have still seen evidence that this distorted philosophy
affects other professions as well.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Let us not carry our professions too far and into our
personal relationships. We are people, after all, not our professions.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Let us not turn basic human interactions into legal
incidents.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">How Does This Affect the Church?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Information used to flow pretty freely. We knew about what
other people were dealing with like illnesses, unemployment, or other
challenges. Now, it is almost impossible to hear anything about anyone.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Great, everyone’s personal privacy is protected. The
downside is that almost no one has any information about anyone making it
almost impossible to serve them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">How are you supposed to bear one another’s burdens if you do
not know what they are?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I am not suggesting everyone’s problems and challenges be
trumpeted everywhere just that some basic information could be shared.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">For example, my husband had a major heart incident recently.
Every night when I got home from the hospital, I sent out a simple update on
what we knew and what had happened that day. I sent it out to family, local
church leaders, and friends, in that order, primarily via text.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">My criteria were simply those in authority over us and those
with a close connection to us. Some of the responses were interesting.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">For example, one local church leader tentatively asked if it
was okay if they apprised another local church leader of what I had conveyed. I
told them I already had.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This cut out gossip entirely. Everyone got their information
from me. It was good information. We were assisted in our needs because people
knew what they were. Everyone knew what was going on.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Church leaders do deal with many issues that have serious
privacy implications. They also deal with many issues that do not.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">As an ordinary member, I am frustrated that I cannot serve
people or service their needs because I cannot get any information on what they
are.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">If leaders cannot share any information, let alone details,
they are going to have to address these needs themselves and not expect
assistance from the rest of us.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I am frustrated because I have got some very high-level
skills. Most of the time people that need my help do not even know that help is
out there let alone that I can help them. How am I supposed to connect with
these people if there is such a tight lid on information?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Isn’t Satan at the Core of This?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I think Satan is at the core of this. The threat of a
lawsuit is governing everything we do. Are we allowing him to tie the Church and
its members up in knots? I think we are.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Obviously, we need to be prudent, but we need to ask
ourselves if we are overshooting the mark.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Remember, I asked a mutual friend if a mutual friend was “okay”
based on what happened publicly at church. I did not probe for “medical
details.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We should not be using legal liability or privacy as an
excuse to subvert our responsibilities to our fellow human beings. These human
beings are hurting. They need help. They need help from us.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Can you imagine any of the subjects of Jesus’s parables or
miracles suing him in court over violating their privacy? In this day and age,
I can, actually. However, it would not stop me from helping people or
soliciting others in my attempts to assist them in their needs.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Conclusion<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">If church leaders are the guardians of all information, I
suspect this will increase their responsibilities exponentially.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Instead of my being able to assist people with whatever
their needs are, a church leader will have to correspond with individuals and then
privately and confidentially ask me for my assistance. I will then have to
convey it through the church leader who will then convey it to the
individual(s).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I have already experienced this. I did ultimately find out
that the information I supplied to a local church leader in one instance was
going to a personal friend. It would have been better if I could have assisted
this personal friend directly. So much got lost in siphoning everything through
the church leader. I wondered why the personal friend had not queried me first.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I’m not hostile to the concept of privacy. I’m just
concerned it is being taken to a ridiculous extreme.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344163281646499679noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232284755689004418.post-5642771291986055262023-06-27T09:00:00.046-04:002023-06-27T09:00:00.140-04:00Relief Society and "The Aggregation of Marginal" Losses<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5-89ldHENjpaxaCrD_MvhenhZcgAyMN74cAqv0Wq-K8BIAhil5GKPUAc_73wn3xq0vfSmkRJk0HiBotiqLJo0yoqzFvPIgT3Rq5iLMOmeYoIr0dn7Zy3bEn3BpAZiTVfnpR7YPFmuIwXgyMIavhXZ2baZx-UYyqSAR-DC22a-4d-Ft6Y0LdcUVuR/s1920/Blue%20Purple%20Retro%20Illustration%20Word%20Puzzle%20Game%20Presentation.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5-89ldHENjpaxaCrD_MvhenhZcgAyMN74cAqv0Wq-K8BIAhil5GKPUAc_73wn3xq0vfSmkRJk0HiBotiqLJo0yoqzFvPIgT3Rq5iLMOmeYoIr0dn7Zy3bEn3BpAZiTVfnpR7YPFmuIwXgyMIavhXZ2baZx-UYyqSAR-DC22a-4d-Ft6Y0LdcUVuR/w640-h360/Blue%20Purple%20Retro%20Illustration%20Word%20Puzzle%20Game%20Presentation.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br />In his October 2021 General Conference address entitled "<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/10/54dunn?lang=eng" target="_blank">One Percent Better</a>," Elder <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/learn/michael-a-dunn?lang=eng" target="_blank">Michael A. Dunn</a> addressed how the British cycling team was able to turn its years of failure around to eventual success by employing a strategy entitled, "the aggregation of marginal gains" aimed at improving everything identifiable however small.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In the talk, he <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2007/10/clean-hands-and-a-pure-heart?lang=eng" target="_blank">quotes from Elder Bednar</a>:<br /></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Small, steady, incremental spiritual improvements are the steps the Lord would have us take. Preparing to walk guiltless before God is one of the primary purposes of mortality and the pursuit of a lifetime; it does not result from sporadic spurts of intense spiritual activity.</span></blockquote><p></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Elder Dunn asks:<br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Could aggregating small but steady marginal gains in our lives finally be the way to victory over even the most pesky of our personal shortcomings? Can this bite-sized approach to tackling our blemishes really work?</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Then, he answers his own question:<br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Well, acclaimed author James Clear says this strategy puts the math squarely in our favor. He maintains that “habits are the ‘compound interest of self-improvement.’ If you can get just one percent better at something each day, by the end of a year … you will be 37 times better.”3<a href="#"></a><br /><br />[In referring to the British cycling team] They continued to find 1 percent improvements in overlooked and unexpected areas such as nutrition and even maintenance nuances. Over time, these myriads of micro-betterments aggregated into stunning results, which came faster than anyone could have imagined...</span></blockquote><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Aggregation of Marginal Losses Instead of Gains </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sadly, this process can also work in reverse and this is my topic for today - Why <b>I am no longer attending Relief Society</b>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Instead of the aggregation of marginal gains, I've experienced the aggregation of marginal losses, small incremental negatives that have resulted in something rather large. Relief Society has become untenable for me.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I recently asked my husband what I'm like when I attend Relief Society. He said, "Spitting tacks and grumpy." I concur. This is how I feel afterward. It's been building for a very long time and occurred over multiple wards/branches in multiple areas.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Below, I document many of the losses I've experienced over time and explain why I think they are so damaging. I started intensely noticing some of them in the mid-1990s.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On the flip side. All of these can ultimately be reversed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I will note that I am hard of hearing and many of my concerns relate to that. However, I don't assume that because I have trouble hearing that others do too. I check with them. When others tell me they can't hear or indicate somehow that they can't hear then I feel more comfortable with my conclusions.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I'll detail the losses from small to large, as I see them.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Accepted and Expected Losses</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">There is one thing that people automatically assume I'm complaining about but it is the one thing I'm willing to accept and overlook, no matter what.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Relief Society is populated by women and women have kids, often <b>babies that fuss</b>. This creates noise in the Relief Society room. So what. This is a fact of life and I'm willing to accept it. I expect and accept it. This is NOT part of any concern I have.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Obviously, I appreciate attempts to minimize the kid chaos and noise and am concerned about conditions that amplify it, like room configuration but overall, this is a given.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRo3emvOuPahsNLUCiWfmkLZupCgfTxZ3e_ljVFqPEXPrDvNP-j2mvudf0V3eFdq3PBzOBkXmM4itRb2BbQzjcrHg0clWtb43XiQO5o074zYiEbjQBnc6A1F68GauyhYQ3A-ggzLDVBi1FjAPsXcT7KaZc9tgCQ3J0_g9XHAF_O1FOCzZXVBu563NPxV0/s1920/2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRo3emvOuPahsNLUCiWfmkLZupCgfTxZ3e_ljVFqPEXPrDvNP-j2mvudf0V3eFdq3PBzOBkXmM4itRb2BbQzjcrHg0clWtb43XiQO5o074zYiEbjQBnc6A1F68GauyhYQ3A-ggzLDVBi1FjAPsXcT7KaZc9tgCQ3J0_g9XHAF_O1FOCzZXVBu563NPxV0/w200-h113/2.png" width="200" /></span></a></div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Small Losses</span></b><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>1.</b> In the past, people who were <b>asked to pray</b> would stand and face the group in its entirety, or as well as they could, often going to the front of the room where the teacher taught. This doesn't happen anymore. People often don't stand. They pray from their seats in a normal voice that is often directed away from the group. This makes it hard to hear them.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>2.</b> This is related to the point above. In the past, people who were <b>asked to read</b> something would stand and face the group in its entirety or move to the front too. No more. Often it is logistically impossible to hear people who remain in their seats, aim their voices at the paper or phone they are reading from, and mumble.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This doesn't have to be. If you are ever asked to participate, you can usually do something to ensure that you are heard. Leadership and the teacher should try to make certain everyone can be heard.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>3.</b> There is often a questionable emphasis on gimmicks like <b>handouts and treats</b>. I don't mind a physical object that reminds me of the lesson and concepts discussed. However, if more effort went into the object at the expense of actual lesson preparation, I don't care for a reminder of that and it means little to me. Treats are always nice but they serve no real spiritual purpose and are badly overused.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZUdTeDLH0O7QU5Ohx0H1LGViicMg4dvUMl57z4YY62nOpLpgBe22Cpd7_iRlKUfklgzCZbkWmhxXS-XhjgXEtMOyorJZ0dAU6aEX2jwQB8O5Xjmu_4z0zcoi6pwbXnq0m9GJaEdhPBtE55AB5BHI24wbI_t5z3rJcpQawjGFIYeqV8RCEafhxBo9O10/s1920/3.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZUdTeDLH0O7QU5Ohx0H1LGViicMg4dvUMl57z4YY62nOpLpgBe22Cpd7_iRlKUfklgzCZbkWmhxXS-XhjgXEtMOyorJZ0dAU6aEX2jwQB8O5Xjmu_4z0zcoi6pwbXnq0m9GJaEdhPBtE55AB5BHI24wbI_t5z3rJcpQawjGFIYeqV8RCEafhxBo9O10/w320-h181/3.png" width="320" /></span></a></b></div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Big Losses</span></b><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>1.</b> <b>Room configuration</b> is a big issue for me. Having taught I know what can happen if you must teach in a poorly configured room or if you poorly utilize a good room. You should always try and minimize problems and maximize the good features.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">For example, having your audience face a window(s) that has distractions outside is not good. Aim your audience away from distractions if at all possible. Minimizing audio distractions is more difficult but not impossible.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Many Relief Society rooms are large rectangles. If you teach from one end you can generally project your voice throughout the room. Too often, these rooms are configured so that the teacher must face a class from all sides because they are trying to mimic a circle as much as possible.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I have no problem with configuring a class in a circle if the numbers of sisters and room size lend themselves well to it. Not all classrooms do. Trying to force it results in the teacher having to project their voice to all sides of a rectangular room in turn often leaving out people on one side while directing their voice towards the other. This does not work well.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>2.</b> In reflecting on this, it occurred to me that there is nowhere in this room configuration where the teacher can stand while <b>using visuals</b> that don't obstruct the view of some side of the room or the other. This is not good.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Well, that is assuming that the visuals can be seen at all. Often, they can't be. Too often, the writing on the visuals or the pictures themselves is simply too small. The best way to ascertain and correct this is to position yourself in the furthermost reaches of the room and determine if your visuals can be seen.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Obviously, it is best to do this ahead of time. Determine how large your writing has to be on the chalkboard and elsewhere to comfortably be seen anywhere in the room.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>3.</b> Unfortunately, the <b>misuse of technology</b> is getting more and more prevalent. The Church tells us that using technology should not distract from the Spirit. Ideally, the use of technology should be so uneventful and smooth that your audience is barely aware you're using it. This isn't happening.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">These days, it seems any use of technology is fraught with distraction. Often, teachers don't know how to use it properly and spend a great deal of time fiddling with it, if they can even get it to work at all.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sadly, the problem is often at the stake level because the technology is not serviced and checked enough to be operable. Often, teachers only find this out after the fact.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">There is only one way around this problem. You must try out your media on the technology ahead of time outside of church hours and work out any problems and bugs. Yes, this means you have to be prepared significantly ahead of time. Trust me, It's worth it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Some uses of technology maximize distractions. This is mainly from teachers using personal cell phones hooked up to church media. The audience is regaled with multiple images on people's cell phones before the desired media can be located and presented. This is very distracting. It's referred to as <b>visual noise</b>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">People would never project audio media in this way. Can you imagine cycling through a variety of audio clips of various musical genres before finally accessing the desired religious audio selection? It would obviously be jangling to the audience. It's just as bad with visual media as it is with audio media.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I have been regaled with a variety of distracting images and media in church lessons, including one that played during the closing prayer telling the cell phone owner that her child needed his medications.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">What's the solution? This could depend on what media and technology are available to you. However, I think the best solution is downloading media ahead of time on a flash drive.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">All new church televisions now have the capacity to handle this. Old ones can with an adapter.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Church instructs us to <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/tools/help/media-playback-overview?lang=eng" target="_blank">download media ahead of time and not stream it</a>. It warns that many meetinghouses don't have the bandwidth for streaming.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Anyway, there are no distracting ads, commercials, or anything else with downloaded media on a flash drive. The new televisions make it easy to select and play this media. Flash drives are cheap.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">If people used the <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/learn/gospel-media-app?lang=eng" target="_blank">Gospel Media App</a> on their mobile devices, this could also cut down on all these distracting technological glitches. However, it doesn't seem to be happening.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>4.</b> I almost hate to bring up this next issue because I don't want people to think I'm hostile to non-English speakers. I'm not. We've had a substantial Spanish language population in some of my wards. However, how the <b><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/callings/interpreter?lang=eng" target="_blank">interpretation</a> is handled</b> can solve some problems but create others.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Having someone talk in any language at the same time as the teacher is a problem. It can make it difficult to hear anything. Care needs to be taken to minimize the noise that this extra voice creates for everyone in the room. The interpreter needs to aim their voice away from the majority of the classroom if at all possible. Again, this comes down to room configuration.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sitting in the back of the room and interpreting is generally a big problem. Sitting on the front row and speaking towards the teacher and a wall, especially if the wall is covered in a soft material to absorb the noise is best. However, it might be a problem if the teacher is using a microphone.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">These problems need careful consideration. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">See:</span></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/callings/interpreter/interpretation-instructions-for-interpreters-eng.pdf" target="_blank">Instruction for Interpreters</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/callings/interpreter/interpretation-instructions-for-priesthood-leaders-eng.pdf" target="_blank">Interpretation: Instruction for Priesthood Leaders</a></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEght7odL-i_eShU3X3Z7i1v0wmDev4zcJsEh2vCcI9S4cCI32yq2DS8rVycomf0Krplq4HpkuQT3eP5bZLoLDgZtDkJsxBjP4Nth9X1eUrZ-9AqSoRyjVi8R7jk3nzrKtfzL-FCNmmps8T3Vkpi1tNDR2gtXESq7cx3o_aJFEh21jNrM6lmPVjjFHuhVjI/s1920/4.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEght7odL-i_eShU3X3Z7i1v0wmDev4zcJsEh2vCcI9S4cCI32yq2DS8rVycomf0Krplq4HpkuQT3eP5bZLoLDgZtDkJsxBjP4Nth9X1eUrZ-9AqSoRyjVi8R7jk3nzrKtfzL-FCNmmps8T3Vkpi1tNDR2gtXESq7cx3o_aJFEh21jNrM6lmPVjjFHuhVjI/w400-h225/4.png" width="400" /></span></a></b></div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Bigger Losses</span></b><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>1.</b> Somewhere along the line, the emphasis in Relief Society seemed to change from reverence and spirituality to <b>having fun</b>. Now, everyone wants to laugh and joke. This happens before and after and now throughout the meeting time.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I'm not against fun, but I think it crossed into light-mindedness a long time ago. The whole tenor of the meeting is now quite different than what it should be and what it could be.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It's a church meeting. Reverence and spirituality should be prime.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>2. </b>Teachers shouldn't perform. People should experience and emerge from a lesson not thinking that the teacher is wonderful, but that the gospel is. Teachers need to focus on the gospel rather than their performance as a teacher.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">As a teacher, <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2007/09/seek-learning-by-faith?lang=eng" target="_blank">you are a conduit, you are not the light</a>. You should not be drawing attention to yourself. The <b>gospel should be your focus </b>not your performance as a teacher. This is a problem in Relief Society as well as other gospel-teaching situations.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It is nice to be considered a <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1999/10/gospel-teaching?lang=eng" target="_blank">good teacher</a>. We all like that recognition. However, it's a <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1994/10/our-strengths-can-become-our-downfall?lang=eng" target="_blank">strength that can also be a weakness</a> and work to our detriment.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>3. </b>You cannot teach in your normal speaking voice. I am mystified as to where this idea got started and perpetuated. You can't. Nobody can. As a teacher, <b>you MUST project your voice</b> throughout the room, regardless of what type of room you are in.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This is the main reason why I can't hear what's going on anymore. I suspect it is the main reason why others can't hear as well.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">How do you expect anyone to hear you over the person seated next to them who is also talking in their normal voice? This is insane.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">What's more, you need to project to the room you are in. If you are teaching in the chapel, you should use a <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/help/support/bc/clerksupport/pdf/meetinghouse-tech/audio/condensed_sound_system_instructions.pdf" target="_blank">microphone</a>. Church instructions used to include this caveat. I can't find it anymore. In a big cavernous room, you need that microphone.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Depending on how your Relief Society room is configured, you will need to adjust your voice and project so that everyone can hear you.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">There is an added benefit to this. When teachers project, audience members don't tend to talk among themselves as much and they focus on the teacher. This is what should be happening.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It is folly to think you can teach in your regular voice. You are competing with kid noise/chaos, hallway noise, chatter among the sisters, and everything else. Project your voice above this. You must.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-dyWOqkbVNZN-c9DD9cvrQv-m1LyoQFAI6KA7ZqPJmRkIxgz5P3XuycLh5rCsWSxIHh95Ys7kasgMQ9Nyckof0A2pn3G_AqZ63Ny0QdgsRWQwm0F6CF4v1PTd7hTciGKnS7QEQZynEBL_oItD03EiyXkDQkGjMRyXzlE69vKoSKStk4qzydVS_YNElQ/s1920/5.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-dyWOqkbVNZN-c9DD9cvrQv-m1LyoQFAI6KA7ZqPJmRkIxgz5P3XuycLh5rCsWSxIHh95Ys7kasgMQ9Nyckof0A2pn3G_AqZ63Ny0QdgsRWQwm0F6CF4v1PTd7hTciGKnS7QEQZynEBL_oItD03EiyXkDQkGjMRyXzlE69vKoSKStk4qzydVS_YNElQ/w640-h360/5.png" width="640" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br />Massive Losses</span></b><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span><b>1.</b> I think back to the book <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/daughters-in-my-kingdom-the-history-and-work-of-relief-society?lang=eng" target="_blank">Daughters in My Kingdom</a> which narrated the history and purpose of the Relief Society. I wonder where it all went. I see almost no emphasis on service and charity anymore. </span>The emphasis is all on recreation and fun.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The only remnant of service seems to be the Relief Society Service Coordinator calling where a sister or sisters provide meals for those in need. As a recipient of some of these meals on occasion (broken arm/leg, major heart incident, debilitating illness, etc.,) this is much appreciated.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Now, this seems to be ancillary to what the Relief Society does, not its main focus. Why <b>so little emphasis on </b><b>service and charity</b>?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>2.</b> This also begs the question of where is the emphasis now? I'll answer it: <b>the emphasis is on social activities</b>. Everything is recreation and everything has to be fun.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Granted, sometimes a token service activity is worked into the agenda, but that's what I would call <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tokenism" target="_blank">tokenism</a>. It's a symbolic gesture with little substance that often gets touted but doesn't really amount to much.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We socialize, consume voluminous amounts of food paid for with tithing money, and have fun. That's about it. Would Jesus approve? I don't even want to think about that one.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>3.</b> All this emphasis on social activities naturally results in <b>social clubs and cliques being formed</b>. There is rarely a serious attempt to recruit and include all sisters.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Publicity usually reaches only a small contingent of sisters and the rest are left out. Often, the events cost money ensuring that only a small contingent of wealthy sisters can participate.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">So many sisters ultimately get left out.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Usually, it's just a handful of women who are generally good friends planning these events that they like and often making it difficult for all women to be involved.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sadly, I've even seen overt attempts to minimize the possibility that marginalized sisters will know about activities or be able to participate in them. Sometimes, when they do show up, they are ignored by other sisters and even sometimes by the powers that be. Usually, these marginalized sisters don't show up again.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>4. </b>From what I've seen over the years, all these <b>social activities eventually take precedence over sanctioned and official activities</b>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I'll give you an example. About 20 years ago, I was in a ward that had a Relief Society lunch group that met monthly at a local restaurant. I objected to this on principle but decided I needed to attend just once in order to feel justified in criticizing it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">So, for one month I planned on attending. However, one of the ladies that my companion and I Visit Taught was only available on the day and time of the lunch group.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When I told my companion, she declined to Visit Teach because she was going to the lunch group. I decided that nothing should take precedence over Visiting Teaching and I visited this sister by myself. I never did make it to a lunch group.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>5.</b> I'm reaching way back with this term, but Elder Jeffrey R. Holland used it in his address entitled, </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">“<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1998/04/a-teacher-come-from-god?lang=eng" target="_blank">A Teacher Come from God</a>” back in 1998. <b>People need spiritual nourishment from gospel teaching not "theological Twinkies".</b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><blockquote>... are we giving them a kind of theological Twinkie—spiritually empty calories? President John Taylor once called such teaching “fried froth,” the kind of thing you could eat all day and yet finish feeling totally unsatisfied.18</blockquote><p>I'm tired of theological Twinkies which are nothing but spiritually empty calories. Relief Society is hardly alone in this regard. Elder Holland obviously thought it was a church-wide problem to address it in General Conference.</p></span><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Elder Holland <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1998/04/a-teacher-come-from-god?lang=eng" target="_blank">continues his advice</a>:</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Avoid self-serving performance and vanity. Prepare lessons well. Give scripturally based sermons. Teach the revealed doctrine. Bear heartfelt testimony. Pray and practice and try to improve. In our administrative meetings let us both “instruct and edify” as the revelations say, that even in these our teaching may ultimately be “from on high.”20 The Church will be the better for it, and so will you, for as Paul said to the Romans, “Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself?”21</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1998/04/a-teacher-come-from-god?lang=eng#note21"></a></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>6. </b>I've saved this last loss to the end, but it's one I've addressed before over ten years ago in a post entitled, "<a href="https://kristacook.blogspot.com/2011/10/relief-society-is-raucous.html" target="_blank">Relief Society is Raucous</a>." [Be sure and read the first comment]</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Nothing has changed, really. If anything, the problem has gotten worse. <b>Women talk incessantly throughout the meeting</b>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>It runs <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/88?lang=eng&id=122#p122" target="_blank">counter to scriptural teaching</a>:</span><br /></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Appoint among yourselves a teacher, and let not all be spokesmen at once; but let one speak at a time and let all listen unto his sayings, that when all have spoken that all may be edified of all, and that every man may have an equal privilege.</span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">What really solidified this in my mind was when I was in library school about 20 years ago and attending class in Salt Lake City, Utah. We had three different teachers call us out on our behavior because women were incessantly talking among themselves as the teacher was trying to teach.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Each teacher strongly suggested that this behavior was unbecoming mature adults, rude, and totally beyond the pale. The last teacher I remember addressing this strongly suggested we carefully consider how we were behaving.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Mortified, I knew it was the Latter-day Saint women who were engaging in all this objectionable behavior because I knew who they were. The teacher didn't.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">My Catholic seatmate at the time of the third incident remarked to me, "This is so rude and it happens all the time here. It's a Utah thing." "No" I sadly assured her, "It's a Mormon thing."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">She gaped at me, obviously astonished I was criticizing aspects of my religion rather than staunchly defending it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I was actually condemning the culture and it deserves to be condemned. Talking incessantly through Relief Society and other meetings is rude, immature, and totally beneath us.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When will it stop?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">An additional problem with this is something I personally experience and one I've confirmed afflicts my older friends. When someone is talking, if there are other voices close, I can't hear anything. Competing voices make it impossible for me to hear any of them and I know I'm not alone in this.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Isn't Satan at the Core of This?</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I think Satan is trying to corrupt our meetings using these techniques and others. What better way than to use tiny incremental steps to corrupt us that eventually turn into accepted habits and procedures that we fail to question?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It fits what Nephi remarked on in <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/26?lang=eng&id=22" target="_blank">2 Nephi 26:22</a>:<br /></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">... yea, and he leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his strong cords forever.</span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">A single flaxen thread is weak and can easily be broken. A group of flaxen threads makes for a very strong cord, one very difficult to break. </span></p><p></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Conclusion</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Shortly before I made the decision to stop attending Relief Society altogether, I stomped out of it one Sunday and stomped into Priesthood, mad as a hornet. I plunked down next to my husband who apparently didn't dare ask me at that time what was wrong. He wisely decided to postpone that discussion.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I loved Priesthood. I could hear, there was reverence, a well-crafted lesson, pertinent discussion, and obvious spirituality.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">What's more, I could hear in a room that had more room configuration problems than the Relief Society room I'd just left.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It was heaven.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Obviously, attending Priesthood is not a viable long-term option. I now find a quiet place to sit in the building and read the digital-only articles in the <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/magazines/liahona?lang=eng" target="_blank">Liahona</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">My husband fetches me after Priesthood and we discuss what happened there.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I'm much happier. I'm no longer grumpy and I'm no longer spitting tacks.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">If you are prone to blow off my concerns as unimportant and just instruct people like me to adapt and accept, I think you need to reconsider.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I believe Heavenly Father cares very much about how His gospel is being taught.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This aggregation of marginal losses in Relief Society could be reversed using the principles Elder Dunn addressed and culminate in an aggregation of marginal gains.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This could happen. I hope it does.</span></p>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344163281646499679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232284755689004418.post-84966878763668455202023-06-20T15:05:00.002-04:002023-06-20T17:32:00.678-04:00And a little child shall lead them ...<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXDCuo-x-UY4-58rENRB-vY82WFZ8RiUD3l0fOoOQw2pER0FRLxqsEcKpghD15Kflez0xGp1PMgqDmvXh5OhYxhm59EVrBWn8yuspdATTQiYT3QzoA-PbIty8_eMh-ymuM0yAf5mcU8j19qldXjyUuMBCJI9cWtrXnP6tHqOk9AAD0YBFS3UkcCQvGGM/s2304/Jelly.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="1728" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXDCuo-x-UY4-58rENRB-vY82WFZ8RiUD3l0fOoOQw2pER0FRLxqsEcKpghD15Kflez0xGp1PMgqDmvXh5OhYxhm59EVrBWn8yuspdATTQiYT3QzoA-PbIty8_eMh-ymuM0yAf5mcU8j19qldXjyUuMBCJI9cWtrXnP6tHqOk9AAD0YBFS3UkcCQvGGM/w300-h400/Jelly.png" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br />Kids aren't stuck in adult paradigms, inertia, and the status quo, yet. Many of them think outside the box and have unique insights. I like hearing about their exploits and what they do.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">One of my favorites is Seth, the <a href="https://youtu.be/QIxFSpcPeIY" target="_blank">budding entrepreneur</a> in Brigham City hawking Ice Cold Beer with the word "Root" written really small above the word "Beer".</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Thinking he was doing something illegal because the word root was written so small, he got the cops called on him. When they showed up, they read his sign, had a good laugh, bought some ice-cold root beer themselves, and <a href="https://people.com/human-interest/boy-uses-ice-cold-beer-sign-sell-soda-police-impressed/" target="_blank">posed for a photo opp</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When the Mormon Miracle Pageant was held in Manti, Utah, I discovered that early every morning after the performance a swarm of kids would descend on the outdoor theater and <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/primary-children-joyfully-serve-every-morning-after-manti-pageant?lang=eng" target="_blank">clean up all the trash</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It makes sense, once you think about it a little. Trash is on the chairs and on the ground. This is right at the kids' level. Who better to pick it up and dispose of it?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This is something the little ones can do, and do well.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Recently, children, as well as adults, sent dozens of letters, thank-yous, and drawings to the company in Alabama that designed the new modular Helena Montana Temple. You can read about it here:<br /></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2023/6/17/23764514/thank-you-letters-childrens-drawings-uplift-and-inspire-workers-buiding-helena-montana-temple" target="_blank">How thank-you letters and children’s drawings helped uplift and inspire workers who built the Helena Montana Temple</a>: The notes and drawings from Helena Latter-day Saints were posted in an Alabama manufacturing company’s break room and in the construction trailer in Montana</span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This sort of activity has an impact on people. The company wouldn't be plastering this stuff all over their buildings if it didn't mean something to them.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">My current hero is <a href="https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2023/6/18/23760092/finding-joy-in-donating-jelly-justserve-project" target="_blank">ten-year-old Evan</a>. He's a young Latter-day Saint that loves to do service and is really onto something.<br /></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">While looking for ways to help his community on JustServe.org, Evan found that the Open Arms food pantry was in desperate need of jelly. “I had a feeling from the Holy Ghost that that project felt right,” Evan said.</span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">His philosophy is simple and self-less:<br /></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When asked what his favorite part of the project, Evan said: “Just doing the service. ... I like doing service. I do service for service, and I try not to expect rewards. I do service to follow Jesus.”</span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Jelly is a popular and needed item during the school year because school is in session and the jelly is needed for sandwiches.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Evan expected to acquire about 30 bottles. He amassed slightly over 700.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sharon Eubank, the Church's director of Humanitarian Services praised Evan's project for the superb way he went about things:<br /></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">“This is an example of not only engaging youth in practical service, but in all the principles he learned,” said Sharon Eubank, the Church’s director of Humanitarian Services when she found out about Evan’s project.<br /><br />The jelly drive incorporated many details that Sister Eubank was impressed with. “Finding out what is needed most before collecting, the power of a personal invitation, getting the best price, the logistics of delivery, catchy advertising, reporting back to donors, the many different ways people can participate, [and] expressing gratitude.”<br /><br />Sister Eubank continued, “Most of all, I’m thrilled for an example of the power of children in the work. They don’t drive, they don’t have their own funds, and they have no political power, but they so often lead the work.”</span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Too often we assume people need something because it's what we want to do for them. Evan discovered the actual need and acted on it. He didn't substitute his own judgment for what the need really was. Then, he set out to meet it in a logical, creative way.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We can learn from Evan, and others like him, "<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/isa/11?lang=eng&id=6#p6" target="_blank">and a little child shall lead them.</a>"</span></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344163281646499679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232284755689004418.post-77256631751689859772023-06-13T09:00:00.014-04:002023-06-13T09:00:00.134-04:00Prepared or Extemporaneous, Which is Better?<div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzgkt2uS4RHs3iQ_UOU1-0bhW93T0lJAzD3FxtcaMuWXYMTVFY9qQIgNr77mDPd9keoOwun9FGX7Es29YycD3yFegpKTZwCEMwDeGc0tBl1b_od7Kdcy7conR19y_vXq_42kDWvgdUVh26DcRZmgEQyTc6gR1FWm6Lae1YI03DD0w3BnzEdVzt7Wt/s1920/Blue%20Gold%20Watercolour%20Group%20Project%20Presentation.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzgkt2uS4RHs3iQ_UOU1-0bhW93T0lJAzD3FxtcaMuWXYMTVFY9qQIgNr77mDPd9keoOwun9FGX7Es29YycD3yFegpKTZwCEMwDeGc0tBl1b_od7Kdcy7conR19y_vXq_42kDWvgdUVh26DcRZmgEQyTc6gR1FWm6Lae1YI03DD0w3BnzEdVzt7Wt/w640-h360/Blue%20Gold%20Watercolour%20Group%20Project%20Presentation.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />This comes from an <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2023/05/28/ardis-e-parshall-should-latter-day/" target="_blank">article in the Salt Lake Tribune by a Latter-day Saint historian</a>:</span></div><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Speaking at a conference recently in northern Indiana, a stake president urged his Latter-day Saint congregants to rely on the Holy Spirit when they spoke in church meetings. Rather than read or memorize talks, they should discern in the moment what the congregation needed to hear, and speak extemporaneously<br /><br />I took notice of that because in March, a visiting authority spoke at multiple conference sessions in my own stake (a regional cluster of congregations) in Salt Lake City, telling us repeatedly that he had no prepared remarks. He was instead relying on the Spirit to prompt him in the moment to say what we needed to hear.</span></blockquote><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I find these assertions a bit disconcerting for a number of reasons I'll detail below.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I Live in Northern Indiana!</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Okay, I live in Northeastern Indiana so maybe I didn't miss it. It could be one of the other two northern Indiana stakes. I have no direct knowledge of this.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">However, I did hear a report of a local leader telling a local member to not write down a talk, to just speak extemporaneously.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">However, if this advice was also inferred by the unnamed visiting authority in Salt Lake City, this is also a reason to pause.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Rely on the Holy Spirit of Course</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">There is no reason not to rely on the Holy Spirit whether you are speaking extemporaneously, preparing or have prepared a talk. This is as crucial as breathing. I would never suggest otherwise.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">However, there are so many different people and so many different speaking situations. I wouldn't want to make one rule and apply it to everything.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">One Size Doesn't Fit All</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">General Authorities who speak in General Conferences speak from a prepared text they labor over continuously by all accounts. They don't speak extemporaneously, at least not anymore and there are multiple reasons for this.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Visiting General Authorities to stake conferences need to be especially receptive to the Spirit and may indeed be prompted in the moment. Not having extensive knowledge of your particular audience makes it difficult to know what it may need despite having some prepared remarks you need to share with all congregations. The Spirit can supply the knowledge.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">A young person speaking in church for the first time would find it hard to speak extemporaneously. A seasoned teacher such as myself finds it a lot easier. The more you do it, the easier it can be. However, that does not necessarily mean it will be easier.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Inspiration</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I'm recalling a girl I knew years ago. She faced the audience once and said, "I believe in inspiration!" and started to talk. She proceeded to give the same talk she had given two weeks prior, somewhere else. Hmm.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I remember recalling that I would have retorted, "I believe in being prepared!" and courageously read mine.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Extemporaneous and/or Prepared</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">At a recent stake conference, we had a guest General Authority speaker. A short time later, he gave a talk in General Conference. Local members were contrasting the two experiences. His General Conference talk was excellent. His stake conference talk was ... not. Members were in fact, "underwhelmed" with it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It was evident he had no prepared remarks at stake conference. He did for General Conference. The difference, and experience, was stark.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Your Experience and Mine</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Hasn't your own experience varied over time? Mine certainly has. As a child, I needed to have a parent write the talk for me and I was then able to read it, haltingly.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When I was older, I wrote my own talk and read it. As I got even older, I was able to speak more extemporaneously from notes and bullet points, although I had some of it written out.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When I was teaching full time I had no problem speaking extemporaneously anywhere. I would often work hard on my start so that it was flawless, but once I got going I was fine.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">With suffering from a chronic illness that can affect my ability to do many things, I've gone back to reading my talk, mostly because I'm focusing more on doctrine and I want to get the doctrine right.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I've also had difficulty finding the words I want to say. This could be old age and/or inflammation affecting my brain. I don't know which, perhaps both. However, to speak effectively now, I write out my talks verbatim.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Relating a personal experience or story lends well to speaking extemporaneously and it can usually come from the heart, easily. Talks that rely on these experiences are generally convincing and compelling.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Write the Talk in Conversational Prose and You're Good to Go</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Written talks can often sound stilted and formal because we all tend to write stilted and formal. However, if a talk is written in conversational prose, it will sound natural and unaffected.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Journalists have this mastered. They write the way they speak, in conversational prose even though they are reading off of a teleprompter. It's easy to tell because when they are extemporaneous, they often sound like idiots. I've watched it happen more than once.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The best example of a superb talk written in conversational prose is the <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/10/44sikahema?lang=eng" target="_blank">initial talk of Elder Vaiangina Sikahema in General Conference</a> after being ordained to the First Quorum of the Seventy. As a broadcaster by profession, he knew how to write and present his talk. It was perfect in construction and execution. He did a masterful job. You have to view the talk to fully appreciate all of this.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">He wrote it in conversational prose and it sounded natural and unaffected. He certainly knew what he was doing.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Inspiration Can and Does Occur During the Preparation</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It's folly to suggest that you can only receive inspiration in the moment. Heavenly Father knows who your audience will be ahead of time and what they need to hear. He can inspire you ahead of time, during your preparation, to include what is necessary.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I'm wondering if relying on the Spirit in the moment is more important for the faith of the speaker than it is for the audience. Elder <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2023/04/13cook?lang=eng" target="_blank">Carl B. Cook related the humorous story</a> of Elder Packer encouraging him to set aside his prepared remarks and asking him to speak extemporaneously several times during one meeting and over the course of the weekend.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It's a skill that needs to be cultivated, but I'm not certain I'd be willing to rely on it exclusively.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I spend about 30 hours of direct preparation time on a Sacrament talk. I listen to the Spirit and make adjustments as necessary. Only when I feel prompted that it truly is in the shape that Heavenly Father wants do I finalize it and declare it done.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">An Experience of Mine</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">During the height of my difficulties in speaking extemporaneously because of my illness, I was giving a prepared talk in Sacrament meeting. I received inspiration to add one sentence to my prepared remarks, which I did. I was also prompted to know who it was that needed to hear that sentence. I remember him avidly listening to me as I made the remark.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Afterward, I couldn't remember what the sentence was and only now do I have a vague recollection of it. The prompting was vivid and the sentence was explicit at the time.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Conclusion</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I remember a quote from President David O. McKay, a superb teacher and educator. He said, something like, "Instead of preparing a talk, why don't you just prepare yourself, then you'll always be ready to speak."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This infers that you've got to have something for the Spirit to work with.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Speaking with the Spirit is one of the most powerful things you can do. I'd want to rely on it both in preparation and in the moment.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">If I was prompted to set aside my prepared remarks and speak from the heart, I'd do it, but I'd also want to be prepared.</span></div>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344163281646499679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232284755689004418.post-27148196769950737052023-06-06T09:00:00.002-04:002023-06-06T09:00:00.136-04:00The Woman I Admire Most<div class="separator" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZSlgDgk88qK4v8sTUEH4GlpPAzx00mldRiBzMaVMCuaepHzbpjwZEs8pnDWg3Zn1vkQ-b_UCaWazQyIz4kcD-tvBaS-v9F2SjKmkjiGk1tBdnFx23R4FmGadkDGUGsOC4HQozjFZXn3Z7zoxC7UBV8v-D34Swy_6ll2rE75MGHwuAwJ6AnF8sYOu/s1690/BethPorter001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZSlgDgk88qK4v8sTUEH4GlpPAzx00mldRiBzMaVMCuaepHzbpjwZEs8pnDWg3Zn1vkQ-b_UCaWazQyIz4kcD-tvBaS-v9F2SjKmkjiGk1tBdnFx23R4FmGadkDGUGsOC4HQozjFZXn3Z7zoxC7UBV8v-D34Swy_6ll2rE75MGHwuAwJ6AnF8sYOu/w442-h640/BethPorter001.jpg" width="442" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /><br />I spent my Junior High and High School years in Davis County, Utah. I lived in a small town named Syracuse. In our ward was a family that I paid almost no attention to.<br /><br />They lived in an extremely old home. I never went in their home but my mother told me that when she visited there she noticed that their couch was so dated it was considered old when she was a girl.<br /><br />They had children somewhat older and somewhat younger than me. Being pretty selfish and self-centered, as most teens are, I never thought about them much.<br /><br />The family was all very active in Church, obviously strong testimonies and all the kids were good kids – not outstanding in anything in particular, but they did well in school, church, and seemingly everything else.<br /><br />They never caused anybody any problems. They always had callings, were reliable, and really didn’t draw attention to themselves in any way.<br /><br />I saw the father bicycle to work carrying a lunch pail and he looked like something out of the 1930s most of the time. The mother was non-descript and forgettable. I think she was always a stay-at-home wife and mother.<br /><br /><b>Not What I Thought</b><br /><br />With the benefit of hindsight, I now see this woman, and her family, differently.<br /><br />I have discovered that all the children, both the ones that I interacted with and the ones who were out of the nest are all doing well – strong in the gospel, strong homes, good kids – model Americans and model Latter-Day Saints.<br /><br />Their son that was a year older than me had motor control problems and had some other physical and intellectual challenges. However, he grew up well-adjusted and was able to hold down a job, marry and raise a family. On reflection, I told my mother. “I don’t think he would have been able to thrive like he had if he had grown up in any other family.”<br /><br />That family was the perfect environment for him – and probably for anybody.<br /><br />This woman quietly went about the business of life being diligent, reliable, dependable, and every other good thing. I don’t remember her or her family ever being a recipient of service. They were always providers of service and could be depended on to take on any responsibility asked of them. She served well in any calling she had. No one ever had to cover for her or pinch hit for her.<br /><br />She never caused anyone any problems – never had issues with other sisters. She was almost invisible in that she never called attention to herself or what she was doing. She was so turned out and focused on the needs of others that everyone seemed to forget she was there.<br /><br /><b>A Christ-like Woman</b><br /><br />On reflection, I can now see her for what she is – the most Christ-like woman I’ve ever known. Her priorities were what they should be. Her time and resources were devoted to the most important things.<br /><br />She lived an exemplary life right in front of my face and I couldn’t see her for what she was until recently. Nothing I know about her would cause her to stand out in this life. She would be considered average and ordinary by the world. <br /><br />In conversations with my husband, we have identified a handful of people like her that we have known – people who live Christ-like lives and operate quietly and diligently, without fanfare, usually behind the scenes.<br /><br />The world tends to value people who do one significant momentous act or accomplishment to great acclaim. But, the scriptures teach us that our whole lives should be devoted to goodness. One act is not enough, especially when it is done for the world to see.<br /><br />When young, I dismissed this woman as provincial and gauche. She had none of the traits I admired then.<br /><br /><b>The Woman I Admire Most</b><br /><br />This simple woman, through diligence and daily living of gospel principles, has emerged as the woman I most admire. Instead of considering her ordinary, I now consider her extraordinary.<br /><br />At the end of her life, she stood on a mountain of good works. Her everyday acts were compounded into something truly enormous. Out of small things has proceeded that which is great. <br /><br />After her children were raised and her husband had retired from his ordinary job they served over three missions before he died.<br /><br />I will never see her again <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/57908410/emily-beth-porter" target="_blank">in this life</a> but I will never forget her. She is the woman I admire most.</span>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344163281646499679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232284755689004418.post-79154038223260690352023-05-16T09:00:00.024-04:002023-05-16T09:00:00.149-04:00Mothers of Others: Not Everyone's Mother Was a Saint<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPTOdzUKuSZVmcsEzWpOSIOGHy5XV-ryaw2k7sqmqR9ejeK8xbWhwHrCQx7QXgLEZ3aY_Sot_Rn2D0kfaS_Jl6_frJem38IQNgnpfJEMZ0PBHT3xzYugZ3moFc27embymSw55hnkGFwqtQah7WVmZpfanoxcnvCK60utaFCGB8F3YhYhhnxUlayFp_/s1920/Mommie%20Dearest(2).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPTOdzUKuSZVmcsEzWpOSIOGHy5XV-ryaw2k7sqmqR9ejeK8xbWhwHrCQx7QXgLEZ3aY_Sot_Rn2D0kfaS_Jl6_frJem38IQNgnpfJEMZ0PBHT3xzYugZ3moFc27embymSw55hnkGFwqtQah7WVmZpfanoxcnvCK60utaFCGB8F3YhYhhnxUlayFp_/w640-h360/Mommie%20Dearest(2).png" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Another Mother's Day has passed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Some of the same themes keep emerging and I'm still disturbed about what effect they have on others. However, they don't bother me anymore.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Not everyone's mother was terrific. Mine certainly wasn't. Hearing about the saintly and near-perfect mothers of others always put me in a funk. It made me painfully aware of the limitations of my own.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I've been fairly open that the mental, emotional, and verbal abuse in my home was quite extreme. Even so, some of my siblings would take issue with this statement. They still don't seem to see much of anything wrong with how we interacted with each other and how things in our home operated.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">They can retain their opinion if they choose. I know what I experienced.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Mothers</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Mother's Day is painful for some.</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We are constantly told how we should value our mothers and what they did for us.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We are told that our mothers always had our best interests at heart.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We are told that our mothers loved us.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We are told that we should love our mothers.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Here are my thoughts:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Yes, my mother gave me life and then proceeded to make the rest of it miserable. Why should I honor her for this?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It's difficult to believe that my mother had my best interests at heart given the often nasty way she treated me.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">My mother never demonstrated any love toward me. She only started telling me she loved me in the last years of her life. It sounded empty at that time. I didn't believe her. I still don't.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">After being told as a child in Primary that I should love my mother I loudly declared that I hated my mother. The teacher immediately looked perplexed as if thinking, "Inservice didn't prepare me for this!" and said, "Well, I'm sure that deep down you really love your mother." I thought about that and decided, "No, deep down, I hate her just as much as I do on the surface."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I suspect others have had similar and different experiences with their mothers in both good and bad ways.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Not everyone's mother was a saint.</span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Mother's Day</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">So, every year when we honor our mothers, extol their virtues and practically worship them on a pedestal, some of us are a bit conflicted.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Some people are revisiting and re-experiencing pain. I certainly wouldn't want to add to it in any way.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Some of these people avoid church entirely on Mother's Day. Some simply tune out the proceedings, listen to music on their phone with headphones of some sort and scroll through scripture or other church literature while the tributes continue through the meetings.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I'm okay though, now. I've resolved things, my own things at least. I can endure the yearly torture somewhat stoically.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Don't Say This in a Mother's Day Talk</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The most potent torture for some is simply the endless litany of assertions about how wonderful their mother was, or is.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">So, what's wrong with it?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Well, for starters, it is flattery and nothing more. It's excessive and often insincere praise in order to gain something for oneself. If your mother was wonderful, shouldn't you tell her directly? Why are you telling a congregation full of people who don't know her and can't know her?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">What purpose does it serve?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I think most people do it because that's what always happens on Mothers' Day and we are simply carrying on the ignoble tradition, largely without thinking.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Thoughtless repetition explains a lot.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Please Say This in a Mother's Day Talk</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">So, what is appropriate and helpful in a Mother's Day Talk? I would suggest the following:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Tell us what your mother did that had meaning for you.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Tell us what your mother did that caused you to value and love her.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Tell us what she didn't do that you appreciated.</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Give us specific examples of the above. We could all learn from this, especially if we never experienced these behaviors ourselves.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We want to learn. If good mothering modeling hasn't been part of our life experiences, we'd all benefit from hearing about it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">An endless litany of "my mother was so wonderful" without any details or examples, doesn't do that.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>A Recent Example</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">One speaker in my own ward relayed details of a woman's very challenging and heartbreaking life but where her goal to become not just a mother, but an exemplary one remained intact through many difficult life experiences and setbacks.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Then, he revealed that he was speaking of his own mother and that he lost her last September to cancer. This was his first Mother's Day without her.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I can't imagine how difficult it was for him to give the talk on this day of all days. It was quite inspiring.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Conclusion</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Please keep in mind the mothers of others when you give future talks or extol your own mother's virtues. There is good reason to be cautious in your approach. The Spirit will whisper to you the best course of action.</span></p>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344163281646499679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232284755689004418.post-54184217095752081852023-05-11T09:00:00.017-04:002023-05-11T09:00:00.170-04:00The Library Has Changed! Have We Changed With It?<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHH1xs_t1R8ho-ox_Gc5naam33j9n8F4sFyz0r-jmuxp_nn54cprsMJ0il41yfhrMtfL-oKff6nRqr96h-yZl-6XZa_bUYtiPLBMwXAX_oaJywINgs6ELZlf9qzJMonUmSWF4S85pkJVMYu77pUmpugGB3jKPaV5d-jtmW4ki378U90ezsTGPkDbNX/s1920/Library%203.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHH1xs_t1R8ho-ox_Gc5naam33j9n8F4sFyz0r-jmuxp_nn54cprsMJ0il41yfhrMtfL-oKff6nRqr96h-yZl-6XZa_bUYtiPLBMwXAX_oaJywINgs6ELZlf9qzJMonUmSWF4S85pkJVMYu77pUmpugGB3jKPaV5d-jtmW4ki378U90ezsTGPkDbNX/w640-h360/Library%203.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />I think we've been chugging along and not considering that something significant has changed and we haven't changed with it, the church library. It may be called the "Materials Center" the "Resource Center" or something similar.<br /><br />However, it HAS changed and things have changed around it.<br /><br />Reviewing a little of the history of how it has operated in the past suggests why it currently functions the way it does. What is more important is <b>how it should be operated now and in the future</b>.<br /><br />Currently, we often have up to three or more members assigned to the Resource Center and they preside over a photocopier, about 600 overexposed pictures, audiovisual equipment, and some chalk. That's about it.<br /><br />Does it really require this many people to oversee it? I don't think so. It did in the past, but not now.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>The Past is No More</b><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In the past, nearly every teacher was teaching a different lesson that required specific pictures and other library resources. Library workers would pull these materials every Sunday and have each teacher's kit ready to go. Several workers were needed to do that as well as issue chalk and erasers to the teachers.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This all changed with our standardized curriculum.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I remember walking by the library one Sunday when a frantic teacher asked, "Are there any other pictures of David and Goliath?" I thought to myself, "Goodness, every teacher needs the same pictures now. What are we going to do?"</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Obviously, digital resources were and are the answer. The Church's media has gravitated online, not into the Resource Center.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>What Should/Could Change?</b><br /><br />No kits need to be pulled every week. Nearly all the resources a teacher needs are now located online. This brings up the question of what part the Resource Center should play now in the gospel-teaching universe.<br /><br />Why not designate at least one of these Resource Center Specialists with digital responsibilities to assist people?<br /><br />There are thousands if not tens of thousands of images, videos, and other materials online. Sifting through them and finding what you want can take time.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Someone highly technical in the Resource Center to help troubleshoot the digital equipment and help teachers and presenters slog through all the resources seems to be what's needed now.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Instead, people are left to their own devices, sometimes literally.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I'd prefer to see people actively helping teachers/presenters manage the media so that they can concentrate on teaching and not the technical aspects of the presentation.</span><br /></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It would even make sense for a Resource Center Specialist to sit in on the lesson and manage the media for a teacher or presenter.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In addition, someone who is digitally savvy could help teachers and presenters reduce the audio and visual noise that has become so prevalent in recent years.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Audio and Visual Noise</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Too often when teachers and presenters are fiddling with media we are forced to endure ads, commercials, family pictures, irrelevant images and other things the presenter has to scroll through in order to find the media they want to show.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This results in distractions and it distracts from the Spirit which is the real issue.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Church instruction in using media always comes with the caution that the use of media should NOT distract from the Spirit.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Proper use of technology should be seamless and barely noticeable to the audience. It should flow so well that no one should even be conscious that you are using media.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The onus is on the teacher and presenter. This is a big responsibility. Instead of expecting them to manage everything themselves, I'd prefer to offer them help in some form.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>A Significant Problem</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In the past, members will limited capabilities, for whatever reason, were often called to serve in the library/materials center because it didn't require much knowledge or skill.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This has changed. The members that serve there now need additional capabilities because the responsibilities are more complex.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This doesn't mean current Resource Center Specialists can't be trained to perform these responsibilities or simply augmented with those who have more capabilities to assist them.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We just need to make certain the Materials Center can perform at the level it needs to, now.</span></div>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344163281646499679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232284755689004418.post-40342417516160673702023-05-02T09:00:00.020-04:002023-05-02T09:00:00.140-04:00This Works for Me. It Could Work for You, and Your Leaders<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZFMdkwLQFOHQ_w-fcuQglWiIPKFP0yzxigYxVMb6sMM1tTKimlwsBeK1_5-ISu_2LVMCPVN347BO2iEBOwI9pXXma4KcvJn_ua-pjZh6GK7aPQDWF5R--rbrveSaoIyrP2PhSaTfRaoZZs1iQPII-qpsk__Wz0WifUekRBSGRELysANG5XAxUEc7g/s1920/Colourful%20Scrapbook%20Collage%20Media%20Marketing%20Brainstorm%20Presentation.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZFMdkwLQFOHQ_w-fcuQglWiIPKFP0yzxigYxVMb6sMM1tTKimlwsBeK1_5-ISu_2LVMCPVN347BO2iEBOwI9pXXma4KcvJn_ua-pjZh6GK7aPQDWF5R--rbrveSaoIyrP2PhSaTfRaoZZs1iQPII-qpsk__Wz0WifUekRBSGRELysANG5XAxUEc7g/w640-h360/Colourful%20Scrapbook%20Collage%20Media%20Marketing%20Brainstorm%20Presentation.png" /></a><br /><br /><b>The Dilemma</b><br /><br />Several years back, I was muddling over my dismal health situation. Having a chronic illness makes it hard to do just about anything.<br /><br />I was also contemplating what sort of service I could perform in the Church, then and in the future, given my limitations. I'm also, gasp, old...<br /><br />I happened onto an idea that has worked marvelously for me, and my leaders.<br /><br />I was hesitant and resistant to accept a request to give a Sacrament meeting talk because I could not guarantee I'd have enough "up" time in order to prepare sufficiently.<br /><br />This was besides the obvious problem of leadership not asking early enough. Reasonably, I think people need at least three weeks to give a good talk. Giving them only three days' notice only ensures they'll give a bad one.<br /><br />I was also hesitant to generate my own talk topics. Local leadership knows what challenges the members face. They know what the members need. Besides, I don't want to be accused or guilty of simply pontificating on my own soap-box topics.<br /><br /><b>Speaking Holds No Horrors ...</b><br /><br />Having taught for a living, speaking in front of a group holds no horrors for me. I don't get stressed or nervous anymore, not really. I'm only concerned about having the Spirit and telling people what Heavenly Father wants them to hear.<br /><br />Preparation time is my only difficulty. Sometimes I just can't do anything.<br /><br />Well, the idea came to me that I could prepare a talk ahead of time and hold it in reserve and give it when needed.<br /><br />Too many times I've watched local leaders scramble because of a last-minute cancellation. Then, they end up winging it because there is basically no one else.<br /><br />Obviously, they could prepare their own talk and hold it in reserve until they need it but others could do that too. Why not me?<br /><br /><b>Talk Topics</b><br /><br />I informed leaders of what I'd come up with. They liked the idea. I asked for talk topics and waited, and waited, and waited ...<br /><br />Finally, I decided I would have to generate my own topics.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This is something I take very seriously and spend a lot of time reflecting on what Heavenly Father may want me to address. I muddle over a lot of topics and only pursue ones I feel I have divine approval for.<br /><br />In fact, sometimes I felt like I should pursue one topic and make considerable progress, only to feel stymied at some point and have to quit. Then, nearly always, I encounter something in the normal course of my scripture study and life experiences that is exactly what I need and I go back to the talk and include it.<br /><br />It's often a new <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference?lang=eng" target="_blank">General Conference</a> address, sometimes a <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures?lang=eng&platform=web" target="_blank">scripture</a>, and sometimes an idea I've encountered in the past rediscovered and it fits my topic beautifully.<br /><br />Once generally complete, I read and re-read my talks trying to listen to <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/revelation?lang=eng" target="_blank">the Spirit</a> and what it tells me to add, change, or eliminate entirely.<br /><br />In fact, I've felt inspired to remove some of what I thought at the time was my best stuff. It's wrenching. However, on reflection, I can't even remember what it was now.<br /><br /><b>Talk Preparation</b><br /><br />So, how much time does this all take? My best guess would be about 30 hours of direct preparation time, per talk.<br /><br />I often get prompts to finish up my talk because <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/revelation?lang=eng" target="_blank">the Spirit whispers</a> I'll have to give it soon. I try to pay attention to these prompts.<br /><br />I even print it out when I feel it is ready and leave it in my car. If requested, I could walk out to the parking lot, retrieve it and give it on-demand. So far though, that hasn't happened.<br /><br />I've given three talks in the last almost four years in my present ward. Two were as emergency replacements. I got a panicked contact on a Thursday night and one on a Friday morning from local leaders.<br /><br />The other time I had been held in reserve for months by a particular counselor who kept me in reserve for himself in case he needed me to speak. Finally, he said, "It's been long enough. We need to hear from you. I'm slotting you in."<br /><br />While I was laid up with a broken right arm and broken right leg, I couldn't do much - except generate talk topics and prepare talks. I had three talks in the works. My husband just shook his head over me.<br /><br />I've given one of them now. Another talk just got completed. I'm about 90 percent done with the third. Lately, however, I've had another talk topic impressed on my mind. I'm mulling that one over. We'll see how it goes.<br /><br /><b>The Results Are In</b><br /><br />So, what's the result? I respond positively to panicked calls from my local church leaders. They respond with incredible gratitude and relief when I tell them I can speak. I give my talk and the congregation is none the wiser that near disaster was averted.<br /><br />Local leaders are practically kissing my feet, especially the one responsible for acquiring speakers that day. They can spend their otherwise valuable time focusing on things only they have the power and authority to do, and that list is extensive.<br /><br />This is something I can do.<br /><br />I know they are pleased. I think and hope Heavenly Father is pleased as well.<br /><br />I'm pleased because I'm utilizing my knowledge, skills, and abilities in a way that works for me and allows me to serve other members, Heavenly Father, and the Church itself.<br /><br />Well, that's enough for now. I've got some talks to prepare ...</span></div>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344163281646499679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232284755689004418.post-56715152873819155062023-04-27T09:00:00.001-04:002023-04-27T09:00:00.140-04:00Another Reverse Missionary Moment: This Time With Jehovah's Witnesses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqmdTWyqPO2lx4pklaX7jjJ5aFsMZM4XX5qxxCcXe_hDXPPMVNJ0FB3uq9vwvZxNYpbMDM7rOknqMfvlK7PY9SWvb2a0OuObh4WiY3CmDYErWa5_zhf6xe4v-vgSOqNH4VJ44zbOGM14yi4o5VYmf1S9bACIOpn3dIggSJmA1beHukzjKkUg8SiW9b/s1985/Jehovah's%20Witness%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1266" data-original-width="1985" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqmdTWyqPO2lx4pklaX7jjJ5aFsMZM4XX5qxxCcXe_hDXPPMVNJ0FB3uq9vwvZxNYpbMDM7rOknqMfvlK7PY9SWvb2a0OuObh4WiY3CmDYErWa5_zhf6xe4v-vgSOqNH4VJ44zbOGM14yi4o5VYmf1S9bACIOpn3dIggSJmA1beHukzjKkUg8SiW9b/w640-h408/Jehovah's%20Witness%201.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSVl2bodaH94k_MliZPlRTl4NislnJbkYbNiam2upZqH2yIYIRoXc3NhWFr3_GRjtUmBV8SrShqrg8cm1yuAaZ3ueamii5g57s9PTJTJU3big9oMUc2XpdAiynFbWdoIQ7umPwSm0Bha9Z2ksElWdP-SuzQt57Wh3ApM3jsLnzmPYBmd6k71a4zP2/s1982/Jehovah's%20Witness%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1259" data-original-width="1982" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSVl2bodaH94k_MliZPlRTl4NislnJbkYbNiam2upZqH2yIYIRoXc3NhWFr3_GRjtUmBV8SrShqrg8cm1yuAaZ3ueamii5g57s9PTJTJU3big9oMUc2XpdAiynFbWdoIQ7umPwSm0Bha9Z2ksElWdP-SuzQt57Wh3ApM3jsLnzmPYBmd6k71a4zP2/w640-h406/Jehovah's%20Witness%202.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I rounded the corner of our home to see a car coming down our drive. We live rural and people don't drive past us, they have to drive to us.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I didn't recognize the car or the two people that got out of it. We greeted each other and started some pleasantries. They struck me as nice people.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Putting two and two together wasn't hard. I asked them if they were Jehovah's Witnesses. They confirmed that they were and I motioned my husband to come out of the house. I knew he would want to be part of any gospel discussion.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We had a very nice chat with them. We shared beliefs, read and examined scriptures, and asked each other questions.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We shared a great deal of common ground.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">However, we did seem to be at odds on some points, but nothing major. Frankly, it was nice to meet and interact with other like-minded Christians.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">They gave us a business card with their <a href="https://www.jw.org/en/" target="_blank">official website</a> address on it and we gave them the link to the Church's <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist" target="_blank">ComeuntoChrist site</a> where they could access a <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe/book-of-mormon" target="_blank">Book of Mormon</a>.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We talked about how the Book of Mormon is another, a second, witness of Jesus Christ and of the Bible which seemed to interest them.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We also talked about the law of witnesses and how Heavenly Father supports and buttresses his work with other witnesses.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">That's when the man said, "Well, maybe the third witness is a Jehovah's Witness!"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Good one!</span></div><p></p>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344163281646499679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232284755689004418.post-23385671757531618292023-04-11T09:00:00.011-04:002023-04-11T10:06:06.973-04:00If I Were You, I'd Get Off of Reddit - I Did<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD4D7Q3DnW-I-Ycqr6x7z0Y87OBGQ6fI3s5QXh-dMh10o3YzyJUYDuFXvgjloHwgXpFib8AaRdjsgcDFYb_Nc9gQHsi5FXhRBmv7GrNk8dU0iu7GQaIgI8P4pbdB7lC72qVgl9jL7xR7Ua5EreR8h2JSpKaVeQ9UpqPtLCwWttVOboOx_bXyNVXH6o/s1920/reddit.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD4D7Q3DnW-I-Ycqr6x7z0Y87OBGQ6fI3s5QXh-dMh10o3YzyJUYDuFXvgjloHwgXpFib8AaRdjsgcDFYb_Nc9gQHsi5FXhRBmv7GrNk8dU0iu7GQaIgI8P4pbdB7lC72qVgl9jL7xR7Ua5EreR8h2JSpKaVeQ9UpqPtLCwWttVOboOx_bXyNVXH6o/w640-h360/reddit.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br />Getting on Reddit was a way of promoting the ideas I post here on my blog.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Since my blog is NOT monetized, I could assure any readers I wasn't encouraging anyone to visit my blog for financial reasons.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Since posting comments and responding to others is kind of clunky on Blogger, I thought the discussion on Reddit would be better.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Boy, was I wrong...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I think it is a fundamentally flawed platform with no redeeming qualities. I think it ought to be shut down as worthless at best and damaging at most.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I'll detail why below. Consider that I joined two Latter-day Saint Reddit sites that were only for strong believers. I found them to be otherwise.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>The Platform Itself:</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The way the platform is structured, it encourages either/or, black/white thinking which is currently fueling a lot of the discord in the world.</span><span style="font-family: arial;">The world we live in is nuanced and contains a tremendous amount of ambiguity.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The way Reddit, and other social media platforms are structured, you really can't have a thoughtful discussion, only a short one where you address extremes.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">You post a comment and others comment. You really can't examine particular ideas inside the comment - accept some and reject others. That takes too much time and space and the platform really doesn't accommodate that in how it is set up.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">What's more, most people won't take the time to read anything long. It caters to short pithy posts.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">While technically possible, the Reddit platform norms don't encourage thoughtful, dispassionate discourse, just the opposite - thoughtless and emotionally charged attacks. This is the Reddit norm.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Posts go up chronologically. If there is little interest in them, they quickly get passed over. If there are no comments, they become irrelevant within days or hours. This suggests that if they do not elicit a strong, immediate response, they get relegated to the Reddit dust heap.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Anger and outrage prevail. Thoughtful and introspective dialog rarely occurs.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">People get "up" votes for being inflammatory/strong, not for being thoughtful and reflective.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Also, I think the strong Latter-day Saint Reddit forums draw people away from the scriptures and the Church's own website. I don't think this is desirable.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The moderators and owners would probably counter this by saying they post links to church articles and resources all the time, which they do. However, I still think it draws people away from church resources not to them.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Members won't visit the Church's sites if they think they are getting what they need on Reddit.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">To be truly effective, we need to guide people to the scriptures and the Church's website not away from them, even when our "intent" is good, not evil.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I don't think the owners/moderators have any evil intentions. However, that doesn't mean that what they are doing is positive or good.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">If our actions aren't achieving something good, despite a righteous intent, we need to change.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>The Moderators:</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Most people seem to think that conscientious and good moderators will solve most of the problems. They won't.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Moderators just cancel posts and people. In fact, those of us who are capable of managing discussions, and validating ideas while steering around personal attacks are shut down before we have a chance to exercise our skills, by the moderators trying to keep the dialog "civil".</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Their idea of civil dialog is not discussing anything that "might" explode. The unfortunate result is that you don't ever end up discussing anything that's particularly important. Anybody that tries gets canceled and their posts deleted.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I caught some posts before moderators deleted them and found some of them to be honest attempts by members to navigate difficult issues and ideas after encountering perplexities.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I think some of these discussions would have been more relevant and beneficial than some of what the moderators let stand.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Much of what the moderators let stand was much more disturbing to me than what they canceled. In fact, I would term it simply near apostates supporting each other in their gradual apostasy.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">These discussions weren't overtly hostile, but I found them to be profoundly disturbing. They were "civil" according to Reddit standards but were, in my opinion, very damaging.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It is possible to manipulate the moderators by ostensibly following their standards but in a way that would undercut them. I concluded it wouldn't be very hard to do.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">There are other techniques to get around the Reddit civility standards by ostensibly following them on the surface but violating them in principle.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It made me wonder how often this actually occurs.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Truly effective moderators could play down the personal vitriol in posts and focus attention on the legitimate statements posters make without wholesale canceling posts and people.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">However, this would take a horrendous amount of time and attention. I'm not sure anyone would want to spend the time to do this. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">In fact, I'm not certain it is even worth it.</span></span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Posters and the Commenters:</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Good grief, where do I start?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I suspect there is a profile of a typical Reddit poster/commenter although I'm not interested enough to research it. I would say most Redditors follow a typical pattern.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">They spend a lot of time online, much more so than they spend reading scriptures or on the Church's website.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Opinion prevails. Even where Redditors could simply refer queries to a thoughtful and complete discussion of their question on a church resource, Redditors simply give their opinion instead of referring anyone to anything else.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Instead of giving one Redditor my opinion, I simply included a link to a reference in a digital-only Liahona article I thought was relevant. The Redditor responded, "Thank you! This is exactly what I needed!!!"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Why would I give someone my opinion when good resources, well-written and well-documented exist that can answer the question far better than almost anything else could?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I think the answer is that Redditors are more interested in posting their own opinion rather than reading or actually answering the query in question.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Perhaps this is a narcissistic tendency?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This is a natural conclusion after reading a long stream of comments to a poster that all say exactly the same thing.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Didn't the commenters read all the prior comments? If they did, why did they feel the need to repeat them? It is puzzling unless self-interest and self-aggrandizement are involved.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">That would explain this phenomenon.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">For example, one query was whether herbal teas violated the Word of Wisdom. There were dozens of responses. Honestly, a few words or sentences from one to three commenters could have covered all the relevant issues in depth. The dozens of responses were redundant, unenlightening, and distracting.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I did encounter a handful of Redditors who seemed genuinely interested in helping people with legitimate queries and encouraging members to remain faithful and righteous.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">However, their small numbers got lost amongst all the prolific and repetitive Redditors. In essence, they got buried. Not canceled, just buried. However, the result was essentially the same.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I had to decide if I wanted to join their numbers.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I decided not to. I have more productive things to do.</span></p>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344163281646499679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232284755689004418.post-77563612284881521852023-03-31T09:00:00.012-04:002023-03-31T09:00:00.189-04:00Two Christians Meeting and Sharing a Spiritual Moment<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfo80XpxGRNwq3z3Fh5nfpHOOHczP20SJP6OBS9olS2F-5os-QOmG6S3JCqQ-hCAVMgMgH6NWupW74_LIsxltxEBFfttI854PvIsvtGiTRXkKIchgBV1h8dbDlwH9ZW3sdK2u_5kvGR9bXmIQ--kBkmaYdRtUigoBMfzkx7DyZeI3UoopHJcLy6tM/s4002/2023-03-25%20Scriptural%20Quotes.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfo80XpxGRNwq3z3Fh5nfpHOOHczP20SJP6OBS9olS2F-5os-QOmG6S3JCqQ-hCAVMgMgH6NWupW74_LIsxltxEBFfttI854PvIsvtGiTRXkKIchgBV1h8dbDlwH9ZW3sdK2u_5kvGR9bXmIQ--kBkmaYdRtUigoBMfzkx7DyZeI3UoopHJcLy6tM/w640-h376/2023-03-25%20Scriptural%20Quotes.jpg" /></a></div></span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">My husband had an interesting experience recently. He was shopping in Walmart and apparently obstructing the vitamin supplement aisle with his motorized shopping cart. It's easy to do given how bulky they are.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br />A woman needed to get by him and couldn't. He apologized and moved his cart to let her by.<br /><br />A few moments later, she came back and asked his name. He told her and she then handed him two scriptural passages. They are scanned in the image above.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">He told me later they reminded him of <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/john/3?lang=eng&id=16">John 3:16</a>:<br /><blockquote>For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.</blockquote>They chatted for a bit. She said that Jesus chastises those who don't do what's right. She said she still gets chastised, but not as much as in the past.<br /><br />He told her that <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe/jesus" target="_blank">Jesus Christ</a> was his best friend. She replied that He was her best friend too. She was thrilled and gave him a hug and left.<br /><br />He considered sharing his testimony of the <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm?lang=eng" target="_blank">Book of Mormon</a>, but felt he shouldn’t, so he "just left it as two Christians meeting and sharing a Spiritual moment."<br /><br />I think many members of our church would find this a sweet and fulfilling moment but I think it is much more.<br /><br />Last Sunday was <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/fasting-and-fast-offerings?lang=eng" target="_blank">Fast</a> and <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/testimony?lang=eng" target="_blank">Testimony</a> Meeting (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/29-meetings-in-the-church?lang=eng">29.2.2</a>) because <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference?lang=eng" target="_blank">General Conference</a> is next Sunday, the first Sunday of the month. As I listened to the testimonies, I realized that this is something we are accustomed to, sharing our faith with others, even if it is just us.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">What's more, we are commanded, encouraged, and prodded to share our faith with others outside our faith. It is a major responsibility of our being members.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This lady hasn't been raised and accustomed to a responsibility to constantly share her faith with those in everyday conversations like we have. It probably isn't a long-standing tradition for her.<br /><br />She's not been acclimated to seeing this as normal and expected like we have. She was probably much more out of her comfort zone than any of us would have been.<br /><br />However, she showed no real hesitancy to share her faith and the truths that she does know. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">She did a marvelous job.<br /><br />She's an example to us all.</span></div></div>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344163281646499679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232284755689004418.post-81866773638874891622023-03-29T09:00:00.001-04:002023-03-29T09:00:00.188-04:00The Crucial Finding Most People Missed About Latter-day Saints in the New PEW Study<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXT4zEJUUEybdbXBPl71tQ1vp2zDpj-CSmvqjSx5hmZ6CfOTLEXMJZWwMjs5OKLZ-zkwI6Ht3pLiqs25W_qFuLAMBLesCVlGhHSohaGsQvCSbQYfr_TYWhW7gOj9ljdDY2HJgLFVceClhBlkzMzSkpJv4ps1wq0q2z1W8H53gCGKzIMZWI7YuYUb4/s1920/Red%20Yellow%20Blue%20Project%20Kickoff%20Brainstorm%20Scribbles%20Doodles%20Whiteboard%20Presentation.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXT4zEJUUEybdbXBPl71tQ1vp2zDpj-CSmvqjSx5hmZ6CfOTLEXMJZWwMjs5OKLZ-zkwI6Ht3pLiqs25W_qFuLAMBLesCVlGhHSohaGsQvCSbQYfr_TYWhW7gOj9ljdDY2HJgLFVceClhBlkzMzSkpJv4ps1wq0q2z1W8H53gCGKzIMZWI7YuYUb4/w640-h360/Red%20Yellow%20Blue%20Project%20Kickoff%20Brainstorm%20Scribbles%20Doodles%20Whiteboard%20Presentation.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />The <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2023/03/15/americans-feel-more-positive-than-negative-about-jews-mainline-protestants-catholics/" target="_blank">new PEW study</a> that proves most people don't feel very favorable toward Latter-day Saints has garnered a lot of attention. However, I think people have missed the most important point.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The least important point is that people don't feel warm toward us. Are we surprised? No, this is common.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Studies like this always have gems hidden inside the study if you are willing to dig for them.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I found one:<br /><blockquote>Mormons do not express a net negative opinion toward any group in the survey, and are strongly positive toward several.</blockquote>We like everybody but no one likes us.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Naturally, I'd prefer that people like us, but I have to say that members of the Church seem to be doing well in loving others if we feel positive toward everybody else.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/john/13?lang=eng&id=35#p35" target="_blank">John 13:35</a> we are told:<br /><blockquote>By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.</blockquote><p>Loving each other is the second great commandment. Maybe we are doing better than we think. </p></span></div><div><br /></div>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344163281646499679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232284755689004418.post-56248286617361266262023-02-22T17:15:00.002-05:002023-02-22T17:18:29.030-05:00Stop Making it About You. It's Not About You.<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrYKYQMihFYtg1cEipN6g3fEBZMrKAcr14QJpDLlTSibqCa9j0-7onNgfiHvPCL0QRs2ud1kpI6GVAMPk0gUQ3tgtDwUgLVvGzAg-f1bGxWYstCqpcekF9rO-hDtZBVvrmkBEFTaDBoN_IrYU-EeZ0a7yAxJXp7_QQ1W1TcnxgbQWd5fWsQHTOjpqU/s1920/Stop%20Making%20it%20About%20You.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrYKYQMihFYtg1cEipN6g3fEBZMrKAcr14QJpDLlTSibqCa9j0-7onNgfiHvPCL0QRs2ud1kpI6GVAMPk0gUQ3tgtDwUgLVvGzAg-f1bGxWYstCqpcekF9rO-hDtZBVvrmkBEFTaDBoN_IrYU-EeZ0a7yAxJXp7_QQ1W1TcnxgbQWd5fWsQHTOjpqU/w640-h360/Stop%20Making%20it%20About%20You.png" /></a><br />Consider the following two statements:<br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">1. Faith is the first principle of the gospel. The second is repentance. The third is baptism by immersion for the remission of sins. The fourth is the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.</span></blockquote></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">2. As I was contemplating what to speak on, I decided to focus on the basic principles of the gospel. Faith is the first principle of the gospel. The second is repentance. The third is baptism by immersion for the remission of sins. The fourth is the laying on of hands for the give of the Holy Ghost. These are all really important to me.</span></blockquote><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">What's the difference? You might be prompted to say, not much and blow it off. However, the difference is stark and important.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The first statement is about the gospel. The second statement is about you.</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Instead of focusing entirely on the gospel and teaching the gospel, you have injected yourself into it and made it about you <i>INSTEAD</i> of the gospel.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Personal stories and anecdotes can often help illustrate gospel concepts and emphasize how we can incorporate gospel principles into our lives.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Too much of I, me and my though is simply injecting ourselves into things where we really don't belong.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Elder <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2007/09/seek-learning-by-faith?lang=eng" target="_blank">David A. Bednar counseled</a>:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">It is never about me, and it is never about you. In fact, anything you or I do as instructors that knowingly and intentionally draws attention to self—in the </span><span class="page-break" data-page="67" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; height: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; pointer-events: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: white;">messages we present, in the methods we use, or in our personal demeanor—is a form of priestcraft that inhibits the teaching effectiveness of the Holy Ghost. “Doth he preach it by the Spirit of truth or some other way? And if it be by some other way it is not of God” (</span><a class="scripture-ref" href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/50.17-18?lang=eng#p17" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">D&C 50:17–18</a><span style="background-color: white;">).</span></span></div></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This advice was given to Church Educational System (CES) employees. It was later given to missionaries to caution them in their teaching.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We're injecting ourselves into everything whether it is appropriate or not. Much of it is NOT appropriate. It's just talking about ourselves, a me focus and a preoccupation with self.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This is the entire concern behind the <a href="https://kristacook.blogspot.com/2022/06/spiritual-vaunting-introduction-to.html" target="_blank">Spiritual Vaunting series</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Start being conscious of how often you tend to do this and resolve to stop it, then stop it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Try and take yourself out of things: the talks you give, the lessons you teach and the comments you make.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Remember to keep yourself on target and on track.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Jesus Christ and His gospel is the focus.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It's not about you.</span></p>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344163281646499679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232284755689004418.post-14246034100629114942023-01-17T09:00:00.007-05:002023-01-17T09:00:00.174-05:00Service in the Church and to Our Heavenly Father<div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDFycf64zlNqiwg1AtOunPVShXbvaHJqcLfRu1DuQxfbKrmE55_v7Kl9kWZVakeoWaxY_wETNSy4sVqW5K8Lye3KaQg8CLhmMh0HyNv9DdmDgTDKXRk0gUlf16ywqusRkJhjwK0llnZsik7S-xG8jrH4V3b0PP9MTHk91jMtwD_Rv2Y4Bov1oXOkmr/s1920/Cream%20and%20Pink%20Pastel%20Gradient%20Diversity%20Workshop%20Webinar%20Keynote%20Presentation.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDFycf64zlNqiwg1AtOunPVShXbvaHJqcLfRu1DuQxfbKrmE55_v7Kl9kWZVakeoWaxY_wETNSy4sVqW5K8Lye3KaQg8CLhmMh0HyNv9DdmDgTDKXRk0gUlf16ywqusRkJhjwK0llnZsik7S-xG8jrH4V3b0PP9MTHk91jMtwD_Rv2Y4Bov1oXOkmr/w640-h360/Cream%20and%20Pink%20Pastel%20Gradient%20Diversity%20Workshop%20Webinar%20Keynote%20Presentation.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />What follows is my Sacrament meeting talk I just gave. I hope you enjoy it, and find it instructive.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>Service in the Church and to Our Heavenly Father </b><br /><br />One of the things I’ve always found curious are the people who do not affiliate with any organized religion. They often say things like “My religion is in my heart” or “I go into nature to get close to God.” Some seem to find it entirely in meditation, mindfulness or pursue mysticism and obscure religious traditions. Some may identify with a particular religion but do not attend for whatever reasons. Some do attend and affiliate but pick and choose what they believe, even if it is at odds with their so-called faith. <br /><br />I’ve heard this referred to as religion à la carte, or cafeteria religion. I like to call it Burger King religion: Have it any way you want it. <br /><br />I’ve thought a lot about these religious beliefs and rationales over the years as well as the people who espouse them. I’ve decided that they all have at least two things in common: <br /><br />1. They receive all of the benefits and blessings we normally associate with religion. They feel close to God. God supposedly blesses them and so forth. <br /><br />2. Their belief system never requires anything of them. There are never any responsibilities or obligations. They don’t really have to do anything. The blessings of religion simply accrue to them. <br /><br />In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we make a lot of covenants and promise to do a great many things. We have tons of responsibilities and obligations. <br /><br />However, I don’t think we are completely free of these notions. <br /><br />When I lived in Virginia, our General Authority Seventy for a stake conference once was Elder <a href="https://speeches.byu.edu/speakers/f-enzio-busche/">F. Enzio Busche</a>. Elder Busche was the first native of Germany to be called as a General Authority, even before Elder Uchtdorf. Elder Busche was placed on emeritus status in 2000 and died in 2020. <br /><br />He told us that when he joined the Church, he made two stipulations about becoming a member. First, it was under the condition that he never have to serve in a calling and second, that he never have to give a talk in church. <br /><br />You can imagine how that all turned out. <br /><br /><b>Serving in Callings in the Church </b><br /><br />Being a member is all about serving in callings and speaking in church. <br /><br />I’ve become aware that it is becoming increasingly difficult for church leaders to get people to accept and serve in callings as well as to speak in church. I find this very curious. Growing up in Utah in a slightly different era, saying “No” to a church leader’s request to fill a calling or speak in church was simply not done. <br /><br />I’ve lived in somewhere between 35-50 wards and branches total. I’m not certain of the exact number. So, please consider that my impressions come from more than just this ward given the number I’ve been in. <br /><br />Be that as it may, even if people do accept callings, there always seems to be an assumption on the part of local leaders that people cannot be relied on to do their callings even if they do accept them. <br /><br />Brothers and Sisters, if the Lord’s Church doesn’t deserve our best efforts, what does? <br /><br />Service in the Church is the most obvious avenue to serve others and the Lord. It’s an opportunity afforded us because of our membership. It blesses us as well as others. We learn and grow as we serve. <br /><br />One of the things that has troubled me lately is why are we losing so many of the youth in the Church. Surely, part of the answer to this perplexing question has to be the conflicting messages we send with our professing to embrace the gospel and our Church but then exhibiting such uncommitted and lackadaisical efforts to serve in callings or fulfill the other responsibilities we took on when we joined. <br /><br />I’m not blind to the fact that many of you find these obligations difficult or frightening if not terrifying. Let me share some thoughts from an article in the February 2020, Ensign entitled, “<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2020/02/my-willing-heart-my-bishop-and-my-schizophrenia?lang=eng">My Willing Heart, My Bishop, and My Schizophrenia</a> By Sarah P. Hancock. <br /><br />Her mental health diagnosis is schizoaffective disorder bipolar type with catatonia due to toxic encephalopathy. This is how she explains what she suffers from: <br /><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I experience symptoms of schizophrenia (the brain plays tricks on all five of my senses), bipolar disorder (dynamic shifts in mood), and catatonia (a shutdown of my ability to interact with the world around me) when the toxic encephalopathy (toxins agitating the brain) is flared by my dietary choices or by infections. </span></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br />She wanted to get past the stigma of this disease, especially in the new ward she and her husband had moved into. She wanted people to get to know her as a person before they learned of her mental illness. She describes her initial experience in this new ward: <br /><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Soon my husband and I were called to be leaders over the 11-year-old Scouts. I readily accepted the calling. Every talk and lesson I’d ever heard about being entitled to the Lord’s help while serving on His errand reverberated in my heart. I knew that “whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies.”<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2020/02/my-willing-heart-my-bishop-and-my-schizophrenia?lang=eng#note1">1</a> I reveled in having been considered able and worthy to serve. I’d lived for several years in remission and felt ready to move forward with life. </span></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Arriving at church for our first night of Scouts fully prepared, I felt cautiously optimistic about enjoying an evening with just three boys. But within the first 10 minutes, my acquired sensory processing disorder (a high sensitivity to input from the senses) was so overstimulated that it rendered me speechless. I was more focused on the rule requiring two leaders in the room than on the reality that if I didn’t get out of the room, I would become progressively worse. Consequently, surrounded by excited Scout chatter, I quickly deteriorated. By the end of 60 minutes, I found myself rocking in the corner with my fingers in my ears, humming to calm my brain. </span></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br />After it was over and as her husband was helping her out of the room, they encountered the Bishop who was extremely distressed at her condition and released her on the spot. <br /><br />In a later interview with her, she explained his loving understanding and sensitive advice to her: She says, <br /><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">He went on to explain that because I knew of my illness and accepted the calling anyway, my sacrifice was akin to the sacred widow’s mite, for “of [my] want [I] did cast in all that [I] had” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/mark/12.44?lang=eng#p44">Mark 12:44</a>). He said that my acceptance of the calling was more important than my actual ability to fulfill it, because the Lord understood my illness. He lovingly explained that part of the reason he’d been inspired to call me as a Scout leader was that the Lord wanted <strike>the bishop</strike> [him] to understand how willing I was to serve. </span></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br />I want to tell you a story about a girl named Christine. Christine was a friend of mine years ago when we attended the same young single adult ward. Christine was somewhat challenged. She and her twin were deprived of oxygen in the birth canal. This deprivation had life-long implications. <br /><br />Christine’s twin was institutionalized since birth. Many people believed Christine belonged in there with her. <br /><br />So, when I walked into Relief Society one day and realized Christine was the teacher I groaned inwardly. Obviously, I wasn’t expecting much. <br /><br />However, something really wonderful happened. Christine was prepared and she was sincere. As a result, she had the Spirit with her. <br /><br />In fact, I consider her lesson that day as one of the most powerful I have ever experienced. I can’t for the life of me remember what it was about but I always tear up when I think about it. <br /><br />The Spirit she had cultivated in her preparation and her delivery made up for any trait or ability that Christine lacked. <br /><br />Those “Whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies.” <br /><br /><b>Getting something out of church </b><br /><br />One of the comments you hear all the time or may even express yourself on occasion is that you don’t get anything out of church, or else you didn’t get anything out of it on a particular day. <br /><br />If we are all trying to “get” something out of church, who is doing the giving? The only way any of us are going to get anything out of church is if at least some of us do some giving. <br /><br />Trying to “get” something out of church means you are wholly on the receiving end. May I suggest that this is a selfish way to approach things. <br /><br />I participate in an online support group owned by my doctor. The problem is that almost no one ever contributes anything to it, except my doctor and myself. It’s like everyone simply sits back and expects to be spoon fed. No one seems to feel any responsibility to contribute. <br /><br />This sort of behavior and attitude is getting more and more prevalent, even in church. It is very much an entitlement mentality. <br /><br />Our beliefs and faith are not passive. They require things of us. Heavenly Father expects us to be actively engaged in our faith and actively engaged in a good cause. <br /><br />Action is not optional and passivity is not acceptable. <br /><br /><b>Speaking in Church </b><br /><br />I freely admit that I am not one of the people who is frightened of speaking in church. Even as a child it never really held any terrors for me. <br /><br />It may partially be due to the fact that I’ve been speaking in church my whole life and was gradually acclimated to it. However, it is not accurate to say that others with this training lose their fear of it. Plenty of lifers like myself who grew up in Utah are still struck with terror when asked to speak. <br /><br />Having made my living teaching, any reluctance or residual fear I had dropped away. <br /><br />However, most of you are not in my shoes. I know that. Let me suggest some things to you though. <br /><br />We are commanded to strengthen each other, to open our mouths and share the things of our heart. Being well-versed in public speaking techniques is not on the menu. In fact, when I encounter a polished speaker in a church setting, any church setting, I tend to be really leery of them. <br /><br />Words from the heart, however inexpertly expressed, accompanied by the spirit, have real power. <br /><br />Having been a member from birth, attended <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/si/seminary?lang=eng">Seminary</a>, <a href="https://www.byu.edu/">BYU</a>, <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/si/institute?lang=eng">Institute</a>, the works, there is almost no doctrine I’m unaware of. I really look forward to hearing the words of converts, especially their conversion stories, what drew them to the Church and especially their faith journey. I always find these stories interesting and empowering. Your testimonies have real power. <br /><br />I have faced many audiences over the years. Some are hostile, some are neutral, some are passive. Today, you as an audience are composed of my friends, acquaintances, fellow church members and so forth. You are not a hostile audience and there is no reason to fear you. <br /><br />Many of you are smiling and encouraging. We don’t eat up speakers and spit them out. As we all sit here in the audience, we want people to do well. As a speaker, there is no reason to fear a church audience. <br /><br />There is no reason to fear anything. <br /><br />One of the problems I’ve suffered from that I never expected to find an answer for in the scriptures was my insomnia. I’ve always suffered from it, even as a little child. After my husband Greg died, it got a lot worse. <br /><br />I was so consumed with worry and stress about how I was going to be able to do things that Greg had done for me. <br /><br />Finally, I had an epiphany. I was consumed by fear and fear is the opposite of faith. Faith can replace fear. I finally told myself this strongly enough that I was able to go to bed and sleep like a baby, at least that night anyway. <br /><br />One of my favorite stories that illustrate this comes from a <a href="https://www.thechurchnews.com/1993/2/13/23258695/fireside-disrupted-with-threat-of-bomb">little-known incident that occurred in 1993</a>. President Howard W. Hunter was the featured speaker at a Church Educational System (CES) fireside being held on a Sunday night at the Marriott Center. President Hunter was President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at that time. <br /><br />The Marriott Center is the huge arena on BYU’s campus. It holds about 20,000 people. There were about 15,000-17,000 people there that night. <br /><br />As President Hunter was speaking, a man rushed onto the rostrum and basically took President Hunter and the meeting hostage. He had a briefcase that he claimed held a bomb and he was holding a detonator type device. <br /><br />The broadcast was cut off at that point and the remote viewing and radio audience did not know what was happening. However, events continued to unfold in the Marriott Center. <br /><br />I think my family and I were listening to it at home and didn’t know what happened when the broadcast went dead. My brother then got a call from his professor. He was a broadcast journalism major at the time and that weekend was some sort of holiday. My brother was the only broadcast journalism student left in town that day. The professor ordered my brother to get down to the Marriott Center and cover the event. It was only then that we were made aware of the seriousness of the situation. <br /><br />As a result, my brother had access to video and audio that was never made public. Some of this he shared with us. <br /><br />The deranged man attempting to hijack the meeting had ordered President Hunter to read a three-page document declaring him to be the true leader of the church. President Hunter refused. <br /><br />Because of the possibility of there being a bomb in that briefcase, church security was unwilling to rush this man and subdue him. They positioned themselves close to President Hunter and assured him that they would protect him. <br /><br />Fear was seemingly everywhere, except with President Hunter. He simply waited patiently and <a href="https://latterdaysaintmag.com/what-howard-w-hunters-reaction-to-a-bomb-threat-teaches-us-about-facing-calamity/">exhibited no fear whatsoever</a>. <br /><br />Eventually, the man was subdued and carted off to the funny farm where he remained for a long time. There was no bomb and no detonator. <br /><br />After all this was ascertained, an unflustered and unfazed President Hunter resumed delivery of <a href="https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/howard-w-hunter/hope-anchor-souls-men/">his talk</a>. <br /><br />I’ve heard other examples of how our top church leaders never seem to exhibit any fear despite extremely serious situations where others around them are terrified. <br /><br />Fear is the opposite of faith. <br /><br />Your fear of serving in the church or speaking in church can be conquered by replacing your fear with faith. It is very appropriate to pray for the faith you need. <br /><br /><b>Poignant and personal example of magnifying your church calling </b><br /><br />We often talk about magnifying our callings in the Church. It means living not for ourselves, but for others. It involves how we can bless others’ lives and how we can assist the Church in its divine purpose. The following story comes from my life. This is how my father sought to magnify his church calling. <br /><br />As a small child, my father had a series of local church leadership callings. However, he seemed most comfortable and well suited to being executive secretary. This is primarily a support position to bishops and bishoprics. He organized a lot of bishoprics. <br /><br />One of the ways he organized them was by setting up a system of local ward statistics. <br /><br />This was long before digital tools, so only paper tools and other hard copy resources were available. The system needed to be useful, transparent, easy to maintain and easy to access. In effect, it was an engineering problem. Since my father was an engineer, he was well suited to address the problem. <br /><br />What he developed was unusual for the times. Although chalkboards were common, whiteboards were not. He had some familiarity with them because of his engineering profession. Instead of special magic markers, grease pencils were used on them at the time. <br /><br />He obtained a large whiteboard, somewhere between 5-6 feet high and about 10-12 feet long. He intended for it to be mounted to a wall in the bishop's office. <br /><br />He wanted the bishop to be able to look up, gaze at the board and know exactly where the ward was statistically, now and in comparison, to the past. <br /><br />The whiteboard was thin and had to be mounted on some sort of wood. He thoroughly researched his options, as well as the best glue to make them hold together properly when mounted. By the second or so bishopric he assisted, he had the system perfected. <br /><br />My father had worked out a grid type structure for the whiteboard. He carefully measured and drew in all the boxes by hand. Space was reserved for all the different priesthood quorums and auxiliaries' statistics. The boxes had to be drawn with permanent ink while the contents had to be erasable. <br /><br />Since this even preceded basic calculators, he computed in his head or by slide rule. He carefully put the computations into boxes and indicated which box needed what computation. He filled in the statistics himself, but someone else could have done it using his system. <br /><br />After moving to a new area for his professional work, he was again called as executive secretary to the local bishopric. He immediately started setting up this system for the bishop's office. <br /><br />My father worked at a trona mine. Potash is another name for trona. Mined like coal, it has many industrial uses. My father was a chemical engineer and the supervisor of environmental control for the company. <br /><br />One day he was checking the waste water stream coming out of the plant. He had to check the flow in the middle of the stream. <br /><br />He was standing on a riser of his own design and construction. The stream was only supposed to be a foot and a half wide and about a foot and a half deep. However, erosion had taken a toll and the stream was about two feet wide and three and a half feet deep. The riser gave way and he fell in. He was totally submerged. <br /><br />The water had some chemicals in it and it was extremely hot, about 180-190 degrees Fahrenheit (82-87 Celsius). He was able to crawl out and yell for help. The chemicals were washed off but the hot water had burned him badly. Over 90 percent of his body had second- and third-degree burns. Only his palms and the bottoms of his feet were not seriously burned. <br /><br />He was taken to some local hospitals but was quickly transported to the Burn Center at the University of Utah, the only hospital capable of dealing with such serious injuries. <br /><br />People normally do not die from burns; they die because their bodies are overwhelmed and cannot cope with such serious injury. Most vital organs shut down until death finally occurs. It took my father four days to die. <br /><br />After his accident, but before he died, he was giving instructions from his hospital bed for how the whiteboard project at church needed to be finished. <br /><br />Imagine being on your death bed and being concerned about doing your calling. How many of us would do that? <br /><br />For years I did not know what to call his project or how to describe it. The official name for what he did with his clumsy hard copy and non-digital tools was a spreadsheet. We now call the boxes cells and we can input our numbers as a function and have our statistics automatically computed by the software. <br /><br />Only in hindsight can I fully appreciate the vision and effort my father put into magnifying his calling. I will never forget this lesson. <br /><br /><b>A tribute to a leader magnifying their calling </b><br /><br />I want to read a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/matthew.denhalter/posts/pfbid0HQQxSitFbCwNj1yrbjcK1jEn2qZwchfC8xdxQompgJgXF3eBDjqEiKwbsN4K7VZul" target="_blank">Facebook post</a> from a guy I knew many years ago. This Facebook post is a tribute to a young men’s leader named Jim. The guy that wrote it is my age and I went to school with him. He was also in my ward so I went to church and church activities with him as well. I can attest to the accuracy of how he describes himself. This is what he says: <br /><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Jim, one of the most influential men in my life passed away on Christmas Eve. I just found out from a friend of mine from the young men's quorum of my youth. </span></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I am still a member of the LDS church largely because of Jim. At a crucial time in my youth, my strongest connection to the gospel was this: I knew Jim loved me and I knew he believed in the gospel of Jesus Christ. That was enough. He was the first person, outside my family, who loved me for and in spite of who I was --and at that age, it was a challenge to tolerate me. I owe him a great debt and have freely admitted that to him since.</span></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I might add, that although I was most certainly the worst of the young men, I was not alone. I belonged to an unruly, irreverent and mischievous quorum of young misfits who were notoriously difficult. (OK, I admit that their contribution to the chaos was usually laughing at what I said and did.) We went through adviser after adviser. One brother became so frustrated at my constant disruption that he threw his janitorial-sized key ring at my head; they hit the wall next to my ear. Without the sense to cower, I asked, "Were those priesthood keys?" To his credit, he let me live.</span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Jim could tame us, but not without great effort, love and patience. We were so wild that the bishopric moved Jim up each time I advanced from deacon to teacher and priest. </span></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Instead of humiliating or intimidating us into submission as many of his predecessors had tried, he laughed generously at our jokes, then redirected our attention. He was a skilled teacher. He often started his lessons by saying, "This lesson is to be discussed and I am your disgusting leader." Bless him. </span></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Jim, you blessed my life and I have tried to honor you in my service to the young men of many wards over the years and not a one was as hard to love as I was. I loved you then and I love you still. The world was better because you were here. Till we meet again, my dear, dear friend and brother in Christ. </span></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br />It is my hope that we will truly catch the vision of church service and that we can all merit such a tribute at the end of our lives. <br /><br />In the name of Jesus Christ, <br /><br />Amen</span>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344163281646499679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232284755689004418.post-7596486263304183492022-12-13T09:00:00.001-05:002022-12-13T09:00:00.192-05:00Seek to Avoid Being Laman & Lemuelesque<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMzLJ2tYV64nB_KY24pldqEzOA2812cks2j1_afmwjtBD3HEzPLCDwKxRuQlPZX1kKS54sgFGaIggMAGnSJenm2NhSymSxgdm3fRrki1aRMLjKjt9z5YeRwmk0nGP7kjE5VKYWOJG_Ynqi8eb58-uDqt8iUDoPpvkQXVUGvoL4Ja6rz2eZniONu2hI/s1920/Yellow%20Green%20Pastel%20Blue%20Yellow%20Playful%20Scrapbook%20Pet%20Conspiracy%20Theory%20Presentation%20Party.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMzLJ2tYV64nB_KY24pldqEzOA2812cks2j1_afmwjtBD3HEzPLCDwKxRuQlPZX1kKS54sgFGaIggMAGnSJenm2NhSymSxgdm3fRrki1aRMLjKjt9z5YeRwmk0nGP7kjE5VKYWOJG_Ynqi8eb58-uDqt8iUDoPpvkQXVUGvoL4Ja6rz2eZniONu2hI/w640-h360/Yellow%20Green%20Pastel%20Blue%20Yellow%20Playful%20Scrapbook%20Pet%20Conspiracy%20Theory%20Presentation%20Party.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">One of the many wards I was in was so dysfunctional that I often sat in Church wondering where the next attack was going to come from.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br />It seemed to me that when I did my calling(s) well, I got persecuted. I couldn't figure out why. Why would anyone resent me doing my calling(s) and especially why would they resent me doing it well? Isn't that what I should do? Isn't that what they wanted me to do? Isn't that what Heavenly Father would have me do?<br /><br />I didn't find or receive any answer to my dilemma until I finally moved out of that ward. Then, I found it, in the Book of Mormon of all places. In <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/1?lang=eng&id=25" target="_blank">2 Nephi 1:25</a>:<br /><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">... ye have accused him that he sought power and authority over you; but I know that he hath not sought for power nor authority over you, but he hath sought the glory of God, and your own eternal welfare.</span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Lehi was telling Laman and Lemuel that Nephi was just being righteous and he wasn't trying to usurp them or elevate himself over them in any way. He cared about their welfare.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Power and Authority</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Power and authority are not the same thing. In fact, I think one of the compelling things about the authenticity of the Book of Mormon is that I don't think Joseph Smith really knew or appreciated the difference between the two concepts, at least not with his age and experience at that time.</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>power</b>: the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events.</span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>authority</b>: the right to govern or rule or determine for a specific purpose within specified limits.</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">They often occur together but you can have one without the other. If you have a specific position, like Bishop of a ward, you have specific authority. However, you could still be powerless if you can't seem to influence behavior or events.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On the flip side, the Bishop's wife has no authority, but that doesn't mean she doesn't wield power and influence behavior or events.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Nephi was accused of trying to assume both.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>What Could I or Nephi Do?</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Nephi was just being righteous and doing what he should. Laman and Lemuel viewed it as Nephi angling for power and authority over them. They didn't like him usurping what they thought was their authority and rightful place.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It was a no-win situation for Nephi. The only thing that would have satisfied Laman and Lemuel was unrighteousness or inaction. For Nephi, that obviously wasn't an option.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I believe my doing my calling was viewed as my angling for power. It's the only thing that makes sense. Everything was interpreted as either a power play or a turf battle.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">No one in that ward seemed to have the idea that someone truly wanted to do their best to serve in the kingdom. No one seemed to believe that anyone would want to serve God and help people.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Did not compute ...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sadly, I think this is becoming more common.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Conclusion</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">People are becoming more and more dysfunctional and units are becoming more and more dysfunctional.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">What this means, in reality, is that we spend a lot of time tip-toeing around people trying to influence them in the right ways but without tripping any circuits that would result in pushback from them.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It's horribly time-consuming, inefficient, and ineffective.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It also isn't Christlike.</span></p>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344163281646499679noreply@blogger.com0