The Gift of Agency

I did something that I shouldn't have done.  I know better than to read the comments on articles of a certain newspaper.  But I did just that.  It doesn't matter what the subject of the article is, the comments inevitably turn to the church-- derogatory, persecutory, and even blasphemous comments.  There are a lot of bitter, angry people out there.

The comments, in and of themselves, are not upsetting.  Although that seems to be the intent of the author.  Generally, the comments are so out in left field that they would be comical if it weren't so sad.  What upsets me about the comments is knowing how lost my fellow man can get by misusing his agency. Bad choices leading to more bad choices.

That got me thinking about agency.  Well, let me back up.  I'll get a little more specific.  The particular comments I read today were basically people talking about how wonderful it is to break the Lord's commandments.  Specifically the commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy.  And then they were talking about all ways they "worship".  Instead of going to church, they go shopping or golfing or skiing or any number of recreational activities.

This is a sore spot with me because there are those of us who want more than anything to go and worship the Lord in his house on Sundays.  But for myriad reasons can't.  And then there are these flippant apostates and nonbelievers who have nothing better to do than make fun of those who want to do what's right.  All the while flaunting their sinful lifestyle.

So I started thinking about agency.  Agency -- our God-given gift of being able to choose for ourselves -- is central to our Heavenly Father's plan of happiness.  In fact, agency is so central to our eternal progression that it is the one thing that Satan tried to take from us in our pre-mortal existence.

In our pre-mortal existence, Heavenly Father presented His plan to us.  Wherein we would come to earth to receive a physical body, make choices between good and evil, and progress towards Eternal Life with Him and become like Him.

"Our agency—our ability to choose and act for ourselves—was an essential element of this plan. Without agency we would be unable to make right choices and progress. Yet with agency we could make wrong choices, commit sin, and lose the opportunity to be with Heavenly Father again. For this reason a Savior would be provided to suffer for our sins and redeem us if we would repent. By His infinite Atonement, He brought about “the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice.”" ¹

Satan rebelled and presented his own plan. Satan's plan was to "redeem all mankind" (Moses 4:1).  But doing so would have denied us our agency. Therefore his plan was rejected by our Father in Heaven.

Moses 4:3-4:

3 Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down;

4 And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice.

Ironically, a third of our brothers and sisters used their agency to lose their agency.

"Because of Lucifer’s rebellion, a great spiritual conflict ensued. Each of Heavenly Father’s children had the opportunity to exercise the agency Heavenly Father had given him or her. We chose to have faith in the Savior Jesus Christ—to come unto Him, follow Him, and accept the plan Heavenly Father presented for our sakes. But a third of Heavenly Father’s children did not have faith to follow the Savior and chose to follow Lucifer, or Satan, instead." ¹

In another bit of irony, all of us here on earth chose to follow our Savior Jesus Christ.  Yet, using their God-given agency, many of those who chose to follow the Savior, now surrender their agency by turning away from the Savior and allowing Satan to deceive them.

Many people, because of the misuse of their agency in making wrong choices, lose their ability to act for themselves.  They have allowed Satan to deceive them, and now blindly follow the father of all lies as they are "led captive at his will".

"Those who followed Satan lost the opportunity to receive a mortal body, live on earth, and progress. Because of the way they used their agency, they lost their agency.

"Today the only power Satan and his followers have is the power to tempt and try us. Their only joy is to make us “miserable like unto [themselves].” Their only happiness comes when we are disobedient to the Lord’s commandments."  ¹

 I just feel that our agency is such a magnificent gift from our Heavenly Father.  I find it so ironic that so many people use their agency to lose their agency.

I feel so sad for those who choose to exercise their agency by turning away from the Savior.  Thereby losing the opportunity to progress here in mortality and for eternity.  We have such a short journey here on earth to prove ourselves and to progress toward eternal life. It is imperative that we use our agency wisely.

"But think of it: in our premortal state we chose to follow the Savior Jesus Christ! And because we did, we were allowed to come to earth.  I testify that by making the same choice to follow the Savior now, while we are here on earth, we will obtain an even greater blessing in the eternities. But let it be known: we must continue to choose to follow the Savior. Eternity is at stake, and our wise use of agency and our actions are essential that we might have eternal life."  ¹

As we exercise our agency to follow the Savior, we are blessed in many ways including full use of our agency to continue on the path of progression.  When we exercise our agency to not keep the commandments, our spiritual progression slows or stops.

"Whenever we choose to come unto Christ, take His name upon us, and follow His servants, we progress along the path to eternal life.

"In our mortal journey, it is helpful to remember that the opposite is also true: when we don’t keep the commandments or follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost, our opportunities are reduced; our abilities to act and progress are diminished. When Cain took his brother’s life because he loved Satan more than God, his spiritual progress was stopped."  ¹

 A good example of how using our agency to disobey God's commandments leads to loss of agency is addiction.  Those who choose to break the Lord's law of health, for example, often times become addicted to those substances the Lord has commanded us to refrain from using.  Thereby becoming slaves to their addiction and losing their agency.  Alcoholics and drug addicts come to mind. How pathetic to live your life enslaved to a chemical substance.

Another example is sex addiction. By breaking the law of chastity, many people lose their agency by becoming sex addicts.  Just look at the recent news stories of all the famous people being exposed as sexual predators.  Sex addiction is one of Satan's greatest tools to cause misery because it not only destroys individuals but often times entire families.

It truly is ironic how Satan convinces people that by disobeying commandments, they are "thinking for themselves" and are "free" from restrictions.  When the reality is, by disobeying the Lord's commandments, they are doing just the opposite.  By disobeying the Lord's commandments, people lose their agency.  They lose the ability to think for themselves and are slaves to Satan and his philosophies.

"The world teaches many falsehoods about agency. Many think we should “eat, drink, and be merry; … and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved." (2 Nephi 28:8)  Others embrace secularism and deny God. They convince themselves that there is no “opposition in all things”(2 Nephi 2:11) and, therefore, “whatsoever a man [does is] no crime.”(Alma 30:17) This “destroy[s] the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes.” (2 Nephi 2:12)

"Contrary to the world’s secular teaching, the scriptures teach us that we do have agency, and our righteous exercise of agency always makes a difference in the opportunities we have and our ability to act upon them and progress eternally."  ¹

The very thing that Satan tried to take from us in the pre-mortal existence -- our agency -- is the very thing he tries to take from us now.  Satan teaches the philosophy -- and convinces many -- that there is no right and wrong, there is no good and evil, do whatever you want, there is no sin.  In essence, there is no agency.  By stripping people of their agency, Satan also strips them of eternal progression, Eternal Life.  Without agency there is no progression.

 To my comment happy friends, and all those who deny Christ and persecute those who follow Him, there is still hope.  Thanks to the very being whom you deny, and His infinite atonement, you can come back! If you are captive because of unrighteous use of agency, through Christ's atonement and the miracle of forgiveness, you can come back!  All is not lost.  It may be a rocky and steep road back but it is certainly worth it!

Agency is a magnificent and precious gift given to us by our loving Heavenly Father.  Agency is central to our journey through mortality.  By choosing to follow our Savior, Jesus Christ, and by wisely using our agency, we are given countless opportunities to act righteously and progress toward eternal life with our Heavenly Father.

I echo the words of the prophet Jacob, "O be wise; what can I say more?"  (Jacob 6:12). May we all be wise as we exercise our agency.  Let us not use our agency to lose our agency. 

Life is too short and too precious to squander by misusing our God-given agency.

That's my two cents.

Reference:
1 -- "Agency: Essential to the Plan of Life", Elder Robert D. Hales, October 2010

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

I guess dreams really do come true.  It started snowing on Christmas Eve and we've had a steady snow since.  It is still snowing.  So beautiful!  This is the first Christmas that we've lived in Washington that we've had a White Christmas.

Let us all remember the tiny babe in a manger whose birth we celebrate today. He who brought hope to a fallen world.  He whose life exemplifies sacrifice and selfless service.  He who made it possible for all of us to live again.  He who bore all of our sins, sorrows, and pains.  He who made it possible for all of us to have Eternal Life, the greatest gift of all.

I hope we all remember the real reason we celebrate Christmas. I hope we will all contemplate ways we can be more like our Savior, whose birth we celebrate today, as we strive to emulate him.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

That's my two cents.

I'm a Genius!

We bought a new pre-amplifier for our television antenna hoping to get a stronger signal.  To make a long story short, after putting the new one up-- no signal, putting the old one back up (that used to work)-- no signal, waiting to order a new dual gain preamplifier, putting it up and still no signal, we were very disappointed. At that point I figured we should have left well enough alone but it was too late for that. Dad had climbed up and down the roof multiple times to no avail.  To make matters worse, it began snowing this morning. There was nothing more we could do outside.

I called and talked to technical support and she couldn't help me so I made an appointment to have a special technician call next Tuesday. Because of Christmas on Monday, that was the earliest appointment available.  Then a light bulb went off.   I told Dad, let's try one more thing.  So he followed my instructions and, to be perfectly honest I wasn't all that hopeful, but it worked!

I am a genius!  And I don't even know very much about televisions, antennas, coaxial cables, preamplifiers or anything to do with that kind of thing.  I have always had a scientific mind and been a logical thinker.  That's what I attest it to. Well, that and just plain being a genius.  :-) Come to think of it, I think it had more to do with the latter.

That's my two cents.

Light of the World

I love this Christmas song!  You all know how much I like Mark Chesnutt's vocals.  This is a beautiful Christmas song that goes right along with the Church's Light the World campaign.

May we all strive to emulate our Savior and light the world.

That's my two cents.

Daily Message

"Another cosmic fact: only by aligning our wills with God’s is full happiness to be found. Anything less results in a lesser portion (see Alma 12:10–11). The Lord will work with us even if, at first, we “can no more than desire” but are willing to “give place for a portion of [His] words” (Alma 32:27). A small foothold is all He needs! But we must desire and provide it."

—Neal A. Maxwell, "Swallowed Up in the Willl of the Father"

Daily Message

"The Atonement is for you and for me. It is an enabling and a redeeming power. If you are not feeling worthy to stand in holy places, do not carry this burden one day longer. In mortality, we will all make mistakes. Be assured that the Savior loves you so much that He made it possible for you to change and to repent if you make a mistake. Satan does not want you to think you can change. He will try to convince you that all is lost. That is a lie. You can return. You can repent. You can be pure and holy because of the Savior’s infinite Atonement."

—Elaine S. Dalton, "Be Not Moved!"

Daily Message

"The Savior gave His life for each one of us. He knows our joys and our sorrows. He knows my name and your name. When we covenant with Him at baptism, we promise to keep His commandments, to always remember Him, and to take His name upon us. Ultimately, His is the name by which we want to be called, for “there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.”"

—Sydney S. Reynolds, "He Knows Us; He Loves Us"

Daily Message

"This life is but a chapter in the eternal plan of our Father. It is full of conflict and seeming incongruities. Some die young. Some live to old age. We cannot explain it. But we accept it with the certain knowledge that through the atoning sacrifice of our Lord we shall all go on living, and this with the comforting assurance of His immeasurable love."

—Gordon B. Hinckley, "War and Peace"

CFP Weeks 14 and 15

1. Rex -3 tie breaker 50
2. Dad -4 tiebreaker 52
3. Mercedes -5 tiebreaker 52
4. Juliet -7 tie breaker 42
5. Tammy -8 tiebreaker 53
6. Lisa -9 tiebreaker 67
7. Kingston -10 tie breaker 17
8. Mom -11 Tiebreaker 37

Actual tiebreaker 48

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today I cross another stepping stone on my journey through mortality.  I don't know how many more I will cross before I reach the finish line.  But I can chalk one more up today.

Here are a couple of pictures from my college days.  Time sure flies!

Don't I look angelic?  :-)

Not my best smile but I still look great.  :-)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Glory to God in the Highest

"President Thomas S. Monson has taught: “Our opportunities to give of ourselves are indeed limitless, but they are also perishable. There are hearts to gladden. There are kind words to say. There are gifts to be given.”

"Whenever we act in concert with the Lord—doing His bidding, lifting those around us—we are bearing witness that He lives and that He loves us, no matter our temporal challenges." -- Elder Ronald A. Rasband, "Glory to God in the Highest", Ensign, December 2017

Quote of the Day

"Righteous living is not something that happens without effort on our part. We have to decide to choose the right. Then we can go to Heavenly Father for help. Through faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can be helped and healed.

"It’s our choice. Satan can’t force us to sin. The only power he has is what we give him.

"We know when we’re not square with the Lord by the way we feel....

"Satan is a master of deception and will do all in his power to impede our efforts to be clean. He will always tempt us and slowly poison us if we listen to his lies." -- Elder Alan C. Batt, "Find the Joy Heavenly Father Wants for You", Ensign, December 2017

Seeking Christ at Christmas

"The touching story of how believers in the New World watched for the signs of the birth of the Savior is found in the Book of Mormon.

"You remember that those who had faith in Christ were ridiculed and persecuted. The sophisticates of that day accused believers of hanging on to foolish superstitions. In fact, the nonbelievers were so vocal in their ridicule that they made “a great uproar” in the land (3 Nephi 1:7). They scoffed at those who believed that the Savior would be born.

"Their anger and rage grew so great that they became obsessed with silencing once and for all those who believed in the Savior. The Book of Mormon records the dramatic resolution. [see 3 Nephi 1]

"The believers who lived at this time could represent those who seek the Christ even when others laugh, mock, and taunt. They seek Christ even when others attempt to caricature them as unrefined, unsophisticated, or gullible.

"But the contempt of others does not discourage true believers from seeking Christ." -- President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Seeking Christ at Christmas", Ensign, December 2017

You Cannot Be Too Good

"You cannot be too good. Patience is heavenly, obedience is noble, forgiveness is merciful, and exaltation is godly; and he that holds out faithful to the end shall in no wise lose his reward. A good man will endure all things to honor Christ."  -- Joseph Smith

The True Essence of Christmas

“Our joy at this season is because He came into the world. The peace that comes from Him, His infinite love which each of us may feel, and an overwhelming sense of gratitude for that which He freely gave us at so great a cost to Himself—these are of the true essence of Christmas.” -- President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008), “The Wondrous and True Story of Christmas,” Ensign, December 2000

Rush Limbaugh Quote

"The culture war is largely over morality, the concepts of right and wrong and whether or not they’re universal or the result of individual choice. And the left has always believed that morality is an individual choice, that you don’t get to define it for anybody else, and neither does society. And that attitude is what I believe has led us to today. 

"There are consequences for all actions and inactions, and bad behavior, immoral behavior, incorrect behavior is always going to carry a price at some point. There will always be consequences for it.... 

"And of course the people who advocate for morality and attempt to instill and live by concepts of right and wrong are mocked and laughed at and made fun of. And they’re considered to be very dull and boring. And they’re usually religious, and that means we can really attack them.... 

"And the liberals just roll right over them with this idea that they are the oddballs, that they’re the kooks, that they pose the threat, because they are attempting to impose their morality on everybody....  

"But I really think this is the root of it here, folks. It’s taken a little while here, but the people who are being discovered to have engaged in this behavior — which is clearly reprehensible and perverted and whatever description you want to come up with — no doubt are of the belief that morality doesn’t apply to them and that it’s nobody’s business anyway." -- Rush Limbaugh, November 30, 2017

It sounds like Rush has been reading The Book of Mormon.  His quote describes exactly the philosophies of antichrists like Korihor, Sherem, and Nehor.  Satan has been preaching these philosophies for millennia.

The funny thing is, all of these liberals, antichrists, leftists -- whatever you want to call them, they are all the same -- think they are progressive.  When in reality they are spewing the same lies and philosophies that Satan has been teaching forever.

They think they are so much smarter than everyone else when they are just Satan's puppets.

That's my two cents.

College Football Picks Week 13

1. Rex -12  TB 71
2. Lisa -16  TB 51
3. Tammy -16  TB 49
4. Mercedes  -19  TB  42
5. Dad  -24  TB  57
6. Mom  -28  TB 42

Actual Tiebreaker 55

Coyote Part Two

First thing this morning Dad went to check on the coyote.  Mercifully, he was dead.  Dad was able to discover his fatal wound.  It was on the right side of his neck.  We don't think it was a gunshot wound as it is too large and there is no exit wound.  Some other animal must have gotten a hold of him.

We are grateful that we didn't have to put him out of his misery this morning.  Heavenly Father called him home and he is now in a much nicer place.

RIP coyote!

Coyote

This morning Dad came rushing in and told me to hurry and look up the fish and wildlife department's number.  I asked him what was going on.  He said there's a coyote on the property that's barely alive and needs help.

We called the Fish and Wildlife Department and after several keypad choices the recording told us to look up on their website for people to call about injured animals.  So we did.  The first couple we called were dead ends.  Then we got referred to West Sound Wildlife Shelter.

The lady there was very nice and told us that this was an emergency and to call 911.  I questioned whether this was a legitimate reason to call 911.  I always think somebody has to be dying before 911 should be called.  But she told me to tell them that West Sound Wildlife told me to call them.  So, I made my first 911 call in my entire life.

I kept getting referred to different people and finally they told me that coyotes are considered a nuisance animal and all we could do was let nature take its course.  Basically no one was going to help him and we just have to let him die.  That's not what we wanted to hear.

He has been laying on his side all day.  Dad keeps checking on him but all he can do is lift his head up.  Dad scared him when he drove the tractor down to check on him and he rolled down the hill a couple of times.  Trying to get away.  Poor little guy!

Anyway after I talked to 911 Dad called our veterinarian.  Of course they told us to call fish and wildlife.

So I called West Sound Wildlife again and told them I called 911 at their request and nobody will help him.  She told me she would talk to a senior rescue guy and get back with us.

They called us back a couple hours later and said there's nothing they can do.  They said if we were closer they would come euthanize him but they are clear up in Bainbridge Island. So we did all we could for him.

We don't know what his injuries are but I'm hoping the good Lord will either heal him or take him home.  I don't want him to suffer.

Thanksgiving Proclamation by George Washington

Happy Thanksgiving! 

I read this on Rush Limbaugh today and thought it was perfect to post on Thanksgiving day.  I found the official online .gov version.  This is the Thanksgiving Proclamation made by President George Washington on 3 October 1789.

Anyone who doubts that this nation was founded by men who, not only acknowledged but, loved and worshiped God, need only read the first line of this proclamation to squash those doubts.

My favorite quotes from this proclamation are: "Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor..." 
"and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations..." 
"To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue..."

On this day of public thanksgiving and prayer may we all acknowledge with grateful hearts the many blessings that Almighty God has afforded us.

That's my two cents.

Here is the Thanksgiving Proclamation by President George Washington in 1789:

Thanksgiving Proclamation

[New York, 3 October 1789]

By the President of the United States of America. a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor—and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks—for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation—for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war—for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed—for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted—for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions—to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually—to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed—to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord—To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us—and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New-York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

Go: Washington

https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-04-02-0091

College Football Picks Week 12

1. Rex -11 tiebreaker 44
2. Tammy -13 tie breaker 53
3. Mercedes -18 tiebreaker 43
4. Dad -18 tiebreaker 72
5. Mom -19 tiebreaker 56
6. Lisa -21 tiebreaker 39

actual tiebreaker 34

Relief Society Lesson -- The Latter-Day Miracle of Missionary Work

This is my first attempt at creating my own presentation template.  I think it turned out super cute, if I do say so myself.  :-) It looks like me and Sister Vega!

From the manual:

1 --“I met a woman in South America who had just joined the Church. Fired by a great love for that which she had found, she had gone about enthusiastically telling others. During a period of only seven months since her baptism, she had referred three hundred acquaintances to the missionaries so that they might explain the gospel to them. At one point, sixty had come into the Church. More likely came in. In São Paulo, Brazil, I met the young missionary who first had taught her the gospel. He too had been a convert, had gone on a mission to represent the Church at considerable financial sacrifice. The woman of whom I speak was one of forty-three he had assisted in bringing into the Church to that point. This young man of Brazil had expanded himself more than one hundred times-forty-three converts of his own and sixty through one of those he converted, with more from others of his converts to come.” -- Gordon B. Hinckley

2 - “My 97-year-old father recently passed away….When he was in the navy during World War II, there were those in the great and spacious building who made fun of his principles, but two of his shipmates, Dale Maddox and Don Davidson, took note and did not. They asked, “Sabin, why are you so different from everyone else? You have high morals and don’t drink, smoke, or swear, but you seem calm and happy.”

Their positive impression of my father did not match what they had been taught about the Mormons, and my father was able to teach and baptize both shipmates. Dale’s parents were very upset and warned him that if he joined the Church he would lose his sweetheart, Mary Olive, but she met with the missionaries at his request and was also baptized.

Near the end of the war, President Heber J. Grant called for missionaries, including some married men. In 1946, Dale and his wife, Mary Olive, decided Dale should serve even though they were expecting their first child. They eventually had nine children-three boys and six girls. All nine served missions, followed by Dale and Mary Olive, who served three missions of their own. Dozens of grandchildren have also served. Two of their sons, John and Matthew Maddox, are currently members of the Tabernacle Choir, as is Matthew’s son-in-law Ryan. The Maddox family now numbers 144 and are wonderful examples of being “all in.”

In going through my dad’s papers, we came across a letter from Jennifer Richards, one of the five daughters of the other shipmate, Don Davidson. She wrote: “Your righteousness changed our lives. It is hard to comprehend what our lives would be like without the Church. …

It is hard to measure the impact for good each individual can have by standing up inside. My father and his two shipmates refused to listen to those in the great and spacious building who were pointing the finger of scorn.

They knew that it is far better to follow the Creator than the crowd” - Elder Gary B. Sabin, April 2017 General Conference, Stand up Inside and Be All In

3 ---The following was excerpted from Elder M. Russell Ballard's book Yesterday, Today, and Forever

"I have often taught that one of the ways you can be involved in sharing the gospel is to write down a date in the next two or three months that you want to have someone prepared to be taught by the missionaries. Then ask your Father in Heaven for guidance and help. Ask Him to bless you to be alert and prepared.

"Let me share with you a couple of experiences members have had in doing this. Sometime after I talked about this concept in general conference, I received from a woman a letter that was quite startling in content. It said, “Dear Brother Ballard. I hate to tell you this but you are a false prophet. I did what you told us to do, and we had no success. Therefore you should not be teaching the people to do this.” She really got after me. It was not a gentle letter.

"Well, I read it, and I have learned when I receive a letter like that not to answer it for a couple of days so I can think it through a little better. The thought came to me: “I am not going to answer the letter in writing; I am going to call her on the telephone and talk to her.” So I tracked her down and got her on the phone. I said, “This is Elder Ballard.” And she said, “Who?” I said, “This is Elder Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. I am calling you about your letter.” There was dead silence for a moment. I said, “I am calling to apologize to you. I am terribly sorry that you have had such unfortunate circumstances in attempting to do missionary work by setting a date. I am asking you if you will forgive me.”

"She said, “Oh, Brother Ballard, you didn’t need to call me. I just wanted to bring to your attention that it didn’t work.”

"I said, “Will you forgive me?”

"She said, “Oh, certainly.”

"I said, “Would you also be kind enough to answer one question?” She responded that she would if she could.

"“Will you tell me whom you talked to during the time that you were fasting and praying to find somebody for the missionaries to teach?”

"Dead silence.

"I asked, “Are you still there?”

"“Yes, I am.”

"I said, “Will you tell me?”

"She said, “Well, to be honest with you, we didn’t do that.”

"“In other words, what you thought I said was all you had to do was pray and fast and then in some miraculous way you would have someone for the missionaries to teach?”

"Calling her by name, I said, “Would you set another date, only this time will you talk to the people in the grocery store, at the service station, in the beauty parlor? Everywhere you go, will you open your mouth and let the Lord help you be successful with this effort?” She was a good sport and said she would.

"It was less than a month later that I received another letter telling me that the missionaries were teaching a family in their home that she had met at the grocery store.

"I taught that concept in a stake conference, and everybody was excited. They were going to do it. Then, about six months later, I got a letter from the wonderful stake president in whose home I had stayed in that area. Here is what his letter said:

"“Dear Elder Ballard, your words have been haunting me for six months. I have known I should set a date with my family, but we hadn’t done it. Then we finally did. A month ago we set a date. When we did that we started to pray. The first fast Sunday, we fasted with that as our purpose. I want to tell you what happened.”

"This stake president was an attorney. The very week that they set a date as a family, a young couple came to his law office. They had been referred to him as one who would treat them well and be honest and fair with them in helping them finalize their divorce.

"The letter continued: “I looked at that couple and said something I never ever dreamed I would ever say to a potential client: ‘You don’t need a divorce. What you need is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Now, what I would like you to do is let me teach you about the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. If when we conclude you have not resolved to stay together and make your marriage a success, then I will handle your divorce and not charge you a penny.’”

"He and his family had been on their knees praying for guidance, and the Spirit prompted him about what to say to the couple.

"Well, after the missionaries taught them the gospel, they were baptized. They found the greatest thing in their life the day they walked into the stake president’s law office."

 

my handout:

Daily Message

"Brothers and sisters, God has important work for each of us. Speaking to sisters but teaching truths that apply to all, President Spencer W. Kimball taught: “Before we came [to earth, we] were given certain assignments. … While we do not now remember the particulars, this does not alter the glorious reality of what we once agreed to.” What an ennobling truth! Our Heavenly Father has specific and significant things for you and me to accomplish (see Ephesians 2:10)."

—John C. Pingree Jr., "I Have a Work For Thee"

Daily Message

"I testify there is no greater goal in mortality than to live eternally with our Heavenly Parents and our beloved Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. But it is more than just our goal—it is also Their goal. They have a perfect love for us, more powerful than we can even begin to comprehend. They are totally, completely, eternally aligned with us. We are Their work. Our glory is Their glory. More than anything else, They want us to come home—to return and receive eternal happiness in Their presence."

—M. Russell Ballard, "Return and Receive"

College Football Picks Week 11

1. Kingston -14 tie breaker 21
2. Tammy -15 tie breaker 49
3. Dad -15 tie breaker 42
4. Rex -17 tiebreaker did not complete
5. Lisa -18 tie breaker 69
6. Mom -21 tiebreaker 42
7. Juliet -23 tiebreaker 42
8. Mercedes -48 tiebreaker did not complete

Actual tiebreaker 52

Facebook Founder Confesses

I came across something intriguing while skimming through Rush Limbaugh today.  So I clicked on the reference, and it was very telling.

It is something I have known all along and try to warn people about.  One of the founders of Facebook actually confesses to the diabolical reasons Facebook was started.  He admits that the creators of Facebook consciously knew they were exploiting the vulnerabilities of human psychology.  They were well aware of human psychological weaknesses and deliberately created an application that would consume as much time and conscious attention as possible.

It reminds me of Satan trying to trap people and then laughing at how easy it was. "We'll get you eventually."

We all know Facebook zombies.  They are everywhere.  It's very sad.  All I have to say is, get out while you can.  Take your life back.  If you fell into the Facebook trap, delete your account and don't look back.

I'm thankful I never fell into that trap.  Social media is nothing but a waste of time at the very least and can become a destroyer of human life.

That's my two cents.

Here's the article:

"Sean Parker unloads on Facebook "exploiting" human psychology, Mike Allen, Axios.com, November 9, 2017

Sean Parker, the founding president of Facebook, gave me a candid insider's look at how social networks purposely hook and potentially hurt our brains.

Be smart: Parker's I-was-there account provides priceless perspective in the rising debate about the power and effects of the social networks, which now have scale and reach unknown in human history. He's worried enough that he's sounding the alarm.

Parker, 38, now founder and chair of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, spoke yesterday at an Axios event at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, about accelerating cancer innovation. In the green room, Parker mentioned that he has become "something of a conscientious objector" on social media.

By the time he left the stage, he jokingly said Mark Zuckerberg will probably block his account after reading this:

• "When Facebook was getting going, I had these people who would come up to me and they would say, 'I'm not on social media.' And I would say, 'OK. You know, you will be.' And then they would say, 'No, no, no. I value my real-life interactions. I value the moment. I value presence. I value intimacy.' And I would say, ... 'We'll get you eventually.'"
• "I don't know if I really understood the consequences of what I was saying, because [of] the unintended consequences of a network when it grows to a billion or 2 billion people and ... it literally changes your relationship with society, with each other ... It probably interferes with productivity in weird ways. God only knows what it's doing to our children's brains."
• "The thought process that went into building these applications, Facebook being the first of them, ... was all about: 'How do we consume as much of your time and conscious attention as possible?'"
• "And that means that we need to sort of give you a little dopamine hit every once in a while, because someone liked or commented on a photo or a post or whatever. And that's going to get you to contribute more content, and that's going to get you ... more likes and comments."
• "It's a social-validation feedback loop ... exactly the kind of thing that a hacker like myself would come up with, because you're exploiting a vulnerability in human psychology."
• "The inventors, creators — it's me, it's Mark [Zuckerberg], it's Kevin Systrom on Instagram, it's all of these people — understood this consciously. And we did it anyway."

College Football Picks Week 10

1. Juliet -11 tiebreaker 38
2. Dad -14 tie breaker 46
3. Rex -14 tie breaker 67
4. Tammy -15 tie breaker 53
5. Mercedes -17 tiebreaker 65
6. Lisa -18 tiebreaker 44
7. Mom -22 Tiebreaker 56
8. Kingston -23 tiebreaker 21

actual tiebreaker 31

The Parable of the Garth Brooks Concert

The following parable is based on a true story.

A certain woman had a bucket list which included attending a Garth Brooks concert.  Much to her delight, Garth Brooks was coming to her town.  She excitedly looked up tickets to purchase.  But much to her chagrin the only tickets listed as available were for a Sunday concert.

She told her husband about the concert and asked if he would go with her.  She explained that the only ticket availability was for a Sunday concert. Her husband, knowing this was one of her bucket list items, told her he would accompany her.  But he also told her that he would not enjoy the concert knowing that he was breaking God's commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy.  But he would let her decide what to do.

The woman thought about it for a while and decided not to go to the concert.  She told her husband of her decision.  They both agreed that it was the right decision.

Come to find out, the Sunday only availability was a computer glitch.  After the computer glitch was fixed there were plenty of Saturday tickets available.  The woman was thrilled and immediately purchased tickets for her and her husband to attend the Saturday Garth Brooks concert.

The moral of the story is that the Lord always blesses those who are obedient to His commandments. Granted, the blessings don't usually come immediately or in such an obvious fashion as in the above story.  But to those who are obedient, the blessings will always come. We just need to be patient and wait to be blessed on the Lord's timetable.

The woman in the parable was blessed because she trusted in the Lord and chose keeping his commandment over a few hours of fleeting fun.  In the end, she was able to do both.

May we all be a little stronger in our resolve to follow the Lord and keep His commandments.

That's my two cents.

CFP Week 9

1. Tammy -17 tie breaker 39
2. Rex -20 tie breaker 71
3. Mom -21 tiebreaker 56
4. Lisa -22 tiebreaker 67
5. Mercedes -23 tiebreaker 47
6. Dad -24 Tiebreaker 64

Actual tiebreaker 77

CFP Week 8

1. Lisa -12 tie breaker 52
2. Tammy -16 tie breaker 47
3. Rex -18 tie breaker 74
4. Dad -19 tiebreaker 49
5. Mercedes -23 tiebreaker 42
6. Mom -26 tiebreaker 56

Actual tiebreakers 77

Black Widow Lives Matter

Hiring exterminators is terrible.  Doesn't our society teach tolerance and love for all?  There is no room for speciesism in this country.  Our society should not tolerate discrimination of any kind.  The blatant killing of another species is uncalled for.

There is rampant discrimination against spiders, insects, rodents, etc.  Look at all the exterminator companies out there.  It's just not right.  We need to create more awareness of speciesism in this country.

Everyone needs to know that black widow lives matter!

That's my two cents.

CFP Week Seven

1. Rex -23 tiebreaker 44
2. Tammy -23 tiebreaker 63
3. Lisa -23 tiebreaker 37
4. Mercedes -24 tiebreaker 49
5. Dad -26 tiebreaker 62
6. Mom -37 tiebreaker 42

actual tiebreaker 51

Legislating Evil

The left, liberals, Democrats -- whatever you want to call them -- tend to reside in Lala land. Anytime they can use a tragedy to push their agenda, they will.  Bodies were not even cold or counted before the left jumped all over gun control during the mass shooting in Las Vegas.  The liberal agenda is control over people.  They want to take our freedoms away and make everyone dependent upon the government.  They want power.

So they are pushing this gun control agenda.  They feign concern for victims of gun violence.  But their arguments are unsubstantiated and flawed.  It's been proven time and time again by statistics that the cities and areas of the country with the most gun control also have the most gun violence.  You cannot legislate evil out of people.

Bad people will get guns whether it's legal or not.  It's the good people who obey the law.  If people want to be evil and do bad things, you're not going to stop them. We all have God-given agency. We are all free to choose good or evil.  The bad guys will find a way to accomplish their evil goals.  Look at drug trafficking.  Drugs are illegal.  Yet, there are people who want them.  Therefore, they will find a way to get them.  We all know how well Prohibition worked in the 1920s.  This is a classic example of trying to legislate morality.  It doesn't work.  If people want to drink alcohol, they will find it.  If there is a demand, there will be a supply.  It's basic economics.

It's the same thing with gun control.  If bad guys want to buy guns and kill other people -- they will.  Regardless of what the law states.  The only thing that comes from gun control is fewer good guys -- law-abiding citizens -- with guns.  Therefore, fewer people with guns to defend themselves and others against the bad guys.  Gun control makes no sense.  But, liberals have no common sense.

Agency is core to our mortal journey. There are many who don't use their agency wisely.  As long as we are here on earth navigating our way through mortality, there will be evil people doing evil things. 

Taking freedom away from people is not the answer to preventing evil.

No, you cannot legislate evil out of people.

That's my two cents.

CFP 2017 Week 6

1. Rex -11 tiebreaker 59
2. Dad -12 tiebreaker 57
3. Kingston -17 tie breaker 28
4. Mom -17 Tie Breaker 63
5. Tammy -18 tiebreaker 59
6. Lisa -21 tiebreaker 48
7. Juliet -21 Tiebreaker 51
8. Mercedes -25 tiebreaker 53

actual tiebreaker 43

Relief Society Lesson -- Priesthood Leadership

My handout: