I like shopping at Costco. It’s one of the few places I will put myself through the pains of traveling in a vehicle to get to. But due to recent political activities, I will no longer be shopping at Costco.
For those of you out of state, or unaware, let me explain. Here in Washington, where Costco is headquartered, there were two initiatives (I-1100 and I-1105) on our ballots which, in a nutshell, would make hard liquor available for sale by anybody and their dog, on every street corner, in convenience stores, grocery stores, and of course Costco stores. As it is now, hard liquor is only available in state run liquor stores.
You might ask, why are you picking on Costco, what do they have to do with a state initiative? It has come to my attention that Costco was the driving force behind I-1100.
“The I-1100 campaign battle had mainly been between big box stores like Costco and distributors who don't want to disrupt the current system….The "yes" campaign spent nearly $6 million, with more than $4.8 million coming from Issaquah-based Costco in money and in-kind contributions.” King5.com November 3, 2010
Isn’t it nice to know that Costco spent almost $5 million, some of which I’m sure was profits they made off of you, to fund an initiative campaign to make hard liquor more convenient, less expensive, and easy to obtain?
Alcohol is the most devastating drug in our society. More people have thrown their lives in the gutter by using alcohol, then any other drug. I’m not just talking about homeless alcoholics, but suburban mothers (I saw a dateline show about this), college students, social drinkers,, etc. In fact, a recent British study supports my claim.
“Study: Alcohol is the most lethal drug, outranking heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana
The Associated Press
By MARIA CHENG AP Medical Writer
LONDON November 1, 2010 (AP)
Alcohol is more dangerous than illegal drugs like heroin and crack cocaine, according to a new study.
British experts evaluated substances including alcohol, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and marijuana, ranking them based on how destructive they are to the individual who takes them and to society as a whole.
Researchers analyzed how addictive a drug is and how it harms the human body, in addition to other criteria like environmental damage caused by the drug, its role in breaking up families and its economic costs, such as health care, social services, and prison.
Heroin, crack cocaine and methamphetamine, or crystal meth, were the most lethal to individuals. When considering their wider social effects, alcohol, heroin and crack cocaine were the deadliest. But overall, alcohol outranked all other substances, followed by heroin and crack cocaine. Marijuana, ecstasy and LSD scored far lower.”
Do we really need hard liquor available at every corner store? At Costco? At the grocery store?
Alcohol use and its effects are already taxing our society. We don’t need hard liquor more easily obtainable, just so someone can make a buck at the expense of others lives.
That’s really what this comes down to. Money. Costco wants to make more money. They don’t care about people. They care about money. They will tell you it’s about their customers. But that’s a lie. It’s about them making money.
1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
As a matter of fact, a couple of weeks ago we were at the Costco business center in Fife. This was before I knew about Costco being the power behind I-1100. They had a table set up with a giant chalkboard sized poster board with full-color pictures promoting initiative 1100. They had pictures of bottles of liquor with prices that the state liquor store charges, and the price they would charge. The title on the top said, “yes on I-1100” they even had an employee manning the booth talking to people, trying to convince them to vote yes on initiative 1100.
I was really mad after I saw this. And I even mentioned that we shouldn’t shop at Costco anymore. This was before I knew about the $5 million they wasted on campaigning for this initiative.
I used to think Costco was a good company that cared about people, specifically their employees. But now I know they are just money hungry, apathetic, and selfish.
I saw on the news the other day that the cofounder of Costco hosted Michelle Obama in his backyard for a political rally in support of Patty Murray. That pretty much sums up what a cheese bag company Costco is.
I will miss shopping there, but it is not worth it to me, to support such a company. I hope those of you who read my blog will also boycott Costco.
That’s my two cents.
By the way, I did write a letter via e-mail to Costco to express my disdain and disappointment. And to let them know I will not be shopping at their stores anymore.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Ink
Do people think they are above the Commandments? Or do they just not care? It seems to me like more and more Members of the Church are blatantly disobeying the Commandments. For example, active members of The Church who hold callings as leaders of youth no less, go to church flaunting newly acquired tattoos. And bragging about it to the youth to whom they are supposed to be examples.
Surely they must know about Pres. Hinckley’s talk regarding piercings and tattoos. Do they not consider Pres. Hinckley a prophet of God? And as such, His mouthpiece?
I don’t recall Pres. Hinckley stating that it was okay to receive henna tattoos, or even temporary tattoos. Are we not supposed to avoid even the appearance of evil?
1 Thessalonians 5:22 "Abstain from all appearance of evil."
It appears that even active members of the church care more about the world’s standards and seeking worldly approval, than God’s standards.
The prophet Moroni warned us of this:
Mormon 8:35-36
“35 Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.
36 And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts.”
As the world’s standard’s continue to drift farther and farther away from the Lord’s standards, we need to continue to make a concerted effort to be in the world but not of the world.
That’s my two cents.
Surely they must know about Pres. Hinckley’s talk regarding piercings and tattoos. Do they not consider Pres. Hinckley a prophet of God? And as such, His mouthpiece?
I don’t recall Pres. Hinckley stating that it was okay to receive henna tattoos, or even temporary tattoos. Are we not supposed to avoid even the appearance of evil?
1 Thessalonians 5:22 "Abstain from all appearance of evil."
It appears that even active members of the church care more about the world’s standards and seeking worldly approval, than God’s standards.
The prophet Moroni warned us of this:
Mormon 8:35-36
“35 Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.
36 And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts.”
As the world’s standard’s continue to drift farther and farther away from the Lord’s standards, we need to continue to make a concerted effort to be in the world but not of the world.
That’s my two cents.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Halloween and the Sabbath
Halloween was on a Sunday this year. At the beginning of Sacrament meeting the bishopric announced that it was Halloween but please keep the Sabbath day holy. I must admit I was somewhat surprised by this announcement. After all, isn’t it obvious that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints know they should keep the Sabbath day holy? Apparently not.
To me, it’s absurd that anyone would celebrate a pagan holiday by breaking the Sabbath. Least of all Members of the Church.
When I told my siblings about this announcement in church, one of them said that one of the primary children in her class told her that they were going trick-or-treating on the Sabbath because that is what the neighbors expect. All I have to say to that is, one excuse deserves another. That is ridiculous. If people expect me to jump off a cliff, will I do it? Absurd.
Doesn’t anyone have a backbone anymore? Or are they just too far into the great and spacious building?
It really saddens me when people who supposedly share my values and believe what I believe don’t try to live the Lord’s standards. Especially in something as simple as celebrating Halloween on Friday or Saturday instead of Sunday.
I grew up in Utah, and if Halloween fell on a Sunday, it was celebrated on Saturday. People trick or treated in the neighborhoods on Saturday. There was not even a question of trick-or-treating on Sunday. I don’t know if this is because it was Utah or because it was 30 years ago, or maybe both.
I looked at an article a few days ago about people being anxious and stressed out over whether to break the Sabbath by celebrating Halloween. Now granted, these were not members of our church. But they were Christians who know they should keep the Sabbath day holy. They even talked about changing Halloween to the last Saturday of October.
If people would just quit worrying so much about what other people think, and follow God’s commandments, there would be much less stress and anxiety.
That’s my two cents.
To me, it’s absurd that anyone would celebrate a pagan holiday by breaking the Sabbath. Least of all Members of the Church.
When I told my siblings about this announcement in church, one of them said that one of the primary children in her class told her that they were going trick-or-treating on the Sabbath because that is what the neighbors expect. All I have to say to that is, one excuse deserves another. That is ridiculous. If people expect me to jump off a cliff, will I do it? Absurd.
Doesn’t anyone have a backbone anymore? Or are they just too far into the great and spacious building?
It really saddens me when people who supposedly share my values and believe what I believe don’t try to live the Lord’s standards. Especially in something as simple as celebrating Halloween on Friday or Saturday instead of Sunday.
I grew up in Utah, and if Halloween fell on a Sunday, it was celebrated on Saturday. People trick or treated in the neighborhoods on Saturday. There was not even a question of trick-or-treating on Sunday. I don’t know if this is because it was Utah or because it was 30 years ago, or maybe both.
I looked at an article a few days ago about people being anxious and stressed out over whether to break the Sabbath by celebrating Halloween. Now granted, these were not members of our church. But they were Christians who know they should keep the Sabbath day holy. They even talked about changing Halloween to the last Saturday of October.
If people would just quit worrying so much about what other people think, and follow God’s commandments, there would be much less stress and anxiety.
That’s my two cents.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Relief Society Lesson - The Blessing of Scripture
The Blessing of Scripture
Elder D. Todd Christofferson
Of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles
April 2010 General Conference
The Central Purpose of All Scripture Is to Fill Our Souls with Faith in God The Father, and in His Son Jesus Christ.
“On October 6, in the year 1536, a pitiful figure was led from a dungeon in Vilvorde Castle near Brussels, Belgium. For nearly a year and a half, the man had suffered isolation in a dark, damp cell. Now outside the castle wall, the prisoner was fastened to a post. He had time to utter aloud his final prayer, “Lord! open the king of England’s eyes,” and then he was strangled. Immediately, his body was burned at the stake. Who was this man, and what was the offense for which both political and ecclesiastical authorities had condemned him? His name was William Tyndale, and his crime was to have translated and published the Bible in English.”
Information about William Tyndale obtained from various websites:
William Tyndale (1492-1536)
One of Tyndale’s associates commented that Tyndale was “so skilled in eight languages – Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Spanish, French, Italian, English, and German, that whichever he speaks, you might think it his native tongue!”
Soon afterwards, Tyndale determined to translate the Bible into English, convinced that the way to God was through His word and that scripture should be available even to common people. Foxe describes an argument with a "learned" but "blasphemous" clergyman, who had asserted to Tyndale that, "We had better be without God's laws than the Pope's." Swelling with emotion, Tyndale responded: "I defy the Pope, and all his laws; and if God spares my life, ere many years, I will cause the boy that driveth the plow to know more of the Scriptures than thou dost!"
Tyndale was betrayed by a friend, Philips, the agent either of Henry or of English ecclesiastics, or possibly of both. Tyndale was arrested and imprisoned in the castle of Vilvoorden for over 500 days of horrible conditions. He was tried for heresy and treason in a ridiculously unfair trial, and convicted. Tyndale was then strangled and burnt at the stake in the prison yard, Oct. 6, 1536. His last words were, "Lord, open the king of England's eyes." This prayer was answered three years later, in the publication of King Henry VIII’s 1539 English “Great Bible”.
The fifty-four independent scholars who revised extant English bibles, drew significantly on Tyndale's translations to create the King James Version (or final "Authorised Version") of 1611 (still in mainstream use today). One estimation suggests the King James New Testament is 83.7 % Tyndale's and the Old Testament 75.7 %.
Related story of Nephi and brass plates and the importance of obtaining Scripture.
Laman and Lemuel: It is a hard thing our father asks of us. First Nephi 3:5
Nephi: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded. First Nephi 3:7
Joseph Smith History 1:
34 He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang. He also said that the fulness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants;
59 At length the time arrived for obtaining the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate. On the twenty-second day of September, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven, having gone as usual at the end of another year to the place where they were deposited, the same heavenly messenger delivered them up to me with this charge: that I should be bresponsible for them; that if I should let them go carelessly, or through any neglect of mine, I should be cut off; but that if I would use all my endeavors to preserve them, until he, the messenger, should call for them, they should be protected.
60 I soon found out the reason why I had received such strict charges to keep them safe, and why it was that the messenger had said that when I had done what was required at my hand, he would call for them. For no sooner was it known that I had them, than the most strenuous exertions were used to get them from me. Every stratagem that could be invented was resorted to for that purpose. The persecution became more bitter and severe than before, and multitudes were on the alert continually to get them from me if possible. But by the wisdom of God, they remained safe in my hands, until I had accomplished by them what was required at my hand. When, according to arrangements, the messenger called for them, I delivered them up to him; and he has them in his charge until this day, being the second day of May, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight.
The Scriptures Enlarge Our Memory.
“In Tyndale’s day, scriptural ignorance abounded because people lacked access to the Bible, especially in a language they could understand. Today the Bible and other scripture are readily at hand, yet there is a growing scriptural illiteracy because people will not open the books. Consequently they have forgotten things their grandparents knew.”
The Scriptures Are the Standard for Distinguishing Truth and Error.
“The scriptures, for example, discredit an ancient philosophy that has come back into vogue in our day—the philosophy of Korihor that there are no absolute moral standards, that “every man prosper[s] according to his genius, and that every man conquer[s] according to his strength; and whatsoever a man [does is] no crime” and “that when a man [is] dead, that [is] the end thereof” (Alma 30:17–18).”
Those who either don’t have or ignore the recorded word of God eventually cease to believe in Him and forget the purpose of their existence. - Elder D. Todd Christofferson
The Scriptures Bring Us to Christ, Our Redeemer.
“In the end, the central purpose of all scripture is to fill our souls with faith in God the Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ—faith that They exist; faith in the Father’s plan for our immortality and eternal life; faith in the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which animates this plan of happiness; faith to make the gospel of Jesus Christ our way of life; and faith to come to know “the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [He has] sent” (John 17:3).”
Doctrine and Covenants 68:
3 And this is the ensample unto them, that they shall speak as they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost.
4 And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation.
“Consider the magnitude of our blessing to have the Holy Bible and some 900 additional pages of scripture, including the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. Then consider that, in addition, the words of prophets spoken as they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost in settings such as this, which the Lord calls scripture (see D&C 68:2–4), flow to us almost constantly by television, radio, Internet, satellite, CD, DVD, and in print. I suppose that never in history has a people been blessed with such a quantity of holy writ. And not only that, but every man, woman, and child may possess and study his or her own personal copy of these sacred texts, most in his or her own language. How incredible such a thing would have seemed to the people of William Tyndale’s day and to the Saints of earlier dispensations! Surely with this blessing the Lord is telling us that our need for constant recourse to the scriptures is greater than in any previous time.”
*Everything in quotation marks is directly from Elder Christoffersen's talk.
Something that I was going to mention in my lesson but forgot is how often we nourish our physical bodies. Even when we fast we don't go more than 24 hours without food or drink. Most of us don't go more than several hours between meals. But how often do we nourish our spirits? Do we feast on the Scriptures every few hours? I would venture to guess that most of us are doing well if we feast from the Scriptures once a day. And many of us go weeks or months or even years between "spiritual meals". I want to challenge everyone to feast upon the word of God more often.
In this day and age when we have unprecedented access to Scriptures. I believe that we take them for granted. Many people sacrificed much so that we might have the word of God. Put the Scriptures on your iPod, carry a pocket Book of Mormon in your purse, read it at the doctor's office, or where ever you may be. Prioritize your time to include scripture study.
I really like this quote: "Those who either don’t have or ignore the recorded word of God eventually cease to believe in Him and forget the purpose of their existence." -Elder D. Todd Christofferson
That's my two cents.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson
Of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles
April 2010 General Conference
The Central Purpose of All Scripture Is to Fill Our Souls with Faith in God The Father, and in His Son Jesus Christ.
“On October 6, in the year 1536, a pitiful figure was led from a dungeon in Vilvorde Castle near Brussels, Belgium. For nearly a year and a half, the man had suffered isolation in a dark, damp cell. Now outside the castle wall, the prisoner was fastened to a post. He had time to utter aloud his final prayer, “Lord! open the king of England’s eyes,” and then he was strangled. Immediately, his body was burned at the stake. Who was this man, and what was the offense for which both political and ecclesiastical authorities had condemned him? His name was William Tyndale, and his crime was to have translated and published the Bible in English.”
Information about William Tyndale obtained from various websites:
One of Tyndale’s associates commented that Tyndale was “so skilled in eight languages – Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Spanish, French, Italian, English, and German, that whichever he speaks, you might think it his native tongue!”
Soon afterwards, Tyndale determined to translate the Bible into English, convinced that the way to God was through His word and that scripture should be available even to common people. Foxe describes an argument with a "learned" but "blasphemous" clergyman, who had asserted to Tyndale that, "We had better be without God's laws than the Pope's." Swelling with emotion, Tyndale responded: "I defy the Pope, and all his laws; and if God spares my life, ere many years, I will cause the boy that driveth the plow to know more of the Scriptures than thou dost!"
Tyndale was betrayed by a friend, Philips, the agent either of Henry or of English ecclesiastics, or possibly of both. Tyndale was arrested and imprisoned in the castle of Vilvoorden for over 500 days of horrible conditions. He was tried for heresy and treason in a ridiculously unfair trial, and convicted. Tyndale was then strangled and burnt at the stake in the prison yard, Oct. 6, 1536. His last words were, "Lord, open the king of England's eyes." This prayer was answered three years later, in the publication of King Henry VIII’s 1539 English “Great Bible”.
The fifty-four independent scholars who revised extant English bibles, drew significantly on Tyndale's translations to create the King James Version (or final "Authorised Version") of 1611 (still in mainstream use today). One estimation suggests the King James New Testament is 83.7 % Tyndale's and the Old Testament 75.7 %.
Related story of Nephi and brass plates and the importance of obtaining Scripture.
Laman and Lemuel: It is a hard thing our father asks of us. First Nephi 3:5
Nephi: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded. First Nephi 3:7
Joseph Smith History 1:
34 He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang. He also said that the fulness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants;
59 At length the time arrived for obtaining the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate. On the twenty-second day of September, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven, having gone as usual at the end of another year to the place where they were deposited, the same heavenly messenger delivered them up to me with this charge: that I should be bresponsible for them; that if I should let them go carelessly, or through any neglect of mine, I should be cut off; but that if I would use all my endeavors to preserve them, until he, the messenger, should call for them, they should be protected.
60 I soon found out the reason why I had received such strict charges to keep them safe, and why it was that the messenger had said that when I had done what was required at my hand, he would call for them. For no sooner was it known that I had them, than the most strenuous exertions were used to get them from me. Every stratagem that could be invented was resorted to for that purpose. The persecution became more bitter and severe than before, and multitudes were on the alert continually to get them from me if possible. But by the wisdom of God, they remained safe in my hands, until I had accomplished by them what was required at my hand. When, according to arrangements, the messenger called for them, I delivered them up to him; and he has them in his charge until this day, being the second day of May, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight.
The Scriptures Enlarge Our Memory.
“In Tyndale’s day, scriptural ignorance abounded because people lacked access to the Bible, especially in a language they could understand. Today the Bible and other scripture are readily at hand, yet there is a growing scriptural illiteracy because people will not open the books. Consequently they have forgotten things their grandparents knew.”
The Scriptures Are the Standard for Distinguishing Truth and Error.
“The scriptures, for example, discredit an ancient philosophy that has come back into vogue in our day—the philosophy of Korihor that there are no absolute moral standards, that “every man prosper[s] according to his genius, and that every man conquer[s] according to his strength; and whatsoever a man [does is] no crime” and “that when a man [is] dead, that [is] the end thereof” (Alma 30:17–18).”
Those who either don’t have or ignore the recorded word of God eventually cease to believe in Him and forget the purpose of their existence. - Elder D. Todd Christofferson
The Scriptures Bring Us to Christ, Our Redeemer.
“In the end, the central purpose of all scripture is to fill our souls with faith in God the Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ—faith that They exist; faith in the Father’s plan for our immortality and eternal life; faith in the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which animates this plan of happiness; faith to make the gospel of Jesus Christ our way of life; and faith to come to know “the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [He has] sent” (John 17:3).”
Doctrine and Covenants 68:
3 And this is the ensample unto them, that they shall speak as they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost.
4 And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation.
“Consider the magnitude of our blessing to have the Holy Bible and some 900 additional pages of scripture, including the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. Then consider that, in addition, the words of prophets spoken as they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost in settings such as this, which the Lord calls scripture (see D&C 68:2–4), flow to us almost constantly by television, radio, Internet, satellite, CD, DVD, and in print. I suppose that never in history has a people been blessed with such a quantity of holy writ. And not only that, but every man, woman, and child may possess and study his or her own personal copy of these sacred texts, most in his or her own language. How incredible such a thing would have seemed to the people of William Tyndale’s day and to the Saints of earlier dispensations! Surely with this blessing the Lord is telling us that our need for constant recourse to the scriptures is greater than in any previous time.”
*Everything in quotation marks is directly from Elder Christoffersen's talk.
Something that I was going to mention in my lesson but forgot is how often we nourish our physical bodies. Even when we fast we don't go more than 24 hours without food or drink. Most of us don't go more than several hours between meals. But how often do we nourish our spirits? Do we feast on the Scriptures every few hours? I would venture to guess that most of us are doing well if we feast from the Scriptures once a day. And many of us go weeks or months or even years between "spiritual meals". I want to challenge everyone to feast upon the word of God more often.
In this day and age when we have unprecedented access to Scriptures. I believe that we take them for granted. Many people sacrificed much so that we might have the word of God. Put the Scriptures on your iPod, carry a pocket Book of Mormon in your purse, read it at the doctor's office, or where ever you may be. Prioritize your time to include scripture study.
I really like this quote: "Those who either don’t have or ignore the recorded word of God eventually cease to believe in Him and forget the purpose of their existence." -Elder D. Todd Christofferson
That's my two cents.
College Football Picks Results Week Nine
1.Dad -20
2.Tammy -21
3.Derrinda -22
4.Lisa -23
5.Mercedes -25
6.Michael -27
7.Juliet -28
8.Mom -29
2.Tammy -21
3.Derrinda -22
4.Lisa -23
5.Mercedes -25
6.Michael -27
7.Juliet -28
8.Mom -29
Sunday, October 24, 2010
College Football Picks Results Week Eight
1 - Tammy -15
2 - Michael -17
3 - Dad -20
4 - Derrinda -21
5 - Juliet -24 (tiebreaker 39, actual 41)
6 - Lisa -24 (tibreaker 38, actual 41)
7 - Mom -27
2 - Michael -17
3 - Dad -20
4 - Derrinda -21
5 - Juliet -24 (tiebreaker 39, actual 41)
6 - Lisa -24 (tibreaker 38, actual 41)
7 - Mom -27
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Quote of the Day
This morning, I was listening to my new John Bytheway collection on CD. I know the target audience is teenagers but I really enjoy his talks. The message is universal. In one of the talks he uses a quote from Pres. Benson. Which I thought was really profound. So I took the time to look it up and post it on my blog. Here it is:
President Ezra Taft Benson said: “Nothing is going to startle us more when we pass through the veil to the other side than to realize how well we know our Father and how familiar his face is to us.” (“Jesus Christ—Gifts and Expectations,” in Speeches of the Year, 1974, Provo: Brigham Young University Press, 1975, p. 313.) Quote taken from Pres. Henry B. Eyring's conference address May 1991 Ensign.
By the way, no pun intended :-), if any of you want to borrow my John Bytheway CD collection, let me know. I think there are about 10 or 11 different talks. I've listened to three so far and they are all really good. I'm sure you would enjoy listening to Brother Bytheway, and it would be beneficial to you.
President Ezra Taft Benson said: “Nothing is going to startle us more when we pass through the veil to the other side than to realize how well we know our Father and how familiar his face is to us.” (“Jesus Christ—Gifts and Expectations,” in Speeches of the Year, 1974, Provo: Brigham Young University Press, 1975, p. 313.) Quote taken from Pres. Henry B. Eyring's conference address May 1991 Ensign.
By the way, no pun intended :-), if any of you want to borrow my John Bytheway CD collection, let me know. I think there are about 10 or 11 different talks. I've listened to three so far and they are all really good. I'm sure you would enjoy listening to Brother Bytheway, and it would be beneficial to you.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
College Football Picks Results Week Seven
1. Tammy -19
2. Dad -20 tiebreaker 56 actual 36
3. Michael -20 tiebreaker 63 actual 36
4 Derrinda -21 tiebreaker 55 actual 36
5. Lisa -21 tiebreaker 57 actual 36
6. Mom -22
2. Dad -20 tiebreaker 56 actual 36
3. Michael -20 tiebreaker 63 actual 36
4 Derrinda -21 tiebreaker 55 actual 36
5. Lisa -21 tiebreaker 57 actual 36
6. Mom -22
Friday, October 15, 2010
Truth
It came to my attention a few days ago that there have been protests and uproar about a talk given by President Boyd K. Packer at general conference last week. My first reaction is why would anybody protest the words of the Lord?
Why would people who are not members of The Church, be so concerned about what a religious leader teaches? After all, isn’t freedom of religion still one of our rights? Then I learned that many of the protesters are actually members of The Church. That’s even worse. I would say it’s unbelievable but, in today’s world, nothing is unbelievable.
This morning, I watch the Sunday morning session of general conference again, which happens to contain Pres. Packer’s “controversial” talk. I found nothing controversial about it. There was nothing said that we haven’t been taught before.
It saddens me that people would persecute a servant of the Lord for teaching truth. As president of the quorum of the 12 apostles, Pres. Packer is set apart as a prophet, seer, and revelator. As are all members of the first presidency and quorum of the 12 apostles. So, anything Pres. Packer teaches is truth. It’s what the Lord would teach.
I find it ironic that people are crying intolerance, hatred and hostility. Yet this is exactly what they are doing by persecuting Pres. Packer.
I came across this quote by Pres. Benson:
“The central feature of pride is enmity—enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means “hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.” It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us.
Pride is essentially competitive in nature. We pit our will against God’s. When we direct our pride toward God, it is in the spirit of “my will and not thine be done.” As Paul said, they “seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.” (Philip. 2:21.)
Our will in competition to God’s will allows desires, appetites, and passions to go unbridled. (See Alma 38:12; 3 Ne. 12:30.)
The proud cannot accept the authority of God giving direction to their lives. (See Hel. 12:6.) They pit their perceptions of truth against God’s great knowledge, their abilities versus God’s priesthood power, their accomplishments against His mighty works.
Our enmity toward God takes on many labels, such as rebellion, hard-heartedness, stiff-neckedness, unrepentant, puffed up, easily offended, and sign seekers. The proud wish God would agree with them. They aren’t interested in changing their opinions to agree with God’s.” -Ezra Taft Benson, May 1989 Ensign
Gay rights activists, for lack of a better term, are not content to let people live their lives, and believe what they choose to believe, they want you to not only tolerate their sinful lifestyle, but embrace it. And if you do not, they persecute you, and call you hateful, intolerant, and are in fact, very hostile towards you.
This is evident by their reaction to Pres. Packer's conference address. Which I found to be actually quite loving, yet firm in the truth.
Another evidence is the violence and hatred shown towards members of The Church in California during proposition eight campaigns.
1 Nephi 16: 2
"And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew that I had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the truth; and the righteous have I justified, and testified that they should be lifted up at the last day; wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center."
Yet another example is from the news a few days ago. I don’t remember the details very well but a politician was speaking to a religious group, I believe was Jewish, and he mentioned that homosexuality was wrong, and he didn’t want children being brainwashed into thinking it was right. Well, he spoke truth. I agreed with everything he said. Yet, the media jumped all over him and painted him as Luciferic and hateful, and intolerant, and all those other things we keep hearing. When in actuality, the politician was in the right, he spoke the truth.
I really wasn’t going to do this blog, I’ve already covered this subject several times. But it was really bothering me today. So I decided I had to say something. Do what you will, say what you want, but you cannot change truth, the Lord’s work will not be halted.
“The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.”-Joseph Smith
That’s my two cents.
Why would people who are not members of The Church, be so concerned about what a religious leader teaches? After all, isn’t freedom of religion still one of our rights? Then I learned that many of the protesters are actually members of The Church. That’s even worse. I would say it’s unbelievable but, in today’s world, nothing is unbelievable.
This morning, I watch the Sunday morning session of general conference again, which happens to contain Pres. Packer’s “controversial” talk. I found nothing controversial about it. There was nothing said that we haven’t been taught before.
It saddens me that people would persecute a servant of the Lord for teaching truth. As president of the quorum of the 12 apostles, Pres. Packer is set apart as a prophet, seer, and revelator. As are all members of the first presidency and quorum of the 12 apostles. So, anything Pres. Packer teaches is truth. It’s what the Lord would teach.
I find it ironic that people are crying intolerance, hatred and hostility. Yet this is exactly what they are doing by persecuting Pres. Packer.
I came across this quote by Pres. Benson:
“The central feature of pride is enmity—enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means “hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.” It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us.
Pride is essentially competitive in nature. We pit our will against God’s. When we direct our pride toward God, it is in the spirit of “my will and not thine be done.” As Paul said, they “seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.” (Philip. 2:21.)
Our will in competition to God’s will allows desires, appetites, and passions to go unbridled. (See Alma 38:12; 3 Ne. 12:30.)
The proud cannot accept the authority of God giving direction to their lives. (See Hel. 12:6.) They pit their perceptions of truth against God’s great knowledge, their abilities versus God’s priesthood power, their accomplishments against His mighty works.
Our enmity toward God takes on many labels, such as rebellion, hard-heartedness, stiff-neckedness, unrepentant, puffed up, easily offended, and sign seekers. The proud wish God would agree with them. They aren’t interested in changing their opinions to agree with God’s.” -Ezra Taft Benson, May 1989 Ensign
Gay rights activists, for lack of a better term, are not content to let people live their lives, and believe what they choose to believe, they want you to not only tolerate their sinful lifestyle, but embrace it. And if you do not, they persecute you, and call you hateful, intolerant, and are in fact, very hostile towards you.
This is evident by their reaction to Pres. Packer's conference address. Which I found to be actually quite loving, yet firm in the truth.
Another evidence is the violence and hatred shown towards members of The Church in California during proposition eight campaigns.
1 Nephi 16: 2
"And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew that I had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the truth; and the righteous have I justified, and testified that they should be lifted up at the last day; wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center."
Yet another example is from the news a few days ago. I don’t remember the details very well but a politician was speaking to a religious group, I believe was Jewish, and he mentioned that homosexuality was wrong, and he didn’t want children being brainwashed into thinking it was right. Well, he spoke truth. I agreed with everything he said. Yet, the media jumped all over him and painted him as Luciferic and hateful, and intolerant, and all those other things we keep hearing. When in actuality, the politician was in the right, he spoke the truth.
I really wasn’t going to do this blog, I’ve already covered this subject several times. But it was really bothering me today. So I decided I had to say something. Do what you will, say what you want, but you cannot change truth, the Lord’s work will not be halted.
“The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.”-Joseph Smith
That’s my two cents.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
College Football Picks Results Week Six
1 - Lisa -16
2 - Derrinda -20
3 - Tammy -21 (51)
4 - Mom -21 (43)
5 - Dad -21 (42)
6 - Mercedes -23 (42)
7 - Juliet -23 (41)
8 - Michael -24
actual tiebreaker was 72.
2 - Derrinda -20
3 - Tammy -21 (51)
4 - Mom -21 (43)
5 - Dad -21 (42)
6 - Mercedes -23 (42)
7 - Juliet -23 (41)
8 - Michael -24
actual tiebreaker was 72.
Friday, October 8, 2010
A Fork in the Road
Yesterday I was browsing deseretbook.com and came across an excerpt from a book titled Fathers of Faith. I will try to paraphrase what I remember from that excerpt. It was written by Matt Holland son of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.
Matt mentions an experience when he was about eight or nine years old. His family was on vacation in St. George, Utah where his mom and dad are from. They were visiting his grandparents and Elder Holland decided to take his son Matt on a road trip to the Grand Canyon. They used his grandpa’s old truck and a handwritten map. The dirt roads were bumpy and windy. They finally made it to the Grand Canyon and before long Elder Holland said they needed to get back before it got dark because they were unfamiliar with the way back.
After a while, driving on the dirt roads they came to a fork in the road. They didn’t recall any forks on the way out and there was no fork drawn on the map. They decided to pray to know which road they should take. After the prayer Elder Holland asked his son Matt what he thought they should do.
Matt said he felt impressed that they should take the left road. Elder Holland agreed that he had received the same impression.
So, they headed down the left fork in the road and after about 10 minutes came to a dead end. Elder Holland quickly turned the truck around and went back to the fork in the road, and took the right fork.
There wasn’t much conversation on the drive back. Matt was a little disconcerted that he felt impressed to take the wrong road. Finally he asked his father why they both received inspiration to take the wrong road.
Elder Holland replied that he had been thinking about that also and came to the conclusion that if they had received the impression to take the right road that Elder Holland would have driven on that road for 30 minutes and turned around because it was unfamiliar. But, since they had taken the wrong road first, he was certain he was on the right path and didn’t make the grave mistake of turning back only to find out that they were on the right path all along. If they had made that mistake, it would have been too dark for them to make it home safely.
The moral of the story is, sometimes we are led down a path which appears to be wrong, or we may not understand. But in the end, it was necessary to go down that path so that we can be confident that we are on the right path, without doubts, and arrive at our destination safely.
Lest anyone be confused, the Lord would never lead us to the path of sin. But, He does lead us down roads that can be quite bumpy, with many twists and turns, to give us valuable experiences. These experiences will help us learn and grow and strengthen us.
We should always trust in the Lord. Even though we may not understand why we are going down the road we are going down. He will never lead us astray. If we trust in the Lord, and follow His Commandments, we will arrive at our final destination (eternal life) safely.
That’s my two cents.
Matt mentions an experience when he was about eight or nine years old. His family was on vacation in St. George, Utah where his mom and dad are from. They were visiting his grandparents and Elder Holland decided to take his son Matt on a road trip to the Grand Canyon. They used his grandpa’s old truck and a handwritten map. The dirt roads were bumpy and windy. They finally made it to the Grand Canyon and before long Elder Holland said they needed to get back before it got dark because they were unfamiliar with the way back.
After a while, driving on the dirt roads they came to a fork in the road. They didn’t recall any forks on the way out and there was no fork drawn on the map. They decided to pray to know which road they should take. After the prayer Elder Holland asked his son Matt what he thought they should do.
Matt said he felt impressed that they should take the left road. Elder Holland agreed that he had received the same impression.
So, they headed down the left fork in the road and after about 10 minutes came to a dead end. Elder Holland quickly turned the truck around and went back to the fork in the road, and took the right fork.
There wasn’t much conversation on the drive back. Matt was a little disconcerted that he felt impressed to take the wrong road. Finally he asked his father why they both received inspiration to take the wrong road.
Elder Holland replied that he had been thinking about that also and came to the conclusion that if they had received the impression to take the right road that Elder Holland would have driven on that road for 30 minutes and turned around because it was unfamiliar. But, since they had taken the wrong road first, he was certain he was on the right path and didn’t make the grave mistake of turning back only to find out that they were on the right path all along. If they had made that mistake, it would have been too dark for them to make it home safely.
The moral of the story is, sometimes we are led down a path which appears to be wrong, or we may not understand. But in the end, it was necessary to go down that path so that we can be confident that we are on the right path, without doubts, and arrive at our destination safely.
Lest anyone be confused, the Lord would never lead us to the path of sin. But, He does lead us down roads that can be quite bumpy, with many twists and turns, to give us valuable experiences. These experiences will help us learn and grow and strengthen us.
We should always trust in the Lord. Even though we may not understand why we are going down the road we are going down. He will never lead us astray. If we trust in the Lord, and follow His Commandments, we will arrive at our final destination (eternal life) safely.
That’s my two cents.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Humility
Yesterday in between sessions of conference I listened to President Uchtdorf's priesthood session talk from the previous night. Yes, I discovered that you can listen to all of the conference talks including priesthood session on LDS.org. They don't have the text up yet though.
Anyway, President Uchtdorf is my favorite speaker so I selected his talk to listen to while I had a few minutes before the next session started. It was such a wonderful talk. I would like to relate one of the quotes from his talk. I will probably butcher it, but it goes something like this:
You do not become humble by thinking less of yourself. You become humble by thinking less about yourself.
My interpretation of that means that you don't need to lower your self-esteem to be humble. But to be humble you need to be less selfish, vain, and of course prideful. Prideful meaning you don't think you're better than other people. For whatever myriad of reasons you conjure up.
I think humility is something I struggle with, and need to work on. Perhaps this is why this quote stuck out to me.
You can come to your own conclusions about Pres. Uchtdorf's talk on pride from the priesthood session of Gen. conference by clicking here: October 2010 General Conference then scroll down to priesthood session and click on the link next to Pres. Uchtdorf's name.
That's my two cents.
Anyway, President Uchtdorf is my favorite speaker so I selected his talk to listen to while I had a few minutes before the next session started. It was such a wonderful talk. I would like to relate one of the quotes from his talk. I will probably butcher it, but it goes something like this:
You do not become humble by thinking less of yourself. You become humble by thinking less about yourself.
My interpretation of that means that you don't need to lower your self-esteem to be humble. But to be humble you need to be less selfish, vain, and of course prideful. Prideful meaning you don't think you're better than other people. For whatever myriad of reasons you conjure up.
I think humility is something I struggle with, and need to work on. Perhaps this is why this quote stuck out to me.
You can come to your own conclusions about Pres. Uchtdorf's talk on pride from the priesthood session of Gen. conference by clicking here: October 2010 General Conference then scroll down to priesthood session and click on the link next to Pres. Uchtdorf's name.
That's my two cents.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
College Football Picks Results Week Five
1 - Michael -15 (47 tiebreaker, actual 47)
2 - Dad -15 (61 tiebreaker, actual 47)
3 - Mom -19 (54 tiebreaker, actual 47)
4 - Lisa -19 (67 tiebreaker, actual 47)
5 - Tammy -21
6 - Derrinda -25
7 - Juliet -26 (63 tiebreaker, actual 47)
8 - Chanelle -26 (65 tiebreaker, actual 47)
9 - Mercedes -30
2 - Dad -15 (61 tiebreaker, actual 47)
3 - Mom -19 (54 tiebreaker, actual 47)
4 - Lisa -19 (67 tiebreaker, actual 47)
5 - Tammy -21
6 - Derrinda -25
7 - Juliet -26 (63 tiebreaker, actual 47)
8 - Chanelle -26 (65 tiebreaker, actual 47)
9 - Mercedes -30
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Utah State University Aggies Rule Supreme
Yesterday we hosted a pizza party/BYU versus Utah State University football game viewing party. What made it so fun was that we had alumni from both schools present. Three of us attended USU. (Me, Lisa, Michael) And three attended BYU. (Mom, Dad, Derrinda) Of course, we were cheering for our respective alma maters. Among the other attendees, the overwhelming majority were cheering for BYU. So it was even sweeter when Utah State creamed BYU! Final score: USU 31 BYU 16. It was such a fun game to watch. The last time BYU lost to Utah State was in 1993. I believe it was 56 to 54. I was at that game! It was right after I got home from my mission and started school that fall. It was awesome!
The pizza was exceptionally divine also. I found a recipe for Pizza Hut pan pizza crust and sauce. The pizza was as good or better, if possible, than Pizza Hut. Thanks to mom for making the pizza dough and Lisa for rolling it out and assembling the pizzas.
It was a wonderful evening with good food, good company, and the best football game of the year! Way to go Aggies! Go Big Blue!
The pizza was exceptionally divine also. I found a recipe for Pizza Hut pan pizza crust and sauce. The pizza was as good or better, if possible, than Pizza Hut. Thanks to mom for making the pizza dough and Lisa for rolling it out and assembling the pizzas.
It was a wonderful evening with good food, good company, and the best football game of the year! Way to go Aggies! Go Big Blue!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Continue in Patience Video Clip
A small video clip from the Conference Talk by Pres. Uchtdorf entitled Continue in Patience. I know I already posted my notes from the relief society lesson I gave using this talk but, I think it's worth repeating. Everybody needs more patience.
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