Spiritual Anorexia

For my birthday, my mother-in-law gave me a couple of CDs.  One of those CDs is a talk by Hank Smith.  The name of the talk is "My Soul Hungered and My Stomach Growled!".   This talk reiterates one of the concerns that Momzoo and I have been having lately.  We feel that there is a trend in the LDS church to do what is popular, and if you don't agree with what is said, you just don't do it and eventually the Church will change its stance on it.   If you would like to read more about that, you can go to "The misfit Cygnet". This is one example of  a BLOG that Momzoo has found that have the same opinion.  The concern we have is that people are not listening to the advice of the General Authorities, and eventually they stop giving that advice, and people then think they have changed their mind.  I think an example of this happening is when Joseph Smith lost the manuscript.  Eventually the Lord told him to do what he wanted to do.  We know what happened after that.

In the talk by Brother Hank Smith, he mentions two talks.  So I got onto lds.org and found the two talks that he mentions.  I would like to share portions of those talks in this post.

The first talk is called  "Answer Me" by Elder Neal A. Maxwell.  This talk was published in the November 1988 Ensign.   The talk is about questions that the Lord has asked in the scriptures and Elder Maxwell then gives the answers to those questions.  In this talk, Elder Maxwell says:

Why is our life-style sometimes blurred and out of focus when we have been told clearly what “manner of men” and women we ought to be? (3 Ne. 27:27; see also 2 Pet. 3:11.) Of course, as individuals, we are free to choose! But wrong choices will make us less free. Furthermore, erosive error gradually makes one less and less of an individual. God and His prophets would spare us that shrinkage.

Elder Maxwell then talks about some behaviors that LDS members are participating in that people are starting to think are OK.  One example was that of LDS members driving across the border to Gamble, when the Church has come out against it.  Those members then try to justify it.

Elder Maxwell then says, "Crowds cannot make right what God has declared to be wrong."  In other words, you can't think that because a Crowd of members is doing something that it is not wrong.   We need to be vigilant and do what we have been told to do, no matter who or how many people try to make it right.

I can think of a lot of things that crowds are trying to make LDS members think are not wrong.  Some of them include, stay at home mothers, our fight against homosexuality, the rules in "For the Strength of Youth", the "The Family: A Proclamation to the World".  All of which are under attack from outside the LDS faith and also, more sadly, from inside the LDS faith.

Brother Smith then talks about another talk.  This talk is by Elder Jeffery R. Holland, and is called, "He Hath Filled the Hungry with Good Things".   In this talk, Elder Holland talks about "metaphysical hunger", and how we can keep our souls from dying.  Elder Holland makes this point:

It is that in our contemporary success and sophistication we too may walk away from the vitally crucial bread of eternal life; we may actually choose to be spiritually malnourished, willfully indulging in a kind of spiritual anorexia. Like those childish Galileans of old, we may turn up our noses when divine sustenance is placed before us. Of course the tragedy then as now is that one day, as the Lord Himself has said, “In an hour when ye think not the summer shall be past, and the harvest ended,” and we will find that our “souls [are] not saved

The bread Elder Holland is talking about at this point is the Savior.  He is referencing when the Savior said, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven:  if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever."

By following the crowds, and acting like wrong things are good, are we indulging in "spiritual anorexia."

There are a lot of things that the prophets have told us, then they have told us again, and then they have told us again.  Just because after telling us something three times and we don't listen, it does not mean that the crowd has made something the Lord has said wrong.

General Conference is this weekend.  Lets listen, read, and ponder what the General Authorities have to tell us.  And then do everything we can to do what they say.  We need to stop the spiritual anorexia that we are seeing today, and do what the General Authorities tell us to do to feast and not be hungry.

Wanna be...

I recently had a communication with someone on FaceBook.   This particular person is pushing, or trying to get the community to vote against someone during the election this November.  After pushing for some information and asking for details, this person said the following:

What ever Mike, it's not all about you. I really could care less about your wanting to hear details, who are you, but a wanna be. get over your self....

Was I just called a "Wanna be"?   A "Wanna be" for what?   And that was when I came to the conclusion that yes, I am a "Wanna Be!"  And I am very proud of being a Wanna Be.  But I am a Wanna Be of action, not a Wanna Be that just sits around and things about what I wanna be with out action.

Yes, I am guilty as charged....  I am a BIG WANNA BE!

I WANNA BE the best husband I can.
I WANNA BE the best father I can.
I WANNA BE a productive member of society.
I WANNA BE an example to the youth.
I WANNA BE a man of Character.
I WANNA BE a statesman.
I WANNA BE a constitutional scholar.
I WANNA BE educated in the classics and philosophy.
I WANNA BE .......

The list goes on.   There are a lot of things that I WANNA BE in life, and I will achieve some of them, but will fall short in some of them as well.  But I think the best thing is that I WANNA BE Christlike, and live a Christlike life. 

So yes, I am a big WANNA BE.

The Old Man Wept

Momzoo and I for our date night went to Costco in Lehi to pick up some bread.  That was not the only thing we did, but we needed to get some to get us through the weekend.  When we were there we saw a booth for a local company called Cultural Hall home decor.  You can visit their website at: http://www.culturalhall.com/index.html

I found the print called "The Old Man Wept", and fell in love with it.  As most of you know, I like Benjamin Franklin, and I liked this picture.  I suggest that you check out their exhibit if you live in Utah.  They have a list of Costco locations they will be visiting over the next couple of months on their website.  Most of the pictures are LDS art.  (Momzoo really likes the panoramic picture they have of the Bountiful Temple.)

After doing a little research on this, I found that the painting was first done by Dal Parson.   He tells us more about how he came up with the painting.  You can read more about the painting on his website: http://www.delparson.com/gallery_pages/old_man_wept.html

The painting depicts 5 men that were there during the signing of the US Constitution.  The 5 men in the picture are:  James Wilson, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and James Madison.

I would love to find quotes from James Wilson and Roger Sherman for the website http://www.foundingfatherquotes.com/ that I try to keep up to date.  If you have any quotes from them, please either email me at submit@foundingfatherquotes.com or leave a comment below.

Corruption

In a convention speech given by Benjamin Franklin on June 2, 1787, he discusses the topic of salaries and political figures.

There are two Passions which have a powerful Influence in the Affairs of Men. These are Ambition and Avarice; the Love of Power, and the Love of Money. Separately each of these has great Force in prompting Men to Action; but when united in View of the same Object, they have in many Minds the most violent Effect. Place before the Eyes of such Men a [Post] of Honor that shall at the same time be a Place of Profit, and they will move Heaven and Earth to obtain it.

The point I think the Ben was making is that if you give people positions of power and money, then the people that will be drawn to those positions are those who have a LOVE for money and power.  Is that the type of person we really want to create laws for us?   This reminds me of two other quotes that I have heard.  The first one was by John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton (Lord Acton).  Lord Acton wrote a letter to the Bishop Madell Creighton in 1887, in that letter he wrote: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.  Great men are almost always bad men."   Another phrase is by William Pit, in the UK House of Lords in 1770, he said, "Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it.".

So, the question is.  Why have we put both Money and Power in the hands of our political elect?  We are setting them and ourselves up for a down fall.   Do you think that maybe term limits on not just the US President, but on Congress, as well as Judges could solve this problem?

Lord Acton also said this, "It is easier to find people fit to govern themselves than people to govern others.  Every man is the best, the most responsible, judge of his own advantage."   The more people we give the ability to rule over us, the harder fall we set ourselves up for.   Who knows better how to govern ourselves then ourselves?  So why are we giving that right to so many corruptible men?

The Obama Administration has created more and more places where power and money meet.  Do we really need more positions in the government?   We have let them create positions to oversee or Health Care, our Financial Matters, how we use Energy, what we Teach our kids.   With all of these positions of for profit power, we are asking for trouble.  We are asking for men to be corrupt, and for men that seek after both those things to govern us.

I am also reminded of a scripture that discusses just this thing.  The scripture is talking about the priesthood of God.  The scripture says that there are many called, but few are chosen.  It then answers the question of why they are not chosen.

35 Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—

36 That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.

37 That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man. [D&C 121:35-37]

I think that we should take what the Lord is telling Joseph Smith on March 20, 1839 while he was being held as a prisoner in the Liberty, Missouri jail to heart.

When a man has been called (or elected to office in this case), and it has been discovered that he has not been chosen (or he is seeking the honors of men, to gratify pride, has vain ambitions, or exercise control) that he needs to be removed from that office.   We also should not be putting people in a position where they cannot be removed from office.

Come this November, we will have a chance to vote.   If you think a person that is up for election is in it for Money, Pride, Control, then you should say to yourself, Amen to the authority of that man.  We should only elect those men to office that are trying to make our country a better place for us.

Anyone that is running or is up for vote or election that you feel does not have your best interest in heart, should not get your vote.   We should withdraw from them, and remove any authority they may currently have, or desire to have.

GET OUT AND VOTE...  It is your ethical and moral obligation to elect those who are just men.

How to live your life...

25. ...  exhorting all men to come unto God, the Holy One of Israel, and believe in prophesying, and in revelations, and in the ministering of angels, and in the gift of speaking with tongues, and in the gift of interpreting languages, and in all things which are good; for there is nothing which is good save it comes from the Lord; and that which is evil cometh from the devil.

26 And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should acome unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an coffering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved.

Omni 1:25-26

Signs of a Bad Economy

I got a pre-declined credit card in the mail.


I ordered a burger at McDonald's and the kid behind the counter asked, "Can you afford fries with that?"
CEO's are now playing miniature golf.

If the bank returns your check marked "Insufficient Funds," you call them and ask if they meant you or them.

Hot Wheels and Matchbox stocks are trading higher than GM.

McDonald's is selling the 1/4 ouncer.

Parents in Beverly Hills fired their nannies and learned their children's names.

A truckload of Americans was caught sneaking into Mexico .

Dick Cheney took his stockbroker hunting.

Motel Six won't leave the light on anymore.

The Mafia is laying off judges.

Exxon-Mobil laid off 25 Congressmen.

Congress says they are looking into this Bernard Madoff scandal. Oh Great!! The guy who made $50 Billion disappear is being investigated by the people who made $1.5 Trillion disappear!

Boy Touch.... Girl Touch....

This weekend was a FUN weekend.  After the regular Saturday and Sunday events, we had a day to ourselves.  If you can call it that.  Momzoo and I went to one of the local fruit stands to buy several boxes of tomatoes.  Then she spent the day making tomato soup, stewed tomatoes, and today she will be making tomato sauce.  The rest of the family got to let their hair down.  (I am sure that we will see a post by Momzoo on her canning activities shortly.)

Our family discovered a fun game, it started when Momzoo and I were attacked by a bunch of kids while we were laying in bed.  Momzoo I think is getting a little annoyed with it.  At the local elementary school, they play what they call "Boy Disease, and Girl Disease".  Basically it is a game of tag, where if you are a girl, you can run up to someone and say Girl Touch (or Girl Disease) and then you have this until you are touched by a boy that yells Boy Touch (or Boy Disease).   Because there are only two boys in our house, and one of them is a 3 year old, we spent most of our time yesterday with Girl Disease.  So we modified the rules a little.  The touch only lasts for an hour, and then the effects are gone.

On two occasions, one of the neighborhood boys would come over to play and I would have them hurry up and boy touch me so I could then tag the rest of the family as boys.  I bet the other neighbors got a kick out of watching us all of a sudden break out in a Boy Touch and Girl Touch war.  I would go running out of the house with the girls all in tow.  I would eventually be unable to keep the girl hoard off me, and would get girl touched.

My 10 year would remember exactly when I would revert back after the hour time limit.  When we were out looking for tomatoes, she called Momzoo.  Momzoo just said I will take care of it, then acted like she needed to whisper in my ear.  I thought that she was going to tell me about something that was going on at home, or let me know about some accident that Punk #2 just told her about.  At that point she just said Girl Touch, and kissed me on the cheek.  Punk #2, made sure that Punk #5 was girl touched, and then called to have mom Girl Touch me.

This morning also had a round of Boy and Girl disease, needless to say, by the time I left from work, I had Girl Disease and they were coming up with a plan to get me when I got home.

The highlight of the day was when my 9 year old and I were working on my model train set.  We were creating some trestle for one of the bridges.  I showed her how to finish some of the details on the trestles I had started to make.  When she told me that she liked days when we were all home so she could spend time with her Daddy.  It is times like that when it feels like the universe is in alignment and everything is good.

In the moment.

In the movie Star Trek: Insurrection there is a scene where Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and an alien woman, Ba'Ku, named Anij (Donna Murphy) live in the moment.  Because of the Ba'Ku's long life, they have learned the ability to slow time.  Or to live in a moment for a time.  Two times in the move, Anij and Picard both slow down time to live in the moment.

Anij: Have you ever experienced, a perfect moment in time?

Captain Picard: A perfect moment?

Anij: When time seemed to stop, and you could almost live, in that moment.

Captain Picard: Seeing my home planet from space, for the first time.

Anij: Yes. Exactly. Nothing more complicated than perception.

Anij: ...We've discovered that a single moment in time can be a universe in itself, full of powerful forces. Most people aren't aware enough of the now to even notice.

I have been thinking a lot lately about living in the moment.  Or being happy with what you have now and enjoying it.  I am not saying that you can't dream, but I also think that you need to be happy with what is happening in the moment or the now as well.

I have a cousin that I think does a very good job of living in the now.  She is always happy (but her Dad does say that she sometimes has her moments).   This cousin has had a hard life, when it comes to medical issues.  She has been in and out of hospitals, has had organ transplants, cancer scares, and the list goes on.  I have to give her a lot of credit.  She is one of the only people I know who if she turned grumpy, and lost her faith in God, people would probably understand.  But she is just the opposite.  She Loves God, and does everything she can to be like him.  And she is one of th most positive and up-beat people I know.   Her family has live outside of Utah longer then they have lived in Utah (or at least it seems that way to me), so I am an outsider.  Every time I have been around her, she has always been in good spirits.  She is an inspiration to me.  She is the perfect example of someone who is living in the now.  Not living in what was, or what could be, but what is happening now.

When we take road trips as a family, we avoid the Highways.  During our recent trip to OK, we bypassed all the big cities, and avoided the interstate as much as possible.  Momzoo and I feel that if we are going to go cross country, that we should see the country, and not see it traveling at a very high rate of speed.   And it paid off, we got to see the CO Rocky Mountains, the plains of KS, and the forests of OK.   It was worth the extra few hours.  Which brings me to my next point.   With the completion of the Pioneer Crossing in Lehi and Saratoga Springs, you now have the option of using a 6 lane road to go from redwood road in Saratoga Springs to the interstate.  I have started using this new road and have been able to cut about 10 minutes off my drive time each way.  But I still take some of the back roads before I get on Pioneer Crossing.  I have a co-worker that thinks I am crazy because on the average I can save another minute by using redwood road instead of the back roads.  Yes, I could maybe save 2 more minutes a day.  And yes, that could maybe save ma a days worth of time over a year.  But why concentrate on where I am going, when I can concentrate on where I am now.  Yes, I could maybe save a couple of minutes a day, but then I would not be able to enjoy the early morning sun on the wheat fields, or the Jordan river as I cross it.  I will give up the couple of minutes to be able to keep sight of nature for a little longer.

I have heard the saying that Life is a Journey, Not a Destination.  I would have to agree with that, if you spend so much time thinking about your destination, or where you are coming from, you can't enjoy the now.  We need to slow life down a little so instead of zipping past it at high speeds with only the destination in mind, we enjoy the journey and take in the now.

The Mexican Fisherman

The Mexican Fisherman

Author Unknown

The American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked.

Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna.

The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied, "Only a little while."

The American then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more fish?"

The Mexican said, "With this I have more than enough to support my family's needs."

The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life."

The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor; eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles and eventually New York where you will run your ever-expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?"

To which the American replied, "15 to 20 years."

"But what then?" asked the Mexican.

The American laughed and said that's the best part. "When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."

"Millions?...Then what?"

The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."

Source: http://www.inspirationpeak.com/shortstories/mexicanfisherman.html