Being Subject to Jesus

While reading the words of Jacob in 2 Nephi, chapter 9, I came across this line:

..it behooveth the great Creator that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him. (verse 5)

I'm not sure I understand this. Jesus became subject to man by letting himself by ridiculed, beaten and killed by humans. He is not the source of our dying, since mortal death came as a result of the fall.

Yet, by using the word 'subject' in both circumstances, Jacob seems to imply there is a similar subjection. As Jesus was subject to man, so must we be subject to Him.

Favourite Commenter

FMH has listed me as a "Favorite Commenter". Pretty cool.

I guess I should comment over there more often.

Of course, maybe it's not that my comments are among their favourites, but perhaps I am their favourite person who happens to comment there once in a while.

Spruce Maps

I've been published on ALA!

A very exciting time. I should point out that the article was originally written last summer, and I have learned a few things since then. Nevertheless, here is Spruced-Up Site Maps (or "Spruce Maps" as ALA cleverly named the URL) in all its glory.

Looks like I got in in the nick of time as well.

ALA is not accepting new articles at this time.

Home Teaching

In this month's Ensign, there is an article on creating effective elders quorums. In the article, there is a reference to an address given by L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. It was given in January 2003 worldwide leadership training meeting.

He spoke of small units in the Church. The counsel also fits when a home teaching base is small. Active home teachers should be assigned according to need, focusing first on new converts. Total coverage may not be achieved for some time. Elder Perry's counsel was: "If, as priesthood leaders, you only help your members keep their covenants with the Lord, you have done measurably what you are expected to do." (p. 33)

So if the Church gave training to ward leaders to make sure home teaching was focused first on new converts, and thereafter making assignments based on need, why do ward and stake leaders still make such unattainable goals as 100% home teaching?

It cannot be because they want to improve home teaching because such goals/programmes never (or at least rarely) result in any sustained improvement.

I can see the wisdom of the Church trying to change the focus of home teaching from quantity to quality. Something like this, if actually practised, can do a lot to change the perception of home teachers that home teaching is less about something that they have to do and more about being something that nourishes others.

The Wise Man

I threw away my fish one day,
And walked behind a man.
His steps were clear and deep and sure
Upon the burning sand.
He walked right by, spoke scant a word,
But drew me still somehow.
I followed close behind the man
As wonder would allow.

It wasn't long before I saw
The depth and breadth inside
This man who took his steady hand
And touched another's eyes.
Then turned a bit and cupped an ear
And turned and felt a tongue.
Then turned once more with outstretched hand
And lifted up someone.

My eyes were wide, my jaw was dropped
As I could not believe
The things I saw with my own eyes
That this man could achieve.
And further on he walked again,
Speaking as he went.
And one by one, the people came
With sleeping roll and tent.

It was me who was with he
The night I nearly drowned.
It was I to whom he cried
To make his children found.
I was there when angels came
And covered him in light.
I was there in that girl's house
When her dawn stopped her night.

I felt his hand upon my head,
His hair around my feet.
I felt the angels pry the locks.
I was almost complete.
I was there when he had prayed
And closed my eyes to sleep.
I was there behind the woods
While they walked that street.

Even then I did not know
All that he had told.
Some things strange and not quite clear,
My mind could not enfold.
Yet then I heard the rooster crow,
And then again twice more.
It was then I realised that
There was so much more.

And though my will was quick to go
My flesh stayed still behind.
I took some time and found my fish
And thought some things behind.
My life had changed these last few years
I was not quite the same.
And there he was, the man I loved,
Calling me by name.

Days went by, and soon I came
Upon the temple gates,
And looked upon a beggar there
And saw his lonely state.
"Look on us" I called to him
And so he cast his eyes.
"We have no coins, but this we have:
In Jesus' name, arise."

And as I took him by the arm
And lifted him to stand.
I felt the spirit pierce my heart
And power leave my hand.
He stood steadfast, with solid feet,
And then I felt anew.
For now my faith was full, a stone,
And now it all I knew.

Multiple Meanings

Have you noticed how some Mormon phrases consist of words with multiple meanings, but somehow the meaning of the phrase includes only one possible meaning?

Let me be clearer. Let's take "free agency". Often, people interpret it to mean that it is a free gift; it is given to us without a cost. However, it could also be interpreted to refer to agency that brings makes us free or brings us freedom (as in freedom of bondage to our sinful choices).

Another example: "Abstain from all appearance of evil." (1 Thes. 5:22) "Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?" (2 Ne. 4:31)

A very common interpretation of the phrase "appearance of sin" is that we should avoid anything that may appear sinful. For example, we should avoid drinking hot chocolate at work because people might think we are drinking coffee, or we should avoid eating in a pub because some member might see us leaving and think we were drinking alcohol.

However, "appearance of sin" could also refer to when sin appears or shows its head.

If more people thought about how different phrases such as these two could be interpreted, I wonder how fewer fanatical or self-righteous people would exist?

Wonder Woman

The most phenomenal woman in the world ran the annual Moonlight Run in Lethbridge last week and had a great placing. It was her first race. She ran the 6K length.

She was one of the top ten finalists in her category, the top 17% of all women, and the top twenty-fifth percentile of all 6K participants.

Her finish time was 39:57:26.

To think that my children have her genes.

Nude Photo at University of Calgary

Two editors of the University of Calgary student newspaper have been suspended without pay because of a photo they allowed to be published that included a nude woman. The woman had paraded through the U of C food court completely naked except for a chain mail bikini as part of the student union's Union Sexual Health Awareness show.

The public outcry that erupted from the publishing ranged from the Students' Union calling the photo in "poor taste,"...

There's the pot calling the kettle black. It's not like it was a posed photo shoot. The photo was taken of an actual event, and an event the student union had organised. If anyone should be accused of having poor taste, it should be the student union, not the reporters.

Additionally, the photographed exotic dancer, who goes by Honey Huston and happens to be a U of C student, has demanded that the Gauntlet be shut down.

That's just ridiculous. She wants them shut down because they reported on a stunt that she did? They didn't doctor the photos. It wasn't like they photographed her having sex with her boyfriend and then published it on the Internet. The reported on a public event in a public forum as journalists. If she didn't like her photo being published, why did she decide to walk nude through the food court?

Scripture Mastery

We had the full-time missionaries over for supper a few days ago and the spiritual message they left was the beginning of King Benjamin's sermon.

And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God. (Mosiah 2:17)

Innocent enough.

Yet when the elder was expounding on the words of King Benjamin, he stated something that perked up my ears. He said that this was the first time he had ever come across the passage.

When I was in seminary, this was a "scripture mastery" scripture. Do they not have scripture mastery any more?

Not Good For Belly or Body

So I just realised something today while reading the Word of Wisdom. For the things from which we are to abstain, the Lord gives reasoning for why should abstain. However, he gives different reasons for each item.

He tells us strong drinks are not good for the belly, but we can use them to wash our bodies. He tells us that tobacco is not for the belly or the body, but can be used to treat bruises. He tells us that hot drinks are not for the belly or the body.

With the way the Word of Wisdom is taught and treated today, you'd think the Lord treated them all equally.

Idea Interconnectivity in the Scriptures

Have you every noticed how words and ideas are interconnected in the scriptures?

For example, in Lehi's famous vision he sees a tree of life that bears beautiful, white fruit that fills one with joy upon being consumed. In 1 Ne. 11:25, we learn that the tree of life symbolises the love of God. Nevertheless, Nephi never reveals what the fruit of the tree of life symbolises. If the fruit brings great joy and makes the eater of it want to share it with others, then we would want to know what it symbolises.

While Nephi never reveals what it symbolises, by comparing two scriptures, we can determine what brings us so much joy.

Wherefore, the wicked are rejected from the righteous, and also from that tree of life, whose fruit is most precious and most desirable above all other fruits; yea, and it is the greatest of all the gifts of God. (1 Ne. 15:36)

And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God. (D&C 14:7)

By comparing these two verses, we can determine that the fruit of the tree of life is eternal life. Eternal life is the fruit of the love of God and is the source of our joy.

Here are some other scriptures that illustrate perfectly the interconnectivity of ideas in the scriptures.

For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. (Moses 1:39)

The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth. (D&C 93:36)

For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ. (D&C 84:45)

And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God. (1 Ne. 11:25)

By following such connections, we have determined that the iron rod not only stands for the word of God, but it also represents light, truth, intelligence, the Spirit of Jesus, the glory of God and bringing to pass our eternal life and immortality.

How cool is that?

The Killers to Open For U2

Rock 106, a Lethbridge radio station, just announced that The Killers will be opening for U2 during U2's European tour.

How cool is that? A band with a Mormon front man singing at the same place as a band to whom my sexy wife sent a Book of Mormon.

That would be an awesome concert.

UPDATE: The Killers website shows they will be opening in June and July at four venues.

Sister Nelson Passed Away

Did you know that Dantzel Nelson, wife of Elder Russell M. Nelson passed away last month? I only found out now.

It's amazing the difference in media coverage between the wife of the prophet dying and the wife of an apostle dying. When Sister Hinckley died, I knew about it within hours of it happening because it was all over the Internet. I cannot say this was the case when Sister Nelson passed away.

Interesting.

Symbolism and Realism in the Scriptures

At this point in time, I believe it is generally accepted among members of the Church that God did not create the Earth in six 24-hour periods. It is generally accepted that the six day declaration is simply symbolic and is probably more accurately six periods of undetermined time.

What I wonder then is if this one thing—one quite significant thing—can be figurative, why can other things not be figurative? For that matter, how do we determine what is figurative and what is literal?

How do we determine if Adam really was made by a clump of dust and Eve from his rib? How do we determine if Noah’s flood covered the entire earth? How do we determine if the Tower of Babel was several kilometers high? How do we determine if Lot’s wife became a pillar of salt? How do we determine if Jericho fell apart because of some noise? How do we determine if the Nile was turned to blood? How do we determine if Jesus walked on water? How do we determine if Jesus brought Lazarus from the dead?

The list of questions goes on.

How do we differentiate between symbolism and realism?

The Iron Rod

Have you ever noticed how a rod of iron does not completely work as an accurate analogy for the word of God? Sure, both the iron rod and the word of God lead to the tree of life. Nevertheless, since the iron rod is a straight line, technically, it also leads away from the tree of life. Certainly the word of God does not.

Missionary Tags

Given the churchwide changes to the stake mission in 2002, an entire section of the 1998 Church Handbook of Instructions was out of date. As such, the Church has issued an insert to replace the section on stake and ward missionary work.

The following two things stuck out:

1. Ward missionaries are not required to work a specific amount of time per week


2. Ward missionaries are not required to wear name tags

When I was a ward mission leader, I was expected to put in 10 hours of missionary work per week and I was to wear my name tag. The thing that really got me was the name tag.

You see, we did not have a vehicle, so we walked to church. My daughter, my wife and me all dressed up in my suit and missionary tag. I always wondered what persons were thinking who passed by us and saw a clean cut, young man in a dark suit and a missionary name tag walking with a beautiful woman and a baby girl.

Where Has My Mission Gone?

I’ve been home from my mission for over ten years. I have never been back to Utah since I returned home. I have kept in contact with only one person I taught, and the contact has totaled two emails.

I often wonder how the people I taught are doing. The youngest I taught would be in their twenties now. I wonder how many of the children and youth served missions. I wonder how many still go to church. I wonder what callings the ones who stayed with the Church have held. I wonder if they are all still alive. I wonder if any have married in the temple or are raising children in the gospel.

I wish email was around when I was on my mission.

Mormonism for Dummies

If you find the Book of Mormon a hard read and difficult to use for finding out about the Mormon Church, why not pick up a copy of Mormonism for Dummies?

The book sums of the Church's history in six pages and approaches issues such as "blacks [and] the priesthood,...roles of women, birth control, homosexuality, and involvement in politics."

View chapter 1, the index, and the table of contents.

On page 16, I came across this statement: Some Mormons joke that LDS really stands for "Let’s drink Sprite," in reference to many Mormons' decision to keep away from cola. Now I have lived in three provinces and served my mission in Utah, Arizona and Nevada. I never once heard anyone say "LDS" stands for "Let's Drink Sprite". Has anyone heard of this usage?

Fullness of the Gospel

It is not uncommon to hear members of the Church proclaiming that we have all the truth or that within the Mormon Church is found the fullness fo the gospel. This is particularly true when comparing ourselves to other religions and faiths.

I have to wonder though if this is something we can truly claim as a part fo our Church.

For example, only a third of the golden plates was translated into the Book of Mormon. Do the other two thirds contain truths we have not learned? Only a small portion of Jewish and Christina manuscripts ever made it into the Bible. Do the manuscripts that were not included contain truths we have not learned?

If we indeed do have a fullness of the gospel and all truth is found in our Church, what does that say toward our belief in continuing revelation? If the gospel has been fully restored and all truths are present, does that imply God will no longer reveal new truths to our prophet? Does that mean our prophet will be more of a president than a prophet?

Strong Drinks and Hot Drinks

Our bishop came up with the novel idea of having the bishopric (ward clerk and executive secretary included) stand up at the front and sing a musical number. That's an entire post in itself.

Anyhow, we were discussing this yesterday and the ward music chair wants to meet with us after our bishopric meeting on Tuesday to go over the piece. Unfortunately, she can't do it until after 9:30 and we'll probably be done way before then.

One of the counsellors suggested that we go to DQ for Blizzards while we wait. Bishop was unsure he wanted to do that before he sang. I told him he could have the cheesecake Blizzard and the cheesecake would cancel out the effects of the ice cream.

Anyhow, again, I went on to say that I thought I would have a mocha Blizzard this time and they all laughed. I said, well, it'd not a hot drink; they just use the granules that make the hot drink.

One of the counsellors then went on to talk about an experience he had this past week at a relative's house. His wife made a salad with a vinaigrette dressing. Someone asked what was in the dressing because it was very tasty. She listed all the ingredients including some cooking wine. The wife of the person who asked went berserk. She’s pregnant and accused the counsellor's wife of trying to hurt her baby.

I piped it at this story and said, “Well it wasn't a strong drink. It was eaten with a salad.”

Does it matter if something is flavoured with coffee or cooked with alcohol? The Word of Wisdom specifically states drinks.

March Mormon Moustache Madness

Hear ye, hear ye. All men of the Bloggernacle within the sound of my voice lend me your ears.

I officially declare the month of March 2005 to be March Mormon Moustache Madness. All Mormon men are encouraged to grow their moustaches during the month of March 2005.

That's right. All posters and commenters, lurkers and trolls; it's time to don your dalies, elongate your englishes, force your fu manchus, heighten your handlebars, instigate your imperials, protrude your pencils and wiggle out your walruses.

What gives me the authority to declare March as March Mormon Moustache Madness? Well, it's March, I'm Mormon, I have a moustache (well, slightly so) and I'm mad (well, slightly so).

So, during the month of March, grow out your moustaches and send me a photo. I will post the photos I receive here. There are free gMail invites to be had for the best moustaches—everything from the bushiest to the scrawniest to the best handlebars.

In fact, I'll give away two gMail invites to the moustache wearer(s) of who hold(s) the highest office in the LDS Church. If the highest one is a bishop, all bishop contestants will get a gMail invite. If the highest one is a stake president, all stake president contestants will get an invite.

Photos should be at least 300 pixels wide and must be sent to my email address (see my profile). Blogger doesn't allow images to be posted in comments. Oh, and the moustache cannot accompany a beard. Moustaches only.

(I am sure to get excommunicated for this one.)

Single Senior Missionary Men

Young single women can serve missions. So can young single men.

Married women can serve missions with their husbands. Vice versa with married men.

Older women who are single/widowed can serve mission. So can...oh, wait...

Widowers can't serve missions. Neither can older bachelors.

Why is this?

International Mormons Against American Domination

Over at Mormon Shadow, Ronan revealed the establishment of his International Mormons Against American Domination guerrilla organisation.

It seems their first order of business is to remove basketball courts from all LDS chapels in the UK and replace them with soccer fields. What a great idea.

Canadians don't play basketball. We have only two NBA franchises for Pete's sake, and they've only been around since the 1990s. The only Canadians that even watch basketball are Mormons.

That being said, I don't think soccer fields would go over very well here either. So I propose that IMAAD installs hockey rinks in Canada. If that won't do, I think we'd settle for lacrosse or rugby fields.

I'm not much of an athlete anymore (especially with my arthritis), so I'd personally prefer a pool hall.

Feminist Mormon Housewives

I've received consistent traffic from the Mormon Archipelago lately. You gotta love it. However, what I noticed today is that I'm giving out the lovin' as well.

According to eXTReMe Tracking, I am the most popular referring blog for Feminist Mormon Housewives after T&S & BCC. Given the traffic T&S and BCC both garner, I find this somewhat amazing. Well, I hope I am sending some quality contributors over Lisa's way.

Community of Christ New President

According to Mormon Wasp, Stephen Veazey, president of the Council of the Twelve Apostles of the Community of Christ (formerly known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) has been appointed prophet. That is, unless delegates throughout the Church vote down the decision of the Twelve.

When Grant McMurray resigned as president last year due to personal problem, it left an opening, and Veazey is to fill it.

Which is fine and all, but if the creation of the church revolved around Joseph Smith's successor being a descendant and not the president of the Twelve, why are they still separated from the main body of the Saints?

Val Kilmer Plays Joseph Smith?

According to T&S, Richard Dutcher claims that he now has all the funds necessary to produce his new film on Joseph Smith. He also confirmed that Val Kilmer is interested in the lead role. In the T&S thread, one commenter thinks that only a member of the church with a testimony of the Prophet should play him. Given my theatre experience and the fact I have occasionally had someone state I look(ed) like Joseph Smith, I'd be happy to do it.

Doubt that would happen though. American filmmakers—especially LDS ones—don't come to Canada looking for actors.

Anyhow, I don't think someone's religious affiliation should be a consideration in casting. Look what happened to the flop that the Book of Mormon Movie was. I'd rather see a non-member experienced actor playing Joseph Smith that an active member, but poor actor playing him.

Brandon Flowers is Mormon

Turns out Brandon Flowers, lead singer for The Killers, is a Mormon. (Hat tip to the Times)

Spin once described you as an ex-Mormon. Is religion important in your life?

It’s very important. I mean, it’s important in everyone’s life. Basic religion is the reason we have morals. I am actually a Mormon, not an ex-Mormon. I occasionally drink and smoke, but I’m trying—I’m human.

Some people might say he would be a bad example for the youth or that he reflects badly on the Church. Personally, I say kudos to him for identifying with the Church. Not every popular entertainer does that. I wonder if KZION will pick this up.

Mr. Brightside on KZION? That'd be cool.

Translated Correctly

The eighth article of faith states that we believe the Bible to the word of God as far as it is translated correctly. Does this hold true for the Book of Mormon as well?

For example, take a look at Ether 11:1 from the Book of Mormon:

And there came also in the days of Com many prophets, and prophesied of the destruction of that great people except they should repent, and turn unto the Lord, and forsake their murders and wickedness.

Does this make sense to anyone? Who prophesied? The many prophets? A single prophet? Someone else? It doesn't say.

It doesn't say, "many prophets, who prophesied" or "many prophets, and they prophesied".

Can someone shed any light on this? Why has the subject been omitted?

UPDATE: While having compaionship scripture study last night, I came across another occurence in verse 12.

And it came to pass that in the days of Ethem there came many prophets, and prophesied again unto the people; yea, they did prophesy that the Lord would utterly destroy them from off the face of the earth except they repented of their iniquities.

Two verses cannot be a coincidence. I must be missing soemthing.

Shortcut Prayers

With one month left on my mission, the mission president assigned me a brand new missionary to train. The logistics of that is a post for another day.

Anyhow, at my companion’s first district training meeting, we sang a hymn and knelt for opening prayer. The elder asked to say the prayer said something along the lines of the following:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Prayer #9.

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

We all stood up to do our missionary recitations (Standard of truth, D&C 4, etc), and my companion stayed kneeling on the floor completely dumbstruck. After the rest of us stopped laughing, we knelt again and offered a more thorough prayer.

That’s probably a guaranteed passage-to-hell ticket.

Killing One's Child

So, last night, this man takes his five-year-old daughter to the top of an overpass that crosses the busy 401 freeway in Toronto. Then he jumps off the overpass and takes his daughter with him, intent on killing them both.

Why? How could a father kill his five-year-old daughter? How could a parent ever kills his/her child? where does the unconditional love go that was there when the child was a baby? How does someone get to the point where something other than the life of his/her child is more important?

I cannot fathom this. I cannot fathom ever trying to kill my daughter.

This girl has not only lost her father but the last memory she will ever carry with her of him will be that he tried to kill her.

What a sad day.

Do It Unto the Least of These

He clasped the coal, still glowing red, from off his wooden floor
And placed it back within the flame. A knock was at his door.
T'was dark outside and very late, and the snow fell thick and hard.
He knew not of a single soul who would trek across his yard.

He cautiously stood from his knees and crept across the room.
Unsure who waited there outside beneath the crescent moon.
His hand reached out, then paused a bit, then grabbed the metal latch.
Pulling down, familiar creaks, and then the lock did catch.

Before his face stood weary thin, a man so dark and frail.
His bony hands, chapped and raw, gripped the iron rail.
His clothes were thin, ripped and worn. No hat was on his head.
T'was in his hand, upside down, a dark and dirty red.

His eyes looked back, dark and wide, and shadowed from the light.
His hair was long and full of knots and pathetic to the sight.
His bearded chin began to quake, and parched lips began to part.
His words were short and almost dead, but shot straight to the heart.

He brought him in and sat him down upon a wooden chest.
The man obliged, moving slow, grateful for the rest.
The stranger's boots were taken off to dry beside the fire.
His feet were bare, no socks in sight, and sore and wet and tired.

A blanket fell, thick and dry, upon his crooked back.
A ceramic tub soaked his feet, misshapen and quite cracked.
Within a moment, a platter sat upon his feeble lap.
With bread and cheese, an apple too, and water from the tap.

When he was done, he was led across the narrow hall.
To a spacious room, with a double bed, and a mirror on the wall.
The mattress firm, the blankets heavy, laid well upon himself.
And as he closed his heavy eyes, he glanced toward a shelf.

When the host awoke that morn and rose from off the floor
He saw the boots were now long gone and his guest was too no more.
The bed was made, the covers tight, and a book lay there on top.
He lifted it, glanced the page and then his eyes did stop.

He saw the words from long ago describe what he had done.
He saw a man in need of care and brought him in his home.
And now the words he read just then caused guilt and pain, regret.
For he had paused and questioned why to help this stranger yet.

Under Assignment from the Stake

When I was called as Elders Quorum President nine years ago, I was dumfounded.

I had been a counsellor for a year, so I was familiar with how things worked, but it’s one thing to take care of delegated task; it is quite another to hold keys that oversee the use of the Melchizedek Priesthood in an entire quorum. To top it off, I was the youngest person in the quorum. It hadn’t even been two years since I had returned home from my mission.

At the time, the bishop was concerned that too many members were coming to him with problems that could have been dealt with by the member's home teachers or priesthood leaders. Along with the high priests group leader, it was up to me to convince the older members of my quorum to come to me for spiritual guidance and welfare needs.

It was a daunting task, but one I think my counsellors and I were able to accomplish. Through ministry visits, monthly home teaching interviews and Sunday instruction, we were able to build a rapport and relationship with the brethren than we had previously.

I never gave anywhere near the number of blessings during the two years on my mission as I did the two years as elders quorum presidents. It was a very spiritual experience.

One experience sticks out though that never spiritually uplifted me. In fact, it left a bad taste in my mouth.

There was a member of my quorum who was not working outside of the home. His wife was. In fact, this brother—who was actually a friend of ours—was waiting for a job to fall in his lap and his wife was taking up the slack in the meantime. The stake president assigned me to discuss this matter with the brother and convince him that providing for his family was his responsibility.

I took my first counsellor and we visited the family. We chatted a little while about this and that and the entire time I was dreading brining this matter up. But bring it up I did, eventually. I told him that he needs to get a job and support his family.

They were polite and he said things like "I have a few resumes out there". Then we parted.

That was the last they ever spoke to me. They even avoided me at church, and he used his position in the stake to avoid attending our ward. Our friendship had shattered.

He never did get a job until one fell in his lap about a year or so later.

What good came out of it?

Four RCMP Officers Killed

Four young RCMP officers were shot and killed this week after trying to stake out a marijuana growing operation on a farm north of Edmonton.

Not since law enforcement officials tried to exterminate the Métis people in 1885 has this many offices been killed in the line of duty in Canada.

This is a sad day indeed.

While I am not advocating the criminilisation or the decriminalisation of marijuana, certainly some will point out that had marijuana not been illegal, these four officers would be alive today.

Mormon Archipelago

The Mormon Archipelago, of which Our Thoughts is a member, has set-up a new website. It has not only feeds from MA members, it has feeds for some of the Bloggernacle's more popular blogs. It also has a search feature so you can search the text of the most recent articles from all of these blogs.

Origin of Priesthood Blessings

It is a common perception that when someone gives a priesthood blessing, every word that comes to him is what is said in the blessing. Every word spoke in straight from the mouth of God.

It does not happen this way with me. When I give a blessing, a thought is put into my mind and I express that thought into words. In essence, it is the idea that is of divine origins, not every word I speak.

Is this similar to the process that others experience?

Hate the Sinner, Love the Choice

Mormons with a liberal outlook on life have come to a point where they can hate the sin, but love the choice.

For example, many liberal Mormons do not support homosexual sex, but support gay marriage. Many do not support abortion, but support a woman’s right to choose. Many do not support tobacco consumption, but support the freedom for others to purchase tobacco. The list goes one.

Why do others who are not so liberal not make this distinction? Why do they see support for the choice to perform an action the same as support for the action?

The Ideal Calling

My ideal calling is that of ward clerk.

What’s your ideal calling?

Abortion and the Right to Kill

One of the common arguments of pro-choice proponents is that a women’s choice to have an abortion or not is a right. If this is true, and I am not arguing it is or not, then this right would supersede any right the embryo/foetus would have to life.

How is the right to choice overriding right to life determined?

In parallel, persons have the right to choose to defend themselves and that right could extend to killing someone. In that regard, they are superseding someone’s right to life. Of course, the parallel ends there because certainly abortion is not the same as self defense.

Five Years and Mormon Cinema

March marks five years since Excel Entertainment released God’s Army in limited theatres in the United States. Certainly in the past five years a lot has happened in the LDS film industry, but are we any better off? Has LDS film become respected?

When we saw Other Side of Heaven in the theatre someone walked out as soon as the Mormon references emerged. Does that same sort of thing happen today? Are people going to see The Work and The Glory who are not Mormon?

Are we producing films simply for consumption, or are there though-provoking, well-written films being produced?

What is going to happen from now until March 2010?