Seasons Of Life

An Open Address to the Youth of the World

2012-01-21T14:02:00.000-05:00

I do not mean to come across as being callous, cruel, or mean-spirited, but the older I get, the more discouraged and dishearten I become as I watch some of our young people - the future of our world, place themselves in a proverbial box called defeatism. Unquestionably, some of us have grown up in unfavorable conditions and in an unkind society that constantly reminds us, and in some cases has thoroughly convinced us, that our father never amounted to much, and our mother has never amounted to much, and so, as the proverbial apple never seems to fall far from the tree, we ourselves can expect to never amount to much either. The tragedy of it all is that society is not alone in painting this picture of hopelessness and despair, but that same picture hangs on the walls in our homes, as well as, in the classrooms of our schools.

I wish to send a very clear, precise, and concise message to our youth of today: the time has come for you to stop wallowing in the mud of hopelessness and slowly drowning yourselves in the sea called despair. Now is the time to break free from that proverbial box that you have found yourselves in, and from the strangling chords of the voices of naysayers who preach negativism and defeatism. Rise above your current station in life. You can if you believe that you can!

Maybe it is true that your father and mother have never done anything to make an honorable name for themselves, or have ever tried to get out of their current situations and better themselves. Maybe it is true that you were born in unfavorable and adverse conditions. Maybe it is true that all of your young life people have done nothing but knock you down and kick you while you were down. However, it does not have to stay that way. Though the night may seem dark and dreary, nighttime only last for a season and then the morning comes. And with the dawning of the morning comes a light of hope that shines bright as the noon day sun.

Now is the time for you to start realizing that you are not your father and you are not your mother. God Almighty has made each of us uniquely YOU. He has meted to you and me a measure of faith, hope, courage, talents, and abilities. It is time for you to put behind you those things that once were, and press forward to obtain those things that can, and (with faith, hope, patience, determination, and endurance) will be. Stop listening to the perpetual lies of those who do not have your best interest at heart, and start believing in yourself. You can do whatever it is you have a mind to do, and you can become whatever it is that you have a desire to become in life, but YOU have to believe that you can do it. If you cannot believe in yourselves, how can you honestly expect anyone else to?

Do not become discouraged if at first you do not succeed at doing something, but try and try again knowing that the road to success is often filled with potholes called failure. Many a success in life has been wrought through heartache and failure, so don't let that stop you. Even along the road of success will be hurdles and discouragement which you will have to get over, but don't let that stop you either. Continue to run your race with your head held high and a song of hope and gladness in your heart. You may not be the first to cross the finishing line, but then the winner of a race is not always necessarily the swiftest runner in the race, but he who runs his race well by remaining focused, staying his course, and enduring to the end.

There will be times along the way when you may become weary. Stop and rest for a little while if you must, but don't give up, give in, or quit. Remain focused on your goals and objectives. The finishing line is just in sight. You can make it. Yes you can! May God give you the hope, courage, faith, and determination to endure to the end. God bless you all!

A New Day Dawning

2011-12-31T22:39:00.003-05:00

Where has the time gone? It is hard to believe that in just a few short hours another year will have come and gone and will have taken its place among the annals of history. It seems that with each passing year, though the amount of days and hours remain the same, the hands of time seem to move at a much swifter rate. With all of the incidences that occur in life over the course of a year, sometimes even the swiftest runner in the race can find it difficult to maintain a steady pace.

As a new day dawns on the horizon inviting the beginning of a brand new year, what will the pages of history record as a descriptive summary of the year that we are about to bid farewell to? Perhaps the words from the opening paragraph of Charles Dickens' timeless classic "A Tale of Two Cities" could be used to put the cap on the pen after the final words of this, another chapter in our lives has been written. Describing the times about which he was writing, the English novelist wrote:

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.
As I reflect upon the events that have occurred in my own personal life during this past year, I could honestly surmize that the days now gone by have been some of the best of times, as well as, some of the worst of times. There have been many mountains to climb and many rivers to cross. There have been some lofty mountain top experiences, and there have been some seemingly cold and lonely nights spent in low valleys. There have been times of laughter and great rejoicing, and there have been times of tears and great sorrow. But, through it all, I have been blessed and sustained by the tender mercies of the Lord. I am ever mindful of the words of the Psalmist when he said, "weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning" (Psalm 30:5).

Sometimes, if I allow myself to focus on only the negatives, it can seem as if there is no joy to be had. It becomes easy to immitate Ophelia from William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" and find myself crying, "O, woe is me, To have seen what I have seen, see what I see!" However, I choose not to focus on the negatives. Instead I see the negatives - the challenges that I often face in my life - as stepping stones that eventually lead me to greener pastures where I have a chance to sit and rest beside still waters as the Lord restores my soul.

Tonight is New Year's Eve, and of this night, Hamilton Wright Mabie, an American essayist, editor, critic, and lecturer once said:
New Year's eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights.And it was Hal Borland, a well-known American author and journalist who said, "Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us."

With the new day dawning, and as the Lord allows me to go on, and as my thoughts are turned heavenward, I resolve to continue to "lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. [For] my help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer [my] foot to be moved: he that keepeth [me] will not slumber" (Psalm 121:1-3). I further resolve to "be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season" (Psalm 1:3). I know that as I delight in the law of the Lord, and meditate upon His law by day and by night, the leaves of my tree shall not wither, and whatsoever I do shall prosper. (See Psalm 1: 2,3) And I also resolve to forget those things which are behind and reach forth unto those things which are before, pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (See Philippians 3:13,14)

As the new day dawns, we will open the book to a brand new page to begin writing a new chapter in our life. How will we begin this new chapter? No matter how we choose to begin, the words that we write, and the story that we will tell will be our own. As we begin a brand new year let us be reminded of the words of wisdom of English author G.K. Chesterton who said:
The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes. Unless a particular man made New Year resolutions, he would make no resolutions. Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective. I wish for all of you a bright, productive, and successful New Year. God bless!

~ Keith Lionel Brown, Annapolis Maryland, 31 December 2011

Is it any wonder?

2011-12-27T23:38:00.000-05:00

WhenI watch local news broadcast or read some of the articles in the localnewspapers or on the internet, and I learn of some of the horrific things thatare taking place in our world today, I cannot help but wonder if we are rapidlyreturning to the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, or are we already there?

WhenI was a young boy growing up it seemed that such words as honesty, integrity,morality, decency, and family all had special meaning. My parents did not haveto worry about what I was watching on television because the programs that wereshown had the same values that they taught us in the home. A family show wasexactly that - a family show, with emphasis on family.

Todayeven the "family shows" contain sexual undertones in their scripts.What was once considered taboo and would have never been shown on livetelevision is now the highlight of a lot of television shows. At any time ofthe day or night one can turn on their television and see programs thatundermine the sanctity of the family unit by supporting such things as premaritalrelationships, alternative lifestyle relationships, and sexual innuendos thatleave nothing to the imagination. All the while these things are beingportrayed as if they are or should be accepted as the social norm, and thosewho oppose such things are the ones who are branded as social misfits or sociallyabnormal.

Television;however, is not the only media that has become grossly infected by theimmorality of our society. Notice how many ratings we have on movies today inan effort to filter the appropriate age group that should be allowed to see themovies that are produced. With that, there are some of us with inquiring mindswho would like to know how Hollywood can justify putting a child in a moviethat the child is not allowed to go to the theater and watch because he isunderage. There appears to be some double standards involved. One could supposethat the child actor helps to bring in the ratings and cash flow for the moviethat is being produced, and so it is alright to have him on the set to shootcertain scenes and then have him leave when other scenes are being shot. It islike putting the child into a pit full of poisonous snakes and snatching himout just as one of them is about to strike and inject its deadly venom. Theattitude is that the child did not get bit so all is well.

Themusic industry has also contributed to the immoral behaviors that are takingplace in our society today. I personally believe that parents need to be alittle more proactive and pay stricter attention to some of the lyrics thattheir children listen to and the messages that certain songs send out. I am notadvocating that we should only listen to Church hymns, but certainly we shouldbe a little more discerning in our music selection.

Wehave fast become a society of people that lives by the philosophy that,“Everyone is doing it so it must be alright.” With that mentality, one couldassume that if everyone were jumping off a high tower into freezing cold water,and there was a person who was afraid of heights or did not know how to swim;in order to be a part of the “normal” crowd they should just jump anyway andhope for the best. How insane is that?

Weare living in a day when what was once considered undeniably wrong is nowconsidered totally acceptable, and that which has always been consideredacceptable is now considered something to do only if it feels right, or even insome cases is considered an insane way of thinking or doing things. The thingsthat once seared our conscience have become things that we tend to overlook ordismiss completely. Is it any wonder that our world is in the shape that it isin?

WhenI was a young boy, couples on TV never slept together in the same bed, and theidea of walking around half-clothed or totally nude, or having open sex actswould have never been heard of. Now, you can turn on the TV to almost anychannel and almost expect to see such things. The sad thing is that parentsallow their children to watch those things without realizing the impressionthat it makes on their young minds. Do parents not realize that whatever ayoung child sees, or hears for that matter, is what he will try to imitate?

Andit is not only what children watch on television, see in movies, or learn fromlyrics of a song that influences them, but the behaviors that they observe intheir own homes also have a very strong influence on them. My parents wouldhave never walked around the house half-dressed or totally nude in front of theirchildren, and we were not allowed to run around half-dressed or nude either. Wewere taught to have respect for our bodies, and also to have respect forothers. Yet there are some families in the world that believe living the nudistlifestyle is a lifestyle that should be accepted by society. These days you canalso walk into the local grocery store and see more than one should, or justlook at some of the kids that walk down the street and the way their parentsallow them to dress.

Isit any wonder that sex crimes are on the rise today? Is it any wonder that thenumber of unwed teenage pregnancies is higher than it has ever been? Is it anywonder that it seems with each passing generation, our children are becomingmore sexually active at younger ages, and are "experimenting" withsex with people of the opposite and/or same gender - of the same age group, orsometimes even older? Is it any wonder?

Scripturesteach us that we are to be in the world, but not of the world. That does notmean that we should hibernate or go and bury our heads in the sand to avoidbeing influenced by the wickedness of the world, rather we need to be beaconsof shining light to be the most positive influence that we can be on the world.There is indeed a vast difference in being influenced by the world, andinfluencing the world. We have to live in the world, but we do not have tofrolic and play on its dangerous playgrounds and entertain its foolish follies.

Inso many ways we are heading back to the days of Sodom and Gomorrah. It is nowonder that God said that He would never destroy the world again by a flood,but next time the fire!

Ileave these thoughts with you humbly in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesusthe Christ. Amen.

The Measure Of A Father

2011-12-27T10:21:00.002-05:00

It seems to me that when awriter sets out to write a story or an article, he should have a certain amountof knowledge about the subject that he is about to address. For example, inthis article I wish to talk about fathers and some of the things that qualifythem as good fathers; however, I have never been a father, and thus I am notqualified to write this article from a father’s point of view. However, I am ason, and based on my credentials as a son, I will share my thoughts on thequalities that a son looks for in the man that he calls his father.

It was George Herbert, aWelsh born English poet, orator, and Anglican Priest who said, "One fatheris more than a hundred schoolmasters." In applying what he said inrelation to my own father, I find his statement to be worth its weight in gold.There were many things which my father taught me through word and example thatno school teacher could ever begin to teach me. The life lessons that my fathertaught me could never be learned from the pages of a textbook. Those lessonscould only be learned through practicality, patience, perseverance, andendurance. There is a French proverb that states, ""A father is abanker provided by nature." My father did not possess a lot of worldlywealth that he could impart to me, but he filled my life's bank account withmany gold nuggets of intrinsic worth. In retrospect, I find that the words ofwisdom and counsel that he shared with me were of great value, and has helped tokeep the needle of my compass pointed in the direction that I should go. Assomeone has wisely said, ""What a father says to his children is notheard by the world, but it will be heard for posterity."

My father was a simple manborn of humble beginnings. He worked hard all of his life to have the thingsthat he needed for himself and to support his small family. He was not acelebrity or a world renown scholar. He had a close circle of friends, andthose who knew him, knew him well. But, perhaps it was Anne Sexton, an Americanpoet, who said it best when she said, "It doesn't matter who my fatherwas; it matters who I remember he was." Based on that premise, as Ireflect upon the life that my father lived and the example that he set beforethis son and his three siblings, I recall some of the qualities that I admiredabout him and that I believe every child would look for in their own father.

Let me preface my remarks byfirst making mention of the fact that just because a male is biologically ableto help create a new life, it does not imply that he is a true father, nor doesit entitle him to the honor of bearing the title of “father.” As Wilhelm Busch, an influential German caricaturist, painter, and poet once said, “Tobecome a father is not hard, to be a father is, however." James ArthurBaldwin, an American novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social criticsaid, "If the relationship of father to son could really be reduced tobiology, the whole earth would blaze with the glory of fathers and sons."

Before a male can rightfullycall himself a father he must take on the responsibilities of being a fatherand demonstrate through his love, devotion, and commitment that he himself isno longer a child, but is indeed now a man who is ready to do those thingswhich a father is called to do.

Being a father is more thangoing to work, putting food on the table, providing shelter, and providing forall the other necessities of life. A tremendous part of being a father is beingthere in the good times, as well as the bad. Being a good father means that youare there when the sun is shining the brightest, and especially when the stormclouds are the blackest and the angry billows on the seas of life are ragingout of control.

Being a good and faithful fatheralso means that you are the Patriarch and Priest of your home. There areresponsibilities that are solely yours and cannot be pawned off on someoneelse. You are the literal mountain that your children run to for solace andcomfort in times of difficulties and heartaches when they feel that there isnowhere else for them to run to. A father does not place the burden of carryingall of the cares and woes upon the mother’s shoulders, but a true fatherrealizes that one cannot do it all alone, but by working together in unity asfather and mother, they can conquer any mountain that they may face.

A real father shows hischildren that he loves their mother. Through his love and devotion he teacheshis children that their mother is first a special, choice daughter of theirHeavenly Father. He further teaches them that she is his equal, that she isindeed the queen of the home, and that she deserves all the honor, love andrespect that is due her. Through his example he also demonstrates to hischildren the proper relationship that should exist between a mother and afather, and he especially teaches his sons how they are to some day treat their own wife.

A real father is also aleader. He is not a tyrant. He does not demand the respect of his children, butearns it through his love and genuine concern for each of them. He does notjust tell his children what to do, but takes the time to show them how to dothings correctly. He is there when his children make mistakes and stumble andfall, as they will, to pick them up, brush them off, and start them on theirway again.

A loving father does notexpect perfection, rather he expects that his children do their best as hehimself realizes that he is not perfect, but forever in the process of becomingperfect. Even with the wisdom of all of his years, he stills finds himself buta student in the school of life who is ever learning. In that respect, a fatheris not only a teacher, but is himself a student that can learn from the thingsthat his children teach him through their life experiences.

To bear the title of “father”is an honor and a privilege that is earned. It is not a God given right. Fanny Fern, born Sara Willis, an Americanwriter and the first woman to have a regular newspaper column, once stated thatto her the name of father was another name for love. Someone has also wisely said, “Small boysbecome big men through the influence of big men who care about small boys.” Aswe look at the condition that our world is in today, I believe that Pope JohnXXIII was right in his estimation when he said, “It is easier for a father tohave children than for children to have a real father.” I will forever begrateful for the influence that my father had on my life, and I echo in thewords of Clarence Budington Kelland, an American writer when he said, “Myfather didn’t tell me how to live, he lived, and let me watch him do it.”

I leave these thoughts withyou humbly in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Where is He?

2011-12-26T06:50:00.000-05:00

Wise men of old came from afar asking the timeless question, "Where is he that is born King of the Jews?" (Matthew 2:2). Following the star that they had seen in the east, they were led to where the Christ Child was. Upon their arrival they presented the new born baby with precious gifts of frankincense, gold, and myrrh.

Have you ever stopped to wonder why the scriptures never tell us exactly how many wise men came to worship the new born King? Have you ever wondered why there is no mention of their names or identities? I submit that it is because they were not the focal point of the lesson that is being taught. The lesson that is being taught is that Christ is the One upon whom our focus should be centered. Like the wise men of old, we should come near to worship Him. For truly He is worthy of all praise and adoration!

As we celebrate this joyous Christmas season, perhaps we need to pause for a moment and take a look around and ask the same question that was asked of old, "Where is He?" Among all the commercialism, parties, brightly colored lights, beautiful decorations, and the gifts that we received on Christmas morning, "Where is He?"

What is our main focal point as we celebrate and reflect upon this Christmas season? Is it the merriment of the world at this season of the year that fills our hearts with joy and delight for a few brief moments of time, or are our hearts and minds focused on the One whose name is indeed Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace - He that is the greatest gift ever given to mankind by our loving Heavenly Father Himself, wrapped in His Divine love and sealed with an Eternal Promise - He who is both the Light and the Life of the world?

The wise men came to worship the Christ Child. Who is it, or what is it that we worship? The wise men presented the new born King with precious gifts from their treasures. What would we give to Him who is the King of kings, and the Lord of lords? Would we give Him those things that matter least to us and seemingly have no real value, or would we open our hearts and give Him our best?

The Special Gift That Was Given

2011-12-11T13:56:00.001-05:00

The tiny babe who in Bethlehem’smanger lay was no ordinary child. Some people called Him the son of David.Others called Him the son of Joseph. The scriptures call Him the son of David,the son of Mary, the son of man, the Son of God. He whose name is Immanuel,meaning God is with us, was born to be the King of kings and the Lord of lords.This child was the promised Messiah - even Jesus the Christ, the Only BegottenSon of God. For hundreds of years prophecies had foretold the birth of aMessiah, and on that starry night in the city of David, the One who wouldfulfill those prophecies was born in a humble stable with a manger as Hiscradle.

In the Book of Mormon, in 3 Nephi 1:13 we read, "Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, thetime is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrowcome I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfill all thatwhich I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets."

Whether by His own voice orby the mouth of His holy prophets, God always fulfills His promises. In theGrand Council in Heaven, our Heavenly Father promised to send a Savior whowould atone for our sins so that we could live with Him again. The Apostle Johntestifies of this and tells us in his words as recorded in John 3:16-17, “ForGod so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoeverbelieveth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent nothis Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through himmight be saved.”

How did Heavenly Father sendHis Son to the earth? He sent Him as a newborn baby and He allowed Him to learnand grow, just as we learn and grow. We learn in Luke 2:40 that “the childgrew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God wasupon him." Throughout His mortal life He did all things according to thewill of His Father who had sent Him. And because of His great love for us, Hewould willingly give His life as a ransom for us by becoming sin's finalsacrifice. But, the Good News is that the story does not end there. Three dayslater He triumphantly arose from the grave and lives forever more seated at theright hand of God the Father. And because of His glorious resurrection, deathhas been forever conquered, and we too shall be resurrected and live again.What a wondrous blessing Jesus Christ is to mankind. Heavenly Father hadpromised to send a Savior, and He kept His promise.

Before His humble birth inBethlehem, prophets of old taught about the Messiah who was soon to come, anddid indeed come. Let us take a brief look at some of the things that theytaught.

More than 700 years prior tothe birth of Christ, the prophet Isaiah, as recorded in Isaiah 7:14-15prophesied that the Messiah was to be born of a virgin. We read,"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shallconceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, that hemay know to refuse the evil, and choose the good."

Theprophet Micah, as recorded in Micah 5:2 prophesied that the Messiah was to beborn in Bethlehem. We read, "Butthou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah,yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel;whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."

Among the ancient prophecieswe also learn of the lineage of Jesus Christ. We learn that the Messiah was tobe a descendant of Abraham. In Genesis 12:3 we read, ". . . .in thee shallall families of the earth be blessed." The fulfillment of that prophecy isfound in the genealogical family tree recorded in Matthew 1:1, "The bookof the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham."

Following the line ofAbraham, the Messiah was also to be a descendent of David. We read in Isaiah9:7, “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, uponthe throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish itwith judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of theLord of hosts will perform this." We find the fulfillment of that prophecyin Luke 1:31-33:

31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shaltcall his name Jesus.

32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord Godshall give unto him the throne of his father David:

33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom thereshall be no end.

We also learn of the purposeof Jesus' birth. We read as recorded in the words of Isaiah the prophet inIsaiah 61:1-3 these words:

1The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me topreach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up thebrokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of theprison to them that are bound;

2 Toproclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God;to comfort all that mourn;

3 Toappoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, theoil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord,that he might be glorified.

And in the New Testament inthe Gospel of Luke, in the fourth chapter and verses 16-21, we read about theSavior in Nazareth:

16And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was,he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

17And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when hehad opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach thegospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preachdeliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set atliberty them that are bruised,

19To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

20And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. Andthe eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

21And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in yourears.

Brothers and Sisters, forsome, Christmas day is nothing more than another day to have anothercelebration. It is a time to celebrate; however, we should be rejoicing in thefact that two thousand years ago our loving Heavenly Father gave to the worldthe greatest Christmas gift ever known to mankind. It was a very special gift,wrapped in the Divine love of the Father Himself. That gift was His OnlyBegotten Son – He who was born King – the Messiah – the Savior of the world –the Redeemer and Lover of our souls – the Lord Jesus Christ. When asked,"What is the true meaning of Christmas?" those are the things that weshould be willing to share with family, friends, and all those we come incontact with this season.

Sadly, there are those whodoubt Him and say they don’t need Him. There are even those who will argue thatHe was just a man. Yes, He was a man, but not just an ordinary man. He was bothGod and man. He lived and walked among men, yet the life that He lived was notan ordinary life. His life had a major impact on the entire world. No otherlife can begin to compare to this One Solitary Life.

Down through the ages He hasbeen ridiculed, despised, and rejected and yet wise men still seek Him today.Regardless of what men say about Him, it does not change the fact that He hasalways been and always will be the Eternal Son of the Living God. One day, asthe Scriptures clearly teach us, at His name “every knee should bow, of thingsin heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth: and that everytongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God theFather” (Philippians 2:11). He is the One about whom the universe revolves; inwhom the hopes and fears of all the years have found their joyous fulfillment.O' Come Let Us Adore Him, Christ the Lord!

I leave these thoughts with youhumbly, in the name of Him whose name is indeed Wonderful, Counselor, theMighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace - He who is the Lightand the Life of the world, even the Lord Jesus the Christ. Amen.

For these blessings I give thanks each day. . . .

2011-11-25T09:11:00.001-05:00

I am thankful for my family whom I love very much. I thank God every day for each of them and for all that they have done and continue to do for me. They are the wind beneath my wings that allows me to soar ever so high. I do not know where I would be without their unfailing love and devotion. I am eternally grateful that we are FAMILY.

I am thankful for all of my friends, both near and far. Words cannot adequately express the love, joy, and gratitude that I feel in my heart for each of them. I may never personally tell any of them just how much I appreciate them, but let it be known that I absolutely do appreciate all of them. And even though some of us may have never met face to face, I do feel of their love for me. At times when I may feel down, they are always there as strong pillars to lift me up, support me, and encourage me. And so, to all of them, I just want to say, "Thank You and God Bless You."

I am thankful for all the naysayers of the world who for whatever reason feel it necessary to be critical of the things that I say and do. They are the coals that are needed to help keep my fires of determination burning. They may try to defeat me and knock me down, but I will always choose to get back up. They may think that they are hindering me from pressing forward by attempting to snuff out the flames that burn within me as one would snuff out the flame of a candle, but all it takes is one small spark from their ever glowing embers to reignite any flame that may have burned out during times of storms, trials, and adversities. And so, in reality they are more of a help than they will ever know in helping me more each day to never give in and to never give up. To them as well I owe a debt of gratitude.

But above all else, I am thankful for my loving Heavenly Father. In spite of all of my faults, shortcomings, and failures, has never left me nor forsaken me. He is always right there beside me. He never slumbers or sleeps. He does not have a telephone, but I still can call Him anytime, night or day, seven days a week, and I never have to leave a message for Him to return my call because He personally answers all incoming calls. He does not have a Facebook account, but He is my dearest and closest friend. He does not have a Twitter account, but where He leads me, I will surely follow. He does not have a Linkedin account, but I know His credentials and He knows mine. He does not need a YouTube account to display the majesty and wonder of His creations, all I have to do is open my eyes and behold the beauty and the splendor of it all. I have but "One Life To Live" and I take great comfort and solace in knowing that He loves and cares for "All [His] Children." There are no "Secret Storm(s)" in my life that I have to endure for He knows all about them. He is my eternal "Guiding Light". He is always with me even to "The Edge of Night." Even if I must walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I need to fear no evil, for His rod and His staff, they comfort me. He is my Day Star and my Song in the night. He alone is worthy to be praised!

Happy Thanks Giving!

2011-11-17T15:39:00.001-05:00

Traditionally,every fourth Thursday in November is celebrated as Thanksgiving Day. However,Edward Sanford Martin, a graduate of Harvard University and a founder of theHarvard Lampoon, and also the first literary editor of Life Magazine, had atotally different perspective about Thanksgiving Day. He said,"Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man itcomes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow."

For a majority ofpeople, Thanksgiving Day is a joyous time when family and friends from bothnear and far gather together for a day of feasting and celebration. As theyenter the home of their hosts they are greeted with the savory aroma of thedelectable victuals that have been prepared for the banquet that will soon beset before them. In addition to the bounteous meal, there will be ThanksgivingDay parades and football games to watch, and of course, a time for catching upon all of the latest family gossip. But amidst all of the joy and excitement,do families remember to take the time to bow their heads and give thanks forthe many blessings, both small and great, that the Lord has bestowed upon them?Or, is this just another family gathering and an opportunity to partake of adelicious meal and sit back and watch football games? In other words, isThanksgiving Day truly a day of Thanks Giving?

As a young boygrowing up, I can remember that some of the most exciting times around our homeoccurred during the holidays. My beloved mother absolutely loved the holidays,and Thanksgiving Day was one of her favorites.

My mother wouldspend the day before and the morning of Thanksgiving carefully preparing thefeast that we were to partake of later that day. I can still smell her homemaderolls, candied yams, and mouthwatering turkey cooking in the oven. There wasalso homemade dressing and gravy and some sort of vegetable. For dessert mymother would make delicious homemade sweet potato pies. I used to love to eatthe left over dough that she had after making the pie crusts. When the meal wasfinally ready and set on the table, we would gather around as a family, andbefore anyone would have their first bite, we bowed our heads and gave thanksfor our many blessings, the meal that had been set before us, and a specialblessing upon the hands that had so lovingly prepared the meal that we wereabout to partake of.

However,Thanksgiving Day was not the only day that we paused to give thanks for themany blessings that we received from above. From the age of small children andcontinuing into our adult years, we were taught that every day was a day of “ThanksGiving.” We were taught that there is always something to be thankful for and “Inevery thing [we should] give thanks: for this is the will of God in ChristJesus concerning [us]” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). As we learned to give thanks, wealso learned to fear not, to let our hearts be comforted, and to rejoiceevermore (see D&C 98:1). We were also taught to not only give thanks forthe large blessings that we receive, but for the smallest of blessings as well –in everything give thanks.

The scriptures arereplete with reasons why we should always give thanks unto the Lord. In Psalm92:1-2 we are taught that, “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord,and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: to shew forth thylovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night.” In Psalm107:8-9 the Psalmist exhorts, “Oh that men would praise the Lord for hisgoodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieththe longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” And in Psalm69:30, the Psalmist declares, “I will praise the name of God with a song, andwill magnify him with thanksgiving.” Throughout the pages of scriptures arerecorded accounts of many people who expressed their thanks to the Lord. Forexample, King Solomon expressed gratitude for Divine faithfulness and goodness(see 1 Kings 8:14-21). King David thanked God after winning a battle (see 2Samuel 22:1-51, Psalm 98:1). And there are many others.

In 1863, shortlyafter committing his life to Christ and while America was still in the midst ofthe Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln penned “Proclamation of Thanksgiving.”It was this proclamation which eventually led to the establishment of ournational Thanksgiving holiday. President Lincoln wrote these words in hisopening paragraph:

The year thatis drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitfulyears and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyedthat we are prone to forget the Source from which they come, others have beenadded which are of so extraordinary a nature that they cannot fail to penetrateand soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchfulprovidence of Almighty God.

I draw attention toPresident Lincoln’s words, “To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyedthat we are prone to forget the Source from which they come.” How often do wetake the blessings of the Lord for granted, forgetting to recognize from whomall blessings come? How often are we found guilty of getting so caught up inthe grandeur of things that we tend to miss or dismiss the small things thatcome into our lives to bless us as well? In that same proclamation PresidentLincoln reminds us that, “No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortalhand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the MostHigh God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath neverthelessremembered mercy.” It is not the size of the blessings that we should beconcerned with; rather it is the acknowledgement of the blessings that arebestowed upon us that should warrant every day of our lives being a day ofThanks Giving.

We should even bethankful in the midst of storms and tribulation. The Apostle Paul said, “Greatis my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filledwith comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation” (2 Corinthians7:4). He knew that, “all things work together for good to them that love God,to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). God willallow storms to come into our lives in order to send our roots deep into thesoil of His Word. As someone has wisely said, God will sometimes place us flaton our backs in order to get us to look up. Someone has also said, we will seemore when we are on our knees than when we are standing on our tiptoes.

The story is toldof a man who once watched a butterfly struggling to get out of its cocoon. Inan effort to help it, he took a razor blade, and carefully slit the edge of thecocoon. The butterfly escaped from its problem and immediately died. God has apurpose for making the butterfly struggle. It is the struggle that causes itstiny heart to beat fast, and send the life's blood into its wings. In the sameway, the trials that we face in life also have their purpose. They make usstruggle—they bring us to our knees. They are the cocoon in which we often findourselves. It is there that the life's blood of faith in God helps us to spreadour wings.

Faith and givingthanks are close friends. If you have faith in God, you will be thankfulbecause you know His loving hand is upon you, even though you may be standing ina lion's den, or facing the sweltering heat of a fiery furnace. Regardless ofour circumstances or station in life, all of us have so much to be thankfulfor. God has “given unto us exceeding great and precious promises” and “more tobe desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also thanhoney and the honeycomb” (2 Peter 1:4; Psalm 19:10). We need to believe thosepromises and thank God continually for them.

An old farmer oncehad an ungodly relative visit him. After the farmer had bowed his head andthanked God for the food they were about to eat, the relative rudely said,"What did you do that for? There's no God. We live in an age ofenlightenment." The old farmer smiled and said, "There is one on thefarm who doesn't thank God before he eats." The relative sat up and said,"Who is this enlightened one?" To which the farmer quietly replied,“My pig.” If we are to be enlightened, let us be enlightened by the fact that “everygood gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Fatherof lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James1:17). Let us be enlightened in our understanding that every day, not justThanksgiving Day, should be a day of Thanks Giving.

I leave thesehumble thoughts with you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.Amen.

The Sweet Taste of Bitterness

2011-11-15T11:59:00.001-05:00

Through my writing abilities I have been blessed in recent times to make acquaintance with people of different faiths, beliefs, and cultures from many different parts of the world to include such places as Germany, Russia, the Netherlands, Malaysia, and Ghana West Africa to name but a few. Many of those new found friends have often taken the time to express their gratitude for my willingness to share the things that I write, and for openly expressing my thoughts and feelings on different topics. Though their kind words and accolades are wonderful to read and hear, along with their sweetness also comes the bitterness of others.

I am a firm believer and have often said that anyone who thinks that they will be able to journey through this life and everyone is going to befriend them and like them are only deceiving themselves. There are people who will genuinely like you. There are some people who will always be cordial and friendly towards you regardless if they like you or not. Then, there are people who do not need a particular reason not to like you, but they just do. And so, as we journey through this life we must learn to accept the bitter along with the sweet. In my humble experiences, I have found that it is often the sour taste of bitterness, that if received in the proper manner - without an attitude of malice, resentfulness or retaliation - can be turned into something sweet tasting and delectable. I will admit that it is not always easy to be patient with people who never have anything constructive to say, but always manage to barrage me with negative, cynical, and sarcastic comments. Nevertheless, I am reminded of the words of such people as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a French philosopher who once said, "Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet."

Even in recent days I have received some very bold and brash comments from people concerning the fact that I am Black and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inerrantly referred to by the world as Mormon). Just for the record, though race should not have to be an issue, the negative feedback has come from both Blacks and Whites. Such comments have included: "N***** you are crazy! Why don't you go hang yourself before the Mormons do it for you", "You are a member of the wrong religion. That is a White man's religion. Why are you associated with it?", and "Why don't you just kill yourself and be done with it." Some people would immediately want to lash out against the persons that made such comments for as Jean-Jacques Rousseau also said, "Remorse sleeps during prosperity but awakes bitter consciousness during adversity." Victor Hugo, a French author, probably described bitter remarks best when he said, "Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause."

We are taught in scripture to "Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not" (Romans 12:14). When I read or hear such comments I am reminded of the words of the Savior to His disciples when He told them in John 15:18-21:

If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.

The Savior also taught His disciples, "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved." In His sermon on the mount He taught, "Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets. But I say unto you which hear, love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you" (Luke 6: 26-28).

Not only have I received negative comments because of my religious beliefs, but there are also those who feel that I am "over the top" in stating my points of view and what I know to be truth. As someone has wisely said, "The Truth is heavy, therefore few care to carry it." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, a German writer, pictorial artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, polymath, and considered the supreme genius of modern German literature, once said, "Truth has to be repeated constantly, because error also is being preached all the time, and not just by a few, but by the multitude. In the press and encyclopedias, in schools and universities, everywhere error holds sway, feeling happy and comfortable in the knowledge of having majority on its side."

Regardless of what the naysayer has to say, I still hold that to know what the truth is and to deny it for the sake of pleasing the masses, or for fear of being rejected or being considered an outcast, is like denying food to one who is hungry, or a drink of water to one who is thirsty, even though you are able to give a morsel of bread to kill their hunger, or a cool drink of water to quench their thirst. Regardless of the reprisals, I must continue to stand up for what I know to be the truth, whether in written word or through the words that I speak. The words may be as many as those contained in a discourse or dissertation, or as few as a brief statement of truth. It does not matter, for as Chief Joseph: of the Wal-lam-wat-kain (Wallowa) band of Nez Perce Indians once said, "It does not require many words to speak the truth." Truth is truth, whether one person believes it, ten thousand people believe it, or no one believes it, it is still truth. I take great comfort in the words of our Savior when He said, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). I am also reminded of the words recorded in 1 John 3:19-22:

And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

I cannot allow myself to be swayed because of a few bitter tasting morsels that are mixed in with the sweet. I must remember that there is opposition in all things. Both the sweet and the bitter are a necessary part of the whole. If life were always sweet, I would never learn how to react to the bitter for there would be no need to do so. But, because I have tasted of the bitter as well, I can choose to turn it into something sweet by continuing to be obedient to the Lord's will for my life and "keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight" (1 John 3:22).

I leave these humble thoughts with you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Is that your 'busy ness'?

2011-11-12T11:55:00.001-05:00

No, I did not misspell the word "business". The title reads exactly as it should.

We live in a very fast paced world in which we all seem to be so busy these days with so many things. With the continual advancements in modern technology, one would think that our lives should be a little more organized and our pace should not have to be so hurried. Instead, with each new electronic gadget that we acquire, we seem to add more and more things to our already busy lives. The electronic marvels, though intended to help put our lives on track, often become cluttered with more and more notes and to do lists. Even those who have not stepped into the age of modern technological wonders find that with each passing day there seems to be more and more things to be done with so little time to accomplish them.

But, let's just slow it down a notch and stop and think about this for a minute. Although we may say or think that we are extremely busy, how busy are we really? And, in all of our ‘busy ness’ what do we actually accomplish? The problem is not necessarily that we don't have enough time to do all the things that we "think" need to be done, the real problem is that some of us have never learned how to manage the time that we have. There is not one day that is shorter than another as far as amount of time is concerned. There are 24 hours in each day. Yet, some of us seem to always run out of time. Why is that? Are some of us stressing ourselves out by always keeping ourselves busy so as not to have to deal with perhaps some more important matters? Or, do some of us think that the busier we seem to be, the more important we appear to be to our peers? Is that what our ‘busy-ness‘ is about?

It is good to have things to do, for as my dear mother used to tell us kids, "Idle hands and an idle mind are a devil's work shop", but the danger arises when we become so busy that we allow life to pass us by and miss out on those things that matter most such as family and others that need some of our time and attention. How often have we been found guilty of saying, or have heard others say when asked to do something, "I would, but I just don't have the time," or "I am so busy right now that I can't even pay attention." Isn't it amazing that people will say that they are too busy to do something, but yet they seem to have enough time to tell you just how busy they are?

Perhaps we have also said, or have heard someone say, "I know that I should ______, but I guess I will have to get to that some day." Why is it that it seems that "some day" never comes, or it only comes at times of emergency, grief, or sorrow? Why do some of us sometimes wait until we are faced to live with "should have", "would have", or "could have" before that "some day" becomes a reality, only to have arrived a day late and a dollar short. Are these things included as part of our ‘busy-ness‘?

Thomas Alva Edison once said, "Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing." I particularly draw attention to the last part of Mr. Edison's statement, "Seeming to do is not doing." How often do people appear to be busy doing something, but in reality are doing nothing at all? We find this type of behavior often in the workplace. People appear to be busy just to keep the boss off their back, but at the end of the day if asked to give an account of what they accomplished during the work day, their actual production levels are extremely low.

We also find this type of attitude and behavior in the home. For example, a mother after numerous times of asking a child to clean his room finally issues an ultimatum that the child is not allowed to do anything else or go anywhere until the room is cleaned. Reluctantly, and perhaps half-heartedly, to keep his mother from constantly reminding him about cleaning the room, the child spends some time in his room appearing to be busy and doing what his mother had asked. When he thinks that he has spent enough time on the task and has put everything out of sight so as to make the room appear cleaned to his mother, the child then asks if he might be able to do something else. Upon an initial inspection of the room it appears that the child has done exactly what was asked of him; however, if the mother were to conduct a careful inspection of the area under the bed, the closet, or even under the rugs, she would discover that in all of his ‘busy-ness’ the child merely spent time putting things out of sight and very little time actually cleaning the room.

Lorene Cary, an American author, educator, and social activist, once said, "I'd been busy, busy, so busy, preparing for life, while life floated by me, quiet and swift as a regatta." How very sad it is that some people get so caught up in their ‘busy-ness’ that they literally forget how to live. More importantly, they become so wrapped around themselves and their busy lives that they also forget how to love and appreciate those around them. Dr. Kristen Lippincott, a Director and founding member of The Exhibitions Team which is a consortium of museum professionals specializing in heritage consultancy, project management, curatorial and conservation issues, and 2-D and 3-D design, once said, "A lot of our 'busy ness' is a way for us to avoid thinking about what is most important. There's a difference between being busy and being productive."

It is not a matter of how busy we are, but why we are so busy. This author personally echoes the words of Thomas Jefferson when he said, "May I never get too busy in my own affairs that I fail to respond to the needs of others with kindness and compassion." I would hope that we would all heed that wise counsel. And so, in closing my dear friends I ask you, what is your ‘busy-ness‘ really all about?

I leave these humble thoughts with you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

The Man in the Mirror - Art thou a hypocrite?

2011-11-11T08:21:00.001-05:00

When we look in the mirror, who is the person that we see? Is that person who we see in the mirror a reflection of the person that the world sees? Or, is the image that we portray to the world a total deception of who we really are? If the world is considered to be a stage and we are the actors that play the parts, which role do we play? Do we play the role of ourself, or do we hide behind a proverbial mask pretending to be something or someone who we really are not? In other words, are we true to ourselves and the image that we portray to the world, or are we a "hypocrite"?

The word hypocrite is from the Greek word ὑποκρίτης (hupokrites). The word hypocrisy is derived from the Greek word υποκρισία(hupokrisis), which meant playing a part on the stage or putting on a mask to misrepresent reality. In the ancient Greek theater actors were known as hypocrites without any negative connotation.

A modern definition of a hypocrite is "a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs." And so, unlike the actors on a stage, in the real world, being a hypocrite or pretending to be something or someone while actually being something or someone else is definitely viewed as being wrong. When discussing matters of religion, such behavior is considered to be evil. There are some people; however, who may be accused of being hypocritical because their actions do not necessarily coincide with what they profess to be, but that may be an indication of a weakness, not hypocrisy per se.

Don Marquis, a humorist, journalist, and author who is remembered best for creating the characters "Archy" and "Mehitabel", probably stated it best when he said, "A hypocrite is a person who - but who isn't?" And it was Billy Sunday, an American Clergyman who said, “Hypocrites in the Church? Yes, and in the lodge and at the home. Don't hunt through the Church for a hypocrite. Go home and look in the mirror. Hypocrites? Yes. See that you make the number one less."

We live in a society where status means everything to some people. In certain circles, if you are not a member of a particular social club or elite group, then you are considered to be "ordinary" or "common" and not one who is worthy of being in the presence of someone who apparently has more "class." For that reason, some people will go to great lengths to ensure that they only associate with the right people, are members of the most elite groups and clubs, wear only the finest wardrobe adorned with the most exquisite jewelry, drive the fanciest of cars, live in luxurious homes, and always make sure that they are present at the most extravagant social functions. Never mind the fact that they may not be able to afford such a luxurious lifestyle, but to them it is worth it all just to keep from being numbered among the "ordinary" or "common" people. Some will even go so far as to claim that they are personal friends with celebrities or other well-known people just to maintain their social image. Sadly, these people have lost touch with reality. They claim to be something or someone who they are not. And in order to remain in good social graces, they have to keep up this false image no matter the costs. The term that best describes them is hypocrite. Perhaps W. Somerset Maugham, a British novelist and playwright, was right when he said, “Hypocrisy is the most difficult and nerve-racking vice that any man can pursue; it needs an unceasing vigilance and a rare detachment of spirit. It cannot, like adultery or gluttony, be practiced at spare moments; it is a whole-time job.”

There are some people who are sincere in what they believe and what they say, but they often find that the natural man takes control, and though their intentions of living up to what they say are good, they oftentimes find themselves weighing in the balances as their actions do not necessarily match up to what they profess to be. Without realizing that this is the case the world is quick to brand them as hypocrites when in reality they are not hypocrites, but weak. These are they who find themselves echoing in the words of the Apostle Paul when he said in Romans 7:15-24:

For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Then there are those who are known as religious hypocrites such as the Scribes and Pharisees in Jesus' day. They were among the more religious conservatives at that time, yet Christ in His teachings did not mince words when it came to responding to them. In fact, some of the harshest words that He spoke were directed toward these two groups of people. In one of His discourses as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew He called them hypocrites seven times (see Matthew 23:13-15,23,25,27,29), fools twice and blind guides five times (see Matthew 23:16-17, 19, 24, 26), and serpents and brood of vipers once (see Matthew 23:33). Other examples of His teachings about hypocrisy include:

Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye. - Matthew 7:1-5

Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. - Matthew 6:1-6

Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; and honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, this people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. - Matthew 15:1-9

I will end this discussion by asking the same questions that were asked at the beginning. When we look in the mirror, who is the person that we see? Is that person who we see in the mirror a reflection of the person that the world sees? Or, is the image that we portray to the world a total deception of who we really are? In act 1, scene 3, of the Shakespearean play Hamlet, Polonius’ last counsel to his son Laertes, who is in a hurry to get on the next boat to Paris where he'll be safe from his father's long-winded speeches, was “to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.” The counsel that Polonius gave to his son Laertes is some very wise counsel indeed. Are we true to ourselves? Do we know who we really are, and more importantly, do we know whose we are? If we really want to make a change and an impact on the world in which we live, that change needs to start with the person who we see in the mirror. Είμαστε για την πραγματική,ή είμαστε υποκριτής (are we for real, meaning are we true to ourselves and to others, or are we a hypocrite?)

I leave these thoughts with you humbly in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

The Last Full Measure Of Devotion

2011-11-09T17:30:00.000-05:00

Every year, 11 November is set aside as the day that we celebrate Veterans Day. The purpose of the day is to pay honor and tribute to the men and women of the Armed Forces who have either served, or are currently serving this great nation of ours by putting their lives on the line to defend and protect the freedoms that we so dearly cherish. Have you ever wondered why this day is celebrated only on 11 November? Let us take a brief look back into the annals of history and see how this day came to be.

World War I was known as "The Great War." The war officially ended on 28 June 1919 when the Treaty of Versailles was signed in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. The actual fighting; however, had ceased seven months earlier when an armistice or temporary cessation of hostilities between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. It is for that reason, 11 November 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

In November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed 11 November as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words:

To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.

Originally the celebration was to be a day observed with parades and public meetings, with a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m.

An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved 13 May 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." The day was primarily set aside to honor the veterans of World War I. However, in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen in the nation’s history, and after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the Veterans Service Organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on 1 June 1954, 11 November became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Whether we agree or disagree with the conflicts that our nation may be engaged in, we must never forget these valiant soldiers who stand a vigilant watch by day and by night, by land, by air, and by sea. They make great sacrifices to defend "the land of the free and the home of the brave." These ordinary, but yet extraordinary men and women, are husbands and fathers, wives and mothers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. We must remember them, and we must also remember the families that they leave behind as they go off on assignments to foreign lands with the hopes of returning home one day soon, but also with the realization that they may not make it back home.

Someone has once said, "Freedom is never free." As a 30-year honorably retired United States Navy veteran I can personally attest to the validity of that statement. Freedom carries with it a hefty price tag. That price is often paid by the spilt blood of those men and women who are willing to give their all to defend the cause of freedom today, freedom tomorrow, and freedom forever. We say that these men and women are brave and courageous; however, as the English writer, G.K. Chesterton so aptly put it, "Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die." But, as Elmer Davis, a well-known news reporter, author, and the Director of the United States Office of War Information during World War II reminded us, "This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave." These men and women are true patriots. They are men and women of valor. They are in many ways the unsung heroes of the world. When we look up the word hero in a dictionary, each of their names should be listed as examples of what a true hero is.

George Canning, a British statesman and politician who served as Foreign Secretary and briefly as Prime Minister, once asked a very forthright question. He asked, "When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep?" I would hope that each of us would be able to answer that question with a resounding "NO!" In times of conflict, as well as, in times of peace, and not only on 11 November, but each and every day, we should pay honor to the men and women who don the military uniform and serve their country faithfully and honorably. Indeed, we should salute them. And let us not forget to include them in our daily prayers that the Lord will watch over them, protect them, and sustain them. Let us also remember as President John Fitzgerald Kennedy told us, "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." Finally, on this Veterans Day, and every day, we pay special honor to those who with their last ounce of courage gave their all that we might forever remain free. I speak of those fallen heroes who with the last full measure of their devotion gave the greatest sacrifice of all - their lives. May God bless all of those who have served, are now serving, and will one day serve to preserve our great nation. And may God bless the United Sates of America. Semper fidelis Deo et patria!

The Choices, The Death, and The Verdict

2011-11-08T13:51:00.001-05:00

Perhaps one of the most talked about news stories at this hour is the verdict that was reached on Monday, 7 November 2011, by a jury in the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, the doctor who was attending Michael Joseph Jackson, who was referred to by many adoring fans the world over as the "King of Pop", at the time of his death on 25 June 2009. Michael's death was caused by acute propofol intoxication after suffering from cardiac arrest. The jury found Dr. Conrad Murray guilty of involuntary manslaughter. He will be officialy sentenced on Tuesday, 29 November 2011, and could possibly face up to four years in prison.

The entire episode and the circumstances surrounding it are heart breaking. Michael Jackson had so much to live for, especially being a loving father to the three children - Prince, Paris, and Blanket - that he left behind, as well as, a family who loved and supported him. In retrospect, we have to look at the entire picture and realize that in some ways Michael was on his own course of destruction and helped to bring about his own demise by even asking for the drugs that he was being given. Being a physician, Dr. Murray knew the risks and the dangers that were involved in administering the propofol and other drugs to Michael. However, I believe that greed caused him to lose focus, and he became more interested in getting paid instead of being concerned about Michael's physical well-being. With that being said, I think that justice has been served with the verdict of guilty. In some ways I sympathise with Dr. Murray because he was not the only doctor that had administered harmful drugs to Michael during his lifetime, but he was the one that administered the drugs that ultimately claimed Michael's life.

Joseph Addison, an English essayist, poet, playwright and politician, once said, "There is not any present moment that is unconnected with some future one. The life of every man is a continued chain of incidents, each link of which hangs upon the former. The transition from cause to effect, from event to event, is often carried on by secret steps, which our foresight cannot divine, and our sagacity [wisdom] is unable to trace. Evil may at some future period bring forth good; and good may bring forth evil, both equally unexpected." In other words, as this author firmly believes, with every action there is a consequence - be it good or bad. To know what is the right thing to do, but yet willingly choose to do that which is perhaps easier, more convenient, or even more pleasurable, is to bring one's own fate upon himself - a fate that is determined by the consequences of his own actions. In the end, there is really no one left to blame for the outcome but himself. Applying the words of Sir Josiah Stamp, a British civil servant, industrialist, economist, statistician, writer, and banker, to the case of Dr. Conrad Murray, it may have become easy for him to dodge his responsibilities as a doctor, but he could not dodge the consequences of dodging his responsibilities. He could have avoided his fate by doing what he knew to be the right thing to do, but he did not.

In Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21 we are taught, “There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of the world, upon which all blessings are predicated—And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.” What is obedience? President Boyd K. Packer taught, “Obedience is a powerful spiritual medicine. It comes close to being a cure-all.” (Ensign, November 1977, p.60.) President Joseph F. Smith taught, “Obedience is a requirement of heaven and is therefore a principle of the gospel.” (JD, 19:193.)

Sometimes as members of the Church we are called upon to do difficult things or to make hard decisions. Each of us has been given the agency to make those choices or decisions for ourselves. What is this agency? President Joseph F. Smith answered the question in this manner: “God has given to all men an agency and has granted to us the privilege to serve him or not, to do that which is right or that which is wrong, and this privilege is given to all men irrespective of creed, color or condition. The wealthy have this agency, the poor have this agency, and no man is deprived by any power of God from exercising it to the fullest and in the freest manner. This agency has been given to all. This is a blessing that God has bestowed upon the world of mankind, upon all his children alike.” (JD, 24:175.)

However, because of our understanding of the doctrine of agency and obedience, we know that our true peace, happiness, and power come only when we subject our will to the will of the Father, and exercise faith by consistently obeying the commandments of God. President Lorenzo Snow taught, “Let us be like little children, ready and willing to do as we are commanded by the powers that we should obey. Let us be obedient to the voice of truth, and ever be found in the path of duty; and there let us continue.” The Prophet Joseph Smith summed up the matter when he said, “I made this my rule, ‘When the Lord commands, do it.’” (HC, 2:170.)

God granted each of us the gift of free agency as a part of His eternal plan. The question is how will we use it? – To obey God or to disobey God? The freedom to choose is inseparably tied to the consequences associated with the choice we make. If we choose to obey God, blessings will follow. If we choose not to obey God, we do not put ourselves in a position to receive those blessings.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught that, for agency to be in effect, the following four principles must apply:

Laws must exist – laws ordained by an Omnipotent power, laws which can be obeyed or disobeyed;
Opposites must exist – good and evil, virtue and vice, right and wrong – that is there must be opposition, one force pulling . . . the other;
A knowledge of good and evil must be had by those who are to enjoy the agency, that is, they must know the difference between the opposites; and,
An unfettered power of choice must prevail. (Mormon Doctrine)

These principles are taught clearly in the Book of Mormon. Lehi taught in 2 Nephi 2:11-13:

11 For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first–born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

12 Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.

13 And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away.

Helaman expressed these principles as follows in Helaman 14:30-31:

30 And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and

whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free.

31 He hath given unto you that ye might know good from evil, and he hath given unto you that ye might choose life or death; and ye can do good and be restored unto that which is good, or have that which is good restored unto you; or ye can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you.

Consistent obedience is required of all who receive baptism (Mosiah18:10), the Sacrament (D&C 20:77), receive the Priesthood (D&C 84:44), or the blessings of the Temple. However, this obedience is not “blind”. Elder Boyd K. Packer taught:

Those who talk of blind obedience may appear to know many things, but they do not understand the doctrines of the gospel. There is an obedience that comes from the knowledge of the truth that transcends any form of external control. We are not obedient because we are blind, we are obedient because we can see. (Ensign. May 1983, p.66.)

Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught,“Obedience is the first law of heaven, the cornerstone upon which all righteousness and progression rest.” We are obedient to God’s commands because we have faith, we love the Lord ( see John14:15), and because we have committed to do so. This is our offering to Him.

The words of 2 Nephi 9:41 sum up this discussion appropriately:

O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.

Michael Joseph Jackson, at the young age of 50, was gone too soon. Although he fell victim, he was not found guiltless of some of the choices that he made during his short lifetime. Neither was he able to escape the consequences of those choices, especially those choices that helped to bring about his own demise. However, let us not rush to be so critical or judgmental of Michael Joseph Jackson or Dr. Conrad Murray, or any others. The fact of the matter is that we all have our free agency, and if it were not for the love, grace, and mercy of Almighty God, some of us, given similar situations and circumstances, may have made similar choices. One day, when this mortal life is over, we shall stand before the judgment bar of God and will have to give an account of the choices that we made and the things that we did and receive His verdict. Therefore, in every situation and circumstance, let us choose to do what we know to be right and be obedient to the commandments of God. When we do, we will be showered with His blessings from above.

I leave these thoughts with you humbly in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

The Gift of the Holy Ghost - A Precious Posession

2011-10-29T12:12:00.000-04:00

This talk was given on the occasion of the baptism of Patrick and Bintu Mbayoh on Saturday morning, 29 October 2011, in Annapolis Maryland.

The Holy Ghost is “a personage of Spirit” (D&C 130:22). He does not have a body of flesh and bones. His mission is to bear witness of the Father and the Son and of all truth. The Holy Ghost also purifies, or sanctifies, us to prepare us to dwell in the presence of our Heavenly Father.

Prior to your baptism, as you were investigating the Church, you were guided by the influence of the Holy Ghost. It was that influence that witnessed to each of you that the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Church are true, and has brought you to where you are today. However, the Holy Ghost will not stay with a person until they have been baptized and given the gift of the Holy Ghost. It is the gift of the Holy Ghost that gives a person who has placed their faith in Jesus Christ, been baptized, and been confirmed a member of the Church, the privilege to receive continual guidance and inspiration from the Holy Ghost based on their faithfulness and obedience.

In a few moments you will enter the waters of baptism, and tomorrow morning during Sacrament meeting members of the Priesthood will gather around you, place their hands on your head, and confirm you a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and then you will be given the gift of the Holy Ghost. I like the way Elder David B. Haight described the gift of the Holy Ghost. He said, “The gift of the Holy Ghost is a priceless possession and opens the door to our ongoing knowledge of God and eternal joy. (Ensign, November 1989, p.61.) And Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught, “The gift of the Holy Ghost is the right to the constant companionship of that member of the Godhead based on faithfulness. It is the right to receive revelation, to see visions, to be in tune with the Infinite. (Ensign, November 1977, p. 33.) And so, in order to be worthy to have the help of the Holy Ghost, we must keep our thoughts and actions pure and seek earnestly to obey the commandments of God.

The Holy Ghost usually communicates with us quietly. His influence is often referred to as a “still small voice” (see 1 Kings 19:9–12; Helaman 5:30; D&C 85:6). President Boyd K. Packer explained: “The Holy Ghost speaks with a voice that you feel more than you hear. … While we speak of ‘listening’ to the whisperings of the Spirit, most often one describes a spiritual prompting by saying, ‘I had a feeling …’” He continued: “This voice of the Spirit speaks gently, prompting you what to do or what to say, or it may caution or warn you” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1994, 77; or Ensign, Nov. 1994, 60).

The gift of the Holy Ghost is one of God’s greatest gifts to us. Through the Holy Ghost we may gain a testimony that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, and that His Church has been restored in its fullness upon the earth today.

In the Book of Mormon, in 2 Nephi 32:5, we are taught, “For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way (that way is baptism), and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.”

This precious gift from our Heavenly Father can also bring peace to our hearts and an understanding of the things of God. In the New Testament, in 1 Corinthians 2:9-12 we read:

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

I conclude my remarks with the words of Elder Bruce R. McConkie who taught:

There is nothing as important as having the companionship of the Holy Ghost. Those who first receive this endowment and then remain in tune with this member of the Eternal Godhead will receive a peace and a comfort that passeth all understanding; they will be guided and preserved in ways that are miraculous; they will be instructed until they receive all truth; they will sanctify their souls so as to dwell spotless before the Sinless One in His Everlasting Kingdom. (A New Witness For The Articles Of Faith, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1985, p. 253.)

I add my personal witness and testimony that I know these things are true and leave these thoughts with you humbly in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

To The Unknown God

2011-10-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Apostle Paul Preaching At the Areopagus (Mars Hill)

While on his second missionary journey, the Apostle Paul visited the city of Troas on the Mediterranean coast. While in Troas, a vision appeared to Paul in the night. In that vision "There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us" (Acts 16:9). After he had seen the vision, Paul, Silas, and Timotheous (Timothy) immediately "endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called [them] for to preach the gospel unto them" (Acts 16:10).

They boarded a ship at Troas, crossed the Aegean Sea, and "came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis; and from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and [they] were in that city abiding certain days" (Acts 16: 11-12).

As we open the seventeenth chapter of Acts, we find Paul leaving Philippi and travelling through Amphipolis and Apollonia, and then entering "Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews" (Acts 17:1). "And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ" (Acts 17: 2-3). Some of the Jews were envious of Paul's success and caused uproar in the city. "And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews" (Acts 17:10).

Luke's estimation of the residents of Berea was that "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11). Then the Jews from Thessalonica came to Berea and stirred up the crowds again and "then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still. And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheous (Timothy) for to come to him with all speed, they departed" (Acts 17: 14-15). The distance between Berea and Athens was 250 Roman miles -- a journey of three days by sea or twelve days by land.

In Acts 17:16 we learn that "while Paul waited for Silas and Timotheus (Timothy) at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry" (Acts 17:16). Before examining the sermon that Paul would preach in this city on Mars Hill, it would prove helpful to know of some of the things that Paul saw that became the foundational structure for that sermon.

Supposing Paul arrived by ship, he would have landed at Piraeus and would have gone north from the harbor and entered Athens by the "Double Gate" on the west side of the city, where four highways converged. Before passing the gate, however, he would have gone through an extensive cemetery, where he would have noticed the graves of many distinguished Athenian citizens, the most famous being Menander, the son of Diopithes.

Passing through the gates, Paul would have seen the Temple of Demeter with statues of the goddess and her daughter. A little further on, he would have passed the statue of Poseidon hurling his trident. Beyond this, he would have seen the statues of Healing Athena, Zeus, Apollo, and Hermes standing near the Sanctuary of Dionysus.

While Paul waited for Silas and Timotheous (Timothy), he must have explored the city in the same manner in which tourists do today. He could have visited the Royal Colonnade, the Metroum or Sanctuary of the Mother of the Gods with her image.

In the agora he would have passed what is sometimes called "the Music Hall at Athens," the odeon, a small roofed theater. In the agora the Athenians had an altar of Mercy, which stood in a grove of laurels and olives. Close to the agora, in the gymnasium of Ptolemy, there was a stone statue of Hermes, and a bronze statue of Ptolemy.

Wherever Paul turned, he must have seen statues, temples, and shrines. There was the Sanctuary of the Dioscuri, the Serapeum in the lower part of this city, the Temple of Olympian Zeus southeast of the Acropolis, the Pythium on the southern side of the Acropolis, the Sanctuary of Dionysus at the foot of the Acropolis, and many more.

Entering the Acropolis he would have passed two statues of horsemen facing each other on opposite sides of the road. On his right, on the western edge of the Acropolis, was the Temple of Victory Athena, the so-called Wingless Victory. He would have looked towards the sea and seen the Bay of Phaleron, perhaps with grain ships from Alexandria, Egypt.

He would have visited the most famous and beautiful of all Greek temples, the Parthenon, and then the Erechtheum standing on the northern edge of the Acropolis. Here his eyes must have fallen on the oldest and most venerated statue of Athena, which like that of Diana of Ephesus, was believed to have fallen from heaven (cf. Acts 19:35). Finally, there was the most conspicuous statue of the city-goddess, a dedication from the spoils of the Battle of Marathon.

There is an ancient proverb which declares that there were more gods in Athens than men, and wherever Paul looked, in niches and on pedestals, in temples and on street corners, were gods and demigods. Busts of Hermes were on every corner and statues and altars were in the courtyard of every home. Among this forest of deities Paul discovered one altar dedicated to the "unknown god." There are many examples of similar inscriptions in the Greco-Roman world. The idea, of course, was that these altars to the "unknown gods" ensured that no deity was omitted from worship.

As was his policy in every city that he visited, he first took the matter before his brethren. "Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him" (Acts 17:17). Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoics, encountered him (see verse 18).

Although he was faced with a difficult audience to preach to, Paul did not start with making similarities between the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers; he started by teaching them about the death and resurrection of the Messiah. He did not begin with what they had, but what they did not have. It was then that some said, "What will this babbler say?" Others said, "he seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection" which was something that they had never heard of before. (See verse 18).

These philosophers of the day prided themselves with keeping abreast of the newest philosophies, and so they were intrigued by Paul's message and were eager to hear these latest teachings. "And [so] they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, may we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean" (Acts 17: 19-20).

Standing in the midst of Mars Hill, Paul began his sermon with the bold proclamation, "Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you" (Acts 17: 22, 23).

I personally cannot help but wonder if the Apostle Paul were to visit some of our modern day cities, how different would he find them to be than that of the ancient city of Athens? As he took the time to tour our cities, what would be some of the false idols of worship that he would find? Would he find that we also have “altars” marked with the inscription, "To the Unknown God?" If he were to preach today, which group of people would we find ourselves being a part of?

· The Jews - people with a religious history, people who would consider themselves to be on God's side by tradition.
· The devout persons - people who may or may not have a religious history, but people who are being, or at least trying to be, as religious or God fearing as they possibly can.
· People in the marketplace - people who have no religious history or religious leaning. Just ordinary people who happen to be in the marketplace at the same time as Paul and just happen to casually bump into him.
· The Epicureans - people who are sensualists. If they cannot touch, taste, or at least see something, then they have no interest in it. Some of these people might be party people, people who live for the moment, or people who are out for instant gratification. Others may be hard working, practical people.
· The Stoics - people who are materialists. They believe that everything comes down to matter or actually fire. They also believe in a cosmic order, that there is a greater good or orderly principle that somehow arranged everything on earth to be a functional expression of intelligence.

The word translated "superstitious" in verse 22 is deisidaimonia. It literally means God fearing or religious. And so, here was Paul telling a group of party going, practical, and materialistic people that they were too religious. How could that be possible?

Religion or some aspect of religion is all around us no matter where we go. Turn on the television, for example, and you will be able to find various programs representing the beliefs of several different faiths and denominations. In the local grocery stores, amongst the books and magazines, there are Bibles and books on various religious topics. In the card section of stores there are cards for all sorts of occasions that have Bible verses in them. In almost every hotel a person can find a copy of the Bible placed in one of the bedside drawers. There are Christian bookstores, and even some of the top ten best sellers in secular bookstores are Christian, or written by Christian authors, not to mention the Christian magazines and posters that you can buy. As a person drives around town he also finds that there are churches of all different faiths and denominations. Is all of this exposure to religion a bad thing? In and of itself it is not. However, I believe that there is a real danger in that for all of the Christian posters that we see, cards and books that we read, and even good sounding words that we hear, there are people who are worshipping a God they do not know. There are people who may know His name, have attended Sunday school from their youth up, can quote many scripture verses by heart, can tell you about some of the main characters in the scriptures, and may have even been educated in a Christian institution. But, the real question is, do they really KNOW Him, or are they worshipping "An Unknown God"?

The Apostle Paul continues his sermon in verses 24 -26:

God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of bone blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.

Paul is teaching that it is God who made us, and if He made us than He owns us. Therefore, He has every right to decide our future. He is also teaching that God is still in control of all things. He did not create the world and then go and sit down and leave the world to its own devices.

Sometimes when we go to church we put on nice clothes, smile at everybody and do all sorts of good things because we know that God can see us. However, when we go back to the privacy of our own homes, sometimes we tend to think that it is alright to do whatever we like, or we go to our jobs and show our true natures. We need to be reminded at all times that, "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good" (Proverbs 15:3). We must get out of our minds that God is only someone we meet at church. God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. He sees and hears everything, and He even knows what we are thinking at any given moment.

Paul is also teaching that God cannot be worshipped with works. Some people seem to think that by doing good deeds, or giving away large sums of money, or by any number of other pious activities that they are perhaps winning special favor with God. What they fail to realize is that God is the one that gives us life. Every breath we take, we take because God allows us to. God is also the maker of all things, and so everything that we make with our hands is constructed out of the materials that He has already given us. Furthermore, God is not the partial owner of anything. He is the full and rightful owner of everything. A person may say that God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. That is indeed true, but He also owns the hills, and furthermore He owns the grass which the cattle graze on those hills.

Paul further emphasizes these points as he continues his sermon in verses 27-31:

That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: for in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Again, Paul used an illustration these Greek philosophers would have known and understood by quoting from sources they were already familiar with. He wanted to establish the fact that we are beings created from a higher power. He reasons that if we are created, who then can create a god that supposedly created us? For we also know that in God we live and move and have our being. Paul begins with what they know, and then refutes and leads them to the true God, the only God who can save. There is no watering down the message here. Paul is condemning this culture for their ignorance and foolishness. He is not using their language style or reasoning. He is not trying to copy the culture, imitate it or simply “upgrade it” with a Christian message. But first, he uses it simply to start with a common point of knowledge. He is preaching the truth, in a relevant way they can understand.

Some Christians have no interaction with the world around them. They tend to stay within their own safe circles, never reaching anyone with the Gospel. The Gospel, which literally means Good News, was never meant to be kept to ourselves or contained within the four walls of a church building. Our faith needs to be spread to every area of life and the community surrounding us. This does not contradict the fact that we should be in the world, but not of the world. There is a difference between allowing the world to influence us and us influencing the world around us. Jesus Himself best illustrates this truth in His prayer found in John 17:13-18.

We cannot afford to simply adapt to the culture around us. In that case, we lose the Gospel message entirely. Instead of adapting to culture, we must seek to transform it. To do this, however, we cannot be ignorant of it. Christ has called us to go into the entire world and proclaim the Gospel. Therefore, we should be able to relate to those around us. A proper view of the Gospel forces us to understand we are all sinners in dire need of God’s grace. Because of our common depravity and need, we can relate to those around us. If we are following the Lord and doing what we know to be right, then we will not allow our shortcomings to hinder our efforts to share the Gospel with others.

Paul now begins to draw the net. He tells his audience that in the past, God may have tolerated their sin because they did not know the truth. But now however, they have been told the truth. They are told they must repent. They must turn from their wicked ways. They are left with no doubt of what it means to come to Christ. Paul speaks of the judgment that is to come. He also tells them they are completely without excuse, for Christ has raised form the dead. They know who the Savior is. They cannot plead ignorance. God Himself has made this known.

“And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, we will hear thee again of this matter. So Paul departed from among them. Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them“(Acts 17: 32-34).

Not many were won over in this sermon, but that is not why Paul was there. He preached to a diverse group of people. He preached the same message without wavering or compromise. Some were saved. Not all, not many, but some.

There will be some who simply will never accept the truth. No matter what is said, no matter what evidence is given and no matter what line of reasoning is used – their hearts will remain hard. Do not get discouraged and frustrated by these people. Keep on doing what God has called you to do. The results are up to Him, not you.

There will also be some who simply want to think it over. They want to ask a ton of questions and debate you into the wee hours of the night. They want to discuss, discuss and discuss, but never settle the issue. They want to explore other options, but consider themselves to be open to the possibility of accepting the Gospel and coming unto Christ. Do not get trapped into their snares. Often times they will trap you into discussions and never let go. They waste your time with meaningless debate that keeps you from sharing the Good News with others who really want to listen and come unto Christ. In all things, keep the faith and continue to be about the Father’s business!

I leave you these humble thoughts in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Guard Thee Well Thy Tongue

2011-10-25T14:03:00.001-04:00

Throughout the ages man has had the ability to tame various wild animals. He has also been blessed with the knowledge and ability to control such things as fire, electricity, the atom, and great machines such as airplanes as they glide through the air, and large ships as they cut through the waters, directing each of them in the way they are to go. However, he has not necessarily been successful in learning how to tame and control his own tongue.

As the old addage says, "First we think it, and then we say it." Therefore, it becomes necessary to feed our minds with wholesome and useful information in order to be able to control what we say. "For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison" (James 3: 7-8). James also exhorts us, referring to the tongue, "Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be" (James 3: 9-10).

In this life we will find those who are considered to be encouragers and those who are considered to be discouragers. Encouragers always seem to have a kind word to say or thought to share. Their objective is to build up and strengthen others - to heal, not to wound. They use the words that they say to empower and inspire people to be the best that they can be, to never quit, and to endure to the end. Discouragers, on the other hand, never seem to have a kind word to say or thought to share with anyone. They are always full of negativity and find every opportunity to dishearten those whom they come in contact with. Their objective is to belittle, degrade, demean, berate, insult, and hurt people. For them, sarcasm is an important manner of speech. They always look for the worst in people and do not hesitate to point out what they perceive to be a person's flaws. Whenever people speak with them they walk away feeling defeated and as though they are of no worth or in some way inferior. Discouragers are the ones who continually pour salt on already festering wounds. Again it was Solomon who counseled, "There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health. . . . Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counselors of peace is joy" (Proverbs 12: 18, 20). "Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!" (James 3:5).

We are all guilty of saying hurtful things in a moment of anger or frustration. On the other hand, we feel good about ourselves when we encourage people and so do they. And so, each of us has the power within us to be an encourager or a discourager. We can build up or we can tear down and destroy with our words. Let us not make excuses for losing our temper and saying hurtful things, but let us take the time to confess our offense to God and apologize to the person(s) whom we have hurt. Remember the words of James, "Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom" (James 3: 11-13).

Before closing this treatise I would like to share this little story that I came across today that was shared in a local newspaper. The story did not have a title, but the points that it makes are valid for our discussion nonetheless. The story is as follows:

Once upon a time, a king decided to test the wisdom of his chief adviser. He pondered a long time on the best kind of test and eventually decided on a meal. The king believed that a meal shared with friends was one of the greatest pleasures on earth. So he ordered the adviser to prepare the finest meal he could think of for a palace celebration. The adviser did not hesitate for long. He loved ox tongue with its rich sauces and trimmings.

On the chosen evening, the king and his guest sat down to a mouth-watering, sweet smelling dinner of tongue. At the end of the meal, all agreed that the adviser had proven himself a very gifted cook. The company had never tasted so excellent a meal. The king, however, insisted on knowing why the adviser thought this choice of menu was best.

"What could be better than tongue?" ask the adviser. "In life, with the words of the tongue we greet and name each other, speak and tell others where we are, share joy, bring hope, comfort and support, retell stories of the memories of the ancestors and fashion the dreams of the time that is still to come. Nothing is so fine as the gift of the tongue."

This answer greatly pleased the king. There was only one final test to prove the wisdom of his chosen adviser beyond doubt. "Tomorrow," he said, "I want you to prepare the worst meal in the world for the company." Again, the adviser showed no hesitation and began to prepare the menu.

The next evening, the company gathered around the table again. The smells from the kitchen seemed familiar and when the meal was set on the table they were all surprised because it looked and tasted exactly like the meal of the previous evening. All cut the meal carefully, examined it, chewed it slowly, but none could find any difference.

"Have you not served that delicious meal of tongue again?" asked the king. "It is not possible that it can also be the worst meal in the world. Privately, the king was disappointed. He had been so confident in the wisdom of his adviser after the first test.

"What can sow doubt and confusion more skillfully than the tongue?" asked the adviser. "There are very few other things that can spread so much evil. It can lie and deceive, stir up hatred and anger, play the coward, abuse and terrify and, most often of all, is empty and hollow, using many words to say nothing at all. A tongue can be the worst instrument in the world." The wisdom of the answer silenced the king. He found that he had much to ponder.

Solomon taught us many valuable lessons concerning the power of the tongue. Two of those lessons are worth noting at the close of this discussion: (1) "Whoever guards his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles" (Proverbs 21:23), and (2) "Even the foolish man, when he keeps quiet, is taken to be wise: when his lips are shut he is credited with good sense" (Proverbs 17:28). This is some very wise counsel indeed. Counsel that I pray we all will heed.

I leave these thoughts with you humbly in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

My Life Is In His Hands

2011-10-16T20:43:00.000-04:00

It was Franklin D. Richards who once said, “Life is God’s greatest gift to man, and what we do with our life is our gift to God.” (CR, April 1971, p. 38.) Stephen L. Richards taught, “Life is a mission and not a career.” (Quoted by Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, May 1988, p. 54.) And it was President Boyd K. Packer who taught, “No matter what citizenship or race, whether male or female, no matter what occupation, no matter your education, regardless of the generation in which one lives, life is a homeward journey for all of us, back to the presence of God in his celestial kingdom.” (Ensign, May 1987, p. 24.)

On Friday evening, 17 October 1958, at approximately 10:17 PM, a baby boy was born to John Wallace Brown and Frances Mae Harmon. He would become the second child born to the proud young parents, as John was only 23 years of age, and Frances had just barely turned 21 years of age on 24 September 1958.

Having already begun raising a now one year old son, these young, but still rather new parents, welcomed their newborn into the world with both joy and with the realization of the challenges in being the best parents that they could possibly be to him and his older sibling. Throughout his early childhood, and well into his early adult years, these loving parents would nurture and instruct their son in the way that he should go. They had their own hopes and aspirations of what he would one day become, but at the same time, like his brother before him, they had dedicated his life into the hands of the Lord, and they were confident that as long as he never let go of God’s unchanging hand and was obedient to God’s will for his life, everything was going to be alright.

Hugh Nibley once said, “No matter where we begin if we pursue knowledge diligently and honestly, our quest will inevitably lead us from the things of earth to the things of heaven.” And it was President David O. McKay who taught, “Knowledge comes through personal effort. Its acquisition involves labor. Exact and definitive knowledge comes to us in exact ratio with the amount of diligence, moral courage, and perseverance we put into the active search for it.”

At a very early age this son became a seeker of knowledge and truth. He developed a love for books and learning, and even during his elementary school years was fascinated by the treasures of knowledge that were found within the pages of not only his school textbooks, but other volumes that were available to him as well. Whereas most young boys tend to have a desire to get actively involved in some type of sports activity, he was more of an academic and preferred spending time in a library or looking through the encyclopedias and books at home to glean any morsel of knowledge from them that he could. However, even with his new found discoveries, he never seemed to be fully satisfied. There was still a hunger and a thirst to know even more.

In school, he devoted many hours to his studies, always wanting to do his best to achieve academic excellence. As he moved from elementary school into Junior High and High School, he became an even greater seeker of knowledge. Oftentimes he would be found studying different subjects on his own, outside of the subjects that he was taught in the classroom. He soon learned that he had a special passion for learning anything to do with mathematics and foreign languages. By the time that he graduated High School he had successfully passed one year of Latin and five years of Spanish. In fact, he had participated in a national Spanish exam in his senior year of High School and tied for fifth place. He was not a straight ‘A’ student, but he always managed to keep most of his grades in the ‘A’ and ‘B’ range and his name was very often found amongst the list of names of students who were on the honor roll. It was also in High School when he discovered a love for the English language and thoroughly enjoyed writing essays, short stories, and research papers. Oddly enough, some of his least favorite subjects were history and the sciences, although he enjoyed chemistry class mainly because of the mathematics involved in solving and balancing formulas and equations.

His quest for knowledge did not end with his graduation from Wicomico Senior High School in Salisbury Maryland in June 1976. At the young age of 18 years, having a love for learning new things in mathematics, he became interested in computers and how they functioned, and so he enrolled in a local community college and began his studies in Data Processing Technology. While working full time as a dishwasher in a local family restaurant, he pursued his studies at Delaware Technical and Community College in Georgetown Delaware, completing all of his requirements for graduation two weeks ahead of schedule, and graduating with an A.A.S. degree in Data Processing Technology in June 1979.

Hugh B. Brown once said, “Every landing field is also a runway for a new take-off. We must resist the temptation to abide upon arriving at an intermediate goal. There can be no loitering on life’s airfield. One must get on the plane or be left behind.” (Address, Brigham Young University, May 24, 1962, p. 3.) After graduating from Delaware Technical and Community College he decided to put further traditional classroom training and learning on temporary hold and continued working full time in the local restaurant. This; however, did not put an end to his quest for knowledge. He continuously pondered what he would eventually do with his life and began setting goals for some of the things that he hoped to accomplish. Perhaps he would become a teacher or even a preacher of the Gospel, as he also loved reading and studying the scriptures, and at the young age of 21 years had already read the Bible several times in its entirety.

Even with his vast knowledge and study of the Bible, he felt that there was still much more that he needed to know. There were many questions in his young mind that seemed to be left unanswered. And so, one day while watching television he saw a commercial for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and at the end of the commercial they offered a free Book of Mormon. Having no knowledge of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and having a curiosity as to what the Book of Mormon might be about, he sent and asked for a copy.

About a week later two young men dressed in suits and riding bicycles arrived at the door of his parents’ home where he was living at the time. They introduced themselves as missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and said that they had the Book of Mormon that he had requested. Wanting to learn more about the Church and the Book of Mormon, he invited them in. This was in October 1980, and shortly after he had joined the Navy under the delayed entry program. Leaving home and traveling the world while serving his country was one of the goals that he had set for himself. As President Spencer W. Kimball taught, “Goals are good. Laboring with a distant aim sets the mind in a higher key and puts us at our best.” (Regional Representatives’ Seminar, April 3, 1974.) And as Elder Richard G. Scott taught, “To reach a goal you have never attained, you must do things you have never before done.” (Ensign, May 1990, p. 76.)

He met with the missionaries on numerous occasions over the next 6 months, and even began reading the Book of Mormon. Finally, in March 1981, he thanked the missionaries for the things that they had taught him and promised that he would continue investigating the Church and reading the Book of Mormon at a later date. For now his mission in life was to be in the Navy serving his country. He did not realize that his mission would actually become his career.

During his military service he was blessed with the opportunity to travel to many foreign lands that he had only read about in books. He also continued his quest for knowledge by continuing to take courses in different subjects. He even enrolled in Bible College in the Tabernacle Baptist Church Theological Seminary while stationed in Norfolk Virginia with hopes of someday becoming a Baptist minister. He only had a chance to study in the Seminary for a little over a year, and during that time again realized that there was so much more that he wanted answers to. It would not be until 1997, some 17 years after his initial investigation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, while stationed in Keflavik Iceland, that he would finally find the answers that he had been seeking when he again began reading the Book of Mormon and meeting with the missionaries. On Tuesday evening, 10 March 1998, in the little LDS Chapel in Reykjavik Iceland he was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the rest as they say is history.

My name is Keith Lionel Brown. I am that son of whom this narrative refers. The first 52 years of this journey called life have been truly amazing. There have been many mountain top experiences, as well as, many valley experiences. Nevertheless, all of the experiences have helped to mold me into the person that I am today. Truly I stand all amazed at the love that the Savior offers me.

In a short 52 years I have been blessed to travel all over the world, meet influential and interesting people from all walks of life – entertainers, authors, movie directors, actors, and producers, a former President of the United States, and General Authorities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have also been blessed with many wonderful opportunities – things that as a young boy I could have only imagined.

My two goodly parents were indeed right in their humble estimation that as long as I hold on to God’s unchanging hand and do what His will is for my life, everything is going to be alright.

I do not know what tomorrow may bring, but I do know the One who holds all of my tomorrows in the palms of His hands. He never sleeps and He never slumbers. He is always right there beside me and has promised never to leave me alone. I don’t have to worry or be afraid. I know that I can make it. In Him I know I can stand. For no matter what may come my way, my life is in His hands.

For the Love of My Brother

2011-10-14T11:39:00.000-04:00

It has been wisely said, “Service is the rent we pay for our own room on earth.” We should be carefully reminded that the rent is due on a daily basis, and because of that, we will never receive a receipt that is stamped “paid in full.”

President Spencer W. Kimball taught:

It is by serving that we learn how to serve. When we are engaged in the service of our fellowman, not only do our deeds assist them, but we put our own problems in a fresher perspective. When we concern ourselves more with others, there is less time to be concerned with ourselves. In the midst of the miracle of serving, there is the promise of Jesus, that by loosing ourselves, we find ourselves. (Ensign, December 1974, p.2, 5).

Have you ever stopped to wonder what it is that truly motivates you to do the things that you do? Do you go about life seeking only those things which will gain you some type of personal recognition, or do you do the things you do, thinking not solely of yourself, but with the best interests of others at heart?

For example, I have been blessed with the talent and ability to be able to share my thoughts and feelings through the things that I write and share with others. But, sometimes I have to take a step back and ask myself if I am writing in hopes that someone will recognize my talents and abilities, or am I writing in hopes that someone will read what I have written and be blessed by what they have read. I pray that the latter will always be true. I pray that I will always live my life with the realization that it is not about me and what I may be able to do, but what I can do to be a blessing to others. Even with my writing I am in some small way rendering a service to others. And as Russell C. Taylor once said, “Service opens windows in your life instead of just mirrors that always reflect yourself.” The things that I do are not just for me, but for the love of my brother.

I personally believe that to a certain extent we all want to be recognized for the things that we do. However, sometimes we can get so caught up in ourselves that we fail to see anyone else but ourselves.

Even sometimes when we are preparing a message or a lesson for Church, we tend to feel that it has to be the greatest message ever delivered or the greatest lesson ever taught. Afterwards, if we are not careful, we can feel as though what we said or taught was ineffective, especially if no one comes to us and thanks us for our “great” efforts. If we find ourselves in this situation, we need to take a step back and ask ourselves, “Was the message that I delivered or the lesson that I taught for my glory or for His glory?” If we look at things in the proper perspective, of being in His service and bringing Him glory, our entire approach - from preparation, to delivery, to finish will be different. We will experience a certain peace unlike any other. A peace that “can come to both the giver and the receiver as we follow the promptings of the Spirit to serve one another.” (Barbara W. Winder; Ensign, November 1985, p. 96.)

Along those same lines we need to ask ourselves what audience we are intending to reach with our message. Do we expect that our message will reach the world, or do we focus on reaching the one who desperately hungers for the spiritual bread that we have that can satisfy that hunger? Our concern should not be for any type of self recognition, but our focus and concern should be for the love and edification of another - for the love of our brother. Even when we are delivering a message or teaching a class, we are rendering a service to our brothers and sisters. As President Spencer W. Kimball taught us, “God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs.” (Ensign, December 1974, p. 5.) And Elder Richard G. Scott taught, “If you would be loved, love another. If you would be understood, show understanding to another. If you would find peace, harmony, and happiness, lift another.” (Ensign, November 1983, p. 71.)

In every area of our lives - in the home, on our jobs, at school, in the community in which we live, and in the Church that we attend - we have the opportunity to be of service to our brothers and sisters. Some of our acts of kindness and service may be great, some may be small. Some may be noticeable, and some may not be noticeable at all. In some cases the one receiving the service may be totally unaware as to who rendered the service, but as our beloved Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson has taught, “Loving service anonymously given may be unknown to man - but the gift and the giver are known to God.” (Ensign, May 1983, p. 57.)

Perhaps Bryant S. Hinckley summarized it best when he said:

Service is the virtue that has distinguished the great of all times and which they are remembered by. It places a mark of nobility upon its disciples. It is the dividing line which separates the two great groups of the world - those who help and those who hinder, those who lift and those who lean, those who contribute and those who only consume. How much better it is to give than to receive. Service in any form is comely and beautiful. To give encouragement, to impart sympathy, to show interest, to banish fear, to build self-confidence and awaken hope in the hearts of others, in short to love them and to show it, is to render the most precious service. (New Era, June 1975, p. 14.)

As we journey through this life, it is my humble prayer that we may do so realizing that we are not the center of the universe and the sun does not rise nor set merely upon us. If in our lives we are able to help our brothers and sisters to lighten the heavy load that they may bear, in even the smallest of ways, then our living will not be in vain. Let us live our lives realizing and understanding that it is not all about “me.” The real blessings in life come when we forget about ourselves, and focus on doing things that will help lift another - when we do things for the love of our brother.

I leave these humble thoughts with you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Seeing Through the Eyes of Faith

2011-10-06T20:31:00.000-04:00

I have always been blessed in life to have full use of my physical abilities and five senses. As a result, it has become easy over the course of my life to take having those things for granted. I could never imagine what it would be like to wake up one morning without the use of them, but yet there are people who live their entire lives without the full use of their physical abilities, or with the loss of one or more of their five senses. To live their lives in that manner has to be frustrating at best, but yet if you were to speak to some of them they could tell you stories of how their life limitations have not only blessed them, but have allowed them to be a blessing to others.

Of the five senses, I would have to say that the most important one for me is my vision. I love to read and write and so I greatly depend on being able to have my vision. I never realized just how important that is until the vision in my right eye started to give me major problems in October 2010 leading to cataract surgery in November 2010 in hopes that the vision would clear up. Unfortunately, things did not go as well as expected.

For the past eleven months, since my cataract surgery, I have been coping with extreme vision problems in my right eye. Several physicians from both the Veterans Association Hospital, and now the physicians at the Wilmer Eye Institute at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore Maryland, have been working with me to try and figure out why it is that no medication that has been prescribed or procedures performed seem to make any difference as far as being able to clear up the vision in that eye. Finally, about a month ago, it was decided that a biopsy should be performed to see if there would be anything discovered that might help shed some light on this situation. The biopsy did show that there is a small infection growing in my right eye and a couple of weeks ago I was given two antibiotic injections in my right eye in hopes of combating the infection.

The good news is that the inflammation and bleeding in front of the eye seem to have settled down, and the swelling in back of the eye has significantly decreased since July of this year. However, still at best, all that I am able to see with my right eye are hazy shadows of objects, and that is only when the objects are extremely close to me. My line of sight with that eye, as compared to my left eye, is extremely narrow, as objects literally appear to be washed out or disappear altogether as they are moved further and further away. Real bright lights being shined directly in right eye have become my arch nemesis because of the blinding effect that it causes. That has become one of the main reasons that I have had to curtail a lot of late night driving other than in areas that I am most familiar with. Also there appears to be no discernible color distinction with using only my right eye and so everything that I am able to see with that eye is in black and white.

Some people may look at my situation as a major setback. Others, if faced with a similar challenge, may even give up hope altogether. I choose; however, to be thankful that I still have one good eye, and with that eye I am still able to function and do the things that I need to do with minor limitations. Yes, it may be true that I may never regain full vision in my right eye, but that is not a reason to lose hope and quit. Frank A. Clark whose instructive and insightful "The Country Parson" sermons were treasured by loyal fans once said, “If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere.” Someone has also said, “A bend in the road is not the end of the road... unless you fail to make the turn.” To me, my situation is just a small bend in the road that I am traveling, and by faith and determination, I choose to make the turn at the bend to continue on my journey.

I will admit that it does get frustrating at times when I want to do things and even my left eye after being put to full use for so many hours of the day grows tired and irritated prohibiting me from doing all that I have planned. Nevertheless, I am still blessed to be able to continue with my writing and to share the things that I write with others who are in turn blessed. As I think about my own minor infirmity, I am reminded of the Apostle Paul when he asked the Lord three times to take away the thorn in the flesh that had been given him and the Lord replied, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Paul responds by saying, “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9, 10). We are also taught in the Book of Mormon, in Ether 12:27, “And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”

In this life each of us will have our challenges to face – our own “thorns in the flesh” as it were, but we must decide whether we are going to give in and claim defeat, or become determined to continue to carry on. I may only have one eye that is functioning at an hundred percent at the moment, but I will humbly continue to press forward with the sure knowledge that the Lord will give me the strength that is necessary to do the things that are required of me. Yes, physically I may have only one good eye, but spiritually by His grace which is sufficient; I am able to see clearly with both eyes because I am seeing through the eyes of faith.

These humble thoughts I leave with you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Why do good things happen to bad people?

2011-10-06T08:52:00.001-04:00

I know that someone is going to read the title of this article and their first thought is going to be, "Keith, I think that you might have that a little backwards. Shouldn't the title read "Why do bad things happen to good people?" Perhaps it should, for that seems to be the question that is asked with great frequency these days. People have a hard time understanding why it is that the harder they try, there always seem to be some obstacle that stands in their way of succeeding. They believe that they are good people, so why do bad things always seem to happen to them? Why is it that they are always the ones that seem to find themselves in financial distress, without employment, in marriages that just don't seem to work and sometimes ultimately end in divorce, or always in poor health or constantly sick? Why is it that it seems they are always the ones who suffer while the bad people of the world seem to have it all and never have to deal with such adversities in life? Some even take it to the far extreme as to say and believe that God does not love them and that He is punishing them for one reason or another.

It would be easy to answer the question by simply saying that into every life a little rain must fall, and that rain does fall on both the just and the unjust. But that would not prove to be a satisfactory answer for most, as perhaps their next question would be, "Ok Keith, if that is the case, then why does it always seem to downpour on me and only sprinkle on others? Why isn't the amount of rain evenly distributed on good people as well as bad people?" That leads right back to the idea behind the question that was originally asked, and so we find that the discussion leads us into a continuous, endless circle without any real resolution.

First of all, and perhaps in some cases we will have to agree to disagree, we need to establish the fact that we are all children of our Heavenly Father and He does love each of us equally and unconditionally. However, we have been reminded in the scriptures that this earth life is a time to prepare, a time to learn, and a time to progress (see Alma 34:32-34). Each of us has been given the ability to choose. Therefore, we have the opportunity to make bad choices as well as good choices. In other words, a lot of the suffering and bad things that occur in our lives happen because of our poor choices. In some cases, not all, we are the ones who “allow” bad things to happen.

Sometimes the bad things that happen are a result of evil choices by others that cause suffering to the innocent. An excellent example of this is found in the Book of Mormon in the book of Alma. While two great men, Alma and Amulek, were preaching to the ancient people of Ammonihah, they were thrown into prison. They were forced to watch as the believers, including women and children, were thrown into a fire and burned along with the scriptures. Distressed, Amulek asked if they could call upon God’s power to stop it. But the Spirit told Alma that “the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them” (Alma 14:11). The good news is that those who are innocent will be received by the Lord in glory, and those who have injured the innocent will be judged by the Lord.

The book of Job in the Old Testament also addresses this issue. God had allowed Satan to do everything he wanted to Job except kill him. Job responded to this by saying, "Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21). Throughout all of his trials, afflictions, and adversities, Job continued to testify of his confidence and trust in the Lord and said, "Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand? Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him" (Job 13:14-16). Job did not understand why God had allowed the things He did, but he knew God loved him and so in spite of his situation and circumstances he "sinned not, nor charged God foolishly" (Job 1:22). Ultimately, in our times of trials and adversity, instead of doubting God's goodness, we should learn to "Trust in the Lord with all [our] heart; and lean not unto [our] own understanding. In all [our] ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct [our] paths" (Proverbs 3:5, 6).

In other cases, accidents take place where fault or choice is not an issue. In those cases, the Lord has promised us the strength to cope with the things we must live with. Often people who are injured permanently will tell you that they have learned many great things and have become better people even though they may wish that their accident had never occurred. Doctrine and Covenants 58:2–5 reminds us:

For verily I say unto you, blessed is he that keepeth my commandments, whether in life or in death; and he that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven. Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand. Remember this, which I tell you before, that you may lay it to heart, and receive that which is to follow.

And so, that is why I propose that the better question to ask is "Why do good things happen to bad people?" In Romans 5:8 we are taught, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Despite the evil, wicked, sinful nature of the people of this world, God still loves us. He loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son to be the propitiation for all of our sins - past, present, and future. Truly He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world, for He who knew no sin became the sacrificial lamb. He willingly gave His life to pay a debt that He did not owe, and one that none of us could have ever paid on our own. Because of His atoning sacrifice a way has been made possible for each of us, both good people, as well as bad people through the process of repentance, to one day return home to live eternally with our Heavenly Father.

Yes, sometimes bad things happen to people who seem undeserving of them. However, regardless of our situations or circumstances in life we must remember that God is good, just, loving, kind, and merciful. The Lord is aware of us all. He has shown us the way to return to Him. But, we have the choice whether to remain faithful or turn away from Him. The Lord can make weak things become strong, including our faith. We will be blessed exceedingly through the eternities if we will have faith and put our trust in Him and endure to the end!

Did you think to pray?

2011-10-04T09:11:00.000-04:00

It is of a certainty that this life is a continual test. There always seems to be something happening to try our patience and attempt to shake our faith. Just when we think that we have all the little fires in life under control, the alarm is sounded once again as we are called to fight yet another fire that is raging out of control. No doubt there are times in all of our lives when we get to the point where we feel that we have fought enough fires and we cannot handle having to respond to the alarm once again. We grow tired of breathing in the smoke from the ashes and rubbles of the pressures, stress, anguish, worries, and cares of day-to-day problems, and would just like a chance to breathe in some clean fresh air. We often find that it does not have to be big things that tend to get us down, but oftentimes it can also be small and insignificant things that can cause undue stress, worry, and anxiety.

Let me share two recent examples from my personal life to illustrate what I am talking about. I received a telephone call about three weeks ago from the rental office of my apartment complex informing me that my toilet was leaking down into the apartment below mine. The lady from the rental office started the conversation by trying to make it seem that I had full knowledge of the problem and that we had discussed it previously, but in reality this was the first time that I had heard of the problem. During the course of the conversation she asked if I would be willing to move to another apartment. Now, keep in mind that I had already paid all of the bills for the month including the rent and so my immediate thoughts were, “There is no way that I can afford to pack up an entire apartment and move on a moments notice. Besides that, I am also under doctor’s order not to do any excessive bending, straining, pulling, or lifting of anything over 10 pounds due to the fact that it could cause the pressures in my eyes to go up. Not to mention the fact that I would have to reestablish all services such as electric, cable, internet, and wireless network.” I politely told her that moving was not an option and that they needed to come up with another viable option which she did not seem too happy about. I was taken aback by all of this and my mind began racing about what I was going to do. In my moments of frustration, a voice came to me asking, “Did you think to pray?” After I settled down I prayed and asked Heavenly Father what I should do. I was given the answer to not worry about it, but to let Him handle everything. I had received the calm assurance that I was not going to have to move, but He had a different plan that would be worked out in my favor. I was both satisfied and relieved. I heard nothing more from the rental office concerning the matter.

A few days ago, on 29 September 2011, I was faced with another issue. When I went to my mailbox to get my mail there was a letter from the housing office. Again, even before opening the envelope, my mind and heart began racing and my first thoughts were “Now what?” The envelope was postmarked 28 September 2011, and the address on the envelope was the address of the rental office which is about a 5 to 7 minute walk from my apartment building. However, when I opened the envelope the letter inside was dated 1 September 2011. The letter addressed the fact that the housing office had not heard from me concerning the renewal of my lease making it sound as if they had contacted me previously about the matter, which in reality they had not. The letter went on to say that they valued me as one of their tenants and wanted to renew my lease at an increase in price of 25 percent. I immediately walked to the rental office to find out what this letter I had just received was all about and to explain that there was no way that I could afford a 25 percent increase in rent. I also asked for an explanation as to why I was receiving a letter dated 1 September 2011 on 29 September 2011, 2 days before the rent was due and before the lease had to be renewed. The lady in the office said that she would make a telephone call the next day to the property owner, who was conveniently on vacation at the time, to see what could be negotiated. In my haste and frustration concerning the matter, I told her that I would settle for no more than a 10 percent increase in rent and even that was more than I had experienced in previous years.

I walked back to my apartment angry and frustrated. Once again a voice came to me asking the same question that I had been asked before, “Did you think to pray?” Once I calmed down I began to call on my Heavenly Father and again asked Him what I should do. And again I was given the calm assurance to not worry about it, but to leave it in His hands. He let me know that everything was going to be alright.

On Friday afternoon, 1 October 2011, I met with the lady in the rental office to discuss the renewal of my lease after she had made a telephone call to the property manager. She began the conversation by saying that the property manager had said that she had sent me a previous letter, but I assured her that I never received that letter. She then went on to remind me that we had previously discussed a settlement of a 10 percent increase in rent, and then she asked me, “How does a 5 percent increase sound instead?” Heavenly Father was true to his Word and had worked it all out.

While I was there she also brought up the issue of my toilet leaking into the apartment below mine and told me that they were making final preparations to get the repairs done. Then she said that they are going to have me stay in the guest suite for 5 days while the repairs are being made. In addition to the repairs being made, they are also going to do some remodeling in my bathroom. Again, true to His Word, Heavenly Father had worked out all the details.

We all at times have a tendency to want to take matters into our own hands and attempt to solve problems our own way without ever talking to our Heavenly Father about any of it. Prayer is our life line between us and Him. There is no prayer that is too large or too small for Him to handle. He is always there - ready to answer our every plea. He never turns a deaf ear to anything that we have to say. He listens and He cares.

Instead of becoming angry, irritated, frustrated, and bitter over life’s tests and challenges, may we always remember to spend some time speaking in earnest prayer with our Heavenly Father who always has a much better plan than any plan that we could ever devise. Let us ever be mindful to follow the admonition of the scriptures where we are taught to “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Philippians 4:6).

Are you feeling lonely, distressed, frustrated, angry, or bitter about situations in your life? If so, did you think to pray? As someone has wisely said, “Prayer - It works!” I leave these thoughts with you humbly in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

In the Service of Our God

2011-10-02T11:00:00.001-04:00

The word “service”can be defined as the action of helping or doing work for someone. “Service”can also be defined as someone’s contribution to the welfare of others. After along and perhaps arduous week at work and studying in the classroom, mostpeople treasure their weekends as time for themselves to relax, unwind and dosome of the things that they enjoy doing. Rendering service to someone andwithout receiving monetary compensation, or at the very least, some sort ofpersonal recognition, is one of the last things that they wish to considerduring their time off.

However, onSaturday, 17 September 2011, as part of a worldwide effort, and under thedirection of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-daySaints, that is exactly what some 250 members from the various Wards andBranches that comprise the Annapolis Maryland Stake did as they rendered a 'Dayof Service' to their communities and to members in need. Devoting some 625man-hours, these men, women, and children went to work with the goal of beingable to contribute to the welfare of others as they completed a variety ofprojects.

As members of theChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we believe that “when [we] are inthe service of [our] fellow beings [we] are only in the service of [our] God”(Mosiah 2:17). The Savior Himself taught us, "By this shall all men knowthat ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:35). Andin the twenty-second chapter of Matthew, beginning at verse 35, we read of theaccount of a Pharisee, who was a lawyer by trade, who comes to the Master andasks the question, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?”(Matthew 22:36). The response that the Master gave the Pharisee is the sameresponse that He would give you and me today if we were to ask the samequestion. We learn of His response in verses 37 – 40, “Jesus said unto him, thoushalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and withall thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is likeunto it, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandmentshang all the law and the prophets.”

Therefore, one ofthe ways that we demonstrate our love for our Heavenly Father and our fellowmanis through the service that we render to others. That service can be for afamily member, a Church member, a friend, or even a total stranger. We do notrender service in hopes of receiving monetary reward or personal recognition.Our reward is in knowing that we were able to help our brothers and sisters ineven the smallest of ways. Through our acts of kindness and service they areblessed, and we in turn are also blessed.

One such projectwas the painting of the fence at the Annapolis City Municipal Swimming Pool.Due to budget constraints the city had not been able to pay for labor costs tohave the fence painted, and so they welcomed the opportunity for volunteers tocome and do the work for them. Some 40 members of the Annapolis Wardvolunteered to get the job done and gave a combined total of 120 man-hours toprepare and paint 60 sections of fence. Mr. Ambrose from the City ParksDepartment expressed his gratitude and extended an invitation for people tocome back and help any time a service project is needed.

The Severn Wardhelped out at the Kinder Farm Park. Their original project was to clean brushand trash around a pond area, but the Ranger diverted that project as there wasa walk/race for Chiari (a brain malformation) going on in that area. However,the 50 Ward members who came to help that day did not allow this diversion tostop them from rendering service nonetheless. Instead they devoted a collective100 man-hours to shucking corn for the upcoming fall festival, and picking uptrash throughout the park.

The members of theKent Island Branch rendered service at the Ferry Point Park in ChesterMaryland. Some 40 members came to give of their time and service. Their initialgoal was to have one group prepare and paint a boat on display at theChesapeake Exploration Center, and another group would work cleaning driftwoodand trash off the beaches at the park. However, due to a lack of power at theboat and the possibility of rain, the boat painting project had to be abandonedand so everyone diverted their time and attention to cleaning the beaches,devoting a collective 160 man-hours of service to the project.

These are justthree examples of the community service that was rendered. Still, there wereother members of the Stake who gave unselfishly of their time to contribute tothe welfare of others, to include the members of the Severna Park and BroadneckWards. Some 120 members from these Wards dedicated a collective total of 245man-hours rendering specific acts of service to families in need, especially tothe widows and single women in the Stake, including much needed repairsfollowing the aftermath of hurricane Irene which struck just days prior to the'Day of Service.' Some of the examples of the service that was rendered tomembers in need included house cleaning, cutting up a tree that fell into theyard of one of the women and then stacking it for firewood, leveling the areawhere a stump was removed so it could be seeded with grass, moving dirt tobring up to grade a portion of a yard that consistently floods, pulling downvines that had overgrown a fence and tool shed, digging up of dead shrubs andplanting new shrubs, hammering down nails on a deck that had popped up and wereposing a trip hazard, pulling down poison ivy that had grown over a fence,emptying and dismantling a shed that had fallen into disrepair as a result ofage and the recent storms, building a foundation for an A/C unit whosefoundation had crumbled, and removing leaves, branches, and other debris thathad fallen into yards as a result of the hurricane.

From the reportsthat were received from the local leaderships, the 'Day of Service' was asuccess. These ordinary people gave unselfishly of their time and efforts torender service to both their communities and to those members in need. Whatthen was their motivation in providing such service? What was their reward?Their reward was in knowing that they were able to help where needed even inthe smallest of ways. Some gave more, and others gave less. Nevertheless, throughtheir acts of kindness and service, those whom they served were blessed and inturn they themselves were blessed. Not only were they able to render service toothers, but it was a wonderful opportunity for them to bond together as aChurch family and interact with their local communities demonstrating that theydo care and are here to help whenever needed.

The words of PresidentThomas S. Monson, the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-daySaints puts all of this into proper perspective. He said:

As we lookheavenward, we inevitably learn of our responsibility to reach outward. To findreal happiness, we must seek for it in a focus outside ourselves. No one haslearned the meaning of living until he has surrendered his ego to the serviceof his fellow man. Service to others is akin to duty, the fulfillment of whichbrings true joy. We do not live alone—in our city, our nation, or our world.There is no dividing line between our prosperity and our neighbor'swretchedness. 'Love thy neighbor' is more than a divine truth. It is a patternfor perfection” (Thomas S. Monson, "The Joy of Service," New Era,Oct. 2009, 4).

Be ye therefore perfect. . . . .

2011-09-17T19:22:00.000-04:00

When most of us think of what it means to be "perfect", we normally associate perfect as being flawless or without blemish. A dictionary definition of the word "perfect" would be rendered as that which is correct to the last detail. Oftentimes we refer to things as being picture-perfect, letter-perfect, or word-perfect. For example, "That was a letter-perfect rendition of the soliloquy" or "He was word-perfect in his part." And so, in our minds, to be perfect is to be right or correct one hundred percent of the time, and especially when conforming to fact or truth.

In all fairness, when we apply this definition of perfect or being perfect to our own lives, none of us can say that we are perfect. In a very literal sense we are all a continual work in progress, striving to reach perfection, but not yet having obtained it.
Perhaps it is because of this interpretation of the word "perfect" in a spiritual sense, such as "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48), that we may give up even before we try, realizing how far short of the perfection of the Father we fall. However, a better understanding of the word "perfect" will allow us to see that it is indeed possible to become perfect.

But, how is it possible to be "perfect" when Scriptures clearly teach us that,

"There is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10), "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23)? This is a truth that we cannot deny and John is very clear on this subject when he says in 1 John 1:8-10, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

Job, a true servant of the Lord, was a man who was "perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil" (Job 1:1). When Abram was ninety-nine years of age, the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect" (Genesis 17:1). "Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God" (Genesis 6:9). The Psalmist David was able to declare in Psalm 18:20-23:

"The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me. I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity."

Therefore, is being perfect, upright, and of integrity only for the Bible greats such as Job, Abraham, and Noah? Is this perfection something that we have no hope of obtaining? What does it mean to be perfect? The Greek word "perfect" as found in Matthew 5:48 is telios. According to Thayer's Greek Lexicon, it means "brought to its end, finished, wanting nothing necessary to completeness, perfect, full-grown, adult, mature." The following uses of this word in the New Testament illustrate what it means to be perfect:

1. Beyond keeping the Ten Commandments, perfection is having love and concern for the poor by giving to them. - Matthew 19:16-22.
2. Perfection is being a daily living sacrifice of service, and not being conformed to this world, but transformed by the Holy Spirit to act upon the perfect will of the Almighty. - Romans 12:1-2; I Corinthians 2:1-16.
3. The purpose of the ministry is for the perfecting of the saints, that we will be united in the one true faith, complete in the knowledge of the Messiah, a perfect man like He is perfect, no more children tossed about. - Ephesians 4:11-16; Colossians 1:27-29.
4. Those who are becoming perfect have the Creator's mind - a mind of humility and service to one another. - Philippians 2:2-5, 19, 20; Philippians 3:15. Epaphroditus, or Epaphras, is an example of perfect service to the brethren. - Philippians 2:25-30; Colossians 4:12-13.
5. Unless we have advanced beyond the basic doctrines and beyond the milk of the word, and are able to teach others, we are not mature believers. - Hebrews 5:9 to 6:6. Notice the words translated "of full age" in Hebrews 5:14. The Greek word is telios. We who have been schooled for so many years in the truth ought now to be teachers, skilled in living and practicing the Word and able to teach others.
6. Patiently overcoming trials and temptations results in perfection. - James 1:2-8,12; I Peter 5:10.
7. Perfection comes from the Father who is perfect. - James 1:17- 18.
8. The spiritual law is a perfect law of liberty. Those who obey it are perfect. - James 1:23-25, 2:22.
9. The perfect man holds his tongue. - James 1:25-27, 3:1-18.
10. We must have perfect love - the bond that makes us perfect. - I John 4:18; Colossians 3:12-17. The Almighty's love is to be perfected in us. - I John 2:3-6. How is this done? By loving the brethren. - I John 4:11-21.

"Nobody is perfect" is a common expression that is used even among Christians. However, perfection is not an illusory goal; it is our daily way of life. Our every effort is directed toward becoming perfect even as He is perfect. The Savior is the captain of our salvation, made perfect through suffering and obedience. Once we take our eyes off our Savior, perfection at once seems to be out of the realm of reality. Indeed without Him, perfection is impossible, but because of Him and all that He done for us through the atonement, we can be perfected in Him.

I leave these thoughts with you humbly in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

September Morning - Lest We Forget

2011-09-14T14:25:00.000-04:00

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation. Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.” - Psalm 27:1; 37:12-15

September 11, 2001 is a day that will long be remembered in history as a somber day of remembrance. On that day, a short decade ago, many innocent men, women, and children became fallen victims due to the vicious attacks that penetrated our shores. They were husbands and fathers, wives and mothers, sons and daughters. All of whom were gone too soon as their lives were snubbed out like a candle in the wind, but none of whom would soon be forgotten.

Do you remember where you were and what you were doing on that tragic day? Do you remember your reaction as you listened to and watched the various news broadcasts?

It started out as a day like any other. People were rushing here and there to get to work and to their appointed destinations. No one would have ever imagined the horrendous chain of events that would occur starting at 8:46:30 AM in New York City when American Flight 11crashed at a speed of roughly 466 mph (790 km/h) into the north face of the North Tower (1 WTC) of the World Trade Center, between floors 93 and 99. No doubt the reaction of those who witnessed that event was one of utter shock and amazement. How was it possible that an aircraft would be flying at that low of an altitude and mange to veer that far off course and crash into a building? Or, was this some sort of deliberate act, and if so, why?

Before a definitive answer could be ascertained to the questions that were going through the minds of observers, in a matter of minutes, at approximately 9:03:02 AM Flight 175 crashed at a speed of roughly 590 mph (950 km/h) into the south face of the South Tower (2 WTC) of the World Trade Center, banked between floors 77 and 85. Now it had become immediately evident that this was neither coincidence nor accident. As unbelievable and as unfathomable as it may have seemed, America, the home of the free and the land of the brave, was under attack.

Six months prior to these events occurring, on 31 March 2001, I had retired from 20 years of active duty service in the United States Navy. In the course of my duties I had been afforded opportunities to both visit and serve in countries and lands where these sorts of events could certainly be eminent. However, I would have never imagined that anything of this magnitude would ever occur on American soil and certainly not so close to home.

At that time I was working as an Administrative Assistant for a government contractor on the United States Naval Academy, and on that particular September morning I was sitting in my office when I received communication via two-way radio from one of our field technicians that the World Trade Center had been hit. I was somewhat in disbelief and actually asked the technician to repeat. I turned on the shop radio to the local news station and listened intently to the incoming reports. Shortly thereafter, the news was broadcast that the second tower had been hit. The base immediately went into lock down and evacuation procedures of all non-essential personnel were begun. Needless to say adrenalin levels were on high charge as people began scurrying to get to their vehicles and return to their homes.

Upon arriving at home I turned on the news on television and watched in utter horror, amazement, and shock as the news reports were rapidly coming in and video of the events was being played over and over again. Perhaps the overarching question in everyone’s mind on that solemn day was how could this have happened, and why? Somehow deep within me, like perhaps many others who were watching that day, I knew that this course of events would change our world forever.

On that fatal day and in the days that followed, the air was permeated with fear and uncertainty as people began coming together to support and comfort one another as best they could. People of all different faiths and denominations joined together in unified prayer for solace and peace in a situation that was seemingly out of control. The attacks had ended, but not without the cost of the innocent lives of loved ones. Families suddenly found themselves having to make major decisions as to how to pick up the pieces and move forward. The aftershock would linger for some time to come. The events of that September morning had sent a wakeup call to people everywhere that we as a nation are not as invincible as we may think, and that the survival of the nation depends on everyone binding together and working as a whole, and not as individuals operating on a lonely island. Regardless of a person’s beliefs, it was evident that someone of higher power and authority had preserved our nation on that tragic day and sustained those of us who now remain to forever remember. But, what is it exactly that we should remember?

We need to remember the cost in human lives. On that bleak and dreadful September morning, 11 September 2001, nearly 3,000 people lost their lives at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in rural fields in Pennsylvania. The attack was the most devastating ever to happen on American soil; costing more lives than even the attack on Pearl Harbor which claimed the lives of 2,500 Americans. We must not forget the lives that were lost on that dreadful day, and the lives of those who have been forever changed. We must not forget the widows who are raising their children alone, or the parents who will never hold their children again.

We also need to remember the heroism shown by ordinary people who rose to the occasion in extraordinary ways. The reactions to the crisis brought forth both the best and the worse in people. Yes, there have been some unfortunate occurrences such as the Pakistani woman who was purposefully run down while crossing a super-market lot with groceries simply because she wore the traditional dress of her homeland. But unnumbered heroic acts were also called forth, some recorded and many that were not. There were many beacons of light that shined in the darkness. The firefighters, policemen, and rescue workers who risked their lives and especially those who gave their lives to save others were the true heroes of the day.

Perhaps most distressing of all is what this crisis revealed about our country’s relationship with God. Immediately after the attacks, church attendance spiked for several weeks, rising in some places to as much as half again as much as the regular adult attendance. That attendance surge was short-lived however, for levels were back to normal by November.

If the events of that September morning has taught us nothing else, one lesson that we should have all learned is that we never know how much time we have, or how much time those around us have, therefore there arises an urgent need for all Christians everywhere to be the warning voice to their neighbors by spreading the Good News of the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone they can. In such times of peril and distress, the question need not be, "What would Jesus do?", but rather, "What would Jesus have me do?"

The September 2002 issue of "Focus on the Family Magazine" recalls the story of Al Braca. Al worked on the 105th floor of Tower One. When he realized that they were trapped in the building and would be unable to escape, Al shared the Gospel with 50 of his co-workers and led them in prayer. Some of those same individuals had in the past mocked him for his faith. By following the model of Christ - ordinary Christians like you. me, and Al Braca can also be heroes.

And so, we also need to remember from where our help and strength comes. In Psalm 46 we read:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

When David said, “God is our refuge” what he meant was that our sense of security is not derived from our nation’s defenses but that it rests in our faith in God. God and God alone is our refuge in times such as these. Our feelings of security must go beyond the measures of Home Land Security, metal detectors, security checks, military power, political alliances or the strength of our economy. Our hope must be built on nothing less than Jesus’ sacrifice and His righteousness. It is upon Christ, the Solid Rock that we must stand, for all other ground is sinking sand. David further reminds us that God is not only our refuge but He is also our “strength. ” Strength is the ability to rise above tragedy even with tears in our eyes and go forward. God is not just some far off source from whom we can seek advice but He is “a very present help in trouble. ”

God was not surprised by the tragic events that occurred on 11 September 2001. He did not cause those events to happen, but He granted mankind its agency and men brought this all to happen. He does; however, comfort those who were affected by those events. He may or may not prevent future acts of terrorism such as these, but He will provide peace in the hearts of all those who turn to Him.

Entrance to the Kingdom of God

2011-09-03T19:28:00.001-04:00

This talk was given on Saturday, September 03, 2011, on the occasion of the baptism of Andrew Jerry Calabrese.

John 3:5 “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

The fourth Article of Faith states: “We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

The Savior revealed the true method of baptism to the Prophet Joseph Smith, making clear that the ordinance must be performed by one having priesthood authority and that it must be done by immersion.We are taught in Doctrine and Covenants 20:73-74:

The person who is called of God and has authority from Jesus Christ to baptize, shall go down into the water with the person who has presented himself or herself for baptism, and shall say, calling him or her by name: Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Then shall he immerse him or her in the water, and come forth again out of the water.

The act of immersing a person in water is symbolic of that person’s sinful life being buried and they being reborn or receiving a new life – a spiritual life – a life that is dedicated to serving God and others. Immersion is also symbolic of the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Christ was our perfect exemplar in fulfilling this sacred ordinance of baptism. Nephi, as recorded in 2 Nephi 31:4-9 tells us why Christ was baptized:

4 Wherefore, I would that ye should remember that I have spoken unto you concerning that prophet which the Lord showed unto me, that should baptize the Lamb of God, which should take away the sins of the world.

5 And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to be baptized by water, to fulfil all righteousness, O then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized, yea, even by water!

6 And now, I would ask of you, my beloved brethren, wherein the Lamb of God did fulfil all righteousness in being baptized by water?

7 Know ye not that he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments.

8 Wherefore, after he was baptized with water the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove.

9 And again, it showeth unto the children of men the straitness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter, he having set the example before them.

In verses 10-18 of that same chapter Nephi teaches us that men must follow Christ’s example, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end to be saved. He also teaches us that repentance and baptism is the gate to the straight and narrow path. We read these words:

10 And he said unto the children of men: Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?

11 And the Father said: Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son.

12 And also, the voice of the Son came unto me, saying: He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do.

13 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the the htongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.

14 But, behold, my beloved brethren, thus came the voice of the Son unto me, saying: After ye have repented of your sins, and witnessed unto the Father that ye are willing to keep my commandments, by the baptism of water, and have received the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost, and can speak with a new tongue, yea, even with the tongue of angels, and after this should deny me, it would have been better for you that ye had not known me.

15 And I heard a voice from the Father, saying: Yea, the words of my Beloved are true and faithful. He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.

16 And now, my beloved brethren, I know by this that unless a man shall endure to the end, in following the example of the Son of the living God, he cannot be saved.

17 Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.

18 And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.

When we are baptized we enter into a covenant with God to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, to keep His commandments, and to serve Him to the end (See Mosiah 18:8-10; D&C 20:37). Each time that we partake of the Sacrament we renew the covenants that we made at the time of our baptism (See D&C 20:77-79).

Jerry, a little over 13 years ago in the far away land of Iceland, where I was stationed in the Navy at the time, I made the decision to be baptized. That decision started me in a whole new direction in my life. I am convinced that had the Lord not taken me out of the main stream of things and sent me to a place as far away as Iceland, I probably would not be standing here speaking to this audience this morning. My plans, goals and priorities for my life where definitely a lot different than what the Lord had in mind. After being baptized and becoming more learned of the Gospel, and because of my willingness to take upon me His name, to follow His example, and to be obedient to His commands, I have seen and continue to see blessing after blessing in my life. Many doors that I once thought would never be opened to me are now beginning to open and I have been blessed in so many ways with new opportunities to help me grow and mature in the Gospel.

I believe that the words of President Joseph F. Smith best describe how I felt after being baptized. He said:

When I [was] baptized for the remission of my sins, the feeling that came upon me was that of pure peace, of love and of light. I felt in my soul that if I had sinned – and surely I was not without sin – that it had been forgiven me; that I was indeed cleansed from my sin; my heart was touched, and I felt that I would not injure the smallest insect beneath my feet. I felt as if I wanted to do good everywhere to everybody and to everything. I felt a newness of life, a newness of desire to do that which was right. There was not one particle of desire for evil left in my soul . . . this was the influence that came upon me, and I know that it was from God, and was and ever has been a living witness to me of my acceptance of the Lord (CR, April 1898, p.66).

I will conclude my remarks by returning to the words of Nephi as recorded in 2 Nephi 31:19-20:

19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. I know that the Bible and the Book of Mormon are the Word of God. I know that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ. I know that Joseph Smith was and is a Prophet of the Lord. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s true Church upon the earth today and that His Church is being led by a Living Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson. Of these things I do so testify and bear solemn witness in the sacred name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

All Hands On Deck!

2011-09-01T10:55:00.001-04:00

With Hurricane Irene now behindus, I would like to use the analogy of a ship caught in a raging storm at seato share my personal reflections and thoughts on how we as a family and as aChurch should care for and protect one another during a time of crisis.

When a ship is at sea caught in the snares of a ragingstorm and tempest; that is not the time for a crew member to center hisattention and focus on self - being only concerned about his own safety and well-being.It is during such times that the needs of the many far outweigh the needs ofthe few or the one. The safety of all onboard becomes paramount. One lone crewmember can accomplish some things to ensure his own safety, as well as, that ofhis fellow shipmates, but if the ship is to weather the storm and return safelyto harbor it requires all hands on deck, working diligently, side by side, toensure that not one shipmate is lost at sea, and that all return to homeportsafely.

Lessons My Father Taught Me

2011-08-30T19:17:00.004-04:00

My father, the late John Wallace Brown, began working as a short-order cook during his High School years and continued working in that profession up until the time of his death on 20 November 2006, at 71 years of age. He would be promoted during his career to Kitchen Manager.

President Ezra Taft Bensononce said, “A father’s duty is to make his home a place of happiness and joy.He cannot do this when there is bickering, quarrelling, contention, orunrighteous behavior. The powerful effect of righteous fathers in setting anexample, disciplining and training, nurturing and loving is vital to thespiritual welfare of his children. . .Remember your sacred calling as a fatherin Israel—your most important calling in time and eternity—a calling from whichyou will never be released (Ensign, November 1987, pp. 50-51).

I have often found it easierto write about and speak of my beloved mother than my father. It is not becauseI did not love and respect my father, for I did, but for several years ours wasan estranged relationship. It is partly because of that relationship that inMarch 1981, at the young age of 23 years, I made the decision to leave home andjoin the military. It would not be until the twilight years of my father’s lifethat I would finally begin to have a more complete understanding of the man hereally was.

The last time that I visitedwith my father was the weekend of my 48^th birthday in October 2006.He looked aged, tired, worn out, and troubled about many things. What I sawbefore me was not the same person that I once knew. Seemingly gone from him wasthe vibrancy of living. The things that he had once found pleasure in doing hadsuddenly become passé to him. What I saw was a man who had run his course inlife, and was now ready to just sit down and rest awhile.

The rest that he so desiredcame on Monday, 20 November 2006, at the age of 71 years. Though saddened thathe was physically gone, there was also an air of relief that he was finally at peaceand no longer had to deal with the mundane things of this world.

I shall forever be gratefulfor the life lessons that he taught me. It has been those valuable life lessonsthat have helped to mode and shape me into the man and the person that I amtoday.

One of those valuable lessonsthat my father taught me was how to be resourceful. As a young boy growing upmy family did not have a lot of money and so we often had to rely on theresources that we had available in order to sustain life. Instead of spending alot of money at the grocery store for example, my father, for many years,planted his own garden and grew fresh vegetables and other things such asstrawberries, watermelon, and cantaloupe to be used as sustenance for hisfamily and himself. He also enjoyed planting beautiful flower gardens for mymother.

We did not have elaboratebanquets to feast from, or gourmet meals to eat, but there was always enough tosatisfy each hungry appetite with some left over for meals the next day. Veryearly in life I became acquainted with our good friend Quaker Oats as oatmealfor breakfast was a staple. Meat such as venison and rabbit were often given tomy father by friends who hunted and wanted to share their bounty. The chickenthat we ate often came from those who raised and bred chickens. My mother wasusually the one who had the honors of killing the “bird”, cleaning it, andpreparing it for the family meal in addition to her delicious homemadedumplings.

My father was alsoresourceful in making fun things for his children to play with such as bows andarrows, and kites made from sticks and newspaper with a piece of cloth tied onthe end for a tail. He even used scrap materials from old toy wagons and suchto build us go-karts that my siblings and I spent hours of enjoyment playingwith.

In addition to teaching meabout how to be resourceful, my father also taught me how to be thrifty. Hetaught me that it doesn’t take a lot of money to be able to survive in this world;a person just need to know how to manage the money that he has, and realizethat he cannot put out more than he takes in. He also taught me that “robbingPeter to pay Paul” is not a sound way of managing finances. Sooner or later youstill have to pay Peter what he is owed.

When my siblings and I werein school we never owned name brand sneakers, expensive sports jackets, ordesigner jeans. The only name brand that we were remotely familiar with was thewonderful brand called Fruit of the Loom. Most of the shopping for our schoolshoes and clothes was done at stores such as Sears, JC Penny, or McCroy’s. Inour earlier school years, a lot of our clothing was purchased at Mr. Curley’s,a local discount clothing store. Our school supplies were purchased atWoolworth, the local dime store or some similar place where supplies could bebought at reasonable prices. We did not have fancy, expensive, designerbackpacks to carry our books in; we carried them in our arms. We did have lunchboxes with a thermos inside, but very often we took our lunch in a brown paperlunch bag. We were required to cover our textbooks to help protect and preservethem for future use, and instead of buying fancy book covers we used the brownshopping bags that you get from the grocery store and cut them to fit ourtextbooks.

My father was a frugal manwho believed that spending money unnecessarily was utter foolishness. “A pennysaved is a penny earned” was his philosophy. That is not to say that he was apenny pinching miser or anything of the sort for he spent money on thenecessities of life, but he also strongly believed and taught his four childrenwell that there is a vast difference between what we think we want and what wereally need. He would also spend extra money to take us to fun places likeOcean City in the summer or to the fair in Harrington Delaware. He also madesure that we got a gift on our birthday, and at Christmas there were lots ofpresents under the tree for everyone.

Perhaps one of the reasonsthat my father was so careful with his spending was because he came from ahumble upbringing and always worked hard all of his life to have the thingsthat he needed and to provide for his family. And so, another important lifelesson that my father taught me was the value of hard work. “A little hard worknever killed anyone” he would say. Throughout his life he often worked at leasttwo jobs to make ends meet. In the latter years of his life he worked as aPreparatory Cook in a local restaurant during the day, and then would come homeand go to work, often until dark, in the lawn care business which heestablished and became very successful in. He was definitely not a stranger tohard work. When he laid his head on his pillow at night to rest, he could do soknowing that he had put in an honest day of work.

Another life lesson that myfather taught me was that we can all learn new things if we have an open mindand are willing to be taught. We often defeat ourselves in life because werefuse to be teachable and to adventure out and try new things.

For example, my father wasvery good with his hands and loved to build things. One of the things that hebuilt was a work shed where he could work on his projects. It started out as asmall one room work shed, but as time went on, he decided to add an addition tohouse all of his tools such as shovels, rakes, hoses, lawn mowers, etc. Oncehis lawn care business started to grow, he decided that he needed to expandeven more and built another addition to house his lawn equipment and supplies.I might add that all of this was done by building from the ground up – nothingwas prefabricated. He also ran all of the electric himself and installed all ofthe lighting, light switches, and electrical outlets that were necessary. Imight further add that the lawn care business that he maintained was completelyestablished by him, and he worked diligently to obtain his customers andfaithfully served them until the time of his death. He did not take anyexpensive courses in carpentry or electrical installation. He did not major inBusiness Administration at a major university. He simply used the knowledgethat he had obtained by watching others and put that knowledge to practicaluse. He was able to accomplish many of the things that he did because he wasteachable and willing to venture out and used what he had learned in order tohave the things that he needed.

The acronym that I use tohelp me remember the life lessons that my father taught me is “Remember The Home Team” (R.T.H.T.) That is, (1)resourceful – learn to use the things that you already have at your disposal,(2) thrifty – learn to separate your wants from your needs and be a wisesteward over the funds that you have, (3) hard working – be able to lay your headon your pillow at night and rest knowing that you did not waste the day thatthe Lord had given you, but that you were a wise steward of time, and youseized the day and did an honest day of work, and (4) teachable – have an openmind and be willing to learn and try new things.

The valuable life lessonsthat my father taught me are not only lessons that I remember, but lessons thatI will not soon forget. My father was a great teacher and mentor. I only praythat I was as good a student as I should have been to learn and apply thevaluable lessons that he taught me.

Listen to the Music

2011-08-22T21:41:00.000-04:00

“After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.” Aldous Huxley

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once said, “Music is the universal language of mankind.” Where spoken words may not be able to convey a message, the sounds of music can.

Music has played a part in the events of man’s everyday life since his earliest days. For example, in Exodus 15 we learn of the musical festivals after the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea. At times music has also accompanied men into battle and has been used to celebrate victories in war. Songs and dance were used to honor kings at their coronation. Throughout history, music has been used to sooth troubled minds, accompany prophesying, and to express personal sorrow. In the Psalms David used music to describe personal emotions as well as praise to God.

We each have different tastes in music. Some people like classical or jazz, whereas others may prefer country or contemporary. Some people like nice quiet, soothing music, whereas others may prefer their music as loud as possible. Regardless of our individual tastes, music plays an important part in each of our lives and can influence us in many different ways.

When we are feeling down and depressed, certain types of music can have a positive influence on us by lifting us up and making us feel rejuvenated. However, music can also have negative influences on us. Certain songs and types of music can actually make us feel depressed, lonely, unwanted, and unloved. Therefore, we must learn to be discerning about the types of music that we listen to as music can invite the Spirit into our homes, or it can drive it away.

In December 1970, the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stated:

Through music, man’s ability to express himself extends beyond the limits of the spoken language in both subtlety and power. Music can be used to exalt and inspire or to carry messages of degradation and destruction. It is therefore important that as Latter-day Saints we at all times apply the principles of the gospel and seek the guidance of the Spirit in selecting the music with which we surround ourselves. (Priesthood Bulletin, December 1970, p.10.)

Perhaps it would be a good idea for us to ask ourselves a few important questions when selecting what music to listen to. Such questions might include the following: (1) How much time do I spend listening to music? (2) Why do I listen to music? (3) What type of music do I enjoy listening to? (4) Does the type of music that I listen to invite the Spirit into my home? (5) Have I felt a change in my spirit while listening to this music? (6) Are the lyrics words that I would comfortably speak to my family and friends? (7) Does the performing group promote standards that are similar to my own? and (8) Does the music cause me to think, act, or feel contrary to the teachings of Christ?

In an article in the November 1990 Ensign, Ardeth G. Kapp made this statement concerning music: “Music has a very powerful and wonderful influence in establishing feelings and moods that can lift and elevate your thoughts and your actions. But because it is so powerful, it is clearly used by the adversary to stimulate your thoughts, feelings, and moods, to pollute and poison your mind and cause you to do things you would not otherwise consider doing.” In an address to Brigham Young University on September 26, 1967, Elder Boyd K. Packer stated “music is one of the most forceful instruments for governing the mind and the spirit of man.”

The Scriptures clearly warn us of guarding our hearts and minds from evil influences. In Deuteronomy 4:9 we read, “Only take heed to thyself, and keep thou soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons.” In Proverbs 4:23 we are taught to, “Keep {our] heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” And in 2 Corinthians 10:5 we are taught to, “[Cast] down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and [bring] into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

President Spencer W. Kimball said, “It is obvious to remain clean and worthy, one must stay positively and conclusively away from the devil’s territory” (Miracle of Forgiveness, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1969, page 232). As Christians, we represent Christ at all times – wherever we go, whatever we say. The music that we listen to, like every other area of our lives, should honor God. We should focus on what our Heavenly Father has done for us and express praises to Him out of gratitude.

President Gordon B. Hinckley gave us this wise counsel concerning music:

Let there be music in the home. If you have teenagers who have their own recordings, you will be prone to describe the sound as something other than music. Let them occasionally hear something better. Expose them to it. It will speak for itself. More of appreciation will come than you may think. It may not be spoken, but it will be felt, and its influence will become increasingly manifest as the years pass. (Be Thou An Example [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1981] , p.56)

In conclusion, here are a few standards to follow when choosing what type of music to listen to:

1. Does this music honor God and His ways? (1 Corinthians 10:31)

2. Does this music help me to think about what is right and true? (Philippians 4:8)

3. Does this music reinforce my faith? (Romans 14:22,23)

4. Does this music approve what God condemns? (Proverbs 19:27)

5. Do the words of the songs displease God? (Ephesians 4:29)

6. Can I listen to this music in the name of the Lord Jesus? (Colossians 3:17)

7. Do my parents approve of this type of music? (Colossians 3:20)

8. Will listening to this type of music offend the Holy Spirit Who lives within me?

(1 Corinthians 6:19, 20)

As we carefully and prayerfully select the music that we listen to, may we “Let the word of Christ dwell in [us] richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever [we] do in word or deed, [may we] do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father by Him” (Colossians 3:16, 17). This is my humble prayer in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Where do you go from here?

2011-08-14T14:02:00.004-04:00

This is an open address to the students of today and the future teachers and leaders of tomorrow to give them some food for thought as they begin a brand new school year.

Good morning. I would like to begin my remarks today by asking each of you a question. You have probably been asked such a question numerous times by different people such as parents, teachers, family members, and friends. But, at the beginning of this brand new school year, I believe that now is the perfect time to ask the question again, perhaps in a slightly different way. The question is, "What do you plan to do with your life after you have departed these hallowed halls of learning for the final time?" What will you do with your life when there are no more classes to attend, no more homework assignments and projects to complete, no more classroom instruction, and no more exams to take? When the school bell has sounded for the final time, the teacher has dismissed the class, and all the good-byes have been said, what happens then? In other words, "Where do you go from here?"

Now, I was a student once, a few decades ago, and I realize that there are some of you who cannot wait until the "warden" turns the key and opens the proverbial jail house doors and gives you your freedom. To you, as it was to me then, it does not matter where we go from here, just as long as it is away from here. But, my young friends it does very much matter. Knowing where you are going and having a plan to get there can mean the difference between heading down a track that leads to a life of misery and woe, or one that leads to a life of happiness and success. Some of you may be thinking that it is much too early in the game to be concerned about such things. But, it is never too early to begin thinking about your future. You cannot stand in the ticket line at the train station forever trying to decide where your destination will be and which train to take to get there. Sooner or later you have to make a decision and get aboard one train or another. As the old adage says, "Time and tide wait for no man", and so if you are not careful, you will find yourself standing at the station long after the train that you needed has departed, leaving you to wonder yet again, "Where do I go from here?"

Still, there are others of you who have your trip already mapped out. As the time draws near for you to depart on your journey, you continuously update your itinerary with immediate goals and objectives to achieve, all the while never losing sight of your destination. When it comes time to step aboard the train you will have already purchased your ticket and know exactly which train will take you to your desired destination, and which track that train will travel on.

Now, I realize that making a decision as to what you will do with your life is not necessarily an easy one. It is definitely not a decision that you will probably make at this very moment in time, but it is something that does deserve your consideration. In this life there so many things to distract you, as well as, so many other things to consider, that making a decision of such great magnitude can prove to be an extremely difficult one.

If someone had asked me the question of what I planned to do with my life after finishing school, my response would probably have been based on my age and grade level at the time. At different stages in our lives we often find our dreams of tomorrow filled with different hopes and aspirations. If you were to ask an elementary school child what he wants to be when he grows up you would probably get such answers as a policeman, a fireman, a school teacher, a doctor, a nurse, a librarian, etc. Some may also reply that they want to be just like their mothers and fathers. At such a young age we are very impressionable and almost any and everything seems like an exciting opportunity. If you were to ask the same question to a middle school student, you would find that our answers are a little more refined for we have begun to mature in age and are becoming a little more focused on the direction in which we want to go in life. Some of us even begin to tailor our studies around our goals for the future. By the time we reach junior high school we have narrowed our life choices down even further, and by the time we reach high school, we may have selected the institution of higher learning that we want to attend, the branch of Military Service in which we desire to enlist, or an occupation that we want to pursue in order to fulfill our life’s dreams and expectations.

Dare to dream, study your alternatives and never give up and never lose hope. Although there may be times when you feel that you are wasting your time by being in school and want to quit, don’t give in and never give up. Stay the course. Always remember that the winner of the race is not necessarily the swiftest runner, but he that will stay his course and remained focused and endure to the end – to ultimate success!

There is a Greek proverb that says, “Whatever is good to know is difficult to learn” Everything that you learn while in school, will not always come easy, nevertheless, there are a lot of good things that you need to know that will help you later in life. If you really have a desire to learn, don’t just come to school day after day and sit at your desk like a proverbial bump on a log. Get involved and take an active part in the learning process. There is a Native American saying that goes like this, “Tell me and I'll forget. Show me, and I may not remember. Involve me, and I'll understand.” There is also an ancient Chinese saying that “Learning is like rowing upstream: not to advance is to drop back”. In order to make it upstream in life you have to become actively involved and man the oars and help move the boat in the direction that you wish it to go. The same philosophy applies to your learning and education. If you want to advance in your learning and education, you have to become actively involved in moving the process along. Otherwise, you will always find yourself dropping back and falling behind. Someone has wisely said, “Education, like the mass of our age's inventions, is after all, only a tool; everything depends upon the workman who uses it.”

Also remember, my young friends, as Frederick William Robertson, an English divine, once said, “Instruction ends in the school-room, but education ends only with life.” Life is a continual arena of education and learning. Even after your school days are long over, you will find yourself saying like the great painter, Michelangelo “I am still learning”. And as Ralph Waldo Emerson, the American essayist, lecturer, and poet has told us, “What we have learned from others becomes our own reflection”.

Finally, may I leave you with this one final thought in the words of William Butler Yeates, an Anglo-Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature, who said, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire”. Always have a dream. Do everything that you can to keep hope alive. As my father used to say, “Just stay focused!” Stay the course, always with your destination in sight, and knowing where you are going from here. When you fulfill your first dream, you may discover something previously unimaginably more desirable that is now within reach. Don’t ever let your fire go out! Keep those fires forever burning bright!

The Parable of the Street Sweeper

2011-08-12T09:22:00.008-04:00

Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the clarion voice of the American Civil Rights Movement, was assassinated on the evening of Thursday, 4 April 1968, at the young age of 39 years, while standing on the balcony of his room (room 306) at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis Tennessee. He was a man of vision and determination that never stopped dreaming of what could be. As a Baptist minister, he taught Christian values to the community. He was charismatic and had a powerful way of speaking and getting his message across. Having spent thirteen years of his life dedicated to non-violent protest, his voice was silenced by one final act of violence as a sniper's bullet would claim his life.

Six months prior to his death, on Thursday, 16 October 1967, Dr. King spoke to a group of students at Barratt Junior High School in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. He began his remarks that day by asking the students what has since proved to be a timely question. The question that was put before the students that day was, "What is your life's blueprint?" His message was based on the premise that no matter what a person's lot may be in life, he should always strive to be the best at what he does. He encouraged the students by telling them, "And when you discover what you will be in your life, set out to do it as if God Almighty called you at this particular moment in history to do it. Don't just set out to do a good job. Set out to do such a good job that the living, the dead or the unborn couldn't do it any better".

To further illustrate his point, Dr. King used the example of a street sweeper. He said:

If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streets like Beethoven composed music, sweep streets like Leontyne Price sings before the Metropolitan Opera. Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of Heaven and earth will have to pause and say: Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well. If you can't be a pine at the top of the hill, be a shrub in the valley. But be the best little shrub on the side of the hill.

Be a bush if you can't be a tree. If you can't be a highway, just be a trail. If you can't be a sun, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are.

Dr. King's message was not just for the students at Barratt Junior High School on that particular day in 1967, but the principles that he taught can be applied to our times as well.

For example, there is a person who has a job that he absolutely does not like. He wakes up each morning, rolls out of bed, gets dressed, and complains the entire time about how lousy his job is, and how he is not looking forward to another day at the office. Once he gets to work, he spends the entire day constantly watching the clock waiting in great anticipation for the moment when he can finally flee from his misery and return home. When he gets home he spends the evening complaining about how miserable his day was and the fact that he hates his job. The next morning he gets up and starts the cycle all over again, never seeming to find an end to his misery and woe.

Now compare this worker to Dr. King’s street sweeper. There is no doubt that he may have aspirations of a better job, but he understands that at this time in his life his job is to be a street sweeper. Each morning he wakes up, gets out of bed, gets dressed, and prepares for the day ahead. He is thankful that he has a job and that he is able to make money to be able to take care of his needs. He shows up for work on time every morning and gives nothing less than his best in completing the tasks that he is given. He not only does a good job, but he is so passionate about what he does that he is determined to be the best street sweeper that ever lived. When the work day is over, he goes home with a sense of satisfaction that not only did he do the best job that he could possibly do, but on this particular day he was the best that has ever been at his job. He is happy with his job and happy with his life. He can rest peacefully at night knowing that whatever he has to do, he does it “as if God Almighty called [him] at this particular moment in history to do it”.

The major difference between these two workers is their attitude. The first worker has a negative attitude about everything and thus is a constant complainer. He allows misery and woe to fill and define his life. The street sweeper accepts his lot in life and has a positive attitude that things will get better in time and some day he may have a better job. Although he may not think his job to be as significant as some others, he is determined to give it his all and believes in his heart that “the living, the dead or the unborn couldn’t do it any better”.

The first worker may end up working at the same job his entire life without ever being promoted to a better position within the company. The future of the street sweeper; however, is promising. One day a manager or supervisor may give notice to his passion for hard work and promote him to a lead position. Because of his passion to do the best job that he can in the new position as well, he may soon find himself being promoted to a manager or supervisor position.

Even if the street sweeper never climbs the economic ladder higher than his self-made position as the best street sweeper that ever lived, he is happy and successful throughout his life because of his positive attitude and the passion to do whatever his calling may be to the best of his ability.

What lessons can we learn from the street sweeper? In the words of Dr. King, “If you can't be a pine at the top of the hill, be a shrub in the valley. But be the best little shrub on the side of the hill. Be a bush if you can't be a tree. If you can't be a highway, just be a trail. If you can't be a sun, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are”.

These principles not only apply to our employment, but also to our family life, and our everyday life in the community as well. Whatever situation in life we may find ourselves in, let us learn to accept who we are and where we are at this particular moment in our lives. Let us develop a passion for everything that we do, and regardless of the struggles and adversities that we may face, never give in and never give up. Let us press forward with the attitude that winners never quit and quitters never win. Let us resolve that from this day forward, no matter what our lot in life may be, we will be the best at whatever we do.

This is an audio clip from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's message titled "The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life" delivered at New Covenant Baptist Church, Chicago, Illinois, on 9 April 1967.

How then can we be saved?

2011-08-06T20:47:00.002-04:00

Throughout Christendom the question of how one can be saved is widely addressed and of great interest. Many sermons have been preached from the pulpits of various denominations on this very subject. Although most will agree that faith and grace are two important key elements in the process, the role of these elements may differ depending on which religious denomination you are addressing.

There are some who believe that becoming saved is a one-time event that is as simple as believing on the Lord Jesus Christ and accepting him in your heart. As far as they are concerned nothing more than that is required. One problem with that way of thinking is that, if not careful, a person could get the misconceived notion that they brought about their own salvation simply by displaying faith and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, and based on that belief alone, they are now a Christian and are forever saved. But what about God’s amazing grace? What part does it play in this way of thinking?

There are others who teach that not only do you have to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, but that “the deal” is not solidified until you have stood or knelt at their church altar and repeated a “prayer of salvation” that is led by the officiating authority. This way of thinking could almost lead one to believe that regardless of their faith, and regardless of God’s grace, it is the prayer that brings about the actual salvation.

Still, there are others who teach and believe that salvation is wrought through works. They believe that you must do enough good works in order to merit being saved. But who determines the amount of “works” that you have to do, and which “works” are acceptable and which ones are not?

And what happens after one is saved? There are those who teach and believe that once a person is saved, they are always saved. There is absolutely nothing that could contravene their salvation. This teaching opens up a virtual door and gives a person a poetic license to go through life doing whatever he wants without ever having to be concerned about consequences for his actions, because after all he is saved and already has his seat reserved in Heaven.

The truth of the matter is that “there is none righteous, no, not one” for “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” and we are “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (see Romans 3:10,23,24). We are further taught in 2 Nephi 9:41, “O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.”

It is true that through the process of repentance God will forgive us of our trespasses, but let us not forget that there is one sin that if committed will not be forgiven and that is blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. We learn of this in Matthew 12:31, “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men“. In Doctrine and Covenants 132:27 we learn what the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is: “The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, which shall not be forgiven in the world nor out of the world, is in that ye commit murder wherein ye shed innocent blood, and assent unto my death, after ye have received my new and everlasting covenant, saith the Lord God; and he that abideth not this law can in nowise enter into my glory, but shall be damned, saith the Lord“.

So, how then can we be saved? Is it by faith alone? Is it by faith and grace? Is it by works alone? According to the scriptures we are saved by grace, through faith. “For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (2 Nephi 25:23). “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work“ (Romans 11:6). “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:4-9).

Therefore, should we exclude “works” altogether? If not, what role do our “works” play in obtaining our salvation? Doesn’t James teach us that “faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (James 2:17)? We will discuss that topic in detail in the follow-on article titled “Faith without Works Is Dead”.

For now, the summation of our present discussion is that we are saved by grace, through faith, and not by works or any merits of our own. Grace is the unmerited favor of God - meaning that God did something for us that we rightfully did not deserve. God sent His only Begotten Son , Jesus Christ, into the world to become sin's final sacrifice - the sacrificial lamb for the slaughter. His Son willingly and lovingly accepted what He was sent to do, and He who knew no sin, became sin for us. He paid a debt that He did not owe and one that we could not pay on our own. That amazing grace was a free gift from God which we accept through our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. That free gift of grace was exemplified through the Atonement when our precious Savior was crucified on that cruel Roman cross on Golgotha's lonely hill. When He cried "It is finished!", the work that He had been sent to do was finally complete, and the gulf that existed between a sinful man and a loving Heavenly Father was bridged providing a way for us to return home to the loving arms of the Father who awaits us.

I leave you these humble thoughts in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Faith without Works Is Dead

2011-08-06T20:19:00.000-04:00

In my last treatise I addressed the subject of how we can be saved. In the course of that discussion I made mention of the fact that there are some who teach and believe that a person has to perform a certain number of works in order to merit receiving salvation. Then, in the summation of the subject, I stated that it is by grace that we are saved, through faith, it is the gift of God, not of works, for there is nothing that any of us could ever do on our own to merit salvation. We needed a savior who would and did willingly give His life as the sacrificial lamb for the slaughter to atone for all of our sins - past, present, and future. He is our Advocate with the Father, and it is through Him alone that we are freely justified.

However, that still leaves a question for some concerning “works”. Are “works” a necessary part of our faith? Consider the words of James as recorded in James 2:14-26

14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

I believe that James is teaching us that it is good to have faith, but faith as it stands alone profits nothing. We develop and maintain our faith through our works.

For example in the Old Testament book of Genesis in chapter 22, verses one through twelve, we read of the account of Abraham being commanded by God to sacrifice his only son Isaac:

1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?

8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

In order to fully understand this account we must first realize what God was not doing. God was not tempting Abraham. God was not enticing Abraham to do wrong, but was testing him to see if his faith was strong enough to be obedient to His will and do what was required, and giving him, thereby, the opportunity to understand the Love of his Heavenly Father and the glory of obedience. God was not instituting or condoning child sacrifice. As seen in Deuteronomy 12:31 God abhors child sacrifice: “Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods” (see also Leviticus 20:2-5, Jeremiah 32:35, Ezekiel 20:26, Isaiah 57:4-5). It is important to remember that God prevented the sacrifice from actually occurring. He did not desire the sacrifice as an act of worship or for any other reason beyond testing and developing Abraham’s faith.

God has the right to take human life and therefore could have authorized Abraham to take the life of his son Isaac in this particular case, but He did not. However, had Abraham decided of his own accord to sacrifice Isaac, he would have been wrong and his act would have been condemned by God.

Why then would God give this command? The point was for Abraham to come to understand that he trusted God completely and placed Him above all else, even his own son. Though God already knew that Abraham had faith in Him, it was necessary for Abraham to expand his faith through his “works”. Because of his “works”, not only God, but Abraham, his family and future generations knew that Abraham trusted God. This trust was important because it indicated that Abraham had the proper relationship with God, and thus he could benefit from God's plans for his life. James records that "Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God" (James 2:23).

“By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, that in Isaac shall thy seed be called: accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure” (Hebrews 11:17-19). And so we “see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only” (James 2:24).

These thoughts I leave with you humbly in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Scammers, Scallywags, Vagabonds, and Thieves

2011-07-29T09:01:00.002-04:00

I am but a young man of 52 years. However, within my short life time I have slowly watched the world spin out of control on a downward spiral. Many of the nonsensical things that are occurring in our day and time would have never been thought of or heard of when I was a young lad growing up.

Perhaps those were simpler times. Times when people respected each other, and actually endeavored to work together as an unified community for the common good of all. Certainly we had our problems in those days with the various crimes that were committed, but the crimes that were committed did not seem to be of the same brashness and magnitude as we see today.

During the days of my youth there were those who loved playing pranks over the telephone such as, “Is your refrigerator running? Well, you better go catch it.”, but we did not have people calling us attempting to scam us out of what little money we may have had. Today with the ever increasing knowledge that man has been able to obtain with the rapid advances in modern technology, some people have found it convenient to take advantage of honest people in any way that they see fit and find absolutely nothing wrong in doing so.

For the most part, these scammers, scallywags, vagabonds, and thieves are nothing more than cowards. They play their cloak and dagger games consistently pretending to be someone who they are not, and often use coercion tactics to get innocent people to fall prey to their devious plots. These criminals have even gone so far as to use fake telephone numbers to call people so that if the person being called wishes to trace their number, they will have a difficult time doing so. Some of them try to disguise themselves as harmless, innocent sheep when in reality they are ravenous wolves seeking their next prey to devour.

People such as these bank on the false hopes that their operations will always remain covert. What they fail to realize is that everything that now appears to be done in darkness will one day come to light. Some have had their operations foiled and brought to light sooner than expected as once innocent victims have begun to raise their voices in protest and expose these scammers, scallywags, vagabonds, and thieves for who they really are - criminals who deserve nothing more than to spend time sitting behind bars looking out, longing for the freedoms that they once had but willingly threw away because of their nonsensical schemes and scams which ultimately brought about their own demise.

My dear friends we live in an hour when Satan and all of his little minions are on the prowl more than ever seeking whom they may devour. Their evil forces are stronger than they have ever been. Knowing this, I am reminded that the only thing needed for evil to continue to succeed in this world is for good men to sit idly by and do absolutely nothing.

Now is not the time to give up and give in. Now is not the time to run and cower in a corner crying, “What shall we do? What shall we do?” What we should be doing and need to be doing is standing up and speaking out with a clarion voice to announce that we have had enough - henceforth and no farther. Now is the time to stand up and speak up and send a message loud and clear to those who wish to destroy our lives and our society at every turn that if they are caught playing their game, from this point forward and forevermore, the only verdict that will be rendered is, “Do not pass go. Do not collect 200 dollars. There is a place that has been prepared for you and your friends where you can spend your days cheating and scamming each other.” For far too long these criminals have been allowed to roam free and cause havoc. We must take back what is rightfully ours and put them where they rightfully belong.

The Deadly Poison Of Hearsay

2011-07-27T07:46:00.001-04:00

All of us are probably guilty at one time or another of participating in idle gossip and hearsay. How many times have we been a part of a conversation that begins something like the following: “I don’t know if it is true or not, but I heard that ____”? And we can each fill in the blank. How many times have we been found guilty of being the starters of such conversations?

Hearsay is like loose cannon fodder that strikes whatever happens to be in its path. It is like a rattle snake lurking in the weeds and bushes waiting to inject its deadly venom into its next innocent victim. It is the cog that turns the perpetual wheel of contention and strife. It is of no intrinsic value or worth unless there can be found a meager thread of evidence that substantiates that what is being said bears any resemblance to the actual truth.

Oftentimes whenever the person that started the proverbial ball of confusion rolling is questioned as to where they got their information, the response is usually that they heard it from ____, who heard it from ____, and it could go on ad infinitum.

Perhaps it all started with the victim of the hearsay sharing a matter in confidence with a “friend”, and that “friend” in turn told a “friend” who told a “friend”, and so forth and so on. What started out as a private conversation between two confidants ends up becoming the headline story on the front page of the local town gossip newspaper or, nowadays going viral on Facebook, or on Twitter or the Worldwide Web. Even the news media thrives on such material, typically with disclaimers such as, “It was reported in the ____ Times that ____”, or “Reliable government sources indicate that ____”. When all is said and done what may even have started as an absolute truth becomes a distorted web and hodgepodge of fabrications and lies with maybe a miniscule of truth mixed in for flavor.

Instead of continuing to drink from the dregs of a bottle of deadly poison, would it not prove to be of greater worth to go to the subject of the hearsay (or some nominally independent source like, “Snopes”) and obtain the actual facts and ultimately the truth? The least we can do is not pass it on unverified. This is just some food for thought.

If ye have desires to serve God

2011-07-24T08:07:00.002-04:00

When I served as a member of the Stake High Council, one of my responsibilities was organizing and teaching the Missionary Preparation classes. Those perspective missionaries who attended the classes were encouraged to memorize Doctrine and Covenants Section 4. As they prepared to embark in the service of their God, they were encouraged to not just memorize the words, but to take those words to heart and ponder their meaning.

There are only seven verses of Scripture in this section and I feel that it is well worth our time to take just a few minutes to read all seven. Beginning at the first verse we read:

1 Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.

2 Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.

3 Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;

4 For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;

5 And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.

6 Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence.

7 Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Amen.

As I read and ponder the words of these verses I find that there is one very important key that is necessary for embarking in the service of God that is often overlooked. That key is contained in the seven words found in the third verse. Those seven words are, "if ye have desires to serve God". Notice that the verse begins with the word "Therefore" and that word is followed by the little punctuation mark, the comma. Whenever we see a comma in written text it signifies a brief pause to be taken for thought and reflection. In this context, the word "Therefore" is used to introduce a logical conclusion to a given fact.

In the first verse we learn of the fact that "a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men". In the second verse we are introduced to the first logical conclusion of the matter: that is, if we are to embark in the service of God, we must serve Him with all our heart, might, mind and strength in order that we may be able to stand blameless before Him at the last day. The second logical conclusion follows in the third verse: if we have desires to serve God, we are called to this marvelous work that is about to come forth among the children of men. It is this second logical conclusion that I wish to focus on for the remainder of this brief treatise.

The word “desire” can be defined as a longing or craving, as for something that brings satisfaction. It can be thought of as a hunger, as one who has a hunger and thirst for doing the things of God because of the joy and satisfaction that it brings to their life. If we are to embark in the service of God, we must have a righteous desire or a hunger to do those things which He has called us to do, and we must have the determination to see it through. Let us liken this to the following example.

My father was an outdoors person by nature. He cherished every opportunity to be outdoors to do some of the things that he enjoyed doing most. As a young boy growing up, one of the things that my father enjoyed doing was planting his own garden. To plant a garden was no easy task. It required some effort and work on his part. First, before any seed could be planted, the area where the garden was to grow had to be prepared. Weeds had to be pulled or cut down, and the fallow ground which was naturally hard, had to be tilled using either a tiller or hand plough. Once the area was properly prepared, and the decision had been made as to what would be planted and where, then the planting of seeds could begin. My father carefully planted each seed into the soil. As he planted each seed he would give it a "drink" of water to help the growing process to begin. As he completed planting each row he would take one of the empty packets that the seeds came in, place it on a stick, and then put the stick in the ground at the end of the row as a means of identifying what had been planted in that particular row. After all of the planting was finished, he would spread fertilizer over the garden.

Now, imagine if you will, if after all of his labor in getting the garden started my father were to have no desire to take care of the garden. What do you suppose would have been the results if he simply just walked away expecting the garden to take care of itself and eventually yield a harvest that he could use to feed his family? You guessed it. The soil would have eventually dried up, weeds would have soon returned and choked the growth of any plants, and the hard work that he put into having a garden would have all been for naught. Thankfully my father had the heart’s desire to see the fruition of his labors, and so he spent the time that was necessary in caring for the garden, and in the end he was rewarded with a harvest of delicious fresh produce for him and his family to enjoy.

Just as my father had to prepare the fallow ground before he could plant his garden, we must prepare ourselves to embark in the service of God. As my father found that it was hard, though satisfying, work to maintain a garden, we too will find that working in our Father’s vineyard is hard work and requires time and effort on our part to do the work that He has called us to do. At first we may be ready and willing to do whatever it is that He wants us to do, but somehow along the way we may begin to grow weary and tired. Perhaps it is because we are not necessarily seeing the ready fruits of our labors, and so we begin to get discouraged and lose the desire that we once had to serve. Just as my father had to constantly care for his garden in order for it to grow and produce fruit, we have to constantly feed and nourish our hearts, minds, and souls to stay the course and endure to the end. Just as he had a heart’s desire to see the fruition of his labors, if we have the desire to do the work and not give in or give up, we too shall see the fruition of our labors. All of the plants in his garden did not grow at the same rate. Some took more time and more care than others. In the same way, some of the fruits of our labors may be realized almost immediately, but there will be others that may not be realized until a later time.

My dear Brothers and Sisters, the field is white already to harvest and he that thrusteh in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul. Therefore, as we embark in the service of God, may we serve Him with all of our heart, might, mind and strength, that we may stand blameless before Him at the last day is my humble prayer. In the Sacred name of our Lord and Master, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Is Your Radio Tuned to the Correct Frequency?

2011-07-23T13:23:00.001-04:00

In my apartment I have a replica of an antique table top radio that was once a gift that I had given to my mother. My father kept the radio in his house after my mother passed, and upon his passing I was able to obtain the radio and now have it in my possession as a precious keepsake. Although the radio may appear to be antique, inside of its case are modern electronic components that allow it to be turned on and tuned in to some of my favorite radio stations.

However, to hear the signal that I desire, I must be actively involved - I cannot just wish it so. Instead, I have to physically get up, go over to the radio, turn it on, set it to AM or FM, and turn the tuning knob until I find the location on the dial corresponding to the station that I wish to listen to.

When attempting to tune the receiver to get it centered on the correct frequency, I find that if I move the tuning knob just a little too much to the right or to the left, the result is a lot of unwanted static and background noise. Although I may still be able to discern the station that I have selected, the listening experience is not as clear and interference-free as it would be with the station perfectly tuned to its frequency.

Radio waves (and TV and wireless communication signals) fill the atmosphere around us, invisible to the eye, undetectable to the ear, unnoticed to the passer-by. So also does the Holy Spirit surround us all.

This life is an individual journey in which we each face our own trials, temptations, difficulties, and heartaches. At times it may seem that we are all alone and that there is no one who cares. Our Heavenly Father has promised that He would never leave us nor forsake us. He has promised that He would send us One who would be a comforter, guide, and constant companion. However, in order to receive the blessings of the constant companionship of this One, we need to have our "radio" turned on and tuned to the correct frequency in order to hear His voice as He guides and directs our path.

Just as a radio will not automatically turn itself on and perfectly tune to the station that we desire to listen to without some interaction on our part, it is only through the renewing of our hearts and minds that we are able to turn on our spiritual "radio" and use its tuning knob, which is our faithfulness and obedience, to tune to the exact frequency wherein we will be able to clearly hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. As we continue to keep ourselves “in tune” with our Heavenly Father, through our faithfulness and obedience, our "radio" will continue to give a clear and undistorted signal; however, if we lose focus and begin to move the tuning knob a little to the left or a little to the right, we will become distracted by the cares of the world and will end up listening to a lot of static and distortion. We also need to adjust the volume control so as to drown out the noises of the world and focus only on the Still Small Voice as He speaks to us.

Is your "radio" turned on, and is it tuned perfectly to the correct frequency? I leave you these humble thoughts in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Two Hearts That Beat As One

2011-07-21T13:01:00.002-04:00

On Friday, 5 July 1957, a man and a woman were joined together in Holy Matrimony. He was 22 year old John Wallace Brown, the son of Vernon Brown and Mary Virginia Dashields, and she was 19 year old Frances Mae Harmon, the daughter of Lawrence Elwood Harmon and Margie Isabelle Corbin.

Together in life they raised a small family of four children - two sons and two daughters. Both were hard workers and provided as best they could for their little family making sure that they had the necessary essentials to sustain life. Each of them lovingly imparted their years of wisdom to their children in their own way, and taught them valuable life lessons that they hoped would serve them well as they entered adult life and would eventually disembark the “ship” and set sail in their own vessels upon life’s seas. They loved their children and had taught them well, and as each child began to grow into their own, they knew that if they ever ran into trouble out on the oceans of life, all they had to do was raise the S.O.S. flag, and help was never far away. Sometimes that help was physical, but oftentimes it was given through words of sound counsel.

Throughout each of their short lives, John and Frances were blessed to witness the fruits of their love and labors as their children grew from boys to men, girls to women. The first to disembark the “ship” and set sail on his own was their oldest son Kenneth. He would go off to college, earn his degree in business management, and start a career and life of his own. The next to disembark was their youngest son Keith who would eventually dedicate 20 years of his life serving on active duty in the United States Navy followed by 10 years of inactive Fleet Reserve duty, for a total of 30 years of dedicated service to his country. Next to disembark was the older of their two daughters Sharon who would herself, on Thursday, 24 October 1991, be joined in Holy Matrimony to Rossie Alfonze Bratten III, the son of Rossie Alfonze Bratten Jr. and Ogria Delores Wright. She would make her living as an Administrative Assistant. The last to disembark would be their youngest daughter Patricia who has also come into her own as she makes a living for herself working at the local hometown Wal-Mart and also maintains a small printing business which she started on her own.

John Wallace and Frances Mae were two hearts that beat as one - in love, in mind, in goal, and in purpose. One might say that theirs was an endless love. That is not to say that throughout their 39 years of wedded bliss that there were not times of turbulence and turmoil, for certainly there were, but neither of them ever abandoned ship. They were determined to keep the ship afloat by working side by side to repair any damage to its infrastructure and by patching even the smallest holes in its hull.

Soon the sun began to set on the horizon for each of them. The first sunset came early, at 11:59 AM on Thursday, 12 June 1997, when Frances Mae Harmon Brown, at the young age of 59 years, bid farewell to the family that she dearly loved for a season. Almost two years later, on Tuesday, 16 March 1999, a new generation was begun, as her daughter Sharon and son-in-law Rossie welcomed their newborn son, Rossie Alfonze Bratten IV, into the world. Though his grandmother Frances could not be there to physically hold him and tell him how much she loved him, I believe that she was smiling down from above on that day and rejoicing at the birth of her first grandchild.

On Monday, 20 November 2006, the sun set once again as it became time for John Wallace Brown , at the age of 71 years, to also bid farewell to his loving family for a season. Though he had remarried on Friday, 9 July 2004, 7 years after his beloved wife’s passing, it was clearly evident, especially in his final days, that his heart longed to be with his first love.

On Wednesday, 7 April 2010 (the 35th birthday of their youngest daughter), in Logan Utah, this author, the youngest of their two sons, accompanied by two dear friends, was blessed to perform saving ordinances for the parents whom he loved, John Wallace Brown and Frances Mae Harmon, in the Logan Utah Temple. On Thursday, 8 April 2010, again with the help of my dear friends, my mother and father were sealed for all time and eternity and I was in turn sealed to them. John Wallace Brown and Frances Mae Harmon are now together again - two hearts beating as one.

In Times of Storms - Be Still, Be Quiet, Watch and Listen

2011-07-20T12:46:00.000-04:00

Some people may find this author a little bit strange, but I actually love thunder storms. I enjoy listening to the roaring sounds of thunder, watching lightning dance across the sky, and the gentle, soothing sound of the rain as it falls.

When I was a young boy growing up, whenever it would begin to storm, my mother would go around the house making sure that everything was unplugged. Once she was sure that everything was unplugged, she would gather us kids together and have us sit quietly in the living room until the storm had passed over. She would not so much as answer the telephone if it rang during the storm. She would tell us that it was God’s work taking place and that we should be still, be quiet, watch and listen. If a storm were to arise during the night when everyone was fast asleep in their beds, my mother would get up from her sleep, go around the house making sure that everything was unplugged, and then light a candle or storm lantern for light and sit alone quietly on the living room couch until the storm had passed over.

In our lives we will experience many storms that may occur at any given time. During those times of storm we can choose to continue on with our business as usual or we can do as my mother taught her children - be still, be quiet, watch, and listen. The storms that come into our lives can be compared to my mother’s observation of thunder storms in that as she believed that during a storm God is speaking and busy performing His work, and so it is at the times of storms in our lives that God is speaking to us and is wanting to perform a work in us. In order to hear what He is saying to us, and to see the things that He wants to do for us, we have to do away with those things that would otherwise distract us and divert our attention from Him. Just as my mother would make sure that everything was unplugged during a storm, when storms arise in our lives we need to unplug from the world, be still, be quiet, watch and listen. The light from the candle or storm lantern that my mother lit represents the light of Christ entering in and teaching us those things which He needs us to learn.

Oftentimes as a boy and even today, I find that I get some of my best rest during a storm. Perhaps the noise of the thunder combined with the falling of the gentle rain is God’s way of taking my mind off the cares of the day and gently rocking me to sleep in order that He can speak to me without outside interruptions.

Some storms are more severe and last longer than others. Perhaps, at times, God needs more of our time and attention. But, have you ever stopped to take notice that even during the midst of a storm, the Son still shines, and at the end of every storm the darkness rolls away and the sun does shine again? I have learned to appreciate the storms in my life because it is during those times that I unplug from the world and allow the Light to radiate more brightly. It is during the times of storms that I can still hear my dear mother’s counsel to be still, be quiet, watch and listen.

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God and thy neighbor as thyself

2011-07-17T14:16:00.000-04:00

In the twenty-second chapter of Matthew, beginning at verse 34, we read of a Pharisee, who was a lawyer by trade, who asks the Savior a question by saying, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" The Savior answers him by saying, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:34-40).

There are many things that are involved in demonstrating true love. It involves more than just casual lip service. The demonstration of our true love for God and for others involves action on our part. First, if we love God and our fellowman - our neighbors - we would treat them as we would like to be treated. Consider the words of the Lord to Moses as recorded in the nineteenth chapter of the book of Leviticus. We read, "Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the Lord. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord" (Leviticus 19:16-18). In Deuteronomy we read the words of Moses to his people, "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up" (Deuteronomy 6:5-7).

The Savior Himself taught us, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:35). For "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" (1 John 4:20). Therefore, if we profess to love God, we will love our brother also (1 John 4:21).

One way that we demonstrate our true love for God and our fellowman is through the service that we render to others. That service can be for a family member, a Church member, a friend, or even a total stranger.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to spend a few days with my brother-in-law in Manassas Virginia. As I spent time with him it was evident to me that he truly loves his wife, my sister, and he proves his love for her not only with words, but he demonstrates his true love for her through the daily service that he gives to her.

A typical daily routine for him goes something like this: he gets up every morning around 6:00 AM and gets ready to go to work which is an hour away from his house. He works 10 to 12 hours a day, often not returning home until 7:30 or 8:00 PM at night. When he gets home he fixes dinner for himself and his 12 year old son, takes care of a few odds and ends, and then prepares to go to the nursing home to spend time with his wife and attend to her needs – regardless of what those needs may involve. Oftentimes he does not return home until 11:30 PM or later. When he arrives home he normally takes care of washing any of my sister’s laundry that he had collected while at the nursing home, waits for it to dry, packs the now clean laundry into the tote bag to take back to the nursing home the next day, climbs into bed around 1:00 AM, and gets back up the next morning at 6:00 AM to start the cycle all over again. This has been his daily routine for a little over a year. Add to all of this the fact that he still has to maintain his home, do the grocery shopping, pay the bills, and spend time helping his son with homework and participating in his activities.

Does he do all of this to prove that he is some sort of superman or superhero or to gain recognition or pity from others? No he does not. He does all of this because he realizes that God has blessed him with a loving wife and he shows his appreciation and his love for both God and his wife by putting that love into action through his acts of service.

Speaking on the subject of service, our beloved Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, has said, “As we look heavenward, we inevitably learn of our responsibility to reach outward. To find real happiness, we must seek for it in a focus outside ourselves. No one has learned the meaning of living until he has surrendered his ego to the service of his fellow man. Service to others is akin to duty, the fulfillment of which brings true joy. We do not live alone—in our city, our nation, or our world. There is no dividing line between our prosperity and our neighbor's wretchedness. 'Love thy neighbor' is more than a divine truth. It is a pattern for perfection” (Thomas S. Monson, "The Joy of Service," New Era, Oct. 2009, 4).

We also demonstrate our love for our Heavenly Father by how well we serve Him. May I offer a little food for thought? Do we simply come to Church on Sunday to always expect to receive a blessing, or do we come with the heart’s desire and intent of being a blessing to others? Do we honestly strive to magnify our callings, or do we merely go through the motions hoping for the day when we are finally released and no longer have to deal with it? Is our religion just a Sunday religion, or is it our way of life?

President Thomas S. Monson has taught us, “Each of us has opportunities for Church assignments. This opportunity of serving in the Church enables us to demonstrate a love of God and a love of our neighbor. It was King Benjamin who said: “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” There is no finer way to demonstrate love of God than by serving Him in the positions to which we may be called. Occasionally, the reward for that service will be prompt, and we’ll see the light in the eyes of the person whom we have helped. Other times, however, the Lord will let us wait a little while and let our reward come another way. Many are in the process of helping less-active people. It is important never to give up, but forever press on in our efforts to help them. The best way to help people to become fully active in the Church is to love them into that activity”. (Thomas S. Monson; “How Do We Show Our Love?”; Ensign, January 1998)

President Monson has also said, “As we love our God, as we love our neighbor, we can be the recipients of our Heavenly Father’s love [and] we discover that our Heavenly Father will answer the prayers of others through our ministry” (Thomas S. Monson; “How Do We Show Our Love?”; Ensign, January 1998).

Brothers and Sisters as we travel down the pathways of life we come to realize that we are not lone travelers. There are others who also travel down those same pathways. They are people who need our help, and most of all, our love. There are feet to steady, hands to hold, minds to encourage, and hearts to inspire. Everyone that we meet along those pathways is a precious soul of worth. We demonstrate our love for our Heavenly Father by loving and caring for each of them. By loving God and by loving our neighbor – those we meet along life’s pathways - we fulfill the two great commandments. And as the Savior has taught us, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets”. I leave these thoughts with you humbly in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Different, But Yet the Same

2011-07-11T08:03:00.000-04:00

My name is Keith Brown. My ancestral heritage is predominantly Methodist, but I was born and raised as a Baptist. I am 52 years old, a 30-year retired United States Navy veteran, an office administrator by trade, an amateur writer, a son, a brother, an uncle, a friend, and I am a Mormon. To be more specific, I am a Black Mormon. I was baptized on Tuesday evening, 10 March 1998, in Reykjavik Iceland while serving on active duty.

The fact that I am both Black and a Mormon should not be an issue. Nonetheless, there have been a few instances when some family members and friends have asked why I decided to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They do not understand why a Black person such as I would want to be associated with a Church that has often been viewed as prejudiced and racist.

The reason that so many people have felt that the Mormon Church is prejudiced and racist is because from 1848 until June 1978 men of African lineage were not allowed to hold the Priesthood. This despite the fact that one of the reasons that the early Mormons were driven to and fro, especially in the Slave state of Missouri, was because they supported the Underground Railway – freedom for all men. What these people did not realize is that not being able to hold the Priesthood was more of a lineage issue than it was a racial issue. Research does show that if it could be proven that a white male had any African lineage, he too would have been denied the Priesthood. Another important fact that is often overlooked is that even though Black males could not hold the Priesthood during that time, the number of Black members, male and female, continued to increase. There has never been any official statement released by the Church as to why males of African lineage could not hold the Priesthood, and Blacks faithfully believed the Church to be true and that in the Lord’s due time they would be able to enjoy the full blessings thereof.

So, of all the churches that I could have become a member of, why did I choose to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? The long and short of it is that while I was a member of the Baptist church, even though I was in leadership positions and was studying and teaching the Gospel, and learning new and exciting things, I always felt that there was a piece of the puzzle that was missing. My soul yearned to find that missing piece. Within my heart of hearts I felt that there was so much more about the Gospel and the eternities that I should learn and know about, but I did not know where to look. I had questions that I knew the Baptist Church could not answer for me.

When I began investigating the Mormon Church my eyes were opened, and I was able to learn about some of those things that I long had questions about. The missionaries that taught me introduced me to another volume of Scripture - the “Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ”. At first I was skeptical that there could be more Scripture. I had read the Bible in its entirety 6 times at that point, and as far as I was concerned the Bible seemed to be considered the only Scripture that was needed. Yet, there was something different about this new Book and, within me, I knew that I had to find out what was contained in its pages. As I began to read and study the Book of Mormon for myself, I soon came to the realization that it is not a volume of Scripture to replace the Bible, but that it indeed complements the Bible perfectly and helps to illumine my understanding of many mysteries. The Book is exactly as its title claims it to be – Another Testament of Jesus Christ. I had told the missionaries that I would not make a decision about being baptized until after I had read the entire Book of Mormon and had earnestly prayed about it. I did just that and received spiritual confirmation that: the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was the Church that I should join; and that it was where I would obtain knowledge of the fullness of the Gospel and find answers to the questions that I had been wondering about, though, at that point, I had no idea how many enlightening truths and opportunities to grow I would receive.

That was a little over 13 years ago. Since becoming a member of the Church, I can honestly say of a certainty that the Church is neither prejudiced nor racist. Undoubtedly, just as in society at large, there may be individuals within the membership of the Church who are bigoted, but since the first time that I walked through the doors, I have felt nothing less than a welcoming spirit and an atmosphere of acceptance. I have been able to serve in several areas of highest leadership and to participate in many activities in the Church without the least degree of concern in regards to my race. No one has judged me because of the color of my skin, nor have I ever been denied any privileges of the Gospel because I am Black. I have in the past and continue to this day to enjoy the full fruits thereof. There are differences between me and many of the other members because of heritage, culture, and background, but in the grand reality of things, we are all children of our Heavenly Father, brothers and sisters adopted in Christ, working towards the same goal of one day returning to live in His presence for all eternity. Every person has something unique to bring to the community – as the Bible describes the different contributions of the hand, the eye, the foot … it takes all of us to make a complete or perfect whole. Therefore, although we may be different in many mortal aspects we don’t allow those differences to separate us, but rather we are united as one big Heavenly family striving, like Enoch, for unity with the Father.

General Quarters! General Quarters!

2011-07-01T12:50:00.000-04:00

During my tour of active duty in the United States Navy I was afforded the opportunity to serve aboard two ships - the USS Jouett CG-29 and the USS Lake Champlain CG-57. As a crew member I became familiar with the sounds of the different bells, whistles, and alarms and gained knowledge of the purpose of each. One alarm in particular that I became very familiar with was the alarm for general quarters.

Sometimes the alarm would be sounded as a drill to test the crew’s response time and to ensure that they were always on the alert in the event that a real battle situation was to occur. However, without the foresight of whether it was a drill or a real battle situation, whenever the alarm for general quarters was sounded, crew members knew that they literally had minutes to batten down all the hatches and report to their assigned battle stations.

Upon arriving at their assigned battle stations each crew member had to don their protective battle gear, communications with the bridge and Damage Control Central had to be established, a full and complete muster report of the crew had to be taken and reported to the Officer in Charge, and every crew member stood at the ready at their assigned posts. Staying alert on the part of all crew members, from the highest ranking officer to the lowest ranking enlisted member, was paramount. All it would take to cause a disaster and utter chaos would be for one person to be inattentive at a critical moment.

I can still recall one such critical moment while I was serving aboard the USS Lake Champlain. The ship was scheduled to do missile testing and as was the normal procedure, the alarm for general quarters was sounded and everyone was at their assigned battle stations. During the course of the testing, the tracking device in one of the missiles malfunctioned, and instead of heading for its designated target it turned about and started heading back towards the ship. If it had not been for the crewmen monitoring the radars to report what was happening, and the crewmen who were standing by on the guns to shoot the missile down, there could have been a complete disaster that day, and it is quite possible that this author would not be writing this article.

The alarm for general quarters is sounded on many occasions in the world today. The missiles that are being fired at us are not the conventional type, but they are the fiery darts of the adversary. As a crew member aboard ship must always stand a vigilant watch and be on the alert for any possible danger, we too must “be sober, be vigilant; because [our] adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). As we prepare to go into battle we must remember that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians6:12). Therefore, we dare not go to battle unprotected. As a crew member aboard ship must don his protective battle gear at general quarters, we also must don our battle gear by putting on “the whole armour of God, that [we] may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).

In order to be fully dressed for the battles that we face in this life, we must have “[our] loins girt about with truth, and [have] on the breastplate of righteousness”. Our feet need to be “shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace”. We also need to take “the shield of faith, wherewith [we] shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked”. And we need to take “the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (see Ephesians 6:14-17). In addition, we need to be “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ephesians 6:18).

We are reminded in Scripture that "whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction" (1 Nephi 15:24). When the alarm for general quarters is sounded, may we always be found faithful and standing a vigilant watch that He may extend His arm and support us against all the fiery darts of the adversary, and be with us in every time of trouble (see Doctrine and Covenants 3:8) is my humble prayer. And I leave these thoughts with you humbly in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.