Tetris

It’s been a busy summer, and by busy – I don’t just mean being a lazy blogger. My job has been hectic, still trying to get a hugemungus project out the door. Not to mention the contract work I pick up from time to time, but there’s also been a new addition to the family (I’ll explain, don’t worry), scout camps, day camps, weekend trips, et cetera, et cetera…et cetera…

Today though, I’m taking a moment to blog. Well, after I found a new theme – wordpress’s update seemed to kibosh the old theme. At any rate, I felt I had been away long enough – though in my life those can be famous last words…

I’ve always found the gospel interesting. I tend to look in on it, rather then from the inside out – probably due to my rebellious youth, but nonetheless I find it curious. It’s like tetris, or bejeweled in that respect that when you take a 20,000 ft look at it, it all fits. It makes sense to me. Let’s take the creation for instance, if you understand God is the ultimate scientist and knows all the laws that governs the universe – then it makes sense how it works. I don’t think it matters exactly how it started – there very well could have been a big bang, or something else…all that matters to me is that he knew what needed to be done – like that tiny grain of sand in a pearl starts a chain reaction that results in a beautiful pearl. He knows what triggers what, and finally produces a universe. Of course this a very simple explanation of a very deep subject that can get heated and leave a lot of people bitter and angry – and that’s not my goal here.

So how does looking back  fit in to all this, well I guess it’s just a way for me to fit those pieces in, and knock out another level (or gain another level in my testimony).

The Addition

Back to the addition to our family. A couple of weeks ago, in fact exactly 14 days ago, my wife gave birth to our 4th child – a little boy of big proportions. But even back when we first found about him my wife decided that this one was going to be all natural. She wasn’t happy with her experiences with other deliveries of our other children, and so though going natural would be the best – I tried to support her in that decision, but was worried about all the pain – she was firm though and felt it was the right thing to do.

So fast forward, up to the delivery (all the checkups were fine, healthy boy, etc…) and what do we find. This little bundle of joy was standing at attention trying to get out – what this means is unlike normal where the baby tucks his head (chin to chest) to torpedo out, our little boy had his head straight up (as if he were at attention) – this presents a larger, flatter portion of the head to push through – and of course he got stuck.

It got a little frantic there at the end, not by the midwife or the nurse – but by me. The boy’s pulse was dropping as he got stuck there and I got a little worried because my wife was having troubles during the pushing and the nurse very calmly said that he needed to come out soon.

So my wife (the trooper that she is) pushed with all her might and got him out – turns out he had the cord around his neck too, but the talk was that if she had gotten an epidural she wouldn’t have had the strength to push him out and would have had to get a c-section.

So looking back, some 7 months into the past – there was a choice made that determined the fate of this delivery. I see pieces lock into place and another row drop off. I’m sure people could chalk this up to good fortune, or luck – but I don’t see it that way. I see it as divine intervention making a suggestion to my wife to go natural with this birth to save her from a lot of pain, and suffering. In fact, I’m willing to lay down money that it was also to allow for us to have my son’s baptism 6 days later and for everyone to attend. Though I’m sure it connects to other things in the future that I’m not even aware of, not to mention the things that led up to it…here’s comes the programmer in me – but look at all the if else statements going on here. For all the old basic guys – it would be one giant if then goto program.

It amazes me that people would sooner forget or ignore the connective links that brings us to where we are today – and how God manages all that – not to mention adding variables to that. I’m reminded of a commercial I remember seeing some years ago for a phone company that was trying to show off it’s ability to keep callers connected by showing the originating caller’s call following a path, and if something happened to one of the connections it would go to another one to continue on it’s path to the final destination. This also can  be a diagram for our life with sin too. While we have our final destination, there are always problems along the way – one mistake doesn’t drop the call, it only redirects momentarily to try and get us back on the to the final destination – and continues to work even if our original path changes, the end stays the same.

I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it makes sense to me – it works. Sometimes it takes a look back to realize just how awesome it is, but it is real. I testify that it is the true gospel and the only gospel on earth.

Family

So a while back I blogged about giving a FHE lesson on the (S)trength, (W)eaknesses, (O)pportunities, (T)hreats in our family, you can read about it here – well last nights FHE was a follow up to the original. I wanted to meet back with the family and see how they felt we were doing as a family.

The consensus was that we were doing better, we knew that having evening scriptures too late was problematic and that we need to recommit to having evening scriptures right before or after dinner – otherwise we fall in a trap of pushing them till late and things fall apart.

Our morning scriptures go much better – and personally I enjoy having the family around in the morning. It’s a great way to start the day, and even though it’s kind of a cheat (we tend to listen to scriptures in the morning vs reading them) it still starts us off on the right foot.

After discussing how we felt about our original goals, I asked them to offer ideas about what we could add. I had an idea in my mind about what I wanted to add, but I wanted to see what they thought might help. The ideas were a little less forthcoming this time, so I nudged and prodded – directing them to my idea.

After being spiritually edified this weekend while listening to conference, it struck me that I need to do more in my life and center it with Christ. This spawned into what can we do as a family to increase our spirituality and Christ centering. I’ve also tried to create a less TV more reading environment in our home, with limited success.

So my idea was to dedicate at least 30 minutes to LDS related reading, meditating, and journaling. So I explained to my children they need to spend at least 30 minutes reading something related to the church, whether it was the Friend magazine, or LDS themed books then to take a moment to write something in their journal about what they read, spend some time praying and meditating and then be prepared to talk about their thoughts, and feelings at the end of the week.

My goal here is to get them used to putting the gospel in the front of their lives. That there is so much more outside secular media. To try and help them get closer to the Spirit of God and try to help them feel the Holy Ghost. While I must admit this was a move to force myself into the frame of mind, the side effect is my family benefits.

My ultimate goal is that my family is completely absorbed in centering their lives around Christ and his teachings that we will be better prepared, protected, and fulfilled in tackling what the future holds.

Helaman has already touched on one of these signs.

I was flipping through the pages of my newly acquired book and glancing at the various signs that Brother Ridges covered when I was a bit startled to see that, according to Brother Ridges, number 27 has been fulfilled.

27. The Sun Will Be Darkened and the Moon Will Become as Blood

This is a very popular sign that was first introduced to the world by the prophet Joel:

Here is Brother Ridges’ explanation for why he has categorized this prophecy as having been fulfilled:

In the Saturday morning session of the October 2001 General Conference, “President Gordon B. Hinckley said something that changed my mind on this prophecy (he had previously thought it wise to leave this prophecy undefined). He revealed to us (bold added for emphasis):”

The era in which we live is the fullness of times spoken of in the scriptures, when God has brought together all of the elements of previous dispensations. From the day that He and His Beloved Son manifested themselves to     the boy Joseph, there has been a tremendous cascade of enlightenment poured out upon the world. The hearts of men have turned to their fathers in fulfillment of the words of Malachi. The vision of Joel has been fulfilled wherein he declared:

28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.

32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call”

(Joel 2:28–32).

However, he does mention that it is feasible that President Hinckley was referring to a part of the mentioned verses as being fulfilled, but not all. If that was the case, then why mention verses 31-32 after he just boldly stated that these words of Joel were fulfilled? I assume that it is possible that the latter explanation could be correct, but it does not seem plausible.

There remains a third explanation as well.

The scriptures, especially the Bible, are full of symbols. Is it possible that this well-known sign of the times could refer to concepts rather than objects? Oftentimes the sun is used to symbolize the celestial glory, while the moon is used to symbolize terrestrial glory (see D&C 76:75). Using this as a possibility, Brother Ridges suggests that the phrase the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood could symbolize “that the vast majority of the inhabitants of the earth will cease to live according to either celestial or terrestrial law.”

But then again, it could very well refer to some sort of physical change to both the sun and the moon.

What are your thoughts?

In undertaking this task I will be referring heavily on the standard works of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which include: the Holy Bible (KJV), the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. In an instance where a discrepancy may exist with regards to the timeline, I will favor the LDS standard works over others, such as we will see with the lifespan of Enoch, and the age of Noah at the birth of his three sons.

It’s not that I hold any disregard for the Bible itself, but with the blessing of modern-day continuing revelation:

“We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.” (Articles of Faith 1:8)

The same goes for the remainder of our LDS canon.

When undertaking an arduous task such as this, the following scriptural timelines can be resourced:

• The Holy Bible (we’ll use the King James Version) [KJV]
  • The Old Testament
  • The New Testament
• The Pearl of Great Price / the Book of Moses [PoGP]
• The Book of Jasher [Ja]
• The Septuagint (PDF) [S]
• Josephus [Jo]
  

I will also be referencing several Web sites and other attempts at this issue of chronology. Discrepancies in dates and various gaps in my timeline have been carefully considered; however, I am human and mistakes may have slipped in.

I make no promises that this serial will settle all disputes regarding the chronology. This is not a perfected science, but I currently feel that the pieces fit together when viewed on this timeline.

Corrections with reason and discussions are always welcome.

The serial will cover the following time periods. Each will attempt to give the genealogy, along with years of critical information (such as births and deaths).

1. Adam – Noah & the flood [0 - 1656 AM*]
2. Noah & the flood – Abraham [1656 - 1948 AM]
3. Abraham – Moses [1948 - 2588 AM]
4. Moses – Divided Kingdom [2588 - 3184 AM]
5. Divided Kingdom – capture of Jerusalem (incl. Lehi’s departure to the promised land) [3184 AM / 932 BC - 587 BC]

One final word of caution: This is NOT DOCTRINE, the points I make are mine or quoted from other LDS sources. It is important to remember that having an exact chronological timeline of Biblical and religious events is NOT the purpose for God giving man scriptures and commanding him to read and study them.

—

* [AM stands for Anno Mundi, meaning "in the year of the world"]

Meditation

So the next stop on the bus ride to the second coming is one that got me thinking due to the first paragraph. I’ll quote a few bits of it so you can see how my train of thought proceeded.

When the Spirit stops working with the wicked, they lose their ability to think rationally...Righteous people are seen as their enemies, and a threat to personal freedom and independence, a threat to the exercising of their agency…evil deeds and cruelty become routine…[emphasis added by me]

Those key points got me thinking about today, don’t get me wrong though there have been isolated cases of evil through out our short history. But it seems to me that there’s an increasing amount of this in our day to day lives. Just turn on the TV, or read the news (especially on the internet) and you’ll understand what I mean.

The bit that really hit me was they lose their ability to think rationally. As of late I’ve gotten more interested in what’s happening in this nations political circles and it’s really quite frightening. These men and women, and it’s independent of party seem to have serious problems thinking rationally.  But I digress…

Let’s look at the scriptures used as examples in the book.

D&C 63:32

32 I, the Lord, am ^aangry with the ^bwicked; I am holding my ^cSpirit from the inhabitants of the earth.

This was written in 1831, how much worse is it now then it was then?

Luckily though, the book points out that this is one of those signs that should be looked at in a larger context. There are still many people that receive the guidance of the Spirit as witnessed in these scriptures;

D&C 95:4

4 For the preparation wherewith I design to prepare mine apostles to ^aprune my vineyard for the last time, that I may bring to pass my ^bstrange act, that I may ^cpour out my Spirit upon all flesh—

Joel 2:28–29

28 ¶ And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will ^apour out my ^bspirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall ^cprophesy, your ^dold men shall ^edream dreams, your young men shall see ^fvisions:

29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

Receiving the Aaronic Priesthood

Now I have to preference this and say that I thought the talk came out good, but like my normal mode I was still editing it right before I got up s0 the hard copy differs from the soft copy. But I’ll post the what I have and you can be the judge of it. It would also seem that I get the opportunity to speak in sacrament a lot, well it’s more because we end up moving a lot and so as new move in’s we get to talk more than normal.

I was given the topic of the Restoration for my talk, and after spending a number of days and nights trying to decide how to approach such a vast topic, I decided I wanted to focus on the restoration of the Priesthood.

Some 74 years ago President David O. McKay, then serving as a counselor in the First Presidency of the Church, asked this question to a congregation gathered for general conference: “If at this moment each one [of you] were asked to state in one sentence … the most distinguishing feature of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, what would be your answer?”

“My answer,” he replied, “would be … divine authority by direct revelation.”

That divine authority is, of course, the holy priesthood.

President Gordon B. Hinckley added his testimony when he said: “[The priesthood] is a delegation of divine authority, different from all other powers and authorities on the face of the earth. … It is the only power on the earth that reaches beyond the veil of death. … Without it there could be a church in name only, [a church] lacking authority to administer in the things of God.” 2

President James E. Faust said to BYU students in a devotional: “[The priesthood] activates and governs all activities of the Church. Without priesthood keys and authority, there would be no church.” 3

Jeffrey R. Holland went on to say in a talk from May 2005

“these three brief citations (to which scores of others could be added) to stress emphatically just one point: that the priesthood of God, with its keys, its ordinances, its divine origin and ability to bind in heaven what is bound on earth, is as indispensable to the true Church of God as it is unique to it and that without it there would be no Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

I think it’s safe to say that the priesthood is a very important part of our church, so much so that like President Faust said, there would be no church.

So what happened, why the need for a restoration?

We know that the Savior when He formed His Church during His mortal ministry he told His senior Apostle Peter, “I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 4 Six days later He took Peter, James, and John to a mountaintop where He was transfigured in glory before them. Then prophets from earlier dispensations, including at least Moses and Elijah, 5 appeared in glory also and conferred the various keys and powers that each held.

Unfortunately those Apostles were soon killed or otherwise taken from the earth, and their priesthood keys were taken with them, resulting in more than 1,400 years of priesthood privation and absence of divine authority among the children of men.

President Gordon B. Hinckley in a talk from May 2004 said this of the dark ages…

Ignorance and evil enveloped the world, resulting in what is known as the Dark Ages. Isaiah had predicted: “Darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people” (Isa. 60:2). For centuries, disease was rampant and poverty reigned. The Black Death killed some 50 million people during the 14th century. Was not this a season of terrible peril? I wonder how humanity survived.

But somehow, in that long season of darkness, a candle was lighted. The age of Renaissance brought with it a flowering of learning, art, and science. There came a movement of bold and courageous men and women who looked heavenward in acknowledgment of God and His divine Son. We speak of it as the Reformation.

And then, after many generations had walked the earth—so many of them in conflict, hatred, darkness, and evil—there arrived the great, new day of the Restoration. This glorious gospel was ushered in with the appearance of the Father and the Son to the boy Joseph. The dawn of the dispensation of the fulness of times rose upon the world. All of the good, the beautiful, the divine of all previous dispensations was restored in this most remarkable season.

During May 1829 while translating the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith came across a reference to baptism. He discussed the matter with his scribe, Oliver Cowdery, and the two earnestly supplicated the Lord regarding the matter. Oliver wrote: “Our souls were drawn out in mighty prayer, to know how we might obtain the blessings of baptism and of the Holy Spirit. … We diligently sought for … the authority of the holy priesthood, and the power to administer in the same.”

In Joseph Smith history vol1 we can read his remarks on this occasion

68 We still continued the work of translation, when, in the ensuing month (May, 1829), we on a certain day went into the woods to pray and inquire of the Lord respecting ^abaptism for the ^bremission of sins, that we found mentioned in the translation of the plates. While we were thus employed, praying and calling upon the Lord, a messenger from heaven descended in a ^ccloud of light, and having laid his ^dhands upon us, he ^eordained us, saying:

69 Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the ^aPriesthood of ^bAaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of ^cbaptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth until the sons of ^dLevi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in ^erighteousness.

72 The ^amessenger who visited us on this occasion and conferred this Priesthood upon us, said that his name was John, the same that is called ^bJohn the Baptist in the New Testament, and that he acted under the direction of ^cPeter, James and John, who held the keys of the Priesthood of Melchizedek, which Priesthood, he said, would in due time be conferred on us, and that I should be called the first ^dElder of the Church, and he (Oliver Cowdery) the second. It was on the fifteenth day of May, 1829, that we were ordained under the hand of this messenger, and baptized.

According to the Doctrine and Covenants and Church History Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, some weeks after John the Baptist restored the Aaronic Priesthood, Peter, James, and John appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and conferred upon them the Melchizedek Priesthood.

And according to the Our Heritage book:

Later, Peter, James, and John appeared to Joseph and Oliver and conferred upon them the Melchizedek Priesthood. They also bestowed the keys of God’s kingdom upon them (see D&C 27:12–13; 128:20). The Melchizedek Priesthood is the highest authority given to men on earth. With this authority, the Prophet Joseph Smith was able to organize the Church of Jesus Christ in this dispensation and begin to establish the various priesthood quorums as they are known in the Church today.

Elder Holland goes on to say

Little wonder that the Prophet Joseph would include in those succinct and eloquent articles of our faith, “We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.” 8 Clearly, acting with divine authority requires more than mere social contract. It cannot be generated by theological training or a commission from the congregation. No, in the authorized work of God there has to be power greater than that already possessed by the people in the pews or in the streets or in the seminaries—a fact that many honest religious seekers had known and openly acknowledged for generations leading up to the Restoration.

While I was writing this, I got thinking about where we would be if these two priesthoods had not been restored. While obviously the church would not exist, what else might it be like. Luckily, I found a talk by Robert D. Hales, that answers that exact question.

Brothers and sisters, can you imagine how dark and empty mortality would be if there were no priesthood? If the power of the priesthood were not upon the earth, the adversary would have freedom to roam and reign without restraint. There would be no gift of the Holy Ghost to direct and enlighten us; no prophets to speak in the name of the Lord; no temples where we could make sacred, eternal covenants; no authority to bless or baptize, to heal or comfort. Without the power of the priesthood, “the whole earth would be utterly wasted” (see D&C 2:1–3; D&C 2:1–3). There would be no light, no hope—only darkness. What a dark world this would be without priesthood blessings for you and me.

A loving Father in Heaven has sent his sons and daughters here to mortality to gain experience and to be tested. He has provided the way back to him and has given us enough spiritual light to see our way. The priesthood of God gives light to his children in this dark and troubled world. Through priesthood power we can receive the gift of the Holy Ghost to lead us to truth, testimony, and revelation. This gift is available on an equal basis to men, women, and children. Through the blessings of the priesthood, we can be equipped with “the whole armour of God, that [we] may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (see Eph. 6:11–18). This protection is available to every one of us.

I would testify that without the restoration of the true church, my life would be wholly different. I am grateful that my mother had questions and sought out to find answers, and through that seeking that my parents met two young men and were converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I am grateful that I am worthy enough to hold the Melchizedek priesthood, and that when called upon am able to use that authority for my family, or others who need it. When I am involved in exercising those keys, it strengthens my testimony in the gospel. I know that Joseph Smith is a true prophet of God. That the priesthood is truly the foundation of our world and many others. I truly believe that like we are blessed to have been raised up during the fullness of times, and to quote President Gordon B. Hinckley;

I do not know what we did in the preexistence to merit the wonderful blessings we enjoy. We have come to earth in this great season in the long history of mankind. It is a marvelous age, the best of all. As we reflect on the plodding course of mankind, from the time of our first parents, we cannot help feeling grateful.

I am indeed grateful to have been selected to come at this time, when we have had the priesthood restored, that we’ve had the Gospel restored, that I am able to call upon the authority of God and bless my family.

I am excited for my oldest son to receive the Aaronic priesthood next year, and can not wait for him to be able to exercise the keys there of.

In closing, I just want to thank my Heavenly Father for loving us so that He gave His only begotten Son to allow us a path back to Him, and in His name Jesus Christ Amen.

I. Introduction:

With the convenience of modern medicine, doctors can counter seasonal allergy attacks by injecting the patient with tiny doses of the particular allergen over a long period of time. This process slowly desensitizes the patient’s body to the specific allergen, even though their doses continued to increase.

Much like this method of treatment, Satan deviously introduces many immoral “allergens” into our lives through the media and entertainment. His intent is to desensitize our hearts and dull our spirits so that the evils of the world are less noticeable over time. Once successful, he continues to barrage us with the intent to “ensnare the hearts of men” (Alma 28:13). The majority of these evil pollutants can be found in movies, music, television, the Internet, books and magazines.

The ancient prophet Nephi prophesied that in the latter-days the devil would wage a war against righteousness and “others he will pacify, and lull them into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion… and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell” (2 Nephi 28:21).

We have been instructed by our Church leaders to “live in the world, but not of the world.” This includes steering clear of all modern-day immorality, including the constant media bombardment. It is not an easy battle, but one that must be fought day in and day out ‘down in the trenches’, in order to maintain a level of spirituality that will help us to return to live with our Heavenly Father after this mortal existence.

II. Negative Influence of Media

Our modern-day prophets have warned and counseled us on numerous occasions to avoid the “sleaze and filth” that is rampant in today’s media. Nobody is immune to Satan’s attacks, in or out of the Church. Elder Joe. J. Christensen has warned that “Satan has made great inroads into the lives of some Latter-day Saints through the evil in the media.” He also stated that “the Lord and his living prophets are counting on [us] to avoid the trash that surrounds [us] in the media.”

Unfortunately in today’s society, there is much evil that is portrayed as popular, or normal; and much good that is portrayed as unpopular, or odd by the media. Clearly, we are living in a day and age where men “call evil good, and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). Fortunately, there is much that is good, wholesome, and positive left to be consumed in the media so that we do not need to associate ourselves with the sleazy filth peddled by those who seek nothing more than monetary gain. We, as Latter-day Saints, must not, and can not become involved with the negative. We can not give in to “the enticings of that cunning one” (2 Nephi 9:39) while trying to get closer to our Heavenly Father. The Savior taught his disciples on two separate continents that it is impossible to “serve God and Mammon” (Matthew 6:24 & 3 Nephi 13:24).

Elder Christensen further added that “if we permit ourselves to become involved with the negative, there will be much cause for the devil to laugh and his angels to rejoice.” None of us can ever expect to be unharmed from the exposure to immorality in entertainment and to not be damaged spiritually. As Elder Christensen so aptly put it, “we can’t roll around in the mud without getting dirty.”

Despite the ever-changing worldly viewpoints of what is acceptable and considered the norm, Elder M. Russell Ballard warned that “the commandments have not changed… right is still right. Wrong is still wrong, no matter how cleverly cloaked in respectability or political correctness.”

III. What Can We Do to Counter the Negative Influence of Media?

Since my days as a teenager I’ve heard the prophets convey that my generation is a choice generation. Our late beloved prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley, in speaking to the youth of the church, stated on more than one occasion that “[they] are the best generation we have ever had. [They] are stronger [than the other generations] to face the temptations which come [their] way.” He then implored the youth to live the Gospel standards, to be an ensign to the nations, a light to the world, and to pray for the guidance and protection of the Lord. My generation has now grown and there is a new generation of youth. The generations keep coming. We need to ensure that our children know and live the Gospel standards so correctly that they in turn will instill those righteous principles into the next generation.

We know that these are the latter-days. We are living in a time when Satan and his angels, through subtleties and craftiness, are desperately trying to destroy the souls of anybody they can, including families, before the Second Coming of our Savior. Christ himself taught that “the day soon cometh that ye shall see me, and know that I am” (D&C 38:8). In the short time we have before Christ’s magnificent return, we need to do all that we can to strengthen our families, to increase our spirituality, and to keep the Spirit’s presence in our daily lives.

There is no better way to strengthen the family within the walls of our own homes than to center our families and lives around Christ. When we live Christ-centered lives within our homes the Spirit will be present and we will be given the strength to withstand the temptations that indeed will come from the adversary. In meeting this standard, we can center our entertainment choices around Christ by following the guidelines that have been laid out for us by the leaders of our Church.

The For The Strength of Youth pamphlet is an excellent tool for outlining what forms of entertainment are deemed holy and worthwhile. It is an inspired manuscript. It also cautions that entertainment in any form that is immoral is not acceptable to the Lord. We have been commanded to not attend, view, or participate in entertainment that is vulgar, immoral, violent, or pornographic in any way. We are also told to stand up for what is right, to have the courage to walk out of a movie, turn off a computer or television, change a radio station, or put down a magazine if what is being presented does not meet Heavenly Father’s standards. We, as Latter-day Saints, are to seek after things which are “virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy” (Articles of Faith 1:13).

Our loving Heavenly Father has given us a precious gift that can help us make correct choices in entertainment. As baptized members of the Church, we have had the Gift of the Holy Ghost placed upon us. This magnificent gift carries a promise with it in that “it will show unto [us] all things what [we] should do” (2 Nephi 32:5). Those of us who have been baptized and who have received the Holy Ghost can have its constant promptings with us whenever we are worthy. With this special gift, we can know for certain when we are participating in inappropriate entertainment, for “the Spirit of the Lord doth not dwell in unholy temples” (Helaman 4:24). Simply put, the Holy Ghost will help us to choose the right.

We are taught this concept in a hymn that highlights this magnificent tool we’ve been given and a blessing that comes from our Heavenly Father:

Choose the right when a choice is placed before you.
In the right the Holy Spirit guides;

Choose the right! Let no spirit of digression
Overcome you in the evil hour.
There’s the right and the wrong to ev’ry question;
Be safe thru inspiration’s pow’r.

Choose the right! Choose the right!
Let wisdom mark the way before.
In its light, choose the right!
And God will bless you evermore.

Our homes should be refuges from the evils of the world. As parents, the most influential way in which we can teach our children which forms of media are and are not allowed in our homes, is by example. We can not expect our children to follow the Lord’s guidelines if they see us participating in contradictory activities. With the rising risk of online chat rooms, social networking and pornographic sites, we need to know where our children are on the Internet. There are free family filters available to protect children from the evils of the Web. Our leaders have also counseled us to know what our kids are listening to, know who their friends are, and to know what they are watching within the walls of our own homes. In addition to these, we should also encourage other forms of entertainment other than indoor activities. These include hobbies, games, exercise, sports, and service projects.

IV. Conclusion

I am confident that if we improve the choices in entertainment in our own lives, in and outside of our homes, our levels of spirituality will increase, our families will draw closer together and we will know that the Lord is proud of our lives. We can and will know that we are “in [the] strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life” (2 Nephi 31:18-19). When we make correct entertainment-related choices we will be happy. When we participate in inappropriate entertainment we may think we are happy, but as Alma taught over 2,000 years ago, “wickedness never was happiness” (Alma 41:10).

We live in wonderful times. We also live in perilous times. Satan is seeking to destroy the souls of both you and me. He knows that “he hath but a short time” (Revelation 12:12) before the Savior ushers in the Millennium. We can not give in to the wiles of temptation, no matter how flattering they may be. None of us are immune to temptation. Jacob, the brother of Nephi, warned us to “remember… the awfulness of yielding to the enticings of that cunning one” (2 Nephi 9:39). As this new year dawns, let us resolve to inspect our individual lives and those of our families to determine if we can gain just a bit more of the Holy Ghost by turning off a suggestive show, by choosing not to pay for a movie ticket of an ill-advised movie, by listening to better music, or perhaps by asking ourselves the following questions:

• Does what I am doing make me feel worthy to kneel in prayer?
• Would my parents be proud of what I am currently doing?
• Would I watch or listen to this with President Monson around?
• How would I feel if I was watching or listening to this at the time of the Second Coming?

The Lord has promised that we will be blessed for our righteous choices.

In closing, I recall the words of Alma, preaching to the people in the land of Zarahemla, when he said “all you that are desirous to follow the voice of the good shepherd, come ye out from the wicked, and be ye separate, and touch not their unclean things.” (Alma 5:57).

May we strive to live this New Year closer to our Heavenly Father and his Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to have his Spirit with us “at all times and in all things, and in all places” (Mosiah 18:9), in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

In looking back on the time I spent in northern Ohio I will openly admit that I could have done better; but, more often than not we did the work, the Spirit converted individuals, people were baptized (in a fairly difficult mission), and the field was harvested.

As I am sure most return missionaries can attest to, after being home for an entire decade my mind begins to wonder how will my time as a missionary be looked at by the Lord? I know could have worked harder, been a little more obedient, and a little more faithful in the Lord and his timetable.

But I was a naïve 19 year old kid who thought I knew the Gospel, and thought I could go teach the whole world, and thought that everyone would jump at the opportunity to hear about the restored gospel and join the Church. At least that was my impression coming out of the Missionary Training Center. After two years in a fairly difficult land trying to teach the gospel, having more negative experiences than positive, yet developing as a person, both spiritually and physically, I returned home and moved on in life.

However, I have found it increasingly difficult since that time as an ordained minister of the Lord to talk to complete strangers about the Gospel, and verses like this don’t seem to add to my self-confidence:

2 But with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I have given unto them, because of the fear of man. Wo unto such, for mine anger is kindled against them.

3 And it shall come to pass, if they are not more faithful unto me, it shall be taken away, even that which they have.

D&C 60:2-3

The pass along cards that the Church has created are a wonderful tool, and I have a ton of them in my shoulder bag I sometimes take to work. The problem is trying to figure out a way to work them into a conversation with success. I don’t have a problem explaining fundamental principles of the Gospel to people, it’s just taking that first step in getting them into a conversation that I find difficult.

Are you a return missionary? Have you found success in spreading the Gospel with strangers on the street since you’ve been home? Do you have a method to re-develop ‘talents’ to Open Your Mouth? I’d like to know your thoughts or hear about some successful experiences, as I’m sure thousands of other return missionaries would.

So I busted out the white board and basically put 4 columns on it.

Column 1 was for Strengths. Which I had the family discuss what they thought were our families strengths.

Column 2 was for Weaknesses. Again had then give me what they thought were our families weaknesses.

Column 3 was for Opportunities. Listed out the responses.

Column 4 was for Threats and finished up the board with what the family thought were threats to our family.

After filling in each column, I had everyone come up and rank the values (pick 2 per column) and found the top 2 for each one. As we were going through the picking and selecting, I decided I wasn’t happy with the list of strengths, and I saw everything come together (it didn’t hurt that I had prayed about figuring something out with our families struggles this morning).

What it boiled down to is that one of the threats in the list was a threat to our spirituality, which could cascade into and produce a number of our weaknesses. I saw the opportunity to tie the spiritual threat to one of our weaknesses which was goal setting. So after asking the kids what were some ideas on what we could do to overcome our weaknesses and to protect us better from our threats – I suggested that we change our scripture study. It seems in my family that when we read late at night before bed we’re all tired and cranky and it leads to a lot of contention during scriptures. So I made the suggestion of either having early morning scriptures or scriptures right after dinner. Low and behold, my middle child made the suggestion, why  not have both! How awesome is that? I’m excited to see how this goes, and it’s going to be work on everyone’s part because none of us like getting up in the morning – me included. But we did manage to have our evening scripture right after FHE (did I mention FHE went quick so the kids kept focus) and it was about an hour earlier then usual and it went very well.

I bring this up as an easy FHE lesson idea. You can tailor it to your own families needs and guide the direction from your families answers to meet the needs of your family. It worked for us very well because it led right into some issues we have and gave a direction on how to work on solving them. Starting with a single goal and snow balling it into moving weaknesses into the strength column (by making the opposite true). I think it works fairly well for even younger kids because they can be made to feel a part of it with suggestion and allowing them to vote and again, it only lasted about 30 minutes with everything (a couple of single verse songs and opening and closing prayer).

So give it a try and let me know how it goes…

Men and Women are Equal Partners

I’ve started reading a fascinating book “65 Signs of the Times Leading up to the Second Coming” – David J. Ridges and I thought I might start a series of posts that opens the discussion for them, because I like to go beyond what he highlights in the book, to more of a let’s show examples in the world. Let’s talk about after effects, etc.

The author makes a good point to say this book isn’t written to scare people and uses quotes from prophets to try and set the tone. I’ll probably put these quotes on each of the posts so that we don’t forget and end up getting caught up in the signs. That isn’t what I want to do either.

Gordon B. Hinckley

I do not know what we did in the preexistence to merit the wonderful blessings we enjoy. We have come to earth in this great season in the long history of mankind. It is a marvelous age, the best of all. As we reflect on the the plodding course of mankind from the time of our first parents, we cannot help feeling grateful. ["Living in the Fulness of Times," Ensign, November 2001, p. 4]

Thomas S. Monson

I testify to you that our promised blessings are beyond measure. Though the storm clouds may gather, though the rains may pour down upon us, our knowledge of the gospel and our love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments. There will be nothing in this world that can defeat us.

My beloved brothers and sisters, fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith.

I declare that God lives and that He hears and answers our prayers. His Son, Jesus Christ, is our Savior and our Redeemer. Heaven’s blessings await us. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.[Ensign, May 2009, pp 89-92]

I think the first one I want to discuss, and as a matter of fact isn’t actually one of the 65 listed – but it is most certainly something happening and seemingly getting worse.

Pitting men against women, and women against men

In today’s modern world what are some themes we see? I know, that was a little vague, so let’s refine it a little more. First we each have roles – and this isn’t based on a sexist look, it’s based on prophetic counsel from our Lord through our leaders.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. [emphasis added]

But what do we see happening? What are some examples in today’s world where men are pitted against women and women against men?

What do we see in today’s political arena, in the media, or maybe in our own circles?

Here’s one example of breaking down roles – I’ve noticed in commercials these days the trend (and I’m sure isn’t necessarily a new concept) that men are portrayed as bumbling fools, they couldn’t do anything without the heroine wife. No, I’m not saying women can’t do anything either – but the portrayal of men as incapable of knowing how to anything I think it pitting women against men (women are the new hero’s men are dumb as rocks). The examples for men spread over the centuries and can be found anywhere.

Doctrine and Covenants 121:39

We have learned by sad experience that it is the ^anature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little ^bauthority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise ^cunrighteous dominion.

So, let’s hear some examples that you can think of? Let’s discuss…