The Christmas Star

For this week's spiritual thought, I've decide to touch on the Christmas Star, which has gotten a lot of hype this past month because of the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter.

As a big astronomy buff, I've been eating up this whole conjunction thing. A few days ago, December 21, Jupiter and Saturn got so close in the sky that they looked like one star. Here is one picture I took ... 

And the same picture close up, so you can see Saturn as a tiny bulge on the right side of Jupiter.

And this picture is through my telescope, where you can also see three of Jupiter's moons and maybe one of Saturn's moons as well to its upper left (also note that the telescope has flipped the image -- silly mirrors) ...

If you go out tonight, you can still see Saturn close to Jupiter. Just look after sunset -- probably around 6PM local time (depends on your longitude inside your time zone). Look slightly south of west. Jupiter will be the bright star, and Saturn will be the slightly dimmer one to the lower right. It's still pretty and worth catching. Or you can wait 60 years for when Jupiter and Saturn get even closer than this!

Okay -- with all that out of the way, let's get back to the spiritual thought. It was on that same day that I tuned in to a live Slooh event on YouTube. This is a group of telescopes that are set up to provide live events. And some astronomers were talking up a storm right before the sun started setting (in England -- I think). This main guy give this big long spiel about the Christmas Star. What was it really?

If you go to a planetary show this time of year (other than 2020), you'll most likely catch a Christmas Star presentation that provides several different scenarios: a supernova, a conjunction of planets, a comet are the three main ones I hear.

My favorite one is the supernova theory, as it is consistent with both the Biblical and the Book of Mormon account. The Bible describes a new star that led wise men to find Jesus (a journey that could have taken a couple of years). The Book of Mormon describes a night "as if day" and then a new star would appear. This seems to be consistent with the idea of a supernova exploding as it brightened the sky over the American continent (The Book of Mormon), and then lost most of its brilliance by the time it hit the Eastern skies (The Bible -- which doesn't mention a night "as if day"). However, there seems to be no other independent record of such a phenomenon around 1 AD. The first Chinese-recorded supernova is 185 AD. This doesn't mean it didn't happen -- just no way to corroborate the account.

The conjunction of planets theory is interesting, but I actually don't like it, because the ones that happened around 1 AD aren't particularly interesting to me. One popular conjunction is Jupiter with Venus and Regulus in June 2 BC. But, planets get that close to each other all the time. The one that just happened a few days ago is by far the most interesting conjunction I've seen, and much more interesting than anything that happened around 1 AD. There would have been a Jupiter/Saturn conjunction in 1 BC, but not as close as what we just saw.

The comet theory is also interesting, but again, records are sparse -- though one was recorded in 5 BC by the Chinese.

As the Slooh guy kept on talking, he made this interesting comment: these planetary presenters give these presentations because it sells around Christmas time. Sure enough, I've been to a couple of them. However, all of these astronomers and presenters seem to believe that the Christmas Star was "none of the above" because a star can in no way direct a person to Bethlehem. There's only one stationary star in the sky, "Polaris," which can only lead one toward the North Pole, but all other stars spin in the sky and have no power to lead. Well -- a star could help lock down the latitude, but not the longitude.

Perhaps the stars/comet/novas simply triggered a sign to let the wise men know to start looking, and then they used other means to find the exact geography. As a matter of fact, if the star were leading to the exact place, why did the wise men have to go to Herod? I actually like this idea ... because a star doesn't have to show geography to "show the way."

The Slooh guy also presented a new theory I had never heard before: maybe the Christmas Star was made up by Matthew, who wrote his account decades after it happened. Evidently there was a prominent work of fiction at the time in which a star led the protagonists, and perhaps Matthew mixed up the two stories. Luke doesn't mention a star in his account.

And also, the thought came to mind -- what if it were something completely different? What if it were a supernatural event? It couldn't have been a geostationary event -- something that can only happen at the equator. But what if God created a "local" star above the earth in orbit and held it in place right above Bethlehem (defying laws of physics), to help show the way?

But then again, does it matter what the Star really was? It's fun speculating, and as a side-chair astronomer, I would love to know the answer. If it all possible, I would enjoy going back in time to witness the Star for myself.

Coming back to spirituality -- I believe that we can have our own Christmas Star to lead the way. We can receive our own signs and revelations to help us in our own lives. If we are wise and keep an eye out for these, they can lead us all in the right direction. This very recent Christmas Star in our sky has been a perfect reminder of this very concept.

Finally, I'll close with this recording of my favorite song about the Star of Bethlehem ... this is the choral version I've sung in church several times in the past ...

Christmas Gifts

It's that time of year, and let me tell you right off the bat ... this has been one of the more difficult Christmas shopping years for me. So much sleepless nights, struggling with online shopping, sneaking around while everyone is home, and creating contingencies for presents not arriving by Christmas. I'll be glad when it's over.

For this week's spiritual thought of the week, I'd like to dive in a little deeper into these gifts, and hopefully avoid the usual "reason of the season" post. Yes I know without Jesus, there is no Christmas, but I'm assuming you already know about that, and I'm trying to explore new aspects and views of Christmas.

I often get stressed out about choosing gifts. Though this year was pretty bad, every year always has the research, and the working with a budget, and trying to create an experience our kids will enjoy -- which is almost a science in and of itself. Sometimes I wish, with all the stress, that the gift giving would just go away, and then we could all just relax, and maybe think about Jesus more. (Wait -- I said I wasn't going to go there.)

But, that's what some people choose to do. Some Christian denominations don't even practice Christmas because it puts something above God. Some can "see through all the hype" and "see that it's all a scam to sell lots of cards and toys."

But here's something to consider ... one of my favorite scriptures ... D&C 29:34: "Wherefore, verily I say unto you that all things unto me are spiritual." In its full context, it's talking about temporal vs. spiritual matters, and we learn that they are one and the same to the Lord. And I believe this includes Christmas gifts.

I have very fond memories of my Christmases as a kid. It was something very important to my mother -- to provide memorable events of joy and peace. To her it meant showering us with gifts. I only came to learn well afterwards that this meant going into debt and lots of stress. And I don't think any of my kids have had a Christmas anywhere near what I got, but that's okay. It was my mother's way of showing love. She loved the look on our faces when we opened a present and said, "No way!!!" One of my favorites was Carl Sagan's COSMOS book -- and a few other cool science-related toys.

Ultimately, I think it comes down to having fun with the family, and fun memories. It's not so much the gifts themselves but the joy of giving and enjoying the happiness they bring. As for receiving gifts, sometimes they become part of my daily arsenal of things I use, and sometimes they end up in a pile that I'll get to one day. But I cherish the love that went into them.

As for the commercialism and all that, I don't think it's all that bad. I'm happy to help the economy. Any unused presents eventually get recycled -- donated to other families or Goodwill. Sometimes I do get annoyed with commercials and some people going way over the top, or taking advantage of the season to sell low-quality toys at high prices. 

But then again, a good dose of the Charlie Brown Christmas Special always helps there. Oh ... but wait ... people can no longer watch it for free because Apple TV+ just swiped it up. Dang -- commercialism strikes again. (And I said I wasn't going to go there!)

Okay, I tried -- but I guess Jesus just keeps coming back. He is the reason. But gift giving can always be a good way to celebrate what Jesus did for us 2000 years ago. Don't be afraid. Make someone else happy. 

I've never regretted it. Every Christmas night when it's all over, I always feel peace that I never want to end.

Judging Righteously

This week's lesson comes again from my church's weekly reading, but this lesson is for us all, especially in our current circumstances. Not coincidentally, there was also a talk in our church Zoom meeting today touching on these same principles, and also not to mention that several times in early October, many similar talks were given in our church's General Conference. It is clearly a lesson our church desperately wants us to hear, so I invite all to listen up, because this is darn important.

Today I will concentrate on this question: how can we learn to judge righteously?

For a backdrop, let me describe the situation for those not familiar with the Book of Mormon. Being toward the end of the year, we're at the very end when the Lamanites (the bad guys) are wiping out the Nephites (the former good guys), and there is no righteousness left anywhere. Only Moroni remains the sole faithful person.

As described in Moroni 9: 5,19:

(5) For so exceedingly do they anger that it seemeth me that they have no fear of death; and they have lost their love, one towards another; and they thirst after blood and revenge continually.

(19) And they have become strong in their perversion; and they are alike brutal, sparing none, neither old nor young; and they delight in everything save that which is good; ...

This may seem a little scary, but doesn't this describe the situation today, though not quite so bad -- just yet? Don't we have two "parties" that are being increasingly violent toward each other? Isn't everything today more about revenge and putting down the other party? And frighteningly, we now hear talk of rising up and fighting? Is there any way to avoid all this? Can we diffuse this increasingly dangerous situation?

There's one thing you can do. You can make right choices. If you are able to judge righteously, and act on those choices, then you can not only avoid the "thirst after blood" but you can also help to diffuse our nation's current predicament.

Moroni 7:17-19 says:

(17) But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him. 

(18) And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged.

(19) Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ.

Right now, between those two parties I mentioned before, if you listen to what each side says, you will hear the same thing. "We are the ones upholding the Constitution. We're right, and you're wrong, and you're trying to cheat and steal to gain power." To me it's pretty clear which side is doing the most cheating in this specific instance, but I'm trying to remain neutral in this post because of two reasons:

• This has been going on for years, and at different times, each party has had its fair share of doing most of the cheating or power grabbing; AND
• I want you to be able to turn to God and JUDGE for yourself the best way to proceed -- not just in the most immediate instance, but EVERY TIME this type of thing comes up.

So, I challenge you to stop and think, and reconsider. Here are some tips that come from the whole 7th chapter of Moroni:

• Make sure that you are not calling good evil and evil good.
• Make sure to pray with real intent of heart.
• Whatever you ask God will be answered.
• Consider: does your proposed plan of action bring good or evil? Does your plan come out of hatred and anger, or does it come from love and patience?
• Make sure you remain a servant of Christ, and not the devil.
• Remember faith and hope.
• Remember humility.
• If you are in tune, then judging good from evil will be as "a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night."

Whatever side you may be on, I hope you will decide today to continue on in peace, love, and a willingness to work together. Make sure you're always on the right side of things as you judge, so that you can always have a clear conscious and receive judgments on yourself with the best outcomes.

I wish you luck ... and together we judge righteously and figure this all out.

Wisdom and Smarts

For this week's spiritual thoughts, I figured I'd do a quick follow-up to last week's thoughts on science.

Last week I mentioned the word "smart" several times. To me, this word means increasing the power of your brain, using critical thinking, holding knowledge and always searching for more, and so on. It's the whole concept of exercising the brain like a muscle, so that it becomes stronger. Einstein was smart, and he was able to figure out some of the most complicated theories with crazy math. Practically every technological advancement comes from smart people figuring things out. 

So, a few years ago, I gave a talk at church. I talked about being smart and falling into the "smart" trap. This happens often with people who intentionally choose a "smart" path in their careers, meaning one that uses math, science, or logic. Then along the way, they feel that they've figured out the world and suddenly find that God no longer fits, and then a belief in God turns into a weakness. Often it's because of the idea of: "There is much I can prove in life -- it all makes sense. But God cannot be proven. I don't need Him in my grand scheme of things."

I then went on to say ... but if you're truly "smart," then you'll see the trap, and then you'll know how to avoid it. And you end up having the best of both worlds -- which is the situation I find myself in today. Religion does not interfere with my "smart" career, but it does enhance my career, as religious principles help me in my interactions with others, and that helps me get ahead. I also find on the flip side that my smartness actually enhances my spiritual belief as well. That's a very long discussion, and eventually I'll out with most of it in that upcoming book I'll finish years from now.

But seeing the trap is not really being "smart." (I'm only putting quotes around this word to emphasize something important. I'll admit to my grammarian friends that I'm being lazy -- I just got 10 more minutes to finish this -- and these thoughts are typed out very quickly.) It is something that is better described as "wisdom."

Smartness is figuring things out. Wisdom is being able to analyze what you know and then making the most beneficial decisions. While being smart helps you know what to do, wisdom helps you to understand why and sometimes how.

A perfect example would again be Einstein, who was incredibly smart, but didn't always make the wisest decisions -- especially when it came to women. Though, it was definitely wisdom when he left Germany, wisdom when he warned against using nuclear bombs, and then wisdom when he told the US now was the time to build nuclear bombs.

When you have wisdom, you are then making better choices -- being able to rely on experiences of other people -- doing what you think makes the best outcome. So, is wisdom enough to perfect your life?

According to Bible ... maybe not so much. Solomon was called the wisest man who ever lived and who would ever live ... which has made me jealous many times. But yet, he allowed Gentile women to lead him away from God.

So, if the wisest guy ever failed, then perhaps wisdom isn't enough? But then what is? I'm still trying to figure this out. I think he just lost his wisdom when his thoughts were corrupted by his wives. 

But now I'm out of time. Feel free to make comments and sometime in the future we can analyze this some more.

The Limits of Science

For this week's spiritual thought, I'd like to touch briefly on the topic of science vs. religion. This is something I'll explore on a much larger scale when I finally get back to my "Why I'm a Latter-day Saint" book. But for today, it'll only be a quick introduction.

I love science. My father instilled in me, when I was very young, a sense of critical thinking and a love of space. He would show me things through his telescope and encourage me to read all kinds of books on math, science, and logic. And that was all before I was 5 years old.

This was further solidified when my 6th-grade science teacher, Mr. Alhadeff, introduced me to Carl Sagan. He encouraged me to watch the original COSMOS "live" on PBS, and I fell in love with all of Sagan's philosophy, instruction, and exposition. 

In hindsight, I can see that this background has given me a very strong handle on life and has helped me to prosper. In fact, the current CEO of one of the largest banks in the US told my wife a couple of years ago that I was the smartest guy at his bank. I disagree with him, but it's the impression I leave on most people who know me. (People who really are smarter than me just shake their heads -- they know I only appear to be smarter because I'm also such a friendly guy.)

And yet, I hold to my faith strongly. Most of my "smart" colleagues tend to be agnostic (not really atheists), and I am like an enigma to them ... with everything that I know, why do I believe in God?

Perhaps I blame Carl Sagan. Even though he was no friend to Christians or any organized religion, he admitted several times in his COSMOS show that there are things we just don't know. Science is limited. There is always more to learn, and science is a very useful tool. However, it can never explain questions in the "why" category. For example, science may be able to describe how the universe was created, but it could never answer WHY it was created. Most scientists are likely to throw up their hands and say, "Why are you even asking that question?"

Much science fiction imagines a world in which we outgrow religion, but I don't think it'll ever go away, because as humans, we will always ask "why?" And science will never be able to answer that question. So, there will always be room for religion. Scientists tend to call this the God of the Gaps, but I'll save that for later. You would not believe how large and engaging this discussion can become.

I'll give a little taste here. I know a napkin proof exists that it's mathematically impossible to prove or disprove God. I'm still working on it, though. I think it might include these elements: In order to prove God exists, one must prove that he (or it) is more than one's imagination, but one cannot even prove that one's view of reality exists. To disprove God, you can't overcome the "God made it look that way" argument, OR one must obtain godlike knowledge, which ends up creating God.

Yeah ... that napkin proof still needs work. But I know that God will always exist outside the realm of science, math, logic. This is why logical discussions and arguments are very weak in converting people in to or out of religion. One can only acquire spiritual matters through spiritual means. I know that God and Jesus exist, not because of my awesome analytical skills, but because of my feelings and my experiences. 

I know that ultimately there is no logic in the singularity behind what I believe, and I'm perfectly fine with this. Because, ultimately, there never was any requirement for this logic to exist. I know the limitations of logic, math, and science (Hofstadter's Gödel, Escher, Bach is also highly recommended reading), and I see exactly how both science and religion help in my life to give me fuller understanding and perspective in life.

There is so much more on this to come later ...

Give Thanks (Hashtag)

I direct this week's spiritual thoughts to all my non-Mormon friends. Well, the message is for everyone, but I thought I'd take this time to explain what all this #givethanks hashtag is all about. I suppose it speaks for itself, but here it goes anyway.

It is a challenge presented by the current prophet and leader of our church, President Russell M. Nelson. In the attached video, he expresses concerns that our world is currently going through turbulent times. It's not just the pandemic, but also political strife, and all around anger and despair everywhere threatening to tear everything apart.

And he posits that the best cure for what ails us is a healthy dose of gratitude ... just in time for Thanksgiving. So, he challenges everyone -- not just us Mormons, but everyone who hears the challenge -- to flood social media with sentiments of thanksgiving. He provides the hashtag #givethanks as a way to mark this effort. The idea is that if we can see all the good in our lives, even during turbulent times, then perhaps we may be able to start working together instead of against each other.

It makes a lot of sense. Thank back a year at all the posts you've seen on social media. How would you describe these posts? How would you characterize them? My own observation is that a good 90% of them have one thing in common: anger -- lots of anger. 

For the past few weeks I've bemoaned the "Anti-Hype" effort that is helping the spread of the virus exponentially. This is a series of posts, articles, news conferences, etc., that propagate the ideas that the virus is nothing, or that it's not dangerous, or masks are ineffective, or anything else that promotes actions that actually work to spread the virus. And all of these posts on social media have that one thing in common: anger, whether it be in the form of conspiracy theories, overblown ideas of freedoms being infringed, or other ideas scientifically engineered to get a contentious response. The idea being: get the people mad so that they will want to stand up and fight.

And the same is also true of political posts on both sides of the aisle. Practically every post contains some kind of warning: "You don't want this to happen" -- again, scientifically engineered to get a contentious response. And sure enough, we, being human, eat these posts for breakfast. We get angry. We feel like we need to do something about it, and we propagate the contentious ideas.

But reality, or "truth," is never found through contention. And often the threats and warnings are unfounded or exaggerated.

This whole #givethanks effort is the exact opposite of what we're used to on social media. If we can see our blessings, then all of a sudden, our fears and wants don't seem quite so bad. And then perhaps we may be able to listen to each other -- realize that we're not enemies, and start working together.

That would be a dream come true for me!

As Pres. Nelson says in the video: "Counting our blessings is far better than recounting our problems."

So, give it a try. Watch the video, and decide for yourself. Flood social media with a week of thanks, and read everyone else's proclamations of thanks, and realize what good people we all are. Perhaps some good will come out of this, and perhaps we'll start working together and enjoy the synergy from combining ideas together. It's happened before, and it can happen again.

The Pride Cycle

Today I'd like to discuss the pride cycle, a theme that permeates the Book of Mormon. Though, it comes from Latter-day Saint scripture, this is a universal concept that all religious people can appreciate.

The cycle begins when a society is doing well. When the people are rich and prosperous, they start to become prideful. They see the success around themselves, and then decide they don't need God. People act more selfishly, cast out the poor, and even covet power.

Then God sends some kind of calamity. In the Book of Mormon, it's usually the Lamanites coming in to kill a lot of people. The people are brought down to humility and start to remember God. They pray for forgiveness. They start to treat everyone else more kindly. Then comes a period of rebuilding, and because of the peace and good intentions between everyone, it comes back to the beginning of the cycle.

It's almost funny how many times this cycle happens in the Book of Mormon -- almost always from the point of view of the Nephites. A few times it turns out that the Lamanites are more righteous than the Nephites. And the whole time I'm thinking, "You know ... wouldn't they figure it out eventually? Wouldn't they see that turning to God and helping each other is the way to peace and prosperity? Wouldn't they look at what happened 20 years ago, and not ever do that again?"

Even miracles like the sign and star of Jesus only brought peace for a few years. Then it was quickly back to pride and secret combinations. When Jesus appeared, himself, it appeared to break the cycle. It took a little more than 160 years before people started turning back to pride. Then, they got really low, and this time, they didn't come back. The Nephites stopped turning to God completely, and their sorrow was not spiritual sorrow. Shortly after that, they were wiped out by the Lamanites.

Is it possible for us humans to be rich and prosperous, while at the same time remain humble, caring, and inclusive? I emphatically say, "Yes." There's a way. In fact, I think God wants us to be prosperous. He says as much when he gave Adam the first commandment to be fruitful and multiply. He has indicated that he wants us to succeed. We just have to remember God, and then we'd live in a much happier world.

It seems we prove time and time again that when left to our devices, we screw things up royally. The fall of a society almost always comes after a time of great prosperity. And here in the United States, we have clearly been experiencing great prosperity, economic strength, and untold riches. But we also have great pride, inequities, murders, and hurtful scams. People are full of pride as they look for ways to take advantage of others -- such as buying hundreds of rolls of toilet paper during a pandemic with the hopes of selling online with exorbitant profit. 

Every year, here in the states, it seems to be getting worse, and people lose a little more faith in each other as it progresses. They are also more and more forsaking God, attributing all the riches to their own devices and cunning. As we become more prideful, divisive, uncaring, and exclusive, what could possibly happen next but our own downfall?

We can only do our best and try to help others to do their best. Remember God. Remember why we're here on earth. Be humble. Remember where all our blessings come from, and we could achieve that perfect society of a God-loving rich and prosperous people.

Peace, Be Still

 
Inspired by a post by my aunt this past week, I'm reminded to remember how God knows our fears. He knows our troubles, and our concerns. But he's got this. He knows where we're going, and what's in store for us.

This was one message we received from our church leaders last month in General Conference. Trust in God and he will take care of it.

Some people are deeply disappointed with election results this past week. For me, it's the coronavirus outbreak that is causing me a lot of my grief and stress, especially when I know we could have handled it better than we have. And I know there are yet other sources of stress -- chances are, you are suffering from some kind of storm.

But think on this. There are two types of storms. 

First, there are the external storms. In the case of the coronavirus -- it's a real event killing lots of people, and giving permanent side effects to many survivors. It's causing markets to crash, and even causing other indirect deaths. It is a storm -- not of my making, but something we all have to deal with.

Secondly, there is the internal storm. With the coronavirus -- exactly what can I do about it? I'm just one person with no power to influence anything. What is the danger to me? I could catch it, but that's about it. I may die ... I might not, who knows? So, I can do the best I can to protect myself. Perhaps I could help my friends and family protect themselves as well. But beyond that, there's nothing much more I can do.

Is it worth beating myself up over it? When it comes down to it ... not really. Doing so creates the internal storm that many of us have. In other words, this second storm is self inflicted. We can't choose our external circumstances, but we can choose how we react to them.

This is where Christ and God come in. The video above tells the story of how the artist, Howard Lyon, came to draw the story of Jesus stopping the storm on the boat. He helped his disciples in their time of need, and he can help us in our time of need. We really can have peace in the midst of our external storms. We can learn how to quell our internal storms and enjoy peace.

I invite you to try it for yourselves. Pray to God. Ask for help in quelling your personal storms, whatever they may be. Then you may come to enjoy peace during times of crisis. God has this. He will lead us where we need to go.

Enduring to the End

Enduring to the end is a fundamental principle of my church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint, but the concept itself comes straight from the Bible.

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. (Matthew 24:9-13)

This is something I've lived by my entire life ... or at least I try. I don't know how many times I've been surrounded by people who said, "This is impossible," only for me to take it as a challenge. Sometimes it takes an all-nighter, but I find great pleasure in the end when I deliver and people say, "How did you do that?"

Once at work, we were asked to present our data in a new format. I'm talking millions of data points and very little time to compile it for submission. To do it manually would take days. My superiors went to a professional contractor and asked how long it would take them to create an automated process. They said, "18 months, and it's going to cost you a lot of money." When my boss told me that, I said, "Are you kidding me? I could do it much faster than that." In a couple of weeks I had a fully functional system going. Of course I had people helping me, but it was my code that writes code that writes code that made it all work. There was even an all-nighter in there ... till 1AM on a Friday evening with superiors looking over my shoulder in anticipation. But we beat every single one of our competitors -- we were the only one to be able to present our data in the correct format by the Saturday meeting, while every other company was asking, "How do we do this?" I (and my partner in crime) got a personal thank you note from the CEO.

This type of persistence has helped me succeed in life. But I'll admit -- it's so easy to get tired. How many times have you gauged the amount of effort it would take and then decide to go watch TV or play video games? I think it happens to all of us. And I'm certain that every single one of you readers has had similar experiences where you've gone the extra mile to accomplish that special project. Or perhaps even when you saw how to accomplish something when no one else could.

When it comes to spiritual matters, though, sometimes I feel I fall short. I can think of a long list of tasks that I don't do. I'm not the best "ministering brother." I don't read my scriptures every day. I don't always say prayers before eating. Sometimes I wonder if I'm missing my opportunity to succeed in these matters. I really hate check lists (as I've mentioned before), but I really love challenges. In spiritual matters, I think I'm doing okay, but I could always do better. Am I "enduring to the end"?

I think the biggest lesson I've learned is simply this: Don't give up. As long as you're trying, you're "enduring." We'll always fall short in some areas. Nobody is perfect. It's only when we give up that we guarantee failure.

So, if you want to endure to the end, just don't give up. Keep on trying. And then eventually success will follow.

Warnings From Jesus

During this pandemic, my local church holds these priesthood Zoom meetings twice a month. Every now and then, the lesson makes it here to these weekly spiritual thoughts, and evidently today is one of those days.

Around A.D. 60, the Jewish people in Jerusalem were not happy. As contention increased, they rose up -- first in smaller rebellions, and then in bigger ones. As a result, the Romans came in en force and put a rest to the rebellion, destroying the temple, and killing more than a million Jews, and capturing 100,000.

However, according to Josephus' account, there is no mention of Christians perishing in these attacks. How did they escape? Readers of the New Testament may already know the answer -- they were warned by Jesus. He spelled out the signs, and the Christians saw them and knew what to do to avoid capture and death.

This article explores the whole idea of Jesus preparing his people for the upcoming Roman siege:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1989/06/be-ye-also-ready-the-amazing-christian-escape-from-the-a-d-70-destruction-of-jerusalem?lang=eng

I strongly recommend reading that article, and then come back here, because think on this: If Jesus felt it was important to warn the Christians for an event that would occur more than 30 years later, then why is it that the leaders of my church felt it necessary to give us the most political "talking to" I've ever seen my whole life at a General Conference?

For those who don't know my church, we have worldwide conferences twice a year -- usually 5 sessions of two hours each over one weekend. I listened to 4 of those sessions three weeks ago, and practically every talk was about current events ... riots, plagues, contention, racism, and so on. That was eight hours of warning and guidance on how to survive times like these.

Further, in our bi-monthly priesthood meetings, we go over talks in the most recent conference ... meaning we're going to be discussing these topics for another 5 months before the next conference in April begins.

It's funny ... my wife asked how I felt to have the same lesson two times in a row, and I answered, "We got a whole lot more coming!"

The last meeting two weeks ago was on "Love Your Enemies" by Dallin H. Oaks. This week, we took on the same talk, but explored different aspects ... how to avoid contention, and how to recognize warnings from the Lord.

Our instructor took on some pretty heavy topics, and did a good job discussing it while at the same time keeping us from delving into divisive political talk. I don't think anyone said "Trump" or "Biden" at all, and it was pretty nice.

But for today, I'm focusing just on the warning aspect. Because, I think it ominous that our leaders (who I believe to be inspired by the Lord), showed enough concern to give us some pretty scary advice. 

Elder Oaks' talk seems more geared toward avoiding what may come next. Even before Trump became president, I had been complaining about how much we were divided, and we were increasingly becoming so. It only seems to get worse and worse every year that progresses -- so much so that I no longer refuse to take a side -- I am now "unaffiliated." And this year has been particularly bad. People are becoming increasingly more polarized, and much less willing to have good open discussions with each other.

There is no more a desire to work things out, but rather to work to remove opponents from power, to lob insults and disrespect, and to say their opponents are completely wrong and the sole cause of today's ills.

There is only one outcome to such a trend. Just as the Jews let contentions build up, and riled up the Romans, I think on our current path there is no way for us to avoid the strangest civil war we've ever seen and it could get ugly. Millions of deaths? I hope not.

If members of the church were to wake up and start to work toward diffusing this growing toxic situation, we might be able to avoid this internal war, and get back to working together as strong American citizens. But maybe it won't be enough. There were several talks on how to survive in situations beyond your control, and that scares me. Perhaps we're already doomed.

But yet the message was clear from many of the talks in aggregate: if you're prepared, you will fare well. Just as Jesus provided instruction to the early Christians to avoid and/or survive the Roman siege, the Lord may be giving us instruction now on how to avoid and/or survive the upcoming difficult times.

We may not be able to stop what's coming, but we can at least be prepared.

And the Eyes of the Blind Shall See

 

Today I've decided that I want to reveal one of my selfish deepest desires. I realize the title that I've picked is usually used in allegory, but today I'm actually talking about the physical action of healing the blind.

I've always had bad eyes. I'm severely myopic (near sighted), meaning everything I see is out of focus, and I also have an annoying stigmatism that kind of shifts the horizontal and the vertical. Plus, in recent years I've started the early stages of cataracts in both eyes.

I hate glasses, but I can't do without them. Yet, they come with their own issues. Scratches are annoying. In fact I saw some fresh new scratches on my glasses this morning, which helped me to choose today's topic. It's so demoralizing to realize that each scratch is permanent until I get my next pair -- but then how soon will those get scratched? It never ends!

Since my prescription is so heavy, I'm forced to get the high index lenses, which really messes with the brain and gives me headaches. And still, the weight pushes down on my ears, often causing sores and more headaches, and even the nose gets sore, and sometime my cheeks under the lenses. We glasses wearers quickly recognize our own when we see the nearly permanent dents just above the nose.

I once tried contacts, but my wimpy eyes can't handle them ... you can ask my high-school friends who went down with me to Panama City. The contacts were a disaster. But man was I cool for a few days!

I know ... a lot of whinging going on, but I'm getting there. I'm going to pause for a moment and let you think of your own selfish deepest desire. We all got something ... that one thing that's annoyed you your entire life that you feel you can do nothing about. (Okay ... something else besides Mel.)

For me, the miracles of Jesus really resonates. I mean, Jesus touched a blind man's eyes, and then he was healed. If I were alive during that time, Jesus could touch my eyes, and I'd be cured. In fact, I long for the day where I no longer have to wear glasses ... one of my deepest desires ... to see clearly unaided and without pain, to take in the full beauty of the world around me, and never be blind again.

But then again, in my current state, would I actually go up to Jesus to be healed? Now that you got that one selfish deepest desire in mind, would you be first in line to have Jesus fix what ails you?

Think about it.

I know that even with the pain I go through every day, I know there are others who are far worse than I am. My eyes aren't that bad ... I can wear glasses with a prescription that cancels out all adverse effects, and I really can see clearly (except for the scratches, and the glare, and now my early cataracts that make rainbow colors around lights at night, and then when my eyes change and -- oh there I go again). But there are others suffering from far more painful maladies. Some are entirely blind. Some are deaf -- I'm reminded of one of Beethoven's famous letters about his selfish deepest desire. Some can't walk. Some have terminal diseases.

I could in no good conscious be the first person to be healed by Jesus -- partly because I have a remedy -- and those guys need the healing a lot more than I do. But still, I would really, really, really love to be healed. If Jesus were to walk directly up to me and say he was going to fix my eyes, I would not say no.

But still, I'm wondering: why can't I get healed right now? What good was all that healing of the sick when we got people today who could use that healing? Maybe it's just me sour-graping things.

Yet, Jesus isn't the only one capable of healing the sick. His apostles could do it. In my own church, it's said that Joseph Smith did it, and there are some accounts of of more modern day church leaders who have been reported to heal the blind.

In fact we are taught that all of us who hold the Priesthood have the exact same healing powers. Plus, there is this in D&C 84:65-73:

And these signs shall follow them that believe. In my name they shall do many wonderful works; in my name they shall cast out devils; in my name they shall heal the sick; in my name they shall open the eyes of the blind, and unstop the ears of the deaf; and the tongue of the dumb shall speak; and if any man shall administer poison unto them, it shall not hurt them; and the poison of a serpent shall not have power to harm them. But a commandment I give unto them, that they shall not boast themselves of these things, neither speak them before the world; for these things are given unto you for your profit and for salvation.

So, why can't I go up to my bishop and say, "Heal my eyes"? 

Well, I suppose any of us could do this, but who has enough faith to heal, or enough faith to be healed? That could be a topic in and of itself. I know Jesus could heal me, but it's difficult to have enough faith in someone like me doing it.

Then again, I've seen and have been a part of several miracle healings. As a missionary, I developed an anomaly in my eye that we all thought was going to be permanent, and after I got a blessing for the sick, it miraculously healed itself at the same moment I went to see the doctor. He was amazed, and so was I.

And again - again, I feel that I was given this malady to give me experience. To help me constantly think about "seeing" all the time, perhaps it has made me a lot more sensitive in seeing things that other people don't. I can evidently hear things that other people can't, and I notice a lot more than other people do about surroundings -- kind of like Monk or Sherlock Holmes. ... And did I just now bring this back to the allegorical meaning of my title?

Anyway ... thanks for letting me whinge away. In the end, all these experiences help to increase our character, and give us more perspective. I ought to be thankful, but I wouldn't mind to be healed nonetheless.

Love Your Enemies

Last week I mentioned that my church held the most political conference I've ever seen. Our church leaders seem to be very concerned with the level of anger rising in our nation, and they gave us several talks touching on this anger, because they believe that we need to hear it at this particular time.

Today in our Zoom church meeting, we discussed one of these talks entitled, "Love Your Enemies."

For those of you who care to watch the talk, here is the full version. It's originally meant for Mormons in the USA, but the concepts are universally Christian. (Watching the video is not required for continuing to read this post.)

The main scripture comes from Jesus in Matthew 5:43-44:

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

And we heard this scripture at least three if not more times throughout the whole conference. The solution to the anger plaguing our nation now? Love. Or perhaps in less religious terms: Respect.

The first thing to realize is that it's okay to disagree. The scriptures says contention is of the devil, but disagreement in and of itself is not contention. Rather, contention rises from how people choose to handle those disagreements. Having disagreements just rises naturally from thinking differently and seeing the world through different lenses.

But how exactly does one disagree without "contending"?

I've struggled with that question my entire life, as I am a very opinionated dude. I love a great discussion, especially when there are opposing viewpoints. A good argument may be one of the best ways to exercise the brain and test skills of logic, and so on. And an argument, in the technical sense, has no need of being contentious. The latter only comes when an argument turns into something personal.

So, throughout my life I've sought to participate in engaging arguments, trying to toe the line where we hold respect for each other, and learn things in the end. But more often than not, I'll touch a nerve, or someone will touch one of my nerves, and then anger ensues, and it turns into a nonproductive brawl. 

Once or twice, I've even had someone de-friend me on Facebook -- kind of a drastic measure for just having a conversation. And once I had a bunch of actuaries team up on me in a forum to let me know that I was at a level of stupid that they had ever seen and how I just needed to leave the discussion. (Though in that last case I did have some other actuaries reach out to me in PMs to give me support -- they just didn't want to do it in public.)

So, being argumentative, though lots of fun to me, has its costs. I think that in all cases it went bad, I made mistakes -- it only takes one small one to blow everything up, and then I'm the bad guy. But with every mistake I learn how to handle it better the next time. At least I hope that I have gotten better.

The key? It really is Love and/or Respect. If you have no intention of understanding your opponent's way of thinking, then it's probably best not to even engage in discussion. 

For example, when it comes to Trump vs. Biden, I believe that I understand almost all of the arguments as to why people prefer one over the other. I prefer one candidate, but I also fully understand why people like the other one, and I'm perfectly fine with that. This one is a debate best settled by voting, and not anger, riots, and unproductive contention.

I am also very willing to change my views, as I'm a big proponent of the scientific method (which is showcased in Alma 32). As an opinionated dude, I do indeed have a very strong "null hypothesis" belief system. Locking this puppy down gives me a strong sense of perspective, to which I judge everything I see in the world. But every day I see things that challenge my belief system -- little tiny "alternative hypotheses" that I go and research, and every day I will accept several of them and update my belief system. I think everyone could benefit from this same approach to life and there would be a lot less anger in the world.

If you love/respect your opponents, then you may find that you can have engaging conversations. Even if you don't persuade them to change their views, you can end up learning each other's views and have better perspective. Sometimes it can help you to have a better understanding of why you are "right." Or maybe you can gain a better appreciation for your "enemy."

Either way, it seems that Jesus has laid out the path to avoiding contention. We don't need to remain silent, but we do need to Love, and that is such a simple concept. 

What can you do to love your "enemies"?

Conference Report - Oct 2020

For this week's spiritual thought, I'll give a quick report from my church's October General Conference, which ended about 10 minutes ago from the time I started writing. For those of you not familiar with these conferences, we hold these twice a year ... first Sunday in April and first Sunday in October. Usually these are held in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City and broadcast throughout the world simultaneously (complete with language translations and sign languaging, too).

This is the second session impacted by COVID-19. Usually these conferences attract thousands of attendees, but this year, both conferences were held in a small room with zero attendees, also featuring previously recorded broadcasts of the previously-named Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

This, of all conferences I've witnessed, has been the most political I've ever seen. This is most likely because of the political upheaval the US has suffered throughout this year. Topics included...

• COVID-19: this has been a source of much tribulation and disruption, whether it be from sickness, death, or cancelled activities and loneliness. Most of the talks that touched on this centered around the ideas that we're being tested, we're becoming stronger through tribulation, we're receiving opportunities to serve others in their times of need, we're having more opportunities to worship at home with the help of "Come Follow Me," and some families are becoming closer to God. One talk (Elder Holland?) came very close to what I wanted to hear ... that we should follow the promptings of our governments and work together to shorten the duration -- that we're being tested in our response, but it didn't quite hit. Instead, most of the talks seemed to treat COVID-19 as something we can't do much about, like a flood, or fires. 
• Racism: in light of recent happenings, it was made clear several times that we are all equal, regardless of the color of our skin. Racism against black people is real and we should take steps to continue eradicating it. And also racism against Asians, Mexicans, and other races.
• Peaceful protests: It is more than appropriate to hold peaceful protests -- in the first session, somebody also said that we should not take away the right to peacefully protest.
• Violent protests: In the US it is inappropriate to have violent protests, as we have avenues to peacefully influence laws and change things peacefully.
• The election: We must have an unencumbered voting process, we must peacefully accept the results, and we must have a peaceful transition (if needed).
• The Constitution: It was inspired by God by imperfect people, but it has provided us with the freedoms that we enjoy, and we should strive to maintain the Constitution and its freedoms.

And then there were the big topics that were repeated several times in conjunction with everything above:

• We must have patience. God allows tribulations for our own good, and with patience, we come out stronger and more experienced.
• Love one another. Recent events have deepened the divide of our nation greatly. We must learn to "love our enemy" and those who "despitefully use us." We are in desperate need of healing and renewed unity. Loving is the greatest commandment, and as we exhibit it, people will listen to us and we can then begin to work together.
• Remember God and turn to Him. Even though the world has changed, our relationship with God should remain the same. We can still offer up our prayers. We can still go back to church (when possible). We can listen to the answers to our prayers even if we don't like the answers or the timing.

Overall, it seems the leaders of our church are very concerned with all the negativity hitting us, and the negativity we've been exhibiting toward each other.

The message that I got specific to me: It's okay for me to voice my opinions and participate in all the political discussions, but I must remember to love everyone ... don't get angry, and respect everyone's opinions.

As for COVID-19, specifically, where I'm most frustrated, I need to let go the anger and frustration ... though, I'm not sure how to do that yet. I could be nicer toward people. Or in my presentations, I could be a little less emotional, and stick more to presentation of the facts and helpful tips. I do want to help save lives, and I do want us to get back to normal as quickly as possible -- and though I know how to get there, I need to remember to have patience with all my friends. Be happy. Love the life that I have. Do the best I can do, personally, and keep on looking toward the time when we all come out of this stronger and wiser.

What did you get out of Conference?

We Are All Children

 

One thing I've learned growing up ... is that we don't really grow up. Well, we do learn things, gain experience, and become wiser and much more capable, but we all still have imperfections, insecurities, and ignorance.

And when I say "ignorance," I'm meaning in a good sense -- simply not knowing something. There are so many things to know in the world that it's impossible to know everything, and so we must rely on other people who are experts. Like a couple of weeks my lawn mower broke down. I did everything in my power to fix it, but it wasn't enough. I had to take it to a mechanic ... it turned out to be a clogged carburetor. The guy got paid, and everyone was happy. 

I could write a whole post on ignorance, but I'll continue on with this child idea.

I look at myself as a child, and there were some things I did well. I was always good at music ... a little prodigy. There were things I enjoyed ... TV and video games. Also math and logic puzzles. And I had a vivid imagination. I'm sure we all have lists of things we were good at as a child.

I also had a whole bunch of insecurities. I was kind of okay making friends, but I was always a cut-up, always looking for attention, and not really connecting with many people. People liked me, but always saw me as goofy, or someone to make fun of, or to go to for a good joke.

And I was always afraid to go somewhere new, to call someone on the phone, or go up to someone to engage. I hated doing the door-to-door sales many schools had you do for fundraising. My parents also pointed out to me many times that I spent too many times reading books instead of playing with friends.

As a child, I always looked up to adults -- how they had it all together. They were wise, and I could trust them. They were grown up. I longed for the day to come when, I, myself would be grown.

When I finally did grow up, I found that hardly anything changed. My body was larger and stronger, but other than that, my strengths were still my strengths, and my weaknesses were still my weaknesses. Of course I learned how to capitalize on my strengths, but I was already doing that as a child.

And I look at all the other grown ups around me, and I can see the same in them. They all still have insecurities. That's one thing my age and experience has granted me ... the ability to see these insecurities in everyone. Even when I look at famous people -- presidents, CEOs, religious leaders ... I can still see the same insecurities even through the facade each of these people put up.

So, I totally get it when Jesus tells us to be like little children.

Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:3)

Understanding this has helped me immensely in my adult years. I think it's being honest, knowing my own shortcomings, and realizing that everyone else is in the same boat -- none of us are immune.

And I know that God and Jesus realize that, too. To them, we all really are children.

The most important part ... if we truly are children, then that means we all have potential. There's always room to grow and become bigger than what we were before. So, realizing we are children should constantly remind us that we need to always push ahead and always improve, and never stop. And this is what I believe Jesus is talking about in his quote above. Those who stop trying think they're already there, and are no longer children -- and these types with their arrogance are unlikely to progress any further.

So who's with me! Who wants to keep on being a child?

Jesus is the Cornerstone

 

As I am resuming activity in this blog, I must remind myself of my intended audience. Most of my friends do not belong to my church. Many are Christian or Jewish, a couple are Muslim and other religions, and several are agnostic. But one thing my friends all have in common: they are not afraid to ask me questions about my religion.

I figure that if you're here, you have curiosity, and you are more than welcome -- I, myself, love to learn about just anything. Sometimes I write to just my Mormon peeps, and sometimes I take time to explain some of the more basic principles -- which can even be good reminders for strong members of the Church as well.

Also, this year, our church, worldwide, is on a reading schedule ... every week we read a selection of the Book of Mormon, and by the end of the year we will have read all the way through. Our Church started this new program last year with the New Testament. Next year we'll read the Doctrine & Covenants (lots of Church history). And the year after that is most likely the Old Testament.

I'd like to emphasize that this week's reading is about the most important event of the whole Book of Mormon: Jesus' visit to the Nephites / Lamanites on the American continent. This time I caught a different angle that I'd like to share today.

At the beginning of the Book of Mormon, Lehi and his family left Jerusalem and sail to the Americas. Along the way, for whatever reason, Lehi and his son, Nephi, received a revelation that the Son of God would be born 600 years in the future. And during the next 600 years, there were several revelations, similar to Isaiah, but with much more precise information. Jesus Christ would be born in Jerusalem, and he would die to save us from our sins.

The faithful always believed this would happen, but many did not. These unbelievers would say, "There's no way you can know this Savior is coming." Or "What is that to us? He's going to be in Jerusalem, not here."

It's easy to imagine the skepticism. "You just made this all up to create a church to control us. 600 years is a long way away, so there's no way to prove your prophecies. Your church is 'safe.' And when 600 years comes and we don't see him, you're just going to say you had a revelation that he was born and that he's already died, and we'll never know because we're over here."

As I discussed last week, there were signs given prior to Jesus' birth. Samuel the Lamanite said in 5 years a night would be as day, and a new star would appear. And then at Jesus' death there would be darkness for 3 days straight.

When the new star appeared, there was a short period of repentance and peace, but then most of the people went back to being wicked, even saying that the new star was a trick of sorcery. During the next couple of decades, there was lots of death and more wickedness.

Then in 33 AD, the sign of the death occurred. There were 3 days of darkness, such that no light could penetrate. Earthquakes changed the land and killed many people. During these 3 days, those who were spared had to endure darkness, uncertainty, remorse, and pain. And then something happened that no one knew was coming.

Jesus, himself, appeared to them, during his 40-day ministry on earth following his resurrection. At first it was just a voice in the darkness, giving the survivors comfort. And then after an announcement from the Father, Jesus descended from the skies and landed among the people. He then ministered unto them, explaining who he was, healing the sick, giving blessings, and so on. (3 Nephi 8-11)

And I don't know why I always seemed to miss this before. The people who believed in Jesus prior to his coming to earth had no idea that He, himself, would visit them in person. As far as they knew, he would only be in Jerusalem, and not anywhere near them. So great is His love for all of us!

In later readings, Jesus will tell the people that he needs to go and visit other sheep that are not of his fold. Which all emphasizes the center of every Christian denomination: Jesus is the one and only Cornerstone of the Church. He is the reason for everything. Without his sacrifice, our sins would make us unworthy to return back to heaven. His teachings help us to become more like him and become better people. And most importantly, he's not just for the Jewish people he lived with during his mortal existence, but he reaches out to all of us, regardless of our position, heritage, or even our beliefs.

Even if our several denominations disagree on certain characteristics of Jesus and other points of doctrine, this is the one aspect of Christianity where we are all united. Jesus is the one way for us to proceed and return to heaven. And he invites all of us to come unto Him.

Edit - 1:45PM: It looks like I did miss a prophecy in there. Alma 16:20 says (around 78 BC): "And many of the people did inquire concerning the place where the Son of God should come; and they were taught that he would appear unto them after his resurrection; and this the people did hear with great joy and gladness." 

Further, 3 Nephi 11:12 (back to 33 AD) says: "... the whole multitude fell to the earth; for they remembered that it had been prophesied among them that Christ should show himself unto them after his ascension into heaven."

So, it seems the prophecy was known to the people, but it seems to have only come back to memory after Jesus had shown himself.

BTW, I found this great classic video depicting Jesus' visit -- very touching, and makes me want to have been there.

Is Trump Chosen By God?

 

If you've been following my recent posts in my other blogs, you'll probably already know that Trump is not my favorite president. Yes, I'm biased, but I would yet like to explore this question: Is it possible that Trump has been chosen by God?

Another quick disclaimer: the main audience of this post are the members of my church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). The others of you are free to read along, but for this post I'm going to assume the readers already have a working understanding of my religion.

It's very clear that many Christians love Trump, as evidenced in the picture up top. Maybe this is because he's been mostly positive toward the Judeo-Christian religions. He's the very first president to visit the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem while in office. He has talked up religious freedoms. He has even reached out to Utah and our church members.

So, it can seem that Trump, though imperfect he is, was chosen by God in order to strengthen Christianity in general and help us all come closer to God. And I've had several indicate this to me on social media, concerned that my vote for Biden may usher in a wave of socialism that would destroy our Constitution, and fall under the devil's wishes.

First off, we should explore the question: "Does God even choose political leaders to lead us?"

Some people use Romans 13:1 to say that every single government leader in the world is chosen by God.

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

A literal reading of this would have us believe that Hitler and Mussolini were chosen by God, as evidenced by the fact that they came into power. However, do any of us believe they were chosen by God? It seems to me that the verse written by Paul is being misinterpreted. Also, it wouldn't answer the original question, as Trump becomes no more special than any other leader ... (just like every month at Benihana is Manager Treat Month -- some of you will get this one -- "It's my treat").

If we include the Book of Mormon and D&C, I think we get a fuller picture on how God intends for our leaders to be chosen. Consider the following scriptures:

D&C 98:7-10

7 And as pertaining to law of man, whatsoever is more or less than this, cometh of evil.

8 I, the Lord God, make you free, therefore ye are free indeed; and the law also maketh you free.

9 Nevertheless, when the wicked rule the people mourn.

10 Wherefore, honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever is less than these cometh of evil.

Mosiah 29:25-26

25 Therefore, choose you by the voice of this people, judges, that ye may be judged according to the laws which have been given you by our fathers, which are correct, and which were given them by the hand of the Lord. 

26 Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law—to do your business by the voice of the people. 

It seems clear to me from these verses that God intends for us to choose our own leaders. This is why our Constitution was formed, so that we can have the freedom to choose. And not only that, we can also be held accountable for our choices. If we choose a wise leader, we prosper; and if we choose a wicked leader ... Mosiah 29:27

27 And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land.

In other words, I believe that God has allowed us, in the extension of the free will that we enjoy, to have full stewardship over the people we choose to lead us. So, God doesn't choose our president; we do.

Also consider from the New Testament when Jesus was asked about paying taxes. In Matthew 22:21, he answered: "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's."

It already seems pretty clear ... the concept of the separation of church and state established millennia before the United States were formed. And again it appears that we have full reign on how we choose our leaders.

So, did God choose Trump, or Obama, or Reagan for that matter? The answer seems clear: No, he did not.

Every election cycle, our church puts out a statement to remind us ... the choice is ours. And almost always, they will include that bit from D&C 98:10 and paraphrase it like this: "Latter-day Saints as citizens are to seek out and then uphold leaders who will act with integrity and are wise, good, and honest."

Here's a sample statement. 

Though, if you compare with the 2016 statement, that phrase was replaced with: "Principles compatible with the gospel may be found in various political parties, and members should seek candidates who best embody those principles." A funny playing down of the "wise, good, and honest" bit!

Coming back to the our current president, I know that some of you reading this have problems with Trump, but you voted for him anyway, which is more than okay. It's your right to vote. Some vote solely on policy and not the character of the candidate.

If you look at recent Utah voting history, Trump was voted in with the smallest of margins, winning only 45.5% of the vote compared with the next lowest of 62.6% for Bush Sr. in 1988. So, I know he isn't necessarily your most favorite conservative pick.

I, personally, have my own problems with Trump and the policies and actions he's taken in relation to the coronavirus, and everything else. I also do not think Trump is "wise, good, and honest." I do not think he exhibits the traits of leadership we're all taught in Sunday School. He isn't humble, nor compassionate to all of his constituents. And I think he is by far the most divisive president I've ever seen during my lifetime. But that's just me.

To end my post, I will try to leave you with something positive. 

Why in the world am I voting for Biden? Why not some 3rd party, like I did in 2016? Because ... something caught me off guard.

On the night of Super Tuesday, I decided to watch the celebratory speeches of Sanders and Biden. Sanders came first. And it was pure fire. It was scary. He was talking about how he was going to go after everyone and punish everyone. He wasn't humble. And even after losing so many states he talked about how he was still going to win and show Trump and the Republicans. I would actually prefer Trump over him.

And then I heard Biden, and it was like night and day. I saw humility. I saw energy, and I saw true concern and compassion toward ... everyone. He talked about how he was going to unite and heal the nation, and it hit me. This is exactly what our nation needs now. After years of divisive rhetoric, we need desperately to work together. And I think Biden could actually pull it off. Here's his speech if you feel so inclined to watch ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnE9kKeOyTg

So, give it all good thought. Who do you want to lead this country the next 4 years? It's not God's choice, as it's a decision he has given to us so we can practice our free agency. Whoever gets the most electoral votes will be our next president. The best you can do is vote, and do it proudly. Go and vote according to your conscious, and we'll see how it all comes out in the end.

Seeing the Signs

 

This week's spiritual thought will again come from the weekly Book of Mormon reading, but I encourage my other Christian friends to stick around, as the message I believe is universal. The messages in these verses seem to apply to today's times, as several of my friends have remarked in social media.

This story centers around the people of Nephi ... not the original Nephi, but the one that comes later around 10BC. Nephi was the designated prophet, and he told his people repeatedly that they needed to repent. He performed all sorts of miracles. A couple of weeks ago we read about how his father (also called Nephi) and uncle saw angels along with hundreds of people. And then how he predicted the death of their governor with great detail, but the people on the most part ignored all that. 

And then last week it was about Samuel the Lamanite prophesying about the night that would be day and a new star that would appear in five years to mark the birth of the coming Messiah near Jerusalem.

This week, the sign finally happens -- there's a night as bright as day -- and a lot of people repent. There was no denying that the sign was of God. Or was there?

Only a few years pass, and a large group of people say: that sign was a work of magic or sorcery. I don't believe it really happened. And the people go back to being wicked.

And I'm all: really? Can people really be that blind?

Yes, they can. I see it all the time today, and have myself fallen victim to this very trap. Every time it's the same thing: people rationalize the obvious away. It's usually something they don't want to hear, so they ... make stuff up.

In the case of these "Nephites," they wanted to be wicked. So, it was easier to come up with crazy explanations for what actually happened. Because ... if it didn't happen, then it becomes okay to be wicked.

In the case of politics, no one wants to hear that their candidate is bad, so people tend to surround themselves with articles as to why their candidate is good, and why the other candidate is bad. And will also prefer to read apologetics as to answer allegations against their own candidate. However, we should all know that there is bad in every candidate ... so if you're hearing that your candidate is perfect, that should be a big sign that you're ignoring something. This phenomenon is usually referred to as "confirmation bias" in today's nomenclature.

As a mathematician, modeler, programmer, and logistician, I feel like I'm in tune with all the happenings with the coronavirus. It's all very clear to me what's all going on. I can see all the people dying all around the world, and I can see which countries are enjoying success, and how they're accomplishing it. I mean ... it's very easy to see. I try to describe this to others, and sometimes I'm dumbfounded when many people come up with the craziest stuffs. I feel like I'm this Nephi character trying to help people see the simple truth, but then I'm met with people who don't want to hear it -- all so they can feel good about not wearing masks?

And yes, I know I'm not immune. I can be stubborn. I think all we humans are made to be stubborn. That can be both good and bad. But I do know an important principle we should all consider:

There are signs everywhere, and sometimes they are as clear as day. With as many signs as there are, there are going to be some that you do not want to hear. You could choose to ignore the sign, but then you might miss the warning and/or blessings. If, on the other hand, you choose to consider the sign and act upon it, then you might be able to change your course and do something to avoid that punishment or gain that blessing.

In other words, I think it would be in our best interests to consider ALL signs -- even the ones we don't want to hear. The ones that we miss could mean everything in the world to us, and we might not know until it's too late.

So, go out there and keep your eyes open. Be prepared to see and hear what don't want to see and hear, and then you will be better prepared for what comes next.

Edited at 3:30 PM -- someone pointed out that I was mixing up Nephi - the son of Helaman with Nephi - the son of Nephi (the son of Helaman who was also the son of Helaman). And yes, I understand the confusion ... I'm named after my father, and some people thought I had died a few years ago. Anyway ... blog post fixed.