Recent Politics

With the election over I am finally able to exhale a long-held sigh of relief. I am hopeful that our newly elected president can begin to mend the damage done to our economy, the relationships we held with the rest of the world, and with each other.

In spite of this large step towards healing, it seems a good majority of us still cling to hate and narrow-minded ideas. I firmly believe that God is more liberal in his views and boundless in his mercies than we are ready to believe or receive. A friend of mine posted a message from Keith Olbermann:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4xfMisqab8

I think he has some very interesting things to say, and it causes me to wonder about the nature of obedience. We all understand that in our history God has given us directions that seem to conflict with others. Here are a couple of examples I am sure you are familiar with, "multiply and replenish the Earth" and "eat not of the fruit of the tree of knowledge", "thou shalt not kill" and Nephi being instructed to kill Laban. It seems to me that we are given a multitude of choices and the opportunity to exercise our free agency to make those choices. In many circumstances, I'm not sure that one choice is more correct than another. If Nephi had spared Laban, do you think he would have been punished, or do you think God had another plan? I prefer to think that either another choice would be offered, or that his death may have come about by another means. I don't think that Nephi made a wrong decision, but he made a decision and it is in exercising our agency that we learn.

In researching conflicting commandments I came across a poem by Keith Kent entitled The Paradoxical Commandments. I thought it was an interesting read so thought I would share:

1. People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway.
2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Do good anyway.
3. If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.
4. The good you do today, will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
5. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.
6. The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.
7. People favor underdogs, but follow only top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
8. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.
9. People really need help, but may attack you if you do help them. Help people anyway.
10. Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.
I hope that when we are confronted with choices that seem to conflict with lessons we have been taught or learned we will exercise our agency in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. Life is about making choices and learning from the consequences. For myself, I hope along the way I learn humility and compassion, and forget pride and intolerance.

Seeking After These Things

I don't know why I feel most compelled to post a blog when I am waxing spiritual...but here you have it. Recently my partner has experienced some strife at work when dealing with some of their contracts. His company has done the work that they have said they would do, and have billed to be paid for the work, but the companies they have serviced are refusing to pay for one reason or another. What is frustrating, is if they stop working on the project, they are not entitled to be paid, and so those who have the money hold the power, and hold their owed payments over their head.

To make matters worse, the woman with whom my partner has had dealings, claims to be a faithful Latter-Day Saint. Upon hearing this story I was first filled with righteous anger, and thought to use my investigative skills to find out more about her, and let her know how her actions have affected the lives of others. But as I thought and prayed on this, my anger has cooled, and instead, I think I shall post an article I found, and my own meandering thoughts, to the rest of the world.

I was inspired to find this article while I was getting ready for work this morning. I couldn't get the song for the 13th Article of Faith out of my head. I will not quote it as it is quoted in the article I will be copying below. After I got to work (and the world of the internet opened to me) I found a talk by President James E. Faust from the April 1998 Priesthood Conference session on this very topic. Though it is directed at men, I think it applies to everyone, at least this paragraph;

Tonight I plead for greater consistency between our beliefs and actions. I take as my text the 13th article of faith. "We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul--We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things." Brethren, does the Spirit of Christ that we have taken upon ourselves spill over into our behavior in the workforce? Brigham Young said: "We want the Saints to increase in goodness, until our mechanics, for instance, are so honest and reliable that this Railroad Company will say, 'Give us a "Mormon" Elder for an engineer, then none need have the least fear to ride, for if he knows there is danger he will take every measure necessary to preserve the lives of those entrusted to his care.' I want to see our Elders so full of integrity that they will be preferred by this Company for their engine builders, watchmen, engineers, clerks, and business managers. If we live our religion and are worthy [of] the name of Latter-day Saints, we are just the men that all such business can be entrusted to with perfect safety; if it can not it will prove that we do not live our religion." What President Young urged of the priesthood holders in his day is just as important in our day. The Spirit of Christ should permeate all we do, whether at work, at school, or at home.

Though I think it a fairly slim chance that this woman will find, read, or even heed these words, everyone else should and always remember, it is easy to be a good person at home or at church, but if you can be a good person at work, in the world, or in the eyes of a stranger, that is a truer reflection of the kind of person you are. Peace.