The U.S. Constitution

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this

Constitution for the United States of America.

trying to make a space

Barack Obama stated that "the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties." He argues that it tells you what the government can't do to you, rather than what it "must do on your behalf."

Making a space.

I can't even argue such an illogical statement. I'm speechless. It reminds me of when one of my children was convinced the sky was not blue...when it clearly was blue that day.

Hopefully this creates a space.

God bless the Founding Fathers for their righteous intent. The purpose of the Constitution is to limit the power of government. Don't agree? Read the seven articles.

And one more space.

Thank God the Constitution restricts the freedom of the government. What "fundamental flaw" exists in this inspired document? I sincerely wonder if Barack Obama has ever read the U.S. Constitution? That's not "negative campaigning"...it's a legitimate question born of sincere curiosity.

Presidential Oath

In accordance with Article II, Section I of the US Constitution, each president recites the following oath:

I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

For so many reasons, I am voting AGAINST Barack Obama. For the first time in my adult life, I am scared for what may happen to our country should he win the presidency next week. Mr. Obama has boldly declared that there are fundamental flaws to our Constitution. How, then, can he possibly state the above oath respectfully and with a straight face? For so many reasons, I am voting AGAINST Barack Obama. The two most prevalent reasons are: 1) his anti-American values (i.e.: belief in distribution of wealth) and 2) his desire to fundamentally change the U.S. Constitution.

I hope you will vote...not for the sake of history...but for the sake of our country. The following is a quote by Obama from a 2001 public radio interview in Chicago:

You know, if you look at the victories and failures of the civil-rights movement, and its litigation strategy in the court, I think where it succeeded was to vest formal rights in previously dispossessed peoples. So that I would now have the right to vote, I would now be able to sit at a lunch counter and order and as long as I could pay for it, I’d be okay, but the Supreme Court never entered into the issues of redistribution of wealth, and sort of more basic issues of political and economic justice in this society.

And uh, to that extent, as radical as I think people tried to characterize the Warren Court, it wasn’t that radical. It didn’t break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution — at least as it’s been interpreted, and Warren Court interpreted it in the same way, that generally the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties: [It] says what the states can’t do to you, says what the federal government can’t do to you, but it doesn’t say what the federal government or the state government must do on your behalf.
And that hasn’t shifted, and one of the, I think, the tragedies of the civil-rights movement was because the civil-rights movement became so court-focused, uh, I think that there was a tendency to lose track of the political and community organizing and activities on the ground that are able to put together the actual coalitions of power through which you bring about redistributive change. And in some ways we still suffer from that.

And an audio clip:


Does this sound like he is going to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution? That is the most basic role as president. And I believe he intends to radically change that inspired document.

That concerns me.

The Fruits and Gifts of the Spirit

Several "ah-ha" moments today. I mostly want to share scripture for this post. I might share some commentary...we'll see. You may be very familiar with this first scripture...but read it anyway...perhaps the Spirit will teach you something "new."

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23

You could interpret "lusts" for anything that is worldly. What does it mean "fruit of the Spirit?" My first thoughts have always been that these adjectives describe how you might feel when the Spirit is with you...and the characteristics the Spirit always has. While this is true, it was impressed upon my mind that I need to partake. What good is a fruit if you leave it on the tree and simply look at it and admire it? We most enjoy the fruit when we partake of it. Thus, I need to be more gentle, meek, loving, good, etc. Partaking of the fruit, and not just enjoying its beauty, will help us become more like our Heavenly Father.

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.
2 Peter 1:4-10

And now, my brethren, I wish from the inmost part of my heart, yea, with great anxiety even unto pain, that ye would hearken unto my words, and cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the day of your repentance; But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering; Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest.
Alma 13:27-29

Finally, as we partake of the fruits of the Spirit, I think we will more readily be prepared to receive the gifts of the Spirit.

And again, I exhort you, my brethren, that ye deny not the gifts of God, for they are many; and they come from the same God. And there are different ways that these gifts are administered; but it is the same God who worketh all in all; and they are given by the manifestations of the Spirit of God unto men, to profit them. For behold, to one is given by the Spirit of God, that he may teach the word of wisdom; And to another, that he may teach the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; And to another, exceedingly great faith; and to another, the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; And again, to another, that he may work mighty miracles; And again, to another, that he may prophesy concerning all things; And again, to another, the beholding of angels and ministering spirits; And again, to another all kinds of tongues; And again, to another, the interpretation of languages and of divers kinds of tongues. And all these gifts come by the Spirit of Christ; and they come unto every man severally, according as he will. And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that every good gift cometh of Christ. And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that he is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that these gifts of which I have spoken, which are spiritual, never will be done away, even as long as the world shall stand, only according to the unbelief of the children of men. Wherefore, there must be faith; and if there must be faith there must also be hope; and if there must be hope there must also be charity.
Moroni 10:8-20

We are engaged in a spiritual battle. We need both the fruits and the gifts of the Spirit to conquer our enemy and be victorious. Whether we want to fight or not, Satan will bring the battle to us. Are we preparing ourselves? God help us (and He certainly wants to).

Why?

Just when I thought I was pulling out...

I know it's been asked before, but how can you feel completely alone when you're surrounded by people?

What am I supposed to be learning right now? And why does it have to be so hard? I thought I knew myself...I thought I knew my heart.

This battle of good vs. evil is legitimate. It's real. The war that began raging before this world was is still in full force. And it's beating me down. I thought I was a valiant warrior. I've always wondered how ideologies and feelings and testimonies could be the choice of weaponry in this spiritual battle. But now I understand. And for the first time in my life I'm really worried about my personal outcome.

I have wounds. And they hurt. And I'm struggling to survive.

How can this be when I have been so richly blessed? How is my faith being weakened? Why am I now questioning so many things?

From the heart

I just learned that my grandfather was given morphine tonight to ease his pains. He will pass on to the next phase of his life soon. When I first spoke with my dad this afternoon, I wasn't impacted by the news. Grandpa had a stroke this morning and we didn't have much information beyond that.

But when I learned later tonight that Grandpa was given morphine, reality sunk in. It was hard not to break down on the phone with my dad. I did so after we hung up. Fortunately, I was driving home on dark windy roads so I couldn't cry too hard.

Grandpa is healthy. He's 97 and doesn't take any medication. His heart is strong. But the fact that he's 97 means that his body is old and wearing out. A stroke at his age has immobilized him.

And he can't talk.

I can't imagine the frustration that must cause. Especially when you can't say, "I love you," just one more time to your own children before you pass through the veil.

His siblings died from choking/suffocation. It's a healthy family and once they get really old, their bodies just stop performing normal functions as they should. Grandpa has been scared of choking. He knows it's how his siblings have died. So Grandpa was given morphine to relax the body. He won't be given any food or liquids any more. His physical body is now preparing to give up the ghost. I pray that there will be no suffering and that Grandpa will pass on soon.

It would be nice if he could do so in his own home. And what a glorious reunion he'll have with Grandma. She passed away November 2003.

It's bitter-sweet. I love my Grandpa. He was so loving and thoughtful and considerate and welcoming. Because he is such a good man, it makes me sad that I won't see him again in this life. But I am buoyed up because I know I will embrace him again. I know it.

And I thank God for my testimony of Jesus Christ. That is all that matters. Sometimes I'm tired of life; sometimes I don't care; sometimes I'm frustrated; sometimes I just want to run away; sometimes it hurts...

But...

A pure testimony of Jesus Christ will always get us through those times. Always. It has for me. I know that God lives. I know that Jesus Christ is His Son. I know that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. And I know that it is by the sweet Grace of my Savior that all of this is possible.

I love my Grandpa. And I love my Redeemer for giving me strength and hope...for making it possible for me to see my Grandpa again. I love you, Grandpa. May God bless you for your goodness.

Unfiltered Conversations

Mormons can sometimes speak a different language. We regularly use words or acronyms such as ward, stake, sunbeams, mutual night, PEC, FHE, and Fast Sunday to name a few.

We have our own geography and historical sites such as: Liberty Jail, Zarahemla, the Garden of Eden, the Sacred Grove...most members of the Church can tell you exactly where these significant places are located...or at least the vicinity of their location.

Mormons have a unique perspective of our relationship with the inhabitants of this earth. The person I work with everyday has a loving Father in Heaven. My co-worker lived in a pre-mortal world with me...perhaps we knew each other thousands of years ago. My co-worker chose to follow Jesus Christ during the Grand Council in Heaven. My co-worker will be resurrected and will have an opportunity to be with his or her family for all eternity.

I know things my co-workers do not. But I know that they will one day come to understand the same things I have been taught all my life. And they will have an opportunity to choose once again.

What's my part?

One goal I have established for myself is to no longer filter my conversations. Many times in the past I have caught myself deleting portions of my life because it relates to the Gospel. For example, for many years I have generally given a generic response when someone has asked me about my weekend following General Conference.

My conversations have been unfiltered lately. One co-worker knows what General Conference is now...and that my brother-in-law was able to participate just like me even though he is in the Czech Republic. Several co-workers know I had family in town because my son was baptized. That led to a conversation about children being blessed when they are born.

I think the Lord has prepared my family for many unfiltered conversations:

Where did you go on your honeymoon? Nauvoo

What is your son's name? James Helaman

You don't drink coffee but you drink Mountain Dew? (I haven't figured out a good answer to that yet! Maybe the answer is I should stop drinking Mountain Dew.)

What's your college football team? BYU

Where did you learn to speak Spanish? Venezuela

The list goes on. My point? Speak to your neighbor as if they were a member of the Church. Don't filter your conversation. They'll learn our language eventually...why not give them a head start?

He truly knows our hearts

I don't get it. I really don't.

Each time I personally experience the love of my Savior, I realize how little I understand the power of the Atonement; yet how appreciative I am for it. He knows our hearts...He really does. And that means everything to me. And He knows what we need when we turn our hearts over to Him. If you've been hesitant to do it lately, swallow your pride. It's worth it.