I’m finally getting to a post I have been wanting to write since General Conference. There were many thoughts running through my head as I decompressed from the wonderful messages that we received, many threads that I saw in the counsel. One of those threads was missionary work. Continue reading »
While sitting in sacrament meeting today during which the sacrament was blessed and passed in its normally flawless fashion, I got to thinking about those times in my life when the sacrament portion of the meeting didn’t go as planned or was memorable for other reasons. From a cultural perspective, I thought it would be interesting to relate some of the unusual experiences I’ve had involving the sacrament.
I’ll preface my memorial stroll with the comment that these experiences, some of which were terribly embarrassing for me at the time, all remind me how much the Lord loves us and how that love is so often reflected by other members. I’m sure many of you have listened to a priest repeat a sacrament prayer to get it right and felt for him and even prayed for him. The Lord is that way. He doesn’t use commandments and the Church to play “gotcha.” Rather he gives us responsibilities to help us grow spiritually and become more like him. When mistakes are made, we learn and he forgives. Other members also step up to help. Sure, some people are judgmental and criticize, but true saints are quick to help and slow to judge.
Now on to some of the interesting experiences I’ve had with the sacrament….
I had not realized until I read the talk at lds.org that President Uchtdorf had entitled his talk ‘Faith of Our Father’ instead of ‘Faith of our Fathers’. The singular form of the word is important and central to his intended message.
The Deseret News and Mormon Times recently invited readers to name their favorite LDS fiction writer. I suspect the editors were a little overwhelmed with the response. They received 324 submissions with a total of 166 authors. The top three named authors were Orson Scott Card, Elder Gerald Lund, and Stephenie Meyer.
Favorite LDS fiction author is a big question because there are many genres of fiction including mystery, romance, science fiction, fantasy, and western. There is also LDS-oriented fiction which could be considered a sub-category in each genre and in some cases its own category.
To make the question even bigger, consider the huge and growing number of talented and well-known LDS fiction authors. For example, take a look at the massive list of LDS authors, poets, playwrights, and other artists at the Mormon Literature & Creative Arts website.
Many are nationally known and award winning. In addition to Orson Scott Card, many other LDS authors have won national awards and recognition according to a Bibliography of Mormon Speculative Fiction.
The first LDS fiction authors I recall reading were Tracy Hickman (the Darksword Trilogy) and Orson Scott Card (Ender’s Game). I was recently returned from my mission and studying at BYU. I don’t recall if I gave these books a chance because the authors were LDS or if I found out about their religious affiliation afterward. Either way, these books were amazing and captivating. It showed me that there are some very talented LDS authors.
I’ll conclude with this thought. A few members of the Church garnered a lion’s share of media attention this past year raising awareness of the LDS Church and causing many to make a judgment, for better or for worse, about Mormons. Interestingly, I suspect that a large percentage of the U.S. population has read books, seen movies, or listened to songs that were written by LDS authors and never even knew it. As peculiar as we may be, we’re also surprisingly mainstream.
With my limited experience and training in project management, I have been able to learn a few things about conflict resolution. This has been a significant benefit in helping me understand myself and others when it comes to conflict. One helpful source for sorting this out is the Thomas-Kilman survey which is a nice and easy way to analyze how an individual usually deals with conflict.
I was reviewing my results of this survey, and found myself wondering if this might explain how many Mormons behave during times of conflict. I realize that defining what is a typical Mormon is getting more difficult as time goes on. Perhaps it is impossible. I also realize that much of this will reveal my personal perceptions of what is considered stereotypical Mormon behavior. But I thought it might be fun and useful anyway.
“Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity.”
-“The Family: A Proclamation to the World”
While we don’t need to see scientific proof to know a gospel principle is true, such evidence is instructive and can strengthen one’s testimony of that principle. Scientific evidence was recently published that supports principles declared in “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” The headline of a recent scientific news article reads:
“Children who have an active father figure have fewer psychological and behavioral problems”
While there are many reasons, both temporal and spiritual, why children need fathers, this article reviews a number of studies on the effect of fathering on childhood development and identifies several specific benefits children tend to experience when they have an active father in their life.
Swedish researchers reviewed 24 papers that covered 16 studies published between 1987 and 2007. These studies included smaller research from Israel and Sweden as well as large ongoing studies in the UK and USA. Findings include the following:
One of the reviewers concludes, “our review backs up the intuitive assumption that engaged biological fathers or father figures are good for children, especially when the children are socially or economically disadvantaged.”
These findings appear to support the prophetic warning “that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.”
President Gordon B. Hinckley, the prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died yesterday. I would like to take a moment and remember some of his major accomplishments. Please feel free to add to whatever I miss.
Public Relations: I feel that more than any other leader in the church, that Gordon B. Hinckley has done more to bring the church out of obscurity. He has done a tremendous amount to help the world see the church in a positive way.
Temple Building: I have not checked the numbers, but I believe more temples were built during his time as prophet than the rest of the prophets combined. What an ambitious pace he has set in this area! President Hinckley brought the temple to the people.
Proclamation on the Family: This is probably the closest thing to recent scripture that we have had in a while. It is such a timely message that addresses some of the most important social issues of our day.
President Hinckley was a very kind, humorous, optimistic man. And I will miss him very much.
Thank you President Hinckley.
I once read, and I do not remember where, that the Nephite coin system was the most efficient coin system possible. I think it might have been an old FARMS paper or something. I am a bit skeptical of such a claim, because proving something like that would be quite a mathematical feat. And once one set up the equations or simulations they well may have stacked things in favor of the system in question.
Caution: This post speaks of generalities, and does not represent the whole of groups. It is based on observed trends and noticed statements of opinion.
It has been stated by some that Mormons are the Republican version of Blacks for Democrats. Both vote in the party with wide margins and no one pays attention to them because of this consistancy. There is a difference, even if critics haven’t made it a point. Mormons are not afraid to go independent or buck trends if they feel slighted. That is something that the Republican establishment are ignoring at their own risk.
Continue reading »
When Lehi and his family departed into the wilderness, they brought three things with them — their family, provisions, and tents. Last year, I did some studying about the tent, and found some really interesting things that I thought I would share.
I read something from a BYU Studies on my Infobase CD about what has been called the axis mundi. Think “center” and “symbolic (and maybe literal) connection with heaven and earth” — a place in a city (or a city) that was the center of religious, social, political and economic life.
I’ve been particularly interested in the spiritual center, which often included a temple/place for religious ritual. Part of this article suggested that Lehi’s tent was actually like a temple. What I have studied is convincing me that this may very well be the case. Continue reading »
