The Second Article of Faith

"We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression."

The Second Article of Faith is short and to the point. It simply states that we do not have to worry about the transgression that Adam committed, but we do have to worry about being punished for our own. We cannot escape our own punishment. There is no way around that. But what is this punishment that is mentioned? What exactly is sin? We must be completely aware of what these things are in order to understand.

In James 4:17 we read "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." Sin is not doing good. Sin is willful disobedience to God's commandments. According to the Doctrine and Covenants we know that "God cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance". God will not tolerate sin. Sin makes us dirty in a spiritual sense. If we are not clean we cannot be in the presence of God. To tell you the truth, I wouldn't want to stand in God's presence if I was not clean! We read in the scriptures about wanting to hide under rocks and mountains rather than stand unclean in God's presence. I completely understand that thought process.

The Lord said in Exodus "Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book." Being a teacher I often have students that move during the middle of the school year. Once they are gone I cross their names out of my grade book. When I do this I take a big fat tipped sharpie and cross out their name so that I can no longer read it, and I continue across the page, crossing out all of the grades they received while in my class. I imagine this happening with the Lord's book of us. When we sin and don't repent the Lord crosses our names out so that he can no longer read them. When a name is blotted out that person is no longer numbered among the people of God, the name is no longer on the records of the church - that person, by their own selfish and foolish decisions has cut themself off from the Lord. No one has made them do it except for themself. Even though that person has removed the Lord from their life, the Lord has not removed them from his love.

However, if we repent, its our sins that are blotted out. The sharpie crosses them out while our name remains readable. We are always known by the Lord. He will never forsake us, even when we have done the most horrible things. It doesn't matter if we have turned our backs on family members or indulged in addictions that pollute both the mind and the body - the Lord still knows us intimately. He knows our thoughts and our intentions. He is always looking out for us.

Remember, there are two types of sins - sins of ommission and sins of commission. Omission sins are those in which we fail do something we've been commanded to do by the Lord, such as paying tithing. When are asked to do something at work and we don't do it, we can be fired. It's the same concept. The Lord has given us a TO DO list. When we don't follow that list we are committing sins of omission.

The Lord has also given us a DON'T DO list. When we ignore that list and take part in doing those things we are then committing our sins of commission. The 10 commandments have a few "Thou shalt not" things to follow. Thou shalt not kill. Good advice, even if you don't follow the teachings of the Gospel. All of these things may seem blaringly obvious to many people, but to others - it just is confusing.

I always tell my kids that if they do what I or my wife tell them to do they will never go wrong. The same is true with the Lord. If we do whatever he asks to do or not do, we will never go wrong. Will we ever get hurt? Sure! Will we ever suffer? Of course! By doing whatever the Lord asks us to do will life be easier? NO! This may not seem like good reasoning to follow the Lord's commandments and abstain from sin, but look at the life of the prophet Joseph Smith.

One of the great things about this article of faith is that it also enforces the idea of free agency that we have all been given. Men will punished for their own sins. No matter what another person does I cannot be punished for their wrongs. We are each given our own agency to do as we please. What it all really boils down to is this - do we want to sin and be punished for it, or avoid the punishment and just abstain from sin? The choice is yours to make.

Preparing for the Worst By Doing the Best

When we think about disasters in our lives we tend to think outwardly - natural disasters, job loss, economic disasters, death, or family issues. All of those things are awful. Homes and lives can be lost in natural disasters. During times of job loss or economy failures there are many other things that can happen, including losing a home, stress on our health, strain in family relationships. All of these things are terrible things to endure and we have all dealt with one or more of these things at some point in our lives. I would not wish any of these even on my worst enemy because I understand the struggling and suffering that accompany these situations. I still remember losing my job with the Davis Arts Council in Layton. I had a very pregnant wife, a small child and nothing else. The only thing that helped Steph and I get through that time was support of our families. Some of them stepped forward and offered a lot to us to help us get through it all. And we did.

In Elder's Quorum a few months ago we had a fantastic lesson on this subject. However, it was not about these disasters that I have laid out. It was about four other disasters that are in many ways worse than what has been said previously. I take most of this straight from a talk given by President Benson in 1986. The four other disasters are of an inward nature that can destroy us in ways that physical disasters never could. They are: despair, discouragement, despondency, and depression. These four disasters are Satan's greatest tools, especially in today's world.

Despair is simply put, the loss of hope. Hope is the want for better things. Discouragement means to dishearten or frighten. Again it deals with hope. According the Bible dictionary hope is the confident expectation of and longing for the promised blessings of righteousness. Despondency is feeling or showing profound hopelessness or gloom. With despondency the people around you see it. It shows in your demeanor and even on your face. People can see that you have something affecting you. Depression is sadness greater and more prolonged than that warranted by any objective reason. Depression is probably the hardest of the four to deal with because it can last the longest.

All four of these are a struggle to deal with, and sadly, they usually accompany each other. It is a struggle - there is no denying that. It is especially hard in today's world. Every where you look there is negativity throughout the world. It is difficult to even watch the news at night because of these things. There is the economy, sickness and disease, evil things and people of the world. Often I wish I could be as Nephi and shudder at the very sight of sin. How do we struggle to keep our heads above the darkened waters of today’s world?

Abraham Lincoln once said "When I do good I feel good, and when I do bad I feel bad." What a simple and elegant statement! I can’t think of an individual that cannot understand what that phrase means. If you asked the people of the world they would understand and probably agree with it. Most would even say that they do it! A lot of people live their lives in such a manner. People function on their emotions. It was drives people of the world to do what they do. The overall problem lies within what the world defines as “good” and “bad”.

Look at what the world considers good in our day. There are few people who feel that premarital sex is bad. I remember hearing people ask me before I was married why Stephanie and I were waiting until after we were married. Most of the questions posed to me were of this nature: “How can you know if you are compatible?” It was easy to explain to people that the biggest reason that we were waiting was because we wanted to be worthy to enter into the temple and be sealed for time and all eternity. If we decided not to wait we would not have been worthy, and then, unable to enter the temple. We didn’t worry about that compatibility because we knew that the blessings found inside the temple were far more important.

Language of the world today has taken a turn for the worse. It’s disheartening to be at school and listening to 1^st and 2^nd graders using language that is found in the sleaziest of establishments across the world. Some have no idea what they are saying, but some do. Very few people feel any wrong in littering their vernacular with profanities and obscenities of the most rank kind. In stating this I will be the first one to say that a few short years ago my thoughts were caught up with the way of the world’s. I felt no wrong in using colorful language because it helped me to “express who I really was”. As I think back to the language I used in high school I am quite ashamed because of the bad example I was to those around me, and for the damage control that had to be done by the youth of my stake because of my actions. The need for my “expression” was nothing but a public display of the lack of my intelligence. I see that now. I didn’t know “who I really was” at that point in my life. In later years I have come full circle to remember that I am a son of our Heavenly Father. I am a representative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I am a priesthood holder and a father and a husband. There is nothing to be gained from such putrid and stained language. I have become rather fond of words now, and I am always trying to learn of truly colorful ways in which to express myself. Obscenities are not colorful – they are sour and dank, but in today’s world we are continually surrounded with them.

The list could continue on with pornography, homosexuality, alcohol, drug use, theft, embezzlement, lying, divorce, smoking – the list of what the world considers good far outweighs the bad.

The world has begun to think that the idea of a family, meaning a man and woman legally married raising their children, is not such a need anymore. It’s been given a “what’s the point” attitude. Few people see the benefit of it anymore. “Why marry someone if you are just going to get divorced in a few short years?” “You don’t have to be married to have sex.” “My kids will be just fine with my wife raising them. They don’t need me.” Oh, the frailties and foolishness of people. They don’t realize that by destroying their current family they are more than likely, but not always, destroying their children’s future family. We are definitely products of our surroundings and if that is how a child is raised, that is what they tend to grow up being. It is hard for children to deal with such things. I have literally been laughed at in some of my classes by different students, who when misbehaving I have said “I’m going to call your mother” and then had the student only reply “Good luck finding her” or “If you get in touch with her tell her hi from me”. That is no exaggeration. They don’t understand the concept of a family unit and how beneficial it can be in their lives. This all falls back on the parents and their own selfish desires in their lives.

A simple thing like religion is frowned upon anymore as well. 15% of Americans do not identify themselves with any religion. That number may seem small, but it is up from 14.2% in 2001 and 8.2% in 1990. 27% of Americans believe that religion is old-fashioned and out of date. 34% of Americans would like to see religion have less of an influence in this nation, while only 24% of Americans would like to religion have more of an influence in this nation. These numbers have been steadily increasing year after year for the last 30 years. It says a lot about the direction that this nation is headed. The worst is yet ahead.

We as members of the church understand that these are the last days before the Savior’s return to the earth. We know that darker roads are ahead than the ones we are travailing right now. We know that things will get worse. This is not a pessimistic outlook – it is an outlook of faith. We recognize the signs that are found in the scriptures. We have faith that the Savior will return one day soon and by having the faith that that even will occur, we also have the faith the hard times of the future, as well as the good times, will come. We are preparing for such times. Satan’s forces grow stronger every day. His legions grow mighty in number. The whispers of sin are getting to be louder and more deceptive. We recognize these things and we are not afraid. We have a prophet who leads and guides us. We have our scriptures to turn to, as well as our patriarchal blessings. We have prayer and priesthood blessings to help us through the emotional disasters of despair, discouragement, despondency, and depression. We truly have no reason to let these four tools of the devil break our eternal stride.

If any of these disasters are plaguing you, turn to the Lord. Find a quiet, secluded spot and pour out your heart to him. He is listening. He is actually just waiting for you to turn to him so that he can provide the comfort that you are so earnestly seeking. Pray out loud. Many times in my life I have gone for a drive in my car to a peaceful spot where I would most likely be undisturbed and I have vocally prayed to my Father in Heaven for the guidance that was necessary in my life at that time. It always helped me feel the love of our Heavenly Father and it reminded me of what he wanted to do. Pray by yourself. Pray with your spouse. Pray with your family. If you are unsure of what the Lord would have you do, ask him. Many of us driving lost through the neighborhoods of life and will not “get out and ask for directions”. Just do it so you can get back on the correct path.

If you have the opportunity to receive a priesthood blessing from a worthy priesthood holder, do so. The wonderful thing about blessings is there has been no limit placed up the number or frequency of blessings that you receive. Many of us fall far short of what we should have received. Never be afraid to ask for the blessing you are in need of, especially if you do not feel worthy to receive said blessing. Remember, the Lord never turns his back on us – it’s we who turn our backs on him.

If there is a temple in your area – GO! There are very few acceptable excuses for a temple recommend holder to not attend the temple at least monthly. There is a peace to be found within the walls of the temple that cannot be obtained anywhere else on the earthly sphere. If you are not able to attend the temple at this time make the proper repairs to your life that will allow you to receive your temple recommend and then spend as much time there as you can. You will bless so many others by doing so, and in turn you will bless yourself. We know that the Savior walks the halls of His holy temples. Go there and be nearer to him.

Satan has the ‘4Ds’ – despair, discouragement, despondency, and depression. The Lord, through his prophet President Hinckley, gave us ‘6Bs’, and later added 3 more to them – be grateful, be smart, be clean, be true, be humble, be prayerful, be positive, be still, be involved. These ‘9Bs’ are the perfect defense to the '4Ds'. If we are nurturing our lives using the ‘9Bs’ there will be no time in our lives for the ‘4Ds’ to take root and start weeding us out. We always come out ahead. We will always remember who we are and what we stand for. We will lengthen our stride. We will turn from bad to good and from good to better, and eventually, from better to best. We will always have the Lord there to “lead me, guide me, walk beside me”.

The First Article of Faith

“We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.”

This is the First Article of Faith for our church, but why is this specifically the first article? In most situations where there are things that are listed it done in order of importance. Now, I’m not saying that the thirteenth article of faith is less important than the first, but for the rest of the world that looks in upon our religion this first article of faith is the most important for them to see. This article of faith establishes the fact that we, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, are Christians. This fact can be stated no clearer. How people can say that we are not Christians I will never understand. It is right there – “We believe … in His Son, Jesus Christ”.

This Article of Faith clearly sets the stage for our religion because not only does it state that we believe in the Savior, but it also states that we believe in Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost as three separate individuals. Many religions claim that they are one in the same; however we claim that the Godhead is three very separate and very distinct persons. Our scriptures tell us that the Godhead is one in purpose – not in body. Their purpose is to forth the immortality and eternal life of man. It is the same as a husband and wife being one in purpose with raising their children. In our home my wife and I are one because we both want our children to grow and develop properly so that they can be functional in society, while living every aspect of the Gospel and being temple worthy members of the Church. That is a generalized statement for my wife and me because it entails so much, but I am simply trying to get my point across.

The Prophet Joseph Smith declared: “The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it”. Again, we believe in Jesus Christ. He is the backbone of our religion. If we did not believe in the Savior there would be nothing for us to do. There would be need for us to attend church because there would be no sacrament to take. There would be no need for us to have temples because there would be no need for redeeming the dead. There would be no need for the Book of Mormon because it’s another testament of Jesus Christ. There would be no need for the Bible either. Our church wouldn’t even have a name if we didn’t believe in the Savior’s role.

But we do believe in the Savior and we have all of these things because we believe in him. We do believe that he was born of Mary in a lowly stable because no place would take Mary and Joseph in. We do believe that the angels sang at his birth and that a new star appeared in the sky. We believe that he was found teaching in the temple in Jerusalem by Mary and Joseph at the age of 12. We believe that he grew and waxed strong. We believe that Jesus came unto John the Baptist and was baptized by immersion. This was not done for the remission of his sins, for he had none. He did this to provide us an example. We believe that he spent three years of his life teaching people the correct way to live their lives in order to return to their Father in Heaven. We believe that the Savior performed many miracles, such as the fishes and the loaves, the healing of the blind and the sick, and the raising of the dead. We believe that the Savior stepped foot into the Garden of Gethsemane knowing full well what awaited him there, that he knelt in prayer, was left alone both physically and spiritually, and then took upon himself all of our sins, the weight of which actually caused him to bleed from every pore. He felt every pain, every sorrow, every ounce of loneliness and difficulty that you or I have ever felt in our entire lives. He did this for every soul that had been or ever would be. This unspeakable pain was all done willing. We believe that he was betrayed by one of his own with a kiss. We believe that he healed the ear of one of the soldiers who came to take him to his accusers. We believe that he stood before the people and was condemned to death by crucifixion. We believe that he was scourged and whipped to the point of death, only to be made to carry his own instrument of death up to the summit of Golgotha, where he would willing lay down upon that cross so that nails could be driven through his hands, feet, and wrists. We believe that he was hung on the cross and continually mocked by those who were in attendance to witness this heinous act. We believe that as he hung on the cross in agonizing pain, looking down upon those who put him in this place, he asked his Father to forgive them because they had no idea what they were really doing or who they were doing this to. We believe that a soldier pierced his side with a spear while he hung upon the cross already to the point of death. We believe that the Savior realized his mission thus far had been completed, acknowledged to Father in Heaven that “It is finished” and then he willingly gave up the ghost. He didn’t die – he removed himself from his body. But this was not the end. We believe that on the third day the Savior took his body up again and broke the bands of death. The Savior was the only person with the ability to do so. He knew his role required that this act be done, so he came back. He showed himself to those closest to him. He let them feel the wounds in his hands and feet. He continued to teach them. He organized his church with his apostles, knowing full well that this Gospel would be taken from the earth within a short time. Once this was done he ascended into Heaven.

At some point after this the Savior descended from Heaven and showed Himself to the people on the American continent. He taught them the same things that were spoken of in the Old World. He organized his church in its fullness here in the Americas. He taught them the sacrament. He prayed for the people here. He blessed all the little children. He let these people feel the wound that he had received from his crucifixion. He gave unto them many words and teachings which they could live their lives by. Again, he ascended into Heaven after this time.

Over a thousand years passed before the Savior came to a small grove of trees in upstate New York, but he didn't come alone this time. Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost all were present for Joseph Smith's humble prayer that took place 190 years ago this coming spring. They were all there and each testified of each other in that sacred event. Father in Heaven confirmed the fact that he was pleased with the Savior and what he had done during his short time on Earth. We believe that Joseph Smith did see both the Father and the Son standing above him in the air. They spoke with him, even calling him by name. They knew who he was and why he had come to them in holy prayer. Again, the Savior taught and this time he taught Joseph that there was no church on the earth at that time that carried on the authority that he had left with his apostles before his ascension into Heaven. All that once was needed to be restored, and the boy prophet would soon be the vessel of this great and marvelous work.

The Savior appeared once again to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdrey in the Kirtland Temple many years later. He appeared in the temple and both Joseph and Oliver testified of this. They spoke of how the Savior looked and sounded as He spoke. They said his eyes were like fire, his hair was as white as snow, his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun, and his voice sounded as the rushing of great waters. They spoke of His acceptance of the newly built temple. He testified of who He was and what He had done for all. He spoke of the many rich blessings that would come because of the building of His house.

"We believe in God, the Eternal Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost." I know this. I believe this. I can be no clearer in the sharing of my testimony of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. These three individuals do exist. They are a very real part of my life. I would be completely lost and helpless without Their merciful and loving influence in my life. I know they live and I love them dearly. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Love and forgiveness

Before I start this I have to apologize for not keeping up with this blog. My summer was long and busy and I never really had much time for reflection and thought. I plan on doing much better with this.

All day long I have had a scripture running through my head. I've thought a great deal over it and feel somewhat inclined to write about it. The scripture is found in Matthew 5:46 -

"For if ye love them which love you, what reward have you? Do not even the publican do the same?"

This verse comes from the Sermon on the Mount in which the Savior is clarifying many of the teachings that had been in existence since at least the time of Moses. Previous to this verse the Savior had said:

"Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 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; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." After this is when he says "For if ye love them which love you, what reward have you?"

I've heard this a thousand times before. Instead of being mean to those who are mean to me I should love them. That idea is easy to understand. It's the scripture that I've quoted in verse 46 that keeps coming back to me. To put it in English the Savior is saying "Really? You think that to love someone who already loves you is so hard? Anyone can do that! Look at the publicans over there - you detest them, you excommunicate them for becoming publicans because they are doing the taxes for the Romans - they can love those who love them. That's the best you can do?" The trial that is our refiner's fire is in loving those whom we cannot stand - and showing them that we love them so that they know it.


It is hard to love someone who may have wronged you. One of my biggest pet peeve is a bad driver. There are millions of them out there. When someone cuts me off or exhibits their poor driving skills, my blood starts to boil. I literally fight the need to jump out of my seat and chase them down. That is the right way to do it - under the old law that Jesus clarified during the Sermon on the Mount. Now he wants me to love this person. He would rather that I get out of the car and go put my arms around this horrific driver and let them know that I love them. He wants me to let go of the bitter feelings that I have towards that person. I ask - what is the good in that? Am I saying that I don't mind that this person is a bad driver? Am I embracing the idea of bad driving? Should I start to drive as bad as those I see around me? Of course not.


According to the scriptures, as people forgive each other, they treat one another with Christlike love and have no bad feelings toward those who have offended them. Notice how love comes first in this statement. Unless love is present there can be no forgiveness. How can someone actually say that they have no bad feelings toward someone who has offended them if there is no love towards that person as well? It is literally the same as trying to start a fire without a match, flint and steel, or some other fire starting device. The fuel is there - but there is no ignition. Love is the ignition of forgiveness. If you remove those bad feelings toward whomever has offended you without applying love those bad feelings will return. In fact, they never truly go away. They are hidden just out of sight in your heart, but easily accessible to revisit.


President Monson once told a story by Samuel T. Whitman about an iron wedge that was left in the crook of a walnut tree by a young boy who forgot to take it to the shed. It lay there for years as the tree grew around it. One night an ice storm brought down three of the trees large branches. The tree was completely unbalanced by the loss of those limbs and the remaining part of the tree toppled to the ground. This mighty tree had been completely destroyed because of one small iron wedge. An iron wedge that didn't allow the limb fibers of the tree to grow together properly.


There are two things that stick out to me about this story. First, notice that it wasn't until a storm came that the tree toppled. The tree was fine and appeared to be strong when the storms were not raging. It wasn't until the storm pounded against the tree that it was destroyed. Much like our lives we each can appear to be strong and sturdy until life's storm rages against us, and the "iron wedge" in our hearts will cause us to topple and be destroyed. Our true characters are only revealed when we show how we stand in a storm. Second, the wedge in the tree was an iron wedge. Iron is one of the heaviest and most dense metals upon the face of the earth. Think about the weight of carrying around an iron wedge in your heart. It is hard work to carry that wedge (which is the equivalent of a grudge). It is tiring. It slows you down. It does not feel good. Where is the benefit of this grudge? What is the cause of the grudge? There is a one word answer for that - pride.


We must remember that forgiveness is not just a good thing for the person who has wronged us. President Uchtdorf said -

"Extending forgiveness is a precondition to receiving forgiveness. For our own good, we need the moral courage to forgive and to ask for forgiveness. Never is the soul nobler and more courageous than when we forgive. This includes forgiving ourselves. Each of us is under a divinely spoken obligation to reach out with pardon and mercy and to forgive one another. There is a great need for this Christlike attribute in our families, in our marriages, in our wards and stakes, in our communities, and in our nations".

How true this is! Is there a greater feeling than forgiving someone? Short of getting married or having a child there is nothing grander than the "iron wedge" of pride to be wretched from our hearts and for the healing fibers of love to start taking hold and repairing the long time damage that has been done. This healing may take time, but the healing cannot begin until the wedge is removed.

I have wedges to remove in my heart. Until I do so there will be no healing. I am nothing short of a publican at this point because I am great at loving those who love me back, but my enemies get no love from me. I am not gaining anything through only loving those who love me back. It's like developing an unnecessary skill. What good is not loving my enemies going to bring to me? Nothing. If I start to love them then I will be able to continually develop the ability to love everyone, regardless of who they are, and that is Christlike love. That is what the Savior is saying when the sun rises on the evil and the good and the rain falleth on the just and unjust - he means that there is no one who is undeserving of his love or our love. If we want the Savior to look at us with any degree of forgiveness and love we must first be the ones to show him that we understand what forgiveness and love are by showing it to everyone we come in contact with.

Throw out your heavy iron wedges. Love those who you feel you can't love. Forgive those who do not deserve it. Look at the Savior's ultimate example when he said to those me who actually drove nails through the palms of his hands and feet - "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do". If the Savior can do it, we have to do it, but only if we want to return to him. These things I know with all my heart. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Comfort of the Spirit

It's wonderful to be able to have the Spirit with you guiding and directing you for good, but it is also a blessing to have the Spirit with you comforting you and speaking peace to your heart. It is important for us to share these experiences with others because the experiences can lift those in need. Our experiences can warm the lonely in heart and strengthen those whose knees are faltering.



We are told that fear is of the devil. He thrives on it, wielding it as one of his greatest weapons. He constantly puts things in our lives to be fearful of - people, sickness, death, the economy, family relationships just to name a few. When we are filled with fear we struggle to feel the Spirit because that fear can be so overwhelming that nothing else can penetrate our senses. Satan knows this. He even knows specifically what we are fearful of. People often overlook the fact that Satan remembers us from our pre-existent state. He remembers who we were and what we did and what we can become. He almost knows us better than we know ourselves and he uses that against us daily.



As we battle against Satan we can lose some of that fear that will hinder us in our eternal progression. Once that fear dissipates our spiritual senses can awaken to be more in tune with the promptings of the Spirit, allowing us to achieve more in our lives than we could without it - and we don't have to be afraid anymore.



In my own life I've been trying to remove those things that will not allow me to be in tune with the Spirit. Not only that, but I have been doing those things which will allow me to invite the Spirit more into my life. It's not easy. Sometimes I have a craving to listen to some music that would definitely drive the Spirit away. For those of you that know me, you know that is a huge struggle for me.



In the priesthood session of General Conference President Monson told the priesthood brother to do three things daily - study diligently, pray fervently, and live righteously. I've really be trying to work on those, but the one that I have spent the most time on is praying fervently. One thing I have been praying fervently for in my prayers is to be more in tune with the Spirit in my life - for my heart and mind to be more understanding of the gently promptings that the Spirit may offer to me.



Today I received a letter at work telling me that I was not going to be rehired for the 2009-2010 school year. Last year and I received the same letter and I was so twisted up over it and what I was going to do to support my family. Luckily I was able to get everything sorted out before the beginning of the school year this year and I was rehired. Today when I opened the letter there was no fear that accompanied this letter. In fact, I knew that there was nothing to be concerned about because I have already taken care of everything to make sure that I can work next year. I knew that there was nothing to be afraid of because the Spirit told me so. I felt prompted to head down to the school board and speak with my contact down there about the letter just so she could explain what it meant. Luckily I did not have a class during this time and I was able to drive over there and speak with her. She let me know that the letter is poorly worded and what it means is that I will not be able to teach next year with my teaching license from this year because it expires August 31, 2009. I will be receiving a new license before that for the 2009-2010 school year that will enable me to teach next year.



As I was driving back to my school after this conversation I reflected on the fact that the Spirit did tell me that there was nothing to be concerned about. The Spirit told me the truth because It cannot lie. I followed Its promptings and was able to understand exactly what I needed to, and there was no fear. Following the promptings of the Spirit now allows us to be more receptive to future promptings. It's not rocket science - when you do what you are told you will be rewarded, and I feel richly blessed. I know that the Spirit can guide each and every one of us, as long as we allow It to, and there is no limit as to what can be accomplished with the guidance of the Spirit.

Thank you all!!

Thanks to everyone for the wonderful birthday and the awesome gifts. After the rough day I had at work yesterday it made things so much better. I appreciate all your love and support and the phone calls. It was nice to talk with you all. I love all of you!

The Thirteen Articles of Faith

It seems that here in Memphis when I have a coworker or someone else start talking to me about the church one of the typical questions that is always asked is something along the lines of "What does your church believe in that makes it different from other religions?" There are a whole slew of different answers I have given when asked that question ranging from "a living prophet" to "the Book of Mormon". When I think about how I answer, the I answer I usually give depends on what I've been thinking about.

Last Sunday there was a talk given by one of our ward members on the Articles of Faith. It hit me during his talk that from now on when someone asks me what we as Mormons believe I don't have to search for an answer to respond with. There are 13 answers that I could give. What do each of the Articles of Faith start off with (minus the "claim" one)? "WE BELIEVE..."! I actually feel quite stupid that I have never thought about this simple thing before. Each of the Articles of Faith delivers a very simple and straightforward look into what we as Latter-Day Saints believe. They are easy to understand and do not delve into doctrine that is "too deep" for questioners to understand.

As I've pondered over this the last week I've come to realize that Joseph Smith wrote the Articles of Faith for us to have as a great missionary tool. The speaker last Sunday quoted some leader of the church (I believe Bruce R. McConkie) who had said something along the lines that we as members of the church don't know the Thirteen Articles of Faith like we should. President Kimball said that "you are always prepared with a sermon when you know the Articles of Faith." In the October 1978 New Era there is an article by President Kimball titled "Articles of Faith: Know What We Believe" that I recommend for reading. It is a great story.

With Aleece learning the Articles of Faith this year in preschool I have been able to brush up on them, but that is all I have been doing - brushing up. I should be studying them and understanding them more, through cross-referenced scriptures and other Gospel teachings. I should, as President Kimball stated, be able to always have "a sermon" because I know and understand the Articles of Faith. I have printed off the Articles of Faith at school and taped them up next to my desk for me to look over and ponder every day. My hope to re-memorize them, learn them, and know them. I hope to be able to share some more thoughts on each Article of Faith throughout the remainder of the year. The Articles of Faith truly are scripture. I believe that Joseph Smith wrote these through the power of inspiration and that we should look upon them as the word of God. They are just as important to be familiar with as the many other wonderful words of God that we have available to us.

So now I challenge you: Do you know the Thirteen Articles of Faith?

"Good. The Lord Needs You."

I was saddened at the end of my day on Tuesday to hear that Elder Wirthlin had passed away. It's strange to have all these great men move on to the next stage of life. Elder Wirthlin was sustained an apostle in the October conference following my birth. I just found that out this week. It put a new perspective on it for me that he's been an apostle for as long as I have been alive.

I had an opportunity to meet Elder Wirthlin once. About 12 years ago in Yuma, there was a Tri-Stake conference and he was the presiding authority there. I had just sent my mission papers in and was awaiting my call. I don't remember much about the conference except that I was singing in a special choir and we sang a wonderful arrangement of "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief". I don't even remember what Elder Wirthlin said. After the conference was over he stood on the stand for a very long time to shake the hands of any of the members that came up to greet him. I hopped in line with one of my friend's younger brother, who was about 12 years old. Now we all know I'm short and I have a baby face. That was made very evident to me as this deacon and I approached Elder Wirthlin. A smile lit up his face and he said "Oh the deacons have come to see me!" I kind of laughed and said "He's a deacon, but I'm not. I just sent in my mission papers." He started to laugh pretty hard - harder than I thought apostles were allowed to laugh - and then he sobered up and grabbed me by the shoulders and looked me straight in the eye and said "Good. The Lord needs you." We spoke for another few seconds and I moved on.

I've been thinking about that one comment from him. "The Lord needs you." That doesn't just apply to me as a missionary back in 1996. It applies to me now as a member missionary, a worthy husband, a loving father, an honest person... the list could go on. "The Lord needs you." It doesn't even strictly apply to me. It goes for everyone. In these latter days the Lord does need us. He needs us to stand up for the right things in a world that is saturated with evil. He needs us to push forth in honesty when the world thrives on lies and misleading others. He needs us to be examples of the Savior for those who have no idea how to be a decent person anymore because they never learned. He needs us to be charitable and kind in a world that values things of the earth more than the things of heaven. He needs us to be the good in a world that calls good evil and evil good.

We often think about how much we need the Lord, but we rarely think about how much the Lord needs us to push forth his work. It is easy to think sometimes that "The Lord will make it happen - whether I am involved or not". Maybe you are the one key person that will make that difference in a person's life by doing your home or visiting teaching, by teaching a lesson in Sunday School or by simply showing the pure love of Christ to a person who is down. We don't know what impact we will have on those around us by the small and simple things that we do, but remember - the Lord has us do those things for Him because He needs us to.

For the record, I need the Lord. I probably weary Him with my constant prayers for my wife, children, and extended family. There is not a day that goes by where I am not thinking about how much I need the Lord. There are very few days that go by with me thinking about how much the Lord needs me. Of all the words I ever heard Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin speak, the greatest lesson I ever learned from him was found in five simple words - "Good. The Lord needs you."

I have a firm testimony of the calling of Elder Wirthlin as an apostle of Jesus Christ. The Lord always calls those that He needs most, and I believe that with Elder Wirthlin. He was a fantastic man that will be sorely missed by me at the next General Conference. At the same time, I am excited to see who the Lord needs most to fill Elder Wirthlin's shoes. I know that whoever that man is will be called of God and be there to testify that Jesus is the Christ and that he lives. I love my Savior - especially during this time of year. My heart is filled with gratitude for the things I see around me. I love this Gospel and the truths found within it. This is the Lord's work. "No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing." It is so evident in everything we see. I leave this testimony of my Savior and of the lesson that I was taught many years ago, and I do so in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Tolerance...

I read this on a blog column (http://mormontimes.com/mormon_voices/orson_scott_card/?id=4740) by the author Orson Scott Card a few weeks ago - "Tolerance implies disagreement -- it means that even though we don't agree with or approve of each others beliefs or actions, we can still live together amicably." He was writing about this regarding Proposition 8 in California. I thought that he said that in a very wise way. It saddens me to see and hear so much of what is going on in the aftermath of Proposition 8 being passed.


I am not normally one to get political. In fact, I cannot stand politics, but I do try to support our leaders and elected officials. I don't always agree with them and what they say, but that is one of the beauties of life. What I am writing about is not intended to be a political point of view. It is meant to be a human point of view. There is so much in the world today that everyone disagrees on - politics, religion, family values, what is wrong versus what is right... the list is endless. We all have been given the right to our opinions. That is part of our free agency that was granted to us by our Father in Heaven. We can think and act for ourselves... and disagree with others. There is nothing wrong with that! However, when the disagreement turns into something other than a disagreement - there is a problem.


I've read this last week about many LDS churches being vandalised throughout the country. I've read about protests going on outside of LDS churches and temples. I read today about a Book of Mormon that was found burning at a church in Littleton, Colorado. I watched a commercial on youtube that portrayed LDS missionaries in a very negative way. It's truly awful to hear about these things because they have gone beyond disagreeing. On the other side of the coin, if I heard about members of our church vandalising homes of those against Prop 8 or missionaries actually doing what was portrayed in the commercial shown in California, I would still think that was a terrible thing that I would not be supportive of because that would be taking it beyond the disagreement. There would be no tolerance in those instances. Negative attacks, no matter which side they came from, could not be something I would agree with.


There is a letter circulating the internet right now that was very educational for me. It prompted me to write this post. I am going to repost it here because I thought it was a very informative letter with verified facts in it. Believe it or not, I did research the numbers presented in this letter because I was not going to post something that was falsified.


I have friends that I grew up with that are gay. They are still my friends. They know that I don't agree with their lifestyle, just as I know they don't agree with mine. We understand that and don't let that come between us. It has always been that way and I'm sure that it will continue to be that way for us. We are (get ready!) tolerant of each other and our own personal views. That's the only way that we can be friends and not let our differences come between us. I have not and will not bash anyone and because of that I expect the same courtesy. I just don't have to agree and condone the things that I don't agree with. There are ways to get along without hate.

Again, this is not a hate post. I'm not bashing anyone at all. I'm just trying to make sense of some unsensible acts. As a member of the church I understand what it is like to be bashed and thrashed. My only hope is that all this negativity will end - that we can all learn that we can exist together in this country - this world - and not agree with each other, but respect each other.



Kevin Hamilton's Letter on Proposition 8 and the Mormon Church


Dear Friends,


In the aftermath of the recent election, we may find ourselves oddly on the defensive regarding our support for the Yes on Proposition 8 cause. Our young people have been especially subject to mean-spirited comments by high school friends and teachers. We have nothing to be ashamed of. We did nothing wrong. In fact, we did everything that a civic-minded American can and should do. I have put together a few facts that help me to appreciate our position better. For example:


1. Mormons make up less than 2 percent of the population of California. There are approximately 800,000 LDS out of a total population of approximately 34 million.Mormon voters were less than 5 percent of the yes vote.

2. If one estimates that 250,000 LDS are registered voters (the rest being children), then LDS voters made up 4.6 percent of the yes vote and 2.4 percent of the total Proposition 8 vote.

3. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) donated no money to the Yes on 8 campaign. Individual members of the church were encouraged to support the Yes on 8 efforts and, exercising their constitutional right to free speech, donated whatever they felt like donating.

4. The No on 8 campaign raised more money than the Yes on 8 campaign. Unofficial estimates put No on 8 at $38 million and Yes on 8 at $32 million, making it the most expensive non-presidential election in the country.

5. Advertising messages for the Yes on 8 campaign are based on case law and real-life situations. The No on 8 supporters have insisted that the Yes on 8 messaging is based on lies. Every Yes on 8 claim is supported.

6. The majority of our friends and neighbors voted Yes on 8. Los Angeles County voted in favor of Yes on 8. Ventura County voted in favor of Yes on 8.
7. African-Americans overwhelmingly supported Yes on 8. Exit polls show that 70 percent of black voters chose Yes on 8. This was interesting because the majority of these voters voted for President-elect Obama. No on 8 supporters had assumed that Obama voters would vote No on 8.

8. The majority of Latino voters voted Yes on 8. Exit polls show that the majority of Latinos supported Yes on 8 and cited religious beliefs (assumed to be primarily Catholic).

9. The Yes on 8 coalition was a broad spectrum of religious organizations. Catholics, evangelicals, Protestants, Orthodox Jews, Muslims -- all supported Yes on 8. It is estimated that there are 10 million Catholics and 10 million Protestants in California. Mormons were a tiny fraction of the population represented by Yes on 8 coalition members.

10. Not all Mormons voted in favor of Proposition 8. Our faith accords that each person be allowed to choose for him or herself. Church leaders have asked members to treat other members with "civility, respect and love," despite their differing views.

11. The church did not violate the principal of separation of church and state. This principle is derived from the First Amendment to the United States' Constitution, which reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof?" The phrase "separation of church and state", which does not appear in the Constitution itself, is generally traced to an 1802 letter by Thomas Jefferson, although it has since been quoted in several opinions handed down by the United States Supreme Court in recent years. The LDS Church is under no obligation to refrain from participating in the political process to the extent permitted by law. U.S. election law is very clear that churches may not endorse candidates, but may support issues. The church as always been very careful on this matter and occasionally (not often) chooses to support causes that it feels to be of a moral nature.

12. Supporters of Proposition 8 did exactly what the Constitution provides for all citizens: they exercised their First Amendment rights to speak outon an issue that concerned them, make contributions to a cause that they support and then vote in the regular electoral process. For the most part, this seems to have been done in an open, fair and civil way. Opponents of 8 have accused supporters of being bigots, liars and worse.

The fact is, we simply did what Americans do -- we spoke up, we campaigned and we voted.Hold your heads up high -- you did a great job on this most important cause. We will have more opportunities in the future to participate in our democratic process. Let's remember the lessons learned and do an even better job next time.

These are my personal opinions and thoughts; any errors are mine and in no way reflect official church policy or doctrine.


Thanks,
Kevin Hamilton

The Power of Prayer

On Saturday I was quite stressed. I had just started a new class at Union and the homework was piling up because we were going over the syllabus and finding out what were going to be doing. My lunch break for that class was going to be rough because I had to go home and get the girl's TV and the cable boxes to take over to the new house and get set up because the cable guy was coming over and Steph wasn't going to be able to get that stuff and the kids. I was also concerned about getting our stuff moved to the new house. I wanted to get us into it to sleep that night, but I had no plans with anyone to help move our beds and big items. I didn't think I was going to find anybody available that day because there were stake meetings all afternoon. As I was driving home during my lunch I said a quick prayer. I just asked Heavenly Father to please help us be able to get moved easily.
No sooner had I said amen then my phone rang. It was a local number that I didn't recognize. I normally don't answer my phone if I don't know who it is, but I felt prompted to answer it. It was Jason Fraley, a recent convert to our ward. He was calling to see if I needed help with my moving that day. Of course I said yes, and he and I moved about five truck loads over that afternoon and evening. He was a Godsend.
There are few times that we are given the opportunity to see the Lord work His miracles immediately. Most times He answers our prayers over a long period of time, and even then we don't fully recognize His hand in our lives. This was special for me because it was an immediate blessing. It was also special for me because it gave me an opportunity to teach Aleece about the power of prayer. It solidified her speaking part in the Primary program on Sunday - "I can pray to Heavenly Father anytime, anywhere. I can and so can you." She was able to see that her statement is so very true. It strengthened my testimony again of the power of prayer.
No matter where we are or what we are doing, we can pray to our Father in Heaven to guide us and comfort us in whatever we need. I've been able to use this in the past for everything from overcoming my emotional frailties to strengthening my faith to finding lost car keys or getting a flat tire fixed. Prayer is so important for us to utilize. "Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings and he will direct thee for good." There is nothing too great or small to take before the Lord. I love being taught these principles everyday. It strengthens my testimony and strengthens my membership in the Lord's church. I hope that we can all rely on prayer. If you don't feel like praying, get on your knees and do it. If you haven't prayed for years don't make yourself miss out on the blessings of Heaven any longer. Praying will not hurt. It will take away the hurt.