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Small and Simple: Obama’s Flip-Flop

noreply@nothingwavering.org (No Reply) — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:05:00 -0700

President Obama recently changed his position on the issue of gay marriage. This adds an interesting twist to the upcoming presidential election between himself and Mitt Romney.

One of the big criticisms against Romney is that he has flip-flopped on his positions in the past. This could have been an area of attack for the Obama campaign. However, with this quite public reversal, Obama may have given away this advantage.

There may be some strategic advantages to this change of heart though. It could serve as a distraction issue. It may be better for Obama’s election hopes if the country debates the merits of gay marriage instead of the state of the economy for example. Additionally, if the majority of Americans are currently in favor of gay marriage, this may become an even greater advantage to Obama than Romney’s past flip-flops.

The upcoming election, with gay marriage as a hot topic, and a Mormon running for office, could make for a very interesting season for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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Mormanity: Checking Out City Creek Mall: What Was All That Fuss About?

noreply@nothingwavering.org (No Reply) — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:58:00 -0700

After all the grumbling and accusations I've heard from critics of the Church over the City Creek Center (the big new mall in downtown Salt Lake City), I put on my spiritual flak jacket and went to downtown Salt Lake City during a brief visit to see the tragedy for myself. My testimony somehow came out unscathed. OK, it helps knowing a little about the purpose of the Mall (giving back to the community to create jobs, reducing urban blight, and making the downtown Salt Lake City area hosting Church headquarters more vibrant and healthy) and the facts about the money (not tithing money). But there's nothing like seeing, and tasting, for one's self. I really enjoyed the visit, though I'm not into shopping and mall scenes. But this is much more interesting than just a mall. It's a beautiful, innovative, artfully landscaped and designed center that makes the downtown much more of an attraction. I asked an ex-Mormon friend who is a successful and highly connected businessman what he thought of the Mall. He gave it a thumbs up for having a strong positive impact on the economy. Looks like the mission is being accomplished. Lots of people having fun and lots of employees having good work. Not bad.

Here are a few photos. More photos are on my webpage at www.jefflindsay.com/salt-lake-city-photos.html. Click to enlarge.

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MORMON SOPRANO: I Sing and Sing and Sing and Sing…

noreply@nothingwavering.org (No Reply) — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:37:00 -0700

…and sing, and sing….you get the idea!! I have been doing a LOT of singing lately! And, I’m going to be doing a lot more. This little primary children’s song has been running over and over in my head non-stop the past few days. I thought I’d “share the love” and put together a little … Continue reading »
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Keepapitchinin: The Comet

noreply@nothingwavering.org (No Reply) — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:00:00 -0700

By: Ardis E. Parshall - May 15, 2012 The Comet By W.W. Phelps Huzza to the comet from regions afar!With what a celestializ’d grandeur it whirlsIn etherial space, high in heaven! (not a jar)As a “signal” to millions and millions of worlds. Its “tail,” or white pennant is curving abroad,In the sun’s brilliant rays far beyond mortal gas;Transparent, a Urim and Thummim of God, –For the glow of that world, seems a pure “S...
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LDS Media Talk: Duty to God Website in Portuguese & Spanish

noreply@nothingwavering.org (No Reply) — Tue, 15 May 2012 07:10:00 -0700

The Duty to God website (DutyToGod.lds.org) is now available in Portuguese and Spanish.

Through this website, young men can create and save Duty to God plans, record journal entries, and watch videos.

It also provides instructions to quorum presidencies, leaders, and parents.

By clicking Download a PDF of the Duty to God booklet at the bottom of the page, deacons, teachers, priests, and leaders can access the following:

Fulfilling My Duty to God: For Aaronic Priesthood Holders booklet with learning activities (in 49 languages).
2 introductory videos that explain the Duty to God program to parents, young men, and leaders (in 26 languages).
Questions and answers about the Duty to God program (in 23 languages).

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Segullah: Ambivalence

noreply@nothingwavering.org (No Reply) — Tue, 15 May 2012 05:55:00 -0700

(a poem for Facebook)

Words slip from the screen,
winding me in threads of text,
binding mind and feeling.

Fumbling at the brisk
pace of caring,
I scroll through worlds—

loss, laughter, lunch on Tuesday,

silent strings of detail that
glisten outward

and by gossamer connection
I am both secured and sliced,
life left as ribbons
in my hand.

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Keepapitchinin: Guest Post: A Brief Guide to Mitt Romney’s Polygamous Heritage

noreply@nothingwavering.org (No Reply) — Tue, 15 May 2012 05:30:00 -0700

The stories of Mitt Romney’s polygamous ancestors are largely irrelevant to the 2012 presidential election and Romney’s possible service as President of the United States, but they have become a continuing source of fascination and confusion and attempts at humor. It therefore seems better to address the subject than to ignore it. What follows is a brief guide to Mitt Romney’s polygamous ancestors. Romney Family Polygamy Facts Neither o...
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LDS Media Talk: Places to Visit

noreply@nothingwavering.org (No Reply) — Tue, 15 May 2012 05:28:00 -0700

Have you seen the new Places to Visit section of LDS.org (placestovisit.lds.org)? You’ll find a listing of all the Church’s visitors’ centers, historic sites, and pageants.

It’s a helpful place to find information about places and times if you’re planning summer trips.

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Zarahemla Times: Extraction work

noreply@nothingwavering.org (No Reply) — Tue, 15 May 2012 05:03:00 -0700

Don't you just love a bad pun?
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Scriptorium Blogorium: Lessons from parable of the unjust steward

noreply@nothingwavering.org (No Reply) — Tue, 15 May 2012 02:00:00 -0700

The parable of the unjust steward is one of the more confusing and difficult-to-understand of Jesus’s parables, but when you get right down to the bottom, it can be very helpful to us as a lesson of stewardship.

1 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.

2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.

4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.

5 So he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?

6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.

7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.

8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. (Luke 16:1-19)

In this parable, a steward hears he is going to be called on the carpet for waste and he will probably be thrown out of his job, so he comes up with a strategy to smooth his way out and ingratiate himself with his master’s debtors by forgiving portions of their debts in the hopes that they will find a place for him.

The part of this parable that puzzles us is this—“And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely.”  It puzzles us because it makes it sound like the master sees his steward cheating him and approves of what he is doing.  In real life this would probably not happen between human master and steward, but I believe it is used here in this parable to illustrate how Heavenly Father’s would react to us as stewards if we were doing the same thing.  If we truly believe that Heavenly Father is our master and we are His stewards, we know that Heavenly Father is not so narrow-minded as to object if we use part of our stewardship to help others, even if we have been wasteful in the rest of our stewardship.  He sees it as wisely providing for our everlasting habitation after mortality.

This is reinforced by this line--"Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations."  We are to understand that if we use parts of our stewardship to help people, even if they don't really deserve it, when Judgment Day comes, they will speak up for us and be witnesses for our generosity.  Helping them amounts to "laying up treasure in heaven." 

“For the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light” (v8) – Jesus said this to point out how any money-grabbing man of the world is smart enough to prepare ahead of time some sort of golden parachute (as we might call it) to use after getting ousted from a job, but the children of the Father’s kingdom don’t seem to realize they can provide golden parachutes for themselves for after mortality through charitable good works.  

So after realizing this, I wondered what was keeping me from living my life in such a way so as to consciously add to my treasure in heaven, and I wondered why I had dismissed in the past the concept of “treasure in heaven” as sort of a pie-in-the-sky idealistic notion is if it had no practicality.   I realized it was because it is hard for me to get a good sense of what kind of treasure and how much I had laid up.   We don’t have a way to really check on how much is there like we can check our bank’s website or our bank statement and see a number.  

But then I thought, is that God’s fault or ours?

It strikes me that while we may keep careful account of our bank deposits and withdrawals, we don’t necessarily keep much account of the good we do for others. It is said that what we measure and record tends to improve, so perhaps if we wish to know about our treasure in heaven, we should record every good deed we do. We can do this in the confidence that it indicates the amount of treasure that we are laying up in heaven. And if it helps us remember the satisfaction we have felt while doing those things, then that’s an earthly benefit we certainly deserve to give ourselves.

It looks like I have some things to write in my journal. I don’t think it needs to be really detailed. It can just be a line or two.

Now, I don’t suppose that this laying up treasure in heaven is something we are supposed to do only when we are about to pass over to the other side, like the steward who only started thinking about generosity when he was about to get kicked out of his job. I get the sense that it is supposed to be something we do all along, splitting our efforts between caring wisely for our stewardship and giving something away, maybe even to those who don’t seem to deserve it. In the parable, those debtors certainly didn’t deserveclemency; after all, they were in debt! They got themselves in that predicament! Thus, some generosity to those who seem to not warrant it is truly a kindness.

Watch the following video "Treasures in Heaven: The John Tanner Story, part 2 of 2" and see if you can keep track of the treasure in heaven that John Tanner laid up.

If this post helped you, please share it on Facebook or Twitter or your other networks. You never know how many people you can help.

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Mormon Women: From Being Stuck to Being Still

noreply@nothingwavering.org (No Reply) — Tue, 15 May 2012 01:41:00 -0700

Sue wrote a wonderful post over at her blog. Wanted to give it (and her) a shoutout.

Have you ever found yourself stuck in this trap Sue describes?

I have a nasty habit when I’m busy or preoccupied of going on automatic pilot and running myself right out of gas. What’s worse, I never seem to notice the problem until I’m on dead empty…or maybe a little beyond. The signs are always the same: low energy, pesky little health issues, loss of enthusiasm, spiritual lethargy, and a kind of overeating but undernourishing that fails to satisfy. I’m sorry to say that I generally don’t slow down and stop for a refill until I literally have no other choice. (Being still has never been my strong suit.) And being stuck is a poor substitute.

For most of us, being stuck is a failure of imagination…and staying stuck is offering that failure a chair. “Come on in and sit a spell,” our passive selves beckon….

If you have (and I suspect most of us have), I think you’ll enjoy Sue’s thoughts on what helps pull her out of the stuck-ness to once again be still and feel God’s grace in her life.

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Mormon Women: Keeping Our Children Safe Online (part 1)

noreply@nothingwavering.org (No Reply) — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:33:00 -0700

I’ve been thrilled to find some great resources for parents who are concerned about helping keep their kids safe online and with internet-enabled devices. Look for more posts this week on this topic.

(See more resources and links on our Pinterest board, Teaching Children about Sexuality and Pornography)

Today, we’re featuring Women for Decency, which has a lot of great resources on their website about how to keep children safe at home and at school. They also have community action ideas. Here are a few examples of their resources for helping keep children safe:

One-minute conversation starters

What to teach children (about pornography, how to share your values, etc.)

Having conversations with children about pornography, sex (and helping them separate the two!)

Family Media Guidelines

“It Only Takes a Minute” — simple things you can do to safeguard your home

Promoting decency and media literacy

Tips for dealing with cyberbullying

I’ve Got the Power – brochure for elementary-aged students (consider sharing this with your school officials for an official White Ribbon Against Pornography week, and use in your home as well)

Do you know of some good resources for promoting internet safety, talking to children about pornography and cyberbullying, etc.?

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A Well-Behaved Mormon Woman: Taking Mom Out of Mother's Day - Have We Gone Too Far?

noreply@nothingwavering.org (No Reply) — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:54:00 -0700

In a desire to be sensitive toward women who are unable to have children I'm concerned that, perhaps, on Mother's Day, we may be going a bit too far. Not that we can ever be too compassionate in acknowledging the pain that surely accompanies the inability to have children, but at the same time we shouldn't need to pull back in giving the much needed praise, encouragement and recognition of Moms', who are actually raising, or have raised, children -- and all that that entails.

Concern for the feelings of women who have made career choices that cause them to delay motherhood, limit the number of children they have, or choose to not have children at all, are among other reasons that motherhood, in general, has become a hot button issue -- even within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In order to be politically sensitive, in all circumstances, where the issue of how women fulfill their role as mothers comes into play, it is my observation that we are becoming increasingly comfortable with relegating actual Moms' to the back of the bus -- even on Mother's Day. And frankly, that kind of bothers me. Said President Hinckley on the awesome responsibility of mothers:

You have nothing in this world more precious than your children. When you grow old, when your hair turns white and your body grows weary, when you are prone to sit in a rocker and meditate on the things of your life, nothing will be so important as the question of how your children have turned out. It will not be the money you have made. It will not be the cars you have owned. It will not be the large house in which you live. The searing question that will cross your mind again and again will be, How well have my children done?

For those who know my history, as a mother, you might find this concern somewhat surprising. I've wrestled not only with my own Mother's mothering, but also my own ability to mother ideally. It took me a while to put it all into proper perspective. Now that I have, I'm an even stronger advocate for moms, with all our weakness and insecurities. We have a huge task, as mothers in Zion, and understanding this role is one of our great lessons as sisters in Christ.

Here in the United States Mother's Day was originally established to provide a special day for children to pay tribute to their mothers, for their good deeds. It was encouraged that children hand write special messages of gratitude to their mothers. In fact, Anna Jarvis, founder of Mother's Day, was so upset by the almost immediate commercialization of Mother's Day that she actually turned against the memorial and wanted it rescinded.

The simple purity of Mother's Day, it seems, is being recruited to the larger war on women, of women, and, perhaps, even between women. Mormon moms, and Mormon women, are among those who, above all, should not allow this to happen. We, more than any other women on the planet, understand the divine call of all women, to ultimately become a Mom and, I would think, would not be comfortable in, no matter personal circumstances, wanting to see motherhood diminished -- just to be made to feel comfortable.

As I sat in my church meeting, on Mother's Day, I sensed that a conscience effort had been made to focus more on womanhood, in general, rather than on being a Mom -- a mother with children. I have no critique of the remarks given. Thankfully no one read off a list of what makes a perfect mother. You know the kind of list I'm talking about, right? The one that leaves every mother in the congregation, except for maybe one (the speaker's perfect wife or mother) feeling like scum on the bottom of a shoe. No, my ward pulled off this new twist quite flawlessly.

And yet, as a Mom myself, knowing well the sacrifices of so many others who have followed the commandments of God, counsel of living prophets, and promptings of the Spirit in making the choice to give birth, and become a Mom -- in the face of so much opposition in today's world -- I wished with all my heart, on Mother's Day, at the very least, someone would have given such Moms' recognition for this choice, sacrifice and life's work -- praise that it so well deserves.

Again, not that there's anything wrong, at all, in recognizing all women as mothers -- as part of their divine nature. Sheri Dew's great talk, "Are We Not All Mothers?" has had a profound impact on this discussion in the Church -- and rightfully so. I, myself, quote it often.

However, we can't shy away from moving forward, once we've established this doctrine, and acknowledge our gratitude for those women, who are able, and willing, to make the bearing and nurturing of children their first priority, and the impact that this has on the lives of the children they nurture.

Even though, as Sheri Dew taught, Eve was called "the mother of all living", in the garden, before she ever bore a child, nonetheless, her full stature was not complete until after the Fall, where she was able to finally have children -- in mortality. Let us never forget that although we have a prescribed divine destiny, it is in the fruits of becoming, or doing, that the promised blessings are ultimately manifest.

Women today, who make the choice to become mothers, through giving birth or adoption -- and those who desire to do so -- are fulfilling their divine nature, and destiny, as commanded by God -- to multiply and replenish the earth. These particular women, in my opinion, standout among all women, as lights to be honored, and revered, for their sacrifice in setting aside their own desires, and as the Savior, Himself, willingly follow God's Plan -- in the face of much adversity.

This is the perfect Mother -- the one, with all her weakness, chooses to follow God's Plan and teaches her children to do the same -- although for the majority of us, incredibly imperfectly.

Howard W. Hunter on the Motherhood:

A man who holds the priesthood has reverence for motherhood. Mothers are given a sacred privilege to “bear the souls of men; for herein is the work of [the] Father continued, that he may be glorified” ( D&C 132:63).

The First Presidency has said: “Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind” (in James R. Clark, comp., Messages of the First Presidency, 6 vols., Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965–75, 6:178). The priesthood cannot work out its destiny, nor can God’s purposes be fulfilled, without our helpmates. Mothers perform a labor the priesthood cannot do. For this gift of life, the priesthood should have love unbounded for the mothers of their children.

Honor your wife’s unique and divinely appointed role as a mother in Israel and her special capacity to bear and nurture children. We are under divine commandment to multiply and replenish the earth and to bring up our children and grandchildren in light and truth (Moses 2:28; D&C 93:40). You share, as a loving partner, the care of the children. Help her to manage and keep up your home. Help teach, train, and discipline your children.

You should express regularly to your wife and children your reverence and respect for her. Indeed, one of the greatest things a father can do for his children is to love their mother.

A man who holds the priesthood regards the family as ordained of God. Your leadership of the family is your most important and sacred responsibility. The family is the most important unit in time and in eternity and, as such, transcends every other interest in life.

We reiterate what was stated by President David O. McKay: “No other success [in life] can compensate for failure in the home” (David O. McKay quoting J. E. McCulloch, “Home: the Savior of Civilization,” in Conference Report, Apr. 1935, p. 116) and President Harold B. Lee:

“The most important of the Lord’s work you and I will ever do will be within the walls of our own homes” (Harold B. Lee, Stand Ye in Holy Places, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1974, p. 255). Effective family leadership, brethren, requires both quantity and quality time. The teaching and governance of the family must not be left to your wife alone, to society, to school, or even the Church. Howard W. Hunter, “Being a Righteous Husband and Father,” Ensign, Nov 1994, 49

tDMg
Kathryn Skaggs

Photo: Taken on my iPhone, of me and my Mom, on Mother's Day.

From WBMW:

Like Mary, the Mother of Jesus...

Woman: "The Crowning Creation and Glory of the Human Experience"

A Survivor of Mother's Day Depression

LDS.org: Motherhood
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Mormanity: Appreciating the Restoration of Ancient Christian Concepts: Baptism for the Dead and Related Doctrines

noreply@nothingwavering.org (No Reply) — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:03:00 -0700

Sometimes we Latter-day Saints get too caught up with out day-to-day activities or with our own personal discontents and fail to appreciate just how marvelous the Restoration has been. Some aspects of the Restoration demand much more contemplation and study to realize how majestic and miraculous they are, but too often we take them for granted and see them as more human or random than they really are. Baptism for the dead is one of those unique fruits of the Restoration that really deserves a lot more respect, admiration, and contemplation. Toward that end, here are some great resources that can help us better appreciate the big picture and strengthen our appreciation of the marvels in our midst. Baptism for the dead is nothing to be embarrassed about (and nothing to fear, for those of you outside the Church), but is actually something to celebrate and marvel at.

Recommended readings:

"The Harrowing of Hell: Salvation for the Dead in Early Christianity" from Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 19/1 by Roger D. Cook, David L. Paulsen, and Kendel J. Christensen
"Baptism for the Dead in Early Christianity" from Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 19/2 by David L. Paulsen, and Brock M. Mason
"Redeeming the Dead: Tender Mercies, Turning of Hearts, and Restoration of Authority" from Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 20/1 by David L. Paulsen, Kendel J. Christensen, and Martin Pulido

Are there other resources you would recommend? Besides my LDSFAQ page on baptism for the dead, of course.

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Keepapitchinin: A Daughter of Martha: Chapter 7

noreply@nothingwavering.org (No Reply) — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:00:00 -0700

By: Ardis E. Parshall - May 14, 2012 A Daughter of Martha By Ivy Williams Stone Previous chapter Chapter 7 Gloria had a better house now in a better neighborhood. Nancy was out of High School and had a job in an office. She ran a machine – how her fingers flew over the keys! and the keys didn’t run in order like the alphabet – they were all mixed up. The e by the r, the a next to the s. It was all strange to Gloria, but this w...
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