Truth and Tolerance - Sunday thoughts

Elder Oaks, photo: Jonathan Hardy, BYU

Twin ideas to consider and teach - a 9/11 talk.  I thought it was excellent and it applies to people of all faiths - all believers.  It's worth reading, or go to the report in the Church News.

"We believe in absolute truth, including the existence of God and the right and wrong established by His commandments," Elder Oaks said in a Church Educational System broadcast, which originated Sept. 11 in BYU's Marriott Center. "It is well to worry about our moral foundation," Elder Oaks said. "We live in a world where more and more persons of influence are teaching and acting out a belief that there is no absolute right and wrong, that all authority and all rules of behavior are man-made choices that can prevail over the commandments of God."
In addressing tolerance as a twin to truth, Elder Oaks stated three absolute truths that believers in God generally share.
     1. "All persons are brothers and sisters under God, taught within their various religions to love and to do good to one another."
Elder Oaks acknowledged that it is a challenge to live in a world with mutual respect for one another's differences.  "We are enriched by associations with different peoples, which remind us of the wonderful diversity of the children of God. But diversities in cultures and values also challenge us to identify what can be embraced as consistent with our gospel culture and values and what cannot," he said.
     2. "[Living] with differences is what the Gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us we must do." Elder Oaks referred to the Savior's teaching that we should be "leaven," or yeast, in the midst of the world. The yeast raises whatever it is in; Latter-day Saints must raise the world they are in.  "We are called to live with other children of God, who do not share our faith or our values, and who do not have the covenant obligations we have assumed," Elder Oaks said. "We are to be in the world, but not of the world."
     3. "Our tolerance and respect for others and their beliefs does not cause us to abandon our commitment to the truths we understand and the covenants we have made."
Individuals do not have to tolerate or respect wrong behavior, he said. They have a "duty to truth" that enables them to find relief from incorrect behavior.
     Elder Oaks related tolerance and truth to a two-sided coin, saying that tolerance or respect is on one side of the coin, but that truth is on the other. In our personal behavior, we should be ruled by the demands of truth. We should be strong in keeping the commandments and our covenants, and we should repent and improve when we fall short," Elder Oaks said. He then went on to say individuals should not judge their neighbors or associates about the ultimate eternal effects of their behaviors. "That judgment is the Lord's, not ours."

He shared four governing principles to applying truth and tolerance in our efforts in the public square.
     "First, when believers in Jesus Christ take their views into the public square they must seek the inspiration of the Lord to be selective and wise in choosing which principles they choose to promote by law or by executive action."  It is the duty of individuals to find laws that will preserve religious freedom, he said.  "This is a vital matter on which we who believe in a Supreme Being who has established absolute right and wrong in human behavior must unite to insist on our time-honored constitutional rights to exercise our religion, to vote our consciences on public issues, and to participate in elections and debates in the public square," Elder Oaks said.
     "Second, when believers seek to promote their positions in the public square, their methods and their advocacy should always be tolerant of the opinions and positions of those who do not share their beliefs."  Elder Oaks said believers are to speak with love and need to show love and compassion toward those who oppose their beliefs.  "We should not add to the extremism that divides our society," he said.
     "Third, believers should not be deterred by the familiar charge that they are trying to legislate morality."  He said many areas of the law are based on Judeo/Christian morality and have been for centuries. "Our civilization is based on morality and cannot exist without it," he said.
     "Fourth, believers should not shrink from seeking laws to maintain public conditions or policies that assist them in practicing the requirements of their faith where those conditions or policies are also favorable to the public health, safety or morals."
Elder Oaks said Latter-day Saints should be more skillful in explaining their views and exercising their influence, saying that "where believers are the majority they should always be sensitive to the minority."
sdelacerda@desnews.com

Elder Oaks is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Honesty

Elder Neil L. Anderson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke at BYU on the subject of honesty.

In order to constantly receive the spirit of truth, individuals must fill their lives with truth and honesty. As they do, their spiritual eyes will be opened to increased enlightenment, he said. Honesty also includes keeping commitments and following through with one's word.

"There are times we honor commitments simply because we have agreed to honor them," he said. "You will have situations in your life after your university years when you will be tempted to disregard an agreement you have made. You will initially make the agreement because of something you wish to receive in return. Later, because of a change in circumstances, you will no longer want to honor the terms of the agreement. Learn now when you give your word, when you make a promise, when you sign your name, your personal honesty and integrity bind you to your word, your commitment, your agreement."

The challenge to be honest also comes in the small temptations on the edge of being completely honest or when the consequences of telling the truth could be detrimental, Elder Andersen said. But, it is in those moments that individuals are able to — through being completely honest — gain spiritual power.

And that's the truth!

"Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; truth isn't." ~ Mark Twain

What's all the fuss about?

Surprise! Gays do not like what our Church leaders said at General Conference. President Boyd K Packer of the Council of Twelve Apostles got the most negative attention with his talk, given on Sunday morning. The summation is this:

There are both moral and physical laws “irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world” that cannot be changed. History demonstrates over and over again that moral standards cannot be changed by battle and cannot be changed by ballot. To legalize that which is basically wrong or evil will not prevent the pain and penalties that will follow as surely as night follows day.

Regardless of the opposition, we are determined to stay on course. We will hold to the principles and laws and ordinances of the gospel. If they are misunderstood either innocently or willfully, so be it. We cannot change; we will not change. We quickly lose our way when we disobey the laws of God. If we do not protect and foster the family, civilization and our liberties must needs perish.

As in days of Christ, it is the job of the Apostles of Jesus Christ to proclaim His Gospel without faltering or apologizing. They will not cave to pressure or protests. Great Christians have been crucified and thrown to the lions for living and proclaiming the Gospel. This will not change. God's laws are not subject to public opinions, votes or court rulings by men of the world. We may lose a few members, we may not even convert as many if raising our membership by being popular were our goal. It is the job of the church to proclaim the gospel, perfect the saints and redeem the dead because Christ died for ALL. God made the laws; not man.

I stand with President Packer and proclaim that right and wrong do exist and we do not decide which is which when fundamental principles are concerned. What kind of church would this be if it were subject to public vote to decide the principles upon which it is founded? If it is the true, restored gospel of Jesus Christ, members will be guided by Him; not the other way around. Since we believe in continued revelation, the changes that come will be directed by God if and when they may be appropriate. God loves all his people, as we should, but He does expect obedience to His commandments. We do not deny anyone the right to choose but as President Packer said, we cannot decide the consequences of the choices they make. If they go against God's eternal laws, Jesus Christ died for us and we can be forgiven if we have a broken heart and contrite spirit. With faith in God, all things are possible and He gives no commandment to man but that He will provide a way for them to accomplish the thing that he commands. Repentance is the way; not acceptance of everything man should desire or profess. That is what religion is about - bringing souls to Christ. Often it means a change of ways along with ceasing worldly desires and riches. Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28–30.)

You can read excerpts from conference at Meridian Magazine. The full text will be published in the November Ensign magazine and you can read more here.

Mosque at Ground Zero?

Can you say absurd?

Justin brought this to the attention of our family. This British man's opinion of whether or not the US should allow a mosque to be built at the site of Ground Zero in New York is absolutely correct. Considering the history and tenets of the Islamic faith, this is accurate information. He is not exaggerating his description of the goals of Islam; he correctly states them up to a point, but he fails to clearly state that their ultimate goal is world domination. Ken mentioned that he was particularly impressed by his comparison of the goals of Nazism with the goals of Islam . . . those goals are essentially exactly the same.

Disgusting!

The judicial system is so messed up. It has nothing to do with right and truth. It's all about the money. If you have enough of it, you have a chance; if not, you're just plain out of luck. If you don't believe it, just look at the high profile cases out there.

Even judges will say they don't bother looking for truth; just find middle ground so it's some kind of compromise.

Furthermore, it's amazing how people will perpetuate a lie and remain in willful ignorance. How can they live with themselves?

Joseph, son of Jacob, was sold into Egypt (betrayed by his own family). He remained true, did what was right and eventually prevailed, but not without much pain, suffering, mental anguish and patience. For some reason Jon, too, is being put through a trial, complete with false witness, betrayal by family members whom he trusted and now he must have patience. It is most unfortunate that his children will suffer eternally for this. And in the short term,

DESPITE ALL THEIR PERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS, CHILDREN THIS AGE BASE MUCH OF THEIR SELF-IMAGE ON HOW THEY AND OTHERS PERCEIVE THEIR PARENTS. A CHILD DESPERATELY NEEDS TO SEE THE GOOD IN HIS PARENTS IN ORDER TO HELP HIM DEFINE THE GOOD IN HIMSELF. JUST AS HE DRAWS STRENGTH FROM KNOWING A PARENT IS WELL THOUGHT OF, SO TOO HE CAN BE HURT BY ANY HINT THAT HE OR SHE IS NOT. A CHILD PERCEIVES ONE PARENT'S -- OR ANY OTHER PERSON'S-- CRITICS OF A PARENT AS A CRITICISM OF HIM, TOO. (Helping Your Kids Cope With Divorce -The Sandcastles Way by M. Gary Neuman, L.M.H.C. -creator of the nationally renowned Sandcastles Divorce Therapy Program mandated in family courts nationwide).

This is why the children cannot be subjected to the custodial parent(or her cohorts) putting down the other parent. It's not about the adults; it's about the kids. Why won't the other grandparents care enough to step in and stop the insanity? Why would they perpetuate a lie, hurt the children, in order to protect the adult accuser and the real criminal (long-since dead) who did the damage causing her to project her own past abuse onto her children?