Thu Sep 06 22:36:15 Sunday Talk: Enduring Well Life's Trials and Changes:

Suffering of the Righteous

i. It should be clear to all believers that the righteous are not spared suffering. We are told that we cheered when the world was created, but those who are in the thick of life’s troubles might now be wondering what all the clamour was about.

ii. While in the midst of all these things, if we are wise like Job, we will avoid charging God foolishly. (See Job 1:22.)

iii. Henry B. Eyring - “The Lord will always prepare a way for you to escape from the trials you will be given if you understand two things. One is that you need to be on the Lord’s errand. The second thing you need to understand is that the escape will almost never be out of the trial; it will usually be through it.”

iv. Christ, is our shining example:

He was spat upon (see 1 Ne. 19:9). He was also struck (see 1 Ne. 19:9; Mosiah 3:9). Likewise, He was offered vinegar and gall while athirst (see Ps. 69:21).

He was scourged, with a Roman flagellum designed to tear the flesh. He was oppressed and afflicted of men; and yet, as Isaiah poignantly observed, “He opened not his mouth” Mosiah 14:7.

Such suffering as Christ endured makes our ‘Thorns in the Flesh’ seem quite quaint in comparison. (2 Corinthians 12:7). As Paul observed, those thorns prevent our ‘exalting ourselves beyond measure.’

Christ endured every kind of physical thorn one might possibly imagine, but that was not Jesus’ chief anxiety. Jesus’ few dozen words describing the agonies of the Atonement reveal that He was determined that He “not drink the bitter cup, and shrink” (D&C 19:18).

Mark wrote that Jesus became “sore amazed” and “very heavy” (Mark 14:33), and “depressed and dejected.” None of us can tell Christ anything about depression!

At least one Gospel writer recorded the Saviors Pleadings thusly: “Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt” (Mark 14:36). How grateful I am that Christ finished his preparations and became the author of our salvation.

Sometimes, we are asked to suffer callings or trials for reasons which we know not. Adam was asked why he offered sacrifices and he responded “I know not, save the Lord commanded me” Moses 5: 6-7. In order that ‘all these things’ may be for our experience, we are asked to sacrifice the only thing which is truly ours to give: our will.

Peter explained: “For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye take it apatiently? But if, when ye do well, and bsuffer for it, and take it cpatiently, this is dacceptable with God. (1 Pet. 2: 19-21, 23). If ye asuffer for brighteousness’ sake, chappy are ye, For it is better, that ye asuffer for well doing, than for evil doing” (1 Pet. 3: 14, 17-18).

We shouldn’t be surprised that the Lord’s Chosen People are called to suffer, and with Luke, we should arejoice that we are counted worthy to bsuffer cshame for his dname.

Disciples of Christ from all ages of time understood what Elder Eyring has said that sometimes the easiest way to get out of trials is to go through them. Three young men in Babylon many years ago were given two choices: either deny your God or be thrown into the fire.

They held to their faith in God, but realizing he does not always save us as we would be save they responded: “But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not aserve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up” (Daniel 3:18).

Thus, even our fiery trials, said Peter, should not be thought of as “some strange thing.” (1 Pet. 4:12.)

God has repeatedly said He would structure mortality to be a proving and testing experience. (See Abr. 3:25; Mosiah 23:21.) We are asked to endure, going forward with faith even when we would rather turn off to the side of the road for just a moment (2 Ne. 31:20).

But for those who do endure, powerful promises are made: Wherefore, ye must press forward with a asteadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of bhope, and a clove of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and dendure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eeternal life.

What is it that enables the faithful to endure bitterness, without becoming bitter? The righteous people of Alma were just settling into their new homes in the beautiful city of Helam when, as Mormon explains, the Lord saw fit to ‘chasten his people and try their patience.’ Nevertheless, Mormon added, "whosoever putteth his atrust in [the Lord] the same shall be blifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people.”

The people were burdened, but faithfully suffered, “And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did astrengthen them that they could bear up their bburdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with cpatience to all the will of the Lord.”

As we endure, we will achieve that peace which “passeth all understanding.” (Philip. 4:7.) You and I see in those who “endure well” a quiet, peaceful majesty, an unspoken, inner awareness that, like Paul, they have “kept the faith.” And they know it, though they do not speak of it.

The people of Anti-Nephi Lehi were so faithful that they cheerfully suffered “death in the most aggravating and distressing manner which could be inflicted by their bretheren.” Couldn’t the Lord save them from torture and death? He could, but the Lord knew from personal experience that our tiny cup cannot be taken from us either. For this purpose have we come unto the world (See John 12:27.).

Neal A. Maxwell taught: “Trials and tribulations tend to squeeze the artificiality out of us, leaving the essence of what we really are and clarifying what we really yearn for.”

Joy is what we call that deep and ineffable yearning. It is a desire for something that is just out of reach. It is the spirit of quiet reverence that overwhelms believers. It is the spiritual manifestation of hope and the author of our faith.

Alma explained that remorse of conscience is the opposite of joy. We are told that the people of King Benjamin “were filled with joy, having received a aremission of their sins, and having peace of bconscience” (Mosiah 4: 3, 11, 20).

King Benjamin explained that God “has caused that your hearts should be filled with cjoy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy.” Joy is a gift of the spirit, and in order to not offend the spirit the Lord has cautioned us to “acease from all, [loud] blaughter, dpride and light-mindedness” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:121).

The passage of joy through us, like that of a great river, can cut great canyons in our souls that deepen our understanding and increase the echoes of our longing.

On the other hand, if the filthy river of worldly idolatrousness is mistaken for joy, it soon reveals itself as but tinkling cymbal and sounding brass—full of noise but empty. Is it not surprising that those who quit the journey towards the tree of life are left with nothing better to do than to ridicule the faithful followers of Christ on their journey.

After all, if the great and spacious pleasure palace is this empty—with its pretty but unsatisfying fruit and terrible loneliness, what could a small, far-off tree offer? Laman and Lemuel chose to leave the straight and narrow for the great and spacious building. Instead of being filled by the fruit of the love of God, they found only empty and haunted rooms of regret. They left the truths of the gospel, but those truths will never leave them alone.

Some might scorn gospel-induced pure Joy as nothing more than the visions of a frenzied mind. Scorners call it names like nostalgia, childish naiveté, romanticism or idealism. Yet they will envy the quiet cross-bearers.

They will look for joy in music, broadway plays, movies, politics and non-Christ centered relationships, but they will only find the ghosts of pleasure and momentary happiness.

The whole man or woman drinks deeply from the fountain of joy. Most people, however, are found slopping up the muddy drops that have fallen from the cup of joy; impure and second-hand. Is it any wonder, therefore, that they become confused at the notion of a cup, or the source of the living water which is found therein?

For the thoughtful follower of Christ, this life is a journey. We are like Abraham who Paul explained “asojourned, as in a strange country, and who died in faith, not having received the apromises, but having seen them afar off, and [was] persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were bstrangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek and desire a [far off] acountry; that is, heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God.

Abraham and Sara endured well because of their joy or incomprehensible yearning for the promises. That yearning convinced them that what God had promised, he was able to fulfill.

Alma also praised God who continued to lead his people who were also ‘wanderers lost in a strange land” (Alma 26: 37).

The qualifications for obtaining of this joy are simple; “this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of bhappiness” (Alma 27: 16-19, 26). Joy points the humble seeker towards the living truths. Enos described it as a ‘Hunger.’ “And my soul ahungered; and I bkneeled down before my Maker, and I ccried unto him in mighty dprayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him” (Enos 1:4).

But here is a lesson for each of us, not even after having received forgiveness and the promises for himself and his family did Enos cease his petition; but he continued in prayer for his enemies and their children. So strong is the yearning the gospel produces.

Joy is, therefore, a springboard for charity and revelation. [For] blessed are all they who do ahunger and bthirst after crighteousness, for they shall be dfilled with the Holy Ghost (3 Ne. 12: 6). The joy that comes from the holy spirit of promise might not always be constant, but filed in the dark corridors of our minds we can remember the mercies of the Lord and retain the well of thanksgiving for His supreme sacrifice constantly flowing.

When we are lost in the woods, the sight of a signpost is a great matter, but when we are on the road and are passing signpost every few miles we shall not stop and stare. They will, indeed encourage us, and we shall be grateful for the Authority who set them up for us, but our yearning is for that “golden valley” which C.S. Lewis described as “always being just round the bend in the road, over the brow of the hill.” That deep desire, which if rooted deep in the fertile ground of a righteous soul, will grow until the perfect day when we are able to testify that our souls have been enlarged, and our understanding enlightened.

As Children we wake early on Christmas morning with exuberant, joyful anticipation. As we grow older, the Christians’ thoughts and deepest yearnings are drawn, like gravity on celestial planets, nearer to that personal Easter Morning when we all shall see our Lord and Savior face to face and with joy hear the words, “well done thou good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25: 21). That is my hope

ADDITIONAL NOTES.

Count of Monte Cristo— There is neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the comparison of one state with another, nothing more. He who has felt the deepest longing is best able to experience supreme happiness.

"Therefore, Be happy and never forget that until the day when God shall deign to reveal the future to man, all human wisdom is summed up in these two words, -- `Wait and hope.'

Marius in Les Miserables— The wealthy young man has a hundred coarse and brilliant distractions; occupations for the baser side of the soul, and he develops these at the expense of the loftier and more delicate sides.

The poor young man goes with the spectacles God furnishes gratis; he gazes at the sky, space, the stars, flowers, children, the humanity among which he is suffering, the creation amid which he beams.

He gazes so much on humanity that he perceives its soul, he gazes upon creation to such an extent that he beholds God. He dreams, he feels himself great; he dreams on, and feels himself tender. From the egotism of the man who suffers he passes to the adoration of the man who understands.

The expense of spirit in a waste of shame

Is lust in action; and till action, lust

Is perjured, murderous, bloody, full of blame,

Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust;

Enjoy'd no sooner but despised straight;

Past reason hunted; and no sooner had,

Past reason hated, as a swallowed bait,

On purpose laid to make the taker mad:

Mad in pursuit, and in possession so;

Had, having, and in quest to have, extreme;

A bliss in proof, and proved, a very woe;

Before, a joy proposed; behind, a dream.

All this the world well knows; yet none knows well

To shun the heaven that leads men to this hell.

Fri Sep 07 09:47:47 Response to Nate Oman's Post on Church Growth:

See http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=4071 for original post.

As a fellow Nicaraguan Mission alumnus (99—01) I think C. Clark is pretty accurate in his assessment. The ‘baseball baptisms’ were a real problem in those early days as they artificially bloated the statistics in the nascent 90s. In Granada, where I served, there was a little as 4% church activity. I would often find people who were already baptized, but who weren’t aware they were on the church rolls. Part of that unsustainable growth may have simply resulted from the liberalization of religion in Nicaragua. Once the dust settled, the possibility for real substantial growth was possible (which fruits were harvested just as I was leaving—reflected in the creation of 6 new stakes within 6 years); partly as a result of the lack of the worldly trappings which so often funnel people’s energies to develop the baser side of their souls at the expense of the noble.

I also visited just a few months ago and was joyfully surprised how solid and prosperous the recent growth has become. Now, the Nicaraguan Saints don’t just have paper growth, but prosperity has allowed their influence to expand beyond their numbers.

That is why an extrapolation from Nicaraguan growth, globally would be a difficult stretch; except perhaps in places like China or Zimbabwe (well, perhaps those places constitute a major portion of the world, come to think of it—I am not as hopeful for old Europe).

Generally, however, I don’t think the church is going to see cyclical patterns. I don’t quite know what the future hold, but it does look extremely hopeful. I am less inclined to think there will be cyclical growth-decline because of the fact that there is so much to do before the curtain is drawn and the stage reset.

It seems much more likely that the church will steadily grow in influence and notoriety, if not simply in numbers; so that all people everywhere will have to sit up and take notice. It will have to be sufficiently strong on the world’s attentional radar to give most people the chance to prepare for the second coming.

Fri Sep 07 18:32:35 Bin Laden Tape:

So the way Bin Laden see's it, we can do one of two things:

1) continue the escalation of the killing of American troops and citizens, or

2) do away with the American democratic system of government and embrace Islam.

All I have to say is "Nuts!"

Then again, "There are no taxes in Islam, but rather there is a limited Zakaat [alms] totaling 2.5 percent."

Thou almost convertest me to be a muslim.

Sat Sep 08 13:40:47 Expelled, the movie:

Looks like the people who brought us The Passion of the Christ, Polar Express and The Chronicles of Narnia are making a movie about the scientific community and Intelligent Design. The movie name is 'Expelled' and its chief provocateur is Ben Stein.

It is an interesting topic, and one in which I feel that many people misunderstand the roles that science and philosophy play in society (which seems to be more of a problem within the so called ‘soft sciences’ of psychiatry, economics, and political/business administration).

It’s the age-old debate about empiricism and reason, but during the age of the ‘death of God’ the rationalists seem to be cross-dressing and play-acting empiricists a lot more frequently. There is the old joke about the physicist, chemist, and economist debating about how to open a can on a desert island. The physicist says that to open the can, drop it from the palm tree 10 ft. high onto a rock; the chemist proposes placing the can in a fire and waiting till it heats up to 100.1 Fahrenheit and explodes; the economist facile retort: “assume the can-opener.” (no offense economist, I really am sympathetic to The Dismal Science)

I even remember my BYU biology classes in which we were literally made to repeat after Prof Bradshaw “Phylogeny recapitulates Ontogeny;” a scientific ‘law’ which has no basis in reality or fact. In medical school the scientific community still has trouble getting away from the developmental terms ‘pharyngeal arches’ and using the more accurate term ‘branchial’ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branchial_arch) even though the evidence is overwhelming that those bumps on the neck never had anything to do will the development of gills in humans.

In any case, the Darwinians are fighting beak and hoof to beat back the Intelligent Designers even though the evidence is pretty conclusive that life did not develop randomly since mathematically and philosophically it just doesn’t add up—not to mention scientifically. That’s not to say that natural selection isn’t operative, but there just isn’t any evidence that a bear can fall into the ocean and give birth to whales. It is much more plausible that there are dwindling species (argument for conservation), and that somehow the great number of species that magically appeared during the Cambrian period of development did so through design and perhaps even placement.

Unfortunately, Darwinian theory is starting to look even a lot less plausible than Scientology’s Xenu, but at least Scientologist admit there is a form of religious philosophy in their scientism.

Resources

You can watch the preview here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxGyMn_-J3c

and articles about the ID, Evolution debate here: http://www.discovery.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zenu

Sat Sep 08 17:09:37 Beauty for Ashes:

Kathleen Flake is a theologian whom I like to keep tabs on. Here in the Washington Post she wrote an interesting article outlining the differences between Mormonism and Creedal Christianity in terms of the nature and purpose of Evil in the world.

I heard that analogy of the manure and the pony before, but quoted from Ronald Reagan talking about the political process. I think it applys well here too.

(8) Mon Sep 10 15:48:32 On Being Disabused of Feminist Fantasies:

I know this article, is from four years ago, but I just can't help pointing out that traditional values have time and again proven much more durable and wholesome than those progressives had thought in their heady, campus protest days.

Among other things, I can't help but feel a little glib that one of the Feminists torch-bearers has finally come to her senses and discovered that that liberation of female se*uality was nothing more than a cleverly disguised prison door (remember, p*rn doesn't generally exist without women's tacit approval).

You can imagine how satisfied I was after reading this line especially: "I am noting that the power and charge of se* are maintained when there is some sacredness to it." Gee wilikers! Does that mean that women should be modest and that their bodies are sacred?

Alas, my hopes are in vain; like most of the facile progressive thinkers, the dots are there, but the line between them is too much of a leap; "I am not advocating a return to the days of hiding female sexuality."

With suprising myopia and scotoma (typical of post-modern liberal thinkers), it is asserted that men should restrain themselves because women had healthier se* lives when p*rn wasn't in play. Of course women can still flaunt their se*uality however they see fit, but womens liberation means women's dictation of the sexual lives of men. Or more simply, 'you can't have yours, but we can have all we want, whenever we want!'

Unfortunately that is exactly what the White Slave Traffickers (i.e. those peddlers of filth) would have women believe. What a sad, disillusioned feminist fantasy.

I suppose that is the depth and quality of socio-historical scholarship that a Magna Cum Laude graduate from Yale is capable of. --Depressing.

As a consolation, the article (albeit unconsciously) admits fundamental differences between men and women, and that is an victory for true feminism.

Wed Sep 12 08:40:43 Romney on Chronic Diseases:

Here is a quote from Romney recently:

“I believe that one of the most significant healthcare challenges facing America today is that posed by chronic diseases, such as cancer, asthma, diabetes, and heart disease. Chronic diseases affect the lives of hundreds of millions of Americans, fuel significant increases in healthcare costs, and are responsible for seven out of every ten deaths in the United States every year. These problems are made worse by the fact that millions of Americans lack the quality health insurance coverage they need to adequately prevent or manage chronic diseases.

“A few weeks ago, I unveiled my healthcare reform plan in a speech to the Florida Medical Association. It is a plan that is designed to give every American access to affordable, portable, quality health insurance, while reducing the runaway growth in healthcare costs. I believe that my plan addresses chronic disease and emphasizes the importance of properly preventing, treating, and managing such diseases. I also believe that my market-based, patient-centered reform plan will continue to promote the innovation and creativity that will one day bring an end to many chronic diseases."

Bravo! I am heartened to see the problem addressed instead of using healthcare as a fulcrum to leverage political power.

Wed Sep 12 08:55:39 Fun at Work:

For those of you who enjoy the TV show, The Office; here is an article that you might find insightful.

Infantilization of the workforce. . . can there be a parallel drawn to America in general???

Now, I have to get back to work!

Wed Sep 12 17:44:47 Another Feminist Conversion:

The Daily Mail of London has been examining the status of women recently.

1) women in Hollywood (supposedly the most pro-feminist group in the world right?) who can't even get a job after turning 40 because of those darn wrinkles and cellulite.

2) Britney--post children; used and discarded, like day-old bread which is no longer hot or fresh--need we say more,

and most importantly 3) The Changing Feminist views on Abortion.

The story includes 10 interviews with women who have had abortions, almost all of whom regretted it and 7 of whom said they would like to see more restrictions on abortion.

I add the observation that largest group of babies aborted in the U.S. are African Americans, and in the world: Women (China). That should give any policymaker, who really cares about the rights of the minority, pause.

Some heartening quotes:

"How much longer can the Government ignore that silent majority? Just as we did 40 years ago, when the Abortion Act came into being, we are standing at a new moral watershed. And just as we did back then, what we need is legislation that will protect the most vulnerable - and they don't get more vulnerable than a healthy, developing foetus.

It would be bitterly ironic if in 2007, when women wish to exercise their collective right to choose - in this case to choose to make abortion less available - we are utterly ignored."

Yes, I do believe the Feminist movement is finally starting to grow up and realize that asserting one's right to kill the innocent does not a noblewoman make.

Perhaps it is the economic volatility or the growing uncertainty in this world that is sharpening the understanding of so many of those baby boomer brats who enjoyed the fruits of the largest expansion of material wealth the world has ever seen in the 50s; having the unmerited luxury to live life with a dull moral sense because of the security and prosperity for which their parents, The Greatest Generation, sacrificed.

But, history is history, and I have great hopes for the future of this greatest nation on God's earth. I hope that my generation will learn the lessons of that history and help sculpt a more noble world; a society firmly rooted in the right.

(3) Thu Sep 13 13:25:38 The Quality of Life:

I have written an essay for submission to a Medical Ethics contest. Here it is:

The Quality of Life Joseph D. Walch

As a child I always enjoyed going to the doctor. I inhabited a paradisiacal little coastal town and I played and lived just like other children; well, mostly. The doctors would pay so much attention to me and the newspapers would write stories about me and my remarkable abilities and achievements. In school they gave me more time to work on tests and answer questions. Things changed when I became a teenager. On occasion I would walk into poles or park benches. Once I even fell down a flight of stairs. The teachers would sometimes feel very sorry for me and did the best they could. I would simply get up and march on, with the hope that only the teachers saw. I didn’t really enjoy participating in athletics with people I didn’t know. Socially I felt a little isolated from people, but they told me that all adolescents have that problem; eventually I would grow out of it. They told me that my disease was degenerative.

That sense of ‘specialness’ wore off momentarily when I was sixteen. I went back to my doctor and was again tested. The room was warm with the light from the window and after dictating the examination with a low voice into his small voice recorder; “extensive damage to the neural fiber layer 360˚ with bone spicules, massive disc drusen, and macular edema with 4+ exudate,” the doctor in a soft but detached melancholy voice asked me if I had ever thought about genetic counseling. I was of age now, and it was about time for me to think about these grown up issues. I should seriously consider the consequences and responsibility of bringing a child into the world. Would I condemn that child to a disease resulting in a lesser quality of life, and was I really capable of safely raising a child? I never went back to that doctor; perhaps out of fear, or out of anger, I can’t quite explain why. I came in expecting the doctor to give me something, to add something to me; not to take something out of me. What could have made me feel so empty; like a hose that has been lifted up to let the water run out both ends.

Years later I spoke to my brother, who is one of the three blind siblings in my family I flew home to visit and we stayed up most of one night talking about those formative years before we all got married. He was also frustrated. As a blind boy in a sighted world he wanted to have the same hopes and dreams as other kids, but every path that the world offered him ended with a barrier that read “blindness.” The questions, familiar to those who are weary of considerations would inevitably arise. Why me. If there is a God, why has he abandoned me to a life of futility? “I really could have messed up my life if I didn’t cling to hope in those years” he said. Lorin, is about 6’3” and has a muscular build. Before becoming a nationally distinguished musician and father of four, he was a physical therapist who worked with Olympic Athletes. Lorin explained it to me like this: “Before I was born, I believe I was given the choice between being blind—but with tremendous opportunity to develop my character, or being sighted and not becoming the kind of man I am today. I believe I chose to live a life with disability because I knew I would develop the higher aspects of my soul. I grasped that hope so tight, even past the point of reason or reasonability. And after a short time wandering in the forest, my path showed itself to me; the path that only I could see, lighted by my enduring hopes and dreams.”

The skeptic might say that Lorin was simply falling back on some elaborate defense mechanism. Regardless, my brother reminded me of Victor Hugo’s prescient words, who pointed out that:

The wealthy young man has a hundred coarse and brilliant distractions; occupations for the baser side of the soul, and he develops these at the expense of the loftier and more delicate sides. The poor young man goes with the spectacles which God furnishes gratis; he gazes at the sky, space, the stars, flowers, children, the humanity among which he is suffering, the creation amid which he beams. He gazes so much on humanity that he perceives its soul, he gazes upon creation to such an extent that he beholds God. He dreams, he feels himself great; he dreams on, and feels himself tender. From the egotism of the man who suffers he passes to the adoration of the man who understands.

We all come to this world with two things which allow us to do the real important work of life: spectacles and a body. The doctor’s work is on the body, and so I would sit across from the microscope that was situated between my eye doctor and me. He would look at my interesting pathological findings. I no longer mind the fact that there is no cure. I understand that a doctor’s livelihood is to preserve and enhance my vision, but when that is not possible what then? Reduce the likelihood that I may spread it to my children? Not have children? Is this just selfishness on the part of the doctor who wants fewer untreatable diseases to deal with? Doctors come from a privileged aristocracy of wealth and learning—most of which was handed down to them with much tradition and ceremony. I fear that the tradition of transference has allowed doctors to absolve themselves of the responsibility for mistakes they make, and primary among them is this: doctors know not, neither seek to know, sufficient personal grief or tragedy to be able to condescend with the patient in our suffering in a way that gives us hope and joy. The lure of comfort and position is too great for the doctor, who keeps her distance, lest she understand grief! Please don’t misunderstand me, the last thing I want is for somebody to feel sorry for me, nor do I wish suffering upon the surgeon, but the quiet suffering that softens hearts is the true mark of a healer. For are we not all bound to molder in the ground? Do we not all have reason to yearn for something greater for ourselves; something greater than we may be at present, or even in the future in spite of the apparent futility of life?

The will to faith, borne from our yearning, is a call to attune our hearts and integrate our character with principles that we devoutly hope, and for which we have reasonable but not certain grounds to believe are true. We are as a balance with weights tethered on each side; sitting in equilibrium to the forces of cynicism and faith. We have both grounds to believe and grounds for doubt, but faith in what? We all create God in our own image, or potential image, and perhaps for the doctor or scientist who works to eliminate pathology, that potential image is a society absent pain, suffering, disability and as a result the absence of the incomparable yearning that results from groping in the dark for some understanding of existence. What will happen when there are no more heroes to save, no more hands hanging low to lift, no more downcast eyes to raise to the light; just everybody with their eyes muddied and hands burdened by mundane materialism.

I am not saying that poverty, disability and suffering, alone are good things, but what kind of people will we become when we can no longer contemplate the depth of Shakespeare’s tragedies, or the pathos of Dostoevsky. Imperfection and fragmentation is not ideal, but is there not some beauty in fragments, however imperfect; something that is noble in all of our somewhat shattered lives? I have always looked at life through a splotchy, fuzzy visual field, but life has taught me that there is more to my experience than sight. Let us recognize and seek together that solemn yearning within each of us which Wordsworth expressed when he said that: “unless above himself he can erect himself, how poor a thing is Man!”

That good may be found even in sickness, the Greeks recognized long ago. They understood that there must be opposition in all things, else, how can we recognize the well if we know not the ill. It was Nietzsche who, speaking of Mozart, rejoiced that “the last chord of centuries-old great European tastes . . . still speaks to us,” but he warns that “alas some day [even] this will be gone.” The new social-evolution has brought us the selection of more consumption and droning entertainment while the poor of Africa and three out of every four down-syndrome fetuses perish. Society risks becoming a sterile, tone-deaf, monochromatic mix of individuals who merge but never become miscible. Just as our American cities increasingly become, as John Steinbeck put it: “Gopher holes ringed with trash,” so too are our souls becoming as we burrow into ourselves—not really seeking to understand, not full of passion or yearning, reflexively following our base instincts in pursuit of the frothy pleasures of our private lives.

I may be blind, but I don’t need pity or misdirected compassion. I want to be understood as a person who breathes, thinks, suffers, and who yearns deeply; a person who occasionally revels in the joy of her existence. I want to be recognized as a person who is intent on using the good parts from my imperfect genetic list for something good—and hopefully grand.

(Author’s note—I wrote this about my wife who has a more severe form of Retinitis Pigmentosa, and who comes from a family with three blind siblings. She reads Braille and walks with a long white cane. She was born and raised in Australia and came to the states to attend University. We have been married since May 2003.)

Thu Sep 13 15:37:22 Hollywood Egalitarianism:

To continue my thread of articles on the degraded place of women in the world and possible remedies, I found an article in the Guardian which asks why so many talented actresses bare-all in magazine spreads or movies.

Too Much To Bare Feature Article

A quote:

For many women, it seems, no matter how successful they are, the need to be pleasing to men, to say, "However powerful and clever I might seem, I'm just a playful, bra-baring bunny underneath," trumps everything. Excuse me while I wipe the tears off my keyboard ...

I have been rather tough on the feminist group recently, and I have expressed my belief that their support of the liberalization of female se*uality has opened a pandora's box which we can't seem to put a lid back onto.

It does appear, however, that a maturing feminism will stand up and fight the kind of blatant degradation of women that is occuring now; which is also destroying the lives of women entertainers young and old. Perhaps we will see more aversion to patronize movies with overtly se*ual themes and support more wholesome entertainment.

The closeting of public se*ual expression in all its forms (particularly in the Entertainment world) will only help women's place in the world.

Thu Sep 13 21:08:08 Homework from Richard Bushman:

Nate Oman--always an insightful writer, passed on the challenge that Richard Bushman had given a groups of LDS Scholars: What aspect of Mormonism most excites us, and how can we explain them to the 'outside world' using different frames of reference or language. The post with my response, perhaps a little disappointing to the intellectual, can be found here.

He also cites an excellent example of Terryl Givins' attempt to do this in a way that is inclusive of non-LDS people--so often we use specialized termonology that people who aren't members of the church aren't familiar with. That talk can be found here.

For those who are too lazy to click on the post here's my commnet:

A response to this challenge is very daunting for me, partly because a great deal of what excites me about the restoration is ineffable. I refer to C.S. Lewis who couldn’t even find an English word to describe it and spoke of Sehnsucht or that great longing for the future that consumes the believer.

The efficacy of the restored gospel in my life is in the yearning to know and experience all the things that don’t know about for sure, but that I have reasonable grounds to believe exists: e.g. what will it be like to be part of a family in heaven, what kind of body is a resurrected body, and what will it feel like, what kinds of works will I be capable of, etc.

The truths are powerful and build hope, but—and I’m hope I’m not being anti-intellectual about this; I am most excited when I see a friend baptized, or a sibling going through the temple for the first time. I suppose I could say that what most excites me about the gospel isn’t necessarily thinking or writing about it; it is living it.

Although I do confess it is good to write about the gospel as I write with the hope that others follow the gospel as a result of my efforts.

(1) Mon Sep 17 13:20:46 For You, I could be . . .[Shrek]:

Eric Snider, who was a favorite columnist at BYU while I was a freshman (Snide Remarks) wrote today about a good way to get your child potty trained: Have your child call a favorite fictional character to tell the good news.

This struck me for three reasons:

1) Last Week Atticus called me to announce the good news that he had just lost a top-front tooth

2) Kristen is trying to potty-train Lilly, and

3) The recall that I had that Aunt Francis didn't like playing into the idea of lying to kids by telling them there is a Santa Clause, Easter Bunny or Tooth Fairy.

Is this a good idea, and does it indeed violate the Francis Rule?

Discuss. . .

For Lilly, I suppose I could pretend to be Superman or better yet, a republican presidential candidate.

Lilly: Fred, I just went poo-poo in the toilet!

Me/Fred: That's great, I crap 35 mm Magnum Shells.

or Mitt Romney

Me/Mitt: [looking off in the distance] I remember when our old dog Shamus went poo on our family station wagon. . . gee that was a great vacation.

O.K. enough with my poor attempt at humor.

Mon Sep 17 14:49:38 My Career Choices:

From careercruising.com

1. Dentist

2. Professor

3. Criminologist

4. Pharmacist

5. Forensics Specialist

6. Chemist

7. Acupuncturist

8. Hydrologist / Hydrogeologist

9. Environmental Consultant

10. Operations Research Analyst

11. Agronomist

12. Microbiologist

13. Anthropologist

14. Paleontologist

15. Historian

16. Geologist

17. Chiropractor

18. Mathematician

19. ESL Teacher

20. Explosives Specialist

21. Plastic Surgeon 22. Orthodontist 23. Podiatrist 24. Sports Instructor 25. Pharmacologist 26. Market Research Analyst 27. Materials / Metallurgical Engineer 28. Environmental Engineer 29. Physicist 30. Oceanographer 31. Researcher 32. Athletic Trainer 33. Political Aide 34. Physical Therapist 35. Optometrist 36. Scientist 37. Economist 38. Statistician 39. Astronomer 40. Industrial-Organizational Psychologist

I don't know about Chiropractor???

I like #20, that is every small boy's dream. Play around with dynamite all day!!!!!!

Tue Sep 18 13:18:18 The Seventy Page Platform:

Mitt Romney has released a 70-page 'summary' of his positions on various issues that he feels key to America's security and prosperity. He also includes many of the quotes from his extensive meetings across the nation. I doubt that there is another candidate who has put out as comprehensive a strategic plan as Mitt Romney.

Obviously, I hope Romney wins the Presidential election. He has been criticized before for things he has said, as well as for supposed 'flip-flopping;' but he is certainly a powerful man when it comes to planning and execution of solid principles of management and governance.

He certianly isn't an FDR who would wake up one morning and say "I think I'll raise the gold standard price $0.21 because it is a multiple of 7 and 7 is a lucky number." I guess with Romney, if you work hard and smart, you don't need luck (like, say, a World War, against Hitler or Bin Laden) to galvanize support in ones favor. His competence and skills alone qualify him for the job.

For those who are wondering, I'm referrin' to FDR as well as both Bush and Giuliani. That's not to say that none of these people lacked those solid qualities, but they certainly aren't in the same calibre as Mitt.

Wed Sep 19 18:40:39 Vote the fate of Barry Bonds Ball:

<img src="http://www.vote756.com/marcecko/banners/banner2.gif" border="0" />

Thu Sep 20 13:05:59 James Dobson: Focus on the Primary:

James Dobson, a heavy hitter when it comes to the conservative christian voter base, has come out against Fred Thompson.

I have commented before on this on another blog, The Thinklings, and I think that the power-players are starting to settle on the right candidate. Increasingly, I think they are starting to like Romney more and more, even though supposedly "35% of Americans wouldn't vote for a Mormon."

It is true, there is a significant prejudice against members of the LDS faith, but I am very hopeful for the future. Fred was the great hope that is quickly fading as he meanders through the primary states while Romney is energetically meeting many people--the kind of people who will vote, because they are the kind of people who show up at these presidential campaign meetings. There is no Republican presidential candidate who is meeting as many people, making as many public appearances, or managing his campaign as well as Romney.

As an added bonus, Romney has plenty of money to fall back on if he needs to (but don't let that discourage donations).

Thu Sep 20 21:56:16 End Demand:

The men who profit and make their living by the depravity and the awful misery of other human beings stand far below any ordinary criminals, and no measures taken against them can be too severe. As regards the white slave traffic, the men engaged in it are far worse criminals than any ordinary murderers can be. For them there is need of such a law which includes whipping for the male offenders. Sentimentality on behalf of such men is really almost as unhealthy and wicked as the criminality of the men themselves. The men who profit and make their living by the depravity and the awful misery of other human beings stand far below any ordinary criminals, and no measures taken against them can be too severe.

There are brutes so low, so infamous, so degraded and bestial in their cruelty and brutality, that the only way to get at them is through their skins.

Theodore Roosevelt 1913

These words of T.R. are so prescient for today’s society which is so deeply depraved. There is a new documentary out (watch the one that was specifically made for church groups; no graphic nudity, etc.) which points to the epidemic of trafficking young girls. It is deeply concerning to me that in Las Vegas, for example, 150 underage girls were arrested for prostitution, but NOT ONE SINGLE MAN was arrested for solicitation of these poor girls.

I urge those who have any sense of decency to find out more about this crime against humanity and women.

May everybody know that every pornographic webpage which is pulled up or every service paid for either by internet proxy or in person is tainted by the blood and tears of these voiceless, invisible, innocent victims.

(2) Mon Sep 24 17:18:51 Tarred and Feathered:

Well, I made the mistake today of mentioning my religious affiliation on an evangelical website. I don't expect anybody there to defend me against the intellectual blunt force which was leveled, but at least I was able to express myself.

Too much time weblog reading. Perhaps I cull back my weblog readings; starting with this one.

Tue Sep 25 18:30:09 The Greatest Man Ever Born in Utah:

I found out today from the Church News that Gordon B. Hinckley was honored recently at the League of Utah Cities along with one of the great historians of our age, David G. McCullough; who wrote 1776 and John Adams--(my personal favorite). I think history will eventually see him as one of the great men of Utah, as well as America. If anybody hasn’t read John Adams yet, I hope you do.

Wed Sep 26 09:00:58 What evidence have ye that there is no God, :

or that Christ cometh not? I say unto you that ye have none, save it be your word only.

--Book of Mormon, Alma 30:40.

We are in the midst of what Thomas S. Kuhn has described as a scientific revolution, which has been occuring within the past 5 years in the study of genetics.

Because evolutionary biologist are have been struggling to pigeonhole the genetic code into Darwinian theory, they have assumed that a massive amount of genetic information contained in DNA was so-called "junk DNA." since you would need a massive amount of mistakes and random errors in order to arrive at the complexity that is the design of the human body.

Now, the more we learn the more Darwinian Theory looks like monkey science. We are finding out fascinating things about the "code of life" (term coined by James Watson--the discoverer of the Genetic Code). That 99% of 'junk' DNA which was once thought of as a vestigial organ of evolution has been shown to provide manifold functions which we are uncovering every day. The complexity is simply awe-inspiring, but for the Evolutionary Biologist, it may be a bit depressing.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to deny the inference that there is some kind of design intrinsic to life as we know it. A design would reject outright Evolutionary theory since evolutionary theory claims, at best, 'non-directed' accumulation of complexity at the most macroscopic level (species/traits selection) and absolute random accumulation of complexity at the most basic level (Molecular or Genetic).

For those of us who saw the Movie <i>Contact</i>, scientist are like those SETI researchers who have received a message from space, which when decoded reveals the intricate plans to build a spaceship. As a scientist, I cannot infer the source of the message, but as a man who is tethered on the balance of doubt and faith; I have reasonable, but not certain grounds for belief in a God of creation. Evolutionary biologist may, through ideology, reject a primeval intelligent designer, but the evidences are clear; there is more to our existence than what we currently know or understand.

Those who reject any intelligence higher than man's, have no proof and are operating under the delusion of materialistic ideology; the opiate for the self-absorbed man. Even if they reject revelation, which is the source of all eternal truth; their false faith cannot even be sustained by the rational proofs all around them. That is why the prideful atheist actually takes a greater leap-of-faith (albeit a false leap) than any small step which a humble follower of Christ is asked to make.

Wed Sep 26 09:12:26 Global Warming Primer:

On the topic of Ideology and Science, a public policy think tank has recently published an interesting Global Warming primer which is easy to read, understand, and fair in its presentation; although I would have liked to see more references. Nevertheless, a good perspective and digest of so-called Global Warming theory.

Wed Sep 26 12:35:21 Race Relations in America:

Bill O'Reilly was having a conversation about race relations with Juan Williams yesterday on his radio program. CNN picked up that story and took his comments totally out of context. They can be found here at CNN. Worse yet, it completely misses the point of what Bill was saying, and even claimed Bill was affirming something that he specifically criticized: namely that stereotypes are unhealthy, especially comming in the form of MTV rappers who dress and walk around like clowns and exploit just about every bad minority stereotype there is (e.g. the violent, misogynistic, lazy, unintelligent minority).

A commentor for CNN even went on to criticize Bill for criticizing that kind of stereotyping of black culture--amazing!

To hear the whole conversation in which Bill and Juan were talking about race relations, go here to Bill O'Reilly's website.

The response by Juan Williams to CNN's intellectual dishonesty can be found here, and he is livid.

Tomorrow, I hear that Bill is going to have Al Sharpton on his program to talk more about it. I think Al will help give more context to the 'incident in question.'

There is a failure to address certain pathological parts of culture; including black culture (i.e. rappers, and the detrimental influence they are, especially for young black men).

Of course I am an equal-opportunity social critic who doesn't spare parts of white culture, for example, evangelical christians who exclude others, are sectarian, and who fail to properly train the minds of their children (let's face it, plenty of slavery and Jim Crow's proponents and those 'cheerleaders' who protested the integration of Southern schools were evangelical 'christians'). That social criticism could also be leveled against the Lohan, Spears, Hilton unholy stereotypical triad of dysfunctional young women.

In any case, I think it is unproductive to be blind to the harmful effects of any culture simply because a political movement's powerbase is based upon parts of that culture. That is one reason why I may never enter politics.

Thu Sep 27 11:10:00 The Hundred Best Novels of All Time:

With the help of the New York Times, Random House publishers has released a couple of controversial Top 100 Novel Lists of all time. One was decided on by the ‘experts’ and the other was decided on by over 400,000 ordinary, mostly America, readers.

A couple of things that struck me at first glance:

The prominence of books with overt Religious, Capitalist, Anti-socialist, undercurrents which appeared on the readers’ list, and the dearth of such books on the experts’ list (e.g. obviously Ayn Rand, L. Ron Hubbard, Tolkien, Heinlein, and even Stephen King).

The absence of Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind from the experts' list, which is arguably the best selling book in America next to the Bible (perhaps Harry Potter has beat it out now, though).

And the transposition of two books, Brave New World on the experts’ list with 1984 on the readers’ list. Perhaps the fear of Government control by oppression is a more scary and relevant proposition to the literate democratic masses than is Government control by Libertarianism and pleasure distraction.

Parallels may certainly be drawn from both lists to the dichotomy of American institutions and the normal forgotten man, who gives but doesn't take and who is the foundation of American Society. It has been shown before in numerous surveys that the elite institutions (Higher Ed, Hollywood, Broadcast Journalism) are overwhelmingly Liberal in ideology and vote Democratic. Some may extrapolate from this that Democrats are more educated, informed, or socially aware, but studies have shown that Democratic voters are much less educated, younger (less experienced), and usually lower socio-economically than are Republican voters.

Conservative elites tend to give less through government power, but the conservative base tends to also take less from government; instead, willfully giving through personal charity. Liberal elites tend to give more through government (i.e. through forceful removal of other people’s assets), and the Liberal powerbase also tends to take more from society and government and give much less directly through personal charity.

But one area of this list is interesting to me: the transposition of Brave New World and 1984 on their respective lists. Personally, I am much more concerned about an America which falls into decay through decadence and pleasure-seeking-induced illiteracy (which I believe comprises the Democratic base). There is certainly something to be said about the dull sense of security a safety-net provides.

We seem to be headed that way—towards a ‘libertarian’ society that trades personal capacity for the amorphous ‘liberty’ and a government that derives its power not through oppression but through the willful surrender of a peoples’ capacities in lieu of the buffering of consequences of ones’ personal choices: Abortion on demand, fully paid for by the government as well as any other health problem caused by personal negligance and slothful lifestyle; the promise of a steady flow of food, cash, comfort, and access to debilitating pleasure—the true opiate of the people, with as little effort or inconvenience on the part of the people.

It is only after the Brave New World when the oppressive 1984 can step in and control an uneducated society that doesn’t understand the meaning of words, only the meaning of pleasure and pain. But, for those "Forgotten People" are in the literate minority of a democracy who do not seek power through elite institutions, the prospect of an iliterate mass controlled through the use of pleasure is very scary, and might as well be 1984. The more government-run coliseums and carnivals that appear, the greater the decline of Church, and Family.

Discuss. . .

Thu Sep 27 13:13:46 The Happiness Gap:

By most objective measures the lives of women in the United States have improved over the past 35 years, yet we show that measures of subjective well-being indicate that women’s happiness has declined both absolutely and relative to male happiness.

A couple of interesting papers are getting some press recently. This one shows that women are less happy. Interesting, also, is this quote:

While each of these trends have impacted both men and women, it is possible for even apparently gender-neutral trends to have gender-biased impacts if men and women respond differently to these forces.

The authors of the study cite risk as one of those gender-neutral trends which might affect women who may be more risk-averse (e.g. changing workplace environment, being laid-off, having to ask for a raise) than are men. It is illustrative that the same kind of idea which got Lawrence Summers fired and made full-grown women scientist run for the bathroom with urges to vomit, is starting to be acknowledged: that women are in fact different from men (something that we were unlearned of in public elementary schools).

A New York Times Op-Ed Column investigated this and other recent findings in the ‘happiness gap’ and eventually fell back on the facile platitudes that “men need to shoulder their fair share,” and that there needs to be universal preschool and paid child leave. Of course this ignores the research by Stephenson and Wolfers which specifically controlled for those variables (showing, for example, that there is little difference in happiness even for women who have husbands who do more chores around the house compared to those whose husbands do far less work).

But, as my wife gets ready to re-enter the workforce next week, I don’t deny that I am also trying to find the right balance in life so that she might be more happy.

Fri Sep 28 08:16:30 On Atheism:

I was driving to school today thinking about the meaning of life and figured there are three to four different sources:

1)God

2)Family or Offspring

3)Work

4) I suppose if one didn’t have any of these things there is an argument that meaning can still be found (see The Myth of Sisyphus), however find that argument pretty unconvincing.

#1 for me seems to be necessary and sufficient,

#2 without #1 tends to breed tribalism (e.g. Lamanites).

#3 without #1 is idolatry, and in the end is not much more promising than the prospect that there is no meaning at all (see Ozymandias).

As I have said, #4 is pretty unconvincing, but it is important that some existentialist have addressed the issue. The one thing that cannot be denied is that we think and therefore exists, and there must be some kind of meaning in that, right? Well perhaps, but meaning in existence seems far more tenuous than #1 (having tasted the fruit of the reason and revelation of #1), but at least it is better than a life of total despair; void of meaning.

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