President Uchtdorf Speaks to The Los Angeles World Affairs Council

With both Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman considering a run for the office of the President of the United States, Mormons will be in the spotlight more and more.  People will have questions regarding our Church, and our beliefs.  Today I listened to a wonderful talk given by President Uchtdorf as he addressed the Los Angeles World Affairs Council, which gave concise information regarding The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in a wide range of areas.

"The Los Angeles World Affairs Council promotes greater understanding of current global issues and their impact on the people of Southern California by inviting authoritative, influential figures in world affairs to Los Angeles and providing them an open forum."

President Uchtdorf addressed topics like:

• Our belief in Jesus Christ.
• Our belief in The Ten Commandments as divine laws.
• The growth of The Church.
• The importance of higher education, with information about Church Universities and Institutes.
• LDS Charities.
• The Church welfare system, highlighting the importance of self reliance.
• LDS Humanitarian Aid.
• The Family Proclamation.
• Temples.
• Basic core doctrinal beliefs and value systems.

Some of my favorite quotes were:

“In my lifetime I have experienced and worked in times of grim challenges and uncertainty. I was a refugee twice, and I have witnessed how opposing political systems impacted the life of a large number of people in very divergent ways. I learned by experience how important high moral and ethical values are in leadership, irrespective of political systems.”

“Too often the teachings of our respective faiths are kept in an abstract religious box cautiously separated from personal conduct.  Divine leadership principles are based on the commandment that ‘Ye love one another’ and that is irrespective of religion.  By reemphasizing this commandment, the Savior has made feeding his sheep one of our ongoing responsibilities which cannot be dismissed.  Leaders whose leadership reflects integrity and goodness could do much to create a better world for our children and grandchildren.”

"It takes courage … and humility to put away old hatred, divisions and traditions that constrict and confine people into a blind succession of destructive behavior toward others. It is within our reach to breach barriers of hate and build bridges of brotherhood and understanding between opposing cultures, beliefs, religion and world views."

He closed with a request and a blessing, “God is not merely an abstract concept, He’s not. He lives. As we trust in God and listen to His voice, regardless of our faith and our religion, He will help us personally, and collectively, in these challenging times. There is hope, there’s a great future ahead of us.  It is in our hands to make it happen.  Of this I bear witness as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Thank you and may God bless you all.”

I just wonder if those in attendance realize how blessed they really were to hear from that great man.

Just so you know, the video is really worth watching…..

The Worth of Integrity and Honesty

Sometimes temptation rears its head in the most unexpected ways. Think of the times you have been given too much change back, by mistake.  Or perhaps when the cashier forgot to charge you for an item and you were already home before you realized it. Doing the right thing can be hard, or inconvenient, rationalization could get the best of you and you could easily conclude that it wasn’t your fault you ended up with a sudden win fall.   Integrity could be easily sold in the face of monetary gain.  This wasn’t the case with Josh Ferrin.

Josh Ferrin, an artist for the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, had just purchased his first home for his family in Bountiful Utah and was excited to finally have a place that he and his wife and children could call their own.  Upon receiving the keys to his new place, Ferrin walked into the garage and saw a piece of cloth that hung to an attic door.  He opened the hatch and climbed up the ladder.  He noticed a metal box that looked like a World War II ammunition case and pulled it down.  Imagine his shock when he discovered it was stuffed full of tightly wound rolls of cash bundled together with twine.  But that was not all; he found seven more boxes with the same contents in them, totalling over $40,000.

Ferrin was faced with a decision.

"I'm not perfect, and I wish I could say there was never any doubt in my mind. We knew we had to give it back, but it doesn't mean I didn't think about our car in need of repairs, how we would love to adopt a child and aren't able to do that right now, or fix up our outdated house that we just bought," Ferrin said. "But the money wasn't ours to keep and I don't believe you get a chance very often to do something radically honest, to do something ridiculously awesome for someone else and that is a lesson I hope to teach to my children."

The previous owner of the home was Arnold Bangerter, a simple man who had worked as a biologist for the Utah Department of Fish and Game.  He had died in November and left the house to his children.  Both he and his wife had purchased the home in 1966 and had lived there with their family, his wife passing away previously in 2005.  

"I could imagine him in his workshop. From time to time, he would carefully bundle up $100 with twine, climb up into his attic and put it into a box to save. And he didn't do that for me," Farrin said. So with that Ferrin called Bangerter’s sons with the news of the discovery.  

Kay Bangerter said he knew his father hid away money because he once found a bundle of cash taped beneath a drawer in their home, but he never considered his dad had stuffed away so much over the years.

"He grew up in hard times and people that survived that era didn't have anything when they came out of it unless they saved it themselves," Kay Bangerter, the oldest of the six children, told the Deseret News. "He was a saver, not a spender."

Bangerter called the money's return "a story that will outlast our generation and probably yours as well."

I believe that we will all be given opportunities to prove ourselves worthy of the trust and confidence the Lord desires to have in us. Who knows, perhaps this is just a part of the Abrahamic test that Ferrin was given to prove his faithfulness, allowing him to receive greater blessings from his Father.  I believe you can’t put a price on that one! 

Read more about the discovery and watch a video here. 

President George W. Bush's Statement About Osama

"Earlier this evening, President Obama called to inform me that American forces killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of the al Qaeda network that attacked America on September 11, 2001. I congratulated him and the men and women of our military and intelligence communities who devoted their lives to this mission. They have our everlasting gratitude. This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done." George W Bush

Although I am not for celebration over the death or killing of anyone, I liked the statement made here about "justice" being done no matter how long it takes.  Justice is an eternal principle. No matter how long it takes, justice will be served.

That said, thank goodness for mercy and the Atonement.

EXPOUND

I seriously just have to share this little hidden treasure I found this morning on the Internet.   While I was reading an article about LDS Temples, I literally stumbled onto a site called Expound.  Expound is a website that is designed to be a platform for educational and informational resources regarding LDS history, scripture, and belief.  

It is amazing!!!  

The site itself is full of additional links to on-line material that could literally keep you busy forever researching and studying.

Most impressive to me is the section on Temples. This section has gathered, into one place, every possible article, both published by the Church and scholarly, video, photo, and Internet page regarding LDS Temples.  It also has a list of recommended books and articles that are available on-line to study more about LDS Temples.  There is also a long list of questions and answers about LDS Temples that link over to official LDS answers. 

Photo courtesy of Brittney Nicole Walker Photography

Again, I must shout… AMAZING!!!

Please don’t take my word for it… hop over to Expound and check it out for yourself…   

Gotta go, I gots lots of reading to do! 

I know… total nerd!  

BTW don't you just love this photo of the Salt Lake LDS Temple taken by my friend Britt. Check out her blog here.

Fast Food IS NOT Sexy

In Proverbs the question is asked, “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.”

Wow!!! Isn’t that the truth…!

Everywhere you look virtue is thrown out the window and sex is thrust in our face as it is used to sell everything from shoes to fast food.

It is plain to see that Carl’s Jr. can’t afford virtue. The new Miss Turkey commercial objectifying women in a slimy attempt to sell a lousy turkey burger, makes it clear that virtue is certainly too expensive for their taste.  I was tempted to post the video here to show you what I was talking about, just in case you haven’t experienced it, but I didn’t want to give it any more exposure in that way. Take my word for it… it is tasteless. 

Even Arby’s is jumping aboard the sex train trying to sell their nasty food. They are suggesting that we will “really drool” over what they are about to reveal.  I don’t know about you, but drooling isn’t the word I would use to describe my reaction to this advertisement.

Can a family restaurant get anymore sleazy you may ask?

Yep, they can… check out this ad from Burger King, you know the restaurant where you “can have it your way”. 

My way is not that way! They get my vote for an all time low.

I hate to imagine what is yet to be exploited in the pursuit of peddling these fast food feasts.

What can you do about this smut… let your voice be heard.  Tell these scumbags what you really think.

Drop Carl’s a little note here at this link.

While you are at it.. Arby’s might be interested to know how you are not “drooling over what is about to be revealed” here at this link.

Don’t leave Burger King out either…

And... Thanks girls at BYU Women’s Services for giving me the push I needed to let my voice be heard!

The question still remains, who can find a virtuous woman?  

 Let’s hope someone is still looking for one!

My Favorite General Conference Talk

Because I believe that any message concerning the topic of Priesthood applies to all members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, regardless of gender….

Here is my absolute favorite conference talk so far.

Psalms 89:15 Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.

“We can experience that greater joy if we but look for it!  Too often we fail to experience the bliss that comes from daily practical priesthood service…. let us not pass through life immersed in the three dark W’s, worried, worrying, and whining.  We live beneath our privileges when we allow worldly anchors to keep us away from the abundant joy that comes from faithful and dedicated priesthood service, especially within the walls of our own home.  We live beneath our privileges when we fail to partake of the feast of happiness, peace, and joy that God grants so bountifully to faithful priesthood servants. “

I want to partake of that feast….

Thank you President Dieter F Uchtdorf for hitting this one out of the park!

All The Single Ladies

Although I am a happily married woman I have the incredible opportunity to work with the Young Single Adults through my calling in Church. I have spent many hours listening to my darling young women friends as they discuss their frustrations when it comes to the “dating scene”.  The fear of the unknown weighs heavily on their souls.  This fear is not exclusive to women. Believe me; men have the same fears and anxiety too.  So when my darling sister-in-law shared the YouTube video called “I will wait for you” on Facebook, I guess it just hit a certain spot in my heart. 

Janette McGhee is an evangelical poetess who goes by the name of Genetics, or Janette…ikz.  She shares her poetry with the Passion for Christ Movement, and she is the author of the poem, "I will wait for you".  Her delivery it is not exactly what one might hear from the traditional “suits and pearls” that speak to us in the traditional LDS way, but none the less, for me,  she spoke with power and truth.

Watch it and see for yourself.

So Sista's keep looking for that man, you will find him just like Janette...ikz says:

And I will know you… because when you speak I will be reminded of Solomon’s wisdom,

Your ability to lead will remind me of Moses,

Your faith will remind me of Abraham,

Your confidence in God’s Word will remind me of Daniel,

Your inspiration will remind me of Paul,

Your heart for God will remind me of David,

Your attention to detail will remind me of Noah,

Your integrity will remind me of Joseph,

And your ability to abandon your own will, will remind me of the disciples,

But your ability to love selflessly & unconditionally will remind me of Christ.

But I won’t need to identify you by any special Matthews or any special Marks,

Cause His word will be tatted all over your heart.

You will find him because you will prepare yourself so that he will find you:

And you will know me, and you will find me,

Where… the boldness of Esther meets the warm closeness of Ruth.

Where the hospitality of Lydia is aligned with the submission of Mary,

Which is engulfed in the tears of a praying Hanna.

I will be the one, drenched in Proverbs 31… waiting for you.

 Isaiah 40:31But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.