In many ways we assume that liberal Hollywood and reactionary Afghanistan are complete opposites. Hollywood gratuitously flaunts sexuality and pushes the limits of what is socially acceptable. The Taliban and other groups in Afghanistan impose ultra-conservative religious rules of modesty and appropriate behavior. But both societies share a dirty little secret: rampant pedophilia.
I Was Constrained By The Spirit That I Should Vote For…
One of the important aspects of the LDS doctrine of personal revelation is that the Holy Spirit can and does sometimes instruct individuals to act contrary to our own reason and understanding.
So here is a little supposal:
Think of a presidential candidate that you do not support. Now put the candidate’s name into the appropriate places in the following passage:
And it came to pass that I was constrained by the Spirit that I should support [a specific candidate] for President; but I said in my heart: Never at any time have I supported a [candidate of that ideology/party/record]. And I shrunk and would that I might not support [her/him].
And the Spirit said unto me again: Behold it is the Lord’s desire that [that candidate] be President of the United States…
We spend a lot of time debating and defending our political beliefs, and comparing political candidates to our ideals. But what if, regardless of political party, or ideology, or record, or aptitude, or personality, or anything else we might use to judge our candidates, the Lord for His own reasons wants you to support a candidate different than the one you would choose? Continue reading
LDS Correlation, Catholic Correlation, and Protection from Apostasy
First, a quick overview of the term “Correlation”.
Before 1972, the auxiliary organizations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including the Relief Society, the Primary, Sunday School, and the Young Men and Young Women Organizations were largely directed at the stake or ward level, and the curriculum could vary from ward to ward. A Correlation Committee had existed since 1908, but the First Presidency of the Church under the direction of President Harold B. Lee placed all organizations, curricula, and periodicals under the direction of the priesthood and established departments to standardize and correlate the programs of the church.
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Category: lds
Tagged: apostasy, Catholic, Church Shopping, Correlation, lds, Liturgy, mormon, Pope Benedict XVI, priesthood, The Church of
Category: lds
Tagged: apostasy, Catholic, Church Shopping, Correlation, lds, Liturgy, mormon, Pope Benedict XVI, priesthood, The Church of
Original Poetry: By the Hand of Uriah
In the months I was preparing to visit Israel last year, I listened to a great deal of the Old Testament while riding my bicycle to and from work. Listening instead of reading helped me approach the scriptures in a way that prompted new insights and ideas, and I unexpectedly found that listening inspired me with some ideas for poetry to write.
Though I am not a prolific poet, the poetry I write is usually infused with gospel concepts and imagery. But I had never thought of poetry so directly inspired by scriptural narratives before.
As is usual for me, the time between when the idea for a poem occurs to me and when I actually write it is substantial. It has been well over a year, and I am now approaching the one year anniversary of my trip to Israel for Sukkot, the Feast of the Tabernacles.
This last Sunday, I sat down and wrote a draft of the first poem, and then honed it during the next day and a half. Hope you enjoy it.
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Category: lds, original poetry
Tagged: bible, dramatic irony, honor, irony, lds, morality, mormon, Old Testament, poem, poetry, religion, sonnet, Uriah the hittite
Category: lds, original poetry
Tagged: bible, dramatic irony, honor, irony, lds, morality, mormon, Old Testament, poem, poetry, religion, sonnet, Uriah the hittite
The Rise and Fall of Constitutional Government in America
To celebrate the anniversary of the U. S. Constitution on September 17th, I want to recommend that everyone take some time to review our founding documents and learn about their meaning and purpose.
I have repeatedly found that the best scholarship and writing concerning the Constitution comes from the good folks at the Claremont Institute.
Thomas G. West and Douglas A. Jeffrey, both senior fellows at the Claremont Institute, have published a booklet entitled “The Rise and Fall of Constitutional Government in America”, which I highly recommend to anyone who wants to better understand the Constitution and the dangers presented by our modern abandonment of its principles.
It is available as a free PDF document here:
“No free government, or the blessings of liberty, can be preserved to any people, but by a firm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, frugality, and virtue, and by frequent recurrence to fundamental principles”
– Virginia Bill of Rights, June 12, 1776
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Category: politics
Tagged: claremont institute, constitution, founders, free, government, history, liberty, natural rights, PDF, recommended reading, scholarship, united states
Category: politics
Tagged: claremont institute, constitution, founders, free, government, history, liberty, natural rights, PDF, recommended reading, scholarship, united states
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