Thoughts Put to Words

Meet the Twin Latter-day Saints - Africa to America

2019-11-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

When people enter into a new setting, they like to see things that remind them of themselves. The same thing occurs in church, particularly The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When African Americans join the church, they find in many areas that no one in their congregations actually provide them with a visual reflection that matches their own. Seeing so few people that reflect can cause social trouble and loneliness.

Ghana Temple

Source: Travelers Palm - Bewildered Greeny

Members of Twin Latter-day Saints & Friends and Family

Abba Nigeria Temple

Source: www.ksl.com

Members of Twin Latter-day Saints Friends and Family

The Need

Dale Wight saw a need in the Latter-day Saint community for something to help this minority in its US LDS community, Black Latter-day Saints. He calls it Twin Latter-day Saints.

The term Twin Latter-day Saints refers to the people on the other side of the world that look like African Americans who are joining the church and become examples of faith and strength.

What happens when you look in a mirror? You see your reflection! Your reflection looks like you and moves with you, but it is different in that it does the same thing on the opposite side. It will not disturb you because you know that it is a reflection of what you are doing.

In Africa, there exists a great many Latter-day Saints who look like their twin brothers and sisters in America, African Americans.

This group of twins to the African Americans purpose is to be lodestars of faith of people that look like them and are also Latter-day Saints!

The church is slowly growing among African Americans--too slowly in the view of many. Yet it is flourishing in Africa.

In the feature film Meet the Mormons the bishop as shown below is one of thousands of faith Latter-day Saints who identifies as African American

It is believed that African Americans ostracized in the LDS church after joining because many give up traditional cultural ties to music and worship to associate with the predominately White congregations in America.

With so few Black Latter-day Saints to associate with, these new members may find it tempting to leave despite the burning witness that the teachings of the church are true.

The cultural ties among African Americans as in any ethnic group can be very powerful being that African Americans had to depend on themselves as a group mostly through their Black churches over the decades after slavery and through the Civil Rights Movement.

Cultural connections pale in comparison to the blessing of the gospel, but they do exist. Dale Wight’s idea of providing a way for these members in America to see people that look like them participating in traditional Latter-day Saint practices is an unofficial step to move toward alleviating that issue. Dale said,

Part of the inspiration for this group came from an encounter my wife and I had with Elder Sitati in 2009. He spoke at the Los Angeles Stake's conference shortly after joining the [First Quorum of the Seventy]. My wife [Barbara] asked how we could get more missionaries from Africa to work in the black communities in the US like [the one] she came from.

Though the answer Barbara Wight sought did not come directly because of Elder Sitati, it came in the form of her husband. On the Twin Latter-day Saints Facebook page it reads:

This group is for Black Latter Day Saints and their friends and families. It also is for those who may be interested in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

The purpose of this group is to share testimonies, uplifting messages, scriptural quotes, references, questions and answers, upcoming events and activities, poetry, good clean comedy, and FamilyHome Evening Ideas.

Twins are two people who look alike but have had different experiences. "Twin Latter-day Saints" refers to the Black Latter-day Saints in Africa and in America; they look alike but have had very different experiences. The Church is strong and growing rapidly in Africa. Already, there are more than twenty stakes in Nigeria alone. So far, there only have been two black stake presidents in the US.

One purpose of Twin Latter-day Saints will be to become a forum to leverage the Church's strength in Africa to provide missionary and fellowshipping support in the U.S. This may be simple things like posting videos and photos of stakes and wards in Africa so our [church] members and others in the US can see and hear parts of the Church [in Africa] in which they would be like all the other [areas of the church].

Johannesburg South Africa Temple

Source: www.mormontemplepics.com

Not yet under construction. This picture is of a Meeting House call a Ward Building in Durban, RSA

Source: Durban South Africa Temple (Announce 2011)

Blackness Explored

2019-03-25T13:40:00.000-07:00

The Obama Effect

Source

On The African American Experience

Aside from the hurt and bitter feelings of some die-hard Mitt Romney supporters and the white-hot anger of the Anti-Obama people, electing President Obama for a second term created history again for the American people.

During Black History Month from 2008 forward, it can be said that a man of African heritage ruled the most powerful nation in the world for eight years! He ruled a nation where less than 200 years previously his African heritage would have pegged him a slave. Just 40 years shy of the Civil Rights Movement did a minority take office!

It does not matter that President Obama is a Democrat or that he is bi-racial. Because there is a shred of African in him, he is considered African American according to American racial tradition. He was born in America, no matter what the people say opposite about that. He lived his life mostly as an African American and will be listed in the annals of time as an African American President! During the first election, however, it was not so.

What the president did for Americans is to introduce the notion that race should not matter.

Black By Default

Over the course of the years President Obama served the country, the attitudes of many African Americans changed towards him.

Apparently, the fact that his father is not American and actually from an African nation means that Barack Obama, the president, has no African American stock in his genes.

He is the first generation, and his ancestors did not share in the humiliation of the African American historical struggle OUTSIDE of the Civil Rights Movement.

No matter how the dial is twisted, the president is of African descent and can call himself African American or Black, but he cannot claim the struggle that generational groups of African Americans claim.

The president knows his ancestral roots and has a connection to his heritage if he so desires. He has a brother residing overseas to connect to his father’s homeland. President Obama’s connection to true African American culture is through his wife Michelle who is actually a generational American of African descent.

What the president did for Americans is to introduce the notion that race should not matter. It seems that African Americans are so psychologically distressed culturally as a group that they will African-Americanize any and every person with African bloodlines—whether from slavery ancestrally or Africa itself!

Tiger Woods

Source

Asked to Declare His Race, Obama Checks ‘Black’
A White House spokesman confirmed that Mr. Obama, the son of a black father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas, checked African-American on the 2010 census questionnaire.

It is no surprise that so many shades of African Americans exist with so many hair textures. Bi-racial and multi-racial people who have African ancestry are not allowed to express their unique heritage without ridicule. Even if, say, Tiger Woods says he is not African American, that group will claim him by default.

In 1997, Tiger woods attempted to except himself from the African-American community at large and defined himself. Silly man!

People are not allowed to define themselves in American society! Regardless of what he decided to call his ethnic and racial disposition, most of the world labels him Black.

President Obama slyly avoided racial remarks about his origin--the thing that Tiger Woods should have done on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1997.

When asked by Oprah did having the label of "African American" thrown at him bother him he admitted, “It does...I'm just who I am, whoever you see in front of you.”

"I'm just who I am, whoever you see in front of you."

The issue with Tiger Woods statement is that he did not leave it at that. He proceeds to describe what he IS when what people SEE in front of them is a light-complexioned Black man.

President Obama did what Mr. Woods should have done. He let people describe what they saw and did not pander to any direction. People saw, eventually, an African American president; no, an American president with African-American ethnicity and racial social classification.

Black People Claim Everybody

Source

Why all this grabby behavior by this Group of Americans?

The simple answer is the past is not a proud one for this group. Millions of people were purchased by Europeans and taken to the American continent against their wills.

In The Truth about Being Black in America can be found a perspective on the psychological implication of this past of servitude. In it is a term coined for the article called Collective Social Regard or CSR. CSR can be applied to any group but fits specifically well with African Americans because of their unique, singular and peculiar history.

Since the past is such a negative matter for this group of Americans, it claims as much of the present and future that it can to fill the void of cultural heritage.

In America, some of these citizens go so far as to try to create alternate cultural heritages to differ extremely from the majority, Caucasians. The irony about diverging in such a way is that the new cultures are based on European values, and not those of the mysterious Africans forced to emigrate in ships.

African Americans are a uniquely American group through and through. This group has a heritage that even the Native Americans can not equal because their ancestors migrated here by land and sea—by choice!

No other group was forced as an entire race of thousands of ethnicities to relocate, as were African Americans with the additional suppression of their culture and language. Few other groups or races. if any other. in American history survived cultural genocide committed against them, as the African American.

The election of President Obama for two terms proves that racial barriers can be overcome by minorities grounded in his or her history and comfortable with his or her heritage as is President Obama. Culturally, he and his family are similar enough to the majority to appeal to their humanity.

In addition, as a bi-racial man in a European culture, President Obama had to bear his burden of ridicule from both Black people and White people. He had to decide with which group he identified most and hopefully be accepted into that group. He struggled with identity issues and found that he identified with African Americans. His struggle was real and personal though his heritage was not of slave stock.

Will the son (or daughter) of a slave ever be president of these United States? Will a person who has ancestral stories of sharecropping after the Emancipating Proclamation was put forth by the Great and Honorable President Abraham Lincoln gain such lofty heights? Does it matter if that ever happens because a minority won the race? The answer to those questions depends on the perspective from which the reader views these words.

Source

When Americans voted, they voted for a president of the United States of America.

Americans did not vote for a Black president. Barack Obama did not run as a Black candidate. In meetings of some African Americans around the nation, certain expressions can be heard that are acridly describing the president calling him the head N**ger in charge.

Statements by comedians who say, “You know how WE do,” implying that there is some difference in the methods of enjoyment, style, life or integrity of Blacks as opposed to other races and ethnicities.

There well may be many cultural differences. Those differences are not a conviction that the “WE” are honorable and praiseworthy people.

President Obama means so much to African-Americans because he represents something good and positive like unto Martin Luther King, Jr.

Source

Conclusion

The former president will always be to African-Americans the face of freedom in America. Maybe one day, some minority woman of Mexican ancestry will rise to popularity and represent the Latinos. Will the Latinos accept this person if he or she is born in the US Puerto Rico, with one parent from Spain and the other parent with Mexican heritage? For now, the spotlight is on President Trump, which to many seems like a step backward in "post-racist" America.

Place of Discovery

2018-11-16T13:43:00.001-07:00

In life sometimes we can be refugees or outcasts due to persistent struggle. It is a strange way to look at things being that so many people are refugees seeking amnesty from one country or another. Individually as we seek amnesty from the trials of life, some of us seek amnesty in a drug or an alcoholic beverage finding it to be a trap worse than the thing originally causing a need for sanctuary!

Sweet as it can be, life Will have challenges, challenges potentially able to chase away the choicest chances of renewal and reward down paths that prove difficult to course correct. Notions arising that lead us to seek escape from life because of with what we are challenged overwhelms us to the point where we cannot be the hero of our own life story, warrants a reflective moment or more to reevaluate the purpose of life.

Why are we here? Where are we going? What is my true origin? Levels of discovery in these questions take us on emotional journeys and religious quests to find the centering answers that allow us the psychological steadfastness to endure and prevail. Short or long, easy or hard the journey to discovery is often where we find ourselves as we proceed to the eventual destination.

Journeying despite the factors of fraught littering the path has revealed personally who I am and who I want to be as I walk along the way outcast at times from life. What is that, pray, tell? I am a child of God. He has sent me here to Earth. He has given me a home with parents and siblings. Now I am a parent with children kind and dear to me.

I started a journey to Utah that led me down a path to see the destination God revealed to me as the stepping stones to a greater recognition of living--who I needed to be at that point. The stones are firm, but the water from which they provide me a dry crossing is cold because often do I fall in and have to start the trek across the waters anew. Feeling failure, a good instructor, God shows me, being outcast is sometimes the means of finding out with a vengeance that I am one of His chosen if I will have Him.

I, Refugee - The Hero of My Life Story. I want you to know reader, that I was at the lowest point of discouragement I could be and still call myself a Christian when we started this Utah journey. This is the first installment of being trapped in Utah.

Tales from Umtata: Golden Investigator

2018-10-29T16:35:00.002-07:00

Missionary Experiences Are What You Make Them

As missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we take the opportunity to study the gospel daily so that we may use that knowledge to lead people to Christ. Being a missionary does not exempt us from our human frailty, however. My weakness is in full bloom this morning.

Wake up Elder Johnson,” Shouts Elder Thompson gleefully. “It’s time for comp’ study.”

Glaring momentarily at him, I roll around n bed a bit before rising. Elder Thompson wakes me up in the middle of such a beautiful dream, resentment. I had a new companion in my dream.

It was no secret that Elder Thompson and I have friction in our companionship, except to Elder Thompson. I hide it from him out of resentment. Younger than I am and chippier every day, I envy.

“What are we going to study today, Elder,” I said attempting to hide the irritation in my voice. Not that it matters. This guy is so oblivious to my issues with him. Or is he?

Elder Thompson furrows his brow and suggests, “The first discussion. If we study it today, we will teach it.”

Resentment and all, I believe him. Tossing the word out there so often is annoying, but I resent him because he is such a good person even though I want him to be evil so that I could feel justified in being upset with him. I cannot stay upset long. He is too cheerful! I am not a morning person. He is not a good leader either. I have a detailed list of all his flaws. All of them!

After Breakfast and personal study, we go over the plan for today. We were told that planning in the morning is highly effective. We want, if nothing else, to be productive. So, we plan to do some street contacting for the morning and service at the Hospital counting pills. We scheduled a few appointments with the hope that they will not fall through. We have no backup plan because the concept eludes Elder Thompson.

I am his “Greenie,” and I resent it! Did I say I resent it? I really resent it!

After coordinating some last-minute plans with the other two Elders in the boarding, Elder Danisa, and Elder Streadbeck, we shove off to start our day. About noon, we return to the boarding to lunch for two hours—planning not to return for dinner.

Elder Thompson and I are off to work. All of our appointments seem to be canceling as we get to their homes! On top of that, we walk in the sweltering sun uphill both ways! How is that even possible! Only in Umtata (Mthatha now)!

Well, okay, maybe not both ways—but it feels like it. After rescheduling all of the appointments, Elder Thompson suggests that we tract Singqangana Crescent. (When saying this word, Singquangana, the "q" makes a popping sound. Xhosa is an exciting and beautiful language!) I agree fully expecting to find some good people to teach. finally. Resentment is at an all-time low due to the heat and tiresome walking.

The Heat Beats Down.

We two, heads high, armed for battle, marched up to the first house to begin our adventure. Every door we go to no parents are home or they cannot speak English! A few said "No," which is uncommon in Xhosa Culture when it comes to having messengers of God. I remember that day like it was this morning, though it was 20 years in the past.

Discouraged, we shoved on with little faith in finding anyone. We tracted for 5 hours and it was getting dark. Elder Thompson wanted to turn back and do something more effective but we resolved to tough it out until the end of that long uphill street. After a few more rejections or no contacts, I gave up and wanted to go home. I was sick of no success. Elder Thompson felt the same way, but he looked at me, and then looked up the street. We had five more houses, and we wanted to get them.

“Let’s just do a few more,” he said. “We might have some success.”

“Well, if we are going to have success, we are teaching at the next house.”

“We will teach at this next house,” promised Elder Thompson with determination wanting to get a good investigator for us to teach. (A person interested in our message was an investigator. Missionaries call the friends where I live currently.) We had prayed for such an experience. We hoofed it to the door and knocked but no answer. As we, crestfallen, moved to leave, the door crept open revealing the face of a lovely middle-aged Xhosa woman. She regarded us intently waiting for us to explain our presence at her door at such an hour in the night, about 7 pm.

Spiritual High

“We are missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-days Saints,” began Elder Thompson. “We have a message about a plan that God has for us to be happy and we want to share it with you and your family. Would you be interested?”

“O yes, I would like for you to share it with us, but I have nowhere for you to sit. In our house live others who I let out to (rent), and my family and I only use this one room.”

“We don’t mind,” I said. “We are here to share with you not for comfort, but out of love.”

“Is your husband home,” asked Elder Thompson.

“No, I am divorced,” she responded. Red flags went off in our minds. We knew better than to enter a woman’s home without a male escort with us. It would look shady to the neighbors and our Mission President. Something burned inside of us to teach, though.

“Can we teach you outside before the night becomes too dark,” says Elder Thompson.

English was not her first tongue, though she spoke it beautifully. Elder Thompson and I had grown into the habit of speaking very simply and directly among our Xhosa-speaking family. So, if the dialogue seems contrived, it is.

“Yes," she responded agreeing to meet with us, "On my stoop. I will get you some chairs and I will sit on the stoop.” She went inside. We looked at each other, knowing our goal to teach families. We questioned each other with our eyes.

We walked around the house to the open area where the stoop was, “Do you think we should teach her," I asked.

“Yeap.”

“I do too, I hope it goes well.”

We sat well in the open where neighbors and passersby could see and commenced the introduction of ourselves and the discussion, the first discussion. Immediately the Spirit attended us. Her name is Nomakwasi Magwensthu and she listened to us. I felt as if my heart would burst with joy as I spoke and listened—bearing testimony of my companion’s words and those of my own.

She believed all. I asked, "If we gave you a copy of The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, will you read it?”

“Yes, but I cannot have it now.” I was crushed by her response. Did she not feel the spirit, I questioned internally? “I will take it later because I have no money to pay for it now. How much does it cost? I will send my son after it.” Immediately my soul delighted again.

“Nothing,” answered Elder Thompson gleefully, “It is a free gift to you from us.”

With that, she took the book, hugged it, and caressed it. We continued with the discussion and scheduled another appointment to follow up. With that discussion, we knew a baptism would come. Our walk downhill to our boarding seemed almost effortless as we floated on the feelings we experienced just moments before at Sister Magwentshu’s. My respect and love for Elder Thompson increased and my acrimonious thoughts of him ceased too.

Street Contacting On Umtata's (Mthatha) Town Square. Missionary Stories.

2018-10-22T02:28:00.002-07:00

One of the hottest days that I could remember is in February, the middle of summer in South Africa! Being a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was one of the dreams of my life I fulfilled as I went about with Elders Thompson, Streadbeck, and Danisa doing community service at the medicine dispensary counting pills and putting them in bottles.

The city, Umtata (now Mthatha), was always alive with pedestrian activity in the center of town near the government buildings. We four headed there to do some street contacting to tell any interested passerby that we had a life-changing message to share.

Any and everybody who is anybody passed through that town center in front of the courthouse on business—at least once a week. So of course, it was the best place to open our mouths to the public.

As usual, we four prayed and separated to do our work. We always made sure we remained within earshot of each other, but on this particular day, earshot rules proved challenging to keep. Missionaries follow rules that protect them from things, kidnappings, and scandals in the local area that would cause the locals not to listen or trust them and the Church. The rules also help to keep the Church out of the news in the wrong ways due to the misbehavior of its representatives.

Street contacting was not one of the things I enjoyed doing because of the rejection that usually followed and how public and embarrassing those rejections could become. Being a new missionary at the time, I really did not want to be out there. Cold-calling with faces is what I called it--my face to another person's face who might spit in mine!

Remembering that I was there to share the truths that I had come to know because I loved God, I pressed forward. "Excuse me, sir," I said to a smartly dressed man walking in the courtyard in front of the Courthouse. "I am a missionary from the Church of--"

"I no English," was his brisk reply as he moved on dismissively.

"Excuse me, Sir," I said to the next man near me. "I have a message from the Lord!"

"You are so young to teach me emfana (young man)," the other man laughingly retorted before moving passed me with an incredulous smirk on his face. I hate rejection.

Rejection was not so bad in Umtata (Mthatha). It came so infrequently because of the pleasant nature of the Xhosa people that I learned to look past it. Those who did accept my invitation were not precisely the ones I targeted. Black Americans did not frequent Umtata. I was a novelty. That little bit of celebrity would get attention as the people strained at my message only to get a chance to speak to a Black American.

I recorded their names and weeded them out by inviting them to Church. If they pitched up at Church, we would teach them the message we promised would bring them joy in life. The ones whom we targeted, capable men, I hesitated to pitch on occasion. We were discriminant of whom we tried to actively teach. Such discrimination was not due to any belief that boys, women, or girls would not add value to the Church. We proceeded that way so that we could find men with wives and children who could, as a family unit, explore the Gospel together. That was our goal, families. We targeted men because women tend to be more willing to seek out the missionaries on their own. The best way to get to whole families was through the husband, we determined.

In this mode of discrimination, I found myself when I jolted at a sight. There I stood in a suit in the sweltering hot sun of South Africa when my estranged girlfriend walked up! At least that is who she reminded me of the moment I saw her. I spoke to her.

"Hello," She said. "What are you doing out here?"

"I'm sharing a message about Jesus Christ,” I returned overcoming my amazement. I saw two gentlemen pass by who looked as if they would speak to me, but saw I was engaged with this young woman of marital age and moved on. Frustration began to well up inside of me because this woman made it hard for me to think clearly.

"That is good,' she continued."I too am going about speaking of God and His word."

Deciding to make the best of this I said, "So what church do you belong to?"

"Jehovah’s Witness, I go to the Kingdom Hall"

Yes! I shouted within myself. If I tell her I'm a "Mormon," (though we prefer to be called members of the Church we belong to) she will run away in fear. "Really, I have an older brother in that church? I am a Mormon." She did not move.

“I attend The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormons.” Still, she did not move.

“What church is that?” she returned interrogatively.

She had a smile on her face and she kept the sweat from her eyes with a white kerchief. I thought profoundly of my estranged love and how much I missed her; but also on my mind were the dozens of potential priesthood holders passing me by as I explained things to this woman, who looked like the woman I loved!

Also, Jehovah's Witnesses tended to not appreciate "Mormon" Missionaries in the United States. Apparently, that was not the case in the good old Republic of South Africa, RSA!

For some reason, my companion had not rescued me from this lengthy conversation with the girlfriend look-alike. The rule is if the conversation went too long, the other missionary would come and join the conversation or save the other from mobs, which Elder Thompson had to do several times for me. But he was engaged with someone too!

The purpose of this young woman was to convert me to her beliefs. I could tell after a few minutes. She and others of her faith were in the square competing for proselytes,, and I was the enemy. Her whole purpose was to keep me occupied as the others sought out candidates after she discovered I was in direct competition with her beliefs.

“Elder Johnson," called Elder Thompson finally coming to my aid after the woman left. "How come you did not end the conversation and move on?" I had moved out of his eyesight during my interview with the South African girlfriend doppelganger.

I shrugged it off, and he never let me too far from his sight again. I think I may have mentioned to him later how much that lady looked like my "waiting for me unofficially" girlfriend. I learned that day that polite conversation is good, unless you are a missionary, and the person you speak to is a replica of the woman whom you left in the States missing severely!

The Book of Russell M. Nelson

2018-10-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

Russell M. Nelson President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Source

Chapter One

Revelation given to President Russell M. Nelson of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. President Nelson explains why correcting the Church name is important. If it is Christ's church it must be called in His name. The premortal nature of Christ, His suffering, resurrection, and redemption of man. Saints must help correct the name of the Church among themselves and others. God will bless the Saints for obeying.

My beloved brothers and sisters, on this beautiful Sabbath day we rejoice together in our many blessings from the Lord. We are very grateful for your testimonies of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, for the sacrifices you’ve made to stay on or return to His covenant path, and for your consecrated service in His Church.
Today I feel compelled to discuss with you a matter of great importance. Some weeks ago, I released a statement regarding a course correction for the name of the Church.1 I did this because the Lord impressed upon my mind the importance of the name He decreed for His Church, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.2
As you would expect, responses to this statement and to the revised style guide3 have been mixed. Many members immediately corrected the name of the Church on their blogs and social media pages. Others wondered why, with all that’s going on in the world, it was necessary to emphasize something so “inconsequential.” And some said it couldn’t be done, so why even try? Let me explain why we care so deeply about this issue. But first let me state what this effort is not:
It is not a name change.
It is not rebranding.
It is not cosmetic.
It is not a whim.
And it is not inconsequential.
Instead, it is a correction. It is the command of the Lord. Joseph Smith did not name the Church restored through him; neither did Mormon. It was the Savior Himself who said, “For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”4
Even earlier, in AD 34, our resurrected Lord gave similar instruction to members of His Church when He visited them in the Americas. At that time He said:
“Ye shall call the church in my name. …
“And how be it my church save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses’ name then it be Moses’ church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church.”5
Thus, the name of the Church is not negotiable. When the Savior clearly states what the name of His Church should be and even precedes His declaration with, “Thus shall my church be called,” He is serious. And if we allow nicknames to be used or adopt or even sponsor those nicknames ourselves, He is offended.
What’s in a name or, in this case, a nickname? When it comes to nicknames of the Church, such as the “LDS Church,” the “Mormon Church,” or the “Church of the Latter-day Saints,” the most important thing in those names is the absence of the Savior’s name. To remove the Lord’s name from the Lord’s Church is a major victory for Satan. When we discard the Savior’s name, we are subtly disregarding all that Jesus Christ did for us—even His Atonement.
Consider this from His perspective: Premortally, He was Jehovah, God of the Old Testament. Under the direction of His Father, He was the Creator of this and other worlds.6 He chose to submit to the will of His Father and do something for all of God’s children that no one else could do! Condescending to come to earth as the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh, He was brutally reviled, mocked, spit upon, and scourged. In the Garden of Gethsemane, our Savior took upon Himself every pain, every sin, and all of the anguish and suffering ever experienced by you and me and by everyone who has ever lived or will ever live. Under the weight of that excruciating burden, He bled from every pore.7All of this suffering was intensified as He was cruelly crucified on Calvary’s cross.
Through these excruciating experiences and His subsequent Resurrection—His infinite Atonement—He granted immortality to all and ransomed each one of us from the effects of sin on condition of our repentance.
Following the Savior’s Resurrection and the death of His Apostles, the world plunged into centuries of darkness. Then in the year 1820, God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith to initiate the Restoration of the Lord’s Church.
After all He had endured—and after all He had done for humankind—I realize with profound regret that we have unwittingly acquiesced in the Lord’s restored Church being called by other names, each of which expunges the sacred name of Jesus Christ!
Every Sunday as we worthily partake of the sacrament, we make anew our sacred promise to our Heavenly Father that we are willing to take upon us the name of His Son, Jesus Christ.8We promise to follow Him, repent, keep His commandments, and always remember Him.
When we omit His name from His Church, we are inadvertently removing Him as the central focus of our lives.
Taking the Savior’s name upon us includes declaring and witnessing to others—through our actions and our words—that Jesus is the Christ. Have we been so afraid to offend someone who called us “Mormons” that we have failed to defend the Savior Himself, to stand up for Him even in the name by which His Church is called?
If we as a people and as individuals are to have access to the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ—to cleanse and heal us, to strengthen and magnify us, and ultimately to exalt us—we must clearly acknowledge Him as the source of that power. We can begin by calling His Church by the name He decreed.
For much of the world, the Lord’s Church is presently disguised as the “Mormon Church.” But we as members of the Lord’s Church know who stands at its head: Jesus Christ Himself. Unfortunately, many who hear the term Mormon may think that we worship Mormon. Not so! We honor and respect that great ancient American prophet.9 But we are not Mormon’s disciples. We are the Lord’s disciples.
In the early days of the restored Church, terms such as Mormon Church and Mormons10 were often used as epithets—as cruel terms, abusive terms—designed to obliterate God’s hand in restoring the Church of Jesus Christ in these latter days.11
Brothers and sisters, there are many worldly arguments against restoring the correct name of the Church. Because of the digital world in which we live and with search engine optimization that helps all of us find information we need almost instantly—including information about the Lord’s Church—critics say that a correction at this point is unwise. Others feel that because we are known so widely as “Mormons” and as the “Mormon Church,” we should make the best of it.
If this were a discussion about branding a man-made organization, those arguments might prevail. But in this crucial matter, we look to Him whose Church this is and acknowledge that the Lord’s ways are not, and never will be, man’s ways. If we will be patient and if we will do our part well, the Lord will lead us through this important task. After all, we know that the Lord helps those who seek to do His will, just as He helped Nephi accomplish the task of building a ship to cross the sea.12
We will want to be courteous and patient in our efforts to correct these errors. Responsible media will be sympathetic in responding to our request.
In a previous general conference, Elder Benjamín De Hoyos spoke of such an event. He said:
“Some years ago while serving in the office of public affairs of the Church in Mexico, [a companion and I] were invited to participate in a radio talk show. … [One of the program directors] asked [us], ‘Why does the Church have such a long name? …’
“My companion and I smiled at such a magnificent question and then proceeded to explain that the name of the Church was not chosen by man. It was given by the Savior. … The program director immediately and respectfully responded, ‘We will thus repeat it with great pleasure.’”13
That report provides a pattern. One by one, our best efforts as individuals will be required to correct errors that have crept in through the years.14 The rest of the world may or may not follow our lead in calling us by the correct name. But it is disingenuous for us to be frustrated if most of the world calls the Church and its members by the wrong names if we do the same.
Our revised style guide is helpful. It states: “In the first reference, the full name of the Church is preferred: ‘The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.’ When a shortened [second] reference is needed, the terms ‘the Church’ or the ‘Church of Jesus Christ’ are encouraged. The ‘restored Church of Jesus Christ’ is also accurate and encouraged.”15
If someone should ask, “Are you a Mormon?” you could reply, “If you are asking if I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, yes, I am!”
If someone asks, “Are you a Latter-day Saint?”16 you might respond, “Yes, I am. I believe in Jesus Christ and am a member of His restored Church.”
My dear brothers and sisters, I promise you that if we will do our best to restore the correct name of the Lord’s Church, He whose Church this is will pour down His power and blessings upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints,17 the likes of which we have never seen. We will have the knowledge and power of God to help us take the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people and to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord.
So, what’s in a name? When it comes to the name of the Lord’s Church, the answer is “Everything!” Jesus Christ directed us to call the Church by His name because it is His Church, filled with His power.
I know that God lives. Jesus is the Christ. He leads His Church today. I so testify in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Source

The Correct Name of the Church - By President Russell M. Nelson
The Correct Name of the Church - By President Russell M. Nelson

Verses Added.

First Step in True Pattern of Prayer - Address God

2018-10-08T11:46:00.001-07:00

"Father in Heaven ..."

Source: www.fanpop.com

Seeking Out God, Calling On Him in Prayer is Firststep to Making Sure Our Prayers Are Heard

When addressing God, call Him!

It is common courtesy to call the name of the person to whom we speak when we begin a conversation with that person. God is no different in this respect. We give Him the same respect that we afford each other. We should call on Heavenly Father in prayer by His title of Heavenly Father, Father, or God.

Now, there are times when there is the understood address to God. The understood address is when we address our thoughts to the person and just start speaking--usually, because that person is the only one in the room, or because we are with that person in some respect.

God can be addressed in this manner also, as I have often addressed my thoughts to Him and started speaking. However, it is preferable to call on Him.

The sad but true fact that devils can hear spoken prayers and even answer them warrants that we specify to whom we speak so that we cannot be deceived. It is also important to develop a long-term relationship with God so that when we call Him we know and recognize His voice when we hear it.

His voice is a still small voice of a tender parent that we must seek and be familiar with when we pray. God does hear our prayers and answers when we call on Him.

As often as children call parents by name to get their attention, we should call Father in Heaven to focus on His attention.

God is our Father

We refer to Him as Father in Heaven. Jesus in John 20:17 is recorded instructing Mary after revealing Himself to her following His resurrection

"... go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God." Among other things Christ taught, he revealed implicitly that God the Father is the Father of all of humankind.

He is the father of our spirits. Before everything was created physically, it was spiritually created--including us! God revealed to Moses that before he created anything physically upon the earth, he organized it spiritually (Moses 3:5).

Adam and Eve are the sources of all the physical bodies indirectly that came following them making us all cousins. God is the source of our spirits making us all siblings. There is no ancestor who separates us from God.

We are His direct and immediate family spiritually. We are siblings. As such, we have the same Father in Heaven whom we should address as such.

Think of the children in our lives and how often they call on a parent's name. As a parent, I hear from my six children my name from the time they awake until they are asleep. Sometimes I hear my name in the night!

As often as children call parents by name to get their attention, we should call Father in Heaven to focus on His attention.

It makes sense to call God by name when considering His parental responsibility to us. Knowing God is understanding that He is our Father. Knowing that He is our Father helps us to also know that He will listen and answer when we call Him.

We may also call Him Lord or God.

It is important when speaking to Him that we call His name so that we direct our attention towards Him. As an all-powerful being, God knows all things.

He knows when we are speaking to Him because He knows our hearts and can sense our thoughts. Even with that knowledge, He acts for us when we address Him properly.

As a part of the Plan of Salvation that God has created for us, God allows us to experience life as it comes. During this experience of life, we are expected to call on Him in prayer to communicate with Him.

Seeking out God and calling on Him in prayer is the first step to making sure our prayers are heard.

Recap on the Step of Prayer:

So the first step is to Address God in prayer.
The second step is to Thank God for what he has already given.
The third step is to Ask God for the things that we need and want.
The fourth step is to Close in the Name of Jesus Christ.

Cycle of Success

2018-10-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

Greetings Cyber Friends!

The cycle of success is the culmination of all the failures and work it takes to succeed. It may seem odd that failure is a part of success. We learn through experiences, personal and researched, the things needed to achieve our successes in life. Some of us learn earlier and faster than others of us.

What can we learn from this little perspective? We can learn that no one, NO ONE can succeed without a support system. The constitution of a support system may differ depending on the field, needs, and personality of the person but it must exist. From criminal networks to the church hierarchy, a support system reigns supreme for it to operate.

When thinking about others and how we compare to them, we should look at our support system and see how well it works to enhance our natural talents. Sometimes the system that we think supports us, actually cripples our creative drives. It may not be that a person is a failure even though he has a support system, but the wrong one!

Also, we should compare support systems only enough to enhance our own. We should avoid the ills of avarice--to want what others have in an unhealthy way. We should enjoy the habit of justifiable acquisitiveness. Instead of coveting what others have. we long to work at achieving our own version of success.

As cliche as it is, we all have a version of success we can obtain along the cycle of success. We need to make sure we have the right type of support system to achieve it, and be satisfied within our own version of it. If we could all be Bill Gates, then his success cycle would not be exceptional. We can all be like Bill Gates in that we can excel within the limits of our spheres growing within our own cycles of success.

It may be a hard pill to swallow admitting to not being good at something, but once it is swallowed, the pill makes us feel so much better and we can enjoy what we have more. Once we appreciate what we have, then comes the opportunity to expand as our support system grows and our cycle of success involves fewer failures.

What is the secret of success? It is gratitude. It is also preparation, willingness to work and ability to accept failure and limitations. Ultimately, the secret of success is the willingness to fail and learn from it.

I should be about to have my moment,

because I have been great at failure for so long,

I am bound to succeed!

Kidding aside, as long as we are willing to fail and learn, we have the ability to succeed. It is an eventuality though. Let us not give up because we cannot do it right, right now or just like Bill Gates. Let us learn what works for us and what doesn't. Let us be willing to explore the unexpected and build on the wisdom of others. Let's be glad we have what we have and seek to enhance it one cycle at a time until we build a better support system.

If we all received what we wanted instantly, the struggle to achieve it lacking, the responsibility of it will crush us.

Which Comes First? Thought? or Language?

2018-10-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

I was asked to respond to a question, which came first; the chicken or the egg... err, language or thought.

My first reaction to this was, "Wow, somebody wants me to answer a question! Me!"

My second thought was, "Am I being mocked?"

My third thought was, "That seems kinda obvious."

And a bunch of thoughts later, "I will write it!"

Thought Came First

Seriously and somberly I submit that thought comes first if we are speaking strictly from the scientific point of view.

Biologically the brain is developed first as a human develops in the womb because it regulates all the function of the other organs that form afterward.

The bio-electrical impulses that communicate throughout human bodies control unconscious functions before perceptive currents form in the brain.

So, though it may not be popularly thought of as thought, the bio-electric currents that ride the information highway of our bodies are rudimentary thought impulses; therefore thought indeed.

I wonder how many times I could use thought in a sentence?

I thought she thought the thoughts I thought were thought to reflect the thoughts of thoughtful thoughts.

Eight is enough right? Anyway... So, Rodric's science reasons that thought comes first by a biological construct for number one

Source: www.desicomments.com

Language Not Necessary For Thought

Besides being the first thing to form, the brain also functions without language initially. Think about a baby newly hatched... I mean born.

A newborn communicates when it comes out feelings of probably cold, disorientation, soreness, and hunger--all without saying or thinking any words. He or she probably follows instinctive drives to feed and seek comfort. At least that's what my seven did when they came screaming into the world.,

Ergo, thoughts come first for two.

Spiritual For Three

Depending on your religious preference, you may have special and sacred beliefs. I know I do. I believe we lived before we were born here on earth.

I believe that God is the creator of our spirits and the literal Father of us all. I also believe as spirits we had mouths and brains, you know, spirit brains and mouths.

I also suspect, not believe, that our spirits were always adult and could speak. So from my perspective language, spirit language could have come first.

But, but (as in hold on there now)...

God had to say let there be light first, and thoughts proceed action! So it is unanimous. Thought came first!

((((applause!))))

The chicken came first too. Somebody had to lay the egg!

And lucky for me, I can use my beliefs to not have to argue about the origins of the chicken!. God took some dirt and made it!

So dirt actually came first then?

My Conclusion!

Thought without language is a common experience with which all humans begin. I Speak therefore I am does not sound as good or make as much sense as I think, therefore I am.

Shooting of Black Men

2018-09-24T01:30:00.000-07:00

The fatalities of Black men paraded around the news and within the causes of minority groups to satisfy popular media instead of correcting the problem of how to change the antecedent stimulus only precipitates a problem that will lead to cultural wars and more rioting.

February 26, 2012, marks the tragic end of the life of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin at the hands of a neighborhood watch member, George Zimmerman.

What a travesty of a great program to protect our neighborhoods--marred by such a situation, reminding us that no system of protection exists without the flaws of humanity twisting their ways into the works. What a tragedy in the loss of life; one to the grave and the other to social derision.

As unfortunate as the death of this Florida teen is and ever will be, opponents of the “Stand Your Ground” policies that permit citizens to use force, deadly force to protect themselves in the event of threats use the Martin family tragedy to advance rhetoric to remove it.

Further, this tragedy is complicated by racially charged groups jockeying for a voice in the matter to claim Zimmerman executed the youth due to racial motives rather than shooting while defending himself. Zimmerman was on trial a year later.

A year later and after blatant tarnishing of Trayvon Martin’s memory extended to the august chambers of the United States legislators as one congressperson, Bobby Rush, donned apparel similar to the youth in protest to racial profiling—though the rules of Congress prohibit such demonstrations has faded into history other stories of violence paint the American collective mind with sorrow and anxiousness.

Gov. Deval Patrick, A continued plague of social warfare?

Race may have been a factor in the slaying of the men by police officers. The societal evidence that a large percentage of criminals in the justice system are minorities, with an overwhelming percentage disproportionately African Americans when compared to the 12 to 15 percent Blacks comprise of the US population supports the misconception that Blacks are inherently criminal. Michael Brown and Ferguson... Nothing has changed.

Historical and cultural norms have not progressed enough to assuage the long-held perceptions that people of color are inherently suspicious from the days of racial purity popularly held by the British influences of early America.

These deeply rooted cultural blots bleed into every aspect of American society and every cultural group—lending to the suspicion of minority groups that Caucasians secretly desire to oppress them.

Racism exists on both fronts. Minorities bastardize historical racism with comparisons to implied affronts, while Caucasians diminish or dismiss true instances of racism based on the rancorous claims of minorities that seem to surface so often.

Though morally unpopular, racism is not against the law. We are free to detest whom we will. When we attempt to uphold racist beliefs with action against any group to harm, then it is illegal. America is scarred with prejudice and change comes slowly, very much so.

“I’m sick of unarmed black men being shot by police. We have a great challenge in this country acknowledging the extraordinary progress we have made on race relations ... And at the same time, acknowledging how much remains to be done.” Boston Herald.

Racism?

Zimmerman may have acted on a preconceived belief about Black men in certain apparel when he followed the boy around the neighborhood in opposition to the 911 dispatcher’s advice before he reported defending himself; however, translating his crime into a race hate crime is at best suspect.

Can the same be said about the officers who choked Eric Garner until he passed away? Was his resistance to the police because of cultural norms that led to his death? Did Officer Daniel Pantaleo act on latent racist triggers or was the psychological impact of American culture in play?

Certain elements must be present to justify that accusation. What motivated him internally cannot be proven unless Daniel Pantaleo specifically states that his motivations for using his arrest technique on Garner were because of his African American heritage, or other evidentiary items surface.

In the Zimmerman/Martin situation, no one reported that Zimmerman is multiracial making it a minority-on-minority hate crime proven beyond doubt in a court of law that Trayvon did attack George and not a White against Black hate crime. Though such distinction is judicially moot, social perceptions treat the same matter differently.

In many reports, the items found with the Martin youth are stated with an undercurrent of accusation that lethal force was aggressive. The lack of witnesses to the incident and the psycho-social implication of Zimmerman’s name without reference to his racial identity automatically implant the idea in the collective psyche of America to take a position to fill the gap of information—for or against Zimmerman. A year later, has any of that changed?

This incident did not become the chagrin to the nation further socially. Rational people recognized racial potential evident to the case and avoided it. America has other things to worry about. Trayvon's family is still grieving. Thousands of families grieve because of the tactics of the policing systems in the United States.

The problem the police face is whether to respond with deadly force or not. When a person resists arrest as did many of the fatalities and most arrest ending with brutality, what are the cops to do?

Should they allow themselves to be killed or wounded? Mark Collins was shot and wounded in the line of duty by a Black man, Sheldon Leftenant. Collins was shot in his neck and hip. Rushed by helicopter to Stony Brook University Hospital, he lived.

Are Black men being hunted? Leftenant is gang affiliated. Are police officers being hunted? Did Sheldon allegedly shoot the officer in fear?

Death is tragic by itself. If Zimmerman’s claim is true, which it is decided that it is by the courts, he should not suffer for protecting himself against an aggressor just because that aggressor happens to be Black, and neither should cops suffer. BUT... they should be investigated pervasively!

The “Stand Your Ground” policy should never be in question, but the motives of those who would employ it to veil criminal acts are still out there!

How does it compare to the killing of unarmed Black men by police officers--something that has not decreased over time and is receiving more news? Did those police officers feel threatened by the men because of what they wore? Were the hands up to surrender a sign of aggression. Either way, another minority is shot and killed.

Shakespeare Has Nothing on Lehi!

2018-09-17T11:04:00.000-07:00

Reading in The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, I came across a passage of scripture, which many people claim proves that The Book of Mormon is a farce because Joseph Smith Junior must have plagiarized Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Lehi in despair over the souls of his children because at least two, Laman and Lemuel, did not express a sentiment to follow the commandments of God, feared for the salvation of their souls because he was shown in vision what things would befall his descendants. Due to the eventual wickedness of all of his sons' offspring, they would dwindle or languish in unbelief. According to Lehi, it all occurred because of the willful attitudes of Laman and Lemuel. He besought them to believe in God.

"Awake," implored Lehi in the energy of his soul at the plight of his sons and their future offspring! "And arise from the dust, and hear the words of a trembling parent, whose limbs ye must soon lay down in the cold and silent grave, from whence no traveler can return." This portion of the verse is where Joseph Smith is purported to have quoted Hamlet, therefore, proving the entire record of the Nephites a fraud and fiction! Poppycock! (2 Nephi 1:14)

This is what Shakespeare wrote as the character Hamlet giving an interpretive exposition on the meaning of life:

"Who would fardels bear," Hamlet questions speaking of the culmination of events or bundle of events called life, "To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death, The undiscovered country from whose bourn No traveler returns, puzzles the will And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of?" (Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1, page 4)

The modern text makes this more familiar to us as it reads, "Who would choose to grunt and sweat through an exhausting life, unless they were afraid of something dreadful after death, the undiscovered country from which no visitor returns, which we wonder about without getting any answers from and which makes us stick to the evils we know rather than rush off to seek the ones we don’t?" (Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1, page 4)

This part, "The undiscovered country from whose bourn No traveler returns.." is supposed to birth the words of Lehi which are, "...lay down in the cold and silent grave, from whence no traveler can return...."

Three words are similar, the words "no," "traveler," and "return." How does that prove Joseph Smith plagiarized Hamlet? Lehi was to lay down in a grave from which no traveler can return as an end-of-life event. Hamlet expressed that when people die, they will not return.

Just because they expressed similar sentiments does not mean that Joseph Smith must have invented the Book of Mormon makes it, therefore, false! That is ludicrous.

Also, the words of Lehi are more melodious and beautiful than those expressed by Shakespeare in the fake character of Hamlet. There is no comparison between the Book of Mormon and Hamlet. Shakespeare wishes he could have written as well as what Joseph Smith translated.

I suppose I am not impartial in this comparison. I enjoy Shakespeare's writings and the many works that are based on them. The Book of Mormon actually changed my life and continues to do so daily. I am sure Shakespeare would have appreciated the life-altering effect the words of the prophets from that book of scripture has on millions.

AND, even if Joseph Smith did use a sentiment from Hamlet during translation, it was three words. How is that quoting Hamlet? He basically said, when you die you don't come back! No one comes back. At the time Lehi expressed that sentiment for the majority of mankind it was true! There were exceptions of people who were raised from the dead, but it was uncommon. Just like if you fall from an airplane in our day with no parachute you die. There have been exceptions, but the rule for such an occurrence is death!

I digress. Hamlet is not quoted in The Book of Mormon.

Moroni Saw Me

2018-09-05T13:11:00.000-07:00

Moroni Saw Me: Hope is the essence of faith in things that are true. Through the challenges of life, a young boy journeys for peace, acceptance, and joy. The story is about budding faith that grows into the thriving flowers of hope with the guided hand of the divine. Rodric, the boy, finds challenges that seem constant with the loss of a loved one or the challenge of standing alone.

Longing for a paternal relationship he never gets, Rodric finds his Father in God as he turns to Him for support. He goes through humorous experiences, daring adventures and near-fatal rendezvous all with the same goal in mind, hope in something more, which he finds!

The boy grows into a man dealing with more love and loss and the realities of racism even in the face of religion. Finding faith alone is not enough urges him onward to discipleship as he suffers greatly to refine himself more to become like his Master Jesus Christ.

Experience the passion, the joy, the journey and the hope of one man under the prophetic eye of Moroni, an ancient American prophet who provided the guide that led Rodric to Christ. Hope is the driving force of the human condition to reach for greatness. Will it last? Yes! Reach with him!

I, Donald Trump

2018-09-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

I wasn't going to be public about this, but I changed my mind. When I went to the polls to vote for president, I received a strong impression to vote for Donald Trump. I did not do it.

I do not think that I disliked any presidential candidate more than him. I did not like him as a person before he even considered running for president. He, and I must say it honestly, is a Jerk to me. HE IS A JERK!

There is no BUT in this. He is a jerk. I have no idea why I received a prompting to vote for him except I prayed that God would put the right person in the presidential office for the job. I agree with his moral stances on marriage and family--issues like abortion. I just don't like HIM!

I could not listen to that prompting. It might have been God trying to tell me not to judge the man for his past. It didn’t occur to me until I read on Facebook under one of my favorite authors views a responder who experienced the same thing I did. She was prompted to vote for Trump. I think she was able to follow through with it. I am so prejudiced against him because of his behavior. When he is sworn into office, I will do my best to speak honorably of him, but I had to get it out that I hate his behavior. I am ashamed that he will represent me--especially if he does not shelve his bad behavior.

Why I did not Like Trump

I did not like Trump because I think he is rude, that's it. I do not dislike Bill Clinton, who is also a womanizer. Bill is not rude, though. I say all this because I am going to repent and pray that God helps me to not harbor so much contempt for this man.

I care that he might be racist. I care. I have lived, worked and worshiped with racist people my entire life. I expect people to be that way now. I have behaved that way on occasion. I think I dislike Trump so much because inside I am just like him and not man enough to admit it, even though I might have just done that. We often hate in others the weaknesses that are evident in ourselves.

It is really myself I Hate?

I do not celebrate such thoughts. If I am a racist, I Know I am working to change through the atonement of Jesus Christ, who will help me. Because I am a Black person, I can get away with writing this or saying it. I know I can because I have in the past. I want to say I DO NOT speak of any race in derision in public or private. I do, though. I joked about being Black in Church on Sunday! In church! I did the same thing about White people—knowing that my categorical statements were just jokes. But there is some truth behind every joke, whether it is my truth or a societal truth. So, I reflect on whether I genuinely harbor racist feelings toward Whites and others or even other Blacks—it is possible.

I could not vote for Trump because I am like him, or what I assume him to be—a racist, misogynistic, jerk. If I am really that, then maybe I should cleanse my inner vessel more so that I can see Trump clear enough. I don’t want to dislike myself, so I project on a scapegoat other than THE SCAPEGOAT, Jesus.

Charity of the Believer

Now, I have to give Trump the same love as I give myself. Sometimes it is hard to want to live my life as a Christian. I do not abuse myself for fleeting thoughts or misplaced statements. Why should I insult Trump for misplaced words? I do my best to keep my opinions hidden from others so they will not dislike me. I don’t tell people who are ugly, stupid, nasty and such that they are those things because I care about how it makes them feel, even it I think it is true. Wrong.

I do say my thoughts sometimes. I put my foot in my mouth more than I care to admit. That is why I find myself smiling and making jokes so much. I am trying not to be taken seriously so that people will dismiss my words if I slip up.

My heart is still heavy because of what I did almost 20 years ago as a missionary in South Africa to another missionary who showed me a picture of his sister. I told him she was the ugliest woman I had ever seen. It was not right, and there is more to the story, but does that not sound like Donald Trump?

I have repented and begged that person’s forgiveness, but I have still not forgiven myself completely. That is why I cannot stand Donald Trump. He is just like me. Well, maybe not just like.

I am trying to change. Maybe Donald is too.

Minimum Wage Hikes Create the New Slavery: Poverty

2016-11-11T14:04:00.000-07:00

In the great state of Arizona Proposition 206 passed which raises the minimum wage and dictates mandatory sick days for workers. I understand the mandatory sick days and agree with that part of the proposition.

http://www.abc15.com/

This IS wealth redistribution. The Government is trying to get the companies to cut costs in management instead of the little guy, the minimum wage earner. The problem with this is, why? I know as a business owner I would not keep my minimum wage laborers, my LEAST valued employees, at the expense of my income drivers--sellers, managers, supervisors, executives and such. Without them, there is no company! The reason why the minimum wage laborers are expendable is they have no value other than a cog in the machine to a company. Positions with minimum wage compensation are meant as platforms or springboards to higher paying and more important jobs. Move on, people! The minimum wage was not meant to be the end, but the beginning. I can replace minimum wage earners. They are NOT that important because they are easily irreplaceable.

As a Christian, it sounds harsh to admit that a person whose only contribution to the company is to mop floors or bag grocery is less important financially. It does not mean that they are less valuable as people—never. It means that the company values THEIR SERVICE less.

My arm is valuable to me. I would absolutely HATE to lose it under any circumstance because it would hurt and cripple my ability to do physical things. If I had to choose between keeping my arm or securing my life, goodbye arm! I can live with one arm, but I don’t want to do it. My arm is important to me. Employees are valuable to companies not matter their position, but some are more critical than others. I cannot live without my head. I cannot live without my nasal cavity or heart. Sure, there are EXCEPTIONS to the rule. People survive with brain matter missing. People have heart replacements. THE RULE, however, remains. Most will NEVER be exceptions.

As a business owner, which I am hoping to one day be, I would go overseas with my company if I could. I would not blame any business for leaving the States to keep costs down.

I do not believe in forced wealth redistribution.

I even thought about cutting cost by asking the more valuable employees to take a pay decrease to keep the minimum wage workers who do the least desirable jobs. No. Just because I care about people does not mean I will stop rewarding my employees who merit it. I do NOT agree that people who lack the ambition to rise above their circumstances should get something for nothing. I do support taking a pay decrease to save the company when necessary. The proposition has created necessity by infringing on the efforts of business owners. That is the beginning of communism. Can someone remember the USSR, please!

I started watching undercover boss recently. Many people, good people are working in low paying jobs. They struggle to make ends meet, but they work. These people are stuck because of life circumstances, handicap, or tragedy. In this show, the leaders of the companies decided to improve things for their workers, not by mandate from the government. Now I understand why the Founding Fathers did not trust the American people to vote directly for the president of the United States. Thank God this is a republic and not a real democracy.

If I am not mistaken, South Africa is a true democracy. If they decide to become a kingdom, all they have to do is have a majority vote. Thank heaven we don’t have that here!

I am poor, disabled, and earning beneath my potential. But I will be damned if I want the government to pay me to stay mediocre or less. What message does that send my kids? Rewarding people who do not try to excel does not help them. It creates a people who think only to rise above if someone gives them a handout. People want to help people who help themselves because it shows that the investment in the person they helped will amount to something.

The Principle of Truth

The truth of the matter is a handout is sometimes needed. I know I have received many handouts. But if that is all there is, just a handout, a culture of entitlement rises and fewer people exist to drive the market. I am a Christian man who believes in helping people. A true follower of Christ will provide a shelter for the homeless, food for the hungry, clothes for the naked, and comfort for the weary. HOWEVER, not in perpetuity. Even Jesus requires us to repent to benefit from His sacrifice for us. Just because He has the Grace to give does not mean He will not allow people to go to hell who do not meet his qualifications for heaven.

We have made it harder in Arizona to support ourselves, our poor. All the prices will rise over time, but they don’t have too. We have become accustomed to the idea that inflation has to be! It does not. WE cause it to occur by electing the proposition to support inflation. The system does not have to increase. The dollar does not have to decrease. Unfortunately, I am only one voice.

I want to be wealthy one day. Whether I reach that goal or not, I don’t want the government or voters to infringe on my dreams. Alas, my words are tinkling in people’s ears. We have made the choice. Every person who has earned a pay increase above minimum wage has been slapped in the face whether they realize it or not.

All minimum wage earners are slaves to what the government thinks of them now. Only the government can help them rise up. The government CAN help, but it will destroy so many by hiking up the minimum wage. I believe in government involvement, but this is not good. We need to find a way to overturn this through the courts like same gender marriage propositions. I get to marry any adult human, but I cannot pay his or her worth in skills without the government deciding it for me. Seems unfair. Rant over.

Media Produce Fear of Police

2016-10-29T13:17:00.001-07:00

My oldest son was outside with all of his friends as I pulled to a stop in our driveway.

One of his friends had parked in my usual spot, so I parked behind the car that they all worked on that night.

One of the kids greeted me with a hug, his normal custom, and told me to turn around.

He had a stern look on his face, which for this kid was uncommon but I thought that he was fooling with me as this and most friends of my son did often.

I think of them as my kids too when they are at my home and tell them as much.

“Dad (all my son's friends call me that),“ he finally prevailed upon me.

"You should really turn around," he said.

I did.

To my astonishment, a police officer stood behind me trying to get my attention.

A Police officer followed me home!

This happened in February of 2016.

He followed me without my knowledge to my house.

He did not turn on lights or try to gain my attention in any way other than when I exited the car.

What I imagined is the picture to the right.

The scene in my yard so distracted me—of the commotion of teens—that I did not notice the patrol car in my rearview mirror approaching.

The officer said, “Sir, I just wanted to let you know your right headlight is out.”

“Okay,” I muttered stunned, and a bit surprised that someone was behind me.

The man was one of those fit cop-types too.

The one you know knew some type of fighting style that could catch a criminal who darted away on foot.

“You have a good night sir,” he said leaving. I think he might even have smiled.

“You too,” I responded.

After he left, I grabbed the teen who alerted me, and I hugged him tightly with nervous laughter as if he was my rescuer from sudden death!

“I am so glad that you are White,” came the words out of my mouth!

“I do not know how this would have gone if you and all these other kids (who were also White) were not here.” He laughed, but I was serious.

I did not let on that I was serious about my involuntary reaction words following the departure of the officer to them.

I made a big show of how dangerous it is for me since I am Black and that cops shoot people like us.

I had them laughing as I left them to enter my home.

The officer was also a White person.

The officer I got was actually like the picture to the left.

One time in my life has the police detained me for looking

SUSPICIOUS

occurred in Nashville, GA because it was raining outside at night and I was running away from Judge Knight’s house.

I had gone there with my cousin to use the phone.

We then ran a quarter of a mile or so to the store where a patrol car pulled up, and the officers told us to wait there for our parents.

The officers were not mean.

We were kids, and we did what they said.

A neighbor had called out of concern because she saw two people running from the judge’s house when she knew that the judge’s wife was at home alone and ill.

That we were Black may have been an issue, but I could never know.

This neighbor would have called had anyone been running from the judge’s home.

Fast-forward to February 2016.

My first reaction was to thank God that there were White people in my yard!

I have never been hurt or insulted by the police.

I felt guilty.

He could have pulled me over and given me a ticket, but he did not.

He waited until I was safely in my yard.

He did not even yell at me but tried to gain my attention apologetically, and I returned his behavior with fear and distrust.

All of this is because I hear in the media that police shoot Black men, unarmed Black men.

I live in Arizona where most people seemed to be armed due to the state laws so I could say he was polite just in case I was carrying, legally carrying and he did not want to surprise me.

I could say that he saw the White people in my yard and decided not to harm me due to their presence.

I could say many things.

He probably didn’t even know I was Black until I exited the vehicle!

I am ashamed, though.

I am ashamed that I have started to distrust the police due to what I have seen on TV, heard on the radio, and viewed on YouTube.

It is this type of fear that I felt that causes people to believe things that are not true about others.

It causes prejudice.

Little by little, I am allowing the influence of the media to take away my trust in the police.

Heck, my wife has an uncle who is a detective!

He was an officer of the law for years before that.

I have acquaintances who are officers of the law!

I have never been arrested.

I received tickets and knew that I deserved them.

Thank God I have never met the cops who abuse their position.

Even if I did, I would be compliant.

Why was I afraid?

I feared because the media, in order to reach its goal to sell information, has fostered a culture of fear and prejudice.

They, the media, have taken true events and lambasted them across the information web so much that it has created hysteria.

The media is what caused the phenomenon that ended up being World War II!

Hitler used it to help win the election in Germany and start another Reich.

Media, stop supporting fear in my heart and inform me so that I can actually make a choice based on education and not emotion alone.

You have betrayed me Media.

Stop making me afraid of the police.

Stop polarizing the people!

Thanks to you REAL patriots of the world (all nations) who inform us of the truth—real reporters, journalists, and history recorders.

I love my USA REAL Patriots for giving the truth though you are small in number.

Thanks for keeping me honest about what is going on in society and with me.

Now I can guard against the apostasy of New Media.

Getting Personal With Christianity: Messages in Dreams

2016-10-29T12:42:00.000-07:00

I dreamed a dream that caused me to think that I will soon be disappointed by a church leader who I esteem highly and should
be prepared for it.

I know that telling the interpretation of the dream before revealing the dream is not the way Joseph, the 11th son of Israel did, but I felt that I wanted to get it out of the way before I started talking about the dream and talking of dreams in general.

I believe that God communicates to us not only by feelings in our hearts, impressions to our minds, or direct speech but also through dreams and vision. Since both dreams and visions are highly subjective and colored by the culture in which we live, God provides an interpreter of dreams.

The Gift of the Holy Ghost
The gift of the Holy Ghost is the privilege—given to people who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, been baptized, and been confirmed as members of the Church—to receive continual guidance and inspiration from the Holy Ghost.

How do I know my dream was from God? Well, it is simple. I have the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and I can discern if something pertaining to me is from God or just mental release of stored information, which is what dreams normally are.

I am not a prophet, nor do I claim special privilege that other people cannot have. I just know that the dream or the revelation has relevance to me and I am getting personal with my Christianity and sharing it here.

Also, I did meditate on it and inquired of God if it was okay for me to share my dream. I felt it would be okay. One thing I have learned when dealing with God is that He does not give me things if I cannot keep most of what is given sacred until I am instructed to share.

You know how crazy people would think I was if I shared everything that God gave to me? I am referring to other Christians who would think me insane--let alone the non-believers! If I say that God spoke to me last night, and I have before, I get the raised brow and the knowing nod.

If I say I felt like God was telling me something, I get approval--almost like if it came down to it I could recant it and say that I was mistaken without hurting my image or trying the faith of another person. I have misinterpreted things I have received too, but that is a different issue to be addressed.

God Always Does Things with Purpose.
God would not just give me a dream, an answer to a prayer, or commandment without there being a purpose behind it in some way towards my benefit and salvation. Now, that goes for everyone on the planet too.

Every revelation that is from God that humanity has the honor to read has come to us through necessity. Moses had his visions so that he could lead and teach the Israelites after hundreds of years of slavery to be a free people under God.

Joseph Smith had his visions to restore the Church of Christ on the earth with its accompanying priesthood authority from God. God waited on both men to be ready to receive His communications, as he does for all of us--He waits until we can handle it.

What we choose to do with the information after He gives it to us determines how much more He will give to us. The last thing He will do is overload us or overwhelm us with knowledge.

He wants us to be able to gain understanding, which is why I try unsuccessfully to live the Gospel perfectly. By that I mean, I don't repent each time I make a mistake right away; otherwise, I pray too much and ask for forgiveness to think I am going anywhere but Celestial Glory, but that is another topic.

What is the Dream! I know, I know...
There I was at the home of my stake president with my wife and kids. For some reason, we were there doing some type of activity with our families that I did not pay attention to very well. My wife and I were sitting in the same room with our stake president talking about some particular issue while the president had one of his small children, struggling with him to get the child to comply with some command. It looked like the child was resisting him as he tried to finish dressing him.

As I sat there listening to the president talk, he threw some mild profanity at the child. My wife then exclaimed an affectionate reprimand, "Oh, my Bishop."

She may have only said those words in the dream, but the president and I understood those three words to mean more. She preached a sermon of loving forgiveness and warning to try to be better.

In the dream, I understood her using the title of bishop instead of president since he was also our bishop before he became the stake president. It was a term of endearment so to speak. He understood the reprimand and apologized for using the language and my wife, and he moved on to discuss, whatever it was. I don't remember from the dream.

The president still struggled with the child who fought him on every angle. This same child spoke with us as an intelligent person but transformed between being a young child and an older one. He was very obstinate, but not wicked as I could tell from the feelings that came off of him.

The president let out a few strings of expletives, and I did not know how to receive him after that. I lowered my gaze away from him as he spoke further. My wife again reprimanded him in the words, "Oh, my Bishop!"

After speaking with us for some time, the president asked me, "Rod, what do you think?" He referred to the ongoing conversation we had of which I do not recall.

I reflected on his question for some time and then said. "I don't know. I can't get passed what you did. I cannot even make eye contact with you because I am so disappointed."

That was all I said, but since it was a dream, it was not all I communicated. In those words, I communicated that I was shocked that he would speak to his child in such a crude manner and yet expect me not to comment on it.

I communicated that I was ashamed and hurt by the experience because I was expected to view him still as a Christian leader to direct my spiritual paths. I communicated hurt and sheer shame!

He replied, "I understand and am glad that you were honest with your feelings."

That was all he said, but what I understood was him thanking me for being willing to point it out and be honest with him instead of glossing it over and having a bad experience later. He admitted to not being perfect and still struggling with life's issues though God had called him to be in the leadership position he held. He apologized sincerely and humbly sought my forgiveness, which I gave.

I left his home with my wife and family afterward feeling satisfied with him, but aware also that he was VERY human and in need of God's grace as much as anyone else.

That brings me back to:
I dreamed a dream that caused me to think that I will soon be disappointed by a church leader who I esteem highly and should be prepared for it.

The Lord gives multiple interpretations of Dreams and visions
After I thought about it for a while, I put myself in the position of the president and took all of that first impression out of my mind. One of my children became the me-character in the dream, but my wife remained the same.

I wonder if my children see me the way I saw the president in the dream. I wonder because they see all of me. They have seen me at my lowest and my best. I am their spiritual guide. The older they get, the more imperfections they see in me. I strive with my children to do what is right and often find myself doing wrong and having to repent, just like in the dream.

My wife is my eternal companion, and we are both more prone to be tolerant of each other than other people would be including our children who will eventually grow up and move away.

My wife and I forgive each other of each infraction because we understand life a little more than our children in many respects. My wife always forgives or accepts my imperfections with counsel, but continues to respect me as a righteous man of God willingly listening to my counsel as I listen to God.

Placing myself in the position of the president and my child in the position of my character may be the way I was supposed to see it. I know that I cannot hide my imperfections from my children, but I should be quick to apologize if I make a mistake and move to help the children learn from my mistakes and move on.

So, I dreamed a dream that caused me to think that I will soon disappoint one of my children and should be prepared for it.

prepared to ask forgiveness.
prepared to let my children understand that I am in as much need of the grace of God as anyone.

By doing those things then maybe when they grow up and leave my home to start their own families, they will note that I was a man of God, but also a human with faults who had to depend on the merit of Christ just as much as do they. They will leave my home satisfied that all will be well with them and me.

Glenn Beck: Man of Faith

2016-10-28T16:39:00.000-07:00

Updated on February 8, 2015

Is He Mad!

Shortly after I began my job at Cooks Pest Control (If you live in the Southeast US try them out), a fellow coworker introduced me to the Glenn Beck Radio Program. This coworker noticed that I am a fan of talk radio and he thought that I would enjoy Glenn more than I did Rush Limbaugh. He was wrong. I did not enjoy Glenn more. I enjoyed him differently.

When first I began to follow Glenn, I thought that he was a whiny and eccentric man. That has not changed. I still believe that he is eccentric and whinny, well, it depends on the show that day. I started listening to the program in 2002 and the quality of the station his show aired on was horrible. Back then, he just seemed to rant about anything that came to his mind. Come to think of it, that still is his thing.

What captured me is the sincerity in his voice and the passion behind his words. I used to think that any talking head could get on the radio and rant about things to get people all riled up. Glenn proved that I was right about that all along!

Anyone can do a radio show,

but only special people can start a movement and garner a following beyond political ties and religious beliefs. Only special people can find the spark of purity in the hearts of thousands upon thousands of people and promote a renewed spirit to stand for what is good in America!

Who is that person you say? Well, who is the article about?

Glenn Beck!! is not that person, but he is pretty darn close!

I mean, yeah, he did do all of that stuff but come on. He is a former alcoholic. He may have ADHD. He is an Independent for heaven's sake! Who in their right mind would listen to someone who would not choose between Republicans or Democrats? He is a comedian!

He tells jokes and entertains people! What does he know?

I suppose you are wondering if the subtitle above is about Glenn. It is not about him. It is about me, the writer. I say this because why on earth would I say anything negative about my hero?

I just wanted to get it out there before other people jump to the conclusions that media has already thrust upon them. I am not mad as in the true definition meaning insane. I am mad in the wrong definition meaning angry.

Why am I angry, well I just insulted my hero to prove a point! Every article that I read about Glenn baits me in by playing nice just to slam me with slanderous statements about Glenn that are not true! Well, some of them may be true. You know, the alcoholic thing is true. Well, and the comedian thing is true too.... To the point, there is more to Glenn than what the media reveals.

Actually, Glenn is the first to admit he is a regular guy. If regular is being rich, White and Mormon he is just your average Nephi! Kidding aside, Glenn has a way to reach people on the airwaves. Now that he has GBTV, he has added another option for clean entertainment for conscientious people.

Broke: The Plan to Restore Our Trust, Truth and Treasure
A Good Man

Glenn Beck is a good man. Listen to his program and follow his life. He speaks the words that he lives. The fact that there is so much out here about him both good and bad is a testament to his willingness to own his life. He does no dodge the fact of his past addiction to alcohol or hide his past failures. Glenn cleaned his closet so that he can speak from the platform he does without worry that someone will rock him with some secret scandal.

He loves his family and supports his community. All that he does, he does with his family and nation in mind. He has used his popularity to make known causes and injustices that would have gone unnoticed otherwise. He cares about doing all that he can to support the troops, regardless of the person in the White House and he encourages others to listen and research.

Does he get it wrong sometimes? Yes, and he admits it--on air! He truly is a good man. I didn't say kind now. He has been working on his temper--which is what made me listen to him in the first place. "Get off my phone," is fun to hear when it happens to idiot callers on the phone! I am working on some anger issues myself.

His show in 2002 and now--you would think he is a different person.

Glenn Beck Changed His life

GLEN GLENN BECK IS MY HERO ARGUING W/ IDIOTS

Man of Faith

It is no secret that Glenn Beck is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I recall when he did an entire program on the plight of the Mormons in 2002. I was pleased and appalled at the same time to find out that we went to the same church! It scared me. I promised myself I would never claim Glenn because of how he behaved on radio.

Then came the Glenn that won my brotherhood, which he should have had without having to win it--the compassionate Glenn that I noticed as the weeks, months and years passed. The words of encouragement to people and the tolerance he exercised. No more "Get off my phone!"

He evolved into a comedian of faith. His message is important with a twist of humor. He can tell it in his own words in the video.

Man of Faith

He evolved into a comedian of faith. His message is important with a twist of humor. He can tell it in his own words in the video.

Rodric Johnson

Rodric29 on HubPages
Rodric Anthony Johnson was born in the bustling city of Rochester, New York in the wintry month of November. Being migrant by nature, his family uprooted and moved to the Southeast. He now lives in the Southwest in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife and

Comments

Ralph Deeds

Glenn Beck is a pathetic, ignorant loser.

Gusser

Beck haters are funny. They can't handle the truth. The "loser" could buy and sell the critics.

Charles Hilton

Any person with credibility doesn't need to "buy and sell" the critics.

Eric L. Andrews

I started to follow Beck a few years ago and thought his rantings were way out there....until they started to come true. He predicted the banking crisis of several years ago, the current uprisings in the Middle East (Arab Springs), futuristic computer programs that the government was developing to track our activities (which they now have) and the Occupy Movement here in America (which is going to get worse and more violent soon). He was right time and time again in his predictions and made them sometimes a year or more before they came to fruition. Yeh, he has made a lot of money but he actually employs a ton of people, pays their benefits, etc. and gives a ton to charities....unlike many liberals who always talk about taking others' money and donate squat to deserving groups.

Status: Approved. ip: 50.44.146.129

Rodric29
Ralph Deeds, thank you for commenting on my hub. I hope you actually read it.

Why do you have a problem with Beck? What has he done to offend you?

Rodric29

Gusser, thank you for commenting here. I don't know what the big deal is with all the Beck hating. I really would like to know what people have against him. I have yet to hear anything other than name-calling.

Gusser

He's hated because he knows who the enemy of this nation is and how that enemy thinks. They hate exposure.

Rodric29

Charles Hilton, thanks for commenting on my hub. You didn't read it I am assuming for you to make a comment about his credibility.

What do you have against him? Is there something that occurred to make you have something cynical to say about him?

Rodric29

Eric, I didn't want to mention those things and focus just on the man, but you are so correct. I had to stop listening to the program for a while because I started to get anxiety over how all the things he said happened.

What is so special about it is that he spelled out how he could predict it. There was no heavenly visitor. He just saw history repeating itself and then published it to the word. I don't understand why people slander him for that, really. Unless...they are a part of the master plan to destroy America!

Or maybe they just truly misunderstand and are uninformed.

ata1515

Great hub, enjoyable read!

Rodric29

I wonder if that has anything to do with him going solo? I agree with you Gusser.

breathe2travel

I respect Beck greatly. I don't see him taking sides of GOP or Dem. He looks at issues from every angle and presents facts. His predictions about upcoming trends or ensuing consequence of legislation have thus far been correct. The liberal media hates him because his sound, fact-based show obliterates their politically-laced agenda. Voted up, interesting, useful & awesome. Useful, because if people actually read your hub, perhaps it'll get them thinking.

Best regards-

BTW - I know Rochester, Ray City (best catfish ever) and Nashville well.

Rodric29

Breathe2travel, It is hard to forget that in the confusion of media--that Glenn Beck has predicted some things that have occurred as he spoke them.

I have GBTV and the lot, but I also want to make sure that I am not dismissing the truth because I have a one-sided point of view. I am actually giving the liberal ideas a chance. It is freeing--still conservative and still against most of the liberal ideas, but I feel free to explore.

Charles Hilton

To answer your question: he's an apocalypse worshiping, carnival barker with a messiah complex who wears a tinfoil hat and labels everything he disagrees with as "Nazi." That alone discredits him.

Other than that, he's a phony who turns on the tears like a wall switch. He and John Boner must have gone to the same acting school.

But, hey; to each his own---if you like the guy, who am I to say you shouldn't? But, as for me, I require more than theatrics and scare-mongering rhetoric.

Rodric29

Mr. Hilton, my wife, thinks the same thing about him and so do all over her friends. The funny thing is, I am friends, with the husbands of her friends and we like Glenn.

I am moved when he speaks about certain things--but only because I have not biased towards him. He will not move you if you think he is fake. I completely get what you are saying here.

I had to stop listen to him because he is so intense. I tend to read his writings because he has been right about the things that he predicted. I just think that his presentation, which has changed over the last ten years, needs to be more hopeful. I do not wish to believe that politicians are inherently evil since I know some.

Ralph Deeds

IMHO, you need to broaden your sources of information. Glenn Beck doesn't come close to being factual or correct in his opinions. He got so wild that he was broomed by Fox. [You gotta be pretty bad to be fired by Fox.]

Rodric29

I am unaware of his being "broomed" I know he broadcast for almost a year that he was working on his own network and it became a reality in GBTV. I listen to other people, many other people. My other articles show some of that.

I am a Glenn Beck fan, though. He is funny and entertaining--my chief reason for listening and he has been right about everything he has been ranting about for the last ten years. He has made mistakes, and he has apologized for them. I will not discount the other times he has been right because of one mistake. I already know that I am going to have to agree to disagree. You said that Glenn has not come close to being factual or correct when I have been listening to his show for ten years and following the unfolding of each item that he mentioned by name. If you really want to know the information is out there. What you have provided in this case is an opinion Mr. Deeds and not a statement of fact. I really do not want to have to pull out the Glenn fact book with time-stamps to prove that he warned that certain things would happen. I am sure you can research it. Glenn is so polarizing.

Eric L. Andrews

Actually, Beck's predictions and news sources are far more accurate than the mainstream media. I have listened to his show the past three+ years, and he predicted the Arab Spring, civil unrest coming to America (which it has started), financial problems by the EU and soon in our country, etc. I just fact-checked his comments on Muslim Brotherhood members and affiliates serving in DHS and with the Obama Administration. Totally true. Check it out yourself.

Rodric29

Good show!

Skarlet

Nice Hub Rodric,

I like Beck. The mainstream media has demonized him quite a bit, so you really have to listen to him to know who he is. Beck has made many true predictions, but Fox News takes its reputation of being fair and balanced seriously. Despite what Ralph said, Fox is the top News station, and they have a range of Republican, Democrat and Libertarian, commentators.

Beck was very opinionated and did not really fit in with Fox. But I think that he is very clever, funny and as you said, he is obviously a good man. Voted up!

Rodric29

Thanks, Skarlet. As much as I love Glen, I have to take a break from him every now and then because he is so intense. The man is good at his job, and he is in it for integrity and not company.

He has to start his own! I think that him having his own company is bad in the long view. I like him being in the fray with Fox. Now he can become completely cult out if he is not tempered. He has a good mix of staff at GBTV. He has liberals and conservatives working there and they are just a outlandish as he is.

Charles Hilton

Fox News is the top news station on Television only. On the internet, where most people get their news and the audience is younger, Fox News is dead last.

Ralph Deeds

Fox News is more of a right wing opinion station than a news channel.

breathe2travel

Glenn Beck left Fox news... of his own accord.

Skarlet

Fox shows hard news during the day and there are some conservative opinions in the evening, such as Hannity. There are no more opinions than MSNBC and NBC.

As far as in ranking low for younger people, that is obvious. The left wingers have been trying to demonize the entire channel because it is #1, and they can't touch it.

The young people, being easily led, believe whatever propaganda that comes their way.

I respect Fox based on facts that I have personally witnessed. I was present at an event that was covered by the news and when I watched it on TV, Fox was the only station that covered it accurately.

CNN had poorly edited snips and closeups that distorted everything.

Charles Hilton

Young people aren't as stupid and gullible as you suggest. In fact, they're less bound by old-world prejudices and are more open-minded than their forbears.

The older generation has handicapped the younger generation with it's outdated prejudices and failed policies. Unique problems require unique solutions; a fact that scares the Fox News crowd to death.

And being number one doesn't mean anything---freak-shows always draw the biggest crowds.

Niceman

WE are young! We are not gullible.

Skarlet

First of all, I did not say anything about stupid and gullible, you imagined that. I stated a fact about the youth being less informed. That is a fact, because once people have spent years working and paying bills, they see things less idealistically.

Also, so much for being open minded and non prejudice.

You just accused a whole generation of people of being a certain way, and then called people who watch Fox News "The Fox Crowd", assuming that anyone who watches a certain station thinks a certain way. You made no mention of the factual point I made in my observation in regard to personally witnessing Fox vs. CNN in reporting. It was not until that incident that I knew anything about Fox and the stories that the mainstream media claim about it.

Charles Hilton

Skarlet, you said: "The young people, being easily led, believe whatever propaganda that comes their way."

If you think that doesn't imply gullibility and stupidity, then words have no meaning for you.

And with your comment about the young, you accused that whole generation of being a certain way.

So, not only do you use words haphazardly, you're a hypocrite.

Niceman

Wow, Hilton, that is harsh. I get what you are saying skarlat. I think I should get an account on Hubs! This is where it's at!

Rodric29

So many comments recently... nice

Rodric29

What a great news publisher Fox is. I notice how biased the media is on many occasions. It makes me think that most news is a glorified opinion piece rather than based in facts.

Rodric29

Mr. Hilton, you have made some very serious statements about the elders, and I agree to some extent. I found out that my mother had racist feelings after I turned eighteens years of age. Most of my friends are and were White people and she never mentioned anything disparaging about them until the Donahue show had Black people on the show wanting to be White because they wanted to join the Mormon Church.

I could have killed over right there because there I sat as Black as I am and as Mormon as could be! I turned to my mom and exclaimed to her by repeating what the Black woman said about wanting to be White so that the Mormons would accept her. My mom, not taking the insinuation of sarcasm exclaim, "Um hum, I knew them Mormons was racists!"

I just looked at her sadly for a moment and exclaimed, "Mom, I am a Mormon and I am as Black as you!"

She laughed it off, but she later told me that she had to overcome racist feelings because of institution and community racism she had to deal with in South Georgia.

Rodric29

I am not sure if I can claim young because I am 35, but I think that younger people tend to be more open and reasonable than older people.

Rodric29

I am a part of the fox crowd. I don't watch tv very often but I can deal with the news every now and then.

Rodric29

Mr. Hilton what the shock and awe! Let's us please submit to civility. I am an old fashioned person that believes we must speak and write to women in a certain manner. Without having a conversation with her, I am sure you must agree that labeling her a hypocrite is seriously personal and alarming.

I would hope that we can build trust and respect differences. In the Book of Mormon it teachs us not to use the words of our brothers, or sisters to ensnare them in a trap. I think Skarlet's words were taken into a different context that she intended.

I appreciate both of your comments and perspectives because it enriches my experience here--selfish huh?

Let us be more considerate and tolerant of the differences that make this place great. Let us not attack character when there is not substance in all these fake names. We hide behind them and say hurtful things.

My name is Rodric Anthony Johnson and I appreciate both of your comments. Thanks for commenting here and voting us this hub.

Charles Hilton

Mr. Johnson, I meant no ill towards Skarlet and my use of the word "hypocrite" wasn't said in malice. I was merely making an observation.

I sometimes forget how sensitive some people can be on HubPages and in the future I will refrain from commenting directly at anyone except yourself when commenting on your hubs.

Charles

Rodric29

Thank you Mr. Hilton. It is okay to call me out on my works. I do not want you to refrain from conversing with other for that is the intent of hub pages. I am honored that you would heed my plea. Please, observations are fine. If I was truly offended I would have removed the comment as I usually do. I just wanted to point out that I felt the comment was very close to a personal attack.

Charles Hilton

You took the appropriate action---and very tactfully and diplomatically, I might add. :~)

Mental Musings of a Jaded Republican, I meant Independent!

2016-10-26T14:26:00.000-07:00

Donald Trump. Is he as bad as the media says he is? I am too prejudiced against him now to care to find out, sadly I already did not like him because of his behavior on regular TV. When I heard he was running for president I laughed aloud.No one would vote for him, I thought.

I was wrong. I found his crass behavior entertaining initially. I even found myself identifying with him. I would like to tell someone where to stuff his or her attitudes occasionally. I then realized that I don’t do that because it is rude. I dismissed Trump and moved on. I would not want a rude president.

Now, the media has me afraid that there is going to be a race war. Trump is now the party leader for the KKK and any other anti-minority group out there! This all started when he became a viable candidate for president. Crass, yes he is. Racist? Well, he is now according to the media. I have never heard tell of him so being. I am not in the world like that, though.

The media gave me video of Trump behaving in what they call a racist way. They say he hates Black people and I believed them. It seems that no matter what Trump does his laud grows. His celebrity grows particularly from supporters of Abraham Lincoln’s Republican Party to which I belonged until I decided to be independent, the party that eventually freed my ancestors.

A fear begins to enter my heart about the Republican Party, the party of the first free Black people in America. It shows that I allow other people to think for me when I should do it for myself and trust my own research. I do not support Donald Trump as the Republican nominee and will not vote for him because he has bully behavior and that it the ONLY reason I should have. I have witnessed that. Everything else is smoke and mirrors. I fear for the Republican Party though I left it. I fear that it no longer stands for what Lincoln believed, the safety of the Republic of The United States of America.

So, if a republican candidate stands before me, all I see is the fear of discrimination. That is not what birthed the Republican Party. I became Independent because the party no longer represented what I thought it did in the past.

I am not inclined to vote for Hillary Clinton because of her association with the last Clinton in office. That's it. I am not judging her for her so called lies or even her political positions. She could not do much without a Congress to back her if she gets into office other than to appoint judges. I don't want her to win, no. I don't support her party's platforms. I have never trusted the Democratic Party because they supported the enslavement of my ancestors. Yet, I find myself wishing President Obama could run for another four years and I did not vote for him in either election!

So, is racism alive? Yes, but not in my living room. Are police shooting people? Yeah, not the ones in my area. Is Trump the antichrist? I don’t know, but he is a bully. Am I a Republican? Depending on the day I might be, but not today. It is the party of my ancestors' emancipation. I do not like either party right now—never liked democrats. I fear I might have to write in a candidate for nomination—Mitt Romney.

We do not get to choose who wins president, but we do get to choose who runs. I suppose I will still carry my Republican card and live like an Independent. The old Republican Party is what I long for now. The old Republican party of Regan is what will save us. The Post Civil Rights Movement Democratic Party is also what we need. We need both parties to start again. Yes, I admit we need both parties to function as a whole in this nation.

We need a revolution in the parties and media to be true to its original purpose to further democracy by giving the readers awareness of the truth. Well, I suppose the readers and viewers need to revolution also so that we can be ready to hear the truth that the revolution media gives so that we can have good choices from the revolution parties to support, not just for the presidency, but all elected government.

Getting Personal With Christianity: Overcoming Doubt

2016-10-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

I never thought of prophets as perfect. The Book of Mormon even claims prophets are not perfect. I did not believe in Jesus as a God until I read the Book of Mormon since I had lost my faith as a young Christian--if I had faith at all back then. I suppose I had tradition and I accepted the things that were familiar to me.

Over and over, the prophets in the Book of Mormon claim that if there are mistakes in the record, they are errors of men. To me, that is an admission that there would be mistakes--that we should expect some! Joseph Smith, Mormon, Moroni and Nephi were all important men associated with the coming forth of the book to us. If they made mistakes how do they diminish God's role in revealing to them the truth? It does not change the fact, in my case, that I spoke to God about their work/writings and He told me that they are true, a true testament to the divinity of Jesus Christ.

God told me in answer to my prayers certain things. I care, but less what Joseph did before he became a prophet or how many wives he had. And?

It kills my spiritual high sometimes when people find out that I am a LDS Christian and they say, “Well, you know that they don't like Black people."

I want to say, "Really? I am so glad you told me that! I've been in this faith for more than twenty years, and I just could not tell! I just assumed they were nice to me because they were Christian, but know YOU let me know that they were pretending! Yeah, and all the Black Mormons had to be pretending a nice also since there are so many of them in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints now!"

Umm, yeah! The members of the church come in all the variety of humanity. I wish that I could say it and it be overwhelmingly accurate that because LDS claim to have the restored truth that it makes us better people.
Who doesn't want to think their faith makes them the best? Humble people don't want to think that I suppose. If anything, our faith makes us more accountable before God since we claim to have a direct line to God through a prophet, but people are people. Israel had a direct line to God through prophets and look at what happened to then. They still worshiped false gods!
People will be good or bad regardless of the religion. I hope that as Christians, we are more inclined to do good deeds rather. It has been my experience at the beginning of my walk with Christ that LDS earnestly endeavor to live the teachings of Christ.
I have been a LDS Christian too long to assume someone will be nice to me just because we go to the same church. It is not the case. I have met people with racist ideas and notions. I have met rude people. I met these people in church!

So, do I believe that Mormons have been racist in the past and that some are still racist? Yes, I do believe that. Since when did being a disciple of Christ, mean that we are instantly perfect as a person, community or faith? It is not the church I am converted to per se, but the faith, the teachings of God through the imperfect people in the church.

People cannot accept that I asked God on many occasions about the church and His prophets and He tells me they are authorized to act and speak for Him. I trust God, so I accept the prophets as His official reps on the earth.

I still have my doubts and my issues about this or that doctrine or policy, which I speak about appropriately, but my purpose is to promote faith in others and challenge the things that make me doubt. I still have bouts with God about if He is there! I could see myself slip away from Him if I were to stop praying because then He becomes a distant memory and His revelations just the fanciful whimsy of my simple mind.

I choose not to indulge my doubts. I am sure President Thomas S Monson has issues that his family would confirm if they were inclined to do so. That would not change the fact that for me, God has told me Monson is a prophet. He, Monson, will have to repent of his sins just like I do, but he still represents the Lord officially as His spokesman.

Prophets can fall and lose their way just like any person, but they can also repent and be forgiven without losing their calling. They can also be wrong about something all the days of their lives and teach it as if it is right! That is the reason God gave us the Holy Ghost so that we can discern. That is why we have 15 prophets instead of just one. We as a people have to learn to trust our personal revelation. We must also learn to keep the commandments so that we are not being led astray because the devil can give revelations too!

We are never to trust the prophet in a way that we exclude prayer and due devotion to God ourselves. If we did, it would be Satan’s plan: to follow blindly in obedience.

Apologists have the wrong idea. I used to be one before I came to my senses. I received such a convincing jolt to my misunderstanding of my faith that I rebooted. I found out that I knew only these two things: that God is real and the Book of Mormon is true. This happened post-mission 12 or so years ago. Apologists rattled me to the core. I alarmed my wife and friends. They had warned me to stay away from it.

See, foolishly, I had stopped reading my scriptures much and praying with faith while I engaged in apologetics. I only wanted to debate with people about the LDS religion and its preeminence over all others. What rattled me was something that ended up being false anyway! I was just so far from my relationship with God my mind was weak. Doubt worked its way into my mind. Apologetics is great if it is tempered by sincere faith.

We do not NEED to prove the faith or make exceptions for it. I find it comforting that there are people willing to give intellectual explanations for things that are not clear. Those exercises on intellect should never replace sincere and abiding faith in Jesus Christ on a foundation of keeping the commandments He has provided.

Faith is to believe in the absence of proof, which comes with revelation after the trial of our faith. I can promise any of you who are struggling with your faith that read this blog that if you keep the commandments prayerfully, God will reveal the truth to you as many times as you need it.

He set it up this way so that we would seek Him. I know I would not pray as often if I had all the answers right now. What need would I have to talk to Him or develop an open communication with Him at all? It is hard! I have to put my remote down and stop entertaining myself to do that!

There is no proof of any religious belief other than personal revelation. God designed life that way so that we can have the freedom to pursue the gospel or reject it without condemnation if we lose sight of the truth.

For example, we know the law gravity exists, so if we jump off a building expecting it to go away, we will suffer the immediate consequences. It is not so with the gospel. If we choose to leave the gospel level of consciousness we espouse, Mormon, Baptist, Muslim, spiritualism, etc., we lose a little bit of our testimony at a time until it is all gone. We are not doomed to outer darkness but only to a lower kingdom which is still a part of heaven if we fail to repent. Atheists, in my estimation, still go to heaven! Devil worshipers still go to heaven!

I find comfort knowing I can still mess up and get a great reward. I have not seen God, so I do not qualify for outer darkness. But, oh boy for those who have seen Him and decided to reject Him afterward. There are few people with that reward. Nephi lets us know that the hell they will endure exists only for them, and the devil.

So, it is okay for you all to have your doubts. Just, doubt your doubts more than you doubt the things you know. Since many of us still have not seen God face to face, we can get away with more. However, since some of us have heard His voice, we need to think hard how we dismiss past spiritual experiences.

Mormonism is a culture, but the gospel is more than a culture, it is the truth, and I would give up all my heritage and cultures for that.

American Troops Posing with the Dead

2016-09-04T16:35:00.000-07:00

The Psychology of Dismemberment

The news of the soldiers taking pictures with the body parts of enemy Afghan suicide bombers has swept across the American nation like a storm of alarm in 2012! Many people were exposed to such graphic images for the first time by the LA Times in an attempt to "expose their readers to the truth."

The relative truth in this exposure is hard to see. LA Times sold more copies and had more views on its website we can be sure. Why did the soldiers pose with the mutilated parts of an enemy suicide bomber?

Soldiers lose comrades in war. In a typical war, the soldiers deal with the psychological losses with the idea that they will be able to defeat the enemy and get revenge for the deaths of friends. The possibility that the persons who killed their comrades are still alive help them to focus their rage on war. Shooting enemies firing upon them gives the soldiers the justification to continue to fight until either the enemy surrenders and is punished for war crimes or is deceased.

In the case of the soldiers posing with the corpse in pictures posted by the LA Times, closure took on a different role. The soldiers in those photos may have lost friends to suicide bombers previously. With such, there is no enemy to shoot because the enemy is dead along with the victims of the bombing. There would be no closure because the soldiers could not seek out and destroy the enemy.

In this situation, the bomb exploded prematurely, so the soldiers reveled in the fact that the enemy failed in its attempt. The psychological effect the picture-taking had on the soldiers was a reminder that Afghan suicide bombers did not win. "You tried to kill us, but you only killed yourself." The soldiers gloated that their lives were spared and they modeled with the parts of the body of the bomber to memorialize the event.

It was not the dehumanization of the bomber but the understanding that a human that would do such a deed failed and pictures were taken as evidence of that failure. To the soldiers, this represented a defeat of the enemy in a war that is not conventional. Any victory no matter how it is obtained is celebrated and glorified. From the perspective of soldiers in combat areas with no sure sense of security because of the rules of engagement, this brought some comfort that an enemy will not kill them.

It is understandable that the soldiers took photos of the event with the memory that one who valued his life only to destroy others did not succeed. All that is left is the remains of the deceased who died without reaching his goal of destruction.

Let us celebrate our life and his death! Let us remember this occasion for years to come that we are alive and he is dead that tried to end our lives with his!

Can we identify with the soldiers on that level? I reason that we can. If our life was threatened and spared, would we oppose taking a picture with the scoundrel that attempted our destruction whether he or she was dead or alive?

Source

Pick Up the Dead Pieces

Originally, I was incensed by the photos for a completely different reason than I am now. I read an article written by a fellow writerAverage American and passed immediate moral judgment based on the perspective of decency. I feel that my position was correct in decency, but my treatment was based on information from only one perspective.

I reacted with horror and disgust at those offensive images and the soldiers who would dare pose with them. I did not take into consideration the circumstances of the soldiers, their environment, and their psychological state. Many would say that their perspective is invalid because they did the horrendous act of using human body parts as trophies.

The government condemns it citing it will increase insurgent activity against the US, though I doubt seriously that insurgents need a boost to increase suicide bombs--this group already despises America and would attack whether the body parts were buried or photographed. The LA Times released the photos to get public attention and gain readers, not to inform the public alone. The military and the press understood the consequences of releasing the photos with a glaring headline that did not give the true meaning of the act of the soldiers.

Should soldiers be reprimanded who do things as morbid as pose with human remains? Yes. Should leaders of groups be charged with dereliction of duty to maintain order in the unit who allow this behavior? Maybe. Should the public weigh in on military affairs? No. We should direct our disdain towards the legislature who will send the issue to the Commander in Chief who will handle the morality of the issue.

America responds to sensationalism and then wants to end all operations because it makes them feel uncomfortable. The fact is that things like this happen in war. It will not be stopped by legislation or protests. The soldiers are not out there to keep the peace and are not trained to be peacekeepers. These men and women are trained to kill. If they wear the body parts of the dead, it is reprehensible but understandable.

Let us be quick to defend human decency but slow to judgment. Let us be quick to understand but slow to accept. Let us be leery of accusations, but open to the truth. Let us use all caution in dealing with this situation lest we find ourselves fighting on the wrong side.

No, we should not allow it. We should teach our young men and women at home to honor life even that of our enemies so that when the lack of leadership occurs to control the urge to lapse into a psychological truth to deal with grief and relief our children will think twice or thrice about the act. The seeds start at home and are not the fault alone of the soldiers.

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The Truth about Gender

2016-08-06T17:03:00.001-07:00

Socio-psychological Source of Gender

One of many of the cherished versions of the beginnings of humanity declares that God, in His justice and mercy, formed a man to inhabit the earth He organized.

The man formed out of the earth, from the elements of the earth, and given the very image of God had no companion among the animals of the new world God organized.

God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, named Adam, and took from the man’s side a rib to form a woman to be a companion and help-meet, Eve. Together Adam the man and Eve, the woman, received instruction to replenish the earth and have joy in their posterity.

From this, and many conceptualizations or dogmas of similar construction, humanity formed gender roles that helped to shape societies and build the human race.

Of particular note, of most societies, the roles of gender seem to have somewhat of a universal gender dichotomy to support a social structure of the male as the most intelligent, strongest, largest, and superior of the genders.

Research evidences that generally males are stronger and larger than the typical female in humanity—even more ambitious overall comparing the sexes. Biological women, however, are NOT intellectually inferior to biological men.

Did God declare the gender differences so that men could rule over women because women differ physiologically from men?

Are the biological differences God introduced merely physical and humanity itself added the gender-specific behavior?

Those questions may need revelation from God to answer! An exploration of the interaction of hormones and behavior will provide a perspective on gender identity and the gravity to which biological psychology and environmental influences affect gender identification.

Source

Genetic Truth

In order to understand sex differences, it is important to understand how sex develops. All human life begins in the form of a single cell. In order for human life to begin, a male sperm and a female egg unite.

The male sperm contains 23 chromosomes and the female egg has the same number. When the gametes unite, the two become one—combining the genetic information from both sexes into a new organism.

Of the 46 chromosomes that combine, only one of those differentiates the sex of the new human life. The sperm has either an XX chromosome combination, representative of the female sex, or the XY combination to represent the male gender. The male carries the genetic information to determine the gender of the new life.

Sex preparation does not cease with conception. Crucial hormonal changes occur to help masculinize or femininize the new life form to develop the proper organs for either the male or female gender. Anderson Wickens states in his text Foundations of Biological Psychology that

the normal sexual development of the fetus depends on the differentiation of the gonads into testes or ovaries to provide the necessary hormonal environment for the internal and external sex organs to develop.¹

The next stage of development occurs because of the development of the gonads, either male testes or female ovaries. The gonads release particular hormones to determine the proper development of masculine or feminine qualities for the new life.

The two hormones, testosterone, and Müllerian duct-inhibiting substance determine whether the fetus will develop a penis or a vagina. The presence of the testosterone hormone triggers the male organ to develop, but the lack of testosterone provides the opportunity for the female organ to develop.

At times, the natural and normal function of sexual development (due to whatever circumstance) does not occur. Sometimes the hormones necessitating a male occur when a female egg is present or vice versa. In those cases, a male may develop the outer organs of a female or vice versa for the female. Though they occur infrequently, it is necessary to note that it occurs.

Source

Nurture and Nature

After birth and the beginnings of maturity, gender behavior develops that places the child into a sex trait category of either more masculine or feminine. Boys tend to develop into more “boyish behavior,” such as rough and tumble play.

Girls tend to move towards “girlish behavior,” such as sitting quietly and playing with dolls. According to the research findings of Servin et al, the control group of girls that did not have Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, tend to play more with gender-neutral or feminine gender-related toys and show the same behavior, while the girls with the extreme case of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia used the neutral or masculine targeted toys and behavior.

Now, this does not provide exclusive proof that all boys are aggressive and such, but it does give the perspective that certain behaviors have an association with a particular sex depending on its cross-cultural frequency with those behavioral patterns.

It so happens that in boys it is rough-play and in girls, it is soft-play that gender-specific roles have developed. The finding that even girls can also exhibit masculine behavior without the presence of a disorder also begs that masculine and feminine behavior is not limited to one gender or the other.

It seems that genetic disposition and hormonal development work together to produce an individual that has a high probability if he is a boy to exhibit behaviors common to boys. On the other hand, if she is a girl, behaviors common to most girls. Additionally, cultural characterization of the genders incorporates the biological tendencies to create the ideal psychological boy or girl.

In “Exotic Becomes Erotic: A Developmental Theory of Sexual Orientation,” the study shows that most of those who participated in the study did not attribute their sexual orientation to marginalization as youths by other youth groups.

Whatever other factors awakened the disposition towards same-sex attraction had some other attribution. However, the study did reveal that most boys that preferred to do activities most associated with girls had a high percentage rate among homosexual men and a lower among heterosexual men. The study suggested the findings are similar with women. This does n suggest homosexuals all have a biological disorder but to notes, of the group surveyed, there may be a small correlation between early childhood behaviors that determines gender-specific behavior in adulthood. A masculine woman may still marry a man and be heterosexual but not exhibit normative female gender traits.

Gender Cannot Be Legislated AWAY From Sex

In the psychological realm, GENDER does not equal SEX--male or female. Gender is a cultural construct that happens to associate certain characteristics masculine or feminine but does not necessarily represent a person's sex or sexual orientation or gender orientation.

Sexual Orientation is a person's copulative desire towards either a male or a female.

Gender Orientation is a person's attraction towards social behavior and appearance--male-related cultural behavior or female-related cultural behavior. For example, a man may be attracted to other men sexually but may prefer men who have gender behavior normally associated with women. A woman may find men attractive sexually, but prefer gender behavior associated with women also! The short of it all: Gender defines sex socially, but legally no legislation can change a person's sex or gender because he or she lives outside of normal gender roles. Since gender and sex are linked socially, socially, gender is arbitrary. Gender is synonymous with sex and should not be psychologically interpreted.

Transgender "girl" in Comox Valley seeking legislative change - Comox Valley Record
According to B.C. law, people must have sexual reassignment surgery before they can change their sex designation on their birth certificate. Dickens notes Ontario laws now allow a person's sex designation to be changed without surgery, after a Human

Sexual Orientation is a person copulative desire towards either a male or a female.

Gender Orientation is a person's attraction towards social behavior and appearance--male-related cultural behavior or female related cultural behavior.

Reference Material

Foundations of biopsychology Andrew P. Wickens. Edition, 2. Publisher, Pearson, Prentice Hall, 2005. Original from, Cornell University (Wickens, 2005, pg. 205)¹

Law and Medicine, Gender Should Be

Definitive

Gender is a word that describes an individual's sex, male or female. Males are males, even if the behavior is feminine or the genitalia are deformed. Females also are genetically female regardless of hormonal changes.

Genetics and environment both play roles in the behavior of the sexes. Naturally, children born with biological advantages toward masculine and feminine behavior will develop and adjust to cultural norms for their specific gender.

Biology does influence gender behavior but does not determine how a specific gender, male or female, may behave. Other factors contribute to the development biologically and environmentally to shape behavior.

The word gender should not be mutilated to be ambiguous about the sexes. Gender orientation better describes what some dictionaries are trying to redefine the word gender alone to mean, and it seems that social media and politicians agree with changing the meaning of gender.

Various nations, regarding gender, recognize transgendered men and women as legally a different sex than what is etched in the genetic sequences of their bodies. Nature dictates gender, which cannot be changed by mutilating the genitalia until it resembles the opposite gender. The marker of either XX or XY determines gender. Legislation cannot change the guided evolution of the human genome.

Resources Referenced

Parker, Walter (Seems no longer available) Foundations of Biological Psychology

Getting Personal With Christianity: Joseph Smith II

2016-03-01T14:04:00.003-07:00

December 23, 1805 in Sharon, Vermont, Lucy Mack and Joseph Smith Senior welcomed Joseph Smith Junior into mortality. I reflect on the mission of Joseph Smith each year on that day. Joseph Smith II was the man who the Lord saw fit to visit, along with His Son Jesus Christ, to usher in the fullness of times, or the complete restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ before the Second Advent of Jesus Christ, this time as King of kings and Lord of lords.

Joseph was a 14-year-old boy who had the faith to go to the Lord in prayer and receive an answer based on scripture he read from the Holy Bible. He was the prophet whom I had been looking for when I so foolishly decided to give up on Christianity. He is the prophet I discovered so miraculously after I read a book of scripture that he translated. A book that facilitated my conversion to Christ. I owe my faith in God, my Christianity, and all the blessings available to me and millions of others to the willingness of Joseph Smith Junior to follow God.

Let it be said of him the vilest and untoward things, as will be said and has been said, I record of him now that I know of divine knowledge that he did see God the Father and Jesus Christ in answer to his prayer as he claims he did. He also saw angels who ministered to him and he conversed with Jesus Christ about his salvation as his several accounts record.

I know it because God sent His Spirit to me, who spoke by the mouth of an angel, revealed it to me, and constantly reassures me that what He revealed to me is true. Without going into my personal account too much, when the missionaries revealed his vision to me, I also saw in vision Joseph Smith seeing God the Father and Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery received the priesthood authority to baptize and, eventually, to organize the Church of Christ as the authorized entity on Earth to transport the souls of men on the sown the Covenant Path of Jesus Christ back into the presence of God the Father.

As a disciple of Christ and a member of The Church ofJesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a Christian, I lend my witness that God has restored His authority to Earth. I testify I am a partaker in the Covenant and that the Atonement of Christ is effective in my life. I testify that through Jesus Christ only can salvation come to humanity—something I came only to know through reading The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Why do I add that here? It is the only reason I found God because a 14-year-old boy knew to ask Him a question that led to the tool that converted me to Jesus Christ. It is the most important event in my life because all other events hang onto the witness I received of Jesus Christ from reading that book. Joseph Smith Jr. is important to me. I think about that on the 23^rd of December.

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Getting Personal With Christianity: Who is my neighbor?

2015-09-01T23:14:00.002-07:00

Conflict resolution has to start with somebody. It might as well be me.

One of my neighbors blasted vulgar music throughout the entire cul-de sac. I could hear the rancorous lyrics with all the windows closed as they rattled through.

I opened the front door and it assaulted me! I screamed across the cul-de sac to no avail until I said: "Cut that Crap off!"

Two young people, one adult and the other a teen approached. The young woman calmly expressed "My momma pays rent just like you do over here. I will turn it down, but not off."

Upset, I determined rent has nothing to do with blasting the neighborhood with profane music.
"Blast your music in your rented house then," I spit back at her.
As she spoke I smelled liquor and knew that I would not be able to reason with her. "You reek of liquor," came out of my mouth with such venom and judgment that she started to become emotionally volatile.

I warned them, "I am calling the police!" She continued to use vile language because I had upset her when she had approached me with a measure of reason on her side. "Get off," I said pointing to the yard of my rented property.
I was amazed at level of anger and how wickedly I behaved toward my neighbor. I even had my shirt off like I was going to fight!

The boy that was with her had concern in his eyes because we knew each other, but I dismissed that because of the woman cursing at me for telling her what to do at her mother's rented house while standing in front of my rented house.

I called the police, 911. I told them what was going on and was directed to the non-emergency line.
The NON-emergency line! It was not an emergency.

I thought about the police coming to my rented house or going to their rented house. We are both Americans with African descent. They were drinking and playing loud music. I was upset about it, that young woman had become crass and combative.

Those young boys at that house were large, tall, Black boys--intimidating to those who may not know them. They fit the profile for cops to shoot as has been in the news. I did not know what type of cop would pitch up if I called--the nice ones that ask them to keep the music down or the authoritative ones that would agitate things further.

I changed my mind and repented. I waited until I knew I was calm and went out to where there were about seven young men and women talking.
I saw Ree, the intoxicated and easily agitated woman to whom I spoke and apologized for my threatening language. I made peace. We are neighbors.

I can stand up for decency without involving anger and the police.
The last thing I want is to be the means of sending someone to jail or worse, death!

Black lives do matter. I did not understand what that meant until today. I don't agree with the organization that sponsors the big national movement, but I do agree that my neighbor's life matters more to me than for her to go to jail because she is inebriated and not fully intellectually there while being Black.

When I think of Black Lives, I think of all people of color. I think of my son and his friends also, who are Caucasian. My son's life matters to me and to them. His Black life matters. We are all connected by our associations. All lives matter.

My neighbor's life matters enough to try and resolve the issue peacefully rather than call the police immediately like did.

My neighborhood has seen enough conflict without bringing in the police. The police are out every night trying to catch fleeing criminals and I had the audacity to call them because my neighbor played her music too loudly!

The scriptures tell me to love my neighbor as I love myself. I would not want someone to call the police on me for playing my music too loudly. I would want that irritated person to come to me and tell me to turn it down respectfully.

I did not do that, but I made amends and repented of attempting to treat my neighbor differently than I would want to be treated.

O my people, beware lest there shall arise contentions among you, and ye list to obey the evil spirit... there is a wo pronounced upon him who listeth to obey that spirit; for if he listeth to obey him, and remaineth and dieth in his sins, the same drinketh damnation to his own soul; for he receiveth for his wages an everlasting punishment, having transgressed the law of God contrary to his own knowledge... Mosiah 2:32-33

If I had continued to list to obey the evil spirit of pride that wanted to avenge my wounded ego that Ree used foul language and was inebriated publicly blasting loud music, events that followed could have radically changed her life and mine.

I would have died in my sins--figuratively first, of course --because hatred would rear its ugly head each time we saw each other. The kids would have felt awkward to associate anymore since the youngest son and daughter of that family went to school and Young Women's activities at church with my daughters. I could have started a rift that would destroy my own family's life.

My punishment for giving into this pride would have been no peace. I talked causally with the youth for about 20 minutes following my apology. I was introduced to another neighbor that I did not know. I was showered with attention and hails of respect.

One young man said that most people would have just called the police rather than talk to them. They all were shocked that I of all the neighbors went out to tell them anything about the music or the police.

I found that they held me, and my family in high esteem. I did not know that, but because I repented, I found out something good about my neighbors that I did not know before or would not have known had I crossed that line into feuding.

They are people. All we have to do is speak respectfully and try to come to a mutual agreement so that we can all feel comfortable in the neighborhood.

Ree, ol' crazy self, told me that she was ready for the police. She, of course, was drunk. I noticed that the other people there, mostly youth, were not drunk or drinking. I at least know now that they are not bad people as has been rumored to me--at least were not towards me. That is a different issue, though....

Diabetes Leads to Health Problems: Be Warned. The pictures are very Graphic of my Wound

2015-08-22T01:45:00.000-07:00

Off to the right of these words, you will see the result of a abscess the formed on my right foot and became infected.

Okay, actually, what you are seeing is the result of two surgeries and a wound vac.

My foot has healed to a degree now where I can walk, but the scare still remains. Twice I had to go to a doctor and have surgery on my foot because of my weak immune system and the disease that makes it so, Diabetes.

Diabetes is a chronic physical illness that describes a malfunction in the way the body's blood uses sugar. Genetically, I was predisposed to this disease.

There are many of you out thee, African Americans, Native Americans, Samoans--all Pacific Islanders, who are more predisposed than others to developing Type II Diabetes.

If you are not eating healthily and exercising regularly the likelihood of something like what you see to the right happening to you at a younger age is higher. This happened to me in my thirties.

If you are fat, not overweight, fat... you are at risk.

Look, a muscular person is overweight. You know you are not just overweight if your belly is hanging out and you have enough tire around your waist to supply the needs of a small city!

Eat right. Exercise. Don't go to the gym one time in the whole year and lie to yourself that because you keep a membership you are tying to stay fit. Actually go. Find something to do to get moving a few hours a day.

Your doctor will tell you to get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. Do more. The only reason they tell us to do that 30 minutes is because telling us to get out for a few hours will cause us to mentally freeze.

You know good and well that thirty minutes of activity a day will not cause you to be fit. What it will do is stop you from being a couch potato. Find a health level you want to maintain, and maintain it before it gets too late and you end up like I have with diabetic health complications.

Do not let genetics and an unhealthy life lead you down a medically frustrating road or even death.

It took months to get back to walking and is taking years to get to a physical condition to take care of myself.

It is not just the wounds that get you because they heal. It is the emotional losses that come into play when you cannot work in the way to which your are accustomed.

It comes into play when you loose the ability to run or jump because the feeling in your extremities has diminished. I know people have found ways to overcome limitations, but with diabetes one complication comes after another. They compound after so many years and even start to be the cause of new issues themselves!.

To my Black people, my Latino and Polynesian people and to my Native American people... We are all more prone to this disease of Diabetes. Be warned! Diabetes is just the BEGINNING of our woes if we don't catch it early and postpone it--even prevent it.

To my kids, eat right or you will end up like daddy.

Getting Personal With Christianity # 8: I Trust Dreams

2015-08-18T13:38:00.002-07:00

I dreamed a dream that caused me to think that I will soon be disappointed by a church leader who I esteem highly and should be prepared for it.

Akiane Kramarik vision of Jesus

I know that telling the interpretation of the dream before revealing the dream is not the way Joseph the 11th son of Israel did it, but I felt that I wanted to get it out of the way before I started talking about the dream and talking of dreams in general.

I believe that God communicates to us not only by feelings in our hearts, impressions to our minds, or direct speech, but also through dreams and vision. Since both dreams and visions are highly subjective and colored by the culture in which we live, God provides an interpreter of dreams.

The Gift of the Holy Ghost

The gift of the Holy Ghost is the privilege—given to people who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, been baptized, and been confirmed as members of the Church—to receive continual guidance and inspiration from the Holy Ghost.

How do I know my dream was from God? Well, it is simple. I have the Gift of the Holy Ghost and I can discern if something pertaining to me is from God or just mental release of stored information, which is what dreams normally are.

I am not a prophet, nor do I claim special privilege that other people cannot have. I just know that the dream, or I will write revelation has relevance to me and I am getting personal with my Christianity and sharing it here.

I did meditate on it and inquired of God if it was okay for me to share my dream. I felt it would be okay. One thing I have learned when dealing with God is that He does not give me things if I cannot keep most of what He gives to myself. ...unless He expressly wants what He gives shared.

You know how crazy people would think I was if I shared everything that God gave to me? I am referring to other Christians too, who would think me insane--let alone the non-believers! If I say that God spoke to me last night, and I have before, I get the raise brow and the knowing nod.

If I say I felt like God was telling me something, I get approval--almost like if it came down to it I could recant it and say that I was mistaken about my impression without hurting my image or trying the faith of another person. I have misinterpreted things I have received too, but that is a different issue to be addressed.

God Always Does Things with Purpose.

God would not just give me a dream, answer to a prayer, or commandment without there being a purpose behind it in some way towards my benefit and salvation. Now, that goes for everyone on the planet too.

Every revelation that is from God that humanity has the honor to read or hear has come to us through necessity. Moses had his visions so that he could lead and teach the Israelites after hundreds of years of slavery to be a free people under God.

Joseph Smith had his visions to restore the Church of Christ on the earth with its accompanying priesthood authority from God. God waited on both men to be ready to receive His communications, as he does for all of us--He waits until we can handle it.

What we choose to do with the information after He gives it to us determines how much more He will give to us. The last thing He will do is overload us or overwhelm us with knowledge.

He wants us to be able to gain understanding, which is why I try unsuccessfully to live the Gospel perfectly. By that I mean, I don't repent each time I make a mistake right away; otherwise, I pray too much and ask for forgiveness to think I am going anywhere but Celestial Glory, but that is another topic.

What is the Dream! I know, I know...

There I was at the home of my stake president with my wife and kids. For some reason we were there doing some type of activity with our families that I did not pay attention to very well. My wife and I were sitting in the same room with our stake president talking about some particular issue while the president had one of his small children, struggling with him to get the child to comply with some command. It looked like the child was resisting him as he tried to finish dressing him.

As I sat there listening to the president talk, he threw some mild profanity at the child. My wife then exclaimed an affectionate reprimand, "Oh, my Bishop."

She may have only said those words in the dream, but the president and I understood those three words to mean more. She preached a sermon of loving forgiveness and warning to try to be better.

In the dream I understood her using the title of bishop instead of president since he was also our bishop before he became the stake president. It was a term of endearment so to speak. He understood the reprimand and apologized for using the language and my wife and he moved on to discuss, whatever it was. I don't remember from the dream.

The president still struggled with the child who fought him on every angle. This same child spoke with us as an intelligent person, but transformed between being a young child and an older one. He was very obstinate, but not wicked as I could tell from the feelings that came off of him.

The president let out a few strings of expletives and I did not know how to receive him after that. I lowered my gaze away from him as he spoke further. My wife again reprimanded him in the words, "Oh, my Bishop!"

After speaking with us for some time, the president asked me, "Rod, what do you think?" He referred to the ongoing conversation we had of which I do not recall.

I reflected on his question for some time and then said. "I don't know. I can't get passed what you did. I cannot even make eye contact with you because I am so disappointed."

That was all I said, but since it was a dream, it was not all I communicated. In those words I communicated that I was shocked that he would speak to his child in such a crude manner and yet expect me not to comment on it.

I communicated that I was ashamed and hurt by the experience because I was expected to still view him as a Christian leader to direct my spiritual paths. I communicated hurt and sheer shame!

He replied, "I understand and am glad that you were honest with your feelings."

That was all he said, but what I understood was him thanking me for being willing to point it out and be honest with him instead of glossing it over and having a bad experience later. He admitted to not being perfect and still struggling with life's issues though God had called him to be in the position he held. He apologized sincerely and humbly sough my forgiveness, which I gave.

I left his home with my wife and family afterwards feeling satisfied with him, but aware also that he was VERY human and in need of God's grace as much as anyone else.

That brings me back to:

I dreamed a dream that caused me to think that I will soon be disappointed by a church leader who I esteem highly and should be prepared for it.

The Lord gives multiple interpretations of Dreams and visions

After I thought about it for a while, I put myself in the position of the president and took all of that first impression out of my mind. One of my children became the “me-character” in the dream but my wife remained the same.

I wonder if my children see me the way I saw the president. I wonder because they see all of me. They have seen me at my lowest and at my best. I am their spiritual guide. The older they get, the more imperfections they see in me.

My wife is my eternal companion and we are both more prone to be tolerant of each other than other people would be including our children who will eventually grow up and move away.

My wife and I forgive each other of each infraction because we understand life a little more than our children in many respects.

Maybe I was supposed to see it that way also. I know that I cannot hide my imperfections from my children, but I should be quick to apologize if I make a mistake and move to help the children learn from my mistakes and move on.

So, I dreamed a dream that caused me to think that I will soon disappoint one of my children and should be prepared for it.

...prepared to ask forgiveness.

...prepared to let my children understand that I am in as much need of the grace of God as anyone.

Getting Personal With Christianity: God Gets on My Last Nerve!

Sometimes. to hear him talk makes me want to slap him silly. I cannot stand how annoying he can be and self-righteous!

Getting Personal With Christianity: I drank the Kool-aid

No religion is supposed to have more value than another in liturgy legally but in reality one religious movement tops all others, Christianity.

Thoughts Put to Words

Meet the Twin Latter-day Saints - Africa to America

Members of Twin Latter-day Saints & Friends and Family

Members of Twin Latter-day Saints Friends and Family

The Need

Blackness Explored

On The African American Experience

Black By Default

Tiger Woods

Black People Claim Everybody

Why all this grabby behavior by this Group of Americans?

When Americans voted, they voted for a president of the United States of America.

Conclusion

Place of Discovery

Tales from Umtata: Golden Investigator

Missionary Experiences Are What You Make Them

The Heat Beats Down.

Spiritual High

Street Contacting On Umtata's (Mthatha) Town Square. Missionary Stories.

The Book of Russell M. Nelson

Russell M. Nelson President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Chapter One

Source

First Step in True Pattern of Prayer - Address God

"Father in Heaven ..."

Seeking Out God, Calling On Him in Prayer is Firststep to Making Sure Our Prayers Are Heard

God is our Father

We may also call Him Lord or God.

Recap on the Step of Prayer:

So the first step is to Address God in prayer.The second step is to Thank God for what he has already given.The third step is to Ask God for the things that we need and want.The fourth step is to Close in the Name of Jesus Christ.

Cycle of Success

Which Comes First? Thought? or Language?

Language Not Necessary For Thought

Spiritual For Three

((((applause!))))

My Conclusion!

Shooting of Black Men

Gov. Deval Patrick, A continued plague of social warfare?

Racism?

Shakespeare Has Nothing on Lehi!

Moroni Saw Me

I, Donald Trump

Why I did not Like Trump

It is really myself I Hate?

Charity of the Believer

Minimum Wage Hikes Create the New Slavery: Poverty

In the great state of Arizona Proposition 206 passed which raises the minimum wage and dictates mandatory sick days for workers. I understand the mandatory sick days and agree with that part of the proposition.

I do not believe in forced wealth redistribution.

The Principle of Truth

Media Produce Fear of Police

Getting Personal With Christianity: Messages in Dreams

Glenn Beck: Man of Faith

Is He Mad!

Glenn Beck Changed His life

Man of Faith

Man of Faith

Rodric Johnson

Other interesting reads

Comments

Mental Musings of a Jaded Republican, I meant Independent!

Getting Personal With Christianity: Overcoming Doubt

American Troops Posing with the Dead

The Psychology of Dismemberment

Pick Up the Dead Pieces

Read These Things

More by this Author

The Truth about Gender

Socio-psychological Source of Gender

Genetic Truth

Nurture and Nature

Gender Cannot Be Legislated AWAY From Sex

Reference Material

Foundations of biopsychology Andrew P. Wickens. Edition, 2. Publisher, Pearson, Prentice Hall, 2005. Original from, Cornell University (Wickens, 2005, pg. 205)1

Law and Medicine, Gender Should Be

Definitive

Resources Referenced

Getting Personal With Christianity: Joseph Smith II

Getting Personal With Christianity: Who is my neighbor?

Diabetes Leads to Health Problems: Be Warned. The pictures are very Graphic of my Wound

Getting Personal With Christianity # 8: I Trust Dreams

So the first step is to Address God in prayer.
The second step is to Thank God for what he has already given.
The third step is to Ask God for the things that we need and want.
The fourth step is to Close in the Name of Jesus Christ.

Foundations of biopsychology Andrew P. Wickens. Edition, 2. Publisher, Pearson, Prentice Hall, 2005. Original from, Cornell University (Wickens, 2005, pg. 205)¹