One Nation Under God

"Christ is holding up the U.S. Constitution while behind him are the Founding Fathers and other patriotic heroes from the past two centuries speaking to us from the dust. They are asking us to remember the foundation of our country's greatness and the liberties defined under the Constitution.

"The fact that Christ holds the Constitution is very significant. I believe it was a God-inspired document. I believe God holds this country in the hollow of His hand. The Constitution gave Americans the kind of liberty unknown elsewhere in the world.

"I believe our country has been gradually weakened over the years, and we are reaching a tipping point. In the front of the painting, on the left side, are your strong Americans. On the other side are those who I believe have weakened the country."

"The painting One Nation Under God is very symbolic, and I wanted it to be that way to cause people to study it and ponder its message. I hope people will understand my feelings as they learn more about the meaning of the painting."
-- Jon McNaughton

Following Jesus

Amen

I found this on a friend's FB page and thought I would post it on my blog.

Greatest man in history, named Jesus, had no servants, yet they called him Master. Had no degree, yet they called him Teacher. Had no medicines, yet they called him Healer. He had no army, yet kings feared Him. He won no military battles, yet he conquered the world. He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him. He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today. Re-post if you believe In Him with all your heart.

Spiritual Nourishment

DH and I met with the bishop last Sunday. The bishop is a very, what I consider, humble and down-to-earth man.

We revealed to him that my paycheck is being garnished. After listening to us and going over our finances, he told us that the Church would help us with food. He was ready to arrange for the RS president to come to our home to see what our needs are. We told him that for this month (and possibly next month) we have enough food to last until I find out if the garnishment is going to be reduced. He did tell us that he would like to see us out at Church.

Today DH and I went to Sacrament Meeting. Maybe this sounds corny, but I came away feeling "spiritually nourished." I came away with good feelings about the Church. Then I made the mistake of reading some of the comments here.

Now I'm beginning to question if I'm only fooling myself that I will have positive experiences at Church. Am I just "pink clouding?" In others words, am I in "a state of temporary artificial euphoria?"

I am so confused.

Remembering the Past

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana

Today I've been reflecting on the scripture “wickedness never was happiness” (Alma 41:10). I look at the world today and cannot help but feel profoundly sad. Elder M. Russell Ballard Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke these words at General Conference in April 2009:

You don’t have to be a Latter-day Saint—you don’t even have to be religious—to see the repeating pattern of history in the lives of God’s children as recorded in the Old Testament. Time and again we see the cycle of righteousness followed by wickedness. Similarly, the Book of Mormon records that ancient civilizations of this continent followed exactly the same pattern: righteousness followed by prosperity, followed by material comforts, followed by greed, followed by pride, followed by wickedness and a collapse of morality until the people brought calamities upon themselves sufficient to stir them up to humility, repentance, and change.

If you are reading this post, do you agree with what Elder Ballard said? I do.

Elder Ballard also said:

We live in an era when the boundaries of good taste and public decency are being pushed to the point where there are no boundaries at all. The commandments of God have taken a beating in the vacillating marketplace of ideas that absolutely rejects the notion of right and wrong. Certain factions of society seem generally mistrustful of anyone who chooses to live according to religious belief. And when people of faith attempt to warn others of the possible consequences of their sinful choices, they are scoffed at and ridiculed, and their most sacred rites and cherished values are publicly mocked.

There was a time I would have scoffed at what Elder Ballard said. I would have thought "What does he know? He's just a stuffy old man and too old-fashioned in his thinking." But MY thinking has changed.

I pray that the calamities we have brought upon ourselves will "stir us up to humility, repentance, and change."

M. Russell Ballard, “Learning the Lessons of the Past,” Ensign, May 2009, 31–34

Big Love - Temple Ceremony Portrayal [UPDATE]

I realize I have many LDS readers and lurkers who come to my blog. Some of you may find this post offensive. Please know I mean no disrespect. This is something that is going to appear on the HBO series "Big Love." This article appeared in the TV Guide. I am amazed that the doors have been opened, so to speak, to the temple and the endowment ceremony. I have read through a few discussions at LDS message boards about this upcoming episode of "Big Love." Those discussions can be found here, here and here.



Big Love Mormon Temple Ceremony

What is your reaction?

UPDATE: Here is a link to the statement of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to "Big Love" and a link to HBO's response to the controversy.

"The Tongue of Angels"

"The Responsible Woman" by James C. Christensen
[An artist best known for painting imaginative art which brings out the child in all of us.]

Do you speak with the "tongue of angels"? Are your "words, like your deeds, filled with faith and hope and charity?"

I was visiting the blog Modern Molly Mormon and came upon a reference to a talk given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland at General Conference in April 2007. Elder Holland's talk is titled "The Tongue of Angels."

I will admit that I definitely fall short of speaking with the "tongue of angels." That is often made painfully clear to me when my son asks: "What's mom angry at now?"

How easy it is to let loose with hurtful words, especially when we're stressed out. Elder Holland had this to say:

The voice that bears profound testimony, utters fervent prayer, and sings the hymns of Zion can be the same voice that berates and criticizes, embarrasses and demeans, inflicts pain and destroys the spirit of oneself and of others in the process.

I think back to words that were spoken to me that wounded my spirit. Words like: "You're fat. You're stupid. No one likes you." I cringe now to know that I too am guilty of not thinking before speaking.

I reflect on how many times I lost patience with my son and used a harsh voice with him. Has my son forgiven me? I believe he has, especially when I hear him say to me: "I love you mom."

I will strive to think before speaking any hurtful words. It won't be easy. These words of Elder Holland are so true:

In all of this, I suppose it goes without saying that negative speaking so often flows from negative thinking, including negative thinking about ourselves. We see our own faults, we speak—or at least think—critically of ourselves, and before long that is how we see everyone and everything. No sunshine, no roses, no promise of hope or happiness. Before long we and everybody around us are miserable.

I will strive to remember this:

Our words, like our deeds, should be filled with faith and hope and charity, the three great Christian imperatives so desperately needed in the world today. With such words, spoken under the influence of the Spirit, tears can be dried, hearts can be healed, lives can be elevated, hope can return, confidence can prevail.

Peace and Love, Kalola

Jesus is Coming for Dinner

Ruth went to her mail box and there was only one letter. She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the envelope again. There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address. She read the letter:

Dear Ruth:
I'm going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like to stop by for a visit.
Love Always,
Jesus

Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. “Why would the Lord want to visit me? I'm nobody special. I don't have anything to offer.” With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets. “Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer. I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner.” She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. Five dollars and forty cents. “Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least.” She threw on her coat and hurried out the door.

A loaf of French bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk...leaving Ruth with a grand total of twelve cents to last her until Monday.

Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm. “Hey lady, can you help us?”

Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn't even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway. A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags “Look lady, I ain't got a job, ya know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it's getting cold and we're getting kind of hungry and, well, if you could help us, lady, we'd really appreciate it.”

Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to. “Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him.”

“Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway.”

The man put his arm around the woman's shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley. As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart. “Sir, wait!” The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them. “Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out something else to serve my guest.”
She handed the man her grocery bag. “Thank you lady. Thank you very much!”

“Yes, thank you!” It was the man's wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering. “You know, I've got another coat at home. Here, why don't you take this one.” Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman's shoulders. Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street...without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest. “Thank you lady! Thank you very much!”

Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. The Lord was coming to visit and she didn't have anything to offer Him. She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox.

“That's odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day.”

She took the envelope out of the box and opened it.

Dear Ruth:
It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal. And thank you, too, for the beautiful coat.
Love Always
Jesus

The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed.