Talking Religion and Politics

I've heard since I was a young child that when you're making conversation with new acquaintances you should definitely avoid religion and politics to avoid offending people you don't know yet. You've probably heard that somewhere too.

There were times in my childhood when my own family couldn't agree on religion or politics and the discussions would get heated.  You may have had that experience as well.

So, here goes, I'm going to discuss both in one post!  Hope you're still smiling when you get done reading this ...

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From ages 5 until 19 I lived in the Brentwood community in the western part of Los Angeles, about four or five miles from the Los Angeles Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  You make several important commitments to God in the temple, and so you wait to do most of that until you are an adult, in my case three weeks before I left my boyhood home to serve a Church mission for two years in London, England.

There is a wonderful Spirit inside the Temple, and also on the grounds of the Temple.  In those years I did not have a drivers license and mostly got around where I wanted to go by walking or riding my three-speed bicycle.  Many times when I wanted to clear my head and get some peace when thinking about something I would find my way to the temple grounds or to the adjacent visitors center to read, listen to the wind blow, feel the quiet, feel the Spirit. 

It has been years since I have lived there, but business takes me to southern California frequently, generally to other areas fifty or more miles away.  Occasionally, maybe once every year or two, I make it back there.  It is always very special when I do.

The visitors center there has been closed for renovation for a long time now, but I just received a tweet today telling me that it had reopened after a major two-year redo.  (It seems longer than that, but I trust them).

I will have to make a point of going back there to see this.  The full article is available by clicking on the underlined words above about my receiving a tweet.  Go check it out, I think you will find the pictures as breathtaking as I do.

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While driving in the desert today I saw two things interesting enough that I took pictures of them,

The General Patton Memorial Museum (thank you for your service!)

The second line below the giant McCain letters says "Protecting Arizona's Bases".  I do appreciate John McCain's service, I really do. 

But now we're down to we need to give him yet another term in the Senate so he can protect Arizona's bases?  It really is time for term limits, it is time for fresh blood in both houses of Congress.  It is time we had a choice that isn't between "not good enough anymore" and "worse than that".

The current system gives the incumbent of whatever party an enormous advantage over any challenger, no matter what his or her merits may be.  Fund raising and name recognition are just two giant first steps in explaining this enormous advantage.  Fear that your state will be left out because you have a rookie and other states have an experienced, career politician keeps the incumbents in also. 

We need a level playing field.  George Washington had a great idea, serve for a limited time, go back home for a time, and maybe come back later for another limited time in a different capacity.  Presidential term limits are now part of our Constitution.  It is time Congressional term limits are included too.

There's A Mountain Behind That Smog

If you look (very) carefully in the low horizon beyond the trees you will see Ontario Peak on the left and Cucamonga Peak on the right rising more than 7,000 feet above the valley floor only six miles from where I am walking, but the smog is much easier to see than those large mountains.  I enjoyed this same one mile, twenty minute walk yesterday and today.  It is hard getting back into a routine, but step by step we're getting there.  And it is like scrubbers, I feel better an hour later when I do it.

With Healing In His Wings

I love reading the 25th chapter of 2nd Nephi.  Like many great chapters of scriptures, it illuminates several different topics concisely. Here are just a few of my thoughts as I read it this morning,

Verse 13, "Behold, they will crucify him; and after he is laid in a sepulchre for the space of three days he shall rise from the dead, with healing in his wings; and all those who shall believe on his name shall be saved in the kingdom of God. Wherefore, my soul delighteth to prophesy concerning him, for I have seen his day, and my heart doth magnify his holy name."

I marvel that after Christ ministered to many for three years, including countless healings, that one of the great things He would do immediately when resurrected is to rise with healing in his wings.  I understand this to mean healing with great power, with His healing available to all of us (compared with being available just to those He was able to meet in His mortal ministry).

I also love Nephi's enthusiasm.  I picture him having visions of Christ's ministry to come, as vivid and detailed as if he were watching a well-done DVD documenting highlights of Christ's life featuring Christ himself, and the actual people and conditions included in his life.  I believe that Nephi was so deeply touched by the experience of seeing and hearing the details of Christ's future life and ministry that he loved talking about it, loved writing about it, loved bearing testimony of it, loved singing of it, and more ... as often as possible. 

I get excited as I feel this level of enthusiasm in Nephi.  Jumping to verse 26, it is no wonder that he says,

"And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."

I smile as I think of how many times I enjoyed reciting these words as part of our stake theme in meetings over most of the past decade.

Returning to verse 23, Nephi illuminates further,

"For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."

We can not hope to be saved without the grace of Christ, and without faith and hope in His grace and mercy.  To think that any amount of our works could save us without His grace is impossible (King Benjamin, among others, reminds us wonderfully of that). 

What Christ does expect is that we will strive to develop charity, His pure love, by doing all we can.  He does not expect us to do more than we can, and surely we can do nothing of eternal importance without His help.  But he does expect us to try.

Nephi explains this so well!

 

Cruising on La Monde Street

For you cycling fans (you know who you are :) ...) that's La Monde not to be confused with (Greg) LeMond.

What took me to this street was a two hour delay in a client meeting today.  Thanks to my handy BlackBerry for helping me find

this library a couple miles away.  I got caught up on some of my paperwork here while I was waiting.  Then the last 15 minutes I read an interesting article in Fortune magazine about David Sokol, who is a top executive in Warren Buffett's organization -- when one of the companies needs "help", Mr. Sokol is often who Warren turns too. 

It was a welcome two hour break in my day.

Big Prickly Pears

You will be glad to know I walked 1.6 miles today in 40 minutes.  Granted, that's pretty slow, but it felt good to be moving!  Along the way, I found this plant, which is one of the larger prickly pear cactus plants I have seen ... probably 8 feet tall and 20 feet across.  Enjoyed the view!

Welcome Jay L Beck and Scouts

I know the fellow just to the left of me in this picture as Elder Beck, he started his mission in October 1972 a few weeks after I did and we were in the same district as greenies, so I got to know him pretty well.  He has always been a good musician, and today teaches music at the Waterford School in the Draper area.

His children are younger than mine, and he is a scout leader in his ward in Alpine, Utah.  They are camping in our field tonight and came here to hike in Zion today and tomorrow.  It was a fun evening with them, and I'm glad they came.  As a fun, unexpected bonus, there is a 100th anniversary edition of the Scout handbook which they all signed and gave to us as a thank you.  Very nice and appreciated!

Welcome to Southern Utah dinner for Grandmother Forsyth

Here are different shots of our crew welcoming Grandmother Forsyth to her new home in St. George.  We met at Josh and Megan's this evening for carne asada, chips, tortillas,  homemade salsa, yummy guacamole, and frozen ice cream balls.  Wish you were here!