Mormon

Nov

2010

Spiritual Sparks

I got a message on my facebook wall this week. It totally made my day. Or week. Or month. Or whatever. I went on a Mormon mission to Recife, Brazil over 5 years ago. I had the opportunity to help this man and his family learn about and join the Mormon church. I haven’t spoken to him in many years. I was so happy to receive this facebook message from him. I love spiritual sparks like this. Totally thrusts me forward. It’s so great to see he’s doing well. It’s true happiness, to see real fruits of your labor like this.

Here it is translated:

Hey Powerful Elder. haha. I’m happy to know that you are well. I’m 2nd counselor in the Cavaleiros Branch in Macae, RJ where I live now. I baptized Debora and we will get sealed in the temple in the next year. Davi is 4 years old and talks a lot. We miss you friend, you were a great help in getting my family and I into Christ’s church. Huge hugs. We’ll send photos of all of us soon. I know that this church is true.

The below pic is his family. His wife did not join the church when I was working with him. But now she is and they will be married in the temple soon. They will have an eternal family. Hearing from him lead me to reaching out to other people I had worked with on the mission. I received special messages from them as well. One was about our age when we were teaching him (early twenties). He ended up going on a mission and sharing the same message with thousands just as we had done with him. That’s cool. Anyway, it was great to hear from some of these folks. I love these spiritual sparks. Usually we have to seek the sparks. But sometimes, God is just so merciful that he’ll surprise you when you least expect it.

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Aug

2010

LDS Church Statement on Prop 8

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regrets today’s decision. California voters have twice been given the opportunity to vote on the definition of marriage in their state and both times have determined that marriage should be recognized as only between a man and a woman. We agree. Marriage between a man and a woman is the bedrock of society.”

LDS Church Statement on Prop 8 ruling

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Aug

2010

Sam’s Special Day

I just got home to SF after spending the weekend with family in Utah. Rachel and Sam are still in Utah, though they will be spending the next week in Arizona (with Rachel’s family). I head off to China tomorrow for work.

Yesterday was was a special day. It was Sam’s Baby Blessing.

For those wondering what a Mormon Baby Blessing is, it’s a blessing given to a baby (usually within the first few months) for two main purposes:
1) Giving the baby a name by which he will be known (and making it official in the church records)
2) Bestowing promises to the baby (based on spiritual impressions) regarding the baby’s life

From the Doctrine and Covenants (part of the Mormon canon):

Every member of the church of Christ having children is to bring them unto the elders before the church, who are to lay their hands upon them in the name of Jesus Christ, and bless them in his name.

As for how it’s done, men who have the priesthood will gather around in a circle and hold the baby in their hands. Certain words are spoken by one person (typically the father) and like I mentioned above, a name is given and special blessing is given to the child regarding his life and future.

The spirit was very strong. I could feel it as I was saying the words in the blessing. It’s such a special feeling. And it was especially great being surrounded by such close friends and family. The words that I spoke to Sam are inspired. The words weren’t from me; they were from God. I was simply the instrument, the mouth piece. I said what came to my heart through the Spirt of revelation. They didn’t come pre-planned or prepared.

I don’t know…you have to experience it to know what i’m talking about. It’s truly divine.

The entire weekend was great. Family is the most important thing in this world. I’d rather be doing nothing else in the world than spending time with my brothers, my parents, my wife, my son.

I already miss them. And I especially miss my wife and son. Little Sam is such a bundle of joy. I need to write a blog post about how he has changed my life. I keep putting it off but I need to make it happen.

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Nov

2008

Church Responds to Prop 8 Results

First off, I have a bunch of gay friends (mainly from back at Princeton) and I appreciate their differences and enjoy their friendships as I much as I do with anyone. I haven’t really said much on this blog regarding Prop 8, the controversial constitutional amendment that bans same-sex marriage in California.

But today The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a statement regarding results of the Prop 8 vote from yesterday. This statement from the church resonates well with my feelings and thoughts on the whole issue. Read the entire release here, but below is the excerpt I really like:

It is important to understand that this issue for the Church has always been about the sacred and divine institution of marriage — a union between a man and a woman.

Allegations of bigotry or persecution made against the Church were and are simply wrong. The Church’s opposition to same-sex marriage neither constitutes nor condones any kind of hostility toward gays and lesbians. Even more, the Church does not object to rights for same-sex couples regarding hospitalization and medical care, fair housing and employment rights, or probate rights, so long as these do not infringe on the integrity of the traditional family or the constitutional rights of churches.

Some, however, have mistakenly asserted that churches should not ever be involved in politics when moral issues are involved. In fact, churches and religious organizations are well within their constitutional rights to speak out and be engaged in the many moral and ethical problems facing society. While the Church does not endorse candidates or platforms, it does reserve the right to speak out on important issues.

It’s never been about rights; it’s always been about protecting the institution of marriage. People may not agree with that but that’s always been the position.

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Oct

2008

Trials

Today in church one of the things we learned about was Standing Fast in the Storms of Life. Something that stood out to me was something Joseph Smith said:

“You will have all kinds of trials to pass through. And it is quite as necessary for you to be tried as it was for Abraham and other men of God, and (said he) God will feel after you, and He will take hold of you and wrench your very heart strings, and if you cannot stand it you will not be fit for an inheritance in the Celestial Kingdom of God.”

I know that God gives us trials and challenges so that we can build character, grow closer to Him, and become stronger. Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, suffered all things. I know that when we turn to Him He can help us through our trials. He understands. He’s felt our pain (and much more). As we face these challenges, we grow, we learn and our desire to feel compassion for others and serve them is enhanced.

The official church website says the following about adversity:

Dealing with adversity is one of the chief ways in which you are tested and tutored in mortality. Our loving Heavenly Father has the ability to compensate us for any injustices we may be called upon to endure in this mortal life. If we endure faithfully he will reward us beyond our ability to comprehend in the life to come.

As the Lord told Joseph Smith during a period of intense suffering: “Know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?” ( Doctrine and Covenants 122:7–8).

Do I think trials suck? Kinda…I’m not gonna lie. But at the same time, I know that they can help me grow. It’s kinda like when I go for a hard work out…either a run or intense weight lifting. Does it hurt sometimes? Yes. But do I know it’s good for me? Of course.

I know that trials can make us stronger. And I know that God doesn’t give us a trial that we can’t overcome. Hopefully we can all embrace challenges and endure faithfully at whatever comes our way.

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Oct

2008

Conference Weekend

So if you’re a Mormon then you know exactly what this weekend is. It’s conference weekend. The leaders of our church gather in Salt Lake City and use satellite broadcast to speak to members of the church throughout the world. There are multiple sessions throughout the weekend and it’s a great time to learn and be strengthened.

A couple years back while I was at Princeton I wrote a blog post that tried to illustrate what exactly Conference is and why it’s so important. The post is here: The Prophet Speaks on Sat/Sun.

To see all my posts on religion you can go here. To follow conference commentary on Twitter you can go here. To watch or listen to General Conference online, you can go here. To learn more about the Mormons, go here.

Hope that helped. Peace.

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Aug

2008

What it means to be Mormon, Part 1

Like i’ve said before, there are plenty of people who read this blog who aren’t members of my faith so usually on Sundays I like to share a little piece of that part of me. This series, “What it means to be Mormon,” is gonna be ongoing as I think of good examples for each point. So here’s a start.

The situation
While in college out east, I took a digital photography class. It was a small class (maybe 8 people in it). It was one of my favorite classes i’ve ever taken and one of the few classes I actually got an “A” in while at Princeton. We had engaging projects, visited amazing galleries in NYC, and always had great visual presentations from the professor highlighting specific artists. I loved the class. Well, one day the professor told us that the following week he’d be showing us a presentation that contained sensual, provocative nude images.

What it mean to be Mormon?
In this case, it meant me telling the professor that I would not be there that day to take part in that discussion. I didn’t want him to change his schedule around my personal beliefs so I simply shared some of my reasons/beliefs (without imposing) and let him know I wouldn’t be attending. I certainly didn’t want him to change everything around just for me. Bottom line, he respected my decision and we both moved on. Later that week he called me and said that he wanted to change his presentation anyway and that there would be no nude images. I went and everything was fine.

The doctrine
Though the human body is “beautiful” and can definitely be considered a form of “art,” the human body is sacred. We should never defile it. We should always respect it. Here’s the official teachings from the church on this matter:

Chastity requires faithfulness in thought and action. You are to keep your thoughts clean and be modest in your dress, speech, and actions ( Matthew 5:27–28) . You must avoid pornography in any form and treat the God-given procreative power and your body as sacred gifts.

President HInckley, a modern day prophet, said the following regarding pornography:

“Stay away from it! Avoid it like the plague because it is just as deadly, if not more so. The plague will destroy the body. Pornography will destroy the body and the soul. Stay away from it! It is as a great disease that is sweeping over the country and over the entire world. Avoid it! I repeat, avoid it!”

An obedient and faithful Mormon will avoid this type of thing at all cost. And that’s exactly why I refused to look at those inappropriate images in my photography class back at school. This is one example of what it means to be a Mormon.

Day to Day/Mormon View Comments

Aug

2008

Family

In 1995, the first presidency of our church issued a public document called The Family: A proclamation to the World. It’s basically what us Mormons believe the family is and ought to be. Here are my favorite parts. Be sure to read the whole document here.

Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

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Aug

2008

Prophets & Apostles

What’s one thing that makes our church different? Here’s a story that I think really illustrates the point. It’s straight out of Our Search For Happiness, a book written by M. Russell Ballard (currently an apostle, a leader in our church). He says:

When I was mission president in Toronto I was invited to participate in a popular radio talk show. No, my missionaries didn’t set me up for this one–I accepted this invitation on my own. After some initial discussion of the similarities between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other Christian denominations, the host asked this significant question: “What makes your church different from other churches?”

“Let me answer your question with another question,” I replied. “If Moses were on the earth today, would you be interested in what he had to say?”

“Of course,” the talk show host responded. “Everyone would be interested.”

“Well, that’s our message to the world,” I said. “There is a prophet of God on the earth today who has the same power and authority that Moses had. God directs His Church through His prophet today, just as He did in Moses’ day.”

My host was silent for a moment–which, as you know, can seem like forever on the radio.

“You’re right,” he said at last. “That is different.”

God loves all His children. Everyone on the earth. He wants all of us to return and live with Him again. Because He loves us so much, He has placed a mouthpiece on the earth to guide and us and lead us. The name of the man who leads us today is President Thomas S. Monson.

Amos 3:7 (in the bible) says:

Surely the Lord God will do nothing, until he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

The heavens are not closed. God didn’t place us here to just kinda figure it out on our own. He has given us help. He has given us resources. He has given us the ancient scriptures (Bible, Book of Mormon, etc) along with modern day scriptures (prophets and apostles) to help us understand and know what it takes to return. What God wants most is for us to return and live with Him again. He would never abandon us. And He hasn’t. That is why we have a prophet on the earth today.

» Learn more about Prophets.

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Jul

2008

Blogging on Religion

There was an article in a recent Ensign (a publication in the LDS church) by Elder M. Russell Ballard that me and my wife really enjoyed. It was called Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet. A few excerpts here…

Now, may I ask that you join the conversation by participating on the Internet to share the gospel and to explain in simple and clear terms the message of the Restoration…

The Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ has no doubt had a powerful impact on your life. It has, in part, shaped who you are and what your future will be. Do not be afraid to share with others your experiences as a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. We all have interesting stories that have influenced our identity. Sharing those stories is a nonthreatening way to talk to others and telling those stories can help demystify the Church. You could help overcome misperceptions through your own sphere of influence, which ought to include the Internet.

I have a lot of friends who aren’t very familiar with the Mormon faith and I think this blog could serve as a good resource to help them understand more of the core doctrines, principles and beliefs of the church. I don’t wanna be too over the top with it…so i’ll probably just do it on Sundays.

My faith and my religious beliefs mean a lot to me and there is absolutely no reason for me not to share them. I’ve shared some religious stuff here before…but I guess what i’m saying is that i’m gonna start doing it much more frequently. Hopefully every Sunday. Sometimes it’ll just be a few thoughts, maybe a scripture or two, missionary stories, and perhaps quotes and excerpts from talks given by modern prophets and apostles.

That’s all. I just wanted to announce that. Here’s a quick scripture for today. Normally it’ll be more.

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
- Matthew 6:33

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