The following is a letter-to-the-editor that I submitted to The Dixie Sun, the student newspaper of Dixie State College, but then withdrew for personal reasons.
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Dear Editor:
In the mid-90s, I spent a couple years living in England. One night, I was invited to dine with a family, and during the course of our meal, we got into a friendly debate of which is better: America or England.
At one point, a teenaged son said, “Can you name one war America’s won without help from anyone else?”
Foolishly—very foolishly, I blurted out, “The Gulf War.”
Forks dropped and an unnerving silence engulfed those at the table, before the wife spoke and said, “I’ll have you know that not only were Britons there fighting with America, but my husband also won a medal from the queen for inventing a communications device that helped thousands of British troops in that war.”
To drive home her point, she had me watch the video of her husband receiving that medal from Queen Elizabeth II. (Note to editor: He did not throw it back.)
That misspeaking on my part was one of the more humiliating moments in my life, for in an instant I had discounted the sacrifice and serve of the British who had fought alongside our American counterparts in a war.
I was reminded of that moment while listening to Thursday’s debate between Professors Chip McCloud and Joe Green.
While I certainly revere the way Mr. McCloud clearly and intelligently conveyed his points throughout the debate, I took umbrage at one of his statements: that Bush has a go-it-alone stance on Iraq.
Such an unfortunate mischaracterization of the War of Iraq discounts the noble sacrifices of our many allies in Iraq, many of whom have bled out their lives defending not just their country—but also America.
Yes, this coalition isn’t perfect and as inclusive as we would like. But that doesn’t diminish the sacrifice of our Allies’ soldiers. And certainly we should debate the merits of going to this war, but we should do so in a way that does not diminish the devotion our Allies’ sons and daughters in Iraq.
Such sacrifice does not deserve our condemnation; rather, it deserves our commendation.
Quite frankly, as one who has many friends serving in the British Armed Forces, I was acutely offended by Mr. McCloud’s statement aimed to keep the under-informed uninformed of our Allies’ many sacrifices.
I wonder how well Mr. McCloud’s statement would be received at a dinner table in England—particularly at a table where the family has a loved one laboring in the Middle East.
Perhaps Britain, Australia, Poland and others should have made as much noise in joining our cause as France made in announcing to the world that it would not join America in this war. Then we might know that there are soldiers who live beyond our borders who are making sacrifices on our behalf. How myopic it is to think otherwise!
John Kerry spends much of his time daydreaming how he will bring in the estranged France and Germany into our coalition when he’s re-elected. Of course, there’s no way in Cedar that’s going to happen.
Meanwhile Kerry has exhausted his larynx spewing attack after attack on this coalition—in much the same way he trashed his fellow veterans in Vietnam.
Perhaps the question we should be asking is this: How will Kerry keep our allies together after months of Kerry and his surrogates trashing our coalition and its soldiers?
Friday, September 24, 2004
Friday, September 10, 2004
POLITICS: Is John Kerry another Richard Nixon?
Richard Nixon's actions during the 1972 campaign led to him getting the dubious distinction of being the only president to ever resign the presidency in disgrace.
Fast forward: 32 years later to this week to John Kerry, whose campaign appears to have taken a turn similar to Nixon's.
Trailing to Bush by 10 points in the wake of the Republican Convention, coupled with the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth Ads that have questioned his service in Vietnam, as well as news reports that showed his Anti-war testimony to the senate, in which accused (and admitted himself) to committing atrocities in Vietnam, were used by the Vietcong in an attempt to further demoralize tortured American POWs, Kerry needed something to jumpstart his suddenly-fledgling campaign.
So into CBS' offices crept a document that questioned Bush's service in the National Guard--and attempting to show that Bush enlisted in the National Guard to avoid going to Vietnam. The documents also were meant to show that Bush had disobeyed orders and lost his pilot status for not meeting performance standards.
Democrat-friendly Dan Rather, who, in the past, has been a Democrat fundraiser, rushed out the story on 60 Minutes II. CBS then posted the documents on its Web site, where it didn't take long for document experts to quickly debunk them and prove them as forgeries.
Here's a snippet from an AP story posted on CBSnews.com:
"[Lt. Col. Jerry] Killian's son, one of Killian's fellow officers and an independent document examiner questioned the memos.
"Gary Killian, who served in the Guard with his father [in whose name the forgery was made] and retired as a captain in 1991, said he doubted his father would have written an unsigned memo which said there was pressure to "sugar coat" Mr. Bush's performance review.
"'It just wouldn't happen,' he said. 'No officer in his right mind would write a memo like that.'
"The personnel chief in Killian's unit at the time also said he believes the documents are fake.
"'They looked to me like forgeries,' Rufus Martin told the Associated Press. 'I don't think Killian would do that, and I knew him for 17 years.' Killian died in 1984.
"Independent document examiner Sandra Ramsey Lines said the memos looked like they had been produced on a computer using Microsoft Word software. Lines, a document expert and fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, pointed to a superscript — a smaller, raised "th" in "111th Fighter Interceptor Squadron" — as evidence indicating forgery.
"Microsoft Word automatically inserts superscripts in the same style as the two on the memos obtained by 60 Minutes, she said.
"'I'm virtually certain these were computer generated,' Lines said to the Associated Press after reviewing copies of the documents at her office in Paradise Valley, Ariz. She produced a nearly identical document using her computer's Microsoft Word software."
Additionally, the font used on the documents, Times New Roman, hadn't been created at the time the documents were issued.
Of this, another news source wrote: "Many experts say the memos' typeface, formatting, paragraph spacing and other attributes indicate that they were written on a modern-day personal computer, possibly using the Microsoft Word word-processing program — not on a 1970s typewriter. The documents were purportedly written in 1972 and 1973."
Clearly, this is a forgery.
The question remains: Who would want to forge these documents?
What isn't disputed is that these documents were given to CBS by the Democrats.
Democratic National Committe chairman Terry McAuliffe immediately rushed out to claim that they had been duped by the Republicans.
Yeah, right.
This is just typical of the Kerry campaign. Kerry, you might remember, blamed a secret service agent for causing him to fall when skiing, although the agent was nowhere near him. It appears the same thing is happening here.
Although the Republicans were nowhere near these documents before they aired on CBS, somehow, it was the GOP's fault. The only thing the GOP did, was distribute the documents to the press corps after the CBS program aired and before they learned the documents had been falsified.
But let's pretend for a minute that the Republicans somehow deceived the Democrats to take the documents.
Shouldn't the Democrats have acted responsibly and checked out the documents' authenticity? And shouldn't CBS have tried to establish the accuracy of the papers? Yes and yes. But both were just too anxious to air the story. Clearly, with how quickly the documents were debunked, neither the Democrats nor CBS were careful enough.
And that shows a great weakness, and a reason for us to not rely on either source as reliable in the future.
To me, it's clear the Democrat forged these documents. The Kerry campaign has been gasping in recent weeks because of questions over his Vietnam service. His last gasp for air was to drag down Bush into the same boat he was in.
Bush didn't go to Vietnam, but he was serving his country in the National Guard. Nor did he, like Kerry, give testimony that aided and abetted American killers in Vietnam.
It's a shame that Kerry's campaign did this. The good news is he was found out, and as more people learn about this, it will likely be the end of any chance he had to get to the White House.
Nixon's comrades broke into Democrat Headquarters. Breaking and entering. That was a crime, for which he rightly had to resign the presidency.
Kerry's comrades forged documents. Forged government/military documents. That also is a crime. What's the difference between Kerry and Nixon?
Fast forward: 32 years later to this week to John Kerry, whose campaign appears to have taken a turn similar to Nixon's.
Trailing to Bush by 10 points in the wake of the Republican Convention, coupled with the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth Ads that have questioned his service in Vietnam, as well as news reports that showed his Anti-war testimony to the senate, in which accused (and admitted himself) to committing atrocities in Vietnam, were used by the Vietcong in an attempt to further demoralize tortured American POWs, Kerry needed something to jumpstart his suddenly-fledgling campaign.
So into CBS' offices crept a document that questioned Bush's service in the National Guard--and attempting to show that Bush enlisted in the National Guard to avoid going to Vietnam. The documents also were meant to show that Bush had disobeyed orders and lost his pilot status for not meeting performance standards.
Democrat-friendly Dan Rather, who, in the past, has been a Democrat fundraiser, rushed out the story on 60 Minutes II. CBS then posted the documents on its Web site, where it didn't take long for document experts to quickly debunk them and prove them as forgeries.
Here's a snippet from an AP story posted on CBSnews.com:
"[Lt. Col. Jerry] Killian's son, one of Killian's fellow officers and an independent document examiner questioned the memos.
"Gary Killian, who served in the Guard with his father [in whose name the forgery was made] and retired as a captain in 1991, said he doubted his father would have written an unsigned memo which said there was pressure to "sugar coat" Mr. Bush's performance review.
"'It just wouldn't happen,' he said. 'No officer in his right mind would write a memo like that.'
"The personnel chief in Killian's unit at the time also said he believes the documents are fake.
"'They looked to me like forgeries,' Rufus Martin told the Associated Press. 'I don't think Killian would do that, and I knew him for 17 years.' Killian died in 1984.
"Independent document examiner Sandra Ramsey Lines said the memos looked like they had been produced on a computer using Microsoft Word software. Lines, a document expert and fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, pointed to a superscript — a smaller, raised "th" in "111th Fighter Interceptor Squadron" — as evidence indicating forgery.
"Microsoft Word automatically inserts superscripts in the same style as the two on the memos obtained by 60 Minutes, she said.
"'I'm virtually certain these were computer generated,' Lines said to the Associated Press after reviewing copies of the documents at her office in Paradise Valley, Ariz. She produced a nearly identical document using her computer's Microsoft Word software."
Additionally, the font used on the documents, Times New Roman, hadn't been created at the time the documents were issued.
Of this, another news source wrote: "Many experts say the memos' typeface, formatting, paragraph spacing and other attributes indicate that they were written on a modern-day personal computer, possibly using the Microsoft Word word-processing program — not on a 1970s typewriter. The documents were purportedly written in 1972 and 1973."
Clearly, this is a forgery.
The question remains: Who would want to forge these documents?
What isn't disputed is that these documents were given to CBS by the Democrats.
Democratic National Committe chairman Terry McAuliffe immediately rushed out to claim that they had been duped by the Republicans.
Yeah, right.
This is just typical of the Kerry campaign. Kerry, you might remember, blamed a secret service agent for causing him to fall when skiing, although the agent was nowhere near him. It appears the same thing is happening here.
Although the Republicans were nowhere near these documents before they aired on CBS, somehow, it was the GOP's fault. The only thing the GOP did, was distribute the documents to the press corps after the CBS program aired and before they learned the documents had been falsified.
But let's pretend for a minute that the Republicans somehow deceived the Democrats to take the documents.
Shouldn't the Democrats have acted responsibly and checked out the documents' authenticity? And shouldn't CBS have tried to establish the accuracy of the papers? Yes and yes. But both were just too anxious to air the story. Clearly, with how quickly the documents were debunked, neither the Democrats nor CBS were careful enough.
And that shows a great weakness, and a reason for us to not rely on either source as reliable in the future.
To me, it's clear the Democrat forged these documents. The Kerry campaign has been gasping in recent weeks because of questions over his Vietnam service. His last gasp for air was to drag down Bush into the same boat he was in.
Bush didn't go to Vietnam, but he was serving his country in the National Guard. Nor did he, like Kerry, give testimony that aided and abetted American killers in Vietnam.
It's a shame that Kerry's campaign did this. The good news is he was found out, and as more people learn about this, it will likely be the end of any chance he had to get to the White House.
Nixon's comrades broke into Democrat Headquarters. Breaking and entering. That was a crime, for which he rightly had to resign the presidency.
Kerry's comrades forged documents. Forged government/military documents. That also is a crime. What's the difference between Kerry and Nixon?
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
RELIGION: Fireside Talk: Sept 6, 2004: 25 Ways to Draw Nearer to Christ
25 Ways To Draw Nearer to Christ
Tonight, I want to speak of ways in which we can draw nearer to our Savior. But before I do, I want to stress why we want to come unto Christ.
I’ll start with a story by Tad R. Callister:
“One Sunday morning our teenaged son stood with two other priests to administer the sacrament, as they had done on many prior occasions. They pulled back the white cloth, but to their dismay there was no bread. One of them slipped out to the preparation room in hopes some could be found. There was none. Finally, our trouble son made his way to the bishop and shared the concern with him. A wise bishop then stood, explained the situation to the congregation, and asked, ‘How would it be if the sacrament table were empty today because there were no Atonement?’ I have thought of that often—what would it be like if there were no bread because there had been no crucifixion; no water because there had been no shedding of blood? Of course, the question is now moot, but it does put in perspective our total dependence on the Lord.”
I know that I have a total dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ, as do all of you. When I consider what my life would be like without the Hope of Christ, I can only see desperation, bleakness and despair.
I can only see myself as a trapped man—with no means of escape. Without Christ’s selfless Atonement, our spiritual lives would be DOA.
It’s appropriate that when the Israelites were marching through the desert they were fed by a bread—manna, and that Moses smote the rock, and water gushed forth to quench the thirst. Just as their physical salvation depended on bread and water, so do our spiritual lives depend on the Bread of Life and the Living Waters—Jesus Christ. And it should be noted that, in time, we will also be physically rescued by Christ’s Atonement, when we are all resurrected.
With that in mind, I’d like you to take just a moment. And think about what it must have been like to be in the Grand Council in Heaven, having just heard the Father explain His Great Plan of Happiness to us. The blessings of that plan to those who successfully navigated the tests of this life were a never-ending, complete joy; eternal life with our Father in Heaven, and the promise that we may one day be as He is. What great joy we must have had to have the possibility of those blessings, yet our realization of those gifts depended on One of the Father’s Children performing a great, selfless Atonement of immeasurable suffering and pain. This Sacrifice had to be made by Best of the Father’s Children, for He had to perfect, even in the midst of great temptation, to be qualified to make this Atonement. He had to be so full of love that he would “descend below them all” to rescue us from sin. Knowing this, can you imagine the joy you felt when the Best of Our Father’s Children, Jesus Christ, stepped forward and gladly took this responsibility upon Himself, when he said, “Here Am I. Send me.” Imagine that moment and what it must have meant to you then, and what it should mean to you now!
“Yes,” we must have thought, “It could only be Jehovah!”
I’m sure we all knew in that instant that Christ would come through, and perform that Atonement with exactness. And indeed, he did exactly that. And why did he go through the awfulness of Gethsemane and the treachery of the Cross? Because he loved us.
There is a lesson I hope we have imprinted on our hearts: Christ loved us enough to be our Atoner.
And so we, standing behind the Father’s choice to pick Jesus to be Our Christ, came to Earth to prove ourselves.
Now, you have probably seen a TV show or heard a story in which two people claim ownership of a dog, and they always seem to resolve this is the same one: the two people will stand on opposite ends of the yard and call the dog, and whoever the dog goes to is its rightful owner. In a sense, that’s what’s happening here on Earth. Christ is calling to us, and Satan is tempting us to come his way. Every step we take toward Satan is a step away from Christ. Every step we take toward Christ is a step away from Satan.
Therefore, I hope you can see the wisdom of drawing closer to Christ. You choose which way you go. As Nephi wrote: “And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself” (2 Nephi 2:27). Again, it is your choice, but the soundest, happiest and best choice is to come unto Christ. I hope you will.
Now, these are some ways in which you can.
These first five items I call “The Basics”—these are the simple fundamental, everyday things you can do that will strengthen your spirit. When Vince Lombardi was hired to coach the Green Bay Packers, reporters asked him what he was going to do in his new role—would he emphasize the pass, the run, defense, what? Instead, Lombardi responded, “We’ll be brilliant at the basics.” Lombardi’s teams were, and they won so much, they named the Super Bowl trophy after him. Similarly, in our spiritual doings, we need to be brilliant at the basics, so that we are prepared for whatever Satan throws at us. This preparation is absolutely necessary each day. I remember Elder Holland once saying to missionaries that their preparation time between 6:30 and 9:30 a.m. each day, “Would break or make your mission.” And isn’t interesting that of all of the preparations that Captain Moroni made for his imminent war with Amalickiah, the first one he made was preparing the minds of the people to be faithful to Christ? If you want to win your spiritual battles you must first have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
#1—Gain A Testimony; then strengthen, protect and adhere to that testimony.
First, I want you to know that I have a strong, vibrant testimony that Jesus is the Christ; I know He is my Savior. The Spirit has whispered this to my heart so many times that I cannot deny it. I do know Christ is the Atoner!
It makes sense that the first principle of the gospel is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Why would you want to be obedient to his commandments if you didn’t believe this? Once, you have faith in Christ, that faith becomes the catalyst of all other acts—coming to church, marrying in the temple, accepting a call to serve, etc.—the desire to do all those things comes from a testimony of Christ and His Restored Church.
Once we gain a testimony, it is ours to remember; ours to strengthen through study and spiritual experience; ours to protect against Satan and his minions. Once. we have that testimony we are building on the Rock of Our Redeemer; we want to build on this foundation so that we can, as Helaman wrote, withstand the shafts in the whirlwind that Satan will hurl at us. This is best done by adhering to our testimony, meaning we keep Christ’s commandments because we love Him and revere Him as our Savior.
#2—Read Your Scriptures
Bishop Ferguson has wisely counseled us to read our scriptures for 30 minutes for the next 30 days. Quite honestly, I’m off to a rough start, but I plan to repent and finish up strong. If you’re like me and haven’t yet been diligent in meeting Bishop Ferguson’s challenge, I hope you will join me in a renewed effort to start again and this time do it right.
I believe reading the scriptures has a profound impact on one’s relationship with God. I know this, because I can tell when I am neglectful in my reading, I find myself distanced from God, taking steps toward Satan. The scriptures drive a man toward Christ. Read your scriptures, and as you do you will internalize them and become a more Christ-like person. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell once said, “We possess these precious truths! Now they must come to possess us!”
#3—Pray Always
In Doctrine & Covenants 10:5, the Lord promises us: “Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conqueror Satan …” Certainly, that is our goal! We want to return to live our Heavenly Father, right? How do we do that? We conqueror Satan? What’s the best way to conqueror Satan? Pray Always.
#4—Go to Church—All Three Meetings
Church is three hours long—not two. Just because the scenery may not be as interesting in the Elders’ Quorum, it’s no reason to go home. The purpose of church is not to socialize, although that’s a great benefit of it. The purpose of attending church is to draw closer to Christ. As Moroni wrote, “And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls. And they did meet together oft to partake of the bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus” (Moroni 6:5-6).
We come to church, first, to renew our covenants with Christ, and we also attend to worship Christ, and to speak “one with another concerning the welfare of their souls.” This refers to sacrament talks and Sunday School and Elders’ Quorum lessons. When you miss one of your meetings, you may miss a message that Christ wants you to hear.
#5—STS—Seek the Spirit
It is such a wonderful blessing to have the gift of the Holy Ghost. It is the blessing to have a member of the Godhead, an Actual God, God the Testator, with us at all times. What a tremendous gift that is! The Spirit is our Guide through this life.
How receptive have we been to the Spirit’s guidance? Have we followed its counsel? Have we lived worthy of having the Spirit whisper directions to us? Have we sought the Spirit in our critical decisions? Have we felt the Spirit recently? Have we felt It daily?
Seek the Spirit. Make your lives and your homes a place where the Spirit can drop in and have a nice chat with you. I should point out that three of the best ways to invite the Spirit are to read your scriptures, pray and attend your meetings—putting things in your life that will be accompanied by the Spirit.
#6—Keep your Covenants
Really, nothing is more important to us than this. We came to earth to make covenants and keep them. President Boyd K. Packer once said of covenants: “To make them is the quest of mortality; to keep them is the challenge of a lifetime.”
Our covenants, if faithfully kept, are what will enable us to walk back into the presence of our Father and see his faith with gladness. In other words, keeping our covenants allow us to be full partakers of the blessings of Jesus’ Sacrifice.
So, there are the basics. To them, I add this “Basics Checklist?”
1. Do I have a testimony of Jesus Christ and His Restored Church?
2. Have I kept my covenants today?
3. Have I read my scriptures today?
4. Have I prayed today?
5. Have I attended all my meetings this week?
6. Have I felt the Spirit today?
Here are the rest:
#7—Appreciate the Atonement
I can think of nothing more ungrateful than one who falls into a sin-now-repent-later scheme. Such a person shows a lack of appreciation of the great suffering that Christ rendered on their behalf.
Rather, I would have us embrace the attitude of Elder Maxwell, who once said: “I thank the Savior personally for bearing all which I added to his hemorrhaging at every pore for all of humanity in Gethsemane. I thank Him for bearing what I added to the decibels of His piercing soul-cry atop Calvary.” Such an attitude reveres the Atonement.
#8—Represent Christ
A favorite saying of mine goes, “Live your life in such a way that those who know you but don’t know Christ will want to know Christ because they know you.” Another favorite saying is “don’t make your faith hard to detect.” In other words, let your light shine before men. Be an example.
To be an example of Christ, we must look and act like believers, so that we are witnesses of Christ in all times and in all places. This means we dress modestly and adhere to President Hinckley’s guidelines regarding tattoos and earrings. This means our attire is consistent with our faith. This also means that our language and conversations are in keeping with that testimony we have of Jesus.
#9—Attend Institute
A few years ago, when I was attending Dixie, I had a girlfriend who was a convert to the Church and had signed up for Institute for the first time.
She was just blown away by it. She came back from her first class at Institute talking non-stop about how great it was. She’d found something that she hadn’t experienced before—the wonderful teachers and classes of the Church Educational System. Institute really is an enjoyable thing; it’s a nice break from the college classes. There’s just a different feel to Institute. If you have a spare hour or two in your class schedule, it’d be to your advantage to attend Institute.
In fact, it’s something you must do to make your college experience complete.
#10—Stand in Holy Places
The best way to avoid temptation is to not go where it’s present.
There are just some places Latter-day Saints shouldn’t be—they include the obvious places: bars and clubs, but they also include other places, such as a friend’s apartment where you might be pressured to drink alcohol, or immoral Internet sites.
Don’t seek pornography; it will destroy you, the brethren have told us over and over again. Don’t drink alcohol—not only do you break the Word of Wisdom when you do so, but you lose control of yourself and can put yourself in a situation in which you compromise your standards and seriously damage your spirit.
If you have that much free time to sin, then fill that free time with Institute and draw near unto Christ instead.
#11—Choose righteous friends
If you have friends pressuring you to drink or otherwise compromise your standards, get new friends.
How you act determines what you become. While how you act is up to you, your acts are always influenced by your friends. If you’re friends can’t support you in a righteous lifestyle, then find new friends.
It’s not that hard. It’s not really my style to go out of my way to meet people, yet I’ve made a number of friends in this ward by just standing in the hallway. Be where the good kids are, and some good kids will be your friends. Remember the best way to have a bunch of good friends is to be a good friend to them. Lift your friends up. Praise them. Tell them what they do well, what you like about them. Help them through their difficulties. Help keep them on the straight and narrow, as you walk it with them.
I can tell you that I have some friends I would just trust with my life because I know they care about me because they’ve listened to me when I’ve had struggles and they’ve helped get me through those times. We should all seek not just to have those kind of friends—but to be that type of friend.
#12—Attend “Extra” Church Events—Firesides, FHEs, ward activities.
Speaking of being where the good kids are …
The firesides, family home evenings, ward and Institute activities provide wonderful opportunities for you to meet new people, be entertained cheaply and be uplifted at the same time.
#13—Choose virtuous entertainment
Movies, TV and books affect you. You’re kidding yourself if you think otherwise. Therefore, you should choose entertainment that uplifts instead of demeans. With all the other offerings of entertainment from church activities to sports to plays to clean movies, TV shows and magazines, there is simply no need to have your mind polluted by the Adversary’s entertainment.
#14—Accentuate the Positive
If there’s one lesson we have learned from President Hinckley it is to be optimistic.
Quite honestly, this summer has been a challenging one for me. This is not where I expected to be, the first summer out of college, when I planned out my college experience. Things that I thought would work out, haven’t, included my dream job, which I came tantalizingly close to getting—which if I had got I know I would’ve been there for the rest of my life. My life is too much like George Costanza’s for my own liking. Yet, at the same time, I feel so blessed; there is so much that I have going for me, which includes a great family, full of nieces and nephews, many of whom kept swarming into the room as I wrote this talk to give me hugs and jump on the bed. Plus, I had quite a great, exciting journey through college. And if you get stranded somewhere, St. George is a pretty great place to be stranded. I could focus on what’s wrong and get depressed. But, instead, I’ve been fairly happy because I just have too many blessings to be sour.
#15—Love Yourself
This all leads to this point: love who you are.
I include this here because it's important to remember that Christ loved you enough to die for you. It's important that you love yourself as He loved you.
I might not look like Brad Pitt or have a wallet as fat as Donald Trump's, but I like who I am. I probably wouldn’t if I spent my time obsessing why I don’t look like Brad Pitt or why I’m not as cool as Jeremy Schudde. Usually, when we make such comparisons, we do ourselves a great injustice, for in those comparisons, we tend to focus on our perceived weaknesses rather than our strengths.
Define yourself by your strengths, not your weaknesses. Then ask God to help those weaknesses become strengths.
#16—Serve and Praise Others
This hearkens back to the friends theme. I mentioned there that the friends I trusted were those who had listened to and helped me in my difficulties. This is what call the “Ammon Attitude.” It was Ammon who first served the king before he taught him, and he had considerable more success than his brothers who didn’t do that. In time, Ammon’s service won him the friendship of the king. If you have a problem getting along with a roommate, serve that roommate. Even if you don’t have a problem getting along with a roommate, serve that roommate. In either case, you will find your relationship strengthened.
The second part of this one is to find the good in others and praise them for that. Everyone needs a little pick-me-up now and then. Be the friend who provides that. Part of being a praiser means conditioning yourself to find the good in others—this will help you in all you relationships. It’s when you focus on the negative in others, that animosity is created. But when you focus on the good, friendship is created.
#17—Set Goals
Set some goals, such as reading your scriptures every day or getting a high GPA. Post them somewhere in your room and work on them with Heber J. Grant-like diligence. If you keep your goals in mind, you’ll achieve more
#18—Accept/Magnify Callings
If you are asked to serve, accept the call. Then serve with all your heart, might, mind and soul. Adopt David O. McKay’s mantra: “Whate’er thou art, act well thy part.” If you’re called to be a home teacher, be the best home teacher you can be. Don’t be like me. I forgot to go home teaching last month. Sorry, Kyle. I guess this makes me a hypocrite, but the principle is true—give your best to the Lord.
#19—Sustain and Help Out Leaders
Our leaders, most notably our bishopric, are all our volunteers, giving much of their scant free time to be with us. That deserves not just our sustaining vote, but our respect and gratitude. We also have an obligation to help them out in whatever we can. This may be as simple as doing our calling or going the extra mile to reach out to a member of the ward.
#20—Create a Heavenly Environment
This goes back to looking the part of a disciple of Christ. Only this time, it’s our houses, rooms and apartments that should testify. It was President Kimball who suggested we display pictures of the temple or artwork of Christ on our walls to remind of us our eternal goals.
#21—Take General Conference Seriously
Although we watch general conferences in casual clothes, we cannot be casual about its message. These are God’s prophets speaking to us. The General Conferences are special, important times of the year. Taking General Conference seriously includes preparing for it, this may include considering a question you want answered and praying that you will find the answer during the General Conference. Above all, though, I promise you if you listen to General Conference, you will find a message for you; you will find what God wants you to do or change in your life.
#22—Be Temple Worthy
You need to live your life so you’re prepared to meet you Maker at any time. A good measuring stick of this is whether you’re temple worthy. If you’re not, take care of whatever is preventing you from being temple worthy.
#23- Attend and Cherish The Temple
Besides General Conferences, the Temple is an excellent place to find the answers to our questions. Also, it’s the place where we feel closest to our Heavenly Father. It’s a glorious blessing of ours to live so near a temple. Let’s be grateful that we have a temple so near us.
#24—Be the Solution/Stand Up for Righteousness
There’s a commercial on TV right now, showing a group of people standing around a garbage can, staring at a piece of litter on the sidewalk and complaining about it. Then, a guy walks up, picks it up and throws it in the garbage can.
Too often, we spend too much time, sitting around complaining about our problems, expecting someone else to fix it.
Instead, we should find the solutions to our problems. After all, God helps those who help themselves.
Moreover, in a world of shifting values, it’s important that the Latter-day Saints band together and stand up for righteousness. This has made a difference in the past and will make a difference in the future.
Something as simple as changing the channel or writing a letter to political leaders can cause a mighty change.
#25—Fall in love with the gospel
The more you learn about this gospel, the more you’ll love it. The more you study the gospel, the more you will see the great work that God has done for you in your life. The plan of salvation is a beautiful plan, and the more it is understood, the clearer you relationship to your Father in Heaven is, the better your appreciation for the Savior will be, and the more frequent your association with the Spirit will be. If you study the gospel, you will fall in love with it.
Most of all, you will see a need for your Savior, and your need to draw near unto him. It was He who said, "Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me ..." (D&C 88:63). I promise you that, if you do draw unto Him, your life will be richly blessed, and should you be faithful to your covenants, you will be redeemed by His blood to be found worthy to enter the Celestial Kingdom.
I know the plan of salvation is real, for the Spirit has testified it unto me, and I know that Christ was the center of it. He is our Redeemer and our Hope. We are children of a loving Heavenly Father. And the Father and Christ did appear to Joseph Smith, and through him, They restored Christ’s Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Tonight, I want to speak of ways in which we can draw nearer to our Savior. But before I do, I want to stress why we want to come unto Christ.
I’ll start with a story by Tad R. Callister:
“One Sunday morning our teenaged son stood with two other priests to administer the sacrament, as they had done on many prior occasions. They pulled back the white cloth, but to their dismay there was no bread. One of them slipped out to the preparation room in hopes some could be found. There was none. Finally, our trouble son made his way to the bishop and shared the concern with him. A wise bishop then stood, explained the situation to the congregation, and asked, ‘How would it be if the sacrament table were empty today because there were no Atonement?’ I have thought of that often—what would it be like if there were no bread because there had been no crucifixion; no water because there had been no shedding of blood? Of course, the question is now moot, but it does put in perspective our total dependence on the Lord.”
I know that I have a total dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ, as do all of you. When I consider what my life would be like without the Hope of Christ, I can only see desperation, bleakness and despair.
I can only see myself as a trapped man—with no means of escape. Without Christ’s selfless Atonement, our spiritual lives would be DOA.
It’s appropriate that when the Israelites were marching through the desert they were fed by a bread—manna, and that Moses smote the rock, and water gushed forth to quench the thirst. Just as their physical salvation depended on bread and water, so do our spiritual lives depend on the Bread of Life and the Living Waters—Jesus Christ. And it should be noted that, in time, we will also be physically rescued by Christ’s Atonement, when we are all resurrected.
With that in mind, I’d like you to take just a moment. And think about what it must have been like to be in the Grand Council in Heaven, having just heard the Father explain His Great Plan of Happiness to us. The blessings of that plan to those who successfully navigated the tests of this life were a never-ending, complete joy; eternal life with our Father in Heaven, and the promise that we may one day be as He is. What great joy we must have had to have the possibility of those blessings, yet our realization of those gifts depended on One of the Father’s Children performing a great, selfless Atonement of immeasurable suffering and pain. This Sacrifice had to be made by Best of the Father’s Children, for He had to perfect, even in the midst of great temptation, to be qualified to make this Atonement. He had to be so full of love that he would “descend below them all” to rescue us from sin. Knowing this, can you imagine the joy you felt when the Best of Our Father’s Children, Jesus Christ, stepped forward and gladly took this responsibility upon Himself, when he said, “Here Am I. Send me.” Imagine that moment and what it must have meant to you then, and what it should mean to you now!
“Yes,” we must have thought, “It could only be Jehovah!”
I’m sure we all knew in that instant that Christ would come through, and perform that Atonement with exactness. And indeed, he did exactly that. And why did he go through the awfulness of Gethsemane and the treachery of the Cross? Because he loved us.
There is a lesson I hope we have imprinted on our hearts: Christ loved us enough to be our Atoner.
And so we, standing behind the Father’s choice to pick Jesus to be Our Christ, came to Earth to prove ourselves.
Now, you have probably seen a TV show or heard a story in which two people claim ownership of a dog, and they always seem to resolve this is the same one: the two people will stand on opposite ends of the yard and call the dog, and whoever the dog goes to is its rightful owner. In a sense, that’s what’s happening here on Earth. Christ is calling to us, and Satan is tempting us to come his way. Every step we take toward Satan is a step away from Christ. Every step we take toward Christ is a step away from Satan.
Therefore, I hope you can see the wisdom of drawing closer to Christ. You choose which way you go. As Nephi wrote: “And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself” (2 Nephi 2:27). Again, it is your choice, but the soundest, happiest and best choice is to come unto Christ. I hope you will.
Now, these are some ways in which you can.
These first five items I call “The Basics”—these are the simple fundamental, everyday things you can do that will strengthen your spirit. When Vince Lombardi was hired to coach the Green Bay Packers, reporters asked him what he was going to do in his new role—would he emphasize the pass, the run, defense, what? Instead, Lombardi responded, “We’ll be brilliant at the basics.” Lombardi’s teams were, and they won so much, they named the Super Bowl trophy after him. Similarly, in our spiritual doings, we need to be brilliant at the basics, so that we are prepared for whatever Satan throws at us. This preparation is absolutely necessary each day. I remember Elder Holland once saying to missionaries that their preparation time between 6:30 and 9:30 a.m. each day, “Would break or make your mission.” And isn’t interesting that of all of the preparations that Captain Moroni made for his imminent war with Amalickiah, the first one he made was preparing the minds of the people to be faithful to Christ? If you want to win your spiritual battles you must first have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
#1—Gain A Testimony; then strengthen, protect and adhere to that testimony.
First, I want you to know that I have a strong, vibrant testimony that Jesus is the Christ; I know He is my Savior. The Spirit has whispered this to my heart so many times that I cannot deny it. I do know Christ is the Atoner!
It makes sense that the first principle of the gospel is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Why would you want to be obedient to his commandments if you didn’t believe this? Once, you have faith in Christ, that faith becomes the catalyst of all other acts—coming to church, marrying in the temple, accepting a call to serve, etc.—the desire to do all those things comes from a testimony of Christ and His Restored Church.
Once we gain a testimony, it is ours to remember; ours to strengthen through study and spiritual experience; ours to protect against Satan and his minions. Once. we have that testimony we are building on the Rock of Our Redeemer; we want to build on this foundation so that we can, as Helaman wrote, withstand the shafts in the whirlwind that Satan will hurl at us. This is best done by adhering to our testimony, meaning we keep Christ’s commandments because we love Him and revere Him as our Savior.
#2—Read Your Scriptures
Bishop Ferguson has wisely counseled us to read our scriptures for 30 minutes for the next 30 days. Quite honestly, I’m off to a rough start, but I plan to repent and finish up strong. If you’re like me and haven’t yet been diligent in meeting Bishop Ferguson’s challenge, I hope you will join me in a renewed effort to start again and this time do it right.
I believe reading the scriptures has a profound impact on one’s relationship with God. I know this, because I can tell when I am neglectful in my reading, I find myself distanced from God, taking steps toward Satan. The scriptures drive a man toward Christ. Read your scriptures, and as you do you will internalize them and become a more Christ-like person. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell once said, “We possess these precious truths! Now they must come to possess us!”
#3—Pray Always
In Doctrine & Covenants 10:5, the Lord promises us: “Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conqueror Satan …” Certainly, that is our goal! We want to return to live our Heavenly Father, right? How do we do that? We conqueror Satan? What’s the best way to conqueror Satan? Pray Always.
#4—Go to Church—All Three Meetings
Church is three hours long—not two. Just because the scenery may not be as interesting in the Elders’ Quorum, it’s no reason to go home. The purpose of church is not to socialize, although that’s a great benefit of it. The purpose of attending church is to draw closer to Christ. As Moroni wrote, “And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls. And they did meet together oft to partake of the bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus” (Moroni 6:5-6).
We come to church, first, to renew our covenants with Christ, and we also attend to worship Christ, and to speak “one with another concerning the welfare of their souls.” This refers to sacrament talks and Sunday School and Elders’ Quorum lessons. When you miss one of your meetings, you may miss a message that Christ wants you to hear.
#5—STS—Seek the Spirit
It is such a wonderful blessing to have the gift of the Holy Ghost. It is the blessing to have a member of the Godhead, an Actual God, God the Testator, with us at all times. What a tremendous gift that is! The Spirit is our Guide through this life.
How receptive have we been to the Spirit’s guidance? Have we followed its counsel? Have we lived worthy of having the Spirit whisper directions to us? Have we sought the Spirit in our critical decisions? Have we felt the Spirit recently? Have we felt It daily?
Seek the Spirit. Make your lives and your homes a place where the Spirit can drop in and have a nice chat with you. I should point out that three of the best ways to invite the Spirit are to read your scriptures, pray and attend your meetings—putting things in your life that will be accompanied by the Spirit.
#6—Keep your Covenants
Really, nothing is more important to us than this. We came to earth to make covenants and keep them. President Boyd K. Packer once said of covenants: “To make them is the quest of mortality; to keep them is the challenge of a lifetime.”
Our covenants, if faithfully kept, are what will enable us to walk back into the presence of our Father and see his faith with gladness. In other words, keeping our covenants allow us to be full partakers of the blessings of Jesus’ Sacrifice.
So, there are the basics. To them, I add this “Basics Checklist?”
1. Do I have a testimony of Jesus Christ and His Restored Church?
2. Have I kept my covenants today?
3. Have I read my scriptures today?
4. Have I prayed today?
5. Have I attended all my meetings this week?
6. Have I felt the Spirit today?
Here are the rest:
#7—Appreciate the Atonement
I can think of nothing more ungrateful than one who falls into a sin-now-repent-later scheme. Such a person shows a lack of appreciation of the great suffering that Christ rendered on their behalf.
Rather, I would have us embrace the attitude of Elder Maxwell, who once said: “I thank the Savior personally for bearing all which I added to his hemorrhaging at every pore for all of humanity in Gethsemane. I thank Him for bearing what I added to the decibels of His piercing soul-cry atop Calvary.” Such an attitude reveres the Atonement.
#8—Represent Christ
A favorite saying of mine goes, “Live your life in such a way that those who know you but don’t know Christ will want to know Christ because they know you.” Another favorite saying is “don’t make your faith hard to detect.” In other words, let your light shine before men. Be an example.
To be an example of Christ, we must look and act like believers, so that we are witnesses of Christ in all times and in all places. This means we dress modestly and adhere to President Hinckley’s guidelines regarding tattoos and earrings. This means our attire is consistent with our faith. This also means that our language and conversations are in keeping with that testimony we have of Jesus.
#9—Attend Institute
A few years ago, when I was attending Dixie, I had a girlfriend who was a convert to the Church and had signed up for Institute for the first time.
She was just blown away by it. She came back from her first class at Institute talking non-stop about how great it was. She’d found something that she hadn’t experienced before—the wonderful teachers and classes of the Church Educational System. Institute really is an enjoyable thing; it’s a nice break from the college classes. There’s just a different feel to Institute. If you have a spare hour or two in your class schedule, it’d be to your advantage to attend Institute.
In fact, it’s something you must do to make your college experience complete.
#10—Stand in Holy Places
The best way to avoid temptation is to not go where it’s present.
There are just some places Latter-day Saints shouldn’t be—they include the obvious places: bars and clubs, but they also include other places, such as a friend’s apartment where you might be pressured to drink alcohol, or immoral Internet sites.
Don’t seek pornography; it will destroy you, the brethren have told us over and over again. Don’t drink alcohol—not only do you break the Word of Wisdom when you do so, but you lose control of yourself and can put yourself in a situation in which you compromise your standards and seriously damage your spirit.
If you have that much free time to sin, then fill that free time with Institute and draw near unto Christ instead.
#11—Choose righteous friends
If you have friends pressuring you to drink or otherwise compromise your standards, get new friends.
How you act determines what you become. While how you act is up to you, your acts are always influenced by your friends. If you’re friends can’t support you in a righteous lifestyle, then find new friends.
It’s not that hard. It’s not really my style to go out of my way to meet people, yet I’ve made a number of friends in this ward by just standing in the hallway. Be where the good kids are, and some good kids will be your friends. Remember the best way to have a bunch of good friends is to be a good friend to them. Lift your friends up. Praise them. Tell them what they do well, what you like about them. Help them through their difficulties. Help keep them on the straight and narrow, as you walk it with them.
I can tell you that I have some friends I would just trust with my life because I know they care about me because they’ve listened to me when I’ve had struggles and they’ve helped get me through those times. We should all seek not just to have those kind of friends—but to be that type of friend.
#12—Attend “Extra” Church Events—Firesides, FHEs, ward activities.
Speaking of being where the good kids are …
The firesides, family home evenings, ward and Institute activities provide wonderful opportunities for you to meet new people, be entertained cheaply and be uplifted at the same time.
#13—Choose virtuous entertainment
Movies, TV and books affect you. You’re kidding yourself if you think otherwise. Therefore, you should choose entertainment that uplifts instead of demeans. With all the other offerings of entertainment from church activities to sports to plays to clean movies, TV shows and magazines, there is simply no need to have your mind polluted by the Adversary’s entertainment.
#14—Accentuate the Positive
If there’s one lesson we have learned from President Hinckley it is to be optimistic.
Quite honestly, this summer has been a challenging one for me. This is not where I expected to be, the first summer out of college, when I planned out my college experience. Things that I thought would work out, haven’t, included my dream job, which I came tantalizingly close to getting—which if I had got I know I would’ve been there for the rest of my life. My life is too much like George Costanza’s for my own liking. Yet, at the same time, I feel so blessed; there is so much that I have going for me, which includes a great family, full of nieces and nephews, many of whom kept swarming into the room as I wrote this talk to give me hugs and jump on the bed. Plus, I had quite a great, exciting journey through college. And if you get stranded somewhere, St. George is a pretty great place to be stranded. I could focus on what’s wrong and get depressed. But, instead, I’ve been fairly happy because I just have too many blessings to be sour.
#15—Love Yourself
This all leads to this point: love who you are.
I include this here because it's important to remember that Christ loved you enough to die for you. It's important that you love yourself as He loved you.
I might not look like Brad Pitt or have a wallet as fat as Donald Trump's, but I like who I am. I probably wouldn’t if I spent my time obsessing why I don’t look like Brad Pitt or why I’m not as cool as Jeremy Schudde. Usually, when we make such comparisons, we do ourselves a great injustice, for in those comparisons, we tend to focus on our perceived weaknesses rather than our strengths.
Define yourself by your strengths, not your weaknesses. Then ask God to help those weaknesses become strengths.
#16—Serve and Praise Others
This hearkens back to the friends theme. I mentioned there that the friends I trusted were those who had listened to and helped me in my difficulties. This is what call the “Ammon Attitude.” It was Ammon who first served the king before he taught him, and he had considerable more success than his brothers who didn’t do that. In time, Ammon’s service won him the friendship of the king. If you have a problem getting along with a roommate, serve that roommate. Even if you don’t have a problem getting along with a roommate, serve that roommate. In either case, you will find your relationship strengthened.
The second part of this one is to find the good in others and praise them for that. Everyone needs a little pick-me-up now and then. Be the friend who provides that. Part of being a praiser means conditioning yourself to find the good in others—this will help you in all you relationships. It’s when you focus on the negative in others, that animosity is created. But when you focus on the good, friendship is created.
#17—Set Goals
Set some goals, such as reading your scriptures every day or getting a high GPA. Post them somewhere in your room and work on them with Heber J. Grant-like diligence. If you keep your goals in mind, you’ll achieve more
#18—Accept/Magnify Callings
If you are asked to serve, accept the call. Then serve with all your heart, might, mind and soul. Adopt David O. McKay’s mantra: “Whate’er thou art, act well thy part.” If you’re called to be a home teacher, be the best home teacher you can be. Don’t be like me. I forgot to go home teaching last month. Sorry, Kyle. I guess this makes me a hypocrite, but the principle is true—give your best to the Lord.
#19—Sustain and Help Out Leaders
Our leaders, most notably our bishopric, are all our volunteers, giving much of their scant free time to be with us. That deserves not just our sustaining vote, but our respect and gratitude. We also have an obligation to help them out in whatever we can. This may be as simple as doing our calling or going the extra mile to reach out to a member of the ward.
#20—Create a Heavenly Environment
This goes back to looking the part of a disciple of Christ. Only this time, it’s our houses, rooms and apartments that should testify. It was President Kimball who suggested we display pictures of the temple or artwork of Christ on our walls to remind of us our eternal goals.
#21—Take General Conference Seriously
Although we watch general conferences in casual clothes, we cannot be casual about its message. These are God’s prophets speaking to us. The General Conferences are special, important times of the year. Taking General Conference seriously includes preparing for it, this may include considering a question you want answered and praying that you will find the answer during the General Conference. Above all, though, I promise you if you listen to General Conference, you will find a message for you; you will find what God wants you to do or change in your life.
#22—Be Temple Worthy
You need to live your life so you’re prepared to meet you Maker at any time. A good measuring stick of this is whether you’re temple worthy. If you’re not, take care of whatever is preventing you from being temple worthy.
#23- Attend and Cherish The Temple
Besides General Conferences, the Temple is an excellent place to find the answers to our questions. Also, it’s the place where we feel closest to our Heavenly Father. It’s a glorious blessing of ours to live so near a temple. Let’s be grateful that we have a temple so near us.
#24—Be the Solution/Stand Up for Righteousness
There’s a commercial on TV right now, showing a group of people standing around a garbage can, staring at a piece of litter on the sidewalk and complaining about it. Then, a guy walks up, picks it up and throws it in the garbage can.
Too often, we spend too much time, sitting around complaining about our problems, expecting someone else to fix it.
Instead, we should find the solutions to our problems. After all, God helps those who help themselves.
Moreover, in a world of shifting values, it’s important that the Latter-day Saints band together and stand up for righteousness. This has made a difference in the past and will make a difference in the future.
Something as simple as changing the channel or writing a letter to political leaders can cause a mighty change.
#25—Fall in love with the gospel
The more you learn about this gospel, the more you’ll love it. The more you study the gospel, the more you will see the great work that God has done for you in your life. The plan of salvation is a beautiful plan, and the more it is understood, the clearer you relationship to your Father in Heaven is, the better your appreciation for the Savior will be, and the more frequent your association with the Spirit will be. If you study the gospel, you will fall in love with it.
Most of all, you will see a need for your Savior, and your need to draw near unto him. It was He who said, "Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me ..." (D&C 88:63). I promise you that, if you do draw unto Him, your life will be richly blessed, and should you be faithful to your covenants, you will be redeemed by His blood to be found worthy to enter the Celestial Kingdom.
I know the plan of salvation is real, for the Spirit has testified it unto me, and I know that Christ was the center of it. He is our Redeemer and our Hope. We are children of a loving Heavenly Father. And the Father and Christ did appear to Joseph Smith, and through him, They restored Christ’s Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
RELIGION: Fireside Handout
My handout from the fireside I gave on Sept. 6, 1999 to the Dixie State College 7th Ward.
25 Ways to Draw Nearer To Christ
The Basics
1- Gain A Testimony; then strengthen, protect and adhere to that testimony.
2- Read Your Scriptures
3-Pray Always
4-Go to Church-All Three Meetings
5-STS-Seek the Spirit
6-Keep Your Covenants
---
7-Appreciate the Atonement
8-Represent Christ
9-Attend Institute
10-Stand in Holy Places
11-Choose righteous friends
12-Attend "Extra" Church Events-Firesides, FHEs, ward activities, etc.
13-Choose virtuous entertainment
14-Accentuate the Positive
15-Love Yourself
16-Serve and Praise Others
17-Set Goals
18-Accept/Magnify Callings
19-Sustain and Help Out Leaders
20-Create a Heavenly Environment
21-Take General Conference Seriously
22-Be Temple Worthy
23-Attend and Cherish the Temple
24-Be the Solution
25-Fall in love with the gospel
The Basics Checklist
1. Do I have a testimony of Jesus Christ and His restored Church?
2. Have I kept my covenants today?
3. Have I read my scriptures today?
4. Have I prayed today?
5. Have I attended all my meetings this week?
6. Have I felt the Spirit today?
President Larkin
DSC 2nd Stake Priesthood Meeting
April 28, 2002
1. Do I study the scriptures daily?
2. Do I pray daily?
3. Do I go to bed early and get up early?
4. Is my fasting meaningful
5. Do I consider myself to be a happy person?
6. Do I work hard?
7. Am I concerned more about how I serve than where I serve?
8. Do I love my enemies?
9. Do I take advantage of the temple and go often?
10. Do I share my testimony?
11. Am I a living example of Christ’s teachings?
12. Do others want to be like me?
13. If I died, I am ready to meet my Savior?
Elder Wm. Rolfe Kerr
10 Questions for Returned Missionaries
1. Do I have a current temple recommend?
2. Am I paying my tithes and offerings?
3. Do I have a challenging calling in the Church?
4. Am I studying scriptures daily?
5. Are my prayers as deep and meaningful as on my mission?
6. Am I treating the opposite sex with dignity, tenderness and respect
7. Has any activity contrary to the moral teachings of the Church crept into my life?
8. Am I worthy and prepared for temple marriage?
9. Am I searching for an eternal companion?
10. Am I preparing to be a true patriarch in my home?
25 Ways to Draw Nearer To Christ
The Basics
1- Gain A Testimony; then strengthen, protect and adhere to that testimony.
2- Read Your Scriptures
3-Pray Always
4-Go to Church-All Three Meetings
5-STS-Seek the Spirit
6-Keep Your Covenants
---
7-Appreciate the Atonement
8-Represent Christ
9-Attend Institute
10-Stand in Holy Places
11-Choose righteous friends
12-Attend "Extra" Church Events-Firesides, FHEs, ward activities, etc.
13-Choose virtuous entertainment
14-Accentuate the Positive
15-Love Yourself
16-Serve and Praise Others
17-Set Goals
18-Accept/Magnify Callings
19-Sustain and Help Out Leaders
20-Create a Heavenly Environment
21-Take General Conference Seriously
22-Be Temple Worthy
23-Attend and Cherish the Temple
24-Be the Solution
25-Fall in love with the gospel
The Basics Checklist
1. Do I have a testimony of Jesus Christ and His restored Church?
2. Have I kept my covenants today?
3. Have I read my scriptures today?
4. Have I prayed today?
5. Have I attended all my meetings this week?
6. Have I felt the Spirit today?
President Larkin
DSC 2nd Stake Priesthood Meeting
April 28, 2002
1. Do I study the scriptures daily?
2. Do I pray daily?
3. Do I go to bed early and get up early?
4. Is my fasting meaningful
5. Do I consider myself to be a happy person?
6. Do I work hard?
7. Am I concerned more about how I serve than where I serve?
8. Do I love my enemies?
9. Do I take advantage of the temple and go often?
10. Do I share my testimony?
11. Am I a living example of Christ’s teachings?
12. Do others want to be like me?
13. If I died, I am ready to meet my Savior?
Elder Wm. Rolfe Kerr
10 Questions for Returned Missionaries
1. Do I have a current temple recommend?
2. Am I paying my tithes and offerings?
3. Do I have a challenging calling in the Church?
4. Am I studying scriptures daily?
5. Are my prayers as deep and meaningful as on my mission?
6. Am I treating the opposite sex with dignity, tenderness and respect
7. Has any activity contrary to the moral teachings of the Church crept into my life?
8. Am I worthy and prepared for temple marriage?
9. Am I searching for an eternal companion?
10. Am I preparing to be a true patriarch in my home?
RANT: My War vs. Discover Card
ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHH!!
The Discover Card company is raising my blood pressure to an unhealthy level. If I have a heart attack in the next two days, I'll hold you personally responsible. Just kidding.
But I am definitely far from pleased with Discover Card. I know you don't care, as my previous complaint to your company has gone unanswered.
Today, however, I will send my petition for a redress of grievances to your headquarters one last time. This time I hope I am heard. If not, then I will certainly warn my friends and readers (I am an oft-read columnist) to avoid Discover Card at all costs.
Let me recount my history with you.
Things had been rosy up until this Summer, when a mysterious charge for an item called AccountGuard began appearing on my bill. I called up to have this policy canceled and refunded because I had never signed up for this service. The conversation I had with your so-called customer service representative was like banging my head against a brick wall. Not only would she not entertain my legitimate complaint that I had never enrolled in this program, she kept trying to sell this unwanted insurance to me. I kept repeating my disinclination for the program, making clear how unwanted it was. It was until my voice was escalated and my temper borne raw that she finally acceded to my simple request and canceled the program. I felt it was an unnecessary experience for me that I had to navigate a rep's disinterest in my needs to protect my money.
Therefore, I wrote a letter of complaint to Discover Card.
Your company never replied. From this, I learned Discover Card just didn't care about me.
Even though I now knew I was in an uncommitted relationship, I soldiered on with your company, as my present financial circumstances didn't allow me to dump you.
Although I was in a loveless marriage with your company, I wasn't too bothered. The silence between us was actually quite lovely.
But, today, you decided to talk to me again. And, naturally, you sent your most vicious, nasty customer representative to come spit venom at me. The argument was, as it always is, about money--not the money I really owed, but the money you thought I owed through your creative accounting, designed to mug me for the most money possible.
This particular customer service witch called to complain that I had not payed the $40 minimum payment in August. The problem I had with this was that August's minimum payment was $30. Yes, she said. But Discover had just sent out September's bill with a $40 minimum payment.
But, wait, aren't we talking about August's payment?
Yes, but now $30 doesn't do.
What? But $30 was how much you asked for. It was how much I sent. You can't send me a bill for $30 and then get it, and, say, "Hey, we really wanted $40!"
She, in turn, told me if I didn't pay the extra $10, I would be charged with a late fee.
Charged with a late fee for paying the minimum payment on time? That is ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous. What kind of extortion ring are you running.
If I had known your company could change the minimum payment requirements on me after I had made the minimum payment, I never would have signed up for your service.
Also, if I had know that the way you hire customer service representatives is to walk around the streets of New York City and find the most vitrolic, blood-spitting mean person you can, I never would have received a card from your company.
And if I had known that my letters of complaint would go unread by an unconcerned customer relations department, I'd never been associated with Discover Card. And had I known that my first attempt to write this letter would be deleted because your site thought I was taking too long, I would've kicked the wall.
This is one of the worst experiences I have ever had with a company. Even if I am not in a position to get a divorce right now, I assure you I will shortly--unless I see a real change in your company.
To keep me as your customer, you must do the following:
1-- Hire customer representatives who respect me and with whom I can have nice, respectable conversations. Fire those customer reps who berate, humiliate and refuse to listen to customers.
2-- Do not charge me for late fees when I have made the minimum payment.
3-- Let me pay this month's payment this month. Don't require me to pay September's bill in August.
4-- Don't charge me for things I've never signed up for.
5-- When I write a letter of complaint, at least be kind enough to respond. And if you do respond, please show me that my letter has at least been heard. I don't need what I write to be passed along to Dave Nelms, but I do need to show that my letter actually mattered to the company.
6-- Show me that you care. As of this moment, I am convinced that you do not.
I would like to point out that up until these two episodic nightmares, things had been pleasant with Discover Card. I'd like to return to those times. Please make it happen. And tell Nelmsy if he wants to read my letter, it will be on my Web site.
Sincerely,
Stephen Vincent
The Discover Card company is raising my blood pressure to an unhealthy level. If I have a heart attack in the next two days, I'll hold you personally responsible. Just kidding.
But I am definitely far from pleased with Discover Card. I know you don't care, as my previous complaint to your company has gone unanswered.
Today, however, I will send my petition for a redress of grievances to your headquarters one last time. This time I hope I am heard. If not, then I will certainly warn my friends and readers (I am an oft-read columnist) to avoid Discover Card at all costs.
Let me recount my history with you.
Things had been rosy up until this Summer, when a mysterious charge for an item called AccountGuard began appearing on my bill. I called up to have this policy canceled and refunded because I had never signed up for this service. The conversation I had with your so-called customer service representative was like banging my head against a brick wall. Not only would she not entertain my legitimate complaint that I had never enrolled in this program, she kept trying to sell this unwanted insurance to me. I kept repeating my disinclination for the program, making clear how unwanted it was. It was until my voice was escalated and my temper borne raw that she finally acceded to my simple request and canceled the program. I felt it was an unnecessary experience for me that I had to navigate a rep's disinterest in my needs to protect my money.
Therefore, I wrote a letter of complaint to Discover Card.
Your company never replied. From this, I learned Discover Card just didn't care about me.
Even though I now knew I was in an uncommitted relationship, I soldiered on with your company, as my present financial circumstances didn't allow me to dump you.
Although I was in a loveless marriage with your company, I wasn't too bothered. The silence between us was actually quite lovely.
But, today, you decided to talk to me again. And, naturally, you sent your most vicious, nasty customer representative to come spit venom at me. The argument was, as it always is, about money--not the money I really owed, but the money you thought I owed through your creative accounting, designed to mug me for the most money possible.
This particular customer service witch called to complain that I had not payed the $40 minimum payment in August. The problem I had with this was that August's minimum payment was $30. Yes, she said. But Discover had just sent out September's bill with a $40 minimum payment.
But, wait, aren't we talking about August's payment?
Yes, but now $30 doesn't do.
What? But $30 was how much you asked for. It was how much I sent. You can't send me a bill for $30 and then get it, and, say, "Hey, we really wanted $40!"
She, in turn, told me if I didn't pay the extra $10, I would be charged with a late fee.
Charged with a late fee for paying the minimum payment on time? That is ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous. What kind of extortion ring are you running.
If I had known your company could change the minimum payment requirements on me after I had made the minimum payment, I never would have signed up for your service.
Also, if I had know that the way you hire customer service representatives is to walk around the streets of New York City and find the most vitrolic, blood-spitting mean person you can, I never would have received a card from your company.
And if I had known that my letters of complaint would go unread by an unconcerned customer relations department, I'd never been associated with Discover Card. And had I known that my first attempt to write this letter would be deleted because your site thought I was taking too long, I would've kicked the wall.
This is one of the worst experiences I have ever had with a company. Even if I am not in a position to get a divorce right now, I assure you I will shortly--unless I see a real change in your company.
To keep me as your customer, you must do the following:
1-- Hire customer representatives who respect me and with whom I can have nice, respectable conversations. Fire those customer reps who berate, humiliate and refuse to listen to customers.
2-- Do not charge me for late fees when I have made the minimum payment.
3-- Let me pay this month's payment this month. Don't require me to pay September's bill in August.
4-- Don't charge me for things I've never signed up for.
5-- When I write a letter of complaint, at least be kind enough to respond. And if you do respond, please show me that my letter has at least been heard. I don't need what I write to be passed along to Dave Nelms, but I do need to show that my letter actually mattered to the company.
6-- Show me that you care. As of this moment, I am convinced that you do not.
I would like to point out that up until these two episodic nightmares, things had been pleasant with Discover Card. I'd like to return to those times. Please make it happen. And tell Nelmsy if he wants to read my letter, it will be on my Web site.
Sincerely,
Stephen Vincent
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