A Heart of Charity, Part 1

C. S. Lewis explained his belief in Christ in this way: "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else" (Lewis, Is Theology Poetry?, 1945). Christ said, "I am the light of the world, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness..." (John 8:12). Christ also said, "Ye are the light of the world...let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works..." (Matt. 5:14,16). What is this light? Did Christ mean that He was merely a physical light, an electromagnetic radiation that brightens the world around us? It is true that Jesus Christ shines with a radiance above the brightness of the sun, as Joseph Smith described. But this is not really what Christ meant when He stated that He (and, by our following His example and through His spirit, we as well) is the light of the world. Christ is more than electromagnetic energy; He is more powerful and deeper than this physical light.

One powerful source of energy is love. Love is energy, you can feel it - it radiates like the sun. Jesus is "the light of the world"; He created the earth, the moon, and the heavens above. He caused the sun to shine upon the earth to give us life. Jesus lights the earth around us but He also does more than that - He lights our souls with His love. Christ is love. When we are told to "let [our] light[s] so shine" the Savior is telling us to follow His example by lighting others' lives by love; we are to warm the hearts and souls of all humankind through the warm radiance of charity. When we follow our Lord by keeping His commandments, He lights our souls with His love. When we have His love, we can share it with others. This means that it is not possible to light someone else's soul without a burning in your own. This is a light that is in all people's souls. In some it burns with a dazzling brightness, in others it flickers like a dying candle, but it is there. C. S. Lewis said, "[We are] in a society of possible gods and goddesses...[in which] there are no ordinary people. [We] have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilisations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit." (Lewis, The Weight of Glory). When we have charity we keep in perspective who those around us really are - we are all sons and daughters of our Eternal Father in Heaven. We have His divine spark within us. We all have the potential to become as He is.

But that is a process - the becoming as God is. None of us is perfect; people are not perfect. We are in an embryonic stage, trying to grow up and control these wonderful, mortal, physical bodies the Lord blesses us with. As premortal beings, all of us here on this earth as mortals subjected our spiritual bodies and wills to the will of the Father; that is why we are here in mortality - we accepted the opportunity to follow God's plan for us. Now as mortals we are trying to subject our physical bodies to the will of the Father, a difficult task at which we much work each day. Once again Christ was the consummate example. His will was completely in subjection to His Father's, which subjection culminated with His death on the cross and His triumphal resurrection from the tomb.

Help Those in Haiti

Today the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued this statement:

"Our hearts are filled with sadness as we have watched the suffering in Haiti in the wake of the devastating earthquake. We turn to the example of Jesus Christ who reached out to 'lift up the hands which hang down' and 'strengthen the feeble knees.'  We are keenly aware that many in America are dealing with economic challenges caused by the recession. However, we are appealing to members to donate to Church Humanitarian Services as their means allow in order to help our Haitian brothers and sisters.  Many have already contributed and others are anxious to do so.

"Money is not the only need in Haiti. People are frightened, bewildered, and wholly uncertain about their future. In addition to what people can do in helping with food, water and shelter, there needs to be a calming influence over that troubled nation. We invite our people everywhere to supplicate God for a spirit of calm and peace among the people as urgent aid and reconstruction efforts continue." (Link).

Please consider donating - even a small amount - to the LDS Humanitarian Services. 100% of donated funds go to those in need. All administrative costs are covered by other organizations or by tithing funds. All funds will go directly to those in need. The LDS Church is already helping people in Haiti and will continue to do so until the needs they can meet are met.

Selected October 2009 General Conference Quotes and Thoughts - Saturday Afternoon Session

Note: These are not necessarily direct quotes. Many times they are my paraphrasing and additional notes of what was said.
 

Elder Dallin H. Oaks - God's Love and Commandments

God's love is shown in all the blessings of His gospel plan. God's love should guide parents in their teachings.

Some people disbelieve eternal laws based on their own understanding of [what God should act like, or what His love should be like].

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son. He sent His son to suffer and die for us because He loves us so much!

God's love is tied to His laws. It is not completely unconditional. Mercy cannot rob justice. Those who receive mercy are they who received the covenant and kept the commandment. God's anger and wrath are part of His love. He wants us to become like Him and is displeased when we do not follow Him.

We obtain blessings from God based on obedience to His laws. Agency is fundamental to the plan that brings us to earth. God will bless us if we endure the poor choices of others but He will not stop them [most of the time].

Whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth.

The straying of our loved ones will detract from our happiness but should not from our love.

Elder Robert D. Hales - The Nature of God


Prophets and apostles testify of God.

Some people might be surprised that we look like God. Some theologians even think it is making a "graven image" to even picture God as looking like us. But God Himself said, "Let us make man in our own image and likeness."

God has a face. He walks and talks. Enoch spoke with Him. God has a body with parts like ours. His glory and countenance are greater than the sun.

Joseph saw and talked with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Joseph's was a special witness of God.

Korihor not only disbelieved in God but also ridiculed Him. He mocked the believers. Alma replied, "All things denote there is a God."

Cultivate a diligent desire to know that God lives. This will lead to a softened heart. Most of us will not see God as the prophet has but the still small voice of the Holy Ghost will give us an undeniable knowledge that God lives.

With your own testimony of God you will be able to bless your family, your posterity, your friends, and many others.

Elder Neil L. Andersen - Repentance

The Savior's arms are open and extended. They are arms of mercy and safety. They are lengthened all the day long, open unto us. God is He who comforts us.

When we sin we turn away from God. When we repent, we turn back unto God. The call to repent is a call to turn around and re-turn to God. It is a call to change and feel the happiness of keeping the commandments.

We each need to feel the arms of mercy through the repentance of our sins.

If it feels too difficult to change and if you feel if no one can understand what you are going through, the Savior understands. He will provide the strength to change.

Repentance becomes part of our daily lives. Partaking of the sacrament is a way to acknowledge our dependence upon the Lord.

The scriptures do not say that we will forget our forsaken sins in mortality but rather that the Lord will forget. [We should not, however, dwell to much upon our sins].

In this life it is never too late to repent.

Pres. Boyd K. Packer - Personal Revelation and Prayer


We are part of God's great plan of happiness. There was a war in heaven where Satan rebelled against God.

We have been given agency and must use it wisely.

The Holy Ghost can communicate through the mind more than the physical senses. We might feel the promptings of the Spirit more than hear them.

Learn to pray. Pray often. Pray in your mind and heart. Pray on your knees. Prayer is your personal key to heaven.

C. S. Lewis on Suffering

Why does God allow us to suffer if He is all-good and loves us? Many today confuse love with kindness. C. S. Lewis wrote:

"By the goodness of God we mean nowadays almost exclusively His lovingness...by Love, in this context, most of us mean kindness -- the desire to see others than the self happy; not happy in this way or in that, but just happy. What would really satisfy us would be a God who said of anything we happened to like doing, 'What does it matter so long as they are contented?' We want, in fact, not so much a Father in Heaven as a grandfather in heaven -- a senile benevolence who, as they say, 'liked to see young people enjoying themselves' and whose plan for the universe was simply that it might be truly said at the end of each day, 'a good time was had by all.'" (Source).

This reminds me of the scripture in 2nd Nephi:

"Yea, and there shall be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us. And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God." (2 Nephi 28:7-8).

A loving God, according to many, would simply dote on His children. Many think He should be like the grandfather who spoils His grandkids and then hands them back to the parents. We think God should just let us have a good time, eating, drinking, and partying. However, God really does love us, which means that He, like any good parent, allows His children to learn by experience. How many parents, as their children learn to walk, never allow them to fall down? Parents do not like to see their children hurt or upset but it would be a spoiled child who always had its way and never once got hurt.

Again, it is because God loves us that He allows us to suffer. It is part of His plan for us to become like Him. We should not confuse love with kindness, as C. S. Lewis so eloquently pointed out. When people ask why God allows us to suffer, they do not understand the nature of God or His plan for us. This is not necessarily their fault but the question is evidence of ignorance or at least temporary blindness.

A Father's Day Tribute

A number of years ago before the invention of electricity but after the invention of outdoor plumbing, my father was born. He was born when he was quite young to goodly parents. They taught him the gospel and helped him start along the path of life. When young, he lived for a time in Boston as my grandfather attended law school. However, he grew up mainly in Phoenix, Arizona with time spent in St. John's, Arizona. He loved and still loves spending time outdoors. I think there are relatively few people who have seen as much of the wilderness of Arizona (and Utah) as my father.

Even though my father spends a lot of time outdoors, he also spends a lot of time reading and learning (not that being outdoors and learning are mutually exclusive categories). While he used to read many novels when younger, he rarely reads novels now ("now" goes back many years). Almost every week as we - my siblings and I - were growing up we went to our public library and checked out books. My father would check out many books - all non-fiction - on topics ranging from geology to physics to linguistics (which is what he has a Master's degree in) to art. He would then either read or skim (if the books were not that great) all of the books before they were due; he always had a stack of books checked out from the library. I do not expect to meet anyone who has the breadth and depth of knowledge that my father has. Even as a teenager I always respected my father's opinion, even if I did not always follow it or agree with it. I never thought he did not know anything because he always seemed to know everything.

My father has exhibited similarly broad interests in his work over the years. He spent a couple years as an intelligence officer for the Army during the Vietnam War. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Spanish and a Master's degree in linguistics. He then attended law school and worked for a number of years as an attorney, which he currently does. He owned and operated an Apple Computer store. He owned and ran a digital design and printing business. He taught classes at a local college. He has always worked hard - his idea of taking a break is working in the garden or repairing something or hiking up a mountain (although he does more leisurely things from time to time). For the church, he served as an LDS missionary in Argentina. He also served in various church callings at the ward and stake level.

My father has been many things in his life but greatest of all, he is a husband and father. My father taught all of us children to love the gospel. He always placed the most important things first - whether it was the gospel or family. He has a testimony of the truthfulness of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and he never shied from sharing that testimony with us. He always read his scriptures, reading the complete standard works regularly. He taught our family during family home evening, although we all would take turns teaching. He always went to church and did his home teaching. He is like those of whom the Savior said these words: "But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience" (Luke 8:15; emphasis added).

My sister wrote of an experience with our grandfather that is similar in many ways to countless experiences I had with my father. Even though it is about my grandfather, I share it not only for the beauty of the experience but also because it is representative of things my father taught me.

"Almost every year, as is common in late July, a storm builds up. One year the lightning was so fierce that I was terrified. Dad patiently took me by the hand, and we walked over to his father. 'Ask Grandpa to tell you about thunder and lightning.'

"Grandpa stood in the middle of the circle, holding on to his cap and shielding his eyes from the blowing dirt, and began to teach me about storms. He talked about the movement of storms and what caused them. He talked of larger weather patterns in northern Arizona and electrical phenomena, including how to calculate the distance from you to the lightning.

"But more than teaching me the scientific explanations, Grandpa quietly taught me through his example not to be afraid. He taught me that storms are to be appreciated and admired, surveyed and studied, but not feared. So from thunderstorms and Grandpa, I learned how knowledge and courage can dispel the darkness of fear." (Source).

My father taught me the beauty of the desert as we hiked in the Superstition Mountains. He taught me the importance of preparation as we hiked the dusty trails of the Grand Canyon. He taught me perseverance as we plodded our way through the Pariah Canyon. He taught me safety as we rappelled down mountainsides. He taught me love as he brushed away my tears. He taught me how to be a husband by how he treated my mother. He taught me creativity as he wove or drew or sang. He taught me service as he helped those around us in need. He taught me lifelong learning by his voracious appetite for knowledge. He taught me a love of family through his family history work. He taught me the gospel through countless Family Home Evenings. He taught me integrity by always keeping his word. He taught me by his word but most strongly by his deed. He lives as he teaches and teaches as he lives. Above all, he taught me that there is no more important thing in life than building my foundation upon Christ. There is no one whose opinions I value more than my father's. He truly is my hero.

Helping Those in Need

I read a story on CNN.com about a pastor at the Cross Timbers Community Church in Texas who told his congregation that as the offering plate went around, the members should feel free to take some money if they needed it. The church had a recent decline in offerings given purportedly due to the weak economy. Because of this, the pastor decided to allow his congregation to take money if they needed it; he figured some probably needed the help. I thought it was a nice story about people giving even in their need. It is nice to read about others caring for the welfare of their neighbors, just like the Savior asked us to do.

What is interesting is that this is viewed as such a novel idea! One church member said: "You don't hear about a church giving money away." I think it is a sad commentary on many churches, or at least on people's perceptions of churches, if a church giving money away is a rare occurrence. I do not know if that is true or not but for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a church giving money to others is nothing new.

One Sunday in every month (typically the 1st) is designated a day of fasting. Church members fast for at least two meals and are encouraged to donate at a minimum the money they "saved" on the meals to the church. This is not a requirement, no church member is required to pay a fast offering, it is simply encouraged. Of those who are able, most pay much more than the cost of two meals. 100% of this money goes to help those in need, first in the ward or branch (the smallest, local congregation), then in the stake or district (a collection of wards or branches), then in the broader church (although it might still stay in the general area - e.g., southeastern United States - first). The LDS Church has a lay ministry, which leads to a fairly small overhead (although the upkeep on LDS Church buildings is not "small" but the Church does not pay salaries to any of the local leaders). All overhead for these fast offerings (which overhead is quite small) is paid by tithing; this means that 100% of fast offering money goes to help those in need.

Isaiah wrote of the relationship between fasting and helping those in need: "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?" (Isaiah 58:6-7).

Separate from but related to this, the LDS Church has a large Humanitarian Services program that provides aid to those in need around the world. Tithing also pays overhead for this program, meaning that all money donated to LDS Humanitarian Services goes to help those in need.

Here's an example of the LDS Church's Humanitarian Services.

Here are a few statistics about the LDS Church's Humanitarian Services (these do not include tithing or fast offerings).

Humanitarian assistance rendered (1985–2008)

Cash donations $282.3 million
Value of material assistance $833.6 million
Countries served 167
Food 61,308 tons
Medical supplies 12,829 tons
Clothing 84,681 tons
Educational supplies 5,965 tons
Hygiene, newborn, and school kits 8.6 million

While the amount donated is impressive, what's important is that members of the LDS Church collectively and individually try to live the teachings of the Savior and honor His call to take care of our neighbors, wherever in the world they might live.

Do Good and Love God, Part 1

"But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God" (Moroni 7:13).

We can learn a lot from this interesting scripture. We learn that which of God invites and entices us to do good continually. In other words, that which of God does not just invite us to do good; it invites us to do good all the time. Another important lesson from this verse is that God does not force us - He invites us and even entices us (for example, with the promise of eternal life) because that is sometimes what it takes to motivate us. Being enticed to do good provides us with hope; hope and faith are inseparably connected. Another thing that this part of the verse teaches us is that there are things that invite us to do good that are not necessarily "of God", or rather, there are good things that are not necessarily inspired of God. The second sentence in this verse teaches us more about the conditions of inspiration.

"Every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God" (Moroni 7:13). This is a conjunctive statement. That means that all of the separate conditions or clauses of the sentence are required to support the conclusion. That which is inspired of God invites us to do good and love God and serve Him. It requires all three - do good, love, and serve. Why is this important to understand?

This means that there are things that invite us to do good that are not necessarily directly inspired of God, as I mentioned earlier. I don't want to minimize any good thing but that which is good does not necessarily equal that which is best. As Elder Oaks stated in General Conference in October 2007, "We should begin by recognizing the reality that just because something is good is not a sufficient reason for doing it. The number of good things we can do far exceeds the time available to accomplish them. Some things are better than good, and these are the things that should command priority attention in our lives" (Source).

The Divine Role of Motherhood - Part 4

A few years ago I talked with my mother about some of the best experiences she had in life. She talked mainly about being a mother. During our conversation I learned much about the great joy she had as a mother but also about the great times of struggle. She stated that the most rewarding and satisfying thing in her life was, in her own words: "The safe pregnancy and delivery of our children and then raising them. Having and raising seven lovely children has been wonderful. It was a lot of hard work but they all turned out okay. We did a lot of things together as a family, we worked hard, we survived hard times and ate cracked wheat. We went to church every week and spent the time together as a family. There were occasional problems but we survived them and overcame them.

"One time when we had 3 or 4 small children a friend was extolling the virtues of Sesame Street and said how her child could count to 10 and knew all the colors and all because the child watched Sesame Street on TV. I was appalled and wondered 'What is a mother for?' and why would anyone need TV to teach children what I thought was my 'job description.' So we read and played and counted everything and numbered everything and named colors and tied shoes and did all sorts of things. We learned to work and had jobs to learn responsibility."

She also talked about the struggles of being a mother: "What has been difficult? How about seven babies! It was very difficult when we didn't have any money and Dad was working two jobs and we were trying to make ends meet. We did not have much money at all, especially when the kids were small. We did not have much but we always survived. It just took a lot of hard work and some ingenuity.

"Another hard time was when we had four children under the age of five. This was a terrible emotional stress. The kids were sick all the time and we had no money. I was physically sick some too. Our washer broke during this time and so the children stomped the clothes in the bathtub to wash them – they thought it was fun; they thought they were like the pioneers. At least they had fun with it.

"These years were hard with a lot of difficult physical work. I was changing diapers on three babies. I also mopped the floors at night so they would stay clean at least the eight hours until morning. I also had to deal with potty training all the kids and cleaning up their messes. We also had a garden and had to plant it and keep it growing and harvest the food and can and store some as well. We had to work really hard to survive."

My mother found that church helped her cope with the stress of raising children: "I really loved going to church and relief society – that was my salvation once a week. Enrichment was lovely to put the kids in the nursery and be away for 1.5 hours. We had weekly meetings and so it was nice to have some time away from the kids. I could learn and grow and spend time with other ladies in the ward. Church was always a big boost for me and I looked forward to it each week."

I will always be grateful for my mother and all the work she did (and does) as a mother. She is a remarkable woman and mother. She is someone the Lord looks upon and smiles.

Sin, Sorrow, and Suffering - Part 8

It was this same prophet speaking to these same people who explained the role as comforters we all receive when we are baptized, "And now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort" (Mosiah 18:8-9). A main responsibility we have as Latter-day Saints is to help alleviate the suffering of others. We have been commanded to "look to the poor and the needy, and administer to their relief that they shall not suffer" (D&C 38:35). As Latter-day Saints and Christians we have been commanded to, "Bear ye one another's burden's, and so fulfil the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2).

The miraculous thing is that by mourning with those who mourn and helping other people bear their burdens, our own burdens and suffering are alleviated. The Savior's whole life was spent focused on others but in the act of the Atonement, His will was completely swallowed up in the Father's. The Atonement is an infinitely Other-focused act - it was not done to benefit Himself. In the pre-mortal world, Christ answered the call to act as propitiation for the sins and sorrows of humankind. He performed the greatest selfless act the world ever knew or will know. As we turn our focus outward and serve others without seeking personal gain, we will find the cure for suffering. In doing good to others, we will overcome our sorrows and sufferings. It is not possible to suffer while selflessly serving others. I'm not talking about playing a martyr's role (e.g., "I do so much for other people; I suffer in silence") as we sacrifice for others. There is an attitudinal difference between helping others and feeling, even to a small extent, unappreciated or underappreciated - even in hindsight - and simply serving truly without thought of oneself - without feeling inconvenienced or that we are playing the "Suffering Saint" role.

The problem with playing the martyr's role is that it's exactly that - playing a role, acting, putting up a facade. Being a martyr usually is honorable; playing a martyr is not. Playing a martyr's role is taking upon ourselves the black shroud of victimhood - it is assuming the victim's role and attitude. The only way to feel victimized is to focus on yourself. [Note: There are many true victims in the world; however, there are some people who have been victimized who don't act like victims; you can be a victim without having to feel like a victim. I'm not minimizing any who have been truly taken advantaged of or victimized; I just think that true healing only comes when the feelings of victimization are gone]. However, when we honestly are focused outwardly, inwardly we find peace, comfort, and balance.

Church Disciplinary Councils

I'm going to again interrupt my posts on fasting to include some information about Church disciplinary councils. While searching the LDS website for a completely unrelated topic, I ran across a link to an article by Elder Ballard that was published in the September 1990 Ensign. I believe this article is a must-read for all Church members. Elder Ballard explains clearly why the Church has disciplinary councils, what happens in them, and what happens as the result of them.

Here are some highlights from the article:

"When members need to have certain blessings withheld, the Lord’s object is to teach as well as to discipline. So probation, disfellowshipment, and excommunication, when they become necessary, are ideally accompanied by eventual reinstatement and restoration of blessings."

"Informal Church discipline [by a bishop] may negate the need for formal disciplinary action. Since repentance and reformation are the primary objectives of any Church disciplinary action, the bishop may feel that the person has done or is doing everything necessary to repent and that a disciplinary council would serve no useful purpose."

"On the other hand, the spirit of inspiration may move the Church leader to convene a disciplinary council, particularly if the member holds a prominent position in the Church. In the scriptures, the Lord has given direction concerning Church disciplinary councils. (See D&C 102.) The word council brings to mind a helpful proceeding—one of love and concern, with the salvation and blessing of the transgressor being the foremost consideration. Members sometimes ask why Church disciplinary councils are held. The purpose is threefold: to save the soul of the transgressor, to protect the innocent, and to safeguard the Church’s purity, integrity, and good name" (emphasis added).

"The First Presidency has instructed that disciplinary councils must be held in cases of murder, incest, or apostasy. A disciplinary council must also be held when a prominent Church leader commits a serious transgression, when the transgressor is a predator who may be a threat to other persons, when the person shows a pattern of repeated serious transgressions, when a serious transgression is widely known, and when the transgressor is guilty of serious deceptive practices and false representations or other terms of fraud or dishonesty in business transactions."

"The bishopric, in consultation with the stake president, has the responsibility and authority to hold disciplinary councils for all ward members. However, if excommunication of a Melchizedek Priesthood holder is thought to be a possibility, the matter is transferred to the stake presidency, who, with the assistance of the high council, may convene a stake disciplinary council. An appeal of a decision of a ward disciplinary council goes to the stake presidency and high council. Any further appeals go to the First Presidency."

"Those who sit on the council are to keep everything strictly confidential and to handle the matter in a spirit of love. Their objective is not retribution; rather, it is to help the member make the changes necessary to stand clean before God once more."

"Decisions of the council are to be made with inspiration. A council can reach one of four decisions: (1) no action, (2) formal probation, (3) disfellowshipment, or (4) excommunication."

"After the rebaptism of a person who has not been endowed in the temple, his or her membership record shows the original baptism date, with no reference to the excommunication. A man who previously held the priesthood but was not endowed should generally be ordained to his former priesthood office. Again, his membership record will show his original ordination date, with no reference to excommunication. A person who was endowed in the temple before being excommunicated may regain priesthood and/or temple blessings only through the ordinance of restoration of blessings. This is a special ordinance performed by a General Authority as directed by the First Presidency. Afterwards, a new membership record is created, showing the original dates of baptism, endowment, sealing, and (if applicable) priesthood ordinations—with no reference to excommunication."

"The trauma of being disfellowshipped or excommunicated from the Church will likely never be fully understood by those who have never experienced it" (emphasis added).

"To members and leaders of the Church who know of a brother or a sister who has been disfellowshipped or excommunicated: Love him or her without judging. Be sensitive and thoughtful without prying."

"To you who have come back into full fellowship in the Church: Welcome home!"

"To you who have not yet returned, who may still be struggling with the hurt and haven’t yet felt the healing: please allow yourself to feel the love that the Lord, his presiding authorities, and your friends in the Church feel for you. We are aware of your pain, and we pray for your healing and your return."

Here is the link again to the article. All disciplinary action should be done with love and concern for the transgressor. The return to full fellowship and membership should be encouraged and supported. Disciplinary councils can be and are fearful things for most people undergoing the disciplinary action. The Lord knows this and loves those who have strayed. He wants them to return to the fold. I think that most (or all) Church leaders try to be as the shepherd who left his 99 to carry the 1 back to the fold when dealing with those who have sinned. With sincere repentance, all the blessings they had - and more! - before will be theirs.

Again, I urge all church members (and anyone else who is interested) to read Elder Ballard's wonderful article explaining the process of Church disciplinary councils.

Remembering the True Meaning of Christmas

In the midst of the Civil War, following the news that his son had been injured in fighting, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned the following words:

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound the carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn, the households born
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.”

These words still resonate strongly today in our tumultuous world. People cry for peace but peace is rarely found. Nations strive against nations. Brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers strive against one another. Hate, mistrust, abuse, and violence are rampant. It is enough to make people despair - and many do. Many feel that hope is lost; that "hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men." The answer for all this despair and darkness is not found in human philosophies. It is not found in worldly goods. The Answer once lay in a manger surrounded by animals and bathed in starlight.

In the most humble of circumstances, the Prince of Peace, the King of Heaven and Earth, was born. He came with no great fanfare, other than the witness of angels to shepherds and the witness of a star to those with eyes to see. This singular event was the start of the most important years - 33 of them - in the history of the world.

In contrast to the humble birth and life of the Savior, the Christmas season is full of frenetic shopping and greedy consumerism. However, there is much positive too; it is also a season full of giving, thanksgiving, love, family, and joy. At this Christmas time, I pray that we all might remember who Christmas really is about. The LDS Church has a webpage devoted to the True Meaning of Christmas.

Christmas should not be about getting, it should be about giving. It is a time that we celebrate the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ. He gave His life - His whole life - for us so that we could be saved. Just as wise men brought the young Jesus gifts, so too should we give gifts to others. The best gifts are not the ones that cost money. We should give of our time and our love. We should give our forgiveness unto others if we feel that they have wronged us. We should give service to those in need and even to those who do not think they are in need.

Pres. Thomas S. Monson said, "For a few moments, may we set aside the catalogs of Christmas, with their gifts of exotic description. Let’s even turn from the flowers for Mother, the special tie for Father, the cute doll, the train that whistles, the long-awaited bicycle—even the books and videos—and direct our thoughts to God-given gifts that endure" (Source).

The greatest gift we could give this Christmas time is the gift of our hearts, our souls, and our will to the Savior. We should rededicate ourselves to Him and to living His gospel. We should do the things that the Savior would do - help others, lift those who suffer, do good to those who spitefully use us, and share of our abundance (or even in our lack of abundance) with those around us.

Here is a beautiful video the LDS Church produced that explains the true meaning of Christmas.



I pray that in our world there will be peace this Christmas season. While we may not be able to bring an end to war, we can do our part in promoting peace by having peace in our families, our homes, and our hearts. May we keep the pealing of Christmas bells always in our hearts. May we always remember that "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;/ The wrong shall fail, the right prevail/ With peace on earth, good will to men!"

A Video of Forgiveness

Seth Adam Smith put together a little video of a portion of Pres. James E. Faust, who until his death was a member of the First Presidency and an Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Pres. Faust shared a touching story about the power and example of forgiveness.