The Cause of Religious Freedom

  As this is the Sunday after the 4th of July I have the privilege of speaking about a topic that is near and dear to my heart. I could talk about the ideas and philosophy and history and importance of freedom and liberty for hours. I mean who doesn’t love freedom especially in America during the summer. After all this is the great ideal humanity strives for and yet all too often struggles to achieve or maintain. I was given Elder Rasband’s message from General Conference last year in April 2022 where he specifically focuses on freedom of religion. I will also go through the book of Alma with some of my favorite verses and stories of liberty found in scripture. As I was preparing this talk a couple of questions came to mind that I would also invite each of you to consider as I speak this afternoon. We sustain Elder Rasband (who is an apostle) as a prophet, seer, and revelator. Isaiah describes these men in 62:6 as “watchmen…which shall never hold their peace day nor night” and Pres Ballard stated apostles have the duty to: “warn people of the dangers before them. [They] are duty bound to watch [and] warn.” With that said what was it that prompted or inspired Elder Rasband to speak on this topic surrounding the importance of religious freedom and why did he entitle his message “To Heal the World”? 
    Elder Rasband begins his message with a strong declaration about the condition of liberty in the world today: “There is a scourge sweeping the globe: attacks on your and my religious freedom.” To understand what he meant with this statement I went to the dictionary to get a good definition. It states a scourge is “a source of widespread dreadful affliction and devastation such as that caused by pestilence or war. A means of inflicting severe suffering.” That’s pretty serious. Understanding what that means it’s important to not minimize how serious of a threat one of our present day watchmen considers the worldwide attacks on religious freedom. There are men and women, institutions, doing everything in their power to “remove religion and faith in God from the public square, schools, community standards, and civic discourse.” These actions could lead to unimaginable suffering for all of us as believers. And if this is so are we (men and women who call ourselves disciples of Jesus Christ and defenders of the faith) doing everything we can to keep or bring religion and faith back into public discourse.
“Efforts to curtail religious liberty are not new.” - We can think about many examples throughout history. Pilgrims left England for America, Catholics and Protestants have engaged in violence, Jews throughout Europe with the pogroms, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were miraculously saved from death after sticking to their religious convictions, and of course our own church is based here in Utah after having to constantly deal with religious persecution since Joseph Smith had his first vision. Speaking of the prophet Joseph Smith this quote on religious liberty is one of my favorites from him. “I am bold to declare before Heaven that I am just as ready to die in defending the rights of a Presbyterian, a Baptist, or a good man of any other denomination; for the same principle which would trample upon the rights of the … Saints would trample upon the rights of the Roman Catholics, or of any other denomination who may be unpopular and too weak to defend themselves. (This is the good part…) It is a love of liberty [that] inspires my soul—civil and religious liberty to the whole of the human race.” That’s similar to what it says in our Declaration of Independence “all men are created equal…they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” We know that America is a promised land of liberty and we have enjoyed this blessing for hundreds of years. However, the goal is for everyone everywhere to enjoy the blessings of liberty. It is not something that only a select few are meant to enjoy. It is for all of us as God’s children to strive for, defend, fight for. And as hard as it might be to do, we must be ready (as the prophet Joseph Smith said) to sacrifice even our very lives for what we believe and the right others have to believe differently.
Since before the beginning there was one - along with his followers - who sought to disrupt Heavenly Father’s plan for all of His children to enjoy liberty. “That Satan is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me…I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost…Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him…I caused that he should be cast down;”. It is critical to remember that agency/liberty/freedom whatever word we use to describe our individual right to choose what we think and how we live is a gift from God. Even if those choices are not the ones He would have us make or ones that we would agree with.
Elder Rasband also states: “Opponents of religious freedom seek to impose restrictions on expressions of heartfelt convictions. They even criticize and ridicule faith traditions.” This desire to impose restrictions on what we deeply hold to be true is in direct conflict with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In D&C 134:4-5 we read: “We believe that religion is instituted of God; and that men are amenable to Him, and to Him only, for the exercise of it…we do not believe that human law has a right to interfere in prescribing rules of worship to bind the consciences of men, nor dictate forms for public or private devotion; that the civil magistrate should restrain crime, but never control conscience; should punish guilt, but never suppress the freedom of the soul. We believe…[in] holding sacred the freedom of conscience.” Sacred. Freedom to think and believe and express ourselves and worship. We hold these ideas holy. Not to be treated lightly or with disrespect or unimportant or taken for granted. Because when we do, when we forget that freedom is sacred, a gift from our Father in Heaven, then we begin to lose it. 
So “What is religious freedom?” Elder Rasband explains: (this is important because if we don’t know what something is then we can’t really defend it) “It is freedom of worship in all its configurations: freedom of assembly [meeting at church every Sunday], freedom of speech [speaking from the pulpit without fear of getting arrested], freedom to act on personal beliefs [praying and reading scriptures, not drinking alcohol, sending out missionaries to preach the Gospel], and freedom for others to do the same [other Christians, Jews, Muslims, atheists, Sikhs]. Religious freedom allows each of us to decide for ourselves what we believe, how we live and act according to our faith, and what God expects of us.” Anything that imposes on this description is an attack on religious freedom. Anything! People can disagree with us. We don’t all believe the same thing obviously. But if people try to use violence, intimidation, the rule of law to prevent any of those things Elder Rasband mentioned we need to - first of all - stand strong in what we believe and then do what we can to push back. We know the importance of selecting good men and women to serve in public office. We have the opportunity to ourselves serve if we so choose. We can share on social media or gather in marches when we support or oppose a cause that threatens what we hold dear. But we can’t stand by idly and do nothing. Doing nothing never works out well in the end. 
With that said I want to now turn to the Book of Mormon where I will share an example of righteous people fighting for the cause of liberty. In these verses we can see the connection between righteousness and liberty. Lehi, before his passing, shared these words with his posterity. “Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom [the Lord] shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever.” (2 Nephi 1:7) From the very moment anyone arrived on these shores they were counseled that in order to be free they must choose to do what is right. And we see this time and time again. When the people are righteous they are free. When wickedness takes over then bad things start to happen culminating with the destruction of the Nephite civilization. 
I love the book of Alma. I feel a strong admiration (and personal hope that great change is possible) for someone who once had sought to destroy the Church and then became an amazing political and (more important) religious leader. Sadly, much of “his book” focuses on so much unnecessary suffering and destruction as too many Nephites sought wickedness and tyranny against faithful members of the church and their fellow countrymen. While on a mission to the city of Ammonihah Alma and Amulek have to watch as women and children are thrown into a fire (along with scriptures) for accepting what was taught. 
Beginning in chapter 45 and continuing to the end of the book we read about wicked men - due to pride and riches - who tried to overthrow the chosen form of government under elected judges and replace it with a monarchy. Amalickiah is the first of these who instigates a series of events that lead to ~15 years of conflict with tens of thousands killed. “Yea, we see that Amalickiah, because he was a man of cunning device and a man of many flattering words, that he led away the hearts of many people to do wickedly; yea, and to seek to destroy the church of God, and to destroy the foundation of liberty which God had granted unto them, or which blessing God had sent upon the face of the land for the righteous’ sake.” So we see that there is a wicked man and his followers who seek to both destroy the Church and liberty. Not one or the other. Both of them together must be removed from the picture. 
But within this trying time we do read about some of the greatest heroes of the Book of Mormon (Captain Moroni, Teancum, Helaman and his sons) and hear their words on the importance of liberty to individuals and societies. 
Capt Moroni declares: “Surely God shall not suffer that we, who are despised because we take upon us the name of Christ, shall be trodden down and destroyed, until we bring it upon us by our own transgressions. Behold, whosoever will maintain this title [of Liberty] upon the land, let them come forth in the strength of the Lord, and enter into a covenant that they will maintain their rights, and their religion, that the Lord God may bless them.”
Helaman speaking of his adopted sons: “Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.”
Pahoran while dealing with internal conflict: “I do not seek for power, save only to retain my judgment-seat that I may preserve the rights and the liberty of my people. My soul standeth fast in that liberty in the which God hath made us free.”
Someone wrote in an article “Religious freedom is not the default experience for human history. It will not protect itself against the siege laid at its gates. That duty falls to you and me.” Elder Rasband wrapped us his talk with an invitation to “champion the cause of religious freedom”. Our national anthem states: “Oh, thus be it ever, when free men shall stand Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation!” This is not just a physical war like we see in Ukraine today. It is an eternal spiritual war we are waging. Brothers and sisters I love liberty more than my life. I testify that it is a gift from our Heavenly Father and one of His most precious ones. Along with the Gospel of Jesus Christ it is the greatest source of lasting joy in this life and in eternity. I hope each of us - including myself - will always have the courage to stand up for what we believe no matter the cost. Christ is our great Liberator and because of Him there is hope, peace, and healing. I say these things in His name. Amen. 

On Impeachment

In the wake of the second impeachment of Donald Trump I wanted to do some basic research into this process. It also allows me to express my thoughts around this specific instance. 

In Article II, Section 4 it says that an official of either the judicial or executive branch may be removed from office for misconduct. John Jay (in Federalist #64) said that this mean he is unable to perform his duties with honor and has betrayed the interests of the country. Others have said it is a way to punish those who have abused their power and once again lacking in honor, integrity and character to such an extent that they can no longer perform the duties of their office. However, at the end of the day the House and Senate determine what is impeachable. 

One concern is that many worried this would be a politicized tool for one party to get rid of a political opponent or block their agenda. Alexander Hamilton discussed this in Federalist #65. He wanted to make sure impeachment was only used in extreme situations and in the interests of the nation. The President is meant to be independent of the Legislative branch and not dependent on the whims of a political Congress. It is not meant to be a way to get revenge or punish those who are disliked. As a way to ensure this the Constitution requires a majority of the House to impeach and a supermajority of Senators to convict. This conviction has never been accomplished against a president. 

Historically, Andrew Johnson was almost convicted (missing it by one vote) for firing his Secretary of War without Congress’ permission. Bill Clinton was not convicted along party lines for his personal misconduct and obstruction of justice. Now Trump has also missed conviction once and most likely will a second time (although that will be seen). George W Bush almost had impeachment proceedings brought by Democrats who wanted to remove him in 2008. Nixon would have had impeachment proceedings brought forward if he had not resigned. 

An interesting point is that the Chief Justice is supposed to preside when a President is tried. That is not happening with Donald Trump because he is now a private citizen. But this begs the question of whether or not he is even eligible for impeachment. The punishment is fixed as removal from office and disqualification from future offices. Thus the idea behind this trial is to keep Trump from running again.

It seems that impeachment is not super effective and a popular president will never be convicted. With that said it also seems to be a waste of time at this point to impeach Donald Trump a second time because it comes off as political from Democrats and other “never Trumpers” as a way to punish a man they hated from day one. It will also inspire other presidents to behave however they want knowing how hard it is to convict by the Senate. At the same time this is a good thing that an out-of-control, overly political Congress (now or in the future) cannot easily get rid of someone from the opposite party. 

    As long as elections are fair and allow the people to decide a bad president can be removed every four years if needed. I really do not see Congress as being allowed to impeach former elected officials (and believe this opens up a lot of significant issues if it becomes a trend). I am also grateful that we have a written Constitution that allows for various procedures to do its best to check tyranny in its various forms.  

The Book of Mormon (thoughts and testimony)



In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints we are assigned one of the books we consider scripture every year for our Sunday school curriculum. In 2020 it was The Book of Mormon. It is not the first time I have read it in my life and I assume it will not be the last. Every time I read it there is something new and important to me at that time. You cannot read it too many times or study its words or pray about it enough. However, I have never written down my thoughts, feelings, and testimony after finishing it. I feel prompted to do so now and share it with whoever will read these words. 

2020 was a year unlike any other for most people. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic our church stopped in-person meetings and we all gathered in our own homes. Because of this most of my studying was done on my own or with a few close friends (including a woman who would become my wife). The study guide is called “Come, Follow Me” and was instituted at the beginning of 2019. (Moroni 10:32) Because I do not believe in chance I know that this home-centered studying of the scriptures was implemented with enough time to prepare people to be more independent in their Gospel study without relying on weekly church classes. I also know that it was not an accident that The Book of Mormon was selected as our focus for 2020. So much of what occurred - especially in the United States - had parallels to our readings. 

With that said I will now share what I took away from studying The Book of Mormon last year and perhaps how it was instrumental in personal decisions I made. 

My first thoughts surround the many efforts that went into the creation of this book. Righteous men, women, and families had to make great sacrifices, putting their trust in God to leave homes behind as they traveled to a better land away from the imminent destruction Israel would be facing. (1 Nephi 2:4) All the while they kept a record of their trials and joys. (1 Nephi 6:6) On top of those who lived the scriptures there were prophets who accepted callings to preserve records for hundreds of years and abridge what they had into something of value for future generations they had seen in visions. (Words of Mormon 1:11) In our day Joseph Smith and the early Saints also had to make enormous sacrifices, enduring great persecution, for a book that was miraculously translated in order to provide our day with light and wisdom. 

My next thought is for those who had to watch as their civilizations were destroyed in front of them because a once righteous people chose wickedness. I wonder at their ability to endure this calamity as millions of people chose violent deaths over the peace of Christ’s Gospel. (Mormon 6:15, Ether 15:26, 29, 33) Both Ether and Moroni were left alone in the end yet neither of them lost the faith or gave up hope that they - and the righteous who would one day occupy this promised land - would be saved in God’s kingdom. (Ether 15:34, Moroni 10:34)

Which brings me to my next thought. Many of those who were written about inspire me on a daily basis as men who I would strive to emulate. Alma the Younger was seemingly hopeless. He was actively destroying the Church and undermining the work of his father. HIs sins must have seemed countless and unforgivable. Yet Christ showed mercy and gave Alma the opportunity to repent. (Mosiah 27:28-29) Not only did he repent, but he became of the strongest church leaders and missionaries in recorded history. He spoke one of my favorite verses when he declared that, “O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people! Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.” (Alma 29:1-2) Like Alma we can all have great influence in our local communities without the voice of an angel. 

Captain Moroni was another person of whom I am in awe. He was a man who loved his country and liberty more than his life. (Alma 48:17) He was a bold defender of freedom that inspired a nation to shrug off apathy and security in order to fight those (internally and externally) who would destroy that most precious gift from God. He spent years away from home suffering with his men even when so many of his own countrymen seemed to take it for granted. His courage and reliance on God for wisdom ensured that the Nephite civilization would be preserved for years to come. As I reflect on the current state of the country that I love more than my life I wonder where we can find a Captain Moroni who will raise the title of liberty again over this land. (Alma 46:12)

We read about the importance of choosing good leaders. (Alma 53:19) Captain Moroni and Alma are two examples of this. The people were blessed and able to withstand anything they faced when they chose well. However, when they chose bad leaders terrible outcomes were common. These men were often large or strong with the ability to flatter and speak the words people wanted to hear. These might be kings, elected officials, false religious leaders, or philosophers. Regardless, they had the power to influence many - even righteous members of the church - to commit great atrocities. King Noah brought about burdensome taxes along with immorality. (Mosiah 11:2-3) Anti-Christs taught false doctrines such as not being able to know the future or everyone would be saved in their sins no matter what they did. (Alma 30:13, 17) The rich were lifted up above the poor. Corruption, theft, murder, destruction of the family; all of these trickled down from wicked leaders. (Helaman 2:8) 

Another important takeaway was the reminder that no one is immune from the consequences of sin. Even the chosen people of God cannot get away with wickedness. Too often they took for grated their chosen status and thought they were protected because of their race or ancestors or religion. The minute we turn away from Him and stop keeping His commandments then we are subject to our enemies and the world. We become weak just like anyone else. (Mormon 2:26)

Which leads to a related point. There is a recurring theme of the people going through a hardship, leading to humility, peace and prosperity for a time, only to allow pride and forgetfulness to enter their hearts. This cycle often occurred within a few years. (3 Nephi 6:10) Some of the very people who were witness to the previous cycle and all of its consequences were involved with the next one. It makes you wonder why humans - individually and collectively - can be so forgetful and willing to repeatedly make the same mistakes over and over. It is so easy to turn away from Christ when everything is going well and we have what we want. (Helaman 12:2-3) We only seek Him when things start to go poorly for us. (Helaman 11:7) Perhaps this is one of the of the great struggles humanity faces, the never-ending pursuit to break this cycle. 

At the end of The Book of Mormon we are left with Moroni’s discourse on faith, hope, and charity. I believe he put this towards the end because he knew what was needed to keep a people free and what a people who had destroyed themselves was lacking. 

Faith is believing in things that we cannot see but are true. (Alma 32:21) Faith can start even with just a desire to have it. (Alma 32:27) Faith comes in small packages but can still have great power. Faith precedes miracles and is the basis for hope. (Moroni 7:37) Hope is the antithesis of despair. (Moroni 10:22) A world without hope is a world without God and is one that fights to survive for one more day. It is a world that cannot see anything better in the future. A world that sees so much violence and injustice and everything burning to the ground and wonders why we even bother. Hope is Christ’s response to this despair. Hope is His life and Atoning sacrifice that makes change in even the most hardened heart possible. (Moroni 7:41) Hope is a knowledge that there is a reason for doing good today and for being kind to our enemies (and even praying for them). Hope leads to positive action and eventually charity. 

Charity is the pure love of Christ. (Moroni 7:47) In a way charity is Christ and it is the goal each of us - as His disciples - has in becoming like Him. Charity is externally focused on serving our brothers and sisters wherever we come into contact with them. (3 Nephi 17:7) Charity is consecrating our lives to building His kingdom and submitting our will to His - just as He did for the Father. (3 Nephi 11:11) Charity is no longer having a desire to do evil but going about doing good always. (Mosiah 5:2) Charity is the greatest gift there is as it is what allowed a Father to send His Son to endure humiliation and pain for those who so often were not even grateful for this sacrifice. Charity is eternal. Man may fail. Those closest to us may fail. Our surest foundations may fail and bring down our entire world in ruin around us. But we can know now and forever that charity (Christ) will not fail. (Moroni 7:46) It endures forever even through the darkest days. This is our hope. This is our faith made sure and justified. This is the power of The Book of Mormon. 

The Book of Mormon brings us closer to Christ. It testifies of Him and what He did and why we need Him - now more than ever. The Book of Mormon is a key to hard hearts that drives change. The Book of Mormon is more than just some words on a page. It is the power to convert, to invite the Holy Spirit into our lives, to bring angels down to minister and protect, it is the power to connect us with God as we pray and act on the feelings it brings about. 

I know The Book of Mormon was written by righteous men throughout the ages looking to teach us today how to be better than even they were. (Mormon 9:31) It is a truthful testimony of those who spoke with Christ and taught their families and people His Gospel. It is a companion to the Bible and opens the doors to pure wisdom. (Mormon 7:8-9) It is filled with promises for you and me if we will but act. 

I know that my words are not much especially for those who have turned away from spiritual ideas for various reasons. They are just the words of one man (and a very imperfect one at that). But perhaps my words are just enough to encourage a few of you to open the book and read about a people who even in the most difficult of circumstances were able to live after the manner of happiness. (2 Nephi 5:27) Because for each of us who are going through our own worst of times we can still have joy and hope in Christ. 


This is my testimony. This is what I believe. 

My Conversion

Before I go into my story I want to briefly explain what I think or mean when talking about conversion or sanctification. Even though these are words I use a lot I still like to refer to the dictionary to help me remember exactly what they mean. Conversion means something that is changed from one use or purpose to another.  As far as sanctification goes when I first read that I thought of the act of becoming a saint and I am far from that. But once again I read the definition in the dictionary and sanctifying means to set something apart for a sacred purpose or use (it does also means to free from sin or to purify). I’m going to focus on purpose in both of these definitions.
So what does this mean for us? Conversion means that we personally need to undergo some significant change in who we are (as it says in the book of Joel to turn to God with all of our hearts) so that our purpose in this life (what we do with the time and talents God has given us) shifts from a worldly/temporal focus to that of a celestial/eternal one that is in tune with God’s will. A couple of scriptures to go along with that purpose are Alma 29:9 which says, “that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance” and Moses 1:39 when it says we are meant to become converted so that our use or purpose can aid God in his work of “bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man”. We need to become converted first (save ourselves like the instructions with the airplane masks to put one over your own mouth before someone else's) so that we can help others convert.

With that in mind I’m going to start talking about my personal story of conversion or how I was converted. My parents are converts and joined right before I was born. We were sealed in the Mesa Arizona Temple when I was about 4 months old. I’m not sure how much babies participate in this covenant, but it was the first time I entered the temple. I’m going to talk more about the temple later and how important it is. I was raised in the church so went to Primary - got baptized at 8, Young Mens - got the priesthood at 12, got my patriarchal blessing and Eagle Scout award. I graduated from seminary. Basically I checked all the boxes of someone who grows up in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. But then something happened when I was a senior in high school. I began to wander. I still went to church but started doing things my non-member friends were doing. Tobacco and alcohol became a part of my life. Then I went inactive after high school and would go to church maybe once or twice a year for Christmas or something like that. Actually looking back on this time while writing my talk I realize I wasn’t truly converted. I was doing the right things which is important, but I was relying on other people’s testimony and was on the sandy foundation we read about in Matthew 7.
After a few years of aimlessly going about my life - sometimes working, sometimes going to school, sometimes partying - at some point I realized I was in a really bad place. It was pretty much a prodigal son moment where I had hit rock bottom. If you remember the son in that story after all the fun stuff he had been doing was eating with the pigs and realizes his life is not where he imagined it would be. For me it got to the point where I was broke and homeless. I had no potential of jobs or any real future. And like the prodigal son I knew I was meant to have a better life than this. That I deserved more. (Everyone needs to remember this - you deserve more). It’s not that I felt entitled. However I knew that God had a greater purpose for me than struggling day to day. Remembering my patriarchal blessing I knew I had a divine and eternal destiny. Just like everyone in this building and on this earth does. So I began the long, slow journey back to Christ (which involved moving to Utah against all my wishes).
I immediately stopped doing things that were easy and then focused on the harder ones. Some of these habits that I stopped were easy while some are struggles to this day. (Examples of what was easy to stop included movies, music, swearing). I eventually started going to church and surrounding myself with friends with the standards I wanted. I started talking to God again. The next three years or so were filled with quite a bit of struggling and growth as I relied on Him to help me graduate from college and get into the Marine Corps and in all ways get my life back on track.
Really what it came down to was daily decisions to do better. I prayed and read the scriptures. I went to church and institute. I got my temple recommend back after many - at the time uncomfortable - discussions with the bishop and occasionally slipping backward. Once I got my recommend back I made the effort to go to the temple as often as possible. I accepted and fulfilled callings that were given to them. I did my best to get engaged in the work God has called all of us to.
A side note before I move on to the next part of my talk. I’m not sure we can ever be perfectly converted in this life. I feel like conversion is a lifelong pursuit that isn’t completed until we return home. It’s kind of like going to the gym. You’re never perfectly fit or strong or fast. You work on it every day to improve. I suppose the goal is to get to where the Nephites were in Mosiah chapter 5 when they said, "Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually. And we are willing to enter into a covenant with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things that he shall command us, all the remainder of our days."

So how do I remain faithful and on the path? That’s an interesting question. I don’t know if remaining faithful has ever been an issue - I’ve never had a crisis of faith or doubted the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon or Joseph Smith as a prophet - but the path often remains elusive through my own choices. One of my favorite hymns is “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”. One of the lines is a request to God. It says, "bind my wand'ring heart to Thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love”. I do love God and I love my Savior and I never intentionally go out of my way to disappoint Them. We all know what is right and wrong yet still distractions, temptations, moments of weaknesses, fear, pride, deception, a variety of things take us down a different path that looks easier or more appealing in the moment. We know regret, loss, and pain are what we experience when we leave the path yet still it can be so easy. And it’s the same for me. Sometimes I feel like I’m the dog in Up that randomly says squirrel and completely loses focus on what I’m supposed to be doing. So going back to the original question - what do I do to minimize my wandering and get back when I do slip?
Remember who I am (who we are). Remember who others are (children of God). Remember my eternal Identity - this is from everlasting to everlasting - as a son of God. Some practical ways to do this are to regularly read your patriarchal blessing if you have it. Also put up pictures of Christ, the temple, or favorite bible stories all around the house.
Develop a relationship with my Savior. One of my non-LDS friends said this is what it means to be a Christian. Remember His atonement and live a life worthy of Christ’s sacrifice.
As President Russell M. Nelson said develop a daily habit or practice of repentance. That is the catalyst for the change we seek to become like little children.
Go to church and make friends that have the same standards. People you trust and can talk to honestly about your struggles. Develop a relationship with your church leaders. Moroni 6:5 says, “And the church did meet together oft; to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls.” Really there are two reasons for me to come to church every Sunday: first partake of the sacrament and renew baptismal covenants and then strengthen each other and help each of us stay on the path in other words developing a community of saints. It isn’t impossible to do it alone - there have been people who have done it - but it sure is a lot easier to do it when you have people all around you encouraging you to choose the right.
Get inside the temple. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of getting to the temple as often as possible. I’ve had extended periods of time - like when I was in Afghanistan - when the closest temple was way beyond reach. Some saints have made enormous sacrifices to go once in their lives while others still wait for the opportunity to go. If you live within reach of one make an appointment with God to go on a regular basis. Take your family. Take your friends. Or go by yourself. The temple is where we learn of God and make covenants with him. We draw closer to his Spirit. For a moment the world vanishes away. Read the scriptures and pray there. Then listen. It’s easier to hear God in there than so many other places as there is so much noise that can drown out what He wants to tell us.
My last thought is don’t give up. I know it’s hard. I know doubts (sometimes very serious ones) will creep in. It takes a lot of patience to stay on the path and for those who know me patience is not my strength. But I know it’s the right thing to do. I know it’s what will lead to lasting happiness. The blessing of joy is available to all of us as long as we live righteously. Trials and hardship and loss - while very real and painful - cannot take away the joy God has given us. I’m not perfect. But that’s ok. Because God still loves me and He loves each of you. All He wants us to do is give our best efforts and He will make up the rest.

Women and Christlike Attributes

Shortly before my first Mother's Day

    Today is Mother’s Day. It’s a day set aside every year to celebrate moms and all they’ve done for us from the time we were born throughout our childhood and even now as adults. Because we really don’t ever stop being our mother’s little boy or girl. But with that being said I want to first discuss the fact that all women are mothers. In Genesis 3:20 “Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.” Before they had left the Garden of Eden and before she had any children she was already a mother.  And Sheri Dew once said, “Motherhood is more than bearing children, though it is certainly that. It is the essence of who we are as women. It defines our very identity, our divine stature and nature, and the unique traits our Father gave us.” And this thought is what I want to focus on. The Christlike attributes that seem to be in the very nature of womanhood. 
    There are so many examples of righteous women in the Scriptures. Ruth’s faith to leave her homeland, Esther’s courage to stand up for her people, Mary and Martha receiving Jesus into their home, Abish remaining true even alone as a believer among her people the Lamanites. Similarly in my life I have had the great fortune of many righteous women whose faith and love have been an example to me.  
    I have seen firsthand how women of all situations have been mothers to me. Some of these examples I’m going to share may seem silly or insignificant to those who weren’t there and didn’t experience the love and tenderness that I did. But to me they are truly meaningful as I even remember them years later. After helping one struggling single mother I fell asleep on her couch and when I woke up the next morning she had brought blankets out to keep me from getting cold and had tucked me in like one of her kids. Another woman (married with no children at the time) took care of me when I was sick by getting me medicine and a place to rest. Another woman (neither married nor with kids) cooked breakfast for me one morning and it reminded me of times my mother had done the same for me. Little acts of kindness like this have been so common from these women and whether or not they have intended it they have all exemplified Christian discipleship. 
    
    Service:
    The first attribute I have already briefly mentioned and that is selfless service. Christ spent His life going about doing good and that’s what He taught the disciples. As we’ve studied the New Testament this year we have seen how He ministered to friend and stranger alike. One of the most intimate examples of this is in John 13. “He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.” 
    Unsurprisingly I’m going to use my mom as an example a lot because of the impact she has had throughout my life. (And it is mother’s day) My mother dedicated her life to raising me and my siblings. For those who don’t know I’m one of ten children: nine boys and a girl. And to say the least we were no angels then and we are not much better now. Many have said my mom is a saint and I’m still not sure why anyone would willingly make the decision to deal with so many boys. But my mother truly wanted the best for us and this was demonstrated every day. She ensured we always had food to eat including cooked meals. She made sure we had clean clothes and got to baseball practice or piano lessons. She taught the Gospel in the home as well as helped out with homework. And to be honest that’s about all she’s done for the past forty years. She knows what our needs are and she tends to them. When you’re young you don’t really appreciate this selfless service as much as when you are older. 

    Sacrifice:
    Service and sacrifice go hand in hand for me. Once again Christ’s life and purpose was one of sacrifice. He never thought of Himself. He never complained. He endured so much suffering for each of us culminating in the Atonement in the Garden and on the Cross. Moms do the same. They sacrifice education, careers, sleep, sanity, travel, friends, their bodies. They give up on their childhood dreams for better ones. All for those they love more than anything else. Elder Holland said in a talk, "There are some lines attributed to Victor Hugo which read: She broke the bread into two fragments and gave them to her children, who ate with eagerness. ‘She hath kept none for herself,’ grumbled the sergeant. ‘Because she is not hungry,’ said a soldier. ‘No,’ said the sergeant, ‘because she is a mother.’”
    Another amazing woman I want to share as an example is a woman by the name of Janice Ahuna. She was an institute teacher and wife of the branch president where I lived in Hawaii. She was in this calling for quite a few years and dedicated hours every week to preparing lessons, cooking food, giving rides to people without cars. And on top of all this I never saw her get angry or complain or think about herself. Even if only a couple of people showed up she was there and ready to go. She - like so many others - made this sacrifice without a desire of recognition or reward. She did it because it was the right thing to do and it blessed the lives of others. 

    Mercy and Forgiveness:
    “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” In recent weeks we have read about the story of the man who forgave his servant a massive loan - one that was impossible to pay back. On the cross Christ said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34). Time and again Christ showed mercy and taught parables about forgiveness to those who have done wrong or harmed us. And I will be honest this is often one of the hardest attributes for me to personally develop. So often my initial reaction is punishment or justice - even if I don’t say it that’s the thought that is in my heart. 
    Similar to what Cason said. But my mother has shown me repeatedly how to give a person another chance and to not give up on anyone for the choices they have made. She understands so much better than I do that mercy can change hearts and heal wounds much more so than getting even or getting back what was lost. I had one friend who helped me heal a relationship with a brother I had distanced myself from. She had the wisdom to tell me to not wait on him to make contact but that I should move past the hurt and reach out and just talk to him. Once again it was a little thing and maybe she remembers or maybe she doesn’t but her encouragement helped heal a broken family bond. 

    Charity:
    The last attribute is the foundation for these and all other Christlike attributes: the pure love of Christ or charity. It’s the virtue that never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). Unsurprisingly this is the motto for the Relief Society. Going back to the Sheri Dew quote it just seems that women have it in their nature to love more easily and without judgement. The people I have mentioned judge by the best of people and not by their worst. They take in the downtrodden especially little children. Compassion flows from their souls and the world is a better place because of this pure love. 
   To give a couple of final examples first I have a cousin who embodies Christlike love in how she raises her children. Before they can even talk she teaches them of Christ. She dedicates every day to teaching them obedience and respect. She in so many ways embodies a wife that loves her husband and a mother who loves her children and puts them first above everything else. Second I have a friend who isn’t married and is possibly the kindest and sweetest person I’ve ever met. I can’t imagine her ever wishing harm on anyone even if they had done wrong to her. She endures hardships and takes it in stride. No matter what her love for others never diminishes. She is really one of the examples of Christlike love I return to often when I think of how I should act in a situation. 

    Testimony:
    I want to finish up with a couple of thoughts and my testimony. For all the men I would strongly encourage you to read or watch President Nelson’s message from the Priesthood session last month. One of my favorite quotes was, “we need to do better and be better in how we honor the women in our lives, beginning with our wives and daughters, our mothers and sisters.” I definitely know that I could be much better with how I treat my mother and others. I have not always been as grateful as I should have. I have so often taken her for granted. There were times recently where I didn’t like decisions that were made and once again distanced myself from her. We don’t know how much time our moms will be with us and like every cherished relationship we need to treasure it and nourish it while we can. I owe practically everything to her. My mom is a convert and so I have her (along with my dad) to thank for my knowledge of the Gospel. I have never seen her waiver in the faith through trial after trial. And even as she sees children struggle or wander she never gives up hope on any of us. Take the time today to call your mother if this is possible and tell her thank you and tell her you love her. And then don’t just do it today but do it often. 
    This is the Church of Jesus Christ and the fulness of the Gospel is found here. The Book of Mormon testifies of Him. I know these are true and boldly testify that righteous living and covenant keeping will see us return Home one day. Jesus is my Savior, Redeemer, Master, Brother, Friend. Hope is possible because of Him. I say these things in His name. Amen. 
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