Category: The Church of Jesus Christ

Posts about being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spiritual insights, and the like

Why I Support the Traditional Family

Recently I got into a conversation with a homosexual individual on Facebook about the same-sex debate. It wasn’t long and I certainly was not able to answer his questions to his satisfaction. I support the traditional family. That is a nice positive statement. It does also mean that I oppose same-sex marriage. I do. And what’s more, the core reasons that I oppose it are due to moral and religious objections (which is why I was unable to answer his questions to his satisfaction).

While I can’t say I particularly enjoyed the conversation (“I don’t like confrontations!” ~T-Rex), I am glad I was able to have it–I learned a few things. These are really obvious when they’re written down like this, but they may be harder to apply than one might think.

  1. It’s easy to agree with your fellow church members that same-sex marriage is bad. For me it’s more difficult to disagree with a gay person who is currently unable to marry their partner, and who could understandably be frustrated with religious people keeping him from marrying. I think it is important to be able to share your differences respectfully to those who disagree with you.
  2. When doing so, I think it is important to listen to what they have to say. Show the respect for them that you want them to show for you. That doesn’t mean that you are agreeing with them or compromising your beliefs. It simply means that you are trying to understand them and their position a little better. Hopefully they will extend the same courtesy to you (whether they do or not doesn’t really matter).
  3. I also think it is important that we be willing and able to explain why we have the stance that we have. As in my case, your reasons may be completely rejected. That’s OK. Again, you should not expect that your powerful words of wisdom will cause the planets to align and convince whomever you are addressing to see the error of their ways and agree to everything you say (willingly or otherwise, depending on what mood your imagination is in). The idea here is to honestly explain why believe and act the way you do.

The core question that came up was this: “Why is the issue of same-sex marriage so important that I would stand against it, affecting homosexual couples who wish to marry?” That is absolutely a fair question.

As I mentioned earlier, the core reasons why I oppose same-sex marriage absolutely ties in with my moral beliefs and religion (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). I believe that there is a body of men who are prophets. I have felt the Spirit confirm this to me multiple times. I have seen how my life and outlook on life have improved as I have followed their counsel over time.

These prophets have been very clear on this issue: that while we should not support same-sex marriage, we also should not be hateful, mean, or discriminatory towards homosexuals. They have also explicitly spelled out that it is no sin to have feelings of same-gender attraction. It is a sin to act on those feelings.

Some of the basic doctrines of the Church are that marriage was instituted by God as the union of a man and a woman, and that gender (as opposed to sexual orientation) is part of our eternal identity. Families are not just constructs for this life-time. Instead they are the building blocks of society both here and in the hereafter. Morality is defined by God and is eternal.

Members of the Church who are gay are not and should not be considered or treated as second-class citizens. Just as single members of the Church are not second-class citizens. We believe that if we are faithful, then any blessing that we are unable to achieve in this lifetime will be ours in the life to come. This includes marriage and family.

These are the main reasons why I do not support same-sex marriage. There are other reasons. I have read a number of arguments opposing SSM, and in general I would say I agree with them. But when the rubber hits the road, this is it.

I can see why this would be totally unacceptable to a gay man who does not believe in religion at all, let alone that there is a body of men who are prophets of God. Again, that’s OK. I can explain what I believe. I absolutely have a right to do that. Anyone who bothers to listen absolutely has the right to decide what to do with that.

I also absolutely have a right to add my voice and my vote to issues that I believe are important. Do my morals and religion affect my opinions? Of course they do! Any set of beliefs or code of conduct that does not affect the person following them is useless and meaningless.

So, in a nutshell, that’s where I stand. I do not hate homosexuals. Indeed, if I claim to oppose SSM primarily because of my belief in the prophets and understanding of Church doctrine, then I shouldn’t. If I do, that’s something I need to work on, isn’t it? Here’s another way to think of it. What was Christ’s reaction to the prostitute? “Neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more.” The Savior, whom I claim to follow as a disciple, did not condemn the prostitute. But He also didn’t condone the behavior.

So far the discussion has centered largely on why I don’t support SSM, but that’s only part of the question, isn’t it? I plan on writing a follow-up on why I actually oppose SSM. Given my current writing frequency, I’ve got a good three months to do it. 🙂

As I mentioned before, I have read a number of articles defending the traditional family view. Here are some of them

Some additional words from the afore-mentioned prophets

And some more just in case you are still following

LDS Online Resources

Wow, it has been a little while. Well, before I start playing catch-up, I wanted to get this down…

Last week I did a presentation in Church on some of the resources the Church has made available. I had a half-an-hour (my fist practice took 3 times that long). It actually ended up going pretty well, given how nervous I was.

I put together a list of the stuff I covered (read: mentioned) as well as some thing I wish I could have covered. Here it is (The organization follows the outline of the presentation):

[Edit] And the menu and site structure for lds.org has just been changed. A lot. So I’ve gone through and tried to update my links below.

Site Directory
LDS Account ldsaccount.lds.org Online account for Church websites
LDS.org lds.org Main website
Magazines lds.org/magazine Links to each of the Church magazines
Mobile Apps mobile.lds.org

Official apps for Apple, Android, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry

 Describes what apps are available for mobile devices
Getting Started tech.lds.org/wiki/LDS.org_getting_started_guides Guides for many of the Church tools and resources
     
Media Content
Media Library lds.org/media-library Video, Audio, and Picture resources, many downloadable
Mormon Channel mormonchannel.org

Mobile Apps: mormonchannel.org/mobile

 The Church’s online radio.
Bible Videos lds.org/bible-videos

Mobile App for Apple, Android

 Free videos of the events of the bible
LDS Music lds.org/churchmusic

Mobile app for Apple

 Songs from hymnbook and children’s songbook. Can view and play the music with many other features
     
Official Social Accounts
Facebook lds.org/media-library/accessing-media-facebook Scroll down to see a list of Church Facebook pages
Youtube lds.org/media-library/accessing-media-youtube Scroll down to see a list of Church Youtube channels
Twitter lds.org/media-library/accessing-media-twitter Scroll down to see a list of Church Twitter channels
     
Resources for Children
Friend Magazine lds.org/friend Children’s magazine, with games and activities
Primary Manuals lds.org/manual/primary Church Primary manuals, incl. Faith in God
     
Resources for Youth
Youth Site youth.lds.org Main site for Youth – Other resources linked here:

  • For the Strength of Youth
  • Duty to God
  • Personal Progress
  • Seminary
  • FamilySearch Youth
Youth App Mobile App for Apple and Android Videos and images geared towards youth
Scripture Mastery Mobile App for Apple Tools to help memorize scripture mastery scriptures
     
Adults and Families
FHE lds.org/topics/family-home-evening Family Home Evening Resources
Addiction Recovery Program addictionrecovery.lds.org 12 step program for addiction recovery
Gardening www.lds.org/topics/gardening  
Combating Pornography www.lds.org/topics/pornography Includes information for prevention as well as dealing with addiction and helps for others affected
Provident Living providentliving.org Self-reliance and welfare resources
Self-Reliance providentliving.org/self-reliance This sub-site of Provident Living replaces much of the previous Family Well-being sub-site. Resources for:

  • Employment
  • Finances
  • Food Storage
  • Emergency Preparedness
  • Gardening
  • Physical Health
  • Education
Internet and Family Safety tech.lds.org/wiki/Family_Safety Community-driven site containing information on safe technology usage for families
Ward Directory lds.org/directory Directory information. Web site allows editing and setting permissions.
Calendar lds.org/church-calendar Calendar for the ward and Church building. Individual rooms can be scheduled by members.
LDS Tools Mobile App for most platforms incl.

Apple, Android, Windows Mobile

 Provides access to the directory, calendar, and ward callings.
Gospel Library Mobile app for most platforms incl.

Apple, Android, Windows Mobile

 Scriptures, talks, articles, manuals, etc. Integrates with Notes and Journal (can mark passages, add notes)
Notes and Journal lds.org/study-tools/folders Holds marked passages and notes from Gospel Library and other articles/resources on lds.org
     
Service Opportunities
Volunteer and Contribute lds.org/service/volunteer-and-contribute or lds.org/topics/service Provides links and ideas for helping with some of the Church’s efforts
Vineyard vineyard.lds.org 5-minute tasks to help the Church
LDSTech ldstech.org Provide assistance with Church software development
FamilySearch Indexing familysearch.org/volunteer/indexing

Mobile app for Apple and Android

 Help index genealogical records (arbitrators needed!)

Mobile Apps are very different from desktop program
JustServe justserve.org Links volunteers with charitable causes. Just starting out.
     
Sharing the Gospel
Sharing Online lds.org/church/share or

lds.org/church/share/profile-creation

 Lots of ideas and suggestions
Missionary Service lds.org/callings/missionary Includes information for senior and service missions
Mormon.org mormon.org Site for investigators, but content is from members
     
Other
Locations and Schedules lds.org/locations Helps you find LDS Buildings and Schedules anywhere in the world
FamilySearch new.familysearch.org Family History
Disabilities lds.org/disability Information for working with people with disabilities
Church News lds.org/church/news  
History history.lds.org Resources and information on Church History
Joseph Smith Papers josephsmithpapers.org Attempting to compile and annotate all known documents written by or scribed for Joseph Smith
Lesson Schedules lds.org/lesson New tool allowing classes to post their lesson schedules online
Newsletter lds.org/member-news New tool for online ward news
LDS Jobs ldsjobs.org Employment resources
Plan of Salvation www.lds.org/topics/plan-of-salvation  

Happy Easter

Well, this is about a day later than what I was trying for…

Even so, I wanted to express my grattitude this Easter for Jesus Christ, for His suffering for us and resurrection. I’m especially grateful for the knowledge that this life is not all that there is. Death is not the end, it is only another step in a long progression. We will see and meet family and loved ones again after this life. This is the gospel–the good news.

This knowledge comes from the witness of the Holy Spirit. One of the great tenants of my faith is that God lives, and that He speaks to us through the Holy Spirit. We can go to him in prayer and receive answers from Him. We each have the ability to receive inspiration and knowledge from God. That is how I have come to the knowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. That He suffered for the sins of all mankind, was crucified, and rose from the grave. His gift to us is two-fold. One is the ability for us to repent and be forgiven of our sins. The other is that we will also live again. The fall of Adam brought both physical and spiritual death. The sacrifice and resurrection of Christ answers both of these.

That Easter morn, a grave that burst
Proclaimed to man that “Last and First”
Had ris’n again
And conquered pain.

This morn renews for us that day
When Jesus cast the bonds away,
Took living breath
And conquered death.

Thus we in gratitude recall
And give our love and pledge our all,
Shed grateful tear
And conquer fear.

~That Easter Morn, Marion D. Hanks
LDS Hymns 198

Gadgets and the Spirit

So, I’ve had some  cool new gadgets to play with recently. I’ve been using my tablet for preparing and giving lessons in Elders Quorum, and it has been really handy; particularly using the Gospel Library and Study Notebook.

One member did mention to me (in good humor) that he was just a little bit disappointed when he saw me bringing my tablet to Church–he had liked the fact that my lesson notes were all in books and on paper.

A few years ago I got a feature phone that I thought was really cool. It had a web browser, a small keyboard, a note-taking app, and actually one of the better sets of speakers on a phone (or tablet) that I’ve heard to this day.

At any rate, I was really excited about the phone, and I thought about how useful it would be at church for taking notes with; ignoring the fact that I never did take a lot (if any) notes in church.

So I’m at church with my cool phone, ready to get spiritual impressions and put them in my neat note-taking phone. You can probably guess how much I got out of church, and how much I actually used that cool note application.

A few Sundays later, again at church, I suddenly did have some spiritual thoughts (rare though it is, it does occasionally happen), and I was able to use my phone to write them down. It was actually rather remarkable.

The difference between the two is really rather obvious–the first time my concentration was all on the phone, and what a cool gadget it was. I certainly was not in a frame of mind for any kind of spiritual instruction. On the other occasion, while I did have the phone it wasn’t what I was focusing on; it was simply an available tool for me to use.

I’ve heard both arguments about using smartphones and/or other gadgets in church, and for me the answer is: what are you using it for? What is the purpose, and what is the focus? Is it a tool, or a toy?

Now, in general, for me, computers and such are very much toys (“Never met a gadget I didn’t like”). I actually recommend that considering a computer as a toy is a good way to get to figure out how to use it.

So is it possible to take something that is a toy on Saturday and consider as only a tool on Sunday?

Android Gospel Library Tip: Updating Bookmarks

I’ve enjoyed having the LDS Gospel Library on my phone and tablet quite a bit, but one of my frustrations with it has been bookmarks–it’s fairly straightforward to create a bookmark, but how do you update (move) an existing bookmark for when you’re doing your daily scripture study?

Someone recently showed me how to do it. It’s really pretty simple. I created a bookmark called “Daily” and set it to where I’m at in my scripture study. Then, when I was done with my scripture study and ready to update my bookmark, I open up the bookmarks dialogue and longpress (press and hold) on the “Daily” bookmark. When I do that, I am prompted whether or not I want to update the existing bookmark, and I say yes.

General Conference Oct 2011

Another excellent conference come and gone. I think the most exciting part of it was the announcement that the Provo Tabernacle (which suffered a severe fire) will be rebuilt into a temple!

In general the comments that stuck out to me were the ones that talked about standing up for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and also about being more diligent in our regular responsibilities: daily scripture study and prayer (individually and as a family), attending church meetings and the temple, etc. I’ve referred to these things as the Primary Answers for two reasons:

  1. They are the answers to virtually every question asked by a gospel instructor since we were in Primary. If you had fallen asleep in class and were woken up by the instructor asking you a question, your safest bet is to reply: “Go to church, listen to the prophets, read your scriptures, and pray” (OK, so this isn’t really the case, but sometimes it feels like it)
  2. They are Primary, meaning first and foremost. There is a reason why said instructors are trying to pound those things into our heads. It is critical that we stay close to the gospel, and the way that is done is not through some occasional or once-in-a-lifetime super-spiritual experience (Even the scriptures demonstrate that while such things do happen, they do not by themselves bring about either salvation or conversion). Instead, conversion to the Gospel, and developing a relationship with our Father in Heaven, is done through steady, regular, consistent effort.

I particularly liked President Monson’s talk in the Priesthood Session. He summarized a survey that indicated many young people in the country have little if any sense of morality, often stating that they do what feels right at the time. (see http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/13/opinion/if-it-feels-right.html). Here is President Monson’s response to the holders of the Priesthood:

“Brethren, none within the sound of my voice should be in any doubt concerning what is moral and what is not, nor should any be in doubt about what is expected of us as holders of the priesthood of God. We have been and continue to be taught God’s laws. Despite what you may see or hear elsewhere, these laws are unchanging.

As we go about living from day to day, it is almost inevitable that our faith will be challenged. We may at times find ourselves surrounded by others and yet standing in the minority or even standing alone concerning what is acceptable and what is not. Do we have the moral courage to stand firm for our beliefs, even if by so doing we must stand alone? As holders of the priesthood of God, it is essential that we are able to face—with courage—whatever challenges come our way. Remember the words of Tennyson: ‘My strength is as the strength of ten, because my heart is pure.'” (see http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/dare-to-stand-alone?lang=eng).

The Rending of the Veil

Matthew 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

This is my favorite image in all of scripture.

The veil of the temple separated the Holy Place–containing the shewbread, incense and candlestick–from the Holy of Holies, which contained the Ark of the Covenant. The Holy of Holies represented the presence of God (The Bible Dictionary has good descriptions of the Tabernacle and Temple of Solomon).

The veil of the temple was not torn by men, armies or machinery, but rather an earthquake (such things are still referred to in legal documents as “acts of God”). It also wasn’t just a small tear or hole–it was ripped from top to bottom.

What does this mean? Consider what has just been accomplished: the Atonement. Christ’s body was rent, giving mankind the ability to repent of their sins through Him. Through His blood we can be made clean and return to His presence. The veil separating man from God has been removed.

As the stone being rolled away from the tomb represents the triumph over physical death, the rending of the temple veil represents the triumph over spiritual death.

Helaman 14:15-19:

15 For behold, he surely must die that salvation may come; yea, it behooveth him and becometh expedient that he dieth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord.

16 Yea, behold, this death bringeth to pass the resurrection, and redeemeth all mankind from the first death—that spiritual death; for all mankind, by the fall of Adam being cut off from the presence of the Lord, are considered as dead, both as to things temporal and to things spiritual.

17 But behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord.

18 Yea, and it bringeth to pass the condition of repentance, that whosoever repenteth the same is not hewn down and cast into the fire; but whosoever repenteth not is hewn down and cast into the fire; and there cometh upon them again a spiritual death, yea, a second death, for they are cut off again as to things pertaining to righteousness.

19 Therefore repent ye, repent ye, lest by knowing these things and not doing them ye shall suffer yourselves to come under condemnation, and ye are brought down unto this second death. (Helaman 14:15-19:15-19)

A Good Day

I’ve been meaning to write about a good day I had a while back…

Every now and then I like to take a couple hours to relax with something other than video games or books.  I put on some good music and make a treat. It’s usually bread, hot chocolate, or… some other chocolate treat (and in case you were wondering, yes, a good loaf of homemade bread is definitely a treat).

Now, I really enjoy a good novel or video game, but there’s something more satisfying about taking my time to make a good treat while listening to some Beethoven. It sounds cheesy, but to me it is something that “feeds the soul” (or at least, that’s how I think of it, and everyone should take some time out every so often and do something that feeds their soul).

A little while ago, I was making a treat while listening to a new CD I had recently purchased. It was nice, relaxing music (the album name is Porcelain by Helen Jane Long, FYI), and I was quite enjoying myself.

Then my little daughter came in and proceeded to dance to the music (she’s been taking lessons from June on “Little Einsteins”, so she awkwardly twirls round and round in place). She was so cute to watch!

I was touched by what a wonderful family I have. They are so good to me; not just a wonderful blessing, but the reason and purpose in my life. That afternoon is one of the sweet moments of my life. Far beyond just a nice relaxing afternoon, it is one of the more precious memories that I have, and I hope I always remember it. I felt that God was happy with me, and that I was beginning to realize some of the great joys of life.

Oct 2009 Conference

So General Conference just ended, and I wanted to put down a few things that I really liked.

I really liked President Uchdorf’s talk in the Priesthood session, where he talked about the importance of work–not just wanting to do good things, but actually taking the time to do them. He also emphsized the importance of Education–always learning, whether in or out of a school.

That was my favorite talk, but I also really liked Elder Holland’s talk on the truth of the Book of Mormon, and Elder Bednar’s talk on consistent effort. I can’t remember who said it, but in another talk the speaker talked about those who don’t make an effort to teach their children the gospel, using the reason that they will “let their children decide for themselves”. His point was that the children cannot decide for themselves without having a knowledge of the gospel, and that Satan will certainly not protray the temptations of the world in a fair, unbiased light.

I’m hoping that I can spend more time studying the gospel, and also doing some of the good side projects that I want to do but never seem to find the time to do.