Today's Spiritual Message: Looking through Windows

I love this story about judging and imagine we could all learn a lesson from it.




1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

Matthew 7:1-2

Today's Spiritual Message: Power of God

Today's spiritual message centers on the priesthood and follows the life of a young man at around age 12 (when he receives the priesthood) up until shortly before his death.  I'm very impressed with the message and the cinematography (3D images?).

HAPPY 500TH POST! Today's Spiritual Message: Things as They Really Are

"Time flies on wings of lightning, we cannot call it back."  I've written on this subject a few times and it's still something I greatly struggle with -- and I lived two years on a rigid schedule, absent TV, email, friends, dating etc., waking up early and going to bed by 10:30.

As I imagine some of you might also be having similar struggles with prioritizing your time, I'm confident you'll enjoy this brief video, incorporating words from Elder David A. Bednar, as well as the full video of Elder Ian S. Ardern's recent general conference talk, A Time to Prepare.

Busy-ness

This morning, I'd like to share some thoughts from my reading in the Book of Mormon.

In 1 Nephi 17:45, Nephi chastises his brethren because of their wickedness and accompanying insensitivity to spiritual things.

The late Elder Joseph B. Wirtlin observed, "This is a noisy and busy world that we live in. Remember that being busy is not necessarily being spiritual. If we are not careful, the things of this world can crowd out the things of the Spirit."  Book of Mormon Study Manual, page 39 or The Unspeakable Gift, April 2003 General Conference.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf echoed this sentiment and recently remarked,

Let’s be honest; it’s rather easy to be busy. We all can think up a list of tasks that will overwhelm our schedules. Some might even think that their self-worth depends on the length of their to-do list. They flood the open spaces in their time with lists of meetings and minutia—even during times of stress and fatigue. Because they unnecessarily complicate their lives, they often feel increased frustration, diminished joy, and too little sense of meaning in their lives.

It is said that any virtue when taken to an extreme can become a vice. Overscheduling our days would certainly qualify for this. There comes a point where milestones can become millstones and ambitions, albatrosses around our necks.

Of Things That Matter Most, April 2011 General Conference.

I recognize I often fall pray to this syndrome, myself, and I invite us all to take some time for quiet reflection, communing with God, and focusing on the things that matter most, especially our family.

Today's Spiritual Message: In Memoriam, 9/11

Today, my heart is full of pondering, of remembering that fateful day, from ten years ago.  I will always remember watching the events of 9/11 unfold, from the remote TV in my physics classroom, in high school.  I'm so grateful for those who gave their lives to save and rescue others.

Remembering those who gave their lives.

Tom Brokaw and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir will air a special 9/11 broadcast, today.

In remembering 9/11, I invite you to watch a special memorial broadcast, recorded by Tom Brokaw, who was a news anchor detailing the events of 9/11, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, who quickly performed a memorial service.  The broadcast will be aired throughout the day.

Finally, invite you to read two different articles reflecting on 9/11, one by Thomas S. Monson, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (in the Washington Post) and the other by Emory Cook, of BYUtv.

May we be a better people as a result of the 9/11 tragedy -- more full of love and compassion, and may God bless America.

Today's Spiritual Message: Reversing Our Moral Decay

The other day, I read an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal by Rabbi Lord Sacks, the chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth (in the United Kingdom).

Many have blamed moral decay for the recent riots in the UK

Rather than summarize the entire article for you, I will excerpt a few points and strongly urge you to read the rest:  In the recent British riots, of those charged with crimes,

60% had a previous criminal record, and 25% belonged to gangs.

This was the bursting of a dam of potential trouble that has been building for years. The collapse of families and communities leaves in its wake unsocialized young people, deprived of parental care, who on average—and yes, there are exceptions—do worse than their peers at school, are more susceptible to drug and alcohol abuse, less likely to find stable employment and more likely to land up in jail.

The truth is, it is not their fault. They are the victims of the tsunami of wishful thinking that washed across the West saying that you can have sex without the responsibility of marriage, children without the responsibility of parenthood, social order without the responsibility of citizenship, liberty without the responsibility of morality and self-esteem without the responsibility of work and earned achievement.

Indeed, I'm unsure whether many would agree there even is an objective morality, anymore.  On the other hand, there used to be.  Consider, for example, the words of President Thomas S. Monson, 84:

We have come to the earth in troubled times. The moral compass of the masses has gradually shifted to an “almost anything goes” position.

I’ve lived long enough to have witnessed much of the metamorphosis of society’s morals. Where once the standards of the Church and the standards of society were mostly compatible, now there is a wide chasm between us, and it’s growing ever wider.  (Priesthood Power, April 2011 General Conference.)

So what is the solution to this moral decay and ever widening chasm?  According to Lord Sacks, a return to religion.  According to British Prime Minister David Cameron, and as I understand it, a return to families.

The family must be the focus of our efforts to reverse moral decay

I am in favor of both solutions, with particular emphasis on the family.  In 1995, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made a prophetic statement on the family, which reads, in part:

Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

WE CALL UPON responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.  (The Family:  A Proclamation to the World.)

So, what can you and I do to reverse moral decay, in promoting the family as the fundamental unit of society?  We can vote, we can write letters to the editor, we can blog, we can tweet, we can email, we can shut off the vulgarity and violence found on TV, the Internet, and countless movies.  We can stand up and say, "enough is enough, and this is where I draw a moral line in the sand that I refuse to cross."

In closing, I love this quote, shared by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf and attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi, “Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words."  (Waiting on the Road to Damascus, April 2011 General Conference.)

What else are God's prophets and apostles teaching about the family and other important topics, today?  "Come and see."  (reference to John 1:45-46.)

Today's Spiritual Message: Provident Living

The phrase "provident living," or living within our means (not spending more than we have) may sound like a joke to many in the world today, especially after we just went through an economic recession where people could simply "state" how much income they wanted to get a house, and our nation still teeters on the brink of default.

Personally, I'm so grateful that the Lord has called prophets and apostles in our day and age to warn us about avoiding excessive debt.

Here is a link that discuss living within our means and a message from President Thomas S. Monson, which discusses, in part, avoiding excessive debt (given in 2006).

Hope you enjoy both.

Today's Spiritual Message: I Choose to be Pure

In an age where "anything goes" and, so many "call evil good" (Isaiah 5:20), I'm delighted to see six young people stand up and declare that they can control their sexual appetites and that they are happy because of that decision.

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Today's Spiritual Message: T-I-M-E Spells Love

Sometimes I struggle to remember one of the greatest gifts I can give my family is my time.  How often do we like to feel busy and important?  Yet, what could be more important than spending time with our family?  I love what President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said last October General Conference, “In family relationships love is really spelled t-i-m-e, time.”

What do we make our priorities?

"Let’s be honest; it’s rather easy to be busy. We all can think up a list of tasks that will overwhelm our schedules. Some might even think that their self-worth depends on the length of their to-do list. They flood the open spaces in their time with lists of meetings and minutia—even during times of stress and fatigue. Because they unnecessarily complicate their lives, they often feel increased frustration, diminished joy, and too little sense of meaning in their lives."

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I invite you to read President Uchtdorf's message, "Of Things That Matter Most," along with a message from this month's Ensign (the official magazine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), "T-I-M-E Spells Love."

Today's Spiritual Message: Watch Your Step

In today's world, so many of us want to justify our actions by saying, "It doesn't hurt anyone else."  I suggest we take a step back and ponder how accurate that defense really is, if ever.

Does any one of us live in a vacuum?  Who can doubt the verity that our actions affect others, our children, future generations, and the world.  Ever heard of the butterfly effect?